For the past seven years, Yona Knight-Wisdom was the sole face of Jamaican diving, representing the country at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, Pan American Games and the 2016 and 2020 Olympics.
That could be about to change as another talented young diver has emerged, eager to represent the land of wood and water.
Those watching would have got the first glimpse of Yohan Eskrick-Parkinson diving synchro with Knight-Wisdom at the Scottish National and Open Diving Championships from December 2-5 at the Royal Commonwealth Pool in Edinburgh.
The newly forged pair finished second in the 3m synchro with a decent score of 375.60 and already the senior partner has begun to have a positive influence on the newcomer.
“Diving with Yona was an unparalleled learning experience,” Yohan tells Sportsmax. TV.
“Yona's experience with diving is immense, and exposure to an Olympic athlete's lifestyle and training was a chance for me to learn what it takes to perform at such a high level. Yona is an exemplary mentor and leader.”
Yohan was born in Calgary, Canada, in 2000 to Canadian Melissa Escrick and Jamaican Desmond Parkinson and began diving when he was just eight years old.
Growing up in Calgary, he attended high school at the National Sport School (NSS) while he trained for diving. Deciding that he wanted to explore possibilities for diving at the NCAA level, Yohan got accepted to Northwestern University where he is in his fourth year studying Neuroscience with plans to attend medical school.
Diving for Northwestern, Yohan was a two-time finalist (1m, 3m) at the 2020 Big 10 Conference Championships. He was also a finalist in the 1m springboard at the conference championships in March.
It was while in high school that Yona first came to Yohan’s attention and he has followed his career ever since.
“I had been urged on by several coaches to look into the possibility of diving for Jamaica and began pursuing this in my second year of college,” he said. “Yona really paved the way for me and inspired me to dive for Jamaica.”
In early 2019, he decided to reach out to Knight-Wisdom to find out how he began diving for Jamaica and they developed a relationship.
“He got in touch with me on Instagram just sending me a few videos of him diving,” Knight-Wisdom explained.
“We spoke a little without making any plans, then after Tokyo was out of the way I decided to see if we could make something happen.”
That they did at the Scottish Championships earlier this month after training together for about a week.
“Training synchro with Yona was a success. Of course, it can be challenging to truly know how well we would sync up just by watching each other’s diving, so travelling to Scotland to train together was an important step in the process of seeing if synchro might be a possibility,” Yohan said.
“Thankfully, the synchro went well from the start, and we only had to make some minor adjustments to achieve rudimentary synchronization. This is a small but very important step towards taking our synchro team internationally. I believe we have a lot of potential moving forward.”
Already a Jamaican citizen, Yohan is awaiting his Jamaican passport with the intention of representing Jamaica at future events in the coming years starting in 2022.
“As diving is still a new sport for Jamaica, my goal is to compete and see how far I can go both individually and in synchro. It is an amazing opportunity to be among the first divers to have represented Jamaica in diving. I hope my performance inspires more Jamaicans to pursue diving in the future,” he said.
In the meantime, Yohan is focused on the next phase of his studies, already recognizing the significant challenge of studying medicine while training and competing as a diver. Nonetheless, he hopes to overcome the challenges with the hope of representing the country of his father’s birth at the very highest level.
“Currently, I am at a transition stage both academically and athletically where I am finishing college in the spring and planning to move on to graduate school. I have applied to several medical schools and am also applying to several masters as a backup plan in case I have to take a couple of gap years before reapplying for medical school,” he explained.
“Although diving through medical school would be a big challenge due to the intensity of studying, I will continue training through the summer and see what opportunities arise to continue my pursuit of the sport.
“I will first take the necessary steps to perform at some international events in 2022 and evaluate if the Olympics is a possibility. The opportunity to try to qualify for the Olympics for team Jamaica is very exciting for me, and I will continue to work hard over next year and see how I place on an international scale.”
The NBA has postponed a total of five games, including three that were set to be played on Sunday, due to rising COVID-19 cases.
The Brooklyn Nets have lost a significant number of players to positive tests, with 10 players presently in the health and safety protocols – a list that includes stars such as James Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving – and their games against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday and the Washington Wizards two days will not go ahead.
The Eastern Conference leaders had just eight fit players for Saturday's 100-93 defeat against the Orlando Magic, who are 6-25 and sit just 14th in the table.
Meanwhile, seven Cleveland Cavaliers players tested positive between Saturday and Sunday, meaning they do not meet the minimum requirement of eight healthy players and are unable to play the Atlanta Hawks, according to NBA rules.
The game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Orleans Pelicans will also be postponed, with the former also struggling to come up with eight fit players.
However, it is possible the Sixers will be able to return to action against the Boston Celtics on Monday.
Monday features yet another suspended game, though, as the Magic's clash with the Toronto Raptors is also not going ahead due to a number of cases at Orlando.
The NBA has now had to postpone seven games this season after the Chicago Bulls' fixtures with the Detroit Pistons and the Raptors were called off earlier this month.
Ospreys hooker Ifan Phillips underwent a leg amputation after a motorbike collision, he revealed on Sunday.
Phillips, 25, is a former Wales Under-20 international who had trained with Wayne Pivac's senior squad.
The incident occurred on December 5 in Swansea, and Phillips said doctors were unable to save his leg.
South Wales Police said at the time that two motorbikes collided.
Phillips posted a picture to Instagram of himself smiling in a wheelchair and said support in the past fortnight had been "truly overwhelming" and his "spirits are high".
Phillips offered "heartfelt thanks" to those who helped at the scene of the collision and those at Morriston Hospital in Swansea who helped him afterwards.
He wrote: "On the 5th of December I was rushed in to Morriston Hospital following a motorbike accident. I went into theatre on arrival but following ongoing surgery it was not possible to save my leg. As a result I had to have an above the knee amputation."
Phillips said donations to a fund set up to support his recovery would help both with his rehabilitation and "hopefully getting a prosthetic leg which will enable me to experience new opportunities".
Dominic Thiem will skip the Australian Open if he is not happy with his fitness at the end of December, the former US Open champion said on Sunday.
The 28-year-old has not played on the ATP Tour since suffering a wrist injury at the grass-court Mallorca Championships in June.
Thiem missed Wimbledon and could not defend his grand slam title at Flushing Meadows, with injury fears lingering ahead of the new season.
Despite not requiring surgery on the damaged wrist, Thiem has been unable to play competitively and experienced a fresh setback this month when he pulled out of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship, an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi.
In announcing that decision on December 14, Thiem said he was "not yet ready to compete at the highest level", and there was little to inspire confidence when he issued an update confirming he would not travel to play in two events ahead of the Australian Open.
Although Thiem still wants to play at Melbourne Park, where the slam begins on January 17, his prospects are hinging on him feeling significantly more optimistic about his game and fitness in a matter of days.
Thiem wrote: "After speaking to my team, we have decided to return to Austria, instead of flying directly to Australia.
"Unfortunately, I caught a cold [and tested negative for COVID-19] while in Dubai and was unable to practise last week. I will therefore not be in the physical condition required to be able to play the ATP Cup and Sydney ATP 250.
"After not competing for the last six months I can't take the risk of coming back too soon and picking up a further injury.
"Overall, the time I spent in Dubai was great as I've increased the intensity and level of practise and my wrist is almost at 100 per cent.
"My aim is still to play the Australian Open but we will make a final decision about my participation by the end of December."
Jake Paul expressed his desire to get in the ring with either Jorge Masvidal or Nate Diaz after an emphatic knockout victory against Tyron Woodley on Saturday.
The Youtuber-turned-boxer had been due to fight Tommy Fury - brother of heavyweight champion Tyson Fury - but the former Love Island star pulled out citing a chest infection and broken ribs, with Woodley stepping in at short notice for a rematch after Paul had won via split-decision in their first contest earlier this year.
After a bloodied Paul floored former UFC champion Woodley with an overhand right in the sixth round in Florida, he criticised Fury before exclaiming that he wants to take on more UFC figures in the boxing ring next, naming Masvidal and Diaz, who had been in attendance.
"This is as real as it gets, just like my right hand. I told you, I was going to f*** him up and I f***** him up," Paul said following the bout.
"[Woodley] is a legend and I respect him for taking the fight on two weeks' notice. Tommy Fury is a b**** for pulling out of the fight.
"It was a tough fight. I had blood in my eyes. I had the job done. I was setting the punch up the whole fight. He didn't see it coming. Like a lumberjack, timber.
"It's got to be the moment of my life. Look at my year. Four fights, four knockouts. Masvidal and Nate Diaz - you are b***** for leaving this arena. I will f*** you up too. Anyone, any time, any place."
Masvidal has a record of 35-15 and is currently ranked sixth in the welterweight division, while Diaz has a record of 21-13.
Diaz recently addressed rumours of a rubber fight with Conor McGregor after the pair fought twice in the UFC in 2016, with a victory each, and the 36-year-old seemed more focused on getting back in the octagon than entering a boxing ring, asking the UFC to be included on the card for UFC 270 in January.
McGregor suffered fractures to his tibia and fibula that resulted in a first-round stoppage loss to Dustin Poirier in September.
"I'm not fighting Conor until his leg grows back and he beats some people so we know he can even fight still till then," Diaz posted on Twitter.
"Can I get on January card @UFC. Thanks."
Mike Budenholzer explained he was just managing the minutes of absent duo Jrue Holiday and Grayson Allen as the short-handed Milwaukee Bucks went down to the in-form Cleveland Cavaliers.
Milwaukee were without regular starters Giannis Antetokounmpo, Donte DiVincenzo, Wesley Matthews and Bobby Portis as they have entered the NBA's Health and Safety protocols, while Khris Middleton is still out with a hyperextended left knee.
Both Holiday and Allen were available for selection but were not included as the defending NBA champions were routed 119-90.
However, head coach Budenholzer said that decision was simply because of the amount of minutes the duo played against the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday.
"I mean it's just those guys have played a lot," he said
"Those guys have given us so much including last night, they really, really laid it out – the whole group did.
"I was just trying to be big picture, Grayson's a little under the weather. I'm really proud of the guys who played, they really competed."
Jordan Nwora impressed for the Bucks, leading the team's scoring with 28 points. Budenholzer says the task now is to improve other areas of his game.
"He's got that unique kind of scorers mentality, he can make or take tough shots, gets just enough separation, he's getting to the basket a little more, attacking a little more," he said.
"He's a very good scorer so it's just kind of trying to work on other parts of the game too. He's making progress there too so it's invaluable opportunities for him."
Defeat for the Bucks (19-13) leaves them fifth in the East, while a sixth straight win sees the Cavaliers up to third with a 19-12 record.
Two seasons ago, the Cavs only won 19 games in total while it took until April 8 to reach that point in 2020-21 – a campaign in which they finished 22-50.
Commenting on the Cavs' position, Darius Garland – who had 22 points – said: "It's early. We don't get too far ahead of ourselves.
"It's been super fun. It's not just hero ball, everybody is contributing."
Steve Nash was proud of the effort his depleted Brooklyn Nets team put in during the loss to the Orlando Magic on Saturday.
The Eastern Conference leaders had 10 players in COVID-19 protocol, including the returning Kyrie Irving, as well as James Harden and Kevin Durant.
Such was the dire situation, the Nets signed James Ennis III and Shaquille Harrison before the game, while Cam Thomas and Kessler Edwards made their first career NBA starts and David Duke Jr just his third.
Despite the difficult circumstances, Duke hit a three to tie up the game before the Magic were able to win out 100-93.
Head coach Nash had nothing but praise for the way his side performed amid the circumstances, though.
"I thought it was an outstanding effort to get back in the game and tie it late, I'm really proud of the effort," he said.
"We probably made too many mistakes defensively but that effort to come back, find a way to level it and then we got a little unlucky, they made a tough three, we had a backcourt violation, those things happen.
"We probably had too much to make up for those offensive efforts but that's going to happen, we got a bunch of guys who are with us for the first time, got a bunch of guys who are playing extended minutes in multiple games for the first time, and overall I'm really proud of them it was a great effort."
Patty Mills put up 23 points for the Nets, while Blake Griffin had 17 and Cam Thomas 15.
One of the brightest notes of the game came from the performance of Duke, though, who had 18 points and 14 rebounds.
"I thought he was great, I talked to him at halftime because I thought he looked to score a little too much," Nash added.
"We love him because he does so many things well; he defends, he steals, deflections, offensive rebounds, hustle play.
"I said you're going to get your 20 points but you're going to get it out of the game not going out and finding it. He was great, he understood that and his approach in the second half was outstanding.
"He was disruptive offensively, got his hands on a lot of things, was a killer on the glass. He was a bright spot."
With so many players out there was an opportunity for the experienced Griffin, who has found himself out of the Nets' rotation.
"Blake's played great, I think I've said to him there's always something around the corner in this league," Nash said.
"He was out the rotation for a while but we knew something would happen and he'd get his opportunity again. He's a pro and worked his butt off, stayed in shape, found good rhythm, and he's playing good basketball.
"Unfortunately he took a little knock on the knee tonight and we couldn't get the game but his effort was outstanding."
Coach Steve Kerr was in optimistic mood despite seeing his Golden State Warriors go down 119-100 against the Toronto Raptors on Saturday.
The shorthanded Warriors rested star guard Stephen Curry and were also missing Draymond Green (hip), Andre Iguodala (knee), Otto Porter Jr. (foot) and Andrew Wiggins (knee) in Canada.
Fred VanVleet starred with 27 points as the Raptors dominated a young Warriors side at Scotiabank Arena, but speaking to the media after the game, Kerr was keen to emphasise that it had been a valuable learning experience for his team.
"Plenty to learn," he said. "Lots of tape for our young guys to watch. Some things they did well, a lot that we could have done better, but every game is valuable, every minute played is valuable for young players.
"First half we were on our heels, didn't have a lot of juice and confidence, but Toronto played well and they had a lot to do with that."
One positive for the Warriors was the performance of Jonathan Kuminga, with the 19-year-old scoring 26 points, hitting nine of 15 field goals and four of six three-pointers.
"J.K's a dynamic athlete. He's powerful, explosive, he can get downhill, so you see the potential. It was great to see him knock down some three-point shots. That's going to be a big part of his development.
"He's got to get more than one rebound in 36 minutes, especially with that kind of athletic ability and frame, and he had six turnovers so he showed how talented he is, how young he is, how high his ceiling is and how far he has to go all in one night, but that's the whole point of getting him reps and it was fun to see him out there."
This was the Warriors' fifth away game in a row having beaten the Pacers, the Knicks and the Celtics in between defeats to the 76ers and the Raptors, and Kerr was pleased with his team's work during their time on the road, with their next outing a home clash with the Sacramento Kings (12-18) on Monday.
"[It was a] big success to go 3-2 on a tough trip, with two back-to-backs. Obviously [we were] very shorthanded tonight. Really proud of the guys and now we've got to get some rest and bounce back pretty quickly with a game on Monday night."
The Warriors' sixth defeat of the season leaves them second in the Western Conference with a 24-6 record.
Fred VanVleet starred as the Toronto Raptors won 119-100 over the Golden State Warriors who rested star guard Stephen Curry on Saturday.
VanVleet finished with 27 points, seven rebounds and 12 assists as the Raptors blew the Warriors away in the first half, leading 63-42.
Curry (rest), Draymond Green (right hip), Andre Iguodala (right knee), Otto Porter Jr. (left foot) and Andrew Wiggins (left knee) were all absent for Golden State and returned to California to avoid potential COVID-19 exposure and quarantine in Canada.
The Raptors made their absence count, shooting 45 of 90 from the field, becoming the first side the Warriors have allowed this season to shoot at 50 percent or better.
The Warriors' sixth defeat of the season leaves them second in the Western Conference with a 24-6 record.
Wizards end Jazz run
Bradley Beal scored a season-high 37 points and had seven assists and five rebounds as the Washington Wizards ended the Utah Jazz's eight-game winning streak 109-103. Donovan Mitchell scored 32 points for the Jazz, while Rudy Gobert had 19 rebounds with 11 points.
Cedi Osman came off the bench to top score for the Cleveland Cavaliers with 23 points as they won 119-90 over the Milwaukee Bucks, who were missing Giannis Antetokounmpo due to COVID protocols.
Luke Kennard's (27 points, seven rebounds) heroics could not lift the Los Angeles Clippers to victory, going down 104-103 to the Oklahoma City Thunder, who were led by rookie Josh Giddey (eight points, 18 rebounds, 10 assists).
Weakened Nets lose to struggling Magic
The depleted Brooklyn Nets, missing star trio Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden due to COVID protocols, were beaten 100-93 by the lowly Orlando Magic for their sixth win of the season. The loss was the Nets' ninth.
The Los Angeles Lakers have been dealt a major blow with eight-time All-Star Anthony Davis ruled out for at least four weeks with an MCL sprain.
Davis sustained the injury in Friday's 110-92 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves and underwent scans and evaluation on Saturday.
Lakers head coach Frank Vogel had hoped the forward's injury was only minor but the franchise confirmed on Saturday he has suffered an MCL sprain and will miss four weeks minimum.
Davis had played 27 of the Lakers' 30 games this season, averaging 23.3 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.0 blocked shots per game.
The loss of Davis is a setback for the Lakers who are 14-16 and already without Avery Bradley, Talen Horton-Tucker, Dwight Howard, Malik Monk, Kendrick Nunn and Austin Reaves due to the NBA's health and safety protocols.
Kevin Durant is the latest Brooklyn Nets star to enter the NBA's coronavirus protocols.
Durant was already ruled out of Saturday's game against the Orlando Magic due to an ankle injury.
The Nets revealed the 11-time All-Star would not have been able to play in that match even without that issue, however, after he joined a lengthy list of absentees who have entered the health and safety protocols.
That list is now up to nine, one of which is point guard Kyrie Irving.
Brooklyn earlier stated that Irving will re-join the NBA championship-chasing franchise for road games outside of New York and Toronto.
Irving is yet to play for the Eastern Conference-leading Nets this season due to his refusal to be vaccinated against coronavirus, which has prevented him from practising or playing with the team – New York has a mandate in place that states players must have had a COVID-19 jab.
At the start of the season, the Nets announced they would not accept Irving playing on a part-time basis and thus overlooked him for selection until he is vaccinated.
But due to injuries and a COVID-19 outbreak, which has sidelined superstar and former MVP James Harden, Brooklyn have opted to bring Irving back.
Andrey Rublev became the first Russian to win the Mubadala World Tennis Championship by beating Andy Murray in straight sets on Saturday.
World number five Rublev secured a 6-4 7-6 (7-2) victory over the three-time grand slam champion in the final in Abu Dhabi.
Murray had beaten Rafael Nadal in the exhibition event, but was unable to end the year on a high note.
Rublev claimed the only break of a tight first set and dominated a second-set tie-break after Murray had fought back from failing to hold in the opening game.
Murray had been given a way back into the contest when Rublev threw in three double faults in the eighth game of the second set to be pegged back at 4-4, but was unable to force a decider.
Nadal suffered another loss as he works his way back from injury, with Denis Shapovalov coming from a set down to beat the legendary Spaniard 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 10-6.
Rafael Nadal declared his Abu Dhabi mission a success despite suffering a second consecutive defeat at the Mubadala Tennis Championship on Saturday.
After a hard-fought battle with Andy Murray on Friday served up a reminder of many a classic match between the pair, it was Denis Shapovalov who beat Nadal in his second comeback clash.
Since losing to Novak Djokovic in the French Open semi-finals in June, Nadal had played only two matches due to a worrying foot injury.
That has been a long-term problem and the 35-year-old Spaniard chose this week's event to test how it would stand up to match conditions.
Canadian Shapovalov beat his fellow left-hander 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 10-6, but Nadal has done enough in his two matches, and in a practice session with Andrey Rublev, to be persuaded his prospects for 2022 are looking up, with the Australian Open just a month away.
The 20-time grand slam champion said: "Maybe it was too tough to start after a long time."
But he was laughing as he said that, and added: "The goal is achieved: to be back on court. I've played two matches and played more or less four hours on court.
"I enjoyed it. Congrats to Denis today. I wish you all the very best for the next season, and I'm going to try to keep going with my road."
Nadal said he would return to the tournament in future years, as long as he remains fit and still on tour.
"If I'm still playing tennis, I am always super happy to be here playing," he said. "Hopefully I can keep coming during the next couple of years."
Shapovalov, 22, is one of the ATP Tour's most talented youngsters, striving to make a telling impact while the likes of Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Murray reach the twilight years of their careers.
He said of Saturday's win over Nadal: "Any time I get to go on court against a guy like Rafa is an honour for me.
"It's great to just see you back on the court and see you healthy. Hopefully you can grab a great season and keep going."
Damian Lillard vented frustration at coverage of his struggles after scoring a season-high 43 points to help the Portland Trail Blazers get back to winning ways.
Lillard torched the Charlotte Hornets as Portland ended a seven-game losing streak by winning 125-116 on Friday night. Lillard was 12 of 19 from the field as he posted the 40th 40-point game of his career.
Yet even after his big performance on Friday night, Lillard is still shooting career-worst numbers this season – just 39.5 per cent from the field and 31.6 per cent from three-point range after 24 games.
He is averaging 22.8 points per game, his lowest since the 2014-15 season, and this was just the fourth time in this campaign that he has registered 30 points or more. Those healthier hauls have all come in his last nine games, pointing to a significant upswing in Lillard's form.
When his demeanour in a post-game news conference was called into question, Lillard said: "I'm happy we won a game. I felt happy throughout the game and in the locker room, but when I come here and I gotta answer questions, and I've done so much in my career, specifically in Portland, I've given everything, I've never made an excuse, I've never disrespected any of y'all.
"I've never not given you guys time. Just when our team is going through it, I'm in a little bit of a struggle, and I see certain people not giving me that same respect. So that's why I'm a little irritated in here, but with our team I'm happy with what we did. I still come in here and give that same time, but I don't appreciate it man. It'll be handled that way going forward."
Lillard, 31, has spent his entire NBA career with Portland and is a six-time All-Star, posting a career-high 30.0 points per game in the 2019-20 season.
He felt understandable relief at the Trail Blazers finding a way to end their slump. They are 12-18 so far for this campaign.
"I tried to come out and play with pace, be in attack mode, and that was just it," Lillard said. "It was the same situation as in the last few games; we just need to get a win and tonight was that night.
"You lose so many in a row, things start to do downhill. This was a big win for us, and we needed to feel good about something and getting a win usually does that.
"Now we need to roll with it. We've got to make it turn into two and three, pick ourselves up and dig ourselves out of the hole we've put ourselves in and tonight was a good start.
"It's easier when you're making shots as a team, but it was good for us to play with that energy and swagger for a long time and get a win against a good team."
Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis will undergo tests on Saturday to determine the extent of the injuries that forced him out of the defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The 28-year-old took ankle and knee blows in the 110-92 setback on Friday, forcing him out of the game and leaving question marks over whether a lay-off could follow.
Lakers coach Frank Vogel said: "He did see the team doctor here. He's just going to have to be evaluated tomorrow [Saturday] with the MRI, and we'll know more at the time.
"Hopefully, it's something minor and he can get back soon, but we'll find out more tomorrow."
On the defeat, he added: "We have enough to win the game, and we didn't play well enough.
"I think their whole team was more physical. They definitely played a more physical brand of basketball today, and we've got to be better."
Davis is averaging 23.3 points plus 9.9 rebounds this season.
"You lose a player of AD's calibre, your team gets weakened," Vogel said.
"We don't feel sorry for ourselves. You hope for the best for AD. You want him in there, and you hate to see any guys suffering any injuries, but we always feel like we have enough to win.
"So, we're not feeling sorry our ourselves or looking for excuses."
Davis managed just nine points in 20 minutes on court, while LeBron James scored a modest 18 points in 35:30 with five-of-13 shooting, adding 10 rebounds.
James is hopeful Davis will be soon back in action.
"I asked him how he's doing, and he said: 'I'll know more tomorrow', so that's all we know," James said.
"My concern is always for his health. You wish for the best."
James reflected on injuries and the COVID-19 crisis depleting the Lakers' ranks, with players coming in and out of isolation, and said the current circumstances felt "like a revolving door of what-ifs".
"Hopefully, we can get past it soon and can really show who we are as a team, what we are capable of and not having guys in and out so much," he added.
Stephen Curry posted 30 points as the Golden State Warriors reclaimed the best record in the NBA with a 111-107 victory at the Boston Celtics.
Curry – the league's all-time three-points leader – nailed five shots from beyond the arc to fuel the Warriors (24-5) on Friday.
The Warriors snapped a five-game losing streak against the Celtics as Andrew Wiggins added 27 points.
It was a milestone victory for head coach Steve Kerr, who became the third coach in franchise history to reach 400 career wins.
"We're coming off the emotional roller coaster ... a lot going on around the league," Curry said after Jordan Poole entered the NBA's COVID-19 protocols. "You try not to get distracted by all the things that are outside the locker room."
Lillard's 43 inspires Blazers
Damian Lillard torched the Charlotte Hornets with a season-high 43 points to help the Portland Trail Blazers end a seven-game losing streak by winning 125-116. Lillard was 12 of 19 from the field as he posted the 40th 40-point game of his career.
The San Antonio Spurs upstaged the Utah Jazz 128-126 behind Dejounte Murray's second triple-double in three games – 16 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. San Antonio did not commit a turnover in the third quarter and registered a season-high 41 points in that period to snap Utah's eight-game winning run.
Reigning MVP Nikola Jokic fell just short of a triple-double after scoring 20 points, collecting 10 rebounds and tallying seven assists in the Denver Nuggets' 133-115 win against the Atlanta Hawks. Trae Young's 34 points and 10 rebounds were not enough for the Hawks.
LeBron's Lakers beaten
LeBron James was five-of-13 shooting for 18 points and 10 rebounds in the Los Angeles Lakers' 110-92 defeat at the Minnesota Timberwolves. Isaiah Thomas had 19 points in his second Lakers debut as Karl-Anthony Towns inspired the Timberwolves with 28 points and 10 rebounds.
Not even a career-high 40 points from Jrue Holiday could lift defending champions the Milwaukee Bucks, who went down 116-112 to the New Orleans Pelicans after overtime in the absence of stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton.
Kyrie Irving will re-join the Brooklyn Nets after the NBA championship-chasing franchise announced the part-time return of the All-Star for road games outside of New York and Toronto.
Irving is yet to play for the Eastern Conference-leading Nets this season due to his refusal to be vaccinated against coronavirus, which has prevented him from practising or playing with the team – New York has a mandate in place that states players must have had a COVID-19 jab.
At the start of the season, the Nets announced they would not accept Irving playing on a part-time basis and thus overlook him for selection until he is vaccinated.
But due to injuries and a COVID-19 outbreak, which has sidelined superstar and former MVP James Harden, Brooklyn have opted to bring back Irving.
"After discussions with our coaches, players and staff, the organisation has decided to have Kyrie Irving re-join the team for games and practices in which he is eligible to participate," Nets general manager Sean Marks said in a statement on Friday, with Brooklyn's next road contest against the Portland Trail Blazers on December 23.
"We arrived at this decision with the full support of our players and after careful consideration of our current circumstances, including players missing games due to injuries and health and safety protocols.
"We believe that the addition of Kyrie will not only make us a better team but allow us to more optimally balance the physical demand on the entire roster.
"We look forward to Kyrie's return to the line-up, as well as getting our entire roster back together on the court."
In 2020-21, Irving averaged 26.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game as the Nets lost in the Eastern Conference semi-finals to eventual champions the Milwaukee Bucks.
Irving enjoyed a career-high 50.6 field-goal percentage and joint-career best 92.2 free-throw percentage last season.
With Harden missing the last three games while in health and safety protocols, Kevin Durant is averaging 39.7 points, 10.3 rebounds and 9.3 assists. The Nets are 3-0 in those games.
Rafael Nadal said it felt "special" to be back on court as the 20-time grand slam champion began his latest comeback with defeat to old foe Andy Murray in Abu Dhabi.
The Spaniard was beaten 6-3 7-5 by Murray at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship, an exhibition event that for the 35-year-old marks an important step towards a full ATP tour return.
Nadal is coming off a year disrupted by the foot injury that caused him to miss Wimbledon, the Olympics and the US Open, playing just one event after June.
With the Australian Open a month away, there is plenty of work for these two still to do, but this was a feast for the eyes as the multiple grand slam champions jostled hard for supremacy.
Murray is down at 134th in the ATP rankings and continues to battle his own body after hip and groin problems. However, eye-catching wins late in the season against the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Hubert Hurkacz, Jannik Sinner and Frances Tiafoe have suggested there might be good times ahead for him in the new year.
Here the Scot broke Nadal's serve to 15 in the sixth game of the first set to seize the initiative. Nadal appeared to be finding a familiar rhythm in the second set, hitting some tremendous clean winners, and at 0-30 down at 4-4 he serve-volleyed twice in succession to get out of trouble.
A contentious line call gave Murray two break points at 5-5, and although Nadal saved one, he fired long at the end of a super rally on the next point. Murray closed out the contest on his second match point, with Nadal flinging a full-throttle backhand long,
"It's been special to be back in competition," Nadal said in an on-court interview. "At the same time, it's been a while since we played against each other. I'm super happy to see Andy playing at this great level after all the things he went through.
"For me, as a comeback it was not a bad match for me. It's been a long time since I was out on court in a professional match so I've got positive feelings."
These wily old rivals had met 24 times previously at competitive tour level, all of those encounters coming between 2007 and 2016 with Nadal leading 17-7 in the head-to-head.
Nadal won the ATP's comeback player of the year award way back in 2013, and he finds himself looking to prove himself again in 2022, locked together on 20 slams with Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.
Murray, who has won three slams but also been a runner-up eight times in the majors, said: "It's great to be back on the court, able to play at a high level again after a very long time. Me and Rafa have played so many tough matches, but we've not played for five or six years.
"That shows both of us have gone through lots of injury troubles and issues, and it's great to just have the opportunity to be on the court with him again.
"Certainly when I was younger I wasn't appreciating it as much as I do now. It's great to be back on the court, I'm so happy that Rafa's back, and I look forward to the next few years."
Murray will play Andrey Rublev for the title on Saturday, while Nadal features again too, taking on Denis Shapovalov in a third-place match.
Bahamian Joanna Evans and Mexican Jose Martinez were both finalists at the FINA World Short Course Swimming Championships in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.
The 24-year-old Evans, who represented the Bahamas at the Olympics in 2016 and 2021, was seventh in the Women’s 200m Freestyle in 1:54.93 won by Hong Kong’s Siobhan Bernadette Haughey in a new world record 1:50.31.
Canada’s Rebecca Smith was second in 1:52.24 and the USA’s Paige Madden was third in 1:53.01.
Martinez, 24, placed seventh.
The former Texas A&M competitor represented Mexico at the 2017 World Aquatics Championships and the 2020 Olympics.
He swam 1:52.00 to finish seventh in the Men’s 200m butterfly won by Alberto Razetti of Italy in 1:49.06.
Noe Panti of Switzerland was second in 1:49.81 and Chad Le Clos, South Africa’s 2012 Olympic champion, was third in 1:49.84.
Thursday was the opening day of the championships that concludes on December 21.
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