Raptors win clinches playoff berth

Ibaka, DeRozan each score 18 as Toronto beats Dallas 94-86

DALLAS — DeMar DeRozan and Serge Ibaka scored 18 points apiece and the Toronto Raptors clinched a playoff berth after their fifth straight victory, 94-86 over the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night.

The Raptors, who came back from 15-point deficits to win each of their last two games, made it a little easier on themselves. Toronto scored the game’s first seven points and never trailed.

Harrison Barnes scored 23 points for Dallas while Patrick Patterson had 14 points for Toronto — including a perfect 4-for-4 on 3-pointers.

The Mavericks fell four games behind Denver for the final playoff spot in the West.

Toronto led by as many as 16 points in the first half and by 15 early in the fourth quarter before a 10-0 Dallas run made things interesting.

Toronto coach Dwane Casey said he is hopeful guard Kyle Lowry, who has missed the last 16 games, returns from wrist surgery before the end of the regular season. “I know he’s doing a lot of conditioning, a lot of work to keep his body in shape,” Casey said. “Just let him rehab, let him do his thing and trust our medical people.”

The Mavericks took their 41st loss of the season. Their next loss will end the NBA’s secondlongest streak of .500 or better seasons — currently at 16 seasons. Their last sub-.500 season was 1999-00, when they finished 40-42 and Mark Cuban became owner of the team in January 2000.

San Antonio has the longest streak of .500 or better seasons with 20, including this season.

Noah banned 20 games

Joakim Noah of the New York Knicks was suspended 20 games without pay for violating the league’s anti-drug policy.

He tested positive for a substance found in some over-the-counter supplements, the league said Saturday.

Noah has not played since Feb. 4 and likely was to miss the Knicks’ final 10 games this season because of a knee injury. The NBA said Noah’s suspension will begin with the first regular-season or playoff game for which he is “eligible and physically able to play.”

The players’ union believes the 6-foot-11 player made an unintentional mistake.

“Joakim was completely forthcoming and co-operative throughout the investigation and we believe that this isolated occurrence was a regrettable mistake,” the union statement said. “Joakim has offered his deepest apologies for this infraction, and neither he nor the NBPA will pursue an appeal.”