DieBruderschaft.com

TORONTO -- When the Toronto Raptors gathered in a timeout huddle with just under six minutes to play Tuesday night, DeMar DeRozan sat forlorn and frustrated at the end of the bench. Aaron Hicks Jersey . He gazed at the floor, and fought to regain his composure. It could have spelled disaster. Instead, DeRozan -- calm restored -- grabbed the game by the throat in the final three minutes to lead Toronto to a 100-95 victory over the Brooklyn Nets in Game 2 of their playoff series Tuesday. "Its just my competitive spirit," DeRozan explained. "Just calmed myself down. I was a little frustrated that I couldnt be out there with my team at that critical moment. It was just me keeping myself together, not being so frustrated, just staying focused." The Raptors top scorer had just picked up his fifth foul and Dwane Casey had taken him out of the game, despite DeRozan pleading with his coach to keep him in. DeRozan scored 10 of his 30 points in the games final three minutes, hitting two big buckets right after he returned to the game, his second a fadeaway jumper from 18 feet that had him flexing his chest and growling in celebration. The first-game jitters that haunted him in Game 1? Gone. Winning the game for his team down the stretch was "everything you dream about." "Especially when you become a professional athlete at the highest level, and have that trust from your coaching staff and your teammates to have the ball in your hands, and win the game for them," the 24-year-old DeRozan said. "Thats big, and I appreciate all 14 guys in that locker-room and the coaching staff to have that trust in me to take those shots in the fourth quarter." The best-of-seven Eastern Conference series is tied at one game apiece and heads to Brooklyn for Game 3 on Friday and Game 4 on Sunday. Amir Johnson had 16 points and nine rebounds, Jonas Valanciunas had 15 points and 14 boards for his second double-double of the series, while Kyle Lowry had 14 points, nine boards and six assists. Patrick Patterson added 12 points and nine rebounds for the Atlantic Division champions. Joe Johnson topped the Nets with 18 points, while Deron Williams had 15, Mirza Teletovic added 14, and Kevin Garnett finished with 13. Toronto outrebounded Brooklyn 52-30. Casey had predicted a completely different group of players -- especially DeRozan -- would show up for Game 2 after the majority of them looked overwhelmed by the bright lights of the playoffs in Game 1. "The game is about adjustments," DeRozan said. "Im a student of the game. I went back and watched the whole game (Saturdays loss) two or three times, to understand where I could get my shots, opportunities, where I could score and get easy buckets." The Raptors led by as much as 11 in the first half but the Nets got hot in the third quarter and took a 66-64 advantage into the fourth. DeRozan poured in seven points early in the fourth -- including a massive left-handed dunk that had capacity crowd of 20,382 fans at the Air Canada Centre -- that included Mayor Rob Ford, Drake and multimillionaire NBA superfan Jimmy Goldstein -- roaring. DeRozans 17 fourth-quarter points, alone, were two points better than his entire output in Saturdays 94-87 Game 1 loss. The Raptors outscored the Nets 36-29 in the final 12 minutes. The Raptors went up by five with 1:10 to play after Lowry drained a shot then stole the ball, leading to a Patterson free throw. Lowry raised his hands to the crowd like a conductor directs an orchestra, encouraging the fans to cheer louder. "Earlier in the year we wanted to be the Freddy Krueger of the NBA. Not give up, not give in," Casey said. "I think our guys have done that. We won against a very veteran team like Brooklyn, and that is very difficult to do because they seem to find a way to challenge you and keep you on your toes." Paul Pierce, who scorched the Raptors down the stretch in Game 1, missed on a three-point attempt that would have tied the game with about 30 seconds to play. "Yeah, I got some looks," Pierce said. "Sometimes they fall, sometimes they dont. I think tonight it really wasnt about the offence again, we put ourselves in that position. We have to be better in the fourth quarter defensively. "When you go on the road and you are trying to steal two on the other teams home court, you have to be better in the fourth quarter defensively." DeRozan drained two free throws with 20.6 seconds left to seal the victory for Toronto. Johnson then took flight for a massive dunk to the delight of the delirious fans -- the perfect punctuation mark on a solid game by the entire Raptors team. "Just for me and DeMar, weve been through the ups and downs of this team," Johnson said. "This year we broke so many records, and we finally made it to this level. . . it just means a lot to be here for five years and to finally get to this stage. "We were here when people thought you could just come to Toronto and get a win," added DeRozan, seated beside Johnson at the post-game press conference. "Weve been through all that, frustrating seasons. "And we want everybody to know when you play against the Toronto Raptors youre going to have to fight, youre going to have to bring your game, and thats the passion every single guy on this team has." If there was one glaring negative, it was turnovers -- again. The Raptors coughed up 17 points on 21 turnovers. Saturday, they gave up 17 points on 19 turnovers and vowed to clean up the giveaways. Now the series heads to the unfriendly confines of Brooklyns Barclays Center -- likely made more unfriendly by the F-bomb Raptors GM Masai Ujiri dropped in relation to Brooklyn when addressing fans Saturday. "I think we always play well on the road in hostile environments. I think we proved it this year," DeRozan said. "Its really no pressure when we play on the road. Its just us, we dont pay attention to the crowd, the odds being stacked against us, we understand everythings on us and thats how we play." The players at least didnt have to put up with the distraction of Saturdays shot-clock fiasco. The power sources to the clocks were replaced after they were fried in the third quarter of Game 1, leaving announcer Herbie Kuhn to count down the 24 seconds on each possession. As in Game 1, hundreds of fans jammed Maple Leaf Square outside the ACC to watch the game on the giant screen. Valanciunas led the way with eight points in the first quarter punctuated by a circus play that led to a Ross basket -- Valanciunas took a shot and missed while falling down, and grabbed his own rebound while still on his backside, chucking a pass from the seated position. The play was part of a 15-3 run that put the Raptors up by five with about three minutes left in the quarter. Toronto took a 21-19 lead into the second. The Raptors opened the second with a 14-7 run to take an 11-point lead but the Nets fought back to cut Torontos lead to 45-39 heading into the dressing room at halftime. Johnson ran amok for 12 points in the third, and the Nets outscored the Raptors 27-19 in the quarter to lead by two points with a quarter left to play. NOTES: Casey finished fifth in voting for NBA coach of the year announced earlier Tuesday. He received five first-place votes. Masahiro Tanaka Jersey . JOHNS, N. Brett Gardner Jersey . The Yankees made the moves before Tuesdays game against Baltimore. Robertson was listed retroactive to Monday. Robertson posted two saves in three games as the replacement for retired Yankees closer Mariano Rivera before getting hurt. http://www.yankeesrookiestore.com/Yankees-Mickey-Mantle-Kids-Jersey/ . Its like being on Broadway, everything you do matters. Id want to be good though! I couldnt play here if I wasnt very good. #83217388 / gettyimages.BARCELONA, Spain -- Sevilla forward Kevin Gameiro scored a brace to help rout Espanyol 4-1 and keep his team in the hunt for a Champions League berth on Sunday, while Malaga and Elche both won to move away from the Spanish leagues relegation zone. Sevilla dominated the first half at its Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium with midfielder Stephane Mbia thumping a corner kick past German Parreno on the goalkeepers league debut for the 18th-minute opener. Gameiro made it 2-0 moments before halftime when Espanyol left him unmarked to control a pass with his chest before sweeping the ball home. Espanyol pulled one back seconds after the restart when Sergio Garcia converted a penalty following Federico Fazios foul on Christian Stuani. But Gameiro worked a one-two passing combination with Marko Marin before scoring in the 84th, and Ivan Rakitic capped the victory with two minutes to play. Sevilla rose to within three points of fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao before it visits Levante on Monday. "This is the best part of the season, the most exciting," said Sevilla coach Unai Emery. "But we are not going to think about whats to come. Im concerned with my team continuing to constantly improve, more than thinking about our objectives. We are in fifth place and I want to hold onto it." Sevilla next hosts FC Porto on Thursday needing to overturn a 1-0 loss to advance in the Europa League. Malaga midfielder Ignacio Camacho scored two goals and earned a penalty for a third to lead his teams 4-1 win over Granada. And a last-gasp goal by striker Yiadom Boakye gave Elche a dramatic 1-0 win over Getafe in a big boostt for the small clubs campaign to remain in the first division for a second straight season. Derek Jeter Jersey. Malagas first win in five consecutive home games moved Bernd Schusters side to 11th place. Camacho headed Malaga ahead in the 14th from a set piece, and he followed with another headed goal from a corner kick in the 37th. Youssef El Arabi had an opportunity to halve the difference for Granada just before halftime but goalkeeper Willy Caballero saved his penalty kick. Camacho was then fouled by Jeison Murillo, allowing Nordin Amrabat to convert the spot kick in the 50th. Juan Jimenez netted a fourth for Malaga in the 74th before El Arabi got Granadas consolation goal four minutes later. "We knew what was on the line, three important points against a direct (relegation) rival," said Camacho. "We are happy but it isnt over. We have to make sure we stay up as soon as possible." Boakye jumped above his marker to head in Carles Gils cross three minutes into stoppage time to grab the winner in the dying moments at Elche. The victory lifted Elche four points from danger. Valencia failed to rebound from its humiliating 3-0 loss at Swiss side Basel on Thursday in the Europa League as it was held to a 0-0 draw at Valladolid. The point let Valladolid emerge from the drop zone and send Getafe down into the bottom three along with Almeria and Real Betis. With six rounds to go, there are six teams within five points of the drop. Atletico Madrid leads the league by one point over Barcelona, with Real Madrid another two points behind after all three title rivals won on Saturday. ' ' '