Dein erstes Forum » that their talent doesnt jump out at you, but what

NEW ORLEANS - Greivis Vasquez, now an integral member of the Raptors second unit, has celebrated wins over each of his three former teams in the last two weeks but Wednesdays victory over the Pelicans brought an even wider smile to the jovial point guards face. He played a big part in Fridays upset win over Memphis - the team that drafted him - a week after defeating the Kings, the team that traded him Toronto. However, this one meant a little more, though it took him a couple minutes to admit it. "I just want to win," Vasquez said, initially downplaying his return to New Orleans after the Raptors overcame an abysmal start to knock off the undermanned Pelicans 107-100. Sandwiched between his brief time in Memphis and Sacramento, Vasquez spent two seasons playing for the New Orleans franchise, formally known as the Hornets. There he enjoyed his best moments, individually, of his career. "This is a very special place for me because they gave me the key, they labelled me a starting point guard, they gave me a chance to showcase my game," said Vasquez, who finished second in most improved voting with the Hornets last season, averaging a career-highs in points (13.9) and assists (9.0) before he was traded to Sacramento this past summer. "I was really angry when they traded me," he admitted. "I know its part of the business so that makes it a little sour when you come back but you always want to beat your former team." With the game in the balance down the stretch, Vasquez looked and played like a scorned man. The Raptors backup point guard, like the rest of his new team, got off to an unexpectedly slow start against a Pelicans club missing its best player, all-star forward and Vasquezs former running mate Anthony Davis. When Vasquez entered the game late in the first quarter, Toronto was already down by seven. That deficit would balloon to 13 a few minutes later, as the Pelicans had their way with the shorthanded Raptors in the paint, getting what they want, when and however they wanted it. The Raptors spent most of the second half clawing back, unable to get over the final hurdle until Vasquez vaulted them over it. With two minutes remaining on the clock and the score knotted up at 94 - Toronto had led for a total of 51 seconds in the game at that point - the former Hornet put the Raptors on top with one of his patented floaters. After misfiring on a three from the corner - one he thought he had made - moments later, Vasquez followed his shot, grabbed the rebound - Torontos 22nd offensive board of the night, a season-best - and covered the lay-up, also getting fouled on the play. After completing the three-point sequence, the Raptors found themselves up by five in a game they badly needed, having dropped their last two. They would not relinquish that lead. "I was blessed enough to be out there at the end of the game," said Vasquez, who scored nine of his 14 points in the fourth quarter. "Ive been wishing I could get out there at the end of these games and (Coach) gave me an opportunity." "I had a rough first half and then the second half I was on a mission," he continued. "I like close games. Im not afraid. I will never be afraid. I am the type of player who would risk everything. Thats how I got the (starting job) here in New Orleans. They saw me playing in Memphis against San Antonio and OKC in my rookie year and they thought I was a starting guard." The Pelicans missed just three shots in the opening quarter, dropping 32 points on the winded Raptors - playing in the second game of a back-to-back, having lost Tuesday in Atlanta - without Davis, their leading scorer. Shooting over 75 per cent until the latter half of the second quarter, New Orleans torched the visitors on dribble drives in the paint. "I didnt recognize the team in the first quarter," Dwane Casey said. "I told them they were playing like they were in a rec league in the summer time (but) we picked it up." The game began to turn midway through that frame, as the Raptors closed the half on a 23-10 run, hitting nine of their final 10 shots. Despite shooting 36-per-cent in the second half, the Raptors clawed and scraped their way back into the game. DeMar DeRozan carried them offensively, scoring 16 of his game-high 31 points in the second half and the team out-rebounded New Orleans 31-18, including a 14-2 advantage on the offensive boards. Amir Johnson - playing on a sore ankle, again - grabbed eight of his nine rebounds in the second half, Tyler Hansbrough - starting in place of the injured Jonas Valanciunas - pulled down eight of his season-high 13. Simply put, they wanted it more. "This game was about mental toughness, physical toughness more so than skill," said Casey. "No matter who youre playing you have to bring that each and every night and I thought our guys did." Undermanned frontcourt The Raptors were without two of their top three bigs in Valanciunas, who missed his first game of the season with a lower back sprain and Patrick Patterson, still out with an elbow injury. Valanciunas sustained the injury turning to set a screen in the third quarter of Tuesdays loss to the Hawks and was unable to suit up in New Orleans. Although his back is still tight, the Raptors centre underwent treatment before the game and plans to do the same during Thursdays off day, hoping to return on Friday at home to the Thunder. De Colos quiet impact Without attempting a single shot in the first half, only taking one in the game, Nando De Colo helped ignite the Raptors and change the game with his energy, effort and decision making. Logging 14 minutes, the most hes played since he was acquired from San Antonio at the trade deadline, De Colo was credited with sparking his new teams second-quarter run that cut their deficit from 14 to one going into intermission. "Oh man, he was unbelievable," Kyle Lowry said of De Colo, who went scoreless but added two rebounds and three assists. "You cant forget a guy like that. Thats what I always say, were 15 strong. Nando hasnt played that much but tonight he really changed the game, just moving, speed, defence, just his overall effort and knowledge of the game." Nearing a milestone on the road With the victory, the Raptors picked up their 18th road win of the season, most since the 2001-02 campaign and are getting closer to the franchise record of 20 set the year prior. Toronto has seven road games to go and can finish at or above .500 away from home for the first time in team history if they can win at least three of them. Theyll face only one winning team on the road - the Heat - the rest of the way. Wednesdays visit to New Orleans also marked the Raptors final road game against Western Conference opponents, finishing the season 8-7 in those contests. Diamondbacks Jerseys China . “Im not sure well get Melky Cabrera at all,” said Gibbons. The 29-year-old left fielder struggled all season with knee and hamstring problems. Cabrera was first on the disabled list from June 27-July 20 with tendinitis in his left knee. Diamondbacks Jerseys 2019 . Salah, who scored against Chelsea in two Champions League group matches this season, is Jose Mourinhos third significant recruit in the January transfer window after Nemanja Matic and Bertrand Traore. https://www.cheapdiamondbacksjerseys.us/ . Justine finished first with a score of 22.44 while Chloe was second with 21.66 points. Defending champion Hannah Kearney of the U.S., was third at 21.49. A third Dufour-Lapointe sister, Maxime, failed to make the final group and finished 12th while Audrey Robichaud of Quebec City was 10th. Custom Arizona Diamondbacks Jerseys . For one, he still gets to crank the intensity to the max. "I push pretty angry. I ran pretty angry too though, but I have fun doing it," Lumsden said. Fake Diamondbacks Jerseys . You can catch all of the action LIVE on TSN2 at 6pm et/3pm pt. The Heat reached that mark Saturday night when they ruined the Philadelphia 76ers home opener. CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Charlotte Bobcats have relied heavily on Al Jefferson to put them in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race. On Saturday night, they proved they could win without their veteran centre having a big night. "It shows that we have other guys that can step up," point guard Kemba Walker said. With Jefferson double-teamed most of the night, Walker elevated his game, pouring in 31 points to help the Bobcats defeat the Memphis Grizzlies 92-89 for their fourth win in five nights. Charlotte is 4-0 since the All-Star break, marking its longest winning streak since March 2011. The Bobcats won despite Jefferson being held to just six points -- tying a season-low -- on 2-of-13 shooting. Jefferson came in having scored 29 or more points in eight of his last 11 games and at least 20 points in 17 of the last 19. The Bobcats used an 18-3 run in the fourth quarter to break open a tight game and then held on down the stretch with Walker making four free throws in the final 25 seconds to snap Memphis four-game win streak. It was the second straight night Walker hit four free throws in the final 30 seconds to seal a victory. "I shoot so many free throws in practice Im just thinking, "Hey, make them," said Walker, who was 10 of 10 from the foul line. Charlotte had lost the second night of a back-to-back eight straight times before winning two this week. "To win four in a row against good teams and to play this well in a game like that that was hard fought, you have to feel good about it," Bobcats coach Steve Clifford said. But now the Bobcats face a four-game stretch against the NBAs four best teams -- San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Miami and Indiana -- with the first three games on the road. The Grizzlies were led by Mike Conley, who had 16 points, but twice missed 3-point attempts when he had a chance to tie the game on Memphis final possession. Marc Gasol had 15 points, and Zac Randolph had 12 points and 11 rebounds for Memphis, which fell two games behind Dallas in the race for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Bobcats trailed 66-64 early in thee fourth quarter when Anthony Tolliver got hot from the outside, igniting an 18-3 run with three 3-pointers to give Charlotte a 13-point lead.ddddddddddddTolliver finished with nine points. The Grizzlies battled back to take the lead when Conley knocked down an 18-footer with 51 seconds left. But Josh McRoberts sank two free throws to put the Bobcats ahead for good with 38 seconds left. Conley missed a jumper on the other end and then fouled Walker as he was heading up the court. Walker made two free throws to push the lead to three with 24 seconds left. Gasol answered with an inside layup, but Walker hit two more free throws with 10.7 seconds left to push the lead back to three. Conley had two open looks in the final 6 seconds, but couldnt connect. "We wanted to win, but the Charlotte Bobcats were the aggressors," Memphis guard Tony Allen said. "They were physical. Coach told us before the game that their talent doesnt jump out at you, but what does is just how hard they play. Theres no excuse because they were the aggressors and they pretty much outworked us tonight." The Grizzlies game plan was to make sure Jefferson didnt beat them, aggressively double-teaming the 6-foot-10, 289-pound centre every time he touched the ball in the low post. They limited Jefferson to four points on 1-of-6 shooting in the first half and held Charlotte to 39 per cent shooting to build a 48-42 halftime lead. "Hes shooting it up and theyre going to him a lot," Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger said. "We just kept staying in front of him and making his shots tough." Jefferson picked up his third foul with 2:52 left in the first half -- a call that didnt sit well with Bobcats coach Steve Clifford, who was slapped with a technical foul for arguing. It was his seventh technical foul of the season. NOTES: Atlanta Falcons running back Steven Jackson and former Carolina Panthers wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad were at the game. ... Memphis had won 16 of its last 20 games coming into Saturday night and three straight against the Bobcats. ... Memphis is 6-5 this season on the second night of a back-to-back. ' ' '