Paula Badosa made it two wins from two at the WTA Finals as she saw off a battling Maria Sakkari in straight sets.
In-form Badosa triumphed 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 in two hours and four minutes to win her eighth straight match, having come into the tournament on the back of her triumph at Indian Wells.
Permutations for the last round of group-stage matches in Guadalajara will become clearer after Aryna Sabalenka has taken on Iga Swiatek later on Saturday.
But after beating Sabalenka and Sakkari without dropping a set, Badosa looks all but certain to reach the semi-finals on her debut appearance at the event.
In the first meeting between the two players, Badosa led 5-2 only to be forced into an opening-set tie-break by Sakkari, who then undid her hard work by losing the first four points of the breaker, with the Spaniard ultimately sealing the first set courtesy of a fine forehand.
Badosa struck first again with a break early in the second set and although Sakkari was able to level matters at 4-4, her opponent broke decisively immediately after before serving it out, converting her third match point with a backhand winner.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Sakkari – 25/49
Badosa – 23/22
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Sakkari – 1/4
Badosa – 10/6
BREAK POINTS WON
Sakkari – 2/5
Badosa – 3/12
Carlos Alcaraz rounded off a superb 2021 by claiming the ATP Next Gen Finals title with a straight-sets victory over Sebastian Korda.
Alcaraz produced a performance in keeping with a breakthrough year for the Spaniard, prevailing 4-3 (7-5) 4-2 4-2 in Milan.
It marked Alcaraz's 32nd tour-level win of a year that also saw him reach the quarter-finals of the US Open.
The 18-year-old is the youngest player to claim 32 wins in a year since 1992, when Andrei Medvedev achieved the feat at 18.
Alcaraz faced five break points in his first two service games but had to stave off just one more the rest of the way.
He did fall 0-30 behind when serving for the match, yet Korda could not deny Alcaraz his second Tour title of the year.
"It is amazing," Alcaraz said in his on-court interview. "To be able to win this tournament means a lot to me.
"I am so excited right now and emotional. I was very, very nervous at the start.
"I had to be calm to save the break points. I know Korda is serving very well, so I had to play my best in those moments.
"It went 0-30 on my serve. So I had to be focused in that moment and I had to stay calm. It was really, really tough."
Max Verstappen extended his championship lead but was pipped to pole for the Brazilian Grand Prix by Valtteri Bottas, who won Saturday's sprint qualifying race.
Red Bull driver Verstappen started in first after Lewis Hamilton had his result from Friday's qualifying session – in which he went fastest – ruled out due to a DRS infringement but was denied the maximum three points by Bottas.
The Dutchman now holds a 21-point advantage over reigning champion Hamilton, who recovered to fifth after being forced to start from the back of the grid.
However, a five-place grid penalty for taking a new engine means Hamilton will get away from 10th on Sunday.
Bottas took the lead into turn one as Verstappen complained of a gear sync issue and the championship leader was down to third after going wide at turn four.
Verstappen regained second from Carlos Sainz on lap four and he gradually ate into Bottas' lead before letting his tyres cool ahead of a late push.
However, Bottas was able to keep Verstappen out of DRS range to cling on for pole, with Sainz holding off Sergio Perez to take third place.
Bottas' performance provides a slight reprieve for Hamilton, who showed he will still be a factor on Sunday by getting from 20th to fifth in the space of 24 laps.
PROVISIONAL CLASSIFICATION
1. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +1.170s
3. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) +18.723s
4. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) +19.787s
5. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) +20.872s*
6. Lando Norris (McLaren) +22.558s
7. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +25.056s
8. Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri) +34.158s
9. Esteban Ocon (Alpine) +34.632s
10. Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin) +34.867s
*Hamilton has a five-place grid penalty
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Drivers
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 314.5
2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 293.5
3. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) 188
4. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) 165
5. Lando Norris (McLaren) 150
Constructors
1. Mercedes 481.5
2. Red Bull 479.5
3. Ferrari 269.5
4. McLaren 255
5. Alpine 106
Freddie Steward and Jamie Blamire touched down as England secured a 32-15 victory over Australia in the Autumn Nations Series at Twickenham on Saturday.
Leicester Tigers full-back Steward crossed for his first Test try in the opening stages, but poor discipline from both teams meant the match was largely a kicking contest.
The returning Owen Farrell had 17 points to James O'Connor's 15 with the boot as Australia failed to bounce back from their 15-13 loss to Scotland last weekend.
After Farrell and Michael Hooper hobbled off with injuries in the second half, Blamire raced away with the clock in the red to add a touch of gloss to the scoreline.
Steward stepped around Kurtley Beale for the opening try in the eighth minute, but England were unable to take full advantage of Australia being reduced to 14 men after Tom Wright was sent to the bin for catching Jamie George in the head with his shoulder.
Only a sublime last-ditch tackle from Nic White stopped George touching in the corner in the 35th minute and O'Connor's fourth successful penalty before Wright returned meant there were just four points in it at the break.
O'Connor closed the gap further after the restart, but Angus Bell was sin-binned for a dangerous tackle on Courtney Lawes and Farrell slotted through the resulting penalty, though he missed another effort from the tee before Bell returned.
An ankle injury forced Hooper off before the hour mark and Farrell put a converted try between the teams with a successful penalty after Bell's scrum infringement.
The game was already put to bed before Noah Lolesio gave the ball away to Sam Simmonds, who teed up Blamire for a try that Marcus Smith converted to make the result look more comfortable.
Eight straight for England
Since Eddie Jones took over, England have been victorious in all of their eight meetings with their coach's home nation. They have never enjoyed a better winning run against the Wallabies, who last got the better of England at the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
Australia still struggle in Europe
Having succumbed to back-to-back defeats against Scotland and England, Australia have now won just two of their past 10 away Tests versus European teams. They will hope to end the skid against Wales at the Principality Stadium next weekend.
Lewis Hamilton has been disqualified from qualifying in Sao Paulo due to a rear wing infringement and Max Verstappen has been fined €50,000 for touching and examining his title rival's car in a restricted area.
The 36-year-old's Mercedes "failed the test designed to check the requirements of the last paragraph of Art. 3.6.3 of the 2021 FIA Formula 1 Technical Regulations."
Hamilton must now start from the back of Saturday's sprint qualifying race in a major blow to his chances of winning the championship, with Verstappen taking pole.
Verstappen is 19 points clear of Hamilton in the standings as he bids to end Mercedes' seven-year drivers' championship monopoly and deny the Briton an eighth world title.
Hamilton was also forced to take a five-place grid penalty ahead of Sunday's Grand Prix as his car was fitted with a fifth engine due to issues with Mercedes' power units.
Verstappen received a sanction of his own, being hit with a hefty fine after a "breach of Article 2.5.1 of the FIA International Sporting Code."
A fan video captured the 24-year-old touching the rear wing of Hamilton's car in the Parc Ferme after qualifying on Friday.
Giannis Antetokounmpo will sit out the Milwaukee Bucks' showdown with the Boston Celtics on Friday.
The Bucks opted to hold out superstar Antetokounmpo in Boston due to an ankle injury, having been listed as probable for the NBA champions.
Antetokounmpo has been averaging 26.6 points, 11.8 rebounds and a career-high 6.0 assists, while shooting 49.6 per cent from the field and 28.6 from three-point range.
The two-time MVP is averaging at least 25.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game for what would be a fourth consecutive season. No player in NBA history has done that four seasons in a row, per Stats Perform.
The Bucks (6-6) have struggled for consistency due to injuries, but are riding a two-game winning streak.
In their last game against the New York Knicks, the Bucks scored 78 of their 112 points via three-pointers (69.6 percent) – the highest percentage by any team in a game in NBA history.
Carlos Alcaraz produced a dominant performance to seal a straight-sets semi-final victory against Sebastian Baez 4-2 4-1 4-2 at the Next Gen ATP Finals, and will now face Sebastian Korda in the final on Saturday.
The Spaniard, who is both the top seed and the youngest participant in the tournament, followed up his three wins in the round-robin stage in Milan by sweeping past his Argentine opponent in just 62 minutes on Friday.
Baez had become the first South American in the tournament's history to reach the semi-finals, but struggled to live with Alcaraz's power and footwork at the Allianz Cloud.
The 18-year-old will play Korda in the final after the American came through a five-set showdown in his semi-final with compatriot Brandon Nakashima.
Korda had to come from two sets to one down but eventually sealed his victory 4-3 (7-3) 2-4 1-4 4-2 4-2 in an hour and 54 minutes.
The 21-year-old admitted he had to change his approach to overcome the excellent form his opponent had shown in the first three sets.
After his win, Korda said on court: "Brandon was playing some unbelievable tennis, but I stayed with him and had some chances in the fourth and fifth sets, and took them and ran.
"I got more aggressive. I tried coming into the net more and placing my serves more, and that opened up the court for me."
Anett Kontaveit stormed into the last four of the WTA Finals by securing a hugely impressive 6-4 6-0 victory over Karolina Pliskova on Friday.
Estonian eighth seed Kontaveit overcame Barbora Krejcikova in her opening match and became the first player to reach the semi-finals in Guadalajara by racking up a career-best 12th straight win in just 57 minutes.
Pliskova was victorious in each of the pair's previous three meetings and applied some early pressure but was unable to convert any of the three break points she engineered in game three of the opening set.
Kontaveit, meanwhile, pounced on her first opening, showing the clinical touch that has seen her pick up recent titles in Moscow and Cluj-Napoca with a winner to take the set.
The world number eight reeled off the next six games to guarantee a top-two finish in Group Teotihuacan and secure a tour-leading 38th hard-court match win this year.
Pliskova could yet salvage a place in the semi-finals by overcoming Barbora Krejcikova in her final round-robin match, though.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Kontaveit – 20/16
Pliskova – 9/18
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Kontaveit – 6/3
Pliskova – 4/2
BREAK POINTS WON
Kontaveit – 4/6
Pliskova – 0/3
Lewis Hamilton made the most of taking a new engine by securing pole position for Saturday's sprint race with a dominant performance in qualifying at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix on Friday.
Taking a new internal combustion engine (ICE) means Hamilton has a five-place grid penalty hanging over him for the main event on Sunday, but he did his best to limit the potential damage by going almost half a second quicker than anyone else.
Championship leader Max Verstappen will join Hamilton on the front row on Saturday, denying Mercedes a lockout in the third and final sprint race of the season by narrowly outperforming Valtteri Bottas.
Verstappen could consequently see his 19-point advantage in the drivers' standings reduced before race day, but he was anticipating a strong display from the seven-time champion.
"When they take a new engine, naturally they have a bit more power, so it's not a big shock," said Verstappen.
"I'm just happy to be second. That's a good position to start from. Sometimes you have to be realistic and there wasn't more in it.
"There are not that many points to gain in the sprint race so I just aim to have a good first lap and see from there."
It was the first time Hamilton, who went fastest in all three sessions, had won a qualifying session since Hungary in July and he claimed it felt like a maiden pole position.
"I'm so happy to be back here in Brazil. That's the first pole in a long time," he said. "I feel really grateful. It's crazy because it's been a while so it feels like the first one.
"A big, big thank you to all the team because they've been working flat out. It's been so hard coming from the last race for everyone.
"Today was a really good qualifying session. I'm really happy with it. We've got the penalty but we'll give it everything we've got."
Sergio Perez took fourth behind Bottas, with Ferrari duo Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc trailing Pierre Gasly but beating out the McLaren pair of Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo.
PROVISIONAL CLASSIFICATION
1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 1:07.934
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.438s
3. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) +0.535s
4. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) +0.549s
5. Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri) +0.843s
6. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) +0.892s
7. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +1.026s
8. Lando Norris (McLaren) +1.046s
9. Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren) +1.105s
10. Fernando Alonso (Alpine) +1.179s
Lewis Hamilton's hopes of retaining his Formula One world title have been dealt another blow after being hit with a five-place grid penalty for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
The seven-time champion, who trails leader Max Verstappen by 19 points with four races remaining, has been demoted following Mercedes' latest engine change.
It is a second grid penalty in four races for Hamilton, who lost 10 places at the Turkish Grand Prix after having a new engine fitted. He went on to finish fifth in that race after starting in 11th.
Hamilton's penalty was confirmed midway through Friday's first practice session in Brazil, shortly after Mercedes announced he would have a new unit fitted.
The penalty will not affect the 36-year-old's starting position in Saturday's sprint race at Interlagos, but he can now no longer start Sunday's race any higher than sixth.
Rising Jamaican swimming star Emily McDonald says she is having a grand time in her first few months in college at Columbia University, which has been bolstered by the fact that a week ago, she won her very first race at the NCAA Division 1 level.
At the Lions Home opener at the University of Pennsylvania, McDonald, who turned 18 in July, won the 50-yard freestyle in 23.77, which at the time was the fourth-fastest in the Ivy League conference. She also picked up a third-place finish in the 100-yard freestyle in 52.45.
She had more success in the 200-yard freestyle relay, leading her team with a 23.88 split to give them the edge in a close battle with Penn - 1:34.79 to 1:34.84. She also swam a 23.35 split as her team finished second in the 200-yard medley relay that was won by the University of Pennsylvania in 1:44.35. Columbia was a .10 behind in 1:44.45.
Reflecting on her debut outing for Columbia, the recent Bolles graduate, revealed that she had a great time competing.
“It was a really great experience. I love my new team, I love their vibes, I love their spirit,” she told Sportsmax.TV while heaping praise on her teammates and coaches for their support in helping her get her collegiate career off to a great start.
“Winning the 50-free in my first collegiate meet was really special. It was not just hard work, but the spirit of my team and coaches helped me in that race. They are always so supportive no matter what and I cannot wait to see how the rest of the season plays out!”
McDonald has had a solid career swimming in high school, first at Campion College and then at Bolles where she capped off her high school years with a few podium finishes in the 200-yard freestyle and medley relays.
She has also represented Jamaica at the 2018 CAC Games in Colombia and at the 2019 Pan Am Games in Lima, Peru.
Rudy Gobert suggested he was willing to take any fights out of the NBA spotlight after a tussle with Myles Turner that saw the two big men ejected.
Utah Jazz center Gobert was involved in a scuffle with Indiana Pacers counterpart Turner on Thursday.
With Jazz team-mates Donovan Mitchell and Joe Ingles then entering the fray and also getting ejected, the Pacers closed out a 111-110 win.
"I don't think I did anything wrong," Turner said, but Gobert appeared to disagree as he criticised NBA officials for putting him in such situations.
"We know we aren't going to fight," said the three-time Defensive Player of the Year.
"Guys need to stop acting like they're going to fight, because they know that in two seconds there's going to be like 20 security guards in between us. Okay, it's cool for the cameras, but they know we aren't going to fight.
"Guys that are not about that life need to stop acting like they are, because at some point I might have to stand up for myself – also if the officials keep doing like they've been doing over this season.
"There are a lot of guys who do way too much s***, and I have to keep my head cool. I do a lot of self-control.
"It's actually funny, because my boxing coach was at the game. That's the only time in a year that he came to the game. That's funny.
"But they teach you how to keep your calm. If I don't feel threatened, I'm not going to throw a punch and get suspended and hurt my team. I didn't feel a threat at all, and I'm not going to fight on a basketball court.
"But if somebody wants to fight, I'm easy to reach, I'm really easy to reach. I'm just not going to do it on social media. If anyone's got a problem, Instagram, Twitter, WhatsApp, easy."
Asked about Mitchell and Ingles also being ejected, Gobert replied with a smile: "I was surprised when I heard it, but then when I watched the video and saw what happened..."
Los Angeles Clippers coach Ty Lue welcomed the contributions of his supporting players as they helped Paul George lead the team to a sixth straight win.
The Clippers beat the Miami Heat 112-109 on Thursday to continue their streak. They have also now won six in a row against the Heat, their longest such sequence in this matchup since the teams' first meeting in 1988.
With Kawhi Leonard still on the sidelines, fellow All-Star George has been the Clippers' main man this season, with his usage rate up to 34.3 per cent.
He is averaging 26.7 points and 7.9 rebounds per game – his best marks outside of his All-NBA First Team season in 2018-19. His 5.4 assists per game are a new high.
George had 27 points against Miami, again leading the team, but he also had a negative plus/minus (-1) for the first time in this winning run.
While the forward's 38 minutes ensured he remains the Clippers' most used player this year (388 mins), there were signs of fatigue and Lue called his man back to the bench in the third quarter.
Crucially, however, the Clippers had a positive point differential of four in the 10 minutes George sat in this game, prompting the coach to laud a team effort.
George was one of five players to score double-figures and one of three to pass 20 – also Reggie Jackson (22) and Eric Bledsoe (21).
"In that third quarter, PG was a little tired, so we had to get him out early," Lue said.
"That group we had on the floor increased the lead, so it bought him more time. It was just a total team win. We did a lot of great things."
Leonard's absence with an ACL tear represents a big blow to the Clippers, but they are now 7-4 this year as George excels.
However, when Leonard went down halfway through last season's playoff campaign, George improved from averaging 24.9 points per game to 29.6.
Indeed, since the pair joined the team together in 2019, George has 26.8 points across the regular season and postseason when Leonard is missing, versus 21.7 when his team-mate is also in the lineup.
This responsibility may suit George this year then, and asked how he was coping with the strain, he simply replied: "I'm still going, still going."
The Philadelphia 76ers have been accused of worsening Ben Simmons' mental-health situation by agent Rich Paul, who criticised the NBA franchise for fining and suspending the wantaway All-Star.
Simmons is yet to feature for the 76ers this NBA season, notifying Philadelphia he is not mentally ready to play, having sought a trade following the team's shock playoff exit to the Atlanta Hawks in 2020-21.
He was suspended by the 76ers for the season opener due to "conduct detrimental to the team", while the Australian guard was reportedly fined for failing to co-operate with team physicians on his mental-health issues.
As Simmons' future continues to dominate headlines amid reported interest from the likes of the Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Portland Trail Blazers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors, Paul provided an update.
"I truly believe the fines, the targeting, the negative publicity shined on the issue — that's very unnecessary and has furthered the mental health issues for Ben," Paul told The Athletic.
"Either you help Ben, or come out and say he's lying. Which one is it?"
"I don't think the 76ers are a bad organisation. Josh Harris and David Blitzer are great governors, they've done a great job with the organisation. I have respect for Daryl Morey," Paul said. "Ben has a mental issue, let's support him. I'm happy he got to a place where he realised and accepted help. I understand it's a business, but even in business, you need humanity.
"I have a great level of respect and love for the city of Philadelphia, as someone who loves the game, but this isn't about that. This is about Ben getting back to a place mentally where he can be back on the floor — and only Ben can tell us when that is. We have to allow him to do that."
Simmons – an elite defender who signed a five-year, $177.2million contract extension in 2019 – and his shooting problems were laid bare during the 2021 postseason with the top-seeded 76ers, who were eliminated in the semi-finals.
The 25-year-old had no fourth-quarter field-goal attempts in his last four games of the playoffs against the Hawks last season. He is the only NBA player in the last 20 seasons to have four consecutive postseason games with no field-goal attempts in the fourth quarter during a season in which he was an All-Star, according to Stats Perform.
Simmons averaged just 10.1 field-goal attempts in 2020-21 – a career low, which dropped to 7.9 in the playoffs. It was the same story with his scoring as it dropped to a career-worst 14.3 points per game and 11.9 in the postseason – both career lows.
Then there is Simmons and free throws. He was exposed by rival teams as they regularly sent him to the line, with the Melbourne-born guard making just 25 of 73 shots in the 2020-21 playoffs. His 34.2 free-throw percentage is the lowest ever in a single postseason.
"In this case, we have to get Ben help and not put finances above mental health," Paul said. "As an agent, I understand contractual obligations and I hold myself accountable in this business. But if someone is telling you something, we can no longer turn a blind eye in today's world.
"This is no longer about a trade. This is about finding a place where we can help Ben get back to his mental strength and get back on the floor. I want him on the floor playing the game that he loves.
"I want Ben on the floor whether that's in a 76ers uniform or any other uniform, that's not up to me, but I want him in a state where he can resume play. We want to cooperate and want to work him back on the floor."
On when Simmons could return to playing, Paul added: "He's not there yet. How can a doctor, who has only met with Ben once, say, 'Ben is mentally ready to play?' So do we keep digging on him, or help him?
"Now that we understand that reluctance from Ben, it all makes sense. There was a shying away from it. If Ben has repeatedly showed behaviour that entails he isn't mentally ready to play, embrace him. Support him. We have to remove our ego from it. We all have to take responsibility."
The Philadelphia 76ers suffered a third consecutive defeat in the NBA, this time upstaged 115-109 by the visiting Toronto Raptors.
While 2020-21 MVP runner-up Joel Embiid and Matisse Thybulle remain sidelined due to the league's health and safety protocol, last season's Eastern Conference top seeds the 76ers welcomed back star Tobias Harris and Seth Curry.
Tyrese Maxey also scored 33 points in back-to-back 30-point games, but it was not enough for the 76ers (8-5) at home to the Raptors in Philadelphia on Thursday.
Maxey became the first 76er in either his first or second season with consecutive 30-plus point games since Embiid in 2017.
But Eastern Conference rivals the Raptors (7-6) silenced Wells Fargo Center thanks to Fred VanVleet (32 points), Gary Trent Jr. (20 points) and Og Anunoby (20 points).
VanVleet and Trent hit back-to-back three-pointers over the final 1:10 to lift the Raptors, who had lost three games in a row.
Streaking Clippers cool Heat
The Los Angeles Clippers (7-4) posted their sixth successive victory after outlasting the Miami Heat 112-109. Paul George scored 27 points and Reggie Jackson registered all his 22 points in the second half as the Clippers overturned a 17-point deficit. Bam Adebayo's season-high 30 points and 11 rebounds were not enough for the Heat (7-5), who dropped their third straight game and fourth of five.
Jazz beaten at home
For the first time this season, the Utah Jazz (8-4) lost at home following a surprise 111-100 defeat against the Indiana Pacers. All-Star pair Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell were ejected in the fourth quarter, along with team-mate Joe Ingles and Indiana's Myles Turner. The Pacers (5-8) were led by Malcolm Brogdon's season-high 30 points.
Andy Murray believes his game will improve in the off-season after the former world number one's 2021 campaign came to an end at the Stockholm Open.
Murray stunned top seed Jannik Sinner on Wednesday, however, the three-time grand slam champion lost 6-2 3-6 6-3 to Tommy Paul in Thursday's quarter-final.
Currently ranked 143rd on the ATP Tour, Murray had warned the days of him progressing deep in tournaments again were on the horizon following his upset of Sinner midweek.
Murray's career has been ravaged by injuries – the 34-year-old underwent hip resurfacing in 2019, but the veteran feels he is on the right track.
"My game will improve, I think, over the off season - I'm pretty clear on the things that I need to work on," said Murray, with his focus now turning to the 2022 Australian Open.
"I need to make sure we get a good plan in place that come the beginning of January those improvements have been made."
Paul needed two hours, 16 minutes to see off Murray at the ATP 250 tournament in Stockholm.
"It was a lot of fun," said American Paul. "He is a legend. I played some of my best tennis today and I even looked over at my coach mid-match and thought it was fun to battle him today.
"It was the game plan to keep him running after his long match [against Jannik Sinner] yesterday. I tried to keep him running. I played tight and stuck to my game plan in the third set."
The recent history of the New York Knicks is littered with abysmal play, a never-ending coaching carousel and a general lack of excitement for a fanbase starved for a winner.
But all that can be forgotten now that Madison Square Garden is rocking again in support of a team on the rise with a chance to make noise in the NBA playoffs.
After ending a seven-year playoff drought in a surprising first season under head coach Tom Thibodeau in 2020-21, New York is eager for more and might have enough to warrant the newfound optimism surrounding the franchise.
While the Knicks' first postseason appearance since 2012-13 was a short one – a first-round loss to the Atlanta Hawks – it signalled a rebirth for a franchise that had a league-worst .330 winning percentage (184-374) during a run of seven consecutive seasons without playoffs from 2013-14 to 2019-20.
A 41-31 record last season was New York's best since they went 54-28 in 2012-13 and those 41 wins surpassed their total from the two previous campaigns combined (38-110). Maybe that record can be at least partly attributed to a fluky, COVID-19 riddled campaign where the Knicks caught opponents by surprise, but a 25-11 home record and a 25-17 mark against the Eastern Conference shouldn't be overlooked.
Thibodeau was clearly the main catalyst for the reversal, bringing his trademark defence to a team that ranked 17th in opponent scoring (106.1) the previous seven seasons before his arrival. In Thibodeau's first term at the helm, the Knicks led the NBA in that category (104.7) as well as opponent field goal percentage (44.0) and opponent three-point percentage (33.7). He was named NBA Coach of the Year for the second time (Chicago Bulls, 2011).
Besides the obvious difference in the on-court product, Thibodeau brought instant credibility to a franchise that employed six different coaches since the 2012-13 playoff appearance. His .587 career winning percentage (400-282) ranks seventh among active coaches (minimum 100 games).
While team defence and the superb play of Julius Randle carried the Knicks last season, an offensive injection was needed to take the next step.
Bringing in the starting backcourt of Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier has made the Knicks a more dangerous perimeter shooting team after Atlanta exposed New York's glaring lack of scoring depth in the playoffs.
In the five-game loss to the Hawks, the Knicks failed to break 100 points in the final three games and shot just 39.8 percent from the field overall. That wasn't a surprise considering New York ranked 26th last season in scoring (107.0), 21st in field-goal percentage (45.6) and 21st in field goals made (847).
Walker is a four-time All-Star who has been one of the NBA's most consistent point producers over the past decade. The Charlotte Hornets' all-time leading scorer, Walker averaged at least 20 points in five straight seasons from 2015-16 to 2019-20 before slipping to 19.3 last season with Boston.
Fournier was acquired in a sign-and-trade with the Celtics after spending the bulk of his career with the Orlando Magic. He has shot at least 40 percent from three-point range in three separate seasons, including knocking down 41.3 percent last season with Orlando and Boston.
Fournier is averaging 13.8 points this season while connecting on 36.1 percent from downtown, starting all 12 games in the backcourt with Walker.
The three-point shot has become a much bigger part of the Knicks' arsenal compared to last season. After taking 30 three-point attempts per game last season, the Knicks have put up 38 threes per contest so far in 2021-22. That plus-eight increase is by far the biggest of any team this year with the Minnesota Timberwolves (6.8) coming next.
The volume of three-pointers has led to an offense that is averaging 110.8 points through 12 games this season, which is the seventh highest in the league. The last time New York averaged more than 110 points per game for a full season was the Patrick Ewing-led 1988-89 team (116.7).
Randle remains the leader and focal point for New York, emerging last season as an All-Star for the first time and winning the NBAs Most Improved Player award in a runaway. Randle set career highs last season in scoring (24.1), rebounding (10.2) and assists (6.0) and while his scoring has dipped to 21.9 this term, that is to be expected with more offensive options on the roster.
Still, Randle is one of five players this season leading their teams in points per game, rebounds per game and assists per game, along with Luka Doncic, Paul George, Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Randle could become the first player in franchise history to lead the Knicks in points, rebounds and assists in two different seasons.
In just his third season with the Knicks, he already has 15 games with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds. Only Ewing (148) and Carmelo Anthony (29) have more such games for the franchise since Ewing joined New York in 1985.
Randle's value to the Knicks was on display in last Friday's stunning comeback win at defending champions the Milwaukee Bucks. Randle outplayed two-time NBA MVP Antetokounmpo in the second half and finished with 32 points and 12 rebounds as New York overcame a 21-point deficit for a 113-98 win.
That marked the first time in franchise history that the Knicks overcame a 20-point deficit to record a double-digit victory since the NBA began tracking play-by-play in boxscores during the 1997-98 season.
Another key to that win was the stellar play of veteran guard Derrick Rose, who matched a season high with 23 points to go with eight rebounds, four assists, two steals and zero turnovers. He finished with a plus-31 for one of the best marks in the league this season and not far behind his league best-tying plus-34, accomplished in a 121-96 victory over Orlando on October 22.
Rose has played the role of super substitute this season, averaging 13.3 points while shooting 48.9 percent (22 for 45) on three-pointers while amassing a plus-95 rating that is tied for ninth in the NBA.
The Knicks nearly did it to Milwaukee again on Wednesday, erasing a 24-point deficit before falling short in a 112-100 loss. Walker and Fournier combined for just four points, but Rose and Immanuel Quickley totalled 40 off the bench to spark the comeback.
Bench scoring has been another key to New York's early season rise on offense. The Knicks rank sixth in the NBA in scoring from reserves (39.6), with Rose, Alec Burks and Obi Toppin the main contributors.
Quickley has come alive recently, looking more like the player he was last season. The second-year guard has averaged 12.3 points on 48.5 shooting in his past four games after scoring 5.3 in his first eight contests.
Getting the best version of Quickley would help ease the pressure on Walker and Rose and would go a long way toward keeping the veteran duo fresh for the second half of the season.
RJ Barrett has been limited to 30 points in his last three games after he reeled off five consecutive games of at least 20 points, matching the longest streak of his young career. During that stretch, the 21-year-old averaged 25 points on 51.7 percent shooting (45 for 87) and 5.8 rebounds while knocking down half his three-point attempts (16 for 32).
Barrett's continued evolution as a scorer and complement to Randle's power game will be key for the Knicks and the early returns are promising. After shooting 49.1 and 51.1 percent at the rim in his first two seasons, Barrett has raised that number to 57.6 this season as he learns how to finish at the hoop and maximise his considerable physical tools.
As necessary as the improved offense was, it has come at a cost on the opposite end.
New York ranks 22nd in scoring defence (109.6) and that doesn't sit well with Thibodeau, judging by his recent postgame comments. That needs to be cleaned up if the Knicks are to compete against the best teams in the east for the long run.
The Eastern Conference appears to be much improved this season, with top contenders Milwaukee, Brooklyn, Philadelphia and Miami leading the way. Cleveland, Chicago and Washington seem to have made huge strides and the Knicks are also in that mix of potential playoff teams.
Only the most diehard Knicks fan would dare dream of a championship this season but it's not a joke anymore to suggest that just maybe there could be one on the horizon.
Maria Sakkari was merciless as she began her WTA Finals campaign with a comfortable 6-2 6-4 win over an Iga Swiatek who became visibly emotional towards the end.
It was Sakkari's eighth win over a top-10 opponent this season, the most of any player on the WTA Tour, while the victory took her to 3-0 against Swiatek this year.
Sakkari, with her trademark intensity and feistiness, appeared to adjust to the conditions and altitude of Guadalajara much better than her opponent, who looked lethargic during the first set.
This was particularly evident in the 20-year-old's second service game, as Sakkari converted the second of her break points to get the early advantage.
Swiatek showed the occasional flash of quality, such as an awesome out-of-the-blue cross-court forehand in the fifth game, but she soon found herself 5-2 down as Sakkari broke to love, the decisive point gifted to her by a sloppy volley at the net that the Pole inexplicably put beyond the sideline.
Sakkari quickly wrapped up the set but Swiatek was able to dig a bit deeper in the second, showing great determination to eventually hold serve during the 10-minute third game.
But her body language at the change was hardly indicative of a player convinced she could level the match, as she sat there with a towel draped over her from head to knees.
Swiatek held out for another few games but Sakkari got the decisive break to go 4-3 up, and the match ultimately went with serve from there.
Sakkari finished her opponent off by serving to love, with a tearful Swiatek given a code violation for turning her back as she attempted to regain her composure before facing triple match point, ultimately putting her return into the net.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Sakkari – 15/22
Swiatek – 8/29
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Sakkari – 2/5
Swiatek – 2/6
BREAK POINTS WON
Sakkari – 3/8
Swiatek – 0/2
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