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OKLAHOMA CITY -- Thunder guard Derek Fisher has played more playoff games than anyone in history. He says the Western Conference finals between the Thunder and San Antonio Spurs, filled with major strategy shifts and home blowouts, has produced one of the wildest series hes been involved in. San Antonio leads 3-2 and can close out it out Saturday in Oklahoma City. "Theres no script for this," Fisher said. "You can try to set expectations, and everybody can sit around and try and predict whats going to happen and which team is going to come out on top, and its just impossible. Thats what makes sports sports, and why people are so excited about either being there or watching it, because you never know whats going to happen." San Antonios Gregg Popovich and Oklahoma Citys Scott Brooks have one-upped each other with shrewd moves during the series, and the scoreboard has tipped dramatically with each change. Oklahoma City came up with the first major lineup changes in Game 3. Defensive wiz Serge Ibaka returned to Oklahoma Citys starting lineup after suffering what was thought to be a season-ending left calf strain and Reggie Jackson moved into the starting lineup to help the Thunder win Game 3, 107-96, and Game 4, 105-92. In Game 5 in San Antonio, the Spurs decision to go with perimeter-shooting post players alongside Tim Duncan helped the teams floor spacing, and the Spurs rolled to a 117-89 win. Matt Bonner got his first start of the season, and his presence helped Duncan get off to a fast start. Boris Diaw started the second half and scored seven points in the third quarter to help the Spurs take a 20-point lead at the end of the period. Popovichs move forced Ibaka, the leagues leading shot blocker during the regular season, away from the basket, and the Spurs perimeter players had an easier time getting to the hoop. "The adjustments that the coaches made were very efficient tonight," Diaw said after the game. "We tried to space the floor a little more. We came back to the way we were aggressive in the first two games. Going from good to great. Thats what Pop has asked all year, thats what weve been doing all year." When Brooks was asked if he might start Ibaka at centre to prevent the Spurs from pulling him away from the basket, Brooks ruled nothing out. "Anythings possible," he said. "We just have to, whoever we put out there, we just have to play better." Thunder forward Kevin Durant said lineup changes, though important, are secondary to effort. He said Oklahoma City did not play with enough intensity in Game 5. "Schemes and Xs and Os, it all goes out the door," he said. "Weve just got to play harder. They did last game, so weve got to match up." Brooks said the key for Oklahoma City is defence. San Antonio has shot at least 50 per cent from the field in all three of its wins. If the Thunder dont get stops, they cant get into their dangerous fast break attack. "We know their plays, they know our plays, and we just have to be able to execute with maximum effort to give ourselves a chance to get a stop," Brooks said. "Thats what it comes down to." The lineup changes have coincided with venue changes. The home teams have won every game in the series by at least nine points, and by an average of 20.4 per game. Popovich was at a loss to explain why the series has played out this way. "It seems like the home team each time looks to have the greater passion or physicality," he said. "Thats hard to measure because both teams want to win just as bad as the other." Durant said the effort must be there Saturday night or the trend of home blowouts -- and Oklahoma Citys season -- will end. "We know that its a situation where we lose, we go home, and nobody wants to do that, so we just leave it all out there and whatever happens we live with," Durant said. "Most of the time when we play extremely hard, play well, play together, we come out on top." 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In Englands first game since its worst-ever World Cup showing, Roy Hodgsons side rarely looked like scoring against unambitious opposition and the breakthrough in the friendly only came when Raheem Sterling was tripped in the penalty area. Jacob Markstrom Jersey . Cleveland released the troubled wide receiver on Wednesday, an expected ending after Bess was arrested in January for assaulting a law enforcement officer at an airport and other bizarre behaviour.SAN DIEGO -- The best score belonged to Stewart Cink. The best round belonged to Pat Perez. Tiger Woods didnt come close to claiming either Thursday in the Farmers Insurance Open, where the seven-time champion failed to break par in the opening round for first time in his career. Cink ran off three straight birdies late in his round on the easier North Course at Torrey Pines for an 8-under 64. That gave him a one-shot lead over Gary Woodland, who also was on the North, which is more than 600 yards shorter. Perez was on the South Course, host of the 2008 U.S. Open and with greens so firm this year that it felt like a major. Perez had a 67, the best score on the South by two shots, and even more astounding is that he played bogey-free. The South played nearly four shots harder than the North. Woods, making his 2014 debut, failed to birdie any of the par 5s and had to settle for a 72. "Even par is not too bad, but I didnt play the par 5s worth a darn today," Woods said. "Obviously, thats (tantamount) to try to get any kind of scoring on the South Course. Youve got to take care of the par 5s because theres not a lot of holes you can make birdie here. Subsequently, I didnt finish under par." Even at eight shots behind, he wasnt worried about a chance to win at Torrey for the ninth time -- including a U.S. Open. The courses are so different than its difficult to gauge where anyone stands until everyone has had a crack at both courses. The weekend rounds are on the South. "Im going to have to go out there and get it a little bit tomorrow to not be so far behind come Saturday or Sunday," Woods said. Cink did what he was supposed to do. The rough is up on the North, too, so it was important to get the ball in play. He did that, allowing him to take on some pins. "You want to really take advantage of the North Course because it will yield to you a little bit, and the South Course will not," Cink said. "I did a great job of going out there, just playing shot-by-shot, not really getting too caught up in, I have to birdie these holes. As a consequence, I actually made a few birdies and it felt great." Phil Mickelson, meanwhile, felt awful. He was coping with a back locked up on him, unusual for Mickelson because he doesnt have a history of back pain. It got so bad at one point that Mickelson thought about withdrawing from his hometown event, especially after his 4-iron on the par-5 18th at the North Course nearly went out-of-bounds. Mickelson used his short game to make birdie, and then made another birdie on the next hole and he scratched out a 69. "Neverr thought about not starting, but around the turn I thought about maybe taking this week off and seeing if I could get a little bit better," he said.dddddddddddd "I kind of fought through the back nine and gave myself a chance." He described it as a muscular problem and was hopeful treatment would help. Mickelson swung easy on the North. Players have to swing for the fences on the 7,698-yard South Course, where the average score Thursday 74.45. Not many would have predicted a 67 on the South, though Woods wasnt surprised when he heard who did it. "Why? He grew up here," Woods said. "This was his home course. Hes playing it more times than any tour pro certainly." Perez has such a history at Torrey that his father, Tony, continues to announce the players on the first tee at the South Course. And heres even better history -- Perez won a Junior World Championship at Torrey Pines, by beating some Orange County kid named Tiger Woods. "Best day of my life," Perez said. "Ive known him forever. Hes always been great to me. He gives me advice here and there, but to beat him that year was fantastic. ... Ive got to hold onto that, so thats about all that I got over him. But it hurts him. Ill you tell, it hurts him." Perez was joking. He is full of bluster and always fun, a favourite among the players. Thats what made Thursday so enjoyable. The weather was close to perfect, with hang gliders filling the sky left of the fourth fairway on the South. Perez had no bogeys on his card, and he cant remember if that ever happened since the South was stretched out to prepare for the U.S. Open. It was only one round, but it was a great for Perez -- and for Cink, who hasnt won since his British Open title at Turnberry in 2009. The test for Cink is Friday on the South, especially considering that only three players broke 70 on the South -- Perez, Charley Hoffman (another San Diego native) and rookie Kevin Tway, whose father (former PGA champion Bob Tway) won this event in 1986. Ottawas Brad Fritsch opened with a 3-under 69. Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., carded a 70. David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., shot an even par 72. Riley Wheeldon of Comox, B.C, who qualified on Monday, signed for a 4-over 76. Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., was another shot back. DIVOTS: Jordan Spieth, who missed the cut at Torrey Pines last year as a 19-year-old making his pro debut, played with Woods and Jimmy Walker and shot 71. ... Fifty of the 62 rounds under par were on the North Course. ... The worst score on the North Course was a 77 by Brandt Snedeker and Derek Ernst. ' ' '