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TORONTO - Old habits die hard. When the Lakers hosted Toronto 10 months ago, the Raptors held a 15-point first half lead before Kobe Bryant put on a show - as he has been known to do - and engineered a comeback victory, playing out in overtime. Undermanned hours after consummating what turned out to be a season-altering trade, the Raptors returned to Los Angeles nine months later, stealing the game from the Lakers and Bryant, who returned from injury that evening. Even if you believe theyve played over their head during a 14-7 stretch since that fateful night in LA, theres no denying the Raptors are a different team than they were 42 days ago. Still and for whatever reason, there are certain hurdles they dont seem ready to conquer. The Lakers are one them. "We played their game," coach Dwane Casey said after his team surrendered two big leads - a 19-point advantage in the second quarter and a 17-point cushion in the third - falling to the vulnerable Lakers, without the re-injured Bryant, 112-106 at the Air Canada Centre. For the second time in the span of a week, Caseys club had squandered a golden opportunity against a fallen NBA superpower. Four days after extending their winless streak in Boston to 11 games, the Raptors failed to complete what would have been their first ever season series sweep of the Lakers. Since the trade their offence has been much improved but Casey has and always will prioritize his teams effort on defence. The Raptors coach would rather win ugly than lose pretty, his team had gotten quite good at it, but on Sunday they lost that identity. "We didnt [play] a defensive game and that allows big runs," said Casey, his team giving up 112 points, the most theyve surrendered since Dec. 23 against the Spurs. "Thats not who we are. Weve got to be a defence-first team not a three-point shooting team. We got caught up in their quick threes, which theyre very good at and thats not who we are." Assisting on 13 of their first 14 field goals, the Raptors shot 5-of-6 from three-point range in the opening quarter before going 4-of-24 the rest of the way. The Lakers connected on 12 of 22 attempts from long distance and 26 of 28 free throws as the home team got to the line just 11 times. "They dictated the game a little bit more than we did [today]," said Kyle Lowry, who was spectacular again, scoring 21 points and recording nine of his teams season-high 30 assists. "They did a good job of playing the way they want to play and making us play that way also." "Weve got to understand that no matter how big the lead is no team is going to lay down," said DeMar DeRozan, who led the Raptors with 23 points. "Theyre going to play extremely hard to try to get back and weve got to understand that and withstand the runs they try to make." DeRozan continued to struggle down the stretch, hoisting difficult, out of rhythm jumpers and letting frustration get the better of him after a questionable call late in the game. The Raptors leading scorer made just two of his eight attempts in the fourth quarter, missing another key free throw, and is now shooting 4-of-21 from the field in the final period of his last three games. On the season, DeRozan is shooting 33 per cent in the fourth, down from 45 per cent the rest of the game. The minutes hes logged - hes fifth in the NBA in minutes played - could be a factor late in games in addition to some poor decision making, but Casey pointed to the opposition keying in on Torontos best player down the stretch. "Teams are loading up on him, teams are making it rough for him to get those same shots," said the Raptors coach. "Theyre putting their best defender on him and hes working really hard to get the buckets hes getting. Weve got to do a better job of helping screening him, getting him open, getting the ball to the weak side then coming back because hes expending a lot of energy to get his points." Lakers guard Nick Young scored 15 of his game-high 29 points in a back-and-forth final frame. There were eight lead changes in the fourth and 18 total on the afternoon. For the first time all season, Casey was forced to improvise without two of his rotation players. Tyler Hansbrough missed his ninth straight game with a sprained left ankle and John Salmons was inactive nursing a back ailment. Without Salmons, Casey opted to play small. Julyan Stone logged 13 scoreless minutes - the most playing time hes seen since Dec. 6 - and Greivis Vasquez was used in the backcourt alongside Lowry. Vasquez had one of his better games as a Raptors - recording 11 points and eight assists - so too did Chuck Hayes, who played the bulk of the fourth quarter in place of starter Jonas Valanciunas. "He needed to do a better job on (Pau) Gasol," Casey said of Valanciunas, who played just 14 minutes after picking up a pair of early fouls. "I thought Chuck and Amir (Johnson) did a better job on him and we want for the defensive matchup." Although the Lakers successfully treaded water without Bryant prior to his return in the last meeting between these teams, they have come apart ever since. While the Raptors have vaulted up the Eastern Conference standings, LA had lost 16 of 21 games prior to Sundays rematch. Historically and regardless of the personnel, the Lakers have owned Toronto. Now, having lost two of three, the Raptors travel to Charlotte to face another, albeit more perplexing demon in the Bobcats. The Raptors havent won in Charlotte since Mar. 29, 2010, a span of six straight losses to a mostly dreadful Bobcats team. Air Max Scontate Uomo . According to a report from ESPN, Lynch wants a new contract from the Seahawks, and will likely skip all off-season workouts until he can renegotiate his deal with the Seahawks. Air Max In Offerta . The two teams will play through the completion of the game starting at 5pm ct on Wednesday. The regularly scheduled Wednesday night matchup will follow that and will now be seven innings. https://www.scontatescarpeoutlet.it/scon...tlet-c3066.html. With a win tonight, Buehrle will match Yankees ace Masahiro Tanaka for the most wins in the majors with 11. Buehrle is 10-4 with a 2.32 earned run average, but has lost his last three starts, including a 7-3 setback at Yankee Stadium last Wednesday. Air Max 270 Italia . A wide-eyed 18-year-old visiting North America for only the second time in his young life, Caboclo immediately noticed the "big tower" his new home is best known for. Air Max 95 Scontate . Markieff Morris and Marcus Morris, city natives, handled the catering for teammates that begged them for the tasty postgame feast.SEATTLE -- Clint Dempsey didnt have much to say about the two-game suspension he received from Major League Soccer. Fourteen words to be exact. "Disappointed. I dont agree with it. It is what it is and move on," Dempsey said after the Seattle Sounders wrapped practice on Thursday. The real concern for some is that the suspension came right before a major U.S. national team exhibition against Mexico next Wednesday. By the time Dempsey takes the field against Mexico in Glendale, Ariz., it will have been more than two weeks since Dempsey last played. And while its just an exhibition, its significant because it will be the last U.S. match before World Cup camp begins in May. "Its a friendly, its not a World Cup qualifier so theres not much pressure that there would be if it was a World Cup qualifying game," Dempsey said. "But its still exciting to represent your country and to play against one of your rivals." Dempsey was suspended and fined for violent conduct toward Toronto FC defender Mark Bloom in a March 15 match. Dempsey hit Bloom in the stomach/groin area, a blow not seen by officials but that was captured by television cameras. Dempsey said after the match that he was trying to slap Blooms hand off his back and did not intend to strike his body. The MLS players union appealed but the suspension was upheld. Dempsey sat last week when Seattle won at Montreal and will be a spectator Saturday when the Sounders host Columbus. Hell return to MLS play on April 5 when Seattle travels to rival Portland. U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann was one of Dempseys most vocal supporters afteer the suspension was announced.dddddddddddd He was quick to point out the number of fouls Dempsey has taken since returning to MLS. "Its very disappointing to see Clint be the only person punished from this game," Klinsmann said last week. "There is a foul against him in the sixth minute that should have been a red card. The persistent fouling continued throughout the game, and hes getting punished for a reaction following all those fouls. Yes he made a mistake, but if opponents dont get penalized for consistently fouling, it only encourages them to continue that approach." According to stats provided by MLS, Dempsey is the most fouled player in the league since Aug. 10 of last season. Dempsey, the U.S. captain, appreciated Klinsmanns concern. "Yeah, for sure its always good that the manager has your back and I appreciate that," Dempsey said. "All I can do is keep working hard and keep working on my fitness after training and making sure I play well when Im with the national team, like I have always done in the past. And make sure I keep playing good with the national team moving forward and pay him back for his faith in me." Dempsey said one solution to the fouls would be for more yellow cards to be handed out earlier in the match. He believes that could create a better rhythm to the game. "I think its important to protect every player," Dempsey said. "The sooner you start giving the cards for reckless fouls then it cuts down on a lot of things and it makes the game more exciting to watch because there is more free flow to it." ' ' '