TORONTO - For 12 minutes we got a glimpse of what the Raptors could become without Rudy Gay at the forefront of the offence. Clemon Johnson Jersey . In the subsequent 36 minutes, reality hit hard. The Raptors saw both sides of the post-Gay coin in 48 minutes of basketball. "Theres no excuses in this league but Im going to chalk this one [up] to travel. We ran out of gas," Dwane Casey said following a 116-103 loss to the Spurs, his teams second game without Gay and first since the seven-player deal with Sacramento was finalized. "I thought we competed in the first quarter and we ran out of gas as the game went on." Offensively, the Raptors were brilliant in the opening period on Tuesday. Jonas Valanciunas - who figures to become more of a focal point after the trade - was exceptional, the ball was moving and all five players on the floor were moving without it. Guys were passing up good shots to get even better ones for their teammates. It was a sight to behold. Then, almost immediately, the narrative did a complete 180. The Raptors scored 36 points in the opening frame, shooting 63 per cent from the field. They would go on to score 38 points combined over the second and third quarters, shooting 39 per cent the rest of the way. With only 10 players in uniform after Mondays trade - a couple of them, Austin Daye and Dwight Buycks, hadnt played in nearly two weeks - the depleted Raptors were exposed by the Spurs, a well-oiled machine aided by one of the best second units in the association. Torontos newcomers - Greivis Vasquez, John Salmons, Patrick Patterson and Chuck Hayes - were not available and Tyler Hansbrough missed his second straight game with a left shoulder sprain. Through three quarters - before Torontos reserves padded the score in garbage time - San Antonios bench held a 40-8 advantage over the Raptors subs. Despite a strong start for the first unit, which included Terrence Ross making his first start of the season, the Raptors were cooked. And for all the well-deserved criticism of Gays early-season struggles, his absence meant one less scorer capable of getting hot and bailing them out when things went south in a hurry. "I was really happy and proud how our guys executed in the first quarter, kind of a carry-over from the LA game," said Casey, his team coming off an impressive wire-to-wire victory over the Lakers, using only eight players on Sunday. "I thought all of our starters were heavy legged because they played big minutes [tonight], they played big minutes in LA." That seemed to be the case for Valanciunas, who scored 10 points going a perfect 5-for-5 from the field in the first quarter before hitting just one of his three attempts and scoring four points over the remainder of the game. "It is what it is. Its a business," said Kyle Lowry, a popular phrase in the Raptors locker room Tuesday. "We were down a couple guys and we have a couple guys coming in. You can make all the excuses but I dont want to make any excuses. We just lost tonight." For the second straight contest, sans Gay, there was a more cohesive flow to the teams offence. With 23 on the night - nine coming in the first quarter - the Raptors reached the 20-assist benchmark for the first time in seven games and only the fourth time in 20 games to begin the season. "I did like the ball movement," Casey said. "Im really going on the first quarter when we were fresh, humming and in sync more, so to speak." As per usual, the drop-off was most significant when Lowry went to the bench. Julyan Stone had a quiet night as the primary backup playing less than four minutes before exiting with a foot injury and Dwight Buycks took over in the second half. The addition of Vasquez, a clear upgrade as the backup point guard, will assure the team gets 48 minutes of above average play from the position. "He fits in really well," Casey said of Vasquez, indicating the Venezuelan guard could even be paired with Lowry in the backcourt on occasion. "I think he fits. Hes a pick-and-roll player. I envision him being a plus for us going forward, not only this year but in the future." Reinforcements on the way Salmons, Patterson and Hayes arrived in Toronto Tuesday evening and are scheduled for mandatory physicals Wednesday morning. The team hopes all three will have passed their medical exams in time to participate in practice later in the day. Vasquez is in New York getting his visa sorted out and wont be available to practice in Toronto until Thursday, at the earliest. All four are expected to be in uniform and play for their new team on Friday when the Raptors host the 76ers. Hansbrough is still considered day-to-day nursing his shoulder injury but his absence isnt expected to be a lengthy one. "I think once the pain goes does Ill get my flexibility back a little bit," he said Sunday in LA. "Flexibility isnt there because of the pain but once I get that back I should be fine." Starting Ross After Landry Fields shot 0-of-6 stepping into Gays vacant starting small forward slot against the Lakers Sunday, Casey gave Ross his first start of the season and third of his career on Tuesday. The sophomore guard got off to a strong start, knocking down a couple early three-pointers but seemed to drift in and out later in the game. On the night, Ross scored 14 points hitting four - all threes - of 13 shots and committing five turnovers. "Hes a young kid but thats the only way hes going to learn," Casey said of the 22-year-old. "I thought he did some good things, made some big shots when the ball swung around in rotation but again, youve got to be consistent and sustain it." Casey would not commit to Ross as the teams permanent starter at the position moving forward. "Well see," he cautioned. "I talked to him before the game and let him know this is an opportunity, not [a] given. Youve got to continue to produce and cut down on the mistakes to earn it, to keep it. Well just see where that goes, Im not sure yet." Stitched 76ers Jerseys . "Im going to send Webbie a six-pack (of beer) tonight," she said. Webb wasnt sure that would help. "Ill probably drink one and go to sleep," the Australian veteran said. The two players set up a Sunday showdown between former HSBC champions after finishing off their third rounds with identical birdies over three of the last five holes Saturday to separate themselves slightly from the rest of the crowded leaderboard. Dolph Schayes Jersey . The Mavericks were not going to let San Antonio beat them with 3-pointers, and they did not want Tony Parker using the lane as his personal playground. https://www.cheap76ers.com/676e-robert-covington-jersey-76ers.html . They are back to a game above .500 on the year and back to .500 on the road. It was their 10th extra time game of the year, and only the second one that did not got to a shootout.Through the first quarter of the fantasy football season, some surprising names have topped the leaderboards at each position.Maybe Indianapolis Andrew Luck isnt too much of a stretch as the top quarterback in fantasy under standard scoring rules, even though he was drafted much later in your league than the usual elites, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers.But Ahmad Bradshaw as the fourth best running back? Steve Smith as the second best wide receiver? Surprise performers like these pose a crucial challenge for fantasy owners trying to predict the rest of the year.After all, the fact theyre top performers now matters a whole lot less to your lineup than whether theyll do it again. And thats the constant chase for fantasy owners, the type that cause people agony over lineup decisions.Fortunately, there are a few tools to help you identify the circumstances that make for a breakout, generating confidence that its OK to stray from the impressions you formed before your draft.___TOUCHDOWNS:What Luck, the Philadelphia Eagles defence, Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray and Pittsburgh wide receiver Antonio Brown have in common, beyond topping their position in standard fantasy scoring: They each have the most touchdowns of any player at their position (some are tied).Luck has 13 passing touchdowns, while the Eagles defence, Murray and Brown each have five total TDs.For Luck, Murray and Brown owners, enjoy the ride. You drafted them to be in your starting lineup and obviously will be keeping them there except when theyre on bye or if they get injured. And not because of the TDs.If Luck keeps up his pace, hell finish with the second-most touchdowns in NFL history. If Murray and Brown score 20 TDs each, theyll join 27 other players in NFL history a€” not that many when you consider the record books for that threshold span six decades. So the bet is clearly that theylll slow down, and thats OK because they offer value in far more ways than just getting in the end zone. Clarence Weatherspoon Jersey. .But as for the Eagles defence and special teams, you cant bank on more than one touchdown per game and even the teams coaches rank their play as inconsistent. That doesnt mean drop them, but you shouldnt expect them to finish the year as the top defence.When youre not sure about players, see how much of their fantasy value has been tied up in touchdowns. If theyre scoring more than expected, its a sign to let others be more enthusiastic about future games.___TARGETS:Bears tight end Martellus Bennett is leading all tight ends in fantasy scoring, with more points than Jimmy Graham and Rob Gronkowski. But even more encouraging than that is hes behind only Graham in targets. With his quarterback Jay Cutler struggling, Bennett has gotten more looks (and more fantasy points) than Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery, the wide receivers who are a staple of many fantasy teams.That might be discouraging, but Bennett had relatively low expectations coming into the year a€” he was a late round pick in many leagues and considered among a handful of tight ends you could mix and match from to see who sticks.If Bennett were scoring on only a few chances, itd be easier to call him a fluke. But the targets are showing hes at least dependable, though his numbers may be modest going forward.___PATIENCE:There are people on Twitter and other social networks a€” more than you might imagine a€” complaining that they should have started Steve Smith over Calvin Johnson in Week 4.Everyone has that player theyre frustrated with right now: LeSean McCoy, Eddie Lacy, Demaryius Thomas, Doug Martin, among others.But itll be OK. Unless you see a clear reason to stop believing in your player, dont.___Oskar Garcia can be reached on Twitter at http://twitter.com/oskargarcia ' ' '