The Cleveland Cavaliers are relishing the chance to test themselves against the Boston Celtics.
Cleveland extended their perfect record as they became just the fourth team in NBA history to go 15-0 to start a season by beating the Charlotte Hornets 128-114 on Sunday.
The Cavs are tied for the second-best start to a season, trailing only the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors, who went 24-0.
Cleveland, inspired by LeBron James, beat the Warriors in the NBA Finals that year. All three of the previous teams to go 15-0 to start a season have reached a championship series (2015-16 Warriors, 1993-94 Houston Rockets and 1948-49 Washington Capitols).
Next up for the Cavs are the reigning NBA champions, and first-year coach Kenny Atkinson, who rested talisman Donovan Mitchell against the Hornets, cannot wait for the task of facing the Celtics, who beat Cleveland in the Eastern Conference semifinals last season.
"Boston Garden," Atkinson said after becoming the first coach to win his first 15 games in charge of a team. "What's better than that?
"It's great for the NBA, right? Everybody is going to be watching, and I know our guys are anxious. I know they remember last year. We're going well. They're going well. It's great for the league. Great for our franchise. We're excited.
"It's going to be a great test for us. They obviously play a different style, five-out with five shooters, so it's going to be a really good test for us.
"We're at that point right now, 15-0. Let's test ourselves against the best and see where we stand and see where we're going to make adjustments or not make adjustments.
"It actually comes at the perfect time."
Jarrett Allen had 21 points and 15 rebounds against Charlotte, and was one of four Cleveland players to finish with over 20 points, along with Darius Garland (25), Ty Jerome (24) and Evan Mobley (23).
"It's a rematch," said Allen of facing the Celtics, though he missed last season's playoff series due to a rib injury.
"I know they didn't have some players. And we didn't have me, so I want to try and beat them and test where we are with them.
"Everyone is showing tons of energy, all over the city. It's incredible how Cleveland has adopted us. They come to every game, yelling for everything. The city of Cleveland has our backs."
The Celtics, who will visit the White House later this week to celebrate last season's success, have gone 11-3 to start the campaign and are second in the Eastern Conference behind the Cavs.
Josh Allen threw a fourth-quarter touchdown pass and ran for a game-sealing touchdown late as the Buffalo Bills ended the Kansas City Chiefs' quest for a perfect season with Sunday's 30-21 win.
James Cook added two rushing touchdowns and the Bills' defence intercepted Patrick Mahomes twice as the AFC East leaders handed the Chiefs their first defeat since Christmas Day of last season. The two-time defending Super Bowl champions had won 15 consecutive games, including a 27-24 victory over the Bills in Buffalo during the 2023 AFC Playoffs, and started this season 9-0.
Allen completed 27 of 40 passes for 262 yards with one interception in the sixth straight win for Buffalo (9-2). His 12-yard touchdown pass to Curtis Samuel extended the Bills' lead to 23-14 with 12:51 left to play.
The Chiefs answered with a 10-play, 70-yard drive capped by Mahomes' second touchdown pass of the day to Noah Gray, a 1-yard strike that got the Chiefs within two points with 7:53 remaining.
Buffalo responded, however, by marching 70 yards in 12 plays on the ensuing possession, which Allen finished by scrambling out of the pocket on a 4th-and-2 play and eluding several defenders for a pivotal 26-yard touchdown with 2:17 to go.
Mahomes threw for three touchdowns but was held to 196 yards on 23-of-33 passing. Xavier Worthy had a 10-yard touchdown catch early in the second quarter for Kansas City's first points and finished with 61 yards on four receptions.
Steelers hold off Ravens to strengthen lead atop AFC North
The Pittsburgh Steelers stymied Lamar Jackson and pulled out an 18-16 victory over the Baltimore Ravens in the latest slugfest between these AFC North rivals.
The win was the fifth straight for the first-place Steelers (8-2), giving them some breathing room atop the division as they moved 1 1/2 games in front of the second-place Ravens (7-4).
Led by Jackson, Baltimore entered the game with the NFL’s top-ranked offence, but was held to season lows in points, total yards (329) and first downs (16).
Pittsburgh kept the Ravens out of the end zone until 1:06 remaining in the fourth quarter, when Jackson hooked up with Zay Flowers for a 16-yard touchdown to bring Baltimore within 18-16. The Steelers then stopped the potential game-tying 2-point attempt as Jackson’s desperation pass fell incomplete.
The two-time NFL MVP finished with 207 yards and an interception after entering Week 11 leading the league with a sensational 123.2 passer rating.
Russell Wilson also struggled, throwing for just 205 yards with an interception. All of Pittsburgh’s points came via kicker Chris Boswell, who converted all six of his field goal attempts to match a franchise single-game record he already co-owned.
Lions demolish Jaguars to improve to 9-1
The Detroit Lions obliterated the over-matched Jacksonville Jaguars, rolling to a 52-6 blowout win for the largest margin of victory in franchise history.
The NFC-leading Lions, who won their eighth straight to improve to 9-1 for the first time since 1934, also set a franchise record in total yards with 645. The defence held the Jaguars to a mere 170 total yards for a difference of 475 yards – the third-largest gap in total offence in a single game since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.
Detroit quarterback Jared Goff bounced back after throwing five interceptions in last Sunday’s 26-23 comeback win over the Houston Texans, as he completed 24 of 29 passes for 412 passing yards – his most since 2019 – and four touchdowns for a perfect 158.3 passer rating.
Amon-Ra St. Brown was on the receiving end of two of Goff’s touchdown throws and finished with a season-best 161 yards on 11 catches.
Jameson Williams had a career high in receiving yards with 124 – with 64 coming on a touchdown grab in the third quarter – and Detroit’s dangerous running tandem of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs combined for 144 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
For the Jaguars, the 46-point drubbing marked the largest defeat in franchise history and further spread speculation about the job security of head coach Doug Pederson. Jacksonville will head into its Week 12 bye with a 2-9 record and four straight losses.
Blocked field goal secures Packers' comeback win over Bears
Karl Brooks blocked Cairo Santos' 46-yard field goal attempt as time expired as the Green Bay Packers escaped with a 20-19 come-from-behind win over the Chicago Bears to further enhance their play-off hopes.
Brooks' game-saving play came moments after the Packers took a 20-19 lead on quarterback Jordan Love's 1-yard touchdown run with 2:59 remaining, a score set up by Love's 60-yard completion to Christian Watson.
The Bears stuffed running back Josh Jacobs on the ensuing 2-point conversion attempt, however, before three completions by rookie quarterback Caleb Williams put them in range for Santos' foiled field goal try.
Love threw a touchdown pass to Jayden Reed earlier in the game and finished with 261 yards and an interception while completing 13 of 17 attempts. Jacobs rushed for 76 yards and had a 7-yard touchdown run that put Green Bay (7-3) up 14-13 with 6:34 left in the third quarter.
The Bears went back ahead on D'Andre Swift's 39-yard touchdown run in the final minute of the third quarter, though Williams' pass on the 2-point try fell incomplete to keep the score 19-14.
Chicago (4-6) was dealt a fourth straight loss - and 11th in a row to long-time rival Green Bay - despite Williams recording 231 passing yards and 70 rushing yards in a turnover-free performance for the 2024 No. 1 overall pick.
Watson racked up a career-high 150 yards on just four catches in the Packers' first game since a Week 9 home defeat to NFC North-leading Detroit.
Seahawks stun 49ers on Smith's late touchdown run
Geno Smith's go-ahead 13-yard touchdown run with 12 seconds remaining further tightened the race in the NFC West as the Seattle Seahawks came away with an important 20-17 road win over the San Francisco 49ers.
Smith's late heroics lifted Seattle (5-5) to just its second victory in its last seven games and created a three-way tie for second place in the division between the Seahawks, 49ers and Los Angeles Rams, who posted a 28-22 win at New England on Sunday. All three teams trail the first-place Arizona Cardinals by one game.
Seattle also received 110 yards on 10 catches from Jaxon Smith-Njigba and a strong effort from a previously struggling defence that held the defending NFC champion 49ers to a season-low 277 total yards. San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy managed just 159 yards on 21-of-28 passing with one touchdown and one interception.
The 49ers still appeared on their way to a third straight win after taking a 17-13 lead on Purdy's 3-yard touchdown pass to Jauan Jennings with 9:33 left and then stopping the Seahawks on 4th-and-1 at the San Francisco 37-yard line on the following series.
Seattle was able to get the ball back again with 2:38 left, however, and Smith engineered an 11-play, 80-yard drive the veteran quarterback capped with his go-ahead scramble.
Smith finished 25 of 32 for 221 yards with one interception, while Kenneth Walker III had 54 rushing yards and gave the Seahawks a 13-10 edge with a 1-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter.
Jennings led San Francisco, which played without star tight end George Kittle due to a hamstring injury, with 10 catches totalling 91 yards.
Dobbins' touchdown run lifts Chargers to fourth straight win
In another Week 11 game that went down to the wire, the Los Angeles Chargers outlasted the Cincinnati Bengals by a 34-27 score as J.K. Dobbins ripped off a tie-breaking 29-yard touchdown run with 18 seconds left.
Dobbins' second touchdown of the night sparked Los Angeles (7-3) to a fourth consecutive win despite the Chargers blowing a 21-point third-quarter lead. Cincinnati (4-7) rallied behind three Joe Burrow touchdown passes, including a pair to Ja'Marr Chase, to erase a 21-6 deficit.
Burrow finished with 356 yards on 28-of-50 passing as the Bengals' offence got a lift from the return of wide receiver Tee Higgins, who recorded 148 yards and a touchdown on nine catches after missing three games with an injured quadriceps.
Chase added 75 yards on seven catches, and his 17-yard touchdown grab with 12:21 remaining knotted the score at 27-27. However, the Bengals' next two drives ended in missed field goals by Evan McPherson that contributed to their second straight loss.
The Chargers' defence also forced a late three-and-out before Justin Herbert brought Los Angeles into Cincinnati territory with 28 and 27-yard completions to Ladd McConkey. Dobbins then broke free up the middle before shaking off a defender and diving into the end zone for the go-ahead points.
Herbert threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Will Dissly and a 26-yard scoring strike to Quentin Johnson to help the Chargers build a 24-6 half-time lead. The standout quarterback recorded 297 yards despite completing just 17 of 36 attempts while adding a team-high 65 rushing yards.
McConkey delivered his best game as a pro as the rookie accumulated 123 yards on six receptions.
Darius Garland amassed 25 points and a season-high 12 assists, while three other Cleveland players had at least 21 points as the Cavaliers extended their perfect start to the season with Sunday's 128-114 win over the Charlotte Hornets.
Cleveland became the fourth team in NBA history to win its first 15 games in a season despite holding out leading scorer Donovan Mitchell. Ty Jerome started in the five-time All-Star's place and tied a career high with 24 points on 9-of-15 shooting while adding eight assists.
The 2015-16 Golden State Warriors, who opened with 24 consecutive wins, are the only team to start a season 16-0. The Cavaliers will try to become the second when they visit Boston on Tuesday night for a showdown with the defending NBA champion Celtics, a game in which Mitchell is expected to play.
Cleveland also received 23 points and 11 rebounds from Evan Mobley and 21 points and 15 boards from Jarrett Allen while leading the Hornets from nearly start to finish.
LaMelo Bell led Charlotte with 31 points and 12 assists hours after being handed a $100,000 fine from the NBA for using an anti-gay slur during a post-game interview following the team's win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday.
Mobley had 10 points and both Garland and Jerome dished out five assists as the Cavs built a 38-28 lead after one quarter. Cleveland went into half-time owning a 72-59 advantage, though the Hornets put up 40 points in the third quarter to close within 102-99 entering the fourth.
Garland helped Cleveland pull away in the final period, however, by scoring nine points for the quarter and sparking an 8-0 run that gave the Cavs a 124-109 lead with 1:41 left.
Mavericks overcome Doncic's absence to hold off Thunder
P.J. Washington posted 27 points and a career-high 17 rebounds as the Dallas Mavericks withstood the absence of Luka Dončić and held on for a 121-119 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Despite Doncic missing his first game of the season with a bruised right knee, Dallas handed the Thunder just their third loss in 14 contests behind Washington's big night and a 23-point effort from Kyrie Irving.
The Mavericks also had to overcome a 36-point, eight-assist performance from Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as well as Jalen Williams' 27 points on 11-of-17 shooting.
Reserves Jaden Hardy and Naji Marshall went a combined 10 of 15 from the field while contributing 13 points each to the Mavericks' second straight win following a four-game losing streak.
Behind Washington's 17 points and nine rebounds, Dallas emerged with a 66-58 lead at half-time and later stretched the margin to 14 points when Irving's 3-pointer midway through the fourth quarter put the Mavericks up 112-98.
The Mavericks were held without a field goal over the final two minutes, however, as Oklahoma City closed on a 10-2 spurt to nearly prevail.
Gilgeous-Alexander's 3-pointer with 25.2 seconds left closed the gap to 121-118, and he made it a two-point game by hitting a free throw after being fouled with 4.3 seconds remaining. He then deliberately missed the second attempt, which the Thunder rebounded for a chance at the winning shot.
Luguentz Dort's 3-pointer at the buzzer was off the mark, however, as Oklahoma City's three-game winning streak came to an end.
Randle's 35 points, winning shot lift Timberwolves over Thunder
Julius Randle finished a season-high 35-point effort by hitting a 3-pointer at the buzzer that gave the Minnesota Timberwolves a dramatic 120-117 win over the now-slumping Phoenix Suns.
After getting the ball back on a shot-clock violation with 2.7 seconds left, the Timberwolves got the ball to Randle out of a timeout and the veteran forward knocked down a 25-foot shot that lifted Minnesota to a second straight victory following a three-game losing streak.
Phoenix, meanwhile, has lost three in a row and fell to 1-4 since losing former league MVP Kevin Durant to a calf injury. The Suns went 8-1 with Durant available for the season's first nine games.
Playing without sharpshooter Bradley Beal as well, Phoenix had its skid extended despite Devin Booker pouring in a season-high 44 points to go along with seven assists.
Grayson Allen added 18 points off the bench for the Suns and gave Phoenix a 117-115 lead by draining a 3-pointer with 56 seconds remaining.
Minnesota pulled right back even, however, as Anthony Edwards was fouled on the following possession and made both free throws. The Suns then missed three shots in the waning seconds before turning the ball over to set up Randle's winning basket.
Edwards finished with 24 points and six assists while going 9 of 15 from the field.
Phoenix started the game hot, opening up a 29-14 lead over the first 10-plus minutes largely behind Booker's 17 first-quarter points. The Suns held a 13-point advantage deep into the second quarter before Randle's 3-pointer at the buzzer brought Minnesota within 64-54 at the half.
The Timberwolves continued to close the gap in the third, outscoring Phoenix 32-26 for the period and getting 13 points from Edwards to trim the Suns' lead to 90-86 entering the fourth.
Emma Raducanu set Great Britain on their way to the Billie Jean King Cup semi-finals, as they knocked out defending champions Canada on Sunday.
Great Britain won both of their singles matches in Malaga, with Raducanu starting the day with a straight-sets victory.
She cruised through the first set before showing her mettle in the second to gain a 6-0 7-5 victory over Rebecca Marino in the early game.
Katie Boulter then secured their passage, holding off Leylah Fernandez 6-2 6-4 in one hour and 42 minutes, without the need for a doubles decider.
Despite being the second lowest-ranked team, Great Britain are through to the final four without dropping a set in any of their singles matches so far.
They will face Slovakia, who beat 2022 runners-up Australia earlier on Sunday to reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2013.
Like Great Britain, they triumphed in both of their singles matches, with Viktoria Hruncakova and Rebecca Sramkova coming out on top to secure the unassailable lead.
Jannik Sinner says he has surprised himself in 2024 after capping off his incredible year with a maiden ATP Finals title on Sunday.
Sinner beat Taylor Fritz in straight sets in Turin to claim his eighth title of the season and become the first Italian champion in the competition.
He is the seventh player in the Open Era to win the ATP Finals on home soil, and the first since Andy Murray in 2016, as he collected his Tour-leading 70th win of the campaign.
The 23-year-old, who had already confirmed his year-end number-one ranking in October, was delighted to finish the season on a high.
"It's amazing, it's my first title in Italy, and it means so much to me," said Sinner. "It's something very special.
"I just tried to understand what works best for each opponent, trying to play my best possible tennis. That was the key.
"It was a very high-level tournament from my side. At times, I couldn't have played better, so I am very happy."
Speaking to Sky Sports shortly after, he added: "Honestly, I have surprised myself the whole year at times, but in my mind, I know how much work I put in and how many sacrifices I have made to be in this position.
"I just try to play in the present moment."
Fritz, the first American to reach the final of the ATP Finals and US Open in the same season since Andre Agassi in 1999, will go into 2025 as the world number four.
The 27-year-old, who also lost to Sinner in the US Open showpiece, remained upbeat despite his defeat, revelling in his success over the past 12 months instead.
"It's been a really good week for me. Obviously, it's a good way to end the year. It gives me a lot of confidence finishing the season like this," Fritz said.
"Something I told my team in 2023 when I hit world number five for a week right before I was defending the Indian Wells title, was 'That's crazy, I'm five in the world, look at all these guys ranked behind me that are probably better than me'.
"Back then I was five, but I didn't feel like I was five. Now I'm ranked where I'm at. I feel like I belong.
"It's a different feeling. It's been a great year. That gives me a lot of confidence to have that belief. That's a huge part of having the big results. The goal I set for myself at the start of the year was to finish top five."
Warren Gatland accepts his future is out of his hands after Wales suffered a record-setting defeat to Australia.
Wales were hammered 52-20 by the Wallabies in Cardiff on Sunday, as Australia scored eight tries in their biggest ever away win over the Welsh.
It marked an 11th straight Test defeat for Wales, who face world champions South Africa in their next outing.
Wales are on their worst ever run of defeats, and Gatland knows there is plenty of negativity around his coaching.
"It's the most challenging time I've ever known as a coach and what will be, will be," Gatland told TNT Sports.
"I will chat to a few people as to what happens from here.
"I am passionate about Welsh rugby but there's a lot of negativity around the game right now and we want to make sure what happens is the best for Welsh rugby, not about me. I will respect the decision."
Gatland is in his second stint in charge of Wales, having led them for 12 years between 2007 and 2019, leading them to four Six Nations titles.
Yet Wales have been abysmal as of late, and were dispatched by an Australia team that were reduced to 14 men for 20 minutes of the second half.
"It hurts. We got ourselves back into the game, but to me, we're a man up and conceded three tries - 21 points - that's really disappointing," he added.
"From our point of view, we had a chance to put them under pressure, we probably just forced things - [conceded] some turnovers, some penalties, so that was disappointing.
"I felt we had the chance to get ourselves back into it and kind of just shot ourselves in the foot.
"We spoke about it at half-time, some momentum, go out there and be accurate, we'll get some opportunities and when we play with tempo and keep the ball we look good.
"[Conceding] 21 points with a man advantage, it's not often that happens."
Wales prop Gareth Thomas told S4C: "We're all very disappointed after that. We came into the game with a lot of energy, everything was in place coming into the game. We had confidence with the coaches.
"Our discipline let us down and we're very disappointed. We've let ourselves down. They were down to 14 men and we couldn't take advantage."
Australia's Tom Wright capped off his hat-trick just before full-time, and he was keen to highlight the Wallabies' dominant display.
"That was an awesome 80-minute performance," he told TNT Sports. "Ebbs and flows, we gave a lot of momentum to Wales at stages, we made it difficult for ourselves, but those are games you like to be a part of.
"There was a lot of ball in play, Wales were really up for the content and really made us earn all those points."
Jannik Sinner claimed his maiden ATP Finals title as the all-conquering world number one capped off a sensational season in style.
Sinner defeated Taylor Fritz 6-4 6-4 in Turin on Sunday, claiming his eighth title of 2024 in the process.
It was a rematch of this year's US Open final, which Sinner also won, and the Italian made home advantage count in another dominant show of force befitting of his place at the top of the ATP rankings.
Fritz, the first American to reach the final of the ATP Finals and the US Open in the same season since Andre Agassi in 1999, managed to force only one break point, and even that was clawed back by Sinner at the end of the first set.
And Sinner's performance on serve was ultimately just too strong for Fritz, who was on the end of a wonderful drop-shot in the final game as his opponent delighted the crowd.
A cross-court forehand went long from Fritz on the next point to decide the match, and complete Sinner's supreme season.
Data Debrief: King of the hill
Sinner is the seventh player in the Open Era to win the ATP Finals on home soil, and the first since Andy Murray in 2016, as he collected his Tour-leading 70th win of the season. He is the first Italian champion of this competition.
The 23-year-old has also joined Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as the only men to win the Australian Open, US Open and ATP Finals in the same year.
Having fallen at the final hurdle against Djokovic last season, Sinner was in no mood for a repeat of that heartbreak. Indeed, he went through the entirety of this year's tournament without dropping a single set, making him the first player to win the ATP Finals without giving up a set since Ivan Lendl in 1986.
Since the start of August, Sinner has won three of the four tournaments he has competed in, with his sole defeat coming to Carlos Alcaraz in the final of the China Open.
While 2024 will go down as Sinner's year, Fritz can at least take solace in a fine season of his own, and he will head into 2025 as the world number four.
Tom Wright and Matt Faessler plundered hat-tricks as Australia cruised to an emphatic 52-20 win over struggling Wales in Cardiff.
Wright capped off a superb individual display in the closing minutes of Sunday's clash to take the Wallabies over 50 points at the Principality Stadium.
It is a defeat that will only increase the pressure on Wales coach Warren Gatland, whose team have now lost 11 straight Tests, their worst-ever run.
Wright and Faessler claimed six of Australia's eight tries, with Nick Frost and Len Ikitau also going over for the visitors, who were 19-0 up early on before Wales responded through Aaron Wainwright's try and Gareth Anscombe's kicks.
Wales were unable to take advantage of Samu Kerevi's second-half 20-minute red card for a high tackle on Jac Morgan, as Australia scored three tries in quick succession, with Faessler getting two and Wright adding his second.
Ben Thomas crossed for the hosts, but Ikitau and Wright had the final say for Australia, who have Scotland and Ireland to come in their next fixtures.
Data Debrief: Record losing run reaches new low
Wales' 11-match losing run is the worst in the nation's Test history, and it is now a long way back for Gatland.
This was Australia's biggest-ever away win over Wales, who now face the daunting prospect of facing two-time reigning world champions South Africa next week.
Should Wales lose to the Springboks, they will have gone an entire calendar year without a win for the first time since 1937.
England Roses Defeat Sunshine Girls to Take 1-0 Lead in Horizon Series
England’s Roses secured a 1-0 series lead against Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls on Sunday with a hard-fought 55-47 victory in Manchester during the second match of the Netball Horizon Series. The result followed a thrilling 49-49 tie in the series opener on Saturday.
The match showcased the contrasting styles of the two teams, with England capitalizing on crucial turnovers and maintaining composure under pressure, while Jamaica struggled to sustain their momentum in critical moments. England started strong, leading 12-8 at the end of the first quarter. However, Jamaica responded with intensity, applying pressure all over the court to edge ahead 23-21 late in the second quarter. England regained control before halftime, thanks to unforced errors by Jamaica, to tie the score 24-24 going into the break.
The third quarter proved pivotal, as England upped their defensive intensity. The Roses forced several turnovers during Jamaica’s attempts to find Romelda Aiken-George in the circle, creating opportunities to extend their lead. Despite a spirited rally by the Sunshine Girls to close within two goals late in the quarter, England held firm to enter the final quarter with a 39-35 advantage.
Turnovers continued to plague the Sunshine Girls in the final quarter, and though they fought valiantly to narrow the gap to 42-41 with 10 minutes to play, England’s relentless pressure proved decisive. The Roses forced critical errors that disrupted Jamaica’s rhythm, pulling away in the closing stages to secure a comfortable win.
Jamaica’s head coach, Sasher-Gaye Henry, reflected on her team’s struggles in the second half, particularly during the third quarter when England took command. “I think we struggled today in the latter part of the game in terms of getting our balls through the court and getting it on top of circle’s edge,” Henry said. “I think the movement was a little stagnant. It’s something we have to look at and correct quickly going into Game 3.”
Henry also highlighted the team’s focus on rotating players to assess different combinations. “It’s about building players, and we want to see rotation,” she explained. “I think we didn’t do a lot with rotation yesterday, so today we wanted to see where the players are at, to see what combination works. We are grateful for that opportunity.”
On the substitution of Shanice Dixon, who limped off and was replaced by Rhea Dixon, Henry noted, “We are looking for more options in our goal attack. Both are options, and we still have to rotate them. I think both did well tonight.”
The Sunshine Girls will look to regroup when the series shifts to Jamaica for the final two matches at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Kingston on November 25 and December 2. With England leading the series, Jamaica will need to address their turnover issues and refine their attack if they hope to level the series and keep their hopes alive.
The Sunshine Girls, known for their resilience, will be determined to defend home court and prove their mettle against a confident England Roses team.
Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown says De'Aaron Fox "did his job" as he led them to a 121-117 win over the Utah Jazz on Saturday.
Fox had scored 60 points in an overtime loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, but he once again dug deep and spurred his team on with 49 points at the Golden 1 Center.
He now has the most points over a two-game span in franchise history, surpassing DeMarcus Cousins' 104 from 2016.
Meanwhile, Fox is now just the third player ever in the NBA to score at least 109 points over two days, joining Kobe Bryant (2007) and Wilt Chamberlain (17 different times).
The Kings were missing DeMar DeRozan, Domantas Sabonis and Malik Monk, and Brown is proud of how Fox has stepped up in their absence.
"The back-to-back, the overtime game, him playing 75 minutes [on Friday] ... for him to come with us missing three of our top six guys, that's what says OK, he's De'Aaron Fox, and he did his job," Brown said.
"Nobody can stop him from getting to his spots when he wants to. He's feeling that. Not only is he feeling that, but he's showing that.
"When you have guys of his calibre - and I've been around the Stephs [Curry] and the KDs [Kevin Durant] and the Kobes and the LeBrons [James] and the Tim Duncans ... they get to their spots when they want to.
"The biggest difference between those guys and the other pretty good players is that they do it consistently. So no, I didn't have to say anything to Fox. He knew ... he had to carry us."
Fox went 16-of-30 from the field and made 14-of-19 from the free-throw line, while also adding nine assists and two steals.
The night prior, he went 22-of-35 from the field, making six 3-pointers and 10 free throws.
"I was a little tired coming in [on Saturday], but I feel like when the game started, I was fine," Fox said.
"I'm not going to say I'm not tired ... but I can't say this back-to-back has made me more tired than any other back-to-back."
The Kings extended their record to 8-6 as they bounced back from that defeat, while Utah are bottom of the Western Conference having suffered a ninth loss of the season.
Rory McIlroy says he is honoured to be "mentioned in the same breath" as Seve Ballesteros, after matching the Spaniard's haul of six Race to Dubai titles.
McIlroy secured the title for the third year running following his victory at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai on Sunday.
The four-time major winner finished two shots clear of Denmark's Rasmus Hojgaard to seal his third triumph in the event.
"Everyone knows what Seve means to European golf and Ryder Cup players," an emotional McIlroy told Sky Sports.
"The European Ryder Cup locker room, all we have are quotes from Seve. We had a changing room with Seve's shirt from [1995], the last Ryder Cup he played.
"He means so much to European golf and for me to be mentioned in the same breath, I'm very proud."
"I've been through a lot this year, professionally, personally, and it feels like the fitting end to 2024," added McIlroy, who narrowly lost out on the US Open title to Bryson DeChambeau.
"I've persevered this year a lot, had close calls, wasn't able to get it done. I'm really pleased with the way I finished and, thankfully, I hung on after a tough day and got the job done."
Carlos Alcaraz says it will be "the most special tournament I'll play in my career" when he teams up with Rafael Nadal at next week's Davis Cup Finals in Malaga.
Nadal will retire from tennis after representing Spain in the tournament he has already won four times during his illustrious career.
Once again, the 22-time major winner will be joined by Alcaraz, after the pair also teamed up in the men's doubles during the Paris Olympics, where they reached the quarter-finals.
And Alcaraz says winning the Davis Cup is a "huge motivation" as he looks to give his compatriot the perfect send-off.
"It's probably the most special tournament I'll play in my career, because of what's happening, because of the circumstances," the four-time grand slam champion said.
"The Davis Cup has always been a tournament that I'd love to win one day. I'm passionate about representing Spain. Having Rafa by my side, knowing it's his last tournament, will make it much more special.
"No player deserves more to finish the incredible career he had with a title, and I know how special the Davis Cup is for him. It will be a difficult challenge, but winning it for Rafa is a huge motivation.
"Rafa's farewell is much more important, at least for me. The Davis Cup is every year. Rafa's farewell, saying goodbye to a legend of the sport, unfortunately only happens once. Personally, I’m very excited to be by Rafa's side for his farewell."
Rory McIlroy secured his sixth Race to Dubai title with victory at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
McIlroy finished at 15 under par and two shots clear of Rasmus Hojgaard, who he partnered during the final round, to seal glory at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
The four-time major winner claimed his record-equalling third triumph in this event, matching Jon Rahm.
It is also his third successive Race to Dubai victory - and sixth overall to move level with Seve Ballesteros.
McIlroy was tied for the lead heading into the final day, and a run of four successive birdies gave him a three-shot advantage early on.
However, he hit bogeys on the ninth and 13th holes, allowing Hojgaard to draw level heading into the final four.
Nevertheless, McIlroy dug deep with a brilliant approach leading to a birdie on the 16th, which put him back in front.
And while Hojgaard could only par the final hole after narrowly missing a birdie putt, the Northern Irishman held his nerve with another birdie to seal his seventh tournament win in Dubai.
Iga Swiatek joked "in 20 minutes, I'll be dead" after securing back-to-back wins that booked Poland's place in the Billie Jean King Cup semi-finals.
The Poles are through to the last four of the competition for the first time, having come from behind to beat the Czech Republic 2-1.
After Marie Bouzkova defeated Magdalena Frech in the opening singles match, Swiatek pulled Poland level by edging out Linda Noskova 7-6 (7-4) 4-6 7-5 after two hours and 39 minutes.
The five-time major winner returned to court just half an hour later for the doubles decider - and her first in this event since 2019.
Nevertheless, Swiatek was not to be denied, partnering Katarzyna Kawa to a 6-1 6-4 win over Bouzkova and Katerina Siniakova.
"It was an exhausting day, but everything worked," the world number two said. "We did a great job, we won."
Steve Borthwick was left "incredibly disappointed and frustrated" following England's defeat by South Africa, conceding "these are painful days".
England suffered their fifth successive Test loss after going down 29-20 at the Allianz Stadium on Saturday.
The hosts were quick out of the blocks with Ollie Sleightholme crossing on his first international start, and led 20-19 in the second half.
However, a Handre Pollard penalty and Cheslin Kolbe's second try of the game settled the contest in favour of South Africa, who then stubbornly defended their lead during a late England surge.
Borthwick's side have now lost three consecutive home games for the first time since 2006, but he hopes these experiences will benefit his players further down the line.
"I am incredibly disappointed and frustrated," he told BBC Radio 5 Live. "You see so much good' the way the team came out of the blocks at the start and came at South Africa.
"Then, for a long time, the game was toe-to-toe, but in the last period, we failed to take our opportunities. How many times did we fail to take our chances in their 22?
"These are painful days. At times, we are putting ourselves in positions to win games, and we are not converting them. Whilst these are painful, we will use them in a positive way to help with our development.
"We have a lot of young players that have come into this team, and we have accelerated their transition.
"As you look towards the future, these players are going to be brilliant international players. But, right now, these days of development are tough. We will persevere and be better because of these experiences."
Borthwick is adamant England are "going in the right direction", and believes he still has the backing of the RFU.
"I'm not going to be talking about private conversations here, but what’s actually more important is the feeling I get," he added.
"The feeling I get from the RFU is one of absolute support and absolute belief that this team is going in the right direction."
After scoring 60 points in a losing effort the night before, De'Aaron Fox scored 49 points to lead the Sacramento Kings to a 121-117 win over the Utah Jazz on Saturday night.
Fox went 16 of 30 from the field and made 14 of 19 from the free-throw line, and he also added nine assists and two steals. Fox now has the most points over a two-game span in franchise history, surpassing DeMarcus Cousins.
Kevin Huerter had 18 points, and Trey Lyles added 17 points for the Kings.
Lauri Markkanen had 25 points, Collin Sexton added 18 and Keyonte George scored 19 points for the Jazz.
DeMar DeRozan, Malik Monk and Domantas Sabonis were sidelined for Sacramento, and Taylor Hendricks and Walker Kessler did not play for the Jazz.
The Kings led 62-50 late in the second quarter and held on for a 64-63 margin at the half.
The Jazz opened the third quarter with a 10-3 run. They bumped their margin up to 89-78 on a layup by Isaiah Collier before ending the frame with a 94-90 lead.
Sacramento came back in the fourth to take a 118-116 lead on a Jordan McLaughlin 3 with a minute left to play. After Fox made one free and missed the next two with 13 seconds left to play, Clarkson made one free throw before the Jazz were called for a lane violation. Fox made the last two free throws to seal the victory.
Tatum plays hero in Celtics’ win
Jayson Tatum hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer in overtime and the Boston Celtics rallied to beat the Toronto Raptors 126-123.
Tatum finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds, Jaylen Brown added 27 points and Al Horford and Derrick White scored 18 points apiece.
Toronto has lost seven straight and failed to register its first road win of the season despite getting a career-high 35 points from Jakob Poeltl, who finished 16 of 19 from the field with 12 rebounds. RJ Barrett added 25 points and 10 rebounds.
With the game tied at 112 in regulation, Barrett connected on a runner in the lane and was fouled by Brown with 59 seconds remaining. But Barrett missed his ensuing free throw.
Boston’s Neemias Queta, who started in place of Jrue Holiday (left knee tendinopathy), scored a driving layup on Boston’s next possession.
With the game tied at 123, Toronto won a coach’s challenge on an out of bounds call that originally was awarded to Boston. But Barrett had his driving layup attempt blocked by Queta, giving the ball back to the Celtics with 20.2 seconds remaining.
Davis powers streaking Lakers
Anthony Davis had 31 points and 14 rebounds and the Los Angeles Lakers extended their winning streak to five games with a 104-99 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.
LeBron James highlighted a 21-point performance with a pair of pivotal 3-pointers in the final minutes, but his career-long four-game triple-double streak came to an end.
Rookie Dalton Knecht hit five 3s to finish with a career-high 27 points in a spot start for the Lakers.
One night after posting 40 points and 12 rebounds in a victory at San Antonio, Davis reached the 30-point plateau for the eighth time in 12 games played this season.
Brandon Ingram scored 32 points, and reserve Jaylen Nowell scored 16 points for the Pelicans, who lost for the 10th time in their last 12 games.
Right after a clutch 3 by Ingram gave the Pelicans a late two-point lead, James responded with consecutive 3s to put the Lakers up 101-97 with 37 seconds left.
Sunshine Girl Crystal Plummer is no stranger to high-pressure situations, but Jamaica’s dramatic 49-49 draw against England in the opening game of the four-match Horizon Netball Series was an experience that even she found exhilarating.
Still, as the Sunshine Girls look to improve in the second match on Sunday, Plummer is focused on channeling the lessons from Saturday’s thrilling contest into consistent success for the remainder of the series and, by extension, her career.
“It was a rollercoaster of emotions,” Plummer told SportsMax.Tv as she reflected on the match played at the AO Arena in Manchester.
“There were moments when we should have had the upper hand and allowed England to slip. But that’s what makes netball so exciting—it’s a constant test of resilience and focus. All in all, I’m super excited to be back on the international stage, and I am just looking to build on the lessons as they come,” she added.
Plummer, who started at centre before being substituted at the beginning of the second quarter, acknowledged the intense pace of the match. Both teams traded turnovers early on, but it was England who managed to pull away in the second quarter to establish a 26-20 halftime lead.
Despite sitting out portions of the game, Plummer remained a vocal presence on the sidelines, urging her teammates to push through their challenges.
Though they eventually rallied in the last two quarters, it was the comeback from two goals down in the closing seconds of the final quarter to level the game that really took the prize.
“Our team showed so much heart. We made some errors, but we also demonstrated how capable we are of bouncing back, so basically it is a case of all the hard work we put in that paid off. The way we rallied in the third and fourth quarters was truly inspiring,” Plummer opined.
“Those last few minutes were nerve-wracking. Again, we had chances in which we could have opened up big leads, but we let it slip. That’s something we’ll address as a team because we know we have what it takes to win these tight games,” she noted.
That said, Plummer believes consistency will be the key to victory as the Sunshine Girls look to gain the upper hand in the second game of the series on Sunday.
“We’ve shown that we can match England in every aspect, but it’s about sustaining that level of play for all four quarters. If we can clean up our errors and stay composed under pressure, I’m confident we’ll come out on top. We just have to take things one quarter at a time,” Plummer stated.
The talented 22-year-old, who has been a pivotal player for Jamaica since her debut at the Americas qualifiers on home soil in 2022, is also eager to step up her individual performance.
“As a midcourt player, my role is to connect the defence and attack seamlessly, so I want to be sharper in my decision-making and ensure that I’m providing the best support to my teammates on court,” said Plummer, who was a part of the bronze medal-winning Netball World Cup team.
“I always tell myself that I am a hard cookie who will battle to the very end, and I am very confident in my abilities, which is why I consistently set goals and then put in the mental and physical work to ensure I fulfil them. So my goals for this series have already been locked in, and so I just want to put my best foot forward for myself and the team,” she declared.
While her immediate focus is on helping Jamaica secure a series win, Plummer also has her eyes set on long-term goals. With the next Netball World Cup scheduled for 2027, she is determined to elevate her game and contribute to Jamaica’s quest for global dominance.
“This series is a great opportunity to test ourselves against one of the top teams in the world, but it’s also a stepping stone for bigger things. We want to keep building and ensure that when the World Cup comes around, we’re ready to challenge for the title. For now, it’s about putting it all together because I believe our best is yet to come, and I’m excited to be part of this journey,” the jovial Plummer ended.
Iga Swiatek levelled the score for Poland against Czechia, keeping their hopes of reaching the semi-final of the Billie Jean King Cup alive.
The world number two had to dig deep for the win though, triumphing 7-6 (7-4) 4-6 7-5 in two hours and 41 minutes in the second of Poland's singles matches on Saturday.
In their earlier match, Marie Bouzkova had put Czechia ahead but also had to go the distance to beat Magdalena Frech.
It means their quarter-final tie will be decided by doubles, which Swiatek will also play – her first doubles match at the Billie Jean King Cup since 2019 – as they aim to try and win the title for the first time.
The winner of that tie will face Italy in the semi-final, with Jasmine Paolini leading them into the final four.
Japan had taken the lead in the best-of-three tie thanks to Ena Shibahara's win over Elisabetta Cocciaretto, but the French Open and Wimbledon runner-up turned things around.
She beat Moyuka Uchijima 6-3 6-4 in straight sets to level the tie before pairing up with Sara Errani, three months after their Olympic gold triumph, to complete the comeback.
Italy has won the competition four times previously but are looking to better last year's result when they fell to Canada in the final.
Fabien Galthie says it was a "special match" after France edged past New Zealand 30-29 on Saturday.
The All Blacks held the lead at half-time as tries from Peter Lakai and Cam Roigard helped put them 17-10 up, with Romain Buros powering over on his debut to keep France in touching distance.
However, the hosts flipped the script in the second half, coming out strong as Paul Boudehent dotted down after a powerful maul to help level the scoreline.
Louis Bielle-Biarrey then gave them the lead, and though Damien McKenzie's penalties kept the All Blacks on France's heels, Tomas Ramos also stayed perfect with his kicks, doing enough to help them record a third straight win over New Zealand.
Les Bleus had gone 14 games without a win against New Zealand prior to this run, while it is the first time since 1994-95 they have managed three in a row against their opponents.
Galthie was delighted with his players' focus to ensure they overcame the half-time deficit.
"It was a special match; we know the opponent. When you see the scenario of the match, winning by one point, it brings back memories," he told TF1.
"We have six years of experience with this team. For a few years, we have had arguments, we have identified how to play them, we are sticking to this roadmap. We had to keep our heads down.
"At half-time, we found solutions. It's a close call, but a point is a lot. I am very proud, this is the third time we have hosted them. Three times we have beaten them. We have confidence. They have given us weaknesses, cracks."
New Zealand, meanwhile, saw a five-game winning run ended as they suffered their first defeat since early September.
Ardie Savea admitted that they struggled against France's aggressiveness in the second half, and was disappointed they did not deal with the threat better.
"Extremely disappointed with ourselves not to win the game. We made silly mistakes. We turned the ball over to this French squad, which can punish us and they did. I'm pretty gutted," he told TNT Sports.
"Of course, you [have to credit France in the second half]. We felt like we were in control, and we were pretty accurate in the first half, but in the second half, we let them in the game.
"They applied pressure on us, and we couldn't handle it. Towards the end, we just got stuck in our line and we couldn't do it. I'm extremely disappointed but proud of the boys.
"We didn't hit our targets. We want to win everything, but we couldn't, and that's credit to the French squad, they're a quality side. We have to look in the mirror and see where we could've put the nail in the coffin because we didn't do that."
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