Spiele » . Head coaching hires are as much about stop-gapping and fin

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The Miami Heat hoped to rest three banged-up regulars and lean on LeBron James to steal a road victory before visiting one of the best teams in the Western Conference. Instead, the Sacramento Kings spoiled those plans -- and James hurt himself in the process. DeMarcus Cousins had 27 points and 17 rebounds, Rudy Gay scored 26 and the Kings rallied from an early 17-point deficit to beat the short-handed Heat 108-103 in overtime Friday night. "I thought our guys accepted the challenge," Sacramento coach Michael Malone said. James said he strained his right groin before finishing with 33 points, eight rebounds and eight assists as Miamis six-game winning streak ended. Whether he plays at Portland on Saturday night is uncertain. "It aint feeling too good right now," James said. The two-time defending NBA champions played without Dwyane Wade (resting his knees), Ray Allen (right knee tendinitis) and Chris Andersen (sore back). James stayed mostly on the perimeter in the second half when his injury started to swell. The Kings capitalized on the opportunity. Isaiah Thomas had 22 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds to help Sacramento (9-19) upend the Heat (22-7) a week after a blowout loss in Miami. Gay made a tying jumper in the final minutes of regulation, and the Kings quickly pulled away in the extra period to bring the sellout crowd of 17,317 roaring to its feet. "This is a new team, and for us to come out and perform against one of the best teams in the league, its a pretty good feeling," Cousins said. Malone even called out his players mistakes publicly following a loss to New Orleans on Monday. He gave his players a couple of days off around Christmas and asked them, "What type of team do we want to be this season?" "The biggest thing is we responded," Gay said. The Kings overcame 23 turnovers and some lacklustredefence at the start to pull off the comeback. Sacramento outshot Miami 49.4 per cent to 44.2 per cent and outrebounded the Heat 51-35. A day after winning The Associated Press 2013 Male Athlete of the Year, James helped the Heat build a big lead early but couldnt hold off a late Kings rally by himself. He also appeared to tweak his left ankle when he fell into the crowd after missing a layup in the second quarter, but he said his ankle felt fine. James set up Chris Bosh for a dunk, then made one of two free throws to put the Heat ahead 89-85 with 2:42 remaining in the fourth. A few plays later, Mario Chalmers was called for a flagrant foul after pushing Cousins to the ground. Cousins made both free throws, and Gay hit a tying turnaround jumper. After Gay forced a turnover by James, Thomas missed a running shot. James came down with the rebound, dribbled down court and missed a difficult 3-pointer over Gay at the regulation buzzer. Gay made a 3 and Thomas hit a pull-up shot at the start of overtime. After James made a driving layup, Thomas answered with another from beyond the arc to give the Kings a 97-91 lead. James still nearly rallied Miami from eight points down in the final minute. He hit three consecutive 3-pointers -- sandwiched between Sacramento scores -- to bring the Heat within three with 13.1 seconds left. But James and the Heat simply ran out of time. At the outset, James wasted no time putting Miami in control. He scored nine points and assisted on two of Shane Battiers three 3-pointers during a 23-6 run to open the game. With James on the bench, Sacramento sliced Miamis lead to seven in the second quarter. The four-time NBA MVP returned and restored order -- at least for a moment -- to help the Heat go ahead 55-45 at halftime. The Kings outscored Miami 29-18 in the third quarter behind big plays from Cousins and Gay -- with almost all of them directed by Thomas. Sacramento entered the fourth with a 74-73 lead to set up a furious finish. "The game turned in the third quarter," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "Probably more than anything our offence got us in trouble. A lot of jump shots. And they stepped up their defence. You have to give them credit for that." NOTES: James passed Larry Bird (21,791 points) and Gary Payton (21,813 points) to move into 29th place on the NBAs career scoring list. ... Spoelstra said Greg Odens rehabilitation from various knee injuries is progressing, but the centre is not expected to play in Miamis lone visit to Portland on Saturday night. ... Cousins was called for his NBA-leading ninth technical foul after arguing with officials in the first quarter. ... The Heat entered with a 7-0 record against Western Conference teams this season. Dave Winfield Jersey . - The Cleveland Indians will place centerfielder Michael Bourn on the disabled list before their opener at Oakland on March 31. Rickey Henderson Jersey . "Uuufff," was all shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria could come up with after Stantons latest mammoth shot. http://www.padressale.com/padres-ozzie-smith-jersey/ . About seven hours before facing Washington in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference second round series, team officials said the oft-injured Bynum would miss the rest of the playoffs and would not even be with the team for the rest of the post-season. Eric Hosmer Jersey . Both sides of the deal have formally announced acquisitions: TFC introduced Jozy Altidore as a designated player on Friday, while their counterparts announced a three-and-a-half-year deal with Jermain Defoe. Custom San Diego Padres Jerseys . According to MMAFighting.com, MacDonald needs an x-ray on his right ankle and doctors clearance to fight or he will be subject to a mandatory medical suspension that will end on August 22, 2014.In this weeks Three-Man Weave, Will Strickland and Duane Watson of TSN 1050s 1 On 1 With Will & Duane are joined by veteran NBA scribe Darren Andrade to discuss Kevin Durants quandary, ponder what the "luckiest" team in The Association should do with the #1 pick in the Draft... again and test the temperature in hiring coaches for coachless teams. With LeBron James and Dwyane Wades 22 point performance in the fourth quarter of Game 2, are they the deadliest two-man tandem in the NBA Playoffs? What does that mean for the Pacers? Strickland: Is this a rhetorical question? Two proven playoff commodities and two champions. Miami at home with The King and Three will offer little to no chance for the Pacers to win this pivotal game. And even with a concussion-less George, a healthy Wade and LeBron will be the ultimate x-factors against Indy and any team they may face next in the NBA Finals. Andrade: By the force of nature that is LeBron James, yes, he and Dwyane Wade are the deadliest.With all due respect to Wade, there are lots of two guards LBJ could team with and instantly become the "deadliest duo in the NBA." Hes that much better than the world. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook? Chris Paul and Blake Griffin? DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry? The numbers are there, but this is about timing and impact...and rings. Critics say LBJ has to do too much for the Heat, but the fact is that the longer he can do that, the longer Wade (and Ray Allen) can fill in the gaps so beautifully. Does that shorten his career while he extends Wades? Maybe, but its all for the cause in Miami. Game 2s comeback win was vintage LBJ/Wade wait-and-kill mode and its about as deadly a thing that Ive seen in the NBA in the last 10 years in this, their fourth straight Eastern Conference Final. Watson: Indeed. LeBron James is always in the discussion when it comes to deadliest players in the league and DWades 2013-14 NBA season, aka "The Rest & Recuperation Tour," did wonders for him. Only playing in 54 of the Heats 82 games, this campaign was all about prepping him for the playoffs. In the Eastern Conference Finals, hes averaging 25 points a game and shooting 64.7 per cent from the field. What does this mean for the Pacers? Even if Paul Georges concussion, knocked him into a Freaky Friday/Thunderstruck-like exchange with a playoff-primed Reggie Miller, it wouldnt be enough. What, if anything, can Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder do to make this Western Conference Finals a series? Strickland: Ummm... Compete? Pray? Ask his Mom, aka "The Real MVP," to suit up and fill the lanes with him? Really, the best Durant can do now, even with the "revelation" that PF Serge Ibaka is now miraculously listed as day-to-day, is to show and prove his MVP status by putting greater pressure on the Spurs by attacking the basket relentlessly. Hell craft more scoring and free throw opportunities for himself. Additionally, KD can create open shots for youngsters Perry Jones III and Jeremy Lamb, as well as the not-so-young Caron Butler and Derek Fisher. Despite his greatness, the jury is still out on Kevin Wayne Durant, fairly or unfairly so. Andrade: More like, what, if anything, will the Spurs forget to do to ALLOW the Thunder back into the series? Without Serge Ibaka, there is less defence against a San Antonio team that can score with the best of them. The Spurs have averaged 117 points per game vs OKC in two games and held them to just 77 in the second. Tim Duncan is averaging 20, Kawhi Leonard keeps emerging and Gregg Popovich has still managed to keep everyones minutes down in a Western Conference Final. The Durant/Westbrook tandem scored a 30 combined points on 13-40 shooting from the field in Game 2. What can the Thunder do? Durants gotta bring out the cape! KDs gotta go 2K, other-worldly. Thats it. Old samurai teaching: "Common sense will not accomplish great things. Simply become insane and desperate." Watson: Focus on cracking the top 50 in NBA Career playoff points, as he currently sits at #53 with 1997 points, Jason Kidd is #50 with 2043. Even if Durant plays twice as good as his MVP campaign, it wont be enough. KD and Westbrook need the support of their teammates. The Spurs have made it abundantly clear that, even IF Serge Ibaka walks through that door, it wont be enough. What will Cleveland do with the #1 pick in the NBA Draft for the second year in a row and third time in four years? Strickland: Draft Andrew Wiggins to create Team Canada South along with fellow Canucks Tristan Thompson & Anthony Bennett... and that may be the wrong move for long term success for a franchise not synonymous with long term success. What they SHOULD do? Despite the red flags of back issues for a 19-year-old 7-footer who may still be growing, draft #TheColonelsSon and Wigginss former teammate at Kansas, C Joel Embiid. The Cavs cant mess this up, too...can they? Andrade: The Cavaliers will draft Andrew Wiggins. How could they not? They certainly cant get cute like they did with Anthony Bennett last year - a good gamble, but not for a first-overall pick. Wiggins, paired with a healthy Kyrie Irving, could make things go electric in a hurry quickly in Ohio and the Cavs have the front court assets to move should they wish to compliment that tag-team further. Theres also Dion Waiters as an on-the-trading-block guy that could help return a much needed veteran. Joel Embiid is tempting, but the upside to Wiggins is just so much higheer.dddddddddddd Hes the closest thing to replacing LeBron James via draft this franchise has had since The Kings departure. Whatcha think all the picks is for?!? Wig-GINS by the door... no beef no more! Watson: The Cavaliers have the most injury-prone All-Star in the league with Kyrie Irving, who missed fewer than 20 games for the first time in his three-career this season, (he missed 10). They cant afford to have Joel Embiid out, as well, with potential back issues. They will take Andrew Wiggins, who will slide right in at the three-spot as a proven commodity. If youre Masai Ujiri, who do the Toronto Raptors select with the 20th pick of the 2014 NBA Draft? Strickland: Front office wizard Ujiri will find a quality young replacement for the potential loss of free agent point guards Kyle Lowry and/or Greivis Vasquez. With the out-of-the-blue success of the long, rangy, athletic 2014 Rookie Of The Year Michael Carter-Williams, Id look at UCLAs Kyle Anderson, the 68" point guard with a solid all-around skill set that can be enhanced with a professional setting, improved conditioning/strength training, diet and skill-enhancement repetition. Andrade: With Tyler Enniss stock wildly fluctuating from lottery pick to late first-rounder, the Raptors could realistically see him on the board with the 20th pick and would have a cheap star-potential steal and insurance at the PG for what looks to be an expensive Kyle Lowry situation. Do they have to keep the pick? Sure, the ill-fated Roy Hibbert for Nathan Jawai (and others) draft night swap with Indiana in 2008 haunted the Raps until Jonas Valanciunas showed up, but this time moving the pick, before or after its made, makes more sense. The Raptors had eight players with three or fewer years NBA experience last season, including keepers Terrence Ross, Patrick Patterson, Greivis Vasquez and Valanciunas. Do they really need to get younger? The Raptors are in a delicate place. Riding the Drake-era wave is essential for an organization with just one playoff series victory in its 20-year history. Packaging the pick with grease like Tyler Hansbrough, Landry Fields and/or Chuck Hayes might fetch a more dynamic piece that helps take better advantage of their window. Watson: I do what I do best: fleece the other GMs in the league with it for a good trade. Jonas Valanciunas and Terrence Ross are big parts of this ball club, but will only be entering their third seasons. The Raptors need a veteran who can contribute right away. They were one shot away from the second round of the playoffs. This team does not necessarily need to get younger. I only make the pick if Tyler Ennis or Nik Stauskas are still available, of course. Steve Kerr has been the coveted new coach this off-season. Will he continue a current trend of new blood in the NBA coaching ranks, or will we see a number of recycled coaches get jobs this summer? Strickland: Depends on situation and circumstance. Analytics rule the day for many teams and analysts like Kerr have gotten their coaching stripes without coaching experience (see: Jackson, Mark - Golden State). Young teams will need a veteran coach with a younger staff to relate to the ever changing National Basketball Association and its players while implementing structure, accountability and professionalism, as well as having the foresight to know when to let your horses be horses. Lionel Hollins, Nate McMillan, George Karl, Sam Mitchell and the aforementioned Jackson immediately come to mind. Older teams in soon-to-be rebuilding modes may need younger, less experienced coaches willing to take lumps while losing and learning on the job. Does that mean that Floridas Billy Donovan or UConns Kevin Ollie are going to leave cushy college gigs for the bright lights and finely finished hardwood courts of the NBA? Stay tuned! Andrade: Its always a mix. Weve already seen recycled with good old Stan Van Gundy coming back with the Pistons to balance the Steve Kerr rookie hire in Oakland. Last season it was Jason Kidd, Steve Clifford and Jeff Hornecek among others getting first-time kicks at the can with Kidd and Clifford making the playoffs and all of them earning league-wide props. Trending? Perhaps, but everyone from the still-active-and-fighting-for-his-playoff-life OKC vet Derek Fisher to the tried and true Lionel Hollins and George Karl are being mentioned for gigs. Landscape is a factor. Much easier to sell a post-Kevin Love era rookie bench boss in Minnesota for the possible reboot. Ditto for the Cavaliers. Head coaching hires are as much about stop-gapping and finances as they are about optics and competing. If Mark Jackson has taught us anything at all, its that the line between his first-stint firing from a 51-win playoff Warriors team and Karls coach of the year winning fifth-stint firing from a 57-win Nuggets postseason squad a year ago, is severely blurred. Watson: Enough already with retreads. Mike Dunleavy and George Karl havent won anything. If youre a successful coach like the Van Gundy brothers fine, but dont hire by name alone. Newbies like Dave Joerger (Memphis), Mike Budenholzer (Atlanta) and Jeff Hornacek (Phoenix) all had great seasons in the big chair. There are enough basketball coaching minds who can get more out of your team with new approaches and strategies.The Three-Man Weave contributors are co-hosts of TSN Radio 1050s 1-on-1 with Will and Duane , Will Strickland (@WallStrizzle1), Duane Watson (@byDuaneWatson) and guest holder of the best groomed beard on the team this week, Darren Andrade (@hoopdogz) ' ' '