Oisin Murphy is relishing the prospect of being reunited with Mawj when she lines up in the Jebel Hatta at Meydan on Friday.

Globetrotting Murphy has kept himself busy overseas this winter, having most recently plied his trade in Florida.

He will jet into Dubai to link up with the horse that provided him and trainer Saeed bin Suroor with Classic honours last season, before returning to America for the big-money Pegasus World Cup meeting at Gulfstream Park on Saturday.

After outbattling Tahiyra to scoop the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, Mawj missed the height of summer with a setback before travelling to America herself, where she added to her top-level tally at Keeneland before being cruelly denied by a nose in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita.

She now returns to the nine-furlong trip over which she won the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup in Kentucky last October and bids to maintain her unbeaten Meydan record in this Group One event.

“I’m really looking forward to riding her and she obviously had a great year last year,” said Murphy.

“She has won over a similar distance at Keeneland in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and she seems to be nicely drawn in the middle, so it will be interesting to see how the pace sets up.

“She can take a lead or make the running – she is very happy doing lots of things, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Spirit Dancer gave Richard Fahey and famous co-owner Sir Alex Ferguson a day to remember when striking in Bahrain in November and having flourished over the last 12 months, now tries his hand in Group One company for the first time.

“We’ve always liked him and he’s relatively lightly raced, but we’re getting a good go with him now as he’s been a bit of a backward horse who has taken time to mature physically and mentally,” said Fahey.

“We’re not surprised he’s improving, but he will need to improve again now.”

Charlie Appleby has won this race three times in the past eight years and after rattling the crossbar with third-placed Master Of The Seas 12 months ago, he now saddles three seeking to get his hands back on the trophy.

Stable jockey William Buick has elected to partner Al Rashidiya winner Measured Time, with the son of Frankel and half-brother to Breeders’ Cup Turf hero Rebel’s Romance winning four of his five career starts.

“Measured Time was an impressive winner of the Al Rashidiya and has done well physically since,” the Moulton Paddocks handler told the Godolphin website.

“This will obviously be more of a test, with Mawj and San Donato in the field, but he heads into it in great order.”

Measured Time is joined in the race by the reliable Ottoman Fleet and Highland Avenue, who were both behind their stablemate in Meydan’s pre-Christmas Group Two.

Appleby added: “Ottoman Fleet has proved ultra-consistent over this trip and doesn’t know how to run a bad race. He deserves to be in the line-up and I’m sure he will give his usual running.

“Highland Avenue has been competitive at Group level and was unlucky to get stuck wide in the Al Rashidiya. Hopefully he can get a better run around this time, which will help his chances.”

Nico de Boinville will miss Friday’s action at Sandown and the plum ride on Jonbon at Cheltenham on Saturday to give himself more time to fully recover from the broken collarbone he suffered in a fall at Doncaster last month.

The leading jockey returned from nearly a month on the sidelines at Lingfield last Sunday and has since taken up a total of 11 rides, including a winner at Warwick on Monday.

However, having suffered a narrow defeat aboard 11-8 favourite Ilfu Un Mome at Chepstow on Wednesday – his only ride on the card – De Boinville has made the difficult decision to withdraw from the upcoming action, meaning James Bowen will take over aboard Jonbon in Saturday’s Clarence House Chase.

“Nico was sore after yesterday, so he won’t be riding this weekend,” said De Boinville’s agent Sam Stronge.

“We’ll just take it day by day and see how it is next week. It’s unfortunate, we obviously tried to do our best as quickly as we could, and after riding for a couple of days he obviously wasn’t quite right.

“The sensible thing to do when you’ve got big rides like that (Jonbon) is to not let everybody down. It’s a very difficult decision, but we’ll take it day by day and hopefully he’ll be back next week.”

Novak Djokovic puts his 33-match unbeaten Australian Open run to the test against Jannik Sinner on Rod Laver Arena on Friday.

The world number one has not been beaten at Melbourne Park since a fourth-round loss to Chung Hyeon back in 2018, with only two opponents in the intervening six years managing to push him to five sets.

Djokovic appears to have recovered from the illness that was troubling him at the start of the fortnight, but was tested in a four-set quarter-final win over Taylor Fritz and, if anyone is going to end his streak, Sinner appears a prime candidate.

The 22-year-old beat Djokovic twice in successive weeks at the end of last season at the ATP Finals and Davis Cup, where he led Italy to the title, and is the only player in the men’s draw yet to drop a set.

“This is what I practise for, to play against the best players in the world,” said Sinner. “Obviously he has an incredible record here, so for me it’s a pleasure to play against him, especially in the final stages of the tournament where things are a little bit more interesting.

“I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be tough. This, I know. I will control the controllable, which is giving 100 per cent, having the right attitude, fighting for every ball. And then we see the outcome. More than this, I cannot do. It doesn’t really matter who my opponent is.”

Sinner reached his first slam semi-final at Wimbledon last summer but lost in straight sets to Djokovic, who is tantalisingly close to a record-breaking 25th major title.

This has not been one of his more straightforward paths through the draw in Melbourne, but his desire to continue racking up the biggest titles remains unquestionable.

“I’m aware of the streak that I’m on and the amount of matches that I have won in my career on the Rod Laver Arena,” said Djokovic.

“I don’t want to let that go. The longer the streak goes, the more that kind of confidence, also expectations, build, but also the willingness to really walk the extra mile.”

The second semi-final pits two very familiar opponents against each other in the shape of third seed Daniil Medvedev and sixth seed Alexander Zverev.

Medvedev is bidding to reach his third final at Melbourne Park in the last four years while Zverev crashed the top-four party by defeating Carlos Alcaraz on Wednesday for his best victory at a slam.

Medvedev and Zverev, who are certainly not the best of friends, have played each other 18 times previously but strangely never at a slam.

Russian Medvedev leads the head-to-head 11-7 having won five of the six matches they played last season, but Zverev took time to get back to his best after a serious ankle injury.

“A lot of matches were extremely close,” said the German, who lost his only grand slam final at the US Open in 2020.

“A lot of the times it came down to him being extremely confident last year, him playing some of the best tennis of his life, and me coming back from injury and not having the confidence in deciding moments and not being able to finish matches.

“He’s obviously extremely difficult to play. No question about it. He’s one of the best players in the world right now. But I’m happy in the position I am, and I’m going to do everything I can to win that match on Friday.”

Nathan MacKinnon scored three of his four goals consecutively and added an assist and Mikko Rantanen had a goal and four assists to lead the Colorado Avalanche to a 6-2 rout of the Washington Capitals on Wednesday.

MacKinnon’s first goal of the game at 2:39 of the second period extended Colorado’s lead to 2-0, and he made it 3-0 at the 7-minute mark. He notched his third goal of the game 2:16 later and completed his second four-goal game of the season with 3:46 remaining in the third period.

MacKinnon, who drew an assist on Rantanen’s third-period goal, leads the NHL with 82 points, two more than Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov.

The Avalanche superstar extended his home point streak to 24 games to break a tie with Joe Sakic for the franchise record. MacKinnon has 11 goals and 15 assists during an overall 12-game point streak.

Cale Makar set the franchise record for goals by a defenseman with his 76th and Colorado improved to 10-1-0 in its last 11 home games.

Canucks rally to extend point streak in OT loss

Pius Suter completed his hat trick with 52 seconds left in regulation and the Vancouver Canucks pushed their point streak to 10 games with a 4-3 overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues.

Brayden Schenn scored the game-winner at 1:54 of overtime after Vancouver battled back from a 3-1 deficit in the third behind Suter’s two goals.

Jake Neighbours had a goal and an assist to help the Blues win their third straight.

Quinn Hughes had a pair of assists as the Canucks moved to 8-0-2 in their last 10 games and increased the league’s highest point total to 69.

Hurricanes cool Bruins with late goal

Jordan Martinook scored with 2 ½ minutes remaining and Spencer Martin made 26 saves to win his Hurricanes debut as Carolina ended the Boston Bruins’ six-game winning streak, 3-2.

Boston rallied from a two-goal deficit in the third period on goals by Brad Marchand, but Martinook beat Linus Ullmark on a breakaway for the winner.

Martin Necas and Teuvo Teravainen also scored for the Hurricanes, who have won five straight road games.

Marchand’s goals gave him 395, tying him with Ray Bourque for fifth on the team’s all-time list. Bourque scored 395 of his 410 career goals with the Bruins.

On this day in 2008 six-time champion jockey Kieren Fallon was banned from racing for 18 months after testing positive for a banned substance.

He initially failed a test following Myboycharlie’s success in the Group One Darley Prix Morny the previous August.

A B-test sample confirmed the original positive test for a banned substance and France Galop imposed the ban.

Fallon had previously served a six-month suspension imposed by France Galop for testing positive for a metabolite of cocaine in June 2006.

Speaking about the ban, he told the Racing Post: “It’s not a tragedy, you know. Far from it.

“There’s no doubt I’ll bounce back. It’s very silly of people to talk of retirement. I’m young at heart and have many years left.

“I’ll use the duration of the ban to get back on track, and when I do come back I’ll be stronger, both mentally and physically.”

He immediately launched an appeal against the ban which was heard the following month and subsequently upheld.

Fallon returned to the sport in September 2009 and made his return to action at Lingfield.

Wales will go into the Guinness Six Nations with a new-look squad containing five international rookies and a 21-year-old captain.

But head coach Warren Gatland believes it is “incredibly exciting” as his players embark on the long road towards World Cup 2027 in Australia.

Although the last World Cup finished just four months ago, only 18 of that 33-strong squad feature for a Six Nations campaign that Wales kick off against Scotland before facing successive appointments away from home with England and Ireland.

The list of absentees is startling, highlighted by wing Louis Rees-Zammit’s career switch to American football, Dan Biggar and Leigh Halfpenny retiring from Test rugby and Liam Williams now playing in Japan.

There are tournament-ending injuries to the likes of World Cup co-captains Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake, plus number eight Taulupe Faletau, with France-based props Tomas Francis and Henry Thomas also missing out.

The uncapped contingent comprises Cardiff quartet Cameron Winnett, Evan Lloyd, Alex Mann and Mackenzie Martin, in addition to Bath prop Archie Griffin, while almost half the squad have eight caps or fewer.

It could well be a case of short-term pain leading to long-term gain for Wales, but Gatland is relishing what lies ahead.

“It is incredibly exciting,” said Gatland, who named Exeter lock Dafydd Jenkins as his skipper. “If you look at the squad we have got some talent, we’ve got some experience there from players we had with us at the World Cup.

“We have lost a lot of experience, but it is a new cycle for us to go through. We probably need a little bit of time and a little bit of patience from the Welsh public.

“I hope they can see that given some time together we can develop a squad over the next few years.

“I think this for us, looking at Wales having such a small group of players in terms of a Tier One nation, it is something that we need to plan and look at how we implement that plan over the next three or four years.

“Some of that is doing it right from the start. I think that despite all the negativity around Welsh rugby I think there are a lot of positives.

“There are a lot of negatives financially, but the financial challenges mean that we are giving opportunities to lots of youngsters that we may not have seen a few years ago, and for me that is a massive positive.

“We are not going to benefit in the short term, but I think that in the next three or four years we are going to benefit from us giving them those chances.

“Despite what people are talking about, the financial challenges, I see it differently as a real positive and a real chance for a reset in Welsh rugby that is going to put us in good stead over the next few years.”

With Biggar having departed the Test scene, considerable attention will focus on his fly-half successor – 22-year-old Sam Costelow – and his fellow squad number 10s Ioan Lloyd and Cai Evans.

Gatland added: “We are pleased with the progression of Sam in the time that he has been with us, but he has still got a little bit of learning.

“With Ioan it has probably been a little bit difficult for him over the last couple of seasons in terms of nailing down a position. He has played a lot of 10, he can cover 15 as well.

“The important thing for him is just to be playing regularly in one or two positions, and we are also thinking we can spend some time with Cai Evans in terms of giving him a little bit of time in that 10 position just to give us an option.”

Steve Borthwick feels that England supporters “deserve better” when it comes to performances and results in the Guinness Six Nations.

While England’s seven Six Nations titles put them top of the tree, the tally also gives a slightly distorted picture.

Three of those successes came during the competition’s first four seasons – and before England won the 2003 World Cup – and it has been a mere 20 per cent success-rate since then.

One title over the past six years underlines how tough England have found it and they have their work cut out again this time around, given the dominant form of Ireland and France.

“What has happened sometimes is England have been coming into the tournament and we are often talked about being favourites, and essentially England’s performance has not been anywhere near that level,” England head coach Borthwick said.

“The team knows that and the team wants to deliver better and the supporters deserve better.”

England will arrive in the competition after a third-place finish at the World Cup, an outcome that exceeded many expectations.

And the fixture schedule has been relatively kind as games against opening opponents Italy in Rome and Wales at Twickenham could see them generate early momentum.

But given it is then a Murrayfield appointment with Scotland, chasing four successive victories over England for the first time since 1972, then Ireland before a finale against France in Lyon, starting well is pretty much non-negotiable.

With World Cup captain Owen Farrell deciding to miss the Six Nations as he prioritises his and his family’s mental well-being, hooker Jamie George takes over as skipper.

Borthwick’s 36-strong squad includes seven uncapped players, headlined by 21-year-old Exeter wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, with only 17 survivors from the World Cup.

Experienced forwards Kyle Sinckler and Billy Vunipola missed out, while Courtney Lawes, Ben Youngs and Mako Vunipola retired from Test rugby, but approaching half the squad have each won 30 caps or more

Borthwick added: “I think you can see from my selections that I value the importance of having experience in there with younger, less experienced players and having that sort of support around them.

“I think that’s really important on the international stage. I think it is important at any level.

“You look at the effect Jamie George has in gluing the team together. It is just awesome. And I am delighted that we have got Joe Marler and his experience around the group, Dan Cole as well, just to mention a few.

“So I think getting that balance right with the experience and with these exciting players, younger players coming in is going to be really important.

“Our intent is to hit the ground running in Rome the way we want with the intensity that we want to, which is something that England have not done in recent years.

“At times, we have not jumped into this tournament and have been caught in that first game.

“We want this to be a different mindset for England, a different way of approaching the game and the tournament.

“We are taking a different approach because we need different results to previous tournaments.”

The Rugby World Cup done and dusted until 2027, attention now turns to this season’s Guinness Six Nations and a battle for European supremacy.

Ireland and France, who meet in the competition’s opening game, are favourites for silverware, while a host of new captains include England hooker Jamie George, Wales lock Dafydd Jenkins and Ireland flanker Peter O’Mahony.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some key talking points ahead of the tournament.

No Owen Farrell for new-look England

England will head into the Six Nations without their World Cup captain and fly-half Farrell, who has decided to miss the tournament in order to prioritise his and his family’s mental wellbeing.

Farrell’s Saracens colleague George takes over leadership duties, heading up a squad that includes Exeter pair Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Ethan Roots among seven uncapped players, but experienced forwards Kyle Sinckler and Billy Vunipola have been left out. Italy away and Wales at home suggests England should make an unbeaten start, but life then gets infinitely tougher with Scotland at Murrayfield being followed by Ireland on home soil and France in Lyon.

The World Cup bronze medallists have their work cut out to shake up principal title contenders Ireland and France, but with players like Alex Mitchell, Henry Slade and Tommy Freeman in blistering form for their clubs, Steve Borthwick’s men could make a strong impression if everything clicks.

Big boots to fill for Ireland’s fly-halves

Andy Farrell’s approach with reigning Grand Slam champions Ireland is very much evolution, not revolution following 29 wins from their last 32 fixtures. Farrell has retained 26 of the 33 players he took to the World Cup, with the alterations all enforced due to injuries and retirements.

Yet the major transition facing Farrell is undoubtedly in the most influential position. Johnny Sexton’s departure has left a void at fly-half and is expected to result in Munster’s Jack Crowley being elevated to first choice. The exciting 24-year-old has impressed when selected, but just three of his nine Test outings have come as a starter.

With Ross Byrne out due to an arm issue, Crowley’s rivals – Ciaran Frawley and Harry Byrne – also lack international experience, having won only three caps combined.

All change for Warren Gatland’s Wales

Wales’ player turnaround from World Cup to Six Nations is considerable. International retirements, injuries, unavailability and selection calls mean that head coach Gatland will go into the tournament without 15 of his squad that were on duty in France.

They will be minus the services of players like NFL hopeful Louis Rees-Zammit, Liam Williams, Dan Biggar, Dewi Lake, Tomas Francis, Jac Morgan and Taulupe Faletau, with Gatland’s group including five uncapped players.

Wales kick off against Scotland in Cardiff, before successive appointments with England, Ireland and France. Gatland frequently weaves his magic and Wales often punch above their weight, but it will be a tall order for them this time around.

Scots need to banish World Cup blues

Scotland are in need of an uplifting Six Nations campaign after having the wind removed from their sails by a deflating World Cup pool-stage exit. The recently-retired Stuart Hogg is the only notable absentee from the side that generally performed well in last year’s championship, finishing as best of the rest behind the big two of Ireland and France.

Most of their pre-tournament injury concerns have cleared up, so they have the personnel to compete strongly, particularly with back quartet Blair Kinghorn, Ben White, Finn Russell and Ali Price all thriving after their recent moves to Toulouse, Toulon, Bath and Edinburgh respectively.

In a tournament where a strong start is often so crucial, much will depend on whether Gregor Townsend’s side can get off on the right foot against Wales in Cardiff, a city in which the Scots have not tasted victory for more than two decades.

Absent friends have left fond memories

While inevitable excitement surrounds the 2024 Six Nations tournament, it will unfold with some notable names missing, highlighted by France World Cup captain Antoine Dupont.

The Toulouse scrum-half will not be part of Les Bleus’ campaign after deciding to push for selection in France’s sevens squad for the Paris Olympics. Dupont is likely to take part in two World Series tournaments while the Six Nations happens, with Maxime Lucu favourite to replace him in the number nine shirt. La Rochelle number eight Gregory Alldritt is the new skipper.

Dupont’s fellow former world player of the year Sexton has retired, with another high-profile playmaker – Wales number 10 Biggar – stepping away from Test rugby, in addition to vastly-experienced England trio Courtney Lawes, Ben Youngs and Mako Vunipola.

Top referees Wayne Barnes and Jaco Peyper, meanwhile, have blown the whistle on their careers, and there will also be no Stade de France on this year’s Six Nations schedule as it is being prepared for the Olympics. France’s home games will take place in Marseille, Lille and Lyon.

Ireland begin the Guinness Six Nations as reigning Grand Slam champions but on the back of familiar World Cup quarter-final disappointment.

Head coach Andy Farrell has kept faith with 26 of the 33 players who ultimately suffered a last-eight defeat to New Zealand in France less than four months ago as he opts for evolution over revolution.

The Englishman, whose squad alterations are enforced by retirements, including that of former captain Johnny Sexton, and injuries, believes “completely cutting the legs off” a system which previously brought sustained success would be detrimental.

He has appointed veteran Munster flanker Peter O’Mahony as his new skipper and is very much focused on immediate challenges, rather than the next World Cup cycle as a whole.

“I was unbelievably proud how we connected with our fans and did it together (at the World Cup) – that for me continues with how we get back on the horse,” said the 2023 World Rugby coach of the year.

“What I’m talking about is being proud of how we go about our business to want to keep evolving our game. The journey continues.

“I think completely cutting the legs off something and starting again can damage not just the team but the individuals within that.

“Dealing with the here and now and the medium term is pretty important to be able to get to the long term in good shape, in my opinion.

“I could be wrong but that’s my experience of it over the years.”

Ireland once again failed to win a World Cup knockout match, suffering a fourth quarter-final elimination in a row and an eighth overall.

Yet they have been victorious in 29 of their last 32 Tests, including a historic tour triumph over the All Blacks in 2022, and spent a prolonged period at the top of the world rankings.

While Farrell plans to build on existing foundations, he is eager to keep generating competition for places and ensure players do not become complacent.

“I think the best thing you can do for the squad as a coach is stay open minded because if you’re fixed on (selection decisions) then people tend to get downhearted or too comfortable,” said the new British and Irish Lions head coach.

“The pressure that they put on each other is the main thing really because ultimately all you’re trying to do as a professional is get the respect of your peers.”

Ireland’s title defence begins on February 2 against France in Marseille.

The major transition facing Farrell is undoubtedly in the most influential position following the departure of talismanic fly-half Sexton.

Munster’s Jack Crowley, who has started just three of his nine Test appearances, is expected to begin as first-choice number 10, with Leinster pair Harry Byrne and Ciaran Frawley, who have only three caps combined, as understudies.

The injury absence of Connacht wing Mack Hansen is a major blow, while front-row forwards Rob Herring and Dave Kilcoyne, fly-half Ross Byrne and versatile back Jimmy O’Brien are also sidelined.

Captain O’Mahony has urged the squad to learn from the World Cup exit at the hands of the All Blacks.

“All the good that we did last year, that’s not gone, far from it,” said the 34-year-old.

“You’ve got a decision to make, do you want that game to make you better? Or do you want to leave it hanging over you?

“Of course we’re going to grab it and be better for it and getting ahead of the game is where you have to be to be competing for championships, which is exactly what we want to do.”

It is difficult to look beyond Ireland and France as the principal contenders for this season’s Guinness Six Nations title.

The tournament’s most eagerly-awaited opener for years will unfold between the main two teams on a Friday night in Marseille – and everyone else could be playing catch-up from day one.

There will undoubtedly be many twists and turns along the way, but whichever team triumphs at Stade Velodrome can expect to be nailed on as Six Nations favourites.

In many ways, it should be no surprise given that Ireland are ranked second on World Rugby’s official rankings and France fourth, while Les Bleus won a Grand Slam in 2022 and Ireland replicated the feat last year.

Both teams will also be driven by memories of crushing World Cup disappointment. Backed in many quarters as possible winners, they made quarter-final exits with Ireland losing to New Zealand and France being toppled by South Africa.

Their recent dominance of European rugby cannot be understated, although the bid for silverware this time around takes place without talismanic figures.

Ireland no longer have imperious fly-half Johnny Sexton at the helm following his post-World Cup retirement, and his fellow former world player of the year – genial France scrum-half Antoine Dupont – is playing sevens in pursuit of a Paris Olympics dream.

Both absences will inevitably be felt, yet there is still comfortably sufficient squad depth for Ireland and France to remain a good furlong or two clear of the field.

They are not the only nations dealing with key losses, as retirements, injuries and tales of the unexpected have taken centre stage.

The pre-Six Nations headlines were dominated by Wales wing Louis Rees-Zammit’s shock decision to quit rugby and target a career in American football.

It all unfolded during a frantic hour ahead of Wales head coach Warren Gatland’s Six Nations squad announcement, and Rees-Zammit was added to a list of absentees that included Test rugby retirees Dan Biggar and Leigh Halfpenny, Liam Williams, who is now based in Japan, and an injured trio of Taulupe Faletau, Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake.

England knew in late November that their World Cup skipper Owen Farrell would miss the Six Nations, having opted to take an international break as he prioritised his and his family’s mental wellbeing.

The Saracens fly-half has subsequently signed for French club Racing 92 on a two-year deal from July, which will extend his spell away from Test rugby as Rugby Football Union rules prevents players plying their trade abroad playing for England.

Outside of Farrell’s situation, Courtney Lawes, Ben Youngs and Mako Vunipola – more than 300 England caps between them – have left the international stage, but a crop of exciting newcomers include Exeter wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Northampton fly-half Fin Smith and Sale’s Tom Roebuck.

England appear best-equipped to head the chasing pack, but like Wales and Scotland, who meet on the opening weekend in Cardiff, they will need to start strongly in a competition where momentum is key.

Italy, meanwhile, face a tall order to avoid finishing bottom of the pile for a ninth successive campaign, although they have a new head coach in Gonzalo Quesada and leading Italian club Benetton, who contribute 17 players in the national squad, have won seven out of nine United Rugby Championship games this season and hold second spot.

Giannis Antetokounmpo notched his third triple-double in four games and the Milwaukee Bucks ended the Cleveland Cavaliers’ eight-game winning streak Wednesday with a 126-116 victory in their first game since the firing of coach Adrian Griffin.

Antetokounmpo had 35 points, a season high-tying 18 rebounds and 10 assists for his seventh triple-double this season. He came up one assist shy of having four consecutive triple-doubles after he had 31 points, 10 boards and nine assists in Saturday’s win at Detroit.

Joe Prunty served as Milwaukee’s interim head coach after Griffin was fired on Tuesday despite the Bucks leading the Central Division with a 30-13 record. The team was finalising negotiations with Doc Rivers to take over.

Damian Lillard added 28 points and Khris Middleton had 24 for the Bucks, winners of six of seven.

Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 23 points and Jarrett Allen had 21 and 12 assists.

Booker scores 46 for streaking Suns

Devin Booker scored 22 of his 46 points in the third quarter and the Phoenix Suns won their seventh straight game, 132-109 over the Dallas Mavericks.

Bradley Beal had 20 points and Kevin Durant added 12 and 10 rebounds as Phoenix matched its longest win streak of the season by turning a 16-point deficit in the second quarter into a 22-point lead after outscoring Dallas 43-20 in the third.

Luka Dončić tallied 34 points, eight rebounds and nine assists but didn’t get much help with All-Star sidekick Kyrie Irving out with a right thumb sprain.

Gilgeous-Alexander keeps Thunder hot

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 32 points, 10 assists and six rebounds as the Oklahoma City Thunder pulled away for their fourth straight win, 140-114 over the San Antonio Spurs.

Aaron Wiggins scored 22 points and Chet Holmgren added 17 and nine rebounds as the Thunder remained tied with Minnesota atop the Northwest Division.

Victor Wembanyama had 24 points and 12 rebounds as the Spurs rookie faced off against Holmgren in a matchup of two of the top contenders for Rookie of the Year.