by ldh2013 » Tue Jun 07, 2016 8:25 am
New York, NY (SportsNetwork. .com) - Despite missing 25 games, reigning MVP Kevin Durant was selected to the All-Star Game Thursday as a reserve, while Kings center DeMarcus Cousins and Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard were among the players snubbed. Durant, who was named MVP of the 2012 All-Star Game and will be appearing in it for the sixth straight time, has only played in 21 of Oklahoma Citys 46 games while dealing with foot and toe injuries. There are plenty of familiar faces among the Western Conference reserves, including Durants teammate Russell Westbrook, Rockets MVP candidate and NBA scoring leader James Harden and Clippers point guard Chris Paul. Warriors sharpshooter Klay Thompson will be making his first appearance. Spurs big man and future Hall of Famer Tim Duncan will be making his 15th appearance in the All-Star Game, tying him with Kevin Garnett and Shaquille ONeal for third-most all-time. Portland power forward LaMarcus Aldridge, who has put off thumb surgery, rounds out the West roster. Harden is expected to move into the starting lineup in place of injured Lakers star Kobe Bryant, who is sidelined for the rest of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery. Lillard, Cousins and Grizzlies guard Mike Conley are among the potential replacements on the roster. There were few, if any, surprises among the Eastern Conference reserves, with the conference-leading Hawks placing three players in the game for the first time since 1980. Point guard Jeff Teague made his first All-Star game, forward Paul Millsap his second and center Al Horford will represent the East for the third time. Miami will be well-represented as well, with veterans Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh earning their 11th and 10th consecutive trips, respectively. Clevelands Kyrie Irving and Chicagos Jimmy Butler round out the roster. Irving, the reigning All-Star Game MVP, will play in the game for a third consecutive year, while Butler is set to make his first appearance. The Western Conference starters as voted by fans were Bryant, Golden States Stephen Curry, New Orleans Anthony Davis, Memphis Marc Gasol and Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers. New Yorks Carmelo Anthony, Chicagos Pau Gasol, Clevelands LeBron James, Torontos Kyle Lowry and Washingtons John Wall were voted as starters for the Eastern Conference. Atlantas Mike Budenholzer and his staff will coach the East, while first-year Golden State coach Steve Kerr and his staff will lead the West. The game will be held at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Feb. 15. . Fisher, one ahead overnight, carded a 5-under-par 67, including seven birdies and two bogeys, at Copperleaf to lie at 18 under after three rounds. His fourth and last tour win was the Irish Open in 2010, when he also played in the Ryder Cup. . -- Lindsey Vonn knows it was just some youthful exuberance when teenager Mikaela Shiffrin playfully announced she was dreaming of winning five gold medals at the next Winter Olympics. .J. -- The New York Giants have agreed to terms keeping linebacker Jon Beason on the roster.ST. LOUIS -- Before hiring Gregg Williams as his defensive co-ordinator for the second time, St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher cleared it with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Williams was part of Fishers first staff with the Rams in 2012, but only for a few weeks before getting suspended for his role in the Saints bounty scandal. After a news conference to introduce Williams Thursday, Fisher said hed been in contact with Goodell throughout the process two years ago and "I wanted to inform him about the direction I was thinking about going." "He was very excited, and he endorsed it." Before signing Williams, Fisher said the two spent a few days revisiting the 2012 experience. The suspension left the Rams in a bind and they went without a co-ordinator in 12. Fisher said then that the suspension was "warranted" and asked if hed consider Williams in the future said hed "cross that bridge when we come to it." After the 2012 season he fired Williams son, defensive line coach Blake Williams. During his suspension, Williams had no contact with the Rams but said he attended all of the home games. He was a defensive assistant last year at Tennessee and called it a "good stop." "His handprint was all over the Tennessee defence, it was obvious that hed gone in there and had a significant impact," Fisher said. "Id say 60-70 per cent of our terminology is his. I just really felt strongly about just pulling together." Fisher initiated contact a few weeks after the season ended, and believes hed surprised Williams. He made room by firing Tim Walton after one season, telling Walton hed done nothing wrong but that Williams had been his first choice. The 55-year-old Williams was defensive co-ordinator under Fisher with the Titans from 1997-2000. "Things are in perspective, things are behind him, his past is his past," Fisher said. "The arrows going up with the defence and I just felt like Gregg was the person to make sure that happens." Williams shed no light on the discussions, saying "Those are things that are between Jeff and I." He deflected a question about how hes changedd as a coach since his suspension, saying every coach must adjust, but thought the familiarity would make this a good fit. . "Its fun to be back with people who think and believe the same way you are," Williams said. "So now you get a chance to spend more time with the players, because youre spending less time having to sell or defend yourself with your staff before you ever get with the players." Fisher said the hire got a big thumbs-up from players, adding "my phone was blowing up." Middle linebacker James Laurinaitis, who was at Rams Park for a workout, anticipates a more aggressive approach. The Rams have one of the NFLs top pass rushes but enter free agency and the draft needy in the secondary. "Win or lose, I want to know that were going to go down swinging," Laurinaitis said. "Everyone Ive known that has played for him just absolutely loves the guy." Williams, who grew up in Missouri, said he hoped this was his last coaching stop. Williams scoffed at a claim from a player who said the coach bragged about using a stolen playbook to help Tennessee beat Jacksonville in the 1999 AFC championship game. Williams called the allegation by former Jaguars defensive end Renaldo Wynn "a joke" and added he had every teams playbook. "Every time a free agent walks in a building, he gives you the playbook," Williams said. "We all have everybodys playbook. When you turn the film on, do you have their playbook? "How much traction did Omaha get when Peyton (Manning) said Omaha 46 times one game on TV? Whats that mean? It doesnt mean anything." Williams said hes watched all of the Rams games from last season but declined to discuss specific needs. Fisher wants his new co-ordinator to concentrate on improving a defence that was ranked 15th overall. "I told Gregg this time around hes going to be the mad scientist," Fisher said. "Hes not going to do a lot of player evaluations, Im not going to take up his time evaluating unrestricted free agents and getting ready for the draft. "I want him to take this defence and run with it." ' ' '