With the NBA season set to tip-off, we asked TSN NBA experts Jack Armstrong, Josh Lewenberg and Duane Watson a few burning questions about the year ahead. Today we ask: which teams pose the biggest threat to Miamis three-peat aspirations? Duane Watsons take: No team in the league can stop LeBron James, but this may be the first time his Miami Heat face a legitimate threat from within their own conference. First and foremost, the team they have knocked out of the playoffs the last two years, the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers pushed the Heat to seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals last season. Paul George has emerged as a franchise player, Lance Stephenson has become a solid rotational player, and the Pacers retooled their bench with the additions of Luis Scola and C.J. Watson. They did that all without All-Star Forward Danny Granger who was out with a left knee injury, if Granger comes back as 75 percent of the player he was, hell be a solid addition off the bench. Look for Coach Frank Vogel and his "smashmouth basketball" to upset the Heat and make their first trip to the NBA Finals in more a decade. Other challengers include a healthy Chicago Bulls with a rejuvenated Derrick Rose in the line-up. In 2011, they lost to the Heat 4-1 in the Conference Finals, but they didnt have a defensive stopper like Jimmy Butler on the wing then. If the Brooklyn Nets can gel and be healthy rolling into the playoffs, the combination of All-Star players like Deron Williams, Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez, with the veteran experience of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Andrei Kirilienko may pose some problems. In the Western Conference, you cant count out the San Antonio Spurs (ever), who were one rebound away from winning the NBA Final before falling in Game 7. Lastly, dont underestimate the Golden State Warriors who have little problem putting points on the board, and added an All-NBA defensive player in Andre Iguodala to their line-up. Josh Lewenbergs take: Even if the reigning, two-time champs are on cruise control until April its hard to imagine any team, in either conference besting their record in an 82-game season. After three years together they are a well-oiled machine. Unlike the Nets, for instance, theres no adjustment time required here. This is the same team that won 66-games a year ago and another 60-win season is well within reach. A full season with Birdman on board and a couple low-risk, high-reward signings in Greg Oden and Michael Beasley can only help their cause. Theyre too talented, too deep and too familiar with each other. Fast forward to the spring and thats where things could get interesting. As always, the loaded Western Conference will produce a legitimate contender to the throne. The Thunder, Spurs, Clippers, Rockets, even the Grizzlies and Warriors could all be in the mix. The Heats stiffest competition may reside in the East though. After a four-to-five game cakewalk in the first round, the Heat should immediately be put to work. Evident in last years seven-game Eastern Conference Finals, the size and physicality of the Pacers – now featuring an improved bench and a returning Danny Granger (maybe) – could be Miamis kryptonite. Similarly, the Bulls – with a healthy Derrick Rose – should have the personnel and defensive wherewithal to challenge the champs. With their talent, depth and experience, the Nets are the wildcard in this scenario. Will they have all the kinks worked out come April? Jack Armstrongs take: In the East I really like Chicago and Indiana to push Miami this season. A healthy Derrick Rose and the addition of Mike Dunleavy will make this existing unit much more potent offensively and efficient. The Bulls have a winning culture, an outstanding Coach in Tom Thibodeau and a fan base that demands/expects excellence. It should be a fun time in the Windy City. The Pacers made a savvy move by picking up Luis Scola as a backup forward. Hes slowed down a bit but is still one of the more crafty front court guys in the NBA. Danny Granger needs to stay healthy and be a pro about his role changing with the emergence of Paul George - be efficient and explosive. The Pacers have lots of Playoffs experience and theyve reawakened their fan base that bailed out after the Malice in the Palace. They guard and have enough scoring. They will be a tough out. The Nets made some flashy moves and the acquisitions of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Jason Terry and Andrei Kirilenko give them a major talent upgrade. The question is, can they stay healthy all year? If so, they are a dangerous squad. There is lots of pressure on Coach Jason Kidd in his first year. It is a small window here. The Knicks have more than enough scoring, but will they play as a team and share the ball and guard you in crunch time? There is enough talent there to beat anyone on any given night but also lose to the dregs because they play too much on their Talent and not enough on the little details that define winning. Coach Mike Woodson has to demand even more and better from this team. Its there but sometimes they lose their focus. In the West, the Spurs will be right there again due to their amazing veteran cast, coaching and the Residue of Winning that exists there. Kawhi Leonard really improved last year and is a keeper. The Rockets, with the addition of Dwight Howard, will be improved. The more efficient the 3-point shooting around him is, the better hell be if he sees a lot of single coverage in the post. Hell change their team defensively and theyll hold you to one shot more often. The Oklahoma City Thunder have two of the more dynamic players in the NBA today in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Who picks up the slack with the trade of James Harden and then Kevin Martins free-agent departure? Only time will tell. The Thunder hold an incredible home court advantage and will be heard from in late May/early June. Theyre still a contender but the margin of error has decreased significantly. The Clippers could be the best team in the West with the additions of coach Doc Rivers, J.J. Redick, Jared Dudley and Darren Collison to an already talented squad. If Chris Paul stays upright they have a great shot. The Warriors will be entertaining with the addition of Andre Iguodala but I think theyll miss the leadership and consistency of Jarrett Jack and Carl Landry. Memphis will be a really hard team to beat due to the Power game and solid defense. At the end of the day in the West, I feel the Spurs, Thunder and Clippers would be the teams that could hang with Miami but the Heat are still the best. . -- In the stadium program sold at the Miami Dolphins game on Halloween, Richie Incognito was asked whos the easiest teammate to scare. . -- Kole Calhoun homered and drove in three runs, Albert Pujols also went deep and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Chicago White Sox 8-4 Friday night.
http://www.cheapmarlinsjerseysauthentic ... per-jersey. Bale has had a successful debut season in Spain, and Ancelotti appears ready to reward him with a starting role on Saturday. Ancelotti says "Gareth had some problems at the beginning (of the season) but when he found good physical condition he scored a lot of goals, he had a good impact on the team. . Wheeler scored at 4:58 of overtime, with Scheifele getting an assist, and the Jets beat the slumping Colorado Avalanche 2-1 on Sunday night. . At a news conference Tuesday where it was thought that the fiery Schallibaum may be shown the door after a dismal finish to the Major League Soccer season, team president Joey Saputo said no decision has been made on whether the Swiss Volcano will be back in 2014.HOUSTON - James Harden wasnt concerned about overstating the importance of Houstons come-from-behind victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night. "We needed this win more than anything," he said. Harden had 33 points and 13 assists and the Rockets rallied for a 111-104 win over the Pelicans to maintain their spot in the Western Conference standings with the post-season just days away. The Rockets had lost two in a row and needed the win to stay ahead of Portland in fourth place in the West. The Rockets got a boost from the return of Dwight Howard and Patrick Beverley, who had both missed the last eight games with injuries. Beverley scored 20 points and Howard had 13. "Pat was knocking down shots and Dwight was an easy rim target, so it made things easier for me," Harden said. The Pelicans led by eight points with less than three minutes remaining when Houston used a 9-0 run, powered by two 3-pointers from Beverley to take a 105-104 lead with 1:04 left. Beverleys second 3 in that span clanged off the rim and into the air before falling back into the basket and bringing the crowd to its feet. Howard blocked a shot by Jeff Withey to give Houston the ball back after Beverleys first 3 in that run. Harden made a layup to give the Rockets their first lead since the second quarter after Beverleys 3s. Jeremy Lin extended the run to 11 straight points with his layup seconds later and stole the ball on the Pelicans next possession to secure the win. "We kind of had to pull a rabbit out of our hat tonight," coach Kevin McHale said. Luke Babbitt, who was signed by the Pelicans in February after playing 18 games in Russia this season, had a career-high 24 points as New Orleans dropped its eighth straight. Austin Rivers had a season-high 20 points with 10 rebounds and six assists, and Anthony Morrow also had 20 points. "We made a couple of mental mistakes, a couple of key turnovers and ... we had a couple of mishaps, and you combine those three things and its going to be tough to win," Rivers said. "This was a really frustrating loss." McHale hoped he wouldnt have to overexert Howard and Beverley in their first game back, but the game didnt work out that way. Howard played more than 29 mminutes and Beverley more than 33.dddddddddddd "They both said they were feeling fine and wanted to win the game and we needed that win," McHale said. New Orleans was clinging to a 3-point lead when Babbitt scored five quick points to extend the lead to 100-92 with about four minutes left. Harden was fouled as he made an off-balance layup with one hand and then made the free throw to get the Rockets within 91-87 with 7 1/2 minutes remaining. Houston trailed by 10 when Harden and Beverley hit 3-pointers sandwiched around a basket by Rivers to cut the lead to 90-84 with about eight minutes left. Beverley held up three fingers on each hand and beat his chest after he swished his 3-pointer. The Pelicans led 82-72 entering the fourth quarter. New Orleans was up by 15 points early in the third quarter when Houston used a 12-4 run, capped by a 3-pointer by Harden as the shot clock expired, to get within 65-58. A 3 by Lin, followed by a pair of free throws from Jones later in the quarter cut the Pelicans lead to 73-68. But New Orleans used a 7-2 run with the help of a 3-pointer by James Southerland to extend the lead to 80-70 with a minute left in the third quarter. Houston led by two with about 10 minutes left in the second quarter before New Orleans used a 8-2 run to take a 35-31 lead. The Rockets had regained a one-point lead soon after that when the Pelicans used a 19-6 spurt to go on top 56-44 about 2 1/2 minutes before halftime. Babbitt made three 3-pointers in that stretch and Rivers added a fourth 3. NOTES: Hall of Famer and former Rockets star Hakeem Olajuwon watched from a courtside seat. ... Houston extended its single-season record for sellouts to 37 with a sold-out crowd of 18,372 on Saturday night. ... Howard had been out because of a left ankle strain and Beverley missed time because of a torn meniscus in his right knee. ... Houstons Chandler Parsons (wrist and hip) and Francisco Garcia (back) sat out with injuries. They are both listed as day to day. ... Houstons Troy Daniels had a long Saturday. He played 44 minutes and scored 30 points in a D-League playoff game for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers before flying from Des Moines to Houston and collecting three points and a rebound in almost 13 minutes for the Rockets. ' ' '
