At the Toronto Raptors final home game of the NBA season vs. the New Jersey (soon to be Brooklyn) Nets on Thursday, the Toronto Raptors treated the fans to a night of fun called 'Fanapalooza', giving away prizes all night in appreciation of the fans support all season long.

Similarly, Amir Johnson did the same a couple of weeks ago at his 2nd annual 'I Roll With Amir' event where lucky fans get to enjoy food, a game, and socializing with Amir himself and some surprise guests as a personal thank you from Amir for the fans' support.

Our latest blog contributor and fellow Raptors fan, Ryan Aleong, had the chance to experience this unique & generous experience hosted by Amir. He's been kind enough to give us all a recap of an evening he won't soon forget:

"The opportunity to meet and interact with professional athletes has always been difficult. Signing events, meet & greets, or random sightings are usually the closest you can get. However, social media has helped bridge the gap between fans and the sports personalities they have grown to admire. Many athletes have their own Facebook and/or Twitter accounts and will reply to status updates or react to tweets. The evening of Monday April 16, Raptors forward Amir Johnson took it one step further by bringing 50 fans together for his 2nd annual “I Roll With Amir“ event.

There were 25 tickets winners in all, each entitled to bring a guest with them to the event. Similar to last year, Amir treated his fans to a pre-game meal, tickets to attend the Raptors game (versus the Atlanta Hawks), followed by a post-game dinner. In order to attend, Amir (@IAmAmirJohnson) and his friend Veezy (@thisisveezy247) ensured that true fans were making every attempt to be at the event. Using Twitter to announce where tickets might be obtained, supporters could either get a “golden ticket” directly from Veezy or enter creative contests to win one.

Pre-game festivities began with winners meeting at St. Louis Wings for some nachos, wings, and potato wedges. Tickets to the game were also provided here, and despite the 22 point loss a great time was had by all. Following the game, winners moved over to e11even and were treated to their signature roast chicken, served with mashed potatoes and country stuffing. Amir took the time to greet each and every one of the attendees and thank them for coming out. Fellow teammates DeMar DeRozan, Alan Anderson, and Ben Uzoh were in attendance, as well as special assistant Jay Triano, to support Amir. The Raptor dropped by to add to the entertainment for the evening.

Another private event followed dinner, as guests were escorted up to room where Amir had a couple surprises in store. 4 random winners were treated to signed & autographed authentic Amir Johnson Raptors jerseys. In addition, Amir provided each winner with a signed & personalized ticket to commemorate the evening and all attendees received a swag bag from the Raptors.

My thanks go to Amir Johnson, Veezy, and all involved for executing another successful “I Roll With Amir” event. I have been privileged to attend both, and cannot speak highly enough about his dedication and commitment to the fans who support him and the Raptors."

-Ryan Aleong

--National Post columnist Bruce Arthur thinks that Toronto fans should be proud of the Raptors.

--Could Vancouver become home again to an NBA franchise?

The Raptors shared the ball and had solid contributions from every player who got a decent amount of playing time, but it just wasn't enough to get the win.

Alan Anderson had a strong game, who's now started for four straight games as a Raptor. He scored 17 points, including going 4 for 4 from deep. Amir Johnson also started for the first time in 10 games, and scored 16 points (on 7-9 from the field), grabbed 7 boards, and dished out 3 assists. Ed Davis was fantatsic for Toronto tonight in a reserve role, scoring 11 points and pulling down 10 rebounds in only 17 minutes of play. Jose Calderon was the floor general, as usual, finding teammates for easy shots. He had 14 assists, and added 8 points. DeMar DeRozan had 10 points, Gary Forbes had 9, and Linas Kleiza had 18, including 10-10 from the free throw line.

Leandro Barbosa had 14 points for the Pacers in his familiar 6th man role, while as starters George Hill had 18 points, Paul George had 15, and Danny Granger had 18.

As anticipated, Andrea Bargnani did not play for the Raptors, as he was held out of the game after experiencing issues with his previous injured calf muscle in their last game vs. Oklahoma City.

After going on a 3 game winning streak, the Raptors have now lost their 3rd straight game. They will have a chance to try and 'right the ship' on Wednesday night when they face the Philadelphia 76ers at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto.

Alan Anderson spoke with Raptors radio play by play announcer & NBA TV Canada analyst, Paul Jones after the game:

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Raptors head coach Dwane Casey hasn't liked what he's seen from his team the past 2 games, and addressed the media following the game:

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Up next, the Toronto Raptors will travel to Indiana for a Monday night match up against the Pacers at Conseco Fieldhouse.

The Toronto Raptors were looking to improve on their 3 game winning streak, but they came up short; losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers 84-80.

The Raptors were in control of the game going into the 4th quarter, leading 63-51, but a game in the NBA is 48 minutes, not 36. The Cavaliers came roaring back with huge 4th quater effort, outscoring the Raptors 33-17 in the final frame to earn the 4 point win.

DeMar DeRozan had one of his best games of the season for the Raptors, scoring 28 points on 10-16 shooting including 7-8 from the free throw line. DeMar also collected 4 rebounds, and handed out 4 assists. Andrea Bargnani had 19 points, along with 7 rebounds and also picked up 2 steals.

Antwan Jamison played inspired basketball despite the Cavs' struggles this season, and approached the game like the professional he is. Jamison scored 25 points on 8-16 from the field, including 3-5 from 3, and 6-8 from the free throw line. He also pulled down 8 rebounds and had 2 blocks. Jamison was the catalyst for the Cavs' 4th quarter comeback, scoring 15 of his team-high 25 points in a 5:35 stretch in the 4th.

Lester Hudson, a recent 10-day contract signee, made the most of his opportunity, playing in his 5th game for the Cavaliers. He was aggressive on the offensive end of the floor, both finding his own shot and looking for teammates. He went 6-14 from the field, and 11-13 from the free throw line, for 23 points. He had 7 assists and also came up with 3 steals.

Jose Calderon was not in action for this game, it's believed that Raptors coach Dwane Casey gave Jose the night off to give him some rest due to the heavy minutes Calderon has been logging. James Johnson missed his 2nd straight game for what is being called an 'internal matter' between he and Coach Casey.

The Cavaliers were without the services of Kyrie Irving, who is out for an extended period due to re-aggravating his sprained shoulder earlier in the week. Former Raptor Anthony Parker was also not in uniform for the Cavaliers in this game.

This also marked another return trip home for the Cleveland Cavaliers' rookie power forward and Brampton, Ontario native, Tristan Thompson. Tristan was drafted 4th overall in the 2011 NBA Draft, the highest a Canadian has ever been drafted in the NBA. He also had the honour of playing in the 2011 BBVA NBA Rising Stars game (Team Shaq vs. Team Chuck, aka Rookie-Sophomore game) during NBA All-Star weekend in Orlando this past February. With Anderson Varejao out for most of this season, Tristan has had the opportunity to get a lot of minutes in his rookie year to get used to the pace & grind of an NBA season.

Raptor notes:

- The Raptors have signed guard Justin Dentmon to a 10 day contract. He was a D-League All-Star for the Austin Toros, and was averaging 23 pts/game and almost 6 assists.

- Alan Anderson and Ben Uzoh have both been signed to second 10 day contracts.

- Coach Dwane Casey addressed the media following the loss, including the situation surrounding James Johnson.

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(Photo credit: Alex Brandon/Associated Press via CBC Sports)

The Toronto Raptors got a dominating win on the road in Philadelphia, upending the 76ers in a 99-78 victory.

Andrea Bargnani continued to be effective scoring the basketball and had 24 points on the night. DeMar DeRozan scored 18, while Jose Calderon had 12 points and dished out 13 assists. Ed Davis was strong on the glass all game pulling down 14 rebounds (including 3 offensive rebounds), in only 25 minutes.

Raptors head coach Dwane Casey gave Alan Anderson the opportunity to start the game. It was his first start since April 17, 2006 when he was then with the Charlotte Bobcats, almost 6 years bewteen starts. He made the most of his opportunity scoring 13 points on 5-7 shooting, including 3-4 from three, and pulling down 4 boards. Anderson had been honing his skills in the D-League, most recently playing with the Canton Charge, before being called up by the Toronto Raptors on March 26th.

Elton Brand & Jrue Holiday were probably the only bright spots for the 76ers on this night, each scoring 20 points on above 50% shooting.

The game was definitely a tale of two halves. Neither team was playing much defense early on, but the Raptors certainly turned the tide in the second half, with some help via cold outside shooting from the 76ers.

The game in numbers:

• The 76ers lead the Raptors 56-55 at half time.
• The Raptors outscored the 76ers 44-22 in the second half.
• Philadelphia missed 13 straight field goals in a 8:37 stretch in the 4th.
• Philadelphia only scored 7 points in the 4th quarter. Toronto scored 20.
• Toronto dominated the percentages in the game. Shooting 51% from the field, 43 % from three, and 100% at the free throw line.

The game was so lopsided that there was even a Solomon Alabi sighting for the Toronto Raptors. He had a nice strong dunk in the dying moments of the game.

This marks the Raptors first 3 game winning streak of the season, and they have not lost yet this month. The win was the Raptors' 20th of the season.

Toronto will now look to extend that streak to 4 games as they return home to face the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night. It appears that the Cavaliers will be without the services of Kyrie Irving, who is expected to miss 10 days due to a shoulder injury.

(Photo credit: Ron Turenne/NBAE/Getty Images via TSN.ca)

The Toronto Raptors prevailed over the Charlotte Bobcats, 92-87, winning back to back home games for the first time in almost 2 years. The season certainly hasn't been one full of high points for the Raptors, but they went 3-2 in this 5 game homestand - showing resolve while continuing to try and create an on-court identity for themselves.

Andrea Bargnani seems to be back in the saddle offensively, as he scored 30 points on 11-22 shooting, including 6-6 from the line. DeMar DeRozan added 20 points on 8-16 shooting. DeMar came up big in the 3rd quarter, scoring 10 of his 18 points in that span. Linas Kleiza played a major role off the bench. He was very effective, shooting 7-14, including 4-8 from 3. That resulted in 18 points in almost 29 minutes played. Kleiza also grabbed 5 rebounds.

All 3 players had excellent nights shooting the ball, as each of them posted a 50% field goal percentage in the game.

Byron Mullens was the high man for the Bobcats, and was extremely efficient. He scored 20 points on 9-21 from the field, while grabbing 14 boards (5 of them offensive!) and blocking 2 shots. DJ Augustin was also very productive for the Bobcats in a reserve role, scoring 18 points and dishing out 7 dimes.

Looking ahead: The Raptors travel to the city of brotherly love to face the Philadelphia 76ers for a Wednesday night match up, the return home to host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, and then they're back on the road to face an NBA Finals favourite, the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Head coach Dwane Casey spoke to the media following the Raptors victory over the Bobcats at the Air Canada Centre:

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The Toronto Raptors bounced back after a big loss to the Miami Heat on Friday night, with a 99-92 win over the, also struggling, Washington Wizards. Both the Raptors and the Wizards are in re-build/re-tool modes, and are certainly looking forward to finishing their respective seasons strong and to what the off season will bring in regards to the NBA Draft and free agency.

The Raptors reserves were a huge contributors on Sunday, providing 40 points off the bench to help secure the win. Ed Davis had 8 points & 7 boards, Amir Johnson with 10 points and 6 boards, while Gary Forbes & Alan Anderson each had 9 points.

Andrea Bargnani was the Raptors leading scorer, posting 18 pts & 8 rebounds. DeMar DeRozan and Jose Calderon contributed 15 points a piece, with Calderon also passing out 8 assists. The Wizards were without Nene and Trevor Booker who are both suffering from plantar fasciitis. The Wiz got a solid performance from Chris Singleton who scored 15 pts and grabbed 8 boards before fouling out. John Wall scored 13 points, and dished out 11 assists in a losing effort.

The Raptors wore their Canadian Forces jerseys for the 3rd time this season. They will wear them one more time this season, on Monday April 16th vs. the
Atlanta Hawks.

Raptors coach Dwane Casey spoke the media following their win:

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