Dwane Casey Upset That Raptors Fans Booed Andrea Bargnani

Following a 26-game absence, during which his team played well without him, Andrea Bargnani was greeted with a chorus of boos in Toronto upon his return. Following a loss to the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night, Raptors head coach Dwane Casey was not amused by the fan reaction. Per the National Post: “Bargnani returned from a 26-game absence caused by a torn ligament in his elbow against the Celtics. When he entered the game, there were audible boos to go along with cheers. Coach Dwane Casey expressed discontent with the jeers on Wednesday, and did so again on Thursday. ‘I was disappointed a little bit in the fans booing him,’ Casey said. ‘This kid had a torn tendon. It’s not like he had a backache or a headache or a toothache. He had a torn tendon in his arm, a legit injury. I was concerned about that. He was fine. He bounced back. He used it as a chip on his shoulder, which I like. Fans can boo who they want to. This kid, he responded last night.’ Bargnani scored 13 points and grabbed three rebounds in the four-point loss. ‘He was a little winded last night,’ Casey said. ‘He was too proud to ask out of the game, and I took him out because I thought he was winded. He did a good job.’”