Kawhi Leonard revealed his concern over the Los Angeles Clippers' lack of consistency after a 135-115 defeat to the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Pelicans put on a fine showing, led by 27 points from Zion Williamson and 23 from Brandon Ingram in New Orleans as the Clippers were soundly beaten.
Leonard had 23 points for the visitors, but it was a seventh defeat in 11 for Tyronn Lue's men, who were 21-8 before that.
"It's very concerning," said Leonard. "[If] we want to have a chance at anything, you've got to be consistent.
"You know, that's what the great teams do, they're consistent. They have their nights when the energy's not there, but it's all about consistency, from teams to players to coaches.
"That's what makes a team great, players great, coaches great; a consistency of being, wanting to win, and doing pretty much the same habits of winning."
Clippers coach Lue was frustrated by his team's failure to match the fight shown by the Pelicans and conceded they would have to be much better to stand a chance against Luka Doncic's Dallas Mavericks on Monday, having suffered a 124-73 thrashing against them earlier this season.
"Teams are going at us, and we got to put up more resistance," Lue said.
"I am not discouraged, because we have shown what we can do, and we can play at a high level. But we got to do it every single night. We can't keep talking about it.
"We got to f****** ... sorry, we got to do it.
"If we play like this again tomorrow, it can be another 50-point loss. We got to be ready, got to be prepared, and we got to have our stuff together, man."
The Philadelphia 76ers cruised in their first game without injured superstar Joel Embiid as Tobias Harris highlighted the team's collective effort.
NBA MVP candidate Embiid will spend at least two weeks on the sidelines due to a left knee bone bruise.
The 76ers were sweating on Embiid's fitness after he appeared to hyperextend his knee in a scary fall following a dunk in the third quarter of Friday's 127-101 rout of the Washington Wizards.
But Embiid escaped major damage and the Eastern Conference-leading 76ers crushed the San Antonio Spurs 134-99 in his absence on Sunday.
"We need everybody," Harris – who led the 76ers with 23 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and two steals – said post-game. "Everybody has to stay ready and be ready to step up night after night.
"With Joel being out for some time, it's on us to find different things and make our chemistry even stronger until he comes back.
"We know how important he is and the impact he brings to the game night in, night out with the level he has been playing at. We want to be able to maintain that type of intensity.
"It's a culture and attitude we've been building day after day, a winning-type attitude; next guy up mentality. It's been huge for us all year long, especially tonight and the games without guys."
Goodnight, Sixers Twitter. pic.twitter.com/hWgKZKm6UX
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) March 15, 2021
Embiid, who posted 23 points before exiting against Washington, is averaging a career-high 29.9 points per game – second only to Wizards star Bradley Beal (32.1) in the NBA.
Philadelphia's Embiid is fourth in the league points, assists and rebounds per game (44.6), behind Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic (46.8), reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (46.7) of the Milwaukee Bucks and Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (45.8).
The 26-year-old Embiid has also been averaging career highs in field-goal percentage (52.5) and three-point percentage (42.2).
"I was happy with the news," said 76ers head coach Doc Rivers. "It looked bad, but, obviously, we never know and that's what I was saying that night. We had to wait and see and it turned out in our favour, in a lot of ways."
Rivers added: "He's great. I don't think anybody's in great spirits, but he was happy that it wasn't as bad as a lot of people thought it was probably, including himself in that so he was in a pretty good place.
"Now that he knows all it takes is rehab, he has a game plan, we have a game plan, and we're moving forward with it."
Draymond Green posted his 26th career triple-double and Stephen Curry scored 32 points as the Golden State Warriors took down the NBA-leading Utah Jazz 131-119.
Green dominated in San Francisco, where the three-time NBA champion had 11 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists to help the Warriors snap their four-game losing streak on Sunday.
The Warriors are 25-1 when Green has a triple-double – the 96.2 win percentage is the highest by any player in NBA history with 10-plus triple-doubles.
Birthday boy Curry nailed six three-pointers to go with nine assists at home to the Jazz, while Andrew Wiggins added a season-high 28 points.
The Warriors triumphed despite Rudy Gobert's 24 points and career-high 28 rebounds (also a franchise high) as fellow All-Stars Donovan Mitchell (24 points) and Mike Conley (23 points) made solid contributions.
Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, meanwhile, combined to lead the New Orleans Pelicans past the Los Angeles Clippers 135-115.
The Pelicans stunned the Clippers behind Williamson (27 points) and Ingram (23 points) in New Orleans, where Kawhi Leonard had 23 points for the visitors.
Perfect Thybulle
No Joel Embiid? No worries for the Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia 76ers, who crushed the San Antonio Spurs 134-99. While Ben Simmons returned from an enforced absence due to coronavirus tracing, Matisse Thybulle dazzled in Philadelphia. He was four-of-four shooting from the field, while he made both of his three-point attempts for 10 points in 17 minutes off the bench. Tobias Harris posted a team-high 23 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Seth Curry had 21 points, including three triples, while Danny Green made four of seven shots from beyond the arc. The 76ers won their fifth straight game as they welcomed a limited number of fans back to Wells Fargo Center.
It was a career-high night for Anthony Edwards, who registered 34 points to help the Minnesota Timberwolves top the Portland Trail Blazers 114-112. Portland lost despite a game-high 38 points from All-Star Damian Lillard.
Norman Powell had 32 points, but the Toronto Raptors still lost 118-95 away to the Chicago Bulls, who were fuelled by a career-best 23 points from rookie Patrick Williams.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (30 points) and Aleksej Pokusevski (23 points and 10 rebounds) inspired the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 128-122 win against the Memphis Grizzlies. The 19-year-old Pokusevski became the youngest player in Thunder history to score 20-plus points. He also became the second youngest player in league history to score five three-pointers, behind only LeBron James.
No magic for free-falling Orlando
All-Star center Nikola Vucevic put up 38 points, including 17 in the third quarter, and 10 rebounds for his 26th double-double but not even that was enough for the slumping Orlando Magic. They lost 102-97 – their eighth consecutive defeat.
Zach LaVine has been red-hot for the Bulls this season, but the All-Star was far from his best in the team's win. He was just four-of-10 shooting, while making just one of his five three-point attempts for 15 points in 34 minutes.
The less said about San Antonio's performance, the better. Gregg Popovich's Spurs were just four-of-21 from beyond the arc – shooting at 19 per cent against the 76ers, who were 51.7 per cent when it came to three-pointers.
Tomahawk slam!
Jaxson Hayes produced a memorable moment for the Pelicans. His season-high 17 points included a powerful dunk over Reggie Jackson in the third quarter.
Sunday's results
Oklahoma City Thunder 128-122 Memphis Grizzlies
Golden State Warriors 131-119 Utah Jazz
Philadelphia 76ers 134-99 San Antonio Spurs
Miami Heat 102-97 Orlando Magic
Atlanta Hawks 100-82 Cleveland Cavaliers
Boston Celtics 134-107 Houston Rockets
Minnesota Timberwolves 114-112 Portland Trail Blazers
New Orleans Pelicans XXX-XXX Los Angeles Clippers
Chicago Bulls XX-XX Toronto Raptors
Knicks at Nets
Bragging rights will be on the line when the star-studded Brooklyn Nets (26-13) host city rivals the New York Knicks (20-19) on Monday. James' Los Angeles Lakers (25-13) are also in action against the Warriors (20-19).
Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson said 2020 was "the worst year of my life" as he looks to return to the NBA next season following an Achilles injury.
Thompson suffered an Achilles injury ahead of the 2020-21 season, having torn his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the 2019 NBA Finals, which forced the five-time All-Star sit out the entire 2019-20 campaign.
Reflecting on a tumultuous period as he continues to recover, three-time NBA champion Thompson told reporters on Sunday: "It was probably the worst year of my life, guys.
"It feels good to be back here. I feel love when I'm back in the Warriors facility. My roots are here. [The pandemic] was not easy on anybody. Everyone had their own little trials and tribulations in 2020, but that was it for me -- was losing my grandma Mary, tearing my Achilles, I still think about Kobe every single day.
"There's not a day I don't think about him. And not being able to have that last convo with him ... it was a tough year, guys. Not only for me but I'm sure for all of you. I'm looking forward to the future, that's for sure."
Asked about being ready for the start of the 2021-22 season, Thompson replied: "Absolutely. It could be a few weeks after, maybe a month after, but it's definitely going to be geared toward the very beginning of the season."
On the mental challenges following two consecutive season-ending injuries, Thompson added: "It's way harder than any basketball game I've ever had to play. Way harder than any conditioning drill or practice.
"The mental toll is not very fun. You always guess if you're going to be the same player you once were, so you have those natural thoughts, but you can't let those overtake you and you got to realise that this is not unique just to me.
"So many athletes have been through this. Although I was used to playing 100 games a year for the first eight years of my career, this is just a new set of challenges, and with my style of play I feel like could be effective 'til my late 30s, so I'm not going to feel sorry for myself right now.
"I'm just going to keep buckling down and keep doing what I love to do."
Since being drafted by the Warriors with the 11th pick in 2011, the 31-year-old Thompson is averaging 19.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game in his career.
Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw will start for the MLB World Series champions on Opening Day.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced on Sunday that Kershaw will be on the mound when the team open their 2021 season against the Colorado Rockies on April 1.
It will be Kershaw's ninth Opening Day start – the most in franchise history – after a back injury prevented him from beginning the 2020 campaign.
Kershaw got the nod in a star-studded bullpen, including Walker Buehler and high-profile recruit Trevor Bauer, who is the reigning National League (NL) Cy Young winner.
"There's really no wrong decision," Roberts said. "I just feel that he's earned it, he's the right guy for the spot for 2021 -- for every reason I just think it makes the most sense."
The 32-year-old Kershaw – entering the final season of his three-year, $93million deal – helped guide the Dodgers to their first World Series triumph since 1988 last season.
During the coronavirus-shortened 2020 campaign, eight-time All-Star and 2014 NL MVP Kershaw had a 2.16 ERA with 62 strikeouts and eight home runs allowed.
In the playoffs, Kershaw's ERA was 2.93 with 37 strikeouts and four wins in five appearances.
The Dodgers will open their title defence away to the Rockies at Coors Field.
Kershaw is 11-5 with a 4.44 ERA when pitching at Coors Field, while the three-time NL Cy Young Award winner owns a 24-8 career record against the Rockies, including a 3.22 ERA.
Cristian Garin prevailed in his hometown, crowned Chile Open champion with a three-set victory over Facundo Bagnis.
Garin, who had not won a match in 2021 before arriving in Santiago, claimed his first ATP Tour trophy on home soil thanks to Sunday's 6-4 6-7 (3-7) 7-5 triumph.
The top seed and 24-year-old only dropped one set throughout the ATP 250 tournament as he became the first Chilean player to win a home event since Fernando Gonzalez in 2009.
Bagnis was contesting his first final aged 31 and he was unable to see it through against Garin, who celebrated his fifth ATP title – all of them on clay.
Drew Brees has called time on his remarkable NFL career, announcing his retirement after 20 seasons.
Johnny Sexton kicked a late penalty to make sure Ireland once again got the better of Scotland in the Six Nations, the visitors running out 27-24 winners at Murrayfield on Sunday.
Scotland went into the fixture still in with a shot of claiming the title but a 17th loss in the last 20 meetings between the two nations in the competition means Wales and France will fight it out to be crowned champions in 2021.
Hamish Watson's converted try in the 74th minute completed an impressive comeback from Scotland, who had trailed 24-10 at one stage in the second half.
However, having worked so hard to get back level in the contest, Scotland conceded a penalty from the kick-off, allowing Sexton to settle a see-saw contest in favour of Ireland.
The hosts had not played for a month – their round three fixture against France was called off due to a coronavirus outbreak within Les Bleus' squad – and were caught cold in the opening minutes of both halves.
Sexton slotted over an early penalty to start the scoring before putting his right boot to good use in open play, a cross-field kick meant for Keith Earls ending up breaking kindly for the late-arriving Robbie Henshaw to ground.
Finn Russell replied with a penalty and then cashed in on a fortunate break to get Scotland's first try.
Stuart Hogg charged down a clearing kick and twice hacked on before Russell did the same, James Lowe’s attempt to deal with the situation only knocking the ball up in the air to set up an easy finish for the fly-half.
The conversion made it 10-8 to Scotland, but a pair of Sexton penalties before the break was followed up by Tadhg Beirne plunging over in the 49th minute, his try by the posts leaving an easy kick to make it 21-10.
A further Sexton penalty built the lead out to 14, yet substitute Huw Jones gave Scotland hope, bursting through some weak tackling to make an instant impact following his introduction.
Hogg landed the extras having taken over kicking duties, the full-back also on target to bring his team level after Watson's strength close to the line allowed the flanker to force the ball down.
Yet Sexton scuppered Scotland's hopes as he had the last word, drilling over the match-winning kick from close to the touchline.
Daniil Medvedev claimed the 10th ATP Tour title of his career with a 6-4 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 win over Pierre-Hugues Herbert at the Open 13 Provence in Marseille.
Medvedev will move up to number two in the world in Monday's latest ranking, making him the first player outside of the big four of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray to occupy one of the top two positions since Leyton Hewitt in 2005.
The Russian celebrated this achievement with a dogged display to down Herbert in two hours and 11 minutes, saving four of the five break points he faced.
A finalist at the Australian Open, Medvedev is now 14-2 in 2021, with the Open 13 title his sixth on indoor hard courts.
Herbert's strategy of frequently visiting the net was initially picked apart by Medvedev, who only needed one set point in the opener as he threaded a backhand winner expertly down the line.
But the Frenchman applied the pressure in set two, passing up three break points early on before impressing from the baseline to reel off five straight points and claim the breaker from 2-4 behind.
The decider was a tense affair but Herbert's errors at the net came back to undermine his efforts decisively when he served to stay in the match at 5-4.
The 29-year-old has now lost all four of his ATP Finals, while Medvedev again proved himself to be a high-quality operator on such occasions.
Antoine Rozner claimed his second European Tour title as a closing 65 gave the Frenchman victory in the Qatar Masters on Sunday.
Rozner, whose first title came in the Golf in Dubai Championship in December, went into the final day at the Education City Golf Club three shots adrift of the lead.
He jumped into first place by going to the turn in 33 shots but was joined at the summit by Guido Migliozzi after the Italian carded a bogey-free 65.
It looked like Rozner might accept a play-off when he faced a 60-foot putt on the last, needing to get down in two to force extra holes, but the 28-year-old sank his long-distance attempt to finish on eight under for the tournament.
India's Gaganjeet Bhullar and Darren Fichardt of South Africa finished alongside Migliozzi a shot off the lead, one ahead of Wales' Jamie Donaldson and Englishman Richard McEvoy.
Rozner's win means he will move into the top 70 in the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time in his career, while he becomes the fastest French player to claim two victories on the European Tour, doing so in only 29 events.
"It's unreal," he said on the European Tour website. "In my biggest dreams I couldn't imagine anything like this happening.
"It's probably the biggest putt of my career - amazing.
"It's so early in my career, only my second year on tour. I'm playing great so I'm just going to keep doing what I'm doing, playing the way I've been playing the last two years and I'm excited to see what the future holds for me. It's very promising."
Caris LeVert was "just happy to be on court again" after finally getting the chance to make his debut for the Indiana Pacers.
LeVert joined the franchise via a trade in January, a move that dramatically changed his life before he even made an appearance for the Pacers.
A small, cancerous mass was discovered on his left kidney during a team physical and medical test prior to the deal going through, with the 26-year-old undergoing surgery to have it removed.
Having now fully recovered, he was able to return to action on Saturday, contributing 13 points and seven rebounds as Indiana defeated the Phoenix Suns 122-111, just their second win in eight outings.
While admitting to having "heavy legs", LeVert was just grateful to be back, particularly as he had no idea after his operation when exactly he would be cleared to return.
"The main thing for me was trying to contribute to a win," LeVert, who played 27 minutes, told the media.
"This was maybe my second time going five-on-five since everything happened - there was a little bit of heavy legs due to my conditioning, but that will come back. I'm just glad we got the win."
He added: "I think a month and a half ago, two months ago, I didn't even know if I was going to be out here, especially this soon with everything that happened.
"There is definitely a level of gratefulness - I'm just happy to be on the court again."
Asked if his presence made a difference for the Pacers, he replied: "I just tried to come out and give great energy, contribute in any way that I could."
LeVert was averaging 18.5 points per game for the Nets before being involved in a blockbuster four-team trade that was headlined by James Harden ending up with Brooklyn.
Indiana actually drafted the shooting guard 20th overall in 2016, though they traded his rights to the Nets before he had played a game.
Pacers coach Nate Bjorkgren is glad to have LeVert on his roster now, praising his attitude as he waited to make a comeback.
"He energised our team, and his character level is so high," Bjorkgren said.
"He's such a good person. He's been a great team-mate throughout this entire time that he's been out, so our guys were very happy to have him back out there on the court."
Carmelo Anthony insisted he never lost confidence in his own abilities during his time out of the NBA after moving up into 11th place on the all-time scoring list.
Anthony landed a pull-up jumper in the fourth quarter of the Portland Trail Blazers' victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday, the bucket carrying him past Hakeem Olajuwon to sit just outside the top 10 for points.
The 36-year-old finished with a team-high 26 points in a 125-121 triumph that sees Portland improve to 22-15 in the Western Conference. He is averaging 14.1 points for the season, his second with the franchise.
The third overall pick in 2003 appeared at one stage to be out of the league, playing just 10 games in the 2018-19 season. After failing to find a role with the Houston Rockets, he was subsequently waived by the Chicago Bulls following a trade.
While some may have believed his NBA time was up when he did not feature for just over a year, Anthony always retained the belief he could still have an impact at the highest level.
"I did give the people what they wanted, I was away from the game for a year and change, they wanted me to get out of the game and retire," Anthony told the media.
"You hear all that stuff, man. I've never lost confidence in myself. I've given this game too much to lose any kind of confidence out there.
"I believe in myself, if nobody else believes in me. That's the key - believing in yourself.
"I believe in my abilities, my skill level, my talent, my knowledge for the game of basketball, but also my love for the game of basketball. When you have all of that in one, nobody can take that joy away from you."
Anthony now has 26,955 points in a career that started with the Denver Nuggets. He joined the New York Knicks via a trade in 2011 and is seventh all-time in points scored for the franchise.
As for the all-time list, Elvin Hayes (27,313) occupies 10th position ahead of Anthony, while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387) sits top.
Asked about passing Hall of Fame center Olajuwon, Anthony replied: "I can't put it into words, it's a great feeling to know that I'm still able to do this and continue to have opportunities to move up on that list.
"Any time you can start creeping up on a top-10 list, that's when things start getting special. I'm here, I'm happy and I'm excited."
Giannis Antetokounmpo said the Milwaukee Bucks were "beautiful to watch" as they fought back to beat the Washington Wizards, finally winning from 10-plus points behind.
The Bucks trailed 60-48 at one point, but Antetokounmpo finished with a stunning 33 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in a 125-119 victory. It was his sixth triple-double of the season.
He found sturdy support from guards Jrue Holiday (18 points and eight rebounds) and Donte DiVincenzo (10 points and 13 rebounds), while Russell Westbrook scored 42 points and had 12 assists and 10 rebounds in a losing cause for the Wizards.
It was the first time this season the Bucks have come back to win from a double-digit deficit. They were 0-13 on that front before Saturday night.
"It's good. We're getting better, figuring out ways to play, make the right play, just compete out there," said Antetokounmpo.
"As much as it doesn't show today - they still got 119 points - I like the way we defended. And we're going to get a lot better at that.
"Today we were able to keep our composure, stay together and execute and get back to the game, and when we came out in the third quarter we were ready to play and it was beautiful to watch, just how ready we were.
"When we were down, we responded, that was the beautiful part. We can always get better, defensively we can get better, offensively we can execute better, and that's what we're trying to do."
Westbrook tied the game with a three-pointer with 41 seconds to go but then missed a shot in the closing stages, allowing the Bucks to pull clear.
"Some day that guy's going to have 40, 50, 35 points, but at the end of the day there's going to be some close games," Antetokounmpo said.
"So it doesn't matter, the stats sheet, it doesn't matter what a guy has done before that, for that last minute can you execute now, can you find the open guy, can you make the tough shots, can you get a stop? We were able to do that today and I'm very happy.
"Hopefully we can carry this over to the next game and keep getting better than that."
James Harden produced another triple-double as the in-form Brooklyn Nets won 100-95 over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday.
The Nets moved to 12-1 from their past 13 games, improving their overall record to 26-13 with their fourth consecutive victory.
Harden led the way with 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, although he was 0-for-six from three-point range, inviting Detroit into the game.
Kyrie Irving (18 points) also struggled to find his radar, but Landry Shamet lifted from range, with 15 points including a trio of three-pointers.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Russell Westbrook starred but the Greek forward's Milwaukee Bucks came out on top in a 125-119 win over the Washington Wizards.
Antetokounmpo finished with a sensational 33 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in a thrilling win, receiving good support from guard Jrue Holiday (18 points and eight rebounds) and center Donte DiVincenzo (10 points and 13 rebounds).
Westbrook scored 42 points for the Wizards along with 12 assists and 10 rebounds, while Rui Hachimura had 29 points and 11 boards.
In a tight match where only one point split the sides at half-time, Westbrook tied the game with a three-pointer with 41 seconds to go.
But Westbrook missed a chance to draw level again with 25 seconds to go at 121-119, allowing the Bucks to run away with it.
LaMelo shines, Charlotte's franchise record
LaMelo Ball impressed again with 23 points, six assists and nine rebounds in the Charlotte Hornets' 114-104 win over the Toronto Raptors.
The 2020 third pick helped Charlotte find their range as they shot a franchise record 11 three-pointers in the opening quarter, with Ball finishing the game with six of his own.
Kristaps Porzingis (25 points and six rebounds) and Luka Doncic (21 points and 12 assists) guided the Dallas Mavericks to a 116-103 victory over the Denver Nuggets.
Malcolm Brogdon scored 25 points and Domantas Sabonis had a triple-double as the Indiana Pacers enjoyed a 122-111 win against the Phoenix Suns.
Trae Young had 28 points as the Atlanta Hawks collected their fourth straight win, beating the Sacramento Kings 121-106.
Triple-doubles galore
There were five triple-double in one day, which is a new NBA record, produced by Harden, Antetokounmpo, Westbrook, Sabonis and New York Knicks forward Julius Randle (26 points, 12 assists and 12 rebounds against the Oklahoma City Thunder).
Hornet stung
Hornets guard Terry Rozier was forced out of his side's win over Toronto with a "left leg contusion" which will be a worry moving forward. He initially tried to play through it but eventually limped out of the game with 17 points to his name.
Saturday's results
New York Knicks 119-97 Oklahoma City Thunder
Charlotte Hornets 114-104 Toronto Raptors
Brooklyn Nets 100-95 Detroit Pistons
Milwaukee Bucks 125-119 Washington Wizards
Atlanta Hawks 121-106 Sacramento Kings
Portland Trail Blazers 125-121 Minnesota Timberwolves
Dallas Mavericks 116-103 Denver Nuggets
Indiana Pacers 122-111 Phoenix Suns
Pistons at Nets
Another bumper Sunday with nine games to come, including the Philadelphia 76ers taking on the San Antonio Spurs with Joel Embiid out, while the Utah Jazz face the out-of-sorts Golden State Warriors.
The Blues made it two wins from two games, scoring five tries in a 39-17 victory over the Highlanders in Super Rugby Aotearoa in Auckland on Sunday.
The hosts proved unstoppable at Eden Park, practically putting the game beyond reach by half-time with a 17-3 lead, before some late consolation for the Highlanders.
The victory, which backed up the Blues' opening-round 31-16 triumph over the Hurricanes, underlines their genuine contender credentials.
After an early Highlanders penalty, the Blues got the first try in the ninth minute when Otere Black finished off Rieko Ioane's good work.
The Blues got their second try seven minutes later, with numbers on the left side allowing Rieko Ioane to draw the defence and offload for Caleb Clarke to score in the corner.
They were denied a spectacular try by a TMO ruling that Akira Ioane's pass to Rieko Ioane was forward shortly prior to half-time.
Josh Dickson was yellow-carded before the break and Emoni Narawa added a third Blues try shortly after the interval, as they spread right after a rolling maul.
Clarke's good kicking set up another opportunity which was taken by substitute hooker Kurt Eklund from another Blues rolling maul which left the Highlanders helpless.
Ash Dixon pulled a try back for the visitors, before flanker Akira Ioane dived over for the Blues.
Blues scrum-half Sam Nock received a late sin-binning for cynical play before Folau Fakatava got a late consolation try for the Highlanders, squeezing over the line.
Top seed and local hope Cristian Garin progressed to Sunday's Chile Open final after defeating Daniel Elahi Galan in straight sets in their semi-final.
The Chilean world number 22 triumphed over Colombian Galan 6-4 6-3 and will play 118th-ranked Facundo Bagnis in Sunday's decider in Santiago.
Garin sent down eight aces and was dominant on his first serve against Galan.
Santiago native Garin, 24, has never won an ATP Tour title on home soil, while no Chilean has won the event since Fernando Gonzalez in 2009.
"I'm so, so happy to be in the final," Garin said in his post-game on-court interview. "The first day that I arrived I wasn't playing well and it was my second tournament in months, so for me to be in the final is so special, and even more here in Chile."
Argentinian Bagnis defeated higher-ranked countryman Federico Delbonis 7-5 6-3 to secure his place in a maiden Tour final.
Whenever boxing's matchmakers put together a bout that promises fireworks and destructive drama from the opening bell, pundits and fans alike spit out the same three syllables.
Hagler-Hearns.
Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns shared seven minutes and 52 seconds of unfathomable brutality in Las Vegas in April 1985, setting an impossible bar for every all-action fight ever since.
Hagler and Hearns met in their primes as two stars of a golden age in the sport's middle weights. The celebrated "Four Kings" were completed by fellow greats 'Sugar' Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran.
There were nine fights in all between the quartet, spanning 1980 to 1989. Leonard and Duran met three times, with both men going the distance against Hagler. Hearns and Leonard shared 26 rounds over the course of two enthralling bouts separated by almost eight years.
And yet, the comparatively brief period Hearns and Hagler spent in one another's violent orbit stands as the high watermark of the era for many.
After Hagler died aged 66 on Saturday, we look back at three rounds that shook the world.
ROUND ONE
An elongated promotional tour taking in 21 cities whipped up severe animosity between the two fighters, with long-reigning unified middleweight king Hagler brooding over the perceived higher public standing afforded to fellow Americans Leonard and Hearns, along with the latter's withdrawal from their proposed 1982 meeting with a hand injury.
Hearns had showcased terrifying power at welterweight and light-middleweight. He demolished Duran inside two rounds in 1984, at the same Caesars Palace outdoor arena that staged his clash with Hagler.
Therefore, the expectations were of a measured start from the older man, who would draw the sting from a 26-year-old Hearns at a then-unfamiliar weight before taking him into deep waters.
Hagler was not reading from that script.
After eyeballing his foe throughout the introductions, he tore out of his corner at the opening bell and unleashed a wild and winging right hand that Hearns just managed to duck. The tone was set and there would be no let-up.
Hagler's gameplan – insofar as it could be deciphered from underneath the red mist – was to negate Hearns' three-inch reach advantage by attacking the younger man to the body.
Initially, that was a march straight into trouble as Hearns caught him with a left hand coming in and followed up with a right hook to shake Hagler.
The champion held for the briefest of respites before leather began to fly in centre ring – Hagler unleashing his chopping left hook and locating Hearns' chin to force a retreat to the neutral corner.
Hurt, Hearns shot back under heavy fire to escape the peril Hagler had planned on the ropes.
There was a minute gone.
The hunter and hunted patter was established. Hearns clipped Hagler with a left off the back foot to draw him on to a short right. Worryingly for the 'Motor City Cobra', 'Marvellous' was entirely unperturbed.
Hagler's booming straight right was working effectively, but Hearns' blurring fists continued to punctuate a fight in fast forward. A pair of rights found the jaw, still Hagler came. A flashing uppercut, still he came. But there was blood. A lot of it.
"There's blood all over Marvin Hagler's face, I can't tell where it's coming from," yelped commentator Al Bernstein
Seemingly spurred on by the change in circumstances, Hagler forced Hearns into the red corner and got to work, pounding the body. Hearns was sharp in the eye of the storm, soaking up two crunching left hooks and fighting his way out of trouble.
Well, until that unerring Hagler straight right sent him tottering backwards with nine seconds left in the round. By the time the bell sounded, they were trading once more.
Hearns landed 56 of 83 punches in the first round as Hagler connected with 50 of 82. It still beggars belief.
ROUND TWO
"Don't worry about the cut, Marvin," said his cornerman Goody Petronelli, unknowing that there were bigger problems afoot on the other stood.
At some point in the fury of the first three minutes, Hearns had broken his wrecking ball right. This perhaps explained his willingness to begin the second on the jab – that tool of relative conservatism largely lost in the maelstrom of round one.
Hagler met this adjustment with a change of his own. The switch-hitter turned to an orthodox stance for the first time in the fight and landed with a left-right combination.
Regardless, there would be no backwards step from Hagler. Back he went to southpaw, a right jab leaving Hearns disorganised and opening up more opportunities to the body.
A straight right was Hearns' retort along with crisp lefts to head and body, but Hagler shrugged them off and continued to bore forwards with blood all over the place.
His left hook was working like a dream and shuddering rights had Hearns in trouble on the ropes.
When the bell sounded, Hagler's bloody mask and Hearns' exhausted body gave both men the look of beaten fighters.
ROUND THREE
"Just box him, stay away and box him," Emanuel Steward implored Hearns, although the great tactician had reason to sense the bout was slipping away.
Aghast, Steward found one of Hearns' entourage giving him a leg massage before the fight. Combined with the concussive head shots Hagler had landed at will, the result was rubbery limbs that did not convince as the Kronk Gym favourite looked to get on the balls of his feet and skip away at the start of round three.
Hagler's eyes never deviated from a moving target, but his problems were also stacking up.
Referee Richard Steele was increasingly zealous when it came to breaking the fighters up, preventing Hagler from doing the work he wanted to on the inside. After one of the official's interventions, he called the ringside doctor to have a look at the champion's increasingly gruesome cut.
Given Hearns opened the cut with a punch, a TKO defeat was on the cards for Hagler if he was deemed unfit to continue.
But no referee or no doctor was stopping this fight. Hagler decided it was time to take care of adjudication himself.
He had started to measure Hearns' increasingly predictable retreats, and a right to the side of the head saw his opponent stagger sidewards across the right, almost turning his back. Hagler knew the time was now.
A follow-up right to the temple robbed Hearns of any remaining equilibrium and another to the jaw saw him sag back before collapsing downwards, the breeze of Hagler's superfluous follow-up shots doing nothing to rouse him.
Flat on his back, Hearns tried valiantly to beat Steele's count, but a valedictory triumph belonged to Hagler after a cacophony of violent mayhem and savagery that remains celebrated to this day.
In France, they still speak joyously of Philippe Saint-Andre's wonder try at Twickenham, that majestic blue wave that swept from one end of the great stadium to the other, resulting in a score under the posts.
What a score that was, voted many years as Twickenham's 'try of the century', Blanco to Sella to Camberabero to Saint-Andre. The punch of the air, the high fives, the hugs. The wanton joie de vivre of it all.
But it came in a losing cause, on the final day of the 1991 Five Nations, in a championship decider. Some consolation, but a consolation nonetheless.
It was Geoff Cooke's team who lifted the trophy, Will Carling the beaming captain, the champagne spraying in England's dressing room.
France were a joy to watch, those great names still resonate, and they were so close to sashaying and side-stepping their way to a glorious Grand Slam.
So close. They finished second. The first losers.
Thirty years on from that March classic and there was nothing at Twickenham on Saturday that will be remembered quite so fondly as that vintage Saint-Andre moment, but there was so nearly an outcome that could have banished many bleak French memories from trips to London. Instead, England added to that long list.
Before Maro Itoje burrowed over in the 76th minute, this was poised to be a tale of a great French win, after a captivating clash. It would have been a third win in three games in this year's championship, talk would have turned to the Grand Slam.
Delightful tries from Antoine Dupont and Damian Penaud, stemming from that great Gallic brand of running rugby, were of the sort Blanc, Sella and co would have been proud.
Suspicions of a Twickenham hex hanging over Les Bleus were about to be banished. England had won nine of their 10 previous home games against France in the Six Nations, including the last seven in a row, but their dominance was about to be halted by a French side with bulldog spirit to match their silky skills.
Fabien Galthie was on the brink of getting one over on Eddie Jones, who was facing the prospect of his Red Rose losing a third match in four.
It would have been an eighth win in their last nine Six Nations games for France.
And then along came Itoje. England were over.
Weren't they?
France clung to the hope Teddy Thomas had held Itoje up. Referee Andrew Brace felt Thomas may have done just that, but the TMO knew better.
After what felt like an age, the try was given and French hearts broke. They lost 23-20.
What an achievement it would have been for Galthie's side to cross La Manche and return to Marcoussis triumphant.
Last month's major COVID-19 outbreak in their camp was worrying from a health perspective but came in tandem with questions about conduct and protocol too, with Galthie eventually exonerated despite leaving the squad bubble to watch his son play a rugby game, and no blame apportioned.
This France side re-emerged and played with verve from the first minute - Dupont crossed after just 65 seconds following lovely work from Thomas - before Anthony Watson replied as England reined in their visitors.
France struck again in the 32nd minute, electric play from the backs in blue ending with Penaud dancing in on the right.
Owen Farrell and Matthieu Jalibert kept the score ticking along from the kicking tee, then with time running out Itoje had the determining say.
"We are playing lovely rugby," France back-rower Gregory Alldritt told ITV after the final whistle. "We are enjoying playing all together on the pitch.
"We will go back to work on Monday and have a big, big game next week and we need to prepare for this game."
France went down in this game, but they are not out. The Six Nations title could yet be heading to Paris, even if the Grand Slam will not.
Wales, now the only team left in contention for a clean sweep of wins, will aim to complete a perfect campaign in Paris next Saturday night.
Given how they took this game to England, and how close they came to a famous victory, expect Galthie's men to rise again for the challenge of the arriving Red Dragons.
This was England's day in the end, but you still got the feeling this might be a French side who in the near future won't have to settle for consolation prizes or being the first losers. That Wales game will be titanic, and revealing.
France boss Fabien Galthie said his team "lost control" against England as Maro Itoje's late try allowed the hosts to snatch a 23-20 victory at Twickenham.
In a sizzling Six Nations match, France went ahead through Antoine Dupont after just 65 seconds and led 20-13 early in the second half.
They were looking like earning a first victory in the championship in London since 2005 until England came back strongly in the closing stages.
Itoje crossed in the 76th minute, with a TMO verdict showing he had just managed to ground the ball.
Galthie told broadcaster France 2: "In the second period, we lost control of the match. We backed off. We held the line until Maro Itoje scored.
"The English ended up stronger, they managed to occupy the field more than we did. The team had a big game.
"We were ahead until three minutes from the end, but that's not enough."
France had won their opening two matches before a COVID-19 outbreak in the squad caused the clash with Scotland to be postponed.
Talk of a Grand Slam would have abounded had they held on against England, but it was not to be.
Galthie added in a news conference: "The two teams delivered a great match, before a denouement that must be digested.
"It played out once again in the final minutes. But above all, I am proud of my players, of their solidarity.
"It's a game that makes you grow. We didn't win but they felt we could win it. There are two, three key moments that perhaps would have allowed us to finish it more comfortably.
"In the end, the English dispossessed us of the ball because we conceded penalties, lost balls. But that's good. The team learns."
France face Grand Slam-chasing Wales next Saturday in Paris, knowing a victory over the Red Dragons would keep hopes alive of winning the championship.
Galthie added, according to Le Figaro, that France would react "by keeping the positives".
"We will digest this result together and switch to Wales now," he said. "That match starts right away. It depends on our ability to share and experience together the frustration to plan for the match that awaits us next Saturday."
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