Dein erstes Forum » - Leafs success rate on the draw

CLEVELAND - Shelvin Mack scored a career-high 24 points and the Atlanta Hawks routed the Cleveland Cavaliers 127-98 Wednesday night for their 11th victory in 12 games.Mack, a reserve guard who came in averaging 3.8 points, made all six of his 3-pointers as the Hawks went 16 for 28 from behind the arc.Trailing 50-38 midway through the second quarter, Atlanta outscored Cleveland 89-48 the rest of the way and sent the Cavaliers to their largest loss of the season.The Hawks, playing without leading scorer Jeff Teague, avenged a 127-94 loss in Cleveland on Nov. 15, when the Cavaliers made their first 11 shots from 3-point range.LeBron James scored 21 points but didnt play in the fourth quarter. The Cavaliers have lost three of four since winning eight straight.Al Horford scored 20 points for Atlanta, which had seven players in double figures and shot 64.5 per cent from the field.GRIZZLIES 117, SPURS 116, 3OTSAN ANTONIO (AP) — Marc Gasol scored 26 points, including a banked-in 3-pointer as regulation expired, and Memphis outlasted San Antonio in triple overtime after blowing a 23-point lead.Zach Randolph had 21 points and 21 rebounds in the Grizzlies sixth straight victory. Vince Carter added a season-high 18 points for Memphis (21-4).Danny Green scored 25 points, and Tim Duncan had 23 points and 16 rebounds for San Antonio. His jumper rattled in to force the third OT, but he finished just 5 for 15 on free throws.Manu Ginobili added 21 points, but shot an airball on a 3-pointer in the final seconds for the Spurs. San Antonio made a season-high 17 3-pointers but was 13 for 27 on free throws, including 5 for 15 by Duncan.Duncan hit a fallaway, high-arcing jumper that bounded on the rim three times before dropping in to tie the game at 111 at the close of the second overtime.RAPTORS 105, NETS 89TORONTO (AP) — Kyle Lowry had 20 points and 12 assists, Jonas Valanciunas added 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Toronto used a big fourth quarter to beat Brooklyn.Amir Johnson and Patrick Patterson each scored 13 in the first meeting between the teams since Brooklyns one-point win in Game 7 of the first round of the playoffs last May.Patterson and Lou Williams each scored eight points in the fourth as Toronto outscored the Nets 29-16, taking advantage of six Brooklyn turnovers.Mason Plumlee had a career-high 23 points for the Nets, who made only five of 13 field goal attempts and five of 13 free throws in the fourth.Toronto, which leads the Eastern Conference at 20-6, reached 20 wins before Christmas for the first time in its 20-year history.ROCKETS 115, NUGGETS 111, OTDENVER (AP) — James Harden scored 41 points, including eight in overtime, and Houston beat Denver after Arron Afflalo tied the game on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of regulation.Patrick Beverley sealed Houstons seventh win in eight games by hitting four straight free throws in the final 17.8 seconds. Harden had a big game at the line, too, hitting 18 of 21.Dwight Howard scored 24 points and grabbed 16 rebounds despite a strained right knee that had him questionable for the game.Wilson Chandler had 23 points and Ty Lawson dished out 16 assists for the struggling Nuggets, who have dropped seven of eight.MAVERICKS 117, PISTONS 106AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) — Chandler Parsons scored a season-high 32 points and Monta Ellis added 25 as Dallas beat Detroit.Parsons fell two points short of a career high as he helped the Mavericks win a second road game in two nights. Dirk Nowitzki contributed 18 points and 10 rebounds, including seven points to help stem a late Detroit rally.Andre Drummond had 19 points and 24 rebounds, but couldnt help the Pistons end an 11-game losing streak at home. Detroits last win at the Palace came on Nov. 7 against Milwaukee.JAZZ 105, HEAT 87MIAMI (AP) — Gordon Hayward scored 29 points, Enes Kanter added 18 and Utah overcame 42 points from Dwyane Wade to beat Miami.Alec Burks scored 12, Derrick Favours added 11 and Dante Exum had 10 for Utah, which won for just the second time in its last 14 games. Those two wins have come against last years NBA finalists, San Antonio and now the Heat — who are simply reeling at home.Wade shot 12 of 19 for Miami, which has lost seven of its last eight home games and has dropped four straight on its floor for the first time since 2011. The Heat trailed by 17 in the first quarter and never recovered.SUNS 111, HORNETS 106CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Reserve guard Isaiah Thomas scored 23 points, Goran Dragic had 20 and Phoenix snapped a six-game losing streak with a victory over struggling Charlotte.Thomas was 7 of 13 from the field and had two key free throws in the final minute as the Suns erased an early 17-point deficit.Dragic, who missed the last two games with a back injury, played 38 minutes and shot 8 of 17. Gerald Green had 16 points off the bench and Eric Bledsoe chipped in with 15 for the Suns.Al Jefferson had 28 points and 10 rebounds for Charlotte. Kemba Walker scored 27 points before going cold in the final three minutes. The Hornets have lost four straight, and they fell to 1-11 against Western Conference teams.CELTICS 109, MAGIC 92BOSTON (AP) — Rajon Rondo had 13 points, 15 assists and seven rebounds to lead balanced scoring that carried Boston past Orlando.Brandon Bass scored 18 points, and Jeff Green and Jared Sullinger each finished with 16. Kelly Olynyk added 15 points for the Celtics, who won their second in a row after a three-game losing streak.Nikola Vucevic had 18 points with 13 rebounds, and Tobias Harris scored 17 for the Magic, who have lost four of five.TRAIL BLAZERS 104, BUCKS 97PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — LaMarcus Aldridge had 23 points and 15 rebounds, and Portland pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat Milwaukee with both teams reeling from injuries to key players.Damian Lillard added 29 points and seven assists for the Blazers, who lost starting centre Robin Lopez to a broken hand on Monday. Thomas Robinson, who started in Lopezs absence, sparked Portland with 15 points and 16 rebounds, both season highs.Portland has won three straight and eight of 10.Brandon Knight had 24 points for the Bucks, who were without Jabari Parker. The heralded rookie will miss the rest of the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during the third quarter of Milwaukees victory Monday over Phoenix.CLIPPERS 102, PACERS 100LOS ANGELES (AP) — Blake Griffin had 31 points and 16 rebounds, and DeAndre Jordan added 23 rebounds and 15 points in Los Angeles victory over Indiana.Chris Paul had 20 points and nine assists, helping the two-time defending Pacific Division champions win for the 11th time in 13 games.The Pacers, who snapped an eight-game losing streak with their rout of the Lakers at home Monday night, dropped their seventh straight road game. David West and reserve C.J. Miles each had 17 points as seven players scored in double figures.Miles missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer at the final horn. Cheap Shoes Outlet Stores . Viewers in the Canadiens region can watch the game on TSN Habs at 7:30pm et/8:30pm at. Cheap Shoes Online Free Delivery . Coach Jorge Sampaoli resisted naming any major surprises in the list published Tuesday at the site of Chiles football association. Chile is pinning its hopes on the recovery of Vidal. http://www.cheapshoes.us.org/. But qualifying for her first Scotties Tournament of Hearts after years of falling short in tough Manitoba provincial championships is as good as consolation prizes get for the 29-year-old from Winnipegs Fort Rouge Curling Club. Authentic Shoes Wholesale . Orlandos Glen Davis tried to get in the way, only to be driven back into the padding under the basket as the Pelicans forward slammed home a windmill jam. Trendy Wholesale Shoes . -- The Sacramento Kings have signed first-round pick Nik Stauskas to his rookie contract.TORONTO – The shootout has proven a viable saving grace for this years edition of the Maple Leafs. When Reid Boucher shot wide in what would be the Devils final attempt on Jonathan Bernier in the third round of the skills competition Sunday, he handed Toronto its eighth victorious decision in the shootout this season – tied for the most in the NHL. In fact, the Leafs have more victories in the shootout since the start of November (six) than they do in regulation/overtime (five), a fact thats masked, until recently, just how poorly the team has performed in the past two-plus months (12-16-5). But for a team that was teetering on a four-game losing streak – the second longest this season – the winning decision at the ACC, in a reality divorced from the game itself, was nonetheless needed and important. "Well, we can breathe," said Randy Carlyle, following the 3-2 victory, the second in two tries against the Devils this season, both wins coming in the shootout. "Theres been a lot of gasping going on, and even in this game there was a lot of gasping going on how tight it was." It was not a pretty performance in many regards – the Leafs were outshot 38-25 and out-attempted 83-48 – but one that at least offered some of the requisite intensity and desire that had been missing amid the recent slide and quite often throughout whats been a disappointing campaign to date. And they might very well have won it in regulation had it not been for a blown call on Tyler Bozaks apparent go-ahead goal in the second frame. "Guys are a little looser tonight already," Mason Raymond told the Leaf Report shortly after the win. "It feels good. It feels good to get a win." "Hopefully this relieves a little bit of the stress thats involved for our hockey club, and they can get back playing to the way were capable of playing," added Carlyle. Consistency has been a foe of his team so far. The Leafs have reeled off exactly one winning streak since October – it lasted three games, two of which were won in shootouts – winning back-to-back games on just two other occasions. Stringing together heartier efforts against the Capitals and Devils in recent days then is just a mild step in the right direction. The teams response in an upcoming back-to-back with the Bruins and Sabres will indicate whether, in fact, a corner is gradually being turned. "I dont think its an exact recipe you can follow," Raymond said of achieving consistency. "Youve got to build off the things, in my opinion, that you did well, stay positive and believe. I think thats a big part of it is just believing that we can get the job done and go out there and get wins." "I think the last few games our compete level and effort has been way better," said van Riemsdyk, who scored for the second straight game, "and I think if we continue to play in that same mold well have some more results that we want." Five Points 1. Gardiners Development Pt. 1 Carlyle labeled 23-year-old Jake Gardiners performance in Washington Friday night as "the model in which wed like him to play. Gardiner, who had been scratched for just the second time all season one night earlier in Carolina, raised his performance in the eyes of the coaching staff against the Capitals. "Much different Jake Gardiner," said Carlyle, observing improved strength and intensity in the defensive zone as well as better decision-making with the puck. Such is the road to development for a young defender in the NHL. Many ups come with many downs. "Jake is a talented young player and there are steps that he has to continue to take," said Carlyle, who met with Gardiner briefly at the end of Sundays morning skate. "With Jake, he has the ability to move the puck both with his hands and with his feet – he can skate. He would like to make more consistent decisions with the puck and so would we. Weve struggled to find a consistent level for him over the last probably five or six games." That inconsistency led Carlyle to scratch Gardiner last week, a questionable move that blew up in a 6-1 loss to the Hurricanes. But if the sit-down was designed to spark a reaction then it may have achieved some success the next night in the U.S. capital. "I think what happens with young players is they find that theyre always trying to do one thing and maybe trying to do too much of one thing and that sometimes turns into where you skate the puck into areas where you shouldnt and turn over the puck," said Carlyle. "But hes a young player that has got a tremendous upside." 2. Gardiners Development Pt. 2 What Carlyle has done additionally, in the meann-time, is remove Gardiner from the teams top two pairings – he and 19-year-old Morgan Rielly formed the third grouping for the second straight game against the Devils – and thus lighten the burden he is exposed to on a night to night basis.dddddddddddd Speaking to the Leaf Report on Sunday morning, Gardiner described his decision-making with the puck as one needed improvement, an issue again at times on Sunday night. "Dont try and force anything," he said. "I think I was trying to make plays that werent there and I was maybe trying to move the puck a little bit too quickly. When theres not an open guy, maybe just be patient and hold onto the puck a little bit." Gardiner, who played over 24 minutes against the Devils, is averaging nearly 22 minutes per game this season, second on the team. 3. Bolland Front Dave Bolland hasnt played since Nov. 2, when his left ankle was sliced by the skate blade of Canucks forward Zack Kassian. The 27-year-old has missed 32 games with the injury, but is due to finally start skating with the team on Thursday. Bolland recently traveled to Montreal in hopes of having a new boot designed specifically to support the injured area. That boot was due to arrive in Toronto on Monday with the Mimico native then expected to skate before joining the Leafs on a four-game road trip next week. An exact timeframe for return remains unclear. 4. Harder to Play Against? Asked before the game if this version of the Maple Leafs was as difficult to play against as the one that ended a lengthy playoff drought last season, Carlyle responded flatly in the negative. "Nowhere near," he said. "Weve been scratching our heads and trying to figure out why." And if there was one element that remained constant from a Friday loss in Washington to Sundays win in Toronto, it was the intensity of his group. The execution may have been lacking at times, but the compete Carlyle has been prodding for remained. "Thats one thing that weve really tried to put at the forefront in the last three weeks to a month is that our compete level has to go to a level where were satisfied," said Carlyle on Sunday morning. "Thats the one thing that weve said is our compete level has to go up." Carlyle pointed to the simple will required to win puck battles. "We have been guilty of just standing around in those situations," he said. "I call it getting inside. I think to be inside in todays NHL is the key because you cant hook and hold, you have to skate your way to get inside. "When we do it we can play effective hockey and give ourselves a chance to win. And when we dont do it were receiving the game, were standing around. I would say thats the biggest mystery for the coaching staff." 5. Stunted Starts Toronto has exited the first frame with a lead in 12 of 47 games this season, trailing, by comparison, on 17 occasions. Substandard starts have been a source of considerable trouble, often requiring the club to dig out from an early hole without much ultimate success. "All year long, weve [had] pretty poor starts," said Gardiner. "We try to dig ourselves out of it and then we start playing well and its too late by that time so if we can play almost desperate and aggressive I think well have better starts and itll lead to a better outcome." The Leafs started slowly again on Sunday – outshot 7-1 in the opening 10 minutes – but rebounded during the back half of the period, finding the games first goal from Tyler Bozak, his seventh this season. "We were rusty, I thought, for the first 10 or 12 minutes of the game," said Carlyle. Stats-Pack 8-4 – Leafs record in the shootout this season. 13 – Points in the past 11 games for Tyler Bozak, who has 19 points in 23 games this season. 8 – Shootout wins for the Leafs this season, tied with the Capitals for the most in the NHL. 1 – Goals in the past 14 games for Nazem Kadri. 24:23 – Ice-time for Jake Gardiner against the Devils, second on the team to Dion Phaneuf. 62% - Leafs success rate on the draw against the Devils. 2 – Consecutive games with a goal for James van Riemsdyk, who had two in the preceding 15 games. Special Teams Capsule PP: 1-4 Season: 21.8% (5th) PK: 3-4 Season: 77.4% (27th) Quote of the Night "I asked him if he could watch it after the game and maybe next time he has a game [with us] he can apologize or something because that was pretty brutal." - James van Riemsdyk, on his conversation with an official following Tyler Bozaks waved off goal in the second period. Up Next The Leafs visit the Bruins in Boston on Tuesday night. ' ' '