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. Nolan Carroll Jersey . "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. Emmitt Smith Jersey .com) - Rakeem Christmas scored 21 points, B. Bob Lilly Jersey . In the Brewers six games this season, no starter has allowed more than three runs. "We see the guy in front of us do a great job and we want to do even better," Gallardo said after the Brewers beat the Red Sox 4-0 on Sunday, his second straight scoreless start. http://www.shoptheofficialcowboys.com/Elite-Roger-Staubach-Cowboys-Jersey/ . Watch the action live on TSN and listen on TSN 1050 Radio beginning at 7pm et/4pm pt. The Raptors maintained their spot atop the Atlantic Friday after defeating the Wizards, 96-88, for their second win in a row. KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Justin Maxwell has provided a huge boost for Kansas City since coming over from the Astros. Maxwell homered and then singled twice in a six-run sixth as the Kansas City Royals rallied for a 9-6 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Friday night. The Royals have won 15 of their past 17 games to move seven games above .500, matching their best record of the season. They are 4 1-2 games back in the wild-card standings. "Its just team chemistry, no matter whos at the plate or whos on the mound, we all have each others backs," Maxwell said. "Thats the main thing." Maxwell, who the Royals acquired on July 31 from the Astros for a minor league pitcher, homered leading off the second. With the Royals trailing 6-3 in the sixth, he led off the inning with a single. The Royals sent 11 men to the plate in the inning against Red Sox pitchers Jake Peavy, Drake Britton and Pedro Beato. "I led off, just trying to get on base, not do too much," Maxwell said. "It was just one good at-bat after another good at-bat. I think thats how you roll." Maxwell was making his first start in centre and only his fourth start since joining the Royals, but manager Ned Yost promises he will be seeing plenty more action. "Hes got the opportunity to change the game with one swing," Yost said. "Well keep running him out there." Peavy, who was making his second Red Sox start since being acquired in a July 30 trade from the Chicago White Sox, yielded singles to Maxwell, Mike Moustakas and Alcides Escobar to start the inning. Escobars RBI single finished Peavy. "With the way Jake had settled in, he had good innings in the fourth and fifth, and wed gained momentum for ourselves, he probably had one inning left with his pitch count," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "Im not going to say it was surprising, but he left some balls up and they made him pay. "The put away pitch was a challenge for how they put the ball in play and go the other way. We just couldnt stop the momentum in the sixth." Eric Hosmers two-run single with two outs off Britton put the Royals on top 7-6. David Lough contributed a sacrifice fly, while Billy Butler doubled home Hosmer. Maxwells second single in the inning scored Butler with the final run. Orlando Scandrick Jersey. Mike Napoli, a career .368 hitter off Royals right-hander Ervin Santana, cleared the bases with a two-out third inning three-run double. That ended Santanas night. He gave up six runs on nine hits, including David Ortizs 22nd home run in the third, in 3 2/3 innings, his shortest outing of the season. "Its the best feeling," Santana said. "It doesnt matter how we got there, we won." Peavy lasted five innings, plus three batters, allowing six runs on 10 hits. "I just didnt make a whole lot of consistent pitches," Peavy said. "I had Maxwell 0-2 and threw him a changeup and he did a nice job (to start the sixth). "Youve got to win games when your offence scores six. I didnt feel good stuff-wise or control-wise. They battled and put the ball in play for being as free-swinging as they are. My stuff wasnt very sharp." Francisley Bueno (1-0), who was just promoted Thursday from Triple-A Omaha, picked up the victory with 2 1-3 scoreless innings. He has two big league wins, both against the Red Sox. Britton (1-1) was charged with the loss. The Royals 16-hit attack, included three hits each by Butler, Hosmer and Maxwell. Alex Gordon had two hits, including his 12th home run. Greg Holland worked the ninth for his 31st save in 33 chances. "It was a fantastic win," Yost said. "A night when Ervin didnt have his command, but our offence picked him up. Our bullpen again was dynamite." Notes: Red Sox C David Ross, who has been out since June 18 with a concussion, could start rehabbing with Tuesday with Double-A Portland if he gets the final approval. He has been cleared by Dr. Michael Collins, a concussion specialist in Pittsburgh, and the results were forwarded to Major League Baseball, which has the final word. If all goes well, Ross could be activated Aug. 19, the first day he is eligible. ... Royals All-Star C Salvador Perez is progressing in his on-the-field activities and manager Ned Yost is hopeful hell get the clearance to play Sunday, the first day he is eligible. ... After an appeal from the Royals, MLB reversed two Mets scorings calls from Sunday, giving Alex Gordon and Lorenzo Cain hits on "sun balls" that were first called errors. China Jerseys Cheap Wholesale Authentic Jerseys NFL Jerseys Wholesale Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys China NFL Jerseys From China ' ' '