12-20-2019, 06:17 AM
The Orlando Magic have opened this homestand with back- to-back victories and will try to go 3-0 Sunday evening when they host the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors have won two straight and clinched a playoff berth for the first time since the 2007-08 season. They are 2 1/2 games in front of the Brooklyn Nets in the race for the Atlantic Division title. "We are excited about it. If you told me in year one that we would be knocking on the door of the playoffs in a rebuilding situation, I take my hat off to all the guys who have come through here. DeMar DeRozan and Amir Johnson especially who have been here through it all," said Raptors coach Dwane Casey. On Friday, the Raptors completed a home-and-home sweep of the Boston Celtics with a 105-103 victory in Toronto. Johnsons putback layup with 7.1 seconds left proved to be the difference for the Raptors. DeRozan scored 30 points and Terrence Ross donated 17 as the Raptors came off a nine-point win in Boston on Wednesday. Greivis Vasquez and Jonas Valanciunas had 15 and 13 points, respectively, while Johnson poured in eight with eight rebounds. The Raptors have won six straight against the Magic, including both games this season. Toronto has taken two in a row in Orlando and four of the last six in central Florida. The Magic started the residency with a 10-point win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday, then earned an overtime victory Friday over the Charlotte Bobcats. Arron Afflalo drilled a game-tying 3-pointer late in regulation and Jameer Nelson netted five points in overtime, as the Magic came from behind to beat the Bobcats, 110-105, at Amway Center. Orlando trailed by as many as 16 points in the first half and didnt take its first lead until Nikola Vucevic knocked down back-to-back buckets for a 91-89 edge with 4:46 remaining. In overtime, Charlottes Kemba Walker hit a hook shot with 2:41 left for a 101-99 lead, but Nelson drilled a trey at the other end to give Orlando the lead for good, as the Magic held the Bobcats to just one field goal the rest of the way. Vucevic posted 24 points and a season-high 23 rebounds, while Afflalo finished with 17 points for the Magic. Nelson finished with 11, followed by 15 from Tobias Harris, 14 out of Victor Oladipo and 13 from Kyle OQuinn. "Tonight was an impressive win for us after kind of a lackluster start," Afflalo said. "I do think its important that these last nine games or so that we build some momentum, build some better habits just in case the core group of guys are back (next year)." Amare Stoudemire Jersey . -- Andy Dorman and Kelyn Rowe scored in the second half to lead the New England Revolution to a 2-1 victory over Sporting Kansas City in the first leg of their Eastern Conference semifinals series on Saturday night. Mitchell Robinson Jersey . Fielder has been out with a herniated disk in his neck, and surgery was recommended after a follow-up exam and another scan Thursday with Dr. https://www.cheapknicks.com/ . Subway workers in Rio de Janeiro, meanwhile, were holding an assembly to vote on whether they would strike to demand higher wages, threatening to disrupt transportation. By late Tuesday night there was no announcement of their decision. Bill Bradley Jersey .com) - A top-10 showdown is on tap in at the McKale Center on Saturday, as the 10th-ranked Arizona Wildcats play host to the eighth-ranked Utah Utes in a key Pac-12 matchup. Ignas Brazdeikis Jersey . -- Michael Frazier II scored 21 points, Dorian Finney-Smith added 11 and No.SEATTLE -- Hundreds of thousands of notoriously loud Seahawks fans cranked up the volume Wednesday, cheering, chanting and going berserk during a parade and ceremony to celebrate the first Super Bowl victory in the history of the franchise. The mood in Seattle was electrified as the parade featuring the NFL champions began near the Space Needle and made its way to CenturyLink Field, the home of the team. At a ceremony inside the stadium, the team thanked its loyal followers -- the 12th Man -- capping a day of boisterous celebration that drew an estimated 700,000 revelers to Seattle. Players were introduced by the order of their jersey numbers and ended with No. 3, quarterback Russell Wilson, who walked onto the field pumping the Lombardi Trophy in the air to thunderous applause. "Our plan is to win another one for you next year," Wilson said later. Coach Pete Carroll led the crowd in a "Seahawks! Seahawks!" chant and said the team will be back. "Were just getting warmed up, if you know what Im talking about," he said. Nick Sutton watched the parade from Westlake Center and considered it a highlight when he threw a football to one of the players who threw it back to him. "Its surreal. Its hard to believe. Seeing this now, its finally sinking in," he said. Hundreds of thousands of fan lined the streets of downtown Seattle early in the day and cheered as the players rolled by. Thousands of students apparently skipped school to attend. Seattle Public Schools said more than 25 per cent of the districts 51,000 students were absent in the morning. By comparison, about 5 per cent were absent the day before. The school district also said 565 teachers were absent, far more than usual. "This is a historical event, once in a lifetime. To not show up would be blasphemy," said Jesse Lake, 36, a carpenter from Port Orchard, who stood in the packed parking lot outside CenturyLink Field to greet the team as they arrived. Shawn Cooper and Marlana Studebaker of Covington staked out a spot hours before the parade started and displayed supersized photo cutouts of Wilson and cornerback Richard Sherman, prompting many fans to stop and take photos. "This was a long-awaited win. Its well worth the wwait," Cooper said.dddddddddddd "Theyre years ahead of their time, which makes me believe theres another one coming." Dakota Heaphy, 20, and friend Ellie Hergert, 20, drove all night from Cheyenne, Wyo. -- more than 1,400 miles away. "My boss is a Broncos fan and said we kicked their butts and deserved to go," Hergert said. Revelers packed the 2-mile route, wearing blue and green wigs, waving flags, scarves and signs, and breaking out into song and dance. The Washington National Guard chauffeured many of the players in Humvees and other military vehicles under blue, sunny skies in cold temperatures. Elected officials rode along in amphibious vehicles used to take tourists around the city. Players enjoyed the celebration as much as the fans. Running back Marshawn Lynch sat on the hood of a vehicle carrying the Sea Gals cheerleaders. He tossed Skittles -- his favourite treat -- into the crowd. Other Seahawks players threw jerseys and T-shirts to fans while waving blue "12" flags as a sign of gratitude. Boisterous fans observed a "moment of loudness" at 12:12 p.m. Crowds also gathered in Spokane, Olympia and elsewhere in the state to celebrate the first championship in the 38-year history of the franchise. Many fans had camped out overnight to reserve front-row seats along the route, braving freezing temperatures. Others perched on window sills and balconies, climbed trees and pillars, or sat on sturdier shoulders to get a better view. At Westlake Center, smartphones and cameras were thrust into the air whenever players rolled by. Seattle city officials asked the public to keep cellphone use to a minimum to keep lines free for emergency use. There were some reported difficulties with 911 calls getting through, said Jeff Reading, a spokesman for the mayor. Chris Hoops, a sales worker from Everett, and his school-aged daughters left home at 7 a.m. to get a good spot. The girls, 11-year-old Emily and 8-year-old Bella, were bundled in sleeping bags at his feet. They warmed up when they were asked whether they were sorry about missing school. They shouted "No!" in unison. "I like the Seahawks," Emily said. "They were really good this season." ' ' '