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On Wednesday night, the man who put the Toronto Raptors on the map returns to the Air Canada Centre for what could be the final time. Vincent Lamar Carter is no longer the lean, athletic dynamo who dazzled Raptors fans with eye-popping dunks that posterized even the leagues best defenders. Carter is also no longer the petulant man-child who fans feel gave up on his team and his city and forced a move away from the franchise that he legitimized. At almost 37, Vince Carter is an NBA veteran, perhaps not grizzled, but a far cry from the two sides of the one man that Toronto Raptors fans remember with both fondness and disdain. In Torontos case, the latter greatly outweighs the former. Carter first returned to Toronto after his acrimonious exit as a member of the then-New Jersey Nets in April, 2005. To say that the reception he received was unwelcome would be kind. Few things stir up anger in sports fans like being jilted by a player they once idolized. The torrent of abuse directed Carters way didnt seem to faze him as he ended up dropping 39 on his former mates in a Nets win. When Carters Dallas Mavericks take on the Raptors on Wednesday night, Carter is likely to once again be met by vociferous boos as he always has been since the first time he came back to the ACC as a member of the enemy, but, of course, with each subsequent visit, the jeers have gotten quieter. The anger that once consumed Raptors fans just isnt there anymore for the most part. When Vince Carter is booed again tonight, it will be more out of habit than anything else. Much like the case with his cousin, the now-retired Tracy McGrady, the booing is just what you do. All of this, then, begs the question: Should time heal all wounds? In what might be the last time Toronto Raptors fans see Vince Carter at the Air Canada Centre, is it time for Raptors fans to let the good outweigh the bad and welcome the prodigal son back into the fold? Lets not kid ourselves. The break-up was bad and Carter had more than a big hand in it. On the morning of the biggest game in franchise history - Game 7 of the 2001 Eastern Conference Semifinals with the Philadelphia 76ers - Carter decided to fly to Raleigh to collect his degree from the University of North Carolina. Its anybodys guess as to why he chose to go then and not in the summer, but unrelatedly or not, Carter missed the game-winning shot that evening with only two seconds left on the clock. And then there was the meddling with the front office. Obviously, most franchises try to jibe with their best players wishes, but many felt Carter overstepped his bounds. The impetus to bring in a broken-down Hakeem Olajuwon and offer him a pricey extension appeared to come from Carter. It was a spectacular failure. Carter was constantly in managements ear and attempting to mold the club in ways that he wanted. Outside of a brief stint in the Orlando Magic front office as vice-president, Julius Erving had no managerial experience, yet this was the man who Carter championed to almost the point of insistence for the Raptors general manager job in 2004. When the team went with Rob Babcock, Carter took this as an affront. When the situation became untenable that season, Babcocks hands were tied to the point that all he could fetch from the Nets in exchange for Carter were bench pieces Eric Williams and Aaron Williams, a past-his-prime Alonzo Mourning - who never played a game for the team and was almost immediately released, but not before receiving a $9 million buyout package – and a pair of first-round draft picks. The cruelest blow, though, came the month after he was traded when he sat down with legendary Georgetown coach John Thompson, then working as an analyst for TNT, and told him that he had begun to coast in his last years in Toronto. "I was just fortunate enough to have the talent," Carter said. "You know, you get spoiled when youre able to do a lot of things and you see that, and you really dont have to work at it. But now, I think with all the injuries and the things that have gone on, I have to work a little harder and Im a little hungrier. Thats why getting the opportunity to have a fresh start with New Jersey has made me want to attack the basket for a lot of reasons." To hear your franchise player admit to dogging it is beyond the pale and probably reason enough alone for the idea of some sort of reconciliation to be out of the question. Recently, though, Carter has claimed that he never wanted to leave the Raptors and told as much to Babcock, but was informed that a deal had already been agreed upon with the Nets. Former Raptors coach Sam Mitchell corroborated Carters account, but considering this information became public almost 10 years after the fact, it came across as little more than damage control for what is seemingly an irreparable image in this city. Still, as the spectre of Carters exit still casts a shadow over what he did as a Raptor, is it time that the two arent mutually exclusive? It was Carter who led the team to its first ever playoff spot. It was Carter who led the team to its first ever series win. It was Carter who got the Raptors onto national American television broadcasts and into the larger basketball consciousness as something other than just that team that plays in Canada. To say nothing of the fact that Carter remains the franchise leader in points per game and second in total points. Is it time Raptors fans let Carters legacy outshine the acrimony of his exit? Or is the exit his legacy with the Toronto Raptors? As always, its Your! Call. Braden Bishop Jersey . 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Jim Presley Jersey .com) - The San Antonio Spurs will try to even their series with the Dallas Mavericks Monday night when the two teams collide at American Airlines Arena for Game 4.GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany - With an overwhelming offensive display, Real Madrid became the first road team to score six goals in a knockout-stage game of the Champions League and put itself in position for its fourth straight trip to the quarterfinals. Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema scored two goals each Wednesday night in a 6-1 rout of Schalke in the first leg of their second-round matchup. "We played a very, very good match," Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. "We got well into the match, scored two early goals and that opened the game and left us able to counter and to use the speed of our players." In the nights other game, Aurelien Chedjous goal off Wesley Sneijders corner kick in the 64th minute gave Galatasaray a 1-1 tie against visiting Chelsea, which had gone ahead when Fernando Torres scored in the ninth minute. Ronaldos two goals gave him 11 in the Champions League this season and 34 in 34 games in all competitions. With 61 Champions League goals in his career, Ronaldo moved one ahead of Ruud Van Nistelrooy for third place, trailing only Raul Gonzalez (71) and Lionel Messi (66). Real extended its unbeaten streak to 27 games, seven shy of the club record set in 1988-89. Second legs of the total-goals series are March 18. Los Blancos, who had 58 per cent possession and outshot the hosts 21-10, are seeking their record 10th title in Europes top club competition following semifinal elimination in each of the last three seasons. Madrid had won only once in its previous 25 matches in Germany, 3-2 at Bayer Leverkusen in 2000. "Real and Bayern are the two best teams in the world," Schalke cooach Jens Keller said, referring to the runaway Bundesliga leader and defending Champions League titlist.dddddddddddd Benzema scored in the 13th and 57th minutes, while Bale had goals in the 21st and 69th minutes. Ronaldo scored in the 52nd and 89th. With Real ahead 1-0, goalkeeper Iker Casillas made a stunning reflex save on Julian Draxlers shot from three yards following a deflected cross from Jefferson Farfan. "It was an incredible save, maybe the crucial moment of the match," Ancelotti said. Schalkes Klaas-Jan Huntelaar had the most spectacular goal on a volley in the fourth minute of stoppage time. "The difference in class was clear," Draxler said. "We can forget about the second leg and concentrate on the Bundesliga." In Istanbul, Torres scored following Cezar Azpilicuetas cutback pass. "I wouldnt want to say thats a great result. We all now know what a strong team they are," Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard said. "Little bit disappointed today really at halftime it wasnt more than one nil up. I think we played very well first half, we controlled it. They didnt have any chances and we have about four or five very good counterattacks, and we didnt make more of them." Didier Drogba, whose penalty kick won the 2012 title for Chelsea, was playing against his former team. Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is trying to win a Champions League title with a third team following victories with Porto in 2004 and Inter Milan in 2010. "They have very powerful strikers and we are going to have a difficult time at Stamford Bridge — thats for sure," Mourinho said. ' ' '