PORTLAND, Ore. -- Most pundits put the Los Angeles Clippers on a short list of contenders to make it to the NBAs Western Conference finals this season.Thats just fine with Doc Rivers, the president of basketball operations and head coach of the Clippers.Its not a burden, said Rivers, who begins his fourth season at the Clipper helm against the Portland Trail Blazers Thursday night at the Moda Center. Why should people expecting you to win ever be a burden Ive never figured that one out.You should be excited and happy any time youre in the NBA and youre on a team that people think is good. Thats a pleasure.The Clippers are good.The presence of All-Stars such as Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan plus veterans J.J. Redick, Jamal Crawford and Austin Rivers, the coachs son guarantee that.Now the team has added depth with free-agent signings of forwards Marreese Speights and Brandon Bass and guards Alan Anderson and Raymond Felton to minimum deals.Its ironic that the Clippers open the 2016-17 campaign against the team that knocked them out of the first round of the playoffs a year ago. Injuries to Paul and Griffin during the series play a large role in that, but it adds a bit of intrigue to the Clippers debut game this season.Were excited, said Austin Rivers, who signed a three-year, $35-million contract in the offseason. Its going to be a fun environment considering thats the team that knocked us out last year. We have our whole team back. So do they. Its going to be a fun game.The Trail Blazers got a two-day jump on the season over the Clippers, coming from behind to defeat the Utah Jazz 113-104 Tuesday night in their home opener. Damian Lillard launched an unofficial MVP campaign by scoring 39 points, 16 in the decisive fourth quarter.The best way to show that I mean that is by going out and playing like it, the Blazers two-time All-Star point guard said. Tonight was a good start.Portland had an outstanding offensive game, making 39 of 75 shots from the field (.520), 13 of 19 shots from the 3-point line (.684) and all 22 attempts from the foul line. The Blazers made their first seven 3-point tries and were 7 for 8 in the first half.But Portlands defense -- a focus coming into this season -- was spotty at best, especially in yielding a 37-point third quarter to the Jazz.Sometimes we get into an offensive mode, because we have so many guys who can score, reserve forward Ed Davis said. We can outscore 85 percent of the teams in the league. To be able to win night in and night out, though, you have to get stops. Thats what we did in the fourth. Weve got to have more quarters like the fourth and less like the third.You give up 37 in a quarter, no way you can win a game. Giving up 30 in a quarter is a lot.The Blazers are special because of their camaraderie, Utah coach Quin Snyder said.They fit together really well, Snyder said. Everybody embraces who they are. Thats what makes them such a good team. They know their strengths. They complement each other. Theyre clearly an unselfish group, and that makes them hard to defend. Air Max 2018 . -- If Henry Burris has his way, he will be the starting quarterback to lead the Hamilton Tiger-Cats back to the Grey Cup next year. Black Air Max 2018 . -- The Portland Timbers and Real Salt Lake played to a 0-0 tie Saturday night that left the top of the Western Conference standings unchanged. http://www.cheapairmaxonlinesale.com/ . -- Jaye Marie Green shot a 4-under 68 on Thursday to increase her lead to five strokes after the second round of the LPGA Tours qualifying tournament. Air Max 2018 Sale .J. -- Pitcher Carl Pavano is retiring after 14 major league seasons. Wholesale Air Max 2018 . He just needed to be his best twisting, turning acrobatic self. "I didnt need to be anybody else, I just needed to be myself and be aggressive," said Burks, who scored a career-high 34 points to spark the Utah Jazz to a 118-103 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Monday night. A leading Dutch dressage rider pulled out of the Olympic Games after her horse became ill in Rio de Janeiro.Adelinde Cornelissen, who won an individual silver and team bronze during the 2012 Games in London,?quit the Rio Games just minutes into the dressage event after her beloved horse Parzival fell ill the night before.Cornelissen noticed her horse in a state of distress during their event.After double checking with the vets here, they concluded he was bitten by an insect or spider or some sort of animal which produces toxics, the 37-year-old?wrote on her Facebook page.ddddddddddddAfter a batch of tests and fluids, the swelling in Parzivals head decreased and the horse was cleared for competition.However, after making only a few moves into the competition, the rider decided to quit to protect her horse.Parzival is 19 years old, meaning its likely Rio will be his final Olympics. ' ' '