TORONTO - Kelly Olynyk was calm, cool and collected in his first NBA game at the Air Canada Centre. He let his game do the talking. Standing in front of a Celtics backdrop with his trademark locks and quiet confidence less than an hour before Wednesdays preseason game, Olynyk downplayed a night he had been dreaming about for some time. "Its something you dream about when youre a kid," said Bostons 22-year-old rookie, "especially growing up in Toronto, being born and raised in Toronto here." The Toronto native, who relocated to Kamloops, B.C. as a teenager, played well beyond his years just six exhibition games into his promising NBA career. "It was special," he admitted after scoring 13 points and adding nine boards in a 99-97 preseason loss to the Raptors. "It felt good to get out on the court I grew up watching and grew up idolizing. I got into the game pretty quick." Son of a former coach - his mother also immersed in the game as an official scorer with the Raptors for nine years - Olynyk proved to be ahead of the curve as a rookie and justified the praise hes been getting for his high basketball IQ. "Hes got a lot of ability," Celtics rookie head coach Brad Stevens said of Olynyk. "His mind allows him to play the game at a really high level and then his physical skill is very good." Trailing by as many as 13 points in the first quarter, Olynyk helped Boston fight back in the second, getting the best of fellow Gonzaga alum Austin Daye with a devastating combination of size, strength and pristine footwork around the basket. The Celtics rookie fuelled a 13-1 Boston run with nine points and four rebounds during that stretch, giving his team a four-point lead and chasing Daye, who would go on to foul out in 10 minutes, from the game. Selected by the Mavericks with the 13th-pick and immediately traded to Boston in this summers draft, Olynyk impressed in the Orlando Summer League and continues to surprise people, providing a rebuilding Celtics team with hope for the future. "I probably had a better feel for Kelly than most NBA coaches because I coached against him [in college]," said Stevens, the former Butler head coach. "But hes better than I thought he was when we played against him." "I love him," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said of Olynyk, admitting the former Bulldog may have been overlooked prior to the draft. "I think his basketball IQ is off the charts. Hes [an] inside-outside player, probably just as much outside now as he is inside." "I like his hairdo," Casey joked. "His future is going to be really, really bright in the NBA." An opportunity for the Raptors reserves to prove themselves Once again the Raptors starters were effective out of the gate, getting Toronto off to a quick 20-9 lead. Kyle Lowry and Rudy Gay both enjoyed their best and most efficient quarter of the preseason on both ends of the floor. Lowry led the team with 11 points in the period, three of them coming from the line, and his four field goals (on five attempts) were all layups, most coming in transition. Gay added 10 points and also attacked the basket and created fast-break opportunities with good defence. Gay and Lowry, along with Amir Johnson, played the entire first quarter before getting the rest of the night off. DeMar DeRozan played the opening period and the first 1:17 of the second before joining them. "We wanted to make sure we got younger guys some run," Casey said of his decision to give second-unit players and sophomore Jonas Valanciunas the bulk of the minutes Wednesday. "I have a good feel for what they can do," he said of his first unit. "Believe me, were nowhere near where we need to be as a whole entire team. It wasnt any disrespect to Boston but we need to find out what our second unit can do. We need to find out what they can do and the only way we can do that is [giving] them minutes on the court. Whether we win, lose or draw, that wasnt important." After the second-quarter collapse, Torontos reserves, led by Terrence Ross and Landry Fields, created some breathing space with a strong third-quarter performance. The Raptors third-stringers held on in the fourth despite a missed, uncontested dunk by Julyan Stone that could have sealed the victory in the dying seconds. Ross shines Ross was quiet, verging on unnoticeable for the first six minutes he was in the game, as Boston went on its second-quarter run, but caught fire in a hurry. The second-year guard raked in 11 points in the final 4:46 of the first half and continued his strong play in the third quarter. "He was engaged, he was bouncy," Casey said of Ross, who finished with 19 points and three rebounds. "Im not just looking for points from Terrence Im looking for him to make [good] decisions with the ball and definitely [work] on the defensive end. The points are gravy." Ross, like Lowry and Gay in the first quarter, benefited from opportunistic defence as he was able to get out on the break and dazzle the home crowd with his usual brand of aerial acrobatics. "Im just focused on defensive," he said after the game. "Offence will come, they always tell me that. Thats not what Im really worried about Im just trying to go out there and try to make an impression on defence." "The way Im looking at it is defence leads to offence." Fields excels as point forward Without consistent production from the point guard position coming off Torontos bench, Fields has proven to be a valuable member of the second unit with his ability to handle the ball and initiate the offence in transition. "He did a heck of job running the show," Casey said of Fields, who added 14 points and seven rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench. "He made some shots which we really dont need from him but it helped us in that situation until we get a grove, a rhythm with that second unit offensively." Casey is still searching for consistency from his bench, hence the increased playing time, and until he finds it we should expect to see much of the same in terms of the rotation over Torontos final three preseason games. "Nobodys really differentiating [themselves]," he said of his second unit. "Were looking for cohesiveness [and for] who can possibly step in with the first unit if something happened. So nobodys really emerged." "With that said we still have to develop an offensive identity, whether its multiple pick and rolls, set plays, how we want to live with that second group. We kind of know what we want to do with the first group." Up Next The Raptors will hit the gym for some much-needed practice time this weekend before hosting Andrea Bargnani and the New York Knicks in a rematch of last weeks victory on Monday evening. Fake Jordan . Napoli hit two home runs, Jonny Gomes and prized rookie Xander Bogaerts also connected, and the Red Sox kept up their dizzying scoring spree at Yankee Stadium by bashing New York 13-9 Saturday for a fifth straight win. Air Jordan China . After two months of mediocrity, perhaps the Washington Nationals have turned the page. Strasburg struck out 11 in seven innings Wednesday night and the Nationals kept the Philadelphia Phillies bats quiet yet again in an 8-4, rain-interrupted win. https://www.jordanchina.us/. The 42-ranked Czech saved seven break points while converting his one chance, and defeated the No. 3 seed in 1 hour 46 minutes. Rosol, who lost in the final in Stuttgart against Roberto Bautista Agut on Sunday, awaits the winner between Philipp Kohlschreiber or 2011 champion Gilles Simon. Air Jordan Discount .ca/CurlingSkins - with the Top 16 curlers earning a ticket to Banff, Alta. to compete in the TRAVELERS ALL-STAR CURLING SKINS GAME Presented by Pintys, running Jan. Cheap Air Jordan Free Shipping .com) - The Minnesota Twins made it official on Wednesday, announcing the signing of outfielder Torii Hunter to a one-year contract.TORONTO - For over a month Nando De Colo was Torontos forgotten man, an afterthought at the bottom of a playoff-bound roster, a masked phantom lurking on the end of the Raptors bench. Who was he and why was he brought here? As the visitors locker room cleared out after Saturdays win in Milwaukee, a reporter approached De Colo, who was suddenly making an impact in an expanded role for his new, undermanned club. Curious about the origins of his first name, which isnt a traditional French moniker, said reporter asked the Raptors guard where it came from. "It came from my parents," he replied, straight-faced, flaunting a quick wit we didnt know he had. Up until last week we didnt know much about him at all. The acquisition of De Colo, trickling in minutes after the trade deadline passed, went under the radar. A player from the end of one bench exchanged for a player on the end of another. Masai Ujiri opted to hold onto Kyle Lowry and keep the band together, that was the headline. Austin Daye for De Colo was a footnote. Now, six weeks later, the move is owed some belated acknowledgement. Ujiri was familiar with De Colo having seen him play overseas and with the Spurs. He knew what he was getting. Dwane Casey was less acquainted with the second-year combo guard but was equally as intrigued by his intangibles and has been looking for a way to find him more playing time. With Lowry resting a sore knee, Casey has been provided that opportunity and De Colo, to his credit, is taking advantage of it. "Its what I was expecting and what we needed and wanted, as far as another ball handler," Casey told TSN.ca. "That was the main thing we saw. We needed another guy that can handle the ball, to create, to be a passer, a facilitator, a transporter of the ball, to get it across the court. "Hes done that." In extended minutes, backing up and playing alongside temporary starter Greivis Vasquez, De Colo has been a sparkplug coming in off the bench to begin the month of April. Over the last two games hes tallied 11 assists to just three turnovers in 42 minutes of action. After easing into his new surroundings, De Colo no longer appears reluctant to let it fly. Hes shooting and scoring with confidence, something he lacked upon arriving in Toronto, playing sporadically last month. "Hes still learning our system," said Casey, "still getting comfortable and the more he gets comfortable the more hes going to knock down shots. I think were seeing that now." The easy explanation for his confidence boost is the increased playing time that has come as a result of Lowrys injury.dddddddddddd "Im finding a rhythm," said De Colo, who has attempted 16 shots over the last three games, the same number he hoisted in his first 14 contests with the Raptors. "Im in shape after adjusting to find a rhythm of the game with a new team. Now I just try to play my game, try to be aggressive like everybody wants on the team and since then Ive been good." Since arriving from the Spurs, De Colo has been touted for his basketball intellect and decision-making ability. Teammates and coaches have cited his time playing for the venerable Gregg Popovich with a world-class organization in San Antonio, as well as his experience overseas - where he competed professionally from the age of 19 - and with the French national team. In a year and a half with the Spurs he was sent back and forth from the NBA Development League an astonishing total of nine times, a product of the close proximity between San Antonio and its D-League affiliate in Austin. More so than the path hes traveled to get here, De Colo credits his approach. "I think its something Ive always had in my game," he said. "I try to see what happens and make good decisions. I know I can pass the ball. I must be aggressive on this kind of team and I have to take the open shot." Casey has entrusted De Colo to run his offence, immediately vaulting him over the young Julyan Stone and Dwight Buycks in Torontos backcourt rotation. When Lowry makes his return - hes expected to be cleared this week - the Raptors head coach has a decision to make. Can he afford to juggle minutes for three point guards going into the playoffs or does De Colo go back to the end of the bench? Although Casey has been most impressed with him as the primary ball handler, its conceivable that the Raptors could feature more two point guard lineups in the postseason, when the defence is likely to apply more pressure on Lowry. Of equal importance, the Raptors need to find out what they have in De Colo, a free agent at the end of the season. If Lowry is retained this summer and Vasquez - a restricted free agent - proves too expensive, De Colo may make more sense as an affordable backup, assuming he continues to impress. All of a sudden, De Colo has become more than late-season bench fodder. The Raptors under-the-radar deadline acquisition has helped keep them afloat in the absence of their most important player and could continue paying out come playoff time, and beyond. Nando is a name worth remembering. ' ' '