Termine » goal in the minigame

OKLAHOMA CITY - Thunder general manager Sam Presti is aware of coach Scott Brooks critics. An NBA Finals appearance in 2012 fueled expectations, so when San Antonio beat the Thunder in Oklahoma City this season to close out the Western Conference finals, it didnt go over well with some locals in this era of winning coaches getting fired. Naysayers also believe Brooks offensive strategy gives point guard Russell Westbrook too much freedom at the expense of MVP Kevin Durant. Presti did his best to squelch the talk on Thursday. After all, he said, the Thunder finished with the second-best record in the NBA this season, despite numerous injuries to key players. "Scotty, I think, did an excellent job," Presti said. "I understand, we all have a tendency to look at the last game and the last series. I respect it. Thats part of sports. I cant do that." Brooks took over for P.J. Carlesimo during the 2008-09 season and led the team to a 22-47 record. The team has won at least 61 per cent of its games each season since. Brooks has a 293-170 record with the Thunder. "Hes stacking successful seasons on top of each other, increasing our odds to take a really unique amount of time that weve been successful and extend it to a very, very unique amount of time," Presti said. Durant said this week that he feels Brooks is the man to keep things moving. "Thats our guy," Durant said. "Im riding with him." Brooks has praised Westbrook while often publicly pointing out his three-time All-Stars need to find a balance between shooting and passing when he attacks. Westbrook also spoke highly of Brooks this week. "Hes done a great job of having confidence in me personally," Westbrook said. "Theres times when things have gone south and hes the only one that always — regardless of what happened — always had my back. Regardless if people were saying I was doing this or doing that, I was being selfish, he always was the first person to step up and have my back and support me regardless of whats going on." Brooks will have plenty to work with. Durant is signed through 2015-16, and Westbrook and defensive ace Serge Ibaka are signed through 2016-17. Backup centre Steven Adams figures to be a prominent part of the future. The 20-year-old from New Zealand improved dramatically late in the regular season while Kendrick Perkins was out with an injury, then continued to get better in the playoffs. Presti sees Adams talent, but says he has work ahead. Perkins is still a solid defender, but his offensive limitations allow defences to pay more attention to Durant and Westbrook. When Presti was asked about the amnesty clause, which allows a team to waive one player without his salary counting against the cap or luxury tax, he hesitated before offering perspective. He said though Adams was solid against the Los Angeles Clippers and San Antonio, Perkins played a key role in the grueling seven-game series against Memphis. Presti said he wouldnt consider waiving or trading Perkins unless it could help the team strategically long term. Shooting guard Thabo Sefolosha is an unrestricted free agent who lost his starting job during the playoffs. Caron Butler, a mid-season pickup, is an unrestricted free agent. He had his moments, but was out of the rotation by the end of the playoffs. The team has the option to keep Hasheem Thabeet, a 7-foot-3 backup centre. Thabeet played little, even while Perkins was injured. Presti was non-committal in each case. Presti seemed uncertain what unrestricted free agent Derek Fisher will do, but said he will be successful whatever he decides. The 39-year-old guard has been connected to the New York Knicks head coaching job. "We have absolutely no reason to expect Derek to keep us informed of his plans," Presti said. "The only thing we have a right to do is to support him because hes left an impact here in a positive way." __ Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/CliffBruntAP Andy Messersmith Jersey . According to USA Today the Finns have tapped forwards Jarkko Immonen and Sakari Salminen to replace injured forwards Mikko Koivu and Valtteri Filppula at the Sochi Games. Orlando Cepeda Jersey . Mark Van Guilder, Austin Watson and Colton Sissons also scored for the Admirals (22-13-10), who are 2-0-2 in their last four outings, while Roussel tacked on an assist for a two-point night. Greg Pateryn scored once for the Bulldogs (20-22-4), who lost their fifth straight contest, and also assisted on Gabriel Dumonts goal. https://www.cheapbraves.com/2263o-mike-s...sey-braves.html. Meeks has agreed to a $19.5 million, three-year deal with Detroit, a person familiar with the situation said Tuesday night. The person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because free agents cant sign contracts until the leagues moratorium ends July 10, also said Cartier Martin had agreed to a one-year contract with the rebuilding franchise. Josh Donaldson Braves Jersey . On Saturday, the paths of Drew Tate and Kevin Glenn cross again as opposing quarterbacks. Rowland Office Braves Jersey . - The Oakland Athletics say they are stopping negotiations to extend their lease at the Coliseum. ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- The Rochester Knighthawks are the National Lacrosse Leagues newest dynasty. Craig Point scored twice to lift the Knighthawks to a 3-2 victory over the Calgary Roughnecks in a 10-minute minigame after they had forced an extra session by winning Game 2 of the home-and-home set 16-10 in the Champions Cup final Saturday. The victory makes Rochester the first team to win three consecutive titles in the 28 years of indoor pro lacrosse. "This team has come a long way," said Point. "(General manager) Curt (Styres) has built this team for so long. "Weve been together as a family for three or four years now. Its such a good feeling, just awesome, to win three in a row." Joe Walters also scored for the Knighthawks after Shawn Evans and Curtis Dickson had staked the Roughnecks to a 2-0 lead in the minigame. "We just tried to keep our composure," Point said of the two-goal hole. "Everyone knew what they had to do. Our defence had to play strong and our offence had to keep moving the ball and moving our feet. It paid off. The openings came and we capitalized on them." Rochester improved to 11-0 at home since its last playoff loss in Blue Cross Arena, way back in 2004. Evans beat goaltender Matt Vinc from in close at 2:42, Curtis Dickson made it 2-0 with an underhand rocket while running across the middle of the zone at 4:40 and, after Calgary survived a penalty against Curtis Manning, Point scored for Rochester at 7:46. Most of the 9,188 fans were on their feet shouting for a tying goal, and Walters delivered. He sped across the middle of the zone and whipped a sidearm shot that goalie Mike Poulin got a piece of but could not stop from dribbling over the goal-line at 8:37. "If I took my shirt off, itd probably be wringing wet," Styres said of the minigame. Point scored with a bounce shot what would stand as the winning goal at 9:01. "All game, the coaches were saying, Go high, put it low, and thats what I did and sure enough it went in," Point said of the biggest goal of his career. Dan Dawson had a goal disallowed with 46 seconds left but the Knighthawks didnt need it -- not after Vinc made two scintillating saves in the dying seconds. "We never once panicked," said Rochester coach Mike Hasen. "We knew wed get our opportunities and we snuck er out." Vinc lauded Points heroics that decided the championship. "Hes one of those guys who has a knack around the net," said Vinc. "Hes a pure goal scorer. You cant give him time and room. He stepped up huge." Calgary had won Game 1 by a 10-7 count at home the previous Saturday to kick off the new format. "Weve got nothing to be ashamed of," said Calgary coach Curt Malawsky after Rochester players were presented with the Champions Cup. "Our guys battled. They competed hard. Rochester was better than we were in Game 2 and the minigame could have gone eiither way.dddddddddddd We were two minutes and 14 seconds away from being successful. Its a tough pill to swallow." In Game 2, Dan Dawson, Cody Jamieson and Stephen Keogh scored three goals each, Cory Vitarelli got two and Walters, Paul Dawson, Scott Self, Jon Sullivan and Point had one each for Rochester. Dickson and Jeff Shattler scored three each and Evans, Dane Dobbie, Daryl Veltman and Scott Ranger added one each for Calgary. Dan Dawsons absence due to a concussion was a contributing factor in the Game 1 loss in Calgary and the return of one the sports premier playmakers injected much-needed oomph into the offence. He didnt get a doctors OK to play until just before game time. "I couldnt get cleared for the first game and it was heartbreaking," said Dawson. "I pushed it and thank God weve got an amazing training staff and doctors who got me ready for this game." With Dawson back in the lineup, Styres was optimistic. "It was a relief," said Styres. The Roughnecks also jumped to a 2-0 lead in the full game, but the score was tied at three after one quarter. Calgary went up 6-4 but Rochester led 7-6 at halftime. Knighthawks defenceman Paul Dawson meanwhile was doing an effective job on Dobbie. The lefty was a 51-goal scorer during the regular season and had 11 more in the playoffs coming in but he wasnt getting many possessions with Dawson constantly on his right shoulder. Vitarelli, with a sensational over-the-back goal, and Paul Dawson, with an end-to-end run, struck early in the third quarter. The Knighthawks kept the pressure on, even while down a man, to get their sixth straight goal. Self made it 10-6 when he intercepted a Veltman pass in his own end while killing a penalty and ran the floor to beat Poulin on a breakaway. Calgary ended Rochesters run by scoring three times in the last five minutes of the third quarter to edge within 10-9 but Rochester went on another run to ensure the win and force the minigame. "We just werent able to seal the deal on the defensive end," Roughnecks captain Andrew McBride said after his team allowed the final three goals of the NLL season. "Its tough to swallow that one," said Evans. "A couple of bounces didnt go our way and we didnt capitalize on power plays. "When all is said and done, we played hard to the end. Unfortunately, we came up one goal short. Its tough." NOTES: Rochester had an 11-9 edge in shots on goal in the minigame, while Calgary had a 48-46 shots edge in the full game . . . Rochester finished 2014 with a 12-1 home record . . . All of Rochesters players except Walters and backup goalie Angus Goodleaf are from Ontario . . . Calgary faceoff specialist Geoff Snider remained out. Also deleted were Tor Reinholdt and Matthew Dinsdale . . . Rochester scratched Joel McCready, Jamie Batson and Derek Hopcroft . . . Hasen and Malawsky were teammates in Rochester from 1999 through 2003. ' ' '