Kevin Durant went down injured before Royce O'Neale scored the game-winning two-pointer with 3.2 seconds left as the Brooklyn Nets edged the Miami Heat 102-101 on Sunday.

Durant exited late in the third quarter with a right knee issue after Jimmy Butler fell on him, but the Nets did enough without him to improve to 27-13 overall and second spot in the Eastern Conference. Brooklyn have won 18 of their last 20 games.

Butler put the Heat ahead 101-100 with a dunk with 1:12 remaining, but O'Neale had the final say with a putback after Kyrie Irving had missed a 30-foot three-point attempt.

Irving top scored for Brooklyn with 28 points, including six-of-15 from three-point range with six assists, while Nic Claxton contributed strongly again with 13 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks.

Durant managed 17 points on five-of-11 shooting from the field with five rebounds in his 30 minutes on the court.

Butler top-scored for the Heat with 26 points, but shot nine-of-21 from the field with two turnovers, while Tyler Herro finished with 24 points before limping off late.

Bam Adebayo was also limited by a right-hand contusion, scoring 10 points with eight rebounds.

Harden records triple-double in 76ers win

James Harden recorded a triple-double and became the 27th NBA player with 24,000 career points as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Detroit Pistons 123-111.

Harden finished with 20 points on seven-of-14 shooting, including three-of-five from beyond the arc, 11 rebounds and 11 assists.

Tyrese Maxey also came to the fore for the Joel Embiid-less 76ers, while Pistons guard Killian Hayes had a game-high 26 points, with four three-pointers.

Suns slump to sixth straight loss

The Cleveland Cavaliers consigned the short-handed Phoenix Suns to their sixth straight defeat with a 112-98 victory as Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland scored 22 points each.

Mitchell, who scored a season-high 71 points in last weeks' OT win over the Chicago Bulls, made seven-of-12 from the field, while Garland dished off seven assists in a fine display.

The Suns were missing their backcourt of Chris Paul and Devin Booker but were within one point at three-quarter time before fading.

Duane Washington top scored for Phoenix in 25 minutes off the bench with 25 points including five triples.

Novak Djokovic will face Nick Kyrgios in a practice match ahead of the Australian Open.

Djokovic marked his return to Australia by beating Sebastian Korda to win his 92nd Tour-level title on Sunday in Adelaide.

Kyrgios, meanwhile, did not feature in the inaugural United Cup for Australia after withdrawing due to injury.

They will now meet in a practice match at Rod Laver Arena on Friday, ahead of the season's first grand slam.

Ticket proceeds will go to the Australian Tennis Foundation.

The duo have had a turbulent relationship in the past, though last year appeared to be on better terms.

Kyrgios came to Djokovic's defence when the Serbian was denied entry to Australia and subsequently deported ahead of the 2022 Australian Open due to his COVID-19 vaccination status.

Australia's policy on non-vaccinated individuals entering the country has now changed, and Djokovic had his three-year suspension from the nation revoked, allowing him to compete in Melbourne this year.

Krygios has a 2-1 record against Djokovic, though both of his wins came back in 2017.

They last met in the final of Wimbledon last year, with Djokovic coming out on top 4-6 6-3 6-4 7-6 (7-3).

Kevin Durant is set to undergo an MRI after exiting the Brooklyn Nets' 102-101 win over the Miami Heat on Sunday with a knee injury.

Durant sustained the injury with 1:05 remaining in the third quarter when Jimmy Butler fell back into the Nets forward after having his shot blocked by Ben Simmons.

The 2014 NBA MVP remained in the game initially but appeared concerned by the knock and headed for the locker room when the Nets called a timeout 30 seconds later.

"He didn’t finish the game," Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn told reporters. "Just right knee, he'll get evaluated tomorrow. Then hopefully we'll have some more info for you.

"Most likely it will include imaging just to make sure we're good."

Durant had injured the MCL in his left knee in January last year, missing approximately a month and half while rehabbing.

The 12-time NBA All-Star is averaging 30.0 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists this season for the Nets, who have rallied after a slow start to be 27-13 and second in the Eastern Conference.

"He's in good spirits as we all are," Nets team-mate Kyrie Irving said of Durant. "The strength of our team is us picking each other up.

"Just being ready for whatever's thrown at us... I think one of the greatest qualities of our team is our bench and the way we support each other, despite who's in the lineup.

"Now it's time to go out and exemplify that until we find out the timeline with K and when he could be available again. So we just got to be mature about it."

The Houston Texans announced the firing of head coach Lovie Smith on Sunday, just hours after he told the media he expected to retain the role for next season.

Smith was promoted in February after spending one season as the Texans' associate head coach and defensive coordinator.

In a rebuilding season following the trade of franchise quarterback Deshaun Watson, the Texans appeared destined all season for the worst record in the league and the top overall pick in the coming NFL Draft.

They produced a stirring late comeback in Sunday's 32-31 win against the Indianapolis Colts to finish the campaign 3-13-1, handing the first pick in the draft to the Chicago Bears (3-14) in the process.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Smith said it is ridiculous to propose intentionally losing a game at this level.

"This is an option that I had," he said. "So you say, 'hey guys ... all that you've been working for your life, you play to win, forget that. Lose the game on purpose.

"That will be a hard one to get by. They won't expect me to say that. I didn't. What we work on each week, our game plan, has been to win the game. It's kind of simple as that. That's what we follow through on the day.

"It's pretty simple – we play to win the game. It's kind of simple as that." 

When asked about if he expected to return for a second season at the helm, he said: "Do I expect to be back? Yes, I expect to be back."

That notion was shot down hours later, with Texans general manager Nick Caserio announcing he personally had made the decision to fire Smith, and would instead hire a new head coach for the third time during his three years in charge, and the fourth consecutive year overall with a new head coach for the franchise.

The statement read: "On behalf of the entire organisation, I would like to thank Lovie Smith for everything he has contributed to our team over the last two seasons as a coach and leader.

"I'm constantly evaluating our football operation and believe this is the best decision for us at this time. It is my responsibility to build a comprehensive and competitive program that can sustain success over a long period of time.

"We aren't there right now. However, with the support of the McNair family and the resources available to us, I'm confident in the direction of the program moving forward."

The Detroit Lions have denied the Green Bay Packers a place in the playoffs as Jamaal Williams broke the franchise rushing touchdowns record in a 20-16 victory at Lambeau Field on Sunday.

The result means the Seattle Seahawks will go into the Wild Card round as the seventh seed in the NFC where they will face the San Francisco 49ers.

Seattle's overtime win over the Los Angeles Rams shortly prior to kickoff meant the Lions were out of postseason contention but the Packers had a simple win-and-in scenario yet they could not complete the job.

The Packers, who had won four straight games coming in, miss the playoffs for the first time under head coach Matt LaFleur.

Veteran Packers QB Aaron Rodgers threw a fourth-quarter interception to Kerby Joseph after the Lions had re-taken the lead from Williams' second rushing TD. Lions quarterback Jared Goff sealed the win on a fourth-and-one with 1:15 remaining when he found D.J. Chark for first down.

Rodgers finished the game with one touchdown pass and one interception, completing 17 of 27 passes for 205 yards, while Goff threw for 224 yards on 23-of-34 passing.

Williams' game-winning touchdown, which was his 17th rushing TD for the season to surpass Barry Sanders' franchise record, came after Quay Walker was inexplicably ejected after pushing a Lions training staff member attending to the injured De'Andre Swift. It was the second time Walker has been ejected this season.

Lions running back Williams, who ran for 72 yards on 16 carries, had put the Lions ahead with a third quarter TD after Goff found Kalif Raymond for 43 yards, before Rodgers found Allen Lazard on a 13-yard TD pass to immediately re-claim the lead. Rodgers had linked up with Christian Watson for a 45-yard pass two plays prior, with the rookie having 104 yards from five receptions for the game.

The Packers were left to rue Rodgers' interception, Walker's disqualification and a second-quarter Aaron Jones' fumble.

Chicago White Sox All-Star closer Liam Hendriks announced he has been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and will begin treatment Monday.

Hendriks disclosed his condition Sunday in an Instagram post in which he said he was optimistic he will make a full recovery. The 33-year-old stated he received news of his cancer in recent days.

"Hearing the word 'Cancer' came as a shock to my wife and I, as it does to millions of families each year," Hendriks wrote. "However, I am resolved to embrace the fight and overcome this new challenge with the same determination I have used when facing other obstacles in my life.

"My treatment begins [Monday], and I am confident that I will make a full recovery and be back on the mound as soon as possible. I know with the support of my wife, my family, my teammates and the Chicago White Sox organisation, along with the treatment and care from my doctors, I will get through this."

White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said in a statement the team does not expect to have a further update on Hendriks' playing status until after the team's March 30 season opener.

"Our thoughts and reactions at this time are for Liam the person, not Liam the baseball player," Hahn said. "I know the entire Chicago White Sox organisation, our staff, his teammates, and certainly White Sox fans, will rally in support of Liam and Kristi during the coming months.

"Knowing everyone involved, especially Liam, we are optimistic he will pitch again for the White Sox as soon as viable. In the meantime, we all will do all everything in our power to support our teammate and his family as they face this challenge, while also respecting their privacy."

Hendriks, a native Australian known for his fiery competitive demeanour, was named an All-Star for the third time in 2022 and finished the season third in the majors with 37 saves.

The right-hander earned the Mariano Rivera American League Reliever of the Year award in 2020 with the Oakland Athletics, then received the honour again the following year after leading the AL with 38 saves in his first season with the White Sox.

Hendriks left Oakland to sign a three-year, $54million contract with the White Sox in January 2021.

Jon Rahm completed a remarkable come-from-behind victory on Sunday after shooting a 10-under final round to finish on 27 under and win the Sentry Tournament of Champions.

The day was set up to be Collin Morikawa's first win since 2021, entering play with a six-stroke lead after rounds of 64, 66 and 65 – before crumbling under the pressure for a 72.

Morikawa's lead was still at five strokes on the back-nine, but as Rahm put together a four-hole run of three birdies and an eagle, Morikawa began drifting the opposite direction, with three consecutive bogeys.

The switch seemingly happened in an instant, as Morikawa's third bogey – after none through his first 67 holes – left him two down, and another Rahm birdie on the 18th would decide the contest before Morikawa could even tee off on the last.

Morikawa also birdied the final hole to finish at 25 under, collecting a $1.5million purse for finishing as runner-up, but it will be a day that lives long in his memory for all the wrong reasons.

Rahm ended up with nine birdies, one eagle and one bogey in his spectacular final round, earning $2.7m as he banked the third victory from his past five overall starts following European Tour wins at the Spanish Open and the DP World Tour Championship.

Tom Hoge shot nine under and Max Homa put together a seven-under 66 to climb into a tie for third at 23 under, with Tom Kim and J.J. Spaun rounding out the top-five, tied at 22 under.

The Philadelphia Eagles earned the top seed in the NFC and a first-round playoff bye after defeating the New York Giants 22-16 on Sunday.

Despite the contest finishing as a one-score game, the Eagles were comfortably in control throughout as three Jake Elliott field goals and a Boston Scott touchdown run gave Philadelphia a 16-0 lead in front of their home fans at half-time.

It was also a memorable first half for receiver A.J. Brown, who came into Week 18 needing just nine yards to break the Eagles' single-season record set by Mike Quick back in 1983 (1409 yards).

Brown got it done on his first catch, going on to finish with four receptions for 95 yards to set the new mark at 1496.

The Giants tried to make a game of things late, with a Davis Webb rushing touchdown and a passing touchdown to Kenny Golladay in the fourth period, but it was too little, too late for a New York team who already booked their ticket to the playoffs last week.

With the win, Philadelphia joined the Kansas City Chiefs as the only teams in the league to win 14 games, with those two teams earning the right to host all of their playoff games leading up to a potential Super Bowl.

Seahawks keep playoff hopes alive

The Seattle Seahawks will be eagerly awaiting the final result of the regular season after defeating the Los Angeles Rams 19-16 in overtime to hold up their end of the bargain.

Seattle came into the final week needing to beat the Rams, as well as needing the Detroit Lions to beat the Green Bay Packers in the night game to sneak into the playoffs.

The Seahawks almost blew it, hitting the upright with a potential game-winning field goal in regulation, but secured an interception in overtime to set up Jason Myers for redemption, nailing a 32-yarder to finish it.

In the process, Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith threw for 213 yards, bringing his season total to a new franchise-record of 4282.

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel will be "forever loyal" to the team after they ended a six-year wait for a playoff place with a Week 18 win against the New York Jets.

The Dolphins' 11-6 win saw them seal a first postseason appearance since the 2016 campaign as the New England Patriots fell to an emotionally charged 35-23 defeat against the Buffalo Bills in their opponents' first game since Damar Hamlin's cardiac arrest.

While that result eliminated the Patriots, it ensured the Dolphins will face the Bills in the wild-card round, which they last progressed beyond in the 2000 season.

Having become just the fifth Dolphins head coach to make the playoffs in his first season in charge, McDaniel expressed his gratitude to the franchise for taking a punt on him.

"I'm not one to feel entitled to anything," he said. "My walk of life has led to me having an infinite memory. Any time someone takes a chance on me, I'm very loyal to that. 

"I know how many other teams were interviewing me – the answer is zero. It feels good that didn't matter, that this is the right fit for everything we're trying to do here. I'll forever be loyal to that.

"It feels tremendous. That doesn't mean the goal was just to get to the playoffs. 

"However, you're talking about a fan base that hasn't seen their team go to the playoffs since 2016, it's very fulfilling for the way it happened."

One of the main focuses in the build-up to the game against the Bills will be the condition of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who remains subject to the league's concussion protocol.

"We'll continue to take it day by day," McDaniel said. "I will not even think about any sort of game, whether that's this year or next year, until he's fully ready to do so, with medical clearance.

"There will be some question marks, but fortunately this team has been proven not to blink with any sort of question mark either way. 

"We have guys that we really believe in, and we'll go with the healthiest group up to Buffalo and play a very good football team."

Stefano Pioli denied his substitutions were to blame but acknowledged Milan had "messed up" after Roma snatched a 2-2 draw in a dramatic finish to their Serie A clash at San Siro.

Having watched Napoli go eight points clear at the summit by beating Sampdoria earlier on Sunday, Milan looked set to cut the gap once again as goals from Pierre Kalulu and Tommaso Pobega put them in command.

However, Roger Ibanez halved the deficit with Roma's first shot on target in the 87th minute, before Tammy Abraham pounced on a rebound from a stoppage-time free-kick to rescue a point.

The remarkable finale saw Milan fail to win a Serie A match when 2-0 up after 85 minutes for the first time since 2009, leaving Pioli stunned after the Rossoneri dominated the contest.

"We must continue to play like this but remember that matches finish in the 95th minute and that more attention is needed," he told DAZN.

"We conceded two goals from set-pieces which we can't concede. We are disappointed, we played well and we deserved to win. Unfortunately, we messed up our own lives."

In his post-match press conference, Pioli was asked whether his decision to introduce a third central defender in Matteo Gabbia invited a late spell of Roma pressure, but he does not believe the change – or a lack of application from his players – was to blame.

"Oddly enough we conceded two goals from set-pieces when we had more central defenders on the pitch. I reviewed the goal and there were some errors in marking," he said.

"When I make substitutions, I always think they are the best things for the team. We gave away a corner and made mistakes on set-pieces. 

"I don't think the tactical aspect has anything to do with it. I don't think we lost points for the three-man defence. Maybe I'll bring it in again.

"It will teach us to stay more focused in the next matches. It wasn't a problem of attitude. If we talk about willpower and spirit, we are second to none."

Roma failed to have a shot on target in the first half of a Serie A game for the third time this season on Sunday, while 48 per cent of their league goals this term have now come from set-pieces (10/21).

Despite the Giallorossi's lack of creativity, Abraham was always confident he would get a chance, telling DAZN: "We had to be patient, this is a difficult stadium. 

"We knew that an opportunity could come, I felt it in the finale and I was good. Before the [World Cup] break, I said we would be back in shape, now let's continue like this."

Xavi expects taking "three golden points" off Atletico Madrid to give Barcelona "tremendous morale and confidence" in the LaLiga title race.

Ousmane Dembele scored the only goal of the game at the Civitas Metropolitano on Sunday to put Barca three points clear of Real Madrid at the top of the table.

The Blaugrana defended resolutely to take full advantage of Madrid's 2-1 defeat at Villarreal on Saturday, Ronald Araujo clearing off the line to deny Antoine Griezmann a stoppage-time equaliser against his former club.

Stefan Savic and Ferran Torres were sent off for a late off-the-ball clash, but that did not take the gloss off a big win for Barca in the absence of suspended striker Roberto Lewandowski.

Barca had been held to a frustrating draw by Espanyol in their first LaLiga game after the World Cup, so Xavi knew the importance of beating Diego Simeone's side in the capital.

He said: "It's a victory, but it's not just three points, it gives us tremendous morale and confidence for the remainder of the league.

"We are capable of winning in a field as difficult as this, suffering, being a family. Without playing as excellently as we did against Espanyol, today we have known how to suffer and we took three golden points. We hit the table to be candidates for this league [title]."

Xavi added: "Three golden points. We have taken advantage of our chance. They have pressed, and we have known how to suffer.

"And how important it is to keep a clean sheet. Just as I said on the Espanyol game that we deserved more, today perhaps without playing so well we got three points."

Captain Sergio Busquets felt the manner in which Barca dug deep to see out the win bodes well.

He said: "We started well, and we went ahead, but from then on they have pressed very well, it was difficult for us to have the ball and create chances.

"In the second half, although they came out very strongly, we managed to control the game. In the end, we suffered, but three very good points."

Diego Simeone and Jan Oblak were left to lament a slow start as Atletico Madrid fell to a frustrating 1-0 loss against Barcelona.

Ousmane Dembele's goal midway through the first half was enough to settle matters, with Atletico unable to salvage a draw despite applying late pressure at the Civitas Metropolitano, where Stefan Savic and Ferran Torres saw red for an off-the-ball clash in stoppage time.

The result leaves Simeone's men fifth in LaLiga and playing catch-up in the race for Champions League qualification, and the Atletico boss conceded that a hesitant opening to the game had cost his side dear.

"It [the slow start] was clearly seen that in the first 20 minutes, not because they created scoring situations, but we couldn't get out," he said.

"We couldn't get control from the recovery of the ball to start attacking. After the goal, we started to show more of what we want. After that, a good match was played, which excites me and makes things clear.

"The reality is that we lost. It is true that the team deserved to get another result ... but we were lacking in decisive areas. We did more good things than bad.

"If we follow the example of what came after those first 20 minutes, the team will compete as we want."

Goalkeeper Oblak, who made a smart stop to deny Pedri from making it 2-0 shortly after the opener, had a similar take on the game to his boss.

"We played a good game except for the first 25 minutes," he said. "We pressed very well, we had chances, but we lacked a bit of luck to score.

"I think that in general we played a good game and should have scored, but we just couldn't put it in.

"After Barcelona scored it became difficult, but we did everything we could."

Kylian Mbappe has accused Noel Le Graet of disrespecting Zinedine Zidane after the French Football Federation president's dismissive response to suggestions the former Real Madrid coach could join Brazil.

On Saturday, it was announced Didier Deschamps had signed a new four-year contract as France head coach, allowing him to lead Les Bleus at a fourth World Cup in 2026.

Former France talisman Zidane had been linked with his country's top job on several occasions, including in the aftermath of their World Cup final defeat against Argentina last month.

However, with that position set to be occupied for the foreseeable future, Zidane has been suggested as a potential candidate to succeed Tite as Brazil's head coach.

Asked about speculation linking Zidane with the Selecao on Sunday, Le Graet told RMC he did not "give a toss" where the 1998 World Cup winner went and added he would not answer the phone to the former midfielder.

Those comments attracted criticism from star player Mbappe, who wrote on Twitter: "Zidane is France, we don't disrespect the legend like that..."

Zidane has been out of work since leaving Madrid in 2021, having led Los Blancos to three Champions League triumphs and two LaLiga titles across two spells at the Santiago Bernabeu.