Giannis Antetokounmpo continued his red-hot form on Tuesday as he scored a season-high 55 points in the Milwaukee Bucks' 123-113 win over the Washington Wizards.
His 55-point outburst on 20-of-33 shooting – including an impressive 15-of-16 at the free throw line – comes after games of 43 points and 20 rebounds against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, and 45 points, 22 rebounds against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.
In doing so, Antetokounmpo became the first player since Hall-of-Famer Wilt Chamberlain in 1964 to average at least 45 points, 15 rebounds and five assists over a three-game span.
He added 10 rebounds and seven assists against the Wizards, while fellow defensive stalwart Brook Lopez was also terrific. Lopez scored 21 points on 10-of-13 shooting while grabbing 12 rebounds and blocking six shots.
His 2.7 blocks per game is the best figure among those who have qualified for the league leaderboard by playing at least 70 per cent of their team's games, although Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr is averaging 3.1 blocks in his 20 appearances.
Meanwhile, Antetokounmpo boosted his scoring average to 32.8, placing him third in the league, and he is also third in rebounding at 11.8 per game.
With the win, the Bucks are now 24-13, which is tied with the Denver Nuggets for the third-best record overall.
Thunder shock the Celtics
The Oklahoma City Thunder produced one of the more unlikely performances of the season as they broke their franchise scoring record with a 150-117 home win against the league-leading Boston Celtics.
Making the feat even more impressive was the fact that the Thunder were without franchise player and the NBA's fifth-leading scorer Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after he was a late withdrawal due to an illness.
OKC were led by Josh Giddey with 25 points (10-of-15 shooting), five rebounds, five assists and two steals as one of five Thunder players to score at least 20.
The 150 points is the second-most the Celtics have ever conceded in a game as Oklahoma City piled on quarters of 34, 40, 48 and 28 in a completely one-sided contest.
Fox delivers game-winner for the Kings
De'Aaron Fox nailed a game-winning lay-up with under one second remaining to give the Sacramento Kings a 117-115 road win against the Utah Jazz.
Fox led all scorers with 37 points on 15-of-22 shooting, adding six assists, three rebounds, two blocks and a steal.
He was supported strongly by two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis, who had 21 points (eight-of-13), 14 rebounds and eight assists to help the Kings into the Western Conference's fifth seed as they seek to break the NBA's longest active playoff drought (2006).
New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson will be reevaluated in three weeks he suffered a right hamstring strain during Monday’s loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, the team announced Tuesday.
Late in the third quarter of Monday’s game, Williamson grabbed a defensive rebound and began pushing the ball in transition, before pulling up sharply as he crossed mid-court, holding his hamstring.
He was evaluated in the locker room by the team’s training staff and did not return to the game.
Imaging on Tuesday revealed a strain that will keep him off the floor until late this month at the earliest.
Williamson’s absence will be a blow to a New Orleans club that has been without co-star Brandon Ingram since November 25 because of a left toe injury.
Despite Ingram’s injury, the Pelicans began Tuesday with the third-best record in the Western Conference at 23-14.
Ingram has begun doing individual shooting drills and appears nearing a return, but C.J. McCollum will likely be asked to carry the offensive load in the meantime.
Larry Nance Jr. would be the most obvious candidate to step into Williamson’s forward spot in the starting lineup, but he has played in just two of the past eight games due to a neck contusion and soreness in his right Achilles tendon. Third-year forward Naji Marshall may fill that role until Nance can return.
Dominant when on the court, Williamson has had his young pro career marred – and perhaps defined – by a series of injuries that have kept him on the sidelines. Since being drafted first overall in 2019, Williamson has played just 114 games, and he missed all of last season with a fractured right foot.
Williamson is averaging 26 points, 7 rebounds and 4.6 assists this season in 29 games.
Buffalo Bills offensive lineman Dion Dawkins said the entire team is "devastated" after witnessing team-mate Damar Hamlin suffer a cardiac arrest during Monday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Hamlin was administered emergency CPR on the field before being loaded into an ambulance and rushed to hospital, with the game being suspended halfway through the first quarter.
The Bills confirmed he is currently sedated and in a critical condition, while Hamlin's uncle Dorrian Glenn told NFL Network that his nephew is on a ventilator.
Speaking to CNN, Dawkins reflected on the frightening moment when he realised this was not a normal situation.
"I seen Tre [Tre’Davious White] turn around, I seen Dane [Jackson] sprint over towards him," he said.
"You see the medical staff doing their job, when things like this are going on and they’re waving really fast and calling for the elite medical staff, that’s when we realised something is really really wrong.
"In that moment you kind of just realise you really can’t take anything for granted. It’s just a drastic state… you’re thinking 'what can I do?'
"It immediately breaks you down into prayer, whether you’re a believer or not. In that moment you kind of just have to be vulnerable."
He went on to discuss the risks each player takes every time they step on the field.
"All of us out there, we’re giving our lives to this game," he said. "Not one second of our life is promised, this play has shown this.
"This play has taken a 24-year-old man to his knee and he’s fighting. This is real life. Football is real, it takes 100 percent to play this game. He gives it his all and he’s still giving it his all to this second.
"Damar is a fighter and he’s going to keep fighting. He’s gonna make it and he’s going to just keep pushing."
He added: "We are all devastated, it’s a shock to all of us. It’s a dramatically unique thing that has happened.
"We’re all going through it together. We’re all handling it in different ways."
The Brooklyn Nets will look to extend their winning streak to 13 games when they travel to take on the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.
Brooklyn's current 12-game run is the best streak in the NBA this season, and they are showing no signs of slowing down, with their past two victories against the San Antonio Spurs (139-103) and the Charlotte Hornets (123-106) coming by a combined 53 points.
Over that 12-game span, the Nets have gapped the field as the best offensive team in the league. In fact, their 124.2 points per 100 possessions is 6.0 points better than the second-placed Portland Trail Blazers (118.2).
That gap is greater than the distance between the Trail Blazers and the 24th-ranked Minnesota Timberwolves (112.9).
Their offensive firepower has been ignited by some unbelievable, and perhaps unsustainable efficiency by their All-NBA duo.
Over the past 12 games, Kevin Durant is shooting 59.2 per cent from the field – well above his career-best field goal percentage of 53.7 from his 2016-17 and 2020-21 campaigns. It is the same story for Kyrie Irving, who has led the team with 29.3 points at 54.3 per cent shooting, which would both comfortably set new career-highs.
The all-time record for team three-point percentage in a season belongs to the 1996-97 Charlotte Hornets at 42.7 per cent, while during this stretch the Nets have shot the three-ball at an unprecedented 44.2 per cent.
Unless that pair – who are both in their 30s – as well as the Nets as a whole are truly about to shatter their own personal and franchise records, they will, at some point, have to come back down to earth.
However, there is no indication the Bulls will be the team equipped to stand in their way.
During the Nets' winning streak, the Bulls have had the third-worst defense in the NBA, conceding 119.2 points per 100 possessions.
A big part of that has been their inability to rebound and finish off their defensive possessions. They are allowing 16.8 second-chance points per game – the second-most – while at the same time being the league's worst offensive rebounding team, grabbing only 21.9 per cent of their own misses.
The Bulls have also been the absolute worst team in the league at restricting three-pointers, allowing an average of 15.7 made threes per game at an efficient 38.6 per cent.
But while the three-pointer has been the Nets' best friend and the Bulls' worst enemy, it is also the most volatile method of scoring, and teams will generally regress to the mean over the course of an 82-game season.
It means the Nets will not keep shooting this well, and the Bulls will not continue to get lit up from long range at this rate – and while it is impossible to predict when things will begin to swing in the opposite direction, both teams are due for a change of fortune.
PIVOTAL PERFORMERS
Brooklyn Nets – Kyrie Irving
While Durant is the Nets' undisputed best player, Irving is the X-factor, and his strong games generally coincide with wins.
Irving is shooting 52.6 per cent from the field and 43.7 per cent from deep in the 18 wins he has been a part of, while those figures plummet to 44.9 per cent from the field and 24.7 per cent on three-pointers in his nine losses.
Chicago Bulls – Zach Lavine
It is a similar story for the Bulls, who have DeMar DeRozan as their consistent centrepiece, but rely on Zach Lavine to bring the additional firepower to a team lacking in three-point threats.
For the season, the Bulls are hitting just 10.6 three-pointers per game – the fourth-worst figure in the league – but in the 15 wins Lavine has played in he has hit 3.5 threes per game at a red-hot 46.1 per cent clip. It is a stark difference to his 2.2 made threes at 30.6 per cent in his 18 losses.
KEY BATTLE – Who can control the paint?
It seems clear that whoever catches fire from long range will likely emerge victorious, but with so much volatility attached to high-volume three-point shooting, it may come down to whichever team gets the easiest baskets.
A diet of lay-ups, dunks and free throws will always be the most sustainable form of offense, and the Nets are a team that lack much true size beyond starting center Nic Claxton.
If Bulls center Nikola Vucevic can impose his will on Claxton early and perhaps get him into foul trouble, it could open up the paint and force Ben Simmons to play extended minutes as the Nets' primary rim protector, which is not where he shines defensively.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
The Bulls have won three of their past four meetings with the Nets, including the most recent fixture on November 1, coming away 108-99 victors after holding Irving to just four points.
The Oklahoma City Thunder will be without their franchise player for Tuesday's home game against the Boston Celtics after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was ruled out due to an illness.
Gilgeous-Alexander, 24, is in the midst of a breakout season that has him the favourite for the Most Improved Player award.
After averaging 24.5 points per game this past season on shooting splits of 45/30/81, the Canadian has jumped up to 30.8 points per game on 49/35/91 to sit fifth in scoring.
Almost a lock for his first All-Star appearance this season, Gilgeous-Alexander has helped his relatively mediocre Thunder team to a 10-9 home record, although they are 5-12 on the road, leaving them with the sixth-worst record in the league at 15-21.
On the flip-side, the Celtics own the league's best record at 26-11, and the league's best offense, scoring 117.2 points per 100 possessions. Meanwhile, the Thunder are way down with the 24th-ranked offense (110.5) despite Gilgeous-Alexander playing all but three games.
Michael Smith wants to "take over the sport" after becoming world champion for the first time with a stunning 7-4 victory over Michael van Gerwen in an epic final on Tuesday.
Smith is a two-time runner-up at Alexandra Palace, having been beaten in the 2019 and 2022 finals by Van Gerwen and Peter Wright respectively, but he finally got over the line with a stunning display in which he hit a nine-dart finish - only the second time that has been done in a PDC World Championship final.
After Van Gerwen won the opening set, they took a leg each in the second before an extraordinary third leg, with the Dutchman missing double 12 for a nine-dart finish, only for Smith to step up to the oche and take out 141 for the nine-darter himself and send the crowd into ecstasy.
The match continued to be a topsy-turvy affair, with Van Gerwen looking to have seized control by taking a three sets to one lead, only for Smith to roar back and win four sets on the spin to open up a 6-3 advantage.
Van Gerwen pulled it back to 6-4, but Smith sunk in double-eight with the 11th set tied at two apiece to win the title, as well as become world number one.
Asked how being described as a world champion sounded, Smith told Sky Sports: "[It] sounds amazing. I don't want to start getting into the crying and emotions.
"Michael let me off there, and for once I finally took a chance I didn't deserve. I want to apologise to Michael, I've been in that position.
"It's 1-1 now in the worlds. I took my chances, but he knows and I do that it won't be the last world final between us. He is the best player in darts, I've said it for years, and you have to take your chances and I finally did that.
"I want to do what this man has [Van Gerwen] done, I want to take over the sport."
Smith says the crowd spurred him on to hit the incredible nine-dart finish, explaining: "I didn't hit a nine-darter in practice today but I keep going 180, 180, miss, so I thought, 'Do one now, give the crowd what they deserve.'
Van Gerwen was humble in defeat after missing out on the opportunity to become a four-time world champion, stating: "He played really well. I had my chances, we all know that.
"When you don't hit them, he'll throw everything at you. You can only blame yourself, but it doesn’t take anything away [from Smith] because he played brilliantly all the way through.
"I wasn't what I wanted to be, but that’s part of the game and you have to take it on the chin.
"It's part of the job unfortunately. When we celebrate it's a nice job, and when we lose games it's hard. We all know that."
The New York Yankees made an addition to their front office on Tuesday, hiring Brian Sabean as executive advisor to senior vice president and general manager Brian Cashman.
Sabean, who began his career in major league baseball with the Yankees nearly four decades ago, spent the last 30 years with the San Francisco Giants and was the architect of the franchise’s World Series championship dynasty over the last decade.
The 66-year-old Sabean served as the Giants’ GM from 1996 to 2014 before being promoted to executive vice president of baseball operations – a position he held until after the 2018 season, when he stepped down to serve as a scout.
During his 18 years of service as the Giants’ GM, the franchise won the 2010, 2012 and 2014 World Series championships, four NL pennants and five division titles.
The Giants released a statement thanking him for his services.
“The San Francisco Giants would like to extend its deepest gratitude to Brian Sabean for his enormous contributions to our organisation and wish him the best of luck in his new position with the New York Yankees.”
Sabean’s first job in MLB was for the Yankees, working as a scout in 1985. The following year he was promoted to director of scouting and by 1990 he we named vice president of player and development.
He held that position through the 1992 season before being hired by the Giants as assistant to the GM and vice president of scouting/player personnel.
Damar Hamlin remains in critical condition after suffering a cardiac arrest during Monday's game between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals, which the NFL says will not resume this week.
Bills safety Hamlin collapsed on the field in the first quarter of Monday's game at the Paycor Stadium after making a tackle on Bengals receiver Tee Higgins.
The Bills subsequently announced Hamlin was in critical condition after being rushed to a nearby hospital, and an update issued on Tuesday confirmed he remained in intensive care.
A statement from the Bills read: "Damar Hamlin spent last night in the intensive care unit and remains there today in critical condition at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
"We are grateful and thankful for the outpouring of support we have received thus far."
Meanwhile, the NFL has ruled the game – which was stopped with just under six minutes played – will not be resumed this week, confirming no decision regarding a possible rescheduling had been made.
"The NFL continues to be in regular contact with the medical team caring for Damar Hamlin, and also the Bills and Bengals organisations and the NFL Players Association," the league said.
"After speaking with both teams and NFLPA leadership, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell informed the clubs today that the Bills-Bengals game will not be resumed this week.
"The NFL has made no decision regarding the possible resumption of the game at a later date. The league has not made any changes to the Week 18 regular season schedule.
"We will continue to provide additional information as it becomes available."
Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown called for unity after Damar Hamlin's on-field cardiac arrest on Monday, while also praising the "extraordinary" emergency response.
Buffalo Bills safety Hamlin collapsed after tackling Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins in the first quarter of the game, slumping to the turf having momentarily made his way back to his feet.
CPR was administered to Hamlin on the field before he was taken away by ambulance, with a representative saying on Tuesday Hamlin was "fighting" to recover.
Hamlin has been described as being in critical condition at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, and Brown joined those giving their best wishes to the 24-year-old.
Brown said in a statement: "First and foremost, the Bengals continue to send thoughts and prayers to Damar Hamlin and his family.
"Our hearts are with everyone in this unprecedented time – what we can do is support one another.
"Last night was supposed to be a great night for the NFL and a great showcase for our hometown. Instead, the human side of our sport became paramount… and in that moment, humanity and love rose to the forefront.
"The Bengals are thankful for the love and compassion shown by all. Praying for Damar."
Brown also hailed the medical response to Hamlin's collapse, which led to the game being suspended with the Bengals 7-3 ahead.
He added: "As medical personnel undertook extraordinary measures, both teams demonstrated respect and compassion while fans in the stadium and people around the country bolstered the support for Damar and love for each other."
Journalist Marshall Kramsky described the "bone-chilling experience" of being in the stadium as Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest in Monday's game between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals.
Kramsky, who covers the Bengals, was reporting on the fixture at the Paycor Stadium.
The game was suspended after 24-year-old Hamlin, who as of Tuesday was in critical condition in a Cincinnati hospital, collapsed on the field.
Hamlin received emergency treatment, including CPR, before he was transported from the stadium in an ambulance.
"I've never seen a stretcher come out so fast. I'm a former athlete myself and in my journalism career or in my sports career, I've never seen such quick action," Kramsky told Stats Perform.
"We heard the mics of the players, [Bengals running back] Joe Mixon screaming 'check him out, check him out!' after Damar Hamlin got up and collapsed.
"The players were immediately extremely emotional. I've never seen so many players crying, adult men hysterical. The ambulance comes out shortly after, CPR is going on for about 10 minutes, the AD defibrillator, that's being used. They're shocking his heart back to life.
"And then, not a fan left the stadium. Everyone and every player was still on the field kneeling, praying or crying."
The NFL eventually elected to suspend the game, though Kramsky never had any doubt it would be called off.
"This game was over as soon as he went down, which is crazy because that doesn't happen in professional sports," he added.
"The NFL took a while to make their decision. But it wasn't like they really made it, it was never a decision. It was just a matter of getting through the appropriate rungs.
"They're seeing the players, Joe Burrow the Bengals quarterback went into the Bills locker room later on. I saw Josh Allen extremely teary-eyed going into the Bengals locker room. It was emotional. Nobody really processing it, because how do you?
"It was a bone-chilling experience in the stadium. Players were still there until past one o'clock in the morning. It was a crazy night."
Kramsky was at least able to take some solace in the fact that fans of both teams, and from across the sporting world, have united behind Hamlin.
Having been drafted by the Bills in 2021, Hamlin established the Chasing M Foundation Community Toy Drive, and the fund raiser had received over $3million in donations in the wake of the incident.
"Tragedy brings people together and sports brings people together," Kramsky said.
"Yes, incredible. Unfortunately, not surprising, because it takes tragedy for this to happen. And it has brought people together.
"If you look at his GoFundMe for his toy drive, it had for over two years less than $3,000 raised. There's over $3million raised now.
"So yeah, as soon as that stretcher came out football became secondary. No one cared, it was all about Damar Hamlin and his family. And people did come together.
"Bills fans and Bengals fans are coming with candles praying, standing outside the stadium, outside the hospital. It's been a nice experience in that regard."
Damar Hamlin's cardiac arrest is an important reminder for sports organisations and leagues to "reinvigorate their protocols" in order to react as quickly as possible for "life-saving opportunities".
The 24-year-old Buffalo Bills safety collapsed on the field during Monday's NFL clash against the Cincinnati Bengals, with the incident occurring during the first quarter at the Paycor Stadium.
Hamlin remained down for over 10 minutes as CPR was administered on the field, before he was loaded into a waiting ambulance and transferred to the University of Cincinnati medical facility. He has been described as being in a critical condition.
Speaking to Stats Perform, Dr Benjamin Abella MD, Professor of Emergency Medicine and Director at the Center for Resuscitation Science, said the NFL and organisers for the 2026 men's football World Cup, of which the USA is a co-host. will be constantly working on ways to improve reactions to medical emergencies on the field.
"There are important lessons for professional sports in all of this. We can also mention Grant Wahl, the journalist who died in Qatar recently. Now his situation may have been more complicated," he added.
"But in all of these cases, the presence of CPR-trained individuals, and importantly, the rapid availability of automated external defibrillators is crucial.
"With the World Cup coming to the US in some time, they will have to think very carefully about emergency action plans and the availability of AEDs. I think the NFL continues to address this and think about this, and rightfully so.
"It's quite a challenge when you have a massive venue if a cardiac arrest occurs in the stands, if it occurs on the field, how do you rapidly get a defibrillator and rescue team to the victim? It's not a simple problem.
"But it's something that sports leagues and sports venues need to constantly train for and reinvigorate their protocols for because life-saving opportunities are there. It's all a matter of the logistics and the timing of it."
Dr Abella explained the general public can also be educated on how to swiftly provide assistance when cardiac arrest occurs.
"Cardiac arrest is one of the most time-sensitive diseases in all of medicine, it turns out that the chance of surviving cardiac arrest falls by 10 to 15 per cent for every minute without CPR.
"So, it's a very dramatic and unfortunate condition that requires immediate action. This is especially important for the public to be aware of because everyone can do something, if they see someone collapse in cardiac arrest, they can provide CPR.
"The other key action is the use of an automated external defibrillator AED, which is now present in so many places, gyms, airports, train stations, restaurants.
"Through CPR and the use of AED, survival from cardiac arrest is not guaranteed, but the chance of survival is much improved."
Dr Abella detailed the key steps that will be taken in Hamlin's treatment.
"After initial recovery from cardiac arrest, where his heart is now beating, and he's moving blood, it's still a very tenuous, dangerous time for him," he said.
"In the days following cardiac arrest, there's a race to save the brain and improve organ function. A number of things are done in the hospital, generally in the ICU, and there are really three main things that will be taking place over the next few days.
"One is the use of a treatment modality known as targeted temperature management or TTM, which is an approach of carefully and precisely maintaining certain body temperatures for therapeutic gain. Generally, patients are cooled, and their body temperature is lowered modestly, which has actually been shown to improve brain recovery after cardiac arrest.
"Another key thing that almost certainly is being done is very, very careful management of blood pressure. If the blood pressure falls in a patient after cardiac arrest, and it tends to do so, this can be dangerous, because we need to maintain blood flow to the brain.
"So critical care physicians will be working carefully to monitor and manage his blood pressure with medicines and other things.
"The third important thing is going to be neurologic assessment. This is, I think, the part that's going to be hardest for all of us to watch because it generally takes two, three, four or five days, it takes a while. And we do this through recording of brainwaves, and also through imaging of the brain."
Tom Brady said the trauma being experienced by Damar Hamlin and the Buffalo Bills puts NFL careers into perspective.
Bills safety Hamlin suffered an on-field cardiac arrest during Monday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals and was said by a representative on Tuesday to be "fighting" to recover.
Hamlin has been described as being in a critical condition at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, with team-mates and opponents calling for prayers for the 24-year-old's recovery.
The incident occurred when Hamlin made a tackle on Bengals receiver Tee Higgins in the first quarter, and after briefly returning to his feet, he slumped to the ground.
He was attended to on the field before being taken away by ambulance, with the game suspended while the Bengals were 7-3 ahead with 5:58 remaining in the first period.
Seven-time Super Bowl winner Brady, still playing as a 45-year-old with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, said: "We're praying for Damar and his family this morning in Tampa. Moments like this put into perspective what it means to play this game we love."
The quarterback great added: "Thankful for our communities in Cincinnati and Buffalo for the overwhelming level of care and support I know they’ll continue to provide."
Jordon Rooney, a marketing representative for Hamlin, told Good Morning America on Tuesday: "I can't speak specifically on his medical condition. I will say that he's fighting, he's a fighter. The family is in good spirits. We're honestly just taking it minute by minute, hour by hour."
He later released a statement from Hamlin's family that said that they wanted "to express our sincere gratitude for the love and support showed to Damar during this challenging time".
"We are deeply moved by the prayers, kind words, and donations from fans around the country," the family added.
The family statement praised the first responders and medics "who have provided exceptional care to Damar", adding: "We feel so blessed to be part of the Buffalo Bills organisation and to have their support. We also want to thank coach [Zac] Taylor and the Bengals for everything they've done.
"Your generosity and compassion mean the world to us. Please keep Damar in your prayers. We will release updates as soon as we have them."
The NFL Referees Association (NFLRA) has commended the rapid response of medical staff who treated Damar Hamlin, and fully backed the suspension of the game between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals.
Hamlin collapsed on the field during Monday's game, with his team the Bills subsequently confirming the 24-year-old suffered a cardiac arrest.
He was given CPR on the field before being transported by ambulance to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he is in a critical condition.
As stars from across the sporting world, particularly in the United States, offered their thoughts and prayers, the NFLRA lauded the swift action of the emergency responders at the Paycor Stadium.
"On behalf of the NFL officials working the Buffalo Bills vs. Cincinnati Bengals game last night we offer our thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery for Damar Hamlin," a statement said.
"Additionally, we commend the emergency medical staff and doctors who quickly responded on the field to Damar's serious health issue."
The organisation also fully supported the decision to suspend the game.
"Like the players and coaches, our officials fully supported the suspension of this game as all attention needed to be focused on Damar's health," the statement concluded.
Johnny Sexton might face a race to be fit in time to feature in the Six Nations after it was confirmed he will undergo surgery on a facial injury.
The captain, who has played for his country 109 times, is set to retire after the World Cup in France later this year.
That means the upcoming Six Nations campaign, which Ireland start with a trip to face Wales on February 4, will be his last.
However, the 37-year-old fly-half's participation is in doubt after he suffered a cheekbone injury during Leinster's United Rugby Championship clash with Connacht on Sunday.
Leinster confirmed Sexton was due to have a procedure on Tuesday and will be assessed further following the operation.
Ireland are top of the world rankings and finished second in last year's Six Nations, four points behind champions France.
After facing Wales, they take on France in Dublin before travelling to Italy on February 25.
Andy Farrell's team play Scotland on March 12 and round off their Six Nations campaign against England six days later.
Wins for Hubert Hurkacz and Magda Linette saw Poland advance to the City Finals of the United Cup in Australia on Tuesday.
Hurkacz made it through a tough encounter against Stan Wawrinka 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 to give Poland a 2-1 lead in their Group B tie with Switzerland in Brisbane, before Linette came from behind to beat Jil Teichmann 5-7 6-4 6-1 to clinch it.
Poland will face Italy in the Brisbane final, whose 5-0 whitewash of Norway included Matteo Berrettini sealing victory with a 6-4 6-4 win over Casper Ruud.
In Perth, Croatia advanced to the City Finals after a dramatic day that saw Caroline Garcia get France on the board with a straight sets win against Petra Martic, before Adrian Mannarino came from a set down against Borna Gojo to serve for the match as he looked to bring his country level at 2-2.
However, Gojo broke back in a tense encounter before winning a deciding tie-break to send Croatia through to face Greece, who sealed a 4-1 win against Belgium.
Stefanos Sakellaridis recovered from going a set behind to beat Zizou Bergs, before Maria Sakkari overcame Elise Mertens 6-1 7-5, with Sakkari and Stefanos Tsitsipas adding some gloss to the score with a mixed doubles success against Kirsten Flipkens and Michael Geerts.
Spain and Australia were unable to progress but the hosts at least had the consolation of securing a victory thanks to wins for Jason Kubler against Albert Ramos-Vinolas, and the mixed doubles duo of John Peers and Sam Stosur against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro and David Vega Hernandez.
The USA had already secured their Finals berth against Great Britain in Sydney, but were ruthless as they finished off their tie against Germany to win 5-0.
After Jessica Pegula beat Laura Siegemund 6-3 6-2, Frances Tiafoe also defeated Oscar Otte in straight sets, before the American duo combined to beat Siegemund and Daniel Altmaier 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 10-7 to complete a clean sweep.
Boris Becker has swiftly found work after his release from prison, with the German tennis great signed up for television commentary during the Australian Open.
The six-time grand slam singles champion, who took the Australian title in 1991 and 1996, will be part of German Eurosport's team for the season's opening grand slam.
That was announced by the broadcaster on Tuesday, with Becker to co-commentate on big matches and present a 'Matchball Becker' analysis segment twice a day.
Becker, 55, has worked for Eurosport in previous years, as well as being a regular on the BBC's coverage of Wimbledon, a tournament he won three times.
He was released from jail in December, eight months into a two-and-a-half-year sentence handed down as punishment for hiding £2.5million worth of assets and loans to avoid paying debts when he was declared bankrupt in 2017.
Becker, a former coach of Novak Djokovic, reportedly spent the first few weeks of his sentence at Wandsworth Prison in London before being moved to the low-security Huntercombe prison in Oxfordshire in May.
In an interview with Sat.1 after his release, Becker spoke of his experience, saying: "When the cell door closes, the whole world collapses. This is the loneliest moment I've ever had.
"There is only you with your thoughts. There's a carousel in your head, of course. You try to breathe calmly. I was afraid, I didn't cry.
"I believe I rediscovered the human in me, the person I once was. I've learned a hard lesson. A very expensive one. A very painful one."
Dana White said there could be no excuses for his behaviour after video footage emerged of the UFC president and his wife slapping each other in a club on New Year's Eve.
The 53-year-old and wife Anne were reportedly celebrating 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.
White said: "You've heard me say over the years, 'There is never, ever an excuse for a guy to put his hands on a woman', and now here I am on TMZ talking about it.
"My wife and I have been married for almost 30 years. We've known each other since we were 12 years old. We've obviously been through some s*** together. We've got three kids.
"This is one of those situations that's horrible, I'm embarrassed – but it's also one of those situations that right now we're more concerned about our kids. We have three kids and obviously, since the video popped up, we've shown the kids the video and we're more focused on our family right now.
"I'm literally making no excuses for this thing at all. It's never happened before. It's the first time it's ever happened."
White is prepared for criticism and accepted he could have little comeback, saying he would have brought it upon himself.
He said: "People are going to say what they're going to say and it is what is. Whatever people say is deserved. I deserve it."
Anne White told TMZ it was "an understatement" to describe her husband's conduct as being out of character.
"Nothing like this has ever happened before," she said, blaming a heavy alcohol intake that caused events to become "out of control".
Both have apologised, she said.
Las Vegas-based White has been president of UFC – the highly successful mixed martial arts Ultimate Fighting Championship – since 2001, signing up to a seven-year extension in 2019.
Novak Djokovic took just an hour and 15 minutes to win his first singles match in Australia since 2021, beating Constant Lestienne 6-3 6-2 at the Adelaide International on Tuesday.
Djokovic – who saw a three-year visa ban lifted in November – played with Vasek Pospisil in the doubles on Monday, but this was his first singles outing in the country since his vaccine-related absence from last year's Australian Open.
"For the first match [of the season] I can't complain," Djokovic said. "I played very well. I thought the first six games were very competitive and I have never faced him before.
"But once I made that break at 3-2 in the first set I thought I stepped it up and played really good tennis for the rest of the match."
Elsewhere in Adelaide, third seed Daniil Medvedev advanced after Lorenzo Sonego retired hurt with the Russian leading by a set, while sixth seed Jannik Sinner eased past Kyle Edmund 6-3 6-2.
Seventh seed Denis Shapovalov is also through after coming from a set down to beat Rinky Hijikata, but fourth seed Andrey Rublev is out after losing to Roberto Bautista Agut in three sets.
The Spaniard will face Sebastian Korda next after he beat Andy Murray 7-6 (7-3) 6-3, while eighth seed Karen Khachanov advanced after beating Pedro Cachin 6-2 6-4.
At the Maharashtra Open in Pune, Aslan Karatsev had no problems seeing off Pablo Andujar 6-1 6-3, with the eighth seed set to face Tim van Rijthoven in the last 16 after the Dutchman beat Radu Albot 6-4 6-4.
There were also wins for Maximilian Marterer against Elias Ymer and Pedro Martinez against Ramkumar Ramanathan.
Motorsport legend Ken Block has died in a snowmobile accident at the age of 55.
The American had been a competitive rally driver since 2005 and competed in other action sports such as motocross, snowboarding and skateboarding.
Block competed in series such as Rally America and Global Rallycross, before earning further fame with his YouTube video series in which he performed daring stunts.
He also co-founded the skate-wear clothing brand DC Shoes in 1984, which he later sold in 2004.
Hoonigan Industries, another clothing company he owned, announced Block's death on their social media channels on Monday.
"It's with deepest regrets that we can confirm that Ken Block passed away in a snowmobile accident today," the statement read.
"Ken was a visionary, a pioneer and an icon. And most importantly, a father and husband. He will be incredibly missed."
A statement from Wasatch County Sheriff's Office confirmed Block was riding a snowmobile up a steep slope when the vehicle upended and landed on top of him.
Block was pronounced deceased at the scene from injuries sustained in the accident.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem was among those to pay tribute to Block.
"I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of my friend Ken Block," Ben Sulayem said. "An inspiration for us all and a true gentleman of our sport."
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