The Orlando Magic will be without Paolo Banchero for a while after the star forward was diagnosed with a torn right oblique muscle, the team announced Thursday.
The 2023-24 All-Star will be out indefinitely and is expected to be re-evaluated in four to six weeks.
Banchero appeared to suffer the injury in Wednesday night’s loss to the Chicago Bulls, just two days after posting 50 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists against the Indiana Pacers.
Losing Banchero is a significant blow to an Orlando team looking to improve on last season’s play-off appearance and climb into the contenders’ tier in the Eastern Conference.
Banchero is averaging 29 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists through five games this season.
Replacing the former No. 1 overall pick’s offensive creation will be very difficult, but the Magic have capable forwards in Moritz Wagner and Jonathan Isaac, who can absorb Banchero’s minutes and play well defensively.
Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs have both shown improved offensive efficiency early this season and could carry a larger share of the scoring load until Banchero can return.
The Magic (3-2) visit the Cleveland Cavaliers (5-0) on Friday.
Lando Norris has called for a “cleaner battle” with title rival Max Verstappen ahead of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix on Sunday.
Verstappen received two 10-second penalties for incidents early on in last Sunday's race in Mexico, which was won by Carlos Sainz.
He was awarded the first penalty for forcing Norris off the track at Turn Four on the 10th lap, while the second was given for leaving the track four corners later.
It meant the Dutchman finished in sixth position while Norris capitalised to finish second. Now, the McLaren driver wants to see fairer racing from his rival at Red Bull.
"It's what I said going into Mexico, I want clean, fair racing," Norris told Sky Sports.
"And that's what I do, that's what I provide and that's how I race. That's how I've always raced in my career. It's not for me to change, it's for the other side to change."
"I stayed out of trouble and did my job also, which is that. But every weekend is a new weekend. I don't know what to expect this weekend.
"Obviously, I hope, I expect a cleaner battle than what we had. But it's not up to me. I don't make the rules, I don't decide the penalties, I didn't do it. I just drive. The stewards see the race and they did a good job."
The result left McLaren in the lead in the Constructor’s Championship, ahead of Ferrari and Red Bull. While in the individual driver standings, Verstappen’s lead was cut to 47 points by Norris.
The 24-year-old was unfazed by how the nature of the rivalry might impact his personal relationship with Verstappen, however.
"Some of this is not personal," said Norris when asked if his relationship with Verstappen has changed.
"He wants to win the championship, I want to win the championship. But the way he can win the championship is a very different way to how I need to win the championship.
"Whether that changes how we are personally, it probably will a little bit, but this is not my concentration or place for concern at the minute."
Norris last took the chequered flag in September at the Singapore Grand Prix and has finished on the podium in one of the two races since. Verstappen, meanwhile, has failed to win a race since June when he finished first in Spain.
It leaves Norris feeling confident he can clinch his maiden title with four races left due to a number of reasons.
"My team, how we're performing every weekend. I think I'm driving very well, both in qualifying and races,” he explained.
“I feel like I've done a strong job over the last few months. I've still made mistakes and I've still not been perfect, but there's also times when we shouldn't have won and we shouldn't have had pole position and certain things.
"We did because I've been doing a good job - which is rare, but the confidence I've had in myself recently has helped me to keep believing.
"Probably the lack of performance that Red Bull have at the minute - both of them need to go together.”
World number two Carlos Alcaraz admitted that he was "not up to the level" after a defeat to Ugo Humbert saw him crash out of the Paris Masters in the third round.
Humbert, ranked 18th in the world, posted a 6-1 3-6 7-5 win against the second seed in two hours 17 minutes to reach the quarter-finals of the ATP Masters 1000 event in the French capital.
"It was a very intense match. I started with some doubts about my game," said 21-year-old Alcaraz after the surprise defeat.
"Against a player who attacks whenever he can, who hits very aggressively at the slightest opportunity, it wasn't easy to get into the match.
"I was not up to the level he displayed. Ugo's performance was really high. The way he hits the ball is incredible."
Alcaraz had his sights set on a fifth title of the season in Paris but will move on to the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin next, with the season finale to be played from November 10 to 17.
Humbert, meanwhile, will continue his hunt in the Paris Masters as he preps up to battle Australia's Jordan Thompson for a spot in the semi-finals.
Trinidad and Tobago’s ace swimmer Dylan Carter secured his second gold of the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup Series as he produced a breathtaking performance to land win the men’s 50-metre freestyle in Singapore on Thursday.
Carter, a three-time Olympian, won the event in a brisk 20.82 seconds and left the field in his wake as he was the only swimmer under the 21-second barrier in the final. He won ahead of Australia’s Isaac Cooper (21.01s) and Germany’s Marius Kusch (21.04s).
The 28-year-old Carter is expected to line up in the heats of the men’s 50m backstroke and 100m freestyle on Thursday’s evening session before bringing the curtains down on his campaign in the men’s 50m butterfly on Friday.
Sunshine Girls coach and former player Sasher-Gaye Henry says her team is looking forward to the challenge of taking on England in their upcoming four-match Test series.
Henry’s Sunshine Girls will be looking to rebound from a 1-2 series defeat at the hands of their opponents when they last squared off in England last January.
“It’s a big one for us and we’re looking forward to the ranking,” Henry told Sportsmax.tv last week.
We always want to beat England and they always want to beat us so we embrace this type of competition and look forward to it,” Henry added.
Both teams are currently separated in the Netball World Rankings by just two points. England are ranked number two in the world with 189 rating points while Jamaica are fourth with 187.
Henry, who won 75 caps for the Sunshine Girls between 1996 and 2015, was also asked about her best memories as a player against England.
Rather than giving just one memory, Henry noted how excited she was whenever she got to test her skills against the rivals.
“As a player, it was always about wanting to win, especially when it comes to playing England,” she said.
“We’re big rivals and it was always a competition between coming third and fourth so we were always in high spirits when we were playing England and the cycle continues,” Henry added.
Jamaica will first travel to England to take on the Vitality Roses on November 16 and 17 at the AO Arena in Manchester before hosting the Roses at the National Indoor Sports Centre on November 25 and 26.
Henry is pleased with her team’s preparation for the series thus far.
“I think the preparation has gone fairly well. One of our main focuses was on our fitness, mental preparation and tactical plays. What we’re looking is to see hos well the girls will put all of those into play and be ready for the competition,” she said.
World number two Carlos Alcaraz crashed out of the Paris Masters after an upset at the hands of 15th seed Ugo Humbert in the third round.
Alcaraz was aiming for a fifth title of the season in the French capital, but it was the world number 18 who emerged as 6-1 3-6 7-5 winner in two hours 17 minutes.
The Spaniard had no answer for Humbert in the first set, but fought back to level the proceedings in the second.
The third set was a tight affair, but it was 26-year-old Humbert who prevailed to take it 7-5 and reach the last eight at the ATP Masters 1000 event.
Humbert, looking for his third title of the season, will next face Australia’s Jordan Thompson, who progressed to the quarter-final by defeating Adrian Mannarino.
England have aspirations of greatness, asserted Ben Earl as he prepares to face New Zealand in a friendly at Twickenham.
The 26-year-old was optimistic about the progress England had made under Steve Borthwick despite registering two losses at the hands of the All Blacks in July.
England will be seeking revenge after losing the second match of the test in a devastatingly close 16-15 defeat. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso had scored a try to put England ahead after scores had been tied 10-10 at half-time, but two penalty kicks from Damian McKenzie ended their hopes.
Earl, however, believes the heartbreak has given his country an opportunity to develop.
“I think it’s an experience all the big teams go through, you have to go through some heartache to get over the line,” he told TNT Sports.
“It just feels like it’s the evolution of all the top teams, and we are a team that wants to be known as a great team, some of the world’s best.
“So we know the heartache is good for a while, but it’s time to go and do it at the right time. We got a glimpse of it against Ireland last year, and we feel we are due one, and we have learnt some really hard lessons over the summer, so we feel we are in a better place for it.
“We have always said you don’t win easily against us and that’s something we have developed over the last 18 months with Steve’s mindset and the boys getting hold of it, and now I feel it’s time to get over the line in one of these big games.”
New Zealand have won their last three matches, having defeated Japan and secured a double over Australia. They struggled against reigning world champions South Africa, however, as they failed to exact revenge on the Springboks in late summer tests falling to defeat twice.
Undoubtedly, the All Blacks still represent some of the best talent in the world, with Earl expected to line up opposite New Zealand’s superstar Wallace Sititi.
“There’s stardust littered all over the pitch isn’t there? There’s some pretty cool match-ups; it just feels like a game that isn’t going to disappoint,” he said.
England won’t be overawed, though. Instead, they aim to make their west London home a fortress for visiting sides to travel to.
“[Twickenham is] a place where we want to be really, really hard to beat. And we’ve always said in the camp, if you want to beat us at Twickenham you are going to have to be over and above the norm,” Earl said.
The Jamaica Badminton Association (JBA) proudly announces the launch of Badminton Month, kicking off with the first-ever Jamaica Badminton Sport Summit on November 9, 2024.
This summit, designed to elevate the performance and knowledge of Jamaica’s aspiring athletes, will set the stage for a month filled with competitive events and educational initiatives aimed at advancing badminton at all levels in Jamaica.
JBA President Vishwanauth Tolan explained the driving force behind the summit, emphasizing the need for a holistic approach to athlete development that goes beyond the game itself.
“It’s the first time we are hosting a summit like this. We’ve recognized that many of our athletes lack critical knowledge about the pathways necessary for reaching elite status. Often, young Jamaican players compete well at ages 12 to 14, but by 18, their regional counterparts have taken a different development path that includes essential aspects like brand building, physical and mental preparation, and understanding their roles in the sport,” Tolan said.
He highlighted that the gap between Jamaican athletes and their international peers stems partly from limited awareness among players, coaches, and parents.
“Parents may not realize the level of commitment and strategy required if their child is to become elite. The journey involves more than just weekly practice. For Jamaica to have a competitive presence internationally, we need a comprehensive approach that includes stakeholder support,” he added.
The summit will address critical areas of athlete development, featuring expert-led panel discussions on topics such as personal branding, physical conditioning, and the unique roles of coaches, managers, and family.
Among the featured speakers are Bruce James, who will provide insights into the role of an agent, and Owen Hill, who transformed the Jamaican Premier League, demonstrating how brand-building can attract sponsors.
Romone Robinson, social media influencer, entrepreneur, and former Jamaica national badminton player, and Dr. Patrice Simmonds will also engage participants.
Key sessions at the summit include: “Brand You: Crafting Your Legacy beyond the Field” – Focused on personal branding and social media strategy to enhance athlete visibility.
“Mind and Muscle: Fueling the Champion Within”– Addressing the interconnectedness of mental strength, nutrition, injury prevention, and peak performance.
“Mastering Your Role on the Elite Pathway” – A roadmap for athletes, coaches, agents, and family members to collaboratively build a winning strategy for success.
Jamaican discus silver medalist Fedric Dacres will join the “Mind and Muscle” panel, sharing his personal experiences on the significance of mental toughness and physical conditioning for achieving elite status.
The summit marks the start of an exciting Badminton Month, followed by the All Jamaica National Junior Championships from November 16-17. The All Jamaica National Junior and Open Championships will take place on November 23-24, and the inaugural Super Series Final on December 1, providing athletes at all levels an opportunity to showcase their skills and compete against top talent.
As Jamaica’s official governing body for badminton, the JBA has long been committed to growing the sport and nurturing athletes who aspire to represent Jamaica internationally.
Through initiatives like the Jamaica Badminton Sport Summit, the JBA aims to build a solid foundation for Jamaica’s future stars, positioning the nation as a key competitor on the regional and global badminton stage.
Bronny James revelled in the "insane" reception he received from the Cleveland Cavaliers supporters in Wednesday's loss for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Bronny, son of LeBron, came on from the bench in the fourth quarter with the game all but decided in the Cavs favour.
The Lakers ultimately lost 134-110, though Bronny ensured it was a memorable defeat as he got his first NBA bucket.
LeBron is arguably the greatest player in Cavs history, and the home fans were chanting for Bronny to get a look-in from the bench from early in the second half.
"It was insane," Bronny said.
"Much more than I anticipated for sure. But it's all love. It was insane. It was a nice moment.
"The chants really got me. I was straight-faced, but I felt it and it felt really good, especially coming from here. It was a special moment for me for sure."
Of sinking his first points in the NBA, Bronny said: "I've been watching [my dad] for a minute playing in the league. Just dreaming of being in those players' steps, not only [LeBron's] but players he used to play against and with.
"So yeah, it was just a dream come true for me."
LeBron lauded his son's mental strength, suggesting he would not have been able to deal with such pressure when he was only 20.
"He's better than I would have been in that situation, 20,000 fans screaming my name to get in the game and wanting me to be in the game," said LeBron.
"If the role's reversed, I don't know if I would have been able to handle it. To see him get his first NBA basket in this arena where he grew up not too far away from here, it's an unbelievable moment.
"An unbelievable moment for him, first of all. For our family. It's just pretty cool to be a part of it."
LeBron dragged the Cavs to their first NBA Championship in 2016, and has fond memories of his two spells in Cleveland.
"We spent a lot of years here," LeBron said.
"We're part of this community, obviously. We were born not too far from here, 35 miles south of here, [our] hometown of Akron. And I spent 11 years of my NBA career – half of my career – here."
Rain may have dampened the first day of the Sandals US Travel Advisors Golf Tournament, but it couldn’t wash away the spirit of the event or the competitive resolve of players.
In fact, Garth Laird, Sandals Vice President of Trade and Sales, underscored that the significance of the annual tournament is intended to celebrate just that—the resilience and camaraderie of travel advisors who are essential to the success of Sandals and, by extension, brand Jamaica.
“This tournament itself goes beyond just a game of golf,” Laird shared passionately.
He continued: “It's really about bringing advisors down. It's about reengaging with the product and what it has to offer, and if I can use three words, it's love, legacy, and learning. Love of the product, love of Jamaica, the legacy that Sandals offers to the greater audience of the travel agency community, and it's also about learning.
“It was only one day of golf; we still got the educational component built into it. In the last few months we've also taken a bigger approach because when you add this number together, we've brought about a thousand people to the destination over the last eight weeks because there's so many things that are happening in Jamaica that people aren't aware of. So there's so many new things that's going on, and our responsibility is to educate the advisors so that they can educate their customers,” he added.
Thought rain threatened to wash out the two-day event entirely, the clouds parted on the second day and the advisors got their swing on in the four-man scramble format, which ended with Team Six taking the title with a nine-hole score of 61 at the Sandals Golf and Country Club. They won ahead of Team 13 and Team Five, which ended with scores of 62 and 64, respectively.
That team, captained by Jeremy Lee and included father and son duo David and Adam Anderson, as well as David Schutz, was particularly determined to clinch the top spot this year.
After securing the championship in 2022 but narrowly missing out last year, they entered the tournament with renewed focus, and Lee said the win was the culmination of hard work and the camaraderie they’d built over the years of competing together.
“I think in general, we all could have shot a little bit better, but the weather played into it. Thankfully, there was no thunder or lightning, and we ended up coming out okay. This is the same team we had last year, and two years ago we had one different player, but three of us have been together every year,” Lee, who is based in Alabama, said.
“Just to get an invite to the tournament means a lot to me. This is my third year. Like I said, it's a huge deal. We're really competitive, but really we're here to have fun, learn more about Sandals and Beaches products, and learn to sell more. I sell destinations all over the world, but when people call me and ask what's my favourite place, I say Jamaica because the people are so genuine and nice,” he declared.
Meanwhile, Welton Bowie and Donna Tanner won the men’s and women’s closest to the pin awards, while Schutz and Megan Sams won the respective longest drive awards.
Close to US$800 (about $126,000 Jamaican) was also raised for the Sandals foundation.
With representatives from various regions, Laird explained that the tournament also serves as an informal networking event, bringing together travel advisors and Sandals executives to share industry insights and foster connections in a relaxed environment.
“We're going to do one in St. Lucia next year. So it's the Canadian winners, the winners of the US Tournament, and the winners of the Latin American Tournament, plus we'll sprinkle in some other four folks, like a long-drive person. This is to showcase that it is more than one event. It's more about getting together, doing what we do, which is hospitality and travel,” Laird shared.
“We have the luxury of being probably the most popular brand across the Caribbean right now because of our impact globally as well as within the United States, with our sales team, with our marketing, with our advertising. So when we do something in the Caribbean, it really stands out as a company that continues to reinvest in the people that make us who we are,” he noted.
Evan Mobley scored 25 points, Donovan Mitchell added 24 and the Cleveland Cavaliers improved to 5-0 with a 134-110 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night in a game that included a special homecoming for LeBron James and his son, Bronny.
The win marks the first time the Cavs have started 5-0 since the 2016-17 season, led by LeBron, and the third time in franchise history.
In the final minutes, Bronny played for the second time as a pro and was inserted with 5:16 left. The younger James, who grew up in the arena, made a 14-foot jumper with 2:03 to play for his first NBA points.
Jarrett Allen added 20 points and 17 rebounds for Cleveland.
LeBron scored 26 and Anthony Davis had 22 and 13 rebounds for the Lakers, who were unable to cut into Cleveland's lead after falling behind by 23 in the first half.
Mitchell made back-to-back 3-pointers as the Cavaliers made four treys in a span of 1:45 in the first quarter to open a 19-point lead after one.
Towns’ big night powers Knicks
Karl-Anthony Towns had 44 points and 12 rebounds, Jalen Brunson scored 18 of his 22 points in the second half and the New York Knicks rallied to beat the Miami Heat 116-107.
Towns had the fourth-most points for the Knicks against the Heat. Jamal Crawford scored 52 in 2007, Carmelo Anthony had 50 at Miami in 2013 and RJ Barrett 46 in 2022.
Towns shot 17 of 24 from the field, 4 of 5 from long range and 24 of his 44 points in the first half to keep New York close.
Mikal Bridges added 17 points for New York, which trailed by 13 in the third quarter before flipping the game. OG Anunoby had 11 points and Josh Hart finished with 10 points, 14 rebounds and six assists.
Tyler Herro had 34 points for Miami, hitting eight 3-pointers. Terry Rozier scored 16 points, Jimmy Butler had 15, Bam Adebayo 11 and Nikola Jovic 10.
The Knicks ended the third quarter on a 30-10 run, turning a 70-57 deficit into an 87-80 lead.
Thunder down Spurs to remain perfect
Lu Dort scored 20 points, Chet Holmgren added 19 and the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the San Antonio Spurs 105-93to remain the only unbeaten team in the Western Conference.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 18 points, and Jalen Williams had 12 points, eight assists and seven rebounds for the Thunder. Oklahoma City has won all four of its games by at least 12 points.
Harrison Barnes scored 18 points, Jeremy Sochan had 17 points and nine rebounds, and Chris Paul added 14 points and nine assists for the Spurs.
San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama was held to six points on 1-for-5 shooting in his matchup with Holmgren, a fellow second-year big man. Wembanyama also had eight rebounds and three blocks.
Oklahoma City showed it can win even when Gilgeous-Alexander's shot is off. Gilgeous-Alexander, one of the league's top scorers with 28.7 points per game through his first three contests, made just 7 of 20 shots, including 2 of 10 from 3.
The Spurs cut Oklahoma City's lead to 82-75 in the fourth quarter before the Thunder went on a 9-2 run with Gilgeous-Alexander on the bench to regain control of the game. Rookie Ajay Mitchell scored five points during that stretch. The Thunder led 93-81 when Gilgeous-Alexander returned, and Oklahoma City was up 103-87 when he went to the bench for good with 2:46 remaining.
The Los Angeles Dodgers won their second World Series championship in five seasons, overcoming a five-run deficit with the help of three Yankees defensive miscues and rallying on sacrifice flies from Gavin Lux and Mookie Betts in the eighth inning to beat New York 7-6 in Game 5 on Wednesday night.
Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning, Alex Verdugo’s RBI single chased Jack Flaherty in the second and Giancarlo Stanton’s third-inning homer against Ryan Brasier built a 5-0 Yankees lead.
But errors by Judge in center and Anthony Volpe at shortstop, combined with pitcher Gerrit Cole failing to cover first on Betts' grounder, helped Los Angeles score five unearned runs in the fifth.
After Stanton’s sixth-inning sacrifice fly put the Yankees back ahead 6-5, the Dodgers loaded the bases against loser Tommy Kahnle in the eighth before the sacrifice flies off Luke Weaver.
Winner Blake Treinen escaped a two-on, one-out jam in the bottom half by retiring Stanton on a flyout and striking out Anthony Rizzo.
Walker Buehler, making his first relief appearance since his rookie season in 2018, pitched a perfect ninth for the save.
Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers’ record-setting $700 million signing and baseball’s first 50-homer, 50-steal player, went 2 for 19 with no RBIs and had one single after separating his shoulder during a stolen base attempt in Game 2.
Freddie Freeman hit a two-run single to tie the Series record of 12 RBIs, set by Bobby Richardson over seven games in 1960. With the Dodgers one out from losing Friday’s opener, Freeman hit a game-ending grand slam reminiscent of Kirk Gibson’s homer off Oakland’s Dennis Eckersley in 1988’s Game 1 that sparked Los Angeles to the title.
The Dodgers earned their eighth championship and seventh since leaving Brooklyn for Los Angeles - their first in a non-shortened season since 1988. They won a neutral-site World Series against Tampa Bay in 2020 after a 60-game regular season and couldn’t have a parade because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Alexander Zverev progressed to the last 16 of the Paris Masters following a straight-sets victory over Tallon Griekspoor.
The Italian Open champion prevailed 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 after just over an hour-and-a-half at Accor Arena.
The opening set remained on serve and went to a tie-break, which Zverev subsequently dominated to draw first blood.
Runner-up to Daniil Medvedev in this ATP Masters event four years ago, the German crucially claimed the match's only break in game six of the second set.
Zverev then subsequently held out for victory to set up a last-16 clash with Arthur Fils, who defeated him in the Hamburg final earlier this season.
Data Debrief: Zverev gets his break
Zverev maintained his perfect record against Griekspoor in 2024, having now won all four of their meetings, but it was a contest of fine margins.
Indeed, Griekspoor was dominant on serve early on, losing just one of his opening 14 points. However, the only break point he faced was ruthlessly pounced upon by the German, who saved all three he faced.
Unforced errors were also crucial with Zverev committing just nine to his opponent's 17, and his quest for a second trophy of the season continues.
The Toronto Raptors will be without Scottie Barnes for at least three weeks after the All-Star forward suffered a right orbital fracture in Monday’s overtime loss to the Denver Nuggets.
Barnes had 21 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists and a career high-tying five steals Monday before exiting late in the fourth quarter after being hit in the eye by Nuggets star Nikola Jokic while fighting for a rebound.
Toronto signed the 2022 NBA Rookie of the Year to a five-year contract extension in July that could be worth up to $270million after he became a first-time All-Star last season.
Barnes set personal bests in 2023-24 with 19.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.47 assists per game. He also shot a career-high 34.1 percent from 3-point range.
Toronto is off to a 1-3 start after going 25-57 last season.
Steve Borthwick has challenged England to "finish the job" by converting positive performances into victories against the world's top teams.
The 2003 world champions begin their Autumn Nations Series against New Zealand at the Allianz Stadium on Saturday.
England are aiming to bounce back from narrow defeats against the All Blacks, who prevailed 16-15 and 24-17 in their two previous encounters in July.
Borthwick's side were also narrowly beaten 33-31 by France in their final match of this year's Six Nations, while a last-gasp 16-15 loss at the hands of South Africa denied them a place in the 2023 World Cup final.
And the head coach wants his players to demonstrate their ruthless streak to get them over the line against the bigger nations.
"We've got a young squad," he told TNT Sports. "There's a real feeling of enthusiasm for where they can take this team.
"I think you've seen that evolution with the team, but also seeing there's plenty we've still got to do. It's a brilliant series ahead.
"There was a period where the England team weren't necessarily challenging those teams at the top of the world rankings. Now, we've been able to do that in recent times.
"We haven't won as many games as we wanted to. In a lot of those games, it came to that final quarter where we've been in a position to win it, and we haven't been able to convert it to the result we wanted.
"Now, we're going to make sure we finish the job, and that's been part of the discussion with the players last week."
Alexei Popyrin upset fourth-seeded Daniil Medvedev at the Paris Masters to continue his fine year on the ATP Tour, securing his third career win over a top five opponent.
Popyrin, who improved to 26-21 for 2024 with his latest win, emerged a 6-4 2-6 7-6 (7-4) victor in just under two-and-a-half hours in the French capital.
The Australian, however, started poorly in the first set, with Medvedev earning an early break in the third game, only for Popyrin to claim the next three in a row.
Popyrin then missed four chances to close out the eighth game, but held his nerve to take the opener despite some late pressure from his Russian opponent.
But Medvedev responded emphatically in the second, managing back-to-back break points before taking the enthralling encounter to a decider.
The pair continued to trade blows in the third set and could not be separated, with a tie-break deciding who would face either Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard or Karen Khachanov in the last 16.
Popyrin let slip a 4-1 lead in the deciding set, but held his nerve to deal Medvedev his third consecutive opening round loss in Paris.
Data Debrief: Popping in Paris
Popyrin finally got the better of Medvedev, having lost his previous three matches against him at Wimbledon in 2019, the Australian Open in 2020 and the Miami Open in 2021.
In defeating Medvedev, Popyrin is the second Australian after Mark Philippoussis to register multiple wins against a top-five player at the Paris Masters.
The Australian had previously beaten Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2021, who was ranked as the world number three.
Max Verstappen cannot turn an enthralling end to the Formula 1 season into a "demolition derby".
Those were the words of former world champion Damon Hill, who criticised Verstappen for his driving at a controversial Mexican Grand Prix last weekend.
The Dutchman received two 10-second penalties for incidents early on in Sunday's race, which was won by Carlos Sainz.
Reigning champion Verstappen was given one penalty for forcing Lando Norris off the track at Turn Four on the 10th lap, and then another for leaving the track four corners later.
Subsequently, Verstappen finished in sixth, while McLaren's Norris finished in second, closing the gap to 47 points in the drivers' championship with four races to go.
"It can't just be a demolition derby just to keep your place, or deny everyone getting a place just because you don't want to be overtaken," said Hill on the Sky Sports F1 Podcast.
"So there needs to be a way of disciplining the driver.
"I think Max, if he carries on like that, there will be long-term questions over whether or not it was wise for him to drive like that.
"He's got so much talent, he's got so much ability. He could always use that skill to defeat his opponents. It shouldn't just be a dodgems race."
The incidents came a week after the pair's contentious battle in Austin, where Norris lost third place to Verstappen after being penalised for an overtake.
Red Bull boss Christian Horner suggested the penalties Verstappen received were "very harsh", using data to back up his claims shortly after the race.
Horner also added that Verstappen will "always drive aggressively" within F1's regulations,
"There's never any attempt to publicly describe his driver in a way that other people would recognise it," Hill continued.
"It is always a protective comment from Christian about Max. It almost appears as though Max is free to do whatever he likes.
"His team will never criticise the way he drives. And I think if you're in a competition, that's probably fine to do that publicly.
"But really, at some point, there has to be a conversation. It's the responsibility of the team to also contribute to the driver's attitude."
Verstappen will, however, look to increase his advantage at the summit of the drivers' standings at this weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix, a track he knows well.
The 27-year-old won the last race at Interlagos in 2023, though there has not been a winner in two consecutive races at the Brazil circuit since Nico Rosberg in 2014 and 2015.
Nikola Jokic was in jubilant mood after inspiring the Denver Nuggets' second straight overtime win in the NBA this season.
Coming off the back of an overtime victory against the Toronto Raptors at the Scotiabank Arena, the Nuggets did it again to beat the Brooklyn Nets 144-139 on Tuesday.
Jokic's display saw him become the first player with multiple triple-doubles and multiple 40-point games within his first four matches of a season in NBA history.
The Serbian finished the game with 29 points, 18 rebounds and 16 assists but, when speaking to local TV after the game, said that he was just happy to win.
"We were fighting," he said, when asked about how they ground out the victory.
"We're still not playing the way we're supposed to play, but we're finding a way to win games.
"I think that's the most important thing right now, just to find a way to win a game."
While Jokic made a triple-double, he was one of four players on the Nuggets roster who finished with 20 points or more and one of six who got into double figures.
One of those was Russell Westbrook, who made 22 points in 21 minutes on the court.
"Russ was really amazing, in the third or fourth quarter, I don't know, he kept us in the game.
"He was really good, pushing the pace and made a couple of shots, he was really good today.
"We shared the ball, we found the open guys and that's how we scored a lot."
Westbrook is a relatively new arrival at the Nuggets, having only joined the team in July from the Los Angeles Clippers.
But according to Jokic, he has been a welcome addition to the roster.
"He's always talking, he's always lifting the guys up, he's always pushing the guys. He's a really good teammate and it's good to have him on our team."
Nikola Jokić had 29 points, 18 rebounds and 16 assists, becoming only the second player in NBA history to reach those totals in a game, and the Denver Nuggets beat the Brooklyn Nets 144-139 in overtime on Tuesday night.
Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon each scored 24 points for the Nuggets, while Russell Westbrook added 22.
Dennis Schröder scored 28 points for Brooklyn, which led by 17 in the second quarter. Cam Thomas scored 26, Cam Johnson had 20 and Nic Claxton added 16 points and 12 rebounds.
Thomas gave the Nets a 127-125 lead with the first basket of overtime, but the Nuggets scored the next eight points and led the rest of the way.
Jokic has two triple-doubles in the Nuggets’ first four games and has scored at least 40 twice, with neither of those outbursts occurring within the triple-doubles.
Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson, who did it twice, is the only other player to have at least 29 points, 18 rebounds and 16 assists in a game.
The Nets led by one when Dorian Finney-Smith went to the foul line with 24 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. He only made one of two, allowing Jokic’s inside bucket to tie the score with 8.8 seconds remaining. Finney-Smith then missed an open 3-pointer from the corner at the buzzer, sending the game into overtime.
Irving, Doncic lift Mavericks over Wolves
Kyrie Irving scored 16 of his 35 points in the third quarter, Luka Dončić had a late surge to finish with 24 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, and the Dallas Mavericks held off the Minnesota Timberwolves 120-114 in the first rematch of last season's Western Conference finals.
Anthony Edwards had 24 of his 37 points in the first quarter to set a Target Center record, going 7 for 13 from 3-point range.
Doncic put his stamp on the game with a 33-footer with 1:04 left to stretch the lead to eight points, barking at fans as he skipped back to the bench after a timeout. That was his only make in eight tries from behind the arc.
P.J. Washington added 17 points and eight rebounds for the Mavericks, who played on back-to-back nights after beating Utah 110-102 at home on Monday.
Julius Randle had 20 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for the Timberwolves, who had 20 turnovers that Dallas turned into 25 points.
Irving went 6 for 8 from 3-point range, including one with 2:31 left and Randle tightly guarding him at the top of the key after the Timberwolves pulled within 109-107.
Short-handed Warriors rally past Pelicans
Buddy Hield scored a season-best 28 points, Brandin Podziemski had 19 points and fuelled a furious second-half comeback, and the Golden State Warriors rallied from 17 down to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 124-106.
Zion Williamson had a season-high 31 points on 12-for-20 shooting and eight rebounds for New Orleans. Brandon Ingram scored 30 points.
Jonathan Kuminga, who started the initial three games for Golden State but was averaging 8.0 points on 33.3% shooting, came off the bench to score 17. Reserve Lindy Waters III had 21 points and nine rebounds in his best game yet for Golden State.
The short-handed Warriors needed everything from everybody with starters Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins sidelined.
Curry missed the game with a sprained left ankle he injured in the second half of Sunday's 112-104 loss to the Clippers. He is set to be re-evaluated on Friday.
Wiggins and De’Anthony Melton each sat out with lower back strains.
Hield returned to the starting lineup and overcame a slow start to make seven 3-pointers after a disappointing home debut Sunday in which he missed 8 of 9 3s and scored eight points.
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