PHILADELPHIA - Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens might talk to Kelly Olynyk about playing hard before every game.
Malik Beasley Jersey .Olynyk scored a career-high 30 points after a pep talk from his coach, leading the Celtics to a 105-87 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night.I talked to coach a couple of days ago, Olynyk said, and he said, We need you to be aggressive. You need to stay aggressive. Thats when youre at your best. Thats when youre helping us. Thats something Im really focusing on and really been working on dialing in my shot and getting in a groove and its feeling good.Olynyk, a reserve, entered averaging 10.3 points per game but just 7.5 over his last 10 contests. But he came out with a scorers mentality against Philadelphia, tallying 18 points in the first half on 7-of-9 shooting before ending 12 for 17 from the field, including 3 of 5 from behind the arc.You need him to be aggressive every night, Stevens said. We need him to make shots. Our team depends on it. Hes a skill guy who can stretch the floor and we need him to do that.Stevens believes Olynyk can be a regular, big-time scorer.What I want him to do is believe in himself the way we believe in him, he said. I think hes really good and think he could be a really good player. You want to (go from) being a player whos very capable of doing it and does it on multiple nights to a player that does it every single night.Avery Bradley had 15 points, and Brandon Bass and Jeff Green added 14 apiece for Boston (8-14), which snapped a three-game skid.Rookie Nerlens Noel had a career-high 19 points for the 76ers (2-22), who dropped to 0-13 at home this season. Philadelphia moved closer to the NBA mark for worst home start to a season, set in the 1993-94 season when the Mavericks began 0-19.Its a fact that you do lay an egg from time to time in the NBA over 82 games, and tonight we laid an egg, Sixers coach Bret Brown said. It was the first time for me personally in a while where youre trying to search for answers and I didnt have any.The 76ers were coming off a late collapse in Saturdays 120-115 overtime home loss to Memphis when they gave up an 18-point lead with 7:39 left in the fourth quarter.Maybe it was a letdown from the last game, I dont know, Brown said. We cant afford to have those types of letdowns.Tony Wroten, who entered leading Philadelphia in scoring at 17.5 points a game, went scoreless.Boston rebounded after Fridays 101-95 loss to the Knicks, a game in which New York snapped its 10-game skid. Rajon Rondo had two points in that defeat and Jared Sullinger was scoreless.The duo improved slightly against Philadelphia, tallying five points apiece. But they werent needed much against the offensively challenged 76ers, who entered averaging a league-low 91.4 points. Philadelphia managed just 13 points in the second quarter and entered the break trailing 57-38.Boston fell into an early hole by missing its first nine field goals before settling in. Olynyks 14 points helped Boston go in front 30-25 at the end of the first quarter.Philadelphia never cut the margin under double-digits after halftime.SCORING DROUGHTThe 76ers scored below 90 points for the third time in the last four games and 11th time this season.SUPER SUBOlynyks 30 points came in 31 minutes off the bench, marking the first time a Celtics sub had 30 or more points in 31 or fewer minutes since Xavier McDaniel had 30 points in 29 minutes on Feb. 28, 1993 against Portland.TIP-INSCeltics: Marcus Smart (Achilles) and Marcus Thornton (calf) were out for Boston. ... Boston improved to 2-0 against the Sixers this season, including its 101-90 victory in Philadelphia on Nov. 19. . Boston outscored Philadelphia 25-1 in fast-break points.76ers: Signed Turkish power forward Furkan Aldemir and waived Ronald Roberts. . Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels sat courtside next to 76ers owner Josh Harris. . Philadelphia last won at home on April 14 of last season against Boston. . F K.J. McDaniels returned to the lineup after missing Saturdays game due to an ankle injury.UP NEXTPhiladelphia hosts Memphis on Friday.Boston hosts Orlando on Wednesday.
Jamal Murray Jersey .com) - The Toronto Raptors are paying Rudy Gay a visit on Wednesday night when they head into the Sleep Train Arena to take on the Sacramento Kings.
Alex English Nuggets Jersey . “Im not sure well get Melky Cabrera at all,” said Gibbons. The 29-year-old left fielder struggled all season with knee and hamstring problems. Cabrera was first on the disabled list from June 27-July 20 with tendinitis in his left knee. LOS ANGELES -- Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar scored power-play goals, Jonathan Quick made 17 saves in his sixth shutout of the season, and the Los Angeles Kings clinched a playoff spot with a 4-0 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes on Wednesday night. Kopitar, Jeff Carter and rookie Tanner Pearson each had a goal and an assist for the surging Kings, who have all but locked up third place in the Pacific Division and a first-round post-season matchup with California rivals San Jose or Anaheim. Thomas Greiss stopped 28 shots for the Coyotes, whose playoff hopes have been hurt by three straight losses. Phoenix and Dallas are even in eighth place in the Western Conference with 85 points apiece, but the Stars have seven games still to play -- two more than the Coyotes. Phoenix hadnt been shut out since a 2-0 loss to Columbus on Jan. 2, but the Coyotes managed few good chances against Quick and the Kings formidable defence. Quicks shutout was the 31st of his career, leaving him one shy of tying Rogie Vachons franchise record. Quick, whose six shutouts are second-most in the NHL behind Bostons Tuukka Rask, passed Vachon to become the winningest goalie in Kings history last month. Pearson scored his third career goal and Alec Martinez had two assists for the Kings, who had lost three straight to Phoenix. Los Angeles has been outstanding since the Olympic break, winning 14 of 18 on the way to its fifth consecutive playoff berth. The Kings have won seven of eight oover the past two weeks, solidifying their post-season plans after a prolonged skid before the break.
Michael Porter Nuggets Jersey. . Los Angeles took the lead just 1:20 after the opening faceoff when Jeff Carter feathered a beautiful cross-ice pass to Pearson, who dropped to one knee to take the shot. Pearson, the Kings first-round pick in 2012, has earned a regular lineup spot after just 22 games in his rookie season. Doughty scored early in the second period, putting a shot behind Carters moving screen. The two-time, gold medal-winning defenceman played an outstanding two-way game, passing and shooting with the formidable skill showcased while playing for Canada in Sochi. Carter scored on an end-to-end rush midway through the third period, forcing a turnover and blowing a shot past Greiss. Kopitar scored his 25th goal of the season 40 seconds later on a vicious one-timer, giving the Slovenian centre six 25-goal seasons in his career. Los Angeles (45-26-6) needs one more victory to match the franchise record of 46, done three times previously. The Kings, who have won eight straight road games, visit the Shark Tank on Thursday night to open a four-game trip. NOTES: C Martin Hanzal went to the Phoenix dressing room for several minutes in the first period after getting hurt by an elbow from Jordan Nolan, who received a minor penalty. ... Martinez has 14 points in his last 16 games. ... Greiss made his fifth straight start in place of Mike Smith, who has an injured right knee. ' ' '