The Chicago Bulls will be without DeMar DeRozan against the Denver Nuggets on Monday after the star entered the NBA's health and safety protocols.
DeRozan is the third Bulls player to go through the league's COVID-19 protocols, joining team-mates Coby White and Javonte Green.
It remains to be seen how long four-time All-Star DeRozan will be sidelined in Chicago, where the new-look Bulls (16-8) have made a strong start to the season.
DeRozan has fuelled the Bulls, earning Eastern Conference Player of the Week honours having averaged 30.3 points and 5.7 rebounds while shooting 58.7 per cent from the field.
Entering Monday's play, DeRozan – who leads the league in points (633) – has been averaging 26.4 points per game, his best mark since the 2016-17 season.
DeRozan has also averaged 5.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists, while shooting 49.8 per cent from the field and 33.3 per cent from three-point range – the 32-year-old only managed better in 2015-16 (33.8).
Chicago defeated the Eastern Conference-leading Brooklyn Nets 111-107 on Saturday while outscoring their opponents 32-25 in the fourth quarter. The Bulls are averaging 28.3 points in the fourth quarter this season, the most in the NBA, according to Stats Perform.
Against the Nets, Zach LaVine poured in 31 points while DeRozan scored 29. This season, the Bulls are 9-2 when both players score at least 25 points and 7-6 when only one or neither hit that mark.
Two-time Jamaican Olympian Yona Knight-Wisdom walked away with three medals and a possible diving partner from the Scottish National and Open Diving Championships. The Championships ran from December 2-5 at the Royal Commonwealth Pool in Edinburgh.
The United States government confirmed on Monday that it will not send officials to the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Beijing, though athletes will attend with theIr full support.
President Joe Biden stated last month that he was considering a diplomatic boycott amid criticism of China's human rights record.
A statement from China earlier in the day said that it would bring unspecified "countermeasures" against any such diplomatic boycott.
However, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told a daily press briefing: "The Biden administration will not send any diplomatic or official representation to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games given the [People's Republic of China's] ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang and other human rights abuses.
"U.S. diplomatic or official representation would treat these games as business as usual in the face of the PRC's egregious human rights abuses and atrocities in Xinjiang, and we simply can't do that."
Psaki did confirm that the diplomatic boycott will not affect the attendance of American athletes, adding: "The athletes on Team USA have our full support. We will be behind them 100 per cent as we cheer them on from home."
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian had told a news briefing earlier in Beijing that calls for a boycott amount to "grandstanding" and should be halted "so as not to affect the dialogue and cooperation between China and the United States in important areas.
"If the U.S. insists in wilfully clinging to its course, China will take resolute countermeasures," he added, without confirming what those countermeasures would be.
The Winter Olympics are due to run from February 4-20, while the Paralympics are scheduled to take place from March 4-13.
Bianca Andreescu will miss the 2022 Australian Open to focus on her mental health after suffering a "very challenging" couple of years.
Andreescu has struggled with physical and mental concerns since winning the US Open two years ago.
The 21-year-old has felt the strain even more this year, with her grandmother in intensive care after contracting COVID-19, Andreescu also testing positive and spending significant time in isolation.
The former world number four has decided to skip the first grand slam next year as she takes extra time out to "reset, recover and grow", but vowed to return "stronger than ever."
The Canadian tweeted: "As you all know, the past two years have been very challenging for me for a variety of reasons.
"Especially this year in particular, I spent multiple weeks in isolation quarantining which affected me greatly – both mentally and physically. In addition, my grandmother spent several weeks in the ICU due to a covid infection, something that really hit me hard.
"A lot of days, I did not feel like myself, especially while I was training and/or playing matches. I felt like I was carrying the world on my shoulders.
"I could not detach myself from everything that was going on off the court; was feeling the collective sadness and turmoil around it and it took its toll on me.
"I want to give myself extra time to reset, recover and grow from this (as cliche [sic] as that sounds) and continue to inspire by doing charity work, giving back and working on myself because I know by doing this, I will come back stronger than ever.
"I will therefore not start my season in Australia this year, but will take some additional time to reflect, train and be ready for the upcoming 2022 season."
Mexico and Cuba both enjoyed additional success as athletics action came to a close at the Junior Pan Am Junior in Cali, Colombia on Saturday.
Mexico won medals in the first two events on the day when Guillermo Ornelas took bronze in the Men’s 110m Hurdles in 14.05 and Cesar Ponce claimed a silver medal in the 3000m Steeplechase in 8:56.65.
Their compatriot, Israel Alvarez, finished fourth in the 800m in 1:50.43 ahead of Dominica's Dennick Luke, who was fifth in 1:50.79.
The Cubans then got in on the act in the discus where Mario Torres finished second with a throw of 60.77m and Anyel Sampre taking the bronze medal with 57.03m.
Another Caribbean competitor, Jorge Nazario of Puerto Rico, was sixth in 50.72.
Mexico’s Luis Peralta was sixth in the Men’s Pole Vault with 4.80 metres.
Cuba then got their first gold medal of the day with Andy Salazar jumping 16.77 metres to win the triple jump.
Taeco O’Garro of Antigua finished sixth with 15.60 metres.
There were only two individual female events on the day.
Arian Hernandez of Mexico finished fourth in the 3000m Steeplechase in 10:57.62.
Yaritza Valera then won Cuba’s second gold medal on the day with a 67.47 metres effort to win the Women’s Hammer Throw.
Her teammate Liz Llorente was fourth with 64.34 metres.
In the final athletics event of the Games, the Dominican Republic secured a bronze medal in the Mixed 4x400m Relay in 3:28.28 while Mexico finished fourth in 3:29.52.
Darius Garland missed a buzzer-beating winner as the Utah Jazz extended their winning streak to four games with a thrilling 109-108 NBA victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday.
Garland's potential game-winner from three-point range hit the rim, with both Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley unable to tip in the rebound with 2.9 seconds remaining.
Donovan Mitchell starred for the in-form Jazz, who improved to 16-7 for the season, posting 35 points – including four three-pointers – and six assists.
It was All-Star Mitchell's third consecutive game with 30 or more points for the Jazz, who are hot on the heels of the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference.
Utah had led by 15 points at one stage but needed a Mike Conley three-pointer followed by a Rudy Gobert dunk (six points and 20 rebounds) to re-claim the advantage late in the game before Garland had the chance to snatch victory on the buzzer.
The result saw Cleveland's winning streak stopped at four games, despite Garland's 31-point display.
Bridges' Hornets edge Hawks, Rockets soar
The Charlotte Hornets overcame the absence of LaMelo Ball (COVID protocols) to win 130-127 against the Atlanta Hawks, despite Trae Young's exceptional 25 points and 15 assists. Miles Bridges scored 32 points with four assists and three steals for the Hornets. He has six 30-point games this season having only managed three in his first three campaigns combined. Bridges is averaging 20.4 points and 7.3 rebounds – one of only 14 players to be averaging 20/7 this term.
Brandon Ingram put up 40 points, but it was not enough for the New Orleans Pelicans, who went down 118-108 to the streaking Houston Rockets. Houston have won six consecutive games to improve to 6-16.
Beal silenced by Raptors
Bradley Beal was shut down, managing just 14 points as the Washington Wizards lost to the Toronto Raptors 102-90. Beal went four of 12 from the field. It was the third game in a row that Beal has scored less than 20 points.
Max Verstappen received a further 10-second penalty plus two penalty points following a wild Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, where Lewis Hamilton levelled the Formula One title race with victory on Sunday.
Verstappen had already been slapped with a five-second penalty for the Turn 1 incident – the Red Bull star and championship leader was deemed to have gained an unfair advantage going off track.
The stewards imposed a further punishment after the race for a Turn 27 collision, which ultimately did not impact Verstappen's finish, having crossed the line in second behind Mercedes rival and reigning F1 champion Hamilton.
As a result, Hamilton and Verstappen will still head into the final Grand Prix of the 2021 season, Abu Dhabi, level on 369.5 points.
Verstappen's secondary penalty was for causing a turn 27 collision with Hamilton when he braked suddenly, causing the Briton to clip the car head, damaging his front wing.
Hamilton was critical of Verstappen after the race, saying his driving was "over the limit" while claiming he brake-tested him in the Turn 27 incident, leading to the 10-second penalty.
"I definitely feel that there were scenarios where that was the case," Hamilton told reporters when asked if he thought Verstappen drove dangerously.
"This is not the first time that I've had to avoid a collision, that's how I felt at the moment, but you know sometimes you say things in the heat of the moment and you go back and re-watch things and then you maybe feel differently but in the moment that's how it felt. But I really just tried to recompose myself and chase down and keep fighting."
The incident was the latest flashpoint between the two title rivals, but Verstappen indicated he felt he was harshly penalised.
"I find it interesting that I am the one who gets the penalty when both of us ran outside of the white lines," Verstappen told reporters after the Turn 1 incident. "In Brazil it was fine and now suddenly I get a penalty for it.
"You could clearly see both didn’t make the corner, but it's fine. I mean I also don’t really spend too much time on it. We have to move forward.
"We're equal on points on now and I think that's really exciting, of course, for the whole championship and Formula 1 in general but I said it earlier on my in-lap, I think lately we're talking more about white lines and penalties than actually proper Formula 1 racing and that's, I think, a little bit of a shame."
The stewards report on the Turn 27 incident said: "In deciding to penalise the driver of car 33 [Verstappen], the key point for the Stewards was that the driver of car 33 then braked suddenly [69 bar' and significantly, resulting in 2.4g deceleration.
"Whilst accepting that the driver of car 44 [Hamilton] could have overtaken car 33 when that car first slowed, we understand why he [and the driver of car 33] did not wish to be the first to cross the DRS [line]. However, the sudden braking by the driver of car 33 was determined by the stewards to be erratic and hence the predominant cause of the collision and hence the standard penalty of 10 seconds for this type of incident, is imposed."
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]."
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.
Jhaniele Fowler scored 57 goals as Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls defeated England’s Roses 63-53 for a consolation victory in the England Roses Vitality Series that concluded on Sunday.
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.
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."
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."
After snapping the Phoenix Suns' franchise-record winning streak, the high-flying Golden State Warriors crashed back down to earth in a shock 112-107 defeat to the San Antonio Spurs.
In the second of back-to-back games, having halted Phoenix's memorable 18-game run, the league-leading Warriors (19-4) were unable to rally past the Spurs on home court in the NBA on Saturday.
The Spurs (8-13) used an 8-1 run to close out the game for their fourth consecutive victory, fuelled by Dejounte Murray's 22 points and 12 rebounds.
Stephen Curry scored 27 points for the Warriors, who had won 11 successive home games – tied for their longest home winning streak since they claimed 54 straight from January 2015 to March 2016.
Bulls battle past Nets
The Chicago Bulls went on a rampage at Barclays Center, where they overturned a double-digit deficit to trump the Eastern Conference-leading Brooklyn Nets 111-107. Zach LaVine (31 points) and DeMar DeRozan (29 points) inspired the Bulls in the Eastern Conference blockbuster. Kevin Durant led the Nets with 28 points, while James Harden had 14 points and 14 assists.
Jayson Tatum (also 10 rebounds) and Dennis Schroder scored 31 points apiece to lead the Boston Celtics to a 145-117 blowout of the Portland Trail Blazers, who were without Damian Lillard.
Reigning MVP Nikola Jokic put up 32 points, 11 rebounds and five assists in just 27 minutes as the Denver Nuggets beat the slumping New York Knicks 113-99.
No Giannis Antetokounmpo? No worries for defending champions the Milwaukee Bucks, who defeated the Miami Heat 124-102. Bobby Portis sparked the Bucks with 19 points, 16 rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks. He is the first Bucks player with a 15/15/2/2/2 game in under 30 minutes since 1984.
George unable to lift Clippers
Paul George finished with a double-double but it was a rough night for him and the Los Angeles Clippers following a 104-99 loss at the Sacramento Kings. George only made five of his shots from the floor, while turning the ball over five times on the road.
Giannis Antetokounmpo sat out the Milwaukee Bucks' NBA clash with the Miami Heat due to right calf soreness on Saturday.
Antetokounmpo was absent for the second consecutive game after missing Thursday's loss to the Toronto Raptors because of the same problem.
The Finals MVP was a late withdrawal for the defending champions' 97-83 defeat against the Raptors, with Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer initially hopeful it was only a "short-term" issue.
On Saturday, Budenholzer said: "We'll just take it day by day. See how it goes."
Antetokounmpo is averaging 27.6 points – only behind Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant entering Saturday's play, 11.8 rebounds and a career-high 6.0 assists per game this season.
Before facing Eastern Conference rivals the Heat, the Bucks boasted a 14-9 record to be fifth – three and a half games behind the Nets.
Lewis Hamilton is braced for an "intense" Saudi Arabia Grand Prix after claiming pole position for Sunday's showdown as the reigning world champion fights to keep his title defence alive.
Hamilton will start from the front of the grid in Jeddah, where Formula One championship leader Max Verstappen crashed into the wall on his final flying lap.
Verstappen went fastest in the first two sectors but hit the barriers on the last corner and had to stop, meaning he will start the main race from third behind Hamilton and his Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas.
Hamilton has won the past two races to close the gap to Verstappen in the drivers' standings to eight points and evaded a serious punishment for impeding Nikita Mazepin and failing to comply with yellow flags during FP3 earlier on Saturday.
If the Saudi Arabia GP finished in the order started among the top three – Hamilton-Bottas-Verstappen – it would see seven-time world champion Hamilton regain the lead heading into next week's Abu Dhabi decider.
"This place is one of the hardest tracks to get right, I was on the limit the whole way round and the car was on a knife-edge," said Hamilton. "Trying to pull out the maximum with the tyres was so tough.
"It's difficult to understand why - it's so warm here but we were having trouble getting temperature in the front and rears at the same time to have grip at the start of the lap.
"I'm very proud and thankful that we were able to put it on the front row for tomorrow, it's going to be an intense race. It's always important to have Valtteri beside me, particularly in this part of the year, he's been driving exceptionally well and hopefully tomorrow we can do a good job together."
Mercedes team principle Toto Wolff added: "What a crazy session! We expected to be stronger today, we have a quick car and it looked like those quick corners would suit us, but like so many times this season, you're constantly surprised.
"Austin should have been our track and wasn't, and then suddenly in Brazil we were performing really well, so you just never know. It was important today that we kept attacking and attacking, and we've ended up with a front row lockout which is a big advantage for tomorrow.
"There is a brutal energy running through the whole Team. We just look forward and keep pushing, and pushing, and when you go in the debrief room or in the garage, you don't need to talk because you can feel the energy and how buzzed everyone is."
Despite the painful ending to qualifying, Red Bull's Dutchman Verstappen remains upbeat.
"I was on a really good lap until I lost it on the final corner, I thought I had approached it in the same way I had been doing all session, but I lost the rear," he said.
"I'm upset with myself and it is of course disappointing but there are two races to go and anything can happen. We had a good car in qualifying and everything was coming together which gives me hope going into the race tomorrow, also knowing that the pace was there today.
"I hope we can follow well tomorrow and if that’s the case, there should be some good opportunities and we should have a good shot."
Cuba continue to dominate in athletics as the Pan Am Junior Games roll on in Colombia.
On Thursday, Cuba secured two medals in the women’s 100m Hurdles as Greisys Acevedo took gold in 13.07 and her countrywoman, Kelly Ibanez won bronze in 13.33.
The Dominica Republic’s Fiordaliza Cofil was the star of the day with medals in both the Women’s 200m and 400m.
She won bronze in the 200m in 23.46 then returned to take gold in the 400m in 52.10.
Shalysa Wray of The Cayman Islands was fifth in the 400m in 53.47.
Ariliannis Vargas of Cuba took silver in the Women’s 400m Hurdles in 57.20.
The Caribbean also secured two medals in the Women’s Heptathlon as Marys Cabrera of Cuba took gold with 5663 points ahead of Grenada’s Janair Thomas who took home silver with 5484 points.
Marysabel Senyu of the Dominican Republic won silver in the Women’s High Jump with 1.81 metres.
In the Men’s 400m Leonardo Padilla of Cuba came second in 45.79, behind Luis Ferreiro of Mexico took gold in 45.59. Gamali Felix of Grenada and Michael Joseph of St. Lucia were fifth and sixth in 46.54 and 46.57 respectively.
Yoao Puentes of Cuba won gold in the Men’s 400m Hurdles with 50.91.
In the field, Ronald Zayas of Cuba was second in the Men’s Hammer Throw with 67.23.
On Friday, Juan Villalobos of Costa Rica won gold in the Men’s 1500m in 3:44.10.
Hector Pagan of Puerto Rico secured gold in the Men’s 10,000m in 30:20.48
The Caribbean also took another medal in the Men’s High Jump as Bahamian Kyle Alcine took bronze behind Erick Rodriguez of Mexico who took gold with 2.21 metres.
Rosa Santana of the Dominican Republic won the Women’s Shot Put with a 17.45 metres effort.
Her Caribbean compatriots Laysaelis Hernandez of Cuba, Kelsie Ross of Grenada and Treneese Hamilton of Dominica were fourth, fifth and sixth.
Yiselena Rojas of Cuba secured silver in the Women’s Javelin in 57.14.
Cuba secured another gold medal as Leyanis Hernandez won gold in the Women’s Triple Jump with 14.39 metres.
Chantoba Bright of Guyana finished second with a jump of 13.50 metres.
Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls were unable to get back on level terms against the England Vitality Roses, after suffering a heavy loss in the second match of the series in Nottingham on Saturday.
The lopsided 66-47 loss pushed the home team to an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-Test series, having won the opening match opening game of the series 55-45 last week.
In the first encounter between the teams, it was the Sunshine Girls that had led at the half, this time around a devastating England attack led by 8 goals after the first quarter, and defensively managed to restrict the Jamaicans to 6 points as they doubled their advantage for a 35-19 half-time lead.
Similar to the first match, the Jamaicans were plagued by numerous turnovers but managed to make inroads into the lead at the start of the third quarter. The damage was, however, mostly done with England managing to give several non-regular players game time with the win all but secured. The teams will play the final match of the series at the same venue tomorrow.
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