the 2009 finals. "Its a hit-or-miss league," Miamis Dwyane

INDIANAPOLIS - Coming off a pair of disappointing losses, the most recent ending in controversy, the Raptors look to put an end to their first skid of the season Friday while handing the Pacers their first loss. Catch all the action live on TSN2 starting at 7:00pm et. Torontos most recent loss, a 92-90 defeat to the Bobcats Wednesday, came down to a divisive final possession in which Dwane Casey and the Raptors chose not to foul the home team, down two with less than 27 seconds remaining and a 1.9 clock differential. They had a second opportunity to commit the foul on a reset with five seconds left, after the Bobcats retained possession on an out of bounds play and called a timeout. Thats where Casey acknowledges his team made a mistake. "Ill take responsibly for miscalculating on that out of bounds play, not the 27 seconds because you still have a differential going back," Casey said Friday after his teams shoot around prior to a meeting with the undefeated Pacers. Casey felt and still believes it was best to play out the possession once Charlotte rebounded a DeMar DeRozan miss with 27 on the clock. Instead of extending the game Casey said he was confident in his teams ability to get one final stop having shut the Bobcats down on the previous possessions. The foul, as he revisited the scenario, should have been given when Charlotte caught the ball off the inbound pass. "We talked about it as a staff," Casey continued. "We gambled and we missed. I stand by not fouling once they got possession in that situation." As Casey pointed out Wednesday, the Raptors would not have been in that position if not for a slow start in that game and hope to bounce back right out of the gate against much stiffer competition Friday evening. Although they played the Pacers (5-0) competitively last year, having had some recent success in Indiana, the Raptors (2-3) face another tough test on the road against the NBAs last remaining undefeated team. Indiana is off to its best start since beginning the 1971-72 season 5-0, en route to an ABA championship, and can match a franchise record - set the year prior - by opening the season with six straight wins. The teams split their four-game series last season, each winning a couple on the road with three meetings - including both in Indiana - decided by two points. The Raptors overcame a five-point fourth quarter in Indiana Nov. 13 of last year to win 74-72 and came away with a 100-98 overtime victory on Feb. 8 after Rudy Gay hit a game-winner in the final seconds. "We match up with them pretty well," Casey said of the Pacers. "I love the way they play. Thats the way I want to play. Thats what wins in the NBA and its a great challenge for us. Weve got to come in with that mindset, the way they play, and take it right back at them because if we dont its going to be a long night." Fresh off an appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals where they took the Heat to seven games, the Pacers have picked up right where they left off. Although they still havent scored 100 points in a game - ranking 21st in scoring, averaging 95.4 per - they also havent allowed more than 91. Giving up just 84.4 points per game and holding all five of their early-season opponents below 40 per cent shooting, Indianas defence, once again, is the best in the league. Trends and Tidbits The Pacers have also had to overcome slow starts, trailing at halftime in four of their five games but that hasnt been a problem for them so far. After falling behind 43-37 at the break on Wednesday, Indiana outscored the Bulls 60-37 in the second half, including a 34-18 advantage in the final quarter to remain unbeaten. Toronto has out-rebounded each of its opponents to begin the season, ranking fifth in the NBA averaging 45.6 boards per game. Through five games they have a plus-45 rebounding differential. Jonas Valanciunas has scored 30 points on 28 shots in 47 first-quarter minutes. He has totaled just 19 points, launching only 16 shots in 72 minutes combined in quarters two through four. Although Torontos bench has been a pleasant surprise, helping the team narrow large deficits both in Charlotte and Atlanta early in the season, that hasnt been reflected in the box score. The Raptors bench has been outscored by the oppositions reserves in each of the first five games, 162-113 overall. Toronto ranks 27th in the league in bench score with its second unit averaging 24.6 points per contest. Toronto is 9-24 all-time against the Pacers in Indiana. Who to Watch For Tyler Hansbrough Hansbrough has had an immediate impact off the Raptors bench after signing with the team as a free agent during the summer. The Raptors super sub was drafted 13th overall by the Pacers in 2009 and spent his first four seasons playing in Indiana, where he averaged 8.9 points and 3.6 rebounds. In five games as a Raptor, Hansbrough has brought his trademark energy and physicality to Toronto, traits his new team are going to need Friday against his old one. "Im trying to get a win tonight so thats the only way Im looking at it," Hansbrough said, downplaying his return to Indiana. "Im not looking to catch up with friends." Paul George Signed to an extension in the summer, coming off a breakout year last season, George continues to take his game to the next level and put himself in the conversation with the leagues best. George has scored at least 21 points in each game this season and is averaging 25.8 per contest, good for fifth in the NBA. A dangerous two-way player, George averaged 18.5 points, 12.0 rebound and 4.3 assists, going 11-for-23 from three-point range in the four meetings with Toronto last season. "Its very difficult," Casey said of Georges rare ability to dominate at both ends of the floor. "Thats why hes one of the top players in the league. Hes playing at a very high level on both ends of floor. Weve got to get ready for him, not only his offence but his defence." Injury Report Raptors forward Steve Novak has been inactive for four of the teams first five games nursing a sore back. His status is unknown ahead of Fridays game. Starting point guard George Hill has missed the Pacers last three games with a sore left hip but participated in shoot around Friday morning and is a game-time decision. Back-ups C.J. Watson and Donald Sloan have combined for 51 points, 25 assists and just five turnovers in Hills three-game absence. Albert Wilson Dolphins Jersey . In their first meeting for six years, the Frenchmen dropped serve twice in the first set, but Giquel broke Simon two more times in the second. Gicquel moves on to face sixth-seeded Jarkko Nieminen of Finland, who advanced with a 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5) win against wild card Pierre-Hugues Herbert, despite the Frenchmans 23 aces. Minkah Fitzpatrick Jersey . "This isnt really the week you want to lose Chris Greaves," fellow lineman Glenn January said Wednesday after practice. Greaves is expected to miss several weeks after suffering a knee injury in last weeks 36-28 win over the Ottawa Redblacks. http://www.dolphinsteamauthenticshop.com...ore-jersey.aspx. Kansas City became the first team in baseball history to win four extra-inning games in a single postseason on Friday, as Alex Gordon crushed a leadoff homer in the 10th and Mike Moustakas added the deciding two-run blast in the Royals 8-6 win. Minkah Fitzpatrick Dolphins Jersey . - David Tomasek had two goals in regulation time and was the lone scorer in the shootout as the Belleville Bulls upset the Oshawa Generals 6-5 on Wednesday in Ontario Hockey League action. Dan Marino Jersey .com) - Charlie Davies netted a pair of goals, including the series-winner on Saturday, as the New England Revolution battled the New York Red Bulls to a 2-2 draw in the second leg of the Eastern Conference Championship at Gillette Stadium and advanced to MLS Cup final via a thrilling 4-3 aggregate victory.MIAMI -- Maybe in a video game. Possibly in the pregame layup line. But shoot this way in the NBA Finals, against the two-time defending champions? "Its not something you can plan for," San Antonio reserve Manu Ginobili said. "There was no magic plays. We just moved the ball and every shot went in." Not quite every shot. But just about. Kawhi Leonard scored a career-high 29 points, and the Spurs made a finals-record 75.8 per cent of their shots in the first half in a 111-92 victory over the Miami Heat on Tuesday night that gave them a 2-1 lead. The Spurs made 19 of their first 21 shots and finished 25 of 33 in the first half, bettering the 75 per cent shooting by Orlando against the Lakers in the 2009 finals. "Its a hit-or-miss league," Miamis Dwyane Wade said. The Spurs didnt do much missing. "I dont think well ever shoot 76 per cent in a half ever again," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. The Spurs led by as much as 25 and were only briefly challenged in their second lopsided victory in the series. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade had 22 points for the Heat, who host Game 4 on Thursday. Returning to the arena where they were oh-so-close to winning a fifth championship last year, the Spurs came out playing like they were trying to build a lead that was impossible to blow. They shot 13 of 15 and led 41-25 lead after the first quarter, then hit their first six shots of the second in front of a stunned crowd in Miami to go ahead 55-30. Leonard scored only 18 points in the first two games, looking frustrated while getting into foul trouble trying to defend James in Game 2. But he had his outside shot working early, making his first six shots and finishing 10 of 13 from the field. "I just found a rhythm and my teammates found me the ball. I made shots," Leonard said. The last three NBA seasons ended in this building, the last two followed by Heat championship parades. The Spurs nearly cancelled the last one, building a five-point lead in the final half-minute of regulation of Game 6, a title seeming so certain that workers were already making preparations around the court. But the Heat rallied to win in overtime and took Game 7, leaving the Spurs with a summmer to think about the one that got away.dddddddddddd Theyre in good shape to get another chance. With the league scrapping the 2-3-2 format for the NBA Finals --in which the lower seed played three consecutive home games -- the Spurs would have a chance to wrap it up in San Antonio on Sunday in Game 5 if they can win Thursday. Chris Bosh took only four shots and scored nine points for the Heat, who for the second straight year will have to overcome a 2-1 finals deficit after being blown out in Game 3. This rout came on their home floor, where they had been 8-0 this post-season and had won a franchise-record 11 in a row since the Spurs beat them in Game 1 last year. San Antonio inserted Boris Diaw into the lineup, countering Miamis small lineup and creating more ball movement that clearly helped Leonard. The game got off to a crisp start, with the Spurs making their first five shots and Miami opening 4 for 4. Turned out the Spurs were just getting started. Coach Erik Spoelstra planned to communicate with James to make sure there were no lingering problems from the cramps that forced him to miss the final minutes of the opener. But there was no way he could rest James early, since he was the only one keeping the Heat in the game. He had 14 of their first 20 points, but even James couldnt keep up with the Spurs pace. The Spurs "came out at a different gear than what we were playing at, and it just seemed we were on our heels the most part of the first half," Spoelstra said. San Antonio led 71-50 at halftime. It was the first 70-point first half in the finals since the Lakers scored 75 against Boston in Game 2 in 1987. The Heat finally got into it in the third, running off 10 straight points to cut a 17-point deficit to 81-74 on a drive by Norris Cole, who had replaced an ineffective Mario Chalmers. That was as close as Miami would get, as the Spurs pulled away in the fourth. Notes: Wade appeared in his 150th post-season game and passed Dirk Nowitzki (3,455 points) for 17th on the post-season scoring list. ... The Heat fell to 68-20 in the post-season at American Airlines Arena. Their .782 winning percentage entering the game trailed only the Lakers .792 mark at Staples Center. Jerseys Wholesale Wholesale NFL White Jerseys Stitched NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys NFL Jerseys Outlet Cheap NFL Autographed Jerseys ' ' '