TORONTO - When Patrick Patterson learned he would be making his first start as a memb

TORONTO - When Patrick Patterson learned he would be making his first start as a member of the Raptors just prior to Monday nights game he wasnt exactly caught off guard by the news. With the first unit struggling of late and Amir Johnson - one of the teams iron men - hobbling on an injured right ankle, Patterson knew he could get the nod in a challenging matchup against one of the leagues up and coming players at his position. Although it likely wasnt an easy sell, Dwane Casey and the coaching staff made the decision to rest Johnson, who had not missed a game due to injury in nearly two years, opening the door for his backup. "I started in Houston so its not new," said Patterson, downplaying his role in Torontos 108-101 home win over the Pelicans after scoring a season-best 22 points. "Its just all about making sure I have a positive role and I know my role on the team… making sure Im a significant part of our teams success." Since coming over in the seven-player trade from Sacramento in early December, Patterson has seen his role increase steadily, earning the trust of his coach and becoming the Raptors most reliable reserve. After Johnson was ruled out, Casey expressed concern about disrupting the chemistry of his second unit by removing a key cog in Patterson, however the forwards recent play made the decision an easy one. "I thought the matchup with (Anthony) Davis was a good one for him," Casey said of Patterson, who has scored in double figures 13 times over his last 20 games, averaging 12.0 points and 5.7 rebounds, shooting 53 per cent from the field in under 24 minutes per contest during that stretch. "(Patterson) was able to stretch the defence and give us some offensive punch." Patterson gave the Raptors a lift where they needed it most. Toronto had been outscored in the opening quarter of the last four games, all on the road, before returning home Monday and getting off to a rare but crucial quick start against Davis and the Pelicans. Patterson - along with Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan - was one of three Raptors to score seven points in the first frame, knocking down both of his shots and helping his team take a 31-20 lead into the second period. Thats where Pattersons presence was missed, as Torontos bench came in and squandered a 15-point advantage. Led by reserve guard Tyreke Evans, New Orleans ripped off a 26-11 run to end the half and would go into the break knotted up with Toronto at 49 points apiece. "For whatever reason we are losing leads with our second unit, what its doing is putting a lot of pressure on our starters and putting them in big minute situations," said Casey with both DeRozan and Lowry hovering around 40 minutes on Monday. "I think they just have to get their rhythm back. Taking (Patterson) off the second unit hurts them a bit, but still we have to get a rhythm with that second unit so we can rest our starters." Heavy mileage has taken its toll on Johnson. The Raptors forward turned his ankle in a win over the Magic late last month - the most recent in a series of ankle injuries - and, to character, had played and started in all five games since. He could have done the same Monday if necessary, Casey indicated before the game, but with the all-star break around the corner and his team poised to make a playoff run over the next couple months, Johnson finally got some much-needed rest. "Its tough to replace a guy like Amir," DeRozan said of Johnson, who had not missed a game to injury since Mar. 5, 2012 (he was suspended for one game last year and sat out the previous season finale). "Everybody has to step up and try to do a little more (without him). Everybody understands their role and once they [saw] Amir [was] out, [they had] to step up and hold down the fort until he gets back." "Were deep," said Lowry, coming off his best game since before the road trip, scoring 19 points to go along with 12 assists and seven boards, five of them offensive. "Thats how we play, thats how we roll. 15 deep." Patterson started six games with the Kings earlier this season and has made 54 starts during his four year career, most of them as a member of the Rockets. With Patterson stepping into the first unit, Tyler Hansbrough - who has fallen out of favour since returning from an ankle injury last month - took advantage of the opportunity he was given off the bench, scoring 12 points and grabbing six rebounds in 14 minutes. "Tyler and Patrick both carried us tonight," Casey said. "I thought they were huge in their minutes." "Tyler came in and was a pro. He brings physicality to the game that we need." Patterson and Hansbrough shared the assignment of neutralizing Davis, the Pelicans second-year forward, who has been a revelation in the Western Conference this season. Davis scored just two points, hitting one of his six shots in his first appearance at the Air Canada Centre exactly a year ago Monday but hes come a long way since then. The first-time all-star is one of five players averaging over 20 points and 10 rebounds and the only one doing so while shooting over 50 per cent from the field. Hes also on pace to become just the fifth player since 1973 to lead the NBA in blocks in his first or second season. "Anthony Davis is one of the most skilled big guys in the league," Casey said before the game, comparing him to a young Kevin Garnett. Davis was glued to the bench in foul trouble late in the third as the Raptors made their run and finished the game with 19 points and seven rebounds while Evans, 24 hours after being bench for disciplinary reasons, had 23 points and 10 assists off the bench for New Orleans. NEW ORLEANS -- Gerald Green couldnt miss. Then again, neither did many of his teammates. Eric Bledsoe had 25 points on 10-of-12 shooting, Green tied a career high with six 3-pointers and the Phoenix Suns rallied to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 104-98 on Tuesday night. Trailing 60-50, the Suns scored 28 points in the last 6:23 of the third quarter to go ahead 78-69 and led the rest of the way. During that torrid stretch, they hit 12 of 13 shots and six 3-pointers in a row, including three from Green. "The third quarter was a prime example of when we move the ball and play as a team, we can really heat things up," Green said. "When the Dallas Mavericks won the championship, they didnt win it off isolations. They won it off ball movement and knocking down 3s." The Suns were expected to be much closer to the top pick in the 2014 draft lottery than a championship when the season began. Their 3-1 start already qualifies as a surprise after they finished with the worst record in the Western Conference (25-57) a year ago. "Were starting to make a little noise, but its only four games into the season," Green said. "We havent done anything yet. We just have to keep continuing to play with the same pace and try to get better." The Pelicans used an 11-0 run to go up 56-46 early in the third quarter but had no answer for the Suns outburst a few minutes later. Green started the streak with an open 3-pointer, the first of six for Phoenix during its big run. Bledsoe scored on a transition layup, then drilled an outside jumper. Green pulled up for another 3-pointer to tie the score at 60, and Markieff Morris sank a 3 to give the Suns a 63-62 lead. Less than a minute later, Morris drained another one from long range. Green then made his sixth 3-pointer, tying a career high, as Phoenix went ahead 71-64. The Suns werent finished. After the Pelicans closed to 73-69 on Brian Roberts 3-pointer, P.J. Tucker hit a 3 with 52.3 seconds left and Marcus Morris closed the quarter with a put-back layup to make the score 78-69. "Thats the game-breaker right there," Roberts said. "We came out and gave the first punch, and they punched back but we didnt respond." Green scored 18, Markieff Morris had 17 points and twin brother Marcus Morris added 16 points for the Suns.dddddddddddd "Everybody just stayed aggressive," Marcus Morris said. "Thats really all it was, a lot of energy. We just played hard." Eric Gordon led New Orleans with 20 points but had only six in the second half. Anthony Davis had a quiet first half before finishing with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Jrue Holiday had nine assists but only three points on 1 of 7 shooting. New Orleans cut the deficit to 87-85 in the fourth, but Bledsoe finished them off with three driving layups. The Pelicans had a chance to tie in the fourth, but the Suns P.J. Tucker stole the ball from Gordon in traffic, leading to Bledsoes breakout layup that made the score 89-85. Bledsoe then split two defenders on a drive for an easy basket to pad the lead to 95-88 and made an uncontested layup for a 97-90 advantage with 1:23 left. "I just took what the defence gave me," Bledsoe said. "They gave me layups all night, so I was going to take every last one of them." The Pelicans led 28-17 at the end of the first quarter despite playing without Holiday for all but the opening 2:09 after he picked up two quick fouls and getting only two points and two rebounds from Davis. At that point, New Orleans appeared headed for an easy night. Instead, the Pelicans committed six turnovers in a sloppy second quarter, allowing the Suns to pull within 45-41 at the half. "We had a good first quarter, but after that we went away from the things that are necessary for us to be good," Pelicans coach Monty Williams said. "The second half was just totally not the way we play in practice." Phoenix played without guard Goran Dragic, who sprained his left ankle in the second quarter against Oklahoma City on Sunday and is listed as day-to-day. Notes: The Pelicans, who entered as the NBAs best 3-point shooting team at 50 per cent (18 of 36), raised that percentage by hitting 10 of 18 even though leading 3-point shooter Ryan Anderson has not played this season with a chipped bone on second right toe. ... The Suns won despite having only four second-chance points.

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