Update on the latest sports

NBA-SCHEDULE

Lakers nip Celtics

UNDATED (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers were able to hold off the Boston Celtics in the first meeting of the season between the longtime rivals.

Anthony Davis and LeBron James carried the Lakers to a 96-95 victory at Boston. Davis had 27 points and 14 rebounds in his return to the lineup, while James chipped in 21 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.

James broke an 85-all tie with a 3-pointer with 5:25 to play, and the Lakers later took a seven-point lead before ending a two-game losing streak.

Daniel Theis (tys) missed a follow-up shot at the buzzer, sending the Celtics to their fifth loss in seven games.

Checking out the rest of Saturday’s NBA action:

— LaMelo Ball poured in a career-high 27 points to go along with nine assists and four steals as the Hornets handed the Bucks their second loss in two nights, 126-114. Gordon Hayward added 27 points, Malik Monk had 18 and Cody Zeller chipped in with a career-best 15 rebounds to help the Hornets beat the Pacers and Bucks on back-to-back nights.

— The Suns rallied for a 111-105 decision over the Mavericks behind Chris Paul’s 27 points and 12 assists. Deandre Ayton had 18 points, grabbed 17 rebounds and helped Phoenix erase a 15-point, second-half deficit.

— Stephen Curry shot 6-for-8 from 3-point range while delivering 28 points in the Warriors’ 118-91 throttling of the Pistons. Kelly Oubre (OO’-bray) Jr. added 18 points and No. 2 draft pick James Wiseman came off the bench for the fourth straight game, contributing 11 points and nine boards.

— The Grizzlies nailed down their sixth win in a row as Ja (jah) Morant had 19 points and 11 assists to lead a 129-112 victory over the Spurs. De’Anthony Melton had 20 points for Memphis, which shot 56% and had seven players score in double figures.

— Jimmy Butler scored a season-high 30 points and the Heat stopped their six-game skid by getting past the Kings, 105-104. Butler also provided the go-ahead layup with 42.1 seconds left after missing Miami’s 10 previous games because of the NBA’s virus-related protocols.

— Christian Wood dropped in 27 points and the Rockets extended their winning streak to five games with a 126-112 victory over the Pelicans. Victor Oladipo (oh-lah-DEE’-poh) scored 20 points and John Wall added 15 for Houston, which shot 48.9% for the game and led by 18 at halftime.

— Damian Lillard hit a fadeaway 3-pointer as time expired to give the Trail Blazers a 123-122 victory over the Bulls. Lillard finished with 44 points on eight 3-pointers and helped Portland wipe out a five-point deficit in the final 1 1 1/2 seconds.

NBA-HAWKS-HUNTER

ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter will miss at least Monday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers due to a knee injury. The Hawks’ No. 2 scorer had a non-surgical procedure on Monday to address articular wear and tear in his right knee. Hunter left Friday night’s 116-100 win at Washington after hurting his knee. His status will be reviewed next week.

Hunter is averaging 17.2 points and 5.4 rebounds as a complement to Atlanta’s top scorer, point guard Trae Young.

TOP 25 MEN’S BASKETBALL-SCHEDULE

Baylor whips Auburn to stay perfect

UNDATED (AP) — It was just another Saturday for Gonzaga and Baylor.

Drew Timme had 19 points and was one of six Gonzaga players to score in double figures as the top-ranked Bulldogs routed Pepperdine 97-75.

Andrew Nembhard came off the bench and finished with 17 points and eight assists. Corey Kispert scored 16 and Aaron Cook a career-high 15 for the 17-0 Zags, who have won 21 straight games dating to last season.

It is the second time this season the Bulldogs have had six or more players score in double figures.

Second-ranked Baylor is 16-0 after Davion Mitchell had 13 points and seven assists against his former team in an 84-72 victory against Auburn.

Adam Flagler led the Bears with a season-high 19 points, while Jared Butler had 16.

Matthew Mayer delivered two 3s and a pair of highlight-reel dunks while scoring 10 of his 13 points during a 3 ½-minute span, helping Baylor go up 66-45.

It’s the second-best start for the Bears, topped only by their 17-0 record to open the 2011-12 season.

In other top-25 men’s basketball action:

— Jeremiah Robinson-Earl scored 23 points in just 21 minutes of third-ranked Villanova’s ninth win in a row, 80-72 at Seton Hall. Jermaine Samuels added 17 points and Justin Moore had 16 for Jay Wright’s team, while Collin Gillespie had 11 points and a career-high 11 assists.

— Keve Aluma scored a career-high 29 points on 10 of 15 shooting to send No. 20 Virginia Tech to a 65-51 win over eighth-ranked Virginia. Hunter Cattoor finished with 15 points for the Hokies, who trailed by 10 in the second half and closed on a 21-4 run.

— De’Vion Harmon scored 18 points to help 24th-ranked Oklahoma defeat No. 9 Alabama 66-61 in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. Elijah Harkless scored 14 points and the Sooners became the second team in the past 25 years to beat three top 10 teams in a row following wins over Kansas and Texas.

— Mac McClung didn’t hit a second-half field goal before nailing two 3-pointers to key a stunning late rally as No. 10 Texas Tech beat LSU 76-71 in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. McClung’s late treys came as the Aggies were scoring 12 consecutive points in the final minute.

— Colin Castleton scored 15 of his 21 points in the second half of Florida’s 85-80 upset of 11th-ranked West Virginia in the Big 12-SEC Challenge. Noah Locke had 19 points to help the Gators earn their season-high fourth straight win.

— Xavier Pinson scored a career-best 36 points and Jeremiah Tilmon had a career-high 33 for 12th-ranked Missouri in a comeback win against TCU in the BIG-12 SEC Challenge, 102-98 in overtime. Pinson went 8 for 13 from beyond the arc for the Tigers, who trailed by 12 with less than five minutes left in regulation.

— Myreon Jones scored 20 points on 8-for-12 shooting and Penn State snapped a decade-long skid against Wisconsin by beating the 14th-rated Badgers, 81-71. Izaiah Brockington added 18 points and John Harrar had 17 for the Nittany Lions, who lost 13 straight against Wisconsin.

— Yves Pons (pahnz) scored 17 points and No. 18 Tennessee never trailed in beating 15th-ranked Kansas, 80-61 in the Big 12/SEC Challenge. Jaden Springer scored 13 as the Vols beat the Jayhawks for the second time in six meetings overall.

— Moses Wright scored 23 points and Georgia Tech ended Florida State’s five-game winning streak by downing the 16th-ranked Seminoles. 76-65. Georgia Tech never trailed in the second half and snapped a two-game losing streak.

— Marcus Zegarowski scored 19 points and No. 17 Creighton shook off a bad shooting night to beat DePaul for the 13th straight time, 69-62. The Bluejays hit all eight of their free throws in a game-ending 10-2 run to pull out the win.

— Brandon Newman scored 21 of his season-high 29 points in the second half to help Purdue turn an early 14-point deficit into a 81-62 rout of No. 21 Minnesota. Trevion Williams added 17 points and 14 rebounds in the Boilermakers’ fifth win in six games.

— Cody Riley had 16 points and 10 rebounds for No. 23 UCLA in a 57-52 win against Oregon State. The Bruins won for the eighth time in nine games over all and extended its home winning streak to 16 games.

NFL-TRADE

Stafford going to Rams for Goff

UNDATED (AP) — A pair of high-profile quarterbacks are on the move.

A person close to the situation tells The Associated Press the Detroit Lions are sending Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams for Jared Goff and draft picks.

Goff has fallen out of favor since guiding the Rams to the Super Bowl after the 2018 season. The first player taken in the 2016 draft has completed 63.4 percent of his career pass attempts for 18,171 yards, 107 touchdowns and 55 interceptions in 69 career starts for the Rams.

Stafford was taken first overall in the 2009 draft but hasn’t led the Lions to great success despite setting various team records for quarterbacks. He’s led 38 game-winning drives and 31 fourth-quarter comebacks for the Lions, who went to the playoffs just three times under Stafford and haven’t appeared in the postseason since 2016.

NHL-SCHEDULE

Ovechkin tallies in OT

UNDATED, N.Y. (AP) — Zdena Chara (zuh-DAY’-noh CHAH’-rah) faced Boston for the first time since being let go by the Bruins. Alex Ovechkin (oh-VEHCH’-kihn) also made a triumphant return as the Washington Capitals beat the Bruins, 4-3.

Ovechkin beat Tuukka (TOO’-kuh) Rask clean off the rush 28 seconds into OT in his first game since Jan. 19. The Capitals captain missed the past four games because of COVID-19 protocols.

Chara took a puck to the face late in the first period but returned for the second and didn’t miss a shift. The 43-year-old Chara played 21 minutes.

Vitek Vanecek made 40 saves in his sixth consecutive start, helping the Capitals improve to 6-0-3.

Elsewhere on NHL ice:

— Second-period goals by Tyler Johnson, Cal Foote, Victor Hedman and Steven Stamkos sparked the Lightning’s 4-3 victory over the Predators. Brayden Point had two assists to help Tampa Bay end a five-period goal drought with the big second.

— Jordan Kyrou (KY’-roo) scored two of the Blues’ three goals in the opening 2:06 of a 6-1 drubbing of the Ducks. Zach Sanford also scored during the three fastest goals to open a game in Blues history.

— Brandon Saad (sahd) had a goal and assist to lead a balanced scoring attack in Colorado’s 5-1 win against the Wild. Logan O’Connor, Joonas Donskoi (YOH’-nuhs DAHN’-skoi), Mikko Rantanen (MEE’-koh RAN’-tah-nehn) and J.T. Compher also scored as the Avalanche won their third in a row.

— The Flyers blew a 2-0 lead in the second period before Scott Laughton scored 3:44 into overtime to give Philadelphia a 3-2 win over the Islanders. First-period goals by Kevin Hayes and Jake Voracek put the Flyers up by two, but the Islanders countered with second-period goals by Jordan Eberle and Scott Mayfield.

— The Penguins ended a two-game skid by defeating the Rangers, 5-4 on Sidney Crosby’s goal at 2:27 of OT. Jake Guentzel (GEHNT’-sul) tied it midway through the third period and Pierre-Olivier Joseph had two assists as Pittsburgh improved to 3-0 against New York this season.

— Vincent Trocheck (TROH’-chehk) scored twice in a three-minute span in the first period of the Hurricanes’ 4-1 decision over the Stars. Andrei Svechnikov and Ryan Dzingel (duh-ZIHN’-gul) furnished power-play goals just 1:39 apart in the second, one period after Carolina netminder Petr Mrazek (muh-RA’-zehk) had to leave the game because of an injury.

— Jack Eichel (EYE’-kul) scored in a shootout and Linus (LEE’-nuhs) Ullmark made 31 saves for the Sabres in their third win in four games, 4-3 over the Devils. Eichel returned to the game in the third period after taking a puck to the mouth and briefly leaving for the dressing room.

— Aleksi Heponiemi (ah-LEHK’-see hep-ohn-YEH’-mee) made the most of his NHL debut, scoring with 2:15 left in overtime to lift the Panthers over the Red Wings, 3-2. Aleksander Barkov and Keith Yandle netted power-play goals for Florida.

— The Canadiens lost for the first time in eight games this season as Jacob Markstrom made 37 saves for his second shutout of the season, leading the Flames’ 2-0 victory at Montreal. Johnny Gaudreau and Mikael Backlund had the goals in Calgary’s first win in four games.

— Connor McDavid’s second goal of the night ended the Oilers’ 4-3 triumph over the Maple Leafs. Dominik Kahun (kah-HOON’) and Josh Archibald also scored, and Mikko Koskinen (MEE’-koh KAHS’-kah-nehn) stopped 26 shots for Edmonton.

— Brock Boeser (BEH’-sur) has eight goals already this season after netting two more in the Canucks’ 4-1 verdict over the Jets. Thatcher Demko turned back 23 shots and blanked Winnipeg after Mason Appleton scored his first goal of the season 2:03 into the game.

NHL-NEWS

Blackhawks cancel practice because of COVID-19 concern

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Blackhawks canceled Saturday’s practice out of concern about potential exposure to COVID-19. The Blackhawks say the move was made “out of an abundance of caution.”

Defenseman Adam Boqvist and forwards Alex DeBrincat and Lucas Wallmark are on Chicago’s COVID-19 protocol list, although that doesn’t mean they’ve tested positive.

The Blackhawks are scheduled to host the Blue Jackets on Sunday.

MLB-NEWS

AP source: Phillies, Gregorius agree to deal

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies and shortstop Didi Gregorius (DEE’-dee greh-GOHR’-ee-uhs) have agreed to a two-year, $28 million contract, according to a person familiar with the deal.

Gregorius batted .284 last year with 10 homers, 40 RBIs and an .827 OPS in 60 games in his first season with the Phillies. He hit .274 and averaged 20 homers and 75 RBIs over four seasons with the Yankees between 2015-18.

PGA-FARMERS INSURANCE

Reed dodges controversy to share 54-hole lead at Farmers

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Patrick Reed and Carlos Ortiz are co-leaders through 54 holes of the PGA’s Farmers Insurance Open.

Ortiz made up four shots on Reed with a 6-under 66 that leaves him at minus-10. Reed received a fortunate call from a rules official on the back nine, then bogeyed four of the next holes before birdieing No. 18 for a 2-under 70.

The duo is two strokes ahead of second-round leader Viktor Hovland, Jon Rahm, Adam Scott, Lanto Griffin and Sam Burns.