LeBron James is putting off retirement talk but the Los Angeles Lakers superstar says he will only be happy to continue playing while he is on a team capable of winning NBA titles.

James scored 27 points and claimed nine rebounds and six assists to lead the Lakers against his former team the Miami Heat on Wednesday, yet his efforts proved fruitless in a 112-98 defeat.

The Lakers have lost five of their last six games and are 13th in the Western Conference with a record of 14-21 for the season.

James, who turns 38 on Friday and is tied to the Lakers through to the end of the 2023-24 season, has seemingly been growing increasingly frustrated with the team's form, and that chagrin was evident again in his post-game media briefing.

When asked if he has paid any thought to his retirement plans, James told reporters: "I know as long as my mind stays in it, I can play at this level for a minute.

"Now, that's up to my mind. My body is going to be okay because if my mind is into it, I will make sure my body is taken care of and I'll continue to put in the work.

"I'm a winner and I want to win. And I want to win and give myself a chance to win and still compete for championships.

"That has always been my passion, that has always been my goal since I entered the league as an 18-year-old kid out of Akron, Ohio.

"And I know it takes steps to get there, but once you get there and know how to get there, playing basketball at this level just to be playing basketball is not in my DNA.

"It's not in my DNA anymore. So, we'll see what happens and see how fresh my mind stays.

"I think about how much longer I'm going to play the game. I think about that I don't want to finish my career playing at this level from a team aspect.

"I'll still be able to be compete for championships because I know what I can still bring to any ball club with the right pieces."

Lakers head coach Darvin Ham believes James is doing all he can to propel the team.

"He's a fierce, fierce competitor," Ham said of the four-time NBA champion, who leads the Lakers this season with 27.8 points per game.

"The team, we're having our ups and downs right now. We're on the wrong side of the win-loss column.

"So, he's not going to allow himself to be taken out of the mix. He does as great of a job as I've seen ever of making himself available and being able to produce physically at an extremely high level."

David Warner will play for Australia for "as long as possible" after starring in his 100th Test to set up a series win over South Africa at the MCG.

Warner had not reached three figures in a Test since January 2020 before making a magnificent 200 in his landmark match in Melbourne.

The 36-year-old's double century laid the platform for a victory that sealed Australia's first Test triumph over South Africa on home soil for 17 years.

Australia's win by an innings and 182 runs moved Pat Cummins' team a step closer to sealing a place in the World Test Championship final next year, and man of the match Warner is hungry for more after silencing his critics.

He said: "It's a phenomenal achievement by the boys. We saw some crazy stuff from [Alex] Carey and [Cameron] Green and that century from Carey.

"I never doubted my abilities. It is all about coming out here, I have trained my backside off in the nets. I just needed to get out there and perform on the big stage.

"I have obviously committed to play the next year's World Cup and I want to carry on for as long as possible."

Nathan Lyon took 3-58 and Scott Boland 2-49 as Australia bowled the Proteas out for only 204 to take an unassailable lead, while Mitchell Starc claimed 1-62 as he got through 18 overs despite a finger injury that will keep him out of the final Test.

Australia captain Cummins said: "The win is right up there. We have had a number of great contests against South Africa over the years. It's really sweet and something to be proud of.

"The way the two veterans of our side, David Warner and Steve Smith batted in the heat was as gutsy a performance in the heat. And then for Starc to bowl through injury, and Green to bat like that – we are really proud of that effort.

"Warner's energy was great and to do it in his 100th Test was great. Carey is one of our favourites. He has been awesome for us in white-ball cricket."

Australia skittled South Africa within two sessions on day four to clinch the three-game Test series with victory by an innings and 182 runs at the MCG on Thursday.

The Proteas had resumed 15-1 on the fourth day chasing the improbable target of 387 to make the hosts bat again, but were all out for 204 with the tea break delayed with play extended before the 10th wicket fell.

Spinner Nathan Lyon led the way with 3-58 while Mitchell Starc bravely bowled through pain with an injured finger, taking the opening wicket of the fourth day to finish with 1-62.

Temba Bavuma offered the Proteas' toughest resistance with 65 across more than three hours, but had little support, with Kyle Verreynne the next best with 33.

The tourists were not helped by two run outs on the fourth day, but they appeared a side deflated by the task at hand and the gulf in quality.

South Africa had got through to lunch at 120-4 with Bavuma and Verreynne combining for a 63-run stand, but when the latter was trapped LBW by Scott Boland, the side quickly fell apart in the second session.

Lyon trapped Marco Jansen LBW before Keshav Maharaj was run out by Marnus Labuschagne, with Australia's off-spinner dismissing Bavuma and Kagiso Rabada in quick succession shortly after, before Steve Smith bowled the wild-swinging Lungi Ngidi to seal victory.

Warner crowned for double hundred

Opening batsman David Warner was named Player of the Match after his second-day double century, which reinforced his worth in the side, having come into the game under pressure to hold his spot. Warner's century, coming in his 100th Test match, was the 25th of his Test career.

Walked wounded for Aussies

Australia's victory means they have an unassailable lead in the series but they have a list of headaches ahead of the third Test in Sydney next week. Mitchell Starc and Cameron Green both have finger injuries, with both set to miss the game at the SCG, while Lyon required treatment on day four for a shoulder concern. Australia's next Test series after this is in India in February.

Kyrie Irving scored 15 fourth-quarter points to lift the Brooklyn Nets to their 10th straight win – the longest streak this NBA season – with a 108-107 victory over the short-handed Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday.

Irving finished with 28 points, headlined by 15 in the final period, making five three-pointers with five rebounds and eight assists, as the Nets held on to their three-point three-quarter time lead.

Kevin Durant added 26 points with a season-high 16 rebounds and eight assists, with center Nic Claxton contributing 17 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high six blocks.

The result means the Nets have achieved their longest win streak since 2005-06, moving closer to their franchise record of 14, from 2003-04 and 2005-06.

Brooklyn improved their record to 23-12, having won 14 of their past five games, closing the gap on the top two in the Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics (25-10) and the Milwaukee Bucks (22-12).

Irving led a 17-3 fourth-quarter run with eight consecutive points as the Nets pulled clear in the last before the Hawks rallied, only for Dejounte Murray to miss a 27-footer on the buzzer.

Murray finished with 24 points and John Collins added 21 for the Hawks, who were without Trae Young and Clint Capela with calf injuries as well as De'Andre Hunter (ankle).

Butler and Bam lead Heat past Lakers

The Miami Heat dominated on offense and defense, keeping the Los Angeles Lakers to their second lowest score of the season, in a 112-98 victory.

Jimmy Butler (27 points and six steals) and Bam Adebayo (23 points, 14 rebounds and two blocks) combined for 50 of the Heat's 112 points, as they improved to 18-17, with all five starters reaching double figures. Tyler Herro added 18 points, including three triples and nine assists.

LeBron James, playing against his former franchise, scored 27 points with nine rebounds and six assists and Russell Westbrook added 15 points on six-of-16 shooting.

DeRozan downs Giannis in OT

Giannis Antetokounmpo had a monster double-double with 45 points and 22 rebounds but could not prevent the Milwaukee Bucks losing 119-113 to the Chicago Bulls in overtime.

Demar DeRozan stuffed his stat sheet too, with 42 points on 15-of-25 shooting, with 10 rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks. Zach LaVine added 24 points with four three-pointers.

DeRozan made a crucial steal from an Antetokounmpo's inbound with 11.1 seconds of regulation time remaining down 106-104, setting up Ayo Dosunmu's dunk to send it to OT.

Aaron Rodgers was held out of practice on Wednesday by the Green Bay Packers but says he is "feeling a lot better" ahead of Sunday's must-win game against the Minnesota Vikings.

The Packers quarterback has been banged up throughout this season, nursing a right thumb injury along with sore ribs, picking up a left knee issue in Sunday's 26-20 win over the Miami Dolphins.

That victory, the Packers' third straight win, kept their playoffs hopes alive with a 7-8 record in the NFC North, but losing to the division-leading Vikings will all but put an end to that, with Rodgers' availability likely to be pivotal.

"I got a lot of body weight on my knee," Rodgers told reporters about the injury sustained when defensive tackle Christian Wilkins fell on him.

"Had some extra flexion I haven't known for the last 20 years. So just been doing rehab the last few days and feeling a lot better."

Rodgers did play out Sunday's win but said fluid began to build on his knee during the flight home from Florida to Wisconsin.

The 39-year-old four-time MVP, who hoped to practice on Thursday, said these issues were part and parcel of the NFL.

"You're dealing with something throughout the year whether it's a major or minor, always got to do the body maintenance," Rodgers said.

"But it's a good opportunity for [backup QB Jordan Love] to practice and get his reps in, and it's a good opportunity for me to get some rest."

The Packers would be eliminated from playoffs contention if they lose to the Vikings, and one of the Detroit Lions (7-8) or the Washington Commanders (7-7-1) win their Week 17 games against the Chicago Bears and the Cleveland Browns respectively.

Atlanta Hawks All-Star guard Trae Young will miss Wednesday's clash with the in-form Brooklyn Nets due to a left calf contusion.

Young joins Hawks center Clint Capela (right calf strain) and forward De'Andre Hunter (left ankle sprain) on the sidelines.

The 24-year-old two-time All-Star injured his calf in the fourth quarter of Tuesday's 129-114 defeat to the Indiana Pacers.

The 17-17 Hawks come up against the 22-12 Nets, amid their nine-game winning streak, the best active run in the NBA.

Young is second in the NBA this season for assists, averaging 9.9 per game, while he led the league last season for total points and total assists. The guard is 11th this season with a 27.3 scoring average.

Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson wishes he could have played better for head coach Nathaniel Hackett, who was fired earlier this week.

The Broncos parted ways with first-year coach Hackett on Monday following their 51-14 Christmas Day defeat to the Los Angeles Rams, which left them with a 4-11 record.

Denver's record is the joint-third worst in the NFL, with the Broncos set for their seventh consecutive losing season.

The Broncos had high expectations heading into the campaign, with ex-Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Hackett hired in January for his first head coach position, while Wilson was added to their ranks in March in a blockbuster trade with the Seattle Seahawks.

But neither have enhanced the Broncos' struggling offense, with Denver's points-per-game average of 15.5 the lowest in the NFL.

Wilson is on track for a career-low in touchdown passes (12) and a career-high in sacks (49). The QB leads the NFL in sacks this season.

"The reality is I wish I could have played better for him too," Wilson told reporters after Wednesday's practice. "I wish I could have played at the standard, the level that I've always played at, know how to play at.

"I know I can play exceptionally well. I know what I have in me. Each moment you get out there, you want to play at your best and I haven't been able to do that this year. We have two games to go, I want to go compete at the highest level and try to get us two wins."

Interim Broncos coach Jerry Rosburg confirmed Wilson would start their final two games of the season, firstly against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

Broncos general manager George Paton has stated that Wilson's recruitment was with a long-term view.

Wilson added: "You have dark days sometimes. It's been a tough year in a lot of ways. [I'm] used to scoring a lot of touchdowns, winning a lot of games and that hasn't happened, [it's the] first time it's been like this.

"My expectations are higher than everybody else's. The mission is still the same – bring Super Bowls to Denver."

Roberto Firmino was "frustrated" at missing out on Brazil's World Cup squad, but intends to use it as motivation.

The Liverpool forward was a surprise omission by head coach Tite for the tournament in Qatar, where Brazil were knocked out in the quarter-finals on penalties by Croatia.

Firmino had made a good start to the season at club level, scoring nine goals and recording four assists in 21 appearances (16 starts).

The 31-year-old put it down to being part of "God's plan", and hopes it can spur him on to improve further still.

"Of course it was frustrating not being called up to the World Cup but as I've said before, that's part of God's plan and I am following God's plan," he said to talkSPORT.

"It really does motivate me more and more not having gone to the World Cup, so I will work hard to get back into the Selecao."

Despite having time to rest during the World Cup, Firmino was unable to play in either of Liverpool's first two games back against Manchester City and Aston Villa due to illness, and is unlikely to feature in Friday's home clash with Leicester City either.

However, the player suggested he should be fine beyond that and is soon to be back in training, adding further to manager Jurgen Klopp's attacking options.

"I'm already healed, thank God. I'll probably train tomorrow [Thursday]," Firmino added. "Then all being well I'll be ready, not for the next game [Leicester] but the one after that [away to Brentford on January 2]. So all great."

Liverpool had a shaky start to the season prior to the World Cup, winning just six of their 14 Premier League games (D4, L4), but won 3-1 at Aston Villa in their first league game post-World Cup on Monday.

The club also confirmed the signing of Dutch forward Cody Gakpo from PSV on Wednesday, which will go through on January 1 pending a work permit, and Firmino is confident the Reds can push on and put their previous woes behind them.

"Individually speaking, I started [the season] very well," he said. "Of course we, as a team, did not start the season well, but we are coming back. 

"Thanks to the work we are doing, and our mentality of never giving up, we're now back and in form."

Kylian Mbappe will not get over France's defeat in the World Cup final to Argentina any time soon, but the forward says he is now fully focused on Paris Saint-Germain.

Despite notching a hat-trick for Didier Deschamps side in the final, Mbappe and his international team-mates came up short as Les Bleus were beaten on penalties in the showpiece game of Qatar 2022.

While club-mate Lionel Messi is yet to return to Paris following his triumph, Mbappe made a swift return to domestic action, securing a late 2-1 win against Strasbourg in Ligue 1 on Wednesday despite Neymar being sent off just after the hour-mark.

Speaking after scoring a 96th-minute penalty he had won himself, the 24-year-old acknowledged the pain of France's loss in Doha will stay with him forever, but stressed he does not feel his team-mates should pay the price for those emotions.

"Personally, I will never stomach it," he said. "[But] my club is not responsible for this failure with the national team. I try to come back with positive energy.

"I tried to bring a boost to my team, and [we hope to] continue our season undefeated. It was a World Cup – the club has nothing to do with it."

On making a swift return to PSG from international duty, Mbappe underlined his commitment to keeping club and country matters separate, adding: "The message is simple. It shows that no matter what happens with the national team, PSG are something else. I am still determined to bring all the trophies back to the capital."

Mbappe's late goal against Strasbourg means Christophe Galtier's side have dropped points just twice in Ligue 1 this season, with an unbeaten Champions League record to match too.

They next play second-place Lens on New Year's Day, where they will hope to open up further daylight between them and their main title rival, who they are eight points clear of having played a game more.

Jesse Marsch credited his former Salzburg striker Erling Haaland's "infectious" hunger for goals after the Manchester City talisman tormented Leeds United at Elland Road.

Haaland made his first Premier League trip to his city of birth a memorable one by claiming a second-half brace after Rodri struck first for the champions, who moved within five points of leaders Arsenal with a 3-1 win.

The 22-year-old has now hit 20 Premier League goals in just 14 appearances – seven fewer than the player who was previously quickest to that mark, former Sunderland striker Kevin Phillips.

Having coached Haaland for half a season in Austria, Marsch is acutely aware of the Norwegian's talents and has never seen a player with a greater desire to score goals.

"Haaland has an uncanny ability to know where to be to score goals, and a hunger to score goals like I have never seen before," Marsch told Amazon Prime Video.

"When you have him in your team, it's infectious. You obviously see his quality, but it is a desire that spreads through the team."

Asked whether that hunger made Pep Guardiola's men title favourites, Marsch said: "I don't know, but it makes Haaland one of my favourite players to watch."

Haaland passed up two excellent opportunities to open the scoring before finally punishing Leeds, drawing two one-on-one saves from Illan Meslier before the break.

The striker told Amazon Prime Video he was disappointed not to have scored five times, quotes which were put to Guardiola after the game.

"I'm so upset, I'm so upset," Guardiola joked. "We are delighted with how humble and how grounded he is.

"He's an exceptional guy with his work ethic and professionalism. It's a great treat to our opponents, having him there.

"Wasted opportunities are part of the game. In this stadium, against a team who have been able to play really well against top teams like Arsenal and Liverpool, it's a big compliment for the guys in their first Premier League game after the World Cup."

Haaland has now scored 26 goals in just 20 competitive appearances for City, making him the fastest player to reach 25 goals while playing under Guardiola during the coach's top-flight career.

World Cup winner Lionel Messi was the previous holder of that record, taking eight games more to reach that tally while playing in Guardiola's all-conquering Barcelona team.

Kylian Mbappe was the "trigger for victory" in Paris Saint-Germain's defeat of Strasbourg as head coach Christophe Galtier praised the forward for putting World Cup heartbreak behind him.

The attacker won and converted a stoppage-time penalty to snatch a late victory against Strasbourg in Ligue 1 on Wednesday after Neymar had been sent off.

Mbappe's intervention came 10 days after he scored a World Cup final hat-trick for France, only to lose out on a second successive title as Argentina won on penalties.

However, Galtier praised the 24-year-old's fortitude, highlighting his role as a talisman for the champions and suggesting he will pick up where he left off with his World Cup form.

"I think he is on the level of what he did in Qatar," the coach said. "He's benefited from a few days off. Despite the sadness, he had an exceptional tournament, and his recovery means he's been on the pace.

"Since his return, he was determined to play our next two matches. He was the trigger for victory when it was tough. He has taught the whole team with his selflessness."

Neymar's dismissal, for consecutive yellow cards around the hour mark, proved the biggest moment of the match before Mbappe's late heroics.

The Brazilian was booked initially for catching Adrien Thomasson in the face with a trailing hand.

He was then dismissed for simulation.

Galtier acknowledged the second offence was the right call by the officials but felt the first was harsh, particularly after Neymar was on the receiving end of several unpunished challenges.

"I can understand the anger on his part," Galtier added. "I regret that the excessive commitment was not sanctioned more severely. I can understand the simulation, it deserves a yellow.

"But a few minutes before, he takes a bad blow. His first yellow is very severe compared to the number of challenges suffered by Neymar, and not small challenges."

Cody Gakpo highlighted Virgil van Dijk's influence on his decision to join Liverpool after the Reds formally confirmed his arrival from PSV on Wednesday.

The Netherlands international has signed for Jurgen Klopp's side in a move reportedly worth an initial £37million (€42m) on the back of an impressive World Cup campaign.

Gakpo's arrival on Merseyside is a major boost for Klopp's men and a blow to rivals Manchester United, where the forward had been heavily tipped to join his countryman Erik ten Hag.

Speaking to Liverpool's website after sealing his transfer, Gakpo said it was another Dutchman who helped convince him he was making the right call in moving to Anfield.

"At the moment I was calling [in] with the coach, he came into the office and saw me," Gakpo said of Van Dijk. "We chatted a little bit. We spoke a lot over the phone [in] the last days.

"What he told me was that this is the right move for me to make and for me to develop and to become a better player, that the club is massive, but also like a real family.

"I think that's also very important for me because I'm a family guy. He said only good things. I'm happy that he's here, so he can help me with some stuff. I'm really grateful to be here."

Amid injuries to Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota, Gakpo's arrival offers a major offensive boost to Liverpool, with the 23-year-old having scored nine goals and provided 12 assists in 14 Eredivisie games this season.

Klopp could not hide his delight at getting the move over the line, saying: "It really is great news for us that we have been able to do it.

"The work that has gone into this has been really impressive and in the end, we have managed to sign a player who we have known about for quite some time and who we believe will have a bright future with us.

"There is a lot to like about Cody. He is still only 23 years old, but he already has a lot of experience. 

"We know he is a smart footballer and a smart person, so we are excited to be able to work with him."