and the Cleveland Cavaliers prevented T
CLEVELAND -- The Raptors arent officially in the NBA playoffs. Adarius Taylor Jersey . They dont look ready for them, either. Dion Waiters scored 24 points, Luol Deng added 19 and the Cleveland Cavaliers prevented Toronto from getting closer to a post-season spot with a 102-100 win over the sloppy Raptors on Tuesday night. Toronto fell behind by 21 points in the third quarter, and then battled back to take a 95-94 lead. But the Raptors fell apart in the final minutes. With their fourth loss in six games, the Raptors dropped one-half game behind Chicago for the No. 3 playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. "We gotta get back to who we are," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said in disgust. "Its easy to get up for OKC, Miami and Indiana, but the other teams are playing for something too, which is pride. That can be even more dangerous." Despite playing without All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving, who missed his fifth straight game with a strained biceps tendon, the Cavs were able to hold on and snap a five-game losing streak at home. "It was a good win by our guys," coach Mike Brown said. "Thats a playoff team. They were playing good basketball. In a game like that, maybe earlier in the season we might have lost, especially coming down the stretch when a team makes a run against us. Our guys found a way to win." Kyle Lowry scored 22 and Terrence Ross had 16 for the Raptors, who had a chance to tie it in the final seconds but guard Greivis Vasquez lost his footing and committed a turnover with 1.9 seconds left. "I was trying to spin and I lost my balance," Vasquez said. "It was just a bad play for me. It was me going to my weak hand and I lost my balance, stepped kind of weird. I turned the ball over. Ill take responsibility. Im not going to run away. Im a man. I wish I could be in that position again so we have another opportunity tomorrow (at Boston)." Toronto took a 95-94 lead on Vasquezs 3-pointer with 6:45 remaining, but the Raptors went just 1 of 9 from the floor and scored five points the rest of the way. Tristan Thompson added 15 points and 13 rebounds and Jarret Jack had 13 points for Cleveland, which kept its faint playoff hopes alive. The Cavs trail idle Atlanta by 4 1/2 games for the No. 8 playoff slot. The Raptors may be closing in on their first post-season appearance since 2008, but the Atlantic Division leaders looked out of sorts at both ends. They fought back from a big deficit, but fell apart with the game on the line. Toronto missed three free throws in the final 4:26, but still had a chance to force overtime or possibly steal their 40th win after forcing a Cleveland turnover on an errant inbounds pass with 7.8 seconds to go. But Vasquez, who finished with 16 points, drove the left side and slipped about 10 feet from the basket. As he fell, Vasquez flung the ball in desperation and it was intercepted on the right side by Deng. Vasquez remained on the floor for a few seconds grabbing his ankle before he limped off the court. "It was a handoff to Greivis to turn the corner," Casey said. "I thought he turned it pretty well and his ankle went out on him. But one play was not when we lost that game. The game was decided with the way we played in the first quarter." However, Toronto didnt execute when it needed to and lost to a Cleveland team playing for nothing more than pride. At least the Cavs overcame their own mistakes, something theyve rarely done during this disappointing season. "We just stayed with it," Waiters said. "We didnt get rattled and made plays when we needed to." Clevelands offence was clicking early on. The Cavs recorded assists on eight of their first 10 buckets, opened a 14-point lead in the first quarter and pushed their advantage to 18 in the second. Toronto made three 3-pointers -- the Raptors had eight 3s in the first half -- in a span of 1:27 to climb within 49-40, but Cleveland regrouped and led 59-45 at halftime. NOTES: The Cavs are 12-11 since Feb. 7. ... Toronto was just 16 of 26 from the line. ... Irving rode a stationary bike on the side as the Cavs went through their morning shootaround. Afterward, Irving looked good doing some shooting drills. Brown said Irving is "closer" to returning, but its not guaranteed the third-year pro will play again this season. ... Raptors F Patrick Patterson (right ulnar collateral sprain) missed his 10th consecutive game. He was cleared to resume contact practices Monday. Cheap Buccaneers Jerseys Free Shipping .J. -- Tom Coughlin doesnt have many options at halfback for the winless New York Giants. Cameron Lynch Jersey . During the furious first few hours of free agency Tuesday, the team agreed to terms with strong safety Donte Whitner, a Cleveland native who cant wait to play in his hometown.Even without Phil and Tiger, it appears this Masters will still have a whale of a finish. With the two marquee players presumably sitting on the couch somewhere, beer and chips on the coffee table and the remote in hand, a gaggle of golfers is set to provide the theatre on golfs greatest stage. Bubba Watson had the opportunity to run and hide on Saturday but his 74 caused a multi-player pile-up on the leaderboard. There are now 17 players within six shots of the lead. Only four of those have a major to their credit and three are making their first appearance at the Masters. It likely means that there will be some excitement as they try to untangle themselves coming down the stretch. No one seems to mind having the opportunity to be a part of that. “Its one of those things that you have dreamed about your whole life,” said Watson. “If you want to be a professional golfer youve dreamed about it, youve thought about it.” Despite his over-par score Watson still felt in control of his game; he wasnt losing the ball left or right, just short or long, a relatively good sign around what was a hard and fast golf course. Watson is tied with youngster Jordan Spieth, who has looked calm and confident beyond his 20 years in getting to five under. Despite being born a year after Fred Couples won his Green Jacket, Spieth has had enough time to soak in what the Masters is all about and the opportunity that Sunday presents. “I dont think Ive ever had a round whhere Ive been nervous on every single swing, shot, and putt,” said Spieth who would be the youngest Masters winner in history. Authentic Tampa Bay Buccaneers Jerseys. “Im sure that will happen tomorrow, but hopefully I can channel it positively and stay grounded, stay cool, and see what happens.” Below the leaders is an interesting collection of possible winners. There is Matt Kuchar, the aw-shucks guy who has already compiled six top-10 finishes this year including a playoff loss last weekend where he coughed up what appeared to be a sure win, and Jonas Blixt, the Swede trying to become the first European to win since 1999. And Miguel Angel Jimenez, who would not only become the oldest Masters and major champion but also the first player with a bun to wear the Green Jacket. Rickie Fowler put himself in contention with a strong 67 on Saturday and gave no doubt as to his wardrobe for Sunday. “Oh, yeah, orange and green look great together,” he stated. “I think green would look great with anything, to be honest.” The list of possible champions is so deep its likely there is a full closet full of potential green jackets at the ready. Before that, however, there is sure to be some drama and excitement to be revealed over Augusta National. In past years, the pin-setters have been friendly, allowing for birdies down the stretch; but with the hard, slick course, danger is always only a few centimeters away. Get settled in, hang on and enjoy. 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