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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." Adidas NMD R2 φθηνα . But sometimes the way you lose takes precedence over the final score. And how the Jets lost the 5-4 game to the New York Islanders on Thursday is what had Coach Claude Noel hot after the game. Adidas Falcon γυναικεια . Vonn had another scary moment at Saturdays World Cup downhill in Val dIsere, ending up clutching her knee in pain after losing her balance and missing a gate. But she gave a reassuring answer shortly afterward, saying no new damage had been done to the surgically repaired knee, and that her plans for the Sochi Olympics were still intact. http://www.nmdgreece.com/adidas-gazelle-greece.html. It all would have been for naught, however, had it not been for some clutch shooting in the fourth quarter by Kobe Bryant and a couple of equally critical hustle plays by Derek Fisher and Pau Gasol in the final minutes. Adidas NMD γυναικεια .J. -- Jaromir Jagr has hit so many NHL milestones this season for the New Jersey Devils that he is starting to downplay them. Adidas Superstar γυναικεια ασπρα . Best has been bothered by concussion problems and hasnt played since Oct. 16, when the Lions lost to San Francisco. After starting 5-0, Detroit has lost four of six, beginning with that game against the 49ers.LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Mike Conley thinks the Memphis Grizzlies are atop the NBA standings because theyve been consistent and determined each night, no matter whether theyre playing title contenders or the Los Angeles Lakers.The Grizzlies needed every bit of that focus to hold off those 15th-place Lakers, who fell a few minutes shy of an unlikely win.Marc Gasol had 19 points and 11 rebounds, Conley added 19 points and the Grizzlies beat Los Angeles 99-93 Wednesday night for their seventh victory in eight games.Zach Randolph scored 16 for the Grizzlies, who improved to 13-2 and kept pace with Toronto atop the overall standings. But Memphis barely withstood a strong effort from Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, who kept it close throughout a tense fourth quarter.It says a lot about our focus early this season, Conley said. Thats all we want to do, is to come out focused for the first couple of months of the season, set a good standard for ourselves, and have to just hold ourselves accountable and try to get better.Coming off back-to-back 30-point games, Gasol scored 16 points in the second half, including 12 in the third quarter while the Grizzlies moved ahead. Gasol saw a familiar pattern in the final minutes for Memphis.We got more stops, got a little more physical with each possession, Gasol said. Put more pressure on them, everything we should have done all night. Its never perfect, but you aim for perfection.Bryant scored 22 points for the Lakers, who have lost seven of nine. Los Angeles dropped to 1-7 at Staples Center after missing several chances to seize control down the stretch. The Lakers have lost six games by seven points or fewer.Its just as frustrating no matter how many times we lost by seven points or less, Bryant said. I mean, its not like we have levels of frustration. Its either all or nothing. Weve had some opportunities against some of the top teams in the West to win, and we just let it get away from us.ddddddddddddThe NBAs worst defensive team held the Grizzlies to six field goals in the fourth, and the Lakers trailed 97-93 after Jeremy Lins free throws with 1:41 left. But Los Angeles offence flopped down the stretch, capped by Bryants brutal turnover with 16 seconds left.The Lakers opened with one of their better halves of the season, and they did it without much help from Bryant, who took his first shot and scored his first points about three minutes before halftime.___TIP-INSGrizzlies: Memphis went 5 for 22 on 3-pointers. ... The Grizzlies beat the Lakers in Memphis on Nov. 11. ... Compton native Tayshaun Prince had two points in 9 minutes.Lakers: They tied their season high with nine blocked shots, including three by Ed Davis — two on the same Memphis possession early. ... Ronnie Price had 11 points and five assists in a reserve role, providing a notable spark during his 18 minutes. ... Carlos Boozer returned after missing one game with a strained left shoulder.ENCOURAGING SIGNSLin sees hope in the Lakers latest failure to execute down the stretch: If you learn from them, I dont see them as wasted opportunities. ... There are going to be rough times, and as long as we learn, which I think we really are doing, I think well be able to use these losses and turn them into something better.EARL ON THE WAY?Although the Lakers havent formally announced theyre bringing back Earl Clark, the forward posted a photo of himself in his Lakers jersey on Instagram. With Xavier Henrys torn Achilles tendon on Monday, Los Angeles already has lost three players to season-ending injuries, and Clark had the best season of his five-year NBA career with the Lakers in 2012-13. Clark went to training camp with Memphis, but was waived last month.UP NEXTGrizzlies: At Portland on Friday.Lakers: Host Minnesota on Friday. ' ' '