TORONTO -- Kyle Lowry could have withdrawn into a shell when his name began being tossed about in trade rumours earlier this month. Instead, the Toronto Raptors point guard did the exact opposite. Lowry poured in a season-high 32 points, plus had 11 assists and eight rebounds, to lead the Raptors to a decisive 115-100 victory over the New York Knicks on Saturday -- his latest strong game, prompting coach Dwane Casey to say Lowry is playing the best basketball of his career. "He is playing with such force and confidence," Casey said. "Hes been playing the game the right way and hes been playing lights out." Terrence Ross had seven three-pointers as part of a 23-point performance for the Atlantic Division-leading Raptors (13-15), whove won seven of their last 10 games. DeMar DeRozan finished with 20 points, while Raptors newcomer Greivis Vasquez added 11, and Jonas Valanciunas had 10 boards to go with nine points. But it was Lowry who was the recipient of most of Caseys post-game praise, mostly for the leadership hes showing. At one point during the fourth quarter Saturday, Lowry jumped in to separate Valanciunas and Knicks big man Tyson Chandler. "Just in the locker-room, in practice, on the court, his encouragement to the young players, how you say things to young players, hes been great at that," Casey said. "With all the trade rumours, and all the bullcrap thats going around, hes been positive and upbeat, and a leader. "He could have. . . isolated himself from everybody else, but he dove in and has been positive about it. Im happy for him, and proud of him for handling himself that way." Lowry shrugged off Caseys comments. "What am I going to do? Its a business. Am I going to be mad?" Lowry said. "It is what it is, Im not really worried about it, Ive said it 50 million times and Im going to say it 50 more, until something happens, Im a Raptor and Im going to play for the Raptors and play hard for the Raptors." Torontos victory over the beleaguered Knicks was the second in as many nights, coming a day after they rallied from a 12-point third-quarter deficit to win 95-83 in New York. The Raptors never trailed by more than two points Saturday, and took the lead for good late in the first quarter, pulling away in the second with crisp ball movement, strong team play, and the hot hand of Ross before taking an 85-71 lead into the fourth. Vasquez, acquired in the trade that sent Rudy Gay to Sacramento, drained three consecutive three-pointers in the third for a 17-point Toronto lead. But the Knicks put up some resistance down the stretch, pulling to within six points on a basket by Tyson Chandler with 3:50 left to play. Lowry, who was just two rebounds shy of a triple-double on the night, responded with a pair of free throws and a three-pointer to put Toronto up by 11 and out of danger to the relief of a sellout Air Canada Centre crowd of 19,800. Amare Soudemire had 23 points to top the Knicks (9-21), who were missing Carmelo Anthony (sprained left ankle) and Metta World Peace (sore left knee). Chandler added 16, while former Raptor Andrea Bargnani had 12 points in 17 minutes. "Either way, whether its by 20 or by one, its still a loss," said the Knicks JR Smith. "Every loss is difficult. We try to learn from it as much as you can but it just keeps happening." The Raptors were back in Toronto after going 3-1 on the road -- a stretch that included victories over Oklahoma City and Dallas. Their confidence right now is soaring. "Were not beating just any teams, were going into other places and beating good teams, thats what its all about, and thats what weve got to keep doing if we want to be a playoff team," DeRozan said. The victory in Dallas in particular, DeRozan said "just showed you we could play with anyone." The Raptors shot 45 per cent on the night, while allowing the Knicks to shoot 49 per cent. They outrebounded their visitors 45-37. Ross, whos been making the most of his increased playing time since Gay was traded, shot 7-for-11 from three-point range, and had a massive dunk in the second quarter that brought the crowd to its feet. DeRozan said his advice to Ross was: "You jump higher than anybody on the court. Youre a great shooter. You can do so much. Just use it." Bargnani, meanwhile, was booed mercilessly during introductions in his first regular-season game in Toronto since the Raptors traded him to New York last summer. Some fans chanted "Primo!" -- a reference to his Toronto pasta commercials. The seven-foot Italian was drafted No. 1 overall in 2006, and played his first seven NBA seasons in Toronto, but fans had little love left for Bargnani by the time he departed. Before the game, Bargnani made light of the boos he knew hed surely face. "Its not the first time I got booed. Its not the last time. Ive been playing in Europe since I was 14. Its not just about the boos. Its about life. a You hear them," he said. "But like I say, its not the first time, its not the last time." Lowry raced out to a strong start, with nine points and four assists in a first quarter that saw the lead change hands nine times. The Raptors took a 26-22 lead into the second. Toronto turned it up a notch in the second, and a driving layup by Lowry with just under a minute to go before the break put the Raptors up by 14 points. The Raptors took a 57-44 lead into the dressing room at halftime. Ross drained three buckets from beyond the arc in the third, his third one with 4:14 left putting the home team up by 20 points. NOTES: Fridays game at New York was the first of 11 straight against Eastern Conference opponents. . . The Raptors play the Bulls on New Years Eve, then return home to host the Indiana Pacers on New Years Day. . That, he hinted, could come Wednesday. Negotiators for the NBA and its players met for only about two hours Tuesday and plan to resume the talks early Wednesday. Stern said that meeting will determine how soon its worth sitting down again. [url=http://www.officialmlbonline.net/Baltimore-Orioles-Cyber-Monday-Chris-Tillm... Tillman Orioles Jersey .Y. -- While Jon Bon Jovi is interested in becoming an NFL owner one day, hes not currently pursuing the Buffalo Bills, the New Jersey rockers publicist told The Associated Press on Monday. . The multi-platinum group from Hanna, Alta., was announced as the main act for the Nov. [url=http://www.officialmlbonline.net/Boston-Red-Sox-Cyber-Monday-Allen-Craig-Je... Craig Red Sox Jersey . In just his sixth career start, Humber (2-2) carried a no-hitter through 6 1/3 innings and tallied five strikeouts. Adam Dunn went 1-for-2 and added the eventual game-winning RBI in the fourth inning for Chicago, which halted a three-game skid.Last year when Wally Buono took Danny Watkins fourth overall in the CFLs Canadian College draft, he figured hed have to wait a bit for Baylor offensive lineman to join the B.C. Lions. Well, that wait is about to get a whole lot longer. The six-foot-three, 310-pound native of Kelowna, B.C., is projected to hear his name called Thursday night when NFL clubs select their first-round picks in New York. In fact, the former firefighter will be one of 25 bluechip prospects who will attend the draft. "We sent someone down to evaluate him last year and we liked him and thought we had a chance to get him," said Buono, the Lions veteran head coach and GM. "Obviously he had a great spring and a great senior year and at this point I dont think were going to see him. "Even when we drafted him we felt because of his size and his age he probably would get an invite to an NFL camp. Now it looks like hes going to be a fairly high draft choice, which only delays that whole process. You dont want to wish anybody ill but at the end of the day we drafted him because we felt he would be a contributor for a long time for us." The NFL will hold the second and third rounds Friday with the remaining four rounds slated to go Saturday. Watkins star has been on the rise throughout the off-season, when he was originally projected as a second-round selection shortly after ending his final U.S. college football campaign at Baylor. But the Canadian impressed NFL officials at both the Senior Bowl as well as the NFL combine, to the point where he was being mentioned as viable late selection in the first round, most notably at No. 31 by the AFC-champion Pittsburgh Steelers. But a recent mock draft had Watkins, 26, going 29th overall to the Chicago Bears. And if that comes to pass, Watkins would become just the fourth Canadian ever to go in the first round and first since 1996 when Montreals Tim Biakabutuka was selected by the Carolina Panthers. The others included Tony Mandarich of Oakville, Ont., (1989 by Green Bay) and Mike Schad of Belleville, Ont. (1986 by the Los Angeles Rams). A total of 16 Canadians have been selected in the NFL draft since 1980. Watkins could also have the distinction of being a first-round pick in both the CFL and NFL drafts. The last player to be selected in the first round of both was Schad, who in 86 was selected fourth overall by the now defunct Ottawa Rough Riders. But Watkins isnt the only highly touted Canadian prospect in the draft. Orlando Franklin, a six-foot-seven, 310-pound offensive lineman with the Miami Hurricanes, is projected to go anywhere between the second and fourth rounds. Franklin was born in Jamaica, but grew up in Toronto before moving to Florida to enhance his opportunity to secure a football scholarship. After his mother quit her job and moved the family Delray Beach, Fla., Franklin landed at Miami, where he played at guard his first three years there before switching to tackle as a senior. After playing his entire senior year with a torn meniscus in his knee, Franklin had surgery before the combine but still chose to perform there anyways. Mike Mayock, The NFL Networks draft guru, has said he doesnt believe Franklin will make it past the second round. Another eligible draft prospect is Terence Jeffers-Harris, who spent last season as a CFL rookie with the Winnippeg Blue Bombers.dddddddddddd. Jeffers-Harris had 44 catches for 547 yards and four TDs with Winnipeg last year. But its hard to imagine any of this years draft prospects having taken a more unlikely road to the NFL than Watkins. As a youth in B.C., Watkins grew up playing rugby and hockey. Given his size and enjoyment of the physical going, Watkins played defence on the ice. But Watkins gave up hockey for his second love, fire fighting, and actually enrolled at Butte College in California to pursue it as a career. But thats also where Watkins took up football and is the same junior college Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers attended. Despite his inexperience, Watkins helped Butte capture a Division III title in 2008 before transferring to Baylor. But Watkins hasnt forgot his roots, having brought a number of his firefighter buddies to New York to share the NFL draft experience with. "Everybody that Ive talked to says hes a mature kid, a good kid," Buono said. "Hes brought a number of his firefighter friends to New York to be a part of the draft experience and that says a lot about the individual, right?" Watkins started all 25 games at left tackle with Baylor and earned first-team All Big 12 honours last year but is projected as a guard in the NFL and has been rated by at least one draft pundit as the top guard available in this years class. The scouting report on Watkins says hes gifted athletically, has terrific mobility -- not a surprise given his hockey background -- and has a nasty streak. "Hes heavy-handed, he finishes, and hes nasty," Mayock says of Watkins. "I watched him at left tackle at Baylor this year, and hes got some natural bending ability and hes really naturally strong. "They call it a six-inch punch, and he can jar you with that six inches." The accolades Watkins has earned arent the least bit surprising to Buono. "Talking to people whove worked with him he is a very good athlete and has extremely good work habits and all the things that right now the NFL is excited about him," Buono said. "The amount of time you play sometimes isnt as relevant as where they see you at this point in your career . . . hes got good athleticism, hes got good feet and has got good overall numbers for NFL people." The two biggest knocks on Watkins are his age and relative football inexperience. But with the indecision surrounding the NFLs muddled labour situation, there has been talk that Watkins age could actually be an advantage because hes more mature and developed physically than his younger counterparts and be more able to adjust to the challenges of a shortened training camp should the lockout lag on through the summer. "Usually the guys who are that age are more physically and mentally mature," Buono said. "But the other thing that goes against you in the opposite way is youve only played football for a small amount of time so I guess you have to weigh those two things. "The other thing, from my understanding, is theyre not projecting him as a tackle but more as a guard and thats a position thats going to be totally new for him. But its good to see young guys like that excel because it just proves again your nationality should have nothing to do with how far you go in any sport." cheap jerseys cheap nfl jerseys ' ' '