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SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The challenge of matching up with Oklahoma Citys high-powered offence led by Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook brought out the best of the struggling Sacramento Kings.Rudy Gay scored 28 points and Darren Collison added 24 to help the Kings snap a 12-game losing streak to Oklahoma City with a 104-83 victory over the Thunder on Wednesday night.The Kings allowed season lows in points and shooting percentage (32.6 per cent) in their fourth win in 11 games under new coach Tyrone Corbin.I thought tonight was the first night in a long time where we really committed on the defensive end, Collison said. I dont know if it was the stage of the game playing a team like OKC, but I thought our urgency was really high tonight.DeMarcus Cousins had 23 points and 15 rebounds, and the Kings rolled to their first win against Oklahoma City since Feb. 12, 2012.Durant scored 24 points for the Thunder, who shot just 32.6 per cent and lost both games of a brief Northern California road trip.This marked the first time all season that Oklahoma City lost back-to-back games with Durant and Westbrook in the lineup. The Thunder had won nine of 11 with their two stars healthy before the losses to Golden State and Sacramento.We just have to move on, Durant said. We dont come in here to pop champagne bottles when we win. So we cant panic because we lost.Westbrook was completely outplayed by his former UCLA teammate Collison. Westbrook shot just 3 for 19 and had seven turnovers, while Collison made a career high five 3-pointers.The Kings broke out to a big lead and coasted to the victory in the opener of a six-game homestand. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Collison early in the third quarter put Sacramento up by 17 and Ben McLemores putback in the closing seconds made it 78-57 heading to the fourth.This feels like a good win, Cousins said. Weve had other wins but with those wins, you could feel like it wasnt a good win or a good way to win.Two nights after shooting 31 per cent in a loss at Golden State, the Thunder were still searching for their shooting stroke. Oklahoma City missed 14 straight shots in the first quarter to fall behind 25-7 on a jumper by Cousins.Westbrook missed six of seven shots, scoring on an emphatic dunk, and Durant missed four of five as the Thunder started the game 2 for 21.We found the good shots but couldnt hit them tonight, Durant said. When you get down 25-7 thats when you start to rush and turn the ball over. So we have to go back to the drawing board and get our next one.A 3-pointer by Perry Jones with just under a minute left ended the drought. Serge Ibaka added a fast-break bucket and a 3-pointer to fuel a 9-0 run, but the Thunder still trailed 28-16 after one when Collison hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer.The Kings maintained a comfortable lead throughout the second quarter. Durants late 3-pointer made it 53-43 at the half.TIP-INSThunder: Oklahoma City scored seven points in the first 11 minutes of the game and then nine in the final minute of the first quarter. ... Dion Waiters, acquired on Monday from Cleveland, made his Oklahoma City debut. He finished with four points on 1-for-9 shooting.Kings: Cousins got his fourth technical of the season late in the first quarter arguing a no-call. He had 16 last season. ... Cousins took 13 foul shots in the first half as Oklahoma City big men Ibaka, Steven Adams, Kendrick Perkins and Nick Collison all had three fouls.WRETCHED ROAD TRIPThe Thunder had their worst two shooting nights of the season on this road trip, shooting just 32 per cent for the two games. Westbrook struggled particularly, making just 8 of 40 shots.UP NEXTThunder: Host Utah on Friday.Kings: Host Denver on Friday. Air Max Plus Outlet . You can listen to the game live on TSN Radio 690 in Montreal or on TSN.ca/Montreal. Also, TSN.ca features live streaming of the post-game news conferences from the Bell Centre. The Rangers grabbed a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference Final after Sundays 3-2 overtime victory against the visiting Habs. Cyber Monday Vans Shoes . 5 Trade Deadline is drawing closer and teams will be deciding on whether to buy or sell while figuring out which players can make the biggest difference and hold the greatest value. http://www.outletsneakersclearance.com/fake-air-max-270.html . They are back to a game above .500 on the year and back to .500 on the road. It was their 10th extra time game of the year, and only the second one that did not got to a shootout. Fake Yeezys For Sale .ca. Hi Kerry, Love reading your column and loved watching your analysis on the TSN broadcasts!And were now in Round 2! Bruins! Canadiens! We know all about the great games of the past from the players, the broadcasters and the writers. Vapormax Clearance . On Saturday, the paths of Drew Tate and Kevin Glenn cross again as opposing quarterbacks.Remember when England/Germany meant something? Two rivals, on and off the field, the fixture has always brought a certain cache. The history. The footballing pedigree. Some of the biggest names the game has ever seen. The match has always been a statement of intent, with bragging rights on the line between nations no stranger to hostility. The two nations domestic leagues are arguably the most entertaining and watchable in the world. Yet, the quality and play of the national teams are polar opposites. Even now, an England-Germany fixture sizzles on the surface. Until the teams hit the field. A match buried amidst European World Cup qualification playoffs saw a German B team handily beat Englands first team 1-0 Tuesday. The loss was Englands second of the International break and marked the first back-to-back home defeats for the Three Lions dating back to 1977. A friendly is a friendly. You take what you see with a grain of salt, but that doesnt mean true class cant shine through. The way a team plays trumps the scoreline in such a contest. Take for example Brazils 2-1 win over Chile at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Tuesday night. It was a purposeful victory from a team with true ambition. Quality oozed from every move. Luiz Felipe Scolari and his side treated the game as much more than merely a spectacle, this was preparation to contend in 2014. The term "business like" wouldnt do the team justice, no matter who is wearing yellow, each player filled a role and the talent shone through within the context of team-first. The ball movement superior, the team effort near complete. England meanwhile was blasé, failing to threaten throughout. Sound familiar? An England team lacking cutting edge and precision, weve seen it all before. This isnt to compare England and Brazil. Perhaps its somewhat relevant considering England is a spot better, ranked 10th in FIFAs World rankings. Its perception versus reality; England is simply and thoroughly mediocre. Manager Roy Hodgson pointed to Englands inferior passing and finishing as the difference in the loss. Hes absolutely right. The lack of quality in these areas has plagued the team for decades. And even when the team had a finisher like an Alan Shearer, they were missing consistent build-up play and team identity. Nothing has changed in 2013. Remember, this was wasnt Germanys first team were talking about and still, England was out-classed. At home. As tweeted by Rob Harris (@RobHarris) of the Associated Press:"Im going to be an optimist about this" - the tune rings out in Wembley after Englands first consecutive home loss in 36 years. The upbeat lyrics from the track Pompeii by Bastille were preferred to the bands other hit song Flaws. There is very little to be optimistic for England supporters heading into Brazil. Unless the December 6th World Cup draw renders a group with Switzerland, Iran and Algeria, England will be in tough to progress. Even if they do advance, then what? Its plain to see this team is as second rate as other England out-fits dating back to 1990. The team was booed off the field after the final whistle from the remaining beleaguered voices at Wembley. They know this team isnt good enough and if it wasnt for an inferior qualifying group, England could very well have been taking part in a playoff match Tuesday, or even worse. Its the same song and dance for the national team. p; The domestic league thrives while the supposed best of the best cant get out of first gear internationally.dddddddddddd These are the same players that thrive in the most competitive domestically league in the world. The England side boasts one of the joint top goal scorers in the Premier League and two of the joint top assist-men. These are important players for the biggest clubs in England. Yet when they come together for country, the result falls short of club form. Its nonsensical when pundits suggest the downfall in the development of English players is due to too many foreign players in the Premier League. This excuse needs to stop. The jobs of top English players arent being threatened by a foreign legion. Thats an excuse saved for those not good enough. Top English players star, and play alongside top foreign recruits in the BPL. 15 players active in Tuesdays European World Cup playoffs ply their trade in the Premier League. Six Brazilians taking centre stage at the Rogers Centre belong to Premier League teams as well. Ive always been of the mindset you become a better player by playing with the best competition possible. In training and in games, you need to be pushed. These foreign players bring the best out of their English brethren and it cant be said foreign Premier League players regularly outshine their English teammates in league play. But internationally, theres no comparison. Blame Englands system and formation instead. A basic 4-4-2 is constantly mindlessly rolled out, no matter the manager. Its predictable, boring, and doesnt suit the strengths of the players. Englands top player Wayne Rooney is misused and significant talent available is wasted. Without a generational type player like Cristiano Ronaldo, its about putting players in roles they can thrive. This boils down to identity. A national footballing identity for England is absent. What is trademark of England football? It used to be the unattractive long-ball, which fit the size and strength of the players of previous generations. This current generation is lost, there is no continuity. Coaching is part of this. Englands shortage of top qualified coaches, 1,161 elite coaches in comparison to Spains 12,700 or Germanys 5,500 speaks volumes. They simply dont know how to get the best out of what they have. Ill give Hodgson some credit: although the style remains as dry as the Sahara and unimaginative as ever, younger players are getting a look. Case and point is the bright play of Andros Townsend, but hes still relatively unproven and far from a difference maker. There was too much reliance in the past on the old guard. No longer are John Terry and Frank Lampard among others the key cogs and thats a good thing. Only Steven Gerrard remains. Although Gerrards club form warrants consideration, the Captain doesnt provide the same product for the national team, he never has. So here we are. Just over six months out from the World Cup, and the bar has lowered for England. It perhaps has not been lowered for the English media. And perhaps expectations remain sky-high for those choosing to ignore the inevitable. The realist looks beyond who plays for England, instead acknowledging the what and how is not good enough. The bar need be lowered. This international break has done just that. Now if we can just keep this in mind come June. @WheelerTSNgareth.wheeler@bellmedia.ca ' ' '