The last time the Toronto Raptors played Atlanta it wasn't pretty. Last night's game was closer, but the result was the same. Joe Johnson led all scorers with 20 points as the Hawks(16-6) continued their domination over Toronto (10-15) with a 111-89 victory at Air Canada Centre. "Everybody has to raise their hand and take accountability," said Chris Bosh, who finished with 14 points and had 10 rebounds for Toronto. "That is what a team is about."
Johnson also chipped in five assists despite not playing in the fourth quarter and logging only 27:23 minutes for the game.
That showed how much control the Hawks had, even if they didn't match the 146-115 trouncing in Atlanta nine days earlier -- the second-highest point total the Raptors have ever conceded.
Raptors head coach Jay Triano said Atlanta's 20 second-chance points was a big factor.
"We had a couple of lapses," Triano said. "We forced them to take some tough shots in the first half and they'd get second-chance points. And there goes your good defensive effort and it seemed like they were all three-pointers.
Centre Andrea Bargnani, who missed the previous game with an ankle injury, led Toronto with 17 points. But the news wasn't so good for point guard Jose Calderon, who missed the two previous games with a hip injury.
Calderon entered the game with 2:57 left in the first quarter and the Raptors still leading 20-18 but was limited to 7:20 with two points and two assists before re-aggravating the injury. He was having tests after the game and Triano said he might miss more time.
The Hawks have four wins in a row over the Raptors dating back to last season.
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