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OAKLAND, Calif. - Andrew Bogut saw Marreese Speights driving to the rim during a pickup game at the Golden State Warriors practice facility a couple weeks ago and never second-guessed what to do next.Bogut moved in Speights path, held his position and took a charge.Im not going to change the way I play, Bogut said. The way I play is I take charges, I block shots, I set hard screens. Unfortunately, we dont wear padding or anything like that, and every now and then were going to get a knock.Golden States centre and big difference maker has taken more than a few knocks in his career. Hes healthy again for training camp, and he knows that the Warriors will need him to stay that way to contend for anything this season.The fractured rib that sidelined him for the first-round loss to the Los Angeles Clippers is healed, he said, but the mental anguish of missing the playoffs has left another kind of scar.Since Milwaukee made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 draft, Boguts injuries include a dislocated right elbow, broken right hand, sprained right wrist, broken left ankle and fractured rib. He also has battled back discomfort on occasion.Bogut has never been bothered by those who believe hes injury prone. The only thing that bugs Bogut is not being able to play when his teammates need him most.The 7-foot Australian centre said he did everything he could to return sooner from his latest freak injury, which started after he took a hit against Denver and worsened when he was sandwiched by two Portland defenders a few days later. He said he had trouble breathing and could barely move, let alone battle Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan under the basket.Bogut popped pain-killing pills and laid on his stomach for nearly 24 hours a day following the fracture. He had a rib-protecting vest made in case he could return, but he was unable to even sit on the bench.Bogut said the rib might have calcified enough for him to play at some point in the second round had the Warriors advanced. Instead, they lost in a decisive Game 7 against a Clippers team that controlled the paint.I did everything like I was going to play. But in reality, Id rather be called soft and injury prone by every fan, blogger and media person out there than puncture my lung, Bogut said. Because they wouldnt be sending me a get-well card when Im in the hospital.When Bogut has played, he has played well.He dominated down low to propel the Warriors to the second round of the playoffs two seasons ago, even while nursing a sore left ankle that had him limping out of the locker room each time. He played 67 of 82 games last season, averaging 10 rebounds, 7.3 points and 1.7 assists.But his biggest impact has come on defence. Bogut has ranked among the NBAs best in defensive ratings and is the primary reason a franchise long known for offence has been transformed into a defensive leader, which makes the times he injured so difficult to overcome.Its having one of the best defensive centres in the league there versus not having him there. Its daylight and darkness, Warriors forward Harrison Barnes said. When hes healthy, he can pass, he can move. It just changes our whole dynamic.Unlike during Mark Jacksons tenure, new Warriors coach Steve Kerr is leaning on Bogut to be a focal point on both sides of the floor.During a visit to Australia this summer, Kerr brought a video that featured clips of offensive plays for Bogut. Some highlights were from Boguts time in Milwaukee. Others came from Kerrs days playing in the triangle offence for Phil Jacksons Chicago Bulls in the 1990s, when another Australian centre, Luc Longley, often helped initiate the offence.Andrews one of the best passing centres in the league. Hes one of the best Ive ever seen, and so for us to get him the ball on the elbows as a dribble-handoff guy, backdoor-pass guy, that will be emphasized, Kerr said.Bogut is embracing the challenge to feed Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and the rest of Golden States sharpshooters. He said he will play smarter, picking his spots when to put his body in harms way.But wont play afraid, he said, because thats just not the way he plays.It doesnt really worry me. Im still kicking and breathing. Im still playing basketball and doing what I love, Bogut said. Theres going to be obstacles everybody faces in their life. Its just unfortunate injuries for me. I could say its bad luck or somebody put a hex on me, but you cant control it.___Antonio Gonzalez can be reached at: www.twitter.com/agonzalezAP Fake Shoes 2020 . Footballs governing body said Tuesday that of the 2,577,662 tickets allocated for this years tournament, 1,041,418 have gone to people in Brazil. The U. China Shoes 2020 . And though his comeback night didnt quite go to script, Bryant couldnt help reflecting on the work necessary to get back on that court -- and all the months of steady labour ahead to reclaim his game. Bryant had nine points and eight rebounds in his season debut, but Amir Johnson scored a career-high 32 points in the trade-depleted Toronto Raptors 106-94 victory over Los Angeles on Sunday night. https://www.wholesaleshoesusa.com/ . -- During Kansas shootaround on Wednesday before the Jayhawks faced Oklahoma, coach Bill Self told Wayne Selden Jr. Discount Shoes For Sale . -- Stanley Johnson scored all 18 of his points in the second half, T. Wholesale Nike Shoes . Pinch-hitter Tommy Medica singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and the Padres beat the Seattle Mariners 2-1 in their first home game since Gwynn died of cancer Monday. CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers appear to have found their stride. While the St. Louis Rams season is suddenly in a state of flux following a knee injury to Sam Bradford. Newton turned in his second straight quality start, completing 15 of 17 passes for 204 yards and a touchdown and the Panthers defeated Rams 30-15 in a heated game Sunday that included several fights and personal foul penalties. In the past two games, Newton is 35 of 43 for 464 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions as the Panthers (3-3) have won back-to-back games for the first time this season. "I feel like I am progressing," said Newton, who is 16-22 as an NFL starter. Newton said he believes hes making better decisions, although he chided himself for taking sacks on two plays that essentially ended drives. "Ive got to throw the ball away," Newton said. "Just give my guys a chance and when we do that, its exciting to watch. Anytime I have got an opportunity to give a dink or dunk to these guys, they make the big plays." Steve Smith caught five passes for 69 yards and a touchdown and Mike Tolbert scored his third touchdown rushing of the season. The Rams, meanwhile, are concerned about their franchise quarterback. Bradford was scheduled to have an MRI on his left knee after the team landed in St. Louis. He was injured in the fourth quarter when he landed on it after being shoved out of bounds by Panthers safety Mike Mitchell. Rams coach Jeff Fisher said Bradford "was in significant pain on the sideline" but the team wouldnt speculate on how long hell be out. "Im not going to deal with hypotheticals until I find out whats going on with him," Fisher said. Before losing their quarterback, the Rams (3-4) lost their cool. They were flagged for five personal foul penalties and defensive end Chris Long was ejected from the game for throwing a punch after one fracas involving more than a dozen players. Long admitted after the game he lost control of his emotions and said he apologized to his teammates. "Having to watch the rest of the game in the locker room was probably one of the low points of my career," Long said. "I cant let that happen again. ... I need to be stronger than that. I play this game with a lot of emotion. I wont change that. I ccant let people provoke me.dddddddddddd." Mitchell, a free agent pickup, was instrumental in the Carolina win. He not only had eight tackles and two forced fumbles, but also goaded offensive lineman Harvey Dahl and wide receiver Brian Quick into unnecessary roughness penalties. "We wanted to do a better job of being more mature, being the more composed team," Mitchell said. "We had the game in hand and we could tell by the way they were playing that they wanted to get somebody cheap, try to get us a penalty, something like that. We werent going to give it to them. We just needed to stay disciplined." The Panthers were flagged for two personal fouls. It was a rough day all around for Bradford. Panthers cornerback Captain Munnerlyn intercepted the former No. 1 draft pick on the games first play and returned it 45 yards for a score. Bradford also had a long TD pass to Tavon Austin called back on a penalty, and Quick dropped a pass in the end zone. The Panthers third-ranked defence forced three turnovers and had four sacks. The Rams threatened to tie the game early, but failed to convert on fourth-and-goal from the 1 when Bradford was pressured into an incompletion. The Rams scored on the next play when Eugene Sims tackled Mike Tolbert in the end zone for a safety -- the first points surrendered by the Panthers in the opening quarter all season. After the teams traded field goals, the Panthers took a 17-5 lead just before halftime on a 1-yard plunge by Tolbert. Down 20-5, Bradford connected with Quick on a 73-yard completion, setting up a short TD pass to Zac Stacy to trim Carolinas lead to eight. But Carolina came right back as Newton drove Carolina 72 yards, hitting Steve Smith for his 800th career reception, a 19-yard touchdown for a 27-12 lead. The Panthers have a chance to get above .500 for the first time since the end of the 2008 season when they travel to Tampa Bay on Thursday night. Panthers coach Ron Rivera said Newtons steady play is a big reason for the teams optimism moving forward. "He has done a great job," Rivera said. "You talk about things that he does and his reads and learning to go through his progressions the right way. ... When you see him doing those types of things to give us a chance to win, you know that he has matured." ' ' '