The top team in the NBA's Eastern Conference knocked off the best in the West. The Philadelphia 76ers blew a 12-point, fourth-quarter lead before Tobias Harris swished a jumper with two seconds left to give them a 107-106 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. The jumper ended a 13-0 run and allowed the Sixers to improve to 13-6.Harris scored 24 points, Joel Embiid finished with 28 and Ben Simmons provided 17 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. LeBron James scored 34 and Anthony Davis had 23 for the Lakers, who dropped behind Utah for the league's best record.
Checking out Wednesday's other NBA action:
Kevin Durant scored 32 points and James Harden came close to a triple-double to carry the Nets past the Hawks, 132-128 in overtime. Harden chipped in 31 points, 15 assists and eight rebounds for Brooklyn, which also received 26 points from Kyrie Irving.
DeMar DeRozan dropped in 21 points and Keldon Johnson added 18 with 10 rebounds as the Spurs earned their second straight home win, 110-106 against the Celtics. LaMarcus Aldridge added 20 points and Dejounte Murray had 11 points and 11 rebounds to help San Antonio end Boston's two-game winning streak.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 24 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists for the Bucks in a 115-108 decision over the Raptors. Khris Middleton also contributed 24 points and Brook Lopez added 20 for Milwaukee.
Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram each scored a season-high 32 points to highlight the Pelicans' 124-106 thrashing of the Wizards. Bradley Beal almost single-handedly kept Washington in striking distance with 47 points.
The Jazz ran their winning streak into double digits as Rudy Gobert had seasons high of 29 points and 20 rebounds in a 116-104 downing of the Mavericks. Joe Ingles also had a strong game with a season-high 21 points, all on 3-pointers. The Jazz played without leading scorer Donovan Mitchell after he entered the NBA concussion protocol.
Nikola Jokic had 21 points and 11 rebounds as the Nuggets won their fifth straight, building a 25-point halftime lead in a 109-82 romp over the Heat. Michael Porter Jr. scored 17 points and JaMychal Green added 15 as Denver improved to 4-0 on its five-game road trip.
Doug McDermott had 28 points and Domantas Sabonis registered a triple-double in the Pacers' 116-106 win against the Hornets. Sabonis shot 9-for-10 and finished with 22 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in Indiana's third win in four games.
Rookie James Wiseman came off the Warriors bench to score 22 points in 23 minutes of a 121-108 victory against the Timberwolves. Kelly Oubre Jr. contributed 20 points and nine boards despite playing in early foul trouble.
The Thunder posted a 102-97 win over the Suns as Al Horford had 21 points and 11 rebounds in the victory. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also scored 21 points to help Oklahoma City withstand Chris Paul's season-high 32 points in his first game against the team that traded him last summer.
The Cavaliers came away with a 122-107 win over the Pistons as Andre Drummond had 23 points, 16 rebounds and five steals. Collin Sexton scored 29 points in helping Cleveland stop a two-game skid and move back to .500 at 9-9.
Buddy Hield drained seven 3-pointers while scoring a season-best 29 points as the Kings whipped the Magic, 121-107. Richaun Holmes had 20 points and 12 rebounds for his third double-double of the season.
In NBA news:
Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray has been fined $25,000 by the NBA for a shot to the groin area of Dallas' Tim Hardaway Jr. during Monday's win over the Mavericks. The initial call was a foul on Murray and was upgraded to a flagrant-2 foul after a video review. Murray was ejected after the apparently intentional act in the third quarter of the game.
Washington's second-half schedule might not be as jam-packed as first thought. The NBA said it was rescheduling some Wizards games after a half-dozen of their contests were postponed in recent weeks for virus-related reasons.
NBA All-Star voting opens Thursday, without any final determination yet if there will be an actual All-Star Game this season. The league said Wednesday that "discussions surrounding a potential NBA All-Star Game are ongoing." The Associated Press reported Monday that there have been talks about having an All-Star Game that would benefit historically Black institutions and COVID-19 relief, though no plan has been finalized.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Davion Mitchell has carried second-ranked Baylor to another lopsided victory. Mitchell poured in a career-high 32 points and the Bears improved to 15-0 by drubbing Kansas State, 107-59. He missed his first two shots, but went on to finish 12-of-16 shooting, including 7-of-9 beyond the arc. He had a span of just over three minutes after halftime when he hit four 3s while making five consecutive shots for Baylor. MaCio Teague had 18 points for the Bears, who were up by 31 just 11 1/2 minutes into the game.
In other top-25 action:
EJ Liddell hit four free throws in the final minute and finished with 22 points in 13th-ranked Ohio State's 83-79 victory over the Penn State. The Buckeyes wasted a 12-point, first-half lead and trailed by seven in the before winning for the fourth time in five games.
Mitch Ballock hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 41 seconds to play to cap a season-high 29-point performance in 17th-ranked Creighton's 85-81 triumph over Seton Hall. Marcus Zegarowski scored 18 for the Bluejays, who overcame a 16-point, second-half deficit.
No. 20 Virginia Tech earned a 62-51 win over Notre Dame as Nahiem Alleyne led four Hokies in double figures with 15 points. Keve Aluma and Justyn Mutts had 14 points each and reserve Hunter Cattoor scored 13 to help Tech rebound from Saturday's 78-60 loss at Syracuse.
No. 14 Wisconsin avenged a Dec. 28 loss to Maryland as Micah Potter had 23 points and 12 rebounds to send the Badgers past the Terrapins, 61-55. D'Mitrik Trice added 13 for Wisconsin, which blew most of an 18-point lead before moving to 7-3 in the Big Ten.
Malik Osborne had 11 points and 10 rebounds as 16th-ranked Florida State clobbered Miami, 81-59. RaiQuan Gray added 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Seminoles, who are 6-1 in the ACC following their fifth straight win.
Aamir Simms had 16 points and Al-Amir Dawes added 15 while Clemson was stifling Louisville in a 54-50 win over the Cardinals. The Tigers ended a three-game slide and held dynamic scorer Carlik Jones to 11 points on 4 of 14 shooting.
In college basketball news, UConn says it has postponed its next two men's basketball games, including Thursday's scheduled contest with No. 3 Villanova. The school made the decision after learning that an official who worked its Tuesday win over Butler has tested positive for the coronavirus. The Huskies have been placed in a daily testing protocol and a modified quarantine that also will prevent them from traveling to New York for a game at St. John's on Sunday.
NHL
The Nashville Predators seem to have found a formula for defeating the Chicago Blackhawks. The two sides went past regulation for the second straight day before Matt Duchene netted the lone shootout goal in the Predators' 2-1 victory over the Hawks. Nick Cousins had the regulation goal for Nashville, which earned a 3-2 win over Chicago on Roman Josi's overtime tally. Ryan Carpenter had the lone goal for the Blackhawks, who have earned a point in their last five games. Chicago's Kevin Lankinen finished with 41 saves in regulation and overtime, including 20 in the third period.
Wednesday's other NHL game had J.T. Miller scoring twice and providing an assist in the Canucks' 5-1 thumping of the Senators. Tyler Motte also tallied twice as Vancouver handed Ottawa its sixth consecutive loss.
In NHL news, Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford has resigned, citing personal reasons behind the decision. Patrick Allvin will serve as the interim general manager while the club searches for a permanent replacement. The 71-year-old Rutherford arrived in Pittsburgh in the summer of 2014 and oversaw a roster rebuild that helped the Penguins win consecutive Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017. His resignation comes with Pittsburgh off to a solid 4-2-1 start.
MLB
In a deal between two of baseball’s busiest teams this winter, the New York Mets have traded left-hander Steven Matz to the Toronto Blue Jays for three young pitchers. New York received reliever Sean Reid-Foley and minor league right-handers Josh Winckowski and Yennsy Díaz in a move that could signal the Mets are pursuing a pricey free agent. Matz, a New York product, is set to earn $5.2 million this year and can become a free agent after the season. He is coming off a miserable 2020, when he went 0-5 with a 9.68 ERA and lost his rotation spot during the pandemic-shortened season. He also spent time on the injured list with shoulder discomfort.
The Mets have also added lefty reliever Aaron Loup on a one-year package. That's according to a person familiar with the negotiations, who says the agreement is subject to a successful physical. The 33-year-old Loup was 3-2 with a 2.52 ERA in 25 innings over 24 games for AL champion Tampa Bay last season, allowing 17 hits while striking out 22 and walking four.
And the Mets have promoted Zack Scott to acting general manager, eight days after GM Jared Porter was fired. Scott was hired as assistant GM on Dec. 23 after 17 seasons with the Red Sox, the last two as assistant GM.
In other MLB news:
The New York Yankees have finalized their multiyear package with the reigning AL batting champ while adding to their pitching staff. The Yanks put the final touches on a six-year, $90 million contract with second baseman DJ LeMahieu, who became a free agent after hitting a league-best .364 last year. LeMahieu is the only player to win batting titles in both leagues, including an NL-leading .348 mark with the 2016 Rockies. New York also has a pending $11 million, one-year contract with right-handed starter Corey Kluber and a $2.5 million, one-year deal with submarining right-handed reliever Darren O'Day.
Jurickson Profar is staying with the Padres after inking a three-year, $21 million package. Profar played five positions during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, hitting a career-best .278 with seven homers and 25 RBIs.
Left-handed starter Jon Lester and the Nationals have finalized a $5 million, one-year contract. He gives the team a fourth member of a rotation led by Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg and Patrick Corbin.
NFL
Tight end Jason Witten says he is retiring again, apparently for good this time. Witten told ESPN on Wednesday that he was walking away "knowing that for 17 seasons I gave it my absolute all." He retired the first time after the 2017 season with Dallas to become an analyst for ESPN's "Monday Night Football," but he returned to the Cowboys for a team-record 16th season. The 11-time Pro Bowler joined several former Dallas teammates with the Raiders last year and had career lows with 13 catches for 69 yards. Witten ended his career fourth overall on the NFL career list and second among tight ends with 1,228 catches. Tony Gonzalez is the lone tight end with more receptions and yards receiving.
In other NFL news:
A person familiar with the hiring tells The Associated Press that David Culley has become the new head coach of the Houston Texans. It will be the first head coaching job for the 65-year-old Culley, who has worked as an assistant for the Baltimore Ravens since 2019. He becomes the fourth coach in Texans history. Culley replaces Bill O'Brien, who was fired after the team opened the season 0-4.
Pro Football Hall of Famer and "Good Morning America" host Michael Strahan has tested positive for COVID-19 and is self-quarantining, according to people familiar with the situation. Strahan is currently not experiencing any severe symptoms from COVID-19. TMZ first reported about Strahan testing positive.
The Seahawks say offensive lineman Chad Wheeler is no longer a member of the team following his arrest last weekend for investigation of domestic violence. Wheeler was arrested by police near Seattle and booked into the King County Jail early Saturday for investigation of felony domestic violence. He had an initial court appearance Monday and was released from jail Tuesday after posting $400,000 bond.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Josh Heupel has been hired as Tennessee's football coach, giving the Vols a package deal with athletic director Danny White, who started in his job last week. Heupel says he sees potential NCAA sanctions as a minor speed bump for Tennessee. Heupel accepted a six-year package worth $4 million to become Tennessee's 27th head coach overall and fifth since the end of the 2008 season. He was 28-8 in three seasons at UCF after being hired to replace Scott Frost.
Also, Northwestern and coach Pat Fitzgerald have agreed to a new contract that runs through the 2030 season. The 46-year-old Fitzgerald is by far the program's winningest coach with a 106-81 record since he took over at his alma mater in 2006.
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