Giannis Antetokounmpo said "I don't want to get fined" when asked whether he felt Jae Crowder had "pulled the chair" on him late in the Milwaukee Bucks' narrow defeat to the Phoenix Suns.
Bucks superstar Antetokounmpo went off for a season-high 47 points to go alongside 11 rebounds and five assists but it came down to a couple of late plays as the Suns ran out 125-124 winners.
In the Bucks' penultimate possession, the Suns regained the ball following the incident between Crowder and Antetokounmpo, who then missed a 20-foot buzzer beater.
The Bucks consequently saw a five-match winning streak snapped, but their main man was reluctant to get drawn into his thoughts on a crucial finish.
"I just don't want to get fined. What do you want me to say? You gotta live with it," he said when asked about Crowder.
"If people out there think he pulled the chair on me, I cannot change what happened. At the end of the day, it was a play. That's the part of what we gotta execute better.
"That's the part we have to get a shot off no matter what happens."
Asked how the Bucks can be better in clutch moments, he replied: "Practice, always practice. You cannot practice too much. Just got to trust one another.
"Who wants to have close games? We want to beat teams by 10, 15, 20 points but when we have close games we learn from it.
"Moving forward if we run the same play, I hope me and Khris [Middleton] don't turn the ball over. We have great players who can execute down the stretch.
"We have good playmakers who can read the right play and make the right play down the stretch. Game by game we learn from each possession."
It was a particularly frustrating game for the Bucks given they took a 71-59 lead into half-time after going 13-of-24 from three-point range.
Antetokounmpo finished 15-of-23 from the field, draining 15-of-19 from inside the arc.
The final play may not have gone how the Bucks wanted but head coach Mike Budenholzer will have no hesitation putting Antetokounmpo in that same spot in the future.
"Yeah, that's definitely one of the options for Giannis to be top of the key. He got a pretty good look. Definitely one of the options," he said.
"We want Giannis to continue to grow and develop and have the ball in his hands lots of different times, including late when one down.
"He can attack, he can find team-mates, him getting to a spot, getting a shot is part of his growth and his development – in the long run that's good for us.
"We got I think a little bit sloppy in the second half, there were some stretches we could have played with each other better.
"We weren't as sharp as we needed to be. We gotta be better defensively, they flipped it from a 12-point lead to six up or so. We weren't as good as we have to be second half."
Coby White felt the Chicago Bulls had been due a good shooting night after he and Zach LaVine made NBA history against the New Orleans Pelicans.
In the Bulls' 129-116 success against the Pelicans on Wednesday, White and LaVine became the first team-mates in NBA history to each make at least eight three-pointers in the same game.
The pair combined for 76 points, the third time they have accumulated at least 75 together – only Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen have achieved that on more occasions (six) for Chicago.
LaVine was 17-of-25 from the field, including 9-of-14 from distance, as he racked up a season-high 46 points. White went 8-of-17 from beyond the arc for 30 points, with the Bulls shooting 59.3 per cent overall as they made a franchise record 25 three-pointers.
"We were due for a good team shooting night. We haven't been shooting the ball well as a team, especially at home, so it was time for a good team shooting night," said White.
"Everybody contributed and everybody came out locked in. We knew we let a couple games slip away. Tonight was a much-needed win for us, so we've got to come out and play big. Come out and compete and play the right game."
White shot over 50 per cent from the field for just the fourth time this season and is trying to ignore criticism from outside and focus on improving his on-court relationship with LaVine.
"I just stay the course. Basketball's filled with ups and downs. You're never gonna please everyone," said White.
"I'm still growing and I'm still learning and I know that. I've just got to be who I am, come out and play and block out all the noise – that's the most important thing."
He added of LaVine: "We're continuing to grow. We're continuing to get better, we're continuing to figure each other out playing together. This is the first time we're playing together this year, so we're continuing to grow. We both never get too high or low, we're more focused on the winning part."
LaVine, who also put up seven rebounds, four assists and one block, was not surprised by his performance and was pleased to see White getting hot too.
"That's big. I didn't know that," LaVine said when asked for his reaction to the historic performance from himself and White.
"We're explosive to be able to do that, two really good shooters. Obviously you're not gonna be able to hit shots like that throughout the whole entire game but I'm glad and very happy for Coby that he got back on track. He showed that confidence in him again.
"Coby's a very explosive scorer. Sometimes he's just got to go out there and play his game to get back in rhythm."
On his own display, he added: "I expect to do that. I put in the time and effort. It happens that way. You hit a couple, get hot. You wish it could happen every game. Obviously, it can't. But when you get in a zone, you want to stay in it."
LeBron James showed in the Los Angeles Lakers' latest overtime win against the Oklahoma City Thunder why he is likely to win this season's MVP award, according to head coach Frank Vogel.
The Lakers claimed a second straight overtime victory against the Thunder on Wednesday, having needed two additional five-minute periods to get past the Detroit Pistons on Saturday.
It was the first time in franchise history the Lakers won three straight overtime games, with the last NBA team to achieve the feat being the Minnesota Timberwolves in January 2007.
James played at least 40 minutes in all three – he last played that much in three successive games in January 2017 – and became the first player aged 35 or older in NBA history to do that in a trio of consecutive overtime triumphs.
Despite his increased time on the floor, the four-time MVP showed no noticeable dip in production. In a total of 130 minutes across the three wins he had 86 points, 30 assists, 25 rebounds and eight steals. The last NBA player to reach those numbers over a three-win span in the regular season was Michael Jordan in January 1989.
The Lakers were without Anthony Davis for a second straight game and Vogel felt the leadership LeBron displayed offensively and defensively was evidence of why he is a frontrunner for the MVP award.
Asked if he was concerned by the minutes James had racked up, Vogel replied: "Of course, there's always concern but his body's been feeling good.
"These aren't scripted plans to go to overtime each night and get him up to 40 minutes, but he's gonna be there in those situations to win the game.
"We'll continue evaluating how he's feeling, his workload on a day-by-day basis and make decisions on a game-by-game basis.
"He made several defensive plays to be honest with you, he's really leading the charge taking a matchup of [Al] Horford on certain situations. That's what Bron does. Bron does it on both sides of the ball.
"That's why he's probably going to be this year's MVP; carrying the load offensively and quarterbacking the number one defense in the league and taking these tough assignments and making the plays down the stretch, so he's played terrific."
Vogel joked that James was getting rest after the game by being excused from media duty.
He added: "These are the toughest games to play, when you have a sub-.500 team that comes in with guys out. Everybody on their team is getting an opportunity. You've got an opportunity to be the go-to guy. We've seen that with a few different games.
"We've certainly got to be better, we're not making things easy on ourselves but at the end of the day we're doing enough to grind things out in the second half and do what we need to do to get that W. Happy to get three wins but certainly got to be better.
"We're not worried about being tired. We're a no excuse team."
Kyle Kuzma praised James mentality after he contributed 25 points, seven assists, six rebounds and two steals in the 114-113 success over the Thunder.
"You've heard it from him: being tired is just in your head," said Kuzma, who contributed 15 points and nine rebounds.
"If you put your mind to it, you don't really see yourself getting too tired and that's always been his mindset through his unbelievable career. That dude's a beast. If he says he's not tired, doesn't get tired, [then] he doesn't get tired."
Zach LaVine and Coby White proved unstoppable from downtown as the Chicago Bulls delivered a record-breaking display, while Luka Doncic's superb triple-double powered the Dallas Mavericks.
The Bulls exploded to post an all-time franchise best total of 25 three-pointers as Chicago halted the New Orleans Pelicans' four-match winning streak, 129-116, at the United Center.
LaVine delivered 20 points in the first quarter before going on to drop 46 in total, draining nine of his 14 three-point shots, while White added 30 points including eight of 17 buckets from distance.
The duo became the first team-mates in NBA history to each hit eight three-pointers in the same game as the Bulls came back from eight points down at the half to blow away the Pelicans.
The scorching-hot LaVine also became the first Chicago player to post 120 points in a three-game stretch since Michael Jordan in 1997 as the Bulls improved to 10-14.
Doncic posted his 32nd career triple-double as the Mavericks edged a nail-biting 118-117 triumph over the Atlanta Hawks to extend their winning streak to three.
The Slovenian star dropped 28 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists as Dallas trailed by nine at the start of the fourth quarter but finished strongly to close out the win and take their record to 12-14.
Atlanta's John Collins was the game's top scorer with 33 points, while Trae Young notched 25 points and 15 assists, but the Hawks could not find the decisive play in a wild final 90 seconds.
Giannis produces fireworks but Suns claim comeback win
The Phoenix Suns kept their momentum rolling, claiming a fourth straight win by edging Milwaukee 125-124 after coming back from 16 points down, but Giannis Antetokounmpo exploded for the Bucks.
The two-time NBA MVP carried his team on his shoulders, scoring a season-high 47 points and claiming 11 rebounds and five assists. Antetokounmpo almost snatched a remarkable victory but his buzzer-beater bounced back off the rim.
Indiana off the pace against Brooklyn
Malcolm Brogdon had a day to forget as the Indiana Pacers were held under 100 points, falling to their fourth straight defeat, in a 104-94 reverse against the Brooklyn Nets.
The Indiana guard had a 29.4 per cent field-goal success rate, scoring five of his 17 attempts, as the 12-13 Pacers could not match Kyrie Irving and James Harden's high-power offense.
LeBron sets up Matthews for key bucket
With less than a minute remaining in overtime and the Los Angeles Lakers level against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Wesley Matthews came up clutch.
LeBron James drove towards the paint in heavy traffic, before flipping the ball out right for Matthews to sink the key three-pointer.
The Lakers clinched a 114-113 overtime victory to improve to 20-6.
Wednesday's results
Toronto Raptors 137-115 Washington Wizards
Dallas Mavericks 118-117 Atlanta Hawks
Los Angeles Clippers 119-112 Minnesota Timberwolves
Memphis Grizzlies 130-114 Charlotte Hornets
Brooklyn Nets 104-94 Indiana Pacers
Chicago Bulls 129-116 New Orleans Pelicans
Denver Nuggets 133-95 Cleveland Cavaliers
Los Angeles Lakers 114-113 Oklahoma City Thunder
Phoenix Suns 125-124 Milwaukee Bucks
76ers at Trail Blazers
Led by the in-form Joel Embiid, the 18-7 Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia 76ers go on the road to face another team with a winning record, the 13-10 Portland Trail Blazers, on Thursday.
Nick Kyrgios has the weapons to overcome the "super physical" Dominic Thiem at the Australian Open on Friday.
The eccentric Australian continued to excite at Melbourne Park with a five-set win over Ugo Humbert in the second round, saving two match points.
Kyrgios, 25, is into the third round of a grand slam for the 15th time in his career, but it has been a difficult hurdle for him to cross. He is 6-8 in the third round of majors, although three of those wins – and just one loss – have come at the Australian Open.
While he has all the weapons, Kyrgios faces third seed Thiem, the US Open champion and last year's runner-up in Melbourne.
"He's probably one of the most physical guys on tour. He's an extremely good player. I have actually seen him progress. He's a bit older than I am. I actually saw him in juniors and then I saw him struggle for a couple years, futures, challies, and then to see him get to the top of the game. It's been actually pretty cool to see him develop and finally find what he needs to do to win matches," Kyrgios said about Thiem after overcoming Humbert.
"He trains like an absolute animal. He's consistent every day. And I actually have a lot of respect for him. I think his style of tennis is not easy to play. He's super physical, but I'm not even thinking about it. Like, I'm just hurting thinking about playing him right now."
He added: "Whatever happens against Thiem happens. I'm going to go out there, serve, play with instinct, and if it's enough, it's enough. If it isn't, I'm all right with that."
With much of the talk at the year's first major focused on the fast courts, Kyrgios' serve will be vital.
The Australian has seen 50 per cent of his first serves in the opening two rounds go unreturned, with 44 aces. He has also served at 72 per cent and won 81 per cent of the points when his first serve has gone in.
Thiem has recorded wins over Mikhail Kukushkin and Dominik Koepfer to begin the tournament, winning 13 of 27 return games. Kyrgios has won eight of 42 return games.
Kyrgios has been among the men more willing to serve and volley to begin the event, playing 26 such points and winning 16. He has also won 39 of 55 net points, while Thiem is an impressive 31 of 36.
Novak Djokovic is among those who have talked about the fast courts at Melbourne Park this year, and the world number one said that would suit the big servers. Thiem said he had never played on courts as fast at a grand slam so far in his career.
"I prefer last year's courts, if I could choose. It's pretty fast, as I said the days before. It's probably one of the fastest grand slam tournaments I've played so far," he said. "Well, we have to get used to it, yes. But if I have to choose, I would choose the last year's condition."
The opportunity is there for the big-hitting Kyrgios, but he will need to be at his best.
A teary Sofia Kenin admitted she was unable to handle the pressure of defending her Australian Open title after a second-round exit.
The American fourth seed departed at Melbourne Park on Thursday, when she was beaten by Kaia Kanepi 6-3 6-2.
Victoria Azarenka was the last woman to defend the Australian Open crown in 2013, while Serena Williams was the most recent to go back-to-back at any major, winning Wimbledon in 2015 and 2016.
Kenin, 22, said she struggled to cope with the pressure of defending a grand slam title for the first time.
"Obviously I haven't experienced that. I obviously felt like I'm not there 100 per cent physically, mentally, my game. Everything just feels real off obviously. It's not good," she told a news conference.
"I know I couldn't really handle the pressure. I'm not obviously used to this, so right now I just got to figure out how to play at that level that I played at.
"Because like today and those matches, it just hasn't been there. It's weird. I've been practising for two weeks. Luckily I've been able to practice. I felt fine in practice. Just couldn't do that in the game."
Kenin had 22 unforced errors against Kanepi, while she failed to convert any of her seven break points.
After a second loss in as many meetings with Kanepi, Kenin gave credit to the 35-year-old Estonian.
"She obviously played well. I obviously felt like I couldn't find my rhythm. I was obviously way too nervous," she said.
"Yeah, I mean, she played really well. She came up with some good shots. She obviously had a good plan against me. I just couldn't execute my shots."
Ash Barty insisted her leg issue was not impacting her at all after reaching the Australian Open third round.
The world number one overcame Australian compatriot Daria Gavrilova 6-1 7-6 (9-7) on a warm and windy Rod Laver Arena on Thursday.
But Barty's left thigh was heavily strapped and she gave up a 5-2 lead in the second set before saving two set points in the tie-break.
However, the 2019 French Open champion played down the severity of the issue.
"The bandage is very big, but that's more just support so that the tape itself doesn't fall off. It's not a very subtle tape job, you often see it on a lot of the girls," Barty told a news conference.
"The guys can hide it beneath their shorts a little bit better. Just a little bit of support. I played a lot of matches in the last 10 days after not playing for 12 months, which is natural. It's more of an assistance than anything else."
Barty added: "It came on early Tuesday, warming up for the match. But, yeah, obviously it's not affecting the way that I can play in any way.
"It's just more giving the leg some assistance to make sure it doesn't get to a point where it's going to affect me."
Barty will face Ekaterina Alexandrova in the third round.
Sofia Kenin's Australian Open title defence came to an end with a second-round loss to Kaia Kanepi on Thursday.
Kenin, who won her first and only grand slam title in Melbourne last year, fell to Kanepi 6-3 6-2 on a warm and windy day.
The American fourth seed had lost her only previous meeting against Kanepi and was again no match for the 35-year-old Estonian.
Kenin's second-round loss marked her earliest exit at a grand slam since Wimbledon in 2019.
She finished with 10 winners and 22 unforced errors, while Kanepi was far steadier with 22 and 17 respectively.
It continued a tough run for defending champions in Melbourne, where Victoria Azarenka was the last woman to go back-to-back in 2012 and 2013.
The last woman to defend any major crown was Serena Williams at Wimbledon in 2016.
Kanepi moved into the third round of a major for the first time since the 2019 French Open.
She will next face Croatian 28th seed Donna Vekic.
The NBA has said all teams will keep up the tradition of playing the United States national anthem before games, despite the Dallas Mavericks' decision not to.
ESPN reported on Tuesday that Mark Cuban, director and owner of the Mavs, had confirmed the team – who had not played the national anthem prior to any of their 13 pre-season or regular-season home games so far – would not resume the tradition.
Cuban declined to comment further but made the decision after consulting with NBA commissioner Adam Silver.
However, on Wednesday, the NBA issued a statement insisting teams will play the anthem before each home game.
"With NBA teams now in the process of welcoming fans back into their arenas, all teams will play the national anthem in keeping with longstanding league policy," a statement from NBA chief communications officer Mike Bass read.
The NBA's rulebook requires players to stand during the national anthem though it is not a policy which has been enforced by Silver, with players often choosing to take a knee during the anthem to protest social and racial injustice – something which Cuban has previously backed.
The NBA has said all teams will keep up the tradition of playing the United States national anthem before games, despite the Dallas Mavericks' decision not to.
ESPN reported on Tuesday that Mark Cuban, director and owner of the Mavs, had confirmed the team – who had not played the national anthem prior to any of their 13 pre-season or regular-season home games so far – would not resume the tradition.
Cuban declined to comment further but made the decision after consulting with NBA commissioner Adam Silver.
However, on Wednesday, the NBA issued a statement insisting teams will play the anthem before each home game.
"With NBA teams now in the process of welcoming fans back into their arenas, all teams will play the national anthem in keeping with longstanding league policy," a statement from NBA chief communications officer Mike Bass read.
The NBA's rulebook requires players to stand during the national anthem though it is not a policy which has been enforced by Silver, with players often choosing to take a knee during the anthem to protest social and racial injustice – something which Cuban has previously backed.
Johnny Sexton has hit out at the "inaccurate and highly inappropriate" comments of a French doctor regarding the Ireland star's concussion record.
Dr Jean-Francois Chermann, who stood Sexton down from playing duties for 12 weeks at Racing 92 back in 2014, told RMC Sport on Tuesday that Sexton had suffered approximately 30 concussions in his career.
His remarks came after the fly-half sustained a blow to the head in Ireland's Six Nations loss to Wales, meaning he is undergoing return-to-play protocols ahead of Sunday's visit of France.
Sexton was angered by Chermann's words when addressing the subject in his pre-match news conference.
"I am pretty saddened and shocked by the inaccurate reports that were thrown out yesterday," he said. "We've been here before and it's very frustrating.
"For me, I just think it's totally inappropriate that a doctor that I have seen – many years ago now – felt it was appropriate to come out and talk to whoever it was and say those things.
"It's inaccurate and highly inappropriate and I am pretty disappointed but, for me, I am so used to it, it's almost like water off a duck's back, but for my wife and mum it's very upsetting.
"But that's the world we live in.
"I thought there was patient and doctor confidentiality, I am pretty sure that exists in the world, and I just can't get over the fact that someone thought it was appropriate to just come out of nowhere and just start saying things that weren't even accurate, that's the most hurtful thing."
Aaron Smith says Antoine Dupont is "on another level" to any other player in the world as the mercurial scrum-half strives to end France's Six Nations title drought.
Dupont tormented Italy in the first match of the tournament, proving four assists – equalling compatriot Frederic Michalak's record for a single Six Nations match – and scoring a try of his own in a 50-10 rout at Stadio Olimpico on Saturday.
The playmaker became the seventh man to lay on three or more tries in a game in the competition, also joining Michalak and former number nine Austin Healey as the only players to have been directly involved in five tries in a match in this tournament.
Dupont was a constant menace to the Azzurri as he pulled the strings in a livewire display before he was given the chance to put his feet up just before the hour mark.
New Zealand scrum-half Smith, who has earned 97 caps and won the Rugby World Cup in 2015, rates the 24-year-old Toulouse pivot as being a cut above any other player on the planet.
Responding to a tweet from the Six Nations official account asking who is the best player in the world, Smith posted: "@Dupont9A this guy is on another level!
"No one is near him atm. He's the point of difference for both his club and country. He's helping me look at parts of my game to improve. #Respect #9Gang"
Ireland will have to keep Dupont quiet at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday when they look to get up and running following a 21-16 defeat to Wales in Cardiff.
Novak Djokovic admitted there was plenty of room for improvement after coming through a "difficult spot" at the Australian Open, where Nick Kyrgios thrilled the crowd with an impressive comeback.
Top seed Djokovic was made to work for his 6-3 6-7 (7-3) 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 triumph against Frances Tiafoe as he reached the third round in Melbourne.
Kyrgios is also through, albeit he even surprised himself by rallying from the brink of defeat to knock out 29th seed Ugo Humbert in the evening session.
Stan Wawrinka was on the wrong of an upset on Wednesday, but there were no such problems for fellow seeds Dominic Thiem, Alexander Zverev, Diego Schwartzman and Milos Raonic.
Meanwhile, Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime will have to put their friendship to one side when they face each other next, the former setting up the all-Canadian clash by beating Bernard Tomic in three sets.
'PASSIVE' DJOKOVIC STILL MAKING PROGRESS
In the first meeting between the pair, the impressive Tiafoe went toe-to-toe with Djokovic on Rod Laver Arena.
The 23-year-old American's performance – coupled with the Melbourne heat – made the eight-time Australian Open champion sweat, albeit Djokovic felt he could have made life easier for himself.
"I was at times not feeling my timing as well as I normally am. Credit to him. I think he has managed to come out with a great performance and quality of tennis. He put me in a difficult spot," he said.
"I had my chances early in the second set. If I broke him there, maybe the course of the match would be different.
"But again, he was holding his serve very well. I was not really using my break-point chances very well. At times I was too passive. Just wasn't feeling the ball today as well as I normally do."
Next up for Djokovic is another player from the United States in the form of Taylor Fritz, who ousted compatriot Reilly Opelka in a five-set battle.
IN THE NICK OF TIME
Kyrgios described his clash with Humbert as "one of the craziest matches I've ever played" after prevailing 5-7 6-4 3-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 - much to the delight of an enthralled audience who watched the drama unfold on John Cain Arena.
The Australian smashed a racket, lost his cool with umpire Marijana Veljovic over a faulty net cord sensor and had to save a pair of match points before eventually coming out on top in a see-saw battle.
"I just remember, down that end, when I was a couple of match points down, I don't know what was going on," Kyrgios - who dropped to his knees after sealing victory - said in his on-court interview.
"If you were inside my head, there were some dark thoughts in there. But I live to fight another day and hopefully I can continue to play good tennis in front of you guys."
His reward is a clash with Thiem, the third seed having dismissed the challenge of German Dominik Koepfer in straight sets as he dropped just six games.
STAN-D AND DELIVER
Wawrinka appeared on course to survive a serious scare when he rallied from two sets down against Marton Fucsovics, but the Swiss was unable to seize on the chances that came his way in a tense tie-break.
Fucsovics had needed over four hours to overcome wild card Marc Polmans in the previous round and, once again, found a way to get over the finishing line at the end of a Melbourne marathon.
The Hungarian trailed 6-1 during the decisive breaker, yet hit back to stun the 17th seed 7-5 6-1 4-6 2-6 7-6 (11-9). For Wawrinka, there was frustration at the missed opportunities, albeit he also praised his conqueror.
"From 6-1 up, I started to hesitate a little bit in the way I was playing," he said. "I wanted to put the ball maybe too much in and I [was] not going completely for my shots and that's when I started to miss a little bit and it helped him to come back in the match.
"He was fighting well, he's a tough player, he's a good player and he deserved to win."
Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka sizzled in the scorching Melbourne heat on day three of the Australian Open.
Williams, aiming once more for a record-equalling 24th singles grand slam, made serene progress from round two on what was the hottest day of the tournament so far.
It was a similar story for Osaka, who is aiming to become a two-time champion at Melbourne Park, but Simona Halep had to dig deep while Bianca Andreescu and Petra Kvitova were early casualties on Wednesday.
PLAIN SAILING FOR SERENA AND OSAKA
Williams' perfect start to the season extended to 5-0 as she swatted aside Nina Stojanovic 6-3 6-0 to set up a round-three meeting with Anastasia Potapova – the same opponent she overcame in Melbourne in the first round a year ago.
The seven-time Australian Open champion is looking forward to renewing acquaintances with the Russian.
"It's always a fun, interesting match [against Potapova]. I'm gonna go home, get ready and just do the best," she said.
"We're all out here to have fun and I'm happy to be out here, and just to be playing in front of crowd again is really cool. So every day is just fun."
Osaka, the current US Open champion and the winner in Melbourne two years ago, hammered former world number four Caroline Garcia 6-2 6-3 on Rod Laver Arena in the evening session.
The Japanese star is set to face her friend Ons Jabeur for the first time in an official match in round three.
"She's really funny," Osaka said of her next opponent. "I don't know if you guys watch any of her interviews. I think she is really funny and nice.
"I think the match I am going to play against her will be really difficult, but I'm looking forward to it."
HALEP SURVIVES TOMLJANOVIC TEST
In contrast to Williams and Osaka's comfortable wins, second seed Halep was taken to the brink by home favourite Ajla Tomljanovic, who won the first set and was serving for the match in the third.
However, 2018 finalist Halep broke back when trailing 5-4 in the decider and battled through with a 4-6 6-4 7-5 victory in a match that saw a combined 94 unforced errors (57 for Tomljanovic, 37 for Halep).
"I was expecting that she would play very hard and very strong. I expected it to be a difficult match, but it was more than I thought. But I'm really happy that I can smile now," Halep said.
"I was not that positive when I was talking to myself. I didn't talk about the score, I was just blaming myself, that I'm not strong enough to win against her. But in the end mentally I was maybe a bit stronger than her, and I didn't want to give up."
Last year's losing finalist Garbine Muguruza (14) was too good for Ludmilla Samsonova in a 6-3 6-1 win, while French Open champion Iga Swiatek (15) dispatched Camila Giorgi 6-2 6-4.
Aryna Sabalenka (7), Marketa Vondrousova (19) and Veronika Kudermetova (32) all made it through, but fellow seed Elena Rybakina (17) was beaten in straight sets by Fiona Ferro.
EARLY EXITS FOR ANDREESCU AND KVITOVA
Andreescu became the latest scalp for veteran Hsieh Su-Wei, who earned a commanding 6-3 6-2 victory and is now 4-3 against top-10 players in the slams since 2017.
Eighth seed Andreescu won the US Open in 2019 but missed the entirety of last year with a knee injury, while her preparation here was disrupted by spending 14 days in quarantine after her coach tested positive for coronavirus.
"After my first round, I thought I would feel more exhausted, but I felt amazing. Also, today the weather was a bit tricky. Being in the heart of quarantine I could have had those extra two weeks of like being in the heat and getting used to sweating and all of that," she said.
Next up for Hsieh is Sara Errani, who defeated Venus Williams 6-1 6-0. The veteran American rolled her ankle towards the end of the first set and, despite needing two medical timeouts, valiantly saw out the match.
Kvitova was a runner-up to Osaka in 2019 and appeared on course to recovery after dominating the second set against Sorana Cirstea.
But amid sweltering conditions, the Czech ninth seed went on to lose the decider.
"It was quite a rollercoaster, for sure," she said. "Unfortunately I couldn't take the chances to win the first set.
"I think that was really the key of the match. She really had a great day today; she played a good game. I didn't really bring the best tennis today. It's really hurting."
Kyrie Irving accepts the Brooklyn Nets "look very average" but insisted the rest of the NBA will be on notice when the team finally starts to click.
The Nets have assembled a star-studded cast with James Harden arriving last month to form an exciting 'Big 3' alongside Irving and Kevin Durant.
But since Harden's heralded arrival, the Nets have gone 7-6. Tuesday's disappointing 122-111 loss to the Detroit Pistons was their third in a row and they have a 14-12 record for the season, comfortably behind Eastern Conference rivals the Philadelphia 76ers (18-7) and the Milwaukee Bucks (16-8).
Defense has been a particular concern for the inconsistent Nets, a fact highlighted by the Pistons shooting 56 per cent from the field and 44.8 per cent from the beyond the arc.
Irving knows the Nets, who were without Durant against the Pistons, are not living up to expectations but remains confident they will get it right as the season progresses.
"I don't think that we go out every single day and sacrifice the time to be average at anything," Irving told reporters.
"We look very average, we have the talent that the eye test presents that we should be dominating. We have the experience in terms of some of our guys have been some through certain things, circumstances to be able to battle through.
"We're the team that is literally battling against so many odds that at this point it's not even a reason to continue to comment on. They are what they are.
"As a warrior that I am and the energy I have alongside my team-mates, we just have to turn that corner. We haven't done it yet but we will and I'm telling you the league is going to be on notice when that happens. We just have to take it by day by day."
The Nets have lost four of their past five outings, with three of those setbacks coming against teams who have losing records.
Irving acknowledges the Nets need to address the perception the team is not playing hard enough.
"I don't accept that, and I don't think our team accepts it as a whole, obviously we don't want that to be what teams think of us," he added.
"We're seeing it day in, day out where guys and teams are coming out and punching us in the mouth early and we're playing catch up.
"It happens to be against the guys with the least good records. We gotta call it for what it is, we gotta fix that. It takes maturity, accountability and a realisation of what we need to do moving forward."
Irving missed the previous loss to the Philadelphia 76ers due to an injury to his right index finger – an issue that is still troubling him.
"It sucks man," he said. "It's uncomfortable but at the same time I don't want to make excuses.
"I'm out there, I do a lot of treatment on it, we're down a few players obviously as well. You just want to go out there and compete and worry about the pain later. I'm doing the best I can."
Stephen Curry dazzled once again as he scored 32 points for the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday, leading Steve Kerr to declare: "I don't think I've ever seen him look better".
Having missed the majority of the previous season due to injury, Curry has been outstanding upon his return. The guard is averaging 29.6 points per game despite playing restricted minutes following his long lay-off.
The San Antonio Spurs were the latest team unable to stop the two-time NBA MVP, who produced one particularly memorable play in the first quarter of his team's 114-91 triumph on the road.
Curry was fouled on a drive but, with his back to the basket, managed to flip the ball on target at the last moment, having appeared set at one moment to throw a pass out to a waiting team-mate.
For Golden State coach Kerr, it was another example of how the 32-year-old makes the seemingly impossible look easy.
"I think that's part of Steph's brilliance is that he just constantly amazes you to the point where you almost take it for granted," Kerr said after the win over the Spurs.
"I do think, and maybe it's circumstantial given the injuries and the fact that he's playing with a different group of guys, that this is the best I've ever seen him just from a confidence and a strength standpoint.
"That's saying something, obviously - a two-time MVP. I don't think I've ever seen him look better."
Draymond Green compared Curry's miracle shot to one produced by the great Michael Jordan, though the scorer himself insisted it was simply a case of reacting to the situation, having realised he had drawn the foul.
"It was a fun one," Curry said after the game. "I don't know the ranking, but it was up there, for sure.
"I had to improvise. I don't really even know how to explain it: I just had a good flow once I got the contact and heard the whistle. Just get it up on the glass however you can. All the wild and acrobatic shots you practice or tried, the instincts take over, so that was pretty cool."
Curry's performance - he went 11-for-20 shooting from the floor - helped put an end to the Spurs' three-game winning streak, while the Warriors improve to 13-12 on the season.
The result also saw Kerr reach a significant landmark in his coaching career, with this his 350th win.
"I worked my butt off over the offseason," Curry said. "I'm just happy to be playing. I feel strong. I feel in rhythm, in ultimate control of my game. Shots are falling.
"It all comes not only with my own confidence, but growing confidence in my team."
Defending champion Novak Djokovic survived a stern test after prevailing 6-3 6-7 (3-7) 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 against Frances Tiafoe en route to the Australian Open third round.
Tiafoe threatened an upset in warm and sunny conditions at Melbourne Park, where world number one Djokovic was pushed to the limit on Wednesday.
But Djokovic dug deep to prevail in a hard-fought battle, keeping his bid alive for a record-extending ninth Australian Open crown and an 18th grand slam title.
Djokovic had only ever lost in the second round of the Australian Open on one previous occasion - in 2017, when he was upstaged by wildcard Denis Istomin in his earliest Melbourne Park exit since the opening round in 2006.
But Djokovic controlled proceedings initially, despite a blip in the first set against Tiafoe, who enjoyed his best run in Melbourne after reaching the Australian Open quarter-finals two years ago.
After racing out to a 4-1 lead, Djokovic was broken to love in the seventh game as Tiafoe reeled off back-to-back games, only to break back immediately - letting out a thunderous roar before closing out the first set in just over half-an-hour.
Not overawed, Tiafoe refused to go away, rallying from love-40 down and saving three break points in a marathon third game lasting almost eight minutes.
It set the tone for a tense second set as Tiafoe - who saw his winner count rise from five in the opening set to 17 - won a tie-breaker.
Djokovic owned a 15-4 record when splitting the opening two sets at the Australian Open, and 68-16 across majors, and he managed to claim an early break that he consolidated for a 3-0 lead to start the third set.
Tiafoe saved two set points when down 5-4 and he continued to frustrate Djokovic en route to another tie-break, but the latter prevailed, albeit unconvincingly.
The fourth set followed a similar theme until Tiafoe came unstuck at 4-3, Djokovic performing when it mattered most as he secured his passage on the back of a double-fault.
Data Slam: Djokovic dazzles from the service line
The Serbian star was always going to be hard to beat behind a strong serving display. Djokovic fired down 26 aces and won 84 per cent of his first serves, having served sat 62 per cent through the contest.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Djokovic – 56/37
Tiafoe – 49/43
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Djokovic – 26/5
Tiafoe – 23/8
BREAK POINTS WON
Djokovic – 5/14
Tiafoe – 2/3
Former Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka exited in the second round after a marathon loss to Marton Fucsovics.
Wawrinka, the 2014 champion, bowed out after a 7-5 6-1 4-6 2-6 7-6 (11-9) loss to Fucsovics on a warm Wednesday in Melbourne.
Fucsovics saved three match points on John Cain Arena in an encounter that lasted three hours, 59 minutes.
Wawrinka led 6-1 and 8-4 in the super tie-break, but Fucsovics won the final five points and seven of the last eight.
The Hungarian continues to enjoy the year's first grand slam, where he has reached the fourth round twice in the past three years.
Wawrinka, though, has struggled in Australia in recent years.
The Swiss star has now been eliminated in the second round in three of the past four years, while reaching the quarter-finals in 2020.
Wawrinka rallied from two sets to love down and 5-3 behind in the fifth, but wasted his chances in the super tie-break.
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