Outside of the World Cup and the Olympic Games, no sporting event commands attention quite like the Super Bowl.
The build-up to an opening kick-off witnessed by a cavalcade of television and smartphone cameras is a week-long celebration of North America's dominant professional sport, a seven-day period in which talking heads agonise over every storyline in the only game of the year that doubles as a de-facto national holiday in the United States.
On occasion, such storylines may be contrived in a bid to create excitement for a matchup that does not instantly capture the imagination. Yet the modern NFL is one spoilt by the number of captivating contenders that reside in the league, and commissioner Roger Goodell could not have asked for a more enticing Super Bowl clash than the one that will take place in Arizona on Sunday.
Indeed, the meeting between AFC Champions the Kansas City Chiefs and NFC Champions the Philadelphia Eagles is one positively teeming with storylines that make Super Bowl LVII a game worthy of the ceaseless hype it will receive before Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts and Co. settle matters on the field in their fight to secure the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Mahomes and Hurts are poised to make history with their duel at State Farm Stadium. Their matchup is the first in the Super Bowl between two black starting quarterbacks and, by the time the Chiefs and Eagles have taken the field, one of them will likely have been crowned as MVP — both are finalists for the league’s most prestigious individual honour, which will be announced at a ceremony in Phoenix on Thursday.
Theirs is a battle between a signal-caller who is by this point established as the gold standard of his generation, with a prospective second MVP for Mahomes just reward for a campaign in which he threw for 50 passing touchdowns and over 5,000 yards in the same season for the second time in his career, and a quarterback who seems to be in the midst of an unexpected rise to the elite after startling growth in his second full season as a starter.
Yet both head into the game with plenty to prove. Mahomes will consider it past time to end his wait for a second Super Bowl title after breaking the hearts of the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV, while there will be many still questioning whether Hurts can excel against this calibre of opposition. The Eagles went 14-1 with him as the starter in the regular season but faced only six teams who finished the year with a winning record. So far in the postseason, they have blown out an overachieving New York Giants team and seen a mouth-watering NFC Championship Game with the 49ers reduced to a no-contest after injuries left San Francisco with no healthy quarterbacks.
But questions about the opposition Hurts has faced do nothing to detract from the quality of his overall play. He has performed extremely impressively as a deep-ball thrower, with his passer rating of 112.1 on passes of 21 air yards or more the fourth-best among quarterbacks with at least 25 such attempts. The Eagles have utilised Hurts’ running ability to devastating effect as he has rushed for 13 touchdowns, while the Philadelphia quarterback ranks fourth in yards over expected in true passing situations (among quarterbacks with at least 100 such throws).
Mahomes is second by the same measure, illustrating this game’s status as a legitimate matchup between two of the very best at the game’s most important position.
Both Mahomes and Hurts will depend heavily on a man named Kelce as they look to guide their team to glory, with Travis and Jason becoming the first brothers to play against each other in the Super Bowl. Tight end Travis Kelce became the undisputed top option in the Kansas City offense in the wake of the Tyreek Hill trade and added another hugely impressive season to a Hall of Fame resume.
His campaign featured 1,338 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns with his 19 receptions of at least 20 yards the most of any tight end and the seventh-most in the NFL. The impact of an offensive lineman can sometimes be less tangible, but no center in the league makes their presence as obvious as Jason Kelce, the engine to an Eagles line that ranks first in pass block win rate and second in run block win rate, according to Stats Perform data.
Both Kelce brothers were drafted by Andy Reid, Jason picked in 2011 when the 64-year-old was Eagles head coach, with Travis then selected in his first year in Kansas City in 2013, a tenure in Philadelphia defined by frustrating near-misses coming to an end in 2012.
Reid lost three successive NFC Championship Games with the Eagles between the 2001 and 2003 seasons before finally getting them to the Super Bowl in the 2004 campaign, with his time management skills vehemently criticised in a loss to the New England Patriots.
He got back to the NFC Championship Game one more time with Philadelphia in the 2008 season, but never did so again following a loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Though his triumph with the Chiefs four years ago will obviously have softened the pain of seeing the Eagles get over the hump without him in the 2017 campaign, a contest between a man who could never quite get job done in Philadelphia and a coach in Nick Sirianni who is a game away from winning the Super Bowl in his second season is a fascinating plot point in a heavyweight encounter.
Such will be the attention on messrs Mahomes, Hurts, Reid and the brothers Kelce that some of the critical battles on which the destination of the Lombardi could hinge may well fly under the radar.
Chief among them will be the fight in the trenches. Defensive Player of the Year contender Chris Jones has led the way for a Kansas City defensive line that has tallied 18 quarterback hits in the postseason, tied for the most among 2022 playoff teams. However, he and his team-mates up front will be tested not only in defeating the blocks of the Philadelphia offensive line but in tempering the aggressiveness by which Steve Spagnuolo's defense has come to be defined against a diverse Philadelphia ground game that is well-equipped to use it against Kansas City.
In comparison to Jones, Kansas City’s young secondary is an underrated aspect of the Chiefs’ roster. The Chiefs' defense ranks 11th in open percentage allowed, though the prospective return of cornerback L'Jarius Sneed from a head injury will be key to their hopes of limiting the impact of the Eagles' star receiver duo of A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, who rank 11th and 13th respectively in combined open percentage across man and zone coverage.
Sneed has lost just 22 of his 76-man coverage matchups. Only four players to have faced 75 such matchups have allowed a receiver to get open less often.
Stopping the Eagles is of course only half the battle for Kansas City and, for as frequently as 'Mahomes magic' has rescued the Chiefs, he cannot do it alone.
Encouragingly, the Chiefs rank ninth in rushing offense in Stats Perform's Efficiency Versus Expected metric and are going against an Eagles defense 21st by the same metric against the run.
The Eagles largely shut down the 49er run game in the NFC Championship Game, but that was primarily due to the fact the Philadelphia defense could focus solely on stopping the ground attack with the threat of the passing game removed.
With Philadelphia having played an offense that was reduced solely to running the ball, the Chiefs will have received an in-depth look at how the Eagles fit their defense to stop the rush, potentially improving their odds of finding weaknesses in that area and taking advantage of them.
Mahomes remains the primary weapon and most will expect and want to see a bewitching duel between and the top two MVP candidates. Yet the Super Bowl can throw up unexpected heroes and, though there are bonafide stars and storylines aplenty, the post-game tales could well be of the job the Eagles did on Jones, how rookie Isiah Pacheco gashed Philadelphia’s run defense or how Sneed and Jaylen Watson kept Brown and Smith at bay. There's plenty of intrigue beneath the surface in a potential all-time classic.
Number five seed Jelena Ostapenko booked a place in the last 16 of the Abu Dhabi Open with victory over Danielle Collins in three sets on Monday.
Ostapenko, looking to add to the fifth career title she won in Dubai 12 months ago, edged an entertaining contest 7-5 1-6 7-5 in two hours and 19 minutes.
Fellow seeded player Anett Kontaveit was also victorious on the opening day of the tournament, but only after battling back to beat Zhang Shuai 4-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-4.
Marta Kostyuk saw off Sorana Cirstea 6-2 1-6 6-2, meanwhile, and will now face second seed Belinda Bencic in the next round.
Elise Mertens is also through to round two, where Veronika Kudermetova awaits, after dominating Martina Trevisan 6-0 6-2.
In the first main draw match at the Linz Open, Sofia Kenin let an early lead slip to lose 2-6 6-3 6-4 to Jule Niemeier.
Wide receiver A.J. Green has decided to step away from the NFL after 12 years.
The 34-year-old took to social media to announce the decision to retire on Monday.
"Thank you to all who have supported, encouraged and inspired me throughout my career," he wrote on Twitter. "Special thank you to the University of Georgia, Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals for the opportunity to pursue my dreams.
"I've stayed true to the game and it owes me nothing. Be blessed.. Love y'all! The next chapter begins."
Green was drafted fourth overall in 2011 by the Bengals and earned his first of seven consecutive Pro Bowl selections that season after leading the team with 65 receptions, 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns.
His best season came in 2013, when he had career highs of 98 receptions for 1,426 yards and 11 TDs.
After 10 seasons with the Bengals, Green signed as a free agent with Arizona, where he spent the final two seasons.
He ranks second all-time in Cincinnati franchise history in career receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns and ends his career with 727 receptions for 10,514 yards and 70 touchdowns in 158 games.
Justin Rose ended a four-year PGA Tour title drought with a three-shot victory at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on Monday.
Rose led by two strokes when play was suspended due to darkness at Monterey Peninsula Country Club on Sunday.
The Englishman returned to end a run of 67 PGA Tour events without being crowned champion, carding a six-under 66 to finish on 18 under.
Rose resumed at the 10th hole, securing a par before picking up three birdies through the next four holes to keep his rival at bay.
The 2013 U.S. Open champion added another three pars to finish his round and finally get that winning feeling on the PGA Tour once again.
His previous PGA Tour triumph came at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in January 2019.
Brendon Todd and Brandon Wu shared second place on 15 under after signing for final rounds of 65 and 66 respectively.
Denny McCarthy and Keith Mitchell were a further shot back on a memorable Monday for Rose.
Anthony Joshua's next fight has been confirmed for April 1 against Jermaine Franklin at The O2 in London.
Two-time world heavyweight champion Joshua will attempt to get his career back on track with a victory over Franklin in his homeland following back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk.
Usyk claimed the WBA, IBF and WBO belts by beating the Briton in September 2021 and retained them with victory in the rematch in Jeddah last August.
Franklin was beaten by Dillian White in his last fight last November, that being the American's only defeat in 22 professional bouts.
Joshua is eager to impress his new head trainer Derrick James in what will be his first fight at The O2 since 2016.
"I'm looking forward to stepping back into the ring on April 1 at The O2 in London," said the 33-year-old Joshua. "Mentally and physically I feel ready.
"I want to put on a show and impress my coach as he has high standards. Franklin has a good style and a great attitude, which he has shown in recent fights."
Eddie Hearn, Joshua's promoter, last week stated that he expects the 2012 Olympic champion to make a statement when he faces Franklin but knows "we've got a major problem" if he is beaten again.
Franklin warned he will inflict more pain on Joshua in his homeland.
"I'm ready to show the world why it's time for me to take my place at the top of the heavyweight division," said Franklin.
"Joshua had his time. It's my time to shock the world. This fight isn't going to the judge's card. I will have win number 22 come April 1. That ain't no April Fool's joke."
Ireland will be without Jamison Gibson-Park, Cian Healy and Tadhg Furlong for a huge Six Nations clash with France on Saturday.
Scrum-half Gibson-Park and prop Healy were late withdrawals from an opening 34-10 win over Wales at the weekend due to hamstring injuries.
The duo will not be fit in time for a showdown with defending champions France at the Aviva Stadium, while prop Furlong also misses out due to a calf issue that sidelined him for the victory at the Principality Stadium.
Conor Murray will be expected to retain the number nine shirt after coming into the side to replace Gibson-Park.
Captain Johnny Sexton, who suffered a dead leg in Cardiff, will complete the HIA process on Monday, while Ronan Kelleher is due to return to training this week.
Scrum-half Caolin Blade and loosehead prop Michael Milne have been called up to the squad, while Roman Salanoa and Tom Stewart will remain with the group after being drafted in last week.
France started the defence of their title with a 29-24 win over Italy at Stadio Olimpico on Sunday.
The latest Kyrie Irving saga is over with time to spare before the trade deadline, but how will it impact the rest of the NBA?
The Dallas Mavericks agreed a trade for Irving and Markieff Morris on Sunday, sending Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie, an unprotected 2029 first-round pick and second-round picks in 2027 and 2029 to the Brooklyn Nets.
That shake-up had been anticipated as Irving pursued a trade, yet it leaves plenty to ponder ahead of Thursday's deadline.
Stats Perform considers the week's key questions as those hoping to be in contention respond to the Mavs' big move.
How does Durant react?
Irving and Kevin Durant arrived in Brooklyn together in 2019 but, for myriad reasons, the Nets never saw the best of them as a pair as they started only 71 regular season games together.
Durant repeatedly stood by Irving as various controversies threatened to derail the team, yet he has now been left behind.
While the package the Nets received from the Mavs should ensure they have enough to put around Durant and remain competitive, what does the two-time Finals MVP want for himself?
The suggestion over the weekend was the Phoenix Suns – under new ownership – would be keen on making a move for Durant if he became available, and there would be other potential contenders who would see the attraction of a genuine superstar to get them over the line.
Durant has failed previously to force his way out of Brooklyn, but his situation is certainly worth watching.
What now for the Lakers?
If not the Mavs, the Los Angeles Lakers seemed the most likely destination for Irving, with Russell Westbrook and two unprotected first-round picks said to make up the package offered to the Nets.
The Nets were understandably unconvinced by Westbrook's ability to have an impact in 2023, however, and now the Lakers must regroup.
Superstar LeBron James could be forgiven for being far from impressed with the team's inability to secure a trade he had pushed for, and his cryptic Twitter posts as news broke of the Mavs deal would suggest that is the case.
It is expected the Lakers will remain active ahead of the deadline, but Rob Pelinka's promise to only use the team's draft picks in "a move that puts us as a front-runner to get another championship" somewhat limits their potential moves.
The Utah Jazz and the Toronto Raptors have plenty of players they could move, yet none that fall into that category. Someone like Bradley Beal could perhaps be a possibility if the Lakers are determined to go all-in on helping James.
Do the Warriors have a move?
As the Mavs moved for Irving, news elsewhere indicated another shift in the Western Conference: Stephen Curry's leg injury is set to see him miss multiple weeks.
The Golden State Warriors are the defending champions but also cannot afford to be without Curry, given their middling 27-26 record.
This team looked set up to succeed long term, balancing the veteran brilliance of Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green with a cast of exciting young talents, led by Jordan Poole.
But between the drama of a clash between Green and Poole, Curry's repeated fitness issues and the Warriors' generally middling form, there was already no room for error before the reigning Finals MVP went down again.
With an upturn required and Curry missing, Golden State may have to deal some of their young prospects – former number two pick James Wiseman being an obvious candidate – in order to improve their roster.
Is Anunoby as big as it gets?
With the Raptors seen as willing sellers, O.G. Anunoby has been popular in trade rumours for weeks now. As the deadline nears, it seems inevitable he will move.
A number of teams with designs on winning the title would benefit from the versatile Anunoby and his ability on both ends of the floor, averaging 16.9 points and 2.1 steals per game.
The New Orleans Pelicans and the Memphis Grizzlies appear to provide the most likely landing grounds.
But will that be it? If Durant stays put, will Anunoby be the most significant mover of the final days before the deadline?
After the Irving trade, that seems very low key, but the NBA always has the facility to surprise...
Rookie driver Logan Sargeant is "super motivated" to grasp his first Formula One opportunity in Williams' new FW45 challenger car.
Sargeant is gearing up for his maiden F1 season after replacing the axed Nicholas Latifi.
The 22-year-old American was fast-tracked to become Alex Albon's team-mate.
Williams finished bottom of the constructor standings with only eight points in 2022, but will start a new era with a rookie driver and team principal in the form of Sargeant and James Vowles.
The team on Monday unveiled the matte livery that will adorn their FW45 challenger, with Mercedes providing the power for a 10th consecutive season, and Sargeant is raring to go.
He said: "I'm really excited for the season to get started after what, for me, feels like a long winter!
"I'm super motivated and we've put a lot of hard work in. The car is looking amazing and it shows the huge effort the team has put in the off-season, so I'm looking forward to getting started at Silverstone before heading out to Bahrain."
Albon said: "The team has worked really hard last year and over the winter to address some key areas in our car, putting in the work to try and maximise what we get out of the car for 2023, so I'm looking forward to seeing what the FW45 can do."
Vowles will begin his new role on February 20, three days before the drivers begin 2023 pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit.
Doc Rivers was frustrated by the Philadelphia 76ers' second unit after his side gave up a big lead against the New York Knicks.
The Sixers went down 108-97 in New York on Sunday, despite taking a 21-point lead in the first quarter.
Philadelphia's advantage was cut to just two by halftime, and although they restored a three-point cushion heading into the final quarter, they could not hold out.
Having seen his team surrender a 21-point lead for the second game in a week, coach Rivers bemoaned the play of those he had to call on from the bench.
"I thought our second unit came in and struggled," Rivers told reporters.
"This is the second time that has happened. The same thing happened in Orlando.
"Both times, we were scoring too easy. The second group comes in and thinks this is an offensive game and they didn't see the reason the first group got the lead was because of defense."
Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris and James Harden started and each posted double-doubles for the 76ers, yet Tyrese Maxey was the only substitute to get into double figures for points (12).
In contrast, the Knicks bench accounted for 37 points, with Evan Fournier putting up 17 of them.
Rivers did, however, insist it was "not just a bench loss".
"We've been good at that. Just because one half doesn't work, you don't vacate the unit," he said.
"That's what guys do who lose a lot. So they didn't play well, though honestly, I didn't think that's why we lost the game.
"I hate that the numbers look like it was the bench: it was everybody. This was a team loss and I made that clear.
"We'll sit and look and we'll see minus-24 and plus-34s, our stars were in some of that too when Fournier was making those shots, and so I just thought it was a team loss. I thought it was more mental and emotional than just playing basketball.
"I thought we were just not strong. Mentally, I thought they were the mentally tougher team and they deserve to win."
Embiid, who led the game with 31 points, 14 rebounds and three assists, added: "It's never easy.
"A 20-point lead in the NBA, that's nothing. Any team can come back and that's what they did tonight."
Kyrie Irving bade Brooklyn Nets fans farewell after accompanying him in the fulfilment of a childhood "dream" of playing for the franchise before sealing a trade.
Irving requested a trade from the Nets on Friday, and just two days later he got his wish.
The Dallas Mavericks sent Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a first-round draft pick and two second-rounders in exchange for Irving and Markieff Morris.
Comfortably the most significant trade of the NBA season, Irving's move comes less than two weeks after he was named a starter in what will be his eighth All-Star Game appearance.
Irving joined from the Boston Celtics in 2019 and was a controversial figure during his time in Brooklyn, sitting out much of the 2021-22 season because he refused to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
He had been enjoying a strong bounce-back campaign before requesting a trade, averaging 27.1 points, 5.3 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game.
And despite not being a universally popular figure, Irving paid tribute to Nets fans – who booed him when his face appeared on a big screen ahead of Saturday's win over the Washington Wizards – ahead of linking up with Luka Doncic at the Mavs.
Irving, who once described himself as being a "struggling Nets fan" while growing up, wrote on social media: "Thank you NetsWorld fans and supporters for the love on and off the court.
"I will forever be grateful I got to live out my dream I had as a kid with y'all. It will always be love from me and my family."
He added: "Pouring Libations for all of the ancestors and the universe. Thank you for the guidance and assistance along the journey. I honor you and I love you. Blessings."
Irving missed the game against the Wizards due to calf soreness, which ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski says has since subsided.
Pending a medical, the Mavericks are preparing for Irving to make his debut for the franchise on Wednesday when they travel to take on the Los Angeles Clippers.
The 28-26 Mavs are sixth in the Western Conference, while the Nets (32-20) are fourth in the East.
Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown is concerned that his side's strong start has them playing complacently after getting crushed 136-104 by the undermanned New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday.
The Pelicans, who were without Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, were 1-10 in their previous 11 games heading into Sunday, but they made light work of a Kings side who were also missing De'Aaron Fox.
It was Sacramento's fourth loss from their past six games, and while they still sit third in the West, the tightly bunched nature of the conference has them in a precarious position.
At 29-23 the Kings are one game ahead of the fourth-placed Los Angeles Clippers (30-26), but are also only three games ahead of the 10th-seeded Utah Jazz (27-27).
A losing streak now could see the Kings plummet in the standings, and with the potential to break 16-season playoff drought, coach Brown wants to see his team figure things out quickly.
"We’ve had a pretty good year so far and we've experienced a lot of highs," he said. "Now we've hit a little adversity.
"I don't know if we're all-in like we talked about at the beginning of the year, and how we've been, because things are flowing and we're winning and in third-place or whatever.
"I'm going to watch and see how we all handle this. It's tough to go through, but it's a great thing for this team to experience.
"Because if we expect to make the playoffs – and we do expect to advance in the playoffs – we'll have to deal with adversity... and, right now, I don't think we're doing a great job with it."
For the Pelicans, who are now on a two-game winning streak following a dismal 10-game losing streak, second-year wing Trey Murphy III was the key as he scored a season-high 30 points on nine-of-11 shooting, hitting six-of-eight from deep.
The 22-year-old came into the contest having made just 11-of-31 three-point attempts in his past five games, but he said he knew things would balance out if he kept firing.
"Just got to keep shooting, no matter if you're hitting or not," he said. "Eventually, your percentage is going to get to where it's supposed to be. So, I'm just glad my teammates found me and I was able knock down shots."
He added: "B.I. [Ingram] was out, so somebody had to be B.I. – I decided to tap into my B.I. skill-set."
The Dallas Mavericks are preparing for Kyrie Irving to make his debut for the franchise on Wednesday when they travel to take on the Los Angeles Clippers.
Irving requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets on Friday, and just two days later the controversial superstar got his wish as the Mavericks sent away Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a first-round draft pick and two second-rounders in exchange for Irving and Markieff Morris.
It is easily the biggest trade of the NBA season so far, and it comes less than two weeks after Irving was named a starter in what will be his eighth All-Star Game appearance.
After sitting out most of the 2021-22 season in protest to New York City's vaccination mandate, Irving had been in the midst of a strong bounce back campaign, averaging 27.1 points, 5.3 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game while shooting 48.6 per cent from the field, 37.4 per cent from deep and 88.3 per cent from the free throw line.
He had played in 40 of the Nets' first 51 games this season, before also missing their 52nd with what was labelled "calf soreness" the day after he demanded the trade from Brooklyn, when it was also reported he was willing to sit out until a trade was made.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, that calf soreness has subsided and, pending a physical on Monday, he is expected to suit up in Mavericks colours for the first time on Wednesday.
The Athletic's Shams Charania states the Clippers were one of three other teams serious about trading for Irving – along with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns – and the Clippers will face him the game after they return from their road trip, which wraps up Monday against the now Irving-less Nets.
There are no more scheduled meetings between the Nets and Mavericks for the rest of the campaign, with Dallas having already swept the season series 2-0.
The NBA banned a number of acquaintances of Memphis Grizzlies All-Star Ja Morant from attending the team's home games following a postgame incident that occurred last week.
According to a report from The Athletic, members of Morant’s group reportedly confronted representatives of the Indiana Pacers' travelling party following the Grizzlies' 112-100 win over Indiana in Memphis on January 29.
The report states that a red laser coming from an SUV that was believed to be carrying Morant was pointed towards Pacers players and coaches as they made their way to the team bus, and witnesses told NBA investigators they feared the laser was attached to a gun.
A league spokesman said a resulting investigation found no evidence of any weapons present, but confirmed to The Athletic that multiple people have been prohibited from attending Grizzlies’ home games following the probe.
"NBA security and league investigators conducted an investigation interviewing numerous eyewitnesses and reviewing video surveillance following allegations made by the Indiana Pacers organisation regarding a postgame incident on January 29," the league said in a statement.
"While we substantiated that a postgame situation arose that was confrontational, based on interviews and other evidence gathered, we could not corroborate that any individual threatened others with a weapon.
"Certain individuals involved in the postgame situation and a related matter during the game that night have been subsequently banned from attending games in the arena. If additional information becomes available related to the postgame situation, the league office will conduct a further review."
Morant, who was named to his second straight All-Star Game earlier this week, tweeted Sunday that his brother was barred from FedEx Forum for a year as a result of the investigation. The standout point guard received no league discipline.
"Did a investigation [and] seen they were cappin,” Morant tweeted. "Still let a article come out to paint this negative image on me and my fam, and banned my brother from home games for a year. Unbelievable."
Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins told reporters prior to Sunday's game against Toronto that the team cooperated fully with the NBA's investigation, though he did not comment on any specific details of the situation.
"That was addressed internally. We're aware of the investigation of the NBA," he said. "They did a full investigation, we were fully compliant with it and I think they came out with a statement saying nothing was corroborated or found.
"That’s what I know and that’s all I’m going to comment on."
The New York Knicks stormed home with a 32-18 final period to defeat the visiting Philadelphia 76ers 108-97 on Sunday,
The Knicks were on the second night of a back-to-back, coming off a disappointing overtime loss at home against the Los Angeles Clippers, but they steadied the ship to avoid a fourth loss from their past five.
Point guard Jalen Brunson finished with 21 points on six-of-16 shooting with seven assists and five rebounds, while All-Star team-mate Julius Randle posted 24 points (eight-of-19), nine rebounds and seven assists.
They were solid, but inefficient, shooting a combined 40 per cent from the field while both finished with a plus/minus figure in the negatives.
What won the game for the Knicks was their production off the bench. Evan Fournier scored a season-high 17 points (six-of-11), Deuce McBride added 14 points (three-of-eight), and the pair combined to shoot eight-of-14 from long range, while both posting a plus/minus of plus 28 or better.
Backup center Isaiah Hartenstein was similarly impactful, snatching an equal season-high 14 rebounds in his fourth consecutive appearance with at least 10 boards.
MVP candidate Joel Embiid was respectable for the 76ers, finishing six-of-16 from the field, but he still produced 31 points and 14 rebounds after shooting 18-of-19 from the free throw line.
With the win, the Knicks improved their record to 29-26, and they now sit just a half-game back from the six seed in the Eastern Conference.
Balanced Raptors overcome Morant-less Grizzlies
With Ja Morant out injured, the Memphis Grizzlies were unable to protect their lead down the stretch, going down 106-103 at home against the Toronto Raptors.
The Grizzlies led by 15 points late in the third quarter, before the Raptors closed the show on a 40-22 run.
Seven of the eight Raptors to play finished with between 10 and 19 points, with Pascal Siakam's 19 points on seven-of-17 shooting leading the scoring, while Scottie Barnes was a menace defensively as he had two steals and two blocks to go with his 16 points and seven rebounds.
Desmond Bane (26 points and four steals) and Jaren Jackson Jr (18 points and four blocks) were the bright spots for the Grizzlies, who at 32-21 are now four-and-a-half games behind the Western Conference-leading Denver Nuggets.
Cavs starters light up the Pacers
The Cleveland Cavaliers' starting-five shot a blistering 58.7 per cent from the field as they blew out the Indiana Pacers 122-103 on the road.
Donovan Mitchell had 19 points on six-of-18 shooting, but he was the only Cleveland starter to hit less than half his shots as Darius Garland (eight-of-13), Evan Mobley (seven-of-12), Jarrett Allen (nine-of-11) and Isaac Okoro (seven-of-nine) combined to shoot 68.8 per cent.
Newly extended Pacers center Myles Turner had strong production in the losing effort, finishing with 27 points (nine-of-18), 10 rebounds and three blocks.
The NFC emerged victorious to secure the first edition of the NFL's new Pro Bowl Games, defeating the AFC 35-33 in the final flag football contest.
In a new format, the NFL decided to scrap the traditional Pro Bowl game as the injury risk of a real football game led to a mediocre product in recent years, with players only going at half-speed.
Instead, they replaced it with a series of mini-games – including dodgeball, and a best catch contest utilising a trampoline – spread over multiple days.
The two teams competed in four events on Thursday, with the NFC only securing victory in the dodgeball event. For the AFC, Buffalo Bills safety Jordan Poyer's 320-yard bomb won the long drive competition, Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr guided them to victory in the precision passing, and the team combined to win the three-event lightning round.
That gave the AFC the lead heading into Sunday's finale, although the NFC trimmed into the margin when Detroit Lions receiver Amon Ra St. Brown won the best catch contest.
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith delivered the winning touchdown pass to Dallas Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb with 12 seconds remaining to take the first of the three flag football games for the NFC, before the AFC won the next to force a decider.
In the second, Bills receiver Stefon Diggs caught the game-winning touchdown, but not before he accidentally threw an earlier interception to his brother, Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins was the hero in the final game, throwing passing touchdowns to team-mate Justin Jefferson as well as San Francisco 49ers pair George Kittle and Kyle Juszczyk to secure the victory.
NFC players received $84,000 each for taking part and coming away with the win, while AFC players earned $42,000.
Justin Rose will resume play on Monday with a two-stroke lead after the final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am was halted due to darkness.
It was anticipated that players would not be able to finish their rounds on Sunday after Saturday's play was also called off early, as wind at the Monterey Peninsula Country Club course would not allow balls to sit still on the green.
Players came out early to finish their third round, before teeing off for their final 18 holes around noon.
Rose's third round was his best of the week, taking advantage of the easier Monterey Peninsula course to post a six-under 65 to begin his last round at 12 under.
He kept his momentum going at Pebble Beach Golf Links – the six-time U.S. Open venue which also hosts the final round – as he followed an eagle on the sixth with a birdie on the seventh, reaching the end of his front nine three under, and 15 under overall.
That is when he had to pack up for the day, leading by two strokes over Denny McCarthy (through 15 holes), Brendon Todd (through 12) and Peter Malnati (through nine).
One further back – and three off the lead – are the American trio of Beau Hossler (through 12), Keith Mitchell (through 10) and Brandon Wu (through 10), as well as Canada's Taylor Pendrith, who was one of the early starters and finished with an eight-under 64 for the day's best round.
Patrick Mahomes revealed as no surprise that he wanted to retain star wide receiver Tyreek Hill for this season, but he trusted the plan of Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach.
Hill, 28, was drafted by the Chiefs as a fifth-rounder in 2015, and he is likely on track to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame after becoming one of the most devastating offensive weapons in league history.
He made the Pro Bowl every year from 2016-2022, and this season earned his fourth First Team All-Pro selection after setting career-highs with 119 receptions and 1710 yards with the Miami Dolphins.
Veach said there were warning signs early in free agency that Hill would demand a record-breaking contract for a receiver, and he had to make the painful decision to prioritise the defensive side of the ball instead.
"It became obvious as free agency started, given the way wide receiver contracts were going up, that it was going to be tough to do both [extend Hill and address the defense]," he said.
The Chiefs knew some tough calls were on the horizon after Mahomes signed his NFL-record 10-year, $450million deal, as his salary jumped from $8m in 2021 to $35m this season.
Hill ended up signing a four-year, $120m deal – and in a salary-capped league, something had to give.
"Everyone knew what the next two or three years would look like and how many players we'd have to potentially cut and how difficult things would be,'' he said. "We would have had a lot of expensive players.
"It's hard to be successful in this league year after year. It's hard to win games year after year. There are going to be moments where we have to step out there and do something uncomfortable.
"No one wanted to lose Tyreek – he's a great player. But if you're going to do something, trust the process and trust how you do things and don't be afraid to commit to change a year sooner when you have more ability to potentially make those changes work better.''
Veach said his willingness to make such a franchise-defining call is attributed to his belief that the franchise can not waste any seasons with Mahomes at the helm.
"When you have Pat Mahomes, we're wired to go after it every year,'' he said.
Mahomes himself said it was no secret that he wanted to re-sign Hill and keep the band together after winning the Super Bowl in 2020, but he understood all the moving pieces.
"I wanted to keep him, for sure,'' he said. "They had a plan for it, though.
"They told me the plan and we were going to get these draft picks. We were going to go out there and bring in some free agent receivers, and I think they executed on that.
"We know that to keep having success in this league we have to keep evolving, keep getting better. I always want to be successful this year, but at the same time, I'm here for the long haul.
"If we're going to have a long time here, I want to have a chance to win Super Bowls every single year.''
The Chiefs' other offensive star, Travis Kelce, said he had concerns after the Hill trade, including how effective the Chiefs might be on offense and what it all might mean for him.
"Yes, that was a question,'' he said. "But once I saw how hard guys were working, paying attention to details, how Pat keeps progressing as a quarterback... Right now, we're in a good routine that we just keep getting better.
"You could feel that from the day we started from May until now."
Mahomes is in his fifth year as a starter, and after another spectacular season he is the favourite to add a second MVP to his resume, as well as a fourth All-Pro selection, while he prepares for a chance at his second championship.
The NFC emerged victorious to secure the first edition of the NFL's new Pro Bowl Games, defeating the AFC 35-33 in the final flag football contest.
In a new format, the NFL decided to scrap the traditional Pro Bowl game as the injury risk of a real football game led to a mediocre product in recent years, with players only going at half-speed.
Instead, they replaced it with a series of mini-games – including dodgeball, and a best catch contest utilising a trampoline – spread over multiple days.
The two teams competed in four events on Thursday, with the NFC only securing victory in the dodgeball event. For the AFC, Buffalo Bills safety Jordan Poyer's 320-yard bomb won the long drive competition, Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr guided them to victory in the precision passing, and the team combined to win the three-event lightning round.
That gave the AFC the lead heading into Sunday's finale, although the NFC trimmed into the margin when Detroit Lions receiver Amon Ra St. Brown won the best catch contest.
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith delivered the winning touchdown pass to Dallas Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb with 12 seconds remaining to take the first of the three flag football games for the NFC, before the AFC won the next to force a decider.
In the second, Bills receiver Stefon Diggs caught the game-winning touchdown, but not before he accidentally threw an earlier interception to his brother, Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins was the hero in the final game, throwing passing touchdowns to team-mate Justin Jefferson as well as San Francisco 49ers pair George Kittle and Kyle Juszczyk to secure the victory.
NFC players received $84,000 each for taking part and coming away with the win, while AFC players earned $42,000.
Steve Borthwick claims the England team he inherited from Eddie Jones "weren’t good at anything" but says he has seen progress despite defeat to Scotland.
The former Leicester Tigers boss saw his side lose the first game of his tenure in their Six Nations opener, as they were beaten 29-23 at Twickenham.
In a World Cup year, it marked another damning result for England's prospects, with their dismal run during 2022 contributing to the exit of long-term boss Jones.
But now Borthwick, who worked as the Australian's assistant before leaving for Leicester, has given a withering appraisal of the squad left behind by him amid the Scotland post-mortem.
"I've been frank from day one in saying there's a lot of work to do," he told the Guardian. "When I looked at the team in the autumn, when I measured the team and got all the data for the team, we weren't good at anything.
"It was as frank as that. My job is to make sure we get some improvements next week. I have asked the players to play a new way.
"One thing I have got to do here is get the players to believe in themselves, and get the players to bring their strengths to the pitch.
"[I have to] get them to play to the best of themselves, which I don't think we have seen them do for a while. I think you saw an improvement in that regard."
England held a 20-12 lead at one point in London, before a collapse allowed Scotland to sweep to a historic victory against their rivals.
Having brought respected assistant Kevin Sinfield from Leicester to oversee defence, the soft nature of his side's concessions is a sticking point for Borthwick.
With that in mind, however, he felt the team showed spirit to their concessions, adding: "I'd seen a habit with the team of conceding points early and not being able to respond to it.
"We conceded points [against Scotland] and the biggest thing I was looking at was the response. I thought the response was magnificent."
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