BUFFALO, N.Y. -- First, Ryan Miller. Now, Pat LaFontaine. A day after trading their star goalie to St. Louis, the Buffalo Sabres lost another face of their franchise after LaFontaine abruptly resigned as president of hockey operations on Saturday a little more than three months after being brought in to provide a new direction to the NHLs last-place team. The Sabres announced the decision in a news release issued after speculation had been raised of a potential front-office shake-up involving LaFontaine. "I would like to thank Pat for all he has done for the organization," Sabres owner Terry Pegula said in the release. "Pat joined us at a very difficult time, and helped transition the organization down a new path." The Sabres said LaFontaine would be returning to his previous role working with the National Hockey League. LaFontaine had been working with the league on player safety issues before being hired by the Sabres in mid-November. The former Sabres captains arrival was hailed as a major turning point for a struggling team. LaFontaine took over following a change in the front office during which general manager Darcy Regier and coach Ron Rolston were dismissed following the Sabres 4-15-1 start. LaFontaines first move was hiring former Sabres coach Ted Nolan to take over as coach on an interim basis for the remainder of the season. LaFontaines next step came in January, when he hired Tim Murray as general manager. "Terry Pegula hired me in November, and my primary objective was to lead the Sabres organization through a time of transition," LaFontaine said in the Sabres release. "Im proud of what weve been able to accomplish in a short period of time, and want to thank Terry and Kim Pegula for the opportunity and their support during my time with the Sabres." LaFontaines resignation still comes as a major surprise. In January, LaFontaine talked openly about how he would use his connections to USA Hockey in a bid to lure national and international events to Buffalo. He leaves a day after Murray made his first big splash by trading star goalie Ryan Miller and captain Steve Ott to the St. Louis Blues. In exchange, the Sabres acquired goalie Jaroslav Halak, forward Chris Stewart, prospect William Carrier, a 2015 first-round pick and a conditional 2016 third-round pick in a deal reached in advance of the NHL trade deadline on Wednesday. The Sabres (18-34-8) had the day off on Saturday, and return to practice on Sunday before travelling to play at Dallas on Monday. They remain in last place, but are enjoying their first three-game winning streak following a 4-2 win over the San Jose Sharks on Friday. This is not the first time LaFontaine has abruptly stepped down as an NHL team executive. In July 2006, LaFontaine quit the New York Islanders a little over a month after being brought in to serve as senior adviser to owner Charles Wang. In Buffalo, LaFontaines absence was notable this week once the team returned to the ice following the leagues Olympic break. He was not spotted in the press box during the Sabres three-game homestand that began with a 3-2 win over Carolina on Tuesday. That was unusual because LaFontaine had previously spent time watching games from the press-box level in Pegulas box, alongside Murray and several of the owners associates. LaFontaine also missed the teams "Power Play Luncheon" for fans on Friday, when he was scheduled to speak along with fellow former Sabres greats Gilbert Perreault, Rene Robert and Danny Gare. The crowd was informed LaFontaine had the flu. The Sabres have become a top-heavy organization since Regiers dismissal. Pegula created the position of president of hockey operations to hire LaFontaine. And Pegula did so only after LaFontaine declined a chance to become the GM by saying he didnt think he had enough experience for that job. Along with hiring Murray, the Sabres also brought in Hockey Hall of Fame member and long-time executive Craig Patrick to serve as a special adviser. LaFontaine backed the hiring of Murray and Patrick, by referring to both as his "wingers." He also discussed how important it was for him to be building a front-office team that could work together in rebuilding a team that has missed the playoffs in each of the past two seasons, and not won a playoff round since reaching the 2007 Eastern Conference finals. Its not clear what effect LaFontaines departure will have on the teams short-term future, including Nolans status. Murray said this week hes already had discussions with Nolan about extending his contract beyond this season. Alonzo Mourning Jersey .com) - Stanley Johnson had 18 points and No. P. J. Brown Jersey . 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Walker returned from a two-game absence and overcame a 4-for-17 shooting night, hitting 5-of-6 free throws in the final 1:14 of the game to help Charlotte hold its lead, which it owned most of the game. Wade and Bosh both scored 17 points for the Heat, losers in three of four. Final Score: Cleveland 106, Utah 92 Cleveland, OH (SportsNetwork.com) - LeBron James scored 26 points one day after missing practice with flu-like symptoms and the Cleveland Cavaliers easily picked up their fourth consecutive win, rolling past the Utah Jazz 106-92 on Wednesday night. All five Cleveland starters scored in double digits in a game that was a rout from the second quarter on. Kevin Love had 19 points and 13 rebounds and Kyrie Irving scored 18 after missing the teams shootaround because he felt sick. Timofey Mozgov added 16 points and 11 rebounds and fellow new addition J.R. Smith scored 15 in the win. The Cavaliers have scored at least 106 points in all four of their recent wins, which came on the heels of six consecutive losses, the first five without James while he missed two weeks because of back and knee injuries. James said he started feeling sick Monday and sat out Tuesdays practice with flu-like symptoms. He participated in the teams shootaround Wednesday and was 8-of-16 from the field against Utah, also contributing nine assists and seven rebounds. Enes Kanter had 24 points and 17 rebounds to lead the Jazz, who have dropped five of their last six. Final Score: New York 98, Philadelphia 91 Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Carmelo Anthonys 27 points and 11 rebounds propelled the New York Knicks to their first winning streak in over two months by virtue of Wednesdays 98-91 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Jose Calderon contributed 15 points and Tim Hardaway Jr. finished with 13 in New Yorks second consecutive triumph. The Knicks ended a franchise-record 16- game skid with Mondays 99-92 decision over New Orleans. Its only the second time this season the Knicks, who entered this matchup between the Eastern Conferences bottom two teams with a league-worst 6-36 record, have won back-to-back games. The other time came from Oct. 30-Nov. 2 in the clubs second and third outings of the season. The Sixers received 27 points, seven assists and five steals from Michael Carter-Williams, but shot just 36.7 percent from the field in their third consecutive loss. Robert Covington added 17 points for Philadelphia and Henry Sims posted 11 points and 12 rebounds in defeat. Final Score: Atlanta 110, Indiana 91 Atlanta, GA (SportsNetwork.com) - Jeff Teague and DeMarre Carroll led a third- quarter onslaught on Wednesday night to help the Atlanta Hawks match their longest winning streak in franchise history. Teague finished with 17 points and 11 assists, while Carroll added 17 points and four steals as the Hawks routed the struggling Indiana Pacers 110-91 for their 14th consecutive win. The Hawks outscored Indiana 36-23 in the third to create an insurmountable advantage heading into the fourth. They shot 66.7 percent (14-of-21) from the floor in the period and knocked down 6-of-9 attempts from beyond the arc. Teague and Carroll netted 10 points apiece during the frame. Atlantas current 14-game run tied the 1993-94 Hawks for the longest winning streak in franchise history. Al Horford posted 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists and Paul Millsap supplied 12 points and nine boards for the Hawks, who had six players reach double figures in scoring. C.J. Miles poured in 18 points off the bench to lead Indiana, which has dropped six consecutive contests. Final Score: Detroit 128, Orlando 118 Auburn Hills, MI (SportsNetwork.com) - Brandon Jennings scored 24 points and handed out a career-high 21 assists in the Detroit Pistons 128-118 win over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. Detroits frontcourt benefited from Jennings effective passing as it won for the third time in four games. Andre Drummond led the Pistons with 26 points, and Greg Monroe was not far behind with 24 of his own. Drummond and Monroe had 17 and 10 rebounds, respectively. The Magic saw their losing streak reach three games despite shooting 49.5 percent. Nikola Vucevic paced Orlando with 26 points and 13 rebounds, and Victor Oladipo added 23. Tobias Harris returned from a five- game absence due to an ankle injury with 19 points. Final Score: Memphis 92, Toronto 86 Memphis, TN (SportsNetwork.com) - Zach Randolph finished with 19 points and 13 rebounds and Marc Gasol scored a game-high 26 points as the Memphis Grizzlies downed the Toronto Raptors 92-86 in a battle of division leaders. Gasol added seven boards and five assists, while Mike Conley netted 12 points, inncluding Memphis only 3-pointer during a late run that put the game away.dddddddddddd The Southwest Division leaders rebounded from Mondays home loss to the Mavericks and have won five of six overall. Lou Williams and Kyle Lowry scored 21 and 20 points, respectively, while Jonas Valanciunas chipped in with 12 points and 10 rebounds for Toronto, which still holds a healthy lead atop the Atlantic Division but has gone just 3-8 over the last 11 games. Final Score: Dallas 98, Minnesota 75 Minneapolis, MN (SportsNetwork.com) - Chandler Parsons poured in 22 points in only 26 minutes and the Dallas Mavericks had little trouble with the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves, rolling to a 98-75 win at Target Center. Parsons finished 9-of-13 from the floor and 4-of-6 from 3-point range, while the Mavericks hit on 11-of-27 shots from beyond the arc in handing the Timberwolves a ninth straight loss on their home court. Minnesota, in contrast, went a poor 2-of-15 on 3-point tries and shot just 34.8 percent overall. Dirk Nowitzki added 16 points and nine rebounds in Dallas third consecutive victory. Andrew Wiggins paced the Timberwolves with 18 points, with Thaddeus Young tallying 14 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in defeat. Nikola Pekovic, playing his first game since Minnesotas loss in Dallas on Nov. 15, had 14 points in 23 minutes in his return. Final Score: New Orleans 96, LA Lakers 80 New Orleans, LA (SportsNetwork.com) - Anthony Davis had 29 points and eight rebounds as the New Orleans Pelicans pulled away in the fourth quarter to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers 96-80 on Wednesday night. Eric Gordon posted 17 points, 10 assists and five rebounds, while Tyreke Evans added 19 points for the Pelicans, who outscored the Lakers 27-12 in the fourth to turn the game into a rout. Jordan Hill tallied 15 points and 13 boards and Kobe Bryant netted 14 points for Los Angeles, which has dropped six straight games. Final Score: Oklahoma City 105, Washington 103 (OT) Washington, DC (SportsNetwork.com) - Russell Westbrook finished with 32 points and his layup in the final seconds of overtime lifted the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 105-103 win over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night. Westbrook also tallied eight assists and eight rebounds, while Kevin Durant paced the Thunder with 34 points. Oklahoma City, which has won four straight, improved to 21-10 when both Durant and Westbrook go for 30-plus points in a game. Nene had a season-high 24 points in the loss and John Wall deposited 18 points with 13 assists. Paul Pierce and Bradley Beal each scored 14 points. Final Score: Phoenix 118, Portland 113 Phoenix, AZ (SportsNetwork.com) - Eric Bledsoe scored a career-high 33 points with a full line and the Phoenix Suns nearly squandered a 25-point lead before holding off the Portland Trail Blazers 118-113 on Wednesday. Isaiah Thomas shot 11-for-16 and contributed 27 points off the bench and Goran Dragic netted 16 for Phoenix, which held homecourt for the seventh straight game. Bledsoe added 10 rebounds and six assists. P.J. Tucker only scored three points in just under 34 minutes but played a crucial role in the victory, posting 13 rebounds, five assists and four steals. Nicolas Batum paced Portland with 27 points -- 10 of those coming in the fourth -- and Damian Lillard and Wesley Matthews scored 22 apiece in the setback. Final Score: Brooklyn 103, Sacramento 100 Sacramento, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Brook Lopez had 22 points and six rebounds as the Brooklyn Nets held off the Sacramento Kings 103-100 on Wednesday night. Brooklyn led by as many as 23 in the first half before the Kings trimmed the deficit to two late in the fourth quarter, but the Nets were able to stave them off down the stretch. Jarrett Jack posted 16 points and eight assists, while Joe Johnson added 16 points and eight rebounds for the Nets, who have won two of their last three games on the heels of a seven- game losing skid. DeMarcus Cousins supplied 28 points and 14 rebounds and Rudy Gay chipped in 25 points, eight boards and six assists for Sacramento, which has lost five consecutive contests. Final Score: Golden State 126, Houston 113 Oakland, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Klay Thompson scored 27 points with five assists to help the Golden State Warriors in a 126-113 win over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night. Stephen Curry supplied 22 points with 10 assists and Draymond Green notched 18 points in the win. Golden State, which captured a four-game season sweep of the Rockets for the first time since 1973-74, set a franchise record with its 17th straight home victory. The Warriors won 16 in a row at home over two seasons in 1950 and 1959 when the franchise was in Philadelphia. James Harden went for a game-high 33 points in the loss, while Corey Brewer and Jason Terry posted 20 and 14 points off the bench, respectively. ' ' '