1 » that. Weve got a tough team coming here on Monday night

SACRAMENTO - Some say that living well is the best revenge. At least four players on the Raptors roster subscribe to that philosophy. When Torontos Patrick Patterson, John Salmons, Greivis Vasquez and Chuck Hayes return to Sacramentos Sleep Train Arena Wednesday, theyll be feeling a lot better about themselves than when they were last in the building, when they called it home. Its been nearly two full months since that fateful night in Los Angeles when a seven-player trade shook the foundation of the Raptors franchise. As reports began to circulate hours before tip-off, the timing of the deal caught everyone off guard. In exchange for the bloated contract and modest production of Rudy Gay - along with Quincy Acy and Aaron Gray - Toronto took back four veteran wild cards. Each of the four had experienced some level of individual success in the league. Vasquez and Patterson - the youngest of the four - were both coming off career seasons, one in New Orleans, the other in Houston. Hayes - a nine-year vet - had been a starter with the Rockets and Salmons, now in his 12th season, was a key contributor to playoff teams in Chicago and Milwaukee. At 34 and 30 respectfully, Salmons and Hayes immediately became the elder statesmen on a young Raptors squad. Each of them had started in at least one of Sacramentos first 18 games. They were rotation players for a team that was 5-13 at the time of the trade. "Coming from here in Sacramento, things werent that great," Salmons said, candidly reflecting back on the trade after wrapping up practice in the Kings gym Tuesday. "So when we got the opportunity to come here we just wanted to take advantage of it. Losings not fun and this team had a chance to make a run at the playoffs." Without Gay, who was shooting 39 per cent and hoisting just under 19 shots per game, most anticipated there would be at least some addition by subtraction but no one - even internally - knew what to expect from the incoming Kings players. Likewise, they didnt know what to expect from a Raptors team that had a 6-12 record prior to that game in LA on Dec. 8. "I mean you hear stuff about other teams, but the only thing you really know is their record," Salmons added. "You know their record, you know their roster but you dont know the whole story. So coming in all we saw was the record, we didnt know that the locker room was full of good guys." Toronto has gone 19-10 since the trade was made official, 19-9 since the acquired players made their Raptor debuts, good for the third-best record in the Eastern Conference over that stretch. Not only did the trade improve the Raptors bench, it made their bench. On most nights, Dwane Casey has settled into a strict nine-man rotation, using the four ex-Kings as his primary reserves. Torontos bench combined for 35 points on 52 per cent shooting in Mondays win over the Jazz. They have scored 30 or more in three of the last five contests and are averaging 26.6 points since the trade. Casey has entrusted them to be on the floor in key situations. Quite frankly, theyve earned it. "I feel like we got four veteran, solid players that really helped us in a lot of different ways and gave us some toughness off the bench," the Raptors coach said. "Right now, obviously [Toronto is] playing at a very high level," said Kings coach Mike Malone. "I think all four of our guys are helping them at different points." The newcomers have each put their stamp on the teams run. Often the first player off the bench, Patterson is logging fewer minutes than he was in Sacramento, yet averaging three more points per game, contributing nearly 10 as a Raptor. Hayes has carved out a niche as a reliable, savvy and hardworking stopper and rebounder. Salmons, a two-way player, has become Torontos third ball handler. Of the four, Vasquez is the only one who has seen his scoring average dip since coming to the Raptors. Still, hes not complaining. "Im in a different situation right now and Im pretty happy," said Vasquez, who has stepped in as a reliable backup to Kyle Lowry, something the team was desperately searching for early in the season. "I think winning really makes everything so much better. Id rather be in a winning program right now than going through a tough time [in Sacramento]." You would have to be naive to think that Wednesdays return to Sacramento is just another game for those four. The Kings are 11-19 since sending them to Toronto and the statement theyre hoping to make has more to do with their collective success than individual performances. "You always look forward to playing the team that traded you," said Vasquez, averaging seven points and four assists with the Raptors. "More than that its about winning. At the end of the day, whether I play well, whether I dont play well, I just want to go back to Sacramento with a win." Vasquez was only with the Kings for a couple months to begin the season. For Salmons, his connection with the Sacramento franchise goes back seven years. In 2006, the Philadelphia-native pulled out of a deal with the Raptors to sign in Sacramento. After being moved to the Bulls, then to the Bucks, Salmons eventually found his way back to the Kings but became expendable when new ownership decided to take the team in a different direction. The trade to Toronto was Salmons fifth since being drafted out of Miami in 2002 but he took this one more personally than the others. He felt slighted by an organization that he had spent most of his career playing for. "When I got traded I had mixed feelings, strong mixed feelings," he admitted. "Im not going to say I was totally mad at the [Kings] organization it was just, I dont know, it was just a little tougher this time." Now, as he and his teammates get set to make their much-anticipated return, that animosity is water under the bridge, more or less. Salmons, like the other three, is sincerely happy to be a Raptor. Winning is the best medicine. "Guys enjoy winning," said Salmons. "Theres the old saying, winning cures everything so the more we win the more people want to sacrifice to continue winning." Cheap Basketball Shoes For Sale . - The New England Patriots needed help on defence so they added three experienced players at midseason. Cheap Basketball Shoes Australia . "I have had no discussions with Chad Johnson or his representation," Popp said Friday in an email. However, he appeared to confirm a report on Twitter from TSN this week that Johnson was on Montreals negotiation list. http://www.wholesalebasketballshoesaustralia.com/ . LeBron James and Chris Bosh didnt need any more. Williams scored 11 points in 10 minutes, Alan Anderson scored 17 points, and the Brooklyn Nets finished the exhibition season with a 108-87 win over the Miami Heat on Friday night. Cheap Basketball Shoes Wholesale . In the calls, Hernandez discussed the murder of Odin Lloyd, including his "belief about his criminal liability" and the "extent of his control over persons charged as accessories," according to the request filed Thursday in Fall River Superior Court. Cheap Basketball Shoes Au . A judge had summoned Clemens and Brian McNamee to federal court in Brooklyn for settlement talks aimed at heading off a trial in the defamation case. McNamees lawyer emerged saying an agreement wasnt likely. "I think this is a case where the lines are deeply drawn in the sand," said attorney Richard Emery. WASHINGTON -- The first half ended with a case of the Marquee Miscues. Kevin Durant lost the ball to John Wall, and Wall then missed an open fast-break layup at the horn. It was Durants fourth turnover and Walls seventh miss in a row. At halftime, Wall changed his shoes. Maybe that was the difference. The newly minted first-time All-Star guard scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half, and the Washington Wizards took advantage of a rare off-night from Durant and snapped the Oklahoma Thunders 10-game winning streak Saturday with a 96-81 win. "I didnt like how I played on the road trip in my white shoes, so I tried the red ones," Wall said. "They didnt work in the first half, so I got rid of them and went back to my old white ones, and they kind of helped me out. Im kind of superstitious." Wall also had 15 assists and six steals and went 7 for 11 from the field after halftime, more than making up for the 0-for-7 first half. Marcin Gortat had 14 points and 14 rebounds, while Trevor Ariza added 18 points and did a solid job defending Durant, whose 26 points came on 8-for-21 shooting, including 0 for 6 from 3-point range, and enough calls to make him 10 for 10 from the free-throw line. He also committed five turnovers. "Just stay in his grille, man," Ariza said. "Just try to make him take tough shots. Try not to give him no easy, easy looks." Durant had a streak of 12 consecutive 30-point games end during a 25-point win over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday. Sitting at his locker before Saturdays game, his legs hooked up to compression tubes for a high-tech massage, he talked about the 100 or so tickets he had to secure for family and friends in D.C. Whether it was hometown jitters -- or fatigue from the night before -- or the unfamiliarity of the new balls with Adam Silvers signature on the first day of work for the new NBA commissioner -- or the solid defence of Ariza -- the citys native son had a rough night fighting the Wizards defence. "They made me see a crowd," Durant said. "There were a few shots that I should have it hit. I had some good looks, but they did a good job." The Thunders only lead was 2-0. They committed 10 of their 21 turnovers iin the first quarter.dddddddddddd. "We were just a step slow in everything," Durant said. "We didnt start up with enough energy and intensity and that falls back on me as a leader." The victory moved the Wizards to .500 for the seventh time this season, which means they get yet another chance to overcome an obstacle that has flummoxed them in recent weeks. A win Monday against Portland would give Washington a winning record for the first time since October 2009. "Thats cool for yall. I dont know if its cool for us," said guard Garrett Temple, when the subject that has become increasingly taboo in the locker room was broached by reporters. "But weve got to not even worry about that. Weve got a tough team coming here on Monday night." The Thunder had averaged 110.2 points during the winning streak, but they matched their season-low in points in a game against the Wizards. They did have a chance to tie the score in the second half when Derek Fisher was fouled while making a 3-pointer, but he missed the free throw that would have evened the game at 58. From there, Wall and the Wizards pulled away. A Durant turnover became a Wall dunk. Walls floater gave Washington a 78-64 lead after three quarters. The Thunder didnt challenge the rest of the way, failing to get within single digits in the fourth. "Twenty-one turnovers, 10 in the first quarter. Thats basically six minutes of basketball, giving them the ball back without ever trying to score," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "It wasnt good enough -- bottom line." NOTES: Temple went 3 for 4 with the new balls. "My shot felt real good. Even with those now Adam Silver balls," he said. "It was slippery at first, but we got into a rhythm." ... The Thunder had won nine straight road games against Eastern Conference teams, while the Wizards had dropped five in a row at home vs. the West. ... Durants hefty ticket purchase gave him a convenient excuse to laugh off the notion that he would think about playing for the Wizards someday. "I spent a lot of money on tickets today -- imagine if I played here," Durant said. "I dont even want to think about that." ' ' '