The Golden State Warriors played their "best stretch" of basketball this season in Saturday's 120-101 win over the Houston Rockets says head coach Steve Kerr, as the reigning champions ominously made it five wins from six games.
The Warriors raced to a 39-23 quarter-time lead, inspired by Andrew Wiggins with a season-high 36 points and reigning NBA Finals MVP Stephen Curry with 30.
Golden State led 22-4 at one stage in the first quarter and did not commit a turnover until the second quarter, in an ominous sign from the reigning champions who improved to 12-11.
"It was a phenomenal first 18 minutes," Kerr told reporters. "I thought that was maybe the best stretch we've had all year to start the game.
"Then halfway through the second quarter, maybe eight minutes left in the second quarter we didn’t have any turnovers, we had like 16 assists, we were defending, rebounding, doing everything right and then we just lost our focus.
"That's our biggest challenge right now is trying to maintain our focus long enough to not give up leads and allow teams back in and I thought that’s what happened tonight."
Warriors shooting guard Thompson was rested for the game, the second of their back-to-back games, having won 119-111 over the Chicago Bulls on Friday.
"The hope is that he will play back-to-backs later this year," Kerr said.
"Today, he will go through really good court work to try and simulate as best we can what a back-to-back would feel like for him."
Wiggins and Curry both scored eight three-pointers each as the Warriors tallied 25 for the game on 52.9 per cent shooting from beyond the arc.
The Warriors became the second team behind the Utah Jazz in November-December 2021 to make 20 three-pointers in four of five games.
Andrew Wiggins and Stephen Curry piled on the points as the Golden State Warriors improved to a 12-11 record with a 120-101 victory over the Houston Rockets on Saturday.
Wiggins scored a season-high 36 points on 14-of-19 field shooting with a joint career-high eight three-pointers, including three in a row in the third quarter at the Chase Center.
Curry added 30 points, including eight triples, as well as providing 10 assists for Golden State, who have won five of their past six games.
Jordan Poole, who came into the starting line-up for Klay Thompson who was rested, also had 21 points with five three-pointers. Center Kevon Looney had 12 rebounds with nine points.
The Warriors shot 25-of-52 from three-point range as a team, compared to the Rockets who went at 10.7 per cent from beyond the arc, making three-of-28 attempts.
Golden State became the second team in NBA history to make 20 three-pointers in four of five games.
Gobert ejected in Timberwolves defeat
Rudy Gobert was ejected for deliberately tripping Kenrich Williams as the Minnesota Timberwolves were beaten 135-128 by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The French center was given a flagrant 2 foul and ejected in the second quarter when he tangled with Williams, appearing to sweep a leg out while on the ground, seeing his unbalanced opponent tumble.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander top scored for OKC with 33 points and six assists, while for the Timberwolves, who were already without Karl-Anthony Towns (calf), D'Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards scored 27 and 26 points respectively.
Short-handed Bucks down Hornets
The Milwaukee Bucks overcame the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo due to left knee soreness as they moved to 16-6 with a 105-96 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.
The Bucks, who are second in the Eastern Conference, were also without Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday but Bobby Portis (20 points, eight rebounds and seven assists) stepped up.
Jordan Nwora added 17 points, while Brook Lopez (14 points including three three-pointers and six rebounds) and Jevon Carter (14 points and six assists) were strong contributors.
With baseball’s winter meetings getting underway on Sunday, the Pittsburgh Pirates could be a very busy team now that center fielder Bryan Reynolds has requested a trade.
Reynolds hit .262 with 27 home runs and 62 RBIs in 145 games last season and as a young, controllable player would be a very attractive piece for teams should the Pirates choose to deal him.
"While it is disappointing, this will have zero impact on our decision-making this offseason or in the future," the team said Saturday in a statement.
"Our goal is to improve the Pirates for 2023 and beyond. With three years until he hits free agency, Bryan remains a key member of our team. We look forward to him having a great season for the Pirates."
The 27-year-old switch-hitter is set to earn $6.75 million this season in the second year of a two-year, $13 million arbitration extension. He is then under club control for two more seasons via arbitration before becoming eligible for free agency after the 2025 season.
Reynolds experienced a dip in production last season after he was an NL All-Star in 2021, when he batted .314 with 24 homers and 90 RBIs. He also had a career-best .390 on-base percentage and eight triples, tied for the major league high.
Pittsburgh finished 62-100 last season and is 211-335 for a .386 winning percentage in Reynolds’ four years with the team. The Pirates’ lead the majors in losses since the start of the 2019 season.
The Pirates acquired Ji-Man Choi in a trade with Tampa Bay on November 10 and signed fellow first baseman Carlos Santana to a one-year, $6.75 million contract.
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said on Tuesday at the news conference for Santana's contract that the team wants to be better in 2023.
''We think we've got a group of young players that has a chance to help us get better and continue to get better and we'll try to add to that group in the way that makes the most sense,'' he said.
Reigning champion Viktor Hovland carded a round-of-the-day eight-under-par 64 to pull three shots clear at the Hero World Challenge on Albany Golf Course in the Bahamas on Saturday.
The Norwegian, who was the joint leader after day one and outright leader by one shot at halfway, shot 10 birdies in his stunning third round to open up a three-shot gap on Scottie Scheffler.
Hovland could have been further ahead if not for a bogey on the par-four 18th hole, having managed six birdies in the previous seven holes to card 31 on his back nine. He also bogeyed on the sixth hole.
The reigning champion, who managed eagles in both of his first two days, fired in a dart over the water off the tee on the par-three 17th hole to set up a routine birdie putt.
Hovland leads from world number two Scheffler, who hit 66 on day three, to move up to 10-under overall.
Scheffler buried an eagle putt on the par-five 15th hole to move into solo second, having five birdies for his round, along with a bogey.
Justin Thomas is a further two shots behind Scheffler at eight-under overall, alongside Cameron Young who had been in the four-player pack one stroke behind Hovland at halfway.
Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele are tied at seven under, rounding out those in contention with a big gap to the next best, Jon Rahm who is four-under overall.
Kevin Kisner landed a hole-in-one on the par-three 12th hole to produce the first ace on that hole since the event moved to Albany in 2015.Ja Morant has been fined $35,000 by the NBA for "directing inappropriate language towards a game official" and for not leaving the court soon enough.
The punishment was announced by the league on Saturday in response to the Memphis Grizzlies guard's behaviour in the 109-101 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday.
With just over a minute left of the game, Morant was given a technical and ejected by the referee, which provoked an angry response from the 23-year-old.
He took to Instagram after the game to suggest officials have "too much power," adding: "you get ejected nowadays for telling a mf the same thing they told you."
Morant has been enjoying another productive season in Memphis, averaging 28.2 points, 7.3 assists and 6.4 rebounds per game for the 13-9 Grizzlies, who visit the Detroit Pistons on Sunday.
Tyson Fury took the opportunity to call out Oleksandr Usyk after his TKO victory against Derek Chisora at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Victory came in front of the Ukrainian at ringside, who holds the other three heavyweight belts, and it is widely expected that a unification fight is next on the agenda.
There has not been a unified heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis at the turn of the millennium and such a bout has evaded Fury in recent years, having seen an agreement to fight Anthony Joshua fall away after the pandemic.
Fury has made it abundantly clear on the next step he wants to take in his career, going face-to-face with Usyk in front of the cameras.
"Where's Oleksandr Usyk, the rabbit? You're next, you little b****, you're getting it," he said in the ring.
"15 stone little midget beat a bodybuilder [referring to Anthony Joshua], but I'm not a bodybuilder. I've already beaten one Ukrainian in [Wladimir] Klitschko. Let's get it on. I will end you. What you going to do? You're going to do f*** all.
"I can't wait. All these big fights have been evaded for so long, but they can't run away anymore. They can run but they can't hide."
Fury and Usyk were also joined in the ring by Joe Joyce, with the Gypsy King taking the opportunity to call out his compatriot as a future opponent.
"Why don't us three do a Royal Rumble?" Fury asked. "Big Joe Joyce is here, he's a warrior. Everyone else is scared of you, so if [Usyk] doesn't want it, let's me and you do Wembley.
"I want Oleksandr Usyk next. If not you, Joe Joyce. I've got some hand problems, I've got to maybe have some surgery on my elbow, but after that, I'm open to anyone.
"I had the left done after the [Deontay] Wilder fight, it will take about six to eight weeks to heal. We'll see when we can be ready, we will see when it can be made."
Speaking earlier in the night ahead of the Fury-Chisora fight, Usyk dubbed the potential bout between him and Fury as one that is clamoured for across the globe.
"The whole of Great Britain, the whole world, especially Ukraine, everyone wants to see this fight happen," he told Sky Sports.
Tyson Fury retained his WBC heavyweight title with a TKO victory against old rival Derek Chisora at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Meeting for their trilogy bout eight years after their last fight, Fury remained in control throughout, and it was only a matter of time until the end was called.
The referee called the fight in the 10th round for, although not a stunning victory, a win that again reiterated Fury's requirement for a different calibre of opponent to be truly tested.
With Oleksandr Usyk and Joe Joyce sat ringside, that could be right around the corner in 2023.
Fury and Chisora both promised to be aggressive and push for the knockout immediately from the first bell and were true to their word in the opening round, Chisora landing body shots and more connections than Fury, who had the more powerful swings.
Those strikes from Fury became more aggressive in the second round with a dominant flurry of strong hits, Chisora taking a lot of punishment in the corner, with the onslaught continuing into the third with a series of uppercuts from the champion.
A slower tempo of rounds followed, with Chisora running out of steam, and Fury using his height and weight advantage to lean on his opponent and tire his legs, putting Chisora on the ropes in the eighth as he increased the pressure.
Chisora was showing visible signs of damage at the end of the ninth, with swelling under his right eye, and Fury remained in control as the referee observed closely, looking for one more combination to call the fight, which came in the closing stages of the 10th to complete a routine evening for the Gypsy King.
The Philadelphia Eagles have the best scoring offense in the NFL, but their strength in that area will be sternly tested by the Tennessee Titans in Week 13.
Philadelphia can clinch a playoff berth this week, though the 10-1 Eagles would require a lot of help to do so at this stage.
Should they prevail against the 7-4 Titans, the Eagles will punch their ticket to the postseason if the Washington Commanders lose and the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks both either lose or tie, providing San Francisco and Seattle both don't tie.
While that scenario may be unlikely, a win for the Eagles over a gritty Titans team would serve as further demonstration of the Super Bowl credentials they have established throughout a superb campaign.
No team in their conference has scored more points than Philadelphia's 303, while they lead the NFL in red-zone efficiency.
In last week's 40-33 win over the Green Bay Packers, the Eagles scored on four of their five trips inside the opposing 20-yard line.
For the season, the Eagles have scored on 29 of 40 trips (72.5 per cent).
Yet this week they face a dogged Titan defense that has allowed the fifth-fewest points in the NFL (198).
The Titans have permitted the sixth-fewest red-zone drives in the league (31, tied with the Minnesota Vikings) and their defense has allowed a touchdown on only 16 of those, that rate of 51.7 per cent the seventh-best in the NFL.
Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts is an X-factor for the Eagles in the congested area of the field, though.
The dual-threat signal-caller has scored eight rushing touchdowns this season, seven of which have come in the red zone. Running back Miles Sanders has eight rushing scores from inside the 20, with defenses struggling to cope when both he and Hurts are in the backfield as threats to run.
Only the 49ers (3.32) have allowed fewer yards per rush than the Titans (3.86) this season, however, with Tennessee one of the teams best-equipped to slow down Hurts and Co.
Should they do so and spring an upset, it will give hope to the chasing pack that Philadelphia can still be caught in the race for the NFC's number one seed.
Cameron Smith revealed he was "a few too many beers deep" on Friday evening when he realised he would have to get up early for the third round of the Australian Open.
Smith thought he had missed the cut at Kingston Heath Golf Club on home soil after signing for a one-over second round of 73.
The Open champion made a trip to the pub for some post-round refreshments, thinking his participation in the DP World Tour event in Melbourne was over.
But with the competition cut to 60 players for Saturday and halved after the third round, the world number three discovered he did not have a full weekend off.
Smith returned to go round in 69 in what proved to be his third round.
The Brisbane native said: "I was pretty quick to the pub [after his round on Friday] and, yeah, was probably a few too many beers deep, and then I realised we had an early tee time, so I got back on the waters and was a good boy the rest of the night."
Smith, who won the PGA Championship last week, added: "I thought I had it in me today and hit lots of good golf shots, and just couldn't really capitalise. Just not my week."
Adam Scott holds a one-shot lead heading into the final round of the Australian Open in his homeland.
Tyson Fury says he is "terrified" of hanging up his boxing gloves ahead of a trilogy fight with Derek Chisora
The WBC heavyweight champion will take part in his final bout of the year against his fellow Brit at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, with a potential unification fight against Oleksandr Usyk to come.
Unbeaten Englishman Fury has stated on several occasions that he had retired, only to unsurprisingly resume his illustrious career.
The 34-year-old cannot even bear to think about retirement as he prepares to try and defend his title once again.
"I'm terrified of it," he stated. "Hard is an understatement. I can't think of the most complex word to describe giving this up. It's more addictive than anything on the planet.
"I think going one-on-one with another highly trained athlete, you've got all the crowd there, the electricity of everything.
"While I'm not doing that, I'm just mundane. But as soon as I know I've got a fight coming up, boom, my eyes glow up. I feel a feeling inside of me bubbling [like] a pot that's on the simmer, boiling away. I just cannot wait to fight.
"It's really the competition that's the addictive thing, it's not the training. I used to think it was the training, but it's not because I was training every day [and] I wasn't happy.
"So it's definitely the boxing side of it. I believe when God's ready for me to move on and get out of boxing, I'll be shown a way out. And whatever I do next will be double as big as what I'm doing now.
"I'm just motivated by staying alive and keeping happy and healthy. This is what makes me happy and healthy - boxing - so that's why we're here."
The New York Jets will undergo a fierce test of their playoff credentials on Sunday as they face the Vikings in Minnesota, where they will be hoping Mike White can deliver another inspiring performance at the quarterback position.
At 7-4, the Jets occupy the final Wild Card spot in the AFC playoffs, but a victory over the Vikings would move them just a game behind the Buffalo Bills (9-3) in the race for the AFC East title. The 9-2 Vikings can clinch the NFC North crown if they win and the Detroit Lions lose at home to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Having replaced 2021 second overall pick Zach Wilson as the starter following Wilson's dismal performance in the Week 11 loss to the New England Patriots, White led an outstanding offensive performance from the Jets in their 31-10 win over the Chicago Bears in Week 12.
White threw for 315 yards and three touchdowns in the win over Chicago, his second career game with 300+ passing yards and at least three TD passes (in five career appearances).
The last Jets quarterback with multiple career such games prior to White for the team was Ken O'Brien with seven (last occurrence was in 1991).
White produced that display against a Chicago defense that has seen much of its top talent traded away and ranks 29th in the NFL by yards per play allowed (5.92).
But the Vikings have been far from impressive on defense this season and are the second-worst on that side of the ball by yards per play given up (6.05), appearing to suggest this matchup is another excellent opportunity for White to build his case for being the long-term starter.
And New York's defense is well-equipped to slow down the Minnesota attack. The Jets' win over Chicago marked the team's fourth time this season holding an opponent to 10 or fewer points, tied for the most such games in the NFL (with Dallas and San Francisco).
The last time the Jets had at least that many games in a season was 2010 (five), their last campaign in which they made the playoffs.
Minnesota's offense is powered largely by the continually superb exploits of wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
Jefferson and Adam Thielen each caught touchdown passes in the Vikings' Thanksgiving Day win over the New England Patriots. It was the ninth time each player has had a receiving TD in the same game, the most of any NFL team-mates since Jefferson debuted at the beginning of the 2020 season.
The Jets have the talent in the secondary to potentially limit the Vikings' receivers, and the matchup between Jefferson and New York's rookie cornerback Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner is an extremely intriguing one. Gardner has allowed receivers to get open on just 19.45 per cent of his matchups across man and zone coverage, the best rate of all cornerbacks, according to Stats Perform data.
Yet if the game remains close, the edge appears to be with the Vikings.
The Vikings are 8-0 in games decided by eight or fewer points this season after the 33-26 win over the Patriots on Thanksgiving. The only team in NFL history to finish a season 8-0 or better in such contests was the 2009 Indianapolis Colts (8-0).
If Minnesota improve that tally to 9-0, rookie head coach Kevin O'Connell would join Jim Caldwell and Jim Harbaugh as the only head coaches this century to earn 10 wins in 12 or fewer games to start their career as an NFL head coach.
This is the kind of week you dream of as an NFL fan.
Week 13 is set to serve up a plethora of compelling matchups that will have big implications on how the playoff picture takes shape.
The NFC favourites the Philadelphia Eagles face a real test of their credentials as they take on the Tennessee Titans.
Last season's AFC Super Bowl representative, the Cincinnati Bengals, host the Kansas City Chiefs in a rematch of the AFC Championship Game they stunningly won in Kansas City, and there's a highly anticipated reunion of former colleagues at Levi's Stadium, where the San Francisco 49ers welcome the Miami Dolphins.
Not all of those aforementioned games are seen as the best by SmartRatings.
SmartRatings is an AI-based platform that provides excitement ratings for sporting events, teams and players. The excitement scale, ranging from 0-100, is powered by complex algorithms that are predicated upon six primary variables: pace, parity, novelty, momentum, context and social buzz.
The weight of each variable is dynamic and adapts as a season progresses. The excitement scale translates to the following general sub-ranges: 0-39 (Dull Game), 40-64 (OK Game), 65-84 (Good Game) and 85-100 (Great Game).
Here, Stats Perform picks out three games from the top five with the most significant playoff implications and looks at the battles that could decide them.
New Orleans Saints (4-8) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-6), Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET
SmartRating : 60
Win Probability : Buccaneers 68.6%
Key Matchup : Marcus Davenport vs. Josh Wells
The Buccaneers suffered a massive blow when right tackle Tristan Wirfs sustained a high ankle sprain in their loss to the Cleveland Browns last week.
Wirfs is expected to be out three to four weeks, meaning he will miss a critical stretch for Tampa Bay as the Bucs seek to win an extremely underwhelming NFC South.
That stretch starts with a rivalry game against the Saints on Monday Night Football, with New Orleans still only a game back in the win column of the Bucs despite their 4-8 record.
New Orleans' defense has not been the force of years past but the return of Cameron Jordan and Marcus Davenport saw the Saints perform extremely well on that side of the ball in their 13-0 loss to the 49ers in Week 12.
When he has been healthy, Davenport has been extremely impressive. He has a pass-rush win rate of 49.03 per cent and a 66.67 per cent win rate on run defense. His aggregate of 48.03 per cent is the fourth-highest among edge rushers.
Now he gets to go against Wirfs' backup in the form of Josh Wells. If Wells cannot find a way to slow him down, Tom Brady and the Bucs may struggle to move the ball on offense and give hope to a Saints attack needing life after being shutout by San Francisco.
Miami Dolphins (8-3) at San Francisco 49ers (7-4) Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET
SmartRating : 62
Win Probability : 49ers 53.5%
Key Matchup : Mike McDaniel vs. DeMeco Ryans
It's arguably the NFL's most distinguished offensive play-calling professor against his star pupil as Kyle Shanahan's 49ers host Mike McDaniel's Miami Dolphins in a mouth-watering contest teeming with narratives.
McDaniel has spent much of his coaching career at the hip of Shanahan, following him to almost all of his NFL stops, including San Francisco, where he was run-game coordinator and then offensive coordinator last season before departing for Miami.
Yet McDaniel, who has turned the Dolphins' offense into one of the most explosive in the NFL and the most efficient in the league by yards per play, will not be focusing on outcoaching his former boss, but instead outwitting San Francisco's defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans.
Ryans will likely become a head coach in the coming offseason, having so far overseen another dominant season from the 49er defense.
San Francisco's defense has allowed the fewest plays of 10+ yards (106) in the NFL and is also the top unit by yards per play allowed (4.69) and success rate (34.5%).
The Miami offense leads the league in big plays of at least 10 yards with 174 and has a receiver in Tyreek Hill who has an open percentage of 68.18 against man coverage, that figure trailing only Stefon Diggs (68.57) as of Week 12, and a combined open percentage across man and zone of 51.67.
The 49ers will hope to use the edge they have up front against a banged-up Miami offensive line to their advantage and boast the edge rusher with the highest aggregate win rate (52.42%) across pass rush and run defense for his position in the league in Nick Bosa.
It is a true strength-on-strength matchup, and the clash between McDaniel's varied and high-powered attack against Ryans' versatile and ferocious defense figures to be fascinating to watch.
Kansas City Chiefs (9-2) at Cincinnati Bengals (7-4)
SmartRating : 68
Win Probability : Chiefs 66.4%
Key Matchup : Ja'Marr Chase vs. Chiefs' pass defense
The Cincinnati passing game saw its hot streak tempered a little by the Tennessee defense in the Bengals' narrow win over the Titans last week, but a meeting with the Chiefs represents a favourable matchup for Zac Taylor's offense.
Cincinnati's offense has averaged 293.3 net passing yards per game in the NFL since Week 6, the third-most in the NFL, and has done much of that damage without top wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase.
Chase is due to return from a hip injury on Sunday, having recorded three 100-yard games in his first seven appearances of the season.
He gets the opportunity to add to that against a Kansas City defense that ranks 21st in open percentage allowed to opposing receivers.
That suggests he should have no difficulty returning to top form right off the bat in this conference title game rematch against a defense that is ninth-worst in the NFL by success rate against the pass.
Though the Bengals had joy shackling Patrick Mahomes and Co. in the second half of that championship game, it is more likely the duel between he and Joe Burrow quickly becomes a shootout.
How successful Chase is in taking advantage of a very vulnerable Chiefs secondary may dictate whether the Bengals can keep up and pull off the upset once more.
Khris Middleton was happy to get minutes under his belt despite defeat after he played his first game since April for the Milwaukee Bucks against the Los Angeles Lakers.
A rampant pair of performances from Anthony Davis and LeBron James – who scored 44 points and passed Magic Johnson on the all-time NBA assists list respectively – saw the visitors downed 133-129.
But even with the loss, it marked a major landmark for the Bucks as they welcomed back forward Middleton to their line-up, having seen him sidelined since April's playoffs.
With 17 points and seven assists, the 31-year-old kept himself busy throughout, and expressed his delight at getting back on the floor with the rest of his team-mates.
"It felt really good to be back out there with the guys competing, playing," he said. "[I've got] a range of emotions.
"[I've] been through a lot these last couple months - happy, sad, anxious, nervous. To finally get out there and play and get a lot of those nerves past me, it felt pretty good."
The Bucks head to the Charlotte Hornets as part of a back-to-back on Saturday, but head coach Mike Budenholzer suggested Middleton will not be played again so quickly in succession.
"To have Khris back is huge for us," he added. "[It is] pretty impressive how seamlessly he got back into the game, [at] both ends of the court.
"We talk a lot about how Khris, he's just a basketball player. He's a smart player [who] just understands the game. [He is] not overly reliant on athleticism or things like that.
"For him to come back and be able to catch a good rhythm – he's got to keep working but a big step for us tonight to get Khris Middleton back."
T.J. Warren ended a two-year exodus from the court after making his Brooklyn Nets debut in Friday's 114-105 win over the Toronto Raptors.
The small forward, who last played on December 29, 2020 with the Indiana Pacers, has been out since with a succession of surgeries for a left foot injury.
With Kyrie Irving's 27-point haul leading the hosts to victory at Barclays Center, Warren scored 10 and posted four rebounds over a 17-minute spell off the bench.
To finally get back on the floor, however, was the big success of the night for the 29-year-old, who was delighted to put his injury nightmare behind him.
"It almost felt like a dream," he said. "As soon as I checked in, it kind of hit me like, 'Wow, this is real.' Once I got up and down it was just like, 'All right, this is basketball.'.
"It was just super fun to be out there and compete with the guys."
Team-mate Kevin Durant was also happy to see Warren, who signed with the Nets in July, tick off a major milestone on his road back to the top of the professional game.
"He's a poised guy," he added. "He showed that he belongs out here. It felt like he didn't really miss too much of a [beat]. Two years he missed? It didn't feel like that.
"But we still got to be patient with him. We still understand that he had tough injuries, and he spent a lot of time away from the game, but he looked great to me."
The Nets will next face the Boston Celtics on Sunday, as they look to strengthen their hand in the Eastern Conference in the run-up to Christmas.
LeBron James moved up to sixth on the all-time assist leaderboard as he dished 11 in the Los Angeles Lakers' impressive 133-129 win against the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday.
James also had 28 points on 12-of-27 shooting, eight rebounds and two steals to go with his assists, and he was supported in spectacular fashion by Anthony Davis.
Davis had a season-high 44 points (18-of-27 shooting), 10 rebounds and three blocks, in what was his third-most points in a Lakers uniform, and the most since January 2020.
With James' ninth assist of the game – the 10,142nd of his career – he passed fellow Lakers legend Magic Johnson on the all-time list, now trailing only Mark Jackson (10,334), Steve Nash (10,335), Chris Paul (11,071), Jason Kidd (12,091) and John Stockton (15,806).
Speaking after the contest, James made sure to convey his respect for Johnson and his impact on the game.
"It means a lot, obviously," he said. "The way Magic approached the game, it was very infectious.
"His teammates loved playing with him because of the joy he played with, and the ability to pass the ball and get other guys involved. He was always excited about seeing his teammates be great. I always admired that in him.
"What’s even more humbling and super-duper cool is the fact that I’m doing it in a Laker uniform, and knowing how much Magic means to the Laker franchise."
Earlier in the week in an interview with ESPN, James reflected on the legacy he hopes to leave behind.
"To know that I'm in the conversation, or about to get to a point that I'm breaking a record that he set for this franchise – and I'm not comparing myself to Magic with this franchise, what he did, sheesh," he said.
"Him, [James] Worthy, Kobe [Bryant], Shaq [O'Neal], those guys are synonymous with this franchise. But it's just pretty cool, always, when I'm able to see my name with some of the greats that have played this game.
"Listen, when you talk about just one-name guys when you're talking about sports, you got Ali, Jordan, Magic, Bird. Those names are just synonymous with sports."
Turning his attention back to the win against the Bucks, James said he felt this was the most connected this Lakers team has felt since the addition of Russell Westbrook.
"I will say I feel like tonight is the most complementary, and the best game with all three of us on the floor together that we've played on both sides of the floor," he said.
"We all felt in a rhythm. We all felt we were making impactful plays throughout the whole game."
The victory was the Lakers' seventh from their past nine fixtures, reviving what was looking like being a lost season and inching closer to .500, now 9-12 – only two games behind the current Western Conference eighth seed, the Golden State Warriors.
Nashville Predators goaltender Kevin Lankinen collected a career-high 48 saves to propel his side to a 4-1 win against the New York Islanders on Friday.
The Predators took the lead six minutes into the contest, when Filip Forsberg got on the end of a move from Matt Duchene and Roman Josi to capitalise on an early power play.
That power play unit struck again in the second period, this time with Forsberg and Duchene setting up Josi for the game's second goal. They converted in two of their three total power play opportunities.
Lankinen kept the Islanders scoreless through the first two periods, but it was his third, where he conceded his only goal, that drew the most praise from his teammates.
"He's the first star of the game by far," said Duchene. "The first two periods were pretty even, they had a few more shots because of power plays, but it was pretty even, there was no room out there.
"Then in the third they threw the kitchen sink at us, and Lankinen stood tall, and we were able to recover on second pucks and rebounds for him. So he was outstanding, and he was our MVP today."
Forsberg echoed those sentiments, crediting Lankinen with the win.
"It's the only reason we're having this interview happy," he said. "Obviously, he was unbelievable for us, especially in the third, but even through the whole game.
"I don't know how many saves he had in the third, but it was probably 20 almost just in the third period. I mean, we have the two best goalies in the league."
Lankinen had 21 of his 48 saves in the third period, with head coach John Hynes adding: "Kevin was great – he was really good down the stretch. It's great to see him get rewarded."
With the win, the Predators improved their record to 12-9-2, while the Islanders are still in a strong position at 15-10-0.
The Texas Rangers have not been shy about spending money recently, and that continued Friday as they agreed to a five-year, $185million contract with two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom.
DeGrom, who has spent his entire nine-year career with the New York Mets, is perhaps the most dominant pitcher in baseball when healthy.
His career 2.52 ERA ranks third in the expansion era (since 1961) behind Los Angeles Dodgers lefty Clayton Kershaw (2.48) and Hall-of-Famer Sandy Koufax (2.19) among those with at least 200 starts.
"We are thrilled that Jacob deGrom has decided to become a Texas Ranger," executive vice president and general manager Chris Young said in a statement.
"Over a number of seasons, Jacob has been a standout major league pitcher, and he gives us a dominant performer at the top of our rotation. One of our primary goals this offseason is to strengthen our starting pitching, and we are adding one of the best."
This blockbuster move comes just before baseball's winter meetings, which begin early next week in San Diego. The Rangers said deGrom will be introduced in a news conference at Globe Life Field next week following the winter meetings.
"It fits in so many ways in terms of what we need," Young said. "He's a tremendous person. I have a number of close friends and teammates who played with Jacob and love him. I think he's going to be just a perfect fit for our clubhouse and our fans."
DeGrom, however, has been limited to 26 starts and 156-and-a-third innings over the past two seasons due to elbow, forearm and shoulder blade injuries. He compiled a career-low 1.08 ERA over 92 innings in 2021, but did not pitch after July 7 that year because of arm trouble.
"We acknowledge the risk, but we also acknowledge that in order to get great players, there is a risk and a cost associated with that," Young said. "And one we feel like is worth taking with a player of Jacob's caliber."
The Rangers have spent nearly $761m in free agency over the past year, including massive contracts last offseason to shortstop Corey Seager ($325m, 10 years) and second baseman Marcus Semien ($175m, seven years). The moves didn’t pay off, though, as they finished 68-94 for their sixth consecutive losing season.
Texas responded by hiring three-time World Series champion Bruce Bochy as their new manager in October.
DeGrom didn’t make his season debut this past season until August, and went 5-4 with a 3.08 ERA in 11 starts. After helping the Mets reach the playoffs, he passed up a $30.5m salary for 2023 and opted out his contract to become a free agent for the first time.
DeGrom won consecutive Cy Young Awards in 2018 and 2019 and is 82-57 with 1,607 strikeouts in 1,326 innings over nine big league seasons.
Anthony Davis enjoyed his highest-scoring game since January 2020 as he put up 44 points to deliver a Los Angeles Lakers road win against the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday.
The Bucks entered the contest on a three-game winning streak, and were welcoming three-time All-Star Khris Middleton back to the starting line-up for his first action of the season.
Middleton was solid in his return, scoring 17 points on six-of-11 shooting with seven assists and no turnovers in his 27 minutes, but there was nothing he could do to stop Davis.
Davis was dueling head-to-head with two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, and while the Bucks superstar had 40 points (16-of-23 shooting), seven rebounds and five assists, Davis dropped his 44 on 18-of-27 shooting, adding a game-high 10 rebounds and three blocks.
It is the third-most points Davis has scored in a Lakers jersey, trailing a 46-point effort back in 2020 and a 50-point explosion in 2019.
Davis is averaging 26.3 points, 12.7 rebounds (most in the NBA) and 2.3 blocks per game (third-most) this campaign, and both his field goal percentage (56.9 per cent) and true shooting percentage (63.5 per cent) are career-highs.
With the win, the Lakers have now emerged victorious in seven of their past nine games to salvage their rough start and improve their record to 9-12, while the Bucks hold onto the second-best record in the Eastern Conference at 15-6.
Heat upset the Celtics in overtime
The Miami Heat (11-12) collected an impressive 120-116 overtime win against the league-leading Boston Celtics (18-5) as four of their starters scored at least 20 points each.
Bam Adebayo top-scored for the Heat with 28 points, while Tyler Herro added 26 with three steals, Jimmy Butler had 25 with 15 rebounds and Kyle Lowry chipped in 20 of his own.
Jaylen Brown was terrific for the Celtics with a game-high 37 points on 12-of-23 shooting, adding 14 rebounds and five assists, but his heroics were not enough to prevent his side from dropping only their second game from their past 16 outings.
Morant, Jackson deliver Grizzlies win
Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr showed exactly why they are the two centerpieces the Memphis Grizzlies are building around, delivering on both ends in a 117-109 victory against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Morant top-scored for the Grizzlies with 28 (10-of-28 shooting), while Jackson flashed his unique skill-set by blocking four shots and hitting two three-pointers on his way to 22 points (seven-of-12) and nine rebounds.
Joel Embiid was immense for the 76ers, scoring a game-high 35 points (13-of-26) with 12 rebounds, eight assists and three blocks, posting a plus/minus of plus nine in his 41 minutes.
This means in the seven minutes he was on the bench, the 76ers were outscored by 17.
Although quarterback Matthew Stafford has been cleared from the league’s concussion protocol, Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay said he will not play Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.
Stafford has missed two of the Rams' last three games because of concussion protocols and a neck injury. While he’s cleared for the concussion, the team is still gathering information about the neck injury.
"I think there’s so many layers [to that decision]," McVay said. "There’s so much thought and dialogue that goes into it, but I think first and foremost it’s got to get cleared from the medical experts.
"I’m not the expert in that area, but if there’s any sort of sense of, this is something that’ll be better served in the long term or it’s going to be a few more week, things like that, I think that’ll end up taking care of itself."
John Wolford will start Sunday against Seattle and Bryce Perkins, who started last week’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, will serve as his backup.
The Rams may be extra careful with Stafford because he felt numbness in his legs after taking a hit against the New Orleans Saints on November 20. That was just two days after he cleared the concussion protocol for the first time.
McVay didn’t rule out that Stafford could be shut down for the season.
"If there’s any inkling that he can play, this guy is going to want to play. Now [there is] a possibility that we say, 'based on what we’re gathering, the doctors, those types of things, the smart thing is not to play you' – and he could be upset with me.
"But I think he knows that I have his best interest and we have his best interest. If that’s the case, then that’s definitely a possibility."
The injury-depleted Rams are enduing a dismal season after winning the Super Bowl last season. They have lost five straight, and at 3-8 are among the worst teams in the league.
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