but he is very clear about where he wants players to

[ruogu1234]

(SportsNetwork.com) - The Toronto Raptors hit the road Monday night when they visit the Chicago Bulls at the United Center in a pivotal Eastern Conference showdown. The Raptors remain atop the conference, while the Bulls sit in fourth. The Raptors own the NBAs longest current winning streak at six games. Toronto hasnt lost since Dec. 9 in Cleveland and during this run, it has won two in a row as the visitor. On Sunday, the Raptors collected a comfortable 118-108 home win over the New York Knicks. Kyle Lowry and Lou Williams led the way with 22 points apiece as six players scored in double figures for the Raptors. Lowry also had nine assists and three steals for Toronto. Greivis Vasquez and Terrence Ross tallied 21 and 18 points, respectively. James Johnson and Jonas Valanciunas finished with 10 points apiece. Toronto starts a six-game road trip Monday in Chicago. The odyssey wont be an easy one with stops against the Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns also on the docket. Im ready for it, said Raptors coach Dwane Casey. Ive been preaching it, and we should be ready for it. Everyone is all excited. But again, reality is real, and we have to be ready for adversity whenever it hits. You go in with positive vibes and are ready to kick some behind, but when adversity hits thats when you find out how close we are and how we have to stick together. The Bulls have won two in a row, including a spectacular road victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night. Chicago prevailed, 103-97, and owns a three-game home winning streak. Jimmy Butlers first double-double of the season helped the Bulls to victory. A night after he went for a career-high 35 points in a win over the New York Knicks, Butler netted 31 points with 10 rebounds as the Bulls stopped Memphis six-game winning streak. I think my teammates always trust me to take good shots, Butler said. Weve always played pretty well on the road. We have to turnaround and do it at home. This was definitely a big win. Nikola Mirotic proved to be a spark off the bench for Chicago, scoring a career-high 27 points on 6-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc. Aaron Brooks had 17 points off the bench for the Bulls. Joakim Noah registered a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds, while Pau Gasol grabbed 11 boards in the victory. The Bulls, who have won two straight and five of their last six, were without Derrick Rose (illness) and Taj Gibson (ankle) for a second straight game. Per an ESPN story, both could be back in the lineup Monday night. The Bulls beat the Raptors in Toronto on Nov. 13 and have won three of the last five. Toronto has won three consecutive games in Chicago. Joe Ingles Jersey . Trailing 2-1 from the first leg, Fiorentina levelled on aggregate in the 14th minute when Joaquin Sanchez Rodriguez headed back a long ball from David Pizarro and Pasqual smashed home an angled volley. Jazz Jerseys 2020 . Berdych and Stepanek played all five matches when the Czechs beat Spain 3-2 in the final last November in Prague to win the countrys first title as an independent nation. https://www.cheapjazzonline.com/ . The 25-year-old Lu, a regular on the Japan LPGA Tour after giving up her LPGA Tour membership in 2010, shot an 8-under 64 in windy, wet conditions at Kintetsu Kashikojima. Jerry Sloan Jersey . Nine years later, he might have finally figured it out. He had only five rounds in the 60s in his previous eight trips. Alec Burks Jersey . The Redskins announced Monday that the quarterback who led the team to the Super Bowl championship in the 1987 season will serve as a personnel executive.The Canadian national junior team was shut out of a medal for the first time in 15 years in Ufa, Russia last year and have gone without gold since 2009 in Ottawa. Its a different approach for Hockey Canada this year, with 25 players invited to the World Junior Selection Camp and 22 making the team. With the roster virtually set, TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button was on TSN Radio 1050 and Off The Record on Tuesday to dissect the strengths and weakness of the team. "Depth and wealth of winning experience, not just internationally but within their own leagues," Button said of this years teams strengths. "You have players who have won Memorial Cups, participated in Memorials Cups, as well as winning gold medals at the international level. When you go into this type of tournament, you need players who will not capsize when you get into the rough patches. They have too many players who have been through it and succeeded." Asked how much can we expect from youngster Conner McDavid and how he will look away from his OHL club, the Erie Otters, and play with the elite players, Button said he wouldnt underestimate the 16-year-old. "Last April at the Under-18 tournament, he was two years younger than everybody else and was probably two times better than everybody there," said Button. "He was the best player by far. You are talking about a young man who is 16-years-old that understands a couple of things that go beyond the obvious skill. He understands the situations he is in and understands how to play them, given his capabilities and understanding that he is a little bit younger and that this is an elite level of hockey. "Connor McDavid can play defence, he can play two-ways, he can score, and he can set up plays. I dont want to start saying expect the earth, the moon, and the stars from him, but I can tell you this; Connor McDavid is more than capable at this level and is playing very well." McDavid is considered an OHL phenom, who was drafted first overall in the 2012 OHL entry draft and scored 66 points for the Otters in 63 games during his rookie season. The Richmond Hill, ON, native already has 45 points in 27 games with the Otters this season. Notable players who were not named to the selection camp include Max Domi, who was selected 112th overall in the 2013 NHL Draft by the Phoenix Coyotes, and Darnell Nurse, selected seventh overall by the Edmonton Oilers in this years draft.dddddddddddd Button pointed out that neither are the first to not get invited to a team or make the team as 18-year-olds, and that its not the end of the world for them. "I am still high on (Domi) and if there were 38 players invited, we would not be having this discussion. The next discussion would be; can he make the team?" said Button. "Head coach Brent Sutter really understands what he wants and who he feels fits his team. When they hired Sutter, everybody knew the deal. I dont want to suggest he is black and white because that is not the right way to put it, but he is very clear about where he wants players to play, how he wants them to play, and the types of players that fit. "There are a lot of really good players who did not get invited and when you have only 25 players invited that is what is going to happen," continued Button. "For Sutter, Canada has not won a gold medal in a number of years, so with a lack of success, so to speak, some changes come and certainly Sutter has instituted that." On the teams weakness, Button said there are few. He said the defence needs to learn how to play as a group and as pairs. "You have to defend on the big ice and you have to be able to transition quickly on the big ice. Sutter is perfectly suited to doing that. He has always had success with a group of defenceman and they are going to be key to this teams success." Sutter will need to release two forwards and one defenceman from the selection camp roster before the tournament begins. TSNs World Junior coverage continues on Wednesday with the World Junior Countdown Show at 10:30pm et/7:30pm pt. James Duthie hosts the 30-minute special alongside Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie, as they set the table for Team Canadas selection camp, which kicks off on Dec. 12. Duthie and McKenzie will break down, position by position, how the team might look. TSN has complete live coverage of the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championship from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5, with pre-competition games beginning Friday, Dec. 20. Follow the World Juniors tournament with multi-platform coverage on TSN, TSN.ca, and TSN Radio. ' ' '