In brief: Pierce’s late jumper turns back Knicks

NBA: Paul Pierce made a jumper with 0.4 seconds left, Amare Stoudemire’s 3-pointer at the buzzer was ruled too late, and the visiting Boston Celtics pulled out a 118-116 victory over the New York Knicks on Wednesday for their 11th straight win.

The Knicks had their eight-game winning streak snapped when a video replay of Stoudemire’s shot showed the ball was clearly still in his hands as time expired.

Pierce scored 32 points for the Celtics, who trailed most of the fourth quarter before running their record to 20-4.

Stoudemire had 39 points, extending his franchise-record streak to nine straight 30-point games.

• Heat beat Cavs for 10th straight: Dwyane Wade scored 17 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter, former Cavalier LeBron James added 21 points and a season-high 13 rebounds, and the Miami Heat won their 10th straight game by holding off the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers 101-95.

• Spurs continue to streak: Manu Ginobili hit a fallaway jumper as time expired, as the San Antonio Spurs (21-3) wrapped up a 6-0 homestand with a 92-90 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

• Mavs hold back Blazers: Caron Butler matched his season high with 23 points and the host Dallas Mavericks beat the Portland Trail Blazers 103-98.

• Nets swing deal with eyes on Anthony: New Jersey sent swingman Terrence Williams to Houston in a three-team trade that gives the Nets two more first-round draft picks for potential use in a Carmelo Anthony deal.

The Nets got the Rockets’ first-round draft pick in 2012, the Los Angeles Lakers’ first-round pick in 2011 and shooting guard Sasha Vujacic from the Lakers. The Lakers got veteran forward Joe Smith in the trade.

Giants lose receiver Smith for the season

NFL: New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning is not going to have go-to Pro Bowl receiver Steve Smith for rest of the season, and maybe longer.

Smith injured the articular cartilage in his left knee in the win over the Minnesota Vikings on Monday and will need season-ending knee surgery.

• Pro Bowl DE Williams out for year: Mario Williams, the Houston Texans defensive end who went to the last two Pro Bowls, is out for the rest of the season with a groin injury.

Rangers heat up during third period

NHL: Erik Christensen and Alex Frolov scored 15 seconds apart to spark a four-goal third period, and the New York Rangers rallied for a 4-1 win over host Pittsburgh. The Penguins’ Sidney Crosby extended his point streak to a career-high 20 games.

Pitcher Harden returns to Athletics

Baseball: Rich Harden agreed to terms on a one-year contract to rejoin the Oakland Athletics.

Harden went 5-5 with a 5.58 ERA in 20 appearances and 18 starts last season for the A.L. champion Texas Rangers.

• Marlins sign top reliever: Reliever Randy Choate, who led the American League in appearances, agreed to a $2.5 million, two-year contract with the Florida Marlins. Choate appeared in 85 games in 2010, the most in the A.L. since 2004, for Tampa Bay.

• NCAA punishes ASU: Arizona State’s baseball team must vacate 44 of its wins from 2007 and is banned from the postseason in 2011 under NCAA-announced sanctions.

Humanitarian Bowl strikes TV deal

Miscellany: Officials with the Humanitarian Bowl say they have reached a new four-year deal with cable sports giant ESPN.

• Sounders trade goalkeeper: FC Dallas acquired goalkeeper Chris Seitz from the Seattle Sounders in a trade for a fourth-round draft pick in 2012.

Seitz spent the 2010 season with the Philadelphia Union, before Seattle took him ninth in the MLS re-entry draft Wednesday.