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PHOENIX -- As Jake Lambs previously injured wrist has healed, hes heated up at the plate.Lamb and Phil Gosselin each hit two-run homers during a five-run fifth inning to help the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Milwaukee Brewers 9-3 on Sunday.Lamb said his wrist was affecting his swing as recently as last month when the team was on a road trip. He was rested against the Brewers in Milwaukee.Once I came back, it wasnt affecting my swing at all, Lamb said. Im just executing my approach. Looking for fastballs and hitting fastballs. You want to call it locked in, its locked in, but yeah, definitely feel good right now.Twelve of Lambs 24 home runs have tied the game or given the Diamondbacks a lead. He hit three home runs in the teams just-completed six-game homestand and went 9 for 26 overall.Lambs homer Sunday gave Arizona a 5-3 lead against starter Jimmy Nelson, and Gosselin delivered a pinch-hit homer off reliever Michael Blazek to make it 8-3. The Diamondbacks matched the single-inning club record for extra-base hits with five.Daniel Hudson (2-2) won by getting the final out in the fifth in relief of starter Archie Bradley.Nelson (6-11) allowed six earned runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings. He struck out four, walked three, hit two batters and threw a wild pitch.Hes not where he we wants to be or where we want him to be. Things are snowballing a little bit, Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. We have to get more quality pitches. Every pitcher goes through this, there is going to be stuff that goes on and you have to move on to the next pitch. Thats the game. Jimmys preparation is second to none.The Brewers took a 1-0 lead after Jonathan Villar led off the game with a walk, stole second and later scored on a wild pitch.Villar added another stolen base in the fifth for his 43rd this season, tying him with Billy Hamilton for the major league lead.Ryan Braun thwarted the Diamondbacks first-inning attempt to tie it when he threw out speedy Michael Bourn from left field to home plate on Lambs single. The tag play was close but not reviewed, and it ended the inning.Villar made it 2-0 with his ninth home run of the season, a solo shot to left-center field in the third inning.The Brewers made several miscues in the fourth and lost the lead. The Diamondbacks loaded the bases with no outs against Nelson, who hit back-to-back batters after issuing a leadoff walk. Villar then tumbled into the home dugout to catch Tuffy Gosewichs foul pop, allowing Yasmany Tomas to score from third base.Bradleys bunt was fielded by first baseman Andy Wilkins, who threw too high to home for an error. Then Jean Segura reached on Nelsons wild throw to first base, allowing Owings to score and giving the Diamondbacks a 3-2 lead.Bradley couldnt make it out of the fifth despite striking out the first two hitters. Villar walked, stole second and took third on Gosewichs throwing error on the steal and scored on Orlando Arcias single. That tied it at 3.Nelson gave up four of the Diamondbacks runs in the fifth, including Owings RBI triple.COLLMENTER RELEASEDThe Diamondbacks announced the unconditional release of veteran right-hander Josh Collmenter. Hed been designated for assignment on July 30. Collmenter spent five-plus seasons with Arizona, the team that drafted him in 2007, and was used a starter and reliever. He was the opening day starter in 2015. The club tweeted a thank you to Collmenter before Sundays game.ICHIRO-VATIONDuring a break in the top of the eighth inning for some mound maintenance, the video highlight of Ichiro Suzukis 3,000th hit was played on the scoreboard at Chase Field. Fans reacted with applause.TRAINERS ROOMBrewers: RHP David Goforth was optioned to Triple-A Colorado Springs after the game.Diamondbacks: OF David Peralta went on the 15-day disabled list for the third time this season, the second time for a wrist injury. OF Socrates Brito was called up from Triple-A Reno in a corresponding move. ... Arizona sent reliever Evan Marshall to Reno to make room for Zack Greinkes return to the rotation from the disabled list Tuesday. Zack Godley will pitch out of the bullpen for the near future.UP NEXTBrewers: RHP Zach Davies is scheduled for his 20th start of the season when he faces the Atlanta Braves on Monday in Milwaukee. Davies (9-4) is 9-1 in 16 starts with a 2.86 ERA since starting the season 0-3.Diamondbacks: After a day off Monday, the Diamondbacks welcome ace Greinke (10-3, 3.62 ERA) back into the rotation Tuesday at the New York Mets. Greinke will come of the 15-day disabled list after more than a month dealing with a left oblique strain. Wholesale NFL Jerseys Free Shipping . The third-ranked Ivanovic, who won the event in 2008 and 10, served five aces and broke Wickmayer, also a former winner in 2009, five times. "The result looked easier than it really was," Ivanovic said. Stitched Nike NFL Jerseys . Newcastle dominated in the early stages but City weathered the storm and then raised its game in extra time. Negredo broke the deadlock from close range after a simple move in the 99th minute before Dzeko took the ball round goalkeeper Tim Krul to seal the victory in the 105th. http://www.cheapnikenflauthenticjerseys.com/ . Cote was eligible to become a free agent Feb. 15. Cote helped running back Jon Cornish run for a league-high 1,813 rushing yards en route to being named the leagues most outstanding player. Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Authentic .5 seconds to play in the game, Kevin Love never stopped believing that they would come out of there with a win. NFL Jerseys Wholesale Authentic . The Barrie Colts defenceman, who impressed many with his play for Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship, is the top-ranked skater in the February rankings. He has 19 goals and 24 assists for 43 points in 45 games with the Colts this season. This story was originally published on Oct. 4, 2016.STEVE BLAKE DOESNT?sit by the phone, but his cell is never far from reach -- during his morning workouts, picking up his boys from school, or lying in bed with his wife watching television while ruminating over whether hes actually retired.For now, he is out of the NBA. [Blake signed with the Sydney Kings in Australia on October 22.]Its the first time in 13 NBA seasons that no team has offered the 36-year-old point guard a contract. When the?Houston Rockets?hired Mike DAntoni, his former Lakers coach, Blake perked up, optimistic. But then the Rockets locked up?Pablo Prigioni?with a two-year?contract?in July. When?Mo Williams abruptly notified the Cavs he would retire on Sept. 26, Blakes hopes were raised again that Cleveland might call. But the?Cavaliers?reached out to Norris Cole and Mario Chalmers instead.Ive never had to wait this long, Blake concedes. Ive always had a place to go. To be in this space ... its definitely different.Kobe Bryants magnificent show and Tim Duncans disappearing act notwithstanding, precious few NBA players script their own endings. For the typical NBA player, the ending is far murkier and significantly more anticlimactic. Careers simply peter out, clouded by the disappointment and bitterness that mounts as the months drag on and the realization sets in that nobody wants them anymore.There were 201 free agents on the market on July 1. There are still 20 who remain unsigned, among them Chalmers, Cole, Josh Smith, Kevin Martin, Matt Bonner, Kendrick Perkins, Andre Miller and Chris Kaman. Some of those players may not have known it at the time, but they have already played their last NBA game.Blake is not planning to be one of them. He spent each morning during the preseason scrimmaging with?Trail Blazers?players at the teams facility near his Portland home, but that option went away when training camp began. At night, Blake lifts and does conditioning drills.?He doesnt need the money -- he just craves the game. Blake has three sons -- ages 9, 7 and 6 -- and he has moved them each time he has changed teams, from Portland to Los Angeles to San Francisco, back to Portland and, last season, to Detroit. If he does get picked up, Blake says, his kids and his wife, Kristen, will remain in Oregon, which will be a difficult adjustment for all of them. But it will be palatable because it will be for just ... one ... more ... year. While his first priority is to play, Blake says he is also open to taking a coaching job. He started planning for the future years ago by enrolling in coaching clinics and attending real estate symposiums.But Blake knows its a numbers game. There were 60 players selected in the draft in June, and most of them will garner roster spots.Sometimes, Blake says, you dont realize you are retired until you dont have a job.THERES A REASON?some of the greatest players of all time (including Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson) embarked on ill-fated comebacks: Civilian life isnt nearly as exhilarating or lucrative or validating. Neither is retirement, for other reasons.Its hard enough for people who are 65-70 years old to retire, never mind someone 25 to 30, says Golden State general manager Bob Myers, who used to be an agent. Its a complete loss of identity. For many of these guys, its all theyve ever known. Theyve been doing it since they were 5 years old and they want to keep doing it, but suddenly nobody wants you to do it anymore.Some players warrant a courtesy second look because of their championship pedigree. Yet it doesnt take much time for them to be exposed if theyve stayed out of the game too long.We had a player who had been good for us who wanted to come back midseason, says San Antonio general manager R.C. Buford. He came in and did a 15-minute workout with us. It was tough to watch. We told him, Man, you dont want to do this to yourself. We wont let you do this to yourself.Buford declined to identify the player. I dont want to embarrass him, he says.Power forward Carlos Boozer didnt play in the NBA last season but contacted the Spurs last spring and told them he wanted back in. Buford suggested he play in San Antonios June minicamp, but Boozer declined. Then he was going to come for a piece of our summer league, but then he said, Nah, Im not going to do that, either, Buford says. So we moved on. How can we evaluate him if hes not playing? Boozer ended up signing with the Guangdong Tigers in China on July 30.JERRY STACKHOUSE IS a two-time All-Star who played 19 seasons for eight different teams. He made it to the NBA Finals twice: In a cruel twist, he lost to Miami in 2006 while playing for the Dallas Mavericks, then played for the Heat during the Mavericks title run in the 2010-2011 season.Once a guy hits 30, theres a lot of GMs out there who decide your career is over, Stackhouse says. You get nagging injuries that you cant recover from as fast as you would like. You spend more time in the training room than with the guys, so you lose out on the camaraderie.The preparation just gets harder and harder. And now, instead of going through all that to start and play 35 minutes a night, youre doing it to play eight minutes a game off the bench.In Stackhouses final season with the Brooklyn Nets in 2012-13, coach Avery Johnson eyed him as a valuable mentor who would tutor a young roster.I wasnt expecting to play, Stackhouse explains, but once I got out there and started practicing, I realized, Hey, Im better than most of these guys. Coach realized it, too, and next thing you know, Im out there.But on Dec. 28, 2012, Johnson was fired and assistant P.J. Carlesimo was elevated to interim head coach. Carlesimo was given a number of directives by the front office; one of them was to find out whether MarShon Brooks, who was buried on the bench by Johnson because of his defensive deficiencies, could play. Carlesimo briefed Stackhouse on his plan to give Brooks some minutes, with the idea that come playoff time, the Nets would lean on Stackhouse again.I guess the plan was, Oh, hes a vet, once we get back in the playoffs well throw him back in the mix, Stackhouse says. But you cant sit there all that time and just turn it on in April.The Nets played the Bulls in the opening round of the playoffs. Stackhouse was rusty, but he did what he always did when he entered the game -- he shot the ball. His first 3-pointer was shockingly short. The next one was the same.Two air balls, Stackhouse says. I couldnt believe it.Stackhouse continued his shooting drills during his forced hiatus from the lineup, but game simulation cannot be duplicated. Older players in particular need reps and minutes to preserve their continuity. Stackhouse was mocked on social media for his misses; even NBA players Mo Williams and Jared Dudley poked fun at him for it. In that Bulls series, Stackhouse finished 1-of-10 from the floor and 0-of-7 from 3-point range. The final three games of his illustrious career were DNP-coachs decision.It left a bad taste in my mouth, Stackhouse admits. Nothing against P.J., but what are you talking about? Youre choosing MarShon Brooks to save your job over someone who has done it. But I gotta sit there, be the veteran and take it.Now that hes an assistant coach with the Toronto Raptors, Stackhouse says he understands why development of young players trumps veterans who have a little juice left. Stackhouse, who never formally retired, practices with the team daily and still has success against the 20-somethings hes teaching.Dont think [a comeback] doesnt cross my mind, Stackhouse says. When [the Raptors] were looking for a stretch-4, Im thinking, Why dont you sign me?THE RECENT JUMP in NBA salaries comes with an influx of retired players clamoring to return. When sniper Ray Allen announced he was mulling a comeback at the age of 41, no one snickered, because his skill (shooting) is a timeless asset -- even though Allen did ultimately drop the comeback thought by announcing his retirement on Nov. 1. Likewise, wwhen Jeff Schwartz, the agent for 34-year-old Emeka Okafor, confirmed his client would try to return in December or January after a three-year hiatus, his potential availability (providing the herniated disc in his back is healed) generated interest because in a 3-and-D league, Okafor could serve as the last line of defense for a contending team.ddddddddddddFresh off career lows in every statistical category, including minutes per game (18.1), Paul Pierce considered all options before announcing that hell retire after one more season with the Clippers.Superstars cant be role players, Clippers coach Doc Rivers declared. Actually, they can be if they want to be, but fans dont want to see that.Paul had an awful year and he knows that. He doesnt want to go out like that, and I respect that totally.Minnesota bought out Pierces former teammate, first-ballot Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett, rather than pay him $8 million to counsel?Timberwolves?superstar?Karl-Anthony Towns?from the bench this season. It was a stunning -- and humbling -- ending for one of the games transformative players.Derek Fisher and Baron Davis have hinted at possible returns. Davis says he wants to play for Golden State.Who doesnt? says one Eastern Conference general manager. The hardest thing for these guys to understand is they cant play anymore. And were the ones that have to break it to them.It stings for a bit, Stackhouse says. Were all alpha males.And then we get over it.LARRY HUGHES ADMITS, in retrospect, he probably hung on too long. Hughes says he realizes he should have stopped playing in 2010, when he started spending more time honing his womens fitness spa business than keeping his skills sharp.Hughes points to his years in Cleveland, when he signed with much fanfare to play alongside a young LeBron James, as where his career took a wrong turn. He broke his finger in the 2005 preseason, he says, but because he had been labeled as injury-prone he didnt tell anyone about it.I played four to five months with essentially a broken shooting hand, Hughes says. I ended up having surgery. You are never the same after surgery. I should have said something.That same year, Hughes brother, Justin, died while awaiting a heart transplant. I dont remember much of what happened that season, Hughes says.Hughes began contemplating retirement in 2010. His wife and four children were living in St. Louis and he had promised his daughter Lauren, who was a promising player, that he would be done with basketball by the time she reached high school. He changed his mind when Larry Brown, his former coach in Philadelphia who had moved on to Charlotte and was looking to add some punch to a floundering 9-19 team, reached out.A few days later, [assistant coach] Jeff Capel called me, Hughes recalls. I thought he was telling me what time I needed to be there to sign my contract. Instead he said, Larry, theyre letting us [the coaching staff] go. The new coach, Paul Silas, politely informed Hughes agent he wasnt interested.Hughes sat out the 2010-11 season but jumped at one final opportunity with Orlando in 2011. The Magic called him on Dec. 23 and he flew to Oklahoma City to log a DNP on Christmas Day while his family opened presents in St. Louis without him. His stint there lasted just 22 games -- and he played in only nine of them. Coach Stan Van Gundy called Hughes into his office after he logged 14 minutes against Washington in what turned out to be his final NBA game.It was different, having someone tell you, We cant use you anymore, Hughes concedes. It had never happened to me before.Hughes, who never formally announced his retirement, wishes his NBA career had ended in a more dignified fashion. But, he says, he was warned.It all goes back to the Players Association, he says. They come in every year and visit the locker room and talk about preparing you for the end of basketball. Some years when you are making good money you ask your coach, Do I have to sit in on this if Ive heard it all before? But the message is a good one.WHEN ALONZO MOURNING was a college freshman at Georgetown, Hall of Famer Bill Russell took him to lunch. A young Mourning asked Russell when he knew it was time to retire. Russell said he went over a checklist of things he needed to do to get ready, and when he couldnt meet those, he knew it was time. Good health, Russell informed him, was the most important factor on the list.Mourning learned for himself during a routine physical in 2000, when he was diagnosed with focal glomerulosclerosis, a serious disease that can lead to kidney failure.The condition forced him to miss all of the 2002-03 season. The Heat, gravely concerned about his health, declined to re-sign him, but Mourning was hell-bent on continuing. He joined the New Jersey Nets on a four-year contract, but his declining condition and the extraordinary steps he needed to take to continue playing left then-coach Byron Scott admitting each day he put Mourning on the court scared me to death.The most immediate danger was dehydration, so the team and Mourning had to fastidiously monitor his liquid intake. He was also required to ingest a host of toxic drugs, including an ace inhibitor that left him exhausted. He spent most of his days lethargic and fatigued, while his teammates spent most of their days terrified for him.It took me seven to eight hours every day just to get ready to play, Mourning says. Aside from the practice, I had to do extra stretching and massages. I couldnt take any ibuprofen or painkillers like I had earlier in my career, so I had to figure out other ways to control the pain.It was crazy. I was a little off sometimes, on edge. I admit it.On Nov. 25, 2003, Mourning scored 15 points in 16 minutes in a loss to Toronto, then finally succumbed to his illness. He underwent a kidney transplant a month later.Two days after his surgery, Pat?Riley came to visit him in the hospital. Mourning, who was heavily medicated with tubes and wires sprouting from his battered body, woke up, saw his former coach and declared, Im playing again.Over the next 11 months, he endured the cellular rejection of his new kidney, which landed him back in the hospital. When he finally got back on his feet, he visited the weight room and discovered he could only lift 15-pound dumbbells. As he tried to rebuild his core, he felt certain he was ripping his incision, but was informed those painful tears were adhesions.Mourning eventually returned to the Nets in a limited role, then later rejoined Miami and won a championship with the Heat in 2006. Before the start of the 2007-08 season, Mourning announced it would be his final year. He made it as far as December when, as Atlanta journeyman Mario West went to lay the ball in, Mourning steeled himself to leap up and block the shot, as he had done 2,356 other times in his career. This time, Mournings knee buckled without contact. He tore his patellar tendon and -- just like that -- his career was done.As he lay crumpled on the court, he pounded his balled fist onto the ground, howling, Its over! Its over!Riley and trainer Ron Culp rushed to his side and gingerly tried to help position him on a stretcher.I made a move towards it, but then I decided, If this is my last time on a court as a player, I dont want this to be the final memory people have of me, Mourning says. So I told them, Man, get that f---ing thing out of here!Its hard to walk away. Its a love affair, like a long marriage. Ive been in a relationship with basketball since I was 5, 6 years old. Its hard to flip a switch and say, OK, its done.The trick, Hughes says, is to start planning for the end long before it ever happens. He offers some pointed advice for current NBA players.Think about what youre going to do next before you ever become a free agent, Hughes warns. Because most of us never really do know when its over.One day it just happens. 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