Michael Malone reflected on the "pretty cool" moment he was able to present Nikola Jokic with the first Michael Jordan MVP award on a night he shone again for the Denver Nuggets.

It was announced on Tuesday the prestigious prize, won two seasons running by Jokic, would be renamed in honour of the Chicago Bulls legend – seen by many as the greatest player of all time.

Jokic received the trophy following the Nuggets' high-scoring 141-128 victory over the Washington Wizards, a game where the Serbian had a season's best 43 points alongside 14 rebounds and eight assists.

He finished 17-of-20 from the field, missing only once inside the three-point line in a matchup lacking in defense.

Head coach Malone said of handing the MVP prize to Jokic: "Just had a really cool moment giving Nikola Jokic his MVP trophy in the locker room and the first ever Michael Jordan MVP award.

"It was pretty neat to give him that and the players to give him as much love as they gave him. 

"We got the win, we have to be better taking care of it, our three-point defense, it's going to bite us in the butt soon. So, if we can win a game with our offense it's better than losing a game with our defense."

The Nuggets put up 98 of their points inside the paint, the second most recorded in NBA history.

"I had no idea we were close to breaking the record, DeAndre Jordan pointed out with around 3:30 to go in the game and I was shocked you don't see that number very often," Malone added.

"I wanted us to get 100, but I wasn't going to take a shot that last possession, that's not how you play the game especially when you have a friend on the other end. 

"Incredible number, obviously no defensive player of the game tonight because there was no defense in the game!"

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow downplayed the significance of facing seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady for the first time ahead of Sunday's clash with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Burrow was full of praise for 45-year-old Bucs quarterback Brady, with plenty seeing parallels and comparisons between the two in terms of style.

The 26-year-old QB, who is seeking the Bengals' sixth straight win on Sunday, declined to discuss the comparisons, instead lauding his elder statesman Brady.

"I don't really pay attention to it," Burrow told reporters about the comparisons. "He's Tom, and I'm Joe."

He added: "It's really incredible. He's 45 now. He's getting hit by the same people I'm getting hit by. It's a testament to the hard work and dedication and the team he has around him in the offseason to get his body right."

Brady (3585) ranks fourth in the NFL in passing yards during this season at the age of 45-years-old, with Burrow (3685) sitting third overall.

The pair are tied for most passing touchdowns in fourth quarters this season, while they are both ranked in the top 10 for fourth-quarter QBR, showing they handle pressure well.

"He gets the ball out really fast," Burrow said. "He understands what he's looking at. I think he epitomizes toughness at the quarterback position.

"He's a great leader. He's the greatest of all time for a reason. He's the total package."

Going into the game, the Bengals are 9-4 and second in the AFC North following their five-game winning streak while the Bucs are below .500 at 6-7, yet lead the NFC South.

"Obviously, the greatest quarterback ever is on the other side," Burrow said. "But we got a job to do, too, and our job is to go and win, get to 10-4 and move on."

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow spoke about the significance of facing seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady for the first time ahead of Sunday's clash with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Burrow was full of praise for 45-year-old Bucs quarterback Brady, with plenty seeing parallels and comparisons between the two in terms of style.

The 26-year-old QB, who is seeking the Bengals' sixth straight win on Sunday, declined to discuss the comparisons, instead lauding his elder statesman Brady.

"I don't really pay attention to it," Burrow told reporters about the comparisons. "He's Tom, and I'm Joe."

He added: "It's really incredible. He's 45 now. He's getting hit by the same people I'm getting hit by. It's a testament to the hard work and dedication and the team he has around him in the offseason to get his body right."

Brady (3585) ranks fourth in the NFL in passing yards during this season at the age of 45-years-old, with Burrow (3685) sitting third overall.

The pair are tied for most passing touchdowns in fourth quarters this season, while they are both ranked in the top 10 for fourth-quarter QBR, showing they handle pressure well.

"He gets the ball out really fast," Burrow said. "He understands what he's looking at. I think he epitomizes toughness at the quarterback position.

"He's a great leader. He's the greatest of all time for a reason. He's the total package."

Going into the game, the Bengals are 9-4 and second in the AFC North following their five-game winning streak while the Bucs are below .500 at 6-7, yet lead the NFC South.

"Obviously, the greatest quarterback ever is on the other side," Burrow said. "But we got a job to do, too, and our job is to go and win, get to 10-4 and move on."

Donovan Mitchell scored 34 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers claimed an impressive 105-90 road win over Luka Doncic's Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday.

The victory improved the emerging Cavs to an 18-11 record and third spot in the Eastern Conference, while the Mavs slipped to 14-14 and ninth in the west.

Mitchell was in an inspired mood against the side who bundled his former franchise, the Utah Jazz, out of last season's playoffs, shooting 13-of-20 from the field, going six-of-nine from three-point range.

The shooting guard scored 27 of his 34 points in the first half, the most he has had in a half this season. Mitchell had good support from Lamar Stevens with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Evan Mobley added 14 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

Doncic shot nine-of-23 from the field in his 30 points, but gave up five turnovers for the Mavs, who trailed 60-41 at half-time at American Airlines Center, with the Cavs going on a 17-0 run at one point.

The Slovenian helped the Mavs rally within nine points in the fourth quarter before Mitchell hit a clutch three-pointer to thwart their momentum.

The victory ended the Cavs' recent road struggles, having lost eight of their past nine games away from their home court.

Mitchell's performance meant he has the fourth highest points per game average by a player in the first 25 games with a new team in NBA history at 29.2, behind only Wilt Chamberlain (35.4, Golden State Warriors), Elvin Hayes (30.4, Houston Rockets) and Adrian Dantley (29.7, Utah Jazz).

Curry injured as Warriors beaten on road

Stephen Curry scored 38 points but exited with a shoulder injury, while Draymond Green was ejected as the Golden State Warriors' road struggles continued with a 125-119 loss to the Indiana Pacers.

Amid a Warriors rally, after allowing 47 points in the second quarter, which tied the most by them in any quarter under head coach Steve Kerr, Curry clutched at his left shoulder in the third quarter and did not return, having previously shot five-of-10 three-pointers.

Green was tossed out in the final quarter after a second technical foul as Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers to victory with 29 points, with the team draining 16 three-pointers. Golden State are 2-13 on the road this season.

Lillard maintains rare three-point form

Damian Lillard sunk seven three-pointers as he scored 37 points before being benched late as the Portland Trail Blazers crushed the San Antonio Spurs 128-112.

The 32-year-old Blazers point guard is averaging 34.4 points per game in December, including hitting 11 triples in Monday's win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, amid a form upswing following injury.

Anfernee Simons added 23 points and Jerami Grant had 18, while Keldon Johnson top scored with 25 points and seven rebounds for the Spurs, who had won three in a row after ending an 11-game losing run.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones would not be drawn on an update on the franchise's interest in Odell Beckham Jr but simply said "stand by" in a sign a decision is close.

The Cowboys have been involved in a drawn-out courtship with Beckham, who has been a free agent since leaving the Los Angeles Rams after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in last season's Super Bowl triumph.

The wide receiver appeared close to a move to the Cowboys after undergoing a physical earlier this month.

Beckham's ACL injury has created doubt about his availability, although the 30-year-old said last week he sees no point in playing regular-season games, with a view to a playoffs impact.

That situation seems to have stalled the move but Jones hinted that it may be close after the NFL owners meetings wrapped up.

"I don't want to talk about that but stand by," Jones said. "This thing could break."

The Cowboys are second in the NFC East with a 10-3 record on the back of a four-game win streak and Jones is bullish Beckham could make an impact when the pressure is on.

"Great players make great plays," Jones said. "Great ones make exceptional plays and so I hope we advance here where a handful of great plays, if I may be arm waving about it, could be the difference in a world championship."

The Cowboys, who could clinch a playoff spot with victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, have not won a Super Bowl since 1995, when they won three in five years.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have reached an agreement on a one-year contract with All-Star pitcher Noah Syndergaard, according to ESPN.

The 30-year-old starting pitcher, who was an All-Star in 2016 during his brilliant first stint with the New York Mets, played for both the Los Angeles Angels and Philadelphia Phillies in 2022. He featured in this year's World Series for the Phillies.

The move sees Syndergaard chasing a midcareer renaissance, having stalled following Tommy John surgery in 2020, before a positive return this year.

Syndergaard threw 134-and-a-two-third innings between the two teams in 2022, his most since 2019, and recorded a 3.94 ERA.

The right-hander will join the Dodgers' rotation with All-Stars Julio Urías, Clayton Kershaw and Tony Gonsolin.

The Dodgers finished as NL West champions in 2022 with a 111-51 record but bowed out to the San Diego Padres in the NLDS.

Stephen Curry is in "good spirits" but will undergo an MRI on the left shoulder injury that forced him out of the Golden State Warriors' 125-119 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.

Curry sustained the injury with 2:04 left in the third quarter as he attempted to strip Jalen Smith of the ball, immediately clutching his shoulder but continuing to run down the court.

The Warriors called a timeout where Curry was assessed by training staff, later heading into the locker room and being ruled out in the fourth quarter.

"He's going to get an MRI tomorrow," Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told reporters. "He was ruled out midway through the fourth. Training staff told me he wasn’t going to play the rest of the night. We'll see how he is tomorrow."

On the pain Curry was feeling, Kerr added: "I didn’t ask about that. I trust their judgement and they said he's not going back in. I just checked in with him briefly but haven’t had a chance to go into detail."

Kerr said 34-year-old eight-time All-Star Curry seemed upbeat in their brief interaction.

 "Steph is always a guy with a great outlook on life so he was in good spirits," Kerr said. "We'll hope for the best."

The reigning NBA Finals MVP had 38 points on five-of-10 three-point shooting with seven rebounds and seven assists until the injury ended his game.

Golden State, who slumped to 2-13 on the road this season, had fought back from a 74-54 half-time deficit but could not overcome the Pacers without Curry.

"Just stunning," Kerr said about Curry's performance. "He basically put us on his shoulders for the minutes he was out there.

"He was generating so much offense, he was getting to the line, he was getting the ball to other people, he was absolutely brilliant.

"I thought the guys did a great job of fighting throughout the third quarter before he got hurt and then after."

Curry is averaging 29.6 points on 49.7 per cent field-goal shooting and 43.2 per cent three-point shooting with 6.6 rebounds and 6.8 assists this season.

The San Francisco 49ers can clinch a first NFC West title since the 2019 season with a road victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday, and will almost certainly look to the ground game to help them do so.

San Francisco crushed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 35-7 in Week 14 in a dream first start for rookie quarterback Brock Purdy. That victory, combined with the Seahawks' surprise home loss to the Carolina Panthers, gave the 9-4 Niners a two-game lead atop the division.

The 49ers beat the Seahawks 27-7 way back in Week 2, their largest win over Seattle since a 38-7 triumph in Week 4 of the 1988 season. If they complete a season sweep of Seattle for the first time since 2011, the 49ers will have a three-game lead and the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Seahawks with three games remaining, securing them a second successive trip to the postseason.

Kyle Shanahan's team went all the way to the NFC Championship Game last season, surrendering a fourth-quarter lead to the Los Angeles Rams, and the 49ers look to have the potential to contend for the Super Bowl again this year, even after losing their top two quarterbacks, Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo, and being forced to turn to Brock Purdy, the last pick in this year's draft.

The Niners are on a six-game winning streak, with their last four victories each coming by at least 13 points. They are the only team to win four straight games, all by 13+ points, this season.

In the 28-point win over the Tom Brady-led Bucs, Purdy became the first quarterback to beat a former Super Bowl-winning QB by more than 10 points while making his first career start. Purdy is looking to be the sixth Niners QB to win his first two career NFL starts.

Purdy picked up where he left off in the 49ers' Week 13 win over the Miami Dolphins, in which he replaced the injured Garoppolo, going 16 of 21 for 185 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for another score. He continued to display poise, decisiveness, accuracy and the ability to defeat pressure. Through just under two full games, Purdy has a well-thrown rate that is superior to that of Jalen Hurts, Josh Allen and Trevor Lawrence, the former Iowa State signal-caller delivering an accurate, well-thrown ball on 83.3 per cent of his pass attempts.

But in the famously raucous road environment in Seattle, the 49ers have plenty of reason to take the game off the arm of Purdy against a Seahawks run defense that has allowed 677 rushing yards over its last three games.

The 49ers averaged 6.1 yards per rush last week against the Bucs, with Christian McCaffrey and rookie Jordan Mason each excelling on the ground.

McCaffrey had 119 yards rushing and a touchdown on 14 carries, as well as two receptions for 34 yards and a touchdown, while Mason averaged 5.1 yards per carry as the 49ers cruised in the second half after building a 35-0 lead.

Since his debut for the 49ers in Week 7, McCaffrey is averaging 106 scrimmage yards per game, the seventh-most in the NFL. With versatile wide receiver Deebo Samuel out with a high ankle sprain, McCaffrey is the undisputed focal point of the offense.

On a short week in what is sure to be a hard-fought divisional game, the 49ers might not be able to rely too heavily on McCaffrey, meaning Mason may see a larger share of the workload. 

The Niners clinched the NFC West and the number one seed in the conference in the regular-season finale in Seattle in 2019 with a dramatic late goal-line stand.

They will need their defense, ranked first in the NFL by success rate (35%) to stand tall again versus a dangerous Seahawks' offense led by Geno Smith, but if the 49ers can control possession and move the ball on the ground against a defense that appears ill-equipped to stop McCaffrey and company, San Francisco will be a strong position to punch their ticket to the postseason.

A disappointing season for the Arizona Cardinals took another turn on Wednesday with general manager Steve Keim taking an indefinite, health-related leave of absence from the team.

Keim is in his 10th year as the Cardinals' GM and has been with the team in some capacity since 1999, when he was hired as a regional scout.

He was signed to a contract extension through 2027 in March after Arizona finished last season 11-6 before a wild card loss to the eventual champion Los Angeles Rams.

"Out of respect for privacy - which is required by law - the team will refrain from commenting further," the Cardinals said in a statement.

Keim's duties will be handled on an interim basis by VP of Personnel Quentin Harris and VP of Pro Personnel Adrian Wilson.

At 4-9, the Cardinals will miss the playoffs for the sixth time in seven seasons, and will remain without a postseason victory since 2016.

Star quarterback Kyler Murray was lost to an ACL tear in Monday night's defeat to the New England Patriots and is expected to have surgery after Christmas.

In 2018, Keim was suspended for five weeks and fined $200,000 by the team following a guilty plea to extreme DUI.

Deshaun Watson is "excited" ahead of his first home game for the Cleveland Browns, but added "I can’t control what the reaction is going to be".

Watson has played two games for the Browns since returning from his 11-game ban for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy for allegedly committing sexual assault.

The three-time Pro Bowl quarterback left the Houston Texans for the Browns in the offseason on a five-year deal worth $230million guaranteed.

Watson did not play in the 2021 season as accusations emerged from more than two dozen women of sexual assault and other sexual misconduct during massage sessions, leading to the NFL-imposed ban and a record $5m fine in August.

Speaking ahead of Saturday's game against AFC North rivals the Baltimore Ravens, Watson said he is unsure how the fans at FirstEnergy Stadium will welcome him, having been booed in his first game back on the road to the Texans a fortnight ago.

"I am not even sure," he said. "My main objective for this weekend is going out there and just showing this crowd and showing the Cleveland fans and this city that we are going out there to compete, and this season is not over for us.

"I can't control what the reaction is going to be. I am not sure what it is going to be. Like I said, I am excited to go out there, play football and get back in the old school uniforms and the white face masks and things like that and have a little bit of fun and just try to make the Saturday something special for Cleveland."

After a disappointing comeback against the Texans in Week 13, Watson followed up with a slightly improved showing against the Cincinnati Bengals last week, albeit in a 23-10 defeat.

The 27-year-old completed 26 of 42 passes, throwing for 276 yards with one touchdown pass as a 13-yard effort found David Njoku in the third quarter.

Watson agreed that he has more to give, and vowed to improve as the Browns look to improve on their 5-8 record.

"I am not close to where I [want to be] at, and I don't want to be where I was in 2020 – I want to be better," he said. "I have a long way to go. I want to continue to improve. I want to be that player whenever I step on the field that no one can stop us.

"That is my mentality, but we have to continue to go out there and continue to show that and try to do that and not just talk about it but actually prove it on the field. I am nowhere near where I want to be. This team also is nowhere near where we want to be. We have to continue to just keep growing and finish the season strong."

The NBA and players' union have announced an extension from Thursday's deadline to give notice of plans to opt out of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA).

The NBA and National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) put out a joint statement on Wednesday on the agreement that moves the deadline to February 8, one day before this season's trade deadline.

The statement clarified that the extension is part of their ongoing efforts to reach a new agreement, but if either party exercises the opt-out, the CBA's term will end on June 30 2023.

That creates a potential work stoppage after the 2022-23 NBA season, with the playoffs due to take place in April and May, followed by the Finals in June.

ESPN reported that the NBA is eager to implement an upper spending limit to replace the luxury tax, to contain the payrolls of large-market contenders such as the Golden State Warriors and the Brooklyn Nets.

Manchester United being sold by the Glazer family would be positive for the club, according to manager Erik ten Hag.

The Glazers, who have owned United since 2005, announced last month they were open to selling the club as they planned to "explore strategic alternatives".

There has been increasing pressure on the Glazers in recent years, with protests commonly seen from fans as frustration grew with the running of the club.

As United seek to compete with the financial might of Manchester City, as well as the new Saudi Arabian owners of Newcastle United, Ten Hag feels fresh investment at Old Trafford would be exciting news for the club.

"There will be more investment possible which is good," said Ten Hag.

"We [Ten Hag and CEO Richard Arnold] spoke about the culture we want, we spoke about objectives, goals and the culture and he confirmed it won't change.

"It will be even better because more money will become available for this project."

Liverpool's owners Fenway Sports Group confirmed they were looking for new investment in November, while Chelsea were taken over by American businessman Todd Boehly earlier this year.

Ten Hag believes increasing United's financial capabilities is necessary as they look to return to the top table of English football, having lifted just three major trophies since legendary manager Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.

"There's a change in circumstances when you compare [the Premier League] with five or 10 years ago," Ten Hag added.

"Newcastle are coming, even West Ham, maybe not now in the table but they have huge investment. Tottenham definitely and I don't need to talk about City and Liverpool or Chelsea.

"You can quickly count seven or eight clubs that can compete in this league.

"It's also about strategy, not just money. But it's clear that when you don't have the right players and quality players you will not be successful and achieve the targets you set."

After a difficult start to life as United manager since joining from Ajax, Ten Hag's men enjoyed an upturn in form as they went into the World Cup break in fifth place.

United resume their season against Burnley in the EFL Cup on December 21, before they return to Premier League action against Nottingham Forest the following week.

They will be without superstar forward Cristiano Ronaldo, whose bombshell interview with Piers Morgan led to his contract with the club being mutually terminated in late November.

France midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni is not fazed about juggling the responsibilities usually reserved for injured stalwarts Paul Pogba and N'Golo Kante after helping Les Bleus to the World Cup final.

Didier Deschamps' side beat Morocco 2-0 at Al Bayt Stadium on Wednesday to secure their spot in Sunday's showpiece against Argentina.

It ensured France became the first nation to reach back-to-back World Cup finals since Brazil in 2002 as they – somewhat unconvincingly – managed to end Morocco's fairytale run.

The build-up to France's World Cup defence was dominated by talk of the so-called 'holders' curse' given each of the previous three defending champions had been eliminated at the group stage.

Pre-tournament confidence was also dented by injuries to several key players, with Karim Benzema, Pogba and Kante all missing out.

Yet on Sunday, they could become the first European country to win successive World Cups since Italy in 1938, with Tchouameni playing an important part in a new-look midfield.

Asked whether the Pogba or Kante role suits him best, he replied: "It's both!

"Sometimes it's [my job] to recover some balls like today, and sometimes I have the opportunities to score a goal, like the last game.

"Or today when I had the almost-assists for Kylian [Mbappe] and Olivier [Giroud]. It's a mix between those two [Pogba and Kante]."

He added: "[Pogba and Kante] are great players for us.

"Unfortunately they're not here because they're injured, so we try to do our best to help the team in the middle of the pitch, and I think we do a great job."

Tchouameni's influence was highlighted by the fact his 65 touches were the joint-highest in the France team, while only Antoine Griezmann (four) played more key passes than his two.

Although his 83 per cent passing accuracy suggests a degree of wastefulness, the Real Madrid talent showed purpose in terms of ball progression, with his eight passes in the final third only behind Kylian Mbappe and Youssouf Fofana (both nine). A riskier approach is always likely to result in less accurate distribution.

Nevertheless, he did not neglect his defensive responsibilities, tallying the second-most interceptions (four) on the pitch (Ibrahima Konate – six) and joint-highest number of recoveries (10).

Alongside Fofana, Tchouameni was part of a particularly inexperienced midfield pairing, but Deschamps believes both have proven they belong at this level.

"Experience isn't everything, they have great qualities and play with top clubs," the coach told reporters.

"They may not have much experience at the international level, but they are good enough to play at this level.

"They have tremendous potential, tremendous quality – and they are supported by the experienced players around them.

"All of the players struggled against Tunisia – Fofana had a bad game, if I'm honest with you – but he showed today, in a World Cup semi-final, that he has learned from that experience.

"Tchouameni played for us at a very young age and went to Madrid where he's slotted straight in.

"Of course, there's room for improvement, but he has all the strength to succeed at this level. I had no doubt about playing both of them in there, though, as they had experienced players around them."