"Its just the way it is, you know. We didnt allow that to impact us in Game 1 and I thought we allowed it to impact us in Game 2." Deng watched Game 2 on TV, and said he thought the Bulls let it get away from them. He said the trip to the practice facility was his first time out of the hous

For more than three months, since round six to be precise, the AFLs top eight has remained unchanged and immovable. The competition had had a two-speed feel about it, the contenders all very clear and distinct, and the up-and-comers slogging away in the bottom half of the table without threatening to upset any of the big boys.But all of that could change if St Kilda beat Sydney at Etihad Stadium this Saturday night, and Hawthorn beat eighth-placed North Melbourne. It is at that point that the Saints, non-finalists for four straight years, can actually talk up the notion of playing finals, because Norths draw is very tough (Sydney and GWS to come), while St Kilda face Richmond and the hapless Brisbane Lions to close, both winnable games.In short, if St Kilda win all three games to finish the season and North loses all three, eighth spot would change. It might be unlikely, but it is a tantalising prospect for St Kilda fans.In truth, though, it does not matter so much. Regardless of whether the Saints play finals or miss out narrowly, it has made massive strides in 2016.St Kilda has been in building mode since Ross Lyons departure in acrimony at the end of 2011, missing the finals and twice changing coaches; from Lyon to Scott Watters to Alan Richardson. It is only now that the build carries some weight.Richardson was known as a great development coach as he did the rounds of the clubs, awaiting his opportunity as a head coach. Now that he is in charge, he can apply that sense of empathy that brings out the best in players and he has been a profound success at St Kilda.Granted, his list management people have served him well in a rebirth largely built upon clever trading above all else. Look at the players from other clubs who are significant figures in this team: ruckman Tom Hickey, forwards Josh Bruce and Tim Membrey, defender Shaun Dempster and midfielder Mav Weller to mention but a few.Other things have fallen for Richardson, in particular the fact that his veterans have hung on well. Leigh Montagna has pulled out a great year at 32 and Nick Riewoldt is a remarkable player still at 33. Both have embraced different roles -- Montagna as a running back and Riewoldt up as far as the wing -- and played brilliantly.Significantly, you can easily identify what Richardson wants in terms of game style and that is not the case with some other new coaches. The Saints apply pressure around the football that is in the elite category, force turnovers and then run forward hard and quickly. It is a two-sided game and it has allowed St Kilda to compete with everyone this year. It has a Ross Lyon 2009 look about it.A couple of questionable umpiring decisions -- a play-on call in the game against Hawthorn in Launceston in round four and a blocking free kick against Hickey that gifted North Melbourne the match-winning goal in round seven -- will reverberate if the Saints miss the finals, as is likely. These are the what-if moments of the season, games that could have been won.But St Kilda is back as some kind of force. In 2017 it will pop the suspended Jake Carlisle into its team to plug the gaping hole in the middle of their back half, and Paddy McCartin, the No. 1 pick, will be a year older and stronger.Just how much of a force will be told this weekend. Can the Saints topple the mighty Swans? Its doubtful, but it wont die wondering. Its not in its DNA. Custom College Jerseys Store . -- Jacksonville wide receiver Cecil Shorts will likely be a game-time decision whether hell play Sunday in the Jaguars home game against the San Diego Chargers. Sale Custom College Jerseys . -- Charlie Graham stopped 67 shots as the Belleville Bulls edged the visiting Guelph Storm 6-5 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. http://www.customjerseyscollege.com/custom-ucla-bruins-jerseys-74s.html . -- Quarterback Will Finch threw for 252 yards and three touchdowns, and Yannick Harou rushed in two scores as the No. Custom College Jerseys Free Shipping . The next step is a better finish. Bae played bogey-free Friday on another gorgeous day at Riviera for a 5-under 66, giving him a one-shot lead over Aaron Baddeley and Robert Garrigus going into the weekend. Wholesale Custom College Jerseys . 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. DEERFIELD, Ill. -- It started with the flu, and turned into a hospital stay. There were terrible headaches and weakness. Just walking was a chore. All at the worst time for Luol Deng and the Chicago Bulls. The All-Star forward made an appearance at Chicagos practice facility on Thursday, but it was clear from his drawn appearance and measured tone that he might not be able to make it back in time to play in the Bulls rugged post-season series against the Miami Heat. Looking for reinforcements for its depleted roster, Chicago is going to have to wait a while for Deng. "I dont know. I want to play, but I dont know what I can do," he said. "I just, I havent done anything." Deng joined his teammates for the film session covering Wednesday nights 115-78 drubbing by the Heat that evened the series heading into Game 3 in Chicago on Friday night. He also got on the court and took a few jumpers, but that was all he could handle. "Still day to day. Hes feeling a little bit better," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "Well see tomorrow." While Chicago was taking stock of its injuries -- Kirk Hinrich had a second MRI on his injured left calf, and Derrick Rose was the "same," according to Thibodeau -- Miami was bracing for the first game of the series at the United Center. Its the Heats first trip to Chicago since a 101-97 loss on March 27 snapped their 27-game winning streak. "We know that they call it the Madhouse on Madison for a reason," said Miami guard Dwyane Wade, a Chicago-area native. "The fans are very loud. At the end of the day, once that settles down, its the game of basketball and you have to execute your game plan. Its going to be the little things that wins games for your team." The Heat did everything right in Game 2, running away from the Bulls after a surprising 93-86 loss in the series opener on Monday night. A 62-20 run was more than enough to wipe away the residue from Miamis first playoff loss, and MVP LeBron James had only three points in the tidal wave -- a scary statistic for Chicago, and theres more. The Game 2 blowout was the 41st time that an NBA team won a playoff game by 35 or more points. In the previous 40 occasions, the team on top of the blowout went on to win the series 36 times. Its a good omen for Miami, but James knows firsthand how it can turn around in a hurry. He was playing for Cleveland when the Cavaliers lost 108-72 to Washington in a 2008 playoff game and went on to win the series. "Its just one game," he said. "Even though you got dominated the game before and you didnt do things right, its still one game. You dont get two wwins if you win by over 30 or over 40.dddddddddddd You only get one game. Theyre back in their home building, where theyre very good and we have to be ready for it." It looks as if the Bulls will be without Deng, Hinrich and Rose once again. Thibodeau said the team was awaiting the results of the latest MRI for Hinrich, who hasnt played since Game 4 of Chicagos first-round playoff series against Brooklyn on April 27. Rose hasnt played all year, but no one has ruled out what would be an emotional return for the 2011 NBA MVP. Even with the depleted roster, the Bulls managed to win Game 7 on the road against the Nets and then steal home-court advantage against Miami. Bouncing back against the Heat could be a matter of just keeping their cool after they were whistled for six of the nine technical fouls during the emotional Game 2, leading to ejections for Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson. "We got to do better. We got to do a much better job of that," Thibodeau said. "Cant get sidetracked. We know how it will be called. Were not going to get calls. We just got to be tough, mentally, physically, emotionally. We got to be a lot stronger." Asked what he meant about not getting the calls, Thibodeau responded: "Its just the way it is, you know. We didnt allow that to impact us in Game 1 and I thought we allowed it to impact us in Game 2." Deng watched Game 2 on TV, and said he thought the Bulls let it get away from them. He said the trip to the practice facility was his first time out of the house since a "scary" couple of days. Deng became sick during the Brooklyn series, missing practice on May 1 and Game 6 the next day. He felt so bad that he went to the hospital, where he had a spinal tap to rule out meningitis. "After that, I just didnt respond well," he said. "Started having severe headaches. Was struggling to walk. Started feeling really weak. Started throwing up ... I couldnt control my body really, and because of that I lost a lot of weight." Doctors recommended a blood patch to help heal the damage from the spinal tap, and Deng had to stay in the hospital for more than a day until his white blood cell count came down enough to allow him to have the second procedure. He dropped about 15 pounds, but is feeling a little better now and said hes proud of how the team has played without him. "Guys are going out there and just playing together," he said. "Just seeing them do it together is really the main thing. ... Watching it obviously is a lot harder when youre not out there, but just seeing your teammates play that hard and fighting together." ' ' '