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Sports
LeBron James Says Of Game: 'This
Final Period Lapse Cost Lightning Game One
Chicago Blackhawks right wing Kris Versteeg (23) collides with Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Ben Bishop (30) during the sec- ond period in Game 1 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final.
In game one of the Stanley Cup Playoffs Wednesday night, the host Tampa Bay Lightning appeared to have secured their home ice against the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Lightning played per- fect defense except for the final 5 minutes of the game, losing 2-1.
Late in the third period, the Blackhawks scored two goals to secure the win.
After playing flawlessly for 40 minutes, the Lightning’s strategy proved to be too con- servative against a team loaded with talent and looking for its third Stanley Cup in six years.
Game 2 will be Saturday night, 7:15 p. m. at Amalie Arena.
LeBron James Vs.
Is Probably The Best I've Been'
Stephen Curry: The Epic
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- After racking up four MVPs and two championships through his first 11 years in the league, LeBron James has set some pretty lofty stan- dards for himself to match as he continues his career.
Despite his impeccable past body of work, the 12-year vet- eran said Monday that he be- lieves he is playing the best basketball of his career right now.
"I think if you put it all to- gether, yeah," James said. "If you put everything together as far as my mind, my body, my game. If you put everything in one bottle, this is probably the best I've been."
James will play in his fifth straight NBA Finals when the Cleveland Cavaliers open up Game 1 on the road against the Golden State Warriors (Thursday, 9 p.m. ET, ABC) after leading the Cavs through the first three rounds of the playoffs averaging 27.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. He was even better in the con- ference finals, putting up 30.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and 9.0 assists in a four-game sweep of Atlanta.
Cavs teammate Kevin Love was asked to put
NBA Finals Match-Up
LEBRON JAMES James' current level of play
in perspective at practice Sun- day.
"I think it's tough. Was he bouncier at one point? Physi- cally, it's tough to say," Love said. "But as far as up here [mentally], I think he's ahead of where he was. Being able to make everybody around him better, it's a great quality. He doesn't lack that at all. I think he's truly done a phenomenal job with guys going down and helping others to play better."
Sentinel Pick: While we like both teams, and both superstars in the King Le- Bron James and one of the best shooter in NBA history Stephen Curry, the experts are picking Golden State to win in five or six. We have to go with King James and the Cavs in six or seven. These Fi- nals will be fun to watch. You might want to record these Finals.
Was it a little MVP precog- nition that drew LeBron James to two of Stephen Curry’s collegiate games al- most a decade ago?
It was something. Curiosity. Fate. Something.
Years later, with Curry’s Warriors about to face James’ Cavaliers in the NBA finals, LeBron’s visits to two Davidson games in 2008 seem like the perfect, tingling prologue to a blockbuster pay- off.
Actually, LeBron hadn’t even won his first MVP by the time Curry was dragging Davidson into the spotlight in the 2008 NCAA Midwest re- gional.
James was 23, already supremely famous, had by that time taken the Cavaliers to one NBA final, but he was a few months away from win- ning his first MVP (of four, currently) and of course this was before LeBron bolted to Miami, won two titles there, then bolted back to Cleveland this season.
Back then, Curry was a Davidson student, just begin-
STEPHEN CURRY And LEBRON JAMES
ning to get recognition, long, long before this triumphant MVP season.
Why did LeBron make it to Curry’s Sweet 16 victory over Wisconsin in Detroit in March 2008, when Curry scored 33 points, and then watch another Davidson game in North Carolina, for David- son’s victory over North Car- olina State, when Curry scored 44?
Premonition. A sense of something to come.
“I saw a kid who didn’t care how big someone was, how fast someone else was, how strong someone else was,” James told reporters in Cleveland this week.
Seattle QB Russell Wilson Still Silent On Contract Talks
Russell Wilson provided a warning. Don't expect him to make statements regarding his contract negotiations with the Seattle Seahawks until a deal is reached.
''I'm going to be the boring, cliche answer, but it's the truth,'' Wilson said following Seattle's organized team activ- ity on Tuesday that was open to the media.
Even if Wilson said he won't publicly go into detail re- garding his contract situation, it's the biggest item remaining on the Seahawks’ offseason agenda.
Seattle QB Russell Wilson
Wilson reiterated what his agent Mark Rodgers said in a radio interview last week that he is ''100 percent'' ready to play out the final year of his rookie contract that will pay him $1.5 million and see what happens from there.
Adrian Peterson Says He Feels The Vikings Love
The Minnesota Vikings and running back Adrian Peter-
son have mended fences..hopefully.
all
Peterson reported to OTA practices on Tuesday, after staying away during an acri- monious time. Peterson missed almost all of last year while dealing with a legal situ- ation that stemmed from his young son suffering injuries when Peterson hit him with a switch. There were many re- ports that Peterson wasn't all that happy with the organiza- tion. You wouldn't have known that on Tuesday, when he and
ADRIAN PETERSON
coach Mike Zimmer gave their news conferences.
Peterson said that all of his teammates reacted with hugs and jokes when they saw him. He was asked why he re- ported now, and he said it was because he "just wanted to." He said it felt like family when he came back.
FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 2015 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 15-A