Gabin Villiere scored a hat-trick as France recovered from a slow start to kick off their 2022 Six Nations campaign with a 37-10 bonus-point win over Italy at the Stade de France.
The pre-tournament favourites trailed to Tommaso Menoncello's try and were again behind with half an hour played after Anthony Jelonch had temporarily put them ahead.
But Villiere crossed over either side of half-time and Damian Penaud added a fourth, before Villiere completed his treble to confirm a 33rd successive loss in the competition for Italy.
Les Blues have now won 15 successive home Tests against Italy and join next opponents Ireland on five points after the first round of fixtures.
Italy responded superbly to falling behind to Melvyn Jaminet's fourth-minute penalty as Menoncello gathered Paolo Garbisi's cross-field kick and raced through for a debut try.
Garbisi added the extras but all of Italy's hard work was undone when Stephen Varney's offload was intercepted by Jelonch, who had a simple task in splashing over.
France did not initially push on, with Garbisi and Jaminet sharing a penalty apiece, though a Villiere try following a well-worked lineout ensured Les Blues led at the break.
Jonathan Danty had a try ruled out by TMO but there was no denying Villiere five minutes later, the Toulon wing darting for the line after France turned the ball over in the maul.
Penaud broke down the right, exchanged passes with Antoine Dupont and sealed a bonus point for France, with star man Villiere adding further gloss with a free run on the back of some sustained pressure.
Menoncello makes his mark
Kieran Crowley was taking charge of his first Six Nations match as Italy boss and his decision to hand Menoncello a debut on the wing paid almost instant dividends.
At 19 years and 170 days, Menoncello is the youngest try-scorer in Six Nations history, surpassing the record previously held by France's Gael Fickou (19y, 317d).
Hat-trick hero Villiere
Penaud tried to steal the limelight by crossing over for the third Test running in France colours, but this day undoubtedly belonged to Villiere.
Not only did he score three times, the 26-year-old also led the way for metres made (121) and was second only to Gregory Alldritt (21) with his 13 carries.
What's next?
France host Ireland in a huge showdown at the Stade de France next Saturday, while Italy are at home to England the following day.
Joao Sousa won his first ATP Tour title since 2018 as he defeated Emil Ruusuvuori in the final of the Tata Open Maharashtra in Pune on Sunday.
Ruusuvuori initially gave a good account of himself in his first final on the tour, but he was ultimately blown away in the final set as Sousa won 7-6 (11-9) 4-6 6-1.
After sealing the first set in a tense tie-break, Sousa appeared set to cruise to victory when an early break in the second had him 3-0 up.
But Ruusuvuori then won five games in a row at 4-1 down to fight back brilliantly and force a decider.
Sousa had too much for him in the end, however, an early break in the third set seeing momentum shift the 32-year-old's way and give him the boost he needed to claim a first title since winning on home soil in Estoril in May 2018.
Harold Varner III staged a remarkable late recovery in Sunday's final round at the Saudi International to land his second professional win.
There have been plenty of eyes on the Asian Tour event this week following proposals for a lucrative Saudi Arabian 'super league' – and those watching were treated to a dramatic finish.
Varner, whose only prior success came at the Australian PGA Championship in December 2016, had held a one-shot lead through three rounds and saw potential challengers fade on Sunday.
Tommy Fleetwood had been two back, but five bogeys on the back nine made for a three-over 73 and a share of eighth.
He was joined there by defending champion Dustin Johnson, a two-time winner, who was never really in contention over the final 18 holes as he battled to an even-par 70.
Varner was not entirely convincing himself, however. Twelve pars and a birdie through 13 holes kept the 31-year-old in control, only for a serious wobble to open the door to a surging Bubba Watson.
Watson had turned in 30 before also finding some difficulties on the back nine, but Varner's double-bogey at 14 was followed by a bogey at 16.
Two-time Masters champion Watson produced a clutch birdie-eagle finish to claim a two-stroke clubhouse lead, while Varner had two to play.
However, in a stunning response, Varner matched Watson, moving back to within one with a birdie and then sinking an improbable long eagle putt at the par-five 18th to win outright.
As the 99th-ranked outsider jumped for joy in the arms of his caddy, Watson dashed down to congratulate his rival.
Andy Murray has decided to skip the entire clay court season, including the French Open, as he feels the surface aggravated "issues" in the past.
Former world number one Murray has endured a torrid time with injuries in the past few years, but he has featured more regularly since the second half of last season.
While he only made it as far as the second round at last month's Australian Open, his preparation for the year's opening grand slam saw him reach a first final on the ATP Tour since October 2019.
He lost to Aslan Karatsev in the decider of the Sydney Classic, going down 6-3 6-3, but the Scot's run to the final provided evidence he still has plenty to offer.
Murray will not be playing in the next grand slam, though.
The eyes of the tennis world will be on Roland Garros in late May and early June, but Murray is opting to miss that and every other event on clay for fear of worsening his condition, with Wimbledon scheduled to begin on June 27.
"Right now, I am not planning on playing through the clay," the three-time grand slam winner said.
"The past couple of years, the clay has made issues worse; last year I had some issues at the beginning of the year, the clay didn't help, so I've spoken to my team about that and this year while I feel good and healthy, I don't want to take that risk.
"It's not that I wouldn't potentially play on clay in the future. Last year I almost missed Wimbledon, was close to not playing the grass season. I'm not planning on playing the clay. I will still try to compete a bit during that period, I won't do nothing, that's my plan just now.
"I had a busy end of last year and the next couple of months I won't take any risks and hopefully get a good build up to the grass season."
Murray parted ways with long-term coach Jamie Delgado in December and then decided against making Jan de Witt a permanent member of his team following a trial period leading up to and through the Australian Open.
The 34-year-old is now once again working with Dani Vallverdu, Stan Wawrinka's coach, having teamed up with him between 2010 and 2014.
But Murray accepts the situation is far from ideal, with Vallverdu only available while Wawrinka continues his rehabilitation from a foot injury that has kept him out since March last year.
"It's not been easy to find someone," Murray added.
"Obviously, Stan Wawrinka has been rehabbing for quite a long time and is hopefully coming back to the tour, but he agreed for Dani to come and work with me for a few weeks over the next month or so, which is great for me in the short term, but still trying to find a longer-term solution.
"It's not that straightforward, I'm not as in demand as a few years ago. Ultimately, I want it to be the right person. I'm aware there's no perfect setup, but medium, longer term I want some stability and will try and get that in the next few weeks."
LeBron James was left stunned by Tom Brady's decision to bring his storied NFL career to an end this week, commenting that "a small piece of me definitely left".
After a few days of speculation, Brady announced on Tuesday that he was calling time on his long career at the age of 44.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback decided he could no longer commit himself 100 per cent to the sport.
Brady's retirement saw tributes pour in from all over the sporting world, such has been his impact on the NFL – he holds the record for the most Super Bowl wins (seven) and Super Bowl MVP awards (five).
James returned to NBA action on Saturday after a five-game absence, starring with a triple-double as the Los Angeles Lakers sealed an overtime 122-115 win over the New York Knicks, and that gave him the opportunity to join the praise for Brady.
The four-time NBA MVP was almost emotional in response to Brady's retirement, lauding him as one of his inspirations.
"I personally was just so in shock when I saw it," he said post-game. "I was one of the ones who didn't say anything when the first, initial announcement came out. I didn't retweet anything, say anything because I wanted to hear it come from him. Then when he came out with his announcement, I was like… You know?
"As a guy who's kind of been my motivation factor over the last few years, seeing what he's able to do at his age and always kind of being a leader of a team.
"Even at his age, people still gravitate towards him and gravitate towards his energy, and how he prepares and things of that nature.
"So, a small piece of me definitely left when Brady decided to retire, that's for sure."
LeBron James was "just excited to be back" on Saturday as he marked his return from injury with a triple-double in the Los Angeles Lakers' win over the New York Knicks.
After a five-game absence due to a knee problem, James scored 29 points as the Lakers came back from a 15-point deficit to beat the Knicks 122-115 in overtime.
The 37-year-old also tallied 13 rebounds and 10 assists for the 103rd triple-double of his storied career and his fourth of this season.
James admitted it took time to get into the swing of things after a long time out of action, but he was thrilled to make a winning return, the Lakers having gone 1-4 in his absence.
"After the first quarter, the knee loosened up a lot more," he said. "My mind loosened up a lot more. And I was just able to play basketball.
"But [I was] just excited to be back in the uniform, back on the floor with my guys. Missed them, missed the game. I was happy I was able to make a few plays and help us win a ballgame."
Anthony Davis also starred, his 28 points and 17 rebounds helping the Lakers to recover after falling 42-29 behind in the first quarter.
The eight-time All-Star was relieved to have James back on the court, even if his performance was barely a surprise.
"It's a hell of a return," said Davis. "He's doing LeBron-type things. [I] Expected nothing less from him. Efficient from the field.
"S***, he did what he's supposed to do. He helped us, for sure. So, I missed him. He's a big part of our team with his voice, his leadership, play-making ability. And he came back and showed it."
The Lakers, who improved to 26-28, are ninth in the Western Conference standings, just behind the 27-27 Los Angeles Clippers.
LeBron James returned from a five-game injury-enforced absence with a triple-double as the Los Angeles Lakers won 122-115 over the New York Knicks in overtime.
James had missed five games with swelling in his left knee but returned in style, contributing 29 points with 13 rebounds and 10 assists as they rallied from a 21-point second-quarter deficit.
The Lakers had gone 1-4 in James' absence but the four-time MVP was pivotal with his fourth triple-double of the season.
Anthony Davis was excellent for the Lakers with 28 points and 17 rebounds, while Malik Monk added 29 points too.
RJ Barrett netted a career-high 36 points and Julius Randle added 32 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists for the Knicks.
Suns bounce back, Morant stars
The table-topping Phoenix Suns bounced back from their loss to the Atlanta Hawks with a 95-80 win over the Washington Wizards led by Deandre Ayton's 20 points and 16 rebounds. Chris Paul added 14 points and nine assists, while Devin Booker was quiet with only 11 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
Jimmy Butler dropped 27 points shooting 10-of-13 while Bam Adebayo added 20 points and 12 rebounds as the Miami Heat won 104-86 over the Charlotte Hornets.
Ja Morant scored 33 points in three quarters as the Memphis Grizzlies claimed their fifth win in six games, routing the Orlando Magic 135-115.
Blazers skid extended by Bucks
The Portland Trail Blazers slumped to their fifth straight defeat, leaving them with a 21-33 record as Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 29 points with nine rebounds and six assists in the Milwaukee Bucks' 137-108 win. Bobby Portis also scored 30 points for the Bucks.
The Los Angeles Clippers are uncertain if injured star pair Kawhi Leonard and Paul George will return this season.
Two-time NBA Finals MVP Leonard has been out since June with a torn right ACL which forced him out of last season's playoffs.
George has missed the Clippers' past 22 games, having been sidelined with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right shooting elbow since December 22.
The Clippers made the 2020-21 Conference Finals but are 27-27 this season, with injuries taking their toll.
Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank conceded he was uncertain whether 30-year-old small forward Leonard would return this season.
"I think the best answer is we don't know," Frank said. "He grinds every single day. He works. His focus is on his rehab.
"No one knows. He doesn't know. But all you can do is, just every day, continue to control what you can control and see how he responds."
Clippers head coach Ty Lue had alarmingly mentioned on Thursday that they "know Kawhi's probably not gonna come back," but he moved to clarify that comment.
"Hope is stronger than fear," Lue said. "So I'm hoping that these two guys can come back. But you never know."
Seven-time All-Star George will undergo an MRI on his elbow on February 24 but Frank said that would dictate his return date.
"You don't treat the MRI, you treat the player," Frank said. "When the MRI comes in, it's not a 'boom' that all of a sudden is a 'Eureka' moment for what we do. I think it's just part of the process.
"I think it's you see how Paul is responding. He's feeling better each and every day. The MRI is another kind of benchmark.
"I think the doctors put it all together and that's how they come to what the next steps are. My expectation is regardless of what the MRI says, it's just part of it. That's not going to be the ultimate decision-maker in what happens."
Qualifier Alejandro Tabilo stunned top seed Diego Schwartzman to progress to his first ATP Tour final at the Cordoba Open.
Schwartzman, the world number 14, had been hoping to win a title on home soil in Argentina for the second time in his career.
But his Chilean opponent continued his remarkable run with a 6-3 7-6 (8-6) upset, the world number 144 now having won 12 successive sets at the tournament stretching back to qualifying.
Tabilo only won his first title on the Challenger Tour in November but has carried that momentum through into 2022.
"I've been playing my best tennis for a few months now and I finished the year strong," said Tabilo.
"I think I just needed one of these weeks to kind of click and get going. Hopefully this is the start of something good, and hopefully I can keep this level."
Tabilo will face Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the final after the Spaniard beat another home hope in Juan Ignacio Londero.
Ramos-Vinolas prevailed 7-6 (7-4) 6-4, surpassing his own expectations after a first-round exit at the Australian Open.
"When I came here after Australia, I didn't expect to be in the final, to be honest," he said.
"I was not playing my best. The pre-season [I worked] very hard but the feeling was not very good.
"Now I'm in the final. The only thing I can do is try to fight as much as I can."
Chris Eubank Jr said he taught Liam Williams a lesson after knocking him down four times en route to a unanimous middleweight win.
Trash talk between the two fighters had dominated the build-up to an enticing showdown in Cardiff, yet it was Eubank who thrived when it came time to back up those words in the ring.
He claimed victory 116-109, 116-108 and 117-109 on the cards, a combination of Williams' bravery and some Eubank showboating seeing the fight go the distance.
Eubank, a two-time former IBO super-middleweight champion, can likely look forward to a world title shot later in 2022. He is already the mandatory challenger for Ryota Murata's WBA (super) belt following his move back down to middleweight.
"I am happy with the performance, I wanted to teach that man a lesson, he said some quite menacing things to me in the lead-up to this fight," Eubank said.
"I wanted to punish him. I didn't want to knock him out in one round, I wanted to punish him.
"Headbutts, headlocks, I am surprised he didn't get disqualified. But I took it like a man and I punished him like I said I would. It was a fun night.
"I think I showed some of my critics a different side to me. There was no danger, if I had stepped on the gas at any point in the fight he would have been gone.
"There are levels to this game. Don't be a big mouth against guys you can get hurt against."
Alexander Zverev will face Alexander Bublik in the Open Sud de France final after easing to victory over Mikael Ymer on Saturday.
The top seed is seeking a 20th tour-level title and has yet to drop a set in his three matches in Montpellier after beating Bublik 6-1 6-3.
Ymer eliminated Gael Monfils and Richard Gasquet en route to the semi-finals, but the world number 83 struggled against Zverev in his third straight loss to the German.
Zverev was triumphant in his last appearance in this tournament five years ago and is the strong favourite heading into Sunday's final with Bublik.
"I am in the final and I am happy about that," Zverev said in his on-court interview. "I played a pretty good match. I think I played one bad game in the whole match.
"Overall I am happy to be in another final, playing against Alex who I have known since I was 12 years old, so hopefully it will be a fun match."
Bublik also claimed a routine win in his semi-final against Filip Krajinovic, the sixth seed prevailing 6-4 6-2 in a little over an hour.
The 24-year-old is through to his fifth ATP Tour final, having most recently gone all the way at the Singapore Open last February, where he lost to Alexei Popyrin.
At the Tata Open Maharashtra, Mikael's older brother Elias Ymer squandered three match points to lose 5-7 7-6 (7-4) 7-5 to Joao Sousa in Pune.
The Swedish qualifier had defied the odds to make it to the semi-finals and took the opening set against Sousa, before recovering from 4-1 down to level up the second set 4-4.
But Sousa edged the tie-break and survived three match points in the 10th game of the deciding set, which he would go on to win.
Sousa will face Emil Ruusuvuori in Sunday's final after the world number 87 overcame Kamil Majchrzak 6-3 7-6 (7-0) earlier in the day.
It marks the first tour final that Ruusuvuori has reached, while Sousa is in the hunt for a fourth title at this level.
Lewis Hamilton has hinted he may return to Formula One this season in a cryptic post on his social media accounts.
The seven-time world champion's future in the sport is uncertain after he was denied a record-breaking eighth title by Max Verstappen at the end of last season.
Hamilton looked set to surpass Michael Schumacher heading into the final stage of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, only for Verstappen to controversially snatch glory in the closing moments.
It is unknown whether the Mercedes driver will return in 2022, with former F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone stating his belief that he would retire.
Meanwhile, brother Nicolas confirmed that Hamilton was taking a break from social media – on which he had been quiet having not posted since December 11 – while relaxing with family in the ski slopes.
But the 37-year-old has broken his silence. Addressing his 33.8 million followers across Twitter and Instagram, Hamilton posted: "I've been gone. Now I'm back!"
Should he return, Hamilton is set to partner George Russell at Mercedes in his latest quest for an eighth world title.
Scotland made a winning start to the Guinness Six Nations as Finn Russell's late penalty secured a narrow 20-17 victory over England at Murrayfield.
The hosts led the 140th Calcutta Cup clash 10-6 at half-time after Ben White crossed for a try on his debut.
However, England's Marcus Smith went over after the break – taking his personal tally to 17 points – to put Eddie Jones' side in control at 17-10 up.
But there was to be a late twist with the hosts awarded a penalty try after Luke Cowan-Dickie was penalised, before Russell held his nerve to secure back-to-back wins over England for the first time since 1984.
Jones claimed earlier in the week that Scotland were "red-hot" favourites to beat England who, missing the likes of Owen Farrell and Courtney Lawes through injury, fielded seven players boasting 10 or fewer caps.
Nevertheless, the visitors controlled possession and territory throughout the first half, with Smith breaking the deadlock in the 17th minute.
The hosts responded almost immediately with Darcy Graham embarking on a powerful surge, before offloading for White – on while Ali Price received treatment for a head injury – to cross just minutes into his Test career.
The right boot of Smith kept England within touching distance at 10-9 behind, and he gratefully received Ben Youngs' offload 13 minutes into the second half; powering to the line after a solid spell of pressure.
But momentum swung in favour of Scotland, who were awarded a penalty try after the TMO ruled Cowan-Dickie deliberately knocked Russell's punt into touch with Graham lurking.
With Cowan-Dickie subsequently sin-binned, the hosts capitalised on their numerical advantage with the boot of Russell edging them back in front, and they held on despite a late surge from their opponents.
Andrew Conway helped himself to a double as Ireland eased to a 29-7 bonus-point victory over Wales in the opening game of the 2022 Six Nations to make it nine wins in a row.
Wales defied the odds to win the title last year but the injury hit visitors, without captain Alun Wyn Jones and a number of other experienced players, were outclassed in Dublin.
Ireland led 10-0 at half-time, with Bundee Aki crossing over for the only try, but their dominance truly told in the second half at the Aviva Stadium.
Conway added two more and Garry Ringrose joined the scoring, rendering Taine Basham's late try nothing more than a consolation as Ireland recorded a fifth home Test win in a row against Wales for the first time.
Ireland needed just two minutes to score the first try of the tournament through Aki, who had the simplest of run-ins after being picked out by debutant Mack Hansen.
Johnny Sexton added the extras and, after missing a couple of penalties in quick succession, the Irish skipper kicked over again to pass the 500-points mark in the Six Nations.
Conway collected an offload from Sexton early in the second half, jinked past a couple of opponents and squeezed over at full stretch, the try allowed to stand after a TMO check.
Josh Adams was sin-binned for a reckless challenge on Sexton and more misery was to follow for Wales as Conway profited from Josh van de Flier's work to double his try tally.
Ringrose breezed through to add a fourth try for Ireland, who were undone late on when Basham intercepted from Tadhg Beirne and dived down under the posts.
Kyrie Irving says it is time for the struggling Brooklyn Nets to face the reality of their situation in the NBA but urged the team not to panic.
As the returning Donovan Mitchell dominated, Brooklyn went down to a heavy 125-102 loss to the Utah Jazz on Friday.
James Harden (hamstring), Kevin Durant (knee), LaMarcus Aldridge (ankle) and Joe Harris (ankle) were all again absent for a Nets team who have lost seven straight games.
The team were tipped for a championship run this season but have plummeted to sixth in the Eastern Conference ahead of Sunday's trip to Denver to face the Nuggets.
Amid the Nets' worst run of the season, Irving told ESPN: "It's really just where we are, facing reality that we are not winning ballgames right now.
"We have got to kind of get out of that hole with just one win and then start a new streak from that point.
"[There is] no time to feel like our season is in doomsday or that we need to push the panic button at all points.
"But we have to face reality that a lot of guys, a lot of my teammates, we're still getting to know one another, how we play, what's our spots, offensive and defensive tendencies.
"And then communication - knowing that we can get on guys and guys love to be coached.
"It's not just from the head coach or the assistants but really just from us as teammates and then trusting that we have the experience to win basketball games."
Irving, who cannot play in home games due to COVID-19 vaccination rules in New York City, insists building a winning culture takes time.
He had a poor game against the Jazz, finishing with 15 points in 31 minutes on court after going just six for 20 from the field.
"Myself alone, I can't do it," Irving said. "It's always going to be about the collective unit and how we feel good about being close as a team and then going out there and playing basketball, which is supposed to be fun.
"But when you're losing and it's a win-first league and a win-only league - you get judged by wins and statistics and how well you put a streak together and how consistent you are. So the spot we're in is going to look like it's far worse than what it is.
"Being in this league for as long as I have been for 11 years, I've seen ups and downs, experiences.
"We have just got to trust that we have the group regardless of who's in or out of the lineup to be able to put a 48-minute game together.
"I don't feel like I'm close to where I want to be personally.
"I have mountain-high expectations for myself, but right now I feel like with our personnel, if I'm not shooting well or I'm not playing well or we don't have the same production from guys that we're used to getting it from, it's going to be a tough night.
"Building championship habits takes time and time is not necessarily always on our side.
"It is about staying resilient and knowing that there's another level to push to when you're tired and you have all the excuses in the world and you just continue on. You don't hold your head or anything like that."
Rookie Cam Thomas was one bright spot for the Nets, posting a career-high 30 points.
Donovan Mitchell's performance "looked like a video game" as he made a spectacular return to the court after missing eight straight games due to a concussion.
That was the view of his Utah Jazz teammate Udoka Azubuike after Mitchell made up for lost time as the Jazz, fourth in the Western Conference, outclassed the out-of-form Brooklyn Nets 125-102 on Friday.
Mitchell ended the game with 27 points in just under 22 minutes, draining six of his seven three-point attempts and adding six assists.
He set a franchise record for most points scored in under 22 minutes, while Bojan Bogdanovic was a valuable ally with 19 points and 11 rebounds, ensuring the Nets were consigned to a seventh consecutive defeat.
Azubuike found himself in disbelief at Mitchell's heroics.
"He was unbelievable," Azubuike said about Mitchell. "It looked like a video game. There was one time I had to catch myself in the moment because I was just watching him.
"Every shot was going in. Don is a star."
For Mitchell, who has reached three straight All-Star Games, getting back to action was the most important factor after the Jazz went 2-6 in his absence.
"I was just happy to be playing basketball," he said, per ESPN. "I was joking before the game that I didn't care if the ball went in.
"I was just happy to be out there running around, guarding, thinking the game and playing with my teammates.
"I'd rather be out there playing, but I just told someone my legs haven't felt that fresh in a long time."
With Quin Snyder in the COVID-19 health and safety protocols, it was Alex Jensen who acted as interim coach for the Jazz, with Mitchell's return making his task more straightforward.
"There's so much focus other teams have on him that it frees up other guys offensively," said Jensen.
"He's Donovan Mitchell and makes life a lot easier for everybody."
James Harden (hamstring), Kevin Durant (knee), LaMarcus Aldridge (ankle) and Joe Harris (ankle) were all again absent for a Nets team who have plummeted to sixth in the East.
The Nets' Kyrie Irving acknowledged they had come up against one of the NBA's biggest stars in Mitchell.
"We have a lot of special guys in our league," said Irving, who ended the game with 15 points after going just six for 20 from the field.
"But there are a few special guys that even separate from that group of just being special and he's one of those people."
The Jazz host the New York Knicks on Monday in the third contest of a six-game run at home that has so far produced two victories from two.
Brooklyn, meanwhile, will be in Denver to face the Nuggets on Sunday.
Nikola Vucevic was tasked with dominating the middle against the depleted Indiana Pacers and the Chicago Bulls center was up to the task.
Vucevic earned a 29th double-double of the season, scoring a season-high 36 points and adding 17 rebounds as the Bulls earned a 122-115 triumph on Friday.
DeMar DeRozan contributed 31 points to the cause against a Pacers side devoid of Goga Bitadze, Malcolm Brogdon, Isaiah Jackson, T.J. McConnell, Myles Turner and T.J. Warren due to injuries, while Domantas Sabonis is unavailable due to health and safety protocols.
The Bulls consequently remain top of the Eastern Conference after winning for the fourth time in six outings, with Vucevic going 16 of 21 from the field.
In credit to the Pacers, they were only trailing 65-62 at halftime and briefly led when Lance Stephenson landed a three-pointer with a little under three minutes of the third quarter remaining, but a 10-0 stretch in the fourth ensured the Bulls were in control.
Mitchell return inspires Jazz against out-of-sorts Nets
Donovan Mitchell missed eight straight games as a result of a concussion but made up for lost time as the Utah Jazz, fourth in the West, outclassed the out-of-form Brooklyn Nets 125-102.
Mitchell ended the game with 27 points on the back of eight-for-10 shooting, while he drained six three-pointers and added six assists in 22 minutes of action. His tally was a franchise record for most points scored under 22 minutes.
Bojan Bogdanovic was a valuable ally with 19 points and 11 rebounds, as the Nets were consigned to a seventh consecutive defeat.
James Harden (hamstring), Kevin Durant (knee), LaMarcus Aldridge (ankle) and Joe Harris (ankle) were all again absent for a Nets team who have plummeted to sixth in the East.
Doncic triple-double sparks Mavs comeback
Not for the first time in his career, Luka Doncic was the hero for the Dallas Mavericks as they overturned a 16-point second-quarter deficit to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers 107-98.
Doncic earned a 44th career triple-double, finishing with 33 points, 13 rebounds and 15 assists in a game that was paused for 44 minutes during the opening period after it was ruled one of the rims was crooked.
Reggie Bullock made a pair of big three-pointers down the stretch in a 20-point showing, while Jalen Brunson put up 19.
The Mavs snapped a two-game losing streak, while the 76ers - for who Joel Embiid had 27 points and 13 rebounds - have lost two on the spin for the first time since the middle of December.
Diego Schwartzman survived a scare from lucky loser Daniel Elahi Galan to reach the semi-finals of the Cordoba Open.
Top seed Schwartzman lost the first set to this Colombian opponent, but recovered to prevail 3-6 6-0 7-5.
Yet the Argentine still had to battle to clinch the decisive set, dropping serve when attempting to wrap up the match at 5-3.
He recovered from that setback and is just two wins away from his second title on home soil, having won in Buenos Aires last year.
Schwartzman will face qualifier Alejandro Tabilo in the last four.
Albert Ramos-Vinolas, seeded sixth, beat fourth seed Lorenzo Sonego in straight sets to book his place in the semis, where he will face Juan Ignacio Londero.
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