TORONTO - For 12 minutes we got a glimpse of what the Raptors could become without Rudy Gay at the forefront of the offence. 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." Replica Soccer Jerseys .com) - A pair of Eastern Conference rivals will meet on Saturday as D. Cheap Soccer Jerseys . (AP) -- The head of the committee that developed Major League Baseballs plan to expand instant replay says he is optimistic the system will be in place this season, even though owners and unions for players and umpires have yet to approve. https://www.cheapsoccerjerseysjustwholesale.com/. Despite 11-1 records, theyre out and Big Ten winner Ohio State is into the national semifinals. Soccer Jerseys From China .com) - On a night the Bulls played without Derrick Rose, it was time for Pau Gasol to take charge. Soccer Jerseys .Derrick Rose scored 23 points, and the Bulls pulled away from the Nets for a 105-80 victory on Wednesday night. Chicago held Brooklyn to 29 points on 26.Hull, England (SportsNetwork.com) - Hull City will be without midfielder Mohamed Diame for the next three weeks because of a knee problem for the Senegal international. Diame was forced out of Wednesdays 1-1 draw at Everton in the 53rd minute, and Tigers boss Steve Bruce confirmed that he is set for a spell out of action. Its a problem to his tendon to his knee thats been bothering him for two or three weeks, Bruce said of Diames injury. Weve got to be patient with it. We hope hes going to be involved over Chhristmas, but weve got to leave him for two or three weeks for it to settle down.dddddddddddd The 27-year-old arrived at Hull from West Ham in August, and he has managed to net four goals in 10 Premier League starts for a Hull side that is in the midst of a seven-match winless win that has dropped the team to 17th place. One bit of good news for Bruce, however, is that forward Abel Hernandez is expected to return for Saturdays game against West Bromwich after he missed the previous two matches through injury. ' ' '