Forenregeln » He doesnt really play it to offend people,

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Coach Steve Kerr knew when he arrived at Golden State that Marreese Speights would figure into the mix somehow this season with the Warriors.He never envisioned how big of an impact Speights would have in the teams 13-2 start.I figured he was a guy who could give us a spark off the bench every now and again, but I didnt see him as our full-time backup centre. ... but Mo has been way better than I expected, Kerr said.Kerr even sat out Speights early in the season, saying because Im an idiot. He said hes not going to make the same mistake again.Speights scored 16 of his 27 points to start the fourth quarter, helping the Warriors beat the Charlotte Hornets 106-101 on Friday night for their eighth straight win.He saved us again, Kerr said. Its like the fourth time hes saved us. Hes just having a terrific season.Stephen Curry finished with 26 points despite a poor shooting night from 3-point range, and Klay Thompson added 17 points for the Warriors (13-2).We were struggling to find a rhythm and he came in and dominated, took over the game, Curry said of Speights. He basically won us the game. Without him tonight our team doesnt even come close.Said Speights: I think it shows we got a deep team.Brian Roberts scored 20 points and Al Jefferson had 18 points for the struggling Hornets (4-13), who have lost eight straight games and 10 of their last 11. Cody Zeller had 15 points and 14 rebounds and Kemba Walker had 13 points and 13 rebounds.Curry, making his return to Charlotte where he played high school basketball and starred at nearby Davidson College, made his first 3-pointer then missed his final nine. He still finished 9 of 20 from the field and made all seven free throw attempts.The Warriors out-rebounded the Hornets 16-8 on the offensive glass.It never matters how well you play if youre going to get tattooed on the glass, Hornets coach Steve Clifford said.The Warriors came in having outscored opponents by an average of nearly 15 points during their winning streak, but entered the fourth quarter trailing 80-74.Then Speights got hot.The six-year NBA veteran scored his teams first 16 points of the fourth quarter on 8-of-9 shooting — most of those coming on mid-range jump shots — and the Warriors took a 90-88 lead with five minutes remaining.When Im in a zone, the basket looks like a swimming pool, Speights said.Thompson knocked down a 3-pointer and Curry scored on two run outs as the Warriors pushed the lead to 97-90. Curry was 6 for 6 from the foul line in the final two minutes to seal the victory.Curry, who had 19 points and nine assists in Golden States 25-point win over Charlotte earlier this season, entered the game with a hot hand. He scored 28 points against Orlando and 40 against Miami earlier this week.But after a quick eight points, Curry cooled off and went to the bench with 3:47 left in the first half after picking up his third foul. The Hornets tried to attack Curry in the second half, but he stayed out of more foul trouble.___TIP-INS:Warriors: Speights has 20 or more points in three games this season off the bench.Hornets: Zeller started in place of Marvin Williams, who is out with a strained shoulder. Williams will sit out Saturday night at Atlanta, too.RUNNING OF THE BULLS: Kerr interrupted his post-game press conference twice in the hallway outside the Warriors locker room to say hello to former Chicago Bulls teammates -- first to Dickey Simpkins and then Hornets owner Michael Jordan. Jordan hugged Kerr and told him keep up the good work, kid. After Jordan walked away, Kerr turned to the media and said, Wheres (Scottie) Pippen?UP NEXT:Warriors: Play at Detroit on Sunday.Hornets: Play at Atlanta on Saturday. Air Jordan 5 Retro Australia . It was a loss. But it was also a learning experience. Deron Williams and Joe Johnson had 24 points each to lift Brooklyn to a 94-87 win over the Raptors, making their first playoff appearance since 08. "I thought we played a little bit as expected as it is our first playoff game," Toronto coach Dwane Casey said. Cheap Jordan 5 Retro Australia . -- Craig Anderson has quite a record against his former team, the Florida Panthers. http://www.cheapairjordan5australia.com/ . 3 seed Phillip Kohlschreiber from Germany. Defending champion Marin Cilic also reached the semifinals -- his fourth in Zagreb -- defeating fellow Croat Ivan Dodig. German qualifier Bjorn Phau beat Dudi Sela of Israel to reach his first semifinals in nearly five years. Jordan 5 For Sale Australia . -- The Atlanta Braves are facing the possibility of losing another pitcher for the season after general manager Frank Wren said Saturday that Cory Gearrin has a serious injury to his right elbow. Cheap Air Jordan 5 Australia .A. remained bitter for Henrik Lundqvist and the Rangers on the long flight back home to New York.NEW YORK -- Yasiel Puig knew the question was coming. What about that rocket throw to third base Tuesday night? The one you made when the inning was already over? Before it was even translated into Spanish for him, the Los Angeles Dodgers slugger broke into the sheepish grin of a forgetful schoolboy who keeps getting sent to the principals office for the same silly offence. And he was ready with a playful response: Blame it on teammate Juan Uribe. See, only a few days before, Uribe and third base coach Lorenzo Bundy, who doubles as a translator for Puig, were marveling out loud about how the young right fielder hadnt goofed in more than a week. Turns out, they jinxed him! At least thats the way Puig tells it. "So when he made the mistake last night," Bundy said Wednesday, "Juan came off the field, he was looking for me and he goes, Lorenzo, hes back! Hes back!" The Dodgers are accustomed to those sort of untamed miscues from Puig -- over-exuberant baserunning, wild throws from the outfield, huge hacks at the plate. They laughed off his latest gaffe against the New York Mets because it was harmless: Puig caught a routine fly for the third out and immediately whipped a laser beam across the diamond to hold an opposing runner who was only headed back to the bench. Puig got razzed in the dugout, for sure. He may have forgotten how many outs there were, but hes been right on point at the plate. The second-year star from Cuba has hit safely in 18 of his last 19 games, batting .408 with seven homers and 23 RBIs during that stretch. Hes all over the National League leaderboard, ranking second in RBIs (37) and slugging percentage (.610), fourth in on-base percentage (.427) and fifth in home runs (10). Puig credits Uribe and fellow teammate Adrian Gonzalez, among others, with helping him polish his game. Hes laying off bad pitches and having more disciplined at-bats. Hes hitting the cutoff man and eliminating fundamental mistakes on the bases. "I just think hes making adjustments," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "Really his whole game has just matured, so I think that maturity has really been the key for him." All without losing the unique effervescence thats already made him a fan favourite around the majors. "Guys tthat love to play, you can just see it.ddddddddddddAnd I think thats what people love about Yasiel," Mattingly said. "You get that Little League quality thats just lovin playing baseball. And I think thats what people really like seeing. A guy that plays hard with that energy, and then the talent." The 23-year-old Puig is a rare talent, indeed. That quickly became clear when he burst into the majors with a bang last June. But hes also riled opponents with his antics on the field. Some dont like the way he flips his bat when he connects. Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner took exception to that this season and barked at Puig after he rounded third. "Its his style. Its been a way that hes played baseball for a long time," Bundy said, translating for Puig. "He doesnt really worry about the other team or what other players think about him -- other than his team, our team. "He says he tries to play the game hard, he tries to play the game happy. He wants to have a good time when hes playing. He said this is a game of entertainment. He doesnt really play it to offend people, but he does have a good time playing the game of baseball. But he doesnt really worry about the opinions of other teams." Details of Puigs dangerous escape from Cuba in June 2012 were revealed last month in a story first reported by Los Angeles Magazine. According to court documents in a federal lawsuit in Miami, smugglers who helped Puig leave his country on a speedboat have made death threats against him and a boxer who says he defected with Puig. The outfielder signed a $42 million, seven-year contract with the Dodgers, a record for a Cuban defector. And in his first visit to Citi Field this week, Puig has put on quite a show. He got three hits and reached base five times in Tuesdays series-opening victory over the Mets. He and Hanley Ramirez hit back-to-back homers in a 4-3 win Wednesday night. Asked if hed had a chance to do any sightseeing in New York, Puig said he planned to get to the Statue of Liberty on Thursday and maybe the Empire State Building. Wearing a white T-shirt with "PUIG" written in big red, white and blue letters, he said hes still not used to all the attention and he misses his friends and former teammates in Cuba. ' ' '