TORONTO - Wisely, the Raptors downplayed the importance of an early-season litmus test ahead of Thursdays nationally televised contest with the new and improved Chicago Bulls. [url=http://www.cheaptitansjerseysonline.com/]Stitched Titans Jerseys[/url] . I would say yes, admitted Dwane Casey, asked if

TORONTO - Wisely, the Raptors downplayed the importance of an early-season litmus test ahead of Thursdays nationally televised contest with the new and improved Chicago Bulls. Stitched Titans Jerseys . I would say yes, admitted Dwane Casey, asked if the Bulls would be their best opponent so far, following morning shoot-around. I would say they are. Just because Derrick Rose is an all-star, Pau Gasol is an all-star, just the amount of talent they have accumulated. Weve got to come out and play our game for 48 minutes. This game doesnt make or break your season, win or lose [but] weve got to come out and establish the way we are going to play. They did for 24 minutes. Barely a second more. Thats one game in the marathon, Casey continued to stress moments after the buzzer sounded on Torontos 100-93 loss. If we had won it, it wouldnt have made [our season]. We lost it and it doesnt break our season. So we learn from it [and] we move on. Theres a lot to learn out of this game, the type of game that you have to play to play at that level. In the end, it turned out to be more of a lesson than a test. To compete with the big boys, the elite teams in the NBA - to which Chicago is among - they cant live like this. You cant lose focus for even a few minutes, let alone an entire quarter. Leading by seven at intermission, and with the US spotlight focused on them, the Raptors looked like a team out of Chicagos league in the third quarter. Going into the game they had not scored fewer than 20 points in any single quarter this season. On Thursday, the Bulls bested them 35-14 in the third, effectively ending the game 12 minutes before it became official. We withstood their punches in the first half but in the third quarter they got us on our heels and we stayed on our heels, Casey said. You know thats the kind of game youre going to have against them. Its a hard game to officiate and its a hard game to play but youve got to make a muscle and fight through the physicality, the bumps, the grind. And we didnt meet that challenge in the third quarter. Its a four-quarter game and that third quarter did us in. The Raptors offence - crisp in the second frame when they shot 55 per cent - went dormant in the third. Chicagos trademark physicality forced Toronto out of its comfort zone. They shot just 29 per cent while the Bulls, led by the veteran savvy of Gasol, hit 12 of their 18 attempts from the field. I think we just didnt play our game from start to finish, said Kyle Lowry, who had 20 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, pacing Toronto in all three categories. We played our game in spurts tonight. Not surprisingly, Lowry put the team on his shoulders in the fourth, scoring eight points and cutting the deficit - once 18 - to five in the closing minutes. But it was too late. The Bulls got 20 or more from three starters. Gasol was unstoppable in a throw-back performance, pouring in 27 points on 19 shots to go along with 11 rebounds. Jimmy Butler scored 21 and held DeMar DeRozan to 10 points on 3-of-17 shooting, another frustrating evening for the Raptors guard. And Rose looked like his old self, primarily in the second half, where he scored 13 of his 20 points before exiting late in the game with a hamstring injury. With the game airing on TNT - the first time theyve hosted a Thursday contest on the network since 2002 - the Raptors were over-matched. They suffered their first home loss of the campaign and were knocked out of first place in the Eastern Conference by a Bulls team that now shares their record at 7-2. Thats a good experience for us, said Jonas Valanciunas, who played less than five minutes in the second half, struggling defensively against Gasol, after getting off to a strong start. Were coming off the win streak so thats good. Like a cold shower for us. They made a lot of tough shots. They played good tonight and we werent ready. DeRozan continues to climb Raps scoring list. It was a moment DeRozan had been looking forward to, mostly because he was tired of hearing about it. After narrowly missing the milestone in a frustrating outing against the Magic Tuesday, he wasted little time on Thursday. Fittingly, DeRozan knocked down a mid-range jumper - his bread and butter - over college teammate Taj Gibson nine minutes into the game to pass maligned forward Andrea Bargnani for third on the teams all-time scoring list, having appeared in 41 fewer games with Toronto. DeRozan had already passed Morris Peterson earlier this month in Boston. Now, hes one step closer to cementing his Raptors legacy. Only Chris Bosh and Vince Carter, first and second respectively, have scored more points in a Raptors uniform. Even at his current pace, DeRozan is still at least a couple seasons away from catching Carter and Bosh, his former teammate. Milestone aside, it was another evening to forget for the Raptors All-Star guard. He has made just seven of his last 32 shots over Torontos last two games. I mean, its fine, he said after Thursdays loss. Im not worried about it at all. These games, I understand that theyre going to happen. Ive just got to learn from it. If this was two years ago Id think it was the end of the world, but were only [nine] games in. Id rather have them games now than later on. Rishard Matthews Jersey . 4 jersey of former defenseman Rob Blake this coming season. The ceremony will take place prior to the Kings January 17 game against Anaheim. Kevin Pamphile Jersey . Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Doug Martin broke the news that hes cleared for full activity moving forward. http://www.cheaptitansjerseysonline.com/?tag=sharif-finch-jersey-online .com) - The Oakland Athletics needed to rely on a lot of young pitchers to win an American League West title this season.TORONTO -- Mikka Salomaki scored once and set up another as the Milwaukee Admirals defeated the Toronto Marlies 5-1 in American Hockey League action Saturday afternoon. Austin Watson, Scott Ford, Filip Forsberg and Mark Van Guilder had the other goals for the Admirals (30-21-12). Scott Darling made 30 saves for his 10th win of the season. Trevor Smith scored the lone goal for the Marlies (37-20-5). Marlies goaltender Christopher Gibson was replaced at 10:25 of the second period after allowing three goals on 14 shots. Garret Sparks made 11 saves in relief. With the win, Milwaukee sweeps the season series having won the only other meeting between the two teams, 3-2, on Jan. 21. The loss snaps Torontos five-game unbeaten streak. The Marlies dropped to 4-6-2 in 12 meetings against the Admirals. Milwaukee opened the scoring, on a power play, at 10:03 of the first as Salomaki banged home a rebound off an Anthony Biietto shot for his 17th of the season. Logan Ryan Jersey. Watson gave the Admirals a two-goal cushion four minutes later, re-directing a Salomaki feed past Gibson. Milwaukee took a 3-0 lead at 10:55 of the second period as Gibson mis-handled a routine wrist shot from Ford. That was the end of Gibsons afternoon. Forsberg made it 4-0 after one-timing a Mark Van Guilder pass past Sparks at 18:14. The Admirals improved to 18-0-2 when leading after 40 minutes. After Smith got the Marlies on the board 11 seconds into the third, backhanding shot over the shoulder of Darling, Van Guilder restored the Admirals four-goal lead putting a pass past a sprawling Sparks for his 13th of the season. Toronto resumes its three-game home stand Sunday when the Abbotsford Heat visit. Note: The Toronto Marlies reassigned forward Carter Ashton on Saturday morning. Ashton had two shots on goal and was a minus-1 in the loss Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap Adidas Hockey Jerseys Wholesale Nike Baseball Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys From China Wholesale Jerseys China Wholesale NFL Jerseys China Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Cheap Nike NBA Jerseys Authentic Cheap NHL Jerseys Canada Cheap Nike MLB Jerseys Cheap Soccer Jerseys China NCAA Jerseys Cheap Nike NHL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys Store Cheap Football Jerseys Store Wholesale Soccer Jerseys Jerseys NCAA China Jerseys NFL Cheap Cheap Nike NBA Jerseys ' ' '