MINNEAPOLIS - It can be easy to forget the electricity that crackled through Target Center every time Ricky Rubio walked to the scorers table to check in during his rookie season with Minnesota.That was way back in 2011, a lifetime in the NBA. The flashy Spaniard was a game-changer that first season, breathing new life into a downtrodden franchise and had the lowly Timberwolves nearing a playoff berth when he went down with a major knee injury in early March.Three years after his debut, essentially two years after his left knee was surgically repaired and three days before the deadline to extend his rookie contract, Rubio feels like hes as close as hes ever been to recapturing that old magic.If you look at the stats, Im not a big guy to put up a lot of numbers, Rubio told The Associated Press on Tuesday before boarding a plane to Memphis for Wednesdays season opener. I think what I do is change the game. I can do it from defence. I can do it with a couple steals. I can do it by getting the ball to a player who is hot. ... Winning games thats what I want to do.Thats what he did as a rookie. His long-scrutinized shooting has never been worse than it was that first season (35.7 per cent), but he found numerous other ways to impact the game.With his hair flopping and the ball zipping to open teammates, a team that had won just 32 games combined over the previous two seasons and had not made the playoffs for seven straight years was 21-19 and nearing the eighth seed when Minnesota hosted the Lakers on March 9.I was coming from a winning team and coming here, knowing they only won like 17 or 15 games the season before, it was kind of shocking. But I was trying to bring everything I learned during my years overseas in Europe and try to change the mentality, he said.That night, Rubio tore two knee ligaments in the closing moments of the close loss, and the Wolves season quickly swirled down the drain. Kevin Love was injured as well and the team would only win five more games.Rubio returned to play in 57 games in the next season and all 82 last year, but he wasnt the same player. He shot 36 per cent in 2012-13 and 38 per cent last season. Critics point to those numbers as reason for the Wolves to be cautious in signing him to a big-money extension.The whole season last year was trying to get back that feeling, Rubio said. I was feeling 100 per cent healthy, but you never know when youre healthy 100 per cent. I think this summer I could finally workout on my body, could make a couple steps forward. I felt pretty good in the (FIBA) World Cup. My quickness was 100 per cent back.In six preseason games this year, Rubio averaged 11.3 points in 22.5 minutes and shot 43.5 per cent from the field, but only 20 per cent on 3s. He also averaged 4.8 free throw attempts while showing more aggressiveness.Coach Flip Saunders said Rubios new-found mentality is a product of a different system that puts the ball in his hands more and gives him more responsibility for where the shots come from. That, coupled with Loves departure for Cleveland, has given Rubio more freedom to call his own number than in the past.Hes shown good leadership, Saunders said. I like the fact that hes a willing learner. I like the fact that he works hard. Like all young players, they all have things they have to work on. But he works at his deficiencies. Hes extremely competitive and he wants to win.If the Timberwolves are going to avoid taking a huge step back after trading Love, Rubio is going to have to lead the way. Youngsters Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine and Anthony Bennett arent ready for that responsibility and have yet to show they can make a difference in a regular-season game.Rubio did that once before, and he can feel it coming again.A lot of people put us in the 15th seed in the Western Conference, Rubio said. If they believe that, Im not agreeing with that and were going to show everybody.___Follow Jon Krawczynski on Twitter: http://twitter.com/APKrawczynski Francisco Rodriguez Jersey .B. - The Swiss were as surprised as anyone else by their gold-medal victory at the 2014 Ford Womens World Curling Championship. Miguel Ponce Jersey . Vancouver is 0-2-1 over its last three games and has dropped the first two tests of a five-game homestand in regulation. The slide has damaged the clubs already fragile playoff hopes, and the Canucks enter Saturday seven points out of the Western Conferences last postseason berth with only five games left on their schedule. http://www.mexicosoccerjerseysproshop.com/World-Cup-Rafael-Marquez-Soccer-Jersey/ . Canada played to its second-straight 1-1 draw Tuesday, coming from behind to tie Moldova in a friendly. Canada also tied Bulgaria 1-1 in a friendly last week. Tuesdays result means Canadas 16-game winless streak that dates back to October 2012 remains intact as the team still searches for its first win in seven games under Floros leadership. Carlos Salcido Jersey . According to the Winnipeg Free Press, the Blue Bombers confirmed that linebacker Henoc Muamba and wide receiver Chris Matthews worked out with the NFLs Minnesota Vikings after the window for free agents opened on December 1. Jose de Jesus Corona Jersey . 19; Second leg Feb. 26)Young Boys (Switzerland) vs. Everton (England)Torino (Italy) vs. Athletic Bilbao (Spain)Sevilla (Spain) vs.After 17 days of Olympic hockey, the NHL returns to action tonight with a make-up game between the Buffalo Sabres and Carolina Hurricanes. And theres plenty of intrigue surrounding the game as all eyes are focused on what the Sabres may or may not do with goaltender Ryan Miller going into the trade deadline. Miller, who kept his habit of not talking to reporters after the game day skate, is in the final year of his contract and could opt to leave Buffalo via free agency over the summer. The 33-year-old served as backup to Jonathan Quick for Team USA in February and he could make the difference for a playoff hopeful team down the stretch. The rebuilding club is mulling over whether or not to deal the star netminder - or perhaps even re-sign him - before March 5. Like Miller, Sabres forward Steve Ott is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent over the summer, and, unless Buffalo is able to sign Ott to an extension, his days in Buffalo could be numbered as well. "Obviously I told them I want to be here," Ott recently told his clubs official web site. "Well see where it all goes. Im professional enough to know the business side of things as well and what the situation is here as well. Well see how it all plays out in the next two weeks or so." Buffalo ended its pre-Olympic schedule on a four-game losing streak and it will try to halt that 0-4-0 stretch tonight. With its win last month in Buffalo, the Hurricanes have won two straight and four of their past five games in western New York. Carolina has claimed four in a row and five of six in the series overall. Buffalo is beginning a three-game homestand tonight, but that is hardly a consolation for a club that has lost eight straight as the host. All told, the Sabres are 9-17-5 as the home team this season.dddddddddddd The Sabres also will be in action on Wednesday night when they host the Boston Bruins. This contest was originally scheduled for Jan. 7 before wintry weather forced that meeting to be postponed until tonight. The clubs met once after that postponement when the Hurricanes notched a 5-3 win in Buffalo on Jan. 23. Alexander Semin had two goals in Carolinas triumph, while Anton Khudobin -- the NHLs First Star for January -- turned aside 26-of-29 shots. Khudobin could hold the key to getting Carolina back to the postseason for the first time since the spring of 2009. The 27-year-old Russian is turning heads in his first season in Raleigh and has clearly outplayed longtime No. 1 backstop Cam Ward in 2013-14. Khudobin entered the Olympic break with a 19-13-6 record, 2.14 goals against average and a .927 save percentage. Ward, meanwhile, is 6-7-5 with a 3.15 GAA and .895 save percentage. Carolina enters tonight three points out of a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference, and Khudobin could make a positive difference for the club down the stretch. Although Khudobin helped the Canes win six of their last nine games before the break, the club did find itself on the losing end in three of its final five tests prior to the Olympics. "Its a restart button for everybody," said Hurricanes head coach Kirk Muller of the time off. "Its a great opportunity for everyone to take a deep breath and use this break mentally and physically. Our goal is to make the playoffs, and were going to need everybody." Carolina was 2-2-0 on a four-game homestand that completed the teams pre- Olympics schedule and the club will emerge from the hiatus to begin a five- game road trip. The Hurricanes are just 11-10-4 as the visiting team this season. cheap nfl jerseys authentic jerseys nfl wholesale wholesale jerseys cheap jerseys wholesale jerseys ' ' '
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