Top 10 Plays and Moments from Toronto Raptors' 2014-15 Season

The lingering effects of a four-game postseason beatdown at the hands of the Washington Wizards make it easy to forget about all the good that took place for the Toronto Raptors in 2014-15.

The entire regular season was seemingly erased from memory and replaced with the nightmarish result of being swept in the playoffs. It was a tough pill to swallow for the We The North movement and its legion of supporters. 

Nonetheless, some gems sprinkled throughout the year deserve a moment of reflection, reminding Raptors faithful of a simpler time. 

A franchise-best 49 victories and second-straight Atlantic Division title is nothing to turn your nose at. It just feels like it happened a lifetime ago.  

Perhaps revisiting some of Toronto's best plays and moments from this past season will help wash any sour taste from the playoffs out of your mouth.

10. "We Don't Give a *Expletive* About It"

Warning: Video contains strong language

"We haven't done particularly well against Toronto, but I don't feel they have the 'It' that makes you worried,'' said Wizards' forward Paul Pierce prior to their best-of-seven series, per Jackie MacMullan of ESPN.com. 

Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri didn't mince words when responding to The Truth's bold statement, taking to the Jurassic Park crowd and rallying the troops before walking off the stage like a boss.

He was fined $60,000 by the league for his colourful language, while the team was fined an additional $25,000. 

Ujiri pulled a similar stunt (warning: video contains strong language) last year in the playoffs prior to Toronto's Game 1 matchup with the Brooklyn Nets. The Raptors are now 0-2 in series when he spews vulgarity. That doesn't make it any less cool, though. 

9. James Johnson Impresses Grandpa Drizzy vs. Philadelphia

Brandon Davies of the Philadelphia 76ers will forever be a screensaver on desktops around the country after James Johnson ran through his 6'10" frame on Nov. 9.

Global ambassador Drake, who was sitting courtside that night, jumped out of his seat and roared in approval as Johnson made mincemeat of Davies with a massive one-handed slam. 

Perhaps even more fascinating was the outfit Mr. Aubrey Graham wore for the evening. Twitter had a field day with his garment of choice, comparing him to an elderly grandpa and even Tobias Funke from Arrested Development. 

He'd be prudent to avoid the cashmere sweater and thick glasses in the future. Social media will be ready with a plethora of memes and wisecracks should he make that mistake again. 

8. Terrence Ross Makes the Impossible Possible vs. Utah

It's a darn shame the "D" in "three-and-D" has nothing to do with dunking the basketball. The constant criticism of Terrence Ross' game would die down tremendously with him fitting that bill. 

Ross can elevate as well as any other swingman in the league, with his athletic gifts making him a human highlight-reel—when he chooses to do so, that is.

Catching a poor pass, securing it in midair and jamming it with power and precision is no simple task. Ross made it look as straightforward as possible against the Utah Jazz, turning a bad lob from Kyle Lowry into something extraordinary. 

7. Lou Williams Drops 36 on the Cleveland Cavaliers

LeBron James and his Cavaliers cohorts learned the hard way just how effective Lou Williams can be when his trigger-happy impulses are working in his favor.

A hero-ball mentality took over early with the Raptors trailing Cleveland 26-7 early on. Things changed in a big way once the eventual NBA Sixth Man of the Year entered the fray, though.

Williams finished the evening with a career-high 36 points, including going a perfect 15-of-15 from the charity stripe. He was baiting defenders left and right, getting the Cavaliers to leave their feet with a number of pump fakes. 

Cleveland never figured Williams out in the 29 minutes he was on the floor as the Raptors went on to win convincingly, 110-93. 

6. Raptors Fans Invade the Palace of Auburn Hills

It's roughly a four-hour bus ride to travel from Union Station in downtown Toronto to the Palace of Auburn Hills in Detroit. That's child's play for those select Raptors fans who would never let distance come between them and their favorite team.

Is it technically a road game if more fans in the arena are cheering for the visiting squad?

It must have been infuriating for the Pistons players knowing the hometown crowd was getting overpowered in the noise department by a congregation of boisterous Raptors supporters on two different occasions. 

O Canada, indeed. 

5. Bruno Caboclo Makes His NBA Debut in Spectacular Fashion

"Wassup. I am Bruno."

Rookie Bruno Caboclo's NBA debut lasted all of 12 minutes, but that's all the 19-year-old needed to cement his now legendary status with Raptors fans. 

Head coach Dwane Casey emptied his bench early as Toronto took a commanding lead over the Milwaukee Bucks into the fourth quarter on Nov. 21. The Air Canada Centre erupted as the "Brazilian Kevin Durant" took to the hardwood for his first action as a pro. 

An alley-oop lob from Lou Williams, two three-pointers and a rejection of Nate Wolters had fans in a frenzy, as chants of "BRU-NO!" echoed throughout the building. 

4. The Healing Process Begins with Vince Carter

It's been 11 years, but it looks like Raptors fans are finally willing to forgive Vince Carter for the way his departure from the team went down in 2004.

The franchise played a video tribute to the man formally known as "Half-Man, Half Amazing" as part of the Raptors' 20th anniversary season-long celebration. Fans rose to their feet and surprisingly applauded Carter, who appeared openly emotional watching the footage. 

The boos subsided and the ill will toward arguably the greatest Raptor of all time faded away, if only for a couple of minutes. 

Perhaps time really does heal all, even if it takes more than a decade for those wounds to close. 

3. Kyle Lowry's Defense Leads to DeMar DeRozan's Game-Winning Jam

With less than 40 seconds remaining in a 105-105 game at the TD Garden in Boston, the Celtics had a chance to take the lead as guard Marcus Smart looked to attack the basket. 

Kyle Lowry made the rookie immediately regret his decision, though, as he stripped Smart of the ball to lead into a Raptors fast break. With DeMar DeRozan trailing, Lowry delivered a perfect bounce pass to the trailing DeMar DeRozan, who finished with a dunk over Kelly Olynyk, picking up a foul in the process. 

The win also required a late 18-foot jumper by Lowry to seal the deal, but it was this sequence involving DeRozan that put the Celtics on ice. It was a momentum-shifting possession with impeccable timing, procuring Toronto its fourth win of the season. 

2. "I Cocked That Joint Back and Banged on Him"

NBA.com got it wrong by not recognizing James Johnson's posterization of Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond as one of the 10 best dunks of 2015.

"That was one of the best power dunks I've seen live," Raptors analyst Mike Devlin said following Johnson's robust display.

The jam was so vicious that Amir Johnson dropped to the floor in amazement on the sidelines as the Raptors bench completely lost it—which was just as entertaining to watch as the dunk.

"I cocked that joint back and banged on him," said James in a postgame scrum. That description will live in infamy, coming out of the woodshed every time Johnson destroys another human life while throwing one down. 

1. Kyle Lowry #NBABallot

Kyle Lowry became just the third player in Raptors history—Vince Carter and Chris Bosh are the other two—to be voted in as a starter for the Eastern Conference All-Star team. 

Fans took to social media to release an onslaught of #NBABallot tweets in Lowry's favor, helping the 29-year-old make up a deficit of over 100,000 votes in just a few short weeks to surpass Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat. 

Lowry's play certainly warranted the recognition of being a starter, having averaged 19.3 points, 7.4 assists and 4.8 rebounds through the first three months of the season. 

Gaining the support of an entire country—including high-profile personalities like Justin Bieber and Prime Minister Stephen Harper—helped his cause, but that shouldn't tarnish what was unquestionably a well-deserved honor. 

All statistics are courtesy of NBA.com/stats

Christopher Walder is a Featured Columnist for the Toronto Raptors at Bleacher Report. You may follow him on Twitter at @WalderSports.