The Atlantic Division-leading Toronto Raptors will resume their western road trip Monday against the Utah Jazz. Barry Sanders White Jersey . Listen to the Raptors vs. Jazz live tonight on TSN Radio 1050 at 9pm et/6pm pt. The Raptors are 1-1 so far on the five-game junket after defeating Denver and losing to Portland. In Saturdays 106-103 loss to the Blazers, the home team blew a 16-point advantage and eventually won on Damian Lillards running bank shot with 11.9 seconds left. Portland led 31-19 after the first quarter and had three players score at least 20 points. Toronto was led by DeMar DeRozans 36 points and 12 assists, while Kyle Lowry and Jonas Valanciunas scored 23 and 18 points, respectively, for the Raptors, who shot 46 percent for the game. "We understand what we had to do, honestly," DeRozan said. "We understand we were down big and the only way we would get back in this game was to get stops and thats what we started doing. That was the main part. We were missing a lot of easy shots that we normally make, but we dont worry about that. The only thing we worry about is the defensive game and we picked it up in the second half." DeRozan is averaging 27.8 points in his last five games. The Raptors, who are four games ahead of Brooklyn in the Atlantic, still have to visit Sacramento and the Los Angeles Clippers on the road trip. Raptors guard Greivis Vasquez is questionable for Monday with an illness. Utah has dropped two in a row and four of its last six games, including Saturdays 102-87 setback to the Clippers. Enes Kanter had 23 points and 14 rebounds, and Richard Jefferson scored 19 for the Jazz, who made only 35.8 percent of their shots and got 15 points from Gordon Hayward. "They showed their experience on us. Jamal Crawford made some big shots," Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin said. "They executed in the second half. We just didnt get the stops when we needed to." Jazz forward Derrick Favors missed the game with a sore right hip and is questionable for Mondays game. He has missed two straight. Toronto defeated Utah, 115-91, at Air Canada Centre on Nov. 9, but has lost 14 of the previous 16 meetings between the teams. The Raptors have also lost seven of eight and 13 of the 17 all-time matchups in Salt Lake City. George Johnson Blue Jersey . So far, his encore is even better. Wainwright became the National Leagues first eight-game winner by dominating Cincinnati again, and the St. Cassius Vaughn Jersey . PAUL, Minn.(Sports Network) - Its no surprise that the New York Yankees are back in the postseason for the 16th time in the last 17 years. However, it is a surprise that the Yankees not only won their 12th American League East title in that span, but that they enter this years playoffs with more wins than any team in the American League at 97. Their quest for an unprecedented 28th World Series title begins on Friday when they open the best-of-five American League Division Series against the AL Central champion Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium. New York, which lost in six games to the Texas Rangers in last years ALCS, is of course led by its terrific lineup, but does have some major question marks surrounding its starting rotation behind staff ace and Game 1 starter CC Sabathia. Sabathia fell a win short of becoming the first Yankees starter to post back-to-back 20-win seasons since Tommy John back in 1979-80, but ended the year 19-8 with a 3.00 ERA. "When Im right," Sabathia has said, "I can beat anybody." Sabathia is no stranger to the Tigers, having faced them 32 times over the course of his career and posting a 15-12 mark to go along with a 4.54 ERA. There are no questions however surrounding the Tigers staff, which is led by AL CY Young favorite Justin Verlander, who is vying to become the leagues first pitcher to take home MVP honors since Roger Clemens in 1986. Verlander put forth one of the best years ever by a Tigers starter and won the leagues pitching Triple Crown, going 24-5 with a 2.40 earned run average and 250 strikeouts. "I understand the numbers, how theyy worked out and where they stand," Verlander said. Golden Tate III Blue Jersey. "But at the same time, theres so much other stuff going on, theres not really a chance to sit back and let it soak in. Once the last pitch is thrown, hopefully after we have won a World Series, I can sit down, look back at it and enjoy it. For right now, Im focused on Game 1." Verlander finished the year strong, winning 12 straight starts before earning a no-decision in his final outing on Friday. The hard-throwing righty, though, earned two no-decisions against the Yankees this season and is a mere 4-3 lifetime against them with a 3.97 ERA in 10 starts. The Yanks are also the only team that Verlander faced twice and did not beat. "Hopefully its a good one," Sabathia said. "Weve faced off a lot, me playing in that [Central] division for a long time. Hes had one of the best seasons for a pitcher ever, I think. And its going to be tough. So we just have to wait and see what happens." Thanks to Verlanders terrific season the Tigers won their first-ever American League Central title, while claiming their first division crown since winning the 1987 AL East. They ended the year 95-67 and are back in the postseason for the first time since winning the American League pennant back in Verlanders rookie season of 2006. That remarkable run, of course, started with a four-game series win over the Yankees in the only other previous postseason matchup between the two. The Tigers also took four of seven from the Yanks during this season after the two teams split the eight-game season series a year ago. cheap nfl jerseys ' ' '
