The NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs have reportedly followed in the footsteps of the Calgary Flames and jumped the queue to have some of their players and staff inoculated ahead of those who are high-risk patients.

The same goes for the NBA’s Toronto Raptors, also owned by Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment.

“While all professional athletes are considered high risk to exposure and transmission of the flu due to excessive contact with other players, heavy travel requirements and public exposure, only certain players and staff have received the H1N1 vaccine,” MLSE said in a statement released to the media.

Currently in Ontario, the H1N1 vaccine is only available to priority groups, people who would be at risk of developing complications from the virus. This includes young children, pregnant women and people with past health issues.

MLSE claims that no one from the Leafs or the Raptors received the vaccine through jumping any queue.

“Similar to other physician offices, any vaccine supplies received were obtained through normal distribution and no preferential treatment was requested nor received,” MLSE said in their statement.

Ontario Health Minister Deb Matthews was angered by news that members of both organizations had received the H1N1 shot, despite the shortage of it.

“I want you to know that this is entirely, entirely unacceptable,” Matthews said Thursday. “We are relying on our professionals to respect the priority list.”

MLSE has yet to reveal which players were given the vaccine, saying that the information is “considered private and confidential.”

According to team officials, some players and staff received the shots following the Leafs game Tuesday night versus the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The MLSE move to inoculate their players and staff came on the heels of Toronto Marlies forward Tyler Bozak contracting the flu, suspected to be H1N1, and missing two games recently while in quarantine.

“From the severity of the flu, our doctors thought it was H1N1,” Bozak told reporters after practice Wednesday. “I never got tested. I just stayed at home. I didn’t want to get guys sick. I didn’t want to be around the guys.”

Marlies winger Andre Deveaux also came down with the flu recently and with Jiri Tlusty’s promotion to the Leafs, there was concern that the virus that had been discovered in the AHL team’s room, would come with him.

While MLSE-operated teams are under suspicion of being vaccinated, the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts, on the other hand, along with all other teams in the league, have not jumped the queue according a recent survey conducted by the CFL over the last week, the CBC reports.

According to Matt Maychak, the CFL’s vice-president of communications, no one from the league has jumped the line. That was confirmed by each team’s president during the weekly conference call Wednesday.

Bargnani finished with 22 points and 12 rebounds — 10 of them on defence — for the Raptors (2-2). Chris Bosh continued his strong start to the year with 25 points and eight rebounds.

Toronto had a total of 31 defensive boards to go along with seven steals, correcting some previous poor play without the ball that had plagued the club in their two previous losses.

Ben Gordon had 27 points for Detroit (2-3), while teammate Charlie Villanueva added 16.

The Pistons gave the Raptors a scare early in the fourth quarter, coming within four points of Toronto’s lead, before Bargnani hit a three-point shot.

Later in the period, Detroit took their first lead since early in the second quarter, with Will Bynum’s layup to make it 91-90.

Jose Calderon restored Toronto’s lead with a three-pointer, moments later, and Bargnani later added four straight free throws to finally put the game out of reach.

The Raptors separated themselves from the Pistons early in the third quarter, stretching their lead to 17 at one point.

Ben Wallace put forth his best effort to keep Detroit in the game with a pair of dunks and helped his team narrow the gap to just eight points, 85-77 going into the final period.

Bargnani scored the first bucket of the game thanks to a steal and also added a defensive rebound that lead to Calderon scoring and giving the Raptors a 10-9 lead.

This was a positive start for the Raptors whose defence has been poor so far this season, hurting their great offensive numbers.

The lead didn’t last long though, as the Pistons then went on a seven-point run, before Bosh was fouled and sunk both of his free throws.

Detroit then began to pull away again thanks in large part to 12 opening quarter points from Gordon and a pair of three pointers from Villanueva.

Toronto charged back at the end of the first quarter with strong play at both ends of the court from Bargnani who had a couple defensive rebounds and nailed a three-point shot to close the Pistons lead to 28-24.

Early in the second quarter, the Raptors capped their comeback with a 16-3 run, highlighted by Antoine Wright’s three-pointer off the bench. Minutes in, Toronto was up 38-31.

The Raps kept coming with a highlight reel behind-the-back pass from Jarrett Jack to Bargnani for a soaring dunk and 43-33 lead. Toronto’s second unit already had 22 points by this time.

Detroit tried to chip away at the Raptors lead, but Toronto found ways to stay ahead, including successful three-pointers by Hedo Turkoglu and Wright. The Raptors had a 68-56 lead at halftime.

The Pistons entered Wednesday’s game having won five straight versus the Raptors and seven of the team’s last eight meetings.

Veterans Richard Hamilton (ankle) and Tayshaun Prince (back) did not suit up for Detroit.

After a promising start to the season with a victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto (1-2) has dropped two in a row, ceding 115 points to the Memphis Grizzlies and 125 to the Magic.

“We didn’t do the things defensively that we’ve been talking about since the preseason,” veteran forward Chris Bosh said after the loss to Orlando. “Have all contested shots and give them one rebound.”

Toronto had only a total of two steals and six blocked shots against the Magic.

Head coach Jay Triano will also want to emphasize rebounding, particularly on offence.

In their last game, Toronto was out-worked on the offensive boards by the Magic 14-9. They are currently ranked 21st in the National Basketball Association in recovering the ball.

The Dinos will get an opportunity to find their defensive backbone Wednesday night against the 2-2 Pistons. 

Detroit will need to keep up constant pressure on offence, something that has been a problem for them in their first four games.

“When teams go on a run, instead of us staying with what we were doing in the first half,” said former Raptors’ first round pick Charlie Villanueva. “It seems like we get away from that and lose a little bit of focus.”

Injuries have already started to pile up for the Pistons, reflecting their older lineup.

Tayshaun Prince, a mainstay of the lineup for years, will miss the game in Toronto to rest a sore back. Up until Tuesday night’s game with Orlando the veteran forward played 496 consecutive games.

Richard Hamilton will be a game-time decision for the Pistons, having already missed three games this season with a sprained right foot.

One thing Raptors fans can rely on is that their team can score.

Bosh is off to a hot start, averaging 31 points-per-game, while Andrea Bargnani is coming into his own, averaging 22 scores each night.

Bargnani has become a 3-point threat this year, making eight treys so far this season, with a solid 61.5 shooting percentage.

After playing the Pistons, Toronto will spend most of the next three weeks on the road, with seven of their next eight games outside the friendly confines of the ACC. Their first stop will be this Friday in New Orleans.

Detroit will head south for a rubber match in Orlando.

Toronto defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 101-91 in the Raptors’ home opener on Wednesday. Andrea Bargnani scored 28 points, outdoing the Cavs’ duo at centre of Shaquille O’Neal and Zydrunas Ilgauskas.

The former first overall pick shot 11-for-15 from the field and looked to be in sync with his predominantly new teammates.

“I was always saying if Andrea gets going, if he’s scoring the basketball a lot, then we’re going to be tough to beat,” Raptors forward Chris Bosh said to NBA.com.

No less than six Raptors played their first game in a Toronto uniform on Wednesday.

One of the new Raptors is fellow Italian Marco Bellinelli, who put up 10 points on Wednesday. The six-foot-5 guard, acquired from the Golden State Warriors in the off-season, had his contract option exercised on Thursday by Toronto.

Bellinelli is part of a deeper bench for the Raptors this season.

Along with newly acquired Jarrett Jack, Antoine Wright and Rasho Nesterovic, head coach Jay Triano is finding more options and a greater chance for success when the starters take a seat.

Toronto’s defence looked stronger than it had been last season, holding Cleveland to a 35 per cent shooting percentage in Wednesday’s victory.

“That’s what we’ve been working on, that’s all we’ve been talking about, defence, defence, defence,” Bosh said.

It will be the first chance for the full roster to travel together on the road as they face a young Memphis (0-1) squad that may once again be without their answer.

Iverson questionable for Friday night

Allen Iverson, signed in the off-season by the Grizzlies, is nursing a hamstring injury and did not play in his team’s 96-74 season-opening loss to the Detroit Pistons. He is questionable for Friday’s tilt.

The 2000-01 league MVP spent last season with the Denver Nuggets and Detroit before choosing to come to a team that finished 12th in the Western Conference in 2008-09 with a 24-58 record.

Memphis has a youthful team, with 11 players aged 24 or younger.

The squad is building through their youth, with Rudy Gay, Marc Gasol, O.J. Mayo and Mike Conley all seeing significant minutes for the Grizzlies in their first game.

Wednesday night’s game also saw the debuts of Hasheem Thabeet and Sam Young, both coming off the bench.

Thabeet, the 2nd overall pick from the 2009 Entry Draft, saw just over 12 minutes of action, pulling in a pair of rebounds and two fouls. Young, a six-foot-six product from Pittsburgh, struggled at times, turning over the ball thrice in nine minutes of work.

Toronto and Memphis split their season series last year. The Raptors were victorious at home in January with a 103-82 decision, and the Grizzlies returned the favour a month later, winning 78-70.

Following the game, the Raptors will return back home to face Vince Carter’s new team, the Orlando Magic, on Sunday. Memphis follows Friday’s contest with a five-game western road trip.

Andrea Bargnani scored 28 points to lead the Toronto Raptors to a 101-91 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Toronto’s home opener Wednesday night.

Raptors forward Chris Bosh (drafted fourth overall in 2003) had a double-double with 21 points and 16 rebounds.

Box Score: Cavaliers at Raptors

Reigning league MVP Lebron James (drafted first overall in 2003) replied with a triple-double (23 points, 11 rebounds, 12 assists) for the Cavaliers (0-2).

Toronto (1-0) handed the defending Eastern Conference regular season champions their second loss in as many nights. Boston ruined the Cavs home opener on Tuesday.

Wednesday’s game was highlighted by the matchup between Bosh and James, who are both entering the final year of their contracts. If they aren’t signed by the summer, the two stars will be unrestricted free agents.

NBA Eastern Conference Preview

The Raptors led by seven at the beginning of the fourth quarter and fended off the Cavaliers through the final stages of the game.

With two minutes remaining, James made a three-pointer to bring the Cavaliers to within six. He attempted another shot from beyond the arc 30 seconds later, but couldn’t connect.

Jose Calderon put the contest out of reach with a layup off a turnover in the dying seconds.

Toronto was solid defensively, limiting their opponents to just 35 per cent shooting from the field. Meanwhile, the Raptors made 45 per cent of their chances.

Cleveland was trailing 57-39 heading into the third quarter, but made things challenging for the Raptors coming out of half time.

The Cavaliers connected on five of their first eight three-point attempts and trimmed their deficit from 18 to one.

They tied the game at 69 with two minutes remaining in the quarter thanks to a free-throw by James, but Toronto went on a 9-2 run to close out the third with a 78-71 lead.

Raps kept pulling away

Cleveland came close to tying it in the second quarter, but once again, the Raptors pulled away at the right time.

Trailing 27-22, the Cavaliers came within one point of tying the game, but Toronto went on a 12-4 run to go up 41-32 before Cleveland called a timeout.

The Raptors continued to build off their momentum coming out of the break, going on a 16-4 run to lead by as much as 21.

They outscored the Cavaliers 30-17 in the second quarter and ended the first half with a 57-39 lead.

Bargnani led the way with 21 points, while Bosh had 10 points and nine rebounds through 24 minutes. James had 14 points and was the only Cavalier to finish the half in double figures.

Toronto exploded out of the gate early, going on a 13-0 run to take a 17-6 lead six minutes into the game.

Back in March, Shaquille O’Neal called Bosh the “RuPaul of big men.” Bosh responded by adding 15 pounds of muscle over the summer and winning the opening tipoff against the 18-year pro.

O’Neal scored 12 points in his second game as a Cavalier.

Former Raptors Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon came back to the Air Canada Centre for the first time since being signed by Cleveland in the summer.

Parker finished with 12 points, while Moon scored nine.

Reggie Evans (foot), Sonny Weems (foot), and Quincy Douby (unspecified) did not dress for the Raptors.

Hedo Turkoglu and rookie DeMar DeRozan headline the new starting lineup, while Jarrett Jack was signed to an offer sheet to provide depth and allow more rest for incumbent starting guard Jose Calderon.

Cleveland had the NBA’s best record last season (66-16) and are once again among the favorites in the Eastern Conference with the additions of Shaquille O’Neal and former Raptor Anthony Parker.

Eastern Conference preview

But it all starts with LeBron James, arguably the game’s premier player. James won his first MVP award in 2008-09, while O’Neal brings a wealth of postseason credentials that includes three Finals MVP trophies.

Toronto (33-49) hopes for a quick turnaround this season after finishing 29 games behind the Atlantic Division-winning Boston Celtics last year.

One of the keys could be Turkoglu, who helped lead the Orlando Magic to the NBA Finals this past season.

The forward signed a five-year, $56 million (US) contract this offseason, and the Raptors will lean on his experience and knowledge in 2009-10.

Chris Bosh, in the last year of his current contract, will also be counted on as usual. Bosh scored a career-high 22.7 points per game last season while starting 77 games.

Perhaps one minor advantage the Raptors will have heading into their opener is the fact that the Cavaliers will be coming off what is sure to be an emotionally taxing game against the Celtics in their season opener on Tuesday.

Nonetheless, Wednesday’s contest will be a key test right off the bat for a Toronto team that many believe can contend in 2009-10.

Sports Illustrated predicted the Raptors to be a playoff team and finish in second in their division, while the majority of ESPN.com writers also said Toronto would qualify for the postseason.

Another familiar face on Cleveland’s roster will be Jamario Moon, whom the Raptors dealt to the Miami Heat last February in the deal that brought them Marcus Banks and Shawn Marion, now with Dallas.

The game was played in Sioux Falls, SD.

Ryan Hollins had 14 points and five rebounds off the bench for the Timberwolves (3-5).

Chris Bosh put in a strong night with 27 points and 14 rebounds in the Raptors (2-6) losing effort.

Aleksandar Pavlovic put the game out of reach shortly into the fourth quarter with a three-pointer that made the game 80-68. Minnesota then held off the Raptors for the rest of the contest, despite a valiant effort in the attempted comeback.

Gomes gave the Timberwolves their first lead of the evening early in the third quarter with two free throws. Minnesota then began to pull away, going up 55-48 before Toronto stormed back to tie the game 57-57 with a Jose Calderon jump shot.

Minnesota’s Wayne Ellington nailed two straight jump shots, but Jarrett Jack hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to end the third with the Timberwolves up 72-64.

Raps start strong

The Raptors got off to a great start, leading 20-10 halfway through the first quarter, with Bosh and Andrea Bargnani adding six points each.

Minnesota did their best to chip away at Toronto’s lead, with both teams exchanging successful free throws and the period ended with the Timberwolves narrowing the score to 28-25. Gomes had seven points in the first.

Free throws continued to drop early in the second quarter with Hedo Turkoglu and Bosh each draining a couple.

Minnesota fought back briefly, before the Raptors pulled away again, highlighted by a DeMar DeRozan driving layup to go ahead 38-30.

The two teams then exchanged a flurry of baskets, which helped the Timberwolves make up some ground thanks to a Corey Brewer three-pointer late in the period. The half ended with the Raptors up by only two points 46-44.

Toronto will open the season Wednesday, at home, versus the Cleveland Cavaliers, while the Timberwolves host the New Jersey Nets on the same night.

Notes: Antoine Wright made his Raptors debut Friday, after missing the first seven pre-season contests with a sore right knee. He finished with eight points … He’s expected to challenge rookie DeRozan for the starting shooting guard position, the only position the Raptors don’t have figured out yet … Forward Amir Johnson returned to his old stomping grounds. He played in Sioux Falls a few years ago as part of the NBA’s developmental league … Minnesota was without two of their best players, as Kevin Love (broken left hand) and Al Jefferson (flu) missed the game. Both are key forwards for the Timberwolves.

Statistically, Toronto ranks as the worst sports city in North America.

The Blue Jays haven’t made the playoffs since winning the World Series in 1993 and are coming off a 75-87 record in 2009 after starting the season 27-14.

The Raptors finished 33-49 last year and are winless in three pre-season games with what looks to be their starting lineup for 2009-10.

The Argos have won only seven games since the start of 2008, and the Maple Leafs have lost their first seven games this season, tying their worst start in franchise history initially set in 1990-91.

By averaging the winning percentages of all cities with MLB, NBA, NHL, and NFL (or in Toronto’s case CFL) franchises, the Big Smoke ended up with a dreadful mark of 37.3 per cent

Boston, meanwhile, topped the list at 67.1 per cent. The New England Patriots were the only team that didn’t make the playoffs as they played a full season without franchise quarterback Tom Brady.

Consistent records from all teams in Miami (56.2 per cent) and Atlanta (55.5 per cent) helped them finish second and third respectively.

Here are the full rankings:

1.     Boston/New England 67.1 per cent:

Celtics (62-20), Patriots (11-5), Bruins (53-19-10) , Red Sox (95-67)

2.     Miami/Florida 56.2 %

Dolphins (11-5), Marlins (87-75), Heat (43-39), Panthers (41-30-11)

3.     Atlanta 55.5 %

Falcons (11-5), Hawks (47-35), Braves (86-76), Thrashers (35-41-6)

4.     Philadelphia 54.3 %

Phillies (93-63), Eagles (9-6-1), Flyers (44-27-11), 76ers (41-41)

5.    Dallas/Texas 54 %

Mavericks (50-32), Cowboys (9-7), Rangers (87-75), Stars (36-35-11)

6.    Denver/Colorado 53 %

Nuggets (54-28), Rockies (92-70), Broncos (8-8), Avalanche (32-45-5)

7.     Chicago 52.7 %

Bears (9-7), Blackhawks (46-24-12), Cubs (83-78), Bulls (41-41), White Sox (79-83)

8.     New York 51.8 %

Giants (12-4), Yankees (103-59), Jets (9-7), Rangers (43-30-9), Mets (70-92), Knicks (32-50), Islanders (26-47-9)

9.     Los Angeles/Oakland 50.1 %

Lakers (65-17), Angels (97-65), Dodgers (95-67), Kings (34-37-11), Raiders (5-11), Clippers (19-63)

10.   Phoenix/Arizona 49.9 %

Suns (46-36), Cardinals (9-7), Coyotes (36-39-7), Diamondbacks (70-92)

11.   Minnesota 48.5 %

Vikings (10-6), Twins (87-76), Wild (40-33-9), Timberwolves (24-58)

12.   Washington 42.7 %

Capitals (50-24-8), Redskins (8-8), Nationals (59-103), Wizards (19-63)

13.   Detroit 40.6 %

Red Wings (51-21-10), Tigers (86-77), Pistons (39-43), Lions (0-16)

14.   Toronto 37.6 %

Blue Jays (75-87), Maple Leafs (34-35-13), Raptors (33-49), Argos (4-14)

Detroit would be placed a lot higher if the Lions hadn’t gone winless through the whole season, the only team in NFL history to do so under the 16 game format.

Los Angeles was bogged down by the Raiders, Kings, and Clippers, while New York didn’t get much help from the Mets, Knicks, and Islanders. 

Washington was hampered by the lowly Nationals and Wizards.

The last time Toronto held a championship parade was in 2004 when the Argos brought home the Grey Cup. In terms of North American titles, the last trophy the city has won was the World Series in 1993.

On a brighter note, only two of the fourteen cities have gone longer without a title to their name. Washington and Minnesota haven’t hoisted a trophy since 1991 when the Redskins and Twins won their respective championships.

The Raptors hope to improve on a 33-49 campaign last year that earned them a 13th place finish in the Eastern Conference.

If Toronto wants to get back to the playoffs after its one-year absence, they’ll need to beat out some of the bubble teams to do so.

Beyond the three clear favourites, things are wide open for the final five post-season spots. The conference breaks down as follows:

The Big Three

1. Cleveland Cavaliers — In a tight three-horse race, the team with the best player can win out. LeBron James helped his squad to the number one seed last season and the additions of Shaquille O’Neal and Anthony Parker are upgrades over Ben Wallace and Trevor Ariza.

2. Boston Celtics — The second-round loss to Orlando hurt. Having to play a marathon seven-gamer against Chicago in the first round didn’t help either. They may have the best starting five in the NBA, with scoring, rebounding and defence out on the court in any crucial situation.

3. Orlando Magic — After losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the finals last year, there wasn’t much tinkering done in Orlando. Vince Carter enters where Hedo Turkoglu exits, but unless the Magic play Toronto (and they might), Turkoglu is considered the better clutch player. Vince also plays well against his former club.

Second Round Possibles

4. Atlanta Hawks — The Hawks won their first playoff series in a decade last year before being blown away by the Cavaliers in round two. The addition of scorer Jamal Crawford in the off-season should help, and a year older and wiser might help them advance in the playoffs.

5. Miami Heat — Last season saw Miami start turning things back around. Having one of the NBA’s elite in Dwayne Wade along with some burgeoning young talent in Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers will hold them in good stead. The addition of Quentin Richardson should only help for ball distribution.

6. Toronto Raptors — It’s a brand new team in Toronto as they attempt to shake away the cobwebs of a losing season. Turkoglu gives the Raptors another weapon alongside all-star Chris Bosh. If the new pieces gel well, the team could not only be a post-season lock, but might be able to avoid the big three in round one.

Playoff Potential

7. Chicago Bulls — The young team nearly shocked the basketball world when taking Boston to a seventh game last season. Losing Ben Gordon will hurt their team, but youngsters like Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Tyrus Thomas still have a lot to give to this squad.

8. Washington Wizards — While it would seem an egregious claim to put a team with 19 wins the season before in the playoff picture, a healthy Gilbert Arenas will really make a big difference. Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison help lead a supporting cast as Washington tries to get back to where it was a year ago.

9. Detroit Pistons — Although the addition of Ben Gordon will help this team, they really haven’t done enough compared to the rest of the conference to be guaranteed a playoff spot. Former Raptor Charlie Villaneuva could develop into a less erratic version of Rasheed Wallace.

10. Philadelphia 76ers — Elton Brand and Andre Iguodala will really have their work cut out for them. The departure of Andre Miller means that they’ll be lacking a veteran passing presence at guard. Louis Williams just doesn’t fit that mold.

11. Indiana Pacers — This team needs a healthy Mike Dunleavy back if they want to compete. One of their most intriguing young pieces, Jarrett Jack, went to Toronto for nothing in return. Indiana has scorers and defenders, but in different bodies, so unless they can make line changes, the Pacers likely won’t reach the post-season.

Cannon Fodder

12. Charlotte Bobcats — Any team coached by Larry Brown has to be good eventually. Is Tyson Chandler an upgrade from Emeka Okafor? Possibly, if he can stay healthy. The team is going to likely have to buy into a defensive system given their lack of potential scoring.

13. New York Knicks — The 2009 Knicks will be remembered … well, by no one really. They’re just waiting for the 2010 off-season to load up on stars. In the meantime, maybe Jared Jeffries and Eddy Curry can at least show they may be worthwhile enough despite over-sized contracts to try and garner some trade value.

14. Milwaukee Bucks — Brandon Jennings will be an intriguing addition to this team that was forced to trade away a few pricey players in the off-season. Do they look to deal off Michael Redd for someone with potential, or try to keep him long-term and hope that he’ll help Andrew Bogut and Jennings get this team back to respectability?

15. New Jersey Nets — It’s hard to know at the end of the year whether they’ll be the New Jersey Nets or the Brooklyn Nets. Wherever they wind up, at least there are a few good pieces in place for the future. Brook Lopez, Chris Douglas-Roberts and Yi Jianlian may be real ballplayers down the road.

The Raptors fell to 2-4, while the Rockets improved to 3-2.

Andrea Bargnani led the Raptors with 16 points, all in the first half. Chris Bosh and Hedo Turkoglu c0ntributed a quiet 13 and nine points respectively.

Toronto was expected to receive a big boost after Turkoglu made his debut Wednesday, but they have now gone 0-2 with all of their starting five players active.

Former Raptor Pops Mensah-Bonsu led the Rockets defensively with five blocks to go along with 17 points and seven rebounds coming off the bench.

The Rockets led 93-89 after three quarters before Battier hit a three to give Houston a seven-point edge early in the fourth.

Battier was red hot, finishing eight-for-nine from beyond the arc, and he made seven straight three-point attempts through the first three quarters.

Houston rode their momentum from the third quarter and went on a 10-4 run three minutes into the final frame. They had trailed by two midway through the third, but picked up the pace and took an 83-78 lead.

Raps fight back

Houston led by seven early in the first, but Toronto caught up and evened the score. Bargnani hit a field goal at the buzzer to give the Raptors a 29-28 lead after 12 minutes.

Toronto used its vision to create a few noteworthy plays in the second frame.

Bargnani faked a three-point attempt from the top of the key and dished it off to backup guard Marco Belinelli, who drove into the lane for the layup to put Toronto up by six.

A few minutes later, Jarrett Jack picked off a pass from Trevor Ariza and sent a no-looker to Amir Johnson, who threw down a monster jam, giving the Raptors a 43-33 edge.

The Raptors led 63-62 after 24 minutes.

They shot 50 per cent from field while the Rockets made 56 per cent of their shots.

Houston took a lot of chances from beyond the arc and made 13 out of 23 three-point attempts.

The Raptors will welcome the Boston Celtics into town on Sunday afternoon.

NOTES: Reggie Evans suffered a left foot sprain in Toronto’s loss to the Boston  on Wednesday. No timetable has been set for his return, but he is likely to miss the remainder of the pre-season.

As a member of a the University of Connecticut Huskies during the mid 90s, the nine-time all star never came out on the losing end on his home court, compiling a 26-0 record.

The future hall of fame shooting guard added victory No. 27 on Wednesday, this time as a member of the Boston Celtics as they defeated the Toronto Raptors 106-90 in exhibition play.

Box Score: Raptors vs. Celtics

Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 17, Kevin Garnett added 16 and Allen had eight as Boston won for the fourth time this preseason.

Chris Bosh scored a game-high 21 and point guards Jose Calderon and Jarrett Jack each had 12 for the Raptors, but of greater concern to Toronto may be the left foot injury sustained by power forward Reggie Evans.

One of the main offseason acquisitions by Raptors general manager, Bryan Colangelo after a disappointing 33-49 campaign, Evans collided with the Celtics’ Marquis Daniels in the second quarter as the two were coming down from a rebound in the Boston end.

The gritty Evans appeared to injure his left foot on the play and had to be helped to the dressing room by team trainers. He did not return.

Toronto missed the presence of Evans on the boards, as they were outrebounded by Boston 44-32.

Despite Bosh’s 20 points at halftime, the Raptors still trailed the Celtics 51-46 going into the third. A three-pointer by Kendrick Perkins and another one by Pierce at 9:26 opened up an eight point lead for Boston.

A Rajon Rondo jumper at 4:05 after a Bosh turnover gave the Celtics a 77-64 lead and though Calderon attempted to keep it close by scoring seven in the quarter, Boston out pointed Toronto 32-25 in the third and went in the final quarter, holding a 12-point lead.

Hedo Turkoglu, making his preseason debut with the Raptors, played 22 minutes and scored six points on 3-of-6 shooting, with five rebounds.

Toronto will be back at the Air Canada Centre Thursday to take on the Houston Rockets, while the Celtics will have to wait until Sunday for their next preseason game, a rematch with the host Raptors.

The all-star forward was awarded custody of 800 domain names in court, and is now offering to return them to their rightful owners for free.

Judge Florence-Marie Cooper made the decision to entrust the domain names belonging to professional athletes and celebrities to Bosh on Sept. 24. The court order was carried out Tuesday.

“I am thrilled that I am able to offer the return of these domain names to a host of other athletes and celebrities whose names were cybersquatted,” Bosh said in a statement Wednesday. “I will offer the return of the domain names free of charge.”

Bosh won a $120,000 US award in April 2009 for the violation of his rights under the U.S. Federal Anti-Cybersquatting Consumer Protection Act in a California federal court.

Defendants Luis Zavala and his company Hoopology.com had registered the domain “chrisbosh.com” and displayed ads using Bosh’s likeness to generate revenue without having any association to the cornerstone of the Raptors organization.

Chrisbosh.com is now owned and operated through the Bosh’s media firm, Max Deal and is used to publicize upcoming appearances by the four-time NBA all star.

Zavala also owned and used nearly 800 other domains including those of NBA stars Deron Williams, Tayshaun Prince, Rashard Lewis, Danny Granger and Maurice Williams.

All of the domain names, including Hoopology.com, now re-direct to a statement from Winston & Strawn LLP, Bosh’s lawyers, explaining the court’s decision.

Bosh, who studied graphic design and computer imaging at Georgia Tech, has developed a reputation as a savvy Internet user. He has written, directed, and starred in several humorous videos on his own YouTube channel.

He regularly updates his Twitter account, and engaged in a “tweet-war” over the summer with former teammate and close friend Charlie Villanueva.

Coincidentally, Villanueva is one of 11 current or former members of the Raptors who had domain names falsely registered by Zavala. Others include Hedo Turkoglu, Andrea Bargnani and team president and general manager Bryan Colangelo.

Turkoglu, Toronto’s star acquisition over the off-season has been hampered by fatigue and quadriceps tendonitis.

He hasn’t played through the first four pre-season games, but told reporters after Monday’s practice he is ready to contribute.  

“Right now, I’m feeling much better, both physically and mentally,” he said.

“I don’t know how long I’ll play, but I’ll try to do my best to help the team. I want to try and work my way up to the best shape I can before the regular season starts.”

Toronto began the pre-season with back-to-back losses to the Philadelphia 76ers on Oct. 6 and 7. They were without Turkoglu and star forward Chris Bosh and lost by single digits both nights.

Bosh returned to the lineup on Friday against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and now the Raptors have won two straight heading into Wednesday’s tilt against the 2008 NBA champions.

As Turkoglu explained, the Raptors may still have some challenges ahead of them with four games left before the regular season starts.

“There are 14 new guys that I haven’t played with before,” he said. “So far, we’re in a learning process as a team. We have a lot of talented guys that can do a lot of good things, but we have to be a group.”

The 30-year-old forward was an integral part of the Orlando Magic, who made it to the NBA finals last season. Through 77 games, he averaged 16.8 points.

Raptors coach Jay Triano told the National Post he will look to play Turkoglu with the Raptors starters.

“We only have four more pre-season games and I need to put him on the floor with guys he’s going to play with for most of the time,” he said.

“I don’t know how many minutes he’ll be able to go, but I’m planning on starting him with Jose [Calderon], Chris [Bosh], Andrea [Bargnani], and probably DeMar [DeRozan].”

With five games remaining before the regular season, Boston has a 2-1 record.

Celtics forward Kevin Garnett has played in all three games after going through off-season knee surgery. He has gotten consistently better and scored 12 points on 6-for-8 shooting from the field on Sunday.

Coach Doc Rivers told the Boston Globe he might rest his starters either Tuesday against the New Jersey Nets or Wednesday against the Raptors.

“We’re not sure yet,” Rivers said. “We’ll see how guys feel. We worked pretty hard, so we’ll wait until [Monday] or maybe [Tuesday]. Whoever is sore won’t play.”

Toronto and Boston will face off again on Oct. 18 at the Air Canada Centre.

Both teams will play the Cleveland Cavaliers in their regular season openers, Celtics on Oct. 27, Toronto a day later. 

Guard Antoine Wright did not travel with Toronto on Tuesday as he continues to recover from a sore right knee.

Raptors guard Sonny Weems jammed his big toe in Sunday’s 100-93 win over the Washington Wizards and did not practice Tuesday.

The Turkish power forward took part in workouts with his new teammates for the first time in training camp on Thursday.

The time off, which the franchise granted, has helped Turkoglu recuperate after helping Turkey qualify for the 2010 FIBA world championships.

“I’m feeling better – physically and mentally,” Turkoglu told reporters after practice. “Hopefully in the next week, I will start practising with the team and get in game shape and be 100 per cent for opening night.”

Despite missing some workouts and being put through the rigors of camp, Turkoglu doesn’t feel the lay off will hurt him.

“We know we are missing the practices right now, but mentally we are there,” Turkoglu said of himself and Chris Bosh, who also was held back due to a hamstring problem. “We are watching and learning, so when we get on the court we won’t be wondering what the hell is going on.”

Bosh played over 11 minutes in Friday’s contest against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The veteran power forward scored nine points in his pre-season debut and pulled down seven rebounds.

Head coach Jay Triano thought both players haven’t missed a beat.

“They’ve been up here and watching and both of them have extremely high basketball IQs, so it was no problem for them to fit in,” he said. “Both the defensive and offensive shell stuff we did today, they were on top of.”

With five pre-season games left and Turkoglu expecting to get into full workouts next week, he should see some action before the curtain is lifted on the 2009-10 season against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Oct. 28 at the Air Canada Centre.

“I don’t need much, man,” he said. “It (training camp and exhibition games are) part of the job and I think the time that I put in this summer, it doesn’t take long to get it back; it’s in me, I just have to play a couple of games and I’ll be back to where I want to be.”

Less than 12 minutes into Toronto’s pre-season, the newly acquired forward had the crowd chanting “Reg-gie, Reg-gie”

The six-foot-eight, 245-pound product of the University of Iowa brings a level of energy and toughness Raptors coach Jay Triano would like to see his team emulate.

“We’ve seen that throughout our camp,” Triano told reporters after Tuesday night’s loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. ”When he left the game in the final quarter, that’s when our intensity dropped.

“We’ve got to have guys match that and rise up. Otherwise, some of our guys are going to get embarrassed with the way they have a teammate playing.”

It was that energy and toughness that made Raptors general manager Brian Colangelo send three-point specialist Jason Kapono to Philadelphia in exchange for the eight-year pro.

Toronto may look to its big four — Chris Bosh, Andrea Bargnani, Jose Calderon, and Hedo Turkoglu — to generate points, but Raptors fans can expect to see Evans come off the bench and be tenacious on the defensive end.

The new-look Raptors are projected to do much better than last year, when they went 33-49 and wound up third last in the East.

While Turkoglu is expected make a big impact offensively, Evans has already made his presence felt through hard work and grit.

He started in place of Bosh in Tuesday night’s exhibition opener against his former squad at the John Labatt Centre in London, ON.

Two minutes into the game, he already had a pair of steals on the stats sheet.

His minutes were limited from the second quarter on, but he was still able to finish with four steals to go along with six points through 18 minutes.

“It felt really good, but at the end of the day, we have to get these fans a win,” said Evans, 29, after Tuesday’s match. “Just the first game, pre-season, a lot of new players … so it was cool.”

One night later, Evans came one point and one rebound shy of a double-double in Toronto’s 84-79 loss to the Sixers. Those are much better numbers than the 3.3 points and 4.6 boards he averaged through 79 games last season.

Though he brings a lot of passion, there are times when it has gotten him in trouble.

As a member of the Denver Nuggets, he grabbed and twisted Los Angeles Clipper Chris Kaman’s testicles while fighting for position.

So long as his energy doesn’t get the best of him, Evans will be a handful not only for opposing players, but teammates as well.

“He’s one of the toughest opponents to play against, and it’s good,” Raptors centre Rasho Nesterovic told the Globe and Mail on Sept. 29.

“Sometimes you get relaxed, a little sleepy and he wakes up everybody. Playing against him is really tough, you have to pay attention all the time.”

Evans joins a long line of Raptors favourites such as Charles Oakley, Morris Peterson, and Jerome “Junk Yard Dog” Williams.

“Practice is practice, game is game,” Evans said to the Globe and Mail. “You just go out there and hoop; you know the difference.”

Andrea Bargnani led the Raptors in scoring with 22 points on 9-for-14 shooting at the John Labatt Centre in London.

The Raptors entered training camp with nine new faces and three of them — rookie DeMar DeRozan, Reggie Evans, and Marco Belinelli — were in the starting lineup on Tuesday.

Boxscore: Toronto vs. Philadelphia.

Bargnani and Jose Calderon were the only returning players on the court for the tip off.

Despite the loss, Raptors coach Jay Triano was pleased about how the new players are adjusting.

“Some guys are getting comfortable with each other and getting used to playing at a high speed,” Triano said. “There were some good things out there, but also a lot of things we need to clean up.”

Chris Bosh didn’t suit up for Toronto on Tuesday because of a hamstring injury. Also out of action for the Raptors was Hedo Turkoglu, their star acquisition in the off-season who is recovering from fatigue.

Trailing 92-77 in the fourth, the Raptors came out of a stoppage in play with two big jams from Sonny Weems and Quincey Douby.

They went on a 12-3 run, trimming their deficit to within single digits for the first time since the second quarter.

Philadelphia shot only 23 per cent from the field through the first nine minutes of the final frame.

Jrue Holiday made a three-pointer late in the game to give Philly a 101-93 lead, but seconds later, DeRozan responded with a three of his own, bringing the Raptors to within five.

DeRozan scored eight points and shared the lead in minutes played with Belenelli as both players worked 28 minutes.

After the game, Triano told reporters not to get used to seeing the rookie play as much in the regular season.

“Our big thing with [DeRozan] is going to be limiting his minutes to where he can play with a real high intensity,” Triano said.

“Maybe we played him a few too many minutes tonight, but we wanted to give him a chance and see what he could do.”

Marcus Banks stole the ball in the paint with under a minute remaining, but turned it over while attempting a layup in Philly’s end to seal the game.

The game was a close contest through every quarter except the second where Philadelphia dominated the Raptors.

Toronto shot 56 per cent from the field in the opening quarter but made only three out of 15 chances to start the second quarter, and watched Philly go on a 22-8 run.

The Raptors trailed by as much as 18 through the opening 24 minutes and went into the break with a 65-50 deficit.

They were outscored 36-22 in the second frame and had a hard time containing the Sixers who shot 59 per cent in the first half.

“In the first quarter, when we got set in the half court, it was beautiful. Second quarter was horrible.” Triano said. “Some guys were doing what they were supposed to and others were playing by themselves.

“If we’re going to be successful, everybody has to be on the same page.”

Williams scored all 17 of his points in the first half and made six out of seven from the field.

Bargnani scored 15 first-half points and was the only Raptor to reach double digits at 22.

Evans, a former Sixer, started in Bosh’s normal spot at power forward and played 10:54 of the first quarter. He collected three steals to go along with six points.

He brought a lot of energy into the game but picked up four personal fouls in the first half and his playing time was limited the rest of the way.

“We’ve seen [his energy] throughout our camp,” Triano said. “When he left the game in the first quarter, our intensity dropped. We’ve got to have guys that can match that.”

Calderon registered three assists, but turned the ball over four times.

This was uncharacteristic for the Spaniard who was second in the league with a 4.24 assist/turnover ratio last season.

Both teams turned the ball over 25 times, but the Sixers scored 31 points off of Toronto’s miscues while the Raptors responded with 21.

Toronto and Philadelphia will play again Wednesday at the Air Canada Centre.

According to a press release from the team, Bosh will miss the start of next week’s training camp in Ottawa with a strained left hamstring.

“He experienced initial discomfort last week while training in Dallas and reaggravated the hamstring during a workout Wednesday in Toronto,” the release said.

“He will be reevaluated when the team returns to Toronto and any update to his status will be released at that time.”

Bosh’s absence will hurt as the new-look Raptors try to gel together as a team.

Off-season moves leave only three returning players from last year’s roster and Bosh was set to be the centrepiece among all the new faces.

Through trades, signings and the draft, the likes of Marco Belinelli, Hedo Turkoglu, Jarrett Jack, Reggie Evans, Antoine Wright, Rasho Nesterovic, Amir Johnson, Sonny Weems and DeMar DeRozan will join the Raptors this season, completing changing the team’s chemistry.

Bosh is looking forward to playing with his new teammates and seeing what they were capable of.

“I think we’re looking like a good team,” he told the Globe and Mail. “I don’t want to do bad this year. I want this team [to] do well and be [as] successful as we can be.”

Questions about Bosh’s durability are now coming up, though. He has never played a full season, although he came close in 2004-05 with 81 appearances.

Most of Bosh’s layoffs have been due to issues with his knees and he has also missed time with groin, ankle and thumb injuries.

Bosh will become a free agent at the end of this season and most analysts predict he won’t be a Raptor this time next year.

Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo made so many off-season moves with the hopes of enticing Bosh to re-sign with the club.

The four-time all-star averaged a career-high 22.7 points and 10 rebounds last season.

Toronto will also be without Turkoglu for much of October as he rests following a hectic schedule with the Turkish national team.

The Raptors pre-season begins Oct. 6 in London, Ont. against the Philadelphia 76ers and the games count starting Oct. 28, as Toronto hosts the Cleveland Cavaliers.

In the final minute of play Turkoglu, the newest Toronto Raptor, hit a clutch basket down low to make it 75-74. However, Greece guard Nikolaos Zisis scored a free throw to make it 76-74 with just under 10 seconds to play.

Point guard Ender Aslan’s desperation three-pointer from the top of the key bounced out as the buzzer sounded, disappointing the Turkish side.

Turkoglu, a native of Istanbul, was a much sought after free agent after his playoff performance in the 2009 NBA Finals where he averaged 15.8 points per game, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists over 24 games.

Toronto acquired him this summer in a sign-and-trade deal involving the Orlando Magic, Dallas Mavericks and Memphis Grizzlies.

His presence adds to the increasingly Euro-styled Raptors. He joins Slovenian Rasho Nesterovic. Spaniard Jose Calderon, and Italians Andrea Bargnani and Marco Belinelli

A nine-year veteran of the National Basketball Association, Turkoglu has played with the Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs and Orlando Magic.

The 50 year-old native of Tilsonburg, Ontario is working with Campbell’s Soup, the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC), and TSN, to promote the growth and recognition of homegrown coaches.

Individuals can visit www.chunkymvc.ca and nominate a coach that has made a difference in their lives.

Six finalists will be chosen in January and the winner of a public vote will receive $25,000 to go towards his or her athletes and community.

“[Canadian] coaches don’t get the recognition they deserve,” Triano told the Canadian Press

“We don’t get paid to coach in this country, they do it for the love of the sport and for the development of the children. That’s why I got involved in this, it’s a no-brainer.”

Triano got his first taste of coaching as an assistant at Simon Fraser University in 1985 and then served for seven years as their head coach.

At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, he led the Canadian men’s basketball team to a 5-2 record — second-best to the superpower U.S. team.

This exposure is what led him to being given a chance with the Raptor’s organization, Triano says.

“Let’s face it, that was the springboard for me to have this opportunity. Had that not happened? Who knows?,” he says.

He believes a Canadian coach in a lower rank has just as much know-how as a hall-of-famer in a professional league.

“The perception is, because he does it with better athletes and under a bigger spotlight, that he is a better coach and I don’t think that’s the case,” Triano says.

What they lack is just the basic support.

“We have great coaches in this country. I [just] don’t think we have the resources for them or the athletes to compete at the same level,” he says.

In a survey conducted last month by Campbell’s and the CAC, 92 per cent of respondents agreed that coaches play an integral role in their communities, while nearly 70 per cent felt that coaches in Canada do not receive enough recognition for their work.