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NBA-SCHEDULE
Heat end Sixers’ home win streak
UNDATED (AP) — The Miami Heat won an NBA battle of Eastern Conference division leaders while dealing the Philadelphia 76ers their first loss of the season.
Kendrick Nunn scored 26 points and Bama Adebayo (a-deh-BAY’-oh) added 23 as the Heat downed the Sixers, 108-104. Duncan Robinson had 15 points for Miami, including a pair of 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to put the Heat ahead by 14.
The 76ers had been 14-0 at home, including a 113-86 victory over the Heat last month.
Joel Embiid (joh-EHL’ ehm-BEED’) had 22 points and 19 rebounds after missing the Sixers’ previous game due to an upper respiratory illness.
The outcome drops Philadelphia into a first-place tie with Toronto in the Atlantic Division. Miami is 20-8 and will lead the Southeast Division by eight games if the Magic lose at Denver tonight.
Checking out Wednesday’s other NBA action:
— Kyle Lowry recorded a triple-double of 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in leading the Raptors to a 112-99 win over the Pistons. Toronto played without guard Fred VanVleet because of right knee injury and finished without center Marc Gasol due to a strained left hamstring suffered in the first quarter.
— Wendell Carter Jr. hit a layup with 9.1 seconds left in overtime to complete the Bulls’ rally from an 18-point, fourth-quarter deficit in a 110-109 triumph over the Wizards. Lauri Markkanen had 31 points and nine rebounds for Chicago, which closed out regulation on a 21-3 run.
— Cleveland won for just the third time in its last 19 games as Collin Sexton scored 23 points and Cedi Osman had 18 in the Cavaliers’ 100-98 victory over the Hornets. The Cavs wasted most of a 24-point lead in the second half and had to withstand Terry Rozier’s career-high 35 points for Charlotte, including five 3-pointers in the final period.
T25 MEN’S BASKETBALL-SCHEDULE
Spartans fend off Wildcats
UNDATED (AP) — Michigan State is 2-0 in the Big Ten after holding off Northwestern.
Cassius Winston scored 21 points on 8 of 16 shooting as the Spartans downed the Wildcats, 77-72. Winston moved into 12th on the school's career scoring list with 1,601 points, passing Morris Peterson and Raymar Morgan. The senior guard bounced back nicely after he had just nine points on 3-for-13 shooting during Saturday's 72-49 victory over Oakland.
Xavier Tillman had 15 points and 10 rebounds as Michigan State improved to 8-3 overall.
In other top-25 men’s finals:
— Kihei (Kee’-hay) Clark scored 14 points and Jay Huff had eight of his 12 during a 14-8 run that gave ninth-ranked Virginia an 11-point lead in a 56-44 stifling of Stoney Brook. Mamadi Diakite added 13 points while Clark added six assists and five rebounds for the 9-1 Cavaliers.
— Trevon Scott scored 15 points and Cincinnati ended a two-game skid by downing No. 21 Tennessee, 78-66. Keith Williams added 11 points, including a layup off his own steal during a 9-0 run that put the Bearcats in control 67-57 with 3:27 left.
NHL-SCHEDULE
Devils start post-Hall era with win
UNDATED (AP) — The New Jersey Devils did just fine in their first game since dealing former Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall to the Arizona Coyotes on Monday.
Nico Hischier and Kyle Palmeiri provided second-period goals and Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 26 shots as the Devils knocked off Anaheim, 3-1. Sami Vatanen also scored in helping New Jersey win its second straight under interim coach Alain Nasreddine (NAZ’-reh-deen). It’s just the fourth time the Devils have won at least two in a row.
Former Devil Adam Henrique (hehn-REEK’) scored for the Ducks, who squandered an early 1-0 lead in losing to New Jersey for the first time in four meetings. Ryan Miller had 17 saves as Anaheim lost its second straight on a four-game East Coast trip.
NFL-NEWS
Prescott expected to play despite sore shoulder
UNDATED (AP) — Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott has a shoulder injury that is limiting him in practice but shouldn't keep him out Sunday when the Cowboys try to qualify for the playoffs at Philadelphia.
The Cowboys and Eagles are tied for the NFC East lead at 7-7. Dallas advances to the postseason with a victory, but the Eagles will take the division and make the playoffs by beating the Cowboys and Giants.
Prescott didn't throw during the portion of practice that was open to reporters Wednesday. Coach Jason Garrett said Prescott had an MRI and “everything seems to be OK.”
In other NFL news:
— The Jaguars have fired Tom Coughlin (KAWF’-lihn) as executive vice president of football operations, two seasons after the team advanced to the AFC championship game. The 73-year-old Coughlin built the team from the ground up in 1995 and revived it upon his return in 2017. The NFL Players Association says more than 25% of player grievances filed in the last two years have been against the Jaguars.
— It looks like Daniel Jones is returning as the Giants' starting quarterback after missing two games with a sprained right ankle. Jones took most of the first-team snaps at practice Wednesday, a major indication the rookie will start Sunday in the penultimate game of the season against the Washington Redskins.
— The Titans have made yet another move at kicker, placing veteran Ryan Succop (SUK’-uhp) back on injured reserve and signing Greg Joseph off Carolina's practice squad. The Titans announced the moves a day after waiving Ryan Santoso after he struggled on kickoffs.
— Buccaneers Pro Bowl receiver Mike Evans and safety Jordan Whitehead will miss the remainder of the season because of hamstring injuries. The Buccaneers placed both players on injured reserve and also announced that receiver Spencer Schnell has been promoted from the practice squad to the active roster.
— Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green won't play this season because his ankle injury isn't fully healed. The Bengals' most accomplished player becomes a free agent after the season and says he's open to a contract extension. But he doesn't want the team to give him a franchise tag and keep him for one more year.
— The Bears have placed inside linebacker Danny Trevathan (treh-VAY’-than) on injured reserve because of a left elbow injury. Trevathan has not played since Nov. 10, when his arm bent awkwardly as he tried to sack Jeff Driskel in a win over Detroit.
— Tired of speculation about his future, Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. ended any conjecture by saying he wants to stay in Cleveland despite a disappointing first season. Beckham decided to set the record straight after reports surfaced in recent weeks claiming he was unhappy and wanted to go to another team.
— The Panthers are preparing to play rookie quarterback Will Grier against the Colts. Interim coach Perry Fewell said Wednesday that Grier is taking reps with the first team at practice this week. Fewell added he'll make a decision on his starter after Thursday's practice.
MLB-NEWS
Cole and Yankees finalize record deal
UNDATED (AP) — The New York Yankees have introduced the new ace of their pitching staff.
The Yanks and Gerrit Cole have finalized the record nine-year, $324 million contract they agreed to during the winter meetings last week. His deal is the largest for a pitcher in both its total and its average annual value of $36 million.
Cole was 20-5 with an AL-leading 2.50 ERA and a major league-leading 326 strikeouts for Houston last season.
In other MLB news:
— Free agent outfielder Avisaíl (av-ih-sah-EEL’) García has finalized a two-year, $20 million contract with the Brewers a deal that includes a 2022 club option and could be worth $30 million over three years. García batted .282 with a career-high 20 home runs and 72 RBIs for the Tampa Bay Rays last season.
— Three-time All-Star outfielder Matt Kemp has agreed to terms on a minor league contract with the Marlins and is expected to take part in spring training. The 35-year-old Kemp hit .200 in 20 games for the Reds last season before spending time in the Mets organization.
— The Red Sox will pay a team-record $13.4 million luxury tax after failing to make the playoffs, according to figures sent to clubs and obtained by The Associated Press. The Yankees and Cubs are the only other teams on the hook for a luxury tax. New York finished with a $6.7 million bill and Chicago will shell out $7.6 million.
NHL-OBIT-KLEINENDORST
Former NHL player dies of workplace accident injuries
DULUTH, Minn. (AP) —The family of former NHL player Scot Kleinendorst (KLY’-nehn-dohrst) says he died Tuesday of injuries suffered in a workplace accident in northern Minnesota.
Kleinendorst suffered severe brain trauma and numerous broken bones at UPM Blandin paper plant in Grand Rapids on Dec. 7. The accident remains under investigation, and authorities have not said how Kleinendorst was injured.
Kleinendorst played eight NHL seasons for the Rangers, Whalers and Capitals.
OBIT-COACH-REMEMBER THE TITANS
High school coach portrayed in "Remember the Titans" dies
ALEXANDRIA, VA (AP) — Herman Boone, the Virginia high school football coach who inspired the movie “Remember the Titans,” has died. He was 84. Aly Khan Johnson, an assistant coach for Boone beginning in 1972, said the coach died Wednesday at his home in Alexandria, Virginia. Boone guided T.C. Williams High School to a state championship while navigating the early days of desegregation. In the movie, he was portrayed by Denzel Washington.
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