Jayson Tatum shook off injury to get the better of Luka Doncic as the Boston Celtics blew out the Dallas Mavericks in a 125-112 victory, having led by as many as 27 points on Wednesday.
Tatum, who had been listed as questionable with a sprained ankle, scored 37 points with 13 rebounds and five assists, while Jaylen Brown contributed 31 points on 13-of-18 field shooting.
Doncic scored a game-high 42 points with eight rebounds and nine assists but gave up five turnovers, and was blocked by Tatum in the fourth quarter.
Tatum and Doncic went head to head in the final quarter after the Mavs closed to 117-107. The Celtics forward first dunked, then made two free-throws after being fouled by the Slovenian, before blocking Doncic's driving lay-up.
Brown drained a three-point attempt after Marcus Smart's assist and suddenly it was 124-107 and game over.
Smart had 13 points with nine assists, while center Al Horford hit four-of-four from three-point range in his 14 points.
The Celtics moved to an NBA-best 14-4 record with the victory, while the Mavs suffered their fifth loss in six road games to fall to 9-8.
Wiggins stars as Warriors get back to winning ways
All-Star Andrew Wiggins enjoyed a season-high game with 31 points including six three-pointers as the Golden State Warriors won 124-107 over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Stephen Curry scored 22 points, making four-of-10 from beyond the arc, with six rebounds and nine assists as the Warriors improved to 9-10.
The result ended the three-game winning run of the Clippers, who were without All-Stars Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. Marcus Morris Sr top scored for the Clippers with 19 points.
Bulls topple Bucks to claim another big scalp
The Chicago Bulls claimed another big scalp only a few days after ending the Celtics' nine-game winning run, with a 118-113 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.
DeMar DeRozan starred for the Bulls with 36 points and eight assists, while Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo had 36 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists.
Chicago trailed 109-106 with 1:15 remaining before Coby White sunk two three-pointers to sink the Bucks, who gave up 19 turnovers for the game.
Kyrie Irving was thrilled with the Brooklyn Nets' response to the "internet uproar" from Tuesday's 115-106 loss to the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers in Wednesday's 112-98 road win over the Toronto Raptors.
Irving led the way for the Nets with a team-high 29 points, including 19 in the third quarter, as they bounced back after being "embarrassed" by the 76ers who were missing Joel Embiid, James Harden and Tyrese Maxey.
The win improved the Nets to 9-10, fueled by a 39-25 third quarter where Irving scored three triples.
"We're in the business of winning," Irving told reporters after the game.
"We'll take this one, especially after last night's loss, and the whole internet going up in an uproar in terms of how embarrassed we should be, which is true.
"We just wanted to make sure we paid attention to detail tonight. We came out and responded."
Nets teammate Ben Simmons, who had his fifth straight game with 10 points or more, praised Irving for his role in the win.
"Just being Kyrie, that's what we want him to do, just be himself," Simmons said. "Have that confidence to come out and take those shots and be who he is.
"He's an incredible player, an incredible teammate, I'm glad he had a night like tonight."
Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn said his side had learned and applied valuable lessons from losses to short-handed opponents lately, including their 116-103 defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers missing LeBron James along with the 76ers.
"It really was a standard that we have to have for each other," Vaughn said. "A big piece of that is holding each other in a higher standard.
"I thought from the beginning of the game you saw that, a lot more talk from each other, a lot more communication and demand from each other which was great to see."
Kevin Durant was held to only 12 points for the game, but passed Kevin Garnett to be 18th on the NBA all-time points scorers' list.
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase is expected to return from a hip injury for Sunday's game against the Tennessee Titans, according to QB Joe Burrow.
Chase returned to practice on Wednesday having not played since the Week 7 win over the Atlanta Falcons.
The hip injury had initially been expected to sideline the 2021 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year for four to six weeks.
"We expect him to play," Burrow told reporters. "I know he ran yesterday and he felt good. So we'll see how it goes the rest of the week."
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor was confident that Chase would be available, labelling him day-to-day.
"He's done all the things we've asked him to do," Taylor said.
"He has done a great job with the trainers in there. Everything has been positive to this point."
The Bengals, who lost last season's Super Bowl, have rallied to 6-4 from an 0-2 start to the season.
Chase has scored six touchdowns on 47 receptions for 605 yards in seven games this season. The 22-year-old scored 14 touchdowns in his rookie year last season.
Zach Wilson's career with the New York Jets is not over, reiterated head coach Robert Saleh after confirming his decision to demote him.
Wilson endured a dismal offensive performance for the Jets in their 10-3 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday, with the side averaging just 2.1 yards per play and only managing two yards of offense in the second half at Gillette Stadium.
Saleh had said benching Wilson, who was the 2021 second overall pick, was the furthest thing from his mind but on Wednesday announced he had changed his tune ahead of the Week 12 matchup against the Chicago Bears.
"The big thing I want to make sure I address on this one... Zach's career here is not over," Saleh told reporters.
"I know that's gonna be the narrative, I know that's what everyone wants to shout out and that's not even close to the case. The intent, the full intent, is to make sure Zach gets back onto the football field at some point this year.
"When that is, I'll make that decision, I'm going to take it day-to-day. The biggest thing with Zach, it's the same things we've talked about, is the young man needs a reset.
"His decision-making has been fine, his training habits have been fine, but there's some basic fundamental things that have got really out of whack for him and this is just an opportunity for him to sit back and focus on those things.
"That's something that I feel like he's going to be able to do."
Mike White will start for the 6-4 Jets against the 3-8 Bears with Joe Flacco as his back-up, while Wilson will be inactive.
"Is it a small step back? Absolutely," Saleh said. "But do I think it's going to be a great leap forward when he gets a chance to reset himself? Absolutely.
"This is not putting a nail in his coffin. This is not that. This is not close to that. But I do believe, at the end of this, it's going to be a rejuvenated, renewed young man."
The fall-out from the Pats loss included Wilson being criticised for failing to take accountability for his own poor performance where the Jets defense only conceded three points.
But Wilson moved to apologise to his teammates on Wednesday, offering support for White and vowing to win back the QB role.
"I had a sick feeling in my stomach," Wilson said. "It was the only thing I could think of the last couple of days. I wanted the opportunity to talk to those guys and really make it from the heart.
"I wouldn't say [I was] necessarily surprised because I haven't been doing my job. Of course, I would like to not agree with the decision and everything, but it comes down to I have to play better."
For his career, Wilson has completed 55.6 per cent of his passes for 3,613 yards, 13 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford will not play on Sunday at the Kansas City Chiefs after exiting last week's loss to the New Orleans Saints with a possible head injury, coach Sean McVay announced on Wednesday.
McVay told reporters the Rams are still trying to determine whether Stafford suffered a concussion after he was forced to exit last Sunday’s 27-20 loss to the Saints early in the third quarter.
The veteran quarterback previously sustained a head injury in Los Angeles' Week 9 loss at Tampa Bay, and sat out the following week's game against the Arizona Cardinals.
"We're checking all those boxes and going through all that," McVay said. "
"There's a lot of layers to it, but you certainly want to make sure you’re doing everything in your power to [address] exactly what went into that feeling, and letting the experts be able [to] give their opinion, look at the MRI and those scans, and be able to give the right information so that we can move forward accordingly with him."
McVay said Stafford was removed from last week’s game after he felt numbness in his legs after being hit, and was placed in concussion protocol per NFL policy.
The sixth-year head coach added the struggling defending Super Bowl champions could consider shutting Stafford down for the remainder of the season.
"We're not going to do anything that's reckless," McVay said.
"[Stafford] is such a great competitor and I definitely think that's probably one of those deals where if he is cleared, you definitely want to make sure that I'm making a smart decision for him and for our team, not exclusive to this year."
With number two quarterback John Wolford dealing with a neck injury, Bryce Perkins took first-team reps in Wednesday's practice and could be in line for his first career NFL start against the AFC-leading Chiefs.
Perkins, an undrafted free agent who signed with the Rams in 2020, completed five of 10 passes for 64 yards after replacing Stafford last week and added 26 rushing yards on three attempts.
Los Angeles has lost four straight games to fall to 3-7 and are currently three games out of a playoff spot with seven to play.
Borna Coric and Marin Cilic led Croatia to a 2-0 win against hosts Spain in the Davis Cup to set up a last-four clash against Australia.
Coric fought hard to beat Robert Bautista Agut 6-4 7-6 (7-4) in the first contest on Wednesday in Malaga.
In a match that lasted just shy of two hours, Coric hit 12 aces on his way to tying Mario Ancic for fourth place in Croatia's all-time leaders in the Davis Cup with his 13th singles win.
"I didn't know that fact to be honest," the 26-year-old said on court. "It's a very nice fact, Mario is a legend of Croatian tennis and obviously it does mean a lot to me that I am there with him."
His experienced team-mate Cilic had a harder time of things, needing to come back from a set down to overcome Pablo Carreno Busta 5-7 6-4 7-6 (7-5) in a thriller.
Like Coric, Cilic relied heavily on aces, smashing 20 through the contest, but he was made to sweat by Carreno Busta, who took the first set.
Cilic fought back to win the second, and was a break ahead in the third before his Spanish opponent broke back and looked set to take the tie to a rubber clash in the doubles.
The decider went to a tie-break though, with Cilic coming back from 4-1 down to seal victory for his country in front of a disappointed Spanish crowd.
Croatia will now face Australia on Friday after they defeated the Netherlands 2-0 on Tuesday thanks to wins for Jordan Thompson and Alex De Minaur.
Zach Wilson has been benched as the New York Jets starting quarterback in favour of Mike White.
Robert Saleh made the announcement on Wednesday ahead of his side's Week 12 matchup against the Chicago Bears.
It comes following a dismal offensive performance for the Jets in their 10-3 loss to the New England Patriots, which dropped them to the bottom of the AFC East at 6-4 as they missed the chance to go top of the division.
The Jets averaged just 2.1 yards per play at New England and had only two yards of offense in the second half at Gillette Stadium.
After the game, Saleh had said that benching 2021 second overall pick Wilson was the furthest thing from his mind.
But he subsequently did not commit to starting Wilson against Chicago and has now elected to switch quarterbacks.
Joe Flacco started the first three games of the season when Wilson was out with a knee injury, but Saleh has instead gone with White this time around.
White developed something of a cult following last season when he inspired the Jets to a shock win over the Cincinnati Bengals in which he threw for 405 yards and three touchdowns.
Wilson was heavily criticised for comments in the media in the wake of the defeat to the Patriots as he swiftly rejected the notion he and the offense had let down a defense that only conceded three points. New England's sole touchdown came on a last-gasp punt return.
For his career, Wilson has completed 55.6 per cent of his passes for 3,613 yards, 13 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.
According to Stats Perform data, Wilson's well-thrown rate of 70.6 per cent is the worst in the NFL while his pickable pass rate of 6.47 per cent is only an improvement on that of Taylor Heinicke (7.35 per cent) and Jameis Winston (7.27 per cent) for quarterbacks with a minimum of 100 attempts.
This Thursday marks Thanksgiving in the United States.
That means several things. Food, family and lots and lots of football, with the traditional three games on the schedule for the holiday.
With the Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings all playing, there will be plenty of fantasy relevant players in action, meaning there's no time to waste in terms of getting a winning line-up set.
Thanksgiving is, as the name makes obvious, a time to say what you're grateful for, and Stats Perform hopes you will be appreciative of the fantasy help we're here to provide with our picks of four offensive players and a defense for Week 12.
Quarterback: Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers @ Arizona Cardinals
The Chargers may not be feeling too grateful after having their heart broken again by Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
But they must be appreciative of getting to face the Cardinals' defense in Week 12, especially with Herbert's top receiver, Keenan Allen, back in the fold.
The Cardinals have allowed 118 pass plays of 10 yards or more, the fourth-most in the NFL. Coming off a game in which he averaged 9.3 yards per attempt, Herbert is well-positioned to get the Chargers' playoff push back on track against opposition that should facilitate one of his best performances of the season.
Running Back: Jeff Wilson Jr, Miami Dolphins vs. Houston Texans
When Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel sits down to eat his turkey on Thursday, he may express thanks for the trade with his former employers, the San Francisco 49ers, that landed Wilson's services for Miami.
Wilson has quickly established himself as the top runner in a Dolphins backfield that was not firing on all cylinders prior to his arrival.
He averaged seven yards per carry against the Cleveland Browns' dreadful run defense last time out and now gets to face a Houston defense that has allowed 57 runs of at least 10 yards, which is 12 more than anyone else in the league.
Wide Receiver: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions vs. Buffalo Bills
Detroit's leading receiver may not be happy to go against the Buffalo defense in Week 12, but Jameson Williams' debut is likely to bring a smile to his face.
Williams, Detroit's second first-round pick in 2022, is practising after recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in his final college game, and will give the Lions a tremendous deep threat who can stretch the field and open underneath areas for St. Brown to exploit.
In a game where the chances of the Lions falling behind and being forced to throw the ball consistently are high, that is a recipe for St. Brown racking up completions and yardage in the Thanksgiving opener.
Tight End: T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings vs. New England Patriots
There is likely to be gratitude in Vikings circles that they get the chance to quickly wash the stink off from their blowout loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 11.
Having been shellacked by the Cowboy defense, the Minnesota offense will face a different challenge in the form of the Patriots, who consistently drop eight players into coverage.
New England will almost certainly look to take Justin Jefferson away with double teams, meaning quarterback Kirk Cousins will likely have to frequently look to Hockenson over the middle of the field.
Targeted 28 times in three games since his arrival in a trade with Detroit, Hockenson appears primed for massive fantasy performance in the Thanksgiving nightcap, especially in points per reception leagues.
Defense/Special Teams: San Francisco 49ers vs. New Orleans Saints
The Saints' coaching staff may have a stressful Thanksgiving game planning for the 49ers, who appear to be rounding into form on both sides of the ball.
San Francisco's defense has not allowed a second-half point in any of the Niners' last three games and is giving up just 4.67 yards per play this season, the second-fewest in the NFL.
Facing a Saints offense that has committed the most giveaways (19) in the NFL, the San Francisco defense should dominate once more and deliver a crucial contribution for its fantasy owners.
Red Bull have announced the return of Daniel Ricciardo, who will be their third driver for the 2023 season.
The Australian left the grid following his exit from McLaren, where he completed his final race in Abu Dhabi last Sunday, and it was widely expected that he would be returning to Red Bull, who he left in 2018.
Ricciardo had a stint with Renault before moving to McLaren, with spells at both teams being disappointing ones, and it was announced earlier this year he would be leaving the latter – Oscar Piastri being his replacement on the grid.
The 33-year-old did not turn his back on Formula One, however, and could return to the grid with a full-time seat in the future, though previously stated he felt the best approach could be as a reserve driver.
That move has now come with Red Bull, where he will be an understudy to Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez in 2023 – filling in should either of the pair be unable to race, as well as competing in practice sessions.
"The smile says it all, I'm truly excited to be coming back home to Oracle Red Bull Racing as their Third Driver in 2023," Ricciardo said.
"I already have so many fond memories of my time here, but the welcome from Christian [Horner], Dr [Helmut] Marko and the entire team is something I'm sincerely appreciative of.
"For me personally, the ability to contribute to and be surrounded by the best team in F1 is hugely appealing, whilst also giving me some time to recharge and refocus.
"I can't wait to be with the team and support with simulator work, testing sessions and commercial activities. Let’s go!"
The 2023 Formula One season will begin on March 5 in Bahrain, the start of a record-breaking 24 races across the course of the campaign.
Chris Kreider described the New York Rangers' triumph over the Los Angeles Kings as a "war of attrition" as they came from behind to win 5-3.
The Rangers ended the hosts' five-game winning streak on home ice despite a slow start in which they fell 2-0 down in the first period.
With the game locked at 3-3 heading into the final period, it was Kreider's two-goal heroics that ensured the Rangers came out on top.
"I don't think we got bottled up [early], I just think it was kind of a war of attrition," he said following a game in which Braden Schneider, Vincent Trocheck and Kaapo Kakko were also on target for the Rangers.
"A lot of face-offs in the neutral zone, and everything was kind of in the trenches for a while.
"I felt like we did a good job of advancing pucks and making them try to go 200 feet, trying to force turnovers, and it felt like we were just a bounce here or a bounce there away from getting a really good chance."
It was the first time this season the Rangers had come from two goals down to win and Kreider was encouraged to see such spirit from his team.
"That was kind of the staple for us last year – apparently that's the way we win hockey games," he said.
"Obviously we'd like to have a great start, and a great second period, and a fantastic finish, but that's not always how it goes.
"So for us to kind of regroup, and come back, and put our foot on the gas like that, it's definitely a good sign."
Rangers coach Gerrard Gallant was certainly pleased with what he saw.
"I thought everybody played great, they played their roles real well," he said. "I thought we were really, really good in the second period, that was a big difference for us, and then the game just continued that way.
"That's back-to-back games where I've been pretty excited about the way we've played."
"It's definitely satisfying. Being down 2-0 is a little scary 10 minutes into the hockey game, especially on the road, but I thought we battled back well."
The Sacramento Kings just keep on winning, defeating the Memphis Grizzlies 113-109 on the road for their seventh straight victory – a feat they have not achieved since 2004.
Their 113 points is the lowest total they have put up during this winning run, having not previously fallen below 120.
The Kings' scoring power, which includes the highest total in a game this season (153 against the Brooklyn Nets) has them as the second-best offense in the NBA at 117.7 points per 100 possessions, trailing only the Boston Celtics (118.2).
De'Aaron Fox was the catalyst on Tuesday, scoring a team-high 32 points on 11-of-21 shooting, including five-of-eight from deep, while adding eight rebounds, six assists and four steals.
Fox's ability to go head-to-head with Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant bodes well for the Kings, as the 24-year-old former fifth overall pick in the 2017 draft appears on track for his first All-Star appearance.
He is averaging a career-high 25.4 points per game at a career-best 55.8 field goal percentage, and he is also top-20 in assists with an average of 6.4.
At 10-6, the Kings are currently occupying the third seed in the Western Conference, and they will look to extend their streak to eight games when they head to Atlanta to take on the Hawks on Wednesday.
Davis' dominance goes to waste
Anthony Davis had one of the most statistically impressive games of his career in the Los Angeles Lakers' 115-105 loss to the Phoenix Suns.
Davis scored 37 points on 11-of-17 shooting, hitting 15 of his 16 free throws, while grabbing 21 rebounds, snatching five steals and swatting five blocks. He is the first player since the league began recording blocks and steals in 1973 to post at least 37 points, 20 rebounds, five steals and four blocks in a game.
For the Suns, Mikal Bridges and Devin Booker scored 25 each, while center Deandre Ayton had 14 points and 15 rebounds before being shoved to the ground by Patrick Beverley late in the fourth quarter, drawing an ejection for the Lakers guard.
Bogdanovic leads unlikely Pistons win
Despite the return of reigning back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic and second-fiddle Jamal Murray, the Detroit Pistons pulled off an upset 110-108 road win against the Denver Nuggets.
After missing some time due to the league's health and safety protocols, Jokic was back to his dominant best, scoring 31 points on 12-of-16 shooting with 10 assists and nine rebounds, but it was not enough.
Bojan Bogdanovic scored a team-high 22 points on eight-of-17 points for the Pistons, while Alec Burks chipped in 21 points and three steals off the bench, and Killian Hayes set the table with nine assists.
Kevin Durant feels "everybody" wants to see the Brooklyn Nets fail after Ben Simmons' homecoming against the undermanned Philadelphia 76ers ended in a disappointing 115-106 road defeat on Tuesday.
The 76ers were missing Joel Embiid, James Harden and Tyrese Maxey through injury, but they were able to catch fire from deep, shooting 50 per cent from the three-point line (16-of-32).
In a hostile environment for the Nets, the Philadelphia crowd aggressively booed Simmons every time he touched the ball, although he performed well, collecting 11 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds, three blocks and three steals.
For the 76ers, Tobias Harris stepped up into an increased workload and delivered a team-high 24 points on 10-of-21 shooting, while De'Anthony Melton, Georges Niang and Shake Milton combined for 54 points on 12-of-19 from long-range.
It was a golden opportunity for the full-strength Nets to pull their record even at 9-9, but they are now two games below .500 at 8-10.
When asked if he felt the crowd took extra delight in getting one over Simmons and the Nets, Durant said he feels every away crowd has added animosity towards his team.
"It's a lot of emotions [for Simmons coming back to Philadelphia], you always want to play well," he said. "You know the fans are going to be involved… and bring their best.
"But that's at every arena, everybody wants to see our team fail – nobody likes Ben, nobody likes 'Ky' [Irving], nobody likes myself – so it might be like that at every road arena.
"It's just something we've got to deal with, but I thought [Simmons] did a great job at handling it and playing his game. We had a chance to win, but we just didn't."
Durant added that he did not feel the Nets played a poor defensive game, but were too slow to adjust to the 76ers' hot shooting.
"It's the same s***," he said. "They had 20 more shots than us, and seven more three-pointers. That's the game.
"[We have to] just go do it. Just go do what we need to do. Rebound, box out, move the ball, guard up one-on-one.
"They shot 43 per cent from the field, which is not bad. But they shot 50 per cent from the three-point line, and a lot of those were crossover, step-back threes – they're just back-breakers.
"I wouldn't necessarily say we had a horrible defensive night, but they out-rebounded us – 20 offensive rebounds – and they made 16 threes, and it looked bad.
"We would make them shoot a tough shot, they get a rebound and hit a three. We botch a switch maybe, and a guy gets a little bit of space and he shoots over a contest. They knocked them down tonight.
"Early on we should have seen they were hot, so we had to get up into them and force them inside the three-point line.
"But they played free, and they had nothing to lose, so those shots are just going to feel better when they leave their hands. We had to make them miss tonight, and they hit them, you have to give them credit."
Another game, and another change at quarterback for the Carolina Panthers heading into Week 12.
Sam Darnold will make his season debut for the Panthers on Sunday against the Denver Broncos, becoming the fourth different quarterback to play for Carolina this season and the third different starter.
Darnold, acquired from the New York Jets in April 2021, replaces Baker Mayfield, who threw two interceptions in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 13-3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens and dropped to 1-5 as the team’s starter.
Darnold has spent most of this season on injured reserve with a high-ankle sprain he suffered during the preseason. He went 4-8 as Carolina’s starter last season, but was 1-8 in his last nine games. He ended up completing 59.9 percent of his passes with nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions for a 71.9 passer rating.
"You learn a lot just by watching," Darnold said recently. "There’s a lot to learn in terms of walking around the building, learning from other guys. There’s a lot you can learn when you don’t have the stress of being a starter. But at the end of the day, I want to be out there."
Coach Steve Wilks opted to go with Darnold after Mayfield’s dismal performance, and P.J. Walker is not yet ready to return from his own high-ankle sprain. Walker was 2-3 before suffering his injury in a Week 10 win over the Atlanta Falcons.
At 3-8, the Panthers are tied with the Chicago Bears for the worst record in the NFC and are headed for a fifth straight season out of the playoffs.
Kawhi Leonard's return to the Los Angeles Clippers lasted three games before another injury, with a rolled ankle ruling him out of Wednesday's fixture against the Golden State Warriors.
Leonard missed all of last season after tearing his ACL in the 2021 playoffs, and after returning for two games in October, he proceeded to miss another three weeks with his troublesome knee.
The 31-year-old two-time NBA Finals MVP and two-time Defensive Player of the Year has started each of the Clippers' past three games, averaging 8.3 points in 23.3 minutes as he works his way back into form.
In Monday's win against the Utah Jazz, where the Clippers were already missing Paul George due to a strained hamstring, Leonard landed awkwardly after attempting to block a shot in the fourth quarter, and was subsequently ruled out of the rest of the contest.
After that game, he said: "I just rolled my ankle… but I should be fine".
The Clippers sorely miss Leonard at his offensive best, as they currently boast the second-best defense in the league, but the third-worst offense.
His next opportunity to get back on the floor will be Friday at home against the Denver Nuggets, or if that is too soon, Sunday at home against the Indiana Pacers.
San Francisco 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward did not gain any respect for star Arizona Cardinals receiver DeAndre Hopkins when they matched up on Monday.
The 49ers won the contest convincingly 38-10 as the Cardinals were without starting quarterback Kyler Murray, missing his second consecutive game through injury.
Despite the Cardinals' struggles, Hopkins managed a productive outing, catching nine passes for 91 yards from his 12 targets. Since his return from a six-week suspension for traces of performance enhancing drugs in his system, Hopkins leads the NFL in both targets and catches.
However, speaking to the 49ers' radio broadcast after the win, Ward took the opportunity to trash the five-time All-Pro, calling him "steroid boy".
"D-Hop, he think he a tough guy," he said. "He think he still one of the best receivers in the league, and he really not.
"He was getting locked up. He was doing some dirty things. He tried to clip me, he grabbed me by the throat. He grabbed my facemask on one play, so I don’t respect his game. That’s steroid boy."
Ward, who arrived as a key free agent signing in the offseason from the Kansas City Chiefs, led the 49ers in total tackles in the game, tying his season-high with 10.
It was the third consecutive week the 49ers' defense have not allowed a single point in the second half, leading to three wins on the trot to climb atop the NFC West with a 6-4 record.
Hugo Lloris fears Lucas Hernandez has suffered an "important injury", dealing France yet another blow as they bid to defend their World Cup crown.
France began their campaign with a 4-1 win over Australia on Tuesday but were without Paul Pogba, N'Golo Kante, Christopher Nkunku and Karim Benzema, who were all ruled out of the tournament.
And left-back Hernandez was added to that injury list after he went down in attempting to stop Matthew Leckie's cross for Australia's shock opener.
The outlook does not look positive for the Bayern Munich defender, but France captain Lloris hopes his team-mates can rally as they have done before.
"It's never good to see one of your team-mates leaving the field in that way," he said. "I believe it's an important injury.
"He's not the first one, but we have to continue to look forward. Unfortunately we could not count on him, but we have a team with other players that we trust.
"We have to stay together and keep believing, keep our focus on that."
Lloris added: "We have important players left on the side for injuries, but luckily we have a lot of talented players in France, players we can trust, because they have the talent, the mentality and the desire to perform at the highest level.
"We try to create something special inside the team day by day. We try to enjoy the moment, not only on the pitch but also off the pitch.
"We have to take it game by game. Obviously it's a World Cup, there's no easy games and we have to be ready to face difficulties. When we face difficulties, we have to make sure that everybody raises their level."
The previous three holders have exited the World Cup at the group stage, but that sequence appears unlikely to be extended now.
Indeed, France's 4-1 win was the biggest in the first game of a title defence in World Cup history.
"We're obviously pleased with the result and pleased with the performance," Lloris said.
"I believe we had a good start in that game, but unfortunately we conceded that goal. We also lost one of our team-mates in this action by injury.
"But the team stayed calm, and we took control of the game and slowly started to dominate and created chances, then we scored one and two.
"Second half, I think we controlled perfectly. It's a good start."
Gareth Southgate is worried and demanded "clarity" after expressing concerns England could fall foul to refereeing decisions after a pre-World Cup briefing.
FIFA referees committee chairman Pierluigi Collina used an example clip of Kalvin Phillips blocking an opponent at a free-kick to help create space for Harry Maguire to score in last year's 5-0 win over Albania.
The video was used to brief referees, competing nations and the media, on how to spot foul play from set-piece situations and seemingly worked against England in Monday's 6-2 thrashing of Iran.
Maguire appeared to be dragged down by Iran's Rouzbeh Cheshmi in the opening stages, with the referee nor the VAR intervening, before John Stones conceded a late penalty for similar on Mehdi Taremi.
Southgate admitted he fears England may fall on the wrong side of decisions after Collina's briefing, citing concerns after a "definite penalty" on Maguire.
"What worries me is we were used in an example in the referees' video," the England manager said.
"What we were shown, the incident in the first half [with Maguire] would be a definite penalty.
"Maybe there's a shirt pull [for the Iran penalty] – we've got to be better on that – but I'm a bit worried we were the example shown.
"Then to get a decision as happened in the first half, we need some clarification really as to how it's going to be."
Southgate recalled the Football Association being able to discuss penalty decisions with match officials after England's 2-1 win over Tunisia at Russia 2018.
"It happened in Russia and we've got to have that dialogue with FIFA [again]," he added.
"We want clarity. Otherwise, we don't know where we stand. Goals are going in and we don't know whether they stand or not. The bit that worries me is we were the example shown."
England face the United States in their next Group B game on Friday before a clash with Wales four days later.
Carlos Alcaraz turns a "deaf ear" to comparisons between himself and fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal.
A stunning season for Alcaraz has seen him become the youngest world number one in ATP history at the age of 19.
He won two Masters 1000 titles and his maiden grand slam at the US Open in September.
Alcaraz was ruled out of the ATP Finals with an abdominal injury, but Nadal's elimination in Turin ensured Alcaraz would end 2022 as the youngest ever year-end number one.
Such accomplishments have seen him compared by some to countryman Nadal, who won the French Open aged just 19 in 2005 on his way to becoming one of the most decorated men's tennis players of all time.
But Alcaraz refuses to entertain such talk, instead speaking of his admiration at what the now 36-year-old Nadal had achieved over his long career.
"There is no point in comparing," Alcaraz told reporters. "It doesn't matter that now I am world number one, Rafa's entire career counts for a lot.
"It is a pleasure, for every tennis lover, to see Rafa on the court."
He added he hopes to achieve "at least half" of what Nadal has, in a career spanning over two decades and encompassing 22 grand slam titles.
Alcaraz, meanwhile, is trying to "regain strength before returning to the court" as he eyes the new season, and acknowledged he will start with a target on his back due to his 2022 success.
"The season is going to be difficult because I am going to start as the favourite," he explained. "There is going to be a lot of pressure on me.
"But I try to keep the good part and see that all this does not go to my head. In the end, beating your idols is an incredible achievement.
"I try to take it normally and never forget that whatever happens in the future, I have to enjoy tennis and play at my level."
South Africa coach Jacques Nienaber believes the rugby union world disrespects his side amid the ongoing controversy surrounding Rassie Erasmus' actions.
The Springboks' director of rugby has been handed a fresh suspension following his latest criticism of match officials, having only recently returned in October following a year-long ban for the same issue.
Erasmus, who guided South Africa to victory over England at the 2019 Rugby World Cup before he vacated the role to Nienaber, will miss this weekend's rematch at Twickenham with Eddie Jones' side.
But his successor believes his team are being made a scapegoat, and that they are more than the sum of their parts as suggested by their broadsides at referees.
"If all the facts are out there, I think people would form a different opinion," Nienaber stated. "It is quite sad if you think about it.
"We can't control the narrative that gets put out there that we are boring, and we don't attack, that we just kick and tackle.
"All the energy you put in, you are not going to change that narrative, that is the narrative people want to drive.
"If we will get respect ever, I don't know, but as long as we are comfortable with what we are putting out here and are trying to achieve, and we are open and honest with each other as a group."
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
