Milwaukee Bucks in Torontos win on Monday.We just understand what needs to be done, DeRozan said. Not much has to

TORONTO -- The Atlanta Hawks will be back at the Air Canada Centre for the second time in two weeks on Friday night.That has hardly been long enough to erase the pain of their visit on Dec. 3 when the Toronto Raptors trounced them 128-84. The 44-point margin of victory the largest in Raptors history.Not much has changed since then. The Raptors (18-7) continue to roll, having won four in a row and 10 of their last 11 games, including a 123-114 decision over the 76ers in Philadelphia on Wednesday night.The Hawks (12-13) continue to struggle after a 9-2 start to the season.The Hawks took a 131-120 loss at home to the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night after winning their two previous games. It was the highest point total against the Hawks since the Golden State Warriors scored 137 points on March 4, 2008.I dont know exactly how I would describe it but there is some level of frustration, Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said. There is some level of optimism. I do think we are doing some things better. We need to do more things better for more of the 48 minutes. I would say there was a stretch when offensively, we were really, really struggling. We have taken two steps forward there. Maybe we have regressed defensively. We have to be moving forward with both.We definitely had a lot of steps forward to start and then a lot of steps back, said Hawks reserve forward Kris Humphries, a former Raptor. Then a comeback win (over the Milwaukee Bucks) for a step forward. I think you have to look at the next seven games and gauge if our momentum is going the right way and judge how we are playing. Sometimes, a game like (the loss to the Magic) is hard to judge where you are at. The way they played, they would have beat anyone in the league.The Raptors currently have the highest-rated offense in the NBA, but they were outscored in the fourth quarter Wednesday by the 76ers 40-31 and had a 19-point lead with 5:39 to play cut to six with 41 seconds remaining before they held on for the nine-point margin. Coach Dwane Casey was not pleased.Its a great example: the game is never over until its over, Casey said. Were not good enough to let up and relax. Every team in this league can come back and get you. Thats whats upsetting about a good-going game until the fourth quarter. Gave up 40 points and 50 percent shooting because we took our foot off the gas pedal and you cant do that in this league.DeMar DeRozan had 31 points against the 76ers after scoring 30 against the Milwaukee Bucks in Torontos win on Monday.We just understand what needs to be done, DeRozan said. Not much has to be said. We kind of know after a lot of games what we need to be better at next game. Consciously were going into next practice, next game with that on our minds to be better. Its just the maturity of us and all of the guys that have been on this team carrying it over to the younger guys.Raptors reserve center Lucas Nogueira did not play Wednesday because of a sore right knee. Tests showed no serious injury. Stitched Royals Jerseys . -- If Henry Burris has his way, he will be the starting quarterback to lead the Hamilton Tiger-Cats back to the Grey Cup next year. Royals Jerseys China .J. -- New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz will miss the rest of the season after having surgery on his left knee. https://www.cheaproyals.com/ . 8 Iowa State on Saturday, sending the Cyclones to their third consecutive loss. The Longhorns (14-4, 3-2) got their biggest win of the season with their third in the row in the Big 12. Kansas City Royals Gear . The phone hearing is scheduled for 4:30pm et/1:30pm pt. Winchester, who was not penalized for the hit, appeared to make contact with Kellys head early in the first period of Thursdays game in Boston. Kansas City Royals Store . Barcelona also left injured defenders Carles Puyol, Javier Mascherano and Jordi Alba out of its squad for the trip to Glasgow. That means that Marc Bartra will probably start again in the centre of the defence alongside Gerard Pique. LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Trainer Ian Wilkes and his wife, Tracey, are planning to take a vacation to their native Australia shortly after the Churchill Downs meet concludes on Sunday, and he is training like a man that wants to make up for any lost future opportunities.A day after winning three races, including the Grade 3 River City Handicap with Thatcher Street, Wilkes was a multiple visitor to the winners circle Friday at Churchill, taking a pair of races, including the Grade 2, $200,000 Mrs. Revere with the blossoming Linda.Linda, still a maiden until late July, has shown rapid development in recent months, winning a pair of races and running second in the Grade 3 Valley View at Keeneland Oct. 21.Those races were apparently just a sampling of what was to come. Her performance in the Mrs. Revere was easily her best race to date. After settling in seventh early, she swooped to the lead with a wide rally on the turn and easily outkicked Del Mar Oaks winner Hamormize by 2-1/2 lengths.She proved today how good she is, said regular rider Brian Hernandez Jr. She put away a Grade 1 winner at the head of the llane today like it was nothing.ddddddddddddernandez said he wasnt worried about ground loss with his filly, noting the outside portion of the course seemed preferable to the inside after rain earlier in the week.A homebred 3-year-old filly by Scat Daddy owned by Whitham Thoroughbreds, Linda raced 1-1/16 miles on a good turf course in 1:44.63, paying $10 as the third favorite in the field of 11.Sweet Tapper, an 89-1 longshot, ran third, 5-1/4 lengths behind the runner-up, while favored Hawksmoor, offered little response in the stretch to be sixth.Wilkes said Lindas improvement in recent weeks has been impossible to miss. As I said after her last race, shes breathing different air, eating different oats -- shes just going to another level, he said.He plans to give her a break next, and aim for a 2017 campaign.Wilkes still has some work to do before his vacation, most notably saddling morning-line favorite McCraken in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Saturday at Churchill. ' ' '