Raptors show good, bad and ugly in win over Hawks

The Toronto Raptors had a lot of ups and downs against the Atlanta Hawks.

Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes controls the ball against the Atlanta Hawks. | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

The Toronto Raptors are celebrating a return to the win column after beating the Atlanta Hawks 134-117 inside Scotiabank Arena.

The victory gave the Raptors a winning record for the homestand, but it wasn't all roses and rainbows for the team. Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic spoke about all of what he saw in the win against the Hawks.

“This is going to be very interesting (game) film,” Rajakovic said via Sportsnet reporter Michael Grange.

“Because we had one quarter where we were allowed 41 points (the second, when the Raptors scored 42) and one where we allowed 11 points (the fourth).  And that comparison is going to be very daring for us. We need to look at it and really try to understand what it takes to win an NBA game and win against a really good team.”

Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker controls the ball. Toronto Raptors centre Sandro Mamukelashvili tries to defend | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

Raptors show ceiling vs. Hawks, but it's not always attainable

The Raptors' fourth-quarter showing against the Hawks is one of their best stretches in the season, but they have more work to do to have that be more consistently shown. It was enough for them to get a win against a porous Hawks defence, but that might not be the case against stiffer competition down the line.

Ultimately, the pros should outweigh the cons. The Raptors played very well in the final quarter and it led to what looked like a blowout win. However, the score was a bit misleading because the Raptors only led by a single point going into the fourth quarter. A 16-0 run to start the final frame is what set the Raptors apart from their opponent.

Basketball is a game of runs, so the Raptors shouldn't be expected to play at the highest level for every minute of every game, but it's something they should strive for even if it's an unattainable goal.

The Raptors are figuring things out as they go, but the ending of their game against the Hawks should give them hope that they can play at a high level on any given night regardless of the circumstances.

The Raptors will get another chance to play against the Hawks for a chance to sweep the four-game season series. Tipoff is scheduled for tomorrow at 7:30 PM ET inside Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. Fans can watch the game on TSN Sports or stream it on NBA League Pass.