Pep Guardiola says his admiration for Harry Kane has not dwindled since missing out on the Tottenham star, who he considers one of the greatest strikers he has ever seen.

Manchester City fell short in their pursuit of the England international ahead of the 2021-22 campaign, with Tottenham standing firm on their huge valuation at the time.

The reigning English champions instead turned to Erling Haaland a year later and the 22-year-old is currently the most prolific striker in world football.

While pleased with the impact Haaland has made since arriving from Borussia Dortmund, Guardiola still remains a fan of Kane.

"We are extremely happy with Erling and, of course, I think Tottenham are extremely happy with Harry Kane," Guardiola said.

"What an exceptional player – the numbers and, more than the goals, the quality. That they didn't win a title [doesn't mean] he is not a good player. I think he proved that.

"Harry Kane remains one of the best strikers I have ever seen in my life."

Haaland has scored 31 goals in 27 matches for City this season – six more than Europe's next highest goalscorer, Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe (25).

Kane has himself been in good form this campaign for an inconsistent Spurs side, with his tally of 18 goals bettered only by Haaland, Mbappe and Robert Lewandowski (23).

He has scored 16 goals in the Premier League this season and is now just one short of overtaking club legend Jimmy Greaves as Tottenham's all-time record goalscorer.

The 29-year-old also needs one more goal to become the third player after Alan Shearer (260) and Wayne Rooney (208) to reach the 200 mark in the Premier League.

Those records will be in Kane's sights when Spurs host City on Sunday, a little over two weeks on from the sides facing off in a thrilling clash at the Etihad Stadium.

Guardiola criticised his side after they recovered from two goals down at half-time to win 4-2, but they have since won back-to-back matches without conceding.

"From the results since then, if we'd lost or drawn it would have been seen as a bad approach," Guardiola said.

"But I explained my feelings. I know my team, I know the players. It doesn't matter what happened.

"The decisions we take are to do our best and for our benefit. I take responsibility for that, that's why I'm in charge. I didn't know what would happen when I said my comments. 

"I just expressed my feelings, first to the team and then in public and that's all. It's just three games after that and we have to continue."

Guardiola has lost all four of his visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in all competitions, making it the away ground he has managed at the most without winning.

Bayern Munich chief executive Oliver Kahn has warned Manuel Neuer his comments on the sacking of the Bundesliga champions' goalkeeping coach do not align with the club's values.

Germany veteran Neuer, speaking in an interview with The Athletic, questioned the dismissal of long-time mentor Toni Tapalovic as he acknowledged the "blow" of the goalkeeping coach's sacking.

The 36-year-old, who is out of action for the season after suffering a season-ending skiing injury, said the decision "came out of nowhere" and "really knocked me down".

Kahn was not impressed with Neuer's public comments, firing back at the Bayern star ahead of a crucial run-in for Julian Nagelsmann's side in February.

"What Manuel said in parts of these two interviews in connection with the release of Toni Tapalovic does not do justice to him as captain or to the values of FC Bayern," he told Deutsche Presse-Agentur.

"Moreover, his statements come at an inopportune time because we are facing very important games."

Kahn sympathised with Neuer's situation, having seen his own goalkeeping coach Sepp Maier dismissed by Germany in 2004, but said he cannot understand his motivations.

Kahn added: "He is personally affected, you have to understand that to a certain extent. We were also aware of that when we explained to him that the decision on the question of the goalkeeper coach, which was not taken lightly, was the best thing for our team at that moment. I was faced with a similar situation as an international in 2004.

"Our goalkeeper coach Sepp Maier felt badly treated by the DFB and it came to a separation. I had worked with Sepp for years and we had a friendly and trusting relationship.

"I was also disappointed at the time, and I was angry with the DFB. But the common goals were in the foreground for me.

"They were more important to me than my personal feelings. And for that reason, I decided at the time not to speak out publicly. Manuel has now done the opposite.

"We will talk to him about it very clearly."

Pep Guardiola referenced "genius" Barcelona mentor Johan Cruyff as the Spaniard detailed the small margins that will dictate the Premier League title race.

Manchester City sit five points behind top-flight leaders Arsenal, having played a game more on the weekend where Mikel Arteta's side visit strugglers Everton and Guardiola's men travel to Tottenham.

The reigning Premier League champions are no strangers to a late-season run to propel to glory, going unbeaten in 28 games to eventually overcome Liverpool in the title race last term.

City have arguably a much more daunting task at hand, having to overthrow Arteta's in-form Arsenal this time, but Guardiola says he will use lessons from Netherlands great Cruyff in 2023.

He told Sky Sports: "I won four La Ligas in a row in Spain when I was a football player. In the fifth I was not the same. In the sixth I was not the same. I was not starving enough.

"Caviar. Madrid beat me. The fifth and the sixth. I understand the players. But I am here to do it.

"I realised a little bit later. It is difficult for a player to realise in real time exactly what is happening.

"It is ridiculous how small the margin is between winning and losing. You have to pay attention. I tried to do my best. I never doubt that players do their best.

"But at the same time you think, 'OK, I have done it, I have won.' After, to be on top again, it takes time.

"Johan had many great attributes but one of them was that he knew exactly how you were going to feel before you felt it, before it happened.

"That is why he was a genius. He would tell us, 'Now this will happen.' Fortunately or unfortunately, most of the time it did."

Erling Haaland has hit a remarkable 25 goals in just 19 Premier League appearances since joining City from Borussia Dortmund ahead of this campaign.

But change in Manchester has brought difficulties, despite the Norway international's record-breaking exploits, with City an entirely different side to the first title-winning campaign under Guardiola.

"It has happened. We change, everyone changes. It is normal. Most of the time it is the players who decide they want to leave," he added.

"The club is always open to do it. There are other clubs where the release clause is the most important. Someone has to pay it or you stay. I completely disagree with that.

"Always, when they are not comfortable working with the manager, the staff, the club, the city, whatever, they have to try to move on.

"Of course, there has to be an offer. But if you come with an offer, I am pretty sure we are going to reach an agreement.

"For example, Gabriel [Jesus], Alex [Oleksandr Zinchenko] and Raheem [Sterling] have gone this season.

"I could not be more grateful for what they have done for me and for this institution, winning 11 trophies in five years. It is just amazing. Believe me, I wish the best for them personally and professionally.

"It is the same with me when I leave. One day they are going to bring in a new manager with his own passion and his own ideas. Everything is going to move on."

Manuel Neuer backed Yann Sommer to succeed at Bayern Munich but questioned the dismissal of their goalkeeping coach after his freak skiing injury.

Germany veteran Neuer suffered a season-ending injury to his lower right leg in a fall in December.

The 36-year-old subsequently underwent surgery, with the setback coming just days after Germany tumbled out of the World Cup in the group stage.

Bayern searched frantically to replace their star goalkeeper in the January transfer window, eventually bringing in Sommer from Borussia Monchengladbach in a deal Neuer has "no problem at all" with.

He told The Athletic: "I put up a picture in our WhatsApp group and apologised. I also called the people in charge, apologised to them and said I'm sorry.

"I'm not a coward who goes into hiding. I explained everything to them, including the background.

"It created a lot of work for the people who run the club and that I might have harmed the team, yes. I didn't want that. I'm the happiest person when Sven Ulreich does well, as he always has done when he stood in for me.

"When Yann was brought in, I told the bosses I had no problem at all with that. I think it's good we have two great goalkeepers. I'm a team player. It's important to me what happens at Bayern.

"I look at the overall picture I don't just think of me and my pain and so on. I have a vocation, I have a job.

"I'm an important part of the team and also an important part of the club and I want the club and the team to be as successful as possible. That's the most important thing to me.

"I've known Yann for a long time and know that he's a good guy – and a good goalkeeper. The club found a great solution. It was important to me that there's someone there and that I don't have to worry."

While Sommer eased Julian Nagelsmann's goalkeeping fears, Bayern dismissed Neuer's long-time coach Toni Tapalovic.

"That blow hit me extremely hard," Neuer added. "Toni was always a team player with us, everyone saw it that way.

"He wasn't working for me for eleven and a half years, but for the entire goalkeeper group, for the coaching staff and for the club.

"We were always able to separate work and private life. I understand that it might sound like I'm not being objective or not believable, but I can really tell the difference.

"For me, that was a blow – when I was already down on the ground. I felt like my heart was being ripped out. It was the most brutal thing I've experienced in my career. And I've experienced a lot."

Bayern sit a point clear of Union Berlin at the Bundesliga summit ahead of Sunday's visit to Wolfsburg.

Valencia defender Gabriel Paulista has apologised for his horrendous challenge on Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior and insists "it was never my intention to harm him".

Gabriel was issued a straight red card for a wild kick on Vinicius in the 72nd minute of Valencia's 2-0 loss at Santiago Bernabeu on Thursday.

Vinicius, who had earlier doubled his side's lead after Marco Asensio had opened the scoring, was sent flying to the ground and a scuffle between both sets of players ensued.

Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois later called for his team-mate to be better protected by officials, having been on the end of a number of bad tackles this season.

Former Arsenal defender Gabriel is now facing a two-game LaLiga ban after the Spanish Football Federation's disciplinary committee added another game to his suspension.

The 32-year-old, who will miss games against Girona and Athletic Bilbao, took to social media on Friday to apologise to Vinicius.

"I accept the criticism and the red card," Gabriel posted. "I am a physical player, but also a noble one. I respect Vinicius and it was never my intention to harm him. 

"We are struggling a lot in this great club, going through a difficult period and emotions are running high.

"Sometimes it is impossible to control one's emotions. I lost control and I sincerely ask for forgiveness."

Vinicius was able to play the remainder of the match and took part in training on Friday ahead of Madrid's league meeting with Real Mallorca.

The Brazil international has been fouled 103 times this season, which is at least 19 more than any other player across Europe's top five leagues in all competitions.

Forty-six of those fouls have been in the final third – exactly double the number of Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar, who is the next highest on the list.

Formula One world champion Max Verstappen expects Lewis Hamilton to challenge him for the title next year "if he has the car to do it".

Hamilton, a seven-time drivers' championship winner, was blighted by car issues with Mercedes last season as he failed to win a race for the first time in his career.

Red Bull star Verstappen tallied a record-breaking 15 wins to finish 146 points ahead of closest rival Charles Leclerc in a dominant title-winning 2022 campaign.

But the Dutchman does not envisage a third straight F1 crown coming with such relative ease in 2023.

"He's been one of the greatest drivers ever in the sport, so for sure if he has the car to do it, he can fight for the title again," Verstappen told Sky Sports of Hamilton.

He added: "But that's the same for George [Russell], it's the same for Charles, it's the same for Lando [Norris] – if you give them the car that's capable of winning the championship, they can.

"But it's also about when you have the car then the pressure comes you cannot afford big mistakes.

"That's a bit of a different pressure you have but I'm confident once these guys get onto a roll like that it is all possible, they all have talent to do so."

Red Bull cruised to the constructors' championship last year, winning the title for the first time since 2013.

However, the team have been hit with wind tunnel testing restrictions and CFD limitations after they were judged to have breached financial regulations.

The full impact of those punishments is unclear but a reduction in time allowed in the wind tunnel could lead Red Bull to fall behind their rivals in aerodynamic developments.

"You always try to go for it, but I don't know if we're going to be good enough," Verstappen added.

"Of course as a team we believe we are, we are very motivated, we come off the back of a very strong year and we are working flat out to try and achieve that."

Ford will return to F1 this year for the first time since 2004 and partner with Red Bull from 2026.

Verstappen cannot wait for the partnership after seeing success in a collaboration with Honda, having also witnessed first-hand the struggles with the Renault combination.

"I signed twice without actually fully knowing what was coming in terms of engines, and people said maybe that's a crazy thing to do," he continued.

"I believed in the project and I believed that everyone involved would make the right decisions for the team.

"The first one they made going with Honda, I think that worked out really well and now for the future this is the next step – Ford in 2026 – and I believe in it.

"If we all believe in it, I'm sure we can create something really cool."

Graham Potter acknowledged time will be required for his new-look Chelsea to gel but he is "confident" the Blues will qualify for the Champions League.

Chelsea were held to a goalless draw at home to local rivals Fulham on Friday, as the Blues – who offered full debuts to Enzo Fernandez and Mykhailo Mudyrk – lacked fluency at Stamford Bridge.

Potter's side are a long away from top-four chasing form, sitting ninth in the Premier League, but the Chelsea head coach remains optimistic his team will be playing in the Champions League next season.

When asked about a top-four finish, Potter said: "I'm confident with the potential we have. I'm confident with the ability we have within the group.

"What we need to do now is gel the team. That's the challenge, that's what we have to do.

"There's still more football to play, but at the same time I don't want to worry about what we're going to do in four, five months' time. I need to focus on the next day, the training session and the next game."

Argentina World Cup winner Fernandez was signed for a Premier League record £106.8million (€121m) move from Benfica, but largely impressed on his debut just three days after the transfer.

"Very good, considering he's been in the country not very long," Potter said of Fernandez on Sky Sports.

"He doesn't know us, we don't know him so well but I think you can see flashes of his quality and personality. He'll get better and better."

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp questioned how Chelsea managed to spend so heavily in January, while Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola echoed a similar sentiment.

Mudryk, Benoit Badiashile, Andrey Santos, David Datro Fofana, Joao Felix and Noni Madueke all arrived alongside the record-breaking agreement for Fernandez.

Potter was keen to focus away from just the transfer fees spent by a Todd Boehly-led Blues consortium, as he outlined his next challenge in west London.

"I think you have to look at it all in terms of transfer fees and salaries," Potter said.

"You can sign someone for less of a transfer fee but the salaries are enormous, so it just depends on how you structure the contract, how you structure the deal.

"But we're confident in what we're doing and I think we've done a good job and now my job is to improve the team."

Devin Booker said he is "rounding third" on his road to recovery in a big boost for a Phoenix Suns side who defeated the out-of-form Boston Celtics on Friday.

The Suns triumphed 106-94 against the Eastern Conference leaders to move to 28-26 for the season and sixth in the West.

Mikal Bridges scored 25 points, while Dario Saric tallied 14 and 13 rebounds to consign the Celtics to a fourth loss in their past six games.

Booker has not played since Christmas due to a groin injury, with the Suns losing nine of the first 11 games without their All Star before rebounding to win seven of the next nine.

Donning a Detroit Red Wings knit cap, Booker was asked how his recovery was going to which he replied: "Rounding third."

Center Jock Landale welcomed the impending return of Booker and also acknowledged the importance of beating the Celtics without him.

"For us to win it without Book is big for everyone's confidence, because he will be back shortly," Landale said. 

"We would have liked to win a few more games, but now that we're winning a lot of games and he's on the verge of coming back, it's big for us."

The Celtics had beaten the Brooklyn Nets by 43 points on Wednesday and defeated the Suns by 17 as recently as December, but came up short on this occasion despite Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum putting up 27 and 20 points respectively – albeit the duo were a combined 12-for-36 from the floor and six-for-22 from downtown.

"I thought we had some solid looks for the majority of the game," Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. 

"But I just thought we were inconsistent in our detail."

Brown added: "We just didn't have the enthusiasm tonight. Just kind of going through the motions as a unit."

Marcus Smart missed a sixth straight game with a right-ankle sprain, with the Celtics 2-4 without the reigning Defensive Player of the Year.

"Marcus brings energy to the game," Brown said. 

"He brings pace to the game. He gets us easier shots, easier looks for our guys. And defensively, he adds that tenaciousness that gets us going and picks us up in games like this."

The Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups says his side perform "when our backs are against the wall" after a late comeback against the Washington Wizards.

Washington looked set to extend their winning streak to seven games on Friday, only for Portland to stage a third-quarter fightback in a 124-116 victory over the Wizards.

Anfernee Simons scored 20 of his 33 points in the third quarter, making six of Portland's nine three-pointers in the third, as he went on to finish 9-of-12 beyond the arc.

"Our team is just so much better when our backs are against the wall," Billups said. "I've been on teams like that before, so I understand it, but it's a dangerous place to live."

A fine comeback saw the Trail Blazers fire nine field goals from long distance after going in at the second quarter 69-51 down.

Simons hit the first five of those shots before hitting another three-pointer to reduce the deficit to seven points after scores for Damian Lillard and Jerami Grant.

The Trail Blazers eventually snatched the lead at 102-101, but Portland could not have fought back without Simons.

"We ran plays for him. We started off the third quarter kind of running his play," Billups said. "He came off and got a couple of looks.

"Then I thought Dame and Josh and those guys, they all just did a really good job of continuing to keep the ball in his hands."

It wasn't long ago that Sevilla fans were dreaming of actually winning LaLiga for the first time since their only title success in the 1940s.

Sporting director Monchi built the squad and Julen Lopetegui maximised its potential, using a brilliant defence as the platform for a solid and effective team.

Ultimately, Sevilla's form in the final weeks of the 2020-21 season saw their challenge tail off, but they finished just nine points adrift of eventual champions Atletico Madrid.

Essentially going toe-to-toe with three teams whose budgets dwarfed their own was itself an achievement, and the positivity carried through into the 2021-22 campaign.

At the end of matchday 20, second-placed Sevilla were just two points behind Real Madrid and 10 clear of Real Betis in third. However, since then, their accumulation of 47 points is the ninth-most in LaLiga.

Barcelona have almost double that number (91); Madrid have 79; city rivals Betis are on 62; Real Mallorca – only promoted back to LaLiga for last season – have tallied just three points fewer.

In that respect, Sunday's trip to Camp Nou represents a particularly daunting challenge. So, how has everything unravelled so quickly for Sevilla?

The key departures

Lopetegui's side were never particularly high scorers. In each of his three full seasons in charge, there were at least four teams in LaLiga who scored more than them, and the most they plundered was 54 in 2020-21.

While that may not exactly sound bad on the face of it, successful teams obviously tend to score a fair amount more. Over the seasons in question, the average goals total for the 15 teams to play each campaign in LaLiga was 155 – Sevilla's total was 160, so only slightly above average.

The reason they were able to be competitive around the top of the table despite attacking deficiencies was their excellent defence, built around the central pairing of Diego Carlos and Jules Kounde.

Sevilla conceded 97 goals across Lopetegui's three full seasons, bettered only by Real Madrid (84) and Atletico Madrid (95). The league median was 135, so they were much better than average.

Diego Carlos and Kounde both had the perfect blend of defensive intelligence, physical presence and technical ability, with Lopetegui's emphasis on building from the back starting with them. They were key to virtually everything.

Sevilla knew they'd leave eventually. The likelihood of being able to replace them with another partnership just as good was miniscule.

Instead, they'd need to offset their departures with greater goal threat at the other end. They failed. Sevilla have gone from scoring 1.4 goals and conceding 0.9 per game to netting 1.1 and letting in 1.4.

Lopetegui's delayed exit

Generally, Lopetegui did a very good job. Sevilla were rarely especially entertaining, but for about two and a half seasons they were very effective.

Their form tailed off badly towards the end of the 2021-22 campaign, however. Between January 1 and the end of the season, Sevilla's 32 points from 20 games were only the sixth-most. While they only lost twice in LaLiga during that run, they drew 11 times – no other team in the division reached double figures.

As the end of the season closed in, it seemed likely Lopetegui would leave, and to most fans it felt like the right time. Departing at that moment would've provided him and the club with a clean break and given his successor a full pre-season to get their ideas across.

A report from Marca in mid-May suggested Lopetegui was "on the precipice". A local reporter claimed the same day that their parting had been decided. But about 24 hours later, Monchi insisted the former Real Madrid and Barcelona goalkeeper would still be in charge for the new season.

Indeed, he was, but Lopetegui's attempts to re-energise the team fell flat. Sevilla began the season with one point from four games – they have never had fewer points after that many matches, with it their worst start in 41 years.

Lopetegui lasted another month, but back-to-back home defeats to Atletico and Borussia Dortmund – who were 4-1 winners – took him to the point of no return, his departure confirmed by an emotional on-pitch farewell to supporters.

Jorge Sampaoli, Lopetegui's replacement, has struggled to inspire a turnaround upon his return to the club and even had to contend with reports questioning his own future.

But the coaches cannot be entirely to blame.

Questionable transfer policy

It almost feels like sacrilege to criticise the work of Monchi – at Sevilla, anyway – but his second spell in charge of the club's transfers has been blighted by expensive (by their standards) disappointments.

It hasn't all been bad. Three successive top-four finishes was something they hadn't achieved since the 1950s, and the likes of Diego Carlos and Kounde will go down among Monchi's best ever deals.

But many signings have failed to live up to expectations.

Of the six players brought in during this season's first transfer window, three (Kasper Dolberg, Isco and Adnan Januzaj) have already left permanently or on loan; one has struggled significantly (Tanguy Nianzou); the other two (Marcao and Alex Telles) have spent more time injured than not.

Thirty-six players have been signed between the end of the 2018-19 season and the start of 2023, but you could argue only 11 have been successes. There's also been a focus on more experienced players, so the squad now has 11 players aged 30 or older. Unsurprisingly, the average age of their starting XI (28.9 years) is the oldest in LaLiga this term.

Obviously, it's easy to be critical with hindsight, and it should be highlighted Sevilla rely on player turnover to generate much of their revenue. It's always a risky strategy and that the club has had so much success with this model over the past 20 years speaks to Monchi's excellence.

But this is probably the trickiest period Sevilla have had since returning to LaLiga in 2001. Sure, recent results have hoisted them up to 13th, but they're still only two points above the bottom three and nothing about this season has suggested the squad is mentally tough, which would be a worry if they still found themselves perilously close to the drop zone in the final weeks of the campaign.

The last thing Sevilla need right now is a trip to Camp Nou, where they've not beaten Barca in LaLiga since 2002.

On the other hand, an unlikely positive result could be a game-changer as the club build for a 2023 that fans hope brings a bit more cheer than 2022.

A fight broke out between Austin Rivers and Mo Bamba during Friday's game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Orlando Magic, resulting in five ejections.

The situation occurred late in the third quarter as Rivers took exception to some words from the Magic bench, and while the play continued, Rivers stayed down the other end of the court jawing with Bamba before punches started to fly.

It appeared Rivers and Bamba were the only players to throw punches, before Magic guard Jalen Suggs was also ejected for pulling Rivers to the ground, while the Timberwolves' Jaden McDaniels and Taurean Prince were also given their marching orders for getting too involved.

The Magic went on to win the game 127-120 away from home in a well-balanced performance, with 10 players scoring at least nine points each, led by Cole Anthony with 20 off the bench.

Rivers was still fired up after the contest, posting an Instagram story about Bamba saying "we only know about you from an old rap song" – referencing Sheck Wes' 2018 hit titled Mo Bamba.

His post read: "Buddy I went at you one-on-five! With no backup! You needed your team-mates otherwise you would of been choked out.

"We only know you from an old rap song, not hoops… and Orlando my city, ask around and actually find out. They don't mess with you there… facts!"

He deleted that post after a short period of time, and he explained the situation further when addressing the media afterwards.

"I’m just like, 'Yo, what are you doing?'," Rivers said. "I went up to him and I pressed him, and at that point, it can go one of two ways. 

"I didn’t think we were going to get in a fight, but when you stand up that fast and put your hands up – he threw a punch and missed, thankfully. At that point I've got to protect myself. Ain’t no one worried about him."

Orlando center Moritz Wagner said it is difficult to know what to do when a situation like that breaks out, but he was proud of his team-mates supporting each other.

"You obviously want to have your teammate's back and at the same time, you’ve got to be a professional," he said. "So, that’s a challenge for a young team like us. 

"I think this time around we did a good job compared to last time [when Wagner was ejected against the Detroit Pistons in December]. So, yeah, I don't really know. It's a weird dynamic. 

"You don't really want to be in those situations and it's not really the best look… at the same time, there is something in me that appreciates the team sticking together like that."

The incident comes the night after both Dillon Brooks and Donovan Mitchell were ejected for a skirmish between the Memphis Grizzlies and Cleveland Cavaliers, with Brooks receiving a one-game suspension for instigating it.

The Philadelphia 76ers have now won nine of their past 10 games after Joel Embiid overpowered the San Antonio Spurs in a 137-125 road victory on Friday.

Embiid, who is leading the league in scoring at 33.5 points per game, put together what seemed like an effortless 33 points on 10-of-18 shooting. He also added 10 rebounds, four assists and two steals.

His 1.1 steals per game this season are tied for his career-high, while Embiid is also one of six players averaging at least one steal and one block per game, joining Anthony Davis, Kristaps Porzingis, Jaren Jackson Jr, Jaden McDaniels and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

The 76ers took control of the game with a 47-point second quarter, jumping ahead by 12 at half-time, and the margin never got any closer than nine points the rest of the way.

Embiid was supported well by Tyrese Maxey off the bench with 25 points (eight-of-15 shooting) in 27 minutes, while James Harden finished with 16 points (four-of-10) and eight assists.

For the Spurs, it was an impressive showing from first-round rookie Malaki Branham as he scored a career-high 26 points on 11-of-16 shooting, just two days after setting a career-high of 22 points (nine-of-13) against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.

With the win, the 76ers improved to 34-17 – the fourth-best record in the NBA.

Suns resurgence continues

The Phoenix Suns (28-26) have climbed back into the Western Conference's top-six after a strong 106-94 road win against the league-leading Boston Celtics (37-16).

Phoenix's season was on life support a couple of weeks ago as they collected only two wins from a 14-game stretch while both Devin Booker and Chris Paul sat out with injuries, but Paul's return has ignited a 7-2 run from their past nine.

Against the Celtics, Paul led both teams with a game-high eight assists to go with 15 points (six-of-15) and six rebounds, while Mikal Bridges's 25 points on nine-of-20 shooting led the Suns in scoring.

It was a night to forget for Celtics MVP candidate Jayson Tatum, shooting just three-of-15 from the field.

Pacers claim bragging rights over trade partner

In a clash between All-Stars who swapped places last season, it was Buddy Hield leading the Indiana Pacers to a 107-104 home win against the Sacramento Kings.

These teams engaged in one of the biggest trades of the 2021-22 campaign when the Pacers sent Domantas Sabonis to the Sacramento Kings for point guard Tyrese Haliburton and Hield, with Sabonis and Haliburton both earning All-Star nods this season on their new teams.

But it was Hield rising to the occasion against his former side, scoring a team-high 21 points on eight-of-15 shooting while also collecting his third double-double of the season with 10 rebounds, and his six assists were his most since October.

Both Dillon Brooks and Donovan Mitchell will pay the price for their part in an on-court altercation on Thursday night.

The NBA announced Friday that Brooks was suspended one game without pay and Mitchell was fined $20,000 for their roles in a scuffle.

Brooks swung and struck Mitchell in the groin area during the third quarter after the Grizzlies guard had fallen to the floor. Mitchell retaliated by throwing the ball at Brooks and then shoving him.

Both players were ejected in Cleveland's 128-113 win.

"That’s just who he is," Mitchell said after the game. "We’ve seen it a bunch in this league with him. Him and I have had our personal battles for years. There's no place for that in the game. This has been brewing for years with me and other guys in the league. This isn't new."

The league said Brooks will serve his suspension on Sunday, when the Grizzlies host the Toronto Raptors.

"I'm not typically someone who gets ejected for stuff like that," Mitchell said. "But at the end of the day, I think my reaction was reacting to a cheap shot. If punishment doesn't come from that, he's just going to keep doing it.

"It's just dumb to be honest with you and I'm going to appeal it because I don't think I should've gotten ejected for defending myself."

Before his ejection, Mitchell had scored just six points in 22 minutes while being guarded by Brooks. The two had matched up regularly when Mitchell played for Utah.

"That was cool when we were just talking, but that right there, a line has to be drawn," Mitchell said. "The NBA has to do something about it. I'm not the only person this has happened to and there's no place for that in this game."