Athen » LAND, Ore. -- Damian Lillard couldnt believe when he

ALAMEDA, Calif. - Of all the lessons Derek Carr has learned in his first NFL season, having a strong relationship with the offensive line has been maybe the most important.The Raiders rookie quarterback has been one of the most well-liked players in the locker room since Oakland acquired him with the 36th overall pick in this years draft.He is as comfortable talking shop with the teams wide receivers as he is joking with the defensive linemen.Yet its been Carrs rapport with the five guys blocking for him up front that has stood out the most — and for obvious reasons.You have to have a great relationship with everybody because that whole team has to believe in you, Carr said Tuesday.But with that said, you want that group to believe in you. Theyre the ones that are going to fight for you, play hurt for you. Theyre going to go that extra mile to make sure youre OK.Carr returned to practice one day after being sent home by interim Oakland coach Tony Sparano when Carr showed up feeling ill.The second-round pick said hes feeling better and expects to start in Sundays season finale in Denver. He even arrived to practice ahead of time to get an early jump on things.I got here early to work out and see how Id feel during that, Carr said. After that I felt pretty good. Felt good at practice. Not 100 per cent, but it felt good to practice and be out here.Carr leads all rookie quarterbacks in yards passing and touchdowns.Hes also closing in on the league record for most completions by a rookie quarterback. Carr has 330 completions and needs only 10 to move past Indianapolis Andrew Luck and 25 to beat the mark established by Sam Bradford of the St. Louis Rams in 2010.Left tackle Donald Penn said the teams trust in the rookie quarterback developed almost from the instant he first stepped into the huddle with the starting offence.Other Oakland offensive linemen, such as veteran right tackle Khalif Barnes and rookie left guard Gabe Jackson, have echoed similar sentiments about Carr.Sparano has been Oaklands offensive line coach since 2013 and has maintained those duties even after he was promoted to interim coach after Dennis Allen was fired four games into the season.Its Sparanos belief that Carrs relationship with his offensive linemen is important, if not more so, than the one the quarterback has with his wide receivers.Derek makes the people around him better, theres no doubt about that, Sparano said. Any time you can get the respect of the line room the way that hes gained the respect of the line room that says something. Theyre the guys that have to go out there and block it up 75, 80 plays for you. I think those guys would do anything for Derek.We need those guys up front to block and they need to trust whats behind them.Notes: Outside linebacker Khalil Mack was limited in practice with a hamstring injury. Macks injury — which occurred late in Sundays win over Buffalo — was originally diagnosed as cramping. ... CB TJ Carrie did not practice and Sparano said there is some concern the rookie defensive back might not play against the Broncos. ... WR Vince Brown (groin), WR Denarius Moore (knee/ankle), RT Menelik Watson (foot), CB Chimdi Chekwa (hamstring) and TE Brian Leonhardt (concussion) did not practice. S Ras-I Dowling (hamstring) was limited.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Shelby Harris Jersey . -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have released veteran guard Davin Joseph, a mainstay on their offensive line over the past eight seasons. Demarcus Walker Jersey . 31-Feb. 2. While organizers havent decided if itll be red or green clay, they feel their choice of surface will give the Americans an advantage over Britain, which is expected to be led by defending Wimbledon champion Andy Murray. http://www.officialdenverbroncosfootball.com/authentic-shaquil-barrett-jersey-womens . -- Down to 10 men and behind on the scoreboard, Toronto FC displayed its perseverance. Custom Denver Broncos Jerseys . Wheeler said Kane was just making a joke that was misunderstood and misinterpreted by "Winnipeg folks" and the media once again. Wheeler repeated that he believes Kane is a player who has the ability to help the Jets get to the next level as they try once again to reach the playoffs in 2014. He made the comments initially in an interview, when asked how the Jets could compete in the Central Division with teams that have made some high-profile off-season signings. Brian Dawkins Jersey . With a victory seemingly slipping away late in the third quarter, his quick scoring flurry helped Golden State regain control early in the fourth.PORTLAND, Ore. -- Damian Lillard couldnt believe when he got a clear look at the rim. With the final buzzer about to sound, he took his shot. "I got my feet squared up and it felt real good leaving my hands," Portlands point guard said. "Once I saw it on line, I said, Thats got a chance." Lillards shot fell and the Trail Blazers stunned the Houston Rockets 99-98 to take their playoff series in six games and advance to the Western Conference semifinals for the first time in 14 years. In the frenzied postgame celebration, Lillard took the public address microphone and shouted "Rip City!" The hometown crowd roared. Portland, making its first playoff appearance since 2011, had been eliminated in the first round in its last six trips, and hadnt advanced to the second round since 2000. "Its a great feeling," said fellow guard Wesley Matthews. "Im excited for Portland, of course excited for us. The grind of the season: Youre a competitor, you want to win, you want to play, you want to advance, you want to be a champion. ... Its unbelievable." Dwight Howard made four consecutive free throws to tie the game at 91 before making a bank shot that put Houston ahead with 3:04 to go. Robin Lopez scored on a tip shot to give the Blazers a 94-93 lead with 2:15 left, setting up a wild finish. Howards layup and foul shot put the Rockets back up 96-94 before Nicolas Batums fadeaway jumper tied it again with 39.9 seconds left. Chandler Parsons scored on a reverse layup with 0.9 seconds left to give Houston the lead. Lillard prevented the series from going back to Houston with his 3-pointer as time ran out. He finished with 25 points. The Trail Blazers said Lillard is the first player to make a buzzer-beating shot to win a playoff series since John Stocktons 3 that led Utah over Houston in 1997s Western Conference finals, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. "He made a hell of a shot," Rockets coach Kevin McHale said of Lillard. Portland will face the winner of the series between San Antonio and Dallas. The Mavericks forced a deciding Game 7 with a 113-111 victory over the Spurs on Friday night. There are five first-round playoff series that have gone to seven games.dddddddddddd LaMarcus Aldridge led the Blazers with 30 points and 13 rebounds. He averaged 29.8 points during the series. After losing the opening two games in Houston, then claiming one of a pair in Portland, the Rockets staved off elimination with a 108-98 victory on Wednesday night to narrow Portlands advantage in the series to 3-2. Howard had 22 points and 14 rebounds, and Jeremy Lin redeemed himself from a poor performance in Game 4 with 21 points off the bench. James Harden led the Rockets on Friday night with 34 points. Howard had 26 points and 11 rebounds as Houston -- which earned the nickname "Clutch City" back in the mid-1990s when the team won back-to-back NBA championships -- failed to become the ninth team to come back from a 3-1 deficit in a best-of-seven playoff series and advance. "It hurts," Howard said. "When you put everything youve got on the floor and somebody hits you with a dagger like that, its a tough pill to swallow." After Lillards 3, Howard went over to congratulate his friend and told him he was proud of him and to go win the title. Aldridge helped the Blazers steal the first two games in Houston, scoring 46 points in a 122-120 overtime Game 1 win, then 43 in a 112-105 victory. The Rockets claimed the first of two in Portland, 121-116 in overtime, led by Harden with 37 points. The series third OT game ended in a 123-120 Blazers win. Aldridge gave the Rockets credit for making the Blazers better. "We felt like they definitely helped us grow. Were so young in the playoffs, but they definitely helped us grow and we feel we should be better for the next round," Aldridge said. "Were happy now, but were not satisfied." NOTES: The Blazers honoured former coach Jack Ramsay, who led the team to its lone NBA championship in 1977, in a moving pregame ceremony. Ramsay died Monday after a long battle with cancer in Florida. ... A fan at the game held a sign reading: "Play like its 1977." ... Lillard has multiple 3-pointers in six straight playoff games, a franchise record. ... 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