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NBA-SCHEDULE
Warriors hand Pacers rare home loss...4 straight for Spurs
UNDATED (AP) — LeBron James has followed his career-high 61 points in Monday's win over Charlotte by scoring just 22 in a loss at Houston.
Dwight Howard had 22 points and 16 rebounds as the Rockets downed Miami 106-103, ending the Heat's eight-game winning streak. James Harden added 21 points for the Rockets, who blew a 13-point, fourth-quarter lead before an 11-2 run put them ahead 104-95.
James scored just three points in the second half and missed a desperation 3-point attempt at the buzzer that would have tied it.
Dwyane (dwayn) Wade and Michael Beasley each had 24 points for the Heat, who remain two games behind the Eastern Conference-leading Indiana Pacers.
Golden State blew a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter before handing the Indiana Pacers just their fourth home loss of the season. The Pacers went on a game-tying, 12-0 run just before Klay Thompson hit a jumper with 0.6 seconds left to bail out the Warriors in a 98-96 triumph at Indiana. Thompson scored 16 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter to send Golden State to its fifth victory in six games.
In other NBA action:
— Russell Westbrook had a triple-double in 21 minutes and Kevin Durant scored 42 points to help the Oklahoma City Thunder rip Philadelphia 125-92 and keep the Western Conference leaders 1 1/2-games ahead of San Antonio. Westbrook finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists as the Thunder earned their third straight win while dealing the 76ers their 15th consecutive loss.
— Danny Green scored 24 points and Kawhi (kah-WY') Leonard added 18 as the Spurs won their fourth in a row, 122-101 at Cleveland. Patty Mills and Boris Diaw (DEE'-ow) each had 16 points to help San Antonio compensate for a poor offensive display by Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, who combined for only 14 points.
— The Los Angeles Clippers have a five-game winning streak after Matt Barnes scored 18 of his season-high 28 points in the third quarter of a 104-96 win at Phoenix. Blake Griffin added 22 points as the Pacific Division leaders kept their 4 1/2-game lead over the Warriors.
NBA-CELTICS/WALLACE
Boston's Wallace out for season
BOSTON (AP) — Boston Celtics forward Gerald Wallace is sidelined for the rest of the season after undergoing arthroscopic surgeries on his left knee and left ankle.
Wallace played in 58 games in his first season with the Celtics, averaging five points and 3.7 rebounds before the operations on Tuesday.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL-TOP 25 SCHEDULE
Orange fall again
UNDATED (AP) — Two weeks ago the Syracuse Orange were ranked No. 1 in The Associated Press men's basketball poll and were one of two unbeaten teams in Division I. The Orange have dropped four of five since, including Tuesday's shocking 67-62 home loss to Georgia Tech on Senior Night in Syracuse.
Trae Golden scored 16 points and Daniel Miller added 15 for the Yellow Jackets, who entered the game 4-12 in the ACC before topping the seventh-ranked Orange. Golden hit six clutch free throws in the closing seconds to wrap up the win.
C.J. Fair matched a career high with 28 points in his final home game. Tyler Ennis finished with 18 points and seven assists for the Orange, who dropped to 26-4 overall and 13-4 in the conference.
Also in top-25 hoops:
— Michael Frazier II set a Florida record with 11 3-pointers and finished with a career-high 37 points as the top-ranked Gators crushed South Carolina 72-46. The Gators earned their school-record 22nd straight victory and have a chance to become the first team besides Kentucky to finish undefeated in SEC play since Alabama went 14-0 in 1956.
— No. 12 Michigan wrapped up its first outright Big Ten title in 28 years as Nik Stauskas dropped in 24 points to lead the Wolverines' 84-53 rout of Illinois. The Wolverines hit five straight 3-pointers midway through the first half and led by 22 at intermission.
— NCAA scoring leader Doug McDermott scored 16 of his 22 points in the second half, but D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera had 18 points and a career-high 12 rebounds to lead Georgetown's 75-63 upset of 13th-ranked Creighton. Markel Starks added 17 points and a career-best 11 assists to help the Hoyas hand the Bluejays their second straight loss.
— Baylor got a much-needed boost to its NCAA tournament hopes with a 74-61 victory over No. 16 Iowa State. Brady Heslip hit five 3-pointers and scored 18 points, while the Bears held Big 12 leading scorer Melvin Ejim (EH'-jim) to six points.
— Julius Randle had 12 points and 11 rebounds as No. 25 Kentucky rallied past Alabama 55-48.
NHL-SCHEDULE
Krejci's trick leads B's
UNDATED (AP) — Ryan Miller made his St. Louis Blues home debut and helped his new team pull within three points of the Western Conference-leading Anaheim Ducks.
Miller spotted Tampa Bay a 2-0 lead before playing shutout goal over the last 45 minutes of the Blues' 4-2 comeback win against the Lightning. T.J. Oshie (OH'-shee) tied it with a short-handed goal in the second period before setting up Alexander Steen's game-winner early in the third.
Chicago fell two points behind the Blues and remains five in back of Anaheim after losing 4-2 to Colorado. Tyson Barrie scored a tiebreaking power-play goal with 7:10 left in the third period as the Avalanche reached the 40-victory mark faster than any team in franchise history. They also improved to 3-1 against the Blackhawks this season and moved within one point of the Stanley Cup champions for second in the Central Division.
Pittsburgh still tops the East by three points over Boston following wins by the Penguins and Bruins.
Matt Niskanen's second goal of the night was the game-winner as Pittsburgh downed Nashville 3-1 to end a three-game losing streak. Sidney Crosby assisted on all three goals against Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne (PEK'-uh REE'-nay), who was playing his first game since Oct. 22 following an E. coli infection in his surgically repaired left hip.
David Krejci (KRAY'-chee) recorded a hat trick and Jarome Iginla (ih-GIHN'-luh) also tallied as the Bruins whipped Florida 4-1. Krejci scored in each period while Boston fired 39 shots at former teammate Tim Thomas.
Elsewhere on ice:
— Columbus moved into a seventh-place tie with the New York Rangers in the East by downing Dallas 4-2. Artem Anisimov (ah-NEE'-see-mahv) scored twice and Sergei Bobrovsky (boh-BRAHF'-skee) handled 31 shots as the Blue Jackets won their third straight and improved to 14-5-1 in their last 20 games.
— New Jersey beat Detroit 4-3 on Stephen Gionta's (jee-AHN'-tahz) tiebreaking goal with under 37 seconds left. Martin Brodeur (broh-DOOR') made 20 saves in what could have been his final game with the Devils. Brodeur has been the subject of trade rumors leading up to Wednesday's NHL dealing deadline.
— Michael Grabner scored at 3:53 of overtime to lift the New York Islanders past the Jets 3-2 in Winnipeg. Anders Lee had a goal and an assist for the Isles, who dropped the Jets to 11-4-1 in their last 16 games.
— Antoine Vermette scored late in the first period and Mike Smith stopped 23 shots to highlight the Coyotes' 1-0 whitewash of slumping Vancouver. Smith posted his 27th career shutout and sent the Canucks to their ninth loss in 10 games.
— Edmonton's Ales (AL'-ehsh) Hemsky scored twice in a 3-2 verdict over Ottawa. Ben Scrivens stopped 34 shots in the victory.
NHL-TRADES
Several moves on eve of trade deadline
UNDATED (AP) — The NHL trade deadline isn't until Wednesday afternoon, but several teams got a jump on the rest. One of the busiest clubs was the Anaheim Ducks as they try to wrap up the Presidents' Trophy and home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs.
The Ducks acquired defenseman Stephane Robidas (ROH'-bih-dah) from Dallas for a conditional fourth-round pick in this year's draft. Anaheim also sent forward Dustin Penner to Washington for a fourth-round pick and shipped goaltender Viktor Fasth (fahst) to Edmonton for a fifth-round pick in 2014 and a third-round pick in 2015.
The day's biggest shocker was pulled off by the Vancouver Canucks, who sent goaltender Roberto Luongo (loo-AHN'-goh) back to Florida. The Panthers also received forward Steven Anthony and shipped goalie Jacob Markstrom and forward Shawn Mattias (mah-TEE'-uhs) to the Canucks.
In other NHL trades ahead of Wednesday's trade deadline:
— The Minnesota Wild have acquired goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov (IHL'-yuh brihs-GAH'-lahf) from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick.
— The New York Islanders have jettisoned veteran defenseman Andrew MacDonald to the Philadelphia Flyers for a third-round pick in this year's draft, a 2015 second-round choice and minor league center Matt Mangene (man-JEEN').
— The Coyotes have picked up forwards Martin Erat (EE'-rat) and John Mitchell from the Capitals for forward Chris Brown, defenseman Rostislav Klesla (RAHS'-tih-slahv KLEHS'-lah) and a fourth-round selection in the 2015 draft.
— The Chicago Blackhawks have acquired defensemen David Rundblad and Mathieu Brisebois (BREEZ'-bwah) from Phoenix for a second-round selection in this year's draft.
MLB-ORIOLES
Santana to Orioles
SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) — Two-time AL Cy Young Award winner Johan (YOH'-hahn) Santana has agreed to a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles. The 34-year old is trying to come back from a second major operation on his left shoulder. Santana became a free agent after completing a $137.5 million, six-year contract with the New York Mets, who declined a $25 million option and paid a $5.5 million buyout.
Santana is 139-78 in 12 big league seasons with the Twins and Mets. He missed the 2011 season following shoulder surgery September 2010, returned to pitch the Mets' first no-hitter in 2012 and missed last season following another shoulder procedure.
NFL-PANTHERS
Report: Hardy tapped with franchise tag
UNDATED (AP) — A person familiar with the situation says Pro Bowl defensive end Greg Hardy has signed his franchise tag tender with the Carolina Panthers.
Hardy said in January he'd have no issue if the team used the franchise tag to keep him. He will make $13.1 million next season if he doesn't sign a long-term extension before July 15.
Hardy had 15 sacks last season, tying a franchise record established by Kevin Greene in 1996.
Also in the NFL:
— The Philadelphia Eagles have released wide receiver Jason Avant, who played his first eight NFL seasons in Philadelphia and ranks 11th in team history with 297 receptions for 3,646 yards and 12 touchdowns.
— The Atlanta Falcons have re-signed Corey Peters to a one-year contract.
— A person with knowledge of the decision has confirmed that the Minnesota Vikings have decided to release veteran John Carlson.
— Running back Jason Snelling has retired after seven NFL seasons spent entirely with Atlanta.
AUTO RACING
Busch will attempt rare feat
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kurt Busch and Andretti (an-DREHT'-ee) Autosport have announced that Busch will try to become the first driver in 10 years to drive in the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day.
Only John Andretti, Tony Stewart and Robby Gordon have attempted the grueling, 1,100-mile "double," and no driver has tried since Gordon in 2004.
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