The Portland Trail Blazers pulled out a 117-110 home win against the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday to bring their record to 9-4, having finally constructed a winning formula around centrepiece Damian Lillard.
While their defense was nothing special against the Spurs – winning despite allowing the visitors to shoot 51.8 per cent from the field – they are currently rated as the seventh-best defense in the league.
Having ranked 29th out of 30 teams in defensive rating last season, giving up an average of 116.3 points per 100 possessions, it was the continuation of a three-year stretch as one of the league's worst defenses. They were also 29th in the 2020-21 season (115.3) and 27th in the 2019-20 campaign (114.3).
Across those three seasons, the Trail Blazers put together a combined record of 104-124 and were floundering, despite the presence of arguably the franchise's greatest ever player, Lillard, still in his prime.
Lillard has career averages of 24.7 points and 6.6 assists per game, and at that pace he will pass Clyde Drexler as the franchise's all-time leading scorer in 12 games, as he trails by 279 points.
This season, with the addition of big wing Jerami Grant – who has averaged at least 19.2 in each of his past two seasons with the Detroit Pistons – as well as last season's arrival of jack-of-all-trades Josh Hart from the New Orleans Pelicans, and all of a sudden the Blazers may have surrounded Lillard with the best defensive cast of his career.
They now boast a 109.9 defensive rating in a year when scoring is up league-wide.
The last time they managed a defensive rating below 110 was the 2018-19 season, where their mark of 109.5 had them 16th, but they were solid enough to give Lillard and his brilliance a chance to win them games.
That 2018-19 season was Lillard's deepest playoff run, making it to the Western Conference Finals. They had C.J. McCollum as their second scorer back then, but now have a two-pronged punch behind Lillard with Grant and 23-year-old Anfernee Simons.
Simons was the 24th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft after choosing a non-traditional route to the league, opting against playing any college or professional basketball, instead training at the famed IMG Academy.
After only playing sparingly in his first three seasons, Simons raised his average from 7.8 points per game in the 2020-21 season to 17.3 last campaign, starting 30 games as Lillard missed extended time through injuries.
He has again taken a leap this year, posting career-highs in points (22.3), assists (4.1) and made three-pointers (3.8).
As much as anything, this is a Trail Blazers team that finally makes sense when building around a star player and second-scorer who are both small guards. They have flanked them with two strong wing defenders in the starting line-up, and have committed to using a physically imposing bench brigade.
Against the Spurs, the four players to come off the bench were Nassir Little, who is a stocky six-foot-five, as well as long-armed six-foot-six rookie Shaedon Sharpe, six-foot-eight Trendon Watford and six-foot-nine Drew Eubanks.
They all have one thing in common – they know their job is to defend, and make Lillard's life as easy as possible on that end of the floor.
Lillard is still undoubtedly at a level required to lead a team deep into the playoffs, and now, in his 11th season, after years of calls for him to leave Portland and head to a powerhouse where he could be more widely seen and appreciated, he may finally have a team capable of coming along for the ride.
Dallas Mavericks MVP hopeful Luka Doncic has always given the Los Angeles Clippers nightmares, and Tuesday was more of the same in a 103-101 home win.
Of the 30 NBA teams, only the Detroit Pistons have felt Doncic's wrath more than the Clippers, averaging 32.4 points in five games against Detroit, and 31.7 per game in a healthier 13-game sample size against Los Angeles.
That number went up again after the 23-year-old Slovenian sensation dropped a game-high 35 points on 11-of-22 shooting, adding 11 rebounds, five assists, three steals and the game-sealing three-pointer.
Leading 99-98 with 30 seconds remaining, Doncic gathered a loose-ball and drilled a deep three to jump ahead by four, putting the game to bed.
While Doncic was clearly the best player on the floor for the Mavericks – scoring over 30 points for the 11th time in 13 games this season – starting wing Dorian Finney-Smith was just as important to the final result, drilling a red-hot seven-of-13 threes to chip in 21 points.
For the Clippers, Paul George was not bad on the surface, posting 23 points (seven-of-13 shooting), seven rebounds and six assists, but he committed a career-high 10 turnovers after never having more than eight in his previous 859 games.
Brunson, Reddish get it done for the Knicks
After a scorching 10-3 start to the season, the Utah Jazz have now lost their past three games after going down 118-111 at home against the New York Knicks.
Knicks starting point guard Jalen Brunson was game's most valuable player, scoring 25 points on 10-of-20 shooting with eight assists and three steals, and it was another terrific showcase from Cam Reddish.
Fresh off his season-high 26 points during the Knicks' last time out, Reddish was awarded his fifth start of the campaign after starting no games last season.
He repaid the faith with another efficient showing, scoring 19 points on seven-of-13 shooting as he begins to fulfill the potential that saw him rated as one of the best prospects in the world heading into his draft year.
Kings score 153 points in regulation
The Sacramento Kings put up the biggest score in the league this season with a 153-121 drubbing of the Brooklyn Nets, scoring at least 36 points in every quarter.
It is eight points more than Oklahoma City in second place, after their 145-135 victory against the New York Knicks on Sunday.
They shot 60.2 per cent from the field (56-of-93), 48.8 per cent from long range (20-of-41) and had seven players in double-figures, led by Terence Davis off the bench with 31 (12-of-16 shooting).
It was the first time this season Ben Simmons has scored at least 10 points, finishing with 11, five rebounds, three assists and a steal in 20 minutes off the Nets bench.
The New Orleans Pelicans were missing offensive force Zion Williamson, but head coach Willie Green was ecstatic with the contributions he got from up-and-down his roster in their 113-102 home win against the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday.
C.J. McCollum assumed primary scorer responsibilities, dropping a team-high 30 points on 11-of-23 shooting while adding nine assists, and he was not alone in having a strong game.
Brandon Ingram was his usual efficient self with 19 points on seven-of-14 shooting, while second-year wing Trey Murphy III made the most of his starting opportunity by showcasing his deep range, hitting three-of-six three-pointers and finishing a big contested dunk.
NBA All-Defensive team shoo-in Herbert Jones scored more than half of his shots and defended all five positions, and their bench was also excellent.
Larry Nance Jr showcased his skills with 19 points (eight-of-10), seven rebounds, two assists and two blocks, backup point guard Jose Alvarado had 12 points (five-of-11) and six assists, and rookie Dyson Daniels continued to impress.
The 19-year-old, who was selected eighth overall, grabbed a team-high nine rebounds with a steal and a block in 17 minutes, earning praise from his head coach.
"[Daniels] and Herb [Jones] give you a comfort level when they're out on the floor," Green said. "He's only 19, but he doesn't play like it.
"He's been working. He stays in the gym working on his shot, he understands the game at a high level.
"We all feel comfortable putting him on the floor. I'm super excited about what he did tonight, and what he'll continue to do in the future."
Despite Williamson missing the game, Green opted to play starting centre Jonas Valanciunas only 13 minutes, telling reporters that he feels general manager David Griffin has assembled the weapons to give him the luxury to sit such an important piece based on matchups.
"It was a tough matchup game for 'JV'," he said. "Steven Adams played 13 minutes, JV played 13 minutes, so we had those guys matched up against each other.
"This was more of a smaller game, smaller fours and fives who are moving around, cutting, playing with force and pace. We tried to match their team in that way – it's something we've been working on.
"That's what the game is coming down to, guys who can play multiple positions, can handle the ball, can defend, can shoot the three-ball at a high clip,
"We put guys on the floor that can do all of those things – I'm thankful I get to coach this team. [Our front office] has done an amazing job of continuing to build our roster.
"Sky's the limit, we'll continue to build from here, but definitely grateful."
One of the best linebackers in all of football, Indianapolis Colts star Shaquille Leonard underwent another back surgery on Tuesday that is expected to end his season.
Leonard, 27, was a second-round draft pick in 2018 out of South Carolina State, and he burst onto the scene instantly, leading the NFL in solo and combined tackles in his first year en route to Defensive Rookie of the Year honours.
He was named first-team All-Pro as a rookie, second-team All-Pro as a sophomore, before following it with two more first-team selections in 2020 and 2021.
On a Hall-of-Fame trajectory, Leonard suffered a setback in the offseason as he went under the knife to address a nerve issue in his back, forcing him to miss the first three weeks of this campaign.
In his first game back, the man affectionately known as 'The Maniac' by Colts fans suffered a concussion and a broken nose, ruling him out of three more games before his next return in Week 8.
Unfortunately, in the lead-up to Week 10 he aggravated his lingering back issue, with the team deciding surgery was the best option.
In a video from his agent, Leonard addressed Colts fans and said he is "feeling good".
"What's up Colts nation," he said. "Just had back surgery. Feeling good – feeling great.
"Ready to get the recovery going and ready to get back out there. Let's get it."
The Colts have a 4-5-1 record and remain a playoff chance under new interim head coach Jeff Saturday.
The Denver Nuggets' reigning back-to-back league MVP Nikola Jokic has entered the league's health and safety protocols, ruling him out of Wednesday's game against the New York Knicks.
Jokic, 27, is averaging a career-high 8.9 assists per game to go with his 20.8 points and 9.5 rebounds, helping the Nuggets to a 9-4 record through their first 13 games.
Having won five of their past six games, the Nuggets will be without Jokic and second-year talent Bones Hyland, who is also in health and safety protocols.
They will have to clear the league's guidelines before being able to return to the floor, with a maximum of 10 days before they are automatically cleared.
The Nuggets head away from home to take on the Dallas Mavericks on both Friday and Sunday, before returning home to face the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday.
Fresh off one of their biggest wins in recent memory, the Washington Commanders are expected to activate star defensive end Chase Young from the physically unable to perform list before Sunday’s matchup against the Houston Texans.
Young tore his ACL and MCL in Week 14 of last season and returned to practice on November 2, giving the Commanders 21 days to activate him. He was not brought onto the active roster for either of the team’s previous two games, but he is likely to make his season debut in some capacity Sunday.
"We won’t play him unless we feel he’s ready to roll," Washington coach Ron Rivera said Saturday. "There are some things he’s not comfortable doing… you can see his frustration because he wants it to happen now."
There was hope that Young would be ready to play Monday at Philadelphia, but he still wasn’t doing everything at full speed. The Commanders ended the Eagles' unbeaten season with a surprising 32-21 victory even without him.
That gave Washington four wins in five games and left them at 5-5, squarely in the wild card race in the NFC.
Young was the second overall pick in the 2020 draft and was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year after he had 7.5 sacks, 44 tackles, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries, one of which he returned for a touchdown.
He wasn’t nearly as effective last season, with 1.5 sacks and 26 tackles in nine games before the season-ending injury.
Chicago Bears running back Khalil Herbert will miss at least the next month after the hip injury he suffered in Sunday's loss to the Detroit Lions resulted in him being placed on injured reserve.
A sixth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Herbert has quickly established himself as one of the most dynamic backs in the league, tied with the Dallas Cowboys' Tony Pollard for the top yards-per-carry mark in the league (6.0).
When Bears starter David Montgomery missed time earlier this season, Herbert showed what he can do as the main man, tallying 157 yards and two touchdowns from 20 carries to star in his team's win over the Houston Texans in Week 3.
Herbert's injury came late in the fourth quarter against the Lions as he fielded the final kick return, landing awkwardly on his hip and immediately leaving the game.
After his departure, Montgomery handled 100 per cent of the running back snaps, meaning unless the Bears decide they trust another runner, Montgomery could be in for a workhorse role in Week 11 on the road against the Atlanta Falcons.
Christopher Nkunku has been ruled out of the World Cup after the France striker suffered a knee injury in training on Tuesday.
The RB Leipzig frontman took a knock in a challenge with Eduardo Camavinga as they contested a 50-50 ball and he had to be helped off the field.
It was later confirmed Nkunku will not travel to Qatar after tests revealed he had sprained his left knee.
The French Football Federation sent Nkunku's medical file to FIFA in order for the defending champions to call up a replacement.
He is expected to be replaced by either Wissam Ben Yedder, Moussa Diaby, Morgan Terrier or Randal Kolo Muani.
Head coach Didier Deschamps and the squad are due to depart for their Doha base on Wednesday.
Les Bleus begin their World Cup Group D campaign against Australia on November 22, before tackling Denmark and Tunisia.
Among players from Europe's top five leagues – the Premier League, LaLiga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and Serie A – only France team-mate Kylian Mbappe has managed more combined goals and assists since the beginning of 2022 than Nkunku.
The 25-year-old has achieved a total of 48 goal involvements (37 goals and 11 assists) in the calendar year, with Mbappe leading the way on 57 (43 goals and 14 assists).
Casper Ruud secured his place in the last four of the ATP Finals and ensured Carlos Alcaraz will be the year-ending world number one by beating Taylor Fritz on Tuesday.
Ruud made it two wins out of two in the Green Group to seal his semi-final spot with a 6-3 4-6 7-6 (8-6) defeat of Fritz in Turin.
The third seed eliminated Rafael Nadal when he won the first set and in doing so guaranteed that injured 19-year-old Alcaraz will be the youngest player to be at the top of the ATP rankings at the end of a year.
Ruud stormed into a 3-0 lead and did not allow Fritz a way back into the first set, but the American broke for the first time to level the match when his opponent was serving to stay in the second.
The battling Fritz fended off two break points in the fifth game of the deciding set and saved two match points as he fought back from 5-1 down in the tie-break to draw level at 6-6.
Norwegian Ruud was not to be denied, though, becoming the first player to reach the semi-finals when eighth seed Fritz drilled a forehand long at the Palbata Alpitour.
Fritz will do battle with Felix Auger-Aliassime on Thursday for a place in the last four.
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Ruud - 14/3
Fritz - 15/0
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Ruud - 36/4
Fritz - 36/1
BREAK POINTS WON
Ruud - 1/5
Auger-Aliassime - 1/4
Cristiano Ronaldo says the death of his baby son was "the most difficult moment I had in my life."
As part of a wide-ranging interview with Piers Morgan for TalkTV, which will be released in full on Wednesday, Ronaldo has hit out at Manchester United and criticised his manager Erik ten Hag, among others.
In a further snippet of the interview released on Tuesday, Ronaldo spoke of the tragic moment in April when he and his partner Georgina Rodriguez lost their son during childbirth.
"It was probably the worst moment that I passed through in my life since my father died," Ronaldo said.
"When you have a kid you expect that everything will be normal, and you have that problem, it's hard. As a human being, me and Georgina had quite difficult moments because we didn't understand why it happened to us.
"It was difficult, to be honest, it was very difficult to understand what is going on in that period of our life.
"As you know, the football carries on, it's so fast, there are so many competitions... and passing through that is probably the most difficult moment that I had in my life, for me and my family, especially Geo. That was tough."
Rodriguez gave birth to a baby girl, who is about to turn seven months old, and Portugal captain Ronaldo – who is currently preparing for the World Cup in Qatar – says he did not know how to react at the time.
"I tried to explain to my family and close friends: 'I never felt to be so happy and sad in the same moment'," he added. "It's hard to explain, so difficult. You don't know if you [should] cry or smile, because it's something [where] you don't know how to react.
"You don't know what to do, to be honest."
Eden Hazard wants to salvage his Real Madrid career but would have no complaints if the club asked him to leave at the end of the season.
The former Chelsea winger has endured a dismal time in Spain, with a string of injuries ruining his hopes of transferring his Premier League form to LaLiga.
Now Hazard has a big chance to show what he can do on a different stage, as he prepares to play a part for Belgium at the World Cup in Qatar.
Set to turn 32 in January, Hazard has managed only two goals and one assist in 15 games for Madrid in 2022, starting a mere four times and playing just 532 minutes in the first team. He has a little over 18 months left on his contract.
Considering Hazard won the Silver Ball at the 2018 World Cup, as the second-best player in the tournament, it has been a staggering descent from main man to bit-part player.
Hazard was Chelsea's player of the year in his final campaign at Stamford Bridge, the 2018-19 season, and he has backed himself to hit similar heights again, given an injury-free run.
Speaking to Marca, Hazard said: "I have to prove to everyone that I can play football. People have doubts about what I can do, but I don't."
He described himself as "a good player who just has to play more football", and can see why there are those who doubt him.
"It is normal. I am a player who has not played many games in three years. I can understand it," he said.
"I don't play, but being a Real Madrid player was my dream as a child and after this year I have another season on my contract. I want to play for this club, with this shirt."
All the same, Hazard is a realist and would not want to overstay his welcome.
He says a January move away from Madrid would be "impossible, because I have family and I like the city".
"But in the summer it is possible that I go," he said.
"If the club tells me: 'Eden, thanks for four years, but you have to go', I have to accept it because it's normal. But I would like to play more, show more that I can play, that I am a good player."
Christopher Nkunku gave France an injury scare ahead of the World Cup when he hobbled out of a training session on Tuesday.
The RB Leipzig forward, who has been in outstanding form for his club, took a knock that left him in obvious pain and required team staff to help him off the field.
Nkunku suffered the blow in a challenge with Eduardo Camavinga as they contested a 50-50 ball, with head coach Didier Deschamps among those who went to his aid.
Deschamps will want Nkunku to be fit to make the trip to Qatar, with France due to depart for their Doha base on Wednesday.
Reports in France said Nkunku would undergo tests to check he had not suffered any significant damage to his left leg, with the player said to be optimistic he would be fine.
Defending champions France begin their World Cup Group D campaign against Australia on November 22, before tackling Denmark and Tunisia.
Nkunku has scored 17 goals and provided two assists in 23 games for Leipzig this season.
Among players from Europe's top five leagues – the Premier League, LaLiga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and Serie A – only France team-mate Kylian Mbappe has managed more combined goals and assists since the beginning of 2022 than Nkunku.
Nkunku has achieved a total of 48 goal involvements (37 goals and 11 assists) in the calendar year, with Mbappe leading the way on 57 (43 goals and 14 assists).
Karim Benzema and Raphael Varane, working their way back from injuries, played a limited part in Tuesday's training session.
Christophe Galtier says Kylian Mbappe is not "above the club" after he made the "difficult decision" to stay at Paris Saint-Germain.
Mbappe had looked set to join Real Madrid when his contract expired at the end of last season, but instead signed a new three-year deal with the Ligue 1 champions.
It was reported last month that the France international wants to leave PSG in January despite only committing his future to the club in May.
Galtier says Mbappe, who is currently preparing to play for the defending champions at the World Cup in Qatar, "embodies the project" at the Parc des Princes but is not more important than any of his team-mates.
The PSG head coach said during an appearance on Rothen ignites on RMC: "He embodies the project, there can be no doubt.
"But when I say that he embodies the project, it is not that he is above the club. Kylian is at the same level as all the other players.
"On the same level as Leo Messi, who has an incredible career, who is the greatest player in the history of football. Kylian is on the same level as Neymar."
Galtier acknowledged Mbappe had come to a "difficult decision" to remain in the French capital, adding: "Obviously he is in love with Paris Saint-Germain, but he had a very attentive eye on Real Madrid.
"He made the decision to stay. Thank you for Ligue 1, for PSG, for the players and for me. He made a strong decision and he must be respected for that. He is respectable."
Lionel Scaloni says Lionel Messi is determined to enjoy his last World Cup and will give everything to end Argentina's 36-years wait to lift the trophy.
Argentina were last crowned world champions when Diego Maradona inspired the 1986 triumph in Mexico, and have since lost in the 1990 and 2014 finals.
Scaloni said nobody could promise the team would enjoy success in Qatar, saying that football is "sometimes unfair".
Yet he senses a pleasing eagerness to please from 35-year-old Messi, who lacks only a World Cup victory on his career record, having won a stack of trophies with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, as well as seven Ballon d'Or awards.
Argentina's Copa America success last year gave Messi a major international trophy, but the World Cup is the one he wants more dearly.
"I see him the same as always, very well and eager to enjoy the World Cup," Scaloni said in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
"He knows what it means to wear this shirt at a World Cup and he and his team-mates are really enjoying making use of the training facilities and our stay here. I think the process is important."
Messi, who won the Golden Ball in 2014 as the tournament's best player, has recently praised Scaloni for his leadership and man-management, and the respect is mutual.
"I think it reflects the good relationship we have and what I'm like as a coach," Scaloni said.
Argentina held a pre-tournament training camp in Madrid, preparing for their opening game in Group C against Saudi Arabia on November 22.
Firstly, they have a friendly on Wednesday against the United Arab Emirates, with Scaloni eager to keep minds focused.
"The coach has to be the example of the group. I've learned that what you do on and off the pitch is important to the group," Scaloni said.
At the last World Cup in Russia, Argentina only scraped through the group stage before losing 4-3 to eventual winners France in the second round.
Jorge Sampaoli departed as coach after the tournament, and assistant Scaloni subsequently stepped into the top job.
Scaloni's team have not lost since a 2-0 defeat to Brazil in the 2019 Copa America final, a run of 35 games unbeaten.
However, the 44-year-old coach knows there are potential pitfalls awaiting even the best teams, saying: "This is football, it's unpredictable and sometimes unfair.
"There is no point in promising people anything. Just tell them we're going to give everything during this World Cup."
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