TORONTO – As the Toronto Raptors get set to host the red-hot Atlanta Hawks at the Air Canada Centre on Friday, coach Dwane Casey smiled when asked if the game will be a good measuring stick for his team. “Tomorrow night’s game isn’t going to make or break our season,” said Casey following practice on Thursday. No, he’s right it won’t. But it will give the Raptors a good sense of where they match up at this time against a surprising powerhouse in the Eastern Conference. “It’s a big game because they are one of the best teams in the league right now,” noted the Raptors head coach. “We are not going to judge who we are and what we are not, by one game.” What the 26-12 Raptors are right now is a team that is struggling with just two wins in their last seven games and a team that has not been strong on the defensive end, having allowed 100 or more points in six of their last eight. Toronto finds itself four-and-a-half games back of Atlanta for top spot in the Eastern Conference. The Hawks meantime have won 10 straight and are 31-8 sitting in top spot in the East. They enter play on Thursday seventh in the league in points per game (103.1) and second in the Association in assists per game (25.6) and points allowed (96.7.) The Hawks have five players who are averaging double digits in points per game, led by point guard Jeff Teague (17.5 PPG) and centre Al Horford – “one of the top centers in the league,” said Casey – who in his eighth season in the league is averaging 14.8 PPG and 6.6 RPG. “No, I don’t envy anybody,” said Casey. “[The Hawks] play the game the right way. I don’t envy them because our job here is to play that way. Not out of envy, but out of necessity. “ “One thing they do is shoot the ball extremely well at every position,” said Casey. “They come off the bench with shooters. And their commitment to defence. They play a team defence. They don’t have a team of stoppers. They play the way we want to play, as a team concept.” With DeMar DeRozan back, fresh off playing 29 minutes and scoring 20 points against Philadelphia on Wednesday, including eight points in the fourth quarter, the Raptors expect to give the Hawks all they can handle. But will they – can they – pick up the defensive intensity for the entire game? “We are getting there,” said DeRozan. “Especially with me back, we are definitely going to get there. You got to give Atlanta credit, they are one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now. It is going to be a good test for us.” The Raptors have beaten the Hawks twice already, but this is a different Atlanta team “One thing we caught them early before they got hot,” said Casey of the Raptors season-opening 109-102 win and in the 126-115 win November 26, the final game of a six-game winning streak. “We were playing better defensively at the time and clicking better offensively. We’ll see where we are [on Friday.]” “They are kind of like us in the sense where they really don’t have a superstar player,” said DeRozan. “All their guys just play together and play hard.” “Their consistent effort on every possession,” is what impresses Casey the most right now. “They are all pulling together, they are playing as a team right now, Casey explained. Everything they are doing is clicking. If we have a chance [on Friday], we got to be the hardest working team on the floor. Casey sees similiarities between the two clubs. “We both are shooters that have to play defence - that’s kind of the personality of both teams,” noted Casey. “We are similar from that standpoint. They’ve done it at a high level for longer than we have.” “I think our biggest test is becoming a team for a whole 48 minutes,” said James Johnson. “It’s all about us at this point. There is no bigger test right now for the Raptors than the NBA’s hottest team. Nike Air Max Flyknit Australia . 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Nike Air Max Australia Mens .C. - The Panthers will be without starting defensive tackle Star Lotulelei for Saturday nights NFC divisional playoff game against Seattle after undergoing surgery Wednesday to repair a broken bone in his foot. Cheap Nike Air Max Tn Australia .com) - Bayern Munich winger Xherdan Shaqiri is expected to miss the next two weeks because of a thigh injury.Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Dez Bryant and the Dallas Cowboys moved into the drivers seat in the NFC East after knocking off the Philadelphia Eagles 38-27 on Sunday night. The slugfest had all the elements of a heavyweight bout, with the Cowboys jumping out to a 21-0 lead and the Eagles countering with 24 straight points. Lincoln Financial Field was quickly quieted, however, as Dallas (10-4) dealt the knockout blow with 17 of the final 20 points to seize control in the two- team race atop the standings. The outcome was a stark contrast from the Thanksgiving meeting just over two weeks ago -- a lopsided 33-10 Eagles victory that ended with Bryant champing at the bit for the rematch in postgame interviews. The star receiver delivered on his word, as he caught all three of Tony Romos touchdown passes and finished with 114 yards on six catches. DeMarco Murray carried the ball a workmanlike 31 times for 81 yards and two scores, while Romo completed 22-of-31 passes for 265 yards. We had to play our best game to come out and beat these guys, Romo said. Im proud of the effort and the way the guys played. The Eagles (9-5) have dropped consecutive games for the first time all season after losing to the Seahawks at home last week. They turned it over four times and only held the ball for 18 minutes. Mark Sanchez was picked off twice and threw for just 252 yards, while Chris Polk scored on a pair of short touchdown runs in defeat. Bryant pulled down a pair of 22-yard catches on Dallas go-ahead drive in the third quarter, including one down to the Philadelphia 2-yard line. Murray barrelled into the end zone on the next play, and Cowboys safety J.J. Wilcox made a juggling interception off a tipped pass on the final play of the frame. Similar to his second touchdown catch, Bryant sprinted past Bradley Fletcher down the sideline and brought in Romos 25-yard pass for a 35-24 Cowboys lead with 12:48 remaining. Josh Huff quickly got the Eagles into Dallas territory with a 44-yard catch, but the drive stalled and Philadelphia settled for a 43-yard Cody Parkey field goal. A three-and-out gave the hosts the ball back, but Brent Celek lost a fumble at the Philadelphia 34.dddddddddddd Celek was originally ruled down by contact, but replay showed Wilcox knocked the ball loose and the Cowboys won the challenge. Dan Baileys 49-yard field goal with 4:37 to play made it a two-possession game, and the Dallas defense secured the win. A pair of sacks on Sanchez forced a punt, and Bruce Carter came away with an interception on Philadelphias final drive. We cant turn the football over and expect to win football games, Eagles head coach Chip Kelly said. A miscommunication between Huff and the rest of the Eagles return team led to a turnover seconds into the game. Dallas short kickoff bounced at the 20-yard line, and no one wearing Eagles green got their hands on it. The Cowboys recovered the loose ball, and five plays later Murray punched it over the goal line from the one. Philadelphia went three-and-out on its first two possessions and netted zero yards in the opening quarter. It was a different story on the other sideline, as Dallas embarked on a 16- play, 88-yard march that took up over eight minutes of the first frame. Bryant capped the trek with a 4-yard touchdown catch over Fletcher. Romo found Bryant again early in the second quarter, only this time Bryant streaked down the right sideline and hauled in a perfectly-thrown 26-yard TD pass. The 21-0 deficit was gone before 10 minutes were played in the third quarter. Polk got the Eagles on the board with a 1-yard plunge with 8:32 left in the first half, and Parkeys 47-yard kick cut the deficit to 21-10 going into the break. Jeremy Maclins 72-yard catch-and-run set up another Polk 1-yard score midway through the third, and Vinny Curry had a strip-sack of Romo on the next series. Philadelphia took over at the Dallas 14, and Darren Sproles gave the Eagles a 24-21 lead with a 1-yard run off the right side. Game Notes The Cowboys are 20-2 when Murray has 20 or more carries ... Dallas improved to 7-0 on the road. Every other NFL team has at least two road losses ... Eagles running back LeSean McCoy was held to 64 yards on 16 carries ... Maclin led the Eagles with 98 yards on four catches. ' ' '