ame in December. He has been slow

TORONTO - Celebrating their 20th anniversary campaign, the Raptors turned back the clock Friday evening, paying homage to the franchises turbulent past while enjoying what continues to be an exciting present and a promising future. Leading wire-to-wire, the Raptors made quick and easy work of the visiting Washington Wizards, defeating them 103-84 and improving to 5-1, the best start in team history. They did so on a special night with a familiar foe in the building. Paul Pierce made his NBA debut 16 seasons ago against a four-year old Raptors club led by Vince Carter, who was also playing in his first pro game. Victorious that evening, it was the Raptors final opening night in their original jerseys. The purple pinstriped uniforms, best known for the dinosaur logo in the centre, would go extinct at the end of the 1999 lockout-shortened season. Nearly a decade and a half, one championship and two teams later, the veteran Pierce did not feel like getting nostalgic ahead of his first appearance in Toronto, now a member of the Wizards, since knocking the Raptors out of the playoffs last spring. I dont know what yall trying to do, man, said an agitated Pierce after morning shoot-around when pressed about those old dino jerseys. What are we talking about here? Were talking about Vince Carter, dinosaurs? [If] you aint got nothing else to talk about, [then] Im done. For almost everyone else, Friday nights game brought back at least a few memories - positive, negative or otherwise - while setting a new early-season bar for the organization. Wearing their purple throwbacks for the first time since May of 1999, the Raptors put together their most complete outing of the fall against what should have been the toughest competition. Theres a lot more positives than negatives from this game, finally we can say that, said Kyle Lowry, who made some history of his own. Just two days after pouring in 35 points - his most as a Raptor - in a win over Boston, Lowry switched gears. With 13 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, Lowry recorded his fourth triple-double as a member of the Raptors, breaking the team record previously set by, fittingly, Damon Stoudamire - Torontos first-ever star at the point guard position and Lowrys former teammate in Memphis. Oh man, thats big, Lowry said, told about his accomplishment - and who he leapfrogged in the franchise record book - after the game. Ive gotta text him. Man, Ive said everything positive I could say about [Lowry], Im about to start saying negative things, joked DeMar DeRozan, who led Toronto in scoring with 25. Nah, Im playing. I love him. Love Kyle Lowry. Up until the Wizards came to town, an impressive early season record - which, along with Chicagos, now tops the Eastern Conference - had masked some spotty defence and chronic first quarter woes. On Friday, the Raptors held Washington to 18 first-quarter points on 31 per cent shooting. They had allowed an average of 33.0 points on 71 per cent shooting in their previous three opening quarters, despite going on to win two of those games. Now that defence that we had tonight was a lot like last year and thats the way we have to perform starting in the first quarter, said Dwane Casey. After the first couple times it kind of becomes a broken record and a self-fulfilling prophecy. We talked about it, hit it and let it go. Our guys are pros. Theyre smart players, theyre mature, theyre playoff battled and ready so they should understand how important the start of the game is. The return of Jonas Valanciunas and Amir Johnson - however short-lived - reinvigorated a struggling defence. It took the Wizards over 21 minutes to score 30 points, a mark Boston achieved in 10 minutes Wednesday with Torontos starting frontcourt on the sideline nursing injuries. Offensively, Terrence Ross was channeling his inner Carter wearing Raptor purple. To say this was Ross best outing of the young season would be an understatement. Struggling to begin the campaign, the third-year swingman was more engaged and assertive than weve seen him since late last season, putting the ball on the floor, making passes, hitting shots and even taking an early charge. He too was sparked by the presence of Pierce, one of the players he struggled against in last years seven-game series defeat to the Nets. He was very explosive. He got everything started offensively, Casey said of Ross, who chipped in with 18 points, hitting four of his six three-point attempts. [He] shot the ball with tremendous confidence on Paul Pierce and that really got him going. Valanciunas was back in the lineup after sitting out Wednesdays win with facial and right hand contusions. Returning from a three-game absence, Johnson started the game - making a significant impact on defence and the boards - but left for the locker room early in the third quarter, not to return. Although he was bothered by the same left ankle ailment, the team insists it was not a re-injury but rather a precautionary decision. Four games over .500, a plateau they didnt reach until late January last season, the Raptors dominated a Wizards team that came in with the same 4-1 record. Washington may be the team most similar to Toronto in terms of where they stand in the development process and their projected standing in the East. Building around the talented backcourt of John Wall - who was held to just eight points on 3-of-13 shooting - and Bradley Beal, out with a wrist injury, Washington added the veteran Pierce to an already intimidating frontline. I wouldnt say [Pierce] puts them ahead of us, Casey said, posed with the comparison before the game. But he really elevates them as far as their confidence level and their handling of situations. They are doing a lot of the things they did in Boston at the end of games so thats a by-product of having him on your team. He helps them. He didnt Friday. Pierce was booed mercifully when he was introduced. The last time he was in this building he put an end to the Raptors feel-good run, blocking Lowrys shot to close Game 7 and advance the Nets to the second round of the post-season. Draped in purple, the crowd reminded the 37-year-old of their disdain every time he touched the ball. Fans in attendance for Fridays game received a purple t-shirt with the names of all 192 Raptor and former Raptor players etched within the claw logo. Iconic Raptors alum Alvin Williams and Antonio Davis were both on hand to witness the proceedings, as the Raptors wore their throwbacks for the first of seven anniversary celebration nights this season. Its a great, great evening for our fans, for the tradition of our franchise, Casey said. Im just very proud and very honoured to try and continue that tradition. I think its a great thing that were bringing guys back like Alvin and Antonio and celebrate the history of what they got started. Nothings easy. Building the program to where it is now hasnt been easy but were definitely on the right track right now and I think we owe it to the guys that came before the guys we have now. I think its dope, honestly, DeRozan chimed in. I was a fan of the purple jerseys when I was a kid, watching the Raptors as a kid. Pierce is one of just seven active players to have faced the Raptors prior to their wardrobe change in 1999. Carter is the only active player to have worn the teams original jersey. 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Top-seeded Djokovic swept to a 6-1, 6-3 win over 51st-ranked Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain in just 57 minutes, but fourth-seeded Federer had to see off a serious challenge from 48th-ranked Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic before coming through 6-2, 6-7 (4), 6-3. Nathan MacKinnon Jersey . Van Slyke drove in a career-high four runs with two homers off struggling left-hander Tony Cingrani, and the Los Angeles Dodgers pulled away to a 6-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night, a rare comfortable win in their pitching-dominated series.MIAMI -- Running back Knowshon Moreno has agreed to terms on a one-year contract with Miami Dolphins, and they hope hell enliven a ground game that ranked 26th in the NFL last season. Moreno, a five-year veteran, had his best season in 2013 when he rushed for 1,038 yards, caught 60 passes and scored 13 touchdowns playing with Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos. He ranked fifth in the NFL with 1,586 yards from scrimmage, and tied for fourth with 10 rushing touchdowns. Montee Ball, a rookie last year, made Moreno expendable in Denver. Lamar Miller and Daniel Thomas were the Dolphins primary ball carriers last season, and both remain on the roster. Moreno has a career average of 4.1 yards per carry, compared to 4.2 for Miller aand 3.dddddddddddd6 for Thomas. The Dolphins offensive line has been a big reason for their sputtering ground game. The unit also gave up a franchise-record 58 sacks and was rocked by the teams bullying scandal last year. Centre Mike Pouncey is the lone holdover in the line, and while the Dolphins added left tackle Branden Albert, theyre still shopping for upgrades at guard and right tackle. Denver made Moreno the 12th overall pick in the 2009 draft after he played at Georgia. He has career rushing totals of 3,468 yards and 26 touchdowns. Moreno became a social media sensation he cried during the national anthem before a game in December. He has been slowed by injuries and has played in all 16 games just twice in his career. 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