Jaylen Brown scored 29 points and the Boston Celtics withstood a late charge from the Minnesota Timberwolves to hold on for a 107-105 win on Sunday.

Brown had seven of Boston's 21 makes from 3-point range to complement Jayson Tatum's 26 points and eight rebounds as the Celtics extended their winning streak to five games. Derrick White added 19 points and nine rebounds for the defending NBA champions, who at 14-3 trail only the 17-1 Cleveland Cavaliers for the league's best record.

Anthony Edwards compiled 28 points, nine rebounds and seven assists to nearly lead the Timberwolves back from an 84-73 deficit after three quarters. Minnesota could not get a shot off in the final seconds, however, and was dealt a second straight loss and fifth defeat in seven games.

Julius Randle chipped in 23 points for the Timberwolves, who also received 20 rebounds and 10 points from Rudy Gobert.

The Celtics hit four 3-pointers, including a pair from Tatum, during a 14-0 run that extended a one-point lead into a 69-54 advantage with 7:20 left in the third quarter. The margin was still double digits with eight minutes to go before Minnesota began cutting into its deficit.

A 9-3 spurt capped by Jaden McDaniels' dunk with 2:04 left pulled the Timberwolves within 104-102, and Minnesota had a chance at the victory after Brown's miss on a late 3-point try followed Randle's inside layup that trimmed Boston's lead to 107-105 with 33.6 seconds to play.

Brown cut off Edwards trying to drive to the basket, however, and Naz Reid's 3-point attempt came just after the final buzzer as the Celtics hung on.

Butler comes up big as Heat outlast Mavericks in overtime

Jimmy Butler recorded a season-high 33 points and the Miami Heat closed out overtime on a 6-0 run to come away with a hard-fought 123-118 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

Miami also got 19 points and 11 rebounds from Bam Adebayo and 18 points and 10 rebounds from Tyler Herro to earn back-to-back wins for the first time since Oct. 26-28.

Butler added nine boards and six assists while finishing 11 of 17 from the field in his second game back from a sprained ankle. The six-time All-Star forced overtime with a dunk off a Duncan Robinson feed that tied the game at 114-114 with 4.3 seconds left in regulation.

Playing its second straight game without Luka Dončić, Dallas had a season-high four-game winning streak halted. Kyrie Irving paced the Mavericks with 27 points, but went 3 of 12 from 3-point range on a night Dallas shot just 25 per cent from beyond the arc.

P.J. Washington chipped in 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Mavericks, while Dereck Lively amassed 14 points and 13 rebounds.

Lively's dunk off Washington's missed shot gave Dallas a 118-117 lead with 3:21 remaining in overtime, but the Mavericks were held scoreless the rest of the way. Adebayo drained a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession to put the Heat back in front, and Butler later drove the lane and scored to give Miami a 122-118 edge with 1:38 to go.

The Heat owned an 87-77 advantage late in the third quarter, but Dallas finished out the period on a 7-2 run to get within five. Spencer Dinwiddie then scored the first five points of the fourth quarter to knot the score at 89-89, and neither team led by more than four points over the remainder of regulation.

Harden helps Clippers extend 76ers' woes

James Harden returned to Philadelphia to deliver 23 points and eight assists and help the Los Angeles Clippers continue the host 76ers' season-long struggles with Sunday's 125-99 rout.

The Clippers cruised to their fifth straight victory and dropped the injury-plagued 76ers to 3-13 by dominating from start to finish. Los Angeles shot 58 per cent from the field and built a lead as large as 33 points in the third quarter.

Los Angeles also received 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting from Derrick Jones and a 16-point, 12-rebound effort from Ivica Zubac, who missed just two of 10 field goal attempts.

The short-handed 76ers were again without former Clipper Paul George as well as 2022-23 NBA MVP Joel Embiid, both of whom continue to be sidelined with knee injuries.

Rookie Jared McCain led Philadelphia with 18 points but missed 12 of his 15 shot attempts. Backcourt mate Tyrese Maxey wasn't much more accurate, as he was held to 17 points on 5-of-13 shooting.

Harden, making his second appearance in Philadelphia since forcing a trade from the 76ers to the Clippers just over a year ago, tallied 12 first-quarter points as Los Angeles opened up a 39-27 advantage after 12 minutes.

The Clippers never trailed thereafter, as they outscored the 76ers by a 33-12 margin over the first nine minutes of the third quarter to take a commanding 95-62 lead. Jones had nine points for the period and Harden eight to go along with four assists.

Austin Seibert missed a game-tying extra point attempt with 21 seconds remaining, leaving Jayden Daniels’ miraculous late touchdown pass irrelevant as the Washington Commanders were handed a 34-26 loss by the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday for their third straight defeat.

Down 27-20 with 33 seconds remaining, Washington (7-5) started a drive at its own 14-yard line. On the first play, Daniels found Terry McLaurin downfield near the right sideline, and the wide receiver outran three Dallas defenders while getting a key block from Noah Brown to spring him for the stunning score.

Seibert booted the extra point wide left after a low snap, however.

Washington then attempted an onside kick, but Dallas’ Juanyeh Thomas returned it 43 yards for a touchdown to pad the final score.

Seibert, who missed the previous two games with a right hip injury, made field goals of 41 and 51 yards but failed to connect on another 51-yard attempt and missed two extra points in the second half.

Daniels’ touchdown pass to McLaurin will likely be forgotten, but was nearly as improbable as his Hail Mary that beat the Chicago Bears on Oct. 27. The star rookie finished with 275 passing yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, plus added 74 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

Starting in place of the injured Dak Prescott, Cooper Rush threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns to help Dallas (4-7) end a five-game losing streak, though the Cowboys gave him plenty of help.

The Cowboys returned two kickoffs for touchdowns, including KaVontae Turpin’s 99-yard scamper with under three minutes remaining, and Dallas’ defence forced three turnovers.

Barkley runs for 255 yards in Eagles' seventh straight win

The Philadelphia Eagles expanded their lead over second-place Washington in the NFC East by rolling to a 37-20 win over the Los Angeles Rams behind a historic performance from Saquon Barkley.

Barkley set an Eagles' single-game record with 255 rushing yards and delivered two long touchdown runs to lead Philadelphia (9-2) to its seventh straight win. The standout running back's rushing total is the most in any NFL game since Jamaal Charles of the Kansas City Chiefs ran for 259 on Jan. 3, 2010.

Barkley ripped off a 70-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage of the third quarter to give the Eagles a 20-7 lead, then put the game out of reach with a 72-yard sprint to the end zone with 2:44 left that staked Philadelphia to a 37-14 advantage. He became the first player with two rushing scores of 70 yards or more in a game since Maurice Jones-Drew of the Jacksonville Jaguars did so in 2009.

The Eagles also got a 13-yard touchdown run from Kenneth Gainwell in the second half, while A.J. Brown racked up 109 yards and a touchdown on six catches on a night where Philadelphia accumulated a season-high 481 total yards.

Matthew Stafford threw touchdown passes to Demarcus Robinson and Cooper Kupp for Los Angeles (5-6), but the Rams couldn't slow down Barkley and the Eagles' high-powered offence in the second half and lost for just the second time in their last six games. 

Philadelphia had three touchdowns and a Jake Elliott field goal on its first four drives after half-time to break open a close game. The Eagles had taken a 13-7 lead into intermission on Jalen Hurts' 6-yard touchdown pass to Brown late in the second quarter.

Puka Nacua finished with 117 yards on nine catches for Los Angeles, while Kyren Williams rushed for 72 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries.

Chiefs pull out another late win, edge Panthers on last-second field goal

The Kansas City Chiefs bounced back from their lone loss of the season by doing just what they've done throughout much of 2024.

Spencer Shrader knocked home a 31-yard field goal as time expired as the defending Super Bowl champions moved to 10-1 with a 30-27 victory over the pesky Carolina Panthers.

Coming off last week's 30-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills, Kansas City blew an 11-point lead after three quarters before marching 57 yards in seven plays in the closing stages to set up Shrader, filling in for the injured Harrison Butker, for the tie-breaking kick.

Patrick Mahomes put the Chiefs in position for the deciding points with a 33-yard scramble to the Carolina 22-yard line with 39 seconds remaining. The star quarterback also threw three touchdown passes, including two to tight end Noah Gray, to help give Kansas City its eighth one-score victory of 2024 and fifth in games decided in the final minute.

Carolina (3-8) scored 11 straight points in the fourth quarter but came up just short in its bid for a third straight win. The Panthers tied the game at 27-27 when Chuba Hubbard scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with 1:46 left and then ran in the ensuing 2-point conversion attempt.

Panthers quarterback Bryce Young completed 21 of 35 attempts for 263 yards with a third-quarter touchdown pass to David Moore, who recorded 81 yards on six catches.

Seahawks shut down Cardinals, forge first-place tie in NFC West

Coby Bryant's 69-yard interception return for a touchdown highlighted a superb defensive display for the Seattle Seahawks, who moved into a first-place tie in the NFC West by posting a 16-6 win over the Arizona Cardinals.

Seattle (6-5) also registered five sacks of Kyler Murray, including 2 1/2 by Leonard Williams, while holding the Cardinals to two Chad Ryland field goals to end a four-game winning streak Arizona (6-5) brought into Lumen Field. The win, the Seahawks' second over an NFC West opponent in as many weeks, tied them with the Cardinals atop the division.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba had six catches for 77 yards for Seattle and scored the game's only touchdown when he hauled in a 3-yard pass from Geno Smith in the second quarter that gave the Seahawks a 7-3 half-time lead.

The defence extended the margin on Arizona's opening drive of the second half, as Bryant picked off Murray's pressured pass and raced down the sideline and into the end zone with 7:12 left in the third quarter. Jason Myers missed the extra point to keep Seattle's advantage at 13-3.

Murray did manage 285 yards on 24-of-37 passing, with Trey McBride accounting for 133 of those yards on a career-high 12 receptions. The Cardinals were just 3 of 12 on third downs, however, and mustered just 49 yards on the ground.

Smith finished 22 of 31 for 254 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

Levis leads Titans to upset of AFC South-leading Texans

Will Levis threw for two touchdowns, including a go-ahead 70-yard pass to Chig Okonkwo in the fourth quarter, to help the Tennessee Titans earn a surprising 32-27 road win over the AFC South-leading Houston Texans.

Levis shook off a third-quarter interception that Jimmie Ward returned 65 yards for a touchdown to give the Texans a 24-23 lead by rallying the Titans in the fourth.  With 9:35 left to play, the second-year quarterback hit a wide-open Okonkwo in stride on a short pass, and the tight end raced untouched through the Houston defence for a touchdown that put the Titans up 30-27.

Houston (7-5) had a chance to tie it late, but Ka'imi Fairbairn missed a 28-yard field goal attempt with 1:53 remaining. The Texans did get the ball back shortly afterward, but quarterback C.J. Stroud was sacked in the end zone by Harold Landry for a safety that extended Tennessee's advantage.

Stroud also threw a pair of interceptions that contributed to the Texans' third loss in four games. The 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year did connect with Cade Stover and Nico Collins for first-half touchdowns while finishing with 247 yards on 20-of-33 passing.

Levis also found Nick Westbrook-Ikhine for a 38-yard touchdown in the first quarter and completed 18 of 24 attempts for 278 yards. Tennessee (3-8) also got a big performance out of Tony Pollard, who rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries, to stop a two-game losing streak.

Collins recorded 92 yards on five receptions in his second game back from a hamstring injury that sidelined him five games.

Lions run over Colts for ninth straight win

Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for two touchdowns, David Montgomery ran for another and the Detroit Lions dominated both lines of scrimmage en route to their ninth consecutive victory, a 24-6 triumph over the Indianapolis Colts.

After emerging as the Super Bowl betting favourites earlier in the week, Detroit followed last Sunday's 52-6 drubbing of the Jacksonville Jaguars with another all-around performance to improve to 10-1. That matches the best record in franchise history after 11 games, set in 1934 in the Lions' debut season in Detroit.

Gibbs had 21 carries for 90 yards, while Montgomery logged 37 rushing yards and 36 receiving yards. Jared Goff threw for 269 yards while completing 26 of 36 attempts, while a suffocating Detroit defence held the Colts to just 11 first downs to the Lions' 26.

In his second start back from a two-game benching, Anthony Richardson completed just 11 of his 28 passes for 172 yards against Detroit's stout defence as Indianapolis (5-7) was dealt a fourth loss in five games.

Richardson was Indianapolis’ leading rusher with 61 yards on 10 attempts.

The Colts did play Detroit on even terms through the first 1 1/2 quarters, with the Lions owning a slim 7-6 edge until putting together a nine-play, 70-yard drive capped by Montgomery's 6-yard touchdown run late in the first half.

Detroit's defence then took over in the second half as the Lions began to pull away. Gibbs finished a 10-play, 79-yard drive with a 5-yard touchdown run to put Detroit up 21-6 late in the third quarter, and Jake Bates tacked on a 56-yard field goal in the fourth. 

West Indies will take a 181-run lead heading into day four of their opening Test against Bangladesh.

Having dominated day two, West Indies turned in another excellent display on Sunday to further gain control of the match.

After resuming on 40-2, Bangladesh saw Shahadat Hossain fall to Kemar Roach (1-30), but Mominul Haque did reach 50 before he was pinned lbw by Jayden Seales (2-42).

Shamar Joseph dismissed Litton Das (40) soon after as the Windies bowlers stepped into their rhythm, and Mehidy Hasan Miraz (23) was soon sent packing by Alzarri Joseph, who grabbed his second wicket when he bowled Taijul Islam (18).

However, that wicket came after Taijul had combined with Jaker Ali (53) to offer some resistance and ensured the tourists avoided the follow-on.

Jaker was caught by Seales when attempting to slog Justin Greaves (2-34), with Taskin Ahmed (11 not out) and Shoriful Islam (five not out) guiding Bangladesh to 269-9 at stumps, chasing West Indies' first-innings total of 450.

Data Debrief: Bravery needed for Bangladesh

It is all about hanging on now for Bangladesh, who have to somehow see out the next two days if they are to avoid a fifth straight Test defeat.

West Indies, meanwhile, look all set to make it five Tests unbeaten at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua, where Bangladesh are out to avoid a third loss.

Napoli should pay little attention to their place at the top of Serie A, so says Antonio Conte, who has demanded improvement from his team.

Romelu Lukaku's second-half goal handed Napoli a 1-0 win over Roma on Sunday.

That victory sent Napoli back to the summit of Serie A, with Conte's side one point ahead of Atalanta, Inter, Fiorentina and Lazio, while Juventus are only four points back in a six-team title race.

Napoli needed to get back to winning ways after a draw against Inter and a 3-0 loss to Atalanta before the international break, and Conte insists his team must sharpen up.

"Before the match, I told the lads not to look at the table, but to focus on ourselves and improving what we are working on," Conte told Sky Sport Italia.

"I maintain that now too because we need to take a series of steps to raise the level.

"I was satisfied with the performance for a good 65 minutes today, we could’ve taken more of our chances and were up against a strong Roma who have great players.

"Roma were also making their debut under a new coach and therefore were very eager to prove themselves, but we still should've dealt with the final 15-20 minutes better, as we sat too deep and made it complicated for ourselves."

Roma, playing under new boss Claudio Ranieri, came close to equalising when Artem Dovbyk hit the woodwork with a header. 

Ranieri came out of retirement to take charge of Roma following Ivan Juric's dismissal earlier in November, though the visitors had just six shots and accumulated only 0.6 expected goals (xG) at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

"If we look back, we have some problems and that is why I was called. We were up against a team that is fighting to win the Scudetto," Ranieri told Sky Sport Italia.

"Having said all of that, I am happy with the performance from my players. We made some mistakes that we will talk about during the week, but the hunger, the determination to get back on track was there.

"We have a lot of work to do, but I feel positive.

"We know there is work to be done, we have to focus on reacting rather than sitting there feeling sorry for ourselves.

"The [players] need the right character to help themselves and then others. Naturally, when I arrived, the team was a little closed up, but I think we started to open up a bit by the second half."

England ensured they ended 2024 on a high note as they claimed a 59-14 victory over Japan, and coach Steve Borthwick is taking the positives from a difficult Autumn Nations Series.

Borthwick's team lost three matches on the spin, going down to New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, earlier this month.

However, they at least rallied to wrap up their year with an emphatic victory on Sunday, ending a five-match losing streak.

Captain Jamie George crossed twice in the first half, with Ben Earl, Sam Underhill and Ollie Sleightholme also going over before the interval, while Marcus Smith was on form with the boot.

Japan, coached by former England boss Eddie Jones, did score through a fantastic try from Naoto Saito, but England kept their foot on the pedal after half-time.

George Furbank rounded off a slick move after latching onto Tommy Freeman's exceptional pass, while Luke Cowan-Dickie went over twice, either side of Tom Roebuck's maiden international try, with Kazuki Himeno grabbing another consolation for the visitors. 

While Borthwick knows England have plenty to improve on, he feels they are not too short of where they wish to be.

He said: "Reflecting on it, the obvious overriding feeling will be one of frustration to have come so close to getting results but not actually be able to convert them, I think that will be one aspect.

"The other aspect would be real positivity around some of the aspects we've seen the team play.

"I want them to be brave with the ball, I want them to play fast. I think we've seen growth in that area over the last four weeks."

Reflecting on Sunday's display, he added: "I'm really pleased with the way the players approached the game and the way they kept their discipline to play the way we want to play.

"You can see the identity they're trying to build as a team, one that moves the ball and can score in different ways.

"Some of the tries were exceptional. Over the past four weeks, we've scored some really outstanding tries. With the skill level that's in the group, I'm really pleased they took it onto the grass."

Roy Keane does not believe Manchester United will get back into the Premier League's top four under Ruben Amorim this season due to a "real lack of quality".

The Red Devils legend was speaking after United started life under the Portuguese with a 1-1 draw at Ipswich Town, as Omari Hutchinson cancelled out Marcus Rashford's second-minute opener.

Keane acknowledged Amorim has to be given time to turn things around at Old Trafford, but does not see United cracking the top four this season.

"You have to give the man a chance," Keane told Sky Sports. "But the threat going forward, it's a huge problem for Man Utd. It's not good enough.

"Do I believe they have the quality to get them back to top four? Absolutely not. The evidence is not there. It's the same old stuff. Predictable and a real lack of quality."

United created 0.9 xG compared to Ipswich's 1.75 and had fewer shots on target (four) compared to Ipswich (six) at Portman Road.

They did have more touches in the opposition box (16 to 11) but had fewer final-third entries (48 to 61) and big chances created (two to three).

Ipswich were extremely resilient opponents after their early setback, and Tractor Boys boss Kieran McKenna praised his side, particularly Hutchinson after he grabbed his first Premier League goal.

"I thought he (Hutchinson) was a big threat first half, naturally more a winger, but most teams are going to press us high and in the spaces in the middle of the pitch having a dribbler in the middle of the pitch who's elusive and hard to pick up can be a big threat," he told Sky Sports.

"I think it's his first goal in the Premier League he'll be happy to have that of his back and he's improving."

"The first half, it's a blow to concede the early goal but I thought as the half went on we grew in the ascendancy, and the intensity of pressing and work on the ball.

"I thought we were the dominant team in the first half and deserved to be going in at least level. Second half in fairness, Man Utd had more control. It was difficult, we had to defend with real discipline on shape."

Jannik Sinner capped his outstanding year by helping Italy retain the Davis Cup, beating Tallon Griekspoor to ensure Italy downed the Netherlands 2-0 in Sunday's final.

World number one Sinner overcame Griekspoor 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 after Matteo Berrettini had registered a 6-4 6-2 win over Botic van de Zandschulp in the opener.

Sinner saved the only two break points of the first set as Griekspoor put up a fight, but the Italian put on a show in the tie-break to inch ahead.

Griekspoor hit back after giving up an early break in the second set, but Sinner immediately responded with two further breaks, with the Dutchman double-faulting for the first then wildly miscuing with a backhand for the second.

Sinner was untroubled from then on, sealing a triumphant end to a spectacular season. 

The Italian has only dropped one set throughout that streak, finishing a year that saw him win the Australian Open, US Open and ATP Finals with a 73-6 singles record.

Data Debrief: Sensational Sinner leads the way

This has been a truly remarkable year for Sinner, who has become the first man in the Open Era to win at least one set in every match throughout a season since Roger Federer in 2005.

His victory ensured Italy became the first team to retain the Davis Cup since the Czech Republic triumphed in 2012 and 2013.

Italy also captured the Billie Jean King Cup earlier this week, and they are just the third nation to claim both trophies in the same season in the last 30 years, after the Czech Republic in 2012 and Russia in 2021.

Claudio Ranieri's Roma return was spoilt by Romelu Lukaku, whose goal against his old club sealed a 1-0 win for Napoli.

Ranieri was appointed Roma boss over the international break, with the 73-year-old coming out of retirement to take charge of the club for a third time.

Yet it was ex-Roma striker Lukaku who decided Sunday's contest at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, with his 54th-minute effort sending Antonio Conte's team back to the top of Serie A.

Lukaku was well-placed to convert from Giovanni Di Lorenzo's cutback, bringing up his fifth Serie A goal of the campaign.

Roma, who had just two attempts and managed only 0.07 expected goals (xG) in the first half, woke up after Lukaku's goal, with Artem Dovbyk powering a header off the woodwork from a free-kick minutes later, but the visitors' comeback attempts proved fruitless.

Ranieri's next task is to rally his troops for a Europa League clash with Tottenham on Thursday.

Data Debrief: Ranieri's underwhelming return

There was no sign of an immediate upturn for 12th-place Roma, if they were hoping for a new-coach bounce.

Roma ended the first half with fewer than 70 successful passes (68). It is the first time they have had so few successful passes in the opening half of a league game since 2004-05.

With only three wins to their name in the league, they have won fewer than four matches in their opening 13 Serie A games for the first time since the 1978-79 campaign (also three).

And of course, it had to be Lukaku, who was leading their line last season, that delivered the hammer blow. The Belgium international has been involved in nine goals in Serie A this term (five goals, four assists). Only his former Everton club-mate Ademola Lookman, now a star at Atalanta, has contributed to more goals in the competition (seven goals, four assists).

Ruben Amorim believes Manchester United were guilty of overthinking as his Premier League managerial bow ended in a 1-1 draw at Ipswich Town.

The Red Devils made a flying start to the Portuguese's tenure as Marcus Rashford netted in only the second minute at Portman Road.

But Omari Hutchinson's deflected equaliser restored parity and Andre Onana had to make a couple of big saves from Liam Delap to ensure Amorim started with a point.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Amorim said: "I think my players were thinking too much during the game, they were thinking not just with the ball, but, 'where am I supposed to be?'

"It is hard because the team has been together only two days, I think we needed more in the first half with the physicality, because they left us one against one up front so we have to use those moments to feel the opponent.

"I think we lost some balls without pressure and when you start a game like this, you score one goal, then you have to control the ball, you have to control the tempo of the game.

"We cannot do it at the moment but they tried, they really, really tried. I know for some guys it's hard to understand this but they're trying and they really want this."

Amorim conceded that United, who are 12th in the Premier League, need to be better in their game management moving forward.

"I think that is a concern because you can understand you don't need to coach them at this level (how) you have to keep the ball, put the momentum in to put the ball up front," he added.

"At the end of the game, we are around the box with two strikers, Josh (Zirkzee) has to understand he has to go to the box to have the crosses, so we are doing things not in the right moment. That is something we have to address. 

"Everyone talks about the 3-4-3 – that is not the problem, but the understanding of the game... we have to improve in this area."

Zimbabwe's spinners took centre-stage as they earned a crushing 80-run victory over Pakistan in the teams' rain-affected ODI opener on Sunday.

Torrential rain, thunder and lightning halted play after 21 overs of the Pakistan innings, with the tourists toiling at 60-6 after bowling Zimbabwe out for 205.

Sean Williams, Blessing Muzarabani and Sikandar Raza each scalped two wickets apiece as no Pakistan batter surpassed the 19 runs managed by Mohammad Rizwan.

The dismal weather would ensure no further play was possible, with Pakistan having completed the requisite 20 overs to ensure a result would be declared, ensuring Zimbabwe won on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.

Richard Ngarava had earlier top-scored for Zimbabwe with a steady 48 off 52 balls, with Raza adding an important 39 from 56 deliveries after the hosts had been dropped to 99-5.

Salman Agha and Faisal Akram finished with three wickets apiece for Pakistan, but it was not enough to prevent Zimbabwe from being declared comfortable victors, with their total some way clear of the DLS par score of 141. 

Data Debrief: Zimbabwe end Bulawayo hoodoo

Zimbabwe's victory may not have come in the circumstances they would have envisaged, but it did end their dismal run against Pakistan at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.

They had lost each of their previous eight matches against Pakistan at the venue, only winning one of their last nine there overall (one draw, seven defeats), after winning three of their previous four.

They will hope to carry this momentum into Tuesday's second match at the same venue, as they bid to clinch victory in the three-match series.