has been a little fire. Or, in other words, the two teams would appear

MADRID -- The Oklahoma City Thunder couldnt have picked a better occasion for a trip to Europe.Needing to bring together a new group of players, the revamped Thunder play two preseason games in Spain this week, hoping the overseas trip will help create some chemistry in a squad filled with new faces and without Kevin Durant.In Spain, practice and game results wont matter as much as team meals, sightseeing tours or watching a soccer match played by Cristiano Ronaldo.This week is about how we utilize the trip to spend more time with each other, to connect, and to bond with one another, coach Billy Donovan said Sunday. When you are in training camp and you are home in Oklahoma City, guys are going home to their wives and family. But now as weve all left to come over here to Spain, its an opportunity for all of us to be together, so hopefully we can maximize this time together.The Thunder will play against nine-time Euroleague champion and 33-time Spanish League champion Real Madrid on Monday, and against 18-time Spanish League champion and two-time Euroleague champion FC Barcelona Lassa on Wednesday.Its important, guard Russell Westbrook said. It gives us an opportunity to obviously be together, but not just that, an opportunity to learn about each other in different ways.Russell and most of his teammates watched Ronaldo and European champion Real Madrid draw Eibar 1-1 in a Spanish league game at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Sunday, in one of the group outings planned for the players this week.Chemistry is a big factor in sports, so with a trip like this it really does bring the team together, said forward Kyle Singler, who played professionally in Spain early in his career. We are doing things. Those shared experiences go a long way. We are in another country together, that alone is pretty cool.Singler said the new group has gelled well together but it will take time for the team to fully develop.I think its going to take time to build that chemistry, but once weve figured it out, we will be fine, Singler said. We are not the team that we are going to be at the end of the year, so we have to keep that in mind, and make sure that we take the entire season to learn what we need to get better at. We are going to be a playoff-contending team. Thats our goal.Singler is one of five Thunder members who played in Spain at some point, along with Ersan Ilyasova, Alex Abrines, Domantas Sabonis and Joffrey Lauvergne.Its good to be outside Oklahoma, Lauvergne said. You are going to play against a different kind of basketball than what we are used to playing in the NBA. Its something good.Last season, the Thunder made their fourth Western Conference finals appearance in six years.Oklahoma City played a pair of European preseason games in 2013, against the Philadelphia 76ers in England and against Fenerbahce Ulker in Turkey.Also part of the NBA Global Games 2016, the Houston Rockets and New Orleans Pelicans will play preseason games in Shanghai and Beijing on Oct. 9 and Oct. 12, respectively.---Tales Azzoni on Twitter: http://twitter.com/tazzoni. His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/tales-azzoni Phillies Jerseys China .com) - Christian Ponder will get another chance to prove himself for the Minnesota Vikings, with head coach Leslie Frazier announcing Wednesday that the struggling quarterback will start this weekends game against the Green Bay Packers. Richie Ashburn Jersey Large . Tracey comes to the Blue Bombers after spending over a decade with Queens University. Most recently he was the schools assistant football coach. http://www.customphilliesjersey.com/ . -- Patrick Reed got an early start in golf. Custom Richie Ashburn Jersey . In taking its goal tally to 99 in all competitions already this season, City delivered another demonstration of its lethal firepower at Etihad Stadium to set up a fourth-round match at home to another second-tier team -- Watford. Custom Phillies Jersey China . Louis. To which I would say two things: 1. Where there is smoke, there is or perhaps has been a little fire. Or, in other words, the two teams would appear to have at least spoken. And spoken is defined as one calling the other to inquire, no more, no less. BOISE, Idaho -- Chandler Hutchison scored 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and Boise State opened its season Saturday with an 85-46 drubbing of NAIA-Northwest University.Ben Tucakovic drilled a 3-pointer to get the Eagles even, 3-3 two minutes into the game, but Boise State ran off 14 straight points and never looked back. The Broncos led by 23 points at intermission, 43-20.Boise State now is 29-20 in season openers as a four-year school. Last years season-opening loss at Montana snapped a strinng of eight straight season-opening wins.ddddddddddddlex Hobbs had 11 points off the bench for the Broncos and Justinian Jessup added another 10 points.Tucakovic finished with 12 points to lead Northwest, with Michael Dupree adding another 10 points.Boise State plays in the Gildan Charleston Classic next week, opening the tourney Thursday against College of Charleston. ' ' '