Join us » James Franklin emerged as possibilities

PHILADELPHIA -- Kyle Lowry slept in his own bed, left about 50 tickets for family and friends, then gave his hometown crowd a reason to cheer. Bart Starr Womens Jersey . Lowry had 18 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds for his fourth career triple-double, and DeMar DeRozan scored 34 points to help the Toronto Raptors beat the Philadelphia 76ers 104-95 on Friday night. "As long as its with a win, Im happy to have it," Lowry said. "Ill take the thanks from the team and congratulations from all my teammates. But as long as it came with a win, thats all that really matters." Lowry grabbed his 10th rebound late in the fourth quarter, continuing a string of strong games hes had for the Atlantic Division leaders. Hes a Philadelphia native and played two seasons at Villanova. He didnt get a chance to stop by his old school -- though current and former Wildcats had to be watching. Lowry was nearly flawless in his latest homecoming, and didnt commit his first turnover until there were about 2 minutes left in the game. He shot 7 of 11 and hit a trio of 3-pointers in 35 minutes to help keep the Raptors in control of the worst division in the NBA. "Its always special to play here," Lowry said. He had help putting the game away. DeRozan scored 16 points in the fourth, including seven straight early in the period as the Raptors opened a double-digit lead. In a game in which neither team could build much of a lead, DeRozan finally helped the Raptors take control in the final quarter. He had a dunk, hit a 3-pointer and nailed a mid-range jumper to give Toronto some breathing room. Patrick Pattersons jumper made it 96-83. The Sixers made a short run to close to 98-91 but didnt have enough left for one more rally. "When we got a chance to put a stronghold on it, we closed it out," Lowry said. The Raptors snapped a four-game losing streak on the road. DeRozan scored a career-high 40 points in Torontos 93-85 win over Dallas on Wednesday night. He connected on 15 of 22 field goal attempts and went 9 for 14 at the free throw line, becoming the seventh player in Raptors history to score 40 points or more. Against the Sixers, DeRozan made 10 of 22 shots and 13 of 16 free throws. The Raptors moved to .500 on the road (11-11) and are 22-20 overall. But the other four teams in the division all have losing records, including Philadelphia, so theyve been good enough to sit atop the standings. The Raptors are 16-8 since they traded Rudy Gay. "They make the trade, and it ends up a little bit addition by subtraction in many ways," Sixers coach Brett Brown said. "They get a little bit more of an identity and a defensive purpose. And I thought they were really good. I always felt like they were a pretty good defensive team." Spencer Hawes had 14 points and 12 rebounds for the 76ers. Michael Carter-Williams scored 20. The Raptors opened the game on a 15-2 run, the Sixers countered with a 20-5 spurt, and from there it was pretty much even. "I liked the start. We had an excellent focus and sustained it as long as we could," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. The Sixers could never get their perimeter game going, scoring 50 of their 78 points through three quarters in the paint. Philadelphia missed 14 of 20 3s overall. Thaddeus Young scored 16 points. "We got good shots, but just went cold," Young said. "Theyre just a good team. In the past, it was a point where, the Toronto Raptors walk in and its going to be an easy win. But they have a lot of key guys on that team that can do a lot of different things." NOTES: Sixers G Tony Wroten (right ankle) sat out. ... The Sixers signed C Dewayne Dedmon to a second 10-day contract. ... There were 12 lead changes and 15 ties. ... The Sixers have scored fewer than 100 points in eight of the last 10 games after scoring 100-plus in seven straight. ... The Sixers committed a season-low 10 turnovers. Paul Hornung Youth Jersey . Kerr said he had dinner with Jackson, his former coach with Chicago and the new Knicks team president, on Friday night and they talked again Saturday. Kerr is in New York to work the game between the Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors for TNT. Mike Daniels Womens Jersey .com) - Intrastate rivals collide Saturday as the Texas State Bobcats hit the road to take on the eighth-ranked Texas Longhorns in a non-conference battle at Frank Erwin Center. http://www.packersrookiestore.com/Packers-Darnell-Savage-Jr-Jersey/ .com) - Novak Djokovic easily took care of Andy Murray to reach the final at the $2.CLEVELAND - The Browns coaching search — or is it a scramble? — could be nearing a conclusion. Buffalo defensive co-ordinator Mike Pettine is the front-runner to become the teams seventh full-time coach and will reportedly have a third interview with the team on Thursday. Team officials interviewed Pettine on Tuesday night in Mobile, Ala., site of the Senior Bowl, and although the sides did not reach a deal during their four-hour meeting, enough progress was made to move forward. And as the focus narrowed on the 47-year-old Pettine, a "mystery" candidate emerged. The team reportedly interviewed former Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano on Wednesday in Florida, but a person familiar with Clevelands coaching search told the Associated Press that Schiano will not be hired by the Browns. The person, speaking on condition of anonymity because the team is not commenting on the search, said there is "zero chance" of Schiano taking over in Cleveland. Earlier, Pettine, who spent one season with the Bills after four on Rex Ryans staff with the New York Jets, told Cleveland.com that he "should have some feedback on my interview by the end of the day." A person familiar with the Browns plans told the AP on Tuesday night that the team intended to interview an unknown candidate on Wednesday. The club, too, was expected to meet with Atlanta offensive co-ordinator Dirk Koetter at some point. Pettine is the first candidate known to have a follow-up interview with Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, CEO Joe Banner, general manager Michael Lombardi and team president Alec Scheiner. Cleveland has met with at least nine known candidates. The team initially interviewed Pettine on Jan. 16, and following the interview, Pettines teenage daughter, Megan, tweeted that her dad was going to meet again with the team while taking a not-so-subtle shot at the Browns. "Its the browns," she posted on a Twitter account since deleted. "But hey, still pretty cool!" The Browns, who fired Rob Chudzinski on Dec. 29 following one season, are also expected to conduct a second intterview with Seattle defensive co-ordinator Dan Quinn. Clay Matthews Jersey. He was the first candidate to meet with the team and the director of the NFLs top-rated defence could sit down with Clevelands front office before Sunday. Because the Seahawks are in the Super Bowl, league rules require the Browns to speak with any assistants in that game by Jan. 26. However, the Browns are not permitted to finalize a deal with any assistant coach participating in the Super Bowl until after the game, so Cleveland may have to wait until Feb. 3 if they want to hire Quinn. Its possible, though, the team could decide Pettine is their choice and can name him their coach at any time. Last week, Haslam, aware of the public appearance the Browns had no clear plan to find Chudzinskis replacement, sent a letter to fans last week explaining the teams "methodical" approach to finding its next coach. Despite Haslams reasoning, it appears the Browns have had to adjust on the fly. The search is in its fourth week. Six other teams entered the off-season with coaching vacancies and all have been filled. Early favourites in Clevelands quest to replace Chudzinski dropped quickly. New England offensive co-ordinator Josh McDaniels, Ohio born with a connection to Lombardi, removed himself from consideration. Denver offensive co-ordinator Adam Gase — another perceived favourite — did the same, calling Haslam on Tuesday to say he was happy with the Broncos. Top college coaches such as Oklahomas Bob Stoops, Gus Malzahn and James Franklin emerged as possibilities and disappeared as rapidly as they arrived. Stoops is still with the Sooners, Malzahn stayed at Auburn and Franklin took the Penn State job. Bill OBrien, who was on Clevelands wish list last year, signed with Houston. There have even been rumours that former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel was on Clevelands radar. Since the start, Haslam has promised to "take as long as necessary" to find the right coach — his second in less than two years as owner — to lead the Browns. It appears hes finally closing in on one. ' ' '