Two teams separated by three games in the Eastern Conference standings clash tonight north of the border, as the Toronto Raptors play host to the Washington Wizards. Daryl Johnston Jersey . The Raptors are third in the East behind Indiana and Miami, while the Wizards are three games behind the Atlantic Division leaders in the fifth spot. Catch all the action live on TSN and TSN Radio 1050 at 7pm et/4pm pt. Toronto is five games ahead of Brooklyn in the Atlantic and will also host Golden State and Sacramento on the homestand. It has won three straight and six of seven games, including Tuesdays 99-93 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. DeMar DeRozan poured in 33 points, Terrence Ross netted 19 and Kyle Lowry added 13 points with nine assists for the Raptors, who found a way to win despite shooting 44.3 percent and making 10-of-32 3-pointers. Lowry scored 14 or more points in eight straight games from Feb. 5-23, then was held to a point below that mark against the Cavs. "Youre not going to have great games all the time, youre not going to shoot 10-for-12 or 20-for-30. Youre always going to have some type of off-game," Lowry said. "You cant let that stop you from helping your team win a game. I wasnt making my shots, but I know I can still help the team." The Raptors are 11-3 at home since Jan. 1 and 16-11 at Air Canada Centre. They have also held their opponent under 100 points in a season high-tying six consecutive games. Toronto is 27-7 when doing that this season. Meanwhile, DeRozan is averaging 25.7 ppg in February for the Raptors, who are ensured of a winning record for a third month in a row. Toronto was 8-6 in December, 11-6 in January and currently has a 7-4 mark in February. Washington enters the great white north on a four-game winning streak. The Wizards, who will also visit Philadelphia on its quick quest, disposed of the Orlando Magic 115-106 on Tuesday thanks to four players with 20-plus points. John Wall led the Wizards with 27 points, Trevor Ariza had 22 and both Marcin Gortat and Bradley Beal netted 21. "I thought we came out really energized. We got great performances from everybody," said Wizards coach Randy Wittman. The Wizards, who made 52.5 percent from the field and hit 10-of-16 3-pointers, led by as many as 17 a day after learning forward Nene would miss around six weeks with a sprained MCL in his left knee. Washington is 11-6 in its last 17 road games and is averaging 99.8 ppg in that stretch. Wall has 18.6 points and 7.8 assists over that time. The Wizards are 14-14 overall away from D.C. this season. Toronto has defeated Washington three times already this season and is unbeaten in four straight and six of the last eight meetings between the teams. The Wizards havent succeeded much lately in Canada, losing seven of eight and 11 of the past 15 trips there. Chuck Howley Cowboys Jersey . PETERSBURG, Florida – Its been almost seven years since the Blue Jays last won a series at Tropicana Field. Deion Sanders Cowboys Jersey . Correia pitched six innings of one-run ball, Eduardo Escobar homered, and the Minnesota Twins pulled away late to beat the Colorado Rockies 9-3 on Saturday. http://www.cowboysrookieproshop.com/Cowboys-Bob-Lilly-Jersey/ . Felton pleaded guilty to attempted criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a firearm. He admitted he knowingly had a large-capacity ammunition magazine and a semi-automatic pistol without a license.We are hearing the possibility that Martin St. Louis and Ryan Kesler have demanded to be traded. In the case of St. Louis, not much of an effort has been made to deny reports of a trade request. Now both players have no-trade clauses in their contracts - and the wisdom of granting a player a no-trade has long been debated. Ultimately, its a very risky move since the only certainty with athletes is uncertainty. They can go down at any time, see a significant drop in their production or relationships can sour. As well, player production aside, a team may see an opportunity to improve its team by way of trade, but cant close on the deal because a player has a no-trade. Some players, however, insist on the provision being included in their contracts on the basis that they dont want to leave. The player and his family are committed to the team and the city. In certain circumstances, teams will agree to it. With a no-trade clause, the team bears the risk. Its one-sided and may potentially cause long-term damage to a team. This is particularly the case in a salary cap world, where return on investment is critical and a failure to achieve may be fatal to a teams likelihood of success. The risk is amplified when a player with a no-trade demands a trade. As a result of having a no-trade, the player decides where he goes. Since his contract provides he cant be traded (despite ironically demanding a trade), the player is in complete control. As a result, the team foorfeits significant leverage in seeking a fair return on the player. Terrell Owens Womens Jersey. By way of example, if its known that St. Louis will only go to the Rangers, then there is no good reason for the Rangers to offer up an equal return. General managers rely on multiple teams bidding on a player to drive up the return. However, if a player says that of the four teams interested, he wont go to three, the teams hands are tied and its potential return is instantly undermined. Can that risk be mitigated? Yes. Give the player the no-trade clause he so deeply desires. However, include a trigger in the contract that provides that in the event the player demands a trade, he agrees to be traded to any team on a previously negotiated list of teams. That could, for example, be a list of 10 teams. That list was negotiated while the deal was being worked out - and is part of the contract. Lets be clear: the no-trade wouldnt be null and void. Rather, the no-trade would now qualified by the mutually-accepted list of teams. The sides negotiated the deal and the terms of the contract govern the relationship. If a provision is no longer convenient for either side, thats life. NHL player contracts dont account for irony. By structuring the contract this way, the player gets the assurance he wont be moved, while the team is able to better manage its risk. Otherwise absolute no-trade clauses tie the hands of teams and make it a real challenge to get a proper return on a player. ' ' '