Terry and Reggie Evans from the from zgr123's blog
TORONTO - The moment Nik Stauskas had been waiting for since he was a boy finally came late in the first quarter Wednesday night. Michael Jordan Jersey .He stepped on the court of Torontos Air Canada Centre as a professional player.The Sacramento Kings rookie scored eight points in a 119-102 loss to the Raptors in what was a homecoming of sorts for the 21-year-old who grew up shooting hoops on his backyard basketball court in Mississauga, Ont., just down the highway from the ACC.Ive been in this building 100 times as a fan, this is my first time as a pro, Stauskas said. Everywhere I looked I saw someone who knew me and started waving at me, so I tried to focus as much as I could on the game and not get distracted, and hopefully now I can go say hi to a bunch of people.Wednesday night wasnt his first time on the Raptors court. Stauskas was a nine-year-old at an open practice when then-Raptors star Vince Carter plucked the boy out of the crowd for some one-on-one fun. Stauskas hit a three-pointer on Carter, who promptly tackled Stauskas to the floor, and, as his dad Paul remembered it, gave his son a noogie.Some 200 friends and family members — many in No. 10 Stauskas jerseys — were at the ACC on Wednesday to cheer on the Canadian, who was part of one of Canadas most successful NBA draft classes. His mom Ruta had purchased a block of 50 tickets alone for the closest friends and family. His dad Paul followed the action with a video camera in hand.Section 104. I saw them, Stauskas said, smiling.The Canadian checked into the game to a warm ovation.I heard em, he said. It was good to hear that, and it definitely helped me take out the nerves coming into the game here, the support.Stauskas went in with 2:09 to go in the first quarter, and scored his first points a minute into the second, running away from his defender to drain an open 21-foot jumper.There was some worry that Wednesdays game wasnt going to happen. The Kings were in New York to play the Knicks on Monday but the city was pounded by a snowstorm and that game was cancelled.I got really scared when they started talking about the storm because they were like We might not be able to get to Toronto, and I was like Man. Dont do this to me, Stauskas said, laughing. It was good we were able to get out here, and just happy (Tuesday) to go back home and see some family and friends. It was a lot of fun.It wasnt quite the storybook return Stauskas would have liked to write however. The Kings eighth overall pick in last summers NBA draft hasnt seen the floor as much as hed like. In two recent games, against the Los Angeles Clippers and Portland Trailblazers, Stauskas didnt play a minute.He came into Wednesdays affair averaging 3.7 points and 14.2 minutes in 41 games off the bench.Ive obviously struggled this year, said the six-foot-six guard. Everybodys just told me keep my head up. For example. . . Ben (McLemore) kind of went through the same things as I have this year. Everybodys just told me keep working hard, keep my head up and good things will come.The toughest adjustment for the former University of Michigan star has been mental, Stauskas said.Just being ready all the time, not focusing too much on the highs and the lows, he said. A good example, Klay (Thompson of Golden State) the other night had 37 on us in a quarter and then last night he went 0-for-13 from three. Its crazy how from night to night things can change like that and you cant let it affect you too much. Just going through times where I wasnt playing a lot or I wasnt playing well, I didnt know how to handle it day-to-day, with those kinds of things going on. Ive just kind of learned how to stay even-keeled more often and not worry about those things all that much.Stauskass name has also been swirling about in trade rumours, which he said was a surprise.But this is the NBA, I feel like everyone is in trade rumours at some point, he said. Growing up a huge fan of the game, its been tough to switch that part off. He still checks his phone nightly to see, for example, how many points LeBron James had. Im still a fan of the game, that doesnt change at all, but you try to separate it a little bit because youre competing against these guys, Stauskas said.When youre a kid, you look at these guys like theyre not human, at least thats how I saw them growing up. Youve just got to realize everyone puts their pants on the same way in the morning, theyre just like you, and were all competing against each other.Stauskas was complimentary of the Raptors.Theyve got a great team, very talented, one of the best teams in the east and one of the best teams in the league, he said. And DeMar (DeRozan) has been out for the majority of the season with that (groin) injury but I think when everyone on this team is healthy and theyre playing together, theyre a really tough team to stop.As for Stauskass first-year struggles, Kings coach and former Raptor Tyrone Corbin said the young guard is going through the growing pains of any NBA rookie. Hes learning whats going to give him a chance in this league, Corbin said. Hes a shooter. . . (he has to) find his shots, be ready for his shots, when you get the double teams on the weak side, to come off and be ready when the shots there, if not read and take things that are available for him quickly.On defence, his body has to get stronger to be able to defend guys in this league. But hes working hard, hes a rookie in this league so hes trying to find his way. Nellie Fox Jersey . Or, for that matter, the aged. Brett Lawrie White Sox Jersey .J. Ellis hit an RBI single in the ninth inning, Hanley Ramirez hit a tape-measure, three-run homer in the first against Cliff Lee and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 on Saturday night. SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- For two teams that only face each other twice a year, Sacramento and Boston sure played like longtime rivals. Kings centre DeMarcus Cousins and the Celtics Kris Humphries were hit with technical fouls after tussling for a rebound in the first half, part of a game-long battle between the two big men that at times looked more suitable for a rugby field. Sacramentos Carl Landry was called for a flagrant foul in the fourth quarter after sending Jerryd Bayless crashing to the floor to stop a fast break. At least Bayless and Sacramento guard Isaiah Thomas kept their cool, a change from when the two teams met in Boston earlier this month. Thomas scored 21 points and matched his career high with 12 assists, Rudy Gay added eight of his 22 points over the final six minutes and the Kings beat the Celtics 105-98 Saturday night. "We were poised down the stretch and thats really the thing that sealed the game," said Cousins, who had 13 points and seven points after sitting out Wednesdays 101-92 loss to Golden State. "They beat us on the offensive boards a lot, our turnovers hurt us a lot ... but through it all what I think saved the game was the more poised team, and that was us tonight." Not all the time. At one point in the second half, Cousins crashed into Humphries as the two men were running down the court and then gave the Celtics centre a hard shove. "Guys were playing very physical, but thats just how it is sometimes," Thomas said. "The only time it was a little chippy in Boston was me and Bayless. But today it seemed like it was everybody, even the refs. We played through it the best we could." The Celtics, playing without starters Rajon Rondo and Jared Sullinger, struggled to keep their cool. Bostons frustrations boiled over late in the fourth quarter, when Gerald Wallace and coach Brad Stevens were ejected with 35 seconds left to play. "It was a long game, a lot of possessions and a lot of things happened," Stevens said. "We still had a chance to win." Despite being short-handed, the Celtics managed to keep it close and tied the game at 85-all following Kelly Olynyks free throw with 6:23 remaining. Rudy Gay helped Sacramento pull away. After a free throw from Cousins broke the tie, Gay made a pair of long jumpers, sank a pair of free throws then scoreed on a layup to make it 99-91. Frank Thomas White Sox Jersey. Jeff Green stopped the run with two free throws, but Thomas made six straight free throws down the stretch to secure the win. "Its a physical game and we cant let people get under our skin and get in the way of what were trying to do," said Sacramento coach Michael Malone, whose team had 18 turnovers. "Well take the win, but we have to get a lot better." Derrick Williams and Carl Landry scored 10 points apiece off the bench for Sacramento. The Kings never trailed and limited the Celtics to one basket over the final 7 1/2 minutes after Boston tied the game midway through the fourth quarter. Green scored 29 on 7-of-25 shooting for the Celtics. Humphries added 19, while Bayless had 16 off the bench. Rondo was resting on the tail end of a back-to-back while Sullinger -- who had 31 points against Sacramento earlier this season -- is experiencing from concussion-like symptoms after getting hit by an elbow from the Los Angeles Lakers Chris Kaman on Friday night. Down to nine players, the Celtics got off to a slow start and couldnt catch up. Sacramento held Boston to 16 points in the first quarter, led by as many as 16 and limited the Celtics to 34 per cent shooting before the break. Sacramento also was short-handed. The Kings announced before the game that Jason Terry will spend the remainder of the season rehabilitating his left knee. The announcement came two days after the Kings got Terry and Reggie Evans from the Brooklyn Nets for guard Marcus Thornton. The Kings led the entire first half and were up 49-33 with 2:28 left following a pair of free throws by Cousins. Green, who missed 10 of his first 13 shots, made a pair of mid-range jumpers and added a 3-pointer to cut the gap to 51-43 by halftime. NOTES: Cousins said his hip is continuing to bother him. "I had to do a couple of exercises on the sideline just to loosen it back up," he said. "It tightened up on me during the game a few times. Its bothering me a lot right now. Just running up the floor was tough." ... Thomas double-double was his sixth of the season. ... Gay scored 20 or more points for the 18th time in 31 games since being traded to Sacramento. ... Boston remained winless on its four-game road trip. ... Green missed his first nine shots from the field but made a career-high 13 free throws. 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 ' ' '
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