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MIAMI -- Indianas Paul George will play in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals, which comes as no surprise to the Miami Heat. Jose Cruz Jr. Jersey . They were expecting him there all along. The Pacers announced Friday night that George has been cleared "to return to normal basketball activity," a decision made three days after he was concussed in Game 2 of the Indiana-Miami series. "Barring any unforeseen complications, he will play" on Saturday in Miami, the Pacers said. So that settled one lineup issue. The Heat now have a lineup decision to make. Greg Oden -- whose last post-season appearance was April 30, 2009 -- may be inserted into the Heat rotation after showing Miamis coaches in recent days that back issues that slowed him down for weeks may finally be a thing of the past. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra suggested that Oden "could" get some minutes, which would almost certainly come against Indiana centre Roy Hibbert. "If coach needs me, Im ready to play," Oden said. "Im definitely ready whenever he needs me." The series is tied at a game apiece, with Miami grabbing the home-court edge away by rallying for an 87-83 win at Indianapolis in Game 2. The teams have been off since, which figures to be a blessing of sorts for the Pacers -- who had several players limping and ailing late in that game, with Georges concussion the most notable malady. The back of Georges head was struck by Dwyane Wades knee as both were trying to get control of a loose ball during the fourth quarter of that game. George remained in the game but was basically a non-factor the rest of the way, and Miami owned the final minutes. The concussion came to light only after George revealed postgame that he briefly "blacked out." "I probably should have kept that to myself," George said. "It just made a mess. Thats something that, going forward, just keep that between myself and the training staff." The Heat never even considered the possibility that George wouldnt play in Game 3. "Why wouldnt he?" Heat star LeBron James asked. Wade said he wanted to see George out there, because competitors always want to play against the best, particularly at this time of year. And in these playoffs, no one has looked better on the road -- especially defensively -- than the Pacers, who still havent won even two consecutive home games in this post-season but have won five in a row away from home. Atlanta and Washington combined to shoot only 38 per cent at home against Indiana in the opening two rounds, averaging just 84.8 points per game. The Pacers havent exactly been offensive juggernauts in those games, averaging 90.7 points themselves, but the airtight defence was enough for Indiana to save its season by winning elimination games in both matchups. "We played at a high level in the Washington series, and those last two against Atlanta when we were down in the series, we played with great desperation," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. "Our guys take pride in their defence. Thats probably why you see those numbers." Then again, the Heat present a bit more of a challenge than the Hawks and Wizards. "I dont know if the home court really matters right now in the playoffs," Spoelstra said. "Its more about your collective disposition, and youre imposing that identity on the other team. I think either team could win home or away." Miami is 5-0 at home in the post-season, winning by an average of 10 points per game and shooting nearly 50 per cent from the floor. Going back to last season, the Heat have won eight straight playoff games in their own building and since James joined the club theyre 35-7 at home during the post-season. Among those seven losses? The Pacers won at Miami in both 2012 and 2013. And thats why Miami knows having the home-court edge now hardly assures a series win. "Both teams can win on each others floor. Weve proven that the last couple years," James said. "We have to protect our home, but we cant go out there saying that just because were back home we get automatic wins. Weve got to play." J.R. Richard Jersey .C. - Bernhard Langer overcame a bad start Saturday to take a two-stroke lead after the second round of the Champions Tours Greater Hickory Classic. Jose Cruz Jr. Astros Jersey . Stairs, who holds the major-league record with 23 pinch-hit home runs, was a disappointment for the Nationals. The 43-year-old batted just .154 with two RBIs in 56 games. He was 6 for 39 as a pinch hitter.OAKLAND, Calif. -- Free-agent left-hander Scott Kazmir agreed to terms on a $22 million, two-year contract with the Oakland Athletics on Monday, a person with knowledge of the negotiations said. The deal is pending a physical. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team hadnt finalized the deal or formally announced interest in Kazmir. Also Monday, the As reached agreement on a one-year contract with right-hander Fernando Rodriguez. He was one of nine arbitration eligible players -- and all were tendered contracts for the 2014 season, including first baseman Daric Barton. Barton is the teams longest-tenured player and will provide infield depth. The 29-year-old Kazmir went 10-9 with a 4.04 ERA in 29 starts and 158 innings last season for the Cleveland Indians. It marked his return to the big leagues for the first time since making one poor outing for the Angels in 2011, which followed a 9-15 performance in 2010 for Los Angeles. With the pending acquisition of Kazmir, the As have filled a rotation spot with a veteran starter as they had hoped to do. That means the two-time defendding AL West champions wont necessarily continue to pursue a new deal for 40-year-old 18-game winner Bartolo Colon.Carlos Lee Authentic Jersey. Kazmir will join a rotation featuring Sonny Gray and A.J. Griffin. General manager Billy Beane said after the season he was hopeful of re-signing Colon after he received a $3 million, one-year contract and bounced back from 2012, when his season ended in August because of a 50-game suspension for a positive testosterone test. Rodriguez was acquired in a trade with Houston last February that also brought Jed Lowrie to the As in exchange for Chris Carter, Brad Peacock and Max Stassi. Rodriguez missed the season after undergoing right elbow reconstruction surgery March 27. He is 4-13 with a 4.89 ERA in 119 career relief appearances with the Los Angeles Angels and Astros. The other arbitration-eligible players tendered contracts by Mondays deadline were outfielders Josh Reddick and Seth Smith, infielders Brandon Moss and Jed Lowrie, relief pitchers Jerry Blevins and Jesse Chavez, and catcher John Jaso. cheap jerseys from china cheap jerseys ' ' ' |
