HOUSTON - It was a long night at the office for the Raptors, who went home empty handed Monday night. [url=http://www.authenticr

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HOUSTON - It was a long night at the office for the Raptors, who went home empty handed Monday night. Cheap Donatas Motiejunas Jersey . It was long, it was ugly and it ended in disappointment. It was not the first time theyve endured such a night. "[There are] no moral victories in this league," Kyle Lowry said, as if he had been practicing the cliche that has become more of a slogan for this team over the years. Its the second time hes used it in 10 days. And hes absolutely right. The Raptors played 58 minutes of basketball, at least 40 of which were hard fought, in a game that elapsed three hours and 17 minutes. They clawed back from 17 down after an atrocious second quarter, overcame injuries and foul trouble while hanging in with a more talented team on the road. Ultimately, a loss is a loss. Toronto now has five of them in eight games. The question is, what can they learn from this one? "I am proud of the way they fought and scrapped and got back in the game," Dwane Casey said after his teams 110-104 double-overtime defeat at the hands of the Houston Rockets. "They could have laid down two or three times and they didnt." "Theres no moral victories in this game but, I see our team growing, fighting through things. Its a totally different feel from last year." Their resiliency was notable. Torontos 87-86 lead, following an Amir Johnson put-back with 40 seconds remaining, was its first since early in the opening frame. They scored just 13 points and shot an abysmal 18 per cent in the second. The defensive effort was equally as impressive, holding the Rockets to 44 per cent and neutralizing Dwight Howard and James Harden - for most of the game - as well as you can hope to. Offensively, they were treading water at the best of times. "We had so many opportunities to score," Casey said, "but we have to convert them." They didnt, not often enough to win. In fact, they were fortunate to come so close. Rudy Gay made just 11 of his career-high and franchise-most 37 field goal attempts, while DeMar DeRozan hit just six of 25. Together the pair shot 27 per cent on 62 attempts. Overall the team registered just 10 assists, a season low despite the extra time, on 38 made field goals. "We cant let us not making shots get us frustrated at all," said DeRozan, who had 22 points, second to Gays team-leading 29. "Were going to make shots, theyre going to come but we know we can stay in games with our defence and thats what we did." Those two missed a handful of jumpers they generally tend to hit with some consistency, as they pointed out, but poor shot selection continues to plague the Raptors high-volume duo early in the season. Both players are shooting below 37 per cent through eight games and DeRozan is now 18-for-70 (26 per cent) over his last four. "We being the go-to players on this team, we have to [keep shooting]," DeRozan maintained. "We cant get frustrated if the shots not going. It would be a whole different story if we didnt take the shots, if we were out there being passive and not taking the shots we normally take." "It sucks that were missing a lot of easy shots but were going to continue to fight it out no matter what. We could be out there playing with a bowling ball and were going to continue to shoot it." Gay drew most of the ire from fans for his 37 attempts. With 34 seconds remaining in regulation - knotted up at 87 - Gay, isolated on the wing, winded down the shot clock and launched a 22-footer that clanked off the side of the rim. "We prefer for him to go to the basket," Casey said of that specific play. "Thats what we wanted, to attack the rim. I dont know if it was fatigue or good defence but the play was drawn for him to attack the rim." Fast forward, down three in overtime, Gay knocked down the triple that bought the Raptors an extra five minutes. The true Rudy Gay experience. You take the good with the bad. On this particular night, there was far more of the latter. "Were fighting," Lowry said. "Thats all we can do is keep fighting. Like I said, no moral victories in this league, none of that." "But as long as we fight and play as hard as we can possibly play and do the things we know how to do the basketball gods will help us out a little bit. Well win some games like this." Aches and pains Lowry sat in the locker room after the game, both feet soaking in buckets of ice water. The Raptors point guard sustained a sprained right ankle in Saturdays lopsided win over Utah but said he never had any doubt about playing against his former team in Houston. He struggled early, going 2-of-8 from the floor through three quarters but helped ignite Torontos run in the fourth. Lowry shot 4-for-8 and scored 11 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter and overtime periods before eventually fouling out. "Guys are tired," he said after the game. "But guys are spirited, guys are still up. Were not going to put our heads down, were going to learn from the game and weve got another tough test on Wednesday." The point guard admitted his ankle was sore after playing 47 minutes but doesnt plan to miss any time, with another former team on deck in the Grizzlies. Gay was also icing down a sore ankle that he tweaked during the game. Up next Gay will make his first return to Memphis following last seasons three-team trade when the Raptors visit the Grizzlies Wednesday night. Catch it live on TSN 1050 Radio beginning at 8:00pm et. Authentic Jason Terry Rockets Jersey . His actions are much louder on the Fenway Park mound. De La Rosa had another strong home start, going seven solid innings to lift the Boston Red Sox to a 2-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday night. Authentic Ryan Anderson Rockets Jersey . "Well over 50 (per cent)," coach Claude Noel said Tuesday after practice, where the Jets were looking at ways to cut down the scoring chances theyve been giving away. http://www.authenticrocketsproshop.com/Donatas-Motiejunas-Jersey/ . It certainly isnt a coincidence that Dwight Howard has scored at least 20 points in each game of the winning streak.NEW YORK -- Washington Nationals pitcher Jordan Zimmermann was scratched from his scheduled start against the New York Mets on Thursday because of flu-like symptoms. Tanner Roark took over as the starting pitcher for the finale of the opening three-game series. He had been slated to start Washingtons home opener Friday against the Atlanta Braves. Nationals manager Matt Williams said Zimmermann was being sent back to Washington ahead of the team and being given fluids. He said the pitcher, who went 19-9 with a 3.25 ERA last year, was feeling fine Wednesday but took ill after the game. "Hes running a fever. He was up all night throwing up," Williams said. "Evidently hes feeling pretty under the weather." Roark, a 27-year-old right-hander, was 7-1 witth a 1. Cheap Clint Capela Jersey. 1 ERA in five starts and nine relief appearances as a rookie last year, striking out 40 and walking 11 in 53 2-3 innings. He was informed of the change in plans during a phone call Thursday morning from pitching coach Steve McCatty. Williams hopes Taylor Jordan is ready to pitch Friday on short rest. While his last exhibition appearance was March 24, he threw a simulated outing this week and would be starting on short rest. Washingtons second option would be a series of relievers. "If hes not ready to go tomorrow, then thats going to have to be our option," Williams said. NOTES: RHP Doug Fister, sidelined by a strained muscle on the right side of his upper back, was scheduled to play catch. Fister can be activated April 7. NFL Jerseys China ' ' '