Apr 16, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks power forward Mike Scott (32) drives to the basket against Toronto Raptors power forward Amir Johnson (15) during the first half at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Paul Abell-USA TODAY Sports

Al Horford sat out the game for Atlanta with a shoulder problem, and Josh Smith sat down early after banging his knee in a collision. The Hawks couldn’t replace their offense, and their high scorer was Kyle Korver with a sad 13 points. Perhaps there’s comfort in the fact every Hawk who hit the floor scored. Hawks coach Larry Drew ran up the white flag after the third quarter, in which the Raps stretched their lead to 21, and both benches emptied as a result. The Hawks struggle with fan support at the best of times, and a visit from the Raps isn’t one of those. The game was played in eerie quiet.

Amir Johnson gets a major shout-out for his 6 blocked shots, and for the highest plus at 22. The indefatigable Johnson scored 11 points, and pulled down 8 boards. Jonas, who was not expected to play, contributed 13 points and 8 rebounds, plus 3 blocks. Quincy Acy continues to impress with intense defense and occasional offense. This fellow is a keeper, without doubt.

Apr 16, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Toronto Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas (17) locks Atlanta Hawks shooting guard John Jenkins (12) as he attempts to drive to the basket during the second half at Philips Arena. The Raptors won 113-96. Mandatory Credit: Paul Abell-USA TODAY Sports

The Raps are now riding a 4-game win streak, all of those against playoff-bound teams. They see another one tonight in Toronto, as the Boston Celtics arrive to close out the season.

Brian Boake is Senior Editor for Raptors Rapture. “Like” Raptors Rapture on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @RaptorsRapture for all the latest news and updates about the best damn NBA team from Canada.

Apr 12, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Milwaukee Bucks small forward Ersan Ilyasova (7) drives to the basket past Atlanta Hawks small forward Kyle Korver (26) during the first half at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The Raps are motivated by pride these days. They must feel queasy when they look at the standings and realize that Milwaukee is capsizing. Had Toronto played at all well, they would have bumped the Bucks aside and made the playoffs.

The Hawks are a solid team, with a number of offensive weapons. The Raps, however, are riding a 3-game win streak against playoff team. They could make it four if they:

1. Know where Kyle Korver is every second he’s on the floor. Korver, who looks like a backup singer for the Beach Boys, averages well over 2.5 made 3-balls per game. He’s a specialist, meaning he doesn’t have a lot to offer other than long shots.but then Roger Maris batted .267 the season he hit 61 homers. In other words, there’s room at the circus for one-trick ponies.
2. Contain Al Horford. This guy can kill us inside, particularly in the enforced absence of Jonas Valanciunas. The best chance of minimizing the damage would be to run right at him on offense (DeMar DeRozan, this means you) in hopes of getting him in foul difficulty. 
3. Make some 3-balls of our own. Rudy Gay and DeMar (yay! finally) are showing signs of rediscovering their outside strokes. Kyle Lowry, though, has been dismal lately, which is particularly disappointing given how well he’s been passing and defending. Alan Anderson has also forgotten how to shoot. Terrence Ross is a game-time decision. He can score on the indifferent Atlanta defense.

Apr 14, 2013; Toronto, ON, Canada; Brooklyn Nets forward Kris Humphries (43) battles for the ball against Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry (3) at the Air Canada Centre. The Raptors beat the Nets 93-87. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports