TORONTO -- Dwane Casey saw it as a sign of maturity on the part of his young team. After a first half in which he thought "the lid was on the basket," the Toronto Raptors coach watched his squad mount a second half surge to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 98-91. "Thats another step in our growth," Casey said after Friday nights win at Air Canada Centre. "Last year at this time, if wed have missed shots like that wed have caved in. "But we kept grinding it, grinding it, grinding it and thats what you have to do when the shots arent falling." The Raptors (30-25) shot a woeful 32.7 per cent from the field in the first half and trailed 44-39. But, with second-year centre Jonas Valanciunas leading the way, Toronto shot an impressive 16-for 23, or 69.5 per cent, in the third quarter on the way to winning their fourth game in five starts. "We said we need to pick it up, we need to come out with energy," Valanciunas, who finished with 18 points and eight rebounds, said of the talk in the locker room at halftime. "Thats what it was all about. "We shot really bad the first half but we did a better job the second half and thats what matters." Valanciunas scored 10 of his 14 second-half points in the third quarter, including five in a row during a 4:07 stretch that saw the Raptors turn a one-point deficit into a 10-point lead. Second-year guard Terrence Ross had a team-high 20 points as the Raptors snapped the Cavaliers (22-34) six-game winning streak and widened their lead to 3-1/2 games over the idle Brooklyn Nets atop the NBAs Atlantic Division. With the win, the Raptors equalled the third-fastest time theyve reached the 30-win mark in team history, just one game off the best mark of 54 games in both the 2009-10 and 2007-08 seasons. The Raptors, who have missed the playoffs in each of the past five seasons, didnt win their 30th game until their 78th outing last year. Although Ross led the Raptors in scoring, it was his defensive play against Cleveland guard Kyrie Irving, who was named MVP of last weekends NBA All-Star Game, that drew rave reviews from his teammates. "Defensively, hes always been impressive, and hes getting better," Toronto guard Kyle Lowry said after Irving was held to 3-for-16 shooting on his way to 17 points. "I told him that on the bench tonight." Lowry had 14 points, nine assists and six rebounds. DeMar DeRozan added 14 points and five assists. Clevelands Luol Deng led all scorers with 21 points and added 11 rebounds while Tristan Thompson of Brampton, Ont., added 13 points and nine assists and Anthony Bennett, also from Brampton, who last spring became the first Canadian to ever go first overall in the NBA draft, had nine points in his first game here. "We just had to pick up our defensive intensity," Ross said of the message delivered at halftime. "The biggest thing, we were coming out, playing too lackadaisical and we had to pick that up." Toronto outscored Cleveland 37-21 in the third quarter to take control. Valanciunas made a layup with 7:22 to go in the quarter to put the Raptors up for good at 53-52. After Valanciunas and Amir Johnson combined for just four points in the first half, Casey said he gave the big men "a wake-up call" going into the second half and they responded at both ends of the court. "We reminded them theres more to the game than the offensive end," Casey said. "You can get rebounds. You can get back in transition. You can challenge shots and you can go vertical. "You can do a lot of different things other than make shots and I thought the second half (they) worked at it and got it done." Joe Namath Womens Jersey . - Their offence is underperforming. Deacon Jones Jersey . 42 sitting next to the bench. The 57-year-old with greying hair couldnt box out or grab a rebound, but owner Ted Leonsis waved his red towel and egged on a cheering crowd that chanted "Free Nene!" The Wizards did just fine without the suspended Brazilian forward. http://www.ramsrookiestore.com/Rams-Eric-Dickerson-Jersey/ . -- Steven Stamkos scored his first goal since returning from a major injury, Ryan Callahan had his first goal with Tampa Bay, and the Lightning beat the Florida Panthers 5-4 on Thursday night. Jared Goff Rams Jersey . And I wanted to take this opportunity to share some of my experiences gained through International competition and the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. Seven NHL referees and six linesmen will be assigned upcoming games in Sochi by the IIHF as part of their 28-man officiating roster comprised of 14 refs and 14 linesmen. Orlando Pace Youth Jersey .com) - Stanley Johnson had 18 points and No.ST. CLOUD, Fla. -- Darryl Strawberry will always be tied to his former baseball exploits. Hes now trying to help others avoid the pitfalls that plagued his career with opening of his second drug rehab facility in two years. Strawberry and his wife Tracy -- both ordained ministers -- were in central Florida Friday for the opening of their second drug rehabilitation and treatment centre. The Darryl Strawberry Recovery Center will be focused on helping former athletes and others deal with the issues that once followed them both, as well as the new ones -- like concussions -- that face todays generation of athletes. "I think the legacy we all want to leave is a positive one," said Strawberry, whos been clean more than a decade. "Baseball dont leave you a positive legacy. Thats just a game and that comes and goes. But I think the most important thing is for people to see theyre not a mistake." The new centre joins one already open in Texas, and the couple plans to open a third facility close to where they reside in St. Louis later this year. It offers a 28-day residential treatment program that can treat up to 60 patients at a time for addiction and substance abuse. It also has a program to help athletes address post-playing issues, as well as anyone suffering long-term effects concussions and traumatic brain injury. During Strawberrys journey to sobriety he was once told by a treating doctor that he would never make it out of his addiction. He said he wants these new facilities to be a place where patients never hear anything similar. "Drug addiction is an illness and those that dont know that have a tendency to criticize and point fingers. I was one guy they pointed fingers at and said This guy is a cocaine freak, you know?" he said. "They didnt know the depths of it. Today is a sign to show you that this is about recovery." Tracy Strawberry meet Darryl nearly 15 years ago at a narcotics rehab convention in Tampa.dddddddddddd Both twice divorced, they began dating while both continued to fight their addictions. Getting past their various hurdles they eventually moved to Missouri, and they were married in 2006. Not long after that they started their non-denominational ministry, which Tracy said is the core of the curriculum she helped write for the clinic. But she said it doesnt jam the religious component down patients throats. "You cant be so supernatural that youre not natural," she said. Dr. William Leach, a board certified addiction specialist, is the medical director of the new facility. He said a facility such as this is in a position to approach addiction in ways not previously done at this level. "In 55 years of brain research, we finally figured out that addiction is a biologically-mediated structural brain disease," Leach said. "And we finally figured out to create medicines at least at the start that are going to help with that." Strawberry was joined Friday by several former athletes from the MLB and NFL, including Pro Football Hall of Famer Jack Youngblood. Youngblood is on the NFL Players Association concussion committee, and was there specifically to continue to raise awareness about concussion treatment. Youngblood said the potential impact the facility could have is enormous. "Weve been looking concussion issues for the past four or five years and we finally found somebody to partner with," he said. "Once you open the door I believe youre gonna be flooded with those who are suffering from those issues." Strawberry said hes only just beginning his journey to help others. "My own path is experience, and you never give up on a person," Strawberry said. "You never know who will make it with the chance and opportunity." ' ' '