by Doug Smith, Toronto Star , The Toronto Star

Like figuring out how to get intensity from everyone every night.

The most disturbing aspect of the drubbing they suffered in Dallas on Saturday night was a lack of intensity at key moments in the game.

While they finished the first half and started the second exceptionally in New Orleans on Friday, they were bad in Dallas the next night, seeing a two-point deficit grow to seven in the final six minutes of the second quarter and being out-scored 22-10 in the first seven minutes of the third quarter.

"I think everybody could have put out more effort," said guard Jarrett Jack. "It was our first back-to-back ball game (and) that could have been part of it. But everybody in the league goes through it, you can't use that as an excuse.

"You've just got to bring it."

Trouble would seem to be lurking here Monday night if the Raptors don't find a way to stay consistently in the game.

The Spurs, losers of two straight and in the unusual position of having a losing record, are sure to be riled up.

And even without the injured Tony Parker and with changes to the starting lineup every now and then, they remain deep and talented.

"A lot of teams are going through growing pains right now, whether they've been together forever or whether they're putting some new pieces together," San Antonio's Tim Duncan told the San Antonio Express-News. "It's all about getting through those early-season jitters and trying to figure out what exactly your team is made of and how you're going to play."

The same can be said for the Raptors , who have been alternately good and bad through the first six games. They were good against Cleveland, bad in Memphis, okay against Detroit, far better in New Orleans and awful in Dallas on Saturday night. The bench, so integral to the team's success, was terrible against the Mavs, being outscored 58-30 by Dallas's backups and hitting just 10 of 28 field goal attempts.

But it's not as if no one saw this coming. With nine new faces, two starters and every one of the key backups, to be integrated into the system, a hesitant start was not unexpected.

With a 3-3 record after six games - including tough matchups with Cleveland, Orlando and at Dallas - there is no sense of panic or impending doom around the team.

"We just have to work at the things we want to do, focus on ourselves and get better," said coach Jay Triano.

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