Al Horford finished with 17 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists in the Celtics' second win in as many nights, 118-110 against the Pistons. Gordon Hayward contributed 18 points, eight assists and five rebounds in his first start since Dec. 21. Boston won for the seventh time in nine games and ended Detroit's four-game winning streak.
D'Angelo Russell provided 14 of his 36 points in the third overtime to send the Nets past the Cavaliers, 148-139. Joe Harris scored 25 points and DeMarre Carroll had 18, including a desperation 3-pointer at the horn to force the third OT. The Nets are 30-29 and over .500 at the All-Star break for the first time since 2013.
Philadelphia bounced back from Tuesday's loss to Boston as Joel Embiid furnished 26 points and 14 rebounds in a 126-111 verdict over the Knicks. Tobias Harris scored 25 points and Ben Simmons had 18 for the 76ers, who scored eight straight points in the third quarter to open an 88-62 advantage. Allonzo Trier scored 19 points and fellow rookie Mitchell Robinson had 14 with 13 rebounds, but New York still extended its team-record losing streak to 18 games.
Checking out Wednesday's other NBA action, the Bucks have their longest road winning streak in 34 years following a triple-double from their All-Star forward. Giannis Antetokounmpo delivered 33 points, 19 rebounds and 11 assists as the Bucks picked up their seventh consecutive road victory, 106-97 over the Pacers. Indiana led by 10 until the three-time All-Star scored 12 points during a 30-11, game-ending run. Malcolm Brogdon chipped in 17 points and Khris Middleton added 15 in Milwaukee's eighth win in nine games overall, and the 14th in their last 16 games. The Pacers ended a six-game winning streak and fell 5 ½ games behind the Central Division-leading Bucks. Bojan Bogdanovic scored 20 points and Darren Collison added 14 to lead Indiana.
The Raptors rolled to their sixth straight win as Pascal Siakam scored a career-high 44 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead a 129-120 victory over the Wizards. OG Anunoby scored a career-best 22 points to help Toronto stay 1 ½ games behind Milwaukee for the league's top record. Serge Ibaka had 10 points and 13 rebounds, and Kyle Lowry had 14 points and 13 assists as the Raptors came back from 12 down to beat Washington for the fifth straight time.
Damian Lillard scored 29 points and the Trail Blazers snapped the Warriors' five-game winning streak by whipping the two-time defending champs, 129-107. Jake Layman added 17 points off the bench for the Blazers, who had eight players in double figures. Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry each had 32 points for Golden State, but Klay Thompson shot just 2-for-16 in scoring nine points.
Nikola Jokic finished with 20 points, 18 rebounds and 11 assists for his 28th career triple-double in leading the Nuggets to a 120-118 triumph over the Kings. Jokic tipped in a basket with less than a second remaining to complete Denver's comeback from a 17-point, first-half deficit. Paul Millsap matched a season high with 25 points and Isaiah Thomas hit two big 3-pointers in his long-awaited Nuggets debut.
Jeff Teague scored 27 points and the Timberwolves overcame James Harden's 42 points to beat the Rockets, 121-111. Karl-Anthony Towns had 25 for Minnesota which went on an 18-2 run in the third quarter to go ahead to stay. Harden had his 31st consecutive game with 30 or more points, tying Wilt Chamberlain for the second-longest streak in league history.
The Clippers clobbered the Suns, 134-107 as Lou Williams scored 30 points and Danilo Gallinari added 20. Montrezl Harrell scored 14 of his 19 points in the first half, and Ivan Zubac scored 16 for Los Angeles. Phoenix has lost 15 straight, tying a franchise mark set late last season.
Dwyane Wade scored 22 points in helping the Heat beat the Mavericks 112-101. Josh Richardson scored 14 points and Dion Waiters had 20 for the Mavericks, who outscored the Mavericks 32-16 in the third quarter and led by as many as 21 points in the fourth.
Otto Porter Jr. scored a career-high 37 points on 16-for-20 shooting, and Robin Lopez added a season-high 25 points in the Bulls' 122-110 win over the Grizzlies. Lauri Markkanen added 21 points as Chicago ended a franchise-record 11-game home losing streak.
In NBA news, 76ers center Joel Embiid has been fined $25,000 by the NBA for public criticism of referees that included profanity. Embiid's comments came at the end of his postgame interview following Philadelphia's 112-109 home loss to Boston on Tuesday.
Center Enes Kanter has joined the Trail Blazers after he and Wesley Matthews were waived by the New York Knicks following the trade deadline last week. Kenter averaged 14 points and 10.8 rebounds in 115 games for the Knicks over two seasons. He had become frustrated after first losing his starting spot and then all playing time in recent weeks.
The Grizzlies have signed forward Bruno Caboclo to a multi-year package following a pair of 10-day contracts. Caboclo has started one of his 10 games played for Memphis, averaging 6.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.40 blocks in 21.1 minutes.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
In men's basketball, UMass-Lowell nipped UAlbany, 86-54, Iona topped Siena, 57-52, Vermont whipped New Hampshire, 73-44, and Hartford defeated Maine, 81-73.
In women's basketball, UAlbany beat UMass-Lowell, 56-53, Vermont edged New Hampshire, 51-50, and Maine downed Hartford, 78-58.
In top-25 basketball, top-ranked Tennessee has extended its school-record winning streak and improved to 11-0 in the SEC for the first time. Admiral Schofield had 21 points and 10 rebounds as the Volunteers notched their 19th consecutive victory, 85-73 against South Carolina. Jordan Bowden scored 16 points for Tennessee, while teammate Grant Williams had eight points, nine rebounds and seven assists. The Vols are 23-1 this season and owners of the longest win streak in Division I men's basketball. The Gamecocks made a season-high 14 3-point baskets and shot 61 percent from beyond the arc but couldn't slow Tennessee's high-powered offense.
In other top-25 finals, Eric Paschall had 25 points on 10- of 12 shooting as No. 13 Villanova earned its ninth consecutive home win, 85-67 against Providence. Phil Booth added 22 points and Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree added 12 with seven rebounds in the Wildcats' 20th win of the season.
No. 15 Texas Tech crushed Oklahoma State, 78-50 behind Jarrett Culver's 19 points. Matt Mooney scored 15 points and Tariq Owens added 11 as the 20-5 Red Raiders won for the fifth time in six games. Texas Tech shot 9 for 14 from 3-point range in the first half to take a 44-23 lead into the break.
Senior Christ Koumadje recorded his first career double-double by scoring 20 points and pulling down a career-high 12 rebounds to highlight 17th-ranked Florida's State's 88-66 drubbing of Wake Forest. Phil Cofer scored 13 points and Mfiondu Kabengele had nine points and seven rebounds in the Seminoles' most lopsided ACC win this season.
Ty Outlaw nailed six 3-pointers and scored 20 points as No. 22 Virginia Tech defeated Georgia Tech, 76-68. Kerry Blackshear Jr. and Nickeil Alexander-Walker each scored 16 points for the Hokies, who trailed by three at intermission before stopping a two-game skid.
NHL
The Pittsburgh Penguins have moved into a third-place tie with Columbus in the Metropolitan Division by beating Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers. Matt Murray robbed Connor McDavid on a penalty shot for one of his 38 saves in the Pens, 3-1 win over the Oilers. His acrobatic stop on McDavid late in the second period protected a Pittsburgh lead before the Penguins held on to sweep the season series. Murray was playing two nights after making 50 saves in a 4-1 victory at Philadelphia. Bryan Rust, Teddy Blueger and Jared McCann all scored as Pittsburgh picked up two vital points despite playing without suspended center Evgeni Malkin, who served a one-game suspension for an illegal high stick in Monday's win over the Flyers. The Pens are within five points of the division-leading Islanders.
Elsewhere on NHL ice, Kevin Boyle made 35 saves in his first career start to backstop the Ducks' 1-0 win over the Canucks in general manager Bob Murray's first game as Anaheim's interim coach. Jakob Silfverberg scored to help the Ducks end a seven-game losing streak.
MLB
Philadelphia Phillies ace Aaron Nola is now locked into a contract through 2022. Nola and the Phils have avoided a salary arbitration hearing by working out a four-year, $45 million contract that includes a $16 million team option for 2023 with a $4.25 million buyout. The 25-year-old right-hander set career bests last year when he was a first-time All-Star, going 17-6 with a 2.37 ERA. Nola would have been eligible for free agency after the 2021 season.
In other MLB news, major leaguers are 6-3 in arbitration this year following Wednesday's victories by Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer, Astros hurler Gerrit Cole and Reds left-hander Alex Wood. Bauer was awarded $13 million, Cole was given and $13.5 million package and Wood came away with a $9.65 million deal. Players are now ensured a winning arbitration record in consecutive years for the first time since 1989-90.
Catcher Caleb Joseph has accepted a one-year deal with the Diamondbacks after hitting .219 with three homers and 17 RBIs in 280 plate appearances for the Orioles last year. Joseph will make $1.1 million in the majors this season, or $250,000 in the minors.
The Nationals have dealt reliever Trevor Gott to the Giants for cash, one day after designating him for assignment to make roster room for Jeremy Hellickson. Gott went 0-2 with a 5.68 ERA in 20 appearances totaling 19 innings for the 2018 Nationals.
Left-hander Brett Anderson is back with the Athletics for a third stint 10 years after breaking into the big leagues with the club. He received a $1.5 million, one-year contract, announced at spring training.
NFL
The Denver Broncos have a new starting quarterback, and he's a one-time Super Bowl winner. A person with knowledge of the deal tells The Associated Press that the Broncos have agreed to acquire Joe Flacco from the Ravens for a fourth-round pick in this year's draft. The 34-year-old Flacco spent his first 11 seasons with Baltimore, playing all 16 regular-season games nine times. He started the Ravens' first nine games last season, completing 61.2 percent of his passes for 2,465 yards, 12 touchdowns and six interceptions. The MVP of the 2013 Super Bowl became expendable in Baltimore with the emergence of rookie Lamar Jackson. The trade also makes Case Keenum expendable after just one season in Denver. Keenum led the Broncos to a 6-10 record last season, throwing for 3,890 yards, 18 TDs and 15 interceptions.
In other NFL news, Jaguars kicker Josh Lambo has signed a four-year contract extension instead of testing the free agent market. Lambo owns the franchise record for consecutive made field goals, converting 24 straight between Nov. 19, 2017 and Nov. 11, 2018. He made 19 of 21 field goals last year and became the first in Jaguars history to post consecutive seasons with a field goal rate of at least 90 percent.
Defensive end Steven Means has signed a one-year contract extension with the Falcons after making four starts in 2018. Means had one sack and 14 tackles in eight games last season, his first with Atlanta.
The 49ers have released offensive lineman Garry Gilliam, who played in 24 games with one start in two seasons with San Francisco.
The Detroit Lions have re-signed long snapper Don Muhlbach, keeping him on the roster for a 16th season.
ALBANY EMPIRE
The Albany Empire will begin its second Arena Football League season on April 27, with a home game against Columbus. The league announced a season schedule Wednesday, as well as some minor rule changes to increase game speed.
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