Rafael Nadal does not need extra motivation to win the ATP Finals for the first time in his legendary career, while Novak Djokovic is looking for a "perfect ending" to 2022 in Turin.
Spanish great Nadal has won 22 singles grand slam titles, a record in the men's game, but has surprisingly never been crowned champion at the season-ending event.
Nadal made a personal-best start to 2022, winning 20 straight matches and lifting the Australian Open title.
However, he has only played once since the US Open due to becoming a father for the first time and recuperating from injuries.
Still, at the age of 36, Nadal is grateful to still be getting a crack at finally ticking off the ATP Finals on his impressive list of accomplishments.
"I try my best in every single event. That's true. Doesn't matter if I won it [in the past] or not," Nadal, a two-time runner-up, said at an ATP media day prior to the tournament in Turin.
"When I enter a tennis tournament, I want to win and I'm going to try my best to achieve that goal. Here I was not able to make it, I was not good enough to make it in the past.
"So I just accept that and I'm happy to give myself another chance at the age of 36 — something, for me, that was difficult to imagine years ago.
"Of course it's going to be a challenge, but I hope I will be ready to give myself a chance. That's what I am looking for, just practising as good as possible with the right attitude and just trying to be ready for the action that's going to start on Sunday."
Djokovic's season has been a complicated one. Absent from the Australian and US Opens due to not being vaccinated against COVID-19, the Serbian great did triumph at Wimbledon, but there were no ranking points on offer at SW19.
He has slipped to eighth in the rankings as a result but does have four titles to his name in 2022 and Djokovic is eyeing a record-equalling sixth ATP Finals title and first since 2015.
"It would be a perfect ending," Djokovic said." The cherry on the cake, for sure, but it's a long way. It's a long week.
"You've got to play the best players in the world. You have to play more or less everyone in this tournament at least once, so I look forward to it.
"I've had experience in this tournament, in this format, many times and hopefully that can serve me in a good way."
Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry scored 18 of his game-high 40 points in the fourth quarter of his team's 106-101 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.
After scoring a season-high 47 points on 17-of-24 shooting (70.8 per cent) in Monday's home win against the Sacramento Kings, Curry electrified the Chase Center crowd once more for consecutive 40-plus point performances.
Despite his final figures against the Cavaliers, the visitors actually led 72-62 with less than three minutes remaining in the third quarter. The Warriors closed the game on a 46-29 run.
The Warriors trailed 98-95 with 90 seconds remaining, before Curry proceeded to hit two three-pointers, a two-pointer and two free throws to ice the game.
He finished a terrific 15-of-23 (65.2 per cent) from the field, hitting six-of-11 threes while adding five assists and two turnovers.
Andrew Wiggins chipped in 20 points (eight-of-13 shooting), Draymond Green had season-highs in assists (13) and rebounds (9), and Jordan Poole rediscovered some form with 18 points (six-of-13) off the bench.
Donovan Mitchell continued his strong start in a Cavaliers uniform as he put up 29 points (10-of-20), 10 rebounds and nine assists, posting a plus/minus of plus seven in his 37 minutes.
Morant outduels Edwards in Grizzlies win
Ja Morant and Anthony Edwards faced off in one of the NBA's most entertaining matchups, but it was Morant's Memphis Grizzlies coming out on top against the Minnesota Timberwolves for a 114-103 home win.
Both young stars finished with 28 points, with Edwards shooting a superior 10-of-16 compared to Morant's 11-of-25, but Morant added 10 rebounds, eight assists and two steals, while Edwards had six rebounds and six assists.
Timberwolves' franchise-player Karl-Anthony Towns struggled with foul trouble all game, fouling out with 13 points and 10 rebounds in 26 minutes.
Barrett, Brunson put on a show at Madison Square Garden
The New York Knicks' backcourt was everything their fans have been hoping for in a 121-112 home win against the Detroit Pistons.
Former third-overall draft pick R.J. Barrett scored a season-high 30 points on 10-of-17 shooting (three-of-eight from deep), with five rebounds and five assists, while his running-mate and recent trade acquisition Jalen Brunson was just as good.
Brunson scored 26 points on eight-of-16 shooting, adding a team-high seven assists and a game-high four steals.
The win boosts the Knicks' home record to 4-2, and pulls them to 6-6 overall.
In recent years, the notable absentee at the ATP Finals has been Roger Federer, with his last appearance in the tournament coming in 2019.
The lack of Federer at the showpiece event will be felt even more apparent this year after the Swiss maestro retired from tennis in September, though it is the absence of a player at the other end of his career that is more relevant in Turin.
World number one Carlos Alcaraz had to withdraw from the tournament after suffering an abdominal tear, which means his status at the top of the men's game is in jeopardy.
Rafael Nadal has spoken well of his 19-year-old compatriot in the past, but is not ready to pass the torch just yet, and could even topple Alcaraz from his number one spot.
The 22-time grand slam champion has finished as year-end number one five times previously, most recently in 2019. Should he accomplish the feat again this year it would put him in joint-second for most year-end finishes at the top of the ATP Rankings (since 1973) along with Pete Sampras (six).
In order to do so, Nadal will need to win the tournament, something he has never done before.
However, he comes into his 11th appearance in good form, and has won 32 per cent of his return games in 2022, the highest percentage by any player this year, and has converted 43.8 per cent of his break points in 2022, the third best amongst all players.
Stefanos Tsitsipas, meanwhile, is the other competitor who can knock Alcaraz off top spot, though his task to do so is a little more complicated as he needs to win every match on the way to the title in Turin.
No player has played more matches in 2022 than Tsitsipas (80), 21 on clay, 11 on grass and 48 on hard courts; he has won 59 of them and lost 21.
Should neither man win at the Pala Alpitour, Alcaraz will breathe a sigh of relief and earn his first year-end number one finish, having taken his place after winning the US Open in September.
Nadal has been drawn into the Green Group with Casper Ruud, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Taylor Fritz, while Tsitsipas will be in the Red Group alongside Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev and Novak Djokovic.
Djokovic can equal Federer record
One man surprisingly unable to end the year as number one is Djokovic, despite having done so on more occasions than anyone else in history (seven).
However, the 21-time grand slam champion can still make his mark in Italy.
Djokovic has had an up-and-down year, only playing in two of the four grand slams due to his vaccination status, though he was able to win Wimbledon for the seventh time, beating Nick Kyrgios in the final.
Should the Serbian go all the way and lift what would be his sixth ATP Finals title, he will go level with Federer for most victories since the tournament began in 1970.
Among the eight participating players in this year's tournament, Djokovic has won 87 per cent of his service games in 2022, the best percentage among these players and the sixth overall.
It would be quite the ending to the year for Djokovic, who finds himself in the unusual position of sitting eighth in the world rankings, and at the age of 35, who knows how many more appearances he will make at the event?
Strong field promises fireworks
As is the intent of the format, the ATP Finals should be a tightly-contested few days as the best men's players in the world come together.
Ruud will be looking to add to an already impressive season, having reached two grand slam finals and winning three tour-level titles, while Fritz is aiming to carry on the fine lineage of American players to have won the tournament.
Players from the United States have won the ATP finals 16 times, with Sampras and Ivan Lendl winning five of them each. It is the most by any country and 10 more than next best Switzerland (six, all Federer) and Germany (also six, three wins for Boris Becker, one for Michael Stich and two for last year's champion, Alexander Zverev).
Auger-Aliassime has had a strong end to the year, beating Djokovic at the Laver Cup before winning three titles in as many weeks in Florence, Antwerp and Basel.
Only John Isner (895) has recorded more aces in 2022 than Auger-Aliassime, who has registered 852 in total, averaging 10.9 per match.
"All the players who participate [at the ATP Finals], I have already faced them, I have beaten them," the Canadian recently said. "So for me, there's no reason why I can't show up to this tournament with the aim of winning it."
Medvedev was world number one as recently as September but enters this tournament in fifth, though he did win the Vienna ATP 500 event last month, while his first opponent in Turin, Rublev, enters with a 2022 record of 49-18, looking for his second straight 50-win season.
Whoever comes out on top at this year's ATP Finals, the race for supremacy in 2023 promises to be as delightfully chaotic.
Jayson Tatum was one of six Boston Celtics to reach double-figures in a dominant 131-112 home win against the Denver Nuggets, further boosting their league-best offense.
The Celtics boast an offensive rating of 119.4, meaning they average 119.4 points per 100 possessions. It is a stat detailing offensive efficiency, as it provides a more accurate representation than just raw points per game since teams play at different paces.
In second-place is the Utah Jazz at 116.0, but the gap of 3.4 from first-to-second is greater than the gap between the Jazz and the 11th-ranked Dallas Mavericks (113.1).
It illustrates just how impressive the Celtics have been on that side of the ball this season, after leading the league in defensive rating last campaign by a wide margin.
Against the Nuggets, Tatum top-scored with 34 points on 11-of-21 shooting to raise his season average to a career-high 31.2 points per game, while co-star Jaylen Brown chipped in a hyper-efficient 25 points (11-of-15 shooting) to keep up his career-high average of 25.4.
Speaking to the media after the win, Tatum said the key to their success has been following the principles laid out by new head coach Joe Mazzulla and remaining unselfish.
"I think it's just the way we're playing on offense," he said. "Continuous movement, we trust in each other, we move the ball. You pass it, you trust you're going to get it back.
"The only thing you can do wrong is stay still, so we just continue to keep moving, find the open man and make the right play."
Coach Mazzulla is also enjoying the show, saying he believes his side's team-first mindset is driving their play.
"The cool thing about offense, and basketball in general, is you have to be able to make each other better," he said. "Whether you have the ball or not.
"Our guys have bought into making each other better, whether they have the ball or not. It's cool to watch.
"It starts with decision-making. When you have great spacing, and you make the right play, and you read the coverage the right way, the passing is a little easier, so we stay out of those disadvantage situations that kind of force turnovers."
Veteran big-man Al Horford added: "Guys are really conscious of understanding what coach wants from us, what he expects.
"He wants good spacing and we’re doing a good job of getting to those positions, and it’s fun to see when it comes together like that."
The Celtics are now 9-3, and have won five in a row. They will try to keep their hot streak alive when they travel to take on the Detroit Pistons on Saturday.
George Russell is in a good spot going into Saturday's sprint race at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, but his session ended poorly as he spun out violently.
Ultimately, the time he set previously ended up being good enough to take third, with his incident chewing up valuable track time as the rain arrived.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Russell said it was a rough session physically, detailing the damage inside the car.
"I have broken the headrest because my head was banging so much," he said. "It was a pretty unpleasant experience.
"I wanted to do a 360, but then did the rears in the gravel, so probably not the wisest choice I have ever made.
"As it turned out, we knew that the first lap was it all."
He added that he believes there should be no ill-effects for his car the rest of the weekend stemming from the crash.
"There was no damage, but you are always tentative as it is lifted onto the tow truck," he said.
"There is a lot of gravel, so the guys are going to have to take the car to pieces tonight to make sure we have got all of the gravel out, but it should be ok."
Teammate Lewis Hamilton made his way back out onto the track following the incident, but he said the track was in no condition to put up a strong time.
"I went out there to see what the conditions were like, but obviously it was properly wet," he said.
"It was just difficult to see the conditions, difficult to see the rain drops because it was so dark and I was the last car out, so I think I got the earliest part of the rain and probably lost too much in the tyres in the pitlane.
"Just a bit unfortunate, but George did a great job, and congratulations to Kevin [Magnussen]."
Haas' Magnussen will start the sprint race from pole, with Max Verstappen in second.
Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley tried to explain to reporters on Friday why he decided to release former first-round draft pick Jerry Tillery just weeks after rejecting trade offers for him.
Tillery, 26, was taken with the 28th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, tallying 97 tackles, 9.5 sacks and two forced fumbles across his first three seasons.
However, his fifth-year option was declined by the franchise, and he has failed to start a game this campaign.
According to ESPN, the Chargers received "multiple" offers for Tillery leading up to the November 1 trade deadline, but chose to decline in the hope that he could provide depth down the home stretch.
That decision ended up backfiring, as a breakdown in the relationship between player and team led to the Chargers releasing Tillery on Thursday for no compensation.
Speaking to the media on Friday to explain the decision, Staley implied Tillery was not going to accept the limited role the team was asking him to remain in.
"[We had] competing visions for the role moving forward, and it just became clear that it wasn't going to be a fit anymore," he said.
"Where we're headed as a team wasn't going to be compatible with Jerry and where he's trying to go.
"We felt we were going to give [Breiden Fehoko] and [Joe Gaziano] a chance to compete and where we're at, trying to do with our team, our defensive line, our defense, our whole team, trying to create competition and have guys earn their roles.
"That's what we want to be here, that's what we want to do. When those things didn't line up, we had to make a change."
Tom Brady’s team is under .500 and he’s had to deal with off-field challenges, but that does not mean the 45-year-old has any regrets about returning for a 23rd NFL season.
''Zero, no, definitely not,'' Brady told a crowded news conference in Germany ahead of Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks. ''I think I returned because I felt like I wanted to compete. I spoke to the team about it, and they were excited to have me back.''
Although just 4-5, Brady and the Buccaneers have the good fortune of playing in the weak NFC South where no team has a better record. Tampa Bay is coming off a come-from-behind 16-13 win over the Los Angeles Rams and can reach .500 with a victory Sunday.
''This is a very important game for us. We have a bye week after this. It gives you a chance to kind of evaluate where you are at, and I'd much rather evaluate being 5-5 than 4-6,'' he said. ''We've got to win this game and it will take care of that, but Seattle is going to challenge us. They're creating a lot of sacks and turnovers.''
Tampa Bay has been hit hard by injuries and is averaging just 18 points per game, the fewest by a Brady-led offense through nine games in his career.
"I think the frustrating part is we just haven’t played to the way we’re capable of playing – that's for a number of different reasons," Brady said.
Besides on-field issues, Brady and Gisele Bundchen recently announced that their divorce is finalized.
He was asked about how he copes with personal and professional challenges.
''You do the best you can do every day and, yeah, that's what I've been trying to do, be the best I can be for my family and for my teammates,'' he said. ''We all have our challenges. Life is challenging for everybody. We just do our best.''
Brady later explained that he loves the daily routine of the job.
''It's hard for me to believe I'm still playing at this age, but I enjoy it and I love competing,'' he said. ''Certainly, games like last week are reasons why we do do it because there's a thrill of victory that is hard to probably replicate at home on Xbox or something like that.''
Tony Finau enjoyed a spectacular second round at the Houston Open, shooting an eight-under 62 to open up a four-stroke lead on the chasing field heading into the weekend.
Finau was the joint-leader after the opening round, and he went even better in his second trip around Memorial Park Golf Course, sinking 10 birdies to go with two bogeys.
Fresh off his first PGA Tour season with multiple wins – including a career-high four top-two finishes – Finau is in prime position to make a run at his fifth title.
Alone in second at nine under is Patrick Rodgers, who followed his opening 68 with an impressive 63, as only he and Finau completed rounds of 63 or better before the weather arrived.
Joint-leader from the first round, Alex Noren is one further back at eight under, although he had three holes remaining when play was called off.
Noren is joined by Tyson Alexander, while China's Carl Yuan and America's James Hahn are the only players tied for fifth at seven under.
There is a seven-man logjam tied for seventh at six under, but Aaron Wise and Trey Mullinax will have their sights set higher before they begin their third rounds, with six holes still to play.
After a disappointing even-par 70 to open his week, world number two Scottie Scheffler is enjoying a five-under round through 13 holes, sinking an eagle on the par-five 12th right before his round was interrupted.
Former world number one Jason Day will likely see the weekend as he is tied for 37th at two under with six holes remaining, while his playing partner and former Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama is one further back sitting right on the edge of the cut-line.
Jack Draper was no match for Brandon Nakashima, who maintained his perfect record at the ATP Next Gen Finals to set up a showdown with Jiri Lehecka.
Nakashima won all of his group matches in Milan and, having lost at the semi-final stage in 2021, he made no mistake this time around with a 4-6 (8-6) 1-4 4-2 4-3 (7-5) victory.
The 21-year-old world number 49 controlled much of Friday's second semi-final, though he did have to rally from 5-2 down in the final set tie-break.
Nakashima's reward for beating Britain's Draper is a meeting with Lehecka, who fell foul of the American in straight sets in the group stage.
Lehecka came through in second place in his pool and the Czech turned in a dominant display against Dominic Stricker in the first semi-final, winning 4-1 4-3 (7-4) 2-4 4-1.
Seeded fifth, one behind Nakashima, Lehecka has reached his first ATP Tour-level final.
"Today I think everything went the way I wanted," Lehecka said. "Me and my team spoke about this match yesterday and today and the plan was just to relax on the court and enjoy it as much as I can.
"Dominic was playing incredible here, so I am very happy with my win."
Reigning champions Australia edged Trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand 16-14 in a thrilling contest at Elland Road on Friday to reach the Rugby League World Cup final.
Australia trailed 14-10 at the interval in Leeds, but Cameron Murray crossed over for the only try in the second half and the Kangaroos held on for a nervy victory.
New Zealand entered the tournament as top seeds and lived up to that billing when Jahrome Hughes crossed over in the 11th minute after being picked out by Joey Manu.
But Australia, who have not lost a World Cup match since 2008, responded five minutes later through Josh Addo-Carr's 12th try of the tournament.
Jordan Rapana's penalty had the Kiwis back in front, only for their opponents to again hit back thanks to Valentine Holmes, who dotted down in the corner.
Dylan Brown chased down Ronaldo Mulitalo's pass to give New Zealand the half-time lead, which they would have extended if not for Peta Hiku's try being ruled out.
Australia used that scare to their advantage as Murray capitalised on some sloppy defending to power through in the 53rd minute, with Nathan Cleary adding the crucial extras.
No further points followed, with Hiku having a late try chalked off and Australia holding firm to reach yet another final, where either England or Samoa await on November 19.
Guenther Steiner knows Haas benefitted from circumstance as Kevin Magnussen claimed a shock pole position, but insisted it was not down to luck.
Magnussen will start at the front of the grid in Saturday's sprint race ahead of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix after clinching his first Formula One pole.
The 30-year-old, who joined Haas this year in the wake of Nikita Mazepin's dismissal from the team, recorded the quickest lap of Q3 at the Interlagos Circuit, with the final session ended by a combination of a red flag and rain showers.
Yet Steiner was adamant Haas and Magnussen must take the credit.
"This is the sort of thing that you're scared to dream about. The whole team have been trying hard for seven years. Circumstances let us pull this one off," he told Sky Sports.
"It was not luck, it was well-deserved from the driver and from the team, being on the right tyres at the right time and Kevin putting a lap down when it was needed.
"He was first out. You could say he had an advantage, but also he had a disadvantage as he had nobody to gauge things from because he was on his own.
"Kevin deserves a lot. The whole team deserves this and he's part of the team. We always work hard, we never give up and we keep on fighting."
It has been another tough season for Haas, who sit eighth in the constructors' standings, with Magnussen and team-mate Mick Schumacher having accumulated just 36 points between them.
They now have a chance to leave their mark with just two races remaining in 2022, while for Magnussen, he fulfilled a dream he might have thought had gone.
"I still can't really believe it," Magnussen told Sky Sports.
"What a phenomenal job the team did to put me out on the pit lane as the first car to give me the best piece of track. It was starting to rain so that was the crucial part.
"In this sport, at least I do go up and down. It's a lot of fun on days like this, that's for sure."
Magnussen burst onto the scene with McLaren in 2014, finishing on the podium in his very first race.
"I didn't know what to expect back then. I came in as this arrogant little kid thinking I was the king of the world," he added with a smile.
"I had a lot of lessons after that, showing how difficult it actually is in this sport. Now I'm on pole position so I'm just going to enjoy."
Matthew Stafford and Kyler Murray could both miss Sunday's clash between the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals in a crucial game for each team's seemingly fading playoff hopes.
The defending Super Bowl champion Rams are 3-5 heading into the visit of the Cardinals after suffering successive losses to the San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The sole team propping them up in the NFC West is Arizona, who dropped to 3-6 with a home loss to the Seattle Seahawks last time out.
Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray will be a game-time decision with a hamstring injury, and it may well prove a battle of deputy Colt McCoy and Rams backup John Wolford. Stafford (concussion) is listed as questionable having returned to practice in a limited capacity on Friday.
"It could go all the way up until 90 minutes before kick-off," coach Sean McVay said of Stafford.
"Because when you've got a guy that's a veteran player like him, you're not gonna risk at all… We're not gonna skip any steps, so I don't want that to be misunderstood. But I think it would be silly of me to rule him out."
Even if Stafford cannot play, the Rams can have reason to be optimistic of beating the Cardinals.
The Rams are 10-1 against the Cardinals since 2017, including a win in Arizona in Week 3 this year. The lone loss came at SoFi Stadium last season. The only team with more wins against a single opponent since 2017 are the New England Patriots, who are 11-0 against the Jets.
However, the Rams have the worst offense in the NFL by yards per play, averaging just 4.71. Additionally, they have gone three-and-out on 29.4 per cent of their offensive drives this season, the second-highest mark in the league (Pittsburgh, 31.8). Last season, they did that on just 13.3 per cent of their drives, the second-lowest mark in the league (Kansas City, 10.1).
The Cardinals, therefore, should not have much fear of the Rams pulling away as the Seahawks did last week, but, with Arizona averaging just 4.88 yards per play, a low-scoring game looks likely regardless of who is under center.
If the Rams are to prevail, wide receiver Cooper Kupp will be the probable offensive difference-maker.
Last week, Kupp produced his 20th career game with at least 100 receiving yards and a touchdown, the most in the NFL since he entered the league in 2017. The only other players with more than 15 such games in that span are Davante Adams (19) and Tyreek Hill (18).
Surprise pole-sitter Kevin Magnussen pledged "maximum attack" as he aimed to "have some fun" in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix sprint race.
Haas driver Magnussen, who claimed a podium finish in his first Formula One race back in 2014, had never previously topped qualifying.
Yet he claimed a shock pole position on Friday, ahead of world champion Max Verstappen and Mercedes' George Russell, to ensure he will start Saturday's sprint race at the front of the grid.
Magnussen recorded a fastest lap of 1:11.674 before a combination of a rain shower and a red flag due to Russell spinning off ended the session.
"You're kidding, you're kidding, you're f****** kidding me! I've never, ever felt like this in my life," the Dane said on the team radio after being informed he was P1.
Magnussen, the first driver from Denmark to claim a pole in F1, had hardly composed himself by the time he was interviewed following the race.
"I don't know what to say," said the 30-year-old, who signed for Haas earlier this year after Nikita Mazepin had his contract terminated.
"The team put me out on the track at the exact right moment. We were the first out in the pit lane and did a pretty decent lap and we are on pole. It is incredible.
"Thank you to Gene Haas and [team manager] Guenther Steiner and the whole team for this opportunity.
"It has just been an amazing journey. It is incredible, thank you."
Asked about his plan for Saturday, Magnussen quipped: "Maximum attack, let's go for something funny."
Magnussen might still have his work cut out to hold off the Red Bull of Verstappen, who said: "We are still at the front. We just stayed calm from Q1 to Q2, then Q3 was where it was a bit more of a lottery but we are still on the front row."
Russell had to settle for P3 following his spin, though the Briton believes the sprint race provides Mercedes with a prime chance to beat Verstappen.
"Firstly, I'm happy to be P3 and congrats to Kevin," he said. "What an awesome job he did and Haas – they truly deserve it for all the efforts they have been putting in.
"P3 is not necessarily where we wanted to be but it's a very good place to be starting for tomorrow's sprint race.
"I think it is our best shot at finishing ahead of Max and Red Bull if there are some mixed conditions. I think we are ready for a good couple of races."
PROVISIONAL CLASSIFICATION
1. Kevin Magnussen (Haas) 1:11.674
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.203
3. George Russell (Mercedes) +0.385
4. Lando Norris (McLaren) +0.589
5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) +0.683
6. Esteban Ocon (Alpine) +0.751
7. Fernando Alonso (Alpine) +0.830
8. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) +0.937
9. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) +3.927
10. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
The Buffalo Bills have officially listed quarterback Josh Allen as questionable for Sunday's key game against the Minnesota Vikings as the midseason MVP candidate continues to manage a sprained right elbow.
Allen was termed a limited participant in Friday's practice after sitting out the previous two days with an injury he picked up in Buffalo's 20-17 loss to the New York Jets last weekend.
The five-year veteran did not leave that contest but had his most ineffective performance of the season, completing just 18 of 34 passes for 205 yards with no touchdowns, two interceptions and a 46.8 passer rating.
"We are literally in an hour-to-hour situation here," Bills coach Sean McDermott said of Allen on Friday.
"We're just looking at how he's going to progress through the day, and as he goes through these different tests, medically, making sure he's able to check the boxes in a progression to where we can see if we can proceed through the course of the day here."
McDermott was then asked what Allen will need to show the coaching staff in order to be cleared for the clash against the 7-1 Vikings.
"That's probably getting too far down the road at this point or into the weeds."
If Allen ends up inactive, journeyman Case Keenum would direct a Bills offense that ranks second in the NFL in total yards per game.
Keenum made a pair of starts for the Cleveland Browns in 2021 and won both while compiling 375 passing yards with three touchdowns, one interception and a 95.3 rating.
Allen sat out four games with a similar issue in his elbow as a rookie in 2018 but has not missed a game since, having started Buffalo's past 69 games including the postseason.
Mark Telea will make his New Zealand debut when Ian Foster's side go in search of a sixth consecutive win in Sunday's clash with Scotland at Murrayfield.
The All Blacks maintained their remarkable 69-year unbeaten run against Wales by racking up a dominant 55-23 success in Cardiff last Saturday, but Foster has opted to ring the changes for Sunday's Test.
Blues wing Telea is one of the chief beneficiaries of Foster's decision to make seven changes, and the 25-year-old is thrilled by the prospect of making his international debut.
"I was just chilling, waiting for someone else's name to get called out, and I was kind of surprised. It's straight into homework after this," Telea said.
"It's more special for my family, for all the work they've seen me putting through and the outcome of it all – that's why it's special.
"I told my mum, my dad and my sister and they were overjoyed – tears through their eyes. The old man was happy, he's been there from the beginning and seen all the hard work."
Caleb Clarke is the only man to retain his place in the All Blacks' backline following the win over Wales, allowing David Havili and Anton Lienert-Brown – whose last Test start came against Ireland in November 2021 – to slot in.
With Richie Mo'unga rested, Beauden Barrett moves from full-back to first-five, with Scottish-born half-back Finlay Christie also being handed a start against his country of birth.
With New Zealand posting a strong run of form since suffering a shock Rugby Championship defeat to Argentina in August, Foster is intrigued to see how his much-changed team will fare.
"We've selected a team that excites us this week," Foster said. "In many ways, this Test is crucial for our tour as a whole, and it's a chance to show how we're building as a group."
Scotland have made three changes on the back of last week's 28-12 win over Fiji, meanwhile, with Finn Russell earning his 64th cap after being recalled to the starting XV.
Russell, who has not been involved since the Six Nations in March, is drafted into the side along with hooker Fraser Brown and centre Sione Tuipulotu.
Scotland: Hogg; Graham, Harris, Tuipulotu, Van der Merwe; Russell, Price; Schoeman, Brown, Z Fagerson, R Gray, Gilchrist, Ritchie, Watson, M Fagerson.
Replacements: Ashman, Sutherland, Nel, J Gray, Dempsey, White, Kinghorn, Bennett.
New Zealand: Barrett, Telea, Lienert-Brown, Havili, Clarke, Barrett, Christie; De Groot, Taukei'aho, Laulala, Whitelock, Barrett, Akira Ioane, Papali'i, Savea.
Replacements: Taylor, Bower, Newell, Vaa'i, Frizell, Perenara, Perofeta, Rieko Ioane.
We are somehow already at Week 10 in the NFL season, all wondering where the time actually does go.
Two of the shining lights of the campaign face off in Buffalo as the Bills host the Minnesota Vikings.
History will be made in Munich as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers face the Seattle Seahawks in the first-ever regular season NFL game played in Germany, while the San Francisco 49ers will look to continue their return to winning ways against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Stats Perform takes a closer look at the numbers behind some of Sunday's NFL clashes.
Minnesota Vikings (7-1) @ Buffalo Bills (6-2)
The Vikings have played eight games at Highmark Stadium and have held the Bills to 23 points or fewer in each one, which is the longest streak of allowing 23 points or fewer by a visiting team in the stadium's history.
Minnesota have won six straight games, all by eight points or fewer, tied for the second-longest streak of one-possession wins in NFL history, behind a seven-game streak by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2020.
T.J. Hockenson boasted nine catches on his Vikings debut last week, tying the Bills' Keith McKeller (October 18, 1987) for the most receptions by a tight end on debut with a team in the Super Bowl era.
The Bills have allowed 21 points or fewer in 12 straight regular-season games, the longest streak in franchise history and the second longest by any NFL team over the last 15 seasons (Baltimore Ravens, 13 straight from 2019-20).
Buffalo are allowing just 4.6 points per game in the second half this year. No NFL team has allowed fewer than 5.0 points per game in the second half over a full season since the Carolina Panthers in 1996 (3.5).
Seattle Seahawks (6-3) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5)
It should be a great experience in Bavaria, but the Bucs are 0-3 in games played outside the United States (all in London), having been outscored 96-51 in those games. The Seahawks, meanwhile, are 2-0 outside the U.S. (one in Toronto, one in London), outscoring their opponents, 77-20.
Pete Carroll is in his 17th season as an NFL head coach and has had at least six wins in each campaign. The only other coach to have six or more wins in each of his first 17 seasons was Don Shula, who did so in all 33 seasons of his career.
Kenneth Walker III is the first NFL rookie to rush for a touchdown and have his team win in each of his first four career starts since Robert Edwards for the New England Patriots in 1998.
Tom Brady has thrown at least 40 passes with no interceptions in seven consecutive starts. No other QB in NFL history has done that in more than four straight starts.
The Bucs have rushed for 75 or fewer yards in eight straight games, the second-longest streak in the Super Bowl wera behind a nine-game streak by the Cardinals from 1991-92.
Los Angeles Chargers (5-3) @ San Francisco 49ers (4-4)
The Chargers are looking to win their sixth-straight game against the 49ers, which would make them the first team to do so since the Seahawks (nine games from 2014 to 2018).
Justin Herbert was not sacked in the Chargers' recent win against the Atlanta Falcons. The Chargers have allowed the fewest sacks in the league this season (10), and have not allowed 10 or fewer sacks through eight games since the 2008 season (also 10).
Through 40 career starts, Herbert has played a part in 90 touchdowns (82 passing, eight rushing). Only Patrick Mahomes (107), Dan Marino (95) and Kurt Warner (91) accounted for more scores in their first 40 starts.
San Francisco's last five games have all been decided by at least 14 points (3-2 record). They have not had six consecutive such games since an eight-game streak in 1999.
Christian McCaffrey threw for, rushed for and caught a touchdown in San Francisco's win over the Rams. He was the first player to do so since the Chargers' LaDainian Tomlinson completed the feat in Week 6 of the 2005 season.
Elsewhere...
The Jacksonville Jaguars (3-6) will need a plan to deal with Chiefs (6-2) QB Mahomes, who attempted 68 passes (completing 43) in last week's win over the Tennessee Titans, both of which set single-game team records. The only player to attempt more passes in a win in the NFL since 1950 was Drew Bledsoe with 70 in Week 11 of the 1994 season.
Former Chief Tyreek Hill has 1104 receiving yards this season for the Miami Dolphins (6-3), the most by any player through his team's first nine games in the Super Bowl era. Prior to this year, there had only been 11 times a Dolphins receiver recorded 1100 yards in an entire season, and Hill will look to add to those against the Cleveland Browns (3-5).
Last week was Cooper Kupp's 20th career game with at least 100 receiving yards and a touchdown, the most in the NFL since he entered the league in 2017. The only other players with more than 15 such games in that span are Davante Adams (19) and Hill (18), and the Los Angeles Rams (3-5) will need their star to step up again against the Arizona Cardinals (3-6).
Aaron Rodgers' passer rating is at 89.0 this season after posting 111.9 in 2021. The decrease of 22.9 is the largest by a Green Bay Packers quarterback (min. five games played) since Bart Starr from 1966 to 1967 (105.0 to 64.4). With a record of 3-6, the Packers will hope he can improve that against the Dallas Cowboys (6-2).
Pierre Gasly says the "embarrassing" threat of a looming race ban is "a very unpleasant situation" as he prepares for this weekend's Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
The AlphaTauri driver, who will move to Alpine next year, has amassed 10 penalty points so far this term, leaving him two shy of the threshold to automatically trigger a one-race suspension.
If he reaches a dozen at Interlagos, he will miss the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix next weekend, while his remaining points remain valid for a year, meaning he could still be banned next season - with Brazil the first of nine races where the threat of a ban looms over him.
Gasly feels the sanctions have been tough on him however, and says he is in dialogue with the FIA to seek clarification on rulings in order to avoid incurring any time spent off-track.
"I'm not going to lie, it's a very unpleasant situation and quite delicate," he stated. "In some ways, [it is] a bit embarrassing to be standing in a position where I could be banned for a race after the season that I've [had].
"I don't really feel like I've been particularly dangerous over these last 12 months and that would definitely be a harsh penalty.
"I've been discussing it quite a lot with the FIA to try and find solutions because the way the regulation is written at the moment, it's quite strict on the drivers, even though it's not always related to dangerous driving."
"I hope we can find solutions out of the weekend to avoid ending up in a silly situation where I'll be banned for a race. That would be terrible for myself and definitely not the way. I don't think that's the correct approach."
Gasly's penalty points have mostly been amassed through collisions this term, including with Lance Stroll in Spain and Sebastian Vettel in Austria.
He was also handed points for exceeding red flag limits during a controversial Japanese Grand Prix.
Luka Doncic labelled his past two performances as "awful" and conceded fatigue was a factor after back-to-back losses and back-to-back sub-30-point games for the Dallas Mavericks.
The Slovenian guard had started the season with nine straight 30-point games – a mark only previously topped by Wilt Chamberlain's outrageous 23-game streak in 1962-63 – but that has run ground to a halt in his past two games as the Mavericks have fallen to 6-5.
Michael Jordan was the last player to achieve six straight 30-point games to start a season, back in 1986-87, putting 23-year-old Doncic in esteemed company.
But Doncic's production has dropped off, managing only 22 points on eight-of-21 shooting in the Mavs' 113-105 loss to the Washington Wizards on Thursday, having dipped below the 30-mark for the first time this season in Wednesday's 94-87 defeat to the Orlando Magic, where he scored 24.
"I've been awful for two games now," Doncic told reporters. "These two games are on me. We got to figure [it] out. These two games we were supposed to win, but we didn't, so I've got to figure it out."
Doncic's remarkable start had led to questions on whether he could maintain it physically, and he conceded fatigue was one of many factors that had contributed to his drop-off in the past two games.
"It's good defense, fatigue, high level everything," Doncic said. "I had a real busy summer [Slovenia reached the EuroBasket 2022 quarter-finals], I think that came after me.
"I'm just feeling more tired in the court in these last two games. But that's not an excuse. I think it's a little bit of everything."
The sensational nature of Doncic's early-season production did not concern him, however.
"I don't watch these statistics," Doncic said. "Nowadays you have a statistic for everything. Whoever drinks one espresso and scores five points gets the record. I don't follow it."
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd spoke pre-game about the side's need to spread the load more, which will likely take on greater urgency after Dallas' successive losses.
"Nothing yet," Doncic replied when asked if Kidd had brought that up with the team. "We had back-to-back [games], we haven’t had much time. We're going to discuss it for sure."
Kidd added after the game: "If we keep this up, then he will not be human if he gets past Christmas. So, one or the other is going to show: he's human or not – and we believe he's human."
Doncic is averaging 33.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, 7.9 assists and 2.0 steals per game this season. His scoring production is well up on his NBA career average of 26.7.
The Atlanta Falcons missed the chance to move into top spot in the NFC South as interim Carolina Panthers head coach Steve Wilks guided his side to a 25-15 victory on Thursday.
Panthers running back D'Onta Foreman starred with 31 carries for 130 yards in rainy conditions, including a third-quarter touchdown to complete a seven-play 84-yard drive at Bank of America Stadium.
The Falcons, who slipped to 4-6, were well beaten throughout, yet got within one score with 2:56 remaining in the fourth quarter when QB Marcus Mariota found a wide open KhaDarel Hodge to make it 22-15. Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo, who had made 71 consecutive extra points coming into the game, inexplicably missed the conversion, having spurned one earlier too.
Marquin Haynes sacked Mariota for the second time to end Atlanta's final drive, with Eddy Pineiro's 37-yard field goal padding out the margin.
Mariota made numerous unusual decisions throughout and was sacked five times. He completed 19 of 30 pass attempts for 186 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, linking up with rookie Drake London for a third-quarter TD after trailing 13-3 at half-time.
Laviska Shenault Jr scored the only first-half touchdown, exploding down the sideline on a 41-yard run after P.J. Walker's swing pass.
Walker, who was preferred to Baker Mayfield, completed 10 of 16 passes for 108 yards, highlighted by a 43-yarder to Terrace Marshall Jr, leading to Foreman's touchdown run in the third.
The win improved the Panthers to 3-7, with Wilks having presided over two wins from five games in interim charge.
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