opponent in the Raptors 19-year existence. After

TORONTO -- Nick Young and the Los Angeles Lakers got the Toronto Raptors to play it their way Sunday afternoon. Young had 29 points while Pau Gasol added 22 to lead the short-handed Lakers to a 112-106 win at the Air Canada Centre, halting Torontos six-game home win streak. Los Angeles (16-25) used an attacking style to rally from deficits of 19 and 17 points and earn its second straight road victory but just its third in 15 games overall. "We didnt get defence into the game," Toronto coach Dwane Casey said. "We played their game . . . it was pretty but we didnt get defence into the game. "That allowed those big runs and thats not who we are. We have to be a defence-first team, not a three-point shooting team . . . we got caught up in their quick threes, which were not very good at." The Lakers hit 12-of-22 (54.5 per cent) three-pointers but also made 26-of-28 free throws. Toronto finished 9 of 30 (30 per cent) from beyond the arc and held a 47-31 edge in rebounding but only attempted 11 free throws, making nine. "That tells us either were not getting the calls or were not driving to the rim," Casey said. "They were the aggressor going to the basket. We had some bonehead fouls on some three-point shots, thats something you shouldnt do. "But it starts on the defensive end. We didnt get up into people and when we did react we reacted late and subsequently you get fouls called." DeMar DeRozan had 23 points while Kyle Lowry added 21 for Toronto (20-19), which lost the chance for its first-ever season sweep of the Lakers. The Raptors won the first meeting 106-94 on Dec. 8. Kyle Lowry added 21 points for Toronto while Patrick Patterson added 17 points coming off the bench. Lowrys three-pointer pulled Toronto to within 102-101 with just over two minutes remaining. Ryan Kellys three free throws made it 105-101 before Youngs three-pointer put the Lakers ahead 108-103 with 1:15 left. Youngs two free throws with 20.5 seconds made it 110-104 and effectively cemented the win. Kelly said Young was a difference-maker for the Lakers. "The one thing Nick does is score, especially at the end of clocks," said Kelly, who finished with 17 points. "There are not many people in the league who can do what he does. "We have seven seconds on the clock and you get Nick the ball and he finds a way to get a shot or get to the line . . . we need that." The Lakers were without all-stars Steve Nash of Victoria and Kobe Bryant. Nash, a two-time NBA MVP, is out with a back injury while Bryant, a five-time league champion and Los Angeless all-time scoring leader, is sidelined with a fractured left knee. "After not feeling it in the first half, we just got a bit more aggressive on defence and they felt us," Lakers coach Mike DAntoni said. "You have to give them credit, they hit a lot of good shots to start with but our guys somehow found the resolve to stay into them and it worked out." The Lakers improved to 27-8 all-time against Toronto, including 13-5 at the ACC. "Weve got to understand no matter now big the lead is no team is going to lay down," DeRozan said. "Theyre going to play extremely hard to try and get back and weve got to understand that and withstand the runs theyre trying to make. We didnt do that. "We gave up too many threes. We know theyre a three-point shooting team and we left them in their comfort zone and they knocked them down." Lowery couldnt hide his disappointment about Torontos inability to twice put the Lakers away after surging into commanding double-digit leads. "Yeah, it sucks," he said. "They did a good job of playing the way they wanted and making us play that way also. "They attacked us a lot more. We settled for a lot more jumpshots and we didnt attack as much as we couldve to get to the free-throw line as much as they did." L.A. took an 82-81 lead into the fourth, thanks to three Young free throws with 27.3 seconds left. Young converted a technical on Terrence Ross, then hit two-of-three from the line after being fouled by Ross on a three-point shot. The resilient Lakers overcame a 17-point deficit to take the lead. Toronto opened the third on a 14-2 run to go ahead 73-56 but the Lakers tied it 79-79 on Manny Harriss three-pointer with under three minutes remaining after both Kendall Marshall and Young connected from beyond the arc. Gasols two free throws with 3.4 seconds remaining cut Torontos half-time advantage to 58-54. The Raptors surged into a commanding 50-31 lead in the quarter before being outscored by the Lakers 23-8 the rest of the way. DeRozan was a one-man show for Toronto, scoring 12 of his 16 first-half points in the second. The Raptors were 5 of 16 (31.3 per cent) from three-point range in the half while L.A. was 6-of-10. Toronto led 36-29 after the first, erasing a 24-20 deficit by outscoring L.A. 16-5 over the final 2:58. Patterson led the way for the Raptors with eight points, including two three-pointers as the home team hit on 14-of-19 field goals and 5-of-6 three-pointers in the quarter. Gasol played a big part in leading the Lakers to their early lead with 10 points. NOTES -- Toronto is off to Charlotte for a game Monday afternoon against the Bobcats on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the U.S. while Los Angeles continues a seven-game road trip in Chicago on Tuesday night . . . Torontos 94-89 home win over Minnesota on Friday night was its 20th victory in 38 games this year, the fastest the Raptors have reached 20 wins since 2007-08 when they did so in 37 games . . . Toronto forward Tyler Hansbrough (ankle) missed his ninth straight game while forward John Salmons, who reportedly suffered a back injury against Minnesota, didnt dress . . . Lakers centre Robert Sacre is a native of Baton Rouge, La., but grew up in B.C. and has dual Canadian-American citizenship. Authentic Dick Butkus Jersey . 2015 Oscar nomination pending. Here is an open letter from Steven Stamkos to his fans: When I shot this final Moment Zero film last August, it was a fun few days on set with Coke Zero and Jordan Eberle in my hometown of Markham. Authentic Cody Whitehair Jersey . The Mets made the announcement Sunday night. Parnell blew a save on opening day against Washington and the next day it was revealed he had partially torn right elbow ligament. http://www.cheapbearsjerseysauthentic.com/?tag=authentic-adam-shaheen-jersey . "He started putting me on the ice to strengthen them at the suggestion from a doctor," he said. Weight said it wasnt a pretty sight at the rink in St. Clair Shores, Mich. "I looked like Forrest Gump," he joked. Authentic Tom Waddle Jersey .com) - The Utah Jazz look to put an end to their five-game losing streak when the Denver Nuggets visit Salt Lake City Monday night. Authentic Taylor Gabriel Jersey . - A pitch clock will be used this season during minor league games at Triple-A and Double-A, but it has been ruled out for the major leagues this year.PHOENIX - Three days removed from one of their worst losses in franchise history, the Raptors (6-11) hope to turn the page on Friday against the Phoenix Suns (10-9), one of the NBAs early-season surprises. Catch the game, live from US Airways Center, on TSN2 beginning at 9pm et/6pm pt. Torontos 27-point collapse in Tuesdays 112-103 loss to Golden State was the largest comeback by an opponent in the Raptors 19-year existence. After allowing the Warriors to shoot 68 per cent and being outscored by 27 during the final 12 minutes, the Raptors aim to replicate their dominance through the first three quarters rather than the nightmare that occurred in the fourth. While the Raptors have dropped four straight - allowing opponents to shoot 50 per cent and giving up 104.0 points during that stretch - the Suns continue to defy the odds, winning five of their last eight games. Expected by many to be one of the worst teams in the league this season, Phoenix has started off strong, thanks in large part to their dynamic backcourt and improved offence. The Suns have been the leagues most improved offensive team over last season according to NBA.com/stats, scoring six points more per 100 possessions. Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe - who was acquired in an offseason trade with the Clippers - are both averaging career highs in scoring and have combined to contribute 36.7 points, 12.6 assists and 6.5 rebounds per contest, both shooting over 48 per cent from the field. "Theyre a little bit like the Phoenix teams of old as far as their running games concerned," Dwane Casey said following shootaround Friday afternoon. "Dragic does a great impersonation of [Steve] Nash. Hes playing very well right now, handling the basketball, hes the head of the snake so our work is cut out for us on the defensive end." Torontos guards, DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry, accounted for 46 points in Tuesdays loss. DeRozan has led the team in scoring in six of the last eight games, pouring in 17 or more points in a career-high 11 straight contests. Meanwhile, Lowry has paced the club in assists in nine straight games, recording at least six dimes in each, also a career-best. Having swept the season series with Phoenix last year, the Raptors are looking to win four consecutive games against the Suns for the first time in their history. Trends and Tidbits The Raptors are 4-2 in games following a 20-point comeback by an opponent. Toronto has been outscored in the paint in each contest during its four-game skid and by 58 points overall (188-130). The team is averaging just 17.3 assists, committing 17.5 turnovers and is allowing opponents to shoot 40 per cent from three-point range over that stretch. What to Watch For Slowing down the Suns With Bledsoe and Dragic running the show, the Suns have been the leagues most lethal team in transition, scoring 20.0 fast-break points per game. Phoenix has tallied 20 or more fast-break points in 11 of 19 contests thiis season so keeping this young and athletic Suns team in the half-court will be a key to Torontos success.dddddddddddd. It should also be one of the Raptors biggest challenges. Defending the three-point line Although the Raptors contained Golden States sharpshooters through the first three quarters, holding the Warriors to 4-of-12 shooting from long distance, they got burned by the three-ball down the stretch. The Warriors went 8-for-11 in the fourth quarter with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson connecting on six of their seven attempts. Like the Warriors, the Suns are not shy from beyond on the arc. Phoenix attempts the fourth-most threes in the league on a per game basis and has drained seven or more treys in 11 straight contests. Who to Watch For DeMar DeRozan Even in embarrassing defeat on Tuesday, DeRozan has been the best and most consistent Raptor this year. Sitting 12th in the NBA in scoring at 21.8 points per game, DeRozan has been especially productive over the last eight contests when hes averaged 26.4 points on 50 per cent shooting from the field and 46 per cent from three-point range. DeRozan needs 18 points to reach 5,000 for his career, becoming the sixth player in franchise history to achieve that milestone, joining Chris Bosh, Vince Carter, Andrea Bargnani, Morris Peterson and Jose Calderon. His biggest challenge Friday will come on the defensive end where he will be assigned to one of Phoenixs point guards, Bledsoe or Dragic. "It gives us a different look but we have to adapt, we have to adjust," said Casey, who spoke about trying to exploit the Suns small lineup. "We want to try to make sure we make them pay on the offensive end with our size and our inside game." Eric Bledsoe After missing six games with a shin injury, then coming off the bench for two, Bledsoe has returned to the Suns starting lineup. With the increased playing time - 34 minutes per game, up from 20 with the Clippers last season - Bledsoe is averaging career highs in points (18.8), assists (5.9) rebounds (4.2) and steals (1.6). The Suns guard has already scored 20 or more points six times this year after doing so on four occasions in his first three NBA seasons. "Theyve made it work because Bledsoe is a tough little guy down in the post," Casey said of the Suns small backcourt. "A lot of teams have tried to post him and well probably try to do some of the same but he does a good job even though hes small. Hes strong, hes like a little fireplug. So weve got to do a good job of getting deep post position on him and try to make them pay for playing small." Injury Report Kyle Lowry was hit in the head late in the third quarter Tuesday but returned in the fourth. He was tested for a concussion on the bench before re-entering then again after the game, passing both. He practiced in full Thursday without experiencing any grogginess, per Casey, and will be active for Toronto in Phoenix. ' ' '