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| Author: | Cl11234566 [ Fri Dec 27, 2019 4:03 pm ] |
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LOS ANGELES - The Raptors will be at the edge of the NBA spotlight Sunday evening, whether they like it or not. Basketball fans around the globe will be watching as Kobe Bryant makes his season debut - 240 days after tearing his left Achilles - against Toronto, a team he has used as his own personal punching bag. Bryant announced his return in a video posted on his Facebook page Friday afternoon and the game, which airs at 9:30pm et on TSN2, will also be picked up by NBA TV in the US. All eyes will be locked on the Lakers future Hall-of-Famer, all except the Raptors coach, who would rather avoid becoming a sideshow in the Bryant circus that is sure to consume Staples Center on Sunday. "Everybodys going to be watching Kobe come back but Im totally concerned about the Toronto Raptors," said Dwane Casey, hoping to put an end to his teams five-game skid. "No disrespect to Kobe, hes one of our greats in the game, we need him in the game, but for us Im worried about the Toronto Raptors, our physical disposition, our approach, our toughness." Whether he cares to admit it, the Lakers did Casey and Torontos coaching staff a favour by making their announcement public Friday rather than keeping Bryants status under wraps until game day. As the home team - with an assist from the NBA - shamelessly builds the hype for Bryants return, the visitors are trying desperately to dodge it. "Weve got to go out there and play hard regardless, [even] if we werent on TV, if we were just playing in front of five people," said California-native DeMar DeRozan after practicing at the Clippers training center in LA Saturday afternoon. A match-up with the struggling Raptors is a fitting return for Bryant, who has torched Toronto throughout his 17-year career. Bryant is averaging 28.3 points in 29 games against the Raptors, his second highest average against any opponent, inflated by his infamous 81-point performance. Bryant has only lost to Toronto at Staples once, back in 2001, and the Raptors havent defeated the Lakers in LA since. Now the question is: How will the 35-year-old fare coming off major surgery, after an eight-month layoff? "Me, knowing him, he wouldnt come back if he didnt think he could play at a dominant level," DeRozan insisted. "I think its mixed emotion for everybody. Everybodys just eager to see how hell be. Everybody always tries to doubt him in some way and he always seems to prove people wrong. So its just another test for him, well see how he bounces back." Bryant should see limited playing time in his first game back, roughly 20-30 minutes of action per Lakers coach Mike DAntoni. Although working one of the all-time greats back into your lineup isnt a bad problem to have, DAntoni hopes it wont disrupt the chemistry thats been built over the teams first 19 games. "Theyve been moving the basketball well, [doing] a lot of things [DAntoni was] doing in New York with the same sets, same things he was doing in Phoenix," Casey said of the 10-9 Lakers. "A lot of pick-and-rolls, the ball was humming, moving and I assume theyre going to do the same thing with [Bryant] coming back. We just have to be prepared." With Bryant hurt, Steve Nash out of the lineup - hes already been ruled out for Sundays game - and Dwight Howard in Houston, these Lakers have looked more like a vintage DAntoni team than last seasons incarnation ever did. This team has played at the NBAs third quickest pace, making more three-point shots per game than any other in the league. Now how do they integrate Bryant? The Raptors - in full out "we need to worry about ourselves"-mode Saturday - are navigating through an identity crisis of their own. Opponents have shot over 45 per cent in each game during their losing streak and have exceeded 100 points in four of the five contests. Their latest defeat, a 106-97 loss in Phoenix Friday, exposed a lack of toughness on both ends of the floor. "Weve gotten away from that for whatever reason," Casey said after his team was out-rebounded 53-36 by the Suns, including an 18-11 disparity on the offensive glass. "Were not the hit first team that we were." To make matters worse, Toronto may be without its most physical player on Sunday after Tyler Hansbrough sprained his left shoulder against the Suns. The Raptors forward underwent an MRI in LA Saturday morning and the team is awaiting the results before determining his status. Playing on the big stage, with the focus surrounding the other team and its best player, the Raptors have an opportunity to spoil the party and prove themselves in front of a large audience. "Weve got to get out of this slump," DeRozan said. "We understand it doesnt feel good, its a bad feeling and weve got to turn it around." . The 7-foot-1 Hawes, who is in the final year of his contract, is averaging 13 points and 8.5 rebounds, both career highs, and shoots 40 per cent from 3-point range. The 25-year-old Hawes is in his seventh NBA season. . Five straight losses (and six in the past seven) now dot the schedule – matching their longest skid of the year – after they fell again in New Jersey on Sunday night, topped 3-2 by Cory Schneider and the Devils. https://www.cheapshoesdiscount.com/. Carreno Busta broke his opponent five times in the match, but also lost his serve three times in the second set before prevailing in the tiebreaker. Both players struggled with their first serve, as Carreno Busta landed just 51 per cent of his to 47 per cent for Kukushkin. . The trade deadline is Monday, Mar. 2 at 3pm et/Noon pt. TRADES COMPLETED SINCE OCT. 1, 2014: Feb. 15, 2015 Toronto Maple Leafs acquire: F Olli Jokinen, F Brendan Leipsic, 1st Round Pick (2015) Nashville Predators acquire: D Cody Franson, F Mike Santorelli Feb. .com) - Jeff Teague had 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists as the Atlanta Hawks defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 90-85 on Saturday night.ST. JOHNS, N.L. -- Tyler Toffoli scored a hat trick and added an assist to lead the Manchester Monarchs over the St. Johns IceCaps 6-0 on Saturday night in American Hockey League action. Jordan Weal, Andy Andreoff and Vincent LoVerde also scored for the Monarchs (26-11-6). Jean-Francois Berube made 28 saves for the shutout. Eddie Pasquale stopped 27 shots for the IceCaps (20-16-3), while Michael Hutchinson made one save on the only shot he faced in relief. Manchester opened the scoring as Weal hit a one-timer top shelf, from the faceoff dot, off a cross-ice feed 19:03 into the first period. Andreoff scored high blocker on a wristshot 4:49 into thhe second period, finishing off a 2-on-1 short-handed opportunity off a neutral zone turnover.dddddddddddd LoVerde scored a high wrist shot at the 12:48 mark of the second, capping off an extended shift with the IceCaps hemmed into their zone. Toffoli hit a one-time slapshot top corner, while wide-open in the slot at the 3:48 mark of the third. The Monarchs added insult to injury as Toffoli tapped home a rebound in front of the net with 7:07 left in the game. Toffoli completed the hat trick, finishing off a cross-ice feed 17:47 into the third period. St. Johns was 0 for 5 with the man advantage, while the Monarchs were 2 for 5. ' ' ' |
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