Basketball

CHICAGO (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid left Wednesday night's 116-91 victory over the Chicago Bulls with mild right calf tightness.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Nikola Jokic had 31 points and 12 rebounds as the Denver Nuggets shook off a slow start and beat the short-handed Washington Wizards 118-104 on Wednesday night. Michael Porter Jr.

MIAMI (AP) — Jimmy Butler stepped back onto the court in his usual time slot, midway through the fourth quarter, with the Miami Heat clinging to a one-point lead.

TORONTO (AP) — Rookie guard Andrew Nembhard had 25 points and 10 assists in his first NBA game back home in Canada, and the Indiana Pacers beat the Toronto Raptors 118-114 on Wednesday night to snap their home winning streak at seven.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Charlotte Hornets signed center Nick Richards to a multiyear contract extension Wednesday. Terms of the deal were not immediately available.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Karl-Anthony Towns is set to return Wednesday night for the Minnesota Timberwolves after missing 51 games with a right calf strain. Towns, the three-time All-Star, has been out since Nov. 28. Towns was averaging 20.8 points, 8.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Both editions of March Madness have proven to be must-see TV for basketball fans. The first two rounds of the women's tournament averaged a record 391,000 viewers, a 28% increase over last year.

DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic will return from a five-game absence, but fellow star Kyrie Irving is out for the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night in a meeting with Golden State that has significant playoff implications.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Clippers may be without All-Star Paul George to start the postseason. The team said Wednesday that George has a sprained right knee and he will be reevaluated in two to three weeks.

METAIRIE, La. (AP) — All-Star forward Zion Williamson will not return for at least two more weeks, jeopardizing whether he will be a part of the New Orleans Pelicans’ playoff push.