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The Toronto Raptors rewarded Monday's crowd of 18,855 with a 91-75 victory over the woeful Miami Heat on Fan Appreciation Night at the Air Canada Centre, but head coach Sam Mitchell might have appreciated a stronger effort.

"Well, both teams played last night and they [the Heat] made shots," Mitchell said, somewhat diplomatically.

Chris Bosh (4) stares down Joel Anthony in Monday's 91-75 Raptors triumph.
(Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)

Miami led by as much as seven points late in the first half and matched Toronto point for point until the Raptors scored the final six points of the third to take a 70-64 lead.

Toronto carried the momentum generated by that late run into the fourth, pulling ahead 85-69 on Rasho Nesterovic's short jumpshot with less than four minutes remaining.

Nesterovic posted 20 points and seven rebounds as the Raptors (41-40) swept a season series from Miami for the first time in franchise history.

Chris Bosh contributed 15 points and Anthony Parker had 13 points.

T.J. Ford and Jason Kapono provided 11 points apiece, while Jose Calderon had two points and doled out a game-high 11 assists.

Toronto moved into sixth place in the Eastern Conference with the win, setting up a first-round playoff matchup with the third-ranked Orlando Magic.

"We didn't want to go down, that is what it was about," Bosh said. "Knowing we already have the sixth spot is good."

Rookie Daequan Cook led all scorers with 22 points for the Heat (14-67).

"He was great tonight," Heat head coach Pat Riley said. "He was sharp, focused.

"He was right on. He is a prolific shooter when he gets it going, gets his rhythm."

Chris Quinn scored 13 points, Ricky Davis had 11 points, and Montreal's Joel Anthony grabbed four rebounds and blocked a shot in 24 minutes off the bench for the Heat, who were missing injured regulars Dwyane Wade, Shawn Marion, Udonis Haslem, Dorell Wright and Marcus Banks.  

"We have six or eight guys out and that is no way to compete," Davis said. "It is just good to get it over with."

Miami has lost its last three outings and 13 of 15, and equalled the franchise record of 67 losses set in its inaugural season (1988-89).

"You just keep coming to work every day until it [the season] is over," Davis said.

The Raptors close out the regular season April 16 at Chicago before opening the playoffs, perhaps as early as Sunday.

"Everybody is pretty fresh [when it comes to the post-season]," Bosh said. "There is not that playoff savvy veteran, with the exception of Rasho.

"This whole series is a lot of young guys playing and trying to get some experience."

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