Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni acknowledges his Kansas City Chiefs exit under Andy Reid left him with a "chip on your shoulder" ahead of their Super Bowl LVII encounter.

The two will face off on Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Arizona, with the former set to face off against the team he started his NFL coaching career with in 2009.

Sirianni worked his way through the ranks to become receivers coach with the Chiefs but exited the role in 2013 after Reid arrived as head coach, having brought assistant David Culley with him.

Though he has no issue with how his departure was handled by Reid, Sirianni still looks upon his departure as motivation to get the better of his opposite number years later.

"Do you always have this little chip on your shoulder? Sure, yeah, you do," he said. "But that's who I am as a coach and as a person.

"I want to make sure I'm working my butt off to get as good as I possibly can. You hold on to some of those things.

"Did I want to leave Kansas City? No. My future wife was from there, she had a nice teaching job, she had all her friends there, her mom and dad were a half-hour down the road.

"Of course I didn't want to leave there. But when I look at it, God's always put me in great positions and guided my paths. I know I don't say stuff like that all the time, but I know he has."

Sirianni subsequently joined the San Diego Chargers, holding a number of positions he became offensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts.

He posted a 9-8 record in his first year in charge of the Eagles in 2021, before bettering that with a 14-3 finish this season to set them on the path to Super Bowl LVII.

Patrick Mahomes never wants to experience the sour taste of defeat in a Super Bowl again, as the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback prepares to face the Philadelphia Eagles.

Mahomes was MVP when the Chiefs won Super Bowl LIV three years ago, but a year later they were outgunned by Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Last season saw Kansas City edged out by the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Game, so they missed out on the biggest game of the year.

This time they are back in the spotlight in Phoenix, raring to go at Glendale's State Farm Stadium, and Mahomes underlined the highs and lows of the Super Bowl as he looked back on his mixed bag of experiences.

"The win is amazing," said Mahomes. "It's one of the best moments of your entire life. You take away all the positives from that.

"But that loss, that stings. That motivates you for years. That's what it's done for me. It's motivated me to be back in this game again. I want to make sure that I can have that winning feeling and not that losing one because that losing feeling is one you'll never forget."

He said the Eagles possess "one of the best defensive lines in history", and with both teams managing NFL-best 14-3 records in the regular season it is clear Sunday's match will see the two best teams of the year duke it out for the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Ahead of Super Bowl LVII, Mahomes spoke at Opening Night, saying: "The motivating factor is to be the best.

"You're in the biggest game of your life, and you want to go out there and make memories with your teammates. I think the biggest motivating factor is to step on that field and try to be the best. We know we have a great challenge in the Philadelphia Eagles, so it'll be a great game."

There will be a first sight of two African American quarterbacks going head to head in a Super Bowl, with Mahomes facing Jalen Hurts.

"It's special," Mahomes said.

"I have a lot of respect for the guys who came before me and laid the foundation. To play against a guy like Jalen – a genuine, great dude who has worked his tail off to be in the position that he's in – it's going to be a special game and a special moment for a lot of kids to watch."

Brooklyn Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn wants Kyrie Irving to succeed despite his departure from the team, after he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks.

The guard made the move from New York to Texas ahead of Thursday's deadline after threatening to leave as a free agent at the end of the season.

It has been an unsettled campaign for Irving with the Nets, having been suspended for eight games after posting a link on social media to an antisemitic film.

But Vaughn, who has picked up Mavericks pair Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith in return, had nothing but kind words to say after his exit.

"My interactions with Kai have always been positive," he said after the Nets slipped to a 124-116 loss against the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday.

"I enjoyed coaching him. I want him to succeed. I'll keep it that simple. We've had some ups and downs along the way. I've also seen the young man score 60 points.

"I've also seen him bring his kids into the locker room. I've also seen him grow as an individual and be a better teammate than when I first met him.

"For me, I'm going to always look at the good in people and want the good in people. I want him to succeed. He's no longer with us, but I appreciate his time."

Irving, who will link up with three-time All-NBA Team guard Luka Doncic in Dallas, will be out to help push the Mavericks into the championship race.

The team sit fifth in the Western Conference with a 29-26 record after a 124-111 win over the Utah Jazz and face the Clippers next on Wednesday.

Klay Thompson was hailed by Stephen Curry after a masterclass in three-point shooting for the Golden State Warriors, draining 12 from behind the arc against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

It was only the seventh time in NBA history that a player has made at least 12 threes in a game, and Thompson joins team-mate Curry as the only ones to accomplish it twice.

Thompson holds the outright record of 14 three-pointers in an NBA game, achieved in 2018 against the Chicago Bulls, but this time 12 was plenty as the Warriors scored a crushing 141-114 win over the Thunder.

"That boy gooooood!" Curry wrote on Twitter.

Curry is out for the foreseeable with knee ligament damage, so the onus falls on the likes of Thompson to step it up for the 28-26 Warriors, last season's champions who sit seventh in the Western Conference.

Thompson put together a 27-point first half at Chase Center, finishing the game with 42 points on 15-of-22 shooting, including a 12-of-16 record from long range.

The 32-year-old Thompson is no strange to such big individual efforts. He has hit at least 10 threes on eight occasions across his NBA career, and he had an inkling something special was one before this game began.

He said, quoted in the San Francisco Chronicle: "Every pregame when I’m doing my little warm-up I flip a kettle bell to see if it lands upright, and tonight it did. So I knew it was going to be a good one."

Thompson savoured what he achieved, saying: "It felt great, but what felt even better was the 43 team assists we had and only 16 turnovers.

"I think that was the indicator of how the night went. It has to be the most we've had all season and the ball was humming. And when we do that we're at our best. And for me, I'm a huge beneficiary of when the ball is moving."

The 42 points was Thompson's second-biggest haul of the season, beaten only by his huge 54-point game on January 2 against the Atlanta Hawks.

Coach Steve Kerr said: "That was probably the most fun I've had watching our team all year."

He praised the "magnificent" Jordan Poole, who had a career-high 12 assists and added 21 points.

"It was one of the best games I've ever seen him play, he was so under control," Kerr said.

"Klay was dominating with his shot, but Jordan was controlling the game, just running the show and taking care of the ball. Then he started scoring in the second half when that presented itself. He was brilliant all night."

Jayson Tatum made sure the Boston Celtics would be just fine without Jaylen Brown as he drew praise from the opposition after defeating the Detroit Pistons 111-99 on Monday.

Brown was a late withdrawal due to illness in the hours leading up to tip-off, while the All-Star was joined on the sideline by reigning Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart as he recovers from an ankle injury.

It was shaping up to simply not be the Celtics' night as Tatum reached half-time with as many fouls (three) as made field goals, but they were kept afloat by an inspired shooting performance from rookie Sam Hauser.

In his first NBA start, Hauser made five of his six three-point attempts in the first half, while Derrick White had 15 points by the long break on his way to a terrific stat line of 23 points (eight-of-17 shooting), seven rebounds and seven assists.

Hauser cooled off significantly in the second half – not hitting another shot the rest of the way – but Tatum came out in the third quarter on fire and helped the Celtics jump ahead by 20 with 18 points in the period.

Tatum ended up with 34 points (11-of-24 shooting), 11 rebounds and six assists, and Pistons head coach Dwane Casey said afterwards that there is a feeling of inevitability when facing the MVP candidate.

"You hope that he doesn't keep going, or get going," he said. "We tried to trap him, get the ball out of his hands, and he made good decisions.

"You know at some point, he’s going to be a superstar… I watched those guys grow, they had the same growing pains as our young players did, and to see where they are now should be motivation for our young players."

Pistons point guard Killian Hayes added: "A guy like that, you give him any opportunity, he’s going to take it. He didn't make a three-pointer in the first half, and then he hit one and he's hard to guard. A guy like that, you can't let him get going."

Meanwhile, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla decided to focus on his role players, highlighting his belief in Hauser and big-man Robert Williams III after the latter became the first Boston player to ever record 15 points, 15 rebounds and two steals in less than 30 minutes of action.

"I thought [Hauser] was great in the first half," he said. "The decision [to start him] – I just trust his work ethic, and I trust his mindset, so I thought it was a good opportunity for him to play and get us in a different flow on the offensive end.

"When he's in, our off-ball creativity is there, our after-action is there, and our early-offense spacing is there. I thought he would help that – and I watch him work every day. All those guys, I know they're always ready.

"[Williams] is getting more assertive offensively, but we're getting more organised about how we can use him – he's not just a guy who's going to stand under the basket and get offensive rebounds.

"We need him to be a great screener against different coverages, consistently. We need him to be a playmaker in the seam versus the blitz, and we need him to create two-on-ones for us. 

"I thought we did a really good job of making a point of emphasis to get him the ball and make him a playmaker to kickstart our two-on-ones – we need that from him."

With the win, the Celtics improved their league-best record to 38-16, one game ahead of the Denver Nuggets and Milwaukee Bucks.

Patrick Mahomes' injured ankle is "definitely better" than before the AFC Championship Game as he prepares for his third Super Bowl appearance on Sunday.

Mahomes helped the Chiefs reach a third Super Bowl in five seasons by helping Kansas City defeat the Cincinnati Bengals in the Conference Championship on January 29.

It was a case of the MVP frontrunner overcoming the odds, knocking off a Bengals team that had stunned them at the same stage last season despite playing on a sprained ankle he suffered in the Divisional round win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Mahomes will now go against a vaunted Eagles defense in a mouth-watering Super Bowl LVII clash at State Farm Stadium in Arizona.

And he goes into the game seemingly in much improved shape.

Asked about his ankle at Super Bowl Opening Night in Phoenix on Monday, Mahomes replied: "It's definitely better for sure.

"You never know until you get into the game, but it's definitely better than it was this time last week before the game.

"I'll play through all the injuries that the trainers let me play through."

He then joked: "[Tight end] Travis Kelce hurts my feelings like every single day and I still play so I'm still going to play through it and try to get a win."

Mahomes threw for 5,250 yards and 41 touchdowns in the regular season, marking the second time in his already glittering career he has surpassed 5,000 yards and 40 touchdowns in the same season.

The Eagles represent arguably his biggest test yet, though, their defense the best in the NFL by yards per play allowed. In two playoff games, Philadelphia's defense has given up a combined 14 points.

Brooklyn Nets spark plug Cam Thomas almost outdueled the Los Angeles Clippers' All-Star duo by himself before ultimately going down 124-116 on Monday.

Thomas, 21, set a new career-high on Saturday with 44 points in a win against the Washington Wizards, and he eclipsed that figure with 47 on 15-of-29 shooting against the Clippers.

In doing so, he became the youngest player since LeBron James to reach 40 points in back-to-back games.

The second-year guard hit seven of his 11 three-pointers after going four-of-five against Washington, capitalising on the increased opportunity created by the departure of Kyrie Irving in a trade to the Dallas Mavericks.

Thomas scored more than double his closest team-mate – Edmond Sumner with 23 points – but the combination of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George ended up pulling it out down the stretch.

The Clippers trailed 107-99 with six minutes remaining, before closing the game on a 25-9 run, including nine of Leonard's 24 points. The two-time NBA Finals MVP added six assists and four rebounds while shooting eight-of-17.

George was slightly better with 29 points on 10-of-20 shooting, and center Ivica Zubac was important with 19 points (six-of-nine), 12 rebounds and three steals.

The win was the Clippers' eighth from their past 10 games, improving their record to 31-26 and strengthening their grip on the Western Conference's fourth seed. The Nets sit fourth in the East at 32-21.

Mavericks get a taste of the future

Third-year guard Josh Green and rookie Jaden Hardy appear poised to assume expanded roles after both set new career-highs with 29 points in the Dallas Mavericks' 124-111 road win against the Utah Jazz.

Green, 22, has been on an upward trajectory since being selected 18th overall in the 2020 NBA Draft, and with the Mavericks shipping away two players for Irving, there are minutes up for grabs.

He shot 10-of-17 from the field as he blew past his previous career-high of 23 early in the last period, while Hardy also made his case for more playing time as he matched Green's 29 points (eight-of-12) for a new career-high of his own. Green finished with a gaudy plus/minus of plus 39 in 37 minutes, while Hardy was plus 23 in 26 minutes.

It was reported by The Athletic that Green and Hardy were off-limits in the Irving discussions, and they are justifying that stance right away as the keys to Dallas' first win this season without Luka Doncic in the line-up.

Klay winds back the clock

Chase Center fans were treated to a vintage Klay Thompson performance as the Golden State Warriors sharpshooter put together a 27-point first half during a 141-114 demolition of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Thompson shot 10-of-14 from the field and hit seven of his nine three-point attempts in the first half, before going on to finish with 42 points on 15-of-22 shooting, including 12-of-16 from long range.

It was only the seventh time in NBA history that a player has made at least 12 three-pointers in a single game, and Thompson now joins team-mate Stephen Curry as the only players to accomplish it twice. Thompson has hit at least 10 threes on eight occasions, and he owns the single-game record as the only player to make 14.

Jack Sock is through to the second round of the Dallas Open after prevailing 7-6 (7-2) 4-6 6-4 in a tough opening test against Ilya Ivashka.

Belarus' Ivashka is ranked over 50 spots higher than Sock, but he is in some torrid form, with Monday's loss his sixth in a row.

Sock snapped his own three-match losing streak, and he did so despite committing 10 double faults, coming up clutch in break point situations by saving 15 of Ivashka's 18 opportunities.

Meanwhile, 21-year-old Argentinian Juan Manuel Cerundolo booked a meeting with compatriot and top seed Diego Schwartzman after beating Pablo Andujar 6-4 1-0 (retired) in the first round of the Cordoba Open.

The rising Cerundolo now boasts a 13-1 record since the beginning of the new year, while it was Andujar's fifth loss in a row.

In an all-Spanish showdown it was Bernabe Zapata Miralles emerging victorious 6-7 (6-8) 6-3 7-5 against Roberto Carballes Baena, while Serbia's Dusan Lajovic defeated Peru's Juan Pablo Varillas 7-6 (7-3) 6-3.

The last match of the night saw Italy's Luciano Darderi handle France's Hugo Gaston 6-4 6-3, with Darderi now set to face fourth seed Sebastian Baez.

Jason Kidd is extremely bullish about the Dallas Mavericks' chances in the playoffs after acquiring mercurial superstar Kyrie Irving from the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.

In the biggest trade of the season so far, the Mavericks sent Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a first-round pick and two second-rounders to the Nets in exchange for Irving and depth forward Markieff Morris.

The move means the Mavericks are the only team with two players named as starters in this year's All-Star Game, with Irving receiving his eighth selection overall after putting up averages of 27.1 points, 5.3 assists and 5.1 rebounds while playing in 40 of Brooklyn's first 51 games.

Dallas made a surprising run to the Western Conference Finals this past season with Jalen Brunson as Luka Doncic's number two, and Kidd was not shy about calling the move from Brunson to Irving an upgrade.

"When you look at Ky, nothing against [Brunson], but Ky is at a different level," he said. "This gives us another weapon. Someone is going to be free. Someone is going to have the advantage."

Doncic's usage rate of 37.6 per cent is the second-highest in the league behind Philadelphia 76ers centrepiece Joel Embiid (37.8 per cent), and Kidd said the addition of Irving should help that number come down to a more sustainable level.

"When you look at [Doncic's] usage, it's at 99.9, so it has to come down," he said in jest. 'It's going to come down – and that's a healthy thing. It's not a bad thing. 

"He'll be stronger in the fourth [quarter], the team will be better. Then the trust between the two – it's going to take some time to get that rhythm and trust, but Ky is about winning.

"We're still going to preach defense, being able to get stops, but there's going to be nights where we're going to try to make you feel uncomfortable on the offensive end with scoring 130 or 140.

"Some nights, you're going to have to use the offense as your defense, but Ky's going to compete on the defensive end. Luka's going to compete on the defensive end. 

"But when you look at the offensive end – can we put pressure on the opponent, and are they going to be comfortable to be able to score that many points?"

Kidd referenced Irving's track record as a champion with the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, where Irving hit the game-winning three-pointer over Stephen Curry in their Game 7 victory on the road.

"You look at his journey at other stops, he's won where he's gone," he said. "We feel that the talent and his abilities to make us better are something that we needed. 

"We feel that getting him is going to help put us in a position to win a championship."

Irving's former team-mate on the Nets Theo Pinson will be a familiar face in Dallas, and he said he is excited to see how teams decide to guard the dynamic duo.

"Pick your poison," he said. "It's one of those things where I don't know what you do, personally – I really don't. 

"You can trap Luka all you want now. We swing it to another killer. It's going to be fun to watch."

The Minnesota Vikings announced Monday that they have named Brian Flores defensive coordinator as the team turns to the former Miami Dolphins head coach to fix one of the NFL's most porous units in 2022.

Flores, who went 24-25 in three seasons with the Dolphins before being controversially fired following the 2021 campaign, spent this past season as a senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The 41-year-old previously served 11 seasons on Bill Belichick’s staff with the New England Patriots before joining Miami in 2019. Flores was part of four Super Bowl-winning teams with New England and handled defensive play-calling duties in his final season there in 2018, helping the Pats to a 13-3 win over the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl 53.

ESPN reported Sunday that Flores was one of three finalists, along with New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, for the Arizona Cardinals head coaching position that remains unfilled. He also previously spoke with the Cleveland Browns and Atlanta Falcons for those teams' defensive coordinator openings.

Flores replaces Ed Donatell, who was fired shortly after Minnesota's 31-24 loss to the Giants in the opening round of the playoffs. The Vikings finished this past season 31st among the NFL's 32 teams in both total yards allowed and passing yards allowed and were tied for 28th in scoring defence after yielding 25.1 points per game.

In his lone season with the Steelers, Flores was part of a staff that helped the Steelers allow just seven rushing touchdowns – tied for the fewest in the NFL – and had the league’s sixth-lowest completion percentage against (61.3 per cent).

Flores, who is Black, still has a class-action lawsuit pending against the NFL alleging racial discrimination in its hiring practices following his dismissal by the Dolphins in January 2022.

The suit also alleged that the Giants and Denver Broncos interviewed Flores for open head coaching positions only to satisfy the league’s Rooney Rule that requires teams to interview minority candidates for such vacancies.

LeBron James shared on Monday that he is disappointed the Los Angeles Lakers were unable to secure his former team-mate Kyrie Irving in a trade.

The duo of James and Irving famously became the only team to ever come back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals, conquering the record-setting 73-9 Golden State Warriors for the 2016 championship.

Their history and chemistry meant that when Irving demanded a trade from the Brooklyn Nets on Friday, James believed it was exactly the opportunity his team had been waiting for, but they were beaten to the punch by the Dallas Mavericks.

According to Shams Charania from The Athletic, the Lakers proposed a deal sending Russell Westbrook and their two remaining first-round picks – in 2027 and 2029 – to the Nets, but with championship aspirations of their own, the Nets would not budge unless promising youngsters Max Christie and Austin Reaves were both also included.

It is believed that is where the Lakers drew the line, although further reporting from Marc Stein claims Nets owner Joe Tsai was never going to send Irving to Los Angeles, because he believed that is where he was trying to force his way to.

Speaking to ESPN's Michael Wilbon, James laid out why he felt Irving was a good fit on this Lakers team, but said he has already moved on.

"I can't sit here and say I'm not disappointed on not being able to land such a talent," he said. "Someone that I had great chemistry with, and know I got great chemistry with on the floor, that can help you win championships, in my mind, in my eyes.

"But my focus is shifted now. My focus is shifted back to where it should be and that's this club now and what we have in the locker room. It's a quick pivot. It don't take me long. I don't get too excited about the possibilities of things that can be. 

"I kind of envision myself on what it can, but I don't invest it all the way into it until I know it's happening, and when it does not happen, I'm back locked in on the job at hand.

"So we had an opportunity, our names were out there, the Lakers name was out there. We had an opportunity, it didn't happen. 

"We move on and we finish this season strong, try to get a bid into the postseason, where I feel if we go in healthy, we can compete with anybody."

James acknowledged that the Lakers' struggles – currently sitting 13th out of 15 Western Conference teams – have had an effect on him, but he is determined to right the ship.

"Well, I mean for me it is challenging, but I'm 10 toes down," he said. "I understand that once I show up to work, or once I show up to the job description – and that's being a leader of the ballclub every single day – there's no [question for] me on what my mindset is.

"My mindset is how we can be great today and how we can maximise today for either the next game, for the next road trip, for next film session, for the next practice, for the next bus ride, plane ride.

"I have that mentality of if we can maximise today, then it makes the next challenge that much more easy for us."

It is no secret for Westbrook that he is at the centre of these trade rumours for the Lakers as they try to ship him elsewhere, but head coach Darvin Ham said he has been nothing but professional.

"He's showing up, doing his job, being a professional – and that's all you can do for any of us," he said.

"This is an unforgiving business... dealing with rumours, different things happening. All you can do is put your head down and do your work and try to remain as professional as possible, and he's done that."

Irving – who will make his debut for the Mavericks on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Clippers – also received a $2million bonus due to the trade kicker clause in his contract.

Teenage wildcard Arthur Fils claimed his first ATP Tour victory to knock three-time champion Richard Gasquet out of the Open Sud de France.

The 18-year-old Fils, half the age of his opponent, won the first-round match against his fellow Frenchman 7-5 7-5 in Montpellier.

Fils will face another battle between youth and experience when he takes on Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut in round two.

The 163-ranked Fils served eight aces and broke Gasquet four times to move into the next round

Nikoloz Basilashvili will face either defending champion Alexander Bublik or Gregoire Barrere in the last 16 after beating Constant Lestienne 6-3 (7-3) 7-5 6-2 in Monday's other match.

Henry Slade and Henry Arundell have recovered from injury to be named as part of England's 36-player squad for Sunday's Six Nations showdown with Italy at Twickenham.

Exeter centre Slade was ruled out of England's 29-23 defeat to Scotland in the opening game of the Steve Borthwick era with a hip injury sustained on club duty.

However, the 29-year-old is now available for selection against Italy – who lost 29-24 to France in their opener – while London Irish wing Arundell is back from a foot problem.

England confirmed the news on Monday, while also announcing vice-captain Courtney Lawes is back at their Pennyhill Park base continuing his recovery from a calf issue.

Borthwick will trim his squad down to 23 players later in the week ahead of facing Italy as both sides look for their first victory of the campaign.

England squad:

Forwards: Ollie Chessum, Dan Cole, Ben Curry, Alex Dombrandt, Tom Dunn, Ben Earl, Ellis Genge, Jamie George, Joe Heyes, Jonny Hill, Nick Isiekwe, Maro Itoje, Lewis Ludlam, David Ribbans, Bevan Rodd, Sam Simmonds, Kyle Sinckler, Mako Vunipola, Jack Walker, Jack Willis.

Backs: Henry Arundell, Owen Farrell, Tommy Freeman, Ollie Hassell-Collins, Ollie Lawrence, Max Malins, Joe Marchant, Alex Mitchell, Henry Slade, Fin Smith, Marcus Smith, Freddie Steward, Manu Tuilagi, Jack van Poortvliet, Anthony Watson, Ben Youngs.