Taiwan winner three weeks ago for her third victo

WALTHAM, Mass. -- Bostons Isaiah Thomas is feeling like a new man. A taller man.Im now listed at 6-1, the 5-foot-9 point guard joked when he sat down at Celtics media day on Monday. I grew a couple of inches this summer.While Thomas was speaking in jest, theres nothing at all fake about his excitement entering this season.The Celtics went into this past offseason focused on attracting the kind of star power to their roster that would help them move into the contender ranks of the Eastern Conference.They missed on Kevin Durant, but added veteran All-Star forward Al Horford to a young core that already includes Thomas -- a first time All-Star himself last season -- Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder and Marcus Smart.Its given coach Brad Stevens a lot to work with entering training camp as he tries to help Boston advance past the first round of the playoffs for first time since 2012.Were not asking Al to be any more than him, Stevens said. Hes a good fit for how we play on offense, hes good fit for how we play on defense...hes a guy that guys can follow by example. Its unfair to ask Al to be anything more than who he is.Who the Celtics have been the past two seasons is one of the surprise teams in the East. They improved from 25 wins in Stevens first season in 2013-14 to 40 and 48 wins the past two seasons, which both ended in playoff berths.Boston pushed the Atlanta Hawks to six games last season despite losing Bradley to a hamstring injury in Game 1 against the Hawks, seeing big man Kelly Olynyk aggravate a shoulder injury in the same game, and watching Crowder struggle throughout the series because of an ankle issue.Having a promising year derailed by that kind of bad luck has stuck with Thomas.All season thats all I thought about, Thomas said. Losing that series left a bad taste in all of our mouths. We want to get past that first round. I do, I know that. I want to win a playoff series. I want to go farther; we have a good enough team to make that happen.Gone are sixth man Evan Turner and Jared Sullinger, who both left in free agency. But the optimism and excitement surrounding Horford was palpable Tuesday. Not only for his ability to defend and be a big man who can stretch the floor, but for his anxiousness to see the Celtics return to a championship contender.His four-year, $113 million deal certainly carries with it some weighty burdens, but he said he isnt feeling any pressure because of it.In his very first trip to the Garden as a rookie in 2007, Horford recalled being mystified by Celtics championship banners hanging from the rafters.Youre very aware, Horford said. I couldnt stop looking at the banners up top. Maybe some guys feel differently, but I couldnt stop looking at them. Its something thats powerful. It leaves an impression on you.Team president Danny Ainge said he thinks Horford is joining a team that already has garnered the attention of other teams around the NBA.Were not going to be able to sneak up on anybody, Ainge said. I think that the team has earned a great deal of respect around the league the way they played last year, and the last couple of years. Thats a good thing. Thats progress. Thats where we want to be. We want our expectations to be higher. And learning to live up to those expectations is part of the grind.This month will be about integrating Horford into that foundation.Its a challenge Horford says hes eager to embrace.I have a good idea of the history of the Celtics, and of the passion of the people here. I know that its special, and thats part of the reason that Im here, he said. I want to be a part of that.Game notes Olynyk, who had arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder in May, is due to have his five-month evaluation on Oct. 15. But he has been cleared to do noncontact drills in the interim. Hopefully in the next three or four weeks, I can get out there and make something happen, Olynyk said. I just gotta make sure its strong enough to take the hit. ...Stevens said that he has had discussions with players and other team officials regarding the protest and demonstrations that have taken place during the national anthem in the NFL and other sports. Its been great to engage in those discussions. Its been really fun for me to hear about how excited our guys are about using their platforms to promote good things, Stevens said.---Follow Kyle Hightower on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/khightower Eric Martin Jersey . - After leading the Saints to a fourth playoff appearance in five seasons, Drew Brees expressed confidence in the direction of his team and, perhaps more importantly, showed a willingness to listen to contract proposals if the team needs his help getting under the NFLs salary cap. 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"Four now," Carl Gunnarsson told the Leaf Report proudly following a 5-2 victory over New York on Tuesday night, the clubs fifth straight at home. KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- Amy Yang holed a pitching wedge for eagle on the par-4 11th hole and stretched her lead to 3 strokes Friday in the hot, humid and stormy Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia.The 27-year-old South Korean player had a 2-under 69 at TPC Kuala Lumpur, a day after shooting 63 to miss her own course record by a stroke. She parred the first 10 holes, then hit the approach that landed on the front of the green, hopped and rolled in.It was about 125 yards, like helping downwind, Yang said. I hit my pitching wedge, just full pitching wedge to the pin, and it came off really solid off the face.Anna Nordqvist, Mi Jung Hur and Candie Kung were tied for second after a round that was delayed about two hours because of lightning -- accompanied by periods of heavy rain -- with the final group in the 16th fairway.Nordqvist had a 68, and Hur and Kung each shot 65 to match the best rounds of the day.They are playing TPC Kuala Lumpurs East Course, a week after Justin Thomas successfully defended his title on the West Course in the PGA Tours CIMB Classic.There were some tough pin placements out there, a lot tougher than yesterday, Kung said. Yesterday, I didnt make any putts at all. But today, luckily, they all went in.Yang made her first bogey of the week after hitting into the water on the par-4 14th.Golf can be really easy like yesterday, but it can be also a little slow like today, Yang said. Im just going to be patient, do my best.She returned from the delay -- and lunch -- to hole a 20-footer for birdie on the par-5 16th.I was getting a little frustrated about not making putts and I was getting hungry, so I went back, ate lunch, Yang said. It actually gave me some time to think about what was going on and think about the next three, how to finish, so it helped.Both of Yangs LPGA Tour victories have come in Asia, the first in 2013 in South Korea and the second last year in Thailand. She has five top-three finishes this season.Michelle Wie hung around, while Lydia Ko and Brooke Henderson staggered in.Wie followed her opening 66 with a 70 to drop 4 strokes behind. Winless in 57 tournaments since the 2014 U.S. Womens Open, she is coming off a seasoon-best 10th-place tie last week in China.dddddddddddd Ha Na Jang (67), Azahara Munoz (70), Jenny Shin (70) and 2014 winner Shanshan Feng (70) joined Wie at 6 under.The top-ranked Ko closed bogey-double bogey for a 71, leaving her 8 strokes back in her first tournament since firing caddie Jason Hamilton. She finished on No. 9 before the storm hit.Obviously, thats not that great to end with a bogey and double on the last two holes, Ko said. But overall, I think I played more solid today compared to yesterday.Malaysias Sargunan Suntharaj is carrying the 19-year-old New Zealanders clubs.Its been going good, Ko said. Hes got a lot of experience. Weve been having a lot of fun out there, and hes been trying to keep me cool out here in the heat, which is a pretty big role.Hamilton shifted to Jang, the Taiwan winner three weeks ago for her third victory of the year.Henderson had an even worse finish than Ko, making a triple-bogey on the par-3 17th and a double-bogey on the par-5 18th for a 79 -- matching her worst tour round as a professional.Playing for the fifth straight week in Asia, the 19-year-old Canadian was 7 over. She is skipping the Asia finale next week in Japan, then will finish the season the following two weeks in Mexico and Florida.Nordqvist was on the 18th green when play was suspended, forcing the Swede, Brittany Lincicome and Karine Icher to wait.Disappointed that we couldnt finish, Nordqvist said. Brittany was about to tap-in her foot-and-a-halfer, and I was going to putt my 50-footer at the last. A little disappointed that we had to stick around, but overall, its a pretty solid day.Second-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn was 1 over after a birdie-free 75. She has a tour-high five victories -- one more than Ko -- and leads the money list and the Race to CME Globe and player of the year standings.Stacy Lewis failed to make a birdie in a 72 to drop to even par in her first event since mid-September.Defending champion Jessica Korda was 3 under after a 68. She was second Sunday in China, a stroke behind Minjee Lee. ' ' '