Brooklyns second field goal did not come until there was

PARIS – Novak Djokovic was just a few points away from losing to Milos Raonic a couple weeks ago in Rome, so it was no surprise that the No. 2 seed at the French Open lavished praise on the eighth-seeded Canadian on Sunday night after both men won their fourth-round matches easily to setup a quarterfinal showdown. "Milos is playing the tennis of his life," said Djokovic. "Hes top-10 now, an established top-10 player. He has one of the best serves in the world. Very powerful, very precise." Raonic had 17 aces when the two hooked up at the Masters 1000 event in Italy on May 17. Only American John Isner (82) has more aces than Raonic (72) at Roland Garros this year. "When he serves that well, there is not much you can do, really," said Djokovic, who entered Mondays matches as the tournament leader in break points won (29). "He puts a lot of pressure on his opponent and he has improved a lot from the baseline now. With his backhand, hes hitting down the line, hes very aggressive, which he should be, of course, for somebody of his height and his build. You know, hes powerful and he uses that serve. Forehand is also very good from back of the court. So there is an evident improvement in his game and he feels more confident on the court. You can feel that. The recent match we had in Rome, as you mentioned, was very close." Djokovic lost the first set in a tiebreaker at the Internazionali BNL dItalia before edging Raonic in a second-set tiebreaker and winning the third and deciding set 6-3. After the three-hour battle of wills, Djokovic said he could not remember the last time he felt as helpless in the return game. "I dont expect anything different now," he said after a straight-set victory over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga Sunday. "You know, I know that Im going to have to face somebody that is going to serve over 200 kilometers per hour in average throughout the whole match. But Im ready for that." Raonic, meanwhile, is also feeling confident after becoming the first Canadian man to ever reach the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam singles competition (in the Open era). Raonic admitted he would not have thought his breakthrough would come on the red clay in Paris, but noted he has made some subtle adjustments this year to improve his game on the slower surface. "The biggest difference I have made this year is not really making too much of a difference when I have come to the clay," the 23-year-old explained. "Just more of an approach, knowing more balls will come back, but trying to stay close, not going too far back, and all these kind of things. I have tried to sort of keep that, I was doing it on hard courts, and its been working out well for me." But Raonic is well aware of the challenge that now lays before him. Djokovic badly wants to win the title here in order to complete the career slam. "I think its more so just a mental aspect of keeping up a certain level for that long and not allowing yourself to drift away," Raonic said when asked what the key is when facing such a strong opponent in a best-of-five format. "But he also makes that demanding of you in two out of three sets. Its just about doing it a little bit longer and bringing your best tennis. Obviously, thats important." Raonic and Djokovic have had a congenial relationship on tour due in part to their shared Serbian heritage. Born in Podgorica, Montenegro in 1990, Raonic and his family relocated to Toronto in 1994. "We have a good relationship. Very friendly. Same type of cultural upbringing and background, so we understand each other a lot, especially because of the language, as well," Raonic said. "So we get along well." Baker Mayfield Womens Jersey . 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They ring as true now as they did when Mularkey heard them the first time playing tight end for the Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Fame coach 25 years ago.Brooklyn, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - DeMarre Carroll scored 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting to lead Atlanta to a 98-75 win over Brooklyn at Barclays Center Friday. Carrolls 14 second-quarter points keyed a dominant period for the Hawks that saw them outscore the Nets 36-13. Paul Millsap contributed 17 points and nine rebounds in the winning effort, Atlantas fifth straight, and Jeff Teague and Dennis Schroder scored 14 and 13 points, respectively. Winning on the road isnt easy and our defense put us in a position to do that, Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said. Brook Lopez paced Brooklyn with 20 points and seven boards as the Nets saw their two-game winning streak come to an end. Joe Johnson totaled 12 points with six rebounds and four assists for Brooklyn. The opponent had the hot hand and we couldnt do anything about it, Johnson said. In the second quarter, Atlanta established its defense and shut down the Nets. The Hawks turned their two-point deficit after one into a double-digit lead with a 21-4 run over the first eight minutes of the quarter thanks to poor Nets shooting. Brooklyns second field goal did not come until there was 3:47 remaining before halftime. Atlantas biggest lead of the first half came rright at the buzzer.dddddddddddd Carroll hit a 3-pointer to beat the clock and give the Hawks a 52-31 lead. Carroll finished with 16 points in the half to lead all scorers. Brooklyn shot just 31.7 percent from the floor in the first half, and although its efficiency improved after the break, Atlanta maintained a large, steady lead throughout. At the 4:32 mark of the third quarter, a Lopez three-point play brought the Brooklyn deficit to 18 points, but that was the last time it would be within 20. The Hawks lead ballooned to as much as 32 when they started the final quarter on a 15-6 run when Schroder scored 11 of his 13 points. In the final six minutes of the game, Brooklyn was able to make it a little more respectable with a 14-5 run. Cory Jefferson scored all six of his points for the Nets in those closing minutes. Game Notes Brooklyn failed in its third opportunity to win three straight games this season ... Johnson played in his 1,000th NBA game ... Atlanta has scored over 90 points in all 18 games this season ... The Nets return to the court Monday to conclude a three-game homestand against Cleveland ... The Hawks return home to play Denver on Sunday. ' ' '