Meister der Farbe » K -- Jeremy Lin had 21 points and just

CHICAGO -- Playing left in Wrigley Field isnt easy under normal circumstances.Carlos Santana is about to find out what its like -- in Game 3 of the World Series with the wind blowing out to Waveland Avenue, millions watching on TV and Chicago Cubs fans breathing down his neck.Go get em, kid.Unable to use Santana as his designated hitter with the World Series switching to the fabled National League ballpark for the next three games, Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona has moved his DH into left field.Its risky, but Francona feels its the right choice for his club. Santana has played only four innings in left during his career, and that was in 2012 during a 14-1 loss.The manager discussed the move Thursday night before Game 3 lineups were released on Friday afternoon.I have anxiety about it, Francona said as he sat on the brick wall near Clevelands dugout Thursday night. I dont know how else to say it, and if he messes a ball up, Ill take responsibility because I dont think its fair to put it on him. But you try to figure out, OK, whats our best way to win? If we dont play him out there, thats the best way to have nobody second-guessing me.Santana took some fly balls during Clevelands workout, with bench coach Brad Mills standing nearby and offering him tips on tracking balls into the gap and chasing grounders into the corner, where Santana will have to deal with the iconic ivy thats fading fast with winter approaching.Francona said there was only one thing that would stop him from making the switch.If he just cant do it. If he looks at me and says, I dont want to do this or something like that, he said.The Indians could also play Coco Crisp or Brandon Guyer in left, but they dont hit like Santana. He hit 34 homers and drove in 87 runs during the regular season, and although hes hitless in six at-bats in the Series and batting just .179 in the postseason, Francona is confident the switch-hitter will warm up.Hes a really good hitter, Francona said, adding he has spoken to Game 3 pitcher?Josh Tomlin about playing Santana in left. You cant run away from your guys at this time of year. If guys go oh-for the first two games and you sit them, theyll never do well.A former catcher, Santana has also played first and third and the Indians are certain he has the athleticism to handle left. But theres no way of knowing how hell do until they put him out there.Hes quick enough, Mills said. And he can move enough. Weve talked to him about seeing balls off the bat. We might have to play him maybe a little deeper or something along those lines, just to have him come in so reading the ball, he has more time to read the ball that way. Those things. When you havent been out there, keeping that focus on there a lot of times is tough, but at least hes got the wall behind him.Wearing a stocking cap as he sat in the warmth of the Indians dugout on a chilly evening, Santana said hes ready for his new assignment.Ill be fine, he said. Tito, he told me dont put on any pressure, play your game, play hard, stay focused and concentrate, and thats it.The Indians dont have many other options, and first baseman Mike Napoli quickly removed himself from consideration despite playing 11 games in the outfield for Texas.It was a circus last year with me out there, he said, so I wouldnt go out there in this situation.Joe Barry Carroll Jersey . -- Jimmie Johnson held off a teammate, passed a pair of Hall of Famers, and dominated once more at Dover. Willie Cauley-Stein Jersey . - Blake Griffin had 30 points and 12 rebounds, J. https://www.cheapwarriors.com/699o-larry-smith-jersey-warriors.html . With their top three point guards and Kobe Bryant all sidelined by injury, the Lakers signed Marshall out of the D-League on Friday before their home game against Minnesota. Tim Hardaway Jersey . The Browns coaching search remains incomplete. Jacob Evans Jersey . Bjorn, who had a 36-hole total of 8-under 134, made a testing six-foot putt to save par on the 16th and a birdie on the 17th before bogeying the final hole after a misjudged approach shot. American Kevin Streelman was in second place after shooting a 69.OKLAHOMA CITY -- Russell Westbrook had 51 points and a triple-double and scored the winning points in the Oklahoma City Thunders 113-110 overtime victory over the Phoenix Suns on Friday night.According to the Thunder, it was the first 50-point triple-double since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had one in 1975. Westbrook finished with 13 rebounds and 10 assists and took a career-high 44 shots.Westbrook made a layup to put the Thunder up a point with 7.6 seconds remaining. Phoenixs Devin Booker missed a layup and Westbrook was fouled. Westbrook scored his 50th and 51st points at the free-throw line with 3.5 seconds remaining. Booker missed a 3-pointer as time expired.Westbrook has 38 career triple-doubles. He scored 39 points in the second half and overtime.T.J. Warren had a career-high 30 points for the Suns.CAVALIERS 94, RAPTORS 91TORONTO -- Kyrie Irving had 26 points and LeBron James scored 21, helping Cleveland hold off DeMar DeRozan and Toronto.DeRozan had 32 points for Toronto in the first of four games scheduled between last seasons Eastern Conference finalists. Cleveland beat Toronto in six games on its way to winning the franchises first NBA championship.Kevin Love had 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Cavs. Torontos Jonas Valanciunas had his second straight double-double to open the season with 10 points and 17 rebounds, while Clevelands Tristan Thompson had his first of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds.HORNETS 97, HEAT 91MIAMI -- Kemba Walker scored 24 points to lead six players in double figures and Charlotte erased a 19-point deficit in the second half.Jeremy Lamb scored 16 points for the Hornets, who lost a first-round series in seven games to Miami last season -- albeit a very different looking Miami. Nic Batum and Marco Belinelli each scored 12 points for Charlotte.Hassan Whiteside led Miami with 20 points andd 15 rebounds.dddddddddddd Goran Dragic scored 14 points and Dion Waiters added 13 for the Heat, who lost a home opener for the first time in nine years.ROCKETS 106, MAVERICKS 98DALLAS -- Trevor Ariza scored 27 points, James Harden had 26 and Houston beat Dallas with Dirk Nowitzki missing from the Mavericks home opener.Nowitzki didnt play for just the second time in 19 home openers with Dallas. The 38-year-old had a stomach ailment bad enough that coach Rick Carlisle wasnt sure he would make the trip to Houston for the Rockets home opener Sunday.Harrison Barnes, playing his first home game for the Mavericks after signing a max contract in the summer, had a career-high 31 points.NETS 103, PACERS 94NEW YORK -- Jeremy Lin had 21 points and just missed a triple-double in his Brooklyn home debut, Brook Lopez scored 25 and the Nets got their first victory.Lin finished with nine rebounds and nine assists, drawing some delirious cheers the way he briefly did during his run of Linsanity last time he played in New York, with the Knicks in 2012.Sean Kilpatrick hit consecutive 3-pointers during the decisive fourth-quarter surge as the Nets gave new coach Kenny Atkinson his first victory, not far from where the Northport native grew up.PISTONS 108, MAGIC 82AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Andre Drummond had 12 points and 20 rebounds, helping Detroit rout Orlando in what might have been the final home opener for the Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills.Pistons owner Tom Gores confirmed before the game the team is close on a deal to move downtown next season.Tobias Harris scored 18 points for the Pistons, and Marcus Morris added 17. Ish Smith had 16 points and eight assists.Aaron Gordon led the Magic with 17 points. ' ' '