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LOS ANGELES - On a night that seemed destined to belong to Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, it was the Toronto Raptors and their first-year general manager that stole the show. With only 11 players in uniform, just eight of which got into the game, the Raptors spoiled Bryants disappointing season debut just hours after Masai Ujiri pulled off a franchise-altering move. "I really applaud our players for the fact they came in and banded together," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said following a 106-94 victory in the aftermath of Sunday evenings trade that sent Rudy Gay to Sacramento in a seven-player swap. Set to board the team bus and make his way over to Staples Center, Gay was told to hang back at the hotel. He had been dealt. He was shocked. So too were Aaron Gray and Quincy Acy - who are alsoNew heading to the Kings in the deal - and the rest of their teammates, most of whom found out about the transaction upon arriving at the arena. As Toronto said goodbye to its best, or at least highest paid player, the Lakers welcomed theirs back. Nearly eight months after tearing his left Achilles, Bryant returned to the court, scoring just nine points and committing eight turnovers in 28 minutes of action. Without Gay, along with Gray, Acy and Tyler Hansbrough - who sat out with a sprained left shoulder - the Raptors led wire-to-wire and snapped a five-game losing streak, playing some of their best and most inspired basketball of the season. "Like I told the team," Casey said, "thats the way were going to play, no matter who is in uniform." "Were going to continue to play that way or theyre not going to continue to play. Thats the way its got to be. No disrespect to anyone but we have to play as a unit to be successful." In the absence of Gay - who was taking a career-most 18.6 shots per game while shooting a career-worst 29 per cent - the Raptors offence looked more diverse and cohesive. Toronto registered 19 assists as a team and 13 from the backcourt tandem of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan while California-native Amir Johnson led the way with a career-best 32 points on an efficient 14-of-17 from the field. "Tonights winning helps lift the cloud," Casey insisted, unable to comment directly on the trade until its made official following a conference call with the league on Monday. "Everyones talking about Kobe coming back and the trade but our guys had what you have to have; a discipline." "I told our guys, no matter what happened or whats in the paper or in the media, we have to be disciplined and focused on what weve got to do, our jobs here. We cant control whos in uniform, whos traded." Gray took the news in stride, learning about the deal during his pre-game workout at the arena. The veteran - who turned 27 on Saturday - finished his workout and had a smile on his face as he cracked jokes and bid his teammates farewell in the visitors locker room. Acy, 23, was more emotional after being traded for the first time, by the only team hes known in his professional career. "Big thank you to the Toronto Raptors organization for drafting me and giving me a chance," he tweeted Sunday night. "Imma miss everything about the city and the fans and the organization as a whole, thanks for helping mold me." "It was kind of a bit emotional," Johnson said, comparing it to the day Gay was acquired nearly 10 months prior, when the Raptors said goodbye to Jose Calderon and Ed Davis prior to a game in Atlanta. Johnson spoke with Gay over the phone, thanking him for everything he gave the team and the city during his brief tenure in Toronto. Lowry, his best friend, exchanged texts with him throughout the evening. "It was difficult, especially for me," said Lowry, Gay being the godfather of his son. "At the end of the day its a business and we have to move on. Hes still going to be my boy. Hes still going to be everyone on this teams boy." "We had to block it out and just play." Although the Raptors say goodbye to their most talented player, they may be a better team - in both the short and long term - because of it. Less, sometimes is more, evident in their win on Sunday. Without Gay - an inefficient, high-volume scorer - there are more shots to be distributed amongst more efficient players, the ball doesnt stick nearly as much and the team can focus on the continued development of DeRozan, Jonas Valanciunas and Terrence Ross. The addition of Greivis Vasquez, however temporary it proves to be, should help in the development of those players, specifically Valanciunas. Vasquez, 26, finished second in most improved player voting last season after breaking out in New Orleans and fills a current need at the backup point guard position, also making Lowry expendable in a subsequent trade. John Salmons, 33, will become the oldest player on the Raptors roster. He may or may not report and if he does he may or may not play. Patterson, 24, a stretch-four and Hayes, 30, a hard-nosed rebounder are both serviceable but more than anything else the deal was made to give the Raptors much-needed cap flexibility. In one fell swoop Ujiri turned one gargantuan contract - believed to be untradeable - into four far more manageable deals. Toronto can save roughly $14.5 million for next season. While Hayes will be under contract, making $5.9 million next season, Salmons has a $1.0 million buy-out option on a non-guaranteed $7.0 million deal and Vasquez, along with Patterson could become free agents if the Raptors pull their qualifying offers. "I believe in Masai, hes big time," Casey said after the game. "Hes shown it, hes done some great things. He knows talent, hes a salesman, so I believe in him." Deion Sanders Jersey . Costa Rica followed up its wins over Uruguay and Italy by holding England to a dour 0-0 draw on Tuesday, enough to finish first in Group D. Terrell Owens Jersey . Juventus announced details of the deal Saturday, saying that Morata signed a five-year contract with the club. The deal also includes an option for Madrid to buy Morata back for up to (euro)30 million ($40. http://www.shoptheofficialcowboys.com/Elite-Jay-Novacek-Cowboys-Jersey/ . Its the games against the leagues struggling franchises that have proved to be an issue. Larry Allen Jersey . The 42-ranked Czech saved seven break points while converting his one chance, and defeated the No. 3 seed in 1 hour 46 minutes. Rosol, who lost in the final in Stuttgart against Roberto Bautista Agut on Sunday, awaits the winner between Philipp Kohlschreiber or 2011 champion Gilles Simon. Tony Romo Jersey . Make that, almost always subjective. Saturday at Carrow Road, the spirit of fair play trumped the rulebook, costing Norwich City three points.TAMPA, Fla. -- The Detroit Red Wings latest milestone game had a disheartening outcome. Alex Killorn scored a tiebreaking goal late in the third period, Ondrej Palat had two goals and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat Detroit 4-2 Saturday night in the Red Wings 6,000th regular-season game. Daniel Alfredsson and Tomas Jurco scored for Detroit, which has a record of 2,761-2,320-815-104 since joining the NHL for the 1926-27 season. "We didnt have everybody being good enough here tonight in my opinion," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "I felt we could have found a way to be better." Killorn beat Jimmy Howard from just outside the crease to give the Lightning a 3-2 lead with 3:11 to play. Palat added an empty-net goal with 63 seconds left. "I just felt that they competed harder around the front of the net at the end of the game," Babcock said. "We didnt compete hard enough around the front of the net, and thats defensively, offensively. You cant have guys be more determined than you." Tampa Bay also got a goal from Tom Pyatt. The Lightning, who had lost four of five, are second in the Atlantic Division, one-point ahead of Montreal and Toronto. "For everybody, it was a little bit of a cloud was lifted," Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said. "I know its one game, but the taste of winning lasts for two weeks, and thats a good taste to have." Detroit, which has battled injuries to key players this season, entered on a 6-2-2 stretch. The Red Wings, 0-2-2 against Tampa Bay this season, trails the Lightning by seven points. "We feel pretty good about ourselves," Red Wings defenceman Jonathan Ericsson said. "Would have been feeling way better if we came out with a win.&" The Red Wings went ahead 2-1 on Jurcos nifty backhander at 11:19 of the second.dddddddddddd. The rookie stopped a 14-game goal drought. Pyatt got his first goal in 18 games, dating to back to April 4, when he got a backhander past Howard that pulled the Lightning even at 2 with 2:46 left in the second. Alfredsson put the Red Wings up 1-0 from the low right circle off a pass from Pavel Datsyuk 17:18 into the first. The goal gave Alfredsson 1,143 NHL points, which moved him Nicklas Lidstrom to become the second-highest scoring player from Sweden. Mats Sundin tops the list with 1,349. Datsyuk got his 800th point on Alfredssons goal. Palat tied it at 1 with a rebound power-play goal 1:44 into the second. Tampa Bay had failed to score with the man advantage in its previous seven games. This was the final game for both teams before the Olympic break, which could help the Lightning, who are without injured centres Steven Stamkos (broken leg) and Valtteri Filppula (broken ankle). Goalie Ben Bishop, who left Thursday nights game with Toronto after the second period due to an upper body injury, made 31 saves. "A win before the break puts everybody in a good mood," Bishop said. Howard stopped 24 shots. NOTES: It was 17 years ago Saturday that Chicago senior adviser Scotty Bowman won his 1,000th NHL regular-season game as a coach when the Red Wings beat Pittsburgh 6-5 in overtime. Bowman, a regular at Lightning home games, had right knee replacement surgery on Jan. 24 and is rehabbing the knee at his Florida home. ... Alfredsson has 27 goals and 72 points in 63 games against the Lightning. ... Tampa Bay reassigned D Jean-Philippe Cote to Syracuse of the AHL. ... Red Wings D Niklas Kronwell was minus-3. ' ' '