In brief: Sixers snap Celts’ 11-game winning streak

NBA: Elton Brand had 23 points and eight rebounds, giving Philadelphia the lead on a tip-in with 7.7 seconds left, and the 76ers snapped Boston’s 11-game win streak with 98-97 road victory over the Celtics on Friday night. The Sixers had won only once in their previous 14 games.

Marreese Speights scored 17 points and pulled down 10 rebounds, but he missed a jumper in the closing seconds with a chance to give Philadelphia the lead. Brand tipped it in before Paul Pierce missed a jumper in the final seconds that would have put Boston ahead for good.

•Lowry lifts Rockets to OT win at Dallas: At Dallas, Kyle Lowry came off the bench for a career-high 26 points and 10 assists, and the Houston Rockets took advantage of the second-half absence of Dirk Nowitzki to beat the Mavericks 116-108 in overtime.

Brodeur passes Roy’s games-played record

NHL: Martin Brodeur broke Patrick Roy’s record for regular-season appearances by a goaltender when he started his 1,030th game for the New Jersey Devils against the Ottawa Senators at Newark, N.J.

Brodeur set the NHL record for career wins by a goaltender last year, breaking another mark previously set by Roy. He also is tied with Terry Sawchuk for most NHL shutouts at 103.

•Red Wings’ Zetterberg out with shoulder injury: Detroit forward Henrik Zetterberg will be out for a minimum of two weeks after suffering a slight left shoulder separation in a game against the Lightning. He was helped off the ice late in the first period Thursday night after taking a check from Tampa Bay’s Mattias Ohlund.

•Van carrying Wild’s equipment catches fire: A van carrying equipment for the Minnesota Wild caught fire and left the team scrambling ahead of its game today against the Ottawa Senators.

The fire occurred following the team’s afternoon practice at the Kanata Recreation Center in Ottawa.

•Blackhawks beat Bruins in shootout: Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews scored shootout goals, spoiling an otherwise outstanding game for Boston goalie Tim Thomas and leading the surging Chicago Blackhawks to a 5-4 victory over the Bruins at Chicago.

Yankees bring back Johnson at first base

Baseball: The New York Yankees and first baseman Nick Johnson reached a preliminary agreement on a $5.5 million, one-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the agreement is not yet complete.

Johnson must pass a physical for the agreement to be finalized.

•Phillies exercise 2011 option on Rollins: Jimmy Rollins’ $8.5 million club option for 2011 has been exercised by the Philadelphia Phillies.

Rollins will make $7.5 million next year, the final season originally guaranteed under the $40 million, five-year extension he signed in June 2005.

Maclin, Westbrook to miss game with 49ers

NFL: The Philadelphia Eagles will be without running back Brian Westbrook and rookie wide receiver Jeremy Maclin against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

Westbrook has missed the last four games with a concussion and Maclin left last Sunday’s win over the Giants with a torn plantar fascia in his left foot.

•Sanchez to start for Jets against Falcons: Mark Sanchez will start for the New York Jets against the Atlanta Falcons after missing one game with a sprained posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

Coach Rex Ryan said the rookie quarterback was medically cleared by team doctors after practicing three straight days.

Woods wins PGA Tour player of year

Miscellany: Tiger Woods was voted the PGA Tour player of the year by the players, the 10th time in his 13 years on tour he has won the award.

•Phelps, Hardy help U.S. set records in 400 medley relays: Michael Phelps and Jessica Hardy helped the U.S. men’s and women’s swim teams set short-course world records in the 4x100- meter medley relays at the Duel in the Pool at Manchester, England.

The American men clocked 3 minutes, 20.71 seconds, breaking the previous mark of 3:23.33 set by Canada in August.

The women set the mark in 3:47.97, breaking the record of 3:49.45 set by Canada this fall.

•Donovan joins Everton on loan from L.A. Galaxy: U.S. forward Landon Donovan will join Everton on a short-term loan from the Los Angeles Galaxy. The loan will finish in time for Donovan to return to Major League Soccer for the Galaxy’s opening match on March 27.

• Miller places fifth skiing on sore ankle: Bode Miller fought off a sore ankle to finish fifth in a World Cup super-G at Val Gardena, Italy. Defending overall World Cup winner Aksel Lund Svindal covered the 1.5-mile Saslong course in 1 minute, 38.35 seconds for the 13th career World Cup victory. Miller finished 0.69 seconds back.

•Vonn wins World Cup race: At Val D’Isere, France, Lindsey Vonn won a World Cup super- combined race for her 25th career victory. The American, who led by a massive 1.52 seconds after the downhill, overcame poor visibility in the slalom run to hold off the technical specialists.

•Sioux Falls’ Brown NAIA player of the year: Sioux Falls quarterback Lorenzo Brown was honored as the NAIA football player of the year on the eve of the defending champion Cougars’ title game against Lindenwood.