Stars und Sternchen! » e end Chris Clemon

PHILADELPHIA - For the first time since April of 2007 - the year they won the division - the Raptors sit atop the Atlantic. Of course, this speaks more to the current state of the division - not unlike the only year they won it - than it does to the 5-7 Raptors. Tim Leiweke doesnt need to map out his parade route just yet and Drake, his global ambassador, can hold off on designing the banner. "Its a great position to be in right now, its a feel-good position but at the end of the day it doesnt really matter until its the end of the season," said Kyle Lowry, putting things into perspective after an uplifting 108-98 road victory over Philadelphia. "Its a great position to build off of [but] we still have 70-something games to go and we have to take it day-by-day, game-by-game." Despite a mediocre start to the season and the inconsistencies that have plagued them on both ends, the Raptors find themselves in unfamiliar territory, at the top of the mountain looking down. What they can see from there isnt pretty. For at least three games - their undefeated start to their campaign, including wins over Miami and Chicago - the 76ers were the darlings of the division. Since then they have come back down to earth and are starting to resemble the team many believed would be the worst in the association. They have now dropped four of their last five, showing their age as the youngest team in the NBA in Wednesdays loss to Toronto. Sitting at the bottom of the division are two 3-8 teams from New York expected to reign supreme in the Atlantic this season while a rebuilding Celtics club is sandwiched in the middle. For now, the title means very little but being a division leader at this juncture in the season serves as a reminder; there are other teams, several of them, that are as lost, if not more lost than the Raptors. DeMar DeRozan used the word "opportunity" a couple of times after the game. Thats exactly what this represents. There is an opportunity in the Atlantic, in the East for them assuming theyre interested in it. Assuming they continue to play like they did in Philadelphia on Wednesday, instead of reverting back to the team that dropped consecutive games to Chicago and Portland. "It means a lot," exclaimed Rudy Gay. "Its a step for us. Its an early step but its a step. We have to take these baby steps to get to where we want to get and thats ultimately the playoffs. So weve got to take everything we can get right now." "Its 12 games into the season," cautioned a less enthusiastic Dwane Casey. "Theres a lot of work to do. Its a long season, its going to be a marathon. Were nowhere near where we need to be." For at least one night they looked a lot closer to that team they need to be. For only the third time all season the ball moved consistently for 48 minutes - or something close to it - and the results, like in the blowout wins over Utah and Memphis, were as you would expect. With a renewed commitment to moving the ball, emphasized all week by Casey, the Raptors benefited from a more balanced scoring attack and easier looks at the rim. "We need to make sure we put that in a bottle and bring it back every night," Casey said of the teams ball movement. For the Raptors, 24 assists was a season-best and Gay, three nights after being held without a helper in the loss to Portland, recorded a career-high of eight dimes. "Weve got to do it on a consistent basis and not let the ball stick," said DeRozan, who led all scorers with 33 points on an efficient 10-of-19 shooting. "Weve got a lot of talented players on this team that can do various things. Rudy showed it tonight that he can do it with his passing ability." "Were putting each other in a position to be successful and its working for us," added Lowry, who pitched in with 10 assists of his own. Burned by three-point shooting on Sunday, Toronto was able to get more efficient looks from long distance as a result of improved movement. The Raptors connected on a season-high 14 three-pointers (on 29 attempts) with three players - DeRozan, Lowry and Terrence Ross - knocking down three triples apiece and a couple - Gay and Steve Novak - chipping in with two. For at least 48 hours the Raptors can enjoy the division lead, after all theyve waited seven seasons to reclaim it, but after that its back to business. "Well take it but its early," Casey said. "Weve got to continue to work." DeRozan excels from the corners Coming into camp, DeRozan raved about the work he had put in on his three-point shot during the offseason. 12 games into the season, the fruit of his labour is starting to show. After hitting three of four attempts from beyond the arch Wednesday, DeRozan is now shooting a more than respectable 38 per cent from long distance, which would be a career-high, besting his 28 percent clip from last year. Most impressive is his production from the corners; the most efficient three-point shot available. DeRozan was three of four from the corners against Philadelphia and is now shooting 10-of-16 from that region on the season. "Like they say, its the easiest shot from the three point line," DeRozan said of the corner three. "Analytical, you know, whatever. Its the easiest shot and I just try to get there and knock it down every time I catch it." Overall, the Raptors guard is averaging 29.3 points, shooting 51 per cent from the floor over his last four games. Gays all-around game After hoisting 27 shots and being held without an assist in Sundays loss, Gay made a concerted effort to get his teammates involved early against the 76ers. Gay struggled with his shot - and missed several easy looks around the basket - in the first half, hitting just one of seven field goal attempts but had six rebounds and six assists. In the third quarter Gay awoke from his offensive slumber, scoring 15 of his 18 points and shooting 5-of-7. He finished with eight rebounds and eight assists. Breakout from Ross Ross had one of his better games as a pro on Wednesday, utilizing both his athleticism and outside jumper, even registering a pair of assists. The sophomore was consistently engaged on both ends of the floor in a season-high 17-point, seven-rebound performance off the bench. "I thought he struggled a little bit in the last game and [I] got his attention a little bit when he didnt play in the second half against Portland," Casey said. "He did his job tonight, came out and played, stayed focused on both ends of the floor." Up next The Raptors return to Toronto, where theyll play their next four games, and host the Washington Wizards at the Air Canada Centre Friday. Catch it on TSN2 and listen live on TSN 1050 Radio beginning at 7:00pm et. Custom Green Bay Packers Jerseys .Y. - Major League Soccer is prepared to start its season this weekend even if there isnt a labour deal with its referees and other on-field officials. Custom Chicago Bears Jerseys . For Sweed, a second round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2008, this will be his second go around in the CFL after previously having spent time with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. http://www.footballcustomjerseys.com/custom-oakland-raiders-jerseys-428c.html . -- Craig Anderson has quite a record against his former team, the Florida Panthers. Cheap Custom Football Jerseys .com) - Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki was named the National League Player of the Month for April. Custom Detroit Lions Jerseys . He looked very comfortable Wednesday night. Konerko had a big three-run double and Gordon Beckham homered for the second straight game, leading the Chicago White Sox to an 8-3 victory over the sliding Chicago Cubs.SEATTLE -- After just 2 1/2 quarters, Russell Wilson traded his helmet for a baseball cap. Earl Thomas turned his attention to the NFL scoreboard and took note that the rest of the NFC West lost. The Seattle Seahawks domination of Jacksonville went as everyone expected. "I was fired up we played just the way we should," Seattle coach Pete Carroll said. "A lot of people expected and asked questions about letdowns and all that type of stuff, and we didnt see it that way at all." Wilson matched his career high with four touchdown passes -- two each to Sidney Rice and Zach Miller -- and the Seahawks overwhelmed the Jaguars 45-17 on Sunday. Seattle improved to 3-0 for the first time since 2006, beginning a stretch of four straight games against the AFC South. The Seahawks came in as 19-point favourites and never gave Jacksonville (0-3) a chance. Wilson connected with Miller twice in the first 16 minutes on TDs of 1 and 4 yards. He hit Rice for an 11-yard TD late in the first half and found him again on a 23-yarder early in the third quarter. Wilson checked out with 3:54 left in the third and finished 14 of 21 for 202 yards. The four TD passes matched his performance last December in a win over San Francisco. The blowout allowed Seattle the chance to test its depth with some of its younger reserves getting their first shot at the regular season. Seattles offence finally showed the potency that made the Seahawks so dangerous at the end of 2012. It was a focus for Carroll this week to clean up the offence. "We stayed away from the dumb mental mistakes, the dumb penalties and we made the most of our opportunities through the air," Seattles Doug Baldwin said. Wilson wasnt perfect. He was sacked by Johnathan Cyprien and fumbled in the first half and made the mistake of throwing across his body and was intercepted at his 11 in the third quarter. But it was a far better performance overall by Seattles offence than in the first two weeks. No drive was better than the final possession of the first half. Linebacker Bobby Wagner had just made a juggling, diving interception at his own 21 with 44 seconds left in the half, and the Seahawks got aggressive. Wilson found Golden Tate twice, hit Rice for 233 yards, and scrambled for another 10.dddddddddddd Wilson then capped the half with a dart to Rice for an 11-yard TD, finishing off a drive that covered 79 yards in just 34 seconds and gave Seattle a 24-0 halftime lead. "That was the biggest drive weve had all season, so far," Wilson said. "Thats the thing, we have to be able to do that. ... To be able to do that and score in 34 seconds, that crucial." Carroll said he was aggressive because of the job Seattles defence was doing, a unit that got healthier with the return of defensive end Chris Clemons and cornerback Brandon Browner. Clemons played for the first time since sustaining a major knee injury in the playoffs. "The biggest thing was just trusting in my work, trusting in the rehab and everything Ive been doing, so I felt pretty good about it," Clemons said. The Seahawks forced Jacksonville into three turnovers. They sacked Jacksonville Chad Henne four times, and Maurice Jones-Drew, playing with an injured ankle, was limited to 43 yards on 19 carries. Jacksonville spent the first quarter in negative total yardage and didnt crack the 100-yard mark until 8:30 left in the third quarter. The Jaguars found the end zone for the second time this season when Jones-Drew scored on a 2-yard run. "It was tough to move the ball early. Their defensive line did a good job, their front seven," Henne said. Millers first TD came when Wilson duped the entire stadium with a perfect play-action fake for the 1-yard TD. Wilson found Miller early in the second quarter when he pirouetted away from the pass rush for a 14-0 lead. Wilsons final TD came early in the second half when he lofted a pass into the end zone, and Rice cut in front of a defender to haul in the TD. Baldwin also made a diving, one-handed 35-yard touchdown catch from Tarvaris Jackson after Wilson departed. Jackson also had a 5-yard TD run in the fourth quarter. Notes: Seattle DE Red Bryant left in the second half with back spasms. WR Jermaine Kearse sprained an ankle in the first half. ... Jacksonville fell to 2-9 on the West Coast. ... Jackson was 7 of 8 for 129 yards and a TD. ... Jacksonvilles Jordan Todman scored his first career TD in the fourth quarter. Cheap Buffalo Sabres Gear Wholesale Calgary Flames Jerseys Cheap Adidas Colorado Avalanche Jerseys Montreal Canadiens Outlet Store Wholesale New Jersey Devils Jerseys Adidas Arizona Coyotes Jerseys Cheap Adidas Boston Bruins Jerseys Cheap Adidas Carolina Hurricanes Jerseys Chicago Blackhawks Shop Free Shipping Wholesale Columbus Blue Jackets Jerseys Dallas Stars Shop Free Shipping Cheap Adidas Detroit Red Wings Jerseys Anaheim Ducks Jerseys China Wholesale Edmonton Oilers Jerseys Florida Panthers Shop Free Shipping Wholesale Los Angeles Kings Jerseys Minnesota Wild Outlet Store Cheap Adidas Nashville Predators Jerseys Cheap Adidas New York Islanders Jerseys New York Rangers Winter Classic Jerseys Cheap Adidas Ottawa Senators Jerseys Cheap Adidas Philadelphia Flyers Jerseys Wholesale Pittsburgh Penguins Jerseys Cheap Adidas San Jose Sharks Jerseys St. Louis Blues Winter Classic Jerseys Wholesale Tampa Bay Lightning Jerseys Toronto Maple Leafs Outlet Store Vancouver Canucks Outlet Store Cheap Adidas Vegas Golden Knights Jerseys Cheap Adidas Washington Capitals Jerseys Cheap Adidas Winnipeg Jets Jerseys ' ' '