With their record in decline, the Raptors move up in class when they meet the Dallas Mavericks tonight.

There was a time when the elite teams in the NBA brought out the very best in the Raptors.

In these very difficult times, the Raptors, losers of 12 in a row, figure the Mavericks just might be the right tonic.

"The tougher the competition, the more focused you should be," Raptors coach Lenny Wilkens said after the team practised at the Mavs' facility yesterday. "Those are the games you really have a chance to win because you know that you have to be at your best."

The Raptors are desperately trying to find something to rally around in hopes of ending their slide.