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MINNEAPOLIS - Less than 15 minutes after the final buzzer sounded, Kyle Lowry, originally surprised to learn he had recorded his fifth career triple-double and second of the season, lamented his recent shooting slump. "Lately my shot has been off," said Lowry, fresh off a 20-point, 12-rebound, 11-assist performance in the Raptors 111-104 victory over the Timberwolves. "Ive been in a crazy slump for me. Imma find my way out of it." Demanding the best from himself and his team has become the norm for a player that led Toronto in more ways than one on Sunday. Lowry shot just 5-of-13 from the field but it didnt seem to matter much because he did almost everything else. The Raptors point guard knocked down nine of his 10 free throws, netted a couple of steals, found teammates for big shots throughout the evening and helped change the game with his rebounding. As a team, it was their hot shooting that kept the Raptors afloat in the first half, even leading by one at intermission. However, that lead seemed unsustainable at the rate in which Minnesota dominated the trenches. Late in the third quarter, as Lowry wrestled the ball from Nikola Pekovic - a ferocious rebounder with 80 pounds and nearly a foot on the Raptors guard - to give his team another possession, it was clear the momentum had swung. "He did a good job of getting in there, penetrating, finding people," Dwane Casey said of Lowry. "We needed all of his rebounds, especially with the way they crash the boards. He just had an all-around game." After giving up 10 offensive rebounds in the first half - it was the 12th time theyve surrendered at least 10 offensive boards in the last 17 games - the Raptors allowed just six in the seconds half, doubling Minnesotas efforts on the boards, 28-14. Lowry, who had nine rebounds in the final 24 minutes, and his nose for the ball seemed to rub off and inspire his teammates. "Its crazy," DeMar DeRozan said of Lowrys effort. "We all look at one another and realize, what can I do to help him out?" "Just seeing him going there, sometimes he comes out of nowhere and you see him snatch a ball out of a bigs hand, or coming over the top like he has a 42-inch vertical or something. Thats just Kyle, man. Hes hungry for the ball every time the ball goes up." His passion, like his tenacity, has been contagious and his backcourt partner appears to have caught the bug. With just over a minute to go and the shot clock ticking down, up seven, DeRozan took a pass from Lowry. Situated in the left corner, with the Wolves Corey Brewer in his face, he drained the dagger, a three-pointer to put the Raptors up 10. On his way to the Raptors huddle, Minnesota having just called a timeout, a fired-up DeRozan turned to the Wolves bench and shouted a couple of R-rated words that did not sit well with coach Rick Adelman. "They got a little hyped when they made a couple of buckets," said DeRozan, who finished with 25 points. "I kind of got it from Greivis (Vasquez). When he hits a big shot, he always shows off a little bit. Its the competitive level thats in all of us when you hit a big shot." "I like the passion," Casey added. "I think all of our guys are playing with passion, we have to channel it and get it going in the right direction, at the other team. I do like that." It was a rare showing of on-court emotion for the quiet all-star guard but something weve seen a lot more of over the last few weeks. Lowry, who is known for wearing his heart on his sleeve, approves. "When youre an all-star, youre growing up, your true self starts to come out a little bit," he said of his teammate. "Hes a quiet guy but when youre winning and youre a leader, youve got to do it." Listed at a generous 6-feet, Lowry is averaging just under five rebounds per game, good for fourth among NBA point guards, behind only Russell Westbrook, Michael Carter-Williams and Rajon Rondo. Lowry is shooting just 32 per cent from the field, 29 per cent from three-point range - down from 39 per cent on the season - over his last eight games. Its barely affected his overall value to the team and it certainly hasnt hurt the bottom line. Toronto has won six of those eight games and nine of its last 11 contests, surpassing last seasons win total with its 35th victory on Sunday. Without sixth-man Patrick Patterson in the lineup - the Raptors learned he will miss at least 7-10 days with a ligament injury in his right elbow before the game - Steve Novak and Chuck Hayes stepped in and filled that role seamlessly. Hayes strength and on-the-ball defence came in handy against all-star forward Kevin Love - who just missed out on a triple-double, with 26 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists - and Novak knocked down five of his six shots from beyond the arch, contributing 15 points in 19 minutes off the bench. As a team, the Raptors shot 14-of-24 from long distance, with Terrence Ross hitting three of four attempts and DeRozan, as well as Vasquez each drilling a couple threes. The victory was Torontos 18th in its previous 19 meetings with the Wolves, sweeping the season-series for the eighth time in the last 10 years. Now nine games above the .500 mark for the first time this season, the Raptors will travel to Brooklyn to face the Nets - who sit four games back for top spot in the Atlantic Division - in the second night of a back-to-back, for both teams, on Monday. Nike Joyride Run Uk . A larger-than-life personality known for his intimidating style in the 18-yard box, Schmeichels career spanned some 20 years -- including a memorable tenure at Manchester United. Nike Vapormax Uk Ebay . Pominville scored in all three of Minnesotas games last week to help the Wild (8-4-3, 19 points) earn four out of a possible six points. His best performance was in a 4-3 win over Montreal on Friday, where he posted a season-high three points (two goals, one assist), including the game-winning goal. http://www.vapormaxwholesaleuk.com/. The defeat leaves the 41-year-old Nestor to concentrate on the mixed-doubles event after winning 12 straight matches and winning Australian titles in Brisbane and Sydney with two different partners. "This was a little bit of a let down, but all credit to them," said Nestor. Nike Vapormax Uk Ebay . According to USA Today the Finns have tapped forwards Jarkko Immonen and Sakari Salminen to replace injured forwards Mikko Koivu and Valtteri Filppula at the Sochi Games. Nike Vapormax Womens Trainers Sale . Each day, TSN.ca provides the latest rumours, reports and speculation from around the NHL beat. Duck Calling With several marquee centres available via trade and expected to be available via free agency, the Anaheim Ducks could be primed to be big players in the coming days.Even without their most reliable offensive weapon, the Toronto Raptors continue to score at their best pace in franchise history. That pace is likely to continue Sunday night against the Denver Nuggets, who rank among the worst defensive teams in the NBA. DeMar DeRozan, who led Toronto (23-7) in scoring each of the past three seasons, has been sidelined since late November with a groin injury, yet his absence has done little to slow the best team in the Eastern Conference. The Raptors have reached the 110-point mark in each of their past four games, including Saturdays 110-98 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in the second stop on a season-long six-game road trip. Kyle Lowry has emerged as an elite guard with DeRozan out. Hes averaged 22.0 points and 9.0 assists in the 14 games DeRozan has missed after tallying 18.6 and 6.4 in the first 16 contests. Lowry had a game-high 25 points and seven assists Saturday. Were a full team, Lowry said. I mean, we need DeMar back, we want him back and we cant wait for him to get back. But for now, we cant make excuses because DeMars not playing. Its all about the next man up. Were a very deep team. Toronto has also produced quality defensive play during its 7-1 run, holding opponents under 100 points five times in that span. The Raptors are 13-0 this season when accomplishing that feat. Toronto snapped a nine-game skid in Denver (13-17) with a 100-90 victory on Jan. 31, and also took the first meeting this season, 112-107 in overtime on Dec. 8. Lou Williams scored 26 points in that game and has become a key component for one of the best second-units in the NBA.dddddddddddd Williams, along with Greivis Vasquez and Patrick Patterson, headline a bench that scores 39.6 points per game - among the highest marks in the league. Weve got a great bench and we feed off of each other, Vasquez said. It may not show in the stats, but a lot of different guys do a lot of different things. The second (unit) doesnt get as much credit as the starters, but we dont care. Denver won its third straight at home, 106-102 over Minnesota on Friday, as Kenneth Faried collected a season-high 26 points and a career-best 25 rebounds. Facing the defensively-challenged Timberwolves obviously helped as the Nuggets scored 106 points after averaging 84.7 over the previous three games. The other end of the court remains an issue for Denver, which has allowed an average of 106.0 points in its last eight games, excluding a 76-73 win over Indiana on Dec. 20. Everything starts with defense, coach Brian Shaw said. We have to do a better job defensively and have more consistency on that end of the court. Were slipping in terms of were fouling too much. Arron Afflalo chipped in 13 points Friday but shot 4 of 16. Hes connected on only 29.7 percent (19 of 64) from the field over his last five games and is 2 for 21 from 3-point range during that span. He scored 25 on 9-of-14 shooting in the loss to Toronto earlier this month. The Nuggets were without Faried in that contest due to a lower back strain, yet still managed to outrebound the Raptors 49-44. ' ' '