Both Toronto FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps face tricky games this weekend, as both teams cling to their respective playoff lives. TFC sits in seventh place in the MLS Eastern Conference with six games left to play, while Vancouver sits in sixth place in the Western Conference with five games remaining. Canadaa€?s third MLS team, the Montreal Impact, is already eliminated from playoff contention. Whitecaps fans will have one eye on the earlier game on Saturday, as TFC takes on the Portland Timbers (TSN1, TSN4, TSN5 1pm et/10am pt). A Toronto victory, coupled with a Vancouver win over Real Salt Lake (TSN2, 7pm et/4pm pt) would see the Whitecaps leapfrog the Timbers into the fifth and final Western Conference playoff place. However, victories for both teams will not be easy to come by. While Jermain Defoe returned to Toronto from England this week, the injured star is not fit to play and will be a spectator at BMO Field on Saturday. Defoe hopes to join in full training on Monday, but his involvement in TFCa€?s remaining fixtures will be largely dependent on how quickly he can get up to speed. The Timbers are coming off a massive 3-0 home victory over Vancouver. It was a clinical performance from Portland, who dominated the game in both penalty areas. A glorious finish from Diego Valeri opened the scoring for Portland before striker Fanendo Adi added a brace to seal the points in the second half. Portland will be buoyed by finally having their playoff chances in their own hands - outdo the Whitecaps over the remaining five games and the Timbers will claim a playoff place. A settled back four has certainly helped Portlanda€?s cause of late, but the midfield duo of Canadian international Will Johnson and Diego Chara provide the real bite in Portlanda€?s team. That defensive solidity allows Diego Valeri, Darlington Nagbe and Rodney Wallace the freedom they need to support and supply their front man, either Adi or former TFC striker Maximiliano Urrutti. In order for Toronto to beat Portland and boost their own playoff hopes, they will need to put in another strong performance, like the 3-0 victory last week against Chivas USA. Granted, Chivas is the joint worst team in MLS, tied with the Montreal Impact on 24 points, but there were positive signs in Torontoa€?s overall performance. The return of Steven Caldwell at the heart of defence was a massive boost for TFC and I liked head coach Greg Vanneya€?s decision to play Michael Bradley at the base of the midfield diamond with Jonathan Osorio at the tip. Vanney will need to replace Jackson on Saturday, as the Brazilian was red-carded against Chivas and is suspended. Vanney may opt for a tactical change, as Portlanda€?s 4-2-3-1 formation will likely be what the home side has to contend with, but the midfield diamond can work for TFC if Bradley and Osorio perform up to their capabilities. If Gilberto can continue his rich vein of form up front, he will cause problems for Portlanda€?s back line. In Vancouver, the Whitecaps might face a less-than-full-strength Real Salt Lake team. a€?We need a result, RSL head coach Jeff Cassar said earlier this week. Were going to put the best team out there that we feel is going to give us a result. But at the same time, we have to be smart, since were getting toward the end of the year. But I feel very confident in the team that were going to be putting on the field.a€? He has every reason to feel confident in his team. RSL has won five of its last eight games, including a 5-1 win over Colorado last weekend. They get goals from multiple players and have a tried and tested tactical approach to the game. The 4-4-2 with a diamond midfield has become synonymous with RSL over the last few years and their players are well-drilled in its workings. They will line up in that way, but Vancouver has options to counter RSLa€?s formation. Whitecaps head coach Carl Robinson could opt for a 4-2-3-1 formation, like the one that came from two goals down to steal a point in Aprila€?s 2-2 draw with RSL in Utah. Or he could opt to match up RSLa€?s formation with their own 4-4-2 diamond midfield, with Russell Teibert and Mauro Rosales flanking Matias Laba and Pedro Morales in midfield. The 4-2-3-1 formation provides more width and leaves Vancouver less exposed defensively in wide areas, but the 4-4-2 diamond is probably best suited to the strengths of the Whitecaps midfield quartet. Whatever formation Robinson elects to employ, he will need better from his front men a€“ the Whitecaps have failed to find the back of the net in five of their last seven games. Honduran Johnny Leveron trained all week with Vancouver after returning from international duty, and could return to the lineup to partner the impressive Kendall Waston in the heart of Vancouvera€?s defence. Cole Sulser Rays Jersey . Im very excited about the playoffs, particularly in the Western Conference with amazing match-ups, as well as the wonderful local story in the Toronto Raptors. It should be a blast. Here are my predictions, but based upon my lousy prognostications during the NCAA Tournament, you might be better off going the other way on some of mine - particularly with the Raptors, who I hope and pray are able to win an incredibly difficult match-up. Rays Jerseys 2020 .com) - Troy Brouwer scored the game-winning goal with just 12. https://www.cheapraysonline.com/486i-yon...ersey-rays.html. Marian Gaborik had two goals and an assist and Martin Jones made just 17 saves to record his fourth shutout of the season as the Kings snapped a three-game losing skid with a 3-0 victory over the lowly Oilers on Thursday. Kevin Kiermaier Jersey . Team spokesman Donald Beauchamp said there was no new information on the 80-year-old Hall of Famers condition. The family has requested privacy. Tyler Glasnow Jersey . The club says Fridays surgery was successful. Holiday, a former Eastern Conference All-Star acquired from Philadelphia last summer, has not played because of the shin injury since Jan.(SportsNetwork.com) - The Boston Celtics aim to get back in the win column when they visit the Charlotte Hornets Wednesday at Time Warner Cable Arena. The Celtics won all three games on a recent homestand and the streak came to an end with Mondays 133-132 double-overtime road setback to the Washington Wizards. Boston rallied from a 23-point deficit in the third quarter and outscored the Wizards, 34-18, in the final stanza to force overtime. Wizards guard John Wall scored the last 10 points for Washington in the second OT and handed out a career-high 17 assists to go with 26 points. Former Celtics star Paul Pierce scored 28 points. Those transition baskets killed us, both overtimes, Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. John Wall killed us in transition. Jeff Green led Boston with 28 points, rookie Marcus Smart added a career-high 23 and Kelly Olynyk finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Brandon Bass and Evan Turner scored 19 and 18 points, respectively, for the Celtics, who shot 46.1 percent and posted 32 points on 23 Washington turnovers. Rajon Rondo had no points and four assists in 20 minutes of action. Rondo was more of a spectator for how well Bostons reserves were playing. Those guys deserved to play at the end because they got us right back in it, Stevens said of the bench.dddddddddddd After visiting the Hornets, the Celtics will return home to host rival New York Friday night at TD Garden. Boston is 2-5 on the road. Charlotte ended a 10-game losing streak with a 103-102 triumph over the Knicks on Friday and will close out a three-game homestand. Kemba Walkers layup with 0.3 seconds to play lifted the Hornets to their first victory since Nov. 14 at Phoenix. Knicks star Carmelo Anthony gave his team a 102-101 lead off an open 3-pointer with 40.7 seconds to play. Each team missed a jump shot and the Hornets took a timeout with four seconds to play after Marvin Williams rebounded Anthonys miss. Walker then took the inbounds pass and scurried through the lane. I just saw an open lane ... I knew I had to get to the basket in a hurry and I was able to get a shot up, Walker said. Gerald Henderson finished with a season-high 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting, Al Jefferson had 16 points and 13 rebounds, and Lance Stephenson also scored 16 points for Charlotte. The Hornets are 4-7 at The Hive and will visit the Memphis Grizzlies Friday. Charlotte and Boston will play the first of four meetings this season. The Celtics took two of three matchups with Charlotte last season. ' ' '