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(2014-08-28 22:47:54) 下一个
ELKHART LAKE, Wis. Frank Summers Bills Jersey . -- Tiptoeing at high speed around a rain-slicked track under the pressure of a two-lap overtime, Brendan Gaughan handed away the lead to Chase Elliott. Then he snatched it right back a few corners later. Hed still have two more drivers to hold off on the final lap -- including a last-ditch charge from Alex Tagliani of Lachenaie, Que., the man who appeared to have the race all but won with a little more than a lap left in regulation. Gaughan already had gone sliding off the track a couple of times earlier. Oh, and his team forgot to bring a windshield wiper to install on his car. Through all that, Gaughan held on to win a rainy and wild NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Road America on Saturday. "I love racing in the rain," Gaughan said. "Its fun. And when youre good at it, it makes it even more fun. I havent smelled blood in a long time. Thats been something Ive been lacking lately is that killer attitude. When it started to rain, even without the wiper blade, I started to smell blood and said, Im coming." Gaughan won for the first time in the series, breaking through in his 98th career start. Tagliani was second, followed by Kevin OConnell, Elliott and J.J. Yeley as NASCAR drivers got a rare opportunity to race in the rain. It was the third time in Nationwide history that grooved rain tires have been used in a race; the previous two were in Montreal. NASCAR only uses rain tires on winding road courses, not on oval tracks. The rain added a tense new dimension to racing at Road America, a four-mile road course where the Nationwide Series already had shown an ability to put on a good show. "As we showed today, you can put on a hell of a race in the rain," Gaughan said. After watching his chance to win the race in regulation fizzle out, Tagliani -- who was leading when a late caution came out, ran out of gas and refuelled his car -- nearly charged all the way back to the lead when his crew put him back on slick tires to attack the drying track. "It was pretty intense," Tagliani said. "The wet was tricky, but obviously we were good. So I dont know. Maybe I threw a bad spell on myself because I was saying, Its impossible that Im going to win this race. Somethings going to happen. On the white flag, something happened." Added Gaughan: "(Give) Tagliani one more lap, the track was dry enough that he would have probably got to us. It worked out in our favour." It was an impressive finish for Elliott, an 18-year-old rookie and the son of NASCAR icon Bill Elliott. But he wasnt exactly patting himself on the back after the race. He missed most of Fridays practice after missing a shift and causing his crew to change engines, briefly slid off the track earlier in Saturdays race, then felt like the threw away a shot at a win. "Failure No. 3 on the weekend for me," Elliott said in a radio interview. "Missed shift yesterday, ran off the track, and then couldnt get the job done. Im going to have to step up." The race started a little more than an hour late, as NASCAR officials waited for a slightly damp track to dry out; the grooved rain tires are designed to work best in full wet conditions. Slightly heavier rain then began to fall just before the races halfway mark, causing the race to go under caution for a few laps before instructing teams to put on rain tires -- resulting in a rare test of NASCAR drivers skills in the rain. "It was ridiculous," Elliott said. "It really was. It was a handful." Cyrus Kouandjio Bills Jersey . The black mask made its debut Thursday night in James first game since he broke his nose. He said he received word from league officials Friday that they wanted him to instead wear something that would allow opponents to see his face. Scott Chandler Womens Jersey. The 30-year-old Colas sustained the injury during a training crash on Sunday. Colas was attempting to go over the final jump on the difficult course at Rosa Khutor Extreme Park when he landed awkwardly and tore the ACL in his left knee. CHICAGO -- It didnt take long for the San Antonio Spurs to show the Chicago Bulls why theyre leading the NBA. Manu Ginobili scored 22 points and Tony Parker had 20 points and nine assists, and the Spurs beat the Bulls 104-96 Tuesday night for their seventh straight win and 10th in their last 11. San Antonio jumped out to a big advantage early, taking a 38-14 lead after one quarter and going up 61-33 into halftime. That helped them improve to 24-6 on the road, the NBAs best mark away from home. Kawhi Leonard added 16 and nine rebounds for the Spurs (47-16), who maintained their hold on the NBAs best record. With the win they stayed a half-game ahead of Oklahoma City and Indiana, who both won. "Wonderful game, we were very sharp," Ginobili said. "We made a lot of shots in the beginning, which gave us a lead that ... its easier to play like that." Parker had 18 at halftime and went 8 for 15 from the field for a team that made 51 per cent overall against one of the NBAs best defensive clubs. Ginobili was 9 of 11. Also the leagues top 3-point shooting team at 39.2 per cent, San Antonio made 12 of 21 from behind the arc, including four from Ginobili. That and the big first half added up to another win for the Spurs, who are 14-3 since a 96-86 loss to Chicago on Jan. 29 and can improve on that Wednesday at home against Portland. The Spurs roster is finally healthy, something coach Gregg Popovich noted. "We seem like were playing pretty consistently now," Popovich said. "I dont think were going to win every game down the stretch." The Bulls, meanwhile, were coming off a dramatic 95-88 win Sunday over the Heat but couldnt build off that victory, falling to 1-2 on a season-high six-game homestand that also has games with the Rockets, Kings and Thunder. Coach Tom Thibodeau blamed himself for the slow start. "I told them, thats completely on me. My job is to have them ready. We had no edge to us," Thibodeau said. "Thats a championship-calibre team thats playing on all cylinders and theyre going after it, so if you dont match that intensity to start, you arre going to get in a big hole. Fred Jackson Bills Jersey. "So I didnt prepare them the way they needed to be prepared for that, so thats on me." D.J. Augustin led the Bulls with 24 points and Jimmy Butler had 23. Joakim Noah, whose name has started to be mentioned in MVP discussions, had 13 and eight rebounds. That all was a far cry from Sunday, when the Bulls held Miami to 40.5 per cent shooting and overcame a 42.2 per cent shooting game of their own. That didnt happen Tuesday for the Bulls, who were 43 per cent from the field. "Its on us," Butler said. "Were the ones out there playing, so we have to bring it each and every night. Thibs can only do so much. You learn from it." The Bulls saw early how costly a slow start can be, only pulling to within eight late in the fourth quarter. Ginobilis reverse layup with a second left in the period gave San Antonio a 38-14 lead after the first. The Spurs ended the half leading by 28 and hitting 61 per cent from the field, looking like a team peaking. Ginobili, however, hopes they arent doing that too early. "Its not the right time yet. Still 20 games to go," Ginobili said. NOTES: Spurs guard and former Bull Marco Belinelli scored 10 points and got a warm reception when he checked in for the first time with 10.1 seconds left in the first quarter. ... Spurs coach Gregg Popovich noted Belinellis contributions and jokingly said hes "a great source for Italian restaurants around the league." ... Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau is not surprised fatigue hasnt hit his team yet, despite its lack of depth. "Whatever it is that youre facing, youve got to be ready to accept that challenge and be ready to play," he said. ... Because of the injuries the Spurs have suffered this season, Popovich was asked if this season has been his best coaching job. "Havent they all been brilliant?" he said. "I got no clue. My 2-22 season in Pomona was my best." ... Popovich said Noahs personality is "the opposite" of Duncan in terms of showing emotion, but praised the Bulls centres emotional fire. ' ' '
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