The San Francisco 49ers have been handed a twin boost ahead of Sunday's NFC Championship Game against the Los Angeles Rams with Deebo Samuel and Jimmy Garoppolo taken off their injury report.
Samuel took a helmet to his knee late in the 49ers' win over the Green Bay Packers but was a full participant at practice on Wednesday.
Quarterback Garoppolo has been battling shoulder and thumb complaints, but he also did not appear on the injury report.
"I'm sure it's pretty good," 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters on Wednesday.
"I hear about the thumb more than the shoulder, so that's off the injury report now, so I guess we're good."
Left tackle Trent Williams is in some doubt for the Rams game due to a right ankle issue sustained against the Packers.
"In Trent's mind, there's no way he is not playing," Shanahan said. "That's why he was so crushed last game because he believed he would and his body wouldn't let him.
"Hopefully we'll have some better luck this game. But I know he believes he's playing and so do I, so we'll see how that pans out as the week goes. If he can, he will."
The Phoenix Suns recorded their eighth consecutive victory as they defeated the Utah Jazz 105-97 with Devin Booker producing another 40-point game on Wednesday.
Booker had 43 points, 12 rebounds and four assists after a first-quarter scoring blitz as the Suns opened up an early 39-18 lead.
Chris Paul (21 points) added some key points down the stretch as the Jazz rallied in the last quarter.
The 25-year-old shooting guard recorded his 16th career 40-point game, moving past Amar'e Stoudemire for most in Suns franchise history, sitting ahead of Tom Chambers and Walter Davis too.
The victory means the table-topping Suns improve to 38-9 overall and 8-0 on the road this calendar year.
Hornets break records in Pacers rout
The Charlotte Hornets set a franchise record for single game scoring and produced the highest points total this season as they downed the Indiana Pacers 158-126. The Hornets hit 24 three-pointers, with LaMelo Ball (29 points, 10 rebounds, 13 assists) and Kelly Oubre Jr (39 points) starring.
The Cleveland Cavaliers underlined their credentials as contenders with a 115-99 win over the champions Milwaukee Bucks. The Cavs moved above the Bucks with their eighth win in their past nine games, with Kevin Love scoring 25 points. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 26 points and nine rebounds for the Bucks.
Ja Morant was exceptional with 41 points, five rebounds and eight assists as the Memphis Grizzlies won 118-110 over the San Antonio Spurs, while Nikola Jokic (26 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists) led the Denver Nuggets past the depleted Brooklyn Nets 124-118. James Harden was out with hamstring tightness.
Bulls wayward but winners
The Chicago Bulls only managed seven three-pointers, shooting at 26.9 percent from beyond the arc yet they won 111-105 over the Toronto Raptors. The Bulls had lost six of seven but have steadied to win their past two, with DeMar DeRozan having 29 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis' dream run in the Australian Open men's doubles continued, reaching the final on Thursday.
Kyrgios and Kokkinakis stunned third seeds Horacio Zeballos and Marcel Granollers 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 in their semi-final on Rod Laver Arena.
The talented duo have beaten four seeded pairs on their way to the decider, where Australians Matt Ebden and Max Purcell await.
For the first time since 1980, it will be an all-Australian final in the men's doubles at the year's opening grand slam.
Dubbed the 'Special Ks', the pair took a tough first-set tie-break before being pulled back after leading the second set 4-1.
But Kyrgios and Kokkinakis sealed their win when the latter delivered a wonderful lob, sparking their celebrations in front of a strong Rod Laver Arena crowd.
Ebden and Purcell upset second seeds Joe Salisbury and Rajeev Ram 6-3 7-6 (11-9) in the other semi-final.
Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash has provided injury updates on James Harden and Kevin Durant after reports that the latter would be out until after the All-Star Game.
Harden missed Wednesday's 124-118 loss to the Denver Nuggets with "hamstring tightness" while Durant has not played since spraining his MCL on January 15.
The Nets did not provide a timeframe on Durant's return although ESPN claimed it would be between four and six weeks.
ESPN also reporting this week that Durant would miss the All-Star Game scheduled for February 20 although Nash did not confirm that.
"We'll re-evaluate in the next week or so," Nash said at the post-game news conference. "We’ll see how his rehab goes and what the re-evaluations tell us."
Durant is currently averaging 29.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists through 36 games this season.
Harden has averaged 23.0 points, 8.1 rebounds and 10.1 assists this season, but is also averaging 37 minutes per game with the absences of Durant and Kyrie Irving impacting his on-court time.
"I think we're all hopeful he'll play next game," Nash said about Harden with the Nets to play the Golden State Warriors on Saturday.
"It's day to day, so we'll see. It's likely, probable and we're all very hopeful that he'll be ready to go."
Cameron Thomas top scored with 25 points against the Nuggets, while Patty Mills impressed with 21 points, three rebounds and six assists.
The defeat leaves the Nets with a 29-19 record having lost three in a row, slipping to fourth in the east.
"Details. We're proud of the guys' effort, but details, we talked about them last night," Nash said.
"Part of that, is we had some guys play together who've not played many minutes together over the last few years so there's some cohesion that is lacking and some understanding and familiarity lacking.
"That's where we have to improve especially with guys out of the lineup."
Billy Horschel leads the way after the opening day of the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego with world number one Jon Rahm the best of the big names in the field.
Horschel leads by one stroke from Michael Thompson after the 35-year-old American carded a bogey-free nine-under-par 63 on the North Course at Torrey Pines.
World number 23 Thompson also went bogey free on Thursday, birdieing four of his first five holes to jump out of the blocks, before birdies on the 17th and 18th holes rounded out a strong day.
Stephan Jaeger and Kevin Tway are seven-under-par, with Rahm on six-under-par alongside three others players; Rickie Fowler, Doug Ghim and Francesco Molinari.
Rahm's round on the South Course included two bogeys and six birdies but he jumped up the leaderboard with an eagle on the 18th.
Sam Burns, Daniel Berger and Tony Finau are among a group of players tied at five-under while Justin Thomas started with a four-under-par 64 but had five birdies on his front nine before two bogeys in his final five holes.
Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Xander Schauffele and 2020 Masters champion Dustin Johnson are also four under.
A bleach-blonde Brooks Koepka had two bogeys and four birdies to be two under, alongside three-time major winner Jordan Spieth and 2020 US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau.
UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou will require surgery to repair MCL and ACL injuries, his manager has confirmed.
Ngannou retained his heavyweight title with a unanimous decision victory over Ciryl Gane in Anaheim on Saturday.
The 35-year-old got the better of his former training partner Gane for the first victory by decision of his 17-3-0 UFC career.
Ngannou then revealed he had actually torn his MCL and damaged his ACL while sparring in preparation for the fight.
His manager, Marquel Martin, told ESPN on Wednesday that Ngannou will spend some time resting back home in his native Cameroon and that the "plan" is to have surgery once he returns to the United States.
It is estimated Ngannou will be out for nine months recovering from the injuries.
"I continue to be amazed and inspired by Francis' heart and resilience," Martin said.
"Fighting on one leg to overcome all odds and remind the world he is the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. I think we can all agree he deserves some time to go back home and be with his family and countrymen.
"Upon his return, we plan on getting surgery and starting the recovery process so we can get him back to 100 percent as soon as possible.
"In the meantime, we hope we can find a peaceful resolution in these contract talks [with the UFC]. We'd like to thank all the fans for their continued support and belief in Francis."
Joe Schoen is "really excited" to help Daniel Jones "put his best foot forward", with the New York Giants set to stick with their quarterback after ruling out a Deshaun Watson trade.
Schoen has been hired as the new Giants general manager and has plenty of work to do to make the team challengers once more.
The former Buffalo Bills assistant GM will at least be able to name his own head coach, with Joe Judge out after a 4-13 2021 season, but he may not have the same flexibility elsewhere. The Giants are over the salary cap for 2022.
As Schoen attempts to operate on a budget, he will not immediately be looking for an upgrade under center.
Having been a surprise selection with the sixth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Jones initially impressed with 24 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions in 13 games (12 starts) in his rookie year.
The quarterback has since struggled to build on that performance, however, tossing only 21 TD passes across the past two seasons combined.
Many would suggest it is time for the Giants to move away from Jones, but Schoen, it seems, would rather work to get the best out of a 24-year-old who threw an accurate, well-thrown pass with 80.3 per cent of his attempts this season.
That mark ranked ahead of three of the four quarterbacks still alive in the playoffs; Joe Burrow's 86.5 per cent led the league (minimum 100 attempts).
"I've looked at Daniel," Schoen said as he met the media in his new role on Wednesday – with Jones in attendance.
"Once the new staff gets in here, we're going to get together – offensive coordinator, head coach, the entire staff – dive into the film as a group and look at what Daniel does best, and we're going to try to allow him to put his best foot forward.
"I've looked at him. I wasn't here in the past, so I don't exactly know what he was told to do, but I do know this: I know he's a great kid.
"He's been in this building the last two days. I've talked to him. There's not anybody in this building that's said a bad word about his work ethic, passion, desire to win, and I think you've got to have those traits as a quarterback.
"The kid has physical ability. He's got arm strength, he's athletic, he can run. I'm really excited to work with Daniel.
"Again, when the new staff gets in here, we'll build an offense around Daniel to accentuate what he does best."
Jones also has the backing of Giants co-owner John Mara, who accepted the team had "done everything possible to screw this kid up".
And Mara assured there would be no move for wantaway Houston Texans QB Watson.
Watson pushed for a trade before the 2021 season and instead spent the year on the sideline as the subject of police and NFL investigations into sexual assault and misconduct allegations, facing 22 civil lawsuits.
"We're not trading for Deshaun Watson," Mara said. "There are so many reasons why we wouldn't do that.
"Cap-wise, we couldn't afford it, but more importantly with the allegations that are out there right now, that's just not the right fit for us."
Tyson Fury has told Dillian Whyte to "step up and take your beating" after an extension was granted for the two fighters' camps to agree on the terms of a bout.
Fury and Whyte were permitted an additional 48 hours by the World Boxing Council (WBC) to negotiate their fight before purse bids are made.
The deadline had been 6pm on Wednesday but has now been pushed back two days, though the WBC confirmed that it would be the final extension.
A statement posted on the WBC's website said: "The World Boxing Council has received once again requests from the teams of Tyson Fury and Dillian Whyte, to extend the period of free negotiations.
"The WBC has granted this final extension and If there is no agreement, a purse bid will be held this coming Friday, January 28."
Whyte is the mandatory challenger for Fury's WBC heavyweight title but is currently in arbitration with the governing body.
After the announcement of the extension, Fury took to Twitter to say: "Time to step up and take your beating."
Fury's camp had previously made it known they wanted Anthony Joshua to step aside from his planned rematch with Oleksandr Usyk after the latter's triumph in September, which would allow the WBC champion to go up against the Ukrainian in a unification bout.
The Telegraph reported that Joshua had agreed to forego the rematch for a fee of £15million, though the former world champion denied claims a deal had been struck.
In a video posted to his official social media channels on Tuesday, Fury made it clear that he had had enough of waiting, saying: "Tick tick tock. The time has run out of the bottle. You're all getting a good hiding – cowards."
Brandon Brooks, the Philadelphia Eagles' right guard in their Super Bowl LII success, has announced his retirement.
Brooks, who was a third-round pick for the Houston Texans in 2012, moved to Philadelphia in 2016 and enjoyed great success.
The guard was a three-time Pro Bowl selection – in 2017, 2018 and 2019 – and played his part in the championship triumph against the New England Patriots in February 2018.
However, Brooks subsequently suffered a series of injury setbacks.
Although the player recovered from a torn right Achilles tendon in the following postseason to play every game in 2019, a tear to his left Achilles kept him on the sideline throughout 2020.
And a 2021 return lasted only two weeks before Brooks sustained a torn pectoral muscle, ultimately ending his career.
"After all of these injuries, I just realised: at what point do you listen to your body?" the 32-year-old said on Wednesday.
"I think my body was just telling me I had to make a decision, and at this point in time, I think it's the right decision."
Fabien Galthie provided an encouraging update on Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack after France's key duo tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the Six Nations.
Les Bleus' preparation for the tournament has been hard hit by a host of contracting coronavirus.
Bernard Le Roux had to make 11 changes to his 42-man squad, with World Rugby Player of the Year Dupont, fly-half Ntamack and Bernard Le Roux among those who were unable to report for international duty.
Galthie on Wednesday revealed the absentees due to COVID-19 are recovering well ahead of his side's opening game of the tournament against Italy at Stade de France a week on Sunday.
The France head coach said: "We keep in touch with all the players from afar, of course.
"We have good news concerning the players and their state of health and spirit and all are doing well."
Mercurial scrum-half Dupont has not played since December 11 due to a knee injury and coronavirus.
Galthie says the playmaker could return for Toulouse in their Top 14 encounter with Racing 92 on Saturday.
"I have spoken to him: he is doing well. He resumed training two weeks ago," said Galthie
"He wanted to play against Cardiff but the match did not go ahead. Then of course he tested positive for COVID. But he is fine, and is still training. Today he had a test at his club and depending on the results he will play or not for Toulouse this weekend.
"That is up to his head coach Ugo Mola and I have confidence in him he will take the right decision both for his team and for Antoine."
It is 12 years since France won the Six Nations, but they are favourites to end that title drought this time around and that is music to Galthie's ears.
"I am very happy with this compliment, we’re very happy and proud to be labelled as favourites," he said.
"We are very happy to hear all those positive comments. It's very rewarding, it's rewarding for our two-year work, it's rewarding for all the commitment of the players, the virtues of the team and their dedication on the pitch."
Wayne Pivac has not totally ruled out of the prospect of Alun Wyn Jones making another astonishing early return from injury to play for Wales in the Six Nations.
Jones was not included in the defending champions' squad last week as he recovers from shoulder surgery.
Dan Biggar was named captain for the tournament in the absence of the inspirational lock, who did the damage in a 54-16 thrashing against New Zealand in October.
Jones incredibly recovered from a dislocated shoulder to skipper the British and Irish Lions in South Africa last year.
Wales head coach Pivac says Jones is unlikely to play in the Six Nations, but there is a chance the 36-year-old could feature.
"Never say never," Pivac said, adding: "It's Alun Wyn Jones. I probably wouldn't enter the conversation if it was anyone else, but the guy has broken so many records.
"I honestly say that, I would never say never. But look, it'll be a long shot. Let's just say that.
"Al is working incredibly hard behind the scenes, as you know he would, to get himself in the best shape possible for either the Ospreys or Wales."
Stand-in captain Biggar echoed Pivac's sentiments as the holders prepare for their opening match against Scotland at Murrayfield on February 5.
"I wouldn't put my mortgage on it," the fly-half said.
"I don't think any of us expected [Jones] to turn up in South Africa in the summer, and he managed to get on the plane.
"If there is anybody who has got a chance of being fit for some part of this tournament, then Al is probably the man. I wouldn't rule it out just yet."
The Minnesota Vikings will appoint the Cleveland Browns' vice president of football operations Kwesi Adofo-Mensah as their new general manager, according to widespread reports.
Minnesota's pursuit of a new GM appears to be nearing its conclusion, with ESPN and NFL Network reporting that Adofo-Mensah - who the franchise confirmed was one of the names being interviewed - has been chosen to take on the role at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Adofo-Mensah will replace Rick Spielman, who was fired two weeks ago after 16 years in the role along with head coach Mike Zimmer after the Vikings ended their season with an 8-9 record, their second straight losing campaign.
The Vikings have been unable to kick on since reaching the NFC Championship Game in the 2017 season. They have not topped the NFC North since then, despite spending big to bring in Kirk Cousins at quarterback.
Other candidates interviewed included Monti Ossenfort from the Tennessee Titans, John Spytek from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Catherine Raiche and Brandon Brown from the Philadelphia Eagles, Eliot Wolf from the New England Patriots, Glenn Cook from the Cleveland Browns and Ryan Poles, who has since taken the GM role at the Chicago Bears.
Adofo-Mensah spent the last two seasons at the Browns working under GM Andrew Berry after seven seasons as the San Francisco 49ers' manager and then director of football research and development.
The 40-year-old will be responsible for finding the successor to Zimmer, with 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans, who Adofo-Mensah worked with in San Francisco, among those who have already been interviewed for the role.
Rob Gronkowski is seriously considering retiring for a second time after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' season was ended by the Los Angeles Rams.
The Bucs' bid to win back-to-back Super Bowls was brought to a dramatic halt when the Rams won a thrilling Divisional Round showdown 30-27 at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday.
Tight end Gronkowski scored two touchdowns when Tampa Bay beat the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV last February, but there will be no repeat this year.
The 32-year-old is a free agent and that loss to the Rams may prove to be his last NFL game amid uncertainty over whether the Bucs' legendary quarterback Tom Brady will prolong his incredible career.
Gronkowski quit in 2019 before coming out of retirement to join Brady in Tampa Bay the following year and says he is unsure whether he will play again.
"If they're like, 'Rob, you've got to decide right now, right this second if you're playing next year,' I would say no right now. It's two days after the season," he told TMZ.
"I would be like, 'No, I'm not playing.' ... You've got to give it some time. You've got to rest. I would say to see how everything goes, how everything plays out.
"If I had an answer right now, it would be no. But in three weeks, it might be yes."
Daniil Medvedev drew inspiration from Novak Djokovic in order to complete a storming comeback against Felix Auger-Aliassime at the Australian Open.
The Russian was two sets down and facing a quarter-final exit at the hands of his on-song opponent, but he dug deep to roar back and set up a last-four showdown with Stefanos Tsitsipas.
After sealing a memorable 6-7 (4-7) 3-6 7-6 (7-2) 7-5 6-4 victory under the roof on Rod Laver Arena, Medvedev revealed that asking himself what world number one Djokovic would do had provided the catalyst for his revival.
Asked how he managed to win a contest in which he had looked down and out, the US Open champion responded: "I have no idea.
"Talking about the match point, I managed to serve well. If I had a second serve who knows what would have happened.
"I was not playing my best. Felix served unbelievable; I was all over the place.
"Then, I thought to myself, what would Novak do? So I said, 'I am going to make him work'.
"I managed to raise my level and when they closed the roof I was able to go through momentum and I started playing better."
Medvedev, who was beaten by Djokovic in last year's Melbourne final, faced a match point against Auger-Aliassime in the fourth set before finding his groove.
He rode his luck at times, with Auger-Aliassime only converting two of his 11 break points as Medvedev improved his record in meetings between the pair to 4-0.
Daniil Medvedev came from two sets down to defeat Felix Auger-Aliassime and reach the Australian Open semi-final.
The world number two battled to a 6-7 (4-7) 3-6 7-6 (7-2) 7-5 6-4 victory in a thrilling contest on Rod Laver Arena, where 2021 runner-up Medvedev fended off a match point in the fourth set.
He will now face Stefanos Tsitsipas in what is his second consecutive last-four outing at this tournament after improving his head-to-head record against Auger-Aliassime to 4-0.
Medvedev and Auger-Aliassime met in the semi-finals of last year's US Open, when the former prevailed in straight sets en route to winning the title.
But the Russian, beaten by Novak Djokovic in last year's final, was soon on the back foot in Melbourne, handing Auger-Aliassime a break point at 5-5 when he misjudged a shot that he thought was going out, but dropped in.
Medvedev then compounded that error with a double fault, but Auger-Aliassime fluffed his own lines as he failed to serve out the set before redeeming himself in the tie-break.
Auger-Aliassime continued that momentum in the second set, breaking in a mammoth second game after doggedly staying in a long rally before his opponent pushed a forehand wide.
Facing a two-set deficit, Medvedev battled hard in the third as that too went to a tie-break, which he was leading 2-1 when rain arrived and forced the roof to be closed.
He wasted little time getting the job done once play resumed, Auger-Aliassime finally showing signs of weakness as a couple of unforced errors sealed his fate in a one-sided breaker.
Medvedev survived a match point at 5-4 down in the fourth and reeled off three games in a row as he began to combine power and precision to level matters and tee up a decider.
After fending off three break points in his opening service game, it was Medvedev who broke decisively in game three to claim an advantage that he clung onto in the face of spirited resistance from his Canadian opponent.
DATA SLAM: Medvedev continues head-to-head dominance
This was the fourth meeting between these two and Medvedev had only previously lost one of eight sets.
But it threatened to be a very different story on Wednesday before the US Open champion clicked into gear to continue his dominance of the pair's head-to-head record.
Auger-Aliassime will be left to lament his failure to seize on a match-point opportunity as he converted only two of his 11 break points.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Medvedev – 49/53
Auger-Aliassime – 64/75
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Medvedev – 15/9
Auger-Aliassime – 18/4
BREAK POINTS WON
Medvedev – 3/5
Auger-Aliassime – 2/11
England captain Owen Farrell will miss the 2022 Six Nations after suffering a new ankle injury, head coach Eddie Jones confirmed.
The 30-year-old required surgery after damaging his right ankle during training with club side Saracens, who confirmed on Wednesday he will be sidelined for eight to 10 weeks.
Farrell has not played since another ankle injury sustained during the November Test victory over Australia at Twickenham.
The news is a significant blow to Jones' plans, with Farrell having been earmarked to play at number 12 and act as a guide for inexperienced fly-half Marcus Smith.
"Owen has had his operation, so he'll be out of the Six Nations," Jones said.
"[It is a] massive blow for him personally, but it's a chance for people to step up. It's an opportunity for other people to fill those leadership roles and an opportunity for other players to play for that number 12 jumper.
"In today's rugby, it's rare that you have all your best players on the field. We're used to it.
"Last night we had to leave the hotel because of a fire outside, so the boys are adaptable. They know how to get along with things and there's an opportunity there to build a little more leadership depth."
George Ford had already been recalled to the squad following injuries to Farrell and Jonny May, who has a knee problem.
England's preparations for the clash in Glasgow were further disrupted by a positive COVID-19 test for Joe Marler, while Courtney Lawes – among the favourites to deputise for Farrell as captain – has been sitting out training because of head injury protocols.
The team were also evacuated from their hotel in Brighton after a suspected electrical fire nearby.
England begin their campaign against Scotland at Murrayfield on February 5 before facing Italy in Rome a week later.
Stefanos Tsitsipas revealed he had defied the expectations of his doctor after surging into the Australian Open semi-finals.
The world number four underwent surgery on his right elbow in November and barely had any competitive court time leading into the tournament in Melbourne.
His doctor suggested that taking part in the first grand slam of 2022 was a remote prospect, but the Greek reached the last four on Wednesday after a 6-3 6-4 6-2 win over Jannik Sinner.
"I'm pretty sure my doctor is watching right now," the 23-year-old said in his on-court interview.
"We both didn't expect for me to be here, it was not part of our plan. He told me he didn't see me playing in Australia but I proved him wrong.
"He's a big tennis enthusiast and I am happy I found the right person to bring me back even stronger."
Tsitsipas outclassed Sinner on Rod Laver Arena to move into a second consecutive Australian Open semi-final and third in four years.
The Greek fourth seed broke early in each set on his way to a third win in four meetings with 11th seed Sinner, who was playing his second grand slam quarter-final.
Not even a brief rain delay that led to the roof being closed early in the second set could slow Tsitsipas, who delivered his best performance of the tournament so far.
"I am very, very happy with the way I served and used my tactics," he said. "Having the crowd support, it is truly unbelievable.
"It is part of the game. You never know what to expect from the weather. I knew I was heading towards the right direction.
"The conditions might have changed a little bit – slightly faster, not as bouncy – so my mind did. I tried to adapt and it just worked."
Tsitsipas will face either Daniil Medvedev or Felix Auger-Aliassime in the semi-finals.
Joel Embiid has no plans to let up after putting on another dominating performance as the Philadelphia 76ers defeated a depleted New Orleans Pelicans side on Tuesday.
Embiid had 42 points alongside 14 rebounds and four assists for the 76ers, who ran out 117-107 victors at the Wells Fargo Center.
Having been criticised in the past for missing games, Embiid recently revealed he has altered his diet in order to compete more regularly.
It certainly seems to have done the trick. Tuesday's game was his 19th in a row, helping Philly to a 13-6 run in that time, during which he is averaging 33.3 points to enhance his MVP credentials having finished runner-up last season.
"That was one of my goals, just to be available. I don't plan on stopping," said Embiid, whose 76ers side are now 28-19 and sixth in the East.
The Pelicans actually led 58-50 at the break despite missing starters Devonte Graham, Josh Hart, and Brandon Ingram with ankle injuries, while Jonas Valanciunas was rested. Zion Williamson is also still out with the foot injury that has kept him out all season.
Asked what the thought process was for the second half, Embiid said: "Just win.
"Just being aggressive because in the first half everything was easy for them."
Embiid was not the only player to go off on Tuesday, with Nikola Jokic leading the Denver Nuggets in their 110-105 defeat of the Detroit Pistons, which leaves them sixth in the West with a 25-21 record.
Jokic had 28 points, 21 rebounds and nine assists but was uninterested in re-watching the film to try and find an extra assist that would have given him a triple-double.
"I'm not worried about that," he said.
"It was a good game for me and a huge win for our team. I knew I was having a big night, but I wasn't thinking about the stats."
During the game, Jokic chalked up a 3,000th career NBA assist. He is now the only Denver player to record 3,000 assists and 5,000 rebounds in the NBA.
"It's hard to keep track of all the milestones he's passing," head coach Michael Malone said.
"He just won Western Conference Player of the Week, and then he has 28, 21 and nine tonight."
Team-mate Jeff Green, who had 20 points himself, added of Jokic: "It's incredible to play with Jokic – he's one of the best players I've ever been on the floor with.
"When you are out there with him, you know that if you do your job, you're going to get open shots. The defense has to focus on him."
Klay Thompson said "it felt good to be myself again" after playing a season-high 25 minutes in the Golden State Warriors' 130-92 rout of the Dallas Mavericks.
Thompson is still getting up to speed having missed two and a half years, first with a serious knee injury then with a torn Achilles.
He sat out the Warriors previous two matches to rest his surgically repaired left knee but was part of a well-rounded offense that downed Luka Doncic and the Mavericks to help Golden State clock up a third straight win.
Thompson had 15 points alongside six assists, while Stephen Curry had 18 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Jonathan Kuminga added 22 points, while Jordan Poole had 17 off the bench for the title contenders.
"I really pride myself on my efficiency, so it felt good to be myself again," Thompson said of his performance.
"My mindset is just to play with energy, great focus and joy."
Head coach Steve Kerr believes it was Thompson's best performance since his comeback.
"I think this was Klay's best game in terms of his patience and allowing things to happen, he wasn't forcing it at all," Kerr said.
Doncic scored 25 points on an otherwise forgettable night for the Mavericks, whose misery was compounded by Tm Hardaway Jr going off court with a broken fifth metatarsal in his left foot with seven minutes and 16 seconds remaining in the second quarter.
"I just want to say how sorry we are to hear that. You hate to see anybody get injured," Kerr said.
"I just want to send him our regards from the organisation and hopefully he’s back sometime soon. I don’t know what the prognosis is. We feel terrible for him."
Doncic added of his team-mate: "That's just bad luck. I talked to him. He's disappointed. Every time you get injured you are sad, so we tried to cheer him up."
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
