TORONTO - Greivis Vasquez has never been short on confidence, a trait Terrence Ross and a few of his teammates could use a healthy dose of right now. Imma be an all-star too, the back-up point guard shouted at Pelicans forward and MVP candidate Anthony Davis, an old friend, before shoving reporters aside in an attempt to interrupt the pre-game media scrum with his former coach Monty Williams. We saw the good (nine assists, spark to start third-quarter run) and the bad (5-for-14 shooting, blown defensive assignment on Tyreke Evans game-winner) from Vasquez on Sunday evening, but the Raptors most pressing issue, suffering their seventh loss in a span of nine games, may be his biggest strength. Were playing in mud right now, Dwane Casey said after a disappointing 95-93 defeat at the hands of a New Orleans Pelicans team missing their two best players. Confidence-wise, weve got to come out believing were going to make a play offensively or defensively. Just playing with that type of confidence, that type of belief that you can get it done. It feels like the weight of the world is on our shoulders. Somehow, someway we have to get back to playing basketball, and not feeling like the weight of the world is on our shoulders. Vasquez started the second half in place of the struggling Ross, who didnt play a second in the games final two quarters. For 11 minutes, the Raptors - led by Vasquez, DeMar DeRozan and Amir Johnson - competed at the level in which Casey had challenged them to play just ahead of tip-off. Todays game plan is simple, the Raptors head coach had said. Play hard. Its simple. So if they get intimidated by that, were in trouble. The Raptors scored 35 points in the third quarter, one fewer than they had totalled the entire first half, but were bested 81-58 during the other three frames. Coming off a 15-point loss to lowly 76ers, New Orleans was playing without the injured Davis and Jrue Holiday in what seemed like an advantageous opportunity for Toronto to get back on track, or at least boost their fleeting confidence. Instead, they came out flat once again. They scored 14 points in the opening 12 minutes, a first quarter season-low, and had just 36 at the break, fewest theyve registered in any half this year. As they marched off the court following a lifeless 24 minutes of play, Vasquez noticed and took issue with the spattering of boos he heard from yet another sellout crowd at the Air Canada Centre. Fans have to be patient, the 28-year-old guard said. Discouraged how they boo us and stuff like that. I dont think thats very nice because we are really playing hard for them and representing the city. We want the best and we want to win. Toronto took a 12-point lead in the third quarter, a 28-point swing in just under 13 minutes, before it all came crumbling down again. The offence, red-hot moments earlier, dried up in a hurry and journeyman centre - and former Raptor, once upon a time - Alexis Ajinca scored 10 of his career-high 22 points down the stretch. It was a contest the Raptors deserved to lose, and sure enough they did just that. No team, regardless of their confidence-level, should expect to steal a game in which they play just 11 minutes of spirited basketball. Were not losers in here, Vasquez said. We want to win, we play hard. It hurts. It bothers us that were losing the way that were losing, but its part of the NBA. So whoever wants to go out with us, its cool. Whoever is not [on board], its cool too. Is there anyone in the room who is not on board, Vasquez was asked as a follow up. No, I wouldnt say that, he responded. I wouldnt say that. After another uninspiring first-half performance - scoreless on three shots in just under 11 minutes of action - Ross spent the entire second half on the bench. As his teammates jumped to their feet applauding each bucket during their third-quarter run, the third-year swingman remained glued to his seat. Reminiscent of his postseason slump last spring, Ross body language told his story as it has for most of this month. Since averaging 36 minutes in the teams final five games of December, the 23-year-old is yet to log 30 in eight contests to begin the new year. Hes hit just two of 15 shots over his previous three outings while his attention detail, primarily on defence, has been noticeably askew. Casey has been hesitant to pull Ross from the starting lineup, and gave little indication on whether this change will be permanent going forward, but the struggling forward forced his hand on Sunday. Were not giving up on him, Casey said after the game. Hes a young man. All those [young] players, like Ive always said, theyre going to be up and down. Weve just got to help him any way we can. Whether its extra work, whether coming out of the lineup is going to help his confidence, whatever it is, weve got to get his mojo going. Weve just got to be there for him the best way we can, uplift him just like we do everybody else, said DeRozan, who scored a team-high 22 points, 13 of them in the third. Weve all been there playing in this league. Everybodys been there some type of way. Weve just got to help him out the best way we can and get him back on his feet. And once he gets rolling its going to be something he definitely needed when he looks back on it. So, the Raptors go back to the drawing board, with little time to get back on their feet before facing the upstart Milwaukee Bucks in Wisconsin on Monday. The confidence they had for the bulk of 2014, the edge, the mojo, the belief, whatever you want to call it, has escaped them. Somehow they need to rediscover it, and fast. The past week or two, we just stopped being ourselves, Vasquez said. Weve got to change. We do know that. One of the biggest things about this team and this locker room is that we care about each other. Chemistry. Weve got to get our energy back, weve got to get our love for the game back. We need to struggle. This is good for all of us, because now we see who is with us. Were not losers, were not going to stay like this. Were not going to go to sleep, were not happy, nobodys happy in this locker room, were all pissed off. Fake Nike NBA Jerseys . -- Once again, Carlos Santana was a huge hit in Kansas City. Wholesale Fake NBA Jerseys . For the Blue Jays the time was Wednesday and the ace was R.A. Dickey. He stepped up. "I feel some responsibility as a stopper from time to time," said Dickey. http://www.fakenbajerseys.com/. The move - the latest twist in Greeces nearly three-year financial freefall -- is the first such action by any of the countrys major sports bodies. It immediately halts all domestic track and field competitions, including track meets May 12-13 in several Greek cities. Fake NBA Jerseys China . Pierre last November, only to watch St. Pierre leave the UFC octagon with his welterweight title belt and a split-decision victory. Cheap Fake NBA Jerseys . TSN was honoured with several awards, with Rod Smith and James Duthie sharing the win for Best Sports Host for SportsCentre and the NHL: Season On The Brink coverage, respectively.Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka revealed he has a fully fit squad to choose from for Friday’s Sky Live clash with QPR at Loftus Road. Spanish defender Daniel Ayala is available again after an ankle problem, while Cristhian Stuani, Dael Fry, and Julien de Sart came through the international matches without picking up any injuries.Boro played a behind-closed-doors friendly with Sunderland during the international break, a fixture Karanka feels helped players on their way back from injury to regain match fitness. The friendly against Sunderland was really good, Karanka told Middlesbroughs official website.We had players who had been injured who played, like Dani Ayala, and players who hadnt played a lot. Dani has also trained with us all this week so hes ready to play. Highlights from Middlesbroughs last Championship game - at home to Hull We have to think of the future and we have an amazing month in front of us.dddddddddddd We have eight games this month and thats the main thing that everyones ready to play.Watch QPR v Middlesbrough on Friday. Coverage begins on Sky Sports 1 HD at 7pm. Or watch live for £6.99 without a contract, on NOW TV. Also See: Boro video Boro fixtures Boro stats Bet ￡5 Get ￡20 Free ' ' '