Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer is hopeful of getting key players Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton back soon after the NBA champions slumped to their third successive defeat.
The Bucks went down 107-95 to the Utah Jazz on Sunday, with two-time All-Star Middleton absent due to illness, which Budenholzer clarified after the game was not COVID-related.
The loss condemned Milwaukee to yet another loss, leaving the Bucks 3-4 in their title defence as they struggle without All-Star Holiday (ankle), Brook Lopez (back) and Rodney Hood (hand).
Milwaukee – who had averaged 91.5 points on Halloween since the 2000-01 season, second lowest in the NBA heading into the matchup – were again forced to come from behind against the Jazz, trailing by 17 points at the final change, with a late rally not enough.
"The group kept fighting tonight," Budenholzer said in a news conference. "The fight was good. We couldn't quite get there but the guys were working."
Giannis Antetokounmpo top-scored with 25 points, along with seven rebounds and six assists, but he lacked support with Holiday, Lopez and Middleton out.
Holiday has not played since injuring his ankle in the Bucks' opening night win against Eastern Conference rivals the Brooklyn Nets.
"Jrue, I think we'll see how he feels in the morning," Budenholzer said. "He actually got some basketball work in today and I think he's trending in a good direction."
On Lopez, he added: "There's not a new update and there never really has been a timeline. But he's doing good stuff in the weight room, doing good stuff to get better and he'll continue that."
Budenholzer also clarified the status of shooting guard Hood, who previously had a foot injury before undergoing scans on his hand.
"The X-rays the other day were inconclusive," Budenholzer said. "On examination we decided he couldn't play. We'll get another X-ray and look at it tomorrow and hope for the best."
The Bucks return to action on Tuesday against the lowly Detroit Pistons who are 1-5.
Novak Djokovic is unwilling to commit to January's Australian Open as the defending champion awaits confirmation on travel and entry requirements amid Victoria's vaccine mandate.
The state of Victoria, where the year's opening grand slam takes place at Melbourne Park, has introduced a vaccine mandate for professional athletes and across most industries due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The 2021 Australian Open went ahead, albeit in February instead of January, and without fans for most of the tournament following a snap lockdown of Melbourne due to COVID-19.
Last week, Australia prime minister Scott Morrison said unvaccinated players would be allowed to contest the slam if they completed two weeks in quarantine, though Victoria premier Dan Andrews dismissed those comments, insisting athletes would not be granted access unless they received the COVID-19 vaccine.
A record nine-time Australian Open champion, world number one Djokovic remains non-committal over his looming title defence.
"Well, I'm going to decide on whether I go to Australia or not after I see the official statement from Tennis Australia," Djokovic said as he prepares for the Paris Masters – his first tournament since losing to Daniil Medvedev in September's US Open final.
"Right now, we don't have any official announcement or statement. So until that's out, I won't be talking about this anymore, because I don't want to be part of the stories about the assumptions and what-ifs.
"When official condition requirements to travel to Australia and play in Australia are out, then obviously I'll see what I personally do with that, and also the bigger group of the players, you know, because the situation is obviously different in Australia than most parts of the world."
World number two Medvedev also refused to confirm his Australian Open participation.
"I always said it, that I really like Novak's answer about this. I want to keep my medical, no matter if it's about vaccine, leg injury, head injury... I want to keep my medical private for a reason," Medvedev said.
"I feel like tennis is such a brutal sport where you're always one on one against your opponent, and any information you give him can go against you.
"If you're playing Australia, it's obvious you're vaccinated. So that's why I said I'm willing to play Australia, but I won't say if you'll see me there, but we're going to see in January."
World number one Novak Djokovic said he will return to action at the Paris Masters blessed to be a more "humble" tennis player.
The Serbian makes his first appearance since his US Open final defeat to Daniil Medvedev at the ATP 1000 tournament in the French capital.
That defeat in New York cost Djokovic the chance to become only the third man to win a singles calendar slam by winning all four majors in the same year.
Djokovic also missed the opportunity to move top of the all-time Grand Slam tournament winners list and remains joint-top alongside Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal with 20 titles.
However, the 34-year-old – whose status for the 2021 Australian Open remains unknown – was phlegmatic when he reflected on his loss to Russian world number two Medvedev.
"In a most ideal scenario, I would have won all four of them," Djokovic told a media conference. "Knowing I was so close gives me great encouragement for the future, but it also makes me feel humble about my game, about my career.
"It gives me a kind of reality check where I have to go back to the practice court and really understand what needs to be done so that I could improve.
"This was not an ordinary loss considering the circumstances. I have learned over the years to deal with losses in such way that I treat them as great opportunities for growth.
"I feel that the US Open loss in the final has arrived arguably at the worst or at the best time for me, in a way.
"I'm disappointed that I lost the match, but I feel like I was blessed to experience love from the crowd and support from the stadium that I have never experienced before in my life in New York, and actually not in many places around the world.
"That kind of energy that I received from the crowd from the moment I stepped on the court until I stepped out is a win for life."
Djokovic, who has won four of the last eight Paris Masters tournaments, claimed the prospect of ending the year as the world number one ahead of Medvedev will motivate him.
Should he do so then Djokovic would leapfrog Pete Sampras for the most year-end number one finishes in history with seven.
He will face either Italian Fabio Fognini or Hungarian Marton Fucsovics having received a bye through the first round.
"The year-end number one is on the line between Medvedev and myself, and I'm in a pretty good position," added Djokovic, who has won 85 ATP tour titles.
"That's obviously the goal for the end of the season other than trying to do well in the Davis Cup with the national team. So hopefully I can have a strong finish of the season and clinch that year-end number one.
"I’m pleased to be back. I have been training really well the past couple of weeks. And I have had plenty of success in Paris over the years, so that gives me enough reason to believe that I can do well.
"The lack of match play could be dangerous, so I have to really make sure that I start off my first match very well with a good intensity and build my form."
Donna Vekic ended a personal trophy drought as she beat Clara Tauson in the WTA Courmayeur Open final in Italy on Sunday.
The 7-6 (7-3) 6-2 victory saw Croatian Vekic secure a third WTA Tour title of her career, and a first since 2017 when she triumphed at the Nottingham Open.
Tauson, who beat Jelena Ostapenko to win the Luxembourg Open in September, was unable to add to the two WTA titles she has won this year.
An unsteady start from both players saw service breaks in each of the first four games. Vekic finally held at the third attempt, before breaking Tauson again.
At 5-2 down in the first set, Tauson came alive, finally holding serve before breaking Vekic for a third time. The 18-year-old briefly showed the heart that had seen her save five match points in her semi-final victory over Liudmila Samsonova as she denied Vekic three set points.
The main issue for the 18-year-old Dane in the first set was her first serve, on which she only won 52 per cent of points, compared to Vekic's 79.2 per cent success rate.
Having forced a tie-break, Tauson gave herself a mountain to climb again as her opponent won the first six points. Despite a mini fightback from the teenager, Vekic was able to finally see the first set out.
The 25-year-old, who had not lost a set on her way to the final, broke again in the third game of the second set. Tauson had fought from a set down in both her quarter-final and semi-final, but she was unable to repeat the trick as Vekic eased to another straight-sets victory.
Marin Cilic won his 20th title on the ATP Tour by battling past Taylor Fritz in the final of the St Petersburg Open on Sunday.
A decade on from lifting the trophy for the first time, Cilic outlasted his American opponent 7-6 (7-3) 4-6 6-4 in a gruelling contest lasting two hours and 23 minutes.
It took the Croatian to four tournament wins on Russian soil, the 33-year-old having also twice won the crown in Moscow, while it also saw him join truly elite company in the men's game.
Only five other active male players have won 20 or more titles: Roger Federer (103), Rafael Nadal (88), Novak Djokovic (85), Andy Murray (46) and Juan Martin del Potro (22).
"Coming 10 years after winning in 2011 and also winning now, it's so, so special for me, especially this part of my career," said Cilic. "Having now a family, two sons, I want to absolutely dedicate this trophy to my newborn son."
Cilic had the chance to reach 20 titles last week in Moscow, only to lose in straight sets to home favourite Aslan Karatsev.
With 12 aces and 78 per cent of first-serve points won, the former world number three was aggressive in his efforts to make sure this was not another missed opportunity.
After taking the first set, Cilic twice led by a break in the second but allowed Fritz to level the contest and keep alive his hopes of a first title since Eastbourne two years ago.
Fritz went a break ahead in the decider but Cilic battled back to level at 4-4. A double fault from the world number 28 gave Cilic the chance to serve out the contest, and he duly obliged, converting his first match point with a volley.
Anett Kontaveit failed to read the script as she beat Simona Halep to win the Transylvania Open and qualify for the WTA Finals for the first time.
Kontaveit went into Sunday's final knowing victory over top seed Halep would earn her the last place in the season-ending tournament in Guadalajara.
The Estonian duly denied Ons Jabeur a WTA Finals spot, beating Romanian home favourite Halep 6-2 6-3 in Cluj.
Second seed Kontaveit has now come out on top in 10 consecutive matches, having won the Kremlin Cup last weekend, and this was her fourth title of a stellar season.
Halep had not dropped a set in her previous three meetings with Kontaveit, but the former world number one was soundly beaten to miss out on a fourth title on home soil – five years after her last in Bucharest.
The 25-year-old Kontaveit took her run to 26 victories in her last 28 matches, winning 70.6 per cent of points behind her first serve to Halep's 44.1 per cent.
Kontaveit broke three times in a one-sided first set and fought back from 2-0 down in the second to continue her brilliant run.
Halep has not won a title since September 2020, having been unfortunate with injuries this year.
Alexander Zverev captured his fifth title of the season at the Vienna Open after defeating Frances Tiafoe 7-5 6-4 in Sunday's final.
The Olympic champion claimed more silverware in Vienna, having also triumphed in Madrid, Cincinnati and Acapulco in 2021.
The world number four, who claimed his 300th tour-level career win against Alex de Minaur earlier in the week, is now 25-2 since exiting the fourth round at Wimbledon in July.
Tiafoe was appearing in his first ATP 500 final having defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas, Diego Schwartzman and Jannik Sinner along the way.
The world number 49 stuck with Zverev during a tight opening set, in which breaks were exchanged early on.
However, the German broke again in game 12 to draw first blood, and went on to hit eight aces during the second set.
Tiafoe produced an inspired turnaround from 5-2 down in the second set of his semi-final victory over Sinner.
But there was to be no fairytale finish for the American, who was seeking a second ATP title and first since the 2018 Delray Beach Open.
Zverev subsequently held his nerve to move level with Casper Ruud on five titles for the season, the most on the ATP Tour this year.
Milwaukee Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer begrudgingly applauded the San Antonio Spurs' effectiveness as they "made it hard" on Giannis Antetokounmpo in a surprise 102-93 win.
NBA champions the Bucks have now suffered consecutive defeats, with the loss to the Spurs coming on the back of a 113-108 reverse to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Spurs (2-4) trumped the Bucks (3-3) on the road in Milwaukee partly thanks to point guard Dejounte Murray, who scored 16 of his 23 points in the final period.
Murray entered the contest having put up 44 points, 22 rebounds and 23 assists over his previous two games – the only Spurs player in the past 30 seasons to have had at least 40 points, 20 rebounds and 20 assists over a two-game span, according to Stats Perform.
Antetokounmpo top-scored for the Bucks, posting a double-double of 28 points and 13 rebounds, yet he and Khris Middleton accounted for 11 of their 19 turnovers, which converted to 21 points for the Spurs.
While Budenholzer was keen to emphasise the need for collective effectiveness, he expects better from two of his most-dependable stars.
"It's just a tough night," Budenholzer told reporters. "I think we turned it over too much. Both those guys [Antetokounmpo and Middleton] included. We probably didn't shoot it well enough.
"And credit to San Antonio. They found a way to get a win and they made it hard on Khris, they made it hard on Giannis, they contested our shooters. I think Giannis and Khris can both be better, but we've got to be better around them, too.
"It wasn't a pretty game. I think defensively, probably, that should be enough to hold them to 102 [points] and 41 [per cent shooting].
"The corner three that [Keldon] Johnson made, they found a way to make some timely baskets. We needed that timely stop.
"We probably needed one or two more stops in a timely moment and they made a couple of timely baskets and they were able to get the win."
But while Budenholzer seemed frustrated with his own team, Antetokounmpo preferred to simply acknowledge the great sharp-shooting on display from the Spurs, accepting that sometimes the other team is just better.
"They made some shots," he added. "They made some shots late. One from the corner, one from the wing on top of me.
"They made some big shots. You've just got to tip your hat. They played well."
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr joked the franchise should trade superstar Stephen Curry amid his fourth-quarter struggles.
Curry scored 20 points in 27 minutes as the Warriors routed the rebuilding Oklahoma City Thunder 103-82 in the NBA on Saturday.
The two-time MVP entered the contest having not scored in the fourth quarter of his previous three games and Curry did not register a point in the final period again, though he did not have to as he was afforded rest.
After the Warriors improved to 5-1, Kerr jokingly told reporters: "We should trade him."
Warriors star Draymond Green almost put up a triple-double, finishing with 14 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists at home to the Grizzlies.
Green was satisfied post-game thanks to the NBA's new rules, which go against offensive players initiating contact or flailing while trying to draw foul calls.
"Can I also say how satisfying it's been to watch the game of basketball without all those bulls*** calls," Green said. "I'm sorry, I'm not supposed to curse in interviews, right? Can I say how satisfying it is to watch the game without all those terrible calls. Guys cheating the game and grabbing guys and getting the foul. I've been really enjoying watching basketball this year.
"I kind of had stopped watching the NBA a bit because it was just too flailing and flopping and guys cheating the game and getting free throws. So I think that's been great. I would be remiss if I didn't mention that because I think that's been fantastic."
The new rules have particularly impacted Brooklyn Nets superstar James Harden and Green mentioned him specifically.
"James is one of the best at it," Green said. "At driving and drawing fouls, drawing fouls from the three-point line, he's one of the best at it. So I definitely remember those games of him going 24-for-24 from the free-throw line.
"And when you got a guy that shifty, and the moment you touch him they can hook and you're called for a foul, it's impossible to guard. You started to see a lot of guys master it, but they all learned from James for sure because he was the master before anybody else ever picked it up."
Curry, who improved his career three-point tally against the Thunder to 156 – his best second tally against any opponent, added: "I've been watching around the league and for the most part, I'd say about 9 out of 10 calls that used to go the other way are not, for good reason.
"There's probably some that are still in that gray area where they'll get more consistent, but it's great for the game. I know a lot of fans are loving it. The defensive-minded players are loving it, for us to put the ball in the basket, focus on that. I've tried to my entire career so I don't think it's a huge adjustment, but I like it."
The Atlanta Braves are one win away from clinching the World Series, but manager Brian Snitker insisted "I've been around too long to get ahead of myself".
Atlanta can claim their first MLB championship since 1995 by winning on Sunday thanks to Saturday's rallying 3-2 victory over the Houston Astros.
Dansby Swanson and Jorge Soler hit back-to-back homers in the seventh inning as the Braves overturned a 2-0 deficit at home to Houston in Game 4.
Snitker – the 2018 National League Manager of the Year – is remaining grounded, despite the Braves standing on the cusp of a drought-ending title.
"I just want to win tomorrow," Snitker said post-game. "I'd rather be up three than down three, I guess. But I've been around too long to get ahead of myself."
Jose Altuve put the Astros 2-0 ahead after scoring in the opening inning and homering in the fourth before Swanson and Soler took centre stage.
After Eddie Rosario scored in the sixth inning, Swanson levelled the contest with a solo homer in the seventh and Soler put the Braves ahead one batter later as Atlanta hit back-to-back home runs in a World Series for the first time in franchise history.
Soler became the fourth pinch-hitter to launch a go-ahead homer in the World Series and first since Ed Sprague in 1992, after Swanson became just the second Braves shortstop to hit a home run in the World Series after Johnny Logan in 1957.
"At the beginning of the year, I wasn't part of this team," Soler, who was acquired from the Kansas City Royals in July, said. "The organisation traded for me.
"Obviously, I'm grateful to be here. It truly means a lot to be able to be here with this group of guys."
Swanson added: "I feel like we were just kind of -- not dead all day, but I feel like they did such a good job of keeping us at bay for so long and we didn’t have too many opportunities.
"Then we were able to make something happen there in that inning. Man, just tremendous."
Glover Teixeira defied father time as the evergreen veteran sensationally upset Jan Blachowicz in their light heavyweight title fight at UFC 267 to become the oldest first-time champion.
Teixeira showed age is no barrier after the 42-year-old forced defending champion Blachowicz into a rear-naked choke submission in the second round of Saturday's main event in Abu Dhabi.
Blachowicz (28-9) was making his second title defence and riding a five-fight winning streak before being stopped in his tracks by the evergreen Teixeira.
Teixeira (33-7) last had a chance at a UFC light heavyweight title seven years ago and lost to then-champion Jon Jones.
"Never give up on your dreams, no matter what people say, don't listen to them," Brazilian fighter Teixeira said afterwards. "They're gonna put you down.
"Don't listen to those negative people. Believe in yourself.
"I'm breaking the rules, 42 years old. And I'm gonna keep breaking the rules."
UFC president Dana White added: "Glover Teixeira is and has been one of the toughest guys in the division for a very long time, this was his dream forever to get this title shot.
"He finally gets it and did it tonight."
Blachowicz was coming off his first title defence, a unanimous decision victory against previously undefeated middleweight champion Israel Adesanya at UFC 259 in March.
"I think I left legendary Polish Power in the room," Blachowicz said.
NBA champions the Milwaukee Bucks suffered consecutive defeats after being upstaged by the San Antonio Spurs 102-93.
Giannis Antetokounmpo posted a double-double of 28 points and 13 rebounds, but the Bucks still suffered back-to-back losses on Saturday.
The Spurs (2-4) trumped the Bucks (3-3) on the road in Milwaukee thanks to point guard Dejounte Murray, who scored 16 of his 23 points in the final period.
Murray entered the contest having put up 44 points, 22 rebounds and 23 assists over his previous two games – the only Spurs player in the last 30 seasons to have had at least 40 points, 20 rebounds and 20 assists over a two-game span, according to Stats Perform.
"Obviously, it's a good win against the NBA champions," Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said after the Bucks were again without Jrue Holiday due to an ankle injury. "They were missing a pretty big piece tonight but it happens to all of us."
76ers gain some revenge as Heat sizzle
Facing the Atlanta Hawks for the first time since being surprisingly eliminated in last season's Eastern Conference semi-finals, the Philadelphia 76ers routed their rivals 122-94. Tobias Harris fuelled the 76ers with 22 points and 11 rebounds, joining Joel Embiid as the only 76ers players this season with 20-10 games.
The high-flying Miami Heat finished one short of setting a new franchise record after sinking 21 three-pointers in their 129-103 victory at the Memphis Grizzlies. Jimmy Butler led the way with 27 points.
Reigning MVP Nikola Jokic starred with 26 points and 19 rebounds as the Denver Nuggets outlasted the Minnesota Timberwolves 93-91.
Double-doubles from Deandre Ayton (17 points and 12 rebounds) and Chris Paul (16 points and 10 assists) helped last season's NBA Finals runners-up the Phoenix Suns beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 101-92.
Jazz taste defeat
The Utah Jazz were the last unbeaten team remaining having opened their season 4-0, until the new-look Chicago Bulls spoiled the party with a 107-99 win.
The Atlanta Braves are one win away from their first World Series championship since 1995 after rallying past the Houston Astros 3-2 in Game 4.
Atlanta hammered their way to within touching distance of a fourth World Series title thanks to back-to-back home runs from Dansby Swanson and Jorge Soler on Saturday.
Swanson levelled the contest with a solo homer in the seventh inning before Soler put the Braves ahead one batter later as Atlanta hit back-to-back home runs in a World Series for the first time in franchise history.
Soler became the fourth pinch-hitter to launch a go-ahead homer in the World Series and first since Ed Sprague in 1992.
The Astros had led 2-0 on the road courtesy of star Jose Altuve's fourth-inning solo hit after he opened the scoring in the first.
But Eddie Rosario sparked Atlanta's rally in the bottom of the sixth inning before Swanson – just the second Braves shortstop to hit a home run in the World Series after Johnny Logan in 1957 – and Soler took control in the seventh, finishing the job.
Atlanta's Dylan Lee became the first pitcher to make his first major league start in the World Series and he struck out one batter while giving up one run in 0.1 innings.
Astros veteran Zack Greinke pitched four scoreless innings, allowing just four hits while striking out three before team-mate Cristian Javier gave up two homers in the seventh.
Astros at Braves
The Braves can wrap up the World Series with a win over the Astros in Atlanta on Sunday.
Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant received a $25,000 fine by the NBA for "forcefully" throwing a ball into the stands during Friday's win over the Indiana Pacers.
Durant launched the ball into the spectator stands after being fouled as he drove towards the basket with less than five minutes remaining in the third quarter of the 105-98 victory.
The former MVP received a technical, though officials later admitted Durant should have been ejected from the game at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
"In real time, the official that made the call did not think the ball entered the stands with force," crew chief Sean Wright said after the game.
"After seeing the video postgame, we did see that the ball did go into the stands with force and Kevin Durant should have been ejected."
Durant posted 22 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists in a near triple-double performance as the championship-chasing Nets improved to 3-3 for the season.
Beauden Barrett bagged a pair of tries on his 100th Test appearance for New Zealand as the All Blacks swept away Wales 54-16 amid a deluge of late tries in Cardiff.
A week after they thrashed the United States 104-14 in Washington, New Zealand found greater resistance in the Welsh capital, but they eventually took the game away from their hosts, turning a spicy Autumn Nations Series contest into a drubbing.
Barrett took New Zealand beyond 50 points in the 79th minute with his second try of the match, and the visitors' seventh in total.
New Zealand raced into a fourth-minute lead, centurion Barrett intercepting a pass from Gareth Anscombe and charging through to score under the posts.
Try-scorer Barrett was spared a yellow card after a seemingly deliberate knock-on, before Wales lost Alun Wyn Jones to injury on the day the captain beat Richie McCaw's record tally of 148 caps for an international team. Jones suffered the upper-body blow when tackling Jordie Barrett.
New Zealand were well on top and had a second try in the 34th minute when scrum-half TJ Perenara scuttled in from close range. Prop Nepo Laulala was then only yellow-carded after making heavy contact with the head of Ross Moriarty in a tackle, perhaps a let-off for the tourists.
Kicking from Anscombe, Jordie Barrett and Rhys Priestland kept the scoreboard ticking along, before wing Will Jordan produced a thrilling third All Blacks try, chipping ahead and sprinting through to collect and dot down.
Johnny Williams thrilled the home crowd when he threw himself on Priestland's skidding kick behind the All Blacks defence, narrowing the gap to 28-16.
Then came the New Zealand surge, as Dalton Papalii exploited a gap in the Wales defence from a lineout to inflict more punishment, Sevu Reece exchanged passes on the left with Ardie Savea before dashing in, and Anton Lienert-Brown raced to the corner on the opposite flank.
Beauden Barrett had the final say, another interception seeing him gain possession on halfway, reading the pass from Johnny McNicholl and driving to the line.
Barrett times it to perfection
Moments after he was announced to the crowd as man of the match, Barrett turned on the afterburners for a second time. It was a fitting way for his match to end.
He told Amazon Prime it had been a demanding week, given the focus on him.
"I've spent a bit of time reminiscing this week and I've tried not to overdo it because we had a job in hand tonight and I wanted to focus on playing well," Barrett said. "Tonight, I'll enjoy my boys' company and thank all those people who have helped me along the journey."
Joy for Jordan
Jordan's try here was one even the most ardent Wales supporter must have admired. The decision to chip and the execution both smacked of a player with unwavering self-belief. Jordan has now scored 16 tries in Test rugby since his debut for New Zealand, twice as many as any other Tier 1 player in that period.
Simona Halep progressed to her first final of 2021 as she thrashed Marta Kostyuk to reach the showpiece at the Transylvania Open.
Halep has now reached a WTA final in 12 consecutive seasons after easing to a 6-0 6-1 victory over her teenage opponent.
The two-time grand slam champion faced Kostyuk at Indian Wells three weeks ago and was forced to come from a break down in the first set before prevailing in straight sets.
No such recovery effort was required in Cluj, with Halep progressing to her third final in Romania having twice won the Bucharest Open.
"I really wanted to play the final here. It's a home tournament and always when I come here, I feel great," Halep said.
"I'm really happy, motivated and I'm looking forward to playing the final tomorrow.
"I knew that I had to play a little bit faster, more aggressive and to open the court a little bit more. There [at Indian Wells], she didn't miss very much as she did today, but I think I took the ball faster and quicker, and the serve helped me today."
"I'm just trying to give my best, trying to be aggressive and enjoy. When I smile inside, it looks better outside. I have the whole country with me when I play at home, so that's why I'm motivated, that's why I feel safe and strong on the court, and I always want to play my best.
"I won twice in Bucharest and, hopefully, tomorrow's the lucky three, but if not, it's still a good result and it's good to be home."
Halep is unlikely to have it so easy in the final, which sees her face the in-form Anett Kontaveit, who will have added motivation on Sunday.
Kontaveit needed just over an hour to defeat Rebecca Peterson 6-3 6-2, her 25th win in her last 27 matches.
Victory over Halep would see Kontaveit beat Ons Jabeur to the eighth and final spot at the WTA Finals in Guadalajara. However, Halep has won all three of their previous meetings.
At the Courmayeur Open, Clara Tauson will face Donna Vekic in the final after they overcame Liudmila Samsonova and Jasmine Paolini respectively.
Frances Tiafoe will face Alexander Zverev in the Vienna Open final after storming back from the brink of defeat to beat Jannik Sinner.
Sinner was on the cusp of another final after his triumph in Antwerp last weekend when he led 5-2 in the second set, but qualifier Tiafoe roared back to win 3-6 7-5 6-2 on Saturday.
Italian Sinner had moved into the last qualifying position for the ATP Finals by beating Casper Ruud to reach the semi-finals in the Austrian capital and appeared destined to extending his winning run.
The 49-ranked Tiafoe had other ideas, winning five games in a row to force a deciding set.
Tiafoe maintained his momentum, breaking twice in the final set to complete an astonishing comeback and leave seventh seed Sinner shellshocked.
Second seed Zverev earlier marched into his fifth tour-level championship match of the season with a 6-3 6-3 defeat of Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz.
Zverev, who this week secured a 50th tour-level win of the season and a 300th of his career, needed only 68 minutes to knock Alcaraz out.
The German said: "I finally found my rhythm from the baseline because I was really struggling.
"I didn't feel the ball well and I spent some time on the court after the match yesterday and warmed up for an hour and a half before the match today and I finally got it."
Marin Cilic and Taylor Fritz will do battle in the St Petersburg Open final following contrasting wins over Botic Van de Zandschulp and Jan-Lennard Struff respectively.
Cilic did not face a break point in a 6-3 6-3 victory over Dutchman van de Zandschulp, while fought back to defeat Jan-Lennard Struff 5-7 6-1 6-3.
LeBron James praised Evan Mobley after facing the Cleveland Cavaliers rookie for the first time but said it was "getting more weird by the day" playing his son's former opponent.
James, back from an ankle injury, marked the 18th anniversary of his NBA debut with a game-high 26 points in the Los Angeles Lakers' 113-101 win on Friday. Mobley, who led the Cavs with 23 points, is only 20 years old.
Indeed, LeBron's previous experience of this year's third overall draft pick was seeing Mobley take on Bronny James in high school.
Mobley then spent a single season at USC but has settled quickly in his rookie year in the NBA.
Friday's performance, in his sixth game, brought his most points so far, along with six rebounds, three assists, two steals and, for the second game running, zero turnovers.
With double-figure points in every game and two double-doubles already, Mobley is averaging 15.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.7 blocks, 1.3 steals and 1.3 turnovers for the 3-3 Cavs.
James, who was a first overall pick for Cleveland in 2003, winning a single title in two spells with the team, said of Mobley: "He is going to be a damn good basketball player in this league.
"It's so crazy, because he was just playing against my son a couple of years ago. It's weird, and it's getting more weird by the day. He's playing against my son in the playoffs two years ago, and obviously we saw what he did in the tournament, just electrifying.
"They've got a good one. Cleveland has a good one. They've done a great job over the years in the draft, I'll say."
James was returning after two games out due to soreness to the same ankle he injured last year as he was restricted to a career-low 42.9 per cent of possible minutes in the regular season.
"I can definitely feel it a little bit right now, but that's just the adrenaline wearing off," he said. "It feels a lot better post-game today than it did post-game Sunday when we played Memphis."
James linked up effectively with Russell Westbrook, with three of the point guard's five assists coming from passes to the four-time MVP. They have now combined seven times for the year, with James the scorer each time.
Westbrook is having to adjust in LA. His career usage rate is 33.6 per cent (since the statistic was tracked in 2014-15), peaking with 41.7 per cent in 2016-17, but has reached a new low this year with 28.4 per cent, sharing the ball with two superstars in James and Anthony Davis.
James praised his new team-mate's early work, though, saying: "It's all about progressing and understanding the playmaker that you're playing with, understanding his vision, his awareness.
"I don't think he gets enough credit for his passing ability, being able to see plays before they happen. For me, as a receiver, it's my job to be in a position where the quarterback can just make a pass and I've got to go get it.
"Running the lane with Russ, he's usually out in front of the pack, because of his pace and his intensity, but when you run with him, you're rewarded."
James Harden has reiterated patience is required for him to return to his point-scoring best despite a season-high 29 points in the Brooklyn Nets' 105-98 win over the Indiana Pacers on Friday.
Harden had only averaged 16.6 points across the first five games of the new season as he struggled in his recovery from a hamstring injury as well as adapting to the NBA's new officiating rules which have impacted his ability to draw fouls.
The 32-year-old guard had a season-high 20 points in those five games but he blew that out of the water with 21 by half-time in Friday's win over the Pacers.
Harden finished with 29 points, including three from six from beyond the arc and 16 points from the free-throw line.
"It wasn't 30, obviously," Harden said during a post-game news conference. "I keep saying it - every single game, I feel good, I feel better today, I continue to work on off days and non-game days, and on game days continue to be aggressive, get to the basket and shoot my shots.
"Nothing's gonna change. Eventually things are gonna happen where it's consistent and I'm up there playing like myself."
Harden's 19 free-throw attempts were the most he has had since moving to the Nets and usurped his season total in one game.
"It was just me being aggressive," Harden said. "The first couple of games I wasn't aggressive. I was aggressive in spurts, but just trying to be aggressive for four quarters.
"I had that burst, that speed of getting to my spots, whether I was getting to the basket or shooting my shots. I felt pretty good out there for an entire game."
Harden and Kevin Durant combined for 39 points in the first half, which is the most together since becoming team-mates after the former's trade from the Houston Rockets in January.
Durant finished with 22 points, along with 11 rebounds and seven assists, with LaMarcus Aldridge reached 20,000 career NBA points with his 21 off the bench.
Aldridge had joined the Nets in March but retired in April after citing health concerns from an irregular heartbeat before he received medical clearance to return this season.
"It feels good, man," Aldridge said. "A true blessing. Definitely didn't think it was going to happen after what happened last year.
"Stuck with it, fall back and definitely felt good to get it done and be back out there. Just feel blessed."
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