SuperLife Sports Blog

TORONTO, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) — Toronto Raptors battled the Washington Wizards in a 134-129 loss over three overtimes on Thursday.

With the loss, Toronto fall to 0-3 in overtime games at home this season and 1-4 on the season overall.

Despite the result, Raptors head coach Dwane Casey is pleased with the effort his team displayed.

“I liked the way we finished the game and battled. Even with foul trouble and also with injuries,” said Casey after the prolonged game.

“That’s what I love about this team. We’re not overly talented. They’re scrappy, they don’t quit.”

Guards Terrence Ross and Kyle Lowry both suffered ankle injuries during the game. Ross was forced to leave the game in the second quarter while Lowry remained in the game.

“We rode him (Lowry) and DeMar, we rode him so hard, but every game is important. Every game, every possession and it’s hard to take them out,” said Casey. “Our deck wasn’t full and I thought it hurt us.”

Lowry and forwards Amir Johnson and Patrick Patterson were all disqualified from the game by committing their sixth foul in the overtime periods.

With the loss of their four players, Toronto’s defense was unable to contain guard John Wall and the rest of the Wizards’ offense.

“That’s got to be a nightmare. He is one of the fastest guys with the ball in the league,” said Casey of Wall.

“You got (Marcin) Gortat who is one of the best screen and rollers guys going down the lane. The best shooters in (Bradley) Beal and (Martell) Webster spotted up. They’re a lethal offensive team.”

Wall finished with 31 points while Gortat had a team-high 32 points and 12 rebounds in the game for the Wizards.

In franchise history, Toronto has played in a total of 102 overtime games in 19 seasons. Eight games have reached double overtime and six have reached triple overtime.

The team holds a losing record in all three scenarios: 3-5 in double overtime games, 1-5 in triple overtime games and 35-53 in single overtime games for an overall record of 39-63.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/sports/2014-02/28/c_133150292.htm

TORONTO, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) — Toronto Raptors defeated Orlando Magic 105-90 despite recording a season-high 24 turnovers in NBA action on Sunday night.

“Some of it was the messiness and sloppiness of the first half,” said Raptors head coach Dwane Casey following the game. “Some was just trying to do too much.”

The high-turnover output was uncharacteristic for Toronto, the eighth ranked team in the league in turnovers, averaging 13.9 per game through 55 games.

Charlotte Bobcats and New York Knicks lead the league with 12.5 and 12.9 per game respectively. Philadelphia 76ers and Houston Rockets have the most turnovers with 17.4 and 16.2 per game.

“For whatever reason, we struggled in the first half. Come through, turn it on (in the second half),” said Casey. “We have a lot of games where we have to grind it out,” said Casey.

Prior to the game, Toronto was tied with Charlotte for fewest turnovers in the month of February. Toronto averaged 10.9 per game, including four games with single-digit turnovers committed.

With the 24-turnover result, Toronto dropped to fourth-best with 12.2 turnovers per game.

Three Raptors players accounted for 20 of the 24 turnovers. Kyle Lowry, Jonas Valanciunas and DeMar DeRozan recorded seven, six, and five turnovers respectively.

“I had seven and that’s bad,” said Lowry after the game. “We found a way to fight through the turnovers and not let them set us back.”

Entering the game, Toronto had previously recorded more than 20 turnovers just once. The team recorded 21 turnovers on November 29 against the Miami Heat.

The 24 turnovers were the most turnovers since Mar. 17, 2013 when Toronto recorded 24 against the Charlotte Bobcats.

The franchise record for most turnovers in a game is 32 set on Jan. 15, 1997 against the Seattle SuperSonics.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/sports/2014-02/24/c_133138720.htm

TORONTO, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) — Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah recorded a career-high 13 assists in the team’s 94-92 victory over the Toronto Raptors in NBA action on Wednesday night.

The victory was the Bull’s fourth in a row as they improve to 16-7 since the New Year and 28-25 on the season.

Entering the season, the seven-year veteran averaged 2.1 assists in 395 games in his first six seasons. He has more than doubled his career average with 4.6 assists per game this season, including 6.1 assists per game since the New Year.

Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau believes Noah is a talented player with a diverse skill set.

“Jo (Noah) can hurt you in a lot of different ways. Normally, you see the great defence and the big time rebounding,” said Thibodeau following the game. “To me, it was the pass tonight. He was great with the pass. That’s the value of having a guy like that.”

In the month of February, the 2.11 meter Noah has eclipsed his previous career-high in assists twice. He recorded 11 assists on Feb. 6 against the Warriors and Feb. 11 against the Hawks.

His previous career-best in assists was ten, accomplished twice in the 2012-13 season and once in the 2011-12 season.

Noah credits his teammates and their ability to operate a successful dibble hand-off game for his recent successes.

“My teammates making shots,” said Noah after the game. “I feel really comfortable with the dribble hand-off game. I feel I’m better with that.”

The two-time All-Star specifically credits guard D.J. Augustin for his success.

“He’s changed everything. For me personally, I don’t think I would have made the All-Star team if it wasn’t for DJ,” said Noah.

Despite losing All-Star guard Derek Rose for the rest of the season, Noah and the playoff-bound Bulls feel confident in their remaining 29 games of the season.

“It’s been a hell of a turnaround. We’re not satisfied with being three games over .500,” said Noah. “We’re a hungry group, we’re excited. We just want to keep fighting and keep getting better.”

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/sports/2014-02/20/c_133130188.htm

TORONTO, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) — Toronto Raptors forward Patrick Patterson scored a season-high 22 points in the team’s 108-101 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday.

The game was also Patterson’s first start as a Raptor. He replaced power forward Amir Johnson who sat out with a sore right ankle.

“I started in Houston, so it’s not new. It’s all about making sure I have a positive role and knowing I have a positive role,” said Patterson after the game.

“Whether I’m starting or whether I’m playing, it’s about knowing my role on the team.”

Since joining Toronto in the seven-player trade with Sacramento in December, the three-year player from University of Kentucky has played a significant role with the team, often as the first coming off the bench.

“It’s the same thing,” Patterson answered when asked about differences in his mental approach when starting versus coming off the bench.

“Setting screens, rebounding, shooting my shot, running the floor in transition and making my teammates better.”

Since the trade, Patterson’s team-first mindset has rubbed on to his teammates, resulting in a 20-11 record since the trade. Patterson has played in 30 of the 31 games, averaging 22.6 minutes, 10.1 points and five rebounds.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/sports/2014-02/11/c_133106462.htm

TORONTO, Jan 29 (Xinhua) – Toronto Raptors celebrated Chinese New Year with a 98-83 victory over the Orlando Magic in NBA action on Wednesday night.

Toronto is one of ten NBA teams to celebrate the Year of the Horse, a global event that will reach millions across China, the United States and Canada.

From Jan. 29 to Feb. 5, Houston Rockets, Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs, Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers and Sacramento Kings will also celebrate the holiday in their home arenas.

Raptors head coach Dwane Casey was not surprised of Toronto’s inclusion by the NBA.

“Toronto is a melting pot of different cultures. It’s a very welcoming city,” Casey said prior to the game. “Anytime you can celebrate any nationality, anybody’s heritage, it’s a beautiful thing. Chinese New Year is a wonderful, wonderful event for our organization.”

During the game, Toronto paid tribute to the Chinese culture with signage displayed throughout the Air Canada Centre, a Chinese singer performing the national anthems, fan giveaways consisting of stuffed horses, and a half-time Lion Dance performance by a local Chinese group.

Casey has seen the sport grow first-hand in his 30-plus years as a basketball coach.

“I’ve gone to Asia quite a bit since 1979-80 and played against all the Asian countries,” said Casey, who spent five years as head coach of the Japanese National Team in the 1980s prior to his NBA coaching debut. “The growth of the NBA in that area and part of the world has grown 100 times.”

Since 1978, the NBA has played a total of 147 international games across 21 nations in North America, South America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Europe and Asia.

In Asia specifically, a total of 31 games have been played between four nations.

Philippines and Taiwan have each hosted two games, while Japan has hosted twelve games. China leads the way with 15; seven played in Beijing, four in Shanghai, two in Macao and two in Guangzhou province.

“We have NBA offices in China, and also in Japan,” Casey added. “We can’t even comprehend how big the NBA is in that part of the world.”

Aside from Casey, the Raptors’ squad also feature four players that participated in the exhibition games in the 2000s.

Patrick Patterson, Steve Novak, Kyle Lowry and Chuck Hayes all were teammates of Yao during his 8-year career with the Houston Rockets.

Hayes was a member of the 2010 Rockets-squad that played exhibition matches in Shanghai and Guangzhou.

“It’s exciting. Going over, seeing it up close in-person,” Hayes said before the game. “It’s a global game now.”

Since Yao’s retirement from the league in 2011, the popularity of the league across Asia has continued primarily due to the emergence of Jeremy Lin.

The pinnacle of the phenomenon known as ‘Linsanity’ occurred on Feb. 14, 2012 in Toronto when Lin hit a game-winning three-pointer.

“I just don’t want to play Jeremy Lin on Chinese New Year,” Casey joked. “We played him two years ago and he hit that winning shot against us.”

The NBA’s Chinese New Year celebration is the third year of a campaign that saw 96 million viewers and 107 million viewers in China in the last two years, respectively.

The NBA hopes the upward trend continues as they further promote the growth of basketball.

TORONTO, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) — Terrence Ross’ franchise-tying 51 points was not enough as the Toronto Raptors fell to the Los Angeles Clippers 126-118 in NBA action on Saturday night.

The 51-point performance tied the franchise record for points in a game set by Vince Carter in Feburary 2000.

“It feels good,” said Ross after the game. “You don’t think about. You try to win the game and do whatever.”

Three days prior, forward DeMar DeRozan became the first Raptor in three seasons to eclipse the 40-point mark in a victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

Two games later in front of a sold-out Air Canada Centre crowd, Ross becomes the eighth player to eclipse the 40-point mark and only the second ever to pass 50 points.

Raptors head coach Dwane Casey was extremely pleased with the effort from Ross.

“He did an admirable job offensively,” said Casey. “He was focused, locked in.”

Ross started the game 5-6 from the three-point line in the first quarter. He finished the half with 23 points including a franchise-record seven three-pointers in the half.

In the second half, the Raptors lost forward DeMar DeRozan to an ankle injury and Ross became the focus of the offence. Despite held to three three-pointers in the second half, Ross managed to produce 28 points in the second half.

“They were running at him,” said Casey. “Terrence tonight did a good job of reading what the defence did and took them off the dribble. He got to the free throw line also.”

Ross truly had a career night. He went 9-10 from the free throw line, 10-17 from beyond the arc and 16-29 from the field and 44 minutes played were all career highs.

With this offensive explosion, Casey hopes Ross can continue to be as aggressive on offence as he has been defensively.

“He’s been giving it to us defensively, he’s been locked in,” said Casey. “Now he’s told on himself, not that he’s going to get 51 every night, but he needs to have that offensive focus, looking for his shots and being aggressive.”

For Ross, he believes the key to success going forward is to be focused and confident.

“Go with the same mindset – focused and being ready to play. My teammates had confidence in me (tonight),” said Ross. “Every time I was open, they passed it to me and I shot it. That’s what they want me to do.”

According to Elias Sports Bureau, Ross is the first player in NBA history to score 50 points while averaging less than 10 points.

With his 51-point performance, Ross’ points per game on the season goes from 9.26 to 10.23.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/sports/2014-01/26/c_133075534.htm

TORONTO, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) — DeMar DeRozan recorded a career-best 40 points on Wednesday night to lead the Toronto Raptors to a 93-85 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in NBA action.

The five-year veteran’s previous best was 37 points recorded on three separate occasions with the most recent occurring on Nov. 15 against the Chicago Bulls.

“It’s just being aggressive and having the passion to win,” said DeRozan after the game. “To be honest it’s just the fight within, just to do whatever I could do to help my team win.”

The win did not come easy for DeRozan and the Raptors, as they trailed by as many as 21 points in the first quarter.

“It’s frustrating when we get down early and we have to fight extra hard just to get back into it,” he said. “We couldn’t drag on to the third quarter because they (Dallas) are too good of a team.”

Toronto eventually fought back to outscore Dallas 78-51 in the final three quarters of the game.

Raptors head coach Dwane Casey saw improvements in DeRozan’s game and is not surprised by the career night.

“Hit was growth on his part from being double teamed and being patient enough to get the ball back and be able to score,” Casey said after the game.

DeRozan’s 40-point performance makes him the seventh player in franchise history to record at least 40 points and the 28th time in the regular season.

He joins Acie Earl (1995-96), Tracy Murray (1995-96), Charlie Villanueva (2005-06), Andrea Bargnani (2010-11) as ex-Raptors to accomplish the feat once.

All-Star Chris Bosh has scored 40 or more nine between 2006 and 2010. Vince Carter is ranked first with 14 occurrences from 1999 to 2004.

Carter also holds the distinction of being the only Raptors player to score over 50 points, when he scored 51 points on Feb. 27, 2000.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/sports/2014-01/23/c_133068119.htm

TORONTO, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) — The Toronto Raptors fell to the Los Angeles Lakers 112-106 on Sunday afternoon despite recording a season-high 30 assists in NBA action.

Toronto’s previous high was 29 assists, recorded on Jan. 3 in a victory over the Washington Wizards.

Despite the season-high in assists, Raptors head coach Dwane Casey was not pleased with the way his team played the game from a discipline and defensive perspective.

“We did not get defence in the game, nor did we attack the rim,” said Casey. “The shots we made were one pass shots, not rhythm three’s.”

Toronto started the game red hot with assists on 14 of their first 15 field goals, jumping out to a 19-point lead.

“Things are easy, seem easy, so you get seduced into that game,” Casey added. “If you’re not disciplined and get seduced into that, it’s easy to do.”

The game did not continue this way for Toronto as they were outscored in the final three quarters, resulting in the loss.

“Our personality wasn’t into the game today, which is a defensive focus,” said Casey. “We’re not built that way, that’s not our identity.”

Entering the game, Toronto was ranked 27th in the league with 19.9 assists per game in their first 39 games of the season, ahead of only Boston, Cleveland and Phoenix.

Despite the low overall ranking, Toronto has made strides since the Rudy Gay trade on Dec. 8.

In the first 18 games with Gay, the Raptors averaged 17.3 assists per game and ranked dead last in the league.

Following the trade, Casey’s squad has managed 22.7 assists per game in the 21 games since the trade and rank ninth in the league since Dec. 8. Atlanta and Portland lead the way during this period with 26.5 assists per game.

In the loss to the Lakers, Toronto recorded 13 assists in the first quarter, one away from tying the franchise record of 14 assists in a quarter recorded on six separate occasions.

The franchise record for assists in a game is 39, recorded on Dec. 15, 1997 against the Indiana Pacers.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/sports/2014-01/20/c_133057676.htm

TORONTO, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) — The Toronto Raptors defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 94-89 on Friday night to record their tenth consecutive home victory against Minnesota in NBA action.

With the win, Toronto improves to 10-8 at the Air Canada Center on the season and 16-3 all-time against the Timberwolves at home. The .842 winning percentage is the highest amongst all opponents in Raptors’ history.

Raptors head coach Dwane Casey is unable to explain this phenomenon against the team he coached for two seasons between 2005 and 2007.

“I don’t know. They’re a very good team, very explosive offensive team,” said Casey after the game.

Entering the game, Minnesota ranked second in the league in points scored with 107.1 points per game, only behind Portland’s 109.1.

Besides Minnesota, Toronto has also had success against other playoff bound opponents.

The Raptors are 12-5 (.759) against both the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers and 24-11 (.686) against the Washington Wizards.

In contrast, the Raptors’ worst home records have been against the Los Angeles Lakers and Utah Jazz, holding a 5-12 record (.294) against both franchises.

Each regular season, teams play exactly one home and away game against a team in the opposing conference. Of the remaining 52 games, teams will play either three or four games against teams in their conference.

In the franchise’s 17-year history, Toronto has played the Brooklyn Nets 36 times, the most in franchise history. Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Indiana and New York are tied for second with 35 games played.

The least faced opponents for Toronto at home are Dallas, Oklahoma City and Phoenix, all tied with 16 games played.

In total, including the games played this season, the Raptors have played a total of 732 home games with a record of 361-371 at home.

Of the 732 games, 3 were played in Copps Coliseum (Hamilton, Ontario), 6 at Maple Leafs Garden (Toronto), 117 at Skydome (Toronto) and the remaining 588 have been played at the present home court, the Air Canada Center.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/sports/2014-01/18/c_133055370.htm

TORONTO, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) — The Toronto Raptors defeated the Brooklyn Nets 96-80 in NBA action Saturday evening on “Drake Night,” a game themed around Grammy award winning rapper and Raptors global ambassador, Drake.

“I’m honored. I feel great. Tonight’s not really about me, despite the title of the night,” said Drake prior to the game. “It’s a fun night that I was able to curate and facilitate.”

For the 19,800 fans that attended the Air Canada Centre, the night began with everyone receiving a black and gold-colored Toronto Raptors T-shirt designed by Drake.

Throughout the night, Drake also involved himself with the on-court activities to keep the sold out crowd engaged.

He began the night by announcing personalized introductions of the Toronto players. During a timeout, he was also seen giving away signed memorabilia to members of the audience.

For the half time show, Drake acted as the DJ and used the opportunity to personally thank the fans in attendance.

Meanwhile, as the game was taking place, he sat in his usual Jack Nicholson-esque courtside seat rooting on the Raptors.

“Tonight is going to be a great trial to hopefully get to where we need to be energy-wise,” said Drake before the game. “I want this to be an intimidating building.”

Drake’s vision was successful, as fans were on their feet during the third quarter that saw Toronto overcome a 10-point deficit and go on a 26-3 run that continued into the fourth quarter.

Raptors head coach Dwane Casey was impressed with the atmosphere “Drake Night” produced.

“It was a great night, great fans. The building was hot. Another testament to how great the fans are hanging with us through tough times,” said Casey following the game.

Since being named the global ambassador of the Raptors in September, the 27-year-old Drake has been in contact on a weekly basis with General Manager Masai Ujiri and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment’s (the corporation that owns the Raptors) CEO Tim Leiweke.

In the three months since taking on the role, Drake has cherished the opportunity and has found a potential career outside of the music industry.

“They’re (Ujiri and Leiweke) two of the smartest guys I’ve ever met. Learning more about a field that I didn’t know I’d be in necessarily, but I’m honored that they considered me,” said Drake. “If I do get into sports, I’m pretty much where I want to be. I wouldn’t really want to leave. Just being part of this company, I’d love to stay here. If my role can grow at any point in the future, I’d love that.”

While many view Drake’s situation to be similar to that of rapper Jay-Z’s and the Brooklyn Nets, Drake feels that his situation involves dealing with an already established environment.

“No offence to Jay-Z and what they did in Brooklyn, I think it’s great. I think they did what works for them. They also built a new facility in a completely new neighborhood,” said Drake. “We have an established great building, an established great team. I think we’re just trying to give people something exciting to look at and give them an atmosphere that’s just a little bit more invigorating.”

The Toronto native’s ultimate goal is to establish such an atmosphere and brand for the Toronto franchise before the city is the focus of the entire league in 2016, when it hosts the All-Star game.

“Tonight’s just sort of a glimpse into how exciting this is going to get,” said Drake.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/sports/2014-01/12/c_133038254.htm