responded after Wednesday nights last-minute loss to

TORONTO - If there were any misconceptions about playing in Canada for the Toronto Raptors, Jalen Rose said winning has taken care of that.The former Raptors guard was honoured during a first-quarter timeout of Fridays Raptors game against the Dallas Mavericks — part of the teams ongoing 20th anniversary celebrationsI think people get the message now, Rose said. You dont hear the mumbling and groaning about players re-signing here. You just got Lou Williams to sign, Kyle Lowry re-signed, DeMars on his second contract, Amirs been here for a long time.I think that novelty is over as it relates to winning. And when you follow winning in the NBA, it always starts from the top down. And I appreciate what Tim Leiweke has done with the franchise, creating a culture, bringing in Masai (Ujiri, GM), who undid a lot of moves in the past that probably werent the best moves. So now the city has a team they can really be proud of.The 41-year-old Rose, who received a standing ovation from the Air Canada Centre crowd, played part of three seasons with Toronto between 2003 and 06, but never made a playoff appearance with the Raptors. He both praised and sounded slightly envious of the current Raptors squad and management.Ive always talked about how great the fans are here, how its awesome not only to have a city or state rooting for you, but also to have a country rooting for you, Rose said. And you have to look no further than the progress of Toronto basketball than how the crowd showed up in Cleveland, those We the North chants on LeBron James home floor. And to get a win, that says a lot about where the team has come.He spoke about the growth of the game in Canada, mentioning consecutive No. 1 draft picks Anthony Bennett and Andrew Wiggins, plus two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash.So its not a novelty anymore, for a lot of people to feel who said can they really play ball in Toronto? Rose said.Rose was hugely popular with the media during his time in Toronto — the game during which he was dropped from the starting lineup, he showed up dressed entirely in black, right down to his black drawers.He was similarly engaging as he spoke with reporters before Friday nights tipoff — funny, but honest, about the questionable moves made by management during his days in Toronto.When asked about Vince Carters emotional response when the Raptors honoured him recently, Rose said: Well, the way he was overcome by emotion and the way he shed a couple of tears, thats how I felt when we traded him for Aaron (Williams), Eric (Williams) and Alonzo Mourning who never was deciding to make the trip.Rose said Carter deserved the recent warm reception he received from Toronto fans.As a player who has been traded before I know that when things get out to the public like where your mom is parking, that means somebody in the front office is clearly leaking information to try to make you look bad and make the transition easier when you move a great player like him, he said. Both sides deserved (a reconciliation), so I was happy to see it.Rose said that Carter was misunderstood in Toronto.He was really a genuine, nice person and a lot of people said we wanted him to have the killer instinct of Kobe Bryant or we wanted him to have the fire of another player but he was such a talented player, long arms, big hands, could shoot the three, you guys knew he was a high flyer, Rose said. I mean this guy could walk into practice and do a reverse 360 eating a sandwich. Im serious, Ive seen him do it.Rose, who averaged 18.5 points and 2.6 assists a night in his one full season with the Raptors —2004-05 — was asked about his favourite memory from Toronto. He offered up the broken hand he suffered in a game versus Golden State. I remember telling the guys I think I broke my hand, he said. To finish that game, we won the game, and then I flew back to Toronto, had surgery on my hand, got a plate with five screws on my hand, still to remind me of it every day. So, my bionic hand from my time playing for the Raptors. Custom Nike St. Louis Cardinals Jerseys . Grimes signed a $32 million, four-year contract to remain with Miami. The deal, which includes $16 million guaranteed, rewards Grimes for his recovery from an Achilles tendon injury that forced him to miss almost all of the 2012 season. Custom Nike Atlanta Braves Jerseys . JOHNS, N. https://www.customnikebaseballjerseys.com/ . With just under five seconds remaining - the Raptors having clawed back from a 19-point deficit and pulled within one - DeRozan took the handoff from Chuck Hayes. Wholesale Custom Nike Baseball Jerseys . Or maybe he already did. Clark hit his first homer, Wily Peralta pitched into the seventh inning, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Miami Marlins 4-1 Wednesday night. Custom Nike Baseball Jerseys Online .C. -- The Carolina Panthers announced Thursday theyve signed free agent wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery to a two-year contract, helping rebuild a depleted wide receiving corps.DALLAS -- The Los Angeles Clippers have not tired of inflicting fourth-quarter pain on the Dallas Mavericks. The Clippers rallied from a 10-point deficit in the final period to beat the Mavericks 109-103 on Thursday night. Los Angeles has won all three meetings thus far, with second-half rallies in each game. Each meeting has also featured plenty of emotion. On Thursday, the teams combined for six technical fouls charged to players on the floor, three on each team. "We need to start playing like that more often, to tell you the truth," Chris Paul said after leading Los Angeles with 31 points, a night after going 0 for 12 in a two-point loss in New Orleans. "We knew it was going to be a playoff-type game. Theyre not just playing for their playoff lives; were trying to gear up for the playoffs, too." The Clippers got double-doubles from Blake Griffin (18 points, 13 rebounds) and DeAndre Jordan (16 points, 15 rebounds). Los Angeles maintained its one-game lead over Houston for third place in the Western Conference. Vince Carter scored 23 points off the bench for the Mavericks, going 4 for 5 on 3-pointers. Dirk Nowitzki had 21 points but only two in the fourth quarter. "Its tough. Its very frustrating," Carter said. "But we fought like hell to give ourselves a chance to win, and thats all you can do." Samuel Dalembert was questionable going into the game for Dallas because of a stiff back. He started, played 22 minutes and led the Mavericks with 11 rebounds -- all in the first half. The loss dropped Dallas a half-game behind Phoenix and into ninth place in the tight race for the final playoff berths in the West. The score was tied at 81 going into the final period before the Mavericks ran off the first 10 points. Los Angeles chipped away and tied it at 101 on a drive by Griffin. Dallas then committed a backcourt violation when a pass from Nowitzki back to Jose Calderon near midcourt went astray. Griffin followed with a spinning runner to give the Clippers the lead for good at 103-101. Griffin was pleased with the defence that he played on Nowitzki, who was 7 for 15 from the floor. ";For the past how many years, everything Ive heard is the things I couldnt do," he said.dddddddddddd. "One of the many things I cant do is play defence. "I take pride in the things I cant do. I just use that as motivation." The Clippers victory Thursday was their least dramatic in the series so far. They outscored the Mavericks 16-2 down the stretch to win by seven points in the first meeting on Jan. 5. Twelve days later, they rallied from 17 points down to win by two. A shoving match broke out early in the third quarter after the Mavericks brought the ball into the forecourt. Paul pushed Dallas Shawn Marion, who knocked into the Clippers Matt Barnes while falling over the end line. Barnes and Marion then had words, and Barnes shoved Marion. Paul, Marion and Barnes were all assessed technical fouls. "I just think its been a heated battle," Barnes said. "They had us down in the fourth three times, and theyre playing for the playoffs." Clippers coach Doc Rivers noted his team responded after Wednesday nights last-minute loss to the depleted Pelicans. "You could see our guys were fresh," Rivers said. "In a joking way, we should have been fresh because we didnt use a lot (Wednesday) night." The Mavericks are 3-3 on a franchise-record, eight-game homestand, having opened the stretch in seventh place with a 1 1/2-game cushion on ninth-place Phoenix. "Its basically the next game becomes the most important game of the year," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. "Thats just how it is going to be, every one down the stretch." The Mavericks will then close the season with five road games among their final seven. That includes one more game against the Clippers, at Staples Center on April 3. "We have one more chance," Calderon said. "Hopefully, next week maybe we can beat these guys." NOTES: The Clippers J.J. Redick, out since early February with a back injury, said he hopes to return before the end of the season. . Nowitzki, a 91.8 per cent shooter from the free throw line going into the game, was 6 for 10, equaling his most misses this season. ' ' '