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TORONTO - As the sharpshooting Atlanta Hawks ripped off a 13-3 run and cut Torontos once sizeable lead to four, DeMar DeRozan stepped to the line in a moment, 33 seconds left on the clock, that the All-Star guard usually relishes. Uncharacteristically, he clanked both free throws but followed the second by grabbing his own rebound and returning to the stripe, where he redeemed himself with a couple easy points to seal an opening-night victory. It was that kind of night for DeRozan, a bizarre season debut. Last years leading scorer shot just 4-of-16 and committed five turnovers in his teams 109-102 win Wednesday. A few years back an off night like that would have rendered him weaponless, likely deciding his teams fate in the process. Not the case for this version of DeRozan, a player who has evolved into a well-rounded contributor entering his sixth NBA season. DeMar didnt have a great shooting night but he found another way to contribute, coach Dwane Casey said of DeRozan, who registered career-highs in both rebounding, with 11, and steals, with six. Thats what we preach all the time. Your shots may not be falling but youve got to find another way to contribute to a win, and he did that. Thats my job, DeRozan said. Im not just trying to be a scorer. If we are not making shots we all have to figure out other ways we can affect the game in a good way. With Kyle Lowry also struggling offensively - 11 points on 3-of-11 - and Atlanta shooting the lights out from three-point range (59 per cent, led by Kyle Korver, who was 6-of-7), the Raptors leaned on their depth and that continuity weve heard so much about throughout the off-season. The Raptors first five field goals came courtesy of five different scorers. In the end seven Raptors scored in double figures, including each of their starters, and three recorded double-doubles. Amir Johnson, a notorious slow starter, was the teams best player on the night, scoring 16 points and grabbing 10 boards, while Jonas Valanciunas led them in scoring with 17 in an efficient performance that earned rave reviews after the game, despite logging just 20 minutes. He was the biggest guy on the floor so he used his length to his advantage and thats what he has to do, Casey said of the third-year starting centre. Hes growing too, because now hes allowing the game to come to him instead of force feeding it. Do your job. The game will come to you. The basketball gods, the ball will find you if you play the game the right way, thats my theory, and its happening for Jonas. But in the final moments, with the game on the line, Valanciunas was on the bench. Patrick Patterson manned the paint along with Johnson for Casey. I thought we needed more speed and quickness, the Raptors coach said. They were coming at us pretty fast in transition. They werent trying to post-up and thats a decision that will change. Theres no lock on it. Right now, I liked Amir Johnson and Patrick Patterson, with their athleticism, speed and quickness on the floor at the end. Nothing that Jonas did wrong. It may be that way. As long as the other team is playing fast you may see that a lot. And thats what makes the Raptors a different looking club this season, possibly a better one than last year. For moments in each quarter, Casey used five reserves on the floor together, without a starter, something he has avoided doing in the past. And with good reason. The Raptors bench has never been good enough to justify it, but with 10 capable rotation players at his disposal, Casey has the means to get creative. I mean its not there yet, Casey said of his second units chemistry, having added Lou Williams and James Johnson to the mix this summer. Guys are still trying to find their way. There is going to be nights where Lou Williams is huge, nights where James Johnson is going to be huge. Theres going to be nights where its going to be Greivis [Vasquezs] night. Thats just the way our roster is built now. Youve got a guy like [DeRozan] as the franchise and Kyle Lowry as the starting point guard, they have a little bit more leverage than everyone else, said Vasquez, who scored 12 points in just 17 minutes off the bench Wednesday. Its harder for me, its harder for Lou, its harder for the guys on the bench and thats just the way it is. We dont expect easy things, he continued. I dont expect anything easy. This is my fifth year. Kyle is going into his 10th. Backing him up is not easy. Sometimes you want to do more but youve got to understand the situation. It takes a lot of cojones, I would say, to really understand and be a man and we all do it, the guys coming off the bench, because we want to win. The winning formula for Toronto was not exactly how they drew it up but that familiarity of bringing back 10 players from last years club seemed to play a part. Opening night, a time of dysfunction for most teams learning new sets and new players, was business as usual for the Raptors. Toronto assisted on 26 of its 37 made field goals, turning the ball over just 10 times and getting to the line 33 times - making 27 - compared to Atlantas 17 attempts. They also controlled the boards, to Caseys delight, out-rebounding the Hawks 48-42 and besting them 26-11 in second-chance scoring. Were a team, Lowry said. Were a complete team. Me and DeMar, we didnt play as well offensively but we did other things to help the team win. Everyone filled up a role. That first win is the toughest one to get, I believe. It was good to get the first one at home, in front of our fans. Welcome back Anyone who tells you its just another game is probably just blowing smoke. The season opener, specifically the home opener, is a different animal, particularly for a team entering what should be a meaningful campaign. First game is always the toughest, said DeRozan, the teams longest tenured player, who admitted he still feels the nerves ahead of his sixth season opener, all of them with Toronto. Because you just want to get it out of the way, go out there and play well and everything. So its always the toughest. You just have to get through it. [Im] very excited, Casey said. Now we get into meaningful basketball and I think its something we worked hard to get ready for. Its time to be excited. If youre not excited now, you wont be. It was an evening that a passionate and growing fan base had been anxiously awaiting for nearly six long months. In early May, they packed themselves in a crowded Maple Leaf Square, just outside the Air Canada Centre and watched the Raptors fall one possession short of advancing deeper into the playoffs. On Wednesday many of them returned, this time to the newly renamed Ford Fan Zone. The outdoor season tip-off party opened to the public at 5:30pm just outside of Gates five and six. By 6pm it was filled to the brim while the sold out crowd was filing into the building in time to (barely) hear Lowry address them on the court prior to tip-off. It was unbelievable, man, the Raptors point guard said of that moment. I really appreciate the fans that we have and the noise that they made really summed it up. Casey continues to be impressed by the outpour of support his team has received since last years surprising run. He knows that wrestling some of the spotlight from the Maple Leafs has been an uphill battle for the basketball club, though the sport continues to make some serious inroads in that department. The Raptors head coach witnessed a similar renaissance in Dallas, where he was an assistant with the Mavericks for three years, culminating in a championship. Texas is, of course, a football state. But if you win, people tend to pay attention and thats exactly what hes striving for here in hockey country. The Cowboys for years have been great in Texas, he said. The Leafs have been the show here in Toronto for a long, long time. I dont know if those two things are ever going to change completely. And they shouldnt. Tradition is huge. Hockey is so beautiful for this country and this city. So you always feel good when you see that influx of jerseys, talking about basketball, the banners. All those things are huge when youre trying to get that spotlight on the sport. Mitchell Trubisky Jersey . In a matter of days, he went from unwanted to wanted, from fired to hired, from discarded by the Philadelphia Eagles with reputation tarnished to rock star treatment and a new fat contract from the Washington Redskins. Pernell McPhee Jersey . The Indians scored twice in the top of the ninth, getting the go-ahead run on a wild pitch by closer Matt Lindstrom. Axford (0-1) came in seeking his fifth save in as many chances. www.bearsauthenticproshop.com/Youth-Came...edith-Bears-Jersey/. - After spending the morning in the hospital, Logan Couture gave the San Jose Sharks the spark they needed. Tarik Cohen Jersey . a€“ All signs point to the Maple Leafs having their top offseason acquisition in the lineup on opening night. Kendall Wright Jersey . Not bad for a defenceman. The goal, that is. Although the shuffling dance steps werent bad, either. Barrie scored 55 seconds into overtime, Semyon Varlamov stopped 29 shots, and the Avalanche moved a step closer to their first playoff berth in four years with a 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night.ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Tampa Bay Rays couldnt capitalize on a lack of control by Garrett Richards, and find themselves in an even deeper hole in the AL East race. Richards worked around a career-high seven walks over five innings and Erick Aybar drove in four runs, helping the Los Angeles Angels beat the skidding Rays 11-2 on Monday night. Richards (5-6) gave up a run and two hits while striking out six in the opener of a four-game series. The seven walks matched Richards total from his previous five starts combined, but the Rays stranded eight runners while he was in the game and 12 altogether. "You can look at the final score and all that stuff, but we saw 103 pitches while he was in there and only had two hits. Thats where our biggest problem is right now," manager Joe Maddon said. "Were putting so much pressure on the pitching staff right now by not scoring runs, and we need to get better. Whenever you dont hit, you look flat. So I think its more a case of pressing than anything else." Ben Zobrist drove in both of Tampa Bays runs with homer in the first inning and an RBI single in the sixth. The Rays, coming off a three-game sweep by Oakland, have lost five straight and eight of nine to fall 6 1/2 games behind AL East-leading Boston -- their largest deficit since July 7. Just nine games ago, they were tied with the Red Sox. "Its frustrating. Were in a bad stretch and weve got to turn it around," Zobrist said. "These things happen during the season at times, so you just have to fight through it and stay positive." Tampa Bay loaded the bases twice against Richards -- without a hit either time -- and failed to score in each situation. In the second, Richards retired David DeJesus on a grounder to first after a pair of two-out walks and an error by rookie third baseman Luis Jimenez on Yunel Escobars grounder. Richards walked three more in the fifth before striking out rookie Wil Myers on a full count with his 27th pitch of the inning. Richards walk total was the highest by an Angels pitcher since May 25, 2012, when Ervin Santana issued seven free passes in a five-inning no-decision at Seattle. "Its easy to pitch when youve got good stuff, but its another thing to go out there and compete and battle when you dont have your good stuff," teammate Josh Hamilton said. "His control wasnt there, but he battled through it and got out of some jams. That says a lot about him and his growth. Its going to do him well in the future." Rookie Chris Archer (8-6) threw 90 pitches in 3 2-3 innings, giving up five runs and nine hits in a rematch of his 4-1 victory against Richards last Wednesday at St. Petersburg, Fla. The right-handers outing was the second-shortest of his 22 big league starts. The Angels, who have won nine of 10, took a 2-1 lead in the third on an RBI single by rookie Kole Calhoun. Archer kept the damage to a minimum, retiring Jimenez on a fielders choice grounder to shortstop with the bases loaded after an intentional walk to Hank Conger. But Los Angeles got three more in the fourth. Andrew Romine scored oon J.dddddddddddd. Shucks groundout, and the switch-hitting Aybar pulled a 3-2 pitch down the right-field line for his fifth homer. "Leading up to that, I hadnt controlled the damage very well and they had a lot of two-strike hits," Archer said. "I felt really good. I just wasnt executing when I needed to. Basically I tried to do too much. Its a little disheartening because it was a game we really needed to win. When I take the mound, I definitely dont expect to go less than four innings. I should have done a lot better." The Angels extended the margin to 10-2 with a five-run sixth that included Aybars two-run triple against Brandon Gomes, bases-loaded RBI singles by Conger and Peter Bourjos, and Jimenezs sacrifice fly. Aybars four RBIs tied a career high for the shortstop, who also drove in four against the Rays in a 6-5 victory last Tuesday at Tropicana Field -- including a go-ahead two-run double in the ninth against closer Fernando Rodney. "We talked after the All-Star break about being kind of a thorn in peoples sides, and whether we win or lose make them feel like theyve earned it," Hamilton said. "Thats what weve done the last couple of weeks." Zobrist, the second batter Richards faced, hit his 11th home run before the Angels responded in the bottom half with Hamiltons RBI single after Mike Trout singled and stole his 30th base. Trout, who turned 22 on Aug. 7, became the youngest player in major league history with two seasons of at least 20 homers and 30 steals. Things got so bad for the Rays, outfielder Sam Fuld was used as a reliever for the first time in his career and retired Shuck on a fly to centre on five pitches with runners at second and third. He became the third position player in franchise history to pitch in a game, joining Wade Boggs (1999) and Josh Wilson (2007). "I was looking to boost morale somehow," Maddon said. "I told Sammy before the inning began: Go down there and well see whats going to happen. Once they set it up, and here comes Shuck with two outs, I thought it was the right time to do it." NOTES: Grant Green capped the scoring in the seventh with his first major league homer while batting for Aybar. It was the first home run by an Angels pinch hitter at the "Big A" since Aug. 15, 2011, by Russell Branyan against Texas Alexi Ogando. ... The Rays will activate LHP Matt Moore (14-3) from the disabled list Tuesday and start him against Jason Vargas. The first-time All-Star, who missed the entire month of August because of elbow soreness, won six consecutive outings before getting a no-decision his previous time out on July 28 at Yankee Stadium. ... Tampa Bay RHP Jeremy Hellickson, who was optioned to Class A Charlotte on Aug. 27, rejoined his teammates in the clubhouse before the game and will officially be added to the roster on Tuesday. Hell start on Wednesday night. "It wasnt very much fun, to say the least," said Hellickson, 10-8 with a 5.28 ERA. "Its just one start that Ive missed, and I guess Im motivated to get back out there." Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '