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NBA-SCHEDULE
Celtics dump Nuggets
UNDATED (AP) — The Boston Celtics remain perfect at home. In fact, no Boston professional sports team has dropped a home game in regulation since the Red Sox against the Orioles on Sept. 28.
Jayson Tatum delivered 26 points and the Celtics improved to 9-0 at their home arena by downing the Nuggets, 108-95. Jaylen Brown added 21 points and Kemba Walker finished with 19 for the Celtics, who won for the fifth time in six games overall and avenged their loss to the Nuggets last month.
Boston made the first two baskets of the game and never trailed, leading by as many as 10 points in the first quarter and 15 in the second.
Nikola Jokic (nee-KOH'-lah YOH'-kihch) had 30 points and 10 rebounds for Denver, which has lost three of its last four games.
Checking out Friday's other NBA action:
— Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH'-nihs an-teh-toh-KOON'-poh) furnished 27 points and 11 rebounds for his 21st double-double of the season to lead the Bucks to their 14th straight victory, a 119-91 rout of the Clippers. Khris Middleton added 17 points and Pat Connaughton and Ersan İlyasova each scored 13 off the bench for Milwaukee, which led by as many as 41 before improving to 20-3.
— The Lakers share the league's best record with the Bucks after Anthony Davis and LeBron James combined for 70 points in a 136-113 blowout over the Trail Blazers. Davis contributed 39 points and nine rebounds, while James had 31 points, eight assists and seven boards.
— Jimmy Butler recorded his second triple-double of the week by contributing 28 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds in the Heat's 112-103 victory over the Wizards. Bam Adebayo had a career-high 24 points and Miami improved to 9-0 at home for the first time in franchise history.
— Blake Griffin scored 25 points and hit a tiebreaking, 3-pointer with 41 seconds left to help the Pistons hand the Pacers just their second loss in nine games, 108-101. Andre Drummond had 25 points and 22 rebounds for the Pistons, who are 7-5 at home but just 2-9 on the road.
— Joe Harris scored 22 points and Brooklyn won for the fifth time in its last six road games by downing the Hornets, 111-104. DeAndre Jordan had 16 points and 13 rebounds for the 12-10 Nets, while Jarrett Allen added 14 points and 10 boards.
— The Spurs rallied from nine points down in the final 1:50 of regulation before beating the Kings, 105-104 in overtime. LaMarcus Aldridge returned from a two-game injury absence to score 19 points and 13 rebounds for San Antonio.
— The Magic picked up their fourth straight win as Terrence Ross scored 21 points and Evan Fournier added 18 in their 93-87 win over the Cavaliers. Aaron Gordon had a big dunk in the final 20 seconds to help Orlando reach .500 for the first time this season.
— Chris Paul provided a season-high 30 points and the Thunder outscored the Timberwolves, 17-5 in overtime to pull out a 139-127 victory. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 29 points and Dennis Schroder (SHROO'-dur) added 25, including a buzzer-beating layup at the end of regulation.
— Glenn Robinson III scored the go-ahead basket with 63 seconds remaining and finished with 20 points as the Warriors swept the two-game season series with the Bulls, 100-98. Alec Burks added 14 points in Golden State's second win in nine games, both against Chicago.
NBA-NEWS
Fizdale dismissed
UNDATED (AP) — The New York Knicks are making a coaching change after posting the NBA's worst winning percentage through Friday's action.
The Knicks have fired David Fizdale following consecutive losses of 44 and 37 points. Fizdale ran practice earlier Friday before being let go, along with assistant Keith Smart. Assistant Mike Miller will serve as interim head coach, inheriting a team with a 4-18 record.
New York has lost eight straight games and is on pace for their worst season in team history. The Knicks went 17-65 last season to match their worst record.
Also in the NBA:
— The Trail Blazers have given forward Carmelo Anthony a fully guaranteed contract for the remainder of the season, less than a month after he was signed to a non-guaranteed deal. Anthony has meshed well with the Blazers after not playing for more than a year, averaging 16.9 points and 5.9 rebounds. The 10-time NBA All-Star was named Western Conference Player of the Week after he averaged 22.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists over Portland's three-game winning streak last week.
— Referee Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling became the first mother to officiate a league game when she took the court for Friday's Bulls-Warriors game. It's her first game since giving birth to daughter Stoan earlier this year.
T25 MEN'S BASKETBALL-SCHEDULE
Wolverines win conference opener
UNDATED (AP) — The fourth-ranked Michigan Wolverines have rebounded from a lopsided loss to Louisville by winning their Big Ten opener.
Franz Wagner scored 18 points and the 8-1 Wolverines overcame a 44-point performance by Luka Garza to beat Iowa, 103-91. Jon Teske and Zavier Simpson added 16 points each for Michigan, which had six players with at least 12.
Garza set a record for the most points by an opposing player at Michigan's Crisler Center, breaking the mark of 39 by Ohio State's Dennis Hopson in 1987. But the Wolverines carried a 12-point lead into the second half and never allowed Iowa to get closer than seven the rest of the way.
In other top-25 finals:
— Jordan Nwora (NOHR'-ah) scored 19 points and top-ranked Louisville improved to 9-0 with a 64-46 victory against Pittsburgh. Backup Malik Williams had 13 points and 11 rebounds and the Cardinals put the game away with a 17-4 spurt in the second half.
— Tre Jones scored 15 points and 10th-ranked Duke rallied from an early 12-point deficit to beat Virginia Tech, 77-63. Vernon Carey Jr. and Wendell Moore Jr. added 12 points each for the 9-1 Blue Devils, who used second-half runs of 12-2 and 12-3 to capture their ACC opener.
T25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL-PAC-12 TITLE GAME
Ducks throttle Utes to take Pac-12 crown
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The Oregon Ducks are the Pac-12 football champions following a convincing victory over Utah.
CJ Verdell ran for 208 yards and broke open the game with two long touchdown runs in the fourth quarter to lead the 13th-ranked Ducks to a 37-15 trouncing of the No. 5 Utes. Utah went into a 20-0 hole in the first half and then gave up a 70-yard TD run to Verdell after cutting the deficit to 23-15.
The outcome destroys the Utes' chances of reaching the CFP semifinals. It also paves the way for the winner of the Big 12 title game between Oklahoma and Baylor to get into the playoff as long as top-ranked LSU beats No. 4 Georgia for the SEC championship on Saturday.
NHL-SCHEDULE
Jarry, Pens blank Coyotes
UNDATED (AP) — Tristan Jarry is making a case to become the Pittsburgh Penguins' No. 1 netminder.
Jarry posted his second consecutive shutout and won for the fifth time in his last six starts by handling 33 shots in the Penguins' 2-0 win over the Coyotes. Jarry's best stop came on a point-blank save on Clayton Keller late in the third period with the Penguins on the penalty kill trying to protect a one-goal lead.
Neither team scored until Evgeni Malkin beat Antti Raanta (AN'-tee RAHN'-tah) 7:13 into the third period. Brandon Tanev (TAN'-ehv) chipped in an empty netter with two seconds remaining as the Penguins beat the Coyotes for the fifth straight time.
It was Phil Kessel's first game in Pittsburgh since being traded to Arizona over the summer.
Elsewhere on NHL ice:
— Jakub Vrana scored the game-winner and had an assist as the Capitals earned their season-high sixth consecutive win, 3-2 at Anaheim. Vrana's unassisted goal came less than two minutes into the third period, 52 seconds after Adam Henrique (hehn-REEK') tied it for the Ducks. Travis Boyd and Evgeni Kuznetsov (kooz-NEHT'-sahv) also scored for the Caps, who lead the league with 49 points after sweeping a four-game road trip.
— The Oilers are back atop the Pacific Division after Leon Draisaitl (DRY'-sy-tul) and Alex Chiasson (CHAY'-sahn) each had a goal and an assist in a 2-1 downing of the Kings. Mikko Koskinen (MEE'-koh KAHS'-kih-nehn) made 35 saves in helping Edmonton send Los Angeles to its 10th consecutive road loss.
— Nate Thompson scored with 67 seconds left in the third period of the Canadiens' 2-1 victory over the Rangers in New York. Brendan Gallagher also scored and Carey Price made 29 saves as Montreal won for the second time in three games since an eight-game losing streak.
— Kirby Dach (dahk) scored the deciding goal in the fifth round of a shootout to give the Blackhawks a 2-1 victory at New Jersey. Corey Crawford stopped 29 shots and Alex DeBrincat (deh-BRIHN'-kat) provided a power-play goal in Chicago's second straight win since a 1-5-1 skid.
MLB-NEWS
Kendrick stays with Nationals
UNDATED (AP) — Postseason star Howie Kendrick is staying in Washington.
Two people with knowledge of the negotiations say the infielder has accepted a one-year, $6.25 million contract with the World Series champions.
Kendrick hit .344 with 17 home runs and 62 RBIs in 121 games for the Nationals this year. He drove in 12 runs during the postseason, including a grand slam in extra innings to put the Nats into the NLCS.
The 36-year-old Kendrick is a .294 hitter with 125 home runs and 710 RBIs over 14 big league seasons.
Also around the majors:
— The San Diego Padres have acquired outfielder Tommy Pham and infielder-pitcher Jake Cronenworth from the Tampa Bay Rays for outfielder Hunter Renfroe, minor league infielder Xavier Edwards and a player to be named. Pham gives the rebuilding Padres some pop after they finished near the bottom in the majors in most offensive categories last season.
— The Rangers have finalized a three-year, $28 million deal with pitcher Kyle Gibson. The right-hander was 13-7 with a 4.84 ERA in 34 games last season for the Twins, making 29 starts and five relief appearances.
— The Cubs and reliever Dan Winkler have agreed to a one-year, $750,000 contract. The 29-year-old right-hander was 8-2 with two saves and a 3.68 ERA in 117 relief appearances over five seasons with Atlanta.
— The Mets have re-signed reliever Brad Brach (brahk) to a one-year contract that includes a player option for 2021. The 33-year-old right-hander was 1-1 with a 3.68 ERA in 16 games for the Mets, holding righty hitters to a .194 batting average.
— Free agent catcher Alex Avila has accepted a one-year, $4.25 contract with the Twins, according to a person with direct knowledge of the deal. Avila hit .207 with nine home runs and 24 RBIs in 63 games for Arizona last season.
NFL-NEWS
Colts go without Vinatieri and Hilton
UNDATED (AP) — The Indianapolis Colts will be without kicker Adam Vinatieri and Pro Bowl receiver T.Y. Hilton Sunday at Tampa Bay.
Vinatieri was limited in practice Wednesday and didn't work out Thursday or Friday because of a left knee injury. The NFL's career scoring leader has missed 14 kicks this season — eight field goals and six extra points.
Chase McLaughlin will replace the 46-year-old Vinatieri after being claimed off waivers by the Colts this week.
Hilton will miss his fifth game in six weeks.
Also in the NFL:
— Tennessee has ruled out four Titans for Sunday's game in Oakland and will be without a pair of cornerbacks with starter Adoree' Jackson and backup LeShaun Sims both out with injuries. The 7-5 Titans also say that wide receiver Adam Humphries and linebacker Daren Bates will not play after not practicing all week.
— Broncos linebacker Von Miller says he will test his injured left knee before the Denver Broncos' game at Houston. He sat out last week against the Chargers, ending a 95-game starting streak that dated to the 2014 opener. Miller said he's two weeks into what doctors said was a three-week recovery from a sprained left MCL.
— The Falcons will have receiver Julio Jones, tight end Austin Hooper and first-round pick Chris Lindstrom available for Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers. Jones missed the Thanksgiving night loss to the Saints with a shoulder injury. Hooper will be back on the field after sitting out three games with an injured knee and Lindstrom has been activated off the injured list.
— Daniel Jones missed his third straight practice Friday because of a sprained right ankle, making it likely Eli Manning will return as the Giants' starting quarterback on Monday night against the Eagles. Jones was hurt in Sunday's loss to the Packers.
— The Jets likely will be without Jamal Adams and Brian Poole in their secondary against Miami due to injuries. New York's backfield could also be missing Le'Veon Bell, who was sent home Friday with an illness that sidelined him for two practices.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL-NEWS
Hoosiers reward Allen
UNDATED (AP) — Indiana football coach Tom Allen has agreed to a new seven-year contract worth more than $27 million.
Allen has set a school record with 18 wins in his first three seasons with the Hoosiers. They beat rival Purdue this month to record their first eight-win season since 1993.
Also around college football:
— Fresno State football coach Jeff Tedford is stepping down after three seasons at his alma mater, citing heath issues. The 58-year-old Tedford was hired by Fresno State following the 2016 season and compiled a 26-14 record during his tenure. He took over a one-win team and quickly rebuilt the program.
— Florida cornerback CJ Henderson is forgoing his senior season, entering the NFL draft and skipping the team's bowl game. Henderson was widely considered a first-round draft pick coming into the season, but he was beaten five times for plays that gained more than 40 yards.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Heels without Bacot vs. Cavs
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina coach Roy Williams says freshman big man Armando Bacot (BAY'-kaht) is likely out for the seventh-ranked Tar Heels' game at No. 5 Virginia on Sunday due to an ankle injury.
Bacot sprained his left ankle early in a lopsided home loss to No. 6 Ohio State on Wednesday night. He was averaging 11.7 points and 9.6 rebounds before his early injury against the Buckeyes.
NHL-NEWS
Leafs lose Johansson
TORONTO (AP) — Toronto Maple Leafs forward Andreas Johnsson will miss at least 10 games because of a leg injury suffered in Wednesday's game against Colorado.
The Leafs played Johnsson on long-term injury reserve and will be reassessed after the Christmas break. He has six goals and 16 points in 30 games this season.
PGA-WORLD CHALLENGE
Woodland leads in the Bahamas as Tiger gets within 2 shots
ALBANY, Bahamas (AP) — Gary Woodland birdied his last two hols for a 4-under 68 and a one-shot lead over Henrik Stenson going into the final round of the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.
Tiger Woods in another shot back after closing with a birdie that leaves him tied for third with Justin Thomas and defending champion Jon Rahm.
TENNIS
Matt Jones increases Australian Open lead to 3 strokes
UNDATED (AP) — Matt Jones coped best with difficult afternoon conditions at the Australian Open for a 3-under 68 to take a three-stroke lead into the final round. Jones led by one stroke after the second round. He had a three-round total of 13-under 200 at The Australian Golf Club. American Cameron Tringale was in second place after a 69. Japanese amateur Takumi Kayana and Louis Oosthuizen shot 70 and Paul Casey had a 71 to be tied for third at 9-under and four strokes behind.
In other action:
— Former No. 1 and 2018 Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki (wohz-nee-AK'-ee) says she will retire from professional tennis after competing in Melbourne next year. The 29-year-old from Denmark wrote in an Instagram post that she realized she has a lot she wants to accomplish off the court. Wozniacki says her decision to stop playing is not related to her health. She announced in October 2018 that she has an autoimmune condition that can cause pain and swelling in the wrist and other joints.
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