The Toronto Raptors are an NBA-best 26-10 after rallying from a 14-point halftime deficit.
Danny Green's 3-pointer with 22.7 seconds left put the Raptors ahead for good in a 106-104 triumph over the Heat at Miami. Green had 18 points for the Raptors, who survived a wild fourth quarter that saw 13 lead changes and three ties.
Kawhi Leonard poured in 30 points and Fred VanVleet added 16 as Toronto ended the Heat's five-game winning streak. Justise Winslow finished with 21 points for Miami.
The Pacers made it 10 wins in their last 12 games as Thaddeus Young scored 21 points in a 129-121 victory in Atlanta. Domantas Sabonis and Tyreke Evans each added 19 to help Indiana overcome Kent Bazemore, who tied a career high with 32 points.
Detroit won for just the third time in 12 games as Blake Griffin had 23 points and nine rebounds in the Pistons' 106-95 victory over the Wizards. Langston Galloway scored 22 points off the bench, and Andre Drummond added 16 points and 11 boards in his 10th consecutive double-double.
Derrick Rose had 24 points and eight assists against his former team as part of the Timberwolves' 119-94 rout of the Bulls in Chicago. Karl-Anthony Towns had 20 points and 20 rebounds as Minnesota win its second straight on the road.
DeMar DeRozan had 30 points and LaMarcus Aldridge provided 27 as the Spurs earned a 111-103 win over the Nuggets to move into a virtual tie with Houston for the Southwest Division lead. Bryn Forbes added 15 points in San Antonio's eighth victory in 10 games.
The Clippers nearly squandered a 27-point lead before holding off the hard-charging Kings 127-118. Lou Williams scored 24 points, Montrezl Harrell added 22 for Los Angeles.
The Mavericks' six-game losing streak is over after Luka Doncic scored 21 points, including the tiebreaking free throws with 30 seconds left in a 122-119 win against the Pelicans. Dallas center DeAndre Jordan had 20 points on 7-of-7 shooting and 12 rebounds for his 22nd double-double.
Marc Gasol's 20 points, nine rebounds and six assists carried the Grizzlies past the Cavaliers 95-87. Mike Conley contributed 15 points and eight assists for Memphis, which held on after a 16-point, fourth-quarter lead shrank to four with 1:19 remaining.
Joe Harris made the tiebreaking layup with 3.4 seconds left in double-overtime to push the Nets to their ninth win in 10 games, 134-132. Harris finished with a season-high 27 points and Spencer Dinwiddie had 37 points and 11 assists for Brooklyn.
Devin Booker scored 35 points and T.J. Warren added 24 in the Suns' fifth win in seven games, 122-120 in overtime at Orlando. Kelly Oubre Jr. had 19 points and Josh Jackson chipped in 10 as Phoenix dealt the Magic their fourth consecutive loss.
The NBA had its most-watched Christmas schedule since 2011, with 10.2 million viewers tuning in for the Lakers' victory over Golden State. ESPN says the audience for that game was its fifth-largest for one on Christmas. The five games Tuesday averaged 5.8 million viewers, an increase of 14 percent from last year.
COLLEGE BOWL
Minnesota ends the season with a winning record after winning their bowl game. Mohamed Ibrahim ran for career-high 224 yards and two touchdowns as the Golden Gophers silenced Georgia Tech, 34-10 in the Quick Lane Bowl at Detroit. Ibrahim's three-yard TD put Minnesota ahead, 20-3 midway through the third quarter.
The Gophers limited Georgia Tech to 206 yards on the ground after it led the nation with 335 yards rushing per game. In Wednesday's other bowl games, Jonathan Song kicked a 27-yard field goal in overtime to send TCU past California, 10-7 in the Cheez-It Bowl at Phoenix. Song came through after he was replaced by Cole Bunce on a potential game-winning field goal at the end of regulation, a 44-yard kick that was missed. Sewo Olonilua ran for 194 yards and a touchdown for the Horned Frogs.
The First Responder Bowl had to be canceled due to the threat of severe weather after a delay of nearly 90 minutes. Boston College was leading Boise State 7-0 with 5:08 remaining in the first quarter when play was stopped. The delay came not long after AJ Dillon ran 19 yards for a touchdown. NCAA spokesman J.D. Hamilton said via email that it was believed to be the first bowl canceled by weather.
Oklahoma quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray has missed his scheduled media availability at the Orange Bowl because of what the team says is an illness. Murray was able to practice with the Sooners on Tuesday, and the nature of his illness was not disclosed. However, there doesn't seem to be much concern about him missing time.
Brandon Wimbush is practicing with Notre Dame to be the No. 2 quarterback for the third-ranked Fighting Irish in the Cotton Bowl amid questions about his future with the team after the College Football Playoff. Several media reports say Wimbush has notified Notre Dame that he intends to transfer. The senior already has a degree and could transfer to another school and play immediately as a graduate transfer.
No. 2 Clemson is preparing to play without star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence when it faces No. 3 Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl on Saturday. Lawrence and two teammates failed an NCAA test for performance-enhancing drugs.
Michigan right tackle Juwann Bushell-Beatty has become the Wolverines' fourth draft-eligible player to pull out of the Peach Bowl against Florida. The fifth-year senior didn't travel with the team to Atlanta and joins running back Karan Higdon, defensive end Rashan Gary and linebacker Devin Bush Jr. among the Wolverines who are missing the game.
NFL
Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota says he's doing everything in his power to start Sunday night's important game against the Indianapolis Colts. Mariota did not practice Wednesday with what the Titans listed as neck and foot injuries. He declined to detail what symptoms he's still dealing with after being hurt on a sack late in the first half of Tennessee's win over Washington last Saturday. The winner will earn at least an AFC wild-card berth. The AFC South title would be up for grabs if the Texans lose to Jacksonville.
Jaguars coach Doug Marrone says Blake Bortles will start the season finale at Houston, giving the embattled quarterback a chance to close out the season on a positive note. Bortles came off the bench at Miami last Sunday and led Jacksonville to the go-ahead score in a 17-7 victory.
The Panthers have placed quarterback Taylor Heinicke on injured reserve with an elbow injury. Kyle Allen is expected to start this Sunday against the Saints with Carolina eliminated from the playoffs.
Jets cornerback Trumaine Johnson was held out of practice for what coach Todd Bowles calls "an in-house matter." Both Bowles and Johnson declined after practice to discuss details of their conversation, saying only that it was between them.
NHL
Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba is expected to be out at least three months following surgery to repair a ruptured right pectoral muscle.
Dumba hasn't played since the first period of the Wild's 2-1 loss to the Flames on Dec. 15. He leads all NHL blueliners with 12 goals and has 22 points in 32 games.
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