CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Al Jefferson sat at his locker pondering how the Charlotte Bobcats nearly surrendered a 30-point lead they held late in the third quarter. "Of course we had to make it a game," Jefferson said with a grin. "We couldnt enjoy an easy win, right?" It never seems that easy for the Bobcats. Despite the big lead, Jefferson and Bobcats didnt breathe a sigh of relief until Ramon Sessions knocked down two free throws with 1.6 seconds left to secure a 100-95 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Monday. Jefferson became the first Bobcats player to record a double-double in the first quarter and finished with 22 points, 19 rebounds and a season-high seven assists and the Bobcats defeated the Raptors for the seventh straight time in Charlotte. "The important thing is we came out of it with a win," Jefferson said after the Bobcats withstood a furious Toronto rally that included several 3-pointers. It was Charlottes first game without point guard Kemba Walker, whose streak of 190 straight games played -- the second-longest in franchise history -- was snapped. Walker sprained his ankle in a loss Saturday night to the Miami Heat. But the Bobcats got more than enough from their two reserve point guards as Sessions and the seldom-used Jannero Pargo combined for 40 points on 10 of 17 shooting. Sessions started and had 23 points in 34 minutes and was 10 of 11 from the line. "We knew they were going to make a run sooner or later, especially with how good theyve been playing," Sessions said. "We didnt expect it to be that big of a run." DeMar DeRozan had 25 points and Kyle Lowry had 21 for the Atlantic Division-leading Raptors, who fell to .500 after their fourth straight road loss. The Raptors were down 71-41 with 4:37 left in the third quarter when they started to find some energy. They outscored the Bobcats 28-0 on second-chance points, but it still wasnt enough. Toronto twice had chances to tie the game in the final two minutes, but Lowry missed a free throw and Greivis Vasquez couldnt connect on a long 3-pointer. "To be a championship team or even think about the playoffs, youve got to play back-to-back, you have to play nicked up, youve got to play a little fatigued," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "Right now, we have a bunch of guys who are giving into fatigue and nicked up. Its a long season, but, again, you tell a lot about who you are in these situations. "This was a gut-check game. In the fourth quarter, we turned it around. But its about what we did in the first three quarters that was disappointing." Despite nearly surrendering a huge lead, Bobcats coach Steve Clifford called it a "big win" for his team with Walker out of the lineup. Jefferson, who came in averaging 27.8 points and 11.5 rebounds for his previous four games, had 14 points and 12 rebounds in the first half as the Bobcats went up 55-36. But the Raptors began double teaming Jefferson in the third quarter with Chuck Hayes the primary defender. "Chuck and I are great friends, but I hate him as a defender," Jefferson said. "Hes one of those guys thats very smart and you cant move him." Things got hairy for the Bobcats when DeRozan stripped Jefferson and went the length of the floor for an uncontested layup to trim the lead to three with 2:33 left. With 26 seconds left, Lowry drove the lane, scored and drew a foul on Jefferson to cut the lead to one. But he missed the free throw that would have tied the game. Sessions hit two free throws to push the lead back to three. Vasquez, who finished with 15 points and nine assists in his best game as a Raptor, got an open look from the right corner on the next possession but missed a 3-pointer from the right corner. Walker is expected to miss about two weeks after spraining his ankle in Saturday nights loss to Miami. He had 29 points against the Raptors on Dec. 18, including a buzzer beater in a 104-102 victory. But Sessions and Pargo provided a great spark. Sessions had nine points in the first quarter and Pargo came off the bench to hit his first three shots, including two 3-pointers, in his first four minutes of play in the second quarter. NOTES: The 36 points in the first half were the fewest allowed by the Bobcats all season -- they held the Raptors to 33 per cent shooting. ... Jefferson posted his third straight game with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. .. .Charlotte has won nine of its past 14 against Toronto. .. Toronto attempted 29 3-pointers. They made 10. Alex Colome White Sox Jersey . Whenever United loses, its crisis. When other top teams slip up, its the quirky nature of the Premier League. The predictable reaction speaks to the sky-high expectations for a team proven perennial contender and 13 times Premier League champion. White Sox Jerseys 2019 . Hall had a goal and three assists in a 5-4 loss to San Jose on Tuesday, had an assist in each of Edmontons next two games the capped the week with a goal and two assists in the Oilers 4-2 win over Anaheim on Sunday. https://www.cheapwhitesox.com/1714e-ryan...-white-sox.html. -- Southern Illinois coach Barry Hinson couldnt hear himself amid the roar in Koch Arena, so he kept stomping on the floor in a fruitless attempt to get his teams attention. Fake White Sox Jerseys .com) - They didnt meet in the regular season, so Sam Houston State might be saying it won the de facto title game between the two Southland Conference co-champions Saturday. Bobby Jenks White Sox Jersey . 1 status and was unable to prevent a late season collapse, James Reimer said he wants to put the past behind him and is looking forward to spending the next two years in a Maple Leaf uniform.He was the child star of a McDonalds advert and dubbed footballs next big thing who was fawned over by Ajaxs 1995 Champions League-winning team. Sonny Pike had in front of him the career that so many wished for - but he ended up at Leyton Orient before falling out of the game by the time he was old enough to pass his driving test.The Englishman fears Celtics precocious Karamoko Dembele could suffer a similar fate if he allows others to influence his future the way he did. The Parkhead schoolboy is at the centre of a tug of war between Scotland and England after it emerged he was invited by the FA to train at St Georges Park last month. We caught up with 90s wonderkid Sonny Pike to find out what happened next for the boy who had the world at his feet 20 years ago. While the SFA is determined to keep Dembele, the prospect of losing him after just a few minutes of game-time for the under-16s is real.From the moment footage of the 13-year-old appeared on YouTube earlier this year, pressure on him has been mounting and the weight of expectation is heavy.It is a situation Pike relates to with uncomfortable ease. After catching the eye at the age of 10, he was soon touted as the new Diego Maradona and had his legs insured for £1million.TV appearances, sponsorship deals and Premier League interest followed along with an on-pitch outing at the 1996 English League Cup final to do some keepy-ups for Coca-Cola.Demand for the youngster was snowballing - yet that would change just as quickly. Dembele made his Scotland U16 debut as a substitute against Wales but has also trained with England in recent weeks Ajax took him on trial and after mixing with Louis van Gaal, Patrick Kluivert and Frank Rijkaard, they desperately tried to sign him, but he rejected them to stay at home in Essex.Pike joined Orient instead and the dream soon unravelled to the point that by 17, he was out of love with football and contemplating suicide because things had gone so sour.The extreme nature of his experiences stands as a valid warning to any emerging talent of how wrong things can go - and none more so in his eyes at present than Dembele.Pike, now 33, said: People have been messaging me a lot about Karamoko over the last few weeks and comparing us, saying its a similar sort of situation. Dembeles clear talent has resulted in lots of speculation about his future. Pictures courtesy keepitonthedeck.com Ive seen a few clips of him and he looks a great little player. He has natural strength and thats important because everyone will have that when hes older.Its interesting to consider which way its going to go for him and hopefully it can be a good thing for him.I like to see young footballers coming through but now its all about how Karamoko is managed and having the right people around him.People have to understand his situation. Things can develop so quickly that the next thing you know, he could be doing so much elsewhere that it takes away from his football. Karamoko Dembeles debut for Celtics U20 side against Hearts in October attracted plenty of Twitter interest Hes very talented but as I experienced myself, it can go from being a good thing to a bad thing pretty quickly.Once you get to the money side of things and people start earning, it can go very wrong and football itself slips down the list a bit.Id imagine Karamokos parents have already had lots of new friends presenting themselves, something I wouldnt be surprised to hear.They have to realise how all the focus, attention and distractions could mix up their sons feelings and affect his game. Its a lot for a kid of that age to take on.Everythings so instant nowadays that Im sure hes feeling a bit of pressure already but hopefully people just leave him to play football.ddddddddddddKaramoko has to stay focused on himself. We are talking about a lad of 13 and its down to his parents, those closest to him and Celtic to work together and not get too far ahead. Pike says the support of Dembeles family, including his father Lossissen (left) and sister Macolua (right) will be crucial in his development Pike speaks a lot about family support and little wonder. His relationship with his father Mickey broke down due to what happened following the decision not to move to Holland.While at Orient, there was interest from Chelsea at a time when Mickey had allowed a film crew to record his son for part of a documentary.Pike was keen on going there and said as much before joining them for training without permission, unknowingly breaking FA rules and earning a 12-month ban.Cast aside by both clubs after the footage aired, he went from everyone wanting a piece of him to being yesterdays man and he has not spoken to his dad in more than 15 years.Pike added: By the time I was 14, I had five agents and the majority of them didnt even get involved in the football side of things. Sky Sports Black Friday sale Upgrade to Sky Sports now and get 12 months half price! Some were good for me and others werent but the fact there were so many of them shows how quickly things can escalate.I was working for McDonalds and Coca-Cola, I had all my clothes made by Paul Smith and I had boot deals.People were coming up to me in the street to say they had bet on me doing this and that for England.Unless theres someone around you and guiding you in that sort of situation, it can get out of control very quickly.It was good in the beginning but I slowly fell out of love with the game. When I was 17, I didnt even want to play football any more and I was in a bad way with it.A lot of people want to become professional football players but theres a long way to go at that age. You can be as well-known as you like, it doesnt mean youre going to make it.In fact, there are so many reasons at that age why you cant be a professional footballer and you still have so much work to do. The Celtic teenager is eligible to play international football for Scotland, England and the Ivory Coast. Pictures courtesy keepitonthedeck.com You must earn it and concentrate on actually fulfilling your potential rather than listening to people saying youre going to have it all.Pike now drives a Hackney cab around Londons East End for a living but how he could have benefitted from having The Knowledge as a child. He hopes his story helps the likes of Dembele to stay grounded and make his mark in a way he was unable to.Pike said: Ive been looking back at the things I did back then much more recently. At first, I was a bit funny about it but now I dont mind it so much.Of course, I have regrets because I wanted to be a footballer and I loved it, even though I got sick of it.Now things have gone full circle. Talking about it and getting it off my chest has been good for me but it has taken time. Im enjoying the game more than I have in the last 10 years.A lot of the things that happened to me were out of my control. Im an adult now but when I was a kid it was down to other people how things went in many respects. Scotland U16 cap Dembele has trained with his club side Celtics first team but remains a youth player Karamokos got to take things day by day and enjoy it. Even though hes the most well-known kid at the minute, theres still every chance he might not become a football player.The last thing you want is for him to be that boy we all looked at on YouTube but we didnt actually see him do anything in the game because he got distracted.When I was his age, Wayne Rooney was roughly the same age as me but nobody had heard about him yet. All the talk was about me.I was struggling for a while, Im not going to lie, but since I had my kids and I met some good people, Im as happy now as Ive ever been.I got to a stage where I wasnt enjoying football. I just wanted to be normal like everyone else and I wanted to live normally. Im doing that now and Im happy.Upgrade to Sky Sports now and get 12 months half price. Hurry, offer ends December 4! Also See: England track Celtic youngster Who is Karamoko Dembele? Celtic will not rush Dembele Dembele makes Celtic U20 debut ' ' '