Dein erstes Forum » Kolkata and fell to Mohammed Shami in the second

MIAMI -- If youre healthy or close to it, youre playing. And if youre tired and we need you, youre also playing.Thats what Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas learned on Friday night, when he returned from a groin injury in a win over the Charlotte Hornets.On Sunday, the Celtics (14-12) will visit the Miami Heat (9-18). Boston is in third place in the Eastern Conference but the Celtics also surely know that the Eastern Conference is tightly bunched and that the 11th-place Washington Wizards are only 2 1/2 games out of third place.In other words, this is no time to let up, even if you are trying to work back from an injury that caused you to miss four games, which was the case for Thomas.Isaiah was gassed, Celtics teammate Jae Crowder told the media after Fridays game. He was talking in the locker-room about how gassed he was. But he gives us a better chance to win.Thomas played 35 minutes on Friday, including the entire fourth quarter. But Celtics coach Brad Stevens expressed similar thoughts to those of Crowder.You know, Stevens said half-jokingly, (Thomas) didnt do anything all week.Thomas did plenty on Friday, scoring a game-high 25 points.On Sunday, Thomas will match wits with Heat point guard Goran Dragic. Thomas may all see some of Tyler Johnson, who missed Fridays game due to an illness.Johnson is averaging 13.0 points this season. And while he has started all 25 of his games this season on the bench, he usually ends them on the court -- he leads all NBA players in fourth-quarter minutes.But there is something else Johnson has added to his game this season, and thats his defense. He had a career-high four blocks in the last game he played, on Wednesday against the Indiana Pacers. His previous high in a game was two.Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, who is hoping to get Johnson back in time for Sunday nights home game against the Boston Celtics, said hes pleased with his teams defensive effort so far.We emphasize challenging a lot and that doesnt necessarily mean blocking shots, Spoelstra said. Some people have a better feel for it and better physical gifts to do it.Johnson, at 6-foot-4 and with good leaping ability, seems to fall into that category.He is holding offensive players hes guarding to 41.5-percent shooting, which is 2.7-percent lower than their averages. Johnson is sixth on the team in that category. James Johnson is No. 1 on the Heat, holding shooters to 11.8-percent below their averages.In addition, Tyler Johnson is third on the Heat with 17 blocks. Hassan Whiteside is obviously first, and James Johnson is second.Among guards, Tyler entered the weekend ranked third in the NBA in blocks with 17 -- tied with ex-Heat star Dwyane Wade.Dwyane is arguably the best shot-blocking guard of all time, and I think he is, Spoelstra said. J-Rich (Josh Richardson) has that ability. Tyler has that ability. Justise Winslow has that ability.Even Goran has become better at it just by working hard, challenging and taking pride on making it tough.Having those defenders healthy and active is part of the blueprint that Spoestra envisions. It hasnt really happened yet this season due to injuries, but the potential is there.And then theres this: When Tyler Johnson is able to get two blocks per game, the Heat wins. Its a small sample size, but they are 5-1 in those instances.Perhaps Johnson learned something from Wade in the shot-blocking department.Maybe in just seeing someone taking pride on the defensive side of the floor, Spoelstra said. Those guys (Johnson, Richardson and Winslow) have taken it to the next level to finish plays off.And if those opposing perimeter players get past the Heat guards, Whiteside is often waiting for the block.A lot of the times, I know where his guy is going, Whiteside said of the player Tyler Johnson is guarding. A lot of those (blocked) shots, Im just watching (Johnson) get. Jason Demers Jersey . Calgary scored on the first shift, and Michael Cammalleri scored twice as the Flames cruised to a 5-2 win over the Washington Capitals on Saturday. Mark Visentin Jersey . LeBron James and Chris Bosh didnt need any more. Williams scored 11 points in 10 minutes, Alan Anderson scored 17 points, and the Brooklyn Nets finished the exhibition season with a 108-87 win over the Miami Heat on Friday night. https://www.cheapcoyotes.com/ .C. -- Calgarys Kevin Koe did it the hard way again. Thomas Steen Jersey . -- There were so many positives from the Orlando Magics first victory of the season that it was hard for coach Jacque Vaughn to stop praising his players. Jakob Chychrun Jersey . Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek defeated Nenad Zimonjic and Ilija Bozoljac 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (4) on the indoor hard-court at Belgrade Arena. The victory improved the Czech pairs impressive cup doubles record to 14-1. An impeccable line and length and a stoke of luck helped Bhuvneshwar Kumar rattle New Zealands batting ranks, as he claimed a five-for and restricted the opposition to 128 for 7 at stumps on day two of the second Test being played in Kolkata on Saturday.New Zealands fast bowlers troubled Indias batsmen and restricted the hosts to a first-innings total of 316. But their batsmen - without Kane Williamson out due to injury - faced an uphill task against the new ball on a greenish pitch and confident spinners that wrecked havoc in the first Test.Tom Latham, New Zealands opener, had found runs at Kanpur; but he failed to find his feet in Kolkata and fell to Mohammed Shami in the second over of the match.Martin Guptill, with scores of 7, 8, 21 and 0 in his last five Test innings, had hoped for a change in fortune, but the right hander became Kumars first victim, as he attempted to leave a rising delivery that struck his elbow and rattled the stumps.Henry Nicholls, a replacement for Williamson, failed to fill the vacuum left by his absence. He managed just one as he edged a back-of-a-length delivery, from Kumar, back on to the stumps.New Zealand, affter seven overs, was reeling at 23 for 3; and despite a 62-run stand for the fourth wicket between Ross Taylor and Luke Ronchi, they failed to recover.ddddddddddddJadeja broke the stand, after rain delayed play, and dismissed Ronchi for a 52-ball 35; Kumar tore into New Zealand thereafter and made the most of moisture on offer due to rain.Taylor was his third victim and nicked him to first slip, Mitchell Santner - who impressed with the bat in the first Test - then missed a ball that kept low and trapped him lbw for 11. Kumar then completed his five-for by rattling the stumps of Matt Henry two overs before stumps on day two. New Zealand ended the day on 127 for 7, still 188 runs adrift from Indias total.In India you rarely get this kind of wicket, so I wanted to make full use of it, Kumar said. It was one of my dreams to take five wickets in India. When I saw that the wicket would help me, I told myself I want to take five wickets. I really wanted to make use of the opportunity and Im very happy with how I bowled. ' ' '