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Oklahoma City Thunder vs Golden State Warriors - Game 1 - Full Game Highlights | 2016 NBA Playoffs

OAKLAND (AP) Were not going home! Were not going home! Stephen Curry screamed at the top of his lungs.

No, his Golden State Warriors are going back to Oklahoma City, after keeping their title reign and the winningest season in NBA history alive for at least one more game.

Curry scored 31 points, raising his arms in the early moments to awaken Golden States raucous crowd, and the defending champions staved off elimination with a 120-111 victory over the Thunder on Thursday night in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals.

For all the speculation about the current state of Currys beat-up body that troublesome ankle, sore knee or tender elbow he did it all.

I thought he looked like 91 percent, coach Steve Kerr cracked. He came out and played a really good game. Thats all I can tell you. Hes going to compete every night. He had an excellent night and helped us get it done.

The MVP made a snazzy layup late and dished out six assists, while Klay Thompson added 27 points as Golden State sent the best the best-of-seven series back to Oklahoma City for Game 6 on Saturday night. Golden State trails 3-2 and is trying to become just the 10th team to rally from a 3-1 deficit.

None of us want to go home, Thompson said. Were having too much fun out there.

Kevin Durant scored 40 points and Russell Westbrook added 31 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and five steals for the Thunder, trying for the fifth NBA Finals appearance in franchise history and chasing just the second championship after the 1978-79 Seattle SuperSonics won it all.

Hes a tornado, Kerr said of Westbrook.

The record-setting, 73-win Warriors, coming off their first back-to-back defeats all season, had been blown out in two losses at Oklahoma City by a combined 52 points.

Durants 3-pointer with 4:34 left got the Thunder within 103-98, then Curry answered with a three-point play.

Curry scored seven points in a 58-second stretch of the second quarter, but the Thunder didnt go away easily.

I liked our will, I liked our fight, Kerr said. We were embarrassed in OKC the last couple games.

Trailing 58-50 at halftime, Oklahoma City came out of the break with a 9-2 run. Westbrooks 3-pointer with 6:06 left in the third put Oklahoma City ahead 68-67 for its first lead of the night. But Golden State led 81-77 going into the fourth and began the final period with an 8-0 burst.

We didnt shoot a particularly good percentage when we got into the lane and got into the deep paint, Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. We had our opportunities.

Curry shot 9 for 20 and also had five steals, while Thompson had his 11th 20-point game for the second straight postseason despite shooting 2 for 9 from 3-point range. Draymond Green had 11 points and 13 rebounds.

Kerr figured his Warriors might have an edge against the percentages of teams having trailed 3-1 because theyre the defending champs and were playing at home, where they have been nearly unbeatable.

He wasnt surprised to see this team respond so well.

We played with great desperation, Kerr said. I knew how we would play. This is a championship team.

Kerr called for center Andrew Bogut to do more and the 7-footer delivered with a playoff career-high 15 points and 14 rebounds for his second double-double this postseason and seventh of his career.

Marreese Speights had a pair of three-point plays on follow shots and a 3 in the second quarter to give Golden State a nice lift off the bench. He had nine points in four minutes during that stretch and 14 points overall for his fifth double-digit scoring game this postseason.

With his 1,248th career postseason point in the third, Curry passed Wilt Chamberlain (1,246) for second place on the franchises playoff scoring list.

Thats who he is, thats what hes done, thats whats made him a very good player, Donovan said.

Coach of the Year Kerr sent a message to Warriors fans Wednesday on social media requesting they arrive on time Thursday and bring their best.

The always-raucous supporters obliged.

Its a big game. We need our crowd behind us, Kerr said beforehand.

Source: http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2016/05/26/warriors-slam-thunder-stay-in-the-western-conference-final/

Thunder"s Steven Adams: Hauls in double-digit rebounds in Game 5 loss

Steven Adams Elbows Shaun Livingston in the Face | Thunder vs Warriors | Game 5 | 2016 NBA Playoffs

Adams supplied eight points (4-6 FG), 10 rebounds, an assist and a block over 31 minutes during Thursday"s 120-111 loss to the Warriors in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals.

The 22-year-old big man hauled in double-digit boards for the third time in the series, and made the most of his limited opportunties on offense. Adams is not quite the contributor on offense he was in the semifinals versus the Spurs, but he"s still managed averages of 10.4 points and 8.8 rebounds over the first five games against the Warriors.

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Source: http://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/basketball/news/thunders-steven-adams-hauls-in-double-digit-rebounds-in-game-5-loss/

Cristiano Ronaldo in the Champions League final: what should we expect from Real Madrid star?

UEFA Champions League Final Highlights | 1995 - 2015 | 20 Year Special

He then saw his rival Messi score in the second half to secure Barcalona the trophy. He was booked late on, as he took his anger out on Carles Puyol with a barge. This was his last game for United before he left for 80 million pounds to Real Madrid.

The all-time Champions League goalscorer made his third appearance five years later.

Real Madrid 4-1 Atletico Madrid AET, May 24 2014 Lisbon in Portugal

There were doubts over Ronaldos fitness, with him sitting out Reals final two La Liga games with a thigh injury. Real were seconds from losing this one beforeAtletico led beforeSergio Ramos equalised in stoppage time.

Ronaldo then assisted Marcelo, after Bales header before he got in on the act for the fourth from the spot and celebrated by ripping his shirt off Hulk-style, for which he received a yellow card.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2016/05/27/cristiano-ronaldo-in-the-champions-league-final-what-should-we-e/

With "X-Men: Apocalypse" and "Game of Thrones," Sophie Turner is coming into her own

X-Men: Apocalypse | The Extraction [HD] | 20th Century FOX

Sophie Turner is due for some apocalyptic developments. At the tender age of 13, Turner booked her first big gig in HBOs Game of Thrones. She was cast as Sansa Stark, the oldest daughter of the noble Stark household; a red-headed beauty with wide-eyed plans for the future.

Sadly, her wide-eyed optimism wouldn"t last. By the end of the firstseasonher father was decapitated. As "Game of Thrones played out Sansa would be shackled to not onebut twoof the biggest sadists in all of Westeros. The character would be raped, slashedand humiliated. The abuse would get so bad that in 2015 a great wave of think pieces rose up, demanding the return of some sort of agency for the fictional teenager.

But seven years and six seasons later, the power dynamic has shifted for Turner in more ways than one.

She may have started on Game of Thrones as the little dove but today she"stransformed into a wolf, on both the small and the big screen. This weekend the actress will continue to (in her own words) prove the haters wrong on HBO while simultaneously starring in her firstsizable movie role in X-Men: Apocalypse.

And this isnt just any old spandex and cape part, Turner is playing what many consider to be the most powerful mutant in all of Marvel, the telepathic, telekinetic Jean Grey, whose gifts surpass those of even her mentor, Charles Xavier(James McAvoy). In the Marvel comics, Jean"s powers eventually consume her, turning her into the formidable Dark Phoenix.

This mutanthas been portrayed previously several times in the X-Men franchise by actress Famke Janssen, but despite the character"s long legacy inthis mutant world,Turner will be revealing a side of Grey in "X-Men: Apocalypse" audiences havent seen before. In the first three movies, Jean is a full-fledged human being, Turner explained in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. She has her [stuff] together. She has her life planned out. She can kind of control her powers until it gets too "Dark Phoenix" and weird. But this Jean is different. Shes very vulnerable. She has no idea how to control her powers. Shes too strong for her own good.

The English actresswas first made aware of 1980s mutant period piece thanks to a modern convenience: social media. Once word broke that Fox studios was looking for a younger version of Grey to fit in with the prequel timeline set up in Matthew Vaughn"s "X-Men: First Class,"Turners inbox was flooded with youd-be-perfect-for-this-role type emails and twitter shout-outs. Turner humbly blames her auburn hair for the attention, but nevertheless the push from Game of Thrones fans and friends encouraged her to reach out for an audition that would land her a coveted spot on Xaviers class roster. Also enrolled in the new class of teen mutants were Cyclops (Tye Sheridan) and Nightcrawler (Kodi Smit-McPhee).

We definitely were the newbies, but I personally didnt feel that new because we slotted in quite well with the golden oldies, Turner said referencing those X-Men veterans including Magneto (Michael Fassbender), Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) and Beast (Nicholas Hoult). They really welcomed us, we felt part of the old gang. I suppose Apocalypse is something of a conclusion to the X-Men saga,[but] its also the beginning of something new. It feels like theres something of a rebirth as well as a conclusion.

Despite the serious circumstances surrounding the plot, centering the story in the time of f***y packs and shoulder pads did lend a few moments for a little fun. So how does an actor transform into a child of the Day-Glo era? You start with the hair. We just had to really elevate it a bit, Turner said. I think the reference was Brooke Shields-y. And a lot of hair spray. The shoulder pads, the acid washed mom jeans. What shoes did I have? They were kind of like boat shoes, I dont know, they were just hugely uncomfortable.

All that"80s nostalgia somewhat lost on an actress born in 1996 was silly enough, but the ridiculousness was taken to another level by the fact that most of Turner"s filmingwasspent running around gesturing wildly whilewieldinginvisible mutant powers that wouldbe added in months later via visual effects. You do kind of feel like an idiot, Turner joked. Because you just have to maybe like squint your eyes a bit and hope the people realize that youre actually doing something. Thankfully, McAvoy -- a temple-pointing-and-squinting expert --was on set to offer telekinesis tips.

But the bulk of X-Men: Apocalypse was centered on the title dilemma, the end of the world. And Turners character plays an integral role in saving the planet from anancient, villainous mutant (Oscar Isaac) h**l bent on the kinds of things villains are h**l bent on. It"s an easy parallel to make with what Turner is grappling with in the entirely different fantasy world of Game of Thrones.

Theyre both kind of coming into their own, Turner said. I think that Jeans is less ofa progression, shes not working towards it. When Phoenix happens its her letting loose -- shes not building up to it. It just kind of happens. Whereas Sansa"s [evolution is] because of her circumstances. Its been building her and building her and building her and each time someone chips away at her, she builds herself up again differently. She is very consciously changing and adapting where, Jean its less of a conscious thing.

Despite playing characters with anunwieldy amount of mutant mojo oran army of wildlings at her disposal, it"s not actuallythepower that attracts Turner to parts like Jean Grey or Sansa Stark, it"s thestruggle."I prefer playing someone whos flawed," Turner admitted."I cant relate to Phoenix in the slightest. I wish I could, that would be nice."

Source: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/herocomplex/la-et-mn-sophie-turner-xmen-apocalypse-game-of-thrones-20160523-snap-story.html

Baylor"s move: Eight possible candidates to replace Art Briles

Art Briles Needed To Be Fired - "The Herd"

Where does Baylor go from here?

With the start of fall practice just over two months away, the search for anew football savior in Waco, Texas following the dismissal of Art Briles starts immediately for the Bears. After an interim coach is named, finding a long-term solution to keep this program in the national conversation is top priority.

Here are a couple candidates, most offensive-minded, the Bears should highlight during the search process:

Source: http://247sports.com/Gallery/Baylors-move-Eight-possible-candidates-to-replace-Art-Briles-45517449

3 ways the Pittsburgh Penguins transformed into Stanley Cup finalists

Pittsburgh Penguins vs Tampa Bay Lightning. 2016 NHL Playoffs. ECF. Game 6. 05.24.2016. (HD)

It would have been hard to believe in December that the Pittsburgh Penguins would be going to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Back then, the Penguins were not even in playoff position. On December 12, Pittsburgh was 15-10-3, sat in fifth place in the division and ranked 28th in the league in scoring. That final number was especially problematic considering the Penguins had an offense that boasted three of the league"s top scorers in Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel. The Penguins were preseason favorites in the Metropolitan Division, but three months in they were one of the biggest disappointments of the year.

By December 12, General manager Jim Rutherford had enough. He fired coach Mike Johnston and named AHL coach Mike Sullivan as the new head coach. That move marked the start of the turnaround that reshaped the Penguins from underperformers to Cup contenders.

But simply replacing the coach was not enough to pull off the total transformation. Over the past six months, three keys helped the Penguins shed that underperforming nature and become legitimate Cup contenders.

Pittsburgh"s top line of Crosby, Conor Sheary and Patric Hornqvist is plenty potent, but it is the second line of center Nick Bonino and wingers Phil Kessel and Carl Hagelin that really paces the team. Bonino and Kessel joined the Penguins by trade last summer, and Hagelin arrived in January. The line did not start to come together until March, when Malkin went down with an injury and Bonino replaced him as the center of the second line.

The combination took off from there, as did the Penguins. Pittsburgh won 13 of its final 15 games in the regular season after Malkin went down and the HBK line was formed, and together the trio combined for 43 points in those 15 games.

The line continued to play an important role in the playoffs, and when Malkin finally returned from injury, he was shifted to the third line in order to keep the HBK group intact. Now, when the Penguins look for players to fill valuable minutes, they turn to the HBK line.

Bonino, especially, has become a go-to player. He plays in key moments at even-strength, on the power play and on the penalty kill. In the waning minutes of Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals, it was Bonino who was manning the face-off circle for the Penguins. He went 11-of-18 at the dot Thursday and won two hugely important face-offs in his own zone in the final minute of play of Game 7.

Because Bonino was able to take over as the second-line center, the Penguins offense became a four-line beast capable of scoring at any moment. The idea that Malkin is playing on a third line is outrageous, but the Penguins have the depth to justify that roster choice. It is the ability to roll out four lines with star scorers that has helped an offense that was once ranked 28th in the NHL become a unit responsible for the second-most goals in the postseason.

Pittsburgh"s rookies are playing some of the team"s best hockey this postseason. Perhaps that"s due to the fact Pittsburgh"s new coach was the former head coach of the team"s AHL affiliate, or perhaps it is simply good timing. Either way, the young players are providing outstanding depth and key plays.

The most obvious name in the bunch is Matt Murray, the goaltender who celebrated his 22nd birthday May 25. Murray originally played in the absence of an injured Marc-Andre Fleury, but his dominance in net made him irreplaceable. Murray played in 13 regular-season games and compiled a 9-2-1 record, but he now has more experience in the playoffs, where he is 11-4-1 in 15 games. His play in net has been a huge reassurance to fans who have watched Fleury wilt over the years. Murray has made key saves and responded to difficult situations with the grace of a seasoned veteran.

On offense, Conor Sheary, Bryan Rust and Tom Kuhnhackl have all provided fantastic minutes for the Penguins, and Sheary even earned a spot on the top line. Rust has been a standout among the rookies in the postseason. He posted four goals in 41 games of regular-season action. Compare that to his five goals in 17 playoff games, including two goals in Pittsburgh"s 2-1 Game 7 win over the Lightning on Thursday.

Pittsburgh has phenomenal veterans, but the fact that the team does not have to rely solely on those veterans has been huge. The young players give Pittsburgh energy and depth, both necessities for a long playoff run.

The biggest change for the Penguins since Sullivan stepped in has been the pace of play. The Penguins now play an aggressive, fast game that leaves opponents struggling to simply get a stick on the puck. Their speed has quickly become their best asset, and it"s leaving opponents in the dust.

Lightning coach Jon Cooper admitted in his postgame press conference Thursday night that it was Pittsburgh"s pace that prevented Tampa Bay from being able to execute its game plan.

"They"re fast, and so if we"re playing the game a little too slow and not executing, it"s hard when they"re playing D fast and they"re right on you," Cooper said. "We got caught -- when we were in those situations where we probably should have shot, we passed, and we passed when we probably should have shot. We kind of got caught between a lot of occasions."

These Penguins constantly force turnovers and throw the puck on net incessantly. Hardly five minutes of action go by without a Penguisn player racing up the wing or breaking through the neutral zone. They rush opponents into making mistakes and capitalize when they do. It"s that style of play that helped paralyze the Rangers in the first round, that befuddled the Presidents" Trophy-winning Capitals in the second round and that threw the Lightning off their game plan in the Conference finals.

Speed will be key for the Penguins in the Cup Finals against the Sharks as well, and if Pittsburgh can keep this pace of play up, it"s hard to imagine anyone will stop them.

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Source: http://www.foxsports.com/nhl/story/pittsburgh-penguins-san-jose-sharks-tampa-bay-lightning-stanley-cup-finals-2016-052716

10 best songs of the week: Gucci Mane, Jay Z, The Hotelier

Gucci Mane x ManMan Savage - "Shark In A Building" | Shot by @lakafilms

By: Nate Scott and Charlotte Wilder| May 27, 2016 1:56 pm

This is our weekly recap of the best new songs released each week because Plato said that music gives soul to the universe and wings to the mind and we care deeply about your physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.

Its also not a bad way to start the weekend. Heres a Spotify playlistof the songs (with some substitutions for the ones that arent on Spotify yet) if thats more your speed. Also, heres our collected Spotify playlist of all the songs of the week weve had.

A general warning that many of these songs have explicit lyrics. Here they are, in no particular order:

1. The Hotelier Opening Mail for My Grandmother

Emo music has almost never been taken seriously. Even right at its beginning, emo was cast aside, laughed at. Fans of the genre went as far as torebrand the genre pop punk, whatever that means, and Im as guilty as anyone. But with a slew of new releases that couldnt be characterized as anything but emo, I for one am over hiding my love. Emo music can be spectacular, and few emo albums have been better thanGoodness, the new release from Worcester, Massachusetts The Hotelier. Ive written about one of their songs before, but I wanted to take this week to single outOpening Mail for my Grandmother,an earnest and heartfelt ballad sung in a way I never thought Id hear an earnest and heartfelt ballad sung again. I wasnt ready to say goodbye to emo, it turns out. I cant thankThe Hotelier (and Into It Over It, and others) enough for reminding me of that. Nate Scott

2. Gucci Mane FIRST DAY OUT THA FEDS

Gucci is free,and Gucci is back. The same day hegot out of prison, the Atlanta rapper headed straight to the studio, and a day later, he released this song, aptly titledFIRST DAYOUT THA FEDS. Mike-Will Made Its beat is a typical Mike-Will beat slowed down and deliberate and it works really well with Guccis bars. Big fan. Glad to have you back, Mr. Mane. Charlotte Wilder

3. Dinosaur Jr. Tiny

As long as J Mascis keeps playing the guitar like this, I will keep listening to him. It never gets old. I will never get tired of that sound. Dont even worry about it, J. Just keep doing what you do. Youre a treasure. Nate Scott

4. Wildes Illuminate

Ill admit that the reason I initially listened to this song is because its by Wildes, and Wildes soundsvery much likeWilder, which is my last name. But the reason I kept listening to Illuminate, and have listened to it several times since, is because Wildes (the stage name of London-based Ella Walker) voice is haunting, her range incredible. Itll mean nothing without you, she sings almost howls over a slow, driving beat. Its beautiful. It makes you ache. Charlotte Wilder

5. Cymbals Eat Guitars Wish

Cymbals Eat Guitars are one of my favorite bands making music today, and their last album LOSE remains one of my favorite albums of the last decade. And on their new song, they are getting funky. Funky is not an adjective I thought Id ever use to describe Cymbals Eat Guitars they usually hang in the epic loud and massive lane but hey, if they want to slap a grimy sax over a funky bass and keybord line, Im not going to complain. Nate Scott

6. Fat Joe, Remy Ma, JAY Z All The Way Up (Remix)

You know you made it when the fact your marriage made it is worth millions, Lemonade is a popular drink and it still is, Jay Z raps on the remix of All The Way Up.Thisis the first thing hes said rapped, rather in responseto the rumors of his infidelity that swirled after his wifeBeyonc released Lemonade,which appeared to be a scathing indictment that her very famous husbandhad cheated on her. But how isAll The Way Up (Remix) as a song, rather than a statement? Good.Listen to it. Charlotte Wilder

7. Flume You Know (feat. Allan Kingdom and Raekwon)

Flume makes weird electronic music that usually has one or two moments, seeming to come out of nowhere, that will knock you over with their beauty. This is a quivering, bizarre track that eventually settles down, and then Raekwon comes in. Yep. Yep yep yep. Nate Scott

8.Honey Radar Caterpiller

I cant remember how I stumbled across Honey Radar, but Im so glad I did. They sound a little bit like The Beatles later stuff and a lot like The Rolling Stones theres a ton of reverb on the vocals, and the rock beats are pretty straightforward. But Honey Radar is also a little bit wonderfully weird: Some of the songs on their new album, Blank Cartoon, are under a minute long, and feature nothing but a few different notes played one at a time. Its definitely an album best listened to in full, but Caterpilleris one of my favorites. Charlotte Wilder

9. Band of Horses Solemn Oath

Band of Horses have yet to top their stunningly good 2007 album Cease to Begin (that album would be a highlight for just about any band), but they still can write and record a song. Solemn Oath is a rocker that has quiet moments, allowing Ben Bridwells trademark falsetto to ring out pure. Nate Scott

10. Mistah F.A.B Up Until Then (Feat.Boosie Badazz and Iamsu!)

This is just one of the great tracks off Mistah F.A.B.s new album, Son of a Pimp, Part 2, which dropped on Friday. Hes from Oakland, and one of the songs, which I included in this weekly round-up a few weeks ago, features an incredible verse from Kendrick Lamar. I love the beat of this song it reminds me of an early 2000s song. Careful, though: The phrase up until then will probably get stuck in your head after you hear this. Charlotte Wilder

flume, FTW Songs of the Week, Gucci Mane, Jay-Z, mistah f.a.b., Songs of the Week, wildes, Culture

Source: http://ftw.usatoday.com/2016/05/10-best-songs-of-the-week-gucci-mane-jay-z-the-hotelier