The Brooklyn Nets started life after Steve Nash with a 108-99 defeat to the Miami Heat as under-fire Kyrie Irving struggled with four points on two-of-12 shooting on Tuesday.

The Nets announced earlier on Tuesday that Nash had been fired following their 2-5 start to the season, with assistant coach Jacque Vaughn taking charge in his absence.

Kevin Durant scored 32 points with nine rebounds for the Nets who led 58-52 at half-time before the Bulls charged home in the fourth quarter, led by Zach LaVine who had 20 of his 29 points in the final period.

LaVine top scored for the Bulls, including five-of-11 three-point shooting with four rebounds and five assists, while DeMar DeRozan added 20 points and center Nikola Vucevic hauled down 15 rebounds.

Irving, who has faced widespread backlash for sharing a film on social media with alleged anti-Semitic connotations, battled throughout with three turnovers while making none of his six three-point attempts.

The win improved the Bulls to 4-4, while the Nets fall to 2-6, with a 2-4 record at Barclays Center this season.

Golden State's road struggles continue

Reigning champions, the Golden State Warriors, slumped to their third straight defeat as Jimmy Butler fired late to lift the Miami Heat to a 116-109 win.

Butler, who finished with 23 points with six rebounds and eight assists, scored five straight points down the stretch to give the Heat the lead which they never surrendered.

Kyle Lowry moved past Jason Kidd into 12th on the all-time NBA three-pointers made list, scoring three triples in his 13 points.

Stephen Curry recorded his 10th regular-season triple-double with 23 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists, but he could not prevent the Warriors' road woes (0-4) continuing, dropped to 3-5 overall.

Johnson shines as Suns burn

Cam Johnson drained seven three-pointers as the Phoenix Suns maintained their perfect home record this season and moved to 6-1 overall with a 116-107 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Johnson finished with 29 points, 21 coming from beyond the arc on seven-of-11 three-point shooting, while Devin Booker took a back seat with 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

Chris Paul had 14 points, 12 assists and a team-high eight rebounds for the Suns who clinched their fifth straight win. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards both had 24 points for the Timberwolves.

The Philadelphia Phillies blasted five home runs to open up a 2-1 lead in the World Series after winning Game 3 over the Houston Astros 7-0 on Tuesday.

The victory maintains the Phillies' perfect home postseason record, claiming six wins from six games at Citizens Bank Park ahead of Game 4 at the same venue. Philadelphia have also blasted 17 home runs in those six home games.

Bryce Harper, Alec Bohm, Brandon Marsh, Kyle Schwarber and Rhys Hoskins all slugged homers. Harper and Hoskins' blasts took them to six each this postseason, which is tied for the second-most in franchise history, behind only Jayson Werth with seven from 2009.

All seven runs came off Astros starter Lance McCullers Jr, who pitched four-and-one-third innings, allowing six hits and one walk with six strikeouts.

The Phillies were dominant throughout, with a brilliant Nick Castellanos' play from a sinking Jose Altuve line drive in the first inning, followed by Harper's two-run blast after Schwarber's leadoff walk.

In the second inning, Bohm blasted just above the left-field wall, followed by Marsh's solo shot to open up a 4-0 lead.

McCullers had retired seven straight batters Schwarber added a two-run center-field blast into the trees, which travelled 443 feet, in the fifth inning, with Hoskins homering shortly after too.

Phillies starter Ranger Suarez went five innings for four strikeouts, allowing three hits, no earned runs and one walk. Nick Nelson got out of a jam in the eighth after two walks, before Andrew Bellatti closed out the win.

The Game 3 winner when the series was tied has gone on to win 41 of the last 59 World Series.

John McVay, an executive with the San Francisco 49ers who played a key role in building the franchise’s dynasty four decades ago, died Tuesday at age 91.

McVay joined the 49ers in 1979 and spent 22 seasons with the franchise, holding various jobs including general manager and director of football operations.

Under his direction, the 49ers won five Super Bowl titles in a 14-season span and McVay was named The Sporting News NFL Executive of the Year in 1989 after the team’s fourth Super Bowl championship.

The 49ers inducted McVay into the team Hall of Fame in 2013 and dedicated the draft room at the team’s headquarters in his honour in 2016.

''This is a very sad day for our organization and the entire football community,'' the team said in a statement. ''John McVay was a driving force in constructing teams for our five Super Bowl titles.

"Most importantly, John was a Hall of Fame person who built genuine and sincere relationships with front office staff, coaches and players. John's commitment and contributions to the 49ers created the standard and tradition we strive to carry on today. Our thoughts and prayers are with the McVay family.''

McVay is the grandfather of current Rams coach Sean McVay.

Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue says Kawhi Leonard is "frustrated" with his ongoing knee issues following confirmation he will miss their next two road games.

Leonard has only played in two of the Clippers' seven games this NBA season upon returning from an ACL injury from the 2021 playoffs that saw him miss the entire 2021-22 campaign.

The two-time NBA Finals MVP has been struggling with stiffness in his surgically-repaired right knee and has missed his side's last four games.

Leonard will miss another two, having been ruled out of road games against the Houston Rockets (Wednesday) and the San Antonio Spurs (Friday) and his status is uncertain for Sunday's game against the Utah Jazz.

"He's frustrated," Lue said. "He wants to be out on the floor. To then not be on the floor, then now he can't travel, he wants to travel but obviously, that's not the right thing to do right now.

"The stiffness and what he's going through, just frustrated putting in all the work the last 15 months, and to get to this point, and not being where he wants to be right now physically.

"He's getting better, and that's the most important thing."

In Leonard's two games this season, he played both off the bench, putting in 21 minutes on both occasions, averaging 12.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists.  The Clippers are 3-4 this season.

Caroline Garcia is off to a perfect start in her first WTA Finals appearance since 2017, collecting a straight-sets win over Coco Gauff to share top spot of the Tracy Austin Group with Iga Swiatek.

Garcia won 6-4 6-3 in one hour and 18 minutes in Fort Worth, proving slightly better with her return game throughout, creating four break point opportunities in both sets while Gauff could only muster one in each.

Gauff was the one to strike first, securing a break in the opening game of the match, but Garcia got it back instantly to tie things at 1-1, and then when leading 5-4, Garcia broke again to wrap up the first set.

Things could have spiralled for the 18-year-old American when she fell down a break in the second set, but she responded well, breaking back in the next game.

But Garcia kept the pressure on for a second break before serving it out safely. It is her second consecutive win over Gauff after also eliminating her from the US Open quarter-final, and evens their head-to-head ledger at two apiece after Gauff took the first two meetings.

BREAK POINTS WON
Garcia - 4/8
Gauff - 2/2

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Garcia - 1/3
Gauff - 1/2

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Garcia - 20/23
Gauff - 12/14

Marseille head coach Igor Tudor revealed his players could not hear his instructions amid the last-gasp chaos that cost them a Europa League spot in Tuesday's 2-1 Champions League loss to Tottenham.

The nine-time French champions were set to qualify for Europe's second tier via third spot in Group D with scores locked at 1-1 entering stoppage time, with Sporting CP trailing 2-1 against Eintracht Frankfurt in the other game.

But Marseille ambitiously pushed forward chasing a winner, which would have seen them move above Spurs and advance to the Champions League last-16, rather than conserve third spot.

That move backfired as their backline was badly exposed when Tottenham broke clear in the 95th minute with Harry Kane laying off for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's winner, knocking Marseille out of Europe with the final kick of the game.

Tudor was seen running on to the field and attempting to bark orders at his players in the moments prior to the goal.

"They didn't hear, because there was so much noise," Tudor told RMC Sport.

"I told them to stay back, not to push on, but they didn't hear. There was confusion in the last minute. It wasn't about results, it was about telling them to stay put, not to go all up."

OM defender Chancel Mbemba, who had put the hosts ahead before half-time, labelled the situation as a "lack of communication".

"On the field, we didn't know, but on the bench, people knew," he said.

"It's a lack of communication. We have the desire to push until the end, but we didn't know. It's a mistake."

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado joined an exclusive club Tuesday, when he was named a Gold Glove winner for the 10th consecutive season. 

Arenado has been the recipient of the Rawlings Gold Glove award in each of his 10 seasons in the major leagues. That streak ties Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki for the longest for any player at any position to start his career. 

Only Hall of Famers Brooks Robinson (third baseman, 16 straight) and Ozzie Smith (shortstop, 13 straight) and former Cardinals and New York Mets first baseman Keith Hernandez (11 straight) have longer streaks. 

Arenado ranked first among third basemen in double plays (42) and second in assists (283). He also ranked second in Defensive Runs Saved (19) and Outs Above Average (15), according to Fielding Bible. 

The Cleveland Guardians had four players win Gold Gloves, with pitcher Shane Bieber, second baseman Andres Gimenez, left fielder Steven Kwan and center fielder Myles Straw all receiving the honour for the first time.  

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts won his sixth Gold Glove, Braves pitcher Max Fried won his fourth in a row and New York Yankees utility player DJ LeMahieu took home his fourth. 

Jeremy Pena of the Houston Astros became the first rookie shortstop to win a Gold Glove.  

''I heard that today and I was in shock because I didn't know that was a thing,'' Pena said. ''But it's pretty cool.'' 

The Gold Glove Awards are voted on by 30 MLB managers and up to six coaches from each teams. They are not allowed to vote for players from their own team. 

Diego Simeone wants Atletico Madrid to "see the reality" of their Champions League struggles after their European campaign came to an end on Wednesday.

Atletico's exit from the Champions League at the group stage was confirmed last week with a 2-2 home draw to Bayer Leverkusen.

The Rojiblancos still had the chance to claim a Europa League spot, but missed out on third place in Group B as they were beaten 2-1 by Porto.

Goals from Mehdi Taremi and Stephen Eustaquio put Porto in command, with a late Ivan Marcano own goal nothing more than scant consolation for Atletico.

Their defeat, combined with Bayer Leverkusen's goalless draw with group runners-up Club Brugge, means it is the Bundesliga side who drop into the Europa League.

For Atletico, the focus is now solely on domestic matters and ensuring they at least qualify for next season's Champions League, with the LaLiga title already looking a tall order.

Atletico, who are eight points behind LaLiga leaders Real Madrid, head out of Europe with just one win from six matches. They scored five goals and conceded nine, finishing bottom of a Champions League group for the first time in their history.

Inter head coach Simone Inzaghi was surprised by the referee's decision to decline their first-half penalty shout for a Sadio Mane handball in Tuesday's 2-0 Champions League loss to Bayern Munich.

The Nerazzurri were denied a penalty in the 10th minute despite referee Ivan Kruzliak consulting VAR when Mane appeared to raise his arms to block Nicolo Barella's goal-bound shot.

Despite Inter's early pressure, Bayern took the lead from Benjamin Pavard's 32nd-minute header, before Eric Maxim Choupo-Mating settled the points with a long-range 72nd-minute strike.

The match had no consequence on placings in Group C, with both sides already locked in for the last-16, but Inzaghi was still surprised by the referee's call on the Mane handball.

"The penalty? It had never happened to me that a referee recalled by the VAR turned it down," Inzaghi said.

Despite that, Inzaghi was delighted with his side for progressing in a group featuring Spanish giants Barcelona, who finished third.

"We've progressed from a difficult group, achieving something that makes us really happy," he said.

"This evening, we played well against a really strong side. We had a few chances to take the lead, and there was also the penalty that wasn't given.

"We were then punished for our first lapse in concentration. However, the team did well. We were able to rotate the squad, which is something we got out of it."

Inzaghi said the Nerazzurri would quickly turn their focus back to Serie A, with three games prior to the World Cup break, starting with a tough trip to Juventus on Sunday.

The 2021 Italian champions are currently sixth in Serie A, eight points behind leaders Napoli, but in the midst of a four-game winning streak.

"We fought hard for this qualification and will see what happens in February to enjoy the tournament, but for now we need to focus on Serie A," Inzaghi said.

"We are coming off four consecutive victories, but we dropped a lot of points early, we know that the fixture list is not simple for us until the break, but we must try to do the maximum."

Iga Swiatek continued her hoodoo over Daria Kasatkina as she breezed through their opening match at the WTA Finals.

Swiatek needed just an hour and 23 minutes to see off Kasatkina 6-2 6-3 in Fort Worth, Texas.

The world number one was in command throughout, her movement and intensity too much for Kasatkina in the Tracey Austin Group encounter.

Swiatek saved all three of the break points she faced and converted four of the seven chances she created for herself.

She sent down 23 winners, her highest tally in a single WTA Finals match, to complete her fifth win over Kasatkina this season.

The Pole is the first player to win five or more matches against the same opponent in a single season since Petra Kvitova against Lucie Safarova in 2014.

With her 46th such win of the year (excluding Billie Jean King Cup matches), she is the first player to win 46-plus WTA main draw matches in straight sets in a season since Serena Williams (66) and Agnieszka Radwanska (46) in 2013.

BREAK POINTS WON

Swiatek - 3/7

Kasatkina - 0/3

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS

Swiatek - 23/18

Kasatkina - 4/9

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS

Swiatek - 1/3

Kasatkina - 1/1

Hugo Lloris and Clement Lenglet commended Tottenham's desire after a comeback victory over Marseille sealed a place in the Champions League last 16.

Spurs headed into Tuesday's game at Stade Velodrome knowing a point would be enough to put them through, but Chancel Mbemba's goal in first-half injury time saw them staring down the barrel of an early exit from UEFA's elite club competition.

Yet a much-improved second-half display resulted in Antonio Conte's side getting the job done in style, through Lenglet's header and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's late finish.

It meant Spurs advanced as group winners for the third time in their Champions League history, and captain Lloris believes the team deserve plenty of credit for the comeback.

"We expected that type of game," Lloris told BT Sport. "We know the Velodrome is a very difficult place to deal with and I think we showed great personality.

"Clement scored a very important goal in France in front of the French people. He helped the team to get back on track. The second goal [from] Pierre is so important to confirm first spot in the group."

Lenglet's first Champions League goal since scoring for Barcelona against Napoli in August 2020 helped Spurs on their way, and the defender believes the poor first half was a consequence of being unsure whether to play on the front or back foot.

"We didn't play well during the first half, maybe because we didn't know if we needed to attack or defend," Lenglet commented.

"But after the first half, we speak in the locker room, we tell what we have to tell. We start the second half with much more personality, much more aggression to go to score and we play a very good second half."

Conte was absent from the touchline against Marseille after being banned for his reaction to Harry Kane's disallowed effort in Spurs' draw with Sporting CP last week. Had that goal counted, Tottenham would have had progression assured heading into the final matchday.

Marseille, meanwhile, appeared caught between two stalls after taking the lead. A draw would have been enough to see them through, due to their head-to-head record with Sporting, but as it is the Ligue 1 giants finished last in Group D.

Lloris believes that played into Spurs' hands, adding: "It was a tough night, a great battle.

"I think it was a more psychological battle because we could feel there was a team that was playing without fear to lose, it was Marseille. In the second half, we played a team that had the fear to lose because they were 1-0 up.

"It's a great result without our coach. Probably, it was even more difficult for him in the stand!"

Julian Nagelsmann demanded Bayern Munich improve on last season's quarter-final exit from the Champions League after they concluded their group-stage campaign by beating Inter 2-0.

Bayern finished Group C with a 100 per cent winning record after goals from Benjamin Pavard and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting downed the Nerazzurri at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday.

The Bundesliga champions are the first team to win all six group games in two consecutive Champions League campaigns, as well as the first to do so on three occasions (also 2019-20).

Nagelsmann's side suffered a surprise elimination against Villarreal in the last eight back in April, and the Bayern boss says their efforts this term will count for little if they fall short again.

"We've had a very good group stage but that won't mean anything if we don't do well in the knockout phase," Nagelsmann told UEFA.com.

"We have to go further than last year. With the current spirit in the team, I'm confident.

"It was a very good and mature performance. The players who hadn't played much before today did very well. 

"In the end, we had a very young team on the pitch. It's a good feeling, as a coach, to know you can make changes without losing quality."

The highlight of Bayern's victory was a brilliant long-range strike from Choupo-Moting, who continued his strong run of form by picking out the top-left corner with 18 minutes to play.

He has now scored in each of his past five Champions League starts, and is just the third Cameroonian to score 10 goals in the competition after Samuel Eto'o (30) and Vincent Aboubakar (14).

Speaking to UEFA.com, Choupo-Moting expressed his delight at helping Bayern maintain their perfect European record for the season, saying: "It was definitely a beautiful goal. 

"It was an important one for us. I feel very good personally and with the team, we have been doing well in recent weeks.

"We knew we had a good team and that this would be a difficult group stage. But at the end of the day, we treat every game seriously to show that we are Bayern Munich. Now we will prepare for the knockout stage."

Mohamed Salah challenged Liverpool to carry their Champions League form into the Premier League and make the most of their remaining games before the World Cup.

The Egypt international poached the first goal in a 2-0 home win over Napoli on Tuesday as Liverpool ended their group-stage campaign in Europe on a high with a fifth successive victory in the competition.

The Anfield outcome was not enough for Liverpool to topple their Italian opponents from the top of Group A, but both march through to the last-16 stage with ambitions to go deep.

Yet Liverpool's domestic form has been poor this term, with just four wins in 12 Premier League games seeing them stuck in a mid-table rut, exemplified by recent losses to Nottingham Forest and Leeds United.

Jurgen Klopp's side have Tottenham away on Sunday, followed by Southampton at home the following Saturday, before a large number of their players head to Qatar 2022.

Salah will not be among them, after Egypt's penalty shoot-out defeat to Senegal in African qualifying back in March, with his ambitions for the season all centred around bringing trophy success to Liverpool.

He savoured the moment against Luciano Spalletti's Napoli, who are leading the Serie A title race, and told BT Sport: "To win against one of the best teams in the world, one of the best coaches in the world, it's always a good feeling, but we just need to carry on.

"It's a good result for us – hopefully it gives us more confidence, and we just need to focus now in the Premier League and carry on."

Salah did not realise he had been awarded the opening goal, after Darwin Nunez's powerful header almost crept over the line before the ball trickled back out. Salah tucked it in to make sure but said afterwards: "Is it mine? Honestly, I didn't know."

He now has seven in this season's Champions League, making him the competition's top goalscorer for now.

Nunez got Liverpool's second from inches out in the final moments, the second tap-in of the game, and Salah said: "As a striker, I like to score and Darwin also likes to score, so we're glad that we got both goals today.

"I think it's important, that win today. It gives us more confidence, especially because we played a good game, and we played with the ball and without the ball, we tried to recover the ball quickly. As you can see in the league we're not doing great, but hopefully we can give ourselves a push, and we just need to win more games in the league."

After playing with two forwards recently, Klopp reverted to his long-favoured 4-3-3 formation, and it paid off.

Salah said choosing Liverpool's shape was "not my job, it's the gaffer's job", but he firmly indicated his preference for the three-man attacking line, with his role on the right of the trio.

"Any position that makes me comfortable, I'm happy about it, but I've played in the position for five, six years and I have to say that yes, the position is the best for me, but I'm not the manager," Salah said.

"The manager decides the tactics, and as a player you have to follow the leader."