The St Louis Cardinals made a splash after acquiring Nolan Arenado on Monday.
It cost five players, but the Cardinals fleeced the Colorado Rockies to bring in a five-time All-Star via a blockbuster trade.
The Cardinals will reportedly receive $50million in cash considerations, new deferrals in Arenado's contract that has six years and $199m remaining, and the waiving of his no-trade clause.
Arenado only signed an eight-year, $260m contract with the Rockies prior to the 2019 MLB season but Colorado opted to make a deal with the Cardinals.
The 29-year-old's arrival is a significant addition and quickly establishes the Cardinals as the team to beat in the National League (NL) Central ahead of the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Brewers and Pittsburgh Pirates.
St Louis – eyeing their first World Series championship since 2011 – now boast a formidable corner-infield combination in Arenado and six-time All-Star Paul Goldschmidt.
We take a look at the numbers behind Arenado using Stats Perform data as the World Series-chasing Cardinals eye success in 2021.
Arenado's a genuine star
The third baseman's record speaks for itself.
Eight Gold Gloves, four Silver Slugger awards and four Platinum Gloves, to go with three NL home run and NL RBI leader honours.
Arenado is one of two players in MLB history to win a Gold Glove in each of his first eight seasons in the majors, along with former Seattle Mariners favourite Ichiro Suzuki.
While he was hampered by a shoulder injury during the coronavirus-shortened 2020 season – tallying 46 hits, 23 runs, eight homers and 26 RBIs in 182 at-bats for the Rockies, Arenado was coming off a career-best .315 with 41 home runs and 118 RBIs in 2019.
Arenado had five successive seasons with at least 35 home runs and 110 RBIs from 2015-19 (before the shortened 2020 season) – tied for the longest streak in NL history, alongside ex-Cubs star Sammy Sosa (1997-2001).
The Cardinals, on the other hand, have never had a third baseman hit 35-plus home runs in a season in their history.
St Louis are one of five current franchises that have never had a third baseman hit 35-plus homers in a season (34 in 1992 and 2004), and they are the oldest team (1882) in that group, ahead of the Boston Red Sox (1901), Washington Nationals (1969), Mariners (1977) and Miami Marlins (1993).
After making his debut with the Rockies in 2013, Arenado has amassed 1,206 hits, 649 runs, 235 homers and 760 RBIs at an average of .293 in his career.
Since his first MLB appearance almost eight years ago, only Nelson Cruz (287), Mike Trout (267) and Edwin Encarnacion (265) have hit more homers than Arenado.
Arenado, though, tops the list for most RBIs since 2013 – ahead of new team-mate Goldschmidt (720), who sits fourth.
In the postseason, Arenado has two runs, one homer and three RBIs while averaging .190 in 21 at-bats.
The Cardinals – beaten in the Wild Card Round last season – lost to the Nationals in the 2019 National League Championship Series (NLCS), while they went down to the Red Sox in the 2013 World Series.
The first fan returns of the NBA’s All-Star voting for 2021 were revealed on Thursday, and the Brooklyn Nets’ Kevin Durant and the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James lead their respective conferences.
Durant leads all vote getters with 2,302,705 votes, while James has garnered 2,288,676.
Among guards, the Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry leads the Western Conference with 2,113,178 votes, while 1,273,817 fans have selected the Washington Wizards’ Bradley Beal in the East.
The Nets’ Kyrie Irving is second among East guards in voting, while the Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid are second and third among East frontcourt players.
In the West, the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic and the Los Angeles Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard are second and third in voting behind James among frontcourt players, while the Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic is second among guards.
The starting five for the All-Star teams will be made up of two guards and three frontcourt players.
Fan voting makes up 50 per cent of the formula that determines the All-Star starters, with 25 per cent coming from a media panel and 25 per cent based on votes from players.
In addition to the starting five, the All-Star team reserves will consist of a pair of backcourt players, three frontcourt players plus two additional wild cards.
Voting runs through February 16, and the starters will be announced two days later. The reserves, who are selected by the league’s head coaches, are revealed on February 23.
It’s still uncertain at this point if there will be an All-Star Game or if the voting is merely a way to recognise those individuals playing at an All-Star level.
It wasn't the most celebrated or impactful trade of the Summer of 2019 – the newest gold banner that is waiting to be unveiled at the Staples Center answers that question.
Still, when browsing the current state of affairs in the Western Conference, it's hard to deny the significance of another deal that went down shortly after the franchise-defining blockbuster that landed Anthony Davis alongside LeBron James in Los Angeles and shifted the balance of power within the NBA.
With the aftershock of the Davis deal still reverberating, the Memphis Grizzlies were making a more under-the-radar move to set their own new course. Just days after the gigantic trade, Memphis sent the franchise's all-time leading scorer and arguably most popular player, Mike Conley, to the Utah Jazz, formally closing the door on the moderately successful 'Grit and Grind' era of the previous decade.
It's fair to say the trade is working out quite well for both teams, though. The Jazz presently sport the NBA's best record at 16-5 with Conley superbly manning the point following a somewhat trying first season in Salt Lake City. The Grizzlies currently stand as the surprise leader of a suspect Southwest Division and are seemingly well ahead of schedule on a rebuilding plan young general manager Zach Kleiman has so far orchestrated with a master stroke.
Memphis' swift rise to respectability was hard to see coming, and neither was the considerable effect so far generated by a trade centered around a player who has never made an All-Star team in 13 NBA seasons. That may change in Conley's 14th, however. The 33-year-old has been a major force on both ends of the court in what has been a terrific bounce-back campaign to date, as his 124.2 offensive rating is the highest of his career and his 2.35 steals per 48 minutes is his best mark since making the NBA All-Defensive Team in 2012-13.
Perhaps most importantly, however, is how the Jazz have performed with Conley on the court as opposed to him off it. The veteran point guard's plus-minus rating of 11.0 per game trails only Clippers star Kawhi Leonard for the best in the league among players averaging at least 15 minutes per outing and who have appeared in at least half of their team's games, and the following chart illustrates how much better Utah has been when Conley is on the floor:
JAZZ, WITH/WITHOUT MIKE CONLEY ON COURT, 2020-21
With/Without stats (/100 = per 100 possessions)
Points/100: 116.5/108.8
Opp Points/100: 99.9/113.8
Point Diff/100: +16.6/-5.0
FG Pct: .470/.444
Opp FG Pct: .427/.475
Turnovers/100: 13.4/16.6
Conley's presence also allows Donovan Mitchell, Utah's leading scorer and their highest usage player, to play more off the ball where he is most effective, as the numbers demonstrate:
DONOVAN MITCHELL, WITH/WITHOUT MIKE CONLEY ON COURT, 2020-21
With/Without stats (/100 = per 100 possessions)
Points/100: 35.0/32.9
Rebounds/100: 6.8/5.5
Assists/100: 5.4/8.1
Turnovers/100: 3.5/5.7
FG Pct: .451/.409
3-Pt Pct: .446/.343
With Conley playing at an elite level and a pair of All-Stars in Mitchell and two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, the question can now be raised: Have the Jazz finally achieved the status of a legitimate challenger to the West's upper crust after four years of consistently winning in the regular season but never seriously threatening in the playoffs?
Quite possibly.
The Jazz are the only team that currently ranks in the NBA's top five in both offensive and defensive rating. They have never finished a season higher than ninth in the former category under coach Quin Snyder, but there is reason to believe this team differs from its predecessors. It has been hitting 3-pointers at a historic rate (16.9 per game) with both impressive efficiency (39.8 percent) and variety. Six of the Jazz's top seven scorers are shooting better than 38 percent from beyond the arc while taking at least four attempts per game, the most in the league.
Only one team in NBA history has shot 40 percent or better from 3-point range while making 12 or more 3s per game, and that is the 2015-16 Warriors that set an NBA record with 73 regular-season wins. Granted, there are three other teams that currently fall under that category this season, and they are all pretty good as well: The Clippers, Bucks and Nets.
So, we have discussed how the Conley trade has benefited the Jazz. How about the Grizzlies, who received Jae Crowder, Kyle Korver, Grayson Allen, a 2019 first-round pick and a future first-rounder in the deal?
Korver was immediately traded to Phoenix in a swap that brought back De'Anthony Melton, Memphis' best wing defender, and a 2020 second-round pick that turned into center Xavier Tillman, who has quickly emerged as a solid rotational piece as a rookie.
Crowder was later shipped to Miami, with capable veteran Gorgui Dieng and the still-injured Justise Winslow the return.
Last year's first-rounder was ultimately used on Brandon Clarke, one of only five players from the 2019 class to average 12 points and 5.5 rebounds per game through his first season-plus.
All told, that is five viable contributors (Clarke, Allen, Dieng, Melton, Tillman) and a possible sixth if Winslow can ever get healthy. And Melton may have a chance to be something more than that if he continues to make strides with his still-developing shot.
And we have yet to mention the primary motive for moving Conley, which was to clear a path at the point guard spot for the electric Ja Morant. Though Memphis was able to go 4-4 in the eight games the 2019-20 NBA Rookie of the Year missed with a sprained ankle earlier this season thanks to the enviable depth Kleiman has assembled, there is no question the Grizzlies are a more dangerous team with the 2019 No. 2 overall pick in the lineup.
Here are the numbers to back it up: The Grizzlies average 117.4 points with him, compared to 103.1 in his absence. Their field goal percentage (.479 compared to .451) and 3-point percentage (.381 compared to .331) are also unsurprisingly better, while the turnovers drop by just over one per game (13.5 with him, 14.9 without).
If the Grizzlies could maintain that points-per-game average throughout the season, they would rank third in the league behind only the power-laden Nets and Bucks. Combine it with their other strengths, an opportunistic defense that leads the NBA in steals per game and a rotation that boasts a league-high 11 players averaging 8.0 points or more (min. 50 percent of team’s games played), and it is no stretch to proclaim they will be a formidable playoff foe for any team should they get in – especially if budding star Jaren Jackson Jr. makes it back from the knee injury that has sidelined him all season thus far.
Memphis are still not ready to realistically threaten the league's championship contenders, but there is a lot to like about this team going forward. The Grizzlies have one bona fide star in Morant, a potential second in Jackson and a young and promising supporting cast – most of whom are under contract for at least two more years. They are also set up to be flush in cap space and a potential dark horse player in free agency come the 2021 offseason.
The Grizzlies have the NBA's third-youngest roster, its youngest GM in Kleiman and third-youngest head coach in 36-year-old Taylor Jenkins. It looks like their rebuild is maturing beyond its years , too.
The Los Angeles Lakers and the Denver Nuggets meet for the first time since last season's Western Conference Finals on Thursday.
A 4-1 series win for the Lakers paved the way for the franchise to win their first NBA championship since 2010 and they are the favourites to repeat the feat this season.
After a gruelling two-week road trip in which they went 5-2, they will be back in the familiar surroundings of Staples Center to start a five-game home stand.
The Lakers are 4-4 on their home court this season and the Nuggets have only dropped three of their 10 road games, while LeBron James and Nikola Jokic have started the campaign in form befitting MVP candidates.
The stage is set for an intriguing battle between two of the West's heavyweights.
TOP PERFORMERS
LeBron James – Los Angeles Lakers
An average of 25 points per game may not be on a par with previous prolific seasons, but James is enjoying a career year from beyond the arc.
He is shooting at 40.9 per cent from three-point range and is averaging over twice as many attempts per game (6.8 compared to 3.3) as when he set his previous high of 40.6 per cent in the 2012-13 season.
He has improved from downtown year on year with the Lakers but operates at 27.1 per cent from three against the Nuggets since his arrival in Los Angeles in 2018. He only made more than one three-pointer in one of their Western Conference Finals meetings last season.
Nikola Jokic – Denver Nuggets
Denver's Serbian center has made an incredible start to the 2020-21 season.
While tying his career high of 47 points and ending the Utah Jazz's 11-game winning streak, he registered his 20th straight double-double to start the season – Bill Walton is the only other player to have achieved that feat, though he went on to record 34 straight in the 1976-77 season.
The last team to deny him a double-double? That's right, it was the Lakers. Jokic only had one double-double in the Nuggets' 4-1 series loss to the Lakers in the bubble.
KEY BATTLE: CONTROL OF THE PAINT
Only Zion Williamson (173), Giannis Antetokounmpo (165) and Domantas Sabonis (157) have made more field goals in the paint than Jokic this season, with the centre averaging 14.8 points per game in the key.
However, for the Lakers, Anthony Davis and LeBron have each made 111 field goals in the paint, while Montrezl Harrell also places inside the top 20 with 107.
Through Davis and James alone the Lakers average 21.8 points per game in the paint and the former shoots at 69.8 per cent in that area – better than Jokic's 65.2 success rate and the fifth best in the NBA among players to have attempted at least 100 such shots.
HEAD TO HEAD
The Nuggets have only won four of their 12 meetings with the Lakers in the regular season and playoffs since LeBron arrived at Staples Center.
Davis has particularly enjoyed playing against Denver since becoming a Laker too, averaging 30.3 points and 7.6 assists across nine meetings with the Nuggets. The only side he has averaged more points against in the same time frame – with a minimum of two games played – is his former team the New Orleans Pelicans (31.3).
Denver will therefore likely need Jamal Murray to shine alongside Jokic. However, he had one of his worst games over the past two seasons against the Lakers December 2019, when he had just six points on 3-of-17 shooting. Only once has he scored fewer in at least 24 minutes on the floor – he had four points against the Brooklyn Nets a month prior.
Giannis Antetokounmpo thinks increased maturity is enabling him to enjoy more of a playmaking role for the Milwaukee Bucks this season.
Reigning NBA MVP Antetokounmpo displayed a fine array of passing as he racked up 10 assists alongside 21 points and 14 rebounds through three quarters in a 130-110 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.
He moved past Quinn Buckner for fourth on the Bucks' all-time assist list when he reached 2,392 by finding Brook Lopez out of a double-team in the low post.
It was Antetokounmpo's third triple-double of the season and he used his spare time in the fourth quarter to take some courtside photographs of his brother Thanasis.
Antetokounmpo had not felt the need to shoulder the burden for scoring on his own as the Bucks made 21 three-pointers. It was the fifth time this season they have made at least 20 shots from beyond the arc – they only had four such games in franchise history prior to 2020-21.
"It's a new thing. Probably last year and the year before and the year before that, I'll go into a game and I'm just too stubborn to not be at my best every single night and I try to go through guys," said Antetokounmpo.
"Three guys are guarding me and I still try to get in the paint. I think that this is just a step forward to this leadership.
"Last year, I felt like, and the previous year, that in order for us to win, I have to be at my best. I have to get 30, 35 ... 25, 20 and 10 or whatever the case might be. Be everywhere, do everything.
"But now, I think our team is a great team; and this year, if my team needs me to pass the ball, I've got to pass the ball."
He added: "Next year might be different. The team might need me to go crazy every single night, but I think that's being mature. Obviously, I'm still young. I'm 26, but 26 is older than 25 and 24, and I kind of like it. I kind of like being this way.
"I kind of like being in a good place, making the right play and just seeing my team-mates having fun. But at the end of the day, always, we've got to win the game. I'm here to win games; I'm not just here to mess around and all that."
Coach Mike Budenholzer lauded the development in Antetokounmpo's ability to read the game and provide exactly what is needed at the right moment.
"I just think he's playing really, really unselfishly," said Budenholzer.
"He's seeing things and making the right read, the right passes, and I just think he's in a great place, mindset-wise. He's aggressive and attacking when it's needed, and he's finding his team-mates and finding opportunities for everybody else when it's needed. He's playing really at a high level."
Eclipsing one of Michael Jordan's records on Wednesday was "a remarkable achievement" for Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal.
Beal scored over 25 points for the 17th straight game to start the season, beating Jordan's mark of 16 from the 1988-89 campaign as the longest such streak since the NBA-ABA merger.
In his latest prolific performance he poured in 32 points as the Wizards overcame the Miami Heat 103-100, despite Russell Westbrook being rested on the second half of a back-to-back.
"It's pretty cool. It's a remarkable achievement," said Beal after Washington improved to 5-13 on the season.
"It's not something you always shoot for but it's amazing just to hear all the stats that we come up with in our game.
"To pass him is always a great feeling, it's something you always put in your accolades, but at the same time it felt even better getting it in a win.
"It was a milestone in a lot of fashions tonight and so I was happy we got the dub overall but to pass Michael means a lot."
The all-time record is held by Wilt Chamberlain, who scored at least 25 points in all 80 games of the 1961-62 regular season.
Asked if he felt emulating that was achievable, Beal responded: "Well if one man did it it's definitely possible. I'm not worried about it."
While Wizards coach Scott Brooks has been amazed by Beal's high-scoring start to the campaign, he was keen to emphasise the other areas of the guard's game that he admires.
"When I think of Brad two things come to mind: winner and toughness. A lot of times just because a guy has a high scoring average they don't want to say that he's an all-round player, that he's tough, but he's a winning basketball player and we're not winning enough right now," said Brooks.
"He's tough. He was fighting for every minute to night. They key to the game was the start of that fourth quarter, we took Brad out, it was a tough decision. We gave him a chance to get his legs and get some rest."
He added: "What he's doing offensively, you don't see it often. James Harden had it in the last few years, but what Brad's doing he's doing it without the ball in his hands throughout the game.
"He scores in so many different ways. The thing he doesn't do is he doesn't post up, but I think he's gonna be eventually able to post up. He does have a good post-up game that we can maybe get going, that's why it's hard to guard him."
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Milwaukee Bucks to a convincing win in the NBA on Wednesday, while the Dallas Mavericks snapped their losing streak.
Antetokounmpo posted a triple-double of 21 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists as the Bucks cruised past the Indiana Pacers 130-110.
Milwaukee had seven players in double-figures for points, with Bryn Forbes chipping in with 20 off the bench.
The Bucks improved to 13-8 despite another good performance by Pacers star Domantas Sabonis (33 points and 12 rebounds).
The Mavericks ended a run of six straight losses by overcoming the Atlanta Hawks 122-116.
Luka Doncic led Dallas with a double-double of 27 points and 14 assists as they improved to 9-13.
Embiid, George star
Joel Embiid starred with 34 points and 11 rebounds as the Philadelphia 76ers claimed a fourth straight win by beating the Charlotte Hornets 118-111.
Paul George posted 36 points for the Los Angeles Clippers, who eased past the Cleveland Cavaliers 121-99.
Bradley Beal had 32 points as the Washington Wizards edged the Miami Heat 103-100. Beal has had 25-plus points in 17 straight games to start the season, which is the most since 1976-77.
Zion Williamson's 28 points, seven rebounds and six assists saw the New Orleans Pelicans beat the Phoenix Suns 123-101.
Oladipo can't lift Rockets
Victor Oladipo went eight-of-24 from the field, and one-of-eight from three-point range, as the Houston Rockets were well beaten by the Oklahoma City Thunder 104-87.
Special Zion
Williamson got on the end of an Eric Bledsoe pass for a monstrous alley-oop slam.
Wednesday's results
Milwaukee Bucks 130-110 Indiana Pacers
Philadelphia 76ers 118-111 Charlotte Hornets
Dallas Mavericks 122-116 Atlanta Hawks
Los Angeles Clippers 121-99 Cleveland Cavaliers
Washington Wizards 103-100 Miami Heat
New York Knicks 107-103 Chicago Bulls
Oklahoma City Thunder 104-87 Houston Rockets
San Antonio Spurs 111-108 Minnesota Timberwolves
New Orleans Pelicans 123-101 Phoenix Suns
Sacramento Kings 116-111 Boston Celtics
Nuggets at Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers (16-6) return to action with a clash at home to the Denver Nuggets (12-8) on Thursday.
Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said there were no plans to change the schedule for the major amid coronavirus concerns.
More than 500 players and officials were forced into isolation after a worker at an Australian Open quarantine hotel tested positive for COVID-19.
It led to play at lead-up events in Melbourne on Thursday being called off and sparked fears around the year's first grand slam, which is scheduled to begin on Monday.
But Tiley is hoping play is back underway on Friday and said he expects the Australian Open to start as scheduled.
"The intention is to start the Australian Open on Monday so there's no intention of changing the time for the Australian Open," he told a news conference.
Tiley added: "We're absolutely confident the Australian Open is going to go ahead.
"We know that we've got a period now that we've got to work through with those 507 players and their staff, 160 players actually, that need a test and we fully expect the probability is very low that there's going to be any issue.
"We fully expect them all to test negative and then we continue with play tomorrow like we originally planned and if we have to go through this again we'll continue to go through this again and we've got another three and a half weeks of tennis, we've got a lot of tennis to play and fully expect to keep the original schedule once we get past today."
The draw for the Australian Open was pushed back to Friday, while crowds are still expected to be in attendance for the major.
Josh Adams has been suspended for Wales' Six Nations games against Ireland and Scotland after breaching COVID-19 protocols.
Wayne Pivac's squad were released from their training camp on Saturday and wing Adams attended a gathering the following day, where his immediate family were present.
That breach of the rules came to light when the squad returned for international duty on Tuesday, with Adams missing Wales' first Six Nations game against Ireland at the Principality Stadium on Sunday and the trip to Murrayfield six days later.
Adams said: "I would like to apologise unreservedly. When out of camp, at the weekend, I made an error of judgement. I attended a small gathering of immediate family to celebrate a family milestone.
"It was wrong to do this. I'm aware that everyone needs to follow the rules and being in the public eye I have a responsibility to lead by example and I've fallen short on this occasion.
"I'd like to apologise to my team-mates and to our supporters for my mistake."
Wales head coach Pivac said: "We are extremely disappointed with the breach and have acted robustly and swiftly to take all appropriate measures.
"All players and management have received detailed briefings and education regarding our protocols, and everyone has a responsibility to abide by the rules.
"On this occasion, Josh has made an error of judgement, he made a mistake and he has shown immediate remorse. He was present at a small, immediate family gathering to celebrate a milestone with those close to him but that is against the rules and action had to be taken.
"All members of the national squad have received extensive COVID-19 protocol briefings and education. We will continue with our programme, which has been very effective to date, and remind everyone of their responsibility to not only adhere to the extensive measures in place but also to set an example.
"We will work with Josh in relation to his integration back into camp following a further testing and re-education process."
Preparations for the Australian Open were dealt a fresh blow on Wednesday when a member of hotel staff tested positive for coronavirus, although Victoria's premier insists the tournament is not under threat at this stage.
A 26-year-old worker at the Grand Hyatt Hotel returned a negative test at the end of his previous shift on January 29 but subsequently developed symptoms and tested positive on Wednesday.
As a result, Melbourne and the wider Victoria region has reverted to its New Year's Eve restrictions of gatherings at home being limited to 15 people and masks having to be worn in public indoor spaces.
In terms of the specific impact upon participants in the Australian Open, players, officials and support staff who were staying at the hotel during this period must now isolate and undertake a COVID-19 test.
The number of tournament-related personnel classed as "casual contacts" related to the incident is estimated to be between 500 and 600.
Nevertheless, Victorian premier Daniel Andrews told a news conference he was confident the Australian Open would go ahead as planned, even though the requirement that some players isolate and test could have an impact upon warm-up tournaments that are ongoing at Melbourne Park.
"There's about 500-600 people that are either players and officials and others who are casual contacts," Andrews said.
"They will be isolating until they get a negative test and that work will be done tomorrow so it might have an impact on tomorrow's play in the lead-up event, but at this stage there's no impact to the tournament proper.
"That's important to us, but the issue we're most focused on is much broader. That's about public health and public safety and that's why we've really pounced on this."
The Australian Open is scheduled to run from February 8-21.
Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev produced ruthless performances as Russia cruised into the ATP Cup semi-finals.
Russia followed up their day-one win over Argentina with victory against Japan to ensure they will finish top of Group D.
Rublev got things rolling with an emphatic 6-1 6-3 win over Yoshihito Nishioka and Medvedev dispatched Kei Nishikori in a 6-2 6-4 triumph.
Those results meant the subsequent doubles match – which Japan won – would not be relevant.
"I am really happy for the team," said ATP Finals champion Medvedev, who has now won 12 matches in a row on the tour.
"Reaching the semi-finals is a big step – I am really happy that we made it in both singles. Both matches were straight sets, so really happy for the team and hopefully we can go further than that."
Italy, who had beaten Austria on the opening day, are also through after Fabio Fognini and Matteo Berrettini earned wins in straight sets over France duo Benoit Paire and Gael Monfils on Wednesday.
France play Austria next but neither team can catch Italy in Group C.
Alexander Zverev won a thriller against Denis Shapovalov 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 7-6 (7-4) to ensure Germany defeated Canada.
It was a first win at the ATP Cup for US Open runner up Zverev, who had a miserable tournament in 2020.
That sets up a day three contest for Germany against Novak Djokovic and Serbia where the winning team will progress to face Russia.
KYRGIOS AND WAWRINKA THROUGH
Nick Kyrgios – playing his first tournament for a year – made it two wins from two at the Murray River Open, defeating fellow Australian Harry Bourchier 6-2 7-6 (9-7).
First seed Stan Wawrinka survived a scare before prevailing against Mikhail Kukushkin to win 4-6 6-3 6-1 in just under two hours.
Wawrinka will take on Alex Bolt in the last 16, while Kyrgios should be tested against fourth seed Borna Coric.
At the Great Ocean Road Open, top seed David Goffin crashed out as world number 146 Carlos Alcaraz celebrated a shock 6-3 6-3 victory.
Karen Khachanov and Jannik Sinner were among the seeds who progressed, both winning without dropping a set.
Serena Williams roared into the quarter-finals of the Yarra Valley Classic with a 6-1 6-4 victory over Tsvetana Pironkova on a star-studded day of action in Australia.
The 23-time grand slam champion was in fine form at Melbourne Park, where the biggest names in women's tennis were competing across multiple tournaments, as she sealed a straight-sets triumph to continue her preparations for a shot at an eighth Australian Open title.
In doing so the 39-year-old extended her head-to-head record over the Bulgarian to 6-0 and was delighted to get the job done.
"It's definitely nice to get another win," the American said during her on-court interview.
"She's clearly a great player, so it wasn't easy, but it was good to come through."
Speaking at her media conference, Williams added: "Last time it was an incredible three-set match, so today I was like, 'All right, let's really try and focus and learn to do better than last time.'"
World number one Ash Barty had a less straightforward path to the last eight, requiring three sets to see off Marie Bouzkova.
The home hope ultimately prevailed 6-0 4-6 6-3, with second seed and reigning Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin also taken the distance in a 5-7 7-5 6-2 win over Jessica Pegula, as Nadia Podoroska dug deep to down Petra Kvitova 5-7 6-1 7-6 (9-7).
With Barty now set to face Shelby Rogers, Danielle Collins awaits Williams having impressively defeated third seed Karolina Pliskova 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-3), while Garbine Muguruza overcame Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-1 6-2 to set up a meeting with Kenin.
In the Gippsland Trophy, the top three seeds all dodged upsets, with two-time grand slam winner Simona Halep, 2019 Australian Open victor Naomi Osaka and 2018 Tour Finals champion Elina Svitolina safely navigating through the last 16.
Fifth-seeded Briton Johanna Konta failed to convert two match points as she succumbed to a 4-6 7-6 (12-10) 7-6 (7-4) defeat to Irina-Camelia Begu.
Meanwhile, at the Grampians Trophy there were wins for Anett Kontaveit, Jennifer Brady and Angelique Kerber.
Kyrie Irving used a lacklustre defensive display against the Washington Wizards as motivation to lead the Brooklyn Nets to success against the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday.
The Nets fell to a 149-146 defeat to the Wizards on Sunday, with Irving claiming he "couldn't guard a stick" after Russell Westbrook poured in a game-high 41 points.
The former Boston Celtics point guard responded with a strong display on both ends of the floor against the Clippers, scoring 39 points in a 124-120 success at Barclays Center.
"We just needed to respond, every single night is going to be different. I'm just trying to give what is needed on both ends of the floor," said Irving, who had two blocks and one steal.
"Like I said the other night, I took that personally, just not being able to guard anyone. Tonight I gave up a few drives but I feel like defensively as a team, including with my effort, we just matched it.
"We knew they were gonna bring it, so it was just an exciting game. Great competition for some of the top players in the world to go against each other on TV, so grateful to give the fans what they want."
Irving led a 13-0 run that included buckets from Kevin Durant and James Harden – who became the eighth player in NBA history to reach 50 career triple-doubles – as the Nets established a 10-point lead with four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
The Clippers managed to bring the difference back to one but were unable to stop Brooklyn improving to 14-9 on the season.
"Late in games any coach in America wants the ball in their best players' hands," said Durant, who reached 500 points for the Nets in just his 17th game – a franchise record and the second-best mark all-time for a player on a new NBA team, after Wilt Chamberlain for the Warriors in 1959-60 (14 games).
"We've got three guys who are unselfish and know how to play, and I think we made the right plays down the stretch, especially Kyrie and James, controlling the ball.
"I felt like when those guys [have] got it on top, they've got the defense at their mercy so we've got to continue to be on the same page late in games."
On the Nets' late-game defense, he added: "You're down 10, you're shooting the ball with no conscience, they went in. Sometimes we got hands up on stuff, we gave up an and-one, but it wasn't anything easy I'll tell you that.
"I think they earned every point late in the game and that's what we want at the end of the day."
Head coach Steven Nash was proud of Brooklyn's defensive improvement against the team that entered the game with the best record in the league.
"We have the luxury of offensive talent, but we also have to defend. That is a difficult team to defend and we did a great job," said Nash.
"You know it is kind of tricky when the teams are constantly taking way more shots than you are.
"We'll keep cleaning up and we'll keep getting better. When they put up the effort that they did tonight, we'll be tough to beat."
Israel Folau is no longer wanted by St George Illawarra Dragons after the NRL club confirmed it had ceased discussions to sign the former Australia international.
Folau, whose Rugby Australia contract was terminated in 2019 for a "high-level breach" after the 31-year-old posted hell awaits "drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists and idolaters" on Instagram, plies his trade with Super League outfit Catalans Dragons.
But St George Illawarra had been looking to lure him back to his home country, with the club having approached the NRL over the matter.
However, a brief statement released by the club on Wednesday revealed the chase was now at an end.
"While the Dragons did enquire about signing Folau, the club can confirm that such discussions have now ceased," it read.
Folau's move to Catalans in January last year prompted widespread criticism, with head coach Steve McNamara confessing: "We knew it would be controversial."
Paul George felt it was "disrespectful" of the referees to only give him one free throw attempt during the Los Angeles Clippers defeat to the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday.
Six-time All-Star George was sent to the line for the first and only time when he got an and-one play on Landry Shamet midway through the fourth quarter.
The Nets' superstar trio of Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and James Harden combined to go 16-of-16 from the stripe, while Kawhi Leonard was 8-of-9.
"I mean, I think it was disrespectful that I had one free throw attempt today. I am going to leave it at that," said George, who finished the game with 26 points.
The last time George scored as many points with one or zero free throw attempts was in January 2018 against the Denver Nuggets, when he had 43 without a single foul shout.
He continued: "The amount of plays I initiated or created contact, and to get sent to the line one time. Definitely plays I'm gonna have sent in."
Brooklyn responded to George's made free throw with a 13-0 run. A Durant jumper was followed by a three-pointer from Irving, who hit another after adding two points in between.
A step back three from Harden put the Nets in a comfortable position with four minutes and 10 seconds remaining, and although the Clippers got back within one they were unable to avoid a 124-120 defeat at Barclays Center.
Irving scored a game-high 39 points, Harden had a triple-double of 23 points, 11 rebounds and 14 assists, and Durant poured in 28 points to make franchise history.
Durant reached 500 points for the Nets in just his 17th game, making him the second-quickest to hit that mark with a new team in the NBA. Only Wilt Chamberlain managed it in less time with the Warriors in 1959-60 (14 games).
"I mean as good a defense we played all night, the fact of the matter is they have some of the best iso players in the world: Kyrie, James and KD," said George.
"I thought there was a stretch where we played great defense, were in their face, and it was almost like each one of them took turns in making a shot.
"They're just tough to guard, they're super confident in their shotmaking ability, [and] defense I thought couldn't be any better on some of those possessions."
Head coach Tyronn Lue felt George let not getting calls from the officials have too much of an impact on his production during the early stages.
Asked if he felt that affected George's rhythm, Lue responded: "Yeah, but it shouldn't. We talked about playing through the officiating, no excuses.
"Some calls should have gone his way but they didn't, and so we've just got to keep playing. I thought he got his composure back in the second half and he played through it, so it's a learning lesson for us."
The Brooklyn Nets' stars delivered in a win over the Los Angeles Clippers, while Fred VanVleet made history for the Toronto Raptors.
The Nets' 'Big Three' – Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving – led Brooklyn past the Clippers 124-120 in the NBA on Tuesday.
Harden posted a triple-double of 23 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds, while Irving had a game-high 39 points and Durant finished with 28.
With his 50th career triple-double, Harden became the eighth player in NBA history to achieve that mark, joining Oscar Robertson (181), Russell Westbrook (151), Magic Johnson (138), Jason Kidd (107), LeBron James (95), Wilt Chamberlain (78) and Larry Bird (59).
The Nets improved to 14-9 with victory over a Clippers (16-6) side also expected to contend come season's end.
Clippers star Kawhi Leonard had 33 points and Paul George chipped in with 26.
VanVleet dominated with a record-breaking 54 points in the Raptors' 123-108 win over the Orlando Magic.
The guard broke DeMar DeRozan's franchise record of 52 points in a game.
VanVleet was 17-of-23 from the field and 11-of-14 from three-point range, while adding three rebounds, three steals and three blocks.
He became the first player in NBA history to have 50-plus points, 10-plus three-pointers made, three-plus blocks and three-plus steals in a game, as per Stats Perform. He was also the first guard with 50-plus points, three-plus blocks and three-plus steals in a game since Michael Jordan in April 1987.
Curry magic not enough, Sabonis stars
Stephen Curry made seven three-pointers and had 38 points and 11 rebounds, but the Golden State Warriors went down to the Boston Celtics 111-107.
Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 27 points and nine rebounds.
Domantas Sabonis' double-double of 32 points and 13 rebounds saw the Indiana Pacers past the Memphis Grizzlies 134-116.
Damian Lillard finished with 32 points as the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Washington Wizards 132-121. Bradley Beal had 37 points for the Wizards.
Griffin below his best
Blake Griffin struggled from the field, shooting four-of-13 for 11 points in 29 minutes in the Detroit Pistons' 117-105 loss to the Utah Jazz.
Melo moves
Carmelo Anthony posted 21 points off the bench in the Trail Blazers' win. He moved up to 13th on the all-time scoring list.
Tuesday's results
Toronto Raptors 123-108 Orlando Magic
Brooklyn Nets 124-120 Los Angeles Clippers
Indiana Pacers 134-116 Memphis Grizzlies
Portland Trail Blazers 132-121 Washington Wizards
Boston Celtics 111-107 Golden State Warriors
Utah Jazz 117-105 Detroit Pistons
Pacers at Bucks
The Pacers (12-9) will aim for a second straight win when they take on Giannis Antetokounmpo (averaging 27.3 points, 11 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game this season) and the Milwaukee Bucks (12-8) on Wednesday.
Fred VanVleet said it was "only a matter of time" before he broke the Toronto Raptors' record for most points in a game as he made history on Tuesday.
VanVleet went 17-of-23 from the field and 11-of-14 from three-point range to post 54 points in the Raptors' 123-108 victory over the Orlando Magic.
The guard's performance broke the Raptors record previous held by DeMar DeRozan (52).
"It was only a matter of time," a smiling VanVleet told Sportsnet after his performance.
"Every time I get a 30 or a 34 I usually get a text from DeMar telling me that I'm weak for not passing his record so I definitely had him in mind as I got close down the stretch."
VanVleet became the first player in NBA history to have 50-plus points, 10-plus three-pointers made, three-plus blocks and three-plus steals in a game, as per Stats Perform.
He is also the first guard to have 50-plus points, three-plus blocks and three-plus steals in a game since Michael Jordan in April 1987.
"It's just time. It was time. I've been missing a lot of open ones this season, more than I usually do," VanVleet said.
"But it was time and sometimes you hit that groove and you just find that zone and tonight I was able to do that.
"My team-mates did an unbelievable job of finding me and screening for me and getting me the ball in my spots. A lot of them were just catch and shoots."
The Raptors improved to 9-12 with their win.
World number one Ash Barty won her first WTA Tour match in almost a year at the Yarra Valley Classic, while Naomi Osaka got her Gippsland Trophy campaign going with a victory.
Barty sat out the vast majority of the 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic but marked her comeback with a 6-3 6-3 success over Ana Bogdan at Melbourne Park.
The Australian will face Marie Bouzkova next after the Czech defeated Aliona Bolsova on Tuesday.
Garbine Muguruza raced past Alison Van Uytvanck 6-2 6-0 and she was joined in the third round by Petra Kvitova, who battled to beat Venus Williams 7-6 (8-6) 7-5.
Reigning Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, who was 7-5 up when Camila Giorgi retired from their match, is also through.
In her first match since winning the US Open in September, Osaka cruised to a 6-2 6-2 success against Alize Cornet and will meet Katie Boulter after the Briton came from a set down to beat Coco Gauff 3-6 7-5 6-2.
Iga Swiatek was also making her first appearance since winning a major title – the French Open last October – and after a slow start won 10 of the final 11 games to beat Kaja Juvan 2-6 6-2 6-1.
Aryna Sabalenka ended 2020 with back-to-back titles in Ostrava and Linz, before kicking off the new year with another trophy in Abu Dhabi. However, her run of 15 straight victories ended with a 1-6 6-2 1-6 loss to Kaia Kanepi.
Bianca Andreescu was due to gear up for the Australian Open by contesting the Grampians Trophy this week but withdrew from the competition to focus on training instead.
Novak Djokovic continued his perfect record at the ATP Cup to help Serbia beat Canada in their opening tie.
The world number one won all eight of his rubbers in the 2020 tournament and made a fine start to this event by battling to a 7-5 7-5 win over Denis Shapovalov in Melbourne.
Milos Raonic had earlier put Canada in front when he beat Dusan Lajovic 6-3 6-4, meaning Djokovic had to return for a decisive doubles clash alongside Filip Krajinovic.
The Serbians prevailed, winning 7-5 7-6 (7-4) against Shapovalov and Raonic.
"Filip Krajinovic was the key," Djokovic said after the doubles triumph extended his undefeated run to 10.
"The way he played is phenomenal. He came out with very solid returning. He found his serve, great rhythm. He just played some really key shots in the second set when we needed it the most."
Of his singles win, Djokovic added: "It was a very close match. Playing Shapo is always a great challenge on hard courts.
"He's such a dynamic, explosive player; very talented. I thought we played on a very high level, so I'm really pleased with how I've started the season.
"This is the best way to kickstart the season, playing for your country.
"We don't get to see crowds in the tennis stadiums these days so much, so it's definitely a blessing. I'm really grateful to see you guys here in the stands."
SPAIN WIN WITHOUT NADAL
Defending champions Spain were without Rafael Nadal for their tie against Australia, but they still prevailed.
Pablo Carreno Busta had few problems seeing off John Millman 6-2 6-4.
And Roberto Bautista Agut ensured the tie was won before the doubles by emerging triumphant in an entertaining encounter with Alex de Minaur, which the Spaniard won 4-6 6-4 6-4.
Nadal, who is battling a back problem, hopes to return on Thursday when Spain take on Greece.
Elsewhere, Austria fell to a 2-1 loss against Italy, as US Open champion Dominic Thiem struggled.
After team-mate Dennis Novak had superbly beaten Fabio Fognini, world number three Thiem fell to a surprise 6-2 6-4 loss against Matteo Berrettini, with Austria going on to lose the decisive doubles.
Andrey Rublev and Daniil Medvedev beat Guido Pella and Diego Schwartzman respectively as Russia produced an impressive performance to beat Argentina.
Elsewhere, at the Murray River Open, Nick Kyrgios made a winning start to his comeback after a year out of action.
He did not have it easy against the unheralded Frenchman Alexandre Muller, but salvaged a 3-6 6-4 7-6 (7-4) victory to book a second-round meeting with fellow Australian Harry Bourchier.
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