s played as a tribute to the late Mozambique native, Portugu

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SACRAMENTO - Regardless of how the rest of the campaign shakes out, when its all said and done December 8 will be a date that jumps out as a turning point, not only for the Raptors but for Rudy Gay himself. Its been two seasons in one for both parties and neither will look back on the first 18 games fondly. "I think I took the fall for a lot of things," said Gay, reflecting on his short time in Toronto ahead of Wednesdays game against his former club. "But its happened before and itll happen again." Rightly or wrongly, Gay has and will continue to shoulder most of the blame for Torontos 6-12 start, the same way his exodus will be credited for the teams remarkable turnaround. Theres no avoiding it. In Toronto, Gay was the offence, more or less. He was taking more shots than ever before, shooting the lowest percentages of his career and as a result the team was losing. The numbers are pretty conclusive, the Raptors are a better team without him on the roster. However, Gay has also taken off since the trade to Sacramento, which goes to show you that finding the right fit - although its easier said than done - can make a big difference. "I think here theres just more space [in the offence]," said Gay, who is averaging more points and taking fewer shots with the Kings. "Obviously with the kind of season Kyle (Lowry) is having and with DeMar (DeRozan) sometimes it would be a little cluttered out there, especially at the guard position. Here theres just more space for me to do what I do." Gay has shot 50 per cent or better in 17 of his 25 games with the Kings after doing so in one of 18 contests to begin the season in Toronto. Overall, hes hitting 53 per cent of his field goal attempts since the trade, having shot 39 per cent before it. "It just wasnt working up there for whatever reason," said Kings first-year head coach Mike Malone. "But when we made the acquisition we looked at Rudy as a complete player and his whole history, including his years in Memphis and you see how efficient and effective hes been for us." He credits most of that improvement to a system thats more conducive to his style of play, a system that revolves around dominant centre DeMarcus Cousins. Cousins is one of just three NBA players averaging over 20 points and 10 rebounds this season. The attention he attracts in the paint has created space for Gay to operate on the perimeter. "You look at Torontos roster and no disrespect to Jonas (Valanciunas) or Amir (Johnson) but they dont have a true low-post presence," Malone said. "When Rudy was in Memphis he had two [frontcourt] guys that he could play with in Marc (Gasol) and Zach (Randolph) and we just thought the idea of putting him on the perimeter with the inside presence of [Cousins] could really allow him to showcase his abilities." "So it is a fit and guys have to compliment each other and thats what putting together a roster is all about," he continued. "Up there, for whatever reason, DeMar and Rudy on the court maybe wasnt a mesh, maybe [there] wasnt enough shots to go around. Im not sure what it was but all I can tell you is that the games that weve had Rudy hes been a great fit." The marriage between Gay and the Raptors, which lasted less than a full year, was flawed from the outset. He and DeRozan had repetitive skill sets that clashed on the court, restricting Lowry from playing to his strengths and stunting the growth of Valanciunas. Dwane Casey tried his best to fit square pegs into round ........... until the inevitable split up freed his team and their most expensive player. The pieces just didnt fit. Though his pre-trade numbers may suggest otherwise, Gay never threw in the towel or lost hope that they would figure it out. "I think we had a chance to be a really good team," he said, two months removed from the deal. "I mean obviously theyre a really good team now but I still dont feel we had a lot of time to build and become a big threat in the East." Without Gay the Raptors have a record of 20-10, third best in the Eastern Conference behind only Indiana and Miami. They have recorded 20 or more assists in 24 of those 30 games, averaging 22.9 per contest, ninth-best over that stretch after ranking last in that category before the trade (averaging 17.3). They have gone from the 19th ranked three-point shooting team (34 per cent) to the fifth best (38 per cent) and find themselves in the top 10 in both offensive (10th) and defensive (fifth) efficiency since Dec. 8. "I think the trade helped both of us," Gay said. "Im here, I have more room and they have a solid bench. [Theres] no hard feelings. I love the fact that those guys are winning." Meanwhile, Gays reprisal hasnt translated to team success in Sacramento, at least not yet. The Kings are 11-19 since the trade, tied for the worst record in the West overall. Theyre last in the NBA in assists since Gays arrival but its been their defence, among the worst in the league, that has held them back more than anything else. Yet with Gay on board, paired with a young core of Cousins and breakout point guard Isaiah Thomas, the Kings are optimistic about the future. They have reason to be. "We couldnt be happier with Rudy and hes shown that hes much more than just a scorer," Malone said. "Hes proven to everybody that he can be a very efficient player so thats been a bonus." Maillot Thiago Silva . The Raptors general manager has his list of possible draft selections whittled down to a handful ahead of Thursday nights NBA draft in Brooklyn, New York. The Raptors, who have auditioned dozens of players over the past couple of weeks, have the 20th overall pick in the first round, as well as the 37th and 58th picks in the second. Maillot Psg Pas Cher .com) - The Kansas City Chiefs activated linebacker Joe Mays from short-term injured reserve on Saturday. http://www.maillotfootballpsg.fr/maillo ... z-psg.html. Canada will host the second stop on the circuit, the 2014 Skate Canada International in Kelowna, British Columbia from October 31 - November 2, 2014 at Prospera Place. Maillot Thiago Silva Psg . "I only want to go through this one more time," Crosby said Friday. The 24-year-old captain hasnt played since the symptoms resurfaced following a loss to Boston on Dec. 5. Doctors allowed him to return to full practice on Tuesday and while Crosby is pleased with the way his ....... is responding he refuses to put on his return. Maillot Paris Saint Germain 2017 . - For a general manager who preaches building through the draft, Reggie McKenzie has struggled to find impact players his first two years in Oakland.TORONTO -- AC Milans legends team looked better than a squad of former players should Wednesday night. The Italian side scored twice in a four-minute span in the second half to defeat former stars from S.L. Benfica 2-0 to win the Legends Cup at BMO Field. Christian Lantignotti finished off a cross from Ibrahim Ba in the 65th minute to get AC Milan on the board. Then in the 68th minute Milan forward Gauz was taken down in the area. Defender Massimo Oddo easily beat Benfica keeper Nuno Santos on the ensuing penalty kick to give his team a 2-0 lead. "I think AC Milan they play quite a few times a year, I heard 16 times together in a year. This was the first time we played together and I think we did very well," said Benfica coach Antonio Jerontomo. "If we start to play together more often, which we want to do, we will improve as well." Wednesdays match was played as a tribute to the late Mozambique native, Portuguese footballer Eusebio, who passed away Jan. 5 at the age of 71. Despite dominating the first-half possession and out-chancing Benfica the two sides remained scoreless at half. "I think it was a good performance by two good teams," said Jerontomo. "I think we started off well. Maybe AC Milan had a little bit more chances. Probably they have a little more options on the bench as we had a couple of injuries. "The players felt a little bit tired, but I think the spectators enjoyed seeing the ex-champions.dddddddddddd They still can play, but not as quick as before. It was a decent game. It was a good crowd, very good crowd." Ba had many quality chances for AC Milan. He nearly opened the scoring in the 14th minute, but collided with Santos and put his shot just wide of the goal. Two minutes later, Santos got just enough of Bas free kick from just outside the area to deflect the shot wide of the goal. In the 20th minute, AC Milan forward Christian Vieri had an excellent strike from the area, but put it just wide. "Weve been in Iran, were going to be in China so weve been all around the world. Weve had a lot of friendly matches and maybe well be back in Toronto," said Milans Palo Maldini. "The crowd was great. Were trying to put on a good show. People were excited to see the old Milan team." Benfica didnt generate much by way of scoring chances in the opening 40 minutes, but in the 32nd minute forward Nandinho had a great opportunity from just outside the box. However, he put the shot over the crossbar. As for Italys chances at the upcoming World Cup next month in Brazil, Maldini didnt seem optimistic. "Italy always battles for the final," he said. "This year is not going to be very easy. The quality is not so good, but we will have a chance to reach semifinal." AC Milan is a seven-time winner of Champions League while Benfica won last years Primeira Liga. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '