TORONTO - Torontos Kyle Lowry had spent big chunks of Sundays game on the bench, part of the coaching and medical staffs plan to manage the minutes of their battered and bruised team leader. Ecco Shoes Sale Clearance . Unleashed in the fourth quarter, Lowry scored seven of his 25 points in the games final minute to lift the Raptors to a 96-86 victory over the Atlanta Hawks. After three horrible quarters, the Raptors outscored the Hawks 36-15 in the final 12 minutes to seal the victory. "Weve got a group of guys who are resilient, we want to win games, weve got a goal in mind," Lowry said. "Its fun to win games and when youve found the recipe to win in the fourth, you have to stick with it." Lowry also had four assists and four steals in just 27 minutes. With the Raptors poised to make their first playoff appearance in six years, the team is being careful with his playing time. "Hes had a lot of minutes," said coach Dwane Casey. "Its hard believe me, as a coach and for him as a competitor, it looks like were going at each other but we both understand the situation. If its close I may close my eyes and forget time, but we have to watch his minutes." DeMar DeRozan added 21 points Sunday, while Jonas Valanciunas finished with 13 points and 13 rebounds, and Greivis Vasquez chipped in with 12 points for the Raptors (39-30). Lowry, who has struggled with a groin injury in the past, wouldnt say if anything specific is sore. "My full body has aches and pains right now," he said. "I dont think any player in the NBA right now feels 100 per cent. Its that time of year where everybody has knicks and knacks and bruises." DeMarre Carroll and Paul Millsap scored 17 points apiece to top the Hawks (31-37), while Jeff Teague added 16. Coming off a an energetic 119-118 loss in double overtime two nights earlier to Oklahoma City, the Atlantic Division-leading Raptors looked like a different team Sunday through three quarters of sloppy passes, horrible shooting and lackadaisical defence. One highlight on an afternoon that had almost none: the return of The Raptor mascot, who missed over five months after rupturing an Achilles tendon during training camp. Casey passed Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment boss Tim Leiweke in the hallway after the game, and told him it was like "pulling teeth, it was like going to the dentists office that first half." "Weve got to be pros like I told our players, whether its five oclock in the morning, midnight, two oclock, weve got to get ourselves going," Casey said. "With season ticket-holders paying big money to watch us play, we came out and gave them a bad performance in the first half." Casey gave his players an earful at halftime. "Aw man, he came in here yelling," DeRozan said. "Once Casey yells, youve got to do your job or youll hear him yelling after the game. We understood ... we were still in the game and we were playing terrible that first half." The Hawks, who are clinging to the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, led by as many as 14 points in the first half and were up by 71-60 heading into the fourth quarter. Finally showing some life, the Raptors chipped away at the difference and when Johnson tipped in his own miss with 5:18 left to play, it tied the game 79-79. Lowry scored on a hook shot with 44 seconds left to give the Raptors a five-point lead and some precious breathing room, then he stole the ball off an inbounds pass and scored again to help put the game away. There was a scary moment late in the game when workhorse Amir Johnson went down in a heap clutching his left knee after Shelvin Mack had fallen awkwardly on it. "You dont know if its a soccer move (embellishment) or what," Casey said. "He had my heart in my throat there for a little bit." Lowry called Johnson the teams "heart and soul." "So when that happened it kind of scared us a little bit," Lowry said. "Oh yeah, Im still scared when he falls. But hes a great player, he gives it all, and it makes everybody else give it their all too." Added DeRozan: "Ive seen Amir get hit by a Mack truck and get back up. One thing about Amir, hell play through anything and everything, but he kind of scared me tonight. When he grabbed at the knee, I kind of cussed at him a little to make sure he was alright." Johnson, who was limping in the locker-room after the game, said the initial pain was bad, but he was able to walk it off. The Raptors had lost to the Hawks earlier in the week, dropping a 118-113 decision in overtime in Atlanta on Tuesday. "We just lost focus," Millsap said on the Hawks inability to close out Sundays game. "Lost focus and they hit a few shots. We dropped our heads a little bit but we have to be more mentally tough." Toronto got off to a poor start Sunday, turning over the ball seven times in the opening quarter. The Raptors shot just 28 per cent while allowing the Hawks to shoot 56 per cent. Atlanta went up by 11 before leading 25-16 to end the quarter. A three-pointer by Millsap gave the Hawks a 14-point lead midway through the second. But the Raptors closed the quarter with a 16-9 run that included a monstrous dunk by Terrence Ross and went into the locker-room at halftime trailing 49-42. The Raptors carried that momentum into the third, cutting the Hawks lead to two points on a hook shot by Valanciunas, but abruptly went cold again. Atlanta took an 11-point advantage into the final 12 minutes. Notes: The Raptors are in Cleveland to face the Cavaliers on Tuesday, then meet the Celtics in Boston on Wednesday before returning home to host Boston on Friday. ... New Toronto FC goalkeeper Julio Cesar and Hockey Hall of Famer Darryl Sittler were at the game. Cheap Ecco Shoes Online . Each day, TSN.ca provides the latest rumours, reports and speculation from around the NHL beat. The latest from Bob As tweeted by TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie on Monday, the Columbus Blue Jackets need to resolve their offseason plans with forward R. Ecco Mens Shoes Uk . -- Olympic medallist Jennifer Abel of Laval, Que. http://www.cheapeccouk.com/ . The Raptors (15-15) posted six road victories last month and have won seven of their last nine games overall. Toronto visits the Washington Wizards on Friday night.LONDON -- Wayne Rooney scored a brace as Manchester United twice came from behind Sunday to extend its unbeaten run to 12 matches in all competitions with a 2-2 draw at Tottenham but lost more ground in the Premier League title race Rooney levelled the score from close range in the first half against the run of play after Kyle Walker had put Tottenham in front. Rooney then salvaged a point for the Red Devils from the penalty spot in the 57th minute shortly after Sandro had restored Spurs lead with a superb strike in the 54th at White Hart Lane. "He played well again," United manager David Moyes said about Rooney. "He deserves the adulation hes getting. Hes playing well, scoring goals. When the moments come, hes taking them." The result brought some relief to under-fire Tottenham manager Andres Villas-Boas but left both teams unsatisfied. Defending champions Manchester United now trail leader Arsenal by nine points. "Were not as close as wed like to be," Moyes said. Ninth-place Tottenham is lagging 10 points behind the Gunners and will rue its missed chances. "It was a good response to a big defeat to Manchester City," said Villas-Boas, referring to the 6-0 loss at City last weekend that put his future in doubt. "It was not perfect, but it was a good response from a group of players that wanted to do well. The result kept us in touch with a group of teams at the top." Villas-Boas lashed out at journalists for a perceived lack of respect in the aftermath of his teams drubbing. "A couple of articles attacked my integrity and my achievements with the club," Villas-Boas said. United was again without the injured Robin van Persie while Nemanja Vidic started after recovering from a head injury. Villas-Boas made three changes from the Spurs side that lost to City, with Vlad Chiriches, Mousa Dembele and Nacer Chadli replacing Younes Kaboul, Lewis Holtby and Erik Lamela. Looking for its first home win against United in 12 years, Tottenham got off to a strong start and dominated possession in an entertaining first half. United keeper David De Gea boxed a corner from Walker in the first minute and the visitors were kept in their own half by strong pressing from Tottenham. United left back Patrice Evra was lucky to escape a booking when he fouled Aaron Lennon, with referee Mike Dean playing the advantage. Spurs first clear chance came when Tom Cleverley clumsily lost the ball before Lennon -- who was excellent throughout the match down the right flank -- threatened De Gea wwith a low shot. Ecco Outlet Uk. United responded with a move ignited by Wayne Rooney, who stole the ball from Chiriches before serving up Antonio Valencia. But the England forwards attempt at goal from Valencias resulting cross was blocked by Sandro. Tottenham was logically rewarded for its dominance after a clumsy challenge from Jonny Evans led to a free kick that Walker converted from 20 yards (meters) with a low shot drilled under the jumping United wall in the 18th minute. Tottenham continued to press as a painfully slow United team struggled to string passes together. Spurs should have scored in the 28th after Roberto Soldado started a brilliant move with Paulinho, crossing the ball for the Brazilian who played it back for Soldado behind Evans. But the Spanish striker, alone in front of goal, fired his shot over. Tottenham was made to pay for its missed chances after an error by Walker, who flicked a cross back into Rooneys path. The United forward made the most of the golden chance and scored from close range with a clean finish in the 32nd, prompting chants of "Rooney, Rooney" in the away stand. The second half started slowly until Sandro turned Cleverley with a fine dribble and silenced the United fans with a superb swerving shot into the top right corner in the 54th. The lead hardly lasted as Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris fouled Welbeck in the box two minutes later. Rooney slammed the penalty past the Frenchman to equalize and move above Robbie Fowler into 5th place in the all-time Premier League top scorers, with his 164th goal. "It is not the first time that I have seen us concede penalties against Manchester United where players leave their leg to make contact and then fall down," Villas-Boas claimed. "I can understand it is difficult for referee Mike Dean to analyze but I dont think he is in a good position to judge and for me it is a bad call." Lennon received a standing ovation as he came off to be replaced by Andros Townsend before Soldado was substituted by Jermaine Defoe, but Villas-Boas attempts to shake Uniteds defence did not pay off. Townsend failed to connect with Walkers precise cross in the 79th minute at the end of a counterattack. "Tottenham had their own pride, which they showed today in their performance," said Moyes, admitting the result was disappointing. "I think the big games are all to come in the second half of the season ... There will be a lot of teams now looking to chase them (Arsenal) down and hopefully we will be one of them." ' ' '