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DENVER - The Bosnian Bear loves chocolate cheesecake with vanilla mousse almost as much as video games and horror films.Some might say Jusuf Nurkic (pronounced you-SOOF nur-KITCH) is just a 6-foot-11, 280-pound kid at heart. Others would say hes really still a kid.The Denver Nuggets decided to make the 20-year-old rookie their starting centre by trading Timofey Mozgov to Cleveland last week for two protected first-round draft picks.Thats how much confidence they have in their bruiser from Bosnia-Herzegovina whos only been playing basketball for five years. Hes averaging 6.9 points and 5.1 rebounds this season, numbers that may even get him invited to the Rising Stars Challenge for rookies and second-year players during All-Star weekend next month.It certainly hasnt taken him long to pick up the game — or the English language. He understands what hes hearing just fine.Except, of course, when coach Brian Shaw yells at him during practice. Only then does he act like he cant understand.Hes clever, said Shaw, whose team rides a four-game win streak into a game Wednesday against Dallas. Hell try to use that I dont understand card when its convenient for him to use it. He understands all right.Thats the one thing about basketball — the things that you do on the court are universal. So there may be different words for different things in different languages, but a pick and roll is still a pick and roll, a post-up is still a post-up, a shot is a shot. In terms of that, theres no barrier. He has a good understanding, because he has such a high basketball IQ.His story of discovery is actually quite remarkable. Heres the condensed version: An agent saw a newspaper article on Nurkics father, a big, burly policeman. The agent contacted the father to see if he by chance had a son, which he did — a teenager named Jusuf.He looked at me, and I was normal size, and he said, That kid is going to be in the NBA, said Jusuf Nurkic, who was dubbed Bosnian Bear by the team early in the season but also likes Bosnian Beast as a nickname. We all just smiled, because it was crazy.After all, Nurkic didnt know a thing about the game. Even more, he couldnt shoot. But they found him a coach, who taught him how to shoot.And then Nurkic grew. And grew.He turned into a big man with nifty foot work who can effortlessly run the floor, which immediately attracted the Nuggets attention. So much so that they acquired him on draft night, sending their 11th overall pick (Doug McDermott) to Chicago for Nurkic (No. 16) and guard Gary Harris (No. 19).From the start, Nurkics been as advertised — a bashing force inside with some finesse, too.We were lucky, because hes making us look smart. But he deserves all the credit, general manager Tim Connelly said. He doesnt want to just fit in. He wants to make a mark.Certainly receiving quite a few marks, too. He has a mean-looking red scar on the left side of his back courtesy of being scratched by a Toronto player last month. There are scratches all over his wrists and upper arms as well.Scratches everywhere, but I get no fouls, Nurkic said.He is, after all, just a rookie.Nurkic doesnt back down, either, getting under the skin recently of Memphis big man Marc Gasol as the two jawed at each other. Afterward, Gasol praised Nurkics game, saying, hes going to be a real good player.Thats a reason why the Nuggets traded Mozgov to the Cavs, to open up more playing time for Nurkic. And with JaVale McGee still sidelined by a strained lower left leg, the centre spot is all his. That is, as long as he can stay out of foul trouble. Hes averaging three a game.To fight homesickness, Nurkic said he calls family and friends quite a bit, plays lots of NBA 2K15 and goes to movies. Since he doesnt like to cook, he dines out quite often as well. His favourite restaurant is the Cheesecake Factory, where he typically orders the chocolate tuxedo cream cheesecake for dessert.This month, his family is in town and hes playing tour guide when hes not on the court.Its great to have family here, Nurkic said. It feels like home.Everything is just going great, man. Im helping my teammates and club win. Thats a great feeling. Zapatillas Saucony Outlet .Y. -- That hangover from the Big East tournament is gone for Villanova. Saucony Baratas Online . Bowditch, the 30-year-old Australian seeking his first PGA Tour title, shot a 4-under 68 to reach 12 under at TPC San Antonio. Matt Kuchar and Andrew Loupe were tied for second. Kuchar shot 65, and Loupe had a 70. http://www.baratassaucony.es/ . - Maynor Figueroa headed in a late goal to give Honduras a 1-1 draw with the United States in an international friendly Tuesday. Venta Zapatillas Saucony . Knapp defeated American Alison Riske 6-3, 7-5 to secure Italys victory in the best-of-five series. She held a 5-2 lead in the second set, only to let Riske tie it at five. Zapatillas Saucony Baratas .com) - Real Madrid claimed its 20th consecutive win across all competitions by cruising to a 4-1 victory at Almeria on Friday.TORONTO - Andrea Bargnani was asked how it felt to occupy a locker in the visitors room for the first time, returning to the Air Canada Centre three months after being traded. "I was here before," he responded, correcting the reporter. He was right. "I was here when I came to play with Benetton Treviso, my Italian team, a long time ago," he pointed out. That was Oct. 20, 2004, an exhibition game against the Raptors, his future team. This is Bargnani in a nutshell. He wont sugarcoat. He wont beat around the bush. He marches to the beat of his own drum, on and off the court. Hes not interested in playing your game. He plays his own. Even after watching the former first-overall pick for seven years, hes still a mystery to the fans who booed him Friday, the fans he spoke so highly of. "The only thing I have to say about the fans in Toronto is that I was lucky to play here for seven years," he told reporters after scoring 10 points and grabbing four rebounds in 21 minutes of action. As if it had been rehearsed, over and over prior to the big night, thats all he had to say. "I was lucky to play in this city." No matter how hard the local media prodded for something more, thats all they got. And thats how this all started. It didnt matter what the team, the city, its fans expected to get out of Bargnani during his turbulent seven years in Toronto, he gave as much as he wanted. And for that, he was booed. Bargnani was booed early and often in the Raptors 100-91 preseason victory over the forwards new team, the New York Knicks. He was greeted with boos during pre-game introductions and he heard it from the crowd every time he touched the ball. A well-timed, "you suck Bargnani" rained down from the stands during complete silence in between anthems. Bargnani was booed and no one was surprised. "It will probably be an up and down moment for him," former teammate Amir Johnson predicted before the game. "Theyll probably boo, I just hope it isnt worse than they boo (Vince Carter)." It wasnt worse than Carter but the two are apples and oranges (or Primo and Italpasta, if that helps) in terms of their place in Raptors history. In seven seasons with the Raptors, Bargnani averaged 15.2 points and 4.8 rebounds, shooting 44 per cent from the field and 36 per cent from three-point range. He ranks third in franchise history in scoring, second in three-pointers made and fourth in games played. More than anything else, most fans will remember the injuries that derailed him each time he seemed to be turning a corner and the perceived lack of effort that held him back from reaching his ultimate potential. "It happens," Dwane Casey said of Bargnanis failure to live up to the lofty expectations that come from being a first-overall pick. "Expectations are tough and I think thats what Andrea got caught (with) here with but Andrea is a very skilled player." "It just didnt work out here," he continued. "It happens to a lot of players in the league. It doesnt mean its not going to work out for him in New York, it could be a perfect fit for him. This league is about personnel fits. Its easy to plug in a Michael Jordan and say, hey he fits anywhere but guys that have a certain skill set, sometimes it fits and sometimes it doesnt." Bargnani and the Knicks return to Toronto once more in the preseason before making their first regular season visit on December 28. Disjointed offence Once again turnovers were an issue for the Raptors, who threw the ball away 23 times leading to 31 points for the Knicks. For the second time in three games they exceeded 20 giveaways - managing to win both games - after averaging just 13.7 (third best in the league) last season. "Thats alarming," Casey said after the game. "Weve got to take care of the basketball.dddddddddddd.. We cant use preseason as an excuse. Thats a concern." Fact is, it is still early in the preseason and Caseys coaching staff has been working primarily on defence. The offence is still very much a work in progress and it has been noticeable. "Were definitely going to cut them down," DeMar DeRozan said of the turnovers. "Were going to watch film (and) watch the mistakes were (making)." Kyle Lowry had six turnovers but the miscues, for the most part, have been spread out. Just as worrisome, the team tallied just nine assists on 32 made field goals with just three of those assists coming in the first half. Third-string standouts The offence has been especially stagnant when Casey has gone to his second unit. The game seemed to be lost for Toronto during an 18-0 Knicks run that turned an eight-point Raptors lead late in the third quarter to a 10-point deficit early in the fourth. Several of the regulars off the bench struggled, as they have through most of the teams first three exhibition games. Landry Fields was 0-for-6 in 20 minutes, D.J. Augustin went 0-of-3 in eight minutes and Steve Novak didnt attempt a shot in six minutes against his former team. Toronto went scoreless for almost six and a half minutes before Casey made a change, inserting some of his third-string players midway through the fourth. They delivered. Dwight Buycks had 10 points, all in the final quarter, and Quincy Acy - in his first action of the preseason - helped spearhead a 23-9 run to recapture the lead. "Quincy Acy got our attention," Casey said after the second-year forward changed the game with his energy, scoring nine points - even knocking down a three - in just six minutes. "We knew what he could do, hes been working his behind off and he took advantage of the opportunity." Opportunities may continue to present themselves for Buycks and Acy if their hard play overshadows their more experienced teammates. Those two have been grouped together as part of a five-man unit for scrimmages in camp. "Weve won some games in practice with our energy, over skill," Acy told TSN.ca. In terms of the back-up point guard position, the rookie Buycks will continue to challenge D.J. Augustin for minutes. Neither has run away with the job. "Its close," Casey said of that battle. "Theyre different types of guards, both of them bring something different to the table, that we need. Its probably going to be nip and tuck with those two guys all year, depending on the match-up." DeRozan: the teams "most efficient player" In a team-high 32 minutes, DeRozan had another strong game scoring 20 points on 7-of-15 shooting and a perfect 6-for-6 from the line. Again the fifth-year guard had his way in the paint, utilizing a much-improved up and under move, attacking the rim, initiating the fast break and finding his teammates around the basket. "Hes playing big minutes but hes playing at a high level," Casey said of DeRozan. "Hes playing efficient basketball, with his passes, with his attacks, with his reads. "(Hes) probably the most efficient player we have right now." Through three games hes certainly been the most consistent and probably the most impressive Raptor. After the game he shared a goal of his this season. "I was eighth in free throws last year in the league," he stated. "My goal is (to) try to get in the top five, and it comes with being aggressive. Thats one big goal of mine." As a team, the Raptors attempted 39 free throws, making 31 and besting the Knicks who were 14-for-19 from the stripe. Up next The Raptors travel to Minnesota to complete their first back-to-back of the year on Saturday, facing a Timberwolves team they beat at home on Monday. ' ' '