Even without their most reliable offensive weapon, the Toronto Raptors continue to score at their best pace in franchise history

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Even without their most reliable offensive weapon, the Toronto Raptors continue to score at their best pace in franchise history. Rod Smith Jersey . That pace is likely to continue Sunday night against the Denver Nuggets, who rank among the worst defensive teams in the NBA. DeMar DeRozan, who led Toronto (23-7) in scoring each of the past three seasons, has been sidelined since late November with a groin injury, yet his absence has done little to slow the best team in the Eastern Conference. The Raptors have reached the 110-point mark in each of their past four games, including Saturdays 110-98 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in the second stop on a season-long six-game road trip. Kyle Lowry has emerged as an elite guard with DeRozan out. Hes averaged 22.0 points and 9.0 assists in the 14 games DeRozan has missed after tallying 18.6 and 6.4 in the first 16 contests. Lowry had a game-high 25 points and seven assists Saturday. Were a full team, Lowry said. I mean, we need DeMar back, we want him back and we cant wait for him to get back. But for now, we cant make excuses because DeMars not playing. Its all about the next man up. Were a very deep team. Toronto has also produced quality defensive play during its 7-1 run, holding opponents under 100 points five times in that span. The Raptors are 13-0 this season when accomplishing that feat. Toronto snapped a nine-game skid in Denver (13-17) with a 100-90 victory on Jan. 31, and also took the first meeting this season, 112-107 in overtime on Dec. 8. Lou Williams scored 26 points in that game and has become a key component for one of the best second-units in the NBA. Williams, along with Greivis Vasquez and Patrick Patterson, headline a bench that scores 39.6 points per game - among the highest marks in the league. Weve got a great bench and we feed off of each other, Vasquez said. It may not show in the stats, but a lot of different guys do a lot of different things. The second (unit) doesnt get as much credit as the starters, but we dont care. Denver won its third straight at home, 106-102 over Minnesota on Friday, as Kenneth Faried collected a season-high 26 points and a career-best 25 rebounds. Facing the defensively-challenged Timberwolves obviously helped as the Nuggets scored 106 points after averaging 84.7 over the previous three games. The other end of the court remains an issue for Denver, which has allowed an average of 106.0 points in its last eight games, excluding a 76-73 win over Indiana on Dec. 20. Everything starts with defense, coach Brian Shaw said. We have to do a better job defensively and have more consistency on that end of the court. Were slipping in terms of were fouling too much. Arron Afflalo chipped in 13 points Friday but shot 4 of 16. Hes connected on only 29.7 percent (19 of 64) from the field over his last five games and is 2 for 21 from 3-point range during that span. He scored 25 on 9-of-14 shooting in the loss to Toronto earlier this month. The Nuggets were without Faried in that contest due to a lower back strain, yet still managed to outrebound the Raptors 49-44. Reggie White Jr. Jersey . Raonic, the mens No. 8 seed from Thornhill, Ont., needed more than three hours to overcome Frenchman Gilles Simon 4-6, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 and become the first Canadian man into the fourth round at Roland Garros. Phil McConkey Jersey . - Kyle Wood and Barclay Goodrow scored second period power-play goals to provide all of the scoring for the North Bay Battalion in a 2-0 victory over the Erie Otters in Ontario Hockey League action on Thursday. http://www.cheapnewyorkgiantsjerseysauthentic.com/?tag=authentic-golden-tate-jersey . Sijsling, ranked 74th in the world, was leading 6-0, 4-1 when his Italian opponent called it quits after just 39 minutes on court. In a match pitting together two qualifiers, Michal Przysiezny of Poland defeated local favourite Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (4) for only his second Tour win of the season.VANCOUVER -- Buck Pierce prepared for his retirement from the CFL by getting into the restaurant business while he was still playing. But the quarterback hopes to stay involved in football after officially calling it quits Tuesday. "Id love to look at those opportunities as they arise," Pierce said in an interview from his Winnipeg eatery. "(Football) is my passion. Ive always been a student of the game and looked up to coaches. "Obviously, (the passion doesnt end) just because you stop playing. That competitive fire will never burn out." Pierce split last season between the Lions and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, throwing for 1,176 yards, five touchdowns and seven interceptions. Over nine seasons with Winnipeg and B.C., he completed 1,200 passes for 15,289 yards, 76 TDs and 63 interceptions. "I feel pretty good about (retiring) actually," he said. "I feel that, over the last nine years, its been a great career for me. I enjoyed every minute of it. The teammates, the organizations were the part that were great experiences for me. Its a hard day also, in a way, for me because its what Ive known. Its what Ive been about for the most part of my life. "So its a big day in both ways. But Im also excited about the next phase of my life and moving on." Pierce, a 32-year-old Hutchinson, Kan., native who played collegiately at New Mexico State, originally signed with the Lions in 2005. He was a key member of the club as both a backup and starter through five seasons before playing 3 1/2 seasons with the Blue Bombers. He returned to B.C. last September in a trade that brought wide receiver Akeem Foster to Winnipeg. "Buck was a fearless competitor who never hesitated to put his body on the line for our organization," Lions general manager Wally Buono said in a news release. Pierces career was marred by multiple injuries as he chose to take a hit instead of sliding or running out of bounds before getting tackled. But he said the rewards were worth the punishment. "I wouldnt change anything I played the game the way that I felt this game should be played, and I felt that I represented myself extremely well on and off the field," he said. "Theres always going to be critics, and people are going to say what theyre going to say, but at the end of the day, I represented myself and my family and this league in a positive way." He won a Grey Cup with the Lions in 2006 and led the Bombers to the 2011 championship game, where they lost 34-23 to B.C. "Obviously, winning the Grey Cup in 06 was a big pointt in my life," he said. Nick Gates Jersey. "Theres lots of memories. You dont necessarily remember all of the big wins and stuff like that. But when you play almost a decade, you have lots of teammates and you see lots of teammates be traded and all these things, so you have lots of memories that stick with you. "Obviously, when I helped the Bombers get to a Grey Cup in Vancouver, that was a big part, and I felt very good about what we accomplished that year." His final CFL campaign, when he was relegated to third-string status with the Blue Bombers before being dealt, was "extremely difficult." "But its all about what he you take away from situations and what you learn," he said. "I was fortunate enough to get traded to B.C., where it all started, and I had some great games at the end of the year. Im privileged and excited to be retiring as a Lion." Pierce had "extremely minor" arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder following the season and would have needed to get another contract from the Lions. But neither his health nor contract issues affected the decision to retire. "I didnt know what was going to happen (after) last year," he said. "I wanted it to be my decision. It wasnt money. It wasnt about injuries. It wasnt about anything else. It was about where I was at my point in my career and moving forward and taking that next step -- and about taking advantage of some of the opportunities that I have out there." Noting he had reached a state of contentment, Pierce expressed gratitude to fans, teammates and his two clubs alike. "The CFL and Canada have been great to me," he said. "Ive been fortunate to have amazing teammates, great mentors all throughout my career, and have played in great cities in the league -- and became a part of the culture here in Canada." He and his wife Lori, who is from Winnipeg, live in the Manitoba capital and plan to reside there until the future opportunities take them somewhere else. "Winnipegs the place that I call home right now," said Pierce. After announcing Pierces retirement, the Lions also announced the signings of quarterbacks John Beck and Jarrett Lee. Pending any early cuts following a mini-camp, the Lions are slated to have five quarterbacks at training camp in June in Kamloops, B.C. In addition to starter Travis Lulay, whose recovery from off-season shoulder surgery is considered ahead of schedule, the Lions have holdover QBs Joey Elliott, the apparent No. 2 at this point, and second-year pro Chris Hart. Cheap Jerseys China NFL Jerseys Cheap NBA Jerseys Wholesale NHL Jerseys Wholesale MLB Jerseys Cheap Soccer Jerseys China Wholesale NCAA Jerseys Wholesale Football Jerseys Wholesale Basketball Jerseys Wholesale Baseball Jerseys ' ' '