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  • Report: Kings’ Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine have season-ending surgeries

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    (Photo credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images)

    The Sacramento Kings, losers of 14 straight and at the bottom of the league standings, lost stars Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine to season-ending surgeries on Wednesday, ESPN reported.

    Sabonis, a three-time All-Star in the frontcourt, had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee, ESPN reported. He had returned to action in mid-January after missing 27 games following the mid-November injury.

    The 29-year-old averaged 15.8 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 29.7 minutes in 19 games (15 starts) this season.

    LaVine, a two-time All-Star guard who turns 31 on March 10, had been in and out of the lineup for 10 games because of a tendon injury in his right hand before selecting surgery.

    He last played on Feb. 6 in a home loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. LaVine averaged a team-high 19.2 points along with 2.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 31.4 minutes in 39 games (37 starts).

    The duo are the highest-paid players for the Kings (12-44), ESPN reported, with LaVine having a $48.9 million player option next season and Sabonis having two years and $94 million remaining on his contract.

    Sacramento hosts the Orlando Magic on Thursday night and a 15th straight loss would set a franchise record for futility. The franchise twice lost 14 games when it was known as the Cincinnati Royals.

    Minnesota selected LaVine with the 13th overall pick of the 2014 NBA Draft out of UCLA.

    LaVine, 30, averages 20.7 points per game for his career, with 4.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 32.7 minutes and 1,632 career 3-pointers in 693 regular-season games (602 starts) for the Minnesota Timberwolves (2014-17), Chicago Bulls (2018-25) and Kings. He represented the Bulls at the 2021 and 2022 All-Star Games.

    The Orlando Magic picked Sabonis with the 11th overall pick of the 2016 NBA Draft out of Gonzaga and traded him the same day to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

    For his career, Sabonis averages 16.1 points 10.7 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 30.8 minutes in 665 games (521 starts) for Oklahoma City (2016-17), Indiana Pacers (2017-22) and Kings (2022-present). He was an All-Star in 2020, 2021 and 2023.

    –Field Level Media

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  • No. 13 Texas Tech skids into meeting with West Virginia

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    (Photo credit: Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

    Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland has not pressed the panic button ahead of the No. 13 Red Raiders’ Big 12 Conference matchup against West Virginia on Sunday in Morgantown, W.Va.

    While every game in the conference offers a stern test, McCasland is confident the Red Raiders (16-6, 6-3 Big 12) will bounce back from two straight losses. The first was an 88-80 setback at UCF on Jan. 31, and the latest a 64-61 home defeat against No. 11 Kansas on Monday.

    ‘We’ve got the right guys, we just need more experience and time together,’ McCasland said. ‘I love this group and I believe in them and I know we can win real games that are meaningful in March. We’ve got to find ways to collectively get a little more experience, get a little tougher, get a little more fight and grit to the way we compete down the stretch. We are just scratching the surface of what we can be.’

    Christian Anderson was a last-minute scratch for the loss to Kansas due to a reported illness. The sophomore guard ranks second on the Red Raiders in scoring at 19.6 points per game and leads the Big 12 in assists at 7.5 per contest. He shoots 43.6% from 3-point range and connects on 3.4 shots from beyond the arc per game.

    Texas Tech thought there still was a possibility he could get ready to play against the Jayhawks by halftime.

    ‘Before the game we didn’t have any idea it was an option (he wouldn’t play),’ McCasland said. ‘In warmups we were told he was being held out for now. But I fully anticipated him playing. As he got closer to being out there, I was told we were trying to warm him up during the intros to see if we could get him ready to play.’

    Even as the teams took the court after halftime, Texas Tech thought it could get Anderson back. Without him in the lineup, the Red Raiders surrendered a 10-point lead in the last eight minutes.

    ‘We don’t have time to think about anything other than we need to beat West Virginia on Sunday,’ McCasland said. ‘Staying in the Big 12 (race) is about being resilient, and we need to get better. Our guys are tough and care a lot about this team even though they are all hurt.’

    West Virginia (15-8, 6-4 Big 12) is coming off a 59-54 road win over Cincinnati on Thursday, but it could use a victory over Texas Tech as a resume-builder. The Mountaineers are 2-5 in Quad 1 games and 1-3 in Quad 2 games. That makes Sunday tilt in Morgantown, where they are 13-1, even more important.

    ‘We have a little momentum and need to go back home and take care of business there,’ said West Virginia’s leading scorer, Honor Huff, who puts up 15.8 points per game.

    ‘We don’t try to look ahead or hear the outside noise as to what can happen if you win this game or lose that game. We have to take care of every game that comes on our schedule.’

    Even though the Mountaineers trailed the Bearcats by as many as 14 points in the second half, they rode a familiar formula to victory: Muddy things up on defense and wait for Huff to get hot from beyond the arc. Huff scored 14 straight Mountaineers points to put his team up 42-40, and the West Virginia defense held Cincinnati to 36.4% shooting from the field and 30.4% on 3-point attempts.

    ‘For us it always starts on the defensive end of the floor,’ West Virginia coach Ross Hodge said. ‘Can you defend and can you rebound? In the last couple games, we’ve gotten some good offensive looks and are struggling a bit on that end of the floor. But I tell these guys all the time, let’s beat someone 52-48 then if that’s what it takes. It takes what it takes.’

    –Field Level Media

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  • Bulls, Heat head to Florida to continue rare 3-game set

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    (Photo credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images)

    Facing off for part two of a rare three-game series, the Miami Heat will look to prolong the visiting Chicago Bulls’ recent woes Saturday night.

    The teams had their Jan. 8 game in Chicago postponed to Jan. 29 due to condensation on the court, leading to three games in four days between the two sides. The set, which will wrap up in Miami on Sunday, will mark the first time that two teams have played three straight regular-season games against each other since the Baltimore Bullets and Houston Rockets met for three games in a row from Nov. 28-Dec. 1, 1972.

    Following a five-game Western Conference road trip, the Heat started a string of four games in five days on Wednesday with a 133-124 loss to the Orlando Magic. Miami followed that with a 116-113 victory over Chicago on Thursday.

    Erik Spoelstra’s team is battling through the toughest part of its travel schedule, and it’s not just the players who are feeling the fatigue.

    ‘I’ll take a day to think about it,’ Spoelstra said of what he enjoys most about the three-game ‘chess match.’ ‘I don’t even know what city I’m in right now, but I’ll be ready for Saturday night.’

    Miami led by 13 points in the fourth quarter Thursday before staving off Chicago. Bam Adebayo finished with a 20-point, 12-rebound double-double, posting his sixth consecutive 20-point game.

    Ahead of two more outings against the Bulls, Adebayo knows what he can produce in this matchup.

    ‘I’m just being aggressive, shooting the open shot, not really thinking about it. Just continuing to stay in this flow,’ said Adebayo, who said the quirky schedule resembles a playoff schedule. ‘It does, because you’re constantly seeing them. But for us, we know what’s at hand. We’ve got to take care of business.’

    Adebayo averages 18 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, while Norman Powell leads the Heat with a career-high 23 points per contest.

    Chicago dropped its third straight game Thursday as its lead over the Charlotte Hornets for the Eastern Conference’s No. 10 seed was reduced to 2 1/2 games. As the Bulls hover around the .500 mark for the fourth straight year, head coach Billy Donovan has seen the emergence of Ayo Dosunmu in more ways than one. The fifth-year guard is averaging a career-best 14.8 points per game, but it’s been his growth as a leader that’s impressed the team.

    ‘Ayo has been very, very vocal with his voice the last two years, which I think we need,’ Donovan said. ‘He’s also got a spirit about him that he never thinks he’s out of it. I think that kind of permeates through the team. I just love his spirit, his competitiveness and the way he treats big moments.’

    Dosunmu led all scorers with 23 points Thursday. Chicago was without Josh Giddey (18.6 points, 8.8 assists, 8.6 rebounds per game) due to hamstring injury maintenance. Giddey missed 11 straight games with the injury in late December and early January.

    –Field Level Media

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  • Donovan Mitchell’s big night leads Cavs over struggling Magic

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    (Photo credit: David Richard-Imagn Images)

    Donovan Mitchell scored 26 of his 45 points in the first half and Evan Mobley had 20 points and nine rebounds as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the visiting Orlando Magic 114-98 on Monday night, sweeping their home-and-home set.

    Jaylon Tyson, named to the Rising Stars Game at All-Star weekend earlier in the day, had 14 points and nine rebounds, and Jarrett Allen scored nine for the Cavaliers. Cleveland won its fourth straight and is 11-4 since Dec. 29, including a 119-105 victory Saturday in Orlando.

    Paolo Banchero scored 15 points in the third quarter, finishing with a season-high 37 points and 10 rebounds for the Magic in their fourth consecutive loss. Desmond Bane had 19 points and Jalen Suggs dished out six assists.

    Orlando also received 14 points from Anthony Black and nine points, seven rebounds, two defensive three-second technicals and an unsportsmanlike technical from Wendell Carter Jr. The Magic’s last win was Jan. 15 over the Memphis Grizzlies in Germany.

    Mitchell buried a pull-up jumper over Noah Penda at the halftime buzzer, wrapping up his 16-point period and extending the Cavaliers’ advantage to 61-56. It gave Mitchell 53 points in his last four quarters against Orlando.

    Mitchell gave the Cavs command early in the third quarter with eight straight points to push their lead out to 69-60.

    Bane scored 10 points and Black had seven points and three steals in the first quarter, leading the Magic to a 32-22 lead. Mitchell had 10 points and Mobley added eight for Cleveland, which committed six turnovers to none by Orlando in the quarter.

    Magic small forward Franz Wagner missed his third straight game with a left high ankle sprain and is out indefinitely. Suggs played in his second in a row after being sidelined since Jan. 2 with an MCL contusion in his right knee.

    Cavaliers swingman Sam Merrill, who has been out since Jan. 16 with a right hand sprain, was inactive for personal reasons. Small forward De’Andre Hunter did not dress for the second consecutive contest with right knee soreness.

    –Field Level Media

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  • Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell out to torment Magic in rematch

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    (Photo credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images)

    Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard Donovan Mitchell finished sixth in balloting for the Eastern Conference All-Star starters, one spot shy of earning the nod.

    His quest to be added to the All-Star Game as a reserve continues Monday, when Cleveland welcomes the Orlando Magic in the second half of a home-and-home set.

    Mitchell poured in 27 of his game-high 36 points in the second half Saturday, powering the Cavaliers to a 119-105 win at Orlando. He made 15 of 30 field goal attempts in 38 minutes, four more than he is averaging on the season.

    ‘Good decision by the coach,’ Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson said, smiling. ‘I felt like the game was in the balance, so Donovan, we just had to ride him. I usually get him out there in the fourth quarter, but didn’t think we had that option.

    ‘He was great at both ends. He didn’t conserve himself on defense, and obviously the shot-making was insane.’

    Mitchell was sixth in voting by the fans, coaches and media in their independent polls, but ranks first in the NBA in second-half scoring with an average of 17.1 points. He also leads the East with 162 3-pointers.

    The six-time All-Star has driven the Cavaliers to three straight wins, continuing a push that has seen them go 10-4 since Dec. 29. Cleveland now sits fifth in the conference, 2 1/2 games ahead of the Magic for the final playoff position.

    ‘We just continue to find ways,’ said Mitchell, who is averaging a career-high 29.1 points, along with 5.8 assists and 4.8 rebounds. ‘These are the moments you enjoy. We’ll see these guys again Monday, so we’ve got to be ready.’

    Another positive trend for the Cavaliers is their work on the glass, having outrebounded their foes in six consecutive games, including a 38-37 edge over Orlando. Third-string point guard Lonzo Ball led all players with eight and Evan Mobley had seven.

    On the flip side is Cleveland’s inability to string wins together in its arena. The Cavaliers are 7-8 in their last 15 home contests and just 15-11 there on the season.

    ‘Obviously, we’ve had some injuries, but I love how our young guys continue to impress,’ Atkinson said, singling out second-year swingman Jaylon Tyson. ‘We’re doing it by committee and celebrating our depth. It feels like a collective effort.’

    The Magic have only played twice in the last seven days — dropping home games to the Charlotte Hornets and Cavaliers — following their European trip. Orlando beat the Memphis Grizzlies in Berlin but lost to them in London.

    Paulo Banchero showed some energy by scoring 27 points and making 10 of 12 free throw attempts against Cleveland, but the team in general appeared fatigued in its third straight double-digit defeat.

    The Cavaliers didn’t trail in the final three quarters as Moritz Wagner was the only Magic bench player to make more than one basket. Jalen Suggs did have nine points and six assists in his first action since bruising his right medial collateral ligament on Jan. 2.

    ‘It’s hard to slow down Donovan Mitchell because he’s seen it all,’ Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley said. ‘Obviously, we know him very well and his ability to score at a high clip. Our ability to guard him with multiple bodies is very important.’

    Though Suggs is expected to play in the rematch, the Magic will not have small forward Franz Wagner for the third game in a row after the pain in his left ankle flared up. He missed six weeks with a high ankle sprain before playing in the overseas games.

    Mosley declined to second-guess the decision to have the Berlin native return in his homeland. Wagner is currently not cleared for contact.

    ‘Those are things I’m not looking at,’ the coach said. ‘When he thought he could go, he went. And when we thought he could go, he went. Now, we’ve got to be smart moving forward with him.’

    –Field Level Media

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  • Women’s Top 25 roundup: Olivia Miles leads No. 9 TCU past UCF

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    (Photo credit: Sophia Scheller-Imagn Images)

    Olivia Miles scored 17 points as No. 9 TCU (19-2, 7-1 Big XII) beat UCF in Orlando, Fla., to move into a tie with Baylor for the conference lead.

    Donovyn Hunter added 12 points and Taylor Bigby scored 11 for the Horned Frogs, who raced to a 36-17 halftime lead.

    Mahogany Chandler-Roberts scored 17, and Khyala Ngodu added 10 for the Golden Knights (10-10, 2-7).

    No. 24 Nebraska 81, Illinois 75

    Britt Prince had 20 points to lead four double-figure scorers, and the Cornhuskers (15-5, 4-5 Big Ten) held off the Illini (15-5, 5-4) in Lincoln, Neb., to end a three-game losing streak.

    Cearah Parchment had 25 points and 11 rebounds, Berry Wallace scored 22, Destiny Jackson had 13 and Maddie Webber added 11 to lead Illinois.

    No. 21 Duke 95, Pitt 41

    Toby Fournier scored 19 points, Arianna Roberson and Riley Nelson had double-doubles and the Blue Devils (14-6, 9-0) routed the host Panthers for their 11th straight victory and stayed tied with Louisville atop the ACC.

    Roberson finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds, Nelson had 18 points and 10 rebounds, Delaney Thomas scored 16 and Taina Mair added 12 for Duke, which outscored Pitt 22-8 in the first quarter and 29-8 in the second quarter for a 51-16 halftime lead.

    Mikayla Johnson scored 15 to lead the Panthers (8-14, 1-8), who lost their fifth straight game.

    –Field Level Media

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  • James Harden, Clippers stay hot with wire-to-wire win at Nets

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    (Photo credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images)

    James Harden scored 31 points and the Los Angeles Clippers started quickly in a wire-to-wire 121-105 victory over the Brooklyn Nets Friday night in New York.

    Harden scored 22 in Los Angeles’ dominant first half and finished with his ninth 30-point game this season. He made 10 of 13 shots and handed out six assists, as the Clippers finished with 28 assists and won for the eighth time in 10 games.

    Kawhi Leonard added 26 on 9-of-15 shooting for his 19th straight game with at least 20 points. Leonard scored 11 straight Los Angeles points with Harden on the bench to finish it off, including a crafty reverse layup as part of a 3-point play for a 106-84 lead with 6:41 left.

    Jordan Miller added 21 and John Collins contributed 16 as the Clippers tied a season high by shooting 59.2% (45 of 76) while taking 24 fewer shots than Brooklyn.

    After erasing an 18-point deficit but ultimately losing to the Orlando Magic on Wednesday, the Nets lost for the fifth time in six games. Four of those losses have been by double digits.

    Brooklyn missed its first eight shots Friday and shot 40%.

    Rookie Egor Demin led the Nets with 19 points and hit five 3-pointers, but Michael Porter Jr. struggled with 18 points on 7-of-20 shooting (0-of-9 from 3-point range).

    Nic Claxton and Cam Thomas added 13 apiece as Brooklyn was unable to capitalize on getting 19 offensive rebounds.

    Harden scored 15 points and nearly hit a deep 3 at the horn as the Clippers shot 68.4% and led 35-25 through the opening quarter after getting off to a 16-2 start.

    The Clippers took their first 20-point lead when Brook Lopez converted a 3-point play with 9:41 left and held a pair of 22-point leads before taking a 63-47 lead at halftime

    After the Nets inched within 67-58 following a basket by Claxton with 8:16 left, the Clippers took a 15-point lead into the fourth.

    Brooklyn cut the lead to 95-82 on a 3 by rookie Nolan Traore with 9:53 left before Leonard took over.

    –Field Level Media

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  • Clippers aim for season-best 3-game win streak at Blazers’ expense

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    (Photo credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images)

    Kawhi Leonard’s hot streak is inserting much-needed life into the Los Angeles Clippers.

    Leonard looks for another superb outing and the Clippers seek a season-best third straight victory when they visit the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night.

    Leonard scored 32 points in Saturday’s 103-88 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers and followed up with a season-best 41 in Tuesday’s 128-108 triumph over the Houston Rockets.

    It marked just the second time the eight-win Clippers have won back-to-back games all season. Despite Los Angeles sitting in 13th place in the Western Conference, Leonard is confident the Clippers can make a run up the standings.

    ‘We all know how many games we lost early,’ Leonard said after Tuesday’s victory. ‘I don’t know how many games are left, probably 50-plus so, it’s a long season. So, anytime we put on this jersey, you got to compete and try to win a basketball game, and that’s what I’m taking pride in. I think everybody else is, too — win, lose or draw.

    ‘We don’t have a give-up mentality even though the record looks like that,’ he added. ‘But like I said, we got to compete.’

    Leonard was 16-of-23 shooting against the Rockets and missed just one 3-point attempt while making four for the second straight game. He has scored 20 or more points in each of his last 11 appearances.

    James Harden scored 29 points against Houston and has topped 20 in four of his last five appearances.

    Harden also hopes the Clippers are ready to kick it into a higher gear with five consecutive home games following the visit to Portland.

    ‘I don’t know what it feels like to be in this position with this record,’ said Harden, 36, in his 17th NBA season. ‘So, I always feel like we’re better than obviously the record shows. We got an opportunity, these home games coming up, to take advantage of it and rack up some wins.’

    The Trail Blazers dug themselves out of big holes in each of their past two games but were on the losing side both times.

    Portland trailed by 21 in the third quarter against the Detroit Pistons before losing 110-102. The Trail Blazers rallied to take a 100-99 lead with 4:13 remaining before Detroit finished on an 11-2 burst.

    One night later against Orlando, Portland trailed by 17 early in the third quarter and had a chance to tie the contest, but Shaedon Sharpe split two free throws with 38 seconds to leave the Trail Blazers down one before the Magic closed it out.

    ‘We’re just going to continue to fight, we’re not going to back off,’ Portland standout Deni Avdija said of the setbacks. ‘We believe in each other. … Those losses are tough, but you really learn from them. I’d rather lose close games like that then get blown out.’

    Trail Blazers interim coach Tiago Splitter said the mood of the team remains strong despite difficult losses.

    ‘This effort is going to pay off sooner or later,’ Splitter said. ‘The most important thing is you have to compete and be in those moments to try and win basketball games.’

    Avdija scored 25 points against Orlando and he has scored 24 or more points in nine of the past 12 games.

    The Clippers have won 19 of the past 21 meetings with Portland, including a 114-107 home victory on Oct. 26. Leonard had 30 points and 10 rebounds for Los Angeles while Avdija scored 23 for the Trail Blazers.

    –Field Level Media

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  • UCF roars past VMI to extend winning streak

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    (Photo credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images)

    Jamichael Stillwell produced 21 points, 14 rebounds and five assists as UCF cruised to their sixth straight win Saturday afternoon, hammering the VMI 82-57 in Orlando, Fla.

    A senior transfer from Milwaukee, Stillwell helped the Knights (7-1) shake off a slow start by going 8 of 12 from the field and 5 of 6 from the free-throw line in his third double-double in the past four games.

    Jordan Burks collected 14 points and five rebounds, while Themus Fulks had 11 points, five assists and five rebounds as UCF shot 40.0% and went just 4 of 30 (13.3%) from deep.

    The Knights outscored VMI 54-16 on points in the paint and led by as many as 29.

    Wrapping up a four-game road trip through Florida, the Keydets (3-7) dropped their sixth straight contest and shot 27.9% from the floor.

    Mario Tatum Jr. led VMI with 19 points, all in the first half.

    The visitors started quickly and led 11-5 in just under five minutes behind a 3-pointer by Mason Hagedorn. VMI was 4 of 8 from long range inside the first nine minutes, stretching the advantage to 19-13 on Tatum’s 3-pointer.

    UCF found its stride in the final seven minutes of the half, taking the lead 23-22 on Stillwell’s layup at 7:10 and getting a dunk from Devan Cambridge and a Burks layup to make it 27-22 with 5:57 left.

    UCF raced out on a 28-10 run to finish the half and led 45-32 at the break.

    Stillwell the way for UCF in the first half with 12 points, eight rebounds and two steals as the Knights went made 44.4% from the floor and led 30-13 in rebounding.

    Tatum, a Keydets freshman guard scoring 10.8 points per game, paced the way in the half by netting 19 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including 3 of 4 from 3-point range.

    In the second half, UCF increased to lead to 61-41 with 9:52 remaining on John Bol’s putback and breezed to the 25-point victory.

    –Field Level Media

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  • Celtics sink free throws, keep Pistons from 14th straight win

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    (Photo credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images)

    Jaylen Brown had 33 points, 10 rebounds and five assists to help the host Boston Celtics end the Detroit Pistons’ 13-game winning streak with a 117-114 victory on Wednesday in an NBA Cup game.

    After Anfernee Simons extended Boston’s lead to 115-112 by making two free throws with 6.3 seconds on the clock, Cade Cunningham was fouled attempting a 3-pointer with 4.4 seconds remaining, but he missed the third free-throw attempt after he made the first two.

    Boston’s Payton Pritchard made two free throws with 2.4 seconds left and then the Celtics came up with a steal on Detroit’s final possession.

    Detroit would have set a franchise record by winning its 14th straight game.

    The Pistons also won 13 straight games in 1989-1990 and 2003-04. Detroit won the NBA title both seasons.

    Derrick White added 27 points and seven rebounds for Boston. Pritchard made four 3-pointers and finished with 16 points.

    Cunningham scored a game-high 42 points and collected eight rebounds and five assists. He made 14 of 16 foul shots in the loss.

    Jalen Duren added 12 points and 16 rebounds for Detroit, which also received a 12-point performance from Tobias Harris.

    The loss dropped Detroit’s road record to 7-2.

    The Celtics played without center Neemias Queta, who exited Sunday’s game against Orlando in the first quarter with a left ankle sprain and did not return. Queta is averaging career-highs in points per game (9.3) and rebounds per game (7.9) this season.

    The Pistons led 30-24 after one quarter and 58-57 at halftime, but Boston had an 86-83 lead entering the final quarter.

    It was the second time Boston and Detroit have played this season. The Pistons defeated the Celtics 119-113 in Detroit on Oct. 26. Brown scored a game-high 41 points in the loss. Cunningham led the Pistons with 25.

    Detroit is 2-1 in East Group B. Boston is 2-2.

    –Field Level Media

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  • Heat face Magic in opener following pair of 1st-round exits

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    Coming off first-round playoff exits, the Orlando Magic host the rival Miami Heat in Wednesday’s season opener.

    Last season, the Boston Celtics eliminated the seventh-seeded Magic in five games. The Heat won twice in the play-in tournament to become the first No. 10 seed in NBA history to advance, but the Cleveland Cavaliers swept them in the first round, punctuating the result with a 55-point blowout in Game 4.

    The Magic are considered a team on the rise in the Eastern Conference. They finished 41-41 and won a second straight Southeast Division title despite injuries to young stars Paolo Banchero, Jalen Suggs and brothers Franz and Moritz Wagner.

    Moritz Wagner is still out after tearing his ACL last December, but the rest of the Magic make a formidable nucleus. Orlando picked up new starting guard Desmond Bane in an offseason trade with the Memphis Grizzlies.

    ‘Our strength is our depth,’ Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. ‘Our guys are going to play to the level of fatigue and then we have the next group coming in ready to go. I think that’s what we hang our hats on — along with the defense, our depth will be a major strength for us.’

    Orlando had the best scoring defense in the NBA last season, conceding only 105.5 points per game, but struggled mightily from the perimeter. That’s where Bane comes in. He has been a 41% career shooter from beyond the arc with Memphis and averaged 19.2 points last season, as well as 6.1 rebounds and 5.3 assists.

    Miami will be without star guard Tyler Herro, who had foot surgery in mid-September, for an unspecified amount of time. The Heat brought in former Clippers guard Norman Powell to join the established core of Herro, Bam Adebayo and Andrew Wiggins.

    ‘Norman has played a lot of different roles with the teams he has played on and has always been efficient,’ Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. ‘But it always comes down to the right type of fit. You have to be like-minded in your approach in how you view the game and how you compete. He’s won a championship before (with the 2019 Toronto Raptors). He takes it very seriously and he has an edge to him, which we like.’

    One area Miami must focus on is holding onto leads. Last season’s Heat managed to lose 22 games after leading by double digits, including when they coughed up a 25-point lead to Orlando last December.

    That comeback matched the largest in Magic franchise history. Meanwhile, the Heat’s 37-45 final record tied for the worst mark of Spoelstra’s 17-year coaching tenure.

    The Heat and Magic are meeting to open a second straight season. Miami dropped last year’s opener by 19 points but rebounded to split the four-game season series.

    Miami is 20-17 all-time in season openers, while Orlando is 21-15.

    –Field Level Media

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  • Cubs eager to clinch playoff berth with sweep of Pirates

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    (Photo credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images)

    The Chicago Cubs will look to punch their ticket to the postseason for the first time in five years when they pursue a three-game series sweep of the host Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday afternoon.

    The Cubs (87-64) recorded their third straight win and sixth in their past seven outings with a 4-1 victory over the reeling Pirates (65-87) on Tuesday. Chicago’s magic number to clinch a playoff berth rests at one.

    ‘We’re excited about it. We’re ready for it,’ said Michael Busch, who greeted Pittsburgh phenom Paul Skenes by belting his team-high-tying 29th homer of the season to lead off the game on Tuesday.

    Busch added a pair of doubles, and teammate Nico Hoerner also had three hits to highlight the Cubs’ 14-hit attack.

    While appreciative of his team’s late surge, Busch was quick to note that the campaign is far from over.

    ‘We still got a week-and-a-half left of regular-season baseball, but we’re excited just about the push,’ he said.

    Busch is 9-for-25 (.360) with three home runs, three doubles and four RBIs during a six-game hitting streak.

    ‘Ball’s going far. That’s what Michael does when he gets into those modes,’ Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. ‘The ball is in the air, line drives to the wall. (He) hit a great pitch out.’

    Not to be overshadowed, Hoerner is batting .404 (23-for-57) this month.

    ‘We’re getting good offense,’ Counsell said. ‘Nico continues to stay hot.’

    The Pirates, in turn, have been cold, losing 10 of their past 11 games. They have mustered just one run on seven hits in the first two games of the current series and have lost all four series against Chicago this season, going 3-9.

    ‘Offensively, on the whole, just struggling at the plate,’ Pirates manager Don Kelly said. ‘We need to find a way to continue to grind those at-bats out and find a way to do what we did when things were going well.’

    Pittsburgh struck out 12 times on Tuesday and went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position.

    Chicago left-hander Matthew Boyd (13-8, 3.05 ERA) will look to fluster the Pirates on Wednesday when he starts against right-hander Johan Oviedo (2-0, 2.81).

    Boyd improved to 2-5 in his last seven decisions despite allowing four runs on five hits in five innings of a 6-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday.

    He has pitched well in a pair of outings against Pittsburgh this season, posting a 1-0 record with a 2.45 ERA. Overall, Boyd sports a 1-3 record and a 5.70 ERA in seven career appearances (all starts) vs. the Pirates.

    Oviedo settled for his second straight no-decision on Thursday after permitting two runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings in his team’s 3-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. He yielded three walks for the third straight outing to drive up his pitch count.

    Oviedo is 2-4 with a 3.67 ERA in 10 career appearances (nine starts) against the Cubs.

    –Field Level Media

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  • Old girl’s got the shake.

    Old girl’s got the shake.

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    Stella has started walking sideways, no bladder control and cant stand up straight anymore. Im worried its a brain tumor and that she doesnt have very long to live. Please, if praying is your thing, say something for either a recovery or a short easy passing. She was a blind rescue who was a torpedo for peoples legs and knocked many a man down but we love her very much and I will miss her when her time does come…

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