Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell says people forget Justin Jefferson is only in his third NFL season after his starring display in Thursday's 33-26 win over the New England Patriots.
Wide receiver Jefferson played a key role for the Vikings as they improved their record to 9-2, scoring a first-quarter touchdown among his nine receptions for 139 yards.
With six games left in the regular season, the 23-year-old also surpassed Randy Moss' NFL record for the most receiving yards of any player through their first three seasons in a career.
Two-time Pro Bowler Jefferson is second in the NFL for receiving yards this season (1093), behind only Tyreek Hill (1148).
"People forget sometimes it's still only year three," O'Connell told reporters. "He's learning so much each and every week but the talent and the competitive drive that he has just makes him a very special player."
Jefferson played a key part in Adam Thielen's game-winning touchdown with a double-team contested catch for a 36-yard gain. Thielen scored on the next play from a Kirk Cousins' pass, with Jefferson double teamed.
"He was double teamed a lot tonight," O'Connell said. "Had some success against double team looks. When he got single coverage Kirk found him a few times, got a great double move there to set up Adam's go-head touchdown.
"He's a special player. He means a whole heck of a lot to our offense, to our team, it was a big night for Justin. Quite frankly, I'm just so proud of the way he battles, the grit, the determination, and the preparation that he's put into this."
Cousins also earned praise from O'Connell, with the win coming after a blowout 40-3 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday where the QB completed only 12-of-23 passes for 105 yards.
"Kirk Cousins was phenomenal tonight, getting us in and out of the plays he did, standing back there and making some big, big throws," O'Connell said.
"I can't say enough about the protection as well. It's not easy against that defensive structure, so I give our guys credit."
Odell Beckham Jr's move to the Dallas Cowboys is a step closer with team owner Jerry Jones admitting he held a "good meeting" with the free agent on Thursday.
The 30-year-old wide receiver has been heavily linked with the Cowboys along with the New York Giants.
Jones said after Thursday's 28-20 win over the Giants that he had spoken to Beckham, albeit by phone rather than an in-person visit.
"We had a good visit today, that's it," Jones told reporters. "I don't have a timeframe there."
Beckham has not played since last season's Super Bowl triumph with the Los Angeles Rams, where he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Jones conceded it was unclear if Beckham would be available to play this season, with the Cowboys' latest win improving their record to 8-3.
"We'll see. We'll have to see," Jones said. "I haven't gotten the benefit of his rehab work and where he is."
The Cowboys have not won the Super Bowl since winning three in four years from 1992 to 1995, when they traded for Charles Haley and Deoin Sanders during that era.
"I don't want to make comparisons but Odell could help us," Jones said. "I believe that right now. Now, we've got to make it fit and that's the challenge here."
Dak Prescott believes the Dallas Cowboys have a championship-level defense after another lockdown performance in the second half of their 28-20 Thanksgiving win against the New York Giants.
Prescott was solid, completing 21-of-30 passes for two touchdowns and two interceptions, with both of his scores coming in the third quarter to tight end Dalton Schultz.
His touchdown passes on back-to-back drives quickly turned a 13-7 half-time deficit into a 21-13 lead by the end of the third quarter, and the Cowboys did not concede a point in the second half until a consolation touchdown in the final 10 seconds.
Their defense was led by last year's Defensive Rookie of the Year and current Defensive Player of the Year favourite, Micah Parsons, who sacked Giants quarterback Daniel Jones twice to take his season tally to 12 – the second most in the league.
It comes one week after the Cowboys' defense manhandled the Minnesota Vikings en route to a 40-3 demolition, and Prescott said that defensive group gives them a chance to be great.
"I'm as confident as I can be," he told reporters after the Giants win. "I always have been with this team.
"It doesn't matter what [outsiders] say about what they believe in, I know what this team is capable of – especially with this defense we have.
"We've just got to continue to keep our heads down, take it one day at a time, and one game at a time. We control everything that's in front of us."
Despite the final result, it was a choppy first half for the Cowboys' offense, but star receiver CeeDee Lamb said that is never going to result in a dip in confidence.
"We've been preaching resilience," Lamb said. "That's our motto this year. Everything about this season has been revealing itself. Just understanding that we're always coming to battle, ready for whatever and we've got each other's back.
"[Prescott and I] are still building. I understand how late it is in the season, but we didn't have the first half [of the season, when Prescott was out injured].
"We still had a couple mishaps, but we came out victorious and had a couple completions in the clutch."
At 8-3, the Cowboys are almost assured of a spot in the postseason, where they will have a chance to win their first playoff game since 2018.
Justin Jefferson made NFL history as the NFC North-leading Minnesota Vikings claimed a hard-fought 33-26 bounce-back win over the New England Patriots on Thursday.
The Vikings wide receiver, who scored one touchdown from nine receptions for 139 yards along with throwing a first-quarter 11-yard pass, surpassed Randy Moss for most receiving yards through any player's first three seasons in NFL history.
In a thrilling Thanksgiving game full of lead changes at US Bank Stadium, Minnesota scored the final 10 points to improve to 9-2, with Jefferson's contested catch for a 36-yard gain leading to Adam Thielen's game-winning TD from Kirk Cousins' 15-yard pass with 9:34 remaining.
Mac Jones was sacked by Ross Blacklock on a final-minute drive, before the clock elapsed with no timeouts remaining despite regaining 40 yards on passes for Kendrick Bourne and Jakobi Meyers.
Kirk Cousins threw three touchdowns with one interception for 299 yards on 30-of-37 passing for the game, while Kene Nwangwu provided a major highlight with his third-career kick return for a TD to tie the game at 23-23 in the third quarter.
Jones threw a career-high 382 yards, completing 28-of-39 attempts for two touchdowns, linking up with wide receivers Nelson Agholor and Hunter Henry.
Henry thought he had a second TD late in the third quarter, but the Jones' pass was ruled incomplete with the catch not controlled on landing, meaning the Pats had to settle for a field goal and a 26-23 lead, before the Vikings final-quarter rally.
Vikings receivers Jefferson, Thielen and T.J. Hockenson all scored TDs as they responded to Sunday's 40-3 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Hockenson has the most catches by a tight end (26) in their first four games for a team in NFL history, having joined the Vikings from the Detroit Lions earlier this month.
Two-time Super Bowl champion Von Miller is expected to undergo an MRI after exiting Thursday's 28-25 Buffalo Bills win over the Detroit Lions with a knee injury.
Miller appeared to bend his knee awkwardly after he had his foot stepped on as he tried to get to Lions quarterback Jared Goff.
The Pro Bowl outside linebacker was able to limp off but spent time in the medical tent before being carted to the locker room.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott was unclear about the extent of Miller's knee issue, which forced him out of the game with less than three minutes left in the first half.
"I don't know," McDermott told reporters when asked about Miller's status. "I only connected with [head athletic trainer] Nate [Breske] at half-time, so I don't have anything to give you on that."
Miller was spotted leaving the X-ray room at Ford Field but was not wearing a moon boot nor using crutches.
The 33-year-old, who joined the Bills in the offseason from the Los Angeles Rams, has a team-high eight sacks this season. He entered Week 12 ranked second in the NFL with 37 pressures.
The Buffalo Bills took a number of punches in their 28-25 Thanksgiving win against the Detroit Lions on Thursday, but continued to get off the canvas to tough out a gutsy win.
Despite coming out on the losing side, the Lions took the lead in the first quarter, re-took the lead in the fourth quarter, and after the Bills were able to pull back in front, they clawed their way down the field to tie it with 23 seconds remaining.
But every time the Lions thought they had the visiting Bills on the ropes, Josh Allen and company were always able to find the answer, using those final 23 seconds to make their way into field goal range and escape with the win in regulation.
Coming into the game without two key starters on defense with linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and pass-rusher Greg Rousseau out hurt, their injury list received another unfortunate edition in the second quarter when future Hall-of-Famer Von Miller was carted off with a knee sprain.
Touching on how the Bills continued to push through all the adversity they faced, top wide receiver Stefon Diggs said it comes from everybody's belief in the next-man-up to get the job done.
"That next-man mindset is real," he said. "I hate to preach it, sound like a broken record, but guys came in and played at a high level.
"We just preach it to everybody to do the job. You don't need to do more than your job and you do your one 11th, we'll find a way.
"I tried to tell the guys everything in the past is the past. We didn't get off to the best start, but you keep rolling with the punches.
"Things aren't gonna be perfect; I'm riding with my guy [Allen]. We just had to try to get on the same page, every week is different… things didn't happen perfectly, but we figured it out."
Allen echoed that sentiment, and highlighted the mental fortitude of kicker Tyler Bass to come out and nail the game-winner shortly after missing an extra-point.
"Guys are resilient, the ups and downs of an NFL game, that's a good team playing very well, playing good football right now," he said.
"But again, guys just continuing to grind, guys going down and stepping up finding a way. I'm proud of our guys for doing that.
"I don't think you understand how big it is for a guy to do that in this league, for [Bass] just to feel that rollercoaster of emotions, to go step up for our team and nail it."
Head coach Sean McDermott also made sure to praise his kicker, saying he knew he could trust him despite the previous miss.
"You're going to have some [misses]," he said. "But to be able to let a player reset after making a mistake and come out, that's how you earn trust when you do that, right?
"When you can give a player that second chance right there. I didn't have to mess with him. I knew he's so mentally tough, and he showed it again today."
The Bills are now 8-3 and atop the AFC East, with a Thursday fixture on the road against the New England Patriots up next.
The Dallas Cowboys' defense woke up at half-time and took over the game against the New York Giants, carrying their side to a 28-20 victory on Thanksgiving.
Playing on the road, it was the Giants who led early, with two field goals and a Saquon Barkley goal-line touchdown giving the visitors a 13-7 lead at the long break.
What was a competitive contest in the first half turned into one-way traffic in the third quarter, with Cowboys tight end Dalton Schultz punctuating back-to-back drives with touchdown catches to jump ahead 21-13 heading into the fourth.
The last quarter was more of the same, adding another touchdown with a hand-off to backup tight end Peyton Hendershot from the two-yard line to complete the rout.
New York only had four possessions after half-time, resulting in a punt and two turnovers-on-downs, before a consolation touchdown in the final seconds with the game well-and-truly decided, as the Cowboys showed why many are picking them as the best defensive team in the NFL.
Defensive Player of the Year favourite Micah Parsons collected two of the Cowboys' three sacks on Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, taking his tally for the season to 12, trailing only Matthew Judon of the New England Patriots (13).
The Cowboys' two-pronged rushing attack also delivered, with Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard combining for 152 yards and a touchdown from 34 carries, while CeeDee Lamb led all receivers with six catches for 106 yards. Dak Prescott threw two touchdown passes with two interceptions on 21-of-30 passing for 261 yards.
The result breaks the tie between the two sides in the NFC East, with the Cowboys now owning sole possession of second place in the NFC East at 8-3, while the Giants slipped to 7-4.
Canada will play Italy in the Davis Cup semi-finals after coming from behind to defeat Germany 2-1 in Malaga.
Initially a wildcard for the finals as the highest-ranked losing nation in the qualifiers, the 2019 runners-up are through to the last four for the second time in three years - and fourth time overall.
Felix Auger-Aliassime overcame Oscar Otte in straight sets - condemning him to a fourth straight singles defeat - to set up a doubles decider and cancel out Denis Shapovalov's earlier loss to Jan-Lennard Struff.
Shapovalov and Vasek Pospisil appeared in trouble when they lost the opening set 6-2 against Tim Puetz and Kevin Krawietz, who had won all eight Davis Cup matches when paired together.
But the Canadian duo, who hit a combined 11 aces during the contest, rallied to force a deciding set, which they took 6-3 to inflict a first defeat on their opponents.
Earlier in the day, Italy also came through a deciding doubles match to beat the USA and secure their first semi-final appearance since 2014.
Despite missing the injured Jannik Sinner and Matteo Berrettini, the Italians were appearing in their first quarter-final for six years, and they made a strong start with Lorenzo Sonego hitting 17 aces on the way to defeating Frances Tiafoe 6-3 7-6 (8-6).
Targeting only their fourth semi-final since 2007, 32-time winners USA rallied with Taylor Fritz overcoming Lorenzo Musetti in straight sets to force the first deciding double match of the finals.
There, just one break per set was enough for Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini to beat Tommy Paul and Jack Sock 6-3 6-3, and send the 1976 champions through.
The Detroit Lions played tough, but another last-minute, game-winning drive from star quarterback Josh Allen lifted the Buffalo Bills to a 28-25 win on Thanksgiving.
Playing at home and entering the contest on a three-game winning streak, the Lions struck first with a close-range Jamaal Williams touchdown in the first quarter.
The Bills would answer straight back with a 19-yard touchdown pass from Allen to Isaiah McKenzie on the next drive, and after trading touchdowns again in the second quarter, a Tyler Bass field goal as time expired gave Buffalo a 17-14 lead at half-time.
Defensive lineman Ed Oliver tacked on two more points for the Bills early in the third quarter when he sacked Lions quarterback Jared Goff in the endzone for a safety, but the hosts would not go away, taking the lead 22-19 to begin the fourth period after a D.J. Chark touchdown catch.
The see-sawing battle would see the Bills retake the ascendancy with under three minutes remaining through a five-yard Stefon Diggs touchdown reception, but the Lions looked destined to take it to overtime when Michael Badgley tied it up at 25-25 with a clutch 51-yard field goal, with only 23 seconds on the clock.
That proved to be enough time for Allen to win it, delivering a 36-yard strike to Diggs to move within field goal range, setting up Bass for another big kick, and another big make to take the Bills to 8-3.
Allen completed 24 of 42 passes for 253 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, while top receiver Diggs snagged eight receptions for 77 yards and a score.
Patrick Beverley has been suspended for the Los Angeles Lakers' next three games after shoving Deandre Ayton in their 115-105 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.
With just under four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Beverley pushed an oblivious Ayton while the Suns' center was stood over a grounded Austin Reaves, following a flagrant foul by Devin Booker.
Beverley received a technical foul and was then ejected, but the Lakers guard has now received further punishment in the form of a three-game suspension without pay.
The sanction will see Beverley miss out on a reported $268,965 in salary and will rule him out of the Lakers' back-to-back road games at the San Antonio Spurs on Friday and Saturday, as well as Monday's home showdown with the Indiana Pacers.
An NBA statement read: "Los Angeles Lakers guard Patrick Beverley has been suspended three games without pay for forcefully shoving Suns center Deandre Ayton from behind and knocking him to the court.
"The suspension was based in part on Beverley's history of unsportsmanlike acts."
Over his 14 starts this season, Beverley has averaged 4.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists a game.
Wales and Australia are each set to hand two players their international debuts when the sides meet at the Principality Stadium this weekend.
The two teams face off in their final game of the November international period, as they look to close out on a winning note in Cardiff.
There will be a first appearance for centre Joe Hawkins for the hosts after he was drafted into the squad following Owen Watkin's absence through injury.
Sam Talakai, meanwhile, is primed to figure off the bench for the visitors, though James Hooper has been ruled out with a concussion sustained in last weekend's loss to Ireland.
Wayne Pivac's side hand a first start since 2021 to Leigh Halfpenny at full-back, while Taulupe Faletau will make his 100th Test appearance between Wales and the British and Irish Lions at number eight.
Alun Wyn Jones will also extend his own record as the most-capped men's rugby union international in history as part of the second row.
Playmaker Ben Donaldson gets a first start at fly half for the Wallabies, partnering Jake Gordon, while James Slipper will lead at prop.
Jordan Petaia, on the bench last time out, makes the move to start on the wing for Dave Rennie's side.
Wales team: Leigh Halfpenny, Alex Cuthbert, George North, Joe Hawkins, Rio Dyer, Gareth Anscombe, Tomos Williams; Gareth Thomas, Ken Owens, Dillon Lewis, Adam Beard, Alun Wyn Jones, Jac Morgan, Justin Tipuric, Taulupe Faletau.
Replacements; Ryan Elias, Rhodri Jones, Tomas Francis, Ben Carter, Josh Macleod, Kieran Hardy, Rhys Priestland, Josh Adams.
Australia team: Tom Wright, Jordan Petaia, Len Ikitau, Reece Hodge, Mark Nawaqanitawase, Ben Donaldson, Jake Gordon; James Slipper, Folau Fainga’a, Allan Alaalatoa, Nick Frost, Cadeyrn Neville, Jed Holloway, Fraser McReight, Langi Gleeson.
Replacements: Lachlan Lonergan, Tom Robertson, Sam Talakai, Ned Hanigan, Pete Samu, Tate McDermott, Noah Lolesio, Jock Campbell.
Tommy Freeman headlines the changes to England's clash with world champions South Africa at Twickenham this weekend, as Eddie Jones makes four swaps.
After mounting a famous late comeback to secure a 25-25 draw last time out with New Zealand, the hosts have made a handful of alterations for their meeting with the Springboks.
Freeman, a star performer during England's tour of Australia earlier this year, has only recently returned from a foot injury, and takes the spot of Jack Nowell.
Mako Vunipola, Alex Coles and Jamie George meanwhile all come into the side, with Luke Cowan-Dickie, Sam Simmonds and Ellis Genge dropping to the bench.
Jack van Poortvliet meanwhile keeps his berth in the halves alongside Marcus Smith, while Owen Farrell will skipper the side at centre for Jones' men.
South Africa coach Jacques Nienaber meanwhile makes four swaps himself, with three enforced by players returning to their clubs as Saturday's game falls outside the international Test window
Cheslin Kolbe, Andre Esterhuizen, and Jasper Wiese are all out as they head back to domestic commitments, with Salmaan Moerat also omitted from the side that beat Italy.
Experienced pair Makazole Mapimpi and Eben Etzebeth both return to the fold in their place, joined by Jesse Kriel and Evan Roos.
England team: Freddie Steward, Tommy Freeman, Manu Tuilagi, Owen Farrell, Jonny May, Marcus Smith, Jack van Poortvliet; Mako Vunipola, Jamie George, Kyle Sinckler, Maro Itoje, Jonny Hill, Alex Coles, Tom Curry, Billy Vunipola.
Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Ellis Genge, Will Stuart, David Ribbans, Sam Simmonds, Ben Youngs, Henry Slade, Jack Nowell.
South Africa team: Willie le Roux, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Makazole Mapimpi, Damian Willemse, Faf de Klerk; Ox Nche, Bongi Mbonambi, Frans Malherbe, Eben Etzebeth, Marvin Orie, Siya Kolisi, Franco Mostert, Evan Roos.
Replacements: Malcolm Marx, Steven Kitshoff, Thomas du Toit, Marco van Staden, Kwagga Smith, Jaden Hendrikse, Manie Libbok, Canan Moodie.
Thirteen persons trained as boxing officials graduated from an intensive three-week course at the G.C Foster College on Tuesday and some are set to get their first jobs on a 10 fight-card to be staged this Friday under the Jamaica Boxing Board’s Gloves Over Guns initiative.
Twenty applicants had enrolled in the course that ran from October 13 to November 5. However, six men and seven women completed the course. It was the first time that this many women were being trained as boxing officials in Jamaica.
"We covered the duties and responsibilities of referees and judges. We looked at things the referee should do before the bout, during the bout and after the bout,” said Kevin Stupart, AIBA certified instructor, who conducted the course.
“The reason we broke that down into three segments was for ease and simplicity in terms of teaching it and letting them understand the different fundamentals as it relates to boxing officiating."
Toniann Lindsay, one of the graduates expressed her satisfaction at being able to complete the intensive course.
"I wanted to be one that passed. I didn't want to be come through and drop out because it wasn't just 13 of us that started the course but 13 of us finished strong,” she said.
“We learned a lot in this course. We learned the roles and responsibilities of both being a judge and a referee. It was a very interesting course and I am so elated to be here right now at this ceremony collecting my certificate. (I) look forward to Friday as we will also be displaying what we have learnt. I just want to thank everyone who made this possible."
Jamaica Boxing Board President Stephen 'Bomber' Jones and Chester McCarthy, Athletic Director at GC Foster College both welcomed the first cohort of trainees.
“This will first of all allow us to have more activity on the same evening or closer bouts, week to week as we are looking to have closer bouts now,” Jones remarked.
“It will open our minds, expand our thinking as we try and get into high school boxing where we could have officials at multiple venues. Now that we have 13 officials graduating, its huge. The graduates are very excited. They are young, enthusiastic and they are willing to work so starting from this Friday they will be in the ring.”
McCarthy, meanwhile, expressed similar sentiments.
"I am extremely elated for the primary reason that this is the first time in five or six years that we have been able to train a fresh set of officials for boxing here in Jamaica,” he said.
It’s an extremely good feeling to have partnered with the Jamaica Boxing Association to train these youngsters."
Come Friday, there will be nine amateur fights and a professional fight between Jermaine 'Breezy' Richards and Mason 'Common Fowl' Brown.
Kawhi Leonard does not have a timetable for his return to action after a right ankle sprain, says Los Angeles Clippers head coach Ty Lue.
The two-time NBA champion sat out Wednesday's 124-107 defeat to the Golden State Warriors after suffering an injury during Monday's showdown with the Utah Jazz.
Leonard rolled his ankle late in the fourth quarter while attempting to make a block, though the player subsequently had seemed hopeful there would be no lay-off.
The small forward's absence at Chase Center alongside fellow key man Paul George, however, is a blow for the Clippers, with no time frame set for his return.
"[He] woke up with some soreness in his ankle," Lue stated when asked on a prognosis for Leonard's recovery.
"It was a little more than we thought. But he's okay, [he's] feeling better, getting better. We don't know a timetable."
Despite defeat, the Clippers still sit just inside the top six of the Western Conference, having posted eight wins and four losses in November so far.
They next face the Denver Nuggets and the Indiana Pacers in back-to-back home contests on November 25 and November 27, before they travel to face the Portland Trail Blazers on November 29.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers revealed he has been playing with a broken thumb on his throwing hand but insists it "doesn't make a difference" to him playing.
Rodgers reluctantly confirmed on Wednesday that he suffered a right thumb injury on the final play of the October 9 game in Week 5 to the New York Giants in London, a 27-22 loss.
The Packers QB conceded the injury was hurting but not harmful, and insisted it would not impact his availability for Sunday's game against the 9-1 Philadelphia Eagles.
"It doesn't make a difference with me playing," Rodgers told reporters. "It doesn't make a difference. You saw the tape on my thumb. Didn't make a difference."
Since Week 6, Rodgers ranks joint 32nd in the NFL for win-loss (1-5), 28th for total QBR (38), 22nd for yards per attempt (6.7) and 26th for completion percentage (62 per cent), with a minimum two starts. Rodgers has thrown 11 touchdowns and four interceptions during that six-game span.
The Packers had started the season 3-0 but are now 4-7 and appear destined to miss the postseason.
"I think I've had worse injuries I've played with," Rodgers said. "Definitely a challenge, but the days off helped. Feeling better this week.
"I actually didn’t even want to get X-rays because I still was going to play but they talked me into it."
The Packers have had an extended break after last Thursday's 27-17 loss to the Tennessee Titans, offering Rodgers additional days to rest the injury.
"I hope it helped his thumb," Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said.
Eric Haula called the New Jersey Devils' 13-game win streak-ending 2-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday as the "complete hurricane" after having three goals disallowed.
The game was halted for six minutes in the third period after fans at Prudential Center after fans littered the ice in protest at the Devils' third disallowed goal of the game.
Dougie Hamilton scored the Devils' lone goal after that delay, proving to be a consolation, after John Tavares and Pontus Holmberg's first-period goals for the visitors.
Toronto goaltender Matt Murray made 34 saves as the Devils failed in their bid for a 10-0 record against Canadian teams this season. The Devils also fell one win short of a new franchise record.
"It was a little bit frustrating," forward Haula told reporters. "It just seemed like it wasn't quite in control in some ways, and then it got crazy.
"Tough luck for us. Tough bounces. If [the streak] was going to end, it was going to end like that. A complete hurricane."
The first of the disallowed goals saw the Devils fail on a coach's challenge for goalie interference from Nathan Bastian with Jonas Siegenthaler's goal waved off.
Damon Severson's second-period goal was disallowed as Tomas Tatar was deemed to have made incidental contact with Murray, bundling him over and leaving the net open.
Haula was involved in the third disallowed goal in the third period, kicking the puck off an opposition skate and into the net, prompting fans to protest, tossing garbage on the ice.
Devils head coach Lindy Ruff said: "We've got some passionate fans and I think it was on display tonight."
"You don't often see three in one game. But we saw three in one game… The overturned goals, some of those are 50-50. Some of those you take a chance on."
Jayson Tatum shook off injury to get the better of Luka Doncic as the Boston Celtics blew out the Dallas Mavericks in a 125-112 victory, having led by as many as 27 points on Wednesday.
Tatum, who had been listed as questionable with a sprained ankle, scored 37 points with 13 rebounds and five assists, while Jaylen Brown contributed 31 points on 13-of-18 field shooting.
Doncic scored a game-high 42 points with eight rebounds and nine assists but gave up five turnovers, and was blocked by Tatum in the fourth quarter.
Tatum and Doncic went head to head in the final quarter after the Mavs closed to 117-107. The Celtics forward first dunked, then made two free-throws after being fouled by the Slovenian, before blocking Doncic's driving lay-up.
Brown drained a three-point attempt after Marcus Smart's assist and suddenly it was 124-107 and game over.
Smart had 13 points with nine assists, while center Al Horford hit four-of-four from three-point range in his 14 points.
The Celtics moved to an NBA-best 14-4 record with the victory, while the Mavs suffered their fifth loss in six road games to fall to 9-8.
Wiggins stars as Warriors get back to winning ways
All-Star Andrew Wiggins enjoyed a season-high game with 31 points including six three-pointers as the Golden State Warriors won 124-107 over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Stephen Curry scored 22 points, making four-of-10 from beyond the arc, with six rebounds and nine assists as the Warriors improved to 9-10.
The result ended the three-game winning run of the Clippers, who were without All-Stars Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. Marcus Morris Sr top scored for the Clippers with 19 points.
Bulls topple Bucks to claim another big scalp
The Chicago Bulls claimed another big scalp only a few days after ending the Celtics' nine-game winning run, with a 118-113 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.
DeMar DeRozan starred for the Bulls with 36 points and eight assists, while Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo had 36 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists.
Chicago trailed 109-106 with 1:15 remaining before Coby White sunk two three-pointers to sink the Bucks, who gave up 19 turnovers for the game.
Kyrie Irving was thrilled with the Brooklyn Nets' response to the "internet uproar" from Tuesday's 115-106 loss to the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers in Wednesday's 112-98 road win over the Toronto Raptors.
Irving led the way for the Nets with a team-high 29 points, including 19 in the third quarter, as they bounced back after being "embarrassed" by the 76ers who were missing Joel Embiid, James Harden and Tyrese Maxey.
The win improved the Nets to 9-10, fueled by a 39-25 third quarter where Irving scored three triples.
"We're in the business of winning," Irving told reporters after the game.
"We'll take this one, especially after last night's loss, and the whole internet going up in an uproar in terms of how embarrassed we should be, which is true.
"We just wanted to make sure we paid attention to detail tonight. We came out and responded."
Nets teammate Ben Simmons, who had his fifth straight game with 10 points or more, praised Irving for his role in the win.
"Just being Kyrie, that's what we want him to do, just be himself," Simmons said. "Have that confidence to come out and take those shots and be who he is.
"He's an incredible player, an incredible teammate, I'm glad he had a night like tonight."
Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn said his side had learned and applied valuable lessons from losses to short-handed opponents lately, including their 116-103 defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers missing LeBron James along with the 76ers.
"It really was a standard that we have to have for each other," Vaughn said. "A big piece of that is holding each other in a higher standard.
"I thought from the beginning of the game you saw that, a lot more talk from each other, a lot more communication and demand from each other which was great to see."
Kevin Durant was held to only 12 points for the game, but passed Kevin Garnett to be 18th on the NBA all-time points scorers' list.
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase is expected to return from a hip injury for Sunday's game against the Tennessee Titans, according to QB Joe Burrow.
Chase returned to practice on Wednesday having not played since the Week 7 win over the Atlanta Falcons.
The hip injury had initially been expected to sideline the 2021 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year for four to six weeks.
"We expect him to play," Burrow told reporters. "I know he ran yesterday and he felt good. So we'll see how it goes the rest of the week."
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor was confident that Chase would be available, labelling him day-to-day.
"He's done all the things we've asked him to do," Taylor said.
"He has done a great job with the trainers in there. Everything has been positive to this point."
The Bengals, who lost last season's Super Bowl, have rallied to 6-4 from an 0-2 start to the season.
Chase has scored six touchdowns on 47 receptions for 605 yards in seven games this season. The 22-year-old scored 14 touchdowns in his rookie year last season.
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