Happy New Year! Hope each and every one of you and your families have a wonderful 2014. Pedro Borbon Jr. Jersey . All the best! A few quick NBA Thoughts. 1. PATRICK PATTERSON (Raptors): Hes impressed me with his toughness and skill level. Hes got a nice face up game and works hard to establish positive post position inside. Hes also a strong and steady interior defender who fights for every inch in the paint. Between him and Tyler Hansbrough, head coach Dwane Casey has a good 3 and 4 with the depth in terms of his front court rotation. Patterson knows the game well and is a smart player. Hes in the right spots and has good awareness of what needs to get done out there. 2. KELLY OLYNYK (Celtics): 21 points and four rebounds along with five assists and two blocks yesterday. Thats nice to see; hes battled injury which is always difficult for rookies in missing necessary practice and game time. Theyre going to throw him out there every game since rebuilding is the approach in Boston this season; when he gets extended minutes, he impresses me. He has good skill and feel for the game. 3. KYRIE IRVING (Cavs): Fingers crossed that the MRI results are OK for him. Hes such an enjoyable and creative player to watch. I spoke about this on Monday: weve had so many injuries to some of our elite level players which is sucha shame. The Cavs have been a bit of a disappointment this season and hes that bright spot that you tune in to watch and know that hell wow you with his ball handling, passing and scoring punch. Hes had njury issues in the past and you always worry about guys that are injury prone when youre trying to build a team. 4. PAU GASOL (Lakers): Its amazing when you evaluate trade rumours these days. So often its about the contract attached to a guys name rather than the guy himself. Hes linked with former teammate Andrew Bynum in a deal with the Cavs. Maybe the Cavs think hes still got a lot left in his game and want to see it for themselves while dumping Bynum. From what I see this year from Gasol, he needs a change of scenery. Its obvious that he doesnt feel comfortable with Mike DAntonis system in Los Angeles while DAntoni has struggled to connect with him. Probably better for both sides if hes moved. Gasol is a big ticket guy yet hes got a lot to play for as we look at the long term. Where there is smoke, there is fire. Somethings brewing. 5. TAJ GIBSON (Bulls): He has really impressed me with his improvement in his low post skills. I saw him last night in Chicago; hes made a significant commitment to do a better job of establishing deeper post position to counteract his lack of major size and length in the lane which is critical for him. He has a great motor and with the Bulls desperate for more offensive productivity and consistency hes a candidate for more minutes. Carlos Boozer can be inconsistent on some nights and Joakim Noah is a high energy guy with limited post moves; opportunity could be knocking further for him as they search for answers. Peter Moylan Jersey . Sources tell TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger that the team is quietly gauging interest on the Senators captain, though Spezza has a limited no-trade clause and carries a large contract. Ozzie Albies Jersey .C. -- Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith has been ruled out for Sundays game against the Atlanta Falcons. http://www.custombravesjersey.com/custom-freddie-freeman-jersey-large-1487z.html . Gonzalez participated in his final game on Sunday, Atlantas 21-20 defeat at the hands of the NFC South champion Carolina Panthers, having posted four catches for 46 yards.SAN FRANCISCO -- Bruce Bochy remembered stressing out while watching Tim Lincecum labour through the final innings of his 148-pitch no-hitter at San Diego last July. The Giants manager said there was "no chance" of stretching out his starter again Wednesday, even after Lincecum logged five hitless innings. Not with a blister forming on the tip of Lincecums middle finger. Not with the Giants owning baseballs best record. And certainly, not with more than half of the season to play. Instead, Lincecum and five relievers combined on a weird two-hitter to lead the San Francisco Giants to a 5-0 win over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday. "He worked so hard out there. It was time," Bochy said. The unconventional performance included 10 baserunners -- five walks, two hits, two errors and a hit batter -- before an announced sellout crowd of 41,186 at AT&T Park that wanted to cheer history. Lincecum struck out five, walked four and hit a batter in another wild but effective start. George Kontos (1-0) retired four straight before John Baker singled through the right side of the infield with one out in the seventh against lefty Jeremy Affeldt for Chicagos first hit. The Cubs hold the longest streak in the majors without being no-hit. The last time it happened to them was 1965, when Sandy Koufax pitched a perfect game for the Dodgers. "Whats the cliche? Its a game of inches," Baker said. "I think the Chicago Cubs are proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that baseballs a game of inches." Hector Sanchez hit a two-run double, and three others drove in a run to help the Giants (34-19) extend the best record in the majors. San Francisco has won six of seven after holding the Cubs scoreless in consecutive games. Edwin Jackson (3-5) gave up two runs on four hits in 5 1-3 innings for the Cubs, who have not won a road series since last September. He struck out nine and walked two. But for most of a sunny afternoon along the bay, the focus remained on whether San Franciscos staff would complete an improbable no-hitter. Lincecum had a 32-pitch first inning that ended oon Nate Schierholtzs sharp lineout to first baseman Buster Posey with runners on second and third. Greg Maddux Jersey. He tossed another 20 in the second and pitched a perfect third. The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner hit Schierholtz and overcame an error by shortstop Brandon Crawford on a grounder in the fourth. And after walking Emilio Bonifacio in the fifth, Lincecum got Junior Lake to ground into a double play. It was the second straight erratic outing for Lincecum. He walked six in six innings in San Franciscos 6-2 win over Minnesota last Friday. Lincecum said a tiny blister began forming on the tip of his middle finger in the third. He said its not serious, but he didnt want to risker further injury. And with a no-hitter on his resume already, he felt no need to lobby Bochy for another inning. "I think its just because I know what our bullpen is capable of," Lincecum said. "I just wanted to get the win today and put up some good numbers today, so it was good." Jean Machi got two outs on three pitches, Juan Gutierrez allowed a single to Anthony Rizzo in 1 1-3 scoreless innings and Javier Lopez recorded the final two outs in the ninth. San Francisco supplied support for the pitchers in the late innings. Pablo Sandoval and Tyler Colvin drove in a run in the sixth, and Sanchez hit a two-run double to highlight a three-run seventh that gave the Giants a 5-0 lead. Bochy said Sanchez will continue to catch Lincecum most of the season. He said the move is made, in part, to save Posey from the bumps and bruises that often come with catching Lincecum. "We have a good relationship," Sanchez said, "and we work well together." NOTES: Giants RHP Matt Cain, who missed his last start with a strained right hamstring, threw a bullpen session and is on schedule to make his next start Saturday at St. Louis. ... The Cubs have Thursday off before beginning a three-game series at Milwaukee on Friday. ...RHP Ryan Vogelsong (3-2, 3.20 ERA) starts for the Giants in the opener of a four-game series at St. Louis on Thursday. ' ' '