NEWS » ound pick in 12-team drafts.Other observati

LONDON -- Andy Murray and Kei Nishikori tend to linger when they get together. Their latest matchup set a record.Murray survived the longest three-set match in ATP Finals history when he prevailed against Nishikori 6-7 (9), 6-4, 6-4 on Wednesday.They needed 3 hours, 20 minutes, to separate themselves. The first set alone took 85 minutes.Murray, 2-0 in his group, can clinch a semifinal berth for the first time in four years with a win over U.S. Open champion Stan Wawrinka on Friday.Wawrinka eliminated Marin Cilic from contention 7-6 (3), 7-6 (3) in an almost two-hour-long late match.Losing to No. 5-ranked Nishikori would have hurt Murrays chances of holding off Novak Djokovic to keep the No. 1 ranking.Murray relieved Djokovic of the top ranking last week, and Murray believed it would be a fitting end to the year to play the Serb for the ranking and ATP Finals title on Sunday in the final.For the tournament and stuff, for everyone interested in tennis, that would probably be the perfect way to finish the year, Murray said.For me and, Im sure, for Novak, both of our goals would be to try to win the event. It doesnt change for us as players.Murray admitted he abused himself on court more than usual while trying to figure out how to overcome Nishikori.He could have won in two sets, for sure, Murray said.He moves the ball around extremely well, better than anyone maybe. It was physically tough. I wasnt able to dictate many of the points, it felt. More so in the third set I was able to. But not in the first couple of sets. I was having to run, fight, get as many balls back as I could.I feel OK right now. Its normally the next day when you feel stiff and sore, but theres hopefully three days left in the season, and Ill give my best to get through as many matches as I can.For all of Murrays achievements this year, this was the first time he played a top-five opponent since June, when he lost to Djokovic in the French Open final.Nishikori was one of only three players to beat him in the intervening five months, edging a five-setter in the U.S. Open quarterfinals. They also went five sets and almost five hours in the Davis Cup in March.Nishikori extended their first set on Wednesday when he saved a set point at 6-5 down, but he needed four set points to take the opener on a wide forehand by Murray.Murray immediately broke to start the second. Nishikori tied it at 4-4. But Murray broke straight back, and had to save two set points to force a decider.Murray has played more matches than ever this season and he looked drained, but Nishikoris decision-making was clouded by fatigue, and he lost his serve in the third game.When a double fault made it 4-1 to Murray, the Scot finally had some breathing space and the end in sight.Nishikori showed commendable resolve to retrieve one break, but Murray served out at the second time of asking for his 21st successive win.Murray has a chance to match his best streak of 22, from June to August, when he plays Wawrinka on Friday to end group action.Wawrinka saved one set point in the first set, and dominated the tiebreaker. Cilic broke to open the second, but Wawrinka got him back and served too good in the tiebreaker again for his 11th win in 13 matchups with Cilic. Nike Air Max Tilbud Danmark . Kozun faked to the forehand and beat Monsters starter, Calvin Pickard, pad side in the second round for the winner. Spencer Abbott also scored in the shootout for the Marlies (25-13-4). Nike Air Max Danmark Billig . Blackwood, 28, has played the last three seasons in the San Diego Padres system, including the past two summers with Class AA San Antonio of the Texas League. http://www.danmarkairmax.com/ . Batiste, who briefly signed with the Eskimos in 2006, has spent time with several NFL teams including the Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Redskins. Nike Air Max Danmark .Y. -- Injured Buffalo Sabres forward Marcus Foligno did not practice with the team Monday and head coach Ron Rolston said its unlikely hell play in Wednesdays season opener in Detroit. Nike Air Max Tilbud . -- Charlie Graham stopped 67 shots as the Belleville Bulls edged the visiting Guelph Storm 6-5 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. It was a summer the NBA wont soon forget.It went from Kevin Durant leaving Oklahoma City for Western Conference rival Golden State, to Tim Duncan deciding to join Kobe Bryant in retirement, to an assortment of high-profile coaching changes, to the U.S. taking home an Olympic gold in Rio.And we havent even mentioned the infusion of talent the June draft added to the league, as Ben Simmons (Philadelphia 76ers), Brandon Ingram (Los Angeles Lakers), Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics), Dragan Bender (Phoenix Suns) and Kris Dunn (Minnesota Timberwolves) comprised the top five picks.Indeed, theres a lot to digest as we prepare for another season.The good news is theres never been a better time to play fantasy hoops at ESPN, as the August release of the all-in-one ESPN Fantasy Sports app now enables you to participate in mock drafts and real drafts for the first time ever.Here are some of the main takeaways from the updated rankings heading into the 2016-17 NBA season:The Durant factor: Durants move to the Warriors might hurt his fantasy value only slightly -- after all, he had already been playing alongside Russell Westbrook all these years -- but his impact is significant on the rest of the Warriors stars. Stephen Curry would have been the sure-fire No. 1 pick had Durant stayed with the Thunder, but Currys usage rate, shot attempts and minutes are all likely to go down with KD on the roster.That elevates Westbrook to No. 1 as he now carries the load for the Thunder as the teams lone superstar. Curry (4) and Durant (5) slip behind not only Westbrook but also James Harden (2) and Karl-Anthony Towns (3). Meanwhile, fellow Warriors Draymond Green (17) and Klay Thompson (27) slide down about 10 spots from where they would have been without Durant.Big risers: Aside from Towns, who put up ridiculously good numbers (18.3 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 2 APG, 1.7 BPG, 54.2 FG%, 81.1 FT%, 34.1 3PT%) on his way to Rookie of the Year honors last season, a number of other emerging stars move up the rankings. Rangy Milwaukee swingman Giannis Antetokounmpo (14) is now a good bet to be an early second-rounder, while Isaiah Thomas (22), C.J. McCollum (26), Victor Oladipo (28), Khris Middleton (33), Kristaps Porzingis (36) and Nikola Jokic (47) are others who rank much higher than theyve been previously.Where art Brow??If Anthony Davis could stay healthy, hed be right there in the discussion with Westbrook and Harden for the top overall pick this season. Problem is, the 23-year-old big man has yet to play more than 68 games in any of his first four NBA seasons and was limited to a career-low 61 games last season. As great as he is and as much as he stuffs the box score each night, hes a major risk with these durability issuess.dddddddddddd He drops to No. 9 in the rankings, behind not only Westbrook and Harden but also Towns, Curry, Durant,?Chris Paul (6), Kawhi Leonard (7) and LeBron James (8).Rookie impact: Simmons (76), Ingram (113), Dunn (133), Jamal Murray (156) and Bender (177) are the top-ranked rookies, but you can probably count on Simmons and Ingram to be drafted higher because of the buzz that comes with their arrival to the league.The DAntoni influence: The fast pace that new Houston Rockets coach Mike DAntoni has his teams play always provides a nice fantasy boost, which not only helps Harden but also every other player in the teams rotation. Trevor Ariza (51), Ryan Anderson (75), Eric Gordon (137), Clint Capela (140), Patrick Beverley (150), Michael Beasley (173) and Josh Smith (185) are all worth a closer look this season with DAntoni onboard.Other new faces in Philly: Simmons isnt the only big-name rookie to join the 76ers this season. Versatile center Joel Embiid, the third overall pick in 2014, and 6-foot-10 forward Dario Saric, the 12th overall pick in 2014, are two others you cant forget about. Weve ranked them back-to-back, 131 and 132, and they are both intriguing talents who offer upside in the later rounds.Wheres Bosh??One of the toughest decisions to make in the rankings was where to put Miami power forward Chris Bosh, who missed parts of the past two seasons with blood clots. If he manages to stay healthy and repair his relationship with the Heat, the 32-year-old Bosh is undoubtedly a top-50 fantasy player. At this stage, though, the risk outweighs the upside, and that is reflected by his ranking (120) as a late 10th-round pick in 12-team drafts.Other observations: Devin Booker (78) finished last season looking like one of the brightest young stars in the league, so why is he ranked so low? Because Eric Bledsoe (24) and Brandon Knight (56) are both back in the fold, and unless one is traded, the same opportunities might not be there for the up-and-coming shooting guard. ... In Minnesota, the early returns indicate that Dunn is expected to be one of the favorites for Rookie of the Year this season. If thats the case, you can count on him taking away some of Ricky Rubios playing time, which is why Rubio is ranked down at 79. ... Harrison Barnes (94) has never been a very strong fantasy player, as his game revolves around mostly scoring, 3-pointers and rebounding, but hes now on a max contract on a new team in Dallas and will be a more prominent part of the offense than he ever was in Golden State. He enters his fifth NBA season and is still only 24. ' ' '