FIVE QUICK NBA THOUGHTS 1. Buy Cheap Jerseys . RAPTORS FINAL FULL PRESEASON WEEK: Games vs. Maccabi at the ACC and the New York Knicks in Montreal (Always an awesome trip and atmosphere at the Arena) to close out a solid preseason so far. Opening night vs. Hawks right around the corner - cant wait! Major week in terms of tightening up the offensive and defensive system and adding various looks on both sides of the ball to make sure theyre ready to roll when it really counts. So far the second unit depth and ball movement/chemistry have stood out to me as strengths that are nice to see. This group has the potential to have a good season. Now its about paying the price during the drudgery of preseason practices to get things right for showtime. Once it starts with lots of games at home early - theyve got to come out of the gate ready to make an early statement before the schedule turns the other way on them. 2. 44-MINUTE GAME: Worked out well as a good experiment between the Nets and Celtics. Would like to see this looked at a lot more next preseason. Not sure if it will ever become part of the NBA regular season landscape but any and all attempts to improve the quality of the games is beneficial for all. 3. BLAKE GRIFFIN (Clippers): Hes getting tired of guys committing hard fouls on him and I dont blame him one bit. Hes one of the fabulous young players in this league and we dont need him getting hurt for the referees to do a better job of letting folks know that this wont be accepted or tolerated. There is plenty of room for tough/physical play and Im all for it, yet its got to be clean. The fact that hes big, athletic and talented doesnt mean that folks can take liberties with him. 4. MIRZA TELETOVIC (Nets): You can ask Raptors fans from last years playoff series about this guy. He can play. Great opportunity this season for him with Kevin Garnett fading and Paul Pierce gone. Hes going to have to consistently produce. Hes a wonderful shooter with range and plays with great purpose. His ability to stretch the defence opens up lots of space for the Nets guards to operate. His defensive approach on the perimeter having to guard in space will be tested early and often with the extra minutes hell play - that will be the challenge for coach Lionel Hollins. He gives it to you on the offensive end and now hes just gotta be sound enough to hold his own on the other end. 5. JOEL ANTHONY (Pistons): Didnt look like he was in the plans at all in Boston. Hopefully, this is a solid reserve opportunity for the Montreal native in the Motor City. Obviously with Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond playing major minutes, time and touches will be few and far between. With former Raptor Aaron Gray missing training camp this is a smart fit for both sides. Rod Rutledge Jersey Retro . Fielder ended 4-for-5 with a solo homer, while Avila was 4-for-4 with two runs scored for the Tigers, who put the brakes on a three-game skid and rebounded from a loss in Mondays opener. Victor Martinez and Austin Jackson both contributed two hits, an RBI and a run scored as Detroit maintained its healthy lead atop the AL Central. Lloyd Harrison Jersey Retro . According to MMAFighting.com, MacDonald needs an x-ray on his right ankle and doctors clearance to fight or he will be subject to a mandatory medical suspension that will end on August 22, 2014. https://www.cheapjerseyslines.com/stan-olejniczak-jersey-retro/ .C. -- Glenn Howard needed an extra end to move into the Masters Grand Slam of Curling final. RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- Top-seeded Rafael Nadal reached the semifinals of the Rio Open, showing no problems with a sore back in defeating Joao Sousa of Portugal 6-1, 6-0 on Friday. No. 1-ranked Nadal, in his first tournament since losing the Australian Open final, played his best match in Brazil and will face fellow Spaniard Pablo Andujar in the semifinals. Andjuar ripped through Tommy Robredo of Spain 6-1, 6-1. In the other semifinal, second-seeded David Ferrer will meet unseeded Alexandr Dolgopolov. Ferrer defeated Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 and Dolgopolov of Ukraine advanced against third-seeded Fabio Fognini 6-1, 6-1. Ferrer has won 21 ATP singles title and will be the favourite to reach the final on Sunday against Nadal with 61 titles including 13 Grand Slams. "I think I have improved in everything," Nadal said. "I think I played a complete match. I had my best game of the tournament, and not just that but I played at a very high level. Really, I did things I wasnt able to do a few days ago. I moved better. I was more intense, more aggressive." Asked about the back, Nadal backed off. "Were not going to talk every day about the back," he said. "Im in the semifinals." Nadal tweaked his back warming up for the final in Melbourne, eventually losing to Stanislas Wawrinka in a match he was favoured to win. He took several weeks off and is using Rio to tune up for three months of clay-court play leading to the French Open. Ferrer and Bellucci had to wait for more than an hour with the Spaniard leading 2-1 in the third set when the lights went out at the outdoor stadium. "It was really tough," Ferrer said. &"When the match was stopped it was practically in my hands. Bud Cooper Jersey Retro. It was bad luck with what happened with the lights." Dolgopolov was asked if he planned to return to Ukraine, perhaps pulling out of the tournament to go to a country bordering on civil war. "I dont think its going to change a lot at this point if I just finished playing and come back to my country," said Dolgopolov, who lives in the wealthy European enclave of Monte Carlo. "Its still going to be the same situation. I will just be closer. But I am not considering that at this moment." In the combined ATP-WTA event, top-seeded Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic reached the semifinals, defeating Katarzyna Piter of Poland 6-4, 6-0. Zakopalova will face Brazilian Teliana Pereira, who defeated Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania 6-4, 6-4. Pereira is a home favourite and the first Brazilian woman in 23 years to crack the WTA top 100. "She (Zakopalova) is the favourite, the top-seeded player," Pereira said. "I have to play like I did today and keep my good rhythm. But I have a lot of confidence and I will have the Brazilian fans behind me." Brazils most famous female player is still Maria Bueno, who won seven Grand Slam singles titles, the last in the 1966 US Open. Zakopalova will be looking for her third WTA singles title. None of the other semifinalists has won a WTA singles title. Japans Kurumi Nara also advanced. She won the first set 7-6 (5), and was leading the second 2-0 when Spains Lourdes Dominguez Lino withdrew with a left leg injury. She will face Nastassja Burnett of Italy, who defeated Paula Ormaechea of Argentina 5-7, 6-2, 7-5. ' ' '