TORONTO - After letting Dwane Caseys strong words marinate for roughly 48 hours, the Raptors took their coachs challenge to heart upon a return to home court Sunday evening. Randy Johnson Jersey . Despite a favourable final result in Fridays unimpressive win over the 76ers varsity squad in Philadelphia, Casey was irate with his teams effort, focus and sense of urgency, particularly right out of the gate. They had no such issue holding off a tougher opponent in the streaking Pistons two days later. This is the NBA and all of us are professionals, the Raptors coach said after his teams 114-110 victory over Detroit. Players know when they don’t give it to you or they’re not in tune or locked in and playing the game the right way. They know it. Every now and then you have to remind them but most of the time they know it. They’re smart people and you’ve been around us long enough to know they know it. I thought today they responded to the last game. The Raptors had fallen behind by 15 before scoring a point in Philadelphia but jumped out on the Pistons, leading by nine early, extending their advantage to five at the half and gaining some separation to begin the third quarter. Uncharacteristically, they had been held under 100 points in five straight games for the first time this season but on this night they looked like the team of old, the one that put up conference-best offensive numbers for most of the campaigns opening months. Thats how weve got to play, said DeMar DeRozan, who also enjoyed a bounce-back outing, scoring 25 points, more than double his total from the previous three games combined. When we play together like that and get everybody going were tough to beat. Thats how we played last year. DeRozan, playing in his seventh game back from injury, matched his highest scoring total since returning earlier this month. His 10 free-throw attempts were a pretty good indication that hes starting to feel like himself again - he had taken just three in three games previously. I almost forgot how I used to get to the free throw line, he joked. But it felt good. I just wanted to go out there and be aggressive. With a sporadic practice schedule since his return, DeRozan said he spent time in the gym the previous night to get some work in, hoping to get back in rhythm. Whether it was Caseys post-game rant from Friday or that accountability the coach referenced after Sundays win, DeRozan and his teammates - at least for one night - seemed fully committed to getting back on track. I call it coaching, Casey said, responding to a question about his perceived frustration a couple nights earlier. We get all upset, I get upset one time and everybody’s like ‘he’s frustrated, he lost his cool.’ No. That’s me every day, most of the time. Although the defence remains a concern, DeRozan shot 53 per cent from the field, attempted 29 free throws and eclipsed the 20-assist plateau - recording 23 - for the first time in five contests. Six Raptors scored in double figures, including Kyle Lowry - with 11 - who led the team with eight assists. Amir plays through pain With Amir Johnson listed as questionable, nursing a lingering shoulder injury, there was some speculation the Raptors may opt to sit him out for a night or two to get him some rest. Of course, it was no surprise to see Torontos iron man back at work on Sunday, in uniform and ready to play through pain, as per usual. He was fine, Casey said of Johnson, who had a solid outing, scoring 17 points and missing just two of his nine shots in 28 minutes of action. From my understanding it’s been there for a while and it was always going to be a situation where he could aggravate it at any time. He’s a walking wounded but Amir’s a warrior and he came in and gave us a great presence inside, 17 points and two big free throws there down the stretch. Johnsons shoulder has been bothering him for most of the season, already wearing a protective pad over it when it became increasingly sore in Fridays game. He was limited to just 16 minutes that night, coming off the bench to start the second half as Patrick Patterson took his place with the first unit. Life without Jennings After turning around their season with the surprising release of Josh Smith just before Christmas, the Pistons worst fears were confirmed ahead of Sundays game. Brandon Jennings, their starting point guard who crumpled to the court with a non-contact leg injury in Saturdays loss to Milwaukee, will miss the rest of the campaign due to a ruptured Achilles tendon. I know he was pretty down last night, Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said. The guy absolutely loves playing basketball, probably as much as anybody I have been around. He plays all summer. He loves being in the gym and on top of that he was having the best year of his career, particularly lately. The sixth-year guard had been at the head of Detroits resurgent, playing the best basketball of his career. Jennings was scoring an average of 19.8, more than a seven-point increase, since Smith was waived on Dec. 22, leading the Pistons to a 12-5 record after they started the season 5-23. It’s really tough, Van Gundy continued. It’s tough for us but it’s even tougher for him. I feel real bad for him because he was playing so well and to have it end when he was on such a run is really unfortunate. Its very unfortunate for a young man who was playing great, playing the right way, fitting into Coach Van Gundys system, Casey said. You hate to see any player go down like that, especially a guy thats turning his team around. Jennings was also the main culprit in Detroits 114-111 win in Toronto earlier this month, scoring 20 of his 34 in the final 24 minutes as the Pistons came back from a 12-point halftime deficit. The 25-year-old had the game-winning steal that night, knocking the ball away from Lowry in the dying seconds. Former Raptor D.J. Augustin, who was cut by Toronto after a brief and underwhelming stint early last season, will start in place of Jennings for the time being as Van Gundy and the Pistons seek additional help, looking to add a third point guard. At least for one night the transition was seamless. Augustin logged 37 minutes and poured in a career-best 35 points to go along with eight assists against his old club. Archie Bradley Jersey . The club says Fridays surgery was successful. Holiday, a former Eastern Conference All-Star acquired from Philadelphia last summer, has not played because of the shin injury since Jan. Paul Goldschmidt Jersey . Ozuna hit Reeds 2-2 pitch off the batters eye far above the 407-foot sign in straightaway centre. It was the fifth blown save in 25 tries for Reed (1-5) and the ninth home run the closer has allowed in 38 appearances. Nuno, acquired in the deal that sent Brandon McCarthy to the New York Yankees, gave up three hits, struck out a career-high seven and walked one in seven innings. http://www.cheapdiamondbacksjerseys.com/?tag=cheap-shelby-miller-jersey . Each day, TSN.ca provides the latest rumours, reports and speculation from around the NHL beat. Defensive Depth TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun is reporting the Toronto Maple Leafs have considerable interest in unrestricted free-agent defenceman Dan Boyle.CHICAGO - Injured Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose has started running, although coach Tom Thibodeau says hes nowhere near ready to practice. The former MVP point guard tore the meniscus in his right knee at Portland in November and was ruled out for the remainder of the season by the Bulls. He sat out last year while recovering from surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. Wholesale Diamondbacks Jerseys. Thibodeau says Rose is "nowhere close to practising," but he is able to run and perform lateral slides. The coach also repeated several times on Wednesday that Rose will miss the rest of the season. Cheap Steelers Jerseys Cheap Patriots Jerseys Cheap Bills Jerseys Cheap Jets Jerseys Cheap Giants Jerseys Cheap Redskins Jerseys Cheap Bears Jerseys Cheap Eagles Jerseys Cheap Cardinals Jerseys Cheap Jaguars Jerseys Cheap Raiders Jerseys Cheap Dolphins Jerseys Cheap Panthers Jerseys Cheap Lions Jerseys Cheap Browns Jerseys ' ' '
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