Ben Simmons says people underestimate how hard it is to return from back surgery following his first double-double in almost 18 months in the Brooklyn Nets' 109-107 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday.

Simmons, who was traded from the Philadelphia 76ers to the Nets in February, enjoyed his best scoring game since his switch, with 15 points along with 13 rebounds and seven assists in 32 minutes.

The double-double was the Australian's first in the NBA since June 14, 2021, having not played at all last season before undergoing back surgery in May.

The much-maligned Simmons has struggled for impact upon his return to playing this season, averaging 5.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists, but Thursday was a breakthrough.

"People make it seem like I had a sprained ankle or something," Simmons told reporters. "I had back surgery, that’s not easy to come back from.

"I take it day by day, I stay locked in, I stay focused and continue to build, myself, my body and my game."

Simmons has missed games this season due to injury and soreness, but he is building some momentum after making 11-of-13 from the field in his past two games, where he has posted double-digit scores.

"I'm coming," Simmons said with a grin. "I'm getting there, it's taking a little bit of time. My team-mates have got my back, my coaches."

Kevin Durant, who top scored for the Nets with 35 points, hailed the impact made by his team-mate Simmons.

"He was incredible tonight," Durant said. "I thought he did a good job of commanding the offense, commanding the team on the defensive side of the ball. He controlled the game and was able to get us back into it."

Simmons has been criticised for his free-throw shooting in the past but made three-of-four from the stripe, all coming in the final four minutes of the fourth quarter with the game up for grabs.

"We had no doubts when he walked up there," Durant said. "I felt like we all were confident, just how he was playing. I felt super confident when he went up there, so three-from-four, crunch time like that. That was key for us. We needed those.

"He shot them like he was confident. He ran back down the court like he knew they were going in. When he's playing aggressive like that, when he's downhill, he did it all for us tonight. I'm excited for him because this is the type of the game that we all needed to see.

"I think everybody else on the outside, basketball fans in general, was loving it and couldn’t wait to see this type of performance from him. We expect that from him every night."

Aaron Rodgers felt he threw "a lot of kinda wobblers" in a defeat to the Tennessee Titans and described boos from Green Bay Packers fans as "interesting".

The Packers' playoff hopes took another blow at Lambeau Field, where they were consigned to a 27-17 defeat on Thursday.

After beating the Dallas Cowboys to halt a five-game losing streak last Sunday, Green Bay slipped up again and are 4-7 in second place in the NFC North.

Quarterback Rodgers finished on 24-of-39 passing for 227 yards, with two touchdowns and no interceptions.

Derrick Henry was a star of the show, rushing for 87 yards to become the first running back to pass the 1,000-yard mark this season.

He also rushed for his 10th touchdown, becoming the fifth player in NFL history to rush for 10 or more touchdowns in five consecutive seasons.

Packers supporters made their feelings clear and Rodgers was clearly puzzled to hear them turn on their side.

"Interesting," Rodgers said when asked about the boos. "That's the best I can give you."

Rodgers, bothered by a thumb problem of late, offered a frank assessment of his performance during Green Bay's latest setback.

"I couldn't tell you, point to one thing [that went wrong]," he said. "I'm not going to make excuses about my thumb, it's been the same since New York.

"I don't know. I've gotta go back and look at it. It felt like fundamentally I was in a good spot. I just didn't have the same type of consistent grip and ball coming out the same way.

"I threw a lot of kinda wobblers tonight. There was some wind. I just missed a few throws I should have had."

He added: "I've got to throw the ball better than I did tonight. Not a lot of margin for error for us and definitely not against a team that gives you some opportunities. We've got to have those plays.

Four-time NFL MVP Rodgers says all is not lost for the Packers.

"We've gotta play up to our potential," Rodgers said. "If we play up to our potential, we can win our last six games. I'm confident of that. Obviously I've gotta play up to my potential; tonight wasn't it."

Kawhi Leonard had a limited statistical impact in his latest return from a knee injury, but Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue was delighted with his movement and defensive output.

Leonard returned after 12 games out with stiffness in his surgically-repaired right knee as the Clippers beat the Detroit Pistons 96-91 on Thursday, scoring six points on two-of-eight field shooting with five rebounds and four assists.

The two-time NBA Finals MVP missed all of last season after rupturing his ACL in the 2021 playoffs, when the Clippers reached the Western Conference finals for the first time in franchise history.

Leonard started and played 25 minutes against the Pistons, having only managed 21 minutes in both of his two games off the bench earlier this season before his 12-game absence.

"He looked pretty good as far as his movement," Lue told reporters, with the win improving the Clippers to 9-7. "His impact defensively is huge for us.

"With him on the floor, we're a different team. It gives us a sense of calmness when he has the ball in his hand."

Leonard's availability going forward will be determined day to day by how he is feeling, but the small forward was content to be back for now.

"It was good to be back," he said. "I felt good.

"It's going to be a long journey. ACL recovery isn't just one year. It's a two-year process."

Reggie Jackson, who top scored for the Clippers with 23 points, said Leonard's presence was a major boost for the side.

"It is going to take a second to figure it out," Jackson told ESPN. "We know his spots, we know the shots he wants to get. He got great looks tonight. The only thing he didn’t have tonight was rhythm.

"His ability to get to his spots, his ability to be great, he did amazing, he drew a lot of defense for us and made it easier for us to get some easy shots.

"He didn’t have it necessarily going the way that we're all accustomed to, but he was still very special for us tonight. Happy to have him back. Hopefully we can keep everybody healthy and get this rolling."

Royce O'Neale tipped in the game-winner with 0.7 seconds left as the Brooklyn Nets edged the Portland Trail Blazers 109-107 to improve their overall record to 7-9 on Thursday.

Kevin Durant, who finished with a game-high 35 points, missed his turn-around jumper but O'Neale was on hand with a tip-in to help the Nets snap their two-game skid.

Durant went 13-of-22 from the field with eight rebounds, three assists and a block, clocking up his 26,000th career NBA point along the way, becoming the 19th player to achieve that feat.

The Nets got strong contributions off the bench as Yuta Watanabe added 20 points with seven rebounds, while Ben Simmons had a double-double with 15 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists.

Game-winner O'Neale, who was in the starting line-up, had 11 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists for the game.

The victory comes after Durant's stinging public criticism of the Nets' starting quality in the continued absence of the suspended Kyrie Irving, who may return for Sunday's game with the Memphis Grizzlies.

Damian Lillard top scored for Portland, who fall to 10-5, with 25 points along with 11 assists. Anfernee Simons added 24 points and Jusuf Nurkic had 17, including a three-point play to tie the game up with 6.5 seconds to go.

Kawhi returns as Clippers shoot down Pistons

Kawhi Leonard had minimal impact on his return after 12 games out as the Los Angeles Clippers rallied from a 12-point deficit to win 96-91 over the Detroit Pistons.

Leonard scored six points with five rebounds and four assists after not playing since October 24 due to knee stiffness. The two-time NBA Finals MVP, who was in the starting lineup, shot two-of-eight from the field.

Reggie Jackson scored a team-high 23 points in a low-scoring game, while Ivica Zubac pulled down 18 rebounds with nine points.

Kings remain hot as Fox fires

The Sacramento Kings improved to 8-6 with their fifth straight victory, winning 130-112 over the San Antonio Spurs.

De'Aaron Fox scored a team-high 28 points on 11-of-15 shooting along with eight assists, while Malik Monk added 26 points off the bench. Spurs guard Devin Vassell top scored with 29 points, including four triples.

The Kings' five-game win streak is their first since the 2020-21 season, while it comes after they started the season 0-4, winning eight of their past 10 games.

New Jersey Devils head coach Lindy Ruff hailed his side's play after extending their win streak to 11 games with Thursday's 3-2 overtime victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Yegor Sharangovich scored on a rebound 57 seconds into overtime, for his fourth goal of the season, while goal-tender Vitek Vanecek made 25 saves as the Devils improved to 14-3-0.

The Devils' 11-game unbeaten run is tied for the second-longest streak in franchise history, with the longest being 13 from 2000-01 when that side were Stanley Cup runners-up.

"I don’t know if we're really focusing on the rest of the league," Ruff told reporters when asked if the win streak was a statement for other teams.

"You've got to have a lot of good things happen to run a streak like this. In this league, a goalie can beat you, a couple of bad bounces can beat you. We've definitely played with a lot of pace and a lot of speed and been able to take it to a lot of teams."

One player who has been central to the Devils' success is captain Nico Hischier, who put his side up with his second-period goal, before William Nylander's quick shot with 2:09 remaining in the third sent it to overtime.

Ruff suggested that Swiss 23-year-old Hischier should be a candidate for the Selke Trophy, the NHL's top defensive award, comparing him to five-time winner Patrice Bergeron.

"He's a power-play guy, he's one of our top penalty killers," Ruff said about Hischier. "You look at where he is with his play away from the puck, I actually think he should be a candidate this year.

"If he can stay healthy, his two-way game is right up there with the likes of Bergeron."

Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe rued his side's 23 giveaways compared to the Devils' 14, acknowledging that is what sets them apart.

"We get the puck back and you give it right back to them," Keefe said. "Can't happen.

"We beat ourselves at times and gave them free goals. They didn't beat themselves at all. That's how you win 11 in a row — you don't beat yourself."

The Green Bay Packers' revival stalled before it genuinely began after a 27-17 loss to the Derrick Henry-inspired Tennessee Titans at Lambeau Field on Thursday.

Henry had 28 carries for 87 yards, with one running touchdown and one throwing touchdown when the Titans deceived the Packers' defense in the third quarter to open up a 20-9 lead. He also had two receptions for 45 yards.

The Titans running back became the first player since 1983 with 20 or more carries, two or more completions, a rushing TD and a passing TD in a game.

Titans QB Ryan Tannehill was exceptional against the blitz and made 22 of 27 passes for 333 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Tennessee improved to 7-3, having won seven of their past eight games, with their only loss in that run coming in overtime to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Aaron Rodgers threw two TD passes, both to breakout rookie Christian Watson, on 24-of-39 passing for 227 yards for the 4-7 Packers, who had snapped a five-game skid with last week's 31-28 overtime win over the Dallas Cowboys.

Tannehill passed to Treylon Burks for a 37-yard gain, before linking up with Dontrell Hilliard for a TD on a methodical opening drive. Burks finished the game with seven receptions for 111 yards.

Rodgers caught the Titans defense off guard for Watson's TD to make it 7-6, while the Packers defense thwarted Henry on a fourth-and-one midway after an 18-play drive through the second quarter, but he would not be denied late in the half, opening up a 14-6 half-time lead.

Henry gained 42 yards on a marauding catch-and-run, before flipping a pass over the Packers defense for Austin Hooper to score. After Rodgers found Watson in the same corner again, Hooper added another TD from a 16-yard Tannehill dime early in the fourth.

Arguably the best stretch of Mecole Hardman's career has been interrupted, with the Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver set to miss the next month after being placed on injured reserve on Thursday.

Hardman, 24, scored a touchdown in three consecutive games for the first time in his career, starting in Week 6 against the Buffalo Bills, before also finding the endzone against the San Francisco 49ers and Tennessee Titans.

He was listed on the injury report with an abdominal injury following the win against the Titans in Week 9, before missing the Chiefs' Week 10 win against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Unfortunately, his prospect of a quick return evaporated during the week off, with the team deciding he is far enough away from full health to warrant the use of the injured reserve.

He will be ineligible to play for at least the next four weeks, and it comes at a time when the Chiefs' top receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster is under the league's concussion protocol.

Smith-Schuster is also unlikely to play in Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers, which means there will be an increased responsibility for star tight end Travis Kelce, as well as an opportunity for recently acquired Kadarius Toney.

Toney, a first-round draft pick in 2021, arrived in Kansas City less than a month ago from the New York Giants in exchange for a third-round pick and a sixth-round pick.

In his second game for the Chiefs, Toney caught four passes for 57 yards and his first touchdown from quarterback Patrick Mahomes, also receiving two carries for 33 yards.

Aaron Judge has capped his historic season after being crowned the AL Most Valuable Player (MVP) ahead of Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani on Thursday.

St Louis Cardinals slugger Paul Goldschmidt was also voted the NL MVP, beating out Manny Machado of the San Diego Padres and teammate Nolan Arenado for the award.

Judge's MVP, the first in his career, came after he broke the single-season Yankees and AL home-run record, reaching 62 to surpass Roger Maris Sr's 61 – set 61 years ago in 1961. He became the fourth major league player to hit 62 or more homers in a single season.

The Yankees outfielder led the AL in home runs (62), RBIs (131), slugging percentage (.686), on-base percentage (.425), OPS (1.111) and total bases (391), while he chased an AL Triple Crown down the stretch, but ultimately fell short as Minnesota Twins' utility Luis Arraez (.316) won the batting title.

Judge received 28 first-place votes for 410 points, ahead of Ohtani (280) and Houston Astros' Yordan Alvarez (232).

The 30-year-old already had two top-five MVP finishes on his resume, in 2017 and 2021, winning Silver Slugger awards in both years.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said: "I’m grateful that I got to witness it first-hand and share in his magical year, especially given how much respect I have for him as a player and as a person."

Goldschmidt looked like the NL MVP since the All-Star break, batting .317 while leading the NL in OPS (.982) and slugging percentage (.578).

The Cardinals first baseman's 35 home runs finished one off his career-high, set in 2013 and equalled in 2017, giving him his seventh season with at least 30 dingers.

Goldschmidt won the MVP with 380 voting points, ahead of Machado (291) and Arenado (232). It is the sixth time in 35-year-old Goldschmidt's career that he has finished in the top-six for the award.

"I think definitely as you age, you have to adapt, and that's some of what I've tried to do. I've tried to get ahead of it," Goldschmidt told MLB Network. "I think it was my best season."

Kevin Durant says the probable return of Kyrie Irving for the Brooklyn Nets' game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday will provide a "much-needed spark".

Irving will miss an eighth straight game because of a team-imposed suspension when the Nets take on the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday, in the final leg of their four-game road trip.

The seven-time All-Star guard was handed an indefinite team-imposed suspension without pay by the Nets, for at least five games, after he shared an allegedly anti-semitic film and book on social media last month.

The Nets, the NBA and the NBPA have worked together with Irving to remediate the situation, after Brooklyn initially laid out six prerequisites for the player. According to reports, a resolution is close, potentially in time for Sunday's game.

"It's exciting for everybody," Durant told reporters prior to Thursday's game. "I mean we miss 'Ky'. We miss his presence on the floor.

"I haven't talked to him since we've been on the road trip about it the last couple of days. But we're looking forward to his return to the team. Definitely gonna give us a much-needed spark."

The Nets, who are 6-9 overall, have gone 4-3 in Irving's absence, although they were blown out 153-121 by the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday, which was a franchise record for most points conceded.

Durant added that he was hopeful Irving's return would be soon but said he had not been briefed on where the process is at.

"I don't know the details about everything that's going on to be honest," Durant said. "I should know, I guess, because I'm part of the team.

"But I've been totally focused on the road trip. Once we get back home, I'm sure that stuff will figure itself out. Hopefully it's soon, that's all that I can say."

Having qualified for his first ATP Finals, Taylor Fritz is now through to the last-four as he prevailed 7-6 (7-4) 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 against Felix Auger-Aliassime in a match where the winner would advance from the Green Group.

There were no break point opportunities in the first set on the back of elite serving from both players, with Fritz converting 90 per cent (19/21) of his accurate first serves into points. However, after giving up a mini-break to begin the tiebreaker, Fritz steadied and snatched three mini-breaks of his own to take the opener.

It was more of the same in the second set, with Auger-Aliassime taking his turn to dominate with his serve. In a near carbon-copy, the Canadian won exactly 90 per cent (19/21) of the first serves he landed fair, and Fritz had to save the only three breaks points of the frame to force another tiebreaker.

When Auger-Aliassime's serve slipped in the third set, so did any chance of taking the match. He won only 52 per cent of his service points (14/27) in the frame, while Fritz maintained a stellar level at 89 per cent (16/18), securing a double-break and the victory.

Having finished second in his group, Fritz will next take on the winner of the Red Group, which will likely be Novak Djokovic as he is the only undefeated player through two games.

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS

Fritz - 5/1

Auger-Aliassime - 9/2

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS

Fritz - 32/21

Auger-Aliassime - 36/31

BREAK POINTS WON

Fritz - 2/5

Auger-Aliassime - 0/3

Kawhi Leonard is on the brink of a Los Angeles Clippers return, having been listed as questionable for Thursday's game against the Detroit Pistons.

Leonard had previously been listed as out, having not played since October 24, dating back 12 games due to stiffness in his surgically-repaired right knee. 

The 31-year-old small forward missed all of last season after rupturing his ACL during the 2021 playoffs.

Leonard played 21 minutes in each of his two games this season, averaging 12.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists.

The Clippers, who are 8-7, have also listed All-Star Paul George (left-hand contusion) as questionable for the Pistons game.

The Philadelphia Eagles have signed a second veteran in as many days in an effort to shore up a leaky run defence, as the team announced Thursday it has agreed to a one-year contract with five-time Pro Bowl tackle Ndamukong Suh.

Suh's addition comes one day after the 8-1 Eagles signed 34-year-old defensive tackle Linval Joseph to a one-year deal, and just three days after Philadelphia surrendered 152 rushing yards and were handed their first loss of the season with a 32-21 home defeat to the Washington Commanders.

The 35-year-old is yet to play this season while he fielded offers with the intent to sign with a contender, but started all 17 games for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021 and finished with six sacks for a second straight campaign.

Over 12 NFL seasons with the Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay, Suh has started 191 regular-season games and compiled 70.5 sacks.

The 2010 No. 2 overall pick was named to the Pro Bowl five times between 2010-16 and was a starter on the Buccaneers' 2020 Super Bowl champion team.

The Eagles were seeking reinforcements in their defensive interior after recently placing tackles Jordan Davis and Marlon Tuipulotu on injured reserve, and to address the team's struggles in stopping the run.

Philadelphia have allowed 124 rushing yards or more in five consecutive games and rank 25th in the NFL in average yards allowed per rush attempt (4.7).

The Eagles have permitted an average of 144.4 yards per game on the ground during that five-game stretch.

Cole Hammer is the leader after the first round of the RSM Classic, enjoying his only round for the week at Sea Island Resort's Plantation course on Thursday to post an eight-under 64.

The RSM Classic utilizes two courses at Sea Island Resort – the par-72 Plantation course, and the par-70 Seaside course. Each competitor will get one round on each course before the cut heading into the weekend, with the final two rounds to be played on the Seaside course.

Starting on the back-nine, 23-year-old Hammer posted nine birdies and seven pars from his first 16 holes, before his first blemish came with a bogey on the 17th to finish alone atop the leaderboard at eight under.

In second place is Ben Griffin, who also played the Plantation course, going bogey-free for his seven-under 65.

Beau Hossler and Callum Taren are tied for third after shooting six-under 64s on the Seaside course, with that appearing as the harder of the two tracks. 

There is a logjam tied for sixth at five under, and of the 16 payers to shoot five under or better, only four – Hossler, Taren, Chris Gotterup and Andrew Putnam – did it on the Seaside course.

Rising talent Sahith Theegala and recent winner of the Bermuda Championship Seamus Power are one further back at four under, with Italy's Francesco Molinari and Canada's Taylor Pendrith at three under.

It was a tough day out for some of the field's biggest names, with former Masters champion Danny Willett struggling to three over on the Seaside course, while former world number one Jason Day had similar issues on his way to four over.

The shot of the day went to Webb Simpson, who took advantage of his only round this week at the Plantation course with an ace on the par-three third hole.