TORONTO - If you had been up early to watch the Canadian mens hockey team win gold Sunday morning, the Raptors first-half lullaby likely put you back to sleep. John Kelly Rams Jersey . "I think we set basketball back probably 15 years in the first half," Dwane Casey admitted, speaking of his teams lackadaisical effort at the outset of a 105-90 win over the lowly Orlando Magic. Slow starts have become a troublesome trend for the Raptors, who scored 44 points on 42 per cent shooting in the opening 24 minutes Sunday, but theyve also developed a fondness for the second-half explosion, which seems to bail them out more often than not. Whatever Casey is saying or doing in the locker room at intermission, its been working. Once considered to be one of the worst third-quarter teams in the association, the Raptors looked like an inspired team coming out of the halftime break. "Like I told our guys, were going to have a lot of games where were going to have to grind it out," Casey said. "For whatever reason we struggle in the first half [and] come through, turn it on [in the second half], but I think thats also a little bit of growth on our part. Ive seen times when it had been a struggle for close to 40 minutes." The Raptors have indeed turned a corner in that regard, establishing themselves as a lethal second-half club. Toronto has outscored, or tied, its opponent in the second half in 13 straight contests, holding teams to 39 per cent shooting and besting them by 91 total points during that stretch. Since the season-altering trade of Rudy Gay, the Raptors lead the NBA in second-half point differential, outscoring foes by 216 points, 47 more than the second-ranked Indiana Pacers. Led by its dynamic backcourt, Toronto missed just two of its 14 field goal attempts in the third, besting the Magic 36-24 and turning a three-point halftime lead into a 15-point advantage going into the fourth. Neither guard, Kyle Lowry or DeMar DeRozan, missed a shot in the frame. The two combined for 26 of Torontos 36 points. Lowry, who shot just 1-of-7 in the first half, was in the zone. As the clock ticked down to end the period, the Raptors point guard pulled up from 25-feet and drained his fourth three-pointer, putting the finishing touch on a perfect (5-for-5 from the field, 4-for-4 from three, 3-for-3 from the line) 17-point quarter. Although the Raptors have outscored the Magic and Cavaliers 73-45, shooting 76 per cent from the floor in their last two third quarters - en route to a pair of home victories - Lowry and his teammates are wisely concerned about their customary slow starts. "Were not that good of a team to just ease our way into the game," said Lowry, who finished with 28 points on Sunday. "Weve got to come out and play with [that] intensity from the start." Whats behind the teams late wake-up calls? "I cant really put a finger on it," DeRozan said after scoring 17 of his 24 in the second half. "Maybe we just like a challenge sometimes. [We] put ourselves in a tough situation so we can fight ourselves out, but weve got to stop that and understand weve got to come out of the gate so we dont make the game that hard on us." Fortunately, the Raptors were playing host to the leagues worst road team. The Magic, riding a 15-game losing streak away from home, were missing leading scorer Arron Afflalo, absent as a result of an ankle injury. They scored just 14 points in the opening quarter and didnt put up much resistance when the Raptors guards seized control of the game. Toronto managed to seal a double-digit victory despite committing a season-high 24 turnovers, 18 of them coming from Lowry, DeRozan and Jonas Valanciunas. While six of Torontos next seven games come against losing teams, this is not a habit that will be kind to the playoff-bound Raptors as they approach the stretch run. "We cant rely on that," DeRozan said of his teams second-half success, "because when we run into the top teams its going to be tough to try to make a comeback against those teams." "So weve got to start a habit of that now," he continued, "even when were playing teams like Orlando so well be ready and we know what to expect when we play the good teams." John Franklin-Myers Jersey . -- Floridas smothering defence returned to form just in time for the third-ranked Gators to keep their winning streak going. John Kelly Jersey . - Hitting was supposed to be the Pittsburgh Pirates weakness coming into the season yet they lead the major leagues in home runs through the first 16 games of the season. http://www.footballramsshop.us/ . Cox started the season with San Francisco, but was released by the team on Nov. 12 before being signed by Seattle, where he appeared in two games and tallied three tackles before being released on Dec.On The NBA 2014-2015 season’s eve, the incredible two man team of TSN 1050 Radio’s #1On1 with Will Strickland and Duane Watson get you ready for hoops in Canada! Over the next three days, the guys will give you the news, views and truths on all things NBA and Canada basketball, including insights on the Toronto Raptors and their chances to go deep into the playoffs this season. The #1On1 with Will & Duane NBA Season Preview first looks at the Western Conference, where the unbreakable triumvirate of the great Timothy Theodore Duncan, Emanuel David Ginobili and William Anthony Parker, Jr. has time and time again, year after year, continued to defy the odds and the naysayers when it comes their age and ability. Though the sun sets in the West, apparently no one told the defending world champion San Antonio Spurs. As they hoist their fifth title banner and collect their jewel and adoration on NBA opening night this Tuesday vs the Dallas Mavericks, ask yourself if you’re willing to bet against them again. Does a team with an ailing, but reigning MVP in Kevin Durant get back to the Finals and find redemption? Or maybe a newcomer to the throne like the Blake Griffin/Chris Paul-led Los Angeles Clippers will ascend the highest of heights in the West? Duane Watson and Will Strickland give their predictions and you tell them if they are on point or way out of bounds! Stephen John Nash Will Retire. Strickland: When? Now? Didn’t he retire three years ago in Phoenix? Despite listing Toronto, where Nash is Executive Director of Canada Basketball, and New York, where he resided in the offseason, as potential free agency destinations for him, Steve Nash didn’t retire when he hurt his back recently picking up a bag and likely ending one of the most unlikely NBA careers ever. Steve Nash retired for many the moment he swore he’d never play for his enemy, the Los Angeles Lakers, and then promptly signed there. Watson: As soon as Nash left the confines of the magical rehabilitation pixie dust of the Phoenix Suns, his body’s deterioration seemingly accelerated. Nash will have only played in 65 games over the past three seasons for in Los Angeles. As the oldest player in the NBA, like everyone else, he wasn’t able to elude father time. Nash will retire, but only after he gets the $9 million that the Lakers owe him. The Los Angeles Lakers Will Be The Worst Team In The Western Conference. Strickland: No team that possesses the maniacally competitive and highly polarizing Kobe Bean Bryant will ever be last at anything, especially when the Western Conference has the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Sacramento Kings for that. Bryant will soothe his wounds by surpassing his boyhood idol Michael Jeffrey Jordan for third place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list this season. Watson: Kobe Bryant, despite his talents, does not bring the best out of people. He will be coming back from an Achilles injury and the other two best players on the roster, (Steve Nash & Nick Young) are out with injuries. That leaves a bunch of young players and a new head coach in Byron Scott, who will grate on them quickly, as he’s a strong believer in tough love. All in all, a recipe for disaster born by regret for signing Kobe to a (legacy) extension and crippling the ball club. Anthony Davis Will Be League MVP. Strickland: Yes… just not this season. The Brow is the future of the NBA: long, athletic, skilled and able to dominate the game in multiple aspects, whether he’s scoring or not. Be afraid… be very, very afraid! Anthony Davis is rated next and will live up to the billing. Watson: After a coming out party as an anchor on the gold–medal USA Men’s basketball team, Davis is putting together all of the elements that made him a #1 overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. His inside and outside game, coupled with defensive ability make him a match-up nightmare and as long as the Pelicans are performing, he will start his ascent as one of the new faces of the league. Flip Saunders Will Be The First Coach Relieved Of His Duties This Season. Strickland: Yes… and rightfully so, even if he is the one who does the firing as Saunders serves as both head coach, President of Basketball Operations and part-owner. Let this prediction also serve as a ringing endorsement of former Toronto Raptors’ bench boss and 2006-2007 NBA Coach of The Year to lead the young wolf pack of Canadians Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett, high flyer Zach Levine, vet Thaddeus Young and new face of the franchise (for now), Ricky Rubio. Watson: There’s a bit of a caveat as he is also the team’s GM, but he won’t want to be on the sideline enduring the losses. It will be his first time in a dual role, and he will want to focus on building a better team and leave the coaching in the hands of his initial lead candidate, former Raptors head coach Sam Mitchell. DeMarcus “Boogie” Cousins Will Be An All-Star. Strickland: No question. Cousins’ abilities were on full display in the Gold Medal game as his tenacity and work off the boards awakened his US Men’s’ National Team and spurred them to victory. More impressive however were his displays of teamwork, maturity and leadership in Spain as he had opportunities to become the “Ugly American” with a poor attitude and one short circuited punch attempt to the back of Raptors & Lithuanian star centre Jonas Valanciunas’ melon. Marcus Peters Jersey. Boogie brings these experiences to a poor Sacramento team that he’ll have to carry even more this season. Watson: “Boogie,” early in his career, developed a reputation as a player with an attitude and bad temperament, despite his stellar play. While his on court performance hasn’t slipped, his poise and play with USA Basketball last summer displayed what many knew all along… his passion is as big as his game. Western Conference coaches will see that if he played under Coach K, he will finally get that vote in as a reserve in New York. Eric Gordon & Tyreke Evans Will Cripple The Hornets Playoffs Chances With Injuries. Strickland: Even healthy, oxymoronic when speaking about Evans and Gordon, there’s little doubt they’d help the Pelicans fly into the playoffs. The addition of Omer Asik as well as getting the sharpshooting Ryan Anderson back on the floor and hoping Jrue Holiday can regain his All-Star form if not All-Star status will mean more to the playoff hopes of New Orleans. Watson: While Anthony Davis will have a banner season and the return of Ryan Anderson and addition of Omer Asik will bolster their frontcourt, the Pelicans shooting guards will prove to be the boon of this team. Lacking much offensive firepower in the backcourt, Gordon and Evans chronic injury history and their absence from the line-up will have many posing “what if?” at the end of the season. Damian Lillard Will Be Voted In As An All-Star By The Fans. Strickland: No. With relative shoo-in incumbents Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook and Steph Curry in front of the rapping point gawd MC Dame Lillard, it will be his continued growth as a leader for a talented Portland Trailblazers outfit that will have fans stuffing All-Star ballot boxes to push for his inclusion as one of the top 24 players on the planet for a fun-filled weekend in Gotham. It’s not Dame’s time just yet, but when it is, he won’t relinquish for quite some time. Watson: “Dame” is doing everything right earning a reputation on the court and off of it. The only thing better than an old superstar point guard that hasn’t won it all, is a young superstar point guard that hasn’t won it all. The fans are recognizing, as Lillard’s ability to single handedly win games, is the reason why people are excited about the Trail Blazers. The Los Angeles Clippers Will Win The West. Strickland: No. They have all the talent in the world, an experienced bench, one of the top coaches in The Association in Doc Rivers and a bright owner in Steve Ballmer who has taken the Donald Sterling cloud from over the franchise. Even that will not be enough to overcome the Spurs x Thunders of the NBA world. Whispers of Chris Paul losing a step after a tough close to his playoffs last year will not be offset by a potential MVP-like campaign from Blake Griffin. Watson: The Clippers have all the tools to have the best record in the Western Conference. Blake Griffin is asserting his dominance as one of the top power forwards in the game, head coach Doc Rivers has a roster and a bench that can compete 82 games a season, and there’s Chris Paul. But for all of that, they will continue to realize that the regular season and playoffs are two different seasons and won’t be playing in June. The Utah Jazz Will Sneak Into The Playoffs. Strickland: No! But, going out on the thinnest of limbs here, I truly do believe that a team who won 25 games last year will push for that final playoff spot in the West until the last week of the season. New head coach Quin Snyder has implemented a sharp motion offensive scheme that will highlight the talents of his young stars Gordon Hayward, Trey Burke, Rodney Hood and Dante Exum, as well as allow blossoming big man Derrick Favors and an improving Rudy Gobert, who is coming off of a very solid summer of international play with France’s Bronze medal winning squad at the FIBA World Cup. Watson: Bold considering this team only won 25 games last year, but there is a depth of talent on this Jazz roster and rookie head coach Quinn Snyder has already found ways to maximize it. Even if they don’t make the playoffs, they will be a much-improved squad from the year prior, adding experience to the young core Trey Burke, Dante Exum, Rodney Hood, Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors. The Spurs Will Repeat. Strickland: Hard to bet against them… but I will! Injuries and how you play around them are a variable that is always necessary to consider in pro sports. So is age. Despite exacting their revenge vs the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals last season, the Spurs ability to defeat father time will factor heavily in allowing a new boss in the West to reign. Watson: Likely the least bold of all the predictions, as the depth, the experience, the coaching, and the minutes management should lead them right back to where they left off. It’s the Spurs title to lose and coach Popovich and the veterans on this team only do that once a decade, (see 2013 NBA Finals). You can find Duane Watson(@duanewatson) and Will Strickland(@wallstrizzle1) plying their trade in the Art of Basketball Commentary on #1On1 with Will & Duane every Saturday afternoon at 3pm ET on TSN 1050 Radio. Tune In! Tell A Friend! You’ll Be Glad You Did! 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