win against Li in seven tries

MINNEAPOLIS -- With the Memphis Grizzlies front office in turmoil, the Minnesota Timberwolves are strongly considering hiring coach Dave Joerger away to take over the team in his home state. The Timberwolves received permission from the Grizzlies to interview Joerger and will meet with him on Thursday, two people with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The people requested anonymity because the Timberwolves are not commenting publicly on their coaching candidates, but all indications were that Joerger was in the drivers seat to replace the retired Rick Adelman. Joerger, who is from Staples, Minnesota, and went to college at Division-II Minnesota State, Moorhead, went 50-32 in his first season as Grizzlies coach. After a rough start while the team transitioned from coaching veteran Lionel Hollins to the first-timer Joerger, the Grizzlies pulled together, overcame several injuries to key players and surged to the seventh seed in the hyper-competitive Western Conference. But after pushing the Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games before losing in the first round, owner Robert Pera made the surprising decision to overhaul the front office. He fired CEO Jason Levien and director of player personnel Stu Lash, two moves that immediately called into question Joergers job security. Joerger goes way back with Timberwolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders. As a young coach trying to make his way up the ladder, Joerger came to watch Saunders, who coached the Timberwolves from 1995-2005, run practices. The two formed a mutual respect which lasts to this day. "The Timberwolves are the only NBA team of the 30 in the league that are in his home state and after having a long and honest conversation with Dave, he felt he owed it to his family, which resides entirely in Minnesota ... and we felt we owed it to Dave to at least have a discussion in this regard," Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace told ESPN 92.9 FM in Memphis. Asked if that was best for the Grizzlies, Wallace said he didnt see anything wrong with granting Joerger the chance to talk. "Hes just been granted permission to talk and will do so soon," said Wallace, who has assumed interim watch over the basketball operations while Pera restructures the front office. Saunders, who coached in the CBA before breaking into the NBA, has long had an affinity for coaches who had to grind it out in the minor leagues, believing they learn not only how to coach, but to run an organization. Joerger won championships in the NBDL, the International Basketball Association and the CBA before joining the Grizzlies as an assistant to Hollins. Joergers experience as a head coach last year with the Grizzlies helps him fit the profile Saunders is looking for in a replacement for Adelman. Saunders has said he wants a proven coach who knows the demands of running an NBA team, including handling questions from the media. The latter qualification is of particular concern for the Wolves right now with star forward Kevin Love set to opt out of his contract after next season. The Wolves are considering all their options with Love, including potentially trading him this summer. If the Wolves do not trade Love, they will head into the season with one of the major story lines in the league, one sure to draw attention from media all across the country. Thats part of the reason Saunders is reluctant to turn over the keys to a first-time head coach. The Timberwolves opening has also been linked to Hollins and college coaching stars such as Michigan States Tom Izzo, Floridas Billy Donovan and Iowa States Fred Hoiberg. Saunders has yet to offer the job to anyone, but it is believed that the uncertainty surrounding Love has caused some of the more high profile names on Saunders list to give tepid responses to inquiries. The situation with Love in Minnesota pales in comparison to the upheaval in Memphis, and the opportunity to bring his family back to his home state could be enough to convince Joerger to make the move from a team that was in the Western Conference finals two years ago to a franchise that hasnt made the playoffs since 2004. Alex Smith Womens Jersey . -- Jacksonville Jaguars rookie receiver Marqise Lee has agreed to terms on a four-year contract worth more than $5 million. Dwayne Haskins Youth Jersey . Jamies number grades given are out of five, with five being the best mark. Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins (5) – He was locked in all night, made huge stops on Benoit Pouliot, Raphael Diaz, Ryan Mcdonagh, Carl Hagelin, Rick Nash (twice) but none better than the three saves on Mats Zuccarello. http://www.redskinsrookiestore.com/Redskins-Terry-Mclaurin-Jersey/ . -- Arkansas didnt need a spectacular dunk to beat No. Darrell Green Womens Jersey . New York secured second place in the Metropolitan Division when the Philadelphia Flyers lost at Tampa Bay later Thursday. The Rangers will face either the Flyers or Columbus in the opening round of the post-season. The Rangers struggled throughout against the lowly Sabres and goalie Matt Hackett, who played in just his seventh NHL game of the season. Derrius Guice Redskins Jersey .Connor Graham, Alex Lintuniemi and Sam Studnicka also scored for Ottawa (11-8-2). Liam Herbst made 21 saves for the win.Brendan Lemieux had both of Barries (10-10-2) goals.Former French Open runner-up Sara Errani upset former Roland Garros titlist Li Na in Fridays quarterfinal action at the $2.6 million Italian Open, a French Open tune-up. The 10th-seeded Italian crowd favorite Errani doused the second-seeded reigning Australian Open titlist Li 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 on the red clay at Foro Italico. This marked Erranis first-ever victory over a top-three player and her first career win against Li in seven tries. A sluggish Li said she got sick less than 20 minutes before the match started. "Before I came to the court I already threw up," she said. "I dont know if its because of the pasta or because the allergies made me sick because everywhere Ive been sneezing this week. Its never stopped. I really have no iddea the reason why I throw up.dddddddddddd "Maybe Im sick of pasta," Li joked. "The Chinese stomach is a little bit different." Li was a finalist in Rome two years ago. A milder upset came when sixth-seeded former world No. 1 Jelena Jankovic shut down third-seeded former Wimbledon runner-up Agnieszka Radwanska, of Poland, 6-4, 6-4. The Serbian Jankovic titled here back-to-back in 2007 and 2008 and was the Rome runner-up in 2010. Jankovic will tangle with Errani in the semifinals. Meanwhile on Day 5, another former world No. 1 from Serbia, 11th-seeded former Roland Garros champ Ana Ivanovic, held off 13th-seeded rising Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 to reach the final four in the Italian capital. ' ' '