second half.Barbara Hoogens rocket from the to

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SAN ANTONIO -- Hours away from drawing the toughest defensive assignment of his two-year career with the San Antonio Spurs, Kawhi Leonard wasnt feverishly taking mental notes of how to guard LeBron James. The second-year pro was simply relaxing at home Monday night, watching Miami rout the Indiana Pacers 99-76 to set up a showdown with San Antonio in the NBA Finals. Seeing how Paul George and Lance Stephenson defended James wasnt as important to Leonard as the outcome. "I was just laying (down), seeing who we were going to play," he said. Leonard means no disrespect. He is just happy to know who the Spurs will play after a weeks wait following their sweep of the Memphis Grizzlies in the Western Conference finals. The 6-foot-7 Leonard will draw the primary defensive assignment against James, the reigning NBA Finals MVP and two-time league MVP who is averaging 26.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 6.4 assists in the playoffs. James is also shooting 51 per cent overall and 39 per cent on 3-pointers. "Its just a great challenge for me to try to help my team win by playing good defence on him," Leonard said. "I just accept the challenge and am ready to play." Facing a player on a hot streak isnt new to San Antonio this post-season following showdowns with Golden States Stephen Curry and Memphis Zach Randolph. After averaging 24 points and 10 assists in an upset of the Denver Nuggets, sweet-shooting Curry was held to 18.2 points and 6 assists against the Spurs -- excluding a 44-point, 11-assist effort in a Game 1 loss by the Warriors. Randolph averaged 18.4 points and 10.8 rebounds while bullying the Oklahoma City Thunder in the paint, but was limited to 11 points and 12 rebounds against the Spurs. His production included a two-point, seven-rebound effort in a Game 1 loss to San Antonio. In some respect, the Spurs are facing a hybrid of Curry and Randolph in the 6-foot-8, 250-pound James. "Hes great on offence and defence," said Leonard, who has a 7-3 wingspan. "He can pass, he can shoot the ball, gets offensive rebounds and defensive rebounds and he can guard the best player on the other team." While Leonard will be James primary defender, the Spurs will attempt to move him toward defensive help in the hope he gives up the ball. Its a strategy that helped San Antonio limit opponents to 44.2 per cent shooting, which was eighth in the league. But James isnt the only player the Spurs know they will need a group mentality to defend, starting with All-Stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. "Theyve got more than just the big fella," San Antonio guard Danny Green said. "They are a great team. There is a reason they won last year, and they also added some pieces this year. On paper they have a really good team. Obviously they havent been playing as well as of late, but they have so many shooters surrounding the Big 3 they are a mismatch problem for any team." There was speculation that Miami was vulnerable considering Wade was battling a knee injury and Bosh was struggling offensively, leading to a Game 7 against a young Pacers team. Spurs forward Tim Duncan was stunned by that assertion. "I dont know how to answer that question," Duncan said. "I will know that when they stand in front of us if that be the case, but as of right now they are still the defending champs and the best team in the regular season." Wade dismissed a lot of those notions with 21 points and nine rebounds Monday night to lead Miami to its third consecutive NBA Finals. "Hes an All-Star," Green said of Wade. "I dont think it surprises anyone what hes capable of doing. He obviously hasnt been shooting as well, and neither has Chris bosh, but we know what theyre capable of. Any given night they can come out and give a game like that. "Good players do big things on big stages. We expected them to do that last night and we expect them to come out in the Finals and be playing their best basketball." The Heat swept the regular season series with the Spurs, but both games dont mean much. San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich sent Duncan, Green, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili home rather than have them travel to Miami to play the second night of a back-to-back on Nov. 29. The Spurs were fined $250,000 by the NBA for the decision. Miami returned the favour by sitting James and Wade on March 21 in San Antonio. Still, the Spurs could have a leg up on the advance scouting against James and the Heat since the Pacers have a similar roster and defensive strategy. "Its basketball, so its not grossly different," Popovich said. "There are some things that we might emphasize or not emphasize as much as Indiana did just because were a different team. Everybody is going to do things a little differently, but a lot of the things that we all do are similar." Cody Bellinger Jersey . At a Manhattan federal court hearing, attorney Jordan Siev said his law office has gotten more evidence nearly every day to support its lawsuit accusing MLB and Selig of going on a "witch hunt" to ruin Rodriguezs reputation and career. He said the defendants went "way over the line. Kirk Gibson Jersey . At a Manhattan federal court hearing, attorney Jordan Siev said his law office has gotten more evidence nearly every day to support its lawsuit accusing MLB and Selig of going on a "witch hunt" to ruin Rodriguezs reputation and career. He said the defendants went "way over the line. http://www.authenticdodgersgear.com/dod ... ig-jersey/ . LOUIS -- Theres no telling how these wacky World Series games will end. Enrique Hernandez Jersey . Anthony Davis had 31 points and 17 rebounds in his seventh straight game with more than 20 points, but that was only enough to keep the Pelicans competitive into the final minutes. Andrew Bogut had 10 points and 15 rebounds for Golden State, which rebounded from a loss a night earlier in Oklahoma City and snapped a two-game skid. Yasmani Grandal Jersey . -- Gus Malzahn finally had his day in Fayetteville. NORFOLK, Va. -- All thats left to tie up the feel-good story of the field hockey season is a nice little blue bow, and that will come on Sunday.But will it be royal blue, the color unseeded Delaware wears, or a familiar lighter shade that belongs to a North Carolina program vying for its seventh NCAA title?In two thrilling semifinals, the Tar Heels downed Big East champion UConn 2-1 in overtime, and the unseeded Blue Hens continued to pad their reputation as giant killers by avenging an earlier defeat to Princeton with a 3-2 win at L.R. Hill Sports Complex at Old Dominion University.We talk about stress tests, and they have seen every stress test in the book, said Delaware coach Rolf van de Kerkhof, whose Blue Hens have beaten Louisville, top-seeded Duke and now Princeton in this NCAA tournament. We are ready. It doesnt matter who they play today or Sunday. I had all the confidence in the world they would do what they were able to do.For Delaware (22-2) to win its first NCAA championship on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, it will have to get past North Carolina (21-5) and its storied pedigree.But Delaware has Greta Nauck, the NCAAs top scoring threat, and an offensive aggressiveness that turned up the heat on Princeton (12-8), which was looking to return to the title game for the first time since 2012.Delaware outshot Princeton 12-9, including 6-1 in penalty corners in the second half. Senior Esmee Peet scored two of her teams three goals, including the game-winner, to push the Blue Hens to their first title game since their AIAW days in 1978.It looked like the game would head to overtime when Princetons Cat Caro tied it with 3:27 remaining, only to see Peet make good off a pass from Meghan Winesett with 1:20 left. That warmed up the bundled-up Delaware fans -- including five of the six families of the teams European players who had flown in just for this final four.We had to dig deep to do what we had to do, but we got it done, said van de Kerkhof, whose team scored the final goal despite being a player down. Well celebrate til midnight, then get back to work.All credit to Meghan, Peet said. She saw me standing and I had to put it into the goal. Its amazing to do that for the team, especially before the game ends to avoid the overtime.Delaware took a step into the big time last weekend when the Blue Hens upset Duke to advance to field hockeys final four for the first time since 1982. These Hens play with a looseness and a glee of young kids on a Christmas morning, climbing the bleachers prior to the game to snap pics in front of the words NCAA Championships. Only they blocked out the final four letters so it read NCAA Champions.That was us, Peet said, laughing, and van de Kerkhof noted this isnt aa group that plans to bring home a participation trophy.ddddddddddddWhen he interviewed for the job at Delaware a little more than six years ago, it wasnt to win the Colonial Athletic Association title. Theres only one tournament I care for, he told the athletic director. At the end of the day, theres only one tournament in the country you want to be dancing in, and I love November madness as it relates to field hockey.Van de Kerkhof consistently talks about his brand of Delaware hockey, an attack-first game, he says, that the Blue Hens have yet to complete this postseason.Today we put one good half together, he said. Maybe we can put two good halves together against Carolina. Yes, they have a rich history -- we respect that -- but that was in the past. Right now its 2016.The Blue Hens will play a Tar Heels team that started the season at No. 1 and will look to finish it that way after handing UConn only its second loss of the season.The Tar Heels, in the NCAA title game for the 17th time in program history, rallied from a goal down after UConn opened the scoring in the opening minutes of the second half.Barbara Hoogens rocket from the top of the circle escaped Shannon Johnsons reach and marked the first score the Carolina defense gave up in the tournament after having shut out Stanford and Maryland last weekend.The Tar Heels answered with a beauty from Sam Night to set up a seven-on-seven overtime that North Carolina dominated. UConn (22-2) never managed another shot on goal, and the Tar Heels won it off their third of the period, a give-and-go feed for Lauren Moyers 23rd of the season, an Atlantic Coast Conference best.Overtime is either heartbreaking or exhilarating, and on this day it was a difficult ending, Huskies coach Nancy Stevens said.While Delaware sees these championships as a carousel that keeps spinning, a North Carolina win would end a drought. Coach Karen Shelton watched Princeton celebrate on this Norfolk field back in 2012. Her program started this season ranked No. 1, then lost its first game, lost an uncharacteristic five games and did not win the ACC. Though the Tar Heels are the winningest team in the national tournament with 60 victories, they have not won an NCAA title since 2009.Maybe that changes Sunday.Becoming a team is a process, Shelton said. We had our struggles early. We werent playing poorly, but we werent getting results. We werent playing quite as well as we were capable of playing. We have many talented pieces, but were better when we play together, and we figured it out.Or maybe not.We think anything is possible, Peet said. Cheap Jerseys China NFL Jerseys China NFL Jerseys Wholesale Discount Basketball Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys Authentic Cheap Baseball Jerseys Free Shipping Cheapest College Jerseys Sale Cheap Football Jerseys China Nike NFL Jerseys Canada Wholesale NHL Jerseys From China MLB Jerseys Outlet Canada Wholesale NBA Jerseys Canada Store Cheap Soccer Jerseys China Cheap Authentic Jerseys Canada ' ' '