a lot better than obviously on Sunday," Woods said. "It was nice t

TORONTO - The Raptors learned a little bit about themselves in a narrow defeat to the Chicago Bulls Wednesday, a game with playoff-type intensity and their third consecutive against an opponent directly behind them in the standings. On Thursday theyll learn even more. Despite the cloud of uncertainty that has followed them around from the moment general manager Masai Ujiri was brought in to put his stamp on the franchise, the Raptors have surpassed all pre-season expectations. They have navigated through early-season tank speculation, theyve come together after a momentum shifting seven-player deal and they continue to block out the noise emitting from the incessant batch of rumours surrounding their starting point guard. At 3:00 PM et Thursday afternoon all that noise will be muzzled until the offseason, all the uncertainty finally put to bed. Finally, they will all know where they stand, at least for the next couple months. So, with the big day rapidly approaching, will Kyle Lowry - the primary subject of trade speculation - be losing any sleep on the eve of the deadline? "Nope," scoffed the Raptors point guard, as that question was posed following his teams 94-92 loss to the Bulls. "Not at all." "Any other questions about that," he asked, daring the hoard of local media to try their luck again. There were no more questions. It was worth a try, after all, its the question thats on everyones mind. Will Lowry be wearing a Raptors jersey when the team hosts the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday? Still, it was a futile attempt to get a rise out of a player who has been relatively unshakable all season. Lowry, like the rest of his teammates, is fully aware of whats at stake as he waits to learn his fate. The upcoming deadline has been on the their minds, whether they care to admit it or not, but its not a subject thats welcome for discussion in the locker room. "Thankfully on this team, no, no ones talked about it, no ones mentioned it," said Patrick Patterson, ahead of the teams win in Washington Tuesday. "The only thing Ive seen is just stuff on Twitter, the internet, Bleacher Report, whatever, yada, yada, yada, rumours but as far as this group of guys from the coaching staff on down to each player on the roster, no one has mentioned anything." Patterson arrived in the trade from Sacramento on Dec. 9, along with Kings teammates Greivis Vasquez, John Salmons and Chuck Hayes. Since then, this team has gelled in a way that no one could have possibly imagined, going 22-12 with the new additions in uniform. Chemistry is a word thats been used to describe this group both on and off the floor and, as Ujiri has insisted, its something the Raptors general manager values above all else. Ujiri, in conversation with TSN.ca over the weekend, expressed a reluctance to disrupt that newfound chemistry unless the right deal comes along. Hes not alone. Dwane Casey wouldnt mind seeing 15 familiar faces in the locker room when he comes into work on Friday. "I like our guys," Casey said. "I know Masai is working 24/7 on the phones and looking at different scenarios. We talked a long time today. But I like our guys. If we (bring) our team back Im happy." "I always said since I came (here), the players will dictate where we go and the team will dictate where we go," Ujiri told TSN.ca on Sunday. "Thats kind of how its been." The players have spoken. The Raptors hold third place in the Eastern Conference, a 1/2 game in front of the fourth-seeded Bulls after Wednesdays loss. They were outplayed on both ends of the floor in the second night of a back-to-back. It was a brutally physical and fiercely competitive game in which seven technical fouls were handed out. The Raptors were down and out early but they fought back, as they have done time and time again, showing mental and physical toughness. Theyre a resilient bunch, theyve proven that, and they believe theyve earned the right to see this thing out. "I believe that nothing will (happen Thursday)," Patterson predicted. "No trades will be made due to the success that weve had since the (Sacramento deal)." "Why break up something thats been going so well," he asked, rhetorically. "None of us are talking about trades, none of us are talking about wanting to leave and everyone is happy with the current situation." Adidas Nmd Outlet .ca NBA Power Rankings. Winners of 15 straight, with a healthy roster, the Spurs have overtaken the Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder for the number one ranking. Adidas Ultra Boost Sale Deutschland . Striker Dario Mandzukic scored the opener in the 22nd minute but was given a red card nine minutes later for a reckless tackle and left Croatia with 10 men for the remainder of the match. http://www.nmdschuhesale.de/nmd-xr1-schuhe-deutschland.html . According to Yahoo! Sports, the team has reached a five-year deal to play their home games on the roof of the Plaza Hotel and Casino. Nmd Schuhe Günstig Kaufen . Moors, from Cambridge Ont., landed a double-twisting, double somersault in the layout position, en route to a score of 14.600 points in the womens floor exercise, more than a full point ahead of runner-up Pia Tolle of Germany. Adidas Gazelle Damen Günstig . His brother — Red Lake chiropractor Richard Radford — is en route to Sochi to cheer on his younger brother. "Ive been getting texts from Eric and he just says the atmosphere is amazing, its special,” he said.NORTON, Mass. -- Five years later, about the only thing that hasnt changed are the names. Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Adam Scott are in the same group for the opening two rounds of the Deutsche Bank Championship, starting on the 10th tee Friday morning and then playing before what should be a full house Saturday afternoon at the TPC Boston. The last time this trio was grouped together, the stakes and the venue could not have been more different. It was the U.S. Open, not a FedEx Cup playoff event. It was along the Pacific coastline of Torrey Pines, not the tree-lined fairways of the TPC Boston. There were some other differences. Woods played that 2008 U.S. Open with a shattered left knee and two stress fractures in his leg. Now he has a sore back. Scott was playing with a broken bone near his right pinkie finger from when a friend slammed his hand in a car door a month earlier. There is nothing broken about him now, not after the Masters champion played a bogey-free round at Liberty National last week to win The Barclays. Mickelson played Torrey Pines -- then the longest course in major championship history -- without a driver in his bag. Now? Well, some things never change. Mickelson often changes up his bag, though he found a 3-wood that works similar to a driver. Its hard to question the strategy after he won the British Open with a 3-wood off the tee and off the fairway to reach the par-5 17th hole in two, a pivotal moment in his rally at Muirfield. "And here we are, five years later and very similar standings," Mickelson said Thursday evening. "I love playing with both Adam and Tiger. Adam is a great guy and Tiger brings out the best in me. I think were going to push each other. I expect all three of us to play very well." Woods won that U.S. Open for his 14th major, and he hasnt won another major since then. Mickelson finished seven shots behind, Scott was another shot back. "The buildup to that event was huge," Scott said. "And just to be even the third wheel in that group was really something Ill remember forever. So it might be the same tomorrow. I dont know, but it will be fun no matter what. Were all playing really well this year. So hopefully, we can push each other along and make a lot of birdies, and it will be an enjoyable couple of days." So whos the third wheel now? "It would be me again," Scott said with a laugh. Those three players also are seen as the top candidates as player of the year -- Scott and Mickelson both have a major among their two PGA Tour wins (Mickelson picked up anoother significant win at the Scottish Open), while Woods has five wins and no majors.ddddddddddddWoods is still the heavy favourite, though a FedEx Cup title for Scott and Mickelson might change that. Rory McIlroy is the defending champion, and still looking for his first win this year. Woods, meanwhile, is at a stage of the season where his vernacular has changed. He used to talk about "reps" and "traj" (trajectory) and "the process." These days, hes using terms related to his treatment like "activation" and "firing sequence" and "protocol." Attribute that to his latest injury -- a bad back, which he said was caused by a soft hotel mattress last week at The Barclays. He also had back pain in the final round of the PGA Championship (he said the injuries are not related), and he suffered from a strain in his left elbow at the U.S. Open, an injury that caused him to miss two tournaments. When last seen on a golf course, Woods dropped to his knees from a back spasm after hitting a fairway metal into the water on the par-3 13th hole, leading to bogey. He looked fine, and said as much Thursday during his pro-am at the Deutsche Bank Championship. Woods took full, powerful swings with the driver, and he had no trouble gouging shots from the rough. He stooped over without hesitation to remove his tee from the ground or retrieve his golf ball from the cup. "The back has been ... its a lot better than obviously on Sunday," Woods said. "It was nice to have that extra day of rest. Having the tournament start on Friday certainly helps. And Ive gotten treatment every day, two to three times a day. And it feels good." Even before he could hit his first tee shot in the pro-am, one of the amateurs asked him about his back. The question was inevitable. The answer was predictable. "Its fine," Woods said. Woods said he had planned to play nine holes, and then only chip and putt on the back nine as a precaution, just as he did last week at Liberty National. "But it felt good, so I continued playing," he said. Woods said the treatment was similar to the strain in his left elbow two months ago -- electric stimulation, ice, ultrasound and massage. Still unclear was whether how much he would be able to practice before and after rounds. Woods said that would be "day to day." "This was the first day I hit balls or swung a club since Sunday," he said. "And it was a pleasant surprise to go out there and play without any discomfort today." ' ' '