Arlene was a scorekeeper for the NBA team. His dad Ke

The Detroit Lions achieved one of their top goals this off-season, retaining Joique Bell, and took a step toward another one, setting up a meeting with Golden Tate. The Lions and Bell agreed to a $9.3 million, three-year contract, according to a person familiar with the negotiations. The person, who said $4.3 million of the contract is guaranteed, spoke Tuesday to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced. Detroit is also determined to add a player to complement wide receiver Calvin Johnson. Tate appears to be a good fit. The free agent wide receiver will meet with the Lions, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person, who said Tate was travelling to Detroit on Tuesday night, spoke to AP on condition of anonymity because the visit had not been announced. Tate led the Seattle Seahawks with 64 catches and 898 yards receiving last season, setting career highs in both categories. The former Notre Dame star also scored five touchdowns last season, giving him 15 in his four-year career. "I definitely do not want to play against Seattle, Ill tell you that," Tate said in February after Seattles Super Bowl parade. "I dont want to play against Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor for sure, but well see. Only time will tell. I think I set myself up regardless if its here -- hopefully its here -- or elsewhere with the way I play the game." Detroit also agreed to a one-year deal with wide receiver Kevin Ogletree, according to another person familiar with negotiations, speaking to AP on condition of anonymity because the deal hadnt been announced. The Lions really wanted Bell back, and can probably find a spot on the roster for Ogletree. Bell had a team-high eight touchdowns rushing last season. He was second to Reggie Bush with 166 carries for 650 yards rushing for the Lions last year. Bell ranked third on the team in each of the last two seasons in Detroit with a combined 105 receptions for 1,032 yards. While Bush gives Detroit a speedy and shifty threat out of the backfield, the 5-foot-11, 220-pound Bell provides much-needed power. He has run for 1,064 yards -- 4.3 yards per carry -- and 11 TDs in two seasons with the Lions. The undrafted free agent from Wayne State University in Detroit played a total of eight games as a rookie in 2010 with the Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eagles. Bell won the Harlon Hill Trophy as the NCAA Division II Player of the Year after rushing for 2,084 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2009. Eventually, Bell proved he could make the jump to the NFL. The Benton Harbor, Mich., native has found a home with the Lions, who signed him off New Orleans practice squad late in the 2011 season after he bounced around with the Saints, Eagles, Colts and Bills. Ogletree can potentially help Detroit because Nate Burleson was released and Ryan Broyles has struggled to stay healthy. He had 13 receptions for 199 yards and a touchdown in 12 games last season for the Lions, who signed him after Tampa Bay cut him. Ogletree has 78 career receptions for 999 yards and six touchdowns over five seasons, four of which were with the Dallas Cowboys. In free agency or the draft, the Lions are hoping to add a No. 2 receiver -- perhaps Tate -- and a safety to start alongside Glover Quin to replace Burleson and Louis Delmas, both of whom were released this off-season. Delmas has signed with the Miami Dolphins. The Lions would also like to sign Ndamukong Suh to a new contract to avoid having the defensive tackle count more than $20 million against the salary cap this year. Cheap Nike Blazers China . 1. Lions WR Calvin Johnson (6 REC, 101 YDS, 1 TD, 10 targets) leads receivers with 1,299 yards and 12 touchdowns, though his 118.1 receiving yards per game ranks second behind Clevelands Josh Gordon. Gordon (10 REC, 261 YDS, 2 TD, 15 targets) is emerging as a superstar, putting up huge numbers even with Jason Campbell and Brandon Weeden at quarterback. Cheap Nike Blazers Sale . Villa has already confirmed his short-term deal and the Daily Mirror reported early Tuesday that Lampard will join him as both build up match fitness ahead of moves to the new Major League Soccer franchise New York City. http://www.cheapnikeblazer.net/ . Marcus Olsson, 23, joins Blackburn on a free transfer from Swedens Halmstads. He made 139 appearances and scored 17 goals in his four years with the club. He earned his first caps for Sweden this month, featuring against Bahrain and Qatar. Nike Blazers Wholesale China . The England international had both goals in TFCs season-opening 2-1 win over the Seattle Sounders on Saturday. Cheap Nike Blazers Wholesale . With Van Osch out with a flu bug that has been rampaging through the tournament, Knezevic stepped in to lead B.C. (4-3) to a pair of victories on Tuesday before 1,131 at the Maurice Richard Arena.TORONTO -- Together, theyve logged 10 seasons of mostly disappointment with the Toronto Raptors. Friday night, DeMar DeRozan and Amir Johnson wrote the perfect ending to the Raptors 105-103 victory over the Boston Celtics that -- finally -- sent the Raptors into the playoffs for the first time in six years. "It makes it feel all worth it, honestly, the hard work, the struggles, the nights going home where youre just frustrated and dont want to turn on sports," DeRozan said. "It really shows you that if you stick at it and dont give up -- not to sound cliched -- it definitely pays off." DeRozan scored 30 points to top Toronto, including a fadeaway jumper with 34 seconds left. Johnson had a relatively quiet night with eight points and eight rebounds, but it was his putback on a miss by Kyle Lowry with seven seconds left that sealed the win. "Amir knows," DeRozan said. "Weve been through tough times here where we just look at each other like You cant give up now, youve got to learn from it, even when things are going bad. Thats what we did." When reporters walked into the post-game dressing room, Johnson was on his phone with his grandma Dora. "Dora the Explorer, thats what I call her," Johnson said, smiling. "She said shes proud. "This team has worked so hard," he added. "We were playing our butts off, playing through injuries, weve had our ups and downs. But we made it. It was just coincidence at the end of the game that it was me and DeMar making two clutch shots, the players who have been here the longest, so it meant a lot to clinch our spot in the playoffs." Terrence Ross added 17 points, while Greivis Vasquez finished with 15, and Jonas Valanciunas had 13 points and eight boards for Toronto (41-31). Former Raptor Jerryd Bayless led the Celtics (23-49) with 20 points, while Jeff Green finished with 16. The Raptors went into the night with a two-and-a-half game lead over Brooklyn for first in the Atlantic Division and tied with Chicago for the No. 3 seed in the East. They needed a win or a loss by the New York Knicks in Phoenix to secure their spot in the playoffs. But the win didnt come easily against a team the Raptors had beaten in Boston 99-90 two nights earlier. Against a team that has been all but mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, Toronto led by only single digits until late in the third quarter and took an 85-73 advantage into the fourth in front of a capacity crowd of 19,800 at the Air Canada Centre. DeRozan scored Torontos first 10 points of the fourth and his basket with 8:03 gave the Raptors a nine-point lead as they looked headed for certain victory. But the pesky Celtics fought back with a 15-2 run and a basket by Canadian Kelly Olynyk with 3:07 left put the visitors up by four. The game was tied with 1:14 to go before DeRozan scored, then Rajon Rondo replied to even it up with 27 seconds left. Then with the crowd on its feet, Johnson darted in to tip in the winner. The crowd went mad. The cheerleaders danced. Kool and the Gangs "Celebration" blared over the loudspeakers. "My hat is off to all the guys who have come through here, to DeMar DeRozan and Amir Johnson, whove been through it all, and to the fans for being understanding and beinng patient," said Raptors coach Dwane Casey.dddddddddddd"It was fitting for those two guys, because theyve been through thick and thin and good times and bad times." DeRozan said it was sweet to soak in the applause from the fans, and praised them in the post-game locker-room. "It just sums up everything these past four seasons that weve been through, that it was all worth it," DeRozan said. "Since Ive been here, the fans have been sticking behind us through the tough times, you cant ask for better fans than that. It aint like these fans started coming around this season, our fans have been here from the gate, when we were playing bad, having 20-win seasons. "Just to see it turn around and be able to share that with our fans is definitely cool." Lowry, who had scored 20-plus points in the previous eight games, finished with nine points playing on a heavily-taped ankle after rolling it late in the first half when he stepped on Avery Bradleys foot. He limped to the locker-room, had it taped at halftime and returned to start the second half. Torontos first-round opponent will be determined over the final 10 regular-season games. If the playoffs started today, the Raptors would face the sixth-place Washington Wizards. Other potential first-round opponents: the Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets. By all accounts, the Raptors werent expected to do much this season. The turnaround started after a blockbuster seven-player trade in early December sent Rudy Gay to Sacramento. Casey said theres still plenty of work to be done, especially on the defensive end, before the playoffs begin. But he took a moment to talk about the growth of his team. "Its understanding of what it takes, the belief that defence wins, the commitment of: togetherness wins, binding to the culture. . .," Casey said. "The guys who have bought in, they understand what it takes to win and theyve seen the fruits of it. The roots are in the ground for what our culture is about." Olynyk, a Celtics rookie, finished with 10 in 19 minutes. Olynyk was born in Toronto and spent 12 years here before moving to Kamloops, B.C., with his family. He grew up a Raptors fan -- his mom Arlene was a scorekeeper for the NBA team. His dad Ken coached the University of Toronto basketball team for 13 seasons. The Raptors got out to a slow start and trailed for most of the first quarter despite shooting 58 per cent, but came to life in time to put together a 32-26 lead going into the second. A driving layup by DeRozan six minutes into the second quarter gave the Raptors a nine-point advantage, but the Celtics used a 13-3 run to take a one-point lead two minutes before halftime. Toronto took a 56-53 lead into the locker-room at the break. The Raptors finally put together a double-digit lead in the third, taking a 12-point lead on a three by Vasquez with 1:48 to play. NOTES: Casey said injured Patrick Patterson is "a little sore but making great progress." Casey said Patterson, a key player off the bench, could return to action Sunday or Monday. . . The Raptors are at Orlando to face the Magic on Sunday, then head to Miami to play the Heat on Monday. . .Rondo played Friday with the bridge of his nose bandaged; Rondo received nine stitches on Wednesday after an errant elbow by Vasquez. ' ' '