Unser Chat » eed a sustained period of

We saw what it looked like last spring. Toronto as a basketball-mad city captured not just our own attention but that of those from around the NBA. The buzz in the city, the crowds at Maple Leaf Square represented by fans from nearly every Toronto ethnic demographic ... and of course the atmosphere inside the Air Canada Centre – electric in a way it rarely, if ever, is for the local hockey team. It all felt like it might be a glimpse into the future. A future where the gap between the love of the local NBA and NHL teams might be small, where basketball might drive the sporting pulse of Toronto nearly as much as hockey. Were not there yet and we may never get there, at least for a long, long time. Outgoing Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment president and CEO Tim Leiweke promised an audience last month that within 10 years the Raptors would be more popular than the Leafs. That statement may say far more about Leiwekes brashness and lack of sense for the market into which hes been transplanted. But the truth is we dont really know how close the Raptors could get because theyve have been so underwhelming during most of their existence. There is little less inspiring in sports than a bottom third NBA team playing out an 82-game schedule where most nights against good teams they dont stand a chance. So to truly get a sense of how much basketball potential there is to unlock in Toronto, were going to need more than just the Raptors running off a 48-win season, pushing a team to seven games during the first round of playoffs and coming up with a splashy television ad campaign. Were going to need a sustained period of competitive basketball. One where the Raptors stay on the NBA radar, with Toronto players becoming part of the greater NBA conversation. Were going to need marquee matchups, games on national television in the US. And rivalries that matter. The challenge with the Raptors hasnt so much been about getting good for a season or two ... its been about staying that way. The Raptors have had six winning seasons in their 19-year history and one playoff series win. This time has a chance to be different. They appear to have the right management, the right coach and a team that is not built primarily around the skills of one player, whose discontentment or subpar performance could on its own completely reverse the direction of things. Theres momentum, youth and potential on their side this time. And while an NBA Championship at the end of the road would be nice, what could come from the journey getting there would be far more significant in the long run. Billy Price Jersey . "That was a great lift for the staff," Padres manager Bud Black said. Yonder Alonso and Yasmani Grandal homered, and Chase Headley drove in three runs, as the Padres beat the Chicago Cubs 11-1 on Friday night. Cordy Glenn Bengals Jersey . The day began ominously for the Rangers when star pitcher Yu Darvish was scratched from his scheduled start with stiffness in his neck. Fill-in Scott Baker gave up three hits over six innings and Chris Gimenez hit a tiebreaking two-out RBI single in the sixth off Phil Hughes. http://www.bengalsrookiestore.com/Bengals-Sam-Hubbard-Jersey/ .com) - Willie Cauley-Stein and Karl-Anthony Towns each scored 12 points in the top-ranked Kentucky Wildcats 70-55 victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide. Malik Jefferson Bengals Jersey . All of 46 seconds into the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 victory over Alex Ovechkins struggling Washington Capitals, Crosby assisted on Chris Kunitzs goal. Jessie Bates III Bengals Jersey .C. United have acquired midfielder Alex Caskey from the Seattle Sounders for a third-round pick in the 2016 MLS draft. GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Colorado Avalanche knew they would get a fight from the Phoenix Coyotes, one of the NHLs best rallying teams. But when the Coyotes pushed, the Avalanche pushed right back. Ryan OReilly scored a power-play goal with 41 seconds left in overtime and Colorado bounced back after allowing two third-period goals to beat Phoenix 4-3 on Thursday night. "Thats (fighting back) what good teams do and what we have to learn," Colorado LW Gabriel Landeskog said. "Its just about finding ways to win and thats what we did." Colorado had been the NHLs best team at holding a lead and entered the third period up 2-1 on goals by Andre Benoit and John Mitchell. Coming off a four-day break, Phoenix turned up the pressure in the third period and went ahead 3-2 on goals by Martin Hanzal and Antoine Vermette four minutes apart. The Avalanche fought back, though, tying it with 3:14 left in regulation on a whirling backhander by Cody McLeod that found its way through Mike Smiths pads. OReilly ended it in overtime, sending a wrist shot past Smith for his ninth goal of the season and Colorados seventh win in nine road games. "This is a very good team, probably one of the best in the NHL and I thought our guys did a good job of coming here and winning that game," Avalanche coach Patrick Roy said. Phoenix dictated play most of the way, spending long stretches in Colorados zone and sending 44 shots at Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov. The Coyotes fell behind 2-0 despite dominating early and fought back late, but were hurt by two late penalties: One by Hanzal that carried over into overtime and another by Keith Yandle that set up Colorados winning power play. Michael Stone also scored and Shane Doan extended his points streak to seven games with an assist on Vermettes goal for the Coyotes, who remain unbeaten in regulation at home (9-0-2). "I thought we did a lot of good things in that game, thought we controlled a lot of the play, had upward of 75 scoring chances," Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said. "But in a tight game, mistakes matter and when you put a team on the power play twice in overtime, it usually comes back to bite you and it did." Two of the NHLs highest-scoring teams needed a little while to get rolling, playing a scoreless first periood.dddddddddddd. Phoenix had some good chances in the opening 20 minutes, but couldnt get any of its 15 shots past Varlamov. Colorado needed 32 seconds of the second period and six seconds of a power play to break the scoreless tie. Mitchell got it, ending up with the puck between the circles after a face-off and whipping it past Smith for his fourth goal of the season. That didnt bode well for the Coyotes; Colorado entered the game as the only NHL team that hadnt lost after the first period at 13-0. Paul Stastny nearly added to it midway through the period, but Smith made a spectacular save, sliding to his right then stacking his pads to glove the one-timer. Benoit did get one past Smith later in the period on a shot from the point that hit the crossbar and trickled in after hitting the goalies back. Benoit was hit in the face early in the period, but returned with a bandage on his chin to score for the first time since last April. Stone finally got the Coyotes on the board with a long-distance goal, beating Varlamov with a hard shot from just inside the red line that caromed in off the left post for his seventh of the season. The Coyotes thought they had it tied 5 minutes into the third period when Oliver Ekman-Larsson beat Varlamov from the left circle, but it was waved off because David Moss knocked the Avalanche goalie over after a shove by Colorados Jan Hejda. Phoenix kept up the pressure and Hanzal tied midway through the period, lifting a loose rebound over a prone Varlamov. Vermette scored on a power play, but the lead lasted less than three minutes before McLeod tied it to send the game to overtime. OReilly ended it as the clock wound down in overtime, scoring on Colorados second power-play chance in the extra period. "We got ourselves back in the game, but its unfortunate we took the two penalties to give them a chance to win it," Tippett said. The Avalanche made the most of it, winning for the 16th time in 21 games this season. NOTES: Ekman-Larsson played his 200th career game. ... The Avalanche have allowed an NHL-low nine first-period goals this season. ... The Coyotes placed D Zbynek Michalek on injured reserve on Thursday with a lower-body injury. ... Colorado leading scorer Matt Duchene missed his second straight game with an oblique injury. 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