NEWS » , Missouri, apartment was much differen

Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart left Wednesdays preseason finale against the New York Knicks after spraining his left ankle in the second quarter of a 121-96 loss at home.During a radio appearance on 98.5 the Sports Hub on Thursday, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said the team is still evaluating Smarts injury and remains uncertain on his opening-night status.We dont know enough to determine whether hell be ready to play opening night or how long hell be out, Ainge told the Sports Hub. Obviously, well be very careful with him. ... I think over the next few days well have a little bit better of an indication on Marcuss ankle and how much it swelled. It didnt seem to be a terrible one but he was in some pain, so its a little bit concerning.Smart is expected to undergo further testing Thursday and Ainge said the team would have a better timeline later this week.Smart rolled the ankle after driving into the lane and stepping on the foot of Knicks guard Justin Holiday. Smart took a couple of hops before lying down on the TD Garden court in visible pain.Boston opens the regular season at home against the Brooklyn Nets next Wednesday.It is unknown whether Smart would return for that game.?Smart is entering his third year in Boston. He averaged 9.1 points per game last year coming off the bench for the Celtics.?Colton Sceviour Jersey . Murray beat Sam Querrey 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-3 to clinch Britains opening-round victory against the United States on Sunday at Petco Park. "Im proud of the way Im playing just now, because I had to do a lot of work to get back to where I want to be," Murray said after celebrating with his teammates on the red clay court in a temporary stadium in left field of the downtown home of baseballs San Diego Padres. Aaron Ekblad Panthers Jersey . It was the kind of score that might make everyone else wonder which course he was playing. Except that Graeme McDowell saw the whole thing. Crouched behind the 10th green at Sheshan International, McDowell looked over at the powerful American and said, "Ive probably seen 18 of the best drives Ive seen all year in the last two days. http://www.hockeypanthersofficialonline.com/evgenii-dadonov-hockey-jersey/ . Fellow centre Pavel Datsyuk remains out because of a concussion. Zetterberg has 11 goals and 19 assists for a team-high 30 points, and Datsyuk has a team-high 12 goals and 11 assists. Vincent Trocheck Jersey . Nigeria beat surprise package Ethiopia 2-0 in the second leg of their playoff for a comfortable 4-1 aggregate victory. Victor Moses converted a 20th-minute penalty after an Ethiopian handball, and Victor Obinna made certain of Nigerias place in Brazil with his powerful free kick in the 82nd at UJ Esuene Stadium. Ian McCoshen Jersey . "Trying to breathe," he said with a grin. Bernier stopped 42 of 43 shots on Monday night, including all 22 in a hectic middle frame, his heroic performance propelling the Leafs toward an undue point in their final game before the Christmas break.The menu was pretty light from my first Thanksgiving in the NFL as a rookie with the St. Louis Rams. Instant mashed potatoes -- the kind of stuff that comes in the big red box. Easy to make. I handled that. A precooked turkey. Throw it in the microwave? Yeah, cool. I guess that works. And a case of Icehouse. Longneck bottles, too. You know, dress it up nice for Thanksgiving.Thats it. Dig in.Gross? No doubt. But when four lonely rookies got together back in 2000 -- without family -- it was the best we could do. And we tried to have some sense of normalcy. Dinner, then turn on the Cowboys game, throw in a movie after. More beers. We laughed a lot. But it wasnt the same. Not even close.The pecan pie Mom makes? Nope. Or the sweet potatoes with the marshmallows on top? Nah. And the family, the little kids running around, all the traditions you love about Thanksgiving? Didnt have any of that either.I missed it. My teammates in St. Louis did too.As you get older in the league, you become more accustomed to missing holidays at home. It will never be ideal, but its also part of the gig as a pro. And your family adjusts too.But that first one? Yikes. I had a hard time. It was the first Thanksgiving I ever missed. I played under the old college football schedule of the 90s. At Iowa, we would wrap up the regular season versus the Gophers the weekend before Thanksgiving before heading back to our respective homes for the holiday.But when youre not there, its the small things you miss.?We used to have a family Turkeyy Bowl every Thanksgiving in Peoria, Illinois, across the street from my aunt and uncles house.ddddddddddddBad playcalling. Jump balls in the end zone. Quarterback scramble drills. Lots of turnovers. And some injuries. I busted up my dads knee once. And the adults capped off the game with Old Styles, mudslides and vodka tonics. Me too when I turned 21.But our celebration back in a Creve Coeur, Missouri, apartment was much different. Yeah, something was off about that turkey. It didnt look right coming out of the microwave. And we forgot gravy. So, we used ranch dressing on the mashed potatoes. The Icehouse? We couldve done better there.Mainly, just wasnt the same as being surrounded by family.Now, the cool thing about the pros is that everyone takes care of each other. Veteran players will open up their homes to the young cats. Some coaches, too. And everyone in the locker room makes sure that the guys have a place to go for the holiday.Practice starts much earlier in the day and players are out of the facility usually around 1 p.m. You try to keep as many traditions intact as possible. From the Cowboys late-afternoon kickoff to turkey around halftime, its a welcome break from the grind. And you need that as a player.But as the current NFL rooks will find out, it doesnt compare to being home.ESPN.com NFL analyst Matt Bowen played seven seasons as a defensive back in the NFL. ' ' '