09-09-2019, 03:26 AM
SAN ANTONIO -- Kawhi Leonard could have been devastated by losing last seasons NBA Finals. Instead, he vowed to get better. Just think -- the San Antonio Spurs youngest star is only getting started. Hes a champion now, with the Spurs beating the Miami Heat 104-87 on Sunday night in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, finishing off a 4-1 triumph. And after watching the Heat celebrate last season, Leonard was the pick as MVP of the series, accepting his award from 11-time champion Bill Russell. "Everybody is just living in the moment right now," Leonard said. "Really dont know whats going on." Hell figure it out quick. After all, the Spurs know titles -- this one being their fifth since 1999. When Commissioner Adam Silver announced Leonard as the MVP, he was mobbed by his teammates and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich roared with laughter, knowing Leonard would have to do what he hates most -- talk about himself. "Right now, its just surreal to me," Leonard said. "I have a great group of guys behind me." Leonard had 22 points and 10 rebounds, his third straight big game in the series. He fouled out in the fourth quarter, which was barely noticed after the job he did helping keep LeBron James in some sort of check over the final three quarters. When it was over -- actually, a few seconds before it was over -- James led a group of Heat players down to the Spurs bench for the first round of congratulatory hugs. The first one he gave, and rightly so, was to Leonard. It was James taking the trophy from Russell in each of the last two seasons, after Miamis titles. This time, the night belonged to Leonard, a 22-year-old who the Spurs have long thought was the heir apparent to the Big 3 of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. "The first two games, he didnt play so well," James said about Leonard. "I thought he attacked more in the last three games, shot the ball extremely well." Added Heat guard Dwyane Wade: "Its like he just played free. ... Hes the future of this team." The Big 3 in San Antonio is still championship-good. But their key guy now might be Leonard, who just took over this series. "Hes a great learner and hes super competitive, has a drive to be the best thats really uncommon in our league," Popovich said. "He walks the walk. I mean, hes there early, hes there late. He wants more. He wants me and the coaches to push him. So I just talked to him about not being in that defer sort of stage. The hell with Tony, the hell with Timmy, the hell with Manu, you play the game. You are the man." In this series, he absolutely was. Leonard averaged 17.8 points on 61 per cent shooting. And he became the youngest Finals MVP since Duncan won it for the Spurs in 1999. Jaylen Brown Celtics Jersey . Goodell said in an ESPN Radio interview Monday (http://es.pn/1gkbauy ) that participants played harder and made the game very competitive. Goodell says he had fun watching the game Sunday and thinks fans did, too. Paul Pierce Jersey .C. -- Charles Oakley, one of the NBAs all-time tough guys, may not return to the Charlotte Bobcats bench next season because of a painful back condition he says was caused during an assault last year in Las Vegas. http://www.authenticcelticsproshop.com/Customized/. -- Josh MacDonalds second goal of the game kept his team alive as the Peterborough Petes edged the host Kingston Frontencas 6-5 in overtime on Friday in Ontario Hockey League playoff action. Gordon Hayward Jersey .Simon will work with head coach Gord Dineen and associate coach Derek King behind the bench of the Toronto Maple Leafs American Hockey League affiliate for the 2014-15 season. Robert Williams Celtics Jersey .The team had a meeting prior to facing Russia at the world junior hockey championship and got the effort theyve been looking for by defeating the Russians 4-1 to advance to the quarter-finals.Foxboro, MA (SportsNetwork.com) - Whatever adjustments the New England Patriots made at halftime sure worked. Tom Brady threw a pair of touchdown passes during a 24-point third quarter, as New England clinched its sixth straight AFC East title with a 41-13 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday at Gillette Stadium. LeGarrette Blount also ran for a score during the dominant stanza, as the Patriots turned a tenuous one-point lead into a laugher. Brady finished the game 21-of-35 passing for 287 yards with the two scores and an interception. Rob Gronkowski, held without a reception in the first half, caught three passes for 96 yards with a score for New England (11-3), which gained a split of the season series with Miami. The Dolphins (7-7) saw their already slim playoff hopes dashed further with a second straight loss. Ryan Tannehill completed 29-of-47 passes for 346 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions for Miami, which had beaten New England in the season opener 33-20. The Dolphins outscored the Patriots 23-0 in the second half of that game and had the tables turned to a tune of 27-0 in the final 30 minutes of this one. After an acrobatic touchdown catch by Mike Wallace in the closing seconds of the first half pulled Miami within 14-13, the Patriots blew it open in the third quarter. New England marched 79 yards for a touchdown after the opening kickoff of the second half. Gronkowski hauled in a 34-yard pass to ignite the eight-play series, which Brady keyed with a 17-yard scramble on 3rd-and-11. Blount scored from the three on the next play. After the Dolphins went three-and-out, the Patriots tacked on a 35-yard Stephen Gostkowski field goal to extend the margin to 24-13 with 4:43 left in the third. Patrick Chung then picked off a deflected Tannehill pass on the first play after the kickoff and the Patriots cashed in immediately when Brady found Gronkowski with a perfect seam throw for a 27-yard touchdown. Another Miami three-and-out was followed by a three-play, 47-yard New England touchdown drive. Gronkowski caught a 35-yard pass on the second play and Brady followed with a 6-yard TD pass to Julian Edelman on the next play to increase the cushion to 38-13. Miami managed just seven plays and 15 yards on its first three offensive possessions in the third quarter. The Patriots sandwiched a 36-yard Gostkowski field goal with 6:20 remaining around two Miami possessions that ended in downs deep in New England territory. New England captured its 12th division title in the last 14 years. The only other winners were the New YYork Jets in 2002 and the Dolphins in 2008.dddddddddddd. The Patriots also control their destiny for home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs, needing only to win their final two games against the Jets and Buffalo Bills. The Dolphins, trying to at least delay the inevitable, opened the game with a deep pass on the first play as Wallace hauled in the slightly underthrown ball for a 50-yard gain to the New England 30. But the Patriots stiffened and forced a field goal attempt that was blocked by Jamie Collins. Kyle Arrington scooped up the ball and raced 62 yards for a touchdown and a quick 7-0 lead. After a Miami punt, New England drove into Dolphins territory with its first offensive series, but Brady had a pass deflected and intercepted by Miamis Jason Trusnik. The turnover led to a 24-yard field goal by Caleb Sturgis to make it 7-3 late in the first quarter. Duron Harmon picked off a poorly thrown ball by a rushed Tannehill at the New England 32 and returned the interception 60 yards to the Miami 8-yard line midway through the second quarter. Shane Vereen scored from the three just three plays later to increase the advantage to 14-3. The Dolphins answered with a 53-yard Sturgis field goal thanks to a defensive pass interference penalty that kept the drive alive. Miami used all three timeouts on defense in the final minute of the half and a 32-yard punt return by Jarvis Landry gave the Dolphins possession at the New England 32 with 11 seconds to play. The Dolphins went to the end zone on the first play and a brilliant catch by Wallace was initially ruled incomplete before being overturned by replay for a touchdown to make it 14-13 at the break. Game Notes The Patriots tied a franchise record with their third blocked field goal of the season ... Miami had a field goal blocked and returned for a touchdown by an opponent for the first time since September 1991 against the New York Jets ... The Patriots have won 35 straight home games against conference opponents, last falling to an AFC rival in November 2006 against the Jets ... New England has won 74 straight games when leading at halftime, last losing to Miami in 2000 ... The Dolphins were trying to become the first division rival to sweep the two-game season series from the Patriots since 2000 when Miami and the Jets both accomplished the feat ... Gostkowski surpassed Adam Vinatieri as New Englands all-time leading scorer with his third-quarter field goal ... Arrington left the contest with a hamstring injury in the first half and did not return. ' ' '