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TORONTO - Its been a while since the Raptors could genuinely speak about a meaningful game in February but Dwane Casey is not just blowing smoke when he stresses the importance of Wednesdays showdown with Atlanta, his teams final game before All-Star weekend. "Its huge," Casey said of Torontos matchup with the fifth-place Hawks, who sit 1.5 games behind the Raptors for third place in the Eastern Conference. "Its not like in the past where games dont matter. In the past we were building, getting guys experience. Now the games matter." Toronto will go into the break with at least 27 wins for the first time since the 2009-10 campaign and could pad its cushion over Atlanta in the standings with a victory on Wednesday. TSN 1050s Josh Lewenberg and Duane Watson took a look at the importance of Wednesdays tilt at home to Atlanta and finishing the first half of the season strong in this weeks edition of the Raptors Report podcast. Generally, this is one of those games - the one just before All-Star - that coaches fear most, and for good reason. Its just one of 82 and its easy to look past if youre headed to New Orleans for this weekends festivities or eagerly awaiting time off with family and friends. NBA players are only human after all. Perhaps that would be the case against an inferior opponent, a trap game of sorts, but this years unofficial finale to the first half of the season has a different feel and the mentality going into it reflects a new level of focus. "(We have to) make sure we take care of business before we go on the break," Casey said following a light practice on Tuesday. "(Weve) been talking about that now for the last week or so and we didnt do a good job on the West Coast trip of closing out. Weve got one more game before the break and we dont want to take the break before it starts." His troops seem to have bought in. "Before anything else weve got to care of business (Wednesday) against a team were going back and forth with at our spot in the Eastern Conference," said DeMar DeRozan, Torontos representative in Sundays All-Star Game. "Weve got to take advantage of (Wednesdays) game on our home floor and go into the break feeling good." Despite dropping three of five games on the road last week, the Raptors have an opportunity to go into the five-day layoff with some momentum, coming off a 108-101 win over the Pelicans at home Monday. Meanwhile, the Hawks are backing into the break having lost four straight, most recently falling 100-85 to the Bulls, who leapfrogged them for fourth place with the win. Atlanta has failed to break 90 points in three of its last three games, scoring 86.5 over that stretch after averaging 116.5 in the previous four contests, winning three. "Theyre definitely a team of runs, that can get real streaky on you fast," said DeRozan, who scored 31 points in Torontos 102-95 road loss to the Hawks on Nov. 1, the second game of the season. "So weve got to take all that out the game from the start and not give them (any) hope and take care of business from the get go." Hawks centre Al Horford had 22 points and 16 rebounds in the first meeting but has since been lost for the season after undergoing surgery on a torn pectoral muscle. Paul Millsap - who will join DeRozan as a first-time all-star in the East this weekend - has stepped up in Horfords place, averaging a career-best 17.7 points to go along with 8.4 rebounds, already knocking down more threes this season (46) than he had in his previous seven combined. "Hes another example of a guy who has developed his game (and) brought something back to the table every year," Casey said of the Hawks forward. "Hes made some threes in his career in Utah but now hes a consistent three-point shooter. Hes self-made and thats what you respect about Millsap." Certainly you cannot talk about the Hawks and their three-point shooting without mentioning one of the most impressive, albeit under the radar streaks in professional sports right now. With two treys in Tuesdays loss, Kyle Korver extended his historic run of consecutive games with at least one made three-pointer to 119. He broke Dana Barros old record of 89 straight games back in December and is shooting the three-ball at a 46 per cent clip on the season, third best in the NBA. His accomplishment - and the threat it represents - has not gone unnoticed in the Raptors locker room. "Its crazy to do something like that," DeRozan said. "Especially when they know youre a three-point shooter and you scout a guy like that and your whole objective is to run him off the three-point line, make him shoot twos. Hes still knocking down threes, its definitely tough." "Hes a good athlete, its not like hes just a stand still guy," Casey added of Korver. "So were going to have to have a lot of energy to chase him around, to run with him, to move with him and we cant relax because if you lose site of him for a split second its a three-point shot." Three days before defending his Slam Dunk title at All-Star Saturday Night, Terrence Ross should draw the assignment of chasing down Korver, at least initially. As for Millsap, he should see more of a committee at the four-spot, especially if Amir Johnson cant go for the Raptors. Johnson has been nursing an injury to his right ankle since coming down on it in last months win over Orlando. Casey and the coaching staff opted to rest the Raptors ailing warrior in Mondays win - the first game hes missed due to injury in nearly two years - but havent determined his status for Wednesdays contest. Previously it would have made perfect sense to sit him again, extending his rest into and through the break but now, with higher stakes, the decision becomes more difficult. "Hes still sore but were going to see," Casey said. "Right now we need all hands on deck." Joc Pederson Jersey . According to the Red Wings Twitter feed, Zetterberg plans to practice with the team on Thursday and is aiming for a second round comeback. Sandy Koufax Dodgers Jersey . Its the games against the leagues struggling franchises that have proved to be an issue. http://www.baseballdodgerslockroom.com/ ... rs-jersey/. Jamies number grades given are out of five, with five being the best mark. Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers (4) – He had a strong game Sunday; was very good in tight with big saves on Crosby, Malkin and Neal in-crease. Corey Seager Dodgers Jersey .Kessy tried to show what he can do playing left wing for the Oilers in 5-0 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday in pre-season action. Scott Kazmir Dodgers Jersey . Perez, 35, posted a 1-2 record with a 3.69 earned-run average in 19 relief appearances last season. His season ended Aug. 9 due to a torn ligament in his left elbow. Perez joins infielder Andy LaRoche and catcher Mike Nickeas with minor-league agreements for 2014 that include invitations to attend spring training.St. Paul, MN (SportsNetwork.com) - Nino Niederreiter scored the winning goal with 4:33 to play as the Minnesota Wild rallied in the third period to take a 5-4 win over the New York Islanders. Mikko Koivu and Thomas Vanek each posted a goal and an assist while Jason Pominville and Erik Haula also scored for the Wild, who have won two of their last three. Niklas Backstrom made 15 saves for the win. We were able to collect ourselves and have much better focus in our game after the first period, said Wild head coach Mike Yeo. Weve got to stop having these bad starts because its not always going to end this way. Josh Bailey, Matt Martin, Brock Nelson and Michael Grabner all lit the lamp for the Islanders, who have lost their last two. Chad Johnson allowed all five goals on 30 shots. Weve got to learn from these losses, said New York head coach Jack Capuano. Its not like we played a terrible game, but I dont like the fact that they were throwing us around our net tonight. Trailing by three goals entering the third, the Wild got one back 2:51 in after Koivu skated from the right of the net to the circle and used a defender as a screen to zip a wrister past Johnson. The next goal didnt come until 11:03 when Haulas turnaround shot from the right side went off the skate of New Yorks Thomas Hickey in front and went in. Just 45 seconds later, the Wild tied the game as a right circle faceoff win saw the team control the puck, and a shot on net from the riight point saw Vanek eventually jam home the rebound.dddddddddddd Niederreiter scored the winner less than four minutes later as the bouncing puck wound up in front and he tapped home his own rebound. The Isles were given a power play with 2:28 to play and pulled Johnson to skate 6-on-4 for much of the advantage, but were unable to pot the equalizer. It was all New York in the first period as Grabner scored on a wrister from the slot 8:31 in, and Nelson tipped in a Nick Leddy shot at 17:15 on the power play. Just 32 seconds later, the Isles made it a 3-0 game when Martin shot home a rebound from the left side. In the second period, Minnesota defender Keith Ballard was checked into the mid-ice boards by Matt Martin and stayed on the ice for several minutes. He was eventually helped into the dressing room and taken to a local hospital for further evaluation. No penalty was called on the play. The Wild got one back at 9:01 of the second on the power play thanks to Pominvilles tip of a Ryan Suter shot. New York didnt have its first shot of the second period until there was 2:43 left in the frame, but the team made it count as Bailey buried a backhand for his fourth of the year. Game Notes Minnesota hits the road for the next three games starting Thursday in San Jose ... New York plays in St. Louis on Thursday ... Each team went 1-for-5 on the power play ... Suter had three assists in the contest. Wholesale NFL Jerseys ' ' '