News » e Jays slugger Jose Bautista at the plat

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Spurs coach Gregg Popovich took pains to make sure guard Tony Parker was well rested for the playoffs. "I barely played in April," Parker said. "I was joking with Pop if I was still with the Spurs." The break has paid off. Parker scored 29 points and San Antonio took a 3-0 lead in its Western Conference semifinal series against the Portland Trail Blazers with a 118-103 victory on Saturday night. Parker has scored 29 or more points in three of his last four playoff games. He had 20 points in the first half alone in Game 3 against Portland. "Hes been the engine for us," Popovich said. "He started out really well tonight. He made shots, he involved everybody else. He was playing great D at the other end. Hes really playing a whole complete game." The Spurs led by as many as 23 points in the first half, building a big early lead just as they had in the first two games of the series in San Antonio. "I think it just happened," Parker said of the third straight game with a big jump on Portland. "We just wanted to come in and have a good start, take care of the ball and play good defence like we did at home." The teams meet again on Monday night at the Moda Center. LaMarcus Aldridge had 21 points and 12 rebounds for the Portland, which pulled within eight points in the third quarter but couldnt get any closer. The Blazers were hurt by 15 turnovers and only six points from their bench. "Theyre just persistent," Aldridge said. "They play championship basketball and thats what we have to get to." No NBA team has come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a seven-game series. In 2003, the Blazers rebounded with three wins after dropping the first three against Dallas, but ultimately lost the first-round series deciding game. San Antonio, the top seed in the West, is vying for a second straight trip to the finals: Last season the Spurs fell to the Miami Heat in seven games. The winner of the series goes on to meet the winner of the conference semifinal between Oklahoma City and the Clippers. The Thunder lead that series 2-1. San Antonio has dominated this one. On Thursday night, the Spurs built a 20-point lead and won 114-97. The Spurs routed the Blazers 116-92 in the series opener after a hard-fought seven-game series against the Dallas Mavericks. The Blazers were without reserve guard Mo Williams, who has a groin injury. Williams played just 9 minutes in Game 2, and the Spurs backups outscored Portlands 50-19. Williams has consistently brought a spark and leadership off the bench the whole season, and has capably filled in while Lillard rests. Earl Watson and Will Barton helped spell starter Damian Lillard in Game 3. The Blazers took a brief 13-12 lead midway through the first quarter on Lillards step-back jumper. It was just their second lead of the series. But Parker pestered the Blazers and his finger-roll layup put the Spurs up 25-15. Marco Belinellis falling-down jumper pushed the lead to 28-17 before the first quarter was over. Parkers back-to-back 3-pointers gave the Spurs a 58-35 late first-half lead and they went into the break ahead 60-40. Portland rallied to start the second half, pulling to 64-52 after Nicolas Batums 3-pointer. He hit another 3 to narrow it to 68-60, but the Spurs kept the Blazers from coming any closer and led 83-69 going into the fourth. Parkers layup and free throw gave San Antonio a 100-81 lead in the fourth. Portland mounted a rally to get to 103-91 on Robin Lopezs layup with 5:46 left but it was too late. "Pop, you have to give him credit. He looked at the big picture, and rested me (the last month)," Parker said. "When we started the playoffs, he told me Be ready to play 37-38 minutes a game, were going to need you to play at your best. And so far its working." Portland advanced to the second round for the first time in 14 years by defeating the Houston Rockets in six games, clinching the series with Lillards amazing 3-pointer at the buzzer at home for a 99-98 victory in the deciding game. The Spurs have a 3-2 series advantage over Portland in the playoffs, sweeping the previous meeting in the 1999 conference finals. The teams split the regular-season series 2-2. NOTES: Before Game 2 in San Antonio, Blazers forward Thomas Robinson saw a snake in the locker room at the AT&T Center. Because the snake hissed, the team at first thought it was a rattlesnake, but it later turned out it was not venomous. So before Saturday nights game, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was asked if his team had seen any critters in the Moda Center: "We expected a Beaver but we didnt see one," he laughed. ... Tim Duncan moved past Karl Malone into fifth place all-time for career playoff points. He trails only Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille ONeal. Orlando Cepeda Jersey . -- Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf has been suspended two games for his hit from behind on Kevan Miller of the Bruins. Atlanta Braves Jerseys . It took five games, but the Celtics finally helped Stevens earn his first NBA victory. "Im going to celebrate for a whole 12 minutes, and then Im going to start watching Orlando and trying to figure them out," the first-year Celtics coach said after Boston beat the Utah Jazz, one of the leagues other winless teams, 97-87 on Wednesday night. http://www.baseballbravesproshop.com/phil-niekro-braves-jersey/ . Aaron Hill and Cliff Pennington hit home runs in the first inning for the Diamondbacks, who beat the Miami Marlins 3-2 on Friday night. Deion Sanders Jersey . Its the second of three meetings between these teams this season. Vancouver was a 2-1 winner on home ice December 22nd. Bobby Cox Jersey . The Kings paraded the Stanley Cup through downtown Los Angeles on Monday to celebrate their second NHL title in three seasons.ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Bases loaded in the first inning, none out and Toronto Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista at the plate. A recipe for disaster for most pitchers. Especially a teenage thrower. But it turned into a day to remember for 17-year-old starter Ben Onyshko who managed to hold Bautista and his US$14-million annual salary to a sacrifice fly. The Winnipeg native got out of the inning without further damage and yielded just two runs on four hits over his three innings for the Canadian junior baseball team. "The experience of a lifetime," Onyshko said after leaving the game tied 2-2. The young Canadians took it on the chin after that. A Toronto Blue Jays split squad rallied for three runs in the fifth inning, four in the seventh and three in the eighth en route to a 12-2 victory over the Canadian juniors Tuesday under the sunshine at Al Lang Field. Onyshko, who has accepted a scholarship to Stetson University, said he tried to just focus on the task at hand in the first when Bautista came to the plate after two walks and a Moises Sierra single. "Ive got to admit my mind was racing a little bit," the left-hander said with a smile. "It was surreal." "I was scared for a split second when he (Bautista) hit the ball. Once I was able to get that first out, I think things started to roll a bit better. I settled in." Onyshko, who recorded one strikeout, had his parents and sister looking on in the stands. Jays starter Brandon Morrow, not helped by a Colby Rasmus error, gave up two runs on four hits. He struck out two and walked three. Morrow, who threw 47 pitches, was happy with his split-fingered delivered but called his command of the fast ball "terrible." "I was getting frustrated with myself out there, if you didnt notice," he said dryly. Morrow was followed by Sergio Santos, Steve Delabar and Aaron Sanchez. Onyshko gave way to Zach Pop of Brampton, Ont., J.P. Stevenson of Hunter River, P.E.I., and Isaac Anesty of Guelph, Ont. The Jays finished with 12 hits to seven for the Canadians, who were tagged with three errors. Delabar got the win and Sanchez the save while Pop took the loss. Toronto broke a 2-2 tie with three runs in the fifth off Pop, with Canadian Brett Lawrie sparking the charge with a double. A Canadian error helped the Toronto cause. Highly touted outfielder Gareth Morgan of Toronto singled, walked and struck out for tthe young Canadians.dddddddddddd While other major league teams tend to put up prospects against the Canadian juniors, Toronto brought out some stars as well as a bevy of its own young Canadian talent. Bautista, Adam Lind, Rasmus, Dioner Navarro and Munenori Kawasaki were in a starting lineup that also included Canadians Lawrie (Langley, B.C.) and Dalton Pompey (Mississauga, Ont). Lawrie, who used to be part of the Baseball Canada program, was 2-for-3 on the day. Other Canadians who saw action for the Jays included Michael Crouse of Port Moody, B.C., Markus Knecht of Toronto, Justin Atkinson of Surrey, B.C., Mike Reeves of Peterborough, Ont., and Mike Nickeas of Vancouver. It was no ordinary spring training game. Players from both teams mingled for a group photograph in the outfield before the first pitch, with Kawasaki and Bautista sticking around for their own shot surrounded by the young Canadians. Bautista also gave the Canadian teens a pep talk. The Canadian juniors play in the fall instructional league against young major league talent before their spring series in Florida in March and April. This year, the Florida opposition includes teams from the Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals as well as the Jays. In May, the Canadians take part in the Dominican Summer League. The idea is to expose the young players to a professional environment and competition. The Canadian schedule is built around a qualifying tournament in Mexico in September for the 2015 world junior championships in Japan. Canada is bidding to become one of four teams to emerge from the Americas. With John Gibbons leading another Jays squad in Lakeland, Fla., against the Detroit Tigers, first-base coach Tim Leiper served as manager in St. Petersburg. Leiper has Canadian ties. He managed in the Montreal Expos organization, including a stint at the helm of the triple-A Ottawa Lynx of the International League in 2002. He also served as a coach on the 2004 Canadian Olympic team as well as Canadas 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classic squads. He was part of the Baseball Canada staff that won bronze medals at both the 2008 and 2011 Baseball World Cups and gold in the 2011 Pan-American Games. Leiper joined the Jays coaching staff in the off-season after spending the past year as a special assistant to player development in the Toronto system. Wholesale USA Soccer Jerseys discount uswnt jersey Wholesale AC Milan Jerseys Wholesale Arsenal Jerseys Wholesale A.S. Roma Jerseys Wholesale Atletico Madrid Jerseys Wholesale Chelsea Jerseys Cheap Barcelona Jerseys Bayern Munich Jerseys For Sale Cheap Borussia Dortmund Jerseys Cheap Inter Milan Jerseys Juventus Jerseys From China Leicester City Jerseys For Sale Discount Liverpool Jerseys Wholesale Manchester City Jerseys Manchester United Jerseys For Sale Wholesale Paris Saint-Germain Jerseys Real Madrid Jerseys From China Cheap Sevilla Jerseys Authentic Tottenham Hotspur Jerseys ' ' '