Joel Embiid said the first five minutes of his NBA return were "tough", but knows he will become more comfortable as he eases back in with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Embiid made his first appearance in nine games on Tuesday due to the management of a left knee ailment stemming from the previous season and a three-match suspension.
However, he was unable to stop the 76ers' rough start to the season, going down 111-99 in the NBA Cup to the New York Knicks to move to 2-8 for the season.
Embiid looked understandably rusty in his 26-minute cameo, registering 13 points on 2-for-11 shooting from the field (but 8-for-8 from the free throw line), plus three rebounds, five assists and one block.
"I felt OK," Embiid said afterward. "The first five minutes were rough, but I guess that’s what happens when you haven’t played in a while. I felt after that, I still should be rusty.
"That’s expected, but I thought overall, I felt pretty good health-wise. I think it’s just my trust in myself.
"I thought I was a little timid, so I stuck with a lot of jumpers just to get myself a little comfortable, but as the games go, and I’ll get back to myself, it’s going to be easier."
The first play of the game included Embiid throwing a perfect pass to Paul George for a layup, who cut baseline to get an easy look at the basket.
George had his best game as a Sixer, scoring 29 points on 10-for-19 shooting and 7-for-11 from deep with 10 rebounds as he and Embiid finally got on the floor together for the first time.
"It felt good," Embiid said of the pairing with George. "I thought tonight, he had a nice rhythm which we’re going to need him to keep doing.
"Like I said, my job is to try and make the game easy for all those guys.
"Setting screens and getting them open. Just try to make the game simple. Especially as I’m getting back and trying to feel more confident."
But up next for the 76ers, who find themselves 14th in the Eastern Conference, are the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers, who beat the Chicago Bulls 119-113 on Tuesday.
Embiid has been on record saying he won't play in back-to-backs ever again in his career, but he stated that he will try to give it a go against the Cavs.
"I mean, I want to," Embiid said. "That’s up to those guys. I know I said I’ll never play back-to-backs, but I’m a troll so I’m sure at some point, I’ll play, but if I feel good.
"I feel good right now. We’re gonna see, but it’s up to them."
Stephen Curry scored 37 points, including Golden State's final 12, to rally the Warriors past Klay Thompson and the Dallas Mavericks 120-117 on Tuesday night in an NBA Cup game.
Thompson finished with 22 points in an emotional return to Chase Center for the first time since he departed to join Dallas in July.
Luka Dončić started and had 31 points, eight rebounds and six assists after the team decided his left groin strain was healthy to play once he went through his warmup routine.
The Warriors gifted captain hats to fans in a tribute to Thompson's tradition of taking his boat across the bay to games. Thompson embraced Curry shortly before tipoff and his 3-pointer gave Dallas a 110-105 lead before his old Splash Brother took over.
Curry shot 14 for 27 with five 3s and added nine assists and six rebounds, also sparking a 20-3 burst to begin the third quarter.
Dereck Lively II, questionable to play because of a sprained right shoulder, contributed 12 points and eight rebounds for Dallas, which committed 18 turnovers, leading to 21 Warriors points.
Golden State got 16 points from Jonathan Kuminga and 14 from Buddy Hield.
Curry fouled Thompson 15 seconds into the game and Thompson scored the initial two points of the contest at the free-throw line. But Thompson missed his initial two field-goal attempts before knocking down a 3-pointer with 1:26 remaining in the opening quarter.
Knicks handle Embiid, struggling 76ers
OG Anunoby scored 24 points and the New York Knicks spoiled 76ers star Joel Embiid's season debut, beating Philadelphia 111-99 in the opener of NBA Cup group play for both teams.
Embiid was rusty in his first action since winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics on Aug. 10. He finished with 13 points on 2 of 11 from the field with three rebounds in 26 minutes and was unable to lift the struggling Sixers, who fell to 2-8. Paul George led Philadelphia with 29 points and 10 rebounds.
Josh Hart added 14 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for the Knicks. Karl-Anthony Towns had 21 points and 13 boards, while Jalen Brunson scored 18 points on 5-of-15 shooting.
New York started the fourth quarter on a 13-2 run that broke open a three-point game. Anunoby had three dunks during the run, often taking dead aim at a vacancy caused by Embiid, who was slow to defend the rim.
The Knicks recorded 31 assists on 44 field goals and shot 49% from the floor.
Hawks rally past Celtics
Onyeka Okongwu tipped in a missed shot with 6.1 seconds left, and Jaylen Brown missed a jumper at the buzzer as the Atlanta Hawks overcame a 15-point, second-half deficit to beat the Boston Celtics 117-116 in their NBA Cup opener.
Dyson Daniels scored a career-high 28 points, and Jalen Johnson had 18 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists as Atlanta snapped a two-game losing streak despite playing without star Trae Young.
Brown scored a season-high 37 points and Derrick White added 31 for Boston as it opened the in-season tournament on a green floor with a special parquet design. The defending NBA champions had a two-game winning streak snapped and lost for just the third time this season.
Jayson Tatum's 3-point attempt from the left corner with 24 seconds left and Boston leading 116-115 rimmed out. Daniels missed a floater, but Okongwu tipped it in to give the Hawks their first lead since the final seconds of the first quarter.
The teams traded turnovers on inbounds passes before White found Brown, who pulled up from 13 feet and shot off the rim.
Jannik Sinner insisted he was prepared for the "aggressive" Taylor Fritz in their first meeting since the US Open final in September at the ATP Finals on Tuesday.
Sinner improved his record over Fritz to 3-1 with a 6-4 6-4 victory in Turin, going level with Alexander Zverev with a Tour-leading 67th victory of the season.
The Italian now sits at the top of the Ilie Nastase Group after two games, and faces Daniil Medvedev on Thursday, with the Russian beating Alex de Minaur in straight sets.
"It was a very tough match. We got to know each other from a grand slam final," Sinner said.
"We knew exactly what to expect today. He was very aggressive, but I was prepared too. I just tried to serve well in the important moments.
"In the return positions, his quality of tennis was very, very high, so I was struggling to return his serve, but I was happy with the situation.
"It was a very important day for me today, and I'm very happy that I got through."
Sinner fought off tough resistance from Fritz in front of a home crowd in Turin, hitting 22 winners compared to his opponent's 19.
Fritz had initially earned the first break point of the match, but was unable to make it count before fighting back from 0-40 to level the first set at 4-4.
Sinner ultimately piled the pressure on to win the first set and capitalised on a double fault in the second to break Fritz and win. Fritz will now face de Minaur on Thursday.
Jannik Sinner continued his quest to end his stellar season with the ATP Finals title after downing Taylor Fritz in straight-sets to earn his second win of the tournament.
Sinner emerged a 6-4 6-4 victor in an hour and 40 minutes in Turin, with his latest triumph improving his record to 7-0 on indoor hard courts in 2024.
The Italian showed his intentions with a love service game to open the first set, but was matched by his American opponent, who was also looking to maintain his perfect start.
Sinner missed four break points in the eighth game, but made no mistake in Fritz's following service game to claim the early advantage in Turin.
Fritz again traded blows with the year-end world number one, but would again lose a decisive break late in the second set that put Sinner within touching distance.
The American exchanged in another pulsating rally with his opponent, but sent a backhand wide to send Sinner through and to the top of the Ilie Nastase Group after two matches.
Up next for Sinner is Daniil Medvedev, who beat Alex de Minaur earlier on Tuesday, while Fritz will face the Australian on Thursday.
Data Debrief: The Italian Job
In a back-and-forth tussle with Alexander Zverev to end the year with the most wins, Sinner levelled the German with his Tour-leading 67th victory in 2024 on Tuesday.
He also sealed a 12th win against an American opponent this season, only managing more wins against Ben Shelton (three) this season than Fritz (two, level with Alex Michelsen).
Sinner (2023-24) is only the third player in the Open Era to claim 47+ ATP match wins on hard court in consecutive seasons after Roger Federer (2005-06) and Novak Djokovic (2012-13, 15-16).
South Africa centre Andre Esterhuizen said that the Springboks are aiming to have "the two best teams in the world" ahead of their Autumn Nations Series clash against England.
The world champions were pushed all the way by Scotland in their narrow victory at Murrayfield on Sunday, though head coach Rassie Erasmus opted to rotate some key starting positions.
South Africa captain Siya Kolisi and flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit started on the bench, with the changes a common theme during Erasmus' seven-year tenure.
Their opening Autumn Nations Series victory also put them back on top of the world rankings after Ireland's first defeat in 19 home games by New Zealand on Friday.
"One of the good things is that everyone is getting game time now," Esterhuizen told the BBC's Rugby Union Weekly podcast.
"It is also about looking forward, you've got to be able to spare all the guys for the next World Cup and build experience into it.
"The aim is to have the two best teams in the world, all in one squad.
"We want to make it second nature for people slotting in, so if someone steps in, they can just slot in and play the same if not better than the other player."
South Africa next face England, who are yet to pick up a win this autumn, at Twickenham on Saturday.
Steve Borthwick's side suffered a narrow two-point defeat by New Zealand, before conceding an injury-time winning try to Australia on Saturday.
England have now lost each of their last four Test matches, their longest such run since losing five straight games in 2018, but Esterhuizen's former Harlequins team-mate Marcus Smith has been impressive for the Red Roses.
"It's a great space, I obviously love to play there," Esterhuizen added. "It will be great to be running at Marcus, not run off him.
"It's going to be a great match, England have played well in the last few games, it's unfortunate that it hasn't been the results that they want. I think it's going to be a big one."
The Springboks have won three of their last four matches against England (L1), including each of their last two. Three of the last five games between England and South Africa have been decided by single-point margins.
To say that Sunshine Girl Rhea Dixon stands ready to make a powerful mark in the highly anticipated four-match Vitality Netball Horizon Series against England, would be a great understatement.
In fact, the England-born goal attack, whose Jamaican roots trace back to her grandparents from St. Elizabeth, is not only brimming with confidence and excitement, but more importantly, feels a renewed sense of purpose heading into the series which she believes represents an incredible opportunity to make Jamaica proud.
Dixon, who had an impactful debut for the Sunshine Girls at last year’s Fast5 Netball World Series, is ready to once again showcase her talent alongside her Sunshine Girls teammates.
England will host the first two games scheduled for November 16 and 17 at the AO Arena in Manchester, with Jamaica set to host the last two encounters on November 25 and 26 at the National Indoor Sports Centre.
“I’m very excited to be back with the Sunshine Girls this year. I’m so grateful that this opportunity has come around, and I’m ready to take it with both hands,” Dixon told SportsMax.Tv from the team’s base in Manchester, her enthusiasm unmistakable.
This series, Dixon believes, is a chance to contribute to her team’s success while showcasing the growth and resilience that have defined her journey.
While she admits that her netball journey has had its share of ups and downs, the 27-year-old considers singing the Jamaican national anthem with her teammates one of her proudest moments.
“There have been plenty of highs and lows,” she reflected.
“Winning the last two Netball Superleague championships (with Loughborough Lightning) and being named MVP in the final was a huge accomplishment, but nothing compares to representing Jamaica and sharing that connection with my team,” Dixon declared.
But Dixon also knows well the sacrifices and challenges that come with professional sport, as she has endured setbacks, including a foot injury that saw her miss almost an entire season and also being overlooked by teams early in her career.
Yet, Dixon, who represented England at the Under-21 level before switching allegiance to Jamaica, turned those hardships into fuel for her ambitions.
“Injury and non-selection can feel like huge blows, but they make you stronger. These moments taught me resilience and have shaped who I am as an athlete. I’ve learned to keep pushing and to trust that hard work and dedication always yield results,” she reasoned.
Though new to the longstanding rivalry between the two nations, Dixon is all-in, having been working hard individually over the summer to ensure she’s at peak performance to assist her number four-ranked Sunshine Girls teammates topple the now number two-ranked England and make a move up the rankings.
“I’ve been working on my fitness and mental game throughout the break, so I feel strong both physically and mentally. As a team, we’ve been doing video analysis on England’s recent games to make sure we’re as prepared as possible,” Dixon shared.
“These girls are never less motivated to win. They all want to win and will do whatever it takes to get there. So I really believe that we will come out on top; we have so much knowledge, skill and experience in this group, and they are all winners that will fight until the end,” she noted.
Beyond her ambitions to excel with the Sunshine Girls, Dixon is also focused on her continued development as an athlete.
"I want to keep building my experience with this team, performing consistently on the international stage and bringing what I learn back to my play in England, and hopefully gaining some more silverware in the NSL,” Dixon who recently signed with Nottingham Forest Netball ended.
Thriston Lawrence said winning this week's DP World Tour Championship and overhauling Rory McIlroy to clinch the Race to Dubai title would "mean the world" to him.
Lawrence is the only player who can prevent McIlroy from winning the Race to Dubai title – formerly the Order of Merit – and joining the late Seve Ballesteros on six and going only two behind Colin Montgomerie's record.
The South African, however, needs a victory at Jumeirah Golf Estates and then needs Northern Irishman McIlroy to finish tied for 11th or lower.
McIlroy finished third at the Abu Dhabi Championship last weekend, crucially finishing a shot ahead of Lawrence as Paul Waring claimed his second DP World Tour success, and his first title in six years.
Lawrence has had five runner-up finishes - including at The Open and the BMW PGA Championship - and five more top-10s during an impressive campaign.
It leaves him currently 1,785 points behind McIlroy with 2,000 available to the winner in Dubai, and Lawrence is relishing the opportunity of competing against his "idol".
"It's nice to have a chance," Lawrence said in his pre-tournament press conference. "It's going to take a lot, but just incredible to have an opportunity. I'm very grateful just to be inside the top 50 to be able to compete this week.
"It has been an unbelievable year. Rory [McIlroy] has been an idol for me since growing up as a youngster and being able to clinch it this week would be the cherry on the cake for myself.
"It would mean the world - being the best golfer on the European Tour over the year is an unbelievable achievement.
"Sitting here right now, I've achieved a lot of things that I've wanted to. But to get this trophy behind me would just be unbelievable."
Lawrence won twice on the DP World Tour in each of his first two seasons and has since moved inside the world's top 50 despite his only 2024 victory coming on the Sunshine Tour, with the 27-year-old proud of his progression as a golfer.
"The consistency has been the highlight," Lawrence added. "Finishing in the top 10 ten times this year proves that I'm growing as a golfer, and I'm getting more comfortable out here.
"Obviously, ranking-wise, it's the best season I've had in my life. I won twice in my rookie year, twice last year. This year, I won on the Sunshine Tour, which is nice.
"I always feel like with the strength of golfers in today's time, winning on any tour is quite an achievement.
"Not won on this tour yet, but there is still one event left, so maybe it's my time this week. Where I am now, it just feels comfortable.
"It feels like I can win every week. Just to see myself grow from two years ago is just unbelievable."
Dak Prescott won't play again for the Dallas Cowboys this season.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said that Prescott will undergo surgery on Wednesday to repair his torn hamstring and is out for the remainder of the season.
"His prognosis is wonderful," Jones said Tuesday on his weekly radio appearance on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. "It just means we're not going to have him for the rest of the year."
Prescott sustained the injury in the Cowboys' 27-21 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on November 3, and he sat out this past Sunday's 34-6 home drubbing by the Philadelphia Eagles - Dallas' fourth consecutive defeat.
There was some hope that he wouldn't need surgery and return this season, but he has decided to have the procedure to repair a partial avulsion of the hamstring tendon.
The recovery time for his surgery is at least three months, and the Super Bowl is just under three months away.
With a 3-6 record, Dallas' chances of making the Super Bowl are slim, and it looks like the franchise will miss the play-offs for the first time since 2020 after going 12-5 each of the past three seasons.
The Cowboys' offence also looked completely inept in its first game without Prescott.
Cooper Rush started against the Eagles, but threw for just 45 yards - the fewest by a Cowboys starting quarterback in a game since Matt Cassel had 37 in a 19-16 loss to the New York Jets in 2015.
Trey Lance ended up replacing Rush, and passed for 21 yards, giving Dallas 66 total passing yards - the fewest by the team in a game since having 34 in a 10-6 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2001.
Prescott, who signed a record-breaking, $240million contract hours before this season's opener after finishing as runner-up in NFL MVP voting in 2023, was off to a slow start to the 2024 season with 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions through eight games.
Daniil Medvedev credited his ability to "block out the noise" as crucial in getting his ATP Finals campaign up and running with a straight-sets victory over Alex de Minaur.
Medvedev, who lost his opening game of the tournament to Taylor Fritz, returned to winning ways with a 6-2 6-4 triumph over the Australian in 78 minutes on Tuesday.
The Russian cut a frustrated figure in his defeat to Fritz on Sunday, breaking his racket and was docked a point after serving a third consecutive double fault during the encounter.
However, the fourth seed produced an expertly measured performance, winning 20 out of 31 baseline points in the opening set to claim the early advantage.
The second set was more evenly contested, but Medvedev secured a crucial break point in the ninth game, going on to seal his first top 10 win on hard courts since March.
"After the last match I was too tired to fight mentally the way I do and so, during the match, when it doesn't work your way, you want to win and when you start losing you get frustrated," Medvedev said.
"So I went into this match thinking, if I lose I go home on Thursday for sure and if I win then I have the chance to have a good feeling. I tried to hit some shots and it worked well and I'm ok with it.
"A lot of football players do it [block the noise]. It's more about social media and for sure after my performance with Taylor and some of my comments ... I tried to read it less.
"I went into this match trying to block the noise even from myself, so no tantrums and I really didn't care what was happening on the court."
Medvedev will seek to bolster his hopes of progressing from the John Newcombe Group when he takes on Jannik Sinner next, with the Italian in action against Fritz later on Tuesday.
Data Debrief: Cool, calm and collected
Medvedev kept his hopes of sealing a second ATP Finals crown alive with a composed display against De Minaur, improving his record to 45-19 for the season.
While the Russian produced more unforced errors (18) than De Minaur (15), Medvedev showed his quality by hitting 24 winners, 14 of which came with his forehand.
Medvedev also claimed his sixth top 10 win of 2024, while also improving his head-to-head record against his Australian opponent to 7-3, avenging his defeat in the French Open round of 16 earlier this year.
Mack Hansen has backed Ireland to bounce back from their 23-13 defeat to New Zealand that saw their 19-game home winning streak come to an end.
The loss also saw Ireland tumble from atop the world rankings to third as the All Blacks repeated their World Cup quarter-final success from last year, and also marked New Zealand's first win on Irish soil since 2016.
Ireland had previously won 25 of their 26 home games under Andy Farrell, which was their longest run on home soil, with their latest defeat before last Friday coming against France in 2021 (13-15).
While questions have been asked of a team that have been beaten in three of their past five matches, Hansen was adamant that the mood is not dampened ahead of Friday’s visit of Argentina.
"People are always very eager to jump on you when you’re down. It’s like in South Africa, nobody gave them a hope after the first Test," said Hansen.
“And what happens? They come back and win it. That’s the best thing about this group. The outside noise is outside noise and nobody knows what goes on in here, how hard we work and how resilient we are.
"People can chat away. The people who know us know, unfortunately, it was one of those weeks [against New Zealand], but we’re ready to bounce back.”
Ireland's display was littered with errors against the All Blacks, which included 21 handling mistakes, 30 missed tackles and 13 penalties conceded at the Aviva Stadium.
But eradicating those mistakes could prove difficult when they face Argentina on Friday, who come into the encounter on the back of a 50-18 thrashing of Italy.
Ireland, however, have not lost to the Pumas since the 2015 World Cup quarter-final and have beaten them on the three subsequent occasions they have played in Dublin.
And Hansen is confident his team-mates can respond against Felipe Contepomi's side and continue their impressive run against Argentina.
“There weren’t really hard chats, just honest chats,” added Hansen on Monday's debrief.
"We came to the conclusion that it wasn’t good enough and also that it just wasn’t us.
"So this week we’re looking to right a lot of wrongs and no better place to do it then back in the Aviva in front of a home crowd."
Naomi Osaka is targeting a fifth grand slam win of her career, so says Patrick Mouratoglou.
Osaka, who has won the Australian Open twice and the US Open twice, will head into 2025 as the world number 59.
The former world number one has had a stop-start career in recent years, as she took time away from the sport to focus on her mental health, before then giving birth.
She has taken part in 18 WTA Tour-level competitions this season, with her best effort a run to the quarter-finals at the Qatar Open in February.
Mouratoglou, a former coach of Serena Williams, has been helping to guide the 27-year-old, and he explained Osaka has set her sights on another major crown.
"[With] Serena, motivation was extremely key after she beat the record of [Martina] Navratilova and Chris Evert [to reach 23 Grand Slam singles titles]," he told Sky Sports.
"But I think we worked so well together because I think we were both motivating each other all the time. I knew exactly how to talk to her. She knew exactly how to talk to me. I was pushing her, she was pushing me and that was like that every day.
"So that's why it works so well. For Naomi, it's different because she really feels she has to give and do much more. She had two very difficult years.
"First, she had this mental health issue, and then she had a baby. So she's been out, and then she restarted the year this season and it was not a very good season.
"Before the first tournament we did together she was 80 in the world and she knows she can do much better than that.
"She's extremely motivated to come back and win grand slams, and it's a pleasure for me because that's the dream of every coach: to have a player who has that level of motivation."
Trinidad and Tobago’s Benjamin Martin joined American Mac McClear atop the standings at the 57th Jamaica Open Golf Championships after another positive display on Monday’s second day of action at Tryall Golf Club in Hanover.
Both Martin and McClear are tied at six under par 138 heading into Tuesday’s final day, which will determine this year’s Jamaica Open champion.
Martin, who shot 70 on Sunday’s first day, showed great composure to achieve a four under par 68 on day two, a performance that propelled him into contention for top honours.
“It’s always nice to lead, and I hope it can stay that way for the final round. It is key to stick to the routine, take it one shot at a time, and try your best,” Martin said.
Interestingly, Jacob Lehman of Canada also posted a four under par 68 to move fifth overall at two under par.
McClear, who scored a one under par 71 for the second round, acknowledged that he fell well short of his day one performance, a five under par 67.
“I didn’t have my best stuff today. I didn’t do a whole lot right, but I battled hard and am happy to be tied for the lead. I just have to do the same thing as I have been doing the last two days, which has been working so far, so I’ll just keep doing it,” he said.
Another American Ryan Sullivan and Frenchman Pierre Viallaneix are tied for third place on 139. They were just one stroke off the leaders, which makes for an exciting final day.
Justin Burrowes is the best-placed professional Jamaican golfer in seventh at 144, and he expressed pleasure with his performance in the championship so far.
“It feels good, I would say. I know I could do a little better for sure, but I feel like I am in a good spot after two days. I just have to keep on doing what I am doing, stick to the process, and kind of enjoy it. I feel like I have enjoyed it a lot more this year than last year, so that really helps when you are not focused on all of the external stuff, so I just plan to do more of the same tomorrow, hopefully some puts fall in and that’s about it,” Burrowes reasoned.
Meanwhile, Trey Williams, who recently excited the junior ranks, was having his best run at the Jamaica Open. His two-day score of six over par 150 puts him at three shots ahead of his nearest competitor in the amateur section.
Oshae Haye, the day one joint leader, ended the penultimate round three shots behind Williams on 153, while Sean Morris, the defending champion, occupied the third spot but was just one stroke back on 154 after shooting two over par 74 in the round.
Oklahoma City Thunder talisman Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shrugged off his career-high 45 points as he suggested the showing "didn't feel special".
Gilgeous-Alexander's 14th career 40-point game inspired the Thunder to a 134-126 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday.
Yet Gilgeous-Alexander did not want to play up the importance of his haul, as he instead focuses on pushing for a deeper postseason run this time around.
"It didn't feel special," Gilgeous-Alexander said.
"It didn't feel like I did something I'd never done before. Just felt like another basketball game. I felt like I should have had more, missed some easy shots, but [that's] the game.
"I don't say this to slight my teammates, but I feel like the end of our season last year in the playoffs, obviously for a lot of them, it was the first time in the playoffs and playing games that meaningful.
"I don't want to say they weren't ready, but I feel like I could have equipped them better throughout the year in taking [certain] shots, getting to spots and being more comfortable in certain positions on the court, especially offensively.
"I feel like in the playoffs we were good defensively and offensively is why we lost. And part of my job is to make sure that my teammates are confident and are ready for big moments."
Gilgeous-Alexander had to step up against the Clippers, given his star teammate Chet Holmgren faces up to two months out due to a hip injury.
He is the first player in the Thunder's franchise history to record at least 45 points and five steals in a single game, and he explained how he was set on getting Oklahoma City back on track after their defeat to the Dallas Mavericks in last season's playoffs.
"When we lost, I thought about why we lost and obviously there's so many things to nitpick," Gilgeous-Alexander said, with the Thunder having gone 9-2 to start the season.
"But I can only control what I can control, and I try to look at it from through that lens.
"A lot of people don't recognize it until it's too late. And I don't want it to be too late, so I tried to hit it on the head early."
Donovan Mitchell said "it's great to be part of history" after he propelled the Cleveland Cavaliers to their 12th straight win to start the season.
Cleveland are just the eighth team in NBA history to reel off a 12-0 record from the start of a campaign.
The last team to do so was the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors, who set the NBA record at 24-0.
Mitchell plundered a season-high 36 points in Monday's 119-113 win over the Chicago Bulls, and the omens are good for the Cavs, given five of the previous seven teams to start the season with a 12-0 record went on to reach the NBA Finals.
"It's great to be part of history," said Mitchell.
"I never want to take those things for granted along the road when we're doing it in various ways.
"We're doing it in ways where we are blowing out teams. We're winning from behind. We're winning close games.
"And it's somebody different every night leading the charge. It's always a group effort."
For first-year coach Kenny Atkinson, the level of focus displayed by his team is the most pleasing aspect of their excellent start.
"This group is locked in," he said.
"I do think there's [been] questions about this group, whether they can get to the next level, can they make the next step?
"So, I think when you have that, you have that chip [on your shoulder], you focus even more.
"There's another level of concentration, another level of focus, another level of detail that these guys use to carry us to 12-0 so far."
And Mitchell, who is averaging 22.5 points per game this season, knows the Cavs cannot step off the gas.
"It's great. We're playing well, vibes are good, but we have to continue to be this team," Mitchell added.
"That's been my message to the guys in the locker room.
"We're going to get teams' best shots. We're going to get tested early, but are we going to continue? No doubt we will, [but] are we going to continue to be this team January, February, March, April?
"I think the guys all feel it, but it's great to enjoy these moments too while you're still having a humble approach to it."
Donovan Mitchell scored a season-high 36 points and sparked a second-half rally that lifted the still-unbeaten Cleveland Cavaliers to a 119-113 win over the Chicago Bulls on Monday.
Cleveland fought back from a nine-point deficit late in the third quarter to become only the eighth team in NBA history to begin a season 12-0. The Cavaliers are the only team to win each of its first 12 games while scoring at least 110 points in all of those contests.
Darius Garland added 17 points and Evan Mobley had 15 with 11 rebounds for Cleveland, which once again received a big contribution from its second unit. Reserves Caris LeVert, Georges Niang and Ty Jerome each recorded 12 points, with Jerome dishing out six assists as well.
Zach LaVine had 26 points on 12-of-20 shooting in his second outing back from a three-game absence, but Chicago was hurt by 20 turnovers and lost for the fifth time in six games.
Nikola Vucevic and Coby White each finished with 20 points for the Bulls, while Josh Giddey scored 18 to go along with eight rebounds and seven assists.
Cleveland trailed 85-76 with four minutes left in the third quarter before getting back into it with a 9-0 run led by its bench. LeVert and Dean Wade started the flurry with back-to-back 3-pointers before Niang converted a three-point play to tie the game with 2:53 left in the period.
The teams were again tied at 106-106 with five minutes to go, but the Cavs put together a 9-2 spurt capped by LeVert's 3-pointer with 3:23 remaining to go ahead for good.
Cleveland owned a 52-42 lead midway through the second quarter before the Bulls answered with a 14-2 run to take a 56-54 edge with four minutes to play before half-time.
Gilgeous-Alexander scores career-high 45 as Thunder bounce back
One night after losing one of their star players for an extended period, the Oklahoma City Thunder returned to their winning ways behind a huge performance from another.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander racked up a career-high 45 points as Oklahoma City got back in the win column with a 134-128 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Thunder were coming off Sunday's 127-116 home defeat to the Golden State Warriors in which starting center Chet Holmgren suffered a pelvic fracture that will sideline him at least eight weeks. With the 7-footer unavailable, the Clippers recorded a 47-29 rebounding advantage while also going 20 of 37 (54.1 per cent) from 3-point range.
Oklahoma City still prevailed in large part due to Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished 13 of 21 from the field and 15 of 16 from the foul line while adding nine assists.
The Thunder also received a big 28-point, eight-rebound, six-assist effort from Jalen Williams and 19 points from Luguentz Dort to overcome a 31-point display from Los Angeles' Norman Powell, who went 5 of 8 from beyond the arc.
Los Angeles had its four-game winning streak snapped despite Ivica Zubac's 22 points and 14 rebounds and a near triple-double from James Harden, who tallied 17 points, 11 rebounds and five assists.
The Clippers couldn't stop Gilgeous-Alexander, though, as the two-time All-Star put up 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting in the first half to propel the Thunder to a 66-53 lead at intermission.
Oklahoma City's margin swelled to 20 points in the third quarter, though Los Angeles closed out the period with an 11-2 run to pull within 99-94 on Powell's 3-pointer just before the buzzer.
The Clippers cut the lead to two late when Zubac converted a three-point play to make the score 130-128 with 42.3 seconds left. Gilgeous-Alexander made two free throws on the other end, however, before Willams sealed the outcome with a dunk off a Harden turnover.
Wembanyama dominates as Spurs cruise past Kings
Victor Wembanyama joined an elite group of NBA players with a 34-point, 14-rebound effort that carried the San Antonio Spurs to a 116-96 win over the Sacramento Kings.
The reigning NBA Rookie of the Year added six assists in his 82nd career game and became only the sixth player in league history to record 1,700 points, 800 rebounds and 300 assists over a first full season. That list includes such legends as Oscar Robertson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Larry Bird.
Chris Paul contributed 12 points and 11 assists for San Antonio, which had lost three of its previous four games but got back on track by making a season-high 22 shots from 3-point range. Wembanyama led the way in that category as well by going 6 of 12 from beyond the arc.
The Kings, coming off an overtime win at Phoenix on Sunday, built a 31-22 lead early in the second quarter but relinquished it before the end of the first half.
San Antonio answered with a 10-2 run to cut its deficit to one, then closed out the half with seven straight points to own a 60-55 edge on Paul's 3-pointer at the buzzer.
The Kings then shot just 25 per cent in the third quarter while being outscored by a 24-16 margin for the period as the Spurs took an 84-71 lead into the fourth. Their margin never dipped below double-digits over the final 12 minutes.
De'Aaron Fox paced Sacramento with 24 points, while Domantas Sabonis had 23 points and 12 rebounds and DeMar DeRozan finished with 21 points in the loss.
Tyreek Hill scored his first touchdown since the season opener and the Miami Dolphins put forth a stout defensive effort to get back in the win column with Monday's 23-15 victory over the Los Angeles Rams.
Miami (3-6) held the Rams to five Joshua Karty field goals and sacked Matthew Stafford four times to end a three-game losing streak and halt a run of six losses in seven outings. The win was also the first in three starts for Tua Tagovailoa since the star quarterback returned from a concussion that sidelined him four games.
Tagovailoa completed 20 of 28 passes for 207 yards with one interception and had a 1-yard touchdown strike to Hill that gave the Dolphins a 17-6 lead in the third quarter. Hill, who tied for the NFL lead with 13 touchdown catches last season, ended a stretch of seven consecutive games without reaching the end zone.
The Dolphins also got an 18-yard touchdown run from rookie receiver Malik Washington in the first quarter and three field goals from Jason Sanders to end a three-game winning streak for Los Angeles (4-5).
Stafford threw for 293 yards on 32-of-46 passing, but was intercepted once while directing an offence that settled for Karty field goals on three trips inside the red zone.
The Rams also struggled on third downs, converting just three of 12 opportunities while Miami went 6 of 13 in such situations.
Puka Nacua had nine catches for 98 yards for Los Angeles, which dropped to 1 1/2 games back of the first-place Arizona Cardinals in the NFC West. Team-mate Cooper Kupp finished with seven receptions totalling 80 yards.
Ollie Sleightholme described England's review of their late defeat to Australia as "brutal", but insisted it was exactly what the squad needed.
England had led by 12 points and then trailed by 10 in an end-to-end encounter, but Maro Itoje's 78th-minute try seemed to have settled matters by moving the hosts 37-35 ahead.
However, in the final play of the match, Len Ikitau found space and fed replacement wing Max Jorgensen, who settled the contest.
The result saw the Wallabies defeat England at the Allianz Stadium for the first time since the pool stages of the 2015 Rugby World Cup when they won 33-13, with their tally of 42 points the most they had scored away to the Red Roses.
The result was their second narrow defeat in the Autumn Nations Series after the two-point loss to New Zealand, and their fourth defeat in a row.
Sleightholme came on as a replacement and scored twice in the second half to register his first two international tries, but provided insight into what followed after the loss.
"It has been really good to chew the fat on what happened and really get a grasp of what we need to do and what needs to change," Sleightholme told BBC Sport.
"It was a brutal view and it needs to be. It was a case of getting it all out there and not shying away from any of it.
"At the end of the day we didn't get it done. It is a frustrating review and a frustrating game to look back on.
"We left some opportunities out there and we didn't nullify some of their attacks. There are a few things [to work on] in all areas."
Saturday marked the first time England have lost four Test matches in a row since 2018, when they suffered five straight defeats under Eddie Jones.
It is the fourth game in five matches that Steve Borthwick's side have fallen on the wrong side of the result during the final play.
It followed two close Tests against the All Blacks in July and a 33-31 defeat by France in their final game of this year's Six Nations.
On Saturday, England will face world champions South Africa, who defeated Scotland in their opening match of the autumn series on Sunday.
"We're testing fans' patience, testing our patience," said England's Ben Earl. "It feels like we won the game twice against Australia and then managed to lose it. Frustrating.
"Not the same old problems, different problems, but the same overwhelming feeling of another game that we've let slip. So food for thought."
Alexander Zverev insisted improvements needed to be made despite kickstarting his ATP Finals campaign with a straight-set triumph over Andrey Rublev on Monday.
Zverev, who is going in search of a third crown at the year-end tournament, emerged a 6-4 6-4 victor in 72 minutes in Turin to claim a Tour-leading 67th win of 2024.
Rublev, however, got off to a blistering start to the encounter, winning each of his 13 points on serve, only for a lapse in the seventh game that allowed Zverev to take the opening set.
Zverev continued to trade blows with his opponent, but he claimed the decisive break point in the ninth game to maintain his dominant record in opening round-robin matches at the event (6-1).
"I'm looking forward to the next few matches, and hopefully I can improve on a few more things because I don't think this match was perfect to be honest," Zverev said.
"I still think there's a few more things that can be better. I missed a few balls from the baseline and I feel I wasn't as sharp movement-wise as I would like to be."
Zverev joined Casper Ruud at the top of the John Newcombe Group after he had beaten Carlos Alcaraz earlier on Monday, with the Norwegian up next for the world number two.
Data Debrief: Alexander the Great
After winning the ATP Finals in 2018 and 2021, Zverev's performance against the big-hitting Rublev was a sign of his intentions to complete a hat-trick of victories at the year-end tournament.
The German struck 22 winners compared to his opponents' 10, along with converting both break points he was presented with.
Excluding the Laver Cup, Zverev also claimed the 50th ATP top 10 win of his career, becoming the first player born since 1990 to achieve the feat.
Carlos Alcaraz revealed that he struggled with illness during his opening game loss at the ATP Finals to Casper Ruud on Monday.
Alcaraz looked out of sorts as he fell to a 1-6 5-7 defeat to Ruud in just 86 minutes in Turin, and now faces an uphill struggle if he is to progress from the John Newcombe Group.
During the contest, the Spaniard hit 26 unforced errors compared to his opponents' 10, while also failing to save any of the four break points he faced.
It also marked Alcaraz's first loss against Ruud in their fifth match against each other, with the 21-year-old confirming he had felt unwell leading up to the tournament.
“I don’t like talking about things like this because it sounds like an excuse and I don’t want to take anything away from what Casper did to win the match,” began Alcaraz.
“Before coming here, I was unwell at home. When I got to Turin, practice was going well; I could handle long rallies, competing and playing.
"And I hoped things would get better as the days went by.
"I don’t know if it was because of the nerves of the first match, but I didn’t feel completely well. My stomach limited my game a lot and made me feel uncomfortable.
"I could’ve done better. I’m not going to feel good in every match I play throughout the year, but it really limited me in terms of my recovery.”
Alcaraz will be back on court on Wednesday, when he takes on the loser of Monday's clash between Alexander Zverev and Andrey Rublev.
Failing to win would see the four-time grand slam champion fall short once again at the year-end tournament, but he was confident of claiming a maiden ATP Finals crown.
“I don’t want to think much beyond today... Given how I’ve felt, it’s difficult to think about the semis,” said Alcaraz.
“The good thing in this sport is that your game can feel very bad one day and very good the next.
"There have been many players who have lost the first match of the [Nitto] ATP Finals and ended up winning. I reached the semis last year after losing on the first day.
"Now I want to take it day by day, to feel better, and see how the next match is. I’ll approach it as best I can. Let’s hope things turn out well.”
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