(Photo credit: AmirJohnson.com)

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.

Here are some recent noteworthy Toronto Raptors related stories, links, and opinion pieces from around the web that you may have missed:

--Stylist Megan Ann Wilson wrote a detailed piece on why she feels the Raptors camo uniforms fell short of the mark.

--Toronto Raptor Amir Johnson treated 50 Raptors fans to an amazing night of food, basketball, and socializing for a 2nd year.

--D-Leaguers Alan Anderson and Ben Uzoh will be wearing Raptors jerseys for the rest of the season! Hard work pays off!

--TSN.ca columnist Tim Chisholm believes the Toronto Raptors are destined to draft UNC's Harrison Barnes.

--Raptors head coach Dwane Casey's motto 'Pound the Rock' and the Raptors style of play is helping to build a culture of winning for the Toronto Raptors.

--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 Philadelphia 76ers were looking to ensure the Toronto Raptors were on the losing end this time around. The Sixers beat the Raptors 93-75.

The game was tight through 3 quarters, with the score being 63-57 for the 76ers at that time, but the 76ers pulled away in the 4th outscoring the Raptors 30-18 in the final frame.

The win was much needed for the 76ers who are currently in 7th place in the Eastern Conference, with 8 games remaining and only 3 games separating 7th & 9th in the East.

The 76ers had 6 players in dougle digit points, with Thaddeus Young leading the way in that department. Young had 17 points off the bench.

The injury woes continue for the Raptors as both Linas Kleiza & Jose Calderon left the game with injuries. In the 3rd quarter, Jrue Holiday caught Calderon in the same eye that Elton Brand did in the last meeting between the two teams. Calderon returned to the bench, but didn't come back into the game. Linas Kleiza left the game with a sore left knee.

Ed Davis had another solid game for the Raptors off the bench, scoring 13 points, grabbing 13 boards, and dishing out 5 assists. DeMar DeRozan was efficient in the game, going 5-9 for 13 points, but didn't seem to be able to get as many looks as he normally does - in large part, due to the 76ers defense.

Raptors Head Coach Dwane Casey spoke with the media following the 93-75 loss, marking the Raptors 4th straight loss.

The Toronto Raptors visited the Indiana Pacers and their former teammate Leandro Barbosa, but came up on the losing end 103-98.

The  Pacers seemed to have control throughout the game and had a 10 point cushion most of the way. The Raptors got within 3 points by a Calderon 3 pointer with 7.9 seconds left, making it 101-98, but the Pacers had final possession and put the game away with a dunk by Paul George.

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.

The Oklahoma City Thunder exemplified why they are one of the best teams in the NBA, pulling away easily in the second half to roll over the Toronto Raptors, 91-75.

The Raptors were playing soild basketball and kept the game close in the first half. The Thunder were only leading by a 7 point margin at halftime, 50-43. The Raptors even pulled within 3 points with 6:05 remaining in the 3rd quarter, as the Thunder lead 58-55, but that's when the tide changed. The Thunder then went on to extend the lead, going up huge, 82-55 with 9:35 to go in the 4th quarter. That 3rd & 4th quarter span was a 24-0 run for OKC (yes, you read that correctly), and it essentially took all of the wind out of Toronto's sails.

Jose Calderon returned from his eye injury that he suffered in the game vs. the Philadelphia 76ers (an inadventent elbow from Elton Brand), and James Johnson was also back in the lineup after missing 2 straight games for what is being deemed an 'internal matter'. Unfortunately their presence wasn't enough against the high flying Thunder.

Andrea Bargnani left the game with 4:03 left in the 2nd quarter and did not return in the contest. He was playing well until that point, scoring 7 points and grabbing 5 boards in only 13 minutes. Andrea's previously inured calf muscle tightened up on him, and as a result sat out the rest of the game. Calderon was the only other Raptor who was efficient with their play in this game, scoring 19 points on 8-12 shooting, including 3-4 from 3 point range. He also had 6 assists, and 2 steals. DeMar Derozan scored 16 points, but it came on 6-22 shooting from the field.

The Thunder's attack was lead by the usual suspects, NBA MVP candidate Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and the likley front runner for the 6th Man of The Year award, James Harden. They scored 23, 15, and 17 respectively. Serge Ibaka was once again the major defensive presence that he has been all season, which will no doubt help him garner votes for Defensive Player of the Year award. He had 5 blocked shots, pulled down 6 rebounds, and added 8 points in 23 minutes of playing time.

(Photo credit: Chris Young/Canadian Press via CBC Sports)

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.

(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:

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

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 head coach Dwane Casey talks with the media following the Toronto Raptors 113-101 loss to the Miami Heat on Friday night at the Air Canada Centre.