TORONTO -- After a poor defensive effort in losing to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, the Toronto Raptors tightened up to defeat the Orlando Magic 109-79 on Sunday.The Brooklyn Nets, on the other hand, continue to lose on the road as they dropped a 108-107 game to the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday after losing in Orlando on Friday.The Nets (7-19) make their next stop in Toronto to play the Raptors at the Air Canada Centre on Tuesday night.I thought that was a good bounce-back for us after our lackluster defensive game against Atlanta but thats the way we have to play, Raptors coach Dwane Casey said after the win on Sunday. If were going to be important or relevant in this league, we have to play with that defensive intensity every night.It was the same old story for the Nets, who are 1-12 on the road.We just couldnt get over the hump, Nets center Brook Lopez said after the game on Sunday. I dont know if theres that much analysis to it. ... We just have keep playing the right way. We dont have any room for error. We have to hold each other accountable. We just have to be better. We have to play a complete game for 48 minutes.Lopez had 22 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and four blocks Sunday and is scheduled to be rested on Tuesday and not play against the Raptors, who have won 11 of their past 13 games.Former Raptor Luis Scola could be Lopezs replacement on Tuesday.The Raptors continued to show their depth on Sunday. Backup point guard Cory Joseph could not play against the Magic because of flu symptoms. Fred VanVleet stepped in and scored four points, dished four assists and had three steals.Fred came in and there was no let-up, Casey said. I told somebody Cory better hurry up and get well, footsteps are behind him.VanVleet has been shuttled between the D-League and the Raptors.It has been a grind for sure, going back and forth with a lot of basketball, but its part of the process, he said. Just lucky I got guys like Norm (Powell), who have already done it and paved the way so you can pick his brain a little bit about how he got through it. At this point, its about the experience and the exposure. Its not punishment. Just something you have to go through and you try to play well every time you go out there.DeMar DeRozan led the Raptors on Sunday with 31 points.Jonas Valanciunas rebounded from a mediocre game against the Hawks to score 16 points and grab 13 rebounds against the Magic.The Nets weakness has been allowing offensive rebounds and second-chance points.Yeah, its definitely an issue, definitely one of our weaker points defensively, Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said. We definitely have to do a better job, and guard rebounding is huge for us, and we have to do it collectively. This is going to be a big challenge.DeRozan was named Eastern Conference player of the week of Dec. 12-18 on Monday.It is the second time DeRozan has earned the honor this season (Nov. 7-13) and the third time overall in his eight-year career.DeRozan led the NBA last week averaging 31.5 points and shooting 60.5 percent (46 for 76) from the field in four games. He also averaged 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists. DeRozan led the Raptors in scoring in all four games, scoring at least 30 points and shooting 50 percent or better from the field as the team had a 3-1 record. Scarpe Nike Scontate . The move comes after the Canadiens were approached by the Buffalo Sabres for permission to speak to Dudley - a former Sabres player and head coach. "The Sabres called for permission and I appreciate that, Im flattered, Dudley told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun of ESPN. Scarpe Scontate Online . -- About a third of the way through the regular season, the Washington Wizards are at . http://www.scontatescarpe.it/ . - The Oakland Raiders re-signed offensive lineman Khalif Barnes on Friday. Scarpe Online Uomo Scontate . Hamelin, who triumphed in the 500 on Saturday, edged out Victor An of Russia by 0.021 seconds to maintain his lead in the World Cup standings. Russias Vladimir Grigorev was third. In the relay, Canada took control six laps from the finish line to beat Russia and the Netherlands. Scarpe Nike Outlet . -- New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis is retiring after a 16-year career to become the goalie coach for the Los Angeles Galaxy. Saratoga and Del Mar are over, and that means the American Thoroughbred racing community now turns its focus to the Breeders Cup, our version of the Super Bowl, which will be run at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, on Nov. 4 and 5.I am aware that some folks actually like all of the action in the numerous prep races conducted coast to coast for the Breeders Cup as much as if not more than the Breeders Cup itself. In one sense, I get where they are coming from.I personally find the divisional and conference championship rounds of the NFL playoffs more entertaining than the Super Bowl they are meant to serve. But Thoroughbred racing is, of course, a very different game, and it doesnt enjoy the NFLs depth of quality.There can be as many as five or six key prep races for many corresponding Breeders Cup events. So in some years, and in some instances, there are more prep races than there are legitimately good horses to populate them, an issue that has been exacerbated in recent years with declining foal crops creating a shallower pool of good horses. And that manifests itself on the track in the form of some pretty thin competition in some pretty significant Breeders Cup preps.If you were loose in your standards, you could make the case that a Breeders Cup prep race of some sort will be run each of the next six weekends, starting this Saturday. But if you wanted to be selective about it, you could pay close attention on just three upcoming Saturdays and have a pretty good idea of the stakes in play come the Breeders Cup.The first of those Saturdays is Sept. 24. On that day, Parx Racing will offer the Pennsylvania Derby for 3-year-olds, an ostensible prep for the Breeders Cup Classic, and the Cotillion Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, a serviceable springboard to the Breeders Cup Distaff. Now, some purists feel that, by the end of September, 3-year-olds should be racing against older horses. But there can be no disputing the level of talent these two races have drawn since they found this spot on the calendar, and this year promises to be no exception.The brilliant and undefeated Songbird is targeting the Cotillion, and she will be opposed by Cathryn Sophia, who won the Kentucky Oaks in the absence of an ailing Songbird and who regained top form with a romp in a local prelude to the Cotillion this past Saturday.Although the Pennsylvania Derby will not have jaw-dropping Travers winner Arrogate -- he will train up to the BC Classic -- it is scheduled to have Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist, and Preakness and Haskell winner Exaggerator. So with two of the three candidates for the 3-year-old championship set to line up, the Pennsylvania Derby is important from an Eclipse Award standpoint, too.One week later, on Oct. 1, the doings at Santa Anita and Belmont Park should command your attention. There will be five Grade 1 races at Santa Anita that day, and, even beyond the obvious value of Breeders Cup preps run over the same track on which the Breeders Cup races will be run, at least two of these races promise to be especially critical.The Awesome Again Stakes, Southern Californias prep for the BC Classic, will have California Chrome, monstrous winner of last months Pacific Classic and thee clear favorite for the BC Classic.ddddddddddddThe Zenyatta Stakes, a direct prep for the BC Distaff, is scheduled to renew the rivalry between Beholder, the three-time champion who was a game second to California Chrome in the Pacific Classic, and Stellar Wind, who beat Beholder on the square on the Clement L. Hirsch in July. As sensational as Songbird is, if Beholder were to win this race, it might make her the favorite for what is shaping up to be a tremendous BC Distaff.There will also be two important preps for 2-year-olds that day at Santa Anita -- the FrontRunner and the Chandelier. But since the juveniles are still in the initial stages of sorting themselves out, its best to leave discussion on them to a later date.At Belmont, the big Grade 1 preps on Oct. 1 are the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (for the Breeders Cup Turf), the Beldame (for the BC Distaff) and the Vosburgh (for the Breeders Cup Sprint). Without question, Flintshire, who will be a prohibitive favorite in the Joe Hirsch off another dominating win in the recent Sword Dancer, is the main attraction here.We dont yet know which horses the Europeans will send for the Breeders Cup turf events; we only know that they will send good ones. But before he settled in this country, Flintshire was a top-class international performer, and he is so handily the best of the U.S. turf males this season its silly.The third day worth carving out racing time for is Oct. 8, when major preps will take place at Santa Anita, Belmont and Keeneland.Santa Anita has but one major Breeders Cup prep this day, but the Santa Anita Sprint Championship will likely be targeted by Lord Nelson and Masochistic, and I consider them to be this seasons top two active male sprinters to date. So if these two both go in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship, that would make it the definitive prep for the BC Sprint.At Belmont, beyond two Grade 1 events for 2-year-olds, the Jockey Club Gold Cup and the Flower Bowl are the marquee races. The Jockey Club Gold Cup was the Breeders Cup Classic before there was a Breeders Cup Classic. But it is now a strangely out of favor steppingstone to the BC Classic, I presume because its odd start on the first turn means it is not a true two-turn race.The Flower Bowl, however, is usually an impactful prep for the Breeders Cup Filly & Mare Turf, and it might well be again with such probable starters as Sea Calisi, winner of the Beverly D., and Lady Eli, a breathtaking performer who recently returned from a very serious health issue to finish a game and promising second.Turf will be in the forefront at Keeneland that day, too, with the Shadwell Turf Mile and the First Lady Stakes being viable preps for the Breeders Cup Mile. Yes, the First Lady is for females, but that didnt stop Tepin from parlaying a runaway score in it into a romp in the BC Mile and a divisional title last year. And one would think Tepin, who, on Sept. 17, is to make her first start since her historic Group 1 victory at Royal Ascot in June in the Woodbine Mile, could choose either of these Keeneland preps and be equally imposing. Wholesale Hoodies NFL Shirts Outlet Jerseys NFL Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '
