OKLAHOMA CITY -- Serge Ibaka walked slowly and carefully, but without a limp, before facing reporters Saturday afternoon. [url=https://www.cheapbluejays.com/1576h-ernie-whitt-jersey-blue-jays.ht ml]Ernie Whitt Jersey[/url] . Much has been made of the Oklahoma City defensive stars absence in the first

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Serge Ibaka walked slowly and carefully, but without a limp, before facing reporters Saturday afternoon. Ernie Whitt Jersey . Much has been made of the Oklahoma City defensive stars absence in the first two games of the Western Conference finals series against the San Antonio Spurs. The 6-foot-10 power forward strained his left calf in the previous playoff series, and the Thunder said they expected him to be out for the playoffs. The team changed course Friday and declared him day-to-day. He worked out Saturday, but he didnt practice before addressing the media for the first time since his outlook changed. With Ibaka, the leagues leading shot blocker, the Thunder were one of the best defensive teams the NBA. Without him, the Spurs shot at least 50 per cent in the first two games of the Western Conference Finals and won them by a combined 52 points. As he stood for the five-minute session wearing a black compression sock over the calf, he deflected claims that he could be a saviour heading into Game 3 on Sunday. "Ive been hearing a lot of people saying my team lost two games because I was out," he said. "Thats not true. I believe in my guys. I believe in my teammates. They can be better with me or without me. Its no excuse because Serge Ibaka was not there. Just San Antonio, the first two games, they played better basketball." Ibaka said he sometimes screamed at his television set when he watched scenarios in which he could have made plays during the losses. He is not sure if he will play in Game 3 -- he said it is up to doctors, and much will depend on how he feels in the morning. For now, he will depend largely on rest, ice and luck. His presence is needed, even if he is less than fully healthy. Kendrick Perkins, Nick Collison and Perry Jones have struggled against the Spurs big men. Kevin Durant, normally a small forward, has played some power forward in the series because of Ibakas absence, and his relative lack of physical strength and unfamiliarity with playing post defence has been exploited. The Spurs prepared all along as though he would return. "It gives them another hell of a player," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, "but we are who we are and weve got to be who we are. We cant change what we do." Even if Ibaka returns, it will not fully solve Oklahoma Citys problems defending the perimeter. San Antonio has made 18 of 40 3-pointers in the series and guards Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili are slashing into the paint with stunning frequency, often scoring or finding their teammates for open shots. The Thunder say it starts with basics. "Its just an individual effort," Perkins said. "Got to put it in your mind that you want to stop the guy in front of you, and thats it. Backside got to be ready. But the thing is when they penetrate, thats what opens those threes. Well do a better job of keeping the ball in front of us, but weve just got to be individual and youve got to want the match up." To be fair, San Antonio shares the ball like no one else. The Spurs led the league with 25.4 assists per game during the regular season. That average is up to 27.5 against Oklahoma City. Parker and Ginobili generate many of the assists, but many others come from simple ball movement. "We dont have a Durant," Ginobili said. "We dont have a Kobe (Bryant) or LeBron (James) that can go one against one and finish every single time. We need to pass the ball to find open teammates, and thats what we do, and thats what weve been doing. We all feel proud about it. We know when we have 25 assists or 30, we are much better and we try to do that every time." Because the Spurs generally have five capable scorers on the floor at a time, it forces opponents to have a greater attention to detail than usual. "Theyve got threats," Durant said. "Everybody on their team is a threat because of their offence. They move the ball. Theyve got 3-point shooters. You take away 3-point shooters, they get the role guys and they get the paint points. You take away that and they start hitting the threes. So we have to do both. We have to be able to close the paint up and get out to shooters. Easier said than done, but we can do it." The Spurs are off to a good start, but experience tells them they wont have as easy a time in Oklahoma City. And in 2012, Oklahoma City fell behind San Antonio 2-0 in the Western Conference finals before winning the series 4-2. "Weve got to know that in their arena its going to be different," Ginobili said. "Theyre going to be way more aggressive, theyre going to be pushed by their fans. We just won two games. They are going to make more shots, they are going to attack harder, they are going to go to the free-throw line more.So, there are a lot of things that they can do much better and were not going to make as many shots." Frank Thomas Blue Jays Jersey . You can watch coverage on TSN, TSN2 and CTV beginning today at 3pm et/Noon pt. The championships will feature approximately 250 of Canadas best figure skaters in senior, junior and novice as they vie for spots on the national team, international assignments and will act as the final step in the 2014 Olympic qualification process. Blue Jays Jerseys 2019 . Scrivens stopped 48 shots and captain Andrew Ference scored in overtime as the Oilers pulled off a 4-3 upset of the Anaheim Ducks on Friday. https://www.cheapbluejays.com/1626h-j-a-happ-jersey-blue-jays.html . The Canadian Luge Association officially named seven athletes to the 2014 Olympic team Tuesday. Edney, will lead teenagers John Fennell and Mitchel Malyk into their first Games in mens singles. Tristan Walker and Justin Snith will represent Canada in doubles, while Gough, will be joined by Kimberley McRae in womens singles. NEWCASTLE, England -- Manchester City began its Premier League title defence with a 2-0 victory over Newcastle on Sunday, with goals by David Silva and Sergio Aguero putting the champions on top of the fledgling standings. With a professional, assured start to the season, City showed at St. James Park why it will be tough to stop the team winning a third title in four years. Silva opened the scoring in the 38th minute with a left-foot shot inside the area past Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul, having run on to a clever backheeled pass by Edin Dzeko. Aguero began on the bench as he is short of full fitness after the World Cup but the Argentina striker quickly hit his scoring stride, slotting home a finish in injury time after his first attempt was saved by Tim Krul. "It was very important for us to start with a win," City manager Manuel Pellegrini said. "We talked to the squad about the two Hs -- hungry and humble. We need both if want to continue winning titles and improve on what we did last season. We didnt have any clean sheets in preseason but we were very sollid in this game. Wilmer Font Jersey. " Citys win remained in doubt until Aguero struck, with Newcastle applying pressure late on but failing to work visiting goalkeeper Joe Hart. Substitute Ayoze Perez had a shot deflected just wide of the far post before Moussa Sissoko blazed over the bar. "I feel a little bit disappointed we have lost and the scoreline is slightly flattering to them," Newcastle manager Alan Pardew said. "I felt if we had got an equalizer we could have gone on to win, because we looked fitter and stronger. "Our fans are good judges and I think theyve seen enough to believe were going to give it a real good go this season." Fabricio Coloccini and Vincent Kompany, the captains of the two teams, and former Sunderland goalkeeper Jimmy Montgomery laid wreaths on the centre circle before kickoff in honour of two Newcastle fans who were among the 298 people to be killed when Malaysia Airlines flight 17 was shot down over Ukraine last month. There was also a minutes silence for the two supporters, John Alder and Liam Sweeney. ' ' '