Funkerstation » Timberwolves with 25 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Jimmie Johnsons quest to win a record-tying seventh championship has been burning for nearly three years at Hendrick Motorsports. Johnson wants that title. Chad Knaus wants that title. Rick Hendrick wants that title.Oh, how easy it would be for No. 48 team to coast through the next two weeks, to look only at the Nov. 20 season finale and the opportunity they have to reach the top of NASCAR.They wont. This is cant stop, wont stop time and these guys are on a mission.And in this year of the ho-hum playoffs, it may be the storybook ending NASCAR needs.Johnson, the most celebrated driver of the last 15 years, won his ninth race at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday to lock down a spot in NASCARs final four. He has not been in this position under the elimination format introduced before the 2014 season, when Johnson was still celebrating his sixth title.The drive for (hash)Se7en -- the moniker hes used on Twitter the last two-plus seasons -- sputtered out early the last two years. And even through a long stretch of this season, Johnson hardly seemed to be a legitimate contender as the Hendrick cars struggled to keep pace with Joe Gibbs Racing, Team Penske and Kevin Harvick.There was a period of 15 races this year where Johnson had just three top-five finishes. Hendrick was far from pleased. The boss sent his cars to the wind tunnel, became a constant sight to his drivers and teams. Everyone turned it up a notch, and Hendrick could see the turnaround coming together.Sometimes youre not as good as you look, youre not as bad as you look, Hendrick said. I dont think we were as bad. Now, we were pretty terrible back April, May. We started picking up speed, getting to the front, leading some laps.I felt like we could be at Homestead, but theres no guarantee. There are a whole lot of people in the garage that thought theyd be at Homestead that wont be at Homestead.Once Johnson won at Charlotte to advance into the third round, the first time he had made it this far in the Chase, he became a sudden lock for Homestead. Hes great at Martinsville, has won the last four November races at Texas, and has an average finish of 7.8 at Phoenix. But he locked his championship spot down in the first race of this segment, and now has the luxury to coast for two weeks.Knaus had yet to wring the champagne out of his firesuit following Sundays victory before he was already contemplating a strategy.We need to now sit back, look at our car allocation and make sure that were taking the best product that we possibly can to Homestead, he said. When I get to the shop, were going to get together, look at what it is weve got, we may make a quick decision, maybe make a change.But he cautioned that doesnt mean hell order Johnson to cruise around Texas and Phoenix. It means they are in such good shape, they can play with the field for two weeks.This is what the No. 48 team does to opponents. It kicks its program into another gear and saps all the energy out of its opponents. Jeff Gordon saw it firsthand in 2007 when he was racing his teammate for the title. When he thought he had Johnson on the ropes, Johnson strung together four consecutive victories in the Chase to put Gordon away.When Johnson grabbed that fourth win, Gordon -- the greatest driver of a generation -- went to victory lane and bowed to his teammate.His strength is in his demeanor, and it absolutely gets under the skin of his opponents. Hes so cool and calm in public, tries always to be a professional. His attempt to extinguish a potential fire with Harvick last year at Chicago led Harvick to punch him in the chest before Johnson had even said a word.When he didnt get out of Denny Hamlins way fast enough Sunday at Martinsville, Hamlin moved him and loudly complained about Johnson on his team radio.Asked about it after the race, Johnson literally laughed out loud.Im puzzled that he had to move me like he did, Johnson said. I just cant roll over. I prefer to race people cleanly. I could have easily taken the easy route and moved him when he came back to take over the lead, and I didnt. I hope that showed him that, `Look, man, I dont have a beef.Man, Im out there to win. We got points on the line. We got a championship in the line. I got accused of racing hard? Ill take that as a compliment.Johnson has been to Homestead nine times before with a chance to win the title. He delivered six times. The situation will be different this year; all drivers will be even and the highest finisher will claim the title.Johnson hopes to show the next two weeks that hes untouchable and nobody stands a chance in this drive for (hash)Se7en.Cheap Yeezys Sneakers For Sale . PAUL, Minn. Cheap Yeezy Boost 330 . Walcott is available for Saturdays home match against Southampton as Arsenal looks to extend its two-point lead at the top of the Premier League. The Gunners are currently the second highest scorers in the league but Wenger insists Walcott will add something extra to his team. http://www.cheapyeezysneakers.com/ . -- The goal posts lying flat on the field, Arizonas fans lingered on the field, congregating around the locker room entrance nearly 30 minutes after rushing out of the stands. Yeezy Shoes For Sale . Oyama had six birdies and two bogeys at Kintetsu Kashikojima in the event also sanctioned by the Japan LPGA Tour. "I have been having this neck ache thats been affecting my golf recently," Oyama said. Adidas Nmd Shoes Near Me . Deulofeu injured a muscle in his right leg in Evertons 4-1 win over Fulham in the English Premier League on Saturday. Barcelona says that its team doctors will "co-ordinate" with Evertons medical staff as Deulofeu recovers.INDIANAPOLIS -- Myles Turner scored 30 points, tied his career high with 16 rebounds and made a 3-pointer with 1:18 left in overtime to start an 8-0 run that allowed the Indiana Pacers to close out a 130-121 victory Wednesday night over the Dallas Mavericks.Three-time All-Star Paul George added 25 points, including another 3 with 55 seconds left to seal Indianas fifth season-opening win in six years.Deron Williams scored 25 points, while J.J. Barea and Dirk Nowitzki each added 22 as the Mavs lost their fifth straight in the series. They still havent won in Indianapolis since February 2014.Dallas didnt tie the score or take a lead until the fourth quarter, yet still forced overtime when Harrison Barnes open 3-pointer made it 115-all with 2.3 seconds left.Turner could have won it with a long buzzer-beating 3, but it bounced off the back of the rim.NUGGETS 107, PELICANS 102NEW ORLEANS -- Jusuf Nurkic scored 23 points, Will Barton added 22, and the Nuggets survived a dominant performance by Anthony Davis to defeat the Pelicans.Davis had 50 points, 16 rebounds, seven steals, five assists and four blocks. His production helped New Orleans trim a deficit as large as 14 late in the second quarter down to two points in the waning minutes. He simply didnt have enough help.The rest of the Pelicans combined to shoot 21 of 58. Tim Frazier scored 15 for the Pelicans. ETwaun Moore added 10 points, but missed a 3-point attempt that could have tied it with 24 seconds left.Danilo Gallinari scored 15 for Denver and Wilson Chandler added 12 points.HORNETS 107, BUCKS 96MILWAUKEE -- Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had 23 points and 14 rebounds in his return from a shoulder injury, Roy Hibbert added 15 points, and the Hornets opened their season with a victory over the Bucks.The Hornets led by as many as 24 points in the third quarter before fending off a late charge from Milwaukee.The Bucks, who looked lackluster for much of the game, drew energy from Greg Monroes hustle in the paint and Jason Terrys floater that cut the lead to 93-85 with 5:08 left.But the Hornets held on down the stretch, getting a straightaway 3 from Marvin Williams for a 12-point lead with 3:21 left.The 7-foot-2 Hibbert had a couple of rim-rocking dunks in the third quarter that helped build the 20-point lead.Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 31 points.HEAT 108, MAGIC 96ORLANDO, Fla. -- Miami center Hassan White had 18 points, 14 rebounds and four blocked shots and point guard Goran Dragic added 16 points as the Heat cruised to a season-opening victory over the Magic.The Heat, taking advantage of the one-game suspension of Orlando center Bismack Biyombo, dominated inside all game with Whiteside and Willie Reed off the bench. Neither Nikola Vucevic nor Serge Ibaka could match the athleticism and strength of the 7-foot Whiteside inside.The new-look Heat, playing without Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh this season, outscored the Magic in the paint 74-36 and outrebounded them 52-44.Vucevic finished with 17 points and 14 rebounds while Evan Fournier added 20 points. Ibaka, making his debut wwith the Magic, managed 14 points on 6-of-17 shooting.ddddddddddddCELTICS 122, NETS 117BOSTON -- Isaiah Thomas had 25 points and nine assists, Jae Crowder added 21 points and Al Horford pitched in 11 in his Boston debut as the Celtics survived a late scare to beat the Nets.Bojan Bogdanovic scored 21 for Brooklyn, including a 3-pointer to make it 120-117 with 47 seconds left after the Nets erased most of a 23-point deficit against the Boston bench. But he missed one with a chance to tie it after Joe Harris intercepted Thomas cross-court pass, and the Celtics were able to hold on.Justin Hamilton came off the bench to score 19 points and grab 10 rebounds for the Nets in coach Kenny Atkinsons debut.RAPTORS 109, PISTONS 91TORONTO -- DeMar DeRozan scored 40 points and Jonas Valanciunas added a career-high 32 as the Raptors opened their season with a victory over the Pistons.DeRozan made a career-high 17 field goals on 27 shots and was a perfect 6 for 6 from the free throw line, while Valanciunas was 10 for 15 from the field to go along with 11 rebounds. Valanciunas previous career high was 31, also against the Pistons, on Jan. 12, 2015.Tobias Harris had 22 points and Marcus Morris had 17 points and nine rebounds for the Pistons, who lost for the eighth time in their last 11 games against Toronto.DeRozan broke Vince Carters opening-night record of 39 points, set against the-then New Jersey Nets in 2003. Alvin Robertson is the only other Toronto player to record a 30-point opening-night game, in the franchises first-ever game, also against New Jersey, in 1995.GRIZZLIES 102, TIMBERWOLVES 98MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Mike Conley scored 24 points, Marc Gasol added 18 and the Grizzlies overcame a slow start for a victory over the Timberwolves.Conley and Gasol led a push down the stretch as the Grizzlies erased a 90-86 deficit the final 2:44. Zach Randolph had 19 points and 11 rebounds for Memphis.Andrew Wiggins led the Timberwolves with 25 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 21. Zach LaVine added 19 points.The game was the debut of two coaches with new teams, Tom Thibodeau for Minnesota and former Miami Heat assistant David Fizdale with Memphis.Both teams had big runs in the game, Minnesota at the start and Memphis to open the second half. Then the game settled into a tight affair in the fourth quarter.THUNDER 103, 76ERS 97PHILADELPHIA -- Russell Westbrook had 32 points, 12 rebounds and took over late to lead the Thunder to a victory over the 76ers.Westbrook scored the decisive points on opening night for the Thunder in their first game since franchise star Kevin Durant left in free agency and signed with the Golden State Warriors.Joel Embiid scored 20 points in 22 minutes in his first game for the Sixers since they made him the No. 3 overall pick in the 2014 draft. Embiid had sat out the last two seasons with foot injuries. He received a roaring ovation when he was introduced and fans went wild on every shot. ' ' '