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TORONTO - The Raptors locker room was unnervingly quiet Friday evening, about how you would expect it after the implausible ending that sealed the teams fate in a double-overtime disaster. In the back corner sat an inconsolable John Salmons, the elephant in the room. Facing his locker, Salmons slouched forward in his chair, his head down in his hands and a long black towel draped over him. One by one his teammates came over to comfort him, patting him on the back and offering words of encouragement. He didnt move. He remained in that position, perfectly still for over 30 minutes. They win as a team and they lose as a team, but Salmons felt the brunt of it on this night. What seemed like a sure victory late in the second overtime period began to unravel when an exceptional player made an exceptional shot. With the Raptors up by eight, 49 seconds away from an improbable victory and season-sweep of the 50-win Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant banked in a 27-foot three-point jumper. Following another Thunder three - this one courtesy veteran assassin Derek Fisher - Salmons threw away an inbounds pass on the baseline, only to break up Durants runner and get sent to the line. With less than 10 seconds remaining, now up two, Salmons clanked both free throws, paving the way for the leagues leading scorer to do what he does best. Break hearts. "Great players make great plays," Dwane Casey said of Durant, moments after his 31-foot pull-up dagger gave the Thunder a 119-118 victory. Since coming over from Sacramento in December, Salmons has been praised for his poise and veteran savvy late in games, many of which hes helped them win. This was not his finest hour. "Hes a veteran (and) in those situations youve got to believe in him, that hes going to make those free throws," Casey said of Salmons, playing in place of Terrence Ross, who left the game with a hip contusion. "We had to go with John in that situation. Hes been one of our best defenders in that situation, but its not just one guy." The Raptors, now 1-6 in OT this season, need to close out these types of games. Salmons needs to be better down the stretch, they know it and so does he. It was three months ago, almost to this day that the Raptors pulled off their most impressive win of the season, a 104-98 victory in Oklahoma City. Coming off an OT win in Dallas a couple days prior and trailing by as many as 10 in the fourth, Toronto shocked the Thunder, who were undefeated at home at the time. "It helped kick start us going forward," Casey said of that night. "It helped our chemistry, it helped our togetherness it helped blend in the old and the new guys together." It would not have happened if not for Salmons. The 12-year vet spearheaded his new teams comeback, scoring nine points in the final quarter. After the game his teammates raved about his leadership and calming effect on the floor. Kyle Lowry gave him the game ball. Like Patrick Paterson - still out with an injured elbow - Greivis Vasquez, who was spectacular before fouling out Friday, and Chuck Hayes, Salmons fingerprints are all over the teams resurgence and that should not be forgotten, internally or externally. The Raptors proved something to themselves in OKC that night. They proved that they belonged. Three months later, clinging onto the Easts third seed and top spot in the Atlantic Division, they fell just short of proving something to everybody else. For whatever reason the franchise and its fan base has been battered by losses of the devastating variety to the point in which theyre almost immune to them. Toronto has lost 10 straight overtime games at home, an NBA record. "It does (hurt)," Casey admitted, "but we cant let it." "We cant let this game (give us a) hangover. (Its) a big learning experience for our guys. Youre playing with one of the top teams in the league, one of the top players... and you give yourself a chance to win in (double) overtime." KD the magnificent It seems impossible to fathom that Friday once started off as a slow night for Durant. The Thunder forward made just three of his 12 first-half shots but once Russell Westbrook went down in the third quarter - colliding with Lowry and spraining his surgically repaired right knee - Durant, with the help of some generous officiating, completely took over. Durant scored 51 and finished with 12 rebounds and seven assists, getting to the line 19 times and extending his streak of 25 or more points to 34 games, longest since Michael Jordans 40-game run in 1986-87. Amirs memorable game Playing in his 500th career contest, Amir Johnson nearly willed his team to victory. The Raptors forward recorded a double-double of 25 points and 12 rebounds, connecting on 12 of his 19 shots in 50 minutes of action. He also spent the bulk of the second half guarding Durant, per his own request made after Ross exited with the hip injury. "It was tough, man," he said, asked about defending the leagues leading scorer. "Hes my height, out there shooting from half court. Theres not too much you can do but double team that." "He did a great job," Casey added. "I felt for him. Hes hurt. He was all over him, draped over him. (Durant) made a tough shot. Theres nothing Amir did wrong." The stat For the first time since Jan. 13, 2013, the Raptors had four players score 20 or more points. Along with Johnson, DeMar DeRozan led the Raptors with 33 points, hitting all but one of his 16 free throws, while Lowry added 25 and Vasquez scored 21 off the bench. The quote "We couldnt go another overtime," Durant said. "I had to live with whatever happened. You had to get out of there. I wasnt trying to go to another overtime. I pulled up for it, it looked good when it left my hands and God guided that thing to the basket, man. That was the craziest game Ive ever been a part of." Oscar Dansk Jersey . As if the individual strands of grey hair or the increasing amount of joint pain werent reminders enough, the impending end of Jeters career is a slap-in-the-face indicator of a generations fleeting youth. Max Pacioretty Jersey . The injury could land Machado on the 15-day disabled list, but its not as serious as it looked on Monday night, when the third baseman crumpled in a heap at the plate after taking an awkward swing in a game against the New York Yankees. http://www.goldenknightssale.com/authentic-tomas-hyka-golden-knights-jersey/ . -- Without Carey Price, the run for a first Stanley Cup in 21 years got steeper and longer for the Montreal Canadiens. Cody Eakin Jersey . Now he has a complete game. Scherzer tossed a three-hitter in his 179th career start for his first complete game and Victor Martinez hit his 16th homer to lead the Detroit Tigers a 4-0 win over the Chicago White Sox. Reilly Smith Jersey .com) - James van Riemsdyk had two goals with one assist to help the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 5-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday night.SEATTLE -- Kole Calhoun thinks the Angels showed off their many talents in a win over the Mariners. Erick Aybar hit a three-run homer, Matt Shoemaker pitched effectively into the sixth inning and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Seattle Mariners 7-5 on Thursday night. "Theres a lot of weapons in here, one through nine, and guys have their special thing they bring to the team," said Calhoun, who reached base safely four times from the leadoff spot. Even with star Albert Pujols on the bench with a scheduled day off, the Angels had 15 hits, the fourth time in a week the club has had at least 11 hits in a game and its most in a game since getting 16 against the Yankees on April 25. Recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake on Wednesday, Shoemaker (3-1) set down the side in order four times in 5 1-3 innings. He allowed three runs on four hits, equaled a career-high six strikeouts and did not walk a batter for the first time in five career starts. "We were able to use all four pitches effectively, be able to throw them for strikes, get ahead of them," the right-hander said. "Definitely a confidence builder. Just knowing Im able to pitch at this level." Shoemaker didnt allow a baserunner until James Jones dropped a double in front of a diving Mike Trout in centre field to lead off the fourth. One out later, Michael Saunders lined a two-run home run to right, cutting the deficit to 5-2. Saunders added a sacrifice fly in the sixth, but the Angels bullpen cruised into the ninth until Kyle Seager hit a two-run home run off Fernando Salas. Ernesto Frieri came on to record two outs for his eighth save in 10 chances. "Outside of Fernando Salas maybe just losing some counts in the ninth and giving up the home ruun, the bullpen did a terrific job, Kevin Jepsen especially," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.dddddddddddd Mariners starter Brandon Maurer (1-4) lasted just four innings, allowing five runs on six hits and four walks. Its the fifth time in seven starts this season that Maurer has failed to reach the fifth inning. "I agree he has struggled," Seattle manager Lloyd McClendon said of his young starter. "When you look at options you have to sit down and make sure you have a viable option. That is something Jack (Zduriencik, the general manager) and I will talk about and see where we go from here." Los Angeles took a quick lead in the first when Trouts sacrifice fly to right field scored Calhoun. Trout drove in another run in the sixth with a sharp single up the middle, but the Angels, leading 6-2, were unable to blow the game open, as Seattle reliever Dominic Leone got two outs to leave a pair of runners stranded. NOTES: OF Josh Hamilton, who sustained a bone bruise to his injured left thumb during a rehab assignment on May 22, worked out and took batting practice with the Angels. If all goes well, Hamilton is expected to join Triple-A Salt Lake in Tacoma on Friday. ... Mariners 2B Robinson Cano didnt feel well Thursday and was a late scratch. Stefen Romero replaced Cano in the lineup at DH and Nick Franklin moved to second base. ... RHP Taijuan Walker, on the 15-day DL with a right shoulder impingement, said he felt good after his first rehab start with Triple-A Tacoma on Wednesday and expects to throw a bullpen on Friday. "Its sore, obviously, its sore," Walker said. "Its the normal soreness in the right spots. Sore in the right spots. Its nothing bad. I felt like I pitched yesterday." 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