Cade Cunningham will miss the remainder of the NBA season after it was revealed on Monday the Detroit Pistons' franchise cornerstone will undergo surgery on his bothersome left shin.
According to a report from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Cunningham has been dealing with pain in his shin since the preseason, with the injury keeping him out of action since November 9.
The plan was to give him a month off to see if the rest would address the issue, but its persistence required further action, leading to the decision to send the former first overall pick in the 2021 draft under the knife.
He is expected to make a full recovery and be ready for the start of the 2023-24 campaign, when the Pistons will look to begin their ascent out of the NBA's cellar.
It has been a lean few years in the win column for Detroit, landing the top pick in the 2021 draft after finishing dead last in the Eastern Conference with a record of 20-52 in the shortened 2020-21 season, before following it with a 23-59 campaign, ultimately resulting in Jaden Ivey's arrival with the fifth pick this year.
They are on track for another top-five pick in next year's draft as they own the worst record in the league at 7-22 – but it is a year where the front office will be happy to continue losing.
The light at the end of the tunnel is 18-year-old French super-prospect Victor Wembanyama, who will assuredly be selected by whichever team is fortunate enough to win the draft lottery and the top pick in the draft.
Standing at 7ft 4in with an 8ft wingspan – longer than any player currently in the league – Wembanyama is plying his trade in the French LNB Pro A, which is France's top men's league.
He is leading the league in scoring (23.6 points per game), rebounding (9.4), and blocks (2.8), while hitting 1.4 three-pointers per game, including high-difficulty attempts off the bounce, and even off one leg.
Cunningham and Wembanyama is a pairing that would have the Pistons on an express path to contention, and it will be no surprise to see Detroit trade away veterans with any value – such as Bojan Bogdanovic, whom The Athletic is reporting as a target for the Los Angeles Lakers – to lose as many games as possible.
Erik ten Hag urged Harry Maguire to replicate his England form with Manchester United to fight his way back into the Red Devils line-up.
Maguire made just three Premier League starts for United this season before going to the World Cup with England and appearing in all five games in their run to the quarter-finals.
Gareth Southgate has repeatedly backed the centre-back on the international stage, though Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez have become Ten Hag's preferred partnership at United this term.
After England's elimination to France on Saturday, Ten Hag hopes Maguire can return to Old Trafford with confidence from his impressive showings in Qatar.
"I can only back him. I've been asked many times if he is good enough [to play for me] and it is clear he is good enough to play at the highest level," the United manager told reporters.
"And then it is up to him to show that confidence on the pitch and he didn't show that in all the games [for United].
"When he is playing with his confidence like now, he is a massively important player for us and that is what everyone expects. That's what Harry expects from himself.
"He has that high standard, he wants to play at the highest level, he wants to lead the defensive line, so it is up to him. I'm sure he has the potential to play in our style and fit into our system.
"He has, for England, almost all the time good games. He had a period in Manchester where he performed badly and then, of course, there are difficulties but when he is confident in himself, he will put that on the pitch.
"When he is working hard you will get that confidence and you are seeing that with the way he is playing for England.
"We want him to bring that back to Manchester with him so he can bring it on the pitch for Manchester United. I expect from him, the team knows what they expect from him. If he does that he will be a great player for us."
A hamstring injury ruled Maguire out for parts of United's Premier League campaign, though even when fit Ten Hag has still utilised Martinez, Varane and Victor Lindelof over the 29-year-old.
Ten Hag assured he has no issues with Maguire and insists positive performances will lead to a return to his starting XI.
"When I choose Rapha [Varane] it is nothing against Harry," he continued. "Sometimes it is because one player is a lot better than the other.
"But I think I have two or three good players there in the right centre-back position.
"After Brentford, I had a feeling I had to change. He was unlucky that moment was bad for him but it doesn't say anything about his quality that he can't do it or my opinion about his quality.
"Rapha came in and is doing a good job. There are laws of the game in top football – you have to take your chance. Your chance will always come.
"The only thing he has to do is train well, perform well, he has games, he has rhythm and his chance will come. He will have a chance to show it and then he's in and he will play."
As for Maguire's future, Ten Hag added: "Only when he doesn't want to be in these circumstances any more. Until that moment, I am happy with him.
"I have said it to him and you, I can do nothing more. It is up to him to contribute to play himself into the team.
"We have 16 to 18 players in the squad and that is what you need at the top level if you want to play for trophies. All the number of games we have to cover and then it is about the players who construct the best team, and that team we will pick. It is nothing to do with being personal."
The Golden State Warriors will look to claim only their third road win of the season when they face the Milwaukee Bucks in a potential NBA Finals preview.
Golden State have recovered from a slow start to their title defence to sit at 14-13, eighth in the Western Conference.
The reigning champions delivered a reminder of their title credentials last time out, defeating the team they vanquished in last year's Finals, the 21-6 Boston Celtics, 124-107.
As with most of their successes so far this season, that win came at friendly confines of the Chase Center.
On their travels, it is a different story for the Warriors, who are 2-11 on the road.
It will be a tall order to improve that dismal mark against the Bucks, who are 12-3 at home, and at 19-7 overall trail only the Celtics in the Eastern Conference.
Yet the Bucks displayed vulnerability in stumbling to defeat against the rebuilding Houston Rockets in their most recent encounter.
It is still relatively early in the season, but this matchup between the last two NBA champions will be a good barometer of each team's prospects as they plot a path to lifting the trophy again this campaign.
PIVOTAL PERFORMERS
Milwaukee Bucks - Giannis Antetokounmpo
Antetokounmpo is obviously the heartbeat of the Bucks, and he will be motivated to bounce back after being held to 16 points in 36 minutes in their loss to the Rockets.
It was just the second time he had been limited to 16 or less in that number of minutes since the 2017-18 season. The Warriors are allowing the ninth-most points per game in the NBA (116.1), seemingly giving Antetokounmpo the opportunity to get back on track in a marquee matchup.
Golden State Warriors - Klay Thompson
The second 'Splash Brother' atoned for his somewhat disappointing performance in last year's Finals by making it rain against the Celtics.
He shot 53.8 per cent from the field in racking up 34 points in a game that also saw Stephen Curry score 32. When the Warriors get those contributions from both their leading lights, even teams as talented as the Bucks find them tough to overcome.
KEY BATTLE - Can Looney prevent second chances?
Kevon Looney was exceptional as the Warriors defeated the Celtics. He finished plus-19 the plus-minus and dominated on the defensive glass.
Twelve of Looney's 15 rebounds came on the defensive side, and his ability to excel in that area will be critical against a Bucks team that is eighth in offensive rebounds per game and second-chance points.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
The Warriors and Bucks split their season series in the previous campaign, but Golden State have not tasted victory on the road against Milwaukee since 2018.
Nick Kyrgios hit out at a lack of respect for his achievements in Australian tennis, after Ash Barty claimed the Newcombe Medal.
Three-time grand slam winner Barty made the surprise decision to retire in March, aged just 25, after securing the Australian Open title only two months earlier.
The former world number one was subsequently recognised with the highest individual honour in Australian tennis as she won her fifth consecutive Newcombe Medal on Monday.
Kyrgios, who won the Australian Open doubles title with Thanasi Kokkinakis, became the first male Australian finalist at Wimbledon since Mark Philippoussis (2003) in July, but fell to defeat against Novak Djokovic.
The 27-year-old, then 40th in the world, was also the lowest-ranked grand slam male finalist since Marcos Baghdatis (54) at the Australian Open in 2006.
After the announcement of Barty's individual recognition, Kyrgios took to Instagram to question the decision.
"LOL. No respect at all. Don't give a f***," he wrote before including a comparison of his 2022 victories to Barty's year.
It is not the first time Kyrgios has spoken out against Australian tennis, previously suggesting it was an "easy decision" to snub the Davis Cup to play at the Diriyah Tennis Cup exhibition event in Riyadh.
Kyrgios may take some consolation, though, after being named with Kokkinakis as the Fans' Favourite doubles team in the 2022 ATP Awards.
He responded to the announcement on Instagram, adding: "Obviously lol."
Clement Lenglet saluted "legend" Hugo Lloris, backing his France and Tottenham team-mate to lead Les Bleus into another World Cup final.
Lloris is just two wins away from becoming the first captain to lift the World Cup trophy on two occasions, with the reigning champions continuing their title defence against Morocco in the semi-finals on Wednesday.
The goalkeeper earned a record-breaking 143rd France appearance in their 2-1 victory over England in the quarter-finals, surpassing Lilian Thuram (142) in the process.
Lenglet - Lloris' compatriot and colleague at club level - paid tribute to the 35-year-old on Tottenham's official website.
"I'm so proud of Hugo, it's such a big achievement," the defender said. "For a long time, Lilian Thuram was the number one, now Hugo is the new number one, and reaching the number in such a big game against England, where he played very well.
"To all French people, he's a legend because he's a very good person, a very good professional, an amazing goalkeeper. He's one of the best players in the history of the French national team.
"Hopefully, he'll have two more caps at the World Cup. He can make history. It's a long way yet, you have to think game by game - Morocco next. But as I said, it would be a big, big achievement for him [to lift the trophy again]."
Morocco, the first African nation to reach the World Cup semi-finals, stand in France's way of a potential clash with Argentina or Croatia in Sunday's showpiece.
The Atlas Lions are the first side to progress to the last four having not conceded a single goal scored by an opposing player since Italy in 2006. However, Lenglet is confident of a French victory.
"It's a big game for both teams," he added. "We are happy to play an African team in the semi-final. I'm sure we will see a game with a lot of intensity and duels, they are very, very strong.
"I believe France has the experience, they won a difficult game against England when, during the game, it was not always easy. When you win that type of game, you are completely ready. I think France will do it, they have all the quality to do it again."
Conor Benn believes his innocence is soon to be proven after losing his British Board of Control (BBBofC) boxing licence earlier this year because of failed drugs tests.
Benn, the son of former WBO middleweight and WBC super-middleweight champion Nigel Benn, was due to fight Chris Eubank Jr in October.
But just days before the fight, it emerged Benn had tested positive for banned substance clomifene, and the BBBofC subsequently prohibited the fight from taking place despite promoters from both sides attempting to force a U-turn.
Benn admitted afterwards that he had failed tests and relinquished his BBBofC licence, though the 26-year-old has always maintained his innocence.
In a social media post on Monday, Benn once again reiterated he is a clean boxer and believes his team have now finally proven that fact.
"My team and I have worked extremely hard over the past seven years to make me the fighter I am today," Benn said on Instagram. "We have never cut corners or cheated the grind in any way.
"It's been really hard for me to accept that people think that I would do what I was accused of but what I've come to realise is people rush to judgement, without knowing the facts.
"Tony Sims [Benn's trainer] has had a clean gym for 26 years, I respect the gym. No one is bigger than the gym! Hard work and dedication is what we stand for. We don't condone cheating or cutting corners.
"I've stayed in the gym and continued to work extremely hard, staying positive that my innocence will be proven and the truth will come out.
"My team has proven my innocence and the truth will soon come out.
"Until then, I won't be commenting further due to confidentiality.
"There were times I feared it never would but we all had faith. I'm thankful to everyone who has supported me through this tough time... tough times don't last, tough people do.
"See you all in 2023, the year I become world champion!"
The Dallas Cowboys have signed wide receiver T.Y. Hilton despite ongoing links to fellow veteran Odell Beckham Jr.
Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones suggested last week he will not be rushed into a move for Beckham and has subsequently added experience at wide receiver in four-time Pro Bowler Hilton.
The 33-year-old, who spent 10 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, has been a free agent since the start of the season but joins a Cowboys receiving group including CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup.
"Great addition," said Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy, who added Hilton has a chance to play on Sunday versus the Jacksonville Jaguars.
"We'll get him out there Wednesday and get him acclimated. ... He had a workout. Everything passed with flying colours. The timing is right. He's ready to go."
Hilton boasts five 1,000-yard seasons, including an NFL-best 1,448 yards in 2016 for the Colts, but has not played since 2021 for Indianapolis.
He caught just 23 passes for 331 yards and three touchdowns last season, though is only one of 15 players in the Super Bowl era to have at least three touchdown catches in the first 10 seasons of his career.
That experience may prove vital for the Cowboys, who have long been on the hunt for another receiver to join a roster that also includes Noah Brown, Jalen Tolbert, James Washington and KaVontae Turpin.
It remains unclear what Hilton's arrival means for three-time Pro Bowler Beckham, who is not expected to be fit for the regular season after not playing since tearing his ACL in the Super Bowl earlier this year.
The Cowboys are 10-3 and on a four-game winning streak heading into Week 15 as Dallas mounts a charge for what could be a deep playoff run.
Luis Enrique acknowledged Spain's failings at the World Cup against Morocco in which "everything went to hell" as La Roja exited in Qatar.
Morocco, the surprise packing of the tournament, dumped Spain out on penalties after a goalless draw in Tuesday's last-16 clash.
Enrique was subsequently dismissed from his role as head coach on Thursday, with former Spain youth boss Luis de la Fuente named as his replacement.
While pointing to the lasting legacy his Spain side may leave on future generations, Enrique suggested it only takes 90 minutes for years of planning to derail.
"In 90 minutes, everything went to hell. It is clear that we did not play a good game against Morocco," he said on Twitch.
"I saw it positively. Right now I am calm and satisfied with what we have done. We generated enthusiasm and desire to see the national team.
"We have seen it. Many young people and children came to see us at the hotel. We could do better, I am aware, but I tried to take the best players and those who embodied my ideas."
The former Barcelona boss came under scrutiny for his squad selection ahead of FIFA's top tournament, with questions over his preference to play Ferran Torres and not call up a traditional striker option.
The inclusion of Sergio Roberto and Eric Garcia led to further debates over the La Roja squad, though Enrique has no regrets over his decisions.
"It consoles me that the same thing happens to others. I don't enter the debate. I respect it," he continued.
"I make the decisions with my staff. Nobody makes recommendations to me, nobody from the press has dedicated even 10 per cent of the hours that my staff and I have dedicated."
Manchester United, now managed by Erik ten Hag, were previously reportedly interested in Enrique, who will wait for the new season before considering his next move.
"I want to continue training at a club to develop what I did in the national team," he added. "That has been a dream. This stage is over. I'll wait for the start of next season."
Luis Enrique acknowledged Spain's failings at the World Cup against Morocco in which "everything went to hell" as La Roja exited in Qatar.
Morocco, the surprise packing of the tournament, dumped Spain out on penalties after a goalless draw in Tuesday's last-16 clash.
Luis Enrique was subsequently dismissed from his role as head coach on Thursday, with former Spain youth boss Luis de la Fuente named as his replacement.
While pointing to the lasting legacy his Spain side may leave on future generations, Luis Enrique suggested it only takes 90 minutes for years of planning to derail.
"In 90 minutes, everything went to hell. It is clear that we did not play a good game against Morocco," he said on Twitch.
"I saw it positively. Right now I am calm and satisfied with what we have done. We generated enthusiasm and desire to see the national team.
"We have seen it. Many young people and children came to see us at the hotel. We could do better, I am aware, but I tried to take the best players and those who embodied my ideas."
The former Barcelona boss came under scrutiny for his squad selection ahead of FIFA's top tournament, with questions over his preference to play Ferran Torres and not call up a traditional striker option.
The inclusion of Sergio Roberto and Eric Garcia led to further debates over the La Roja squad, though Luis Enrique has no regrets over his decisions.
"It consoles me that the same thing happens to others. I don't enter the debate. I respect it," he continued.
"I make the decisions with my staff. Nobody makes recommendations to me, nobody from the press has dedicated even 10 per cent of the hours that my staff and I have dedicated."
Manchester United, now managed by Erik ten Hag, were previously reportedly interested in Luis Enrique, who will wait for the new season before considering his next move.
"I want to continue training at a club to develop what I did in the national team," he added. "That has been a dream. This stage is over. I'll wait for the start of next season."
The Atlanta Falcons are returning from their bye with a new starting quarterback.
Head coach Arthur Smith announced Monday that rookie Desmond Ridder will take over the starting duties from Marcus Mariota for Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints.
"I did make a switch at quarterback. Desmond Ridder will be the starter. It’s a performance-based decision," he said in a press conference.
The move had been expected after it was reported last week that Ridder would be named the starter.
A third-round pick in April’s draft, Ridder has yet to take an offensive snap in the regular season after throwing for 10,239 yards with 87 touchdowns and 28 interceptions in his four-year collegiate career at Cincinnati.
He takes over an offense that is in need of a jolt, with Atlanta having lost four of five, averaging 15.3 points in those defeats.
Despite their recent slide to drop to 5-8, the Falcons are only a game behind the first-place Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the lowly NFC South, so a path to the playoffs with Ridder at QB is not out of the question.
Ridder will foreseeably be the Falcons' starter for the remainder of the season, as Smith said Mariota will likely be placed on injured reserve with a knee injury.
Mariota was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week following his performance in the Falcons' 28-14 win over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 6, but he's struggled to generate much offense over the last month.
In Atlanta’s last five games, Mariota was averaging just 157.4 passing yards with five touchdown passes and three interceptions for an 81.6 rating.
Aidan Hutchinson hailed the Detroit Lions' "unmatched" chemistry as they furthered hope of what once looked an unlikely playoff push with victory over the Minnesota Vikings.
Eyebrows were raised in the build-up to the Week 14 encounter when the Lions were installed by bookmakers as the favourites against a 10-win Vikings team that would have clinched the NFC North title with a win.
But the Lions backed up that status with a hugely impressive display in a 34-23 win that improved their record to 6-7.
The Lions are 1.5 games back on the New York Giants in the final Wild Card spot and hold the tiebreaker over New York having beaten the Giants in a run that has seen them win five of their last six after a 1-6 start.
Hutchinson was the second overall pick of the Lions in this year's draft and produced another strong showing, registering a sack to take him to seven for his rookie year.
"The chemistry we've got right now, it's kind of unmatched," Hutchinson told Peter King for Football Morning in America.
"We're so complementary right now offensively and defensively and we never flinch at the end."
The Lions have long since been something of an NFL punchline, having failed to win a playoff game since the 1991 season.
But Hutchinson, who was born in nearby Plymouth, Michigan and played his college football at the University of Michigan, believes this Lions team is shedding that tag.
"It's no longer the same old Lions," Hutchinson added. "We've overcome that. Now we're on our way to becoming a really good football team.
"I got the chance to come somewhere and be part of coming alive and building a great team.
"I just wanted to come into the season and learn something every single game and make strides every game. I'm happy with my development so far."
Ben Stokes believes Harry Brook can emulate Virat Kohli's all-format batting dominance after the England youngster again impressed in Pakistan.
Yorkshire batter Brook played a key role as England secured a first Test series victory in Pakistan in 22 years after a nail-biting 26-run victory in Multan on Monday.
The 23-year-old managed only nine runs in the first innings but responded with 109 in the second – the only century of the second Test – to help England to an unassailable 2-0 series lead.
That form comes as no surprise given Brook blasted 153 and 87 in Rawalpindi, with his red-ball international average sitting at an impressive 73.8 from his five innings.
Yet Stokes believes this is only the start for Brook, who he expects to shine across all formats of cricket as he compared the England batter to India great Kohli.
"After the summer he had last year, getting all the big-ups before he made his debut, to come here and put in that kind of performance again was just phenomenal," Stokes told Sky Sports.
"He's one of those rare players that you look across all formats and you can just see him being successful everywhere.
"It's a massive shout, but Virat Kohli is one of those guys where his technique is just so simple and works everywhere. The pressure that he puts back onto opposition is exactly what we're about."
Brook accumulated just 56 runs, averaging just 11.2 across six innings, as England lifted their second T20 World Cup in Australia.
The middle-order batter has impressed in the shortest format for England in his 20 outings, though, with the expectation he will slot into Jos Buttler's side for the 50-over Cricket World Cup in India in 2023.
Stokes does not foresee the pressure impacting the form of Brook, given the comfortable manner in which he stepped into the Test side.
"The expectation on his shoulders coming into this team, because of how good he's been for Yorkshire, was obviously huge," he said.
"But I think that just shows that kind of stuff doesn't really affect him. He's a player whose technique is suited to all three formats, he wants to always look to be putting pressure back onto the opposition, and he's won another game for England.
"[He made a] huge contribution last week, and the hundred he scored here was obviously massive for us in getting that big lead.
"He's a pretty simple lad to captain: he just gets about his business, loves his batting, wants to constantly improve, constantly work on it. He's a pretty easy bloke to have in your dressing room."
Jonny Bairstow's injury offered Brook the chance to take the number-five role for Stokes, with the England Test captain acknowledging he is fortunate to have a wealth of batting talent to call upon.
"We're very, very lucky with the way in which we can replace Jonny, to have Harry coming in, because those two, batting No.5, they both go about it in exactly the same way," he added.
"They bring so much to the team and obviously Harry playing the way he has done at the moment with Jonny not being in the team, unfortunately, it's the best thing you want.
"You want competition for places, you want a strong squad to be able to pick from, and you want those headaches when it comes to the final XI every week, rather than saying 'I'm not sure who we're going to pick, let's pick a name out of the hat.'
"We're definitely not in that situation, and we feel like we've got all bases covered at the moment."
Giovanni Reyna is "disappointed" with "highly fictionalised versions of events" following continued reports over his poor behaviour during the United States' World Cup campaign.
The USA were knocked out by the Netherlands in the round of 16, with Borussia Dortmund midfielder Reyna playing just 51 minutes at the tournament.
Reports suggested Reyna's playing time was limited because of his lack of effort in training, leading to the USA youngster narrowly escaping being sent home from Qatar.
The 20-year-old was also seen throwing his shin pads on the sidelines after not being selected to come on by coach Gregg Berhalter in the USA's opening 1-1 draw with Wales.
Reyna offered his side of the story on social media while calling for his team to unite, with the next World Cup in 2026 set to be played partly on home soil.
"I hoped not to comment on matters at the World Cup," Reyna said in a post on Instagram on Monday. "It is my belief that things that happen in a team setting ought to remain private.
"That being said, statements have been made that reflect on my professionalism and character, so I feel the need to make a brief statement.
"Just before the World Cup, coach Berhalter told me that my role at the tournament would be very limited. I was devastated.
"I fully expected and desperately wanted to contribute to the play of a talented group as we tried to make a statement at the World Cup.
"I am also a very emotional person, and I fully acknowledge that I let my emotions get the best of me and affect my training and behaviour for a few days after learning about my limited role.
"I apologised to my teammates and coach for this, and I was told I was forgiven. Thereafter, I shook off my disappointment and gave everything I had on and off the field.
"I am disappointed that there is continuing coverage of this matter (as well as some highly fictionalised versions of events) and extremely surprised that anyone on the U.S. men's team staff would contribute to it.
"Coach Berhalter has always said that issues that arise with the team will stay 'in house' so we can focus on team unity and progress. I love my team, I love representing my country, and I am focusing now only on improving and growing as a soccer player and a person.
"I hope that going forward each person involved in U.S. Soccer focus only on what is in the best interest of the men's national team so we can enjoy great success at the World Cup in 2026."
Morocco can "work miracles" under Walid Regragui with their "exemplary state of mind," says former midfielder and assistant coach Mustapha Hadji.
The Atlas Lions, who had only progressed beyond the group stage once in five previous World Cup appearances, are the first African nation to reach the semi-finals following an incredible run in Qatar.
Having only succeeded Vahid Halilhodzic in August, Regragui has overseen victories over Belgium, Spain and Portugal to set up a last-four clash with reigning champions France.
Hadji appeared for Morocco at two World Cups (1994 and 1998), while he served as his nation's assistant coach from 2014 until earlier this year.
The 51-year-old is thrilled with what he has seen, telling L'Equipe: "Here in Morocco, it's crazy, what's happening for the national team is extraordinary.
"It's only been two or three months since Walid Regragui arrived in the national team. There was an upheaval with Vahid.
"The new coach was able to find the words and the way to bring out the best players and make a team with a lion's state of mind.
"The team plays with heart and an exemplary state of mind. With a coach like that, you can only flourish and work miracles."
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