ie guard Zack Martin. Both have ankle injuries, and Free also has been dealing with a foot problem.Regardless of whos trying to create the holes and whos trying to run through them, centre Travis Frederick says the jobs the same.Its not as different as you might think, he said. Because its really hard

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. Air Max 720 Pas Cher En Ligne . 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 holes 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." Air Max 720 Acheter .com) - Klay Thompson is quickly proving he is worth every penny of his recently signed four-year contract extension. Air Max 720 Pas Cher . After losing a shutout bid in the dying seconds of Sundays win over the Colorado Avalanche, Luongo would not be denied against the punchless Oilers and is now just one back of Patrick Roy for 14th on the all-time list. http://www.airmax720pascher.fr/ .com) - The Pittsburgh Penguins will try to complete a sweep of the Washington Capitals when the clubs cap a quick home-and-home series Tuesday night in the Steel City.IRVING, Texas - Joseph Randle says he goes into every game not really knowing what his workload will be.So the Dallas running back doesnt really see this week as anything unusual, even if he might be taking the place of NFL rushing leader DeMarco Murray.The Cowboys dont know if Murray can play Sunday against Indianapolis after breaking his left hand in last weekends victory at Philadelphia. He had a large cast Tuesday, a day after surgery on his left ring finger, but went through some drills in practice Wednesday with a much smaller wrap.While Colts coach Chuck Pagano says his team is practicing as if Murray will play, Randle and Lance Dunbar are preparing for a rare moment in the spotlight.The Cowboys (10-4) are in position to clinch a playoff berth, but facing the possibility of missing the post-season if they lose one of their last two games.I feel like I can get the job done, Randle said. I dont want to let the team down. I know this is a huge game for our season.Randle started twice last season when Murray had a sprained knee, but the Cowboys werent counting so heavily on the running game then.While Randle is averaging 7 yards per carry in spot duty this year, he had 91 yards rushing on 33 carries — a 2.8-yard average — as the featured back against Philadelphia and Detroit.Just have to trust me about getting my job done, said Randle, who has 237 yards rushing.This could be Randles best shot at redemption since a shoplifting arrest in October that got worse for the second-year back. A booking video showed him making disparaging comments about previous legal trouble for receiver Dez Bryant and defensive tackle Josh Brent.Bryant was involved in a domestic violence complaint two years ago, and Brent recently returned to the team after a 10-game suspension for an intoxication manslaughter conviction in the death of teammate Jerry Brown.Not long after police in a Dallas suburb released the video, Randle and Bryantt were arguing on the practice field when tight end Jason Witten intervened. Air Max 720 France. Less than two weeks later, Randle had his most significant play of the season — a 40-yard touchdown run against Jacksonville in London. He also had a 17-yard scoring run on his only carry against Chicago two weeks ago.I just think hes gotten more and more confident, coach Jason Garrett said. Sometimes, that can be challenging when youve been sitting there, sitting there, sitting there watching somebody else play and now its your turn.Dunbar has been waiting since the day of his breakout game for Dallas on Thanksgiving more than a year ago when he had a team-high 82 rushing yards, but sustained a season-ending knee injury in the same game.During the preseason, it looked as though Dunbar would have a vital role as a change-of-pace back under new play-caller Scott Linehan. But most of his few opportunities have come in the passing game.Its been mentally tough, said Dunbar, who has 207 yards receiving and just 91 rushing with no touchdowns. Im a pretty mentally tough guy. I cant worry about all those things. If I do then it will affect how I play when Im out there.The Cowboys also face the possibility of being without both starters on the right side of the offensive line in tackle Doug Free and rookie guard Zack Martin. Both have ankle injuries, and Free also has been dealing with a foot problem.Regardless of whos trying to create the holes and whos trying to run through them, centre Travis Frederick says the jobs the same.Its not as different as you might think, he said. Because its really hard for us to be in the huddle and say, OK, Josephs in so we need to adjust it this way. Were not going to do that. Were going to do our job, and hes going to do his job and hes good at it.___Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL___Follow Schuyler Dixon on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apschuyler ' ' '