, between them, or in front of reporters microphones.Ive been very impressed with Josh from the day that he got here, Gruden said Wednesday, referring to Normans work ethic.Then, turning to the rest of what

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Russell Westbrooks seven-game streak of triple-doubles ended Sunday night in a 99-96 victory over the Boston Celtics.Its not as if a 37-point, 12-rebound, six-assist game is a disappointment. But Oklahoma Citys All-Star guard was closer to mortal against the Celtics.I know everybody likes to talk about the triple-doubles, OKC coach Billy Donovan told the media afterward. What hes done has been remarkable, but what he did (Sunday) wasnt any less remarkable, just because he didnt have a few more assists.Westbrook can try to start a new streak Tuesday night when the Thunder (15-9) visit the Portland Trail Blazers (12-14) at Moda Center. He may be without his backcourt mate, however.Victor Oladipo missed Mondays practice with a wrist sprained in a hard fall during the first quarter against Boston. Donovan said Oladipo, who is averaging 16.1 points and shooting 38.1 percent from 3-point range, is questionable for the matchup with the Blazers.Westbrook says hes not concerned about his triple-double streak ending.A winning streak is more important to me, he said. I dont care about the (triple-double) streak. Thats a small part of my game. Whats important is trying to get a win.Oklahoma Citys winning streak is at just one game, but the Thunder have won seven of the last 10, thanks in no small part to center Steven Adams recent upsurge in offensive firepower. Adams scored 16 points on 7-for-8 shooting against the Celtics, two days after tallying 24 points while hitting 8 of 9 shots against Houston.Portland (12-14) comes into Tuesdays game on a four-game losing streak after falling 121-120 to the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center on Monday night. The Blazers opened a five-game trip with a 112-110 win at Chicago, then dropped four in a row.The Blazers have played plenty of good offense, and they did again against the Clippers, who have now beaten them three straight times this season. Damian Lillard had 24 points, eight assists and five rebounds; CJ McCollum contributed 25 points, five rebounds and three assists; and center Mason Plumlee collected 18 points, seven rebounds, six assists and five blocked shots.Portland shot 50.8 percent, including 47.6 (10 for 21) from 3-point range, and fired at an 88 percent clip from the foul line. But defense, a problem all season long, was again an issue. The Clippers shot 47.2 percent from the field, .478 from the 3-point line and .929 from the foul line while committing only 11 turnovers.After the OKC game, it doesnt get easier for the Blazers, who head back onto the road for stops at Denver, Golden State and Sacramento.A 12-14 record isnt what we want, but its not the worst thing in the world, Lillard told reporters. There are teams below us. Things could be worse. But we also know weve got to be better. We came into this season expecting much more of ourselves. So thats disappointing. Cheap Custom Twins Jersey . -- Most satisfying to Russ Smith about No. Custom Twins Jerseys . 10 Texas A&Ms offence dominated as usual against SMU. http://www.customtwinsjersey.com/ . The head of USA Boxing came out swinging Tuesday with an open letter to Tyson -- a former Olympic hopeful himself -- that accuses the former heavyweight champion of trying to poach fighters who might be candidates for the U. Custom Twins T-shirts . After Mondays hard-fought loss, the wait seemed longer than usual. Getting set to go their separate ways for a short Christmas break, the Raptors coach credited his team for their effort on a seemingly impossible three-game road trip, urging them to build on that success when they get back to work at the end of the week. Cheap Twins Jerseys .Y. -- Marcell Dareus and the Buffalo Bills defence made life miserable for Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco. ASHBURN, Va. -- To no ones surprise, Josh Norman is sticking to his style, on and off the field.The Washington Redskins cornerback is not about to let the NFLs fines or officials yellow flags deter him from doing what he does, whether its speaking his mind about what he considers bad calls or sticking a hand in an opposing receivers face.As his Redskins (4-3-1) get set to host the Minnesota Vikings (5-3) on Sunday, Norman is sure the league is keeping a particularly close eye on him.Hes also certain hes not going to alter anything because of it.What am I going to change, my aggressiveness? ... For what? No. Its what we do. Weve been doing it since Day 1. Whys it going to change now? Because its aggressive? Hands to the face? So? Im going to come back and Im going to be aggressive in the same way the next time -- and the next time after that, Norman said. Youre going to have to actually physically run through me to beat me. Thats whats going to have to happen. At the end of the day, thats how I play, that style of football.Washington is coming off its bye. In the teams most recent game, a 27-27 tie in London against the Cincinnati Bengals on Oct. 30, Norman was whistled five times as he was matched up against wideout A.J. Green, including four flags for illegal hands to the face.Afterward, Norman ripped the field judge for poor officiating, a diatribe that prompted a fine of $25,000 from the league that he is appealing.He also was docked $9,115 earlier this season for a bow-and-arrow pantomime that drew a flag for unsportsmanlike conduct after an interception.I enjoy the refs. I love them. They love me. We out there, were playing with each other. They say (my) first name; I call them by theirs. We have fun with each other, Norman said. I dont think thats one of the things thats the problem here.Normman has picked off only one pass since joining the Redskins as a free agent after the Carolina Panthers surprisingly let him leave over the offseason.dddddddddddd He generally has managed to play the same sort of shutdown defense he displayed as an All-Pro a year ago.Norman hasnt always been deployed as a traveling cornerback assigned to the opponents top receiver -- remember Washingtons Week 1 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Antonio Brown? -- but there is no doubt he is a major cog in the defense.He cuts off one side of the field for us, defensive lineman Ricky Jean Francois said. Thats a plus.And coach Jay Gruden leaves no doubt how he feels about what Norman has done in a Redskins uniform, whether its during plays, between them, or in front of reporters microphones.Ive been very impressed with Josh from the day that he got here, Gruden said Wednesday, referring to Normans work ethic.Then, turning to the rest of what having Norman on the team entails, the coach added:As far as his off-the-field antics or on-the-field penalties that hes gotten, hes a physical football player. Hes in your face and hes very competitive. You dont want to change that about him at all.Game notes WR DeSean Jackson (shoulder) missed practice Wednesday, while S Will Blackmon (left thumb) and RT Morgan Moses (left ankle) were limited. ... . Former Redskins GM Bobby Beathard will be inducted into the teams Ring of Fame during Sundays homecoming game against the visiting Vikings.---AP Sports Writer Stephen Whyno contributed to this report.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich ' ' '