The Oklahoma City Thunder hit what everyone thought was a soft spot in their schedule, but it hasnt worked out that way.The Thunder, who were a quarter away from reaching the NBA Finals last season, have lost three straight and seven of their last nine. They will try to get things turned around when they visit the Denver Nuggets on Friday night.Oklahoma City is still adjusting to the departure of Kevin Durant, who signed with Golden State in the offseason. The growing pains are apparent but the Thunder still have one of the best guards in Russell Westbrook.It maybe it sounds like a little bit of a broken record, but its kind of where were at, Oklahoma City coach Billy Donovan told normantranscript.com. And were working towards getting better and improving.The Thunder (8-8) started the season strong but after losing on consecutive nights to the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings, they are now tied with Utah for first place. Denver (6-9), despite its injury problems and shuffling lineups to try and find consistency, isnt far off the pace.The Nuggets lost to the Jazz 108-83 on Wednesday night, ending their modest two-game winning streak. It was their third game in four nights.Tonight we didnt answer the bell, which is disappointing, Denver coach Michael Malone told The Denver Post. But well get back at it, look at what we have to clean up and try to come out on Friday night against Oklahoma City with a greater sense of energy and urgency to start the game.The Nuggets were without small forward Danilo Gallinari for the game in Utah because of a right thigh injury, and his status for Fridays game is unknown. Gallinari is Denvers second-leading scorer and has a penchant for getting to the line, but the thigh has been bothering him and finally forced him to sit.It hurts stretching it. It hurts when I tighten the muscle. It started giving me discomfort even when I walk, Gallinari told The Denver Post. Im sure that maybe the worst thing is its a strain. Thats the worst-case scenario. The best-case scenario is just a bruise that is not behaving right. Usually with a bruise you get better by playing because you get the blood flowing. But this is not getting better, its getting worse.Malone started 19-year-old rookie Juancho Hernangomez in place of Gallinari on Wednesday and he scored nine points in 27 minutes. His fellow rookie, Jamal Murray, had another strong game with 23 points in 35 minutes off the bench.Murray is averaging 21.7 points in his last three games, giving Denver a boost off the bench.He is playing with ease, Malone said Tuesday night. Hes shooting into a hula hoop right now. Hes feeling very confident and the guys are finding him.Murray will have his hands full if he faces up against Westbrook. Despite the Thunders struggles, Westbrook is playing at a high level. He is averaging a double-double with an NBA-best 31.8 points a game as well as 10.6 assists. His 9.6 rebounds per game nearly has him averaging nearly a triple-double.The gaudy stats arent helping the Thunder win lately, but he is a force and will set the tone against the Nuggets.Just got to be ready to play, man, he told normantranscript.com. Very plain and simple. Celtics Jerseys 2019 . Thousands of fans at Mosaic Stadium will be cozying up to each other in an effort to stay warm in chilly temperatures and block the Prairie wind that locals say can knock your socks off. Paul Pierce Jersey . Robinson finished with 17 points, all but two in the second half, and Lawson had 14 after halftime and finished with a game-high 11 assists as the Nuggets handed Dallas its first home loss in eight games this season. J.J. Hickson led Denver with 22, and Kenneth Faried added 10 points and 10 rebounds. https://www.cheapceltics.com/342n-antoine-walker-jersey-celtics.html . They were putting most of their energy into a record-setting offensive display. Custom Boston Celtics Jerseys . -- Edmontons Val Sweeting is two wins away from a trip to Winnipeg to play in Canadas Road of the Rings in December. Carsen Edwards Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. After last weeks chaotic and unexpected results, the top?College Football Playoff contenders mostly held serve on Saturday. (No. 5 Louisville was another matter on Thursday night.)Heading into the final week of the regular season, we have a pretty good idea how most of the Power 5 conference races are going to shake out. Three of them look a lot like they did last season.No. 1 Alabama will play No. 23 Florida in the SEC championship game for the second straight season and the ninth time overall. No. 4 Clemson will be the favorite in the ACC championship game and will play Virginia Tech -- as long as the Hokies defeat rival Virginia in next weeks regular-season finale. No. 9 Oklahoma continues to sweep through the Big 12 -- the Sooners demolished No. 14 West Virginia 56-28 on the road -- and will win a second straight Big 12 title with a victory over No. 11 Oklahoma State in the Dec. 3 Bedlam game.The Big Ten might yet prove to be a wild card. All eyes have turned to No. 2 Ohio State versus No. 3 Michigan next week, but its not a foregone conclusion that the Buckeyes and Wolverines are playing for a place in Indianapolis. If Ohio State beats Michigan and No. 8 Penn State beats Michigan State at home, the Nittany Lions will win the Big Ten East.?Theres plenty of intrigue out West, where the Pac-12 is set up for a dramatic final weekend.Its winner take all in the North, where No. 6 Washington and No. 22 Washington State will play for a place in the championship game in Fridays Apple Cup. The Huskies bounced back after last weeks loss to USC with a comfortable win over Arizona State and remain in the CFP hunt. The Cougars had their eight-game winning streak snapped in a loss at Colorado, but theyve looked the part of a Pac-12 contender during league play.The Pac-12 South will be contested by one of the hottest teams in the country, No. 13 USC, and this seasons feel-good story, No. 10 Colorado. The Trojans were left for dead after a 1-3 start but have reeled off seven straight wins after beating UCLA 36-14. They end the regular season against Notre Dame and can only hope Colorado loses to Utah next Saturday. USC owns the tiebreaker over Colorado, so the Trojans would win the South if the Utes beat the Buffaloes.?It means the world to go out there and win, keep our hopes alive, Colorado quarterback Sefo Liufau said. Its more fun than anything. Weve been in close games for a long time now.Time might be up for Charlie Strong, Ed OrgeronAccording to industry sources, there isnt expected to be a tremendous amount of turnover among FBS coaches this offseason. But two very big dominoes -- LSU and Texas -- are much closer to falling after Saturdays results.?Texas coach Charlie Strong is probably finished, after the Longhorns were stunned 24-21 in overtime at Kansas. When asked during an uncomfortable postgame news conference how the loss to the Jayhawks would affect his future, Strong said, I have no idea.Truth be told, its probably the best outcome for both sides. Even if Strong had led the Longhorns to a winning record and a bowl game, he would have entered next season under the same pressure he faced the past two seasons. Thats no way to try to build a winning program. The Longhorns are expected to target Houston coach Tom Herman. What isnt known is whether the Longhorns will swing big again to try to lure a top candidate to Austin, namely Alabamas Nick Saban or Florida States Jimbo Fisher, before they settle on hiring Herman.Fisher and Herman also figure to be top candidates at LSU, where the Tigers have probably reached the point where they cant retain interim coach Ed Orgeron next season. LSU won three straight games under Orgeron after former coach Les Miles was fired on Sept. 25. But now the Tigers have dropped two of their past three games, including an ugly 16-10 loss to No. 23 Florida at home on Saturday, when the Tigers committed several of the same mistakes that led to Miles demise.?Were not going to lie, Orgeron said. We thought we were going to win the football game. We didnt execute right, and they got to take it away from us; it would have been a great victory for all of them.Fisher is believed to be LSUs No. 1 target, but its unclear whether he would be willing to leave the Seminoles, who might be built to be a playoff contender the next few seasons. If Fisher isnt interested, Herman, Colorados Mike MacIntyre and North Carolinas Larry Fedora might be considered at LSU.Speaking of Miles, he has emerged as a potential candidate at Baylor, which lost its fourth consecutive game under interim coach Jim Grobe on Saturday -- a 42-21 final against Kansas State at home. Fedora, SMUs Chad Morris and ex-San Francisco 49ers coach Mike Singletary, a former Baylor All-America linebacker, are also being considered, according to sources close to the search.Elsewhere, Oregons Mark Helfrich guided the Ducks to a 30-28 upset at No. 12 Utah, scoring the winning touchdown on Justin Herberts 17-yard pass to Darren Carrington II with two seconds left.Is it too little too late for Helfrich? Even if the Ducks win at Oregon State in next weeks Civil War, they will finish only 5-7 and miss the postseason for the first time since 2004. Or does the upset of the Utes give Oregon decision-makers enough hope that Helfrich can turn things around? He would be owed an $11.7 million buyout if hes fired.Thats the nature of the beast, Helfrich told reporters. Ten percent love you regardless, 10 percent hate you regardless and 80 percent swing vote.Playoff teams after Week 121. Alabama: The Crimson Tide rolled to a 31-3 victory over FCS foe Chattanooga, but coach Nick Saban said he was embarrassed by his teams performance in the first half. Freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts completed 15 of 21 passes for 136 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 68 yards.2. Michigan: The Wolverines trailed Indiana in the third quarter but scored the final 14 points in a 20-10 win at the snow-covered Big House. Michigan was playing without injured quarterback Wilton Speight for the first time and relied heavily on tailback DeVeon Smith, who ran 233 times for 158 yards and two scores.dddddddddddd Michigan can win the Big Ten East by knocking off rival Ohio State on the road next week.3. Clemson: After suffering their first defeat of the season last week, the Tigers bounced back with an impressive 35-13 win over Wake Forest to claim the ACC Atlantic Division title. Tailback Wayne Gallman ran 22 times for 161 yards and one touchdown. The Tigers host rival South Carolina in next weeks regular-season finale.4. Ohio State: It wasnt pretty, but the Buckeyes survived at Michigan State, 17-16. The Spartans had derailed Ohio States national championship hopes in two of the past three seasons, beating the Buckeyes in the 2013 Big Ten title game and then late in the 2015 regular season. The Buckeyes can remain in the CFP hunt by beating Michigan at the Horseshoe next week, but they still need Penn State to lose in order to win the Big Ten East.Next four in contention1. Washington: The Huskies rebounded from their ugly loss against USC last week by routing Arizona State 44-18. Quarterback Jake Browning passed for 338 yards and two touchdowns, while tailback Myles Gaskin ran for 127 yards and a score. The winner of next weeks Apple Cup at Washington State will claim the Pac-12 North.2. Wisconsin: The Badgers beat Purdue 49-20 on the road, securing their fourth consecutive nine-win season for the second time in school history. Wisconsin can win the Big Ten West by beating Minnesota next week -- or if Nebraska loses at Iowa. The Cornhuskers will win the division if they beat the Hawkeyes and the Badgers lose to the Gophers.3. Penn State: After a very slow start, the Nittany Lions scored 30 points in the second half to shut out Rutgers 39-0 on the road. Penn State outgained the Scarlet Knights 549 yards to 87 in total offense. The Nittany Lions will win the Big Ten East if they defeat Michigan State at home and Ohio State beats Michigan next week.4. Oklahoma: Left for dead after two early-season losses, the Sooners are trying to find a backdoor way into the playoff again. Oklahoma blasted West Virginia 56-28 on the road in the snow. Tailbacks Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon combined for 307 rushing yards and three touchdowns. The Sooners host No. 11 Oklahoma State on Dec. 3 with the Big 12 title at stake.Heisman candidates1. Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville: Jackson might have cracked the door for other contenders after the No. 5 Cardinals dismal performance in a 36-10 loss at Houston on Thursday night. Jackson was sacked 11 times and completed 20 of 43 passes for 211 yards and one touchdown. He ran 25 times for 33 yards, but he would have finished with 116 yards if not for the sacks.2. Dede Westbrook, WR, Oklahoma: Oklahoma didnt throw the ball much in the snow at West Virginia, but Westbrook scored a touchdown for the eighth straight game on a 75-yard catch. He had two catches for 100 yards, the seventh time in eight games that he reached 100.3. DOnta Foreman, RB, Texas: Foreman carried a school-record 51 times for 250 yards and two touchdowns, but he also lost two costly fumbles in the Longhorns 24-21 defeat at Kansas. It was Foremans 12th consecutive 100-yard rushing game, breaking Earl Campbells school record of 11.4. Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson: Watson bounced back from a so-so performance in the loss to Pittsburgh by completing 23 of 33 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown against Wake Forest. He also ran seven times for 47 yards and two scores. Watson is now 28-3 as a starter, posting the best winning percentage by a Clemson quarterback.Best momentsTweets of the nightBest playsWorst playsQuotes of the night1. All week long Id said that, hey, if we get close at the end of the game, were going for two, and were going to take an aggressive approach and play to win the football game rather than to tie. They had us covered up on that particular play, so good job by them. -- Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio, on his teams failed two-point try with 4:41 left in a 17-16 loss to Ohio State.2. Oh man! Big-time players make big-time plays, and it was definitely time to make a big-time play, so I just had to come through in the clutch for my boys. I just turned and saw the ball in the air and went and got it. I had no idea the ball was coming until it was up in the air. -- Oregon receiver Darren Carrington II, on his winning touchdown catch to beat No. 12 Utah.3. Im at a loss for words, really, as to what to tell them. -- Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly, after the Fighting Irish blew a 17-point lead in a 34-31 loss to Virginia Tech. The Irish are 4-7.4. The mood of the team is we just have to rally together. Right now, the easiest thing to do is to abandon ship, play the blame game, point fingers. Right now, we have two regular-season games and we have a bowl game that we need to prepare for. -- Baylor defensive back Travon Blanchard, after the Bears lost their fourth straight game, 42-21 to Kansas State, to fall to 6-4.Stats that matter4,166: Florida States Dalvin Cook ran for 225 yards with four touchdowns in a 45-14 rout at Syracuse, passing Warrick Dunn to become the schools all-time leading rusher with 4,166 yards. Cook is the sixth ACC player to run for 4,000 yards and the first to do it in three seasons.4?: Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett had 4? sacks in a 23-10 victory over Texas-San Antonio, giving him 8? this season. Garrett now has 32? sacks in his career, making him the eighth player in SEC history to have at least 30.400: Tennessee allowed 420 rushing yards yet still beat Missouri 63-37. The Volunteers have allowed 400 rushing yards in back-to-back games and have won both of them. They beat Kentucky last week while allowing 443 rushing yards.?1,046: Detroit native Mike Weber ran for 111 yards in Ohio States 17-16 win at Michigan State, giving him 1,046 in 11 games this season. Weber joins Robert Smith (1990) and Maurice Clarett (2002) as the only freshmen in Ohio State history to run for at least 1,000 yards in a season. ' ' '