Dallas Mavericks MVP hopeful Luka Doncic has always given the Los Angeles Clippers nightmares, and Tuesday was more of the same in a 103-101 home win.
Of the 30 NBA teams, only the Detroit Pistons have felt Doncic's wrath more than the Clippers, averaging 32.4 points in five games against Detroit, and 31.7 per game in a healthier 13-game sample size against Los Angeles.
That number went up again after the 23-year-old Slovenian sensation dropped a game-high 35 points on 11-of-22 shooting, adding 11 rebounds, five assists, three steals and the game-sealing three-pointer.
Leading 99-98 with 30 seconds remaining, Doncic gathered a loose-ball and drilled a deep three to jump ahead by four, putting the game to bed.
While Doncic was clearly the best player on the floor for the Mavericks – scoring over 30 points for the 11th time in 13 games this season – starting wing Dorian Finney-Smith was just as important to the final result, drilling a red-hot seven-of-13 threes to chip in 21 points.
For the Clippers, Paul George was not bad on the surface, posting 23 points (seven-of-13 shooting), seven rebounds and six assists, but he committed a career-high 10 turnovers after never having more than eight in his previous 859 games.
Brunson, Reddish get it done for the Knicks
After a scorching 10-3 start to the season, the Utah Jazz have now lost their past three games after going down 118-111 at home against the New York Knicks.
Knicks starting point guard Jalen Brunson was game's most valuable player, scoring 25 points on 10-of-20 shooting with eight assists and three steals, and it was another terrific showcase from Cam Reddish.
Fresh off his season-high 26 points during the Knicks' last time out, Reddish was awarded his fifth start of the campaign after starting no games last season.
He repaid the faith with another efficient showing, scoring 19 points on seven-of-13 shooting as he begins to fulfill the potential that saw him rated as one of the best prospects in the world heading into his draft year.
Kings score 153 points in regulation
The Sacramento Kings put up the biggest score in the league this season with a 153-121 drubbing of the Brooklyn Nets, scoring at least 36 points in every quarter.
It is eight points more than Oklahoma City in second place, after their 145-135 victory against the New York Knicks on Sunday.
They shot 60.2 per cent from the field (56-of-93), 48.8 per cent from long range (20-of-41) and had seven players in double-figures, led by Terence Davis off the bench with 31 (12-of-16 shooting).
It was the first time this season Ben Simmons has scored at least 10 points, finishing with 11, five rebounds, three assists and a steal in 20 minutes off the Nets bench.
The New Orleans Pelicans were missing offensive force Zion Williamson, but head coach Willie Green was ecstatic with the contributions he got from up-and-down his roster in their 113-102 home win against the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday.
C.J. McCollum assumed primary scorer responsibilities, dropping a team-high 30 points on 11-of-23 shooting while adding nine assists, and he was not alone in having a strong game.
Brandon Ingram was his usual efficient self with 19 points on seven-of-14 shooting, while second-year wing Trey Murphy III made the most of his starting opportunity by showcasing his deep range, hitting three-of-six three-pointers and finishing a big contested dunk.
NBA All-Defensive team shoo-in Herbert Jones scored more than half of his shots and defended all five positions, and their bench was also excellent.
Larry Nance Jr showcased his skills with 19 points (eight-of-10), seven rebounds, two assists and two blocks, backup point guard Jose Alvarado had 12 points (five-of-11) and six assists, and rookie Dyson Daniels continued to impress.
The 19-year-old, who was selected eighth overall, grabbed a team-high nine rebounds with a steal and a block in 17 minutes, earning praise from his head coach.
"[Daniels] and Herb [Jones] give you a comfort level when they're out on the floor," Green said. "He's only 19, but he doesn't play like it.
"He's been working. He stays in the gym working on his shot, he understands the game at a high level.
"We all feel comfortable putting him on the floor. I'm super excited about what he did tonight, and what he'll continue to do in the future."
Despite Williamson missing the game, Green opted to play starting centre Jonas Valanciunas only 13 minutes, telling reporters that he feels general manager David Griffin has assembled the weapons to give him the luxury to sit such an important piece based on matchups.
"It was a tough matchup game for 'JV'," he said. "Steven Adams played 13 minutes, JV played 13 minutes, so we had those guys matched up against each other.
"This was more of a smaller game, smaller fours and fives who are moving around, cutting, playing with force and pace. We tried to match their team in that way – it's something we've been working on.
"That's what the game is coming down to, guys who can play multiple positions, can handle the ball, can defend, can shoot the three-ball at a high clip,
"We put guys on the floor that can do all of those things – I'm thankful I get to coach this team. [Our front office] has done an amazing job of continuing to build our roster.
"Sky's the limit, we'll continue to build from here, but definitely grateful."
One of the best linebackers in all of football, Indianapolis Colts star Shaquille Leonard underwent another back surgery on Tuesday that is expected to end his season.
Leonard, 27, was a second-round draft pick in 2018 out of South Carolina State, and he burst onto the scene instantly, leading the NFL in solo and combined tackles in his first year en route to Defensive Rookie of the Year honours.
He was named first-team All-Pro as a rookie, second-team All-Pro as a sophomore, before following it with two more first-team selections in 2020 and 2021.
On a Hall-of-Fame trajectory, Leonard suffered a setback in the offseason as he went under the knife to address a nerve issue in his back, forcing him to miss the first three weeks of this campaign.
In his first game back, the man affectionately known as 'The Maniac' by Colts fans suffered a concussion and a broken nose, ruling him out of three more games before his next return in Week 8.
Unfortunately, in the lead-up to Week 10 he aggravated his lingering back issue, with the team deciding surgery was the best option.
In a video from his agent, Leonard addressed Colts fans and said he is "feeling good".
"What's up Colts nation," he said. "Just had back surgery. Feeling good – feeling great.
"Ready to get the recovery going and ready to get back out there. Let's get it."
The Colts have a 4-5-1 record and remain a playoff chance under new interim head coach Jeff Saturday.
The Denver Nuggets' reigning back-to-back league MVP Nikola Jokic has entered the league's health and safety protocols, ruling him out of Wednesday's game against the New York Knicks.
Jokic, 27, is averaging a career-high 8.9 assists per game to go with his 20.8 points and 9.5 rebounds, helping the Nuggets to a 9-4 record through their first 13 games.
Having won five of their past six games, the Nuggets will be without Jokic and second-year talent Bones Hyland, who is also in health and safety protocols.
They will have to clear the league's guidelines before being able to return to the floor, with a maximum of 10 days before they are automatically cleared.
The Nuggets head away from home to take on the Dallas Mavericks on both Friday and Sunday, before returning home to face the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday.
Fresh off one of their biggest wins in recent memory, the Washington Commanders are expected to activate star defensive end Chase Young from the physically unable to perform list before Sunday’s matchup against the Houston Texans.
Young tore his ACL and MCL in Week 14 of last season and returned to practice on November 2, giving the Commanders 21 days to activate him. He was not brought onto the active roster for either of the team’s previous two games, but he is likely to make his season debut in some capacity Sunday.
"We won’t play him unless we feel he’s ready to roll," Washington coach Ron Rivera said Saturday. "There are some things he’s not comfortable doing… you can see his frustration because he wants it to happen now."
There was hope that Young would be ready to play Monday at Philadelphia, but he still wasn’t doing everything at full speed. The Commanders ended the Eagles' unbeaten season with a surprising 32-21 victory even without him.
That gave Washington four wins in five games and left them at 5-5, squarely in the wild card race in the NFC.
Young was the second overall pick in the 2020 draft and was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year after he had 7.5 sacks, 44 tackles, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries, one of which he returned for a touchdown.
He wasn’t nearly as effective last season, with 1.5 sacks and 26 tackles in nine games before the season-ending injury.
Chicago Bears running back Khalil Herbert will miss at least the next month after the hip injury he suffered in Sunday's loss to the Detroit Lions resulted in him being placed on injured reserve.
A sixth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Herbert has quickly established himself as one of the most dynamic backs in the league, tied with the Dallas Cowboys' Tony Pollard for the top yards-per-carry mark in the league (6.0).
When Bears starter David Montgomery missed time earlier this season, Herbert showed what he can do as the main man, tallying 157 yards and two touchdowns from 20 carries to star in his team's win over the Houston Texans in Week 3.
Herbert's injury came late in the fourth quarter against the Lions as he fielded the final kick return, landing awkwardly on his hip and immediately leaving the game.
After his departure, Montgomery handled 100 per cent of the running back snaps, meaning unless the Bears decide they trust another runner, Montgomery could be in for a workhorse role in Week 11 on the road against the Atlanta Falcons.
Casper Ruud secured his place in the last four of the ATP Finals and ensured Carlos Alcaraz will be the year-ending world number one by beating Taylor Fritz on Tuesday.
Ruud made it two wins out of two in the Green Group to seal his semi-final spot with a 6-3 4-6 7-6 (8-6) defeat of Fritz in Turin.
The third seed eliminated Rafael Nadal when he won the first set and in doing so guaranteed that injured 19-year-old Alcaraz will be the youngest player to be at the top of the ATP rankings at the end of a year.
Ruud stormed into a 3-0 lead and did not allow Fritz a way back into the first set, but the American broke for the first time to level the match when his opponent was serving to stay in the second.
The battling Fritz fended off two break points in the fifth game of the deciding set and saved two match points as he fought back from 5-1 down in the tie-break to draw level at 6-6.
Norwegian Ruud was not to be denied, though, becoming the first player to reach the semi-finals when eighth seed Fritz drilled a forehand long at the Palbata Alpitour.
Fritz will do battle with Felix Auger-Aliassime on Thursday for a place in the last four.
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Ruud - 14/3
Fritz - 15/0
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Ruud - 36/4
Fritz - 36/1
BREAK POINTS WON
Ruud - 1/5
Auger-Aliassime - 1/4
The Los Angeles Rams' Super Bowl title defence has become significantly more difficult with star wide receiver Cooper Kupp heading to injured reserve.
Coach Sean McVay told reporters on Tuesday that the 2021 AP Offensive Player of the Year will undergo tightrope surgery for his high-ankle sprain.
The recovery time is expected to be about five to six weeks, meaning it is possible Kupp could return for one of the Rams’ final few games.
It is also possible, however, the Rams ultimately decide to shut him down for the rest of the season if they are out of the playoff picture.
The Rams fell to 3-6 after Sunday’s 27-17 home loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
Kupp was injured against the Cardinals when he jumped in an attempt to make a catch and his right ankle was rolled over by a defender upon landing.
He has been one of the few bright spots in the Rams offence, ranking second in the NFL in receptions (75) and fifth in both receiving yards (812) and receiving touchdowns (6).
"Obviously you never ever replace a player like Cooper Kupp, but we've got to figure out the best way to accentuate the skill sets of the guys that will be playing," McVay said.
In 2021, Kupp became just the fifth player in the Super Bowl era to lead the NFL in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
He played a crucial role in the Rams’ run to the Super Bowl, catching 33 passes for 478 yards and six touchdowns in four playoff contests, including eight receptions for 92 yards and a pair of TDs in the title game.
Although he is enjoying another stellar season, the Rams rank 29th in scoring (16.4 points per game) and 31st in total yards (282.7 per game).
Allen Robinson and Van Jefferson will likely see larger roles in the offence in Kupp’s absence.
Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane will be out for up to three weeks with a toe injury.
Bane did the damage to his right big toe during a 114-103 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves at FedExForum last Friday.
The Grizzlies on Tuesday revealed Bane will be sidelined for at least a fortnight.
A statement released by the franchise said: "After further evaluation, it was determined that Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane suffered a Grade 2 sprain of his right big toe during the November 11 game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Bane will be re-evaluated in 2-3 weeks."
Bane is averaging a career-high 24.7 points, 4.8 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game for Memphis in an impressive season to date.
The Grizzlies are fourth in the Western Conference at 9-5 ahead of a meeting with the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday.
Rafael Nadal is not certain he will return to his very best form and full fitness in 2023 – but he has no doubt he will give it his very best shot.
The veteran Spaniard went down 6-3 6-4 to Felix Auger-Aliassime on Tuesday at the ATP Finals, his second defeat in the round-robin group stage and a fourth consecutive loss overall.
This season began in stunning style for Nadal as he won the Australian Open and followed that with a 14th French Open title, taking his tally of grand slams to 22 - a record haul for a male singles player.
However, Nadal has a serious ongoing foot problem, and the 36-year-old had to withdraw from Wimbledon prior to a semi-final against Nick Kyrgios after suffering a torn abdomen.
Injuries have prevented him playing a full season, and he was clearly not at his best against Auger-Aliassime, who has Nadal's uncle, Toni Nadal, on his coaching team.
Asked whether he will take an optimistic or doubtful approach into next season, Nadal said: "You can be both ways. You can be optimistic and have doubts. Why not?
"For me the doubts, as I said plenty of times, are very good in this world. People who don't have doubts, it is probably because they are too arrogant, from my point of view.
"If you are not optimistic or positive, it's impossible that things are going to go the proper way. That's my point of view and that's my approach."
He will hope to make a strong start to the new campaign in Australia, and will put in the work to give himself every chance of showing up in shape to win again.
"I just need to recover all these positive feelings and all this confidence and all this strong mentality that I need to be at the level that I want to be," Nadal said.
"And I don't know if I'm going to reach that level again. But what I don't have any doubt about is that I'm going to die for it."
He will round off his round-robin campaign against Casper Ruud in Turin on Thursday, facing the young Norwegian he crushed in the French Open final.
Once he returns to his Mallorca home, Nadal can look at what lies ahead.
"What can happen in Australia? I don't know. It's a month and a half away," Nadal said.
"What can I do to give myself a positive chance to have a good season next year? As always, be humble enough to accept that I have a challenge in front, that the last six months have been very difficult for me.
"I need to work more and I need to recover things that I lost because I was not able to practice the proper way, I was not able to compete the proper way.
"What I have to do now is come back, work hard, stay positive every single day, accept the challenge, accept that I am going to need to suffer a little bit more."
Ferrari have denied reports they are preparing to replace team principal Mattia Binotto with Alfa Romeo's Frederic Vasseur.
The Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper claims the Italian team have decided to end Binotto's spell at the helm after four seasons.
Binotto, 53, has overseen a period where Ferrari have often struggled against the might of the Mercedes and Red Bull teams.
Charles Leclerc sits second in the drivers' championship this season, level on points with Sergio Perez but a long way behind Max Verstappen, who has clinched the title.
As a team, Ferrari sit second ahead of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. They are narrowly ahead of Mercedes but a huge 195 points adrift of Red Bull.
Leclerc finished fourth in Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix, with Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz taking third place.
Ferrari said in a team statement on Tuesday: "In relation to speculation in certain media regarding Scuderia Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto's position, Ferrari states that these rumours are totally without foundation."
Vasseur, 54, is team principal of the Alfa Romeo team, with the famous marque having returned to Formula One in 2018 in a tie-up with Sauber. Alfa Romeo plans to end its association with Sauber at the end of 2023.
Kimi Raikkonen was Ferrari's last drivers' champion in 2007, while the team last won the constructors' championship in 2008.
Rafael Nadal lost to Felix Auger-Aliassime for the first time as his poor run of results continued at the ATP Finals in Turin, where he looks set for a group-stage exit.
In the Green Group, Auger-Aliassime ran out a 6-3 6-4 winner over the 22-time grand slam champion, whose uncle Toni Nadal is on his opponent's coaching team.
Nadal came to Italy with a chance to snatch the year-end number one ranking from Carlos Alcaraz but needed to win this tournament, and defeats to Taylor Fritz and now Auger-Aliassime have almost quashed that prospect.
On Tuesday, the 36-year-old suffered a fourth successive singles defeat, which began with a US Open last-16 exit to Frances Tiafoe and was followed at the Paris Masters by a loss to Tommy Paul.
Auger-Aliassime was beaten in his opening match by Casper Ruud, but he came from 40-0 behind to break for a 5-3 lead in the opener of this contest, before serving out for the set comfortably enough. A break early in the second set put him on course to wrap up the match, with Nadal struggling to make an impact.
This was just a third meeting between Nadal and Auger-Aliassime on the ATP Tour, with Nadal winning both previous contests, including an epic five-set contest in the French Open fourth round in May.
The result this time, however, means Nadal has lost consecutive matches in the round-robin stage of the ATP Finals for the first time since 2011. With a 0-2 record, his only remaining hope of progress hinged on Ruud losing to Fritz later on Tuesday, which would offer Nadal a slim hope going into his final Green Group match against Ruud.
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Auger-Aliassime - 15/2
Nadal - 1/4
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Auger-Aliassime - 32/2
Nadal - 13/4
BREAK POINTS WON
Auger-Aliassime - 2/4
Nadal - 0/5
The Golden State Warriors have a chance to reaffirm themselves as the heavyweights in the Western Conference on Wednesday when the defending NBA champions visit the Phoenix Suns.
Steve Kerr's team have endured a difficult start to their bid to win back-to-back titles, going 6-8 across their opening 14 games.
But they produced one of their best performances of the season on Monday, crushing the San Antonio Spurs 132-95.
A meeting with the Suns, seen as one of the primary challengers to Golden State in the West going into the season, my provide a more accurate indication of whether the Warriors have turned things around.
Phoenix lost a thriller with the Miami Heat on Monday, losing 113-112 on the road to drop to 8-5 but had little issue knocking off the Warriors in their first meeting this season on October 25, prevailing 134-105.
Veteran point guard Chris Paul has missed the last three games with a heel problem, and it remains to be seen if he will be healthy to play against the Warriors.
However, even without Paul the Suns possess one of the most talented rosters in the league, and with Devin Booker continuing his outstanding form from last season, they are well-equipped to trouble a Warriors team that has yet to win on the road this campaign.
PIVOTAL PERFORMERS
Phoenix Suns - Devin Booker
Through 13 games, Booker has the highest offensive rating of his career (117.2) while his effective field goal percentage of 53.5 is his best since the 2019-20 season (54.4).
His 26.5 points per game rank 11th in the NBA, and his ability to maintain that efficiency will be key against a Warriors team whose problems have predominantly been on defense.
Golden State Warriors - Jordan Poole
Poole scored 36 points after being inserted into the starting lineup as Klay Thompson was rested against San Antonio, making a compelling argument for becoming a permanent fixture in the Warriors' starting five.
Kerr is not ready to make the that move, but, after the spark he gave Golden State last time out, Poole could play a more prominent role in a game that may yet be a preview of the Western Conference Finals if the Warriors can get back on track.
KEY BATTLE - Can Warriors find a winning bench combination?
The main issue with the Warriors does not concern their starting five, but their youthful bench.
Indeed, the Warriors' bench has an average plus-minus of minus 4.9, the worst in the NBA, their issues in that regard exemplified by Golden State sending former second overall pick James Wiseman to the G-League.
By contrast, the Suns' bench ranks sixth in the league with an average plus-minus of plus-1.5. If the Warriors cannot find a way to narrow that gap, it could be another difficult night for the champions.
HEAD TO HEAD
The Warriors and Suns split the season series in 2021-22, each winning once at home and once on the road. Recent history favours the Suns, though, with the Warriors having lost five of their last seven against Phoenix on the road, including the blowout defeat in Arizona last month.
Tyson Fury says it would be "an absolute dying travesty" if he does not fight Anthony Joshua before he hangs up his gloves for good.
The WBC heavyweight champion has been touted for a match-up with his fellow Briton for a number of years, only to see each attempt to set up a bout fall short.
A fight looked closer than ever earlier this year before another breakdown in negotiations, leaving Fury instead to set up another fight with Derek Chisora next month.
Though Fury has retired, or indicated he would quit, multiple times before, the 34-year-old now says he will not depart from the sport before he fights his rival.
"I don't think I can retire today," he told The High Performance podcast. "Because I need that Joshua fight. We have been trying to make that fight for years.
"It's the fight that people want to see. It's the fight that I want to see as a boxing fan.
"I think it would be an absolute dying travesty if me and Joshua didn't fight in this era."
Elsewhere, Fury spoke about the fresh wave of talent in the heavyweight division, led by Oleksandr Usyk, that has emerged around him, and how he sometimes wonders whether he still has the fight in him.
"For the last four or five years, there has been this three-headed monster: me, [Deontay] Wilder, Joshua," he added.
"Joshua and Wilder have been slain, and I'm the last one standing.
"All of a sudden, you've got some new people coming up now - Joe Joyce, Daniel Dubois, and Usyk's gate-crashed the party.
"Now there's a load of new blood that wasn't there five years ago and it's like, 'Can you beat this person?'."
Fury will fight Chisora at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 3.
Rory McIlroy has called for Greg Norman to leave his role as chief executive of the LIV Golf Invitational Series to end the "stalemate" engulfing the sport.
World number one McIlroy has been one of the most prominent critics of the controversial Saudi Arabia-backed circuit, which is locked in legal cases against both the PGA and DP World Tours.
McIlroy called for LIV to do more to end the bitter feud between the circuits in September, declaring: "the ball is in their court".
However, Norman said he had "no interest" in sitting down for talks with the PGA that same month and McIlroy believes his presence is harming the sport.
"Greg needs to go. He needs to exit stage left," McIlroy said ahead of the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
"He's made his mark, but I think now is the right time to say you've got this thing off the ground but no one's going to talk unless there's an adult in the room that can actually try to mend fences.
"There are obviously two lawsuits going on at the minute. There's the PGA Tour versus LIV and there's obviously this one that's coming up with the DP World Tour in February.
"Nothing can happen if those two things are going on. Right now, it is a bit of a stalemate."
The need to compete with LIV Golf has prompted the PGA Tour to increase prize funds for next year, leading Norman to suggest McIlroy and Tiger Woods – another critic of LIV Golf – should be "thankful" for what the breakaway circuit has brought to the game.
However, McIlroy believes everyone in golf should instead direct their gratitude towards 15-time major champion Woods.
"I've said this a million times, Tiger is the reason that we are playing for as much as we are playing for," McIlroy added. "Tiger is the reason that the stature of our game is where it is.
"The generation of Tiger and the generation coming after Tiger have all benefited from him and his achievements and what he's done for the game of golf.
"I don't think Tiger should be thankful to anyone for anything. I think everyone else in the game should be thankful."
Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez's disagreement at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix has left former world champion Jenson Button "amazed" over potential discord in the Red Bull garage.
The pair were involved in late drama during Sunday's race, when the Dutchman defied team orders and refused to cede a place to his team-mate in the closing stages at Interlagos.
Vertsappen, who has wrapped up a second consecutive drivers' championship already, denied Perez the chance to move second in the standings ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc with his move.
The incident prompted cryptic but heated comments from both men, and now Button - who won the 2009 title with Brawn - has mused on the reasons behind their spat.
"I'm more amazed by [Perez's] comment, I love it, 'Shows who he really is'," Button said on the Sky Sports programme Any Driven Monday.
"It's a tricky one because we just hear one side of it, we don't hear what his reasons are.
"It doesn't come across well, and when you hear his comments saying 'No I'm not letting him past, I've got my reasons', if we don't hear the reasons we think Max is being selfish, he's not thinking about the team or his team-mate.
"I did see something in the media, I don't know if it's factual, but I think he was very upset about the Monaco Grand Prix qualifying where [Perez] ended up in the wall.
"Maybe that's his reason for not wanting to give the place up, because it hurt his qualifying in Monaco and maybe he thought [Perez] found the wall easier than he should have."
A qualifying crash for Perez prevented a potential pole position for Verstappen in Monaco, where the Mexican ultimately went on to win.
It has been suggested the Dutchman's actions have been in response to that, though Perez has since respected team orders on multiple occasions to give his fellow Red Bull man a race advantage this season.
Ron Rivera hailed the unity of his Washington Commanders players after they handed the Philadelphia Eagles their first loss of the season following a turbulent week.
The Commanders stunned the NFL's only remaining unbeaten team, claiming a 32-21 win at Lincoln Financial Field.
Washington dominated the game on the ground, finishing with 157 rushing yards as they controlled the clock, holding the ball for more than 40 minutes and limiting the Eagles to under 20 minutes of possession.
"We found that one of the best ways to slow [Eagles quarterback] Jalen Hurts down is to keep him off the field," Rivera said.
Rivera was emotional after the win, which came just weeks after the death of his mother.
It also came amid more controversy surrounding the team's ownership.
Last week, the attorney general for Washington, D.C. announced he had filed a civil lawsuit against the Commanders, owner Daniel Snyder, the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell for allegedly colluding to deceive fans and district residents over the NFL's investigation into the franchise's toxic workplace culture and allegations of sexual assault.
The Commanders then received widespread criticism for responding to the attorney general with a statement referencing the shooting of running back Brian Robinson Jr. in an attempted robbery in August.
Robinson has since returned to the field after recovering from his injuries, and it was he who played a leading role in the win over the Eagles.
The rookie rushed for 86 yards and a touchdown as the Commanders made it four wins in their last five.
"In a situation like this, I've always thought that we've got the kind of guys in that locker room that can do things, and we're starting to see it come together," added Rivera.
"It meant a lot because the guys were able to stay focused. It resonates with these guys, the hard work is beginning to pay off.
"Coming into this game we felt we had an opportunity. We told the guys don't worry what's going on out there, just stay focused on what's important; I'll handle all the interesting stuff. They did that. We went into it with the attitude, 'Don't be surprised.'"
Plenty may be surprised to see the Commanders firmly in the playoff mix at 5-5, but Rivera is keen for his team not to get ahead of themselves.
He explained: "We can't just sit back and say we've arrived, because we have not arrived."
Steve Kerr hailed the "pretty amazing" performance of Jordan Poole as the Golden State Warriors routed the San Antonio Spurs but is not planning changes to his starting line-up at this point.
Poole had endured an indifferent start to the season but was influential in Monday's 132-95 win, which saw Klay Thompson rested.
Finishing with a season-best 36 points on the back of 13-for-20 shooting and five three-pointers, Poole was sat down with a little over eight minutes remaining and earned an ovation from the home crowd at Chase Center.
"Jordan was pretty amazing offensively," Warriors head coach Kerr said. "He got it rolling right away."
This was the Warriors' best performance of the season and one that sees the defending champions improve to 6-8 in a campaign that has yet to truly catch fire.
However, Kerr said any thoughts of bumping Poole permanently into the starting five at the expense of Thompson are a little premature.
"No, it's not something I'm thinking about," Kerr said.
"Our starting five with Klay has been really good this year. The bigger thing is finding the right combinations off the bench."
Poole's performance came on an even more special night, given it coincided with the launch of his "Poole Party" bobblehead.
"I love it, it's absolutely amazing. It's my first one. It's really a special accomplishment. It’s an honour. I'm glad it came out the way it did," he said.
It was also confirmed on Monday that James Wiseman will spend some time with Golden State's G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors.
The number two overall pick in the 2020 draft had not played in any of the three games prior to the Spurs win, where he had two points, two rebounds and three assists in eight minutes.
Wiseman's career in the NBA has been somewhat stop-start with this just his 50th game in three years. Having appeared in 27 during his rookie year, he missed the entirety of last season due to complications from a meniscus injury - bar three outings in the G League.
Asked about the decision, Kerr said: "He needs reps. He needs to play. It's not easy when you don't get minutes."
Wiseman said he is not viewing the call as a step back.
"I don't look at this as a demotion. I'm just ready to go out there and hoop," he said.
It was a move that proved beneficial for Poole earlier in this career. He played 11 games in the 2020-21 season with Santa Cruz, averaging 22.4 points, and had some words of encouragement for his team-mate.
"I'm telling [Wiseman] this is not a demotion. This is not a punishment," Poole said.
"I'm telling him to go down there and take 50 shots, be aggressive, get techs, hang on the rim, do it all. Just so he can understand what he wants to be at the highest level. This is just a step in that direction."
The MLB announced more award winners on Monday, with budding Seattle Mariners superstar Julio Rodriguez named the American League Rookie of the year, while the National League version went to Atlanta Braves center-fielder Michael Harris II.
It is the third major honour bestowed upon the 21-year-old Rodriguez in his first year, as he was also named as the only rookie to make the All-Star game, and last week became one of the three AL outfielders to win a Silver Slugger.
Batting .284 with an OPS of .853, Rodriguez became the only first-year player to ever tally at least 25 home runs and at least 25 stolen bases.
He was one first-place vote away from taking the AL's best rookie unanimously, claiming 29 of the 30 first-place votes, with the other going to impressive Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman.
Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan was a clear third, with the Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr and the Houston Astros' World Series MVP Jeremy Pena also collecting some third-place votes.
In the National League, Harris received 22 of the 30 first-place votes, and the other eight went to his Braves teammate, starting pitcher Spencer Strider.
Strider's 202 strikeouts was 11th-most in the majors, and his rate of 13.8 strikeouts per nine innings was the best figure among starting pitchers this season.
However, voters preferred what Harris could provide every day with the bat and glove, batting .297 with an identical OPS to Rodriguez at .853. He also hit 19 home runs with 20 stolen bases, and boasted a fielding percentage of .992, with two errors from 257 chances.
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