Damian Lillard credited his Portland Trail Blazers team-mates for helping him match the franchise record for three-pointers in their impressive 133-112 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The point guard matched the Oregon outfit's previous best – set by himself – with 11-from-17, including eight in the first half, as his side ran out comfortable winners at Moda Center.
With an additional two rebounds and two assists, it was Lillard's performance that steered the Trail Blazers around the court and inspired a crucial victory to push them up to sixth in the Western Conference.
The 32-year-old claimed he had not realised he had matched the record, while thanking the rest of his squad for setting up his opportunities.
"I literally didn't know how many threes I had,'" Lillard said. "I was just shooting. I knew I was in double digits
"I thought I made a lot of threes tonight and then I think 'how many did I shoot?'
"Once I got hot, they were looking for me, making the right play. They just kept giving me opportunity after opportunity
"The basket looks huge. I felt I was hot tonight, but I didn't feel I was blazing."
Lillard did not return for the fourth quarter, denying him the chance to make it a dozen, but coach Chauncey Billups said he had no concerns over his decision to keep him on the side.
"He was on a heater that was fun to watch,'' he said. "He can always use some rest, as well. But we rode him as good as we could, and we were able to take care of business.''
Kawhi Leonard will not take any risks with his fitness after posting his best game of the season in the Los Angeles Clippers' 113-93 win over the Boston Celtics on Monday.
The five-time All-Star, who spent last season recovering from an ACL tear, has slowly worked his way back into contention this campaign, with nine games now under his belt.
In his latest outing, the small forward put up 25 points, second only to team-mate Paul George, while adding nine rebounds and six assists, as the Clippers kept the Celtics in double-digits.
Leonard shut down suggestions he had struggled in his previous games this campaign, but acknowledged he needs to ensure he does not push himself too fast, too soon.
"I've felt good all season," Leonard stated afterwards. "It's just a matter of game reps. I've just got to stay healthy.
"[It is] only my ninth game. You can't rush it. [I have] just got to keep moving."
George, who led for the Clippers with 26 points, was effusive in his praise for Leonard, suggesting glimmers of the star's championship-winning form are returning to the surface.
"That's the same Kawhi," he added. "He’s just playing more, getting more reps.
"We're still trying to figure out how we're going to play on the court with one another. It's just good if both of us are playing aggressive."
The Clippers will now mount a four-game home stand ahead of Christmas, capped off with a trip to the Philadelphia 76ers as they look to strengthen their hand in the Eastern Conference.
The Arizona Cardinals will discover the extent of Kyler Murray's injury later this week, with fears the quarterback suffered an ACL problem in Monday's loss to the New England Patriots.
Murray appeared to sustain a serious knee issue on the first drive and had to be taken from the field in a medical cart following a three-yard gain in just the third action of the match.
Colt McCoy took his place for the rest of the match as the Cardinals slipped to a 27-13 loss against the Patriots, to take them to 4-9 for the season.
Coach Kliff Kingsbury revealed the team were unsure as to the extent of Murray's injury, acknowledging his loss threw them out for the rest of the game, while revealing he would have scans on Tuesday.
"It doesn't look good," he said. "It's tough. There's no doubt. You see teams go through it every week, but when you lose your starter on the third play of the game, it's tough.
"[It was] non-contact, [so] it's just tough to watch and see. You've got to be able to rebound and play the game, though."
With 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions in his 10 starts this season, former top draft pick Murray has struggled to help drive the Cardinals forward amid a difficult campaign.
His loss though was a stinging one, with Patriots boss Bill Belichick passing on his regards to the quarterback after the match too.
"It's tough to see a player like Murray get hurt," he added. "I hope he's okay."
Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving says there will be "no more distractions" for the team after they seized a 112-100 road win against the Washington Wizards on Monday.
The New York outfit improved to 17-12 for the season with a commanding victory at Capital One Arena, led by a 30-point haul for Kevin Durant.
The result helped the Nets further distance themselves from their early season controversy, when Irving was suspended over a series of tweets linking to an anti-semitic documentary, before initially refusing to apologise.
Now, the seven-time All-Star says the team are keeping their focus firmly on the court and know they have the players on hand to succeed this term.
"Man, let's just go win ballgames," he said. "That's it, that's really what the attitude is.
"We know the talent we have. This is our group. No more excuses, no more distractions."
Having been held back from building an early lead, the Nets raced out to 88-71 in the third quarter, and never let the Wizards get within eight after that.
Durant, who also posted nine rebounds and six assists, noted the visitors were aware letting their foot off the pedal could have proven dangerous.
"We talked about this being a trap game," he added. "If we'd have played too relaxed, with no sense of urgency, we definitely would have lost this game."
The Nets are now 5-1 across December, and have gone unbeaten over their last four matches, with trips to the Toronto Raptors and Detroit Pistons next on the agenda.
Despite being tied for the league-lead in sacks, Matthew Judon insisted he is only the second-best pass-rusher playing for the New England Patriots after Josh Uche's career night against the Arizona Cardinals.
Uche, 24, was a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, but struggled in his first two seasons, totaling only four combined sacks.
In Monday's 27-13 win against the Cardinals, he led all comers with three, taking his season tally to 10 – and all 10 have been in the past six weeks.
Judon was credited with one-and-a-half sacks on Cardinals backup quarterback Colt McCoy – who was thrust into the action after just three plays following Kyler Murray's knee injury – taking his total to 14.5 to tie with elite San Francisco 49ers talent Nick Bosa for the league's most.
Uche and Judon are the only pair of teammates this season with at least 10 sacks each.
The Patriots' defense was the dominant force in the win, turning a 13-13 tie into a two-score lead after returning a fumble for a touchdown, and securing an interception on the next drive to set up Pierre Strong Jr's sealer.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Judon said Uche's dominant performance was no surprise.
"I told y'all I wasn't our best pass-rusher," he said. "Our best pass-rusher is emerging.
"People are going to have to block him, and if they don't, and they chip my side and worry about me, Uche will do that every week.
"I love the way he's playing with confidence, and poise, and this is the most he's played since he's been in the NFL. It's taken a toll on him, but he's going out there and having a lot of success.
"We all knew it, we all knew the type of player he was, he was drafted pretty high here, and now he's just emerging. Folks are going to have to watch out."
When asked how he feels about the Patriots' defense often having to carry their struggling offense, Judon said he has no issues with it.
"Honestly, as a defender, you relish it," he said. "You relish it.
"We'd love for our offense to go out there and score 40 points each game, but as a defender, it's like, skip it. It is what it is. We're going out there, and we've got to do our job.
"We can't let our offense down and come out there and slip, and let stuff go. Every play we have to defend every blade of grass, and that's what we came out and did.
"We got a lot of tipped balls, we put pressure on the quarterback, we were hitting receivers, jamming them – and that's how you beat a team like that with an explosive offense."
Judon's admiration of Uche is reciprocated, with Uche making a point to credit Judon in aiding his development.
"I've learned a lot, I've been through a lot of adversity," he said. "Just leaning back on my faith, my family, my teammates, my girl, my parents – everybody. Just leaning back on them, and them helping me stay up.
"Judon has been a blessing in my life, man. That's big bro. I don't know where I'd be without him."
Future Hall-of-Fame coach Bill Belichick also singled out Uche when asked about his defence's performance.
"Uche had a couple big plays for us," he said. "He hit McCoy to force the interception to [Marcus] Jones.
"We were able to hit the quarterback, but of course that comes from getting ahead, and playing from ahead, and it became a passing game in the second half.
"Our defense did a pretty good job tonight. They have a lot of firepower, and Arizona moved the ball, but we fortunately got a couple red-area stops, and didn't give them much in the second half, so it was good."
The Patriots are now 7-6, and occupy the final AFC Wildcard spot with four weeks to play.
The Brooklyn Nets continued their hot run of form on Monday as they defeated the Washington Wizards 112-100 on the road for the eighth win from their past nine outings.
Kevin Durant's under-the-radar MVP campaign took another step in the right direction with a game-high 30 points on 11-of-17 shooting, adding nine rebounds, six assists, a steal and a block.
For the season, he is averaging exactly 30.0 points per game – the sixth-highest figure in the league – while his 55.9 per cent field goal shooting is a new career-high in his 15th campaign, and he is eighth in the league for blocks at 1.7 per game.
Durant was supported well by Kyrie Irving with 24 points (seven-of-17 shooting), six rebounds and five assists, while Ben Simmons contributed 10 points (five-of-nine), eight rebounds and five assists in 23 productive minutes.
After beginning the season with five losses from their first six games, the Nets are now fourth in the Eastern Conference with a record of 17-12, and they can make it nine wins from 10 when they travel to take on the Toronto Raptors on Friday.
Jackson sets new career-high
Jaren Jackson Jr had six blocks in his first nine minutes of action against the Atlanta Hawks, going on to finish with a career-high eight in a 128-103 win.
The former fourth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft showed exactly the kind of defensive upside that, when coupled with his sweet shooting stroke, makes him one of the sport's most versatile big men.
He added 15 points and seven rebounds to go with his eight blocks, and he is also hitting 1.9 three-pointers per game at a 37.3 per cent clip.
The Grizzlies are now 18-9 and occupy the second seed in the Western Conference.
Luka outduels Shai to move the Mavs above .500
Luka Doncic raised his league-leading points per game figure to 33.1 as he dropped 38 in the Dallas Mavericks' 121-114 home win against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
With his 38 points on 13-of-27 shooting, Doncic has now eclipsed 30 points in 19 of his 25 games this season, while his 8.8 assists per game has him fourth in the league, chipping in another eight with his 11 rebounds against the Thunder.
It was also a terrific display from the Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored a game-high 42 points on 14-of-23 shooting to raise his average to 31.2 per game – now second in the league.
Dallas are now 14-13, and are tied for the eighth seed in the West.
The New England Patriots (7-6) moved into the last AFC Wildcard spot with a 27-13 win on Monday against the Kyler Murray-less Arizona Cardinals (4-9).
Murray's game lasted only three plays before he went down with a non-contact knee injury, promptly being ruled out and replaced by backup Colt McCoy.
McCoy started brightly, leading three consecutive scoring drives resulting in two field goals and a James Conner touchdown run to put the Cardinals up 13-7 late in the second quarter – but they would not score from that point on.
It was far from smooth sailing for Patriots quarterback Mac Jones, but he was able to help tie the game with a pair of field goal drives, before a costly fumble from All-Pro Cardinals wide receiver De'Andre Hopkins was returned for a touchdown to put New England ahead 20-13.
The next Cardinals drive would end in an interception after Josh Uche hit McCoy on his release, with Uche and fellow pass-rusher Matthew Judon emerging as the dominant force in the game.
Uche collected a career-high three sacks, giving him 10 for the season, and all 10 have come in his past six games.
Meanwhile, Judon had one-and-a-half sacks to take his season tally to 14.5, tying San Francisco 49ers star Nick Bosa for the league-lead. They are the first pair of teammates this season to reach the 10-sack milestone.
After the Patriots' top running back Rhamondre Stevenson left the game due to an ankle injury, rookie Pierre Strong Jr was the beneficiary, tallying 70 yards from his five carries, including the first touchdown of his career to give his side some breathing room in the fourth quarter.
In a season full of grim injury news, the San Francisco 49ers received an encouraging update for a change.
A day after Deebo Samuel was carted off the field, the 49ers announced that the versatile wide receiver is expected to return before the end of the regular season.
The 2021 First Team All-Pro selection suffered a sprained left ankle and MCL Sunday when he was taken down awkwardly during San Francisco’s 35-7 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Samuel has accounted for 840 yards from scrimmage and five total touchdowns this season.
When Samuel was carted off the field, many had feared the 49ers had lost another key contributor to a devastating injury after running back Elijah Mitchell, defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw and defensive backs Jason Verrett and Jimmie Ward all ended up on injured reserve.
Most notably, quarterback Trey Lance was lost for the season to a broken right ankle in Week 2, while his replacement, Jimmy Garoppolo, will miss at least the rest of the regular season with a foot injury.
The injuries to Lance and Garoppolo have forced the 49ers to turn to rookie quarterback Brock Purdy, who made his first career start in Sunday’s victory.
Purdy responded by playing brilliantly, accounting for three total touchdowns, but did not get through unscathed, suffering an oblique injury on the second series of the game.
"I think it was a challenge for [Purdy]," coach Kyle Shanahan said. "Just talking to him and seeing him after the game. I think he really toughed it out, did some real good things with it and I know he is sore today."
Purdy and the 49ers (9-4) face a quick turnaround before they play the Seattle Seahawks Thursday night.
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray appeared to suffer a serious knee injury on the first drive of Monday's game against the New England Patriots, leaving the field on a medical cart after a non-contact incident.
On just the third play of the game, Murray attempted to scramble for positive yardage, but went down in a heap after gaining three yards, clutching his knee.
The 25-year-old former top overall draft pick stayed down, and a medical cart was brought on the field to carry him back to the locker room.
Murray, who has thrown 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions in his 10 starts this season – going 3-7 in those games – was replaced by Colt McCoy as the Cardinals' starter.
There are four weeks remaining of the 2022 NFL season, meaning we are in the home stretch not only in the race for the playoffs, but also in the battle for the MVP.
Week 14 was one in which the race appeared to settle into one between four quarterbacks. Other positions are worthy of recognition, but since Adrian Peterson's win in 2012 the MVP has been solely a quarterback award, and there is a quartet who have separated themselves from the rest.
Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins had received some hype as a potential MVP, but his successive disappointing displays against the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Chargers have likely removed him from the equation.
This has become a fight between the quarterback piloting the best team in the NFC and a trio of signal-callers each hoping to lead their respective rosters to the top seed in the AFC.
Right now, it is the former who stands as the favourite because of a near-perfect resume.
THE FRONTRUNNER: Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
The competition with more established NFL stars has been fierce but, after recent devastating performances against the Tennessee Titans and New York Giants, it is difficult to dispute Hurts as the MVP frontrunner.
A week on from brushing past the Titans, the Eagles swatted the Giants aside at The Meadowlands with another display of effortless dominance powered by Hurts’ ability to hit the deep ball and his influence on an ultra-diverse run game.
Hurts connected with DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown for touchdowns of 41 and 33 yards, and also rushed for 77 yards and a score on seven carries. His 13 touchdown passes of at least 20 yards are the most in the NFL while his 10 rushing scores are the sixth-most, and two more than any other quarterback (Justin Fields, eight).
He now has 3,157 passing yards with 22 touchdown passes and 10 rushing touchdowns this season, becoming the the fourth quarterback ever with at least 3,000 passing yards, 20 touchdown passes & 10 rushing touchdowns in a single season, joining Kyler Murray (2020), Cam Newton (2011 and 2015) and Kordell Stewart (1997).
Newton won the MVP in 2015 by posting such numbers for a 15-1 Carolina Panthers team that went on to reach the Super Bowl. The Eagles are on course to go 16-1 thanks to Hurts’ growth as a thrower – his well-thrown rate of 82.7 percent is a substantial improvement on his mark of 77.1 per cent from 2021. If they do so, there are unlikely to be many convincing counterarguments against Hurts as the MVP.
DON'T COUNT HIM OUT: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
A three-interception performance by Mahomes against the Denver Broncos may have helped tilt the MVP race in favour of Hurts, but the 2018 MVP is still performing at a level to be worthy of regaining the award.
Mahomes has 60 completions of at least 20 yards this season. No other quarterback has even reached 50, with Joe Burrow his nearest challenger on 46.
He ranks eighth among quarterbacks with a minimum of 200 attempts with a well-thrown rate of 83.5 percent, and has been extremely accurate when going deep.
Indeed, Mahomes' completion percentage of 50 on pass attempts of at least 21 air yards is fourth among quarterbacks with at least 10 such throws. On top of his downfield explosiveness, Mahomes has done an excellent job of creating yardage for himself on the ground, his yards per carry average on scrambles of 7.44 bettered by only Justin Fields (7.98) and P.J. Walker (8.67).
Recent issues with turnovers and the fact the Chiefs lost to Josh Allen's Buffalo Bills and Joe Burrow's Cincinnati Bengals may have dented his case but, with four games to go, Mahomes has built the foundations of an MVP resume and still has the chance to earn the prize for a second time if he can lift Kansas City to the one seed.
FADING FAST?: Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
The resume in terms of achievements for Allen is pretty sparkling. If the season ended today, the Bills would be the number one seed in the AFC and he delivered the tiebreaking win over the Chiefs with a tremendous fourth-quarter performance at Arrowhead.
Allen's deep ball has been extremely impressive this season. No quarterback in the NFL has accounted for more yards on throws of at least 21 air yards than his 833.
The Bills star is also on the right side of the ledger in terms of accuracy, delivering a well-thrown ball on 82 percent of his passes. The league average – minimum 50 attempts – is 81.4.
However, like Mahomes, Allen has 11 interceptions this season, and has a pickable pass rate of 4.89 percent that is nearly a full point above the average of 4.09%.
His carelessness with the ball has contributed to key defeats to the likes of the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings, costing the Bills wins that would have given them clear separation atop the AFC.
Allen is clearly one of the league's premier quarterbacks and will be for many years to come, but the consistency has not been there for him to be considered the MVP at this point.
THE SLEEPER: Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
After a slow start, the man who spearheaded the Bengals' improbable charge to an AFC Championship is once again performing at a level that saw him elevate Cincinnati to the ranks of the elite.
Even in hard-fought Week 14 win over the Cleveland Browns with a Bengals' offense that has been one of the most productive in the NFL since Week 6 did not fire on all cylinders, Burrow's deadly precision was a difference-maker, most notably on a pinpoint 15-yard touchdown throw to Ja’Marr Chase on a post route to open the scoring.
Burrow delivered an accurate, well-thrown ball on 87.5 percent of his passes against the Browns. For the season, his well-thrown rate of 85.9 percent is fifth among quarterbacks with at least 200 attempts. His pickable pass rate of just 1.52 percent is the NFL's best.
Burrow is outperforming Hurts, Mahomes and Allen when it comes to delivering accurately and taking care of the ball, and has a signature win over Mahomes to his name from Week 13.
If the Bengals go on to wrest the AFC North from the Baltimore Ravens, Burrow will have an excellent case for the MVP, one that will be even stronger if 9-4 Cincinnati manage to catch Kansas City and Buffalo in the race for the one seed.
Cade Cunningham will miss the remainder of the NBA season after it was revealed on Monday the Detroit Pistons' franchise cornerstone will undergo surgery on his bothersome left shin.
According to a report from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Cunningham has been dealing with pain in his shin since the preseason, with the injury keeping him out of action since November 9.
The plan was to give him a month off to see if the rest would address the issue, but its persistence required further action, leading to the decision to send the former first overall pick in the 2021 draft under the knife.
He is expected to make a full recovery and be ready for the start of the 2023-24 campaign, when the Pistons will look to begin their ascent out of the NBA's cellar.
It has been a lean few years in the win column for Detroit, landing the top pick in the 2021 draft after finishing dead last in the Eastern Conference with a record of 20-52 in the shortened 2020-21 season, before following it with a 23-59 campaign, ultimately resulting in Jaden Ivey's arrival with the fifth pick this year.
They are on track for another top-five pick in next year's draft as they own the worst record in the league at 7-22 – but it is a year where the front office will be happy to continue losing.
The light at the end of the tunnel is 18-year-old French super-prospect Victor Wembanyama, who will assuredly be selected by whichever team is fortunate enough to win the draft lottery and the top pick in the draft.
Standing at 7ft 4in with an 8ft wingspan – longer than any player currently in the league – Wembanyama is plying his trade in the French LNB Pro A, which is France's top men's league.
He is leading the league in scoring (23.6 points per game), rebounding (9.4), and blocks (2.8), while hitting 1.4 three-pointers per game, including high-difficulty attempts off the bounce, and even off one leg.
Cunningham and Wembanyama is a pairing that would have the Pistons on an express path to contention, and it will be no surprise to see Detroit trade away veterans with any value – such as Bojan Bogdanovic, whom The Athletic is reporting as a target for the Los Angeles Lakers – to lose as many games as possible.
Cade Cunningham will miss the remainder of the NBA season after it was revealed on Monday the Detroit Pistons' franchise cornerstone will undergo surgery on his bothersome left shin.
According to a report from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Cunningham has been dealing with pain in his shin since the preseason, with the injury keeping him out of action since November 9.
The plan was to give him a month off to see if the rest would address the issue, but its persistence required further action, leading to the decision to send the former first overall pick in the 2021 draft under the knife.
He is expected to make a full recovery and be ready for the start of the 2023-24 campaign, when the Pistons will look to begin their ascent out of the NBA's cellar.
It has been a lean few years in the win column for Detroit, landing the top pick in the 2021 draft after finishing dead last in the Eastern Conference with a record of 20-52 in the shortened 2020-21 season, before following it with a 23-59 campaign, ultimately resulting in Jaden Ivey's arrival with the fifth pick this year.
They are on track for another top-five pick in next year's draft as they own the worst record in the league at 7-22 – but it is a year where the front office will be happy to continue losing.
The light at the end of the tunnel is 18-year-old French super-prospect Victor Wembanyama, who will assuredly be selected by whichever team is fortunate enough to win the draft lottery and the top pick in the draft.
Standing at 7ft 4in with an 8ft wingspan – longer than any player currently in the league – Wembanyama is plying his trade in the French LNB Pro A, which is France's top men's league.
He is leading the league in scoring (23.6 points per game), rebounding (9.4), and blocks (2.8), while hitting 1.4 three-pointers per game, including high-difficulty attempts off the bounce, and even off one leg.
Cunningham and Wembanyama is a pairing that would have the Pistons on an express path to contention, and it will be no surprise to see Detroit trade away veterans with any value – such as Bojan Bogdanovic, whom The Athletic is reporting as a target for the Los Angeles Lakers – to lose as many games as possible.
The Golden State Warriors will look to claim only their third road win of the season when they face the Milwaukee Bucks in a potential NBA Finals preview.
Golden State have recovered from a slow start to their title defence to sit at 14-13, eighth in the Western Conference.
The reigning champions delivered a reminder of their title credentials last time out, defeating the team they vanquished in last year's Finals, the 21-6 Boston Celtics, 124-107.
As with most of their successes so far this season, that win came at friendly confines of the Chase Center.
On their travels, it is a different story for the Warriors, who are 2-11 on the road.
It will be a tall order to improve that dismal mark against the Bucks, who are 12-3 at home, and at 19-7 overall trail only the Celtics in the Eastern Conference.
Yet the Bucks displayed vulnerability in stumbling to defeat against the rebuilding Houston Rockets in their most recent encounter.
It is still relatively early in the season, but this matchup between the last two NBA champions will be a good barometer of each team's prospects as they plot a path to lifting the trophy again this campaign.
PIVOTAL PERFORMERS
Milwaukee Bucks - Giannis Antetokounmpo
Antetokounmpo is obviously the heartbeat of the Bucks, and he will be motivated to bounce back after being held to 16 points in 36 minutes in their loss to the Rockets.
It was just the second time he had been limited to 16 or less in that number of minutes since the 2017-18 season. The Warriors are allowing the ninth-most points per game in the NBA (116.1), seemingly giving Antetokounmpo the opportunity to get back on track in a marquee matchup.
Golden State Warriors - Klay Thompson
The second 'Splash Brother' atoned for his somewhat disappointing performance in last year's Finals by making it rain against the Celtics.
He shot 53.8 per cent from the field in racking up 34 points in a game that also saw Stephen Curry score 32. When the Warriors get those contributions from both their leading lights, even teams as talented as the Bucks find them tough to overcome.
KEY BATTLE - Can Looney prevent second chances?
Kevon Looney was exceptional as the Warriors defeated the Celtics. He finished plus-19 the plus-minus and dominated on the defensive glass.
Twelve of Looney's 15 rebounds came on the defensive side, and his ability to excel in that area will be critical against a Bucks team that is eighth in offensive rebounds per game and second-chance points.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
The Warriors and Bucks split their season series in the previous campaign, but Golden State have not tasted victory on the road against Milwaukee since 2018.
Nick Kyrgios hit out at a lack of respect for his achievements in Australian tennis, after Ash Barty claimed the Newcombe Medal.
Three-time grand slam winner Barty made the surprise decision to retire in March, aged just 25, after securing the Australian Open title only two months earlier.
The former world number one was subsequently recognised with the highest individual honour in Australian tennis as she won her fifth consecutive Newcombe Medal on Monday.
Kyrgios, who won the Australian Open doubles title with Thanasi Kokkinakis, became the first male Australian finalist at Wimbledon since Mark Philippoussis (2003) in July, but fell to defeat against Novak Djokovic.
The 27-year-old, then 40th in the world, was also the lowest-ranked grand slam male finalist since Marcos Baghdatis (54) at the Australian Open in 2006.
After the announcement of Barty's individual recognition, Kyrgios took to Instagram to question the decision.
"LOL. No respect at all. Don't give a f***," he wrote before including a comparison of his 2022 victories to Barty's year.
It is not the first time Kyrgios has spoken out against Australian tennis, previously suggesting it was an "easy decision" to snub the Davis Cup to play at the Diriyah Tennis Cup exhibition event in Riyadh.
Kyrgios may take some consolation, though, after being named with Kokkinakis as the Fans' Favourite doubles team in the 2022 ATP Awards.
He responded to the announcement on Instagram, adding: "Obviously lol."
Conor Benn believes his innocence is soon to be proven after losing his British Board of Control (BBBofC) boxing licence earlier this year because of failed drugs tests.
Benn, the son of former WBO middleweight and WBC super-middleweight champion Nigel Benn, was due to fight Chris Eubank Jr in October.
But just days before the fight, it emerged Benn had tested positive for banned substance clomifene, and the BBBofC subsequently prohibited the fight from taking place despite promoters from both sides attempting to force a U-turn.
Benn admitted afterwards that he had failed tests and relinquished his BBBofC licence, though the 26-year-old has always maintained his innocence.
In a social media post on Monday, Benn once again reiterated he is a clean boxer and believes his team have now finally proven that fact.
"My team and I have worked extremely hard over the past seven years to make me the fighter I am today," Benn said on Instagram. "We have never cut corners or cheated the grind in any way.
"It's been really hard for me to accept that people think that I would do what I was accused of but what I've come to realise is people rush to judgement, without knowing the facts.
"Tony Sims [Benn's trainer] has had a clean gym for 26 years, I respect the gym. No one is bigger than the gym! Hard work and dedication is what we stand for. We don't condone cheating or cutting corners.
"I've stayed in the gym and continued to work extremely hard, staying positive that my innocence will be proven and the truth will come out.
"My team has proven my innocence and the truth will soon come out.
"Until then, I won't be commenting further due to confidentiality.
"There were times I feared it never would but we all had faith. I'm thankful to everyone who has supported me through this tough time... tough times don't last, tough people do.
"See you all in 2023, the year I become world champion!"
The Dallas Cowboys have signed wide receiver T.Y. Hilton despite ongoing links to fellow veteran Odell Beckham Jr.
Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones suggested last week he will not be rushed into a move for Beckham and has subsequently added experience at wide receiver in four-time Pro Bowler Hilton.
The 33-year-old, who spent 10 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, has been a free agent since the start of the season but joins a Cowboys receiving group including CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup.
"Great addition," said Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy, who added Hilton has a chance to play on Sunday versus the Jacksonville Jaguars.
"We'll get him out there Wednesday and get him acclimated. ... He had a workout. Everything passed with flying colours. The timing is right. He's ready to go."
Hilton boasts five 1,000-yard seasons, including an NFL-best 1,448 yards in 2016 for the Colts, but has not played since 2021 for Indianapolis.
He caught just 23 passes for 331 yards and three touchdowns last season, though is only one of 15 players in the Super Bowl era to have at least three touchdown catches in the first 10 seasons of his career.
That experience may prove vital for the Cowboys, who have long been on the hunt for another receiver to join a roster that also includes Noah Brown, Jalen Tolbert, James Washington and KaVontae Turpin.
It remains unclear what Hilton's arrival means for three-time Pro Bowler Beckham, who is not expected to be fit for the regular season after not playing since tearing his ACL in the Super Bowl earlier this year.
The Cowboys are 10-3 and on a four-game winning streak heading into Week 15 as Dallas mounts a charge for what could be a deep playoff run.
The Atlanta Falcons are returning from their bye with a new starting quarterback.
Head coach Arthur Smith announced Monday that rookie Desmond Ridder will take over the starting duties from Marcus Mariota for Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints.
"I did make a switch at quarterback. Desmond Ridder will be the starter. It’s a performance-based decision," he said in a press conference.
The move had been expected after it was reported last week that Ridder would be named the starter.
A third-round pick in April’s draft, Ridder has yet to take an offensive snap in the regular season after throwing for 10,239 yards with 87 touchdowns and 28 interceptions in his four-year collegiate career at Cincinnati.
He takes over an offense that is in need of a jolt, with Atlanta having lost four of five, averaging 15.3 points in those defeats.
Despite their recent slide to drop to 5-8, the Falcons are only a game behind the first-place Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the lowly NFC South, so a path to the playoffs with Ridder at QB is not out of the question.
Ridder will foreseeably be the Falcons' starter for the remainder of the season, as Smith said Mariota will likely be placed on injured reserve with a knee injury.
Mariota was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week following his performance in the Falcons' 28-14 win over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 6, but he's struggled to generate much offense over the last month.
In Atlanta’s last five games, Mariota was averaging just 157.4 passing yards with five touchdown passes and three interceptions for an 81.6 rating.
Aidan Hutchinson hailed the Detroit Lions' "unmatched" chemistry as they furthered hope of what once looked an unlikely playoff push with victory over the Minnesota Vikings.
Eyebrows were raised in the build-up to the Week 14 encounter when the Lions were installed by bookmakers as the favourites against a 10-win Vikings team that would have clinched the NFC North title with a win.
But the Lions backed up that status with a hugely impressive display in a 34-23 win that improved their record to 6-7.
The Lions are 1.5 games back on the New York Giants in the final Wild Card spot and hold the tiebreaker over New York having beaten the Giants in a run that has seen them win five of their last six after a 1-6 start.
Hutchinson was the second overall pick of the Lions in this year's draft and produced another strong showing, registering a sack to take him to seven for his rookie year.
"The chemistry we've got right now, it's kind of unmatched," Hutchinson told Peter King for Football Morning in America.
"We're so complementary right now offensively and defensively and we never flinch at the end."
The Lions have long since been something of an NFL punchline, having failed to win a playoff game since the 1991 season.
But Hutchinson, who was born in nearby Plymouth, Michigan and played his college football at the University of Michigan, believes this Lions team is shedding that tag.
"It's no longer the same old Lions," Hutchinson added. "We've overcome that. Now we're on our way to becoming a really good football team.
"I got the chance to come somewhere and be part of coming alive and building a great team.
"I just wanted to come into the season and learn something every single game and make strides every game. I'm happy with my development so far."
Patrick Mahomes is often the hero for the Kansas City Chiefs, but he heaped praise on their defense after a Week 14 win over the Denver Broncos, in which he threw three interceptions.
Mahomes and the Chiefs improved to 10-3 for the season with a 34-28 win in Denver, which eliminated the 3-10 Broncos from postseason contention.
The Kansas City quarterback recorded his 24th career game with at least 300 passing yards and three touchdown passes, surpassing Dan Marino (23) for the most such games by a player in his first six seasons in NFL history.
His 352-yard effort took Mahomes to 4,160 passing yards on the season. In doing so, he joined Peyton Manning as the only players in NFL history with at least 4,000 passing yards in five of their first six seasons.
But Mahomes, who threw three touchdowns, also produced a trio of turnovers, two of which took place in the second quarter and culminated in Broncos touchdowns that allowed the hosts back into a game they had trailed 27-0.
His third in the fourth quarter gave the Broncos, quarterbacked by Brett Rypien late on after Russell Wilson left the game with a concussion, the chance to take the lead.
But Rypien was intercepted by L'Jarius Sneed on the subsequent drive, allowing Mahomes and the offense to kill the clock and clinch a 14th successive win over Denver.
Asked about his interceptions, Mahomes said: "Just three bad decisions. When you look at them, the first one, I probably just could've taken the easy throw to the outside, and I forced it to [Travis] Kelce.
"The second one, I was just trying to burn it, and he [Patrick Surtain II] made a hell of a play. And the third one was bad-bad just because the situation. We're in field-goal range - especially here in altitude and no one else is open - so [I] just throw the ball away and let [kicker] Harrison [Butker] end the game.
"Luckily for me, the rest of the team stepped up. The defense made a lot of stops in critical moments when we were putting them in some bad situations."
Head coach Andy Reid, though, expressed support for his former MVP quarterback and the aggressive nature of his play that has so often paid dividends for the Chiefs.
"Every quarterback that's played in this league a while has a game like that," said Reid. "The one great thing about him is he kept firing and had a lot of big plays.
"You can't take away the three interceptions, but there sure were some good ones in between those, and it's a great learning experience."
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