News » consecutive 3s by Dragic giving Phoenix a 48-45 lead with

Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - The easy part for the Washington Nationals was signing former American League Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer to a contract. All they had to do for that to happen was shell out $210 million over seven years. The hard part, of course, will now be living up to some lofty expectations since most gambling web sites have pegged the Nationals as the odds-on favorite to win the World Series in the wake of Scherzer signing. With or without Scherzer, though, the Nats were going to have an extra eye or two on them. Thats what happens when you win an NL-best 96 games and bow out in the first round of the playoffs. In fact, the Nats have won two of the last three NL East titles and still have yet to win a playoff series since 1981 when the franchise was located north of the border in Montreal. In fact, no team has done less with more than the Nationals over the past three years. But with a $200 million-plus pitcher like Scherzer at the top of that rotation now, there is no more wiggle room. Speaking of that rotation. Scherzer, Jordan Zimmermann, Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Doug Fister. Tanner Roarke. Five spots for six guys. Someone figures to be the odd man out, especially when realize the rotation alone makes $61 million-plus this season. By the way, this is a problem 29 other managers wouldnt mind having. What our plan is right now is to make sure everybody is training to be a starter. All of our guys are training who were scheduled to be starters are training as starters because you just dont know, Washington manager Matt Williams said. Well go into spring training in that mode. Again, during spring training you need multiple starters anyways, you need multiple starters for sure. It will work itself out. Right now everybody is getting ready for spring. Weve got less than a month before we get down there. Everybody is working hard and getting prepared. All of those guys are getting their arms in shape to be starters for us. You can never have enough pitching anyway, right? Of course, this is a formula that doesnt always work. Ask the 2011 Philadelphia Phillies, who boasted Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt. Yes, they may have won 102 games, but they didnt get out of the first round of the playoffs. The smart money would be on Roark being the odd man out, but his 15 wins a season ago were one behind Fister for the team lead. But, Roark is the least distinguished of the group and he has pitched out of the bullpen in the past. Zimmermann and Fister are free agents at seasons end. There was some speculation that Zimmermann was going to be dealt earlier this offseason. And that could still be the case, but Id doubt it. Why deal him? Go for it this year, let Zimmermann walk at the end of the season and settle for the first-round pick that would come the Nats way. Some have even said they could deal Strasburg. Again, I just dont see it. He hasnt been as good as advertised, but at times he is electric. Plus, hes only 25 and still under contract for at least two more seasons. And in case you are keeping score, Strasburg is a Scott Boras guy, the same agent who just got the Nats to break the bank for Scherzer. Boras also represents Washington sluggers Bryce Harper and Jayson Werth. By the way, there is no truth to the rumor the Nationals are changing their nickname to the Fighting Boras. Scherzer, though, is a horse. If I was running a team, Jon Lester would have been my target, but Id hate to live on the difference between the two. Both are awesome. The 30-year-old Scherzer won the 2013 AL Cy Young Award, going 21-3 with a 2.90 ERA. He wasnt as sharp last season, but was still one of the best pitchers in baseball, posting a 18-5 ledger with a 3.15 ERA. I think this team is capable of winning and winning a lot, Scherzer said. When you look at near term and long term, this is an organization you want to be a part of. I want to win and thats why Im here. Scherzer doesnt give the Nationals the best rotation in baseball. They already were without him. It may give them a better shot in October. And at the end of the day, thats all that matters. Kd Basket Italia . -- The court fight over NFL concussions should heat up soon as a judge in Philadelphia weighs the fairness of the proposed $765 million settlement. Air Max 97 False . Among the six changes: Drivers are now eligible if they have competed for 30 or more years in NASCAR or turned 55 in the calendar year before nominating day. Previously, drivers were not eligible until they had been retired for three years, so drivers can continue to compete and still reach the hall. http://www.airmaxshoponlineitalia.it/scontate-max-plus-outlet.html . Viewers in the Jets region can watch the game on TSN Jets at 6:30pm ct/7:30pm et. The game is also avialable on TSN Radio 1290 in Winnipeg at 7pm ct. Air Max Saldi Outlet . -- Sami Salo joked that as the shootout went on and on, one thing went through his mind: "Youve got to tie up your skates. Kd Scarpe Basket Scontate . Pierre last November, only to watch St. Pierre leave the UFC octagon with his welterweight title belt and a split-decision victory.PHOENIX - Patrick Beverley sank the go-ahead 3-pointer with 34.3 seconds to play and the Houston Rockets escaped with 115-112 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday night. Dwight Howard scored 25, James Harden 23 and Beverley 20 for the Rockets, who trailed by 10 entering the fourth quarter. Goran Dragic scored a career-high 35 for the Suns, but missed what would have been the game-tying 3 at the buzzer. Gerald Green added 23, 18 in the third quarter, and Markieff Morris 21 for Phoenix. Beverley, who scored 12 in the fourth, made two free throws that boosted Houstons lead to 113-110 with 20 seconds to go before Dragic scored on a layup to cut it to 113-112 with 14.7 seconds to play. Donatas Motiejunas sank two free throws with 14.1 seconds left to put Houston up 115-112. Phoenixs last lead was 110-108 on Morris driving layup with 47.3 seconds remaining. The Rockets scored four points in one possession when Marcus Morris was called for a questionable clear-path foul against Chandler Parsons with 6:16 to play. Parsons made both free throws, then Harden sank a 19-footer to cut the Suns lead to 98-96 with 5:54 to play. Houston tied the game three times before Beverleys big shot put Houston up for good. The Rockets dominated inside with a 64-42 advantage in points in the paint. Dragic made 10 shots in a row, half of them 3s, from the first quarter until he missed a long 3 midway through the third. He had 19 points on 7-for-7 shooting in the second quarter to help Phoenix erase Houstons 17-point lead, but Howard returned to the game and the Rockets were up 60-56 at the breeak.dddddddddddd Phoenix used a 12-1 run to go up 77-70 on P.J. Tuckers steal and breakaway dunk with 5:16 left in the third quarter. Chandler Parsons rebound basket cut it to 88-83 with 35 seconds left in the quarter, but Miles Plumlee scored on a rebound, then Green banked in a 28-footer just before the buzzer to put the Suns up 93-83 entering the fourth. Early on, it was all Rockets. Omer Asiks three-point play gave Houston its biggest lead 37-19 with 9:55 left in the half. The Suns outscored the Rockets 26-8 over the next six minutes, consecutive 3s by Dragic giving Phoenix a 48-45 lead with 3:32 left in the half. But Howard came back from a brief rest and scored the first five in an 11-0 spurt that put the Rockets up 56-48 with 1:57 to play in the half. Dragic, though, sank two more 3s to help cut the lead to six at halftime. Dragic scored 25 in the first half on 10-of-12 shooting. He missed his first 3-pointer, then made the other five in the first half. Howard had 18 points and seven rebounds in the half. NOTES: Dragic has seven games of at least 30 points this season. ... Howard had 34 points and 14 rebounds in the Rockets 122-108 win over Phoenix on Feb. 5. ... Phoenixs 40 points was the most for a Rockets opponent in the second quarter this season and matched the most by the Suns. ... Houston won the season series 2-1. ... The Suns were without Leandro Barbosa for the second game in a row with a sprained toe. ... Ex-Sun and current Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson appeared at halftime to commemorate his baseline dunk over Houstons Hakeem Olajuwon 20 years ago. ' ' '