There has to be an immense level of comfort in a first-place team losing eight of 11 and its division lead dwindling by only one half of a game. That was the case for the Toronto Raptors earlier this month while the Brooklyn Nets missed their chance to make things interesting in the Atlantic Division. As the Nets continue their slide, the Raptors visit Barclays Center tonight seeking a fifth straight win to further pad their sizable advantage in the standings. You can watch the game live on TSN1, TSN3, TSN4, TSN5 and TSN GO at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt, or listen live on TSN Radio 1050 Toronto. The Raptors (31-15) entered their poor stretch with a 9 1/2-game lead over second-place Brooklyn (18-27) on Dec. 29. After a Jan. 21 loss at Memphis completed the 3-8 slump, their lead had been trimmed to nine with the Nets going 4-8 in that span. Brooklyn, which will remain without Deron Williams against Toronto, has since lost three straight and seen the deficit balloon to 12 1/2. A return to offensive normalcy has spearheaded Torontos recovery. The Eastern Conferences top scoring team (106.0 points per game) had been limited to 98.7 on the slide, but has averaged 107.0 since. Wednesdays 119-102 home win over Sacramento marked the Raptors best total in a victory since winning 123-104 at Utah on Dec. 3. Against the Kings, 65 of those points came in the second half. We played like a winning team in the second half, a team thats on a mission, coach Dwane Casey said. Their 17 3-pointers were their most since making a franchise-record 21 on March 13, 2005, and their 50.0 percent effort turned the page on a seven-game stretch in which they shot 26.3 percent from beyond the arc. Guard Greivis Vasquez had 18 points and hit 4 of 5 from long range, while reserve guard Lou Williams scored a game-high 27. We want to continue this winning streak and then continue to get better, Vasquez said. A loss to the Nets, who have dropped six straight at home to match their longest skid in Brooklyn, would curb any progress. The franchise hasnt lost seven straight at home since Feb. 3-22, 2012. The Nets 2-11 overall stretch has included just 90.7 points per game while shooting 42.9 percent, including 26.7 from 3-point range. Wednesdays 113-102 loss in Atlanta completed a 1-3 road trip that wasnt quite as embarrassing as the previous two games. Altogether on the losing streak, theyve been at a 114.7-86.3 scoring disadvantage while allowing the Los Angeles Clippers, Jazz and Hawks to shoot 52.9 percent. With Joe Johnson and Jarrett Jack revived, Nets coach Lionel Hollins viewed the loss to the top team in the East as more of a positive for his teams direction. Johnson, who was held to 15 points over the previous two games while playing under 29 minutes in each due to knee tendinitis, had a team-high 26 points, and Jack had 14 points and a career-high 13 assists against one turnover. The snowstorm, and the (postponement of Mondays home game against Portland), we got three days off, Hollins told the teams official website. We got some pep in our step. Joes tendinitis was able to cool down a little bit. Jarrett was able to sit for a couple of days so we came out with a lot more pep. Williams (rib) has returned to practice but will miss his 11th straight game, according to the teams official Twitter feed. The Raptors opened the season series with a 105-89 home win Dec. 17 for their third win in four games against the Nets. Torontos Kyle Lowry had 20 points and is averaging 24.0 while shooting 53.2 percent in the last three meetings. Custom Los Angeles Lakers Jerseys . Leave it to Matt Niskanen, the newly proclaimed Eddie Haskell of the Washington Capitals. Fake Lakers Jerseys . Both sides came closest to scoring in the first half, when Roma had a goal from Mattia Destro waved off for offside and Inters Rodrigo Palacio headed high. "A draw was a fair result. Neither squad had many chances," Roma midfielder Miralem Pjanic said. https://www.lakersjerseycheap.com/. He says he will have the operation Wednesday and be ready in time for training camp in September. Bernier missed five games in March due to the injury. Los Angeles Lakers Shirts . -- Phil Mickelson will be watching the final two rounds of the Masters from home for the first time in 17 years. Stitched Lakers Jerseys . QUARTERBACKS Carson Palmer (vs Colts)Last week: 30/42, 419 yards, 2 TDsWinners of their last three and now tied for the final wild card spot in the NFC, the Cardinals are worth keeping an eye on. SAO PAULO, Brazil -- Two substitutes, two goals. Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal can, it seems, do no wrong at this World Cup. He sent on replacements Leroy Fer and Memphis Depay in the second half of the match against Chile on Monday and they scored both goals in a 2-0 win that confirmed the Dutch as Group B winners with a maximum nine points. "It is luck," Van Gaal himself said about his super substitutions. "Just luck." But it was more than that. Fer, listed by FIFA as 6 feet 2 inches (188 cm) tall, scored with a header a minute after coming on as a substitute for the 5-foot-6-inch (171 cm) Wesley Sneijder. "I know Leroy Fer is tall compared with our opponents. I know he can head the ball well," Van Gaal said. Then there was Depay. "We analyzed that Chile in the last 15 minutes gives away more room," Van Gaal said. "If you have a creative player in at that moment, you have the chance to use that space." Manchester United, which hired Van Gaal to restore its fortunes after a disastrous season by the clubs lofty standards, must be delighted even if it has to wait a bit longer for him to join them after the World Cup. Chile, one of the most attacking and attractive teams at the World Cup, had no answer at the Itaquerao Stadium, especially not without midfielder Arturo Vidal who watched from the bench. "I played the best team I had," said Chile coach Jorge Sampaoli. Juventus star Vidal had knee surgery before the tournament and had a sore Achilles tendon but said a day before the match he felt fit and ready to play. Both teams had already advanced to the second round, but Chiles first loss of the tournament consigned it to second place in Group B and a meeting with host Brazil in Belo Horizonte. The Dutch next travel to Fortaleza to play Group A runner-up Mexico in the round of 16 on June 29. Chile began with its trademark fast, attacking style while the Dutch, with a five-man defence, looked content to sit back, absorb the pressure and break out with swift counterattacks. "We gave nothing away and fought like lions," stannd-in captain Robben said.dddddddddddd "Orange lions." The match marked the first time at this World Cup the Netherlands had played in its national colour, but the change of jerseys didnt change its fortunes. Vidals absence deprived Chile of midfield creativity and it struggled to break down the well-drilled Dutch defence. Barcelona forward Alexis Sanchez tried to fill the gap left by Vidal, but couldnt find a way through. He came closest to scoring in the second half with a powerful shot that Jasper Cillessen easily blocked at his near post. "Im very proud of this team," Robben said. "If you see how we fought here today. We were right on top of them and gave them no chances." The Netherlands was playing without suspended captain and striker Robin van Persie and was also missing defender Bruno Martins Indi, who suffered a concussion in the teams last match, a tough 3-2 victory over Australia in Porto Alegre. No problem for inspirational coach Van Gaal, who pulled a tactical surprise with his starting lineup -- reverting to the 5-3-2 formation he began with against Spain and posting veteran forward Dirk Kuyt, in his 99th international, at left back. "I enjoyed it," Kuyt said. "I never played in this position but the coach told me a couple of weeks ago that it could be a possibility during the tournament and I told him that I would be ready for it and I was very happy I get the chance. I think it went very well and hopefully I will get another chance." Then came Van Gaals substitutions. Fer headed in powerfully and Depay doubled his World Cup tally in stoppage time. Robben delayed his cross from the left cleverly until the PSV Eindhoven striker arrived at the far post -- also delaying his run by a split second to shrug off his marker -- to tap in an inch-perfect pass. "He is a huge talent and great for the future of Dutch football," Fer said of Depay. Robben said that after three wins out of three, the Dutch squad is hungry for more. "We can enjoy this fantastic performance, but it must not stop here," he said. ' ' '