TORONTO - While the NBA recently recognized Kyle Lowry, naming him Eastern Conference Player of the Month for his standout work in December, Dwane Casey remains disappointed to see that the fans havent exactly followed suit. Nike Air Max Plus Discount . When the league released its latest All-Star voting update on Thursday, Lowry was slotted fourth among Eastern Conference guards, behind Washingtons John Wall, Miamis Dwyane Wade and Clevelands Kyrie Irving. Fans are responsible for selecting the starters for the NBAs annual All-Star Game, which will take place in New York City on Feb. 15, voting in two guards and three frontcourt players from each conference before the leagues coaches fill out the rosters. At the time of the last update, Lowry trailed Wade by 122,016 votes for second at the position, with Irving slotted in between. [Im] very surprised, Casey admitted after the Raptors Tuesday morning practice. I hope our fans get out and vote and dont put it in the hands of the coaches. And if the coaches dont do it Im probably going to get into a physical fight with those guys. One way or another the Raptors guard, in his ninth NBA season, is poised to become a first-time All-Star. In 34 games this season, Lowry is averaging a career-best 20.6 points (17th in the NBA and second among East guards, behind Wade) and 7.6 assists (tied for seventh in the NBA and ranked second among East guards, behind Wall). He ranks ninth in PER (player efficiency rating), third among Eastern Conference players at any position (behind LeBron James and Wade), and is seventh overall in win shares (estimated number of wins a player produces for his team), second in the East behind only Jimmy Butler of the Bulls. He has been the best player, by far, on a Raptors team that has led the East for most of the seasons first two months. Caseys frustration stems from last season, when Lowry became the leagues most notable omission from the team - during a similarly impressive campaign - after the coaches failed to vote him in. They will not make that same mistake again this time around but, as Casey points out, it probably shouldnt even come down to that. [The All-Star Game is] for the fans, but sometimes fans have their favourites and it has nothing to do with basketball, said the Raptors coach. I would challenge anyone to say that Kyle Lowry or Jimmy Butler are not two of the best players in the league right now. In the middle of his own breakout campaign, Butler - who beat Lowry out for Novembers Player of the Month honours - was fifth in voting at the guard position in the latest update. Thats sometimes where fantasy basketball, fans, or whatever it is may not recognize the contributions these players are making to their team or to this league, Casey continued. So its not fair but its the system we have right now. The only thing we can do, Kyle can do is go out and continue to compete and play with that chip on his shoulder to show the league, to embarrass the fans and let them know that they made a mistake or are making a mistake in their voting. DeMar DeRozan represented the upstart Raptors on last years team - his first career selection, voted in as a reserve by the coaches - but is unlikely to make a second appearance this season, having missed six weeks-worth of games with a groin injury. Lowry has taken his game to another level in the absence of his injured teammate, averaging 22.5 points and 8.7 assists in 18 games without DeRozan. The fans get to vote, coaches, whoever else gets to vote but at the end of the day its about how you perform, said Raptors forward Patrick Patterson. A lot of fans just vote for their favourite players, whether theyre playing or not, and they get into an All-Star game. So I feel like it should be the guys who have the best records and guys who are leading their teams and right now thats Kyle. Hes leading us [and] were in a positive position right now. Were one of the top teams in the East, top team in our division and when all is said and done I definitely feel like Kyle is an All-Star. Hes not the only one to lend his support of Lowry. Canadian basketball fans should get behind [Kyle Lowry], who deserves to be an NBA All Star, tweeted Prime Minister Stephen Harper with the hashtag #NBABallot on Tuesday evening. Three hours later, Harpers plea had garnered over 2,900 retweets, all of which will count towards Lowrys vote total. As Patterson noted, fan voting is often a popularity contest, making Lowry a long shot to jump those currently ahead of him. Wade is a 10-time All-Star and three-time NBA champion, while Wall and Irving - both former first-overall picks - are two of the leagues flashiest young point guards. Thats the unfortunate reality and some would argue - and have argued - that its perfectly reasonable. The game is a celebration of the sport and a showcase for the fans, so shouldnt they have their say? Of course, thats where the coaches come in - to reward deserving players that may have been left out of the starting lineups. But even that is not a foolproof system. Lowrys controversial omission a year ago serves as the latest of many examples. In 2013 Golden States Stephen Curry was snubbed by both fans and coaches despite averaging 21.6 points for the 47-win Warriors. Just a few days later, the point guard joked that he was getting more attention without making the team than he would have if they had voted him in. The same can be said for Lowry, who is finally starting to turn heads around the association. Lowry captured his third career Player of the Week award in the East early in December before taking home the monthly prize on Monday for the first time. The point guard joins Chris Bosh as the only Raptor players to ever win Player of the Month honours. Thats the only recognition I care about [for him], Patterson said. Of course hell get Player of the Weeks, hell get Player of the Months, but the only recognition I care [about] for Kyle is that he makes All-Star. We all know hes an All-Star on this team and we want the rest of the world to know that. So hopefully before its all said and done, he will be an All-Star and get the recognition he deserves. Fan voting concludes on Monday, Jan. 19 and starters will be announced on Thursday of that same week. Cheap Air Max 90 China . With Van Osch out with a flu bug that has been rampaging through the tournament, Knezevic stepped in to lead B.C. (4-3) to a pair of victories on Tuesday before 1,131 at the Maurice Richard Arena. Name Brand Shoes Cheap Online . Having won the first leg 1-0 in Barcelona, Madrid entered the match at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium already in control and quickly sealed its place in the semifinals when Jese Rodriguez scored in the seventh minute. http://www.brandshoescheaponline.com/wholesale-nike-air-vapormax-china/vapormax-plus-clearance-sale.html . Sterling was banned for life and fined US$2.5 million by the NBA on Tuesday for racist comments the league says he made in a recorded conversation. Nash, who plays for the rival L.A. Lakers, spoke as a representative of current NBA players at a press conference assembled by Sacramento mayor and National Basketball Players Association adviser Kevin Johnson.SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A month ago, Syracuse was unbeaten, ranked No. 1 and riding high. Now, the Orange are struggling toward the post-season having lost four of five. Trae Golden scored 16 points, including six clutch free throws in the final seconds, and Georgia Tech stunned No. 7 Syracuse 67-62 on Tuesday night, the Oranges second straight home loss to a team with a sub-.500 record. Syracuse (26-4, 13-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) started the season with 25 straight wins and spent three weeks at No. 1. "Im not happy with tonight, but Im very happy to be 26-4," coach Jim Boeheim said. "Were well ahead of predictions. We just have to regroup. "I try to look at the big picture and not snapshots. Were in good position. When you get in the (NCAA) tournament, youre going to play somebody good. You play good, you have a chance to win. You play well, seeding doesnt matter. Its as simple as that." Last season, Syracuse stumbled down the stretch of the regular season, losing four of its final five games, the last a humbling 61-39 loss at former Big East archrival Georgetown. The Orange responded by winning three straight games in the Big East tournament, losing to eventual national champion Louisville in the title game, and then went on to the Final Four. "It didnt end the way I wanted it to," said C.J. Fair, who matched his career high with 28 points in the final home game of his career. "It happened, but our seasons not over. I still have a chance to win my last game." Golden won it with some clutch free throw shooting in the final 35 seconds. "I kind of went back to when I was a kid and just knocked them in," said Golden, who was 8 of 8 from the line. "My dad used to make me nervous when I was younger. It made me think about that calm. It really helped me out." Georgia Tech (14-16, 5-12) snapped a four-game losing streak, and its previous five ACC road trips had produced two wins, an overtime loss, a three-point loss, a four-point loss and a 10-point loss. Getting healthier by the day, the Yellow Jackets, who at one point in the season had only seven scholarship players available, closes the regular season against Virginia Tech on Saturday with the conference tournament looming next week. "Big might be an understatement. Its a huge win for us," Golden said. "We beat one of the top teams in the country." The loss cost the Orange a great chance to lockk up a high seed in the conference tournament. Yeezy Boost 350 V3 For Sale. Jerami Grant, the Oranges leading rebounder, had been hobbled by back problems the past two games and watched in street clothes as freshman Tyler Roberson made his first start of the season. Grants absence was felt as only Fair and freshman Tyler Ennis, with 18 points, scored in double figures. "Not having him, hes a big part of our team," Fair said of Grant. "It could have been a different game if he was there. You never know, but its a big blow to the team." Georgia Tech had 18 assists and shot 24 of 51 from the field while committing only nine turnovers. "I thought our guys did a great job of executing the game plan in terms of taking care of the basketball, moving the basketball, getting it underneath the zone and making plays for each other," Georgia Tech coach Brian Gregory said. "Weve had some tough times this year. This was a total team effort." Daniel Miller had 15 points and six blocks and Robert Carter Jr. added 12 points for Georgia Tech. Fair was 12 of 25 from the field and Ennis finished with seven assists. Trevor Cooney had only seven points and was 1 of 8 from behind the arc. After Fair cut the lead to 39-33 with a driving layup, Golden responded with a 3 from the right wing to put Georgia Tech up by nine. Two free throws by Kammeon Holsey and a jumper in the lane by Miller made it 46-34 with 13:18 to go. Fairs driving layup and a free throw by Michael Gbinije cut the deficit to single digits, but Chris Bolden beat the Syracuse press for a layup to give Georgia Tech a 52-41 lead with 8:10 to go. Fair missed a 3 but Bolden quickly missed one at the other end instead of taking time off the clock and Fair responded with a drive and shot off the glass with 2:41 left to make it 59-55. Fair was fouled on the play but failed to convert the free throw, making Syracuse a costly 7 of 16 from the line. Millers slam then beat the Orange press after a turnover by Fair, but Cooney finally came through with a 3 from the wing as Syracuse closed to 61-57 with 1:48 to play. Carter missed a free throw, but Ennis lost the ball on a drive in the lane with just over a minute remaining. Syracuse, which also lost at home to Boston College, closes the season at Florida State on Sunday. "Were just eager to get that win," Fair said. "Once we win a couple of consecutive games, that will get us going." ' ' '