Dein erstes Forum » The looting played out again

CLEVELAND - As the old saying goes, if you play with fire, youre going to get burned. Golden Knights Jerseys China . Dwane Casey, who has used the phrase as a cautionary tale after lethargic starts of the recent past, came just short of saying I told you so Tuesday evening. His team had been getting away with it, far more often than any team should. Yes, theyre a resilient bunch and that was the case again in Cleveland as they clawed back from a 21-point deficit - even taking a brief fourth-quarter lead - but its been masking the underlying issue. Theyre an open-faced sandwich, missing the top bun. "You cant play in this league that way and expect to come back each and every night," Casey said after Torontos 102-100 loss to the Cavaliers. "Its bit us more than weve won, it feels like." "Until we fix that, among us, among ourselves, then its going to be an uphill battle every night." For the second time in three days, the Raptors trailed by nine after the first quarter, allowing another team with a losing record, also missing their best player, to shoot above 52 per cent to open the game. The start was eerily similar to Sundays, at home to Atlanta, lacking effort, focus and purpose on both ends of the floor. Even without injured point guard Kyrie Irving, Cleveland killed the visiting Raptors with speed and precision, exposing a reoccurring hole in their interior defence by darting into the paint at will. The comeback was inevitable. Its what they do. Down by 21 early in the third, Toronto staged a 21-9 run to close out the quarter. Kyle Lowry - running back and forth from the locker room all night, battling an upset stomach - scored half of his team-high 22 points in the frame. Greivis Vasquez would give the Raptors their first lead since the opening minutes, draining a three-pointer midway through the fourth before reality set in. "I think everybodys energy was low from having to come back," Lowry said. From that moment on they hit just one of their final 10 shots and on the last possession, down only two, they failed to even get one off. It was a play they had just run with success. Amir Johnson was looking for Lowry to turn the corner, but he was cut off. Instead, Vasquez took the handoff and, trying to spin right, towards the bucket, he lost his footing. "It was me going to my weak hand and I lost my balance, stepped kind of weird," said Vasquez, who scored 16 points of Torontos bench. "I turned the ball over. Ill take responsibility. Im not going to run away. Im a man." A noble gesture but, as Casey pointed out, its not the reason for the loss. "Thats not the game-decider," the Raptors coach said. "The game was decided the way we approached the first quarter." "Its easy to get up for OKC, its easy to get up for Miami, its easy to get up for Indiana but the teams that are not in the playoff picture, they are playing for something, too," he continued. "Theyre playing for pride, which is probably a little bit more dangerous than guys trying to save minutes and save themselves for the playoffs." Theres a lesson to be learned from this loss and it shouldnt take long to figure out whether or not its been absorbed. The Raptors - now the Easts fourth seed, leapfrogged by the Bulls with Tuesdays defeat - will travel to Boston in the second night of a back-to-back and first game of a home-and-home set with the Celtics, another scrappy team looking to play spoiler. "Weve got to get the mindset of being the hunter instead of the hunted because," Casey added. "Thats how we got where we are, being a desperate team, a hungry team and not believing the press clippings or where we are in the standings." Birthday blues Although Lowry would have preferred to celebrate his 28th birthday with a win, the Raptors point guard recorded his 18th double-double with 10 assists to go along with his 22 points. Lowry extended his career-high streak of 19 or more points to 10 games and also became the first Raptor to score 20-plus in eight straight since Chris Bosh did so in 2010. Amir passes VC on blocks list With his third-quarter swat on Spencer Hawes, Johnson recorded his 416th block as a member of the Raptors, passing Vince Carter for second on the teams all-time block shots list. Johnson, who had 12 points and nine rebounds on Tuesday, still has a ways to go to catch Bosh, topping the franchise list with 600 blocks. Patterson nearing a return Patrick Patterson, who has missed 10 straight games with an ulnar collateral sprain in his right elbow, was reassessed on Monday and is headlong well, the team revealed before Tuesdays game in Cleveland. Although hes been cleared for contact, theres still no timetable for his return to game action. "Its a lot up to the medical staff and when they feel he can go," Casey said. "Its one of those things where if he gets hit in the wrong way it could be trouble for a lot longer so thats why they want to make sure its well enough." The stat The Raptors fell just short of matching their largest comeback of the season. They last overcame a 21-point deficit in their home win over Dallas on Jan. 22. Toronto hasnt had multiple wins in which theyve trailed by 20 or more points in the same season since 2004-05. The quote "Weve just got to understand what were playing for," Vasquez said. "Weve got a big one tomorrow [in Boston]. Its a must-win because were actually playing for something. If you dont get up for that youve got to get your gas up. Weve just got to be motivated, man. This is crunch time. This is important for us. Tomorrows a must-win, no matter what. No excuses." Stitched Golden Knights Jerseys . The Braves optioned outfielder Jose Constanza to Triple-A Gwinnett. As expected, the Braves also called up right-hander Julio Teheran from Gwinnett to start Sundays game and optioned backup catcher J. Wholesale Golden Knights Jerseys . The league announced Thursday that Tom Higgins is leaving that post effective immediately. https://www.cheapgoldenknights.com/ . Shot outdoors against the stunning backdrop of Banff, Alta., the networks 30-minute original production airs Friday at 8 p.m. ET on TSN2. The four All-Star teams will play for $100,000 in prize money during TSNs annual skins game, airing live this weekend on TSN from The Fenlands Banff Recreation Centre.MONTREAL - With tensions already running high between the hometown Canadiens and their arch rival Boston Bruins, city officials say theyre staying vigilant to ensure the passion doesnt morph into mayhem on Montreal streets. The city has garnered a reputation during recent NHL playoff runs for its jubilant, spontaneous celebrations that occasionally deteriorate into rampages highlighted by vandalism, looting and violence. In the only Canadian city hosting playoff hockey this year and with the teams biggest rivals in town, authorities say theyre ready for anything with the series tied 1-1 heading back to Montreal. Anie Samson, a member of the citys executive committee, said the administration is prepared ahead of Tuesdays Game 3 at the Bell Centre. "We are concerned about (potential problems), but we are working with the police and we have a plan," said the city councillor in charge of public security. "We are ready and we hope its going to work." The city is expected to decide whether it will limit traffic on Ste-Catherine Street on game nights. The downtown core is always ground zero for both the celebration and the carnage. Montreals history of Stanley Cup riots is well documented, with the Canadiens most recent Stanley Cup triumphs in 1986 and 1993 marred by hooliganism. Whats more alarming is that in recent years, an early-round victory has been enough to set off rioting. The worst came in April 2008 after the Canadiens seventh-game playoff win against the Bruins. It culminated with police cars being burned and downtown businesses being looted. At least 16 people were arrested and damages to police property was evaluated at $500,000. The looting played out again in May 2010, with windows smashed amid clashes between rioters and police on Ste-Catherine Street following a defeat of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round. There were more than 25 arrests and police were able to track down other vandals and looters using images and videos that were widely circulated on social media. Some citizens even sent police their own images, angry at the acts of mischief. Montreal police Sgt. Laurent Gingras said he could not go into specific tactics on dealing with potential trouble. "The message were sending is that its OK for you to celebrate, but were here and well keep an eye out," Gingras said in an interview. Those smashed windows and images of looting are still fresh for some downtown business owners. An association that represents them says there is always some trepidation. "Theres a certain level of worry because weve felt the negative effects during the plaayoffs," said Andre Poulin, who heads Destination Centre Ville. Vegas Golden Knights Gear. "But at the same time, were confident the police will deploy necessary resources to protect our businesses." Police are a lot better versed in dealing with massive crowds this time around. Student protests that were a near-nightly occurrence in 2012 allowed many officers to get hands-on experience as well as for the brain trust to put tactical theory into practice. "Weve improved the way certain (tactical) groups work (because of 2012) and the officers have all gained a tremendous amount of experience on the ground," said Gingras. Gingras notes there is better communication — both with the public through Twitter and with businesses through a variety of tools to ensure everyone is prepared. There is also increased efficiency in moving around town, with bicycle units and horse cavalry having been added since 2008. The plan is evolving, game-by-game, Gingras said. "Were keeping a close eye, we know when the games are on and we change the plan accordingly," said Gingras. "That will obviously change if the team goes deeper into the playoffs." Police were on the ready after the Canadiens engineered a four-game first round sweep of the Tampa Bay Lightning. No one was arrested, although one person was cited for excessive use of a car horn. But the Bruins series brings a different level of intensity. It was in Montreal in March 2011 when a hit to Max Pacioretty by Bruins captain Zdeno Chara led to the citys 911 service being inundated with criminal complaints. The Canadiens hockey club will keep its focus on the ice. Team spokesman Donald Beauchamp said the Habs will leave it to the city to follow the situation. During previous incidents, police have said it wasnt Habs fans involved, rather people using the cover of tens of thousands of revellers to cause damage. "Its not where the problem arises from, its not people inside the Bell Centre," Beauchamp said from Boston. "Its more of a public situation and in this case, the authorities have taken the matter into their own hands, and very properly." And at least one Habs legend believes cooler heads will prevail. Guy Lafleur said he doesnt necessarily think the ingredients are there this time around. But he briefly joked with reporters there might be one thing that could trigger an outpouring: a second straight Canadiens sweep. "Maybe if the Canadiens win in four," Lafleur said with a laugh, adding quickly he still didnt foresee any problems. Follow @sidhartha_b on Twitter. ' ' '