suffering his knee injury, Ross has focused solely o

SALT LAKE CITY -- In his first game back from a sprained thumb, George Hill showed why he is becoming Utahs most indispensable player.The Jazz hope for more of the same from Hill on Friday when they host the Atlanta Hawks at Vivint Smart Home Arena.Hills fingerprints could be seen everywhere in a 108-83 victory over the Denver Nuggets. He led the team in scoring for the fifth time this season -- finishing with 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting.Hills presence also had a calming effect on his teammates. When he was on the floor, offensive sets ran to perfection on a majority of possessions and, on the other end, the Jazz (8-8) defended at a high level.Its still early, but Utahs decision to trade for Hill appears to be the most shrewd offseason move by any NBA team.He makes the game easier for everybody, so its great to have him back out on the court, Gordon Hayward said after Wednesdays victory over the Nuggets. You can see the impact he had on the game. Hes a tremendous basketball player on both ends of the floor.Hill is averaging a career-best 20.6 points and dishing out 4.8 assists. He has totaled just 10 turnovers over eight games. Even while he was sidelined for eight games, the veteran guard did all he could to make sure he hit the ground running once he came back.Once back, he helped Utah snap a four-game losing streak and put together its best offensive output since a 109-84 victory over Philadelphia on Nov. 7.Any time you miss a lot of games -- especially when your team is losing -- you want to get back out there and be a part of it, Hill said. Its always fun to be out there with these guys and fighting night in and night out.Atlanta (10-5) should offer a better measuring stick to see if Utah has put its struggles in the rearview mirror. The Hawks rolled to a 96-85 victory over Indiana on Wednesday behind double-doubles from both Dwight Howard and Paul Millsap.Howard totaled 23 points and 20 rebounds while Millsap finished with 18 points and 11 boards. The duo helped Atlanta finish with a 56-37 advantage on the glass. Seventeen of those were offensive boards which the Hawks turned into 19 second-chance points.I thought we came out here tonight with a certain level of focus, and we were able to sustain it throughout the game, Millsap said following Wednesday nights win.Atlanta is an efficient team on offense and should present a nice test for Utahs defense. The Hawks shoot 46.9 percent from the field and average 24.6 assists per game. In both offensive categories, they rank among the top 5 NBA teams.Utah and Atlanta split the season series a year ago, with each team winning on the road. The Hawks prevailed 91-84 in Salt Lake City on Mar. 8 after rallying from a double-digit deficit in the second quarter. Atlanta has won 12 of the last 14 games between the two teams.Felix Pena Angels Jersey . Kozun faked to the forehand and beat Monsters starter, Calvin Pickard, pad side in the second round for the winner. Spencer Abbott also scored in the shootout for the Marlies (25-13-4). Shohei Ohtani Angels Jersey . John Tavares, Thomas Vanek and Kyle Okposo were also being counted on to slow down sizzling Rangers forward Rick Nash. That plan didnt go so well early. https://www.cheapangels.com/1473j-jose-suarez-jersey-angels.html . - Connor McDavid scored 53 seconds into overtime as the Erie Otters came from behind to defeat the visiting Guelph Storm 4-3 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. CJ Wilson Angels Jersey . Ancelotti says Ronaldo has recovered from a hamstring injury but "but he doesnt feel comfortable yet so we wont risk him." Madrid is third in the Spanish league, six points behind leader Barcelona, going into Saturdays game against Valladolid. Bert Blyleven Angels Jersey . -- Ken Appleby made 32 saves for his first shutout of the season to lead the Oshawa Generals to a 2-0 win over the Belleville Bulls on Wednesday in Ontario Hockey League action.SEATTLE -- In the midst of Washingtons John Ross returning after 20 months away from football and reminding everyone just how fast he is on the field, the unthinkable happened.Huskies quarterback Jake Browning actually managed to overthrow Ross when the speedster was open sprinting down the sideline.Ive got to put more air under it, Browning said with a grin.The return of Ross proved the biggest highlight for No. 14 Washington coming out of its 48-13 win over Rutgers to open the season. While the Pac-12 took its collective lumps on the opening weekend, the Huskies appeared worthy of their preseason billing, even if their first true test of whether they are a top 15 program wont come for a few more weeks. They play Idaho on Saturday.Ross was the star, playing for the first time since suffering a major knee injury during spring practice in 2015. Ross had five catches for 90 yards, with 88 of those yards coming on two long touchdown catches, and he returned a kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown. It was his fifth touchdown of 90 yards or more in 27 career games at Washington.I figured they would kick it to me because I didnt do nothing last year. I havent really proved anything, Ross said. Just to see they did I got very excited.Ross immediately provided a dynamic that was missing from Washingtons offense a year ago when the Huskies struggled to push the ball downfield in the passing game. In 13 games last season, Washington had five passing touchdowns of 30 or more yards.They had three touchdown passes of 30 or more yards in the opener.It cant just be the John Ross show, Washington coach Chris Petersen said. People will figure out how to slow that down fast. But I think its really nice to come out of the gate and make some plays there so people have to pay attention to that closely.Speed was never the queestion about Ross prior to his injury.dddddddddddd The question was what would be the best position to play him. His exceptional speed made him a threat as a wide receiver, but it also made him effective as a defensive back. With the injuries Washington suffered in its secondary during the 2014 season, Ross split his time between offense and defense.The last time he was on the field in a game setting prior to Saturday -- January 2015 in the Cactus Bowl -- Ross started at cornerback, meaning the growth potential at wide receiver is significant. Since suffering his knee injury, Ross has focused solely on being a wide receiver, but it takes game opportunities to really assess where the improvement needs to be.I feel better than I have ever, Ross said. I feel bigger. I feel faster. Just really thankful Im able to do it again.Petersen understands there is more development needed with Ross, pointing out not just the lack of game reps but the limited practice reps for Ross as a wide receiver. His speed will always separate Ross and be his biggest strength, but now its learning the intricacies of the position that will really allow him to stand out.I dont want to say behind, but I still think he has a lot more to him, Petersen said on Monday. I mean, just in terms of practice reps. He hasnt had a ton of practice reps. I maybe even think about that more than the game reps. Some of these guys have had a lot. As we all know, to build true skill takes hours and years of these reps over and over. He hasnt really had that, with us, at least.So its been nice to watch him this fall progress with some detailed, route-running stuff.---AP college football site: http://collegefootball.ap.org ' ' '