Bones Hyland spoke of building "championship habits" and hailed the latest Nikola Jokic masterclass after the Denver Nuggets savaged the Phoenix Suns at Ball Arena.
A 12th straight home victory for Denver, and a fourth successive win overall, kept the team top of the Western Conference, with the 126-97 margin reflecting a strong night's work.
Jokic fell just short of a 12th triple-double of the season, finishing with 21 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists.
Jamal Murray added 16 points, with Hyland contributing 21 for the Nuggets.
Hyland said of Jokic, who is making a strong case for a third MVP in a row: "Everybody in the world knows when he gets the ball and you go for a rebound, he's the greatest passer in the world, so when he gets the ball we just run.
"Ninety per cent of the time he's gonna make the right pass so when he's got it we run."
Hyland added after Wednesday's rout, according to the Denver Post: "I was really just feeling it. The basket felt like it was really wide. It was like shooting a rock into the ocean."
Speaking to Altitude TV in an on-court interview, Hyland said: "It's a night when we're playing our game.
"We've got a lot of dynamic players on our team, a lot of good shooters, so it's proving it in the season. We've got to focus on what we've got to focus on, build championship habits and just come out here and get a win."
Guard Murray suffered a left ankle problem late in the game, but coach Michael Malone does not expect him to miss any games.
Malone was impressed with the team's efforts and called for them to sustain a high level.
"Your home court has to have an advantage," Malone said. "Our fans have been terrific, and I just love how we’re playing. Once again, a good defensive performance that leads to our offense.
"We had 24 fast break points tonight to their six, we had 30 assists to only 11 turnovers. But the beginning of that is when we defend, and everything just flows from there.
"So hopefully we can continue to protect this home court at a high level through the regular season and into the playoffs."
Nine-time champion Novak Djokovic will make his return to the Australian Open against Spain's world number 75 Roberto Carballes Baena.
After being deported from Australia last year amid a row over his refusal of a COVID-19 vaccination, Djokovic is firmly back in favour and chasing history in Melbourne, with a record-equalling 22nd men's singles grand slam in his sights.
He begins against an opponent who in four previous main draw appearances has only ever won one singles match at Melbourne Park.
Defending champion Rafael Nadal, whose 22 slam titles Djokovic is seeking to match, has a tricky opener against rising British star Jack Draper, the world number 40.
Second seed Casper Ruud will tackle Czech Tomas Machac first up, with the 115th-ranked player unlikely to prove too daunting an obstacle for last season's French Open and US Open runner-up.
Fifth seed Andrey Rublev could face an awkward assignment against wildcard and former US Open winner Dominic Thiem, while Australia's Nick Kyrgios begins against Russian Roman Safiullin.
Neither 13th seed Matteo Berrettini nor five-time runner-up Andy Murray would have been delighted to be paired together, but that is what happened in Thursday's draw.
In the women's singles, top seed Iga Swiatek starts her bid for a first Australian Open title against Germany's Jule Niemeier, who caught the eye last year on a run to the Wimbledon quarter-finals.
American seventh seed Coco Gauff starts against Czech Katerina Siniakova, while Jessica Pegula, Gauff's third-seeded compatriot who recently beat Swiatek in the United Cup, will face Belgian Jaqueline Cristian.
Gauff could face former US Open winner Emma Raducanu in the second round. Unseeded Briton Raducanu starts against Germany's Tamara Korpatsch.
Former champions Sofia Kenin and Victoria Azarenka go head to head in the first round, with American Kenin unseeded this year and Belarusian Azarenka the 24th seed.
Azarenka's compatriot Aryna Sabalenka is fancied to do well, having banished last year's serving yips, and the fifth seed starts against Czech Tereza Martincova.
Tunisian second seed Ons Jabeur, runner-up at Wimbledon and the US Open, begins her latest quest for an elusive grand slam title against Slovenian world number 88 Tamara Zidansek.
Former US Open winner Bianca Andreescu is unseeded in Australia and Czech 25th seed Marie Bouzkova drew a possible short straw by getting the Canadian in round one.
The Miami Heat suspended Dewayne Dedmon for one game without pay after the outburst where he swatted a massage gun on to the court in Tuesday's 112-111 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Dedmon reacted angrily after being subbed out of the game, exchanging words with coaches, before storming off and flinging a massage gun back on to the court during play. The reserve center was ejected by officials for that act.
The Heat announced on Wednesday that in consultation with the NBA they had decided Dedmon would be banned for one game for "conduct detrimental to the team".
Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra had labelled the outburst as "unacceptable" after Tuesday's game.
"It's the Miami Heat. We're all a bunch of gnarly personalities," Spoelstra said.
"That part was unfortunate. Everything before that, that's the Miami Heat. That part was unacceptable."
Jaylen Brown scored a season-high 41 points and Jayson Tatum added 31 as the Boston Celtics claimed their fourth successive win with a 125-114 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday.
Brown recorded his first double-double in a half in his career with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while he added another 18 points in the third quarter.
The Celtics guard shot 15-of-21 from the field with three-of-six from three-point range along with 12 rebounds for the game.
Tatum went 10-of-22 from the field with 10 rebounds and four assists, with Malcolm Brogdon adding 20 points off the bench.
The game marked the seventh time this season that Brown and Tatum have scored at least 30 points each, which is joint for the most before February by two players from the same team in the last 40 seasons.
The other duos to have managed that are Golden State's Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant in 2018-19 and Denver's Alex English and Kiki Vandeweghe in 1983-84.
The result improves the Celtics to 30-12 overall and 17-5 at the TD Garden, while the Pelicans lose ground on the top two in the west, falling to 25-17.
C.J. McCollum scored 38 points for the Pels, marking the first time in his career he had 20-plus points in a first half in consecutive games.
Jokic falls short of triple-double as Nuggets triumph
Nikola Jokic fell one assist short of a 12th triple-double of the season as the Western Conference-leading Denver Nuggets claimed their fourth straight win, 126-97 over the Phoenix Suns.
The reigning back-to-back NBA MVP Jokic finished with 21 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists, including a brilliant first-quarter look-away fling to Aaron Gordon.
Jamal Murray added 16 points, although he picked up an ankle complaint, while Bones Hyland contributed 21 for the Nuggets, who have claimed 11 wins in a row at home, along with winning 14 of their past 17.
Grizzlies secure eighth straight win
Ja Morant led the way as the Memphis Grizzlies secured an eighth consecutive victory to keep pressure on the Nuggets at the top of the west with a 135-129 win over the San Antonio Spurs.
Morant scored 21 points in the first half, finishing the game with 38 along with five rebounds and four assists.
The Grizzlies guard also produced a big dunk over Jakob Poeltl in the third quarter, while his put-back with 24.1 seconds left in the fourth sealed the victory.
Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy says his side are "not living in" last year's premature playoffs exit ahead of their Wild Card game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday.
The Cowboys crashed out of last year's postseason with a 23-17 Wild Card game loss to the San Francisco 49ers after topping the NFC East and finishing as the conference third seed.
McCarthy, who was assured of his job irrespective of Sunday's result earlier this week by owner Jerry Jones, is also seeking his first playoff win in three seasons with the Cowboys.
"We're not living in it, that's for sure," McCarthy told reporters when asked if last year's Wild Card exit had been discussed in the lead-up to Monday's game. "We've acknowledged it.
"The thing that we're really focused on is what we've done, who we are and making sure we have our plan as tight as possible going into this game to do what we need to do to win this game.
"We've had time for the theme speeches, they've been good triggers to talk about, as far as secret wound of losing a playoff game. We've definitely experienced that.
"We talked about the buffalos running through the storm and resiliency. That has served us well, all those experiences are the gold in our concierge. That's really who we are.
"The reality is we're not getting super philosophical, it's a ridiculously long answer here. The reality of it is we need to make sure our focus is tight and we're going into Tampa to win a game on the road against an outstanding football team."
The Cowboys finished the 2022 regular season with a 12-5 record, although they lost two of their final four games, including an uninspiring 26-6 defeat to the Washington Commanders last Sunday.
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has thrown an interception in each of the past seven games, including eight in their past five.
"Like how we function internally, we're evaluating everything we do," McCarthy said about Prescott. "Every walk-through, if there's a correction, every practice, you're always correcting to improve.
"That's part of your application and evaluation process. The things that haven’t gone well are the things you learn most from and that's life. That is our gold… We'll be ready to go."
The Baltimore Ravens appear increasingly likely to be without star quarterback Lamar Jackson for Sunday's AFC Wild Card game against the Cincinnati Bengals after he missed practice again.
Jackson has been absent for 16 straight practice sessions due to a sprained PCL in his left knee that has seen him not play since Week 13.
The 2019 NFL MVP has missed the Ravens' past five games, where they have gone 2-3 and scored 13 points per game, which is the second-worst record in the NFL.
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh has been reluctant to discuss Jackson's status over the past fortnight and simply replied "no updates at this time" when asked on Wednesday.
The situation is further complicated by top backup Tyler Huntley dealing with tendonitis in his right throwing shoulder. Huntley did not throw during the media portion at practice on Wednesday.
"He's doing a lot better," Harbaugh told reporters about Huntley. "He was out there in practice today and took a bunch of plays. I'd say he's on schedule, hopefully, and we'll see where it goes."
If Jackson and Huntley are both unavailable then undrafted rookie Anthony Brown, who has one career NFL start, would step in.
Ravens tight end Mark Andrews added: "You look at the two other guys [Huntley and Brown], there is so much trust in both of them.
"We know with whoever we put out there – Lamar, Snoop [Huntley] or AB – we'll be all right and ready to go."
Kevin Durant's absence cannot be used as an excuse by the Brooklyn Nets, insists head coach Jacque Vaughn.
Durant sprained the medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his right knee in the third quarter of the Nets' 102-101 win over the Miami Heat on Sunday, with reports suggesting he could be sidelined for around a month.
Brooklyn confirmed the result of scans a day later, saying the 12-time NBA All-Star would be "reevaluated in two weeks."
Durant is averaging 29.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists this season.
Vaughn does not want his players to dwell on being without their star player, though, as they look to build on a fine record of 27-13, including a run of 18 wins from their last 20 games that sees them sit second in the Eastern Conference.
"That's the biggest thing. I'm not giving this group a chance to make excuses," he said on Wednesday.
"Here to play. Here to win. Here to compete. It doesn't change. Love them."
Brooklyn host the only team in the league with a better record than them, the Boston Celtics, on Thursday.
UFC president Dana White says there is no need for him to be punished by the organisation after being involved in a physical altercation with his wife.
Video footage emerged of the 53-year-old and wife Anne celebrating New Year's Eve in Cabo, Mexico, when a dispute seemingly broke out between the couple.
Anne White had her head in her hands before slapping her husband, who struck back with slaps of his own. The video emerged via TMZ, and White apologised via the US news outlet after the incident.
"What should the repercussions be? You tell me," White said when asked if he should be punished by the UFC. "I take 30 days off? How does that hurt me?
"I told you guys as we were going through [the COVID-19 pandemic], COVID could last 10 years, and I could sit it out. It's much like COVID, actually. Me leaving hurts the company. Hurts my employees. Hurts the fighters. It doesn't hurt me.
"I could've left in 2016 [when the company was acquired by Endeavor]. Do I need to reflect? I've been against this. I've owned this. I'm telling you that I'm wrong.
"Here's my punishment: I have to walk around for however long I live – and this is how I'm labelled now. My other punishment is that I'm sure a lot of people – whether it be media, fighters, friends, acquaintances – who had respect for me might not have respect for me now.
"There's a lot of things I have to deal with the rest of my life that's way more of a punishment than, what, I take a 30-day or 60-day absence?"
White, who has been UFC president since 2001, added that criticism of him for the altercation with his wife was "100 per cent warranted" and moved to discredit anyone defending his actions.
"One thing I do want to clarify in this thing that I didn't talk about on TMZ, because I didn't expect it or I didn't see it coming, is the people that are defending me," he said.
"There's never an excuse. There's no defense for this, and people should not be defending me, no matter what. All the criticism I've received this week is 100-per-cent warranted."
Dana and Anne have been married for 27 years and have three children together.
France hooker Peato Mauvaka will miss at least the start of the Six Nations after undergoing surgery on a broken finger.
The 26-year-old has been capped 18 times by France and was used in all five matches in last year's tournament, which France won to end their 12-year wait for the trophy.
However, Mauvaka is now in a race against time to play a part in this year's edition due to an injury sustained in club side Toulouse's loss to La Rochelle in the Top 14 last weekend.
France head coach Fabien Galthie indicated on Tuesday that Mauvaka would be out for around three weeks, but his lay-off looks set to extend beyond then.
Providing an update on Wednesday, Toulouse coach Ugo Mola said: "Peato will be operated on this Friday. His absence will unfortunately be longer than three weeks."
France begin their Six Nations defence against Italy on February 5 – three and a half weeks' time – and have a difficult trip to Ireland six days later.
Galthie's men then face Scotland on February 26 and England on March 11, before concluding their campaign at home to Wales on March 18.
Four-time grand slam champion Naomi Osaka has announced she is pregnant and is not expecting to play tennis again until next year.
The 25-year-old has not been in action since September and withdrew from the upcoming Australian Open on Sunday, but no reason was given for her prolonged absence.
However, Osaka revealed on her personal social media accounts on Wednesday that she is expecting her first child and will take a year out.
"Can't wait to get back on the court, but here's a little life update for 2023," she wrote alongside an image of an ultrasound.
"The past few years have been interesting to say the least, but I find that it's the most challenging times in life that may be the most fun.
"These few months away from the sport have really given me a new love and appreciation for the game I've dedicated my life to.
"I realise that life is so short and I don't take any moments for granted, every day is a new blessing and adventure.
"I know that I have so much to look forward to in the future, one thing I'm looking forward to is for my kid to watch one of my matches and tell someone, 'that's my mom,' haha.
"2023 will be a year that'll be full of lessons for me, and I hope I'll see you guys at the start of the next one 'cause I'll be at Aus 2024. Love you all infinitely."
The Japanese former world number one won the Australian Open in 2019 and 2021, while also winning the US Open in 2018 and 2020.
Osaka is currently ranked 42nd in the world and has been replaced by Dayana Yastremska in the main draw for the opening grand slam of the year.
"I don't think there's a perfectly correct path to take in life," Osaka added in her post. "But I always felt if you move forward with good intentions you'll find your way eventually."
Patrick Mahomes, Justin Jefferson and Travis Kelce are among those selected by the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) for the 2022 All-Pro team.
It is the first time a selection has been made exclusively by players, with the most recognised All-Pro team being the one generated by votes from NFL writers and broadcasters, organised by the Associated Press.
NFLPA president J.C. Tretter issued a statement on Tuesday outlining why he felt it was important for players to have their say.
"For the first time ever, NFL players are honouring the best in the game by naming our Players' All-Pro team," he said. "Every active NFL player had the opportunity to cast their vote to decide who is really the best at each position.
"We compete against each other all season long, watching hours and hours of film week after week after week, and yet we have never had an opportunity to truly use our expertise to select the best of us.
"We think it is important that players take the time to define ourselves, because so far, we have allowed everyone else to either pick or dilute our voices."
The team was unveiled on Wednesday, with selections including Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Mahomes, Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs, and his team-mate Davante Adams and Minnesota Vikings' star Jefferson as wide receivers.
The Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers were the best represented teams, with four players each.
2022 Players' All-Pro Team – Quarterback: Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs), Running back: Josh Jacobs (Las Vegas Raiders), Fullback: Kyle Juszczyk (San Francisco 49ers), Wide receivers: Justin Jefferson (Minnesota Vikings), Davante Adams (Las Vegas Raiders), Tight end: Travis Kelce (Kansas City Chiefs), Left tackle: Trent Williams (San Francisco 49ers), Left guard: Joel Bitonio (Cleveland Browns), Center: Jason Kelce (Philadelphia Eagles), Right guard: Zack Martin (Dallas Cowboys), Right tackle: Lane Johnson (Philadelphia Eagles), Edge rushers: Nick Bosa (San Francisco 49ers), Myles Garrett (Cleveland Browns), Interior defensive linemen: Chris Jones (Kansas City Chiefs), Aaron Donald (Los Angeles Rams), Nose tackle: Dexter Lawrence (New York Giants), Off-ball linebackers: Fred Warner (San Francisco 49ers), Roquan Smith (Baltimore Ravens), Cornerbacks: Pat Surtain II (Denver Broncos), Darius Slay (Philadelphia Eagles), Free safety: Minkah Fitzpatrick (Pittsburgh Steelers), Strong safety: Derwin James Jr (Los Angeles Chargers), Kick returner: Cordarrelle Patterson (Atlanta Falcons), Punt returner: KaVontae Turpin (Dallas Cowboys), Core teamers: Jeremy Reaves (Washington Commanders), Justin Hardee (New York Jets), Kicker: Jason Myers (Seattle Seahawks), Punter: Tommy Townsend (Kansas City Chiefs), Long snapper: Morgan Cox (Tennessee Titans).
Tua Tagovailoa has not been cleared to return ahead of the NFL playoffs, leaving Miami Dolphins rookie Skylar Thompson to start again at quarterback against the Buffalo Bills.
A promising season for Tagovailoa and the Dolphins has been rocked by repeated concussion concerns.
Tagovailoa hit his head against the ground twice in the same week in September, but only the second incident was logged as a concussion as he left a defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals. The first hit, against the Bills in Week 3, was described as a back issue.
The former Alabama QB missed two games then before returning, only to suffer another concussion against the Green Bay Packers on Christmas Day – one that was not identified until the following day.
Tagovailoa has not played since and will not line up against the Bills in this week's Wild Card round matchup.
Coach Mike McDaniel confirmed Tagovailoa was out, while the Dolphins are now preparing for Thompson to start as Teddy Bridgewater also remains sidelined after dislocating a finger.
Thompson's first NFL start was in Week 6, with Tagovailoa still out and backup Bridgewater also dealing with a concussion. The rookie left the game with a thumb injury.
He had to wait until Week 18 for both Tagovailoa and Bridgewater to be out again ahead of a crucial meeting with the New York Jets.
After five straight defeats, Thompson helped the Dolphins edge to a narrow 11-6 win that booked their place in the postseason, teeing up another meeting with AFC East rivals the Bills, against whom the seventh-round pick is again set to start.
Damar Hamlin has been discharged from hospital and allowed to return home to continue his rehabilitation.
Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest during the Buffalo Bills' game against the Cincinnati Bengals on January 2 and had been in critical condition at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
In an update provided by his doctors in Cincinnati on Monday, it was confirmed Hamlin had not only been discharged and allowed to return to Buffalo after showing sufficient recovery, but was also doing physical therapy, walking and tolerating a regular diet.
Just two days later, the Bills confirmed the 24-year-old had also been discharged from hospital in Buffalo, where he was sent to continue his treatment after returning from Cincinnati.
"Damar Hamlin has been discharged from Buffalo General Medical Center/Gates Vascular Institute, a Kaleida Health facility in Buffalo, NY," a statement on Wednesday read.
"Hamlin was admitted on Monday and went through a comprehensive medical evaluation as well as a series of cardiac, neurological and vascular testing on Tuesday.
"Jamie Nadler, MD, critical care physician and Chief Quality Officer at Kaleida Health, and the care team lead for Hamlin said: 'We have completed a series of tests and evaluations, and in consultation with the team physicians, we are confident that Damar can be safely discharged to continue his rehabilitation at home and with the Bills.'"
The Minnesota Twins have finalised their contract agreement with Carlos Correa, ending a month-long saga in which the star shortstop reached deals with two other teams that were held up due to medical concerns.
Minnesota announced on Wednesday that Correa has passed a physical, and the team scheduled a press conference for 12:30 p.m. ET to formally announce the re-signing.
MLB.com reports the contract to be for six years and $200 million and includes four vesting option years that can make the deal worth an additional $70 million.
Correa exercised an opt-out clause in the three-year, $105 million contract he signed with Minnesota last March and originally agreed to a 13-year, $350 million contract with the San Francisco Giants on December 13. The Giants pulled out of the agreement a week later, however, over concerns about an ankle injury Correa sustained in 2014.
The 28-year-old then reached a 12-year, $315 million agreement with the New York Mets, who also raised concerns about Correa's surgically repaired ankle following a physical exam and attempted to revise language in his contract.
Correa's agent, Scott Boras, restarted talks with other teams last week as the impasse with the Mets remained, which allowed the Twins to re-enter the picture and ultimately work out the largest free-agent contract in team history.
In 136 games for the Twins in 2022, Correa hit .291 with 22 home runs and 64 RBIs with 70 runs scored.
The two-time All-Star and 2021 Gold Glove winner spent his first seven MLB seasons with the Houston Astros after being picked first overall in the 2012 draft and was named the 2015 American League Rookie of the Year.
A career .279 hitter and key contributor to Houston's 2017 World Series championship team, Correa has 155 home runs and 553 RBIs in 888 games.
Tom Curry has sustained a hamstring tear that will keep him out of England's first two Six Nations matches, but he is set to be in contention for the clash with Wales at the end of February.
Curry, who captained England for the first time in last year's championship, injured his right leg in a tackle in the first half of Sale Sharks' win against Harlequins on Sunday.
With Steve Borthwick taking charge of England for the first time in their February 4 opener against Scotland, the injury left Curry little time to recover.
Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson confirmed Curry would miss that match and the subsequent meeting with Italy, but the setback could have been worse.
"It's not as bad as we thought," Sanderson said. "A [grade] 3c [tear] would have been six to eight weeks, and he would have been looking to play at the back end of the Six Nations.
"With it being a 2c and Tom being very diligent on his rehab, it means he could be back for Wales."
England visit Wales for their first away match of the campaign on February 25.
Owen Farrell is set to play in England's Six Nations opener against Scotland despite a ban for dangerous tackling.
The England captain was cited after making contact with Jack Clement's head with his shoulder in Friday's Premiership match between Saracens and Gloucester.
Farrell believed the incident did not merit a red card, prompting a disciplinary hearing on Tuesday.
A four-match ban was upheld, however, potentially ruling Farrell out until after Sarries' clash with Leicester Tigers on February 19. England play both Scotland and Italy before that date.
But the final match of the suspension will be removed if Farrell completes the World Rugby Coaching Intervention Programme, which he has indicated he intends to.
An initial six-match ban was reduced after Farrell acknowledged the charge and showed "exemplary" behaviour during the hearing process.
It could not be reduced further at the outset due to a previous five-match suspension in 2020 for a high tackle on Wasps' Charlie Atkinson.
Danielle Collins needed seven match points to defeat Jil Teichmann at the Adelaide International 2 but ultimately progressed to the quarters.
Collins, seeded 10th, had victory in her grasp after reeling off four straight games in the second set.
Yet she was unable to get over the line at the first six times of asking, initially failing to serve out the win before Teichmann saved five match points.
Collins, though, regained momentum in the tie-break to win 6-3 7-6 (7-2).
World number nine Veronika Kudermetova is next up for Collins, having received a walkover to the last eight.
Caroline Garcia, the highest-ranked player left in the tournament, overcame Katerina Siniakova 6-3 3-6 7-5, but was made to work for her win.
Having been pegged back in the second set, Garcia seemed well set to push for victory when she went 3-1 up in the decider, but Siniakova broke and then held her serve to restore parity.
A tie-break looked likely until Garcia converted the third break point of a thrilling 12th game to claim victory.
Barbora Krejcikova, the 2021 French Open champion, was ousted by fifth seed Daria Kasatkina, who cruised through 6-2 7-5.
World number eight Kasatkina will take on two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova for a place in the last four.
Belinda Bencic also progressed, as did Paula Badosa and Beatriz Haddad Maia.
Anna Blinkova caused an upset at the Hobart International, dispatching top seed Marie Bouzkova 7-5 6-4.
Fifth seed Anhelina Kalinina is the favourite after Bouzkova's exit and a tie with 2019 champion Sofia Kenin is her reward for a win over Tatjana Maria.
Klay Thompson suggested the Golden State Warriors paid the price for thinking "we'd just get the dub" as Stephen Curry returned from injury against the Phoenix Suns.
Curry missed 11 games with a shoulder injury but was back in the lineup on Tuesday alongside Andrew Wiggins, who had returned in the Warriors' previous outing after 15 games on the sideline.
However, the Suns defeated the NBA champions 125-113 after building a big halftime lead.
Complacency was an issue, according to Thompson, whose 29 points led Golden State.
"I think with Steph and [Wiggins] back, we probably relaxed a bit more than we should have," he said.
"We thought with them showing up, we'd just get the dub."
The loss was the Warriors' third in a row after a run of five straight wins appeared to have got their season back on track.
At the halfway mark in the campaign, Golden State are eighth in the West with a losing 20-21 record.
"We've been talking about it for a long time," said Curry. "Eventually, you have to do it or else time runs out.
"We have 41 games to figure it out – or else we won't."
There was at least cause for optimism in the fourth quarter, in which Curry, playing with a shooting sleeve on his left arm, scored 16 of his 24 points.
"It's hit or miss with how much rust you will have and how close you can get to the speed of the game," Curry explained. "The first quarter, it felt good just to be out there, running with our guys.
"I felt like I got stronger as the game went on. In the fourth, the intensity of the game picked up. We were playing very desperately trying to come back and make some plays. I felt like myself again."
Coach Steve Kerr added: "I'm hoping that fourth quarter was the team that I have come to know and love and recognise.
"But we have to show in the first quarter, not in the fourth quarter."
Casper Ruud was given a wake-up call ahead of the Australian Open as he was beaten by Laslo Djere in Auckland.
Ruud, who was beaten by Carlos Alcaraz in the US Open final last year, was the top seed in New Zealand but came unstuck in the round of 16 on Wednesday.
Djere came from behind to defeat the Norwegian world number three 3-6 6-3 7-6 (7-3) and seal his place in the quarter-finals, where he will meet Constant Lestienne.
In the process, Djere recorded his first career victory over a top-five opponent.
Ruud must now shrug off the disappointment and switch his focus to Melbourne, where he will be hoping to break his grand slam duck.
David Goffin overcame qualifier Christopher Eubanks in straight sets to tee up a last-eight tie with Richard Gasquet, while Jenson Brooksby received a walkover due to Diego Schwartzman's injury.
Unlike Ruud, second seed Cameron Norrie did make it through. The world number 12, who spent the majority of his childhood in New Zealand, enjoyed a homecoming as he saw off Jiri Lehecka 6-4 6-7 (4-7) 6-3.
Norrie is unbeaten in 2023, having beat Alex De Minaur, Taylor Fritz and Rafael Nadal while in action for Great Britain at the United Cup.
"Obviously, there were [some] nerves in me, coming back to New Zealand I wanted to play well in front of everyone, and Jiri's a great player," said the 27-year-old.
"So, it wasn't easy, and credit to him in that second set for playing a really good tie-break. He really took it to me, but I really enjoyed the time on the court."
There was also a shock at the Adelaide International 2, where top seed Andrey Rublev succumbed to wildcard Thanasi Kokkinakis.
Rublev hit back after losing the first set but Kokkinakis ultimately prevailed 6-4 3-6 6-3.
Second seed Pablo Carreno Busta also fell out, losing to Kwon Soon-woo, leaving third seed Karen Khachanov as the favourite after his straight sets defeat of Marc-Andrea Huesler.
Mikael Ymer, Jack Draper, Miomir Kecmanovic, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Roberto Bautista Agut all progressed.
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