NEW ORLEANS - The Toronto Raptors were without Jonas Valanciunas on Wednesday for their game in New Orleans against the Pelicans. Nike Shox Shoes Australia . Valanciunas, who left Tuesdays loss to the Hawks late in the third quarter with a lower back sprain, missed his first game of the season. Head coach Dwane Casey announced the news an hour and a half prior to tip-off. "His back is still tight," Casey said. "[He] wasnt able to get it loose. (Director of Sports Science) Alex (McKechnie) put him through some preliminary work and it still was tight so hes going to be out." Valanciunas sustained the injury turning to set a screen, feeling immediate pain in his lower back before McKechnie and the Raptors training staff made the call to pull him from the game. After navigating through a mini-slump to close the month of February, the Raptors sophomore centre had been playing some of his best basketball of the season over the past week. Getting off to hot starts in each of his last three games, Valanciunas has totalled 34 points on 14-of-20 shooting in the first quarter of those contests. The Raptors were already undermanned in the frontcourt, missing Patrick Patterson for a seventh straight game Wednesday. He is expected to be out at least another week resting an elbow injury. Tyler Hansbrough started in place of Valanciunas. Both he and Chuck Hayes will see increased playing time as long as the teams starting centre in sidelined. Amir Johnson also played against the Pelicans after tweaking a lingering right ankle injury at the end of regulation in Tuesdays overtime loss. "Weve been very fortunate not to have that many injuries up until this part of the season," said Casey. "A lot of teams had them earlier and its unfortunate were hitting them now but its part of the NBA. Now weve got to adjust to it and make hay from it." Valanciunas is considered day-to-day. Nike Shox Clearance Sale . Weise will have his hearing with the NHL head office over the phone, while the league has requested an in-person hearing with Kassian. Oilers centre Sam Gagner suffered a broken jaw after getting hit with a high stick from Kassian in Edmontons 5-2 win. Nike Shox Australia Sale . -- Steven Stamkos scored his first goal since returning from a major injury, Ryan Callahan had his first goal with Tampa Bay, and the Lightning beat the Florida Panthers 5-4 on Thursday night. http://www.cheapnikeshoxaustralia.com/ . According to TSNs Farhan Lalji, Richardson is heading to Toronto for a physical and is expected to sign with the Argonauts.Sir Ian Botham says England should not be written off ahead of their Test series in India with Ben Stokes backed to lead them to victory. After Englands recent struggles on the sub-continent in Bangladesh - drawing the series 1-1 - India go into the five-match campaign as red-hot favourites.But Botham, who will be commentating on the series for Sky Sports, says England are capable of repeating their 2012/13 series success in the country. Watch all five Tests live on Sky Sports as Alastair Cooks side take on the No 1 side in the world The former all-rounder said: The last time England were here no-one saw them winning and we hammered them (by 10 wickets in Mumbai and seven wickets in Kolkata to win the series 2-1) so lets not get lets not get too gloomy.Forget Bangladesh - this is the Test series that matters. Congratulations to them but everyone is looking at this series. Its the number-one team against the guys who could be number one further down the line.Botham, who is also providing his tips for Sky Bet during the series, added: Theres no value in backing India at 1/10. If youre having bet, it has to be England at 12/1 - you can even have a saver at 10/1 on the drawn series although they are rare these days. Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain discuss the key to success for England as they prepare for the first of their five-match Test series in India Botham, who toured India himself with England back in 1981/82, also believes Stokes is the man who can shine with the bat for the tourists with his positive approach set to reap dividends. Nike Shox Australia Online. With holes having appeared in Englands top order, Stokes - 7/1 to be Englands top runscorer - looks capable of capitalising, just as he did in South Africa last winter when he made a memorable 258 in Cape Town, says Botham.Stokes can destroy spinners. He will attack them and be aggressive. As far as the bowlers go, you have to back a spinner to star - its going to be hard work for the seamers - but we arent entirely sure whos going to play.Moeen Ali should though and I can see him taking plenty of wickets in India. Ali is 11/4 to be Englands top wicket-taker in the series.After a sensational 2016 which has seen him take 44 wickets in seven Tests at an average of 19.86, Ravi Ashwin is the man everyones talking about in Indias attack but Botham believes Ravindra Jadeja - 7/2 to be Indias leading wicket-taker - could cause just as many problems as the left-armer will be turning the ball away from most of Englands best batsmen. Ravindra Jadeja: Can cause problems with his left-arm spin As for top India bat, Ajinkya Rahane (9/2) is one to keep an eye on and capable of outshining Indias leading light Virat Kohli, says Beefy.Beefys Bets for the India v England seriesEngland to win - 12/1Ben Stokes to be top England runscorer - 7/1Moeen Ali to be top England wicket-taker - 11/4Ravindra Jadeya to be top India wicket-taker - 7/2Ajinkya Rahane to be top India runscorer - 9/2 Watch the first Test between India and England in Rajkot on Wednesday, live from 3.30am on Sky Sports 2 Watch the first Test between India and England from 3.30am on Wednesday, live on Sky Sports 2 HD. Or watch the whole of the first Test for £10.99 without a contract - with a Week Pass from NOW TV. 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