pretty good so far," Farmar said. from zgr123's blog
SAN ANTONIO - As members of the media waited outside the visitors locker room at AT&T Center, Dwane Casey addressed his players behind closed doors, a standard post-game procedure, win or lose. Greivis Vasquez Bucks Jersey . After Mondays hard-fought loss, the wait seemed longer than usual. Getting set to go their separate ways for a short Christmas break, the Raptors coach credited his team for their effort on a seemingly impossible three-game road trip, urging them to build on that success when they get back to work at the end of the week. "It was a good trip," Casey said after their 112-99 loss to the Spurs capped off a 2-1 stretch in four days, highlighted by impressive wins in Dallas and Oklahoma City. "I told the guys it was a good start. Were just getting started to where we want to go." Playing in the second night of a back-to-back and coming off their most physically and mentally taxing victory of the campaign - a 104-98 win over the league-best Thunder Sunday - the Raptors simply ran out of gas in San Antonio, facing an unforgiving terror of a team. "We missed some good looks, some of it was fatigue, some of it was legs, some of it was their good defence getting into us," Casey said. "We knew that coming in, that it was going to be a battle. "And thats our next step, to be mentally tough, to fight through fatigue, to fight through back-to-backs and try to do the same things we did [Sunday] night." The final score is not indicative of how closely matched this game turned out to be. In fact, the 13-point margin of victory was San Antonios largest lead of the contest. Although the home team maintained control for most of the night, the Raptors kept pace and refused to roll over or look ahead to their upcoming two-day vacation. "We are a team that has to be scrappy," Amir Johnson acknowledged, scoring just seven points and grabbing eight rebounds in a match-up with future Hall of Famer Tim Duncan. "Against teams like [the Spurs] we have to play with the physicality just like we did in Dallas and OKC. We have to be the team that pushes the tempo. We cant relax and thats what we have been doing these past couple of weeks. We fight but unfortunately we came up short tonight." Although Duncan had a quiet nine points and 12 boards, the other two-thirds of San Antonios vintage big three controlled the tempo of the game. Tony Parker led all scorers with 26 to go along with eight assists, while Manu Ginobili added 18 points of the Spurs bench. San Antonios second unit - one of the best in the association - contributed 52 points, giving the Spurs 48-minutes worth of high-level production. The Raptors couldnt keep up. The Spurs out-rebounded Toronto by 10 and grabbed 16 offensive boards. They held a 16-point advantage in the paint, dished out 27 assists and recorded a season-high 24 second chance points. "Its always tough playing in a back-to-back, especially against two of the best teams in the West," said DeMar DeRozan. "We understood that coming in but we were in the game. They hit a couple big time threes that pushed the lead up for them and made it tough for us to keep it within arms length but we fought." DeRozan - who had already face a pair of tough wing defenders in Shawn Marion and Thabo Sefolosha on the trip - struggled against Kawhi Leonard, scoring 13 points on 5-of-16 shooting. "He had a rough night but Kawhi Leonard is one of the top defenders in the league," Casey said of DeRozan. "They were double-teaming him in his post-ups so they werent going to let him go." Terrence Ross was the beneficiary of the added attention paid to DeRozan. The Raptors sophomore made 10 of 16 attempts for 23 points, while Kyle Lowry also scored 23 and recorded a team-best nine assists. Although a 2-1 record on this trip is nothing to scoff at - its two wins more than most expected them to get - Caseys message has been received and his team is striving for more. "I wish we would have got that last win," Johnson insisted. "The two wins is great but it would have been nice to finish with one more. "We cant settle," he continued. "We played some tough teams (on the trip) and that is definitely a confidence boost but we want to keep going and keep the focus we have over this break. We are definitely not happy. We just have to keep working." The Raptors players and coaches will be excused for two days to spend Christmas with their family and friends before reconvening in New York City for practice on Boxing Day. "Its coming at a great time," admitted DeRozan, who is among the league leaders in minutes played and could use the rest. "[It] just gives us a chance to refresh our minds and our bodies and understand what lies ahead after this Christmas break." DeRozan and Johnson are each spending their time off in Toronto with their daughters, both of whom will be celebrating their first Christmas. Tyler Ennis Bucks Jersey . - A late-game interception by defensive back Malcolm Butler saved the Super Bowl for the New England Patriots. Bucks Jersey . The Red Wings hadnt played the night before. The Boston Bruins had. A month from now, or two months from now, it doesnt matter. But right now it does matter, when you start and you play back to back, its wear and tear on you for sure, Babcock said.WASHINGTON -- The Los Angeles Lakers are playing the waiting for Kobe game -- trying to stay respectable without one of the NBAs all-time greats. Los Angeles had its three-game winning streak broken, 116-111 by the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night, while Bryant, who signed a two-year contract extension on Monday, watched on television from the locker room. The Lakers star pledged his loyalty to the only team hes ever played for in his first public comments about the extension, saying before the game that Los Angeles willingness to pay him a reported $48.5 million for the next two seasons makes him want to "run through a wall" for the team. He wont play in Brooklyn on Wednesday or at Detroit on Friday as he concludes his rehab from surgery on his ruptured Achilles tendon. His teammates nearly pulled out another win against a team with two hot players, John Wall, who had 31 points and Nene, who scored a career-high 30 on 13-for-22 shooting from the field. "We have to learn how to win with this team. Its just put together and we dont have one thing that we go to all the time, but well get it straight," Los Angeles coach Mike DAntoni said. "Theyre playing hard, and theyre together and we should have won tonight." The Lakers are 7-8 but just 1-5 on the road. Wall, who was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week on Monday, has scored more than 30 points in three straight games for the first time in his career. The point guard scored 11 points in the final 4:40 to help seal the win. Washington coach Randy Wittman isnt surprised or especially pleased by Walls success in his fourth year. "No, because hes going to play better (Wednesday)," Wittman said. Washington plays at Milwaukee on Wednesday. Wall and Nene became the first pair of Wizards to score 30 or more since Dec. 16, 2009, when Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison combined to score 63 points at Sacramento. Nene had never scored more than 28 points in his 12-year NBA career. "I feel like wine. You get old. You get better," the 31-year-old Brazzilian said. Greg Monroe Bucks Jersey. It didnt necessarily confound Wittman that Nene had never hit 30. "Hes not a guy who looks to score every time he touches the ball. There are some players in this league that do that," Wittman said. "I could see where he hasnt, but Im glad he did it tonight." Martell Webster added 20 points with four 3-pointers. Jordan Farmar led the Lakers with 22 and Pau Gasol had 17. The Wizards took a 75-73 lead on Nenes three-point play with 2:37 left in the third quarter and led 82-77 after three. Websters consecutive 3-pointers in the fourth quarter gave Washington an 88-80 lead with 10:22 to play. Webster added another 3-pointer to give the Wizards their largest lead -- 96-87 with 7:38 to play. Thanks to Walls hot play, Washington held on. Gasols three-point play with 24.5 seconds left cut the lead to 113-111, but Wall hit three final free throws. Bryant is back practicing, but his return wont come until at least Dec. 6, when the Lakers play at Sacramento. "We dont think about it much at all. We have a job to do now, the guys who are in the lineup. Everybodys focused on their responsibility and I think weve done pretty good so far," Farmar said. "Were still learning and still trying to figure each other out. Its going to be a work in progress even when he does come back, trying to figure out everybodys role." Washington was without guard Bradley Beal, who will be out for at least two weeks with a stress injury to his right foot. Beal was replaced in the starting lineup by Trevor Ariza, who missed the last five games with a strained right hamstring. NOTES: Los Angeles C Chris Kaman missed his third straight game with a sore back. ... Washington F Chris Singleton was active for the first time all season. He missed the first 13 games with a stress fracture in his left foot. Singleton played a minute and didnt score. . Wizards F Otto Porter, who has yet to play this season due to a right hip injury, participated in his first practice on Monday and is nearing a return, Wittman said. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '
The Wall