TORONTO - Fresh off of a season-saving win, Raptors guard Greivis Vasquez stood behind a podium on the third level of the Air Canada Centre and impersonated one of his teammates most identifiable moves. As if he had been rehearsing it, Vasquez looked around with a grimacing stare as he clinched two fists and flexed his muscles. What do you think of DeMar DeRozans face after he hits a big shot, he was asked moments earlier. "I love it, he goes like this," he exclaimed without hesitation, busting out his interpretation of what has been dubbed "the DeRozan face". To his credit, it was dead on. DeRozans signature celebration has become a welcomed sight for Vasquez and the rest of the Raptors players. "Its something I can only do in a game after shots or a dunk or something," DeRozan said. "Its just me being intense." After draining an 18-foot fadeaway jumper, his second straight bucket, with just over two minutes left in Tuesdays 100-95 Game 2 win over the Nets, the Raptors all-star guard strutted up the court doing the DeRozan face. "I told him before the game," Vasquez noted. "I said, Youre going to have a great game, I want that face. I get fired up when he starts doing that and he makes that face." "I think you see it in all of us," DeRozan fired back. "Even with Greivis, what he does when he makes a big shot, when he looks up in the air. Im like, ‘whatchu looking at, G? Everyone has their own gestures and we feed off one another when we see somebody else doing that and it just gets us going." Can you do the DeRozan face, Dwane Casey was asked. "I dont know what youre taking about," said the Raptors coach, immediately turning away. So, not everyone was playing along. This was the lighthearted scene following practice on Wednesday afternoon, just two hours before the Raptors shipped off to Brooklyn for Games 3 and 4. Naturally, the conversation turned to the immeasurable chemistry that has held this team together throughout a tumultuous season, the chemistry they feel will work to their advantage as they enter enemy territory this coming weekend. "Its going to be a new frontier," Casey said, preparing his team to face the Nets at Barclays Center with their opening round series tied at a game apiece. "Weve been a good road team in hostile situations, hostile gyms. Our guys have responded." That they have. Their 22 road wins are a franchise record and theyre just one of four teams to knock off the Nets in Brooklyn in 2014. Throughout the season, they have cited their togetherness, a camaraderie on and off the court, as the primary reason for their unexpected success - being a young team - away from home. Both DeRozan and Kyle Lowry referred back to a conversation they shared after Tuesday nights win. Torontos two leading scorers were in full agreement that this is the most harmonious team theyve ever been apart of. "Its just great to have a group of guys who just really get along," Lowry said. "Youd never think a group like that, with so many different personalities, that everyone really just feeds off each other and everyone genuinely likes each other. We really are like a band of brothers. Its cool. Its like, were able to hold each other accountable and we know its not out of spite, its because we want to be better. Its constructive criticism." Chemistry and winning seem to go hand in hand. Youre unlikely to enjoy a sustainable measure of one without the other. Chemistry is a valuable commodity in professional sports, but its fragile and almost impossible to quantify. "Chemistry is a funny thing," Casey admits. "You know it when you got it, but its so easy to lose. Its hard to put your finger on it. I think we have good chemistry, the right pieces, the right guys, the right personalities in the locker room." That togetherness, like defence - Caseys other fixation - tends to travel well. The Raptors have harnessed an us versus the world mentality in the unfamiliar surroundings of the road and will need it more than ever if they hope to take control of this series on foreign soil. The Nets own a record of 22-4 at home since Jan. 1, tops in the NBA over that span. "The reason were here right now in the playoffs is just because we got one of the most healthy locker rooms," Vasquez said. "No egos at all. Everybodys just happy if anybody does well. We care about each other on and off the court and when we go on the road, we get each others back." "The reason we became a good team, [are] on our way to becoming a great team, is just because we care. Chemistry is such a big factor on any team, and we have it. We do have it." Cheap Jerseys . T.J. Brodie scored at 2:26 of the extra session to lead Flames to a 5-4 win over the slumping Blackhawks, whose overtime record fell to 0-6 this season. Wholesale Jerseys . Atletico built a provisional three-point advantage over Barcelona before the defending champion hosts Elche on Sunday. Barcelona then visits Atletico in the following round. "We will have to wait and see if Barcelona wins tomorrow to stay leader, as it is accustomed to doing," Atletico coach Diego Simeone said. http://www.wholesalechinajersey.us.com/ . Gretzky was asked if he believes Montreal Canadiens defenceman PK Subban should be on Canadas blueline in February at the Sochi Olympics. "Im not going to get in the middle of that controversy because Stevie Yzerman obviously knows what hes doing, he won a gold medal in 2010," said Gretzky. Cheap NFL Jerseys . -- The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins erupted for five goals in the third period to beat the St. Cheap Jerseys From China . -- Dwyane Wade was a late scratch from the Miami Heats starting lineup against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night because of nerve irritation in his left foot, leaving his status for the All-Star game in doubt.The Colorado Avalanche saved some money in a forward swap, but took the worse player in the process. Numbers Game looks at the trade that sees Daniel Briere and PA Parenteau switching spots. The Canadiens Get: RW PA Parenteau and a fifth-round pick. Parenteau, 31, is a late bloomer who didnt reach the NHL for good until he was 27-years-old, but hes been a productive player, scoring 196 points in the past four seasons, which ranks 55th in the league. He fell out of favour in Colorado last season, missing 25 games with a couple of knee injuries and playing 16:57 per game, his lowest average time on ice of the past four seasons. On an Avalanche team that was among the leagues worst possession-wise, Parenteau was nearly break-even, so he wasnt particularly a problem in that respect. In Montreal, Parenteau should have a good opportunity to play in a top-six role, which is suitable for his price tag of $4.0-million over the next two seasons. A fifth-round pick brings with it a less than 15% chance of yielding an NHL player, but its a bit of a sweetener for the Habs taking on an extra year. Given that Montreal is getting the better player, that sweetener might not have been altogether necessary. The Avalanche Get: RW Daniel Briere. Briere is a 36-year-old who is well past his prime as a scoring forward, with a serious decline in productivity over the past couple seasons, managing 41 points in 103 games over the last two years.dddddddddddd Briere was dropped down the Canadiens depth chart last season, playing 12:46 per game, his lowest since 2000-2001. While Brieres game has declined -- hes not as quick as he once was -- he does come with a rep as a playoff performer, putting up 116 points in 124 postseason games over his career, which is tied for fourth among active players. Briere signed a two-year, $8-million deal as a free agent last summer, so his deal has one year remaining. He doesnt figure to play a prominent role in Colorado, but Briere should have a shot to play in Colorados top nine. If he does, theres a decent chance that, even if he scores a little bit more with more ice time, Brieres sinking possession stats will only be exacerbated by the Avalanches puck possession troubles. In the grand scheme of things, the Avalanche got away from two years of paying Parenteau, which was their motivation, but the price to pay means taking an inferior player for one year. Scott Cullen can be reached at
Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. cheap nfl jerseys ' ' '
