Khris Middleton is unconcerned by his bench role after his best game of 2023 during the Milwaukee Bucks' win over the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday.
The small forward posted 18 points, three rebounds and three assists to help his side pull away in the third quarter en route to a 124-115 victory.
Having struggled with soreness in his right knee that led him to missing 18 games, the three-time All-Star has worked his way back in recent weeks.
After delivering the best performance of his latest comeback spell, Middleton stressed he remains untroubled by performing a role that requires him to come off the sidelines.
"I started my career coming off the bench, so it doesn't really bother me at all," he said. "I've been on the bench before, not playing games.
"Sometimes, [I am] coming in [the] first quarter, [the] second quarter or not until the second half. I just know I have to stay ready and have to be loose.
"Right now, I'm trying to be as aggressive as I can. I know it sounds simple, but that's just the mindset I'm trying to come up with, especially with my limited minutes.
"Hopefully as my minutes keep going [up], I keep the same mindset, because it's been working."
Middleton featured for 20 minutes as team-mate Giannis Antetokounmpo guided the Bucks to victory with 34 points and 18 rebounds.
They next play the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday and then the Miami Heat two days later in a double home stand.
LeBron James is completely relaxed about breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record NBA points total after moving another step closer during the Los Angeles Lakers' 129-123 win over the New York Knicks.
James played a starring role on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden, becoming the first 38-year-old to ever record a 20-point triple-double as he finished with 28 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds.
Those 10 assists saw him overtake Steve Nash on the all-time leaderboard for NBA assists, with James now fourth on 10,336.
He remains 908 behind still-active Chris Paul in third, but the record that all eyes are on is overall points.
James' 28 here leaves him 88 off Abdul-Jabbar's record (38,387), meaning he is likely to surpass to his fellow Lakers great either on Saturday against the New Orleans Pelicans, or three days later against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Some athletes might get nervous when approaching such a milestone, but James is utterly at ease with the situation due to it essentially being a formality.
"It's not getting heavier," James said.
"I'm going to do it. I mean, it's just a matter of time when I'm going to do it.
"It's not heavy. I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to be in this league for at least a few more years.
"I'm going to do it. It's not heavy at all."
There is also an element of anticipation from James' team-mates, with it set to be a momentous moment for everyone associated with the Lakers when he does break the record.
That is not lost on Anthony Davis.
"The team is very excited," he added. "It's probably going to be a surreal moment for all of us, but probably more so him... Obviously, whatever game it is, we want to be able to win the game."
But much of the focus around James on Tuesday related to his assists and overtaking Nash.
"It's amazing because that's just what I love to do and get my guys involved," James continued.
"Anytime you link with some of the greats – Mark Jackson played here, was drafted here by the Knicks, so it's a super cool thing. And obviously, we know when Nash was [in the league]; I played against him for many, many years. His ability to pass the ball was very uncanny."
Lakers coach Darvin Ham also paid tribute to James, saluting him for ignoring criticism about his game over the years and continuing to play true to himself.
"He's just a kid who's grown before our eyes. The last 20 years at this level, has done nothing but play the right way and make the play that's in front of him," Ham said.
"Regardless of how much he's been criticised for a while for not taking the last shots and the overpassing, he's just making the right plays. You saw that again tonight."
Injured quarterback duo Brock Purdy and Trey Lance are not concerning themselves over their San Francisco 49ers futures as they target full recoveries.
The pair picked up serious injuries during the 2022 campaign, with Purdy suffering a UCL tear in his right elbow during Sunday's NFC Championship Game defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Starter Lance meanwhile lasted two games before an ankle injury against the Seattle Seahawks prematurely ended his season.
Neither are focusing on the team's long-term quarterback plans however, instead focusing their efforts on ensuring they return to full fitness ahead of the 2023 campaign.
"For me to claim or say anything in terms of what's going to happen moving forward, that's out of my control," Purdy said.
"I'm going to do what I can to get healthy and be ready to compete come fall.
"There are different options in terms of letting it recover, so we still haven't come to a conclusion about any of that.
"[I'm] working with our medical team now. But there's literally nothing that I know yet for sure that is set in stone."
Purdy is looking at a best-case scenario of six months out dependent on which course of rehabilitation the 49ers choose.
Lance meanwhile is hopeful of being ready ahead of team activities in May, with the quarterback due to have his walking boot removed at the end of the week.
"I plan on being 100 per cent," he added. "I feel like I'm in a really good spot. I'm sure [my future] will be a whole story again this year for you guys.
"But I'm excited to get back out there, excited to compete."
Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets will travel to Boston on Wednesday to take on the Celtics in a tantalising clash between Eastern Conference contenders.
The Celtics, at 36-15, currently boast the best record in the NBA, while the 31-19 Nets occupy the fourth seed.
Fresh off a trip to the NBA Finals, Boston have looked like genuine contenders since the opening day, building an elite, championship-level statistical profile.
Almost without fail, the eventual champion will show signs of elite play on at least one side of the ball throughout the regular season. Last year's champions, the Golden State Warriors built their identity on a top-two defense; the 2021 Milwaukee Bucks had a top-five offense and top-10 defense; the 2020 Los Angeles Lakers owned the third-best defense.
This year's Celtics side are currently in the rare air of sitting top-five in both offensive and defensive efficiency, guided by two no-brainer All-Stars on the wing with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, as well as reigning Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart and fellow All-Defensive selection Robert Williams III.
While games and series can often be decided by which team has the singular best player, the Celtics have been buoyed by the continued ascent of Tatum, who is now a legitimate MVP candidate.
This season the 24-year-old is averaging career-highs in points (31.1 per game), rebounds (8.7), assists (4.4), field goal makes (10.1) and attempts (21.8), three-point makes (3.3) and attempts (9.3), free throw makes (7.6) and attempts (8.8) – all while shooting his best field goal percentage (46.5) since his rookie season and a career-best 86.9 per cent from the free throw line.
The Celtics' elite record, profile and talent, combined with the fact they will be playing in front of their home fans will have them as favourites on Wednesday – but Irving and the Nets present a frisky opposition.
It is without question that the Nets have entered a mini tailspin since Kevin Durant suffered a knee injury against the Miami Heat on January 8. Brooklyn were 27-13 at the time but have won only four of their 10 games since.
Their ranks as the fifth-best offense and 10th-best defense for the season are both tumbling due to this past stretch, where both units have been the definition of mediocre, ranking 19th on offense and 18th defensively.
That is no fault of former Celtic Irving, who is enjoying a tremendous run of personal form. He has posted seven consecutive outings of at least 26 points and six assists, and after the Nets dropped their first four games of Durant's absence, they responded with four wins from their next six.
Also playing into Brooklyn's favour is the fact they are the NBA's second-best team away from home this season, while their 16-11 mark on the road is only bettered by the Celtics at 17-9.
Unfortunately for the Nets, Boston have also had little trouble at home. They own the fifth-best home record (19-6), and their overtime defeat against the New York Knicks on Thursday was their first loss at TD Garden since December 21.
PIVOTAL PERFORMERS
Boston Celtics – Malcolm Brogdon and Derrick White
Simply put, with Durant out of action, the Nets only have one superstar on the offensive end, and the Celtics have the perfect player to make Irving's life miserable. Or at least they normally would.
Smart became the first guard to win Defensive Player of the Year since 'The Glove' Gary Payton back in the 1995-96 season, and his impact on Irving has been evident in recent matchups – but he will miss this fixture as he recovers from an ankle injury.
Malcolm Brogdon – one of the favourites for Sixth Man of the Year – will take his place as the top defensive guard in the line-up, with help from Derrick White, and together they will aim to pick up where Smart left off.
In his past four games against the Celtics, Irving has only reached 20 points once, finishing with the following shooting performances: four-of-19, eight-of-18, seven-of-21 and nine-of-24.
Brooklyn Nets – Bench shooters
While Irving is the obvious focal point and the engine that will make the Nets run, they will likely need one of their shooters off the bench to get hot.
In their win against the Lakers on Monday, second-year spark plug Cam Thomas and veteran Patty Mills scored 21 points each while combining to shoot eight-of-11 from long range. The previous game, a rivalry victory against the New York Knicks, the trio of Thomas, Edmond Sumner and Yuta Watanabe combined to hit six-of-six three-pointers.
Watanabe in particular could be a game-changer, as he is shooting 49 per cent from deep – the best figure in the league among players averaging at least one attempt per game.
KEY BATTLE – How will Brooklyn slow down the Boston wings?
As previously discussed, the Nets have been a top-10 defense this season, but they will definitely be without the seven-foot Durant, and will likely also be missing six-foot-10 former Defensive Player of the Year runner-up Ben Simmons and six-foot-eight T.J. Warren.
It leaves them woefully undermanned when it comes to defending the All-Star duo of Tatum and Brown, and while Tatum is the exact kind of matchup Brooklyn had in mind when they traded a first-round pick to Utah for Royce O'Neale, they will likely be stuck with Joe Harris on Brown.
Watanabe, at six-foot-eight, and perhaps even six-foot-nine veteran Markieff Morris will get a chance off the bench, but the rest of Brooklyn's perimeter options are simply too small.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Since the beginning of February 2022, the Celtics are undefeated in nine meetings against the Nets, including a clean 4-0 sweep in the first round of last season's playoffs.
Boston have won both head-to-head matchups this campaign by 11 points – one with Durant playing, and one with him out.
Marcus Smart was not going to let Boston Celtics interim head coach Joe Mazzulla downplay his achievement after he and his staff were named as coaches for the All-Star Game's Team Giannis.
Mazzulla and his staff were selected for the honour after securing the Eastern Conference's best record through February 5, with their 36-15 mark one game ahead of Western Conference-leading Denver Nuggets (35-16) in the race for the overall one seed.
It has been a remarkable rise from obscurity for 34-year-old Mazzulla – who is two years younger than his starting center Al Horford – having earned his first role in the NBA as an assistant to Brad Stevens back in 2019 after two years as head coach of division two college Fairmont State.
When Stevens was promoted by the Celtics to president of basketball operations, he retained Mazzulla while promoting Ime Udoka to his first NBA head coaching role.
Udoka's lone season in charge was a success, taking the Celtics all the way to their first NBA Finals appearance since 2010. He was suspended in the offseason after what was described as an "inappropriate, consensual relationship" with an employee.
Stevens showed no hesitation in naming another first-year head coach, and it has again proven to be a shrewd move, as Mazzulla has his side sitting top-five in both offensive and defensive efficiency.
When asked about the honour of coaching the All-Star Game, Mazzulla deflected credit to others in the organisation.
"It's more of a testament to the players and to the staff," he said. "The staff, as hard as they work on scouting and preparation and the relationships that they build with the players.
"So it's a testament to the staff, and then the players have to play the games and they have to win. I'm blessed that we have guys that work at it and I appreciate their support for our staff and for our organisation.
"But if they don't win the games and play as hard as they played, we’re not in this situation. So thank you to both of them."
Listening close by, Smart jumped in and made sure his coach received the praise he deserves.
"Oh, he’s definitely pumped about it," he said. "I mean, first time being a head coach and you go to coach the All-Star Game, I don’t see how you’d not be excited – but that’s just Joe.
"He does a good job of hiding his enthusiasm for certain things and other times, he lets you know.
"We’re just extremely proud of Joe for everything, and how him and the rest of this team and coaching staff have responded to everything we’ve been through this season. We tip our hat off to those guys."
Smart added that Mazzulla's willingness to share the credit is part of why this Celtics side are the juggernaut they have become.
"It’s just the humble mentality that we have," he said. "We got a lot of great guys, from coaches and players, that could sit here and boast about themselves, about everything they’ve accomplished and things like that, but that’s not us.
"We love each other, and we let all the outside noise do the talking for us. But it definitely means something to Joe, and it means a lot to us for him to do it.
"Joe’s been through a lot. He stepped into a situation that wasn’t ideal for anybody, and he strived and exceeded, I’m sure, a lot of expectations, so we’re happy for him."
LeBron James collected another pair of milestones as he made history in the Los Angeles Lakers' 129-123 overtime victory against the New York Knicks on Tuesday.
Playing on the road in Madison Square Garden, James became the first 38-year-old to ever record a 20-point triple-double, finishing with 28 points on 11-of-25 shooting, 11 assists and 10 rebounds.
He also came into the contest eight assists away from overtaking Steve Nash for fourth-place on the all-time assist leaderboard, with James dishing assist number 10,336 early in the fourth period.
James is 908 assists behind the still-active Chris Paul (11,246) – which would take him another 124 games to reach at his current career average of 7.3 per game – while he is 240 games at that pace away from the second-placed Jason Kidd (12,091).
Against the Knicks, the Lakers had to pull themselves off the canvas after their six-point lead with under two minutes left evaporated, as Jalen Brunson tied the game at 114-114 with 24 seconds on the clock.
But the Lakers had the answer this time, holding the Knicks scoreless for a near three-minute stretch in the five-minute extra period to pull away.
There were extremely encouraging signs for Los Angeles in the first game sporting their new-look starting five, with Anthony Davis making his first start since December 16, and his first alongside new trade acquisition Rui Hachimura.
Davis looked back to his best with 27 points (nine-of-16 shooting), nine rebounds and two steals, while Hachimura put together an efficient 19 points (eight-of-12) with nine rebounds and strong defense on Julius Randle.
With the win, the Lakers improved their record to 24-28, and sit just three games out of the Western Conference's six seed.
Kawhi dominates the Bulls on both ends
Any concerns about Kawhi Leonard's prime passing him by have been quashed after the latest standout performance from the two-time NBA Finals MVP.
Leonard was clearly the best player on the court in the Los Angeles Clippers' 108-103 road win against the Chicago Bulls, scoring a game-high 33 points (11-of-24) while also snatching a season-high five steals with two blocks.
It was the kind of performance that has earned the 31-year-old three First Team All-NBA and three NBA All-Defensive First Team selections, and it cancelled out one of the more well-rounded games of Zach LaVine's career.
LaVine grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds for the Bulls to go with 18 points (six-of-14) and eight assists, also adding a steal and a block.
Giannis overpowers the Hornets
Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo continued to build a convincing case for his third MVP during his side's 124-115 home win against the Charlotte Hornets.
Antetokounmpo led both teams with 34 points and 18 rebounds, shooting a terrific 14-of-24 from the field and a more than respectable five-of-six from the free throw line.
Despite being on the losing side, Hornets franchise player LaMelo Ball produced a head-turning stat line with 27 points (10-of-26), 11 assists, 10 rebounds, three steals and three blocks.
The Bucks own the third-best record in the league at 34-17.
The Houston Texans are turning to one of their former star players to help turn the franchise around.
DeMeco Ryans is returning to Houston after agreeing on Tuesday to become the Texans coach. The deal is reportedly for six years.
Ryans spent the past two seasons as the San Francisco 49ers' defensive coordinator, directing a unit that led the NFL in fewest points and fewest yards allowed in the 2022 regular season.
"Being the head coach of the Houston Texans is my dream job and my family is thrilled to be back in H-Town," Ryans said in a statement. "I have been around the game of football my entire life and I've always had a natural ability to lead others. I know what it takes to win and be successful in this league as both a player and coach."
Prior to serving as the Niners' defensive coordinator the 38-year-old coached their linebackers following a 10-year career as a linebacker in the NFL.
Ryans' playing career began in 2006 after he was selected 33rd overall by the Texans in that year's draft.
In six seasons with the Texans, he was named Defensive Rookie of the Year and to a pair of Pro Bowls. In 2012, he was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles, where he played for four seasons before retiring in 2015.
He now becomes Houston's fifth coach since the start of the 2020 season taking over for the recently fired Lovie Smith.
The Texans have gone 11-38-1 in those three seasons after finishing 2022 with a 3-13-1 record.
"We're going to build a program filled with players who have a special work ethic and relentless mindset," Ryans said. "I understand the responsibility I have to this organisation and to the fans of Houston to build a winner and I can't wait to get to work."
Heather Watson stunned second seed Yulia Putintseva at the Thailand Open as the British player scored an impressive first-round win.
The 30-year-old Watson lost in qualifying for the recent Australian Open, having made the singles main draw for 11 consecutive years, but she is already beginning to make up for the Melbourne disappointment.
Kazakh Putintseva is ranked 44th in the world, while Watson has slipped to 160th, but the Guernsey native has been as high as 38th in her career and won four titles on the WTA Tour.
She showed there is still a hunger to succeed, edging a tight contest 5-7 6-4 7-5 (7-5) to make Putintseva the biggest early casualty.
Top seed Bianca Andreescu had no such trouble against Watson's compatriot Harriet Dart, as the Canadian went through a 6-3 6-4 winner.
Czech 17-year-old Linda Fruhvirtova, seeded eighth and at a career-high 51st in the WTA rankings, overwhelmed American veteran Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-3 6-1.
Fellow seeds Marta Kostyuk, Anna Kalinskaya and Tatjana Maria also came through their opening tests at the tournament in Hua Hin.
At the Lyon Open, French top seed Caroline Garcia fended off Czech Tereza Martincova 6-4 7-6 (7-4) in round one, delighting a home crowd.
Champion at the WTA Finals at the end of last season, Garcia surprisingly lost in round four of the Australian Open to unseeded Pole Magda Linette, who went on a fairy tale run to the semi-finals.
Garcia said of Tuesday's win over Martincova: "It was a tough match. She's a great player. She's already played great battles against top players, and it's a first round, so you really never know what is going to happen."
Second seed Zhang Shuai beat American Madison Brengle 6-3 6-2, but eighth seed Anna Blinkova bowed out, retiring when 4-0 behind in a deciding set against fellow Russian Erika Andreeva.
Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs plan to "blank out the hype" ahead of Super Bowl LVII, as the coach prepares to face former team the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Chiefs booked their place at State Farm Stadium in Glendale with a 23-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday.
With their third conference title in four seasons, they will face their head coach's former employers in Arizona, with Reid having led the Eagles between 1999 and 2012.
Asked whether the emotional connection to his former team makes his work more challenging, Reid insisted his focus is squarely on the task at hand.
"When you really cut to the chase, they're a really good football team," he said. "So I think that's where [my] energy goes.
"That's where the major focus goes. It doesn't matter who you're playing, you try to blank out all the hype that goes with the game. It's a pretty big game for everybody.
"It's a big, big deal. It's the Super Bowl. But you try to blank that out and make sure that you're getting the game plan, [and] what really matters, together."
Reid reached one Super Bowl during his time in charge of the Eagles, though did not get his hands on the Vince Lombardi trophy until 2020 with the Chiefs.
Still, he remains an admirer of the Pennsylvania outfit while stressing he shares the love for his current home as well.
"I love Philadelphia, love the city," he added. "I've been blessed, blessed to be in [these] phenomenal places in the NFL. I'm loving every minute in Kansas City [too]."
Leigh Halfpenny is set to start for Wales in the Six Nations opener against Ireland on Saturday as Liam Williams missed out.
Halfpenny has been given the nod at full-back for the first match of Warren Gatland's second spell as Wales head coach at the Principality Stadium.
The 35-year-old will be monitored after sitting out training on Tuesday morning due to a hip issue, but is in line to make his first international start since 2021.
Williams will play no part in Cardiff this weekend as he builds up his fitness after being sidelined by injuries.
Centre Joe Hawkins will make his Six Nations debut at inside centre partnering George North in midfield after making his Test bow against Australia last year.
Dan Biggar returns at fly-half, with Tomos Williams starting at scrum-half against the top-ranked side in the world.
Asked about Halfpenny's selection and the absence of Liam Williams, Gatland said: "He [Williams] trained today.
"Leigh Halfpenny has a little bit of a tight hip, so we kept him out of this morning's session. He'll train this afternoon so just making sure he didn't double up on that.
"Liam hasn't had a lot of rugby. He had the knock and then the finger injury, so he didn't take part in training last week. We just want to give him some more training time with the team.
"Obviously, if something does happen to Leigh, we'll make a decision with what happens to that. We had everyone fit and available for selection, but we had some players with bumps and knocks who didn't take part in training last week.
"That was some of our thinking there. We just want some more training time under his belt. There's no doubt Liam will feature at some point."
Wales team: Leigh Halfpenny, Josh Adams, George North, Joe Hawkins, Rio Dyer, Dan Biggar, Tomos Williams; Gareth Thomas, Ken Owens, Tomas Francis, Adam Beard, Alun Wyn Jones, Jac Morgan, Justin Tipuric, Taulupe Faletau.
Replacements: Scott Baldwin, Rhys Carre, Dillon Lewis, Dafydd Jenkins, Tommy Reffell, Rhys Webb, Owen Williams, Alex Cuthbert.
Alexander Zverev will not face disciplinary action from the ATP following its investigation into allegations of domestic abuse against him.
The two-time ATP Finals winner became the subject of an investigation in October 2021 after claims the prior year by ex-partner Olya Sharypova.
The sport's governing body hired an external private investigation company to look into the allegations, which Zverev has denied.
Now, after it was deemed there was "insufficient evidence" to substantiate the claims, it has been confirmed the German will face no further action.
"Based on a lack of reliable evidence and eyewitness reports, in addition to conflicting statements by Sharypova, Zverev and other interviewees, the investigation was unable to substantiate the allegations of abuse," the ATP said.
While no action is to be taken, the ATP added it would reevaluate its decision "should new evidence come to light, or should any legal proceedings reveal violations of ATP rules".
Zverev, who reached the 2020 US Open final and won men's singles gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, achieved a career-best peak of number two in the world rankings last season.
An ankle injury at the French Open against Rafael Nadal ended his campaign and he only made his return to competitive action earlier this month, with a second-round exit at the Australian Open.
He took further legal action against Sharypova last year, as well as an online publisher, after further allegations of abuse were made, while lending his support for a domestic violence policy to be introduced by the ATP.
Eddie Jones warned "I'm not the messiah" after starting his second spell as Australia head coach but believes they can win the Rugby World Cup.
Jones was sensationally appointed as Wallabies boss in early January after being sacked as England head coach.
He replaced Dave Rennie eight months before the World Cup starts in France, taking up a role he previously held between 2001 and 2005.
Jones signed a deal until 2027 and started work on Sunday, a day before his 63rd birthday.
The vastly experienced Jones is aiming high, but says he has no magic wand to wave as he strives to make Australia a force again.
He said during a press conference on Tuesday: "I'm thrilled to be back home in Australia and couldn't think of a better place to come back to than here in the heart of Sydney's grassroots.
"It's imperative we win the hearts and minds of young Australians and to get them playing rugby and supporting their national teams.
"I think I made the point that I'm not the messiah, everyone's in this together. Sometimes you just need someone to beat the drum.
"And that gets everyone walking a bit faster. And maybe that's the role at the moment. But as we go forward, it's going to be about everyone working together."
Jones expects his side to show "traditional Australian digger spirit" as they will require more than talent alone to win the World Cup.
"I reckon we've got to draw a line in the sand and where we've been and work out where we want to go ... then everyone needs to roll their sleeves up," the former Japan head coach said.
"We can't do it by ourselves. We need everyone in the rugby community to find a bit more, and they can. There's plenty of people who love rugby when the Wallabies win, so we're going to win, but we need them to maybe help start it."
He added: "There's plenty of talented players, but talent doesn't win World Cups.
"What wins World Cups and wins hearts of people are teams that play with that same spirit the Ellas [Mark, Glen and Gary Ella] had, being aggressive and playing with a certain panache.
"We want to play tough. You want to win those tight games by one or two points, and that's the traditional Australian digger spirit. We want that in the team."
Lando Norris is a "franchise driver" and is as good as Formula One icon Fernando Alonso, McLaren CEO Zak Brown believes.
The 23-year-old is set for his fifth year with McLaren and has a new teammate for 2023 in Oscar Piastri, resulting in an exciting youthful pairing in F1.
McLaren have high hopes for their future in F1, with Brown recently outlining his objective of competing for the title by 2025, and Norris is an integral part of those plans.
The team have managed to keep Norris out of the clutches of Red Bull, whom he has spoken to in the past, with the young driver tied down until 2025 and seen as a figure McLaren can build around.
Though there is still plenty for Norris to achieve in F1, Brown suggests he is comparable to two-time F1 champion Fernando Alonso.
"Lando's a franchise driver. Lando's one of those guys if we put everyone in a dirt buggy and we put all the F1 drivers in a race, he'd be at the front because he's got that kind of natural talent," Brown told ESPN.
"I think he is as good as anyone on the grid, and I've felt that from day one when I put him against Fernando in the 24 Hours of Daytona, foreign car, foreign track.
"I think Fernando is as good as any F1 driver there's ever been, and Lando matches him, and depending on what time of day it was, maybe he even got him a little bit, and vice versa.
"You see that natural talent. You do get some drivers who are a one-make discipline and you throw them in a unique situation and they don't get up to speed as quickly."
Norris is still waiting for a maiden victory in F1 but he did see Mercedes' George Russell – someone he raced alongside during their junior careers – secure a win last season.
Brown feels that will provide encouragement for the forthcoming campaign.
"He wants to be winning races, I'm sure he knows he can beat George and he has beaten George before... and he goes out and wins," Brown added.
"He's going to be anxious people he's raced with don't get too many more wins before he starts getting his."
Luka Doncic revealed "chirping" with Detroit Pistons assistant coach Jerome Allen gave him extra fuel as he inspired the Dallas Mavericks to victory on Monday.
Doncic exchanged words with Allen during a 111-105 win in which he scored a phenomenal 53 points for the Mavericks at American Airlines Center.
The Slovenian star approached Allen on the bench in the closing stages of the game and suggested he made a mistake by being a little too vocal.
"Since the first quarter, he was chirping," Doncic said. "You know I'll chirp back.
"From the first quarter, he was chirping. I don't want to say the words. I have no problem with that. It's basketball. It gets me going for sure."
Pistons head coach Dwane Casey had no problem with Allen and Doncic engaging in the verbals.
He said: "It's a bunch of nothing, a bunch of nothing. We've seen worse. Remember I coached Gary Payton and Kevin Garnett, so that tonight was zero as far as chirping.
"I liked it. I thought it really got us going, and that's the way it should be with competitive guys. Doncic is competitive as heck. I love the way he plays, the way he carries himself, and I love the way our guys responded.
"They weren't intimidated. So it's all good. It was clean, nothing dirty about it.
"It's good if that's what he needs to get himself going and tell himself. But he doesn't need any help. He's a great player without all the other stuff, but it is what it is."
It is the fourth time this season the prolific Doncic had racked up 50 points in a game and his 53-point haul was the joint-second highest for Dallas, matching Dirk Nowitzki's total against the Houston Rockets on in 2004.
Doncic set the record with 60 against the New York Knicks last month.
Damian Lillard's red-hot scoring form continued on Monday as he posted his eighth 40-point game of the season.
Lillard was the star of the show in the Portland Trail Blazers' 129-125 home win against the Atlanta Hawks, scoring 42 points on 10-of-21 shooting after finishing a perfect 17-of-17 from the free throw line. Only Joel Embiid (nine), Giannis Antetokounmpo (10) and Luka Doncic (11) have scored 40 more often this season.
He outdueled Dejounte Murray of the Hawks, who was terrific in his own right, collecting a career-high 40 points (13-of-26 shooting), eight rebounds and seven assists.
Having already claimed the record as the Trail Blazers' all-time leading scorer earlier this season, Lillard is showing no signs of slowing down, and is on pace for arguably the best statistical season of his career.
He is averaging a career-high 30.4 points per game, while also tying his career-best field goal percentage of 46.3. Lillard has never averaged more than the 4.1 three-pointers he is making each game, while he is also on track for his fourth season with at least seven assists per game, and his fourth season shooting at least 90 per cent from the line.
He started the season in fine fashion as he posted back-to-back 41 point games in the opening week, but after his scoring average dipped to 22.3 in November, Lillard has hit a rich vein of form since the beginning of the new year.
The six-time All-NBA selection is averaging 34.5 points per game in January – trailing only Philadelphia 76ers powerhouse Embiid with 34.9 – and nobody in the league is averaging better than Lillard's 38.8 points across their past 10 contests.
Portland are 19-19 in the 38 games their star point guard has suited up for this season, and are 5-7 without him, but that does not accurately portray how valuable Lillard is for his franchise.
Lillard's overall plus/minus this season of plus 129 is the best figure on the team, while Josh Hart (plus 110) is the only other player with a mark better than Jusuf Nurkic's plus 52.
His impact on the Trail Blazers' offense is massive, as the team boasts an offensive rating of 118.7 while he is on the floor, but it drops to 112.4 when he is on the bench or not available. For reference, that 118.7 mark is higher than the league-leading Denver Nuggets (117.4), while 112.4 would tie them with the 23rd-ranked Los Angeles Clippers.
Lillard will likely not receive any MVP consideration unless the Blazers make a late push into the Western Conference's top-six, but since the calendar flipped over to 2023 there has arguably not been a better player in the sport.
Luka Doncic produced yet another spectacular performance on Monday as he carried the Dallas Mavericks with 53 points in a 111-105 home win against the Detroit Pistons.
The 23-year-old Slovenian returned to the lineup after missing the Mavericks' loss against the Utah Jazz on Saturday, and he looked on track for a big one from the jump.
Doncic scored 24 of Dallas' 30 points in the first quarter, but the team found themselves trailing at half-time as the rest of the Mavericks struggled on the offensive end.
By the end of the third frame, Dallas trailed by one as Doncic had 45 points and none of his team-mates had more than eight, but the Mavericks were able to hold the Pistons to 21 points in the final period to pull out the narrow victory.
Doncic shot 17-of-24 from the field for his 53 points – the second-most he has ever scored in an NBA game – while adding eight rebounds, five assists and two steals. He had 41 points more than his closest team-mate, Spencer Dinwiddie with 12.
It was the fifth time in his career Doncic has reached 50 points, and the fourth since December 23, after posting games of 50, 51 and 60 points in the last nine days of 2022.
With the win, the Mavericks improved their record to 27-25, sitting sixth in the Western Conference, while the Pistons are dead last in the East at 13-39.
Curry brings the thunder to OKC
Stephen Curry was at his best in the Golden State Warriors' 128-120 road win against the Oklahoma City Thunder, leading both teams in points and assists.
The reigning NBA Finals MVP finished with 38 points on 12-of-20 shooting, while also dishing 12 assists and snatching eight rebounds in a masterful display.
He was supported well by 'Splash Brother' Klay Thompson, who chipped in 28 points on 10-of-21 shooting, as the duo combined to hit 14-of-28 from three-point range.
They locked horns with the Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who maintained the fifth-best scoring average in the league (30.9 per game) by scoring 31 on 10-of-24 shooting with seven assists and three blocks.
Banchero shines in Fultz's return to Philly
Orlando Magic guard Markelle Fultz posted his first double-double of the season as the former number one overall pick made a winning return to Philadelphia.
In his first road game against the Philadelphia 76ers since being traded from the franchise in 2019, Fultz finished with 12 points and 10 assists, helping to ignite a 77-47 second-half demolition on the way to a 119-109 upset win.
The star for the Magic was their other top overall pick, as rookie Paolo Banchero scored a team-high 29 points on 11-of-22 shooting while adding nine rebounds, three assists, a block and a steal.
Joel Embiid was terrific for the 76ers, dropping 30 points (11-of-20), 11 rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks, but his scoring average for the season dropped to 33.6. He still leads the league, but Doncic (33.4) is hot on his tail.
Interim head coach Joe Mazzulla and the rest of the Boston Celtics coaching staff have earned the right to coach Team Giannis at this year's All-Star Game.
It was announced on Monday that the 36-15 Celtics had clinched the best record in the Eastern Conference through February 5, meaning Mazzulla and his staff will get the honour of coaching the team captained by Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Celtics MVP candidate Jayson Tatum was also named a starter on Team Giannis, along with Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, and the Brooklyn Nets duo of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
It continues a remarkable rise from obscurity for Mazzulla, who prior to the 2019-20 season had never coached in the NBA. He was recruited as an assistant for the Celtics after spending two years in his first head coaching role with division two college Fairmont State.
Mazzula spent two of his first three seasons on the Celtics bench under former head coach and current president of basketball operations Brad Stevens, before retaining his role when Stevens was promoted and Ime Udoka was brought in as the new head coach.
Udoka enjoyed a spectacular debut season as head coach, guiding the Celtics to the second seed in the East and taking them all the way through to the NBA Finals. But he was suspended indefinitely in the offseason after it was revealed he was involved in what was described as an "inappropriate, consensual relationship" with a staff member.
The Celtics have not missed a beat under Mazzulla's watch, sitting top-five in both offensive and defensive efficiency as they build a championship-level profile for the second season in a row.
Mazzulla is the third rookie head coach in the past 24 seasons to earn All-Star Game coaching honours.
After hearing his name frequently mentioned in trade rumours the past few years, Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner finally has some long-sought piece of mind after he and the team agreed to a contract extension that was officially announced Monday.
"Definitely there’s a sense of relief knowing there’s some security and you can just play the game," Turner said at Monday’s press conference confirming the new deal, which ESPN reported to be for two years and $60million.
"It [the trade rumours] is something I’ve been through my entire career. But I wanted to be here in Indy."
Turner’s future in Indiana had been in question with the Pacers expected to be in a rebuild and the 26-year-old in the final year of his current contract. The Pacers seemed ready to move on this past summer when they signed Phoenix center Deandre Ayton to a four-year, $133m offer sheet that the Suns ultimately matched to keep the restricted free agent.
Despite continued interest from teams leading up to the February 9 trade deadline, the Pacers instead affirmed their commitment to the eight-year veteran and the team’s longest-tenured player as one of its core members.
"As a staff, we were hoping this day would come very desperately," coach Rick Carlisle said. "Over the last year and a half, since he transitioned back to his natural position, the five, we've seen tremendous things."
Carlisle was referring to last February’s trade of All-Star forward Domantas Sabonis to the Sacramento Kings, freeing up Turner as the primary interior presence while also landing standout point guard Tyrese Haliburton and long-range shooter Buddy Hield in return.
Turner has indeed thrived from both the switch and from playing with Haliburton, as he’s averaging career-highs of 17.5 points and 7.8 rebounds per game this season while remaining one of the NBA’s top rim protectors.
His 2.4 blocks per game places him fourth in the league, and if he can maintain that, it will be his seventh consecutive season in the top-five for blocks per game, having led the league in the 2018-19, 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.
"I think it made it easy, when given the full-time position at the five. That’s something I was definitely looking for," he said. "Given the situation I’m in now where I do get to see expanded minutes at the five, that was one of the main things I was looking for."
The new deal, which added over $17m to Turner’s 2022-23 salary to help the Pacers climb above the salary cap floor, also provides Indiana more flexibility going into the offseason with all five starters now under contract for next season.
The Toronto Raptors will be without terrific two-way wing O.G. Anunoby for at least the last four games of their current road trip after suffering a wrist injury.
Anunoby, 25, leads the NBA in total steals this season with 93 heading into Monday's action, while also averaging a career-high 0.8 blocks per game. He is joined by Oklahoma City Thunder breakout star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the only players averaging at least 1.5 steals and 0.8 blocks this campaign.
His injury occurred during Friday's loss to the Golden State Warriors when Anunoby landed awkwardly on his left arm following a shooting foul. He exited the game after his free throws and then missed Saturday's second leg of Toronto's back-to-back.
The Raptors announced an update on Monday, stating Anunoby would miss the remaining four games of their seven-game road trip as they travel to take on the Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz and Houston Rockets before wrapping up next Monday against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Toronto currently sit 12th in the Eastern Conference with a record of 23-28, and it remains to be seen if they continue to push for a playoff spot, or decide to kickstart a rebuild and make some trades.
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