TORONTO -- In the immediate moments after the Raptors 101-87 victory over Detroit on Wednesday, Toronto coach Dwane Casey sat down to watch the dying minutes of the Miami-Brooklyn game. Amir Johnson checked the result on his phone. With 20 games left on a thrilling season that sees Toronto poised for a playoff position for the first time in six years, the Raptors are excited, and thinking about little else. "Hell, yeah. Without a doubt, man," DeMar DeRozan said. "Thats why I work so hard, and it always bugged me going home early, and just sitting there doing nothing. It used to make me so hungry just watching." DeRozan poured in 25 points, while Johnson scored 20 and grabbed nine rebounds in a game that was no thriller but served its purpose -- one step closer to the teams second Atlantic Division title and its first playoff berth since 2008. The Nets, who edged Miami 96-95 on Wednesday, are three games behind Toronto for the division title. "Ive got a lot of friends that play in the playoffs and I had to hear all summer them talking about their experience in the playoffs. It always pushed me even further," DeRozan said. "You just want to get there. Not even for myself, just for this organization as well. It definitely feels good that were moving in the right direction now." Kyle Lowry had 19 points and six assists, while Jonas Valanciunas had 13 rebounds to go with eight points for the Raptors (36-27), whove won 10 of their last 13 games. The affair wasnt pretty. The Raptors coughed up double-digit leads a couple of times -- including an 18-point third-quarter advantage that the Pistons whittled down to just five -- in a game they could have put out of reach far earlier. The Raptors went into the fourth quarter with a narrow 74-69 lead in front of the 18,247 fans at the Air Canada Centre that braved the rare March snowstorm. They scored the first nine points of the fourth to go up by 14. A wide-open three by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope with 8:23 to go cut the Raptors lead to nine points, but that was as close as the struggling Pistons would come. Brandon Jennings topped Detroit (25-40) with 24 points, while Andre Drummond had 16 points and nine rebounds and Greg Monroe had 13 points to go with 10 boards. Ugly or not, the Raptors were happy to tick off another win. "Absolutely. Im ready," Johnson said, when asked if hes thinking post-season. "Were going to win as many games as we possibly can going down the home stretch, collect these wins." Casey said hes happy his players are enjoying their success, but warns that theyve got to focus on themselves down the stretch. "It is fun. But weve got to take care of our business. We can watch (what other teams are doing), but if we dont take care of our business, its not worth crap," the coach said. "Im more concerned with what we do, and how were playing, . . .and losing leads, moreso than anything else. "I hope (the Raptors) are enjoying it but still understand how hard it is, getting there first, and then after you get there, its even harder." DeRozan, whos in his fifth season in Toronto thus has never stepped on the court for a playoff game, said he has always forced himself to watch the post-season, regardless of how frustrating it was. "I had to, just to understand and see how it was," he said. "Youre playing the same team possibly seven times in a row. Seeing the different schemes. Just trying to get a knowledge of how its played every single day." He said hes particularly thrilled to be sharing this seasons success with Johnson, who last made the playoffs with Detroit in 2009. "Thats my dog, man. Its definitely cool," DeRozan said. "I knew Amir, and Amir knew me when I was running around with the same pair of dirty shoes on, playing basketball. Amir is a helluva dude, how hard he works, and how good of a person he is." Johnson was key Wednesday night in containing Detroits frontcourt -- what Casey had predicted would be a "huge test" for Toronto. The Pistons lead the league in points in the paint and offensive rebounds, thanks largely to Drummond. The Raptors were effective inside, outrebounding Detroit 54-39 and outscoring their visitors in the paint 44-38. Casey wasnt thrilled with the second unit, saying it was "playing in mud a little bit." "We needed to keep the pace going, I thought the pace slowed down," he said. "For whatever reason we got stagnant and lost a couple of leads and thats something we have to work on." The Raptors raced out to a nine-point lead four minutes into the game, stretching it to 14 on a pullup jumper by John Salmons before ending the first quarter up 29-21. The Raptors went almost five minutes without a point to open the second, and Bynum drained a three with 8:37 left in the half to tie the game 29-29. The Raptors managed to cobble together another 10-point lead and took a 52-45 advantage into the dressing room at halftime. A three-pointer by Lowry stretched Torontos lead to 18 points just four-and-a-half minutes into the third but the Raptors couldnt maintain it. The Pistons ended the quarter on a 14-2 run to send the game into the fourth with Toronto leading 74-69. NOTES: Patrick Patterson missed his third straight game with an elbow injury. . . The game was the first of three straight at home. The Raptors host the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday and the Phoenix Suns on Sunday before playing a pair on the road at Atlanta and New Orleans. . . The Raptors have won four of their last five against the Pistons. Cheap Vapormax Ireland . Louis still looking for a way out of Tampa Bay, the 38-year-old NHL veteran isnt showing his cards. Vapormax Off White Ireland .ca. Hi Kerry, Love reading your column and loved watching your analysis on the TSN broadcasts!And were now in Round 2! Bruins! Canadiens! We know all about the great games of the past from the players, the broadcasters and the writers. http://www.outletvapormaxireland.com/air...sale-china.html. The Mariners ace allowed just one hit over eight innings while striking out nine, and Robinson Cano backed him with a two-run homer as Seattle earned a 3-0 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Sunday. Vapormax Plus Wholesale . The two were in the batting cage moments before game time. Bautista was taking final warm up cuts. Pillar was hitting soft toss. The one-time utility player turned All-Star pulled aside the clubs young, fourth outfielder and offered him some advice. Vapormax Plus Mens Ireland . Wheeler said Kane was just making a joke that was misunderstood and misinterpreted by "Winnipeg folks" and the media once again. Wheeler repeated that he believes Kane is a player who has the ability to help the Jets get to the next level as they try once again to reach the playoffs in 2014. He made the comments initially in an interview, when asked how the Jets could compete in the Central Division with teams that have made some high-profile off-season signings.SOUTHAMPTON, Bermuda - Jim Furyk thinks its time for the Americans to think long term about the Ryder Cup.Furyk and Rory McIlroy both said Monday at the PGA Grand Slam of Golf that the public fallout from another American loss in the Ryder Cup last month at Gleneagles could be helpful. Europe now has won eight of the last 10 times.The next Ryder Cup is at Hazeltine in 2016, though Furyk said the Americans need to look beyond that.In the Ryder Cup, we have always talked about, We have got to win the next one. I think weve got to be a little more farsighted than that, Furyk said. I think we need to look at the next 10 to 20 years of Ryder Cup golf. ... For the next 20 years we got 10 events. Lets think about maybe 5-5 is good, lets think about 6-4, lets think about 7-3. Lets go on the winning side of it.When we look back the last 20 years, its probably a 2-8 type of deal, he said. Lets reverse that tide and get it moving forward.In the weeks since the most recent loss, various reports have painted an ugly picture of U.S. captain Tom Watsons heavy-handed style and old-school motivation. In an awkward and at times uncomfortable press conference at Gleneagles, Phil Mickelson raved about what worked in their last win in 2008 and that Watson ignored that winning formula.In a way, its not a bad thing that the PGA of America might start looking at the Ryder Cup a little differently or trying to sort of come at it from a different angle, McIlroy said. So in the end, it might not have been a bad thing to shake things up a little.Furyk said the back-and-forth about the captain has been unfortunate.I think Rory is spot on, Furyk said. The silver lining may be that it gives us a chance to have an open discussion. I want to look at the past, I want to see where we made our mmistakes, and how we can get better.ddddddddddddThe PGA of America is responsible for selecting the captain. It now wants to create a task force of past players and captains to find ways to improve.Paul Azinger, the captain of the last U.S. team that won in 2008 at Valhalla, is not interested in being part of a committee just yet. He said Monday by telephone that it was too soon after the most recent matches, and he has a meeting already scheduled next month with the PGA of America.Azinger did not want to talk about the details of what he would share with the PGA.Furyk said he is curious to hear different ideas, especially because it would be the first time everyone was heard as a group.Amongst ourselves, we talked a lot about where we have gone wrong in the past, what can we do better in the future, he said. Im anxious to kind of see the views from all different angles from the officers, from the captains, from the players.Furyk and McIlroy will be paired together when the Grand Slam gets under way on Tuesday. The 36-hole exhibition is for the major champions this year, and Furyk is playing as an alternate because McIlroy won the British Open and the PGA Championship.U.S. Open champion Martin Kaymer and Masters champion Bubba Watson round out the field.Bermuda was hit by Tropical Storm Fay on Sunday, though Port Royal made it through in good shape.It doesnt look like theres been anything, McIlroy said. Obviously, theres a few limbs off trees and stuff on the side of the fairways, or in the rough, but the golf course is in great shape.Strong wind is in the forecast for the next two days, with locals also keeping an eye on Tropical Storm Gonzalo, which could become a hurricane by Friday.___AP Golf Writer Doug Ferguson contributed to his report. ' ' '