Jameis Winston threw three second-half touchdown passes in his first start in over two years, including a 38-yard strike to Cedric Tillman with 59 seconds left that lifted the Cleveland Browns to a stunning 29-24 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.
Playing its first game since starting quarterback Deshaun Watson tore his Achilles tendon last week, Cleveland (2-6) halted a five-game skid and ended the Ravens' five-game winning streak behind a superb effort from Winston. The former No. 1 overall pick completed 27 of 41 passes for 334 yards and no interceptions in his first start since Week 3 of the 2022 season while then with the New Orleans Saints.
Tillman had another touchdown catch in the third quarter and compiled a career-high 99 yards on seven receptions. David Njoku hauled in Winston's first touchdown pass of the day and finished with five catches for 61 yards.
Baltimore (5-3) had taken a 24-23 lead on Derrick Henry's 2-yard touchdown run with 2:36 remaining to cap a six-play, 91-yard drive highlighted by two Lamar Jackson completions to Zay Flowers for 29 and 23 yards.
Flowers ended with 115 yards on seven catches, while Jackson threw for 289 yards on 23-of-38 passing with touchdowns to Nelson Agholor and Mark Andrews. Henry led all players with 73 rushing yards on 11 attempts.
Daniels' Hail Mary touchdown pass lifts Commanders over Bears, Williams
Jayden Daniels won his head-to-head meeting with Caleb Williams in spectacular fashion, as the Washington Commanders' rookie quarterback threw a 52-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass to Noah Brown as time expired to give the NFC East leaders a shocking 18-15 win over the Chicago Bears.
Daniels, taken one spot behind Williams with the No. 2 pick in this year's draft, evaded pressure before heaving the ball from his own 35-yard line into a crowd of players near the goal line. The pass was tipped by the Commanders' Zach Ertz and landed right into the arms of Brown to give Washington (6-2) its fifth win in six games.
The reigning Heisman Trophy winner shook off a rib injury that had him questionable coming into the game to throw for 326 yards on 21-of-38 passing. Terry McLaurin recorded 125 yards on five catches for Washington, while Ertz had seven receptions for 77 yards.
Williams led Chicago (4-3) on a 10-play, 62-yard drive late that Rochon Johnson capped with a 1-yard touchdown run that briefly put the Bears ahead with 25 seconds left. The 2022 Heisman recipient then found Cole Kmet in the end zone for the ensuing 2-point try and a 15-12 lead.
Williams struggled for much of the day, however, completing just 10 of 24 passes for 131 yards as the Bears fell behind 12-0 until late in the third quarter, when D'Andre Swift's 56-yard touchdown run got Chicago on the board.
Swift finished with a season-high 129 yards on 18 carries.
Patriots score late touchdown to extend Jets' woes
The No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 draft also helped his team to a win Sunday, though Drake Maye exited the New England Patriots' 25-22 comeback victory over the still-reeling New York Jets with a concussion early in the second quarter.
Jacoby Brissett replaced Maye, who departed following a helmet-to-helmet hit by New York linebacker Jamien Sherwood, and engineered a 12-play, 70-yard drive capped by Rhamondre Stevenson's 1-yard touchdown run on fourth down with 22 seconds left.
Stevenson then caught Brissett's short pass for the ensuing two-point conversion to put the Patriots up by a field goal, and New England (2-6) held on the rest of the way to end a six-game losing streak.
New York (2-6) has now lost five in a row and dropped to 0-3 since firing head coach Robert Saleh on Oct. 8 and replacing him with defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.
Brissett went 15 of 24 for 132 yards and no interceptions in place of Maye, who recorded his first career touchdown run before leaving when his 17-yard scramble gave the Patriots a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.
Stevenson also had a touchdown run in the third quarter and registered 48 yards on 20 rush attempts.
Aaron Rodgers threw first-half touchdown passes to Tyler Conklin and Xavier Gipson to send the Jets into half-time with a 13-7 lead. New England rallied to go up 17-16 on Joey Slye's field goal midway through the fourth quarter, but New York went back in front on Braelon Allen's 2-yard touchdown run that made the score 22-17 with 2:57 left.
Rodgers completed 17 of 28 passes for 233 yards, while Garrett Wilson led the Jets' receivers with 113 yards on five catches.
Packers edge Jaguars late despite injury to Love
The Green Bay Packers also overcame an injury to their quarterback to pull out a last-second win, a 30-27 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Brandon McManus' 24-yard field goal as time expired.
Malik Willis led the deciding late drive after taking over for Jordan Love, who injured his groin on Green Bay's first possession and eventually left the contest early in the second half.
Willis threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Tucker Kraft early in the fourth quarter to give the Packers a 27-17 lead, but Jacksonville (2-6) countered with Cam Little's 47-yard field goal before tying the game on Trevor Lawrence's 14-yard touchdown delivery to Evan Engram with 1:48 remaining.
Two plays later, Willis connected with Jayden Reed for a 51-yard gain to set up McManus' third field goal of the day, which lifted Green Bay (6-2) to a fourth consecutive win.
Willis completed 4 of 5 passes for 56 yards in place of Love, who was 14 of 22 for 196 yards and one interception before departing.
The Packers also got a big lift from running back Josh Jacobs, who amassed 127 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries.
Lawrence also threw a touchdown pass to Brian Thomas in the third quarter and finished with 308 yards and one interception while completing 21 of 32 throws. The quarterback also had a 6-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.
Cardinals rally late to shock Dolphins, spoil Tagovailoa's return
In another game that came down to the final play, the Arizona Cardinals seized a 28-27 win over the Miami Dolphins on Chad Ryland's 34-yard field goal with no time remaining.
Sparked by quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's return from a concussion that sidelined him four games, Miami (2-5) held a 27-18 fourth-quarter lead before the Cardinals scored 10 unanswered points in the final nine minutes.
Arizona (4-4) closed the gap on James Conner's 2-yard touchdown run with 8:48 left that ended an eight-play, 70-yard drive. Kyler Murray then marched the Cardinals 73 yards on 13 plays on their next possession to put his team in range for Ryland's winning kick.
Murray completed 26 of 36 attempts for 307 yards with touchdown passes to Michael Wilson and Marvin Harrison Jr., who put up 111 yards on six catches. Trey McBride added 124 yards on nine grabs in Arizona's second straight win.
Tagovailoa finished with 234 yards on 28-of-38 passing and connected with De'Von Achane for a 12-yard touchdown in the third quarter in his first appearance since Week 2.
Achane had 50 receiving yards on six catches along with 97 rushing yards for Miami, which lost for the fifth time in six games despite two short rushing touchdowns from Raheem Mostert.
49ers bounce back, continue Cowboys' struggles with big second half
Brock Purdy had both a passing and rushing touchdown during a dominant third quarter that propelled the San Francisco 49ers to a 30-24 win over the slumping Dallas Cowboys.
Down 10-6 at half-time, San Francisco (4-4) scored touchdowns on each of their third-quarter drives to take a 27-10 lead before holding on and rebounding from last week's loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in a rematch of last season's Super Bowl participants.
Isaac Guerendo put the 49ers ahead with a 4-yard touchdown run, a score set up by Purdy's 43-yard completion to George Kittle. Deommodore Lenoir then intercepted Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott on the following possession, with the turnover leading to Purdy's 2-yard touchdown pass to Kittle that staked San Francisco to a 20-10 advantage midway through the period.
The 49ers moved 75 yards on nine plays on their next series to extend the margin on Purdy's 2-yard touchdown run.
Purdy ended 18 for 26 for 260 yards. Kittle compiled 128 yards on six receptions, while Guerendo added 85 rushing yards on 14 attempts.
Dallas (3-4) made the final score more competitive with two Prescott touchdown passes to CeeDee Lamb in the fourth quarter in its first outing since a 47-9 home loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 6.
Lamb had a monster night in defeat with 146 yards on 13 catches. Prescott threw for 243 yards on 25-of-38 passing but was intercepted twice.
The Golden State Warriors were dealt their first defeat of the season Sunday, and may have suffered an even greater loss in their home opener.
Stephen Curry exited in the fourth quarter with a left ankle injury in the Los Angeles Clippers' 112-104 win over the Warriors, who entered the contest off back-to-back blowout road victories over the Portland Trail Blazers and the Utah Jazz.
Curry initially left the game late in the third quarter but returned with just over eight minutes left in the fourth. The two-time NBA MVP lasted just 13 seconds before hobbling to the bench after setting a screen, however, and headed to the locker room before being ruled out of the remainder of the game shortly afterward.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said afterward that Curry, who finished with 18 points and six assists, has a "mild to moderate" sprain and will undergo an MRI.
James Harden and Ivica Zubac led the Clippers, who never trailed after embarking on an 11-1 run to build a 56-45 lead late in the second quarter, with 23 points each. Harden added 11 assists and seven rebounds, while Zubac pulled down 18 boards to go along with six assists.
Los Angeles also received 20 points from Norman Powell in its second straight win since a season-opening loss to the Phoenix Suns.
Andrew Wiggins paced Golden State with 29 points on 11-of-15 shooting, including a 5-for-8 effort from 3-point range.
Maxey's 45 points sends 76ers past Pacers in overtime
Tyrese Maxey scored 10 of his 45 points in overtime to rally the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers to their first win of the season, a 118-114 victory over the Indiana Pacers.
Still without All-Stars Joel Embiid and Paul George due to knee injuries, the 76ers bounced back from two straight losses to start the campaign despite trailing 102-97 with under 90 seconds left in regulation.
Philadelphia then went on an 8-0 run, capped by two Maxey free throws with 11.7 seconds remaining, to briefly move ahead until Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton forced overtime with a 3-pointer that tied the score at 105-105 with 3.5 seconds to go.
Maxey took over in the extra session, however, scoring a pair of layups around a made free throw by the Pacers' Myles Turner to give the 76ers a 114-111 lead with 20.7 seconds left. The sharpshooting guard later sealed the victory with two free throws with 2.5 seconds remaining that extended the margin to 118-114.
Caleb Martin added 17 points and 12 rebounds for Philadelphia, which also received 17 rebounds from Andre Drummond with the veteran center starting in Embiid's place.
Haliburton led the Pacers with 22 points, while Pascal Siakam had 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting along with six assists in Indiana's second straight loss since a season-opening win at Detroit.
Nets beat Bucks for Fernandez's first win
Cam Thomas scored 32 points and Dennis Schröder added 29 as the Brooklyn Nets gave rookie head coach Jordi Fernandez his first NBA victory with a 115-102 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.
After opening the season with consecutive losses, the Nets outscored Milwaukee by a 22-4 margin over a stretch of under seven minutes in the fourth quarter to win their home opener under Fernandez, a native of Spain who spent the last two seasons as the Sacramento Kings' associate head coach.
Brooklyn broke the game open with a 10-0 run that Thomas capped with a three-point play to give his team a 99-85 lead with seven minutes to go. The Nets' advantage later grew to 22 points when Nic Claxton dunked in a feed from Cameron Johnson to make the score 111-89 with 2:36 left.
Milwaukee was dealt its second straight loss since a season-opening win at Philadelphia despite Giannis Antetokounmpo's 22 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists.
Damian Lillard added 21 points for the Bucks but went 1 of 7 from 3-point range. Milwaukee shot just 30.3 per cent from beyond the arc for the game.
Carlos Sainz led Ferrari to a second victory in as many weeks as Lando Norris and Max Verstappen clashed once again at an enthralling Mexican Grand Prix on Sunday.
Sainz secured his second victory of the season, despite having lost the lead to Verstappen on the first lap, to become the first Ferrari driver to win in Mexico since 1990.
But a week on from their tussle in Austin, Verstappen and Norris were again involved in an incident, resulting in the Dutchman recieving two 10-second penalties.
Verstappen was given a penalty for forcing Norris off the track in an incident at Turn Four on lap 10 and another for leaving the track and gaining an advantage four corners later.
Norris took second place, catching and passing Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc for second with nine laps to go, subsequently gaining points to Verstappen in the drivers' championship battle.
Behind the top three, Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were locked in combat throughout, but it was the seven-time world champion who claimed fourth place.
Verstappen's penalty saw him end the race in sixth, while Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg finished inside the top 10.
Norris' team-mate Oscar Piastri was sandwiched in between the Haas duo in eighth, while Pierre Gasly picked up a rare point in what has been a disappointing season for the Frenchman.
Data Debrief: Smooth Operator
Sainz's triumph saw him claim a fourth win in Formula 1, and his second of 2024 after winning in Australia earlier this year - the first time he has two wins in a season.
The Spaniard has achieved all four of his victories as a Ferrari driver, equalling John Surtees, Eddie Irvine and Clay Regazzoni for the Italian team.
He also became the third Scuderia driver to win in Mexico after Jacky Ickx in 1970 and Alain Prost in 1990.
Top 10
1. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
2. Lando Norris (McLaren)
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
4. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
5. George Russell (Mercedes)
6. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
7. Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
8. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
9. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)
10. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Drivers'
1. Max Verstappen - 362
2. Lando Norris - 315
3. Charles Leclerc - 291
Constructors'
1. McLaren - 566
2. Ferrari - 537
3. Red Bull - 512
Darin Richards and Yeonie Campbell claimed top honors at the Jamaica Rifle Association’s (JRA) Jamaica Cup IPSC Level 3 shoot, held at the JRA's head office and shooting range on Mountain View Avenue in Kingston. The event, a qualifier for the 2025 IPSC World Cup in South Africa, drew fierce competition as shooters battled under scorching conditions for coveted spots on the national team.
Richards took home the title in the Standard Division, a win he credited to his disciplined approach to mastering steel targets. “It was very awesome. The stages were very challenging," Richards said, describing the intensity of the competition. "I personally had some issues but was determined. I did my best, and I thank God I won my division.” His focused preparation paid off, earning him 741.42 points ahead of Paul Dixon, who scored 711.12, and Thomas Jones with 681.69.
In the Production Division, Campbell, also the JRA's pistol captain and match director, secured the win with an impressive 766.90 points. Balancing her roles as organizer and competitor, she described the experience as both rewarding and intense. “It was very pressuring. I had to organize the match itself...The team of us worked very hard to put on the production, and I am glad it came across very well,” Campbell shared, noting that winning her division made the effort all the more fulfilling. Campbell finished ahead of Sanjay Wilson (709.32) and Josimar Clarke (689.36).
Other notable performances included Ryan Bramwell’s victory in the Production Optics Division, scoring 1049.81 points. Bramwell, a seasoned competitor who made a switch to Production Optics for the event, comfortably outscored Chris Hart (946.20) and Adrian Randle (946.02). Alrice Palmer dominated the Open Division, scoring 1011.28 points, while Petrano Belafonte (971.93) and Alvin More (964.49) finished in second and third, respectively.
JRA President Rohan Wilson praised the event, noting its success since its inception in 2015. “I am very grateful that it was a safe day. I am very grateful that everyone came out and enjoyed it,” Wilson said. “The weather, the heat was grueling, but all in all, it was a successful day. The sport of practical pistol is still a very relevant sport.”
Island Car Rentals, the event’s main sponsor, supported this year’s Jamaica Cup IPSC Level 3 shoot, adding further prestige to an already impactful competition.
Shohei Ohtani will be back in the Los Angeles Dodgers' lineup for Game 3 of the World Series against the New York Yankees on Monday.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told Karl Ravech of ESPN on Sunday that Ohtani is "in a great spot and will be playing in game 2 tomorrow."
Ohtani partially dislocated his left shoulder on a feet-first slide when he was caught stealing second base to end the seventh inning in Saturday's 4-2 win.
He then laid on the infield dirt near second base for a couple minutes before walking off the field holding his left arm.
After the game, Roberts said that Ohtani "had a little left shoulder subluxation."
With Saturday's victory, the Dodgers have grabbed a 2-0 lead in the World Series despite some struggles at the plate from Ohtani.
The likely National League MVP was 0 for 3 with a walk in Game 2, and is 1 for 8 in the first two games of the Fall Classic.
In 13 play-off games, Ohtani is batting .260 with three home runs and 10 RBIs with 19 strikeouts.
The highly anticipated matchup between the top two picks of this year's NFL draft will happen.
Jayden Daniels will play for the Washington Commanders in their Week 8 game against Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears on Sunday.
Daniels was uncertain to play because of a rib injury sustained in last Sunday's 40-7 rout of the Carolina Panthers.
Daniels was limited in Friday's practice after sitting out Wednesday and Thursday's sessions and was officially listed as questionable before being made active about 90 minutes before kick-off.
The Commanders selected Daniels second in April's draft after the Bears took Williams first overall.
Williams won the 2022 Heisman Trophy as the top collegiate football player in the United States and Daniels won the prestigious award last year.
Daniels has the early edge in the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year race, with 1,410 passing yards to go with 10 total touchdowns in just over five games after getting hurt early last weekend.
Williams, meanwhile, has 1,317 passing yards with nine passing touchdowns, but has shown marked improvement in leading the Bears (4-2) to three straight wins. He threw four TDs in Chicago's last game - a 35-16 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in London in Week 6 - and has compiled a 122.8 passer rating during the winning streak.
Daniels has a 107.0 passer rating on the season while leading the Commanders (5-2) to their surprising perch atop the NFC East.
Journeyman backup Marcus Mariota played well after taking over for the injured Daniels late in the first quarter last week, completing 18-of-23 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns.
Jack Draper claimed his first ATP 500 title at the Vienna Open after downing Karen Khachanov 6-4 7-5 on Sunday.
Draper rallied from 4-0 down in the second set to claim the triumph, with his season record improving to 37-21.
The Briton also became the first player to win the tournament on his debut since compatriot Andy Murray did so in 2014.
At the end of a stellar season, the 22-year-old will rise to a new career-high of number 15 in the world rankings on Monday.
“I was playing so good, and then the momentum shifted,” said Draper.
“Honestly, I didn’t feel too nervous or tight, I just missed a few balls and made some wrong decisions, and Karen picked up his level.
"That’s a testament to how good he is, he’s a fighter, and he’s in great form.
“It got really tight there, but I stayed solid and in a good mental frame. Luckily, I was able to come through. It was a relief. To win my first ATP 500 feels incredible.
"I am incredibly happy and so proud of myself and my team. It’s for moments like this, so I am going to enjoy it.”
At the Swiss Indoors in Basel, meanwhile, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard stunned Ben Shelton 6-4 7-6 (7-4) to become the lowest-ranked champion since Basel became a tour-level event in 1975.
Mpetshi Perricard took advantage of an uncharacteristically slow start from Shelton to take the opener before edging a second-set tie-break for the win.
In a battle between two big hitters, it was the Frenchman who prevailed, serving a massive 22 aces, including two that sealed the win, compared to Shelton's 10.
“It’s amazing to win a tournament like that, a 500, for the first time for me,” said Mpetshi Perricard.
“I just can be happy with myself, with what I did today and the past five days. It’s amazing to win here.
"[Before this] it was a tough month for me, but it’s always good when the victories are there.”
Nikola Jokic suggested a novel way to try and get the Denver Nuggets firing after a stuttering start to the NBA season continued against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Superstar Jokic put up a hugely impressive 41 points but was unable to help the Nuggets to victory as the Clippers ran out 109-104 victors at the Ball Arena on Saturday.
It means the Nuggets have started the season 0-2 and Jokic was asked what the team could do differently to get things going.
He jokingly replied: "Party every time when we go out."
Jokic would later follow up with a more substantive answer, though, saying: "I really don't know, my friend.
"We just want to win. We just want to win one game and uh, hopefully, we can do that on this road.
"I think we're really struggling to score. We scored 104 points. In today's NBA, I think that’s not a really good number. Last game, we scored 89 [actually 87]. I don't even know."
The Nuggets will attempt to get on the win column when they visit the Toronto Raptors on Monday.
Lewis Hamilton admits he has become accustomed to trailing Mercedes team-mate George Russell after struggling in qualifying for the Mexico City Grand Prix.
Hamilton qualified in sixth for Sunday's race, one place behind Russell despite the latter reverting to an older floor for his W15 car following a crash in Friday's practice.
The seven-time drivers' champion trailed his team-mate by almost three tenths of a second and has now only beaten him in qualifying five times in 20 races this year.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1 following the conclusion of qualifying, which saw Carlos Sainz snatch pole position ahead of title contenders Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, Hamilton admitted he had struggled all year.
"I'm losing all the time, that's why I've been so bad in qualifying all year," Hamilton, who sits sixth in the drivers' championship standings, said.
"It's a normal thing and I'm used to it. We have done everything. We worked so hard in the background, like everyone does, to get the car in a nice place.
"It was feeling good in final practice, so we were like, 'let's not touch anything or do anything'. All we changed was the rear wing and it's just a drastic difference.
"Every time I get to qualifying, the car is completely different. I can't pinpoint why, but it is what it is."
Mercedes had switched to an older iteration of their car floor after both drivers struggled at last week's United States Grand Prix, with Russell now on an even older edition following his crash in second practice.
"Maybe George is more comfortable on the older package," Hamilton said. "I don't know, we'll see. We'll get a good reading of which is best."
Kevin Durant was hailed as a generational talent by Phoenix Suns coach Mike Budenholzer after becoming the eighth player to reach 29,000 career NBA points.
Durant scored 31 points as the Suns recorded their second victory in three games on Saturday, beating the Dallas Mavericks 114-102.
That made him just the eighth player in league history to score 29,000 points, after LeBron James, the NBA's scoring leader with 40,543 points, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki and Wilt Chamberlain.
Addressing the 36-year-old's landmark after the game, Budenholzer said: "What a tribute to a great, generational talent. I feel incredibly lucky to be around him every day."
Durant now has 29,010 total points through his 17 seasons in the league with the Seattle Supersonics, Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix.
He has averaged over 20 points in each of his campaigns in the league, but he said the credit must go to those who have put him in a position to score points.
"I've got to give credit to the people who have helped me since I was a kid," Durant said.
"Team-mates who passed me the ball, set screens for me, coaches who drew up plays for me."
Zheng Qinwen was delighted to atone for her 2022 Tokyo Open final defeat as she overcame Sofia Kenin to capture the title on Sunday.
Zheng won her third WTA title of the year by beating wild-card entrant Kenin 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 in one hour and 52 minutes in the Japanese capital.
The Chinese number one, who won gold at the Paris Olympic Games and successfully defended her Palermo title during the clay-court season, was featuring in her second Tokyo final after finishing as runner-up to Liudmila Samsonova two years ago.
Speaking after her victory, Zheng said: "I really appreciate that I'm able to fight through and be the champion in Tokyo.
"This is the one I wanted to get when I was 19 years old. I fought so hard, but I didn't, I lost in the final. So this year, I'm just really happy."
Zheng will now look to continue her momentum when she makes her WTA Finals debut in Riyadh next week, but she knows the competition in Saudi Arabia will be fierce.
"All the players are really tough to beat," Zheng said. "From the first match, I'll need to be focused. It's the first time for me in the WTA Finals. I am so motivated but let’s see what's going to happen."
Data Debrief: Zheng flying in Asia
Zheng now boasts a 28-4 record since the end of Wimbledon, and her form through the Asian Swing has been nothing short of magnificent.
She went 12-2 through the Asian events, and her career win-loss record in Tokyo now stands at 8-1.
LeBron James shrugged off the suggestion that the Los Angeles Lakers are a team built for him after his superb fourth-quarter showing against the Sacramento Kings.
James scored 16 points and laid on an assist in an awesome run at the start of the fourth quarter, as the Lakers sank 21 unanswered points en route to a 131-127 victory on Saturday.
The Lakers have won their opening three games of the season, with James finishing with a game-high 32 points.
But the 39-year-old, who is playing in his 22nd NBA campaign, stressed it was a team effort that got the Lakers over the line.
"Listen, I could do that at 22, but at almost 40, I don't need to be doing it for four quarters," said James, who also added 14 rebounds and 10 assists for a triple-double.
"I have the luxury of having an MVP-calibre player next to me in Anthony Davis.
"[Austin Reaves] can get it going in bunches. [D'Angelo Russell] can catch fire. Rui [Hachimura] has been consistent, and he can get going and score in bunches, as well.
"This team is not built for me to have 16-point quarters through all four quarters. That's not how it's constructed and nor should it be. We're a team, and we all play together."
Lakers coach JJ Redick was blown away by what he saw from James.
"What can you say? We've all been very fortunate to watch his greatness for so long, and the fact that he's able to keep doing it – it's actually insane," Redick said.
For James' brilliant display, it was Davis grabbed the crucial points in the closing stages, sinking a three-pointer before nailing a free-throw in the final minute.
"We encourage him, coaches encourage him, we as his teammates encourage him to shoot that 3 ball," James said of Davis.
"Probably the biggest shot of the night is him making that 3, so it made it easy on me."
Davis has now put up three straight 30-point games to start the season, tying with Elgin Baylor, Jerry West and Kobe Bryant in a franchise record.
Carlos Sainz celebrated a near-perfect qualifying session as the Spaniard now aims to win from pole at the Mexican Grand Prix.
Sainz was the quickest through qualifying on Saturday, and will start ahead of reigning Formula One champion Max Verstappen.
Lando Norris rounded out the top three, with Sainz's Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc – who won in dominant fashion in Austin last week – fourth on the grid.
It marks the sixth time Sainz, who is leaving Ferrari at the end of the season with Lewis Hamilton coming in as his replacement, has taken pole.
He said: "I'm very happy and [had] a great couple of laps.
"A lot of times around Mexico you always have a feeling that you can not put a lap together and it's extremely difficult with how much sliding there is, but today my two laps of Q3 were pretty much identical and almost perfect.
"I'm very happy because it's not normally the case around Mexico with how tricky it is."
Ferrari are third in the Constructors' Championship, with 496 points, eight behind Red Bull and 48 off pace-setters McLaren.
Sainz added: "It [the Constructors' Championship] is our number one priority. Especially if you win the race, those extra seven, eight points that you can win is important for the team in the Constructors'.
"I will be looking forward to getting that P1 into Turn One and hopefully our race pace will be good enough to win it."
Verstappen heads into Sunday 57 points clear of Norris in the driver standings, with just five races remaining.
"[The pressure] was quite a lot," said Verstappen. "I think [the circuit] is probably one of the hardest tracks to get right.
"Street circuits are difficult, but this one as well, as there is low downforce, it's very easy to have a lock-up or a slide, so it's one of the tricky ones on the calendar."
Three of the last four winners of the Mexican Grand Prix have come from third on the grid, meaning there is plenty of hope for Norris.
"I'm pretty happy with third honestly, I feel like I got to the limit of the car quite quickly which made us look good," he said.
"I struggled to get more out of it in the final two laps, Carlos and Max did good laps, especially Carlos who has been quick all weekend.
"No one has done proper long runs on the tyres that we are going to be on tomorrow so there are question marks for all of us. Ferrari have been very good in qualifying and long run pace over the last couple of races. It's going to be tough but we're in a good position so I'm looking forward to it."
LeBron James had a triple-double with 32 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists, and Anthony Davis added 31 points and nine rebounds to lead the unbeaten Los Angeles Lakers to a 131-127 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Saturday night.
The Lakers improved to 3-0 under new coach JJ Redick, and Davis has scored at least 31 points in each game this season.
Los Angeles was up by as many as 15 points in the first half, but the Kings cut the lead to 64-60 by halftime and had built a 7-point lead in the third quarter. James helped the Lakers come roaring back with 16 points in the fourth quarter.
Davis had a big 3-pointer with 37 seconds left to give the Lakers a 128-123 lead after the Kings had cut it to two.
Domantas Sabonis also had a triple-double in the loss. He scored 29 points on 10 of 14 shots and added 12 rebounds and 10 assists.
James made a long 3 in the fourth quarter to cap an 8-0 run to give the Lakers a 101-94 lead.
Durant, Suns overcome Doncic
Kevin Durant scored 31 points, Jusuf Nurkic added 18 points and 14 rebounds and the Phoenix Suns defeated the Dallas Mavericks 114-102 despite Luka Dončić’s 40 points.
The Suns never trailed after the first quarter, though the Mavericks kept the deficit in the single digits for much of the night. Doncic also grabbed 10 rebounds while Kyrie Irving added 22 points.
The Suns led 91-80 heading into the fourth quarter and extended the lead to 105-90 six minutes later. Devin Booker added 21 points while rookie Ryan Dunn scored 13 in his first career start. Tyus Jones added seven assists.
Doncic started hot with 23 points in the first half but cooled off after halftime. He shot 12 of 25 from the field, including 5 of 13 from 3-point range. Klay Thompson had 19 points, making five 3s.
The Suns led by as many as 13 in the first half but settled for a 63-55 lead at the break.
Clippers survive Jokic’s 41
James Harden had 23 points and 16 assists, Norman Powell scored 26 of his 37 points in the second half and the Los Angeles Clippers overcame Nikola Jokić's 41 points to beat the Denver Nuggets 109-104.
Jokic made a career-high seven 3-pointers but missed a free throw with 20 seconds left that would have tied it. Harden made four from the line in the final 30.5 seconds.
The Clippers trailed 103-100 when Powell hit a 3-pointer. Jamal Murray, who had 22 points, missed a layup and Harden then made two free throws.
After Jokic split a pair from the line, Harden made two more foul shots to make it 107-104 and Jokic missed an off-balance 3-pointer.
Harden was 12 of 13 from the line and several of his 16 assists were to Ivica Zubac, who had 24 points and 15 rebounds.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed one hit over 6 1/3 innings and the Los Angeles Dodgers hit three early homers off Carlos Rodón to beat the New York Yankees 4-2 on Saturday night for a 2-0 World Series lead in a game overshadowed by an injury to Shohei Ohtani.
Freddie Freeman, Tommy Edman and Teoscar Hernández went deep for the Dodgers, who watched Ohtani walk off the field with a left shoulder injury at the end of the seventh inning.
After the Yankees closed to 4-2 on Giancarlo Stanton's RBI single in the ninth against Blake Treinen, Alex Vesia relieved with the bases loaded and retired pinch-hitter Jose Trevino on a first-pitch flyout for the save.
Yamamoto allowed Juan Soto's third-inning homer, then retired his last 11 batters and 15 of his final 16.
Soto also singled in the ninth and scored on Stanton's one-out hit off the third-base bag. Jazz Chisholm Jr. singled, and Anthony Rizzo was hit by a pitch, loading the bases. Treinen then struck out Anthony Volpe before Vesia relieved.
Ohtani hurt his left shoulder on a feetfirst slide when he was caught stealing second base to end the seventh.
Game 3 is Monday night at Yankee Stadium. Forty-five of 56 teams holding 2-0 World Series leads have gone on to win the title.
New York star Aaron Judge went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts and is hitting .150 with six RBIs and 19 strikeouts in 40 postseason at-bats.
Yamamoto struck out four and walked two with a five-pitch array that included curveballs, splitters, sliders and cutters. He improved to 2-0 in four postseason starts.
A night after Freeman hit the first walk-off grand slam in Series history to transform a 3-2 deficit with two outs in the 10th inning into a 6-3 win, Edman put the Dodgers ahead with a solo shot in the second.
After Soto tied the score, Mookie Betts singled with two outs in the bottom half and Hernández, in a 3-for-27 slide, homered into the right-center pavilion for a 3-1 lead.
Holger Rune was on the end of an upset as he lost 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 to Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard at the Swiss Indoors Basel.
Mpetshi Perricard has soared into the top 50 after starting the year ranked at 205, and the Frenchman was on top form against his fellow youngster on Saturday.
He served 17 aces to get the better of Rune and tee up a final against American Ben Shelton.
"It's amazing to be in the final. I played a good match today. It was difficult against Holger, but I found the key to win this match," said Mpetshi Perricard.
"Inside of me there was a lot of emotion, but I tried to calm it down. It's nice to be in the final and I hope to get the win."
Shelton, meanwhile, beat Arthur Fils 6-3 7-6 (11-9).
At the Vienna Open, Jack Draper ensured his place in the top 15 of the ATP rankings and reach the first ATP 500 final of his career by overcoming Lorenzo Musetti 6-2 6-4.
Musetti downed favourite Alexander Zverev to reach the last four, but the Italian was no match for Draper, despite the Briton letting a 4-2 lead slip in the second set.
"I thought the first set was a really high level from my side," said Draper.
"Lorenzo is a really tough competitor. I've known him since I was really young and playing against him is always so difficult. He's had an incredible season.
"The second set was really up and down. There were some long points and definitely some nerves and difficult moments, but I'm really proud of the way I kept on fighting and kept on going. In the end I got it done."
Karen Khachanov will be Draper's opponent in the final, after the Russian overcame Alex De Minaur.
The Los Angeles Lakers must continue to make Anthony Davis "the main focal point" of the team after he starred in their win over the Phoenix Suns.
Those were the words of LeBron James after the Lakers recorded their first 2-0 start to an NBA season with a 123-116 triumph over the Suns on Friday.
Davis finished with 36 points, becoming the third player after Elgin Baylor and Jerry West to notch at least 35 points in consecutive games for the Lakers.
It has been an impressive start for Davis, who, at age 31, and in his sixth season with the Lakers, is looking to take the torch from James as the team's leading man.
James, who finished the game with 21 points and eight assists, expressed Davis' importance this season, particularly how he can be kept involved effectively for the duration of the game.
"It's very important that he's the main focal point for us every single night," James said.
"We know what he's going to do defensively, but offensively, we have to find him in multiple places on the floor throughout the whole game.
"And we've done that through two games."
It also marked a memorable game for Los Angeles coach JJ Redick, who became the first Lakers boss to win his first two games since Phil Jackson in 1999.
The Lakers hired Redick in the offseason with the expectation that he would bring knowledge of the game of basketball along with an ability to connect with players.
There were immediate sceptics of the hire, as Redick had never coached professionally, but Davis was quick to praise his coach and the game plan that led to the win.
“The game plan, the schemes that he had on both ends of the floor," Davis said.
"He trusts us, and we trust him as far as what he teaches us and what he wants us to do on the floor, on both ends, and it’s our job to go execute it.
“I think we were very prepared tonight. Like I said, we executed the game plan to a T.
"I’m not going to tell you the game plan because I know Minnesota will probably be watching this and figure out how to try to beat us next time.
"But our game plan was elite, and we executed it and were able to get the win.”
The Los Angeles Lakers must continue to make Anthony Davis "the main focal point" of the team after he starred in their win over the Phoenix Suns.
Those were the words of LeBron James after the Lakers recorded their first 2-0 start to an NBA season with a 123-116 triumph over the Suns on Friday.
Davis finished with 36 points, becoming the third player after Elgin Baylor and Jerry West to notch at least 35 points in consecutive games for the Lakers.
It has been an impressive start for Davis, who, at age 31, and in his sixth season with the Lakers, is looking to take the torch from James as the team's leading man.
James, who finished the game with 21 points and eight assists, expressed Davis' importance this season, particularly how he can be kept involved effectively for the duration of the game.
"It's very important that he's the main focal point for us every single night," James said.
"We know what he's going to do defensively, but offensively, we have to find him in multiple places on the floor throughout the whole game.
"And we've done that through two games."
It also marked a memorable game for Los Angeles coach JJ Redick, who became the first Lakers boss to win his first two games since Phil Jackson in 1999.
The Lakers hired Redick in the offseason with the expectation that he would bring knowledge of the game of basketball along with an ability to connect with players.
There were immediate sceptics of the hire, as Redick had never coached professionally, but Davis was quick to praise his coach and the game plan that led to the win.
“The game plan, the schemes that he had on both ends of the floor," Davis said.
"He trusts us, and we trust him as far as what he teaches us and what he wants us to do on the floor, on both ends, and it’s our job to go execute it.
“I think we were very prepared tonight. Like I said, we executed the game plan to a T.
"I’m not going to tell you the game plan because I know Minnesota will probably be watching this and figure out how to try to beat us next time.
"But our game plan was elite, and we executed it and were able to get the win.”
Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc both expressed optimism over Ferrari’s start to the Mexican Grand Prix weekend, with the pair particularly encouraged by their long-run pace.
Sainz topped second practice after coming second in FP1, while Leclerc backed him up in fourth after missing FP1 due to Ollie Bearman’s latest outing for the Scuderia.
Bearman, who will join Haas next year, was involved in an incident with the Williams of Alex Albon in the first practice, sustaining damage to the front-left corner of the Ferrari.
Sainz and Leclerc's display comes a week on from an impressive showing in the United States, with the pair achieving a second one-two this year after doing so in Australia.
If they do so again in Mexico, it will be the first time since Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen in the 2008 season that Ferrari have managed three one-two finishes in a single year.
And Sainz is confident of their chances, saying: "We hit the ground running in FP1 with a good car, good set-up, then all FP1 and FP2 we just worked in fine-tuning a couple of things," Sainz said.
“Nothing major, so yeah, I’m quite happy with how everything feels. Especially the long runs feel good.
"I think when it comes to qualifying we’ll have a lot of challenge from our competitors, and over one lap it will be a tight battle.”
Leclerc echoed Sainz’s feelings after taking over from Bearman, with the Monegasque aiming to claim his fourth race win of the season that would surpass his 2022 total.
“It felt good. It was a bit of a messy FP2 for everybody with the red flag of George [Russell] at the beginning," Leclerc said.
“It was quite a good FP1 to miss on paper because we would have half an hour more in FP2, but at the end it was just not great, because in the FP2 we couldn’t do the maximum laps that we wanted to do.
“But anyway, the feeling is good with the car. For me, even though we did two, three laps, we were still straight away in the pace. The long run seems to be good, so that’s really positive.”
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