Clan-Members » hington 20% -- Alabama 15% -- Michigan 21% --

HOUSTON -- Three contests into a five-game road trip that represents their second longest of the season, the Toronto Raptors remain one of the most lethal offensive teams in the NBA.Defensively the Raptors are sieve, and their issues on that end of the court continue to undermine their offensive might.Despite averaging 113 points over their last five games, the Raptors (8-6) lost for the fourth time during that stretch on Monday night when they fell 123-115 to the Clippers in Los Angeles. Toronto is 4-4 over its last eight games, a span in which each opponent has scored at least 102 points.Toronto ranks 24th in defensive rating, surrendering 109.2 points per 100 possessions and is allowing opponents a 51.2 effective field goal percentage that ranks 22nd.It seems like everybody weve played the last couple weeks weve turned it into an offensive slugfest, Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. Until we get defense in the game and maintain in the game (things will remain the same). I think our guys are trying. Theyre trying defensively but were not getting it done. Were not getting stops when we need to.There was some concern that the Raptors would struggle initially following the loss of center Bismack Biyombo during the offseason. Biyombo helped anchor a Toronto team that finished 11th in defensive rating last season before signing with the Orlando Magic. Without his rim protection, the Raptors havent quite been the same collectively, an issue that is also related to their individual defensive ability.I think we all can play better defense and thats something we can hold ourselves accountable for, Raptors guard Kyle Lowry said. I think we all want to be a better individual defender but we have to do it as a team. Its a lot of guys in this league that you pretty much cant guard one-on-one. You have to have five guys or 10 eyes on him.Its part of your game. Weve got to get better.The Rockets (9-5) improved to 3-0 since guard Patrick Beverley returned from preseason knee surgery with their 99-96 win at Detroit on Monday night. That victory marked the first time in eight games that Houston failed to score at least 100 points, but their developing cohesion continues to carry them through trials.Guard James Harden has played so exceptionally this season that nitpicking his flaws might soon become a necessary method of analysis. Harden is averaging 28.6 points, 7.8 rebounds and 12.4 assists this season but his 81 percent shooting at the free-throw line represents his worst mark since his rookie season when he shot 80.8 percent with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2009-10. Over his first four seasons with Houston, Harden shot 86.1 percent from the free-throw line.After starting the Pistons game 10 for 10 at the charity stripe, Harden missed 5 of 9 free throws down the stretch to keep the game interesting. Over his last four games Harden is shooting just 73.9 percent from the line.I had to laugh it off. Its funny, Harden said. But we all have games like this. Just cant let it happen consistently. Ive got to take my time, go up there and concentrate, and make the free throw.Cheap NFL Jerseys China . "Theyve both been real good," said Babcock. "Havent changed our minds." A decision has seemingly been made - Sundays Group B-deciding tilt against Finland ahead - but it could not have been an easy one. Price opened the tournament with a sturdy 19-save performance against the Norwegians, yielding just one goal. Wholesale Authentic NBA Jerseys .com) - The game was all punts and field goals before Kodi Whitfields catch. http://www.wholesalechinajerseysforcheap.com/ . The 28-year-old from Calgary matched his career best after missing just one shot in his two rounds of shooting in the mens 10-kilometre sprint competition. Smith finished in 23 minutes 15. Cheap China Jerseys . McCarthy, a player who played some games in the second tier for Wigan at the start of this season, would go on to shine inside Evertons midfield, outplaying the man he was brought in to replace, on one of the grandest stages in English football. On Saturday, it was fitting that Manchester Uniteds most recent dagger into the chest was delivered by Frenchman Yohan Cabaye, a wonderfully gifted central midfielder who put on an outstanding effort for Newcastle at Old Trafford. Cheap Jerseys USA . Anthony Calvillo, through 20 CFL seasons, was frequently invincible and largely stoic in the heat of competition. But underneath the professional exterior he was, and is, compellingly human.With the College Football Playoff committee preparing to release its first rankings of the season Tuesday night (7 p.m. ET on ESPN, WatchESPN), we commissioned our own focus group -- of more than 100,000 fans -- to predict the national champion.The results of our week-long poll -- which we broke down both nationally and state-by-state -- showed just how split the country is among the top teams and how parochial fans of college football are. Alabama was SportsNations choice to win the national title, but only by a hair:Some interesting takeaways from our poll results:The ultimate margin between Alabama (8-0, 5-0 SEC) and Michigan (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) was just 70 votes out of more than 104,000 total votes cast. The Wolverines (17) won more states than the Crimson Tide (14) despite falling just short in the popular vote.Every school among the 10 finalists picked by ESPN.coms experts won at least its home state save for Baylor (6-1, 3-1 Big 12). The state of Texas was won by Texas A&M (7-1, 4-1 SEC). Clemson (8-0, 5-0 ACC), Louisville (7-1; 5-1 ACC), Ohio State (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten) and Texas A&M each came out on top in just one state apiece.The most lopsided states were Alabama and West Virginia, with the Tide and Mountaineers (6-1, 3-1 Big 12) each garnering 83 percent of votes in their home states. Following close behind was Michigan, which received 80 percent of votes in its home state, and Washington (8-0, 5-0 Pac-12), at 79 percent. Nebraska (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten) won its home state by 60 percentage points.So, how did your state vote? Here are the results for each one:Alabama 83% -- Alabama 5% -- Michigan 2% -- Ohio State 2% -- Washington 8% -- All othersAlaska35% -- Washington 26% -- Alabama 17% -- Michigan 23% -- All othersArizona25% -- Michigan 21% -- Alabama 15% -- Washington 39% -- all othersArkansas49% -- Alabama 11% -- Michigan 7% -- Nebraska 32% -- All othersCalifornia29% -- Michigan 21% -- Washington 20% -- Alabama 29% -- All othersColorado23% -- Michigan 21% -- Alabama 19% -- Nebraska 36% -- All othersConnecticut32% -- Michigan 27% -- Alabama 8% -- West Virginia 33% -- All othersDelaware25% -- West Virginia 23% -- Michigan 20% -- Ohio State 32% -- All othersFlorida37% -- Alabama 24% -- Michigan 10% -- Ohio State 29% -- All othersGeorgia47% -- Alabama 13% -- Clemson 13% -- Michigan 28% -- All othersHawaii34% -- Washington 19% -- Alabama 15% -- Michigan 22% -- All othersIdaho42% -- Washington 22% -- Alabama 16% -- Michigan 19% -- All othersIllinois39% -- Michigan 20% -- Alabama 11% -- Ohio State 30% -- All othersIndiana39% -- Michigan 16% -- Alabama 16% -- Ohio State 28% -- All othersIowa36% -- Nebraska 26% -- Michigan 20% -- Alabama 19% -- All othersKansas39% -- Nebraska 23% -- Alabama 15% -- Michigan 23% -- All othersKentucky60% -- Louisville 15% -- Alabama 9% -- Michigan 16% -- All othersLouisiana51% -- Alabama 14% -- Michigan 7% -- Texas A&M 28% -- All othersMaine36% -- Michigan 15% -- Alabama 12% -- Clemson 38% -- All othersMaryland33% -- West Virginia 21% -- Alabama 19% -- Michigan 27% -- All othersMassachusetts34% -- Michigan 22% -- Alabama 9% -- Ohio State 34% -- All othersMichigan80% -- Michigan 8% -- Alabama 6% -- Ohio State 6% -- All othersMinnesota35% -- Michigan 22% -- Alabama 19% -- Nebraska 24% -- All othersMississippi66% -- Alabama 11% -- Michigan 5% -- Ohio State 19% -- All othersMissouri27% -- Alabama 24% -- Michigan 18% -- Nebraska 32% -- All othersMontana30% -- Washington 22% -- Michigan 18% -- Alabama 31% -- All othersNebraska72% -- Nebraska 12% -- Alabama 9% -- Michigan 8% -- All othersNevada29% -- Michigan 22% -- Washington 19% -- Alabama 30% -- All othersNew Hampshire33% -- Alabama 31% -- Michigan 7% -- Washington 29% -- All othersNew Jersey32% -- Michigan 22% -- Alabama 12% -- West Virginia 34% -- All othersNew Mexico27% -- Alabama 21% -- Michigan 12% -- Texas A&M 40% -- All othersNew York34% -- Michigan 20% -- Alabama 14% -- West Virginia 33% -- All othersNorth Carolina?28% -- Alabama 21% -- Clemson 18% -- Michigan 33% -- All othersNorth Dakota26% -- Michigan 23% -- Nebraska 20% -- Alabama 31% -- All othersOhio53% -- Ohio State 25% -- Michigan 11% -- Alabama 12% -- All othersOklahoma33% -- Alabama 18% -- Michigan 12% -- Nebraska 37% -- All othersOregon45% -- Washington 20% -- Alabama 15% -- Michigan 21% -- All othersPennsylvania28% -- West Virginia 26% -- Michigan 18% -- Alabama 30% -- All othersRhode Island?29% -- Michigan 29% -- Alabama 11% -- West Virginia 30% -- All othersSouth Carolina?65% -- Clemson 13% -- Alabama 7% -- Michigan 14% -- All othersSouth Dakota50% -- Nebraska 18% -- Michigan 17% -- Alabama 15% -- All othersTennessee44% -- Alabama 15% -- Clemson 15% -- Michigan 26% -- All othersTexas33% -- Texas A&M 26% -- Alabama 11% -- Michigan 30% -- All othersUtah28% -- Alabama 27% -- Washington 23% -- Michigan 23% -- All othersVermont42% -- Michigan 25% -- Alabama 8% -- Clemson 25% -- All othersVirginia26% -- Alabama 23% -- West Virginia 20% -- Michigan 32% -- All othersWashington79% -- Washington 10% -- Alabama 5% -- Michigan 7% -- All othersWest Virginia83% -- West Virginia 9% -- Alabama 2% -- Michigan 6% -- All othersWisconsin39% -- Michigan 29% -- Alabama 9% -- Nebraska 23% -- All othersWyoming25% -- Nebraska 22% -- Michigan 15% -- Washington 39% -- All others ' ' '