Thomas Tuchel insists Bayern Munich will not be “forced into crazy things” in the last days of the January transfer window despite a growing injury list.
Bayern are without a number of key first-teamers, including midfielders Joshua Kimmich, Konrad Laimer and centre-back Dayot Upamecano, as they aim to gain ground in the Bundesliga title race when they travel the short distance to Bavarian neighbours Augsburg on Saturday afternoon.
The depth of Tuchel’s squad is set to be tested in the coming weeks, but he is adamant his club will not be rushed into any panic buys.
“The transfer windows are getting more and more complicated. The public plays a bigger and bigger part in that,” he said at his pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon.
“I have full confidence in what we’re doing. We won’t be forced into crazy things. The team is clear for tomorrow. You rely on that as a coach. We’ll push the team through tomorrow’s game. I’m sure we’ll have everything to get an important away win tomorrow.”
Upamecano’s thigh injury means Englishman Eric Dier is set to continue in the starting XI after making his Bayern debut in the midweek win over Union Berlin.
Tuchel hailed Dier’s integration into the squad since his loan move to Germany from Tottenham.
“Obviously he’s lacking training sessions and playing time with the team. Now we’ve had a crash course, which is sometimes the best. He’s very aware, very clear in everything he does. I have great confidence that he’ll play well again tomorrow,” Tuchel said.
Bayern head into Saturday’s match four points behind unbeaten Leverkusen, whom they face in a title showdown on February 10.
“There’s no putting a value on the importance of games. Konrad Laimer and Dayot Upamecano are out for weeks. Konny (Laimer) has played every game for us, so it’s tough. We have to try to compensate for that,” he said.
“There’s a plan. We feel prepared. But there are obviously a lot of injuries from the rearranged game (against Union).”
Tuchel said Kimmich had “no chance” of being available, adding: “His shoulder needs to be immobilised, and then we’ll take things a week at a time. It’s tough to put a timescale on Josh being out.”
Augsburg coach Jess Thorup said his team were “on a really good trajectory” heading into the clash with Bayern, having won away at Borussia Monchengladbach last Sunday.
“We will try to keep in control of the game not just when we’re out of possession, but when we have the ball as well. We don’t just want to defend,” Thorup said.
The Augsburg coach revealed he had a full squad of players to pick from for Bayern’s visit.
Jannik Sinner stunned Melbourne Park by ending Novak Djokovic’s long unbeaten run in their semi-final clash.
The young Italian held his nerve after an erratic Djokovic threatened a fightback to clinch a 6-1 6-2 6-7 (6) 6-3 victory and a place in his first grand slam final.
There he will take on two-time Australian Open runner-up Daniil Medvedev, who recovered from two sets down to beat Alexander Zverev 5-7 3-6 7-6 (4) 7-6 (5) 6-3.
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Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka faces first-time grand slam finalist Zheng Qinwen in the women’s trophy decider on Saturday evening.
Sabalenka is bidding to lift major silverware for the second time while Zheng is the first Chinese player through to a slam singles final since Li Na won the title here a decade ago.
In the men’s wheelchair singles, Alfie Hewett will attempt to retain his title against young Japanese rival Tokito Oda.
Daniil Medvedev recovered from two sets down for the second time this fortnight to beat bitter rival Alexander Zverev and reach his third Australian Open final.
The third seed was second best through two sets but won two tie-breaks before clinching a 5-7 3-6 7-6 (4) 7-6 (5) 6-3 victory after midnight on Rod Laver Arena.
It capped a dramatic day of tennis following Jannik Sinner’s upset of Novak Djokovic in the other semi-final to guarantee a first-time champion at Melbourne Park.
Having lost to Djokovic in 2021 and Rafael Nadal from two sets up in 2022, Medvedev will hope this is finally his year.
“I was a little bit lost but during the third set I started saying that, if I lose this match, I want to be prod of myself, I want to fight for every point,” he said. “I’m very proud.
“Physically and mentally it’s tough five sets. Many times in the fifth I was not strong enough. One month ago I wanted to change a little bit to try to be even more strong mentally. I’m still yet far from being perfect but I’m trying.”
The Russian, who will contest a sixth slam final, trailed Emil Ruusuvuori by two sets in the second round in a contest that finished at 3.39am, and also needed five sets to defeat Hubert Hurkacz in a gruelling quarter-final.
Zverev came through two five-set matches in his first four rounds, winning deciding tie-breaks against Lukas Klein and Cameron Norrie, but stepped up a gear to knock out Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals and continued in the same vein here.
Five double faults from Medvedev contributed to two breaks of serve in his opening three games but Zverev was unable to capitalise on his lead, Medvedev breaking the sixth seed when he served for the set as the rallies became longer and longer.
Zverev broke again in the 11th game and this time managed to make it across the line, with one 51-shot rally leaving both men gasping for air.
There is no love lost between them, with things reaching a head in Monte Carlo last year, when Zverev branded his opponent “one of the most unfair players in the world” following a tense clash.
That was one of six matches they contested in 2023, with Medvedev winning five of them.
Things remained civil here, but Medvedev’s frustration grew in the second set as Zverev really began to take control from the back of the court, breaking serve twice more.
The Russian pushed hard for a foothold in the match in the third set, moving closer to the baseline and exerting some pressure, but Zverev held firm until the tie-break.
Winning that gave Medvedev belief he could recover, but he was unable to find a chink in Zverev’s armour through the fourth set.
A double fault from Medvedev at 4-4 in the tie-break gave Zverev two serves for it but instead both points went to the Russian, the second a very fortunate return winner that scraped over the net, and an ace sent the contest to a fifth set.
Zverev’s annoyance boiled over when a wild volley gave Medvedev two break points at 2-2, the sixth seed smacking the top of the net twice with his racket and earning a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct.
He saved both but a third followed and this time he netted a forehand to give Medvedev his first break of serve since the opening set.
There were four hours and 17 minutes on the clock when a Zverev backhand over the baseline gave Medvedev his first match point, and moments later he was able to celebrate another remarkable win.
Nicky Richards’ Famous Bridge seeks a hat-trick in the SBK Great Yorkshire Handicap Chase at Doncaster on Saturday.
The eight-year-old has all the makings of a traditional type owned by the late Trevor Hemmings and has barely put a foot wrong across his bumper, hurdling and chasing career so far.
He won a valuable Haydock contest in late November and returned to Merseyside to win the Tommy Whittle last time out.
“We’re very happy with him and we’re looking forward to running him on Saturday,” said Richards.
“All of his life he’s been very consistent, which is half the battle, but I think consistency has a lot to do with ability as well and he’s got lots of that.
“You can take him anywhere, he’s a lovely horse and there’s hopefully still lots of improvement in him.
“He’s already won two good staying chases this year and he hasn’t finished yet, he’s a typical Mr Hemmings horse.
“The team always used to buy some lovely horses and they’ve definitely bought a lovely one with him.”
Also coming into the race off the back of two successes is Surrey Quest, owned by Surrey Racing and trained by Toby Lawes.
Clive Hadingham, co-founder of Surrey Racing with Steve Grubb, said: “I think conditions will be absolutely perfect for us. He goes on all grounds but I just think it will be better for us if it’s not too testing.
“We looked at the options after the Mandarin and immediately thought of this race. We kind of went back on it a little bit and thought it may be too much of a jump up, but there was no other race at all really in the next four to six weeks and he did win at Newbury quite well – both Surrey Quest and Atlanta Brave (second) pulled away from the rest of them and maybe there is more to come from both.
“We thought why not take our chance in a decent race with good prize-money? It may be a couple of furlongs too short for him, being honest, and it’s obviously super competitive, but I think we will run well and have a good chance – if he jumps well he will definitely be competitive.”
Cooper’s Cross, who won the contest last year, will line up again as he looks to return to form for trainer Stuart Coltherd.
This year he has struggled to hit his stride on testing ground, but Coltherd is hopeful a change in conditions can see him back to his best after last year’s victory.
“He’s well, he’s probably been a wee bit disappointing this season but we’re putting it down to the soft ground,” the trainer said.
“Most of his form last year was on good ground, we’re hoping on Saturday that the forecast looks good and it’s drying up.
“We’ve got our fingers crossed for a big run, he’s just not enjoyed the soft ground or travelled on it in his races.”
Cooper’s Cross will cross paths with Cap Du Nord again as Christian Williams has entered his 11-year-old, last year’s second, alongside his stablemate Strictlyadancer.
The trainer said: “I won the race as a jockey and it would be great to do it as a trainer.
“It will be good to run two horses in it this year with a chance, it is a very tough race to win. The two horses, if everything goes right for them, will be there or thereabouts.
“They are not highly-rated Saturday horses but they are horses capable of winning staying chases on a Saturday if they can get a little bit of luck and can sneak in at the bottom of the weights, which has seemed to happen here.”
Paul Nicholls runs Kandoo Kid, an eight-year-old who has not been out of the top two this season so far.
A winner at Newbury in December and second when stepping up to Grade Two level in the Noel Novices’ Chase later the same month, Nicholls now expects the gelding to appreciate an extended trip on Town Moor.
“He has been making up for lost time this season after a couple of setbacks and has been very consistent,” he told Betfair.
“He won well at Newbury, and ran another solid race when second to Djelo at Ascot.
“Kandoo Kid is crying out for three miles, is better left-handed, remains in top shape and has a lovely chance in a really competitive handicap. He has a lot in his favour.”
The second Test between West Indies and Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane remains finely poised after a riveting second day's play. At stumps, the West Indies, who scored 311 in their first innings, were 13 for 1, holding a slender lead of 35 runs after Australia declared their first innings reply on 289-9.
The visitors faced a tricky half-hour's play under the lights, and Tagenarine Chanderpaul became the sole wicket in the last over of the day, caught behind off the bowling of Josh Hazelwood for four.
Earlier in the day, Australia's innings experienced a rollercoaster ride, recovering from a precarious position of 54-5 to declare on 289-9. West Indies' fast bowlers, Kemar Roach and Alzarri Joseph, wreaked havoc, with Joseph claiming 4-84 and Roach providing crucial support with 3-47.
However, a remarkable counterattacking display by Alex Carey, who scored a brisk 65 in a partnership with Usman Khawaja, and an aggressive unbeaten 64 from Captain Pat Cummins, guided Australia back into contention. The hosts were struggling at 24 for 4 at dinner and 54 for 5 not long after, but the innings turned around with resilient performances.
Carey's innings, reminiscent of the legendary Adam Gilchrist, featured fearless strokes, but he fell for 65 from 49 balls before tea. Khawaja played the anchor role, contributing 75 runs, but was eventually dismissed by Kevin Sinclair. Mitchell Starc's departure on the stroke of tea left Australia in a precarious position.
A crucial moment occurred when a delivery from Shamar Joseph narrowly missed dislodging Carey's off bail, providing a stroke of luck for the Australian batsman. He capitalized on this fortune, striking three consecutive boundaries and displaying aggressive strokes. However, his dismissal at a critical juncture added to Australia's challenges.
In the final overs, West Indies' Chanderpaul fell to Hazelwood, setting the stage for a closely contested Test match. The fate of the game remains uncertain, with both teams aiming to seize control in the upcoming sessions.
At the start of play the West Indies resumed from their overnight score of 266-8 with Kevin Sinclair on 16. Kemar Roach joined him at the crease and together they resisted the Australian attack without much bother.
The pair batted through the first hour without loss with Sinclair doing the bulk of the scoring. The partnership was finally broken after Roach defended a ball to mid-off and called for a single, but Sinclair caught a glimpse of Labuschagne swooping in and made a very late call of no with Roach already halfway down. He slipped over trying to put the brakes on and was run out with ease.
Australia could have removed Sinclair on 30. He poked Pat Cummins straight to gully and Green spilt a sitter at thigh height. The Guyanese bowling all-rounder made Green and Australia pay with some excellent shots thereafter, sweeping Nathan Lyon for four and then lofted him inside-out over mid-off in consecutive balls to bring up his half-century.
He fell next ball, stumped by Alex Carey, for a well-played 50.
Mitchell Starc ended with 4-82 with Hazlewood taking 2-38 and Lyon 2-81.
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The British Horseracing Authority has apologised after a mistake was made in allotting a weight to Lossiemouth in Saturday’s Unibet Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Last year’s Triumph Hurdle winner is due to make her seasonal debut in the Grade Two contest and was originally given a weight of 11st 3lb, including her 7lb mares allowance.
However, the BHA confirmed on Friday that the five-year-old should actually carry 11st, with an error seemingly made in the application of a Grade One penalty.
The race conditions state a 6lb penalty is incurred for a Grade One win since September 30, 2022, but that is halved if the victory came in novice or juvenile company.
A BHA spokesperson said: “Due to an error at the weights stage, we can confirm an incorrect penalty was added to Lossiemouth in the 3.00 at Cheltenham tomorrow. A weight amendment has been published and she will now carry 11st. We apologise to anyone affected by this error.”
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher hopes Jurgen Klopp can “go out with a bang” after the German manager announced he will leave the club at the end of the season.
The 56-year-old has admitted he is “running out of energy” having led the club to six major trophies since taking charge in October 2015.
Carragher, who made 737 appearances for the Reds, posted on X, formerly Twitter: “This news was always going to be a body blow to the club whenever it came.
“I just thought it would be another few years away. What a manager, what a man, let’s go out with a bang Jurgen!”
Former Liverpool midfielder Ray Houghton said Klopp’s Anfield achievements were “phenomenal”.
“There was no sign whatsoever that he was going to make the decision that he’s made and obviously, it’s absolutely huge. What he’s done for this club and his time being in charge, nothing short of phenomenal,” Houghton told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“To get them back winning the league, getting them to major finals, getting that pride back in the football club, the joy of playing for Liverpool. It’s been absolutely incredible and the football they’ve played has been a joy to watch. It’s going to be one hell of a pair of shoes to fill.”
Ange Postecoglou has praised Tottenham vice-captain Cristian Romero for stepping up in Son Heung-min’s absence.
Spurs are without current skipper Son due to his international commitments with South Korea and Romero is set to wear the armband again in Friday’s FA Cup tie with Manchester City.
Romero was captain for the 2-2 draw at Manchester United two weeks ago and Postecoglou talked up his growing leadership qualities.
He said: “There’s definitely a void there but with all these things there’s definitely opportunities. That’s where Romero has really stepped up.
“You just feel it around the place. He knows that Sonny’s not here and he knows what Sonny does on a daily basis.
“Sonny gets around everyone in the building and says, ‘how you going?’ and Cristian’s doing that now. I can see that. In training he’s a lot more vocal than he was in the past. That’s the beauty of it.
“There is a void because you’re missing one of your leaders, but for me, on the outside, you’re kind of waiting on, ‘is anyone going to step up here because we’re going to need someone to or do I need to interject myself into it?’ But he’s stepped up.
“There’s been others too, Vic (Guglielmo Vicario) in goal, he’s stepped up.”
Postecoglou watched his team endure a horrid November period where they were hit with a string of absentees.
Spurs were able to regroup during December and while they remain without Son, Pape Sarr and Yves Bissouma due to the Asian Cup and Africa Cup of Nations respectively, the Australian feels the adversity has accelerated the growth of his young group in his debut campaign in charge.
“There’s a really good feeling amongst the group at the moment over where they’re at,” Postecoglou added.
“They understand that because of what we’ve been through, ‘OK, somebody’s missing, man down, but somebody fills that void and we keep going until they come back’. I think it’s been good for the growth of the team.
“This year for me is about growth. You don’t want to orchestrate these scenarios where we get challenged and have players missing, but the fact that we’ve gone through it, I just think has accelerated our growth.
“We could have flown through this first half of the year and I’m sure all the questions to me would’ve been, ‘what happens when there’s a hiccup?’ and I wouldn’t have been able to answer that question.
“I’d bluff my way through it but I wouldn’t have been able to really answer it.
“But I already know, I’ve seen the resilience and part of that is how I’ve dealt with those absences.”
Jurgen Klopp will stand down as Liverpool manager at the end of the season.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the German’s career at Anfield in pictures over the years.
Jurgen Klopp has announced he will leave Liverpool at the end of the season, a moment which will bring to an end another successful chapter in the club’s history.
Klopp arrived at Anfield late in 2015, tasked with bringing trophies back to the club.
With four still to play for in this campaign there is every chance he could add to those he has already won, which the PA news agency lists here.
2019/20 – Premier League
Perhaps the one which matters the most to Liverpool fans, Klopp returned the first league title in 30 years as his side finished 17 points clear of Manchester City. The sadness for the supporters was that, as it came during lockdown, no fans were present in the stadium to celebrate the success, which was confirmed when nearest rivals City lost at Chelsea. Klopp’s men won 32 of their 38 games that season.
2021/22 – FA Cup
Liverpool’s run to the final saw them beat Shrewsbury, Cardiff, Norwich and Nottingham Forest, before an all-the-more difficult semi-final assignment against Manchester City. Two goals from Sadio Mane secured a somewhat unexpected win, before beating Chelsea 6-5 on penalties in the final.
2021-22 – League Cup
Beating Chelsea on penalties in the FA Cup final may have felt familiar to Klopp for some three months earlier his side had done the same thing to beat the same opposition and win the League Cup. This time it was a lengthier shoot-out, going all the way to the goalkeepers, with Liverpool’s regular reserve, Caoimhin Kelleher, scoring the decisive penalty for an 11-10 success.
2022 – Community Shield
Liverpool’s FA Cup success meant another showdown with Manchester City, this time in the Community Shield, a match played at Leicester due to the Women’s Euro 2022 final at Wembley. Big-money summer signing Darwin Nunez capped a 3-1 victory and another piece of silverware for Klopp, whose men ran out 3-1 winners.
2019 – Champions League
This one ranks alongside the 2020 Premier League as Klopp’s crowing glory; a sixth European title for Liverpool coming thanks to a 2-0 win over Tottenham in an all-English final played in Madrid. Liverpool booked their place in the final with an improbable come-from-behind semi-final win over Lionel Messi’s all-conquering Barcelona team, while on the night goals from Mo Salah and Divock Origi earned them the Champions League title. The Reds enjoyed great success and consistency in the competition under Klopp too, being losing finalists in 2018 and 2022, while they were also runners-up in the 2016 Europa League.
2019 – UEFA Super Cup
Another final, another penalty shoot-out win over Chelsea, this one coming in Istanbul after a 2-2 draw following extra time between the winners of the Champions and Europa Leagues. Mane scored a brace in the match, before Tammy Abraham’s missed penalty gave Liverpool the title.
2019 – Club World Cup
Roberto Firmino ensured Klopp was able to end 2019 with three non-domestic trophies, with the Club World Cup going alongside the Super Cup and Champions League. The Brazilian scored an injury-time winner in a 2-1 semi-final win over Monterrey in Qatar, before his extra-time winner saw off Flamengo to win the final 1-0.
England prospects of salvaging something from the first Test were fading fast after India left them toiling for meagre rewards on day two in Hyderabad.
The home side ended the day with a lead of 175 – sizeable on any surface but surely emphatic on a pitch that their spinners will expect to cause havoc on.
They reached stumps in full control on 421 for seven, roared on by a holiday crowd of close to 30,000 on India’s Republic Day.
Still 127 ahead overnight, and with Joe Root’s first-over dismissal of Yashasvi Jaiswal leaving India two down, the tourists had a brief opportunity to turn their first-innings mark of 246 into a competitive score and saw it disappear from view.
The limitations of their bowling attack were plain to see as they failed to generate the same problems as the hosts, whose mastery of local conditions is matchless.
Debutant Tom Hartley had a better day after his baptism of fire on Thursday, banking his first two international wickets, but neither he, nor teenage leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed, could disguise their novice status at this level.
Senior spinner Jack Leach was hampered by a knee problem – bowling just 12 balls in the morning session and appearing in a series of short spells thereafter – and Mark Wood’s pace was a footnote, meaning England leaned heavily on Root’s part-time off-breaks.
He played his role admirably, taking two for 77 in 24 overs and asking more difficult questions than the rest combined. But relying so visibly on Root exposed shortcomings that may prove intractable over the course of this five-match series.
KL Rahul (86) and Ravindra Jadeja (81 not out) moved their side into a dominant position but it may have been worse still for England, who profited from some soft dismissals.
Their batting unit must now look to produce a remarkable second innings to make a fight of things. Recent history, where breaking 200 has been the exception rather than the rule for touring England teams, suggests that will be a huge ask.
The explosive Jaiswal gave England a major headache on Thursday evening, piling into Hartley and thrashing 76 at almost a run-a-ball, but he added just four runs before succumbing to the fourth ball of the day. Root, opening up after going unused the night before, turned one just enough to evade the middle of the bat and reached above his head to pluck a caught-and-bowled.
Ben Stokes had pondered the idea of handing Root the new ball, fancying his off-breaks to cause problems for the left-handed Jaiswal, and may regret waiting so long to test his theory.
Things almost got even better when Rahul nicked Root two balls later on nought but wicketkeeper Ben Foakes was not able to pull off what would have been an excellent, and important, catch.
Hartley began at the other end, Stokes eager not to overprotect the 24-year-old after his previous struggles, and he responded with a tighter spell. Where his first nine overs cost 63, this time he got through the same number for 30. More importantly, he opened his account.
Shubman Gill, who never really got going in his 23, flicked Hartley off his leg stump and picked out Ben Duckett at midwicket. The left-armer sprinted away in a mix of celebration and relief.
Yet India never seemed at risk. Rahul proceeded to a comfortable half-century and things got more ragged as the day unfolded. Unable to locate the demons India had unlocked in the pitch, they went searching and made mistakes.
Rahul blasted India into the lead with a pair of sixes off leg-spinner Ahmed, the second a horrible drag down. The teenager was not alone in serving up the occasional freebie as England offered a steady supply of boundary balls. Ahmed did get on the board when Shreyas Iyer aimed a slog-sweep towards the stands but failed to clear Hartley, holing out for 35.
With a century up for grabs Rahul succumbed to the latest unforced error, skying an unthreatening long-hop from Hartley into Ahmed’s hands when he could have hit it anywhere.
With Jadeja at the tiller, India added another 106 after tea, every one of them adding to the size of England’s task. Root got a deserved second, KS Bharat lbw on the sweep, and a mix-up saw Ravichandran Ashwin run out but there was little cause for optimism by the close.
England continue to face disruption to preparations for their Guinness Six Nations opener against Italy after Nick Isiekwe was forced to return from their camp in Girona because of illness.
Isiekwe will be unable to take part in the Stadio Olimpico showdown on Saturday week with the gap created in Steve Borthwick’s 36-man squad being taken by Charlie Ewels.
Isiekwe was a possible bench option for the round one fixture in Rome and his departure from England’s warm-weather training base in Spain is another setback for Borthwick.
A crisis has developed in midfield after Ollie Lawrence was ruled out until later in the Championship because of a hip problem, while Oscar Beard is out with concussion.
It raises the prospect of either of the uncapped Fraser Dingwall or Max Ojomoh partnering Henry Slade in the centres in another overhaul of England’s midfield.
Only Dingwall and Ojomoh have played regularly at inside centre with the options available to Borthwick already depleted by Owen Farrell’s absence from the Six Nations for mental wellbeing reasons and Manu Tuilagi’s groin issue.
Hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie has also been ruled out against Italy because of an unspecified medical condition, but he could return for the round two appointment with Wales at Twickenham.
Ewels, the Bath second row, won the last of his 30 caps in the 2022 Six Nations and will be competing with Alex Coles to provide bench cover for Maro Itoje and Ollie Chessum.
England depart Girona for Rome on Thursday when Borthwick will name a starting XV that will be led for the first time by Jamie George.
The Denver Nuggets "played like a tired team" in their defeat to the New York Knicks, said head coach Michael Malone.
Denver – who sit third in the Western Conference – were beaten 122-84 in Thursday's road game.
Nikola Jokic had 31 points and 11 rebounds, but the Nuggets could not extend their three-game winning streak.
Thursday's game was the Nuggets' second in the space of 48 hours, and Malone believes the fatigue showed.
"We played like a very tired team," Malone said.
"I thought it was a very disappointing ending to the road trip.
"You never want to get blown out, which is what happened tonight. And we live to fight another day.
"All of our focus right now is getting home, getting some rest tomorrow, and thankful that the NBA gave us a matinee game [against the Philadelphia 76ers] on Saturday."
Jokic took a poke to the eye from Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo during the second quarter.
"It was painful of course, but hopefully it's going to be OK," said the two-time MVP, who added: "[The Knicks] were just more aggressive. One team basically on the floor today. We were not there today."
OG Anunoby led the Knicks with 26 points, and Malone labelled the small forward as "outstanding".
"There's a reason the crowd was chanting 'OG.' He was outstanding," Malone said.
"He brings defense. He brings offense. He brings toughness. He brings physicality.
"He and the rest of the guys in the New York Knicks uniforms tonight, they were terrific from beginning to end."
The Knicks, who are fourth in the Eastern Conference, have won their last five games.
Ten years after watching Li Na win the Australian Open title, Zheng Qinwen has a first grand slam crown in her sights.
The 21-year-old is the first Chinese player since trailblazer Li here in 2014 to make a grand slam final, where she will take on defending champion Aryna Sabalenka.
Zheng vividly remembers cheering on Li during her victory over Dominika Cibulkova as an 11-year-old alongside her tennis team-mates.
Three years earlier, Li had become the first Chinese grand slam singles champion at the French Open, and Zheng said: “She means a lot, I think, for all the Chinese kids the same age like me.
“Because I think she’s the first one who won the slams. That’s unbelievable for Asian woman in that moment. She gives a lot of hope, in that moment, to young kids like me.”
Zheng had the chance to meet Li, who is playing in the legends event, earlier this fortnight, with the 41-year-old telling her young countrywoman not to think too much.
Zheng, who will break into the top 10 on Monday, kept her nerve to come through a chaotic top half of the draw, with Sabalenka the first top-50 opponent she will face, and she said: “My dream is not just the final. I’m almost there but I know this little distance is still far away.”
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Extra motivation for the 21-year-old came last September when coach Wim Fissette ended their brief partnership to return to work with Naomi Osaka.
Zheng made her feelings known but linked back up with Spaniard Pere Riba, who first began coaching her as a 17-year-old.
He cannot speak highly enough of Zheng, saying: “I never see in my life a player with the work ethic that she has.
“The first week that we started to work, a long time ago, I say, ‘OK, 7am, and then we go to practise’. Then we practise a lot of hours. I say, next day the same, next day the same. I was thinking that after four or five days she’s going to say, ‘I’m tired’.
“Sometimes we are getting angry because she wants to do more and I have to stop her. You can imagine the dreams that Qinwen has, that she really wants to be there in the top, and I’m really, really happy for her because she deserves it.
“Still she is so young. She’s improving every single month and still has a lot of margin to improve. She arrived with very good feelings. She arrived really motivated. And, if she plays her game, she will have her chances.
“But, of course, all of us, we know Aryna and we know it’s going to be a really complicated match.”
The run is another feather in the cap of 35-year-old Riba, who during his break from working with Zheng was part of Coco Gauff’s coaching team for her US Open triumph last summer.
“I think that all experiences is helpful to you,” he said. “Me, I’m a humble guy and I’m trying to learn from everyone. The US Open was really an amazing moment. Of course this experience is helping here.”
Sabalenka was the player beaten by Gauff in New York but the Belarusian has put together an impressive sequence of slam results, reaching at least the semi-finals of six straight tournaments and now bidding for a second successive title here.
She turned the tables on Gauff in the last four and is yet to drop a set.
Known as a very emotional player, Sabalenka has maintained an impressively even keel so far, and she said: “I think I’m pretty calm inside like I am outside.
“I’m defending champion but, worst case, I’m going to lose this tournament and it’s less points to defend next year. That’s helping me to just stay focused and just try your best in each match without thinking about defending something.”
One bizarre superstition Sabalenka has maintained through the tournament is drawing her signature and other doodles on fitness coach Jason Stacy’s bald head.
“Our first day here, there was some kid wanted a ball signed,” Stacy said. “She’s, ‘Ah, no problem’. So she signed my head as a joke.
“Then every day it’s like a routine to sign my head. Non-match day, she just draws some random picture. They played tic-tac-toe on my head the other day. She won, by the way, so it’s good.
“Then on match day she just signs it and does random stuff. Just part of the process.”
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