TORONTO - With just over seven seconds left on the clock and Fridays game hanging in the balance, a sellout Air Canada Centre crowd rose to their feet, holding their breath in anticipation. James Jones Raiders Jersey . Theyve been holding their breath for six years now, but finally they can exhale. As Celtics forward Jared Sullinger forced up a wild, off-balance runner, the building erupted. It was official. The Raptors are heading back to the post-season. "We made it," shouted Amir Johnson repeatedly as the media filtered into Torontos locker room. "Its a satisfying, kind of overwhelming feeling," he described, following his teams 105-103 victory over Boston, officially snapping the Raptor five-year playoff drought. "Its been six years since this team, this organization made it to the playoffs. This team has worked so hard. We deserved it. Weve been playing our butts off, playing through injuries. Weve had our ups and downs." "Weve made it." Not lost on the team was the fact that they stole a game, their 41st victory of the season, that probably shouldnt have come down to the final possession. Down by four with under three minutes to play, it looked like the Raptors would have to hope for a New York Knicks loss later in the evening or wait until Sunday to punch their ticket to the playoffs. Theyve been resilient all year, so why wouldnt they be now? First DeMar DeRozan drained a fadeaway jumper, then Johnson hit the game-winning put-back layup. "It was fitting," Dwane Casey said. DeRozan and Johnson, the teams longest tenured players, were responsible for Torontos final four points. For them, this moment was a little sweeter. "It means a lot, honestly, man," said DeRozan, the Raptors fifth-year guard, who will make his post-season debut next month. "Especially for me and Amir and what weve been through here with the tough seasons, through the ups and downs and the struggles. We stuck with it." The only player in the building that could give a firsthand account of the Raptors last playoff experience - a five-game, first round defeat at the hands of the Orlando Magic in 2007-08 - was Celtics forward Kris Humphries. Only four other players from that team are currently on an NBA roster, but DeRozan and Johnson – who arrived the year after – have both been in Toronto long enough to appreciate what a night like this means to the franchise, the city and the Raptors long-suffering fan base. "It was all worth it," said DeRozan. "These fans stuck behind us every single day and theyre going to continue to do so. Thats the reason why we work extremely hard. Our fans definitely push us." Of course, it was just a formality. It was inevitable, only a matter of time. Toronto wasnt going to go winless in its remaining games, just like the Knicks were not going to run the table the rest of the way. Still, they have refused to count their chickens before they hatched and for that you can credit the humility and focus of their head coach. Moments after the win, a loud chorus of applause could be heard from outside the teams locker room. Finally, they could celebrate, albeit behind closed doors. Even Casey, who wouldnt pat himself on the back and likely never will, found a way to indulge in what the evening represented. "Were excited about it," he admitted. "My hat is off to all the guys whove come through here," said Casey, crediting MLSE chairman Larry Tanenbaum as well as former general manager Bryan Colangelo for their contributions to the process. "To DeMar DeRozan [and] Amir Johnson, who have been through it all and for the fans, the fans for understanding and being patient. I know they didnt see the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but its a process. You dont build Rome overnight in this league. Is very difficult to do. You talk about rebuilding, its a hard gig." The Raptors have surpassed every rational expectation, going 35-19 since the trade of Rudy Gay in early December. Its been a season of firsts for a franchise on the cusp of its 20th birthday, a franchise many pundits wrote off for dead after selling off its highest-paid player. "Everybody who writes something on a piece of paper isnt always right, thats how I look at it," said DeRozan, the first-time All-Star. Hes right. He and his team have proven a lot of people wrong. As the Celtics made their run, cutting their deficit - once 14 - down and ultimately taking the lead, DeRozan came through yet again. With Kyle Lowry slowed by an ankle injury he sustained in the first half, DeRozan picked him up and scored 24 of his game-high 30 points in the final 24 minutes. 16 of his 27 career 30-point games have come this season. With 10 games remaining and their spot in the pos-tseason locked up, the team can shift its attention to seeding but most importantly, going into the playoffs healthy and with momentum. "We cant be satisfied," Casey repeated, with his team moving into soul possession of the third seed following the Chicago Bulls loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday. "We still want to continue on and weve still got to get better." Lowrys injury scare With three minutes to go in the second quarter, Lowry limped to the locker room after turning his right ankle while back-pedaling to get back on defence. After being examined by the medical staff, the Raptor point guard and most important player was able to return, starting the second half with his ankle taped up. As per usual, Lowry shrugged off whatever pain he was in after the win. "Im a little sore, but Im fine," he said after scoring nine points in 33 minutes. "Im okay. Good to go." Revenge of the second unit Naturally, Casey was frustrated with his under-performing bench after they were outscored 51-7 in Boston on Wednesday. "I challenged them before the game," said the Raptors coach. "I got on them about their productivity or lack thereof in the Boston game. I challenged them. I said, Look, guys want playing time, when the opportunity comes, youve got to do something, whether its defence, knocking somebody down, taking a charge, whatever. And they came through." Greivis Vasquez, who scored all seven of the benchs points on Wednesday, led the teams reserves with 15, but Chuck Hayes and John Salmons were also productive on both ends of the floor. Combined, the three former Kings - along with Tyler Hansbrough, who logged five minutes - totalled 28 points on the night. Patterson nearing a return Although he missed his 12th straight game, Patrick Patterson has been making progress and appears to be on the verge of returning from his right elbow injury. Although the Raptors havent had much practice time to get Patterson back up to speed - a concern Casey expressed before Fridays game - the Raptors forward has been able to participate in smaller, three-on-three scrimmages since being cleared for contact earlier this week. "[His] conditioning is probably going to be step behind a little bit," Casey acknowledged. "Its not going to be where he was before stepping away, so thats going to be expected. Thats why now we need to kind of get him back in rhythm and with the lack of practice time its going to have to be in a game situation." Patterson could be back in uniform this weekend in Florida, as the Raptors begin a back-to-back set with the Magic on Sunday before visiting the Heat Monday evening. The stat With their 41st win of the season, the Raptors secured a .500 record for the sixth time in franchise history and first since 2007-08, the last year they qualified for the playoffs. The quote "My grandmother called," Johnson told the media after his team clinched a spot in the playoffs. "She said that she was proud." Bo Jackson Raiders Jersey . Make that 2-40 now. Tony Gwynn Jr. led off the ninth with a walk against Miami closer Steve Cishek and later scored, Ben Revere added the go-ahead run when Miami second baseman Donovan Solano bobbled a potential double-play grounder and the Phillies rallied past the Marlins 5-4 Thursday night to snap a six-game losing streak. George Blanda Raiders Jersey . Salamida, 29, has played the last four seasons with the Goldeyes. Returning to the team halfway through last season, he went 7-1 with a 2.CLEVELAND -- Lucky in the NBA lottery, the Cavaliers are hoping their good fortune continues as they look for a new coach. The team asked the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday for permission to speak with assistant coach Alvin Gentry about Clevelands coaching vacancy, a person familiar with the situation told the Associated Press. Gentry, who has coached four other franchises, has not yet set up a meeting with the Cavs, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the team is not commenting on its search. The sides are working through some details, and are expected to meet in the next few days. Earlier this week, the Cavs defied long odds to win the draft lottery for the second year in a row and third time in four years. Cleveland is seeking its third coach in three years after Mike Brown was fired -- for the second time by owner Dan Gilbert -- last week following a 33-49 season. Gentry worked previously in Phoenix with Cavaliers general manager David Griffin, who said there is no timetable to hire a new coach. "We do not feel this is a race," he said. "This is not about being first. This is about getting it right. At the same time, if the right candidate did meet the criteria that we set out and is available and is as interested in us as we are in them, we would act on it at the time it presented itself." The Cleveland Plain Dealer was first to report the Cavs intentions to interview Gentry. The Cavs are not limiting themselves to coaches with pro experience and are expected to reach out to college coaches. Having the No. 1 overall pick has certainly made them a more attractive destination. Sio Moore Raiders Jersey. However, Gilberts penchant for firing GMs and coaches would have to make any candidate at least hesitant about coming to Cleveland. Brown was told to make the Cavs better defensively, and did so as the team went from last in the league in defensive field-goal percentage to 12th. Still, that wasnt enough as Cleveland missed the playoffs for the fourth year in a row. Gentry has solid qualifications and is believed to be a candidate for other openings. He has a 335-370 record in 12 seasons with Miami, Detroit, the Clippers and Phoenix. He led the Pistons and Suns to the post-season. Griffin said he hopes to find a coach more attuned to his offensive roots. With the team expected to land one of the best players in what is considered a deep draft along with All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving and guard Dion Waiters, the Cavs could have the core for a high-scoring team. "Ive had a primarily offensive based focus with the people I was raised by," Griffin said. "And I think its fair to say the Cavaliers have had a defensive focus. What excited me most about coming here is that I believe you find the truth in the middle. No franchise thats incredibly well run is all one thing. We need to find a way to speak to the best of all parts of the offensive background I know, the defensive background thats dyed in the wool of this franchise. "Ownership believes in defence, I believe in offence, and theres a truth in the middle. Were going to find that." ------ AP Sports Writer Jon Krawczynski in Minneapolis contributed to this report. cheap nfl jerseys ' ' '
