INDIANAPOLIS -- Pacers coach Frank Vogel kept the game plan simple. Make the extra pass, take care of the ball, play defence and get more out of his bench. The four-pronged approach worked. Danny Granger scored a season-high 16 points, Paul George and Lance Stephenson each added 15, and the Pacers plowed through some rough stretches to pull away from the Orlando Magic, 98-79 on Monday night. "I thought we came out with the right focus and the right fight," forward David West said. "We played hard, played together and got the W." Thats good enough for right now. The team with the NBAs best record came into the game with a 3-3 mark over its last six and seemed to be sliding after a series of slow starts forced it to fight its way back from large, early deficits. Even returning home after a five-game West Coast swing wasnt the fix. The Pacers (37-10) lost to Phoenix last Thursday, then had to overcome a season-high 24 turnovers Saturday to barely get past Brooklyn. On Monday, the Pacers looked like a different team. They started fast, committed only two turnovers in the first 21 1/2 minutes and led from start to finish. Perhaps that much should have been expected against the second-worst team in the league and the worst road team in the NBA. But it was still a tough night. West hurt his right ankle in the third quarter, backup centre Ian Mahinmi left with an injured right shoulder in the fourth and Indiana let Orlando (13-37) back into the game late in the first half before nearly giving all of its 16-point, first-half lead by starting the third quarter with 10 straight misses. The difference: The Pacers heeded their All-Star coachs advice and allowed a season-low 29 points in the second half. "Thats typical of us," Granger said. "You know we hang our hat on defence, and we really want that to carry us the whole way." Arron Afflalo led the Magic with 20 points but was shut out for the final 23:47. Nikola Vucevic added 16 points, getting only four over the final 19 minutes. The only other Orlando player to reach double figures was Tobias Harris, who finished with 11. Rookie Victor Oladipo finished with six points and tied a season high with 11 assists but was just 2 of 11 from the field in his second game back in his adopted home state. "They were just more active on their tags and disguising their defence," said Oladipo, who again started in place of injured point guard Jameer Nelson. "They just did a great job of making us take tough shots. Its something we need to learn from." The Pacers, meanwhile, stuck to the Vogel Plan. Granger, a former All-Star who has been working his way back from a strained left calf, broke out of his shooting slump. C.J. Watson had 12 points and Luis Scola added 10 as the Pacers bench combined for exactly half of Indianas total, a season best. Indianas two most prolific scorers did their thing, too. George started with seven points, three rebounds, two steals and two assists in the first quarter. Stephenson, the NBA leader with four triple-doubles, settled for 15 points, 12 rebounds and five assists. It looked as if the Pacers would blow out Orlando when they took a 55-39 lead midway through the second quarter. But the Magic closed the period on a 9-2 run, then watched the Pacers miss their first 10 shots in the third quarter as they crept back within two on Vucevics tip-in with 7:01 to go. Indianas defence then held tight until Stephenson ended the shooting drought with a circus jumper that banked in as he drew a foul on Oladipo. Stephenson made the free throw to give Indiana a 63-58 lead and the Magic never got another chance to tie it. The Pacers closed the third quarter on a 9-1 run to make it 75-63 and opened the fourth on a 11-1 spurt to put it away. "It goes back to passing," Granger said. "You know when once you move the ball, you get a lot more open shots. Weve been trying to do it by ourselves these last 10 or 12 games and our offence has been struggling. So we move the ball, we get layups, backdoor cuts, open 3s. That makes everybody look good." Notes: Vogel gave his starters extra rest in the fourth quarter with the Pacers heading to Atlanta for the second half of a back-to-back on Tuesday. ... Nelson sat out with a sore left knee and is expected to be examined when the team returns home. ... Recently signed centre Andrew Bynum has not yet practiced with the Pacers. .J. -- After getting permission from his 7-year-old daughter, New York Giants offensive lineman David Diehl has retired after an 11-year career that included two Super Bowl championships. . For the first time all night, as the Raptors were on the clock to make the 20th overall selection, no one had the slightest idea what was about to happen. No leaks, no whispers, nothing.
http://www.cheapnhlsabresjerseysauthent ... adt-jersey. Hes still nowhere close to throwing yet. The four-time MVP was in good spirits when he made his first public appearance on the field since having neck surgery Sept. . -- The Grand Rapids Griffins scored three goals in 33 seconds of the second period en route to defeating the Hamilton Bulldogs 6-1 in American Hockey League action on Friday. . On a hot, sweaty day, the Hall of Famer looked cool and comfortable.TSN football analyst Chris Schultz breaks down all the teams and each division in the NFL leading up to the regular season. First, the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, and New York Jets in the AFC East. Buffalo Bills The most immediate question for the Buffalo Bills is how do you go from a 6-10 record to 10-6 and how do you become a playoff team? For 14 years the Bills have not been a playoff team, and thats significant because no other team in the NFL has had an absence longer than the Bills. The most obvious statement is the most relevant in that the quickest success will depend on how quickly E.J. Manuel improves as a quarterback. Right now he is good but he has to become great as soon as possible. The organization has taken risks, understanding that the time is now for Manuel by obtaining Sammy Watkins at a high price and dismissing Stevie Johnson at a low price for locker room harmony. Every indication from everyone is that Watkins is the "real deal" in every way which more than any other aspect of football enhances the hope of continued fast track development of Manuel. Defensively another experiment to watch is the switch from Mike Pettine to Jim Schwartz at coordinator means a change from 3/4 to 4/3. I dont think this will be a long stretch to master over time because in many ways the Bills presently have more in the way of quality defensive linemen than quality and quantity of exceptional linebackers. In another statement of true reality you cant overstate that the injury to Kiko Alonso is devastating. Alonso was on his way and may be back on his way in 2015 but without him as a middle linebacker a void is evident. Alonso to me was the next London Fletcher for Washington or back a few more years, Zach Thomas for Miami. Will the Bills make the playoffs? I dont think so but head coach Doug Marrone quietly did a very good job in the AFC East and last year lost two games by three points or less and we all remember the Chiefs game, 23-13, with the points separation coming on an interception for a touchdown. I have the Buffalo Bills to finish second in the AFC East. Miami Dolphins Last year may have been the most difficult year in the history of the Miami Dolphins. The eight-win and eight-loss season with two disastrous losses at Buffalo and home to the Jets to end the season made a possible 10-6 campaign only 8-8. From realistic playoff hopes to average was disappointing but nothing compared to the teams internal breakdown of class and dignity. How the team reacts this year will be interesting to see but you have to think it will be positive. Players will be more comfortable in the high testosterone world of an NFL locker room and by being comfortable will be able to concentrate at a higher level. What happened in Miami was an embarrassment to football and especially football players. Many looked at NFL players as walking neanderthals of limited intelligence thanks to the actions of a very few. It wont be an issue this year as the rules are crystal clear and those who dont abide dont get paid. On the field Ryan Tannehill has to have his best season as a pro. Problem is its a new high-tempo offence with Bill Lazor as coordinator taking over from Mike Sherman who I imagine Tannehill was very comfortable with. Miamis running game has not been dominant in many years but with the addition of Knowshon Moreno that may change. What has to change is Mike Wallace and his role. What was hoped for was for Wallace to be a smaller version of Randy Moss and that may still come to fruition. Last year for whatever the reason you cant say Mike Wallace changed games. I think Miami has very good line of scrimmage players. The offensive line will have four new starters with only Mike Pouncy returning at centre and the defensive front-seven is good. The key is Dion Jordan out of Oregon. A first-round pick in 2013, he needs to take that giant step forward and become the next Jason Taylor. The physical skills are similar but Jordan has to commit to football on and off the field. If Dion Jordan and Cameron Wake play their best, the Dolphins third-down pass rush could be exceptional. This is a big year for Joe Philbin as a head coach. Some were complimentary about how he handled all the issues the Dolphins had to handle. He handled things after they happened, but they still should never have happened. Miami football is improving but I dont see a giant move forward. Opening day on Sept. 7 will say a lot. New England at Miami is a 1pm game so heat will be a Dolphin advantage. Can they make the most of it? Ive got Miami to finish third in the AFC East. New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a pretty amazing foootball organization.ddddddddddddHave they made some mistakes? Absolutely. Incorrectly evaluating Aaron Hernandez and not being able to draft successful defensive backs come to mind but you can make the argument theyre very resilient and adaptable. In what is an amazing football fact, the Patriots had 10 games last year that were decided in the final 40 seconds of play, eight of which were decided in the final 16 seconds. This is a battle tested team. And a heathier team. The two best players on New Englands defence were Vince Wilfork and Jerod Mayo. Mayo missed the final 12 games and Wilfork the final 14. Those were major losses in leadership and ability. Still, it did create significant playing time for Jamie Collins as a rookie. He is one of the stars of the future; athletically there are few if any his superior at linebacker. With Darrelle Revis and eventually Brandon Browner at cornerback, and Tommy Kelly at defensive tackle, as long as a health catastrophe does not happen, New England could have the best defensive football team theyve had in many years. And speaking of health, Rob Gronkowski has had his share of adversity. A back injury, an arm twice, and a knee; his body is his greatest combatant. When it comes to playing the game, it flows easy for him and he makes it look easy. If he stays healthy, everything changes for Tom Brady to the positive. Another point of optimism is the three young receivers from last year: Josh Boyce, Aaron Dobson, and Kembrell Thompkins. All three being in their second year as pro football players makes a world of difference in playbook mastery and performing over a 16-game schedule. I would not be surprised at all if what was a weakness last year is a strength this year, particularly in terms of depth. This is an amazing pro football success story in New England; it is all business all the time with high pressure. And if you cant thrive in that atmosphere, then you cant play for the Patriots. At quarterback, Brady will be 37 when they play the Dolphins on September 7th: older, wiser, and maybe even better. They did draft Jimmy Garoppolo in the second round out of Eastern Illinois but the best up and coming quarterback on the roster is Ryan Mallett: 66 and 245 pounds with a Joe Flacco arm. What happens with Ryan Mallett as he edges to free agency will be interesting. Patriots win the AFC East…again. New York Jets I dont know why but I dont believe in the Jets. Maybe its Rex Ryans excessively optimistic outlook or the inability to create a starter in Mark Sanchez last year, but I dont believe in the Jets. The bottom line is Geno Smith will have to have a year in which rather than throwing 12 touchdowns and 21 interceptions he throws 21 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Logic says thats not going to happen and I like logic. The strengths of the Jets will be depth at running back and a very good defensive live. Their weakness is easy to identify. Their pass offence was 31st last year and their pass defense was 22nd. I dont know of many playoff teams that dont have a pass offence ranked 15th or higher, and to improve 17 levels would be amazing in one year. The signing of Chris Johnson is interesting. He is a "home run" hitter at 29-years-old that has carried the ball 1,742 times in his career. He is good but need to be great. His personal explosiveness in combination with the power of Chris Ivory does make an interesting backfield battle for playing time. Another challenge that has nothing to do with players is the schedule. After they play the Raiders at home they playAaron Rodgers and the Packers in Green Bay, Jay Cutler and the Bears on Monday night, Mathew Stafford and the Lions, at San Diego against Philip Rivers and the Chargers, then Peyton Manning and the Broncos followed four days later by Tom Brady and the Patriots in New England. From Manning on a Sunday to Brady on a Thursday; Calvin Pryor and Dee Milliner will be tested at safety and cornerback. After that set of six games against arguably six of the best quarterbacks, if the Jets have a winning record I will be surprised. I think for the Jets to win they have to go back to their 2009 and 2010 teams which were run first, everything else second. It did provide them with 2 AFC Championship experiences and oh so close to a Super Bowl experience. Not sure if offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg agrees. The division is getting tougher too. Buffalo is in the second year with EJ Manuel at the helm, while Miami eliminated their internal immaturity. And then of course theres New England. I now know why I dont believe in the Jets. Fourth in the AFC East. ' ' '
