TORONTO - Drake stood from his courtside seat, his arms over his head motioning for the sellout crowd to get on their feet as the final buzzer sounded and his iconic anthem, "Started From The Bottom" blared over the Air Canada Centre loudspeakers. Nike Air Max 270 Herren Billig . The Raptors global ambassador was the guest of honour on Saturday but - as he explained to the hoard of media that assembled in front of him before the game - he did not want the evening to be about him, although the night was in fact titled Drake Night. It could have been and very nearly turned out to be a sideshow. The Toronto-born recording artist handed out free shoes while his DJ entertained a captivated audience of 19,800 at halftime. Moments later the buzz that had filled the arena abruptly disappeared as the Raptors came out flat in the third quarter, trailing by as many as 10 to the division-rival Brooklyn Nets, winners of their previous five contests. In the end, Drake asked for noise and the ACC faithful obliged, saluting the team and its ambassador. The Raptors had earned it, putting on a show of their own and sending their fans home with more than just a black and gold OVO T-shirt. "I think we just got a spark there," coach Dwane Casey said after the Raptors closed out the game on a 40-18 run to defeat the Nets 96-80. "I thought our guys showed mental toughness and won a slug-out game, which I dont know if we could have won a couple months ago, no less last year. [Its] a testament to our guys mental growth and mental toughness to win a game like that." "We stayed patient," said DeMar DeRozan, who led all scorers with 26 to go along with seven rebounds and a team-high five assists. "We knew they were going to make a run, especially in the second half and we understood that. We stayed disciplined, understood we had to get stops, rebound the ball and push it." DeRozan scored the last seven points of the third and first two of the fourth as the Raptors began to take advantage of a veteran Nets team that had played a double overtime game against the defending champions a night earlier. Toronto held the visitors without a point for over seven minutes of game time and without a field goal for over nine minutes during a 22-1 run midway through the final frame. Despite their 41 per cent field goal shooting and just 16 assists, the Raptors were able to get out in transition - besting the Nets 13-6 on the break - and take advantage of Kevin Garnetts absence on the boards (the 37-year-old was rested on the second night of back-to-back). As a team the Raptors grabbed 16 offensive rebounds, five of them from Patrick Patterson, who continued to be a game-changer off Torontos bench. The Raptors outscored Brooklyn by 40 with Patterson on the floor Saturday. He finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds while fellow reserve John Salmons added 13, connecting on all five of his shots. The Nets and their rookie head coach Jason Kidd were struggling when they visited Toronto in late November, having lost five in a row before narrowly defeating the Raptors. This time around, they came to town riding a five-game winning streak, which included impressive victories over the Heat, Warriors and Thunder. Without Garnett, Deron Williams (nursing an ankle injury) and Brook Lopez (out for the season after foot surgery) in the lineup on the second night of a grueling back-to-back, Toronto seized another opportunity during this crucial stretch against sub-.500 teams. The Raptors have now won seven of their past nine contests overall and five of their last six at home, pulling within one-game of third place Atlanta in the Eastern Conference standings. With some assistance from Drake, the in-arena atmosphere reflected the teams recent success on Saturday and did not go unnoticed by those in the locker room. "I definitely think (Drake) succeeded," Amir Johnson said. "He got fans hyped, they had some sweet t-shirts in the crowd, everybodys screaming, every play everybody seemed like they were standing up cheering for us and thats what we need from our fans." "The atmosphere was great, I hope we can continue having that. Weve got to keep winning though." Accompanied by an entourage that included Tim Leiweke and Masai Ujiri before the game, Drake showed off his suit jacket, lined with a retro Vince Carter jersey. He also pitched in during the pre-game introductions, announcing the Raptors starters with his own unique twist. "Tonights not really about me, despite the title of the night," he said. "I think its just more about the momentum in the city, bringing the city together, how well these guys have been playing, honouring this squad that is really finding [itself], finding stability with each other and the revamp of this team." Given the result, its safe to say his mission was accomplished. Nike Air Max 95 Herren Sale . And I wanted to take this opportunity to share some of my experiences gained through International competition and the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. Seven NHL referees and six linesmen will be assigned upcoming games in Sochi by the IIHF as part of their 28-man officiating roster comprised of 14 refs and 14 linesmen. Nike Air Max 270 Damen Günstig . Virtanen opened the scoring at 6:45 of the first period, then gave Canada a two-goal lead with a power-play goal 1:03 into the second. Sweden cut the lead in half when Daniel Muzito Bagenda scored a power-play goal at 10:57 of the second. http://www.shopairmaxschweiz.com/vapormax-fake-kaufen/vapormax-flyknit-billig.html . Virtanen opened the scoring at 6:45 of the first period, then gave Canada a two-goal lead with a power-play goal 1:03 into the second. Sweden cut the lead in half when Daniel Muzito Bagenda scored a power-play goal at 10:57 of the second.MILWAUKEE -- Up-tempo Oregon ran into a big red speed bump. Joseph Young scored 29 points but missed a potential game-tying 3 from the wing with 13 seconds left, and the Ducks watched their 12-point halftime lead crumble in an 85-77 loss Saturday night to gritty Wisconsin. Ben Brust hit a 3-pointer with 1:07 left for the second-seeded Badgers on a possession saved twice by offensive rebounds. It gave Wisconsin (28-7) the lead for good in a clash of styles played before a boisterous pro-Badgers crowd at the anything-but-neutral Bradley Center. "The momentum switched there pretty quick. It kind of boiled down to us not getting stops that we needed to, and then with the one-point lead late, the ability to get a big rebound," Oregon coach Dana Altman said. Traevon Jackson followed Brusts 3 with three free throws, but missed one with 21 seconds left to give the seventh-seeded Ducks (24-10) one more chance to tie trailing by three. Oregon gave it to Young, who had made big shots all night. Couldnt make one more, and the Badgers sealed it at the foul line. "That shot he took, no one questioned it," Oregons Richard Amardi said about Young. "It looked good. Unfortunately it just didnt go it in when we wanted it." The red-clad fans erupted into a deafening roar. Their beloved Badgers are back in the NCAA regional semifinals for the first time since 2012. They will play Baylor or Creighton in Anaheim, Calif., on Thursday. "We knew they were going to come out and be emotional," Altman said. "We just didnt handle it very well. Gave up easy baskets and didnt get the stops we needed at all." Frank Kaminsky led the way for Wisconsin with 19 points, Jackson finished with 16 and Brust had 12. Left off-kilter by the Ducks transition game early, the Badgers hustled back in the second half to answer the Oregon charge. After 19 points on the break in the first half, Oregon had nothing in transition after halftime. "Do you know how many fast-break points they got in the second half? Zero," coach Bo Ryan said. Nike Air Max 90 Günstig Damen. "Oregon, one of the quickest teams in the country, so youve got to give the players a heckuva lot of credit." That pace played more their liking. Buckets in the lane by Kaminsky, a jump-shooting 7-footer, and coach Bo Ryans gritty guards set the tone inside, and later helped open up the perimeter. As had often happened during the night, Young had an answer. His 3 from the wing with 2:50 left to give Oregon a 75-74 lead. The Badgers grabbed offensive rebounds on their next possession. Off a timeout, Ryan re-inserted Brust, who was saddled with four fouls. The senior delivered in a huge spot with a 3 following an offensive rebound by Sam Dekker. Young couldnt deliver one last time. "Do whatever it takes to not make it your final game," Brust said. Jason Calliste had 20 points for Oregon, which set the tone early with in-your-face defence and an aggressive offence. Wisconsin found its groove by attacking the basket, a plan that has worked all year long when the team has been having problems. Dekker added 12 points and eight rebounds in another typically balanced effort. In the first half, it was Oregon dictating tempo in setting a breakneck pace. The Ducks quieted the sea of fans in a hurry, attacking on offence at nearly every opportunity and flustering Wisconsin. The frustration peaked when the Badgers bench was whistled for a technical foul near the end of the first half after arguing a call. Oregon pounced in the first 20 minutes. Sometimes it was Calliste driving to the bucket to draw fouls. Other times it was Young hitting mid-range jumpers. Then Wisconsin found its way in the second half. "To be able to handle that smack in the face in the first half and come back and deliver one of our own says a lot about this group," Ryan said. Despite the disappointing ending, Oregon had regrouped quite well since a midseason stretch of eight losses in 10 games. ' ' '