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OKLAHOMA CITY -- When asked about the oldie-but-goodie San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma Citys Kevin Durant inquired about Tony Parkers age. "Thirty-two," a reporter answered. "He is old," Durant quipped, drawing laughter. "He doesnt play like hes 32 years old." Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili are even older. Duncan just turned 38 and Ginobili is approaching 37. The trio won its first NBA title together in 2003 and fought back Father Time to reach the NBA Finals last year. They will play in their seventh Western Conference finals together, starting with Game 1 Monday night in San Antonio. Durant, the leagues MVP, said theres more to San Antonios success than some mythical fountain of youth. It starts with the genius of Gregg Popovich, the leagues Coach of the Year. "Their system, they plug guys in and out," Durant said. "They always stick to their same system. They get guys who fit. And theyve got a great coach who gets those guys prepared." Even with an aging core and numerous injuries throughout the season, the Spurs finished with the leagues best record. They did it with consistency and teamwork that has continued in the playoffs. San Antonio is shooting 49 per cent from the field as a team in the post-season, with no player averaging 20 points. Oklahoma City counters with dynamic individual play from a pair of 25-year-olds. Durant is averaging 31.4 points and 9.5 rebounds in the playoffs. Russell Westbrook is averaging 26.6 points, 8.4 assists and 8.0 rebounds in post-season play. Westbrook, in particular, has San Antonios attention. While Durants play has been typical, Westbrook has improved significantly as a floor general during the playoffs. "Hes an incredible talent having a great playoff run," Duncan said. "Some incredible numbers. Just an impressive athlete when you try to stay in front of him. His confidence is there." The Thunder will be without Serge Ibaka, who led the league in blocked shots. The mobile, athletic forward injured his left calf in Game 6 of the conference semifinal against the Los Angeles Clippers. "Its hard, but were going to move on," Thunder centre Kendrick Perkins said. "Were a very prideful organization and team. Were going to move on." Here are five things to watch in the series: THUNDER DOMINANCE: Oklahoma City won all four regular-season meetings with San Antonio this season, so the Spurs will take nothing for granted, even with Ibaka out. "You never get overconfident in that situation, especially against a team that we havent beat this year," Ginobili said. "We know how talented they are. They can really score in bunches. Very athletic, strong, play good defence. So, no, were not going to get overconfident for sure." IBAKAS REPLACEMENT: Oklahoma City rookie Steven Adams is the most likely to see a spike in minutes. Veteran Nick Collison will play more, too. The Thunder could go with a smaller lineup at times and play Durant as a power forward. Coach Scott Brooks still wouldnt say Sunday who would start in Ibakas place. PARKERS HAMSTRING: San Antonio was likely to have significant help on Westbrook anyway, but Parkers strained left hamstring could be a major problem against Westbrook and Reggie Jackson, two of the most athletic point guards in the league. Parker said Sunday that the hamstring was still tight, but he plans to play. Jackson said the Thunder will test Parker early. LEONARD vs. DURANT: Brooks said Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard is an All-Star in the making. The Spurs feel Leonard is the best equipped player in the league to bother Durant because of his length and energy. "As good as anybody can do it," Ginobili said. "We are lucky to have him. Nobody can guard him (Durant) 1-on-1. Thats been proven -- hes the MVP -- but you can put him in some trouble, and then the team has to respond." SPURS OTHER GUYS: One thing that makes the Spurs dangerous is their depth. Though Parker, Duncan and Ginobili are the best-known players, Leonard, Marco Belinelli, Danny Green, Boris Diaw, Tiago Splitter and Patty Mills all play their roles well and are capable of being difference makers in the right situation. Oklahoma City will need to prevent the other guys from having breakout nights. Andre Hal Jersey . One out away from finishing off an impressive shutout, they let a must-win game slip away. Lamar Miller Jersey . The CFL will help tackle womens cancers by playing four special "CFL PINK" games this weekend. http://www.officialhoustontexansfootball...r-jersey-womens. Redden played a total of 1,023 regular-season games with Ottawa, the New York Rangers, St. Louis and Boston. He finished with 457 points (109 goals, 348 assists) and a plus-160 rating over his career. Demaryius Thomas Jersey . The Sioux Falls Canaries scored two in the seventh and three more in the eighth to come back from a 3-0 deficit and defeat the Winnipeg Goldeyes 5-3 in front of 6,769 at Shaw Park on Sunday afternoon. DOnta Foreman Jersey . Louis Cardinals, the team will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the opening of the SkyDome. Jays legends Jimmy Key and Ernie Whitt, members of playoff and World Series-winning teams of the past, will be on hand for the festivities to look back at what was the beginning of the Jays halcyon years.NEW YORK – Drew Hutchison is in a midseason slump. It hasnt been pretty lately. He knows it. Theres something hed like to get out of the way. Something hed like us to know, the answer to a question hed like to no longer be asked. Hes not tired. Also, hes healthy. "I wouldnt be on the mound if I wasnt," said Hutchison. "If Im on the mound then Im good to go. Id never put the team in that situation or myself in that situation after what Ive been through, given what I had to go through to get back to where I am now. I certainly wouldnt jeopardize that." When Hutchison first toed the rubber for his July 6 start in Oakland, three outings ago, he was sporting a 3.81 ERA. His ERA for the season now sits at 4.54. There had been some brilliant starts, like his masterful two-hit shutout of the Rangers on May 16 in Arlington and two seven-scoreless efforts (June 3 in Detroit and June 13 in Baltimore). Hed also had his struggles but they wouldnt linger. After those outings hed hear musings about his home-road splits (7.71 ERA in eight home starts; 2.97 ERA in 12 road starts) and hed be asked, including by TSN.ca, whether the inconsistency was a byproduct of a pitcher throwing a large quantity of innings for the first time since undergoing the Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery. Hutchison is a mature kid. Hes poised. When you talk to him, its easy to forget hes only 23 years old. His pitching coach offers a reminder when asked to explain why Hutchison can look dominating in one appearance and anything but in the next. He may be mature but he is a kid. "I just think it still comes down to experience at this level. When you do struggle, how to make those adjustments; sometimes a veteran guy, in a game like the last one, will find a way to get through that," said Pete Walker. "Hes still at a point where he gets frustrated. Hes emotional and he wants to have success and he wants to be out there and he wants everyone to want him out there, which we do. "So I think he puts added pressure on himself right now." In Hutchisons last three starts, all losses, hes allowed 15 earned runs in 13 2/3 innings (9.87 ERA). Hes given up 23 hits and walked seven in that span. Hes coming off the shortest start of his career not interrupted by injury, 2 2/3 innings of work on Monday in a 14-1 loss to Boston. Known as a command guy, that element has eluded Hutchison of late. He explained by first drawing a distinction. "Theres a big difference between command and control. Control is not walking guys; command is commanding the baseball where you want it to be," said Hutchison. "That could be throwing the slider a little bit off the plate, throwing a slider on the plate, throwing it where you want to, commanding the baseball. You can command the baseball and walks guys. I think thats a lot different than control. Controls just throwing it in the box and not walking guys. &qquot;To command the baseball to all four quadrants, like I like to do with all my pitches, thats something that wasnt there to where Im capable of having it in my last start.dddddddddddd" "We still have to continue to refine his slider," said Walker. "His slider at times is probably more of an issue than his fastball, being able to get that in the zone so he doesnt have to be as fine with his heater. The same with his changeup so I think his secondary stuff is still a little bit of a work in progress. I think when the fastball location isnt quite there he has to be able to use his secondary stuff as well to get through those kinds of outings." Hutchison takes the ball on Saturday afternoon at Yankee Stadium, looking to help snap his teams 17-game losing streak in the Bronx. More importantly, a win would pull the Blue Jays back even with New York for second place in the American League East. Another thing he wants you to know: regardless of his relative inexperience and whatever the outcome, he wont be overwhelmed. If hes struggling early, Hutchison knows his fortunes could change in the blink of an eye. "There are times when you know, hey, I need to make a pitch right here," said Hutchison. "Sometimes you can be not making pitches and sometimes you make one pitch and you can get out of it with nothing and then find your rhythm and go seven innings. Thats happened before." SUITING UP Mark Buehrle got the series-opening start in New York on Friday night. On Friday morning, he was the veteran doing good by some of his youngest teammates. Buehrle took Aaron Sanchez, Rob Rasmussen, Todd Redmond, Ryan Goins and Marcus Stroman suit shopping. "I got a nice little double-breasted, its like a silver, its not even a gray, its more like a chrome suit," said Stroman, struggling to describe the colour. "Its pretty fresh." Buehrle was discreet. He handed his mates notes, telling them to meet him in the hotel lobby at 10 oclock on Friday morning. Hed dropped hints in advance the gathering would be for a suit fitting. "Buehrles the man," said Stroman. "Hes got a lot to offer and hes the most down to earth guy for having all the success hes had so its awesome being around him." The practice is common. Two years ago, Ricky Romero and Brandon Morrow took Drew Hutchison for a suit fitting. McGUIRE TRADED A little more than three years after the Blue Jays made him the 11th overall pick of the 2010 draft, Alex Anthopoulos first as general manager, Deck McGuire is out of the organization. The 25-year-old was traded to Oakland on Friday in exchange for cash considerations. McGuire was designated for assignment on July 18 to make room on the 40-man roster for Brad Mills, whod been claimed off waivers from Oakland and who has since been taken off the 40-man roster and demoted to Triple-A Buffalo. 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