n the season finale. ... George is shooting just 31 per ce0 of 130) in his last eight games. ' ' '

DENVER - Josh Kroenkes slip of the tongue even made Arron Afflalo smirk. Michael Irvin Cowboys Jersey . The Denver Nuggets president explained Monday how he has closely "Afflalowed" the shooting guards two seasons in Orlando, before reacquiring him in a draft-day deal last week. "Afflalowed? I have followed," Kroenke quickly modified to laughter, "Arrons career since he left here." Theres no mistaking this: Afflalo has developed more of an all-around game since the Nuggets dealt him to the Magic on Aug. 10, 2012, as part of the blockbuster four-team, 12-player deal that also involved Dwight Howard. Back then, Afflalo was viewed as a defensive specialist with a solid jumper. Now, hes got more of a shooters mentality. So much so that Kroenke introduced him as a "new Arron Afflalo." "Arron took a lot of steps in his own growth over the time he was here and has since taken more steps," Kroenke said. "Im proud to see him doing the things hes been doing down in Orlando." The 28-year-old Afflalo is coming off a season with Orlando in which he averaged career highs in points (18.2), rebounds (3.6) and assists (3.4). He also made 128 3-pointers. This season, he will be reunited in the backcourt with Ty Lawson, who was one of the first to congratulate him after the trade that sent promising young point guard Evan Fournier to the Magic, along with a pick. "I want to continue to improve as a player," Afflalo said. "Im going to do my job, work hard this summer to put myself in the best position." In some ways, Afflalo feels like he never really left the Nuggets as he always kept close tabs on his former team. And yet plenty has changed in his two-year absence. Namely, George Karl being replaced as coach by Brian Shaw. Afflalo is ready to take on whatever role Shaw has for him, whether its as a scorer or simply being Afflalo the leader. "My job is to make sure Im capable of getting that job done," Afflalo said. "I have no problem doing whatever coach asks of me." Thats the way he was with Karl, too. Afflalo couldve been a different type of player — more of a scorer, perhaps — in his first go-round with the Nuggets. But thats not what they needed, especially in the years when they had Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony on the floor. "There are probably a lot of things I probably could do back then," said Afflalo, who will wear No. 10 for Denver this season. "But its not my job to come in here and prove I could score points with the lineup I was starting with three years ago. "These days, Im a lot more confident all over the court, whether its posting up, shooting 3s, being available in the fourth quarter, being someone you can rely on in the fourth quarter." As for his defensive tenacity, that will always be a source of pride with him. "Thats part of being a complete player," he said. "I expect to be at a high level on both ends of the court." Randall Cobb Cowboys Jersey . PAUL, Minn. Dak Prescott Cowboys Jersey . Observant Muslims avoid food and liquids from dawn to dusk during Ramadan but can, and often do, skip it if travelling or doing hard physical labour. Some devout Muslim athletes choose to fast during training or competition, but it can create selection difficulties for the coaches in team sports. https://www.cowboyssportsgoods.com/Womens-Roger-Staubach-Inverted-Jersey/ . -- Ryan Gropp scored in overtime as the Seattle Thunderbirds shut out the Spokane Chiefs 1-0 in Western Hockey League play Tuesday. CLEVELAND -- Sitting in the last chair on Indianas bench, David West stared straight ahead, unable to look at the court. As the final seconds ticked off the clock on another disheartening loss, West seemed dazed. The Pacers promising season is unraveling Dion Waiters scored 19 points, Luol Deng added 15 and the Cleveland Cavaliers kept their playoff push going with a 90-76 win Sunday over the skidding Pacers, who are losing their grip on the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Tristan Thompson had 16 rebounds as the Cavs snapped a nine-game losing streak against Indiana. Cleveland came in three games behind slumping, idle Atlanta for the conferences final playoff spot. With seven games left -- six against teams with losing records -- the Cavs still have a chance. The Pacers, meanwhile, are falling apart. They lost their fifth straight road game and now lead Miami by one game for the Easts top record and home-court advantage throughout the post-season. Since beating the Heat at home last week, Indiana has lost to Washington and Cleveland. "Were losing games at an alarming rate to teams that are inferior to us," said West, who picked up a technical four in the fourth quarter. "We cant figure out a way to perform better. Weve done what you do. Weve had team meetings. Weve had players-only meetings. Weve had players and the coaches (meetings). Were kind of looking for answers right now, and things dont get any easier." Paul George scored 15 and West 14 for Indiana, which fell behind by 21 in the fourth quarter. Once thought to be a lock to make the conference finals, the Pacers are in disarray as they enter the final weeks of the regular season. "Were lost right now," guard Lance Stephenson said. "We just have to play through it." Indianas offence lacks rhythm, and other than their win over the Heat, the Pacers arent showing the same intensity or energy that has made them one of the NBAs top teams. "Were all frustrated," coach Frank Vogel said. "I think were playing against ourselves. Its a level of play that were trying to reach that were not close to where we need to be." The Pacers trailed the Cavs by 13 at halftime, and after pulling within six in the third, Indiana let the Cavs goo on a 14-5 run, capped by Jarrett Jacks 3-pointer that made it 69-54. Deion Sanders Youth Jersey. . Indiana never got close enough to threaten the Cavs in the fourth, and Vogel pulled West and his other starters for the final 1:20 -- a surprising sign of surrender. Midway through the quarter, West was assessed the technical and a flagrant-1 after a mix-up with spunky Cavs rookie guard Matthew Dellavedova and Cleveland centre Spencer Hawes. Theres still time to get things fixed, but the Pacers have lost nine of 15 since March 4 and it wont get any easier with San Antonio coming in for a visit on Monday. The Spurs have won 17 straight. "Weve got to get to playing better," West said. "Weve got eight games left. Its going to get real. We dont want to be disappointed in April and May. Weve got to figure something out. Everybody, individually, all of us have to look at ourselves and figure out what we can do to right this ship." The Cavs, on the other hand, are peaking at the right time. They won for the fourth time in five games despite playing without All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving, who missed his eighth straight with an injured biceps. Irving could be back this week, when the Cavs, who are 14-12 since Feb. 5, are at Orlando before a showdown on Friday against the Hawks, who have lost six in a row. "Our guys just keep fighting," Cavs coach Mike Brown said. Cleveland played the second half without centre Anderson Varejao, who strained his right shoulder. The Cavs said their leading rebounder will be re-evaluated Monday. The Pacers, who shot just 37 per cent, lacked any offensive cohesion and left Cleveland searching for answers. "A lot of our guys are out of rhythm right now," Vogel said. "Weve got to figure it out." NOTES: The Pacers have scored less than 80 points in four of their past five games. ... Irving was scheduled to be re-evaluated Sunday by team physician Dr. Richard Parker. Its not yet known when, or if, Irving will play again. ... Clevelands schedule couldnt be better over the next seven games for its playoff drive. The Cavs will play just one team -- Brooklyn -- with a winning record and thats in the season finale. ... George is shooting just 31 per cent (40 of 130) in his last eight games. ' ' '