TORONTO - For the first time in three days, the most turbulent 72 hours of his life, Jonas Valanciunas was able to find an escape, an outlet for his ranging emotions. Shane Doan Jersey . "Its been a rough couple days," the Raptors centre admitted following Wednesdays game, speaking with the media for the first time since he was arrested for drunk driving earlier this week. He was unable to address the incident directly, as he has yet to meet with his lawyers. "I found the power, found the energy to come out [and] fight," he continued. "I felt really good [because of the] fan support, thank you to them. That felt great, because everybody supported me. I say sorry and [am] learning. Ill be better." Valanciunas wasnt sure how he would be received by the teams fans, feeling he had disappointed them, just as they did not know what to expect from him, returning to the court in the aftermath of Monday mornings events. "Honestly, he was going to play like trash or he was going to play amazing," said Kyle Lowry after Torontos 125-114 win over the 76ers. "He played amazing, like we expected." The 21-year-old sophomore would go on to score a career-best 26 points to go along with 12 rebounds, hitting 10 of his 14 shots in 37 minutes of action. Once the ball was thrown up, and for the two and a half hours that followed, the only thing that was on his mind was the task at hand. "Its a tough situation for him to handle, to be going through," Lowry added, "but this is our sanctuary: basketball. We get a chance to be away from everything. Basketball is like our space, our secret spot and thats where guys can release a lot of energy and intensity." Scoring the first four points of the game, Valanciunas came out with a fire, a purpose and an air of confidence. He has been playing some of the best basketball of his career and those off-court distractions could not derail him. Leading the team with 23 double-doubles after recording just eight a year ago, Valanciunas has played 30 or more minutes and scored in double figures in eight straight games, matching a season-high. The biggest difference has been his comfort level and self-assurance, according to his teammates. The game has slowed down for him, hes playing with patience and most importantly hes not getting down on himself. "[Hes] much more aggressive, much hungrier," said Lowry. "He wants the ball. Tonight he was literally yelling at me to give him the ball." "He came up big," DeMar DeRozan stated. "That just shows you hes not letting everything else affect him, everything thats going on or the situation that happened. Hes just going out and playing. He did what he did, its over with, he apologized to us and he understands whats at stake and that we need him." His big night couldnt have come at a better time. Valanciunas has some work to do. He knows this. On top of learning from his error in judgment, hell have to win back the fans he let down. Wednesdays performance was the first step in turning the page. Lowrys return Although Lowry eased into his return from a three-game absence, sidelined with a bruised left kneecap, he more than made his presence felt when his team needed him most. The Raptors starting point guard recorded four assists before attempting his first shot late in the opening quarter. By the second half he was up to his old tricks. Lowry scored 19 of his game-high 29 points in the final 24 minutes, including 10 in the fourth quarter. "I was happy to be back there with my teammates, to be honest," he said after the game. "When you miss games you feel like youre letting your team down but it was great to be back out there with the fellas." Prior to the game, Dwane Casey indicated there would be no restriction on Lowrys usage and sure enough he played the entire first quarter and logged 38 minutes on the night. "[The week off] definitely helped my body rest but a week doesnt do anything," Lowry said. "Its going to take two months for me to actually be normally healthy again." Amir Johnson got another precautionary night off, missing his third straight contest with a lingering right ankle injury, though he could have played if necessary and shouldnt be out much longer. Nearing division title With Torontos victory and the Nets loss in Orlando, the Raptors are now one win - or Brooklyn defeat - away from clinching their second division title in franchise history. They can wrap up the Atlantic crown while also matching a franchise-record 47th win of the season in front of their home crowd on Friday when they host the Knicks. The stat The Raptors are a perfect 10-0 in games without at least one of their five starters (Lowry, DeRozan, Johnson, Valanciunas or Terrence Ross) this season. The quote "Our guys see the computers, they see the standings and the records but we cant play that way," Casey said of the teams defensive slippage, after allowing the lowly 76ers to score 114 points on 52 per cent shooting. "I just told them that weve got to pick our defence up and not have the mental letdowns that were having defensively. Its nothing that we havent seen before or any new trick plays. Its just one-on-one defence, blow-bys, our feet in the sand. There is a slippage." Dylan Strome Jersey . The Raptors two leading scorers were never able to co-exist the way they hoped or the team had envisioned, but individually DeRozan was thriving, in the midst of a career season. Christian Dvorak Jersey . - Hitting was supposed to be the Pittsburgh Pirates weakness coming into the season yet they lead the major leagues in home runs through the first 16 games of the season. http://www.hockeycoyotesproshop.com/Coyotes-Michael-Stone-Adidas-Jersey/ .com) - DAngelo Harrison posted 21 points to guide No. CHICAGO -- It started with a pregame video and ran all the way through the final out and a high-five line for the New York Yankees. This was the Derek Jeter show, and it was quite a performance for the shortstops farewell tour. Jeter had four hits and Masahiro Tanaka rebounded nicely from his first major league loss, leading the Yankees to a 7-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday. "I just want to try to help us win. Thats it," Jeter said. "Our job is, if theres a guy on second base and Ive got to hit a ground ball to second to move him over, Ill do it. I dont think about personal statistics. I think about trying to help us win." He certainly played a key role as the Yankees closed out an extended stay in Chicago with a pair of wins against the White Sox. Brett Gardner had a big two-run single in New Yorks four-run second inning, and Brian Roberts added a solo homer in the eighth in his return to the lineup after missing a game with a sore right knee. "Everyone contributed today," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. Tanaka (7-1) pitched into the seventh inning as New York improved to 3-3 on its unusual nine-game trip to Chicago and St. Louis. The Yankees split two games against the Cubs at Wrigley Field, and then had another split in their four-game set on Chicagos South Side. Conor Gillaspie had two hits and drove in a run for the White Sox, who had won eight consecutive home games against New York before Saturdays 4-3 loss in 10 innings. Gillaspie is batting .364 (20 for 55) in his past 15 games. Andre Rienzo (4-1) struck out seven in five innings, but allowed four earned runs and seven hits. "It seemed all day he was working from behind," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "He wasnt getting ahead. He just wasnt as sharp as hes been in previous outings -- and it cost him." Jeter once again heard loud cheers throughout the day in what likely was his final game in Chicago. The 13-time All-Star plans to retire after the season. "Its one of my favourite cities, and the way the fans have treated me these two series here, its been tremendous," Jeter said. "Its something Ill always remember." The White Sox showed a video highlighting Jeters background before the game and prresented the 39-year-old shortstop with three gifts: a baseball-themed bench made by former White Sox and Yankees player Ron Kittle, enclosed infield clay from the shortstop area at U. Jakob Chychrun Jersey. S. Cellular Field and a $5,000 donation to Jeters Turn 2 Foundation. Jeter waved to the sellout crowd of 39,142 after he received the gifts from White Sox slugger Paul Konerko, who also plans to retire after the season. He also acknowledged the home dugout, where the White Sox applauded the pregame ceremony from the top step. Once the game started, it was all business for the captain. Jeter drove in Roberts with his second single in the second. He tripled past diving centre fielder Adam Eaton in the fourth and scored on Rienzos wild pitch, and then added another run-scoring single in the sixth. "Man. Hes good," Rienzo said. "The first one is cutter, the second one is inside, and the third is cutter, too. Hes a winner. I hope I would win, but its OK." The crowd gave Jeter a standing ovation when he batted for the last time in the eighth, and then applauded again when he struck out swinging to end the inning. It was Jeters first four-hit game since a 9-6 loss at the White Sox on Aug. 20, 2012. New Yorks 10-hit attack was more than enough for Tanaka, who allowed one run and five hits in 6 2-3 innings. The Japanese right-hander struck out six and walked two in his 10th major league start. Tanaka was coming off a 6-1 loss to the lowly Cubs on Tuesday that ended his unbeaten streak at 42 regular-season starts. "I wanted the ball to go down and thats why I made some tweaks to my mechanics," Tanaka said through a translator. Tanaka had been 34-0 in Japan and North America the last two seasons, though he did drop Game 6 of the Japan Series last year before earning the save in Game 7. NOTES: It was Jeters first triple since New Yorks 22-9 victory over Oakland on Aug. 25, 2011. ... Yankees RHP Michael Pineda is scheduled to pitch two innings in an extended spring training game on Tuesday. Pineda was placed on the 15-day disabled list on May 6 with a shoulder muscle injury. ... Yankees slugger Carlos Beltran will attempt some dry swings in New York on Monday. 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