The Original Game » at you probably dont want to touch the empty Gat

MEMPHIS, Tenn. D.K. Metcalf Youth Jersey . -- The Grizzlies have repeatedly been asked who will take the game-winning shot since the Rudy Gay trade on Jan. 30. Mike Conley has been the answer during the playoffs. The point guard scored 13 of his 26 points Tuesday night in the fourth quarter, helping the Grizzlies beat Oklahoma City 99-93 and even this Western Conference semifinal at 1-1. He also had 10 rebounds and nine assists to join Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Baron Davis as the only players with such a performance in a road playoff game in the past 25 years. "After we lost Rudy, it was tough," Conley said. "We didnt know who was going to be that guy down the stretch. Ive kind of had to assume that role, grow into it and live and learn from it. Sometimes I make shots, sometimes I dont. Im kind of getting used to it." Conley has been at his best over the past four games for Memphis, averaging 20.5 points with 5.5 rebounds and 6.3 assists as the Grizzlies finished off the Clippers in the first round and got the split in Oklahoma City. His biggest shot was a 3-pointer with 1:58 left that put Memphis ahead to stay in Game 2 followed by an 18-foot jumper. If not for a Tony Allen miss late, Conley would have had a triple-double. "I take that personally," Thunder guard Reggie Jackson said. "I almost gave the guy a triple-double. I cant let that happen again. I feel the great players always take things personally -- the match-ups -- and like Ive said since day one, I want to be great. So, I have to do a better job of slowing him down and not letting the head of the snake bite us next game." Game 3 is Saturday in Memphis. Since the trade, Conley said hes worked on handling both the blame that comes with missing shots along with the attention that comes with being the guy everyone looks to at the end of games. Its been an adjustment for a six-year veteran long accustomed to distributing the ball and playing hard on defence. He led the NBA in total steals this season with a career-high 174. Part of his learning curve also included not getting too excited with the clock running down and the team needing a key bucket. "I think thats helped me be more calm down the stretch and realizing situations and being patient," Conley said Thursday after practice. He started blossoming as a key scorer since the All-Star break. Conley led the Grizzlies after the break with the best scoring stretch of his career as he led the team in scoring 10 of their final 17 games. He scored at least 20 points in 12 of those games, averaging 17.6 points in March and 17 in April. Its why Allen believes Conley is among the leagues top five point guards. "Hes been doing everything," Allen said. "Assists, points, rebounds, steals and most importantly hes winning." Conley definitely has been more aggressive. Grizzlies centre Marc Gasol said Conley doesnt have to take 20 shots a game, though the guard hit 11 of 22 from the floor in Game 2. Coming off screens and forcing the Thunder defence to play honest also is a big part of what they need. "Im really proud of him, but were not satisfied. Im not," Gasol said. "The one position to me, one of the toughest ones to play because everyones always looking up to you, and we put a lot of pressure, at least I am, I put a lot of pressure on Mike and Im really hard on Mike a lot of times. But he knows I love him, and hes always the best and I expect more." The Thunder saw Conley in 2011 when these teams went seven games in the Western semifinals before Oklahoma City won. Oklahoma City forward Nick Collison said Conley has gotten better since then. He sees Conley being aggressive in his decisions passing off pick-and-rolls or attacking when Gasol and Randolph draw more attention. Thunder coach Scott Brooks isnt happy Conley got so many chances to score in the paint early along with five layups in the second half. Brooks said they knew going into this series that Conley is a good player. "Hes a problem that we have to make sure that we control," Brooks said. AP Sports Writer Jeff Latzke in Oklahoma City, Okla., contributed to this report. D.K. Metcalf Seahawks Jersey . The native of Mont-Tremblant, Que., captured a World Cup downhill event Saturday, his second this year and fifth career victory on the circuit. Cody Barton Jersey . Manuel was offered a position the day he was fired. He accepted earlier this week and the team made the announcement Friday. http://www.seahawksfansofficial.com/shaquem-griffin-jersey/ . Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the Carolina Hurricanes, announced Wednesday that the team would assign Swedish forward Elias Lindholm to his nations team for the upcoming tournament. ONE THOUSAND FEET ABOVE CROMWELL, Conn. -- On a picture-perfect Thursday morning, were flying high above TPC River Highlands, site of this weeks Travelers Championship, when my reporters intuition kicks in.Terry Dillard, pilot for the Snoopy 1 Airship -- better known as one of only 22 blimps in the world -- is coolly navigating through the Connecticut sky while discussing how he and the other members of the 15-person crew work year-round, as he spends six-hour shifts hovering over golf courses to produce the camera angles nobody else can get, when I blurt out my next in a long line of questions.So, um, wheres the bathroom in this thing?Were seated in whats referred to as the gondola, the small cockpit structure which sits underneath $80,000 of helium. Dillard is sitting in the pilots station, which is in the front left of the enclosed space, just like the drivers seat of a car.Using foot pedals to determine the speed, which maxes out at about 25 mph, and wheels on each side of his seat which resemble those of a wheelchair in order to steer, he offers a hearty laugh at the question. Surely there are moments when life piloting the blimp can become stressful. This isnt one of them.On a scale of 1-10, he says, today is an 11 as far as it being a perfect day to fly.Dillard, 61, has been piloting blimps for 26 years. Sporting a shaved head and salt-and-pepper Fu Manchu, he has the physical characteristics of a dude you dont want to mess with, but is perpetually affable and not often at a loss for words.There are a few, though, that he refuses to use.In our industry, we dont blow up; we inflate, he explains. We also dont use the D word; we dont deflate.The Snoopy 1 Airship stays inflated while the crew travels from tournament to tournament, Dillard through the air and others on the ground, never more than 30 miles away from each other.It might not be the quickest way to get around, but its absolutely the most scenic.Ive seen every inch of the United States of America, Dillard likes to say, at 25 mph.Hes also seen some of the best -- and worst -- golf shots at professional events from 1,000 feet above the fairways and greens.During the broadcast window, there is a cameraman seated behind Dillard, who controls the exact aerial video shown on your TV, but just like a player and caddie, one cant do his job without the other.The similarities dont end there.The worst type of weather for flyinng a blimp is heavy wind and thunderstorms, which arent exactly golfers favorites. Chris Carson Jersey. And the relationship is symbiotic; while the pilot and cameraman use whats happening below them to help tell the story to viewers, the players will look above to assist with their jobs.The players use us, says Dillard. They look at the blimp to see which way the wind is blowing. If its a tailwind, theyll club down; if its a headwind, theyll club up. Theyll say, Look at the blimp and trust your club.Dillard insists that he can identify players from his catbird seat. I look down on the early first round of the Travelers Championship and think I spot Vijay Singh -- or maybe thats Ernie Els. Spotting pros must be a learned trait from up here.Theres more to this gig than just flying around and checking out players. A director in the production truck will ask Dillard to find a specific shot. He must maneuver the blimp into the best position for his cameraman to catch the flight of the ball, while keeping his shadow out of the shot.He admits hes biased, but contends that an event without any camera angles from a blimp loses something in the translation to television.When youre watching a tournament and you dont have a blimp there, its pretty dang boring, he says. There are just some shots you cant see from the ground.We take another quick spin above TPC River Highlands, then Dillard starts the scenic route back, over the Connecticut River and past downtown Hartford. He has to get to work soon, maneuvering Snoopy 1 through the sky on this 11 day on a scale of 1-10.Youll know his work when you see it. When a player hits a towering approach over some tall trees to tap-in birdie range or mishits a drive so offline that it cant be trailed from ground level, that will be Dillard, positioning the blimp into a place where he and the cameraman can best help tell the story.Its a pretty sweet ride up there. If you ever get the chance, enjoy the scenic view in any direction and dont be afraid to put your hand out the window and feel the summer air against it.Oh, and theres one other thing: After Dillard laughed to my question about the bathroom, he finally offered an answer.All Ill say is that you probably dont want to touch the empty Gatorade bottle behind the pilots station. Wholeslae Jerseys NFL Jerseys Cheap Wholesale NBA Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys Cheap MLB Jerseys Wholesale Soccer Jerseys Cheap College Jerseys Cheap Football Jerseys Cheap Basketball Jerseys Cheap Baseball Jerseys ' ' '