If the Hawks meet the Raptors in the playoffs they’ll have plenty of video to study – of how not to play.
The Hawks trailed by as many as 24 points as the Raptors cruised to a 105-97 victory Wednesday night at Air Canada Center. The Hawks have three losses in their past 15 games and two of them are at the Raptors. The Hawks have lost four straight games overall to Raptors, including all three games this season. The teams meet for a final time in Atlanta on April 7.
The Hawks (45-31) had a four game win streak snapped and lost for just the second time in the past 11 games.
Jeff Teague led the Hawks with 18 points.
The Raptors (50-24) were led by DeMar DeRozan with 26 points as the set a franchise record for wins. Jonas Valanciunas had 19 points and Kyle Lowry added 17 points.
The Raptors led by as many as 14 points in the first half and took a 54-41 lead into intermission. DeRozan and Lowry combined for 24 first-half points and Valanciunas had 10 first-quarter points.
The Hawks started the third quarter on a 12-4 run, with Teague scoring eight of the points, to cut their deficit to five points, 58-53. However, the Raptors answered with a 15-2 run to regain control of the game.
The Hawks turned to reserves – Dennis Schroder, Kirk Hinrich, Tim Hardaway Jr., Mike Scott and Mike Muscala – in the fourth quarter and the group went on a 17-2 run to cut the 24-point deficit to nine points, 93-84. The Raptors turned to its starting unit and they responded with an 8-0 run.
The Hawks begin a four-game homestand on Friday against the Cavaliers.
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