Massimiliano Allegri acknowledged Juventus have to sharpen up in front of goal following their 2-0 Serie A win over toothless Genoa on Sunday.
Juventus were in dominant form at Allianz Stadium – tallying 27 shots – but a combination of superb goalkeeping from Genoa's Salvatore Sirigu and wasteful finishing ensured the scoreline did not truly reflect the hosts' superiority.
Such was Juve's dominance, Genoa finished the game with an expected goals return of zero after failing to register a single shot – the club are yet to score in the four games since Andriy Shevchenko was named head coach.
It was the first time Juve have not faced a shot in a game in Serie A since Opta started collecting such data in 2004.
Sirigu's 10 saves was the joint-most made by a goalkeeper in a single match in the top five European leagues this season, with Allegri accepting his side need to be more ruthless.
"I think we wanted to reinforce our position when it comes to percentage of scoring opportunities converted into goals," the Juve head coach jokingly told DAZN. "We're the worst in Serie A, I think, so wanted to consolidate those statistics!
"I enjoyed watching the team play this evening, as I have done in other games, even when we lost. We can only improve our effectiveness in front of goal, that’s for sure."
Allegri was involved in a heated exchange of words with forward Alvaro Morata when he was hauled off for Moise Kean in the 73rd minute, moments after receiving a yellow card for dissent.
The Juve boss did not expand on the specifics of their row, but said the Spain international was brought off for his own good.
"He was booked and he was continuing to argue and so I preferred to take him off," added Allegri.
"It's disappointing as Alvaro had played well and so did the whole team."
The victory was Allegri's 250th in Serie A (150th with Juventus), making him just the second coach to reach that landmark in the competition in the three-points-per-win era, after Carlo Ancelotti (275).
It marked Juve's fourth win in five Serie A games, yet they are still seven points adrift of fourth-placed Atalanta.
Allegri is not throwing the towel in yet, though, insisting Juve will keep fighting on all fronts this season.
"At this moment, we are fifth along with Fiorentina," he said. "It was important to win today; the top four are doing very well and currently deserve their positions. I don't know what will happen at the end of the season, if things will change.
"We have our objectives, in Serie A, the Champions League and the Coppa Italia, so we'll get there step by step, one game at a time."
Juve, who have already qualified for the Champions League knock-out stage, wrap up their Group H campaign at home to Malmo on Wednesday before a trip to Venezia in Serie A on Saturday.
Lewis Hamilton described Max Verstappen's driving conduct as "over the limit" after landing a drama-filled victory at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to pull level in the title race.
Hamilton and Verstappen will head to the final race of a remarkable Formula One season tied on 369.5 points, the Briton prevailing in Jeddah on Sunday after a race dominated by their intense rivalry and a string of controversies.
Having started on pole, Hamilton lost the lead after diving into the pits on lap 10 following Mick Schumacher's crash that brought out the safety car, with a subsequent red flag allowing Verstappen to change tyres without using a pit stop.
The Mercedes driver looked to have got ahead on the restart, only for Verstappen to illegally maintain the lead by going beyond track limits, with several crashes behind the pair forcing another red flag. Esteban Ocon was on pole for the second restart, but Verstappen – after Red Bull agreed to cede position to Mercedes – surged down the inside of both Ocon and Hamilton to take the lead again.
Yet a series of virtual safety cars kept Hamilton in touch with Verstappen and the Dutchman went beyond track limits again on lap 37 to remain in the lead on turn one.
Red Bull instructed Verstappen to give the place back but, as he slowed to do so, Hamilton crashed into the back of him, accusing his rival of "brake-testing" him.
Verstappen's second effort at letting Hamilton past, which he did successfully before using the DRS zone to immediately take the place back, was deemed unsatisfactory.
The third time proved the charm and a five-second time penalty and tyre degradation ended Verstappen's hopes, setting up a thrilling finale next Sunday in Abu Dhabi.
The battling drivers were set to go before the stewards in the meantime, and speaking to reporters after the race, Hamilton said: "For me, I really had to try and just keep my cool, which was really difficult to do.
"I've raced a lot of drivers through my life, I've come across a lot of different characters, there are few that are over the limit, rules don't apply. I just tried to keep my car on the track, do it the right way."
On the collision, Hamilton said: "He obviously brake-tested to try to get the DRS into the last corner. I thought that I lost my wing.
"He's over the limit. I've avoided collision on so many occasions with the guy. I didn't get the information [that Verstappen was conceding position] so I didn't really understand what was going on, it was very confusing.
"The message started coming through as he hit the brakes so hard. It will be interesting to see what happens [with the stewards]."
Juventus moved up to fifth in Serie A as goals from Juan Cuadrado and Paulo Dybala sealed a 2-0 win over Genoa at the Allianz Stadium.
Cuadrado got Juve on their way in the ninth minute of Sunday's game, the wing-back whipping in straight from a corner for his third league goal of the campaign.
Salvatore Sirigu made a string of saves to deny Juve after that, but Dybala ensured there was to be no tense finale with a fine finish eight minutes from full-time.
Despite now winning four of their last five Serie A matches, Juve are still seven points adrift of fourth-placed Atalanta, while Genoa remain 18th and two points from safety.
Juve went ahead when Cuadrado's corner from the left looped over Sirigu and in off the underside of the crossbar, the Colombia international becoming only the eighth player to score directly from a corner in Serie A since 2010.
Sirigu blocked a Federico Bernardeschi effort at his near post soon after, and the Genoa goalkeeper did superbly to keep out Matthijs de Ligt's initial header and close-range follow-up in the 37th minute.
Sirigu was called into action again on the stroke of half-time, this time repelling Alvaro Morata's strike on the stretch after an incisive break.
Dybala whipped over at the start of the second period, before an inspired Sirigu denied Morata, Dybala and Cuadrado in quick succession.
Argentina international Dybala did eventually get the better of Sirigu, firing across him from the left-hand side of the penalty area after being played in by Bernardeschi.
Australia will be expected to ensure normal service is resumed in the heat of an Ashes battle at the Gabba when they start a new era on Wednesday.
The Tim Paine sexting scandal presented Pat Cummins with the opportunity to become the first fast bowler to captain the Australia Test side.
Cummins was appointed less than a fortnight before his side start their defence of the urn against fierce rivals England, with Steve Smith his assistant as Paine takes an indefinite mental health break from cricket.
The paceman has long since been talked of as a potential successor to Paine and gets his chance earlier than expected.
Cummins was already on a high from playing his part in Australia's maiden T20 World Cup triumph in Dubai last month and should thrive on the extra responsibility of being skipper.
Australia have not played a Test since they were consigned to a 2-1 home defeat to India in January and although England have had plenty of action in the longest format this year, poor weather in Brisbane has badly hampered their preparations.
Stats Perform picks out some of the storylines, sprinkled with some Opta data, from an Australia perspective before one of the great sporting rivalries gets under way again.
Cummins to get Australia going?
Cummins has led Australia's pace attack on many occasions and was the pick of the bowlers in a 2-2 Ashes series draw in England two years ago, taking 29 wickets at average of 19.62.
Since the start of 2018, no bowler has claimed more scalps in the longest format than the 28-year-old's 128 - which have come at 19.9 apiece.
Cummins, the number one Test bowler in the world, will no doubt be licking his lips at the prospect of ripping into what has been a fragile England batting line-up.
Josh Hazlewood will also pose a huge threat and Mitchell Starc will be out to silence critics such as Shane Warne, while Jhye Richardson and Michael Neser show Australia's strength in depth in the pace ranks.
Gabba no longer a fortress?
Australia had not lost a Test at the Gabba for 33 years until India's famous victory in January.
Joe Root fanned the flames last month by stating the hostile Brisbane venue is no longer such a "stronghold" for Australia.
It has most certainly not been a happy hunting ground for England, who have only won four of 21 Tests at the stage for the curtain-raiser for the series. The tourists' last Test win at the Gabba came in November 1986.
England have not won a Test in Australia since January 2011, losing nine and drawing one of their previous 10 contests, and they will be braced for a barrage of pace when they start their quest to regain the urn this week.
England must find an answer to Smith and Labuschagne
The England bowlers had seen more than enough of Smith by the end of the 2019 series.
He racked up 774 runs at an average of 110.57 from seven innings, reaching three figures on three occasions and scoring a sublime 211 at Old Trafford.
The former skipper broke his own record for number of runs in a Test series in the 21st century. Only the great Don Bradman (19) and Jack Hobbs (12) have more Ashes centuries than Smith's 11.
Marnus Labuschagne was also outstanding in England two years ago, averaging 50.42. He has been a revelation at number three and will have a big role to play.
Australia in safe hands with Carey?
Alex Carey will take the gloves and make his Test debut at the Gabba in the absence of Paine.
Carey has plenty of experience at the age of 30 and has 83 international white-ball experiences under his belt.
He comes into his Test bow on the back of making a timely century for South Australia against Queensland in the Sheffield Shield and has a chance to cement his spot in the side.
Lewis Hamilton won an extraordinary Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to move level on points with Max Verstappen in the Formula One drivers' championship as the race set new standards for drama.
Saturday's qualifying session saw Hamilton take pole as Verstappen crashed while on a lap that would have put him at the front of the grid, but that proved just a mere taster for an utterly remarkable main event dominated by a plethora of controversial incidents.
Verstappen got ahead after the season's penultimate race was red-flagged twice in the first 16 laps, but a series of virtual safety cars kept Hamilton in touch with his Red Bull rival, who went beyond track limits to keep the lead at the first corner on lap 37 in an incident eerily similar to their famous tangle in Brazil.
Verstappen was subsequently instructed to give the place back, only for Hamilton to crash into the back of him as he seemingly attempted to do so. Then Verstappen successfully gave it back at turn 27, but did so in a DRS zone, enabling him to immediately retake the lead.
At that point, Verstappen was again told to give the position back, with that incident to be investigated after the race, and he was served with a five-second time penalty for the previous tangle at turn one, effectively ending his hopes of victory.
Rear tyre degradation saw second-placed Verstappen back off and Hamilton claimed the fastest-lap bonus point to level matters on 369.5 points, though it is the Dutchman who still holds first place having won nine races to the Mercedes driver's eight.
The safety car was brought out after Mick Schumacher went into the wall between turns 21 and 22, prompting Hamilton to dive into the pits on lap 10 to switch to hard tyres while Verstappen stayed out and took track position.
With race officials wanting to repair damage to the tyre wall, the red flag was then waved, stopping the race, giving Verstappen the chance to switch his tyres without using a pit stop – infuriating Hamilton.
The subsequent standing restart brought more drama. Hamilton got a much better getaway, with Verstappen going off track but staying ahead of Hamilton, who lost a further place to Esteban Ocon.
Behind that tussle, Verstappen's Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez was sent careering into the wall, while Nikita Mazepin and George Russell also crashed, resulting in another red flag.
A tense negotiation between Red Bull and race director Michael Masi saw Verstappen cede a position to Hamilton with Ocon on pole for the second restart.
Hamilton and Ocon touched going into the first corner and enough room was left for Verstappen to dive down the inside for the lead. However, the following laps saw debris from incidents further down the field led to a collection of virtual safety cars, leaving Hamilton in striking distance on lap 37, where the tension was ratcheted up further as Verstappen kept his place in contentious circumstances.
His attempt to give up his position took Hamilton by surprise and led to a collision that damaged the front wing of the Mercedes, the Briton accusing Verstappen of 'brake testing' him in the aftermath.
Whether an intentional action from Verstappen or a product of miscommunication, it meant the outcome of the race was essentially settled over team radio, the Red Bull driver left in no mood to spray champagne on the podium with Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, who took third.
Verstappen quickly walked off to leave the Mercedes drivers to celebrate together, the fallout from the most dramatic race of an incredible season sure to last until the title is decided in Abu Dhabi next week.
AN UNFORGETTABLE WIN
Hamilton's win was his 103rd in Formula One, though he surely would have liked it to have come in less contentious circumstances.
But the manner of this success means it is certainly one he will never forget and Hamilton won't mind the nature of the victory if he is soon celebrating a record eighth F1 world title in the United Arab Emirates.
'MORE ABOUT PENALTIES THAN RACING'
In a radio interview for the 'Driver of the Day' honour, which Verstappen was given by the fans, he used the platform to voice his displeasure at the race effectively being settled by the officials.
"Luckily the fans have a clear mind about racing," Verstappen said. "I'm just trying to race. This sport is more about penalties than racing. I'm pleased the fans enjoyed it and I gave it my all today."
With their collision under a stewards' investigation, there could yet be more penalties to come.
The Russian Tennis Federation sealed the 2020-21 Davis Cup after beating Croatia 2-0 in the final in Madrid.
Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev secured a third title for the RTF following 7-6 (9-7) 6-2 and 6-4 7-6 (7-5) wins over Marin Cilic and Borna Gojo respectively.
It completed a double for the Russians after Liudmila Samsonova inspired the women's team to glory in the Billie Jean King Cup last month.
Appearing in their first Davis Cup showpiece since 2007, the RTF had lost only two matches during the finals – one of which coming during Saturday's win over Germany with the outcome already decided.
Rublev broke in game seven on the way to taking the opening set against Gojo 6-4.
The world number five was strong on his first serve, winning 36 of 39 points, and drew first blood for his nation after prevailing 9-7 in the second-set tie-break.
US Open champion Medvedev then took on Cilic, who was attempting to keep Croatia's hopes alive in what was their third final in five years.
The world number two's strong serve proved the difference during a tight opening set. Indeed, he hit seven aces on the way to edging his nose in front 9-7 on the tie-break.
Medvedev then broke the world number 30 in game four to take command of the second set.
And a crucial second break followed at 5-2 up to secure a hat-trick of Davis Cup crowns for his nation, who were also victorious in 2002 and 2006.
The inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was red-flagged twice in the space of 16 laps as the Formula One drivers' championship battle between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton was hit by yet more drama.
Hamilton started on pole at Jeddah, with a crash in qualifying by Verstappen giving the Mercedes driver the chance to potentially take the lead in the standings with one race to go.
However, the safety car was brought out after Mick Schumacher spun into the wall between turns 21 and 22, with Hamilton choosing to dive into the pits on lap 10 to switch to hard tyres as Verstappen stayed out and took track position.
With race officials wanting to repair damage to the tyre wall, the red flag was then waved, forcing all drivers to return to the paddock and giving Verstappen the chance to switch his tyres to the harder compound without using a pit stop.
Hamilton expressed his annoyance on team radio, saying: "Why is there a red flag? The tyre wall looks fine. I know the reason for the red flag."
He continued: "Have they said what the reason was? The tyre wall that looks fine. [Chief strategist] James [Vowles], that was a huge gamble we took."
Vowles replied: "It was a risk we knew, but we didn't think it [the red flag] would happen."
However, there was then another twist from the subsequent standing start, from which Hamilton got a much better getaway.
He looked to have the lead going into the first corner, but Verstappen went off track and swooped ahead of him, with Esteban Ocon also getting ahead of the Briton.
Behind that exchange, Verstappen's Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez was sent careering into the wall, while Nikita Mazepin and George Russell also crashed, resulting in another red flag.
Verstappen was not allowed to keep the lead, with a tense radio negotiation between Red Bull and race director Michael Masi resulting in another standing restart with Ocon on pole, Hamilton second and Verstappen third.
Freiburg made Bundesliga history as they put sorry hosts Borussia Monchengladbach to the sword with a ruthless first-half display, moving 6-0 ahead at the break on Sunday.
Struggling Gladbach were humiliated by high-flying Freiburg, who became the first team in the German top flight to score five goals away from home inside 25 minutes of a match.
Freiburg had lost their previous two games, but Maximilian Eggestein and Kevin Schade put them two goals up with only five minutes gone.
Philipp Lienhart, Nicolas Hofler and Lucas Holer got in on the act before Nico Schlotterbeck put rampant Freiburg 6-0 up at half-time.
Stefan Lainer and Alassane Plea were substituted in the first half of a horror for the Foals, with boss Adi Hutter's job surely hanging by a thread.
Gladbach had previously been the only side to score five goals in the opening 25 minutes of a match, that coming at home to Braunschweig in October 1984.
Joe Root has predicted the upcoming Ashes series against Australia will "define" his reign as England captain.
Root will go up against new Australia skipper Pat Cummins in the five-Test series, and he acknowledges results against the old enemy have been the yardstick for judging England captains in the past.
The 30-year-old's only other series in the role in Australia resulted in a 4-0 defeat four years ago, but Root sees this as an opportunity for himself and his team-mates to make an impact.
Speaking ahead of the first Test which starts on Wednesday in Brisbane, Root told reporters: "Of course it will define my captaincy – I'm not naive enough to think that it won't – but what a great opportunity.
"If you look how hard it's been for English captains and English teams [to win in Australia] over the years, it has been something which doesn't happen very often.
"I'm very excited about it and can't wait for the series to get going."
Root is the top-ranked Test batsman in world cricket, ahead of Australia's Steve Smith and New Zealand captain Kane Williamson.
In 2021, Root has scored 1,455 Test runs in 12 matches at an average of 66.13, over 500 runs more than India's Rohit Sharma in second place.
He is also set to overtake Alastair Cook as the player to have won the most caps while captain of England during the series.
"You look at some of the players, some of the individuals, some of the performances guys have put in," Root added. "The senior guys have done it time and time again and the junior guys have shown glimpses of what they can do and their potential.
"What better stage to really grab a series and make an announcement on the international stage. I'm an Ashes player and I want to live in the history of this great rivalry. That carrot is there for everyone."
Australia have already named their side for the first Test at the Gabba, including Travis Head and Mitchell Starc.
The Australians have won seven of their last eight men's Test series against England on home soil, not losing a single match in three of their last four series hosting the Ashes.
Root said England were not yet in a position to name their team but did suggest that spin would be important, hinting that Jack Leach could feature.
"We've got all the options on the table right now. We're not going to name a team just yet. We'll have to see a closer forecast and how that pitch changes over the next couple of days," Root said.
"But I do think it is a good place to bowl spin. If you speak to some of the great spin bowlers from Australia, they've always enjoyed bowling here.
"It's something we'll weigh up, but we're not in a position to make a call on that right now."
Ravichandran Ashwin struck three times as India closed in on a series victory after Ajaz Patel claimed New Zealand's second-best Test match figures on day three at the Wankhede Stadium.
India declared on 276-7 in Mumbai on Sunday to set the Black Caps a highly improbable 540 to win, and the tourists are facing a crushing defeat in the second and final Test of the series after closing on 140-5.
Patel became only the third bowler to take all 10 wickets in a Test innings on day two and the New Zealand spinner finished with incredible match figures of 14-225, surpassing Ian Botham's 13-106 in Mumbai in 1989 as the best taken against India.
It was very much India's day once again, though, after Mayank Agarwal top scored with 62, having made a magnificent century in the first innings.
Cheteshwar Pujara and Shubman Gill made 47 apiece, while captain Virat Kohli chipped in with 36 before Axar Patel smashed an unbeaten 41 off 26 deliveries.
Ashwin (3-27) came to the fore yet again on a challenging surface after Kohli declared late in the afternoon session, removing openers Tom Latham and Will Young before sending Ross Taylor on his way.
Daryl Mitchell (60) played with great assurance as New Zealand moved beyond their embarrassing first-innings total off 62 all out until he holed out off the bowling of Axar and Tom Blundell was run out for a duck.
Henry Nicholls batted with admirable patience and was still there on 36 at stumps, but India are on the brink of gaining a measure of revenge for their defeat in the inaugural World Test Championship final.
Patel only second to Hadlee
Spinner Patel shot to prominence with his astonishing display with the ball in his city of birth on Saturday.
The 33-year-old tweaker's one-man show continued when he dismissed Agarwal and Pujara before Rachin Ravindra (3-56) became the first Black Caps bowler other than Patel to take a wicket in the match, Gill the man to become his first Test victim.
Only Richard Hadlee has claimed better match figures for New Zealand than Patel, when the legendary all-rounder took 15-123 against Australia in November 1985.
Ashwin ending memorable year on a high note
It has been an outstanding year for Ashwin, who followed up his devastating first-innings exploits by reaching the 50-wicket landmark for 2021.
The wily Ashwin took 4-8 on day two and the New Zealand batsmen struggled to read him once again, Latham pinned lbw before Young was caught at short leg and Taylor's positive approach did not pay off when he was taken by Pujara.
Mitchell and Nicholls made a fight out it in a stand of 73, but Ashwin looks poised to take yet another five-wicket haul with two days remaining.
Steve Kerr saluted the San Antonio Spurs after they ended the Golden State Warriors' 11-match winning home streak in the NBA on Saturday.
The Spurs consigned the Warriors to a shock 112-107 defeat at Chase Center, halting their longest run of victories in their own backyard since they reeled off 54 in a row from January 2015 to March 2016.
League leaders Golden State rallied from 18 points down in the third quarter, but a run of 8-1 closed out an upset for the 8-13 Spurs.
Dejounte Murray scored 22 points and claimed 12 rebounds, with Derrick White finishing with 25 points in a stunning success for San Antonio as Stephen Curry's 27-point haul to go with eight rebounds and five assists was in vain.
Warriors head coach Kerr praised the Suns for a stirring display.
He said: "The Spurs were great. They took it to us right from the outset. They came in playing well, they had a ton of energy, they ran right through us, right past us.
"We just had a tough time getting going, but the fact that our guys gave themselves a chance in the second half with that competitiveness was indicative of the kind of team we have and the kind of guys we have."
The Warriors (19-4) were brought back down to earth on the back of halting the Phoenix Suns' 18-game winning run.
Yet Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich felt Kerr's men showed why they are such a force with the manner in which they rallied in the third quarter.
He said: "They really showed their championship mettle by coming back and playing as hard as they did.
"You can see why it's a special program and why they're championship calibre guys. It's not just about the talent, it's all the other stuff and they've got it in spades."
Antonee Burke-Gilroy scored his first A-League goal and created another as Perth Glory beat 10-man Melbourne Victory 3-0 to leave Macarthur top of the table.
Victory went into Sunday's clash at AAMI Park on a high from winning their opening two games of the season, but they were brought back down to earth by Perth.
Rai Marchan was shown a straight red card for catching Bruno Fornaroli with a high boot following a VAR check and Glory capitalised to claim their first win of the campaign.
New signing Burke-Gilroy opened the scoring with a sweet left-foot strike from outside the penalty area after 66 minutes, before whipping in a cross for Ciaran Bramwell to nod beyond Ivan Kelava.
Captain Fornaroli rifled in a third with his right foot from 20 yards out in the closing stages as Perth ended a run of six matches without an A-League win.
Macarthur rose to the summit courtesy of an own goal from Central Coast Mariners captain Oliver Bozanic on the stroke of half-time.
Ulises Davila's strike deflected off Bozanic and in for the only goal of the game to give Macarthur a first regular-season win over the Mariners at Panthers Stadium, where Central Coast goalkeeper Yaren Sozer was forced off with a suspected torn hamstring.
RB Leipzig head coach Jesse Marsch has left the club my mutual consent following Friday's 2-1 loss at Union Berlin, their third straight Bundesliga defeat.
Marsch arrived from Salzburg as the successor to Julian Nagelsmann, who left for Bayern Munich, but has overseen a series of disappointing results, with the loss to Union and Saturday's results leaving them 11th in the table.
Leipzig have already been eliminated from the Champions League and could yet miss out on a spot in the Europa League too as they sit level with Club Brugge on four points in Group A.
Marsch has struggled to combine a high-intensity press with a solid defence, with the departure of France international centre-back Dayot Upamecano clearly still hurting the team.
Only Cologne (8.6) have a better PPDA than Leipzig (8.6) in the Bundesliga this season – a measure of the number of opposition passes allowed before a defensive action – while the Red Bulls lead the league in high turnovers (159) and shot-ending high turnovers (26), though they have been unable to score from any of them.
However, the defence has been Leipzig's downfall. They have already committed six errors leading to shots in the Bundesliga (an increase of one from the entirety of last season) and three of those have ended in goals. None of their mistakes directly resulted in goals conceded under Nagelsmann in 2020-21.
Leipzig have conceded 18 goals in the top flight but have an expected goals (xG) against of 23.6. Their xG against in the 2020-21 top-flight campaign was 29.6.
Leipzig entertain Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday and face Borussia Monchengladbach, Augsburg and Arminia Bielefeld in the Bundesliga before the mid-season break.
Kevin Durant bemoaned the Brooklyn Nets' "bad" loss to the Chicago Bulls after the Eastern Conference leaders squandered a double-digit lead.
Saturday's blockbuster NBA showdown between the east's top two teams went in favour of the Bulls 111-107 at Barclays Center, where the Nets had led by 11 points in the third quarter.
The Bulls (16-8) – spearheaded by Zach LaVine (31 points) and DeMar DeRozan (29 points) – rallied to take down the Nets (16-7) on their home court.
"We just gotta go out there and play with some force and confidence, like we want to win," said Durant, whose double-double of 28 points and 10 rebounds, and four assists and two blocks, were not enough for the Nets.
"And understand it's a long game, and just stick with the game plan. It's a bad, it's a tough loss. We didn't take advantage of being up nine, 10 points.
"We just let them stay in the game and we were supposed to just bury them."
Fellow Nets superstar James Harden also had a double-double of 14 points and 14 assists, but the former MVP was just five-of-21 shooting from the floor.
"Blame this one on me," said Harden. "I had a lot of opportunities at the rim that I didn't convert that could have settled this game down."
Durant defended Harden by saying he should have taken more shots against the Bulls.
"That would've taken pressure off of him," Durant said.
Nets head coach Steve Nash added: "We did a lot of good things. Our guys did what we asked them to do. We got 111 shots at the basket. They just didn't go tonight."
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