s report.Addressing corruption within the anti-doping system -- including state or secret

SAN ANTONIO -- Even if the San Antonio Spurs cant help but feel a touch uneasy about their 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals, Tony Parker is completely comfortable. For the second straight year, Parker used a sensational Game 2 to give the Spurs a two-game lead to start the conference finals. This time, it was a 15-point, 18-assist masterpiece that featured Parker scoring or assisting on 14 of the Spurs 18 baskets after halftime. Asked Wednesday if it was a performance reminiscent of John Stockton, the NBAs career assists leader, Parker said: "No, Tony Parker." "I dont want to be anybody. I just want to have my own identity," he added. "I always fight with (coach Gregg Popovich) for that because he wanted me to be -- no disrespect to Avery Johnson -- but like Avery, and then like John. I was like, I want to be me. I want to do both. I want to be aggressive, and I just try to find that balance. "Thats the thing through my whole career is to find the happy middle between scoring and passing." Parker has already won three NBA titles with San Antonio and seemed to have the Spurs rolling toward another one last season when he scored 34 points on 16 for 21 shooting -- and also dished out eight assists -- in a 120-111 victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 2 of the West finals. It was San Antonios 20th straight win, a streak spanning seven weeks. And then -- poof! -- the season was over a week later following four straight losses to Oklahoma City. That history puts this years strong start to the series in a completely different perspective. "We understand that we didnt do anything. We just protected home court and we have a long way to go because we know were playing a very good team," Parker said. "People who know basketball, they know they are a very good team and you cant take anything for granted." Parker informed reporters before practice that he plans to use the three-day break before Game 3 on Saturday in Memphis to have an MRI on his troublesome left calf Thursday "just to make sure" hes improving on schedule. He said the knot that developed after he got kicked in the calf during the Golden State series was the biggest hes had in his career, but has been feeling better. "Slowly and surely, Im turning the corner and so hopefully, Ill be fine," Parker said, not expecting to miss any time. Last years Western Conference finals turned when the Thunder deployed 6-foot-7 defensive ace Thabo Sefolosha against Parker and began routinely switching screens on defence. Parkers shooting percentage dipped to 39 per cent and he had four assists in each of the next three games. Even his 29 points and 12 assists in Game 6 werent enough to save the Spurs. Even before Tuesday nights loss, Parker had been the focus of several defensive adjustments by the Grizzlies, and more figure to be on the way. "On pick-and-rolls, they had such good spacing that it allowed him to manipulate and move the ball different ways, get into the paint and draw and kick," Memphis point guard Mike Conley said. "When you have a guy thats able to create plays like that for other people, it really puts the defence at its mercy." While Parker presents an entirely different challenge, the Grizzlies found success in the last round by continually decreasing the effectiveness of three-time NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant. "Weve played against a lot of great players all year long, and you just have to go out and compete against them the best you can and try to limit some things and find a way to win," coach Lionel Hollins said. Parker said he believes he has become a better passer over the years, and his career-best assist total from Game 2 was also a product of the ball being in his hands more than ever. He had assists on San Antonios first seven baskets after halftime, then scored the next two. After coming out for a rest, he returned and hit back-to-back shots to extend the Spurs lead to 83-70 before he finally went cold and Memphis rallied. "He goes through his phases. Hes to the point now where he can do it both ways. He kind of reads what theyre giving him, what hes being asked to do, and you see (Tuesday) night where he just decided that the pass is what was there," Tim Duncan said. "Guys knocked down shots for him, which was great, but he controlled the entire game. "I think having that much on his shoulders really wore him out towards the end there, but hes the one that got us the lead that we had." Parker acknowledged he wore down late in regulation, when he missed five straight shots, in part as a residual effect from a long Golden State series and in part because of his heavy load so far in this one. Even so, he had assists on two of Duncans three baskets in overtime that enabled San Antonio to win and go up 2-0. "Were in a great spot, but if you look at it, its the same spot that we were last year. It doesnt mean at all that we are going to make it just because we won the first two," Manu Ginobili said. "Weve got to go there and try to grab one. ... Weve been here. We know that its not over until you win the fourth. "Weve just got to stay humble, keep working hard and definitely try to get one from Memphis."Josh Hawkins Jersey . -- In a span of seven Washington Redskins offensive plays, Justin Tuck sacked Robert Griffin III four times. Cody Kessler Jersey . Goals from Jerome Boateng, Franck Ribery and Thomas Mueller extended Bayerns unbeaten run to a record 37 matches. "This record is incredible," Bayern coach Pep Guardiola said. http://www.cheapeaglesjerseysauthentic.com/?tag=authentic-brandon-brooks-jersey . -- The proud fathers huddled near the Dallas Stars dressing room, smiling, laughing and telling stories while wearing replica green sweaters of their sons team. Casey Tucker Jersey . Reassurance came from Paul Tesori, his caddie and close friend whose newborn son is in intensive care in a Florida hospital. "Paul sent me a text this morning, just told me he loved me and wanted to go out and fight as hard as I would any other day," Simpson said Sunday after doing just that. Boston Scott Jersey . -- Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Alrdridge were again the go-to duo for the Trail Blazers against the Kings.RIO DE JANEIRO -- The split between Olympic leaders and global anti-doping officials over the Russian doping scandal continues to deepen.The World Anti-Doping Agency fired back on Monday, a day after IOC President Thomas Bach suggested the agency was to blame for the last-minute chaos over the participation of Russian athletes in the Rio de Janeiro Games.Bach said the agency should have acted sooner on evidence of state-sponsored doping rather than release the damning report by Canadian investigator Richard McLaren so close to the games, which open on Friday.While it is destabilizing in the lead-up to the games, it is obvious, given the seriousness of the revelations that he (McLaren) uncovered, that they had to be published and acted upon without delay, WADA President Craig Reedie said in a statement Monday.Reedie, who is also an IOC vice president, told The Associated Press that he wanted to set the record straight after Bachs comments by explaining the agencys handling of the allegations against the Russians.He seemed to use WADA as a diversion in some way, Reedie said. We thought in all honesty we needed to just explain the position and what we tried to do.WADA and Bach have been at odds since the agency publicly recommended that the IOC impose a total ban on Russias Olympic team following McLarens report detailing state-directed doping across more than two dozen winter and summer sports.Its unfortunately just before the games, Reedie told the AP. It was caused by very, very serious evidence of wrongdoing. There was little time to resolve it, and so it was likely to destabilize the situation.Asked about the divisions with the International Olympic Committee, he said: Most of us will get over this. Its all perfectly civilized.On Sunday, Bach defended the IOCs decision not to ban the entire Russian delegation, and said the IOC was not responsible for the timing of the latest WADA report, which came out on July 18.On July 24, the IOC placed the burden on international sports federations to determine if Russian athletes should be allowed to compete in Rio. More than 100 Russian athletes -- including the track and field team -- have been excluded, with more than 250 declared eligible by the federations so far.The IOC is not responsible for the timing of the McLaren report, Bach said. The IOC is not responsible for the fact that different information which was offered to WADA already a couple of years ago was not followed up.dddddddddddd. The IOC is not responsible for the accreditation or supervision of anti-doping laboratories.WADA, which was created by the IOC in 1999 to lead the anti-doping fight, and receives half of its funding from the IOC, issued a long statement defending itself.WADA wishes to factually clarify that the agency acted immediately on allegations concerning Russia when it had corroborated evidence and the power to do so under the World Anti-Doping Code, it said.WADA said it set up a commission headed by Dick Pound to investigate allegations of systematic doping made in a documentary by German broadcaster ARD in December 2014. The agency said it acquired new powers to investigate in January 2015.Pounds report, which was released in November 2015, detailed widespread cheating in track and field and led the IAAF to ban Russias entire team. Pound said he also found that doping in Russia was likely not restricted to track and field, and that Russian secret service officers were present in the Sochi and Moscow laboratories. But Pound said he did not uncover concrete evidence that the Russian government was manipulating doping controls.WADA said it acquired strong evidence of Russian state involvement in early May, when CBS 60 Minutes and The New York Times published allegations by Moscows former lab director, Grigory Rodchenkov. That led to McLarens investigation, which corroborated Rodchenkovs claims that dirty samples of Russian athletes were replaced with clean ones during the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi.Since then, WADA director general Olivier Niggli said, the agency facilitated the transfer of relevant information that is available to date about individual Russian athletes to the various international federations.Responding to Bachs swipe about supervision of the Russian doping labs, WADA said its focus is on the technical abilities of the labs. It noted that it suspended the Moscow lab in 2015 after violations were cited in Pounds report.Addressing corruption within the anti-doping system -- including state or secret service interference in laboratory operations -- will be one of the topics discussed during a WADA conference in September, the agency said.---AP National Writer Eddie Pells contributed to this report.Cheap Jerseys China NFL Jerseys Wholesale Baseball Jerseys ' ' '