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LYON, France -- Portugal will hold its breath until the last minute hoping its best player at the European Championship will be fit for its semifinal showdown against Wales.No, Cristiano Ronaldo isnt the cause for concern.The fuss is about whether central defender Pepe, who has been key to Portugals place in the final four, will be fit to face Gareth Bale and his Wales teammates on Wednesday at the Stade de Lyon.Portugal coach Fernando Santos said on Tuesday that a decision would be made on match day, based on the state of Pepes recovery from a thigh muscle injury.We will make our decision tomorrow. I wont be rushed into it, so I am sure you will be rolling in your beds tonight unable to sleep, Santos said through a translator. I will sleep quietly, because I have other players who can play. If Pepe is 100 percent, I will think about it so he can be in the starting 11.Pepe missed training on Monday and trained separately from his teammates at their tournament base near Paris on Tuesday before traveling to Lyon.While Portugal has been able to turn to Nani, Ricardo Quaresma and 18-year-old Renato Sanches to get the goals that Ronaldo has yet to consistently produce, its defensive stability has pretty much hinged on Pepe.The Real Madrid defender has played every minute of his teams five matches, providing reliability in a backline that has been undermined by injury and inconsistent play. He has collected only one yellow card, committed just four fouls -- while receiving 10, in 510 minutes.Santos dropped fellow center back Ricardo Carvalho following a 3-3 draw with Hungary in the third group match, giving Jose Fonte the job. If Pepe is unavailable, Carvalho would likely be back in alongside Fonte.Santos has also switched between Cedric Soares and Vierinha at right back and Eliseu and Raphael Guerreiro at left back.Regardless of whos playing, Portugals backs have struggled to keep up with opposing wingers. Pepe, however, has been there to make last-gasp clearances and to shield goalkeeper Rui Patricio.Bale and Wales attackers will no doubt be aiming to follow the same route.Portugal will already have to cope without holding midfielder William Carvalho, who has played well, due to suspension.We think it is going to be a battle, Fonte said. We are prepared for this and have done our best to play our game tomorrow. Phillies Jerseys 2020 . Instead of dwelling on the negative, Oates focused on what was good about the clubs recent play. It worked. Phillies Jerseys China . 9. 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The Flyers have claimed three straight and four of the last five encounters with the Sens overall and Philly has won two in a row and three of its past four tests in Canadas capital city. LOS ANGELES -- To suggest Maya Moore has a keen sense of the moment is not to say she isnt playing her tail off constantly. Because she is.Yet in a career full of big moments in big games, this chaser (and usually catcher) of championships senses the times when something extra special is needed.In those moments, there is so much to think about, so I try to be locked in all the time, Moore said after Minnesotas season-saving 85-79 victory Sunday over Los Angeles in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals. Sometimes, though, you look up and say, We need this moment. Were fighting, were battling, and Im just conditioned to step up in those moments.That all sounds cliché, but it actually looks breathtaking every time Moore does it. In a game with so much emotion from tipoff at Staples Center, Moore and the Lynx did not let themselves have another subpar effort, as was the case Friday in Game 3.The Lynx led most of the game. When the Sparks made surges, the Lynx answered. Moore, in particular, had some huge answers. She bounced back from nine points in Fridays loss with 31 points, nine rebounds and five assists Sunday.Was anyone surprised? Of course not. This is what Moore does. She has averaged 19.4 points in 46 career playoff games, just a notch up from the 18.6 she has averaged in 203 regular-season games. Moore is consistently great, but the higher the stakes, the better she is.As Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve put it, Mayas greedy. Shes never satisfied. She wants more championships.Reeve, though, also sees the stuff Moore doesnt do right. Thats her job as a coach. But Reeve said Moore has an unshakeable faith that shes always going to make the next play. Even games such as Fridays dont rattle Moore at all. What does rattle her?I havent seen her be rattled, Reeve said. [Alana] Beard would rattle me. Her defense would rattle the hell out of me. Id have been turning it over every darned time. So I guess if Beard cant do it, I dont know.For the second season in a row, Moore and the defending champion Lynx will play a Game 5 at home at Target Center. By this point last year, they had worn out the Indiana Fever, and they won the decisive game handily. The Sparks dont seem to be physically tired, but missing out on the chance to win a championship at home Sunday will be a mental challenge for Los Angeles to overcome.Even so, this series going the distance is what pretty much everyone expected from the top two teams in the league. The new playoff format, which got rid of conference affiliation, allowed these two West teams to be on opposite sides of the postseason bracket. It has produced a thrilling WNBA Finals that have included a buzzer-beatinng victory by the Sparks in Game 1, decisive wins by the Lynx in Game 2 and the Sparks in Game 3, and a can-you-feel-your-pulse-racing Lynx triumph in Game 4.ddddddddddddIts been dramatic. Its been stressful. But its been great if youre a fan of basketball, Moore said of this series. I think youre going to see the best in Game 5.Moore is a big reason there will be a Game 5, and the closing minutes of the third quarter were a microcosm of what she has done so much of in her career. Chelsea Gray, who with 20 points had a fantastic game off the bench for the Sparks, hit a 3-pointer with 2 minutes, 29 seconds left in the period. Kristi Toliver followed with another 3 at the 1:43 mark to cut Minnesotas lead to one. The fans at Staples Center were going bonkers.But Moore answered with her own 3-pointer. Gray hit another 3. Then Moore hit another. After a Lynx defensive stop, Moore hit two free throws.Anything you can do, I can do better ...That maintained the Lynxs lead at six points going into the final 10 minutes. The last quarter was operatic all on its own, with both teams and the crowd at a fever pitch, the Lynx trying desperately to stay alive and the Sparks just as desperate to slam the door shut on the championship.The Sparks finally were able to tie the score on Candace Parkers driving layup with 6:01 left. Then consecutive turnovers by the Sparks led to baskets from Lindsay Whalen, with Moore assisting on one.Los Angeles cut the lead to two points twice in the final 2:08 but couldnt close the gap. Parker was called for a foul against Rebekkah Brunson with 12.5 seconds left -- on a play that could have been called a clean block. Brunson, who was in foul trouble a lot of the game, hit both clutch free throws. Moore finished the game with four more free throws.For the Sparks, who have taken some gut-punch losses in the playoffs over the years, this was really tough. They made mistakes with shot selection at some crucial times. They had some very costly turnovers late. They were beaten on the boards 41-25 and sent the Lynx to the foul line 27 times, with Minnesota making 24.However, Los Angeles matched the Lynx in terms of playing hard. Coach Brian Agler stressed that there was no lack of effort from his team. But ultimately, it was just too much Moore, and that kept the Sparks from winning their first championship since 2002. It also gives the Lynx a chance to win their fourth title and second in a row.We needed every bit of what Maya did, Reeve said. It wasnt easy. But Maya just makes plays. ' ' '