ins 15-yard touchdown catch with 2:34 left was the first fourth

TORONTO - The Raptors havent had an All-Star player since Chris Bosh left town but that could change this February, especially if coach Dwane Casey has his say. "Im pushing our guys," Casey said after practice Friday, making the case for his backcourt duo, Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, to get voted in as first-time All-Stars. "I dont know if we can get two [but] Im going to push two and hope to get one, because both guys are playing at a high level." The Raptors coach initially broached the subject in Miami on Sunday. "Theyre playing like All-Stars," he said. "You look at the other guards in the East and theyre right there with them." Since then, he has been busy campaigning to his peers. "All my friends, all the coaches, [Ive] talked to them about it, texted them, they did me the same way when they were trying to get their guys in last year," Casey admitted. "Ill beg the coaches, bribe them with lunch or dinner, whatever, when we have a coaches meeting," he joked. "But its what we should be doing as an organization, and we are doing it as an organization and Im doing it with the coaches." More than likely, Miamis Dwyane Wade and Clevelands Kyrie Irving will get the nod from fans to start in the backcourt for the Eastern Conference. The leagues coaches will then vote in the reserves, two backcourt players, three frontcourt and two wild-card spots (players at any position). Theres a legitimate case to be made for both Raptors guards to represent the East as reserves in the annual midseason showcase, taking place on Feb. 16 in New Orleans. DeRozan is 13th in the NBA in scoring, averaging a career-best 21.2 points per game. He has made notable strides as both a passer and a defender, once considered to be holes in his game. Hes recorded five or more assists in eight of 34 games after doing so 12 times last year and accomplishing that feat in just five contests combined over his first three seasons in the league. "Look at what hes doing," Lowry said of his teammate. "He leads our team in scoring, hes done a great job of being our go-to guy, hes been a complete professional and he gets better every single night." Lowry has been Torontos most valuable player, carrying the team at the point guard position. In his eighth season, Lowry is averaging career-bests in points, assets and steals while shooting his highest percentage from three-point range. His career-best streak of 24 consecutive games with six or more dimes recently came to an end, topping his previous high of eight straight. Hes fourth in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio. "Look at the stat sheet after he plays," said DeRozan, making the case for Lowry. "Any given night he gives you 16 points, 11 rebounds, nine assists, somewhere around that margin every game. Thats just what he [does]. He goes out there and plays hard, hes scrappy, hes a bulldog when hes out there on that court. Hes definitely a leader, he definitely wants to win, I see it in his eyes." True to character, both players were hesitant to make their own case but neither could downplay what the honour of being named to the All-Star squad, alongside the leagues best, would mean to them. "It would be an unbelievable, phenomenal thing, it would be humbling," Lowry admitted. "Im sure if either one of us [makes] it, it would be a great time and a great accomplishment and achievement to tell our families and our kids one day." Lowry made sure to follow up that statement with a reminder that he, DeRozan and the rest of the team remain far more concerned with their collective success than individual accolades. The Raptors recent success could be the very thing that nets them their first All-Star since Bosh was named to the team in 2010. "We deserve it," Casey said proudly. "Our record, were ranked at the top of our division, were number four in our conference so we do deserve All-Star ranking and All-Star consideration with our players, because those guys are playing at a very high level." Entering Fridays slate of games, Toronto is one of just four teams in the East with a record at or above the .500 mark. As a team, the Raptors have gone 11-5 since the early-December trade of Rudy Gay with both Lowry and DeRozan - the teams two leading scorers - playing key roles in the resurgence. Although his percentages have dropped slightly, DeRozan is taking the same amount of shots as he was pre-trade and hes averaging nearly two more assists per contest. Lowry is tied for fifth in the league in assists since the trade was made on Dec. 8, averaging 8.4 to go along with 17.6 points. While Lowry may be more deserving of the honour given his value over replacement this season, DeRozan should have a favourable shot at earning recognition from the leagues coaches. DeRozan is highly thought of as a hard working, evolving player and has been universally praised by opposing coaches this season, whereas Lowry has developed a reputation for being somewhat combative. "Kyles showed hes a positive leader," Casey said of his point guard, who - in the final year of his contract - came into training camp with a renewed focus, in the best shape of his career. "I think that was the biggest question among coaches around the league, could he be a positive leader and be productive on the court. Hes done that." "I think theyre [both] very well respected. DeMar has been playing at a very high level, being very efficient, not just a volume shooter, so hes done that. Everything those guys have [done have answered] the questions about them as players. Plus on top of that theyve put us at the top of our division." The Raptors backcourt duo, or at least one of them, could be the beneficiary of a weak Eastern Conference. Unlike the loaded West, the conferences player pool reflects its overall inferiority. Their primary competition figures to come from Washingtons John Wall (19.7 points, 8.7 assists), Orlandos Arron Afflalo (21.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists), Atlantas Jeff Teague (16.8 points, 7.9 assists) and Indianas Lance Stephenson (13.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists). All-Star starters will be announced live on the TNT broadcast Jan. 23 and the reserves will be revealed a week later, also on TNT. Lonnie Johnson Jersey . Tepesch, back from the minor leagues, earned his first major league victory in more than 10 months and the Rangers edged the Seattle Mariners 4-3 on Wednesday. Texans Jerseys China . Striker Dario Mandzukic scored the opener in the 22nd minute but was given a red card nine minutes later for a reckless tackle and left Croatia with 10 men for the remainder of the match. http://www.cheaptexansjerseysauthentic.com/ . There will be no Down Under four-peat for Djokovic, as the eighth-seeded Swiss slugger Wawrinka outlasted the second seed 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 9-7 at Melbourne Parks Rod Laver Arena in yet another five-set thriller in their burgeoning rivalry. Cheap Texans Jerseys . Moments after his Brooklyn Nets teammates ran out onto the court to congratulate him following their 100-98 overtime win over the Phoenix Suns on Friday night, Johnson could only shake his head at scoring only 13 points on 6-of-19 shooting. Kahale Warring Jersey .com) - Rajon Rondo turned in a game-high 21 points to go with eight rebounds and seven assists as Dallas claimed a 102-98 win over the Lakers on Friday.TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button produces monthly rankings (October-June) of the top players eligible for the NHL Draft. Craigs rankings represent his own individual assessment of where players are slotted in the NHL draft. (Prev. indicates previous ranking on Craigs List - October, 2014) 1. Connor McDavid (Centre) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Erie (OHL) CAN 13/01/97 L 61 / 195 lbs. 1 2. Jack Eichel (Centre) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Boston University (H.E.) USA 28/10/96 R 62 / 195 lbs 2 . 3. Noah Hanifin (Defence) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Boston College (H.E.) USA 25/01/97 L 62 / 201 lbs. 3 4. Dylan Strome (Centre) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Erie (OHL) CAN 07/03/97 L 63 / 187 4 5. Mitchell Marner (Right Wing) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. London (OHL) CAN 05/05/97 R 511 / 154 lbs. 8 6. Oliver Kylington (Defence) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Farjestad (Sweden-SHL) SWE 19/05/97 L 60 / 180 lbs. 6 7. Daniel Sprong (Right Wing) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Charlottetown (QMJHL) NED 17/03/97 R 61 / 189 lbs. 5 8. Zach Werenski (Defence) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Michigan (Big Ten) USA 19/07/97 L 61 / 201 lbs. 11 9. Ivan Provorov (Defence) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht. Prev. Brandon (WHL) RUS 13/01/97 L 60/193 lbs. 21 10. Kyle Connor (Centre) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Youngstown (USHL) USA 09/12/96 L 61 / 170 lbs. 13 11. Nick Merkley (Centre) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Kelowna (WHL) CAN 23/05/97 R 511 / 188 lbs. 20 12. Jansen Harkins (Centre) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Prince George (WHL) CAN 23/05/97 L 61 / 181 lbs. 24 13. Pavel Zacha (Centre) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Sarnia (OHL) CZE 06/04/97 L 63 / 210 lbs. 7 14. Mathew Barzal (Centre) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Seattle (WHL) CAN 26/05/97 R 60 / 178 lbs. 9 15. Lawson Crouse (Left Wing) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Kingston (OHL) CAN 23/06/97 L 64 / 211 lbs. 10 16. Travis Konecny (Centre) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht. Prev. Ottawa (OHL) CAN 11/03/97 R 510 / 173 lbs. 12 17. Evgeni Svechnikov (Right Wing) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Cape Breton (QMJHL) RUS 31/10/96 L 61 / 180 lbs. 15 18. Jordan Greenway (Left Wing) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. USA NTDP (USHL) USA 16/02/97 L 65 / 222 lbs. 18 19. Brock Boeser (Right Wing) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Waterloo (USHL) USA 25/02/97 R 61 / 187 lbs. 25 20. Colin White (Centre) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. USA NTDP (USHL) USA 25/01/97 R 60 / 183 lbs. 16 21. Thomas Novak (Centre) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Waterloo (USHL) USA 28/04/97 L 61 / 174 lbs. 17 22. Jeremy Roy (Defence) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Sherbrooke (QMJHL) CAN 14/05/97 R 60 / 189 lbs. 14 23. Miko Rantanen (Right Wing) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. TPS (Finland-SM Liiga) FIN 29/10/96 L 64 / 211 lbs. 30 24. Adam Musil (Centre/Right Wing) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Red Deer (WHL) CAN 26/03/97 R 63 / 206 lbs. 44 25. Nicolas Meloche (Defence) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Baie Comeau (QMJHL) CAN 18/07/97 R 63 / 199 lbs. 26 26. Thomas Chabot (Defence) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Saint John (QMJHL) CAN 30/01/97 L 61 / 181 lbs. 32 27. Jakub Zboril (Defence) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Saint John (QMJHL) CZE 27/02/97 L 61 / 184 lbs. 19 28. Anthony Beauvillier (Left Wing) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Shawinigan (QMJHL) CAN 08/06/97 L 510 / 171 lbs. 38 29. Filip Chlapik (Centre) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Charlottetown (QMJHL) CZE 03/06/97 L 60 / 194 lbs. 47 30. Nicolas Roy ((Centre) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht.dddddddddddd./Wt. Prev. Chicoutimi (QMJHL) CAN 05/02/97 R 64 / 202 lbs. 23 31. Matthew Spencer (Defence) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Peterborough (OHL) CAN 24/03/97 R 62 / 200 lbs. 22 32. Brandon Carlo (Defence) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Tri-City (WHL) USA 26/11/96 R 64/198 lbs. 31 33. Jeremy Bracco (Right Wing) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. USA NTDP (USHL)) USA 17/03/97 R 59 / 173 lbs. 41 34. Vince Dunn (Defence) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht. Prev. Niagara (OHL) CAN 29/10/96 L 511 / 182 lbs. NR 35. Guillaume Brisebois (Defence) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Acadie Bathurst (QMJHL) CAN 21/07/97 L 62 / 170 lbs. 27 36. Sebastian Aho (Right Wing) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Karpat Jr. (Finland-Jr.) FIN 26/07/97 L 511 / 172 lbs. 34 37. Blake Speers (Centre) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) CAN 02/01/97 R 511 / 177 lbs. 35 38. Yakov Trenin (Centre) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Gatineau (QMJHL) RUS 13/01/97 L 61 / 192 lbs. NR 39. Nikita Korostelev (Right Wing) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Sarnia (OHL) RUS 08/02/97 R 61 / 195 lbs. NR 40. Noah Juulsen (Defence) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Everett (WHL) CAN 02/04/97 R 61 / 175 lbs. NR 41. Paul Bittner (Left Wing) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Portland (WHL) USA 04/11/96 L 64 / 206 lbs. 29 42. Nathan Noel (Centre) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Saint John (QMJHL) CAN 21/06/97 R 511 / 170 lbs. 39 43. Jacob Larsson (Defence) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Frolunda (Sweden-J20) SWE 29/04/97 L 62 / 191 lbs. 42 44. Julius Nattinen (Centre) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. JYP (FIN) FIN 14/01/97 L 61 / 191 lbs. NR 45. David Kase (Centre) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Chomutov (Czech Jr.) CZE 28/01/97 L 511 / 169 NR 46. Ryan Pilon (Defence) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Brandon (WHL) CAN 10/10/96 L 62 / 212 lbs. 37 47. Graham Knott (Left Wing) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Niagara (OHL) CAN 13/01/97 L 64 / 192 lbs. 28 48. Ethan Bear (Defence) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Seattle (WHL) CAN 26/06/97 R 60 / 202 lbs. 33 49. AJ Greer (Left Wing) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Boston University (H.E.) CAN 14/12/96 L 63 / 204 lbs. 31 50. Mitchell Stephens (Centre/Right Wing) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Saginaw (OHL) CAN 05/02/97 R 511 / 184 lbs. 36 51. Jared Bethune (Centre) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Lincoln (USHL) CAN 20/01/97 L 60 / 174 lbs. 58 52. Jake Debrusk (Left Wing) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Swift Current (WHL) CAN 17/10/96 L 511 / 171 lbs. NR 53. Filip Ahl (Right Wing) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. HV71 (Sweden-J20) SWE 12/06/97 L 63 / 211 lbs. 57 54. Michael Spacek (Right Wing) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Pardubice Jr. (Czech Jr.) CZE 09/04/97 R 511 / 187 lbs. 45 55. Felix Sandstrom (Goalie) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Brynas Jr. (Sweden-J20) SWE 12/01/97 L 62 / 191 lbs. 54 56. Daniel Vladar (Goalie) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Kladno (Czech Jr.) CZE 20/08/97 L 65 / 185 NR 57. Christian Fischer (Right Wing) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. USA NTDP (USHL) USA 15/04/97 R 61 / 212 lbs. 52 58. Ryan Gropp (Left Wing) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Seattle (WHL) CAN 16/09/96 L 62 / 184 lbs. 40 59. Mitchell Vande Sompel (Defence) Team (League) Country Birthdate Shot Ht./Wt. Prev. Oshawa (OHL) CAN 11/02/97 L 510 / 182 lbs. 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