Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo erupted for a season-high 47 points as the NBA champions took down the Los Angeles Lakers 109-102.
Antetokounmpo dominated the Lakers, making 18 of his 23 field goals, while collecting nine rebounds and three assists for the Bucks (7-8) on Wednesday.
The reigning NBA Finals MVP became the fifth player in the last 20 seasons to score 45-plus points on 75 per cent shooting from the field and 75 per cent shooting from three-point range.
Antetokounmpo is the first player to post at least 45 points on 75-plus per cent field-goal percentage against the Lakers since Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal in 1995.
All-Star Bucks team-mate Khris Middleton made his return after eight games out due to COVID-19 and tied Milwaukee's franchise record for career three-pointers.
Middleton – who finished with 16 points, six assists and five rebounds – matched Ray Allen for first place with his 1,051st career three.
The Lakers (8-8), again without superstar LeBron James, were led by double-doubles from Talen Horton-Tucker (25 points and 12 rebounds) and Russell Westbrook (19 points and 15 assists).
Suns stay hot
The Phoenix Suns celebrated their 10th straight victory after outlasting the Dallas Mavericks 105-98. Devin Booker (24 points) and Deandre Ayton (19 points and 13 rebounds) fuelled the Suns, who are in the midst of their longest winning streak since 2010. Chris Paul had 14 assists without a turnover – his 46th career game with 10-plus assists and 0 turnovers, tying Muggsy Bogues for most by any player since 1985.
Damian Lillard's 22 points and 10 assists helped the Portland Trail Blazers upstage the Chicago Bulls 112-107. Zach LaVine (30 points), DeMar DeRozan (22 points) and Alex Caruso (12 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists) starred but the Bulls still lost on the road.
The Miami Heat defeated the New Orleans Pelicans behind Jimmy Butler's triple-double of 31 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds.
Kevin Durant nailed two three-pointers to move 26th on the all-time NBA list for threes made with 1,687, breaking a tie with Hall of Famer and Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash. The Nets beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 109-99.
Knicks continue to struggle for form
After returning to the playoffs last season, the New York Knicks have made a rocky start to the 2021-22 campaign amid plenty of hype. They were sensationally upstaged by the lowly Orlando Magic 104-98 – their fourth defeat in six games.
Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash labelled Kevin Durant as "one of the best who has ever played the game" after the superstar's latest achievement.
Durant posted 23 points in the NBA championship-chasing Nets' 109-99 win at home to Eastern Conference rivals the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.
Two-time champion Durant nailed two three-pointers to move 26th on the all-time NBA list with 1,687 threes, breaking a tie with Hall of Famer Nash.
"He's one of the best who has ever played the game so it's no surprise. It was coming I'm sure," Nash said after the Nets bounced back from Tuesday's blow-out loss to the league-leading Golden State Warriors.
James Harden fuelled the Nets with 27 points, while Patty Mills added 21 points to give Brooklyn four 20-point scorers for the first time this season.
The Nets have won eight of their past 10 games to be 11-5 to open the 2021-22 campaign.
"A lot of ups and downs. In the second half, we just had a meltdown and they capitalised. They made shots," Harden said post-game.
"We are fortunate they missed a lot of open shots. In the second half, they made a lot of them, so the good thing is we came away with the win and we just got to keep improving. No excuses.
"It wasn't a good showing for four quarters, but we came away with the win and we just got to keep pushing forward."
Mills added: "Nothing's gonna be handed to us on a silver platter. It's a grind, it's a marathon.
"And nights like tonight, you just got to dig deep and find a way to be infectious in a good way and be able to spread those good vibes on the court, on the bench, no matter what it is."
Jamaica head coach, Theodore Whitmore, is expected to be replaced as head coach of the country’s national team with the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) technical committee on Wednesday, expected to meet and make the recommendation.
Whitmore, a former national player, who was a part of the country’s historic 1998 World Cup team, was in his third stint in charge of the Jamaica squad. The Reggae Boyz have, however, struggled in the ongoing World Cup qualifiers despite being one of the pre-tournament favourites to do well.
After eight games the team is in 6th spot, seven places off the automatic qualification and play-off spots. During the difficult run, which included a 3-0 home loss to Panama, the coach’s line-up choices and tactics have come into question.
Whitmore, however, has one of the best win percentages as a Jamaica coach and is only one of two to take the team to the final of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. According to yet to be confirmed reports, Whitmore is expected to be replaced by former England player Ricky Hill, a coach formerly at American USL Championship club Tampa Bay Rowdies. Whitmore’s assistant Paul Hall will reportedly stay on as a part of the coaching unit. The Jamaican team will resume its World Cup qualification with a home fixture against Mexico in January.
Garbine Muguruza became the first Spaniard to win the WTA Finals after defeating Anett Kontaveit 6-3 7-5 in a history-making victory.
Arantxa Sanchez Vicario was the only other player from Spain to reach the WTA Finals decider, finishing runner-up to Stefanie Graf in 1993.
But Muguruza exceeded that result as the former world number one proved too strong for Kontaveit at the prestigious year-ending championship on Wednesday.
Muguruza – a two-time grand slam champion – also celebrated her 10th WTA Tour title, having been the only player to beat Kontaveit within the last month following her group-stage success in Guadalajara.
After exchanging breaks in the opening set, Muguruza struck for a 4-3 lead, winning the last four games to seize control midweek.
Kontaveit claimed the early break in the second set as errors started to mount for Muguruza, who eventually found herself 5-3 adrift.
But as Kontaveit served for the set, Muguruza rallied in a dominant display, reeling off four consecutive games like she did in the opener to take home the WTA crown.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Kontaveit – 15/39
Muguruza – 16/25
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Kontaveit – 3/6
Muguruza – 2/0
BREAK POINTS WON
Kontaveit – 2/4
Muguruza – 5/11
West Ham owner David Sullivan has forked out an eye-watering £100,000 ($21,013,467) to get striker Michail Antonio back to England with enough time to rest for Saturday’s English Premier League (EPL) encounter against Wolverhampton.
The striker had a private jet waiting for him at the airport soon after Jamaica played to a 1-1 draw against the United States, in the recently concluded round of World Cup qualifiers, where the in-form striker scored a thunderbolt. In fact, Antonio scored both goals for Jamaica during the round after also getting the goal also El Salvador in another 1-1 draw for the Caribbean team.
Despite the 31-year-old's impact, Jamaica remains off the pace needed for qualification to next year’s World Cup as they are currently 6th in the standings, with six matches remaining. Antonio began appearing for the Caribbean team after switching nationality from England this year, both his parents were born in the Caribbean country,
The form of striker, who has scored six Premier League goals so far, has been crucial to a strong start to the season for West Ham, who are currently third in the EPL standings. The forward has also scored one goal for the team in a Europa League campaign that sees them comfortably at the top of Group H.
Casper Ruud fought back from a set down to claim his maiden ATP Finals victory after late replacement Cameron Norrie made a blistering start in Turin.
Norrie stepped in as a second alternate at the season-ending event at the Pala Alpitour following Stefanos Tsitsipas' withdrawal due to an elbow injury on Wednesday.
The Briton got off to a flyer in his first ATP Finals match, but eighth seed Ruud hit back to win 1-6 6-3 6-4 in the night session after losing his opening Green Group contest to world number one Novak Djokovic.
Ruud lost only two games when the two met in the San Diego Open final last month and Norrie looked hungry for revenge as he bossed the first set, grasping both break-point opportunities.
Ruud won the only break point of the second set to force a decider and just one further break was enough to get him up and running in the competition.
After becoming the first Norwegian to win an ATP Finals match, Ruud will do battle with Andrey Rublev to join Djokovic in qualifying from the group.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Ruud – 32/22
Norrie– 30/20
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Ruud – 10/0
Norrie – 6/3
BREAK POINTS WON
Ruud – 2/5
Norrie – 2/2
WTA chairman and CEO Steve Simon says he is even more concerned about Peng Shuai after receiving an email purportedly written by the two-time major doubles champion saying she is safe.
Peng has reportedly been missing since making sexual assault allegations against a former top Chinese government official.
She posted on Chinese social media site Weibo allegations against Zhang Gaoli – the ex-vice premier and member of the Chinese Communist Party's Politburo Standing Committee – claiming he had forced her to have sexual relations with him.
Chinese state media sent a statement to Simon with an email supposedly written by Peng stating the allegations of sexual assault were not true and that she is "resting at home."
The WTA boss on Wednesday reacted by saying he has "a hard time believing" Peng wrote the email and he is even more worried about the 35-year-old.
"The statement released today by Chinese state media concerning Peng Shuai only raises my concerns as to her safety and whereabouts," he said in a statement.
"I have a hard time believing that Peng Shuai actually wrote the email we received or believes what is being attributed to her. Peng Shuai displayed incredible courage in describing an allegation of sexual assault against a former top official in the Chinese government.
"The WTA and the rest of the world need independent and verifiable proof that she is safe. I have repeatedly tried to reach her via numerous forms of communication, to no avail.
"Peng Shuai must be allowed to speak freely, without coercion or intimidation from any source. Her allegation of sexual assault must be respected, investigated with full transparency and without censorship.
"The voices of women need to be heard and respected, not censored nor dictated to."
The WTA called for a full investigation into the matter last week.
Peng's social media post, along with all of her other content, has been removed from Weibo.
A spokesperson for the ministry of foreign affairs informed reporters he was not aware of the situation.
"I have not heard of the issue you raised," the spokesperson said via a widely released statement. "This is not a diplomatic question."
South Africa director of rugby Rassie Erasmus has been banned from all rugby activities for two months for his conduct towards match officials during a series win over the British and Irish Lions.
Erasmus, head coach of the Springboks for their 2019 World Cup triumph, has also been suspended from all matchday activities with immediate effect until September 30 next year.
World Rugby on Wednesday revealed that an independent misconduct committee found the 49-year-old was guilty of all six charges that were brought against him.
Erasmus accused the Lions of "reckless and dangerous" play in their 22-17 win in the first Test in July and hit out at the standard of refereeing from Nic Berry.
He also made the claims in a 62-minute clip posted on social media as he highlighted what he felt were a number of calls that went against the world champions.
Erasmus also retweeted clips from an anonymous Twitter user, alleged to be one of his own accounts, highlighting "questionable calls".
In summary, World Rugby revealed he had been guilty of threatening a match official that unless a requested meeting took place, he would publish footage containing clips criticising the match official's performance and then making good on that threat; published or permitted to be published the video containing numerous comments that were either abusive, insulting and/or offensive to match officials.
He was also found to have attacked, disparaged and/or denigrated the game and the match officials; did not accept or observe the authority and decisions of match officials; published or caused to be published criticism of the manner in which a match official handled a match.
The committee also deemed Erasmus to have engaged in conduct or activity that may impair public confidence in the integrity and good character of match official(s); and brought the game into disrepute when he published or caused to be published the 'Erasmus Video'.
Erasmus was warned about his future conduct and told to issue an apology to the relevant match officials.
SA Rugby were also charged with not ensuring Erasmus complied with the World Rugby Code of Conduct and/or permitted him to commit acts of misconduct; and/or did not publicly correct any comments or publications by or on behalf of the director of rugby that amounted to misconduct.
A fine of £20,000 was issued to SA Rugby along with a warning as to future conduct. The organisation was told there must be an apology to the relevant match officials.
SA Rugby issued a joint statement along with Erasmus confirming both parties will exercise their rights to appeal the verdicts.
Rohit Sharma led by example as India started a new era with a five-wicket win over New Zealand in Jaipur on Wednesday.
Three days after losing to Australia by eight wickets in the T20 World Cup final, the Black Caps went down in the first match of the three-game series.
With captain Kane Williamson missing the T20 series to prepare for the Tests, Tim Southee stepped up to lead New Zealand, though it was his counterpart Rohit – taking charge of India in the shortest format for this series after Virat Kohli stepped down – who came out on top.
It went down to the wire, with Martin Guptill (70 from 42 balls) and Mark Chapman (63 off 50), who hit his first T20 half-century for the Black Caps, leading New Zealand to 164-6, with Ravichandran Ashwin taking 2-23 and Bhuvneshwar Kumar 2-24.
Rohit's brilliant 48 and an outstanding 62 off 40 balls from Suryakumar Yadav put India into a strong position in the chase, and with five overs remaining the result looked to be sewn up.
Yet Suryakumar's dismissal at the hands of Trent Boult saw some nerves set in for India, with Shreyas Iyer (five) and debutant Venkatesh Iyer (four) falling in a cagey finish.
Ultimately, Rohit and new coach Rahul Dravid got the win they craved with just two balls to spare when Rishabh Pant (17 not out) sliced a shot over mid-off and to the boundary.
Rohit up and running
Replacing Kohli as skipper is not an easy task, but Rohit showed his usual proficiency with the bat as he knocked off 48 from 36 deliveries, including five boundaries and two sixes.
What might have been for Boult
Boult had figures of 2-31, with 21 of those runs coming from his second over. To further compound his frustration, the paceman dropped Suryakumar on 61, not only failing to take what should have been a relatively simple catch, but also seeing the ball go to the boundary to boot.
He did at least end Suryakumar's stint at the crease in the next over, though those runs proved costly.
Dani Alves is convinced he can still contribute on his Barcelona return despite his age and the absence of superstar Lionel Messi.
The 38-year-old re-joined the club on a free transfer on Friday, having left Sao Paulo in September over a contractual dispute after two years in Brazil.
The right-back will have to wait until January to add to his 391 appearances for Barcelona and will also hope to add to his list of trophies won with the club, which includes three Champions Leagues and six LaLiga titles.
Despite seemingly being in the twilight of his career, Alves is convinced he can play a part both on and off the field in spurring Barca back to the top.
"I have a little less hair but the desire will be just as great! I know what this club represents and I know what I can contribute, both inside and outside, creating synergy with the club, the fans," Alves said after his official unveiling.
"After all, we have spoiled people for so many titles and maybe they are distrustful. But I think that if we all row towards the same side, the ship will reach the port."
Alves is not the only former player to have returned to Camp Nou, with club legend Xavi announced as the club's new head coach on November 6.
The Brazilian revealed that his former team-mate played a big part in bringing him back to Barcelona, claiming he was desperate to return and be part of Xavi's rebuilding project regardless of financial factors.
"I got heavy with the pressure. I told [Xavi] that I wanted to go back, that I wanted to help," Alves continued. "I was even so heavy that Xavi [said] he can't take it anymore! And Xavi told me that he was counting on me if I wanted to come.
"Many times people focus a lot on how much you are going to earn, what is your salary. For me, it is not important. I have never had anything.
"For me, it is important to support my family and the people I take care of, but it was not the time for that. It was the time to rebuild the team.
"I didn't even have to think. The rest is secondary, especially when one receives the call from Barca with the objective. We are ready for anything."
Barcelona's financial issues prevented the club from extending Messi's contract, the six-time Ballon d'Or winner joining Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer.
Alves regrets not being able to link up with his old team-mate, having provided the Argentine with 42 assists in their time together, but accepts that the club must look to the future.
"For me, the kid [Messi] is the greatest thing I've ever seen," Alves added. "You always miss the greats, especially when you have a good relationship.
"It would be incredible to come back to see him here, but unfortunately, it could not be like that. I love him and his family very much, but now we are in a new process.
"I would encourage everyone to return if they could because this is the best place. But the story is different now and we have to think about the process."
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has not ruled out the possibility of Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta returning to the club in the future.
Speaking at an event presenting Dani Alves to over 10,000 fans at the Camp Nou, Laporta suggested the return of the Brazilian right-back might not be the only reunion in the coming years.
Iniesta left Barca to sign for Japanese side Vissel Kobe in 2018, while debts of more than €1.2billion meant the Blaugrana could not afford to sign Messi to a new contract, leading to the Argentine moving to Paris Saint-Germain in August.
"I do not rule it out," Laporta said when asked about the possibility of Messi and Iniesta returning.
"It has happened with Dani, and I want to thank him because he has seen the situation of the club and wants to come to help."
Alves is the first signing for new head coach, Xavi, and penned a deal until the end of the season, but will not be eligible to play until January.
"I also thank him for making an economic effort. We are going to reverse this situation, but now he has made this effort. It has to be appreciated," Laporta added.
"These are people who have made this club great. Messi and Iniesta are spectacular, I cannot predict the future, as they are still playing, but they have made the club great, we always keep them in mind, although now they have contracts with other clubs and you have to respect that, but in life you never know."
Laporta was also asked about contract renewals, with speculation around new deals for Ousmane Dembele and Gavi, to which he replied: "Hopefully we can achieve more renewals soon."
Alves was asked about Dembele, who has also received a vote of confidence from Xavi in recent days. The 38-year-old said: "He needs to understand that he's playing for Barca. It's my mission to remind that to him, that he's really good, that he's phenomenal and that he can achieve great things at this club."
Novak Djokovic felt he had produced "a great performance" to cruise past Andrey Rublev and reach the last four at the ATP Finals in Turin.
A 6-3 6-2 triumph for Djokovic in just 68 minutes on Wednesday moved him into the semi-finals with a match to spare.
Djokovic will face alternate Cameron Norrie on Friday already knowing he will finish top of the Green Group after straight-sets wins over Casper Ruud and Rublev this week.
The Serbian dropped serve in the first game of the match against world number five Rublev but had few problems from then on.
Victory took Djokovic to 50 wins on the ATP Tour this season. He has been beaten just six times in 2021 and is now two victories away from a record-equalling sixth ATP Finals success.
The 34-year-old has won 12 of his 13 matches since the start of the US Open, losing only to Daniil Medvedev – his main rival for glory again here – in the final of that competition.
"It was a great performance overall," said Djokovic, who won 27 of 31 points on his first serve and had 14 aces to zero double faults.
"I served well and that helped tremendously. I wanted to put him out of his comfort zone, taking away the time and mix up the pace.
"I knew that I had to be on my toes and start well.
"I dropped my serve again like in the first match against Ruud. It was quite a nervous start from both of us until 4-3, then with new balls I somehow managed to find the right shots at the right time.
"I made him play. Winning the first set I put additional pressure on him, and I started to maybe play more consistently from the back of the court."
Rather than 2019 winner Stefanos Tsitsipas, who has withdrawn with an elbow injury, Briton Norrie is up next for the world number one at the ATP Finals.
"I always like playing new players, particularly in one of the greatest tournaments in the world here in Turin," added Djokovic.
"Cameron deserves to be here, it is not lucky. He worked his way to Turin with great wins in Indian Wells and some other tournaments.
"So it will be fun to watch him play against Ruud and I will get ready for my next match."
Djokovic has now made the last four of the ATP Finals on 10 occasions, with this being his 40th career win in the tournament (16 defeats).
Bayern Munich have revealed defender Josip Stanisic has tested positive for coronavirus.
The Bundesliga champions on Thursday confirmed Stanisic, who is fully vaccinated, is isolating at home but feels "fine".
Stanisic came on as a substitute in Croatia's 1-0 World Cup qualifying win over Russia on Sunday.
It has been reported that another two Bayern employees have returned positive COVID-19 tests.
Stanisic's team-mate Niklas Sule withdrew from the Germany squad to face Liechtenstein and Armenia after he tested positive for the virus.
Joshua Kimmich, who has publicly confirmed he has not yet received either dose of his vaccine, was forced into isolation along with Serge Gnabry and Jamal Musiala due to being in close contact with Sule.
The Bavarian giants returned to Bundesliga action with a trip to Augsburg on Friday.
Novak Djokovic secured his spot in Saturday's semi-finals with a straight-sets victory over Andrey Rublev at the ATP Finals in Turin.
The world number one claimed a 6-3 6-2 win over world number five Rublev in the first-ever meeting between the two on Wednesday.
Djokovic confirmed his place as winner of the Green Group with his second consecutive victory, having also beaten Casper Ruud in straight sets in his opening match on Monday.
Despite Rublev's ranking, Djokovic dispatched his opponent in one hour and eight minutes as he raced to a 40th career ATP Finals victory and his 50th on tour this year.
The start of the match was close as the Russian broke Djokovic in the opening game, but the world number one responded in kind in the next game and eventually eased away to win the first set 6-3 as Rublev made some costly unforced errors.
The second set was decided in similar fashion, with Rublev fading as Djokovic, who faces Cameron Norrie in his last round-robin match on Friday, broke twice to comfortably claim the victory.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Djokovic – 19/8
Rublev – 18/26
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Djokovic – 14/0
Rublev – 6/1
BREAK POINTS WON
Djokovic – 4/6
Rublev – 1/1
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