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in Neuvorstellungen 15.08.2019 02:44
von jin shuiqian | 3.880 Beiträge

TORONTO - As anticipated, Thursday nights NBA Draft turned out to be a historic evening for Canadian basketball, however the Raptors, the countrys lone team, became reluctant spectators despite their best efforts to get in on the festivities. Ray Allen Jersey . In many ways it was a celebration of how far the country has come and how much the sport has grown within it. In total, four Canadian players were selected - setting a league record - including three in the top 18, all from the Greater Toronto Area. For the second consecutive year Canada produced the top pick, 19-year-old phenom and Vaughan-native Andrew Wiggins, who will join last years No. 1 selection Anthony Bennett, Tristan Thompson and Dwight Powell - picked in the second-round of Thursdays draft - in Cleveland. Mississaugas Nik Stauskas followed suit, going to the Sacramento Kings at pick No. 8 before the Phoenix Suns - owners of the 18th pick - nabbed Brampton point guard Tyler Ennis, a player that sat atop the Raptors board when he heard his name called. It was a bittersweet moment for the 19-year-old Ennis, who was finally realizing his lifelong dream, albeit two picks away from beginning his career with his hometown team. The Raptors, drafting 20th, struck out on their top target but it wasnt for a lack of effort or interest. "We tried everything," Dwane Casey admitted shortly after the first-round concluded. "It just didnt work out." Masai Ujiri and his staff tracked Ennis throughout his freshman year at Syracuse and quickly became enamoured with his poise at the point guard position. Until recently they believed there was little chance he would fall to them, or even come close. With his stock fluctuating leading up to the draft, Ujiri hoped Ennis would be available to them, also exploring several scenarios to trade up and even entice the Suns to give him up after the selection had been made. With Ennis off the board, Ujiri opted for the next player on his wish list, Brazilian mystery man Bruno Caboclo "We decided we lost one," said the Raptors general manager, "were not going to lose the other one. So we jumped on it." The Raptors came that close to drafting what would have been the first Canadian selected in their 20-year franchise history, but given the rate in which the country is producing high-level talent its only a matter of time until that vision - which once seemed like a pipe dream - becomes a reality. "Ennis was a target for us but he was picked by another team," Ujiri lamented. "We will have Canadians on our team. Definitely we will have Canadian players on our team. Theyre all over the league now. The last two first picks have been Canadian." "We tried and it didnt work out this time," he continued, "but were glad theres a lot a lot of them in the league and eventually well get a couple of Canadians here, trust me. Itll come, well get them here." Thursday served as a friendly reminder, Canada isnt going anywhere. After hemming and hawing for weeks, the Cavaliers finally decided on Wiggins with their No. 1 overall pick. Decked out in a captivating black suit decorated with white floral print and topped off with a black bow tie, the one and done Kansas star couldnt hide his joy when first-year commissioner Adam Silver called his name. "A thousand thoughts are going through my head right now," Wiggins said minutes later. "Its a dream come true. Ive been dreaming of this moment since I was a little kid. My dream was just to make the NBA and now going to high school and college the opportunity of going number one came into talk and now I accomplished that. So its a crazy feeling right now. I dont even know how I feel. It doesnt feel real right now." "I always believed it," Stauskas added. "I believed in myself and I dont think many other people did but this is something Ive always felt is a possibility for me and I just kept working my hardest to make it happen. Its a cliche but dreams really do come true when you put all your effort into it." What could this night mean for the country? "I just think its huge," Wiggins said. "It opens doors for all the youth and everyone in Canada. It gives them hope. Because coming up when I was Canada, I wasnt ranked or nothing, I wasnt known. I didnt have no offers or anything like that. But I just kept my head straight and kept working on my game and look where I am today. So I just think it gives everyone hope that they can do the same thing and accomplish whatever I do because its possible if they work hard." The Raptors, like most of the 29 other teams, did pass up on four other eligible Canadians that went undrafted Thursday. Montreals Khem Birch, Calgarys Jordan Bachynski, Toronto-native and reigning Big 12 player of the year Melvin Ejim and the 7-foot-5 Sim Bhullar, also from the Toronto area, didnt hear their name called. Instead, Toronto opted for UConn forward DeAndre Daniels with an early second-round pick and traded the 59th overall pick to the Brooklyn Nets. Ujiri has maintained that if and when the Raptors do add a Canadian he wont be employed for his passport and he wont be sitting at the end of the bench. The pressure surrounding that type of player in that situation would be unfair, hes said. All four of the undrafted Canadian players are expected to catch on with Summer League teams, hoping to earn a spot on an NBA roster before weighing their options overseas or in the D-League. Custom Milwaukee Bucks Jerseys . But sometimes the way you lose takes precedence over the final score. And how the Jets lost the 5-4 game to the New York Islanders on Thursday is what had Coach Claude Noel hot after the game. Vin Baker Bucks Jersey . - Josh Sterk scored twice to lead the Oshawa Generals to a 7-1 rout of the Ottawa 67s in Mondays Ontario Hockey League action. http://www.nbabucksproshop.com/Authentic-Oscar-Robertson-Bucks-Jersey/ . His brother — Red Lake chiropractor Richard Radford — is en route to Sochi to cheer on his younger brother. "Ive been getting texts from Eric and he just says the atmosphere is amazing, its special,” he said.INDIANAPOLIS -- LeBron James and Dwyane Wade followed the same old script Tuesday night. When Miami got into trouble, the All-Star duo bailed out the Heat. Again. James scored the first six points in a decisive 12-2 run, and combined with Wade for Miamis final 20 points in an 87-83 victory over the Indiana Pacers that left the Eastern Conference final tied at a game apiece. "Thats why theyre the hundred million dollar guys," teammate Norris Cole said. "Theyre unstoppable. They make the game easy for everyone else when theyre in attack mode." Thats exactly how the money guys played during the final 12 minutes. Wade, who had 13 points in the Heats 41-point first half, scored his final 10 in the fourth. James, who finished with 22 points, had 12 in the fourth. Together they helped Miami avoid falling into a 2-0 deficit for the first time since the first round of the 2010 playoffs. Lance Stephenson tied his playoff career high with 25 points for the Pacers. Paul George scored 14. Now the series shifts back to Miami for Game 3 on Saturday and Game 4 on Monday. This one had a different feel compared to a couple of Miamis important games in the 2013 post-season. A year ago in Game 7 at Miami, the Heats money players overwhelmed Indiana 99-76. Then, after losing Game 1 in the finals to San Antonio, James, Wade and Chris Bosh helped Miami storm back for a 19-point win. On Tuesday, the Pacers were in a strong position midway through the fourth before James and Wade helped Miami seize the home-court advantage Indiana so desperately wanted for this series. Miami has won 11 straight games following a playoff loss. "Its not going to be pretty. Not in the Eastern Conference," James said. "Its never pretty basketball in the Eastern Conference. Its about who can sustain runs. You know, who can get defensive stops? Who can not turn the ball over and who can get great shots? I think we did that in the fourth." At times, the rough-and-tumble night took on the aura of a football game, especially late. When George and Wade collided chasing a loose ball, both came up grimacing. Wade held his left knee. George also grabbed at his knee though he said afterward he hhad blurred vision and may have blacked out. Khris Middleton Jersey. Coach Frank Vogel would not confirm Georges description. Another time, James crashed hard to the floor when David West was called for a flagrant one foul in the fourth quarter, which was changed to a common foul following a replay review. There were hard picks, tight defence and James and Wade back in their old groove. The Pacers expected all of it in this title bout. They just couldnt finish it off. "We were winning the whole night," guard George Hill said. "We controlled the whole game until the last couple minutes." But two days after allowing the Pacers to score 107 points, Indianas highest total of the post-season, Miami held Indiana to nine points over a 10-minute stretch in the first half and closed it out with by allowing just 10 points over the final 7:19. "Today it was just about how bad we wanted it," Wade said. "It wasnt about Xs and Os. It wasnt a perfect game by no stretch of the imagination. We kept digging down deep, and we got back to Miami Heat basketball." Even the Heat acknowledged they were in trouble Tuesday after Indiana used a 10-2 third-quarter run to retake a 47-45 lead, and then extended the margin to 63-56 with 2:07 left in the third quarter. James closed out the quarter by finding Bosh and Cole for open 3-pointers to make it 63-62. George hit a 29-footer to make it 73-69 with 7:19 left. But James and Wade stepped up again. James hit a 3 to make it a one-point game, and after Roy Hibbert made a 6-foot hook shot, James scored six straight to start the decisive 12-2 run that sealed the win. "We have no idea were doing that until after the game," James said. "Were just going to make the right play for our team. Tonight was one of those nights." NOTES: Miami coach Erik Spoelstra started Udonis Haslem instead of Shane Battier. Center Greg Oden again was inactive. ... George was just 1 of 11 from the field in the first half. ... There were 21 lead changes and seven ties after having none of either in Game 1. ... Miami residents Helio Castroneves and Juan Pablo Montoya, both Indy 500 champions, attended the game and waved towels. ' ' '

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