TORONTO - Forty-eight hours after a disheartening loss in Brooklyn, and moments after their bounce-back victory at home over the Pistons, a collection of Raptors players and coaches gathered in the locker room to watch the tail end of the Nets one-point victory over Miami. With less than 20 games remaining and a postseason berth all but locked up, the scoreboard watching is well underway. The red-hot Nets pulled within three games of Toronto for top spot in the Atlantic Division on Monday. In defeating the defending, two-time champion Heat Wednesday - for the third time this season - they continue to keep pace with the Raptors, breathing directly down their necks. As Dwane Casey and his players watched Brooklyn close out its seventh victory in eight games, the Raptors coach delivered a strong message to the troops. Dont look back. "We can watch that but if we dont take care of our business its not worth a crap," he said after his team did just that, defeating the Pistons 101-87 at home Wednesday evening. "Im more concerned about what we do and how were playing and how weve got to make up for Patrick (Patterson) being out and losing leads more so than anything else." The Raptors, despite Mondays loss, still control their own destiny and they sure looked like a team in the drivers seat against an inferior opponent in the reeling Pistons. Detroit is a befuddling case of disjointed talent. Despite swinging for the fences over the summer - signing Josh Smith and trading for Brandon Jennings - Joe Dumars and company have struck out this season. Chemistry is a hard thing to quantify in a team sport like basketball, as the post-trade Raptors can attest to. You either have it or you dont. When the Pistons began to come apart - as they tend to do - in the third quarter and then again in the fourth, the Raptors came together. "I thought [the bigs] were battling and our guards came back in, what we call cracking down, and cracked down to help the bigs" said Casey. "I thought that was huge. Its a five-man job." Toronto was paced in scoring by DeMar DeRozan, who had a game-high 25 points, as well as Amir Johnson and Kyle Lowry, chipping in with 20 and 19 respectively. Still, it was as much a collective effort as Casey could have hoped for, especially with the injured Patterson out resting an elbow sprain. With the intimidating frontcourt duo of Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond to contend with, the Raptors had four players pull down eight or more rebounds, including reserves Greivis Vasquez and Chuck Hayes. The Pistons came into the game ranked first in offensive rebounds, first in paint points and second in second-chance scoring. "We had to box out," said Johnson, who grabbed nine boards on the night. "We looked at all the stats and that was definitely the key, to get all those guys off the boards. They definitely have a big lineup and thats what we did." The Raptors "cracked down" - as Casey says - in the second half, besting Detroit 29-13 on the boards, holding the visitors to one offensive rebound. They also outscored the Pistons 24-14 in the paint and 15-0 in second-chance points over the final 24 minutes. On a night in which Brooklyn stole headlines with an impressive win over an elite team, the division-leaders took care of business. The Raptors have heeded their coaches warning, at least to this point. They havent looked back. With 11 wins in its last 12 games against opponents with records south of .500, Toronto continues to hold serve. Theyre not looking for style points so long as they come away with the prize. "A lot of our guys havent been there," Casey reiterated. "Like Ive always preached, its a different animal. I hope theyre enjoying it but yet still [understanding] how hard it is, getting there first and then after you get there it gets even harder." "Its good, its exciting, its great for our fans," he continued. "Its something our fans havent been through in a while but again, weve just got to take care of our business." William Carrier Jersey . The kind he has every so often. The kind he has when Dwyane Wade sits. James scored 43 points -- 25 in a bewildering first-quarter shooting display -- and Chris Bosh added 21, leading the Miami Heat to a 100-96 win Tuesday night over the Cleveland Cavaliers, who played their first game without injured All-Star guard Kyrie Irving. 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The Asheville, N.C. native, who signed as a free agent with the CFL club last May, didnt see any action with Edmonton this season after opening the year on the injured list.MINNEAPOLIS - Canadas Anthony Bennett scored 17 points and Ricky Rubio had 16 to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 107-89 preseason win over the injury-riddled Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night.Bennett, from Brampton, Ont., showed no lingering effects from a sore left knee, and Chase Budinger looked spry while scoring 12 points. Budinger is averaging nine points on 14-for-27 shooting this preseason after missing half of last season — including the final six games — with a right-ankle sprain.Throw in Kevin Martin (strained left adductor) making progress after missing the first three preseason games and Shabazz Muhammad (Achilles) returning after missing the last three, and the Wolves are feeling much better with one exhibition game to go before the regular season starts.Its a big joy, just a big joy just getting my legs back and being able to knock down 3s and not being short on them, like I was all last year, said Budinger, who went 2 of 2 from beyond the arc.The Pacers, meanwhile, lost another key player when starting guard George Hill went down with a left-knee contusion in the third quarter.Hill was hurt during a scramble for the ball. He was fouled on the play, and managed to shoot two free throws — missing both — after staying on the floor for several minutes.The Pacers called timeout after the second missed free throw, and Hill eventually walked off the court to the trainers room. He finished with 14 points in 21 minutes.It swelled up pretty good, so well see how he is tomorrow and take it day to day, coach Frank Vogel said.The Pacers already were playing without starting forward David West, who stayed behind in Indianapolis to nurse a sprained right ankle. Both West and Rodney Stuckey (sprained right foot) are expected to sit out the rest of the preseason.Its a challenge, Vogel said. Its the preseason and weve got to get everybody healthy going into the regular season and get as much work done as possible while that happens.Donald Sloaan scored 19 points for Indiana.dddddddddddd Chris Copeland had 17 points, and Roy Hibbert finished with 14 points and nine rebounds.Hills 19-footer with 4:09 in the second made it 37-all before Rubio and Bennett combined for 15 points during Minnesotas decisive 32-6 run over the next nine minutes.Bennett was 7 for 9 from the field. The reserve scored Minnesotas first six points of the fourth quarter to help the Wolves maintain their comfortable lead.Were a little bit more active, coach Flip Saunders said. I think were trying to get all of our guys more purpose offensively.Known more for his flashy assists than accurate shooting, Rubio celebrated his 24th birthday by going 4 for 8 from the floor, and hitting 7 of 8 from the free-throw line.Minnesota shot a preseason-best 50.6 per cent from the floor.BENNETTS NEW STARTWhile Andrew Wiggins was considered the centerpiece of the trade that sent Kevin Love to Cleveland, former No. 1 pick Bennett is so far impressing with the Timberwolves, averaging 10.8 points and 6.5 rebounds in four preseason games.Hes playing now like how a lot of people thought he would play a year ago, Saunders said. Theres no question that the trade to here gave him a newfound life, energy and enthusiasm.Said Bennett: Definitely a huge difference. I feel a lot more confident now, in shape.TIP-INSPacers: Luis Scola started in place of West and finished with five points on 1-for-5 shooting from the floor. ... Copeland is averaging 18.3 points over his last three games, shooting 13 for 26 from long range during that stretch.Timberwolves: Muhammad returned to action after missing the past three games with a sore right Achilles tendon. Muhammad, who had been listed as questionable for Tuesday nights game, finished with six points on 3-for-7 shooting. ... Wiggins dressed but didnt play after taking a hard spill on Sundays game at Oklahoma City.UP NEXTPacers: Thursday at CharlotteTimberwolves: Thursday at Milwaukee. ' ' '