Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose missed Thursday nights game against the New York Knicks due to an illness. It remains unclear if Rose will travel with the team for their road contest against Memphis on Friday. This is the ninth game of the season that the oft- injured Rose has sat out. Chicago forward Taj Gibson also missed the game against New York with a right ankle injury, but the Bulls did welcome Joakim Noah back into the lineup after a four-game absence with a sprained right ankle. Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony was ruled out due to a sore left knee. . -- Canadian Erik Bedard pitched into the fifth inning in his bid to win a spot in Tampa Bays rotation, helping the Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-3 on Saturday. . Not Peyton Manning. Hes holding on to the heartache to stoke his competitive fire.
http://www.wholesaleairjordan4.com/. Hes the same player he always was, only now his efforts are being rewarded. The rookie manager has made a habit of heaping praise on others when things are going well, and accepting criticism when they arent. But in the case of Hurtado, its what the coach is NOT saying that may be the secret to a superb run of form. . The Brazil defender was substituted 13 minutes into Wednesdays 2-1 Copa del Rey win at Athletic Bilbao because of a right hamstring problem. Scans revealed a second grade tear which could keep him out for a reported four to six weeks. . Josh Bailey had a goal and an assist as the New York Islanders earned a 2-1 win over Ottawa Wednesday, leaving the Senators five points out of a playoff spot with just five games to play and four teams ahead of them.(SportsNetwork.com) - The Oklahoma City Thunder are now down two superstars, but time wont stop as the Denver Nuggets head to Chesapeake Energy Arena Saturday night. With Kevin Durant already out at least six to eight weeks, fellow All-Star Russell Westbrook joined him on the injured list. Westbrook suffered a fracture in the second metacarpal of his right hand in Thursdays loss to the Los Angeles Clippers and is reportedly out four to six weeks. That puts their timetable almost at the exact time, but the Thunder will be in a really difficult spot without two of the leagues best players. Its unfortunate the way it is right now, but its the way it is, Thunder head coach Scott Brooks said. We have to figure out how to continue to improve. The Thunder havent started 0-2 since the 2008-09 season, the teams first in Oklahoma City. That season, the Thunder won game three, then lost 14 in a row. While it might be tough sledding without Durant and Westbrook for a while, that kind of futility seems unlikely. OKC played the Clippers tough despite Westbrook going down in the first quarter. The Thunder fell, 93-90, and were led by a career night from Perry Jones. He scored 32 points and grabbed seven rebounds. My teammates were in my head, especially Kevin (Durant), Jonees said.dddddddddddd He was telling me to be aggressive and telling me that the team is going to need somebody to step up and be aggressive. Thats all I tried to do. Serge Ibaka finished with 17 points and nine rebounds. Sebastian Telfair chipped in 11 and Steven Adams grabbed 10 rebounds in the losing effort. The Thunder are expected to once again be without Reggie Jackson (ankle), Jeremy Lamb (back) and Anthony Morrow (knee). The Nuggets opened the season with an 89-79 victory at home over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday. Kenneth Faried continued his success from his stint with the gold-medal- winning Team USA at the FIBA World Cup. He had 22 points, 17 rebounds and four assists in Denvers victory. Every night I have to go out there and prove myself, said Faried, who made the All-Tournament team in Spain and signed a new contract extension this offseason. Finally healthy, these Nuggets hope to contend in a crowded Western Conference. Arron Afflalo chipped in 15 points and Timofey Mozgov tallied 13 and 11 rebounds. All 12 Nuggets that took the floor scored at least two points. The Thunder won three of four against the Nuggets last season, including both home games. OKC has taken nine of the last 11 meetings as the host against Denver. ' ' '