The Nets shot an NBA season-low 26.9% in a 94-82 loss to the lowly Knicks. Julius Randle had 33 points and eight rebounds as the Knicks ended a three-game losing streak. Marcus Morris added 22 points and eight rebounds in New York's first win in three meetings with the Nets this season. Spencer Dinwiddie scored 25 points but was only 5 for 15 for Brooklyn.
Luka Doncic returned to the Dallas Mavericks' lineup after missing four straight games with a sprained right ankle. Doncic showed little rust while coming two assists shy of a triple-double in the Mavericks' 102-98 win over the Spurs. The NBA's reigning Rookie of the Year shot just 9 of 23 but finished with a team-high 24 points and 10 rebounds. Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 17 points, while Kristaps Porzingis and Dorian Finney-Smith had 13 apiece to help the Mavericks pull within a half-game of the Southwest Division-leading Houston Rockets. The Spurs scored the game's final 13 points before falling. DeMar DeRozan scored 16 of his team-high 21 points in the second half, while teammate Rudy Gay scored 18 for San Antonio.
Donovan Mitchell delivered 28 of his 35 points in the second half to power the Jazz past the Trail Blazers, 121-115. Rudy Gobert forced Carmelo Anthony into an air ball with 22.4 seconds remaining and blocked Damon Lillard's driving shot with 5.2 seconds left to quell the Trail Blazers' furious fourth-quarter rally. Gobert had 16 points and 15 rebounds for Utah.
Jonas Valanciunas scored 21 points and Jaren Jackson Jr. added 20 in the Grizzlies' 110-97 victory over the Thunder. Valanciunas went 9 of 11 from the field and fueled an 8-0 run early in the fourth quarter that essentially put the game away. Tyus Jones added 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting for Memphis.
Christian Wood scored 22 points to lead eight Pistons who reached double-figures in points during a 132-102 pounding of the Wizards. Blake Griffin had 14 points and a season-high 11 rebounds, while Andre Drummond added 14 points and 10 boards. Pistons coach Dwane Casey was able to use the lopsided margin to rest his key players, including sitting Griffin for the fourth quarter.
Gorgui Dieng had 21 points and 15 rebounds as the Timberwolves knocked off the Kings, 105-104 to end an 11-game losing streak. Andrew Wiggins furnished the first basket of the second OT and finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Minnesota hadn't won since Nov. 27 before limiting Sacramento to 11 points in the fourth quarter and then outlasting the Kings in two overtimes.
In NBA news, Pistons guard Luke Kennard is expected to be out of the lineup for two weeks because of knee tendinitis. The team says Kennard will be evaluated again before returning to play in early January. The third-year pro is averaging nearly 16 points per game. He's tied with Blake Griffin and trailing only Andre Drummond in scoring on the team.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Louisiana Tech has pulled off the first shutout in the 44-game history of the Independence Bowl. J.Mar Smith threw for a second-quarter touchdown and added an eight-yard scoring run with 1:15 left to help the Bulldogs beat Miami, 14-0 in Shreveport, La. Bulldogs running back Justin Henderson was selected the Most Outstanding Offensive Player after rushing for 95 yards on 22 carries. Louisiana Tech hit double-digit victories for the first time since 1984 and ran its postseason winning streak to six. Miami completed its second losing season in 12 years.
In Thursday's other bowl game, Kenny Pickett threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Taysir Mack with 47 seconds left to send Pittsburgh to a 34-30 victory over Eastern Michigan in the Quick Lane Bowl. Pickett completed 27 of 39 passes for 361 yards and three scores, including a school-record, 96-yard TD pass to Maurice Ffrench. Ffrench finished with 12 catches for 165 yards, most of which came on the tying score in the second quarter.
There is more evidence that running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire may be a long shot to play for No. 1 LSU in the Peach Bowl playoff semifinal against No. 4 Oklahoma. Edwards-Helaire has missed practice this week with a hamstring injury. He did not join his teammates at Thursday's media day event and was not seen in the portion of the session that was open to reporters. Coach Ed Orgeron says the junior was receiving treatment. Orgeron hasn't given up hope that Edwards-Helaire could be cleared to play.
Washington quarterback Jacob Eason is skipping his final year of college to enter the NFL draft. Eason started 13 games for Washington last season after beginning his college career at Georgia and transferring following his sophomore season. He threw for 3,132 yards and 23 touchdowns for the Huskies this year.
Michigan defensive end Kwity Paye has decided to return for his senior season. Paye led the Wolverines with 12 1/2 tackles for losses and was second on the team with 6 1/2 sacks during the regular season.
NFL
Jarvis Landry has been plagued by hip pain since the Browns reported to training camp in late July. The Pro Bowl wide receiver revealed the origin of his injury Thursday. Landry said he was diagnosed with a fractured bone at the base of his spine early in the summer, limiting his practice time throughout this season and potentially requiring surgery to correct the problem. The 27-year-old says it started with a fractured sacrum and "started going bad." The sacrum consists of two vertebrae that form a large triangular bone at the bottom of the spine. Fractures are typically accompanied by significant hip, back or groin pain. Landry has played in all 15 games, leading the team with 81 receptions, 1,092 yards receiving and five touchdown catches. He earned his fifth Pro Bowl selection in six seasons.
Pro Bowl running back Derrick Henry says he is definitely ready and will play against the Houston Texans with an NFL playoff berth on the line for the Tennessee Titans. The Titans sat Henry last week against New Orleans and need only a win in Sunday's regular season finale to clinch the franchise's second playoff berth in three seasons. Henry ranks third in the NFL in rushing with 1,329 yards and also is tied for third in the league with 13 rushing touchdowns.
Falcons rookie cornerback Jordan Miller has received a four-game suspension without pay for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances. The fifth-round draft pick out of Washington will miss the season finale Sunday at Tampa Bay and the first three games of 2020.
A Tennessee man is being held without bond in the stabbing deaths of two men outside a Nashville bar -- including the brother of NFL quarterback C.J. Beathard of the San Francisco 49ers. Michael Mosley is charged in the deaths of Clayton Beathard and Paul Trapeni and the wounding of a third man in an altercation early Saturday. According to The Tennessean newspaper, Beathard was attending Long Island University, where he was the quarterback for the football team and majoring in Sports Management.
NHL
Chicago Blackhawks defensemen Brent Seabrook and Calvin de Haan are scheduled for season-ending right shoulder surgeries on Friday. The 34-year-old Seabrook also will have surgery on his right hip in January and left hip in February. He is under contract through the 2023-24 season at an average annual value of $6,875,000. The last-place Blackhawks placed Seabrook and de Haan on long-term injured reserve, freeing up significant space under the salary cap.
WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
Arizona Coyotes forward Barrett Hayton scored twice to help Canada beat the United States, 6-4 in their Group B opener at the world junior hockey championship. Alexis Lafreniere gave Canada a 5-4 lead with 3:11 left, just seven seconds after Shane Pinto tied it for the U.S. Pinto had two goals for the Americans, who advanced to last year's final.
AP FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Gymnast Simone Biles is the 2019 AP Female Athlete of the Year. The reigning world and Olympic champion edged U.S. women's soccer star Megan Rapinoe for the honor in a vote among AP member sports editors and AP beat writers. The 22-year-old is the first gymnast to win the award twice and the first to do it in a non-Olympic year. She was named the Athlete of the Year in 2016 after winning four gold medals at the Rio Olympics.
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