SALT LAKE CITY - Sporting a Seahawks cap during afternoon shootaround, coach Dwane Casey reinforced a sentiment hes preached over and over again since coming to Toronto. "Relentless defence wins in any sport," he said after watching the hard-hitting, opportunistic Seahawks stymie the Broncos and their high-octane offence. Casey didnt have to say much as he and his team watched Seattles dominant Super Bowl victory from their Salt Lake City hotel Sunday night. The message had already been engrained into the mindset of his players and stuck with them in Utah the following evening. "We cant control if our shots go in, we cant make every shot but we can control when we play hard on the defensive end," DeMar DeRozan said after holding Utah to 41 per cent shooting in a 94-79 win over the Jazz Monday. "Were understanding that more and more every game." Again, the Raptors got off to a slow start on the defensive end, something that plagued them in Portland Saturday as their comeback bid eventually fell short. The Jazz shot 50 per cent and scored 27 points, closing out the opening quarter with a three-point lead before Toronto tightened the screws in the second frame. Utah scored just 17 points in the second quarter, shooting 35 per cent from the field, 0-of-7 from three-point range and was held without a single assist. The Jazz didnt score more than 18 points in any quarter after the first. "Thats an issue with our team," Casey said before the game. "For whatever reason we turn up the intensity after halftime. I dont know if they like hearing me go ballistic at halftime." "Its one of our unfortunate traits, I would say, but again well take [the win]." The Raptors resiliency was tested again as Kyle Lowry - fresh off being named Eastern Conference Player of the Month - left for the locker room late in the third quarter to get treatment on a sore right knee. Lowry has been the teams most consistent contributor but seemed off his game, shooting 1-for-8 in 25 minutes before he was ruled out for the fourth quarter. The good news is the injury doesnt appear to be a serious one. Lowry has been battling soreness in the knee for about a week, playing through it and playing well, but on Monday he couldnt get it loose. "I couldnt help my team as much as I wanted to," said Lowry, who expects to play in Sacramento on Wednesday. "I trust my teammates would get the job done and thats what they did tonight." Torontos depth and team chemistry came through with Lowry on the sideline. Greivis Vasquez, who returned from a bout of the flu, stepped in at the point and scored 12 off the bench. Amir Johnson - playing on a sore right ankle - looked better, recording a double-double. Jonas Valanciunas had one of his better games in a tough matchup against Enes Kanter and John Salmons chipped in with 13 off the bench. As it has been when one Raptor struggles or gets hurt, the next man steps up. "Thats what it is, I think were playing for each other," Vasquez said. "I want Kyle to get healthy, I want the best for each and every one of us so thats important, man. When you have a team that has such a great atmosphere in the locker room, that care about each other, its going to be scary." Most importantly, it was the defensive effort that carried them to their sixth win over the last eight games. Casey preaches it every day and his troops have all bought in. Theyve seen how far it can take them. "The good thing about it is our players were talking about it last night watching the [Super Bowl]," said the Raptors coach. "Our guys were talking about how [the Seahawks] were hitting people and thats what Ive been preaching and am preaching, hit first." "Basketball-wise, its a little bit different but you can be aggressive for 48 minutes, take away options, take away passing lanes, bump cutters, box out [and] hit people coming for rebounds." Casey, an assistant with the Sonics for 11 years, resides in Seattle during the offseason and was invited to visit the Seahawks training camp a couple summers ago, where he - along with Blazers coach and good friend Terry Stotts - got the opportunity to watch Pete Carroll at work. The takeaway for Casey was to fully embrace and stay true to his philosophy as a head coach. "[Carroll is] a guy thats comfortable in his skin and Im at that point in my career too," he said. "In his first couple of tries he tried to do it the way the organization wanted to do it and he was trying to please everybody. I think you have to coach to your personality and to the personality of your team and thats what he conveyed to [Stotts] and I when we met with him" That philosophy - defence first, second and third - has been hammered home since day one and the results are beginning to reflect it. Entering Mondays games the Raptors ranked sixth in defensive efficiency, just behind the leagues heavy hitters (Indiana, Chicago, Golden State, Oklahoma City and San Antonio). On Monday they surrendered just 79 points, matching the second lowest total theyve given up all year. "I dont care who is playing, when you play the Utah Jazz, its a brand of basketball thats very difficult," Casey said. "Youre going to have to grind it out, youre going to have to earn every inch, every yard in this place and we did tonight." "The rest of the way, before the [All-Star] break, were going to have to grind it out mentally and physically," he continued. "Thats how its going to be because people are going to come out throwing haymakers at us and weve got to be physically and mentally prepared for it." On the season, theyre now 22-6 when holding teams under 100 points. Theyre 20-4 when opponents shoot below 45 per cent. Chris Owings Jersey . Although Spain could still advance out of the group stage, the game may have signalled the end of the run by a generation of Spanish stars whose quick passing, "tiki-taka" style delighted the world and helped them win the last three major tournaments. Babe Ruth Jersey . scored 18 of his career- high 28 points in the first half, as fifth-ranked Ohio State dominated No. https://www.cheapredsox.com/2181z-jimmie...ey-red-sox.html. -- Maxence Parrot of Bromont, Que. Josh A. Smith Red Sox Jersey . Dancevic won his singles match on Friday, defeating Go Soeda 6-4, 7-6 (2), 6-1, to even the best-of-five series at a game apiece. World No. 18 Kei Nishikori defeated Peter Polansky in the opening match, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. Brandon Workman Red Sox Jersey . Toronto (11-12) gave up leads in 10-8 and 11-4 losses to the Baltimore Orioles this week. It was never close Friday as the Boston Red Sox got to Mark Buehrle early en route to an 8-1 win.ST. LOUIS - At the trade deadline in July, the Cardinals appeared to be in the market for starting pitching. Instead, St. Louis stood pat and trusted their young arms. That trust paid off - in a trip to the World Series. Michael Wacha capped a nearly untouchable month by being selected the NL championship series MVP after outpitching Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw for the second time in a 9-0 win in Game 6 Friday night. Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright, a 19-game winner, said the 22-year-old rookie has been so good he wouldnt be surprised if Wacha was on the mound for Game 1 of the Fall Classic on Wednesday at the winner of the ALCS between Boston and Detroit. "I told them if we have enough time off they might try to get Michael back for Game 1," Wainwright said during the Cardinals celebration Friday. "You never know." Joe Kelly was the strongest member of the rotation for a long stretch in the summer and has been tough in the post-season, too. Closer Trevor Rosenthal hit 100 mph on the stadium radar in finishing off the Cardinals 19th NL pennant, tied with the Giants for the most in the league. Carlos Martinez emerged as the setup man, 41st-round draft pick Kevin Siegrist had a lights-out 0.43 ERA and Seth Maness was one of the best at inducing the double-play ball. Kelly is in his second season and the rest are rookies, all of them enjoying themselves in the post-season instead of stressing out about the implications of each pitch. Wacha made his major league debut in late May, but he was back at Triple-A Memphis when many of his teammates were promoted. "They were performing at a high level, they werent letting a lot of things affect them," Wacha said. "So whenever I got called up, I felt like I had to hang with these guys." The Cardinals have a mid-level payroll with a handful of high-paid players and rely heavily on a system that keeps promoting prospects - who keep coming through. After dispatching the free-spending Dodgers, theyre seeking their second title in three years and third since 2006. "Payrolls arent playing, the players are playing," chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said. As the rookie fill-closer on a veteran-laden team, Wainwright got the final out of the NLCS and World Series in 06. The current crop is a lot deeper, influencing general manager John Mozeliaks no-deal strategy. Wacha leads the way, a little more than a year after thhe Cardinals drafted him in the first round out of Texas A&M.dddddddddddd The 6-foot-6 right-hander held the Nationals to no-hits for 8 2-3 innings in his final start of the season and is 3-0 with an 0.43 ERA in three post-season starts. He kept the Cardinals alive in Game 4 of division series at Pittsburgh. "I think our general manager had a pretty good plan," Wainwright said. "I think he knew he had an ace in the hole. I think the rest of the world wanted him to go out and sign a big-name starting pitcher." Turns out they had more than enough pitching to overcome serious setbacks to three-fifths of the starting rotation entering spring training, Edward Mujicas collapse the final month after earning 35 saves and the failures of other projected bullpen stalwarts. It was enough to sideline Shelby Miller, too. Miller led all rookies with 15 wins and was in the rotation from opening day, but he has barely pitched in the post-season. Chris Carpenter, 2005 NL Cy Young Award winner, has been out all year with a nerve ailment that could end his career and Jaime Garcia underwent shoulder surgery in midseason. Jake Westbrook, dogged by elbow and back injuries, was barely used the final month and hasnt been on the post-season roster. Cleanup man Allen Craig could be ready to contribute, as a DH or more, after ramping up his rehab program and getting favourable results. The first baseman-outfielder been out since early September with a mid-left foot sprain. "I cant put myself on the roster, but I feel pretty good and Im excited about what lies ahead," said Craig, whose .454 average with runners I scoring position led the majors. "I feel ready." Elder statesman Carlos Beltran is fired up about the first World Series appearance of his 16-year career. He was the offensive star of the NLCS and made some key plays in right field, too. "My legs are fine, man, my legs are good," Beltran said. "Im very happy." Beltran has three go-ahead hits in the post-season and 12 RBIs, a number that should boost his profile entering free agency. The Cardinals have to be interested even though theyll be trying to find regular duty for Matt Adams, the stand-in first baseman in place of Craig, and top outfield prospect Oscar Taveras. Also, big contracts for Chris Carpenter, Jake Westbrook and Rafael Furcal are expiring. But thats for later. ' ' '