NEW YORK -- Marin Cilic was barred from last years U. [url=http://www.redskinsrookiestore.com/Redskins-Charles-Mann-Jersey/]Ch arles Mann Redskins Jersey[/url] .S. Open during a doping suspension he still says was unjust. Unable to compete, he watched the tournament on TV from his home in Croatia, whi

NEW YORK -- Marin Cilic was barred from last years U. Charles Mann Redskins Jersey .S. Open during a doping suspension he still says was unjust. Unable to compete, he watched the tournament on TV from his home in Croatia, while using the forced time away from the tour to improve under the tutelage of new coach Goran Ivanisevic. Now, 12 months later, look at Cilic. Seems completely unreal, he said, to be called Grand Slam champion. The 14th-seeded Cilic won his first major final Monday, beating 10th-seeded Kei Nishikori of Japan 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 at the U.S. Open by using 17 aces and the rebuilt game and confidence instilled by Ivanisevic. This is a second chance he got, Ivanisevic said, referring to Cilics four-month ban in 2013, and now he can just go forward and forward. Cilic earned a $3 million winners check and will rise to No. 9 from his pre-U.S. Open ranking of No. 16, which made him the first man from outside the top 10 to win a Grand Slam title in a decade. This, Cilic said, is (from) all the hard work in these last several years -- and especially this last year. He prevented Nishikori from becoming the first man from Asia to win a major singles championship. Tennis has not been our biggest sport in Japan, Nishikori said. Hopefully I can win next time. There hadnt been a matchup between players making their Grand Slam final debuts at the U.S. Open since 1997. Lopsided and lasting less than two hours, this hardly qualified as a classic. It had been 40 years since a U.S. Open mens runner-up failed to win at least four games in any set of the final. Both of us were pretty nervous in the first set, especially, Cilic acknowledged. Cilic won the last 10 sets he played in the tournament, including three against 17-time major champion Roger Federer in the semifinals, and three against 2010 Wimbledon runner-up Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinals. Nishikori stunned No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the semifinals, so this was the first Grand Slam final since the 2005 Australian Open without Djokovic, Federer or Rafael Nadal, who won the U.S. Open in 2013 but is sidelined now by a wrist injury. That trio had won 34 of the past 38 major titles, but this was the second of this season that eluded them. Some, including Cilic, had seen Stan Wawrinkas victory at the Australian Open in January as an indication that the next tier -- Cilic calls them the guys from second line -- was about to get a crack at the hardware. Cilic tested positive for a stimulant at a tournament in Germany in May 2013. The International Tennis Federation initially sought a two-year punishment; Cilic wound up with a much shorter suspension on appeal. He said he ingested the substance unintentionally via a glucose tablet bought at a pharmacy and says the process that led to his penalty wouldnt be fair to any tennis player. But he looks on the bright side. I just used the positive parts, which, you know, made me tougher, Cilic said. Plus, it was last September that he connected with the only other man from Croatia to win a major, 2001 Wimbledon champion Ivanisevic. Any Croatian knows where he was at that time, said Cilic, who was 12 and at summer camp. Ivanisevic insisted the biggest change for Cilic is being more relaxed on court. He didnt learn how to play tennis in this year, Ivanisevic said. He always knew how to play tennis. The 6-foot-6 (1.98-meter) Cilic, who is 25, and the 5-10 (1.78-meter) Nishikori, 24, each works with a guy with a major championship: Michael Chang is one of Nishikoris two coaches. The Arthur Ashe Stadium artificial lights were on and the stands were mostly empty when the players walked out to the court at 5 p.m. -- which was 6 a.m. in Japan, but did not prevent folks there from gathering to watch on TV. There wasnt much to cheer for. Cilic won 19 of his last 20 service points in the opening set. The biggest problem for Nishikori, really, was there were not many extended groundstroke exchanges -- and when there were, he tended to lose them. He was off, whether because of the wind, the accumulated fatigue from a pair of four-hour-plus victories over No. 3 Wawrinka and No. 5 Milos Raonic, or perhaps knowing what was at stake for him, his country and his continent. Nishikori admitted feeling jitters early and getting a little bit lazy. Cilic wound up with twice as many winners, 38-19. I guess Kei didnt feel it today, said Dante Bottini, who helps Chang coach Nishikori. Nishikori only broke once, in the second set, and Cilic broke right back. In the third set, trailing 4-2, Nishikori had three other break points. But one was erased by an ace and on the others, Nishikori slapped second-serve returns into the net -- an escape Cilic termed lucky. Soon enough, Cilic was kissing his shiny silver trophy. Later, he cradled that cup as he walked into his news conference, which was interrupted by his constantly ringing phone. I feel, he said of his career-defining moment, its going to definitely change my life. Sonny Jurgensen Jersey .C. -- When Michael Jordan speaks, people still listen. Darrell Green Redskins Jersey .com) - Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James will sit out Thursdays game against the Oklahoma City Thunder with left knee soreness. http://www.redskinsrookiestore.com/Redskins-John-Riggins-Jersey/ . -- The Windsor Spitfires were left with just one goaltender Tuesday after having their starter walk out on them midway through Game 3 of their Ontario Hockey League playoff matchup with the London Knights.LOS ANGELES, Calif. - When the Oklahoma City Thunder were down by 16 points and struggling to make any shot early in Game 6, they looked all but ready to fold up and head home for a series-deciding finale. Instead, Kevin Durant shouldered the Thunder and carried them into the fourth quarter, where they demonstrated the poise of a championship contender. Durant had 39 points and 16 rebounds, and Oklahoma City advanced to the Western Conference finals with a 104-98 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 6 on Thursday night. Russell Westbrook overcame a slow start to finish with 19 points and 12 assists as the Thunder reached the conference finals for the third time in four years, closing out Los Angeles with two straight wins. Two days after the Thunder erased a late 13-point deficit to win Game 5, the Thunder rallied from that early deficit and maintained their lead throughout the fourth quarter, shaking off any memories of their Game 4 collapse on the same Staples Center court. "Experience has helped us out a lot, just being with each other for so long," Durant said. "Weve got a long ways to go. We definitely can get better. This is definitely a series that pushed us to the brink. We were in a tough spot. We stayed together and persevered." The league MVP hit five 3-pointers and Reggie Jackson added 14 points for Oklahoma City, which will face the Spurs in a rematch of the Wests last two champions. The series begins Monday night in San Antonio. Chris Paul had 25 points and 11 assists, and Blake Griffin had 22 points, eight rebounds and eight assists before fouling out as the Clippers exhausting post-season ended in disappointment. Perhaps the cumulative pressure of two playoff series amid the distractions of owner Donald Sterlings lifetime ban finally cost the two-time Pacific Division champion Clippers, who couldnt keep up late. Or perhaps Durant is just that good. "We did a great job of sticking together," Westbrook said. "Kevin did a great job of setting his guys up, getting the ball in spots that were effective." J.J. Redick scored 16 points for the Clippers, who followed their epic collapse in Game 5 with a disappointing second half at home. Despite a raucous home crowd, Los Angeles wont make its first trip to the conference finals after the best regular season in franchise history. "Oklahoma City absolutely deserves it," said Paul, whose final-minute mistakes hurt the Clippers dearly in Game 5. "We have a really good team, a great team. Its crazy. You play all season llong, and the last few games, we really started to figure out who our team was and how to play. Dwayne Haskins Redskins Jersey. And its crazy that its over." The Clippers led for almost every minute of the first three quarters, but Durant kept the Thunder close and eventually ignited a 30-10 run stretching across the final two quarters. Westbrook, who didnt have a field goal until late in the third quarter, contributed 10 points in the fourth as the Thunder comfortably maintained their lead. The fans frustration boiled over after an offensive foul call against Griffin with 3:11 to play. During the ensuing timeout, fans threw at least two drinks at referee Ed Malloy, causing a slight delay while the floor was cleaned. Griffin fouled out with 2:27 left, but the Clippers got within four points in the final minute before Westbrook and Durant hit free throws to close it out. The loss ended a tumultuous post-season for the Clippers, who managed to win a seven-game series with Golden State in the first round even while Sterling was banned from the NBA for life for racist comments exposed during that series. "Weve gone through a lot of stuff over the last three or four weeks," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. "I dont think that was why we didnt win. I dont think we should use that as an excuse. Were a team in process. I believe we were good enough to win it this year. Oklahoma City told us we were not." Oklahoma City smoothly secured its spot in the conference finals after these teams traded spectacular collapses in the last two games. The Thunder blew a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter of Game 4 at Staples Center, but the Clippers responded by blowing a 13-point lead in the final four minutes in Oklahoma City. The Clippers showed little carry-over from their collapse early in Game 6, while the Thunder appeared a step slow and disorganized, falling behind by 16 points in the first half. Durant and Westbrook combined to miss their first nine shots, but Durant quickly got going. NOTES: Serge Ibaka scored six points before going to the locker room in the third quarter with an injured left calf. ... The NBA fined Rivers $25,000 on Thursday for his criticism of the officiating in Game 5. "I thought it was deserved," Rivers said. ... Matt Damon, Rihanna, Tony Romo, Oscar De La Hoya, UFC President Dana White, former Clippers guard Eric Gordon and Masters champion Bubba Watson attended the game. Jack Nicholson watched from a seat near the Clippers bench. The archetypal Lakers fan also has occasionally attended Clippers games over the years. ' ' '