Dein erstes Forum » ime.The 6.5-mile ride took us along the salt m

NEW ORLEANS -- Jason Kidd wasnt going to discount the performance of his young Milwaukee Bucks squad simply because it came against the winless New Orleans Pelicans.When a coach sees six of his players score in double digits, three players grab 10 or more rebounds and five guys playing effective team defense in the clutch, on the road, its hard to be critical.They all competed, Kidd said. We do not win if we dont play defense well. I thought we made plays. We made the stops.Giannis Antetokounmpo capped a 24-point, 10-rebound performance with a pivotal 3-pointer with 1:34 to go, Jabari Parker added 21 points, and the Bucks defeated the Pelicans 117-113 on Tuesday night.We shared the ball, Kidd said. We got those open shots.Anthony Davis scored 35 points -- the third time he has scored at least that many -- to go with 15 rebounds, three blocked shots and three steals. But once again, it was not enough for New Orleans, which has dropped its first four games, including three at home.We cant get a win. Its frustrating, Davis said. But whatever we need to do, we need to do it fast.Milwaukee rookie Malcolm Brogdon had his best game yet, scoring 14 points -- 10 in the second half. Tony Snell had 13 points and 10 rebounds for the Bucks, while Rashad Vaughn scored 12 points and Matthew Dellavedova had 11 points and eight assists.Tonight was the first night that we really trusted our offense and executed what we practice, Brogdon said. We stuck to the game plan and played like a team all the way through.The Bucks looked to pound the ball inside and the Pelicans offered little resistance. Milwaukee scored 58 points in the paint, compared to 38 for New Orleans -- which annoyed Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry.Theres just no excuse for not talking defensively and we talked about the fact that when you play this team, theyre going to drive the ball, Gentry said. They got half of their points in the paint. Weve got to do a better job.The Bucks also outrebounded the Pelicans 50-42.Tim Frazier had 20 points and nine assists for New Orleans, while Solomon Hill added 18 points and ETwaun Moore had 17. Hill and Moore combined to shoot 6 of 10 from 3-point range. Rookie Buddy Hield, the NBAs sixth overall draft pick, scored 10 points, but was just 1 of 6 from 3-point range.Were not worried about the offensive part, Davis said. Defense is where weve got to become better and is starts with communication.TIP-INSBucks: New Orleans native Greg Monroe was productive off the bench for the Bucks, grabbing 11 rebounds to go with six points, six assists and a block in less than 18 minutes. ... G Jason Terry, who missed Milwaukees previous two games because of a death in the family, was back with the team in New Orleans but did not play.Pelicans: After making five of their first seven 3-point attempts, the Pelicans missed nine straight before finishing 9 of 26 from long range. ... Davis continued to average nearly a point per minute on the court this season. He played 37 minutes against Milwaukee.BLOSSOMING ROOKIEKidd praised the poise and production Brogdon brought to the Bucks in only his fourth regular season game.We trust Malcolm when hes on the floor, Kidd said. Hes going to make some rookie mistakes, but no one panics -- he doesnt panic. He keeps playing and every time hes on the floor, he gets better.Brogdon said coaches and teammates have helped his confidence through the faith they show in him. My team is always talking to me and its just very helpful when you have people that believe in you and want you to do well.MOMENTUM SWINGSThe Pelicans led by as many as nine points early, but the Bucks took a 12-point lead in the third quarter when Antetokounmpos layup made it 74-62.New Orleans responded with an 11-0 run that began with Moores 3 and ended with Hills 3, but the Bucks rebuilt a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter with a 13-4 run that included Brogdons dunk and his 3-pointer.The Pelicans got as close as 114-112 on Davis floater with 1:46 left, but Antetokounmpo hit his late 3 and New Orleans didnt recover.UP NEXTBucks: Host Indiana on Thursday night.Pelicans: Visit Memphis on Wednesday night. Andre Tippett Womens Jersey . -- Eastern Kentucky thrives off creating havoc for others. Rob Gronkowski Womens Jersey . Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek defeated Nenad Zimonjic and Ilija Bozoljac 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (4) on the indoor hard-court at Belgrade Arena. The victory improved the Czech pairs impressive cup doubles record to 14-1. http://www.patriotsjerseysauthentic.com/Sony-Michel-Super-Bowl-Jersey/ . -- Hunter Smith scored the winner with just 12 seconds remaining in the third period as the Oshawa Generals edged the host Sarnia Sting 5-4 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League action. Tom Brady Patriots Jersey .C. -- Chris Thorburn thinks one of the reasons the Winnipeg Jets have been successful under new coach Paul Maurice is that theyre playing together as a team. Julian Edelman Womens Jersey . -- For the first time in two months, an opponent was standing up to Alabama. I gazed upon the hill ahead of me, which at first glance was a tad intimidating (as Id be tacking on a total elevation gain of 1,780 feet), and I immediately thought to myself, My spin classes didnt prepare me for this.But I lowered my head and pedaled on -- slowly and unsurely, wondering how Id make it up my own personal Mount Everest on the very first day of my trip.Just 18 hours before the ride, I arrived in Wales for a five-day bicycling group tour with Drover Holidays, a local outfitter that organizes bicycling and walking vacations for all ages and abilities, including this cyclist who typically rides a stationary bike at a Florida-based YMCA.When Im not traveling, my weekly workouts at the Y consist of two (what I consider to be hard-core) spin classes, a boot camp that combines weights and cardio, plus a few yoga sessions at my local studio for good measure. When Im on the road, well ... Ive learned, thats a different story.Back on the trail and riding my trusty Merida hybrid bike on an approximately 20-mile trek upward through Brecon Beacons National Park -- from the market town of Abergavenny in the Monmouthsire county, to Hay-on-Wye in the Brecknockshire district; the entrancing scenery distracted me from the burning sensation coursing through my legs.All around, awe-inspiring landscapes spread as far as the eye could see, void of any development and very few cars passing along the way. Instead, flocks of sheep quietly grazed in lush green fields, horses meandered over to see who was passing by. The experience was not only tranquil, but inspiring.At times, the terrain proved tough, but it didnt discourage me. Id dismount and walk my bike through a few more challenging areas. However, Id always be prepared to climb back on, and pedal along. After all, you cant quit. You are essentially forced to complete your ride to reach your intended destination. If my legs grew weary in spin class, Id simply turn the knob on the bike to the left to lessen the resistance. Cycling in the real world, there isnt a knob to turn down. And theres no turning back, only onward and upward.After hours and 17-or-so miles of cycling, our group made it through Gospel Pass, which at 1,801 feet, is the highest throughway in Wales. Completing that ride meant we had reached the summit of our climb. Back in Florida I could only imagine this visual. It was surreal to actual live in that very moment, and be met with a real-life reward.The spoils of our work included a delicious lunch -- which we enjoyed while soaking in sweeping views of the valley below. A thrilling three-or-so miles of fast downhill riding and, for me, a decadent chocolate dessert at dinner that evening. After all, I needed to refuel for the next days ride.When I awoke the next morning after an exceptionally sound sleep at a nearby hotel, my body wasnt sore at all. Perhaps even more surprisingly, I was excited for the journey ahead of me, I couldnt wait to get back on my bike. Day 2 took us to the Elan Valley, (also known as the Welsh Lake District) in Powys, Wales, for a much shorter ride, alongside lakes and wooded trails. The 70-mile reserve makes for terrific bicycling, though we rode just eight miles of it, happening upon a few walkers and even fewer cyclists, and the customary sheep along the way.During the ridde, I noticed that my legs felt stronger and I didnt flinch when our group approached the small hills.dddddddddddd Perhaps my spin classes or the experience thus far were paying off after all.However, on Day 3 -- while riding an 8.5-mile ride in Pembrokeshire -- starting on the coast, then inland and finally, the countryside -- something clicked. I figured out how to incorporate spin position two, which is when your hands are just inside the upward curve on the handle bars and you are more or less in run mode, and the third position (climb), where you hold your hands on to the top of the handles.As we rode the undulating hills, suddenly I used the momentum from the down hills to power up hills, changing gears to increase the resistance, just like I would turn the knob to the right on my spin bike, and I surged past my fellow riders. I made it to the top without stopping, and when we all gathered together again, some asked what had gotten into me and I couldnt help but smile.Our group of five women (plus two guides) had bonded from the first day, and we encouraged one another in every ride. All of us were close in age and of similar fitness levels, but two of the women in our group soldiered up each hill, not stopping to walk their bikes once. I was so impressed by their abilities, that I pushed myself to get increasingly better.The next morning, Day 4, we stayed off our bikes and instead went on a coasteering adventure (think canyoneering -- scrambling, bouldering, rock-climbing and cliff-jumping into water) before making our way to Tenby, a seaside town on the Carmarthen Bay.After we settled into our lovely accommodations, we were eager to get back onto our bikes and set out for a short, three-mile tour of the town and its beautiful beaches. I met the few hills along the route head-on and tackled all but one, which got the best of me. Reward: Bread, and lots of it, served with creamy Irish butter and delicious bites.?When I awoke on our last day of bicycling, Day 5, I was admittedly sad. Id come accustomed to our daily rides and relished my time on the road. After a visit to the Laugharne Castle in southern Carmarthenshire, we hopped back onto our bikes for the last time.The 6.5-mile ride took us along the salt marshes of the Gower Peninsula and to our final destination, the Britannia Inn, a local pub in Llanmadoc -- it was time for a celebratory lunch of fish and chips. And after five days in the seat of a real bicycle, I felt strong, confident and ready to tackle whatever lied ahead. Including my culinary indulgence.Though I much prefer the gorgeous Welsh scenery to a darkened room in the basement of a high-rise building, back in my spin class I pushed myself harder and didnt hesitate when turning the knob on the stationary bike to the right to increase resistance. Because real bicycling uses the core much more than a spin class ever would, I was more apt to riding through the rough patches, like I did on the countryside.And now theres no looking back, as I know now that Im capable of tackling any terrain.Susan B. Barnes (travlin girl) is a freelance travel journalist whose bags are always packed and ready for her next adventure. ' ' '