DieBruderschaft.com

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Its a Minnesota father-daughter tradition. Every March, if Lynx point guard Lindsay Whalen is home instead of playing overseas, she and her dad, Neil, take in an early day of the state high school hockey tournament at the Xcel Energy Center.A scheduling conflict at the Target Center forced the Lynx to shift the first two games of their WNBA semifinal series with Phoenix to Xcel, the NHL arena 10 miles east of Minneapolis, across the Mississippi River. So when Whalen took the court for Game 1 on Wednesday night, with Minnesota facing archrival Phoenix in this round for the fourth consecutive season, the surroundings were more familiar to her than her teammates.It helped that the Lynx shipped their home court from Target Center rather than using Xcels. Whalen and Maya Moore quickly made themselves comfortable, standing out in a game featuring 11 Olympians from Rio and virtually no defense.Moore scored 13 of her 31 points in the runaway second quarter, and Whalen had 19 points and seven assists as the top-seeded Lynx won easily, 113-95, setting a WNBA record for points in regulation playoff game. Game 2 of the best-of-five series is Friday (ESPNews, 8 p.m. ET).They pretty much dominated every facet of the game, said Phoenix guard Diana Taurasi, one of the Mercurys six Olympians. There are a lot of things we have to prioritize, and we didnt do any of them today. We didnt limit anyone. They got what they wanted, when they wanted. Thats just a lack of team defense, which the last couple of weeks weve been pretty good at.Six Lynx players scored in double figures, including reserves Renee Montgomery (11 points) and Natasha Howard (10), as Minnesota shot 63.9 percent from the field. Center Sylvia Fowles had 16 points and 10 rebounds. Taurasi finished with 25 points and Brittney Griner had 16 for Phoenix, which lost despite shooting 53.5 percent from the field. Minnesota owned a 38-20 rebounding edge, limiting the 6-foot-8 Griner to two rebounds, none offensive.Things were so out of hand by the end of third quarter that Mercury coach Sandy Brondello gave Taurasi, Griner, Penny Taylor and Candice Dupree the rest of the night off. Down by 20, theres no use trying to beat a dead horse, Brondello said.The teams hadnt met since June 7, playing their three-game series in the regular seasons first three weeks (the Lynx swept). The eighth-seeded Mercury won back-to-back single-elimination games in the WNBAs new playoff format to reach the semis. But they were no match for the Lynx, rested and fresh after 10 days off and aiming to become the first WNBA team since the 2001-02 Los Angeles Sparks to repeat.Whalen, one of Minnesotas four U.S. Olympians (plus Anna Cruz of Spain), delivered the signature moment in a 14-0 second-quarter run that put the Lynx up 39-25. She finished a fast break with a behind-the-back dribble in the lane and a hesitation layup, wowing the boisterous crowd of 9,013. She waited for a late-arriving Taurasi -- an Olympic teammate in Rio last month -- to sail past before banking it in.Phoenix never came closer than 12 points the rest of the way, and trailed by 25 in the third quarter.I was just trying to push the tempo, Whalen said. Coach [Cheryl Reeve] worked me a lot this year on getting in there, making a move, changing directions. I was able to get it done that time.I almost lost it. Another inch one way and it would have been a turnover and they would have been running the other way. I was a little bit good and a little bit lucky on that play.Said Taurasi: I want to act surprised and I want to act like, How did she do that? But Im not. Ive played with her and against her for so long. She has the ability to do things that no one else in the world can do, especially when shes engaged like that.Shes one of the best players in the world. Sometimes, theyre better than you. Today she made a lot of those plays where she was just better than us.Lynx players wore purple sneakers to honor the memory of Prince, their highest-profile fan who hosted an impromptu victory party at Paisley Park last season after the Lynx won their third WNBA championship in five years. Designated fashionista Seimone Augustus generally picks the color for the Lynx playoff sneakers, but players said this was a team-wide call.Minnesotas home away from homeRelocating playoff games because of building conflicts is an unfortunate fact of life in the WNBA, something the Lynx managed to avoid until this season.Several months ago, Target Center officials pushed back a five-day appearance by Cirque du Soliel, originally slated for the Olympic break, to install a new scoreboard as part of the buildings $130 million renovation. Rescheduling Cirque to Sept. 28-Oct. 2 forced the Lynx to find another venue for Games 1 and 2, abandoning an arena where the Lynx posted the leagues best home record since 2014 (43-8).The Lynx already contracted to play next summer at Xcel, the home of the NHLs Minnesota Wild, during the final stage of renovations. Xcel officials agreed to host these playoff games as well, with the Wild shifting three days of training camp to another location.Xcel general manager Jack Larson said the building hadnt hosted a basketball game since the 2001 state high school boys tournament. So most Xcel workers had no practice experience assembling a basketball floor.The Lynx shipped their court across town on three semi tractor-trailers. Target Center operations director Tom Renner supervised a crew of 20 that put it together in time for the Lynx to practice last Monday. They broke it down for a Wild preseason game Tuesday night, then restored it for Wednesdays shootaround.We could take a second and bemoan it, but it really doesnt do us any good, Reeve said. The mindset is, we are very fortunate we have a beautiful facility in St. Paul. And we said we dont care where the game is played. Its about us being together, and our fans. If were all there, thats our home court.The Lynx, and Whalen, certainly made it feel like home Wednesday night. Comprar Stan Smith Baratas . The Islanders dealt Thomas Vanek to the Montreal Canadiens after less than a year on Long Island. Meanwhile, the Oilers dealt long-time sniper Ales hemsky to the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday for a fifth-round pick in 2014 and a third-rounder in 2015. Stan Smith Baratas España . -- Washington Redskins tight end Fred Davis was charged Thursday with driving while intoxicated, a day after he was suspended for an NFL substance-abuse policy violation. http://www.stansmithbaratas.es/ . The Vancouver coach and an announced sellout crowd of 18,910 watched in dismay as the Canucks lost 7-4 to the New York Islanders on Monday night by squandering a 3-0 lead in the third period. Stan Smith Baratas Rebajas . Louis Rams wide receiver Stedman Bailey last Sunday. The fine is the fourth this season for Goldson. He was fined $30,000 for a hit on the New York Jets Jeff Cumberland in Week 1. Stan Smith Rebajas . 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. West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen said his team quickly moved on from its first loss of the season.It might also help that Kansas is the next opponent.The 14th-ranked Mountaineers (6-1, 3-1 Big 12) return home for a Saturday game against Kansas (1-7, 0-5), beginning at 7 p.m. ET from Morgantown, W.Va.Theyve been good, Holgorsen said about his players reaction to a 37-20 loss at Oklahoma State last weekend. The one thing that I dont really have to worry about is the fact that these guys like to play football, they like to prepare to get themselves in position to play.The Jayhawks are tied with Iowa State at the bottom of the Big 12 standings, and second-year coach David Beaty is winless in 14 conference games. The major problem this season has been turnovers; the Jayhawks have committed 27 of them -- three more than any team in the country.You can tell on each side of the ball theyve gotten better, Holgorsen said.They have had chances to win. I think one things we learned last week -- and the biggest point I made with the team -- is we have to play our best every week, or youll get beat. Its no different this weekend.West Virginia allowed 37 points to the Cowboys last week, but that came after a terrific three-game stretch in which it gave up a total of 43 points to Kansas State, Texas Tech and TCU. The Mountaineers should be stout against a Kansas offense that hasnt reached double-digit points in three of the past six games.The Jayhawks were throttled 56-3 at Oklahoma last Saturday.They started well, playing the Sooners even through much of the first quarter before surrendering 49 points over the next two periods. Beatys Air Raid attack managed only 121 yards through the air, a season-low, as Kansas opened with six first downs in the first quarter and finished with 11.After launching the season with a 55-6 victory against lower-division Rhode Island, the Jayhawks have dropped seven straight to FBS opponents by an average of 29.7 points.I said this after the game the other night, man, weve got the right guys in this program, Beaty said Tuesday.I love those guys, and it makes it easy to come to work everry day when youve got guys like those guys.dddddddddddd They are resilient, and their mind and heart is in the right place when it comes to why they do what they do.Kansas quarterback Montell Cozart, who regained his starting spot before the Oct. 22 loss to Oklahoma State, again appeared uncomfortable last Saturday, often throwing hurried screens and slants that gained little against the Sooners. He finished 20 of 36 for 120 yards, with two interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown.Absolutely, hes our guy, Beaty said of Cozart starting against West Virginia.Mountaineers quarterback Skyler Howard was intercepted twice last week in what was his most inefficient game of the season. His steady play helped propel WVU to its 6-0 start, and he has completed 159 of 242 passes for 2,033 yards, with 13 touchdowns and six interceptions.Howard is 27th nationally in passing efficiency with a rating of 149.0.Starting running back Rushel Shell (103 carries for 503 yards) is the teams leading rusher, but he left last weeks game in the first half with a lower-body injury. It is not expected to be a long-term setback, although Holgorsen was unclear about Shells status as of Tuesday.If he cant go, that means more time for Justin Crawford (82 carries, 458 yards), backed by Kennedy McKoy.Kansas gave TCU a huge scare, missing a field goal in the final seconds of a 24-23 loss, but this matchup figures to be the easiest game left for the Mountaineers, who are tied for third in the Big 12, trailing Oklahoma (5-0) and Oklahoma State (4-1). The rest of West Virginias schedule -- at Texas, vs. Oklahoma, at Iowa State and vs. Baylor.The Big 12 hasnt had an unbeaten champ since it went to single-division play in 2011.That was mentioned after the game -- you lose one, youre still in good shape, Holgorsen said.Were disappointed in losing, thats no question. ... Its not the end of the world. If you pin your whole season on one loss, theres going to be a lot of disappointed people in the country. ' ' '