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TORONTO - In a matchup between a couple of Atlantic Division rivals, the Raptors will tip off their 19th NBA season at the Air Canada Centre Wednesday night against a Boston Celtics team some may not recognize. Watch the home opener live on TSN2 at 7pm et/4pm pt. "One thing you have to do on opening night, youve got to temper emotions," said Raptors coach Dwane Casey Wednesday morning after shoot-around. "Its hyped up, a lot of glitz and glamour as far as the game is concerned but one thing you have to do, you have to understand its going to be a grind." After an offseason makeover, the Celtics begin a new era with new head coach and former Butler boss Brad Stevens at the helm. The Raptors saw the new-look Celtics twice in the preseason, a 97-89 win in Boston to open the exhibition campaign and a two-point victory at home two weeks ago. "When we played here, I thought it was a good environment," Stevens said on the morning of his first NBA game. "Weve played this team twice. Obviously, we didnt play the guys that are going to play the majority of the minutes as much as theyre going to play tonight." "The task is big enough that Im just focused on that. Im sure Ill feel it a little bit before the game." The Raptors are optimistic heading into the 2013-14 season coming off a strong camp. Theyll enter the new season with the same starting five that closed out 2012-13 on a five-game winning streak, looking to carry over that success into the new year. "I think were a hell of a team," guard DeMar DeRozan boasted. "Were all together. Everybody has each others back from the first guy to the 15th guy. Everybody respects each other and were out here for one goal and thats to win." Trends and Tidbits Toronto finished the preseason with a 6-1 record for the second straight year. The Raptors were one of four teams with one loss or fewer in the exhibition season (Chicago: 7-0, New Orleans: 7-1, Houston: 5-1) after their final game in Milwaukee was cancelled due to unsafe playing conditions on the slippery court. "It all changes tonight," Casey said Wednesday after a successful preseason. "Youll see a different Boston team come in, ready to prove something, with a chip on their shoulder so all the preseason games dont mean anything." The Raptors are 9-9 all-time in season opening games, including 6-6 at the ACC. Theyve split two opening night games against the Celtics, the last meeting coming on Nov. 2, 1999, the first season opener played at the ACC. DeRozan will join Vince Carter, Chris Bosh and Antonio Davis as the fourth player in team history to start in five consecutive opening night games. The fifth-year guard, along with Amir Johnson - who will play in his 300th game as a Raptor Wednesday night - are the longest tenured players on the team. The Raptors will unveil a replacement mascot Wednesday evening after the predecessor suffered a torn Achilles, sidelining him for the entire season. "I understand that they have some things in mind for tonight," Casey acknowledged, playing coy in regards to the teams new mascot. "Im not at liberty to talk about it, its kind of a company secret right now but itll be exciting for our fans." What to Watch For Protect the ball The Raptors were the NBAs third best team taking care of the ball a year ago but struggled with turnovers throughout the preseason. Toronto turned the ball over 20 or more times in four of seven exhibition games, including both meetings with these young and scrappy Celtics. Although the miscues seemed to come from the entire roster, starters and subs, point guard Kyle Lowry had a team-high 17 in the seven games. Lowry will be playing his first game with a protective splint on his injured left ring finger. Although reports out of practice have been positive and Casey has indicated that the injury has not and will not affect Lowrys ability to lead the team at the point of attack, he and the rest of the team will have to shake off the preseason rust on Wednesday. Quick start With a returning starting five, the Raptors have not missed a beat early in games this fall. Toronto has won or tied the first quarter in each of its seven preseason games, shooting 55 per cent and holding opponents to 38 per cent in the opening frame. Torontos experienced first unit should have an advantage over a young, inexperienced Celtics roster out of the gate. Surely they should be viewing this game, against a rebuilding Boston team, as one they must win, especially with a difficult early-season schedule setting in. Following Wednesdays game, 19 of their next 33 contests will be played on the road. "Guys have bought in, we worked hard on it this summer," Casey said. "Even from last year, we worked hard on what we want to do, how we want to play [and] what were going to do when adversity hits. We didnt handle it well at the beginning of last season. It kind of snowballed on us, but weve finally got the ship righted." Who to Watch For DeMar DeRozan The Raptors guard is coming off a strong preseason, leading the team in points (15.3) while shooting an efficient 54 per cent from the field and 82 per cent from the line. "Im just hyped," DeRozan said after shoot-around. "Im more hyped than any other season, especially knowing the work that I put in this summer to be the player I want to be to help this team win. I just cant wait to get out on the court." Kelly Olynyk The Toronto-native and 13th pick of the 2013 draft will play his first NBA regular season game in front of his hometown crowd Wednesday. Olynyk was a standout at the Orlando Summer League and carried over his promising and versatile game into the preseason where he averaged 9.0 points and 4.5 rebounds, including a 13-point, 9-rebound performance in Toronto on Oct. 16. "The young man knows how to play," Casey said of Olynyk, who he called a steal at the 13th pick. "[Hes an] excellent passer, he struggled a little bit from the three but hes very capable. I like his game." Injury Report Steve Novak, who missed most of the preseason with an injury to his right thumb, will be available for the Raptors. Rajon Rondo is still out for Boston, recovering from knee surgery. He hopes to return to the Celtics sometime in December. Air Max 270 Just Do It Black . A night later, he was back to help lead a rout of the Detroit Pistons. John Wall had 20 points and 11 assists, and Beal scored 10 of his 15 points during the second quarter as Washington pulled away for a 106-82 victory on Saturday. Nike Air Max 270 React Bauhaus Cheap . Next years tournament is also within sight for Bosnia-Herzegovina, which has never played in a World Cup, but Cristiano Ronaldo looks destined for the playoffs with Portugal after a night when the qualifying picture in the nine groups became much clearer. http://www.max270cheap.com/air-max-270-react-sale.html . The 42-ranked Czech saved seven break points while converting his one chance, and defeated the No. 3 seed in 1 hour 46 minutes. Rosol, who lost in the final in Stuttgart against Roberto Bautista Agut on Sunday, awaits the winner between Philipp Kohlschreiber or 2011 champion Gilles Simon. Nike Air Max 270 Flyknit Cheap . Bach, a 59-year-old German lawyer, was elected Tuesday as president of the International Olympic Committee. He succeeds Jacques Rogge, who stepped down after 12 years. Bach, the longtime favourite, defeated five candidates in a secret ballot for the most influential job in international sports, keeping the presidency in European hands. Cheap Nike Air Max 270 China . -- The Orlando Magic finally are showing the patience in critical moments that coach Jacque Vaughn has been waiting for all season.BALTIMORE -- After the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals expended everything they had in three consecutive spirited games, the neighbouring rivals parted ways knowing they will see each other again in August. And perhaps again after that. Steve Pearce homered and scored twice to help Wei-Yin Chen earn his ninth victory, and the Orioles beat Washington 4-3 on Thursday night for their eighth win in 10 games. Adam Jones and Nelson Cruz both drove in a run for the Orioles, who built a 4-0 lead in the third inning and held on. Baltimore took two of three from the Nationals in this rain-shortened, home-and-home interleague showdown between division leaders. "I personally enjoyed that series a lot, just cause of the proximity and the atmosphere down in D.C.," said Orioles reliever Darren ODay, who worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth. "Theyre top of the NL. Hopefully we get to play them a few more times, later in the year in October. That would be nice." The Orioles won the opener in Washington, needing 11 innings to do so, before rain postponed Tuesdays game until Aug. 4. The Nationals prevailed on Wednesday before coming up short in the finale. Although the teams are based only 40 miles apart, enthusiasm for the series isnt exactly Mets-Yankees or Cubs-White Sox. But theres still hope. "It was a good series. It was very well put together," losing pitcher Gio Gonzalez said. "It showed that theres a lot of hope for a Beltway Series. They looked good and we looked good. Everyone had some fun." Jayson Werth homered for Washington and Ryan Zimmerman had two hits and an RBI. Chen (9-3) gave up three runs and eight hits in 5 2-3 innings, walking none and striking out six. The Taiwanese left-hander is 6-1 in 12 starts since May 3, and his nine wins are most on the team. After ODay survived the eighth, Zach Britton got three outs for his 15th save, capping his 22nd consecutive scoreless appearance at home by retiring Werth with a runner on first. At that point, the Orioles and many in crowd of 30,417 breathed a collective sigh of relief. "Thats a very good team," Jones said. "We love the competition, and we love the fact that you never know what could happen in October. You could have a Battle of the Beltway when its a little coolder and bring the fans back out.dddddddddddd" Gonzalez (6-5) allowed three earned runs and six hits in 6 2-3 innings. His streak of 22 consecutive scoreless innings ended when Pearce connected in the first. Gonzalez won his previous three starts without giving up a run and was unbeaten in four starts following a one-month stay on the disabled list with a shoulder injury. "I felt fine," he said. "Its a tough lineup, all the way down to the last guy." Pearce put the Orioles in front for good with a drive to left on a 2-0 pitch. It was his 11th home run, more than his previous three seasons combined. Baltimore added three runs in the third after Gonzalez retired the first two batters. After an RBI double by Jones put runners at second and third, Cruz grounded a run-scoring single in the hole that shortstop Ian Desmond gloved before throwing wildly to third, allowing Jones to score. That ended Washingtons 13-game errorless streak, which matched the teams longest run since the franchise moved from Montreal in 2005. Zimmermans two-out RBI single made it 4-1 in the fourth, and Washington got runners on the corners with two outs in the fifth before Chen struck out Anthony Rendon on three pitches. The Nationals closed to 4-3 in the sixth. After Werth homered on an 0-2 pitch -- his second long ball in two nights -- Zimmerman doubled and Desmond chased Chen with an RBI double off the scoreboard in right field before Tommy Hunter retired Wilson Ramos on a groundout. Ramos later flied out with the bases full in the eighth. NOTES: Desmond got hit on the thumb with a pitch but said he was OK. ... Baltimore optioned RHP Bud Norris to Double-A Bowie and recalled RHP Preston Guilmet from Triple-A Norfolk. Norris pitched Wednesday and wont be needed against until after the All-Star break. ... The Orioles host the New York Yankees in a three-game series before heading into the All-Star break. Miguel Gonzalez (4-5) faces New Yorks Hiroki Kuroda in the opener Friday night. ... Washington closes the first half with a three-game series in Philadelphia. Jordan Zimmermann will start for the Nationals on Friday night. ... Ramos extended his career-best hitting streak to 13 games, but teammate Bryce Harper went 0 for 3 and is in a 1-for-20 skid over his last six games. ' ' '