TORONTO - In a play that sort of typified the evening and maybe even their season, Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry led a second-quarter fast break by delivering a one-handed bounce pass to Greivis Vasquez, who lateraled to the trailing Amir Johnson.
Derek Carrier Redskins Jersey . Johnson, the beneficiary of a couple perfectly placed passes, capped off the sequence with a tomahawk slam that put Toronto on top by 20 points. Fouled on the landing, Johnsons momentum carried him into the first row, where he proudly pointed to the team name on his jersey and slapped hands with fans seated on the baseline. It was that kind of night. The proceedings began with the unveiling of a second Atlantic Division Championship banner and concluded with a well-deserved standing ovation just over two hours later. The Raptors - trotting off the court following a 110-100, wire-to-wire win over the Bucks - had set a new franchise record with their 48th victory of the season, while also going 15 games above the .500 mark for the first time in team history. "Its definitely great because we fed off our fans," said DeMar DeRozan, who stood centre court and counted down from three, as the banner was uncovered from the rafters atop Air Canada Centre, hanging adjacent to the one they had earned in 2006-07. The final home game of the season - Fanapolooza, as its been dubbed - had been a somber event for five years running. It was an opportunity for the Raptors loyal, albeit frustrated supporters to come bid farewell to a team that had let them down, a chance to vent their disappointment but mostly to guzzle up free t-shirts, pizza and whatever swag the remorseful organization was offering up. Most importantly, it meant the end of basketball in Toronto for another long summer. Not the case on Monday. Monday night was a celebration, a show of appreciation from a starved fan base to a team that has captured their admiration with resilience and hard play. It was a night of reflection, looking back at where they came from and rejoicing in what theyve accomplished. It wasnt a goodbye. Theyll see them again in five or six days. "Weve got to have some of the most devoted fans in the league," he continued. "Ive been here through the struggles and tough times and our fans were still right there with us on this journey. So it definitely felt good to share it with them because they played a major part in it as well." Although DeRozan was in uniform, available to play if it would have come to that, he was given the night off to rest going into his playoff debut next weekend. As it turns out, they didnt need him, not against the league-worst Bucks on Monday night. It was the 11th time theyve played without a member of their first unit - a group that has won more games than any starting five in franchise history - and the 11th time theyve come away victorious. With the Raptors all-star guard cheerleading from the sidelines, Greivis Vasquez started in his stead, pacing the team with 25 points and seven assists. "It was a fun win," said Vasquez, who knocked down his first six shots, five of them from beyond the arc. "They gave me a chance to start, I just went out there and did my job." Performances like his, like Tyler Hansbroughs double-double in 20 minutes, are a big part of whats gotten them to this point. DeRozan has carried this team more often than not, so too has Lowry - who scored 16 of his 24 points in the second half - but when one or both have needed it, someone has generally been waiting and ready to back them up. "All it takes is the right chemistry, the right group of guys and you can do whatever it takes," DeRozan said. "You dont need no big name players, you dont need this, that and the third, what people supposedly say you need. Were proof of that and we continue to keep growing, keep learning and keep building. On to the next step." The next step, as the Raptors leading scorer puts it, is Wednesdays regular season finale in New York. With a win over the Knicks, Toronto would lock down the Eastern Conferences third seed and face whomever slots into sixth, most likely Washington. The Raptors would fall to fourth and play the fifth place team - likely Brooklyn - if they should lose on Wednesday and the Bulls defeat the Bobcats in Charlotte. "Im more worried about us, more so than who we play," said Casey. "Its about us, about our health, the rest, whatever we decide to do in that situation. If we play Brooklyn we play Brooklyn. If we play Washington we play Washington. There are no easy teams left in the playoffs right now. All of the teams are very capable. Brooklyn is probably more playoff-ready. But we cant control that. And Im not going into [Wednesdays] game trying to control that." The Raptors coach said he has not decided whether DeRozan - second in the NBA in minutes logged this year - will play in Wednesdays season finale. Home sweet home The Raptors will finish the season with 26 wins at home for the fourth time in franchise history. After dropping eight of their first 12 games at the ACC, they have become one of the toughest teams to beat on home court, winning 22 of 29 since the end of December. "Coach definitely stressed to us, weve got to protect home court," DeRozan said of the turnaround. "Thats big. We cant let teams come in here and think they can get wins. We really started taking it personally, understanding weve got to use our crowd to our advantage. Everybody bought in, so every time we were home we felt comfortable and felt that we could get any win." "I think our guys have gotten better, matured, improved, I think more than anything else," Dwane Casey said of their success at home. "You should have the same approach whether youre on the road, playing on the moon, wherever youre playing youve got to have the same approach and our guys have done a good job of that, whether were on the road or at home." They were undefeated, 19-0 in games they led going into the fourth quarter in Toronto, something that should serve them well as they go into the first round of the playoffs with home-court advantage. The stat With their fourth straight win over Milwaukee, the Raptors swept the season series with the Bucks for the first time in team existence. The quote "We had group at the start of the season that was motivated, dedicated to winning," said Lowry, "and when everything didnt pan out we made a move and we got a group of guys who came in that really filled the voids that we needed. Everyone is on the same page.
Justin Rogers Redskins Jersey . Stevenson scored the first three goals of the game in the first period for Regina (35-22-6), which has won eight of its last 10 games. Patrick DAmico added two for the Pats, Braden Christoffer had a single and Morgan Klimchuk chipped in a goal and four assists.
Leonard Hankerson Redskins Jersey . -- Syracuse was dangerously close to letting another less talented opponent pull off the upset when C.CARSON, Calif. -- Keith Thurman had an unenviable act to follow when Lucas Matthysse and John Molina Jr. put on a bloody 11-round slugfest right before he stepped in the same ring with Julio Diaz. Although Thurman couldnt match Matthysses pyrotechnics, the rising welterweight still managed a big finish. Thurman remained unbeaten Saturday night, stopping Diaz after three rounds when Diazs corner threw in the towel due to an injured rib. Thurman (23-0, 21 KOs), nicknamed "One-Time" for his one-punch knockout power, retained his WBA interim welterweight title. He floored Diaz in the second round before delivering the body shot that led Diaz to quit on his stool on a chilly night before the usual energized crowd at the outdoor ring south of Los Angeles. Although he had a short night, Thurman still demonstrated his formidable skill and power in his seventh fight in less than two years. "Hes a warrior, but he just couldnt take the punishment," Thurman said about Diaz. "No one knows the power of One-Time until they step in the ring with One-Time. We did the work in the gym. How did you think I was able to look this good?" A left to the temple dropped Diaz, although he stayed on his unsteady feet for a moment before taking a knee and getting up to beat the count. Thurman remembered the punch that evidently injured Diazs rib, but thought Diaz (40-10-1) had partially blocked it. "We were able to put that pain and that hurt on him like were supposed to," Thurman said. The main event was an anticlimax after a tenacious performance by Matthysse (35-3, 33 KOs), who overcame two early knockdowns and stopped Molina early in the 11th round of the Argentine 140-pound stars dynamite return to the ring. Matthysse knocked down the bleeding Molina in each of the final three rounds, culminating in a decisive combination. Matthysse hadnt fought since injuring his eye and losing a decision to 140-pound champion Danny Garcia last September, but he was right back in destructive form. "It did take me a few rounds to get going, but I was able to take control of the fight," Matthysse said.
Washington Redskins Authentic Jerseys. "The knockdowns threw me off a little, but I was able to get my punches in." That defeat interrupted the rapid rise of the hard-punching Argentine known as "The Machine," and he returned with what many expected to be a simple fight against Molina (27-4), a Los Angeles-area fighter who infamously got knocked out in the first round of a title shot in 2012. But Molina showed he was no pushover from the opening round, knocking back Matthysse with a big right hand. Another chopping right out of a clinch in the second round sent Matthysse to his knees on just his second career knockdown. Although Matthysse controlled long stretches of the bout with his jab and power, he went down again late in the fifth after winning much of the round, dropping to his knees on a punch to the top of his head. Matthysse immediately indicated the punch was illegal in the back of his head, but referee Pat Russell ruled it a knockdown. "I thought I was going to get him out of there early, but he got it together," Molina said. "Theres a reason hes the No. 1 guy in the division. I took his shot all the way through, and I didnt feel it until the end." Despite a cut near his left eye, Matthysse kept using his jab and power against Molina, who had a large cut on the left side of his head. Matthysse then knocked down Molina late in the eighth round with a left hand and a possible push before punishing him throughout the ninth. Matthysse dropped Molina again in the 10th round with a combination on the ropes. Molina crumpled into the corner on a relentless barrage of punches early in the 11th, and Matthysse leaped on the ropes to celebrate. Omar Figueroa Jr. (23-0-1) also retained his WBC lightweight title with a dull split-decision victory over Jerry Belmontes. U.S. Olympians Joseph Diaz Jr. and Terrell Gausha both remained unbeaten on the undercard.
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