Hosgeldiniz » extension stole most of the atten

MIAMI - With self-preservation topping the Raptors list of late-season priorities, the player they can least afford to lose left American Airlines Arena on a cart. Walking with a noticeable limp, Kyle Lowry boarded the team bus following a 93-83 loss to the two-time defending champion Miami Heat. The result of the game was of little importance. Now it was secondary, as the status of Lowry - and with him, Torontos remarkable season - hung in the balance. "Well just have to wait and see how he is tomorrow," head coach Dwane Casey said after Lowry was pulled from Mondays loss with a sore left knee. Lowry sustained the injury with roughly three minutes remaining in the first half, colliding knee-on-knee with LeBron James, just about the last person on the planet youd want to plow into at high speed. Naturally, the Raptors point guard was slow to collect his bearings, but true to character, he got back up and remained in the game until, eventually, his body betrayed him. "We pulled him out," Casey said. "He couldnt go." Lowry finished the half and started and played most of the third quarter before leaving for the locker room and calling it a night, whether he liked it or not. The knee had swelled and he could barely walk. "We substituted him for Greivis (Vasquez) at that time," Casey continued, "and hes limping, limping, limping. [The medical staff] looked at him and decided he couldnt go back in." X-rays were negative, per Casey, but the status of Torontos most indispensable plater remains up in the air. Its not the first time Lowry has given his team a scare. Most recently, he was pulled in the first half of Fridays win over the Boston Celtics after turning his ankle, but he would re-enter and finish the game. Its inevitable given the way in which he plays. "He does this all the time, so hell be fine," said teammate Terrence Ross. "Kyle, hes a tough guy. He always comes through. No matter what, hes going to find a way to get back on the court." "With Kyle, no matter what his injury is, no matter what type of feeling hes having or what his body is telling him he cant do, his mind and his heart pushes through," echoed Patrick Patterson, who returned from a 13-game absence of his own. "So no matter what the circumstances are with him, unless its something real serious - knock on wood - then hell play. Thats the type of mentality he has. Thats the type of mentality he brings to the team and it rubs off on all of us." Could the Raptors shut Lowry down? Depending on how his knee reacts to a night of swelling and a flight back home, they may not have a choice, at least for a game or two. Again, theyll have to balance the importance of self-preservation and finishing out the season strong. Theres still work to be done with seeding in the Eastern Conference playoff hierarchy at stake. "His body will tell us, he will tell us [and] the medical people will tell us if he can go," said Casey, his team now sharing the third seed with Chicago. "Were not in the position to totally just shut him down. I think weve got to be smart with it. Well see where it is." LeBron carries undermanned Heat Without one-third of Miamis Big Three, as Dwyane Wade sat out resting a sore hamstring, James put the Heat on his shoulders. The reigning MVP began the second quarter sitting on Miamis bench, because even the leagues most physically intimidating specimen needs a breather every now and then. As James sat, Toronto quickly turned a one-point deficit into an eight-point lead. Overall, the Raptors outscored Miami by 12 points in the nine minutes that James spent on the bench Monday evening. However, the leagues best player dominated when he was on the floor, spearheading a 22-9 run to end the first half and putting the game away late in the fourth. Patterson returns Patterson played eight minutes in his return from an elbow sprain that kept him out of Torontos previous 13 contests. Sporting a protective brace on his right elbow, the Raptors forward was understandably rusty but made an impact with his energy and versatility off the bench, something Toronto had missed in his absence. Casey had planned to limit Pattersons minutes in his first game back and could continue to do so until he finds his rhythm. "Its just all about getting used to the brace," said Patterson, who scored his lone field goal on a put-back in the first quarter. "I thought I was a tad bit slow out there, just getting used to the brace as far as my jump shot goes." "Its going to take a little bit more time to get used to, but hopefully in these next three or four games Ill be back to top shape." The stat The Raptors set a new season-low, making just five free throws against the Heat. James, alone, got to the line (11 times) more than Toronto (10). The quote "First of all, we really didnt have the legs like that coming from a tough game last night," said DeMar DeRozan, who scored 16 points after tallying 28 in Sundays win over Orlando. "We got to stop letting teams get easy points in the paint. Thats what is hurting us." Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys . The Cubs made the moves before Thursdays game against Arizona. They promoted left-hander Zac Rosscup and right-hander Neil Ramirez from Triple-A Iowa and optioned righty Blake Parker to their top minor league team. Cheap Jerseys Cyber Monday . Algeria led 3-0 at halftime, but withstood a stronger South Korean second half performance to claim its first World Cup win since 1982 and move into second place in Group H with one match left to play. Defeat for South Korea means it must now beat already-qualified Belgium to stand a chance of progressing to the knockout stages. http://www.cheapnfljerseyshome.com/. -- DeMarcus Cousins had 25 points and 16 rebounds to help the Sacramento Kings snap a seven-game losing streak by defeating the Chicago Bulls 99-70 on Monday night. NFL Jerseys Cyber Monday . But defending champion Elena Vesnina of Russia held off a strong challenge to beat Shuai Peng of China 6-3, 6-4, and there was another hard-fought victory for 2012 runner-up Angelique Kerber of Germany, who defeated Alison Riske of the United States 7-6 (6), 6-4. Cyber Monday Jerseys . THE THUNDER & PACERS BENCHES: In a nutshell, not impressive at all. Memphis forward Zach Randolph has agreed to a contract extension with the Grizzlies, his agent said Friday. Raymond Brothers confirmed to The Associated Press in a text message a Yahoo Sports report that Randolph is exercising his $16.5 million option for the 2014-15 season and has agreed on a two-year extension worth $20 million. Since coming to Memphis in 2009, Randolph has been a cornerstone of the Grizzlies franchise. His return indicates the Grizzlies will bring back the nucleus of a team that won 50 games this season and lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. Randolph averaged 17.4 points and 10.1 rebounds this season to lead the Grizzlies in both categories, though he was suspended for the final game of the Oklahoma City series after punching Thunder centre Steven Adams in the jaw. He owns career averages of 17.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 13 NBA seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers and Grizzlies. After bouncing around a few organizations early in his career, Randolph has found a home in Memphis while helping the Grizzlies make four consecutive playoff appearances. Randolph, who turns 33 on July 16, made the All-Star game in 2010 and 2013 to become the only Memphis player with multiple All-Star appearances. He helped lead the Griizzlies to a Western Conference finals appearance in 2013.dddddddddddd He also emerged as arguably the teams most popular player for the way he exemplified the Grizzlies "grit n grind" mentality. The Randolph extension stole most of the attention on a day when the Grizzlies also introduced first-round draft pick Jordan Adams and second-round selection Jarnell Stokes. Adams, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard from UCLA picked 22nd overall, could boost the offence of a Grizzlies team that averaged just 96 points last season. Stokes, a 6-foot-8 forward from Tennessee, should provide energy and rebounding. "I think theyre going to be pros for the next 10 years," Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger said. "I really do." Stokes selection represents a homecoming for the Memphis native who recalled watching Grizzlies games "from the nosebleeds" section while in high school. The Grizzlies traded for Stokes after the Utah Jazz drafted him with the 35th overall pick. "I was just watching every single thing that players do," Stokes said. "I really liked Zach Randolph. I really liked how he used his leverage and how hes able just to find a way to make it happen when guys continuously doubt him. I definitely would love to learn from a guy like Zach Randolph." Now hes going to get that chance. ' ' '