Wizards G Glen Rice had surgery in New York on a broken right wris

GREENSBORO, N. How to Buy Cheap Jerseys .C. - Gracie Gold practiced making eye contact with the audience. She did so many spins it drove me nuts.What the reigning U.S. figure skating champion couldnt do for nearly all of December was jump. Shes now had 3 1/2 weeks to work on her triples to try to defend her title when nationals open Thursday.I still feel almost as if Id been training the whole time, Gold said Wednesday.Gold and Ashley Wagner were the only Americans to qualify individually for the Grand Prix Final. Gold had to pull out because of a stress fracture in her left foot, while Wagner went on to win bronze.Wagner will be seeking her third U.S. title, winning two straight before Gold broke through last year. So both know they can thrive on the national stage. This weeks competition is also a chance to show they can put together the kind of program to win a medal at the world championships. No American woman has accomplished that feat since Kimmie Meissner won gold and Sasha Cohen took bronze in 2006.Before last years U.S. Championships, Wagner, now 23, figured the 2014 Games would be her last chance for an Olympic medal. In Sochi, she decided shed progressed so much in six months with coach Rafael Arutyunyan that she wanted to see what they could achieve together in four more years.A win this week to open the cycle before the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, Wagner said, would mean starting in the right direction to the Olympic podium.Wagner was seventh in Sochi. Her solid performances were redemption for last years nationals, where she fell twice in her free skate to finish a distant fourth, earning one of the three Olympic spots based on her previous successes.Polina Edmunds was ninth in Sochi at age 15, competing in her first international competition at the senior level.Gold, now 19, was fourth, though well out of the bronze position. She thinks she initially dislocated a bone in her foot during off-ice training this fall — an injury thats common among runners but not figure skaters — which led to the stress fracture. So Gold isnt allowed to run right now, but she can cleanly land a triple lutz-triple toe loop combination. Gold has needed to limit the number of triple toes she attempts in practice, but otherwise shes been pleasantly surprised at how quickly her jumps came back.Now shell try to land them in competition starting with Thursdays short program at the Greensboro Coliseum, best known for hosting college basketball during the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament. The pairs short program is earlier Thursday, with the competition wide open after two-time defending champs Marissa Castelli and Simon Shnapir split in the spring.In ice dancing, which opens Friday, Olympic gold medallists Meryl Davis and Charlie White are taking a break, leaving Madison Chock and Evan Bates as the favourites.The mens short program follows later Friday. Jeremy Abbott won his fourth U.S. title a year ago at what was supposed to be his last nationals before retirement. Then he rethought those plans, still seeking to match his success at U.S. Championships at a major international event. The 29-year-old Abbotts father, who suffered from Parkinsons disease, died earlier this month.Jason Brown joined Abbott as the two American men on the 2014 Olympic team. Brown, who turned 20 last month, still isnt ready to add a quad, which is all but a prerequisite to win major international medals. For the first time, Brown doesnt come into nationals as an underdog.His frenetic Riverdance long program that went viral after last years U.S. Championships has been replaced by a more sombre piece, a chance to challenge himself in a new way.Max Aaron, the 2013 U.S. champ, is back, while big-jumping 15-year-old Nathan Chen will be competing at his first senior nationals.They could all be chasing Brown, who can find a positive spin for practically anything, including the pressure of his sudden status as the favourite.Dont come in and think I have to be any different than I was the year before, he said of the advice hes received. Just being myself through thick and thin, through the good and the bad, being that genuine same person that I am no matter what success I have. What is the best place to buy Cheap Jerseys . CEO Steve Koonin on Tuesday told the Hawks flagship radio station that he made the decision to discipline Ferry but allowed him to keep his job managing the team. He did not say what the punishment was, but noted that he relied on a law firms three-month investigation of Ferry and him describing Deng as someone who has a little African in him. Where Can Buy Cheap Jerseys . The CFL unveiled its 2014 schedule Wednesday and the Redblacks will play their first-ever regular-season game in Winnipeg against the Blue Bombers on July 3. https://www.wheretobuycheapjerseys.com/ . Green-Ellis was Cincinnatis leading rusher each of the last two seasons. His role was reduced last year when Giovani Bernard was added to the backfield. Green-Ellis ran for 756 yards and a career-low 3.NEW YORK -- John Wall had the swipe, then the swat. Add 21 points to Walls two big defensive plays on Deron Williams down the stretch, and the Washington Wizards won the point guard matchup -- and the game. The Wizards completed a New York sweep on Wednesday night, beating the Brooklyn Nets 113-107. Nene added 17 points in his return from injury for the Wizards, who had lost four in a row before beating the Knicks on Monday. "Coming on this trip to New York and over the bridge to Brooklyn, its huge," Wizards coach Randy Wittman said. "Its huge." Trevor Ariza and Bradley Beal each finished with 15 points for the Wizards, who got healthier during their stay in the Big Apple. Beal returned Monday after missing nine games with a stress injury to his right fibula and scored 21 points, and Nene was back Wednesday with 6-of-10 shooting off the bench after missing four games with right foot tendinitis. Paul Pierce had a season-high 27 points for the Nets, and Brook Lopez added 22 after missing two games with a sprained left ankle. Joe Johnson finished with 20. Pierce, who has been coming off the bench since returning from a broken right hand, made his first seven shots and finished 10 of 12. The Nets shot 53 per cent from the field, but the Wizards put seven players in double figures, made 12 3-pointers and outrebounded Brooklyn 51-31. "Its easy to sit here and talk to you guys about what kind of night I had, but bottom line, I really dont care. We lost the game. Thats pretty much all that matters," Pierce said. "We come out here and try to win as a team. Its not about how good Paul Pierce is scoring. Tonight we had the inability to rebound, we didnt defend the 3 and it cost us the game. Thats all that Im worried about right now." The Nets were chipping away at a 12-point deficit when Wall stopped their momentum with under 5 minutes left when he swiped the ball from Williams and went in alone for a layup to make it 99-93. Williams brought the Nets to 101-100 with a jumper, but Marcin Gortat tipped in a miss before Beals 3-pointer made it 106-100 with 1:08 to play. Where to Buy Cheap Jerseys. "We just stayed calm. We weathered the storm," Wall said. "We didnt get down even when they cut it to one. Came back down and made a big play." Nene then hit two free throws on Kevin Garnetts sixth foul for an eight-point advantage, but Williams scored four straight points. He was attacking the basket again after Martell Websters free throw gave Washington a 109-104 edge, but Wall blocked the shot, Webster made two free throws and the Wizards held on. "I just knew D-Wills been playing very well since he came back from his ankle injury and I know he can definitely shoot the ball from deep," Wall said. "He attacks the basket. Hes a very tough guard. I just wanted to be physical with him and try to disrupt his rhythm." Webster finished with 13 points and Gortat had 10 points and 10 rebounds. The Wizards made seven of their first nine 3-point attempts and built a quick 11-point lead, but the Nets trailed only 30-28 after one. Washington went back up by 10 late in the half, but the Nets got the final four points to make it 59-53. Brooklyn shot 56 per cent in the first half, but Washington made up for that by going 9 of 12 from behind the arc. Williams had 15 points and 13 assists but shot just 5 of 13 from the field. Trevor Booker grabbed 13 rebounds for Washington, including nine on the offensive end. The Wizards had 19 offensive boards to five for Brooklyn. "That was it. Rebounding," Williams said. "Its been a couple of games that weve lost because of offensive rebounds. Its not just the bigs, its the guards. They shot a lot of 3s, a lot of long rebounds. So its on us, too, to get in there and rebound." NOTES: The Nets had a three-game home winning streak snapped. ... Wizards G Glen Rice had surgery in New York on a broken right wrist and will be sidelined three to six weeks. ' ' '