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Raptors Wipe Out Wizards To End Two-Game Slide
<p> Your browser does not support iframes.Related: Box Score | Photo Gallery | Colangelo Talks Valanciunas | Devlin & Calderon | Top #RTZ Tweets Top Plays: Amir's Monster Slam | Calderon To Johnson Post Game: Highlights | Casey | A. Johnson | DeRozan | February 3, 2012 TORONTO (AP) Any signs of progress Wizards coach Randy Wittman had seen in recent games were entirely absent Friday night. Leandro Barbosa shook off flulike symptoms to score 19 points, Amir Johnson had 18 points and 13 rebounds, and the Toronto Raptors beat Washington 106-89, handing the Wizards their third straight defeat. "They outplayed us in every phase of the game," Wittman said. "It's disappointing after we've been playing at a pretty high level. Tonight wasn't it." Wittman, whose team lost 109-103 at Orlando on Wednesday, was especially upset to see the Wizards outrebounded by a wide margin, 61-37. "Rebounding is effort," he said. "We didn't have that same effort tonight that we've had, and it showed." JaVale McGee, who missed six of his eight shots and finished with eight points, shared his coach's frustration. "We should have come out a little bit harder, we should have played harder D," he said. "We've got another game (Saturday at home against the LA Clippers) so we've definitely got to make up for it." Linas Kleiza scored all of his 15 points in the second half, and Jose Calderon had a season-high 17 assists as the Raptors bounced back from consecutive blowout losses to Atlanta and Boston and improved to 2-9 without leading scorer Andrea Bargnani, who is out with a strained left calf. &nbsp;&nbsp;RAPTORS REMARKS "It was really good to see Amir (Johnson) and Linas (Kleiza) really come through and play well. I thought Leandro (Barbosa) picked us up in the first half, Linas took it over in the second half and Amir was solid...</p>

Raptors Beat Up By Celtics In Boston
<p> Your browser does not support iframes.Related: Box Score | Photo Gallery | Devlin & Davis Pre-Game Top Plays: Davis With The Swat | JJ's Tough Bucket | Barbosa To Gray Post Game: Dwane Casey | Aaron Gray | Jose Calderon | DeMar DeRozanFebruary 1, 2012 BOSTON (AP) The compact schedule of the post-lockout NBA doesn't offer many breaks, so the Boston Celtics created one of their own. All five Boston starters sat out the entire fourth quarter, leaving the reserves to finish off Toronto in a 100-64 rout of the Raptors on Wednesday night. The reserves didn't let up either as the Celtics crept above .500 for the second time this season with their sixth win in seven games. "It was great," coach Doc Rivers said. "Every guy came in and they did the same thing." The Celtics never trailed and scored at least 20 points in every quarter while holding Toronto to 19 points or fewer each period. Paul Pierce had 17 points and eight assists, Ray Allen and Brandon Bass added 12 points apiece and Avery Bradley scored 11 for the Celtics. At 11-10, the Celtics hardly appear bound to hang another banner from the Garden rafters, but they do seem to have adjusted to the quick turnaround and lack of practice time between games. The second half turned out to be a bonus practice for the Celtics, who led by as much as 40. Allen said he told the reserves to make good use of the time. "Go out there and really play as though the score is 0-0. You guys make us better. You have an opportunity to prove to Coach that you can get more minutes," Allen said. "That's a win-win for all of us when you can play a game like that and get everybody opportunities." The timing for a blowout was great for the Celtics, who survived a close call in Cleveland the night before when they almost wasted a 22-point lead against the Cavaliers on Tuesday night. &nbsp;&nbsp;RAPTORS REMARKS...</p>

Raptors Fall To Hot-Shooting Hawks At ACC
<p> Joe Johnson needed just three quarters to have one of his best games of the season. Johnson matched his season high with 30 points, Tracy McGrady scored 15 against his former team and the Hawks recorded their sixth consecutive victory over the Raptors, beating Toronto 100-77 on Tuesday night. "That's the type of player he is," McGrady said of Johnson, who made 13 of his 18 field-goal attempts. "Once he gets that feeling, he can run off 10 or 12 points in a hurry." Atlanta's leading scorer, Johnson has averaged 30 points in his past four games against Toronto. "He was certainly an All-Star tonight," Atlanta coach Larry Drew said. Jeff Teague, Marvin Williams and Zaza Pachulia each scored 10 points as the Hawks won their third straight. Jerryd Bayless scored 14 points for the Raptors, who lost their third home game in a row. Toronto has gone 5-9 in playing a league-high 14 road games, but is just 2-6 at home. "We came out with a competitive spirit, but I didn't think we sustained it long enough," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "I was disappointed in not sustaining the competitive spirit, especially in the second quarter when the game got out of hand." Ed Davis had 11 points and matched a season high with 11 rebounds, his first double-double of the season. Gary Forbes added 10 points for Toronto. The Hawks, who have won five of their past six in Toronto, wrapped up their most successful five-game road swing in more than four decades. Atlanta lost at San Antonio but won at Milwaukee, Detroit and New Orleans on this trip, its best performance since going 5-0 on a five-game trip from Dec. 8-14, 1968. The Hawks have had 16 five-game road swings since. "I'm only 25, so I wouldn't know anything about that," Williams joked. "That is pretty impressive." Drew was pleased to see the Hawks stay focused after winning big at New Orleans on Sunday. "Our guys persevered through a very challenging road trip," Drew said. "Coming into this game, there was room for a...</p>

Raptors Rip Nets To End Trip On Winning Note
<p> Your browser does not support iframes.Related: Box Score | Photo Gallery | Devlin & J. Johnson | Top #RTZ Tweets Top Plays: DeRozan Goes In Strong | Big Bayless Alley Oop Finish | JJ's Lefty Block Post Game: Highlights | Casey | Bayless | Calderon | DeRozanJanuary 29, 2012 NEWARK, NJ (AP) DeMar DeRozan took over as soon as the third quarter started. DeRozan scored 19 of his 27 points in the second half, leading the Toronto Raptors to a 94-73 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Sunday night. &nbsp;&nbsp;RAPTORS REMARKS "Everybody that walked on the court tonight contributed whether it was on the defensive end or the offensive end. The guys played like they believe." -- Dwane Casey, on the total team effort "It worked great with having J.B. (Bayless) out there because he’s a great shooter and he can make plays as well, so it was easy for us to really go. At the beginning it was a little bit harder, but after we figured it out it was great." -- Jose Caleron, on the new starting five "Coach wanted me to come out and play as much tough defense as I can, and obviously he’s a great player, everyone around the league knows him, everybody around the world knows him." -- Jerryd Bayless, on defending Deron Williams...</p>

Raptors Have No Answers For Nuggets In Denver
<p> Your browser does not support iframes.Related: Box Score | Photo Gallery | Devlin & Casey Top Plays: DeRozan Drives & Dunks | Johnson Putback Slam Post Game: Highlights | Casey | Bayless | J. Johnson | Kleiza | DeRozanJanuary 27, 2012 DENVER (AP) Rudy Fernandez provided both the spark and the cushion for the Denver Nuggets on Friday night. Fernandez scored a season-high 23 points in his return from a sore right Achilles as the Nuggets routed the short-handed Toronto Raptors 96-81 for their sixth straight win. He also served as a barrier between Nuggets forward Al Harrington and Raptors swingman Linas Kleiza in their short skirmish in the final minute as Harrington shoved Fernandez into Kleiza. Harrington took offense when Kleiza put his hand on his face moments earlier, and they jawed at each other coming back upcourt. As they went face-to-face, Kleiza shoved Harrington, who shoved back - only with Fernandez in the middle of it all playing peacemaker. During the timeout for the officials to look at the tape and sort out what had happened - they ended up calling technical fouls on both Harrington and Kleiza, along with Nene - Harrington continued to stare down Kleiza, who smiled back at him. "Some NBA guys think it's funny because you can do all that and the referees are out there to save them," Harrington said, "and I don't play games like that." He said he was sorry for shoving Fernandez to get to Kleiza, too. "Yeah, I apologized. Rudy was the only way I could get to him, so I picked Rudy up and kind of tossed him," Harrington said. "But it is what it is. It's over. We won. Great win. We've got a six-game winning streak. We're just going to keep pushing." &nbsp;&nbsp;RAPTORS REMARKS "When we made some shots, our defense picked up. We have enough to compete, but we can’t wait until we get...</p>

Andrea Bargnani Injury Update
<p>January 27, 2012 Raptors forward-centre Andrea Bargnani reinjured his strained left calf in the first overtime of Wednesday’s double-overtime victory at Utah. Tests done Thursday in Denver revealed no significant damage to the calf. Bargnani will be treated symptomatically and is expected to be sidelined for an indefinite period of time. Bargnani originally injured his calf January 11 against Sacramento. He missed six games from January 13-22. In 13 games this season, Bargnani has averaged a team-leading 23.5 points with 6.4 rebounds, second on the team, in a team-high 36.1 minutes. He has scored 30 or more points in four contests, including 36 in his return to the lineup Tuesday in Phoenix. The Raptors face the Nuggets on Friday in Denver at Pepsi Center. Game time is 9 p.m. ET (TSN2/Sportsnet 590 The FAN). </p>

Raptors Edge Jazz, Lose Bargnani In Double-OT Thriller
<p> Your browser does not support iframes.Related: Box Score | Photo Gallery | Top #RTZ Tweets | Devlin & Bargnani Top Plays: Jose's 2OT Big Three | James Johnson's Big Block | Kleiza Plus The Foul | Another Block From JJ Post Game: Casey | Bargnani | Kleiza | </p>

Bargnani Helps Raptors End Slide Against Suns
<p> Your browser does not support iframes.Related: Box Score | Photo Gallery | Top #RTZ Tweets | Devlin & Bayless Pre-Game Top Plays: Jose Lobs To DeMar | DeRozan With The Hustle | Bargnani Blocks Gortat | DeRozan Finds Bargnani Post Game: Highlights | Casey | Bargnani | J. Johnson | BaylessJanuary 24, 2012 PHOENIX (AP) Andrea Bargnani's return provided the Toronto Raptors with the lift to end two losing streaks - one that had lasted two weeks, the other eight years. Bargnani, absent for six games with a left calf strain, scored 27 of his 36 points in the second half, and the Toronto Raptors snapped an eight-game losing streak by beating Phoenix 99-96 on Tuesday night, their first win over the Suns in eight years. The Raptors had lost 14 in a row to Phoenix, last beating the Suns on Feb. 10, 2004. It was tied for the third-longest active streak of its kind in the NBA. Bargnani scored 18 in the third, one shy of his career best for a quarter, making 4 of 5 3-pointers. "I didn't do anything different from the first quarter because I was pretty aggressive in the first quarter too, I just didn't score," he said. "Jose (Calderon) told me to shoot from the outside because I was just driving the ball and everybody was waiting for me. They found me open and they went in. it was all good. `' Former Suns star Leandro Barbosa scored 19 and James Johnson 18 for the Raptors. Marcin Gortat had 21 points and 12 rebounds and Steve Nash had 17 points and 14 assists for the Suns. Hakim Warrick also scored 17 points. Phoenix was back from a five-game road trip that ended the previous night with a loss at Dallas. &nbsp;&nbsp;RAPTORS REMARKS "I think we were pretty sharp coming out of the locker room. We locked in defensively, got some easy buckets and Andrea made things happen." -- Dwane Casey, on surging ahead in...</p>

Raptors Fall To Clippers For Eighth Straight Loss
<p> Your browser does not support iframes.Related: Box Score | Photo Gallery | Top #RTZ Tweets Top Plays: Jose Lobs To DeMar | Kleiza Throws It Down Post Game: Casey | DeRozan | A. Johnson | Bayless January 22, 2012 LOS ANGELES(AP) After Mo Williams' big fourth quarter helped the Los Angeles Clippers send the Toronto Raptors to their eighth straight loss, he preferred to share the credit with his teammates. "I didn't do it by myself. I mean, let's get that straight," Williams said after scoring his team's first 17 points of the fourth quarter finishing with 26 in the Clippers' 103-91 victory on Sunday. "Anytime you're doing something, you're not doing it alone. You can't play one-on-five - not in this league. It might look like it because I'm the guy making the baskets. But trust me, there's a lot of things that have to go on for me to get the ball in the right spots." Williams went to work in the fourth and helped Los Angeles open up a 93-73 lead with 7:22 remaining after Toronto trimmed a 22-point deficit to 13 on Leandro Barbosa's 3-pointer with 8:25 to play. "Obviously, my teammates know how to set screens. That's one thing we do really well," Williams said. "Today we really executed and the guys got me the ball in the right spots. I've been in this league nine years, so I think everybody's pretty confident with what I can do. I'm just playing and trying to do whatever I can to help the team." It was the third straight game in which Williams scored at least 25 points. In Friday night's 101-98 loss to Minnesota, he was ejected with 6:21 left in the game after picking up his second technical foul. The Clippers were beaten by Kevin Love's 3-pointer at the buzzer, and it left a bad taste in his mouth. "That didn't fuel me at all today," Williams said. "Obviously, it was a big ejection for myself, and I felt worse that I couldn't help my team after I got ejected and we lost that game. But I've been in this league long enough to know you can't worry about the...</p>

Alabi Recalled From Bakersfield Jam
<p>January 22, 2012 The Toronto Raptors announced Sunday centre Solomon Alabi has been recalled from the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League. Alabi was assigned to the Jam on January 4. He appeared in nine games, averaging 9.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and 21.2 minutes. He posted two double-doubles, and had highs of 22 points January 7 versus Idaho and 15 rebounds January 6 versus Idaho. Alabi appeared in 22 games during three stints with the NBA D-League’s Erie BayHawks last season, averaging 7.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 18.5 minutes. Alabi’s lone appearance with the Raptors this season came January 1 at Orlando. He played in 12 games with Toronto last season, totaling six points and 14 rebounds in 59 minutes. Alabi will be available for today’s game at the Los Angeles Clippers. Game time is 3:30 p.m. ET (TSN2/Sportsnet 590 The FAN). </p>

Slow Start Burns Raptors In Loss To Blazers At ACC
<p> Your browser does not support iframes.Related: Box Score | Photo Gallery | Top #RTZ Tweets Top Plays: Johnson's Early Slam | DeRozan With The Oop | Amir Blocks Matthews Post Game: Highlights | Casey | J. Johnson | DeRozan | Barbosa January 20, 2012 TORONTO (AP) Forced out in the first quarter by a bad back, LaMarcus Aldridge shook off his soreness and delivered a dominating performance. Aldridge had a season-high 33 points and a career-best 23 rebounds, and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Raptors 94-84 Friday night to hand Toronto its seventh consecutive loss. "He was just a monster out there tonight, both in the paint as well as on the boards," Portland coach Nate McMillan said. Raymond Felton scored 14 points, and Marcus Camby and Gerald Wallace each had 10 rebounds as Portland won its seventh straight over Toronto. The Trail Blazers have not lost to the Raptors since a 101-100 overtime defeat on Dec. 22, 2006. Portland outrebounded Toronto 55 to 40. Aldridge had 23 points and 11 rebounds in the first half. His previous career high in rebounds was 19 against Milwaukee on Dec. 20, 2010. His career high in points is 42, set against Chicago on Feb. 7, 2011. "Tonight he just solidified that he is the best power forward in the game," Camby said. Maybe, but his night almost ended early. Aldridge was forced to check out in the final minute of the first quarter and head back to the locker room for a quick dose of treatment. &nbsp;&nbsp;BY THE NUMBERS .366 Field goal percentage for the Raptors 55-40 Rebounding advantage favouring the Blazers 10 Free throw attempts for DeMar DeRozan 12 Consecutive games the Raptors have not allowed an opponent to score 100 points. 0-10 Raptors record this season when trailing after three quarters...</p>

Raptors Shut Down By Celtics In Boston
<p> The Boston Celtics had two reasons to be thankful Wednesday night: Their five-game losing streak was finally over and a scary fall by point guard Rajon Rondo resulted in only a sore right wrist. Rondo still led the Celtics with 21 points before leaving the game late in the third quarter of a 96-73 win over the Toronto Raptors, giving Boston its first win in two weeks. "I got some wide open looks at the rim. I made some easy ones, I made some tough ones. I was just trying to stay aggressive," said Rondo, who spent several frightening minutes on the floor after being leveled on a flagrant foul by Linas Kleiza with 2:12 left in the third quarter. Gingerly holding his right wrist, Rondo got up, made one of two foul shots, then slowly walked to the locker room. X-rays showed no break and Rondo said he wanted to return, but the Celtics didn't risk it. They didn't need to. The Celtics blew open the game in the third quarter and led by at least 20 for much of the final period, ending their slide while extending the Raptors' losing streak to six and holding Toronto to a season-low point total. Kevin Garnett added 15 points and Paul Pierce had seven assists, five more than Rondo as the two made a surprise role reversal. "His assists are going to happen because he's a great passer," Boston coach Doc Rivers said of Rondo. "Tonight was just one of those nights. He was basically just scoring and wasn't getting assists. But it was good for the team." Reserves Mickael Pietrus and Brandon Bass also made big contributions for the Celtics. Pietrus made four 3-pointers and finished with 12 points and Bass had 13 points and a team-high nine rebounds. It was Boston's first win since beating New Jersey 89-70 on Jan. 4. "This is our second-longest winning streak this year," Rondo said with a slight smile. "It's a positive vibe right now in our locker room." Rondo said his wrist was still sore and described himself as day to day. The Celtics are at home again Friday night...</p>

Another Late Collapse Sinks Raptors In Atlanta
<p> Josh Smith believes the Atlanta Hawks can keep winning even though center Al Horford will miss the next three to four months with an injury. "We have veteran guys who have been there and done that before," Smith said. "All we need is to just keep flying under the radar." Smith scored 28 points and pulled down a season-high 15 rebounds and Joe Johnson added 27 points to help the Atlanta Hawks win their third straight game, 93-84 over the Toronto Raptors on Monday. The Hawks are 3-0 since Horford tore his left pectoral muscle last week, and Smith is hardly concerned that Atlanta has yet to beat a strong opponent during that stretch. Charlotte, Minnesota and Toronto are a combined 11-29. "We've played against some good teams here and some not-so-good teams, so we've just got to be able to be disciplined no matter who we're playing against," Smith said. "We have to be able to get out to a good start. The bench guys came in (Saturday) night and gave us a lift and the starters did the same thing today and everyone else followed." Leandro Barbosa had 22 points off the bench for Toronto, which has lost five straight. Toronto was without center Andrea Bargnani, the NBA's ninth-leading scorer, for the third straight game because of a strained left calf. Reserve guard James Johnson didn't play because of a sprained right ankle. The Raptors twice cut the lead to one late in the third quarter when Barbosa hit a pair of free throws and a runner, but Atlanta went on an 18-9 run that Jeff Teague ended with a free throw to make it 81-71 with 7:55 remaining. Toronto never got closer than five after Ed Davis scored inside over Smith to make it 85-80 with 2:12 left. Smith responded on the next possession by jumping from the right baseline and tipping in Johnson's missed runner to give the Hawks an 87-80 lead. "It sounds like a broken record, but I thought our guys competed," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "We're truly missing our players, but that's no excuse. There's only...</p>

Shorthanded Raptors Fade In Fourth Against Bulls
<p> Derrick Rose had 18 points and 11 assists, leading the Chicago Bulls to a 77-64 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Saturday night. Rose keyed a seven-point burst to open the fourth period, assisting on three straight field goals. John Lucas III hit a 3-pointer and Taj Gibson scored twice, opening up an 11-point lead for Chicago. Carlos Boozer added 17 points and Luol Deng had 14 points for Chicago, which won its fifth straight and improved to a league-best 12-2. Taj Gibson scored nine of his 11 points in the fourth. The Bulls are 5-0 at home for the first time since opening the 1996-97 season with seven straight wins at the United Center. Chicago has held its opponents to just 66.8 points game on its home court. DeMar DeRozan and Leandro Barbosa scored 15 points each for Toronto, which dropped its fourth straight. Chicago was played its ninth game in 12 days, something the Bulls hadn't done since 1972. Chicago is 8-1 over that span. Toronto played for the seventh time in nine nights. Chicago led by four entering the fourth quarter, an unusually close game for a team that had won all four of its home games by an average of 20 points per game. Rose took over with his playmaking, scoring just two points but notching five assists in the final period as Chicago went on a 19-6 run to start the period. The Raptors didn't score from the foul line until Linas Kleiza made a free throw with 7:14 to go in the fourth. Toronto was just 1 for 7 from the line in game and was whistled for 15 fouls to only seven for Chicago. Chicago shot 55 percent and led by 13 points in the opening period, but fell flat in the second, shooting just 30 percent from the floor. Former Bulls player James Johnson capped a 10-2 second quarter surge with a jumper, putting Toronto ahead. Johnson scored 10 points in the first half, surpassing his season high of eight points for a full game. Rose scored seven points in the first quarter and keyed a nine-point run with a pullup 3-pointer in...</p>

Raptors Struggle At Line Late In Loss To Pacers
<p> The Indiana Pacers fell behind by 16 points and leading scorer Danny Granger was ejected. That was just the first half. Still, they found a way to win. Tyler Hansbrough made two key free throws with less than 15 seconds to play and the Pacers rallied to beat the Toronto Raptors 95-90 on Friday night. "I'm proud of our guys for grinding out a game that didn't really go our way, being able to find a way to win and execute in the fourth quarter," coach Frank Vogel said. George Hill scored a season-high 22 points for the Pacers, while Roy Hibbert fouled out with 15 points and nine rebounds. Hansbrough and David West each scored 13 and Paul George added 10. "That's us," Hill said of Indiana's fight-back. "We've got to play with a chip on our shoulder. Eighth place last year is not good enough for us. We feel like we can be one of the top teams in the East." The Pacers (8-3) have won two straight and four of five. DeMar DeRozan had 23 points and Leandro Barbosa came off the bench to score 20 for the Raptors, who have lost three straight and five or six. Jose Calderon had 15 points and nine assists for Toronto, who made just 20 of 32 free throw attempts, including eight misses in the fourth quarter. Granger was ejected in the second quarter after being called for his second technical foul. Granger got his first technical for arguing a non-call three minutes into the first quarter, then picked up his second for staring down Toronto's Ed Davis after a blocked shot with 29 seconds left in the half. "Not a smart play," Vogel said. "When you already have a technical, it's not a smart play." Hill said Granger, who did not speak to the media, apologized to the Pacers once the game was done. Granger came in leading Indiana with 15.9 points per game but struggled against the Raptors, shooting just 1 of 8 and scoring four points. While he was upset at losing Granger, Vogel said he feels his team has seven players who are starter caliber, a sentiment shared by West. "...</p>

2012 All-Star SMS Text Voting Now Live For Canadian Fans
<p>Jan. 12, 2012 The National Basketball Association today launched SMS voting for the 2012 NBA All-Star Balloting program which allows fans in Canada to submit votes via text message to help determine the starters for the 2012 NBA All-Star Game. Fans can now submit votes through mobile phones by texting a player's last name to 3-8-6-5-7 ("DUNKS") on any wireless carrier. SMS votes can be submitted for up to 10 different players per day, per phone number, by sending 10 separate text messages, each with a different player's last name. Fans can vote for All-Stars via SMS at any time by texting from their mobile phones. Message and data rates may apply. 2012 NBA All-Star Balloting gives fans around the world the opportunity to vote daily for their favorite players as starters for the 2012 NBA All-Star Game. Along with SMS voting in the U.S. and Canada, fans globally can cast their votes in 16 languages on NBA.com and by visiting m.NBA.com from any wireless device. Fans can also use their Facebook profile information to help create an NBA.com All-Access account, which enables them to complete a ballot. After submitting their All-Star selections, fans will have the ability to share them with their friends on Facebook and followers on Twitter, and encourage others to cast their ballots. Wireless and SMS balloting, as well as voting on NBA.com, will conclude on Jan. 31. Starters for the 2012 NBA All-Star Game will be announced on Feb. 2, and reserves will be unveiled on Feb. 9. The NBA All-Star ballot lists 120 players – 60 each from the Eastern and Western conferences – with 24 guards, 24 forwards, and 12 centers from each conference comprising the list. Voters select two guards, two forwards and one center from each conference. Toronto Raptors players on the 2012 NBA All-Star ballot include Andrea Bargnani, Jose Calderon, and DeMar DeRozan. The 120 players on the ballot were selected by a panel of media who regularly cover the NBA: Bill Simmons (...</p>

Raptors Can't Stop Kings In Fourth At ACC
<p> DeMarcus Cousins wants to put "the silly stuff" behind him and just play basketball. So far, he seems to be doing exactly that. Cousins had 21 points and a career-high 19 rebounds, Tyreke Evans scored a season-high 29 points and the Sacramento Kings snapped a seven-game losing streak in Toronto by beating the Raptors 98-91 Wednesday night. An escalating feud with former coach Paul Westphal led Cousins to demand a trade earlier this month, resulting in him being told to stay away from the team for a game. The spat was resolved when Westphal was fired and replaced by Keith Smart, who offered Cousins his support, and a blank slate. "He's a new player, man," Evans said. "I'm happy for him. He's done a great job just going out there and playing, helping us, not arguing with anybody on the team, just staying focused. "He plays like that, he's an All-Star for sure," Evans added. "The way he's playing right now is unbelievable. We need that out of him every night." Cousins acknowledged that things have been more fun since Smart took over. "We're just out there playing ball, playing together and having fun," he said. "We're having fun while we're working hard. That's the biggest thing." Cousins, whose previous career high in rebounds was 18, set against Utah on March 5, 2011, said he wasn't aware how many he had until teammates on the bench started letting him know. "In the moment you don't even realize it," Cousins said. "Towards the end of the game they were like `Get one more, you'll have 20.' I'm just out there grabbing boards. That's my job, to get everything that comes off the glass." Smart played Cousins for just over 39 minutes to build his conditioning, and his stats: The double-double was his fourth straight. "He had it in him to rebound tonight," Smart said. "Because he had that, it put him in an active mode and I'm happy with that." Rookie guard Isaiah Thomas scored 12 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter and Jimmer Fredette had 10 for the Kings,...</p>

Raptors Can't Contain Wizards On The Road
<p>WASHINGTON (AP) The Washington Wizards won a game for the first time in nearly nine months, and did it with a reshaping of their front line. Coach Flip Saunders decided to bench forwards Andray Blatche and Rashard Lewis. He started rookie Chris Singleton and second-year player Trevor Booker in their place, and the revamped team beat the Toronto Raptors 93-78 on Tuesday night for its first victory after eight losses this season. Saunders said he had decided on Monday to change his lineup, but Blatche hurt his right shoulder and felt a twinge in his knee during practice. He wasn't sure Blatche would play until shortly before the game. Lewis, who missed Sunday's game with a sore right knee, entered the game along with Blatche with three minutes to go in the first half. Lewis and Nick Young led Washington with 15 points. "Oh, man. It felt real good. It was like a playoff game," Young said. "I felt like jumping in the stands." On Sunday, the Wizards scored their fewest points in nearly three years in 93-72 loss to Minnesota, and the fans booed them harshly. After they fell behind in the first quarter, the fans hooted again. "We got tired of being booed," Young said. After the boos, Blatche and Lewis came in, and Washington, which trailed 20-17 after the first quarter, outscored Toronto 29-14 in the second to lead by 12 at the half. Toronto briefly cut the lead to eight midway through the third quarter, but the Wizards opened up a 27-point lead early in the fourth quarter. Saunders said he talked before the game with owner Ted Leonsis, who counseled patience. "Don't listen to anything you hear," Leonsis told him. "We know what we've planned and what we've done, and how we're going about doing it, and at times it's going to look bad." The first eight games were horrible - the worst start in franchise history. Four of the losses were by 18 points or more. Blatche had nine points and eight rebounds in 25 minutes. "When we're playing like that, I don't have no...</p>

Aaron Gray Medical Update
<p>January 9, 2012 The Toronto Raptors announced Monday centre Aaron Gray underwent an ablation procedure today to correct his reoccurring episodes of a rapid heart rate. The procedure was performed at Toronto’s Sunnybrook Hospital by Dr. Jaspal Singh and Dr. Eugene Crystal. It is anticipated Gray will be able to return to the court within two weeks. Gray, a four-year NBA veteran, was signed December 11 as a free-agent. He appeared in two preseason games, totaling nine rebounds in 32 minutes. The Raptors face the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight at Air Canada Centre. Game time is 7 p.m. (TSN2/Sportsnet 590 The FAN). </p>

Raptors Big Men Key In Win Over Wolves
<p> As the missed shots piled up, Timberwolves center Kevin Love started wondering what was going wrong. Could the baskets be working against him somehow? "It felt like there was a cap on the rim at some point," Love said. "I remember (missing) a reverse layup and looking at it like `You've got to be kidding me."' Andrea Bargnani matched his season-high with 31 points, Amir Johnson had a season-high 19 points and 11 rebounds for his second straight double-double and the Toronto Raptors beat Minnesota 97-87 on Monday night. Jose Barea scored a season-high 16 points and Love had 13 points and 14 rebounds for Minnesota, which hasn't won in Toronto since Jan. 21, 2004. Toronto has won 14 of its last 15 games against the Timberwolves. Subpar shooting was the big reason Minnesota was unable to reverse its losing trend north of the border. The Timberwolves shot a season-low 34 percent for the game, making just six of 20 field goal attempts in the fourth. Love struggles more than anyone, hitting only three of his 16 shots and missing half of his 10 free throw attempts. "Five for 10, that's not like me," Love said. "That's kind of how the game went for me today." Minnesota was playing the second in a stretch of three straight games, while the Raptors were playing the first game in their only back-to-back-to-back this season. "(Love) just didn't look like he had the energy he needed tonight," Minnesota coach Rick Adelman said. "He's going to have games like that. He missed five free throws and that's really uncharacteristic." In the first meeting between Spanish point guards Jose Calderon and Ricky Rubio, the Toronto veteran finished with a narrow edge over the Minnesota rookie. Calderon had 14 points, six assists and three rebounds in 40 minutes, while Rubio had 10 points, six assists and four rebounds in 29 minutes. "He's a great player," Calderon said of Rubio. "Minnesota has an unbelievable player for the future. He's going to be even better, this is just the...</p>

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