who is slated to become a free agent at the end of t | Forum
miaowang123
Nov 21 '17
NEW YORK, N. Los Angeles Lakers Jerseys .Y. - In nearly 800 NBA regular-games, Carmelo Anthony had never played in one like this. It didnt matter. Eliminated from post-season contention for the first time in his 11-year career, Anthony said it was tough even coming to the arena on Sunday night. "But mentally, you just had to put yourself in that mindset. Although youre not playing for nothing, if you suit up, youve still got to go out there and play ball," Anthony said. He and the Knicks did it well, getting 20 points from Tim Hardaway Jr. and beating the Chicago Bulls 100-89. No longer with any hopes of their own, the Knicks snapped the Bulls seven-game winning streak and dropped them back into a tie with Toronto for the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference with two to play. "We let a big game slip tonight. It was probably the biggest game of the season," Bulls centre Joakim Noah said. "Disappointing the way our mentality wasnt good today, but overall we just wont have time, just got to let this one go, get ready tomorrow." Anthony and J.R. Smith each had 17 points for the Knicks, who were eliminated Saturday when Atlanta beat Miami, ending New Yorks run of three straight post-season berths. Anthonys first season without a post-season comes as he prepares to become a free agent in July. He had a hard time looking ahead beyond the next two games — which he isnt even sure he will play in because of nagging shoulder pain that he might get checked. "Its just hard for me to even think past tonight, right now, at this moment," Anthony said. "Everything is just, for me, just cloudy. Ive never been in this situation before. I dont even know what to say about this situation." A 54-win division champion last season, they believed they were built to play deep into the spring, so confident in what they had that Amare Stoudemire said the expectations should have been even higher. "On paper, we might be the best team in the league," he said before the game. "Weve got great players on this team whove accomplished so much. We just couldnt put it together." Noah had 13 points, 17 rebounds and nine assists for the Bulls. Jimmy Butler scored 17 points, but Chicago was just 6 of 22 (27 per cent) from 3-point range. "Defensively, we werent very good," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "I liked the fight to come back. I thought we made some good plays down the stretch and we missed some wide-open 3s that you live with." The Knicks led 45-39 at halftime, then Smith hit consecutive 3-pointers and Raymond Felton made one for a 9-0 spurt that opened a 60-46 advantage, and the lead reached 67-50 when Anthony nailed a 3. Chicago was down 17 again with 7 1/2 minutes to play before finally making a push, cutting it to 93-87 when Taj Gibsons three-point play capped a 15-4 run. But they repeatedly misfired from the perimeter, preventing them from getting any closer. The Knicks have played well in March and April, beating Toronto on Friday, but its too late after they had already fallen to 21-40. "Being the coach, I just apologize to the fans, because again, they pay their hard-earned money to come out and see us play and we didnt come into this season expecting this," Knicks coach Mike Woodson said. Whatever expectations the Bulls had were gone after Derrick Rose was lost to season-ending knee surgery in late November and Luol Deng was traded on Jan. 7. But Chicago has not only regrouped but flourished, bringing an Eastern Conference-best 35-14 mark in 2014 into Sundays play. But they will need help now — perhaps from the Knicks, who host Toronto in Wednesdays finale — to get the No. 3 spot, since the Raptors would get the tiebreaker as a division champion. Chicago closes against Orlando on Monday and at Charlotte on Wednesday. Notes: The game was originally scheduled for a 1 p.m. start and be shown nationally on ABC, but was booted shortly after the Bulls 109-90 rout of the Knicks in Chicago on March 2. The Indiana-Oklahoma City game was shifted to that marquee spot. ... Chicago was trying for its first eight-game winning streak since Feb. 20-March 7, 2012. James Worthy Jersey .com) - Colorado may be ahead of the Vancouver Canucks in the Western Conference standings, but they are a club that the Avalanche may want to avoid in the playoffs. Luol Deng Jersey . Both had to wait out a rain interruption lasting nearly five hours before taking comprehensive third-round victories to join Carling Bassett-Seguso (1983, 1986), Patricia Hy-Boulais (1996-97) and Daniel Nestor (1999) as Canadians who made it into the second week of a major.In the first blockbuster trade of the offseason, the Detroit Tigers swapped out a power-hitting first baseman for a multi-threat second baseman. Numbers Game looks at the trade in which Prince Fielder and Ian Kinsler swap locales. The Rangers Get: 1B Prince Fielder. Fielder, 29, drove in more than 100 runs for the sixth time in the last seven seasons, but his .819 OPS was the lowest of his career, with his 2.2 fWAR his worst since 2008. From 2006 through 2013, Fielder slugged 283 home runs, ranking fourth, so his power ought to play well in Texas, which is one of the most hitter-friendly environments in the game. Fielder is also exceptionally durable, his 1283 games played since 2006 leading the majors, so he also has durability going for him. The question when it comes to Fielder is going to be in terms of value, particularly in comparison to the financial obligation that the Rangers are taking on by picking up the seven years and $168-million remaining on Fielders contract. Now, theyre not picking up all of it. Initial reports indicate that the Tigers are sending $30-million along to help defray the cost of Fielders contract. Fielder, who rates as a subpar fielder on a consistent basis, will replace Mitch Moreland at first base for the Rangers, with Moreland able to play a corner outfield spot or designated hitter, effectively filling in for the recently-departed David Murphy, who just signed with the Cleveland Indians. Furthermore, and perhaps the primary impetus for this deal from the Texas perspective, is that by dealing Ian Kinsler, the Rangers open up an everyday spot in the lineup for Jurickson Profar, the 20-year-old top prospect who came up through the organization as a shortstop, but played wherever he could fit into the Texas lineup last season and 32 games at second base was his most at any position. Provided he continues to stay reasonably healthy through his mid-30s, Fielder ought to be productive enough to make this deal palatable to the Rangers. If he hits 30 homers a year in the cleanup spot for the Rangers, thats an upgrade in power that the Rangers need. The Tigers Get: 2B Ian p;Kinsler. Michael Cooper Jersey. Kinsler is a 31-year-old who has been one of the most productive second basemen in the game but, for the first time in his career, his OPS has been under .760 the last two seasons. His 2.5 fWAR last season was his lowest since 2007. Since 2006, Kinsler is one of six players to record at least 150 home runs and 150 stolen bases. The others are Hanley Ramirez, Alex Rios, Matt Kemp, David Wright and Brandon Phillips; good company. While his power has dipped, particularly from the 2009 and 2011 seasons when he hit more than 30 home runs, Kinsler is also showing patience at the plate. His 3.9% rate of swinging strikes ranked seventh-lowest among qualified batters last season, so hes not an easy out. Its fair to expect that it will be more difficult for Kinsler to hit home runs in Detroit, compared to Arlington. Kinsler does figure to be an upgrade over Omar Infante, but the benefit of moving out Fielder is that the Tigers should be able to shift Miguel Cabrera back to first base. Cabreras a great hitter, but a poor fielder and will likely do less damage with the glove playing at first. Over the last couple years, Kinsler has a subpar Ultimate Zone Rating, but his Defensive Runs Saved is among the highest at the position. Since 2009, Kinsler has 59 DRS, ranking second among second basemen. Kinsler has four years and $57-million remaining on his contract (with a $10-million option, $5-million buyout, for 2018). In the total summation, it will cost the Tigers about $92-million for four years of Ian Kinsler and the Rangers will pay about $138-million for seven years of Fielder. Both players should be productive, though declining as their contracts take them to their mid-30s. The benefit to the Tigers is that they create some financial flexibility that will come in handy for signing others, most notably Cy Young winner Max Scherzer, who is slated to become a free agent at the end of the 2014 season. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
Share:
