Benetton Treviso apologised for "absurd stupidity" after a banana was given to Cherif Traore in the team's Secret Santa.

Traore, who is an Italy international having made his debut in 2018, was given a rotten banana during the United Rugby Championship side's Christmas dinner.

The prop was born in Guinea but moved to Italy aged seven, and has lived in the country ever since.

Traore spoke out against the act on social media, saying he had not "slept all night" and had "decided not to keep quiet this time to ensure that episodes like this do not happen again".

Benetton responded with a statement, which said that Traore had "accepted his comrades' apologies".

President Amerino Zatta declared: "What happened against Cherif does not in any way reflect our identity and the values that the Benetton family has been carrying forward for years.

"I'm glad Cherif accepted the apology, understanding the absurd stupidity committed by one of his teammates.

"I am sure that this will strengthen the sense of cohesion within the group and that such a gesture will never again find fertile ground within our family.

"On behalf of the entire team, I reiterate that we condemn any expression of racism and that no form of discrimination is accepted in our dressing room."

Traore was involved in the team's statement, adding: "This afternoon's meeting was an opportunity to discuss and understand how what one of my companions did on the occasion of exchanging Christmas presents is purely the result of idiocy and nothing other.

"I appreciated and accepted his apologies and those of the entire team. I'm happy with the gesture and I'm sure what happened will make the group even more solid.

"We are a family and as such we will continue to commit ourselves on and off the pitch, fighting, as we always have, against all forms of discrimination."

Carlos Correa's proposed deal to join the San Francisco Giants collapsed due to a "difference of opinion", a team statement said on Wednesday.

Having agreed a 13-year, $350 million contract last week, the Giants cancelled a proposed press conference on Tuesday to announce the signing – with reports stating this was due to a medical issue.

While it was suggested the deal would still be finalised, the delay allowed the New York Mets to swoop and a slightly shorter 12-year, $315 million agreement was reached to bring Correa to New York, according to the New York Post.

The Giants have now had their say in the remarkable sequence of events in a brief statement, where President of Baseball Operations Farhan Zaidi confirmed the deal ended due to a "difference of opinion" that arose following a physical evaluation.

"While we are prohibited from disclosing confidential medical information, as Scott Boras stated publicly, there was a difference of opinion over the results of Carlos’ physical examination. We wish Carlos the best," the statement read.

With seven trips to the injured list since 2015, Correa has dealt with durability issues in his eight-year career and has played at least 150 games in a season just once.

However, Correa played 58 games in the shortened 60-game season in 2020, followed by 148 in 2021 and 136 last season.

Boras, Correa's agent, spoke to The Athletic on Wednesday and dubbed the medical concerns "speculative dynamics": "You're talking about a player who has played eight major-league seasons. There are things in his medical record that happened decades ago. These are all speculative dynamics.

"Every team has a right to go through things and evaluate things. The key thing is, we gave them [the Giants] medical reports at the time. They still wanted to sign the player and negotiate with the player."

Sloane Stephens has confirmed Francis Roig as her new coach, less than a week after the Spaniard departed Rafael Nadal's team.

The 54-year-old, who had worked with his fellow countryman since 2005, parted ways with the 22-time grand slam winner earlier this month.

At the time, Nadal confirmed Roig was leaving his set-up for "a new project," which has now been confirmed as a role with Stephens.

The 2017 US Open winner announced the news in a post to her social media accounts, welcoming him aboard ahead of the 2023 season.

"Happy to have Francis Roig join my team as my new coach!" she wrote. "Here's to a successful journey together. Let's get to work."

Stephens, who achieved a career-high WTA ranking of third in 2018, has returned to the top 50 over the past year following a series of struggles with form.

She claimed her first title in four years at the Abierto Zapopan in Mexico in February, and reached a first grand slam quarter-final since 2019 at the French Open.

Nadal, meanwhile, announced Gustavo Marcaccio would replace Roig earlier this week, adding the Argentine to a team that contains Carlos Moya and Marc Lopez.

The Spaniard was effusive in his tribute to his outgoing coach last week, stating: "I only have words of gratitude and I wish him all the luck in the world."

The Jacksonville Jaguars will be down two defensive starters for Thursday’s game against the New York Jets after ruling out rookie pass rusher Travon Walker and defensive lineman Foley Fatukasi.

Walker, the number one overall pick of the 2022 NFL draft, will miss a second straight game with a high ankle sprain he suffered in the Jaguars’ win over AFC South rival Tennessee on December 11.

Fatukasi is also dealing with an ankle injury he sustained in Jacksonville’s upset victory over Dallas on Sunday.

Quarterback Trevor Lawrence is listed as questionable but is expected to start for Jacksonville. The 2021 number one overall pick has been playing through a sprained left big toe he sustained in Week 13.

Walker has started 13 games as a rookie and as compiled 45 tackles and 3.5 sacks. The ex-Jet Fatukasi has made 11 starts this season and is considered one of the Jaguars’ top run defenders.

Jacksonville enters Thursday’s game off two straight wins and are 4-2 over their last six contests to move within one game of the slumping Titans for first place in the AFC South.

Lawrence has been a major factor in the surge with back-to-back games of over 300 passing yards and a combined seven touchdown passes during that stretch.

The game is expected to feature the top two selections of the 2021 draft with Zach Wilson slated to start at quarterback for the Jets, who at 7-7 are one game back of the Los Angeles Chargers and Miami for the AFC’s final two wild card spots.

Wilson will make a second straight start after New York ruled out quarterback Mike White earlier in the week as he recovers from reported fractured ribs.

Nick Foles will start for the Indianapolis Colts against the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday as Matt Ryan is benched for a second time this season.

Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Ryan led the Colts through the first seven games, but was demoted after the 19-10 defeat to the Tennessee Titans in October with the team 3-3-1.

Sam Ehlinger started in his place but lost both games before Ryan was given the nod for the 25-20 road victory over the Oakland Raiders in Week 10, the first game under new head coach Jeff Saturday after Frank Reich was fired.

Indianapolis have gone 0-4 since that win though, including a stunning 39-36 defeat to the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday having led 33-0 at half-time.

The second-half collapse was the biggest in NFL history, with the Vikings scoring 29 unanswered points from 36-7 down to send the game to overtime, before Greg Joseph kicked a field goal to condemn the Colts to a dramatic loss.

That is likely to be Ryan's final game of the season and potentially his time in Indianapolis is over,

Foles won Super Bowl LII with the Philadelphia Eagles, toppling Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in a Super Bowl MVP-winning performance.

He has played for the Colts' AFC South rival Jacksonville Jaguars since then as well as the Chicago Bears, and gets another chance to start at the age of 33.

With Indianapolis 4-9-1 and likely to be officially ruled out of playoff contention this weekend, Saturday believes the change at quarterback is necessary.

"It's never an easy decision," Saturday told reporters. "[I] think the world of Matt, he’s a pro’s pro.

"It's not been the season he expected, nor the Colts as a whole.

"[I] just didn't feel we made enough plays offensively. This is not all on Matt.

"Ultimately I feel like Nick will give us a better chance to go win these last three games."

Arch Manning will play for the Texas Longhorns next season, the team have confirmed.

The teenage quarterback, a third-generation of the Manning dynasty, had committed to the Longhorns in June to end speculation over his college future.

Now, however, he has officially signed his letter of intent to join the University of Texas' intercollegiate team, where he will hope to emulate several members of his family.

Though his father, entrepreneur Cooper Manning, curtailed a possible career during his college years, the 17-year-old could follow grandfather Archie, and uncles Peyton and Eli in making it in the NFL.

Both the latter pair won Super Bowls, with Peyton considered to be one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time

Manning is the first member of his family to play for Texas, with Archie and Eli having attended the University of Mississippi, while Peyton played at Tennesse.

As in the NFL, not every team maintains an active interest in fantasy football at this stage in the year.

But for those who still have title hopes, there is no room for error.

Finding an edge can be tricky as franchises outside the playoff picture wind down for the year and the league's leading lights think about resting up for the postseason.

But Stats Perform has picked out four players and a defense that could make the difference in Week 16.

Quarterback: Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers vs. Washington Commanders

Nobody – at least nobody still in contention now – had any real interest in Purdy at the start of the year as he was the 49ers' third-choice QB, but that means he remains available in a number of leagues. It may well be time to fix that, with Purdy one of the outstanding performers across Weeks 14 and 15.

Josh Allen alone threw more touchdown passes (five to Purdy's four) without throwing an interception, while the rookie's 8.55 yards per pass attempt ranked third. Purdy was the sole QB in the NFL with a passer rating of at least 115.0 in two starts over this period. In fact, Aaron Rodgers is the only other player in league history to have had such a passer rating in his first two career starts.

Purdy is an obvious option for any fantasy player suffering QB woe, with the 49ers having clinched the NFC West but unlikely to slow too much as they hunt down the Minnesota Vikings and the second seed in the NFC.

Running Back: Zack Moss, Indianapolis Colts vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Gardner Minshew would be another popular pick at QB, with Jalen Hurts injured, but the Philadelphia Eagles still have not ruled out their MVP candidate. On the other hand, the Colts have shut down Jonathan Taylor for the year.

However, Indy would be wise to press on with the run game against the Chargers; only the Packers (42.9 per cent) have allowed opponents greater success on run plays this year than the Chargers (42.5 per cent).

That should mean plenty of touches again for Moss, who had 24 carries last week – as many as he had across the rest of the year combined.

Wide Receiver: Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers @ Miami Dolphins

The Packers' season never really got going, with Aaron Rodgers unable to make his receiving corps work without the departed Davante Adams.

But Watson, who had just 14 targets through nine weeks, has really come to the fore of late. Since Week 10, Watson has seven receiving TDs – leading the league ahead of Adams (five) – and has converted 17 of his 19 receptions into first downs.

Over the past two weeks, only two defenses have given up more receiving yards (671) and more receiving TDs (five) than Miami. They have also tied the Detroit Lions in allowing a league-worst 32 receiving first downs in this time.

Tight End: Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars @ New York Jets

Engram has been a steady performer in his first year with the Jaguars, but there is reason to believe he may be able to move to another level now as Trevor Lawrence ignites this Jacksonville offense.

Over the past two weeks, the Jags rank second in net passing yards (679) and lead the way for TD passes (seven) and points (76).

Engram caught two of those TDs and has led the team in targets (25), catches (19) and receiving yards (224) over this period. He and those who can call on him for fantasy purposes are among the chief beneficiaries of Lawrence's late surge.

Defense/Special Teams: Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Arizona Cardinals

Opposition teams have been successful on only 36.5 per cent of plays against the Buccaneers this year, making this the league's sixth-best defense.

And now they will be faced with a Cardinals offense manned by third-string QB Trace McSorley, who is in line for his first career start despite struggling badly from his limited snaps so far this year.

McSorley has not thrown a single TD pass in 2022 but has tossed three picks, completing only 15 of his 29 pass attempts for an atrocious passer rating of 29.5.

Aaron Judge has been named as the 16th captain in New York Yankees franchise history after signing a blockbuster contract.

The 31-year-old put pen to paper on a record-breaking nine-year, $360million deal on Tuesday to extend his stay with the Yankees and has now become the first franchise captain since Derek Jeter retired in 2014.

Crowned AL MVP last month, Judge broke the single-season Yankees and AL home-run record, reaching 62 to surpass Roger Maris Sr's 61 – set in 1961. He became the fourth Major League player to hit 62 or more homers in a single season.

Judge has set his sights high in his new position, plotting a course for multiple championships.

"It's a blessing and an honour. Getting a chance to continue something the Yankees are so big on, which is legacy, getting a chance to continue my legacy here in pinstripes in the best city in the world, the best baseball city in front of the best fans, this is an incredible honour," he said during a press conference.

"It goes without saying what an honour that is. I look back at the list of Thurman Munson, Lou Gehrig, Ron Guidry, Willie Randolph, Derek Jeter, Don Mattingly, that's a pretty good list right there.

"Not only great baseball players, but great ambassadors of the game and great ambassadors of the New York Yankees, how they pride themselves on the field day in and day out, how they take pride in what they do off the field to represent this organisation and represent these pinstripes.

"This is an incredible honour that I don't take lightly and I'm going to continue to try to be the same leader that I've been the last six years, continue to lead by example.

"I know there's probably going to be a couple more responsibilities with this, but I'm here to embrace every single obstacle and continue to lead this team and this city to not one but multiple championships down the road."

The Yankees finished last season as AL East champions for the first time since 2019 but have not competed in the World Series since 2009, when they defeated the Philadelphia Phillies.

Mick Schumacher's move to Mercedes in a third-driver role is a "win-win situation", former Formula One driver Ralf Schumacher believes.

The younger Schumacher, son of racing great Michael Schumacher and nephew of Ralf, was left without a seat on the Formula One grid for 2023 following Haas' decision not to hand him a fresh deal – instead opting to bring in Nico Hulkenberg.

Schumacher then brought an end to his four-year allegiance with Ferrari, where he was a member of the young driver academy, which freed him up to join Mercedes for the 2023 campaign.

He will serve as an understudy to Lewis Hamilton and George Russell next year, stepping up into a racing role should either of the pair be unable to feature, and Ralf feels it is the perfect fit.

"I think it's a win-win situation for both sides," he told Sky Sports in Germany.

"One, for the team they have a great driver, if they need a replacement short term, if one of the drivers for some reason cannot drive. And the next is of course that he is now in the team where he can learn a lot, first of all through a new structure, a big structure.

"For me, I think it's a great opportunity. Because he now has an experienced team, with two experienced team-mates, and above all, for a change, a team that is happy that he is there."

A return to the grid in a full racing capacity is still the aim for Mick Schumacher and, with Audi competing as a works team from 2025, Ralf expects the German manufacturer to be interested in his nephew's services.

 "He has the opportunity to develop further. He deserves and belongs a chance - actually of driving a car - but at least as a replacement for test drivers and as a third drive," he added.

"I think that's a great thing, but I could also imagine that Audi [could be interested] since there aren't really any German drivers on the market.

"But that's still a long way off from that point of view. I think where it is now it's in perfect hands and the rest will tell. The nice thing is that from the age of 24 I think he will have a great chance again, no matter where."

Franco Harris, the former Pittsburgh Steelers running back and four-time Super Bowl champion, has died aged 72.

News of his death came three days before his number 32 shirt number was to be retired.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, a nine-time Pro Bowl honouree, was the 13th overall pick in the 1972 NFL draft for the Pennsylvania outfit.

Over the following decade, he helped the Steelers to the game's biggest prize on four separate occasions, while he was named the MVP of Super Bowl IX.

Hall of Fame president Jim Porter said: "The entire team at the Pro Football Hall of Fame is immensely saddened today.

"We have lost an incredible football player, an incredible ambassador to the Hall and, most importantly, we have lost one of the finest gentlemen anyone will ever meet. Franco not only impacted the game of football, but he also affected the lives of many, many people in profoundly positive ways.

"The Hall of Fame and historians everywhere will tell Franco's football story forever. His life story can never be told fully, however, without including his greatness off the field.

"My heart and prayers go out to his wife, Dana, an equally incredible person, a special friend to the Hall and someone who cares so deeply for Franco's Hall of Fame teammates."

Having rushed for over 11,000 yards, Harris was the Steelers' leader in franchise history, and he was due to become just the third player to have their shirt number retired this weekend.

The Steelers had intended for the honour to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception, the match-winning play Harris was involved in for their first ever playoff win.

The running back famously was the apparently unintended receiver of Terry Bradshaw's last-gasp throw in the 1972 AFC divisional match with the Oakland Raiders, and ran for the clinching touchdown in the final minute.

Though the team subsequently lost their next match to the Miami Dolphins, the victory is widely regarded as an instrumental turning point that helped the club become the NFL's dominant force over the following decade.

Pittsburgh are due to face the now Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday, 50 years and a day since Harris had his magical moment.

Mike Tomlin's side are bottom of AFC North with a 6-8 record this season, and are looking to string back-to-back wins together for only the second time in 2022.

Nick Kyrgios is gunning for Tom Brady and LeBron James after he and fellow tennis star Naomi Osaka were unveiled as co-owners of a pickleball team.

Kyrgios has partnered with four-time grand slam champion Osaka in investing behind Miami PC, who will compete in next year's Major Pickleball League.

Pickleball, a growing sport that combines tennis, badminton and ping pong, has attracted a fleet of major admirers and investors from other professional sports, including NFL great Brady and NBA superstar James.

In an Instagram post, Kyrgios confirmed he would be partnering Osaka in Miami and vowed to defeat Brady and James, who have made investments of their own into franchises within the league.

Kevin Durant is another investor, signing up a new team, the Brooklyn Aces, while Kyrgios and Osaka have also been joined by Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in Florida.

"Introducing the @miamipc," Kyrgios wrote. "Big welcome to our draft picks... We are coming for you @kingjames [LeBron] @easymoneysniper [Durant] @tombrady."

Former Germany international footballer Mesut Ozil is another name involved, with the ex-Arsenal man backing the D.C. Pickleball team.

Eddie Jones has skirted around answering questions on potentially linking up with Australia, insisting he is not motivated to prove England wrong in his next job.

Jones was sacked as England coach this month after seven years in charge.

The 62-year-old won the Six Nations on three occasions, including a Grand Slam in 2016, and guided the Red Rose to the 2019 Rugby World Cup final, but pressure had been building for some time.

A dismal set of 2022 results saw Jones' England win just five of 12 Tests, prompting his dismissal following a third-placed finish in the Six Nations.

In an interview with BBC Radio 4, Jones said he "wouldn't do anything differently" and is keen for a return to coaching.

There have been links to Australia – Jones' home nation, who he led to the 2003 World Cup final, losing to England – that were encouraged by comments Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan made to the Daily Mail.

McLennan invited Jones to join the Wallabies set-up, not clarifying his potential role but suggesting they could "weaponise these recent events for Australia" ahead of next year's World Cup, in which a quarter-final meeting with England is on the cards.

Jones sounded less keen to make his next move based solely around his ultimately disappointing experience at Twickenham.

"It's not about coaching England's rivals; it's about adding to the game," he said. "I love the game and I love coaching. I want to continue coaching."

He added: "As you get a bit older, as I am, you just want to leave things in a better place. I just want to share the great experience I have had, particularly with coaching players and teams.

"What we want to see is great games of rugby, and if you have the opportunity to be part of that, you are extremely lucky."

Jones laughed at mention of joining the Australia team, saying: "Be a discerning reader, never believe what you read in the papers."

Carlos Correa has agreed to instead join the New York Mets after confirmation of his deal with the San Francisco Giants was delayed.

The Giants looked to have secured their franchise shortstop with the signing of the former Houston Astros and Minnesota Twins star to a 13-year, $350million contract in free agency.

That agreement was set to be made public on Tuesday, only for the news conference to be postponed amid reports of a medical issue arising during Correa's physical.

It was suggested the deal would still be finalised, only for the Mets to swoop and agree terms with Correa that were reported early on Wednesday.

A slightly shorter 12-year, $315m contract – no longer tying Bryce Harper for the longest free-agent deal in MLB history – is to take Correa to New York, according to The New York Post.

"We need one more thing, and this is it," Mets owner Steve Cohen told the publication. "This was important. This puts us over the top. This is a good team. I hope it's a good team!"

It is said the Mets will use Correa at third base, with good friend Francisco Lindor continuing at shortstop.

This deal, like the pact with the Giants, is subject to a physical.

Correa has dealt with durability issues during his eight-year career, playing at least 150 games in a season just once.

He has made seven trips to the injured list since 2015, with a torn ligament in his thumb, lower back soreness and a fractured rib.

However, Correa played 58 games in the shortened 60-game season in 2020, followed by 148 in 2021 and 136 last season.

Matthew Stafford lost his season to a neck injury, but the Los Angeles Rams quarterback is adamant his NFL career is not done.

Having led the Rams to Super Bowl LVI glory in his first year in LA, Stafford's second season has not gone to plan.

The former Detroit Lions QB underwent elbow surgery in the offseason and did not look the same player as the 2022 campaign began.

In nine games with Stafford under center, the Rams were 3-6, with the QB throwing only 10 touchdown passes and eight interceptions for a passer rating of 87.4 – his worst since 2014.

Stafford had averaged 287.4 yards per game in 2021 but only topped that mark in one game this year.

A spinal cord contusion then cut Stafford's season short in Week 11, prompting concerns around the 34-year-old's long-term future.

But in an appearance on his wife Kelly's The Morning After podcast, Stafford responded flatly to a question asking if he would retire: "No."

Stafford signed a four-year, $160million extension with the Rams in March, and the team are confident he can avoid surgery ahead of a 2023 return.

Coach Sean McVay said earlier this month: "He'll be good. To my knowledge, there's nothing like that [surgery] that's going to be required or necessary.

"And it will be great for Matthew to have a healthy offseason and do a lot of the things that I think he'll feel good about being able to do."

Billionaire mortgage lender Mat Ishbia has agreed to the record $4billion purchase of the Phoenix Suns and the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury from owner Robert Sarver.

Ishbia and Sarver announced the deal, which ends the latter's tumultuous tenure as owner, in respective statements on Tuesday. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the staggering figure, pointing to the deal being expected to be finalised in the near future.

Sarver had announced in September that would sell both franchises, having been fined by the NBA the maximum $10million with a one-year suspension following an independent investigation that found he "engaged in conduct that clearly violated common workplace standards".

The deal, that will see Ishbia buy the majority stake of both franchises, exceeds the previous NBA record of $2.35billion when Joe Tsai bought the Brooklyn Nets in 2019.

United Wholesale Mortgage president and CEO Ishbia has been pursuing ownership of NBA and NFL teams in recent times.

"I am extremely excited to be the next governor of the Phoenix Suns and Mercury," Ishbia said in a statement. "Both teams have an incredibly dynamic fan base and I have loved experiencing the energy of the Valley over the last few months."

Sarver's tenure at the Suns dated back to 2004, with Ishbia's acquisition including all of his interest along with a portion of minority partners.

"Mat is the right leader to build on franchise legacies of winning and community support and shepherd the Suns and Mercury into the next era," Sarver said in his statement.

Jalen Brunson savoured a savaging of the Golden State Warriors and insisted the New York Knicks are only getting started after their winning streak reached eight games.

Recruited in July from the Dallas Mavericks, Brunson is averaging a career-best 20.8 points and 6.2 assists with the Knicks, and his numbers against the Warriors were in keeping with that strong form, posting 21 points and five assists.

His latest impressive display came in a 132-94 drubbing of last season's NBA champions, who were without Stephen Curry for a third successive game due to a shoulder injury and lost for the 15th time in 18 road outings this term.

Brunson told TNT: "This is great. We want to keep stacking wins, keep getting better. We've got a lot more to do, a lot more to prove.

"This is only the beginning for us, we've got to keep going. I'm learning as I'm going, my team-mates trust me, the coaching staff trusts me, I trust them. We're growing every day, we're getting better every day.

"We've got to keep fighting and can't be complacent."

The Knicks have shot up to sixth in the Eastern Conference by turning a 10-13 record into an 18-13 standing, putting them in playoffs contention for now.

With six players in double figures for points, led by Immanuel Quickley's 22-point haul that included five three-pointers from six attempts, the Knicks won by their biggest margin in the last two seasons.

They have the longest current winning streak in the NBA, but Brunson is taking nothing for granted at this stage. The Knicks have had just one top-10 finish in the Eastern Conference in the last eight seasons, and this campaign remains in its early stages.

Asked what else the Knicks have left to work on, Brunson said: "Everything. We can't be complacent at all, we've just got to keep grinding, staying focused.

"This is only game 31, and we've got to have our eyes on the prize."

The New York Knicks extended their winning run to eight games to shoot into playoffs contention while they compounded the Golden State Warriors' road woes with a 132-94 rout on Tuesday.

The reigning champions, missing 2022 NBA Finals MVP Stephen Curry for a third straight game with a shoulder injury, slumped to 3-15 on the road this season, sitting 15-17 overall.

Offseason Knicks addition Jalen Brunson scored 21 points with five assists, while Immanuel Quickley top scored off the bench with 22 points. Julius Randle had 15 points with 12 rebounds and five assists.

The Knicks, who never trailed in the blowout win, had six players reach double-digit scores, with the 38-point triumph their largest margin of victory in the last two seasons.

The victory also means the Knicks boast the longest active win streak in the NBA, having conceded an NBA-best 97.8 points per game during the streak.

The Knicks, who had not beaten the Warriors at home for almost a decade, hit 11 triples in the first half, finishing the game with 17-of-40 three-point shooting, led by Quickley with five.

Jordan Poole scored a team-high 26 points for the Curry-less Warriors, who had James Wiseman play 22 minutes, scoring four points with three rebounds.

The Knicks improved to 18-13 overall to sit sixth in the Eastern Conference.

Markkanen shoots Jazz past Pistons

Seven-foot Finnish power forward Lauri Markkanen scored a career-high nine three-pointers in his 38-point haul as the Utah Jazz won 126-111 over the Detroit Pistons.

Jordan Clarkson had 12 points within 1:51 of gametime but it was Markkanen who stole the show, matching his career-high points output.

The game was the Jazz's third in four evenings, with Malik Beasley adding 17 points off the bench while Clarkson finished with 21. Jarred Vanderbilt had 18 points with 13 rebounds.

Nuggets take over in the west

The Denver Nuggets moved into top spot in the Western Conference with a 105-91 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies led by another Nikola Jokic triple-double.

The back-to-back NBA MVP recorded his sixth triple-double of the season, putting on a brilliant passing display, with 13 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists.

The Nuggets (19-11) defense kept the Grizzlies to 44.4 per cent shooting and only 19.2 per cent from beyond the arc, with Ja Morant top scoring for Memphis with 35 points along with 10 assists.

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor has been placed on injured reserve, ending his season due to a right ankle injury.

Taylor suffered the injury on the Colts’ first possession of the game on a 13-yard reception in Saturday's 39-36 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

Last season's NFL leading rusher's campaign is over as players must a minimum of four games on injured reserve, with the 4-9-1 Colts out of playoffs contention.

Taylor has battled ankle soreness all this year and has missed three games this season due to ankle issues.

Taylor entered Week 15 ranked 11th in the league with 861 rushing yards in 10 games. His 86.1 rushing yards per game this season ranks fourth in the NFL.

Carlos Correa’s megadeal with the San Francisco Giants is not a done deal just yet apparently.

The Giants postponed a press conference on Tuesday to introduce the star shortstop over a medical issue that arose during Correa’s physical, according to two people with direct knowledge of the situation.

Correa and the Giants agreed last week to a 13-year, $350 million contract with a physical pending before the deal became official. One source told The Associated Press that the news conference was put on hold because the sides were awaiting results of testing, while a second person said a medical issue arose during Correa’s physical.

Correa, 28, has dealt with durability issues during his eight-year career, playing at least 150 games in a season just once.

He has made seven trips to the injured list since 2015, with a torn ligament in his thumb, lower back soreness and a fractured rib. Correa, however, played 58 games in the shortened 60-game season in 2020, followed by 148 contests in 2021 and 136 last season.

It remains to be seen whether the team simply wants to conduct further tests or if there is evidence of something that could lead to the deal being called off or even restructured.

Correa hit .291 with 22 homers and 64 RBIs last season for the Minnesota Twins after spending his first seven seasons with the Houston Astros.

He has a .279 career average with 155 home runs and 553 RBIs and has excelled in the postseason, batting .272 with 18 homers and 59 RBIs in 79 games.

Correa signed a $105.3 million, three-year deal with the Twins in March but opted out after one year and became a free agent again.

His deal with the Giants would be the fourth largest in baseball history in terms of total money. Only Mike Trout ($426.5 million, 12 years), Mookie Betts ($365 million, 12 years) and Aaron Judge ($360 million, nine years) have bigger contracts.

The Giants made a run at signing Judge and have been desperate to add a marquee player to a team that went 81-81 last season, a year after winning a franchise-record 107 games and the NL West.

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