Sports

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid scored 44 points, James Harden had a career-high 21 assists in a triple-double and the Philadelphia 76ers overcame a 20-point first-half deficit to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 119-114 on Friday night. Harden also had 20 points and 11 rebounds to help Philadelphia sweep a seven-game homestand and improve to

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer The NBA went into Christmas with a night like none other. For the first time in NBA history, five players scored at least 43 points on the same day. It happened Friday, with Dallas’ Luka Doncic leading the way with 50 points against Houston. Also, Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid scored

LONDON (AP) — Thomas Frank is looking to create “more magic moments” as head coach of Brentford after signing a new long-term contract that will keep him at the Premier League club until 2027. The 49-year-old Dane was appointed in 2018 and guided the club into the top flight for the first time in its

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia (AP) — The world junior hockey championship will be held in Canada the next two weeks. The event will be held amid fallout from Hockey Canada’s handling of explosive sexual assault allegations tied to its world junior team in 2003 and 2018. No charges have been filed but investigations may not be

HONOLULU (AP) — Samuta Avea scored 19 points and tournament host Hawaii advanced to the final of the Diamond Head Classic for the first time with a 62-51 victory over Washington State. Hawaii, which has hosted the event 11 times since 2009, will play SMU in the championship game on Sunday. The Classic wasn’t played

By DAN GREENSPAN Associated Press ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Rasmus Andersson scored 2:24 into overtime and the Calgary Flames beat the Anaheim Ducks 3-2. Michael Stone and Brett Ritchie also scored, and Jacob Markstrom made 21 saves as the Flames wrapped up a successful four-game California road trip. Mason McTavish and Jakob Silfverberg had power-play

By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Charlotte Hornets held off the Los Angeles Lakers 134-130 for only their second victory in 11 games. Gordon Hayward got the tiebreaking layup on a goaltending call against LeBron James with 6.3 seconds to play. James scored 18 of his 34 points while leading

By JACK THOMPSON Associated Press PHOENIX (AP) — Jaren Jackson Jr. had 24 points and 11 rebounds, Desmond Bane scored 17 points in his return and the Memphis Grizzlies took advantage of Phoenix star Devin Booker’s absence to rout the Suns 125-100 on Friday night. Phoenix played without Booker because of groin soreness for the

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Bo Horvat had two goals and two assists and J.T. Miller scored twice, leading the Vancouver Canucks to a 5-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers. Ilya Mikheyev also scored for the Canucks, who have won two in a row. Horvat has 24 goals this season. Derek Ryan had a goal and

By CAMERON SALERNO Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Kyle Kuzma scored 32 points and the Washington Wizards beat the Sacramento Kings 125-111 on Friday night to end a six-game trip. The Wizards had lost 10 of their last 11. They snapped a 10-game losing streak with a victory at Phoenix on Tuesday night, then

By MICHAEL KELLY Associated Press DENVER (AP) — Jamal Murray returned to the lineup with 25 points and a season-high 12 assists, Nikola Jokic had 29 points and 11 assists, and the Denver Nuggets beat the Portland Trail Blazers 120-107. Murray, who finished two rebounds shy of a triple-double, sat out Tuesday’s win over Memphis

By MATT CARLSON Associated Press CHICAGO (AP) — Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane each had a goal and two assists and the Chicago Blackhawks ended an eight-game skid with a 5-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Alex Stalock made 27 saves in his return from a concussion to help last-place Chicago snap an 11-game

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Karel Vejmelka had 26 saves and stopped all three shots in a shootout in the Arizona Coyotes’ 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Friday night. Arizona’s Nick Schmaltz scored on a power play in the first period. Alex Iafallo evened it on the man advantage in the second, leaving

HONOLULU (AP) — Maxwell Lewis scored 22 points to lead five players in double figures, Jevon Porter posted a double-double and Pepperdine defeated George Washington 81-70 at the Diamond Head Classic. Lewis sank 9 of 13 shots with three 3-pointers for the Waves (7-6). Porter finished with 18 points and 14 rebounds. James Bishop made

By KEN POWTAK Associated Press BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown scored 23 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter to help the Boston Celtics pull away for a 121-109 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves that halted their season-worst three-game losing streak. Jayson Tatum had 30 points, eight rebounds and five assists, Derrick White scored

By ALLAN KREDA Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Aatu Raty scored in his NHL debut, Anthony Beauvillier added two goals and Ilya Sorokin made 22 saves, leading the New York Islanders to a 5-1 win over the Florida Panthers. Ryan Pulock and Zach Parise also scored for the Islanders. Matthew Tkachuk scored his 15th