Chatecke » hat he was at the top of his game

(SportsNetwork.com) - The San Antonio Spurs will put their three-game winning streak on the line Saturday night when the Los Angeles Clippers come calling at AT&T Center. The Spurs won the first three during this six-game homestand. San Antonio will get visits from the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat before heading off of a nine- game road trip wrapped around the All-Star break. On Wednesday, the Spurs collected their third straight win with a 95-86 decision over the Charlotte Hornets. It was their ninth victory in the last 11 and they havent lost consecutive games since late December. Tim Duncan, who was named as a Western Conference All-Star on Thursday, posted his second straight double-double and five Spurs reached double figures in the win. Duncan had 12 points and 14 rebounds, while Tony Parker and Danny Green scored 17 and 16 points, respectively. Duncan and Green finished with three blocks and two steals apiece. The Spurs led by as many as 18 in the first half before taking a 55-38 cushion into the half. The Hornets got back in the game with a strong third quarter in which they held San Antonio to 4-of-21 shooting and 14 points. We went through a little dry spell in the third quarter, said Green. It seemed like there was a lid on the basket, but we kept moving, kept finding each other, and kept penetrating. Charlotte got within two, but Matt Bonner and Manu Ginobili, both of whom scored 10 points, hit consecutive 3s to jumpstart a 12-0 run. Duncan scored twice on the flurry that gave the hosts an 81-67 edge that all but sealed the outcome. The Clippers had a six-game winning streak snapped on Friday in a 108-103 road loss to the Anthony Davis-less New Orleans Pelicans. That was game two of an eight-game odyssey that includes stops in Brooklyn, Cleveland, Toronto, Oklahoma City and Dallas. Chris Paul, who was named a Western Conference All-Star reserve, finished with 24 points, Blake Griffin scored 19 and DeAndre Jordan contributed 12 points and 15 rebounds for the Clippers Sometimes the basketball gods say you shouldnt win the game, Clippers head coach Doc Rivers said. I thought tonight was one of those nights. Paul scored 10 points during a 12-0 swing to get Los Angeles within 95-94 with 5:07 remaining. With under two minutes to play, Eric Gordon knocked down a turnaround fadeaway shot and Dante Cunningham threw down a dunk to give the Pelicans a six-point lead and seal the win. Clippers guard JJ Redick returned after missing Wednesdays game with back spasms and scored 12 points The Spurs won both meetings this season, one in LA and one in San Antonio. The Spurs have won four straight against the Clippers and since late 2002, are 22-2 as the host in this series, including playoffs. Paul Coffey Jersey . -- D. J. Williams finally has his packing strategy down. Connor McDavid Oilers Jersey . -- Jane Kish stopped all 25 shots she faced as the Weyburn Gold Wings blanked the Sudbury Lady Wolves 3-0 on Friday to advance to the gold-medal game at the Esso Cup. http://www.hockeyoilersshop.com/matt-benning-jersey/. But that changed when he committed a five-minute major penalty and helped pave the way for a comeback by the Philadelphia Flyers. Vincent Lecavalier scored at 2:45 of overtime and the Flyers rallied from a two-goal deficit for a 5-4 victory on Sunday. Jean-Francois Jacques Jersey . Cammalleri suffered a concussion in the Flames 2-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday. The 31-year-old forward did not travel with the team to Carolina. Alex Chiasson Oilers Jersey .com) - Tonight will go a long way in determining the two wild card spots in the Eastern Conference.The Canadian Tire National Skating Championships showcased a healthy mix of fresh faces and established veterans and the team picked for the World Championships in March will include gold medal contenders and those looking to make their mark as they begin the next Olympic Quadrennial. A couple of teenagers will lead the charge to Shanghai in the singles events. Nam Nguyen stepped up admirably in the absence of Patrick Chan. At 16 years of age, he did not put a foot wrong in capturing his first Canadian title. His free program in particular was sensational with a quad salchow and two triple axels (the most difficult triple) and will stack up well amongst the worlds best. Having the quad and triple axels are key to his success but it is the balance that we are seeing from Nam this season that is his real strength and shows that he is not a one trick pony. He has the big tricks and consistency which is a rare combination, his skating between the jumps is delivered with care and finesse and as he matures and is gaining confidence in his jumps his artistry is rapidly progressing alongside. That balance will serve him well through his development and as he takes on the worlds best. In the Ladies event where the opportunity for a national title often produces nerves and inconsistent performances, in Kingston, the chance of the title fuelled focused and determined efforts. The three eventual medalists, new Canadian champion Gabby Daleman, Alaine Chartrande and Veronik Mallet all delivered superb performances. Veronik did not go in as one of the favourites for the title but her engaging personality and solid triples had her in the mix, in second after the short and produced season best scores for her. Teenagers Gabby and Alaine fought hard in going after what they each so desperately wanted. They both had clear shots at the title and had to bring and deliver their best. Gabby won the short program and Alaine the long with the edge going to Gabby overall. I like the way I see the rivalry between these two shaping up. Being pushed at home often drives skaters to new heights which pays off internationally. One only has to remember Kurt and Elvis, or Duhamel-Radford and Moore-Towers - Moscovitch for evidence of the benefits and while this is not yet close to the scope of the Russian ladies it has the makings of a great rivalry in Canadian skating. The talent, youth and feistiness of Gabby and Alaine create the perfect storm for an ongoing duel and dare I ask, what happens when Kaetlyn Osmond comes back? Game on! The pairs event was filled with intrigue, variety, personal bests and record breaking scores. Megan Duhamel and Eric Radford landed a throw quad salchow on their way to setting a Canadian record with their total score. Underr the heading of how things change, at the 1988 Winter Olympics a teammate of mine threw a bag of bagels (my favourite snack) on the ice at the end of our performance.dddddddddddd. In Kingston, Megan was handed a bunch of kale! Kale?! Maybe thats their secret. Whatever it is, they are on a phenomenal record setting pace this season with no signs of letting up. Their next stop is Seoul, South Korea where they will meet up with the tough Chinese pairs at Four Continents and then later in March they will have their chance at the world title. The new pairing of Lubov Ilyushechkina and Dylan Moscovitch won the hearts of the audiences in Kingston. Just nine months ago they both found themselves partnerless and unsure of the future. Watching them skate together in their first major competition is to see that out of crisis can come opportunity. The irony is not lost on Lubov that the only time she had been to Canada previously was five years ago at Skate Canada, in Kingston. She said I said that I wanted to stay here and I am back. Like by magic...who could predict...the joke of life! That they relish this new opportunity is palpable. It will be fun to see how far they can take it. At the World Championships last year Canada had three teams in the top ten in ice dance. Those same three teams finished on the podium in Kingston but were tested by a strong field. Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje who are on the same kind of trajectory as Duhamel-Radford, won their first Canadian title in convincing fashion. They are world class and like Duhamel-Radford appear to be unstoppable. Weaver-Poje are undefeated and have the highest scores this season. The closest team to them in the points race on the Grand Prix circuit is an American team, Madison Chock and Evan Bates, whom they will meet head-to-head at Four Continents in two weeks. This will be a much anticipated and key match up for them a month before the Worlds. Remembering a Legend The loss of the great Toller Cranston was shocking news. My good friend Shelley Macleod had just spent Christmas with Toller at his home in Mexico and I was heartened to learn that he was at the top of his game during their visit and that his staff told her on his passing that in the end he was doing what he loved, and was surrounded by good friends. Going forward we as a skating community can be inspired by his vision. He clearly saw the legacy he wanted to leave and took his career into his own hands. For him it was about making a memorable and maximum impact and in so doing, moving an audience, bringing crowds to their feet and leaving an indelible mark on the sport. Toller once said, I brought a hammer and a chisel and I tried to wear away inhibition. May we keep that dream alive. ' ' '