Capping a wild few hours on and off the court, Anthony Edwards scored 31 points and Jaylen Nowell added a career-high 30 as the Minnesota Timberwolves took a 143-118 victory over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night in Salt Lake City, right after the teams reportedly agreed to be part of a major three-way trade.

Both squads played short-handed due to injuries (Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert, Kyle Anderson and Karl-Anthony Towns), a league suspension (the Timberwolves’ Austin Rivers) or players involved in the trade between the Jazz, Timberwolves and Los Angeles Lakers sitting out.

In the reported transaction, the Lakers receive D’Angelo Russell from Minnesota and Utah’s Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt; the Timberwolves acquire Jazz guards Mike Conley and Nickeil Alexander-Walker along with three second-round picks; and Utah picks up Russell Westbrook, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Damian Jones and a lightly protected 2027 first-round pick from Los Angeles.

The trade was reported by ESPN and The Athletic moments before tipoff, but has yet to be approved by the league. The NBA’s 2023 trade deadline is Thursday at 3 p.m. ET.

As for the Jazz players who were suited up, Collin Sexton scored 22 points and Lauri Markkanen added 21. But a midgame defensive debacle led to a third straight loss.

The game was competitive for the first quarter, which ended with Minnesota ahead 33-31.

It got out of hand over the next two quarters for Utah, which has now traded away all five starters from the 2021-22 season in a Danny Ainge-engineered retooling effort.

Minnesota scored 77 points in the first half en route to a 10-point halftime lead, and tallied 117 points through the first three quarters after scoring 44 in the second quarter and 40 in the third.

Edwards, who contributed eight assists and seven rebounds, scored 17 in the third quarter — during which time Minnesota took a 30-point lead.

The offensive explosion helped the T-Wolves bounce back from a 146-112 blowout loss in Denver on Tuesday night.

Luka Garza added 25 points and Josh Minott had 12 points and 11 rebounds to lead a Minnesota bench that scored 48 points.

The Timberwolves shot 57.1 percent from the field and a blistering 53.5 percent from 3-point range. Seven Minnesota players made at least two 3-pointers. Nowell hit six of the team’s 23 makes from beyond the arc.

–Field Level Media

The New York Knicks, in a tight battle for a playoff berth, added swingman Josh Hart in a deal with the Portland Trail Blazers, ESPN and The Athletic reported Wednesday night.

Portland reportedly will receive forward Cam Reddish, guards Svi Mykhailiuk and Ryan Arcidiacono and a protected first-round draft pick.

It is the second consecutive year in which Hart was dealt just ahead of the NBA trade deadline. Last season, he went from the Pelicans to the Trail Blazers in the trade that sent CJ McCollum to New Orleans.

In 51 starts for Portland this season, Hart averaged 9.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists.

Hart, a 27-year-old Villanova product, began his NBA career with the Lakers (2017-18 to 2018-19) before going to New Orleans in a three-team trade in July 2019 that brought Anthony Davis to Los Angeles.

In 347 career games (169 starts), Hart has averages of 9.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists.

Reddish, 23, contributed 8.4 points and 1.6 rebounds for New York this season in 20 games (eight starts), though he hasn’t played since early December. Those figures were down from his career norms of 10.2 points and three rebounds.

Arcidiacono, 28, saw action in just 11 games for the Knicks this season, amassing a total of three points and four rebounds in 26 minutes.

Mykhailiuk, 25, also was a bit-part player for the Knicks, averaging 1.6 points in 13 games.

The Knicks (30-26) are a half-game behind the Miami Heat (30-25) for the sixth and final automatic playoff berth in the Eastern Conference. New York currently sits in the top play-in spot.

Portland was 26-28 going into a Wednesday night home game against the Golden State Warriors, with the Trail Blazers sitting a half-game outside the last play-in position in the Western Conference.

–Field Level Media

De’Aaron Fox sank three free throws with 0.3 seconds remaining and the Sacramento Kings completed a season sweep of the host Houston Rockets with a 130-128 victory on Wednesday.

Fox (31 points, 11 assists) absorbed a foul with Eric Gordon after Malik Monk stole an inbounds pass from Alperen Sengun intended for Kenyon Martin Jr. with 1.1 seconds on the clock and Houston clinging to a one-point lead. Fox scored the final seven points for the Kings, who trailed 128-123 with 1:17 left.

Green scored 41 points on 14-of-22 shooting and Sengun scored 18 points to go with a career-high 11 assists and nine rebounds. Martin added 15 points — all in the first half — and Jae’Sean Tate added 16 for the Rockets, who committed 13 of their 19 turnovers in the second half. Sacramento scored 27 points off those turnovers.

Domantas Sabonis added 22 points and nine rebounds for the Kings while Monk scored 17 off the bench.

After posting one 40-point period in each of the first three meetings, the Kings scored 41 points in the third quarter on 70-percent shooting. Sacramento missed 13 of 17 3s in the first half but hit 4 of 7 from deep in the third. Despite that marksmanship, the Kings’ lead was only 99-97 entering the fourth.

The third quarter featured seven lead changes and four ties. While Monk scored nine points to pace a 24-point outburst from the Sacramento bench in the third, Sengun kept Houston in the running with nine points and three assists in the frame, one in which Sabonis sat nearly seven minutes after picking up his fifth foul.

A scorching start from Green and Martin enabled the Rockets to seize control early, with that tandem combining for 25 points on 10-for-12 shooting in the opening period. With Sengun chipping in six assists, Houston had its way in the first, shooting 60 percent while scoring eight points in transition and 20 in the paint.

But after trailing by as many as nine points in the first, the Kings clawed their way back and used 11-3 run midway through the second to grab a 54-50 lead. Fox, Harrison Barnes (16 points) and Kevin Huerter all scored in the midrange and when Murray drilled a 3-pointer with 3:48 left prior to the intermission, the Kings secured their largest lead of the half.

The Rockets responded to the Kings’ rally almost immediately, and when Green followed his technical free throw with a 3, Houston moved back head 60-56 and held that four-point edge at the break. Green and Martin tallied 36 points while missing a combined six shots in the first half.

–Field Level Media

Pascal Siakam had 37 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists and the Toronto Raptors defeated the visiting San Antonio Spurs 112-98 Wednesday night.

Chris Boucher added 18 points and 11 rebounds off the bench for the Raptors, who have won three in a row.

The Spurs have lost 10 consecutive games.

Fred VanVleet scored 16 points for the Raptors. Gary Trent Jr. added 15 points, Scottie Barnes contributed 10 points and nine rebounds, and Precious Achiuwa had 10 points.

Keldon Johnson scored 22 points for San Antonio. Josh Richardson added 14 points while Doug McDermott scored 13. Jakob Poeltl had 12 points and Keita Bates-Diop chipped in with 10.

Toronto took a 13-point lead into the fourth quarter. Bates-Diop made a reverse layup to open the quarter but Toronto answered with four points by Thaddeus Young. Johnson’s layup cut the lead to 10 with 9:21 remaining. Siakam’s jumper bumped the lead to 14 with 4:10 to play.

Siakam was 7-for-7 from the field and scored 18 points to help Toronto to a 34-24 lead after the first quarter.

The Spurs opened the second quarter with a 7-1 spurt. Stanley Johnson’s steal set up Malaki Branham’s jumper that gave San Antonio a two-point lead with 4:47 left. Toronto answered with eight straight points. Richardson’s 3-pointer cut Toronto’s lead to one with 22.5 to play before VanVleet’s layup completed the first-half scoring and gave Toronto a 57-54 lead.

Siakam had 20 points as Toronto shot 51.1 percent (24-for-47) in the first half.

Richardson and Bates-Diop each scored eight points as San Antonio shot 43.8 percent (21-for-48) in the first half.

Toronto opened the third quarter with six straight points. Trent’s 3-pointer gave the Raptors a 73-60 lead with 7:32 remaining in the third. The lead reached 17 on two free throws by VanVleet with 4:44 left. Boucher’s layup gave Toronto an 86-68 lead with 3:40 to go. McDermott’s 3-pointer cut the lead to 14. Toronto led 88-75 after three quarters.

Jeremy Sochan (back) and Tre Jones (foot) did not play for San Antonio.

Toronto was without O.G. Anunoby (wrist).

–Field Level Media

Bam Adebayo scored 38 points on 12-for-16 shooting from the floor and a perfect 14-for-14 effort from the foul line as the host Miami Heat defeated the reeling Indiana Pacers 116-111 on Wednesday night.

Jimmy Butler added 25 points and a team-high seven assists as Miami won a season-best seventh straight home game. Heat forward Caleb Martin added 12 points, a team-high 11 rebounds and four steals.

The Pacers, who were led by Buddy Hield’s 29 points, have lost 13 of their past 15 games. Indiana also has dropped 10 straight road games.

Hield shot 6 of 12 on 3-point attempts and leads the NBA with 214 made 3-pointers.

Myles Turner added 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Pacers. T.J. McConnell had 18 points off the bench but scored just two after halftime.

Pacers All-Star Tyrese Haliburton was held to 11 points, though he dished out 10 assists. In two wins over Miami this season, Haliburton averaged 32.5 points. But in the two losses, he averaged just six points on a combined 3-for-17 shooting.

The Heat are 18-9 at home this season and improved to 18-5 when winning the rebound battle. They had 48 boards to just 31 for Indiana.

The Heat played without starting point guard Kyle Lowry (sore left knee) and key reserve Victor Oladipo (sprained right ankle).

Miami, with the help of a 14-0 run, led 39-30 at the end of the first quarter. The Heat shot 68.4 percent from the floor and led by as many as 16 points in their highest-scoring opening period of the season.

The Pacers posted a 9-0 run in the second quarter and took their first lead of the game, 52-51, on Chris Duarte’s drive with 4:22 left. By halftime, Indiana led 63-60.

The first half was a battle between Adebayo (20 points) and McConnell (16 points). Both of them shot 7-for-9 from the floor.

Miami surged back on top 89-83 after three quarters, and the Heat held on in the fourth as Indiana never got closer than three points in the final six minutes.

For the game, Indiana shot 15-for-33 (45.5 percent) from 3-point range. Miami shot just 6 of 19 (31.6 percent) from deep, but the Heat had a 52-42 edge in paint points.

–Field Level Media

Jayson Tatum collected 12 points, nine assists and eight rebounds to lead the depleted Boston Celtics to a 106-99 victory over the visiting Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night.

Derrick White and Malcolm Brogdon each scored a team-high 19 points for Boston. Blake Griffin (15), Grant Williams (15) and Sam Hauser (14) also scored in double figures for the Celtics, who played much of the game without four regular starters. Williams and Hauser each grabbed eight rebounds.

Boston’s Jaylen Brown left the game with 1:27 left in the first half after he collided with Tatum and suffered a facial contusion. He did not return.

Boston was also without point guard Marcus Smart (ankle), center Al Horford (knee swelling) and center Robert Williams (ankle).

Joel Embiid led the 76ers with a game-high 28 points and seven rebounds. Philadelphia also got 26 points and 11 assists from James Harden. Embiid entered the game averaging an NBA-best 33.4 points per game.

Made 3-pointers were the main difference in the game. Boston connected on 19 of its 35 3-point attempts, while Philadelphia was 10 of 31.

Griffin led the Celtics with five made 3-pointers. Grant Williams and Hauser each had four, and White finished with three.

And White’s 3-pointer with 2:09 to play doubled a three-point lead and allowed the Celtics to keep the 76ers at bay.

The Celtics led 30-27 after one quarter and extended their lead to 12 points, 47-35, when a Tatum 3-pointer capped an 8-0 run with 5:23 remaining in the second quarter. Boston led 59-55 at halftime.

Philadelphia trailed by one, 80-79, following an Embiid layup with 1:21 left in the third, but the Celtics increased their lead to 86-79 by the end of quarter. Boston led 95-85 when Hauser made a 3-pointer with 8:20 to play.

It was the second of four meetings between the teams this season. The Celtics won 126-117 in Boston on opening night. They will battle in Philadelphia on Feb. 25 and April 4.

–Field Level Media

Kristaps Porzingis scored 18 of his 36 points in the third quarter to fuel the host Washington Wizards to a 118-104 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday.

Porzingis sank a career-high-tying eight 3-pointers, including four in a third quarter in which the Wizards outscored the Hornets by a 27-15 margin. He also converted eight times from beyond the arc while playing for the Dallas Mavericks in a 143-130 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Feb. 12, 2021.

Washington’s Deni Avdija collected 20 points and 13 rebounds and Bradley Beal contributed 17 points and 10 assists in his return from a two-game absence due to left foot soreness.

Daniel Gafford added 13 points for the Wizards, who shot 50.6 percent from the floor (44 of 87) and 40.5 percent from 3-point range (15 of 37). The efficient shooting allowed them to snap a three-game skid and record their third win in four meetings this season against Charlotte.

Washington’s Kyle Kuzma sat out his second straight game due to a left ankle sprain, while Monte Morris was inactive because of back tightness.

Charlotte’s P.J. Washington scored 20 points and Terry Rozier added 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists. LaMelo Ball collected 16 points and six rebounds and Gordon Hayward added 15 points for the Hornets, who have lost five in a row.

Washington’s basket gave Charlotte a 67-65 lead early in the third quarter before Porzingis countered with a quartet of 3-pointers to highlight the Wizards’ 19-5 run.

Washington scored 17 of the first 23 points of the fourth quarter to push its advantage to 105-82, capped by Porzingis’ seventh 3-pointer. The Hornets trimmed their deficit to 12 with 1:11 to play, however, Porzingis drained his eighth 3-pointer to effectively seal the win.

Hayward gave Charlotte its largest lead of the first half at 50-41 after making a basket with 6:29 remaining. Porzingis countered with a three-point play on the next possession and Washington slowly chipped away before Avdija’s 3-pointer with four seconds left knotted the contest at 61-61.

–Field Level Media

Jarrett Allen finished with 20 points and 14 rebounds for his team-leading 23rd double-double of the season to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 113-85 rout of the visiting Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night.

Evan Mobley added 19 points and eight rebounds for Cleveland, which won its fourth straight to continue a charge up the Eastern Conference standings.

Bojan Bogdanovic, Detroit’s most prominent trade chip ahead of Thursday’s deadline, led the Pistons with 15 points. Jalen Duren had 14 points and nine rebounds for Detroit, which has lost five of its last six.

For the second time in three meetings with the Pistons this season, the Cavaliers were without their starting backcourt of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland.

Mitchell sat out with left groin soreness while Garland missed the game due to a right thumb injury. Taking their place were Raul Neto and Caris LeVert. Neto matched a season high with 14 points to go along with four steals and a season-best eight assists, while LeVert finished with 15 points.

The Cavaliers didn’t miss a beat without the two star guards. Behind 11 points and four rebounds from Mobley and 10 points from Allen, the Cavaliers raced out to a 32-14 lead after one quarter. Cleveland made 14 of 23 shots from the field while Detroit converted just 6 of 20.

Bogdanovic scored all 10 of his first-half points in the second quarter as Detroit outscored Cleveland 26-19. Cleveland made just 9 of 25 shots in the period but still managed to build a 51-40 halftime lead.

The Pistons, who entered Wednesday tied with San Antonio for the second-fewest wins (14) in the NBA, rallied in the third. Alec Burks drained two free throws with 4:02 remaining in the quarter to cap a 9-0 Detroit run and cut Cleveland’s lead to 62-60.

But the Cavaliers closed out the quarter on a 14-8 run and opened the fourth quarter on a 9-0 spurt to put the game out of reach.

Following team introductions, Cleveland’s Cedi Osman, a native a Turkey, addressed the crowd in a taped announcement of support for those affected by the recent catastrophic earthquakes in his homeland.

–Field Level Media

Boston Celtics centers Al Horford and Robert Williams III will miss Wednesday night’s game against the visiting Philadelphia 76ers.

Horford is dealing with swelling in his right knee, while Williams is nursing a left ankle sprain. Grant Williams, Blake Griffin and Luke Kornet are expected to see increased roles in the frontcourt with Horford and Robert Williams out.

Horford, 36, is averaging 9.1 points and 6.1 rebounds while shooting 46.2 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from 3-point range in 43 starts this season.

Robert Williams, 25, has averages of 8.6 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks while shooting 77.2 percent from the floor in 20 games (11 starts) this season.

The Celtics will also be without reigning Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart, who will miss his eighth straight game with a right ankle sprain.

–Field Level Media