From Nov. 15 to Jan. 2, the No. 1 spot in the Eastern Conference belonged to the Toronto Raptors.

Dwane Casey had his team firing on all cylinders, even after then-leading scorer DeMar DeRozan went down with a groin injury on Nov. 28.

But with Toronto having dropped five of its last seven contests, the party north of the border has been temporarily quieted. During that same span, the Atlanta Hawks have reeled off 10 consecutive victories, proving they are now the team to beat in the East.

Atlanta is on such a roll that head coach Mike Budenholzer—a former assistant under Gregg Popovich—has taken a page out of the San Antonio Spurs’ book of late, electing to rest members of the starting lineup over the past two games to prepare for Toronto.

The Raptors have had the Hawks’ number so far this season, but they will be dealing with a vastly improved squad tonight at the Air Canada Centre.

Major Storyline 1: Don’t leave Korver. For the year, Atlanta’s Kyle Korver is shooting a ludicrous 52.5 percent from beyond the arc, a full three percent higher than any other player with at least 50 attempts. In two games against the Raptors this season, the California native has connected on 10 of his 13 long balls. Toronto has rotated off Korver in the past, particularly in the season opener on Oct. 29. If they continue to give him open looks on the perimeter, it will be a long evening in Ontario’s capital.

Major Storyline 2: Can Ross get going? No Raptor is struggling more than former Slam Dunk Champion Terrence Ross, prompting whispers of a potential change to the starting lineup. Over the past 10 games, the 2012 first-round pick is averaging less than 10 points per game on 35 percent shooting. With DeMar DeRozan back from a groin tear, touches will be hard to come by for Ross.

Major Storyline 3: Watch your pockets. Toronto has been a turnover-prone outfit of late, averaging more than 16 per game in the month of January. That sloppiness spells trouble against a Hawks team that loves to pick pockets. Atlanta has swiped 10.5 steals a night for the month, led by premier ball thief Jeff Teague. Over his past 10 contests, the Hawks point man has collected 21 steals.

Marquee Player to Watch, Toronto: DeMar DeRozan. Toronto’s all-star made his return to the lineup after a 21-game absence on Wednesday, bringing a steady hand to a struggling team. The former USC Trojan was in fine form against the 76ers, leading the Raptors with 20 points in 28 minutes of action. Struggling with his shooting prior to the injury, he efficiently knocked down nine of his 14 shot attempts. Tonight’s matchup against top-notch defender DeMarre Carroll will provide DeRozan with a bigger test.

Marquee Player to Watch, Atlanta: Al Horford. Coming off a triple-double performance against Philadelphia, Horford sat out Thursday’s duel with the Boston Celtics. The veteran big man has been plagued by injury in two of the past three seasons, but has suited up in 37 of Atlanta’s 39 games in 2014-15. Averaging 14.8 points on a team-best 52 percent shooting, Horford has enjoyed a productive campaign and forms a powerful one-two punch up front with Paul Millsap.

Role Player Who Will Make a Difference, Toronto: Tyler Hansbrough. Facing a team with an ultra-talented front court, Toronto will need an all-hands-on-deck performance from its bigs. Hansbrough brings energy to the second unit, and should be valuable helping to limit Horford and Millsap down low. He doesn’t need to score to be effective tonight, but he must dig in defensively and get after it on the glass.

Role Player Who Will Make a Difference, Atlanta: Dennis Schroder. Schroder did not turn many heads in his first NBA season, averaging less than four points per game in limited minutes. Now in his sophomore year, the German point guard has made a name for himself by providing hard-nosed defence off the bench. His offensive numbers have drastically improved, as well. Schroder is now averaging a very solid 16.4 points and 6.5 assists per 36 minutes.

Season series vs. Hawks: Raptors lead 2-0

Raptors Stats Leaders:

Points: Kyle Lowry (20.3)

Rebounds: Jonas Valanciunas (8.5)

Assists: Kyle Lowry (7.8)

Hawks Stats Leaders:

Points: Jeff Teague (17.5)

Rebounds: Paul Millsap (8.0)

Assists: Jeff Teague (7.2)

Verdict: Atlanta clearly has this game circled on the calendar. The Hawks are running like a fine-tuned machine, while the Raptors have failed to bring their ‘A’ game of late. If Toronto plays the sloppy brand of basketball we’ve seen since the end of December, the visitors will have no trouble pushing their win streak to 11.