Steph Curry had Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and team-mate Eric Paschall purring about his game-changing impact in the comeback win over the Los Angeles Clippers.

Golden State trailed 85-63 deep into the third quarter at Chase Center on Friday and looked set for a second straight loss to the Clippers, only for a 52-20 surge to see them emerge 115-105 winners.

Curry was the driving force behind that recovery, finishing with 38 points and 11 assists.

He was 13-of-24 from the field and nine-of-14 from three-point range in the win, and now averages 30.6 points through nine games this season.

His efforts in triggering the recovery - 33 of Curry's points came when the Warriors were trailing - were at once exhilarating but also exactly what Kerr knows his star man can produce.

Kerr said. "It's just who Steph is. He's been doing this for many, many years and it's one of the reasons he's a two-time MVP and he's a phenomenal basketball player.

"Usually with Steph when he has a tough game he bounces back [in] the next one. That's part of his character, part of his competitiveness. He found something out there, he found some openings, and got himself going."

That "tough game" for Curry came in the 108-101 loss to the Clippers on Wednesday, when he had a season-low 13 points.

This time it was a different story, and Paschall, in his second season in the NBA, was thrilled to be able to share a court with a red-hot Curry.

"Sometimes I've gotta remember that I'm his team-mate," Paschall said. "I'm so used to watching it on TV.

"Sometimes I gotta remember like, 'Hey, hold on. You're playing with Steph'. But sometimes you do want to sit there and watch, I’m not going to lie. It's very entertaining.

"I get a front-row seat so I'm not complaining."

Curry exited early in the fourth quarter before returning to finish the job.

He explained how there had been some confusion about how prominent a role he would play in that final period, after misunderstanding a message from associate head coach Mike Brown.

"Me and Mike Brown, he told me at the end of the third quarter break ... he said something like he was going to give me a minute and I didn't hear what he said after that," Curry said.

"I thought I was coming out for a minute and was going to play 10 or 11 minutes in the fourth because I had a roll on.

"But he said, 'You're going to keep playing, I’ll give you possession for a minute and then take you out'."

When Curry stepped off the court after that minute, momentum was all with the Warriors. By the time he returned, they were ahead, a remarkable victory incoming.

Kawhi Leonard warned the Los Angeles Clippers "have to change" after they were made to pay by the Golden State Warriors for another second-half capitulation on Friday.

The Clippers held a commanding 85-63 lead with just over three minutes of the third quarter remaining at Chase Center, but slumped to a 115-105 defeat.

Steph Curry was their chief tormentor, scoring half of his 38 points in the third quarter to leave the Clippers 6-4 in the NBA Western Conference.

The Clippers have lost eight games when leading by at least 15 points since the start of last season, according to ESPN, letting more advantages by such a margin slip than any other team in that period.

Four-time NBA All-Star Leonard, who scored 24 points, said such collapses are unacceptable and must be addressed.

The small forward declared: "We just have to change, pretty much. We've got to change it. We've got to get better."

He added: "I'm not about to tell you what we're doing in the locker room. It's locker room talk."

Leonard felt the Clippers made it far too easy for the Warriors (5-4) to storm back and secure what appeared to be such an unlikely victory when they were so far behind.

"Our third quarter was terrible as far as defense. Them able to get easy looks, coming down just laying up the ball with no one there. Steph Curry did a few times." said Leonard.

"In that third quarter, just guys coming down and getting either open looks or just walking to the basket and laying up the ball."

Paul George, the Clippers' highest scorer with 25 points as well as laying on seven assists, echoed Leonard's sentiments.

He said: "We want to just be great as a unit, just demand greatness out of everybody. We've got to be better. All of us included. This was a team loss, more than anything. We've just got to get better. We'll work on it."

George added: "I think this is good that something like this happened for this team so early. Because fact of the matter is, we have to be a better closing-out team."

Atletico Madrid's home game against Athletic Bilbao has been postponed due to Storm Filomena blanketing the Spanish capital in snow.

The match was due to take place on Saturday afternoon but a new date must now be found.

Atletico, who led the LaLiga table heading into the weekend, said their opponents had been unable to make the trip, and that conditions were so treacherous that anyone attempting to travel to the Wanda Metropolitano stadium would be putting themselves in danger.

In a statement, Atletico said: "The match that we were supposed to play today against Athletic Club at the Wanda Metropolitano has been postponed due to the snowstorm affecting much of the peninsula.

"The inclement weather prevented the Basque team from travelling to Madrid due to the temporary closure of the Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suarez Airport and, in addition, the travel of our team, referees and club staff to the stadium was not guaranteed to be safe due to the poor condition of the roads in the community of Madrid.

"Faced with this situation, LaLiga has requested this morning the postponement of the match to the professional competition committee, given the exceptional circumstances caused by inclement weather, and the latter has ratified the decision not to play the game today as planned. The date of the match will be announced in the next few days."

Wellington Phoenix held on with 10 men for a 1-1 draw against Macarthur in the A-League on Saturday.

David Ball tapped in a James McGarry cross from the left for the opener for Wellington six minutes before half-time.

But a controversial red card to Alex Rufer shortly after the hour mark hurt the Phoenix.

The midfielder was sent off after a VAR check, judged to have lashed out at Denis Genreau.

Macarthur quickly made the most of their numerical advantage, Markel Susaeta beating Stefan Marinovic at his near post after a pass from Benat Etxebarria.

Matt Derbyshire hit the crossbar with a stoppage-time header for Macarthur who moved onto four points from three games, while Wellington remain winless through two.

The Phoenix are now winless in their past seven A-League games in New South Wales, their longest such run in the competition.

Bradley Beal slammed the Washington Wizards' defense, saying they were unable to "guard a parked car".

Beal had a game-high 41 points but the Wizards fell to 2-7 after a 116-107 loss to the Boston Celtics in the NBA on Friday.

The Wizards have given up an average of 122.1 points per game – the worst record in the NBA – to begin the season and Beal rued their defensive efforts.

"We all know it's our defense, but I don't know why it's our defense," he told a news conference.

"At this point we can't guard a parked car."

After back-to-back losses, the Wizards are bottom of the Eastern Conference.

But Beal remains confident they can respond, having missed the playoffs in the past two seasons.

"The way we played in the second half, it was two different teams that were out there," he said.

"In the second half, we played with energy, coach put guys out there that haven't got burned all year and they gave us a spark that we needed so I think moving forward a lot of things will be changing in terms of our lineup.

"But I'm always optimistic, I'm confident in my game, I'm confident in the team I'm on, I'm always going to be for my guys and I'm always going to be confident that we can turn it around.

"Eventually you run out of games, you do run out of games so we can't keep saying, 'It's early', we can't keep saying, 'Oh, onto the next one', we've got to make that change and we've got to compete better than what we are."

Stephen Curry led the Golden State Warriors past the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday, while the Los Angeles Lakers bounced back.

Curry's fine start to the NBA season continued in the Warriors' 115-105 win over the Clippers.

The guard had a double-double of 38 points and 11 assists as the Warriors (5-4) responded to their loss to the Clippers on Wednesday.

Curry was 13-of-24 from the field and nine-of-14 from three-point range in the win.

Paul George (25) and Kawhi Leonard (24) combined for 49 points for the Clippers, but they slipped to 6-4.

The Lakers bounced back from their loss to the San Antonio Spurs by overcoming the Chicago Bulls 117-115.

LeBron James' 28 points, seven rebounds and seven assists led the Lakers, who were without Anthony Davis (strained adductor).

Zach LaVine finished with 38 points for the Bulls.

Bucks fall despite Giannis' display, Celtics win

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 35 points, eight rebounds and four assists, but the Milwaukee Bucks went down to the Utah Jazz 131-118.

Donovan Mitchell led the Jazz, posting 32 points, seven assists and five rebounds.

Jaylen Brown continued his good form with a double-double of 27 points and 13 rebounds in the Boston Celtics' 116-107 win over the Washington Wizards. Brown and Jayson Tatum (32 points) became the third pair of team-mates in the past 20 seasons to each record 250-plus points in their team's first 10 games, joining Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant (2001-02) and Curry and Kevin Durant (three times).

The Wizards slumped to 2-7 despite Bradley Beal's 41 points.

Caris LeVert exploded for 43 points, but the Brooklyn Nets – without Durant and Kyrie Irving – were edged by the Memphis Grizzlies 115-110.

Magic misery

The Orlando Magic have made a good start to the season, but they shot at just 38.2 per cent in a 132-90 loss to the Houston Rockets. Orlando are now 6-3.

Brotherly battle

LaMelo and Lonzo Ball did battle on Friday. LaMelo had 12 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in the Charlotte Hornets' 118-110 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.

Friday's results

Detroit Pistons 110-105 Phoenix Suns
Boston Celtics 116-107 Washington Wizards
Charlotte Hornets 118-110 New Orleans Pelicans
Oklahoma City Thunder 101-89 New York Knicks
Houston Rockets 132-90 Orlando Magic
Memphis Grizzlies 115-110 Brooklyn Nets
Utah Jazz 131-118 Milwaukee Bucks
Toronto Raptors 144-123 Sacramento Kings
Golden State Warriors 115-105 Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Lakers 117-115 Chicago Bulls

Cavaliers at Bucks

The Bucks (5-4) will look to bounce back when they take on the Cleveland Cavaliers (5-4) on Saturday.

LaMelo Ball revelled in a "great feeling" after facing his brother, Lonzo, as the Charlotte Hornets overcame the New Orleans Pelicans.

LaMelo had 12 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in the Hornets' 118-110 victory in the NBA on Friday.

His brother, Lonzo, had less of an impact, finishing with five points, three assists and two rebounds for the Pelicans.

LaMelo, who had the first double-double of his NBA career, enjoyed facing his older brother.

"It was a great feeling for sure," he told Fox Sports.

"Onto the next one, we don't really live in the past, we've got a game tomorrow."

Gordon Hayward lifted the Hornets with 26 points, while Zion Williamson had 26 for the Pelicans.

LaMelo praised his team for working together as they improved to 4-5.

"I've played a lot of basketball and I know basketball don't change," he said.

"At the end of the day I'm smooth but all of our team-mates together we all help each other and push each other."

Ronald Koeman backed Antoine Griezmann but said goals would be the "best medicine" to boost the Barcelona forward's confidence.

Griezmann's last goal came against Ferencvaros in the Champions League on December 2, and he has just three in 16 LaLiga appearances this season.

A trip to Los Carmenes to face Granada on Saturday could help the France international, who has been involved in four goals (three goals and one assist) in his past five visits to the ground in LaLiga.

Barcelona coach Koeman said while Griezmann was working hard, goals would be best for the 29-year-old.

"Any player needs confidence in himself, his team-mates and the place where he plays. This starts with the player," he told a news conference.

"As a coach, I can communicate with [Griezmann], show him things and footage of potential things to improve, but at the end it's the player who has to show his quality and give effectivity to the team.

"It's not the case that Antoine doesn't work, he works a lot in any position. The other day he recovered a lot of balls, he gave an assist to Leo [Messi].

"But it's time that he scores, because scoring goals is the best medicine to have total confidence in yourself."

Griezmann has converted just 22.2 per cent of his big chances in LaLiga this season, his lowest in any campaign since at least 2012-13.

Barcelona are fourth in the table, seven points behind Atletico Madrid but having played two more games.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola admitted there was uncertainty about what condition players would be in after contracting coronavirus.

The Premier League giants are set to regain Ederson, Ferran Torres and Tommy Doyle ahead of their FA Cup clash against Birmingham City on Sunday.

But Guardiola said it still remained unclear just how players would return after testing positive for COVID-19.

"The doctors don't know how the body will react, maybe one month or one and a half years, no-one knows what is going to happen," he told reporters.

"Imagine after being found positive, whether you know if you are going to play at a high level. That is why the boys are a little but concerned about this and are careful.

"Because some players react well, but Ilkay Gundogan took some time to recover after the summer and struggled a little bit. So that is why it's good news they are back in the training sessions and locker room.

"But when they will be able to play minutes, we have to talk with them and the doctors and the physios and how they react to the training session and the day after. Every player and case is different and you have to be alert."

City are unbeaten in 12 games in all competitions and sit fifth in the Premier League table.

They have played two fewer games than Liverpool and one less than Manchester United, who are four points clear of them.

Bayern Munich fell victim to a "brutally effective" Borussia Monchengladbach in their humbling 3-2 defeat on Friday, according to Hansi Flick.

Robert Lewandowski's penalty – his 20th Bundesliga goal of the season – and a fine strike from Leon Goretzka put Bayern in control of the Bundesliga clash at Borussia-Park inside 26 minutes.

However, a wayward pass from Benjamin Pavard led to a quick break that finished with Jonas Hofmann scoring, and the Gladbach midfielder was played onside by Niklas Sule as he doubled his tally before half-time after Joshua Kimmich was caught in possession by Lars Stindl.

Sule then gave the ball to Hofmann inside his own half four minutes after the restart and Florian Neuhaus subsequently atoned for conceding the first-half spot-kick with a bizarre handball by netting the winner.

Gladbach consequently became the first team since Cologne in February 2011 to beat Bayern in a Bundesliga game after falling 2-0 down.

"We had hoped for a different ending to this game and expected it, but in the end we were punished. We lost the ball unnecessarily three times and the opposition was brutally effective in finishing those chances," Flick told a post-match news conference.

"When you ask me how to prevent that, on the one hand you have to keep the mistakes to a minimum, or avoid them, and on the other hand you have to cover your deep positions twice.

"We suffered similar situations on their first two goals. Hofmann went deep from midfield and we moved forward too quickly and opened the centre without covering the deep position, and with the second we should have kept going and covering the positions.

"That shouldn't happen and it's not a nice situation to be in, but a defeat, even if it's Bayern Munich, is part of the game. In the second half the team tried everything to achieve a positive result but unfortunately it didn't work."

Manuel Neuer has now conceded in 10 straight Bundesliga games for the first time in his career, with Bayern letting in 16 goals since their last clean sheet against Eintracht Frankfurt on October 24.

Bayern have conceded 24 goals through 15 matches in the top flight this season, the most they have shipped at this point of a Bundesliga campaign since 1981-82.

Flick added: "I've said it a few times, we are making too many mistakes. You can't deny that the team tried to win.

"We had to fight today, we knew it would be a difficult game. Don't forget [Gladbach] is a team that played in the Champions League against top opposition and prevailed, so we needed this compact team performance and we showed – with the exception of these three situations.

"But of course, we're not satisfied with the result. We all know we need to show even more concentration in our defensive work in the crucial moments. We have to cover the deep positions and that's the challenge we have, and we have to improve in the coming weeks."

Bayern are back in action against 2. Bundesliga side Holstein Kiel in the DFB-Pokal on Wednesday.

Jurgen Klopp lavished praise on Aston Villa's young players after they made Liverpool battle for their place in the FA Cup fourth round on Friday.

As a result of a training ground Covid-19 outbreak on Thursday, the hosts were forced to send Under-23s boss Mark Delaney and a team comprised of youngsters to face the Premier League champions at Villa Park.

They more than held their own for large parts, and even got to the half-time break level thanks to a well-taken Louie Barry goal.

Liverpool took the game away from Villa in the second period, ultimately running out comfortable 4-1 winners, but Klopp was impressed with what he saw from the opposition.

The German also took pleasure in the fact his far more experienced side eventually solved the 'football problems' in front of them.

He said: "The boys did really well, the kids of Aston Villa did really well, were organised and all that stuff. 

"It was clear. We scored an early goal, a nice one, and then we didn't play quick enough anymore, didn't move fast enough, didn't play the right spaces.

"These are football problems and we solved the football problems with football in the second half. So, I'm really fine with it. 

"It was a tricky one. I've never before had this kind of challenge in my life, that you have no idea who you're playing against – absolutely no idea; that you prepare a meeting and then you can throw all the preparation, all the videos in the bin and then you have to start new. 

"That's football and academy players are good players. Last year we played here with our kids and they gave Aston Villa a proper game as well. That's just how it is. 

"These young kids can all play football and if you don't play well against them you have problems. Second half, we played exactly like we should have played from the beginning and that's why we won really, the right way."

Klopp withdrew captain Jordan Henderson at half-time in Birmingham but went on to reveal that the change was not down to a new fitness issue.

Asked about a possible injury blow, he replied: "No, no, Hendo and Thiago was clear before the game that we do it like this: 45, 45. Absolutely no problem."

The German also explained that he had no concerns about his squad being exposed to coronavirus despite the late change to Villa's proposed line-up.

He continued: "No, no reservations. We trust the authorities, we had our test results come back yesterday as well, everybody was negative. Then the FA did what they thought is right with the U23s, they got tested, we got their results this morning I think at 10 o'clock.

"We were on the car park at the airport. So, then everything is fine."

Frank Lampard vowed he will fight to make Chelsea successful and declared he would have become a pundit if he had wanted an "easier" life.

The head coach, who in his playing days became Chelsea's record goalscorer, has been unable to prevent a mid-season slump that has seen the Blues slide down the Premier League table.

Four defeats in the last six games has been the sting in the tail after a long unbeaten run, yet Lampard is confident there is enough quality in his squad to turn around their season.

"I've been playing football since I could walk, and playing professionally for 20-odd years," Lampard said.

"If I didn't want that challenge, I could have sat on the telly and done an easier job. I could have been a pundit and commented on what everyone does with hindsight whenever I want, but I don't want to do that."

Instead, he is determined to prove he is the right man for the Stamford Bridge top job, and should he sense any player does not match his ambition, Lampard will consider if they belong at the club.

"The players here I feel have a real desire to get out of this mini run of bad results. I can see that in them," said Lampard. "And if there are players who don't have those concerns to get out, I think they have decisions to make.

"If there are opportunities for players to leave, it would have to be right for them, right for the club and right for myself, then that could happen. But if not, we keep fighting and moving on."

Chelsea have a break from Premier League duties when they face Morecambe in the FA Cup third round on Sunday. They lost to Arsenal in the final of last season's competition.

Lampard is set to shuffle his squad for the game with fourth-tier Morecambe, giving fringe players and possibly some academy prospects the chance to impress.

After that it will be back to the Premier League, when he expects senior players to be straining every sinew in training to earn selection.

The likes of summer signings Kai Havertz and Timo Werner have struggled this season, but Lampard says every player should be desperate to make an impact.

Havertz has found it difficult to make the transition from the Bundesliga to the Premier League, with just one goal, two assists and a mere 23 touches in the opposition penalty area for Chelsea after 15 games in the competition, 10 of which he started.

Last season, at Bayer Leverkusen, Havertz totted up 12 goals, six assists and had 140 touches in the opposition box across 29 league starts and one substitute appearance.

Lampard was determined not to focus on individuals and appears keen to give his recent recruits time to bed in at Chelsea. His concern is a wider one and addresses every player at the club.

He said: "I don't ask for them to be jumping up and down when they go home about how great I am. What I'm asking for when you're here is, to train well, back your team-mates, have a determined attitude every day, and that's it.

"I don't expect it to be a popularity contest with myself - I don't think I ever felt that in a dressing room with any manager in the best of times or in tough times.

"The players have to keep fighting in tough times. The quality is in the group, without a doubt. There will be bumpy moments and we have to stick together."

Emile Smith Rowe has the "huge potential" to match the exploits of young England stars Phil Foden and Jadon Sancho, according to Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta.

The Gunners begin their FA Cup defence at home to Newcastle United on Saturday, buoyed by a sharp upturn in their Premier League form.

A dominant 3-1 London derby win over Chelsea on Boxing Day sparked an ongoing three-match winning run.

Smith Rowe was handed a starting berth in that game and has kept his place after impressing in the number 10 role, with the 20-year-old giving Arteta's team an overdue shot of creative intent.

In 2017, Smith Rowe was part of the England squad that won the U17 World Cup, with Foden named player of the tournament.

Sancho featured during the group stages before being called back to club action by Borussia Dortmund, and Arteta acknowledged the duo are ahead of Smith Rowe in their development.

"He has huge potential. He really wants it and he has the personality when he goes on the field to express and play the way he can play," said Arteta, who coached Foden and - more briefly - Sancho at Manchester City as part of Pep Guardiola's backroom staff.

"To do it in a consistent way is a different thing. The boys that you mentioned, they've done it. It's true that they're ahead in their development phase because they've played many more minutes and games in the last two seasons.

"But he is capable of doing that. Whether he's going to do it will depend on how he continues to develop, how he takes the chance that he has in front of him and how much we can help him to achieve that."

Underwhelming loan stints at RB Leipzig and Huddersfield Town in the past two years preceded a pre-season shoulder injury, but a player dubbed "The Croydon De Bruyne" by some Arsenal fans has shown he is ready to make up for lost time.

"A lot of things have happened to him in the past year," Arteta acknowledged. "He needs to establish himself here, he needs to be successful here, he needs to really find his role and his position in the team and in the club.

"That will help him to have clear path. We really believe in him. He needs to have no fear and go for it, because he has the quality."

That quality has certainly been to the fore this season, with Smith Rowe's four assists coming at a rate of one every 93.5 minutes across seven appearances in all competitions.

With the youngster in the side, Arsenal average 2.9 goals per game. The 4-1 Europa League triumph over Rapid Vienna – in which he scored – was one of six victories Smith Rowe has been involved in this term, amounting to a win percentage of 85.7 per cent that plummets to 40 in the 20 games he spent as a spectator.

It feels infeasible that Arteta will leave him out of such a large proportion of games again but the former Emirates Stadium skipper pointed towards the examples of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, who completed an exciting attacking midfield trident alongside Smith Rowe against Chelsea and Brighton and Hove Albion, when discussing how younger players must have their workloads managed.

That could mean some stints playing in different positions, as Saka has during his fledgling Arsenal career, although Arteta cannot deny the much-needed lift his breakthrough stars have given Arsenal, even as he tries to manage expectations.

"Sometimes a team is a little bit concerned and has some fear because of the results, because of the pressure," he added, before noting the impact through "enthusiasm" the younger members of his squad have had.

"I think they were really helpful because they were re-energising to the team. They pushed the team into a different direction and a different rhythm as well.

"But, of course, the young players need that solidity, experience and maturity that the older players bring. It's a good combination."