LeBron James accepts he may only have a maximum of two more years left in him before calling time on his glittering NBA career.

The 39-year-old, playing in his 22nd NBA campaign, helped the Los Angeles Lakers to a 128-123 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday.

James finished with 35 points, 12 rebounds, 14 assists and one steal as the Lakers improved to 7-4 across their first 11 games, making it three wins on the bounce since their defeat to the Grizzlies last week. 

With his latest dazzling display, he became the oldest player to record three straight triple-doubles at 39 years and 319 years old.

That surpassed his own record of 34 years and 310 days, but James knows he will not be able to continue at an elite level forever.

"I'm not going to play that much longer, to be completely honest," he told reporters. 

"I don't know how many years that is, whether it's one year or two years." 

"I'm not playing until the wheels fall off. I'm not going to be the guy that's disrespecting the game because I just want to be out on the floor." 

Proving that age is just a number, James is averaging 24.3 points, 8.1 rebounds and 9.4 assists per game this season.

Further probed on what will determine when he calls time on his playing career, the 20-time NBA All-Star said: "It's not me.

"It's wherever my mind is, it's however my body's going to go. Whatever the case may be." 

The Lakers are sixth in the Western Conference and return to action in the NBA Cup against the San Antonio Spurs on Friday.

Rory McIlroy made a dream start to the DP World Tour Championship, taking a share of the lead after the opening round in Dubai.

The Northern Irishman, a two-time winner at the event, holds a 1,758-point lead over Thriston Lawrence and needs to finish 11th or higher to guarantee top spot in the season-long standings for the third successive year.

He carded a five-under 67 in the first round, improving on his mixed results on the first nine to finish with six birdies and a lone bogey.

A brilliant long putt on the 17th topped off his impressive performance, giving him a share of the early advantage with Tyrrell Hatton, who held onto the lead by making par on the 18th.

Speaking to Sky Sports after his final round, McIlroy was asked if it bothered him that the media holds him to a higher standard during big events. 

"Depends what day it is!" he said. "I think overall I have to take it as a compliment.

"It's a testament to the body of work that I've put in over the course of my 17 or 18-year career that I am held to such a high standard. And I want to live up to those standards too. It's not just everyone else. I fully expect to turn up to tournaments and have a chance to win every time. I'm under no illusions that I'm not going to win every time.

"But with how many chances I've given myself, especially this year, it feels like I probably should've won a couple of more times. But saying that, if I go on and have another three good days here and end the year with a win, I'll look back on 2024 pretty fondly.

"I thought I did well [on Thursday]. The golf course is playing a little bit tougher than it has done in previous years with how thick the rough is. I made some nice pars around the middle of the round when a couple of holes could have got away from me, and then I finished well with the birdies on 14 and 17."

Last week's Abu Dhabi Championship winner, Paul Waring, sits one shot back in third, while Billy Horschel and Adam Scott are among those to card a three-under 69.

Meanwhile, Lawrence, the only player who could catch McIlroy in the Race to Dubai, struggled on Thursday and sits six back after he finished one over on 73. 

Rafael Leao has shrugged off suggestions of a feud between him and Milan head coach Paulo Fonseca despite starting fewer games in recent weeks.

The winger started three consecutive Serie A matches on the bench after the last international break, coming on to make substitute appearances in two of those.

He returned to the starting line-up for their 3-3 draw with Cagliari last time out, netting twice in the first half to bring his tally up to three goals for the season, and 50 overall in Serie A.

Leao has also provided three assists in the Italian top-flight, while he has both attempted (36) and completed (24) the most dribbles of any Milan player in the competition.

There were reports of tension between Leao and Fonseca due to the former's lack of playing time in recent weeks, but he brushed off the idea.

"These things happen during the season, I have nothing against him, and he has nothing against me," Leao said while at Portugal's training ground.

"It's all settled. I don't like being on the bench, obviously, but he makes the decisions and I, as a player, have to respect the coach.

"When I step onto the pitch, I have to do my best to help the team."

Leao has also impressed with performances in the Champions League this season, especially against Real Madrid in a 3-1 win, as he registered an assist for their third goal.

However, he has also come under criticism in Italy, with one pundit claiming he has a poor work ethic, suggesting he only puts in effort in big games.

"Clearly, I do not agree with that," Leao added about the recent comments.

"I have been having a great season at Milan but, like everyone else, there are ups and downs. The campaign has only just started. Look, I know that I am not the perfect player and sometimes I can do much better.

"I am not shaken by this criticism. I have people who help me to improve and those are the ones I have to listen to. This criticism just spurs me on to respond on the pitch."

Giannis Antekounmpo says he realized as a leader, he had to adapt his mindset against the Detroit Pistons, leading to his 59-point game.

The Milwaukee Bucks beat the Pistons 127-120 in overtime on Wednesday, with Antetokounmpo the driving force as they bounced back from their last NBA defeat to the Boston Celtics.

His total was five back on his career-high points total in a single game, but was his ninth 50-point, 10-rebound game in his career, which puts him third on the NBA all-time list.

Antetokounmpo made 21 of 34 shots from the field and 16 of 17 free throws, while he also had 14 rebounds and seven assists.

He was one of three players alongside Victor Wembanyama and Karl-Anthony Towns to score at least 45 points on Wednesday, which is a tie for the most on a single day in NBA history.

"Coming into this game, I realized I have to be aggressive," Antetokounmpo said. "While I was doing that, it was not working. We were down by 15, 18.

"In the second half, I had to keep my aggressiveness but keep on moving the ball. Now, as a leader, you keep on going with that energy and mentality. Sometimes you've got to be able to do both."

Antetokounmpo had scored 22 of his team's first 24 points in the first quarter, with Bucks coach Doc Rivers unsure whether his point-scoring dominance was a good thing or not.

"It's funny how a coach thinks, though. We called a timeout and Giannis has 22 of our 24," said Rivers.

"This ain't good. I'm thinking the exact opposite. We've got to get somebody else involved in this.

"After the game, you realize how special this is. But during the game you're in a panic," he said.

Glenn Maxwell's impressive 43 powered Australia to a 29-run victory over Pakistan in their opening T20I, which was heavily affected by rain.

Both teams were able to play seven overs each after a thunderstorm in Brisbane delayed proceedings, but it did not affect Australia's performance as they took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Matt Short (7) and Jake Fraser-McGurk (9) were both taken early, but Maxwell's 43 off 19 balls, which included eight boundaries, turned the tide.

Abbas Afridi (2-9) took him and Tim David (10), but with Marcus Stoinis' 21, the damage was already done as Australia finished 93-4.

Pakistan struggled to gain any momentum, with none of their first six batters hitting double figures and Sahibzada Farhan's eight was the best of that group.

The wickets toppled thanks to Xavier Bartlett (3-13) and Nathan Ellis (3-9), and even though Afridi salvaged some pride with his unbeaten 20 to help them reach 64-9, they fell short of their target.

Data Debrief: Home advantage

Despite the shortened nature of the game, Australia still made their mark in some style. They extended their winning run in Brisbane in the process, with this their fifth T20I victory in a row at The Gabba. 

On the other side, Babar Azam will have been hoping for a better performance on what was a landmark day for him - he has now made the outright most appearances for Pakistan in T20Is (124), overtaking Shoaib Malik. He also broke the record for the most catches by a fielder in T20Is for Pakistan (52), going past Fakhar Zaman's 50.

Saudi Arabia had a stoppage-time goal ruled out as Herve Renard's first game since returning as Saudi Arabia head coach ended in a 0-0 draw against Australia in World Cup qualifying.

Sultan Al-Ghannam fired through a sea of bodies in the 94th minute of Thursday's Group C contest at AAMI Park, but the celebrations were cut short due to an offside infringement.

Referee Ali Saeed Al Naqbi had earlier irked the home side by awarding a 12th-minute penalty for an Ahmed Al-Kassar challenge on Mitch Duke, which was then overturned.

Replays showed the incident happened just outside the box, but Australia felt the Saudi keeper should have been sent off and not issued just a yellow card.

Joe Gauci pulled off a fine double save later in the first half, albeit the offside flag later went up, but it was Australia who did more to win the game prior to the late drama.

Brandon Borrello was played clean through on goal and opted to square to Riley McGree, who was unable to help the ball past covering defender Saud Abdulhamid in front of goal.

Data Debrief: Another blank for both sides

Australia entered this game without a goal against Saudi Arabia in 2,716 days - a run that will extend for a little while longer after this latest blank.

The Socceroos have failed to score in three of their five third-round qualifying games, while Saudi Arabia have gone three in a row without netting.

Tony Popovic's side will justifiably argue they did more to win the game, though, finishing with an expected goals value (xG) of 1.31 to Saudi Arabia's 0.05, but the teams remain locked on points in Group C.

Victor Wembanyama is proud after scoring career-highs with 50 points and eight 3-pointers, but says his main focus is to keep helping the San Antonio Spurs improve.

The Spurs registered a 139-130 win over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday, with the Frenchman leading the charge as they improved their home record to 5-2.

At 20 years and 314 days, Wembanyama is the fourth-youngest player to score 50 points, behind only Brandon Jennings, LeBron James and Devin Booker.

His previous best was 40 points in an overtime victory over the New York Knicks on March 29.

Having become the eighth player in franchise history to score 50 points and making at least six 3-pointers for the third straight game, Wembanyama is in strong form so early in the season.

Though he likes to celebrate the milestones, he is already considering how he can overshadow them in the future.

"I love to celebrate the small wins and the big wins for a certain amount of time," he said. "But we're already locked in on the Lakers.

"I'm going to give myself a little bit of time to reflect. It's definitely a big milestone. It's kind of a private club, it's certainly something I'm proud of.

"My first thought is, eventually, I want the rest of our performances, the rest of our games, to overshadow this one. I want to make it where in the future, [this is] just another one."

Wembanyama was influential throughout his time on the court but inflicted the most damage in the third quarter. He shot a perfect 7-for-7 from the floor and 4-of-4 from long range for 19 points with four rebounds, one assist and a block.

"The big fella, man, when he comes out with that mindset, it's a hard opportunity to deal with," Spurs forward Julian Champagnie said of his team-mate.

"Big praise to him, big shoutout to him. He's working on his game. I don't know what it was that he took personal, but he took something personal, went out there and hooped."

Carlos Sainz is confident he will continue to fight for Formula 1 wins once he leaves Ferrari for Williams at the end of the season.

The 30-year-old is now in the final stretch of his four-year stint with Ferrari, with whom he has won four races.

Sainz has three more opportunities to add to that number, starting with the Las Vegas GP next week.

While the Spaniard would love to bow out on a high with Ferrari, he does not believe joining Williams will end any hopes of further triumphs.

"Nothing would make me happier than achieving something like that before the end of the year," he said when asked if he's targeting victory across the final three races. 

"I'm going to give it my absolute best. If it comes, great, and I'll be for sure celebrating. And if it doesn't, I don't believe it will be my last chance of fighting for wins or podiums in Formula 1.

"I'll carry on working hard to try to get myself in a position – even if it's with Williams – to put myself in a position to win another race.

"That's what I'm hungry for and that's what I believe I can do, and that's what I've proven that I can do in Ferrari. So, yeah, it doesn't end there."

The most recent of Sainz's victories came at the Mexican Grand Prix last month when bouncing back from losing the lead to Max Verstappen.

Ferrari have not won a title in F1 since 2008 and are 36 points behind McLaren heading into the Las Vegas GP, which is followed by races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

However, Sainz's team-mate Charles Leclerc is hopeful of closing that gap by coming out on top in the States, having himself finished second behind Verstappen on this track last year.

"I think on paper it's a track where we should perform well," he told Sky Sports News.

"However, the fact we have improved a lot with tyre management, means on a track where it is so cold, it will be difficult to put the tyres in the right window.

"On paper, it still looks positive. Maybe not as positive as last year but seeing how close everything is, I believe we will have a shot to win it."

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers thinks he will still be playing in 2025, despite suffering one of the worst starts to a season in his career.

The Jets are currently 3-7 and sit just above the New England Patriots in the AFC East, having lost 31-6 to the Arizona Cardinals in their last game.

Rodgers, who is still coming back from Achilles surgery after missing last season through injury, has thrown just 15 touchdown passes, seven interceptions, and a career-low 6.4 yards per attempt so far.

Rodgers is under contract with New York for 2025, but there are parts of his deal yet to be finalised if he does stay on.

Despite the less-than-stellar start to the season, the 40-year-old says it has not changed his feelings "negatively" as he has not reached his standard yet.

"I think so, yeah," he said when asked if he could see himself playing next year.

"I'm not playing as well as I would've liked to play, for sure. The beauty in this game is it's a team game.

"The frustrating part is that if you're a great competitor, you hold yourself to a standard that's not unrealistic, and I haven't reached that standard this year."

Since firing Robert Saleh last month, the Jets are 1-4 under interim coach Jeff Ulbrich, who also doubles as their defensive coordinator.

They face another team with a losing record in the Indianapolis Colts (4-6) on Sunday, and Rodgers only had positive things to say about Ulbrich.

"The verdict is still not out on this season yet," Rodgers added. "I feel like he's [Ulbrich] done some really good things.

"I think Brick is an NFL head coach, whether it's here moving forward or down the line. I mean, he's a leader of men, and I'll stand by him. I'd love to play for him until the end. So have a lot of love and respect for him."

Lee Carsley wants the England players at his disposal to "make the most of the situation" after nine others dropped out through injury.

Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite on Wednesday became latest player to withdraw from the Nations League games with Greece and Republic of Ireland.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Aaron Ramsdale and Levi Colwill have also dropped out.

England captain Harry Kane has admitted to being unhappy with the large number of withdrawals for interim boss Carsley's final two games in charge.

However, Carsley attempted to put a positive spin on the situation when speaking at his pre-match press conference on Wednesday ahead of facing Greece.

"The focus all camp has been on the players that are here and it's important that we make the most of the situation," he told reporters.

"With the amount of players that have pulled out, it gives other players an opportunity to be here.

"We're really looking forward to the game and it's going to be a tough test for us and the focus has been purely on the players that are here.

"With the amount of pull-outs we've had in the window, historically it's been like that in the past - November has always been a challenging window.

"But the culture that Gareth [Southgate], Steve [Holland] and the rest of the lads created has made it a really positive environment and the players that are here thoroughly deserve to be here."

Grealish was one of the first players to withdraw from the squad, having been called up despite not playing for club side Manchester City since 20 October.

City boss Pep Guardiola questioned England's decision to include Grealish in their squad as he recovers from injury, but Carsley insisted he was justified in doing so.

"The medical teams are constantly talking throughout squad selection, regardless of whether there are games or not," Carsley said.

"We are constantly getting updates. The medical departments have brilliant communication between club and country.

"It was always the case we were going to get the players who were potentially going to miss out in to the assessed. Jack was one of them. He was assessed and sent back and it was as clear as that."

England trail Group B2 leaders Greece by three points with two rounds of fixtures to play, having lost the reverse fixture 2-1 at Wembley last month.

The Three Lions have won on all four of their previous trips to face Greece, doing so by an aggregate score of 9-1 - only against Luxembourg (5/5) do they hold a better 100% win rate away from home.

However, Greece are on the longest active winning run of any European nation in all competitions (five games) and could win six consecutive matches for the first time November 2013.

Carsley, who will step aside for Thomas Tuchel after next week's home match with Republic of Ireland, said: "We're expecting a tough game against Greece and it’s one we have to win.

"But we're really looking forward to it, we've had a good week's training, the players are in good spirits and it's going to be a sell out with a great atmosphere.

"We've had to wait four or five weeks for this, but this next window is so important to us, not just tomorrow but Republic of Ireland as well, so it's a great challenge for us."

Barcelona sporting director Deco is hopeful that Pedri will sign a new long-term contract with the club in the near future, with the midfielder's current deal expiring in 2026.

The 21-year-old has been a mainstay of Barcelona's team this season, starting 11 of their 13 matches in LaLiga and all four Champions League games, after a difficult campaign last year.

Pedri missed a total of 25 games for club and country with injury problems last term, including the semi-final and final of Euro 2024, having been forced off after eight minutes during Spain's quarter-final victory over hosts Germany.

His fitness has been a big question for a number of years, having suffered from hamstring injuries since 2021, following the 2020-21 season in which he played 73 matches for club and country.

But with injury problems having dissipated, Deco is excited at the prospect of having him in the team long-term.

”To go for a renewal the first thing you have to know is what the players are looking for, and I think they are looking to win titles, be in a competitive team and, of course, have good contracts," he told Mundo Deportivo.

"I thought that way and I think we have players who also think that way. I think Pedri’s renewal will happen because I think Pedri wants to make history at the club."

Pedri has been at Barcelona since joining from Las Palmas as a 17-year-old in 2020. Deco is confident that it feels like home for him now.

"He feels comfortable here, he is happy, he wants to win titles, he is back at his best after working hard, understanding that there was work behind him that he had to do after so many years of suffering a lot with many games and injuries," he said.

"He has understood it and has seen that he had to work in a different way, improve, and he was on time. We will do the renewal. He has this season and another one left.

"We are focused on winning important things this season, but also on guaranteeing the future of important players and Pedri is one of them.”

Donovan Mitchell scored 11 of his 23 points in the final three minutes and the Cleveland Cavaliers became the sixth team in NBA history to start a season 13-0 with a 114-106 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night.

Mitchell also grabbed 13 rebounds and added nine assists as Cleveland became the first team since the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors to win 13 straight to begin a season. That Warriors team holds the record for most wins to begin a campaign at 24 straight.

Darius Garland scored 25 points for the Cavs, while Evan Mobley had 14 points with seven rebounds.

Jared McCain had a career-high 34 for the 76ers, who played without Paul George and Joel Embiid on the second night of a back-to-back as part of left knee injury maintenance. Kelly Oubre Jr. had 20 points while Caleb Martin added 18 for the Sixers.

Mitchell hit three 3-pointers with less than three minutes to play to extend Cleveland's lead to seven, seemingly taking the starch out of the Sixers' final push.

The Cavaliers have won 13 in a row for the fourth time in franchise history. The other three times - in 2009, 2010 and 2017 - were when they had LeBron James on the roster.

Antetokounmpo has 59 as Bucks outlast Pistons

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 59 points to pace the Milwaukee Bucks to a 127-120 overtime victory over the Detroit Pistons.

It was a league-high for points by an NBA player this season and the second-highest single-game total for Antetokounmpo, who had 64 against Indiana last season.

Antetokounmpo hit 21 of 34 shots and 16 of 17 free throws and added 14 rebounds and seven assists as the Bucks rallied from an 18-point second-half deficit.

Brook Lopez added 29 points for the Bucks. Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 35 points and Malik Beasley scored 26 against his former team.

Detroit's Ron Holland II was fouled by Antetokounmpo with one second left in regulation and the score tied at 111, but Holland missed both free throws.

Milwaukee played without Damian Lillard (concussion protocol), Ryan Rollins (left shoulder instability) and Bobby Portis (right elbow contusion).

Antetokounmpo made every basket for Milwaukee in the first quarter, hitting 7 of 10 field-goal attempts and all eight of his free throws for 22 of the team’s 24 points.

The Bucks improved to 22-1 against Detroit since the 2018-19 season and won their 10th straight in the series.

Wembanyama drops 50 in Spurs’ win

Victor Wembanyama set career highs with 50 points and eight 3-pointers to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 139-130 victory over the Washington Wizards.

At 20 years 314 days, Wembanyama is the fourth-youngest player to score 50 points, trailing only Brandon Jennings, LeBron James and Devin Booker.

Wembanyama's previous high was 40 points in a 130-126 overtime victory over New York on March 29. 

He made at least six 3-pointers for the third straight game and is 20 for 37 from deep during that span.

Jordan Poole had 42 points – one shy of his career high - for Washington, which lost its sixth straight.

Devin Vassell had 17 points in his third game for the Spurs since returning from offseason surgery to repair a fractured right foot.

Washington’s Alexandre Sarr blocked Wembanyama's shot in the second quarter and dunked on his fellow Frenchman in the third quarter. Sarr finished with 12 points, two rebounds, two assists and a block in 25 minutes.

Wembanyama is the eighth player in franchise history to score 50 points. David Robinson holds the franchise record with 71 points against the Los Angeles Clippers on April 24, 1994.

Alexander Zverev outlined his plan to stay at the top of the game for another decade after overcoming Casper Ruud in his second match at the ATP Finals.

Having started his campaign at the season finale in Turin by downing Andrey Rublev, Zverev made it two wins from as many matches with a 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 victory over the Norwegian.

He needed just 86 minutes to wrap up his victory, hitting 28 winners to his opponent's 13 in a confident, powerful performance.

Zverev is appearing at the ATP Finals for a seventh time, and another victory over Carlos Alcaraz on Friday would secure his spot in the semi-finals.

The German has won the event on two previous occasions, beating Novak Djokovic in the 2018 showpiece and overcoming Daniil Medvedev in 2021.

Asked what his experience at the ATP Finals meant for his chances of success, he joked: "It means I'm old! But I still don’t feel old. 

"I hope I have another solid 10 years ahead of me, but I think it’s a young group of guys.

"There has been kind of a shift in tennis this year and I think it's a good thing. They're exciting new players and everybody loves watching them."

Data Debrief: ATP Finals specialist marches on

Since the ATP Finals moved to Turin for the 2021 event, Zverev's eight victories at the competition have only been bettered by Djokovic's 12.

Meanwhile, the German has also managed more ATP Tour-level wins this year than any other player, with Wednesday's success his 68th of 2024.