Sebastian Korda produced an inspired turnaround from two sets down to defeat Hugo Gaston 3-4(2) 3-4(6) 4-0 4-3(3) 4-0 in his opening match at the Next Gen ATP Finals.
The American became only the second player in the history of this event to achieve the feat, after Borna Coric against Karen Khachanov in 2017.
Korda is the second seed in Milan this year following an impressive 2021 that saw him capture his first ATP title at the Emilia-Romagna Open, and reach the Miami Masters quarter-finals and Wimbledon fourth round.
The 21-year-old looked destined to begin Group B with a defeat after losing the opening two sets on tie-breaks, while he also saved match point at 3-2 down in the fourth.
Korda subsequently dominated the final set to complete a remarkable victory in just over two hours.
The world number 39 said: "[I] just stayed calm and kept thinking what I could do better.
"I did play very well tactically in the first two sets, but I figured a couple of things out during the tie-break and I think that helped me for the rest of the match."
Meanwhile, top seed Carlos Alcaraz enjoyed a straight-sets victory over Holger Rune, prevailing 4-3(6) 4-2 4-0.
The Spanish teenager has also enjoyed a fruitful year on the ATP circuit, triumphing in Umag while beating world number three Stefanos Tsitsipas on the way to reaching the US Open quarter-finals.
And he made the perfect start in Group A; enjoying an 88 per cent first-serve success rate in a commanding win.
"I think it was a great match, both of us played really well," the world number 32 said.
"I am trying to go to the net and play aggressively in the important moments and stay calm. I am trying to do this every match."
Elsewhere, Brandon Nakashima – champion in Brest last month – made it 10 wins from 11 matches as he beat Juan Manuel Cerundolo 4-1 3-4(3) 4-1 4-0.
The 20-year-old, who became the youngest American to reach multiple tour-level finals since Andy Roddick earlier this year, was pegged back in the second set, but dominated the final two to seal victory in just over an hour-and-a-half.
However, there was no joy for home favourite Lorenzo Musetti, who was beaten in four sets by Sebastian Baez.
Though roared on by his home crowd, the world number 58 was unable to deliver in his opening match. Baez – a five-time Challenger Tour winner in 2021 – took full advantage to prevail 4-1 4-1 3-4(5) 4-3(5).
Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price revealed he has received treatment for substance abuse.
The 34-year-old said he entered a residential facility last month after having reached "a very dark place" following years of "neglecting" his mental health.
Price had only just returned to the Canadiens following surgery on a knee injury during the off-season.
"Over the last few years I have let myself get to a very dark place and I didn't have the tools to cope with that struggle," he said via an Instagram post.
"Last month I made the decision to enter a residential treatment facility for substance use. Things had reached a point that I realized I needed to prioritize my health for both myself and for my family. Asking for help when you need it is what we encourage our kids to do, and it was what I needed to do.
"I am working through years of neglecting my own mental health which will take some time to repair; all I can do is take it day by day. With that comes some uncertainty with when I will return to play.
"I appreciate all of the overwhelming support and well wishes. I please ask that the media and our hockey community continue to respect our privacy at this time. Your support and respect of this so far has been a critical piece to my recovery."
Price, a seven-time NHL All-Star and Olympic gold medallist in 2014 with Canada, helped the Canadiens to their first Stanley Cup Finals appearance in 28 years last season, where they lost 4-1 to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
He posted a .901 save percentage last season, a figure he improved to .924 during the Canadiens' playoff run.
Speaking on Monday, coach Dominique Ducharme said: "I haven't met him yet. I need to see him. I'll see him tomorrow.
"He wants to come back and play, but there's other things to manage. We talked about the injury that he was coming back from, getting back in shape, and playing shape too. There's many steps to be taken, but he wants to play. He wants to be part of our group. He wants to help out."
Daniil Medvedev has confirmed he will play at the Australian Open next year, as the debate over vaccine mandates continues.
Medvedev was defeated by Novak Djokovic in the final of this year's tournament, though the Russian has gone on to enjoy a brilliant season.
He has won four titles, including his first grand slam, beating Djokovic at the US Open in September to end the latter's pursuit of a clean sweep of the four majors in 2021.
Djokovic and Medvedev met again on Sunday, with the world number one coming out on top to clinch his sixth Paris Masters title and a record 37th triumph at ATP 1000 events.
Medvedev had appeared non-committal about being vaccinated against COVID-19, which is likely to be a requirement for any player wishing to compete at the Australian Open, but he dispelled doubts around his involvement when he tweeted on Tuesday: "See you in January @AustralianOpen."
While Medvedev will be involved in Melbourne, the participation of Djokovic – who is a nine-time Australian Open champion – is not yet known.
The Serbian has previously appeared hesitant over the coronavirus vaccine mandate, though he has not revealed whether he has been vaccinated or not.
Australia has enforced strict measures throughout the pandemic, with Melbourne having been under lockdown on six occasions since March 2020. Indeed, the city only lifted its most recent restrictions towards the end of October.
Athletes arriving in Australia prior to last year's event had to go through a mandatory two-week hotel quarantine.
Despite Australia's vaccination programme gaining momentum, travellers who are not citizens must be able to provide proof of vaccination and a negative PCR test result, while quarantine regulations vary depending on state rules.
Tennis Australia is reportedly still hopeful of securing a deal for unvaccinated players to compete in the tournament, subject to a two-week quarantine, with prime minister Scott Morrison suggesting players could be granted an exemption.
On Tuesday, though, Victorian premier Daniel Andrews insisted players will have to be vaccinated.
"I'm not going to have people sitting in the grandstands having done the right thing, only to have millionaire players that ought [to] be vaccinated running around the place being essentially at such higher risk of spreading this – getting it and giving it," he said.
Speaking last month, Djokovic said: "I don't know if I'm going to Australia, I don't know what's going on. Currently, the situation is not good at all.
"Of course, I want to go, Australia is my most successful grand slam, I want to participate, I love this sport, I still have motivation."
The European Tour will become the DP World Tour from the start of the 2022 season in what has been described as a "ground-breaking evolution."
Prize money will increase to over $200million for the first time, with a new minimum prize fund of $2m for all tournaments solely sanctioned by the DP World Tour.
There will be 47 tournaments in 27 different countries, including new events in the United Arab Emirates, Japan, South Africa and Belgium, along with an expanded Rolex Series comprising of five events.
The Abu Dhabi Championship, the Dubai Desert Classic, the Scottish Open, the BMW PGA Championship and the season-ending DP World Tour Championship will be the Rolex Series events.
The Barbasol Championship and the Barracuda Championship in the United States and the Scottish Open will be co-sanctioned with the PGA Tour.
The Joburg Open will be the opening event of the DP World Tour from November 22-25.
Keith Pelley, chief executive of the European Tour group, said: "Today’s announcement is undoubtedly a momentous one in the proud history of our Tour. The launch of the DP World Tour in 2022, coinciding with both of our 50th anniversaries, will herald a new era in global golf, and crucially it will benefit everybody involved – all our players, caddies, fans and partners – as well as making an important contribution to wider society.
"The entire ecosystem of our Tour will be strengthened because of this hugely significant deal, and that was essential to us and to DP World, who have been an incredible supporter of our Tour as well as golf more widely, from grassroots through to the elite professional game.
"The DP World Tour is, therefore, a natural evolution of our decade-long partnership, and the presence of ‘World’ in our new title better reflects our global reach."
Jay Monahan, commissioner of the PGA TOUR and board member of the European Tour, added: "Thanks to the support of long-standing partner DP World, today's announcement significantly elevates the European Tour on a global basis.
"We are excited for the continued growth and evolution of the European Tour, as well as the momentum this provides toward our Strategic Alliance. I've said before that our respective Tours are positioned to grow – together – over the next 10 years faster than we ever have at any point in our existence, and today's announcement is another point of proof in those efforts."
England will be without Joe Marler when they face Australia at Twickenham on Saturday after the prop tested positive for coronavirus.
Marler returned a positive lateral flow test on Monday and immediately went into isolation.
The 31-year-old will isolate for 10 days after a PCR test confirmed he has contracted COVID-19.
All of the other England players and staff returned negative lateral flow tests, with additional PCR test results not yet received.
Owen Farrell rejoined the squad on Monday after he missed the 69-3 hammering of Tonga on Saturday, having tested positive for coronavirus last week.
Marler came off the bench in that thrashing at Twickenham, but will play no part against the Wallabies.
He will hope to be available to return when Eddie Jones' side take on world champions South Africa on November 20.
The sight of Stephen Curry dazzling in the NBA will never get old for Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr.
Curry was in sensational form once again as the Warriors moved to a league-best 9-1 for the season with a 127-113 triumph over the Atlanta Hawks.
He had a season-high 50 points, to go alongside 10 assists. In 35 minutes, he was 14-for-28 from the field, nine-for-19 at the three-point range and drained each of his 13 free throws.
The accolades just keep on coming for an all-time NBA great. This performance marked the 10th 50-point game of his career, while he joined Wilt Chamberlain and Rick Barry as the only Warriors players in franchise history to put up a line of 50 points and 10 assists.
At 33, Curry is now also the oldest player to record a 50-10 game, surpassing the legendary Chamberlain, while only Michael Jordan (5) has more than his four 50-point games at the age of 32 or older.
"That was just a stunning performance by Steph," Kerr said of Curry.
"He was amazing. I want to say I've never seen anything like it but I've been watching it for seven years, so I have seen something like it and still it's just incredible to watch.
"It doesn't get old, for sure."
Curry's final act of the evening was typically brilliant as he drained a 16-footer with just under four minutes of time remaining, leaving the court to a standing ovation at the Chase Center.
"It's always nice. You never come out with like a certain number in mind," Curry said.
"It's just when you get it going, you just keep going."
Nikola Jokic said "I need to protect myself" but admits he regrets the "stupid play" that saw him ejected for a violent shove on Markieff Morris in the Denver Nuggets' 113-96 win over the Miami Heat.
League MVP Jokic reacted angrily when Morris came in with a hard foul midcourt, catching his opponent with a left elbow to the chest.
Jokic furiously chased Morris down and responded with a right forearm shove to the back, sending the Heat star crashing heavily to the court.
A suspension and fine could now be on the cards for Jokic, who later rued his moment of madness.
"It's a stupid play. I feel bad. I am not supposed to react that way," he told reporters.
"I thought it was going to be a take foul. I think it was a dirty play. And I just needed to protect myself. I felt bad. I am not supposed to react that way, but I need to protect myself."
He added: "I don't know who showed me the clip, and actually his head snapped back [after the shove], so I feel really bad. It's a bad move."
It poses a potential dilemma for Nuggets head coach Michael Malone, who was without the already injured Jamal Murray on Monday, while Michael Porter Jr. was absent with a lower back issue.
If Jokic is suspended as well, the Nuggets could be without their three best players when they face the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.
"I will concern myself when they tell us he's suspended," Malone said.
"I am not going to waste any of my time looking into my crystal ball and my tea leaves. I don't have any of that.
"He's available until they tell me he's not. And I don't see any reason why he wouldn't be available Wednesday night."
Jokic's indiscretion came with just two minutes and 39 seconds remaining in a game where he had produced a triple-double of 25 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra labelled Jokic's retaliation as "uncalled for".
"That was a very dangerous and dirty play," he said.
"Keef took a foul, and it was one of those fastbreak-take fouls, and he did with his shoulder. You might deem that maybe as a little bit more than just slapping somebody, but after watching it on film, it was a take foul.
"That's how I saw it. And the play after, that's just absolutely uncalled for."
The Nuggets moved to 6-4 with the win to sit sixth in the Western Conference, while the 7-3 Heat are second in the east.
Stephen Curry posted 50 points and 10 assists to guide the NBA-leading Golden State Warriors to a 127-113 win over the Atlanta Hawks.
Curry enjoyed a season-high night in terms of points as the Warriors won for the ninth time in their opening 10 games of the 2021-22 campaign on Monday.
The two-time MVP became the only NBA player in the last 25 years to have 50-plus points, 10-plus assists and a plus-minus of 30 or better in a single game, according to Stats Perform.
Curry, who had seven rebounds and nine three-pointers, also joined James Harden as the only players to put up 50-plus points, 10-plus assists in 35 minutes or fewer in the last 40 seasons.
The three-time champion became the third Warriors player in franchise history with at least 10 50-point games.
Bulls stop star-studded Nets
Kevin Durant recorded 38 points and 10 rebounds but the Brooklyn Nets still lost 118-95 at the Chicago Bulls. All of Chicago's starters – DeMar DeRozan (28), Zach Lavine (24), Nikola Vucevic (11 and 13 rebounds), Lonzo Ball (11) and Javonte Green (11) – finished with double-digit points to snap Brooklyn's five-game winning streak.
In the absence of Joel Embiid (health and safety protocol), Andre Drummond had 14 points and 25 rebounds for the Philadelphia 76ers. He became the first 76er with 25-plus rebounds in a game since Charles Barkley in 1987. Shorthanded Eastern Conference leaders the 76ers lost 103-96 to the New York Knicks, however.
Russell Westbrook (17 points, 14 assists and 12 rebounds), Anthony Davis (32 points and 12 rebounds) and Carmelo Anthony (29 points on seven-of-10 three-pointers) helped the Los Angeles Lakers outlasted the Charlotte Hornets 126-123 in overtime. LaMelo Ball had a triple-double of 25 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists for the Hornets.
Jokic loses his head
The Denver Nuggets upstaged the high-flying Miami Heat 113-96, despite having reigning MVP Nikola Jokic ejected. Jokic registered a triple-double of 25 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists before he was tossed for violently slamming his shoulder into Markieff Morris late in the final period.
Denver Nuggets star Michael Porter Jr. will be sidelined for the "foreseeable future" due to a back injury.
Porter left Saturday's 95-94 win over the lowly Houston Rockets in the opening quarter because of back tightness and sat out Monday's NBA game against the high-flying Miami Heat.
Prior to Denver's matchup with Miami, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said Porter will continue to undergo testing on his back.
"There's no doubt, regardless of his mood, we all have to support Michael, just like we support Jamal [Murray]," Malone said.
"And again, Michael could be back in a week, it could be more than that. So when I say, 'foreseeable future,' I'm not really sure what that means, I just know that he's not playing tonight."
"This is a process where we're being very cautious, talking to doctors, getting imaging all that kind of stuff," Malone added.
Porter, who signed a max contract before the start of the season, has been averaging 9.9 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game in 2021-22.
Giannis Antetokounmpo was awestruck as the Milwaukee Bucks became the first NBA champions to visit the White House in five years.
An annual tradition of the NBA champions making their way to the official residence of the United States president in Washington was put on hold during Donald Trump's term – the Cleveland Cavaliers were the last titleholder to visit the White House when Barack Obama hosted in 2016.
That hiatus ended on Monday when superstar Antetokounmpo and the Bucks – who claimed their first championship since 1971 last season – took centre stage alongside president Joe Biden.
"This is awesome," Antetokounmpo said. ... "A kid from Sepolia, Athens, Greece — grew up from two Nigerian parents who were struggling every day to provide for us. ... It's an unbelievable opportunity to be able to be in the White House meeting the president of the United States.
"I could not be as honoured and happy that something like this — that I've accomplished something like this in my life."
Antetokounmpo added: "For everybody out there, this is a great example that with hard work, with sacrifices — if you dedicate yourself to waking up every single day and try to get better in anything you do, in anything you love and believe in your dreams — you can accomplish great things in life.
"Man, as I said. I've done that my whole life. And I'm in the White House."
Biden hailed the Bucks for their efforts to promote coronavirus vaccinations and for speaking out following the 2020 police shooting of Jacob Blake.
The NBA postponed games in 2020 after the Bucks announced they would not participate in Game 5 of a first-round playoff series, Milwaukee seeking to shed light on racial injustices.
"You took a stand for justice and peace in the wake of the Jacob Blake shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and you've gotten people engaged," Biden said.
Collin Sexton is set for an extended period on the sidelines after sustaining a torn meniscus in his left knee, dealing a blow to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers have made an impressive 7-4 start to the season, with Sexton playing a pivotal role by leading the team in scoring at an average of 16 points per game.
However, he went off hurt in the 126-109 win against the New York Knicks on Sunday – Cleveland's fourth straight victory.
No timetable has been supplied for Sexton's return as further examination of his injury is still required, according to the team.
A Cavs statement read: "Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton left Sunday night's road game at New York in the second quarter with a left knee injury and did not return to action.
"Further examination of the injury and an MRI administered today at Cleveland Clinic Sports Health revealed a meniscus tear.
"Sexton will undergo additional evaluation after which time his status will be updated."
Sexton is in his fourth season in the league and has only missed 12 games during his NBA career.
Cavs team-mate Kevin Love tweeted: "Damn @CollinSexton02 heal fast you brother know you'll put in the work."
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has entered the NBA's health and safety after reportedly testing positive for COVID-19.
Embiid was expected to sit out Monday's meeting with the New York Knicks as planned rest on the first leg of a back-to-back, but the 76ers subsequently announced he had entered the protocols.
According to ESPN, the four-time All-Star will now sit out for at least 10 days, ruling him out of Philadelphia's next five games. He could return against the Denver Nuggets next week with the 76ers on a six-game road trip.
Embiid is averaging 21.4 points, 9.4 rebounds and a career-high 4.0 assists for the 8-2 76ers, who top the Eastern Conference despite having been shorthanded for much of the season.
The 76ers already had Tobias Harris, Matisse Thybulle and Isaiah Joe in the health and safety protocols.
They have won all four of their games without Harris, including a 113-103 success over the Portland Trail Blazers that Embiid was rested for.
Danny Green sustained a hamstring injury in that game and was questionable to make his return against the Knicks.
Philadelphia also remain without Ben Simmons, who has yet to feature this season as he seeks a trade.
Jordan Poole proclaimed the Golden State Warriors to be "so lucky" to have Otto Porter Jr after his 40-second heroics against the Houston Rockets.
Porter sunk a trio of three-pointers, made one steal and one rebound all in the penultimate minute of the first half to steer the Warriors back in front during the second quarter.
The former Washington Wizards small forward put up 15 points and nine rebounds in only 18 minutes as the Warriors ran out 120-107 winners to move to a league-best 8-1.
Poole top-scored with 25 points, including shooting seven-of-13 from the field and all nine attempts from the free-throw line, but it was Porter's "huge" contribution that left him most impressed.
"Otto is... we're so lucky to have him," said Poole. "He's a really big threat from the three-point line and he's a mismatch for a lot of fours and fives that guard him, especially on the offensive end.
"Being able to get him going early and seeing him catch a rhythm the way he did was huge."
Coach Steve Kerr said the thrilling second-quarter stretch "had the bench jumping up and down" with excitement.
"Otto and Beli [Nemanja Bjelica] have given us a totally different dimension from anything we've had since I've been here," Kerr said. "Just having two bigs who can shoot threes like that really opens up the floor."
Porter scored 12 of his points in the second quarter just as the 1-9 Rockets had wrestled back control of the contest, recovering from a five-point deficit to move four clear with six and a half minutes left.
The Warriors ended the half 69-61 ahead and never looked back as they won for the fourth game in a row.
"I hit that one in the corner and was just playing good offense," said Porter. "We got some stops. We got some key turnovers, some steals and – we're on defense creates offense – I was able to get a few looks and knock it down.
"We always preach, 'Finish in the quarter'. Going into half-time, that was a big moment in the game where the energy shifted towards us. Like coach said, we've just got to continue to find ways to finish quarters."
While he does not like losing, Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo remains calm amid the NBA champions' run of five defeats in six games in a rough start to the team's title defence.
The Bucks claimed their first championship since 1971 last season, but that drought-ending triumph seems so long ago after Sunday's 101-94 loss at the Washington Wizards.
Antetokounmpo posted 29 points, 18 rebounds, five assists and three steals, however, the slumping Bucks still fell to 4-6 for the season.
Former MVP Antetokounmpo vented his frustration after Milwaukee's latest loss in the absence of Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez and Donte DiVincenzo but highlighted the need to perform at the right time of the season.
"I'm not gonna lie, I don't like losing," Antetokounmpo said. "I don't remember the last time we were 4-6, you know? Or we lost four out of five at home?
"It obviously doesn't feel good but at the end of the day it's about building good habits. As long as we're building good habits, I'm seeing guys taking shots they're supposed to take, guys diving on the floor, rebounding the ball, making the right play, that's what we need to care about.
"Because at the end of the day the playoffs are 72 games away, and we have 72 games to get better, keep building good habits and hopefully we're in a good place mentally, physically, everybody healthy at the right time and play good basketball. That's when you want to play your best basketball."
Milwaukee had won eight consecutive games against Washington, most recently winning 135-134 on May 5 – the Wizards' longest active losing streak against any opponent with the next highest being five games prior to Bradley Beal helping snap that skid.
Antetokounmpo played a season-high 39 minutes for the Bucks as he surpassed Sidney Moncrief for second place on Milwaukee's all-time assists list with three in the first half to reach 2,691.
"Giannis was in that mindset that he wanted to play a lot," said Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer. "It's on me to keep him in a good place. I love his spirit tonight."
Emma Raducanu vowed to maintain her focus in the wake of her sensational US Open title as she prepares for her first WTA Tour event as a number one seed.
Ranked a career-best number 21 in the world, the 18-year-old sensation is atop the singles draw at the Upper Austria Ladies Linz this week.
Raducanu's remarkable run at Flushing Meadows has generated an avalanche of publicity and requests, but she insisted tennis will remain her top priority.
"I made it very, very clear to every single person in my team that I was not going to cancel one training session or practice session for any off-court commitments," Raducanu told reporters.
"That was non-negotiable for me. I wanted to make sure that that is my priority and it is, so everyone is clear about that. But it's just managing my time with the commitments around that."
Raducanu has a bye in the first round and will face the winner of the opening-round match between qualifiers Kateryna Kozlova and Wang Xinyu.
The teen split with coach Andrew Richardson after the US Open and remains without an official adviser but said she plans to have someone in place by January's Australian Open.
That was not something she would have anticipated worrying about during last year's tournament in Melbourne, when she was still a full-time student.
"Only March the 18th was my first session on court in 2021," she said. "And so January, February, March I was literally just sat on my desk staring at a wall for nine hours a day.
"So I feel like where I am now I just need to really take it all in and enjoy because looking back at how far I've come it's pretty surreal.
"I just really need to enjoy it because when I was in the beginning of year I would have never thought this was possible. I'm kind of just really living in the moment right now I feel."
Reigning NBA champions the Milwaukee Bucks lost for the fifth time in six games as Bradley Beal led the Washington Wizards to a 101-94 comeback victory on Sunday.
Washington (7-3) scored the first 12 points of the game, but Milwaukee (4-6) led by three at half-time. The Bucks' edge never got beyond four after that, though, and the Wizards took the lead for good midway through the third quarter.
The Wizards had lost eight in a row to the Bucks but turned it around behind 30 points and eight assists from Beal, who said it felt like a playoff game.
Washington played playoff-level defence, limiting the Bucks to 39.4 per cent shooting, including just 10 of 36 (27.8 per cent) from three-point range.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 29 points and 18 rebounds but was only five-of-12 from the free-throw line.
Durant, Harden lead Nets past Raptors
Kevin Durant had 31 points, seven rebounds and seven assists while James Harden added 28 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists as the Brooklyn Nets (7-3) defeated the Toronto Raptors 116-103. Fred VanVleet led Toronto (6-5) with 21 points and eight assists.
The Golden State Warriors improved to an NBA-best 8-1 with a 120-107 rout of the team that shares the worst record in the league, the Houston Rockets (1-9). Jordan Poole had 25 points and Stephen Curry 20 for Golden State.
Ricky Rubio scored a career-high 37 and became the first player in NBA history to post at least 35 points, 10 assists and eight three-pointers off the bench as the Cleveland Cavaliers (7-4) rolled to a 126-109 defeat of the New York Knicks (6-4).
Hornets' woes continue
The Charlotte Hornets' franchise-best 3-0 start is a distant memory after the Hornets watched the Los Angeles Clippers (5-4) close the game with a 27-4 run on the way to a 120-106 victory. The Hornets (5-6) shot just 40.6 per cent from the field en route to their fourth successive defeat.
Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant hailed James Harden after his "special" performance in the 116-103 win over the Toronto Raptors.
Harden flirted with a triple-double, posting 28 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists as the Nets celebrated their fifth consecutive victory on Sunday.
Former NBA MVP Harden scored 16 of his points in the fourth quarter to lead the championship-chasing Nets (7-3) past the Raptors (6-5) in Toronto.
"James was special there in the fourth," Durant said post-game.
Brooklyn's Blake Griffin – who put up 14 points and 11 rebounds – added: "When he's at that level, he makes us go. We, as a team, can go to a different level."
"I thought in the first half, he didn't give himself enough credit. I thought he had opportunities to attack more. I tried to implore him to go and to be aggressive. In the second half, he was excellent," said Nets head coach Steve Nash.
"This game, the Atlanta game and games he gets to the paint, he can really cause a lot of problems for the defence."
Durant had 20 points for the 10th successive game, extending his career-best streak to begin a season and Brooklyn's record for 20-point games at the start of a campaign.
He finished with 31 points on 11-of-18 shooting from the field, making three of his six three-pointers.
"Like we said since day one, he's been unbelievable this season at both ends of the floor, rebounding, scoring, facilitating" Nash said.
Lewis Hamilton was critical of Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas for leaving the "door open" to Max Verstappen at the start of the Mexican Grand Prix as the reigning Formula One champion's hopes took another hit.
Mercedes locked out the front row for Sunday's race after Bottas claimed pole position ahead of Hamilton, but F1 championship leader and Red Bull star Verstappen reigned supreme.
Verstappen went from third to first following the opening turn as he claimed a 19th career win and ninth of the season by more than 16 seconds ahead of second-placed Hamilton.
Hamilton now trails Verstappen by 19 points at the summit of the drivers' championship with four races remaining.
"I had envisaged it differently, naturally, in the sense that maybe Valtteri had got a better start and I would have tried to get into his tow," Hamilton said.
"But I was alongside him which was good, and then I was just covering my side of the track trying to make sure that no-one could come up the inside.
"So I was trying to keep whichever Red Bull I could see in my mirror behind, and I thought Valtteri would be doing the same.
"But obviously, he left the door open for Max, and Max was on the racing line so did a mega job braking into Turn 1. Because I was on the inside on the dirt, there was no hope for me."
Bottas told Sky F1: "The start was OK, not too bad, but Verstappen got a bit of a tow and he braked really late.
"But then suddenly at the apex at Turn 1 I think Daniel [Ricciardo] hit me in the rear and right there I spun I couldn't do anything and then after that the race was tricky to make progress.
"I was too close to cars and managing engine and brakes so I could manage it until I was getting too close then it was not easy."
Despite Red Bull's pace and losing ground in the race to defend his crown, Hamilton insisted he is not giving up.
"I feel like I maximised what I had," Hamilton told Sky F1. "But jeez... their pace was just unbelievable today. There was nothing I could do to battle that."
"If they carry that pace into the next races then we might be in trouble," said Hamilton. "We've got four races to go and we just have to keep pushing.
"I don't know where this performance has come from today but they were half a second quicker than us a lap, which is what we saw earlier on in the weekend.
"All I can do is just squeeze everything out of this car. They clearly have a stronger car so I think all I can do is just make sure we don't leave any stone unturned and we just maximise all we have, and give it my all."
The Los Angeles Dodgers declined to extend a qualifying offer to Clayton Kershaw as the veteran ace prepares to enter free agency amid uncertainty over his MLB future.
Kershaw, who did not pitch in the MLB playoffs as the Dodgers lost to the Atlanta Braves in the National League Championship Series (NLCS) due to the recurrence of a forearm problem, has spent his entire 14-year career in Los Angeles.
The World Series champion and three-time Cy Young Award winner is a free agent following the conclusion of his three-year, $93million contract with the Dodgers.
While the Dodgers lodged offers to free agent All-Stars Corey Seager and Chris Taylor prior to Sunday's deadline – worth $18.4m for one year – there was none forthcoming for future Hall of Famer Kershaw.
However, the Dodgers are reportedly still keen on bringing Kershaw back to LA for at least one more season as both parties take time to determine the 33-year-old's health.
Kershaw – an eight-time All-Star and 2014 NL MVP – made his debut for the Dodgers in 2008.
In 2021, Kershaw finished with a 3.55 ERA, the worst of his illustrious career since his rookie year (4.26) with the Dodgers.
Kershaw had a 10-8 record this season with 144 strikeouts in 121.2 innings pitched.
Overall, Kershaw has a 185-84 win-loss record with 2,670 strikeouts and a career 2.49 ERA.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
