TORONTO - When Patrick Patterson learned he would be making his first start as a member of the Raptors just prior to Monday nights game he wasnt exactly caught off guard by the news. With the first unit struggling of late and Amir Johnson - one of the teams iron men - hobbling on an injured right ankle, Patterson knew he could get the nod in a challenging matchup against one of the leagues up and coming players at his position. Although it likely wasnt an easy sell, Dwane Casey and the coaching staff made the decision to rest Johnson, who had not missed a game due to injury in nearly two years, opening the door for his backup. "I started in Houston so its not new," said Patterson, downplaying his role in Torontos 108-101 home win over the Pelicans after scoring a season-best 22 points. "Its just all about making sure I have a positive role and I know my role on the team… making sure Im a significant part of our teams success." Since coming over in the seven-player trade from Sacramento in early December, Patterson has seen his role increase steadily, earning the trust of his coach and becoming the Raptors most reliable reserve. After Johnson was ruled out, Casey expressed concern about disrupting the chemistry of his second unit by removing a key cog in Patterson, however the forwards recent play made the decision an easy one. "I thought the matchup with (Anthony) Davis was a good one for him," Casey said of Patterson, who has scored in double figures 13 times over his last 20 games, averaging 12.0 points and 5.7 rebounds, shooting 53 per cent from the field in under 24 minutes per contest during that stretch. "(Patterson) was able to stretch the defence and give us some offensive punch." Patterson gave the Raptors a lift where they needed it most. Toronto had been outscored in the opening quarter of the last four games, all on the road, before returning home Monday and getting off to a rare but crucial quick start against Davis and the Pelicans. Patterson - along with Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan - was one of three Raptors to score seven points in the first frame, knocking down both of his shots and helping his team take a 31-20 lead into the second period. Thats where Pattersons presence was missed, as Torontos bench came in and squandered a 15-point advantage. Led by reserve guard Tyreke Evans, New Orleans ripped off a 26-11 run to end the half and would go into the break knotted up with Toronto at 49 points apiece. "For whatever reason we are losing leads with our second unit, what its doing is putting a lot of pressure on our starters and putting them in big minute situations," said Casey with both DeRozan and Lowry hovering around 40 minutes on Monday. "I think they just have to get their rhythm back. Taking (Patterson) off the second unit hurts them a bit, but still we have to get a rhythm with that second unit so we can rest our starters." Heavy mileage has taken its toll on Johnson. The Raptors forward turned his ankle in a win over the Magic late last month - the most recent in a series of ankle injuries - and, to character, had played and started in all five games since. He could have done the same Monday if necessary, Casey indicated before the game, but with the all-star break around the corner and his team poised to make a playoff run over the next couple months, Johnson finally got some much-needed rest. "Its tough to replace a guy like Amir," DeRozan said of Johnson, who had not missed a game to injury since Mar. 5, 2012 (he was suspended for one game last year and sat out the previous season finale). "Everybody has to step up and try to do a little more (without him). Everybody understands their role and once they [saw] Amir [was] out, [they had] to step up and hold down the fort until he gets back." "Were deep," said Lowry, coming off his best game since before the road trip, scoring 19 points to go along with 12 assists and seven boards, five of them offensive. "Thats how we play, thats how we roll. 15 deep." Patterson started six games with the Kings earlier this season and has made 54 starts during his four year career, most of them as a member of the Rockets. With Patterson stepping into the first unit, Tyler Hansbrough - who has fallen out of favour since returning from an ankle injury last month - took advantage of the opportunity he was given off the bench, scoring 12 points and grabbing six rebounds in 14 minutes. "Tyler and Patrick both carried us tonight," Casey said. "I thought they were huge in their minutes." "Tyler came in and was a pro. He brings physicality to the game that we need." Patterson and Hansbrough shared the assignment of neutralizing Davis, the Pelicans second-year forward, who has been a revelation in the Western Conference this season. Davis scored just two points, hitting one of his six shots in his first appearance at the Air Canada Centre exactly a year ago Monday but hes come a long way since then. The first-time all-star is one of five players averaging over 20 points and 10 rebounds and the only one doing so while shooting over 50 per cent from the field. Hes also on pace to become just the fifth player since 1973 to lead the NBA in blocks in his first or second season. "Anthony Davis is one of the most skilled big guys in the league," Casey said before the game, comparing him to a young Kevin Garnett. Davis was glued to the bench in foul trouble late in the third as the Raptors made their run and finished the game with 19 points and seven rebounds while Evans, 24 hours after being bench for disciplinary reasons, had 23 points and 10 assists off the bench for New Orleans. Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 35 Herr . Lupul injured the hand in a fall at practice on Thursday. He will wear a cast for a minimum of 10 days before he can put a glove back on it and get some mobility back, said Carlyle, who added the winger wont go on the teams upcoming road trip. Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 36 Herr . First-half goals by Will Bruin and Oscar Boniek Garcia sucked the life out of the Impact as the Houston Dynamo bounced them from Major League Soccers post-season with a 3-0 victory on Thursday. http://www.airvapormaxsverige.com/air-max-plus-tn-rea.html . The match, billed as a "next-gen" encounter between two of the sports rising stars, lasted two and a half hours. The loss kept Raonic, from Thornhill, Ont., from reaching a third fourth-round spot in Melbourne over the past four years. Nike Air Max Plus Rea . The 10-year deal the league and players agreed to that ended the 2011 lockout gave either side the right to opt out after six years. With the league projecting financial growth, there has been speculation that players will take that option in three years, especially since a new national TV contract will be in place by then. Nike Zoom Sverige . -- LaMarcus Aldridge returned to the Trail Blazers lineup, happy to know that things didnt go awry without him.SAN JOSE, Calif. - San Jose Sharks coach Todd McLellan refused to dwell on any negatives that came out of a wild finish. Joe Pavelski scored with just under 20 seconds left in regulation to tie the game and Logan Couture and Patrick Marleau tallied in the shootout, lifting the San Jose Sharks to a 5-4 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Monday night. "Pav has been a real clutch player over the past two weeks for us, hes kind of the go-to guy right now, he seems to be getting it done," McLelland said. "He did it again tonight for us. Were happy for him and for us." Erik Johnson and Jamie McGinn scored goals 12 seconds apart in the final two minutes to put the Avalanche ahead. Asked about Niemi giving up the two quick goals, McLellan responded, "You know what, its Christmas. Lets all go home and enjoy it, and Ill answer those questions when we come back." Johnsons extra-man goal slipped under the left shoulder of Sharks goalie Antti Niemi to knot things, and McGinns goal also came with an extra skater as he beat Niemi to the stick side. "It was a high to tie it, a high to go ahead and then a crashing low when they tied it," Johnson said. "It was a strange game probably from the perspective of both teams. A very strange game at the end." Pavelski tied it after taking a pass from Joe Thornton, who has an 11-game point streak against the Avalanche. Matt Irwin scored a power-play goal late in the second period to put the Sharks ahead 3-2 and set up the wild finish. "We all knew we had about a minute and whatever left to get the tying goal," Irwin said. "The leadership group did a great job. They got out there and they capitalized. Joe made a great play to Joe. Thats what those guys do." Jason Demers and Brent Burns also scored for the Sharks, who have won four of six. "It was a crazy ending," Burns said. "Im ssure coaches dont like seeing that too often.ddddddddddddI think we get angry a little bit, but as a group I think were pretty confident and it was just a matter of who was going to step up and get that next goal." Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog also scored for the Avalanche, who lost for the third time in four games. Niemi made 29 saves to record his 19th victory and improve to 7-1-3 against Colorado. Semyon Varlamov stopped 41 shots to lose for the fourth time in eight games against the Sharks. "Its too bad, but at the same time we showed a lot of character," Avalanche coach Patrick Roy said. "We played well in the third period. We scored two big goals and then they made a great play to tie it." In the first of four meetings between the teams, two fights in the first nine minutes set the stage for a physical game. MacKinnons power-play goal midway through the first period gave the Avalanche the early lead. Ryan OReillys pass set up MacKinnons goal, a shot that beat Niemi to the glove side. Demers scored his second goal in two games, beating Varlamov over the right shoulder and tying the game at 1-1 with six minutes left in the first period. Landeskog scored his first goal in 11 games in the final minute to put Colorado ahead 2-1 after one period. Burns scored after taking a drop pass from Thornton six minutes into the second period to make it 2-2. NOTES: Sharks rookie F Tomas Hertl will undergo knee surgery sometime this week, the injury a result of a knee-on-knee collision with Los Angeles Kings Dustin Brown. "Its going to be longer than a month," Sharks GM Doug Wilson said. Hertl will also miss playing in the Olympics with the Czech Republic. . Avalanche D Jan Hejda played in his 500th career game. . Avalanche D Tyson Barrie had his career-high four-game point streak snapped. . Thornton has 49 points in 40 games against Colorado. ' ' 'Mariota was pushed around by Stanford on Thursday, finishing 20/34 with 250 yards and two touchdowns in Oregons Title hope-crushing defeat, hes going to need a poor performance or two from the remaining frontrunners to have a shot at the most coveted individual trophy in college sports. Steph Curry Shoes Free Shipping .C. -- Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe is resigning after 13 seasons at the school. Steph Curry Shoes From China .C. -- Unable to get much lift off his sore right ankle, Bobcats centre Al Jefferson figured it was time to make an adjustment.The last time the Canadian and American mens hockey teams met at the Olympics, Sidney Crosbys golden goal electrified the entire country. This time, the two nations meet not for the gold medal, but for a chance at it. Listen on TSN Radio as Canada takes on the United States in the semifinals at 11:30am et/8:30am pt. For Canada, the semifinal offers another chance for their talented forward corps to break out of their goal-scoring funk. Of the 13 goals Canada has scored at the 2014 Games, only six have come from their forwards. Jeff Carter of the Los Angeles Kings remains the only Canadian forward to have scored multiple goals in Sochi, having notched a natural hat trick against Austria in the preliminary round. The United States, meanwhile, has seen their offence click on all cylinders – scoring a tournament-high 20 goals through the quarter-final round. Toronto Maple Leafs forward Phil Kessel leads all Olympians with eight points and five goals through four games. He and his linemates – San Jose Sharks centre Joe Pavelski and his Toronto teammate James van Riemsdyk – have combined for 18 points so far at the tournament. The American attack has been the opposite of the Canadians thus far at the Games, with all but three of their goals coming from their forward ranks. While the Americans are expected to ice the same lineup they have employed throughout the Games thus far, injuries have necessitated a change up front for the Canadians.dddddddddddd New York Islanders captain John Tavares suffered a knee injury that put an end to his NHL season in Canadas quarterfinal game against Latvia. He will be replaced up front by Matt Duchene. Canadas Carey Price goes into the game with a .941 save precentage while Jonathan Quick is not far behind at .935. Canada has won three of their four meetings with the United States since the NHL began full Olympic participation in 1998. The United States only win came in the preliminary round of the 2010 Games. Both teams enter the semifinals at the Sochi Olympics with unbeaten records after finishing atop their respective qualifying groups. Both teams, however, have been pushed to the limit at least once by their opposition. T.J. Oshie earned his Sochi celebrity by carrying the U.S. to a shootout win over Russia in the preliminary round. Canada, meanwhile, needed overtime to beat Finland in their Group B matchup. The winner of the Canada-U.S. matchup will meet the winner of Fridays other semifinal between Sweden and Finland in Sundays gold medal game. ' ' '