Memphis Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph celebrates

Zach Randolph was selfish down the stretch, and Memphis Grizzlies are no longer a teddy bear from the NBA playoffs.
Randolph had 17 of his 31 points in the final quarter with 11 rebounds, and the Grizzlies put off visiting San Antonio Spurs 99-91 on Friday night to close their first-round Western Conference series, 4-2.
"I would like to touch the ball every time down the court," he said. "I did take the initiative to try to take over the game." Grizzlies were 0-12 in three previous post-season appearance. However, they have etched their names into the record books by becoming only the second eighth seed to knock off top seed in the seven-game series the way to victory in the first playoff series in franchise history.
"Not many people knew much about us coming in, but we certainly made some noise, turned some heads and got some attention, that probably would not have given us if we lost this series," Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins said.
"I'm pleased with where we are, but I'm not satisfied with the view that this is a great opportunity to do something really special." Memphis moves in the conference semifinals against fourth-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder on the road since Sunday. Grizzlies took three of four regular meetings of the season against Northwest Division champions.
Spaniard Marc Gasol had 12 points with 13 rebounds, while Tony Allen and Venezuelan rookie Greivis Vasquez had 11 off the bench for the Grizzlies, who outplayed their opponents throughout the physically demanding series.
Frenchman Tony Parker scored 23 points, Manu Ginobili of Argentina ace was 16, and Tim Duncan finished with 12 and 10 boards for the Spurs, who posted a league best 61-21 regular season record, but failed to do so from the first round.
"It's very frustrating," said Parker. "We played well all season, but this does not mean anything if you do not play well in the playoffs. In general, Memphis played better than we give them credit." Dove close game five to escape, the Grizzlies came out on fire, quickly Racing on a 14-point advantage over their wild applause of 18,119 towel-rejection of the fans at the sold out FedEx Forum.
"We came out with a chip on our shoulders," said Randolph. "We thought we could win this game." Spurs chipped away and took a brief 80-79 lead on a jumper by Antonio McDyess with 4:39 left. Randolph, a self-described "blue-collar worker, went to work.
"We have grown to one with five minutes to go, but we did not make plays that we needed to win the game, and we could not stop Zach," Parker said.
"He made all the aces in the fourth quarter. That's what you need if you want to win the series;. Your best player makes the big shots, and he certainly delivered a big win for them," "From the press-me-up, we just they got back, and we drove it, he was an English war-horse, "Hollins said Randolph.
"He was really taking us in the fourth quarter." Burly forward scored 10 of the Grizzlies' next 14 points to the range of birds left the bridge and actuators to open a 91-82 lead with 1:01 remaining.
After the Spurs pulled out a 95-89, Randolph sank one of two free throws with 9.8 ticks to go. He sat on a bench to watch history being made and the celebrations begin

Miami Dolphins' intro for Pouncey

For Daniel Thomas, the celebration began as soon as he looked at his cell phone and saw the flash 305 on his phone.
Moments before he was officially selected Miami Dolphins with a 62-second choices go on Friday, he noticed in the south Florida area code and knew what would happen. Thomas, a former Kansas State running back of Hilliard, Fla., is headed back to his home state to play professionally.
"I was so excited and a bit overwhelmed, to be honest," Thomas said Friday night the phone. "Miami is perfect for me." After talking with my people, I feel that I will know the system very well and there is a chance to play next year. And stay close to home and family, well, I could not be happier about it ".
Dolphins made a trade with Washington to accept Thomas - 30-th player chosen in the second round and 62 th overall. He took his appeal of dolphins while watching the draft in New York with his agent and family.
They began to celebrate immediately.
"It was crazy to be with them," Thomas said. "They were shouting and popping of champagne. This is a great moment in my life. It feels like only yesterday I was at Yankee Stadium, playing in bowl games. Now I'm in the NFL. It's amazing to think about."
Thomas ran for 2,850 yards over two seasons with the wild cats, and twice led the Big 12 in rushing. Being selected in 2011 draft, he distributed a row K-State successive years, at least one player has developed up to 18 years.
Heading into his senior season, some predicted Thomas, as chosen in the first round. Concerns about his durability, and small hamstring injury that kept him out of the senior ball, reportedly caused his draft stock fall.
Thomas says he's fully healthy, though.
"I have a physical back," Thomas said. "I feel like I do every down player. I'm good to go."
He can not wait to join the organization, which has shown enough faith in him to trade, to take it.
"This proves how much they want me," Thomas said. "I talked to them, and they want me to play some of the Wildcat next year. I've been doing this a lot at K-State and should be able to play there without any adjustment.
"I'm just looking forward to heading down to Miami, and prove that I can do. I've worked a long time for this. I'm glad to be on."

Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant took over

On Monday evening, after the Nuggets won their only game of the first round of the series, that they were destined to win, head coach George Karl had dared to propose Ty Lawson was the best player on the floor. Perhaps, in this game, he was. But the best player in the series was not controversial, and, when the Nuggets threatened to make it interesting again opening their Touch shooting in Game 5, Oklahoma City Kevin Durant took over. Whether we like it or not, superstars not only to determine the NBA, they determine its champion. It is a challenge for the Nuggets to go forward, and we should not keep jurisprudence trade Carmelo Anthony, to admit it. Anthony trade should happen. Everyone knows it. And the Nuggets did everything we could in these circumstances, getting Passel talent back when everyone knew they had a deal. It gave them a deep, unselfish team that was a blast to watch. Never more than in the final game, when 10 players are playing 10 players scored and it came to the final shot. But in a game in which the Nuggets outshot the opponent 46 percent to 37, and outshot them from long range 44 percent to 25, Oklahoma City came from behind because it was the best player on the floor, and it can not be denied. Man they call Durantula scored 16 of his 41 points in the fourth quarter. When the thunder had to have a cart, he got up and got it ... again and again. Nuggets, on the contrary, they were not sure who to call down the stretch. They had five players in double figures. They are unlikely top scorer was Aaron Afflalo, who took their last shot. "It is an advantage and disadvantage with 10 good players," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "It's hard to play at 10, especially in the playoffs. But when you have them, you'll like to play them. George, a dilemma that every night, because they have 10 good players who deserve to play. "If anyone can handle these guys, he can. But it's not easy to do. As a coach, I know we're playing 10, but (Daequan Cook) does not play many minutes, and Eric Maynor played 14 minutes, so it's a little easier with our 10. " This has become even easier in Game 5 as co-star in Durant, Russell Westbrook, was off all night, making only three of 15 shots. Nuggets had a plan for him, and it worked. "I can not deny, we talked a little about Westbrook today," Karl said after the shootaround Wednesday morning. "There are a couple things ... you know, it'll be interesting to see how aggressive he is out today. We believe that it will be very aggressive." Westbrook vulnerability at this point in his career is the ego, and the Nuggets made it work against him. In fact, they made it all up and down the list of Thunder to miss most of the night. Even Durant was a pedestrian 2-for-10 for long distances. But against the best defenders Nuggets had to offer - Wilson Chandler and Kenyon Martin - Durant threw around the court when it matters most, and stood as a military helicopter to make it the undisputed daggers.