Kurt Kitayama sits alone atop the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am leaderboard after Friday's second round with a score of nine under.
Kitayama enjoyed a strong seven-under 64 on his opening round at Monterey Peninsula Country Club – the easiest of the three courses being used – and backed it up with a two-under 70 at the flagship Pebble Beach Golf Links.
He shot three birdies and one bogey on the championship course, which has hosted six U.S. Open tournaments, and will also be the site of Sunday's final round this weekend.
Kitayama will look to remain in pole position after playing the Spyglass Hill course in his third round, with the cut to take place after all players have played all three courses.
First-round leader Hank Lebioda found the Pebble Beach track far more difficult than Monterey Peninsula, opening the week with an eight-under 63 before following it with an even par 72 to remain at eight under, tied for second.
He is joined by fellow Americans Brandon Wu, Keith Mitchell and Joseph Bramlett – who all played at Monterey Peninsula on Friday. Of the five players to shoot rounds of five under or better, all took place at Monterey Peninsula.
Ireland's Seamus Power is one further back at seven under, and he is joined in a five-man group that includes Japan's Satoshi Kodaira and the USA's Scott Stallings, who both sit in a strong position.
Both Kodaira and Stallings have already got the two difficult courses out of the way, and will have a chance to slingshot to the top when they tee up at Monterey Peninsula on Saturday.
Of the big names, world number 11 Viktor Hovland pulled to within three strokes of the lead at six under, while three-time major champion Jordan Spieth is two further back at four under.
The Dallas Mavericks will be without franchise centrepiece Luka Doncic for their five-game road trip due to a heel injury.
Doncic damaged his right heel when he fell during a 111-106 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday.
The four-time NBA All-Star was unable to return after leaving the court in the third quarter, and he did not make the journey west with his team-mates on Friday.
Doncic will miss an encounter with the Golden State Warriors on Saturday and will also be absent for a game against the Utah Jazz and a meeting with the Los Angeles Clippers next week.
He will also sit out back-to-back showdowns with the Sacramento Kings along with Davis Bertans (calf).
Dallas are 0-6 without Doncic this season, although he played only four minutes of a win over the Phoenix Suns due to a sprained left ankle on January 26.
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said of Doncic's injury: "We'll see how that turns out, then we'll be able to give an update. No participation, nor will those two go on the trip.
"As we get the MRI [results], I think we'll be able to give an update on their status."
Dallas are seeded fourth in the Western Conference standings.
The Las Vegas Raiders have granted quarterback Derek Carr permission to speak with teams who have agreed to their trade demands.
Carr, 31, has spent his entire nine-season career with the Raiders, but he found himself benched for the final two weeks of a disappointing 6-11 campaign.
Something had to give in Vegas, and previous reports had indicated head coach Josh McDaniels would not be fired after the first season of his four-year contract, in part because the franchise can not afford another massive contract buy-out.
NBC Sports reported in November that the Raiders were still feeling the effects of their fallout with former head coach Jon Gruden, who signed a 10-year, $100million contract in 2018. He only completed three-and-a-half years before resigning when racist and misogynistic emails were unearthed, with the franchise settling the rest of his contract for an undisclosed figure.
With McDaniels sticking around, the other franchise-altering move the team can make is at the quarterback position, and to get Carr out of the way they have allowed the veteran to speak to clubs who have already met their demands for a potential trade.
Crucially, Carr's current contract includes a no-trade clause, which he said he would enforce if he deemed it necessary. This means the Raiders can not simply send him to the team with the strongest offer, as Carr will need to sign off on it.
Things could move quickly in the next 10 days, as his $40million guaranteed for this season will become triggered on February 15, or they could cut him and eat a relatively minor cap hit of $5.6m, while getting nothing in return.
Carr already bid farewell to Raiders fans in emotional social media post on January 13, making it exceedingly unlikely he remains on the roster beyond February 15.
Sean Payton has signed his contract to become the Denver Broncos' head coach until the end of the 2027 season, according to reports.
ESPN said the deal was officially signed on Friday.
Reports earlier in the week had revealed the Broncos had agreed a trade package with the New Orleans Saints for Payton, including a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Payton, who described the move as "the opportunity I was looking for", quit the Saints after the 2021 season.
But there was understandable interest at the start of this year in a coach who won the Super Bowl in New Orleans.
Following interviews with a number of teams, Payton headed for Denver, whose 2022 season was underwhelming to say the least.
The Broncos traded for Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and appointed Aaron Rodgers' Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett as coach.
The result was a 5-12 season in which Wilson struggled badly and Hackett was eventually fired.
Payton faces a sizeable task to turn around the fortunes of the worst team in the highly competitive AFC West.
Bianca Andreescu survived a wobble near the finish line to reach the Thailand Open semi-finals and edge a step closer to a long-awaited title.
The Canadian had a stellar campaign on hard courts in 2019, winning tournaments at Indian Wells and Toronto before topping those with a US Open triumph, denying Serena Williams a 24th singles grand slam in what would be the American's last major final.
Injuries and inconsistency have blighted progress since then, and there have been no more trophy celebrations, but Andreescu is still only 22 and believes she has a lot of winning still to do.
She was cruising at 6-0 5-1 against Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk in Friday's quarter-final, before her opponent found inspiration and took the second set to a tie-break.
Andreescu was not to be denied, though, closing out a 6-0 7-6 (7-3) victory, and it will be another player from Ukraine next, with Lesia Tsurenko earning a shot at the top seed after a 6-1 6-1 drubbing of German sixth seed Tatjana Maria.
Addressing the fightback from Kostyuk, Andreescu said: "I don't think I started playing bad in the second set, I think she just raised her level a little bit. She's always a tough opponent. I definitely wasn't expecting anything easy."
On her own ambitions, Andreescu said: "I'm hoping to win the tournament, I really believe in myself."
The other semi-final in Hua Hin will be an all-Chinese battle between Zhu Lin and Wang Xinyu after they saw off Slovenia's Tamara Zidansek and Britain's Heather Watson respectively.
At the Lyon Open, French top seed and home favourite Caroline Garcia fended off Italian Jasmine Paolini 7-5 7-5 and faces a semi-final against Colombian Camila Osorio, who had a 6-4 7-6 (7-3) victory against 18-year-old Czech Linda Noskova.
American Alycia Parks, who won two WTA 125 tournaments in December while many players were enjoying an off-season, has brought that form to this week's event. The 22-year-old, ranked 79th in the world, scored a 7-5 6-2 win against seventh seed Danka Kovinic and will face Maryna Zanevska next after the Belgian had a 3-6 6-1 6-2 win against Russian fifth seed Anastasia Potapova.
Eight-time All-Star Kyrie Irving wants to be traded by the Brooklyn Nets before the February 9 deadline, it was reported on Friday.
The 30-year-old point guard has told the Nets of his intentions, with Irving looking for a change after four years with the team.
According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, Irving has told the Nets he wants to leave now in a trade, otherwise he will depart in free agency in July.
The Nets were destroyed 139-96 by the Boston Celtics on Wednesday, with Irving on the team, and they sit fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 31-20 record.
They have lost seven of their last 11 games during Kevin Durant's injury absence.
Irving has averaged 27.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.3 assists this season, in keeping with his form from recent campaigns.
Reports have said the Nets have seen no need to rush talks over a contract extension for Irving, who scored a season-high 48 points in a win over the Utah Jazz on January 20.
The first overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft spent his formative years with the Cleveland Cavaliers, winning a championship in 2016 and becoming a near lock-in for All-Star recognition.
He then spent two years with the Celtics before arriving in Brooklyn in free agency in July 2019, signing a four-year contract.
Now it remains to be seen whether teams are in a position to move for Irving, and whether those that are keen figure in Irving's own plans, with time at a premium.
The Nets are next in action on Saturday when they face the 24-26 Washington Wizards.
Anthony Joshua will make a "statement" when he returns to the ring against Jermaine Franklin in April knowing he has a "major problem" if he suffers another defeat.
So says the two-time world heavyweight champion's promoter, Eddie Hearn, who revealed Joshua is set to fight American Franklin at the O2 Arena in London on April 1.
The Briton is on a mission to reignite his career after losing his WBA, IBF and WBO belts to Oleksandr Usyk in September 2021 and failing to regain them in a rematch in Jeddah last August.
Official confirmation is expected next week for Franklin to be Joshua's next opponent, and Hearn expects the 33-year-old to put on a show.
He told BBC Sport: "It's a really tough fight with loads of pressure to come back, because if AJ doesn't win this fight, then we've got a major problem.
"I believe you'll see a statement from a guy who is very dangerous, very motivated to become a three-time heavyweight world champion."
Franklin was beaten by Dillian White in his last fight in November, and Hearn expects him to suffer another loss on his return to England.
Hearn added: "There's so much contradiction: 'Anthony Joshua is finished, mentally he's shot. But he'll knock out Jermaine Franklin inside three rounds.'
"The same people that say Jermaine Franklin beat Dillian Whyte, but he's a terrible opponent for Anthony Joshua in a comeback fight after two defeats to the pound-for-pound number one.
"What this guy has done from a resume perspective is unbelievable. And I'm telling you now, this guy [is] still top-three heavyweight, capable of regaining his heavyweight world title."
Ford will return to Formula One for the first time since 2004 and partner with Red Bull from 2026.
Red Bull revealed their RB19 car for the 2023 season at a launch event in New York City on Friday, with reigning F1 champion Max Verstappen, team-mate Sergio Perez and team principal Christian Horner in attendance.
Ford, meanwhile, will return to F1 after a 22-year absence, working with Red Bull to build a power unit for F1's next engine regulations.
"We are mavericks, we are pushing the boundaries. We are looking forward to this busy season in 2023," said Horner, whose team took the constructors' title off Mercedes last year, as well as seeing Verstappen win for a second straight year.
"It is going to be an incredible season; our rivals for sure haven't stood still. Ferrari are going to be competitive, Mercedes are going to be there; there are some other teams that could make some big progress as well.
"In Bahrain, in a couple of weeks' time, we will get to see everyone's car and see if we have missed something, have we not.
"There is going to be highs and lows along the way, but I think we are in a good place. We are going to have to be at the top of our game this season."
Of Red Bull's partnership with Ford, Horner added: "To welcome the Ford brand back into Formula One, to have the Red Bull Ford powertrain is going to be very exciting.
"There was a natural synergy between the two companies, it was an easy deal – 2026 seems like a long way away, but in the engine world, it is tomorrow.
"We have recruited some incredible talent and have some great people in the team. We are really excited about what we can achieve."
Ford's involvement in F1 began in the 1960s with a long-standing partnership with British firm Cosworth.
They are the third-most successful engine manufacturer in the history of F1, having played a part in winning 10 constructors' championships and 13 drivers' championships.
Ford chief executive Jim Farley said: "We don't want to make generic cars, faceless vehicles; we want vehicles with an attitude – this team represents that."
Horner said: "It's a huge era for the team. As Formula One moves to pretty much a 50-50 split between hybridisation and combustion power, we wanted to have a like-minded partner.
"It's great to see the Ford brand coming back into Formula One."
JOA President, Christopher Samuda, was in a “business unusual” mode in addressing the audience at the Tornadoes Swim Club’s recent 2022 Awards Ceremony held at its new home on the Mona campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI).
President Samuda challenged Jamaica’s aspiring Olympic swimmers to “deep dive into history and there you will find the inspiration of Tornadoes’ Olympians. Deep dive into the present and there you will discover you, the present generations of swimmers, images of yourself, as you aspire to be on the Olympic stage. Deep dive into the future and you will envision what you must become – the standard by which swimmers will be judged, a model athlete and a legacy creator.”
The past year for the club was very successful with Sabrina Lyn, Israel Allen and Rhiana Gayle receiving athlete of the year awards in their respective disciplines at the RJR/Gleaner National Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year Awards Ceremony, a feat which underscores the club’s prowess.
In exhorting the swimmers, President Samuda charged them “to possess a spirit of commitment, an uncompromising spirit to transform the sport by dint of your own performances and the standards which define those performances and to possess the character of a champion that goes beyond and above the podium on which you will receive that gold medal and the admiration of a national, regional and global sporting fraternity.”
But, like an experienced diver who surfaces with the pearl, President Samuda reminded Jamaica’s aspiring Olympians that “when you deep dive you can’t remain under water. You must rise like a phoenix with the prize held aloft in victory, in triumph. For it is only when you rise that you will have understood and overcome the challenges of the deep and appreciate the horizon of the human spirit and be able to tell your story.”
The narrative of sport is equally a national as it is a community story and this truism was emphasised by JOA’s boss in delivering his address. In encouraging Jamaica’s future, he said: “Outside of the household of the Tornadoes swim club there is a community to which you, swimmers, belong and have a duty to be model citizens. The principles of fair play and mutuality in sport, the value of friendships made in sport and the character of humility in victory and resilience in disappointment experienced in sport are priceless qualities which must never depart from you and your experience in your community.”
In the sport’s recent Olympic history, Alia Atkinson, has been carrying the national flag with distinction and President Samuda, in expressing optimism for the future, comments that “there is a reservoir of talent that can provide an Olympic stream but we must, in a structured and almost scientific way, unlock the talent pipeline when they are young in opening the floodgates when they become mature.”
France will begin their quest to become the first side in six years to retain the Six Nations when they travel to perennial wooden spoon winners Italy on Sunday.
Les Blues ended a 12-year wait to get their hands back on the trophy last year, doing so in style as they claimed a Grand Slam with a perfect five wins from five.
Italy also ended last year's tournament on a high as they broke a 36-game losing run with victory in Wales and are now out to avoid finishing bottom for the first time since 2015.
While France may be reigning champions and in good form, Ireland are top of the world rankings and are many people's favourites to go one better than last year by finishing top.
Up first for Andy Farrell's Ireland side is a trip to Wales, who are in action for the first time since Warren Gatland replaced Wayne Pivac on the back of some alarming results last year.
England also have a new head coach in Steve Borthwick, who replaced Eddie Jones in December, with his first test a mouth-watering Calcutta Cup clash with Scotland.
Ahead of the opening round of action, Stats Perform previews each match with help from Opta.
WALES V IRELAND
FORM
Wales' loss to Italy was their third in a row in the Six Nations – only once since the start of 2008, at the end of their 2020 campaign, have they endured a longer winless run – but Gatland's return has provided fresh hope.
The Dragons won their last seven on the bounce in the championship under Gatland, who landed three Grand Slams in his previous 12-year spell in charge before stepping down in 2019.
Ireland have won seven of their past eight games in the tournament, winning the past three of those by margins of at least 17 points and conceding just one try in total.
However, the away team have not come out on top in any of the past nine Six Nations encounters between these sides, with the nations sharing four wins each over that period and one draw.
ONES TO WATCH
Wales are without the injured Leigh Halfpenny, meaning Liam Williams will start at full-back, but they have plenty of other familiar and experienced faces in their starting line-up – George North among them.
He is one try short of matching Shane Williams' record haul of 23 for Wales in the Six Nations, and behind only Brian O'Driscoll (26) of all players in the tournament's history.
Plenty of eyes will be on Johnny Sexton in what will be his final Six Nations campaign, but Ireland have many other players for Wales to concern themselves with.
James Lowe, returning from a calf injury that ruled him out of the November fixtures, will be looking to push on from last year when he finished level with Damian Penaud and Gabin Villiere as the joint-highest try scorer with three.
ENGLAND V SCOTLAND
FORM
Jones may have bowed out with the best win rate of any England head coach (73 per cent), but the Red Rose won just two of their final five home matches under the now-Australia boss – not since November 2008 have they had a longer winless run at Twickenham.
With former skipper Borthwick now at the helm as head coach, England are aiming to avoid losing their opening fixture in the tournament for a fourth year running, following a streak of five successive round-one wins.
Scotland have a far better recent record on the opening weekend than their opponents, having won four of their past six such matches, including the past two in a row – both against England.
Indeed, Scotland have lost just one of their past five Calcutta Cup clashes, having lost each of the previous seven. A victory on enemy territory this weekend will make it three wins in a row for the first time since 1972.
ONES TO WATCH
Manu Tuilagi's absence will be felt by England, who have handed a debut to wing Ollie Hassell-Collins, but Joe Marchant will add pace alongside exciting Harlequins team-mate Marcus Smith.
Smith was the top points-scorer in last year's Six Nations (71) and also registered over twice as many running metres as any other fly-half in the tournament (412), as well as beating more defenders than anyone other number 10 (10).
Hamish Watson is not ready for a return to the Scotland side this weekend in a blow for coach Gregor Townsend. The 31-year-old was one of just three players to make 50 or more tackles without missing one in the 2022 edition (70), along with team-mate Grant Gilchrist and Ireland's Caelan Doris (both 53).
Gilchrist is available, though, and he resumes a partnership with Richie Gray in the second row that impressed during Scotland's November internationals.
ITALY V FRANCE
FORM
The signs of improvement were clear to see from an Italy perspective in 2022 as they picked up a first win in the tournament since 2015 and then beat Australia for the first time ever in November's Test.
The Azzurri have now won five of their past seven Tests, as many as they had won in their previous 36 combined, but they have not won at home in the Six Nations since 2013 and have won back-to-back games in the championship just twice previously.
France enter the competition boasting a team-record 13-match winning run after winning every game in a calendar year for the first time in 2022. They were not always at their best towards the end of the year, though, with three of their past four wins coming by margins of five points or fewer.
Les Blues have won their opening match in each of their past four campaigns as reigning champions, which does not bode well for an Italy side who have won only two of their 23 Six Nations home matches against this weekend's opponents.
ONES TO WATCH
Italy are without the pace and power of Monty Ioane after he returned to Australia and became unavailable for selection in this championship. No player made more line breaks (seven), beat more defenders (21), completed more offloads (eight) and made more dominant tackles (seven) than Ioane in last year's Six Nations.
The Azzurri still have Pierre Bruno and Ange Capuozzo at their disposal, with the latter impressing on his tournament bow in 2022 en route to winning World Rugby's men's Breakthrough Player of the Year award.
Even with the likes of regular starters Jonathan Danty and Cameron Woki ruled out, France still boast a number of top-class talents in their squad.
Gregory Alldritt, who will combine with Charles Ollivon and Anthony Jelonch in the back row, made more carries than any other player in last year's tournament (65) and was one of two players, along with team-mate Julien Marchand (50), to hit 50 or more defensive rucks with 59.
France coach Fabien Galthie has handed a debut to winger Ethan Dumortier for Sunday's Six Nations opener against Italy.
Les Bleus head to Rome for the first game of their title defence, after they completed the Grand Slam last year.
Dumortier, 22, is Lyon's top try scorer in the Top 14 this season and his fine form has seen him make Galthie's selection in the place of Gabin Villiere, who sustained a fractured fibula.
With Jonathan Danty also injured, Gael Fickou and Yoram Moefana have been named as centres. Damian Penaud will play on the right wing, with Dumortier on the opposite flank.
Romain Ntamack and captain Antoine Dupont will be paired together in the halves, while Nolann Le Garrec could make his debut from the bench.
"We finished second twice in a row before winning it with a Grand Slam but our journey is not finished," Galthie said in a press conference on Friday.
"We are going to get better because our team has not yet reached the age of maturity."
Italy have also confirmed their starting XV. They won five Tests across 2022 – a 45 per cent win ratio, their highest in a calendar year since 2007, and their best in a non-Rugby World Cup year since 1998. That included their first ever victory over Australia.
The Azzurri took the wooden spoon in last year's Six Nations, though did end a run of 36 straight defeats in the tournament by defeating Wales.
Full-back Ange Capuozzo impressed on his Six Nations bow last year, going over twice against Scotland.
Capuozzo went on to be named World Rugby's men's Breakthrough Player of the Year, and he gets a start against Les Bleus.
Monty Ioane's injury is a blow for coach Kieran Crowley, who has named Tommaso Menoncello and Pierre Bruno on the flanks.
Michele Lamaro will captain the side – he made 86 tackles in last year's Six Nations, 16 more than second-best Hamish Watson.
Italy team: Ange Capuozzo, Pierre Bruno, Juan Ignacio Brex, Luca Morisi, Tommaso Menoncello, Tommaso Allan, Stephen Varney; Lorenzo Cannon, Michele Lamaro, Sebastian Negri, Federico Ruzza, Niccolo Cannon, Simone Ferrari, Giacomo Nicotera, Danilo Fischetti.
Italy replacements: Luca Bigi, Federico Zani, Pietro Ceccarelli, Edoardo Iachizzi, Giovanni Pettinelli, Manuel Zuliani, Alessandro Fusco, Edoardo Padovani.
France team: Thomas Ramos, Damian Penaud, Gael Fickou, Yoram Moefana, Ethan Dumortier, Romain Ntamack, Antoine Dupont; Gregory Alldritt, Charles Ollivon, Anthony Jelonch, Paul Willemse, Thibaud Flament, Uini Atonio, Julien Marchand, Cyril Baille.
France replacements: Gaetan Barlot, Reda Wardi, Sipili Falatea, Romain Taofifenua, Thomas Lavault, Sekou Macalou, Nolan Le Garrec, Matthieu Jalibert.
Giannis Antetokounmpo joked he will celebrate with "50 cheeseburgers" after his latest 50-point showing in the Milwaukee Bucks' 106-105 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
The two-time MVP scored 20 of his 54 points in the fourth quarter of Thursday's contest as the Bucks recovered from a 21-point deficit to win for a sixth game in a row.
He has now reached the 50-point mark three times in his last 11 games, having hit a career-high 55 against the Washington Wizards and 50 against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Antetokounmpo was filmed ordering 50 chicken nuggets when the Bucks landed their first title in 50 years in 2021, and he now plans on doing something similar.
"I think I'm going to go to Culver's tomorrow," he said. "I'll go get 50 cheeseburgers and try to eat as many as I can. The rest, I'll have my son eat them or I give them to my dog."
Antetokounmpo also had 18 rebounds against the Clippers as he continued his remarkable form since returning from injury last month.
The 28-year-old has helped the Bucks to a 6-0 record in that period, averaging 40.2 points per game, 14.7 rebounds per game and four assists per game.
He is the first NBA player to average 40/12/4 while going undefeated over a six-game span since Wilt Chamberlain did so in January 1964.
And Antetokounmpo has also joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only players in Bucks' history to have at least three 50-point games in a single season.
"It's a great compliment to be up there with Kareem," Antetokounmpo said. "I never thought I was going to score 50 in the NBA when I got drafted. It's an insane, crazy journey."
Antetokounmpo has now averaged 32.3 points per game across 41 appearances this season, a tally bettered only by Luka Doncic (33.4) and Joel Embiid (33.5).
"He's relentless," Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said after his side's comeback win over the Clippers.
"He's going to put himself in position to help us win. Whatever it takes for us to win, he's going to do it. He's fearless and relentless. That's what you saw going down the stretch."
The Los Angeles Lakers "hardly ever discuss" LeBron James' hunt for the NBA points record, according to coach Darvin Ham.
James scored 26 points, added seven rebounds and provided seven assists as the Lakers fought back to beat the Pacers 112-111 on Thursday.
That haul moved James onto 38,325 points across his illustrious career, 62 short of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time record.
It means James is likely to break the record against the Oklahoma City Thunder next week.
Ham, however, says the Lakers do not treat it as too big of a deal.
"I think it's an amazing feat," Lakers coach Darvin Ham told reporters.
"When it happens, kudos to Bron for all his longevity and not just longevity, but longevity at the top of the list at an elite level.
"But our day-to-day, we hardly ever discuss it unless we're asked about it. For us, it's just, how can we get our team in the best position to make a run?"
James, though, did not look to downplay the importance of the record.
"I think it's one of the greatest records in sports, in general. It's like the home run record in baseball," he said.
"It's one of those records that you don't ever see or think will be broken.
"You see guys like Hank Aaron, who had [baseball's home run record] for so long. You see guys like Sammy [Sosa] and Mark McGwire and you start climbing it and it's like, 'Oh, this could really happen.'
"It's a fun thing as a sports person. It was fun watching those guys chasing it."
Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 31 points and 14 rebounds, and it was his 11-foot shot with 35 seconds left put Los Angeles ahead, before he made a crucial block from Tyrese Haliburton.
Davis missed out on selection for the All-Star Game, though that was of little concern.
"I'm here to win, to try to compete for championships, not to get into All-Star Games," Davis said.
"My wife is ecstatic. She already texted me, 'So, where we going [during All-Star break]?'"
Nick Kyrgios has avoided a criminal conviction after pleading guilty to a charge of assaulting an ex-girlfriend.
Kyrgios, the ATP world number 20, was sentenced at a magistrates' court in Canberra on Friday.
The 27-year-old admitted to pushing his ex, Chiara Passari, to the ground during an altercation in January 2021.
However, magistrate Beth Campbell spared Kyrgios a criminal conviction, noting he had been: "A young man trying to extricate himself from a heightened emotional situation".
Ms Campbell said Kyrgios "acted in the heat of the moment" and chose to deal with him "in the same way I would deal with any young man in this court", adding he is a "young man who happens to hit a tennis ball particularly well".
In a post on his Instagram story after the ruling, Kyrgios said: "I respect today's ruling and I'm grateful to the court for dismissing the charges without conviction. I was not in a good place when this happened and I reacted to a difficult situation in a way I deeply regret.
"I know it wasn't OK and I'm sincerely sorry for the hurt I caused.
"Mental health is tough. Life can seem overwhelming. But I've found that getting help and working on myself has allowed me to feel better and to be better.
"I can never thank Costeen [Hatzi, his girlfriend], my family and friends enough for supporting me through this process. I now plan to focus on recovering from injury and moving forward in the best way possible."
The court heard Kyrgios pushed Ms Passari to the ground after she had prevented him from driving away during an argument on January 10, 2021.
Kyrgios' lawyer Michael Kukulies-Smith explained last year's Wimbledon finalist had been attempting to de-escalate the situation by calling a taxi and had sworn at Ms Passari and told her to leave, before moving her away from the car.
It was agreed that Kyrgios said "I'm serious, I'm going to..." as he then pushed Ms Passari in the shoulder. Ms Passari said she felt some pain and also grazed her knee.
Kyrgios subsequently apologised.
Mr Kukulies-Smith told the court that there was "a relationship between the mental health and the offending", though noted Kyrgios no longer suffers to the same extent.
Psychologist Sam Borenstein told the court that Kyrgios, who missed this year's Australian Open due to injury, had "recurrent" mental health issues, including depression, suicidal ideation and insomnia, that were nevertheless improving.
The Dallas Mavericks will be anxiously awaiting more information on Luka Doncic's heel injury after he was forced to exit Thursday's home win against the New Orleans Pelicans in the third quarter.
Doncic had 27 points in the first half as the Mavericks blew the doors off early, jumping ahead by 31 points halfway through the second period.
The 23-year-old, who has been selected for his fourth All-Star Game this season, scored four more points before taking an awkward fall when going up for a dunk.
He exited the game and did not return, and from that point on the Pelicans outscored the Mavericks 50-27, but Dallas were able to hold on for the 111-106 victory after a controversial referee mistake robbed New Orleans of a chance to shoot for the tie in the final seconds.
The Mavericks officially labelled Doncic's injury as a right heel contusion, and while head coach Jason Kidd did not sound too concerned about it being a long-term issue, he said they are not sure about the extent of the injury.
"We'll see how he feels tomorrow, and I'll have a better update to give you," he said.
Any missed games would be an issue for the 28-25 Mavericks, who rose up to fourth place in the Western Conference with the win, but sit only three games ahead of the 13th-placed Oklahoma City Thunder in a tightly bunched race.
Dallas are winless in the six games Doncic has missed this campaign, and third-year guard Josh Green explained what their issues are without him.
"It's Luka," he said. "It's different [without him].
"It took our team a while to get used to it [against the Pelicans] – we're used to having Luka bring the ball up at a slow pace, and they realised it too.
"They were trying to make us play like we still had Luka by doubling Spencer [Dinwiddie] and trying to make it a slower game, when the guys we had on the court were not made for a slow game.
"It's a game of pace when Luka is not out there, and we need to realise that… it's about bringing a faster pace and not just playing how we're used to."
For the Pelicans, it was their 10th loss in a row as they desperately await the return of All-Star starter Zion Williamson from his hamstring injury.
The Los Angeles Lakers trailed by 14 early in the fourth quarter before storming back to defeat the Indiana Pacers 112-111 on the road.
Los Angeles' defense let them down early on Thursday as they gave up 35 points in the first quarter and another 32 in the second, heading into the long break trailing 67-54.
The Lakers were finally able to hold the Pacers under 30 points in a 30-29 third frame, before their defense woke up in the final period and kept the home side to just 15.
The visiting team did not claim their first lead of the game until LeBron James drained a three-pointer to jump ahead 108-106 with 2:35 remaining, but a jump shot from rookie Andrew Nembhard put the Pacers up by one with under a minute to play.
With the game on the line, Anthony Davis drained a clutch post fadeaway over elite defensive center Myles Turner to retake the lead, and although the Lakers left the door open with a pair of missed free throws from Pat Beverley, Buddy Hield's potential game-winner was off the mark thanks to Beverley's smothering defense.
It was a gutsy comeback to give the Lakers their second win in a row, led by Davis' 31 points on 13-of-27 shooting with 14 rebounds and two blocks.
Meanwhile, James was efficient with 26 points on 11-of-19 shooting, adding seven rebounds and seven assists. He is now 62 points away from tying Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring mark.
For the Pacers, Tyrese Haliburton enjoyed a strong return from injury after three weeks on the sideline, leading his team in points (26) and assists (12) after being named to his first All-Star team earlier in the day.
Jokic toys with the Warriors
Reigning back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic continued his march towards a three-peat as he dominated the Golden State Warriors in the Denver Nuggets' 134-117 triumph.
Jokic finished with 22 points on nine-of-13 shooting with 16 assists and 14 rebounds. Over his past 17 games, he has only finished with fewer than nine assists once, and no player is averaging more than his 11.9 assists over their past 15 games.
It was also another strong performance from Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, scoring 33 points on 12-of-23 shooting with eight assists and five rebounds. Over his past five outings, Murray is averaging 27.6 points and 7.2 assists.
The Nuggets sit four games clear atop the Western Conference at 36-16, while the 26-26 Warriors are ninth.
Mavericks hold on as Doncic leaves hurt
The Dallas Mavericks led the New Orleans Pelicans by 31 points during the second quarter, but ended up getting pushed all the way in a 111-106 victory.
Slovenian superstar Luka Doncic had 27 points in the first half, and made his way up to 31 early in the third period before he suffered a heel injury due to a hard fall, ending his night.
The Mavericks led by 28 when he exited the game, and from that point on the Pelicans closed the contest on a 50-27 run. They ultimately came up short after a controversial refereeing mistake in the final seconds robbed them of a chance to shoot for the tie.
It was the Pelicans' 10th loss in a row as they desperately await the return of Zion Williamson from his hamstring injury, while the Mavericks improved to fifth in the West at 28-25.
DeMeco Ryans was drafted by the Houston Texans and spent the first six seasons of his playing career clad in the club’s deep steel blue and battle red uniform.
Ryans is now the head coach of the Texans, a gig he calls his "dream job".
"It's a dream job because we can win here," Ryans told reporters Thursday. "And we're going to win here by collaborating, working together and building it the right way with the right people."
Ryans will have plenty of work to do, however, to help turn around a Houston franchise that finished the 2022 season 3-13-1 and just hired their fourth head coach in four years.
"This is a young team; we were on the cusp," he said. "We got to add some pieces to what we're doing here, but I'm so excited to get started and get to work with the young guys, and to build a winning program here with the Texans – I'm fired up.
"The excitement is real, and I can't wait to get to work, to get to coaching."
Ryans' connections to the NFL’s youngest franchise run deep.
The Texans selected Ryans in the second round – 33rd overall – of the 2006 draft, and the Alabama product made an immediate impact.
He was named the Defensive Rookie of the Year after amassing 126 solo tackles, still a franchise record. Ryans made two Pro Bowl appearances with the Texans and was involved in many milestones as the club matured from their 2002 expansion roots.
Ryans was there for the club's first winning season, their first playoff appearance and their first postseason win. Now he will try to lead Houston back to the playoffs after the team was a combined 11-38-1 over the past three seasons.
As evidence of Ryans' connection to the Texans, Thursday’s press conference was attended by several of his former teammates, including former Texans Pro Bowlers Andre Johnson, Brian Cushing and Whitney Mercilus.
"It's outstanding. It's my former teammates that are here. It's great to see all you guys here," Ryans said. "The work we all put in together here – it means so much to me just to see you guys here and see your faces."
Ryans spent the past two seasons as defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers, coaching top-three scoring defenses in both 2021 and 2022.
Ryans' performance – along with his history with the Texans – caught the eye of general manager Nick Caserio, who called the hiring a "no-brainer".
"What better person to lead this organization, lead this team, lead [our] players than DeMeco Ryans," Caserio said. "So, I think everything that DeMeco exudes as a player, exhibited as a player, he's done as a coach. His leadership is selflessness, his toughness, his team-first mindset, his charisma."
The Texans will get a chance to kick-start their rebuild this offseason as they hold picks number two and 12 in the upcoming NFL Draft.
After failing to make the cut in each of his first five events this PGA Tour season, Hank Lebioda is alone atop the leaderboard after Thursday's opening round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Lebioda, 29, has never won on the PGA Tour before, but he looked right at home on the Monterey Peninsula Country Club course, collecting nine birdies and one bogey for an eight-under 63.
He shot to the top of the leaderboard after a blistering stretch to open his back-nine, with five birdies and two pars from seven holes.
Unfortunately for Lebioda, that will be the only time he plays at Monterey Peninsula as the tournament is spread across three courses. Every player will also get a round at Spyglass Hill and the Pebble Beach Golf Links, with the latter hosting the final round after a cut at the end of Saturday's action.
Of the seven players to shoot six under or better, six of them played at Monterey Peninsula, which makes Chad Ramey's seven-under 64 at Pebble Beach stand out.
Ramey is joined in a tie for second with fellow American Kurt Kitayama and England's Harry Hall, while France's Martin Trainer and Australia's Aaron Baddeley are joined by the USA's Eric Cole one further stroke back at six under.
The big names were quiet on the opening day, with world number 11 Viktor Hovland the best performer of the rankings' top-40 at two under.
Jordan Spieth is joined by fellow major champions Danny Willett and Matt Fitzpatrick at one under, while Kevin Kisner shot himself out of contention at four over.
The Western Conference All-Star reserves included three first-time selections, headlined by Most Improved Player candidates Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lauri Markkanen.
The reserves announcement on Thursday followed the starter reveal a week earlier, where Los Angeles Lakers megastar LeBron James was named captain of the West team.
He will be joined by Dallas Mavericks MVP candidate Luka Doncic, New Orleans Pelicans powerhouse Zion Williamson, reigning back-to-back MVP of the Denver Nuggets Nikola Jokic, and Golden State Warriors icon Stephen Curry.
The Memphis Grizzlies are the only top-two team in either conference to not have a starter, but they will still send two players to All-Star Weekend with Ja Morant heading back for his second and Defensive Player of the Year favourite Jaren Jackson Jr earning his first appearance.
Jackson is leading the NBA with 3.3 blocks per game, while his 4.3 combined blocks and steals is well clear of the second-placed Nic Claxton (2.6 blocks, 0.7 steals) and Anthony Davis (2.0 blocks, 1.3 steals).
He is joined by fellow first-time selections Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Utah Jazz's key offseason trade acquisition Lauri Markkanen.
At 30.8 points per game, Gilgeous-Alexander sits fifth in the league, while boasting elite efficiency splits of 50.5 per cent from the field, 35.9 per cent from three and 91 per cent from the free throw line. He is also the only guard averaging at least one block per game (1.1), and is the only player in the league averaging at least 1.5 steals (1.7) and a block.
While Gilgeous-Alexander's trajectory had been pointing up, Markkanen's rise has been more of a surprise.
Having never previously scored more than 18.7 points per game or shot better than 48 per cent from the field, the star of Finland's international team is now up to 24.9 points and 8.7 rebounds while shooting 52.1 per cent from the field and a blistering 43.4 per cent from deep.
Also earning a spot in the West reserves was Los Angeles Clippers wing Paul George – who leads all reserves this year with his eighth selection – as well as Portland Trail Blazers' all-time leading scorer Damian Lillard with his seventh.
The Sacramento Kings were campaigning for two All-Stars due to their impressive position third in the West, but they had to settle for just center Domantas Sabonis after point guard De'Aaron Fox was arguably the conference's biggest snub.
Fox is leading the team in scoring at 24.3 points per game and is also enjoying his first season shooting above 50 per cent from the field, while Sabonis is leading the league in rebounding at 12.4 per game to go with his 18.8 points (61.5 per cent shooting) and 7.1 assists.
Other than Jokic (10.0 assists per game), Sabonis is the only other interior player in the league averaging at least seven assists.
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