OAKLAND, Calif. - Forced to go small, the Golden State Warriors keep coming up big.East or West, they are the best team in the NBA right now — and they want everyone to know it.Stephen Curry had 32 points and 12 assists, Draymond Green got his first career triple-double and the Warriors rolled past the Toronto Raptors 126-105 on Friday night in a matchup of conference leaders.One thing we always say when were playing against a team like this is, This is a team we could possibly play later on in the year, Green said. Try to make a statement.Did they ever.Green finished with 16 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds, and three others scored in double digits to help the NBA-best Warriors (26-5) wear down the Raptors (24-9) in the second half. Golden State started the third quarter on a 23-5 run and thwarted the Raptors brief rally with contributions from all over.I went in the locker room and just told them, I dont have much to say other than wow, Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.Torontos loss allowed Atlanta to move into first in the East.Greivis Vasquez scored 25 points, and Kyle Lowry had 22 points and eight assists for the Raptors, who lost consecutive road games for the first time this season. Toronto fell to 2-3 on its six-game trip, which ends at Phoenix on Sunday.Golden State kept up its blistering pace without a true centre as Andrew Bogut (right knee) and backup Festus Ezeli (left ankle) continue to recover from nagging injuries.Kerr mixed and matched smaller lineups — using Green and Marreese Speights down low and sometimes nothing but forwards on the floor — to push the pace and maximize his teams versatility.The Warriors outshot Toronto 53.3 per cent to 46.5 per cent. They also tied a season-low with nine turnovers, while the Raptors had 17.Thats a well-oiled machine. Their small lineup is one of the best in the league, Raptors coach Dwane Casey said.The Warriors went 5 for 6 from 3-point range in the first quarter to take a 40-31 lead. It was the most points Golden State has scored and the most the Raptors have allowed in the first quarter this season.Even with the Warriors putting on an offensive spectacle, Toronto didnt go away easily.Lowry overcame early foul trouble and Vasquez hit four 3s in the first half to help the Raptors regroup from a 14-point deficit. Golden State led just 66-61 at intermission.When we feel threated, Speights said, we always play better.Just as they have so often during the best start in franchise history, the Warriors leaned on their defence and their leading man to pull away behind one big burst.Curry capped the spurt by throwing down a hard dunk as Lowry tried to block him from behind. Curry screamed as Lowry tried to inbound the ball and the announced sellout crowd of 19,596 roared to its feet — along with several teammates.I couldnt stop screaming when he did that either, Green said.The Raptors, playing without All-Star guard DeMar DeRozan (torn muscle in left groin) for the 16th straight game, closed to 110-101 before Curry finished with a flurry — scoring 10 points in a three-minute span.The Warriors also got key contributions from Speights (26 points and eight rebounds), Klay Thompson (20 points), David Lee (12 points and seven rebounds) and Justin Holiday (nine points).Their small ball really got to us, Lowry said. I think they kind of just went up and down a little bit too fast at a pace we didnt really want.TIP-INSRaptors: Toronto has lost 10 in a row at Golden State, a skid that dates to February 2004. ... The Raptors are 11-6 since DeRozans injury. ... Landry Fields started at small forward after missing the last five games recovering from a concussion. He had two points and three rebounds.Warriors: Golden State has won 11 straight home games and is 13-1 at Oracle Arena this season. ... The Warriors are 10-0 against the Eastern Conference.SHARING THE ROCKThe Warriors had 35 assists, the league-most 11th time theyve had at least 30. It also was the first time the Warriors had at least 35 assists in consecutive games since April 1994.UP NEXTRaptors: At Phoenix on Sunday.Warriors: Host Oklahoma City on Monday. Air Max 720 Femme Pas Cher . - Leon Draisaitl scored a hat trick as the Prince Albert Raiders stormed past the Swift Current Broncos 5-2 in Western Hockey League action Tuesday. Vapormax Flyknit Pas Cher .J. - The New York Jets have signed former Green Bay Packers backup quarterback Graham Harrell, giving them some added depth at the position. http://www.chaussurepascherchine.fr/grossiste-air-force-1.html . Erik Cole scored on a breakaway with 4:49 to play, and the Stars rallied to defeat the Minnesota Wild 4-3 on Saturday night. Air Max 90 Pas Cher Chine . They were right in that they responded to coach Randy Carlyles goaltending switch to erase a two-goal deficit. Vapormax Pas Cher Destockage . Although taking two of three from the Baltimore Orioles wasnt nearly as uplifting as winning the World Series, it still felt pretty darn good. Felix Doubront and four relievers combined kept Baltimores potent lineup in check, and David Ortiz had three of Bostons 12 hits off Wei-Yin Chen in a 4-3 victory Thursday night.Pep Guardiolas Manchester City revolution is under way but is Athletic Bilbaos Aymeric Laporte the answer to their defensive woes? The French defender looks a good fit, writes Nick Wright. Pep Guardiola counts Argentine manager Marcelo Bielsa as one of his biggest influences, so perhaps it is not surprising that he shares his idols admiration for Aymeric Laporte. The French centre-back was schooled by Bielsa as a teenager at Athletic Bilbao, and Guardiola is eager to continue his education at Manchester City next season.The new City boss has already made his first signing in midfielder Ilkay Gundogan - and another Borussia Dortmund player, striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, could soon follow, according to Sky sources - but Guardiola has identified central defence as Citys most pressing area in need of attention. Last season, they conceded more Premier League goals (41) than in any of the previous five, with Nicolas Otamendi and Eliaquim Mangala struggling to meet expectations and Vincent Kompany repeatedly falling victim to injuries.Major changes are required, and while Sky sources say Evertons John Stones is also on the wanted list, Laporte appears to be the priority for Guardiola. Citys sporting director Txiki Bergiristain has already flown to Bilbao to discuss the deal with Athletic, and reports in Spain have suggested City are willing to pay his £39m buy-out clause. Laporte on City rumours Aymeric Laporte denied in May that he had agreed to join City but Sky sources confirm he is a target It is a huge sum for a 21-year-old still recovering from a broken leg suffered playing for Frances U21s in March, but he is due to return in August and the feeling in Spain is that he is worth the investment. Laporte has developed a burgeoning reputation over the course of four seasons in Athletics first team and has already amassed over 100 La Liga appearances despite his tender age.Basque journalist Endika Río has followed his progress from the start. He is a central defender with the profile that Pep Guardiola likes, he tells Sky Sports. Hes strong, tall and powerful but what characterises him most is playing out from the back. He makes the central midfielders jobs easier. He has good distribution and he has quality with the ball at his feet. Watch some of Aymeric Laportes best moments for Athletic Bilbao That technical ability is invaluable to Guardiola, whose attacking philosophy requires modern, ball-playing centre-backs who can build quickly and fluently from the back. The role was fulfilled by Gerard Pique at Barcelona and David Alaba at Bayern Munich, and Laporte, it seems, will be the man for the job at Manchester City.A money-spinning transfer to the Etihad would cap a rapid rise for Laporte, who was only 18 when Bielsa promoted him to Athletic Bilbaos first team in November 2012. It was quite a difficult year for Athletic, recalls Río. Javi Martinez had left and they were having trouble renewing Fernando Amorebietas contract, so Bielsa promoted Laporte even though he had hardly played for the reserves. A City ready for Pep The appetite for Pep Guardiola in Manchester will be greater than it ever was in Munich.dddddddddddd Laporte was thrust into the heart of a struggling side, but the 6ft 2ins teenager swiftly established himself as a regular starter in central defence. Bielsa saw characteristics in him that fit with his style of football, says Río. He soon filled the gap left by Amorebieta. He was a boom.Bielsa loved Laporte - I dont remember a single fault I could tell you about, he said in 2015 - and he made 17 appearances before the 60-year-old was replaced by Ernesto Valverde in the summer of 2013. Bielsas gruelling training methods had taken a heavy toll as Athletic finished 12th in 2012/13 but the squad were reinvigorated by Valverde. Laporte, in particular, went from strength to strength. Laporte battles for the ball with Barcelonas Luis Suarez and Marc Bartra Laportes second year in the first team was Valverdes first in charge, says Río. The team finished fourth in La Liga and qualified for the Champions League. Laporte was part of the spine of the team and became the líder of the defence. He was still 19 but no one disputed it despite his age. Bit by bit, he has improved a lot in very little time.Laporte has come out on top in duels with the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo since breaking into the Athletic team. He helped them reach the final of last years Copa del Rey and played every minute of their historic 5-1 aggregate win over Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup in August. Laporte is a great player with every quality. I don’t remember a single fault that I could tell you about. He’s fast, he has character, he is competitive, he has very good technique and he is very intelligent. Marcelo Bielsa on Aymeric Laporte in 2015 Laporte is an accomplished one-on-one defender who doesnt shy away from physical challenges, but he prefers to rely on his fine reading of the game and intelligent positioning rather than gung-ho tackling. He has an excellent range of passing and averages more per game than any other Athletic player with the exception of central midfielder Beñat, while he is also a goal threat, having scored five times this season alone before he was injured in March.As for weaknesses, there is little to cause alarm. In some games you can still see his youth and inexperience, says Río. There have been some errors and he has been sent off for inexperienced fouls, but with time he has got better. You can see that he learns very fast for a player so young, and its not surprising that some of the biggest clubs in Europe want him. Laporte in action for Athletic Bilbao against Espanyol Like Bielsa before him, Valverde is a huge admirer. Hes young and he has to improve some things but hes already the real deal, he said in October. He is a player who is mature, despite his youth. On the pitch you see that because he takes responsibility for his position. Experience is always important, but if you already have that experience when you are 22, then imagine…Laportes rare combination of technical ability, physical prowess and youthful experience has thrust him to the forefront of Manchester Citys plans. Their defensive problems have been costly this season, but as they prepare to usher in a new era at the Etihad Stadium, Bielsas pupil looks ready to make his next step up with Guardiola. Also See: City in talks for Aubameyang City expect players to leave ' ' '
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