Dein erstes Forum » ver a playoff contender.REDS 4, PIRATES

Ten years later, Carmelo Anthony still remembers where he stood.He points to a spot between the 3-point arc and the sideline, recalling the position from where he watched a celebration some teammates couldnt bear to face.Everybody was walking off the floor. There was confetti, things on the court, Anthony said. Everybody was celebrating and I stayed, I stayed right there on the court. I just wanted to see it and kind of feel it.The Americans havent felt it since.The U.S. had just lost to Greece in the semifinals of the 2006 world basketball championship, a team coached by Mike Krzyzewski and led by likely future Hall of Famers LeBron James, Anthony and Dwyane Wade falling to a team that had no NBA players.That 101-95 loss in Japan is the only defeat in 76 games since Krzyzewski took over in 2005.Whether it was an upset depends on who you ask, but theres no debating what it meant to a U.S. team that hasnt looked back.As the U.S. rolls into Rio and Greece tries to qualify this week , people on both sides remembered the buildup, the game and the aftermath.---Jerry Colangelo had overhauled USA Basketball after the Americans embarrassing performance in the 2004 Olympics, when Anthony was part of a team that managed only a bronze. But it would take a while to get the U.S. program to where it is now.From `04 to `06, it wasnt no organizational structure, Anthony said. It was just come together, put a team together and just try to go out there and win.Colangelo set out to change that by selecting players months in advance, then bringing them to camp and making roster cuts -- something the U.S. has stopped doing.We really had tryouts, Chris Paul said. Like, you think about it, you get to the highest point of your professional career, the NBA, and we had tryouts for the USA team. I remember diving on the floor against Luke Ridnour and stuff like that. So when you think back like that, it puts it all in perspective.---James, Anthony and Wade, who had just been MVP of the NBA Finals, were the headliners of the team. Paul had won Rookie of the Year.The rest of the team was good, but far short of a Dream Team -- even though thats what U.S. teams with NBA players always get called across the globe. Kobe Bryant was the biggest absence after knee surgery on the eve of the Americans training camp.A lot of people probably couldnt even name that team if you wanted to, Paul said. We had guys like Kirk Hinrich, Elton Brand, Brad Miller.The rest of the roster: Chris Bosh, Dwight Howard, Joe Johnson, Shane Battier and Antawn Jamison.---The Americans arrived in the semifinals with a 7-0 record but had some struggles along the way. Puerto Rico scored 100 points on them in the opener, and the Americans were down 12 to Italy in the second half before Anthony bailed them out with a then-U.S. record 35 points.Spain and Argentina, the reigning Olympic champion, were also 7-0 and met in one semifinal. The overlooked team was Greece, which had won all seven games in the worlds after winning the 2005 European championship.I think we had a really good group with inside and outside players, and also we had a team who could play smart to get the advantage, said Panagiotis Yannakis, who coached Greece.---Realizing the Americans advantage in athleticism, Yannakis plan was to play three guards who could control the tempo. Theodoros Papaloukas was one of the best in Europe, Vassilis Spanoulis was bound for the Houston Rockets and Dimitris Diamantidis a steady leader.If they could protect the ball and pound it inside to 6-foot-10 Sofoklis Schortsianitis -- nicknamed Baby Shaq -- the U.S. transition game would be stalled.Some of the teams are afraid, but some other teams dont have the guards to protect the ball, Yannakis said. Dont give them the opportunity to use their hands, because USA players, they use a lot of their hands on the ball. Thats the reason we used three guards. All of them, they had the skills to control the ball.---The U.S. led by 12 in the first half, but Greece stormed ahead by making 25-of-33 shots (76 percent) in the second and third quarters. Carving the Americans up on the pick-and-roll, the Greeks got 22 points from Spanoulis, 12 assists from Papaloukas and plenty of help from the U.S., which made 59 percent of its free throws.Most of the U.S. players quickly retreated to the locker room as the Greeks danced at midcourt.I just remember the end of the game, Anthony said, and just standing on the court and Greece fans are going crazy, their team is going crazy.---Yannakis believed his team could do it -- We had the faith to play with anyone, he said -- but Sacramento Kings center Kosta Koufos, who will play for Greece this week but was then a high schooler in the U.S. who stayed up well past 3 a.m. to watch, was surprised.Youve got to understand Team USAs dominance through the years and that was definitely an upset for them, he said.Colangelos take?Would I consider it an upset at the time? Oh, for sure I would have. I still do, he said. I think we mightve played that team 10 times and won nine of those 10. But that was back to the old adage that on any given night.---Greece couldnt duplicate its effort in the final, getting blown out by Spain. The Americans beat Argentina for bronze, then went home to build a better team. Jason Kidd and Deron Williams were added to bolster a backcourt that would include Bryant the next year, when they powered through an Olympic qualifier they were forced to play in by not winning the worlds.The teams would then meet again in Beijing, the Americans cruising to a 92-69 victory. But they would never forget the game two years earlier.I mean, the stars were aligned for Greece that night and I chose and still do, as much it pains me, to say out of adversity comes opportunity, Colangelo said. And I think we were emboldened by the fact that we paid a price early, that we were potentially vulnerable and I think that helped prepare us for our future success.---Follow Brian Mahoney on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Briancmahoney Billiga Skor Nike Air Max . The Dane followed up his first European Tour title last weekend with eight birdies and just a single dropped shot on Thursday for a one-stroke advantage over South Africas Allan Versfeld and Portugals Ricardo Santos. Nike Air Max Sverige Online . Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the Carolina Hurricanes, announced Wednesday that the team would assign Swedish forward Elias Lindholm to his nations team for the upcoming tournament. http://www.sverigeairmax.com/ . The Swede became the first golfer to win the PGA Tours FedEx Cup and European Tours Race to Dubai in the same season. "It is still taking a little time to sink in what Ive achieved this week as was the case when I won the FedEx Cup but then it just kept getting better and better as the days went on and I am sure this will be the same," he said. Nike Air Max Billigt Sverige . Boucher previously coached the Tampa Bay Lightning and had a 97-78-20 record over two-plus seasons. He was dismissed by the team last March after the Lightning struggled in the lockout-shortened season with a 13-18-1 record. Nike Air Max Skor Billigt .Y. - New York City has been selected to host the NBA All-Star weekend in 2015, with the game played at Madison Square Garden and the slam dunk contest and other skills events held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Kris Bryant hit a two-run homer, Jon Lester threw seven scoreless innings and Hector Rondon and Aroldis Chapman finished off the Chicago Cubs 2-0 victory over the Houston Astros on Friday night.It was Bryants first career game against the team that passed on him with the first pick in the 2013 draft to take starter Mark Appel, who was traded to Philadelphia this offseason before ever playing in the majors. Bryant, taken second in that draft, gave Houston an up-close look at what could have been when he smacked his 37th homer off Joe Musgrove (2-4) to put the Cubs up 2-0 in the fifth inning.Lester (16-4) allowed seven hits and struck out seven for his seventh straight win. He hasnt lost since July 3, hasnt allowed a run in three of those starts and gave up just one run in four others in that span. Rondon took over for the eighth and struck out two before Aroldis Chapman struck out one in a perfect ninth for his 13th save. The Cubs are major league-best 90-50.MARLINS 4, DODGERS 1MIAMI -- Jose Fernandez tied a career high with 14 strikeouts, overshadowing Clayton Kershaws return from injury in Miamis victory over Los Angeles.Fernandez (14-8) gave up three hits and three walks in seven shutout innings. It was the fifth time he has struck out 14, and third this season.Kershaw (11-3) had not started for the Dodgers since June 26 because of a mild disk herniation in his back. He threw 66 pitches, 46 for strikes, and allowed two runs and five hits over three innings. The three-time Cy Young Award winner and 2014 NL MVP struck out five and did not walk a batter.J.T. Realmuto homered for Miami, which improved to 5-0 against the NL West leaders this season. Yasmani Grandal hit his 25th homer in the ninth for the Dodgers, who tried to rally against Fernando Rodney before A.J. Ramos came in and closed it out for his career-best 33rd save.RED SOX 13, BLUE JAYS 3TORONTO -- Rick Porcello pitched seven innings to become the first 20-game winner in the majors, Hanley Ramirez hit a three-run homer and Boston beat Toronto to increase its AL East lead to two games.Xander Bogaerts homered, Dustin Pedroia had three hits and four RBI, and the Red Sox used 18 hits to rough up the sloppy, slumping Blue Jays in the opener of a pivotal three-game series between the divisions top two teams.Porcello (20-3) allowed two runs and six hits to become Bostons first 20-game winner since Josh Beckett in 2007. Marco Estrada (8-8) was the loser.The Red Sox broke it open by scoring six runs in a 10-batter seventh. Bogaerts hit a leadoff drive off Scott Feldman, his 18th. Three batters later, Ramirez connected off Feldman, his 22nd. Pedroia capped the rally with a two-run single off Ryan Tepera.INDIANS 6, TWINS 5MINNEAPOLIS -- Mike Napoli hit a mammoth home run on the first pitch of the fifth inning to give Cleveland the lead, and the Indians beat Minnesota maintain their six-game lead in the AL Central.The Indians won for the ninth time in their last 11 games, but a concern came up when starter Danny Salazar was removed after four innings due to tightness in his right forearm.Napolis drive off Tyler Duffey (8-11) was estimated by the Twins at 456 feet, landing in the third deck above left field. That followed Byron Buxtons two-out, two-run homer that tied the game against Salazar in the fourth. Joe Mauer also went deep and Brian Dozier added an RBI double, but the Twins have lost 23 of their last 29.Joe Colon (1-1) completed the fifth inning for the victory and Cody Allen finished the ninth for his 27th save in 30 attempts.TIGERS 4, ORIOLES 3DETROIT -- Victor Martinez hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth inning, and Detroit beat Baltimore to pull even with the Orioles for the American Leagues second wild card.Michael Fulmer pitched seven solid innings, and the Tigers won after blowing a 3-0 lead. The Orioles tied it in the eighth when Adam Jones hit an RBI single, but Martinez led off the bottom half with a drive to right-center field off reliever Brad Brach (8-3).Alex Wilson (3-0) got the win even after allowing the tying run in the eighth. Francisco Rodriguez pitched a perfect ninth for his 40th saves.dddddddddddd Hes tied with Baltimores Zach Britton for the AL lead.J.D. Martinez hit a two-run single in the fifth to give Detroit a 3-0 lead, but Jonathan Schoop hit a two-run homer the following inning to start Baltimores comeback.METS 6, BRAVES 4ATLANTA -- Kelly Johnson had a pinch-hit double to drive in the go-ahead run in New Yorks four-run eighth inning, and the Mets overcame a four-run deficit to beat Atlanta for their sixth straight win.Curtis Granderson, who hit a two-run homer in the sixth, had a run-scoring single to tie the game. Johnsons double down the right-field line off Maurico Cabrera drove in Asdrubal Cabrera.Johnson was traded from Atlanta to the Mets on June 8 and has twice made the Braves pay for the move. His 11th-inning, pinch-hit homer gave the Mets a 1-0 win over Atlanta on June 25.The surging Mets lead St. Louis by percentage points in the race for the second NL wild card. The defending NL champions have won 15 of 19 to match their season high at nine games over .500.Hansel Robles (6-4) worked a scoreless seventh. Jeurys Familia pitched around Adonis Garcias leadoff double and a two-out walk to Nick Markakis in the ninth for his major league-leading 48th save.Matt Kemp homered for Atlanta. Maurico Cabrera (3-1) was the loser.NATIONALS 5, PHILLIES 4WASHINGTON -- Trea Turner hit his second home run of the game with two outs in the ninth, a solo shot that lifted Washington past Philadelphia.It was the first multihomer game for the rookie, whose two-run drive in the seventh put Washington up 4-1. Cameron Rupp hit a three-run homer off Koda Glover to knot the score in the eighth and set the stage for Turners ninth-inning heroics.Facing Frank Herrmann (0-2), Turner ripped a 1-2 pitch over the wall in center field.Mark Melancon (2-1) worked the ninth for Washington.CARDINALS 4, BREWERS 3ST. LOUIS -- Matt Carpenter and Stephen Piscotty hit two-run homers in the fourth, Carlos Martinez pitched seven solid innings and St. Louis beat Milwaukee.St. Louis trailed 3-0 when Martinez started the rally with a two-out single that was followed by Carpenters 19th home run, a walk to Kolten Wong and Piscottys 21st homer.Martinez (14-7) gave up nine hits and two earned runs and was helped by three double plays.Seung-Hwan Oh worked around a leadoff walk in the ninth for his 17th save in 20 chances.Jimmy Nelson (7-14) allowed both homers and five hits in six innings.Scooter Gennetts two-run homer in the third gave the Brewers a 3-0 lead.WHITE SOX 7, ROYALS 2CHICAGO -- Carlos Rodon struck out a season-high nine over six innings, Adam Eaton doubled twice and scored two runs and Chicago beat Kansas City.Rodon (7-8) fanned Paulo Orlando with the bases loaded on his 116th pitch to end the sixth inning and move to 5-0 in his last seven starts.Kendrys Morales had a two-run single in the first inning for Kansas City, which has dropped six of nine and remained four games behind the second wild card.Eaton doubled to lead off the first and fifth innings off Yordano Ventura (10-10) and scored each time on Melky Cabrera RBI. Tyler Saladino had three hits and drove in two runs in Chicagos third straight win over a playoff contender.REDS 4, PIRATES 3PITTSBURGH -- Jose Perazas sacrifice fly snapped a ninth-inning tie and lifted Cincinnati past Pittsburgh, ending the Reds five-game losing streak.Eugenio Suarez hit a leadoff single off closer Tony Watson (2-5), advanced to second on Ramon Cabreras sacrifice bunt, took third on Tyler Holts single and scored on Perazas liner to center field.Andrew McCutchen tied it for the Pirates in the eighth with a sacrifice fly off Raisel Iglesias (3-1). Iglesias hit the first two batters in the ninth with pitches but escaped a bases-loaded jam by getting Josh Harrison to pop out and pinch-hitter Adam Frazier to fly out.Joey Votto had three hits for the Reds, Suarez had two and Brandon Phillips hit his 10th home run, a leadoff shot in the seventh off Jared Hughes that put Cincinnati ahead 3-2. ' ' '