Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers called Wednesday's practice fight between Draymond Green and Jordan Poole "unfortunate".
Initially reported by The Athletic, Wednesday's session turned heated and led to the two players becoming involved in an altercation.
Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes later claimed "league sources" said "there was a build-up stemming from team-mates noticing a change in Poole’s behaviour throughout camp with the guard on the verge of securing a lucrative extension".
Speaking to the media on Thursday, Myers said fights in practice will always be a part of highly competitive team sports.
"Everybody's fine," he said. "Look, it's the NBA, professional sports, these things happen. Nobody likes it. We don't condone it, but it happened.
"Draymond apologised to the team this morning, Jordan was there in the room, I was there in the room with the team, the coaches, the players and we heard that.
"It's unfortunate, I'm not going to deny it. It'll take some time to move through, but we'll move through it and move forward, and I'm confident that we will.
"We've got a good team, we've got good leadership, we've got some guys that have been here a long time.
"This isn't our first thing that's happened, first sense of adversity; we've been through some of this before. Don't like going through it, but it's part of the NBA and it's part of sports."
But Myers suggested reports of conflict relating to player contracts were wide of the mark, saying "[it's not about] who's getting paid and who isn't; I don't sense that".
Green was not at practice on Thursday, with Myers adding "space is good" and that time is needed to cool things down.
Myers finished by saying any potential suspension for Green will be handled internally.
Poole, 23, is coming off a career-best season in which he became a major asset for the championship-winning Warriors, averaging 17 points per game in the playoffs at over 50 per cent shooting while leading the NBA in free throw percentage (92.5 per cent).
This upcoming season will be the last of his rookie contract, and he will be expecting an extension similar to that recently awarded to the Miami Heat's Tyler Herro, in the region of four years and $130million.
Meanwhile, Green is also in a crucial contract year, as after the season he will have the ability to opt out of the final campaign of his four-year, $99m deal to seek what will likely be the last big extension of his career.
Jamaica seems on course to successfully defend its title at the 2022 Caribbean Golf Association's (CGA) Four-Ball Championship in Florida after improving on its day-one standing at the end of day two.
Neymar declared "I don't think there is a new Neymar" but the in-form Paris Saint-Germain forward feels like he is "a more complete player".
The Brazil international has made a great start to the season, scoring 11 goals in 13 games for PSG.
Neymar has also provided nine assists for the Ligue 1 champions, who are reaping the rewards of having the former Barcelona man fully fit after he spent a lengthy spell on the sidelines due to injury last season.
The 30-year-old's impressive performances bode well for Brazil ahead of the World Cup in Qatar and he thinks his all-round game is better than it has ever been.
He told PSG TV: "I don't think there is a new Neymar. I think just that things have dropped into place. I'm having a very good start to the season, like when I came here and in my first two or three years.
"I feel a more complete player now, because I can defend, attack or score goals, make assists, whatever you like. I think I'm now more complete than before.
"I think everyone helps. Of course, I know I'm not an extraordinary defender, but I at least try to help my team-mates however I can."
Neymar is dreaming of a World Cup and Champions League double.
He said: "I'm very happy to have started my season well, whether it be with Paris Saint-Germain or the Brazil national team.
"The aim this year is to win with both teams, to win everything with Paris and Brazil. We have a World Cup coming up and we know just how difficult that competition is.
"But I have a dream of winning it, just like the Champions League will be soon in Paris, I'm sure of that."
Anett Kontaveit and Maria Sakkari were both knocked out of the Ostrava Open on Thursday as several top seeds tumbled.
Third seed Kontaveit, who won this competition last year, retired when a set down to Tereza Martincova, while world number seven Maria Sakkari was defeated 5-7 7-5 7-5 by 21-year-old American Alycia Parks in a big upset.
Parks lost the opener but found two crucial breaks of serve when 6-5 up in both the second and third sets to eliminate the fourth seed.
The withdrawal of Belinda Bencica – seeded sixth – with a foot injury put Barbora Krejcikova into the quarter-finals, while Ekaterina Alexandrova will also be in the last eight after overcoming fifth seed Daria Kasatkina 6-1 7-6 (7-1).
The tournament favourites were in much better form at the Jasmin Open in Tunisia, as the top two seeds sealed their places in the quarter-finals with straight-sets wins.
Favourite Ons Jabeur cruised to a 6-1 6-3 victory over Evgeniya Rodina, converting four of her seven break points to safely advance to the next round of her home tournament.
And number two seed Veronika Kudermetova eased past Magdalena Frech 6-3 6-4 to set up a quarter-final meeting with Diane Parry.
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag praised the "brilliant impact" of his substitutes as the Red Devils came from behind to beat Omonia Nicosia 3-2 in the Europa League.
United dominated the first half but went into the break a goal down after a quick counterattack allowed Karim Ansarifard to fire the hosts into the lead.
Ten Hag introduced Marcus Rashford at the interval and he levelled seven minutes after coming on with a superb curled finish before setting up fellow substitute Anthony Martial with a clever flick to put United in front.
Rashford added a third late on, and despite conceding again to make it 3-2, United held on to earn an important victory that keeps them second in Group E, three points behind leaders Real Sociedad.
United's last five goals in all competitions have now come from substitutes, a record for the club in the Premier League era (since 1992-93), and Ten Hag highlighted their work after the match.
When asked what he told the players at half-time to inspire the second-half comeback, Ten Hag told BT Sport: "More runs. We were too static.
"We had to make the movement to get behind – that is why we made two subs. The subs had a brilliant impact. That makes the team stronger."
Despite the win, Ten Hag acknowledged his side must improve, adding: "We started well, with a couple of chances. Then an unnecessary mistake and a really bad ten minutes.
"We have to learn from that. We let the crowd come alive and you have to avoid that."
Martial has now been directly involved in four goals in his three appearances for United in all competitions this season, while he has scored in consecutive matches as a substitute for the Red Devils for the first time since August 2017.
He scored a double off the bench in the 6-3 defeat to Manchester City at the weekend and impressed again against Omonia, with Ten Hag grateful to have him back after injury.
"It was really a big disappointment for this team and for me when he got injured in the last 10 minutes against Atletico Madrid [in pre-season]," Ten Hag said.
"We missed him in the first couple of weeks and that also had an effect on our team performance."
After years of fighting for yards in the NFL, former running back Le’Veon Bell is scheduled to make his professional boxing debut against ex-UFC fighter Uriah Hall on the Jake Paul-Anderson Silva undercard on October 29.
Bell, a two-time first-team All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowl selection who ran for 6,554 yards in 96 games over an eight-year NFL career, will enter the four-round bout in Glendale, Arizona after recording a knockout of fellow former NFL running back Adrian Peterson in the fifth round of an exhibition on September 10.
"As soon as Most Valuable Promotions approached me about joining the Paul-Silva pay-per-view, I told them I want in and didn't care who the opponent was," the 30-year-old Bell said.
"Uriah Hall is going to feel my punching power and tap out like he's getting submitted. He is not built like me."
Hall, 38, spent nine years in the UFC before announcing his retirement from mixed martial arts in August after his second straight loss. This will also be his professional boxing debut.
Hall finished with a 17-11 record in MMA, and his eight knockouts/technical knockouts matched Anderson Silva and Thiago Silva for the most in UFC middleweight history.
"Le'Veon Bell, I hope you bring your best," Hall said. "I know I will."
Substitutes Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial fired Manchester United to a 3-2 Europa League victory against Omonia Nicosia.
The hosts took the lead after 34 minutes in Cyprus on Thursday when a quick counter-attack ended with Karim Ansarifard rifling into the roof of the net.
But Erik ten Hag rang the changes for the second half and Rashford helped himself to a double either side of a Martial strike to give the Red Devils all three points, with Nikolas Panagiotou scoring a late consolation.
United have now won six of their last seven Europa League away games and remain second in Group E, three points behind leaders Real Sociedad.
Cristiano Ronaldo came close to scoring his 700th club goal with a fierce drive in the first half and Bruno Fernandes hit the crossbar. Fabiano made a great stop to tip Antony's effort wide at full stretch, before Omonia punished United for their profligacy.
Tyrell Malacia was caught in possession and the hosts steamed forward on the break. Bruno perfectly played in Ansarifard, who fired past David de Gea.
Rashford was introduced at half-time and levelled for United within eight minutes of coming on, latching onto a sublime Fernandes diagonal before cutting onto his right foot and smashing home.
Martial put the visitors in front just a minute after making his way onto the pitch, as a clever Rashford flick teed him up to lash into the bottom corner.
Ronaldo hit the woodwork late on, but provided an assist as his cross-shot picked out Rashford at the back post to tap in for his second.
Omonia grabbed a goal back through Panagiotou, but United saw the game out to earn an important victory.
South Africa claimed a fourth successive ODI victory over India as they kick-started their three-match series with a nine-run win in Lucknow, despite Sanju Samson's efforts.
With rain reducing the match to 40 overs per innings, India won the toss and put the tourists into bat on Thursday.
Despite a flurry of wickets between the 13th and 16th overs, with Shardul Thakur (2-35) the pick of India's bowlers, Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller remained unbeaten on 74 and 75 respectively to guide the Proteas to 249-4.
Quinton de Kock scored 48 from 54 deliveries before being dismissed by Ravi Bishnoi, but Miller and Klaasen combined for a 139-run partnership to see out the innings.
Wayne Parnell and Kagiso Rabada set about damaging India's response, with Shubman Gill and Shikhar Dhawan falling inside the opening six overs.
More quickfire losses followed for India in the 17th and 18th overs – Ruturaj Gaikwad stumped and Ishan Kishan caught out – but the hosts had won their last seven ODIs and had resistance in them.
Shreyas Iyer's 50 included eight fours, before he was dismissed by Lungi Ngidi (3-52), yet with Samson, India had hope.
The wicketkeeper struck an unbeaten 86, leading a team flurry of 63 runs off the final five overs. The onslaught ultimately came too late, though.
Samson's stand not enough
India's wicketkeeper batted superbly, striking 12 boundaries in a career-best innings and holding firm against South Africa's deadly attack. He had decent support from Shardul Thakur (33), though in the end could not carry the tail through.
South Africa have not lost to India in a bilateral ODI series since February 2018, and the rest of the hosts batters must show similar levels to Samson if they are to end that run.
Klaasen and Miller the difference
With India's bowlers failing to perform at their best – Mohammed Siraj failed to take a wicket and Bishnoi was particularly expensive, conceding 69 runs – it still took some fine batting from South Africa's sixth-wicket pair to clinch victory.
Between them, Klaasen and Miller hit 16 boundaries, including five sixes, to ultimately take the game away from India.
Lothar Matthaus has urged England to start Jude Bellingham in every match at the World Cup in Qatar.
The Three Lions head to the tournament in poor form, failing to win any of their past six competitive matches, their worst sequence of results ever before a major tournament.
Questions regarding Gareth Southgate's first-choice XI remain, with the manager staying loyal to those who performed well in the 2018 World Cup and last year's European Championship.
However, Borussia Dortmund star Bellingham has worked his way into the side and started England's last three matches, with Bayern Munich and West Germany great Matthaus believing that streak should continue in the upcoming tournament.
"He's someone English football fans need to be hugely excited about," the 61-year-old Bundesliga television pundit told FourFourTwo.
"With his mentality, he's not somebody that needs to be treated as a young player who hopes for a few minutes here and there, he's a player who should be starting every match.
"He's becoming an important part of the national team and, in my opinion, he has the potential to be one of the best midfielders England have ever produced.
"I played against some pretty good ones myself and I see those qualities in him."
England begin their group stage campaign against Iran on November 21, then tackling the United States and Wales in Group B.
Argentina captain Lionel Messi has confirmed Qatar 2022 will be his last World Cup.
The mercurial Paris Saint-Germain forward will attempt to lift the trophy for the first time after helping his country win the Copa America last year.
Messi, 35, says he will not play in another World Cup following the showpiece in Qatar, which starts on November 20.
He told Star+: "This is my last World Cup, surely, yes."
The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner does not believe Argentina go into the tournament as the favourites to be crowned champions.
He added: "We are not the top favourites. I think there are other teams that are above us today.
"We arrived at a good moment because of how things turned out and with a very strong group. Afterwards, in a World Cup anything can happen, it's very difficult. The favourites are not always the ones who end up winning.
"I see similar things from the group with the one from 2014. We can't wait to get together."
The 2014 World Cup was the closest Messi has come to winning the tournament, with Argentina beaten by Germany in the final.
Novak Djokovic is feeling "physically fresh and mentally motivated" after maintaining his positive form with victory over Botic Van De Zandschulp in round two of the Astana Open.
The Serbian brushed aside Cristian Garin in his opener and did likewise in Thursday's match with Van De Zandschulp, prevailing in just 71 minutes in the Kazakh capital.
Djokovic has now won six matches in a row and is seeking back-to-back titles after triumphing at the Tel Aviv Open last week – his 89th ATP singles crown.
He reeled off five games in a row in the second set to advance 6-3 6-1, with that his 30th tour-level victory of the year.
And as Djokovic nears the end of a rather mixed season, the 21-time grand slam winner is in the mood to add further titles to his collection.
"My season is different from any other so don't look at my season in comparison to others," he said in his post-match interview.
"I haven't played for over three months before Israel so I definitely am physically and mentally motivated to do well."
Awaiting Djokovic in the quarter-final is Karen Khachanov, who eliminated Marin Cilic with a 2-6 6-3 6-3 comeback victory.
World number four Daniil Medvedev also advanced thanks to a 6-3 6-2 win over Emil Ruusuvuori, while Hubert Hurkacz beat Alexander Bublik 6-4 6-4.
At the Japan Open, third seed Taylor Fritz defeated Hiroki Moriya in three sets and will now face fifth seed Nick Kyrgios, who recovered to beat Kamil Majchrzak 3-6 6-2 6-2.
Denis Shapovalov, looking to build on his run to the Seoul Open final, got the better of home hope Rio Noguchi with a 6-3 6-1 win to advance to the quarter-finals.
Chris Eubank Jr's scheduled bout with Conor Benn has been postponed after the latter returned a positive drugs test.
On Wednesday, it emerged 26-year-old Benn had tested positive for the banned substance clomifene last month.
The British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) subsequently prohibited the fight from taking place, though promoters on both sides attempted to force a U-turn.
However, their efforts were unsuccessful, with the fight now officially postponed.
"After discussions with various parties, we have taken the decision to formally postpone the bout between Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn," a joint statement from the promoters read on Thursday.
"It is undeniable that the BBBofC's decision to withdraw their sanctioning was procedurally flawed and without due process. That remains a legal issue between the promoters and the board which we intend to pursue.
"However, whilst there are legal routes to facilitate the fight taking place as planned, we do not believe that it is in the fighters' interests for those to be pursued at such a late stage, or in the wider interests of the sport.
"As promoters, we take our obligations and duties very seriously, and a full investigation will now need to take place. We will be making no further comment at this time and news for ticket holder refunds will follow."
Former Inter and Lazio midfielder Dejan Stankovic has been appointed head coach of Sampdoria, the Serie A club announced on Thursday.
The 44-year-old Serbian succeeds Marco Giampaolo who was sacked on Sunday following a poor start to the season, with Sampdoria bottom of Serie A after picking up just two points from their opening eight matches.
Sampdoria announced Stankovic has signed a contract running until June 2023, with an option to extend the deal for another season.
Capped over 100 times by Yugoslavia and Serbia, Stankovic won Serie A with Lazio in 1999-2000 as well as the European Cup Winners' Cup and UEFA Super Cup in 1999 during a six-year stint with the club.
He enjoyed further success with Inter where he won five Serie A titles, as well as the Champions League in 2009-10, before retiring in 2013.
Stankovic began his managerial career with Red Star Belgrade, guiding the club to three league titles and two triumphs in the Serbian Cup before resigning in August following a Champions League qualifying defeat to Maccabi Haifa.
LIV Golf players will not be able to secure world ranking points in the next two events despite a new alliance with the MENA Tour
The Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) on Thursday revealed that no rankings points will be up for grabs in Bangkok this week or Jeddah next week.
That decision comes a day after union between MENA, a Dubai-based tour that has been recognised by OWGR since 2016, and LIV Golf was announced.
MENA explained the alliance would "immediately qualify LIV Golf for OWGR points, starting with the LIV Golf Thailand this week", but that will not be the case.
OWGR said in a statement: "Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) received a communication from the MENA Tour on October 5th, 2022, at 13:05 BST.
"The communication detailed significant changes to the MENA Tour's membership structure along with an outline of the initial series of tournaments in the 2022-23 MENA Tour season.
"OWGR notes that the first two tournaments in this series appeared to be the same as the LIV Golf Invitational Series tournaments in Bangkok and Jeddah. The communication from the MENA Tour included a starting field data file for the Bangkok tournament, confirming that to be the case.
"A review of the changes to the MENA Tour is now under way by the OWGR.
"Notice of these changes given by the MENA Tour is insufficient to allow OWGR to conduct the customary necessary review ahead of the LIV Golf Invitational Bangkok (7-9 October) and LIV Golf Invitational Jeddah (14-16 October).
"Only after the review is complete will a decision be made on awarding points to the MENA Tour's new "Limited Field Tournaments", defined by the MENA Tour in its Regulations as 'any MENA Tour-approved tournament, which comprises of a player field of less than 80 players'.
"Regular official MENA Tour events conducted over 54 or 72 holes with a cut after 36 holes, and its Tour Championship, typically conducted over 54 holes with no cut, remain eligible for inclusion in the OWGR."
All 48 LIV Golf players – including the likes of Cameron Smith, Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson – last month wrote an open letter to OWGR chairman Peter Dawson requesting points be awarded for both past and future events on the breakaway tour.
They stated that an OWGR without LIV "would be incomplete and inaccurate."
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