Black- and Whitelist » playoffs it will be a successful

CLEVELAND - David Blatt likened his first NBA exhibition game to a one-on-one matchup in the backyard.A family affair.If youve got a brother and you go to play outside, youre dying to beat him, Clevelands rookie coach said. But if you do, you feel (bad). There was no way to really win that game.LeBron James scored 12 points before resting in the second half and the Cavaliers gave Blatt an emotional win over his former team, beating Maccabi Tel Aviv 107-80 on Sunday night.For Blatt, the matchup with Maccabi, a club he coached for six seasons and led to several championships, was a challenge from the start.I was nervous before the game, but not because it was the first time I coached in the NBA, he said. I was playing against my friends.The Cavs wore down the defending Euroleague champions, who were within 15 at halftime but couldnt stay with a team expected to contend a€” if not win a€” an NBA title this season.Following the game, Blatt hugged his former players and Maccabis coaching staff, a group he considers his brothers.James, who rested his iffy back as a precaution, sensed how much the game meant to Blatt.He was very nervous, excited, uptight a€” and rightfully so, James said. He has a lot of ties to that team, a lot of ties to that community, that city, that country and his first real game is against his former team. So I dont know how much he slept last night.James is being smart with his back. He was kept out of a practice Friday, and after discussing things with Blatt, decided to sit out the second half. The superstar spent the last 24 minutes on the bench watching his teammates pull away from one Europes best squads.Kyrie Irving added 16 points and Kevin Love 11 rebounds for the Cavs, who held a 64-36 rebounding advantage.Sylvan Landesberg scored 23 and Jeremy Pargo 18 for Maccabi.Blatts focus is on getting the Cavs ready for their Oct. 30 season opener against the New York Knicks. Theres work to be done.Clevelands ball movement was fluid from the start as players unselfishly made the extra pass hoping to get a better look at the basket. But there were some uncertain moments offensively as well as the Cavs get better acquainted with each other.Defensively, there are some issues.Maccabis players, running a system Blatt taught them, were able to get easy baskets in the first half. Landesberg, who played at Virginia, scored 12 in the opening half and Alex Tyus added 10.Cleveland made an adjustment at halftime and the defence was much closer to Blatts high standards in the second half.The Cavs showed some of the new weaponry that will make them so difficult to defend.On a baseline inbounds play late in the first half, James alertly passed the ball up top to Love, who knocked down a 3-pointer. Love, not known for his defence, then drew a charging foul as the Cavs took a 59-44 halftime lead.With James on the bench a€” Shawn Marion started for him in the second half a€” the Cavs outscored Maccabi 28-16 in the third quarter. Dion Waiters had 12 in the period.Blatts arrival in Cleveland was met with some skepticism as to whether he would be able to adjust to the NBA, its players and handle the pressure to win a€” especially with James being back.But Pargo, who played one season for the Cavs, said Cleveland is in good hands.He doesnt look at you like coach to player or you are beneath him, Pargo said. He looks at you as a man and he talks to you. Thats one of the greatest things about him. And from a coaching standpoint, he has ways of managing personalities and managing games. Hes unbelievable. Hell be very successful in the situation hes in.Before tip-off, several dozen protesters, many of them waving Palestine flags, gathered outside Quicken Loans Arena to object to the Israeli teams visit.Holding signs that read: Hold Israel Accountable and Boycott Israel, the protesters peacefully chanted behind barricades set up across the street from the downtown arena. Cleveland police, including several on mounted horseback, kept a watchful eye as fans made their way into the building. Wholesale Fake Balenciaga .C. -- Lucy Li made two double bogeys, a triple bogey and finished her historic round at the U. Fake Jordan . - The first sign that Kansas Speedway was going to be a heartbreaker for Hendrick Motorsports should have come during qualifying when Jimmie Johnson inexplicably spun and earned one of his worst starting spots since 2005. https://www.fakeshoes.net/. The 33-year-old Spaniard, who held the lead since the second round, turned in a solid final round that featured six birdies and two bogeys to finish on 22-under 266. The victory is Garcias first this year with his last win coming at the Johor Open, an Asian Tour event in Malaysia last December. Wholesale Fake Air Max Plus . Nowitzki scored 28 points, Harris had a season-high 14 for the second straight game and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Detroit Pistons 116-106 Sunday night. Wholesake Fake Under Armour Shoes . A criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County District Court said his girlfriend told police they got into the argument early Thursday at his suburban Minneapolis home.This is going to be a good team. I realize I tend to say that about almost every team in my CFL previews this year, but with Montreal it is easy to express analytical optimism for many reasons. First is quarterback Troy Smith. There is nothing really physically outstanding about Smith; he is 60, 224 pounds with a good arm and good mobility. I sum him up as thick and quick. But there is something about him, a genuine confidence expressed through experience in football at a high level. An articulation and intelligence that you "pick up on" when he is in front of a camera talking about himself and the league. And a unique level of humility that says in order to perform, I have to learn; not the other way around. I have always looked at humility as a strength and maturity; arrogance as a weakness and insecurity. When you consider the short amount of preparation time Smith experienced last year, his solid on field performance in yes, limited games, was very impressive. You have to feel good that as the teams starter from the outset, improvement is inevitable. I know of the other Alouettes QBs, but I would be immensely surprised if, outside of injury, Smith is not the No. 1 quarterback wearing No. 1. And with Anthony Calvillo retired, I am sure Smith looks at this training camp as a career opportunity, not a wait-and-see situation. On the defensive side of the ball, the Alouettes have an exceptional unit with just one unknown: who will play middle linebacker now that Shea Emry is an Argonaut? This issue is more a ratio adjustment problem than a personnel problem. It would be great if you could replace a Canadian with another good Canadian but if not, you will have a market of linebackers ready throughout the United States. The two positions of numeric wealth in NCAA football are running back and linebacker; simply said there are a lot of them. Last year Montreal was first in some significant defensive categories: fewest yards allowed at 314 per game, fewest rushing yards allowed at 88 per game; fewest 2nd down conversions allowed, most two and outs forced, most quarterback sacks with 59, and a key one, most takeaways with 56. All they need is to find or develop a new middle llinebacker.ddddddddddddThats a manageable situation. On offence, Brandon Whitaker will be back and with Jamel Richardson and SJ Green it is hard to argue that the two best slot receivers are anywhere but Montreal. The Chad Johnson experiment will be an interesting one. Hes closer to 40 than 30 but the bottom line is can he still move like he is 20? Answers will be given early but if he is competing for a roster spot with someone younger and equal in talent, the younger guy will get it. The single biggest mediating factor in athletic performance is age. You know it is coming but you cant stop it, you can only slow it down. Special teams will improve with Larry Taylor and Duron Carter as returners, but also a rededication to blocking effectively for the returners as a priority. And finally there is Tom Higgins, the new Alouettes head coach. More than a few years removed from coaching, Higgins is about as much a polar opposite from the previous full-time head coach as you can get. And that is a good thing. Higgins is pragmatic and calculated; hes an administrator and no one knows the rules better. Hes been named CFL coach of the year and is a Grey Cup-winning coach. He is not the next youthful flash of success, quite the opposite. This decision comes from the experience of decades being the front man of the organization. This one is logical and safe compared to last years decision, which was risky and a novelty. It does not happen very often but every now and then games are determined by experience or inexperience with CFL rules. This year, thats an advantage with Higgins in Montreal. In the East, Toronto has to keep Ricky Ray healthy for 18 games because assuming the next Zack Collaros is on the roster is unrealistic. Hamilton has to continue to improve and may be the team to beat early. Ottawa is brand new, if they make the playoffs it will be a successful season. So where does that leave Montreal? With a new coach, new quarterback, new receivers, and maybe more adversity than any CFL team last year, they still finished 8-10, only three games out from first place. Another 8-10 finish this year is very unlikely; expect Montreal to surprise come November in BC. ' ' '