TORONTO - With his teammates primed to go their separate ways after Wednesdays game, many of them playing like it in the first half, DeMar DeRozan took one final opportunity to validate his upcoming trip to New Orleans. Matt Slauson Jersey . For the better part of the opening 24 minutes, the Raptors played like a team that was ready to start its long weekend one day early by succumbing to a popular pre All-Star break pitfall; the letdown game. "I think both teams were on vacation before the game started," Dwane Casey said of his teams flat start, hitting just one of 12 field goals at the outset of a crucial meeting with the Hawks and trailing by eight early, until DeRozan sparked the Raptors slumbering offence. Were the Raptors looking ahead to some much needed time off? "I wouldnt say that necessarily, we probably thought they (were)" replied DeRozan, who scored 14 of his game-high 31 points in the first seven minutes of the third quarter, spearheading a lopsided second half and leading Toronto to a 104-83 win over Atlanta. "We picked it up," he continued. "We understood they were going to come out play hard because we are neck-and-neck in the race in the conference. We understood how much this game meant." The Raptors overtook Atlanta for third place in the Eastern Conference standings last month and the Hawks have been knocking on the door ever since. With the victory, Toronto handed the Hawks - who now hold the fifth seed - their fifth straight loss and padded their own cushion over fourth-place Chicago going into this weekends All-Star festivities. At 28-24, the Raptors sit atop their division at the break for the second time in franchise history and first since they won the Atlantic in the 2006-07 season. "It means a lot to be where were at right now," DeRozan said, "but it really dont mean nothing unless we keep it up. Weve got to keep it growing, we cant be comfortable with it because teams in our division (are) definitely still coming." Leading by one at intermission, the Raptors outscored the struggling Hawks 59-39 in the second half, holding them to 30 per cent shooting and forcing eight turnovers while committing just one themselves. DeRozan made seven of his 10 field goal attempts, and all four of his free throws, in the half. Most importantly the Raptors executed their game plan defensively, rotating and closing out hard, limiting one of the better three-point shooting teams in the league to four treys on 20 attempts from beyond the arch. "We had to make sure we were there and the way the game started I (didnt) think we got the memo before the game," Casey said. "We continued to grind it, stuck with the game plan, guys stuck together and grinded it out." It wasnt their most ascetically pleasing victory but its one that fell right into the Raptors wheelhouse, one that played into the identity and personality Casey has urged his team to carry into the seasons unofficial second half. "Like I told our guys," he said, "the second half is going to be a grind. Its not going to be pretty (but) we dont want it to be pretty. Its going to be hard and everybody has to be committed in the locker room." The break comes at a perfect time for the Raptors. Although they go into it with confidence having won two straight, both at home - overall theyve won 10 of 12 at the Air Canada Centre - many of them could use the rest and relaxation time. For the second straight game Amir Johnson was a spectator - fashioning a personalized Raptors jersey on the back of his vest as he watched from the bench - still nursing a sore right ankle. Hell have over 10 days of rest before the team reconvenes in Washington for Tuesdays game against the Wizards. For the rest of the team this five-day layoff is an opportunity to heal various aches and pains that accumulate over a long season and refocus heading into the stretch run. "Me personally I need the rest," said Kyle Lowry, who had another double-double - 16 points and 13 assists - on Wednesday. "I know everybody needs the rest. You get to mentally relax and physically relax also and its always important to take care of your body at this time (of year). You rarely get a five-day stretch in the season so (we have to) take advantage of it." Nyheim Hines Jersey . Erik Cole scored on a breakaway with 4:49 to play, and the Stars rallied to defeat the Minnesota Wild 4-3 on Saturday night. T.Y. Hilton Jersey . Thats what he did over the past 2 1/2 years with the Washington Wizards. Wittmans approach helped turn the Wizards from pushover to playoff winners. http://www.cheapcoltsjerseysonline.com/?tag=matthew-adams-jersey-online . According to a police report, Douglas is accused of grabbing his girlfriend by the neck and slamming her against the wall several times while he carried her from the elevator to their Hartford hotel room early Sunday morning.CLEVELAND -- Interim general manager David Griffin said before the Cavaliers game Sunday night that hed like to see a few more smiles from his team. Following Clevelands 91-83 overtime win over Memphis, there were happy faces all around the locker room. "The game is fun," said Kyrie Irving, who scored 28 points as Cavaliers won back-to-back games for the first time in a month. "Being out there, just competing at the highest level. At the end of the day, its just a game." The Cavaliers, who broke a six-game losing streak Friday night against Washington, have won both games since general manager Chris Grant was fired last week. Irving scored the final four points in regulation to tie it. Luol Dengs 3-pointer on the first possession of overtime put Cleveland ahead for good, 81-78. While a two-game winning streak wont remedy all the teams problems in an adversity-filled season, the Cavaliers want to seize on any positive momentum they can find. "Everybody was putting too much pressure on themselves," Irving said. "We needed to go out there and play basketball. Going out there the last two games, whether the game gets tight or gets away from you, it should be fun." Nick Calathes scored 17 points to lead Memphis, which has lost three of four since winning six straight. Deng began the overtime scoring with a 3-pointer from the corner as the shot clock was winding down. Baskets by Dion Waiters and Anderson Varejao, sandwiched around a 3-pointer by Calathes, left Cleveland with an 85-81 lead. A resounding dunk by Waiters and four free throws by Irving put the game away. "They had the two best players on the floor in Dion Waiters and Kyrie Irving," Grizzlies coach David Joerger said. "They really took the game over from start to finish." Joerger blamed the Grizzlies poor first half, in which they fell behind by 14 points, for the loss. "We slogged in the mud at the start tonight, which you cant do on the road," he said. James Johnson scored 13 points in the fourth quarter to help Memphis erase a nine-point deficit. Cleveland led 74-65 but was held scoreless for 4:54 as the Grizzlies took a 78-74 lead. Irving tied it with a layup with 18 seconds remaining and was fouled, but missed the free throw, giving Memphis the ball with 16. Quenton Nelson Jersey. 7 seconds left. Zach Randolph lost the ball while driving the lane and Waiters heave from just inside halfcourt hit off the backboard. Griffin met with the players at Sunday morning at the shootaround while owner Dan Gilbert spoke with them prior to the game. "I think it woke up a lot of people," Waiters said of Grants dismissal. "Me, I felt half of that was my fault, how we played. We just didnt come out right as a unit. I think it cost the man his job. If we had been playing the way we have the last two games hed probably still be here. We cant dwell on the past, weve got to continue to play the way weve been playing and keep it up." Waiters scored 18 points, and C.J. Miles added 14 for Cleveland. Johnson scored 15 points for Memphis. Randolph, who left the game in the second quarter to get three stitches to close a cut under his left eye, had 14 points. Calathes, playing in place of the injured Mike Conley, made his first six shots and was 7 of 9 from the field. Randolph went to the locker room late in the second quarter after taking an elbow in the face from Tristan Thompson while they were going for a rebound. Randolph was on the court for a couple of moments and asked for a towel to put to his face. He tapped hands with Thompson before jogging off the court with a team trainer. Randolph returned to start the third quarter. "Teams know we try to go inside to Zach and let him go to work, but weve got to do something with all five guys, not always depend on our horse down there," Said Memphis forward Tayshaun Prince. "We cant allow Zach to always be our hero. It puts us in a tough spot and it puts him in a tough spot." Deng started after missing Fridays game with the flu. NOTES: Grizzlies G Tony Allen (sprained left wrist) is listed as day-to-day, but hasnt taken part in practice. Hes been out since Jan. 3. ... Varejao left the game with a hand injury in the first quarter. He went to the locker room, but returned in the second quarter. Varejao, who finished with 14 rebounds, also appeared to tweak his knee in the fourth quarter but returned to the game quickly. ... Cleveland snapped a four-game losing streak in the series. 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