Julian Nagelsmann is anxious to see Bayern Munich's pursuit of Yann Sommer reach a conclusion as the Bundesliga champions prepare to return to action at RB Leipzig on Friday.

Bayern have been strongly linked with Borussia Monchengladbach goalkeeper Sommer since Manuel Neuer broke his leg during a skiing trip last month.

With Sven Ulreich the only other senior goalkeeper in Bayern's squad and Alexander Nubel reportedly reluctant to return from a loan spell at Monaco, Nagelsmann said the club has "a duty" to sign another shot-stopper last week.

Bayern chief executive Oliver Kahn has revealed discussions are ongoing regarding a move for Sommer, and Nagelsmann is eager for the transfer saga to reach a resolution. 

"I've been a coach long enough to know it's never easy. There are always more than two parties that need to be satisfied," Nagelsmann said at Wednesday's pre-match press conference.

"We need a decision to happen. I'd like to change the transfer window so it doesn't affect the ongoing matches as much.

"It's normal that at some point you want to have a certain amount of peace and quiet in this position.

"Integrating a new goalkeeper is not rocket science. This usually takes about 15 minutes, it works quickly. It depends on the goalkeeper, generally the behaviour is very similar."

With Sommer having 272 Bundesliga appearances to his name, some have suggested his arrival could mark the end of Neuer's time as Bayern's number one, but Nagelsmann remains focused on the immediate need for reinforcements.

"It's more a matter for the people further up," Nagelsmann said. "I might have some things to say on that, but my business is day-to-day business, winning games.

"I assume that Manuel Neuer, a great goalkeeper, will come back in the summer. We're looking forward to a player of his quality returning."

Meanwhile, Nagelsmann is yet to decide whether Thomas Muller will see off competition from Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting to start as Bayern's striker against Leipzig, saying he is comfortable using the 33-year-old in a variety of positions.

"Thomas had an injury where he couldn't play as much in the first part of the season. Thomas is an extremely important player for me, I'm always exchanging with him," Nagelsmann said.

"He's aware that Choupo-Moting is doing very well, but he's also intelligent enough to know that he is world-class in several positions.

"It's important that all the players are in top condition and that we see that on Friday. The same goes for Thomas, he's very flexible. He likes to play in attacking midfield but can play in different areas, so he's going to be important for Bayern going forward. 

"I've already decided on six positions out of 11. I won't reveal whether Choupo-Moting is among the six. I'll sleep on it for two more nights."

Pep Guardiola quipped he has "never been relaxed" as his Manchester City side attempt to chase down Premier League leaders Arsenal.

City lost 2-1 in the Manchester derby on Saturday, paving the way for Arsenal to take an eight-point lead at the summit of the table following the Gunners' win over Tottenham.

Spurs are next up for City, who will be in third by the time Thursday's match at the Etihad Stadium takes place, should Manchester United beat Crystal Palace.

Asked if being the chaser, rather than the leader, meant City could be more relaxed, Guardiola, who celebrated his 52nd birthday on Wednesday, scoffed at the suggestion.

"Relaxed? I have never been relaxed, even if eight points in front," he said. "Before and during a game, I've never been relaxed."

Indeed, Guardiola explained he would rather be the team looking to preserve an advantage in the table than the one having to close ground.

"It's better, you can drop points and still be [ahead]. When you are behind you cannot drop points," City's manager added.

"The pressure is the next game. We're not able to think about big expectations, just win the next game. At the end the competition will dictate. If [Arsenal] are in front, they deserve it.

"Many games to play, it's how we come back. The next game is the only important thing. Win the next game, after we will see what happens.

"We have been in this position many times in the past, many times. It's not the first time we are there."

Guardiola said after the derby defeat that City must find a way to get Erling Haaland, who has netted 21 times in the league this season, more involved in their all-round play.

He refuted the idea that City are struggling to fully adapt to Haaland, however.

"We have played really good with him, so it's not about that," he said. "To create more chances, we have to provide more to him and the other strikers.

"Our fluidity has not been as good as usual. You have to be better to create chances, to open up the defensive lines. We've struggled in the last two games."

City have lost four of their last five Premier League games against Tottenham (W1), as many as they had in their previous 19 against them (W12 D3), while they have also failed to win either of their last two top-flight matches at home, losing to Brentford and drawing against struggling Everton.

Guardiola has been boosted by the return of John Stones and Ruben Dias, with the defenders available for selection.

City were on the end of a contentious decision in Saturday's loss at Old Trafford, with Bruno Fernandes' equaliser allowed to stand despite Marcus Rashford having been in an offside position and seemingly interfering with play.

Guardiola has already put it behind him, however, saying: "It's always in the past, it's not going to change anything now.

"The focus is on Tottenham, that was my message to the team two minutes after [the United game].

"We have to improve our game, control what we can control. This is what big teams have to do. It's [in] the past."

Real Madrid are "at the beginning of a new cycle", according to Carlo Ancelotti, who is confident Los Blancos' young players can step up to halt their difficult run of post-World Cup form. 

Madrid were heavily criticised for their performance in Sunday's Supercopa de Espana final defeat against Barcelona, with young midfielders Gavi and Pedri impressing in a deserved 3-1 win for the Blaugrana.

Excluding penalty shoot-outs, the European champions have only won two of their five games since the World Cup, only overcoming fourth-tier Cacereno in the Copa del Rey and struggling Real Valladolid in LaLiga.

With some of Madrid's experienced players – including midfielders Toni Kroos and Luka Modric – attracting criticism in recent weeks, Ancelotti says his side are undergoing a transition.

"It is a young team. Everyone talks about Modric, Kroos or [Karim] Benzema, but there were already youngsters and there are more who have arrived this year," Ancelotti said in a press conference ahead of Thursday's Copa del Rey tie against Villarreal. 

"I think we are at the beginning of a cycle. It is a moment of transition from one fantastic era to another. 

"There are some players who have made history at this club and others who are starting their careers. The day Luka, Karim and Toni stop playing, there are others who will take command."

Madrid failed to contain a young Barcelona team in the latest edition of El Clasico, but Ancelotti does not believe Los Blancos are trailing their rivals when it comes to player development.

"I think Madrid takes great care of the academy and we have a lot of youngsters who are progressing a lot," he said. "I'm sure some of them will be key players in the coming years.

"There are some periods in which you do not have those players, and others in which you can rely on them. But I think this generation is going to be very, very good."

Thursday's trip to the Estadio de la Ceramica sees Madrid reunited with a Villarreal team which beat them 2-1 in LaLiga less than two weeks ago, but Ancelotti is determined to use the last-16 tie to turn their form around. 

"It's an opportunity to get out of this difficult moment," Ancelotti said. "The sooner we get out of this rut, the better. It's a difficult game but we consider it a great opportunity.

"It was clear it would be difficult to find our level after the World Cup, but also injuries have reduced us a lot. The injuries to [Aurelien] Tchouameni and [David] Alaba have upset us a lot. 

"We have to hold on and get through this section of the season. Last year, during January we were not very good. But we got out of that difficult dynamic and we're going to do the same this season.

"We must not lose confidence. I have a lot of depth in this squad, with fantastic players. We have to trust them and we are sure that we are going to get better."

Emma Raducanu hopes to face Coco Gauff again with a little more practice under her belt.

Raducanu lost 6-3 7-6 (7-4) to the 18-year-old American on Wednesday, as her Australian Open hopes were dashed.

The 2021 US Open champion failed to take two set points to restore parity at Rod Laver Arena, and ultimately paid the price when Gauff won the tie-break.

Raducanu suffered an ankle injury while in action at the Auckland Open earlier in January, and battled through the pain barrier to play in Melbourne.

"What I had to [do] to be in the draw is a massive effort and achievement," Raducanu said.

"I would say all the chips were against us, and the chances of me playing this tournament were very, very low.

"So I had extremely limited practice time, I think I can say that now I'm not competing anymore.

"It was obviously going to be a push to get me on the court. I think 13 days ago if you would have said 'Hey, you're going to be in the draw and win a round', it would have been a massive effort for sure.

"Saying that, I still think I didn't necessarily play my best [against Gauff]. Although the second set I had chances, I felt like I could have done better myself. But props to her. She's a great, great opponent and great athlete."

It was the first meeting between Raducanu and Gauff, who is ranked 70 places higher than the 20-year-old by the WTA.

Raducanu has slipped down to 77 in the world rankings but is confident she will give Gauff a sterner test the next time they go head-to-head.

"I'd really like to play her again. Maybe with more than five hours of practice under my belt," Raducanu said.

"Yes, she's a great opponent. I think that we're going to be playing each other many times in the future as we're both young and coming. We're going to be the next generation."

Raducanu is now looking forward to building up her fitness and form over the first half of the season.

"I'm just looking forward to putting in the work, and I feel I'm putting in a good system in place," she added.

"I'm feeling good and confident that in six months' time I know it's not going to be the finished product, but hopefully I would have made strides."

Ex-Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli used a farewell speech to reiterate his belief in a European Super League.

Agnelli, along with Pavel Nedved and the rest of Juve's board, resigned last year amid an investigation into alleged tax fraud.

Juve have denied the allegations, on the back of the club registering a record loss of €254.3million for 2021-22. 

Agnelli, who had held his position since 2010, bowed out officially on Wednesday, though in an address to Juve's shareholders, insisted he is still firmly backing the plan for a Super League.

Along with his counterparts at Real Madrid and Barcelona, Agnelli has stood by the proposals made in April 2021, and is showing no sign of movement on that front.

"My job has always been to understand and guide the strategic direction of society," he said. "When we talk about football, we boil it down to the action on the pitch, but football is part of the entertainment industry.

"When we talk about the sports industry, we are talking about a €140 billion industry of which football is worth a large slice.

"We have seen economic transactions, and we have seen the entry of funds with percentage transfers from companies and leagues.

"When I was president of the ECA [European Clubs Association] and of the UEFA executive committee, the analysis was evident. There was no club sustainability, a vertical polarisation of interest towards only two leagues, access to very risky financial instruments and fan disaffection.

"The proposal at the time was the creation of a league system with access different from the classic ones. This proposal was made in 2019.

"If I personally wanted to maintain a privileged situation, I would not have taken the decisions of April 2021.

"I think European football needs a new system, otherwise it risks a decrease in favour of a single dominant league, i.e. the Premier League, marginalising all the others.

"The hope is that the European Court of Justice recognises professional sport as an industry, since the turnover of football is €55 billion. I thank Real Madrid and Barcelona who, together with Juventus, had the courage to face the threats from UEFA."

Agnelli confirmed he will take a step back from "listed companies" altogether, and instead serve as an advisor.

Juve great Nedved, who served as vice-president, said: "Every day I was able to learn something, I had the opportunity to make my contribution, I became vice-president, a job made up of relationships, speeches, words, but also of passion.

"Thanks to you [Agnelli]... we have discussed and argued, but we have strengthened our relationship. I know how much you love Juventus, how much you sacrificed yourself, and it was an honour to work alongside you."

Coco Gauff may not be the most popular person on her own TikTok, but she impressed the crowds at Melbourne Park as she beat Emma Raducanu in straight sets.

In what was a much-anticipated clash at the Australian Open between the world number seven and the 2021 US Open champion, it was Gauff who emerged on top with a 6-3 7-6 (7-4) victory to seal passage to the third round.

It also made Gauff the first woman to win 100 Tour-level main draw matches before turning 19 since Caroline Wozniacki did so in 2009.

The 18-year-old took the opening set by stepping up her game on key points, breaking her British opponent twice while saving six of seven break points against her.

In an even second set, Gauff was forced to save two set points as Raducanu tried to take advantage of the American's struggling forehand.

However, Gauff hit back to force a tie-break that she won in style with a drop shot followed by a lob.

"I just told myself to hang in there and I was playing really good tennis," Gauff said in an on-court interview. "I think we both started off rocky but I think the match was good quality for the most part.

"Considering the circumstances I think both of us were nervous, this was a long-anticipated match basically since the draw came out so I'm glad that it was a good match for you guys.

"At a grand slam you have to win seven matches and you have to expect to play the best, obviously you hope it's not in the second round but what can you do?

"I feel like we handled the pressure really well and kudos to Emma, I know she had a tough week in Auckland [suffering an ankle injury] so good for her to be able to play at this level after such a scary moment."

Gauff also joked about a TikTok she recently posted that divided opinion on her parents' dancing ability.

"I posted a video online and it got like a million views and everyone was hating on my dad in the comments, so I kind of felt bad... parents really do anything for their kids so I'm glad my dad took one for the team."

Asked who is the best dancer of the three of them, she replied: "Probably my mom, at least that's what the comments said.

"They said my mom ate both of us up... a lot of people asked for a solo video just of her and I was like: 'No, I'm the star, how do I get outshined on my own TikTok?'"

Maria Sakkari laughed off any suggestion of a "Netflix curse" after a comeback win over Diana Shnaider at the Australian Open.

Sakkari, seeded sixth in Melbourne, came from a set down to beat Shnaider 3-6 7-5 6-3 on Wednesday.

That marked the Greek's fifth career comeback win in a grand slam main draw, though her first since the fourth round at the 2021 US Open against Bianca Andreescu, and her first at the Australian Open.

Across this season and last year, Sakkari has played 25 Tour-level matches that have gone the distance, with only Ons Jabeur (26), Belinda Bencic (27) and Aryna Sabalenka (28) having played more three-set matches in the same timeframe.

Sakkari was one of nine players (four from the WTA Tour, five from the ATP Tour) to feature in Netflix's new Break Point series, which was launched on the streaming platform earlier this month.

However, three of those players – Nick Kyrgios, Ajla Tomljanovic and Paula Badosa – had to withdraw from the season's first grand slam due to injuries, while Matteo Berrettini was defeated by Andy Murray in his first-round match.

Yet Sakkari does not believe in such superstitions as a "Netflix curse".

"Netflix curse? I have never heard that," Sakkari said.

"I mean, the only one that I can think of is Matteo, but Matteo lost his match 7-6 on the fifth set. I personally have to say that they only bring us luck, and I enjoyed my time with them because they are nice people.

"Trust me, they are very, very nice. You know, if you let these thoughts and this energy affect you, then it's when bad luck comes.

"I would say that because they are all very nice and they are all very respectful, they have only brought me good luck."

She smiled: "Obviously some tournaments I play badly because I play badly. It's not because of them! But, yes, overall it has been great."

Shnaider, in her first meeting with Sakkari, became the first female qualifier to win the opening set at the Australian Open against a top-eight seeded opponent since Angelique Kerber against Svetlana Kuznetsova in 2010.

Sakkari will face Lin Zhu in the third round, after the latter's win over Jil Teichmann.

The pair have only met once before, in qualifying for the 2016 Australian Open, with Sakkari coming out on top.

Jessica Pegula has been wearing a number three on her outfit at the Australian Open, and she confirmed it is to show support to Damar Hamlin.

Buffalo Bills safety Hamlin went into cardiac arrest during the game against the Cincinnati Bengals on January 2 and spent over a week in hospital, much of that time in critical condition.

Pegula's parents own the NFL franchise as well as the Buffalo Sabres NHL team, and during her second-round win over Aliaksandra Sasnovich in Melbourne, was seen with a number three on her skirt, which is Hamlin's number and became a symbol of appreciation from well-wishers during his recovery.

"I definitely wanted to do something," Pegula said after her 6-2 7-6 (7-5) victory over Sasnovich. "We were kind of figuring out what the Bills and the Sabres were doing, just as far as what was the message.

"I knew they would probably do something and what message were they trying to send. It ended up being [that] the three was the symbol.

“I just thought it would be cool to put on my outfit here. I thought it would be a fun way to kind of connect with the team and then also just show my support."

There had been speculation that the number was related to her ranking, with the 28-year-old coincidentally the WTA world number three heading into the Australian Open, where she is the third seed, but Pegula laughed off the suggestion.

"I saw someone tweet that: 'Why would you put your ranking on your skirt?'. I'm, like, 'No, that’s not why,'" she said with amusement.

Pegula will play the winner of Olivia Gadecki and Marta Kostyuk in round three at Melbourne Park.

Rafael Nadal refused to retire from his second-round match at the Australian Open despite suffering a hip injury in his shock defeat.

The reigning champion and top seed in Melbourne crashed out on Wednesday, going down 6-4 6-4 7-5 to world number 65 Mackenzie McDonald.

Nadal started sloppily in the first set and then pulled up with an apparent upper leg issue after chasing a forehand at 4-3 down in the second, and his movement was clearly hampered from that point on.

The 36-year-old confirmed he aggravated an issue he had been suffering with for a "couple of days" prior to his meeting with McDonald.

Nadal could well have handed McDonald a walkover, but explained that as defending champion, he did not want to go out without a fight.

"I considered all the time stopping, but I didn't ask," he said in a press conference. "I have to know myself, and I tried to keep playing without increasing the damage.

"I was not able to hit the backhand at all. I was not able to run for the ball. But I just wanted to finish the match. That's it.

"I didn't ask them [his team]. I am old enough to take my own decisions. I didn't want to retire, [as] defending champion here. No, I didn't want to leave the court with a retirement.

"It's better like this. I lost. Nothing to say. Congratulations to the opponent. Just try your best till the end, it doesn't matter the chances that you have.

"That's the philosophy of the sport. That's the essence of the sport by itself. I tried to follow that during all my tennis career, and I tried of course to not increase the damage, because I didn't know what's going on."

Nadal, who is the first top seed to go out in the second round of the Australian Open since Gustavo Kuerten in 2001, is unsure as to the extent of his injury.

"I don't know what's going on, if it's a muscle, if it's a joint. I have history in the hip, I had issues. I had to do treatments in the past," he said.

"Now I feel I cannot move. But I don't know till I do the test and all this stuff, I don't know. I don't know.

"I'm tired of talking about it. I understand, but I lost the match. That's it. I tried until the end. I don't know if in good condition I would win the match. I will have better chances without a doubt."

Nadal added that he would be "lying" if he said he had been mentally destroyed by the issue, given the comfort of his life outside tennis.

However, the 22-time grand slam champion is still motivated to return to the court.

"It's a very simple thing: I like what I do. I like playing tennis," he added.

"I know it's not forever. I like to feel competitive. I like to fight for the things that I have been fighting for almost half of my life or even more. 

"It's not that complicated to understand, no? When you like to do one thing, sacrifices always make sense. When you do things that you like to do, at the end of the day, it's not a sacrifice. You are doing the things that you want to do. Sacrifice is when you are doing things that you don't want to do."

The Spaniard conceded another long spell away from the court would be difficult, though.

He said: "Of course it's tiring and frustrating to spend a lot of [this] part of my career recovering and trying to fight against all this stuff all the time.

"I have had seven months playing almost nothing, and then if I have to spend a long time again, then it's super difficult in the end to be in rhythm and to be competitive and to be ready for the fight. Let's see how the injury is, and then let's see how I can manage to follow the calendar."

Mackenzie McDonald produced one of the upsets of the Australian Open on Wednesday as he eliminated defending champion Rafael Nadal 6-4 6-4 7-5 in the second round, with the Spaniard hampered by an apparent leg injury.

There were ominous signs early on as number one seed Nadal had his serve broken in the opening game of the match, and McDonald secured a second break en route to wrapping up the first set.

It was more of the same in the second as McDonald took advantage of some uncharacteristically sloppy play from the 36-year-old, before Nadal seemed to hurt himself.

At 4-3 down in the second set, Nadal pulled up with an apparent upper leg issue after chasing a forehand, and his movement was clearly hampered from that point on.

In typical defiant fashion, Nadal's level rose in the third, hitting 24 winners, but as he improved, so did McDonald, who did not allow Nadal a single break point opportunity.

The 22-time grand slam champion saved break point at 4-4 to hold serve as he tried to get back into the contest, but was unable to repeat the trick in his next service game as McDonald secured the break before serving out to clinch a famous win.

It is the latest in a troubling run of form for Nadal, who received multiple injury timeouts on his way to a seventh loss from his last 10 matches dating back to the US Open.

McDonald will play the winner of Yoshihito Nishioka and Dalibor Svrcina in the third round.

Data Slam: Nadal joins dubious company as top-seed casualty

Nadal is the first top seed to be eliminated from the Australian Open in the second round since Gustavo Kuerten in 2001.

The Brazilian was also a clay specialist, winning all three of his grand slams at the French Open.

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS

Nadal – 6/2

McDonald – 14/2

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS

Nadal – 42/31

McDonald – 42/22

BREAK POINTS WON

Nadal – 2/4

McDonald – 5/8

The Memphis Grizzlies will get a chance to tie their longest winning streak in franchise history when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.

Monday's 30-point demolition of the Phoenix Suns extended the Grizzlies' streak to 10, and they are now one victory away from tying the 11-game streak from the 2014-15 campaign starring Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, which was matched last season.

Over their last 10 fixtures, the Grizzlies have been a juggernaut on both ends of the court, scoring 119.9 points per 100 possessions to sit third in offensive rating, while also boasting the best defense in the NBA, allowing just 106.5.

Meanwhile, the team the Grizzlies overtook to snatch top spot in the defensive rankings was the Cavaliers, who still sit second for the season.

Another key indicator for the true contenders is net rating – which measures how much better a team's offensive rating is compared to their defense – and both of these sides have excelled through the first half of the season. The Grizzlies sit second overall with a net rating of 5.8, while the Cavaliers are third at 4.7.

Two very similar teams, both the Cavaliers and the Grizzlies utilise two defensive anchors in their starting line-up, leaning away from the more prevalent "small ball" roster constructions seen around the league.

For the Grizzlies, Steven Adams is arguably the strongest rebounder in the league while Jaren Jackson Jr leads the NBA in blocks per game at 3.3. On the Cavaliers' side, All-Star Jarrett Allen and defensive prodigy Evan Mobley roam the interior.

While these sides are almost identical defensively, the way they attack on offense, particularly through their star players, could decide their fate.

Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant is, without a doubt, one of the best guards in league history when it comes to finishing at the rim. He is averaging five makes per game within five feet of the basket – the only guard in the league to do so – while converting at a terrific 61 per cent clip.

The problem with that is how well both of these teams protect the basket, as it creates the question of what happens when an unstoppable force – Morant – meets an immovable object – the rim protection of Allen and Mobley.

On the other hand, the combination of Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell for the Cavaliers are far more malleable with the way they create their offense.

Garland excels in 'floater range' from five-to-nine feet away from the hoop, sitting 15th in the league with 1.3 makes per game at an efficient 50 per cent, while Mitchell provides the long-range assault.

Mitchell is averaging 3.1 makes per game on deep threes (greater than 25 feet), which trails only the Golden State Warriors' Splash Brothers, Stephen Curry (3.8) and Klay Thompson (3.2).

It should be a mouthwatering clash between the league's best two defensive teams, who both have all their young stars healthy and ready to go as they look to strengthen their playoff positions.

PIVOTAL PERFORMERS 

Cleveland Cavaliers – Jarrett Allen

It is no secret that Morant is the driving force behind the Grizzlies' success, and for him to dominate games, he needs to control the paint.

Allen is the Cavaliers' primary rim protector and will be tasked with preventing Morant from producing more of his highlight-reel finishes, and if he can turn Morant into a jump-shooter for the night, Cleveland will consider that a massive win.

Memphis Grizzlies – Desmond Bane

Desmond Bane is the perfect counterbalance to Morant, providing the Grizzlies with a dynamic shooting threat who holds the defense's attention at all times.

Through three seasons, Bane owns a ridiculous career three-point percentage of 43.3. It is not just a strong number, it is the seventh-best career figure of all-time, and places him in the absolute top echelon of shooters in today's game.

If he can hit a couple early and force the Cavaliers' defense to divert some of their attention away from Morant, Bane could open up everything for the Grizzlies' offense.

KEY BATTLE – Can the Cavaliers figure out how to win on the road?

Heading into this contest, both the Grizzlies (19-3) and the Cavaliers (19-4) sit top-three in the NBA's best home records.

The Grizzlies will get the honour of hosting this time, leaving the Cavs as the underdogs as they try to figure out what is behind their disappointing 9-13 record away from home this campaign.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

This will be the first time this season these two teams meet, although the Grizzlies have won each of the past three matchups.

The Cavaliers defeated the Grizzlies once during Morant's rookie season in 2019, but the former Rookie of the Year has not lost to them since.

Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic took another step towards a third consecutive MVP after dominating the Portland Trail Blazers in a 122-113 victory on Tuesday.

Jokic was unstoppable offensively, finishing with 36 points on 13-of-14 shooting while adding 12 rebounds and 10 assists. 

In doing so, he became the first player in NBA history to record multiple 35-point triple-doubles while shooting at least 90 per cent from the field. Hall-of-Famer Wilt Chamberlain is the only other player with even one such game.

Jokic was supported well by Michael Porter Jr, who scored 23 points on nine-of-13 shooting, while Jamal Murray chipped in 17 points (six-of-15), seven assists, five rebounds and two steals.

For the Blazers, it was another spectacular showing from the franchise's all-time scoring leader as Damian Lillard had a game-high 44 points on 12-of-20 shooting with eight assists.

It continued a blistering run of form for Lillard, who is averaging a league-leading 39 points per game across his past six outings, although Portland have only been able to convert his stellar play into two wins from six.

With the victory, the Nuggets are now alone atop the Western Conference with a record of 31-13, which the Memphis Grizzlies can tie if they can secure their 11th consecutive win when they face the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.

Holiday delivers for the Giannis-less Bucks

Jrue Holiday has set a new season-high points total in back-to-back games after putting up 37 in the Milwaukee Bucks' 130-122 triumph at home against the Toronto Raptors.

Holiday scored a season-high 35 on Monday against the Indiana Pacers in the first leg of the Bucks' back-to-back, and he followed it up with 37 against the Raptors.

He shot 16-of-26 from the field while adding seven assists, six rebounds, two steals and a block, and Fred VanVleet was just as good for Toronto.

VanVleet tied his season-high by scoring 39 points on 15-of-28 shooting, with nine rebounds and seven assists.

The Bucks are now 29-16 and occupy the second seed in the Eastern Conference.

Embiid bullies the Clippers

Joel Embiid was too big and too strong on his way to a game-high 41 points in the Philadelphia 76ers' 120-110 road win against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Embiid shot 12-of-22 from the field and 15-of-18 from the free throw line while adding nine rebounds, three assists and two blocks in a comprehensive performance.

Tobias Harris was sharp in a supporting role, snatching five steals in the first half while scoring 20 points on efficient eight-of-12 shooting.

For the Clippers, Kawhi Leonard made it five consecutive games with at least 24 points and a steal as he begins to recapture his All-NBA form following a string of injuries.

World number one and tournament favourite Iga Swiatek feels second-round opponent Camila Osorio did not do much wrong despite going down 6-2 6-3 on Wednesday.

Swiatek is seeking her fourth career grand slam singles title, and the 21-year-old is yet to drop a set through two rounds at the Australian Open.

She was nearly flawless in her service game against Osorio, landing 80 per cent of her first serves fair while also committing zero double faults, and she was just as impressive when on the return.

Osorio was able to win just 31 per cent of her service points in the opening set (eight-of-26), and for the match she only held serve on two occasions from eight attempts.

Despite Swiatek's clear advantage in both phases, Osorio managed to break her serve three times, and the Polish superstar said she was made to earn every point.

"It was much tougher than this score says – it was really intense physically and Camila was really running to every ball," she said. "She didn’t give up. She didn’t give me many points for free. 

"So I needed to really work for each of them and it was tough, but I’m happy that I was proactive and trying to just play a little bit to put pressure [on her]. I’m pretty happy that I won and I can play next round."

Swiatek also shared a story about when the rain started pouring on Tuesday night in the midst of her walk, urging spectators in jest to come to her aid if a similar situation arises in the future.

"In Melbourne it’s usually sunny, except today and yesterday," she said. "So I need to change my plans. 

"Yesterday I actually went for a walk at 7[pm] and it started raining, and I was just hiding under the tree, waiting for like 30 minutes.

"So if there’s anybody who’s going to see me tonight walking in the rain, please save me, give me an umbrella or something."

Swiatek's march to what would be her first Australian Open final continues when she takes on the winner between Cristina Bucsa and Bianca Andreescu in the third round.