Two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo was once again the best player on the floor to lead his Milwaukee Bucks to a 117-102 victory against the breakout Cleveland Cavaliers.
Both teams entered the contest as a top-three seed in the Eastern Conference, and despite a 29-point effort from offseason trade acquisition Donovan Mitchell, the Cavs had no answer for the Bucks' future Hall-of-Famer.
Antetokounmpo scored a game-high 38 points on 13-of-20 shooting, hitting 10 of his 14 free throws while adding nine rebounds, six assists and two blocks.
While usual running-mate Jrue Holiday was not at his sharpest, shooting four-of-13 for his nine points, it was veteran center Brook Lopez who turned out to be the Bucks' second star.
Lopez scored eight points without missing a field goal, hitting both of his three-point attempts, and he was a force defensively, blocking six shots for the second time this season, and it was the fifth time from his 17 games that he has blocked at least five shots.
His 2.6 blocks per game is a new career-high in his 15th season, and the second-best figure in the league, trailing only Myles Turner (2.8) of the Indiana Pacers.
Along with Antetokounmpo, the pair are anchoring the best defense in the league, conceding 105.9 points per 100 possessions – almost two points per 100 possessions better than any other team.
With the win, the Bucks are now 13-5 and 10-2 at home, while the Cavaliers fall to 12-7, and remain the third seed.
Lakers make it four wins from five
The return of LeBron James has helped the Los Angeles Lakers win their fourth game from their past five outings, defeating the San Antonio Spurs 105-94.
After missing five games with an adductor injury, James was more than a little rusty as he committed nine turnovers for only the ninth time in his 1377-game career. However, he still chipped in 21 points on eight-of-17 shooting with eight rebounds and five assists.
Enjoying his best statistical start to a season since arriving with the Lakers, Anthony Davis scored a game-high 25 points on 10-of-13 shooting, grabbing 15 rebounds to increase his career-high average to 12.6, and he blocked three shots.
Pacers keep on winning
The Indiana Pacers are meant to be in a rebuilding year, but after their 128-117 win against the Brooklyn Nets on Friday they now own the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference.
Myles Turner continued his career-best season with an efficient 23 points on nine-of-11 shooting, grabbing eight rebounds and blocking two shots, while pick-and-pop partner Tyrese Haliburton had 15 assists and four steals to go with his 21 points. Haliburton leads the league in assists at 10.9 per game, and is the only player averaging over 9.4.
Kevin Durant was not to blame for the Nets' loss, scoring a game-high 38 points (15-of-31) with eight rebounds and eight assists, while Ben Simmons scored 20 points on perfect eight-for-eight shooting.
Injury-plagued Charlotte Hornets wing Gordon Hayward is set for another extended stint on the sidelines after it was revealed on Friday he has a fracture in his left shoulder.
Hayward, 32, has only played more than 52 games in one of the past five seasons since his shocking broken leg in his first game as a member of the Boston Celtics back in 2017.
Averaging 16.3 points, 4.4 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game in his 11 games this season, Hayward allegedly suffered the injury in Sunday's loss to the Washington Wizards.
However, according to his wife Robyn Hayward, Gordon went on to play 29 minutes in Wednesday's win against the Philadelphia 76ers, scoring just seven points with four turnovers as he battled pain throughout.
In a comment on Instagram, she said: "He actually has a fractured scapula... that they had him play with last game.
Thursday's Thanksgiving showdown between the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants broke a 32-year-old record as the most-watched regular season game in NFL history.
According to Nielsen, the afternoon showcase on one of America's biggest holidays averaged 42million viewers, surpassing the December 3, 1990 Monday Night Football fixture between the Giants and the San Francisco 49ers.
The Cowboys ended up coming from behind at half-time to storm home for a 28-20 win, improving their record to 8-3 in the process.
Having not won a playoff game since 2018, the current Cowboys roster is arguably their best of the past decade, featuring franchise talents at quarterback with Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb at wide receiver and edge-rusher Micah Parsons, who is the favourite to win Defensive Player of the Year.
All-in-all, it was the most-watched slate of games ever on Thanksgiving, with the three contests averaging 33.5m viewers to break the 1993 Thanksgiving record of 32.9m, when there were only two games played.
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James returned on Friday after missing five games due to an adductor injury.
James, 37, is averaging 24.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game in his 20th season, although his efficiency is the lowest it has been since his rookie year.
Shooting a career-worst 23.9 per cent from long range, James' 45.7 per cent figure from the field would be his worst finish since 2004 if he is unable to right the ship.
The Lakers are struggling to start the season, entering Friday's contest against the San Antonio Spurs with a 5-11 record. They are also 0-6 away from home, which they are looking to change in San Antonio.
During James' absence, Anthony Davis has rediscovered some of his best form, including a stunning 37-point, 21-rebound, five-block, five-steal performance in a loss to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.
While the early returns have been poor, there are signs that this roster construction for the Lakers has a chance to figure things out.
After posting the 21st-ranked defense in the league last season, the Lakers now own the eighth-best defense, and are only being weighed down by their 29th-ranked offense.
James returning with a red-hot Davis should begin to push the Lakers' offense to at least league-average, and when partnered with a top-10 defense and two go-to options, they will feel they still have everything to play for.
The Arizona Cardinals are desperate for a spark, and it appears they will get one Sunday with the return of two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Kyler Murray.
Murray has missed the past two games with a hamstring injury he originally suffered in Week 8 against the Minnesota Vikings. He reaggravated it the following week against the Seattle Seahawks before sitting the past two weeks.
Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury said Murray will be back under center Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers.
"Looks good. Yeah, looks that way," Kingsbury said. "He’s had a good week. He got some full-speed reps today, looked sharp. We’re excited."
The Cardinals have a bye next week and could have held Murray out Sunday to give him more time to heal, but Kingsbury said his quarterback is tired of waiting and knows his 4-7 team can’t afford many more losses.
"We talked about it," he said. "But obviously, he was anxious to get back and he feels great. I mean he feels 100 percent. If there was anything less than that we would have maybe waited, but he feels full go, so we’re going to get him out there."
Arizona split two games with Colt McCoy as the starter in Murray’s place but is coming off an ugly 38-10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Mexico City on Monday night.
Lleyton Hewitt hailed a mighty Australian effort as his team reached the Davis Cup final with a stunning win against Croatia in Malaga.
Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson beat the Olympic champion pair of Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic in the deciding doubles to earn a 2-1 team victory and set up a showdown on Sunday against Canada or Italy.
Borna Coric got the better of Thanasi Kokkinakis in the first rubber on Friday, earning a 6-4 6-3 victory to put Croatia in the driving seat.
After a shock title success at the Cincinnati Masters in August, Coric was looking to end his year on another huge career high.
However, Marin Cilic could not seal the deal for Croatia as he slumped 6-2 6-2 to Alex de Minaur in the surprisingly one-sided tussle that followed.
De Minaur broke the Cilic serve four times and held his own throughout, typically with plenty of comfort, as he took down the 2014 US Open champion.
That meant the contest came down to the doubles, and Purcell and Thompson held their nerve in a gargantuan battle with Mektic and Pavic, coming from behind to score a 6-7 (3-7) 7-5 6-4 victory.
"I couldn't be prouder of the whole team," team captain Hewitt said, quoted on Tennis Australia's website.
"We knew we were the underdogs coming into this today and we like being in that position. It's a place I really enjoyed as a player and also as a captain."
Hewitt was a star of the team when Australia last won the Davis Cup or even made the final, all the way back in 2003. That was the country's 28th triumph in the competition, and now they have a chance to go after number 29.
"To put us in the final, that feeling, I can't describe it," said Thompson.
Canada face Italy on Saturday in the second semi-final.
Buffalo Bills edge rusher Von Miller did not suffer a torn ACL during Thursday’s win over the Detroit Lions but is still having his knee evaluated by doctors, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Friday.
Miller, an eight-time Pro Bowl selection, is out indefinitely after being carted off the field during Buffalo’s 28-25 Thanksgiving Day win in Detroit.
The 32-year-old is expected to miss the Bills' December 1 game against the New England Patriots at the very least, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, but the team is still awaiting an official prognosis.
The injury was initially called a knee sprain, indicating some level of tendon or ligament damage.
Playing in his first season with the Bills, Miller has totalled eight sacks in 11 games after he helped the Los Angeles Rams win the Super Bowl last season.
Miller is the NFL's active leader with 123.5 career sacks, placing him 19th on the league's all-time list of sack leaders.
England have "more clarity" than they did a year ago on who they are as a team under Eddie Jones, says winger Jonny May ahead of their clash with South Africa.
The hosts welcome the Springboks to face them at Twickenham in a rematch of the 2019 Rugby World Cup final, less than a year out from the 2023 tournament in France.
It has been a hit-and-miss November international break for Jones' men so far, with a win, a loss and a draw to their name, the latter in a thrilling 25-25 encounter with New Zealand.
But May believes they are starting to take shape ahead of next year's campaign, as England look to win a first World Cup for two decades across the channel.
"I think we have got more clarity in what we are trying to be and what we are, from this time last year," he told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"We are trying to be an adaptable team, a smart team, a team that still has all the traditional aspects of English rugby, but can play in slightly different ways.
"There are so many variables. You need to be a team that understands the story and the theme of a game and can adapt to weather, referees, injuries, television match officials and then take your chances in the game.
"That is what we are trying to achieve, and it is difficult. We talk about the top eight in the world being very close together, and I think the team that can break out of that pack will be an all-round package."
Having rallied late on to earn their draw with New Zealand, hooker Jamie George is hopeful England can channel the Twickenham energy they closed the game out with into a successful result against South Africa.
"The atmosphere at the end of that game was unbelievable, some of the best atmosphere I have played rugby in," he added to the BBC's Rugby Union Weekly. "We on the field need to give people things to shout about.
"We want to be able to do that for 80 minutes against South Africa and get Twickenham bouncing again."
Hunter Henry felt the officials made a mistake by not awarding him a touchdown in the New England Patriots' Thanksgiving Day defeat to the Minnesota Vikings.
Henry was initially awarded a touchdown after taking a pass from Mac Jones midway through the third quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium on Thursday.
That appeared to have given the Patriots a 30-23 lead, but the call was overturned as the pass was deemed to be incomplete following a lengthy review.
The Vikings went on to win 33-26, so the decision to rule out Henry's touchdown proved to be a huge call.
The tight end was adamant that he had control of the ball under pressure from Vikings defensive back Chandon Sullivan.
He said: "I believe I caught it. He said it hit the ground. But I believe my hand was under the ball.
"The hand was under the ball, with hitting the ground, that's what kind of caused it to jump up. They made the call. Just got to live with it."
Quarterback Jones said the Patriots cannot use that contentious call as an excuse for their loss.
"We have to move on from that [overturned] play and play the rest of the game. There was plenty of time left," he said.
"There were other times we could have punched it in and that wouldn't have been an issue. One call can't determine the outcome. We have to be able to do better, so it's not even close."
Patriots coach Bill Belichick urged reporters to ask the officials why they overturned the decision.
"Why don't you guys go to them with your pool reporter and ask them about the play? Isn't that what you do?" he said.
Bryan Habana has defended Eddie Jones' record as England head coach, suggesting he could finally break his World Cup duck at next year's 2023 tournament.
The Australian will see his side conclude the November international break against South Africa this weekend in a replay of the 2019 Rugby World Cup final.
Jones has come under fire for his side's recent performances, with a shock loss to Argentina and a draw with New Zealand both on his record in recent weeks.
But Habana, who won the 2007 Rugby World Cup with Jones as a member of the Springboks' backroom teams, believes he can still guide England to the ultimate prize.
"I was very fortunate that I got to work with Eddie in 2007," he told StatsPerform. "[He] brought in a very different way of thinking. The difference he made with England was absolutely phenomenal.
"Every coach will be criticised and scrutinised by results. I think for many of the English fans, the scrutiny and the criticism has come around England not performing to the maximum.
"Eddie is an astute coach. He'll be able to take responsibility for where this England team currently is.
"But I also know, despite being under fire, despite being under the microscope, he has the ability to see this England side go one step further and actually win a World Cup in 2023."
Jones is not the only coach whose side have struggled across November, with reigning world champions South Africa also finding positive results hard to come by.
But Habana is proud of how the Springboks have performed across a year of ups and downs, and feels they are heading in the right direction for a successful World Cup campaign.
"It's been a pretty topsy-turvy year," he added. "They'll know they have a lot at stake going into 2023. But, we're proud of what the team has achieved so far.
"A year out from the World Cup, the right steps are being taken. The Springbok team is definitely building something special."
Bryan Habana is an ambassador for the Laureus Challenge 2022, presented by Sierra Space
With 11 weeks down in the NFL, Week 12 presents a number of crucial matchups for sides pushing to secure their spot in the playoffs.
The Philadelphia Eagles (9-1) and Minnesota Vikings (8-2) look set to slug it out for number one spot in the NFC but the picture is far tighter in the AFC, where the 8-2 Kansas City Chiefs lead the way ahead of four sides with a 7-3 record.
Week 12's action includes a number of sides looking to boost their chances of featuring in the postseason, with the Tennessee Titans, New York Jets, Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs all having home field advantage.
Stats Perform has taken a look at some of the more interesting numbers ahead of these and other big games on Sunday.
Cincinnati Bengals (6-4) @ Tennessee Titans (7-3)
The Bengals head to Tennessee having scored 37 and 42 points in their last two games, with a total of 79 standing as their most over a two-game span since 2005, and Joe Burrow will be looking to make an impact against an opponent he went touchdown-less against last time out.
In the playoff win against the Titans last season their franchise quarterback did not throw a touchdown pass, with that still the only game which the Bengals have won without Burrow throwing a TD when he has started.
The Titans only really got going in Week 3 this season, boasting a 7-1 record since. That stands as the joint-best across the NFL, tied with Minnesota and Philadelphia – the top two in the NFC, as it stands.
Since Week 4, the Titans have held their opponents to an average of 2.8 yards per rush, the best in the NFL, while the 387 yards rushing allowed in those seven games is the lowest tally by any NFL side in such a span since the 2014 Detroit Lions.
Chicago Bears (3-8) @ New York Jets (6-4)
The Bears have won five straight in matchups against the Jets but travel to New York on the back of a three-game losing streak, each of which has been decided by three or fewer points – the first time in franchise history they have experienced such a run.
Chicago will come up against Mike White as the starting QB for the Jets, who have benched Zach Wilson after last week's horror show against the New England Patriots, where they scored just three points despite not turning the ball over in the game.
White last started in Week 10 of last season, while his four games in 2021 saw him throw an interception on 6.1 per cent of his passes, the highest mark of quarterbacks across the NFL last season with at least 100 passing attempts.
Sunday's matchup will see two vastly different teams on the ground, with the Bears rushing for 54 first downs since Week 8, 15 more than the next-closest team over that span, while the Jets have rushed for just 13 first downs in the same period – the lowest total across the NFL.
Las Vegas Raiders (3-7) @ Seattle Seahawks (6-4)
The Raiders head to Seattle having lost their last five road games against the Seahawks, tied for their longest active losing streak on the road against a single opponent – also losing five straight at Green Bay.
Las Vegas have had no more than one takeaway and no more than one giveaway in nine straight games, the longest streak by any NFL side in the Super Bowl era, but come up against a formidable force in rookie Tariq Woolen.
Woolen has five of the Seahawks' seven interceptions in this season (71.4 per cent) and is on course to shatter the NFL rookie record for the highest percentage of a team's interceptions, which is currently held by Washington's Dan Sandifer, who had 13 of 24 in 1948 (54.2 per cent).
Quarterback Geno Smith has completed at least 64 per cent of his passes in all 10 games so far this season, tying him with Steve Young (1992), Drew Brees (2011) and Kyler Murray (2021) for the longest streak to start an NFL season.
Los Angeles Rams (3-7) @ Kansas City Chiefs (8-2)
The Rams head to Kansas City on the back of a four-game losing streak, tied with the 1999 Broncos and 2002 Patriots for the third-longest losing streak by a defending Super Bowl champion – behind only the 1987 Giants and 2009 Steelers (five straight losses).
In the past eight games, the Rams have just a single takeaway, which stands as the lowest by any side over an eight-game span in the Super Bowl era.
The Chiefs have a devastating record against the Rams, having scored 246 points (41 per game) over their last six games against Los Angeles, the second most by any NFL team over a six-game span against an opponent since the 1970 merger.
Having fought back from behind to beat the Chargers last time out, the Chiefs have now won six in a row when trailing at halftime, dating back to last season, the longest streak by any NFL team (regular and postseason) since the 49ers won seven such games in a row from 1989-90.
Elsewhere…
All 10 of the Denver Broncos' games this season have been decided by single digits. If that happens again against the Carolina Panthers, they will tie the second-longest such streak to begin any NFL season, trailing only the 2015 Ravens (12 games).
Green Bay head to Philadelphia having won six of their last eight matchups against the Eagles. They had won just five of their previous 17 prior to that.
The 49ers host the Saints having recorded at least one sack in 37 straight games, the longest active streak in the NFL and the longest streak for San Francisco in the Super Bowl era.
The Falcons travel to Washington with six wins in their last seven against the Commanders. Atlanta have scored at least 24 points in nine straight games against Washington – the franchise's longest streak against any opponent in team history.
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell says people forget Justin Jefferson is only in his third NFL season after his starring display in Thursday's 33-26 win over the New England Patriots.
Wide receiver Jefferson played a key role for the Vikings as they improved their record to 9-2, scoring a first-quarter touchdown among his nine receptions for 139 yards.
With six games left in the regular season, the 23-year-old also surpassed Randy Moss' NFL record for the most receiving yards of any player through their first three seasons in a career.
Two-time Pro Bowler Jefferson is second in the NFL for receiving yards this season (1093), behind only Tyreek Hill (1148).
"People forget sometimes it's still only year three," O'Connell told reporters. "He's learning so much each and every week but the talent and the competitive drive that he has just makes him a very special player."
Jefferson played a key part in Adam Thielen's game-winning touchdown with a double-team contested catch for a 36-yard gain. Thielen scored on the next play from a Kirk Cousins' pass, with Jefferson double teamed.
"He was double teamed a lot tonight," O'Connell said. "Had some success against double team looks. When he got single coverage Kirk found him a few times, got a great double move there to set up Adam's go-head touchdown.
"He's a special player. He means a whole heck of a lot to our offense, to our team, it was a big night for Justin. Quite frankly, I'm just so proud of the way he battles, the grit, the determination, and the preparation that he's put into this."
Cousins also earned praise from O'Connell, with the win coming after a blowout 40-3 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday where the QB completed only 12-of-23 passes for 105 yards.
"Kirk Cousins was phenomenal tonight, getting us in and out of the plays he did, standing back there and making some big, big throws," O'Connell said.
"I can't say enough about the protection as well. It's not easy against that defensive structure, so I give our guys credit."
Odell Beckham Jr's move to the Dallas Cowboys is a step closer with team owner Jerry Jones admitting he held a "good meeting" with the free agent on Thursday.
The 30-year-old wide receiver has been heavily linked with the Cowboys along with the New York Giants.
Jones said after Thursday's 28-20 win over the Giants that he had spoken to Beckham, albeit by phone rather than an in-person visit.
"We had a good visit today, that's it," Jones told reporters. "I don't have a timeframe there."
Beckham has not played since last season's Super Bowl triumph with the Los Angeles Rams, where he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Jones conceded it was unclear if Beckham would be available to play this season, with the Cowboys' latest win improving their record to 8-3.
"We'll see. We'll have to see," Jones said. "I haven't gotten the benefit of his rehab work and where he is."
The Cowboys have not won the Super Bowl since winning three in four years from 1992 to 1995, when they traded for Charles Haley and Deoin Sanders during that era.
"I don't want to make comparisons but Odell could help us," Jones said. "I believe that right now. Now, we've got to make it fit and that's the challenge here."
Dak Prescott believes the Dallas Cowboys have a championship-level defense after another lockdown performance in the second half of their 28-20 Thanksgiving win against the New York Giants.
Prescott was solid, completing 21-of-30 passes for two touchdowns and two interceptions, with both of his scores coming in the third quarter to tight end Dalton Schultz.
His touchdown passes on back-to-back drives quickly turned a 13-7 half-time deficit into a 21-13 lead by the end of the third quarter, and the Cowboys did not concede a point in the second half until a consolation touchdown in the final 10 seconds.
Their defense was led by last year's Defensive Rookie of the Year and current Defensive Player of the Year favourite, Micah Parsons, who sacked Giants quarterback Daniel Jones twice to take his season tally to 12 – the second most in the league.
It comes one week after the Cowboys' defense manhandled the Minnesota Vikings en route to a 40-3 demolition, and Prescott said that defensive group gives them a chance to be great.
"I'm as confident as I can be," he told reporters after the Giants win. "I always have been with this team.
"It doesn't matter what [outsiders] say about what they believe in, I know what this team is capable of – especially with this defense we have.
"We've just got to continue to keep our heads down, take it one day at a time, and one game at a time. We control everything that's in front of us."
Despite the final result, it was a choppy first half for the Cowboys' offense, but star receiver CeeDee Lamb said that is never going to result in a dip in confidence.
"We've been preaching resilience," Lamb said. "That's our motto this year. Everything about this season has been revealing itself. Just understanding that we're always coming to battle, ready for whatever and we've got each other's back.
"[Prescott and I] are still building. I understand how late it is in the season, but we didn't have the first half [of the season, when Prescott was out injured].
"We still had a couple mishaps, but we came out victorious and had a couple completions in the clutch."
At 8-3, the Cowboys are almost assured of a spot in the postseason, where they will have a chance to win their first playoff game since 2018.
Justin Jefferson made NFL history as the NFC North-leading Minnesota Vikings claimed a hard-fought 33-26 bounce-back win over the New England Patriots on Thursday.
The Vikings wide receiver, who scored one touchdown from nine receptions for 139 yards along with throwing a first-quarter 11-yard pass, surpassed Randy Moss for most receiving yards through any player's first three seasons in NFL history.
In a thrilling Thanksgiving game full of lead changes at US Bank Stadium, Minnesota scored the final 10 points to improve to 9-2, with Jefferson's contested catch for a 36-yard gain leading to Adam Thielen's game-winning TD from Kirk Cousins' 15-yard pass with 9:34 remaining.
Mac Jones was sacked by Ross Blacklock on a final-minute drive, before the clock elapsed with no timeouts remaining despite regaining 40 yards on passes for Kendrick Bourne and Jakobi Meyers.
Kirk Cousins threw three touchdowns with one interception for 299 yards on 30-of-37 passing for the game, while Kene Nwangwu provided a major highlight with his third-career kick return for a TD to tie the game at 23-23 in the third quarter.
Jones threw a career-high 382 yards, completing 28-of-39 attempts for two touchdowns, linking up with wide receivers Nelson Agholor and Hunter Henry.
Henry thought he had a second TD late in the third quarter, but the Jones' pass was ruled incomplete with the catch not controlled on landing, meaning the Pats had to settle for a field goal and a 26-23 lead, before the Vikings final-quarter rally.
Vikings receivers Jefferson, Thielen and T.J. Hockenson all scored TDs as they responded to Sunday's 40-3 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Hockenson has the most catches by a tight end (26) in their first four games for a team in NFL history, having joined the Vikings from the Detroit Lions earlier this month.
Two-time Super Bowl champion Von Miller is expected to undergo an MRI after exiting Thursday's 28-25 Buffalo Bills win over the Detroit Lions with a knee injury.
Miller appeared to bend his knee awkwardly after he had his foot stepped on as he tried to get to Lions quarterback Jared Goff.
The Pro Bowl outside linebacker was able to limp off but spent time in the medical tent before being carted to the locker room.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott was unclear about the extent of Miller's knee issue, which forced him out of the game with less than three minutes left in the first half.
"I don't know," McDermott told reporters when asked about Miller's status. "I only connected with [head athletic trainer] Nate [Breske] at half-time, so I don't have anything to give you on that."
Miller was spotted leaving the X-ray room at Ford Field but was not wearing a moon boot nor using crutches.
The 33-year-old, who joined the Bills in the offseason from the Los Angeles Rams, has a team-high eight sacks this season. He entered Week 12 ranked second in the NFL with 37 pressures.
The Buffalo Bills took a number of punches in their 28-25 Thanksgiving win against the Detroit Lions on Thursday, but continued to get off the canvas to tough out a gutsy win.
Despite coming out on the losing side, the Lions took the lead in the first quarter, re-took the lead in the fourth quarter, and after the Bills were able to pull back in front, they clawed their way down the field to tie it with 23 seconds remaining.
But every time the Lions thought they had the visiting Bills on the ropes, Josh Allen and company were always able to find the answer, using those final 23 seconds to make their way into field goal range and escape with the win in regulation.
Coming into the game without two key starters on defense with linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and pass-rusher Greg Rousseau out hurt, their injury list received another unfortunate edition in the second quarter when future Hall-of-Famer Von Miller was carted off with a knee sprain.
Touching on how the Bills continued to push through all the adversity they faced, top wide receiver Stefon Diggs said it comes from everybody's belief in the next-man-up to get the job done.
"That next-man mindset is real," he said. "I hate to preach it, sound like a broken record, but guys came in and played at a high level.
"We just preach it to everybody to do the job. You don't need to do more than your job and you do your one 11th, we'll find a way.
"I tried to tell the guys everything in the past is the past. We didn't get off to the best start, but you keep rolling with the punches.
"Things aren't gonna be perfect; I'm riding with my guy [Allen]. We just had to try to get on the same page, every week is different… things didn't happen perfectly, but we figured it out."
Allen echoed that sentiment, and highlighted the mental fortitude of kicker Tyler Bass to come out and nail the game-winner shortly after missing an extra-point.
"Guys are resilient, the ups and downs of an NFL game, that's a good team playing very well, playing good football right now," he said.
"But again, guys just continuing to grind, guys going down and stepping up finding a way. I'm proud of our guys for doing that.
"I don't think you understand how big it is for a guy to do that in this league, for [Bass] just to feel that rollercoaster of emotions, to go step up for our team and nail it."
Head coach Sean McDermott also made sure to praise his kicker, saying he knew he could trust him despite the previous miss.
"You're going to have some [misses]," he said. "But to be able to let a player reset after making a mistake and come out, that's how you earn trust when you do that, right?
"When you can give a player that second chance right there. I didn't have to mess with him. I knew he's so mentally tough, and he showed it again today."
The Bills are now 8-3 and atop the AFC East, with a Thursday fixture on the road against the New England Patriots up next.
The Dallas Cowboys' defense woke up at half-time and took over the game against the New York Giants, carrying their side to a 28-20 victory on Thanksgiving.
Playing on the road, it was the Giants who led early, with two field goals and a Saquon Barkley goal-line touchdown giving the visitors a 13-7 lead at the long break.
What was a competitive contest in the first half turned into one-way traffic in the third quarter, with Cowboys tight end Dalton Schultz punctuating back-to-back drives with touchdown catches to jump ahead 21-13 heading into the fourth.
The last quarter was more of the same, adding another touchdown with a hand-off to backup tight end Peyton Hendershot from the two-yard line to complete the rout.
New York only had four possessions after half-time, resulting in a punt and two turnovers-on-downs, before a consolation touchdown in the final seconds with the game well-and-truly decided, as the Cowboys showed why many are picking them as the best defensive team in the NFL.
Defensive Player of the Year favourite Micah Parsons collected two of the Cowboys' three sacks on Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, taking his tally for the season to 12, trailing only Matthew Judon of the New England Patriots (13).
The Cowboys' two-pronged rushing attack also delivered, with Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard combining for 152 yards and a touchdown from 34 carries, while CeeDee Lamb led all receivers with six catches for 106 yards. Dak Prescott threw two touchdown passes with two interceptions on 21-of-30 passing for 261 yards.
The result breaks the tie between the two sides in the NFC East, with the Cowboys now owning sole possession of second place in the NFC East at 8-3, while the Giants slipped to 7-4.
Canada will play Italy in the Davis Cup semi-finals after coming from behind to defeat Germany 2-1 in Malaga.
Initially a wildcard for the finals as the highest-ranked losing nation in the qualifiers, the 2019 runners-up are through to the last four for the second time in three years - and fourth time overall.
Felix Auger-Aliassime overcame Oscar Otte in straight sets - condemning him to a fourth straight singles defeat - to set up a doubles decider and cancel out Denis Shapovalov's earlier loss to Jan-Lennard Struff.
Shapovalov and Vasek Pospisil appeared in trouble when they lost the opening set 6-2 against Tim Puetz and Kevin Krawietz, who had won all eight Davis Cup matches when paired together.
But the Canadian duo, who hit a combined 11 aces during the contest, rallied to force a deciding set, which they took 6-3 to inflict a first defeat on their opponents.
Earlier in the day, Italy also came through a deciding doubles match to beat the USA and secure their first semi-final appearance since 2014.
Despite missing the injured Jannik Sinner and Matteo Berrettini, the Italians were appearing in their first quarter-final for six years, and they made a strong start with Lorenzo Sonego hitting 17 aces on the way to defeating Frances Tiafoe 6-3 7-6 (8-6).
Targeting only their fourth semi-final since 2007, 32-time winners USA rallied with Taylor Fritz overcoming Lorenzo Musetti in straight sets to force the first deciding double match of the finals.
There, just one break per set was enough for Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini to beat Tommy Paul and Jack Sock 6-3 6-3, and send the 1976 champions through.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
