INDIANAPOLIS - Terrence Ross came off the bench for the fifth time in Tuesdays game against the Pacers, Torontos most complete outing in weeks, but appears to
be well on his way to earning back his spot in the Raptors starting lineup.
Jan
Oblak Jersey . The third-year forward, who had started 102 consecutive
games dating back to last season, was demoted after a series of underwhelming
and disengaged performances 10 days earlier. At the time, the team had dropped
seven of nine contests and Ross, while not solely responsible, had a lot to do
with the slide. Now, with the Raptors trending back in the right direction,
winning four of their last five, Ross is beginning to look like the player of
old, the confident and assertive version that took a big step forward after
stepping into the starting lineup last year. I was really impressed with the way
Terrence played, Dwane Casey said following the Raptors 104-91 win in Indiana.
His body language, his defensive presence, his attention to what hes supposed to
be doing on the defensive end was huge. Although Ross was not perfect
defensively, glaringly missing a few assignments on the perimeter in his 19
minutes of action, he was decisive and played within the flow of the game
offensively, scoring 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting. Coming off another positive
outing in Sundays win over Detroit, to which Casey praised him prior to Tuesdays
game, Ross continued to demonstrate improved decision making ability, putting
the ball on the floor and making plays off the dribble. With Greivis Vasquez
stepping in as a temporary member of the first unit, the Raptors are beginning
to rediscover their playing personally, holding four of their last five
opponents under 100 points. Despite the relatively low degree of difficulty -
Indiana is 28th in offensive efficiency - Torontos defence was especially
impressive after a slow start on Tuesday. Trailing by seven at the end of the
first quarter, having allowed the Pacers to shoot 50 per cent, they held the
home team to 38 per cent the rest of the way. Ross was part of the group that
turned the game around early in the second quarter. Of course, crediting
Vasquezs move to the starting lineup with the teams almost immediate turn of
fortunes would be misleading. This stretch also coincides with a friendlier
stretch in the schedule as well as the return of DeMar DeRozan, who is starting
to look like his old self after stringing together a pair of quality outings
this week. So, with the Raptors winning once again, how long does Casey stick
with whats working? He has reiterated the lineup change is not intended to be
permanent. I dont call him a member of the second unit, hes a member of the
team, Casey said of Ross ahead of Tuesdays contest. Its something thats not
permanent. Its a chance to give him a breather, take some pressure off of him.
Just to continue to play the way he [has been], said Casey, asked what Ross must
do to get his starting gig back. Shot selection, defending with intensity,
keeping the ball in front of him, just the whole nine yards is where I think
Terrence needs to get back to. Hes made huge strides to get back there. While
Ross, when focused and playing hard, is an asset to that first unit, spreading
the floor and allowing DeRozan and Kyle Lowry room to operate, starting Vasquez
has its merits as well. Despite his defensive deficiencies and some
inconsistency with his jump shot, Vasquezs ability to handle the ball takes
pressure off Lowry in the backcourt. But at 23 years old and with his speed,
athleticism and versatility, its only a matter of time before Ross is
reinstated. Thats been made clear. What Casey is looking for is consistency from
the young forward. I think it was definitely a message to be sent but he took it
in a professional way, Vasquez said of Caseys decision to bench Ross. Even
though Im in the starting lineup, I want to see him get back in the starting
lineup and do what he do. At the end of the day were a family here so were not
trying to take anybodys spot, were just trying to win games. Im sure Coach is
moving the pieces the right way. I think T-Ross, at any given point, he might be
back. Who knows? Thats the coachs decision, but we need him, man. We need
everyone in this room. One player who appears to be the odd man out as a result
of this rotation shakeup is James Johnson, who did not log a single minute for
the second time since the change was made. Externally, many have questioned and
continue to doubt the rationale behind Johnsons limited minutes, but both Casey
and the player himself have insisted theres nothing more to it, nothing going on
behind the scenes that people are unaware of. Its simply a decision based on
minute distribution under the recent lineup change. With two point guards in the
starting lineup, the rotation is shortened. Vasquez is starting because of his
ability to space the floor, something Johnson lacks, but also acts as the
back-up point guard when Lowry is on the bench, hence his increased playing
time. Lou Williams, another floor spacer, has not had his minutes altered off
the bench and Casey still prefers to use Patrick Patterson and Tyler Hansbrough
as his conventional bigs as opposed to playing small with Johnson at the four.
As a result, theres roughly 18-22 minutes available per game on the wing for
either Ross or Johnson. Word is Johnson is taking his decreased playing time in
stride, handling it like a professional. Buying into his role, he has been a
pleasant surprise for the Raptors this season, but despite his strong play in a
few areas, hes not without his weaknesses. His range is limited offensively and
his defensive prowess may be overstated as he has a tendency to gamble off his
man, often irking the coaching staff. Ross is not without holes in his game as
well. He has as many or more. But the 23-year-old is a more valuable long-term
commodity and the Raptors have wisely committed to getting him right again.
Johnsons game, while also important to the teams plans, is less likely to be
impacted by a short layoff than the young Ross would. Splitting the 18 (or so)
available minutes between them is also not a viable solution, it would be
awfully difficult for either player to get in any kind of rhythm. Agree or
disagree, this is the rotation Casey is riding with and, at least for now, it
seems to be working. At some point, likely in the near future, the Raptors plan
to revert back to their old lineup and minute distribution, returning Ross to
the starting lineup and presumably freeing Johnson. ROUNDING OUT THE ALL-STAR
ROSTERS Although Kyle Lowry and nine other starters, voted in by the fans last
week, have already punched their ticket to New York for next months All-Star
Game, there are still 14 more slots up for grabs. The process of selecting the
reserves, seven for each the Eastern and Western Conference teams, took place on
Tuesday as the NBAs 30 head coaches submitted their ballots, which will
ultimately round out the rosters. Coaches are responsible for voting in the subs
for their own conference, each of them selecting two guards, three frontcourt
players and two wild cards (players at any position). Naturally, theyre
prohibited from voting for their own players. As such, Casey has been doing some
11th-hour campaigning for DeRozan, in the hopes of getting a second Raptor to
the game, although he understands its a long shot. Ive talked to other coaches,
he said. I think for us, DeMar has carried us when hes been with us. Hes a big
part of what we do [but] injuries have probably kept him from being an all-star.
His case would likely start with the teams record, which some might argue is
good enough to warrant two all-stars. However, it would be pretty tough to make
a compelling argument for any Raptors outside of Lowry, let alone DeRozan, who
missed 21 games with his groin injury. But like the conference itself, those
reserve slots in the East are wide open. The closest player to a lock may be
Chicagos Jimmy Butler, who would become a first-time all-star. Depending on who
you ask, there are no easy choices. Between Jeff Teague, Kyle Korver, Al Horford
and Paul Millsap, the Hawks should have at least a couple players on the team,
but which ones? Horford, a former all-star, is their most important player but
hes only recently gotten back to his pre-injury form. Teague and Millsap are
enjoying career years and Korver is shooting the ball at a historic rate. As a
37-8 team, winners of 16 straight, its conceivable that all four end up on the
team. Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh have all-star pedigrees but their performance
has been sporadic for a middling team in Miami. The same can be said for the
Cavaliers duo of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. Will the Easts coaches reward
winning or vote for name brand players? Casey leaned toward the former when
filling out his ballot. I look for guys who are playing the right way, guys that
are contributing to their team winning, said the Raptors coach. Winnings
important. And I think guys who are playing the game the right way, not guys
just putting up numbers. I think that to me is [important] as a coach and I
think every coach Ive talked to is voting that way. The reserves will be
announced Thursday on TNT.
Augusto
Fernandez Atletico Madrid Jersey . Villarreals victory in Valencia kept it
in fourth place and in control of Spains last Champions League spot. Uche broke
free in the area in the 10th minute and was brought down by goalkeeper Keylor
Navas, who was shown a direct red card.
Sime
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close friend of the girlfriend he killed: "How can you sleep at night?" The
accusation by Kim Myers provided a bizarre twist during the trial of the
world-famous double-amputee Olympian, who is facing 25 years to life in prison
if convicted of premeditated murder for shooting dead Steenkamp, a 29-year-old
model, at his home last year.
http://www.atleticomadridauthority.com/nicolas-gaitan-atletico-madrid-jersey/ . Brooks replaces right-hander Yordano Ventura, who left his last outing with a
sore elbow. Ventura is expected to miss one start. Brooks has made one relief
appearance for the Royals this season, allowing six runs in two innings in a May
3 loss to Detroit.ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Jared Spurgeon spent a month watching the
Minnesota Wild from the press box. When he returned to action Tuesday night, he
didnt waste any time making an impact. Spurgeon had two assists in his return
from injury, Darcy Kuemper made 34 saves and the Wild defeated the Tampa Bay
Lightning 2-1. One of Minnesotas top defencemen, Spurgeon was placed on injured
reserve Jan. 4 after he hurt his left foot against Buffalo. While the Wild went
8-4-2 in his absence, they were eager to get him back in the lineup -- and he
was eager to get back into the flow. "I think theres lots of adrenaline that
helps you," Spurgeon said. "At the start I was a little nervous being off for a
month, but they threw me right out there for the opening shift and that helped
me really calm down and get my feet wet for that first one." Spurgeon got
started early, setting up Nino Niederreiter for his fifth goal of the season 9
seconds into a power play in the first period. Early in the third, Spurgeon
helped the Wild double their lead when he fed Dany Heatley in the slot for his
11th. Spurgeon ended up playing 21:12, third-most among Minnesota defencemen.
"Hes taken really good care of himself while hes been out," Wild coach Mike Yeo
said. "To be able to come in and play at the level that he did tonight just
shows you how smart of a player he is." The Lightning pulled within a goal with
just more than 6 minutes to play when Valtteri Filppula tipped in
Martin St. Louis pass at the goalmouth for his 20th of the season. Tampa Bay
buzzed around the net the rest of the way, but Kuemper stopped Alex Killorn and
St. Louis from in close, and Tyler Johnsons shot hit the post in the final 40
seconds. Lightning coach Jon Cooper was hoping to see a little more fire out of
his club at the end of a 1-3 road trip. "I dont know how much courage we had
going to the net tonight, until the end," Cooper said. "Hence, its shocking
wherre our goal was scored, standing right in front of the net.
Lucas
Hernandez Jersey. " While the Lightning are still clinging to second place
in the Atlantic Division, goalie Ben Bishop said theyll welcome a return home
for two games before the Olympic break. "I dont know if you want to say were
tired, but its been a long road trip," Bishop said. "We dont want to make
excuses, but weve got to be better." Bishop, who finished with 24 saves, was
tested often throughout the first two periods, stopping Zach Parise on a
breakaway with 5 minutes to play in the first period and stoning Mikael Granlund
on a point-blank backhand early in the second. Bishop was shaken up midway
through the second when Parise fired a slap shot that hit the goalie in the
head, but he remained in the game. Meanwhile, Kuemper made a nifty glove save to
stop Johnson on a breakaway late in the second and stood tall all night in his
11th straight start, a franchise record for rookie goalies. The Wild are 6-3-2
in that span, but Yeo was impressed with how Kuemper rebounded from his last two
starts, a loss at Colorado in which he was pulled and an overtime defeat at
Calgary. "How do you come back to the rink the next day and be mentally tough
enough to come in and perform at the level that you need to? Thats what was very
impressive about him tonight," Yeo said. "I liked his game an awful lot." While
the Wild got Spurgeon back, they had another setback on the blue line 2 minutes
into the game when defenceman Marco Scandella got tangled up with Johnson.
Scandella skated off the ice with assistance, favouring his right leg, and did
not return. Yeo labeled him "doubtful" for Minnesotas pre-Olympics finale
Thursday against Nashville. NOTES: Filppula returned after missing Saturdays
game at Montreal with a lower-body injury. ... St. Louis assist gave him 966
points, moving him past former Canadiens great Maurice Richard into 85th place
on the NHLs career list.
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