emely well here, Holland said of Herath. He just bowls on the spot

The clock was quickly ticking toward midnight on June 30 and NBA free agency was about to begin.Bismack Biyombo was about to get swamped with offers after his stellar playoff run. What team in the league does not need a rim-protecting center?But Biyombo was still on the phone talking with his Toronto Raptors teammates. The group he became so close with during his only season in Toronto that took the franchise to its first Eastern Conference Finals.There was little reason for Biyombo to leave.Except he wanted more. And when the Orlando Magic came calling at midnight on July 1, offering a four-year, $70-million contract, Biyombo wanted to take the chance.Leaving his former teammates was tough, but Biyombo said he wanted to be part of a rebuilding process and help a team grow from the ground up, rather than joining it midstream as he had with the Raptors.This was his opportunity, not only to cash in as a free agent, but to be part of the change in a franchises culture.In the end, it was tough, Biyombo said. At some level, I think what we did in Toronto was special, but I wanted to go back through the process and do it again. ... When I had the opportunity to come (to Orlando), it was to go back and do it again. I believe there have been a lot of stories here. I want to be able to help to go back and make some more.Biyombo, who will face the Raptors for the first time at Amway Center in Orlando, helped the Magics defense improve. But that process has taken some time to develop and jell.The Magic are 12-16 and fighting to stay in the early playoff race.The Raptors are thriving and perhaps playing better for the experiences they shared last year.Toronto has firmly planted itself as the second-best team in the Eastern Conference, for now. A place they expected to be.Their replacement options for Biyombo as backup center -- Lucas Nogueira, Pacsal Siakam and rookie Jakob Poeltl -- have performed admirably.But none of them have provided the same defensive presence and timing Biyombo brings.Toronto struggled with its defense in a 125-121 home loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday. It has been a larger theme throughout the season for the Raptors despite their success.It doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure out where our problem is, Raptors coach Dwane Casey told Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. Weve got to have defense in the game. We can score. Im not worried about us scoring.Until we individually make a decision to guard your man ... were going to be an up-and-down team.The Raptors have won games this year with one of the best offenses in the league. But their defense is middle of the road. They give up 105.8 points per 100 possessions and average 4.4 blocked shots per game, 22nd in the league.The Magic have used Biyombo -- along with Serge Ibaka -- to rise to 5.6 blocked shots per game, sixth in the league. Their defense has played well with Biyombo as one of its anchors in the paint.For sure, both Biyombo and the Raptors will be happy to see each other before the game. Then it will be back to business at tip-off.Cheap Jordans Free Shipping .J. Jefferson has been charged with assaulting his girlfriend. Cheap Jordans Wholesale China . Siddikur, whose previous win on the circuit came in Brunei three years ago, finished his bogey-free round with a birdie on the 18th for a total of 17-under 199. 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Cheap Jordans From China . -- Playing time has been limited for Maxim Tissot this season, so the Montreal Impact defender made the most of his first scoring opportunity on Saturday.An expired passport, replaced in a hurried 24 hours before flying to Sri Lanka, says a lot about how much Jon Holland has thought about playing for Australia in a Test match lately. But canny displays in training for the tourists, ahead of a game they must win, spoke equally loudly for a level of ability the selectors have always rated.The call from chairman of selectors Rod Marsh to tell Holland he needed to travel to Galle to replace Steve OKeefe and partner Nathan Lyon in the second Test necessitated a journey from Brisbane back to Melbourne for a hurried renewal of documents. It is seven years since Holland last made an Australian tour, an ODI sojourn to India in 2009.Rod rang me when I was up in Brisbane, getting ready for Australia A, and told me that SOK was not good and I had to get over here, Holland said. It was a bit of a surprise, so much of a surprise that I didnt have a passport ready, so I was a bit nervous.I went back to Melbourne, I had to renew it, it had expired. Getting over here, just being around the group it hits home a bit more.I will be a little bit nervous if I do get a chance to play, I have worked hard on my bowling the last couple of years. I am pretty comfortable with where my bowlings at. Hopefully, if I do get a chance, I can get myself into the game and get a couple of results.On that previous tour, Holland was so close to a debut that he had the chat with then captain Ricky Ponting informing him he would play in the final match of the series in Mumbai. But rain began to fall almost as soon as Ponting spoke those words, and so, Holland returned home without playing.It was the last game, wed already won the series, Holland said. Ricky told me on the bus after training which was the next day, and as soon as he told me, it started raining and it didnt stop until we got on the plane to come home, so unfortunately I missed out, but thats the way it goes.I guess it was in the back of my mind that time was getting away from me, but I really enjoy playing cricket for Victoria. Theyve stuck with me through three shoulder injuries and supported me and given me the chance to play cricket, I have to thank them. Its here now, its all a bit surreal still and I will just have to wait and see if I do get the chance to play.Usefully, Holland is dropping into the Australian side in a manner he has become familiar with for Victoria.ddddddddddddThe selectors preference for Fawad Ahmed as the No. 1 spinner has meant Holland only plays on spinning pitches, and has harvested 22 wickets at 16.41 from his past three Shield games, spread over two seasons. Eight wickets in the Shield final piqued the selectors interest ahead of this tour.I would like to play every game for Victoria but that hasnt been the case, he said. Fawad has bowled extremely well for Victoria and its been hard to get in there, and especially in Australia - playing two spinners doesnt happen too often, but my opportunities for Victoria have come and I enjoy playing for Victoria.The Shield final was a big game for me. Id missed out on a couple, one through injury and one not being selected the year before. It was a big dream of mine to play in a winning Shield for Victoria, and to get the opportunity and do well was a really great week for me.In watching the first Test of the series on television, Holland was reminded of the left-arm spinners art by the clever variations of Rangana Herath. There has been evidence of similar skill from Holland in training, varying his pace and degree of spin to beat Australian bats on numerous occasions. Cricketers rather than athletes, Herath and Holland share an instinctive understanding of deceit.He knows the conditions extremely well here, Holland said of Herath. He just bowls on the spot and knows how to subtly change his spin and variations and pace and that sort of thing. I think just about every time he bowls the ball its hitting the stumps, which is a big positive. I try to take a bit of that on board and try to do the same as that.If Hollands passport was unready, he has at least got in his kitbag a handful of good relationships with Australian team-mates from days gone by, whether it be Under-19 tours or his Academy intake.Most critical of all, he shares a good rapport with Steven Smith. Captain and spinner must stay close this week. Ive known Smithy since he was pretty young, Holland said. I guess we have got a pretty good relationship, so, hopefully, he backs me in and looks after me. ' ' '