should also be leery of a surging Colorado team in the ever-unpredicta

SAN ANTONIO -- Even if the San Antonio Spurs cant help but feel a touch uneasy about their 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals, Tony Parker is completely comfortable. For the second straight year, Parker used a sensational Game 2 to give the Spurs a two-game lead to start the conference finals. This time, it was a 15-point, 18-assist masterpiece that featured Parker scoring or assisting on 14 of the Spurs 18 baskets after halftime. Asked Wednesday if it was a performance reminiscent of John Stockton, the NBAs career assists leader, Parker said: "No, Tony Parker." "I dont want to be anybody. I just want to have my own identity," he added. "I always fight with (coach Gregg Popovich) for that because he wanted me to be -- no disrespect to Avery Johnson -- but like Avery, and then like John. I was like, I want to be me. I want to do both. I want to be aggressive, and I just try to find that balance. "Thats the thing through my whole career is to find the happy middle between scoring and passing." Parker has already won three NBA titles with San Antonio and seemed to have the Spurs rolling toward another one last season when he scored 34 points on 16 for 21 shooting -- and also dished out eight assists -- in a 120-111 victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 2 of the West finals. It was San Antonios 20th straight win, a streak spanning seven weeks. And then -- poof! -- the season was over a week later following four straight losses to Oklahoma City. That history puts this years strong start to the series in a completely different perspective. "We understand that we didnt do anything. We just protected home court and we have a long way to go because we know were playing a very good team," Parker said. "People who know basketball, they know they are a very good team and you cant take anything for granted." Parker informed reporters before practice that he plans to use the three-day break before Game 3 on Saturday in Memphis to have an MRI on his troublesome left calf Thursday "just to make sure" hes improving on schedule. He said the knot that developed after he got kicked in the calf during the Golden State series was the biggest hes had in his career, but has been feeling better. "Slowly and surely, Im turning the corner and so hopefully, Ill be fine," Parker said, not expecting to miss any time. Last years Western Conference finals turned when the Thunder deployed 6-foot-7 defensive ace Thabo Sefolosha against Parker and began routinely switching screens on defence. Parkers shooting percentage dipped to 39 per cent and he had four assists in each of the next three games. Even his 29 points and 12 assists in Game 6 werent enough to save the Spurs. Even before Tuesday nights loss, Parker had been the focus of several defensive adjustments by the Grizzlies, and more figure to be on the way. "On pick-and-rolls, they had such good spacing that it allowed him to manipulate and move the ball different ways, get into the paint and draw and kick," Memphis point guard Mike Conley said. "When you have a guy thats able to create plays like that for other people, it really puts the defence at its mercy." While Parker presents an entirely different challenge, the Grizzlies found success in the last round by continually decreasing the effectiveness of three-time NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant. "Weve played against a lot of great players all year long, and you just have to go out and compete against them the best you can and try to limit some things and find a way to win," coach Lionel Hollins said. Parker said he believes he has become a better passer over the years, and his career-best assist total from Game 2 was also a product of the ball being in his hands more than ever. He had assists on San Antonios first seven baskets after halftime, then scored the next two. After coming out for a rest, he returned and hit back-to-back shots to extend the Spurs lead to 83-70 before he finally went cold and Memphis rallied. "He goes through his phases. Hes to the point now where he can do it both ways. He kind of reads what theyre giving him, what hes being asked to do, and you see (Tuesday) night where he just decided that the pass is what was there," Tim Duncan said. "Guys knocked down shots for him, which was great, but he controlled the entire game. "I think having that much on his shoulders really wore him out towards the end there, but hes the one that got us the lead that we had." Parker acknowledged he wore down late in regulation, when he missed five straight shots, in part as a residual effect from a long Golden State series and in part because of his heavy load so far in this one. Even so, he had assists on two of Duncans three baskets in overtime that enabled San Antonio to win and go up 2-0. "Were in a great spot, but if you look at it, its the same spot that we were last year. It doesnt mean at all that we are going to make it just because we won the first two," Manu Ginobili said. "Weve got to go there and try to grab one. ... Weve been here. We know that its not over until you win the fourth. "Weve just got to stay humble, keep working hard and definitely try to get one from Memphis." Custom Soccer Jerseys . Q: Team Canada announces their Olympic roster three weeks from today. Who is general manager Steve Yzerman watching? LeBrun: Over the last 48 hours, hes taken in the home-and-home between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche with Jamie Benn and Matt Duchene being the obvious targets. Wholesale Custom Jerseys . -- Jonathan Drouin gave Halifax the boost it needed to edge host Sherbrooke Phoenix 3-2 in a shootout in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. http://www.customjerseysnearme.com/ . Speaking to the Chicago Tribune at baseballs Winter Meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, Boras called the former home of the Expos a "tremendous environment" for baseball. Custom Baseball Jerseys . Ouellette, from Montreal, already has three Olympic gold medals since joining the team in 1999. Cheap Custom Jerseys . During the athletes parade, the 23-strong Ukrainian team was represented by a lone flagbearer in an apparent protest at the presence of Russian troops in Ukraines Crimean peninsula. The time to make September statements is over, but there is one more month to impress the College Football Playoff selection committee before it releases its first ranking on Nov. 1.At this point, the playoff picture is somewhat premature, as teams are just now entering the heart of conference play, and the committee holds league titles in high regard. Technically, any team with a chance to win its league should still be in the conversation. (Oklahoma: So youre saying theres a chance?)The perception of wins and losses will also change as the season evolves. Will Houstons win over Oklahoma carry as much weight in November as it did in Week 1? Not if the Sooners slip into oblivion. Alabama beat USC ... well, so did almost everyone else. The same can be said for Texas thrilling double-overtime win against Notre Dame in the season opener, as the Irish are now 1-3 after losing at home to Duke.A win over a Power 5 nonconference opponent will continue to resonate with the committee and help separate those teams from other comparable programs with weaker schedules, but as the teams evolve, so does the playoff picture.Heres a look at what we know after four weeks and what questions still linger heading into October:September answers:Alabama is still the team to beat. The defending national champs entered the season with questions about their quarterbacks and running backs, but after a 4-0 start they have reasserted themselves as the premier team in the country. The gritty win over Ole Miss, which had beaten the Crimson Tide the previous two seasons, made the biggest statement and cemented Bamas perch atop the SEC West. The biggest concern right now is staying healthy, as the top two running backs, Damien Harris and Bo Scarbrough, were injured against Kent State.Notre Dame and USC arent top-four -- or top-25.?Both fell far fast and are off to 1-3 starts, major disappointments for programs that entered the season with playoff aspirations. The Irish suffered their worst upset in two decades on Saturday when they lost at home to Duke, which was a three-touchdown underdog, and USC lost a heartbreaker to Utah on Friday night. The Trojans simply havent looked good enough to contend for the Pac-12 title, let alone a spot in the top four.Louisville has legitimate national title hopes. After embarrassing then-No. 2 Florida State 63-20, Louisville flipped a switch from playoff dark horse to contender. It has looked like the best team in the ACCs Atlantic Division and will have played both FSU and Clemson before the first CFP ranking comes out. Quarterback Lamar Jackson is a front-runner for the Heisman Trophy, but Louisvilles defense has made the Cardinals the total package entering October.The Group of 5 has hope. Houstons win over Oklahoma wasnt a fluke. Clearly the Cougars were the better team, but they still need a perfect season plus a bit of help to get into the top four. Its not impossible, but the Thursday night game against Louisville on Nov. 17 has grown in importance. In addition to needing to finish undefeated, Houston needs OU to be relevant in the Big 12 race and for the committee to acknowledge a few of its American Athletic Conference opponents in its top 25.The Big 12 is in a precarious position. Oklahoma is 1-2 but hasnt even started conference play. The excitement around Texas fizzled with its loss at Cal. TCU lost in double overtime to Arkansas, and Oklahoma States controversial loss to Central Michigan (which just lost to Virginia) was a microcosm of the hand-wringing that Big 12 fans have gone through this season.dddddddddddd So the league turns to Baylor, a program mired in controversy, as its highest-ranked team. Whoever emerges as the league champ will likely be afforded only?one loss by the committee.Tennessee controls the SEC East. What streak? Butch Jones can exhale after overcoming an 18-point deficit in the second half to beat Florida and snap an 11-game losing streak in the series. Equally as important is that the win propelled the Vols to the top of the East standings as the front-runner to win the division, especially after Georgias dreadful performance in a 45-14 loss to Ole Miss.Lingering questions:Can anyone beat Alabama? Not even Ole Miss could do it this year. LSU certainly doesnt look capable after a loss to Auburn. With its win over Arkansas, Texas A&M became the lead contender to challenge the Tide in the SEC West, but Alabama will have home-field advantage in that game on Oct. 22. Tennessee also has new life in the East and could have two shots at Bama, and in case you didnt notice, rival Auburn still has a pulse. Anything can happen in the Iron Bowl.How will the committee view Baylor? The Bears are now the Big 12s highest-ranked team after their win over Oklahoma State, and West Virginia is the only other undefeated team in the league. For the third straight year, Baylors nonconference schedule is laughable compared to others, but is the Big 12s most polarizing program also its best? Can the Bears remain relevant in the conference race? If so, will the committee members be able to separate what has happened on the field with the transgressions off it?Can Wisconsin keep it up? The Badgers have one of the most impressive September résumés, knocking off two top-10 teams in LSU and Michigan State. Remember, though, that Wisconsin made it to the Big Ten championship game in 2014 and was dismantled by Ohio State and its third-string quarterback. Theres no doubt the Badgers found their quarterback in Alex Hornibrook, but they also face back-to-back top-five opponents in Michigan and Ohio State.Is Utah for real? The Utes are off to a 4-0 start, but they also did that last year and were 3-0 to start 2014. They havent been able to sustain their recent strong starts through conference play. Utah next travels to Cal, and should also be leery of a surging Colorado team in the ever-unpredictable South Division, which has had four different champs in each of the past four seasons.Will the ACC need its third-party tiebreaker? Its a long shot, as several things need to happen: Clemson has to beat Louisville, AND Florida State has to beat Clemson, AND none of them can lose again this season, finishing with 11-1 records. If that happens, the ACC will turn to SportSource Analytics for its No. 7 tiebreaker, using the highest-ranked team, according to their team rating score metric, to determine the Atlantic Division winner.Ohio State or Michigan? It was clear in the home loss to Wisconsin that Michigan State has issues, and Sparty didnt look ready to return to the Big Ten title game. So which one is it? Ohio State or Michigan? The Buckeyes have the better résumé right now thanks to a road win over Oklahoma, and they also have to travel to Wisconsin on Oct. 15, in addition to facing Nebraska, Michigan State and Michigan. The Wolverines host Wisconsin on Saturday. ' ' '