at team in Oklahoma

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RENTON, Wash. - The Seattle Seahawks are continuing efforts to keep core players from reaching free agency, signing defensive end Cliff Avril to a four-year extension on Friday worth up to $28.5 million.Im happy to know that Ill be back in Seattle with such a great group of guys, Avril said. The talent on this team is amazing and Im glad to be a part of it.Avrils deal came a day after the Seahawks signed linebacker K.J. Wright to a four-year extension worth $27 million. Seattle made it a priority to keep the pair from becoming free agents after the season.Cliff has been instrumental in what weve been building on the defensive side of the ball and we are excited that hell be with us for another four years, Seattle general manager John Schneider said in a statement. He has been relentless in his approach to the game and his passion for winning is contagious.Avril is in his second year with Seattle after signing a two-year deal before the 2013 season. Avril has started all 14 games and has 4 1/2 sacks this season. He had eight sacks last year playing in more of a rotation on Seattles defensive line.Avril said he didnt want to be a free agent again and didnt enjoy the process two years ago that ultimately brought him to Seattle. Avril told his agent not to inform him of a deal until something was close and promising.Avril has already won more games with Seattle (23 regular season, 26 with playoffs) than he did in his five seasons in Detroit (22).I love what coach (Pete) Carroll is doing with the guys here, Avril said. I love the scheme. The guys that we have in the locker room make it so fun to play here. Just being in Seattle and the environment we have going, I just want to keep the party going.While his sack numbers are down this season, Avrils success in pressuring the quarterback has increased. Hes already exceeded last years total in quarterback hits and combined with Michael Bennett to help the Seahawks pass rush improve throughout the season.Weve found the core guys that we really like and were trying to keep them here and keep them together, Carroll said. .We have a chance to be together for a long time and thats a big statement and a big commitment and were really happy to do that.Seattle had a season-high six sacks last week against San Francisco. The Seahawks have 16 sacks in the past four games. They had 13 sacks in their first 10 games.The Seahawks have now locked up several of their core players for the future. Strong safety Kam Chancellor was first before the start of the 2013 season. All-Pros Earl Thomas and Richard Sherman, and wide receiver Doug Baldwin, were all extended following Seattles title last season. Bennett also chose to stay with Seattle, signing a three-year deal last off-season.Notes: Carroll said tackle Russell Okung (chest), centre Max Unger (ankle/knee) and defensive end Demarcus Dobbs (ankle) wont play against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. Okung is listed as out while Unger and Dobbs are doubtful on the injury report. . Tight end Tony Moeaki (shoulder) and receiver Chris Matthews (hamstring) are expected to be game-time decisions.___AP freelancer Curtis Crabtree contributed to this report.___Online:AP NFL website: Зарегистрируйтесь, чтобы увидеть ссылку! and Зарегистрируйтесь, чтобы увидеть ссылку! Зарегистрируйтесь, чтобы увидеть ссылку! .com) - Novak Djokovic easily took care of Andy Murray to reach the final at the $2. Зарегистрируйтесь, чтобы увидеть ссылку! . With timely hitting and good pitching, the Marlins are one win away from sweeping the slumping Houston Astros. Зарегистрируйтесь, чтобы увидеть ссылку!. Jamies number grades given are out of five, with five being the best mark. Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers (5) – He had good saves on Giroux, Akeson, and Hartnell tonight. Зарегистрируйтесь, чтобы увидеть ссылку! . "Hopefully well get all this out of the way," he said, "and everyone will be healthy the rest of the year." Zimmerman was placed on the 15-day disabled list Sunday and is expected to miss between four to six weeks. Зарегистрируйтесь, чтобы увидеть ссылку! .com) - Rakeem Christmas scored 21 points, B."We, The People, In Order To Form A More Perfect Union..." Disregard the fact that the phrase is from an American political document or that there can be nothing "more perfect". Instead, review how the Toronto Raptors began their perfectly imperfect quest and whats next for the squad. October 31, 2013: Start of the 2013-14 NBA season. Fresh off a solid training camp with a full complement of players and outwardly optimistic, questions about the future of the franchise under president and general manager Masai Ujiri remained. With a highly publicized and strongly projected 2014 Draft Class, uncertainty about roster stability, quality and identity of the team and what appeared to be a lame duck head coach in Dwane Casey, RaptorNation and TankNation seemed to be in accord. Not having sniffed playoff pay dirt since a 2008 first round ouster at the hands of the then-Dwight Howard-led Orlando Magic, an uneasy relationship with multiple monikers on what lay ahead for Canadas Team abounded: Mishandle For Randle, Concede For Embiid, Be Sorry For Jabari, Stop Caring For Aaron and of course Riggin For Wiggins. A shrewd and savvy front office executive, Ujiri has proven to be in just a few short months north of the border, jettisoning the personages and albatross-like contracts of Andrea Bargnani and Rudy Gay for more than just flotsam and salary cap relief. The deft moves brought in team players and quality, unselfish veterans in Steve Novak, Greveis Vasquez, Patrick Patterson, John Salmons and the gritty, gutty Chuck Hayes, all fully aware of their roles and willing to lend to an ever-developing chemistry under head coach Dwane Casey. Now leading the Atlantic Division at 24-21 and in third place in the Eastern Conference standings, the Raps begin a week-long West Coast swing on Friday and a short homestand before the All-Star break. The energy around this team, despite recent injuries to Amir Johnson and the newly-minted All-Star DeMar DeRozan, has been at a fever pitch. Despite bucking for home court advantage in the playoffs, there is an overwhelming consensus that Ujiri will move Kyle Lowry by the NBAs trade deadline instead of losing the unrestricted free agent in the offseason. But dont be so sure. Any day between now and February 20 may well be The Tomorrow You Should Have Feared Yesterday as the Toronto Raptors and Masai Ujiri in particular, face a dilemma of potentially franchise-changing dimension. At the crossroad to this predicament, the twisted fates of Lowry and Casey stand. The Question is: Are they all headed in the same direction? "Where our teaam is, I dont know if, as a team, were where we can get two guys (on the All-Star team).dddddddddddd Thats the truth, but were getting there," Ujiri said. "Well see how we continue to grow as a team." Is Masai Ujiri willing to roll the dice on Lowry, not move him and hope that he can make a cap friendly and competitively respectful offer in July for his starting point guard to stay in Toronto? All-Star snub aside, Lowry is averaging career highs in points and assists at 16.8 and 7.6 respectively. Arguably one of the Top 10 point guards in The Association, his real growth may be in areas that dont show in the box score, however. "Im going to keep grinding no matter what, All-Star or not," said Lowry. "Im always going to work hard and continue to be the best player I can be to help my team win. So for me, hey I didnt make it, it didnt happen, youve got a game, youve got to worry about the rest of the season and you go on." Does Ujiri have confidence that Casey is the right man for the job to lead the Raptors to heights unseen by the franchise? "My wish, my hope and my desire is to not let this be a one year flash in the pan," said Casey. "We want to develop something and thats why I keep talking about the process." With the Raptors at well beyond tanking level, the delicate ballet of managing expectation, fruitful return on any trade and current chemistry on this team falls in the apt hands of Masai Ujiri. As the exhaustive hype over the strength of the 2014 Draft Class continues to dissipate, Raptor fans might wish to envision the success of Ujiris "No Superstar" team in Denver of 2013. Or look to the steady build of a solidly great team in Oklahoma City by their GM, Sam Presti, who has effectively retained his very best players while building through the Draft, key veteran acquisitions and stability on the bench. Then again, RaptorNation might rest well on the notion of Ujiri standing pat with Casey, Lowry and the rest of the team for this season by thinking about the 2004 Detroit Pistons. It was that unit, led by a highly motivated and well-travelled point guard in former Raptor Chauncey "Mr. Big Shot" Billups, a tough, veteran guard, an athletic young wing, two workhorses down low doing the dirty work, a solid bench and a very good coach, who defeated the seemingly invincible Los Angeles Lakers, fronted by Phil Jackson, Shaquille ONeal and Kobe Bryant, 4-1 in the NBA Finals. Reaching? Perhaps... But dreams have to start somewhere... What "more perfect" place than Toronto with these perfectly imperfected Raptors? ' ' '