Herzlich Willkommen » the surgery means more

SAN FRANCISCO - Following three straight losses at home, the Raptors (6-10) begin a seven-day, three-game trip Tuesday when they visit the Golden State Warriors (10-8), a team they havent defeated on the road in nearly a decade. The Raptors went 1-3 during a season-long homestand last week and their upcoming schedule doesnt do them any favours. Although theyve had some early season success against the superior Western Conference - theyre 2-3 - eight of their next 11 games are against winning teams from the West. "Taking care of business at home was important for us and we didnt get it done," head coach Dwane Casey said after practice Monday. "Were in a semi-funk, I would call it. Its a daunting trip but thats what the NBA is about. Its a marathon, not a sprint." Looking to avoid a season-worst four-game losing streak, the Raptors open that stretch against a Warriors team that has had their number in California. Toronto is winless in its last eight visits to Oracle Arena and hasnt defeated the Warriors there since Feb. 8, 2004. Coming off another barnburner in Sacramento on Sunday, a game they won 115-113, the Warriors and their sharpshooting backcourt hope to take advantage of the struggling Raptors. Toronto allowed the Nuggets to shoot 50 per cent from the field Sunday afternoon, including 65 per cent in the second half, en route to a 112-98 loss. The Warriors, who shot 51 per cent in their win over the Kings - got 64 points from backcourt duo Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson - the two hitting 13 of their 19 attempts from three-point range. Torontos guards DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry went 10-of-29 from the field and 4-of-12 from long distance, scoring 17 points apiece against the Nuggets. Rudy Gay had a team-high 23 points, taking 23 shots, to go along with nine boards in that contest. For the first time this season, Casey made a change to his starting lineup, replacing the struggling Amir Johnson with Tyler Hansbrough, who played 34 minutes, scoring seven points and grabbing five rebounds in his first start with the Raptors while Johnson was held scoreless in 14 minutes off the bench. "Well see," said Casey, asked if he plans to stick with the lineup change moving forward. "Right now, were probably going to but what weve got to do at the same time is make sure the second group has enough with it to make sure we can sustain a lead." Trends and Tidbits The Raptors are 1-7 when DeRozan scores 20 or more points this season. Theyre also 1-7 when Gay scores 20 or more. Theyre winless in four contests when both players score 20-plus in the same game. DeRozan has scored 17 or more in a career-high 10 straight games. Lowry has tied his career high, recording six or more assists in eight straight games. Toronto is 3-12 in its last 15 games against Golden State, allowing an average of 113.1 points in those contests. The Warriors have won 12 of 16 home games against Eastern Conference teams since the start of the 2012-13 season. What to Watch For Defending the three Paced by Curry and Thompson, the Warriors lead the NBA, shooting 44 per cent from three-point range. Most recently, Golden State connected on 15 of 25 attempts from distance Sunday with Curry (five) and Thompson (eight, a career-high) accounting for 13 of those treys. "The key to their team is Klay Thompson," Casey said. "You look at the stats, when he scores big is when they win. Currys going to get his, but we just cant let two guys go off and go crazy." Bench production The Raptors allowed the Nuggets bench to score 72 points on the weekend, the most theyve surrendered in franchise history. After the loss, Casey challenged his second unit to step up and match the intensity his starters began the game with in the first quarter. Over the last two games, Torontos reserves have been outscored by 69 points (101-32). Golden State has also struggled to get consistent production from its shortened bench. With Andre Iguodala out indefinitely nursing a strained left hamstring, Warriors coach Mark Jackson has been forced to play his starters big minutes. Who to Watch For Jonas Valanciunas Valanciunas is coming off a double-double performance (18 points and 11 rebounds) in Sundays matinee, a game in which he was utilized more consistently in the teams offence. "It felt really good, I had a lot of shots," said Valanciunas, who attempted a season-most 16 shots Sunday. "I was trying to help the team to win. Not everything can go the right way every game but I was trying, I was giving 100 per cent, so was the whole team." Still, more than half of his points have come in the first quarter this season, an ongoing concern for a Raptors team looking to diversify its offensive attack. To his credit, Valanciunas spoke about doing the things he can control - rebounding, playing hard on defence - consistently, regardless of whether the touches are coming. Valanciunas will have his hands full with Andrew Bogut, who appears to be fully healthy and has been anchoring a much improved Warriors defence. "First of all, Im going to start with good defence," the Raptors centre said of facing Bogut. "Hes a good player, he can score in the low post, he can pass the ball so Im going to try and defend him, to take away his looks." Stephen Curry Even after enjoying a breakout season last year, Curry continues to elevate his game for Golden State. The Warriors point guard is ninth in scoring (22.3 points per game), third in assists (8.7) and tied for second in threes made (51) behind teammate Thompson, who leads the league in long balls with 62. "We may do something different as far as whether we trap him before he gets in the play," Casey said of defending Curry. "Weve got to mix it up, we cant come down and give him the same look." In six career games against the Raptors, Curry is averaging 27.3 points and 8.5 assists, his best marks against any opponent. Injury Report The Warriors are expected to be without Iguodala for the sixth straight game as he recovers from a strained left hamstring. NHL Jerseys . Off-Season Game Plan looks at what the Blue Jackets may do to build upon last seasons success to return to the playoffs again next year. Authentic NHL Jerseys .Sinclair, from Burnaby, B.C., led the Canadian team with three goals at the four-nation competition. She also earned tournament most valuable player honours.The Canadian captain scored on a penalty kick in the 63rd minute and added the winning goal a minute later. https://www.cheapnhljerseysjustwholesale.com/. His right arm rested in a sling and was encased in a cast from above the elbow to his hand. "Im excited," Fernandez said with a grin. NHL Jerseys 2020 .com) - The Milwaukee Bucks will try to get another win on this homestand Thursday night when they welcome the Utah Jazz to the Bradley Center. Cheap NHL Jerseys .com) - Nicklas Backstrom scored a pair of goals and Alex Ovechkin notched a highlight-reel tally, leading the Washington Capitals to a 4-0 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday at the Prudential Center.This is no joke: for the first time since 1994, Tiger Woods will miss the Masters. Woods revealed on his website that he had surgery on his back to relieve pain from a pinched nerve. The operation, called a microdiscectomy, was performed in Park City, Utah. "After attempting to get ready for the Masters, and failing to make the necessary progress, I decided, in consultation with my doctors, to have this procedure done," Woods said on his website. The timeframe for his recovery is not definitive but its believed Woods can start chipping and putting within three weeks. Its unknown if hell be ready in time to play the U.S. Open, although he hopes to be back "sometime this summer." The surgery is the same procedure that Graham DeLaet went through in January 2011. The Canadian missed most of the season while recovering, however Woods ailment is believed to be less serious and the surgery less involved than DeLaets. Woods back troubles flared up earlier this year causing him to withdraw from the Honda Classic as well as miss the Arnold Palmer Invitational. It meant another year in which the worlds top-ranked player has been sidelined. The last year Woods played an uninterrupted schedule waas 2007.dddddddddddd Reached at the PGA Tour stop in Houston, Dr. Craig Davies, a Canadian chiropractor and movement and conditioning coach who works with more than a dozen pros including DeLaet, said that bad backs are common in golf due to the nature of the movement. "The golf swing is not natural," he stated. "The human body was not created in a manner that would allow it to move that way." Davies said that if a golfers hips and thoracic spine dont rotate, then the lower back takes the brunt of the golf swing, causing problems such as Woods is experiencing. Since DeLaets surgery, Davies has developed a training program that is specifically designed to minimize the rotation through the lower back. DeLaet has been problem-free since he came back to the Tour in 2012. "Hes one of the best in the world," DeLaet said of Davies. "Im glad hes on my team. He makes it easy for me because I see results." For Woods, the surgery means more questions about not only his swing but his training methods, which have seen him bulk up considerably since he first came on tour. It also puts more doubt on his ability to catch Jack Nicklaus and his record of 18 major victories. ' ' '