fewest wins (14), points (36) and goals (101) in the NHL. Phoenix got off to a solid start, out-sho

CHICAGO - Dwane Casey wouldnt point fingers at Rudy Gay, fact is he didnt have to. The product, even after four games, speaks for itself. The Raptors are a better team without Gay in their lineup. The Raptors have won three of four games since agreeing to move Gay to the Sacramento Kings in last weeks seven-player deal. With Gay the team recorded 20 or more assists in three of 18 games this season, collecting 17.3 per contest, last in the NBA. Without him theyve accomplishment that feat in three of four outings, averaging 23.0 dimes. Tasked with replacing a 20-point scorer, working three - soon-to-be four - new players into his lineup and managing a locker room filled with uncertainty as the trade winds continue to swirl, Casey has his team playing its best basketball of the campaign. Asked if that surprises him, in light of the situation he finds himself in, Casey responded bluntly, "No." Then he hedged, because what else is he supposed to say? "Its nothing to do with Rudy whatsoever," Casey continued, after Toronto recorded a season-best 26 assists, defeating the Bulls 99-77 in the second night of a back-to-back on the road. "I think the pieces fit more, from that respect, it has nothing to do with Rudy personally." It has everything to do with Rudy. The departed Raptors forward was taking more shots than he has before, missing more than hes missed before while averaging the fewest assists (2.2) of the 15 NBA players who hoist 17 or more shots a night. His absence has freed this team. Somehow, in spite of the continued trade speculation that has cast a shadow over their heads, they are winning and having fun in the process. For the first time this season, theyre playing as a team. "Im trying to set up everybody else and get them in a rhythm," said DeMar DeRozan, who had 15 points to go along with another four assists, hes accumulated 22 since the trade. "Once we do that everybody begins to play together because itll be fun and everything seems to be easier. Even though a lot of guys dont know the offence everyone on this team knows how to play, especially the new guys." "It was a team effort totally and its fun when you play like that," newcomer Greivis Vasquez chimed in, adding six dimes off the bench in his second game with the Raptors. "Its fun when the ball is moving and were playing great team defence. Ive only been here a week and I can tell all these guys have my back, and thats huge." Their unselfish play appears to be contagious. DeRozan - who Casey said is playing "like an old man," on account of his improved court awareness - has taken advantage of his new role in the offence, acting as the teams quarterback, a role Gay could never or would never accept. Casey is getting 48 minutes of competent point guard play from Vasquez and Kyle Lowry, whose trade value continues to go up as he produces at a high level. Even sophomore Terrence Ross - averaging less than an assist per game as a pro - contributed a career-best four helpers. With wire-to-wire victories on consecutive nights, the Raptors havent trailed in eight quarters of basketball. Unlike Fridays win over the woeful 76ers - the NBAs worst defensive club - Saturdays dismantling of the Bulls was impressive enough to take notice. Despite their recent struggles, having lost 10 of 13, the Bulls defence is and will remain elite, even without the injured Derrick Rose. Toronto shot 48 per cent from the field, holding the hosting Bulls to just 36 per cent while outscoring them 26-11 in the final quarter to seal an impressive victory, their second straight on the road. "Last time we played them they got the best of us and we knew we couldnt come here and come out soft," DeRozan said, referring to the Bulls dominant victory in Toronto last month, a game in which he matched his career-high with 37 points. "We had to jump on them out the gate and keep our foot on their neck." The effort was indeed of the complete team variety. Jonas Valanciunas came out with an edge facing and ultimately outplaying all-star Joakim Noah and Amir Johnson turned in another productive outing. With a retooled second unit, playing in its second game together, the starters actually had some help. Vasquez, Patrick Patterson and John Salmons combined for 26 points and eight assists, turning the ball over just once playing the bulk of the minutes off Torontos bench. "We have the bodies, we were deeper tonight and the guys contributed," Lowry said. "This is the first time I played less minutes in a long time and that is a testament to the guys coming off the bench." "[The starters] know they dont have to play 40-plus minutes," Casey stated. "They know they have a strong bench behind them so that kind of gives them comfort to really turn on the gas." With an off-day Sunday and a couple days of practice, the new-look Raptors could actually be more in tune with one another when they host the Bobcats on Wednesday. "I just like the whole atmosphere, man," Vasquez said with a big smile on his face. "Ive missed this. This is real team basketball. Everybodys sharing, everybodys talking, nobody cares whos going to have the most points at the end of the night and thats what I see on the court. Im just happy but Im not satisfied. Weve got to keep playing, weve got to keep getting better." Air Jordan 11 Retro Canada . LOUIS -- The St. Air Jordan 11 Sale Canada . "Its way better than running gassers, thats for sure," the inside linebacker said Monday, when the Chargers started their third and final week of organized team activities, which are practices in shorts, jerseys and helmets. http://www.airjordan11canada.com/ . Huntelaar also had a penalty saved by Wolfsburg goalkeeper Diego Benaglio. The two goals brought Huntelaars total for the season to 18, level with Bayern Munichs Mario Gomez for most in the league. Cheap Jordan 11 Canada . Halak did not get the start in the Washington Capitals Tuesday night game against the St. Jordan Retro 11 Clearance .C. - Blair Jones scored the eventual winner in the third period as the Abbotsford Heat defeated the Oklahoma City Oil Barons 3-2 in American Hockey League action on Friday.GLENDALE, Ariz. - Shane Doan stood in front of his stall scowling, the crimson in his cheeks as much from the anger inside as the physical toll from 60 minutes of give-it-all-you-got hockey. His answers were terse, key words repeated for emphasis. Once he was done with the short interview session, Doan put his head down and marched toward the back locker room in quick, purposeful steps, the rage seeming to build as he went along. Faced with a must-win game in a season that was starting to slip away, the Phoenix Coyotes fell flat, losing to the team with the NHLs worst record — at home, no less. It was more than the Coyotes captain could take. "I dont even know what our level is because were barely above average right now, if average," Doan said after the Coyotes lost 3-2 to Buffalo on Thursday night. "Its not acceptable. Not even close." The loss continued a downward spiral for the Coyotes. Playing with an owner for the first time in four years, Phoenix opened 14-4-3 for the second-best start for a franchise that started in Winnipeg in 1979. Since then, inconsistency has reigned. Once a team that relied on its grittiness and defence-first mindset, Phoenix has instead become a team that has been caught in a back-and-forth struggle, winning some games by outscoring opponents, others by occasionally getting back to its stay-at-home roots. Phoenix had a stretch with one win in six games at the start of 2014 and has lost four of six after the setback against the last-place Sabres Thursday night in the second game of a critical five-game homestand. Once in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race, the Coyotes are ninth in the West with 60 points, three behind Vancouver. "It is frustrating," said Coyotes forward Antoine Vermette, who has eight goals in eight games and a six-game points streak. "You dont want to look too far (ahead) in your schedule, but we know our situation." Whaat made the loss to Buffalo harder to swallow was that the Coyotes had seemed to get back into their defence-and-counter groove Tuesday night against Los Angeles.dddddddddddd Playing arguably its best game of the season, Phoenix limited most of the rival Kings chances to the outside, generated numerous good scoring chances and went on to win 3-0 behind backup goalie Thomas Greiss second shutout in three starts. To keep climbing up the standings, or at least maintain their positioning, all the Coyotes had to do was knock off the Sabres, who came into the game with the fewest wins (14), points (36) and goals (101) in the NHL. Phoenix got off to a solid start, out-shooting Buffalo 21-12 in the first period. The Sabres ended up scoring first, but the Coyotes rallied with two goals in a span of 18 seconds of the second period to go up 2-1. After that, the Coyotes sat back, almost as if they were waiting out the win instead of going to get it. A series of turnovers led to two goals for the Sabres, putting them up 3-2. A big push by the Coyotes in the third period led nowhere, leading to perhaps the most disheartening loss of the season and one very angry captain. "Were up 2-1 to start the second and we do absolutely nothing, nothing as a group. Absolutely nothing," Doan said. "We have a chance to put a team away when youre up 2-1 at home, and I dont think we got a shot for 12 minutes. Its embarrassing. Its embarrassing." The Coyotes still have time to turn it around. After facing a tough game against Pittsburgh on Saturday night, Phoenix plays its final three games before the Olympic break against teams still in the Western Conference playoff hunt: Chicago and Dallas twice. Once they return, the Coyotes will have 24 games left to make a push. Theyve done it in the past, including a late-season run to the conference finals in 2012. To do it again, they will have to play much better than they have lately. ' ' '