TORONTO - Although no one could quite explain the cause or prescribe a cure, that 12-minute stretch coming out of the halftime break used to be a troublesome time for Dwane Caseys club. Those third-quarter woes that plagued the Raptors for years, up to and including last season, appear to be a thing of the past. Entering Wednesdays game, Toronto had outscored opponents by 96 points in the third this season - only two NBA teams (Clippers, Warriors) have a better mark. While the Raptors can sympathize, no one knows the third-quarter blues quite like these Sacramento Kings, who still had visions of a red-hot Klay Thompson dancing in their heads when they allowed Toronto put on yet another remarkable shooting display. That was a huge, Casey said after his team rode a big third-quarter run to their decisive 119-102 win over Sacramento. That was something that we werent getting in the first half. I thought the defence set the tempo for our offence. We started being more aggressive offensively. With Sundays game in New York cancelled due to weather concerns, the Kings have had five days to think about Thompsons record-setting performance. The Warriors guard dropped 37 of his 52 points in the third, shooting a perfect 13-for-13 from the field, 9-for-9 from three-point range in the quarter. The Raptors added to that nightmare. Toronto led by just one point when DeMarcus Cousins, a long-time Raptor killer, went to the bench with four fouls five minutes into the frame. Outscoring the rested visitors 26-10 over the remainder of that period, the Raptors dropped a total of 39 points in the third, shooting 67 per cent and hitting eight of their 10 attempts from beyond the arc. Neither Greivis Vasquez and Lou Williams, who took six of them, missed a shot. Just playing with energy, said Williams, who scored a game-high 27 points on the night, hitting four of the Raptors season-high 17 three-pointers. I think we were able to get stops, big momentum plays, I think Greivis did a good job of making two big shots right out of the locker room after halftime. I think thats what sparked us. After that, its contagious when the ball is flying around and everybody is playing together. Seven Raptors scored in double figures and seven knocked down at lease one triple, as the team shot 50 per cent from long distance, picking up their fifth win in six games following a worrisome 2-7 stretch to begin the new year. It was great for us, especially back on an upswing, winning some games, Williams said. The whole locker room is playing well and everybodys contributing, its huge for us. I think it was big for us. This was their most convincing victory over that stretch. Despite the Kings 16-28 record and recent slide - losers of seven in a row - they havent been an easy out for the Raptors over the years. Cousins came into his eighth career meeting with Toronto averaging 22.9 points against them - his highest versus any opponent. With the sparingly used Chuck Hayes leading the charge defensively, the Raptors held Cousins in check. The dominant centre totalled just 13 points in 30 minutes, committing nine turnovers. Sacramento came into the game outscoring opponents by 6.8 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor, outscored by 12.5 when hes on the bench. I think our bigs did a great job, especially Chuck, Williams said. Chuck gets thrown into that fire, we expect a lot out of him when we do that and he answers every time. So tonight was no different. Just to make catches difficult on DeMarcus and just try to play the best we can. I think we did a great job defensively as a unit just to make it tough but the bigs especially did a great job. The victory ensures that Toronto will enter the upcoming all-star break with their highest winning percentage in franchise history. Were in a good spot, Casey said after the game, preaching positivity. There shouldnt be any negativity in the room and thats just what I told that players. Every time we get a win, we start looking, we didnt do this, we didnt that, we didnt do this, we didnt do that. A couple years ago Id have been happy standing up here talking about a W. So, were in a good place. Weve got to keep growing and getting better, were not there yet but lets keep that positive vibe of getting better and doing it as a team and be proud of this team and be happy for it. STAUSKAS COMES HOME Nik Stauskas is no stranger to the Air Canada Centre. Ive been in this building 100 times as a fan, the Kings rookie and Mississauga-native said ahead of Wednesdays game, his first as a visiting NBA player in Toronto. This is my first time as a pro, and Ive just got to go out there and treat it like any other game, just play with a clear mind and go out there and have fun. Whats there to be nervous about, after all? Only 200 of his friends and family stared down from the stands as he made his way to the scorers table for the first time, nearly 10 minutes into the game. Borrowing a bunch of tickets from his teammates (each player is given a pair for each road game) in addition to the 50-seat block his mother had reserved months ago, Stauskas made the most of a moment he had been dreaming of since he was a kid. In 17 minutes off the bench, he certainly didnt show any nerves. Stauskas knocked down his first two shots, finishing with eight points in his Toronto debut. Drafted eighth overall out of Michigan this past summer, Stauskas has found that transitioning to the NBA is harder than he imagined. Playing time has been sporadic for the rookie and so has his performance. Known for his impressive range and three-point accuracy coming into the league - he shot 44 per cent from long distance in two seasons with the Wolverines - Stauskas has struggled to knock down shots as an NBA player, shooting 35 per cent from the field and hitting the three-ball at a 28 per cent clip. I would just say its mental more than anything, said Stauskas. Just being ready all the time, not focusing too much on the highs and the lows. A good example, Klay [Thompson] the other night had 37 on us in a quarter and then last night he went 0-for-13 from three. Its crazy how from night-to-night things can change like that and you cant let it affect you too much. Just going through times where I wasnt playing a lot or I wasnt playing well, I didnt know how to handle it day-to-day with those kinds of things going on. Ive just kind of learned how to stay even-keeled more often and not worry about those things all that much. More than anything else, hes learning what most rookies come to realize. There are no shortcuts in this league. Very few first-year players, regardless of their resume coming in, are able to avoid these growing pains to achieve immediate success. Ive obviously struggled this year, the 21-year-old said. Everybodys just told me keep my head up. Everybodys just told me keep working hard, keep my head up and good things will come. Allen Iverson Nuggets Jersey . -- Theres something about playing on Orlandos floor lately that seems to bring out the best in the Dallas Mavericks. Dikembe Mutombo Nuggets Jersey . Its the games against the leagues struggling franchises that have proved to be an issue. http://www.nuggetsprostore.com/kids-gary-harris-nuggets-jersey/ . 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The Clippers received the rights to shooting guard Cenk Akyol, a 2005 second-round pick now playing in Turkey, in Thursdays deal. Hawks general manager Danny Ferry was Clevelands GM when Jamison played for the Cavaliers in the 2009-10 season.ddddddddddddFerry says Jamison, a 15-year veteran, is an "ultimate professional and high-class guy." Ferry says hell talk with Jamison to determine the forwards interest in playing with the Hawks. The Hawks, hurt by injuries, have lost seven straight, falling from third to seventh in the Eastern Conference race. Atlanta released forward Cartier Martin to clear a roster spot for Jamison. ' ' '