DENVER -- Toronto coach Dwane Casey wasnt ready to celebrate after the Raptors ended a decade-long drought in Denver. Dustin Pedroia Jersey . He was too upset about his teams lacklustre finish. DeMar DeRozan scored 19 points, Terrence Ross had 18 and Toronto, after opening a 25-point lead, settled for a 100-90 victory over the Nuggets on Friday night. "We will take the W, but it was not a quality finish," Casey said. "I let the players know I was disappointed in the close. You cant come in and feel like you have the game won with a 20-point lead. You have to continue to execute, be strong with the ball and continue to execute defensively if you want to be serious about winning in this league." Jonas Valanciunas and Kyle Lowry added 13 points apiece for the Raptors, who snapped a nine-game losing streak in the Mile High City dating to 2003. Still, Caseys postgame critique on his teams fourth-quarter play -- the Raptors were outscored 20-14 in the period -- outweighed any sense of relief over the end of the streak. "We have to finish a lot better," Lowry said. "This is the NBA. Teams are going to make a run. Were not going to be negative. We won the game. But we have to finish better than that." The Nuggets were dealing with their own problems. They announced during the game that guard Nate Robinson had season-ending surgery earlier Friday to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. Robinson was injured in a spill underneath the Nuggets basket during the first quarter of Wednesday nights loss to the Charlotte Bobcats. The Nuggets also were without leading scorer Ty Lawson, who missed his second consecutive game Friday with a left rotator cuff strain. "We dont want anybody to feel sorry for us and we wont feel sorry for ourselves," Nuggets coach Brian Shaw said. "We just have to continue to fight, stay positive, keep working and just be more fundamentally sound." J.J. Hickson and Evan Fournier led the Nuggets with 18 points apiece. Hickson also had 13 rebounds. Randy Foye, normally a shooting guard switched to the point in the absence of Lawson and Robinson, had 10 points and a career-high 16 assists. But he also committed eight of the Nuggets 26 turnovers, which led to 29 points for Toronto. "Randy played 43 minutes, Evan 38 minutes, and theyre not accustomed to playing that many minutes as well," Shaw said. "They started getting tired, then we started losing our fundamentals and throwing the ball all over the place. That was our biggest thing tonight." Hickson said it is also going to take some time for players to adjust to new, sometimes unfamiliar roles thrust on them by the backcourt injuries. "Its going to be a process," Hickson said. "I cant say its going to be a long process, because we dont have much time. It has to be a quick process. But I think once guys get adjusted and settled in, well be good." Toronto moved to a season high four games above .500 (25-21) and tied a franchise record with its 11th win in January. The Raptors also won 11 games in January 2002. Leading by seven at halftime, the Raptors put together an 11-2 run late in the third quarter to go up 84-68 with 2:46 left in the period. DeRozan ignited the surge by driving through traffic and putting in a reverse layup off the glass and helped keep it going by knocking down a pair of jumpers. By the start of the fourth quarter, the Raptors led by 16 points and 50 seconds later, Valanciunas dunked to stretch Torontos advantage to 90-70. After Timofey Mozgov scored on a turnaround jumper for Denver, Toronto reeled off seven straight points, including a 3-pointer by John Salmons for a 97-72 lead with 8:47 left. The Nuggets made a late push with a 14-2 run cutting it to 99-86 on a dunk by Kenneth Faried with 3:32 remaining. But Ross then blocked Fourniers driving layup attempt and after Valanciunas made one of two free throws, the Nuggets lost another possession on a turnover by Foye, failing to get the deficit under double digits. The Raptors turned a steal into a breakaway dunk by Ross for a 60-53 lead at halftime. The rim-rattling jam brought the Raptors bench to its feet. NOTES: Foye had 11 assists in the first half, most by a Nuggets player in a half since Steve Blake had 11 on Feb. 14, 2007. ... Toronto won for the first time in Denver since an 81-74 victory on Dec. 30, 2003. ... Hickson has had a double-double in 12 of his last 23 games. Sandy Koufax Dodgers Jersey . In Winnipeg, the Jets kick off their exhibition schedule when they host the Minnesota Wild at MTS Centre. Yadier Molina Jersey . Sitting five points out of a playoff spot with only 10 games left on their schedule, the Canucks are in danger of missing the postseason in their first campaign under head coach John Tortorella.In August, the Grey Cup looked a long way away to Chris Garrett. Released by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers following training camp, he was waiting for a second chance. That patience was rewarded when Garrett returned to Manitoba and was then promoted to the starting lineup after incumbent tailback Fred Reid and backup Carl Volny suffered season-ending injuries in September. Given another opportunity to shine, Garrett has run with it, literally. He finished the season with 576 yards (6.3-yard average) and four TDs in helping Winnipeg cement top spot in the East Division. Then on a frigid Sunday afternoon at Canad Inns Stadium, Garrett put the offence on his shoulders, running for 190 yards and a TD in the Bombers 19-3 victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the East Division final. So, roughly five months after being released by the Blue Bombers, the five-foot-eight, 185-pound Garrett will finish his season attempting to live out his dream of helping his team win the Grey Cup and scoring two TDs to be named the game MVP. "Its getting closer and closer to being true," Garrett said after Sundays win. "But theres some work to be done to get to that stage. "Im just ready to work so I can get there." The Bombers will be looking to end a lengthy Grey Cup drought. Their last CFL championship came in 1990, a 50-11 victory over Edmonton at B.C. Place. This will mark Winnipegs record 24th appearance and fifth since its last title. The Bombers have lost the previous four (1992, 93, 2001 and 07). The 2011 Winnipeg team took a roller-coaster path to the Grey Cup. After posting a league-worst 4-14 record in 2010, Winnipeg opened this season with a bang. Anchored by a quick and tenacious defence, the Blue Bombers surged atop the East Division by winning seven of their first eight games. The brilliant play of the defence helped create Swaggerville as jubilant Bombers celebrated sacks with enthusiastic dances and talked confidently to opposing offences. Soon Swaggerville T-shirts and apparel were on sale. But Swaggerville talk diminished over the last half of the season as the Bombers battled injuries and a string of defeats. Winnipeg ended the year losing seven of its final 10 regular-season games and only clinched first place in the East after a Montreal loss eliminated the Alouettes from contention. Barry Larkin Jersey. However, the return of the defence combined with Garretts running to lead Winnipegs Grey Cup march. The Bombers held Hamilton to just 39 yards rushing and no touchdowns after the Ticats ran for 161 yards and four TDs in their 52-44 overtime win over Montreal in the East Division semifinal. Hamilton also managed just 143 total passing yards against a Bomber secondary that gave up a league-low 223.1 yards through the air this season. Winnipeg ended the regular season leading the CFL in fewest yards allowed (301.1 per game), most interceptions (25), fewest completions (320) and most sacks (55). Cornerback Jovon Johnson is a finalist as the leagues top defensive player after registering a league-high eight interceptions, returning two for TDs. Bombers quarterback Buck Pierce returns to Vancouver, where his CFL career began in 05 with the Lions. He spent five seasons in B.C. -- and was part of the clubs 06 Grey Cup-winning squad -- before being released after the 09 season and joining the Bombers. Pierce has endured his share of injuries in Winnipeg and this year had more interceptions (18) than touchdowns (14). But his time on the sidelines has allowed backup Alex Brink to get some quality playing time and give the Bombers a solid 1-2 choice under centre. Another Bomber player returning to B.C. will be veteran defensive tackle Doug Brown, who will retire at seasons end. Not only will Brown finish his career playing in a Grey Cup for the second time, but the 37-year-old native of New Westminster, B.C., will do so in his home province. Browns first Grey Cup appearance was as a rookie in 2001, which Winnipeg lost to Calgary. "Its already a fairy tale just to get to go back home in your last year and have an opportunity to compete for a championship," said Brown. "But the biggest thing to me of this whole scenario, this whole opportunity, is the fact that the players in this room now have a chance to bring a championship back here after 21 years." Cheap Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys ' ' '
