Oklahoma City a 60-59 lead at the break.

Graeme Souness says Claudio Ranieris Leicester team selection against Chelsea gave the players an excuse to treat it like an unimportant game. Ranieri left last seasons Premier League Player of the Year Riyad Mahrez on the bench for the game at Stamford Bridge, while record signing Islam Slimani and regular first-teamers Andy King and Danny Simpson were also left in reserve.And the under-powered Foxes never got going in the game, conceding three without reply to a team who failed to beat them in either meeting last season. Alan McInally reflects on the early kick-off at Stamford Bridge where Chelsea hosted Leicester Were only 10 games into the season and I know there has been internationals and a lot of travelling… but it doesnt get any bigger than coming to Chelsea in the Premier League, Souness told Sky Sports after the game.I dont think they have any chance of winning the Champions League and they have picked their strongest team for midweek. What that does to the group is it tells the players starting today that the manager doesnt think it is that important. Im not sure how that bounces off players. It must have an effect on them. Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri Early in the season, unless you have someone carrying an injury or coming back from injury, I think you go with your strongest XI, Souness continued. Planting that seed like he [Ranieri] did today, was an excuse for the players that started the game to say, you know what, this is not an important game.However, fellow Sky Sports pundit Thierry Henry is not in total agreement with Souness. The Frenchman believes the increased physical demands of modern football, coupled with the remarkable opportunity for Leicester to reach the Champions League knockout stages, is justification for Ranieris selection. Watch NOW TV Watch Sky Sports for just ￡6.99. No contract. With the way football is going at the moment, yes I can understand it, Henry said. We were talking about the old-fashioned way where you had to play every single game.They are not far from going through in the Champions League, which is massive for a club like Leicester. So is it the right thing for Leicester? Yes it is. If you think back to a year ago, if I said that to you, you would have laughed. But you cant also not think about the league.You can watch Liverpool v Man Utd, plus Englands tour of Bangladesh and the British Masters on Sky Sports. Upgrade now and enjoy six months at half price! Also See: Costa strikes in Chelsea win Ranieri laments two strange goals Match in a Minute - Chelsea 3-0 Leicester Premier League goals and reaction Bruce Sutter Cardinals Jersey . The Cottagers last victory came in a 2-1 home win over West Ham when Rene Meulensteen was still in charge. Since then, a miserable run of seven defeats and two draws has seen the club part with the Dutch coach and replace him with German Felix Magath. John Gant Cardinals Jersey . Huntington doesnt want to help run the club unless Hurdle is in the dugout. The combination thats returned the franchise to respectability will remain intact for years to come. https://www.cheapcardinalsonline.com/244...-cardinals.html. Footballs governing body said Tuesday that of the 2,577,662 tickets allocated for this years tournament, 1,041,418 have gone to people in Brazil. The U. Matt Wieters Cardinals Jersey . Kevin Martin and Kevin Love paced the Timberwolves like they do so often. Martin had 27 points with some key baskets down the stretch, Love had his usual double-double, and the Timberwolves snapped a three-game losing streak with a 112-106 victory Saturday night over the suddenly slipping Dallas Mavericks. Matt Wieters Jersey . The alley-oop looked easy -- just like everything else after halftime for the Miami Heat. James scored 32 points, Wade added 22 points and eight assists, and the Heat trailed by 11 early in the second half before running away to a 107-88 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night.DALLAS - Dirk Nowitzki was frustrated by his poor shooting performance in Dallas previous game. That disappointment, plus a little help from an old friend, turned into another big performance by the veteran forward. Nowitzki scored seven of his 32 points in overtime, leading the Mavericks to a 128-119 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night. Nowitzki also had 10 rebounds and six assists. In Dallas loss to Brooklyn on Sunday, he was 2 for 12 from the field in his worst shooting performance of the season. "The last game was disappointing for me," Nowitzki said. "I was just hesitating too much, so I had to go back to having fun out there and just being me. "That was a heck of a game, and it was fun to be a part of." The 7-foot Nowitzki was 11 for 23 from the field and 8 for 8 at the line. "His emotion and his attitude carried the team," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. "Hes a prideful guy. I think great players are great for a reason. They never let anything keep them down for long. Hes bounced back from every adversity hes ever had in his career, so this is no surprise." Kevin Durant led Oklahoma City with 43 points. He has scored at least 25 in 36 consecutive games in the longest such streak since Michael Jordans 40-game run during the 1986-87 season. Dallas had seven players score in double figures. Jose Calderon went 6 for 8 from 3-point range and finished with 22 points. Nowitzki said he spent time on Tuesday with Holger Geschwinder, his longtime basketball mentor from his home country of Germany. He said they got in a little shooting work. "I guess he was tired of watching my shooting percentage," Nowitzki said. "Its always good when hes there." Russell Westbrook scored 23 for Oklahoma City. All of his points came in regulation, when he played 31:50. He added another minute in overtime. Westbrook is limited to 30 to 32 minutes per game because of his oft-injured right knee. Oklahoma City was coming off a 117-96 victory over Denver on Monday night. The Thunder had won four in a row. "Im proud of our guys effort and energy, coming back from back-to-back games," coach Scott Brooks said. "I cant complain about anything we did tonight.&" "We didnt make the big play," said Durant, who has scored 40 points or more 13 times this season.dddddddddddd"They made shots in overtime. You have to give them credit." The Mavericks scored the first five points of the extra period on two free throws by Nowitzki and a 3-pointer by Calderon. They never trailed again. The victory pushed Dallas into eighth place in the Western Conference, a half-game ahead of idle Phoenix. The Mavericks improved to 3-2 on a franchise-long, eight-game homestand, with three of the games going to overtime. They began the homestand in seventh place, 1 1/2 ahead of the ninth-place Suns. Calderon returned to the starting lineup after being knocked out of Sunday nights game in the first minute. He was whacked in the face by Brooklyns Mason Plumlee, chipping a facial bone between his nose and mouth. Calderon said the injury only hurts when he talks or laughs. "And I dont have to laugh during games," he said. Another of Calderons 3s came with 26.3 seconds left in the fourth quarter and sent the game into overtime. "It felt good from the beginning," he said, "but you dont know until that ball goes through the rim." Dallas won 109-86 at Oklahoma City on March 16 in the Thunders worst loss of the season. Westbrook missed that game because the team wants to limit the activity for his surgically repaired knee, choosing to rest him in one part of back-to-back games. Westbrook was the catalyst of Oklahoma Citys second-quarter rally after the Thunder fell behind by 10. He scored 10 points in the period, including a foul shot that gave Oklahoma City a 57-48 lead with 1:25 to go. But the Mavericks answered with three consecutive 3-pointers - one from Calderon and two from Vince Carter - to tie it with 33.4 left in the half. Durant then hit a 3 to give Oklahoma City a 60-59 lead at the break. The Thunder hit 14 of 18 shots in the period and shot 57.1 per cent for the half. NOTES: Thunder centre Kendrick Perkins, sidelined since Feb. 20 with a groin strain, is hoping to return at Houston on April 4. ... If Dallas finishes among the leagues top-10 teams, Oklahoma City will get the Mavericks first-round draft choice next summer as a result of a series of trades. ' ' '