Clan-Members » imposed new rules which have barred some Russian

ORLANDO, Fla. -- After Atlantas offense exploded on them two nights earlier, the Toronto Raptors faced a similar situation in the first quarter Sunday night -- they were leaving Orlando players open, and the inferior Magic were knocking down shots.Only this time, Toronto turned things around. It got back to its defensive principles in the second quarter, and by the second half, Orlando couldnt find an open shot while the Raptors pulled away for a 109-79 victory.Toronto limited the Magic to 28 second-half points and 41 percent shooting, which was in stark contrast to Friday night when Atlanta shot nearly 54 percent from the floor while beating the Raptors 125-121.That was big for us after a lackluster defensive game against Atlanta, said Toronto coach Dwane Casey, whose team has eclipsed 100 points an NBA-best 15 straight times.Thats the way we have to play if we are going to be important, relevant in this league. We have to play with that defensive intensity every night.The Raptors stepped up defensively in the second half, turning a four-point halftime lead into an 84-64 edge by the end of third quarter. Orlando, which has struggled offensively throughout the season, managed just 13 points in the game-changing third quarter.The Magic were 3 for 21 from 3-point range. Evan Fournier led Orlando with 15 points but was plagued by foul trouble and turnovers.We didnt start the game following our game plan very well. We had a good first quarter, said Orlando coach Frank Vogel, whose team dropped to 5-10 at home this season. We didnt play team basketball and it got worse as the game went on. They made their runs and we gave in versus responding.Much of that was because the Magic had few answers for guard DeMar DeRozan and Jonas Valanciunas. Aaron Gordon and Jeff Green took turns getting beat off the dribble and on pullup jumpers by DeRozan, who finished with a game-high 31 points for his fourth-straight 30-point effort.Valanciunas dominated his old teammates Bismack Biyombo and Nikola Vucevic in the post, getting 16 points and 13 rebounds.Just trying to bounce back from a loss, it sucks coming off a loss, DeRozan said. You just want to do whatever you can to get a win and that was my whole mindset tonight.TEMPORARY PROMOTIONRookie Fred VanVleet benefited from extra playing time Sunday with Cory Joseph not dressed due to flu-like symptoms.VanVleet, who has been back-and-forth to the D-League this season, had four points, four assists and three steals in 22 minutes.He came in and there was no let up, Casey said with a smile. I told somebody Cory better hurry up and get well. Footsteps are behind him.UNHAPPY REUNIONBiyombo likely saw his first matchup with his former Raptors teammates going differently than it did Sunday night.He had eight points, three blocked shots and 12 rebounds, but the Magic center also had four turnovers and did little to slow Valanciunas.TIP-INSRaptors: Pascal Siakam had four blocked shots in the first half but also had four fouls before halftime.Magic: Guard Jodie Meeks got a flagrant-1 for a hard foul on Lowry with 6:28 play in the second quarter. ... Elfrid Payton scored 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting off the bench in the first half. ... Orlando has not won back-to-back home games since defeating New Orleans and Dallas on Nov. 16 and Nov. 19, respectively. The Magic beat Brooklyn at home on Friday night.UP NEXTRaptors: Toronto returns home to take on Brooklyn on Tuesday night.Magic: Orlando goes on the road to face Miami on Tuesday night. 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Karim Benzema Jersey .Y. - General manager Billy King says the Brooklyn Nets are looking to add a big man and confirmed the team worked out centre Jason Collins, who would become the first openly gay active NBA player if signed. RIO DE JANEIRO -- The IAAF said Saturday it has banned the only Russian in Olympic track and field from competition and that she is appealing the ruling.The eligibility of long jumper Darya Klishina was revoked by the IAAF based on new information it received last week, spokesman Yannis Nikolaou told The Associated Press.He would not specify what the new information is or who delivered it, though Klishinas attorney, Paul Greene, told the AP the case revolves around scratch marks on Klishinas doping sample bottles, identified as part of World Anti-Doping Agency investigator Richard McLarens work.McLaren has alleged that Russian security services were able to open supposedly tamper-proof bottles with the intent of swapping out tainted samples for clean urine, leaving behind telltale scratch marks on the glass.The basic idea here is that even a clean athlete like Darya is the victim of the state sponsored doping system, Greene added in a text message. At least thats the IAAF position.Greene said he had not seen the underlying evidence in confidential parts of McLarens report.Klishina, a former European indoor champion, previously was the only one of 68 Russians allowed to compete in the sport amid a massive doping scandal. The IAAF had accepted her application because she is based in the United States. The rest of the Russian team was banned over allegations of a widespread, state-sponsored doping program.The Court of Arbitration for Sport said it had received Klishinas appeal of the decision imposed by the IAAFs doping review board. The IOC and Russian Olympic Committee were invited to take part in the hearing. CAS said it hopes to issue its verdict by Sunday night.I am a clean athlete and have proved that already many times and beyond any doubt, Klishina said in a statement on her Facebook page.Based in the U.S. for three years now, I have been almost exclusively tested outside of the anti-doping system in question, she added, an apparent reference to the Russian anti-doping agenccy, which remains suspended over doping cover-ups.ddddddddddddI am falling victim to those who created a system of manipulating our beautiful sport and is guilty of using it for political purposes, she said.I will take every possible effort to protect my clean image as an athlete, Klishina said. At this moment, I cannot help but feel betrayed by a system that is not focused on keeping the sport clean and supporting rank-and-file athletes, but rather seeking victories outside sport arenas.The president of the Russian Olympic Committee, Alexander Zhukov, condemned the IAAF decision. Overall, all of this looks like a mockery of the athlete by the IAAF, he said in a video message posted by the Russian Olympic Committee.The International Olympic Committee ruled out a blanket ban on Russia last month but imposed new rules which have barred some Russian athletes in various sports because their names were implicated in a report by McLaren, who alleged a major doping cover-up.McLaren said he had received leaked emails in which senior Russian Sports Ministry officials discussed whether or not to conceal doping cases related to hundreds of athletes across dozens of Olympic and non-Olympic sports.Some Russian athletes who were named in that report were able to regain their Olympic spots on appeal to the CAS, although others were refused.If Darya Klishina is in the McLaren list, then the IAAF must have been aware of it for a long time, Zhukov said. They, as I understand it, only addressed questions to Klishina on Aug. 6. She answered them, and they only took this decision today, Aug. 13. Why it couldnt have been done while all the other federations were examining the problems with athletes who were in the McLaren list is completely incomprehensible.McLaren has said his investigation is continuing and that more athletes could be implicated as more evidence emerges. ' ' '