Wednesday's NBA Capsules

Games played on Dec. 3, 2014

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - 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 Minnesota Timberwolves 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

BOSTON (AP) - 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 regulation, for Detroit. Brandon Jennings 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

NEW YORK (AP) - 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 regrouped in overtime after blowing a 14-point lead in the final 5 minutes of regulation and beat a team with a winning record for the first time this season.

Danny Green had 20 points, 10 rebounds and the tying 3-pointer with 2.4 seconds left in regulation for San Antonio. The Spurs endured poor shooting nights from their starting frontcourt and fell to 2-1 on a road trip that ends Friday at Memphis, which entered play Wednesday tied for the best record in the league.

HAWKS 112, HEAT 102

MIAMI (AP) - Jeff Teague scored 27 points, Kyle Korver scored 18 and Atlanta handed Miami another home loss.

Dennis Schroder scored 16 and Paul Millsap finished with 14 for the Hawks, who beat the Heat for the second time in two meetings this season. An 18-5 run to end the third quarter was the deciding blow for Atlanta, which led by 10 in the first quarter, 14 in the second and pushed the margin to 88-72 going into the final 12 minutes.

The Hawks have now won four straight and six of seven.

Dwyane Wade scored 28 points and Chris Bosh finished with 27 points and 11 rebounds for Miami, which has lost six of its last eight home games. Mario Chalmers finished with 19 points and 11 assists for the Heat.

CLIPPERS 114, MAGIC 86

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Blake Griffin scored 21 points and J.J. Redick had 20 before both sat out the fourth quarter, and the Clippers won their sixth straight.

Chris Paul had 19 points and 10 assists for the Clippers, who have won their last four by an average margin of 21.6 points. DeAndre Jordan finished with 16 rebounds and blocked three shots. The two-time defending Pacific Division champions, who finished with a total of 32 assists, are 84-14 when they get 30 or more since Paul joined the club.

Tobias Harris scored 16 points for the Magic, who had only four offensive rebounds and no second-chance points through the first three quarters. They lost for the sixth time in seven games and committed 17 turnovers that the Clippers converted into 19 points.

MAVERICKS 107, BUCKS 105

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Monta Ellis hit a wild, fallaway jumper at the buzzer, lifting Dallas past Milwaukee.

A night after Ellis starred in a double-overtime win at Chicago, he scored 23. He had eight in the final two minutes on what otherwise had been a bad shooting night for the Mavericks' top scorer, playing against his former team.

The Mavericks won their fifth in a row while resting Dirk Nowitzki because of a sore back. Coach Rick Carlisle called it a "precautionary" move.

Brandon Knight scored 25 points and Khris Middleton added 21 for the Bucks in their third straight loss.

BULLS 102, HORNETS 95

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Pau Gasol had 19 points and 15 rebounds, Joakim Noah and Nikola Mirotic each posted double-doubles, and Chicago handed Charlotte its 10th straight loss.

Noah had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Mirotic added 11 points and 12 rebounds as the Bulls bounced back from a double- overtime loss to Dallas on Tuesday night.

Kirk Hinrich, who had the costly foul on a 3-point shot in the loss to the Mavericks, came up with two big 3-pointers in the final three minutes to help the Bulls improve to 10-3 on the road.

It is the fifth straight game the Bulls have scored at least 100 points.

Kemba Walker had 23 points, and Lance Stephenson had a season-high 20 points to lead the Hornets, who have lost 12 of 13.

RAPTORS 123, JAZZ 104

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Kyle Lowry scored a season-high 39 points on 13-of-22 shooting as Toronto sent Utah to its seventh straight loss.

Greivis Vasquez and Lou Williams each had 17 for the Raptors.

Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter scored 19 points apiece for Utah. Gordon Hayward added 16 points and Trey Burke had 15 and eight assists for the Jazz, who trailed through the final three quarters.

ROCKETS 105, GRIZZLIES 96

HOUSTON (AP) - James Harden scored 21 points, and Trevor Ariza and Jason Terry added 16 each to help short-handed Houston cruise past Memphis.

The Grizzlies had won five in a row, and their two previous losses this season had been by a combined five points.

Memphis jumped out to an 8-0 lead in this one but couldn't do much after that. Houston didn't trail after the first quarter.

The Rockets led by 12 at halftime and scored the first 10 points of the third quarter to put the game out of reach. The Rockets led 94-68 entering the fourth quarter and neither team's starters played much after that.

Houston played without three starters, including Dwight Howard who missed his seventh straight game with a strained right knee.

WIZARDS 111, LAKERS 95

WASHINGTON (AP) - Bradley Beal scored 27 points, John Wall had 17 points and 15 assists, and Washington beat Kobe Bryant and the Lakers.

The Wizards won their third straight and prevented the Lakers from getting their first three-game winning streak in more than a year.

Bryant finished with 29 points - including 15 in the first quarter when he shot 6 for 11. He missed nine of his final 11 shots.

Former Wizards player Nick Young helped keep the score relatively close by scoring a season-high 21 points.

Marcin Gortat added 21 points and 11 rebounds for Washington.