Devin Booker loves and admires Klay Thompson, but that does not excuse him from being competitive after their verbal spar led to the Golden State Warriors guard's ejection from Tuesday's game.
Booker scored 34 points as the Phoenix Suns won 134-105 over the Warriors, with Thompson ejected for the first time in his career during a heated third quarter between two of the top Western Conference contenders at Footprint Center.
Thompson was thrown out of the game after consecutive technical fouls, instigated by a heated exchange with Booker that went on for several minutes.
The pair bumped chests and exchanged words, leading to double technicals for both players, but Thompson boiled over during an ensuing timeout and was thrown out after yelling at the officials, despite being restrained by Stephen Curry and assistant coach Chris DeMarco.
"I love Klay Thompson," Booker told ESPN during his on-court interview after the game. "I have from the beginning, from the draft coming out, I said I wanted to be Klay Thompson.
"But that doesn’t excuse us from competing against each other and talking a little mess with each other. I had fun with it. I'm a big fan of his and his competitive nature and that's that."
When asked at the press conference what Thompson said to Booker, he said: "They have four rings. Repeated over and over. And they do."
Thompson managed only two points on one-of-eight shooting, with that frustration boiling over, while Booker kept his composure to an extent. The Warriors guard was still shouting at the Suns bench as he was walked out following his ejection.
"He was having a tough night," Booker said. "I think everything plays into his frustration. I've been there before.
"You know what they have, they've got the four rings, they're going to use that in all the trash talk, rightfully so, respectfully. But that doesn't have anything to do with competing.
"I've always admired his game, how he plays on both sides of the ball and obviously the rings speak for themselves. Like I said, I'm going to bring it every time."
Thompson's ejection comes amid a sluggish start to the season for the five-time All-Star shooting guard, averaging 14.0 points on 40.5 per cent shooting from the field, while he has made eight-of-28 three-point attempts at 34.8 per cent.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr understood Thompson's frustration but tried to offer some perspective to his frustrated four-time NBA champion.
"One thing I will remind Klay on, he's had plenty of slow starts in his career," Kerr said. "I remember several years ago where he really struggled for the three-point line in his first four or five games.
"Klay cares so much about the game, his own impact on our team. He wants it so badly and he's trying to force everything right now. He's trying too hard. I'll remind him of that."
Alexandar Georgiev says it was "pretty special" to be the Colorado Avalanche's shootout hero against the New York Rangers whom he left barely four months ago.
The Russian goaltender stopped three of four Rangers' shootout attempts as the Avalanche won 3-2 at his former home rink, Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.
Georgiev, who stopped Rangers winger Alexis Lafreniere to seal the win, had spent five years with the Rangers before being traded to the Stanley Cup champions in July.
"Pretty special," Georgiev told reporters. "It doesn't get much better than a tight shootout win.
"The building is awesome. Brought a lot of good memories back. But for me, it was just playing the game and letting it come to me… I was just enjoying the moment."
Avs head coach Jared Bednar praised Georgiev, who made 44 saves on 46 shots across the game to improve to 4-0-1 this season.
"I'm really happy for him," Bednar said. "Every game's a big game, but when you're coming in against your former team and playing against your old teammates, there's a little added incentive.
"I'm happy to see our guy come away with two points and the win."
Avs defenseman Cale Makar, who got his seventh assist in seven games, said Georgiev was on another planet in the game where he came up against star Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin.
"I feel like I knew Georgie was going to have a game tonight," Makar said. "He's a good goalie but I feel like he was on a completely different planet tonight."
Devin Booker continued his prolific start to the season as the Phoenix Suns flexed their offensive muscle with a 134-105 win over Western Conference rivals Golden State Warriors on Tuesday.
Booker, who turns 26 on Sunday, became the first player in franchise history to have three 30-point games in the first four of a season, finishing with 34 on 10-of-19 shooting from the field with seven assists and three steals.
Deandre Ayton added 16 points with 14 rebounds, including 11 in the first half, while Chris Paul had 16 points with seven rebounds and nine assists.
The Suns, who improved to 3-1, shot at 41 per cent from the field, making 12-of-29 three-pointers, with Paul draining four-of-five from beyond the arc. Phoenix outscored the Warriors 62-39 in the second half.
The reigning champions, who moved to 2-2, continued their worrying defensive start to the season, having conceded 109 or more points in all four of their games this season, averaging 124 points against per game.
Stephen Curry managed 21 points to end his 30-point run to start the season, shooting seven-of-17 from the field and four triples.
Jordan Poole was productive off the bench with 17 points, including 14 in the first half. Klay Thompson was ordinary again with two points, shooting none-of-five from three-point range.
Pels triumph over Doncic's Mavs despite key outs
The New Orleans Pelicans overcame the absence of Zion Williamson (hip) and Brandon Ingram (concussion) along with a Luka Doncic masterclass to win 113-111 over the Dallas Mavericks.
Doncic scored 37 points on 16-of-30 shooting, with 11 rebounds and seven assists for the Mavs, but the undermanned Pels triumphed, led by Trey Murphy with a team-high 22 points with 100 per cent shooting.
C.J. McCollum struggled to find his range, shooting six-of-20 for 14 points but eight Pels players reached double-figure scoring as they improved to 3-1 to start the season.
Doncic became the first Mav to ever open a season with three straight 30-point games. The Slovenian is also only the second player in NBA history with 100-plus points, 25-plus rebounds and 20-plus assists through the first three games of a season.
SGA's OKC down short-handed Clippers
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander produced a dominant all-round display with 33 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder cruised past the short-handed Los Angeles Clippers 108-94.
The Clippers were without former NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard due to knee soreness along with seven-time All-Star Paul George with illness, with the defeat seeing them slip to 1-3.
Gilgeous-Alexander went at 50 per cent from the field, making two-of-two from beyond the arc, with five rebounds, eight assists, three blocks and three steals in a masterful display, while Tre Mann scored 16 of his 25 points in the first half.
The San Diego Padres are all in on superstar Juan Soto, with general manager A.J. Preller telling reporters on Tuesday the goal is to have him around "for many years to come".
Soto was acquired from the Washington Nationals in a blockbuster trade at this season's deadline after turning down a 15-year, $440million contract extension.
The Dominican Republic product celebrated his 24th birthday on Tuesday, and he already has two All-Star appearances, three top-10 MVP finishes and a Home Run Derby crown to his name.
This past season was Soto's worst of his career at the plate, hitting just .242 to lower his career average to .287, but he showed he still has the elite plate discipline that makes him such an outlier at his age.
He has now started his career with five consecutive seasons where he has an on-base percentage above .400, and despite a career-worst slugging percentage of .452, his 27 home runs were only two fewer than the previous year where he was named MVP runner-up.
Soto was disappointing in the first two rounds of this year's postseason, but hit a pair of home runs in the Padres' NLCS loss to the Philadelphia Phillies as he began to rediscover his power.
Prior to the trade, Soto was considered one of the best young players in the history of the sport, and a few cold months of batting have done nothing to change that as the Padres have control over him for two more seasons before he becomes eligible for free agency.
Addressing the media, Preller made it clear that a long-term extension for Soto is the organisation's priority, while dancing around their plans for out-of-contract closing pitcher Josh Hader, who they also acquired at the deadline.
"They're guys that, you know, in Juan's case should be here for many years to come," he said. "I think we'll have that conversation. All this is pretty fresh.
"From Juan's standpoint, he's getting to know the city and getting to know the organization. When we made the deal, we made it knowing that we got him for three pennant races.
"He's an incredibly talented player, he's an impact player, and we'll have those conversations here. This offseason is kind of taking the temperature, seeing where his head is at going forward."
After sneaking into the playoffs, the 89-win Padres eliminated the 101-win New York Mets and the 111-win Los Angeles Dodgers in back-to-back series, and manager Bob Melvin said they will be aiming even higher next season.
"Much higher," he said. "You look at the core guys we have coming back, this is going to be as good a group as anybody."
Preller added: "This is a taste of what's to come".
Anthony Davis has rallied around maligned Los Angeles Lakers teammate Russell Westbrook, who has been listed as doubtful for Wednesday's game against the Denver Nuggets due to left hamstring soreness.
Westbrook exited the Lakers' final preseason game against the Sacramento Kings 11 days ago after only five minutes due to a hamstring issue.
The 33-year-old nine-time All-Star has played all three of the Lakers' games this season since, but has been the subject of significant criticism, the latest for taking on and missing a midrange shot late in Sunday's loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Lakers head coach Darvin Ham declined to elaborate on his likely line-up for the Nuggets game, as they look to snap an 0-3 start to the season.
Westbrook's status was disclosed by the Lakers after Ham spoke to reporters, while the former MVP was not made available either.
The Lakers point guard is averaging 10.3 points shooting at 28.9 per cent from the field with 6.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.0 steals per game across three games this season.
Davis, who has started this season impressively despite the Lakers' winless start, leapt to the defence of Westbrook who has copped the brunt of the criticism directed at the team.
"I mean, it's crazy," Davis said. "People are forgetting who Russ is… I can't imagine how tough it is for him. It's something you guys have to ask him.
"But just as a team, as an organisation, we're just trying to be there for him and just keep supporting him and make sure that he doesn't get caught up in it, because that's when things can go bad for him. We want to make sure that he's continuously in a great space.
"He was all smiles today, which is a good thing. We want to make sure that no matter what, he knows we're on his side and we have his back. And whatever he needs from us, we're right here, on and off the court."
The Lakers' winless start to the season comes after missing the playoffs in 2021-22 with a 33-49 record.
"Obviously, there's some sense of urgency," Davis added. "You don't want to dig yourself too big of a hole. But we've got to stay even-keeled.
"We can't get rattled or flustered and things like that. Just like if we win 12 in a row, we don't want to get too high.
"We think all this adversity is going to be good for us. We're glad it's happening in October and not March or April."
Kawhi Leonard is experiencing stiffness in his surgically repaired right knee and has subsequently been ruled out of the Los Angeles Clippers' next two games.
The two-time NBA Finals MVP missed all of last season after tearing his ACL during the 2021 playoffs and has played 21 minutes off the bench in two of the Clippers' three opening games this season.
Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue revealed ahead of Tuesday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder that Leonard had not suffered a setback but would sit out of their next two games, including Thursday's second game at OKC.
"After shootaround, [he] experienced some stiffness in his knee," Lue told reporters. "We want to be cautious, make sure we're doing the right thing by him, even though he wanted to play.
"We just thought it wasn't smart. He can be mad at us if he wants to but just not smart right now."
The Clippers are opting for a cautious approach with Leonard, who will fly back to Los Angeles on Wednesday to undergo treatment, with the team to monitor him before making a call on his availability for Sunday's game against the New Orleans Pelicans.
"That [soreness] is part of the process when you have ACL surgery," Lue said. "It's known to happen to get a little stiffness so we just got to be smart about it."
The 31-year-old has averaged 12.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 2.0 assists in his two games this season, shooting at 44.4 per cent from the field.
Bringing Cristiano Ronaldo back to Sporting CP remains the club's "dream", according to head coach Ruben Amorim, though he acknowledges the striker's wage demands make such a move impossible.
Ronaldo reportedly asked to leave Manchester United following their failure to secure Champions League qualification last season, and Sporting – the club at which he began his career – were touted as a potential destination.
After struggling for minutes following his failure to secure a transfer, Ronaldo reportedly refused to come on as a substitute during United's win over Tottenham last week, leading Erik ten Hag to temporarily banish him from first-team training.
That incident has led to renewed speculation about Ronaldo's future at Old Trafford, but financial concerns will prevent his former side from taking him back.
"Ronaldo is a top player, a Manchester United player," Amorim said at a news conference ahead of Sporting's Champions League trip to Tottenham.
"I'm going to respond the same way, as a lot of journalists in Portugal ask me that question. He's a Manchester United player.
"At Sporting, everyone dreams of Cristiano's return, but we don't have the money to pay him his salary. I think he's happy in Manchester, but he doesn't play, that's the problem."
With Ronaldo returning to first-team training with United on Tuesday, Amorim was unwilling to pass judgement on Ten Hag's decision to sanction the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.
"I have my problems with Sporting players," he added. "It's a problem with Ten Hag, I'm happy with my players. I just want to beat Tottenham."
The Miami Marlins announced on Tuesday that they’ve have hired Skip Schumaker to be the 16th manager in franchise history.
The 42-year-old Schumaker played 11 major league seasons from 2005-15 with the Cardinals, Dodgers and Reds before serving on the Padres coaching staff from 2018-21.
After four seasons in San Diego, Schumaker then returned to St. Louis, where he won World Series titles in 2006 and ’11, working as the bench coach for first-time manager Oliver Marmol to help the Cardinals capture the 2022 NL Central crown.
"As we continue to grow as an organization, we felt it was important to find an individual who had been a part of a winning culture," Marlins general manager Kim Ng said in a statement Tuesday.
"Having been a member of two championship teams, along with his reputation for tenacity and getting every ounce of his ability, Skip will be a tremendous example to our players. His leadership style, teaching skills and attention to detail made him the clear choice as the club's new manager."
Schumaker, who hit 28 home runs in 1149 career games, takes over for Don Mattingly after he announced in late September he would not return to manage the club in 2023. Mattingly, whose contract expired at the conclusion of the 2022 season, was the club’s longest-tenured and winningest manager, going 443-587 over seven seasons from 2016-22.
Other managerial candidates for Miami included Astros bench coach Joe Espada, Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro and Yankees third-base/outfield coach Luis Rojas.
Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi scored twice as Paris Saint-Germain marched through to the Champions League knockout stages with a 7-2 win over Maccabi Haifa.
Neymar was also on target to help Christophe Galtier's side book their place in the last 16 with a match to spare.
Sean Goldberg's own goal and a late Carlos Soler strike completed a commanding victory at Parc des Princes, where PSG remain unbeaten after 90 minutes since their 2-1 defeat by Manchester City in the 2020-21 semi-finals.
A pair of Abdoulaye Seck headers proved academic for Maccabi, whose attention turns to the fight for the Europa League after their elimination from Group H was confirmed.
PSG broke the deadlock in the 19th minute as a persistent Mbappe poked the ball to Messi, who delightfully prodded beyond Josh Cohen with the outside of his boot from 12 yards.
Mbappe doubled the lead from a similar position 13 minutes later; the France forward brilliantly curling into the far corner after the ball ricocheted kindly for him, and Neymar made it 3-0 when he tucked away Messi's throughball following a devastating counter.
The visitors pulled one back when Seck headed in Omer Atzili’s free-kick, but the hosts quickly restored their three-goal cushion as Messi swept home a trademark 20-yard effort.
Seck grabbed his second by looping a header over Gianluigi Donnarumma five minutes after the restart, becoming the first defender to score twice against PSG since Julian Palmieri for Bastia in January 2015.
The hosts soon regained control, however, as Mbappe superbly curled past Cohen from Achraf Hakimi's deep cross, before Goldberg turned Neymar's centre beyond his own goalkeeper.
The crossbar denied Messi a hat-trick, but the Argentina star provided a neat lay-off for Soler to round off a dominant display six minutes from time.
Stan Wawrinka rolled back the years for a glorious victory over Casper Ruud at the Swiss Indoors, joining fellow veteran Andy Murray in putting on a show in Basel.
Former world number one Murray pulled off a remarkable win over Russian Roman Safiullin, winning five games in a row from 4-1 behind in the final set.
But that was just a tease for the excitement that followed, as Wawrinka, who like Murray won three grand slam titles in his prime, felled second seed Ruud in straight sets.
The 37-year-old Swiss delighted his home crowd with a 6-4 6-4 victory over this season's French Open and US Open runner-up, serving nine aces as he defied a world ranking of 194th to produce some of his old magic.
Murray has fallen away from the elite ,too, but at 49th in the world he is not far away from rejoining that pack, although defeat looked to be beckoning against Safiullin.
The 35-year-old Scot fist-pumped with relief at recovering the break of serve that Safiullin snatched early in the decider, and Murray hit a service winner on his second match point to seal a 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-4 success.
The victory for two-time Wimbledon winner Murray took him to 26 wins this season, the most he has had in a single campaign since pulling off an astounding 78 victories in 2016, the year he won at the All England Club for a second time, landed a second Olympic gold medal and finished top of the rankings.
Murray said of his win: "As the match went on, I started to dictate a few more points and served better."
Quoted on the ATP website, he added: "I changed the way I was returning a little bit, and when I did that, I was able to create a few more opportunities and frustrate him a little bit."
Pablo Carreno Busta scored a 6-2 6-1 win against Argentinian Sebastian Baez, with Alex Molcan, Dominic Stricker and Botic van de Zandschulp also advancing to the last-16 stage.
At the Vienna Open, Murray's fellow British players Cameron Norrie and Dan Evans both went through to the second round, Norrie beating Argentina's Pedro Cachin 3-6 6-2 7-6 (7-1) and Evans fending off Germany's Oscar Otte 6-4 7-6 (7-3).
Canadian left-hander Denis Shapovalov beat Austrian wildcard Jurij Rodionov, but the home crowd had something to celebrate when former US Open champion Dominic Thiem continued his resurgence by eking out a 2-6 7-6 (7-2) 7-6 (8-6) victory against American Tommy Paul, saving two match points.
The Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets both have big ambitions but have experienced contrasting fortunes to start the new NBA season.
Milwaukee tasted victory in the opening two games of the season as the Bucks plot their path to regaining the title they won in 2021.
Brooklyn dreamed of reaching such heights when they acquired Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in 2019 before then landing James Harden in a trade in 2020.
But Harden has since departed, Ben Simmons coming the other way in a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers last season, and the Nets' current big three have been unable to prevent a 1-2 start.
Durant and Irving both racked up 37 points in their defeat to the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, however, and they will look to continue that kind of form to threaten an upset against one of the preseason favourites.
Should the Nets come through what promises to be a compelling encounter in Milwaukee, it may signal better days ahead for a franchise who have as yet not reaped the benefits of their collection of superstar talent.
PIVOTAL PERFORMERS
Milwaukee Bucks – Brook Lopez
Lopez, the former first-round pick of the Nets, is already having a critical defensive impact for the Bucks this season.
He leads the NBA with 3.5 blocked shots per game and has a defensive rating of 94.6 that is bettered only by Antetokounmpo across the Bucks' first two games.
Milwaukee will likely require Lopez to continue his strong start if the Bucks are to contain Durant and Irving.
Brooklyn Nets – Ben Simmons
Simmons has quickly become something of a punchline for the Nets in three games this season.
He fouled out in 23 minutes in the loss to the Grizzlies, marking the second time he has done so this term.
Contributing little on the offensive end, Simmons is averaging 5.7 points per game while an average plus-minus of minus-15 is the worst on the team.
Going forward, Simmons will need to provide much better support to Durant and Irving on both ends of the floor for the Nets to be contenders, and there is no better game in which to start offering that assistance.
KEY BATTLES – Giannis and KD's early blockbuster
There are more granular elements of a game that often prove decisive, but sometimes it just comes down to a battle of two superstars.
That appears likely to be the case here as Antetokounmpo and Durant go head-to-head with both already excelling on the offensive end.
Antetokounmpo is averaging 32.5 points per game compared to Durant's 32.0. The key difference that has led to their two teams' contrasting records is the superior support Antetokounmpo has received, but if both are on song then this promises to be a bewitching contest.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
The Bucks have won five of their last six against the Nets, though Brooklyn did claim a road win last season, prevailing 126-123 behind a 38-point effort from Irving.
Zion Williamson has been ruled out of the New Orleans Pelicans' meeting with the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday after suffering a posterior hip contusion, joining team-mate Brandon Ingram on the sideline.
Williamson was originally listed as questionable after sustaining the injury as a result of a heavy fall in Sunday's 122-121 overtime loss to the Utah Jazz.
Coach Willie Green said Williamson's injury did not seem serious on Monday, but the team have now revealed he will miss Tuesday's game.
Williamson is averaging 22.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per game this season after missing the entirety of the last campaign with a foot injury.
The Pelicans, who won their first two games of the season after being tipped to mount a challenge in the Western Conference, will now be missing several key men for Tuesday's encounter.
Forward Ingram is subject to the NBA's return-to-participation protocol after suffering a concussion against Utah, while Herb Jones has also been ruled out after hyperextending his right knee.
Two-time Olympic gold medallist Brittney Griner had her appeal against a nine-year prison sentence rejected by a Russian court on Tuesday.
The WNBA star was jailed in August for drug possession and drug smuggling with criminal intent.
Griner was arrested at Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport on February 17 for bringing under a gram of cannabis oil into Russia in vape cartridges, with the American stating she had made an "honest mistake."
The eight-time WNBA All-Star was, her lawyers argued, using cannabis for medicinal purposes to treat chronic pain sustained over the course of her career and was not aware cannabis oil was outlawed in Russia.
Exactly a week after her 32nd birthday, Griner on Tuesday took part in the hearing via video link from a penal colony outside Moscow, where she has been imprisoned.
The Phoenix Mercury player once again apologised for an "honest mistake" when she spoke to an appeals court of three judges, saying it had been a "very, very stressful" time for her.
She said: "I really hope that the court will adjust this sentence because it has been very, very stressful and very traumatic. People with more severe crimes have gotten less than what I was given."
Griner was unsuccessful with her appeal, with the judge stating the verdict was upheld "without changes" except for time served in pre-trial detention as part of the sentence.
The United States national security advisor Jake Sullivan responded to the verdict by stating: "We are aware of the news out of Russia that Brittney Griner will continue to be wrongfully detained under intolerable circumstances after having to undergo another sham judicial proceeding today.
"President [Joe] Biden has been very clear that Brittney should be released immediately. In recent weeks, the Biden-Harris Administration has continued to engage with Russia through every available channel and make every effort to bring home Brittney as well as to support and advocate for other Americans detained in Russia, including fellow wrongful detainee Paul Whelan.
"The President has demonstrated that he is willing to go to extraordinary lengths and make tough decisions to bring Americans home, as his Administration has done successfully from countries around the world. The Administration remains in regular touch with representatives of the families, and we continue to admire their courage in the face of these unimaginable circumstances."
Justin Tipuric has been named as Wales captain for the Autumn Nations Series next month.
The flanker takes over as skipper in the absence of Dan Biggar, who misses the Tests against New Zealand, Argentina, Georgia and Australia due to a knee injury.
Tipuric is relishing the opportunity to lead the side at Principality Stadium, where New Zealand will be their first opponents on November 5.
"I am honoured and didn't quite expect it, to be honest," said Tipuric.
The 33-year-old missed last season due to a shoulder injury but has returned to full fitness.
He added: "I am just happy to get back in the squad, and to have the responsibility of leading such a great bunch of boys on to the field is one of those definite highlights of your career.
"It's very exciting to be back at the stadium. You take it for granted not playing there for a while, and I guess when you're out of the game for a while, you look back on it and shows how much you do miss it.
"It's one of the big things that you miss in rugby, and it's something you want to make the most of, whether it's one more game or 10 more minutes left to play there."
Alun Wyn Jones was included in Wayne Pivac's squad but was not selected as captain due to not being a guaranteed starter.
Pivac on Tuesday called up hooker Bradley Roberts after Dewi Lake was ruled out with a shoulder injury.
Novak Djokovic expects to find out in the "next few weeks" whether he can participate in next year's Australian Open and says the early signs are positive.
The 21-time grand slam winner was denied the chance to defend his title in Melbourne in January after having his visa revoked because he was not vaccinated against COVID-19.
Due to Australian immigration laws, Djokovic – who was also blocked from taking part in this year's US Open – faced a potential three-year ban from entering the country.
However, with fewer than three months to go until the 2023 edition begins Down Under, Djokovic is still hopeful his ban is waived so he can obtain a visa.
Asked for an update on the situation, the Serbian told Sportal: "When it comes to Australia, there are some positive signs, but unofficially.
"We are communicating through my lawyers in Australia. In fact, they are communicating with the authorities in charge of my case.
"I hope to have an answer in the next few weeks, whatever that answer might be. I am hoping for a positive one so I have enough time to prepare for the start of the season."
Djokovic has won nine titles at Melbourne Park, which is the most of any male singles player and the most he has won at any of the four majors.
Rafael Nadal won the event this year in Djokovic's absence, and the latter is desperate to get a chance to draw back level on grand slam titles won by competing in Australia.
"I really want to go there. I am over what happened this year and I just want to play tennis, it is what I do best," he said.
"Australia has always been the place where I have played my best tennis, the results speak for themselves, so I am always extra motivated to go there. This time even more so.
"I am waiting for the permission again. It's a good thing they have now opened the borders for the unvaccinated foreigners travelling to Australia.
"I have that ban, I hope it will be lifted. As I said, it is not in my hands, I hope the people in the Australian government will give a positive answer, that is all."
Mac Jones' benching in the New England Patriots' 33-14 home defeat to the Chicago Bears was not performance-based, head coach Bill Belichick insists.
It was not the return from a high ankle sprain Jones would have anticipated, with the starting quarterback playing only the first three series and recording a sixth interception of the season.
A disgruntled home crowd started calling for Jones' backup Bailey Zappe, who entered the fray in the second quarter.
The Pats made a couple of quick touchdowns but fizzled out from there as Justin Fields led the Bears to 23 unanswered points and left both teams at 3-4 for the season.
Speaking to the media after the game, Belichick said the plan was always to use both quarterbacks and Jones did not re-enter the field as the game was getting away from the Patriots.
"That's [benching Jones after the interception] not what it was, but you can write whatever you want to write. That's not what it was," Belichick said.
"We had planned to play – I told the quarterbacks that we were going to play both of them, and that's what we did.
"We went through the week of practice. Mac was inactive last week. [Jones] would have gone back in. The score got out of hand. I didn't think that was the right thing to do."
Pushed on whether Jones had enough game time to have the confidence to face the New York Jets next week, a curt Belichick replied "I don't know" and said "I don't see that" when it was suggested he could switch up his quarterbacks week to week.
Belichick also confirmed the thinking to play both quarterbacks was related to Jones' ankle injury but that was not a factor at the time he was pulled from the field.
The stats did not make for kind reading, with Jones going 3-of-6 for 13 yards and the pick. Zappe was 14-of-22 for 185 yards, including a touchdown, two interceptions and a lost fumble.
For Jones' part, the chants for Zappe are not something playing on his mind and he is focused just on improving his own performance.
" I just have to do better at my job, and that's all it comes down to. That's all I can control," he said.
"Honestly, we've got a good chance here to go against the Jets, and that's what I'm focused on. I'm going to do my best to put my best foot forward.
"I've been in this situation before, and just going to try to help the team. Whatever my role is, I'll be ready, and I'll give it 100 per cent."
Asked if he was surprised by the timing of Belichick's decision, he added: "I think coach Belichick had a really good plan for us.
"Obviously, that's kind of internal stuff, but I understood the plan and what was going to happen. I wish we got off to a better start, and I played a little bit better, but I'll have a chance to practice and get back into my routine.
"Something that I want to work on is getting back in my routine. I'm a very routine person, and I'm excited for this week. That's all you can do, right?
"You can't really look back in the past. The game wasn't good by any of us, and that starts with me."
The Memphis Grizzlies duo of Ja Morant and Desmond Bane outdueled Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets in a high-scoring 134-124 win on Monday night.
Both Morant (12-of-22 shooting) and Bane (14-of-21) finished with 38 points, combining to hit 12 of their 17 three-point attempts as the Grizzlies rode a 45-point third quarter to the win. The pair's combined total of 76 points set a new Grizzlies record for most points scored by a duo in a single game.
Morant, the reigning Most Improved Player, is firmly in the mix for MVP this season and he added eight rebounds, seven assists and two steals to his gaudy stat-line.
The Nets led 69-64 at halftime as Durant and Irving were also both on their way to big games, with both scoring 37 points as Durant shot 14-of-20 from the field and Irving was 14-of-24 in an offensive exhibition.
But the Grizzlies' third-quarter explosion was too emphatic, with Bane scoring 19 of his points in the period while the Nets had 28 as a team.
Embattled Nets All-Star Ben Simmons struggled, fouling out for the second time in the Nets' first three games, while also committing five turnovers with his eight assists.
With the win, the Grizzlies are now 3-1, while the Nets fall to 1-2.
Simons catches fire in Trail Blazers win
Fresh off signing his $100million extension in the offseason, 23-year-old Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons produced his first game-winning performance of the season as his third-quarter explosion led a 135-110 home win against the Denver Nuggets.
The Trail Blazers – who at 4-0 join the 2-0 Milwaukee Bucks as the only two remaining unbeaten teams – largely shut down reigning back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic, holding him to nine points, nine rebounds and nine assists as he battled foul trouble all night.
Damian Lillard top-scored with 31 points on 10-of-16 shooting for the Blazers, adding eight assists and six rebounds, but it was Simons' third quarter that separated the teams.
In just over five-and-a-half minutes, Simons scored 22 of his 29 points, including a stretch where he made six consecutive three-pointers as he helped the Blazers score 80 in the second half. It is the Trail Blazers' first 4-0 start to the season since 1999.
Rockets youngsters hand the Jazz their first loss
Houston Rockets fans received a glimpse into the future in their 114-108 win against the previously undefeated Utah Jazz, with top-three draft picks Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr both delivering strong performances.
Both players shot at least 50 per cent from both the field and long range, and combined to hit all nine of their free throws.
Green posted 25 points on nine-of-16 shooting, hitting four-of-eight from deep, while rookie Smith had 21 points (six-of-10 shooting, three-of-five from long range), nine rebounds and three blocks.
Vassell flashes star potential for the Spurs
Third-year wing Devin Vassell caught the eye with a starring performance in the San Antonio Spurs' 115-106 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Vassell – the 11th pick from the 2020 draft – has shown significantly more playmaking this season since the departure of Dejounte Murray in a trade to the Atlanta Hawks, and against the Timberwolves he dished off a career-high seven assists.
As well as showing his ability to create for his teammates, the six-foot-six wing with superb defensive skills showcased his all-round game, hitting five-of-10 from three-point range on his way to 22 points, and he also grabbed nine rebounds.
The Chicago Bears ran the ball for 243 yards in their dominant 33-14 win against the New England Patriots on Monday night.
Four Bears rushed for at least 29 yards on the night, with receiver Dante Pettis taking a jet-sweep 29 yards on his only carry, while quarterback Justin Fields rushed 14 times for 82 yards, and running backs David Montgomery (15 carries for 62 yards and a touchdown) and Khalil Herbert (12 carries for 62 yards) both received strong workloads.
Their 243 yards on the ground are the third most this season by any team in a single game, trailing only the New York Giants (262 yards) against the Bears in Week 4, and the Bears themselves (282 yards) in their Week 3 win against the Houston Texans.
Fields ran in for a three-yard touchdown in the first quarter to give the Bears a 10-0 lead after returning Patriots quarterback Mac Jones struggled, and when he was pulled to begin the second quarter, rookie Bailey Zappe seemed to win the starting job.
Zappe led two quick touchdown drives – culminating in a 30-yard touchdown pass to Jakobi Meyers and a four-yard Rhamondre Stevenson touchdown run – to put the Patriots up 14-10 with six minutes remaining in the first half, but they would not score the rest of the game.
The Bears continued to have success, with Khalil Herbert taking a screen pass 25 yards into the endzone for Fields' only passing touchdown of the night, and Montgomery rammed in the last score of the game in the fourth quarter from the one-yard line.
Fields completed 13 of his 21 passes for 179 yards, one touchdown and one interception, while defensively, Bears linebacker Roquan Smith finished with a sack and an interception.
Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden said it is a weight off everyone's shoulders to finally get their first win of the season on the board with a 120-106 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Monday night.
After an 0-3 start following losses to the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks and the San Antonio Spurs, the 76ers began to right the ship with an explosive first half.
Led by former MVP Harden with 11 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in the first two quarters, the 76ers ran out to a 64-46 halftime lead.
Back-to-back MVP runner-up Joel Embiid worked his way to the free throw line in the second half, hitting all nine of his attempts to finish with 26 points (eight-of-13 shooting), five rebounds and three blocks, while Harden posted 29 points (10-of-18 shooting) with nine rebounds and 11 assists.
Speaking to the media after the game, Harden said it's a good start, but there is still plenty of work to do if they want to be real contenders this season.
"That felt good, man," he said. "It felt like we were 0-82. It felt good, but it's a work in progress.
"As much as we want things to happen overnight, and for us to be 4-0, we're 1-3. We just have to continue to work, continue to build really good habits, and live with the results.
"We have to hang our hats on the defensive end, and I think we had some really good spurts, and then some where we let them back in the game. We have to continue to build and continue to hang our hats on the defensive end."
Meanwhile, head coach Doc Rivers praised Embiid for his patience and playing within the structure of the offense.
"I liked his patience," he said. "This was one of those game where you haven't won a game, and they're trapping him every time – literally every time he touched it early – and he just kept moving it.
"He was in no rush, and eventually it opened up because they were tired of us making threes, so then they left Joel one-on-one – which is not going to work either.
"I just liked how he approached the game – he had great patience, he let the game come to him."
Rivers added that if the 76ers want to play faster – which they do – the Pacers are a great team to do it against.
"They play really fast – because they have to," he said. "They're very similar to San Antonio, and I've coached teams like this. When you don't have the one guy you can just give it to, you better run, if you have any chance.
"We really focused on [our pace] this morning – our goal was to get the ball across halfcourt by 20 [on the shot clock]. I don't think we accomplished that goal a lot, but we did get it up there a lot earlier.
"That allows us – especially against trapping teams, because they were switching and trapping Joel [Embiid] – having those four or five extra seconds to make the extra pass, guys get rhythm shots."
Harden also touched on that point, shouldering the blame for some of their lack of pace in the opening games as they entered this contest with the fewest possessions-per-game at 98.3, whereas the league-leading Golden State Warriors are averaging 113.4 possessions.
"It gives us more time to create a better shot," he said. "When you're walking the ball up, you're limited, so we want our pace to pick up a little more.
"The first couple games I put that on myself – just because I've played against some really good individual defensive players – but even me, when they're on me, I've got to push the ball up and push the tempo.
"That's just going to give us more opportunities on the back-end when the shot clock is winding down. Tonight was a good start, and we just need to keep improving."
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