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Raptors-Hawks Preview

Dec 1, 2015 - 8:52 PM The Atlanta Hawks continue to have much more success on their home floor behind better shooting.

They'll look to continue that trend Wednesday night against the visiting Toronto Raptors, who hope their latest loss doesn't have a snowball effect like previous defeats.

Atlanta is 7-3 at home behind 47.4 percent shooting - which is one of the top marks in the league - and 37.2 percent from 3-point range. On the road, they are in the middle of the pack with a 44.0 field-goal percentage and 33.6 mark from deep.

The Hawks (12-8) have dropped five of six on the road, but they've won three in a row at home, including Monday's 106-100 victory against Oklahoma City.

Jeff Teague scored 25, the third time in four games he's had at least 20 after doing so as many times in his previous 13 contests. He scored 10 in the fourth quarter and has become a closer of sorts for Atlanta, averaging a club-high 5.4 fourth-quarter points.

Paul Millsap, who is averaging a career-high 18.6 points, also had 26 points and 11 rebounds to help overcome Russell Westbrook's 17 points in the final period.

"We're learning ... that when a team is making a run, not to get rattled," Millsap said after three of the team's previous five losses came by four points or fewer. "I felt like we kept our composure really well. (Westbrook) got hot, and when a guy like that gets hot, he's tough to stop. But we stayed cool, finally got some stops and scored the basketball when we needed to."

Toronto (11-7) won four in a row before losing 107-102 against Phoenix on Sunday. The Raptors will try to avoid another roller coaster of wins in losses, as their first six defeats came in the form of two three-game losing streaks.

They trailed for nearly the entire game before taking a 97-96 advantage on DeMar DeRozan's jumper with 2:54 remaining. Luis Scola's potential tying 3-point attempt was blocked with less than a second left.

"We have to stop putting ourselves in a tough predicament by having to fight our way out, when we don't have much time to," said DeRozan, who scored a season high-matching 29. "We find ourselves in that position a little too much. Once we clean up the little things at both ends, it will be easier for us to close out games."

Kyle Lowry, second on the Raptors in scoring at 20.7 points per game, is averaging 11.5 points on 32.6 percent shooting over his last four meetings with Atlanta.

Toronto has won four of the last five meetings, including a 105-80 road win Feb. 20, holding the Hawks to a season-low 33.0 field-goal percentage while forcing 23 turnovers. Kyle Korver hit 2 of 11 3-point attempts after knocking down 57.9 percent in his previous nine matchups.

DeRozan, a career 44.1 percent shooter, is averaging 25.6 points on 52.2 percent shooting in his last nine games against Atlanta.