Bewerbungen » No. 1 player for more than a yea

HOUSTON -- Three contests into a five-game road trip that represents their second longest of the season, the Toronto Raptors remain one of the most lethal offensive teams in the NBA.Defensively the Raptors are sieve, and their issues on that end of the court continue to undermine their offensive might.Despite averaging 113 points over their last five games, the Raptors (8-6) lost for the fourth time during that stretch on Monday night when they fell 123-115 to the Clippers in Los Angeles. Toronto is 4-4 over its last eight games, a span in which each opponent has scored at least 102 points.Toronto ranks 24th in defensive rating, surrendering 109.2 points per 100 possessions and is allowing opponents a 51.2 effective field goal percentage that ranks 22nd.It seems like everybody weve played the last couple weeks weve turned it into an offensive slugfest, Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. Until we get defense in the game and maintain in the game (things will remain the same). I think our guys are trying. Theyre trying defensively but were not getting it done. Were not getting stops when we need to.There was some concern that the Raptors would struggle initially following the loss of center Bismack Biyombo during the offseason. Biyombo helped anchor a Toronto team that finished 11th in defensive rating last season before signing with the Orlando Magic. Without his rim protection, the Raptors havent quite been the same collectively, an issue that is also related to their individual defensive ability.I think we all can play better defense and thats something we can hold ourselves accountable for, Raptors guard Kyle Lowry said. I think we all want to be a better individual defender but we have to do it as a team. Its a lot of guys in this league that you pretty much cant guard one-on-one. You have to have five guys or 10 eyes on him.Its part of your game. Weve got to get better.The Rockets (9-5) improved to 3-0 since guard Patrick Beverley returned from preseason knee surgery with their 99-96 win at Detroit on Monday night. That victory marked the first time in eight games that Houston failed to score at least 100 points, but their developing cohesion continues to carry them through trials.Guard James Harden has played so exceptionally this season that nitpicking his flaws might soon become a necessary method of analysis. Harden is averaging 28.6 points, 7.8 rebounds and 12.4 assists this season but his 81 percent shooting at the free-throw line represents his worst mark since his rookie season when he shot 80.8 percent with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2009-10. Over his first four seasons with Houston, Harden shot 86.1 percent from the free-throw line.After starting the Pistons game 10 for 10 at the charity stripe, Harden missed 5 of 9 free throws down the stretch to keep the game interesting. Over his last four games Harden is shooting just 73.9 percent from the line.I had to laugh it off. Its funny, Harden said. But we all have games like this. Just cant let it happen consistently. Ive got to take my time, go up there and concentrate, and make the free throw. Jerseys Wholesale . Its the second straight game Bell has scored in extra time for Kelowna, which beat the Brandon Wheat Kings 6-5 on Friday, and he now has four game-winning goals on the season. Wholesale Jerseys 2020 .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. http://www.cheapjerseysfootball.com/ . Takahashi, who had a 10-point lead after the short program, received 268.31 points after the free skate to finish 15 points ahead of second-place Nobunari Oda. Wholesale Throwback Jerseys . The Islanders dealt Thomas Vanek to the Montreal Canadiens after less than a year on Long Island. Meanwhile, the Oilers dealt long-time sniper Ales hemsky to the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday for a fifth-round pick in 2014 and a third-rounder in 2015. Stitched Jerseys .Y. -- Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo had little trouble picking up his first shutout of the season against a Buffalo Sabres team thats having trouble scoring goals. NAPLES, Fla. -- By Lydia Kos standards, this is a major slump.She hasnt won in nine starts since mid-July, her best finish being a silver medal at the Rio Olympics. She hasnt been among the top 10 in any of her last five starts and wasnt even in the top 40 in three of those.Despite all that, all the big prizes -- player of the year, money title, scoring title and the yearlong points chase called the Race to the CME Globe -- are well within Kos reach this week. The LPGA Tour season wraps up with the CME Group Tour Championship that starts Thursday, when Ariya Jutanugarn and Ko will basically go head to head for year-end honors.Obviously, Im not coming into this week with the greatest form, said Ko, who won the Globe in its inaugural season in 2014 and retained it last year. But I still feel like its been a season where Im really proud of it. For me to be in this position, to have an opportunity to go for the Globe again -- and all the other things -- its a pretty cool position to be in.Only a win this week would be enough to give Ko her second straight player-of-the-year award; any other result, and that title goes to Jutanugarn. They come in separated by $17,305 in the money standings, and Ko (69.611) enters with a minuscule edge over In Gee Chun (69.632) for the Vare Trophy presented to the player with the lowest scoring average.It would be a pretty special Sunday, Ko said.Its probably going to be anyway, whether thats the case for Ko or someone else. The LPGA got a dream scenario last season, when all the trophies were decided in the final holes on the final day.Such a scene could repeat itself this week, and the LPGA wouldnt mind some final-hour drama.Im not going to be nervous, Jutanugarn said.The points in the CME Globe standings reset for the final week, so Jutanugarn, Ko and Brooke Henderson all truly control their destinies when itt comes to the $1 million bonus that goes to the points champion.ddddddddddddWin this week, and the Globe is hers.Going into this year it was a big goal of mine to be in the top three and give myself a great opportunity in the final event of the year, Henderson said. Im really looking forward to it. I know itll be a tough week, a tough four rounds, but I know if I get off to a fast start and am able to play my game, maybe good things will happen.Jutanugarn turns 21 next week. Still, shes the elder stateswoman among the three who arrived in Naples this week with the most realistic chances of hoisting the CME Globe on Sunday.Im old? she asked.Well, yes, in this example.Ko, who has been the worlds No. 1 player for more than a year and will remain there for the foreseeable future, is 19. Henderson turned 19 in September. Of the nine players with a mathematical chance of finishing atop this years Race to the CME Globe standings, the oldest -- Shanshan Feng -- is all of 27.The average age of the players in that group is 21.9, though this event last year saw a tour veteran prevail.Definitely felt like a walk-off home run, said defending tournament champion Cristie Kerr, who is 39, essentially meaning shes been alive as long as Jutanugarn and Ko combined. Yeah, Ive had great memories since Ive been back walking around kind of remembering some of the shots I hit or how I felt. Ive played pretty well the last couple days, so fingers crossed.DIVOTS: Ko won on the Tiburon course in Naples two years ago, finishing at 10-under 278. Kerrs winning score last year was 271. ... As was the case last year, the three players atop the Globe points standings -- this time, Jutanugarn, Henderson and Ko -- will play together on Thursday. ' ' '