The Toronto Star is reporting that Raptor veteran Jalen Rose is accepting the blame for the team's season-opening loss, saying he failed to deliver for his team.

"I take this one on myself," the veteran Toronto Raptors forward told the gathered horde in the team's locker room. "I didn't get it done."

After carrying his team so many times in so many fourth quarters, a time he relishes more than anything in the game, Rose faltered down the stretch last night at the Air Canada Centre as the Raptors opened the NBA season with a 99-96 loss to the Washington Wizards.

While he was not the lone culprit on the night, his two late turnovers and two late missed shots will be remembered more than the equally costly gaffes of many of his teammates, Rose stood and took all responsibility.

"I feel like this team needs me to step up and make plays in crucial opportunities and I didn't do that," he said. "I take this loss upon myself."

Rose was involved in all the pivotal plays in the final frantic few minutes. He, Mike James and Morris Peterson all missed open three-pointers with the Raptors up one and about three minutes remaining.

Rose inexplicably bounced the ball out of bounds with about 90 seconds left and Toronto down by one; the veteran was called for a weird offensive foul call with the Raptors still down one with 14.7 seconds left; and he punctuated a rather stinky night by missing a three-pointer that would have tied the game at the buzzer.