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Topic Started: Dec 7 2012, 02:44 PM (16 Views)
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MILWAUKEE -- In the end, there wasnt anything Brandon Jennings, Monta Ellis or anybody else could do to save the Milwaukee Bucks faint playoff hopes. Pierre Garcon Womens Jersey . Not even winning. Jennings scored 25 points in the Bucks 92-86 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Monday, but Milwaukees post-season fate had already been decided. The Philadelphia 76ers beat the New Jersey Nets earlier in the night, clinching the Eastern Conferences final playoff spot and eliminating the Bucks from contention. "Im disappointed -- very disappointed," Bucks coach Scott Skiles said. "We didnt get done what we were expected to get done, so if everybody in there is not very, very disappointed, then weve got big problems." Ersan Ilyasova added 19 points and 15 rebounds for Milwaukee. Ellis played despite an injury to his shooting hand, scoring 17 points on 4-for-14 shooting. Skiles said he wasnt sure how badly the injury was bothering Ellis, but said the guard left the bench and went to the locker room with just over a minute left in the game. "He battled through it tonight," Skiles said. "But with like a minute to go, a minute-five, I guess, he said he couldnt go any more so he went in the locker room." James Johnson had 22 points and 13 rebounds for the Raptors, who have lost four straight games. Torontos DeMar DeRozan was ejected in the second quarter after he was called for travelling and threw the ball down the court in protest. "No matter how tough it gets or how much frustration sets in, fatigue, whatever it is, youve got to buckle up and roll with it," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "We talked about it after the game and its a teaching moment for him. Its part of his maturity process. When youre the man on the team, youve got to be responsible for that." But even without DeRozan -- the top scorer in Torontos lineup with Andrea Bargnani out injured -- the Raptors stayed in control of the game going into the fourth quarter. With the Bucks trailing by two points, Jennings converted a three-point play and Ellis made two free throws to give Milwaukee an 82-79 lead with 3:27 left. After a technical foul on Torontos Linas Kleiza, Jennings hit a free throw for a four-point lead with 2:42 left. "We cant let frustration set in," Casey said. "Weve got to finish the games in professional ways and play the game the right way. It was clearly a foul on (Kleiza). He ran over a guy and compounded it with a technical. Hopefully, we learned from it. Thats what were teaching right now." Toronto cut the lead to three points with 32.6 seconds left, but Ilyasova hit two free throws to put the game away. The Raptors had 22 turnovers, including nine in the fourth quarter. "I think we just lost our composure," guard Ben Uzoh said. Trailing the 76ers by three games in the standings going into Monday night, the Bucks needed to win their final three games and have the 76ers lose their last three to make the playoffs. The 76ers visit the Bucks on Wednesday night, and Milwaukee was hoping to make that game meaningful. "I didnt really know until after the game that they had clinched," Jennings said. Instead, Wednesday will just be a playoff tuneup for Philadelphia. "We were rooting for New Jersey, but it didnt work out in our favour," Drew Gooden said. "We handled our business tonight, but it is what it is." The Bucks trailed by five points at halftime, then allowed the Raptors to begin the third quarter with a 13-4 run. Toronto took a 61-47 lead on a jumper by Gary Forbes, who was knocked to the court and got up limping after the shot. Forbes was able to stay in the game. After a fourth-quarter rally couldnt save their playoff hopes, Jennings says the Bucks are playing for pride in their last two games. "We still didnt make the playoffs, but if we win these last two games, at least we went out with some wins, and went out with pride and dignity," Jennings said. Notes: Casey started James Johnson instead of Aaron Gray, moving Amir Johnson to centre. "Im putting things together," James Johnson said. "Now that we have a couple of guys out Im finally putting the pieces together and its working out." ... Milwaukee was without Carlos Delfino because of a right groin injury and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute because of a sore right knee. ... It was Jennings fourth straight game with 25 or more points. Sean Taylor Jersey . Two hours after declaring the Stade de France field fit to play on, referee Dave Pearson postponed the match moments before the 9 p.m. kickoff, when the temperature was minus-5 Celsius, with a wind chill of minus-11. Ryan Kerrigan Womens Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. http://www.redskinsfansstore.com/london-fletcher-jersey . The Atlanta Braves star third baseman quickly realized there was no need for concern. Jones came off the disabled list and began his final season in the majors with a single and a two-run homer to help the Braves get their first win of the season, 6-4 over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night. Sonny Jurgensen Jersey . "Im really excited to be back in Toronto," said Sanderson. "The goal is to win a championship and I want to do that for the best organization in the league. Robert Griffin III Youth Jersey . -- Former NFL star Warren Sapp owes more than $6.ABBOTSFORD, B.C. -- Matt Lashoff is the kind of leader every team needs. The quality made him so endearing that the then-injured Toronto Marlies defenceman began travelling with the team at the onset of their playoff run solely for that reason. After playing 11 games with the Maple Leafs toward the end of last season, the former first round pick was hoping to be among the teams first AHL call-ups this season. Those hopes were dashed after injuring his knee during a game at the end of October on what Marlies head coach Dallas Eakins called a "questionable hit." A resulting torn anterior cruciate ligament required surgery followed by gruelling rehab, which he completed in just over six months. Typical recovery is between eight and 12 months. "Once the injury happened, it was a pretty big shock to my system," said the 25-year-old. "I pretty much focused on setting my mind set straight, once I got the surgery, to work hard and I gave myself the goal of coming back for the playoffs." Still rehabbing as the playoffs began, Eakins made the unusual request to Lashoff of asking him to re-join the team despite his inability to play. "I want those guys around ...," said Eakins, after the Marlies advanced past the Abbotsford Heat on Wednesday with a 3-2 win to take the second-round series in five games. "Thats a guy that has a new baby at home. Knowing that when hes not playing, hed rather be at home with his wife and new baby, he knows the importance of leadership, he bought into that." Lashoff began participating in full practice early during the playoffs with hopes of getting into a game, but odds werent great. "When the playoff roster did come out, from the doctors point of view, there was no chance of me coming back and thats a tough thing, not to be able to be relied on on a day-to-day basis," he said. Theres wasnt much room for Lashoff on an already deep defence corps. With Marlies stalwarts Korbinian Holzer, Juraj Mikus and Simon Gysbers playing well and joined for the playoffs by Leafs rookie sensation Jake Gardiner as well as talented rookie Jesse Blacker, it seemed likelier Lashoff would get his first taste of game action in training camp. "I was convinced I was ready," said Lashoff. "My body felt good, my knee felt good. Any time you miss that amount of time, its going to be tough to come back no matter what the situation and obviously it was a little bit bigger of a test comiing into a second round series. Charles Mann Jersey. I obviously had to attack it the right way but I felt it went well." Lashoff could have packed it in and used the summer to further rehabilitate his rebuilt knee, but instead the pending restricted free agent wanted to assure both himself and potential future employers that he was medically sound. His moment arrived in Game 4 against Abbotsford when Eakins inserted Lashoff into the lineup for his first game action in 191 days. He acquitted himself well, finishing with an even rating with two penalty minutes, but his off-ice intangibles outweighed his contributions on the score sheet. "I had a lot of confidence in him, so I had absolutely no reservations," said Eakins. "Hes a veteran guy that has worked extremely hard to come back from a real tough injury. The other thing about Lashoff is hes a great leader. Hes a guy that you want in your dressing room, a part of your team." Lashoff was in street clothes again the following night when the Marlies clinched the series. Eakins erred on the side of caution, but the coach was happy just to have the now-healthy defender in the team environment. Lashoff is quick to sing his coachs praises. Eakins forged a niche as a rough-and-tumble player through an 18-year professional career and has endeared himself to his players as a coach. "He was a guy that was right by my side when I got hurt and throughout the rehab process he was a guy I could lean on if I wanted to do certain stuff rehab-wise or workout-wise," said Lashoff. "He was there pushing me and keeping me positive throughout the whole thing." Lashoff has 16 points in 74 career NHL games since being chosen 22nd overall in the 2005 draft by the Boston Bruins, and is still young enough to contribute in a depth role to an NHL team. But with the Leafs blue-line seemingly full and the Marlies boasting NHL-ready options in Holzer and Blacker, Lashoffs future with the organization seems cloudy. Still, getting that first game out of the way and no longer having the prospect of an uncertain summer of rehab hanging over his head is a relief. "Thats a huge thing mentally for myself. It was huge not only for contract status but for my own healthy mindset ...," he said. "I can come in next season and be strong and not worrying about doing simple little things for your knee and compensating. I can actually go to the gym and have a normal summer." ' ' '
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