Joel Embiid was the headline act as the Philadelphia 76ers held on to beat the Miami Heat 137-134 in overtime, while NBA champions the Los Angeles Lakers won again.
Embiid went berserk with a 45-point, 16-rebound double-double, and a career-high five steals and four assists, in a dominant performance to help the 76ers past the shorthanded Heat in Philadelphia on Tuesday.
The three-time All-Star had 10 points in the first half before carrying the 76ers with a stellar third quarter and clutch buckets in OT against the Heat, who were missing the likes of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic.
Embiid sent the game into overtime with a pull-up jumper 4.3 seconds from the end in the fourth period, while Dakota Mathias' only basket of the game – a go-ahead three-pointer with 26.1 seconds remaining – ensured the 76ers prevailed.
Philadelphia's Embiid became the first 76ers player with 45 points, 16 rebounds, five steals and four assists in a game in franchise history since 1973-74, while he became the first NBA player with those stats since 1983-84.
In Houston, LeBron James starred as the in-form Lakers took down the Rockets for the second time in three days, winning 117-100.
James posted a game-high 26 points, eight rebounds and five assists to help the Lakers improve to 9-3 atop the Western Conference.
Anthony Davis contributed 19 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks for the Lakers.
Green sets career high
Danny Green had a game to remember for the 76ers. He set a new career high with nine three-pointers against the Heat. It also tied a franchise record for the most three-pointers in a game, joining Dana Barros in 1995. The two-time NBA champion finished with 29 points and 10 rebounds.
Kevin Durant flexed his muscles again, scoring 34 points, tallying 13 assists and grabbing nine rebounds as the Brooklyn Nets trumped the Denver Nuggets 122-116. Nikola Jokic had 23 points and 11 assists for the Nuggets.
Harden – out of shape and out of sorts
James Harden's uninspiring start to the season continued amid ongoing trade rumours. The former MVP – looking out of shape – made just five of 16 shots from the field, while he only nailed one of his six three-point attempts for 16 points in 31 minutes.
Rudy Gobert got paid in the offseason, signing a stunning contract in excess of $200million. He was far from convincing in the Utah Jazz's 117-87 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. While the 2020 All-Star collected 10 rebounds, he finished with just four points on two-of-seven shooting from the field in 25 minutes. Gobert also had two turnovers.
LeBron trolls Rockets
As a four-time champion and NBA MVP, James has faith in his ability. The Lakers superstar took it to another level when he nailed a no-look three-pointer against the Rockets.
Tuesday's results
Philadelphia 76ers 137-134 Miami Heat (OT)
Brooklyn Nets 122-116 Denver Nuggets
Utah Jazz 117-87 Cleveland Cavaliers
Los Angeles Lakers 117-100 Houston Rockets
San Antonio Spurs 112-102 Oklahoma City Thunder
Indiana Pacers 104-95 Golden State Warriors
Boston Celtics-Chicago Bulls (postponed)
Nets at Knicks
Bragging rights will be on the line when the New York Knicks (5-6) host city rivals the Brooklyn Nets (6-6) on Wednesday.
James Harden appears to be heading for a Houston Rockets exit after his frustrations boiled over following the team's loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Harden reportedly wants to be traded to either the Philadelphia 76ers or another contender in the NBA, and the former MVP had a clear message after the Rockets were swept aside by defending champions the Lakers 117-100 on Tuesday.
The Rockets star walked out of his post-game news conference, not before telling the media: "I love this city. I literally have done everything that I can.
"This situation is crazy. It's something that I don't think can be fixed."
Led by Harden, the Rockets have reached two Western Conference Finals, while Houston have three semi-final appearances since the eight-time All-Star was acquired from the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2012.
In 2019-20, points scored by Harden and points scored off his assists averaged 52.4 per game. It followed 53.9 in 2018-19, 51.3 in 2017-18 and 56 the season previous.
That marked four successive seasons with 50-plus points per game created, tying Oscar Robertson (1963-64 to 1966-67) for the longest streak in NBA history.
Harden averaged 34.3 points, 7.5 assists and 6.6 rebounds per game for the Rockets, who lost in the Western Conference semi-finals at Walt Disney World Resort.
But Harden looks out of shape and out of sorts in 2020-21 amid links to the likes of the 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors.
Harden made just five of 16 shots from the field, while he only nailed one of his six three-point attempts for 16 points in 31 minutes as the Rockets slumped to 3-6.
"We're not even close, honestly, to that team – obviously the defending champions – and all the other elite teams out there," Harden said. "I mean, you can tell the difference in these last two games.
"We're just not good enough – chemistry, talent-wise, just everything. And it was clear these last two games."
Moments after Harden left the podium, Rockets team-mate John Wall stepped up and the five-time All-Star did not hold back as he addressed the situation in Houston.
"When you have certain guys in the mix who don't want to buy in, all as one, it's going to be hard to do anything special, to do anything good as a basketball team," said Wall, who was acquired by the Rockets after Russell Westbrook was traded to the Washington Wizards.
Wall added: "We can't dwell down on it because it's only been nine games. Come on man, you want to jump off a cliff after nine games. It's a lot of basketball still to be played."
Asked about his partnership with Harden on the court, Wall said: "I think it's been a little rocky. Can't lie about that. I don't think it's been the best it could be, to be honest. That's all I really could say."
Like everything else over the past year, the hockey world has been turned upside down by the coronavirus pandemic. The 2019-20 season was completed with teams playing in bubble locations in Toronto and Edmonton and the 2020 campaign will open without fans as part of a condensed 56-game season, among a slew of other changes.
With the previous season extending several months past the normal ending date, the league had little choice but to delay the start of 2021 and to find a way to make a shortened season work. The new plan is for the regular season to end on May 8, with the Stanley Cup awarded no later than July 9.
Of course, nothing is set in stone anymore and the NBA and NFL have had to deal with countless COVID-19 issues, so the NHL expects similar problems to arise with the pandemic experiencing another surge. The league knows it may have to adapt and games will very likely need to be rescheduled.
The NHL has already dealt with this, as the start of the season for the Dallas Stars had to be pushed back to January 19 after six players and two staffers tested positive for coronavirus. While the completion of last season in the bubble locations was virtually flawless, teams are playing in home arenas this season, increasing the chances of players becoming infected.
To combat this, teams will be allowed to carry taxi squads of four to six extra players who will practice and be prepared to step in when needed.
While there is less hockey to enjoy, there are some tweaks to the upcoming season that fans will enjoy.
The four divisions have been realigned and they include an all-Canada division of seven teams, made necessary by border restrictions. The other three divisions are mostly based on geography, but St Louis and Minnesota were shuffled into a division with the three California teams, Vegas, Arizona and Colorado.
The Chicago-Detroit rivalry gets renewed with the Red Wings moving into the Central Division, and Tampa Bay and Dallas – last season's Stanley Cup Final participants – are now together in the Central.
There should be no shortage of intensity this season with teams scheduled to play mostly back-to-back sets solely against teams in their own division. So, the Flyers and Penguins will meet eight times, as will the Islanders and Rangers and Kings and Ducks. The teams in the all-Canada division will face each other nine or 10 times.
The first two playoff rounds will be played within the division, meaning the bad blood that started in the regular season could grow even deeper. The division winners will then advance to the semifinals but seeding will be based on points rather than geography.
The new setup raises the possibility of a Stanley Cup Final between traditional East teams like the Capitals and Penguins or Canadian rivals Montreal and Toronto.
To recoup some of the money lost by having no fans or limited fans at the start of the season in some cities, the NHL is allowing teams to include a sponsor name on their helmets and each division will also include the name of a corporate sponsor.
The condensed season was preceded by an abbreviated training camp without exhibition games and there is concern that the start of the season will be marred by sloppy play. This could be especially true for the seven teams that have not played a game since March after they did not qualify for the expanded playoffs.
As in any offseason, several big-name players changed teams. It will be jarring to see 43-year-old Zdeno Chara in a Capitals uniform and Joe Thornton playing for the Maple Leafs after 14 seasons in San Jose. Henrik Lundqvist would have looked strange as a member of the Capitals following an 887-game run with the Rangers, but he decided not to play this season due to a heart condition.
Injuries will also keep some marquee players off the ice for a while. Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov – the 2018-19 scoring leader – will miss the entire regular season due to hip surgery and the Stars could be without top forward Tyler Sequin (hip) and goaltender Ben Bishop (knee) until at least March.
Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews is out indefinitely with an unknown illness and there is no word on whether the 12-time 20-goal scorer will play this season.
While this season is full of unknowns and will be like no other before it, the potential is there for it to be one of the most exciting in recent memory.
The Washington Wizards' clash against the Utah Jazz scheduled for Wednesday has been postponed amid coronavirus concerns.
The Wizards announced on Tuesday they had Rui Hachimura and Moe Wagner enter the NBA's health and safety protocols and had cancelled their scheduled practice.
Washington (3-8) were due to face the Jazz on Wednesday, but that game will not go ahead in the latest postponement in the NBA due to COVID-19.
"The National Basketball Association game scheduled for tomorrow between the Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena has been postponed in accordance with the league's health and safety protocols," an NBA statement read.
"Because of ongoing contact tracing with the Wizards, the team does not have the league-required eight available players to proceed with tomorrow's game against the Jazz."
The Boston Celtics have had three straight games postponed, while the Houston Rockets also had a clash pushed back earlier in the season.
The Philadelphia 76ers, meanwhile, played against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday despite having just eight active players.
Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving will remain absent and there is no timeline for a return as the team and NBA review videos circulating on social media.
Irving will sit out his fourth consecutive game on Tuesday due to personal reasons amid the emergence of videos that appeared to show the six-time All-Star without a mask at a family birthday party.
The NBA's coronavirus protocols ban players from entering clubs, bars and lounges, while they are also forbidden from attending social gatherings of more than 15 people.
Nets general manager Sean Marks addressed the situation in a statement on Tuesday, prior to Brooklyn's matchup against the Denver Nuggets.
"We are aware of a video on social media featuring Kyrie Irving at a family gathering," Marks said.
"We are reviewing the circumstances with both Kyrie and the NBA in order to determine compliance with health and safety protocols.
"Kyrie remains away from the team due to personal reasons. A date of his return has yet to be finalised. In the meantime, we will continue to stay focused on our organisational goals.
"Kyrie will have the opportunity to address his absence when he is ready to do so."
Irving is averaging 27.1 points, 6.1 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game for the Nets (5-6) this season.
The Boston Celtics have had another game postponed after their clash with the Orlando Magic on Wednesday was called off due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The NBA announced the game could not go ahead as planned, just as Sunday's clash with the Miami Heat and Tuesday's planned encounter with the Chicago Bulls could also not be played.
The Celtics would have been without nine players for the Heat game at the weekend, including seven absentees owing to COVID-19 protocols, but at the time they had the minimum eight players available.
It was a contact tracing matter within the Heat camp, after a player reportedly had an inconclusive coronavirus test, that triggered that postponement, but the Celtics' trip to face the Bulls was then also scratched.
On Tuesday, it was announced the Celtics no longer had sufficient players available to form a team.
The NBA said in a statement: "The National Basketball Association game scheduled for tomorrow between the Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics at TD Garden has been postponed in accordance with the league's health and safety protocols.
"Because of testing and contact tracing within the Celtics, the team does not have the league-required eight available players to proceed with tomorrow’s game against Orlando."
Golf superstars including Tiger Woods and defending champion Dustin Johnson are set to play in front of "limited" crowds at the Masters, it was announced on Tuesday.
Last year's tournament was delayed from April to November because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and there were no spectators allowed for that edition of the major at Augusta National.
That is set to change in 2021, says organisers, who are preparing to welcome a small number of Augusta's 'patrons' to watch the action unfold.
Full attendance was ruled out given the continuing need for social distancing, and those allowed entry must adhere to strict health protocols.
Augusta National club chairman Fred Ridley said: “Following the successful conduct of the Masters tournament last November with only essential personnel, we are confident in our ability to responsibly invite a limited number of patrons to Augusta National in April.
"As with the November Masters, we will implement practices and policies that will protect the health and safety of everyone in attendance.
"Nothing is, or will be, more important than the well-being of all involved. While we are disappointed that we will be unable to accommodate a full complement of patrons this year, we will continue our efforts to ensure that all who purchased tickets from Augusta National will have access in 2022, provided conditions improve."
The Masters is scheduled to take place at its Georgia home from April 8 to 11, with Johnson looking to follow up the stunning 20-under-par performance that saw him win a first green jacket.
That was a record score for a champion in the tournament's history and came a year after former world number one Woods landed his 15th major title when he triumphed at the Masters for a fifth time.
Aryna Sabalenka will face Veronika Kudermetova in the Abu Dhabi Women's Tennis Open after extending her magnificent career-best winning run with a straight-sets victory over Maria Sakkari.
Sabalenka ended 2020 in red hot form and has carried on where she left off at Zayed Sports City International Tennis Centre to stand on the brink of claiming a third successive title.
The fourth seed from Belarus has now won 14 consecutive matches following a commanding 6-3 6-2 success over Sakkari on Tuesday.
Sabalenka reached the 13th WTA singles final of her career at the age of only 22, taking just 57 minutes to see the back of ninth seed Sakkari.
The world number 10 struck 22 winners, eight of which were aces, and made only eight unforced errors, while winning 83 per cent of points on her first serve and will be one to watch at the Australian Open next month.
Kudermetova will be playing in her maiden WTA singles final following a 7-6 (10-8) 6-4 victory over Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine.
Russian Kudermetova came from a break down in the first set and was behind in the tie-break, but dug deep to edge in front in a battle between two unseeded semi-finalists.
The world number 46 broke Kostyuk three times in the second set to secure her spot in the championship match, in which she will have to improve on a first-serve percentage of just 46.5.
The Formula One season will start a week later than originally scheduled in Bahrain after the Australian Grand Prix was put back to November due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Melbourne's Albert Park Circuit was due to stage the opening race of 2021 on March 21, but F1 revealed a revised calendar on Tuesday.
The Bahrain Grand Prix will be the first of the year on March 28, with the event in Australia now taking place on November 21 - subject to World Motor Sport Council approval.
Travel restrictions as a result of the COVID-19 crisis will prevent the Chinese Grand Prix - which was due to be the third round of the season - going ahead on April 11 and no new date has been set for that race.
Imola is back on the calendar for the second race of the campaign on April 18, while there is a spare date in the calendar of May 2 for a race to be staged and a venue for that weekend will be announced in due course.
The season is due to end with a record 23rd race of the year in Abu Dhabi on December 12 and F1 expects fans to return to the grandstands this year.
"It has been a busy start to the year at Formula 1 and we are pleased to confirm that the number of races planned for the season remains unchanged," said president and CEO of Formula 1 Stefano Domenicali.
"The global pandemic has not yet allowed life to return to normal, but we showed in 2020 that we can race safely as the first international sport to return and we have the experience and plans in place to deliver on our season.
"It is great news that we have already been able to agree a rescheduled date for the Australian Grand Prix in November and are continuing to work with our Chinese colleagues to find a solution to race there in 2021 if something changes.
"We are very excited to announce that Imola will return for the 2021 season and know our fans will be looking forward to the return of Formula 1 after the winter break and our revised season opener in Bahrain. Obviously, the virus situation remains fluid, but we have the experience from last season with all our partners and promoters to adapt accordingly and safely in 2021."
F1 2021 calendar in full:
March 28 – Bahrain (Sakhir)
April 18 - Italy (Imola*)
May 2 - TBC
May 9 – Spain (Barcelona)
May 23 – Monaco (Monaco)
June 6 – Azerbaijan (Baku)
June 13 – Canada (Montreal)
June 27 – France (Le Castellet)
July 4 – Austria (Spielberg)
July 18 – United Kingdom (Silverstone)
August 1 – Hungary (Budapest)
August 29– Belgium (Spa)
September 5 – Netherlands (Zandvoort)
September 12 – Italy (Monza)
September 26 – Russia (Sochi)
October 3 – Singapore (Singapore)
October 10 – Japan (Suzuka)
October 24 – USA (Austin)
October 31 – Mexico (Mexico City)
November 7 – Brazil (Sao Paulo)
November 21 - Australia (Melbourne*)
December 5 - Saudi Arabia (Jeddah**)
December 12 - Abu Dhabi (Yas Island)
*Revisions to calendar are subject to World Motor Sport Council approval **Subject to circuit homologation.
Doc Rivers said "nobody's going to feel sorry for us" after the depleted Philadelphia 76ers went down to the Atlanta Hawks on Monday.
The Sixers used nine players in the 112-94 defeat, two more than they had available in the 115-103 loss to the Denver Nuggets.
Ben Simmons (left knee) was again absent, while Tobias Harris, Shake Milton, Matisse Thybulle and Vincent Poirier were left out due to COVID-19 protocols. Seth Curry had also tested positive for coronavirus on Thursday.
For head coach Rivers there are no excuses and he expects plenty of teams to struggle during an unusual NBA season.
"Nobody's going to feel sorry for us. We've got to try to win these games," Rivers said.
"We're in a tough spot with COVID - not a lot we can do with it. I have a sneaking feeling that there's going to be a lot of teams with this problem.
"Right now, we're getting hit with it, which is unfortunate for us. It's unfortunate it happened when we had four games in [six] days.
"It's like the timing of this couldn't have been any worse at all."
Simmons' absence for the Denver game led to the 76ers receiving a $25,000 fine for violating the NBA's injury reporting rules.
Rivers added of Simmons: "We thought it'd be one game and now it's two."
Joel Embiid had 24 points and 11 rebounds after recovering from back tightness.
He played 23 minutes and Rivers explained why Embiid did not spend more time on the court.
"You give yourself a shot, and then as a coach, you've got to assess," he added.
"Even at half-time for me, I saw what the score was and I didn't think there was much of a chance of us winning that game.
"My assessment was get everybody out as soon as I could, and you start thinking about the next game."
LaMelo Ball made more history as the Charlotte Hornets defeated the New York Knicks 109-88 in the NBA on Monday.
Ball became the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double on Saturday, and he was at it again for the Hornets – who won their fourth straight game.
The Hornets rookie became the first player aged 19 or younger in league history to lead his team in both rebounds and assists in three consecutive games.
Ball finished with eight points, a career-high 14 rebounds and seven assists as star Hornets team-mate Gordon Hayward posted 34 points, including 28 in the first half.
Two-time reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo returned to help the Milwaukee Bucks past the Orlando Magic 121-99.
Antetokounmpo was in action following a one-game absence due to a minor back injury and scored 22 points, while Bucks team-mate Khris Middleton led the way with 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Brilliant Beal helps snap skid
The Washington Wizards ended their three-game losing streak and claimed their first home win of the season thanks to Bradley Beal's 34 points and a 128-107 victory over the Phoenix Suns. Devin Booker had 33 points for the Suns.
Nikola Vucevic put up 28 points and 13 rebounds for the beaten Magic in Orlando.
The shorthanded Philadelphia 76ers lost 112-94 at the Atlanta Hawks, but Joel Embiid had 24 points and 11 rebounds. Hawks star Trae Young scored 26 points.
Pascal Siakam recorded a triple-double of 22 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists but the struggling Toronto Raptors still lost 112-111 to the Portland Trail Blazers. CJ McCollum (30) and Damian Lillard (23) combined for 53 points.
Harrison Barnes (game-high 30 points) fuelled the Sacramento Kings' 127-122 win against the Indiana Pacers. Domantas Sabonis posted 28 points and 11 rebounds for the Pacers.
Knicks struggle
It was a forgettable outing for the Knicks, who were just 39.1 per cent from the field and 24.3 per cent from three-point range. New York's Immanuel Quickley made just one of 10 field goals, while he missed all six attempts from beyond the arc for three points in 29 minutes.
Clutch CJ!
McCollum nailed the game-winning shot with 9.6 seconds remaining to lift the Trail Blazers.
Monday's results
Charlotte Hornets 109-89 New York Knicks
Memphis Grizzlies 101-91 Cleveland Cavaliers
Milwaukee Bucks 121-99 Orlando Magic
Washington Wizards 128-107 Phoenix Suns
Atlanta Hawks 112-94 Philadelphia 76ers
Portland Trail Blazers 112-111 Toronto Raptors
Sacramento Kings 127-122 Indiana Pacers
New Orleans Pelicans-Dallas Mavericks (postponed)
Lakers at Rockets
LeBron James and defending champions the Los Angeles Lakers (8-3) will face James Harden's Houston Rockets (3-5) again on Tuesday.
Miami Heat stars Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo have been ruled out of Tuesday's scheduled showdown with the Philadelphia 76ers due to the NBA's health and safety protocols amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Butler and Adebayo were added to Miami's COVID-19 protocol list on Monday, joining team-mates Goran Dragic, Kendrick Nunn, Maurice Harkless, Udonis Haslem and KZ Okpala.
Heat guard Avery Bradley had been placed on the health and safety protocols list before Sunday's matchup against the Boston Celtics was postponed.
The coronavirus situation also saw the postponement of Monday's game between the New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks, as well as the Celtics-Chicago Bulls encounter on Tuesday.
Miami are ninth in the Eastern Conference with a 4-4 record after reaching last season's NBA Finals, eventually beaten by the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Washington Wizards will be without star Russell Westbrook for at least a week due to a left quadriceps injury.
Westbrook will be re-evaluated at the end of the week after suffering repeated contact to the area since the start of the NBA season, the Wizards announced on Monday.
It is a blow for the Wizards, who have slumped to 2-8 amid high expectations following Westbrook's arrival from the Houston Rockets.
Former MVP Westbrook is averaging 19.3 points, 11.3 assists and 9.7 rebounds per game in seven appearances for the Wizards this season.
Westbrook has already made some history since swapping the Rockets for the Wizards in a blockbuster trade.
The nine-time All-Star joined Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson as the only players in NBA history to open a season with four triple-doubles in their first four games.
Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving will miss his fourth consecutive game, the NBA franchise announced on Monday.
Irving has been sidelined due to personal reasons and his absence will continue for Tuesday's clash with the Denver Nuggets.
When asked for an update on Irving's status, Nets head coach Steve Nash told reporters: "I do not have any updates, sorry".
While star team-mate Kevin Durant returned in Sunday's loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA champion and six-time All-Star Irving was missing once again.
Irving is averaging 27.1 points, 6.1 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game in Brooklyn this season.
The Nets (5-6) have lost back-to-back games to sit 10th in the Eastern Conference, behind the eighth-placed Charlotte Hornets (5-5).
These are uncertain times for the NBA as it continues to navigate the coronavirus pandemic.
COVID-19 protocols have left rosters lighter in number and, with contract tracing having a major impact, it is far from surprising to see games being postponed.
The absences have offered some players greater opportunities to impress in the embryonic stages of a shortened season that will require adaptability from all involved.
After an eventful week, Stats Perform assesses those performers who have stood out - for good and bad reasons - in games from January 4-10.
RUNNING HOT...
Bradley Beal
It has been a tough start for the Wizards, who are stuck in the basement of the Eastern Conference. Beal, however, has excelled amid the defeats. He is averaging 35 points per game for the season but has been particularly spectacular in recent outings, including dropping 60 against the Philadelphia 76ers. While it set a new career best for points - and tied a franchise record too - Beal made clear he is not interested in personal milestones: "I just want to win. Sometimes you might be able to score 40, 50, 60, whatever the case may be, but I just want to win".
Tyrese Maxey
The 21st pick in the 2020 draft had scored a combined tally of 52 points through his first nine NBA appearances. Then, amid injuries, positive COVID tests and coronavirus-enforced isolations, Maxey was thrust into a leading role as one of just seven players available against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday. His response to the situation was to score 39 points in just under 44 minutes of action, having taken 33 shots but no free throw attempts. In doing so, he became the first 76ers rookie with at least 35 points in a game since franchise legend Allen Iverson in 1997.
Jimmy Butler
Butler has begun to heat up after a cold start to the new campaign for Miami. The five-time All-Star had been hampered by injury issues but has looked back to somewhere near his best of late, managing 18, 26 and 26 points in his past three games. Surprisingly, though, Butler is still yet to manage a successful three-point attempt, missing on his seven shots from deep so far. It is a different story from the free-throw line, though, going 28 of 29 from the charity stripe.
LaMelo Ball
The rise and rise of the youngest Ball brother continues. The point guard became the youngest player in NBA history to score a triple-double as Charlotte Hornets beat the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday. At 19 years and 140 days old, Ball had 22 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. He had narrowly missed out on achieving the feat in his team's previous outing, against a New Orleans Pelicans team that included older sibling Lonzo. His rebounding average has gone from 4.33 a game to 9.25 across the past week.
GOING COLD...
James Harden
The NBA's scoring champion for the previous three seasons, Harden is still averaging 26 points per game despite continued doubts over his long-term future in Houston. However, it has not been a particularly productive week for the guard, who has not reached double digits in terms of field goals made in four straight outings. There were 15-point displays against both the Pacers and the Magic, then 20 points in a defeat to the Lakers. Across that stretch, Harden was six for 22 from three-point range. Astonishingly, he did not attempt a solitary free throw against Orlando.
Trae Young
To say Young has gone cold from deep recently is an understatement. The Atlanta Hawk landed five of six attempts in the season-opener against the Bulls, but since then has managed just nine successful long-range shots, including going a combined one for 14 in his most recent three appearances. Understandably, then, his average for points per game has dipped from 28.17 on January 3 to 17.67 for the past week.
Russell Westbrook
A quadriceps injury will keep Westbrook sidelined for at least a week. His early form with the Wizards has been steady, including reaching double digits for points in all of his seven games for the franchise. Where there has been a dip for the former NBA MVP is in rebounding. He was up at 11.20 per game for the season by January 3, but he has averaged 6.00 for the past week following reduced contributions in defeats to the 76ers and the Celtics.
Blake Griffin
Griffin hit with eight of 16 three-point shots for Detroit against the Cavaliers on December 26, but his output from long range since suggests that number could prove to be a post-Christmas outlier when compared to the rest of the season. In the past week, the 31-year-old has landed two from deep out of 18 tries for the struggling Pistons. His overall field goal percentage is down on his career mark too (37.6 per cent from 49.7 per cent), explaining why he is averaging 13.9 points per game.
Jamaican-born Rugby League player Abevia McDonald has signed a one year contract with English League One outfit London Skolars. He is now the second Jamaican domestic player to sign a professional contract following the footsteps of Nathan Campbell who signed for the Toronto Wolfpack in 2016.
A former student of Excelsior Community College in Kingston, McDonald had signed a first-team contract with the team in 2019 but saw no action as the League One or the Championship were cancelled because of the Covid-19 Pandemic.
He began playing while at EXED in 2013 and developed into a quality player who helped the Red Sharks to the National Club title in 2018. It would be his last game in Jamaica as he migrated to England shortly thereafter. He eventually joined the Skolars Reserve team and scored against Super League outfit Wigan Warriors.
He would go on to score more than a dozen tries for the team which led to his first-team signing in 2019.
"His journey is yet another example of inspiration for the local rugby league community. We know that some domestic players have the ability to crack semi-pro teams in the UK if afforded the opportunity,” said Jamaica’s Head Coach Romeo Monteith.
“We have and have had some quality players come through our local systems. He impressed me from the first time I saw him play, he has blistering speed and it's good to see him stick with the game and push on to where he is today."
The Philadelphia Eagles have fired head coach Doug Pederson, according to reports.
Pederson had been said to be meeting with owner Jeffrey Lurie to outline his plans for the future, with his position thought to hinge on that discussion.
It seems he failed to convince Lurie and the franchise hierarchy to keep him in the post, with NFL Media's Tom Pelissero first reporting his firing.
Pederson, who took over in 2016, led the Eagles to their first Super Bowl title in his second season at the helm.
Philadelphia's first Lombardi Trophy came at the end of a storied playoff run, in which unheralded backup Nick Foles led them to glory after then-MVP candidate Carson Wentz suffered a serious knee injury.
The Eagles overcame the New England Patriots 41-33 in Super Bowl LII but Wentz's struggles to recapture his 2017 form following his comeback from injury played a significant role in Philadelphia's failure to scale the same heights in Pederson's subsequent three seasons.
Pederson oversaw playoff campaigns in 2018 and 2019, the latter despite a roster decimated by injury.
However, he attracted increased criticism amid a dismal 2020 season that saw a sharp decline from Wentz, who was eventually benched and forced to watch the final few weeks of a 4-11-1 year from the sideline.
His replacement, rookie quarterback Jalen Hurts, was one of the few bright spots for Philadelphia. The controversial in-game benching of Hurts in favour of Nate Sudfeld for the Week 17 loss to the Washington Football Team saw Pederson placed under further scrutiny as he faced accusations of overt tanking for draft position.
Pederson had claimed he made the move to evaluate Sudfeld, but the future at quarterback in Philadelphia is now a matter for his successor and general manager Howie Roseman.
In five seasons with the Eagles, Pederson compiled a 42-37-1 record in the regular season. He went 4-2 in the playoffs.
The NBA has postponed Monday's game between the New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks, as well as the Boston Celtics' clash with the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday, due to health and safety protocols amid the coronavirus pandemic.
It is the second straight game Boston has had postponed; Sunday's visit from the Miami Heat was called off just hours before tip-off.
The total number of games in the league that have not taken place as scheduled because of COVID-19 issues this season now stands at four.
Entering this past weekend, the only game the NBA had called off was the Oklahoma City Thunder-Houston Rockets matchup on December 23 - the second day of the season.
On Sunday, Boston had seven players out due to health and safety protocols – and nine overall – while Miami did not have the required eight players because of contact tracing after guard Avery Bradley was ruled out.
Dallas reportedly did not have enough players cleared on Monday because of contract tracing.
It remains to be seen if the Celtics or Mavericks will be able to play their next games on Wednesday. Boston is scheduled to host the Orlando Magic, while Dallas is slated to visit the Charlotte Hornets.
The same uncertainty goes for the Heat, who are scheduled to visit the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday.
The European Champions Cup and Challenge Cup have been temporarily suspended after the French authorities ruled the participation of Top 14 clubs to be too much of a public health risk.
European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) made the announcement on Monday following a meeting last week with French government officials.
Due to concern over a new variant of coronavirus, the French government has decided to prevent its clubs from participating in games both in France and in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
It means the EPCR has been forced to suspend the Champions Cup with two rounds of the pool phase remaining. The Challenge Cup is in its preliminary phase.
The development would appear to place the 2021 Six Nations, scheduled to start with a meeting between France and Italy in Rome on February 6, in jeopardy.
Last year's Six Nations tournament was only completed in October because of the pandemic-enforced delay.
An EPCR statement read: "EPCR and the Ligue Nationale de Rugby took part in a meeting by audio conference last week with representatives of the French ministries of the Interior, Health and Sport, as well as of the President's office.
"Notable updates to EPCR's COVID-19 protocols were presented to the French authorities, including the addition of PCR tests no earlier than three days before matches in the tournaments, conforming to French government guidelines and supplementing the existing, meticulous contact tracing measures put in place with a view to limiting the risk of transmission.
"Against the backdrop of the recent detection of a new strain of coronavirus, the French government has directed that French clubs postpone their participation in EPCR's tournaments for the month of January, both for matches scheduled in France and for those due to be played in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
"On the basis of this directive, EPCR had no choice but to temporarily suspend the pool stage of the Heineken Champions Cup and the preliminary stage of the Challenge Cup.
"While respecting all further directives by governments and local authorities, and prioritising the health and welfare of players and club staff, EPCR, in conjunction with its shareholder leagues and unions, remains committed to trying to find a solution which will enable it to resume and complete the tournaments as soon as practicable.
"EPCR will be making no further comment at the present time."
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