cond. Teammate J.T. Brown knows he could do

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CLEVELAND -- Kyrie Irving managed to find a silver lining -- and a sliver of hope for the Cavaliers playoff chances -- while dealing with his latest injury. The All-Star point guard will miss at least two weeks with a strained biceps tendon, but hes hopeful his season is not over. "If you could take a positive from the situation, obviously that would be one, that at this point, I dont have to get surgery, which is tremendous," Irving said following shootaround Tuesday at the Cleveland Clinic Courts. Clevelands leading scorer got hurt Sunday night in a loss against the Los Angeles Clippers. An MRI taken Monday revealed the strain, but not a tear, which would have ended Irvings season. Its still not a certainty hell be back, but the Cavs will rest him for two weeks before making any decisions. With 15 games left, the Cavs enter their home matchup against Miami five games behind Atlanta for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. It was going to be a challenge for the Cavs to make up any ground with Irving, and now without him, theyre in a major bind. The 21-year-old was trying to strip the ball from Clippers forward Blake Griffin when his tendon gave out. "One of those freak plays against a strong individual in Blake," Irving said. "I tried to get the ball out of his hands. I knew something was wrong when I came to the bench. Obviously, I just felt just a weird feeling after that play in my shoulder. My arm looked a little different in the biceps area. Thats when I knew that I strained it." Irving will miss at least eight games. Hes already sat out 41 in three NBA seasons, leading some to label him as injury prone. Its still possible he may need an operation, but Irving is trying to be optimistic. "Well see in two weeks," he said. "Im not going to give a definitive answer because I dont know that answer. At this point, Im just going to continue to support my teammates and be on the sideline. Whatever the medical team needs me to do and whatevers in my best interests, Im going to do." With his best player out, Cavs coach Mike Brown will start Dion Waiters in the backcourt with Jarrett Jack. Cleveland could get back C.J. Miles, who has missed 12 games with a sprained ankle. Waiters has provided a spark off the bench all season, and said hes going start with the same mindset hes had as a reserve. "Just going out there playing my game, let everything come to me," he said. "Dont go out there and try to press and do things I normally dont do. Just play the game and have fun." Waiters says all the Cavs have to step it up with Irving sidelined. "Kyrie is the best player on the team," Waiters said. "But it gives other guys the chance to play and show coach things they can do. Weve got to pick it up. Everybody has to be together and play for each other. Thats the biggest thing losing a huge piece like that. We have to play the game, move the ball and have fun out there." Alex Sandro Jersey . - Chelseas 1-0 win at the Etihad, spoiling Manchester Citys perfect home record continues to be the talking point of the week. Luca Marrone Jersey .com) - The Carolina Hurricanes placed defenseman John-Michael Liles on injured reserve Tuesday. http://www.juventusfcstore.com/authenti ... -jersey/.Y. -- AJ Allmendingers journey is almost complete. Federico Mattiello Jersey . FLIP SAUNDERS (Timberwolves): Im not the least bit surprised that he appointed himself as head coach after his search concluded. Claudio Marchisio Jersey . The Tournament of Champions, which starts Friday, is his first event since a freak accident in Shanghai two months ago. Snedeker was on a Segway scooter during a corporate outing at Sheshan International when he took a tumble and injured his left knee.TAMPA, Fla. -- Sometimes Steven Stamkos does things that his Tampa Bay Lightning teammates cant help but marvel at. "Just about every shift," linemate Tyler Johnson said. That was clear in Game 1 against the Montreal Canadiens when Stamkos went end-to-end before settling the rolling puck on his stick and firing a perfect shot far side past Carey Price. And even though the Lightning lost the game, that highlight and his two-goal night showed why Stamkos is the X-factor that can tip the balance of the series, no matter how well or how poorly the Habs play. "Thats what we expect out of him," winger Alex Killorn said Thursday. "As long as he continues that, I think he gives us a good chance of winning." Even with starting goaltender Ben Bishop and rookie-of-the-year candidate Ondrej Palat out with upper-body injuries, and even with more than a dozen players making their Stanley Cup playoff debut, the Lightning know they can count on Stamkos. And thats after the 24-year-old Markham, Ont., native missed four months with a broken leg. Stamkos returned March 6 and had five goals in his first seven games. But Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said that the stats were deceiving. "Those first 10-15 games, he wasnt himself," Cooper said Wednesday. "He was just slowly getting himself back. I would say these last five, six games that hes played, hes been an impact player for us." The only other player in the series who has the potential to make as much of an impact is Habs defenceman P.K. Subban, who has known Stamkos since the two played together for the North York Canadiens as eight-year-olds. Subban and Stamkos won a city championship together, then gold in 2008 with Canadas world junior team. Since, their families have remained close friends while theyve built up some healthy animosity as competitors. "I love playing against him," Subban said. "I like making him frustrated, and Im sure hell like to score on me. But the history that we have of playing each other, its been back and forth. When Im on the ice, Im sure he knows Im out there, and I know hes out there." Subban liked getting Stamkos involved in pushing and shoving after the whistle in Game 1 because it meant he was starting to get to him. Beyond that, the Habs defenceman expressed nothing but respect and admiration for his childhood teaammate.dddddddddddd "That guy, as far as Im concerned, hes probably the best goal-scorer in the league," Subban said. "Good players like him they find ways to be invisible on the ice, and they appear when they have to appear. And players like Stamkos, (Sidney) Crosby and (John) Tavares, they have that ability to disappear and then youre looking over your shoulder and next thing you know the pucks between your legs and hes tapping it in backdoor." That was one of Stamkoss goals, when Killorn gave him a perfect pass on a two-on-one past a siding Andrei Markov. But it was his first of Game 1, a wicked shot that followed a breathtaking rush, that had everyone buzzing. More impressive than banking the puck off the boards to evade Brandon Prust or even the shot itself was how Stamkos managed to settle the puck down in a split second. Teammate J.T. Brown knows he could do the same, but only if he had 20 seconds. Subban didnt realize Stamkos found a way to get the puck down before firing the shot by Price. He simply appreciated how Stamkos finished things off with such subtle skill. "I think sometimes as a shooter, they recognize when to release it," Subban said. "Its not about how hard it is, its just about where you put it and how quick you get it off. He got it off pretty quick. I dont think he needed as much power behind it because he was skating so fast. He had so much momentum already." It was the games most memorable play on a night full of them. It shouldnt be shocking that Stamkos brought his best with the spotlight so bright, given how he beams about being back in the playoffs for the first time since 2011. "Its an unbelievable experience," Stamkos said Wednesday. "Its the most fun a lot of guys have had playing hockey. The intensity is at a whole new level." Elite players find a way to reach or exceed that level. With Bishop unlikely to play this series and Palat a game-time decision for Game 2 Friday night, Tampa Bay as a team has plenty to work on. Turnovers are an issue and so is defensive-zone play, but Stamkos is far from a problem. Instead, he represents the Lightnings best chance to do something special at any given moment. "I dont know what he can do more," Johnson said. "Hes fun to play with, fun to watch, and Im glad hes on our team and not playing against him." Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '