Taylor Fritz opened his ATP Finals campaign with a straight-sets victory over Daniil Medvedev, then acknowledged his fine serving display was the difference.
Fritz recorded a 6-4 6-3 victory over the fourth seed to make a flying start to his second appearance at the season-ending event in Turin.
With world number one Jannik Sinner and Alex de Minaur – who face off later on Sunday – also lurking in the Ilie Nastase Group, Fritz knew the importance of using his serve as a weapon.
He won 85% (33/39) of his first-serve points to Medvedev's 79% (30/38), also firing off nine aces and not committing a single double fault, compared to eight of each for the Russian.
"The serve was a big part of it for sure," Fritz said after the match. "He's such a good returner.
"You can make a lot of first serves, but if they are not very high quality, he just puts so many returns in the court.
"It was huge for me, I hit a lot of lines, a lot of spots to start out games. I got out of a lot of service games with no pressure.
"Some of the ones we got tight in, I was either able to grind through the long rallies or get myself some free points."
Data Debrief: Fifty up for Fritz
Fritz's win made him just the fourth player to register 50 victories in ATP events this calendar year, putting him in an exclusive club.
Only Alexander Zverev (66), Sinner (65) and Carlos Alcaraz (52) have managed more such wins in 2024.
Ireland coach Andy Farrell intends to assess the "energy levels" of his players before picking a team to play Argentina as he seeks to ensure his side can have no excuses in a busy November.
New Zealand won 23-13 in Dublin on Friday, Ireland's first home defeat in more than three years, and Farrell's side will play three more matches before the end of the month.
Next up are Argentina next Friday, after which Ireland face Fiji and Australia.
There may be the temptation to make sweeping changes given the result against the All Blacks and a performance that Ireland captain Caelan Doris acknowledged was "not good enough".
But Farrell is not rushing into any snap decisions, determined to pick a team that will allow Ireland to compete throughout the coming weeks.
"It's a tough month, four back-to-back games on the trot, so we will see what the energy levels are like," Farrell said.
"A lot of guys put a good shift in considering their training time, never mind game time, so we'll see how bodies are when we're back in and see what the feeling is like."
Regardless, Farrell will not allow the schedule to be used as mitigation this month, adding: "We've always prided ourselves on getting up to speed and being as good as we possibly can be first game up, because that is the cards we are dealt with.
"It doesn't matter if you have had three training sessions and 12 minutes of games or seven consecutive games and 50 training sessions. You try to be your best, and we weren't [against New Zealand]."
Paul Waring edged out some of the DP World Tour's biggest names to claim the Abu Dhabi Championship title on Sunday.
Waring, who shot a course-record 61 in the second round, closed out with a six-under-par 66 at Yas Links to beat Tyrell Hatton by two shots, finishing on 24 under.
Rory McIlroy finished third after going round in 64. He was tied on 21 under par for the weekend along with Matt Wallace and Thorbjorn Olsen.
Waring's win marks just his second DP World Tour success, and his first title in six years.
"To keep control of myself in the way I did, I'm really proud of myself. I'm a bit taken aback right now," said Waring.
"I felt that my golf game has been in such a good place over the past year, I just haven't put it all together. What a week for it all to click together."
McIlroy's efforts on the final day, meanwhile, saw him finish a shot ahead of Thriston Lawrence, who is the Northern Irishman's closest challenger in the Race to Dubai rankings.
"I set myself a target with six holes to go and I achieved that target," said McIlroy.
"I was glad to make the four at the last and give myself a little bit more of a cushion going into Dubai."
Tommy Fleetwood rounded out with 67, meaning he finished tied for fourth on 20 under, two shots ahead of Shane Lowry, who dropped three shots across the final six holes.
The DP World Tour season wraps up in Dubai next week, with McIlroy looking well set to finish top of the standings.
Victor Wembanyama made six three-pointers for the Utah Jazz, but could not drag the San Antonio Spurs over the line.
Wembanyama finished with a game-leading 24 points on Saturday, and marked the third NBA game of his career in which he has had at least five three-pointers and five blocks, which moved him level with Kristaps Porzingis for the second most in the competition's history, behind Raef LaFrentz (four).
Yet the Frenchman's career-best haul of threes could not help the Spurs avoid a 111-110 defeat.
It is now three defeats in the space of four games for San Antonio, and Wembanyama knows there is much more to come.
"My rhythm's there for sure," Wembanyama said.
"But there's so much more to be gained. It's just a matter of how well we can combine everything together. Once we combine it all, it's great.
"But it's about how often we can do it, and this is how we can keep piling up wins."
Defending champion Andrew Arft is ready to tee off in pursuit of a consecutive Jamaica Open title as he begins his campaign on Sunday at the Tryall Golf Club. If successful, Arft would become the first player since Russ Cochran in 2011 and 2012 to claim back-to-back victories at the prestigious event.
After playing in the Pro-Am tournament on Saturday, Arft shared his comfort with the Tryall course, noting that the layout feels familiar. “I feel really well. I was out on the course today, just remembering the course and seeing it,” he said. “It kind of feels comfortable on the tee shots, and I had a great Pro-Am group from Palladium. They kept it light and fun, which was great.”
Despite a few changes in course conditions compared to last year, Arft expects the challenge to remain formidable. “It’s going to be windy. The course is wet compared to last year, which was firmer,” he observed. “It’s a give and take thing. The course might play a bit easier since the balls won’t bounce everywhere, but we won’t get as much roll on the fairways, so there’ll be longer shots in. Less balls will bounce into tricky spots, but it will still play just as hard as last year, just in a different way.”
Arft also highlighted that it’s the welcoming atmosphere of Jamaica that motivated him to return. “It’s more of the people than anything. The golf course is top notch and I love it, but right when I step foot in the airport – different type of niceness around here,” Arft remarked. “Everyone is really cordial and laidback, and I definitely feed off the people’s energy. When I have good people around me, I feel good as well.”
As Arft prepares to defend his title, he’ll be leaning on his familiarity with Tryall’s unique challenges and the supportive environment that Jamaica offers, aiming to add his name to the short list of champions who have won the Jamaica Open in consecutive years.
Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls concluded their campaign at the 2024 Fast5 Netball World Series in New Zealand with a sixth-place finish. Despite a valiant effort from an inexperienced squad, the Sunshine Girls ended the tournament winless after tough matches on Sunday, the second day of competition, where they faced a formidable lineup of opponents.
In their opening Sunday game, Jamaica faced defending champions Australia and struggled to keep pace, eventually falling 39-56 to the three-time title holders. Later, they encountered Uganda, who managed a decisive 43-26 victory over the Sunshine Girls. Jamaica's final match of the day was a close showdown against England, where they were edged out 38-36, securing a sixth-place finish for Jamaica.
The fifth/sixth-place playoff against England was particularly intense, with both teams evenly matched in a low-scoring game. Heading into the fourth-quarter Power Play tied, England's Paige Reed scored a critical four-pointer, followed by more points from Jones. Jamaica kept pushing, with Amanda Pinkney attempting three six-pointers in the closing moments, any of which could have swung the game Jamaica’s way. However, the shots didn't connect, and England held on for a narrow win, securing fifth place with Kelly named Player of the Match.
Meanwhile, Australia capped off their campaign with a thrilling 34-30 victory over hosts New Zealand, rallying from 15 points down to claim their third consecutive Fast5 title.
South Africa finished third after defeating Uganda 46-42.
Team Palladium emerged victorious in the Pro-Am tournament ahead of the 57th Jamaica Open Golf Championship at Tryall Golf Club on Saturday, outplaying 19 other teams to claim the top spot. Each team in the competition comprised three amateur golfers paired with one professional, making for an exciting lead-up to the official championship.
Led by pro golfer Scott Milum, Team Palladium, which included amateurs Carlyle Hudson, Diane Hudson, and George Hugh, scored an impressive 51.25 points, finishing exactly two points ahead of the runners-up.
Reflecting on the win and his first experience in Jamaica, Milum shared his enthusiasm for the course and the hospitality at Tryall. “It is an awesome place to play. It’s my first time actually in Jamaica as well, so playing in the Pro-Am, playing the tournament this week I am looking forward to it. The area is beautiful, and the resort here takes really good care of us, getting us to and from the golf course. Everyone we met so far has been phenomenal,” he said.
The second-place team, led by pro golfer Joshua Seales, finished with a score of 53.25 points. Not far behind, the team led by pro Patrick Coles claimed third place with 53.375 points.
Jamaica Fibre Glass Products took the corporate title with a score of 55.25 points, thanks to the combined efforts of team members Metry Seaga, Mike Glieckman, Andre Foote, and Marcus Mohn.
In the “Closest to the Pin” contest, three golfers earned recognition: Benjamin Martin on hole two, Wayne Chai Chong on hole four, and Chris McLean on hole 10.
With the Pro-Am tournament now complete, attention turns to the main event. The three-day 57th Jamaica Open will tee off on Sunday, November 10, at 8:00 a.m., with defending champion Andrew Arft set to begin his title defense at 10:40 a.m.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland says their unbeaten start is not a "fluke", as they extended their record to 11-0 at the start of the NBA season.
It was the first time the Cavaliers had failed to score 110 points this season, but they rallied for a 105-100 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday, becoming the 12th team in NBA history to start a season 11-0.
Garland scored eight of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, which Cleveland started by trailing, but they dug deep to ensure their perfect record stayed intact.
The Cavaliers are now just two victories away from matching the longest streak in franchise history, having won 13 in a row three times, most recently in 2017.
And Garland believes they have proven that they are among the contenders in the NBA this season.
"I don't think this is just any old fluke," he said after the game. "We played some really good teams out of these 11 games, and we had some great challenges.
"I think we have a really good chance at being one of those contenders for sure."
With the team trailing 82-68 late in the third quarter, coach Kenny Atkinson made the bold decision, choosing to bench Jarrett Allen for the final quarter and moving Evan Mobley to centre.
In the end, it worked. Mobley finished with 23 points and 16 rebounds, with Atkinson praising his performance.
"He [Mobley] was phenomenal," Atkinson said. "Those three or four stops we needed at the end of the game, he got caught on a switch and Cam [Thomas] tried to shoot it over him.
"He's just too long. He had the big block on the last play, and he rebounded the heck out of the ball."
The Golden State Warriors hold the league record for winning their first 24 games in 2015-16, and Atkinson admitted that the prospect of losing their winning streak did play on his mind.
"You're thinking about it," he added.
"Normally, this is 11 games in. You're not thinking about a streak, but then you're like, man, I don't want it to end this way.
"We're competing. We're trying to win every game, but it's kind of weirdly in the back of your mind when you're out there competing. Like man, we got to keep this thing going."
The Cavaliers face the Chicago Bulls in their next match on Monday.
Evan Mobley had 23 points and 16 rebounds, and Donovan Mitchell scored 22 as the Cleveland Cavaliers rallied for a 105-100 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night, becoming the 12th team in NBA history to start a season 11-0.
Darius Garland scored eight of his 20 points in the fourth quarter for Cleveland, which trailed 82-68 with 35 seconds left in the third. Garland put the Cavaliers ahead for good at 97-96 with two free throws.
The 2015-16 Golden State Warriors hold the league record after winning their first 24 games. They lost to the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.
Cam Johnson scored 23 points and Dennis Schröder and Cam Thomas had 22 apiece for the Nets. Brooklyn trailed by 15 in the second quarter but held Cleveland to a season-low 13 points in the third with Johnson and Thomas combining for 19.
The Cavaliers failed to score 110 points for the first time, ending their NBA-record streak of doing so in 10 consecutive wins to open a season. Hall of Fame center Wilt Chamberlain and the 1960-61 Philadelphia Warriors held the mark with nine.
New Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson admitted “there was a little extra” at stake for him facing Brooklyn for the first time since being fired by the Nets in 2020. Mobley took the message to heart, making 10 of 11 field goal attempts.
After Johnson buried a 3-pointer with 4:23 left to extend Brooklyn’s lead to 96-89, the Cavaliers answered with 10 straight points. Garland scored four in a row, then fed Mobley for a dunk to complete the game-changing run.
The Cavs are two victories from matching the longest streak in franchise history. Cleveland has won 13 in a row three times, all with franchise icon LeBron James on the roster, last doing so from Nov. 11 to Dec. 6, 2017.
Bulls rally past Hawks
After trailing for most of the game, the Chicago Bulls stormed back in the second half to defeat the Atlanta Hawks 125-113, snapping a four-game losing streak.
Atlanta outscored Chicago 37-24 in the first quarter and led by as many as 18, but the Bulls started the fourth with a 14-3 run, took their first lead of the game, 104-101, with 7:35 left in regulation and never looked back.
Nikola Vucevic scored 18 points and had 12 rebounds. Zack LaVine and Coby White also scored 18 points, Josh Giddey added 13 and Patrick Williams tallied 10.
Trae Young had his third double-double in as many games with 14 points and 16 assists, but the effort was wasted for a second game in a row.
The Bulls trailed until midway through the fourth quarter when Jalen Smith's dunk gave Chicago its first lead, 102-101, with 8:04 left in regulation. Chicago did not trail for the remainder of the game.
Surging Clippers fend off Raptors
James Harden had 24 points and 12 rebounds, Norman Powell added 24 points and the Los Angeles Clippers barely hung on to beat the Toronto Raptors 105-103 for their fourth straight victory.
Ivica Zubac had 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Clippers, who have won three straight at Intuit Dome after starting 0-4 in their lavish new home.
Ochai Agbaji and Immanuel Quickley scored 21 points apiece for the Raptors, who have lost three straight and seven of eight.
After Quickley hit a tying 3-pointer with 39 seconds left, Powell and Harden combined to miss three of six free throws to leave the door open for Toronto. But Quickley and RJ Barrett both missed tough short shots under defensive pressure before Jakob Poeltl missed a putback attempt with 4.1 seconds left.
NBA stars Kevin Durant, Ja Morant and Zion Williamson are dealing with injuries and will be sidelined for a while.
Phoenix Suns forward Durant will miss at least two weeks with a strained left calf suffered in Friday night’s 114-113 win over the Dallas Mavericks.
The 17-year veteran is averaging 27.6 points per game this season on 55.3 percent shooting from the floor and 42.9 percent from 3-point range. His play is a big reason why the Suns have won seven straight and are off to an 8-1 start.
The Memphis Grizzlies will be without two-time All-Star guard Morant for at least a week due to an injured right hip.
He was seen on crutches Friday during Memphis' win over the Washington Wizards. He originally was announced as having hurt his right hamstring during Wednesday night's win over the Lakers.
The Grizzlies said further testing showed Morant, who was bumped in the air by a Lakers player while attempting to catch a lob in the third quarter, suffered an extreme right hip flexion. He suffered a partial posterior hip subluxation without a dislocation and multiple Grade 1 pelvic muscle strains.
The team says updates will be provided “as appropriate.”
Williamson is dealing with a left hamstring strain that will sideline him indefinitely, the New Orleans Pelicans announced Saturday.
The diagnosis comes one day after Williamson was scratched from the lineup for New Orleans' 115-88 loss in Orlando.
That was Williamson's fourth missed game in 10 this season.
Injuries are nothing new for Williamson, who has missed 210 out of a possible 400 regular-season games since the Pelicans selected him first overall out of Duke in the 2019 draft.
He has averaged 22.7 points, eight rebounds and 5.3 assists this season.
Coco Gauff explained how she kept her cool despite the helter-skelter nature of her WTA Finals clash with Qinwen Zheng.
Gauff prevailed 3-6 6-4 7-6 (7-2) in Riyadh on Saturday to become the youngest WTA Finals champion since 2004.
She was pushed all the way by Olympic champion Zheng, who led 5-3 at one stage in the decider and also clawed back four matchpoints before Gauff eventually got over the line.
"Tired, it's been a hard season," Gauff told Sky Sports after her victory.
"It was a really great match. Qinwen played some unbelievable tennis. I was just trying my best to hang in there and I never gave up.
"I was just telling myself, 'It's another point, another chance'. I've been in situations like this in the past and have been able to turn it around, and was able to do it again."
Gauff is the first player since Serena Williams (12, between 2013 and 2015) to win at least eight consecutive hard-court finals.
The 20-year-old collapsed on the court after her winning shot, something the American quipped she had mentally reserved for grand slam victories.
"At the end of the match, when I, like, fell on the floor, I didn't think I was going to do that," said Gauff, who has secured the year-end world number three ranking.
"I made a promise to myself that I will save that for grand slams. But honestly, to the way the match went, I was like, 'I'm just tired. I just want to lay on the ground.'
"I know I was like a couple of points away from losing, but, you know, I just tried to stay in the moment, honestly, and I'm really proud of myself."
For Zheng, it was a case of taking the positives from the first WTA Finals showpiece match that had to be settled by a third-set tie-break/
She said: "The match was very close, and then, you know, at the end, when you play this type of match, it's not about tennis, it's just about choices on court.
"When you lose a match, there's lessons you have to learn. So I would say it's a lot of positive things, because it's my first WTA Finals, but at the same time, I feel hurt to lose this match. But we will see. Maybe next time I will be better."
Coco Gauff triumphed over Qinwen Zheng after three sets to become the youngest WTA Finals champion in 20 years.
Having fallen behind in Saturday's final in Riyadh, Gauff bounced back to prevail 3-6 6-4 7-6 (7-2).
Gauff had squandered two match points when 6-5, 40-15 up in the decider, with Zheng clawing back to force a tie-break.
Yet, the American rediscovered her composure to cruise into a 5-0 lead, and though she saw another two match points fall by the wayside, Gauff got the job done at the fifth time of asking.
A short Zheng return clipped the top of the net, with Gauff scrambling from the baseline to meet it before flicking a forehand to the left of her opponent, with this year's Olympic champion unable to get there.
Gauff, who beat Iga Swiatek in the group stage and downed world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals, collapsed to the court in celebration, after winning what was the second-longest WTA Tour-level final of 2024.
Data Debrief: It's a marathon, not a sprint
Zheng made a blistering start, but despite going a break up in the second set, she could not maintain the momentum.
Gauff's wobble in the decider meant the WTA Finals championship match had to be decided by a third-set tie-break for the first time since the tournament's introduction in 1972.
At 20, Gauff is the youngest player to win the WTA Finals since Maria Sharapova in 2004, and the youngest American champion of the event since Serena Williams in 2001.
Only Nancy Richey and Anna Smashnova (10 each) have won more titles after their first 10 WTA Tour-level finals than Gauff (nine) in the Open Era.
Meanwhile, she is the first player since Williams (12, between the 2013 US Open and 2015 Cincinnati Open) to win at least eight consecutive hard-court finals, and the youngest to do so since Martina Hingis in 1998.
England captain Jamie George labelled his side's performance as "unforgivable" after their 42-37 defeat to Australia on Saturday.
The Red Rose came flying out of the blocks with two early tries from Chandler Cunningham-South before Australia hit back through Tom Wright and Harry Wilson at Twickenham.
Noah Lolesio's penalty ensured the Wallabies snatched a 20-18 lead at the break, only for England replacement Ollie Sleightholme to drag his side ahead with a brilliant double.
Andrew Kellaway and Mario Itoje exchanged late scores for either side before Max Jorgensen’s last-gasp try secured victory for Australia.
George lamented his side's defensive showing after ending on the wrong side of a high-scoring thriller.
"I think the blueprint of how we wanted to play was in the first 20 minutes," George told TNT Sport. "We put Australia under a lot of pressure. Sometimes in a Test match like that you think the job is done.
"We took our foot off the gas. Credit to Australia they were very good but we cannot keep doing that, it will be a tough one to watch back.
"It is a fine balance between closing up shop and trying to see out the win rather than attacking. We talk about being brave and courageous and that [Itoje] try was exactly that. We will look at being better.
"The system and the principle all work. We know it works, but we didn't quite get what we wanted out if it.
"Leaking 42 points at home is unforgivable. They got front-foot ball and then have some pretty good runners outside."
Saturday marked the first time England have lost four Test matches in a row since 2018, when they suffered five straight defeats under Eddie Jones.
England head coach Steve Borthwick echoed George's sentiment after the Autumn Nations Series defeat.
"Gutting. We made such a number of errors, and it gave opportunities to the opposition to run in tries and they did," he told TNT Sport.
"In terms of our mindset, you are seeing a team wanting to move the ball and we want that, but we have to understand the consequences of it, and we saw that here.
"We didn't give our defence the chance to show what it can do, there was so much turnover and loose ball that the system couldn't set itself.
"There'll be no shortage of motivation for next week for South Africa."
Amanda Pinkney’s pride in representing Jamaica is always clear, but for the goal-attack and her Sunshine Girls teammates, this Fast5 Netball World Series is especially meaningful.
For one, it is the first time many of the players are representing the island on the world stage, and while their chances of making the podium have evaporated after three opening defeats, Pinkney, who was a member of the team that placed fifth at last year’s tournament, believes they have enough quality to end on a high.
Pinkney’s team, which lost 19-39, 15-35, and 25-33 to New Zealand, England, and South Africa in that order on Friday’s opening day, will have Australia and Uganda to contend with in two more fast-paced encounters on Saturday that will demand every ounce of strength and strategy the team has cultivated.
“There’s nothing like the energy of representing Jamaica on a big stage, especially after the long international break. We’ve all worked hard individually to get here, and you can feel the chemistry building. So even though the results didn’t go our way on the first day, we gave it our best,” Pinkney told SportsMax.Tv from the team’s base in Christchurch, New Zealand.
“I always say that my biggest accomplishment is being able to represent Jamaica on the world stage because, in doing so, I can contribute to our team’s successes, like medaling at major tournaments. That is something I hold close to my heart, and I was hoping we could have medalled here; but again, things haven’t gone our way so far, and we will have to give it our all to overcome the challenge in the next two games,” she added.
Although the odds may seem daunting, the young and fairly inexperienced Jamaican side—fielding seven debutants—has shown flashes of their resilience and skill, particularly in their last contest against South Africa, a performance they will aim to build on in the last two games.
Australia are so far unbeaten, while England, South Africa, and New Zealand have won two matches each. Jamaica and Uganda are winless.
“Fast5 challenges us to be sharp, quick, and strategic, and going up against top teams really motivates us to give our best. We’re all driven to not only compete but to showcase our unique Sunshine Girls style,” Pinkney said.
“So now it’s just about executing better than we did in the first three games. That performance against South Africa is a good marker for us to work from, and so if we stay focused and play to our potential, I believe we have a great chance to at least finish with two wins,” she noted.
That said, the 24-year-old, who has tallied 28 goals in the tournament so far, has her sights set on a broader legacy in her career that she said has been shaped by both triumphs and trials.
However, these experiences, for Pinkney, have not only developed her skills but also instilled in her a deep resilience.
“Experiences, whether good or bad, have made me stronger because I view every situation as an opportunity to learn and grow, so I’m still in a good space mentally, and I know my teammates are too,” the bubbly player, who was a part of the historic CAC Games gold medal win last year, shared.
“I want to continue growing as a player and contributing to Jamaica’s success of being identified as a dominant force in netball and also, hopefully, to inspire the next generation of players. So I will take the lessons from this Fast5 tournament and keep pushing myself, improve my game, and aim to make my family and country proud in every tournament we play,” Pinkney ended.
Jason Kidd has slammed the Dallas Mavericks bench for not showing enough energy after they fell to a narrow defeat to the Phoenix Suns on Friday.
The Mavericks mounted a comeback, fighting back from a 63-50 half-time deficit, but fell agonisingly short in the 114-113 defeat to the Suns.
Luka Doncic had 30 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for Dallas, only to misfire on a long 3-point attempt at the buzzer that would have won the game, while Kyrie Irving added 29 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
The Mavericks have now alternated between losses and wins over a five-game stretch since their 3-1 start, and Kidd has demanded more from his bench if they want to stop that run.
"It's got to be addressed. We have talked about it, there's got to be some action, there's got to be some energy. We're f****** flat, that's where it starts," Kidd said.
"We got to be tough; no matter how many injuries we have or how small we are, right now we are not doing that. We will look at the tape, we will get back to seeing what we can do better.
"It's a team. It's not Luka and Kyrie and Klay Thompson. Others have to participate. I played the whole f****** team tonight, and we couldn't find anybody, so we had to leave those two to carry the load, and it's not fair to them this early in the season."
Meanwhile, the Suns have matched their best-ever start to an NBA season as their seven-game winning streak improved their record to 8-1.
Jusuf Nurkic scored Phoenix’s final five points, scoring the vital point with one of two free throws with 0.8 seconds left, snapping the 113-113 tie.
He finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds but says he is just happy to come away with a win, no matter the circumstances.
"A win is a win, man," said Nurkic. "I don't really care if it's [by] one point or 35.
"As long as you keep winning, that's great, because that's the best way to learn. Not through the losses. But also, it's good for fans, too. They're betting, all this stuff, so good luck with them figuring out how we're going to do it."
Kenny Atkinson says 10 is "kind of the magic number" after the Cleveland Cavaliers extended their perfect start to the NBA season against the Golden State Warriors.
The Cavs triumphed 136-117 on Friday, becoming the first team in NBA history to win their first 10 games and score at least 110 points in each of them.
It is already their best-ever start to a season in franchise history, and they are the first team to register a 10-0 record since the Warriors themselves in 2015-16.
Darius Garland went 6-of-11 from 3-point range while totalling 27 points, while Evan Mobley added 23. All-Star Donovan Mitchell managed just 12 points on 4-of-13 shooting.
The new coach has so far impressed since replacing J.B. Bickerstaff, using his squad depth wisely during their winning streak, and he was delighted to continue it against tough opposition.
"10-0 is something. It's kind of a magic number, right?" Atkinson said.
"I was worried about tonight because the Warriors are champions. That surprised me, how ready we were, how hungry we were. 10-0 is really something for our team."
Atkison previously spent three years as an assistant coach to Steve Kerr at the Warriors before moving to Cleveland.
The Cavs ended Golden State's five-game winning streak on Friday, but Kerr was full of praise for the way his former colleague has transformed the Cavs so far.
"This was a great job to get, just like mine was 10 years ago," Kerr said.
"Now you're just tweaking things and seeing where you can get better on the margins rather than trying to grow something organically. It's a perfect spot and Kenny has taken advantage.
"[They're] clearly one of the best teams in the league."
Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls faced a tough opening day at the Fast5 Netball World Series on Friday, as they lost all three of their opening encounters, but will be hoping for better fortunes on Saturday’s final day in Christchurch, New Zealand.
The young, relatively inexperienced Jamaican squad—fielding seven debutants—was visibly affected by the high-stakes atmosphere, showing early jitters and struggling to find their usual rhythm. Their opponents—New Zealand, England, and South Africa—capitalized on the team's early nerves and shaky play to clinch solid 39-19, 35-15, and 33-25 wins.
In their first game against the host nation, New Zealand, Jamaica faltered under the pressure and succumbed to a 20-goal blowout. The Sunshine Girls’ normally steady ball movement and confident shooting were absent as they grappled to find cohesion on the court before Amanda Pinkney eventually scored 13 goals and Simone Gordon, six.
New Zealand, buoyed by their home crowd, put Jamaica on the defensive from start to finish, with Martina Salmon scoring 17 goals, while Maia Wilson and Saviour Tui had 11 goals each.
Jamaica’s next matchup, against England, unfolded similarly as the shooting struggles persisted, and unforced errors cost them valuable scoring opportunities and inevitably resulted in another 20-goal defeat. Pinkney again led the way for the Jamaicans with nine goals, while Shadine Bartley had the other six.
England’s disciplined defence and polished offensive execution widened the gap, as Harriet Jones hit a solid 13 goals from as many attempts, with support from Sophie Egbaran (8 goals), Paige Reed (8 goals), and Sophie Kelly (6 goals).
However, the Jamaicans returned for their final game against South Africa determined and refocused, and it was evident in what was their best showing of the day.
The Sunshine Girls appeared more positive and organized across the court, as they found moments of fluidity in their movement and delivered some confident shots, giving fans a glimpse of the team's potential.
Despite ultimately falling short by eight goals, they had much to smile about as this time it was Bartley that led from the front with 12 goals, supported by Kestina Sturridge (7 goals) and Pinkney (six goals).
South Africa used their experience to good effect, as Zandre Smith scored 18 goals and Kamogelo Maseko had a perfect seven goals from seven attempts. Rolene Streukter, also scored seven goals, with Lefebre Rademan getting the other goal.
With the first day out the way, the Jamaicans will be hoping for better fortunes on the second day as they face reigning champions Australia, who are so far unbeaten in the tournament, and Uganda. However, fatigue could set in as playing fast-paced games involving four six-minute quarters against five of the world’s best teams is by no means easy.
Those games are scheduled for 6:00pm and 10:30pm Jamaica time.
NB: Fast5 action can be seen live on SportsMax and the SportsMax app.
Carlos Alcaraz said he arrives at the ATP Finals with "a lot of motivation" and is looking to make his mark in Turin next week.
Alcaraz, who claimed two grand slam titles at the French Open and Wimbledon this year, missed the event in 2022 after picking up an internal oblique muscle tear.
The Spaniard was then beaten in straight sets by Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals, though the Olympic champion has since withdrawn from this year's tournament with an ongoing injury issue.
Alcaraz, however, enters the year-end competition with a win-loss record of 52-11, with only Jannik Sinner (12) claiming more top 10 wins in 2024 than the 21-year-old (11).
“Last year was a difficult end of the year for me,” Alcaraz said. “I could not play at my best.
"The last two matches here were pretty good matches for me, but the previous two, three tournaments I didn’t play at my best, so I realised I had to change a little bit at this time of the year, which I did this year.
“I come here a little bit different. I approach this tournament a little differently, knowing there are things I have to change if I am to have a good result here and go far.
"Last year I didn’t start well from the first matches. I will try to play at the same level and will try to play good tennis. I am coming here with a lot of motivation.”
Alcaraz was drawn in the John Newcombe Group at the ATP Finals alongside Alexander Zverev, Casper Ruud and Andrey Rublev.
He will start against Ruud on Monday, but might face the strongest competition in the group from Zverev, who claimed his seventh Masters 1000 title at the Paris Masters.
Among the qualifiers for this year's event, Zverev (14) and Daniil Medvedev (11) are the only two to have recorded 10 or more match wins at the ATP Finals.
Alcaraz and Zverev have faced each other 10 times, winning five apiece, though Alcaraz has won the last two, including at Roland-Garros in the French Open showpiece.
“He is one of the toughest players in the world for sure,” Alcaraz said about Zverev.
“I think I return pretty well but he has a really big serve and plays unbelievable from the baseline, which makes him a really tough opponent to face.
“He has won more than 20 ATP Tour titles, lots of Masters titles. He wants a Grand Slam and I told him he is going to get it for sure.
"At the end of his career he will get at least one, let's see if more.
"He deserves it. He is a really hard worker. He has lifted the big trophies. I don’t like to face him because of his serves and shots, but I am trying to find the beauty of playing him.”
The Cleveland Cavaliers set a franchise record by building a 41-point half-time lead en route to their latest victory, a 136-117 drubbing of the Golden State Warriors on Friday.
Cleveland moved to 10-0 to extend the best-ever start in team history despite All-Star Donovan Mitchell managing just 12 points on 4-of-13 shooting. Plenty of other Cavaliers stepped up with the playmaking guard struggling, however, as Darius Garland went 6 of 11 from 3-point range while totalling 27 points and Evan Mobley put up 23 points in 26 minutes.
The Cavaliers, the first team in NBA history to open a season with 10 straight wins while scoring at least 110 points in each, also received 13 points and 12 rebounds from Jarrett Allen and 20 points on 7-of-8 shooting off the bench from Ty Jerome.
Cleveland also held Stephen Curry to just 12 points while putting an end to the Warriors' five-game winning streak.
Jonathan Kuminga led Golden State with 21 points, while fellow reserve Brandin Podziemski finished with 14 points and seven rebounds.
The Cavaliers began the game on a 20-2 run and never looked back, as they sped out to a 39-22 lead after one quarter before completely dominating the second.
Cleveland outscored the Warriors by a 44-20 margin in the next period to own an insurmountable 83-42 advantage at the intermission, which tied a franchise record for points in a half.
The Cavs shot 63.6 per cent (14 of 22) from 3-point range over the first two quarters, with Jerome and Isaac Okoro each tallying 13 first-half points and Garland and Mobley recording 11 apiece.
Nurkic's late surge lifts hot Suns over Mavericks
The Phoenix Suns are now on a seven-game winning streak after rallying in the fourth quarter for a 114-113 road victory over the Dallas Mavericks.
Jusuf Nurkic scored the Suns' final five points and snapped a 113-113 tie by making one of two free throws with 0.8 seconds left. The veteran centre was fouled after grabbing the rebound of team-mate Royce O'Neale's missed shot to set up the go-ahead point.
Nurkic finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Kevin Durant scored 26 points to help Phoenix improve to 8-1, which matches the 2009-10 team for the best start in franchise history.
Luka Dončić had 30 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for Dallas, but misfired on a long 3-point attempt at the buzzer.
Kyrie Irving compiled 29 points, seven rebounds and six assists for the reigning Western Conference champion Mavericks, who have alternated losses and wins over a five-game stretch since starting 3-1.
Dallas fought back from a 63-50 half-time deficit to take a 97-91 lead on Naji Marshall's layup with 7:47 remaining, but Bradley Beal had seven points during a 9-3 run that brought the Suns even at 100-100 with five minutes to go.
Nurkic scored on back-to-back possessions to give Phoenix a 113-111 edge with 31.4 seconds left. The Mavericks answered on their next trip down the court, however, as Doncic fed Daniel Gafford for a game-tying alley-oop dunk with 23.5 seconds left to play.
Thunder keep rolling with dominant win over Rockets
The Oklahoma City Thunder kept pace with the Suns atop the Western Conference by cruising to a 126-107 win over the Houston Rockets.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren each scored 29 points to help Oklahoma City (8-1) bounce back from its lone loss of the season, a 124-122 setback at Denver on Wednesday.
The Thunder also kept Houston's top two scorers in check, as Jalen Green was held to 14 points on 5-of-14 shooting and Alperen Sengun missed nine of 12 shots while finishing with 11 points.
Dillon Brooks led the Rockets, who had a two-game winning streak stopped, with 17 points.
After the teams played to a 31-31 tie through one quarter, the Thunder took control in the second by outscoring Houston by a 44-20 margin for the period.
Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren each had 10 points during the second quarter, and Oklahoma City shot 70 per cent from the field for the frame to go into half-time with a comfortable 75-51 lead.
The Thunder extended the margin to as many as 29 points in the third quarter, and Houston never got its deficit under 19 points the entire second half.
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
