SALT LAKE CITY - Sporting a Seahawks cap during afternoon shootaround, coach Dwane Casey reinforced a sentiment hes preached over and over again since coming to Toronto. "Relentless defence wins in any sport," he said after watching the hard-hitting, opportunistic Seahawks stymie the Broncos and their high-octane offence. Casey didnt have to say much as he and his team watched Seattles dominant Super Bowl victory from their Salt Lake City hotel Sunday night. The message had already been engrained into the mindset of his players and stuck with them in Utah the following evening. "We cant control if our shots go in, we cant make every shot but we can control when we play hard on the defensive end," DeMar DeRozan said after holding Utah to 41 per cent shooting in a 94-79 win over the Jazz Monday. "Were understanding that more and more every game." Again, the Raptors got off to a slow start on the defensive end, something that plagued them in Portland Saturday as their comeback bid eventually fell short. The Jazz shot 50 per cent and scored 27 points, closing out the opening quarter with a three-point lead before Toronto tightened the screws in the second frame. Utah scored just 17 points in the second quarter, shooting 35 per cent from the field, 0-of-7 from three-point range and was held without a single assist. The Jazz didnt score more than 18 points in any quarter after the first. "Thats an issue with our team," Casey said before the game. "For whatever reason we turn up the intensity after halftime. I dont know if they like hearing me go ballistic at halftime." "Its one of our unfortunate traits, I would say, but again well take [the win]." The Raptors resiliency was tested again as Kyle Lowry - fresh off being named Eastern Conference Player of the Month - left for the locker room late in the third quarter to get treatment on a sore right knee. Lowry has been the teams most consistent contributor but seemed off his game, shooting 1-for-8 in 25 minutes before he was ruled out for the fourth quarter. The good news is the injury doesnt appear to be a serious one. Lowry has been battling soreness in the knee for about a week, playing through it and playing well, but on Monday he couldnt get it loose. "I couldnt help my team as much as I wanted to," said Lowry, who expects to play in Sacramento on Wednesday. "I trust my teammates would get the job done and thats what they did tonight." Torontos depth and team chemistry came through with Lowry on the sideline. Greivis Vasquez, who returned from a bout of the flu, stepped in at the point and scored 12 off the bench. Amir Johnson - playing on a sore right ankle - looked better, recording a double-double. Jonas Valanciunas had one of his better games in a tough matchup against Enes Kanter and John Salmons chipped in with 13 off the bench. As it has been when one Raptor struggles or gets hurt, the next man steps up. "Thats what it is, I think were playing for each other," Vasquez said. "I want Kyle to get healthy, I want the best for each and every one of us so thats important, man. When you have a team that has such a great atmosphere in the locker room, that care about each other, its going to be scary." Most importantly, it was the defensive effort that carried them to their sixth win over the last eight games. Casey preaches it every day and his troops have all bought in. Theyve seen how far it can take them. "The good thing about it is our players were talking about it last night watching the [Super Bowl]," said the Raptors coach. "Our guys were talking about how [the Seahawks] were hitting people and thats what Ive been preaching and am preaching, hit first." "Basketball-wise, its a little bit different but you can be aggressive for 48 minutes, take away options, take away passing lanes, bump cutters, box out [and] hit people coming for rebounds." Casey, an assistant with the Sonics for 11 years, resides in Seattle during the offseason and was invited to visit the Seahawks training camp a couple summers ago, where he - along with Blazers coach and good friend Terry Stotts - got the opportunity to watch Pete Carroll at work. The takeaway for Casey was to fully embrace and stay true to his philosophy as a head coach. "[Carroll is] a guy thats comfortable in his skin and Im at that point in my career too," he said. "In his first couple of tries he tried to do it the way the organization wanted to do it and he was trying to please everybody. I think you have to coach to your personality and to the personality of your team and thats what he conveyed to [Stotts] and I when we met with him" That philosophy - defence first, second and third - has been hammered home since day one and the results are beginning to reflect it. Entering Mondays games the Raptors ranked sixth in defensive efficiency, just behind the leagues heavy hitters (Indiana, Chicago, Golden State, Oklahoma City and San Antonio). On Monday they surrendered just 79 points, matching the second lowest total theyve given up all year. "I dont care who is playing, when you play the Utah Jazz, its a brand of basketball thats very difficult," Casey said. "Youre going to have to grind it out, youre going to have to earn every inch, every yard in this place and we did tonight." "The rest of the way, before the [All-Star] break, were going to have to grind it out mentally and physically," he continued. "Thats how its going to be because people are going to come out throwing haymakers at us and weve got to be physically and mentally prepared for it." On the season, theyre now 22-6 when holding teams under 100 points. Theyre 20-4 when opponents shoot below 45 per cent.
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Joe Nieuwendyk Jersey . Hamelin, of Ste. Julie, Que, who won gold in the mens 1,500m on Monday, finished first in his heat with a time of one minute, 25.742 seconds. CHICAGO -- Every NBA team wants to enter the All-Star break on a positive note and get some rest. The Chicago Bulls were able to do just that by winning their third straight. Taj Gibson scored 16 points and Carlos Boozer returned from an injury to add 15 in Chicagos 92-76 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night. The Bulls (27-25) moved two games above .500 for the first time since they were 6-4 on Nov. 21. They have won four of five. "Were happy, but were not satisfied. Were hungry," said Joakim Noah, who had 14 points and 13 rebounds for his fifth straight double-double. Paul Pierce led Brooklyn with 15 points. The Nets are 24-27, going 14-6 since Jan. 1. "I think everybody needs a break right now," Pierce said. "Everybodys played a lot of games. Every team in the league has played over 50 games. I wish the break was a little bit longer, especially for us older guys. "But it is what it is and guys can go home or do whatever theyre going do over the weekend and recharge their bodies and get ready for a second-half run." The Nets pulled within three on Andrei Kirilenkos 3-pointer with 6:29 left. D.J. Augustin answered with a 3-pointer to start a 9-0 Chicago run. "Weve got to get to the point where were playing better defence, especially when Kevin (Garnett) comes out the game," Pierce said. "Thats seems to be one of our glaring weaknesses right now. We can sustain an acceptable level of defence when hes in the game, but hes not going to be able to play 48 minutes a night, so we have to have guys ready to come in and sustain the type of intensity he brings to help this team win." The Bulls shot 50 per cent to the Nets 38.8 per cent. Mike Dunleavy and Jimmy Butler each had 14 points for the Bulls, who are 15-7 since Jan. 1. "Were playing very well," said Boozer, who missed the last three games because of a strained left calf. "Its good to have a chance to have a breeak and get away and come back ready for the finish.dddddddddddd" Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said Boozer was better than expected in his return. "A little winded," Thibodeau said. "Once he got a second wind he was very, very good." The Nets Joe Johnson and Butler were called for technical fouls and Johnson for an offensive foul after they exchanged words and had to be separated by their teammates with 5:57 left in the third quarter. Johnson elbowed Butler on the play, and Butler was restrained by his teammates before Johnson poked Butlers face. "I dont say too much, so if Im mad, you must have really done something to get underneath my skin," Butler said. "He poked me in the head then backed backwards. I dont think he wanted any of that. I dont play to fight, but come on, man, just play basketball." Deron Williams added 13 points for the Nets, Johnson had 11, and Shaun Livingston 10. Brooklyn cut the lead to 56-53 on Pierces free throws with 7:59 left in the third quarter. The Bulls extended the lead to 62-53 after baskets by Noah and Boozer and two free throws by Kirk Hinrich. The Bulls are 2-0 against the Nets this season. Chicago won 95-78 on the road on Christmas Day. The Bulls have won four straight against the Nets, who have dropped 13 of their last 16 regular-season games at the United Center. NOTES: Thibodeau said Gibsons minutes will remain similar to how much he was playing in Boozers absence. Gibson has averaged 19.2 points and 9.8 rebounds in eight starts. "For us to achieve what we want to achieve, Carlos has to play," Thibodeau said. "He has a big role on this team." ... Nets guard Marquis Teague was acquired from the Bulls on Jan. 21. "Hes been great," Nets coach Jason Kidd said. "Hes done everything that weve asked him to do. Hes only 20, so (were looking) for him to continue working and when hes out there on the floor to get better."
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Topic: good to have a chance to have a breeak (Read 2711 times)
