Whats behind Erik Hurtados sudden and dramatic turnaround? Why is he all of a sudden scoring highlight reel goals and game win

Whats behind Erik Hurtados sudden and dramatic turnaround? Why is he all of a sudden scoring highlight reel goals and game winners? According to Whitecaps Coach Carl Robinson there is no difference. Clyde Drexler Jersey . Hes the same player he always was, only now his efforts are being rewarded. The rookie manager has made a habit of heaping praise on others when things are going well, and accepting criticism when they arent. But in the case of Hurtado, its what the coach is NOT saying that may be the secret to a superb run of form. Last year, you could almost see the Santa Clara grad thinking while he played. "Should I go here?" "Whos my man?" "Do I shoot or do I cross?" The amount of times a promising attack would fizzle out at his feet was frustrating for not just the fans, but his former manager as well. When your coach loses faith, its tough to believe in yourself. So the mantra this year for Hurtado and many of the other young studs in the Whitecaps stable is stop thinking. Just go play. For the most part, its working. Hurtado has been employed as both a lone striker, and a right sided weapon. Hes looked equally dangerous in both roles. One can only imagine what might happen when his freedom of thought becomes routine and instinctual. Compare the Real Salt Lake game a month ago, when in the late stages, last years fifth overall pick burst down the right flank and instead of unleashing one of his palm stinging drives, he squared it up for a team-mate, with coach Robinson pleading for a shot. From virtually the same spot in last Saturdays game against Seattle Sounders Hurtado blasted home off the cross bar, and the Whitecaps were back on level terms only minutes after cruelly falling behind. There was no thought. There was no passing of responsibility. It was the same explosive drive the 23-year-old has unleashed hundreds of times in training, and throughout his formative years. The ball doesnt seem to run away from "E-Money" anymore either. His touch is tidier, the runs are becoming less predictable, and the end product is inherently powerful. Youd be hard pressed to find a similarly statured player with the kinds of tools Hurtado possesses. Hes been told more than once that a running back in the other type of football might have suited his skill set more. Thankfully his dad wasnt having it. Now the one time Beaverton Oregon boy gets to return to the state of his youth, as a bona fide starter, and a legitimate threat. Surely the family and friends in attendance will motivate him further, rather than distract. Carl Robinson could also have the luxury of Darren Mattocks at his disposal for the June 1st tilt at Providence Park. Mattocks will be racking up the air miles on Jamaican duty, but will still be available to face his old Akron Zips coach Caleb Porter, and best pal Darlington Nagbe. Might we see Hurtado, Mattocks and Manneh all on the park at once as some supporters had fantasized already last pre-season? Hopefully the manager can keep them all from thinking about it too much. Trevor Ariza Jersey . Sami Vatanen had a goal and an assist and Anaheim used a four-goal first period to extend their winning streak to six games with a 5-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night. Eric Gordon Jersey . Louis, MO (SportsNetwork. http://www.therocketsofficial.com/Authentic-Chris-Paul-Rockets-Jersey/ .B. -- Canadas Rachel Homan had ideal preparation for the playoffs at the Ford World Curling Championships with a pair of hard-fought wins over tenacious opponents Thursday. DALLAS -- The Portland Trail Blazers no longer are chasing the San Antonio Spurs in the NBAs Western Conference. LaMarcus Aldridge had 30 points and 12 rebounds, and the Trail Blazers beat the Dallas Mavericks 127-111 on Saturday night to pull even with the Spurs at 31-9. The Trail Blazers have won five consecutive games, including a 109-100 victory at San Antonio on Friday. "I was really proud of the way our team played, especially on the heels of an emotional win in San Antonio," coach Terry Stotts said. "Our resolve, defensively, I thought was very good and got us into a position to have a large lead." The lead reached 38 points at 111-73 with 9:43 to play. A 25-2 surge against Portlands bench brought Dallas within 15 points with 4:38 remaining before the starters returned to restore order. The Trail Blazers, the NBAs highest-scoring team, reached 30 points in the first quarter for the 14th time in 2013-14, and 100 points in three quarters for the fourth time. "We are just playing great basketball right now," Aldridge said. "Whenever guys guard the way they can, this team is good." Dirk Nowitzki led Dallas with 18 points in 21 minutes. All five Portland starters scored in double figures, and Aldridge, Robin Lopez and Damian Lillard (14 points, 10 assists) each recorded a double-double. "The first three quarters were beyond embarrassing," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. "We were poor on offence, too. We werent playing together. We werent helping each other. "You do that against a high-level quality team like Portland, theyre going to make you pay a heavy price." Portland outrebounded Dallas 55-30, scored 60 points in the paint and had 22 second-chance points. Nicolas Batum shot 6 for 7 and scored 15 of his 21 points in the first quarter as the Trail Blazers opened a 35-23 lead. "They were double-teaming LaMarcus," Batum said, "so the other four guys around him moved around to get open. Were a shooting team." Portland shot 51 per cent (46 for 90) for the game, including 59 per cent (26 for 44) for a 71-52 halftime lead. The Trail Blazers defence also was superb, holding the Mavericks to 39 per cent shooting (26 for 66) while running up a 104-70 lead after three quarters. Portland had 30 fast-break points to Dallas 5. "Theyre obviously a tough team to defend,&qquot; Nowitzki said. James Harden Jersey. "They have LaMarcus on the block and they have shooters out there. They really got whatever they wanted for three quarters and they were very good." Carlisle found a silver lining in the fourth quarter, when the Mavericks outscored the Trail Blazers 41-23. "The guys that were in there in the fourth quarter really fought," he said. "Im going to find guys that will fight and get them in the game, simple as that." Jae Crowder scored all 13 of his points in the fourth quarter, and DeJuan Blair had 11 of his 13. The Mavericks Devin Harris played 17 minutes and scored six points in his first game this season following toe surgery. Harris played the first 3 1/2 of his 10 NBA seasons with Dallas, and re-signed with the team last summer, but missed the first 41 games. He received a standing ovation when he entered the game with 3:22 remaining in the first quarter. Harris missed his first two free throws, but hit a long 2-point field goal at the buzzer later in the quarter. "I actually like what I saw," Nowitzki said. "Were looking forward to getting him out there more and more and playing at a high level." Portlands lead grew to 18 in the second quarter, but the Mavericks battled back within 54-46 with an 18-8 run. With the Trail Blazers starting lineup back in the game, they scored 17 of the final 23 points in the second quarter. Aldridge and Batum each had 17 first-half points. The third quarter also started well for Portland, which quickly stretched its advantage to 83-58. NOTES: Dallas Shawn Marion made his 1,000th NBA start. . The Trail Blazers are just 8-6 when they have scored 30-plus points in the first quarter, but theyre 4-0 when reaching 100 in just three quarters. They entered the night averaging 109.1 points per game. ... The Mavericks reassigned rookie guard Ricky Ledo to Texas of the NBA Development League. He has played in only nine games for Dallas, averaging 3.3 minutes and 1.9 points. ... Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was fined $100,000 for confronting officials on the court and using inappropriate language after Wednesdays game against the Clippers in Los Angeles. ... When asked what knowledge Stotts had gained after Portland won only 33 games last season, Carlisle joked about his former assistant, "You mean other than what he stole here?" Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '