ERST LESEN! » hin in the backcourt without C.J., head coach Nate

HOUSTON -- Craig Sager never once thought about giving up as he battled cancer for more than two years.Man, life is too beautiful, too wonderful, theres just too many things, he said in late August. Its not just you. Its your family and kids and all. Fight. Fight until the end. Fight as hard as you can.The end for the beloved TNT broadcaster came Thursday when the man known as much for his outrageous wardrobe as his relationships with the NBAs elite succumbed to the disease he fought so hard to overcome. Turner Sports announced his death without disclosing details. He was 65 and had worked basketball games for TNT for nearly a quarter-century.Craig Sager was a beloved member of the Turner family for more than three decades and he has been a true inspiration to all of us, Turner President David Levy said. There will never be another Craig Sager. His incredible talent, tireless work ethic and commitment to his craft took him all over the world covering sports.His son, Craig Jr., posted a loving video tribute to his father, tweeting: We packed a lifetime and then some into these 28 years together.Sagers passing brought out condolences from every corner of the NBA and Hall of Famer Larry Bird expressed what many were feeling.He was as identifiable with the NBA as any player or coach, Bird said. The league will not be the same without him.Magic Johnson echoed those sentiments on Twitter.The NBA family lost a legend who changed the way sideline reporters did their job. RIP Craig Sager, Johnson said.It wasnt just the NBA community that mourned his passing, with Vice President Joe Biden and Drake expressing sadness at the loss.Sager had two bone marrow transplants with his son as the donor before undergoing a third one from an anonymous donor at the end of August in Houston to fight an aggressive form of leukemia. To no ones surprise, he was characteristically cheerful .It really isnt all that painful, not physically, he said then. I think the hardest toll is mentally and emotionally. I have this thing of positive thinking. I think if you think something is going to be right and you think positive then you feel that way and if you feel that way youll act that way. I try not to get down.Sager announced in April 2014 that he had been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, and he missed the playoffs and much of the following season as he underwent the first two transplants. Sager revealed in March 2016 that his leukemia was no longer in remission. He said doctors told him the typical prognosis was three to six months to live, but I am receiving the best treatment in the world and I remain fully confident I will win this battle.He was overwhelmed by how news of his fight spread and people across the world started talking about the Sager Strong campaign.At first was our familys fight, Sager said. Then because of TV and TNT and people seeing me in the stands and I talk to people and then it got bigger and then that inner circle became an endless world to tell you the truth.Sager then started gaining inspiration from everyone who shared their story or reached out to show support.They saw that I refused to give up and I refused to give in and that Im still fighting it and they saw a lot of inspiration in what I was doing, he said. Now I feel Im not only fighting for what I want and what my family wants, but for everybody out there who has cancer or will.His battle brought out the soft side of Gregg Popovich, the prickly San Antonio Spurs coach with whom he had many memorable exchanges during in-game interviews.Sager never faulted Popovich for his gruff attitude during those interviews, saying hes trying to win a game. He doesnt want to talk to some reporter. But he said they had a great relationship.Later, he said, `Youre still going to be media on the court, but off the court can I call you and see how youre doing? I said: `Heck yes, Sager recalled in August. Just keep treating me the way on the court you always do. He said: `I wouldnt want it any other way.Popovich didnt take questions from reporters prior to Thursday nights game in Phoenix. Instead, he walked out of the visiting locker room and, with a somber tone, spoke only of Sager for close to two minutes.A day like this, basketball has to take a back seat, as we all think about somebody who was very unique, very special, Popovich said. Whether you really knew Craig or not, you got the feeling that he was a very special person in a lot of different ways, and right now I just feel for his family.He was a way better person than he was a worker, even though he was amazing in that regard. He loved all the people around him and everybody felt that, he said. The most amazing part of him is his courage ... if any of us can display half the courage he has to stay on this planet, to live every life as if its his last, wed be well off.Sager sported suits in every color of the rainbow and plenty of shades not found in nature, from teal to fuchsia to magenta. He would match plaid blazers with paisley ties or striped shirts -- all in bold hues.Kevin Garnett once told him to burn an entire outfit. In a 2016 interview with HBOs Real Sports, Sager recalled how Popovich reproached him for trying to stand out. Sager explained to him: Coach, you dont understand. If Im not wearing bright colors and if I dont feel lively, its not me.Sometimes lost in the glare of his wardrobe was Sagers relentless nature as a reporter. Every time Popovich would give a terse non-answer, an unfazed Sager would pepper him with another question.During the 2016 NBA All-Star Weekend, Popovich described Sager as an iconic figure in the NBA.He does a great job, the coach added. His sense of humor is obvious. We have a lot of fun going back and forth with that.Sagers persistence was on display at the start of his career, when the 22-year-old found himself in the middle of one of the most famous moments in sports history. Making $95 a week in 1974 as the news director at WSPB -- a Braves-affiliated AM radio station in Sarasota, Florida -- Sager risked getting fired by deciding to hop a flight to Atlanta for a game with Hank Aaron a home run away from breaking Babe Ruths career record.With a last-minute credential, Sager was stuck in the third-base photographers well. As the historic homer sailed out of the park, Sager, without thinking, sprinted onto the field and wound up chasing Aaron down the third-base line. When Aarons teammates mobbed him at home plate, Sager can be seen in his trench coat in the middle of the scrum.The next day, Sager caught a 5 a.m. flight to Sarasota to be back for his morning drive responsibilities, and his tapes from the game wound up in Cooperstown.Sager worked as a reporter on the Olympics, Major League Baseball playoffs, the NFL and the NCAA Tournament, among other sports. But he was indelibly connected to the NBA.Craig was as vital to the NBA as the players and coaches, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. A true original and an essential voice on Turner Sports NBA coverage for 26 seasons, Craig chronicled some of the most memorable moments in league history and was a ubiquitous presence with his splashy suits and equally colorful personality. Craig earned widespread respect for his insightful reporting and inspired so many most recently with his courage.His popularity around the sport was evident as he went through his cancer treatments. Bulls star Dwyane Wade also sold paisley ties during the 2016 playoffs to raise money to combat blood cancers.Sager got to cover his first NBA Finals in 2016 through an unusual arrangement between TNT and ESPN, which invited him to join its coverage. He marked the occasion by wearing a blazer with a royal blue floral print. In an interview with LeBron James after Game 6, the Cavaliers star turned the tables to giddily ask Sager a question: How in the hell do you go 30-plus years without getting a Finals game?He was self-deprecating when asked what the outpouring of support from across the NBA meant to him.It means that Im not just the nuisance that they see on the court when Im trying to talk to them when they want to be somewhere else, he said in August.And Sager loved everything about his job.I try to get there three hours before the game, talk with the ushers and the security guards, the coaches and the fans, Sager said in 2015.A native of Batavia, Illinois, Sager attended Northwestern, where he walked onto the football and basketball teams, and served as the schools Willie the Wildcat mascot for three years.He worked at several TV and radio stations in Florida after college before spending two years in Kansas City. Sager joined CNN in 1981 after handling the networks first live remote report during the 1980 baseball playoffs.Sager was in Dallas for a game in April 2014 when he felt ill and sought treatment from Mavericks team physician Dr. Tarek Souryal, who had previously performed Sagers knee surgery. With a dangerously low hemoglobin count, Sager had six blood transfusions over a 24-hour period before returning to Atlanta. After that came the treatments and his public battle with leukemia.Earlier this year, Sager was involved in the television coverage of the NCAA Final Four and had a memorable postgame interview with Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim.Im proud of you, Boeheim told Sager on air after the Orange lost in the national semifinals. Im really proud of you and what youre doing. Youre a fighter and thats something we all should really aspire to be. Youre setting an example that we all should be really happy to try to follow.Sager replied, Well, thank you very much.And then the professional broadcaster did what professional broadcasters do -- he went to his next question, one about Syracuses famed 2/3 zone, without missing a beat.---AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds and AP freelance writer Jose M. Romero contributed to this report. Nike Air Max 90 Clearance Sale . The quest begins with what is supposed to be an easy one, although Germany has traditionally been a stubborn opponent to Canadian teams at international tournaments. Air Max 90 Outlet Store . -- Patrick Reed got an early start in golf. http://www.nikeairmax90outlet.com/ .500 on the season. The Jets are now 0-5-1 in the second game of back-to-backs. 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CINCINNATI -- No rest for weary Xavier.Less than 72 hours after a sloppy 84-81 victory over Lehigh in their regular season home opener, the 11th-ranked Musketeers must hop right back in the saddle.With senior guard Myles Davis suspended and forward Kaiser Gates recovering from knee surgery, XU isnt nearly as deep as its been in recent years. That showed up on Friday when Patriot League favorite Lehigh pushed them until the final buzzer.The Musketeers, who host Buffalo on Monday night at 7 p.m. at Cintas Center, began the season with only eight scholarship players.Its no secret right now, we dont have a ton of depth, said head coach Chris Mack.Xaviers options still are better than many teams in the country.On Friday, Trevon Bluiett scored a career-high 25 points with 11 rebounds and three assists. Edmond Sumner added a personal-best 24 points and Sean OMara tied a career-high with 10 points.But, Mack wasnt pleased with Bluietts defensive effort or Sumners ball handling, given he committed six of the teams 17 turnovers which helped spark Lehighs upset bid.Some of the mistakes we made were inexcusable down the stretch, Mack said. Its inexcusable. We have to correct those. We turn the page quickly and play Buffalo on Monday. Mack said hed wait until after Mondays game to respond when asked if its better to get back on the court barely two days after Fridays performance or if hed prefer to get some practice time in.The Musketeers are in a learning curve early in the season but still talented enough to be picked second in the Big East Conference beehind defending national champion Villanova.ddddddddddddBuffalo is dealing with its own depth issues heading into Mondays game which is the first meeting between the two teams.The Bulls defeated Niagara 76-66 on Friday night despite playing without top guard C.J. Massinburg whos out indefinitely with mononucleosis.Were a little thin in the backcourt without C.J., head coach Nate Oats told the Buffalo News.Monday marks the second game for senior wing Blake Hamilton who returned after being out six weeks with a broken bone in his left hand. He scored 11 points on Friday.Backup forward David Kadiri is day to day with a knee injury.As for Davis status with Xavier, it was unchanged as of Friday.Earlier this week, Davis, who averaged nearly 11 points and led the team in assists last season, pleaded guilty to one charge of disorderly conduct involving damage to his ex-girlfriends property. Mack said Davis would have to earn his way back on to the team.The Musketeers certainly could use him. At one point in Fridays game, Xavier had two freshman and four first-year players on the court at once.This isnt the same Xavier team which went 28-6 and earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. By March, its likely that talent will mesh, but for now XU is a work in progress. On Friday, Lehighs bench outscored Xaviers 23-7.Its not algebra, said Mack. You look down (the bench), there isnt a lot of options, theres maybe two or three. ' ' '