Raptors 96, 76ers 76
TORONTO -- Guard DeMar DeRozan scored 25 points and grabbed eight rebounds as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 96-76 Sunday.
The Raptors (16-9) earned their fourth win in a row, while the 76ers (1-24) fell for the sixth consecutive game.
Forward Luis Scola added a season-best 22 points for Toronto, and guard Kyle Lowry contributed 16.
Center Jahlil Okafor led Philadelphia with 23 points and 14 rebounds. Forward Robert Covington added 15 points and nine rebounds for the Sixers, and guard Isaiah Canaan scored 10 points.
The Raptors led by eight points at halftime and took a 20-point lead during third quarter before the margin dwindle to 11 points entering the fourth.
During the fourth quarter, the Sixers cut the lead to six points, but the Raptors pulled away again to take a 14-point lead with 2:25 to play.
The Raptors closed the first quarter with a 9-0 run to take a 32-24 lead. Scola scored 14 points in the opening quarter and DeRozan added 11. Okafor led the 76ers with 10 first-quarter points.
Toronto led by 12 points early in the second quarter before the 76ers trimmed it to four with 5:51 left in the half. The Raptors pulled out to a 52-44 halftime lead.
Toronto scored the first six points of the second half. The advantage reached 17 on Scola's 6-foot jumper with 4:13 to play in the third. With the two points, he already equaled his season best of 22.
Lowry's 3-pointer stretched the lead to 20.
The 76ers put together a 9-0 run to complete the third quarter that ended with the Raptors leading 69-58.
Philadelphia guard Kendall Marshall opened the scoring in the fourth quarter to stretch the 76ers' run to 11-0 and trim the lead to nine points.
Covington's 3-pointer with 7:50 to play cut the lead to eight, and Okafor's 3-foot jumper after a Raptors miss made the score 77-71 Toronto with 7:16 to play.
The Raptors led by 11 points after center Bismack Biyombo made two free throws with 5:16 left.
DeRozan's layup with 2:25 to play gave Toronto a 14-point lead.
NOTES: Philadelphia coach Brett Brown confirmed Sunday that the team has talked to former NBA coach Mike D'Antoni about joining the coaching staff. ... 76ers G T.J. McConnell started Sunday and G Tony Wroten (right knee) was rested for the second consecutive game. Wroten has played three games since returning oDec. 5 from a partially torn ACL. ... Philadelphia G Kendall Marshall (right knee) played his second game since returning from a torn ACL but continued to have his playing time limited. ... Raptors F DeMarre Carroll (right knee contusion) and C Jonas Valanciunas (fractured left hand) remained out of the lineup. ... The 76ers travel to Chicago for a game Monday against the Bulls. ... After completing a six-game homestand Sunday, the Raptors visit the Indiana Pacers on Monday.