Offtopic/fun » during last Sundays loss to Oaklan

PHILADELPHIA -- Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan spent an off night in town at Villanova watching the best basketball team in the Philly area dominate in another victory. A night later, Lowry and DeRozan ditched the courtside seats to team up and keep Philadelphia the worst team in the NBA.DeRozan scored 31 points and Lowry added 20 to help the Toronto Raptors win their fourth straight game, 123-114 over the 76ers on Wednesday night.DeRozan continued to make the 30-point mark a routine part of his game and scored 31 points through the first three quarters. DeRozan posterized Jahlil Okafor with a dunk over the Sixers big man and easily rolled to his second straight 30-point game. He scored 30 points on Monday against Milwaukee and came in averaging a robust 27.9 points per game.Its just experience. My work ethic, DeRozan said. I just try and be better every single year.Hes having his best one yet.Lowry helped blow the game open in his Philadelphia homecoming. Lowry made a 3-pointer in the fourth that stretched the lead to 99-80 and earned some applause for the All-Star raised in the area.DeRozan and Lowry helped squash the Sixers modest two-game winning streak. Long one of the NBAs worst teams, the Sixers havent won three straight games since they took four in a row from Dec. 29, 2013-Jan. 4, 2014.Robert Covington led the Sixers with 26 points and Okafor had 17.The Sixers had won two straight on the road and seemed like they could win a rare game at home when they opened with a strong first 17 minutes. Lowry brought the Sixers crashing back to reality.Lowry buried two quick 3-pointers that brought the Raptors within two and scored on a driving layup that tied the game at 45-all. The Raptors turned a three-point deficit to open the second quarter into a 60-54 halftime lead. The Sixers went on a mini-run late in the fourth and got within five points with 30 seconds left. They could have used another 30 minutes to top the Atlantic Division-leading Raptors.The Raptors have won 10 of 11 games and are 11 games over .500 for the first time this season.Lowry dedicated the win to his mother on her birthday .I got as many points as her age, he said, laughing.TIP-INSRaptors: Lowry and DeRozan attended No. 1 Villanovas game on Tuesday night. Lowry, a Philly native who played at Villanova, wore a Just a Kid From North Philly sweatshirt at shootaround. Hes a pain in the butt sometimes, but hes our pain in the butt, Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. Casey said Lowry reminded him of former Seattle great Gary Payton.76ers: Okafor started at center and Joel Embiid at power forward for the first time this season. They played the first 6 minutes of the first quarter together. Embiid and Okafor are natural centers. Coach Brett Brown decided the time was right to pair them and see what they could do together in the frontcourt. Its my job to grow our program, grow our guys, and see what we actually have, Brown said. We have really yet to see Jahlil and Joel together in any significant timeframe. Tonight, its available. So Im going to do it. Embiid twisted his left ankle in warmups and sat out a stretch in the first half with a bloody nose and scored nine points.I was just standing, I wasnt moving, I was just standing on the perimeter, Embiid said. I wasnt active on defense.DID YOU SEE THAT!?Embiids lone block in the first half came when he charged at DeMarre Carroll and used his outstretched right hand to swat the ball away.DeRozan had the dunk of the night when he split defenders down the lane and stuffed one over Okafor.SHOE FITSNo. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons ditched the walking boot and sat in sneakers on the Sixers bench for the first time this season. Simmons has not played this season because of a broken bone in his right foot suffered during training camp. Simmons shot free throws in practice this week. The Sixers say there is no timetable for his return.UP NEXTRaptors: Host Atlanta on Friday.76ers: Host the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. Cheap Air Max Plus China . Isner, ranked No. 14, won his eighth career singles title and took the title in New Zealand for the second time after his victory in 2010. The match was similar to Isners quarterfinal victory over fifth-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber which went to three sets, all tiebreaks and contained no breaks of serve. Fake Air Max 720 . A knee to the thigh might have stung him the most, but his sixth straight double-double made up for the brief burst of pain. http://www.wholesalenikeshoesclearance.com/cheap-kyrie-irving-shoes.html . The Masters champion and winner of last weeks Australian PGA has a three-round total of 14-under 199 at Royal Melbourne. "Im in a really good position for tomorrow," Scott said. Cheap Nike Shoes From China . LOUIS -- Theres no telling how these wacky World Series games will end. Nike Vapormax Outlet . The Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Rays, and Texas Rangers all won on Sunday meaning the Rangers will host the Rays in a play-in game on Monday. ATLANTA (5-3) at TAMPA BAY (3-4)Thursday, 8:25 p.m. EDT, NFL NetworkOPENING LINE -- Falcons by 2 1/2RECORD VS. SPREAD -- Atlanta 5-3, Tampa Bay 3-4SERIES RECORD -- Buccaneers lead 24-22LAST MEETING -- Buccaneers beat Falcons 31-24, Sept. 11LAST WEEK -- Falcons beat Packers 33-32; Buccaneers lost to Raiders 30-24, OTAP PRO32 RANKING -- Falcons No. 6, Buccaneers No. 25FALCONS OFFENSE -- OVERALL (1), RUSH (T14), PASS (1).FALCONS DEFENSE -- OVERALL (25), RUSH (11), PASS (T27).BUCCANEERS OFFENSE -- OVERALL (16), RUSH (12), PASS (21).BUCCANEERS DEFENSE -- OVERALL (26), RUSH (22), PASS (23).STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES -- Buccaneers have won three straight in series between NFC South rivals, including on road in season opener. ... Falcons lead NFL in scoring (32.8 points per game), while Buccaneers are 25th in scoring defense (27.0). ... Falcons QB Matt Ryan leads NFL with 2,636 passing yards after throwing for 288 and three touchdowns, including winning 11-yarder in closing seconds last week against Green Bay. ... In past three games vs. Bucs, Ryan has averaged 333.3 yards per game while throwing for five TDs vs. two interceptions. ... WR Julio Jones has 43 receptions for 859 yards and four TDs. He has seven TD catches and averaged 110.6 receiving yards per game in nine career meetings with Bucs. ... Bucs are 0-3 at home, compared to 3-1 on road. ..dddddddddddd. QB Jameis Winston arguably had best game of year vs. Falcons, completing 71.9 percent of passes for 281 yards, four TDs and one interception in opener. ... In three career games vs. Atlanta, second-year pro has thrown six TD passes vs. two interceptions, winning all three starts. ... WR Mike Evans has six TD receptions in his last seven games. ... RB Jacquizz Rodgers, who played first four years of his career with Atlanta, injured left foot during last Sundays loss to Oakland. Bucs could wind up with fourth starting RB of season. Ex-Falcons RB Antone Smith and rookie Peyton Barber are possibilities if Rodgers doesnt play. RB Mike James signed with team this week. ... Former Falcons coach Mike Smith is Bucs defensive coordinator, working under Coach Dirk Koetter, who was Smiths offensive coordinator in Atlanta for three seasons. ... Bucs yielded 626 yards last week to Raiders, including 513 passing. ... Fantasy Tip: Jones has four 100-yard games this season -- 32 total -- and is facing secondary that struggled last week against Oaklands Amari Cooper (12 receptions, 173 yards, one TD) and Michael Crabtree (eight catches, 108 yards).---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '