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nema novih upisa, od vase zadnje posjete 16.11.2024 - 23:28.
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| Cornet, offering her only smile of the night. |
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NEW ORLEANS - Something about Terrence Ross in the spotlight still seems unnatural, though he has proven that hes worthy of the attention. On Saturday night hell only take up a third of it when he aims to defend his Slam Dunk title in the new-look contest, taking place at New Orleans Smoothie King Center. A year ago, Ross defeated reigning champion and little-known Jazz forward Jeremy Evans in a fan vote, breathing some new life into a floundering competition. But does he see himself as the defending champ? "I only do that just because thats what everybody calls me or they always ask me if Im going to defend my championship," said the Raptors modest and soft-spoken sophomore, who was reluctant to re-enter the contest this season, though he felt obligated to. "I have to. I just feel like if you win a championship you have to defend it." This year hell share the court with a few more familiar faces. For the first time in 26 years, the Slam Dunk contest will feature three All-Stars, two of which compete on a team with Ross as the event takes on a controversial new format. Teaming up with a couple of Eastern Conference All-Stars in Paul George and John Wall, Ross squad will oppose All-Star Swiss Army knife Damian Lillard and the Wests Harrison Barnes and Ben McLemore. The contests first round, a 90-second freestyle showcase, will force the teams to work together and assist on each others dunks. Ross met with his teammates Thursday evening to rehearse and formulate a strategy. All three say theyre ready to go. "We got our game plan ready," said the Pacers George, an All-Star starter. "Were all going to have fun with it, were all going to be a part of one anothers dunks so itll be a fun game." In the second round the East dunkers will go head-to-head with the competitors from the West until a team of three is crowned champion. Fans will then vote for the "Dunker of the Night" from the winning team. Intended to spice up an event thats lost its luster, the twist is one that may take some getting used to, one that not everyone is on board with. The participants, as you would expect, have high hopes for the new format. "I personally like [the new format]," Ross said. "A lot of people dont like it but after they see whats going to happen, how the dunks are going to turn out everybodys going to like it." "I think it makes it more fun," Lillard agreed. "Its a little bit less pressure on each individual dunker, its a little more of a group thing and a team thing." However, not everyone is so optimistic. "I just feel like the dunk contest from back in the day has always been pretty simple and thats what made it good," said All-Star forward Blake Griffin, who won the 2011 competition after jumping over the hood of a Kia. "So I dont know how I feel about putting in a lot of extra stuff. I think it should just be get out there and let them dunk. I think theyve made it a little too rigid. Just kind of make it more free and let guys have more fun with it and I think theyll get better results out of it." Whether you love it, hate it, sit somewhere in between or are reserving judgment, the NBA will take another stab at reinventing an event that is still haunted by the memory of Vince Carters iconic performance in 2000. 14 years after that fateful night in Oakland, Carters show-stopping dunks remain a hot topic of conversation at All-Star weekend. At the time it was exactly what the dunk-off needed, problem is Carter set the bar too high. "It was almost like he made it feel like it wasnt a dunk contest," said Ross, who was just nine years old when he watched Carter make history. "It was kind of like a clinic or like a tutorial, how he just went out there and every dunk he did was like first try, done, 50. It was unreal to see because you havent seen anybody shut down a dunk contest since." No one has topped it and perhaps no one ever will. All the format changes in the world wont change that but an infusion of young talent and star power could. With Ross, the defending champ, facing off against three brand-name players, theres more excitement going into this weekends event than there has been in years past. Still, everyone is clamouring to see a certain MVP throw his hat in the ring. "LeBron (James) would make the Dunk Contest so much more exciting," Ross admitted. "He would have people hanging from the ceiling just to try to get in and watch it. The atmosphere would probably be unreal and thats something I would like to experience. If he ever does it I would sign up again for it. Hopefully one day he does it." He has a Dunk Contest trophy on his shelf and a 51-point game on his resume, yet Ross is still getting comfortable with the attention. It took him a little while to allow his excitement to build up and come out but with a new format and fresh competition, the 23-year-old finally has his game face on. Better late than never. "Thats even more incentive for me to go in now and try to do it again," he said. "Its like a new contest." Ulogujte se da bi ste vidjeli ovaj Link... . Uruguays soccer federation said it planned to appeal the ban, which prohibits striker Luis Suarez from all soccer activities for four months. The ban also covers Uruguays next nine international games, which rules him out of next years Copa America. Ulogujte se da bi ste vidjeli ovaj Link... . The German football federation says proceeds from the national sides first game in Mainz will go to charity. Germany has two wins from two games against Armenia, 5-1 away in a World Cup qualifier in 1996 and 4-0 in the return game the following year. Ulogujte se da bi ste vidjeli ovaj Link... . -- Kevin Durant insists he and Russell Westbrook arent turning their first-round series into a two-man show, even if the NBA scoring champ says they may be shooting too much. Ulogujte se da bi ste vidjeli ovaj Link... . -- Golden State Warriors backup centre Jermaine ONeal is scheduled to have arthroscopic surgery on his right wrist Friday. Ulogujte se da bi ste vidjeli ovaj Link... ., and Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont.DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Venus Williams won her 45th career WTA title at the Dubai Championships in an impressive 6-3, 6-0 victory over Alize Cornet of France in the final on Saturday. The 44th-ranked Williams, playing courtesy of a wild card, also won this title in 2009 and 2010. Shes won her last 15 matches in Dubai. Williams, who will move up to No. 29 in Mondays updated rankings, last won a title at the 2012 Luxembourg tournament. "I have had a good week," she said. "Everything is falling together." The former world No. 1, Williams won all five of her matches this week in straight sets. "Just a lot of match toughness, mental toughness," said Williams, when asked to explain her remarkable week of play. "When things got tough, I definitely got going this week. "If I was down break point, when push came to shove, I was pushing and shoving, I guess," she added, laughing. The scoreline didnt indicate how strong an effort Cornet put into the final, often matching Williams stroke by stroke, but falling short in the end. After Cornet squandered a 2-1 lead with a service break by losing the next four games, she was in tears during the changeover..dddddddddddd "I think 6-3, 6-0 is a bit tough in an hour and 30, so I guess there was a battle on the court, but she was just better than me today," Cornet said. "She was playing more aggressive. "She was pushing me out of the court very far from the baseline, and I didnt play as deep as yesterday, didnt serve as well. She deserved to win." Williams closed out the first set on a third set point with a clean backhand winner. In the second set, it was Williams all the way. The 26th-ranked Cornet was attempting to post back-to-back wins over the Williams sisters. On Friday, Cornet scored her first career upset over a No. 1-ranked player by beating Serena Williams 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinals. "The difference between me and Serena was just I put a few more balls in the court," Williams said. But Cornet walked away hoping if she ever had a similar opportunity to play the Williams sisters in the same tournament the result might go in her favour. "For sure, beating the Williams sisters in the same tournament would have been amazing, and maybe next time if I have the chance (I can) do it," said Cornet, offering her only smile of the night. Ulogujte se da bi ste vidjeli ovaj Link... Ulogujte se da bi ste vidjeli ovaj Link... Ulogujte se da bi ste vidjeli ovaj Link... Ulogujte se da bi ste vidjeli ovaj Link... Ulogujte se da bi ste vidjeli ovaj Link... Ulogujte se da bi ste vidjeli ovaj Link... Ulogujte se da bi ste vidjeli ovaj Link... Ulogujte se da bi ste vidjeli ovaj Link... ' ' '
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