The Baltimore Ravens' offense clicked into gear in the second half of their 27-16 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night after only mustering three points in the first two quarters.
Baltimore grabbed an early lead just four minutes into the action, with their punt on the opening drive of the game bouncing off the chest of Buccaneers returner Dee Delaney to gift the Ravens a redzone opportunity.
The Buccaneers defense held, forcing a Justin Tucker field goal, and they took the lead just five minutes later when Leonard Fournette punched in a one-yard touchdown run to cap off a 75-yard drive.
A Tampa Bay field goal would give them a 10-3 lead at halftime, but the Baltimore offense would figure things out in the second half as a five-yard touchdown pass from Lamar Jackson to Kenyan Drake tied the contest at 10-10.
After forcing a Buccaneers punt, the Ravens made it two touchdown drives in a row as Jackson was flushed out of the pocket and found rookie tight end Isaiah Likely along the back of the endzone in tight coverage.
They then made it three touchdown drives in a row when receiver Devin Duvernay was able to convert a third-and-one into a 15-yard touchdown run on a jet-sweep, widening the Ravens' lead to 24-13 with under seven minutes to play.
Tom Brady was able to lead the Buccaneers back into the redzone twice, and was rewarded with a consolation eight-yard touchdown pass to the returning Julio Jones with under a minute on the clock.
Neither quarterback ended up committing a turnover as Jackson completed 27 of his 38 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns, while Brady was 26-of-44 for 325 yards and one score.
After star Ravens tight end Mark Andrews left with an injury, Likely led the Ravens in catches (six) and receiving yards (77), while Mike Evans caught six balls for 123 yards to lead the Buccaneers.
The injury to Cole Anthony announced by the Orlando Magic on Thursday means they may be running out of guards soon.
Already without Markelle Fultz and Jalen Suggs, the Magic will now be missing third-year point guard Anthony, who will be sidelined indefinitely after an MRI revealed a right internal oblique injury.
Anthony was injured in Wednesday’s loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers after he had nine points, five rebounds and five assists in 32 minutes.
The Magic said that Anthony’s return to play will depend on how he responds to rehabilitation and treatment. In four games this season, he is averaging 15.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists.
Fultz has yet to play this season due to a toe fracture and Suggs has missed the past three games with a right ankle sprain.
R.J. Hampton could see an increase in minutes with the Magic thin in the backcourt, while the only other healthy guards on Orlando’s roster are veteran Terrence Ross and rookie Kevon Harris.
Former United States president Donald Trump was full of praise for LIV Golf after his pro-am round, as he plays host for the controversial tour's end-of-season Team Championship this weekend at Trump National Doral Golf Club.
Trump played with Brooks Koepka and Sergio Garcia on Thursday in yet another appearance on behalf of the Saudi-funded golf venture, having also previously hosted the tour's third-ever event at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in July.
He has long had issues with the PGA Tour after a number of events were moved away from Trump-owned golf courses, and he touched on that fact again during his media appearance following his round.
Doral itself used to host a PGA Tour event from 1962 until 2016. Trump purchased the venue in 2012, and after gaining the presidency in 2016, the PGA Tour opted to instead move the event to Mexico.
"[The players] never wanted to go to Mexico, I’ll tell you that," Trump said. "They went and that didn’t work out too well."
He went on to give LIV Golf his stamp of approval, calling the organisers and leadership "really good people", while highlighting their ability for bottomless spending.
"It’s big time, and it’s big-time money – it’s unlimited money," he said. "They love golf, and the Saudis have done a fantastic job. It’s different, the enthusiasm."
Trump predicted more big names would decide to make the jump next season, and blamed the PGA Tour for not working out a compromise.
"Ultimately, I think, maybe, something gets worked out [between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf]," he said.
"Something could have been worked out so easily, but the [PGA] Tour decided to, as Richard Nixon said, stonewall it.
"A lot of other people are coming over. Big names, they’re coming over. The star system is very important in sports. If you don’t have the star system, you’re not going to be successful."
Austin Smotherman and Harrison Endycott shot nine-under 62s in the opening round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship on Thursday to claim a share of the lead.
America's Smotherman, 28, started like a house on fire, following his opening par with six birdies from his next eight holes. He then finished in similar fashion, with three birdies from his final four holes while going bogey-free.
Australia's Endycott, 26, took a different route to his 62, collecting eagles on the par-five seventh and 17th holes. After starting his back-nine with back-to-back bogeys, he steadied the ship with four consecutive birdies in an action-packed round.
That pairing is one stroke clear of the chasing pack, with India's Arjun Atwal joining Americans Adam Schenk, Scott Brown, Denny McCarthy and Robby Shelton at eight under.
Justin Lower started on the back-nine and had five birdies from his first eight holes on his way to a bogey-free 64 and a tie for eighth, where he is joined by Belgium's Thomas Detry. One further back, Ireland's Seamus Power headlines the group at six under with Australia's Aaron Baddeley, South Africa's M.J. Daffue and China's Zecheng Dou.
Scotland's Russell Knox, Austria's Matthias Schwab and France's Martin Trainer are part of a 25-player group four strokes off the lead at five under.
Kim Seong-hyeon, who entered the tournament as the highest ranked member of the field in the early-season FedEx Cup standings (18th) is well in the mix at four under, and fan-favourite John Daly shot an even-par 71.
Stefanos Tsitsipas crashed out of the Vienna Open after losing in a dramatic third-set tie-break against Borna Coric, who claimed his third successive win over the Greek ace.
The second seed was the highest-profile casualty in the Austrian capital on Thursday, as he succumbed to the Croatian once more 4-6 6-4 7-6 (7-4).
Coric rescued six match points before stunning Tsitsipas at the 2020 US Open, while he also triumphed when they collided in the Cincinnati showpiece in August.
The world number 27's chances of completing a hat-trick of victories appeared bleak at a set and break down, but he rallied to force a decider that went the distance, before holding his nerve for another notable win.
Coric's reward is a quarter-final clash with Hubert Hurkacz, who boosted his chances of qualifying for next month's ATP Finals with a 7-5 4-6 6-3 win over Emil Ruusuvuori.
Daniil Medvedev advanced to the last eight after a 6-3 6-3 victory over home favourite Dominic Thiem. Next up for the top seed is Jannik Sinner after the Italian saw off Francisco Cerundolo 7-5 6-3.
Third seed Andrey Rublev's ATP Finals hopes were dented after a 6-3 6-4 defeat by Grigor Dimitrov, who will play Marcos Giron after the American overcame seventh seed Cameron Norrie in straight sets.
Over in Basel, third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime required just 49 minutes to complete a commanding 6-1 6-0 rout of Miomir Kecmanovic for his 10th straight ATP win.
Meanwhile, Stockholm champion Holger Rune continued his momentum by recording a seventh straight victory after seeing off Ugo Humbert 6-4 6-2.
Sixth seed Roberto Bautista Agut enjoyed a straight-sets win over three-time grand slam champion Andy Murray to set up a clash with home favourite Stan Wawrinka, who outlasted Brandon Nakashima in a deciding set.
Delon Wright is set to be out indefinitely with a hamstring strain, the Washington Wizards have confirmed.
The guard suffered the injury during the final quarter of Tuesday's victory against the Detroit Pistons, having played 16 minutes and put up five points.
The Wizards confirmed Wright would undergo reassessment on the injury in mid-November, though reports from ESPN suggested he could be out for at least six to eight weeks.
"Delon Wright will be out indefinitely with a grade two strain of his right hamstring," the Wizards said in a statement.
"Wright suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s game vs. Detroit. He will be re-evaluated in approximately three weeks."
The 30-year-old arrived as a free agent in the off-season, having spent last campaign with the Atlanta Hawks.
The Kansas City Chiefs have a bye this week but the team is staying busy, acquiring wide receiver Kadarius Toney from the New York Giants.
The Chiefs sent a 2023 third-round pick and a sixth-round pick in next year's draft to the Giants to complete the trade.
Toney was the 20th overall pick in the 2021 draft by New York, but his career has been marred by injuries so far.
A hamstring issue has sidelined him since Week 2 this season, while oblique and shoulder injuries limited him to just 10 games as a rookie last year.
When healthy, however, the 23-year-old has proven to be a dangerous receiver and should provide Patrick Mahomes with another weapon at his disposal.
In 2021, he hauled in 39 receptions for 420 yards, averaging 6.1 yards after the catch. He has just two catches for zero yards this season.
The Chiefs next play on November 6 against the Tennessee Titans and it is still uncertain when Toney will be able to make his Kansas City debut due to his ailing hamstring.
When Toney does suit up, he will be joining a talented pass-catching corps with receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Mecole Hardman and tight end Travis Kelce.
Jack Dempsey is set to make his Scotland debut against his former team Australia, who will welcome Michael Hooper back to their side at Murrayfield on Saturday.
Back row Dempsey won 14 caps for the Wallabies but took advantage of a change in eligibility regulations to pledge his allegiance to Scotland.
The Sydney-born 28-year-old, who has a Scottish grandfather, has been named among the replacements for the Autumn Nations Series opener, with Jamie Ritchie leading Gregor Townsend's men after Stuart Hogg was stripped of the captaincy.
Blair Kinghorn starts at fly-half after Finn Russell was dropped, while Ollie Smith comes in for his first start at full-back in the absence of Hogg.
Hooper did not play for Australia in the Rugby Championship after stating he was not in the right frame of mind, but the flanker is back.
Dave Rennie retained James Slipper as captain rather than Hooper, with Tate McDermott starting at fly-half.
Centre Hunter Paisami and lock Nick Frost have also been recalled to the side.
Scotland team: Ollie Smith, Darcy Graham, Mark Bennett, Sione Tuipulotu, Duhan van der Merwe, Blair Kinghorn, Ali Price; Pierre Schoeman, Dave Cherry, Zander Fagerson, Sam Skinner, Grant Gilchrist, Jamie Ritchie (captain), Hamish Watson, Matt Fagerson.
Replacements: George Turner, Jamie Bhatti, WP Nel, Glen Young, Jack Dempsey, George Horne, Ross Thompson, Damien Hoyland.
Australia team: Tom Banks, Andrew Kellaway, Len Ikitau, Hunter Paisami, Tom Wright, Bernard Foley, Tate McDermott; James Slipper (captain), David Porecki, Allan Alaalatoa, Nick Frost, Cadeyrn Neville, Jed Holloway, Michael Hooper, Rob Valetini.
Replacements: Folau Fainga'a, Matt Gibbon, Taniela Tupou, Ned Hanigan, Pete Samu, Nic White, Noah Lolesio, Jock Campbell.
Lewis Hamilton has revealed he will sign a new contract to remain with his "family" Mercedes.
Hamilton ended speculation that he could quit Formula One last year by agreeing a new deal until the end of the 2023 season.
The Brit, who turns 38 in January, is set to continue driving for the Silver Arrows in his 40s.
He said ahead of the Mexico City Grand Prix this weekend: "We are going to do another deal. We are going to sit down and discuss it in these next couple of months."
The seven-time F1 world champion added: "I want to keep racing. I love what I do. I've been doing it for 30 years, and I don't feel that I should have to stop. I think I am currently still earning my keep. I still want to do better.
"I could stop now and I have lots of other things in the pipeline that I will be super-focused and super-busy with. I'm here for the sheer love of working in the organisation that I'm in.
"So you are stuck with me for quite a bit longer."
Hamilton suffered the agony of missing out on a record eighth world title when Max Verstappen dramatically overtook him on the last lap of the final race of the 2021 season in Abu Dhabi.
Following the controversy of the climax to last season, Hamilton could finish the current campaign without winning a race for the first time in his illustrious F1 career.
Despite a difficult year, he has not lost his hunger and wants to repay the faith Mercedes have shown in him.
"My goal is to continue to be with Mercedes. I've been with Mercedes since I was 13. It really is my family.
"Mercedes-Benz have stuck with me through thick and thin. They stuck with me through being expelled at school. They stuck with me through everything that was going on through 2020.
"They've stuck with me through my mistakes and through the ups and downs."
Emma Raducanu has been urged to slow down the churn of coaches by her side as Russian Dmitry Tursunov claimed he walked away from the British player because of "red flags".
Tursunov, a former top-20 player and seven-time title winner on the men's tour, said Raducanu needs to listen to "one voice" and see where that takes her, after he became the latest coach to part ways with the former US Open winner.
It emerged in early October that Tursunov had called a halt to working with Raducanu, and he has taken up a role with Swiss player Belinda Bencic instead.
Tursunov told tennismajors.com how "emotionally" he had wanted his trial period with Raducanu to become permanent, insisting he saw rich potential in the 19-year-old, but he suspected there would "be problems later".
Former Davis Cup winner Tursunov did not specify who or what he saw as being a stumbling block to working with Raducanu on a permanent basis.
"I was walking away from Emma regardless of whether there was another [player] available or not," Tursunov said. "We didn't agree on the terms and there were some red flags that just couldn't be ignored."
Raducanu turns 20 in November. As well as Tursunov, in the past 18 months she has worked with Nigel Sears, Andrew Richardson, Torben Beltz and the Lawn Tennis Association's Iain Bates.
Her growing list of former coaches is notable and the focus on that factor could influence those Raducanu wishes to work with in the future.
Tursunov said Raducanu was "minimum a one-year project but... probably a two-and-a-half-year project to be on the safe side", and reasoned that her game remained "very raw".
"It’s going to take some time, but as I said to her and to pretty much everyone on her team: I think you just need to have one voice and just try that for a bit," Tursunov said
He said he "stuck around" after a trial around the US Open and was looking for assurance that, if taken on, he would be given time to work towards long-term goals.
"But of course, with her coaching situation, there's now a thought going through every coach's mind," Tursunov added.
Raducanu has not reached a final since her dazzling Flushing Meadows victory, but Tursunov has no doubt about the talent of a player he describes as "absolutely great" and "hungry to improve".
There have been just four quarter-final runs in the wake of her September 2021 triumph in New York, with Raducanu only converting one into a semi-final appearance
Tursunov, 39, says Raducanu "has a tremendous upside", but he also issued a warning, adding: "The ingredients are very good, but you can still mess it up."
Adam Wainwright is returning to the St Louis Cardinals for one last hurrah in 2023 but says he wants no fuss to surround his farewell season.
The 41-year-old pitcher, who made his debut for the team in 2005, will be entering a 19th season with the Cardinals and looking to make up for a disappointing end to the 2022 campaign.
He struggled in the team's closing regular season games and cited a "dead arm", saying he was feeling "no explosiveness" when pitching.
Wainwright wants to go out on a high, so he is playing on with that in mind, but wary of being caught up in hoopla.
"I have so many distractions as it is, and I don't need any more," said Wainwright. "If I tell you it's the last one, then I've got to go through a bunch of stuff.
"My main focus of playing next year is to go out and win and help this team win.
"Long story short: Yes, this will be the last one. Everybody relax and let me pitch. Let me go out and perform and not freak out about it every single day, and let's see what happens."
Wainwright has 195 career wins and 117 losses. An early target will be to pass 200 wins, and then Wainwright will be looking to go second on the team's all-time list among pitchers, with Jesse Haines currently occupying that position with 210 wins. Bob Gibson heads the list with 251 wins.
To go past Haines would require an upturn in Wainwright's former, after he endured an 11-12 win-loss record in 2022.
Cardinals president John Mozeliak was glad to agree a deal to keep Wainwright on for one more year.
Mozeliak, quoted on MLB.com, said: "We really do feel like there's something left in that tank.
"We all know how competitive [Wainwright] is, we know how special he is in that clubhouse and what he means to this organisation. So we're just glad we could get it done."
LeBron James has vowed to take a more aggressive approach after the Los Angeles Lakers slumped to 0-4 with a defeat to the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday.
Denver kept the Lakers waiting for their first win of the season with a 110-99 victory at Ball Arena, improving to 3-2.
Los Angeles are languishing at the bottom of the Western Conference but will get another chance to get up and running when they face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.
Lakers superstar James was 8-for-21 shooting, finishing with 19 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.
The four-time NBA champion and MVP is not concerned by posting such low numbers by his high standards.
"I wasn't aggressive enough in a lot of my turnovers," James said. "I was coming off a lot of screens, looking to pass, get guys involved, and I wasn't aggressive enough."
He added: "That's an easy fix for me. I'll be much better on Friday with that. I've done it over and over the course of my career. That's an easy fix. I'm not worried about that."
Lakers head coach Darvin Ham is confident the Los Angeles Lakers will turn the corner.
"We're four games in, it sucks to lose, but having 78 games left, there's plenty of time for us to right the ship, and it starts now," Ham said. "It starts yesterday."
Anthony Davis top scored for the Lakers with 22 points in a game that Russell Westbrook missed due to left-hamstring soreness.
James said of Westbrook's absence: "Russ, definitely dealing with a hamstring. I played with [Dwyane] Wade. And I don't know how, but you just have to be cool with all that.
"You can't force it until that thing is ready to go. You've got to be very conscious of that."
Andy Dalton will retain the starting quarterback berth for the New Orleans Saints despite the return to practice of Jameis Winston, head coach Dennis Allen has confirmed.
Winston injured his back in the Week 1 win over the Atlanta Falcons and initially played through the pain barrier in the following two games.
He was eventually sidelined to allow him to recover, with Dalton, signed as a backup to Winston, starting under center after the Saints' attempts to bring in Deshaun Watson were unsuccessful.
Allen explained his reasoning for sticking with Dalton, telling reporters: "Andy's gonna get the start again this week [against the Las Vegas Raiders.
"I feel like he's played well. Offensively, I feel like we're in a little bit of a rhythm. We've been moving the ball effectively, we've scored points. And so we're gonna continue down that road with Andy as the quarterback."
This season, Dalton has completed on 63.4 per cent of his passes for 946 yards and seven touchdowns, while he has been sacked four times and been intercepted four times.
Last time out against the Arizona Cardinals, a game the Saints lost, Dalton threw for 361 yards and four touchdowns but also conceded three interceptions – two of which were returned for touchdowns.
However, Allen said he was looking for offensive continuity in the coming weeks.
"What I mean by that is in the last four weeks, we're one of the top offenses in terms of moving the ball, we're one of the top offenses in terms of scoring points," he added. "And that's really the name of the game. So, we're gonna continue doing what we've been doing.
"We've gotta do a better job of protecting the football. And if we do that, I think we can be highly effective offensively."
Allen said Dalton will keep his position over a fully fit Winston as long as the team remain coherent with the ball in hand.
"Well, look, Jameis is back healthy right now. We're gonna go with Andy as we sit here right now. And if we continue to play well offensively and move the ball offensively, Andy will stay in there," Allen said.
"There's a lot of things that we're doing really well offensively. And I didn't feel like there was any need to upset the apple cart there. We'll keep going how we are. And if we continue to do that, then we'll stay the course."
The Saints (2-5) sit bottom of the NFC South and will look to ignite life into their season against the Raiders on Sunday.
Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson confirmed Aaron Nola will start Game 1 of the World Series against the Houston Astros on Friday ahead of Zack Wheeler.
Wheeler had started Game 1 of the NLCS victory over the San Diego Padres, along with the series-clinching Game 5 on Sunday.
Nola, who had an 11-13 record on 3.25 ERA across the regular season, has not started since being roughed up in Game 2 against the Padres.
Thomson revealed that Wheeler, who has a 3.64 ERA in 10 starts this season when he pitches on four days' rest, will start in Game 2 on Saturday.
"I think the numbers speak to the fact that both him and Nola on an extra day's rest, their numbers are a lot better," Thomson told reporters. "Any time we can give those guys an extra day, we’ll do it."
Wheeler is 1-1 this postseason with a 1.78 ERA and 25 strikeouts, although his fastball velocity dipped on Sunday, yet Thomson endorsed his max-effort strategy.
"I think that's the way to pitch," Thomson said. "You're going to see the top of the lineup in the first two innings, and you better get those guys out or you're going to be in a hole."
The Astros are expected to start Cy Young Award favourite Justin Verlander and left-hander Framber Valdez in Games 1 and 2 respectively.
Mystery remains around the New England Patriots starting quarterback for Sunday's game against the New York Jets with head coach Bill Belichick refusing to declare his hand.
Mac Jones was benched after three series for backup Bailey Zappe in the Patriots' 33-14 home defeat to the Chicago Bears on Monday.
Belichick insisted that decision was not performance-based after the game, alluding to the fact Jones was returning in Week 7 following a three-game absence due to a high ankle sprain.
Jones was not listed on the Patriots' injury report this week, yet Belichick declined to elaborate on the situation on Wednesday ahead of practice.
"We'll see how it goes today," Belichick told reporters five times when asked about the QB situation.
Onlookers at Patriots practice on Wednesday claimed that Jones took the vast majority of first team reps in an indication he will start on Sunday.
Jones, who was taken with the 15th pick in last year's NFL Draft, has started four games this season, completing 67 of 103 attempts for 799 yards with two touchdowns and six interceptions.
The second-year quarterback admitted that he had not been told by Belichick if he would start against the Jets but insisted he was fine with that.
"He's done a good job, been very open with me," Jones said. "I think that's all you can ask for, clear communication. Putting all the rat poison away and playing the best I can play and becoming the best quarterback I can be.
"Like I said, those are things that we want to work through as the week goes along. I don’t really care if they tell me or not, it's just important that I'm ready to go. Just as Zappe is ready to go.
"It's the same way every week, you want to prepare as a starter… I plan to start every game I've ever played in."
All-Star Damian Lillard's hot start to the new season has been curtailed after exiting the Portland Trail Blazers' 119-98 loss to the Miami Heat with a right calf strain on Wednesday.
Lillard, who had averaged 37.66 points across his past three games heading into Wednesday's game, limped out with approximately five minutes left in the third quarter.
The Blazers point guard appeared to injure his calf while shooting a three-pointer to cut the margin to 77-70, before limping out after the next offensive play.
Portland confirmed that Lillard had suffered a right calf strain, but the 32-year-old downplayed the severity of the issue after the game.
"It wasn't nothing that I was overly concerned with," Lillard told reporters. "I just know that it wouldn't make sense to try and push through it in the fifth game of the season.
"Honestly if this was a playoff game, I would have played. It would have been tight and uncomfortable, but I would have played. If that gives you any indication of how concerned I am now or would have been."
With Lillard forced out, the Blazers suffered their first loss of the season. Lillard finished the game with 22 points from 26 minutes.
Lillard is averaging 33.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 0.8 steals per game through five games this season.
Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash claimed Giannis Antetokounmpo's forearm struck Patty Mills' throat leading to his furious reaction and first-ever ejection from Wednesday's 110-89 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Nash was thrown out of the game with 4:24 remaining in the third quarter with the Nets up 70-66 after a non-call from the officials when Antetokounmpo drove forward on Mills who was floored.
The Nets coach was incensed by the non-call and yelled at the officials leading to a technical foul from Josh Tiven. That only further irritated Nash who had to be restrained by assistant coaches and players as he argued with the officials, leading to his ejection.
"I was just standing up for our guys," Nash told reporters. "I thought Patty took a forearm in the throat from Giannis right in front of the ref.
"I didn’t think that was fair. I don’t think I was overly demonstrative. I was upset that I got a technical."
When asked why Nash got given the technical, he added: "There wasn’t an explanation, it's a lot going on out there. What happened", happened. I said my piece on the court. That's really all there is."
Kevin Durant, who scored 33 points with six rebounds and two blocks, offered his support to Nash.
"You've got to handle yourself differently as a coach but sometimes you just want to go out there and fight for your guys and that’s what I thought he did tonight," Durant told reporters.
Meanwhile, Ben Simmons struggled again with four points on two-of-seven field shooting with none-of-two from the free-throw line, along with four personal fouls. Simmons has nine field goals and 18 personal fouls in four games this season.
Nets teammate Kyrie Irving was overheard at one point in the game demanding Simmons take a shot. Irving would not be drawn into discussing his under-fire teammate's form.
"If we're going to come in and be honest as a team, I'm not going to come in and be critical of what Ben's done right or done wrong every single night," Irving said. "He's a basketball player, he's a professional, he has the skills to be a great professional, he's done it in the past and he hasn't played in two years.
"You guys keep coming here and asking me like 'what about Ben, what about Ben?' he hasn’t played in two years, give him a f***** chance, stay on him. We're here just to give him positive affirmation while he's out there."
The result moved the Nets to 1-3, while the Bucks are 3-0, with Antetokounmpo in dominant form with 43 points, backing up 44 against the Houston Rockets on Saturday for the most productive two-game span in his 10-year NBA career. The Greek forward scored 34 of his 43 points in the second half.
Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer said: "That's vintage Giannis. That's probably about the best. He's had a lot of great performances. That second half he did everything, he was phenomenal… It's hard to put the right words on how good he was in the second half."
Giannis Antetokounmpo went up a gear in the second half while Steve Nash was ejected for the first time as a head coach as the Milwaukee Bucks downed the Brooklyn Nets 110-99 on Wednesday.
Antetokounmpo scored 34 of his 43 points in the second half – 28 of those coming in the paint - as the Bucks put the foot down with a 67-44 after half-time at Fiserv Forum.
The Greek forward backed up his 44 points against the Houston Rockets on Saturday, meaning his 87 points in their past two games is the most across a two-game span in his 10-year NBA career.
The Nets were leading 70-66 in the third quarter when Nash was ejected after being incensed by a non-call from the officials after Antetokounmpo bumped into Patty Mills.
Kevin Durant scored 33 points on 10-of-23 shooting from the field with six rebounds and five turnovers, while Kyrie Irving added 27 points for the Nets who led by as much as 12 points.
Ben Simmons battled again with four points on two-of-seven field shooting with none-of-two from the stripe, along with four personal fouls. Simmons has nine field goals and 18 personal fouls in four games this season.
The Bucks shot at 56 per cent from the field in the second half, with Antetokounmpo supported well by Bobby Portis with 20 points and 11 rebounds.
LeBron's Lakers' winless start drags on
LeBron James' Los Angeles Lakers slumped to an 0-4 start after Nikola Jokic put in a dominant display to lead the Denver Nuggets to a 110-99 victory.
Jokic scored 31 points with 13 rebounds and nine assists for the Nugs, who were far better defensively. The Serbian led both teams outright in points, rebounds and assists for the 85th time in his career, which is the most by a center in NBA history.
James, who fell to an 0-4 start for the second time of his career and first since his 2003-04 rookie season, managed 19 points with seven rebounds and nine assists, while Anthony Davis had 22 points with 14 rebounds. Russell Westbrook was out injured.
The Lakers' NBA-worst three-point struggles continued, albeit with a slightly improved eight-of-30 (27 per cent) from beyond the arc.
Sixers' struggles continue as Trent Jr sparkles
The Philadelphia 76ers' early season struggles continued too, going down 119-109 to the Toronto Raptors, leaving them with a 1-4 record.
The Sixers' record is their fifth 1-4 or worse start through five games. Philadelphia were 1-4 in 2017-18 yet made the playoffs, but missed out on the other three occasions when they were 0-3.
Joel Embiid scored 31 points with five rebounds and Tyrese Maxey impressed with 31 points including four three-pointers. Raptors guard Gary Trent Jr bettered him with five triples, scoring 27 points, while Pascal Siakam added 20 points and 13 assists.
One day after he made comments critical of his teammates, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said that nobody told him they had a problem with his assessment.
During his weekly appearance on the Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday, Rodgers had harsh words for some teammates.
"Guys are making too many mistakes shouldn’t be playing, you know," he said. "Gotta start cutting some reps, and maybe guys who aren’t playing, give them a chance."
On Wednesday, Rodgers did not back down from those comments amid criticism of the message it sent within the camp.
"I don’t understand why people have a problem with things that are truthful," Rodgers said. "I’m calling things the way I see it. People don’t think I need to air that stuff out, that's their opinion. But I’m doing what I think is in the best interest of our guys, and I've tried a lot of different things from a leadership standpoint this year, and I was just relating my personal feeling on the situation.
"I didn’t call anybody out by name. I think we all need to be on the details, and that includes me."
Rodgers said his comments should not come as a surprise since it was nothing he has not shared behind closed doors inside team headquarters at Lambeau Field.
"If one of those guys has a problem with it, I'm right here, and I'd love to have a conversation," Rodgers said. "I enjoy those conversations. I enjoy any type of conflict like that because I know the resolution on the other side is going to make us a better unit, a better friendship, a better cohesion on the field."
Rodgers has also been criticised for making the feedback public rather than keeping it internal. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur did not have an issue with Rodgers’ approach.
"Sometimes the truth hurts," LaFleur said. "I don’t think he publicly called out individuals, I don’t believe, I didn’t sit there and listen to the whole thing, so I just think that you have to get to the root of the truth."
Rodgers and the Packers are heavy underdogs heading into Sunday's road matchup against the Buffalo Bills as they try to avoid the team's first four-game losing streak since 2016.
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