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MARSEILLE, France -- Bidding to win the Grand Prix Final for the fourth straight year, Olympic figure skating champion Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan faces stiff competition as two-time defending world champion Javier Fernandez of Spain looks to upstage him again.The Final, which is being held at the Palais Omnisport in Marseille, features the top six qualifiers in each discipline from the International Skating Unions GP series.The 22-year-old Hanyu is a multiple world record holder and improved on two of his own records on his way to victory last year, where he was particularly strong in free skate. He also heads to the southern French seaport with the seasons best score on the GP circuit, too, posting a whopping 301.47 points at NHK Trophy on home ice in Sapporo two weeks ago.But Fernandez knows he can beat Hanyu when it counts.He clawed back a considerable deficit on Hanyu to win the world title in April, despite skating with a swollen heel that prevented him from practicing. Fernandez got his seasons best score at the Rostelecom Cup in Moscow -- reeling off three quads in the free skate.Patrick Chan is bidding to win the Final for the third time, meanwhile, having clinched consecutive wins in 2010 and 2011.The elegant Canadian skater recorded his best points tally at the Cup of China in Beijing, where he landed a quadruple-triple toe combination, quadruple toe and two triple Axels in the free skate to seal victory.Japans Shoma Uno will be looking to improve on his bronze medal from last year, while American teen Nathan Chen -- last years Junior Grand Prix champion -- is competing in the event for the first time at senior level, having missed the worlds earlier this year through injury.The favorite among the women appears clearer, with defending champion Evgenia Medvedeva of Russia in top form.She leads the standings and boosted her confidence with a timely win at the Trophee de France in Paris last month -- the sixth and last event on the calendar before the Final.Countrywoman Anna Pogorilaya missed last years Final but will be confident after winning the two events she entered this season.In the pairs, two-time defending world champions Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford of Canada bid to reclaim the title they won convincingly two years ago. They have two victories on the circuit this season and also the seasons leading score.Canadians will be strongly represented in the ice dance, too, with former Olympic champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir skating with supreme confidence, despite taking a break of two years from the sport.The two-time world champions won their two events of the season, clinching the NHK Trophy with a record score of 195.84 points.But the home crowd will be hoping that Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron -- who have also won the worlds twice -- can challenge strongly after winning impressively in Paris last month. They then finished second in Sapporo behind Virtue and Moir.A strong U.S. presence also poses a threat. For the second straight season, three American couples made the Final.World silver medalists Maia and Alex Shibutani -- who are brother and sister; 2015 national champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates -- runners-up for the past two years (check) -- and Madison Hubbell and Zach Donohue make up half the field.The pairs and mens short program get underway Thursday, while the womens short is Friday, along with short dance in the ice dance and free skate in pairs. Shoes UK Online Store . It was just business as usual for the Thunder at home. Durant scored 32 points and the Thunder beat the Bulls 107-95 on Thursday night for their eighth straight win. Shoes UK Online Cheap . Louis Cardinals. Victorino is batting sixth and playing right field after missing two games because of back tightness. https://www.shoesukonline.com/ . Brett Kulak and Jackson Houck of the Vancouver Giants were each charged with assault causing bodily harm on Aug. 18, according to the B.C. court services. Cheap Shoes UK 2020 .Y. -- Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo had little trouble picking up his first shutout of the season against a Buffalo Sabres team thats having trouble scoring goals. Shoes UK From China .C. -- Kemba Walker and the Charlotte Bobcats got off to a fast start, and the Sacramento Kings were never quite able to catch up. NEW YORK -- The Brooklyn Nets hit nearly all their shots at the start, and Trevor Booker made the stops at the end.Brook Lopez had 34 points and 11 rebounds, Sean Kilpatrick added 24 points, and the Nets beat the Pistons 109-101 on Wednesday night.We made some big plays down the stretch that really sealed the deal, Booker said. It was a tremendous game by everybody. Defensive plays by me, offense by Sean and Brook. It was a great team effort.Brooklyn hit 16 of its 20 shots in the first quarter to take a 38-30 advantage. The Nets had more turnovers (5) than misses. Brooklyns first miss came at the 6:03 mark in the first when Rondae Hollis-Jefferson was off on a 3-pointer. Lopez had 14 in the first quarter and 24 by the end of the first half to lead the Nets as Brooklyn took a 71-55 lead to the locker room.Detroit cut the lead to 11 heading into the fourth quarter and then as close as five with 1:34 remaining.Booker stole a rebound from Aaron Baynes with 1:20 remaining and then blocked a Caldwell-Pope layup on the break with 58 seconds remaining. After Bojan Bogdanovic then hit two free throws and Harris responded with a three with 38 seconds to go, Booker grabbed an offensive rebound with 16 seconds remaining before finding Lopez on the wing. Lopez was fouled and hit two free throws.Those plays are just so huge for us, Lopez said. He always brings that intensity and its definitely contagious. If we can continue to play the way we did tonight as far as energy, effort and plays like that, 50-50 balls, well be alright.Despite the win, it wasnt all good news for Brooklyn. Already think at point guard with Greivis Vasquez out, Jeremy Lin left the game with a strained left hamstring.No update yet, Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said. The doctor said hell let me know. Theyre still evaluating, theyll evaluate him again tomorrow when he comes to the facility. We can have more for you then.Tobias Harris and Marcus Morris each scored 23 points, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 15 points and Jon Leuer added 11 for the Pistons.We didnt guard anybody, Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said. We came with no energy. We couldnt keep up with their pace. We couldnt guard them on pick and rolll.dddddddddddd Brooklyn played very well, moved the ball, shot the ball very well. They outplayed us for 48 minutes in every aspect of the game. Every game is a new game and we brought nothing to the table defensively tonight and we couldnt guard anybody, so of course its disappointing.TIP-INSPistons: Van Gundy praised the addition of Ish Smith. We wanted a backup point guard who would push the pace a little bit more, really pick up the tempo of the game, which I knew he would do, he said. I had Ish for a short time in Orlando and also knew what kind of person he is and I thought hed be a great team guy for us. ... Reggie Bullock (back spasms) and Reggie Jackson (left knee rehab) were out.Nets: Lopez made multiple 3-pointers in a game for the first time in his career. ... Brooklyns 38-point first quarter was the teams highest scoring quarter of the season. ... Randy Foye (mild strain, right hamstring), Greivis Vasquez (sore right ankle) and Caris LeVert (left foot rehab) were out.VAN GUNDY ON RESTING PLAYERSLook, Im not one to do it, Van Gundy said. Our guys get paid to play 82 games. Everybody thats healthy will play for us every single night, but thats just us. Unfortunately, youve got to be willing to -- as a coach now -- youre going to get criticized for that. If you try to win every game, you get criticized for that now. You dont have a long-term vision and youre short sighted. That all may be true of me, but were going to put our best guys out there every night and try to win. Its been a little surprising to me the guys being rested already. I mean are guys really worn down already? Were four games into the year and guys are resting their players. That part has been surprising to me. I know its a league-wide trend as we get into the season, but I really didnt expect to see it the first week to be quite honest.UP NEXTPistons: Host Denver on Saturday. Detroit heads to Denver as winners of three of its last four games.Nets: Host Charlotte on Friday. Brooklyn looks to get its first winning streak of the season against the Hornets. ' ' '