Kevin Durant said it felt "amazing to be out there" as he inspired the short-handed Brooklyn Nets to victory over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday.
There had been some doubt about whether the game would even go ahead after the Nets' list of players in the league's health and safety protocols grew to seven, James Harden and Bruce Brown ruled out within an hour of tip-off.
Durant had also been questionable due to an ankle problem but powered through a game-changing 48 minutes as the Nets won 131-129 in overtime.
Having mustered a season-high 51 points in the win over the Detroit Pistons last Sunday – the eighth 50-point game of his NBA career – Durant posted a triple-double of 34 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists.
He is the first forward or center to follow a 50-point game with a triple-double since Wilt Chamberlain back in 1968.
"We had to debate Kevin's situation," coach Steve Nash said. "Obviously, we're talking about a franchise player; we don't want to risk it. So we're probably more cautious than he is, but he really wanted to play, and so that was it."
Durant's inspirational impact came as part of a side featuring four rookies, his 14th career triple-double taking the Eastern Conference leaders to 20-8.
"Man, I can't even explain how I feel," he said. "It's December and we're down seven players and we easily could've punted this game.
"But we saw an opportunity for us to grow and get better, especially the younger guys who haven't played a lot of meaningful games in the NBA, especially against a championship organisation like Toronto. [It] was an amazing test for us.
"I'm so proud to just be a part of this group and play with these young dudes... man, it was amazing to be out there."
The Philadelphia 76ers are next up for the Nets at Barclays Center on Friday.
Stephen Curry broke the record for most three-pointers made in NBA history as the Golden State Warriors defeated the New York Knicks 105-96.
Curry eclipsed Hall of Famer Ray Allen with his 2,974th three in the opening quarter of Tuesday's contest at Madison Square Garden.
A three-time NBA champion and two-time MVP, Curry – who needed two three-pointers to make history – was congratulated by Allen on the sidelines amid a lengthy celebration in New York.
To put Curry's achievement into context, it took the Warriors 17 seasons to hit that many three pointers after the three-point line was implemented (1979-80 to 1995-96).
Curry finished with 22 points on five-of-14 shooting from three-point range as the NBA-leading Warriors improved to 23-5 for the season.
Julius Randle posted a season-high 31 points, but it was not enough for the Knicks.
Durant dazzles again
After his season-high 51 points on Sunday, Kevin Durant was the hero again for the shorthanded Brooklyn Nets, who outlasted the Toronto Raptors 131-129 after overtime. In the absence of James Harden after he entered the league's health and safety protocols as the Nets' list grew to seven players, Durant – questionable prior to tip-off due to an ankle issue – fuelled the Eastern Conference leaders with a triple-double (34 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists). It was Durant's 14th career triple-double. According to Stats Perform, he is the first forward or center to have a 50-point game followed by a triple-double since Wilt Chamberlain in 1968.
Damian Lillard put up 31 points and 11 assists, but the Portland Trail Blazers still lost 111-107 to the Phoenix Suns in overtime. Chris Paul (24 points, 14 assists) and Deandre Ayton (28 points, 13 rebounds) inspired the Suns.
New York's Kemba woes?
It has not been a smooth ride for the Knicks since they opted to remove All-Star Kemba Walker from their rotation. The Knicks are 2-7 after deciding not to play Walker, having been 10-9 with the star recruit.
Stephen Curry savoured his "special" outing after the Golden State Warriors superstar made history as the NBA's all-time leader for three-pointers.
Curry broke Ray Allen's three-point record with his 2,974th successful shot from beyond the arc in Tuesday's 105-96 victory over the New York Knicks.
A three-time NBA champion and two-time MVP, Curry needed a pair of three-pointers to surpass Hall of Famer Allen at Madison Square Garden, where he finished with five threes.
Curry was congratulated by Allen on the sidelines amid the celebrations after the Warriors guard achieved the feat in the opening quarter in New York.
"It's kind of crazy to think, growing up around the league, watching my dad play, my family going to old Hornets games and having big dreams about shooting the basketball hopefully playing on this level," Curry said after finishing with 22 points.
"To do it here at Madison Square Garden in front of this guy right here [Ray Allen] and Reggie and just all that basketball means to me, it's special.
"Had great support here, in this arena. I can't express how much of an honour that was to have that reaction here on the road and the appreciation for this milestone. And obviously it's great to get the win on top of that. A very, very, very special night."
Curry set the record in his 789th NBA game, 511 appearances fewer than Allen.
"I've been thinking about this number for a long time. I've even got it on my shoes," Curry said on TNT.
"Basketball history. This is pretty special. These two, legends. I watched them growing up and understood what it meant to shoot the ball because of them and my dad.
"Full-circle moment, man. I'm blessed. Blessed, for sure.''
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr added: "I thought the night was perfect. It just pretty much encapsulated who he is and his reaction to it was perfect."
"Steph is the best to ever shoot a basketball and we get the opportunity to go to work with him every day and it's a very special thing," said Warriors team-mate Draymond Green.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver also congratulated Curry in a statement which read: "It was thrilling to see Steph break the NBA's all-time record for three-pointers.
"He has revolutionised the way the game is played and continues to leave fans in awe with his amazing artistry and extraordinary shooting ability. We congratulate him on this historic achievement."
Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo has been ruled out of Wednesday's game against the Indiana Pacers after entering the NBA's health and safety protocols.
Antetokounmpo is the latest big-name player to be listed in the league's COVID-19 protocols after Brooklyn Nets star James Harden on Tuesday.
Finals MVP Antetokounmpo has been averaging 27.0 points, 11.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game for the defending champions this season.
Antetokounmpo is shooting 53.0 per cent from the field – his lowest number since the 2017-18 season, and 28.0 per cent from three-point range.
The Bucks (18-11) are third in the Eastern Conference, behind the Nets (19-8) and Chicago Bulls (17-10).
The Los Angeles Lakers cancelled practice on Tuesday after guard Talen Horton-Tucker entered the NBA's health and safety protocols.
Amid a growing list of cases in the league, the Lakers' Horton-Tucker tested positive for COVID-19.
The Lakers were due to practice prior to their flight ahead of Wednesday's clash with the Dallas Mavericks, however, a team spokesperson confirmed to ESPN and The Athletic that training did not take place.
The Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls and Charlotte Hornets have all been struck down by coronavirus.
Anthony Davis is also questionable for the midweek game against the Mavericks due to left knee soreness.
The Lakers (15-13) are sixth in the Western Conference and riding a two-game winning streak.
Stephen Curry stands alone as the NBA's all-time leader in made threes after the Golden State Warriors sharpshooter eclipsed Ray Allen.
Curry needed a pair of three-pointers to surpass Allen's record of 2,973 and the Warriors superstar achieved the feat in the opening quarter of Tuesday's clash with the New York Knicks.
A three-time NBA champion and two-time MVP, Curry entered the history books with his 2,974th three at Madison Square Garden, where he was congratulated by Hall of Famer Allen on the sidelines.
To put Curry's achievement into context, it took the Warriors 17 seasons to hit that many three pointers after the three-point line was implemented (1979-80 to 1995-96).
Entering Tuesday's play, Curry had been averaging 27.0 points, 6.3 assists and a career-high 5.6 rebounds per game for the high-flying Warriors.
Curry has also been shooting 43.2 per cent from the field and 40.1 per cent from beyond the arc in 2021-22.
James Harden will not feature in Tuesday's clash with the Toronto Raptors after becoming the latest Brooklyn Nets player to enter the NBA's health and safety protocols.
Harden entered COVID-19 protocols alongside team-mate Bruce Brown prior to the game against the Raptors, the Eastern Conference-leading Nets announced.
Brooklyn now have seven players sidelined due to those protocols, including LaMarcus Aldridge, DeAndre' Bembry, James Johnson, Jevon Carter and Paul Millsap.
Kevin Durant was in doubt for the matchup because of right ankle soreness, however, the superstar has been cleared to face the Raptors.
The Nets have scored 100 or more points in 12 straight games, only the Minnesota Timberwolves have a longer active streak in the NBA (14), according to Stats Perform.
Brooklyn are 18-4 this season when hitting the century mark and 1-4 when they do not reach 100 points.
Durant scored a season-high 51 points against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday, which is the most by any player this season.
The former MVP has seven career 50-point games with the haul in the win over the Pistons being his first for Brooklyn. Kyrie Irving is the only Nets player with multiple 50-point games all-time (two).
Dominic Thiem's comeback has been further delayed as the 2020 US Open champion does not feel ready to return at this week's Mubadala World Tennis Championship.
Austrian star Thiem has been out of action since suffering a wrist injury at the Mallorca Championships in June.
The 28-year-old missed Wimbledon and was unable to defend his title at Flushing Meadows, but he appeared to be on course to make his comeback before the end of 2021 after revealing in October he does not require surgery on his wrist.
However, the world number 15 is now facing a battle to be back to full fitness for January's Australian Open after withdrawing from an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi.
"I was looking forward to making my return to competition at Abu Dhabi but I feel that I am not yet ready to compete at the highest level," the 17-time ATP Tour champion posted via Twitter on Tuesday.
"It's disappointing to not take part this year but I need to continue my preparation for the upcoming season."
Thiem follows Casper Ruud in pulling out of the tournament, which begins on Thursday, while Emma Raducanu is out of the women's singles after testing positive for coronavirus.
Dan Evans and Taylor Fritz have taken the places of former world number three Thiem and Ruud, joining Andrey Rublev, Denis Shapovalov, Andy Murray and defending champion Rafael Nadal in the draw.
The Brooklyn Nets listed Kevin Durant as questionable for Tuesday's game against the Toronto Raptors – and COVID-19 protocols have seen five others ruled out.
Durant has 'right ankle soreness', the Nets said, and that comes two days after he scored a season-high 51 points in the Nets' 116-104 win over the Detroit Pistons.
Kyrie Irving remains away from the team and unavailable having refused to be vaccinated, and Joe Harris is another confirmed absentee after undergoing ankle surgery.
The NBA's strict protocols in pandemic times mean the Nets also must cope without five more members of Steve Nash's squad.
It had been previously announced that Paul Millsap was on that list, before the Nets added LaMarcus Aldridge, DeAndre' Bembry, James Johnson and Jevon Carter on Tuesday.
Aldridge, Johnson and Bembry were starters, alongside Durant, in Sunday's clash with Detroit.
The clash with Toronto is due to be the first of five games in eight days at Barclays Center for the Nets, whose 19-8 record sees them lead the way in the Eastern Conference.
Stephen Curry moved within two three-pointers of breaking Ray Allen's all-time NBA record as the Golden State Warriors edged the Indiana Pacers 102-100 on Monday.
Curry finished the game with 26 points including five triples to close in on Allen's record of 2,973 three-point attempts made. The two-time MVP will look to break the mark on Tuesday against the New York Knicks.
Domantas Sabonis scored 30 points with 11 rebounds for the Pacers, who led late before Curry, who shot at 33 percent from beyond the arc, hit his fifth three-point attempt to narrow the margin.
Curry had another attempt from beyond the arc rim out, with Kevin Looney's putback giving Golden State the lead with 13.4 seconds left.
Gary Payton II's defense on Caris LeVert forced a late turnover to seal the win for the Warriors who improve to 22-5, ahead of Curry's next attempt at breaking the record in New York.
Tatum downs depleted Bucks
Jayson Tatum hit seven three-pointers as he finished with 42 points in the Boston Celtics' 117-103 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. The reigning champions lost Khris Middleton to a left knee hyper-extension in the third quarter, while Giannis Antetokounmpo was kept relatively quiet with 20 points, eight rebounds and three assists.
The Philadelphia 76ers missed Joel Embiid who was out with rib soreness, going down 126-91 to the Memphis Grizzlies, while reigning MVP Nikola Jokic led the Denver Nuggets past the Washington Wizards 113-107 with 28 points, 19 rebounds and nine assists.
Trae Young scored 41 points with nine assists but it could not prevent the Atlanta Hawks from losing 132-126 to the resurgent Houston Rockets. Eric Gordon netted 32 points for Houston who came from 19 points down with a 38-21 fourth quarter.
CP3 struggles as Suns stumble
Chris Paul could not find his stride against his former franchise, struggling for nine points shooting at under 30 percent with eight assists in the Phoenix Suns' 111-95 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. The Suns, who are 21-5, were without Deandre Ayton and Devin Booker.
Khris Middleton suffered a hyperextended left knee in Monday's 117-103 loss to the Boston Celtics which the Milwaukee Bucks are praying is not a serious injury.
Middleton landed awkwardly upon contact with team-mate Rodney Hood attempting to rebound late in the third quarter, before limping off the court moments later after trying to play on.
Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer said they would wait until Tuesday to make a determination on the severity of the injury to the 2020-21 NBA champion.
"I think we're terming it a left knee hyper-extension," Budenholzer said at the post-game news conference.
"We'll know more tomorrow but I think there's some hope it's not serious, but you've got to wait and give it time."
Middleton had four points with eight rebounds and three assists on the night, succumbing to injury after 24 minutes on court.
The 30-year-old small forward is averaging 18.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game this season. Middleton averaged 20.4 points in the Bucks' title-winning season.
The defeat to the Celtics leaves the reigning champions with an 18-11 record and third spot in the Eastern Conference.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 41 points on Friday and had a triple-double on Sunday but managed only 20 points with eight rebounds and three assists.
"I think we've got to space around him a little bit better," Budenholzer said. "Move him a little bit more. It was a tough night for us, sometimes that happens."
Budenholzer also refused to blame the Bucks' recent heavy schedule with three games in four days.
"Credit to Boston, they played well tonight," he said. "I think we weren’t at our best. Whatever the reasons are, we've got to be better."
Stephen Curry and his Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr both admit they regret fueling the focus around the two-time MVP breaking Ray Allen's all-time three-point record.
Curry drained five three-pointers as the Warriors defeated the Indiana Pacers 102-100 on Monday to move within two triples of breaking Allen's all-time record of 2,973 for three-point attempts made.
The Warriors guard shot at 40 percent from the field against the Pacers, including five of 15 from three-point range to finish with 26 points.
Curry has gradually closed in on the record, although Curry and Kerr both fueled the hype last week when he was 16 three-pointers off the record, when they said it was possible he could do it in one game.
The 33-year-old came out and shot six of 17 from beyond the arc against the Portland Trail Blazers in the next game, followed by three of 14 from three-point range against the Philadelphia 76ers, and admitted regret at the "extra tension" those comments created.
"Those shots I took, those first four [against Portland] I missed all four, I would shoot those whether it was Game 1, Game 82, the playoffs," Curry told reporters after Monday's shootaround prior to the Pacers game.
"That's how you approach the game. It just had a different context to it. It feels a little bit different now knowing we're right there. It will happen when it happens and I'll enjoy it when it does."
Curry added: "I realise how much work's gone into it, but there is a lot of tension and emotion. "Even from the last home game, the schedule's kind of provided a little extra emphasis, seeing if I could do it before we came on this road trip.
"But after that when I get on the floor I'm just playing basketball having a good time, trying to win games in the process. Obviously, I'd like to shoot the ball better, play better. I know that's going to happen and the record will come as a part of that, but just enjoying the process."
Kerr admitted his own regrets after flippantly feeding into the narrative when asked if Curry could break Klay Thompson's record of 14 triples in one game to go past Allen's all-time record.
"There hasn't been stress for our team," Kerr said at the pre-game news conference on Monday. "I would say it's been a slight distraction.
"I told the media in Philadelphia the other night, I fed into it because somebody asked me if Steph could break it at home against Portland with 16 threes and I said, 'Sure,' because nothing Steph does surprises me. But that fed into the narrative - he came out and took 17 threes that night, our crowd was going crazy from the very beginning. And I'm shaking my head thinking, what the hell did I just do?
"I think the most important thing is we just have to settle in and it's going to happen obviously pretty soon. We just have to get into a rhythm.
"We haven't been great offensively over the last five or six games… it's more likely that he'll make more threes if our team's in a good rhythm and we're just playing."
New Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen has revealed he was graciously congratulated by both Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff following Sunday's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix triumph.
The Dutchman ripped his first-ever world championship from Hamilton's grasp after overtaking the Briton on the final lap in Abu Dhabi after a controversial late-race safety car period.
Mercedes protested twice about the circumstances around Verstappen's triumph after Hamilton appeared to be coasting to victory with an 11-second lead with 10 laps to go.
Despite that, Red Bull driver Verstappen said that Hamilton and Wolff had been gracious in defeat.
"Toto sent me a text - congratulations on the season and that I deserved to win, that was very nice," Verstappen said.
Verstappen added: "Lewis is a great sportsman in general."
He continued: "Of course it helps if you have already seven titles," Verstappen said. "That comforts him a bit. I think if it was the other way around, it would have been more painful for me because I didn't have one.
"Lewis came up to me and congratulated me. It must have been very tough in that last lap. It also shows the respect we have for each other.
"Of course we had our tough times through the season but we respect what we're doing and we were pushing each other to the limit and it has been very enjoyable racing against him."
Meanwhile, a message aired via car on-board channels has surfaced with Hamilton claiming on radio message "this has been manipulated" with four corners to go when trailing Verstappen on the final lap.
Hamilton made the remark to race engineer Peter Bonnington, angered by Race Control's handling of the safety car restart with only the five lapped cars between the seven-time world champion and Verstappen permitted to be overtaken, allowing the Dutchman a clear run in the final lap.
Former Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt has agreed to replace Grant Fox as an independent New Zealand selector.
Fox will step down from the role after the Steinlager Series next year, having been a selector for a decade.
Schmidt will take up his position with the All Blacks and assist in selecting the squad for the Rugby Championship after finishing his part-time duties working with the Blues in the Super Rugby Pacific competition.
New Zealand head coach Ian Foster said Schmidt is a shrewd appointment.
Foster said: "Joe will bring a wealth of New Zealand and international experience into the role, so we are delighted to have him join us.
"He will work closely with me and ‘Plums’ [ fellow selector John Plumtree] on selections but his insights will be valuable in other areas as well, so we look forward to having him join us."
The experienced Schmidt said: "It's humbling to be involved and I'm looking forward to learning more about the players and the All Blacks environment and helping out as best I can."
The Amateur Swimming Association of Trinidad & Tobago and St. Lucia Aquatics Federation have both announced their respective teams for the FINA World Short-Course Swimming Championships to be held in Abu Dhabi from December 16-21.
Trinidad &Tobago will be represented Cherelle Thompson in the Women’s 50m Freestyle and 50m Butterfly; Dylan Carter in the Men’s 50m Freestyle, 50m Butterfly, 50m Backstroke, 100m Butterfly and 100m Freestyle while Nikoli Blackman will compete in the Men’s 400m Freestyle and 1500m Freestyle.
St. Lucia will have Jayhan Odlum-Smith in the Men’s 50m Butterfly and 100m Freestyle, Mikaili Charlemagne in the Women’s 50m Butterfly and 50m Freestyle, Naima Hazell in the Women’s 50 Breaststroke and 50m Backstroke and Terrel Monplaisir in the Men’s 50m Breaststroke and 50m Freestyle.
The Chicago Bulls' next two NBA games have been postponed due to a coronavirus outbreak.
It was announced by the Bulls on Monday that 10 of their players and additional members of staff are in the league's health and safety protocols.
The NBA confirmed Chicago will not face the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday or the Toronto Raptors two days later.
Ayo Dosunmu and Stanley Johnson took the list of Bulls players unavailable due to entering the protocols to seven for a 118-9 defeat to the Miami Heat on Saturday.
The games against the Pistons and the Raptors will be rearranged.
Katherine Wynter was delighted to be national women’s badminton champion once again after she defeated Breanna Bisnott in the final of the All Jamaica National Badminton Championships that concluded at GC Foster in Spanish Town, St Catherine on Sunday.
Ex-Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has accused Mercedes of looking like bad losers in the aftermath of the controversial ending to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that saw Lewis Hamilton pipped to the title by Max Verstappen.
An immense battle for the drivers' championship concluded in the most dramatic of circumstances on Sunday with Verstappen passing Hamilton on the final lap after the safety car had been deployed.
With the two neck-and-neck heading into the season finale, it looked as though Hamilton would retain his title having built up a healthy advantage over his rival.
However, there was a late twist when the Williams of Nicholas Latifi crashed into the barriers four laps from the end, with Verstappen pitting for fresh tyres as the wreckage was cleared in order to try to get a shot at Hamilton.
Such an opportunity presented itself when race director Michael Masi controversially ruled lapped cars could overtake the safety car before it headed in to leave one last lap of racing between the contenders.
It was Verstappen who proved triumphant, with Mercedes left furious with Masi, who told Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff: "We went car racing."
Amid Red Bull's celebrations, Mercedes lodged two complaints, claiming Verstappen had overtaken Hamilton before the safety car had pitted and opposing Masi's decision to allow the lapped cars to pass.
Ruling body the FIA dismissed both challenges, but Mercedes could yet appeal against the second of those.
Ecclestone said Mercedes ought to let the issue rest.
Speaking to Stats Perform, he said: "It's always been the same. The funny thing is the winners laugh and the losers have to make their own arrangements, and that's how it is.
"It's no good being a bad loser. I'm sorry to say, the problem at the moment is Mercedes look a little bit like that, which is not what they are like and they shouldn't even make it look as if they are bad losers.
"In the end what happened, if you really want to analyse it properly, you can say the world championship came down to one lap. It was the last lap of the race where two guys were on the track with nobody there. In fact, Lewis was a little bit lucky as he started that lap before Max, but in the mean, they were there racing each other, and Max came out in front.
"Nobody should really, really complain. I don't know whether people did complain at the beginning where Lewis got a little bit of an advantage when he went past Max not on the track, and Max was actually on the track. I thought there was going to be some sort of a reprimand about that.
"Nothing happened, which is okay. They should get rid of all the silly regulations in Formula One. 'Don't go over the white line, don't do this and don't do that', and when the lights go off, the guys are racing on their own, and they're racing."
Ecclestone added that he had no issue with the decision made by Masi.
"A couple of times this year I've thought that the race director was a bit stupid with one or two things he did, when he had plenty of time to think," he said.
"But in this case, I would have no complaints at all because he was there with a few seconds to make up his mind what to do and it took four hours of Mercedes' team with a lawyer to decide who was right and who was wrong.
"It's difficult to say that the race director should take four hours to do the same thing. Even then, they haven't come back with the right decision, according to the stewards, so we'll have to wait and see.
"You need a race director and you need one person to be in charge, and if the person isn't doing a good job over a period of six months or whatever, then get rid of him.
"But that's not the case in his case. He hasn't done a bad job throughout the year. He's made one or two which look like mistakes, but probably if you closely analyse them they probably wouldn't have been mistakes anyway."
The Calgary Flames' next three NHL games have been postponed amid a coronavirus outbreak in the team.
A total of six players and one staff member have entered NHL COVID-19 protocol, the league confirmed on Monday.
Forwards Elias Lindholm, Andrew Mangiapane, Brad Richardson and Adam Ruzicka, defensemen Christopher Tanev and Nikita Zadorov all entered protocol, along with a staff member.
The NHL suggested there may be further cases confirmed in the days ahead, with the team's training facilities closed until further notice.
The Flames (15-7-6) had been set to face the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday, but that game and the subsequent fixtures with the Nashville Predators and the Toronto Maple Leafs will be rescheduled.
Saturday's game at home to the Columbus Blue Jackets is still set to take place.
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