Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers labelled Joel Embiid "awesome" after a remarkable 41-point performance in their 108-103 win over the Boston Celtics on Monday.
Embiid finished the game with 41 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, two steals and four blocks in a dominant display.
It marked Embiid's third game of at least 40 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and four blocks, which is the second-most since blocks became official in 1973-74, behind only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's four.
Embiid also went past Charles Barkley with his sixth career game of at least 40 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
"He was awesome," Rivers said at the post-game news conference. “He took his shots. What we talk about with him every day, make or miss, just get your shot. Get the shot you want. I thought he did that.
"I thought Seth [Curry] did that as well. Our execution down the stretch was absolutely perfect. The spacing, I think we got two threes off their spacing out the post. [It] was perfect. That was pretty good.”
Embiid had good support from both Tobias Harris (25 points, seven rebounds and three assists) and Seth Curry (26 points, four rebounds and seven assists).
However, the Cameroonian center got the 76ers over the line with 17 points in the final quarter, including a clutch late shot in the corner under pressure.
"That's a shot that we work on every single day," Embiid said at the post-game news conference. "So that's a shot that I just didn't pull out of nowhere. We worked on it so many times.
"I saw the double team coming, and at that point, there had been a couple of times where I got doubled and we didn't cut quick enough, and I had no passing lanes and I ended up turning the ball over. So, in that situation, I thought I had a great angle and I had been making shots. I thought it was a great shot."
The win improves the 76ers' record to 16-15 but they are still well off the pace set by the Brooklyn Nets (21-9) in the Eastern Conference.
"I gotta do it every night," Embiid said. "Right now, it's a lot tougher because we got a bunch of guys out and haven't been winning. So that was one that we needed."
Joel Embiid inspired the Philadelphia 76ers to a thrilling 108-103 road win over the Boston Celtics with 41 points including 17 in the fourth quarter on Monday.
Embiid's remarkable final period also included a steal from a last-ditch Celtics inbound with 3.9 seconds on the clock and the 76ers leading 106-103.
The 76ers center made 14 of 27 shots from the field (52 percent) and collected 10 rebounds, five assists, two steals and four blocks.
Tobias Harris (25 points, seven rebounds and three assists) and Seth Curry (26 points, four rebounds and seven assists) provided good support for Embiid.
Jayson Tatum had a down game for the Celtics, only managing 17 points, while Jaylen Brown scored 30 points with five rebounds and four assists.
Draymond's season-first triple-double
Stephen Curry scored 30 points including four three-pointers but Draymond Green (16 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists) stole the show with his first triple-double of the season as the Golden State Warriors beat the Sacramento Kings 113-98. Green also had two blocks and two steals.
Dejounte Murray became the first player in San Antonio Spurs history to reach six triple-doubles in one season, with 24 points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists as they won 116-92 over the Los Angeles Clippers. Paul George returned from an elbow injury with 25 points, six rebounds and six assists for the Clippers.
Rudy Gobert dominated with 23 points and 21 rebounds as the Utah Jazz improved to 21-9 with a 112-102 win over the Charlotte Hornets. LaMelo Ball (21 points, 11 assists and six rebounds) and Miles Bridges (21 points and 11 rebounds) were good for the Hornets.
Grizzlies cannot win with Morant
Ja Morant could not lift the Memphis Grizzlies upon his return from injury, managing only 16 points in a 102-99 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, who had rookie Josh Giddey (19 points and 11 assists) impress. The Grizzlies bizarrely went 10-2 without Morant during his three-week absence, having been 9-10.
The National Hockey League will begin its Christmas break early due to coronavirus-related postponements.
The league announced Monday that it will pause games for five days beginning Wednesday, with the schedule set to resume December 27.
With that move, the final games before the break are set for Tuesday, with the Washington Capitals visiting the Philadelphia Flyers and the Vegas Golden Knights hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The other eight games set to be played Tuesday already had been postponed due to COVID-19.
Four of the five games scheduled for Monday also were postponed, with only the Dallas Stars-Minnesota Wild game taking place.
The early break will officially wipe out all 19 games scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, all but five of which already had been called off.
Players are now set to report back to their teams on December 26 for testing, practice and travel. All members of a team's travelling party must have a negative COVID-19 test before entering a team facility upon return.
Monday's decision came a day after the league said it would pause all games that involved cross-border travel between the United States and Canada, in addition to multiple individual teams being shut down due to positive COVID-19 tests.
"With the number one priority of maintaining the health and safety of our NHL community, and amid changing and unpredictable conditions, we are determined to remain flexible and adaptable both in terms of scheduling and in adjusting protocols as necessary," the league said in a statement Sunday.
Los Angeles Clippers star Paul George will return for Monday's game against the San Antonio Spurs after a fortnight out with an elbow injury.
George has missed the Clippers' past five games due to a right elbow sprain. He last played on December 6 in a win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
The seven-time NBA All-Star is averaging 25 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists across 24 games this season.
The 16-14 Clippers, who reached the Western Conference semifinals last season, have not been at full strength all season, with Kawhi Leonard still absent with an ACL knee injury, while Serge Ibaka, Jason Preston, Marcus Morris and Isaiah Hartenstein have all had issues too.
"It's frustrating," Clippers head coach Ty Lue said. "We can't get a rhythm of how we want to play when all of our guys are here.
"But everyone is dealing with the same thing, I am pretty sure ... but just having a chance to have our whole team for five, 10 games, just see how it looks going forward. ... But it is frustrating."
Former NBA Rookie of the Year Ja Morant has returned for the Memphis Grizzlies after more than three weeks out with a left knee sprain.
Morant, who was the second pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, was back in the Grizzlies' starting line-up for Monday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The young gun had not played since he hobbled off in their 132-100 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on November 26.
The 22-year-old had been averaging 24.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game until the injury. He was shooting at 47.6 percent from the field.
The Grizzlies had remarkably held a 10-2 record in his absence, improving from 9-10 to 19-12 prior to the Thunder game.
In the early part of this year, Morant had been spoken about as a potential Most Improved Player candidate, despite already scoring 19.1 points per game last year – the 36th-most in the league.
The New York Mets believe Buck Showalter is the man who will lead the team back to the postseason after a five-year absence.
Showalter officially took over as Mets manager on Monday, agreeing to a three-year deal.
Owner Steve Cohen had announced the hire via Twitter on Saturday.
"Buck has been one of the best baseball minds for the last two decades and he makes teams better,” Cohen said in a release. "We have a lot of talent on this team and Buck is the right manager to take us to the next level and lead us to sustained success. I am excited he is our new manager."
The 65-year-old Showalter has 20 years of experience managing MLB teams, most recently leading the Baltimore Orioles to three postseason appearances during his stint there from 2010-18.
He previously managed the Texas Rangers (2003-06), Arizona Diamondbacks (1998-2000) and New York Yankees (1992-95).
A three-time Manager of the Year, Showalter has a career record of 1,551-1,517.
He has twice led teams to the postseason after they had lost more than 90 games the previous years, and the Mets will be hoping for a repeat of that magic after posting just one winning campaign since their last postseason trip in 2016.
He replaces Luis Rojas, who had his contract option declined after going 103-119 the last two seasons.
Showalter will be the fifth man to manage the Yankees and Mets, joining Casey Stengel, Yogi Berra, Dallas Green and Joe Torre.
Jazmine Fenlator-Victorian has all but officially qualified in the two-woman bobsleigh for next year’s Winter Olympics in China based on the latest International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) rankings.
Steve Kerr has been confirmed as the new coach of the United States men's basketball team for 2022-24.
USA Basketball announced the appointment on Monday, with Kerr replacing San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich at the helm. Kerr had been Popovich's assistant on the national team since 2017.
Popovich – a five-time NBA champion with the Spurs – led the US to glory at this year's Tokyo Games, their fourth consecutive Olympic gold.
The team will have a similarly impressive staff moving forward, with Kerr in charge having won the NBA title five times as a player and on three occasions as coach of the Golden State Warriors.
The Warriors stood 24-6 for this year ahead of a Monday night game with the Sacramento Kings, as they make another run at the championship. They have improved Kerr's career win percentage to 69.3 – the third-best mark in NBA history. Among coaches with three wins or more, Popovich (66.3 per cent) ranks eighth.
Kerr will be supported by Gonzaga coach Mark Few, the Miami Heat's Erik Spoelstra and the Phoenix Suns' Monty Williams.
"I'm incredibly honoured and humbled to represent our country as the head coach for the USA Basketball men's national team," Kerr said in a statement. "It's a thrilling opportunity and I'm excited for the challenge."
Assuming the US qualify, Kerr will be in charge for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup and the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
The Columbus Blue Jackets and Montreal Canadiens have taken the number of NHL teams to shut down through the holiday break to nine due to coronavirus concerns.
It was announced by the league on Monday that the Blues Jackets' games against the Buffalo Sabres on Monday and Thursday had been postponed.
The Canadiens' games prior to the break had already been called off amid a surge in COVID-19 cases, with a total of 42 games now having been postponed this season.
Developments involving Columbus and Montreal came a day after the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs also shut down through the holiday break.
The Boston Bruins, Nashville Predators, Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche and Florida Panthers had already announced shut-downs.
Cross-border games between the United States and Canadian teams have been postponed through the holiday break due to the concern about travel been the two countries and "the fluid nature of federal travel restrictions".
The NHL and National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) are also discussing the matter of player participation in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
A decision is expected to be announced in the coming days.
The league has until January 10 to pull out of the Winter Games without being penalised financially, but it retains the right to cancel its plans up until players are scheduled to travel to Beijing in early February.
Jamaica’s Alia Atkinson narrowly missed out on a medal in the Women’s 100m breaststroke at the FINA World Short-course Swimming Championships in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
Xavi has declared it a priority for Barcelona to tie down their bright young stars to new contracts, to stave off the threat of other clubs pouncing.
Ahead of a clash with Sevilla on Tuesday that Xavi described as "a huge opportunity" for Barcelona, the head coach stressed his desire to keep hold of the players coming through the club's ranks.
They are set to form the backbone of Barcelona's first team for years to come, providing they can be retained, and already the club have made serious efforts in that regard.
Pedri recently signed a deal tying him to Barcelona until 2026, and Ansu Fati has committed until 2027.
Nico Gonzalez, described by Xavi on Monday as "a total footballer", has a deal running until 2024, and Gavi is reportedly close to signing a long-term deal that Xavi wants to see get over the line.
Ez Abde joined from Hercules at the end of the last transfer window and went into the Barcelona B squad, but he has recently been featuring in the first team and it may be the case that his contract is soon upgraded to reflect that promotion.
Gavi has been this season's revelation, with the 17-year-old midfielder impressing to such an extent he has already been capped by Spain.
It was pointed out to Xavi on Monday that Gavi is one of the lowest-paid players in the Barcelona squad. The teenager reportedly has a deal that runs until 2023, and Barcelona want to make it a longer-term arrangement.
"We must act to renew him. If necessary, we will put the money together. We cannot lose these players: Nico, Pedri, Ansu, Abde, [Ronald] Araujo. I understand that the club is already working, and it is essential for the team," Xavi said.
Barcelona sit seventh in LaLiga as they prepare to tackle Julen Lopetegui's Sevilla side who are second, six points behind Real Madrid but with a game in hand.
There is the chance for Barcelona to climb to fourth – a Champions League place – with victory at the Sanchez Pizjuan, and Xavi said: "It is a huge opportunity."
The Blaugrana have taken 10 points from a possible 15 since Xavi became coach, stepping in after Ronald Koeman's tenure finally ended.
"It's not bad," he said of that points haul. "Sevilla have done very well. For me, they are an example to follow. Their philosophy and idea of a club, their coach. They are role models.
"Sevilla are direct rivals. I think we are in a good moment. We are happy, I think we understand what we want."
Xavi reasonably felt his team should have done better than post a narrow 3-2 win over Elche on Saturday, given their overwhelming dominance of that game, and he says there is no room for error at this stage of the season.
"Tomorrow is another final and we will go there to win," he said.
"Our game model is to be daring, but Sevilla also want to do that. It will be an extraordinary match."
Carlo Ancelotti said Barcelona were not direct rivals to his Real Madrid team at present, when he spoke last week, and although there was plenty of logic behind that remark, Xavi's team could yet be a factor over the second half of the season.
"We are 16 points behind and that is a huge difference," said Xavi. "We don't rule out anything."
But Xavi concedes Sevilla are in an excellent position, with their weekend win over last season's champions Atletico Madrid confirming that.
Asked whether Sevilla could be champions this season, Xavi said: "Yes, it's clear. They were already a candidate last year.
"If they win tomorrow, they are three points behind the leaders in the middle of the season. Sevilla are a reality.
"When you see how Lopetegui works, how [sporting director] Monchi works, for me they are an example to follow. They are candidates to win any competition they take part in."
Julen Lopetegui believes Barcelona finally have a clear vision for their future as his Sevilla side attempt to inflict one final blow of a terrible year for the struggling giants.
It has been a woefully grim 2021 for Barcelona, with the club having encountered dire financial problems that were a factor behind their greatest player, Lionel Messi, being forced to leave.
On the field, they won the Copa del Rey in April but have endured a torrid time in the Champions League and LaLiga, with another club legend, Ronald Koeman, losing his job as coach as a result.
The COVID-19 crisis has hit Barcelona hard, but out of the chaos of the last 12 months has risen an emerging group of young players who could save the club a fortune in transfer fees and point to a bright future on the pitch.
The likes of Pedro, Gavi, Ez Abde and Nico Gonzalez have come to the fore, at a time when Barcelona cannot rush to the cheque book to solve their problems.
With Xavi returning to the club as head coach, there are grounds for optimism again at Barcelona. Yet results continue to be mixed, and the perennial LaLiga title challengers are nowhere near that battle this time around as they head into their final game of the calendar year.
They travel to face a Sevilla side who sit second and are six points behind leaders Real Madrid with a game in hand.
Former Spain and Madrid boss Lopetegui would love his team to head into the winter break on a high, with this season one where they may not have to worry unduly about Barcelona entering the title race.
That could change if seventh-placed Barca win on Tuesday and shrink their deficit to Sevilla down to seven points, and Lopetegui has seen enough of Xavi's work-in-progress team to be wary of their threat.
Yet a 2-1 win at the weekend against last season's champions Atletico Madrid means Sevilla are on a high.
Lopetegui said in Monday's pre-game news conference: "Very recently we were playing one tough game and now another that is even tougher awaits us.
"We will measure ourselves against one of the best Barcelona [teams] for a long time.
"They have improved a lot, with players that you'd struggle to see at other teams, young but very good. They have got players back such as [Ousmane] Dembele, so we're expecting them to be very strong and with the influence of Xavi.
"We'll try to be fully recovered and prepare well, today we trained with 13 first-team players so we'll have to wait until tomorrow to make our final decisions."
Sevilla and Barcelona have both scored 28 goals in LaLiga this season, but the leakier defence has been that of the Catalan giants, shipping 21 in 17 games compared to Sevilla's league-best 12 conceded. Curiously, Barcelona have made just one error that has led to a goal, while Sevilla have made four.
These teams have scored their goals in strikingly different manners, with Sevilla having an even split between right-footed and left-footed goals among their haul – 11 of each – while Barcelona have scored just three left-footed goals and 20 right-footed, a sure sign that the Messi era has passed.
There has also been a major disparity between the finishing of each team. Barcelona have an expected goals (xG) score of 31.06 in LaLiga, but have fallen short of matching that, while Sevilla have impressively outperformed their xG total of 22.34 to stay on Madrid's coat-tails.
These teams like to have the ball, so something must give on Tuesday.
Barcelona have had 65.02 per cent of possession across their games this season, while Sevilla have had the ball 60.39 per cent of the time.
Injuries might be biting, but this is no time for searching for excuses, with Lopetegui insisting Barcelona's 3-2 win over Elche on Saturday did not fairly reflect the dominance of Xavi's team. Barcelona led the shot count 19-5 in that game, were 2.8 to 1 ahead on xG, and had 73.4 per cent of possession.
Lopetegui said: "You can see what Barcelona are looking for and they have the right players for that. They want the ball, they want width. They've got young, capable players, some of them start for Spain, while they've got top-class, experienced players. They have a lot of width, they're good at one-on-one situations, etc. Between the two areas we're going to have to do a lot of things right."
No spectators will be allowed in to watch India's tour of South Africa due to a soaring number of coronavirus cases.
Six days before the Test series starts at Supersport Park, Cricket South Africa (CSA) revealed matches will be staged behind closed doors in order to protect the players.
The Proteas and India will play three Tests and as many ODIs without fans in attendance.
A CSA statement said: "Cricket South Africa (CSA) has noted the interests of cricket fans and other stakeholders on the scheduling and the release of the details of ticket sales, in connection with the forthcoming India vs Proteas tour that is scheduled to begin in less than a week.
"Regrettably, CSA wishes to inform the most ardent fans of cricket as well as all sports lovers that owing to the increasing COVID cases around the world, and the fourth wave locally, the two cricketing bodies have taken a joint decision to protect the players and the tour by NOT making tickets available for the India vs Proteas offerings.
"This decision was taken in order to avoid any breaches that could compromise the tour from a COVID-risk perspective and to also maintain a hazard-free bubble environment."
Pholetsi Moseki, the CSA acting chief executive officer, said: "We acknowledge the interest expressed by the fans and other stakeholders on being able to return to stadiums and want to assure all cricket fans that this decision was not taken lightly, but was instead taken in the best interest of the game and in the interest of the health and safety of all patrons.
"Consequently, we urge all sport lovers to exercise absolute care, during these extraordinary times.
"I also wish to take this time to urge all South Africans to continue spreading the positive messages of VACCINATION, VACCINATION AND VACCINATION, because this is the only way that we can truly get our country back into its high economic activity, which will assist government to open up the economy and all its forms of economic activity, including allowing greater numbers of fans back into stadiums."
Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri has dismissed agent Mino Raiola's suggestion that Matthijs de Ligt was ready to move on, saying the defender's next step is "to score goals".
Raiola claimed on Sunday that the centre-back was ready for a new step and suggested that the player shares the same view.
However, the 22-year-old has been performing well this term despite Juventus' struggles, with the Bianconeri seventh in Serie A, 12 points behind league leaders Inter.
Allegri was dismissive when asked about the agent's comments ahead of Juventus' clash with Cagliari on Tuesday, focusing instead on how the defender can improve and help the team.
"The step is to score goals tomorrow!" Allegri said in his pre-match press conference on Monday.
"I didn't hear the interview. I can only say that in [the 2-0 win over] Bologna he made two interventions as a great defender. He can still grow like all players."
De Ligt has been a regular fixture in Juve's defence this term, starting 13 times in 18 Serie A games and is becoming a dominant force in the air, competing for the most aerial duels per 90 minutes in the side (4.71) and winning 2.99 of them – also a club high.
Allegri is also still waiting for star forward Paolo Dybala to officially pen new terms, with the 28-year-old out of contract at the end of this season, and confirmed that the club plan to be active in the transfer window ahead of next season.
"I only know that there was a meeting the other day," Allegri continued. "I did not speak, I do not know the developments. It's an important contract.
"We have to work [in the transfer market], we have five months to do it. We have to be concentrated and be calm."
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
