Cam Johnson warned the Phoenix Suns are "starting to click" after they extended their winning run to three games at the expense of the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday.

The Suns have the best record in the NBA of 30-8 following a 106-89 triumph over the Clippers at Footprint Center.

Johnson scored a career-high 24 points, while Chris Paul finished with 14 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists to leave the Suns sitting pretty at the top of the Western Conference.

Forward Johnson says there is more to come from Phoenix

"We're having a lot of fun playing together," Johnson said. "Things are starting to click."

Paul's tally of rebounds was a career-best for the 36-year-old in what his 1,128th regular-season NBA game.

The 11-time NBA All-Star said: "Some teams' biggest issue is that they don't know what they want to run or who they want to go to down the stretch.

"I think we have a good sense of that. We know what our go-to plays are."

Suns head coach Monty Williams says his players deserve great credit for the way they are going about their business.

He said: "I just think the players have done a really good job of driving our culture. We have unreal guard play, which really helps."

The Clippers are 19-20 following back-to-back defeats, but head coach Tyronn Lue could not fault the application his players showed. 

He said: "We scrapped and competed. That is a good ball club over there and they played well. Their stars took over down the stretch and took over the game."

Jonny Bairstow was full of pride at his performance on day three of the fourth Ashes Test after his 103 not-out kept England fighting.

Joe Root's team have already lost any chance of regaining the urn, having suffered defeat in the opening three Tests, and they looked down and out at 36-4 at the Sydney Cricket Ground early in Friday's play.

However, Ben Stokes (66) and Bairstow put on a fifth-wicket stand of 128 to guide the tourists to 164.

Stokes' battling innings, in which he was struggling with an apparent side strain, came to an end when he misjudged a Nathan Lyon delivery and was trapped lbw, and England looked in danger of failing to avoid the follow-on when Jos Buttler got out cheaply for a duck.

Yet Bairstow and Mark Wood (39) fought back, with the latter hitting three sixes during an entertaining 41-ball spell that was ended by Pat Cummins.

Bairstow stayed at the crease, though, and cut Australia's captain for four to surpass 100 in the final over of the day, with England closing on 258-7, 158 runs behind.

It was Bairstow's seventh Test century, and his first since 2018, while no England player had scored an Ashes 100 in Australia since Alistair Cook back in 2017, with England's then captain scoring 244 on that occasion.

Bairstow was not selected for the first two Tests but returned to the fold in Melbourne, scoring 35 in the first innings and five in the second.

The 32-year-old, who made his Test debut in May 2012, also moved onto 1,033 runs scored against Australia.

Bairstow was clearly overjoyed when he celebrated his century. It was a poignant moment, with this Test having started on the 24th anniversary of the death of his father David, himself a former England wicketkeeper.

"Extremely proud, really, really proud. You've known me for long enough and how much that means," Bairstow told BT Sport. "Unbelievable, I was ecstatic, extremely proud, there's a lot of hard work gone into that one.

"It's been tough, you've got to dig deep, you really have. People mention the scheduling, how much red-ball cricket people are playing leading into massive series like this, it's not just this series, it's the India series, the India series before that when we were over there.

"You've got to delve very deep, on things you've worked hard at over a number of years. 

"Tried not to be too rigid. You can look at technique a lot. Some things work but other times you've got to keep being natural about the way you're moving or you become a bit clunky and too rigid. That's what I feel sometimes got to, trying to be something potentially that I'm not.

"My strength is putting pressure back on the bowlers, running between the wickets, trying to get them off the length to then give me a different ball. I wasn't necessarily doing that, but that also comes with spending time out in the middle consistently."

Bairstow took a nasty blow to his thumb from a rapid Cummins delivery just after Stokes' dismissal, but fought through the pain barrier.

"Slightly sore, it's starting to get a bit sorer now we've come off the field," he said. "I was hurting! 

"You're playing in a New Year's Test match in Sydney, on the Pink Day, it's going to take a heck of a lot to get you off the field. You've still got a job to do. Yes it's sore, it will be sore, but you're playing cricket for England and I'm very proud to do that."

An England victory still looks incredibly unlikely but, with rain possibly in store over the coming days, a draw is on the cards as the tourists aim to avoid a 5-0 whitewash.

"We've got two days to scrap and scrap hard," Bairstow added.

"We had a challenge this morning to still be batting at the end of the day. They've got a new ball coming, so tomorrow is about scrapping hard again. We got to the follow-on and past that, let's see how close we can get."

Novak Djokovic has been warned by Boris Becker that his "stubbornness" could prevent him being remembered as the greatest tennis player that ever lived.

World number one Djokovic, who has not declared his COVID-19 vaccination status, seemed set to play in this month's Australian Open after he was granted a medical exemption by tournament organisers.

That was required for any player who has not been fully vaccinated. One theory that has been widely suggested is that Djokovic may have been entitled to an exemption after a positive test for COVID-19 in the past six months, although he has not confirmed he has recently had the virus.

However, Djokovic is now set to spend the weekend in a Melbourne detention hotel in which refugees and asylum seekers are also being kept, after Australian Border Force's decision to cancel his visa application.

A court hearing on Monday should provide a resolution to the saga, with Djokovic's legal team set to battle for his right to enter the country and play in the season's first grand slam, at which he would be bidding to win a record 21st men's singles major title. The Australian Open gets under way on January 17.

Becker coached Djokovic for three seasons, from 2014 to 2016, and told the Daily Mail the 34-year-old Serbian is "making a big mistake in not getting vaccinated".

The German said the decision "is one that threatens what remains of his career and his chance to cement himself as the greatest player of all time".

Becker, a six-time grand slam winner, said: "The same incredible determination which I saw win so many close matches can be a vulnerability with his stubbornness.

"It is not just about Australia. The fact is that we are living in a different world and he is going to find it very hard to live the life of a professional tennis player travelling around without the vaccination.

"Maybe one day we will get back to a more normal situation, but at 34 he does not have much time left to pursue his goals."

There have been protests on the streets of Melbourne and Belgrade, with arrests made by police in the Victorian capital, while Djokovic found some support from within the tennis fraternity on Friday, as American John Isner backed his case.

Isner wrote on Twitter: "What Novak is going through right now is not right. There’s no justification for the treatment he’s receiving. He followed the rules, was allowed to enter Australia, and now he’s being detained against his own will. This is such a shame. #IStandWithNovak".

Nick Kyrgios, who has had his run-ins with Djokovic in the past, labelled Australia's handling of the situation "really bad", while former world number one Andy Roddick also appears to be in Djokovic's corner.

Yet Australia's home affairs minister Karen Andrews rejected any idea that Djokovic was being "held captive".

Andrews told the ABC: "Can I say, firstly, that Mr Djokovic is not being held captive in Australia. He is free to leave at any time that he chooses to do so and Border Force will actually facilitate that.

"Yes, there was a visa issued – that is actually not the issue. It is the second part of that process, which is the specific entry requirements to be able to cross Australia's border and to enter Australia lawfully."

She said Djokovic was not the only tennis case that was under investigation by Australian authorities. A player and an official are reported to be under scrutiny.

"I'm aware of investigations in relation to two individuals by the Australian Border Force," Andrews said. "They're going through their processes of investigation.

"And at some time, they will brief me, but all I can absolutely assure you and the rest of Australia of is that the Australian Border Force will take absolutely the appropriate action."

Newcastle United have completed the signing of Kieran Tripper from Atletico Madrid on a two-and-a-half-year deal.

The England international is the first arrival at St James' Park following the Saudi Arabian-backed takeover in October, joining for a fee reported to be in the region of £12million plus add-ons.

Tripper returns to the Premier League following a two-and-a-half-year stint with Atletico, having previously played for Tottenham and Burnley in the English top-flight.

The full-back will aim to bolster the Newcastle defence and help them climb out of the relegation zone, with the Magpies only winning one league game all season. They currently sit 19th, two points from safety.

The 31-year-old also links up with Eddie Howe for a second time, the pair having previously crossed paths at Turf Moor in 2012.

"I'm delighted to be joining this fantastic club. I really enjoyed my time in Madrid, but when I became aware of interest from Newcastle United, and having worked with Eddie Howe before, I knew this was where I wanted to be," Trippier told the club's official website.

"I'm aware there is a lot of work ahead of us but I know the demands of Premier League well and I know what an amazing club this is with very talented players. I can't wait to get started and I'm excited to step out at St. James' Park as a Newcastle player."

Trippier made 68 LaLiga appearances for Los Rojiblancos, helping Diego Simeone's side capture the domestic title last season.

The full-back contributed to the success with six assists; Jose Gaya (seven) the only defender to record more in the Spanish top-flight in 2020-21.

Trippier also registered 74 successful crosses during his time in LaLiga, with Jesus Navas (129) and Damian Suarez (84) the only defenders to better that tally.

Although he has failed to record any goals or assists across all competitions this season, there is no doubt in the quality and experience the England defender will bring to the Magpies' ranks.

Indeed, he played five of the Three Lions' seven matches as they reached the Euro 2020 final last year.

Howe said: "I am really pleased to welcome Kieran to Newcastle United. I have long admired his abilities and have followed his career, so when the opportunity arose to secure him, we didn't hesitate.

"A lot of hard work has gone into planning for the January transfer window long before the month began, which is clear in how quickly we have been able to complete this move."

Newcastle have also been linked with a move for another full-back, this time for the left flank, in the form of Everton defender Lucas Digne, who is out of favour with Rafael Benitez following a reported training-ground disagreement.

Digne, however, is reported to prefer a move elsewhere as it stands, with West Ham and Chelsea also said to be interested.

January 7 is a special date in Atletico Madrid history.

It is 10 years to the day since Diego Simeone took charge of his first game as Atletico head coach, and the balance at the top of Spanish football started, imperceptibly at first, to shift.

In his first game back on January 7, 2012, Cholo's Atleti were held to a goalless draw by Malaga at La Rosaleda; his most recent match was on Thursday, a 5-0 Copa del Rey thrashing of Rayo Majadahonda that felt very much like an appropriate celebration of a remarkable decade.

While his football has not always enthralled, few can argue with Simeone's results and haul of eight trophies – almost a quarter of all the major silverware the club have ever won.

To celebrate the milestone, Stats Perform picked through the Opta data to highlight a truly memorable era, in which Spain's 'big two' became three...

Legacy

Simeone has been in charge of 553 games in all competitions, overseeing 328 wins, 130 draws and 95 defeats. He is the coach with the most victories in Atletico history and the one with the best win percentage (59 per cent) among those to take charge of more than 50 matches.

In those games, Atleti have scored 914 goals, averaging 1.65 per match – a reasonable if unspectacular return. Of course, Simeone's success is built on supremely solid foundations: his Atleti have conceded 419 goals, an average of 0.76 per match, and have kept a clean sheet in almost exactly half of those matches (277). That's 70 more than Real Madrid have managed in the same time frame.

Should Simeone remain in charge for a further 59 matches, he would match Luis Aragones (612) for overseeing the most competitive fixtures in Atleti history. Together, Simeone and Aragones have been at the helm for 1,165 games in all competitions, which is 30 per cent of all matches in the club's history if you ignore the old regional divisions.

History

Without a doubt, Simeone's most successful season was 2013-14, when Atletico held Barcelona to a 1-1 draw on the final matchday to win LaLiga for the 10th time. They also reached the Champions League final, losing 4-1 to Real Madrid after extra time, having been seconds from a 1-0 victory.

In total, Atleti won 42 of 61 games, a club record in a single season. It was also the second-highest number of matches they have played in one campaign, behind the 66 they had in 2009-10. They also set a new record for goals scored in all competitions: 116, at an average of 1.9 per match. 

Defensively, their best season came in 2015-16, when they again reached the Champions League final and again were left heartbroken by their city rivals (this time on penalties). They conceded only 31 goals in all competitions and just 18 in LaLiga, which equalled the record for the fewest conceded in a 38-game season set by Arsenio Iglesias' Deportivo La Coruna in 1993-94.

Reliability

Atleti began life under Simeone with six consecutive clean sheets, equalling Joaquin Peiro in 1990 for the best such start at the club, but they have never managed a longer streak than that. The club record of nine set by Tomislav Ivic's side in 1991 remains. However, they did go on a run of 13 consecutive wins in all competitions from August to October 2012, and they have twice enjoyed unbeaten streaks of 23 matches.

In total, Atleti have kept 197 LaLiga clean sheets under Simeone, a tally surpassed by just three coaches in the competition's history: Javier Irureta (204 in 612), Miguel Munoz (225 in 608) and Aragones (230 in 756). He is the only coach in the top 10 of this particular list to boast a record of clean sheets in more than half his matches (51 per cent).

Simeone is fifth in the all-time standings for LaLiga wins, with 233 in 383 matches, and second for wins with the same team (behind Munoz and Real Madrid with 257). He has the best win percentage among the 10 coaches with the most wins in the competition's history (60.8 per cent). 

Simeone's favourite LaLiga opponents are Getafe: he has beaten them 17 times and lost none of their 20 meetings. Jose Luis Mendilibar is the opposing coach with the most defeats against Simeone (13 in 17 games), but facing Atleti has not been fun for Osasuna boss Jagoba Arrasate (seven defeats out of seven) or Villarreal's Unai Emery, who has never beaten Cholo in 15 meetings.

And while he has only managed nine wins in 35 derbies with Real Madrid, that's only one fewer than Atleti enjoyed in the most recent 66 meetings prior to his appointment. When they won the 2013 Copa del Rey final, Atleti ended a run of 25 consecutive games against Los Blancos without a victory, which was the longest such streak for either side in the history of the rivalry.

Loyalty

Of the 121 players to make at least one appearance under Simeone, Koke has played the most games (487) and enjoyed the most wins (293). Defender Joao Miranda boasts the record for the most appearances that all came as a starter (157), while Angel Correa has been the most frequently used substitute (133 times) and the player subbed off the most by Simeone (129 times).

There are 61 players to have scored a goal under Simeone, and 15 to hit 20 or more. The top scorer for Simeone's Atletico is Antoine Griezmann with 141, the fourth-most in Atleti history. Koke has the most assists with 96, at least 46 more than any other player. However, the apparent bit-part specialist Correa, who set up Griezmann to score in the Copa this week, is the only man to reach at least 50 goals and 50 assists in all competitions under Simeone.

Glory

Simeone's first trophy came 123 days after his first game: a 3-0 win over Marcelo Bielsa's Athletic Bilbao in the Europa League final, a result that, at the time, equalled their biggest win in a European showpiece. It preceded a 4-1 UEFA Super Cup triumph over Chelsea, the biggest victory in a single-game final in the history of that competition.

The team of 2013-14 lost some big names in the subsequent transfer window, notably Costa and Thibaut Courtois to Chelsea (the latter having been on loan from Stamford Bridge). In the following March, stand-in goalkeeper Miguel Angel Moya went off injured after 23 minutes of a Champions League game against Bayer Leverkusen. His replacement, Jan Oblak, went on to do quite well: in 2015-16, Atleti kept a club-best 24 clean sheets and equalled the record for the fewest goals conceded in a single LaLiga season, alongside Deportivo in 1993-94. Oblak has now played the most games of any goalkeeper in Atleti history (329).

In 2016, Atleti reached their third European Cup/Champions League final by eliminating Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich in the last four on away goals following a 2-2 aggregate draw. Having won the home leg 1-0 thanks to Saul Niguez, they got a valuable equaliser through Griezmann at the Allianz Arena as they just about survived a siege: Bayern attempted 33 shots, the most of any opposing side against Atleti in the Simeone era.

While the final again ended in disappointment against Madrid, 2016 did at least see Atleti claim a slice of derby history: they became the first team ever in LaLiga to beat Los Blancos away from home in three consecutive games, all of which, from 2013 onwards, finished 1-0. Two years later, they had more joy on the European stage, Griezmann scoring twice in a 3-0 victory over Marseille as Simeone became just the second coach to win the modern Europa League more than once. That game was also Gabi's 417th and final appearance for the club. He signed off with a goal.

Just before the pandemic wrought havoc on the sporting calendar, Simeone enjoyed one of his most famous comebacks in March 2020 as Atleti stunned Liverpool to win 3-2 at Anfield and progress from the Champions League last 16. Marcos Llorente was the hero, scoring twice and assisting another in a substitute cameo that heralded a change to a more attacking role in the side, but Oblak's contribution should not be forgotten: he made nine saves, a number he only ever managed twice previously (against Celta Vigo in October 2017 and Bayern in that Champions League clash).

Then, last year, came league title number two and trophy number eight for Cholo. Atleti became the first LaLiga champions this century to win their final two games of the season after falling behind in each (against Osasuna and Real Valladolid). Luis Suarez, discarded by Barca the year before, scored 21 goals to propel them to glory. In fact, Atleti scored 67 times that season from just 53 expected goals. Talk about the spirit of Cholismo.

Premier League managers are already feeling the strain amid cascading numbers of COVID-19 cases and mid-season injuries. Now many top bosses stand to lose stars to the Africa Cup of Nations.

Africa's greatest football show – now commonly known as AFCON – gets under way on Sunday in Cameroon.

Although the 2019 edition was held in June and July, it has historically been a January-into-February tournament and has returned to that place on the calendar.

A host of Premier League big names are hoping to make an impact during the four-week tournament, which falls slap-bang in the middle of European club campaigns, causing a major clash of competitions.

Premier League clubs certainly cannot complain of a lack of fair warning. It was June 2020 when African football chiefs decided the 2021 edition of the tournament would have to be pushed back by 12 months to a January 2022 start, in the hope the coronavirus crisis would have eased.

Here, Stats Perform takes a look at which teams from the English top flight might feel its impact the most.

Can Reds cling on in title battle?

If Liverpool lose no further ground on leaders Manchester City by the time their stars return from AFCON, then Jurgen Klopp would surely settle for that.

The 2019-20 Premier League champions have taken two points from a possible nine to leave the title as effectively City's to lose, and now Klopp is going to have to get by without Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Naby Keita.

Egyptian striker Salah is the Premier League's leader in goals (16) and assists (9, level with Trent Alexander Arnold) so far this season. He has taken 80 shots in 20 games (38 of these have hit the target), played 12 throughballs and created 40 chances from open play: in each of those categories he is at the top of the Premier League charts for players defined by Opta as forwards.

How do you cope without such a contribution? Having Mane on hand would help, but Mane will be turning out for Senegal, a team who, like Salah's Egypt, are firmly in the mix as serious trophy contenders. Don't expect either back at the end of the group stage.

Mane has eight Premier League goals this term, including the opener at Chelsea recently. That goal return puts Mane joint-second among African scorers in the Premier League this season, level with Watford's Emmanuel Dennis, who is not in Nigeria's squad.

Mane has played 19 throughballs and has made 23 tackles to boot, which is the seventh highest number of tackles by a forward in the league this season, a rarely mentioned attribute of his game. He does not always tackle with his elbow, either.

Keita will presumably be less of a miss, with the Guinean's Anfield contribution remaining underwhelming, but Liverpool have been so hard hit by absentees recently that to lose anybody for up to five weeks is an inconvenience.

They are at least assured of Joel Matip's presence this month. The centre-back last played for Cameroon in 2015 and has retired from international duty. That is bad news for the AFCON hosts but helps Liverpool, given Matip remains a sturdy presence, with a duel success of 69.47 per cent this season ranking him third among Premier League defenders with 10 or more appearances, and a passing accuracy of 88.89 per cent putting him eighth in that metric.

Liverpool only have two league games inked in between now and the end of AFCON, against Brentford and Crystal Palace, but the Reds also have two postponed fixtures to be slipped in somewhere along the line.

Wintertime Blues?

Pep Guardiola's Manchester City hold a 10-point lead over second-placed Chelsea, with Liverpool a point further back but possessing a game in hand on the top two. Reigning champions City have won 11 straight Premier League games and the Citizens have the resources to be able to cope with the short-term loss of Riyad Mahrez, who will captain Algeria.

Mahrez's six goals and four assists this season have come at a startling rate. Given the depth in City's squad, he does not always start, so to appreciate his contribution it is worth looking at his numbers per 90 minutes on the pitch.

The former Leicester City forward is averaging 0.64 goals and 0.43 assists per 90 minutes – impressively close to Salah's return of 0.81 and 0.45 in those categories – and is one of only four Premier League players with 10 or more appearances to average at least 1.00 goal involvements per 90 (Michael Olise 1.43, Salah 1.26, Roberto Firmino 1.24, Mahrez 1.07).

The Blues of Chelsea may have concerns over the absence of goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, given the Senegalese's stabilising influence at the back. His save percentage of 77.14 has only been beaten this season in the league by Wolves' Jose Sa (80.82) and Arsenal's Aaron Ramsdale (77.46).

Spaniard Kepa Arrizabalaga struggled in the early stages of his Chelsea career and is now the undoubted understudy.

Yet Kepa's form when given an opportunity this season has not given such cause for concern. The former Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper has been chiefly used in cup action, and he has achieved a remarkable save percentage of 81.48, suggesting that for a short run of games, he could be a perfectly able deputy.

Can an exodus to Africa affect the race for Europe?

Will fourth-placed Arsenal miss Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang? It seems unlikely now, given he was dropped and stripped of the captaincy after a disciplinary breach before heading off to join Gabon. He has not played for a month. The Gunners won five games in a row without him, including four in the league, before being unlucky to lose to Manchester City.

Cold facts tell us Arsenal have a points average of 1.9 per Premier League game when Aubameyang has started games this season, and 1.5 when he has been either a substitute or out of the team, but those figures may not be significant given the momentum Mikel Arteta's players have built in the recent absence of the 32-year-old. His continuing exile from the first team seems unlikely to cause much consternation.

For manager Arteta to lose Thomas Partey (Ghana) at this point is a blow though, with the former Atletico Madrid player having been excellent in the 2-1 defeat to City, having been slowly building up to such a performance. He had more touches, won more duels, made more tackles and played more successful passes than any other Arsenal player.

Arsenal have a big derby at Tottenham coming up on January 16, and they might feel Partey's absence that day, particularly given Spurs, who currently sit sixth, are sending no current first-teamers away to AFCON.

Splitting the north London rivals for now are West Ham, in fifth, and it will surely have hurt David Moyes to wave off Said Benrahma for a month of Algeria duty. The playmaker has five goals and four assists in the league this season, as well as making 83 ball recoveries and creating 21 chances in open play. That makes him one of only 13 players in the competition to top both 80 recoveries and 20 open-play chances created, and one of only five Premier League stars to tick both boxes and score at least five times. Crystal Palace's Wilfried Zaha, away with Ivory Coast, is another member of that small group.

Seventh-placed Manchester United will lose Eric Bailly to Ivory Coast too. But with Phil Jones back in the first team, will Bailly be missed? The former Villarreal centre-back has played just 217 minutes in the Premier League this season. United youth prospect Hannibal Mejbri is also away, in his case with Tunisia.

Further into mid-table, Wolves must find an alternative to the excellent Romain Saiss (tackle success rate 72.73 per cent) on the left side of their defence, after he joined up with Morocco. Brighton and Hove Albion powerhouse Yves Bissouma has the highest tackle success rate among midfielders to have made more than 40 such challenges in the Premier League this season (50 attempted, 35 won: 70 per cent hit rate) and he will line up for Mali after ending an international exile.

Leicester City sent away striker Kelechi Iheanacho (2 goals, 4 assists this season) for Nigeria service at a bad time for the Foxes, given injured Jamie Vardy faces several weeks out of action.

Palace are firmly in favour of players heading away to represent their countries, but the Eagles never particularly like to be without Zaha (5 goals, 1 assist, 86 dribbles). Since his return from Manchester United in August 2014, Palace have averaged 1.2 points and a 32.9 per cent win percentage with Zaha in their starting line-up, and 0.9 points and a 24.5 win percentage when he has not been in that matchday XI. The loss of Cheikhou Kouyate (80.56 per cent success rate from 36 tackles) to Senegal duty may also diminish the sturdiness of Patrick Vieira's Eagles spine.

Can Clarets cope without Cornet?

The relegation scrap seems more likely to be affected by transfer market activity than departures to AFCON.

Newcastle United and Norwich City, the league's bottom two, are sending nobody away, while fourth-bottom Watford have kept Dennis (8 goals, 5 assists) and it remains to be seen what happens to Ismaila Sarr (5 goals), who has been absent with injury of late but has headed for checks with Senegal doctors.

Burnley, who sit 18th, are seemingly the team to watch carefully here. Maxwel Cornet, now away with Ivory Coast, has scored six Premier League goals from just 10 shots on target, and Sean Dyche must find a way to make the Clarets impactful without the former Lyon man.

The Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) has issued an update on Novak Djokovic, expressing their view that he should be allowed to compete at the Australian Open with an approved medical exemption.

World number one Djokovic, who has not declared his COVID-19 vaccination status, seemed set to play in the year's opening major, which he has won nine times previously, after he confirmed he had received a medical exemption to compete.

Protocols in Australia require proof that players have been vaccinated or have a medical exemption to compete at Melbourne Park.

Tournament director Craig Tiley insisted that the 20-time major champion had not been given a "special favour" to play in the tournament, though the decision faced immediate and widespread backlash and on Wednesday, Djokovic's visa application was cancelled.

However, the Serbian's legal team filed for a judicial review, with the case to be heard by Federal Circuit Court Judge Anthony Kelly on Monday at 10am local time in Melbourne.

Djokovic is now hauled up in a Melbourne hotel, and cannot be deported until the hearing has taken place unless he leaves the country of his own volition.

Protestors have also appeared outside of the hotel where Djokovic has been transferred, while Nick Kyrgios has expressed his displeasure at the way the situation has been handled.

The matter has also drawn criticism from Serbia's president Aleksandar Vucic, who labelled Australia's treatment of the nation's superstar as "harassment."

On Friday, the PTPA - which was founded by Djokovic and Canadian player Vasek Pospisil in 2020 - issued an update on the situation.

The PTPA has been diligently monitoring the detainment of professional tennis player Novak Djokovic by the Australian Government.

"The PTPA has been in close contact with Mr Djokovic, his family and legal counsel, government officials and Australian Open leadership," a statement read.

"Mr Djokovic has verified his well-being to us. He has also requested that we allow him to personally share the facts of his detainment in his own words, and in his own time.

"With the utmost respect for all personal views on vaccinations, vaccinated athletes and unvaccinated athletes (with an approved medical exemption) should both be afforded the freedom to compete. We will continue to support and advocate for our members, and all players, in a manner that is acceptable to them."

The statement concluded with: "We will continue to monitor his health, safety and well-being. We look forward to his time back on the court."

Chris Paul recorded his first triple-double of the season with a career-high 13 rebounds in the Phoenix Suns' 106-89 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday.

Paul finished the game with 14 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists as the NBA-leading Suns improved to 30-8, while the Clippers slipped below .500 at 19-20 for the first time since they were 3-4 earlier this season, while Phoenix became the first team to reach 30 wins this season as they moved a game ahead of the Golden State Warriors.

The rebounding feats of Paul, playing his 1,128th NBA game, were complimented by the Suns veteran bringing up 41 assists from Phoenix's past three games.

Paul (474) also moved past NBA legend Oscar Robertson into third overall for most games with 10 or more points and 10 or more assists, behind John Stockton (714) and Magic Johnson (543).

Cameron Johnson had a career-high 24 points with seven rebounds for the Suns as Devin Booker went none-of-seven from beyond the arc for his 11 points.

Marcus Morris Sr had 26 points with eight rebounds and three assists for the Clippers who were without Paul George, Nicolas Batum and Kawhi Leonard.

Warriors lose without Curry and Green

The Warriors struggled in the absence of injured All-Star duo Stephen Curry (quad) and Draymond Green (hip), going down 101-96 to the New Orleans Pelicans.

Brandon Ingram scored 32 points with 11 rebounds and six assists for New Orleans.

Evan Fournier shot 10 three-pointers as he haunted his former side with 41 points and eight rebounds as the New York Knicks overcame the Boston Celtics 108-105 but it was RJ Barrett who hit a buzzer beater to clinch the win. Jayson Tatum had 36 points, six rebounds and nine assists.

Pistons pumped as Cunningham struggles

The Detroit Pistons were hammered by 30 points in the 118-88 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies with no player scoring more than 14 points.

The Pistons hold a 7-30 record this season with only three road victories from 20 games. They shocked the Milwaukee Bucks earlier this week but were no match for in-form Memphis, who extended their winning streak to seven.

Top draft pick Cade Cunningham shot five-of-19 for his 12 points.

Nick Kyrgios has labelled the reaction to and handling of Novak Djokovic's predicament as "really bad".

Djokovic faces deportation from Australia after having had his visa application cancelled.

The world number one has not revealed his vaccination status against COVID-19, but was set to compete at the Australian Open under a medical exemption.

That decision called uproar in Australia, which has been under strict lockdown restrictions for much of the pandemic.

However, Djokovic was denied entry into Australia upon his arrival at Melbourne airport, with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison saying the 20-time grand slam champion would be on "the next plane home" if he failed to produce a sufficient reason for his medical exemption.

Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley insisted that the 20-time major champion had not been given a "special favour" to play in the tournament, though the decision faced immediate and widespread backlash.

Djokovic is currently hauled up in a hotel after an interim injunction hearing was pushed back to Monday at 10am local time, with Federal Circuit Court Judge Anthony Kelly ruling that the Serbian could not be deported until at least 4pm on Monday, local time.

Several of Djokovic's fellow players, including Rafael Nadal, have criticised the 34-year-old's stance and the decision to initially allow him to compete.

Yet Kyrgios, who has never seen eye to eye with Djokovic, has not joined those critics, and instead hit out at how Australia, and the media, have handled the situation.

"Look I definitely believe in taking action, I got vaccinated because of others and for my mum's health, but how we are handling Novak’s situation is bad, really bad," Kyrgios tweeted on Friday.

"Like these memes, headlines, this is one of our great champions but at the end of the day, he is human. Do better."

Kyrgios said in November that he believed the Australian Open should be cancelled if it was mandated that competitors would have to be vaccinated.

 "I don't think the Aus Open should go ahead, just for the people in Melbourne – you’ve got to send a message," Kyrgios said on his 'No Boundaries' podcast at the time.

Australian Cameron Smith holds a one-stroke lead after the opening day of the PGA Tour's calendar year-opening Tournament of Champions in Hawaii on Thursday.

Smith carded an eight-under-par 65 which included two eagles along with five birdies and one bogey to claim the lead ahead of three players including world number one Jon Rahm on seven under.

Rahm is tied with American pair Daniel Berger and Patrick Cantlay following rounds of 66 in good conditions.

More than half of the 38-player field broke 70 in the conditions, although Grand Slam winners Phil Mickelson, Jordan Spieth (both 71) and Justin Thomas (74) were not among that group.

Top-ranked Rahm and PGA Tour Player of the Year Cantlay were both returning to competitive golf after several months off and made fine transitions.

The Spaniard had seven birdies and no bogeys in his round, while Cantlay started with a bogey but finished in style, with four birdies and an eagle in his final five holes.

Berger might have shared the lead with Smith if not for a bogey on the penultimate hole, having made five birdies on his front nine.

Erik van Rooyen, Kevin Na and Sungjae Jim are six under, while world number two Collin Morikawa and four-time major winner Brooks Koepka are among five players at five under.

Top 20 trio Bryson DeChambeau, Xander Schauffele and Hideki Matsuyama are also not far off the pace after opening rounds of four-under for 69.

Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert has tested positive for COVID-19 once again after his diagnosis prompted the NBA to shut down for four months in March last year.

Gobert has entered the league's health and safety protocols and will miss Friday's game against the Toronto Raptors.

The three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year had missed the Jazz's win at the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday for an unspecified illness.

The Jazz said Gobert returned two negative results for two rapid tests on the day of that game but the result of a PCR test returned on Thursday is positive.

Utah, who are 28-10, had managed to avoid having any players enter protocols this season until Joe Inglis entered earlier this week, with Gobert the second Jazz player to test positive.

Diego Simeone is keeping his fingers crossed that Antoine Griezmann's injury is not too serious after the striker hobbled off in Thursday's 5-0 Copa del Rey win over Rayo Majadahonda.

The France international – who scored his side's fourth after being introduced as a substitute – sustained a thigh injury in last month's derby defeat to Real Madrid before testing positive for COVID-19 last week.

Simeone did not reveal the nature of Griezmann's injury but said he hopes the France international, who left the pitch visibly upset, is not sidelined for long.

"The doctors will inform better than me," he told a media conference. "He is a very important player for us and it is a shame that he was injured again.

"We hope he does not have much time out."

Simeone fielded a strong starting XI for the game, which was played at the Wanda Metropolitano despite Majadahonda being drawn as the home team, and they never looked like they would suffer an upset after Matheus Cunha's early opener.

Renan Lodi and Luis Suarez made it three before the interval, while Griezmann and fellow substitute Joao Felix rounded off the scoring in the second half.

After scoring against Granada in LaLiga before the mid-season break, Joao Felix has now scored in consecutive away games in all competitions for just the second time ever after doing so against Real Mallorca and Lokomotiv Moscow in October 2019.

Simeone was full of praise for the Portugal international and wants to see more of the same from him in the coming weeks.

"It was an extraordinary performance in the second half," the Atleti boss added.

"He has come out with great enthusiasm and everything he has tried has turned out well for him. I'm very happy for him and I'm sure it will be good for us if he continues at this level."

After four defeats in a row before the mid-season break, Atleti have started 2022 with back-to-back wins.

Simeone has been pleased with his side's attitude since their return to action and he does not want them to let up.

"The side has a lot of desire to do things well," he said. "The players have great intensity from minute one to get out of the moment of difficulty that the team was going through.

"Achieving consistency in the league is the most difficult thing and it is what we are trying to do."

Atleti are next in action on Sunday when they visit Villarreal in LaLiga.