TORONTO - Dwane Casey has cautioned all season that there would be a night when the Toronto Raptors sizzling offence wouldnt be enough to overcome its lagging defence.
Jurrell Casey Titans Jersey .That night was Friday.LeBron James scored 24 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers exacted some revenge over a Raptors team missing DeMar DeRozan, beating Toronto 105-91.Tonight we couldnt buy a bucket. We couldnt hit the side of a barn with a bass fiddle, Casey said. Were better than that.Our bad offensive shooting night. . . made our defence even worse. It was a snowball effect. They whupped us, they spanked us.Amir Johnson had a season-high 27 points, and Kyle Lowry added 22 points and nine assists. But that wasnt enough to carry an East-leading Raptors team (15-5) that had only three players score in double figures — James Johnson finished with 11.Tristan Thompson of Brampton, Ont., finished with season highs for both points (21) and rebounds (14) for the Cavs (11-7), who stretched their winning streak to six games.The Raptors had topped the Cavaliers 110-93 on Nov. 22, battling back from a 19-point first-quarter deficit. The result worked as a wakeup call for Cleveland, who promptly went on a five-game winning streak.They made it six Friday night, leading from the opening whistle in front of a star-studded Air Canada Centre capacity crowd of 19,800 that included NBA legends Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley and Dikembe Mutombo, who gave his signature finger wag to the ACC crowd when shown on the Jumbotron.Just missing shots, Lowry said on the loss. I dont think it was anything we did differently, G (Greivis Vasquez) had a rough night (shooting 2-for-11), I had a rough night (7-for-18). Well come in to the gym on Sunday and get our shots up, and Im sure the shots we missed tonight will fall Monday (when the Raptors host Denver).Johnson, Barkley, Mutombo, and Tracy McGrady were in Toronto as part of the Raptors celebration of Nelson Mandela, who died a year ago to the day.It was a beautiful day, Casey said. To see (Johnson, Barkley and Mutombo), all the guys that were a big part of the NBAs history, and just the message that Nelson Mandela sent throughout the world was huge.Its bigger than basketball, and that was the theme of the night for our players. I lived it, I went through it, I understand it. And it meant a lot to our players and it was a magnificent night for our organization.On the court, however, the Raptors — now 2-2 without DeRozan, whos out with a torn groin tendon — were flat-footed all night. They trailed by as many as 14 points and went into the fourth down 76-64. The Raptors managed to pull within six points three times in the final 12 minutes, and a dunk by Amir Johnson pulled them to within 97-91 with 1:53 to play. But that was as close as they would get.I know this team tonight wasnt us, Casey said. First game back from a west-coast trip, the worst team you want to see is a team as talented as Cleveland.The Raptors missed DeRozans defence as well as his scoring.He takes the challenge of guarding the best player out there on the other side coming down to the fourth quarter, Lowry said.The Cavs shot 49 per cent on the night to Torontos 41, and outrebounded them 48-40.Thompson was a huge spark off the bench for Cleveland.Every night coach challenges us, the bench, to come and bring life, Thompson said. We dont want our stars to play so heavy minutes and drain themselves out so we have to be able to come in and keep the energy high, and thats what we did tonight.The two teams meet again Tuesday in Cleveland.The one positive on the night for the Raptors was the presence of Johnson, Barkley and Mutombo, who all received standing ovations when they were introduced.It was great, man, said Amir Johnson. It was kind of like the Staples Center, you see guys left and right. We need some more of that.Amazing. Amazing, Lowry added. I wish we couldve won for them but thats a humbling experience. I grew up watching all those guys. Just the fact that I got to be around those guys and see them and them watching our game, here for a good cause is amazing.McGrady was honoured with a video tribute during a first-quarter timeout as part of the Raptors 20th anniversary celebrations, and received a standing ovation from the ACC crowd.McGrady said pre-game that he was looking forward to the video.Cool to see what I used to do a little bit, I mean, its been what . . .16 . . . 16 years, damn, McGrady said.McGrady was the Raptors ninth pick in the 1997 draft and played three seasons in Toronto.When I started playing at SkyDome, you do something exciting, its like crickets in the building, McGrady said. You just didnt get that great excitement, that warm reception that you need to get when youre playing in front of your home crowd. We built that my last year here when we made the playoffs, first team that made the playoffs in Raptors history.Its great to see the way it is today. I feel good knowing that what I went through and what I witnessed to what it is now. Im proud to say that I was a Raptor.The Cavaliers raced out to an early lead Friday, taking an eight-point advantage on a three-pointer by former Raptor Shawn Marion midway through the first quarter. The visitors took a 30-21 advantage into the second.Back-to-back threes from James Jones gave the Cavaliers a 14-point lead less than two minutes into the second quarter. The Raptors chipped away at the deficit, and went into the dressing room trailing 51-44.The Raptors carried their momentum into the third, and Lowrys three at midway through the quarter gave the Raptors a 58-57 lead. But the Cavs ended the quarter with a 19-6 run to go into the fourth quarter up by 12.
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Dexter McCluster Titans Jersey . Louis Blues. The Capitals did themselves no favors with a recent 0-3-2 skid that was finally snapped with Saturdays 4-3 shootout victory over the New York Islanders.WASHINGTON -- With a dreary forecast calling for constant rain, the series finale between the Washington Nationals and Miami Marlins was called off early Sunday morning. The way the NL East leading Nationals having been winning tight games late, opponents probably wish all their contests could be called early. During the now completed 10-game home stand, the Nationals won eight games with five coming by a single run, two in extra innings. In their two wins over the Marlins, dominant starting pitching locked down the opposition until the lineup found a way to deliver long ball power or scratch home a run. "These two weeks, we had a lot of close games," Nationals manager Davey Johnson said following the announced postponement. "Extra innings, a bunch of one-run games. When the fire is hot, it makes the metal harder. This many (close games) early and coming out of it is a good sign about the makeup of the team." As for the strength of this maturing team, clearly it lies on the mound. Entering Sunday, the Nationals 2.34 team ERA ranks first in baseball - and the starting rotation has been even better. The latest gems were turned in by Ross Detwiler and Stephen Strasburg, who combined for 12 shutout innings against the Marlins with 13 strikeouts and two walks. On Saturday, the Marlins put runners into scoring position against Strasburg in the fourth, fifth and sixth inning, but the visitors could not score. The dominant right-hander extended a scoreless streak by Washingtons starting pitchers to 16 innings and lowered his ERA to 1.08 in his second outing of the year without allowing a run. Though the Marlins tied the game in the ninth against Nationals closer Brad Lidge, Washington used a 10th inning leadoff single, a Miami throwing error and a sacrifice fly to eke out another win. "Its awesome. The seasons still young, but weve pulled the close ones out," Strasburg said after his no-decision. "Definitely, theres no sense of panic when we get into that situation." Nationals outfielder Rick Ankiel said more than anything for the early success, "you have to give it up too the pitching.
Wesley Woodyard Titans Jersey. quot; Marlins infielder Donnie Murphy agrees. "Theyre pitching is night and day compared to the way it used to be," Murphy said. "One or two runs and that ends up being all they need." Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen said his rotation would remain intact with right-hander Josh Johnson starting Tuesday when they head north to play the New York Mets. It will be the first time that shortstop Jose Reyes will face his former team since joining the Marlins as a free agent in the off-season. The Nationals will take their National League East-leading 12-4 record on a West Coast swing next week, starting with a three-game series against the Padres. Johnson said hed maintain his current pitching rotation with left-hander Gio Gonzalez starting Tuesday followed by right-handers Jordan Zimmermann and Edwin Jackson. "It does seem like once we get to the later innings I think everybody has confidence that something is going to happen," said Ankiel, Fridays hitting hero. The Nationals centerfielder gave Detwiler an early lead with a solo home run in third inning. In the eighth inning, he provided the bullpen a touch more breathing room by doubling and scoring an insurance run in the 2-0 win. "Either we get a guy on and get him in or somebody is going to hit a homer. Fortunately for us, its been happening that way," Ankiel said. Despite having never finished with a better than .500 record since the franchise relocated to the nations capital in 2005, the Nationals were a sneaky division champion pick during spring training. Maybe the team even believed an NL East crown - or beyond - was possible. As the wins - late or otherwise - mount, each success builds on itself. "It really validates we are a pretty good team," first baseman Adam LaRoche said. "Not just all the talk, not just guys in spring training thinking were a pretty good team. Now its starting to be like reality. This team is legit. It rubs off on everybody." With this winning and confidence-building formula, the Nationals are a sleeper pick no more.
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