Basketball

NEW YORK (AP) — Kyrie Irving scored 33 points, Kevin Durant had 29 and the Brooklyn Nets outlasted the Charlotte Hornets 122-116 on Wednesday night. Seth Curry added 20 points on 8-for-11 shooting to help the Nets won for the fifth time in six games.

Kyrie Irving is a sneaker free agent and he used the Brooklyn Nets' game Wednesday night to advertise it. Irving played with tape covering the logo on his black sneakers, two days after Nike ended its relationship with him .

TORONTO — It was anything but pretty. But Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet was pleased with the professionalism of his team in dispatching a Lakers squad missing LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Rookie Pablo Banchero scored 10 of his 23 points in overtime and the Orlando Magic snapped a nine-game losing streak with a 116-111 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night.

NEW YORK (AP) — Though Trae Young's sneakers proclaimed him the “King of Broadway," Julius Randle was the one who ruled things inside Madison Square Garden.

TORONTO (AP) — Pascal Siakam had 25 points and 10 rebounds and the Toronto Raptors routed Los Angeles 126-113 on Wednesday night, beating a short-handed Lakers team playing without LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

PHOENIX (AP) — Chris Paul is back in the starting lineup for the Phoenix Suns after missing a month with a sore right heel. The 12-time All-Star guard returned Wednesday night against the NBA-leading Boston Celtics.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins sat out for Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night against the Utah Jazz, who were missing Lauri Markkanen and Mike Conley.

TORONTO — Los Angeles Lakers stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis were both listed as unavailable for Wednesday's game against the Raptors in Toronto.

(EDITOR’S NOTE — Orlando Magic rookie and No. 1 overall draft pick Paolo Banchero is doing a periodic diary with The Associated Press this season to chronicle his first year in the NBA.