Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov steered Canada to Davis Cup glory in Sunday's final against Australia in Malaga, earning the country their first title in the competition.
Canada were runners-up three years ago in Madrid, when a 19-year-old Auger-Aliassime and 20-year-old Shapovalov lost their respective singles clashes with Roberto Bautista Agut and Rafael Nadal.
Three years older and three years wiser, this time the Canadians dominated the trophy match at the expense of 28-time champions Australia.
Shapovalov got Canada off to a flying start by crushing Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-2 6-4, setting up the chance for Auger-Aliassime to clinch victory without the need for the contest to go down to a doubles decider.
World number six Auger-Aliassime made no mistake as he fended off Alex de Minaur 6-3 6-4, adding Davis Cup glory to the four singles titles he has gathered this year.
Auger-Aliassime saved three break points in the sixth game of the second set, from 0-40, when a trailing De Minaur was looking to hit back. He then sealed Canada's victory minutes later with a forehand into the corner that his opponent could only return out of court, before being mobbed by team-mates.
Each of Auger-Aliassime's 2022 titles came at indoor hard court events, and he has thrived again in those conditions this week, winning all three of his singles rubbers and a doubles tussle on Saturday against Italy alongside the experienced Vasek Pospisil.
The Canadian pair got the job done just minutes before kick-off time in their country's World Cup game against Croatia.
"The emotions are hard to describe," said Auger-Aliassime. "All of us here, we've dreamt of this moment.
"These guys around me, except Vasek, he's a little bit older than me, we grew up together from the ages of seven, eight years old in Canada dreaming about being on this stage, winning these types of matches, winning a Davis Cup.
"It's really a dream come true, for me personally and I think for all the team. It was a great moment for myself and the country."
Dan Bradbury sealed a first DP World Tour victory in just his third professional start as he won the Joburg Open on Sunday.
The 23-year-old Englishman only recently joined the paid ranks and was participating after a sponsor's invitation, but he won by three shots on 21 under par to not only secure the trophy, but also a place at the Open Championship next year.
Bradbury went into the final round with a one-stroke lead but never showed any sign of letting up on Sunday at Houghton Golf Club, shooting a round of 67 with five birdies and just one bogey, coming on the final hole.
Finland's Sami Valimaki claimed second place on 18 under, one shot ahead of South Africans Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Daniel van Tonder, who tied for third.
Bradbury said after his win: "It won't sink in for a few days, I don't think. It's just a lot of pressure taken off your back, that's nice, but it hasn't sunk in yet and I don't think it will for a while."
He felt pressure from Valimaki on the back nine yet kept his focus, securing a two-year tour exemption as well as his Open ticket.
"But it was kind of the same thing all week, just keep playing my own game and I knew I was playing good enough," Bradbury said. "It turned out that way in the end."
By taking the top three spots, Bradbury, Valimaki and Bezuidenhout all qualified for the 151st Open at Royal Liverpool in July 2023, with Bezuidenhout claiming the final place ahead of Van Tonder thanks to his higher position in the world rankings.
England's results this year are "not where we expect them to be", the Rugby Football Union (RFU) has accepted, as questions continue to be asked of Eddie Jones' future as head coach.
The Red Rose lost 27-13 to South Africa at Twickenham on Saturday to round off their worst calendar year since 2008 in terms of results, having lost six of their 12 Tests in 2022.
England were booed off the field after losing to the Springboks, but Jones, under contract until after next year's Rugby World Cup, remained bullish and said he "does not care what other people think".
The RFU has made clear England's form heading into a World Cup year has not been good enough, however, and meetings will now be held to review what changes can be made.
"We would like to thank England fans for their patience and support, it matters to us how they feel," RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney said in a short statement on Sunday.
"Like them, we are really disappointed with the results of the Autumn Nations Series. Despite strong individual performances and some great new talent coming into the team, the overall results are not where we expect them to be.
"The review panel will hold a series of meetings in the next two weeks to discuss the Autumn Nations campaign and how improvements can be made ahead of the Six Nations."
England begin their 2023 Six Nations campaign at home to Scotland on February 4 as they seek to win the championship for a fourth time in eight years.
The Los Angeles Rams are unsure if Matthew Stafford will return to their roster this season amid a physically testing season.
The quarterback has been ruled out of this weekend's clash with the Kansas City Chiefs with a strained neck, having also suffered from a concussion earlier this month.
The Super Bowl LVI winners have struggled this season, and now look as if they could be without their first-choice QB for the rest of the campaign.
According to a report from ESPN's Adam Schefter, the 3-7 Rams do not know if Stafford will feature again in a campaign that is slipping away from them, with six losses in their last seven games.
Bryce Perkins, a 2020 undrafted free agent, is expected to get his first start against the Chiefs this weekend in Stafford's absence, having replaced him during last Sunday's game with the New Orleans Saints.
If there is a potential revival, Stafford could be considered to feature for a home stretch, but otherwise is likely to be kept on the sidelines as the team lick their wounds from a tough year.
The Rams also remain without star wide receiver Cooper Kupp, who is expected to miss the rest of 2022 following ankle surgery.
Stafford has passed for 2,087 yards this campaign, with 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions to his name.
Cameron Smith thought a third Australian PGA Championship would be beyond him after posting a final round of 68 to seal victory at the Royal Queensland Golf Club.
The home favourite, a two-time winner before in 2017 and 2018, finished 14 under par, with a three-shot lead over fellow Australian Jason Scrivener and Japan's Ryo Hisatsune.
Amid a closing day interrupted by lightning strikes across the course, Smith recovered from a slow start to post three birdies over the final seven holes and claim the trophy.
Though seldom off the pace across the weekend, the defending Open Championship winner says he was not sure if he would be in the conversation for victory before he teed off.
"I really didn't think I had it in me at the start of the week," he stated. "I was a bit scratchy [but] the game has got better and better as the week went on, other than the front nine today."
On the weather, he added: "You are in the mojo a little and for it to be stopped not once but twice was a little frustrating. But I just held on and played really solid those last eight holes."
Hisatsune was best in show on the final day with an impressive 65, a feat matched only by Australian Geoff Ogilvy and Englishman John Parry.
The latter's performance was enough to seal a joint-fourth-place finish overall, tied with Min Woo Lee on nine under par.
LeBron James believes it is beginning to come together for the Los Angeles Lakers after Saturday's 143-138 win over the San Antonio Spurs making it five wins in their past six games.
The Lakers started the season with five straight defeats following an offseason where Darvin Ham took over as head coach from Frank Vogel, after missing the playoffs in the 2021-22 campaign.
LA's latest run of results has seen them rally back to a 7-11 record, albeit sitting 13th in the Western Conference.
"I think we're more and more on a string," James told reporters after scoring a season-high 39 points against the Spurs on Saturday. "We're continuing to learn each other.
"As I said earlier in the season, we're a new group, with a new system, new coaching staff, trying to implement things on the fly. Our teaching moments was during games and unfortunately losing.
"It's just a sense of you're not really sure of each other, we don't know each other but I think over the last couple of weeks, we continue to learn one another, we continue to play some good ball, share ball."
Tempers flared in the third quarter of the game when Russell Westbrook was left bloodied after being struck on the forehead by a stray elbow from Zach Collins.
Westbrook fell to the ground after the blow and immediately got up in retaliation but was pulled away by James. Ham said James' actions showed the brotherhood of the team.
"You don’t want to escalate the situation, you want to try and calm him down," Ham said. "You've got a guy with blood all over his face who is understandably upset.
"Having Bron there shows a brotherhood that we need. That image, that action and that belief in one another, we need that to represent our team."
James not only pulled away Westbrook, who played on after receiving treatment, but helped apply a towel to stem the bleeding.
"I actually saw the cut right when it happened on the floor," James said. "As far as the foul, it was a tough blow obviously.
"I didn’t want it let Russ escalate it any further, especially with him bleeding like that. I just tried to step in there and diffuse it as much as possible."
LeBron James scored a season-high 39 points with seven three-pointers to lift the Los Angeles Lakers to their fifth win from their past six games, beating the San Antonio Spurs 143-138 on Saturday.
James, in his second game back from a groin injury, scored 23 of his 39 points in the second half, shooting seven-of-12 from beyond the arc along with having 11 rebounds and three assists. The four-time MVP's seven three-pointers was a joint career high.
The Lakers were without Anthony Davis due to a minor calf contusion, with guard Dennis Schroder contributing 21 points and six assists.
Russell Westbrook also came off the bench to add 11 points, seven rebounds and six assists, linking up with James to set up a one-handed dunk just before half-time.
Westbrook was left bloodied after he suffered a deep cut to his forehead in the third quarter after an elbow from Zach Collins but played on.
The win improved the Lakers' record to 7-11, while it consigned the Spurs to their eighth-straight defeat, slumping to 6-15 overall.
The Spurs' losing streak is their equal fourth worst in franchise history. Their worst is 13 straight from 1989.
Keldon Johnson top scored for San Antonio with 26 points and 10 rebounds, while Tre Jones added 23 points with 13 assists.
DA and Booker lift Suns past Jazz
Deandre Ayton scored 29 points with 21 rebounds as the Phoenix Suns held off the Utah Jazz 123-122 for their fourth consecutive victory to improve to 13-6.
Devin Booker contributed 27 points on eight-of-27 field shooting, scoring 10-of-11 from the free-throw line, with 11 rebounds and seven assists for the Suns, who trailed by 10 at quarter-time. Nine of Ayton's 21 rebounds were offensive as he brought up a rare 20/20 double-double.
The Suns only managed six-of-22 from beyond the arc but the Jazz could not capitalise, giving up 12 turnovers. Jordan Clarkson top scored for Utah with 22 points.
Doncic's Mavs beaten by Raptors
The Dallas Mavericks lost their third straight game as Luka Doncic was kept to 24 points in a 105-100 loss to the Toronto Raptors.
Raptors small forward O.G. Anunoby scored 12 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, top scoring alongside Fred VanVleet with 26, while Chris Boucher added a season-high 22 points with 13 rebounds.
NBA leading scorer Doncic shot eight-of-15 from the field and two-of-four from beyond the arc for the Mavs, with seven rebounds, nine assists and two steals.
Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham downplayed the calf injury that kept All-Star Anthony Davis out of Saturday's game against the San Antonio Spurs.
Davis had played 16 out of the Lakers' 17 games prior to Saturday's game where the power forward was ruled out with a left calf contusion.
He played a key role during LeBron James' recent five-game absence with a groin injury, averaging 26.3 points and 12.8 rebounds this season.
"He was kicked at some point in the second half [on Friday] night and it's a little irritated, a little bruising," Ham told reporters pre-game. "So just trying to stay ahead of it and be a little cautious and take our time with it but he's out."
During James' five-game absence, Davis averaged 33.4 points on 64.4 per cent shooting, 17.6 rebounds and 2.6 blocks.
"Just it being a back-to-back, the load he was carrying, specifically with [James] out, it's just the smart and right thing to do," Ham said.
"We don't want to push him this early in the season. And when you're talking about different muscles and ligaments, it's something that can easily turn into a year-long issue. So just to avoid that, we don't want to put any additional strain on the area.
"The medical people decided it was the right thing to do and I totally agree."
England head coach Eddie Jones remains bullish about the side's future despite Saturday's poor 27-13 loss to South Africa rounding out their worst calendar year since 2008.
The loss at Twickenham means the 2019 World Cup runners-up lost six of 12 Tests in 2022, managing only one win from four games during their autumn campaign.
Jones' side finished with a 2-3 record in the Six Nations at the start of the year, while earlier this month they lost to Argentina for the first time since 2009.
England were barely at the races on Saturday, with tries to Kurt-Lee Arendse and Eben Etzebeth lifting the Springboks to a 27-6 lead before Henry Slade's late consolation score with Thomas du Toit red carded for a no arms tackle.
"We want to win," Jones told reporters. “We are judged by results but I feel there is growth in the team which wasn't evident today.
"We don't want to get beat by a big score to South Africa and don't want to have the worst record since 2008 so it is a problem but I accept full responsibility for that.
"Obviously on results we are not happy but I feel like we are building a really good base to have a really good go at the World Cup, a really good go.
"A number of young players got great experience today and they'll come back better players for that. We’ve got other players coming back to form, some of our more senior players and we're not far away. We need to develop consistently. Test match rugby is all about consistency."
Jones said that "nothing seemed to go right" against the Springboks, who beat England in the 2019 World Cup final.
The loss comes after England thrashed Japan 52-13 a fortnight ago, a win followed by last week's thrilling 25-25 draw with New Zealand at Twickenham where the side crossed three times in the final eight minutes.
"I think it is a bit of a watershed game for us and we came into the game with high expectations on how we wanted to play on the back of Japan and New Zealand," Jones said.
"In this game South Africa were a bit too tough in the scrum and the air and I know where we have to improve.
"Are we moving in the right direction towards the World Cup? Yes we are. I don't care what other people think. Obviously, we are disappointed with our performance but there are 11 months to the World Cup and I have no doubt we will rise to the occasion.
"We just didn't fire a shot as we wanted today. You have to win contests against the Springboks and we didn't win the air or the set piece. We lost two of the key contests and we have to improve in those areas."
Felix Auger-Aliassime is eager to cap a "special year" by leading Canada to Davis Cup glory on Sunday after playing a pivotal role in the semi-final win over Italy.
Standing in the way of Canada, who were runners-up in 2019 but have never won the event, are 28-time champions Australia after Lleyton Hewitt's team beat Croatia on Friday.
The Australians have had a day to recover from their efforts, while Canada's success came on Saturday and they must look to carry momentum into the title match in Malaga.
Lorenzo Sonego gave Italy a 1-0 lead over Canada by beating Denis Shapovalov 7-6 (7-4) 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 in an opening clash that lasted three hours and 14 minutes.
That piled pressure on Auger-Aliassime in the next rubber, as he took on Lorenzo Musetti, but it did not show as he powered to a 6-3 6-4 victory to tie the overall match and set up a decisive doubles contest.
Canada captain Frank Dancevic chose Auger-Aliassime over Shapovalov to partner Vasek Pospisil against Matteo Berrettini and Fabio Fognini, and the decision paid off as they earned a 7-6 (7-2) 7-5 win.
It has been a super 2022 already for Auger-Aliassime, who has won his first four singles titles on the ATP Tour and climbed to number six in the rankings, and the year could be crowned from his perspective with the most prized team trophy in men's tennis.
"It's been a special journey, special year," said Auger-Aliassime. "I think this is the most complete team that we have had in the history of Canadian tennis. I feel we deserve to be in that position now.
"I have said it many times throughout the years, this is one of the goals I think for all the guys to go far and to win it all.
"I'm really proud of everybody's effort. It's been a great journey. It's the last day tomorrow of Davis Cup for this year, so we're ready to give it all."
South Africa cruised to a first away win over England since 2014 as the Springboks prevailed 27-13 at Twickenham despite being reduced to 14 men.
Meeting for the second time since the Boks beat England in the 2019 World Cup final, South Africa dictated the contest after falling behind early to Owen Farrell's penalty.
With director of rugby Rassie Erasmus absent due to his two-game ban for social media posts about alleged refereeing inconsistencies in the Springboks' 30-26 loss to France in Marseille, South Africa produced a convincing performance that backed up their status as favourites.
Faf de Klerk kicked six points in the first half, his two penalties sandwiched by a Damian Willemse drop goal and a sensational solo try from Kurt-Lee Arendse that saw him score for the sixth successive Test.
The visitors led 14-3 at half-time and, after Willemse and Farrell traded penalties, their command was furthered after England's Tom Curry was sin-binned.
Eben Etzebeth dotted down and De Klerk converted before knocking over another three-pointer, but South Africa's momentum was checked when Thomas du Toit was sent off for a no arms tackle on Luke Cowan-Dickie.
Henry Slade took advantage to score England's sole try, but that was scant consolation at the end of a game that suggested the gap between the two 2019 finalists has widened.
The Tennessee Titans will hope to gain a measure of revenge for their playoff defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals last season when they face off in a rematch of last season's AFC Divisional Round clash.
Tennessee earned the number one seed in the AFC last season but the Titans saw their season ended by the Bengals despite Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow suffering nine sacks behind a porous offensive line.
Burrow went on to lead the Bengals to the brink of a Super Bowl victory before the Los Angeles Rams' late turnaround saw them secure the Lombardi Trophy.
As the Bengals go on the road to renew acquaintances with the Titans, Burrow is on a hot streak once again, with Cincinnati's offense performing at its highest level of the 2022 campaign.
Indeed, the Bengals have scored 37 and 42 points in their last two games. The 79 points are their most over a two-game span since Weeks 12 and 13 in 2005.
The Bengals have won five of their last six games to improve to 6-4, with Cincinnati's offense averaging 397.2 net yards per game, the fourth-most in the NFL, in that span.
That run, which has kept the Bengals firmly in the mix for a second successive AFC North crown, has seen Burrow throw for 13 touchdowns, tied with the man he outduelled in last season's AFC Championship Game, Patrick Mahomes, for the most in the NFL since Week 6.
Burrow will also be buoyed by the performance of his much-maligned offensive line, which has allowed a pressure rate of 33 per cent this season, the fifth-best in the NFL.
Some of the Bengals' success in that regard is tied to the speed with which Burrow delivers the ball. His average time from snap to release is 2.49 seconds, the seventh-quickest among quarterbacks with at least 100 pass attempts this season.
He will likely need to maintain that speed against a Titans defense that is ranked eighth in pass rush win rate, and Burrow may not have much opportunity to lean on the run game to take some of the burden off his shoulders.
The Titans have held opponents to 2.80 yards per rush since Week 4, the best average in the NFL. Tennessee's 387 yards rushing allowed over those seven games is the lowest total by any NFL team over a seven-game span in a season since the 2014 Detroit Lions.
With Bengals running back Joe Mixon out with a concussion, the Titans will be expected to shut down the Cincinnati run game with little difficulty.
Should they do so, it will turn this matchup into a repeat of the battle between Burrow and a continually underrated Titans defensive front. As the NFL world witnessed in January, that contest can be extremely engrossing.
Former Scotland rugby union international Doddie Weir has died at the age of 52.
Weir was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in June 2017, and his death was confirmed by his family on Saturday.
He was capped 61 times for Scotland, making his debut against Argentina in November 1990.
Weir was also a part of the British and Irish Lions' successful tour of South Africa in 1997, while his final Scotland cap came in a Six Nations defeat to France in March 2000.
After announcing his MND diagnosis, Weir helped raise millions for charity via the My Name'5 Doddie foundation.
A statement published on Scotland Rugby's website on Saturday from Weir's wife Kathy read: "It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our beloved husband and father, Doddie.
"Doddie was an inspirational force of nature. His unending energy and drive, and his strength of character powered him through his rugby and business careers and, we believe, enabled him to fight the effects of MND for so many years.
"Doddie put the same energy and even more love and fun into our lives together. He was a true family man. Whether working together on the farm, on holiday, or celebrating occasions with wider family and friends, Doddie was always in the thick of it.
"We are lucky to have shared our lives with him and we cherish all those memories. His love and warmth, his support and advice, his quick wit, and his terrible jokes. It is difficult to put into words how much we will miss him.
"MND took so much from Doddie, but never his spirit and determination. He battled MND so bravely, and whilst his own battle may be over, his fight continues through his foundation, until a cure is found for all those with this devastating disease.
"Hamish, Angus, Ben [Weir's children] and I would like to thank everyone for your support and for respecting our privacy at this difficult time."
Wales squandered a 21-point second-half lead to lose 39-34 to Australia at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff in a defeat that will further increase the pressure on head coach Wayne Pivac.
Jac Morgan scored two tries to help put Wales in a commanding position after 52 minutes, but Lachlan Lonergan completed a stunning late comeback to snap Australia's three-match losing run and inflict a ninth loss in 12 Tests on Pivac's side.
Morgan added to his double against Georgia by dotting down inside 10 minutes against Australia, either side of two penalties for Ben Donaldson, before Taulupe Faletau powered through a couple of Australian tackles to slide into the corner for a try on his 100th Test.
Gareth Anscombe added to that tally with a couple of penalties as part of a 10-point haul in the first half, though Folau Fainga'a touched down prior to half-time to reduce Wales' lead to two points.
Jake Gordon and Tom Robertson was sin-binned either side of half-time and Australia were made to pay when Morgan found the chalk from a driving maul, and the hosts were further ahead when Rio Dyer found the corner after a well-worked move.
Mark Nawaqanitawase revived Australia's hopes by twice crossing over and Wales themselves lost their discipline as Justin Tipuric and Ryan Elias were yellow carded, with the referee also awarding a penalty try after the latter deliberately collapsed a driving maul.
Wales still had a two-point lead to protect with a minute remaining, but Lonergan walked in a dramatic last-gasp try following yet more good play from Nawaqanitawase, allowing Noah Lolesio to add the game-sealing extras.
For all the scrutiny on Tom Brady in what could be his final season in the NFL, the championship hopes of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers may hinge heavily on a running back playing in his first.
Brady and the Buccaneers looked to finally be finding their groove on offense prior to their Week 11 bye, finishing with 419 net yards of offense as they knocked off the Seattle Seahawks in Munich in Week 10 to improve to 5-5.
Though Brady delivered arguably his best performance of the season throwing the ball, a critical development for the Bucs at Allianz Arena was the emergence of rookie running back Rachaad White, who thrived as the lead runner for Tampa Bay after Leonard Fournette suffered a hip injury.
White had 22 carries for 105 yards against Seattle having previously not topped eight carries or 27 yards in any of his first nine games. He became the first rookie running back to rush for 100 yards for Tampa Bay since Mike James in Week 9, 2013.
With Fournette doubtful to face the Cleveland Browns in Week 12, White will likely get the lion's share of the work in the Tampa Bay backfield again. After a breakout performance in Germany, can he blossom into an offensive weapon who can help propel the Bucs to a deep playoff run?
His season-long average of 3.7 yards per carry is not a point in his favour, however, White has demonstrated an encouraging ability to create yardage for himself.
Indeed, White is averaging 2.17 yards after contact per attempt in his first season after being selected in the third round out of Arizona State, that tally above the league-wide average of 2.07 for backs with at least 50 carries this season.
He bounced off defenders consistently in the defeat of Seattle, in which he racked up 2.71 yards after contact per attempt in a performance that was punctuated by his brutal stiff arm on Seahawks safety Quandre Diggs.
Among backs who had at least 10 carries in Week 10, only five backs averaged more yards after contact.
White's value is not just limited to his efforts on the ground, however. He offers significant upside as a receiving threat out of the backfield, as his burn rate, which measures how often a receiver wins his matchup on a play where he is targeted, illustrates.
For running backs with at least 25 targets in the passing game this season, White's burn rate of 64 per cent is the third best in the NFL. Though his tally of 135 receiving yards may not be overly impressive, his success in creating separation when he is utilised as a pass-catcher suggests that number would inflate considerably with more playing time.
White has the skill set to be a dynamic runner for the Buccaneers and serve as an outlet for Brady in the passing game, giving the 45-year-old an easy button when his connection with the likes of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin sputters as it has often done in 2022.
Against the Browns, however, it is the former capacity where White will look to enjoy the most significant influence.
The Browns have allowed a run success rate of 42.6 per cent this season, the fourth-worst in the NFL behind the Kansas City Chiefs (42.9%), Los Angeles Chargers (42.7%) and Detroit Lions (42.7%).
In addition, Cleveland's run defense has given up six rushing touchdowns of at least 10 yards, tied with the lowly Houston Texans for the most in the league.
While Fournette was injured against the Seahawks, White appeared to offer the Tampa Bay running game much more explosiveness when he took the mantle as the Buccaneers' primary tailback, suggesting he could be a better safety net who can alleviate some of the pressure on the arm of Brady by producing as a runner and a receiver in critical moments down the stretch and in the postseason.
That hypothesis will be tested in what should be an extremely favourable matchup for White and the Bucs' ground attack. If White takes advantage of this latest opportunity, Fournette may find himself operating in a supplementary role when he returns from injury.
Max Verstappen suggests any drivers in Formula One not prepared for a record-breaking race calendar next season should consider quitting.
The Red Bull man, who claimed a second world drivers' championship crown this term, capped his imperious year with victory at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix earlier this month.
But the Dutchman will face a longer fight to defend his title once more next term, with F1 poised for a possible 24-race campaign, two more than in 2022.
That has raised concerns over the fatigue drivers may face across a mammoth season, but Verstappen suggests those who do not feel they are cut out for the long haul should step back.
"If you're not prepared, then it's better to stop already, right?" he told The Guardian. "I think we're all racers, and we love racing.
"I think we are all prepared for longer seasons. I hope it will be tight. It's always nice to have a fight until the end. But yeah, I'm prepared for more races and for a longer fight hopefully."
Having seen the battle for his maiden title in 2021 go down to the wire in controversial circumstances, Verstappen ultimately secured his second crown with four races to go, at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Acknowledging it was nice to have a change of pace, the Dutchman also affirmed his hopes for a closer contest next term.
"You can't have that drama every single year, for sure," he reflected on 2021. "It's not good for me, it's not healthy for anyone in the team, both teams.
"Of course it's nice to have a season like I had last year, but it's also nice to have a season like I have this year.
"It just would be very tough if you have that every single year. But that also doesn't really happen in F1, so it should be okay."
Kevin Durant feels privileged to see LeBron James' exploits up close as the four-time NBA champion chases Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time points record.
James finished with 21 points on his return from an adductor injury in the Los Angeles Lakers' win over the San Antonio Spurs on Friday, as he inches closer to Abdul-Jabbar's NBA record of 38,387 points.
The 18-time All-Star is the NBA's second-highest scorer with 37,332 points to his name, and Durant is excited by the prospect of seeing the 37-year-old make history.
"To be the number one in anything, there's eight billion people in the world, we just figured that out last week, so to be the number one of all time at scoring the basketball, I'm sure it's going to be a range of emotions for him," Durant said on Friday.
"But to be in an era where we see this live is pretty cool as well. You probably can't even describe the emotions and feelings him and his family and his friends are going to go through, but it's cool to see it up close."
Durant sits 18th on the list with 26,110 points, putting him within 1,000 of six other players, but the 34-year-old is not thinking about his standing among the greatest to play the game.
"I never really thought of it," he said. "I heard the talks, especially early on in my career when I was doing stuff the LeBrons, the Michael Jordans have done in the league, as far as scoring.
"I know how tough it is to consistently do this year in and year out, day in and day out. A lot of stuff is out of your control.
"But I just try to come in and be the best version of myself I can be, and whatever happens, happens."
Asked whether there was any particular player on the list he was aiming to beat, Durant added: "I never thought of it that way.
"It's always about just keep adding, keep building up good days every day. Being consistent in who I am as a player, and seeing what happens at the end of the road.
"I'm just grateful to get up and do something like this every day. Just keep adding to my skill and keep building my database for the game, I guess.
"That's what I look forward to every day. Whoever I pass and whatever records I break for myself, it is what it is. But I'm just trying to get up and be available, be the best I can every day."
Durant had a game-high 36 points as the Brooklyn Nets went down to a 128-117 loss against the Indiana Pacers.
The Los Angeles Clippers will be without franchise centerpieces Kawhi Leonard and Paul George for at least one more game after the duo were ruled out of Sunday's home fixture against the Indiana Pacers.
Leonard initially returned in October for his first action since tearing his ACL in the 2021 playoffs. It was short-lived, with his knee swelling up after two games, forcing him to miss another three weeks.
His latest stint saw him start three consecutive wins over the space of five days, but late in the fourth quarter of the third, against the Utah Jazz on Monday, he landed on an opponent's foot and rolled his ankle.
Meanwhile, George has missed three games since straining his hamstring against the San Antonio Spurs last Saturday – a game where he had 21 points in the first half before suffering the injury.
Making $42million each this season, the duo are the only players on the Clippers' roster making over $17m, and are relied on to lead their team on both ends of the floor.
Los Angeles have lost both of their past two games by double-digits, and will get no reprieve when the Pacers come to town. The visitors boast the fourth-best record (11-7) in the Eastern Conference after a surprising start to what was meant to be a rebuilding season, led by the league-leader in assists, Tyrese Haliburton.
It was only the ninth time in LeBron James' illustrious 1377-game career that he has committed nine turnovers in a game, but he was able to figure it out in "winning time" to defeat the San Antonio Spurs 105-94 on Friday.
James had missed the previous five games with an adductor injury, but returned to the line-up to help the Lakers collect their fourth win from their past five games.
He had six of his nine turnovers in the first half, and had only 13 points through three quarters, but he turned it on down the stretch to finish with 21 points (eight-of-17), eight rebounds, five assists, three steals and a block.
Speaking to the media after the win, James said he felt rusty in the early stages, but was pleased to deliver in his "favourite quarter".
"My rhythm, my timing was a little off on a few of my passes," he said.
"I had six [turnovers] in the first half, and cut it in half in the second half. I'll be a lot better, obviously, as the games go on I'll get my rhythm back.
"[But] the fourth quarter has always been my favourite quarter. That's winning time, that's closing time and to be out there and being able to execute and make plays in the fourth quarter, it's always a treat for me."
James was supported in style by Anthony Davis, who continued his red-hot form with another 25 points (10-of-13 shooting), 15 rebounds and three blocks.
It continues Davis' best statistical start to a season since arriving with the Lakers ahead of the 2019-20 season, averaging 27.7 points per game in November and a career-high 12.6 rebounds for the season.
"AD was the best player in the league over the last 4-5 games," James said. "Just his numbers and productivity on both sides of the floor.
"It's not just offensively, but defensively he's been super engaged, and tonight once again he was amazing."
Davis is the anchor of the Lakers' defense, which was their calling card during their run to the 2020 championship.
They were the third-ranked defense in the league that year, and the number one defense in the 2020-21 season, before plummeting to 21st this past campaign.
With the additions of athletic defenders Lonnie Walker IV and Troy Brown Jr, as well as Davis' return to form, the Lakers are back up to the sixth-best defense this season, and guard Dennis Schroder made it clear James is a big part of that.
"Defensively, [James] was amazing," Schroder said. "Switching, holding off players and not letting them get to the rim.
"If we got him and AD committing on the defensive end like that, then we're going to go a long way."
Davis echoed that sentiment that James' performance was a two-way clinic.
"His voice, leadership, his playmaking, scoring ability – I think it all came into effect tonight," he said.
"Especially down the stretch, pick-and-roll and calling plays and stuff. I think it was really good for us."
James and Davis being back in the line-up together should see the Lakers begin to work out their offense, which has been weighing the team down early and is the big reason they are 6-11.
Their offensive rating of 106.3 is the second-worst in the league, but if they can get that end of the floor to even league average, their defense has the potential to lead the Lakers to the playoffs.
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