Basisphilosophie » Head coach Dwane Casey announced the news

NEW ORLEANS - The Toronto Raptors were without Jonas Valanciunas on Wednesday for their game in New Orleans against the Pelicans. Valanciunas, who left Tuesdays loss to the Hawks late in the third quarter with a lower back sprain, missed his first game of the season. Head coach Dwane Casey announced the news an hour and a half prior to tip-off. "His back is still tight," Casey said. "[He] wasnt able to get it loose. (Director of Sports Science) Alex (McKechnie) put him through some preliminary work and it still was tight so hes going to be out." Valanciunas sustained the injury turning to set a screen, feeling immediate pain in his lower back before McKechnie and the Raptors training staff made the call to pull him from the game. After navigating through a mini-slump to close the month of February, the Raptors sophomore centre had been playing some of his best basketball of the season over the past week. Getting off to hot starts in each of his last three games, Valanciunas has totalled 34 points on 14-of-20 shooting in the first quarter of those contests. The Raptors were already undermanned in the frontcourt, missing Patrick Patterson for a seventh straight game Wednesday. He is expected to be out at least another week resting an elbow injury. Tyler Hansbrough started in place of Valanciunas. Both he and Chuck Hayes will see increased playing time as long as the teams starting centre in sidelined. Amir Johnson also played against the Pelicans after tweaking a lingering right ankle injury at the end of regulation in Tuesdays overtime loss. "Weve been very fortunate not to have that many injuries up until this part of the season," said Casey. "A lot of teams had them earlier and its unfortunate were hitting them now but its part of the NBA. Now weve got to adjust to it and make hay from it." Valanciunas is considered day-to-day. Gary Harris Jersey . The stakes were higher, the competition more fierce and the atmosphere was that of a playoff game - something the young, upstart Raptors have five weeks to better prepare themselves for or the result will be eerily similar. Jamal Murray Jersey . Armstrong was given the rank of "Chevalier" -- or Knight -- in the "Legion dHonneur" in 2005, the last year of his seven consecutive Tour de France victories. http://www.nuggetsprostore.com/kids-carm...nuggets-jersey/. According to various reports, the striker is about to sign a five-and-a-half year extension with Manchester United worth a reported 300,000 pounds a week that would see him at Old Trafford until 2019. Tyler Lydon Jersey . Two-time Olympic bronze medallists Savchenko and Szolkowy received 79.02 points to finish ahead of world bronze medallists Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford of Canada, who had 77.01 points. Denver Nuggets Jerseys . Ricciardo made it only halfway around the Jerez track before his RB10 rolled to a stop and began spouting smoke from the back. After team mechanics tended to the car, Ricciardo went back out for a mere two trips around the circuit before calling it quits. NASHVILLE -- The Ottawa Senators got another big win with a solid team effort. Mika Zibanejad and Jason Spezza scored in the shootout to lead the Ottawa Senators to a 2-1 victory over Nashville on Saturday night. Kyle Turris scored in regulation for Ottawa, which has won five of its last six. Craig Anderson had 31 saves through overtime, and then stopped Craig Smith and David Legwand in the shootout. "I thought Craig was again, a very consistent goaltender," Ottawa coach Paul MacLean. "Were slowly starting to build some momentum. Tonight I thought was a good effort by the total team and the whole team found a way to win the game." Mike Fisher had the lone goal for Nashville, which has lost three of four. Marek Mazanec finished with 20 saves. "Weve had some difficult stretches where we absolutely deserved to get two points and havent been able to do it, but we come out and play hard every night," Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. "Thats something everyone in that room can hang their hat on." Nashville is now 0-5 in shootouts this season, with their shooters scoring just once in 18 tries. Turris scored the games first goal at 6:23 of the second period. Nashville defenceman Mattias Ekholm carried the puck behind his own net and reversed it off the end boards, but he did not have a teammate there, and the puck came to Turris on the right side. Turrris then beat a surprised Mazanec with a wrist shot for his 12th goal of the season, giving him a point in four of his last five games.dddddddddddd "I just tried to reverse it and it bounced right in front," Ekholm said. "I dont know if it hit him or the boards or something, but obviously bad play by me and I have to get better there." Fisher tied it with 3:01 left in the second period. With the teams skating 4-on-4, Ryan Ellis shot from above the left circle was blocked, but the puck came to Fisher just to the left of the Ottawa net where he snapped a shot past Anderson for his 12th of the season. Fisher played the first 675 games of his NHL career with the Senators before being traded to Nashville in February 2011. Anderson stopped Viktor Stalberg on a penalty shot with 8:17 left in the first period. Stalberg was awarded the attempt after having his feet taken out by Ottawas Joe Corvo on a breakaway just seconds after Stalberg finished serving a tripping penalty of his own. "You take the mind out of it, just read and react," Anderson said. "I wanted to make sure I didnt give him an easy shot." NOTES: Stalberg has not converted in three-career penalty-shot attempts. ... Nashville D Kevin Klein played in his 400th career NHL game. ... Fisher has 11 points in his last eight games. ... Turris has goals in consecutive games for the fourth time this season. Wholesale Hoodies NFL Shirts Outlet Jerseys NFL Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '