Greetings from Denver! The Toronto Raptors begin their five-game road swing here tonight. You can catch the action tonight on TSN 2 at 9pm et/6pm pt. A few quick NBA Thoughts from the Mile High City. 1. Greivis Vasquez (Hornets): In a season filled with injuries for this young Hornets squad he has been one of the true bright spots. The added playing time has really allowed him to play through some mistakes, figure out how to be consistent and run a team. He is doing a nice job, averaging close to nine assists per game and more than 13 points. I love the flair and enthusiasm he plays with. Vasquez shoots it pretty well from 3-point range (over 36%) and is getting better at running the half court offence which is always an adjustment for a young guard. Hes fun to watch and competes. 2. Larry Sanders (Bucks): This man is on a tear. Did you check out his triple-double (10 Pts, 12 Reb, 10 Blk) the other night? Wow. Hes never going to be a big scorer (8.1 ppg rignt now), but he impacts the game on a consistent basis on the glass (7.7 rpg) and with his ability to be an intimidating force in the lane changing shots (2.7 blocks per game and countless others altered) for a team that desperately needs interior defence since they are so small in their back court with Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings. He is coming into his own right now and plays with an edge that you like to see. 3. Chauncey Billups (Clippers): I look forward to seeing his progress on Sunday when in Los Angeles for the Raptors game there against the Clippers. He is steady as a rock. Biillups is an excellent leader and makes big plays when you need them. It felt like they really missed him last year when he got hurt. Hes got lots of elite game experience and you can never have enough veteran direction and savvy in your back court. If he can slowly progress as the season goes on and find his rhythm and a solid role, he will help them a great deal come playoff time. 4. Popovich vs Stern: David Stern threw a hefty fine at the Spurs for sending four players home before last Thursday nights Heat game. I didnt agree with Popovichs move. All teams have travel/schedule issues during the course of the 82-game schedule. If you want to rest your guys then throw them out there for some Cameo Minutes at the very least and play the bulk of the minutes with your reserves. That would be more fair for the fans and for the good of the league. On the other hand, Stern opened a Pandoras Box on this one in my opinion. He better be consistent with this stuff as we see teams getting ready for the playoffs by sitting down their stars late in the season for Rest/Maintenance and teams out of the hunt mysteriously coming up with creative injury issues to justify sitting down their guys in order to add to their sacred Draft Lottery ping pong balls. I dont think youll see the last of this with these two guys -- strong egos to say the least. 5. Phoenix Suns Satisfaction Guaranteed Night: On Dec. 6 if you go the Suns game and dont have a fun time, win or lose, you can ask for your money back. Talk about putting your money where your mouth is. I know its a marketing gimmick, yet I respect the fact that the Suns really want their fans to know that the entire game day experience for a fan shelling out their hard earned dollars is important to them. The Suns want to treat folks in the proper fashion and not take their business for granted. Too often, teams get lazy and dont really say what they mean. Good for the Suns for making a statement and holding themselves accountable to provide a higher standard for the folks who matter most: the fans. Paol... Maldini World Cup Jersey . -- Connecticut has given mens basketball coach Kevin Ollie a new contract that runs through the end of the 2017-18 season. Andre... Pirlo Jersey . 1 ranking from Maria Sharapova next week after Agnieszka Radwanska failed to win the Wimbledon title. ht... . But the most vivid memory Brandon Whitaker has about the 2011 campaign was the ball sailing off his fingertips on a third-down gamble that allowed the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to earn a 52-44 overtime East Division semifinal road win over Montreal that ended the Alouettes two-year reign as league champions. [url=http://www.italysoccerteamshop.com/Gabriel-Paletta-World-Cup-Jersey.html]Ga... Paletta Jersey . MacTavish, 53, was head coach of the Oilers for eight seasons from 2000 and 2009, including Edmontons run to the Stanley Cup final in 2006 when they lost in seven games to the Carolina Hurricanes. An... Barzagli World Cup Jersey . This years team may have changed that. Overcoming age and injuries to make it to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals against the more-heralded Miami Heat, the Celtics bowed out of the playoffs on Saturday night with a 101-88 loss that likely ended the new Big Three era in Boston. BOSTON -- Derek Jeter doesnt even want to miss one inning of the New York Yankees playoff push. The shortstop pulled up lame after lunging for first base on his double-play groundout to end the eighth inning of New Yorks 5-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night. Manager Joe Girardi had to talk him into coming out of the game, but Jeter said he would be back in the lineup when they try to hold onto first place in the AL East again Thursday. "Its really not a thing," Jeter told reporters, refusing to confirm any details about the injury. "They just said, Put ice on it (and) come back tomorrow." A day after Jacoby Ellsburys game-ending single dropped New York into a tie with Baltimore atop the division, the Yankees got all their runs on homers to remain there. Curtis Granderson hit two home runs and Robinson Cano also homered for the Yankees. The Orioles beat Tampa Bay 3-2 on Wednesday night, preserving the tie and dropping the Rays three games back in the division. "Its playoff baseball," Girardi said. "Youre playing in the playoffs right now. Thats the way it is for us." Jeter had two hits to raise his batting average to .325, which is third in the AL. With one out and runners on first and third in the eighth, he hit a grounder to second base and ran down the first-base line to try to beat the relay throw from the shortstop. Stretching for the base -- too late to beat the throw -- Jeter began limping on his left leg as he continued down the first-base line into right field. Girardi and trainer Steve Donohue rushed out to help him and Jeter tried to wave them off, but the manager overruled him. "I said, Were going to sit you out," Girardi told reporters, adding that Jeter had aggravated a previous injury. "Its not that serious. Its something we have to be aware of. But hopefully hes OK." Girardi described the injury as a bone bruise, but Jeter called it a sprained ankle before becoming even more vague. "Lower leg," he said. David Phelps (4-4) gave up one run on five hits and a walk in 5 2-3 innings, striking out five. Rafael Soriano got four outs for his 37th save, but not before allowing a homer to Jarrod Saltalamacchia to lead off the ninth, followed by a fly ball that left fielder Chris& Dickerson caught at the base of the Green Monster.dddddddddddd Mauro Gomez grounded out meekly to second base for the second out, then Soriano misplayed Mike Aviles chopper to extend the game. But Ellsbury followed with another chopper and Soriano gloved it, throwing to first for the final out. "He hit the ball good. It just wound up in (Sorianos) glove," said Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine, who was ejected for arguing a called third strike to Cody Ross in the eighth and wasnt around to see the team lose for the 12th time in 14 games. Saltalamacchia had a double, a triple, a homer and a walk for Boston. Aaron Cook (3-10) allowed three runs on seven hits while striking out two in five-plus innings. The matchup of longtime division foes lacked much of the intensity that had characterized their rivalry in the past decade, gaining life only at the end after Valentine was ejected -- along with Ross and third base coach Jerry Royster. The game was officially announced as a sellout, the 787th in a row at Fenway Park, but there were thousands of no-shows and many of those who did attend were Yankees fans. They saw Granderson lead off the fourth inning with a homer and, after Alex Rodriguez singled, Cano followed with his career-high 30th home run to make it 3-0. Granderson homered again in the seventh inning after Jeter singled to make it 5-1. In all, the Yankees have hit 34 homers in 14 games against the Red Sox this season. The Red Sox made it 5-3 in the bottom of the seventh after back-to-back doubles by Saltalamacchia and Daniel Nava left runners on second and third. One run scored on Gomezs groundout and another came in on Aviles pinch-hit RBI double. Notes: Jeter scored his 1,860th run, passing Mel Ott for 12th on the career list. ... Casey McGehee replaced Jeter at shortstop. ... Red Sox broadcaster Joe Castiglione was honoured for 30 years with the team in a pregame ceremony. ... The Red Sox activated RHP Scott Atchison (right elbow strain) from the 60-day disabled list and transferred LHP Franklin Morales (left shoulder inflammation) to the 60-day DL. ... Phelps had not won in four starts since Aug. 13. Its just the third time in nine starts that he has retired more than 15 batters. ... Cook has won just once in 12 starts since June. ' ' '