Sports FRIDAY, MARCH 14, 2014 44 Jets agree to terms with former Broncos WR Decker NEW YORK: The New York Jets have The Jets get a rising star in Decker, and pop singer Jessie James. a knee injury last season for Seattle, but agreed to terms with former Denver who last season combined with He was in the final year of the con- was back in time for the Seahawks’ run Broncos wide receiver Eric Decker, con- Demaryius Thomas as the most prolific tract he signed as a rookie four years to their Super Bowl title against Denver. sidered by many the top free agent at receiving tandem (2,718 yards) in the ago with no extension in hand. He end- The 6-foot-7, 318-pound Giacomini will his position. league, meshing with Peyton Manning ed December with eight touchdowns replace Howard, who signed with Decker spent all day Wednesday at all year. The 6-foot-3, 214-pound for the Broncos, a triumph of sorts for a Oakland as a free agent after starting the Jets’ facility and had dinner with a Decker, who’ll be 27 on Saturday, set player who had contended with a balky every game the last two seasons. contingent of team officials, including career highs with 87 catches and 1,288 shoulder and endless comparisons to Giacomini was a fifth-round pick in coach Rex Ryan. He gives quarterback yards receiving to go along with 11 teammates Thomas, Wes Welker and 2008 of Green Bay, where he spent Geno Smith and the offense a sorely touchdowns. He had 85 receptions for Julius Thomas. The slump-busting per- three seasons before spending the last needed laymaker and No. 1-type wide 1,064 yards and a career-best 13 TDs in formance against the Chiefs did won- three with Seattle. receiver. 2012. ders for him as the Broncos advanced Douzable signed with New York as a The Jets on Monday cut talented but Getting a top receiver was a priority to the Super Bowl. free agent last offseason and had 20 oft-injured wide receiver Santonio as the Jets headed into free agency, Also Wednesday, the Jets agreed to tackles and a career-high 11/2 sacks. Holmes after four seasons. The move especially after parting with Holmes. terms with former Seattle Seahawks The Jets earlier released cornerback saved the Jets $8.25 million, and Decker emerged late last season, with a right tackle Breno Giacomini, quickly Antonio Cromartie, clearing $17.75 mil- Holmes was also scheduled to have a four-touchdown breakout at Kansas finding a replacement for Austin lion of salary cap space. New York could $10.75 million cap number, a lofty total City on Dec. 1. Until then, the only star- Howard. The Jets re-signed backup also save another $8.3 million if they for a one-time Super Bowl MVP who has ring role Decker enjoyed with the defensive lineman Leger Douzable to a cut quarterback Mark Sanchez, who struggled with inconsistency the last Broncos had come in his reality TV one-year deal, too. missed last season with a shoulder two seasons. He turned 30 last week. show about his wedding to country Giacomini missed seven games with injury. —AP Nets get Heat NBA results/standings Results from the NBA games on Wednesday (home team in CAPS); Brooklyn 96, Miami 95; Denver 120, Orlando 112; Sacramento 115, Philadelphia 98; Toronto 101, Detroit 87; Charlotte 98, Washington 85; NY Knicks 116, Boston 92; again, win 96-95 Memphis 90, New Orleans 88; Dallas 108, Utah 101; San Antonio 103, Portland 90; Cleveland 110, Phoenix 101. MIAMI: Paul Pierce scored 17 of his 29 points in the third quarter and EASTERN CONFERENCE Mirza Teletovic scored 17 off the bench as the Brooklyn Nets beat Miami ATLANTIC DIVISION for the third time in as many tries this season, topping the Heat 96-95 W L PCT GB Wednesday. Shaun Livingston scored 13 points, Andray Blatche added 11 and Toronto 36 27 0.571 - Deron Williams had eight assists for the Nets, who’ve won seven of their Brooklyn 33 30 0.524 3 past eight games and are 23-9 since Jan. 1. NY Knicks 26 40 0.394 11 Chris Bosh scored 24 points for Miami, giving him 15,003 for his Boston 22 43 0.338 15 career. Dwyane Wade scored 22, LeBron James finished with 19 and Philadelphia 15 49 0.234 21 Mario Chalmers scored 14 for the Heat. CENTRAL DIVISION Clippers 111, Warriors 98 Blake Griffin had 30 points and 15 rebounds, and Danny Granger Indiana 47 17 0.734 - added 18 points off the bench as Los Angeles surged past Golden State Chicago 35 29 0.547 12 for its ninth straight victory. Chris Paul had 16 points, 12 assists and eight Detroit 25 40 0.385 22 rebounds for the Clippers, who split their four-game season series Cleveland 25 40 0.385 against their Pacific Division rivals with an impressive finish to a tight Milwaukee 13 51 0.203 34 game. Los Angeles has the third-longest winning streak in club history and the team’s best record after 66 games (46-20). Klay Thompson scored 26 SOUTHEAST DIVISION points and David Lee had 20 for the Warriors, whose five-game winning Miami 44 18 0.71 - streak ended with their fourth straight loss to the Clippers at Staples Washington 33 31 0.516 12 Center. Stephen Curry had just 13 points and 11 assists before sitting out PHILADELPHIA: Philadelphia 76ers’s Henry Sims, left, Charlotte 31 34 0.477 14 the final minutes. and Sacramento Kings’s Jason Thompson battle for a Atlanta 27 35 0.435 17 rebound during the second half of an NBA basketball Orlando 19 47 0.288 27 Kings 115, 76ers 98 game on Wednesday, in Philadelphia. —AP Rudy Gay scored 27 points and Isaiah Thomas added 20 as Sacramento extended Philadelphia’s losing streak to 18 games. WESTERN CONFERENCE DeMarcus Cousins had 19 points and 12 rebounds, and Ben McLemore Knicks 116, Celtics 92 NORTHWEST DIVISION scored 15 points for the Kings, who snapped a three-game skid. Jason Carmelo Anthony scored 19 of his 34 points in the first half as New Oklahoma City 47 17 0.734 - Thompson added 14. York opened a 24-point lead and coasted past Boston for its fifth straight Portland 42 23 0.646 5 The Kings are in the midst of a seven-game, 12-day road trip, their win. Tim Hardaway Jr. added 22 points, J.R. Smith 13 and Cole Aldrich Minnesota 32 31 0.508 14 longest of the season. They are 2-3 on the trip. Henry Sims posted had 12 with 10 rebounds in his first career start for the Knicks, who are Denver 28 36 0.438 19 career-highs of 20 points and 10 rebounds, James Anderson added 17 making a charge for the Eastern Conference’s eighth and final playoff Utah 22 43 0.338 25 points and Thaddeus Young had 16 for Philadelphia, which fell to 15-49 spot. The victory moved the Knicks into ninth place, a half-game ahead in dropping its 14th in a row at home, an ongoing franchise record. of Detroit, which lost in Toronto on Wednesday. They are three games Michael Carter-Williams had 13 points, seven rebounds and two assists behind eighth-place Atlanta. Jeff Green led Boston with 27 points. Kris PACIFIC DIVISION two nights after earning his second career triple-double. Humphries and Jerryd Bayless each had 15 for the Celtics, who have lost LA Clippers 46 20 0.697 - nine of 12. Golden State 41 25 0.621 5 Spurs 103, Trail Blazers 90 Phoenix 36 28 0.563 9 Patty Mills scored 15 points, and Tim Duncan had 10 points and 11 Cavaliers 110, Suns 101 Sacramento 23 42 0.354 22 rebounds in limited minutes as San Antonio rolled to its eighth straight Kyrie Irving scored 12 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter as LA Lakers 22 42 0.344 23 win. Damian Lillard had 23 points for Portland, which lost LaMarcus Cleveland spoiled Eric Bledsoe’s return for Phoenix. Spencer Hawes Aldridge to a bruised back early in the second half. added 19, 17 in the first quarter, and Luol Deng scored 18 as the Cavs Danny Green added 14 points for San Antonio, Manu Ginobili scored snapped a four-game losing streak. SOUTHWEST DIVISION 13, Kawhi Leonard had 12, and Tiago Splitter had 12 points and 10 Bledsoe, who had knee surgery and missed 33 games, had 15 points San Antonio 48 16 0.75 - rebounds. San Antonio’s bench outscored Portland’s 46-23, enabling on 5-for-16 shooting and a team-high nine assists. Goran Dragic scored Houston 44 20 0.688 4 coach Gregg Popovich to limit Duncan, Parker, Ginboli, Splitter and 20 points, Markieff Morris 18 and Channing Frye 17 in the Suns’ third Memphis 38 26 0.594 10 Green to less than 30 minutes. Portland opened the third on an 8-0 run straight loss. Irving also had nine rebounds and six assists for the Cavs, Dallas 39 27 0.591 10 after trailing by as many as 17 in the first half, but lost Aldridge 43 sec- who never trailed, building a 14-point first-quarter lead. The Suns twice onds into the quarter. cut it to two in the third quarter. —AP New Orleans 26 38 0.406 22.