TORONTO - In one of the NBAs most unexpected role reversals, the Raptors find themselves sitting atop the East, looking down on a paper-thin conference that includes the hard-luck Pacers, a 56-win team that has hit rock bottom in the absence of their best player. For years, the Indiana Pacers had been a model for the Raptors and most of the NBAs rebuilding teams seeking sustainable success in a league that is generally dominated by superstar players and big basketball markets. Dwane Casey and former general manager Bryan Colangelo would point to the way the Pacers built up their roster, without a top pick or big money free agent import. They would point to Indianas rise to the top of the Eastern Conference - qualifying for the playoffs in each of the last four seasons, improving by at least five wins every year. Continuity and internal growth helped turn Frank Vogels club from a middling team to powerhouse in the East, but theyve fallen on hard times in the aftermath of a season-ending injury to Paul George, one of the NBAs elite two-way players. The Raptors share a similar affliction, also playing without their leading scorer, albeit less permanently. Granted, DeMar DeRozan is not at Georges level, nor are the Raptors as dependant on him as the Pacers are on their All-Star. But the biggest reason theyve been able to tread water in his absence - improving to 4-3 without him - was ultimately the difference in their latest win over wounded Indiana. One of our weapons that we have is our bench, said Patrick Patterson, a member of Torontos second unit, a group that poured in 64 points, fuelling the teams 106-94 victory Friday night. We feel like we have one of the best benches in the league. The Pacers have also been without starting point guard George Hill - out indefinitely with a knee injury. Meanwhile, 34-year-old David West still looks out of sync working his way back from an extended absence. The result has been a seven-game losing streak - their worst since 2009 - and an eight-point (per contest) swing from last year (scoring 3.2 points less, allowing 4.8 more). Toronto, on the other hand, is better suited for life without its top point producer. Unlike the Pacers, they have a second star in Kyle Lowry - hes taken his game to another level with his backcourt partner sidelined - in addition to a strong and diverse bench to pick up the slack. With their starters struggling - Terrence Ross and Jonas Valanciunas combined to go 6-for-23 from the field - the Raptors reserves took over, led by the hot shooting of Lou Williams. Lou is a born scorer, Casey said of Williams, who had a game-high 26 points in 29 minutes. Hes done it in big games, hes done it in playoff situations. Thank goodness hes back healthy again. We have to make sure we get him good looks. Four reserves scored in double figures for the Raptors - James Johnson had 13 points, Patterson added 11 and Greivis Vasquez overcame a slow start to score 10. Tyler Hansbrough took just one shot but changed the game with his energy in a spirited 18 minutes off the pine. Together, they stretched an eight-point lead to start the fourth quarter to a 19-point advantage, allowing Casey to rest Lowry - who logged just 26 minutes after exceeding 40 in each of his last three outings. We have pretty much the sixth man of the year in my opinion with Lou Williams, Patterson said. Then you have myself, Tyler, Greivis, JJ. We have so many guys, so many different pieces who can come off the bench and contribute game in and game out and it can be anybodys night and tonight it seemed like it was a total team effort from the starters to the second unit. Its good for teams to have a second group, to give the first group relief, Williams added. We have a lot of guys that can start on other teams and weve accepted the role of being backups and we take that in pride, we take that in pride that we know were going into games and going to change the pace of the game. I think thats a major plus. Without George, the Pacers already lacklustre offence has fallen even further. They scored 94 points on Friday becoming the first Raptors opponent to be held under the century mark over Torontos last 10 games. Well, its been a struggle, obviously, said Vogel. If you look at where our record is, we havent had that. Were trying to establish that. Were trying to work through the changes in bodies that we have out there and working guys back from injuries. Its obviously a different dynamic. Indiana simply doesnt have the offensive talent to make up for what theyve lost, but they still present a challenge on the defensive end and on the boards, where they rank second in the NBA. One of our main emphasis going in was to talk about rebounding, said Casey, whos team bested the Pacers on the boards, 52-39, including 16-6 on the offensive glass. And to out-rebound a team like Indiana, which is very physical and a paint-oriented team, my hats off to our guys. Overall, it was just a team effort keeping them off the glass, said Patterson, who contributed eight rebounds. We know theyre a great rebounding team and we know rebounding hasnt been our forte these past couple of games and its something we need to improve on and I think tonight was a step in the right direction. It seemed like everybody was on the glass. Adidas Nmd Wholesale China . - Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney II says the NFL has told the team it will not be docked a pick in this years draft for coach Mike Tomlins foray onto the field against Baltimore last November. 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They know that whatever happens this weekend, they will have a weeks rest before hosting a home semifinal. For every other team from the second-placed Crusaders to the ninth-placed Blues, who need events of almost miraculous proportions to reach the playoffs, almost nothing is assured. The last and most intriguing episode of the regular season has still to play out. For the Waratahs, with their fate already decided, Saturdays match against the 12th-placed Reds should be little more than an undemanding end to the regular season and a light prelude to their first semifinal in four years. But matches between New South Wales and Queensland, beginning in 1882, are invested with such a potent interstate rivalry, even antipathy, that the Waratahs cannot expect an easy time. Queensland, champions in 2011, have little to salvage from a season in which their performance has fallen well short of expectations, but a win over New South Wales would at least be a small consolation. Waratahs coach Michael Cheika has refused to name an under-strength lineup for the match to spare his frontline players for the semifinal. "You could (injure a player) at any time, in training or regular games," Cheika said. "This is a contact sport, you dont go into it worrying about things like that." In other matches in the final round, the Christchurch-based Crusaders will meet the Dunedin-based Highlanders in a contest for first place in the New Zealand conference. The Crusaders are currently in second place with 46 points and the Highlanders in fourth place with 42, needing a bonus point win to finish ahead of the Crusaders. A single bonus point would be enough to ensure the Crusaders top the New Zealand conference but they neeed a win, ideally a good one, to hold out the challenge of South Africas Sharks for second place and the other home semifinal.dddddddddddd The Sharks wrapped up the South African conference several weeks ago and are currently in third place overall, equal on points with the Crusaders, sharing the Crusaders tally of 10 wins and only eight points behind on points differential. The Durban-based Sharks face the Stormers in the final round -- a team to which they lost only two weeks ago -- and also need to win to enforce their challenge for second place. If both teams win and finish the regular season with 11 wins, points differential may decide which takes the preferred route through the playoffs. The Highlanders need to recover quickly from last weekends six-try mauling at the hands of the Waratahs to take their place in the playoffs for the first time in 12 years. That position isnt yet safe and they could be displaced, depending on the outcome of matches between the ACT Brumbies and the Western Force, the Blues and defending the champion Chiefs. All Blacks captain Richie McCaw has been ruled out of Saturdays match with a rib injury: a minor setback for the Crusaders who can finish no further back than fourth but who are determined to achieve a conference victory and second place. The Chiefs must beat the Blues in Auckland to have any chance of extending their two-year reign as Super Rugby champions. They enter the final round in eighth place and must also depend on the outcome of other matches to gain a top-six finish. The Blues must beat the Chiefs by a clear 38 points and with five tries to preserve their frail hope of a playoffs spot. The Brumbies, in sixth place, and Force, in seventh -- both with 40 points -- also meet in a must-win clash between playoffs hopefuls. The winner of Fridays match at Canberra will advance to the playoffs while the losers season is over. The most anxious role in the final round belongs to the Hurricanes who are currently fifth with 41 points but who have the bye and must allow the outcome of other matches determine whether their season continues. ' ' '