Sports FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2014 win for first time after 0-17 start

MINNEAPOLIS: The Philadelphia 76ers avoided tying the record for the worst start to a season in NBA history, ending their 0-17 skid with an 85-77 victory over the on Wednesday night. Michael Carter-Williams had 20 points, nine rebounds and nine assists and Robert Covington added 17 points to keep Philadelphia from tying the 0-18 start by the New Jersey Nets in 2009-10. The Sixers shot just 39 percent against the worst defense in the league and turned the ball over 19 times. They scored only nine points in the second quarter, but in the end there were smiles and hugs for the first time this season. Gorgui Dieng had 15 points and 16 rebounds for the Timberwolves. But Minnesota shot just 35.7 percent and turned the ball over 19 times to lose for the 11th time in 13 games.

Celtics 109, Pistons 102, OT Jeff Green scored 32 points, including a 3- pointer as Boston opened overtime with eight straight points, and snapped a five-game losing streak. The loss was the 10th in a row for Detroit. Greg Monroe scored 15 of his 29 points after the 3:13 mark of the fourth, when the Pistons erased an 11-point deficit. But Detroit never recovered after giving up the first three baskets - including a pair of 3-pointers - to start the extra period. Andre Drummond had 27 points, 14 rebounds, four steals and five blocked shots, including Green’s potential game-winner at the end of reg- ulation, for Detroit. had 12 assists and one point on 0-for-11 shooting. Kelly Olynyk had 20 points and seven rebounds for Boston, which had lost six in a row at home.

Nets 95, Spurs 93, OT Mirza Teletovic had a season-high 26 points and a career-best 15 rebounds starting in place of Kevin Garnett, and Brooklyn snapped San Antonio’s eight-game winning streak. The Nets LOS ANGELES: ’ , center, loses the ball as he dribbles past ’s Elfrid Payton during the first regrouped in overtime after blowing a 14-point half of an NBA game Wednesday, in Los Angeles.— AP lead in the final 5 minutes of regulation and beat and committed 17 turnovers that the Clippers Trey Burke had 15 and eight assists for the Jazz, starters, including who missed a team with a winning record for the first time converted into 19 points. who trailed through the final three quarters. his seventh straight game with a strained right this season. Danny Green had 20 points, 10 knee. rebounds and the tying 3-pointer with 2.4 sec- Mavericks 107, Bucks 105 Rockets 105, Grizzlies 96 onds left in regulation for San Antonio. The Spurs Monta Ellis hit a wild, fallaway jumper at the scored 21 points, and Trevor Wizards 111, Lakers 95 endured poor shooting nights from their starting buzzer, lifting Dallas past Milwaukee. A night Ariza and Jason Terry added 16 each to help Bradley Beal scored 27 points, John Wall had frontcourt and fell to 2-1 on a road trip that ends after Ellis starred in a double-overtime win at short-handed Houston cruise past Memphis. The 17 points and 15 assists, and Washington beat Friday at Memphis, which entered play Chicago, he scored 23. He had eight in the final Grizzlies had won five in a row, and their two pre- Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. The Wizards won Wednesday tied for the best record in the two minutes on what otherwise had been a bad vious losses this season had been by a combined their third straight and prevented the Lakers league. shooting night for the Mavericks’ top scorer, five points. Memphis jumped out to an 8-0 lead from getting their first three-game winning playing against his former team. The Mavericks in this one but couldn’t do much after that. streak in more than a year. Bryant finished with Hawks 112, Heat 102 won their fifth in a row while resting Dirk Houston didn’t trail after the first quarter. The 29 points - including 15 in the first quarter when scored 27 points, Kyle Korver Nowitzki because of a sore back. Coach Rick Rockets led by 12 at halftime and scored the first he shot 6 for 11. He missed nine of his final 11 scored 18 and Atlanta handed Miami another Carlisle called it a “precautionary” move. Brandon 10 points of the third quarter to put the game shots. Former Wizards player Nick Young helped home loss. Dennis Schroder scored 16 and Paul Knight scored 25 points and Khris Middleton out of reach. The Rockets led 94-68 entering the keep the score relatively close by scoring a sea- Millsap finished with 14 for the Hawks, who beat added 21 for the Bucks in their third straight loss. fourth quarter and neither team’s starters played son-high 21 points. Marcin Gortat added 21 the Heat for the second time in two meetings much after that. Houston played without three points and 11 rebounds for Washington. — AP this season. An 18-5 run to end the third quarter Bulls 102, Hornets 95 was the deciding blow for Atlanta, which led by 10 in the first quarter, 14 in the second and Pau Gasol had 19 points and 15 rebounds, pushed the margin to 88-72 going into the final Joakim Noah and Nikola Mirotic each posted NBA results/standings 12 minutes. The Hawks have now won four double-doubles, and Chicago handed Charlotte straight and six of seven. Dwyane Wade scored Chicago 102, Charlotte 95; Washington 111, La Lakers 95; Boston 109, Detroit 102 (OT); Brooklyn 95, San its 10th straight loss. Noah had 14 points and 10 28 points and finished with 27 points Antonio 93 (OT); Atlanta 112, Miami 102; Houston 105, Memphis 96; Dallas 107, Milwaukee 105; Philadelphia rebounds, and Mirotic added 11 points and 12 and 11 rebounds for Miami, which has lost six of 85, Minnesota 77; Toronto 123, Utah 104; LA Clippers 114, Orlando 86. rebounds as the Bulls bounced back from a dou- its last eight home games. Mario Chalmers fin- ble- overtime loss to Dallas on Tuesday night. Eastern Conference Western Conference ished with 19 points and 11 assists for the Heat. Atlantic Division Northwest Division Kirk Hinrich, who had the costly foul on a 3-point W L PCT GB Portland 14 4 .778 - shot in the loss to the Mavericks, came up with Clippers 114, Magic 86 Toronto 15 4 .789 - Denver 9 9 .500 5 two big 3-pointers in the final three minutes to Blake Griffin scored 21 points and J.J. Redick Brooklyn 8 9 .471 6 Oklahoma City 5 13 .278 9 help the Bulls improve to 10-3 on the road. It is had 20 before both sat out the fourth quarter, Boston 5 11 .313 8.5 Utah 5 14 .263 9.5 the fifth straight game the Bulls have scored at NY Knicks 4 15 .211 11 and the Clippers won their sixth straight. Chris Minnesota 4 13 .235 9.5 least 100 points. Kemba Walker had 23 points, Philadelphia 1 17 .05613.5 Paul had 19 points and 10 assists for the Clippers, Pacific Division and Lance Stephenson had a season-high 20 Central Division who have won their last four by an average mar- Golden State 15 2 .882 - points to lead the Hornets, who have lost 12 of Chicago 12 7 .632 - LA Clippers 13 5 .722 2.5 gin of 21.6 points. DeAndre Jordan finished with 13. Cleveland 9 7 .563 1.5 Phoenix 11 8 .579 5 Milwaukee 10 10 .500 2.5 16 rebounds and blocked three shots. The two- Sacramento 9 9 .500 6.5 time defending Pacific Division champions, who Indiana 7 11 .389 4.5 Raptors 123, Jazz 104 LA Lakers 5 14 .263 11 finished with a total of 32 assists, are 84-14 when Detroit 3 16 .158 9 scored a season-high 39 points on Southwest Division they get 30 or more since Paul joined the club. Southeast Division 13-of-22 shooting as Toronto sent Utah to its Memphis 15 3 .833 - scored 16 points for the Magic, who Washington 12 5 .706 - seventh straight loss. Greivis Vasquez and Lou Atlanta 11 6 .647 1 Houston 14 4 .778 1 had only four offensive rebounds and no sec- Williams each had 17 for the Raptors. Derrick Miami 9 9 .500 3.5 Dallas 15 5 .750 1 ond-chance points through the first three quar- San Antonio 13 5 .722 2 Favors and Enes Kanter scored 19 points apiece Orlando 7 14 .333 7 ters. They lost for the sixth time in seven games New Orleans 8 8 .500 6 for Utah. Gordon Hayward added 16 points and Charlotte 4 15 .211 9