Iga Swiatek was in tears after losing to Jessica Pegula as the United States took a 2-0 United Cup semi-final lead over Poland, while Italy moved into command against Greece on Friday.
World number one Swiatek was beaten 6-2 6-2 by the impressive Pegula in just 71 minutes at Ken Rosewall Arena.
Swiatek got the better of Pegula three times last year, but the American made light work of seeing off the three-time grand slam champion this time around to put USA in front.
Pegula struck 21 winners, attacking the Swiatek serve in a commanding display just over a week before the Australian Open gets under way.
Swiatek's emotions came out after she was emphatically defeated by the world number three in Sydney.
Pegula said: "I played her today, conditions are totally different than anywhere else I played her. Obviously maybe I had a little bit of an advantage, they just flew in yesterday.
"Definitely the fastest conditions I have played her [in]. Every other place I've played her has been pretty slow. I think that favoured me a lot, and I was able to use that to my advantage and play a really super clean match.
"I think I just was able to execute my game plan probably better than I have previous times."
Frances Tiafoe backed up Pegula's win by beating Kacper Zuk, who replaced the unwell Daniel Michalski, 6-3 6-3.
That ensures Taylor Fritz has a chance to put the United States into the final if he beats Hubert Hurkacz on Saturday.
Italy are in control of the other semi-final following victories for Martina Trevisan and Lorenzo Musetti.
Trevisan upset Maria Sakkari 6-3 6-7 (4-7) 7-5 before Musetti outclassed Stefanos Sakellaridis, winning 6-1 6-1.
Novak Djokovic set up a semi-final clash with Daniil Medvedev at the Adelaide International with a straight-sets win over Denis Shapovalov.
Shapovalov wilted under pressure on his serve at the end of both sets as Djokovic claimed a 6-3 6-4 victory, though he felt the encounter was closer than the score suggested.
"The scoreline doesn't give you the right idea of what happened in the match, almost two hours for two sets, it was such a close match," Djokovic said in his on-court interview.
"I just managed to stay mentally composed in the right moments and play my best tennis."
He wrapped up the win with a backhand volley after a Shapovalov double fault handed Djokovic the key break, teeing up a meeting with Medvedev, whom he beat in the 2021 Australian Open final before losing to the Russian in the US Open showpiece later that year.
Fellow former world number one Medvedev cruised to a 6-3 6-3 win over compatriot Karen Khachanov.
Medvedev trailed 3-1 in the second set but reeled off five straight games to surge into the last four.
"We didn't play since 2019, that's pretty long," Medvedev said of his reunion with Khachanov.
"Hopefully we can play more matches at later stages of tournaments. It's never easy, I'm happy that I managed to really raise my level, especially at the end of both sets, and I'm really happy to be through to the semis."
Sebastian Korda continued his superb run with a straight-sets win over Jannik Sinner, who was bothered by a hip issue that later forced him to pull out of his doubles match.
Korda pulled away in the second set after a tight first to win 7-5 6-1 and has won 11 of his 14 matches since the start of October.
He will take on Yoshihito Nishioka, who overcame home hope Alexei Popyrin 7-6 (7-4) 6-7 (8-10) 6-2, for a place in the final.
Former world number one Ash Barty has revealed she is pregnant with her first child.
Barty surprisingly announced her retirement from tennis last March, just two months after she ended a 44-year wait for a home triumph at the Australian Open.
The 26-year-old, who won three grand slam singles titles during her career, revealed her pregnancy via an Instagram post on Friday.
"2023 set to be the best year yet. We are so excited for our new adventure. Origi already the protective big sister," Barty wrote, alongside an image of her dog Origi next to a pair of baby shoes.
Barty's partner Garry Kissick also took to social media to share the news, posting a similar image featuring a baby-sized Liverpool kit with the caption: "Little Red, 2023".
Barty married professional golfer Kissick last July, six years after the pair met at the Brookwater Golf Club in 2016.
In addition to last year's Australian Open, Barty enjoyed singles success at Wimbledon in 2021 and the French Open in 2019, as well as winning the women's doubles title at the 2018 US Open alongside CoCo Vandeweghe.
Teenage Czech qualifier Linda Noskova upset former world number one Victoria Azarenka to set up a semi-final showdown with Ons Jabeur at the Adelaide International.
In a match lasting almost three hours, Noskova triumphed 6-4 6-7 (3-7) 7-6 (8-6) to continue a dream run in Australia.
Noskova has already beaten third seed Daria Kasatkina in Adelaide and, on only her sixth appearance in a WTA main draw, has won five straight matches.
Further progress will be no easy feat, with top seed Jabeur – a losing finalist at Wimbledon and the US Open in 2022 – grinding out a 7-6 (7-5) 7-5 win over Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk.
On the other side of the draw, second seed Aryna Sabalenka held off a resurgent Marketa Vondrousova to win 6-3 7-5. The Belarusian had led 4-1 in the second set before losing four of the next five games and failing on match point prior to finally seeing it out.
Irina-Camelia Begu defeated fourth seed Veronika Kudermetova 7-5 6-4 to set up a last-four clash with Sabalenka.
At the ASB Classic in Auckland, top seed Coco Gauff outclassed Zhu Lin 6-3 6-2, winning 90 per cent of first-serve points, firing down eight aces, and not giving up a single break point.
Seventh seed Danka Kovinic also won 6-3 6-2 against Viktoria Kuzmova to set up a semi-final clash with Gauff, while world number 95 Ysaline Bonaventure ousted third seed Leylah Fernandez 6-4 6-2 to reach a first Tour-level semi-final where Rebeka Masarova awaits.
Joe Mazzulla called for the Boston Celtics to put on a show "over and over again" after they swept the Dallas Mavericks aside on Thursday.
The Celtics dished out a 124-95 defeat to the Mavericks at American Airlines Center on a great night for Jayson Tatum.
Tatum came up with his first triple-double of the NBA season; scoring 29 points, providing 10 assists and taking 14 rebounds in a brilliant all-round display.
It was only the second triple-double of his career and took Boston to 27-12, upstaging Luka Doncic as the Mavericks' seven-game winning streak ground to a halt.
Interim coach Mazzulla wants to see consistency from the Eastern Conference leaders Celtics, who got back on track after suffering back-to-back losses.
He said: "They showed me they can do it one time. They have to do it over and over again."
Jaylen Brown put up 19 points and seven claimed rebounds, while Mavericks superstar Doncic finished with 23 points, nine rebounds, and three assists before being left on the bench for the final quarter.
Mazzulla added: "When we're at our best, we play really good basketball on both ends of the floor with high effort for a long period of time.
"And then we go through a couple of games where we lose that. What I love about tonight was we did bounce back."
Michael Malone will always allow his Denver Nuggets team to enjoy the wins but said "I'm not going to party and celebrate" after a rout of the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday.
Jamal Murray top scored with 18 points as the high-flying Nuggets ran out 122-91 winners at Ball Arena to improve to 25-13 on the season and 15-3 on home court.
It was another statement victory in a season full of excellent performance and leaves the Nuggets top of the Western Conference, with an identical record to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Head coach Malone encouraged his players to enjoy the moment, while also emphasising there is plenty of work still to be done.
"I've been around people who would not allow themselves to enjoy the wins, to enjoy the moment. I'm not that guy," Malone said.
"But I'm also not going to party and celebrate.
"That was a hell of a win for us. A convincing win, from beginning to end. Everybody contributed.
"We're in first place in the Western Conference. We're not there yet. But we're on our way. I like where we're at and, more importantly, I like who I'm going there with."
Murray scored 13 of his 18 points in a blistering first quarter and it was a welcome performance considering his hit-and-miss form since returning from an ACL injury that ruled him out of last season.
Following a 124-111 defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves last time out, Malone said with Murray on the plan ride home for a heart-to-heart.
"He takes ownership. He has to help himself as well," Malone said of Murray.
Murray added that the win shows the level the Nuggets have to aspire to on a consistent performance.
He said: "Wins like this give us a lot of confidence and build a lot of chemistry. Sets a standard for us."
The NFL has confirmed the suspended Cincinnati Bengals-Buffalo Bills' Week 17 game will not resume, with teams to consider a neutral side for the AFC Championship game.
The Bengals-Bills game was suspended after Damar Hamlin collapsed during the first quarter due to a cardiac arrest. Hamlin was resuscitated on the field, then rushed to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he has remained in intensive care, but encouragingly has made "substantial progress" in the past 24 hours.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell explained the decision had "no perfect solution", which comes ahead of the final regular season round of fixtures with significant playoff implications, and was based on three key factors.
Goodell stressed that the game's cancellation would not impact any team's qualification or elimination from the postseason, while he was eager to have the playoff scenario clarified for all sides ahead of Week 18. He added that delaying the playoffs one week to play the game was unfair on all other clubs, which guided their decision-making.
The statement revealed that NFL team owners will attend a Special League Meeting on Friday to consider a resolution recommended by the Competition Committee to have the AFC Championship game played at a neutral site if the participating teams could both have mathematically been the No.1 seed if they had played an equal number of games.
That decision affects the Bills (12-3) and Bengals (11-4) along with the Kansas City Chiefs (13-3). The NFL stated three scenarios whereby the AFC Championship game being played on a neutral site would come into effect.
- If Buffalo and Kansas City both win or tie, a Bills-Chiefs championship game will be at a neutral site.
- If Buffalo and Kansas City both lose and Baltimore wins or ties, a Bills-Chiefs championship game will be at a neutral site.
- If Buffalo and Kansas City both lose and Cincinnati wins, a Bills or Bengals v Chiefs championship game will be at a neutral site.
The Baltimore Ravens (10-6) may also be impacted if they win against the Bengals in Week 18, leading to a match-up in an AFC Wild Card game, with the site to be determined by coin flip.
"As we considered the football schedule, our principles have been to limit disruption across the league and minimise competitive inequities," Goodell said in the statement.
He added: "This has been a very difficult week. We continue to focus on the recovery of Damar Hamlin and are encouraged by the improvements in his condition as well as the tremendous outpouring of support and care for Damar and his family from across the country.
"We are also incredibly appreciative of the amazing work of the medical personnel and commend each and every one of them."
Jayson Tatum registered his second career triple-double as the Boston Celtics ended the Dallas Mavericks' seven-game winning streak with a 124-95 victory on Thursday.
Tatum finished the game with 29 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists plus one steal and two blocks. The MVP candidate shot eight-of-22 from the field and two-of-eight from beyond the arc, scoring 11-of-12 from the stripe.
The Celtics improved to 27-12 with their merciless display, which comes amid a tough stretch for the Eastern Conference leaders, who had dropped seven of their past 12 games, including giving up 150 points last game to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Luka Doncic was kept to only 23 points for the Mavs, after a five-game run averaging 44.5 points. Doncic, who shot none-of-six from three-point range, was benched in the fourth quarter amid the blowout.
Tatum also struggled from beyond the arc, but Marcus Smart made up for it with four-of-nine triples in his 15 points, while Malcolm Brogdon hit three-of-five three-pointers in his 15 points off the bench.
Jaylen Brown scored 19 points with two three-pointers with seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
Nuggets rout Clippers despite Jokic being quiet
The Denver Nuggets re-claimed top spot in the Western Conference with a 122-91 domination of the Los Angeles Clippers, who slumped to their fourth straight defeat.
The Nuggets, who secured their 10th straight home win, prevailed without a great contribution from MVP Nikola Jokic, who managed 12 points with six rebounds and nine assists.
Jamal Murray top scored with 18 points, including four three-pointers for Denver, who led by as much as 43 points. The Clippers shuffled their deck ahead of a back-to-back with Kawhi Leonard scoring six points in 18 minutes.
The Nuggets lead the west with a 25-13 record ahead of the Memphis Grizzlies, also 25-13, who won 123-115 over the Orlando Magic with Ja Morant scoring 32 points.
Lauri's career-high ends Jazz's five-game skid
Lauri Markkanen scored a career-high 49 points as the Utah Jazz snapped their five-game skid with a 131-114 victory over the Houston Rockets.
Markkanen posted 18 points in the first quarter on his way to the equal 15th highest single-game scoring performance this season.
The Finnish forward sparked a 14-0 fourth-quarter run which put the game to bed. Jalen Green scored 30 points for Houston, while Kevin Porter Jr added 23.
The New York Jets have conceded they may have been better served easing Zach Wilson into the starting quarterback role after a disastrous second season.
The 2021 NFL Draft second overall pick endured a tough season with the Jets, who were eliminated from playoff contention on the weekend on the back of a five-game losing run, where he was benched twice and ultimately lost the starting spot to Mike White.
This season, Wilson has started nine games with a 54.6 per cent completion rate for 1,688 yards with six touchdowns and seven interceptions. The BYU graduate started 13 games in his rookie season in 2021.
Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said: "In hindsight, it probably would've benefited [him] just to sit back and learn a little bit and watch a veteran and just kind of grow in this league - kind of in the backseat, watching.
"Get better in practice, get better through the scout team and all that. But that wasn't the course that we went."
The Jets added veteran Joe Flacco in a midseason trade to bolster their quarterback options, while White had no NFL experience in preseason when they backed in Wilson to start.
LaFleur conceded he had not done a good job in helping Wilson develop to his full potential.
"In two years, yeah, we haven't done our job with him, right?" he said. "Any player at any position that isn't producing to the level they're capable of, as a coach, we failed them.
"There's a two-way street with it. The player has to meet us in the middle of it, but you want all these guys to play at their absolute best.
"We all know Zach hasn't played at his absolute best. He has shown spurts. He has shown the talent. Like [coach Robert] Saleh said yesterday, through hell or high water, we're going to work with him."
The Jets' struggling offense has been a big reason for their five-game losing streak which ended their postseason bid, managing only four touchdowns in the past five games.
Collin Morikawa, Jon Rahm and J.J. Spaun share the lead after carding nine-under-par rounds of 64 on the first day of the season-opening Tournament of Champions in Hawaii on Thursday.
Two-time major winner Morikawa reeled off a career-best six straight birdies from the 10th to 15th holes, before ending his round with a birdie on the par-five 18th.
Fellow American Spaun was an early leader with five birdies on his front nine, enjoying a run of four consecutive birdies from the 12th to the 15th too.
Former world number one Jon Rahm, who was among the last to finish the day's play, bounced back from a bogey on the 14th hole, birdieing three of his final four holes to grab a share of the lead.
The trio are one stroke ahead of South Korean Tom Kim, who managed two eagles in his eight-under-par round of 65. Kim holed out spectacularly off one bounce on the sixth hole from 116 feet, while he repeated the feat on the 15th after a fine approach which was one of the best shots of the day.
Six players are next at seven under, including world number two Scottie Scheffler who finished his round with four birdies on the final five holes.
Scheffler is tied with Tom Hoge, Aaron Wise, Sungjae Im, Matt Fitzpatrick and Mackenzie Hughes.
Six players are a further shot back including Jordan Spieth, Viktor Hovland and Hideki Matsuyama.
Jalen Hurts was a limited participant at Philadelphia Eagles practice again on Thursday but there are positive signs towards him playing in Sunday's regular season finale against the New York Giants.
Hurts suffered a sprain to his right throwing shoulder in the Eagles' 25-20 win over the Chicago Bears on December 18 and missed their past two games, both losses to the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints with Gardner Minshew starting at QB.
Philadelphia takes on the Giants on Sunday where victory will clinch the NFC top seed for the Eagles, but a defeat will leave them vulnerable, with the Cowboys potentially even jumping them to take out the NFC East.
Eagles quarterback Hurts has been a key part of their success this season, but has not been able to fully participate in practice since sustaining the sprain.
Philadelphia team-mate A.J. Brown revealed that Hurts took first-team reps on Thursday in a positive sign.
"We're all excited. We're all excited to see him back, doing his thing," Brown told reporters.
"He's locked in for sure. He definitely had a tempo about him today, even in the walkthrough. He was telling guys to 'come on, hurry up, get going.' Glad he's back."
Prior to the injury, Hurts was an MVP candidate with a 67.3 per cent completion rate for 3,472 yards with 22 touchdowns and five interceptions. He has also rushed 747 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said earlier in the week that Hurts' status is "day by day", with no rush to make a decision on his availability.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is adamant his side will be ready to take the field on Sunday against the New England Patriots in honour of Damar Hamlin's request.
The Bills returned to practice on Thursday for the first time since Monday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals was suspended mid-game after Hamlin collapsed having suffered a cardiac arrest on the field.
Hamlin had to be resuscitated on the field and has been in intensive care in hospital in a critical condition since, but the Bills provided a medical update stating he was showing "remarkable improvement" on Thursday.
Hamlin's father Mario spoke to the Bills players and insisted that he and his son want them to play on Sunday.
"He didn't tell us, he demanded us," Allen told reporters. "You can't not honour his request to go out there and charge forward to the best of our abilities.
"Obviously, we'll be playing with less heavy hearts now, knowing that today's news was a lot of tears of joy. To know that's what he wants and that's what his dad wants, I think guys are excited to get out there."
Allen said "I do" when asked if he believed the Bills' players would be ready to take to the field on Sunday as scheduled.
"For every person it's going to be a little different. Putting that helmet back on today was really good for our team to go through that progress," Allen said.
"Some people are going to be changed forever after being on that field and feeling those emotions. The updates that we keep getting on Damar are lifting our spirits. Leaning on each other. We've had some open, honest and deep talks.
"We've had some unbelievable embraces as men, just hugging somebody, you need every bit of it. The fact we keep hearing good news about Damar keeps pushing us forward."
Allen conceded it would be difficult not to let the Hamlin situation enter his mind when they enter the field on Sunday, but insisted they had to shut it out.
"It's hard not to let it creep into your mind," he said. "We've been reassured this is the freakiest of freak accidents.
"The mental aspect of it, going out on that field, if you have that thought, that's putting yourself at risk even more.
"Coach [Sean McDermott] has done a great job making sure guys understand that and that mentally you need to be bought into.
"As humans, it's hard not to feel that way, but just to know the track record of the league. Obviously, there's injuries, that's part of sport and this is the worst possible case you can think of."
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott believes assistant trainer Denny Kellington is the "real hero" after the cardiac arrest of Damar Hamlin on Monday.
The Bills' safety collapsed on the field following a hit on Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins and Kellington gave Hamlin life-saving CPR before he was taken to hospital.
Doctors shared a significant update on Thursday, stating the 24-year-old had "won the game of life" in further explanation of a Bills statement that declared Hamlin to be "neurologically intact".
The quick actions of Kellington to administer CPR prevented a tragedy and McDermott took a moment to hail his actions in the team's first media availability since Hamlin's collapse.
"To give it context, Denny is one of our assistant trainers. Just like our team, their team go through mock exercises for these sorts of things, but we're not around for those. As they say, practice pays off," he told reporters.
"For an assistant to find himself in that position and take charge and step up like he did, it's nothing short of amazing.
"The courage that took, you talk about a real leader and a real hero, for saving Damar's life. I admire his strength."
The Bills are unlikely to complete the suspended Week 17 clash against the Bengals but are back in action this weekend against the New England Patriots as the regular season comes to a close.
Playing so soon after such a traumatic event will be a difficult scenario, but McDermott said Hamlin's father, Mario, had told them it is what his son would have wanted.
"I feel strongly that as his dad Mario had mentioned to us, that this is what Damar would have wanted. We owe that to Damar and to his family," he added.
The Bills sit 12-3 for the season, already clinching the AFC East, but have an outside chance of securing the No. 1 seed in Sunday's finale, with the NFL's decision on the suspended Bengals game pending too.
The New York Yankees have hired former Mets general manager Omar Minaya as a senior advisor to baseball operations.
Minaya is the second former general manager to join the Yankees front office this week. The team hired onetime San Francisco Giants GM Brian Sabean on Tuesday to work as an executive advisor to GM Brian Cashman.
The 64-year-old Minaya served as GM of the Mets from 2004 to 2010 after becoming Major League Baseball's first Hispanic general manager when he held that role for the Montreal Expos from 2002 to 2004.
Minaya returned to the Mets in 2017, following a three-year stint as an advisor for the MLB Players Association, as an assistant to then-GM Sandy Alderson.
He left that post following the 2020 season but was rehired by the organisation in 2021 as a team ambassador.
The New York City native also worked as the San Diego Padres' vice-president of baseball operations from 2011 to 2015 and spent the 2022 season as an amateur scouting consultant for MLB.
Minaya is the third former general manager currently employed by the Yankees. Former Chicago Cubs GM Jim Hendry has been with the club since 2012 as a special assignment scout.
Damar Hamlin "won the game of life" when he survived an on-field cardiac arrest in the Buffalo Bills' game against the Cincinnati Bengals, according to a doctor treating the safety.
Dr Timothy Pritts said Hamlin still needed assistance with his breathing, and the 24-year-old remains in intensive care at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
However, he can communicate by writing and Pritts expanded on what the Bills meant when they described Hamlin as "neurologically intact".
"His first note was, 'Did we win?'," Pritts said.
"It's not only that the lights are on. We know that he's home. All the cylinders are firing right in his brain."
Hamlin collapsed after a collision with wide receiver Tee Higgins and had to be resuscitated on the field, before the game was abandoned.
He received "textbook" medical attention at the stadium, Pritts' colleague Dr William A. Knight said.
Pritts explained: "He's made substantial progress. It appears his neurological condition and function is intact. We are very proud to report that, very happy for him and his family and the Buffalo Bills organisation."
Hamlin is receiving extensive medical attention, but Pritts said: "This marks a really good turning point in his ongoing care."
Pritts added: "To paraphrase one of our partners, when he asked, 'Did we win?', the answer is, 'Yes, Damar, you won. You won the game of life.' That's probably the most important thing out of this.
"We really need to keep him at the centre of everything else that's going on. We really want to ensure a good outcome for him."
The hope is that Hamlin is able to get back to the state of health in which he began Monday's game, but there will be no discussions about returning to football for the immediate future.
Knight said: "It's entirely too early to have that conversation. Our focus is on getting him better, getting him extubated and on the road to recovery."
Pritts said Hamlin had been able to "follow commands", as it was confirmed the NFL safety could move his hands and feet.
Although Hamlin has a breathing tube and cannot speak, the positivity from his doctors pointed towards a positive outcome, although it was said he has "many steps" still ahead of him.
Earlier on Thursday, the Bills said in a statement: "Per the physicians caring for Damar Hamlin at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Damar has shown remarkable improvement over the past 24 hours.
"While still critically ill, he has demonstrated that he appears to be neurologically intact. His lungs continue to heal and he is making steady progress.
"We are grateful for the love and support we have received."
The Andretti Global team have announced plans to enter Formula One, joining forces with General Motors and the Cadillac brand.
Andretti is a name steeped in F1 history, with Mario Andretti winning the 1978 world title and his son, Michael, also a former driver on the grid.
Thursday's announcement by the American set-up follows FIA chairman Mohammed Ben Sulayem stating this week he intends to launch a formal process for expressions of interest for prospective new F1 teams.
That has opened the door for Andretti's plans, with Andretti Global chairman Michael Andretti saying in a joint statement: "I feel that we are well suited to be a new team for Formula One and can bring value to the series and our partners, and excitement for the fans.
"I'm proud to have GM and Cadillac alongside us as we pursue this goal. GM and Andretti share a legacy born out of the love of racing.
"We now have the opportunity to combine our motorsport passions and dedication to innovation to build a true American F1 bid."
However, any new additions to the grid require the approval of F1, and it has been reported there is no prospect of a new team joining before 2026.
Andretti failed with a previous attempt to enter F1, with a 2021 bid to buy Sauber, but there remains an eagerness to join the grid for the next era of the sport – which is set to undergo significant changes in 2026.
Formula One is introducing a new engine formula that year, significantly increasing the power produced by the electrical part of hybrid engines and using synthetic, fully sustainable fuels – and there is already one new team set to join in 2026, following Audi's purchase of the Alfa Romero/Sauber team.
With Audi taking over an existing team, their transition onto the grid is far less complicated than the scenario for Andretti, who would require an expansion and would have to front a reported $200m fee that would be split among existing teams to offset any loss of prize money due to another team joining the revenue share.
F1 has had 10 teams on the grid since the 2015 season and issued a statement in response to Andretti's interest, which read: "There is great interest in the F1 project at this time, with a number of conversations continuing that are not as visible as others.
"We all want to ensure the championship remains credible and stable and any new entrant request will be assessed on criteria to meet those objectives by all the relevant stakeholders."
The NFL has been in shock this week, following the terrible scenes in Monday's game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Buffalo Bills.
Damar Hamlin's cardiac arrest on the field has sent shockwaves through the sport, though it appears the 24-year-old is making progress in his recovery.
While Hamlin's health remains the league's priority over the rescheduling of that game from Week 17, there is also focus on the final round of fixtures.
There's plenty still be decided in Week 18, and Stats Perform has used Opta data to preview some of the key matchups.
SATURDAY (all times EST)
Chiefs (13-3) at Raiders (6-10) - 4:30pm
With the Bills and the Bengals having yet to finish the game that was rightly suspended on Monday, the AFC picture is not entirely clear. As things stand, a Kansas City Chiefs win in Las Vegas would mean they remain in with a chance of claiming the top seed, pending a decision on the Bengals-Bills game and the outcome of Buffalo's Week 18 clash against the New England Patriots.
The Chiefs have scored 28 or more points in nine consecutive games against the Raiders. The only longer streak of such games against a single opponent in NFL history is 10 by the Los Angeles Rams against the Green Bay Packers, and that came way back in 1949 to 1953.
Jerick McKinnon caught two touchdowns in Kansas City's 27-24 win over the Denver Broncos and has seven touchdown catches in the Chiefs' last five games. That is the most receiving touchdowns by a running back over a span of five team games in the Super Bowl era.
The Chiefs have scored 264 points on the road this season, averaging 33.0 points per game. If they hit their average on Saturday, they will finish with the third-most road points in a single season in NFL history, behind only the 2007 New England Patriots (314) and their own effort in 2018 (306).
Patrick Mahomes has 5,000 passing yards (5,048) and 250 rushing yards (329) in a single season for the second time in his career, also doing so in 2018.
Titans (7-9) at Jaguars (8-8) - 8:15pm
It will be winner-take-all in the AFC South when the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tennessee Titans face off. The victor will clinch the division and become the fourth seed in the playoffs. While Jacksonville would still be able to make the postseason via a wild card should they lose, Tennessee must win if they are to avoid elimination.
The Jaguars are looking to sweep the season series with the Titans for the first time since 2005. The only other NFL teams that have gone that long since they last swept a current divisional opponent are the Cleveland Browns, who last swept the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1988, and New York Jets, who last swept the Patriots in 2000 (the Browns also have a chance to end their drought this week).
Jacksonville could become the first team in NFL history to make the playoffs immediately following back-to-back 14-loss seasons.
Meanwhile, the Titans are looking to avoid joining the 1994 Eagles as the only teams in league history to have at least seven wins before ending the season on a seven-game game losing streak.
SUNDAY
Giants (9-6-1) at Eagles (13-3) - 4:25pm
The Philadelphia Eagles have been the team to beat in the NFC all season, yet after successive defeats in the absence of Jalen Hurts, they now need a win to clinch the top seed.
Should they lose to the New York Giants, both the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers will have to suffer defeats in order for the Eagles to be guaranteed home advantage in the playoffs.
The omens are good for the Eagles, who have won eight straight home games against the Giants, tied for the second-longest home win streak against a single opponent in team history. It trails only their active 10-game home win streak against the Steelers that started in 1966.
A win against the Eagles would give the Giants 10 wins after having just four last season. It would be the first time New York earned double-digit wins in a season after having four or fewer wins since doing so in 1933 (11 wins after a 4-6 record in 1932).
Lions (8-8) @ Packers (8-8) - 8.20pm
Given the NFC East will get two of the conference's three wild cards, matters are relatively simple for the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers. A Packers victory sends them through to the playoffs, while Detroit need to win and hope the Los Angeles Rams defeat the Seattle Seahawks.
The Packers are coming off a 41-17 win over the Vikings in which they had four takeaways and no giveaways. Green Bay are now 50-0-1 in the Super Bowl era (including playoffs) with a turnover margin of +4 or better in a game.
Green Bay's record at home against the Lions is 61-27-4, the most home wins by any team against a single opponent.
With another win, Aaron Rodgers would be the first QB in NFL history to have two seasons where his team was multiple games under .500 immediately before going on a five-or-greater game winning streak to end the regular season.
But the Lions have scored at least 20 points while throwing no interceptions in eight straight games, tied for the longest streak in NFL history (regular season) with the 2005 Broncos, 2010 Patriots and 2018-19 Ravens.
Elsewhere...
New England will clinch a playoff spot should they defeat the Bills, who are of course recovering from that incident involving Hamlin. The Bills have won their last two games against the Patriots and are looking for three straight wins in the series for the first time since 1999-2000.
The Miami Dolphins have lost five in a row but can make the playoffs should they beat the Jets. The matchup is perfectly balanced all-time at 56 wins apiece with one tie entering this game.
A run of five wins from six games has put the Steelers in playoff contention. They will have to beat the Browns and need results elsewhere go their way. Cleveland won against the Steelers in Week 3 this season. The Browns have not won multiple games against Pittsburgh in a season since the 1988 season.
The 49ers can still claim the top seed in the NFC by beating the Arizona Cardinals. San Francisco beat Las Vegas in Week 17, 37-34, despite trailing by 10 points in the third quarter. It was the Niners' second-largest comeback victory in the second half under Kyle Shanahan.
It has been a terrible season for the Rams (5-11), but they are 7-3 in their last 10 games against Seattle. The Seahawks got a 27-23 win in Inglewood in Week 13, the closest game between these teams since a 30-29 Seahawks win in Week 5, 2019.
Jake Paul is making a move to mixed martial arts after signing a potentially highly lucrative deal with the Professional Fighters League.
Social media influencer Paul is 6-0, with four knockouts, in his professional boxing career, having beaten former UFC champions such as Tyron Woodley and Anderson Silva.
However, he is making a switch to mixed martial arts with the PFL, which describes itself as a 'fighters-first' organisation.
Paul has been an outspoken critic of the UFC and its president Dana White over fighters' pay, and the PFL's new 'Super Fight' division will allow fighters to take 50 per cent of the pay-per-view revenue.
The American has also been given a role with the company as head of fighter advocacy, promoting the league and attracting new talent.
In a statement, Paul said: "I've proven myself in and out of the boxing ring and now I am going to do the same in MMA, and there is no limit to the positive impact I can make on the sport.
"I plan to enter the PFL SmartCage and once again show the world that anything is possible with hard work and dedication."
It is unclear when Paul's first PFL fight will be, but one possible opponent is Nate Diaz, with the UFC great a free agent after his contract with White's company expired.
Paul hopes to face Diaz twice, first in a boxing match and then in a mixed martial arts bout.
"I've already disrupted boxing, and now it's time to disrupt MMA," Paul said.
"I'm so dedicated to this that I offered Nate Diaz a two-fight deal: first, we box, then six months later we fight MMA in the PFL SmartCage and lay it all on the line. Let's make it happen."
Ireland captain Johnny Sexton is "quite confident" he will be fit for the start of the Six Nations after undergoing surgery on his cheekbone.
The fly-half went under the knife this week to repair damage done during Leinster's United Rugby Championship clash with Connacht last Sunday.
Sexton's injury blow raised concerns over his participation in the Six Nations, but former Ireland hooker Bernard Jackman spoke to the number 10 after his procedure and revealed he should be ready to face Wales at the Principality Stadium on February 4.
"Sexton is quite confident he is going to be back for the first round," said Jackman.
He added: "He didn't have to get wired - it was a simpler procedure than we all feared.
"He is due back in four weeks so should be back for the first game against Wales which will be a huge boost for Ireland - he is delighted."
Sexton will retire after the Rugby World Cup in France this year, so this will be his last Six Nations.
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