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Raptors were coming off their worst offensive
Im writing this having just returned from the International Broadcast Centre in Sochi after watching and broadcasting a portion of the mens final in figure skating. Johnny Unitas Jersey . It would be an understatement to say that I am still stunned by what has transpired here in Russia. Yuzuru Hanyu, a 19-year-old, has just become the Olympic gold medallist, the first for his country, in this individual discipline. Meanwhile, the three-time and reigning world champion, Patrick Chan of Canada, has taken the silver medal. Neither skated perfectly, far from it, but the drama of it all was breathtaking. And although I might have forecast a different result, I find myself unable to quibble with the bottom line. Someone came first and someone came second. The only call I took when I got back here to the hotel was from an old acquaintance and colleague named Dave Campbell at CHED radio in Edmonton. I had run into him during my Hockey Night in Canada days covering the Oilers. But tonight Dave didnt even mention the score of the Canadian mens hockey game versus Austria, a 6-0 shellacking by the maple leaf men. He wanted to talk figure skating. “You know, we were discussing Chan and the result in the office, and we were disappointed,” he said. “But then again we thought that figure skating must surely be the most difficult of the Olympic sports.” I would have to agree. Personally speaking, I cannot fathom what it must be like to go onto a sheet of ice in front of 12,000 people and to perform what appears to be a series of impossible acts without an overwhelming fear of failure. There is nowhere for these young people to hide. There is no mulligan for a bad jump, or second chance to eliminate the sting of a fall on ones ass. You cannot skip a shift and survive in figure skating. It is what it is. These athletes accept that they are required to stand and deliver and when the dust settles they must live with the result. In the end, they must go it alone. The thing is, I felt completely helpless for Patrick Chan as he skated with a chance to be the Olympic champion. I have followed his career since the time he first won the national title seven years ago. Ive been there for each of his three world championships. He has never dodged a question and never given an excuse for something less than a perfect performance. He is, in my experience, a conscientious and hard-working young man who is supremely talented. Tonight, he came up short, and I know he wishes he could do it all over again … but he cant. Dave Campbell may have been right when he suggested that figure skating is the most difficult of the sports. Im convinced it is simultaneously the most beautiful and brutal. The judges reward you lavishly when you succeed, and they punish you ruthlessly when you dont. And they make you sit by yourself to await your fate on a giant-sized television screen so that everyone in the arena and around the globe knows what they think of you. Those are the facts when it comes to figure skating. And while Im disappointed for Patrick Chan and happy for Yuzuru Hanyu, Im astonished that the result has affected me the way it has. Its not like I havent witnessed something like this before. “Its just so thrilling,” Dave Campbell said. “And its causing me to lose sleep, but I cant get enough of it.” I feel the same way. Its the savage beauty of sport and the incredible attraction that the brave hearts who dare to venture onto the Olympic field of play hold for me. Lamont Brightful Jersey .ca NHL Power Rankings, finally overtaking the St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks, who rank second and third this week. Ray Lewis Jersey . An in-person hearing allows for Garbutt to be suspended for five games or longer as per the leagues Collective Bargaining Agreement. Garbutt delivered a high hit to Penner in the second period of Sundays game.TORONTO - It was one year ago Monday that the Raptors made the trade that brought Patrick Patterson to Toronto and altered the course of their future.Patterson marked his anniversary by proving his worth — once again.Lou Williams poured in 26 points, and Patterson drained two huge three-pointers late in the fourth quarter, as the Raptors topped the Denver Nuggets 112-107 in overtime Monday.Its a huge responsibility that I want to have, whether its hitting crunch-time situation shots like that or hitting game-changing shots like that, said Patterson, who finished with 19 points. Thats what I want to do, thats what I want to be known for, my energy and my three-point shooting. Its just all about knocking it down and having confidence out there.Williams and Pattersons combined 49 points alone blew away Denvers entire bench, which totalled just 17. Jonas Valanciunas — with 18 points and 12 rebounds — and Kyle Lowry — with 13 points and 13 assists — both had double-doubles on the night for the Eastern Conference-leading Raptors (16-5).Terrence Ross finished with 16 for Toronto, which was playing their fifth game without injured all-star DeMar DeRozan.The Raptors sent Rudy Gay to Sacramento on Dec. 8 of last year, sending Patterson, Greivis Vasquez and Chuck Hayes to the Kings in a deal that turned Torontos sagging season on its ear and ended in a thrilling playoff run.It does not feel like a year. It literally feels like I got traded yesterday, Patterson said. Time flies by when youre having fun and being with these guys, being with this team, this organization, each and every guy in this locker-room makes every single day fun.Much of Monday wasnt so fun, as Toronto coughed up a 17-point first-half lead in front of an Air Canada Centre capacity crowd of 19,800 that included former Raptor Charles Oakley, and led only 82-81 going into the fourth quarter.The Raptors couldnt buy a basket in the fourth, jacking up long-range shots that missed the mark until they found themselves trailing by five points with 2:41 to go.Then Patterson connected for two three-pointers within two minutes, his second pulling the Raptors even at 102-102 with 28 seconds left.Patterson said his strategy was to scream my lungs off to make Lowry see him out at the three-point line.I didnt think Kyle saw me, Patterson said. He got trapped along the baseline. Im thankful that he did see me and made a pass and it went in.Then with the ACC crowd on its feet, Denver turned the ball over on a shot-clock violation, sending the game into the five-minuute overtime period. Jaylon Ferguson Jersey. Ross, who finished 1-for-8 from three-point range, finally drained one in overtime.You have to continue with it and trust that theyre going to fall, Raptors coach Dwane Casey said on his teams three-point shooting. T-Ross was zero-for-whatever and then he made that last one which was huge. You have to continue to shoot it, and trust that theyre going to fall.Lowry found Johnson under the basket with 2:10 to go for an easy bucket that put the Raptors up 109-105. And then, with 54 seconds left, Williams stepped back and calmly drained a three, to seal Torontos victory.The Raptors are 14-0 this season after leading after three quarters, a streak that actually stretches back 39 games to April 1, 2013. Toronto has now allowed opponents to score 100-plus points in eight straight games.Casey praised Pattersons effort, saying the forwards activity and his energy are unbelievable as far as the way he comes into the game and impacts the game.He wasnt thrilled with the teams defensive performance.The one thing I will take is effort, the coach said. I thought the guys really busted their behinds and really gave it to us down the stretch and found a way to win. Thats all you can ask. We made some mistakes, thats why they put erasers on pencils.Arron Afflalo had 25 points, while Ty Lawson added 22 for the Nuggets (9-12), who lost for the fourth straight night.No one likes to lose, Afflalo said. When were winning we get confident with how were playing the game, and start seeing some positive results, and I think things will change. When youre losing, its tough.Valanciunas led the way with 10 points and five boards in a first quarter that saw the Nuggets shoot a whopping 68 per cent. A pair of Williams free throws gave the Raptors a seven-point lead with 30 seconds to go, and they led 35-30 to end the quarter.Williams scored nine straight points early in the second to help the Raptors to a 17-point lead, and Toronto took a 62-52 advantage into the halftime break.The Raptors saw their double-digit disappear in the third, as the Nuggets outscored them 29-20 in the frame. Denver used a 22-7 run to pull to within a point on a jumper by Afflalo with 2:09 left in the quarter, and led by one going into the fourth.The Raptors were coming off their worst offensive performance of the season in a 105-91 loss last Friday to the Cavaliers. They face LeBron James and the Cavs again Tuesday in Cleveland.Theyre back home to host the Indiana Pacers on Friday.___Follow @ewingsports on Twitter ' ' '
- Created: Jan 3 '20
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