Your browser does not support iframes.Related: Box Score | Photo Gallery | Devlin & Casey | Magloire Thanks The Fans Top Plays: Alabi With The Flush | Solo Blocks Brooks | Anderson To Davis Post Game: Game Highlights | Dwane Casey | Ben Uzoh | Ed Davis | Amir Johnson | Jose CalderonApril 26, 2012 TORONTO (CP) The Toronto Raptors wrapped up another campaign to forget with a victory on Thursday -- something they couldn't get nearly enough of when it mattered this season. Ben Uzoh recorded Toronto's first triple-double in 11 years in the battle between bench players, with 12 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds as the Raptors beat the New Jersey Nets 98-67. Solomon Alabi had 11 points and 19 boards for his first double-double, while Ed Davis scored a career high 24 points. Now the Raptors (23-43) head into the off-season to be playoff spectators for the fourth year in a row. Toronto native Jamaal Magloire took centre-court for the traditional season-ending shout-out to the fans, and promised a post-season appearance next year. ``We'd like to thank you guys for hanging with us through thick and thin I know it's been a turbulent year...'' Magloire said. ``I promise you we will get better... thank you from the bottom of our hearts, and continue continue continue to stick with us because we are going to improve and we are going to make the playoffs next year.'' Anthony Morrow and Armon Johnson scored 11 points apiece to top the Nets (22-44), who finished last in the Atlantic Division, one spot below Toronto. In a woeful finale between two teams with nothing to play for but draft lottery positioning, the Nets dressed eight players while Toronto played just seven. The same five Raptors played the entire second half. ``I just thanked all the guys for their effort,'' said Raptors coach Dwane Casey. ``This game was meaningless, but they came out and laid it on the line and played for 48 minutes.''   RAPTORS REMARKS...

Your browser does not support iframes.Related: Box Score | Photo Gallery Top Plays: JJ With The Big Block | Amir's Big Slam | JJ With The Hesitation Post Game: Game Highlights | Dwane Casey | James Johnson | Ben Uzoh | Alan AndersonApril 23, 2012 MILWAUKEE (CP)In the end, there wasn't anything Brandon Jennings, Monta Ellis or anybody else could do to save the Milwaukee Bucks' faint playoff hopes. Not even winning. Jennings scored 25 points in the Bucks' 92-86 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Monday, but Milwaukee's post-season fate had already been decided. The Philadelphia 76ers beat the New Jersey Nets earlier in the night, clinching the Eastern Conference's final playoff spot and eliminating the Bucks from contention. ``I'm disappointed -- very disappointed,'' Bucks coach Scott Skiles said. ``We didn't get done what we were expected to get done, so if everybody in there is not very, very disappointed, then we've got big problems.'' Ersan Ilyasova added 19 points and 15 rebounds for Milwaukee. Ellis played despite an injury to his shooting hand, scoring 17 points on 4-for-14 shooting. Skiles said he wasn't sure how badly the injury was bothering Ellis, but said the guard left the bench and went to the locker room with just over a minute left in the game. ``He battled through it tonight,'' Skiles said. ``But with like a minute to go, a minute-five, I guess, he said he couldn't go any more so he went in the locker room.'' James Johnson had 22 points and 13 rebounds for the Raptors, who have lost four straight games. Toronto's DeMar DeRozan was ejected in the second quarter after he was called for travelling and threw the ball down the court in protest.   RAPTORS REMARKS "“No matter how tough it gets, or how much frustration sets in, fatigue or whatever it is, you’ve got to buckle...

Your browser does not support iframes.Related: Box Score | Photo Gallery Top Plays: Gray To DeRozan | Davis Lefty Slam | Forbes To Davis | DeRozan Drive & Dunk Post Game: Game Highlights | Casey | Anderson | Kleiza | AlabiApril 22, 2012 AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (CP) Ben Gordon gave the Detroit Pistons a winning end to an otherwise ugly game. The Pistons shook off an awful first half and Gordon scored seven of their final eight points -- including the go-ahead basket -- to hang on for a 76-73 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday night. Gordon's three-pointer with less than three minutes to play broke a 68-all tie and he added four subsequent free throws to keep Detroit ahead. He and rookie Brandon Knight each scored 19 points to help the Pistons end a two-game losing streak. ``Obviously all game was pretty much an ugly game,'' Gordon said. ``We just stuck it out and tried to be more persistent than they were.'' DeMar DeRozan had 16 to lead the Raptors, who lost their third straight. The Pistons couldn't celebrate the victory until Linas Kleiza's wide-open three-point attempt bounced off the rim as time expired. ``LK had a great look at the end of the game and that's all we can ask for,'' said Raptors coach Dwane Casey, who did not play DeRozan in the final quarter to give a handful of other players more minutes as his team plays out the final games of the season. Alan Anderson had two chances to give the Raptors the lead in the final 20 seconds but missed both shots. Gordon's three-pointer capped a second half that had 15 lead changes and five ties. Detroit turned 17 Raptors turnovers into 18 points and shot 20 per cent better from the field in the last 24 minutes.   RAPTORS REMARKS "You don't have to have a lot of skill to be a good defender. You have to have a lot of heart and want...

Your browser does not support iframes.Related: Box Score | Photo Gallery Top Plays: Forbes Finds Davis | Anderson To The Bucket | DeRozan To The Rack | Alabi Cleans Up Post-Game: Game Highlights | Dwane Casey | DeRozan | Anderson | Ben Uzoh TORONTO (CP) LeBron James wants some rest. He also wants to play. For now, the desire to play seems to be stronger. And his MVP candidacy may be a beneficiary of that decision. James scored 28 points before taking the fourth quarter off, Mike Miller added 13 points and the Miami Heat continued tuning up for the post-season by pulling away in the second half to beat the Toronto Raptors 96-72 on Wednesday night. The Raptors tied a franchise-worst with 23 points in the second half -- matching what they managed in a first half against Washington in 2003 -- and Toronto coach Dwane Casey lauded Miami afterward. ``They play the right way,'' Casey said. ``They have the star power to do it. My hat's off to Miami. They're a great team. I'm going to enjoy watching them. I hope my guys were watching and learning and that they learned from tonight and how fast and how physical the game is for 48 minutes. Not 24 minutes -- 48 minutes.'' James made 12 of his 15 shots for Miami, which also got 10 points from Udonis Haslem. The Heat -- who can now finish no worse than No. 2 in the Eastern Conference -- played without Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, both given the night off for what Miami calls ``maintenance'' of some nagging aches and pains. James Johnson scored 18 points, Alan Anderson added 15 and DeMar DeRozan had 12 for Toronto, which fell for the sixth time in eight games. ``First half we brought the fight to them, let them know they were in a basketball game,'' Johnson said. ``In the second half, different story. They came out and brought the fight to us and they brought it good.'' Up next for Miami: A showdown at home against Chicago on Thursday night. The Bulls (47-15) hold a 2 1/2-game lead over the Heat (44-17) in the East...

Related: Box Score | Photo Gallery Top Plays: Johnson Taking It Strong | Back-To-Back Blocks From Davis and Alabi | Davis' Big Block | DeMar's Nice Finish | James Johnson Rocks The Rim Post Game: Dwane Casey | James Johnson | Amir Johnson | DeMar DeRozanApril 16, 2012 TORONTO (CP)Two up-tempo quarters left the short-handed Toronto Raptors with nothing in the tank for the second half, and the playoff-bound Atlanta Hawks made them pay. Jeff Teague had 19 points and 10 assists as Atlanta pulled away after the break en route to a 109-87 rout of the Raptors, earning a split of their home-and-home series. Teague torched the Raptors in the pivotal third quarter, scoring eight points and dishing out four helpers to help Atlanta pull away. The Hawks (36-25) cruised from there to remain tied for fifth place in the Eastern Conference with the Orlando Magic, who defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 113-100 earlier Monday. Ivan Johnson had a team-high 21 points off the bench and Joe Johnson added 18 in the victory, which officially secured the Hawks a post-season berth. DeMar DeRozan led the way with 22 points for the Raptors (22-40), who were coming off impressive wins over Boston and Atlanta and kept things close Monday before being overwhelmed by a healthier and more seasoned Hawks club. Toronto was playing without four of its veteran regulars, including leading scorer Andrea Bargnani and starting point guard Jose Calderon. Raptors head coach Dwane Casey suggested the demands of a condensed schedule, and roster to match, may finally be catching up with his team. "Our disposition was a little different (Monday) than it was (Sunday) for reasons I don't know," Casey said. "I thought we ran out of gas having a shortened roster."   RAPTORS REMARKS "Teams are...

Related: Box Score | Photo Gallery | Blog: Top #RTZ Tweets Top Plays: Anderson Strikes Again | Good End To First Half | Davis The Trailer Post Game: Game Highlights | Casey | DeRozan | Anderson | J.Johnson | Uzoh | Anderson & Leo April 15, 2012 ATLANTA (CP) Long out of the playoff race, the Toronto Raptors are now playing the role of spoilers. DeMar DeRozan scored 23 points and the injury-riddled Raptors beat the Atlanta Hawks 102-86 on Sunday night for their second straight win over a playoff-bound team. Toronto coach Dwane Casey couldn't explain when asked how his team was managing to win now with three players on 10-day contracts while stars Andrea Bargnani, Jose Calderon and Jerryd Bayless are on the injury list. ``Believe me, if I knew I'd bottle it and we would've been doing it earlier in the year,'' Casey said. ``Guys are just playing the right way, playing together, playing with a purpose. You've got guys who don't want to go down without a fight.'' Alan Anderson added 16 points for the Raptors, who were coming off an 84-79 win against Boston on Friday. Ben Uzoh and rookie Justin Dentmon scored 10 points each. Anderson, Uzoh and Dentmon all have 10-day contracts that will expire Monday, when the teams play in Toronto. Toronto, which shot 55 per cent (41 for 74) from the field, never trailed and dealt Atlanta a big blow in its bid to get the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. ``Very flat,'' said Hawks coach Larry Drew. ``The energy level was very low.''   RAPTORS REMARKS "Atlanta is one of the top teams in the NBA and we just came out tonight and outperformed them. What we’ve been fighting for all year is consistency, and tonight we played the right way and played together."-- Dwane Casey, on the win...

Your browser does not support iframes.Related: Box Score | Photo Gallery | Blog: Top #RTZ Tweets Top Plays: Anderson's Four-Point Play | Anderson's Big Block | Uzoh To Johnson Post Game: Game Highlights | Casey | DeRozan | Davis | Anderson | Uzoh | DentmonApril 13, 2012 TORONTO (CP) The Toronto Raptors want DeMar DeRozan to assume the role of fourth-quarter finisher. He played the part Friday night, shutting the door on one of the hottest teams in the NBA. DeRozan scored 13 of his game-high 22 points in the third quarter and added four crucial free throws in the final 30 seconds as the short-handed Raptors overcame a spirited Boston comeback on the way to an 84-79 win over the Celtics. With Toronto's 15-point edge whittled down to one, DeRozan drove baseline and collided hard with Celtics forward Paul Pierce, drawing the foul and nearly making the shot. He buried both free throws to put Toronto up three, then hit two more on the next possession as the Raptors (21-39) ended a four-game losing skid. ``I just try to be aggressive,'' DeRozan said. ``A couple plays I saw an opportunity to get to the basket and I did. I should have made it and had an and-one ... but that's what it's all about. Getting to the line and knocking down your free throws.'' DeRozan has been challenged by Raptors head coach Dwane Casey to take the ball to the rim more often, using his explosiveness off the dribble to generate some much-needed offence for a team sitting near the bottom of the NBA in points per game. While he struggled from the field against Boston -- shooting just 4-for-14 -- he made all 13 of his foul shots, highlighted by the four that effectively put the game away. ``My shots weren't falling so I tried to get some easy points, especially from the free-throw line,'' he said. Injuries to forward-centre Andrea Bargnani (strained left calf, out for season) and point guard Jose Calderon (swollen right eye, day-to-day) left the Raptors with NBA Development League...

The Toronto Raptors announced Wednesday the following changes to their radio broadcast outlet for four upcoming games. The move accommodates the airing of Blue Jays games on Sportsnet 590 The FAN. DATE OPPONENT NEW STATION OLD STATION Friday, Apr. 13 vs. Boston Celtics Newstalk 610 CKTB Sportsnet 590 The FAN Wednesday, Apr. 18 at Miami Heat Newstalk 610 CKTB Sportsnet 590 The FAN Monday, Apr. 23 at Milwaukee Bucks Newstalk 610 CKTB Sportsnet 590 The FAN Thursday, Apr. 26 vs. New Jersey Nets Newstalk 610 CKTB Sportsnet 590 The FAN

Your browser does not support iframes.Related: Box Score | Photo Gallery | Blog: Davis A Bright Spot In A Tough Loss Top Plays: JJ With The Block | Anderson To Davis | Davis Down The Lane | Amir Denies Brand | Jays At ACC Post Game: Dwane Casey | Ed Davis | Gary ForbesApril 11, 2012 TORONTO (CP) The Toronto Raptors weren't just beaten Wednesday night -- they were beaten up. Thaddeus Young scored 17 points in a reserve role and the Philadelphia 76ers used suffocating second-half defence to bolster their playoff chances with a 93-75 win over the short-handed Raptors. The 76ers (31-27) limited the Raptors to 36 points after the break -- a fitting method of payback after Toronto (20-39) surrendered just seven fourth-quarter points in a win in Philadelphia seven days earlier. The outcome was of secondary concern to Toronto, which lost point guard Jose Calderon (eye) and forward Linas Kleiza (knee) to second-half injuries. The Raptors were already without leading scorer Andrea Bargnani, who missed his second game with a left calf injury that has nagged him all season. ``We're running out of guys,'' Raptors head coach Dwane Casey said after the game. ``Jose goes down, (Kleiza) goes down, Amir (Johnson's) got a bad back ... but again, it's the NBA, and we have to go play with who we have out there. ``I thought our guys battled as long as they could until we were decimated.'' Calderon went down hard, then made a beeline for the dressing room after taking a headbutt from Philadelphia guard Jrue Holiday in his still-discoloured right eye during third-quarter action. Calderon was forced to miss Friday's game against Cleveland after absorbing an elbow from 76ers forward Elton Brand in that same eye exactly one week ago. Calderon took three stitches and returned to the bench early in the fourth quarter, but Casey opted not to use him with the game already out of hand. ``He's going to look like Rocky whether he wants to or not,'' Casey joked.   RAPTORS...

Your browser does not support iframes.Related: Box Score | Photo Gallery | Devlin & Dentmon Top Plays: Davis At Both Ends | James Johnson With The Block | Another Swat For JJ Post Game: Game Highlights | Casey | Davis | Kleiza | AndersonApril 9, 2012 INDIANAPOLIS (CP) George Hill delivered for the Pacers in his first start for his hometown team. Hill scored 18 points as Indiana took an early lead and held off the Toronto Raptors, 103-98 on Monday night. Hill, who was traded from San Antonio for the draft rights of Kawhi Leonard last summer, moved into the starting lineup due to Darren Collison's groin injury. Hill also had seven rebounds and four assists after entering the game with averages of 8.7 points and 2.9 rebounds. ``It's fun, you get to go out there and show what you can do as a starter,'' Hill said. ``Have fun out there with the first unit, which I never have got a chance to play with. ``It just shows if one person goes down, we are a complete team.'' Danny Granger also scored 18 points, Paul George had 15 and Leandro Barbosa added 14 to help the Pacers -- third in the Eastern Conference -- win for the fourth time in their last five games. Barbosa played his first game against his former since being traded to Indiana for a second-round pick and cash on March 15. He was scoreless in the first half, but added seven in the third quarter and finished with 14 on 5-for-9 shooting from the field. ``I've been pleased with everything he has done since he got here,'' Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. ``He has a knack for putting the ball in the basket like few in this league.''   RAPTORS REMARKS "It wasn’t pretty and again, all we can do is ask for that type of effort. It wasn’t a defensive match by either team, but we got some stops. It was more of an offensive night and again I...

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Your browser does not support iframes.Related: Box Score | Photo Gallery | Devlin & Gray | Top #RTZ Tweets Top Plays: DeRozan Rises Up | Davis Swats Thompson | Touch Of Gray To Bargnani Post Game: Casey | DeRozan | Bargnani | J. JohnsonApril 6, 2012 TORONTO (CP) As Antawn Jamison spent the early part of the fourth quarter torching the Raptors, the guy who normally would have guarded him sat perfectly still at the end of the Toronto bench. With James Johnson held out of the Raptors lineup for a second straight game, Jamison erupted for 15 of his team-high 25 points in a 5:35 span of the final quarter as the Cleveland Cavaliers stormed back to defeat Toronto 78-73 Friday night. The Raptors' latest late collapse was only part of the story afterward. Much of the focus was on the absence of Johnson, who has gone from being a fixture as the club's starting small forward to being the NBA equivalent of a healthy scratch in two straight games. Head coach Dwane Casey confirmed that Johnson was okay to play _ he just didn't. ``He'll be available to play (Sunday in Oklahoma City), he was available to play tonight,'' said Casey, who wouldn't identify why Johnson didn't see action. ``We chose as a staff not to play him. We're going build the program the right way, we're going to do things the right way, and we'll go from there.'' When asked why Johnson wasn't used at all in a fourth quarter in which Cleveland outscored the Raptors 33-17, Casey bristled. ``To do what?'' he asked. ``James is not in the doghouse, I just thought (Linas Kleiza) and Alan (Anderson) did a good job at the (position). It wasn't any one person, it was a group thing moreso than anything else.'' Johnson had little to say after the game.   RAPTORS REMARKS "He will be available to play, he was available tonight. We chose as a...

Your browser does not support iframes.Related: Box Score | Photo Gallery | Top #RTZ Tweets Top Plays: Clock Down Kleiza | Linas To Amir For the Slam | Bargnani 4-Point Play | Leo Takes The Stairs Post Game: Game Highlights | Casey | Davis | DeRozan | Calderon | J. Johnson April 4, 2012 PHILADELPHIA (CP) Best team in the Atlantic Division was a nice title for three months. The Philadelphia 76ers wanted more. A winning record for the first time in seven seasons. A top-four seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. All of those goals are slipping out of reach for the Sixers. Andrea Bargnani scored 24 points and DeMar DeRozan had 18 to lead the Toronto Raptors to their third straight win, 99-78 over the Sixers on Wednesday night. Back in January, the Sixers thumped Toronto 97-62 en route to a sizzling 20-9 start. Those days are over for the fading franchise. Elton Brand and Jrue Holiday had 20 points in Philadelphia's eighth loss in the last 12 games. The Sixers (29-25) lost their grip on first place in the Atlantic _ and end the season with a stretch of nine road games over the final 11 that could jeopardize a playoff spot. The good times are gone in Philadelphia and the sub-.500 Raptors were the latest team to roll over the Sixers. The Sixers' second-half fade reached a low point in the fourth when they scored only four points in the first 7 minutes of the quarter. They missed 13 straight shots in the fourth and scored only 22 points in the second half. The seven points in the fourth were a team-record low for a fourth quarter dating back to the 1954-55 season.   RAPTORS REMARKS "Alan Anderson stepped in, did a heck of a job. Jose [Calderon] played with one eye, so it was just a great team effort. Ed Davis came in and gave us 14 rebounds, played big time. It was just an excellent team...

Your browser does not support iframes.Related: Box Score | Photo Gallery | Devlin & Calderon Pre-Game Top Plays: Davis 'And-1' | Bargnani To The Rack | JJ's Bounce Pass | Steal To Slam Post Game: Game Highlights | Dwane Casey | Andrea Bargnani | DeMar DeRozanApril 3, 2012 TORONTO (CP) When the three-point shot stopped falling, Andrea Bargnani settled into the post to take advantage of a favourable matchup down low. That decision ultimately led the Toronto Raptors to their first winning streak in more than two months. Bargnani had a game-high 30 points and hit the pivotal jumper with 26.9 seconds remaining as Toronto defeated the Charlotte Bobcats 92-87 Tuesday night, giving the Raptors consecutive victories for the first time since Jan. 23-25. More astonishingly, it also gave Toronto its first back-to-back wins at the Air Canada Centre since Dec. 1-3, 2010 -- a span of 59 home games. With the Raptors (19-35) ahead 88-87 following a long D.J. Augustin three-pointer, Bargnani drove and hit a turnaround hook shot over Byron Mullens for his eighth and ninth points of the quarter. Mullens then airballed a three-point attempt and Bargnani finished things off with free throws, helping Toronto polish off an impressive 3-2 homestand. Raptors head coach Dwane Casey said the call to send Bargnani into the paint came after he had struggled from beyond 20 feet for most of the night ``I thought his outside shot wasn't really falling so we tried to mix it up, give him the balance of inside and outside,'' Casey said. ``He did a great job of getting his back to the basket and going at Mullens in the post.''   RAPTORS REMARKS "Mix it up, giving it to him inside and out. I thought his outside shot wasn’t really falling so we tried to mix it up, give him the balance of inside and outside, and he did a...

Your browser does not support iframes.Related: Box Score | Photo Gallery | Devlin & DeRozan Pre-Game Top Plays: Bargnani's Reverse | DeRozan Circus Shot | Jose & Amir Connect | Amir's Late Putback Post Game: Game Highlights | Casey | DeRozan | Davis | Bargnani | CalderonApril 1, 2012 TORONTO (CP) DeMar DeRozan's statistical contribution to the Toronto Raptors' win Sunday night wasn't exactly all-star calibre _ but his ability to get to the free-throw line certainly was. DeRozan took charge in the second half, helping the Raptors avoid yet another fourth-quarter collapse on the way to a 99-92 triumph over the Washington Wizards. The third-year guard scored 13 of his 15 points after the break, barrelling his way to the hoop and making life miserable for Washington defenders. His aggressiveness led to a free-throw barrage that helped Toronto fend off hard-charging Washington for just its third win in the last nine games. But it wasn't without some tense moments, particularly after the Wizards whittled a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit down to three. ``We've been in a lot of close games this season,'' said DeRozan, who added five rebounds and three assists. ``We definitely have to learn from (them), and I think we did tonight.'' DeRozan shot 7 for 9 from the line, the latest in a string of impressive efforts that has seen him average nearly 10 foul shots per game -- on par with the best players in the league. Head coach Dwane Casey said the plan of late has been to give DeRozan more of a chance to drive to the basket, something he has done successfully the past four games.   RAPTORS REMARKS "Another below average defensive game for us. Of all the things, I was disappointed in that. That’s going to be our challenge as a staff to keep tuned defensively the rest of the way and not lose what...

Your browser does not support iframes.Related: Box Score | Photo Gallery Top Plays: JJ Up & Under | Forbes Plus The Foul | Amir's Putback Slam | Anderson To DeRozan Post Game: Highlights | Casey | DeRozan | Bargnani | CalderonMarch 30, 2012 TORONTO (CP) The boos that rained down on former Raptors star Chris Bosh during Miami's player introductions didn't last long into the game. The Heat centre scored 10 of his 30 points early in the first quarter to silence the Toronto fans as Miami defeated the Raptors 113-101 on Friday night. ``They did like three boos when Chris came out and it changed,'' said Dwyane Wade, who matched Bosh with 30 points and added six assists and six rebounds for the Heat. LeBron James chipped in 27 for Miami (37-13), which jumped out to a 16-2 lead before the game was five minutes old and took the crowd out of it. ``They way you start is the way you finish,'' said Toronto head coach Dwane Casey. ``If you start out lackadaisical like that and let them have that haymaker they're going to end it with a haymaker. And we didn't have the resistant that we needed at the beginning of the game.'' DeMar DeRozan led Toronto with 28 points while Andrea Bargnani had 27 points for the Raptors (17-35). Toronto stayed closed to Miami but stumbled in the final quarter with four turnovers that the Heat capitalized on. ``Miami is a great team, so it's very hard to stop (them),'' said Bargnani. ``We did a very good job for three quarters, and in the fourth quarter they did a better job than us.'' Miami was coming off a 106-85 victory over defending champion Dallas the night before at home. The Southeast Division-leading Heat haven't been great on the road lately, having lost six of their last eight away games. But they rarely have trouble in Toronto as Miami has now won seven straight against the Raptors.   RAPTORS REMARKS...

Related: Box Score | Photo Gallery | Devlin & Casey Top Plays: Bargnani Off Balance | Anderson Putback Slam | Kleiza Buzzer Beater | DeRozan Crossover Post Game: Highlights | Casey | Bargnani | DeRozan | Calderon March 28, 2012 TORONTO (CP) Andrea Bargnani appeared to have the pep back in his step Wednesday night, according to coach Dwane Casey, the same pep he had prior to missing 20 games with a calf injury. Bargnani finished with a team-high 26 points in the Raptors 105-96 win over the Denver Nuggets, his highest point total since returning. ``I don't know if it's his uncle coming into town or what it is,'' said Casey, ``but he had a pep in his step and I wanted to go to him as much as possible and make sure we take advantage of it.'' Bargnani, who came in 13 points shy of 6,000 career points, reached the milestone on a free throw late in the second quarter. Bargnani became just the fourth member of the Raptors to reach the 6, 000 point plateau joining Vince Carter, Chris Bosh and Morris Peterson. The 26-year-old had a stretch of 10 straight points for the Raptors in the fourth quarter opening up seven point lead. Ben Uzoh and Gary Forbes also chipped in as the Raptors erased an early fourth quarter deficit. ``It was fun because down the stretch I missed so many threes, wide-open threes and then I hit the two hardest maybe,'' said Bargnani. ``It was a very good fourth quarter, I think they scored something like 11 points so that was the game.'' Denver was led offensively by Ty Lawson's team-high 26 points, including 16 in the third quarter. However, Lawson went 0 for 4 from the field in the fourth quarter. ``We weren't knocking down shots and they were hitting everything,'' said Lawson of the fourth quarter meltdown. ``We had a lot of open, open shots. Bargnani hit two tough three-pointers and we didn't make shots.''   RAPTORS REMARKS...

Your browser does not support iframes.Related: Box Score | Photo Gallery | Devlin & Amir Johnson Top Plays: Bayless To Davis | Bargnani Goes Baseline | The Bank Is Open For James Johnson Post Game: Highlights | Casey | Bargnani | Calderon | J. JohnsonMarch 26, 2012 TORONTO (CP) Ryan Anderson wasn't interested on dwelling on his accomplishments, even after destroying the Toronto Raptors with a career performance from behind the three-point line. Anderson had a career-high eight three-pointers for a game-high 28 points as the Orlando Magic extended their win streak to three games with a 117-101 victory over the Raptors on Monday. ``It's just another game, I know it's a cool accomplishment -- I just want to keep getting better,'' Anderson said. ``I'm not necessarily trying to go out every night and beat that record or anything. ``It's a cool thing, I'm not going to think a whole lot about it.'' The 23-year-old, who came into the game the league leader in three-pointers made (135) and attempted (331), went 3-for-4 in the first quarter and 6-for-10 in the first half. ``I had a lot of open looks, I think everyone did a good job finding me,'' he said. ``Dwight caused a lot of attention down in the paint which led to some open shots for everybody.'' J.J. Redick's three-pointer 13 seconds into the fourth quarter gave the Magic their largest lead of the night at 23 points and Orlando never looked back. In the dying seconds of the fourth, Raptors Ed Davis received a standing ovation from the crowd as he drained a free throw giving Toronto 101 points and sending all in attendance home with a free slice of pizza part of a team promotion. Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy was quite amused by the reaction.   RAPTORS REMARKS "I thought with as well as we played agaisnt New York and Chicago we had some...

Your browser does not support iframes.Related: Box Score | Photo Gallery | Devlin & Forbes Top Plays: Andrea 'And 1' | JJ To Ed For The Crush | Jose Lobs To Amir | Johnson's OT Block Post Game: Highlights | Casey | J. Johnson | Calderon | Forbes | BargnaniMarch 24, 2012 CHICAGO (CP) Lucky? Maybe. Luol Deng's timing was awful good, too. He grabbed a shot that had been blocked and put it in the basket just before the buzzer sounded Saturday night, rescuing the Chicago Bulls and giving them their NBA-leading 40th victory. Teammate C.J. Watson drove for the basket but his shot was partially blocked by Toronto's James Johnson and Deng was there for the winner. After officials reviewed the play to make sure Deng's shot beat the buzzer, the Bulls had a 102-101 overtime victory on a night in which they were often outplayed by the 16-win Raptors. ``We're lucky we had enough time to get the rebound,'' Deng said. ``When it left my hand it felt good because I saw the light after it left my hand. But then again, you never really know. We waited until they made the decision.'' Johnson, an ex-Bull, had 20 points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots, part of another determined effort by the Raptors, who gave Chicago a scare three nights ago before losing. ``That's what happens sometimes,'' Johnson said. ``The ball happened to fall short after I blocked it and Luol Deng made a great play. We deserved to win tonight, but they made the game-winning play.'' Carlos Boozer had 24 points and 10 rebounds for the Bulls, Deng added 23 points and 10 rebounds, and Watson had 23 points. Jose Calderon also had 20 points and 10 assists, and Gary Forbes had 12 points and 13 rebounds for the Raptors, but missed two free throws with 6.4 seconds left in overtime. The Bulls are 40-10, but coach Tom Thibodeau was anything but pleased after the victory. The Bulls had beaten the Raptors 94-82 on Wednesday night in Toronto after trailing by 12 in the second half.   RAPTORS...

Your browser does not support iframes.Related: Box Score | Photo Gallery | Top #RTZ Tweets Top Plays: Andrea Down The Lane | DeRozan Double Clutch | Forbes Off Glass To DD | DeRozan Soars For Oop Post Game: Highlights | Casey | Forbes | Bargnani | DeRozan | LinMarch 23, 2012 TORONTO (CP)The Toronto Raptors gave head coach Dwane Casey the toughness he's been looking for and in the process cooled off the red-hot Knicks. DeMar DeRozan poured in a season-high 30 points and the Raptors handed the New York its first loss in six games with a 96-79 victory on Friday night. Andrea Bargnani added 21 points and seven rebounds while Gary Forbes chipped in 19 points off the bench for the Raptors (16-32), who took a 106-87 beating in New York on Tuesday. ``It was good to see, especially after the spanking they put on us in New York,'' said Casey. ``They just pushed us out of the way and ran over us to go to the basket. At one time or another you have to take a stand and we did.'' Amar'e Stoudemire led the Knicks with 17 points and six rebounds. New York (23-25) came into the game on a five-game win streak and undefeated under interim coach Mike Woodson, who took over after Mike D'Antoni resigned on March 14. Minutes after putting down an alley-oop dunk late in the fourth, DeRozan fell awkwardly on Jose Calderon while battling for a defensive rebound. He got up gingerly, ran off the floor and into the tunnel. Casey said after the game that DeRozan just tweaked his left ankle and will be reassessed Saturday. ``I think it scared him more than anything else,'' said Casey. ``He's a tough kid and he's going to be OK.''   RAPTORS REMARKS "I saw that too and it was good to see, especially after the spaniking they put on us down in New York. I was really proud of the way our guys came out. They (New York)...