TORONTO – For the first time since 2008, the Toronto Raptors are heading to the NBA playoffs.
DeMar DeRozan scored 30 points to lift the Raptors to a 105-103 victory over the Boston Celtics on Friday, officially clinching a spot in the post-season.
Terrence Ross had 17 points and Greivis Vasquez finished with 15 for Toronto.
Former Raptor Jerryd Bayless led the Celtics with 20 points, while Canadian Kelly Olynyk scored 10 points in the loss.
The Raptors went into the game with a 2.5-game lead over Brooklyn for first in the Atlantic Division and tied with Chicago for the No. 3 seed in the East.
They needed a win against Boston or a loss by the New York Knicks in Phoenix to secure a spot in the playoffs.
On Wednesday, Toronto beat Boston on the road 99-90. Terrence Ross scored 24 points and Kyle Lowry had 23.
DeMar DeRozan, who had 20 points in Wednesday’s game, said playoff spot or not, the team has a long way to go.
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“We can’t be satisfied just making the playoffs,” DeRozan said. “We could go out there and play four games and be home. We’ve worked too hard to get to this point just to slow down and pace ourselves. We’ve got a long, long way to go.”
DeRozan said he realizes a trip to the post-season would mean a lot to the fans of Canada’s sole NBA team.
“Not just the franchise, the whole city of Toronto and Canada,” said DeRozan. “I’ve been here five years and see how passionate the fans are. It definitely means a lot. We feed off them, the energy they bring every single night. That would be great for the city and we have to take advantage of the opportunity.”
With Wednesday’s win, Toronto broke an 11-game losing streak in Boston’s TD Garden.
All five starters scored double-digit figures and had 92 of the team’s 99 points.
*With files from The Associated Press
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