AP Thursday Sports Roundup

76ers' losing streak ties NBA mark

UNDATED (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers have managed to tie the NBA record for consecutive losses twice in the last three seasons. They could top the mark on Friday in Houston.

The Sixers claimed their 26th consecutive loss since March as Isaiah Thomas torched them for 30 points in Boston's 84-80 triumph over Philadelphia. Evan Turner added 16 points for the Celtics, who trailed by five with just under 3 minutes left before they eventually went ahead on Jae Crowder's 3-pointer.

The 76ers also dropped 26 straight in 2013-14, three seasons after the Cleveland Cavaliers set the mark. The only other major U.S. pro sports franchise to lose 26 in a row is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during their first two NFL seasons.

The 76ers are 0-16 this season, two away from tying the Nets' record for worst start to an NBA season.

In other NBA action:

— San Antonio is 12-3 and on a three-game winning streak after Kawhi Leonard scored 26 points and LaMarcus Aldridge had 18 points and seven rebounds in the Spurs' 88-83 victory against Dallas.

— Oklahoma City got great production from its two stars as Kevin Durant scored 30 points and Russell Westbrook provided 27 and 13 assists to lead a 110-99 verdict over Brooklyn.

— Sacramento leading scorer and rebounder DeMarcus Cousins sat out with a strained lower back, but Rudy Gay picked up the offense slack with 36 points while Omri Casspi added 19 in the Kings' 121-113 win at Milwaukee.

— The Clippers are below .500 once again after Gordon Hayward poured in 33 points and Derrick Favors added 22 in Utah's 102-91 win at Los Angeles.

— Jeff Green scored 20 points and Courtney Lee had 10 of his 17 in the fourth quarter to help Memphis outlast the Rockets 102-93 in Houston.

— Minnesota completed a season sweep of Atlanta as Zach LaVine had 18 points, six assists and five rebounds in the Timberwolves' 99-95 win against the Hawks.

— Kyle Lowry scored 27 points and DeMar DeRozan added 20 as Toronto handed Cleveland its third straight road loss, 103-99.

— Jeremy Lamb had 18 points and Charlotte closed with a 25-2 run to beat Washington 101-87.

— Anthony Davis scored 26 points, grabbed 17 rebounds and tipped in a missed shot with 20.6 seconds left for the go-ahead basket to lead New Orleans to its third consecutive win, 120-114 at Phoenix.

— Detroit halted a two-game skid as Andre Drummond contributed 18 points and 20 rebounds in a 104-81 rout of Miami.

— Victor Oladipo scored a season-high 24 points and Nik Vucevic had a double-double of 22 points and 12 rebounds in Orlando's 100-91 win over New York.

NBA-HORNETS-CLIFFORD

Hornets give Clifford extension

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Charlotte Hornets have agreed in principle to a multiyear contract extension with head coach Steve Clifford.

The announcement came hours before the team improved to 9-6 with its seventh consecutive home win. Clifford is 85-94 with the Hornets, leading them to a 43-39 mark and a playoff berth in 2014 before a series of injuries dropped them to 33-49 last season.

T25 BASKETBALL-SCHEDULE

Terps conquer Cancun

UNDATED (AP) — Second-ranked Maryland was able to enjoy an easy win following three straight close ones.

Melo Trimble and Rasheed Sulaimon combined to shoot 13-for-14 while scoring 17 points apiece in the Terps' 86-63 rout of Rhode Island in the Cancun Challenge championship game. Maryland shot 62 percent from the floor in taking a 42-28 halftime lead.

Robert Carter scored 13 of his 15 points by intermission as the Terps improved to 5-0.

Meanwhile, fifth-ranked Kansas just completed a successful trip to Hawaii.

Wayne Selden Jr. scored 25 points on 8-of-11 shooting as the Jayhawks beat No. 19 Vanderbilt 70-63 to take the Maui Invitational. Kansas shot 63 percent in the second half after trailing by 10 midway through the first.

In other top-25 finals:

— Matt Jones dropped in 17 points and freshman Brandon Ingram added 15 to lead sixth-ranked Duke's 80-61 win against Yale.

— Kyle Wiltjer scored 24 points and Domantas Sabonis added 17 as 10th-ranked Gonzaga knocked off Washington 80-64.

— No. 12 Virginia beat Lehigh 80-54 behind Malcolm Brogdon's 23 points.

— No. 13 Indiana finished just 1-2 in the Maui Invitational. Patrick McCaw scored 20 points in UNLV's 72-69 win over the Hoosiers.

— No. 18 Connecticut topped Michigan 74-60 behind Daniel Hamilton's 16 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in the opening round of the Battle 4 Atlantis.

— No. 21 Oregon ripped Arkansas State 91-68 as Dwayne Benjamin scored 25 points and Chris Boucher chipped in 17 for the 5-0 Ducks.

— Texas A&M won its opening-round game in the Battle 4 Atlantis as Danuel House had 19 points and Anthony Collins scored 15 to send the 25th-ranked Aggies past Texas 84-73.

T25-KANSAS-DIALLO

Diallo cleared to play for Jayhawks

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The NCAA will allow freshman Cheick Diallo to begin playing for No. 5 Kansas next week, ending a months-long investigation into the five-star prospect's background.

The NCAA says Diallo received a limited amount of impermissible benefits. The result is a five-game suspension that includes four games already missed and the Maui Invitational title game Wednesday night against No. 19 Vanderbilt.

NFL-RAMS-BAILEY

Rams receiver shot

ST. LOUIS (AP) — St. Louis Rams receiver Stedman Bailey is in intensive care and in stable condition at a Miami area hospital after undergoing a surgical procedure for a bullet wound to the head. Police say Bailey was shot as he and four others were sitting in a car outside a home in suburban Miami Tuesday night. Another man was shot in the incident, while the three others in the car were not wounded.

The suspects are still at large.

Police say the victims drove themselves to an area hospital.

Bailey went to high school in the Miami area. He's sitting out a four-game suspension for violation of the league's substance abuse policy.

NFL-NEWS

Seahawks running back has surgery

UNDATED (AP) — Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch will be out at least three or four weeks after undergoing surgery today to repair an injury related to a sports hernia. Seattle is hopeful that Lynch will return at some point this season and will keep the bruising running back on the active roster. Lynch first showed up on the injury report with the abdominal problem on Nov. 13, two days before the Seahawks faced Arizona.

Also in the NFL:

— Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck has made his first public comments since being diagnosed with a lacerated kidney and a partially torn abdominal muscle. Luck said that he felt better, was confident he'd return before the end of the regular season, and is starting to increase his rehab work. Coach Chuck Pagano said Luck was expected to miss two to six weeks after getting hurt in the fourth quarter of a 27-24 victory over Denver on Nov. 8.

— Case Keenum has returned to St. Louis Rams practice on a limited basis, although he remains in the NFL's concussion protocol. Coach Jeff Fisher said he was optimistic the quarterback would be available this weekend, but would know more Friday. Keenum made his first start of the year last Sunday and was injured late in a loss at Baltimore.

— Cornerback Darrelle Revis and center Nick Mangold might have to sit out the New York Jets' showdown with the Miami Dolphins. Revis is dealing with a concussion and Mangold has a deep cut on his snapping hand that required six or seven stitches to close.

— The Washington Redskins could become the first team to play two NFL games in London in the same season, and in consecutive weeks. The Redskins will face the Cincinnati Bengals on Oct. 30 at Wembley Stadium and could also face the St. Louis Rams a week earlier at Twickenham Stadium, depending on how the team finishes in the NFC East. In the first of the three games scheduled for next season in London, the Indianapolis Colts will take on the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley on Oct. 2.

— The family of Pro Football Hall of Famer Frank Gifford says signs of the degenerative disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy were found in his brain after his death. In a statement released through NBC News on Wednesday, the family said he had "experienced firsthand" symptoms associated with CTE but did not offer specifics. Gifford died of natural causes at his Connecticut home in August at age 84.

NHL-SCHEDULE

Habs pay a Price for win over Rangers

UNDATED (AP) — The Montreal Canadiens took over first place in the NHL's Eastern Conference and kept their seven-point lead in the Atlantic Division, but they lost the reigning MVP in the process.

Goaltender Carey Price had to leave Wednesday's 5-1 rout of the Rangers after stopping 22 shots through two periods. Coach Michel Therrien said Price was sidelined by the same lower-body injury that kept him out for eight games earlier this month.

The Canadiens responded to the loss of Price by scoring three times in the first 9:06 of the third period to beat the Rangers for the second time in two tries this season.

Devante Smith-Pelly scored twice and Tomas Plekanec had three assists as the Canadiens moved two points ahead of the Rangers in the conference race. Alex Galchenyuk and Max Pacioretty each had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens, who led throughout after Sven Andrighetto beat Henrik Lundqvist 4:45 into the game.

Elsewhere on NHL ice:

— Patrick Kane extended his career-high scoring streak to 17 games by setting up two goals in Chicago's 5-2 triumph at San Jose.

— Sidney Crosby scored twice before Evgeni Malkin scored 63 seconds into overtime to lift Pittsburgh past St. Louis 4-3.

— Washington beat Winnipeg 5-3 behind Evgeni Kuznetsov's one goal and two assists.

— Ryan Miller made 14 of his 31 saves in the final period to preserve Vancouver's 3-2 victory at Minnesota.

— Nashville had been shut out for three straight games before Mike Fisher, Craig Smith and Cody Hodgson scored to give the Predators a 3-0 lead in a 3-2 triumph at Buffalo.

— Craig Anderson turned back 39 shots and Shane Prince scored his first two NHL goals before picking up an assist in Ottawa's 4-3 triumph at Colorado.

— Casey Cizikas notched a short-handed goal before Kyle Okposo provided the tiebreaking goal early in the second period of the New York Islanders' first victory in three games, 3-1 against Philadelphia.

— Boston pulled out a 3-2 win over Detroit as Colin Miller scored with 1:44 left in regulation before Frank Vatrano ended it at 3:32 of OT.

— Shootout goals by Jonathan Marchessault and Valtteri Filppula gave Tampa Bay a 2-1 victory over Los Angeles.

— Antoine Vermette tallied twice and Anthony Duclair supplied the eventual game-winner in Arizona's 4-2 win over Anaheim.

— Matt Calvert scored the tiebreaking goal late in the second period and Sergei Bobrovsky turned back 27 shots to lead Columbus past New Jersey 2-1.

— Jordan Staal had a goal and an assist and Cam Ward stopped 30 shots as Carolina won for the second time in eight games, beating Edmonton 4-1.

NHL-CANADIENS-BERGEVIN

Habs extend GM

MONTREAL (AP) — The Montreal Canadiens have signed general manager and executive vice president Marc Bergevin to a multiyear contract extension through the end of the 2021-22 season.

The Canadiens have made the playoffs in three straight seasons under Bergevin's watch, including an appearance in the Eastern Conference final in 2013-14.

MLB-MOVES

Lowrie goes back to the A's...Braves add Norris

UNDATED (AP) — Oakland has reacquired infielder Jed Lowrie in a trade with Houston for minor league right-hander Brendan McCurry.

The deal comes less than a year after Lowrie left Oakland to sign a three-year, $23 million deal with the Astros.

The 31-year-old hit .222 with nine homers and 30 RBIs in 69 games for Houston this year. He was sidelined for more than three months by a torn ligament in his right thumb.

Elsewhere:

— The Braves have added a veteran pitcher to their young rotation, agreeing to a one-year contract with right-hander Bud Norris. He was 3-11 splitting time between Baltimore and San Diego last season.

— Free agent catcher Alex Avila and the Chicago White Sox have agreed to a $2.5 million, one-year contract. The .242 career hitter had spent all seven years of his major league career with Detroit.

— Free-agent catcher Geovany Soto and the Los Angeles Angels have agreed to a $2.8 million, one-year contract. Soto hit .218 with 21 RBIS in 78 games with the White Sox last season.