NEW ORLEANS - The Toronto Raptors were without Jonas Valanciunas on Wednesday for their game in New Orleans against the Pelicans. 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. Adidas Nmd Dame Udsalg . "If we only consider this season," Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini said, "there is just one club in Manchester -- and its ours. Adidas Nmd Sko Herre . Millsap will miss Wednesday nights game against the Chicago Bulls. The Hawks say Millsap also will be held out on Thursday at Boston. http://www.dknmdskotilbud.com/. -- Adrian Peterson takes a look around the league and sees big money flying everywhere. Adidas Nmd r1 Herre Sort . According to TSN Edmonton reporter Ryan Rishaug, agent Rick Valette met with Oilers senior VP of hockey operations Scott Howson and general manager Craig MacTavish on Monday to kick off the talks. Adidas Nmd Tilbud . The Canadian Football Leagues all-time passing leader said he has not made a final decision, but he will discuss his future with Montreal Alouettes owner Bob Wetenhall on the weekend.HOUSTON -- Andre Johnson often tells DeAndre Hopkins that the rookie will be better than he is one day. Hopkins is certainly off to a good start. He had a 3-yard touchdown reception in overtime to lift the Houston Texans to a 30-24 win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. With Johnson out after being shaken up in the fourth quarter, Hopkins reached above Jason McCourty and pulled in the pass from Matt Schaub to give Houston the victory. Coach Gary Kubiak said Johnson was being evaluated for a concussion. "We survived today because of some great heroics and plays by him," Kubiak said of Hopkins. When Hopkins saw the coverage on the game-winning touchdown, he couldnt wait for Schaub to snap the ball. "Anytime I see a one-on-one thats a wide receivers dream," he said. "He put it in the perfect position for me to go up and catch it. We practice that basically every day and practice makes perfect." The Texans (2-0) needed a franchise-record 21-point comeback to win their opener at San Diego 31-28. On Sunday, they charged back from an eight-point, fourth-quarter deficit against the Titans (1-1). "Its just great character for us to find a way to win two weeks in a row like that," Kubiak said. Arian Fosters 1-yard touchdown and 2-point conversion tied it at 24-24 with less than two minutes left. Houston forced a punt and got within field goal range after that. But Randy Bullocks 46-yard field goal attempt bounced off the left upright to force overtime. It was his third miss of the day. The Titans were disappointed they let this one get away. "Weve got to close games out," Tennessee safety Bernard Pollard said. "We have to be more disciplined for a full 60 minutes." Hopkins, a first-round pick, finished with seven receptions for 117 yards. Schaub threw for 298 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Jake Locker threw for 148 yards and two touchdowns and Chris Johnson ran for 96 yards for Tennessee. Houstons Brian Cushing had 11 tackles and two sacks and J.J. Watt added a pair of sacks. Johnson got the Texans to the 2-yard line with a 21-yard catch to set up Fosters score. The play was first ruled an incomplete pass, but Kubiak challenged and the call was overturned. Johnson was shaken up on tthe play after a hit by Pollard and did not return.dddddddddddd. The Titans took a one-point lead with a 10-yard touchdown grab by Delanie Walker, and extended their advantage to 24-16 when Alterraun Verner returned an interception 23 yards for a touchdown on Houstons next drive. A poor offensive series by the Titans ended with a safety by Houston to push the lead to 16-10 early in the fourth quarter. The Titans had penalties for a personal foul, holding and delay of game to back them up to their 2. On the next play, Chris Johnson carried to ball and it was spotted just outside the end zone. But Kubiak challenged the call and the ruling was reversed to give the Texans a safety. It was the second one for Tennessee in as many weeks. Houston took the lead when Owen Daniels stretched out to grab a 12-yard touchdown reception near the back of the end zone to make it 14-10 in the third quarter. The Texans got a boost on that drive when Schaub completed an 11-yard pass to Hopkins and was knocked in the helmet by Ropati Pitoitua to add a 15-yard roughing the passer penalty onto the play. Then the Texans defence went to work. Watt sacked Locker on first down for a 7-yard loss and the Titans soon had to punt. The Texans wasted no time getting going, scoring on their fifth play of the game when Schaub found Garrett Graham on a 1-yard pass. A career-long 60-yard run by Ben Tate got Houston to the 6-yard line. Tate got a couple of extra yards out of the nifty run when he stiff-armed a defender a darted away. But that drive was one of the few offensive bright spots on Sunday until overtime. Tennessee tied it when Locker connected with Kendall Wright on a 6-yard touchdown. The Titans received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for the choreographed dance that Wright, Johnson and Britt did after the score. Houstons offence struggled on Sunday after its opening drive, and Bullock missed 50-yard field goals in the first and second quarters. Pollard intercepted Schaub near the end of the first half, and Rob Bironas -- who had missed from 48 earlier in the second quarter -- made a 47-yard try to put Tennessee up 10-7 at halftime. NOTES: Cushings two sacks were a career high. ... The Titans sacked Schaub twice. ... Andre Johnson finished with 76 yards receiving. ' ' '