eached the semifinals of the top-tier Cup competition

TSNs Jack Armstrong offers his thoughts on the skilled and efficient Kevin Love in Minnesota, if Danny Granger gets bought out by the 76ers, discussions of a four-point line, the steady and dependable Robin Lopez with the Blazers and Kirk Hinrichs help in the Bulls resurgence. 1. KEVIN LOVE (Timberwolves): Another monster game Tuesday night vs. Phoenix with 33 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists and he goes 3-6 from 3-point range. Hes been off the charts lately and just dominates games in so many ways. You look at him and he doesnt have great explosiveness or lift in his game yet all he does is work you over. Incredibly skilled and efficient and hes very strong. Plays the game at the right pace and sees the game a few frames ahead of most. Former GM/coach Kevin McHale got ripped for selecting him out of UCLA but as we can all see now, one great big man knows another. He saw something in this guy that few others saw. Everyone knew he was good - not just this good. The fact that hes made a serious commitment to his conditioning and diet has taken his game to a whole new level. 2. DANNY GRANGER (76ers): Everyone in the NBA will be keeping an eye on what happens with the buyout negotiations here. Hes got until this weekend to get it done and be on another roster for the March 1 deadline so hes eligible for the playoffs. The big question is; does he do it? He gives up his Bird Rights if he agrees to the buyout which takes away some of his potential earning power as a free agent this summer. In addition, he can be a nice bargaining chip for Philly in a sign-and-trade this June/July. If he hits the open market, hell get lots of offers. Obviously, injuries the past few years (averaging only eight ppg and shooting a woeful 36 per cent) have really impacted him and he probably wont be right until next fall but is worth the risk if he becomes available in the next few days. Clock is ticking and its ticking real fast. 3. FOUR-POINT LINE: Is this a Hoax? Like the Justin Bieber protest in Atlanta? Really? Look, Im a fan of widening the court a little bit - Ive said it on the air many times that we see guys stepping on the sideline way too often, but a four-point shot - maybe Im too old fashioned or out of touch but I really dont want to get that extreme. Enough guys in the league right now that have a hard enough time making free throws let alone adding a gimmick like this. 4. ROBIN LOPEZ (Blazers): When you reflect on great under-the-radar pickups in the summer, this has to be one of the best. What was New Orleans thinking here? Hes been an ideal complement to LaMarcus Aldridge and has allowed the All-Star to play at his natural four-spot. Hes been the anchor for their defence and has posted nice numbers at 11 ppg and nine rpg while getting close to two blocks a game. Hes been steady and dependable and plays with wonderful energy and enthusiasm. Obviously, not an A-list talent but if I had to grade his performance for the Blazers, Id give him an A for the impact hes had in transforming their team into one of the fun stories in the league along with the Suns and the Raptors as surprise teams. 5. KIRK HINRICH (Bulls): Dont let the numbers deceive you (nine ppg and shooting only 38 per cent while averaging only 4.3 assists per game) compared to his career accomplishments. This guy is a winner and is healthy again and a big part in the resurgence of his team. Outstanding defensive player who competes really hard every night. Knows how to run a team and does whatever you need when you need it. Ideal role player in their system and his energy and relentless style is typical of their organizational culture. Really respect this guy and what he brings to the table each game. Yes, limited in many ways but if you really sit and watch him you gain a greater appreciation for his contribution to the team. Numbers are nice to look at and a judgment tool for many but its also about how a guy meshes with his teammates and compliments their games and sacrifices his for the greater good. He understands what it means to be a team guy first, last and everything in between. Stitched Los Angeles Chargers Jerseys . Bjoerndalen broke the record he shared with cross-country skiing great Bjoern Daehlie, also matching his fellow Norwegians record of eight gold medals. Bjoerndalen earlier won gold in Sochi in the mens sprint biathlon. Authentic Los Angeles Chargers Jerseys .com) - Former New York Mets general manager Omar Minaya is joining the Major League Baseball Players Association staff as a senior advisor to executive director Tony Clark. http://www.cheapchargers.us/74a-cheap-custom-jersey-Chargers.html . - Even with a new coach, the Denver Nuggets still love to push the basketball. Discount Los Angeles Chargers Jerseys . Julien coached the Bruins to the Stanley Cup championship in 2010-11 and is the longest serving coach in consecutive seasons in the teams history. Claude is one of the top coaches in the NHL and has consistently shown a passion for winning, general manager Peter Chiarelli said Sunday in announcing the signing. Cheap Los Angeles Chargers Gear . The Force had two men, including former Wallabies No. 8 Ben McCalman, in the sin-bin in the dying minutes of the match, but were able to resist a late Highlanders surge to post a four-try, bonus point win.LAS VEGAS, Nev. - Phil Macks penalty kick with no time remaining completed a remarkable comeback Sunday as Canada defeated Samoa 22-19 to finish third at the USA Sevens — its best ever finish at an IRB Sevens rugby event. Down 19-0 early in the second half, the Canadian men reeled off 22 straight points to secure the win. "It showed a lot of character," said Canadian coach Geraint John. "The players at halftime were composed. Everybody was composed. We knew what we had to do and they executed. "Thats what I liked about the whole weekend. When we executed I thought we were a very very good side and we showed that we deserved to be in that top bracket. Now the hardest part is weve got to continue and move on from here." Canada stood 13th in the standings after the first three stops on the nine-event HSBC Sevens World Series. But it showed grit throughout the three-day tournament at Sam Boyd Stadium, staging one rally after another, and moved up to 11th spot. It marked the first time since 2000 and only the second time in IRB Sevens play that Canada had reached the semifinals of the top-tier Cup competition. South Africa, appearing in its third straight final, beat New Zealand 14-7 to win its second tournament. The Springboks downed the All Blacks 17-14 last time out in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The victory moved South Africa ahead of New Zealand atop the series standings. England held on to edge Australia 26-24 in the consolation Plate final and place fifth. Fiji finished ninth in thumping Kenya 35-0 in the Bowl final and the host U.S. blanked Spain 31-0 to win the Shield and finish 13th. Going into the third-place game, Samoa had gone 31-3 against Canada in past matches. And the Pacific Islanders were rampant early on as Fomai Ah Ki scored two tries to give the two-time tournament champions a 12-0 lead at the half. Reupena Levasa scored soon after the restart to extend the Samoan lead to 19-0. Then the Canadian comeback began. Conor Trainors try cut the deficit to 19-7 before captain John Moonlight bulled his way over the goal-line to make it 19-14. Mack then crossed the line in the corner only to see hiss conversion attempt hit the post, leaving it knotted at 19-19 with 30 seconds remaining.dddddddddddd. Mack completed the comeback, slotting his drop goal through the posts after Samoa was penalized some 20 metres in front of its posts as time ran out. Mack finished with 12 points on a try, penalty and two conversions. "Once we got that roll going in the beginning of the second half, I dont think there was really any stopping us," said John. The fine Canadian showing came despite a string of injuries that kept captain Nathan Hirayama, Sean Duke, Ciaran Hearn, Mike Fuailefau, Lucas Hammond, Adam Kleeberger and Pat Parfrey out of the lineup. Canada opened the day with a 26-7 loss to New Zealand in the Cup semifinal. The semifinal against New Zealand was a tough ask for Canada. The All Blacks career record against Canada was 23-0 going into the game, with New Zealand outscoring the Canadians 726-151. Canada got a break with suspensions to New Zealands George Tilsley (one match) and Sam Dickson (eight) for foul play in its last pool match against Fiji. The underdog Canadians opened the scoring against New Zealand with a converted Mack try after an attack by Moonlight. But the All Blacks, capitalizing on Canadian defensive mistakes, responded with a try by Scott Curry before Bryce Heem scored on the stroke of halftime for a 2-7 lead. New Zealand continued to dominate possession in the second half and the Canadians found themselves on the back foot after Australian referee Matt OBrien called a string of penalties at the breakdown. Tim Mikkelson and Heem added New Zealand tries to make the final score 26-7, with Gillies Kaka adding three conversions. "Theyre a good team," New Zealand coach Gordon Tietjens said of Canada. "A tough semifinal." On Saturday, Canada rallied from 14-0 down to beat France 17-14 in the Cup quarter-final after recovering from a 12-0 deficit to defeat Wales 21-19. On Friday, Canada downed Kenya 17-15 and lost to South Africa 29-0. A Canadian womens development side called the Maple Leafs defeated the Aptoella Angels 17-5 to win the companion Las Vegas Invitational tournament. 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