PHOENIX -- Gerald Green came to the NBA straight from high school with an abundance of raw talent that never translated into a big-time pro career.Ladarius Green Womens Jersey . Then came his off-season trade to Phoenix -- his seventh team in seven seasons -- and he seems finally to have found a home. On Thursday night, especially in one remarkable quarter, Green was as good as it gets against one of the best teams in the NBA. He scored 25 of his career-high 41 points in the third quarter and the Suns erased a 16-point deficit to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 128-122. "I havent done nothing in this league," Green said. "Every day I come into practice or come into a game, Im just trying to prove myself." Markieff Morris added 24 points, including two free throws with 24.4 seconds to play. Goran Dragic scored 22, including six of the Suns final 12 points after Oklahoma City led 118-116. Russell Westbrook scored a season-high 36 for the Thunder, who would have pulled a half-game ahead of Indiana for the NBAs best record with a victory. Kevin Durant added 34. Greens outburst fell one point shy of a Suns record for most points in a quarter set by Stephon Marbury in 2002. His career-best eight 3-pointers also was one shy of the franchise mark. "I love the way hes playing right now," Suns coach Jeff Hornacek said. "We knew he could shoot the ball. Theres not too many guys that can get on a roll like that. The thing that makes him unique (is) some guys you can get up into and maybe challenge a shot a little harder. But Gerald just jumps over everybody. Hes making shots that other guys cant get that high to shoot." It was Phoenixs second 40-point performance in four games. Dragic had 40 against New Orleans on Friday. Green set a career high for the second time this season. He had 36 at Denver on Feb. 18. In the third quarter, Green was 7 of 11, including 6 of 6 on 3s. Fouled on a 3-pointer with 6.9 seconds left, Green missed one of the three free throws or he would have tied Marburys franchise record. "I was just feeling it, man," he said. "Guys were finding me in transition. I was just being real aggressive. ... Im not afraid to take big shots. Im not afraid to take any type of shot. " The Thunder had won three in a row, but have lost four of seven. "We gave up 15 3s and we put them on the free throw line 39 times," Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks said. "Youve got to get back. Weve been talking about it for about 10 days now. Youve got to get back in a defensive disposition when we play these teams who are small and fast and quick." Westbrook agreed. "Defensively, thats got to be our identity," he said. "We can score with the best of them, but weve got to be able to stop them." After trailing by as many as 16 in the quarter, the Suns scored the final 14 points of the third to lead 101-98 entering the fourth. The run reached 21-3 when Marcus Morris 3 put Phoenix up 108-101 with 9:34 to play. But Westbrook brought the Thunder back. He made three 3s, the last to tie it at 116 with 4:34 to play. Ibakas dunk put Oklahoma City back on top, 118-116, with 4:10 to go. Dragic tied it with a driving layup with 2:22 left, then his reverse layup gave the Suns a 118-116 lead with 2:02 left. He was fouled on the play but missed the free throw, one of 10 misses from the line by Phoenix. Oklahoma City was 19 of 19. Markieff Morris scored to make it 122-118 with 1:11 left, then Durant cut it to 122-120 with 1:01 to go. Dragics 16-footer boosted the lead to 124-120 with 45.9 seconds remaining. Durant scored again to make it 124-122 with 40.9 seconds left. But Morris made two free throws, then twin brother Marcus made two more with 5.6 seconds to go. Up by four at the half, Oklahoma City used a 13-3 surge to build a 96-80 lead on Caron Butlers fourth 3-pointer with 3:47 left in the third. Notes: The Suns were without centre Miles Plumlee for the second game in a row with a sprained shoulder. ... Phoenix G Eric Bledsoe is close to playing and could be back in any of the coming three games. ... The Thunder had won three in a row in Phoenix. ... Oklahoma Citys 41-point first quarter was its highest-scoring quarter of the season and the highest-scoring quarter for a Suns opponent. King Dunlap Blue Jersey . Not exactly bursting with sentimental feelings, Matthew Lombardi makes an odd return to the state of Tennessee on Thursday night. Dan Fouts Womens Jersey . The Dutch were knocked from top spot despite winning two European Championship qualifiers, including an 11-0 victory over San Marino. Germany stays third and Uruguay rises to a best-ever fourth.BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres are moving on without the longtime face of their franchise. And they know the experience will be anything but ordinary. "When a guy like Ryan Miller gets traded, thats not a normal player getting traded," interim head coach Ted Nolan said. "He was the face of the organization for a long, long time. To lose a player like him, its tough." Tough, yes, but perhaps good practice for a team that could be offloading several more veterans before Wednesdays trade deadline, as general manager Tim Murray continues efforts to fix the NHLs worst team. Murray traded Miller and captain Steve Ott to St. Louis on Friday. Buffalo acquired goaltender Jaroslav Halak, right wing Chris Stewart, prospect William Carrier, a 2015 first-round draft pick and a conditional pick. Its unlikely to end there. Christian Ehrhoff said Friday that he recently complied with the Sabres request to submit a list of eight teams that would make up the no-trade clause of his contract. Soon-to-be unrestricted free agents Matt Moulson and Henrik Tallinder could also move, and Murray has said contract status doesnt dictate availability. Even Halak or Stewart could be traded. "Theyre pieces that will be Buffalo Sabres when they pass their physicals and after that its the same as everybody else," Murray said. "And what I said, if it makes sense it makes sense. ... If theyre Buffalo Sabres, they play here and were happy with them." The overhaul began under Murrays predecessor, Darcy Regier, who was fired in November. The Sabres traded numerous high-priced veterans last season, including captain Jason Pominville. It continued into October, when Thomas Vanek was traded to the New York Islanders for Moulson and two high draft picks. The Sabres, as a result, have stockpiled picks. They could have as many as two first-round and three second-round selections in this years draft, with 10 total picks over the first two rounds of the next two drafts. Buffalo also has a solid group of prospeccts in its farm system, including defencemen Rasmus Ristolainen and Nikita Zadorov, who were both drafted in the first round in June. Dan Fouts Blue Jersey. Murrays objective is to add more draft picks or young prospects, and hes been clear about his intentions to make the team better regardless of cost. "Theres no untouchables," Murray said before the Miller trade. "Its a rebuild." And for the players remaining on the team, its a big opportunity to take a leadership role. In the case of Enroth, its a chance to become a teams No. 1 goaltender for the first time in his career. "If you dont call this a chance, I dont know what a chance is," Enroth said, later adding, "I truly believe I can be a No. 1 guy here." Nolan noticed changes almost immediately after the trade was announced, as Ott and Miller said their goodbyes to teammates. "You could really see it on Drew Staffords face the most," Nolan said Friday. "Him and Matt Moulson really took over the leadership tonight with this young group." Stafford is now the longest-tenured Sabre and the only player left from the 2006-07 team that won the Presidents Trophy, though Tallinder left as a free agent before being reacquired this summer. The general managers goals arent lost on the players in the room, and Tyler Myers has expressed confidence in the direction of the team in general. "You have to look at what we got, too," Myers said. "I think its good for both sides. Im happy for Ott and Miller." Murray said the timing of the deal was not ideal for his roster, but the 22-year-old Marcus Foligno and other young teammates almost immediately recognized the bittersweet chance to drive the team into the future. "I looked around with (Brian) Flynn and (Zemgus) Girgensons, and we just said we gotta step up," Foligno said. "This is a game where we have to play well and this is something where we lost them and now hopefully were here for the long run and were players that they count on." cheap jerseys from china cheap jerseys ' ' '
