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SACRAMENTO - Some say that living well is the best revenge. At least four players on the Raptors roster subscribe to that philosophy. When Torontos Patrick Patterson, John Salmons, Greivis Vasquez and Chuck Hayes return to Sacramentos Sleep Train Arena Wednesday, theyll be feeling a lot better about themselves than when they were last in the building, when they called it home. Its been nearly two full months since that fateful night in Los Angeles when a seven-player trade shook the foundation of the Raptors franchise. As reports began to circulate hours before tip-off, the timing of the deal caught everyone off guard. In exchange for the bloated contract and modest production of Rudy Gay - along with Quincy Acy and Aaron Gray - Toronto took back four veteran wild cards. Each of the four had experienced some level of individual success in the league. Vasquez and Patterson - the youngest of the four - were both coming off career seasons, one in New Orleans, the other in Houston. Hayes - a nine-year vet - had been a starter with the Rockets and Salmons, now in his 12th season, was a key contributor to playoff teams in Chicago and Milwaukee. At 34 and 30 respectfully, Salmons and Hayes immediately became the elder statesmen on a young Raptors squad. Each of them had started in at least one of Sacramentos first 18 games. They were rotation players for a team that was 5-13 at the time of the trade. "Coming from here in Sacramento, things werent that great," Salmons said, candidly reflecting back on the trade after wrapping up practice in the Kings gym Tuesday. "So when we got the opportunity to come here we just wanted to take advantage of it. Losings not fun and this team had a chance to make a run at the playoffs." Without Gay, who was shooting 39 per cent and hoisting just under 19 shots per game, most anticipated there would be at least some addition by subtraction but no one - even internally - knew what to expect from the incoming Kings players. Likewise, they didnt know what to expect from a Raptors team that had a 6-12 record prior to that game in LA on Dec. 8. "I mean you hear stuff about other teams, but the only thing you really know is their record," Salmons added. "You know their record, you know their roster but you dont know the whole story. So coming in all we saw was the record, we didnt know that the locker room was full of good guys." Toronto has gone 19-10 since the trade was made official, 19-9 since the acquired players made their Raptor debuts, good for the third-best record in the Eastern Conference over that stretch. Not only did the trade improve the Raptors bench, it made their bench. On most nights, Dwane Casey has settled into a strict nine-man rotation, using the four ex-Kings as his primary reserves. Torontos bench combined for 35 points on 52 per cent shooting in Mondays win over the Jazz. They have scored 30 or more in three of the last five contests and are averaging 26.6 points since the trade. Casey has entrusted them to be on the floor in key situations. Quite frankly, theyve earned it. "I feel like we got four veteran, solid players that really helped us in a lot of different ways and gave us some toughness off the bench," the Raptors coach said. "Right now, obviously [Toronto is] playing at a very high level," said Kings coach Mike Malone. "I think all four of our guys are helping them at different points." The newcomers have each put their stamp on the teams run. Often the first player off the bench, Patterson is logging fewer minutes than he was in Sacramento, yet averaging three more points per game, contributing nearly 10 as a Raptor. Hayes has carved out a niche as a reliable, savvy and hardworking stopper and rebounder. Salmons, a two-way player, has become Torontos third ball handler. Of the four, Vasquez is the only one who has seen his scoring average dip since coming to the Raptors. Still, hes not complaining. "Im in a different situation right now and Im pretty happy," said Vasquez, who has stepped in as a reliable backup to Kyle Lowry, something the team was desperately searching for early in the season. "I think winning really makes everything so much better. Id rather be in a winning program right now than going through a tough time [in Sacramento]." You would have to be naive to think that Wednesdays return to Sacramento is just another game for those four. The Kings are 11-19 since sending them to Toronto and the statement theyre hoping to make has more to do with their collective success than individual performances. "You always look forward to playing the team that traded you," said Vasquez, averaging seven points and four assists with the Raptors. "More than that its about winning. At the end of the day, whether I play well, whether I dont play well, I just want to go back to Sacramento with a win." Vasquez was only with the Kings for a couple months to begin the season. For Salmons, his connection with the Sacramento franchise goes back seven years. In 2006, the Philadelphia-native pulled out of a deal with the Raptors to sign in Sacramento. After being moved to the Bulls, then to the Bucks, Salmons eventually found his way back to the Kings but became expendable when new ownership decided to take the team in a different direction. The trade to Toronto was Salmons fifth since being drafted out of Miami in 2002 but he took this one more personally than the others. He felt slighted by an organization that he had spent most of his career playing for. "When I got traded I had mixed feelings, strong mixed feelings," he admitted. "Im not going to say I was totally mad at the [Kings] organization it was just, I dont know, it was just a little tougher this time." Now, as he and his teammates get set to make their much-anticipated return, that animosity is water under the bridge, more or less. Salmons, like the other three, is sincerely happy to be a Raptor. Winning is the best medicine. "Guys enjoy winning," said Salmons. "Theres the old saying, winning cures everything so the more we win the more people want to sacrifice to continue winning." Bert Blyleven Indians Jersey . -- At the beginning of training camp, Andrew Bogut set a goal to play all 82 regular-season games and regain his place among the NBAs best centres. Kevin Plawecki Indians Jersey . The ongoing funk on penalty kill and an unusually quiet night on home ice for the power play divided the Leafs from the Bruins at the ACC in a rare Sunday night affair. https://www.cheapindiansonline.com/. Rosbergs time of 1 minute, 33.185 seconds at the Bahrain International Circuit was a quarter of a second faster than Hamilton, who had to abandon his final flying lap after running wide at the first corner. Rico Carty Jersey . Bring on Freddy Garcia. The well-travelled 36-year-old right-hander earned his second NL victory since 2007, and his first since he joined the Atlanta Braves last month, pitching six innings to help beat Miami 6-1 Thursday. Cleveland Indians Gear . -- ETwaun Moore had 14 points in 30 minutes, and the Orlando Magic defeated the Detroit Pistons 87-86 on Sunday night.(SportsNetwork.com) - A rivalry as strong as Bethune-Cookman versus South Carolina State got the type of ending it deserved Saturday. Spectacular. Well, South Carolina State would agree to that more as quarterback Adrian Kollock Jr. hit Austin Smith in stride for a 49-yard touchdown pass with 33 seconds remaining in the Bulldogs 20-14 victory over a 14th-ranked Bethune squad that had been unbeaten in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference action. Bethunes first conference road loss since falling in Orangeburg in 2011 created a logjam for first place, including the Wildcats (6-2, 3-1) and SCSU (5-3, 3-1). Smith broke three tackles on his decisive touchdown. Bethune tied the game at 14-14 when SCSU was hoping to run out the clock but fumbled a snap deep in its territory, which the Wildcats Donald Smith scooped up for a 3-yard touchdown return. There were only two offensive touchdowns in the game. Quentin Williams 43-yard scoring pass to Jhomo Gordon just 37 seconds into the game gave Bethune a 7-0 lead. SCSU tied the game on Justin Hughes 44-yard interception return with 5:24 left in the second quarter. The Bulldogs took a 14-7 lead on Antonio Hamiltons 91- yard TD return midway through the third quarter. Williams was sacked nine times and threw three interceptions. He got tired of seeing Javon Hargrave, who collected six sacks and 11 tackles for the Bulldogs. Either Bethune or SCSU has won five of the last six MEAC titles. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- The Sports Network FCS Top 25 No. 1 North Dakota State (8-0, 4-0 Missouri Valley) 47, South Dakota (2-6, 0-4) 7 North Dakota State extended its FCS-record winning streak to 32 games as quarterback Carson Wentz threw for three touchdowns and running back John Crockett had 169 yards from scrimmage and scored twice. The Bison defense forced three turnovers. Linebacker Nick DeLuca had 12 tackles and one interception. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Northern Arizona (5-3, 3-1 Big Sky) 28, No. 2 Eastern Washington (7-2, 4-1) 27 NAU backup quarterback Jordan Perry connected with freshman wide receiver Dan Galindo on a 20-yard touchdown pass with 12 seconds remaining to erase a 27-22 deficit and end two-time defending Big Sky champion Eastern Washingtons conference winning streak at 14 games. The Eagles had a 27-22 lead late in the fourth quarter but opted not to go for a 40-yard field goal attempt before being stopped on 4th-and-4 at the NAU 23 with 47 seconds left. On the Lumberjacks second play of the ensuing drive, Perry threw a 54-yard completion to Alex Holmes to set up the winning touchdown. Starting quarterback Chase Cartwright was 23-for-40 for 255 yards and two touchdowns before leaving the game with an injury. The Lumberjacks overcame the spectacular return of EWU running back Jordan Talley from a shoulder injury as he rushed for 219 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. EWU quarterback Jordan West, making his third start in place of injured standout Vernon Adams Jr., was 16-for-34 for 171 yards and two touchdowns in the loss. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- No. 3 New Hampshire (6-1, 4-0 CAA) 28, Stony Brook (4-5, 3-2) 20 New Hampshire overcame a 14-0 deficit after the first quarter and went ahead for good on R.J. Harris 73-yard touchdown pass from running back Nico Steriti in the third quarter. Quarterback Andy Vailas rushed for two touchdowns and Jimmy Owens scored on a 51-yard run with 1:43 left to extend a 21-20 lead. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- No. 4 Coastal Carolina (8-0, 2-0 Big South) 43, Charleston Southern (5-3, 0-2) 22 Coastal Carolina avenged a loss from last season as Alex Ross passed for three touchdowns and DeAngelo Henderson rushed for three. Chanticleers wide receiver John Israel collected 174 yards and two touchdowns on three receptions. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- No. 5 Villanova (7-1) 48, Morgan State (4-4) 28 Villanova quarterback John Robertson was 13-for-18 for 143 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 99 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Kevin Monangai rushed for 170 yards and two touchdowns. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- No. 6 Jacksonville State (6-1, 4-0) 49, Tennessee Tech (3-5, 2-3) 3 Five different Jacksonville State players scored touchdowns in the second quarter and the Gamecocks pushed their winning streak to six. Quarterback Eli Jenkins had 204 total yards and threw for a touchdown, while backup Christian LeMay passed for two more scores to Anthony Johnson. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Cal Poly (5-3, 4-1 Big Sky) 41, No. 7 Montana (5-3, 3-1) 21 Montana couldnt stop the FCS No. 1-ranked rushing attack as the Mustangs chewed up 421 yards on the ground in their fourth straight win. Quarterback Chris Brown rushed for 226 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries while adding 107 yards and a touchdown through the air. Montana led 14-7 in the second quarter before Cal Poly ran off 27 unanswered points. Jordan Johnson threw for 248 yards and three touchdowns in the loss, including two scores to Jamal Jones (eight receptions for 134 yarfds). ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Stephen F. Austin (6-2, 3-1 Southeastern) 27, No. 8 Southeastern Louisiana (6-3, 4-1) 17 Running back Gus Johnson rushed for 116 yards and two touchdowns and quarterback Clint Conque also ran in a score as Stephen F. Austin made the Southland Conference a wide-open race with five one-loss teams. After sitting out the first half with a sore shoullder, Southeastern signal caller Bryan Bennett had an 83-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Smiley and a rushing touchdown in the second half.dddddddddddd ----------------------------------------------------------------------- No. 9 Illinois State (7-0, 4-0 Missouri Valley) 21, Missouri State (4-4, 1-3) 7 Illinois State overcame a 7-6 deficit in the fourth quarter as quarterback Tre Roberson scored on a 7-yard run and threw his second touchdown pass of the game. Marshaun Coprich carried the ball 31 times for 148 yards. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- No. 10 Montana State (6-2, 4-0 Big Sky), Idle ----------------------------------------------------------------------- No. 11 McNeese State (5-2, 3-1 Southland) 41, Incarnate Word (1-7, 1-4) 21 McNeese State was outgained in yards (303 to 273), but forced six turnovers. Brent Spikes picked off three passes and returned one for a 48-yard touchdown. Dylan Long rushed for 60 yards and three touchdowns, while Ryan Ross had 64 yards and a score on the ground. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- No. 12 Fordham (7-1, 3-0 Patriot) 48, Lehigh (1-6, 0-2) 27 Fordham freshman Chase Edmonds rushed for 197 yards and five touchdowns on 32 carries and senior Michael Nebrich passed for 292 yards and one touchdown. The Rams had never won in 12 previous visits to Lehigh. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- No. 17 Youngstown State (6-2, 3-1 Missouri Valley) 30, No. 13 South Dakota State (5-3, 2-2) 27 Youngstown State freshman quarterback Hunter Wells passed for 256 yards and accounted for three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing). Martin Ruiz rushed for 132 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. For SDSU, senior running back Zach Zenner rushed for 114 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- No. 15 Chattanooga (5-3, 4-0) 38, Mercer (5-4, 1-4) 31 Junior quarterback Jacob Huesman passed for 359 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another 99 yards and a score to lift Chattanooga. Mocs senior defensive end Davis Tull recorded 1.5 sacks to get to 35 for his career, pulling within 1.5 sacks of former Appalachian State standout Josh Jeffries Southern Conference record of 36.5 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- No. 16 Richmond (6-2, 3-1 CAA) 30, Elon (1-7, 0-4) 10 Richmond limited Elon to 141 yards, including just 17 on 26 carries. Running back Jacobi Green totaled 149 yards from scrimmage and rushed for a touchdown. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- No. 18 William & Mary (5-3, 2-2 CAA) 31, Delaware (4-4, 2-2) 17 Mikal Abdul-Saboor rushed for 198 yards and two touchdowns as William & Mary controlled the ball for 37 minutes, 8 seconds. Delawares Trent Hurley was 24-for-36 for 236 yards and a touchdown with one interception. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- No. 19 Eastern Kentucky (7-1, 4-1) 33, Southeast Missouri State (4-5, 2-3) 21 EKU rebounded from it first loss as DyShawn Mobley rushed for 111 yards and three touchdowns, and Jeff Glover blocked a punt and returned the ball for a 22-yard touchdown. Devin Borders caught four passes for 106 yards and a touchdown. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- No. 21 Harvard (6-0, 3-0 Ivy) 49, Princeton (3-3, 2-1) 7 Harvard totaled 698 yards and blew out Princeton behind quarterback Conner Hempel, who passed for 382 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 52 yards and two more scores. Running backs Semar Smith (124 yards) and Paul Stanton Jr. (105 yards, one touchdown) both went over the century mark in the win. The Crimson have won 10 straight games since last season. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- No. 22 Indiana State (5-3, 2-2 Missouri Valley) 41, No. 20 Southern Illinois (5-4, 2-3) 26 Indiana State racked up 568 yards behind the senior trio of quarterback Mike Perish (27-for-41, 353 yards, four touchdowns), running back Buck Logan (15 carries, 142 yards, one touchdown) and wide receiver Kyani Harris (five receptions, 129 yards, two touchdowns). Southern Illinois commited four turnovers in its third straight loss. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- No. 23 Northern Iowa (4-4, 2-2 Missouri Valley) 27, Western Illinois (3-6, 1-4) 13 Northern Iowa senior running back David Johnson rushed for 146 rushing yards and scored twice to set a school record with 51 career touchdowns. Brion Carnes started at quarterback and passed for a career-high 239 yards and one touchdown. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Saint Francis (3-5, 1-2 NEC) 30, No. 24 Sacred Heart (6-2, 2-1) 27 Saint Francis beat a Division I team for the first time this season in knocking Sacred Heart from first place in the Northeast Conference. Zach Drayer threw three touchdowns and caught one on a trick play as SFU built a 27-10 lead. After the Pioneers rallied to tie the game, Lance Geesey kicked a 35-yard field goal with 5:28 left for the decisive points. Sacred Hearts Keshaudas Spence (23 carries, 173 yards, one touchdown) outperformed SFUs Khairi Dickson (28 carries, 95 yards), who entered the game as the FCS rushing leader. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- No. 25 Albany (6-2) 24, Colgate (4-4) 17 Quarterback Will Fiacchi scored from 2 yards out with 16 seconds left to lift Albany. Fiacchi finished with two rushing touchdown and one though the air as the Great Danes overcame three turnovers. ' ' '