Darius Garland and Fred VanVleet have both been selected to the NBA All-Star Game for the first time as Eastern Conference reserves.
After the 2022 captains and starters were announced a week earlier, the rest of the pool of players was filled out on Thursday.
Garland, having led the Cleveland Cavaliers into fifth place in the East, was a popular pick.
Charles Barkley said on TNT: "I like it when they earn it. They don't just get the fan vote, like a lifetime achievement award. This kid deserves to be at the All-Star Game."
Third-year point guard Garland becomes the first Cav to be recognised since LeBron James left the team, rewarded for averaging 19.8 points and 8.2 assists this season.
He is not the only new face, however, as VanVleet also made the cut in a career year. The 2019 champion is leading the Toronto Raptors in scoring with his 21.5 points.
Fellow pick in the East James Harden is far more familiar with this stage, included for a 10th consecutive season. Only James (18) is on a longer active streak.
Jimmy Butler, Zach LaVine, Khris Middleton and Jayson Tatum all also return.
LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, Tyler Herro and Jarrett Allen were among the players to narrowly miss out in a hugely talented Eastern Conference.
In the West, Chris Paul makes his 12th appearance, and Luka Doncic is also included.
Paul is joined by Phoenix Suns team-mate Devin Booker, while Draymond Green boosts the number of Golden State Warriors to three, alongside starters Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins.
Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell and Karl-Anthony Towns complete the roster.
Injured Warriors forward Green, speaking in his role as a pundit, said he hoped the San Antonio Spurs' Dejounte Murray would be called up in his place.
Earlier on Thursday, the NBA unveiled new designs for the trophies to be handed out across All-Star Weekend – including the Kobe Bryant Trophy, awarded to the All-Star Game MVP.
Top seed Alexander Zverev returned to winning ways after a surprise fourth-round Australian Open exit when he won his first match at the Open Sud de France on Thursday.
The German world number three was bounced out at Melbourne Park by Denis Shapovalov in straight sets, but he navigated his way safely past Mackenzie McDonald to reach the quarter-finals in Montpellier.
A largely dominant Zverev won 6-2 7-6 (7-5) to set up a clash with Adrian Mannarino in the last eight, and the 24-year-old highlighted how important he felt it was to quickly get back in the swing of things after disappointment in Melbourne.
"I'm going to give myself the best chance to do well in this tournament. But obviously, I'm happy to be back here," he said of the tournament he won in 2017.
"This is a place I really enjoy coming back [to]. After the Australian Open that I had, I wanted to play tournaments before my scheduled tournaments in Acapulco, Indian Wells and Miami. I said Montpellier is the perfect fit for that, and I'm happy to be here."
The same cannot be said for Gael Monfils, who suffered a crushing 6-1 6-2 defeat to Mikael Ymer on home soil.
The Swede was practically flawless throughout, winning a whopping 83 per cent of points on first serve and 89 per cent on second, with Monfils never even sniffing out a single opportunity to break back.
Richard Gasquet is a force to be reckoned with in Montpellier and reached another quarter-final, seeing off South Korean's Kwon Soon-woo 7-5 6-4.
Frenchman Gasquet reached six consecutive finals in Montpellier while in his prime years, being crowned champion in 2013, 2015 and 2016, and finishing runner-up in 2014, 2017 and 2018. Now 35, his last quarter-final appearance in an ATP main tour event came in August at Winston-Salem.
Gasquet's fellow Frenchman Mannarino sank the hopes of defending champion David Goffin, scoring a sparkling 6-4 6-2 victory.
Fourth seed Nikoloz Basilashvili, who lost twice to Andy Murray in Australia last month, this time fell to world number 152 Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia-Herzegovina, sliding to a 6-1 5-7 6-2 defeat. Basilashvili, the world number 21, now has a record of played five, lost five, for the 2022 season.
At the Tata Open Maharashtra in Pune, there was a surprise defeat for Russian top seed Aslan Karatsev. Karatsev won a title in Sydney last month before losing to Mannarino in the third round of the Australian Open, and in his first match since that disappointment he slumped 6-2 7-6 (7-3) to Swedish qualifier Elias Ymer.
Three seeds joined Ymer in the quarter-finals, with Jiri Vesely, Emil Ruusuvuori and Stefano Travaglia all making smooth progress without dropping a set. Vesely faces Ruusuvuori on Friday, while Travaglia awaits Ymer.
Tom Brady was restored to the 99 Club on the Madden NFL video game after announcing his retirement.
After 22 seasons in the league during which he won seven Super Bowls and set a new record for all-time passing yards, the 44-year-old quarterback confirmed he would not return to the field for the 2022 season.
EA Sports, the creators of Madden, ensured Brady finishes his career with the highest overall rating possible on the game. He had been rated 97 this year.
"Celebrate 22 years of playing Madden with the GOAT," the game's official Twitter account posted. "Welcome back to the #99Club: @TomBrady."
Brady led the NFL with 5,316 passing yards and 43 passing touchdowns this season but called time on his career following the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round.
The veteran QB said he was ready "to focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention" in a lengthy statement confirming his decision on Tuesday.
Egan Bernal has come through a second spinal operation after the crash he believes almost killed him, and the former Tour de France winner declared on Thursday: "Let's rock."
With a long way to go before he gets on a bike again, Bernal managed to sound an optimistic note from his hospital bed.
The INEOS Grenadiers rider was involved in a crash while training close to his hometown of Bogota in Colombia last week.
Bernal, the 2019 Tour de France champion and victor of the 2021 Giro d'Italia, struck a parked bus at high speed while riding his time trial bike.
He underwent surgery soon after the collision, and a further operation on his spine was required on Wednesday.
Bernal, who said this was proving to be his "toughest race", said it would be the last major operation he faces.
The hospital treating Bernal – the Clinica Universidad de la Sabana – said: "The objectives of biomechanical stability of the cervical spine were achieved with excellent clinical results, without presenting complications during surgery."
Bernal catalogued his list of injuries in an Instagram post on Thursday, before setting his sights on a return to the saddle.
He wrote: "Nearly 20 broken bones. 11 ribs. Femur. Ball joint. T5-T6. Odontoids. Metacarpal. A thumb. I lost a tooth. Perforation of both lungs.
"I almost killed myself, but you know what? I am grateful to God for putting me through this test. It is being the toughest race, but I have had a group of excellent people around me.
"Yesterday I had my last major surgery and everything seems to have gone well. So now to recover and make this another... I'M BACK!! And let's rock."
Eddie Jones insists Tom Curry is the perfect choice to lead England into their Six Nations campaign as he compared his new captain to New Zealand great Richie McCaw.
With Owen Farrell and Courtney Lawes ruled out through injury, Curry was named as skipper on Thursday ahead of this weekend's opening clash against Scotland.
At the age of 23, Curry becomes England's youngest captain since 22-year-old Will Carling in 1988, yet the youngster already has 36 senior caps to his name.
Curry also has experience of representing the British and Irish Lions, and England boss Jones is comfortable with his choice to hand the Sale Sharks flanker the armband.
"Captaincy is not about the number of caps, it's about the person who can lead a group of players by example," Jones said at his pre-match news conference.
"There is no better player in our squad than Tom to do that. He reminds me of a young Richie McCaw."
McCaw earned 148 Test caps for New Zealand across a celebrated career that saw him win two World Cups and three World Player of the Year awards.
England begin their quest for a fourth Six Nations title in seven attempts under Jones with a trip to Scotland on Saturday.
The Red Rose have won only one of the past four Calcutta Cup clashes, having previously won eight in a row, which Jones believes makes his side second favourites this week.
"It's all about getting the team on the front foot. That goes in line with how we want to play the game," Jones said.
"We want to go up there and take Scotland on. It's the first time I'm going up there as underdogs and where Scotland are red-hot favourites. They're expected to win.
"Every time the players will look at the crowd, they will feel that expectation. They've got to cope with that. There will be 62,000 fans and they'll be thinking about all the fans watching on TV. They've got to carry that burden. Every game is the same for us.
"We're always expected to win, so it's no different for us. We've had a really good preparation and feel we have enough in our set-piece to get an advantage."
England have included seven players with 10 caps or fewer in their starting XV for the showdown at Murrayfield.
Scotland have gone with a more experienced side, with the headline news being Jonny Gray's return after missing the autumn series through injury.
Stuart Hogg will once again captain the side at full-back, with replacement Ben White the only uncapped player in the squad.
Scotland team: Hogg (c); Graham, Harris, Johnson, Van der Merwe; Russell, Price; Sutherland, Turner, Z Fagerson, Gray, Gilchrist, Ritchie, Watson, M Fagerson.
Replacements: McInally, Schoeman, Nel, Skinner, M Bradbury, White, Kinghorn, Tuipulotu.
England team: Steward; Malins, Daly, Slade, Marchant; Smith, Youngs; Genge, Cowan-Dickie, Sinckler, Itoje, Isiekwe, Ludlam, Curry (c), Simmonds.
Replacements: George, Marler, Stuart, Ewels, Dombrandt, Randall, Ford, Nowell.
Wales will give Josh Adams his first international start at centre when they take on Ireland in their opening game of their Six Nations title defence at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday.
The Cardiff Blues star, who has scored 17 tries in 35 Tests for Wales, will be given the number 13 jersey for the first time as head coach Wayne Pivac attempts to rediscover the magic achieved in last year's tournament when he moved George North to the role.
Adams will play in the midfield alongside Nick Tompkins, while Will Rowlands is back in the starting line up alongside vice-captain Adam Beard.
Taine Basham will be making his debut in the Six Nations in the back row with Aaron Wainwright and Ellis Jenkins.
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer will combine for Team Europe in this year's Laver Cup.
Nadal became the record holder for men's singles grand slam titles on Sunday, as he came from two sets down to beat Daniil Medvedev in the final of the Australian Open.
Federer, who like Novak Djokovic has 20 grand slam titles to his name, has not featured since losing to Hubert Hurkacz in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon last year.
The Swiss star is recovering from a knee injury and chose to sit out the season's first major in Melbourne.
However, injury permitting, the great rivals will team up to represent Team Europe in London in September.
Europe have won the last four editions of the tournament, though neither Nadal nor Federer featured in 2021.
"The Laver Cup is such a unique event and I've loved competing in it," said Nadal, who has played in the competition on two occasions previously.
"I suggested to Roger we should play doubles together in London and he seems keen, so now we just need to persuade our captain Bjorn [Borg].
"Roger has been a huge part of my career, a big rival and also a true friend. To be part of Team Europe together is great and if we're able to possibly share the court one more time as a doubles pairing then this would be a truly special experience for us both at this stage in our careers."
Federer added: "I'm really looking forward to getting back into competition later this year and Laver Cup is very much part of my plan.
"It's no secret that I love the event and I'm super excited to be returning to The O2 and to London, one of the greatest cities in the world.
"Rafa is an incredible person and an inspiration to me and countless others around the world. He messaged me on social media after the Laver Cup in Boston last year suggesting we play doubles in London and I am definitely up for a Laver Cup 'Fedal' comeback!"
Federer and Nadal have only teamed up for a doubles match once before – in the inaugural Laver Cup back in 2017.
They beat American duo Jack Sock and Sam Querrey in three sets.
Daniil Medvedev and Jannik Sinner have been replaced by Andy Murray and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the upcoming Rotterdam Open.
World number two Medvedev lost a thrilling five-set Australian Open final to Rafael Nadal on Sunday and does not feel ready to compete in the Netherlands.
The Russian explained his decision in a statement on Thursday, while Sinner has had to pull out due to COVID-19.
"Unfortunately I will not play in Rotterdam this year," Medvedev said.
"I just got back from Australia and am not ready to compete. Rotterdam is one of the favourite stops. I look forward to coming back in the future."
Roberto Bautista Agut and Borna Coric had already pulled out of the competition. Tournament director Richard Krajicek has confirmed that Murray and Tsonga, who won the event in 2009 and 2017 respectively, will now take part as wild cards.
Andrey Rublev is the reigning champion in Rotterdam after beating Marton Fucsovics in last year's final.
Luka Doncic banked 40 points for the Dallas Mavericks but still felt he was to blame for Wednesday's 120-114 overtime defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The two-time NBA All-Star impressed with a further 10 assists, five rebounds and three steals, yet it was not enough to prevent the Mavericks from falling to back-to-back defeats.
The Thunder scored a quick lay-up with eight seconds remaining of regulation time to tie the contest, with Doncic missing on a 28-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Despite registering his second-highest score of the season, one short of the 41 managed against the Toronto Raptors last month, Doncic was not pleased with his overall display.
"That was just my bad. I didn't see it coming," said Doncic of his defense on the Thunder's final shot in regulation.
"This game is on me… the last two possessions shouldn't happen. By far, my worst defensive game this year for sure, and it's just on me."
It is the first time since Christmas that the Mavericks have lost successive games and leaves them fifth in the Western Conference, now 29-23 for the season.
Lu Dort was the hero for Oklahoma, scoring 14 straight points in overtime and 30 in total – his second 30-point game of the season, compared to one in the previous two years.
"In the biggest part of the game, he had his foot on the gas and closed it out for us," said Thunder coach Mark Daigneault.
The Mavericks had won their previous eight home games, but head coach Jason Kidd had no complaints about the defeat.
"They just played harder than we did," Kidd said. "When it got tight there, we started to play better.
"We put ourselves in a position like Orlando: Someone had to make a shot – someone did. We just couldn't get the stop on the other end."
Frank Vogel hailed the "mental toughness" of Anthony Davis and his Los Angeles Lakers side after snapping a three-game losing run with a 99-94 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Davis stepped up in the absence of LeBron James – missing a fourth straight game with knee soreness – with a double-double of 30 points and 15 rebounds in Wednesday's contest.
The eight-time NBA All-Star has now had at least 30 points and 15 rebounds in three games this season and has averaged 29.3 points over his last three outings.
Davis's latest haul helped the Lakers improve to 25-27 in the Western Conference, and head coach Vogel was particularly pleased with the spirit he saw from the 28-year-old.
"He had some great sequences of grabbing rebounds in traffic," Vogel said.
"Tonight was about mental toughness and making enough plays and shots. It was a hell of a game by Anthony."
Nineteen of Davis's 30 points arrived in the final 12 minutes, with seven of his 15 rebounds coming in the fourth quarter
"I just tried to come out with the mindset of ending the streak," Davis said. "We have to play with some urgency. We just fought hard tonight. It was a great game for us."
Carmelo Anthony added 24 for the Lakers, who had lost to the Philadelphia 76ers, the Charlotte Hornets and the Atlanta Hawks in their previous three games.
Despite the best efforts of 30-point Norman Powell, Portland have now lost three in a row and five of their last six in a run that has seen them slip to 10th in the Western Conference.
"We had a couple breakdowns today," Powell said. "We had some good stops but gave them second and third-chance opportunities."
The Lakers are back in action against the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday, while Portland face the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday.
Kyrie Irving is growing tired of the Brooklyn Nets using "get-better jargon" after the team suffered a sixth straight NBA defeat in a 112-101 loss to the Sacramento Kings.
The Nets have slumped to sixth in the Eastern Conference standings and are now on their worst streak since a seven-game losing run between December 2019 and January 2020.
Nic Claxton had a career-high 23 points to go alongside 11 rebounds, while James Johnson put up 18 points. Irving had 14, but it was a tough night for the usually prolific James Harden, who had just four on the back of two-of-11 shooting.
Irving feels there have been "morale victories" during the Nets' barren run but he has little interest in anything other than actual wins.
"When you're going through a losing streak, not many people want to hear the same thing over and over again," he said.
"The get-better jargon that we consistently use, it can get mundane.
"Game to game we're feeling like we're coming out with some morale victories if we lose, but I'm tired of that."
Harden has been contending with an issue to his right hand and a hamstring complaint, with his return his lowest since playing the Chicago Bulls on May 15 last year.
Despite the Nets' woes, Harden is confident the team can soon turn the corner, especially if they can get some key personnel back after the All-Star break.
"There's no concern," Harden said.
"We don't have our entire team and this is happening to us. We're just trying to figure out what works best, what guys fit, what guys don't.
"Hopefully after the break we can get our whole roster and start making strides in the right direction."
The Nets have had issues with their roster. Kevin Durant (knee) remains absent, while Joe Harris and Marcus Aldridge (both ankle) are still out, and Irving's involvement is restricted to road games as he is ineligible to play fixtures in New York as he is unvaccinated against COVID-19.
Head coach Steve Nash says the main objective right now is merely to show improvement on the court.
"This trip our objective is to get better. The first two games and the first half tonight we were getting better," Nash said.
"We didn't contain the ball enough in the second half and we didn't make plays."
The Nets will aim to return to winning ways in Friday's trip to the Utah Jazz.
Anthony Davis stepped up with a double-double in LeBron James' absence as the Los Angeles Lakers ended their three-game skid with a 99-94 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
James was absent for the fourth straight game with a knee issue but Davis took charge with 30 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks.
Russell Westbrook contributed with a double-double with nine points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists, while Carmelo Anthony added 24 points for the Lakers. Norman Powell landed five three-pointers in his 30-point haul for Portland.
The Lakers had raced to a 12-point quarter-time lead but the Blazers narrowed that to one point by half-time before seesawing second half which went down to the final moments.
The win means the Lakers improve to 25-27 but remain ninth in the Western Conference.
Embiid, LaMelo and Doncic star in defeats
Joel Embiid had 27 points and 14 rebounds but could not lift the Philadelphia 76ers as they went down 106-103 to the Washington Wizards. Spencer Dinwiddie (14 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists) had a triple-double for the Wizards, while Kyle Kuzma added 24 points.
LaMelo Ball was excellent in a losing side as well, providing a career-high 38 points including four triples with six rebounds and nine assists as the Charlotte Hornets went down 113-107 to the Boston Celtics. Luka Doncic also had 40 points as the Dallas Mavericks lost 120-114 in overtime to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Ja Morant had 23 points, four rebounds and nine assists as the Memphis Grizzlies won 120-108 over the New York Knicks, while the Utah Jazz snapped their five-game skid with a 108-104 win over the Denver Nuggets.
Nets skid extends to six games
The Brooklyn Nets slumped to their sixth straight defeat, their worst skid since January 2020, after a 112-101 loss to the Sacramento Kings. James Harden, nursing a sore hand, only managed four points shooting two-of-11 from the field, which was his lowest return since May 15 last year.
George North is looking forward to the day his children face the big choice: cycling or rugby.
North is also looking forward to the Six Nations Championship, starting this weekend, when Wales begin their title defence against Ireland in Dublin.
There is an awful lot for this 29-year-old to be looking forward to, now that his injury hell has passed.
For now, North is enjoying the freedom of being able to run again, after suffering an anterior crucial ligament (ACL) injury in his right knee last April, playing for the Ospreys.
It ended his year on the rugby pitch, ruining hopes of a starring role for the British and Irish Lions in South Africa and denying him a shot at the Springboks, Australia and New Zealand in the autumn internationals.
North would sooner have been healthy and active of course, but being sidelined has had its upsides. He and his wife, double Olympic cyclist silver medallist Becky James, welcomed their second son, Tomi, a brother for Jac, in October.
Rather than dividing his time between the family and Wales camps, North has been essentially a stay-at-home dad for months on end.
"It's been brilliant. Normally I'm away playing or touring or something," says North, who is a Land Rover ambassador.
"To have this time at home, it's priceless. But Becky's been a superstar. When I had my surgery to start with, I couldn't do much on crutches with Jac, and obviously Tomi's joined us now and he's class.
"I'm in that stage now where effectively I'm in pre-season again, and I'm absolutely battered when I come home from training. And I'm not much use to anyone, but she's been amazing through this whole process.
"It has been tough, but it's been amazing you know, the two boys are amazing. Thank goodness for Becky, because it'd have been a lot harder at one point, with one leg up and hopping around the place. Especially my surgery, it was very tough. But yeah, she's a superhero."
Wales have been Six Nations champions four times in the last 10 years. Despite being holders, however, few are giving them much of a chance this time around.
After all, Wales have been up and down with results in the tournament. Across the last five years, they have trailed in fifth twice, as well as clinching a couple of championships, including the 2019 grand slam.
This time, they head into the tournament without a clutch of key players: North is absent, but so too is captain Alun Wyn Jones, with Taulupe Faletau, Leigh Halfpenny, Josh Navidi, Ken Owens and Justin Tipuric also sidelined.
Head coach Wayne Pivac said his squad has lost around 680 caps' worth of experience, but Wales should still be no mugs.
The players Pivac has chosen for the tournament come with an average of 27.1 Test caps of experience, only topped by Ireland's 30.9 among the six teams.
Those that are missing are proven class, however. In last year's championship, Faletau had 66 carries, putting him in third place among all players, while Tipuric made the most tackles (82). Faletau was fourth on that list (74), and skipper Jones was sixth (72).
On the Six Nations all-time list, North, who has featured on the wing and at outside centre, ranks fourth for metres gained (2,548), third for defenders beaten (126), and third for most clean breaks (48).
Jones is top of the all-time tackles chart (719), with fly-half Dan Biggar a different animal to the absent lock. Biggar sits second on the Six Nations' all-time try assists list, after setting up 17 five-pointers in the competition.
To lose a raft of proven top-level talent would hurt any team, and North is not blind to that. He has been in and around the Wales squad since his late teens, however, so is certain there will be no defeatist attitude in Pivac's camp.
"Obviously there are a number of players out missing, and I think Wayne's come out with a stat of something like 680 caps that he's lost," says North. "That's a tough place to be."
But can Wales kick on regardless? North says so.
"Well, that that's the only way you get better, isn't it? By pushing the standards up every time," North tells Stats Perform News.
"I think for us, as Wales, we're used to being the underdogs, and we're always used to being kind of like always wanting more, and I think that shows in the performances that we have and the results we have had of late.
"From the lads' point of view, that's something they will certainly be looking at: how they push on from last year. Obviously winning the championship [is one thing], but you know the next step is backing it up again and as we said, it's going to be incredibly tough for the boys."
In the 2021 Six Nations, Wales made the most tackles of all teams (871), were third for tackle success with a healthy 88.2 per cent record, ranked second for lineout success with 90.8 per cent, and matched France for the most scrum success with 96.2 per cent.
Pivac's side averaged 3.7 points per entry into the opposition 22, making them the only side to average over three points per entry. It is a hard act to follow.
The loss of veteran skipper Jones gives 32-year-old playmaker Biggar the opportunity to lead the team into the championship.
"Yeah, it's not easy following the most capped player in the world is it!" North says. "I wouldn't like to follow Alun Wyn, put it that way.
"But what you're getting with Dan is a fierce competitor who drives the squad from the front row, right the way back all the way through to the full-back.
"He expects high standards of everyone, and he expects those standards of himself. I'm excited to see Dan as captain because what you see on the field is a fierce competitor. And that's not just on the field, that's Monday to Friday, and that's in whatever jersey he is.
"He expects the best for himself, and also the best from others because you know he is a competitor and wants to win."
North has the most international tries of all current players in the world game, and he has spoken of hoping to be available to Pivac at the back end of the championship. Wales have home games against France and Italy on March 11 and 19 to finish the campaign.
He longs to make his children proud, even though both are much too young to understand his day job, or to understand their mother was a world champion.
From the routines of parenthood to the cauldron of the Principality Stadium, North is focused on pulling out all the stops. Jac and Tomi are keeping him grounded but also fuelling his ambitions.
"Obviously they don't know what Dad does. They don't know what Mum used to do," he says. "And I think that's something that's special.
"I am looking forward to the day that I'd be able to play and Becky can bring the boys to watch. I'm incredibly proud and honoured to be able to play rugby, but to be able to share that with the boys and, you know, show them more. Whatever they want to do in the future, there's always that conversation, is it a bike or a rugby ball?"
North, who during last year's Six Nations became the youngest player to reach 100 caps for any country, is targeting the 2023 Rugby World Cup as a long-range goal.
That could add up to over two months away from home, and given he will be 31 by the time that tournament comes around, it might be a last shot at global glory.
"I've got a fair few steps to cross off before we get back in any jersey. Certainly it's something I want to be able to put my hand up and be fighting for my selection there," he says.
"I've been very fortunate to go to a few now, and you know that's a big push. It's not too far away, and it's something that is certainly exciting."
There he goes again, always looking forward.
:: George North is a Land Rover ambassador. Visit landrover.co.uk
Anthony Davis stepped up with a double-double in LeBron James' absence as the Los Angeles Lakers ended their three-game skid with a 99-94 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
James was absent for the fourth straight game with a knee issue but Davis took charge with 30 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks.
Russell Westbrook contributed with a double-double with nine points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists, while Carmelo Anthony added 24 points for the Lakers. Norman Powell landed five three-pointers in his 30-point haul for Portland.
The Lakers had raced to a 12-point quarter-time lead but the Blazers narrowed that to one point by half-time before seesawing second half which went down to the final moments.
The win means the Lakers improve to 25-27 but remain ninth in the Western Conference.
Embiid, LaMelo and Doncic star in defeats
Joel Embiid had 27 points and 14 rebounds but could not lift the Philadelphia 76ers as they went down 106-103 to the Washington Wizards. Spencer Dinwiddie (14 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists) had a triple-double for the Wizards, while Kyle Kuzma added 24 points.
LaMelo Ball was excellent in a losing side as well, providing a career-high 38 points including four triples with six rebounds and nine assists as the Charlotte Hornets went down 113-107 to the Boston Celtics. Luka Doncic also had 40 points as the Dallas Mavericks lost 120-114 in overtime to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Ja Morant had 23 points, four rebounds and nine assists as the Memphis Grizzlies won 120-108 over the New York Knicks, while the Utah Jazz snapped their five-game skid with a 108-104 win over the Denver Nuggets.
Nets skid extends to six games
The Brooklyn Nets slumped to their sixth straight defeat, their worst skid since January 2020, after a 112-101 loss to the Sacramento Kings. James Harden, nursing a sore hand, only managed four points shooting two-of-11 from the field, which was his lowest return since May 15 last year.
New York Jets offensive lineman Cameron Clark will retire at the age of 24 due to a spinal cord injury.
Clark's agent confirmed the decision with the risk of paralysis if he continued to play, having suffered the injury in a training camp.
The 2020 fourth-round pick was injured on August 3 in Jets training and was motionless for several minutes.
At the time, the Jets labelled the injury a spinal cord contusion and said he would make a full recovery but Clark missed the entire 2021 NFL season and has now opted to retire.
"Based on the advice of Dr. Andrew Hecht, a prominent orthopedic surgeon at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York, Cameron will not be able to continue to play football for the New York Jets," Clark's agent Alan Herman told ESPN.
Jets head coach Robert Saleh told ESPN: "A great young man, with a bright future, I am thankful for Cameron's peace in making his decision, however bittersweet it may be.
"He made it to the league because of his talent, hard work and attitude and I have every confidence that they will all continue to serve him as he transitions to the next step."
Top seed Diego Schwartzman cruised into the quarter-finals of the Cordoba Open after a straight-sets win over countryman Juan Pablo Ficovich on Wednesday.
World number 14 Schwartzman triumphed 6-3 6-2, converting three of five break points to win in one hour and 10 minutes.
Schwartzman will face Colombian lucky loser Daniel Elahi Galan who progressed with a 6-2 3-6 6-1 victory over Jaume Munar.
Eighth seed Pedro Martinez was eliminated by Argentina wildcard Juan Ignacio Londero 6-3 7-6 (7-3).
Londero will face Serbian Nikola Milojevic, another lucky loser, who got past wild card Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-3 7-6 (7-4).
Roger Federer still has the drive to return to the ATP Tour but is yet to run and is still months away in his recovery from a third knee operation.
The 40-year-old 20-time grand slam winner missed last month's Australian Open after a knee operation in August.
Federer has not played since a quarter-final loss to Hubert Hurkacz at Wimbledon last year and previously said he would be "incredibly surprised" if he was fit to play at the event in 2022.
"It's a very important next few months ahead of me," Federer said at a sponsor's event on Wednesday. "I'll know a whole lot more in April what my body is going to be like.
"Up until now I was not able to run yet and do the heavy workload. I hope that starts in the next couple of weeks and then we'll see how my body reacts.
"For now, the drive is there. I'm really motivated to do my work and what I'm allowed to do. I'd love to do way more, but the doctors are holding me back a bit."
The eight-time Wimbledon champion elaborated on his recovery, revealing he hopes to put weight on his knee again in the coming weeks.
"I can still not run. But I'm working daily in the gym," Federer said. "I really hope that I can put weight on my knee again in two to three weeks. Then we'll see how the body reacts so we can hit the ball again in April or May."
He added: "Of course I wish that everything could go quicker. But the doctors don't want me to overdo everything."
Alexander Bublik moved into the quarter-finals of the Open Sud de France as he continues to put a poor Australian Open behind him.
Bublik is seeded sixth in Montpellier but is coming off a second-round exit at the hands of Gael Monfils in Melbourne.
However, the world number 35 moved into the last eight on Wednesday, though he needed three sets to do so against Pierre-Hugues Herbert, the qualifier taking the second set to force a decider.
Bublik claimed a 6-3 6-7 (2-7) 6-2 win and will face Roberto Bautista Agut in the quarters.
Bautista Agut claimed the first set against Gilles Simon 6-4 and was 3-2 up in the second when the Frenchman retired injured.
Besides Filip Krajinovic's 6-4 7-6 (7-2) defeat of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the rest of the day's action comprised of round of 32 matchups. Seventh seed Ugo Humbert crashed out in three sets to four-time champion Richard Gasquet, while Adrian Mannarino and Mackenzie McDonald both prevailed.
Meanwhile, at the Tata Open Maharashtra, Lorenzo Musetti claimed his first win of 2022 following an impressive 2021.
The 19-year-old, who progressed to the last 16 at Roland Garros last year, fought back from losing the first-set tie-break to defeat Aleksandar Vukic in three sets.
"Aleksandar was playing good, he was serving really big, and I tried to stay calm even in the second set, [which] I didn't win. It didn't go the way that I planned. But the third set was a really great set," Musetti said.
"I stayed really focused with the right attitude and I won a great match with a tough opponent. I'm really happy to be here and to be in the quarter-finals."
Also victorious in Pune were Joao Sousa, Daniel Altmaier and Kamil Majchrzak, whom Musetti will face next.
Defending champions Craig Simpson and Aliana McMaster successfully defended their titles at the David East Memorial Sporting Clays shoot at Murphy Hill in St Ann on Sunday.
In cool and cloudy conditions, both shooters proved to be a class apart with Simpson, who shot a 92 to be the only shooter to score in the nineties while McMaster, scored 81 and was the only female to score in the eighties.
"It feels good. It took everything I had today,” said Simpson, who had a perfect start at Station Nine picking off all six birds.
“I really put out everything today and at the end of it, I am always happy to come out with a favourable score. I know what I am up against. I know the talent that's here (and) yes it can also have a negative effect in that you are trying not to be beaten and that's actually what comes with the territory.
“Fortunately, I was able to zone that out and just keep what was in front of me. I can feel them right behind me but I am not looking back."
Simpson hit 24 consecutive birds before dropping one on Station 14.
He said that the weather had little effect on him during the competition.
"I enjoy this weather. Actually, it wasn't too cold for me. This was comfortable for me, I like it.”
‘A’-Class shooter Geoffrey Ziadie copped the runner-up spot after posting 89 in the morning session while three-time national shotgun champion Christian Sasso who tied with Simpson last year on 96, shot an 84.
Meanwhile, 14-year-old McMaster, who had a perfect start on Station 12 before missing two at the next station said she was proud of her final score.
"Honestly, I am very proud of my score and I knew it could have been higher but I am very proud of myself. I have never felt so proud of myself and accomplished, especially after a tournament,” she said. “Honestly, the course was really good and I enjoyed even the difficult targets and stations that I might have not shot as well at, I enjoyed knowing that I need to go practice this to come back again and shoot a better course."
For her, the conditions were a factor.
"I hate shooting in the cold and when it’s kind of overcast because it kind of messes with you when you are cold. It kind of distracts you away from what you are trying to do, which is shoot and get a good score but once you just embrace it and focus on what matters most then you should be fine and I was."
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