Its not easy to turn the page after being on the wrong side of a 27-point comeback.

PHOENIX - Its not easy to turn the page after being on the wrong side of a 27-point comeback. TreQuan Smith Jersey . Theres no manual on regrouping in the aftermath of something like that, mostly because it doesnt happen much. Tuesday was the first time the franchise had suffered such a collapse in its 19-year existence. "We could have stayed here and practiced for 10 hours, but we needed something to refresh our minds," Dwane Casey explained after his team returned to practice at Phoenixs US Airways Center Thursday afternoon. The team bus was en route to the arena the day prior when Casey and his staff called an audible, surprising their players who were expecting to spend the afternoon in the gym. Instead, they stopped a few blocks away for lunch and spent the next few hours at the bowling alley. "It was good for us," Casey said of his teams bonding day, which was planned before Tuesdays "debacle" in Oakland. "Guys got guys in a better spirit, ate lunch, spent time together." "We knew we had two days to prepare for Phoenix. No disrespect to Phoenix and no disrespect to [Fridays] game, because we know we have work to do, but that was the reason why [we took the day off], to refresh the mind, get us juiced up again, clear our minds a little bit and get back to work." Perhaps its just a coincidence, but some of Torontos most encouraging games during the first month of the season have come directly after bonding days or team dinners on the road. They handed it to the 76ers after sharing a meal at Kyle Lowrys house and their victory in Memphis - still their only win against a team currently over the .500 mark - came after Rudy Gay hosted a dinner at his home. "It definitely helps us free our minds [and] takes a lot of tension, a lot of stress off our minds from the previous game," said DeMar DeRozan, who claimed to have bowled a 100, his personal average. The big winner, according to DeRozan, was Aaron Gray with a score of 185. "Something like that definitely helps," he continued. "[To] just bond, really feel normal as a group, just go out there and feel normal and thats what we did yesterday. I think it always helps." It wasnt all fun and games though. The elephant on the lanes was - as you would expect - the teams 112-103 loss to the Warriors, a game in which they were outscored 42-15 in the fourth quarter. "We talked about it yesterday," said Casey. "We flushed it then. Its a long season and one game doesnt define us. Does it hurt? Yes, and it should hurt." Although they watched tape from the loss, Casey didnt make his players sit through the entire fourth quarter. The Raptors coach, however, watched it three or four times. "Last night was the first time I slept [since the loss],” he said. "Its frustrating," DeRozan admitted after re-watching parts of the collapse. "We watched it and we have to continue to learn from our mistakes and understand weve got to play the whole game. Even if were up [by] 50 with two minutes left, we have to finish the game off strong." Back to work Thursday, Casey said the team had a good, hard practice focusing on some reoccurring issues that stood out from watching that film. "Today we worked on screening, timing on screens, waiting for screens and the other [issue] is spacing," Casey mentioned. "We talked about that because that is an issue. Teams are able to clog, double team or whatever and give half a man to those wings if we are not spaced properly." Further to that, ball movement was emphasized once again. The Raptors, who still rank dead last in the league in assists, recorded just one dime in the fourth on Tuesday. Three full days removed from their most embarrassing loss of the campaign, the Raptors will get another shot at snapping their losing skid - which now stands at four - on Friday against the Suns, one of the leagues biggest surprises at 10-9. Custom New Orleans Saints Jerseys . The hard-serving 22-year-old from Thornhill, Ont., became the first Canadian to be ranked in the Top 10 on the ATP World Tour thanks to his runner-up performance at Rogers Cup in Montreal. Patrick Robinson Jersey . While the pair of Spain internationals return, midfielder Xavi Hernandez will not be included in the squad after failing to recover from a muscle strain to his left leg. http://www.saintsfootballpro.com/Saints-Jermon-Bushrod-Jersey/ . -- Adrian Peterson takes a look around the league and sees big money flying everywhere. HOYLAKE, England -- Rory McIlroy looked as though he had just thrown a knockout punch at the British Open, and it was only Saturday. When he rolled in a 10-foot eagle putt on the final hole for a 4-under 68, he straightened his back, stared defiantly at thousands of fans crammed into the horseshoe arena around the 18th green at Royal Liverpool and lightly pumped his fist. He went from being tied for the lead to six shots ahead of Rickie Fowler in just over an hour. And suddenly, the biggest challenge facing the 25-year-old from Northern Ireland was reminding himself that he had one more round left. McIlroy cant afford to picture his name etched on the base of that silver claret jug. He cant think about what it will be like next April to drive down Magnolia Lane at Augusta National with a shot at becoming the sixth player to capture the career Grand Slam. "Im not taking anything for granted," McIlroy said. He knows that from experience, good and bad. He blew a four-shot lead at the Masters in 2011 and shot 80 in the final round. He had an eight-shot lead at the U.S. Open two months later and set two scoring records to win by eight. And just two months ago, McIlroy came from seven shots behind to win by seven. It looks like a lost cause for Fowler, Sergio Garcia and anyone else trying to chase down a guy who has won both his majors by eight shots. The six-shot lead was the largest at The Open since Tiger Woods led by six at St. Andrews in 2000. Even so, McIlroy was doing his best to preach caution. "A lot can happen," he said. "And Ive been on the right side of it and Ive been on the wrong side of it. You cant let yourself think forward. Youve just got to completely stay in the moment, and thats what Im going to try to do for all 18 holes tomorrow." History is on his side. No one has ever lost a six-shot lead in the 121 years that The Open has been contested over 72 holes. Boy Wonder would not seem to be a candidate. "What you have with him is hes just so explosive," Jim Furyk said after a 71 left him 10 shots behind. "He won the U.S. Open by eight shots. He obviously doesnt have any issue as the front-runner, and has no issue trying to extend that lead, much like Tiger used to." McIlroy was at 16-under 200. "If Im able to go out and get off to a good start, maybe I can put a little bit of pressure on him," Fowler said after a 68. "Because hes definitely in control of the golf tournament right now." Fowler tried to do his part on a cloudy Saturday withh occasional rain, but not nearly what the R&A expected when it went to a two-tee start of the first time in history. Cameron Meredith Jersey. . Fowler, who was six shots behind going into the third round, ran off three straight birdies to start the back nine and shared the lead when McIlroy made bogey on No. 12. It all changed so quickly. Fowler made a bogey on the 14th hole. McIlroy, playing in the group behind, drilled a 35-foot birdie putt that put his lead back to two shots. "Rickie was just getting close to me," McIlroy said. "I could hear the cheers in front of me. I just wanted to get ahead. To hole a putt like that was huge." And thats when he turned it on. McIlroy blasted a drive on the par-5 16th hole and hit 4-iron from 252 yards over a pot bunker to the left side of the green and made a 15-foot eagle putt. That restored his lead to five shots, for Fowler had driven into a pot bunker and made a bogey. Fowler recovered with a superb shot out of the pot bunker on the 18th to tap-in range for birdie. That put the American into the final group for the second straight major, both times a long way out of the lead. He trailed Martin Kaymer by five shots going into the last day of the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2. Fowler didnt get closer than four shots from Kaymer in the final round. Garcia, who played in final group with Woods at Royal Liverpool in 2006, certainly had his chances. He was only three shots behind at the turn until missing a short birdie putt on No. 12 and failing to convert so many other chances. Garcia had a 69 and was seven shots behind, along with Dustin Johnson (71). "Its going to be difficult," Garcia said. "But well give it a shot." David Hearn (71) of Brantford, Ont., was tied for 31st at 2-under par. This was Rorys show, just like it was at Congressional, just like it was at Kiawah Island when he won the 2012 PGA Championship. And yet the biggest crowd belonged to Woods, the sports biggest star who is playing his first major since back surgery four months ago. Woods narrowly made the cut on Friday, opened with two straight birdies and that was about all the excitement. He made another double bogey, another triple bogey and shot 73. Woods was 19 shots out of the lead. The biggest challenge for McIlroy might be to avoid looking ahead. It was hard. Asked what it would mean to be one major away from a Grand Slam at 25, McIlroy said, "It would mean a lot of hype going into Augusta next year." "Id be in pretty illustrious company," he said. 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