Read More: Andrea Bargnani (F – TOR), Antawn Jamison (F – CLE), DeMar DeRozan (G – TOR), Kyrie Irving (G – CLE), Toronto Raptors, Cleveland Cavaliers

There’s something about the Toronto Raptors that really affects Kyrie Irving, who was virtually shut down in the first meeting between the two teams for the opener on Dec. 26. That was Irving’s NBA debut, and he didn’t fare well in his second meeting against them either, going just 1-for-7 from the field in the first half, and just 3-13 overall. Cleveland needed him to step it up as he has been in recent games, but wasn’t able to, and Toronto took the 92-75 win.

It’s Toronto’s second win over the Cavs this season, in just six games. For the Cavaliers, it snapped a two-game winning streak, and for the Raptors, it snapped a losing streak. Antawn Jamison was the only player who performed well for Cleveland, with 19 points, six rebounds and a block, going 8-of-19 from the field.

A monster performance from Andrea Bargnani led the Raptors to the win. He had 31 points with seven rebounds, three assists and a block on the night. It was helped, of course, by sinking six of seven free throws, but he went 11-for-16 from the field and led the Raptors to the win, in much the same way he did in the first outing, when he scored 21 points along with DeMar DeRozan, who shot 9-for-18 from the field and 5-for-8 from range, putting together a great performance on his own.

Cleveland will next take on the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.

For more on the Cleveland Cavaliers, go to Fear The Sword. For an opposing point of view, check out Raptors HQ. You can also head over to SB Nation’s main NBA hub at SBNation.com/NBA.

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Kyrie Irving’s profesisonal debut against the Toronto Raptors was completely forgettable, but he’s been showing why he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft in the games since.

Irving and the Cleveland Cavaliers look to win their third straight Wednesday night when they visit the Toronto Raptors.

While Cleveland saw Irving as a player it could build around when it drafted him last year, he struggled in his debut, scoring six points on 2-of-12 shooting in a 104-96 loss to Toronto on Dec. 26. He hit a meaningless three-pointer in the final minute, and finished with seven assists and one turnover in 26 minutes.

Since that game, it’s clear why the Cavaliers (3-2) are so high on Irving. He’s averaged 16.8 points, 5.3 assists and is shooting 53.1 percent in his last four games.

Irving had 20 points, six assists and no turnovers in Cleveland’s 115-101 win over Charlotte on Tuesday.

“Kyrie makes everyone around him better,” Cavaliers head coach Byron Scott said. “He gets more and more comfortable with each game.

“Tristan [Thompson is] in that same boat. He’s starting to really understand his role and what he can do in this league.”

Thompson, from Brampton, Ont., and the fourth-overall pick in the same draft, had his most effective game Tuesday with 16 points and nine rebounds. He’s averaging 9.8 points and 5.2 boards.

Tuesday’s victory moved the Cavaliers above .500 for the first time since Nov. 9, 2010, when they were 4-3. They won three straight only once last season, also coming in the opening weeks.

Cleveland has been better defensively since that last game against the Raptors, who shot 53.2 per cent in the season opener. The Cavaliers’ next three opponents didn’t break 100 points and the last four have shot a combined 41.4 per cent.

The Raptors (2-3) snapped a three-game losing streak with a 90-85 win at New York on Monday.

Andrea Bargnani and DeMar DeRozan each scored 21 points as Toronto opened a 17-point lead at halftime before holding off a late rally.

Despite the scare, the Raptors gave up their fewest points of the season and held New York to 35.9 per cent shooting.

Bargnani, averaging 22.6 points, scored four in the final 47 seconds after the Knicks had pulled within a point. He came in averaging 4.0 points and shooting 25.0 per cent in the fourth quarter, but went 4 of 4 at the line, finishing with six points in 12 minutes.

Dwane Casey wants Bargnani to take on a bigger role and the rookie head coach is liking what he’s seeing. Bargnani is averaging close to 37 minutes per game and has been more aggressive on the boards, pulling down 7.6 a game.

“He ran the floor really well and … he’s really giving it to us on the defensive end,” Casey said. “He’s got to maintain that stamina on both ends and that’s what he’s doing.”

The Raptors have won three of four against the Cavaliers.

What are your opinions.

Kyrie Irving’s NBA debut against the Toronto Raptors was completely
forgettable, but he’s been showing why he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011
draft in four games since.

Irving and the Cleveland Cavaliers look to win their third straight
Wednesday night when they visit the Toronto Raptors.

While Cleveland saw Irving as a player it could build around when it drafted
him last year, he struggled in his debut, scoring six points on 2-of-12 shooting
in a 104-96 loss to Toronto on Dec. 26. He hit a meaningless 3-pointer in the
final minute, and finished with seven assists and one turnover in 26 minutes.

Since that game, it’s clear why the Cavaliers (3-2) are so high on Irving.
He’s averaged 16.8 points, 5.3 assists and is shooting 53.1 percent in his last
four games.

Irving had 20 points, six assists and no turnovers in Cleveland’s 115-101
win over Charlotte on Tuesday.

“Kyrie makes everyone around him better,” coach Byron Scott said. “He gets
more and more comfortable with each game. Tristan (Thompson is) in that same
boat. He’s starting to really understand his role and what he can do in this
league.”

Thompson, the fourth overall pick in the same draft, had his most effective
game Tuesday with 16 points and nine rebounds. He’s averaging 9.8 points and 5.2
boards.

Tuesday’s victory moved the Cavaliers above .500 for the first time since
Nov. 9, 2010, when they were 4-3. They won three straight only once last season,
also coming in the opening weeks.

Cleveland has been better defensively since that last game against the
Raptors, who shot 53.2 percent in the season opener. The Cavaliers’ next three
opponents didn’t break 100 points and the last four have shot a combined 41.4
percent.

The Raptors (2-3) snapped a three-game losing streak with a 90-85 win at New
York on Monday.

Andrea Bargnani and DeMar DeRozan each scored 21 points as Toronto opened a
17-point lead at halftime before holding off a late rally.

Despite the scare, the Raptors gave up their fewest points of the season
while holding New York to 35.9 percent shooting.

Bargnani, averaging 22.6 points, scored four in the final 47 seconds after
the Knicks had pulled within a point. He came in averaging 4.0 points and
shooting 25.0 percent in the fourth quarter, but went 4 of 4 at the line,
finishing with six points in 12 minutes.

Dwane Casey wants Bargnani to take on a bigger role and the coach is liking
what he’s seeing. Bargnani is averaging close to 37 minutes per game and has
been more aggressive on the boards, pulling down 7.6 a game.

“He ran the floor really well and … he’s really giving it to us on the
defensive end,” Casey said. “He’s got to maintain that stamina on both ends and
that’s what he’s doing.”

The Raptors have won three of four against the Cavaliers.

Leave any suggestions in the comment box.

Kyrie Irving’s NBA debut against the Toronto Raptors was completely
forgettable, but he’s been showing why he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011
draft in four games since.

Irving and the Cleveland Cavaliers look to win their third straight
Wednesday night when they visit the Toronto Raptors.

While Cleveland saw Irving as a player it could build around when it drafted
him last year, he struggled in his debut, scoring six points on 2-of-12 shooting
in a 104-96 loss to Toronto on Dec. 26. He hit a meaningless 3-pointer in the
final minute, and finished with seven assists and one turnover in 26 minutes.

Since that game, it’s clear why the Cavaliers (3-2) are so high on Irving.
He’s averaged 16.8 points, 5.3 assists and is shooting 53.1 percent in his last
four games.

Irving had 20 points, six assists and no turnovers in Cleveland’s 115-101
win over Charlotte on Tuesday.

“Kyrie makes everyone around him better,” coach Byron Scott said. “He gets
more and more comfortable with each game. Tristan (Thompson is) in that same
boat. He’s starting to really understand his role and what he can do in this
league.”

Thompson, the fourth overall pick in the same draft, had his most effective
game Tuesday with 16 points and nine rebounds. He’s averaging 9.8 points and 5.2
boards.

Tuesday’s victory moved the Cavaliers above .500 for the first time since
Nov. 9, 2010, when they were 4-3. They won three straight only once last season,
also coming in the opening weeks.

Cleveland has been better defensively since that last game against the
Raptors, who shot 53.2 percent in the season opener. The Cavaliers’ next three
opponents didn’t break 100 points and the last four have shot a combined 41.4
percent.

The Raptors (2-3) snapped a three-game losing streak with a 90-85 win at New
York on Monday.

Andrea Bargnani and DeMar DeRozan each scored 21 points as Toronto opened a
17-point lead at halftime before holding off a late rally.

Despite the scare, the Raptors gave up their fewest points of the season
while holding New York to 35.9 percent shooting.

Bargnani, averaging 22.6 points, scored four in the final 47 seconds after
the Knicks had pulled within a point. He came in averaging 4.0 points and
shooting 25.0 percent in the fourth quarter, but went 4 of 4 at the line,
finishing with six points in 12 minutes.

Dwane Casey wants Bargnani to take on a bigger role and the coach is liking
what he’s seeing. Bargnani is averaging close to 37 minutes per game and has
been more aggressive on the boards, pulling down 7.6 a game.

“He ran the floor really well and … he’s really giving it to us on the
defensive end,” Casey said. “He’s got to maintain that stamina on both ends and
that’s what he’s doing.”

The Raptors have won three of four against the Cavaliers.

What do you guys think about this.

National Post Staff 
Jan 2, 2012 – 10:50 PM ET
| Last Updated: Jan 2, 2012 10:52 PM ET

Comment Below!.

The lesson to learn from Monday night’s game (Jan. 2) is that if you live by the three-pointer, you also die by the three-pointer. The New York Knicks attempted 35 three-pointers against the Toronto Raptors, making just 10 of them to finish 28.6 percent from beyond the arc. Overall, the team went just 28-for-78 from the field (35.9 percent) in a game that simply got away from them at the end.

This 90-85 loss to the Raptors is extremely frustrating; especially with how good the Knicks looked against the Sacramento Kings back on Saturday (Dec. 31). The team had to play without All-Star power forward Amare Stoudemire again, and at first it didn’t seem like it would hurt the team. The Knicks took a nice 23-22 lead at the end of the first quarter and it looked like a great game was brewing. The second quarter got out of control though, as Toronto out-scored the Knicks 29-11 in those 12 minutes alone.

Heading into halftime with a 17-point deficit to a team that won 22 games last year is not what Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni wanted to see, and at least the team put in more effort in the second half. The Knicks fought back to within one point with just 35 second left but couldn’t stop the Raptors when it mattered most. In the early Atlantic division standings, New York now falls behind Toronto by means of the head-to-head tie-breaker. This is definitely not where the team wanted to sit after five games in a shortened season.

Carmelo Anthony finished the game 13-for-31 from the field, often taking shots he wasn’t comfortable with just to get the offense going. Far too many times there were other players passing up shot opportunities and it seemed like Bill Walker was afraid to even take shots on Monday night (Jan. 2). I don’t blame Anthony at all for attempting 31 shots, but I would have liked him to make a couple more. He did finish with 35 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists though, so fantasy basketball owners that have him had to come away happy from this game.

Next up for the 2-3 Knicks are the Charlotte Bobcats, who come to town on Wednesday (Jan. 4) for a 7:30 p.m. ET game.

More From YCN :

Knicks Beat Kings Without Stoudemire

Stoudemire Injures Ankle

No_Garnett_Suspension

New_York_Wins_Opener_Against_Boston

Baron_Davis_Comes_To_Knicks

Sources:

Full Knicks Schedule

New York Knicks Website

*Ryan Christopher DeVault is a fan of the New York Knicks that has followed the team since the days John Starks, Charles Oakley, and Anthony Mason instilled their defensive will on the rest of the league.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

What are your opinions.

Feel free to leave your comments below.

Date: Monday Jan. 2, 2012 7:56 AM ET

That’s all the news for today.

Published: Monday, January 2, 2012 at 7:08 a.m.

Last Modified: Monday, January 2, 2012 at 7:08 a.m.

That’s all for today.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP)—The Orlando Magic struggled during much of their game
against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday night, playing sloppily on offense and
failing to contain Andrea Bargnani at the rim.

But a 4-minute stretch in the fourth quarter made everything all better.

The Magic went on a late 16-0 run, led by the shooting of Ryan Anderson—
who finished with 24 points—to erase a double-digit deficit and defeat the
Raptors 102-96.

Orlando shot 4 for 5 from 3-point range during the burst, with Anderson
making two of them, as the Magic took a 94-89 lead with 3:05 left after trailing
by as many as 16 points.

“We sort of could’ve just given up, but we kept pushing through it,”
Anderson said. “This was huge for us.”

Dwight Howard had 19 points and 15 rebounds for the Magic, who have won four
straight since a season-opening loss to Oklahoma City. J.J. Redick added 21
points and Hedo Turkoglu had 15 points and seven assists.

“I thought we played a great fourth quarter,” Magic coach Stan Van Gundy
said. “Our intensity level went way up.”

Bargnani paced the Raptors with 28 points, and Jose Calderon had 18 points
and 13 assists.

It was the second consecutive late collapse by the Raptors, who also gave up
a second-half lead to Dallas on Friday.

“I don’t really have an explanation as to why this game got away,”
Calderon said. “It’s tough. It’s kind of like the same thing that happened with
Dallas. They’re two veteran teams. They know how to play in those moments. We’ve
got to learn from that.”

Bargnani, who scored only three of his 28 points in the fourth period, was
disappointed with his team’s showing.

“We really made the game for three quarters; we played good offense and
great defense,” he said. “But we didn’t play that way in the fourth quarter.
We played really bad.”

The Magic shot 44.4 percent from 3-point range and were 5 for 7 from long
range in the fourth quarter.

After the Raptors built another double-digit lead in the second half and
looked to be on their way to a road upset, the Magic shots began falling while
the Raptors’ offense stalled.

Turkoglu made a layup to cut the Raptors’ lead to 89-80, then Anderson and
Redick made 3-pointers. Howard converted a layup off a pass from Jameer Nelson,
followed by 3-pointers from Anderson and Turkoglu to force Toronto into a
timeout down 94-89.

The Raptors missed all five of their shots and committed three turnovers
during the run. They didn’t score between the 7:48 and 2:47 marks of the fourth
quarter.

“It was the defensive end of the floor,” Van Gundy said. “You’re not
going to come close to trading baskets and get back in the game, so you
obviously have to make plays at both ends. You have no margin for error. But
your defense has got to be great, and ours was going down the stretch. To be
down 11 going into the fourth and get that done, we played a great game in the
fourth quarter.”

The Raptors took a double-digit lead late in the first quarter behind some
strong shooting from Calderon and Bargnani. The Magic responded, going up 40-39
after a 12-2 run midway through the second quarter that included eight points
from Anderson.

Bargnani led all scorers with 19 points after two quarters of play.

NOTES: Nelson returned for the Magic after missing one game with a neck
spasm. He finished with nine points. … Toronto guard Jerryd Bayless didn’t
play because of a sprained ankle he sustained Friday against Dallas. There’s no
definite timetable for his return. … Calderon surpassed the 3,000-assist mark.
… Howard, who had 24 rebounds in each of the Magic’s past two games, was
attempting to become the first player with 24-plus rebounds in three consecutive
games since Dennis Rodman in November 1993. … Anderson, who is 21-for-45 (46.6
percent) from deep this season, leads the NBA in 3-pointers made and attempted.

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DALLAS (AP)—The Dallas Mavericks expect offense from top scorer Dirk
Nowitzki. Reserve center Ian Mahinmi provided a surprising bonus.

Mahinmi scored a career-high 19 points, Nowitzki contributed 18, and the
reigning NBA champion Mavericks rallied for their first victory of the season,
99-86 over the Toronto Raptors on Friday night.

Jason Terry added 10 of his 17 points in the final quarter for the Mavericks
(1-3), who hadn’t started 0-4 since the 2006-07 season.

The last defending NBA champs to open a season at 0-4 were the 1969-70
Boston Celtics.

The Mavs didn’t have long to dwell on the disappointment of Thursday night’s
104-102 loss at Oklahoma City on Kevin Durant’s 3-pointer at the buzzer.

“We knew it would happen, it was just a matter of time,” Terry said. “We
thought it would happen last night, but unfortunately we had to take a bump
along the way. But the way we played last night gave us some confidence. Now
that we know how we have to play, we’re a confident team.”

Dallas has five new faces on the roster after losing five key players from a
team that won its first title last season.

Mahinmi hit all six field goal attempts, went 7 for 11 from the free throw
line, and added five rebounds and two blocked shots.

“I know this was a career high in points for him, but the last two nights
he’s given us a really high level of energy,” Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said.
“He’s given us a physical presence, he’s a combative guy, and he was really big
for us tonight.”

Andrea Bargnani scored 30 points and Leandro Barbosa had 20 for the Raptors,
1-2 under first-year coach Dwane Casey, Dallas’ top assistant and defensive
architect last season.

Toronto used a 17-2 run in the third quarter, completed by Amir Johnson’s
follow dunk, for a 68-61 lead.

But Dallas finished the quarter with a 16-2 spurt, capped by Vince Carter’s
three free throws, for a 77-70 edge heading into the fourth quarter.

“We’ve got to understand how to win to beat a championship team,” Casey
said. “We worked hard to get a 68-61 lead, and then we’ve got to learn how to
close it out. And that’s the mark of a young team versus a veteran team.”

Toronto never got closer than five points the rest of the way.

“The key part of the game was that 16-2 run,” Carlisle said. “That gave
us a huge lift.”

The Mavericks carried a 29-23 lead into the second quarter, riding a 17-6
rebounding advantage in the opening 12 minutes.

Dallas got off to a better defensive start, a point of emphasis by Carlisle.
The Mavs had allowed 32, 32 and 28 points in the first quarter of their three
games.

The Mavericks went on to lead by as many as 12 in the second quarter.

But Bargnani scored 13 of his 18 first-half points in the period, and
Toronto’s late 12-0 run narrowed the halftime gap to 50-46.

After opening the season with blowout home losses to Miami and Denver, the
Mavs seem back on track.

“We’re playing better basketball,” Carlisle said. “The first couple of
games were horrible. The last couple of games are games we can build on.”

NOTES: Mahinmi’s previous career high was 17 points at Memphis on Jan. 15,
2011. … Trade pickup Lamar Odom continues to struggle for the Mavs, finishing
with three points and four rebounds in 12 minutes. … The teams met for the
only time this season. …Dallas has won 11 of 12 at home against Toronto.
…Nowitzki had converted 22 straight free throws before a miss in the opening
quarter. … G Jerryd Bayless twisted his left ankle with 9:14 left in the
second quarter. Bayless attempted to run, but was playing on one leg and limped
to the locker room 6 seconds later, done for the night. X-rays were negative and
he left the arena in a walking boot. … Players from Penn State and Houston
were in the crowd. The teams meet Jan. 2 in the TicketCity Bowl in Dallas.

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The Dallas Mavericks expect offense from top scorer Dirk Nowitzki. Reserve center Ian Mahinmi provided a surprising bonus.

Mahinmi scored a career-high 19 points, Nowitzki contributed 18, and the reigning NBA champion Mavericks rallied for their first victory of the season, 99-86 over the Toronto Raptors on Friday night.

Jason Terry added 10 of his 17 points in the final quarter for the Mavericks (1-3), who hadn’t started 0-4 since the 2006-07 season.

The last defending NBA champs to open a season at 0-4 were the 1969-70 Boston Celtics.

The Mavs didn’t have long to dwell on the disappointment of Thursday night’s 104-102 loss at Oklahoma City on Kevin Durant’s 3-pointer at the buzzer.

“We knew it would happen, it was just a matter of time,” Terry said. “We thought it would happen last night, but unfortunately we had to take a bump along the way. But the way we played last night gave us some confidence. Now that we know how we have to play, we’re a confident team.”

Dallas has five new faces on the roster after losing five key players from a team that won its first title last season.

Mahinmi hit all six field goal attempts, went 7 for 11 from the free throw line, and added five rebounds and two blocked shots.

“I know this was a career high in points for him, but the last two nights he’s given us a really high level of energy,” Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. “He’s given us a physical presence, he’s a combative guy, and he was really big for us tonight.”

Andrea Bargnani scored 30 points and Leandro Barbosa had 20 for the Raptors, 1-2 under first-year coach Dwane Casey, Dallas’ top assistant and defensive architect last season.

Toronto used a 17-2 run in the third quarter, completed by Amir Johnson’s follow dunk, for a 68-61 lead.

But Dallas finished the quarter with a 16-2 spurt, capped by Vince Carter’s three free throws, for a 77-70 edge heading into the fourth quarter.

“We’ve got to understand how to win to beat a championship team,” Casey said. “We worked hard to get a 68-61 lead, and then we’ve got to learn how to close it out. And that’s the mark of a young team versus a veteran team.”

Toronto never got closer than five points the rest of the way.

“The key part of the game was that 16-2 run,” Carlisle said. “That gave us a huge lift.”

The Mavericks carried a 29-23 lead into the second quarter, riding a 17-6 rebounding advantage in the opening 12 minutes.

Dallas got off to a better defensive start, a point of emphasis by Carlisle. The Mavs had allowed 32, 32 and 28 points in the first quarter of their three games.

The Mavericks went on to lead by as many as 12 in the second quarter.

But Bargnani scored 13 of his 18 first-half points in the period, and Toronto’s late 12-0 run narrowed the halftime gap to 50-46.

After opening the season with blowout home losses to Miami and Denver, the Mavs seem back on track.

“We’re playing better basketball,” Carlisle said. “The first couple of games were horrible. The last couple of games are games we can build on.”

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Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news.