Talk » Gordons radiator blew up in victory

Diana Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury are playing some of their best basketball in the final weeks of the regular season, most notably on the defensive side of the court.The Mercury have returned from the Olympic break and won three straight games, holding their last two opponents to under 70 points. That could spell trouble for the offensively challenged Connecticut Sun on Friday night, when Phoenix visits Mohegan Sun Arena.The Sun (10-17) are 10th in the WNBA in scoring, averaging 84.3 points per game. But, like the Mercury, Connecticut is playing well down the stretch. The Sun have won two of three since returning from the Olympic break, including an impressive 84-80 victory over the league-leading Minnesota Lynx.Connecticut has moved into 10th place in the league standing and is just a game behind eighth-place Seattle for the final postseason spot. The Sun, however, will be shorthanded in the final seven games of the regular season.Rookie forward Morgan Tuck, the third overall pick, will miss the rest of the season after injuring her knee in Sundays win over the Atlanta Dream.I feel terrible for Morgan that she will not be able to complete her first WNBA season on the court, Sun coach Curt Miller said on the teams website. She has a tremendous future with the Sun, and I am confident she will approach the rehabilitation process like the champion she is. I cant wait to have her back with us next year.To help fill the void, Connecticut signed forward Asia Taylor, a 2014 draft pick of the Minnesota Lynx. The Sun will need all the help they can get in order to slow down the surging Mercury.Taurasi, the fourth-leading scorer in the WNBA, and Brittney Griner have been fueling Phoenixs push up the league standings. The Mercury (13-14) sit in sixth place and could realistically finish as high as fourth. The top eight teams, regardless of conference, qualify for the postseason.Griner had 20 points, seven rebounds, four blocks, three steals and three assists in the Mercurys win over Indiana on Tuesday. Stitched Hurricanes Jerseys . -- Linebacker Myles Jack ran for four touchdowns, defensive end Cassius Marsh caught a scoring pass, and No. Custom Carolina Hurricanes Jerseys .C. -- Rodney Hood connected from all over the court while freshman Jabari Parker was busy swatting shots and scoring in transition. https://www.cheaphurricanes.com/ .ca! Kerry, Two nights after the Scott-Eriksson incident in Buffalo, the Bruins returned home to play San Jose. In that game, Zdeno Chara put a check on Tommy Wingels that clearly targeted his head. Hurricanes Jerseys 2020 .Y. -- Injured Buffalo Sabres forward Marcus Foligno did not practice with the team Monday and head coach Ron Rolston said its unlikely hell play in Wednesdays season opener in Detroit. Carolina Hurricanes Store . -- Kyrie Irvings last-minute 3-pointer helped seal another victory for Cleveland -- and the Cavaliers longest winning streak since LeBron James left. DARLINGTON, S.C. -- Jeff Gordon had long planned to be at Darlington Raceway this weekend, largely to greet fans and answer questions about his career as a four-time Sprint Cup champion.Gordon now has a more important role this weekend as fill-in driver for injured Dale Earnhardt Jr. -- gain a victory in the Southern 500 that could lead the Hendrick Motorsports team into NASCARs championship chase.And there may be no better place for the 45-year-old Gordons experience to shine through than Darlington, where hes third all-time with seven victories.Its a track that Im comfortable on and that I like, Gordon said this week. I hope I can put that with a result that this team deserves.It has been a whirlwind summer for Gordon, who was fully vested into his post-Sprint Cup life after making the final four Chase contenders before losing the title to Kyle Busch last November.Gordon enjoyed his role as NASCAR Xfinity broadcaster earlier this season, played a leadership role as an equity partner in Hendrick Motorsports and had some quality time with wife Ingrid Vandebosch and their two children, 9-year-old Ella and 6-year-old Leo.It was balancing out really nicely, all going according to plan, he said.Thats when owner, business partner and friend, Rick Hendrick, asked Gordon to return to the car once more to help an Earnhardt team in crisis. Earnhardt, NASCARs most popular driver from 2002 through last year, was diagnosed with concussion symptoms from a hard crash at Michigan in June and was told by doctors he needed time out of the car to recover.Gordon first drove the No. 88 Chevrolet at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Brickyard 400 in July, finishing 13th. Gordon raced the next three events ending at Bristol Motor Speedway two weeks ago where he was 11th, his best relief showing.After missing last weeks summer race at Michigan -- he had a previous commitment and felt it wasnt fair to the team not to devote his full attention to racing -- Gordon is back at the Lady in Black, an egg-shaped oval only David Pearson (10 wins) and the late Dale Earnhardt (nine victtories) have tamed any better.ddddddddddddGordon said unlike before In his limited Sprint Cup engagement, he feels like he has solid strategies and notes to offer crew chief Greg Ives and the team from his 16th-place finish in 2015 -- what was supposed to be his final ride around Darlington.First time all year I have some valuable notes about the package and what the car should be like, he said. Im hoping that can help me get up to speed and help the team.Gordon took to NASCARs oldest superspeedway almost from the get go. His first win here came in 1995, just two years after he first drove a Sprint Cup car here. He swept both events in 1996, including the Southern 500 to join Bill Elliott as the only racers to capture the Winston Million bonus for winning three of the sports crown jewel events in the same season.Gordons last victory in 2007 may have been the most memorable. He was worried about overheating the last few laps and didnt think hed make to the end. After taking the checkered flag, Gordons radiator blew up in victory lane.There was steam everywhere, he said with a laugh.Gordon has stayed sharp at Darlington with five top-10 finishes in the past seven races there. He believes hes got another strong run in him.Youve got to be willing to really put yourself out there and take that risk at Darlington, Gordon said. You cant be intimidated and you have to respect it.Gordon figured Earnhardt would have returned to the drivers seat by now. He said his former teammate continues making progress, although Hendrick Motorsports has not announced plans for the No. 88 beyond Darlington. Alex Bowman has also sat in for two races that Earnhardts missed.Gordon said the surprise racing stint has not whetted his appetite for more and hell happily head back to his post-racing life on the sidelines once Earnhardt is cleared to return.This weekend, though, Gordon is focused on what hes done so well in his career -- succeeding at Darlington. ' ' '