FIVE QUICK NBA THOUGHTS 1. KEVIN DURANT VS. LEBRON JAMES: Lots of attention for Wednesdays game matching up the two best players in the world. As I said last week, KD gets my slight edge as the MVP this year but you cant go wrong with either guy. Above and beyond the wonderful skills and smarts that both guys possess the thing I respect about both is their sheer passion and love for the game and their respect for the fact that youve got to pay the price and continue to improve yourself every season as a player. Both continue to grow/blossom as players, adding new elements to their skill set each year. The old line about input equalling output is so true in the case of these two men. Strong work ethic and dedication to their craft. Enjoy watching. 2. INDIANA PACERS: Caught some of their game last night at the Lakers and theyve got a wonderful defence but the thing that has really impressed me with the return of Danny Granger is the unselfishness and value of team play offensively. Everyone is involved and the ball finds the right guy at the right spot. Six players were in double figures last night and Luis Scola had eight points. They can shut down your offence big-time and the versatility and balance of their offence is a nice luxury to have. 3. ANTHONY DAVIS (Hornets): Folks, hes breaking out. This man can truly play. On Tuesday night he gets 30 points, seven rebounds and eight blocks vs. the Cavs. Injuries have been the only thing that have derailed his progress in his first two seasons. If this guy played in a major market youd be hearing about him every day with his upside. Hes a nifty passer as well with really nice ball skills and good understanding of team play. If he stays healthy, hes going to emerge in the next few seasons as one of the best big men in the game for a long time. 4. BRADLEY BEAL & JOHN WALL (Wizards): Caught some of their game on Tuesday against the Warriors (stayed up late watching a bunch of West Coast hoops) and when these two young guards play together and are healthy they are special. Against the explosive back court of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson they more than held their own with 35 points, 15 rebounds, nine assists and four steals. The Wizards are an intriguing team in the East and having a veteran like Trevor Ariza having a nice season on the perimeter for them they can produce points pretty consistently. Against a pretty good defensive team that also puts great offensive pressure on you, this was a good road win for the Wiz. Guard play wins lots of games and theyve got it. 5. DAVID STERN: Bottom line, every player, coach, executive, owner, broadcaster, and support staff member of each NBA team and all the members of the NBA media as well as countless loyal basketball fans around the world should raise a glass and toast the career and legacy of this commissioner. He was the best ever in NBA history and arguably the best ever in professional sports. Not the most warm and fuzzy guy on earth but the man delivered the goods for everyone. The game, attention on the sport and the coverage it creates and gets are overwhelmingly better than theyve ever been. You need a man with vision, leadership skills and a thick skin to get the job done and he got the job done in an impressive way. Cheers! Were all better for the legacy he leaves behind. Clearance Nike Shoes From China . LOUIS -- The St. Fake Nike Shoes From China .7 million, one-year contract.The deal, announced Friday, includes a $50,000 performance bonus if the left-hander appears in 60 games. https://www.nikeshoeschina.us/. Not Peyton Manning. Hes holding on to the heartache to stoke his competitive fire. Nike Shoes From China Outlet . The Brazilian international goalkeeper was beaten twice in the first 12 minutes of his Reds debut in a 3-1 preseason loss to Columbus Crew in Florida earlier this week. Nike Shoes From China . HEROES Alex Ovechkin – Scored a pair of goals in Washington’s 4-0 win over Pittsburgh. With 13 goals in the past 13 games, Ovechkin now has 29 goals on the season to lead the league.OKLAHOMA CITY - Kevin Durant told Dion Waiters to be ready.Waiters obliged.In his first home game with the Thunder since being acquired from Cleveland earlier this week, Waiters hit a 3-pointer on an assist from Durant with 23 seconds left to put Oklahoma City up by four. He finished with 15 points to help the Thunder beat the Utah Jazz 99-94 on Friday night.Waiters missed a 3-pointer a minute earlier, but Durant trusted his newest teammate.The first time he (Durant) found me, I was too excited, Waiters said. I was too open. I wanted to hit it real bad, and I kind of rushed it and was all off balance. When we came out of the timeout, he just said, Be ready, its going to come around again.Waiters said the confidence from his teammates and coaches was a breath of fresh air compared to what he dealt with in Cleveland.Its a lot different, he said. Im able to play. I dont got to look over my shoulder, anything like that, if I make a mistake. Coaches tell me to play, be aggressive. Be me. Once you get told that, the games easy.Durant scored 32 points and Russell Westbrook had 25 points and 12 assists for the Thunder, who lost their previous two games by a combined 47 points.Gordon Hayward scored 27 points, Derrick Favours had 22 points and 11 rebounds and Trey Burke added 20 points for the Jazz, who had won six of 10 and were coming off a 20-point win at Chicago on Wednesday night.I think we performed well, Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. It just was, we missed some shots at the end. There was nothing about what we did that we fell apart. We didnt turn the ball over late. I think it was more them raising their level.Waiters was 1 for 9 in his Thunder debut Wednesday at Sacramento. He entered this game with 5:37 left in the first quarter, and immediately made an impression. He made 4 of 5 shots in the period, had a nifty assist to Westbrook for a dunk and had two steals in six minutes.With 1:02 left in the first half, Utah lost the ball out of bounds with 0.2 seconds left on the shot clock aand Trevor Booker checked in.dddddddddddd. Hayward bounced the ball to Booker, and he tipped it over his head, two-handed, into the basket from just outside the paint. Booker jogged down court with arms out and palms toward the ceiling, perhaps as surprised as the crowd.Well, I didnt know the play, he said. At first, I just went to the rim for the lob. It wasnt there, so I just tried to give G (Gordon Hayward) an outlet. I knew I couldnt catch the ball. He bounced it. I know you wont believe me, but I really do practice those shots. I guess you could say the hard work finally paid off.Bookers circus shot helped Utah take a 50-44 lead at halftime.An alley-oop dunk by Booker on a lob from Burke from the 3-point line put the Jazz up 81-76 in the fourth quarter, but the Thunder rallied. A baseline fadeaway by Durant tied the score at 90 with 3:18 to play, and he made another fadeaway from nearly the same spot the next time down to give the Thunder the lead.__TIP-INSJazz: C Enes Kanter missed his fourth straight game with a sprained right ankle. He has started all 33 games he has played in and averages 13.9 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. ... Hayward scored 10 points in the first quarter. ... G Joe Ingles turned his right ankle in the second quarter after going up for a rebound. He left the game, but returned to start the third quarter.Thunder: Oklahoma City made 11 of 18 shots in the first quarter, but just 31 for 73 the rest of the way. ... The Thunder went scoreless for the first 3:48 of the second quarter. ... Oklahoma City improved to 10-4 when Durant plays.QUOTE OF THE NIGHT:Durant, on Bookers trick shot: It wont ever happen again.DYNAMIC DUOWestbrook and Durant broke out of slumps. Durant, who had made just 11 of 36 shots his previous two games, shot 14 for 21. Westbrook, who had made 27 of 99 his previous five games, was 9 for 17.UP NEXTJazz: At Houston on Saturday.Thunder: At Houston on Thursday.___Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/CliffBruntAP . ' ' '