> » in Denver against the Colorado Avalanche.

FIVE QUICK HOOPS THOUGHTS: 1. FLIP SAUNDERS (Timberwolves): Im not the least bit surprised that he appointed himself as head coach after his search concluded. The president had the most successful run of any coach in franchise history and is a good fit at this stage. The fact that hes got lots of power in the organization will help him in the locker room because players will know that the buck stops with him. That always helps a coach. 2. NBA FINALS FORMAT: I love the fact that the NBA has gone with the 2-2-1-1-1 traditional format. Im a huge believer that the finalist that had the better regular season deserves to be able to host that critical Game 5. This was a smart move to get in line with the demands of the fans and most coaches and executives. 3. NBA REFEREES: You can say what you want about officials and I have a tendency to mildly voice my opinion from time to time (haha) about them, but on the whole they do a terrific job and the playoffs are really difficult to call. I really like what the league has done this year with trying to keep officiating crews together during the Pplayoffs. Im a fan of consistency and, the more a crew works together, the more cohesive they become. It helps a great deal and it not only makes sense, but its smart. 4. ABC ANNOUNCERS: I absolutely love listening to Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson and Doris Burke. Insightful, prepared, enthusiastic and entertaining - a really enjoyable listen that enhances the experience of watching the game and helps promote the sport. Just like the Spurs and Heat on the floor, this is the best game broadcast team in hoops. Theres a nice balance of opinion and strategy brought each telecast. For me, a joy to listen to. 5. RASHARD LEWIS (Heat): Lewis dropped 14 points in Game #2 and its nice having veteran experience on the floor. His perimeter shot-making ability is critical and he gives them better size to deal with the Spurs penetration and post-ups in the paint. Hes got a ton of big game experience and it showed in a huge win for Miami. LeBron was brilliant, yet you must have unsung heroes to help complement the stars. This is a guy on many nights this season was a DNP or barely played. Lewis is a true pro whos ready when called upon. Jordan Zimmermann Jersey . Moments after scoring and setting off another wild celebration at Minsk arena, Platt leapt into the arms of Belarusian captain Alexei Kalyuzhny. Cheap MLB Jerseys Authentic . "I honestly dont know," he said. Try this: 20 points, nine assists and seven rebounds by Rajon Rondo, a 62-37 rebounding advantage by the Celtics and a horrible 4-for-30 shooting performance on 3-pointers by the Nets. http://www.cheaptigersjerseys.com/?tag=cheap-al-kaline-jersey . -- The Minnesota Vikings have signed Jerome Simpson, the former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver recently convicted on a felony drug charge. Alan Trammell Jersey . Phoenix got injured centre Emeka Okafor and a top-12-protected first-round draft pick in 2014 -- giving the rebuilding Suns potentially four choices in the opening round. The Suns also sent guards Kendall Marshall, Shannon Brown and Malcolm Lee to Washington so the deal will work financially. Cheap Tigers Jerseys China . "There are a lot of things that are going very well in this organization. Im not coming in here to rip things apart," Nicholson told reporters Friday. "I know what Hockey Canada was when I started, and I know where this (Oilers) organization is today.The Winnipeg Jets conclude the first half of their 82-game regular season schedule tonight in Denver against the Colorado Avalanche. The Jets (17-18-5) are sixth in the Central Division with 39 points. They are 10 points behind the third place Avalanche (23-11-3). Colorado has three games in hand on Winnipeg. This is the third of five games this season between these teams. Colorado has won the first two games by scores of 3-2 and 4-3. Blake Wheeler leads the Jets while Matt Duchene leads the Avalanche with three goals and one assist each in those games. Al Montoya (6-2-1, 2.14, .923) will start in goal for the Jets. He has won his last four starts and has earned nine of a possible 10 points in his last five games. Jets Projected Lines: Ladd-Little-WheelerKane-Scheifelee-FrolikThorburn-Jokinen-SetoguchiTangradi-Wright-Peluso Ellerby-ByfuglienEnstrom-TroubaStuart-Bogosian Andrew Ladd and Olli Jokinen each have one goal and two assists in their last two games.dddddddddddd Colorado enters the game winless in their last three games following a 7-2 loss in Chicago on Boxing Day. Semyon Varlamov (16-8-3, 2.37, .926) will start in goal. Avalanche Projected Lines: OReilly-Duchene-MacKinnonLandeskog-Statsny-ParenteauMcGinn-Mitchell-TalbotMcLeod-Cliché-Bordeleau Johnson-HejdaBenoit-SarichBarrie-Wilson Gabe Landeskog has scored in back to back games. Following tonights game, the Jets return to Winnipeg and close out the 2013 calendar year Tuesday at MTS Centre against the Buffalo Sabres (6:00ct on TSN 1290 Radio / TSN). ' ' '