Atlanta

DeMar DeRozan scored 30 points, Rudy Gay added 22, and the Toronto Raptors ran all over playoff-bound Atlanta, routing the host Hawks, 113-96, Tuesday night. Atlanta went mostly with backups, showing no sense of urgency to claim the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference.     McGrady a Spur The San Antonio Spurs signed veteran forward Tracy McGrady as the playoffs approach. The 33-year-old McGrady is a seven-time all-star. He has played for Toronto, Orlando, Houston, the New York Knicks, Detroit, and Atlanta in his career.

The Atlanta Hawks snapped a six-game road losing streak with a 104-92 win Wednesday night over the Charlotte Bobcats. Josh Smith had 30 points and 13 rebounds, and Kyle Korver added 21 for the Hawks, who led most of the way by a comfortable margin. Charlotte cut the lead to seven with 5 minutes and 40 seconds remaining, but that would be it.   Howard leaving L.A.?   In yet another setback for the sinking Lakers, word is that a disgruntled Dwight Howard may not be staying in Los Angeles.

There is unraveling. And there is undressing. In the dog days of August, with his team in need of a reason to believe, Giants ace Bill Swift has done both. Six days after being chased from his own park in the fifth inning of a 9-1 Atlanta win and pitching in the opener of this crucial three-game series against the Braves, Swift took a no-hitter and a one-run lead into the fourth inning at Fulton County Stadium last night, and stripped down faster than you can say Madonna. He allowed five runs on five hits in that inning, falling behind on virtually every batter he faced.

The U.S. Olympic Committee yesterday selected Atlanta as its candidate to host the 1996 Summer Olympics. Atlanta, making its initial bid to host an Olympiad, was chosen over Minneapolis-St. Paul in a silent vote by the USOC Executive Board. After receiving interest from 14 cities in January 1987, the USOC eventually narrowed the field to the two finalists before making its decision. Atlanta will join Toronto, Athens and Belgrade, Yugoslavia, as the only cities that have submitted bids to host the 1996 Games.

THE ATLANTA Hawks took a fast-paced approach to ending their worst slump of the season: Run, run and then run some more. Jeff Teague had a career-high 28 points and 11 assists, Zaza Pachulia finished two assists shy of a triple-double and the short-handed Hawks beat visiting Brooklyn, 109-95, on Wednesday night to stop the Nets' seven-game winning streak. The Hawks, who had lost six of seven, played without leading scorer Josh Smith. The forward was suspended for one game and fined an undisclosed amount for "conduct detrimental to the team" following an incident in practice Tuesday.

Spirit Airlines said Wednesday it will begin seasonal non-stop daily flights between Atlantic City and Atlanta on May 17. The flight will continue from Atlanta to Dallas-Fort Worth, without changing aircraft. The Miramar, Fla.-based airline is offering introductory one-way fares of $28.79 from Atlantic City to Atlanta, through midnight Thursday, Feb. 2, for specific dates on its website, www.spirit.com . Spirit said it will resume daily nonstop flights through Sept.

THE PHILLIES will begin the 2013 season in less than 3 months in a nationally televised night game from Atlanta. ESPN announced Thursday it would carry the Phillies-Braves game from Turner Field on ESPN2 on Monday, April 1, at 7 p.m. The game is part of the network's Opening Day doubleheader, with St. Louis at Arizona serving as the nightcap. It's the second time the Phillies will open at night in the last 5 years. ESPN will televise two games on its regular network earlier in the day: Red Sox at Yankees (1 p.m.)

Q: For the last two months, I have been taking a green coffee bean extract recommended by Dr. Oz on his show. So far, I've lost 10 pounds without even trying. What's your opinion of it? A: Generally, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. But this stuff may actually work. Excitement about the weight-loss magic of green coffee bean extract began this year, after a "randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, linear dose, crossover University of Scranton study.

The headlines and constant chatter commanded everyone to pay attention to the Miami Marlins and Washington Nationals this winter. The teams were connected with every big-ticket item and ultimately landed such talent as Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, Heath Bell, Gio Gonzalez, and Edwin Jackson. In Atlanta, the Braves did not add a single player to the 40-man roster from outside the organization. The only major-league free agent they signed was light-hitting infielder Jack Wilson, who was acquired at last year's waiver trade deadline.

There were teams lined up along the foul lines at the beginning and fireworks at the end, but it wasn't much like a playoff game at all. Turner Field was pockmarked with huge, unsightly patches of empty seats. The heroes were not superstars but a 29-year-old journeyman catcher and a 40-something Mexican League refugee. And there are played-out immune systems everywhere that can muster more resistance than the Houston Astros displayed. But the calendar said it was October, and the program said it was a National League division series, so the Braves quickly said goodbye to the befuddled Astros.

Oshgie Ehigianusoi Age: 24 Where ya from? 48th and Baltimore Where he grew up: Atlanta. Lived in Philly four years. What he does: DJ What brought him to Philly: "Records. I collect records. Philly's a great place for that because it's got a history of soul and funk. Those records been here for a long time, and lot of people in the area have a background of buying and keeping those records. So I come out here and purchase them and go spin. " What's different about life up here?

B.J. UPTON and his brother Justin hit back-to-back homers for the first time in their careers, leading the Atlanta Braves past the Colorado Rockies, 10-2, Tuesday night to complete a doubleheader sweep on a day that began with the coldest game ever played at Coors Field. It was the 27th time in major league history that brothers homered in the same game but only the second time they went deep in consecutive at-bats. Lloyd and Paul Waner of the Pittsburgh Pirates also hit successive homers on Sept.

DeMar DeRozan scored 30 points, Rudy Gay added 22, and the Toronto Raptors ran all over playoff-bound Atlanta, routing the host Hawks, 113-96, Tuesday night. Atlanta went mostly with backups, showing no sense of urgency to claim the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference.     McGrady a Spur The San Antonio Spurs signed veteran forward Tracy McGrady as the playoffs approach. The 33-year-old McGrady is a seven-time all-star. He has played for Toronto, Orlando, Houston, the New York Knicks, Detroit, and Atlanta in his career.

The Atlanta Hawks, still trying to improve their playoff position, easily handled the 76ers, who are playing out the string, 124-101, at the Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday night. The 124 points are the most the Sixers have given up at home all season. Leading by 59-51 at the end of the first half, the Hawks converted 14 of 23 shots in the third quarter in extending the lead to 93-73 at the start of the fourth. Thaddeus Young scored 22 of his team-high 28 points in the first half to lead all scorers.

ATLANTA - Before Charlie Manuel tasted victory in this, his 69th year, he was salty. Maybe it was the brutal, see-your-breath weather. Maybe it was his lineup, which had not produced. Maybe he was just tired of answering questions about a small swatch of a long season. "We've played two ball games," Manuel deadpanned before Thursday's 2-0 Phillies victory. "I'm going to panic. I'm going to go up there and jump off the top of the stadium. It'll be my luck to live. " The manager laughed.

ATLANTA - Charlie Manuel raised his left arm at 8:38 p.m. Wednesday and looked to the bullpen. The steady rain that dampened Turner Field persisted. The gloom extended north to Philadelphia. With one out in the fourth inning of a 9-2 Phillies loss to Atlanta, Roy Halladay capitulated. He ditched the weapons that, for a decade, armed a dominant pitcher. When Halladay threw his fastball, Braves hitters mashed it. The constant diet of off-speed pitches elicited strikeouts, but at the cost of a rising pitch count.

ATLANTA - Cole Hamels probably should have worn a helmet last month when he faced the Dominican Republic's World Baseball Classic team in an exhibition game. But he was working on fastball command in spring training, and he went uninjured, so all was well. Last week, Hamels was matched up against arguably baseball's best hitting team in his spring finale. The results were much better, but afterward Hamels was thankful he wouldn't have to face the Tigers' Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder regularly in 2013.

ATLANTA -  Cole Hamels probably should have worn a helmet last month when he faced the Dominican Republic's World Baseball Classic team in an exhibition game. But he was working on fastball command in spring training, and he went uninjured, so all was well. Last week, Hamels was matched up against arguably baseball's best hitting team in his spring finale. The results were much better, but afterward Hamels was thankful he wouldn't have to face the Tigers' Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder regularly in 2013.

WASHINGTON - When played to perfection, there's nothing quite like Syracuse's aggressive, half-court, 2-3 zone defense. It's 40 minutes of trapping and shot-challenging, of closing off angles, of trusting teammates. "We showed," senior guard Brendan Triche said, "that defense wins games. " Yes, the Orange "D" certainly does. With a second suffocating performance at the East Regional, No. 4-seeded Syracuse shut down No. 3 Marquette, 55-39, Saturday to earn coach Jim Boeheim his fourth trip to the Final Four - and first since a freshman named Carmelo Anthony helped win the 2003 NCAA championship.