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TSN Raptors Reporter

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NEW YORK - This is not the first rough patch the Raptors have faced but DeMar DeRozan says their current five-game losing skid, capped off by an embarrassing defeat to the league's worst team, feels worse than the others.

It should.

"It feels [like] a little bit more because we know this is not us at all," said the Raptors' struggling guard after reaching a new low in Saturday's 103-98 loss to the last place New York Knicks.

"It sucks," he continued. "It feels like crap, honestly, to be on a losing streak like this, coming here and losing tonight. It's definitely tough but we've got to fight through it. Now we get to see who's really behind us in this tough time. We're just in a tough spot right now and we've got to get out of it."

But how do they go about doing it? It's a question that's easier asked than answered, one they've faced a number of times since getting off to a torrid start to the season and, for the most part, they've silenced their critics on each occasion.

With a record of 24-7 and having defeated the Clippers and Nuggets in a back-to-back on the road to close out 2014, Toronto dropped a hard-fought overtime contest to Portland - the start of what would be a four-game losing streak, the team's longest this season up until this week. They continued to struggle, getting blown out by Atlanta at home and suffering their first of two losses to New Orleans sans Anthony Davis. The wheels had come off, or so we thought.

They would go on to collect 10 wins in a span of 12 games, the last four coming against some of the NBA's elite competition - the Clippers, Spurs, Wizards, Hawks.

Balance was restored until hitting the road again earlier this month and what seemed like another fairly routine mid-season slump has now ballooned into something bigger. A loss to the Knicks will do that to you, even without your best player.

"I know, we know, we all know we're out of rhythm," said Greivis Vasquez, who started in place of Kyle Lowry, sitting out to rest a multitude of nagging ailments. "We know we're not playing Toronto Raptors basketball and we are concerned. It's a collective thing. It's not just the players and the coaches, it's all of us. And we're going to solve this together."

Lowry played just 19 minutes in Friday's blowout loss to the Warriors, shooting 1-for-7 and held without an assist for the first time since joining the Raptors. He visited the locker room briefly in the first half and admitted he's been playing through "general soreness" after the game.

With their eye on the postseason, the Raptors decided to give the all-star point guard a night off against inferior competition. Their plan had been to do the same Monday in Philadelphia but given how poorly things went on Saturday, perhaps they may have to reconsider.

Toronto's 15-point and 32 per cent shooting first quarter was only marginally better than the disastrous (1-for-19, 11 points) opening frame from the night prior. Missing Lowry, the Raps played without a sense of urgency, like they were never truly concerned they might lose until it was too late. Problem is, they hadn't been much better with him in the lineup of late, hence the decision to sit him out. Lowry was shooting 28 per cent from the field, 3-for-26 from three-point range in the first four games of the losing streak.

"I think resting Kyle was a good move," Vasquez said. "He's the head of the snake, we need him rested. I don't think a couple games are really going to hurt us like that. We've proven we can win without anybody on this team, sometimes it could be anybody's night. So I think that was a good move. I think we need him to gather himself because he's our leader. We go as he goes. We've got each others' backs."

Therein lies the conundrum for Casey and the coaching staff. The Raptors are now tasked with fighting their way out of this hole they're beginning to dig themselves and seeding among the top five or six teams in the East could be crucial. But without a healthy Lowry and a productive DeRozan, all that could be for naught come the spring.

DeRozan finished Saturday's contest shooting 3-for-15. He took his usual off-balance jumpers but strangely missed several scoop shots around the rim and blew an uncontested 360 dunk attempt on the fast break in the second quarter.

"It wasn't advised, no," Casey said of the missed dunk. "You don't want that to happen at all. And he knows better." 

"I'd just like for him to get his confidence back, get back to DeMar DeRozan who usually could post anybody in the low past and make point blank layups and wide open jump shots. And I think he needs that more than criticism right now. He needs a pat on the back, an arm around him more so than he needs a foot in the butt."

"Honestly, it's tough," said DeRozan. "But one thing, not just for myself but for all of us, we've got to fight through it. We miss a couple shots in a row, we can't stop going because once this turns in our favour it's going to be a scary sight."