The New York Knicks have now won six of their past seven games after Jalen Brunson excelled in a 112-108 victory against the Washington Wizards on Friday.

Brunson, who is averaging career-highs in points (21.9) and assists (6.4) since signing with the Knicks in the offseason, was once again his side's best player.

He scored a team-high 34 points on 12-of-24 shooting with eight rebounds and eight assists, continuing the red-hot form that has seen him average 33.2 points, 5.6 assists and 5.2 rebounds on 52 per cent shooting since the new year began.

Another player in scintillating form since the start of January is Knicks forward Julius Randle, and he is now averaging 24.8 points and 14.4 rebounds this month after putting up 23 points (eight-of-19 shooting) and 16 rebounds.

The Knicks overcame a terrific performance from Wizards wing Kyle Kuzma, who scored a season-high 40 points on 14-of-27 shooting with seven rebounds and seven assists.

New York are now 24-19, and sit sixth in the Eastern Conference.

No Jokic, no problem for the Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets showed they can survive without reigning back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic as they defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 115-103.

It was just the third contest Jokic has missed out of 41 total opportunities, but while on the sidelines nursing a wrist injury he watched Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr pick up the slack.

Murray scored a team-high 24 points on eight-of-17 shooting with eight rebounds and four assists, while Porter had 22 points (nine-of-17) with four rebounds and three assists.

The highlight of the game came courtesy of Clippers star Kawhi Leonard, who dunked on the head of Zeke Nnaji on his way to 24 points (10-of-21) and nine rebounds.

Hawks bigs deliver the win

Despite having two All-Stars in their backcourt, the Atlanta Hawks frontcourt came to the rescue in a 113-111 triumph over the Indiana Pacers.

Third-year center Onyeka Okongwu was tremendous with 18 points (nine-of-12 shooting), a career-high 20 rebounds, four assists, four blocks and two steals. 

His interior partner, John Collins, was less impactful for the first three quarters, and while he only finished with seven points, he scored the game-winning tip-in with less than a second remaining on the clock.

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was emotional following his side's 144-113 drubbing of the San Antonio Spurs in front of a record crowd.

Officially 68,323 people packed into the Alamodome for the special occasion to break the NBA attendance record, previously set at 62,046 when Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls played against the Atlanta Hawks at the Georgia Dome in 1998.

The Warriors had eight players score in double-figures, led by Jordan Poole with 25 points on eight-of-16 shooting with six assists, while Stephen Curry had 15 points in his first win with the team since December 10.

It was an even more special night for Kerr, who was a member of the Spurs' championship teams in 1999 and 2003, with the home side airing a video package dedicated to him before tip-off.

"First of all I want to say thank you to the Spurs for the incredible night," he said. "Just the presentation of the game was spectacular.

"For me, it was a little bit of a trip down memory lane. I got emotional before the game when they played the video and introduced me – to get an ovation from 68,000 fans gives you chills. This was a really special night, and the Spurs made it special. 

"I think the reason I was feeling the way I did, is I know how fortunate that I was to be a part of the Spurs, and to meet 'Pop', and [general manager] R.C [Buford], and play with Timmy [Duncan], and Manu [Ginobli], and David Robinson, and Avery [Johnson] and Sean [Elliot] – the whole group.

"Just to be part of this team, and this community here for five years of my life, and to be embraced by the fans, and my family to be embraced here – my kids spent a good chunk of their childhood here. 

"This is a special place, and tonight was a great display of how special the Spurs are, and how special San Antonio is."

Draymond Green compared the atmosphere to college basketball's Final Four, which is usually played in a similar sort of stadium.

"It was very fun," he said. "It was funny, I was saying to somebody at the beginning of the game that it feels like you're playing in the Final Four all over again. 

"To have that experience – you never think you're going to be able to experience that again. 

"I think this is a great thing that the Spurs organisation has done, and I'm happy that we were the game and the team that could be part of it."

Chris Kirk is alone atop the leaderboard at 11 under following Friday's second round of the Sony Open in Hawaii.

Kirk was in a three-way tie for the lead after shooting a six-under 64 on Thursday, and he followed it up with a 65 in his second trip around Waialae Country Club.

He began his round in blistering fashion, collecting birdies on each of the first three holes to put himself in a commanding position, and he finished with a birdie on the 18th.

J.J. Spaun looked a sure thing to finish the day tied with Kirk at 11 under as he reached his final hole – the par-five ninth – with a share of the lead.

Despite it playing as the easiest hole on the course, Spaun found the water, resulting in his first bogey of the week to head into the weekend at 10 under.

Spaun is tied for second with American compatriot Taylor Montgomery, while Hayden Buckley and David Lipsky are at nine under to round out the top-five.

England's Ben Taylor is part of the three-man group at eight under, Germany's Stephan Jaeger is at seven under, Kim Si-woo is at six under and former Masters champion Adam Scott headlines the group at five under.

Hideki Matsuyama finished the day two strokes inside the cut-line at three under, while joint first-round leader Jordan Spieth imploded for a five-over 75 to miss the cut at one under.

Jurgen Klopp pointed to Liverpool's hectic schedule over the past 12 months as a reason for his side's struggles this season.

Liverpool played 63 games in the 2021-22 season as they made deep runs in the Champions League, EFL Cup and the FA Cup, and have since struggled with a number of injuries.

Currently sitting seventh on the Premier League table with eight wins from 17 fixtures, the Reds are seven points adrift of the top-four, and are in danger of missing out on Champions League qualification for the first time since finishing eighth in the 2015-16 season.

Speaking to the media on Friday, Klopp said a lot of Liverpool's problems can be attributed to "bad luck".

"Could anybody know how the last season of 63 games could influence this season?" he said. "I don’t think anybody could know. It must have – we can say that now. 

"We had holiday, not too much, there were games here and the boys all looked fine. Then it started with Diogo [Jota] coming back from international duty and getting injured and then bam, bam, bam. 

"Luis [Diaz] twice, Darwin [Nunez] suspended and now injured. Earlier in the season midfielders were not available so we brought in Arthur [Melo] who then got injured. There is a lot of bad luck."

He added: "We were in a super-positive mood, we could have won everything and then all of a sudden we don’t win everything. Just because we are Liverpool doesn’t mean we are not allowed to have problems. 

"When you are Liverpool and the distance to the Champions League gets bigger then it feels like you are bottom of the table – but thank God we are not. There are a lot of games to come and players to come back."

Liverpool will look to begin their march back up the table on Saturday away from home against Brighton and Hove Albion.

The Los Angeles Chargers have suffered a painful loss on the eve of the playoffs as wide receiver Mike Williams was ruled out for two to three weeks.

Williams suffered a nonsurgical fracture in his back during the Chargers' Week 18 game against the Denver Broncos.

It was a game that had no playoff implications as the Chargers had already locked up their spot, and by playing his starters, head coach Brandon Staley drew criticism about what could have been an avoidable injury.

Responding to that criticism, Staley said he does not look at the situation that way.

"It's difficult to decide who plays and who doesn't and who is more valuable than the rest," he said. 

"What you are trying to do is set a standard for your program about how you do things. That is what I believe in, and I didn't want anybody to get hurt in [the game], regardless of their status, because everybody is important."

Williams has caught 63 passes for a team-high 895 yards this season, with a four-game absence due to a high-ankle sprain the only thing stopping him from eclipsing 1000 yards for the third time in four years.

The Chargers will go into Saturday's Wild Card contest against the Jacksonville Jaguars with Keenan Allen and Joshua Palmer starting out wide.

Luciano Spalletti hailed Victor Osimhen for his performance in Napoli's 5-1 thrashing of Juventus and says he is "amazed" by what the striker still has to offer.

Osimhen opened the scoring for Napoli in Friday's top-of-the-table Serie A clash with a close-range finish, ending Juve's run of 770 minutes without conceding in the league.

The 24-year-old then assisted Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, before doubling his strike tally in the second half in between goals from Amir Rrahmani and Elif Elmas.

He is only the third player to score and assist in the first half against Juve over the past 15 seasons, after Cagliari's Luca Gagliano and Roma's Diego Perotti (both in 2020).

But while now boasting 13 goals and three assists in 17 appearances this season, Spalletti believes there is more to come from the Nigeria international.

"I am amazed by the potential Osimhen hasn't put into practice yet," Spalletti told DAZN. "He is devastating on long balls, can stand strong physically and has courage too.

"He's had his face cut two or three times because he never backs down. He almost always takes risks but he's a player who has potential and room for improvement."

 

Napoli have now scored 64 goals in 24 matches this season, making them the fourth-highest scoring team across Europe's top five leagues in all competitions.

More important than that is the 10-point margin Napoli now have on Juventus and Milan at the Serie A summit, though the latter have a game in hand at Lecce on Saturday.

The Partenopei are heavy favourites to win their first Scudetto since the 1989-90 season, even if Spalletti has suggested otherwise, after sending out another message.

"The only message is to ourselves," Spalletti said. "Juventus are a colossus and that run of results they were on allowed them to go into this match in second place.

"What we said before kick-off was that we didn't want to end the game with remorse or being hesitant. Instead, we attacked in an open way and took control of the match."

Angel Di Maria had levelled up before half-time for Juve, who entered the game on an eight-match winning run in the league without conceding a single goal.

Despite Napoli stretching their lead at the top, Juventus defender Danilo is not giving up hope of catching Spalletti's side in the second half of the season.

"The Scudetto will be decided in June," he said. "We will think only match-to-match; only in this way can we get higher in the standings. Then we will see what happens.

"Juve must always aim for the Scudetto. We must understand that from tomorrow our thinking must change. As a club we know we have to leave everything on the pitch."

Mikel Arteta has admitted that Arsenal need to have better control over their emotions after being hit with consecutive FA charges.

The Gunners were issued with a £40,000 fine on Friday for failing to control their players in the goalless draw against Newcastle United, following appeals for a last-minute penalty at Emirates Stadium.

Another charge then came the way of Arteta's side for similar appeals in the FA Cup third-round victory over Oxford United, with Arsenal's behaviour in both matches attracting criticism.

Sunday's north London derby against Tottenham will provide another test of Arsenal's ability to control their temper, as they seek to maintain their position at the top of the Premier League standings.

Arteta faced questions about the charges in his pre-match press conference and, while he admitted the team needs to do better in that aspect, feels he cannot control his own emotions.

"I care a lot about the reputation of the club, especially. Mine, I cannot control. I am who I am," he said.

"I try to do my best to defend the players, to defend the club and that comes down to certain people who won't like it. For sure, if everybody would like it, it wouldn't be very good.

"It's not that I don't care. But I care a lot more, especially when I'm doing my job. When I'm sitting at home, I care about what my wife thinks and what people think but you don't see it.

"But when I'm in the public eye, I care a lot [about] what can we do the best for the club and the best to defend the players. And this is my role as well.

"I agree that we have to control what we can control and there are certain things that we can do better.

"That's what big teams do, and the next one it's over, and you can draw or lose and it can mean very different circumstances.

"You haven't played when, the opponent was better than you, get a wrong decision, you didn't finalise the action the way you should, and someone make an error. But the next game has to be over.

"And hopefully, we have learned and we will try to do that. But in this league, there is no guarantee because the next game is going to be competitive and the next one. So, you have to earn it."

Massimiliano Allegri has told his Juventus players not to let their heads drop after being thumped 5-1 by Napoli as there is still plenty to play for this season.

Juve missed the chance to close the gap on Napoli at the top of Serie A, instead slipping 10 points behind the leaders with their heavy loss at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

The Bianconeri entered Friday's contest on an eight-match winning run without conceding, but they shipped five times in a league match for the first time in close to 30 years.

Allegri has no complaints with the scoreline and is now looking for a quick response when Juve face Monza in the Coppa Italia last 16 next Thursday.

"There are some defeats that are deserved and some that are undeserved. This time it was deserved," Allegri told DAZN.

"We had the strength to try to turn it around, but it didn't turn out like that. We can't let our heads drop because there's a long road ahead.

"We must congratulate Napoli. We were low on energy and were too deep for the first 20 minutes. We had good chances but every time they had a shot they could've scored.

"It is now about getting back on our feet, recovering energy and starting work again. The championship race is long so we must look forward."

 

Juve's run of 770 minutes without conceding in Serie A – their fifth-longest streak – was ended by Victor Osimhen early on before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia added a second.

Angel Di Maria pulled one back for Juventus before half-time, but Amir Rrahmani restored Napoli's two-goal cushion and Osimhen's second put the game out of reach.

Substitute Elif Elmas then added a fifth for Napoli, who made it four home league wins in a row against Juve for just the second time in their history.

Asked why his side crumbled so badly in the second half in Naples, Allegri said: "You don't always have to find justification.

"These goals we conceded, that wouldn't have happened had we had more energy. After the third goal, the world falls in on you.

"Osimhen had an extraordinary match and Napoli are showing they are the strongest team. Maybe in two months things will change. What is valid today is not valid tomorrow."

Super Bowl champion head coach Sean McVay has informed the Los Angeles Rams he will return for the 2023 season, the team announced on Friday.

McVay had been pondering his future following the conclusion of a difficult 2022 campaign that ended with Sunday's overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks. 

The 2017 NFL Coach of the Year confirmed he was weighing up his options when speaking at Monday's end-of-the-season press conference.

The Rams dropped nine of their final 11 games to finish 5-12, the highest loss total in a season for any team defending a Super Bowl title, amid a mounting swarm of injuries to several key players that included quarterback Matthew Stafford, 2021 NFL Offensive Player of the Year Cooper Kupp and three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald.

"I think what I liked to do is be able to take the appropriate time," McVay said on Monday. "I've never gone through anything like this, but you want to make sure that you're considerate of the people that are affected.

"That's the most important thing and you want to be able to have the consistent conversations and dialogues that have existed with the people that I love and really care about.

"But that doesn't mean it takes away the empathy, the level of responsibility that I do feel for the people that would be affected as it relates to my decision moving forward, and so those are the things that you don’t take lightly.

"You want to be able to make sure that you're intentional about taking the appropriate time, while also making a decision in a manner that's considerate of those people that would be affected."

McVay, who at age 36 became the youngest head coach in NFL history to win a Super Bowl with the Rams' victory over the Cincinnati Bengals last February, has four years remaining on a new contract he received prior to the start of this past season.

The Rams reached the playoffs four times in McVay's first five seasons in charge and won 55 regular-season games over that span, tying him with Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin for the third-most victories of any coach through his first five seasons in NFL history.

McVay is also the youngest head coach to lead a team to a Super Bowl after guiding the Rams to the title game during the 2018 season at the age of 33.

The Rams have compiled a 60-38 record with three NFC West titles during McVay's tenure, as well as a 7-3 mark in postseason play.

Pep Guardiola is not surprised by Manchester United's rejuvenation this season as he could feel Manchester City's great rivals would bounce back.

A dismal start to Erik ten Hag's stint in charge saw back-to-back losses against Brentford and Brighton and Hove Albion at the start of the season spark concern, but United have fought back to sit just four points adrift of City ahead of Saturday's clash.

Since the mid-season halt of action for the World Cup, United have tallied six consecutive wins across all competitions, conceding just once, and can move within touching distance of City with a victory at Old Trafford.

While United's revival has surprised many, City boss Guardiola is not among them as he revealed he had a feeling they were back to their best.

Asked what has changed at United, Guardiola said: "Tactically not much, but when you see the commitment without the ball, I always had the feeling that the strength, the quality of the Manchester United was always there.

"Since I arrived there was [Romelu] Lukaku, [Paul] Pogba, and top-class players everywhere, in every season. It doesn't look like just City spend money in this league. Just see United and what they have done.

"I think United are playing now like they normally play in their history. So that's why it's not surprising for me. I said one month ago, I see something that United are back. And people say no, they're not back. I knew it. I felt it."

City come into the derby on the back of a surprise EFL Cup quarter-final loss against Southampton and know that defeat to United would drag them into a fierce battle for a top-four finish, as well as opening the door for Arsenal to extend their lead at the top to eight points when they face Tottenham.

However, Guardiola has no concern that his squad will not rise to the occasion and is confident they will show a response.

"Absolutely. I'm confident. I will never doubt them. Even if this season will be a mess and it will be not successful in the terms of the people's expectations, I would never doubt the players," he declared.

"But the fact I tell the truth doesn't mean that I don't rely on them. Against Southampton, I'll tell them the truth and maybe they are not used to it because they are surrounded by people who say how good they are.

"It's not like Erik ten Hag, who has been here one season. We are here for a long time and handling that is completely different."

Sebastian Haller intends to hand Borussia Dortmund head coach Edin Terzic selection issues in the second half of the season after hitting a hat-trick in only his second appearance.

The Ivory Coast international joined the Bundesliga side from Ajax ahead of the season but is yet to feature competitively, having been diagnosed with testicular cancer.

Haller has now recovered, making his long-awaited debut on Tuesday in a friendly against Fortuna Dusseldorf, and followed that with a superb performance against Basel on Friday with a hat-trick in a dominant 6-0 win.

The 28-year-old is now looking to build upon that when the season resumes, having waited over six months for his chance.

Asked by Sport1 what his objective was for Dortmund, he replied: "Many more goals. I'm expected to score goals, so I'll do it! I want to help the team. I feel better every day. It's nice that I'm back.

"I feel naturally tired after these hard sessions, but it's easier to train with the guys than alone. I want to make it as difficult as possible for the coach. He now has another striker."

Terzic hailed the performance of his striker after the game, telling reporters: "The penalty was really good for him. The boys were very happy for him. After his experience, everything is easier."

Sat sixth in the Bundesliga, Dortmund return to league action on January 22 at home against Augsburg.

Napoli ended Juventus' eight-match winning run without conceding in Serie A with an emphatic 5-1 victory in Friday's top-of-the-table clash to move 10 points clear at the summit.

Juve had gone on a remarkable run of form since losing to Milan in early October, but their defence was finally breached by Victor Osimhen with 14 minutes played.

Osimhen turned provider by playing in Khvicha Kvaratskhelia for Napoli's second at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, but Angel Di Maria pulled one back before half-time.

However, Luciano Spalletti's side pulled clear through another goal from Osimhen, either side of strikes from Amir Rrahmani and Elif Elmas, to put one hand on the Scudetto.

Napoli edged in front when Wojciech Szczesny palmed Kvaratskhelia's acrobatic attempt into the path of Osimhen for a simple finish from close range.

Di Maria sent a dipping effort against the crossbar, but Kvaratskhelia doubled Napoli's lead with a composed finish after Bremer's error allowed Osimhen to play his team-mate in.

Juve gave themselves a lifeline through Di Maria's low finish past Szczesny after exchanging passes with Arkadiusz Milik, though Napoli should have cut out the danger.

Meret did brilliantly to prevent Rrahmani putting into his own net and that proved an even bigger save when the same player fired in on the half-volley from a corner.

The hosts were out of sight with 65 minutes gone as, after more sloppy play from Bremer, Kvaratskhelia and Osimhen again linked up for the latter to header across Szczesny.

Elmas, brought on at half-time for the injured Matteo Politano, added a fifth for Napoli with a shot that deflected in off Alex Sandro to round off a five-star showing.

Manchester United have secured the arrival of Netherlands striker Wout Weghorst on loan from Burnley until the end of the season.

Weghorst had been playing for Besiktas, but United have taken over that arrangement, with the Turkish club confirming they received €2.8million (£2.48m) for the inconvenience.

Erik ten Hag was in the market for a new striker following the acrimonious split with Cristiano Ronaldo, whose contract was terminated in November after he criticised the manager and club in a controversial interview.

The United boss was open about his desire to bring in attacking reinforcements and seemed to confirm the club's interest in Weghorst when acknowledging Anthony Martial could not handle the physical demands of being their only striker.

Links with Weghorst surprised many given the 30-year-old's lack of impact – he scored two goals in 20 top-flight games – with Burnley in the Premier League last season.

But he has netted eight goals in 16 Turkish Super Lig outings this term and scored twice for the Netherlands in a lively cameo against Argentina at the World Cup.

Weghorst's arrival is the continuation of a pattern in the transfer market for United, who have largely relied on signing either ageing or cheap centre-forwards for over a decade, with Romelu Lukaku – who lasted only two years at Old Trafford – arguably the only exception since acquiring Robin van Persie from Arsenal in 2012.

United confirmed the signing on their official website on Friday, though the former AZ player will not be eligible for Saturday's Premier League clash with Manchester City.

"I feel privileged to be joining Manchester United," Weghorst said. "I've played against the club in the past and it's a fantastic feeling to now have the chance to pull on the famous red shirt.

"I've seen United's progress under Erik ten Hag this season and can't wait to start playing my part in pushing the team towards its aims.

"Whatever happens in the next few months, I can promise to give everything to the club for as long as I am here.

"I thank everyone who has played a part in getting me to this stage, and now I am looking forward to meeting my new team-mates and getting involved straight away."

Besiktas have confirmed the termination of Wout Weghorst's spell at the club ahead of an expected move to Manchester United.

The Netherlands international has spent the first half of the season on loan in Turkey from Championship leaders Burnley but is poised to complete a return to England.

United have been on the hunt for a striker since Cristiano Ronaldo's departure ahead of the World Cup, and Weghorst emerged as the leading candidate fill the void at Old Trafford.

Weghorst's switch to United now appears all but done following Besiktas' confirmation on Friday that he has left the club.

"The temporary transfer agreement with our professional football player Wout Weghorst and his club has been terminated by mutual agreement with the player and his club," a statement said.

"Due to the early termination of the contract by Burnley, a termination fee of €2.8 million [£2.5m] will be paid to our club."

Earlier on Friday, Ten Hag confirmed Weghorst would not be signed in time to feature in Saturday's Premier League clash with Manchester City but outlined his desire for a deal to be completed swiftly.

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