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 Verfasst am: 13.01.2018, 03:07 Titel:
ally hard," Gaborik said. "Im really going to embr |
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| NEW YORK -- In the final dramatic couple of minutes Sunday night, offensively-gifted DeMar DeRozan turned into a defensive superstar, sent sprawling to the floor when he took two charges. Emiliano Martinez Jersey . Not to be outdone, hobbling six-foot point guard Kyle Lowry dropped a lovely sky hook over 6-11 giant and future Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett. The final minutes of the Toronto Raptors 87-79 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday could define this young team and their season -- fighting to the end, finding a way to win. "Thats just us, man," DeRozan said. "Were resilient. Were not going to give up until the games over, were going to fight it through. . . We did it on the defensive end to win this game." DeRozan scored 24 points and Lowry added 22 to lift the beaten-up Raptors to their first playoff victory on the road since Game 1 against Philadelphia way back in 2001. After the final whistle, a smiling coach Dwane Casey said it was the most proud hes ever been of his team. "(But) were on a mission, its a marathon," the coach added. "We cant get too excited about a win, cant get too down about a loss. Thats what the playoffs are about." Amir Johnson, playing on the wonky ankle that has plagued him all season, finished with 17 points. Patrick Patterson and Greivis Vasquez finished with nine points apiece off the bench, and Patterson grabbed a team-high nine rebounds. The best-of-seven Eastern Conference playoff series heads to Toronto tied at two wins apiece. Game 5 is Wednesday at Air Canada Centre, while Game 6 will be back at Barclays Center on Friday. The Raptors led by as much as 17 points -- the biggest lead by either team in this series -- in the first half, but struggled through the second and third quarters, running into foul trouble and failing to hit shots. Still, the nailbiter went into the fourth tied at 67-67. From there, the Raptors dug in with one of their best defensive efforts of the season, holding the Nets to just three baskets in the final 12 minutes. And when the final whistle blew, the Raptors fans in attendance at Barclays Center stood and applauded the Toronto players off the floor. "I think were just encouraged," Lowry said. "Were going home 2-2. Were encouraged by that. We got a split, now its a three-game series, now weve got to take care of home. Our confidence is high, were excited." Lowry, who came away from Fridays game with a bad right knee and a busted lip, was noticeably limping at times. "Im OK," Lowry said. "Its something thats controllable, we can do what weve got to do to get through the playoffs, its nothing where I need surgery. Its definitely a pain, but Im not going to worry about it, Im not going to complain about it, Im going to go out there and do my job." Lowry kept his composure despite playing the entire second half with five fouls. "Hes dealing with a lot right now, and he came through with flying colours," Casey said. "Fought through foul trouble, a little bit of adversity throughout the game and still came through." Lowrys teammates heaped praise on their tough-as-nails point guard in the post-game dressing room. "I am not surprised at all that Kyle is limping around," Chuck Hayes said. "Man, he was limping all four quarters. Hes a warrior. Hes everything to this team. The guy gives it his all. We just feed off him." Lowry and DeRozan -- the teams leaders through this remarkable season -- sat side by side at the podium after the game, addressing the media. They talked about the chemistry in this young team. "Were a pretty close-knit team, we understand the situation that were in, its a stepping stone for us," Lowry said. "Were getting our feet wet. This man (DeRozan) is becoming a superstar in front of everybodys eyes. Hes doing it on the defensive end, the offensive end." They both chuckled when Lowry was asked about his late-game hook shot over Garnett that gave Toronto a six-point lead. "I think that was the first time (Ive done that) in a game," Lowry said. "Thats something I work on in the summertime. Kevin Garnett is 6-11, hes a guy who can block shots, and I thought that was a shot I can go to. I took the shot to be aggressive. It looked good. It felt good." There was more laughter when DeRozan was asked if the two charges he took down the stretch marked a career high. "Nah. I dont think so. I hope its not," DeRozan said. "With Kyle (being injured), I knew I had to pick up the offence early, so I did that, just come out aggressive and I knew they were going to change up and start trying to get the ball out of my hands. . . I knew I could do some things on the defensive end and thats what I did." Paul Pierce led the Nets with 22 points, while Mirza Teletovic had 12. Garnett and Deron Williams finished with 10 points apiece. "Theyre a competitive group," Pierce said on the Raptors play down the stretch. "Weve seen that all season long, how well they play, getting 48 wins, how well they play in the fourth quarter, so many comeback wins. We understand that this is a group thats not going to back down, thats not going to give up. They earn a lot of respect around the league." The Nets won Games 1 and 3, while the Raptors took Game 2 in whats been an incredibly even matchup all season between these two teams. Prior to Sunday, Toronto had outscored the Nets 678-677 in their seven meetings. The Raptors had struggled with turnovers all series, but cleaned up their act Sunday, giving up the ball just 12 times. The one negative on the night was Terrence Ross, who was M.I.A. for a fourth straight game. Couple with his struggles, Landry Fields being sidelined with a bad back, and the number of Raptors in early foul trouble, Casey went deep into his bench, utilizing John Salmons, Chuck Hayes and Steve Novak for stretches of the third and fourth quarters. Ross, who dropped 51 points in a game earlier this season, has struggled in his playoff debut, and had another rough night Sunday, finishing with zero points in 16 minutes. Fields, who got dumped on his back during Fridays game, didnt dress. While the Raptors braced a hostile crowd at Barclays Center -- especially after GM Masai Ujiris now famous F-bomb about Brooklyn -- it never really materialized. The crowds on either Friday or Sunday didnt pack the auditory punch of the Air Canada Centre. Fans waved white towels, and there was the odd chant of "Ref you suck!" A group of Nets fans chanted "Raptors suck!" before the singing of O Canada. There were large pockets of red-clad Raptors fans in attendance, and their cheers for Raptors baskets down the stretch almost negated Brooklyns homecourt advantage. Rihanna sat courtside, along with Michael K. Williams and Felicia (Snoop) Pearson -- Omar and Snoop from "The Wire." Williams did the Nets introductions. Russian boxer Ruslan Provodnikov, the current world light welterweight champion, was also in attendance. Meanwhile, back in Toronto on Sunday, thousands of fans jammed Maple Leaf Square to watch the game on the giant screen outside Air Canada Centre. They chanted "We the North!" Two fans participated in a tug-of-war with a Nets T-shirt on stage, eventually ripping it. Amir Johnson led the way with 11 points as the Raptors sprinted out to an 11-point lead just three minutes after tipoff. They continued to build their advantage, and seven straight points by Johnson put Toronto up by 15. They led 35-22 at the end of the first. The Raptors stretched their advantage to 17 points with 5:40 left in the first half. But the Nets went on a 14-2 run to pull within five points. The Raptors headed to the locker-room with a 51-44 lead at halftime. Toronto went a horrible 1-for-16 to open the third quarter, but managed to remain within five points of the Nets, and the game went into the fourth all tied up. Sead Kolasinac Jersey . Solomon Elimimian did not make the trip with the team after suffering what appeared to be a right leg injury in the teams regular season finale against the Calgary Stampeders. Hector Bellerin Jersey . Toronto announced the deal with the restricted free agent on Saturday. The terms were not disclosed. http://www.arsenalsoccerpro.com/Authentic-Joel-Campbell-Arsenal-Jersey/ . -- Novak Djokovic benefited from an erroneous call and claimed he didnt realize he had broken the rules.EL SEGUNDO, Calif. - Marian Gaboriks new teammates with the Los Angeles Kings initially wondered whether such a talented goal-scorer could fit into a defence-dominated team when he arrived in a trade last month. Nobody is wondering anymore after Gaborik helped the Kings reach the post-season on a roll. "It took me a little bit, but I think I adjusted pretty good," Gaborik said Tuesday while the Kings prepared for their first-round opener against San Jose. Gaborik scored 16 points in 19 games as the Kings top-line left wing down the stretch, adapting his game to coach Darryl Sutters preferences while still providing his own unique offensive talents to the NHLs best defensive team. He fits in well in his third dressing room in two seasons, with teammates praising the veterans commitment and talent with equal enthusiasm. "I think hes been our best player since hes got here," defenceman Drew Doughty said. "No matter who gets traded here, you wonder how theyre going to fit into the system," Doughty added. "(But) he played in Minnesota. He knew how to play that system back in the day. Hes obviously amazing offensively, but he is good defensively. He tries his best, and thats all you can ask." Although Los Angeles has reached back-to-back conference finals, offence is seemingly always a concern. The Kings are the lowest-scoring team in the NHL post-season with just 198 regular-season goals, but Gaboriks arrival has assuaged many fears about their ability to score enough goals to win in the spring. Gaboriks impressive speed immediately changed opponents defensive game plans after his arrival from Columbus. He finally became the goal-scoring left wing that the Kings have long lacked to play alongside Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles sublime playmaker and two-way centre. Justin Williams plays the right side on a suddenly potent top line, and Gaboriks arrival allowed the Kings to balance out their depth lines as well. Gaborik has five goals with his famously vicious wrist shot, but he has been even more valuable with 11 assists. He put together a three-ppoint game in the Kings road finale in Edmonton last Thursday. Lucas Perez Jersey. Gaborik sees nothing special in his handling of what could have been a rough assignment in Los Angeles. Playing for Sutter didnt scare Gaborik after his experience under coaches with similar defensive demands such as Jacques Lemaire in Minnesota and John Tortorella with the Rangers. "Just go out there, work hard and follow the system," Gaborik said. "Make sure youre on the right side of the puck, and be in the right position when youre skating. Be on top of things." Gaboriks arrival and Los Angeles ensuing excellence have echoed the Kings success two years ago after they acquired Jeff Carter from Columbus during a disappointing regular season. Carter added his goal-scoring skills to a low-scoring lineup, and the Kings goals-per-game average rose — just as it did this season after Gaborik pulled on a black jersey. Doughty initially thought Gaborik was "more of just a scorer," but quickly realized there was much more to his new teammate. "Hes kind of a guy like Carts, where Carts just seems to put pucks in the net," Doughty said. "You dont understand how it goes in. It just goes in. Hell obviously get the pretty ones, too, but I thought he was just a pure goal-scorer. Just sat in the slot and found pucks and put them in. But hes a great passer, too, and hes good at finding open ice. Hes good at getting support for his linemates and getting them out of a battle and then making a play to create an opportunity." While still near the prime of his career, the 32-year-old Gaborik is an impending free agent with a history of injury woes, so he realizes the urgency of every remaining chance at a Stanley Cup title. He has reached two conference finals in his NHL career, but never played for the Cup. "You get that feeling that youre getting close, but its really hard," Gaborik said. "Im really going to embrace this opportunity and take it, and Im very excited for that. It doesnt come every year, and we feel we have a good team to do it." Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' ' |
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