TORONTO -- The numbers caught up with the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night. wholesale jerseys . So did the San Antonio Spurs. Without four new recruits from the Rudy Gay trade, the depleted Raptors ran out of steam against the well-stocked defending Western Conference champions. Led by Manu Ginobilis 16 points, seven Spurs scored in double figures as San Antonio recovered from a slow start to thump the Raptors 116-103 in NBA play. Toronto (7-13) led by as much as 14 in the first quarter but, with little help available on the bench, faded fast and San Antonio (16-4) pulled ahead as the game wore on. DeMar DeRozan and Amir Johnson led Toronto with 19 points. Tony Parker finished with 15 and Tim Duncan 14 as the Spurs went to their bench early. It was Torontos first game since the Gay trade was officially approved by the league, although the players involved sat out Sundays 106-94 road win over the Lakers. Toronto used just eight players in the win, snapping a five-game losing streak. "They got us in the second quarter. That was the difference in the game," said Toronto coach Dwane Casey. "I was really happy and proud with the way our guys executed in the first quarter. Kind of a carryover from the L.A. game and thats a good sign. "Again, theres no excuses in this league but Im going to chalk this one to travel a little bit, we ran out of gas. But youre talking about one of the best teams in the league in (San Antonio)." The Raptors -- returning home from a three-game West Coast swing -- were without Greivis Vasquez, Patrick Patterson, John Salmons and Chuck Hayes, acquired Monday in the deal that sent Gay, Aaron Gray and Quincy Acy to Sacramento. Forward Tyler Hansbrough was not available Tuesday, sidelined by a shoulder sprain. D.J. Augustin was waived on Monday. That left 10 players available to face the Spurs, with DeRozan and Terrence Ross struggling with their accuracy, shooting a combined 10 of 27. "You can make all the excuses. I dont want to make any excuses," said guard Kyle Lowry. "We just lost tonight." "It is what it is," DeRozan said of the Raptors lack of help. "Youve got to deal with it. We went out there and played hard." Patterson, Salmons and Hayes were due to arrive in Toronto late Tuesday with Venezuelas Vasquez slated to come in Wednesday due to red tape requirements. The Spurs, meanwhile, were in their third country in less than a week. San Antonio was in Mexico City last week for a date with the Minnesota Timberwolves that was eventually postponed due to smoke inside the arena. Tuesdays game was the first of four in five nights for the Spurs, who were coming off a 111-100 loss Sunday in Indiana. Three-point shooting helped the Spurs gain their lead. San Antonio, moving the ball around nicely before going cold late from outside the arc, hit 13 of 23 compared to 10 of 23 for Toronto. Toronto had 19 turnovers, which yielded 20 points. Centre Jonas Valanciunas looked good early Tuesday, sinking his first five shots with an arsenal ranging from a dunk and hook shot to put-back layup and tip. But he only scored four points the rest of the way. Led by the Lithuanian, Toronto made its first six baskets for a 13-6 lead before DeRozan missed a three-point attempt some four minutes in. The first quarter ended with the Raptors ahead 36-24 and shooting at 62.5 per cent compared to 47.8 for San Antonio. Torontos two bigs, Valanciunas and Johnson, combined for 20 points on 10-of-12 shooting while Spurs stars Duncan and Parker totalled eight points. "We played good basketball after the first quarter," said San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich. "We played very badly in the first quarter, no defence. Then we played pretty good ball after that." San Antonio took control in the second quarter, outscoring Toronto 35-17 as the Raptors missed on 14-of-22 shots. A 13-2 Spurs run at the start of the quarter narrowed the gap to one point and the visitors pulled ahead for the first time, 41-40, courtesy of an Aron Baynes dunk. San Antonio led 59-53 at the half, closing with a 13-4 run. Valanciunas and Johnson were stuck on 24 points after two quarters. Torontos shooting percentage was down to 50 while the Spurs improved to 54.8. The depleted Toronto bench was 1-of-7 shooting in the first half (9 of 25 overall) compared to 10 of 17 for the Spurs (23 of 38). San Antonio pushed the lead to 15, up 89-74 at the end of the third quarter. The game was pretty much over by then. Casey says plenty of work lies ahead for the new-look Raps. "Were going to treat (practice) Wednesday and Thursday like training camp, weve got so many new guys coming in," he said prior to the game. "Were going to go back to basics. Weve got to find out where guys can fit in." Ross got the start at small forward Tuesday, with Casey calling the six-foot-six Ross a "freak athlete" who is one of the most athletic players he has ever coached in the NBA. "Hes a great athlete. He just has to harness that, bring it in and be a complete player, and do it on a consistent basis." Tuesday was not his night to show it, however. He finished with 14 points on 4-of-13 shooting. "Hes a young kid but thats the only way hes going to learn, to be in there in the fray," Casey said later. "I thought he did some good things." "A typical young guy," he added. "He and Jonas both are error-prone and weve got to continue to work with them and get them better in those areas and cut those (mistakes) down." Asked if Ross will continue to get the start, Casey said: "Well see." He called the start "an opportunity, not given." Canadian Cory Joseph and former Raptor Matt Bonner got warm receptions when they checked into the game for the Spurs in the fourth quarter. Baynes, a six-foot-10 Australian in his second year in the NBA, finished with a timely career-high 14 for the Spurs, who were without injured centre Tiago Splitter (calf). San Antonio is now 30-9 all-time against the Raptors, and has won the last six meetings. Torontos last victory over the Spurs was Jan. 3, 2010, at the Air Canada Centre. Toronto FCs Brazilian target Gilberto was said to be in attendance. Raptors global ambassador Drake was also courtside. nfl jerseys china . Not exactly bursting with sentimental feelings, Matthew Lombardi makes an odd return to the state of Tennessee on Thursday night. jersyes nfl wholesale . LOUIS -- Duke forward Jabari Parker has won the Wayman Tisdale Award, presented by the U.CINCINNATI, Ohio -- With Albert Pujols gone, the St. Louis Cardinals see themselves as less of a power-driven team defending their World Series championship. Couldve fooled Homer Bailey. Matt Holliday, David Freese and Yadier Molina homered off the Reds starter during the St. Louis Cardinals biggest first inning of the season, and Jake Westbrook found his control after a rough start, beating Cincinnati 7-1 on Monday night. The Cardinals improved to 4-1 with an offence that hasnt missed Pujols so far. Theyve piled up three homers in an inning twice already this season, with nine overall. And theyve done it without really trying. "I dont see us as very much of a home run-hitting team," Freese said. Manager Mike Matheny sees the homer spurt as more of a good start than the start of a trend. "Thats a tough pace to keep up, but you take em when you can get em," Matheny said. "Guys are having some good at-bats." Only 20 pitches into the game, Bailey (0-1) had his hands on his hips and a 4-0 deficit that the Reds couldnt overcome. Molina broke the game open with a two-run double in the eighth inning. Westbrook (1-0) overcame an early bout of wildness, allowing only three hits and one unearned run in seven innings. The right-hander slimmed down in the off-season and had an impressive spring training, getting the sink back on his fastball. Both starters had a rough time early on a windy, 64-degree evening. Matheny said the Cardinals batting-practice pitchers had trouble getting a grip on the ball in the crisp conditions. "I know exactly what was going on with him early," Matheny said. "Thats the first time weve had that really dry air. The ball felt like it has Vaseline on it. He couldnt grip it." Westbrook was pitching for the first time in nine days. Ten of his first 12 pitches were out of the strike zone. He walked four of the first 10 batters he faced, but didnt allow a hit until Brandon Phillips singled with two outs in the fifth. Phillips came around to score when Zack Cozart hit a comebacker that Westbrook knocked down with his glove. Westbrook retrieved the ball, but threw wildly toward first base for an error that allowed Phillips to score. cheap jerseys from china. The All-Star second baseman got a cramp in his left hamstring as he scored and left the game as a precaution. Westbrook got a better feel for his pitches after the second inning. "It took me a little while to get going," he said. "Once I figured it out, I pitched the way Im capable of throwing. I just zoned it in." Bailey retired the first two Cardinals, then came apart. Holliday homered, Lance Berkman walked and Freese homered. Molina also homered on the next pitch, prompting Bailey to stand by the side of the mound with both hands scrunched on his hips in disbelief. Freese, the World Series MVP, has hit safely in every game this season. "I just got a little passive," Bailey said. "I got the two quick outs and I didnt say aggressive. Once you open that can of worms, its kind of hard to shut it. Plus the wind was blowing out. After that, I just wanted to go deep into the game. A couple of the balls they hit out were hit really solid." After the bad opening inning, Bailey settled in and allowed only two more hits while pitching into the sixth inning. Molina broke the game open with his double off Jose Arredondo in the eighth, which brought boos from the crowd of 16,909 that remembers his role in a brawl with Phillips two years ago. Berkman wasnt in the Cardinals original lineup because of a sore right hand. He took a few swings pregame and felt fine, getting back in the lineup at first base. He singled, struck out twice and walked twice. The Cardinals wanted Berkman in the lineup -- he has 23 homers at Great American Ball Park, the most by a visiting player. NOTES: Kyle Lohse makes his second start for the Cardinals on Tuesday night. Lohse took a no-hitter into the eighth inning of a 4-1 win over Miami last Wednesday. ... Mike Leake makes his first start for Cincinnati. He pitched four innings in an exhibition against the clubs minor leaguers at Great American last Tuesday. ... Cardinals SS Rafael Furcal dived in the hole to get a grounder and threw to second for a forceout while still on his back. ... Furcal was held hitless for the first time this season. cheap nfl jerseyscheap jerseys ' ' '
