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TORONTO - If you had just started watching Raptors basketball two days prior you wouldnt have recognized the team that was run out of their own building Friday night. Coming off their most encouraging victory of the season in Memphis Wednesday, the Raptors were out-muscled, out-worked and ultimately out-played against a Chicago Bulls team missing their star point guard. The Bulls - as they tend to do, with or without Derrick Rose - set the tone with their defence in the opening minutes. By the time the buzzer sounded 24 minutes into the contest, the Raptors booed off the floor by their home fans, Toronto had mustered just 31 points on 26 per cent shooting. "Theres nothing redeeming about tonight," said Dwane Casey, who later relented and cited DeMar DeRozan as the lone redeeming spot on the night. "Tonight was one of those stinkers that you have. We were mentally fried, physically fried but this is the NBA [and] theres no excuses. That wasnt us. Weve had stretches like that but not an entire game, the way we were running in mud." DeRozan, just 3-of-9 at the half, caught fire late in the third quarter. He scored 28 of his career-high matching 37 points in the second half, including 19 of the Raptors 21 points during a stretch that extended into the fourth quarter. He couldnt miss, knocking down off-balance jumpers, four three-pointers and crowning Joakim Noah on a tomahawk slam. If it was conceivable for the Raptors guard to bring his team back on his own at that point he may have, he certainly tried. But it was a little too little too late. "I just wanted to win," DeRozan said solemnly after his offensive outburst was wasted in a game that was lost early in the first half. "Thats the only thing. Just looking at the score, I knew it was going to be tough. Its just my passion, just trying to win." "He was the one redeeming spot tonight," Casey eventually acknowledged. "The way he came out in the second half, but its a 48 minute game. Youve got to start the game out that way." First Half Credit the Bulls and their defence for what turned out to be a nightmare of a first half for the Raptors offence. The same team that registered 11 assists and hit 7-of-9 three-point attempts in the first half of Wednesdays game against a quality opponent had just seven dimes and missed all seven shots from long range. The Raptors were routinely pushed around under the rim, as the Bulls front line of Noah, Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng got the visitors off to a quick start on both ends of the floor. "You cant allow someone to come in your home and outwork you like that," Casey said. "Its hard to get to the basket on them," DeRozan admitted. "They all load in. Theyre a good defensive team so youve got to find counters and different ways to try and get to the basket." However, the game was lost on the other end, where the Raptors failed to match Chicagos defensive effort. With Rose on the sideline - ruled out prior to the game, nursing a sore right hamstring - the Bulls didnt miss a beat. They moved the ball with precision and shredded Toronto in the paint, outscoring them 26-18. "Mental frustration I think is more than anything else," Casey said. "We allowed them to do that. Youve got to make a team miss. We didnt play with the desperation weve played with this week." Regrouping With five of their next six games at home, the Raptors will benefit from more practice time, something they expect to take advantage of immediately as they return to the gym on Saturday to reflect on this loss. "Its a long season, its a marathon," Casey pointed out. "But its how you bounce back from these types of games that define you." "I dont want to get too overly alarmed because you have those. You have about five or six of those a year but we cant make it a habit." Toronto is back in action at the ACC Sunday afternoon when they host the Portland Trail Blazers. Austin Barnes Jersey . Only it wasnt the extended right pad of his old teammate Jonathan Bernier early in the final frame, it was James Reimer, who stole a night that was supposed to belong to the former King. Cheap Dodgers Jerseys .com) - Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer were among the third-round winners Friday at the French Open. https://www.cheapdodgersonline.com/145h-...ey-dodgers.html. - Rookie Tesho Akindele scored three goals and Fabian Castillo added two in FC Dallas 5-0 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday night. Justin Turner Jersey . - Nikita Jevpalovs scored 6:22 into the second overtime as the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada edged the visiting Rimouski Oceanic 2-1 on Tuesday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoff action. Dodgers Jerseys China . -- One shot came out of bottom of a cactus, the other from the base of a desert bush with rocks scattered around it.ATLANTA - The 76ers decision to let it fly with 3-pointers almost grounded the Hawks winning streak.Al Horfords clutch play in the closing minutes helped keep the streak alive.Horford scored 23 points, including a tying basket after Philadelphia took its first lead late in the game, and Atlanta recovered after squandering a 21-point lead to beat the 76ers 91-85 on Saturday night and stretch its franchise-record winning streak to 19 games.It was one of the biggest threats yet to a streak that began with a win at Milwaukee on Dec. 27 and has left the Hawks with the NBAs best record.That was a rough game, said Atlantas Jeff Teague, who made only three of 12 shots for 10 points. We had to battle it out and win any way possible.The Hawks led by 21 in the first half, but the 76ers came back to take their first lead at 83-81 on a jam by Nerlens Noel with less than 3 minutes remaining.Horford scored to pull the Hawks even, and Dennis Schroeders 3-pointer with 1:35 left gave Atlanta an 86-83 advantage. Following a miss by Philadelphias K.J. McDaniels, Horfords jumper gave the Hawks a five-point lead.The 76ers attacked with 3-pointers in the second half. They set season highs with 14 3s, including nine in the second half, and 35 attempts.Philadelphia coach Brett Brown called the second half a fantastic learning experience.Youve put in a lot of work, Brown said. Let it fly. Go ahead and get your legs into your shot, find your teammate and you will or you wont. And they did.And we had to, because they do such a good job of guarding the paint, thats all that was open.Philadelphias Hollis Thompson had 12 points while making four of six 3s.Luc Mbah a Moute, Michael Carter-Williams and Jerami Grant each had 13 points for Philadelphia, denied its first three-game winning streak of the season. Noel had 11 points and 10 rebounds.Horfoord had a game-high 11 rebounds, four assists and three blocks.ddddddddddddAl made a lot of big plays, Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said. When the game got tight, defensively he went to the boards.Shooting problems returned in the first half for the 76ers, who ended a streak of 23 straight games below 100 points in Friday nights 103-94 win over Minnesota. Atlanta led 49-34 at halftime as the 76ers struggled from the field and free throw line.___TIP-INS76ers: Philadelphia finally reached 20 points with 6:06 remaining in the first half. ... The 76ers havent won three straight since a four-game streak from Dec. 29, 2013, to Jan. 4, 2014. ... Carter-Williams had his left ankle examined following the game but said he was fine.Hawks: Teague was a little off on an intended alley-oop pass for Kent Bazemore in the third quarter, but they liked the result. Bazemore, soaring over the rim, had to hold off at the last second as the pass went in the basket for a 3-pointer. ... Schroeder and Paul Millsap each had 15 points. .. Attendance was 19,006 for the Hawks 10th sellout in their last 12 home games and 11th of the season. Atlanta had a combined nine sellouts the last two seasons.ABOUT-FACEHawks veteran forward Elton Brand showed his toughness by remaining in the game after being hit in his left eye, which was red after the game. He walked off the court before turning around in the tunnel and returning to the game.I just forgot I was tough for a second, Brand said with a smile.INJURY REPORTBazemore had only three points in his first start of the season as DeMarre Carroll (left Achilles strain) and Thabo Sefolosha (right calf strain) were held out. Sefolosha, hurt early in Friday nights win over Portland, is expected to miss six to eight weeks.UP NEXT76ers: At Cleveland on Monday.Hawks: At New Orleans on Monday. ' ' '