SAN FRANCISCO -- Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers would prefer to be talking about how well Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan have played against the Golden State Warriors.
Custom Royals Jersey . Or how his team has defended Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Or just about anything that has happened on the court in the first-round playoff series. Instead, Rivers and his players spent Saturday talking about how they would respond to an audio recording of a man identified as Clippers owner Donald Sterling telling his girlfriend not to bring black people to games. "The fact that I had to spend 45 minutes in a meeting instead of watching film did not make me happy," Rivers said. Whether the comments -- which drew sharp criticism and calls for action from around the NBA -- effect the Clippers in Game 4 against the Warriors is all that worries Rivers right now. Los Angeles leads the series 2-1 and has looked every bit like a championship contender in winning the past two games. Chasing a title is the reason Rivers said players decided against protesting or even boycotting the game. They want to win for each other, he said, and not for Sterling or anyone else. "For me, I want to focus on my guys. I came here for them. They came here for each other. Our goals have not changed," Rivers said passionately after the Clippers practice at the University of San Francisco. "Its like one of the players said, Hey, when I was a kid, I had a goal to win a world championship. It was to do that. It wasnt to win a world championship for someone." Clippers point guard Chris Paul, the president of the National Basketball Players Association, released a statement through the union that said "this is a very serious issue which we will address aggressively." Paul and Clippers All-Star forward Blake Griffin declined further comment on the issue after practice. Other players were not made available as Rivers said he would speak for the team. "A lot of guys voiced their opinions. None of them were happy about it," Rivers said. "This was a situation where were trying to go after something very important for us, something that weve all dreamed about all our childhoods. Donald or anyone else had nothing to do with that dream, and were not going to let anything get in the way of those dreams." Sterling, a real estate owner who has a decades-long history of alleged discrimination and offensive behaviour, made his team the centre of NBA attention for all the wrong reasons again. In a recording posted on TMZs website, a man reported to be Sterling questions his girlfriends association with minorities. Clippers President Andy Roeser said in statement that the team did not know if the tape is legitimate or has been altered. Roeser also said the views expressed on the recording do not reflect Sterlings beliefs and that the woman on the tape -- identified by TMZ as V. Stiviano -- "is the defendant in a lawsuit brought by the Sterling family alleging that she embezzled more than $1.8 million, who told Mr. Sterling that she would get even." Sterling has not commented on the situation. Left in the aftermath was Rivers and his players facing more than 50 reporters at the Clippers practice Saturday. A day earlier, only about a dozen were at the teams hotel for the interview session. Most players ignored the added attention. Jamal Crawford looked over and laughed. Hedo Turkoglu jokingly shouted and smiled as he attempted shots. All that the hoopla meant for the Clippers as a team, Rivers said, was one monumental "distraction" before its biggest game of the season. "In a weird way, Im sure Golden State is having a ball right now because were not talking about them," Rivers said. Warriors coach Mark Jackson, who played for the Clippers from 1992-94, said "theres no place" for Sterlings alleged remarks but his team would remain focused on the game. His players echoed those sentiments, saying they wouldnt be deterred by one mans beliefs -- no matter how offensive. Rivers also said the audio recording would not serve as motivation for his team. "Were playing Golden State, and Golden State is our enemy right now," Rivers said. "Thats where were going to keep it, and thats where we want to keep it."
Billy Butler Royals Jersey . During their talk, Lemieux was reported to have discussed with Crosby how a captains erratic behaviour can negatively impact the team.Lemieuex told Crosby... "You cant behave the way you did at the end of the game, it gives off a bad vibe to your teammates, it gives off a vibe that might be portraying you in a negative light, especially when youre struggling.
George Brett Royals Jersey . The Arena das Dunas in the northeastern city of Natal sustained minor damage during the protests, but demonstrators stayed away on Sunday and officials said the stadium passed its first test, with only minor adjustments needed going forward.St. Louis, MO (SportsNetwork.com) - T.J. Oshie scored the lone goal in the shootout to lift the St. Louis Blues to a 5-4 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. Oshie, the Blues first shooter, patiently skated through the slot, got Cam Ward to bite on a fake and lifted a shot into the top of the net. Jake Allen made Oshies effort stand as he stopped all three shooters, including a slick glove save on Alexander Semin to end the game. Vladimir Tarasenko, Jaden Schwartz, Alexander Steen and Patrik Berglund all scored in regulation for the Blues, who won their fourth straight game. Despite the slow start, we came back in the second period, Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk said. It was a good effort getting back and getting on the right side of things. Allen stopped 19-of-20 shots in relief of Brian Elliott, who allowed three goals on 10 shots during the first period. Jeff Skinner and Victor Rask each tallied a goal and an assist, while Eric Staal and Riley Nash also lit the lamp for the Hurricanes, who were coming off a 5-2 win over Buffalo on Thursday. For the most part, I thought we did a good job, Carolina head coach Bill Peters said. Pleased to go into St. Louis on the road against a team that is playing very well and get a point out of that. Ward allowed four goals on 35 shots in defeat. Carolina took a 4-3 lead with under five minutes to play in the second. Nash gathered a bouncing puck at the left side of the net and snapped a shot that deflected off a few players in the crease and off the goal post before crossing the goal line. Tarasenko worked hiss way off the boards, released a shot in close and knocked the rebound into the net for a tie game with 13:14 to play.
Omar Infante Authentic Jersey. With under two minutes to play in overtime, Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester had his goal waved off as it was ruled Berglund made contact with Ward at the top of the crease. Carolina started the scoring just two minutes into the game. Rask slapped a shot from along the left boards that deflected off the skate of a St. Louis defender and into the net. Steen tied the game after he took a pass through the crease and fired a shot over the shoulder of Ward Skinner stripped a defender of the puck, stepped into the slot and sent a wrister over the glove of Elliott for a 2-1 lead at 7:23. The Hurricanes did not relent. Five minutes later, Staal charged into the zone on a breakaway and slipped a backhander past a sliding Elliott, giving Carolina a 3-1 lead and forcing the Blues to change goaltenders. St. Louis scored twice early in the second to tie the game. Schwartz intercepted a Carolina pass, faked a shot in the slot and jammed the puck past Wards stick at 4:07 and Berglund wristed a shot past a screened Ward for a 3-3 game 54 seconds later. Game Notes The NHL released its All-Star game roster on Saturday. Tarasenko and Shattenkirk will represent St. Louis, while defenseman Justin Faulk was selected from the Hurricanes ... Steen extended his point streak to six games ... Carolina forward Elias Lindholm played in his 100th NHL game ... The two teams will meet again on Jan. 30 at PNC Arena.
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