TORONTO - Andrea Bargnani was asked how it felt to occupy a locker in the visitors room for the first time, returning to the Air Canada Centre three months after being traded. Jason Kidd Jersey . "I was here before," he responded, correcting the reporter. He was right. "I was here when I came to play with Benetton Treviso, my Italian team, a long time ago," he pointed out. That was Oct. 20, 2004, an exhibition game against the Raptors, his future team. This is Bargnani in a nutshell. He wont sugarcoat. He wont beat around the bush. He marches to the beat of his own drum, on and off the court. Hes not interested in playing your game. He plays his own. Even after watching the former first-overall pick for seven years, hes still a mystery to the fans who booed him Friday, the fans he spoke so highly of. "The only thing I have to say about the fans in Toronto is that I was lucky to play here for seven years," he told reporters after scoring 10 points and grabbing four rebounds in 21 minutes of action. As if it had been rehearsed, over and over prior to the big night, thats all he had to say. "I was lucky to play in this city." No matter how hard the local media prodded for something more, thats all they got. And thats how this all started. It didnt matter what the team, the city, its fans expected to get out of Bargnani during his turbulent seven years in Toronto, he gave as much as he wanted. And for that, he was booed. Bargnani was booed early and often in the Raptors 100-91 preseason victory over the forwards new team, the New York Knicks. He was greeted with boos during pre-game introductions and he heard it from the crowd every time he touched the ball. A well-timed, "you suck Bargnani" rained down from the stands during complete silence in between anthems. Bargnani was booed and no one was surprised. "It will probably be an up and down moment for him," former teammate Amir Johnson predicted before the game. "Theyll probably boo, I just hope it isnt worse than they boo (Vince Carter)." It wasnt worse than Carter but the two are apples and oranges (or Primo and Italpasta, if that helps) in terms of their place in Raptors history. In seven seasons with the Raptors, Bargnani averaged 15.2 points and 4.8 rebounds, shooting 44 per cent from the field and 36 per cent from three-point range. He ranks third in franchise history in scoring, second in three-pointers made and fourth in games played. More than anything else, most fans will remember the injuries that derailed him each time he seemed to be turning a corner and the perceived lack of effort that held him back from reaching his ultimate potential. "It happens," Dwane Casey said of Bargnanis failure to live up to the lofty expectations that come from being a first-overall pick. "Expectations are tough and I think thats what Andrea got caught (with) here with but Andrea is a very skilled player." "It just didnt work out here," he continued. "It happens to a lot of players in the league. It doesnt mean its not going to work out for him in New York, it could be a perfect fit for him. This league is about personnel fits. Its easy to plug in a Michael Jordan and say, hey he fits anywhere but guys that have a certain skill set, sometimes it fits and sometimes it doesnt." Bargnani and the Knicks return to Toronto once more in the preseason before making their first regular season visit on December 28. Disjointed offence Once again turnovers were an issue for the Raptors, who threw the ball away 23 times leading to 31 points for the Knicks. For the second time in three games they exceeded 20 giveaways - managing to win both games - after averaging just 13.7 (third best in the league) last season. "Thats alarming," Casey said after the game. "Weve got to take care of the basketball... We cant use preseason as an excuse. Thats a concern." Fact is, it is still early in the preseason and Caseys coaching staff has been working primarily on defence. The offence is still very much a work in progress and it has been noticeable. "Were definitely going to cut them down," DeMar DeRozan said of the turnovers. "Were going to watch film (and) watch the mistakes were (making)." Kyle Lowry had six turnovers but the miscues, for the most part, have been spread out. Just as worrisome, the team tallied just nine assists on 32 made field goals with just three of those assists coming in the first half. Third-string standouts The offence has been especially stagnant when Casey has gone to his second unit. The game seemed to be lost for Toronto during an 18-0 Knicks run that turned an eight-point Raptors lead late in the third quarter to a 10-point deficit early in the fourth. Several of the regulars off the bench struggled, as they have through most of the teams first three exhibition games. Landry Fields was 0-for-6 in 20 minutes, D.J. Augustin went 0-of-3 in eight minutes and Steve Novak didnt attempt a shot in six minutes against his former team. Toronto went scoreless for almost six and a half minutes before Casey made a change, inserting some of his third-string players midway through the fourth. They delivered. Dwight Buycks had 10 points, all in the final quarter, and Quincy Acy - in his first action of the preseason - helped spearhead a 23-9 run to recapture the lead. "Quincy Acy got our attention," Casey said after the second-year forward changed the game with his energy, scoring nine points - even knocking down a three - in just six minutes. "We knew what he could do, hes been working his behind off and he took advantage of the opportunity." Opportunities may continue to present themselves for Buycks and Acy if their hard play overshadows their more experienced teammates. Those two have been grouped together as part of a five-man unit for scrimmages in camp. "Weve won some games in practice with our energy, over skill," Acy told TSN.ca. In terms of the back-up point guard position, the rookie Buycks will continue to challenge D.J. Augustin for minutes. Neither has run away with the job. "Its close," Casey said of that battle. "Theyre different types of guards, both of them bring something different to the table, that we need. Its probably going to be nip and tuck with those two guys all year, depending on the match-up." DeRozan: the teams "most efficient player" In a team-high 32 minutes, DeRozan had another strong game scoring 20 points on 7-of-15 shooting and a perfect 6-for-6 from the line. Again the fifth-year guard had his way in the paint, utilizing a much-improved up and under move, attacking the rim, initiating the fast break and finding his teammates around the basket. "Hes playing big minutes but hes playing at a high level," Casey said of DeRozan. "Hes playing efficient basketball, with his passes, with his attacks, with his reads. "(Hes) probably the most efficient player we have right now." Through three games hes certainly been the most consistent and probably the most impressive Raptor. After the game he shared a goal of his this season. "I was eighth in free throws last year in the league," he stated. "My goal is (to) try to get in the top five, and it comes with being aggressive. Thats one big goal of mine." As a team, the Raptors attempted 39 free throws, making 31 and besting the Knicks who were 14-for-19 from the stripe. Up next The Raptors travel to Minnesota to complete their first back-to-back of the year on Saturday, facing a Timberwolves team they beat at home on Monday. Deandre Ayton Jersey . Called on from the college ranks to replace Andy Reid, Kelly implemented a whole new atmosphere in the City of Brotherly Love and now has the Eagles in the playoffs for the first time since 2010. Cameron Johnson Jersey . - Frankie (The Answer) Edgar dominated B. https://www.cheapsunsonline.com/439z-goran-dragic-jersey-suns.html . The 155th edition of the Plate for Canadian-foaled three-year-olds, the oldest continuously run stakes race in North America, will be televised live on TSN in HD (High Definition) in a special presentation from 4:30 – 6:00 pm ET. Post time is 5:38 pm.Houston, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Patrick Beverley returned from a hamstring injury to give the Rockets a big lift, scoring 19 points in Houstons 100-95 victory over the Phoenix Suns. Beverley, who had missed Houstons last five games, knocked down 5-of-8 attempts from 3-point range and added six rebounds off the bench. Trevor Ariza also had 19 points in a game the Rockets led from start-to-finish en route to their seventh win in eight outings. We dont win that game unless Pat plays, Rockets head coach Kevin McHale stated. James Harden offset a 5-of-21 shooting night by posting 12 rebounds and seven assists. He finished with 15 points, while Donatas Motiejunas had 16 along with 11 rebounds. Phoenix received 23 points from Eric Bledsoe and 16 from sixth man Gerald Green, but couldnt overcome a slow start and build off Fridays 118-106 win at Dallas. The Rockets were just a day removed from an overtime battle in Minnesota on Friday, but showed no ill effects from the short turnaround. Houston shot a scorching 63.6 percent in the first quarter and built a commanding 35-18 lead after one period, closing out the stanza on a 9-1 run that Beverley began with a 3-point basket. We didnt come out with the energy. I dont know why, Suns head coach Jeff Hornacek said. They played a back-to-back, too. Were just as young as they are. That shouldnt have been an excuse. Its something weve got to figure out with our guys. We told them in the locker room thats the been the fourth or fifth time that weve had to say that this year -- that you have to come ready to play. Thats on them to be mentally prepared for the gaame. Fake Suns Jerseys. Houston was ahead by as many as 21 points early in the second, though the Suns closed the gap by putting forth a 15-3 surge that trimmed their deficit to 44-35 just past the midway mark of the frame. The Rockets then countered with a 14-1 sequence, during which Ariza knocked down a key 3-pointer and capped the spurt with two free throws to extend the margin to 58-36. Houston cruised into the break owning a 60-41 advantage. Phoenix was able to cut into the margin in the third quarter, closing within 71-60 on a Green trey with 3:13 remaining in the period. The Rockets appeared to be pulling away after reclaiming a 16-point lead with under seven minutes left, but the Suns strung together an 11-2 run to cut it to 92-85 with 3:20 remaining. The margin was just four after P.J. Tucker followed his own miss with 21.4 seconds to play to make the score 97-93. However, Goran Dragic couldnt convert a layup on the Suns next possession, and Beverley sealed the outcome by hitting two free throws with 12.3 seconds showing. Game Notes While Beverley was back in action, teammate Kostas Papanikolaou did not play after spraining his right knee in Fridays game against Minnesota. Houston is still without Dwight Howard (knee), Terrence Jones (leg) and guard Isaiah Canaan (ankle) as well ... Guard Isaiah Thomas sat out for a second straight night for Phoenix due to a bruised ankle ... Tucker finished with 15 points and eight rebounds ... The Rockets outrebounded Phoenix by a 57-40 margin, but had 24 turnovers that the Suns converted into 22 points. ' ' '