SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Eric Reid got a quick lesson on the Black Hole, a new term for the second-year San Francisco safety.I dont even know what the Black Hole is, what is that? Reid asked, standing at his locker Wednesday at the midway point of preparations for Sundays game at Oakland.Ah, yes, those crazy characters all dressed up in the Coliseum end zone.Doctors. Lawyers. Techies. School teachers.Ive seen highlights on TV. They get pretty dressed up, right? Thatll be fun. I like that kind of stuff, Reid said. My dad is a pastor and he likes to get dressed up in motorcycle gear and try to act tough. Its good to change it up a bit. I bet they enjoy it.Reid and the 49ers defence have been doing their part to carry the load in recent weeks, and now San Francisco (7-5) is playing for its playoff life as it makes the short road trip to Oakland (1-11) on Sunday, likely needing to win its four remaining games or at least get some help.We could play better. There are some plays that cost us games in the earlier part of the season, Reid said. We dug ourselves into this hole and weve got to climb out of it.On a defence that has been defined by its moving parts and injuries as much as its playmaking ability, it has been a tough year to establish the momentum of recent seasons. Linebacker NaVorro Bowman continues to rehab his surgically repaired left knee that has kept him out since the injury in Januarys NFC title game at Seattle, and the 21-day window for him to be activated will end Monday.Linebacker Patrick Willis was lost for the season because of a troublesome left big toe that required surgery, while Aldon Smith spent the first nine games serving a suspension by the league. Nose tackles Glenn Dorsey and Ian Williams have dealt with injuries, too, with Williams going on season-ending injured reserve for the second straight year.Michael Wilhoite and Dan Skuta have emerged as reliable linebacker replacements, and rookies Chris Borland and Aaron Lynch have become key contributors out of necessity at the position.Just as a defence were not going to fold in, were not going to fold our tents up just based on whats happened, captain Justin Smith said Wednesday. Guys have responded. Young guys have played well. Hats off to those guys, theyve kept the level up there.The 35-year-old Smiths body feels better at this stage of the season given he has regularly taken off Wednesday practices to rest his body, something the coaching staff supports as an approach to ensure Smith is at his best on game days. He has 36 tackles, five sacks and two forced fumbles this season.Smith underwent surgery for a partially torn left triceps following the 2012 Super Bowl season, then dealt with a nagging shoulder issue much of last year.He hasnt decided whether he will return for a 15th NFL season next year.I havent given it any thought, Smith said. It will be something to think about after the season.He has more pressing matters, such as chasing down rookie Raiders quarterback Derek Carr on Sunday. Smith and the 49ers realize Oakland will be looking to restore some respectability on the heels of a 52-0 loss at St. Louis.Two key members of San Franciscos 2013 secondary are now with the Raiders — cornerbacks Tarell Brown and Carlos Rogers.Smith praised the new secondary featuring safety Antoine Bethea and said what makes it work with new faces is keeping things simple and basic execution.Its a credit to these guys coming in, stepping up and making it important to them. Thats the biggest thing, Smith said. The levels been raised here on how we play defence. These guys came in and they didnt want to see that bar go down, and it hasnt.When it comes to the offensive struggles, Smith says, I stay on my side, I stay with what I know.Were just going to rely on our offence to come around, Reid said. We need them to win these games, they need us. Weve just got to count on each other.NOTES: LT Joe Staley didnt participate in a practice that was moved up several hours to late morning because of steady rain. Coach Jim Harbaugh said he was throwing up. ... RT Anthony Davis, who has missed the last two games nursing a concussion, was set to do some cardio work and weightlifting.___Online: AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Air Max 97 Pas Cher France . - A lot of scenarios ran through Terrell Suggs head when the Baltimore linebacker prepared to face the Pittsburgh Steelers. Fausse Balenciaga Triple s . The mixed zone is not a place to make friends. http://www.airmaxpaschervente.fr/destockage-air-max-270-france.html .James scored 29 points, including 16 in the first quarter, and the Cleveland Cavaliers broke a four-game losing streak with a 106-74 win over the Orlando Magic on Monday night. Vente Air Max 97 . -- Brady Heslip scored a season-high 20 points to help Baylor beat No. Vans Old Skool Promo . -- Miguel Angel Jimenez quickly shifted his focus back to the Ryder Cup after winning his first Champions Tour event.MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Timberwolves best days came with Flip Saunders on the sideline. Now that the organization is shrouded in uncertainty surrounding the long-term future of star forward Kevin Love, Saunders is returning to the bench to try revive a franchise that hasnt made the playoffs in 10 years. With the teams coaching search complicated by Loves status, the Timberwolves decided the best course of action was to have Saunders, who was hired last season as president of basketball operations, step in for a second stint as coach until the situation stabilized, two people with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Thursday. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the team has not officially announced the move. A news conference was scheduled for Friday. Saunders previously coached the Timberwolves from 1995-2005. He won 411 games in 10 1/2 seasons in Minnesota and guided the Wolves to the only eight playoff appearances in franchise history, including the Western Conference finals in 2004. He has a career record of 638-526 in 16 seasons as an NBA head coach, a career that also includes stops in Detroit and Washington. Saunders is joining a short list in the NBA of coaches that also have final-say executive authority, one that includes newly hired Stan Van Gundy in Detroit, Doc Rivers with the Los Angeles Clippers and, to a certain extent, Gregg Popovich in San Antonio. Saunders will continue to work closely with GM Milt Newton in the front office while handling coaching duties. When Rick Adelman retired at the end of the regular season, he did so in part to try to help the Timberwolves move forward with a plan to show Love, a three-time All-Star who can opt out of his contract next summer, that there was a long-term plan in place for success. But Loves tenuous situation didnt help the search process, with trade rumours serving as a caution sign for several high-profile candidates. Saunders was in the market for a coach with extensive head coaching experience, either in the NBA or at a major college program, one that could command the respect of a young locker room and also handle the media scrutiny that comes with the questions surrouunding Love.dddddddddddd Names like Tom Izzo, Billy Donovan and Fred Hoiberg came and went without any traction. The Wolves hosted Memphis coach Dave Joerger for an interview two weekends ago, but Grizzlies owner Robert Pera sweetened his contract to keep him around. Sam Mitchell, Lionel Hollins, Scott Skiles and several others received consideration as well. Unable to find what they felt was the right fit for a delicate job, Saunders and owner Glen Taylor met this week to reassess the situation. Taylor said when he brought Saunders back as team president that he would not put him back on the bench. He fired Saunders as coach once before, in 2005 when Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell, unhappy with their contracts, submarined the follow-up to the teams stirring run to the Western Conference finals. Saunders was also hopeful that he could find someone other than himself to take over the team. But with Loves status preventing them from pursuing the coaches they felt would fit best, the two decided that Saunders should take over for at least this season if not longer. The Timberwolves have not given up on convincing Love to play out this season in Minnesota and re-sign next summer to a contract that can pay him and extra year and about $26.5 million more than any other team. It was not immediately clear what the appointment of Saunders would do for Loves desires to stay or go. Love has yet to make the playoffs in his six seasons in the league and is believed to be growing impatient with the Wolves, who finished 40-42 and in 10th place in the West this year. Love created a stir when he spent last weekend in Boston, where the Celtics are rumoured to be making a run at trading for the 25-year-old power forward before the June 26 draft. Just how long Saunders will coach remains to be seen. There is the possibility that Saunders will add assistants to his staff who could be groomed to eventually take over. The Wolves were expected to reach out to Mitchell, a former Timberwolves player and Raptors head coach, and David Blatt, who has spearheaded Russias return to Olympic relevance and coaches in Israel, to gauge their interest in joining his staff. ' ' '