Paul George was "super relieved" that both he and Kawhi Leonard were healthy after entering the NBA's contact tracing protocols – and the duo showed the Los Angeles Clippers exactly what they had been missing on Friday.
Having sat out two games due to guidelines put in place amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the superstars were cleared to return to action for the Clippers at the Orlando Magic.
George had 26 points, nine rebounds and five assists in the convincing 116-90 victory on the road, while Leonard contributed 24 points.
They combined for 35 points in the first half as the Clippers improved to 15-5 for the season, meaning they sit behind only the in-form Utah Jazz – who have won 10 in a row – in the Western Conference standings.
"I was super relieved that we were both healthy, first and foremost," George told the media. "We had been playing so well that it was unfortunate that we had to take the hiatus, but safety is first."
Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue was able to rest both George and Leonard in the fourth quarter with the Clippers in complete control.
Speaking after the win, Lue said having the pair back was "huge", considering they make life so much easier for the rest of the roster.
"I think on a night when guys were a little tired, just having their presence was big for us," Lue said.
"It was huge. Just making plays for everybody else, making the game easy.
"When teams double-team Kawhi or PG on the post-ups or pick-and-roll, it just makes it easier because our guys are getting open shots, so we needed those guys."
The Clippers went 1-1 without George and Leonard at the start of a six-game road trip; they are back in action on Sunday, taking on the New York Knicks.
The Australian Open is set to welcome up to 30,000 spectators each day when the tournament begins on February 8 in Melbourne.
Local officials have given the go-ahead for fans to head to Melbourne Park, predicting a near-normal atmosphere when action begins at the year's first grand slam.
Last year's US Open was contested behind closed doors in New York, while only 1,000 paying fans were allowed at Roland Garros on each day of the 2020 French Open.
However, the COVID-19 crisis has been tightly managed in Australia, to the point where it was reported on Saturday that there had been no new local cases in the state of Victoria for 24 days.
The crowds will be split between day and evening sessions, and the number of fans allowed will drop to 25,000 for the final six days of the tournament, when fewer courts will be in operation.
Saturday's announcement means the event will be capped at around 50 per cent of capacity.
Tournament director and Tennis Australia chief executive officer Craig Tiley said it had taken "a massive team effort" to accommodate the arrival of around 1,000 players and officials into the country, with all required to spend two weeks in quarantine.
Victoria sports minister Martin Pakula said on Sky News Australia: "On Rod Laver Arena, as we get towards the end of the tournament, we'll have an incredible atmosphere – not that different to the atmosphere we've seen in all the Opens in the years past.
"That's really a testament to the work Victorians have done to get our numbers to zero but also the extraordinary work that Craig and the team at Tennis Australia has done."
James Harden said the Brooklyn Nets made the most of "a beautiful game plan" as they swept to a 147-125 win against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Nine Nets players finished with double-digit points, led by Harden and Kyrie Irving with 25 each, as the team earned a fourth successive victory.
Harden landed a triple-double, having also had 11 assists and 10 rebounds, and Stats Perform data showed it was only the second time in Nets history that they have had nine players score 10 points or more in a game.
The first occasion was in the then New York Nets' 1984 game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and this time they matched a franchise points record for a regulation game.
That the Nets achieved their success without the injured Kevin Durant showed the deep strength and potential they possess.
"The ball was moving," said Harden. "We were active on both ends of the floor.
"Coaches drew up a beautiful game plan, and we executed on both ends of the ball. We like to see carryover, and these last few games we’ve been carrying over, we've been playing well, especially on the defensive end, and it's showing, so we've just got to keep it up."
The Nets improved to 13-8 for the season, with the combination of Irving and new arrival Harden, acquired this month from the Houston Rockets, beginning to purr.
"I never say how long the process was going to take. But Ky is special," Harden said. "He got it going in the third quarter. And we just wanted him to keep going until he missed, and even when he missed keep going again."
Irving got 12 points in that particular quarter and the Nets entered the fourth armed with a 21-point lead.
"We've just got to find that balance of when to be aggressive and when to make plays," Harden said. "And I think even with our aggressiveness, we're still playmakers.
"I think over the course of the game, we did a really good job of getting our guys involved in going aggressiveness, corner ball as well. So nothing really changes even when KD [Durant] is in the lineup as well."
Irving, meanwhile, knows the Nets could, and perhaps should, achieve great things now that he, Durant and Harden are in their ranks, but that is not to say success is a given.
"Just taking it day by day," said Irving.
"I'm always going to say that I won't take anything for granted. It doesn't happen often in history where you have this group together at this point.
"Some of the guys were starters last year on their respective teams, other guys are MVP candidates and to have all of that collective talent and not get the most out of it, we'd be doing ourselves a disservice so we just want to continue to just push each other and hold each other accountable."
The Brooklyn Nets shared the load in a high-scoring 147-125 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA.
Playing without star Kevin Durant (Achilles), the Nets extended their winning streak to four games on Friday after nine players had double-digit points.
According to Stats Perform, it was just the second time in team history the Nets had nine such players (against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1984) as James Harden led the way with a triple-double of 25 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds.
Harden became the second Net in the last 25 years with three triple-doubles in a season, while Irving put up 25 points, seven assists and five rebounds on the road.
It was also the second time this season the Nets have scored 145-plus points in a non-overtime game. No other NBA team have achieved it even once this season, and Brooklyn had just one such game in team history entering this season – 147 in 1982.
Utah Jazz forward Joe Ingles surpassed John Stockton for the most three-pointers made (846) in franchise history in a 120-101 win over the Dallas Mavericks.
Ingles was two-of-four from three-point range for 10 points as the Jazz made it 11 consecutive victories to own the NBA's best record at 15-4.
Utah have made 319 three-pointers through 19 games this season – the most ever by any team after 19 fixtures.
Bojan Bogdanovic led the Jazz with a game-high 22 points, while Rudy Gobert added 17 points and 12 rebounds.
Young puts on a show as Embiid stars
Trae Young dazzled with 41 points as the Atlanta Hawks took down the struggling Washington Wizards 116-100.
The Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia 76ers accounted for the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves 118-94 behind Joel Embiid's 37 points and 11 rebounds from just 27 minutes of action.
Two-time reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 38 points and 11 rebounds but the Milwaukee Bucks were beaten 131-126 by the New Orleans Pelicans. Lonzo Ball recorded a season-high 27 points.
Nikola Jokic has registered 19 consecutive double-doubles to start the season. Since 1976, Jokic and Antetokounmpo (19 in a row in 2019-20) are tied with the second-most double-doubles to open a campaign, trailing only Bill Walton (34 straight). Jokic had 35 points and 10 rebounds in the Denver Nuggets' 119-109 loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
Kawhi Leonard (24) and Paul George (26) combined for 50 points in their return for the Los Angeles Clippers, who defeated the Orlando Magic 116-90.
Nance struggles as Cavs crumble
It was not a good day for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who were swept aside 102-81 by the New York Knicks. Larry Nance Jr. finished with just two points in 29 minutes after going one-of-nine from the field, while missing all five of his three-point attempts. Taurean Prince – part of the deal that helped the Nets acquire former MVP Harden from the Houston Rockets – was one-of-seven from the field for three points.
DeRozan with the Euro step
DeMar DeRozan posted 30 points and 10 assists on 11-of-14 shooting from the field. The Spurs star also Euro-stepped to the rim for a fine basket against the Nuggets.
Friday's results
Charlotte Hornets 108-105 Indiana Pacers
Atlanta Hawks 116-100 Washington Wizards
New York Knicks 102-81 Cleveland Cavaliers
Sacramento Kings 126-124 Toronto Raptors
New Orleans Pelicans 131-126 Milwaukee Bucks
Los Angeles Clippers 116-90 Orlando Magic
Philadelphia 76ers 118-94 Minnesota Timberwolves
Brooklyn Nets 147-125 Oklahoma City Thunder
San Antonio Spurs 119-109 Denver Nuggets
Utah Jazz 120-101 Dallas Mavericks
Lakers at Celtics
Following back-to-back defeats on the road, defending champions the Los Angeles Lakers (14-6) will look to return to winning ways when they visit the Boston Celtics (10-7) on Saturday.
The Philadelphia Phillies re-signed star catcher J.T. Realmuto, the MLB franchise announced on Friday.
Realmuto will remain in Philadelphia on a five-year deal, reportedly worth $115.5million that sets a record average annual value for a catcher at $23.1m per season – eclipsing Joe Mauer's $23m per season for the Minnesota Twins (2011-18).
The two-time All-Star and Silver Slugger was out of contract after being acquired by the Phillies from the Miami Marlins in 2019.
Realmuto, 29, signed a one-year contract in his final season of salary arbitration eligibility in 2020 before finally reaching an agreement with the Phillies over a lucrative extension.
During the coronavirus-shortened 2020 season, Realmuto had 46 hits, 33 runs, 11 homers, 32 RBIs and four stolen bases in 47 games for the Phillies.
Since making his MLB debut in 2014, 2019 Gold Glove winner Realmuto has amassed 749 hits, 380 runs, 95 homers, 385 RBIs and 44 stolen bases.
Bryce Harper's Phillies have not made the playoffs since 2011 after going 28-32 in the National League (NL) East last year.
Los Angeles Clippers stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have been cleared to return against the Orlando Magic on Friday.
Leonard and George missed the opening two games of a six-game road swing after reportedly entering the NBA's health and safety protocols.
The Clippers went 1-1 in the pair's absence against the Atlanta Hawks (lost 108-99) and Miami Heat (won 109-105).
But Leonard and George are set to take to the court when the Clippers (14-5) visit the Magic (8-11).
Leonard has been averaging 25.9 points, 5.7 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game in 2020-21, while Clippers team-mate George is averaging 23.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.4 assists.
The Clippers have gone 8-1 in their last nine games and have outscored opponents by an average of 12.8 points per game, second in the NBA in that span (Utah Jazz, plus-15.6), per Stats Perform. This stretch has come after the Clippers began the season 6-4, outscoring opponents by 0.8 points per game in that period.
Meanwhile, the Clippers have won 13 successive games against the Magic – dating back to January 2014. It is tied for the longest active winning streak by any current NBA franchise against any opponent (the Philadelphia 76ers versus New York Knicks and the 76ers against Charlotte Hornets – both 13).
Kevin Durant will sit out the Brooklyn Nets' showdown with the Oklahoma City Thunder to rehabilitate his Achilles.
Durant, who has returned this season after sitting out the entire 2019-20 NBA campaign due to an Achilles injury, posted a game-high 32 points in Brooklyn's double-overtime victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday.
Now the two-time NBA champion and Finals MVP has been kept out of Friday's clash against the Thunder in Oklahoma.
Durant – who injured his Achilles during his time with the Golden State Warriors in the 2019 NBA Finals – has played in 15 of the Nets' 20 games this season.
The 32-year-old is averaging 30.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game in 2020-21.
Durant recorded his 15th consecutive 20-plus point game to start the season against the Hawks midweek – only Wilt Chamberlain (56 games), Adrian Dantley (20 games) and Dominique Wilkins (19 games) have better streaks in NBA history.
Steve Nash's star-studded Nets (12-8) have won three games in a row to sit fourth in the Eastern Conference, behind the Philadelphia 76ers (13-6).
Craig Simpson defeated defending champion Christian Sasso via long run to win the David East Memorial Sporting Clays on Sunday. Meanwhile, Aliana McMaster dethroned her mother, Wendy, to take the women’s title.
Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal agreed it was great to be playing in front of busy grandstands again as tennis stars emerged from lockdown in Australia.
The women's and men's tennis tours have been contested largely behind closed doors over the past year, and a number of tournaments, most notably Wimbledon, have been cancelled due to the COVID-19 crisis.
The Australia public has given a cautious welcome to the arrival of the world's leading players, who have been quarantining in hotel rooms for much of the past fortnight, only allowed to briefly leave in order to train.
Ahead of the Australian Open, which begins on February 8 in Melbourne, Williams and Nadal are among a star-studded set of players who travelled to Adelaide to feature in the 'A Day at the Drive' exhibition event.
They both scored victories on Friday, with Williams defeating US Open champion Naomi Osaka 6-2 2-6 10-7 and Nadal snatching a 7-5 6-4 win over Dominic Thiem.
The delight in both at seeing crowds at a tournament was plain, with Williams saying in an on-court interview: "Thanks everyone for having us. We haven't played in front of a crowd in over a year. It's been a really long time."
In fact, it has not quite been a full year since the tours locked down initially, as it was early March when most tournaments began to be called off, with crowds frozen out.
Williams said the reception made the difficult past fortnight, being hidden away from the world, worth the strain for the players.
"This is really cool and then for having us and trusting us with your laws was great," said the 23-time grand slam winner. "We were so excited to be here and it's worth it."
Nadal said he was "super happy" to still be playing at the highest level and back in front of Australian crowds.
The pandemic has been carefully managed to the point where very few have the virus and it is considered safe to allow crowds into sporting events in the country.
Nadal said: "Hopefully this situation will go away quick and we will be able to enjoy fans on court [around the world].
"We're super excited to have fans at the Australian Open and today."
That optimism and excitement was shared by men's world number one Novak Djokovic, who played just one set against Jannik Sinner due to a problem with blisters on his right hand.
Eight-time Australian Open champion Djokovic told fans: "Thank you so much for coming out and making our day and making our year.
"We didn't play in front of this much crowd for 12 months. This is definitely something very special.
"It wasn't easy, obviously, with 14 days being constrained in the room and a few hours to train, but at the end of the day it was worth it because you guys made it very special today for us."
Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra insisted his team still have the right spirit and a huge "sense of urgency" after suffering a fifth straight loss, going down 109-105 to the Los Angeles Clippers.
In an NBA first for the shot-clock era, the Clippers won a game despite being outscored by 14+ points in the first and fourth quarters, according to Stats Perform data.
The Heat fell to 6-12 for the season having been beaten by a Clippers team playing without Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Patrick Beverley.
Spoelstra was also without key players; Jimmy Butler, Goran Dragic and Andre Iguodala were among seven who were unavailable.
The Clippers trailed by 18 early, but then turned the tables and built a lead as high as 19 by the time the third quarter ended.
However, the Heat won the fourth quarter by 15 points and were within three before ultimately losing out in a frantic finale.
The struggles this season are a stark contrast to last, when they impressively made the NBA Finals in the Orlando bubble.
"When it went good, it was because their hearts are in the right place for sure," said Spoelstra.
"We are just grinding and trying to figure out how to get over the hump and try and give ourselves our best chance of winning.
"It is just a matter of consistency to be able to do that throughout the course of the game.
"Our group has a great spirit and a big-time sense of urgency. It is not a matter of that, it is a matter of finding a way to be consistent throughout.
"There are a lot of moving parts. That makes it unique. You can’t make an excuse for it. You have to continue to grind, to learn and compete for each other. We just need to be more consistent with it."
Tyler Herro had 19 points as he returned after missing seven games with neck spasms, with Spoelstra hoping more players will follow soon.
He added: "We will be getting guys back soon enough. You get Tyler back and there is just a boost to it and that is encouraging.
"Everyone in the locker room really wants to play better and in a perfect world we want to be in a better place than we are right now and we are not.
"We just have to continue to grind."
Nicolas Batum scored 18 points for the Clippers, one of their six players to reach double figures. Tyronn Lue's team improved to 14-5 on the season and have won eight of their last nine games.
LeBron James revealed the Los Angeles Lakers are having to learn on the fly during the regular season after the defending NBA champions slipped to a second successive defeat.
Without Anthony Davis, who did not play due to injury, and off the back of a narrow loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, the Lakers made a strong start but faded badly at the Detroit Pistons on Thursday.
James made his first seven shots but had just two points in the second half, the Pistons running out comfortable winners by a 107-92 scoreline for just their fifth victory of the campaign.
For the four-time NBA MVP, however, it is all about the bigger picture, rather than one-off results. With limited practice time available to teams due to the altered schedule amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and a number of new faces having joined during the offseason, the Lakers are having to experiment during games.
"We are all learning on the fly due to the lack of practice time," James said.
"You know with this season it's very difficult to get those practice minutes on the floor and know what does and doesn't work. It's very strange with that.
"We are definitely all adjusting to playing with different line-ups and logging minutes with line-ups that in one game you may not have played with, then it could be [the case] for a few games in a row.
"A lot of our games are also big practices for us too, we have to learn on the fly and coach is still learning different line-ups, which combinations work.
"Myself, I'm out here with certain line-ups I do play with, certain ones I don't. It's all a learning experience and trying to figure things out."
James, who finished with 22 points and 10 assists, insisted his second-half output was not due to tiredness. Far from it, in fact.
"I don't feel tired. I get my sleep, I get my rest. I have a lot of energy, I don't get tired," said the 36-year-old, who revealed during his post-game press conference that he likes to watch shows and drink a glass of wine to relax.
"My mindset never gets to the point where it's a long road trip and I'm exhausted and tired, I don't even think about that. When we have our games, I'm ready to go.
"When we're not playing, I have an opportunity to rest, get my body back right and my mind refreshed. I don't get tired."
Kyle Kuzma also had 22 points for the Lakers, while Blake Griffin led the way for Detroit with 23.
The Los Angeles Lakers slumped to back-to-back losses in the NBA, while the Clippers got past the Miami Heat on Thursday.
The Lakers dropped two straight games for the first time this season, beaten 107-92 by the Detroit Pistons.
LeBron James posted a double-double of 22 points and 10 assists, to go with seven rebounds, but the Lakers were beaten.
A day after losing to the Philadelphia 76ers, the Lakers were without Anthony Davis (quad).
Blake Griffin (23 points) and Mason Plumlee (17 points and 10 rebounds) led the Pistons (5-14) to their surprise win.
The Lakers (14-6) are third in the Western Conference, behind the Utah Jazz (14-4) and Clippers (14-5).
Still without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George due to the NBA's health and safety protocols, the Clippers recorded a 109-105 win over the Heat.
They had six players in double-figures for points, with Serge Ibaka (10 points and 13 rebounds) finishing with a double-double.
The Clippers became the first team in the shot-clock era to win a game despite being outscored by 14-plus points in the first and fourth quarters, as per Stats Perform.
Awesome Oladipo leads Rockets, Curry's Warriors crushed
Victor Oladipo finished with 25 points, seven rebounds and five assists in the Houston Rockets' 104-101 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Damian Lillard (30 points, nine assists and four rebounds) led the way for Portland.
Stephen Curry posted 27 points, but the Golden State Warriors were well beaten by the Phoenix Suns 114-93.
Warriors' woes
Kelly Oubre Jr. (one-of-11) and Draymond Green (one-of-seven) struggled from the field for the Warriors, combining for just six points.
Wood with the dunk
Christian Wood continued his good form with 22 points, including a big dunk, and 12 rebounds for the Rockets.
Thursday's results
Houston Rockets 104-101 Portland Trail Blazers
Detroit Pistons 107-92 Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Clippers 109-105 Miami Heat
Phoenix Suns 114-93 Golden State Warriors
Nets at Thunder
The Brooklyn Nets (12-8) are riding a three-game winning streak ahead of facing the Oklahoma City Thunder (8-9) on Friday. Nets stars Kevin Durant and James Harden are set to come up against their former team.
Novak Djokovic apologised but confirmed he had been dealing with a blister after only playing a set of his exhibition match in Adelaide.
The world number one had reportedly withdrawn and was replaced by Filip Krajinovic for a clash against Jannik Sinner.
But Djokovic played the second set, winning it 6-3 after Krajinovic had taken the opener 6-3 on Friday.
The 17-time grand slam champion, who had a blister on his right hand, apologised after the match.
"I'm sorry that I didn't step in on the court from the beginning," Djokovic told Channel 9.
"I had to do some treatment with my physio and wasn't feeling my best the last couple of days, I didn't know how I'm going to react.
"I wanted to play and I wanted to get out here and hopefully it was enough for you guys to see all three of us performing in front of you on the court today, I hope you enjoyed."
Djokovic, who came out of hotel quarantine on Friday, said he could not pass up the opportunity to play in front of fans.
"It's not easy but it's part of what we do. We are professional athletes we learn over the years to play with the pain and it's just a question and case whether that pain is bearable or not," he said.
"Obviously coming off from the hard training block and having an ATP Cup and Australian Open around the corner you don't want to risk it too much.
"But the emotion was so strong in me to come out on the court today seeing almost full stands, I had to play, that's it, I had to play."
Djokovic is due to play the ATP Cup starting on Tuesday, before the Australian Open begins on February 8.
The 2021 Carifta Swimming Championships that had been set to get underway from March 26 to April 7 has been postponed due to the recent spikes in the number of Covid-19 cases in Barbados.
Joel Embiid felt LeBron James should have been ejected for a foul during the Philadelphia 76ers eventful victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday.
Embiid contributed 28 points as well as six rebounds and four assists as he played 38 minutes in Philadelphia's 107-106 triumph - a result that handed the Lakers just their second loss in 10 outings.
The center also picked up a flagrant foul for an elbow on Anthony Davis not long after James had been assessed one himself, having made contact with Embiid during an attempted dunk in the third quarter.
In obvious pain after landing flat on his back, the three-time NBA All-Star was not as effective down the stretch during a dramatic finish that saw the Lakers roar back to take a late lead, only for the 76ers to snatch the win thanks to a Tobias Harris shot with three seconds left.
Speaking to the media after the game, Embiid made clear LeBron should have been given a flagrant 2, which would have ended his involvement in proceedings.
"That's a very dangerous play," Embiid said. "I guarantee if that was me, I would have probably been ejected from the game.
"When you compare that to the one that I got, which I thought I didn't really hit him, I didn't elbow him. I might have touched him. But I don't think it deserved the flagrant, if you're going compare those two.
"Those are tough plays, and I just thought, you know, it should've been a flagrant 2."
Embiid revealed how his sore back - an injury that has troubled him during this season - did not allow him to contribute as he would have liked down the stretch, the Lakers producing a 13-0 run to edge in front before Harris' game-winning shot.
"I missed a couple shots. I just didn't have the legs. Not because I was tired, which I wasn't, but my back just didn't allow me to dominate the way I've been doing in fourth quarters," Embiid said.
Having seen his team improve to 13-6 for the season, 76ers head coach Doc Rivers revealed his immediate concern when seeing Embiid go down on the court, though insisted James was only making a "physical play", rather than anything more malicious.
"First of all, LeBron's not a dirty player," Rivers said. "It was just a physical play, and they had to call the flagrant, I guess.
"You know, all of the flagrants tonight... you can get a flagrant easy these days. But that fall was hard, and there was some concern there, for sure.
"The fact that Joel kept going, clearly he wasn't the same after that, as far as his movement. And we kinda knew that, and we used him a lot in pick-and-rolls because of that."
James finished with 34 points and six assists during his 39 minutes, while Davis had 23 points. The Lakers will aim to bounce back when they travel to the Detroit Pistons next.
The Philadelphia 76ers topped LeBron James' Los Angeles Lakers in a nail-biting finish, prevailing 107-106 against the reigning NBA champions.
NBA leaders the Lakers had won a franchise-record 10 consecutive away games to open the season heading into Wednesday's showdown in Philadelphia.
But the Eastern Conference-leading 76ers (13-6) handed the Lakers their first road loss thanks to Tobias Harris' 15-foot jumper with 2.4 seconds remaining.
The Lakers rallied from a 100-86 with less than five minutes remaining in the final quarter, using a 13-0 run to hit the front for the first time since the opening period.
But Harris and the 76ers had the final say in a thrilling finish at Wells Fargo Center, where the forward had 24 points and Joel Embiid posted 28 of his own.
James led the visiting Lakers (14-5) with a game-high 34 points and star team-mate Anthony Davis contributed 23 points.
James Harden and Kevin Durant put on a show again as the star-studded Brooklyn Nets outlasted the Atlanta Hawks 132-128 in overtime.
Harden posted 31 points and 15 assists and Durant scored 32 points, while Kyrie Irving finished with 26 points away to the Hawks in Atlanta midweek.
Former MVP Harden became the first Nets player with a 30-point, 15-assist game since Stephon Marbury in 2000, and Durant recorded his 15th consecutive 20-plus point game to start the season.
Simmons with another triple-double
76ers All-Star Ben Simmons put up 17 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a winning effort. It moved Simmons up to 13th on the all-time list for triple-doubles (31) – tied with Luka Doncic and Hall of Famer John Havlicek.
Two-time reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo's 24 points and 18 rebounds lifted the Milwaukee Bucks past the Toronto Raptors 115-108.
The Utah Jazz celebrated their 10th straight win – 116-104 over the Dallas Mavericks – behind Rudy Gobert's 29 points and 20 rebounds. Doncic's 30 points were not enough for the Mavericks.
Bradley Beal had 47 points in a losing effort as the struggling Washington Wizards were beaten 124-106 by the New Orleans Pelicans, who were led by Zion Williamson (32 points) and Brandon Ingram (32 points).
Chris Paul registered 32 points but the Phoenix Suns still went down 102-97 to his former team the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Robinson headlines Miami's woes
The Miami Heat are struggling to reach the heights of last season, which saw them make a run to the NBA Finals. Miami have lost four in a row following a 109-82 rout at the hands of the Denver Nuggets. Duncan Robinson was just three-of-11 from the field, making only two-of-10 three-point attempts for eight points in 36 minutes.
Sabonis stays hot
Domantas Sabonis was dominant yet again as the Indiana Pacers defeated the Charlotte Hornets 116-106. He recorded his sixth career triple-double with 22 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
Wednesday's results
Indiana Pacers 116-106 Charlotte Hornets
Cleveland Cavaliers 122-107 Detroit Pistons
Sacramento Kings 121-107 Orlando Magic
Brooklyn Nets 132-128 Atlanta Hawks (OT)
Denver Nuggets 109-82 Miami Heat
Philadelphia 76ers 107-106 Los Angeles Lakers
Milwaukee Bucks 115-108 Toronto Raptors
San Antonio Spurs 110-106 Boston Celtics
New Orleans Pelicans 124-106 Washington Wizards
Oklahoma City Thunder 102-97 Phoenix Suns
Utah Jazz 116-104 Dallas Mavericks
Golden State Warriors 123-111 Minnesota Timberwolves
Chicago Bulls-Memphis Grizzlies (postponed)
Lakers at Pistons
James and the Lakers will look to bounce back when they continue their season-long seven-game road trip against the lowly Pistons (4-13) in Detroit on Thursday.
Justin Gaethje said it is "preposterous" if Conor McGregor gets a title shot following his shock loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 as he threatened to quit the octagon.
McGregor was sensationally knocked out in the second round by Poirier in Abu Dhabi, where the Irish star was fighting for the first time in 12 months, while it was just his third appearance in the UFC since the start of 2018.
The former lightweight champion has already called for a third bout against Poirier, who he beat in 2014, and McGregor's coach John Kavanagh wants a rematch to be a title showdown.
But should president Dana White and UFC give McGregor a title contest, American Gaethje (22-3) said he will definitely consider his future.
"For them to come out and say he wants a title shot next, rematch with Poirier, they're f****** i*****," Gaethje, who has not fought since his defeat to unbeaten champion Khabib Nurmagomedov in October, told ESPN.
"He's been treated special over and over and he didn't capitalise on this opportunity. That event was for him, it was for him to win.
"He wants to be Mr. Humble now, but you know he would have been an a****** had he won that fight. I don't feel bad for him, I'm happy for Poirier, I'm happy Poirier went out there did his job, and finished him.
"I love seeing a loudmouth get knocked out, there is nothing that makes me happier. Seeing a piece of s*** get put down, that was great, I loved it.
"He's not fighting for a title. I will think about never fighting in the UFC again if he fights for a title. That would be preposterous. He's sitting at number six, he's won one fight in his entire life in the lightweight division.
"He picks and chooses who he fights. I would love to fight him but I don't think it should be next. But he ain't gonna fight me."
No player's journey to the NBA has ever been easy. Christian Wood's may just have been the hardest.
An undrafted player that was waived several times, including by a team in China, Wood has remarkably ascended into the upper echelon of the league behind a stellar first season in Houston.
The 6-foot-10 center is averaging 23.5 points and 10.8 rebounds in 12 games, and while he hasn't made Rockets fans forget James Harden, he's certainly offered a ray of optimism in a difficult season.
Through January 20, Wood had seven games this season with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. Only Nikola Jokic, Domantas Sabonis and Nikola Vucevic had more with eight apiece during that span.
Wood and Philadelphia's Joel Embiid are the only players (minimum 10 games) currently among the league's top 25 in points, rebounds and blocks per game.
All signs point to stardom for Wood, who is a leading contender for the Most Improved Player award and is even receiving consideration for the 2021 United States Olympic team. None of this could've been predicted early in Wood's career when he had trouble just holding onto a roster spot and was a G League regular.
Undrafted in 2015 after two seasons at UNLV, Wood, 25, was given a chance by the Rockets but was never offered a contract. He made his NBA debut with the 76ers in 2015-16, averaging 3.6 points in 17 games but spent most of the season with Delaware in the G League.
Wood appeared in 13 games for Charlotte in 2016-17 but was let go after that season and then played for the Mavericks' and Suns' summer league teams in 2017.
With no NBA team willing to sign him, Wood accepted an offer from the Fujian Sturgeons of the Chinese league. He would never play for them and was waived after the Sturgeons signed another former NBA player, Mike Harris.
Despite putting up impressive numbers in the G League for Philadelphia in 2017-18 and then Milwaukee the next season, Wood only played in 13 games for the Bucks and averaged 2.8 points.
Signed as a free agent by New Orleans in March 2019, Wood finally began to offer glimpses of his potential. He averaged 16.9 points and 7.9 rebounds in eight games, but the Pelicans decided to waive him on July 15, 2019.
Picked up three days later by the Pistons, Wood beat out veteran guard Joe Johnson for the final spot on Detroit's 2019-20 roster. A solid reserve most of that season with averages of 10.5 points and 5.3 rebounds, Wood's career truly took off when he was inserted into the starting lineup in early February following the trade of center Andre Drummond to Cleveland.
In the final 13 games that season, Wood averaged 22.8 points on 56.8 per cent shooting and 9.9 rebounds. He even connected on 22 of 55 from three-point range, proving he can be an effective offensive player in a myriad of ways.
Though Detroit hoped to retain Wood, the Rockets offered a three-year, $41million contract and the teams worked out a sign-and-trade deal. That contract looks like a stroke of genius now for Houston since they have no choice but to undergo a transformation with the trade of Russell Westbrook followed by Harden's blockbuster move to Brooklyn.
Wood is currently dealing with a sprained right ankle and has missed the past three games, but his first 12 have left quite an impression.
Wood is just one of five players since 1985-86 to accumulate at least 280 points and 125 total rebounds in his first 12 games with a team. The others on that list are Shaquille O’Neal (Lakers, 1996), Zach Randolph (Clippers, 2008), Charles Barkley (Suns, 1992) and Moses Malone (Washington Bullets, 1986).
Only Elvin Hayes (326 in 1968) and Harden (294 in 2012) have more points than Wood (282) in their first 12 games with the Rockets. That's a more productive start than Westbrook, Ralph Sampson, Tracy McGrady or even Hakeem Olajuwon had in their first few weeks with the franchise.
Missing time in an abbreviated season won't help his case for Most Improved Player but Wood is one of only two qualified players (appeared in 70 per cent of team's games both seasons) to have raised his scoring average by at least 10 points from last season.
Wood (+10.4) trails only Detroit’s Jerami Grant (+12.4) in scoring and leads in improvement in rebounds per game (+4.5) and ranks third in blocks (+0.88).
Among undrafted players, Wood (23.5) leads the league in scoring by a wide margin over Toronto's Fred VanVleet (18.9) and in rebounding (10.8) over JaMychal Green (6.7) of the Nuggets.
In matchups this season against Jokic, Vucevic and San Antonio's LaMarcus Aldridge – some of the game's best big men – Wood has averaged 24 points, 12.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks.
A lack of maturity certainly contributed to Wood's difficulty in landing a regular NBA role early in his career, as did a lack of on-court focus at times. But those issues seem to be a thing of the past and Wood's future is very bright given his youth, athletic ability and skill set that seems tailor made for the modern NBA.
Wood will have a difficult time becoming an All-Star in a stacked Western Conference but that his name is even being mentioned among the NBA's elite is rather incredible for a player that the mighty Sturgeons had no use for.
The New York Yankees have bolstered their rotation with the signing of two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber.
Kluber and the Yankees agreed to a one-year contract reportedly worth $11million, the MLB franchise announced on Wednesday.
The three-time All-Star spent the 2020 season with the Texas Rangers, where he only made one appearance due to a torn teres major muscle in his right shoulder.
Since the end of the 2018 season, Kluber has made just eight starts due to injuries.
But the 34-year-old right-handed pitcher – who won the American League (AL) Cy Young Award with the Cleveland Indians in 2014 and 2017 – has 1,462 career strikeouts, seven shutouts and a 3.16 ERA.
It comes after the star-studded Yankees also confirmed the return of star DJ LeMahieu on a six-year deal heading into the 2021 campaign.
LeMahieu's deal is through the 2026 season and reportedly worth $90m after starring for the Yankees, who lost to the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2020 American League Division Series (ALDS).
The three-time All-Star finished the season with 10 home runs and 27 RBIs, leading MLB with a batting average of .364.
LeMahieu was also first in the American League (AL) in on-base percentage (.421) and on-base percentage plus slugging percentage (1.011).
The 32-year-old infielder's efforts saw him finish third in the AL MVP voting and he was the second base Silver Slugger for the second straight year.
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
