Pierce passes Bird on Celtics’ scoring list

NBA: Paul Pierce passed Larry Bird for No. 2 on the Celtics’ career scoring list, finishing with 15 points as Boston increased its winning streak to five with a 94-84 victory over visiting Charlotte on Tuesday.

Pierce needed nine points to tie Bird’s total of 21,791.

• Billups done: Clippers guard Chauncey Billups will miss the remainder of the season after tearing his left Achilles tendon during Los Angeles’ victory over the Magic in Orlando on Monday night.

• Stern open to Seattle: NBA Commissioner David Stern says he is open to the league returning to Seattle, revealing he has met with the San Francisco hedge-fund manager Christopher Hansen, a Seattle native who wants to bring an NBA team back to Seattle and build a new arena south of Safeco Field.

• Goaltending call incorrect: The NBA said a goaltending call in the final seconds of regulation in the Portland’s overtime loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night was incorrect. Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge was called for goaltending on Kevin Durant’s attempted layup with 6 seconds left. The call tied the game at 103 and it went to OT.

Athletics extend Beane to 2019

Miscellany: Oakland Athletics owner Lew Wolff said the team agreed to extend the contracts of general manager Billy Beane and team president Michael Crowley through the 2019 season.

• Memphis joins Big East Memphis is the latest school to sign up for a spot in the new Big East. A person spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because an official announcement was pending.

• Former Nike exec dies: Geoff Hollister, who ran track for the Oregon Ducks and went on to become one of Nike’s first executives, has died after a long battle with cancer. He was 66.

• Lindell back with Bills: Former Washington State kicker Rian Lindell avoided NFL free agency by re-signing with the Buffalo Bills. Lindell will return for a 10th season in Buffalo

• Williams retiring: Ricky Williams is retiring from the NFL. Williams, 34, told the Baltimore Ravens that he won’t be back to fulfill the second year of a contract.

• No. 1 Kentucky slams No. 8 Florida: Freshman Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had 13 points and 13 rebounds and top-ranked Kentucky (24-1, 10-0) easily passed its toughest Southeastern Conference test to date with a 78-58 victory over No. 8 Florida (19-5, 7-2) at Lexington, Ky.

• Purple Aces upset Creighton: Colt Ryan’s 17-footer with 3:08 to play broke a 56-56 tie, and host Evansville (Ind.) pulled away for a 65-57 men’s college basketball upset of No. 17 Creighton.