TORONTO - I dont believe in luck, DeMar DeRozan told reporters after practice on Thursday, speaking in the context of his teams quick start to the campaign. He was dealt an unfortunate hand just over 24 hours later. Nearly four minutes into the second half of Friday nights tilt with Dallas, the Raptors All-Star guard drove to his right, something he does routinely every game. As he went to plant his foot, he slipped and crumpled to the floor, where he remained for over a minute. The entire team stood around DeRozan, who winced in pain, until he was eventually helped up and to the locker room. Despite a late-game rally, the Raptors could not get over the hump, falling 106-102, their first loss in seven games, but the more pressing concern was the status of their leading scorer. Just hopefully hes okay, Patrick Patterson said of DeRozan, who did not return after sustaining a strained left groin. Hopefully its nothing serious, hopefully hes able to turn around and bounce back. DeRozan was having a rough night before the injury bug bit. After a hard fall early in the game, he came up holding his right wrist. In 21 minutes of action, he was held scoreless, missing all eight of his shots without getting to the free throw line. He was not the only Raptor stymied by the Mavericks tenacious defence, especially early in the game. Jonas Valanciunas was also held without a point in the first half before bouncing back in the second half, as the Raptors shot just 42 per cent as a team and committed an uncharacteristic 17 turnovers on the evening. Kyle Lowry was forced to sit out with three fouls for a significant chunk of the first half, while the team played with DeRozan for most of the second. Still, they continued to fight and would cut their deficit - once as high as 15 - down to three a number of times late in the fourth quarter. With 25 points - 13 in the fourth - Lowry led the charge and Amir Johnson, scoring a season-high 20, assisted with his best outing of the season. “I really loved our fight in the fourth quarter, the way we ended the game and kept scrapping,” Dwane Casey said. “I told the guys this a few minutes ago: If we continue to compete like that at a high level, we’re going to win a lot of games. That’s a good team. They’re not chopped liver at all. They’re going to be in the deep money in the West when it’s all over with. We ended up losing, said Greivis Vasquez, who scored nine of his 14 in the final frame. I think you have got to give them credit. They played a great game. They shot the lights out. Our best player went down, but we still kept the game close. It was one of those games where you just have to move on and understand what we’re getting into, a west coast trip. We have just got to continue to grind. It’s not the end of the world. We lost a game. So what? On to the next one. We get better. We have to defend better. We have to rebound better. We have to play transition defence better. We have to do a lot of different things better. But we’re still, what, 13-3? That’s a pretty good record to me. Now, the focus shifts to DeRozans health. The team did not have an update on the guard, whos missed just 11 games over his six-year career, but hope to know more about his status on Saturday. I mean it is what it is, said Lowry. We know hes going to be fine. We know hes going to take care of his body and well see whats going on. Weve got to play. Next man up. Its a team, not about one guy. If anybody goes down the next man has to step up. Its early and hopefully he takes all the time thats needed for him to 100 per cent heal and get back, Patterson added. We want him back as soon as possible but its all about him recovering and being 100 per cent before he does that. Rose returns, rips old regime An elite quote throughout his playing career, Jalen Roses brief Raptors tenure will be remembered just as much for his honest quips, however brutal, as anything he did on the court. Fittingly, the 13-year NBA vet turned ABC and ESPN analyst was in fine form when he held court ahead of Fridays game, on a night in which he was honored by the Raptors as part of their continued 20th anniversary celebrations. Rose, who received a warm welcome from fans after a video tribute in the first quarter, threw a couple of jabs at former general manager Rob Babcock and the front office regime that engineered the trade of Vince Carter, a deal Rose was critical of at the time. Carter, Roses teammate in Toronto before he was dealt to the Nets nearly 10 years ago, was honoured in similar fashion earlier this month, getting noticeably emotional when he was greeted with cheers for the first time since his exit. Well, the way [Carter] was overcome by emotion and the way he shed a couple of tears, thats how I felt when we traded him for Aaron and Eric [Williams] and Alonzo Mourning who never was deciding to make the trip, Rose joked. Hes the greatest Raptor in team history. As a player who has been traded before I know that when things get out to the public, like where your mom is parking, that means somebody in the front office is clearly leaking information to try to make you look bad and make the transition easier when you move a great player like him. The 41-year-old Rose wasnt surprised to see fans in Toronto finally embrace Carter, even speculating that the former face of the franchise would choose to go into the Hall of Fame - when and if he gets in - as a Raptor. Throughout his time in Toronto and in the years to follow, Rose said he would always boast about the teams fan base, hoping to change the perception that players dont want to move to Canada. It existed but we took pride to try to change it, said Rose, who averaged 16.2 points in 117 games over three seasons with the Raptors. Drafting Rafael Araujo didnt help. We needed a couple a players that could contribute, so it starts with the moves the teams make. We werent really adding to that team like I felt like we could. What did we trade Vince for? When that ends up happening, its hard to truly have success. Walter Payton Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. William Perry Jersey . At a news conference Tuesday where it was thought that the fiery Schallibaum may be shown the door after a dismal finish to the Major League Soccer season, team president Joey Saputo said no decision has been made on whether the Swiss Volcano will be back in 2014. http://www.officialauthenticbearsproshop...s-Bears-Jersey/. The Redskins announced Monday that the quarterback who led the team to the Super Bowl championship in the 1987 season will serve as a personnel executive. Custom Chicago Bears Jerseys . Bilbaos first victory in four rounds lifted it four points clear of Real Sociedad and kept it in command of Spains last Champions League berth for next season. In contrast, Betis was left 11 points from safety after a dismal performance that at times bordered on self-destruction amid some questionable refereeing decisions. Tom Waddle Jersey . -- C.J. Cron hit an RBI single on the first pitch he saw in the major leagues, doubled his second time up and hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the sixth inning to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 5-3 victory over the Texas Rangers on Saturday night. Missouri All-American Michael Sam says he is gay, and the defensive end could become the first openly homosexual player in the NFL. In interviews with ESPN, The New York Times and Outsports that were published Sunday, Sam said he came out to all his teammates and coaches at Missouri in August. "I am an openly, proud gay man," he said. Sam will participate in the NFL combine later this month in Indianapolis and is currently projected to be a mid-round draft pick in May. "Its a big deal. No one has done this before. And its kind of a nervous process, but I know what I want to be ... I want to be a football player in the NFL," he told ESPN. The 6-foot-2, 255-pound Sam participated in the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., last month after leading the Southeastern Conference in sacks (11.5) and tackles for loss (19). He was the SEC defensive player of the year. There have been a few NFL players who have come out after their playing days, including Kwame Harris and Dave Kopay. Last year, NBA player Jason Collins announced he was gay after the season. Collins, a 35-year-old backup centre, was a free agent when he came out and has not signed with a new team this season. MLS star and U.S. national team player Robbie Rogers also came out a year ago. "His courage will inspire millions to live their truth," Rogers tweeted about Sam. Division III Willamette kicker Conner Mertens, a redshirt freshman, said last month he was bisexual. "We admire Michael Sams honesty and courage," the NFL said in statement. "Michael is a football player. Any player with ability and determination can succeed in the NFL. We look forward to welcoming and supporting Michael Sam in 2014." Sams announcement comes at a time gay rights issues and sports have collided at the Olympics in Sochi. Russias anti-gay law has received much attention, and criticism, because of the games. "By rewriting the script for countless young athletes, Michael has demonstrated the leadership that, along with his impressive skills on the field, makes him a natural fit for the NFL," said Sarah Kate Ellis, president of GLAAD, a leading lesbian gay, bisexual and transgender media advocacy organization. "With acceptance of LGBT people rising across our coasts -- in our schools, churches, and workplaces -- its clear that America is ready for an openly gay football star." The NFLs sexual orientation, anti-discrimination and harassment policy states: Coacches, General Managers and others responsible for interviewing and hiring draft-eligible players and free agents must not seek information concerning or make personnel decisions based on a players sexual orientation.dddddddddddd This includes asking questions during an interview that suggest that the players sexual orientation will be a factor in the decision to draft or sign him. Examples: Do you like women or men? How well do you do with the ladies? Do you have a girlfriend? Carolina Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams tweeted: "I could care less about a mans sexual preference! i care about winning games and being respectful in the locker room!" Williams teammate, cornerback Drayton Florence, posted on his Twitter account: "No comment but it can be a distraction in the locker room. At least hes open with it much respect!" Sam said many people at the Senior Bowl, an all-star game for NFL prospects, seemed to know he was gay. "I didnt realize how many people actually knew, and I was afraid that someone would tell or leak something out about me," he told ESPN. "I want to own my truth. ... No one else should tell my story but me." Sam told the Times he dated a man on the Missouri swim team and came out to teammates LDamian Washington and Marvin Foster about a year ago, before letting the whole team know during last preseason. "Coaches just wanted to know a little about ourselves, our majors, where were from, and something that no one knows about you," Sam told ESPN. "And I used that opportunity just to tell them that I was gay. And their reaction was like, Michael Sam finally told us." Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said in a statement Sunday night he was proud of Sam and how he represented the program. "Michael is a great example of just how important it is to be respectful of others, hes taught a lot of people here firsthand that it doesnt matter what your background is, or your personal orientation, were all on the same team and we all support each other," Pinkel said. "If Michael doesnt have the support of his teammates like he did this past year, I dont think theres any way he has the type of season he put together." Missouri linebacker Donovan Bonner was a teammate of Sams for five years. "We knew of his status for 5 years and not one team member, coach, or staff member said anything says a lot about our family atmosphere," Bonner tweeted. 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