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Hes back. Kobe Bryant will make his season debut Sunday night, eight months after he underwent surgery to repair a torn left Achilles tendon. Bryant announced he would return at home against the Toronto Raptors Sunday on his Facebook account. He was practicing harder and concedes there are things that need to improve, but Black Mamba is back. Catch the game on TSN2 starting at 9:30pm et/6:30pm pt. "Getting a rhythm under my legs, as far as stopping on a dime, raising up and shooting," Bryant said. "And getting your game legs underneath you where you can shoot a jump shot comfortably." Head coach Mike DAntoni will ease Bryant, 35, back into the lineup. "We wont know until we see him. But he can play any way," DAntoni told NBA.com. "He can play below the rim, above the rim, beside the rim. Hell figure out how he will be effective, and then hell come at you with everything hes got. Thats been his M.O. and I think thats what hell do." Bryant was hurt in the fourth quarter of an April 12 game against Golden State when he tried to drive to the basket and collapsed to the floor in pain. He had surgery the following morning and was given a 6-to-9 month recovery window. Bryant averaged 27.3 points, 6.0 assists and 5.6 rebounds per game in 78 tilts a year ago. The Lakers have managed pretty well without one of the best in the history of the game. They improved to 10-9 with a 106-100 victory Friday night in Sacramento. L.A. closed with 13 straight points for its sixth win in the last eight. Pau Gasol and Jodie Meeks, who buried a pair of late 3s to squash the Kings chances, led the way with 19 points apiece. Nick Young had 14 off the bench, while Wesley Johnson and Steve Blake scored 13 points each. Blake also handed out 10 assists. Robert Sacre, the Lakers new starting center, had 11 points. Also on the injury front for the Lakers, Steve Nash, another future Hall of Famer, could return next week from a nerve root irritation issue in his back. The Raptors, who have taken footnote status for Sundays game, have dropped five straight, including the first two on this three-game western trip. They blew a 27-point second-half lead against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday, then lost 106-97 Friday in Phoenix. It was a two-point game at the half, but the Suns took the third by five to lead by seven, then held on in the fourth quarter. "Its been tough all year. I dont know what else to say. Its kind of sounding like a broken record," said Rudy Gay. "It starts with the third quarter." Amir Johnson led the way with 22 points off the bench, followed by 21 from Kyle Lowry. Gay had 17 points and 11 rebounds and Jonas Valanciunas also had a double-double with 11 points and 10 boards. DeMar DeRozan only managed 13 points. Tyler Hansbrough left the game with a sprained left shoulder in the first quarter. He is listed as day-to-day. The teams split last seasons two meetings, but the Lakers have won five of the last six and nine of the last 11. The Lakers have taken 10 straight at home against the Raptors and Torontos last road victory in this series came on Dec. 28, 2001. The Raptors are 2-14 all-time as the visitors against the Lakers. Roger Staubach Jersey . The 24-year-old Raley was 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA for Chicago in his first two career starts after being called up from Iowa on Aug. 7. He was optioned to Iowa on Monday after losing 3-0 to Cincinnati in Chicago on Sunday. Tony Dorsett Jersey . Miralem Pjanic dribbled through the defence to score an extraordinary goal in the 43rd minute at the Stadio Olimpico and Gervinho added another from a rebound in the 65th for Romas ninth straight victory — ending Milans five-match winning streak. http://www.shoptheofficialcowboys.com/El...oys-Jersey/.com) - The New York Islanders will try to solve their issues against Central Division opponents when they visit the Minnesota Wild for Tuesdays battle at Xcel Energy Center. DeMarcus Ware Jersey . With timely hitting and good pitching, the Marlins are one win away from sweeping the slumping Houston Astros. Terrell Owens Jersey .com) - The Los Angeles Kings peppered Ryan Miller with shot after shot. SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- One swish after another, Damian Lillard pulled Portland closer. One or two more, and he mightve pulled off one of the NBAs most improbable comebacks this season. DeMarcus Cousins tied a season-high with 35 points to go with 13 rebounds, Rudy Gay scored 32 points and the Sacramento Kings held off a furious rally by Lillard to beat the Trail Blazers 123-119 on Tuesday night. "Thats the craziest game Ive ever been a part of," Cousins said. "I could not wait until the end. I dont ever want to be in a situation with the ball in Damian Lillards hands. Im glad we got the win, but that was a scary thing." Cousins and Gay provided the spark for a 32-12 run at the end of the third and beginning of the fourth quarters that put Sacramento ahead by 19 points. Gay fouled out with 4:12 remaining, and the Blazers nearly rallied back. After scoring just 13 points in the third quarter, Portland had 46 points in the final period. Lillard alone scored 26 of his 41 points in the fourth to power Portland within two in the final minute. But the Kings made just enough free throws to hold off the Blazers, who have lost four of their last six games. "That clock was moving very, very slow," Kings coach Michael Malone said. "Damian just kept on coming." LaMarcus Aldridge added 24 points and eight rebounds, and Nicolas Batum finished with 11 points, 11 rebounds and five assists while playing with a fractured left middle finger in Portlands latest loss. The Kings had dropped two straight after beating top contenders Miami and Houston. Sacramento held a players-only meeting on Sunday, and the Kings emerged to knock off another one of the NBAs best. Gay made consecutive 3-pointers, a three-point play and a layup during Sacramentos surge in the fourth. Cousins also put back a rebound and hit a jumper to help the Kings go ahead 102-83 with 7:54 remaining. Sacramento led 117-105 with 1:12 to play when Lillard turned into a one-man wrecking crew. The reigning NBA Rookie of the Year made three 3-pointers, a fast-break layup and was fouled shooting another from beyond the arc -- which just rimmed out. He made all three free throws to slice Sacramentos lead to 121-119 with 16.5 seconds left. "Once I make a few, I can get going," Lillard said. Isaiah Thomas hit two free throws bbefore Lillard missed from long range to all but end the comeback.dddddddddddd Lillard shot 13 of 24 from the floor and added seven rebounds and four assists. "Hes a competitor and at no time does he ever think hes out of a game," Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. "Hes done that a lot in the two years hes been here. Hes a special player." In a matchup between one of the best and one of the worst teams in the West, Sacramento flipped the script on a Blazers team that had cruised through most of its schedule. The Blazers also had beaten the Kings on consecutive nights in November, winning 104-91 in Portland and 96-85 in Sacramento. The Kings started three players who did not start in the two previous games against Portland -- most notably Gay, who was acquired from Toronto in a seven-player trade in early December. That included Marcus Thornton moving back in the starting lineup for Sacramento, replacing seventh overall pick Ben McLemore. Thornton finished with three points and eight rebounds, and McLemore had two points and two assists. The Blazers still outscored Sacramento 35-24 in the first quarter and seemed ready to go 3-0 against the Kings this season. Portland shot 63.2 per cent from the floor and made 10 of 11 free throws in the period. Instead, the Kings opened the second quarter on a 14-5 run led by mostly reserves. The teams traded baskets for the remainder of the half, and the Blazers held a 60-55 lead at the break. Thomas, who had 22 points and eight assists, hit a pair of 3s to highlight a 13-2 spurt for Sacramento to start the third quarter. Portlands topsy-turvy second half just wasnt enough to rally behind Lillard. "I just didnt want to lose the game," Lillard said. "We had some good spurts on offence, then some bad spurts on defence, then bad spurts on offence, and then good defence. We just need to be more consistent. But when it came down to it we still had a chance to win the game. Thats all I was thinking about." NOTES: C.J. McCollum, the 10th overall pick in the NBA draft out of Lehigh, was in Portlands active lineup for the first time this season after fracturing his left foot in training camp. He did not play. "I just didnt think tonight was the night," Stotts said ... The Blazers and Kings meet for the final time this season April 9 in Portland. ' ' '