The Cleveland Cavaliers celebrated the longest winning streak in franchise history with their new frog mascot on Friday, leaving the defeated Chicago Bulls hopping mad.
Donovan Mitchell scored 18 of his season-high 37 points in the fourth quarter as the Cavs pulled away for a 144-126 victory at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, their 14th in as many games this season.
That result ensured they went one better than the previous team record of 13 successive wins, which they managed on three occasions during the LeBron James era.
They are just the sixth team in NBA history to go 14-0 from the start of a season and the first since 2015-16, when the Golden State Warriors did so en route to the Western Conference title.
After the victory, Mitchell – as well as team-mates Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen – celebrated by dancing with a man in a frog costume, which had gone viral as an impromptu mascot during the team's historic start to the campaign.
"That was fun," Mitchell said. "It shocked the hell out of me when I saw the frog. It was pretty dope. It was like just a vibe."
"It's Cleveland," Allen said when asked about the frog's arrival. "It's just a vibe in the city, and I hope it doesn't change.
"I've been wanting to dance with that frog since I first saw him!"
After scoring 49 first-quarter points in a blistering start, the Cavs found themselves just five points up at half-time, prompting coach Kenny Atkinson to angrily throw a sandal in the locker room.
"That's what we want," Mitchell said when asked about the incident after the game. "We all prefer that. We hear how good we are.
"For us, that's how we get better. We haven't lost, but how do you continue to find ways to build habits? It's continuing to coach hard and not let any lapses. That's what you want in a coach."
Cleveland have some way to go to record the best start to a campaign in NBA history, with the Warriors going 24-0 to begin the 2015-16 season.
However, a victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday would make their start the joint-second best in league history, along with the 1948-49 Washington Capitols and the 1993-94 Houston Rockets.
Rory McIlroy will take a share of the lead into the final round of the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, as he took a major step towards a Dubai double on Saturday.
McIlroy is already on the verge of securing his sixth Race to Dubai crown to match Seve Ballesteros' record, only requiring a top-11 finish even if closest rival Thriston Lawrence was to win the final event on the 2024 calendar.
He ended Saturday's penultimate round eight shots clear of Lawrence and tied for the lead with Antoine Rozner and Rasmus Hojgaard, having carded a four-under 68.
The Northern Irishman scored six birdies and two bogeys in his third round, while Hojgaard made six birdies in a seven-hole stretch to ultimately make up two shots on McIlroy.
Rozner, meanwhile, surrendered the solo lead with a three-under 69, though a final-hole eagle ensured he will start Sunday's decisive final round among the frontrunners.
Things could have been even better for McIlroy had he not missed a birdie putt on the par-five 18th hole, which would have seen him enter Sunday a shot clear of the pack.
Nevertheless, he remains among the favourites to seal a third DP World Tour Championship crown, having previously won the event in 2012 and 2015.
Sweden's Jesper Svensson and Chile's Joaquin Niemann are two shots back of the leaders at 10-under for the tournament, with England's Tyrrell Hatton another shot back in sixth.
LeBron James made it four straight games with a triple-double, the best run of his illustrious career, as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the San Antonio Spurs 120-115.
Having won the inaugural NBA in-season tournament last year, the Lakers began their defence of the crown with a group-stage win over Victor Wembanyama and company.
James scored the Lakers' last four points to make sure of the victory, finishing with 15 points, 16 rebounds and 12 assists for the 117th triple-double of his NBA career – the fifth-most of all time.
As well as going four consecutive games with a triple-double for the very first time, the league's all-time leading scorer also matched the Lakers' franchise record for consecutive triple-doubles.
Russell Westbrook recorded four in a row for Los Angeles from December 25 to December 31, 2021, while Magic Johnson did so on two occasions (March 28 to November 3, 1981 and March 31 to April 5, 1987).
"The best thing about my game is I can have no rhythm offensively and still have an impact on the game," James said after the win. "I was able to do that tonight."
Asked what made him most proud of his achievement, James added: "Probably that I did it in Season 22.
"To still have the energy to do that and the effort, it takes a lot. But also, it takes great team-mates along the way, too.
"Those assists only happen when guys are making shots, and I just try to put the ball on time, on target and then defensively, rebound and try to help on the glass with Anthony [Davis] and the rest of the guys.
"And I try to sprinkle in a little points from time to time... but waiting 22 years to do something is wild, so, that's a good question right there."
Davis led the Lakers with 40 points and 12 rebounds, while Wembanyama had a team-high 28 points, 14 rebounds and five assists for San Antonio.
Australia scrum-half Tate McDermott says the Wallabies are still searching for consistency ahead of Sunday's Autumn International versus Wales in Cardiff.
Australia beat England on their travels for the first time since 2015 last week, with Max Jorgensen's last-gasp try sealing a dramatic 42-37 success.
However, Joe Schmidt's team have not won successive Tests since July, losing three in a row before their triumph at Twickenham.
The last time they were on the winning side, against Argentina in the Rugby Championship in August, they were then thumped 67-27 by the Pumas in the return fixture just a week later.
Speaking ahead of Sunday's game, McDermott called on the visitors to produce a repeat of last week's performance.
"We've had a couple of good wins this year – flashback to Argentina where we knocked them off in the first game, but a week later, we're a completely different team," said McDermott.
"The group in general has a feeling that repeatability is the biggest thing for us to move forward, and we've got to make sure of that.
"Backing up our performance against the English is crucial for us.
"It's a fresh page and while last week was a great moment, it's irrelevant because we've got a fierce Welsh team in our face, and we've got to make sure we're ready for them."
Schmidt has made six changes to Australia's XV for the game, with centre Joseph Suaalii among those to make way after impressing against England last time out.
Samu Kerevi returns to the lineup, with Jorgensen, Nic White, Allan Alaalatoa, Seru Uru and Will Skelton also introduced.
Wales, meanwhile, have made four alterations to the team that started last week's 24-19 loss to Fiji, with James Botham, Jac Morgan, Ellis Bevan and Tom Rogers the players introduced.
Coach Warren Gatland said: "We haven't thrown in the towel. We can only continue to work as hard as we've been doing and, hopefully, we'll get across the line.
"Do I believe in what we're doing? 100%. The conviction is there and if the conviction is there, it probably takes away a little bit of some of the noise that's coming towards us."
Wales team: Cameron Winnett, Tom Rogers, Max Llewellyn, Ben Thomas, Blair Murray, Gareth Anscombe, Ellis Bevan; Gareth Thomas, Dewi Lake (c), Archie Griffin, Will Rowlands, Adam Beard, James Botham, Jac Morgan, Aaron Wainwright.
Replacements: Ryan Elias, Nicky Smith, Keiron Assiratti, Christ Tshiunza, Tommy Reffell, Rhodri Williams, Sam Costelow, Eddie James.
Australia team: Tom Wright, Andrew Kellaway, Len Ikitau, Samu Kerevi, Max Jorgensen, Noah Lolesio, Nic White, Angus Bell, Matt Faessler, Allan Alaalatoa (c), Nick Frost, Will Skelton, Seru Uru, Fraser McReight, Rob Valetini.
Replacements: Brandon Paenga-Amosa, James Slipper, Zane Nonggorr, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Langi Gleeson, Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii.
Donovan Mitchell scored 18 of his season-high 37 points in the fourth quarter as the unbeaten Cleveland Cavaliers pulled away for a 144-126 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Friday to achieve the longest winning streak in franchise history.
Cleveland has now won its first 14 games of the 2004-05 campaign, tied for the fourth-longest undefeated run to begin a season in NBA history.
Mitchell led the way in this latest victory by making 7 of 13 shots from 3-point range, though the Cavs also received big performances from other core players to stay perfect. Darius Garland added 29 points and nine assists, Jarrett Allen amassed 24 points on 11-of-15 shooting along with 10 rebounds and Caris LeVert contributed 22 points off the bench.
Chicago got 29 points from Coby White, who went 6 of 11 on 3-point tries in the Bulls' sixth loss in eight games. Leading scorer Zach LaVine was kept squarely in check, however, as the two-time All-Star was held to eight points on 4-of-16 shooting.
Nikola Vucevic finished with 25 points and eight rebounds for Chicago, while Patrick Williams totalled 17 points and a career-high nine assists.
Cleveland came out on fire, making good on 19 of 22 field goal attempts in the first quarter to build a 49-34 lead after 12 minutes. The Cavs were up by as many as 19 points in the second, though the Bulls finished the quarter strongly and closed the gap to 77-73 at intermission behind Vucevic's 18 first-half points.
Chicago carried the momentum into the third quarter and took a 90-89 advantage on White's 3-pointer midway through the period. Cleveland responded with a 16-5 run, however, to go up 105-95 with under two minutes left in the quarter.
The Cavs later put the game out of reach with a 21-7 run over the game's final 2:40, with Mitchell tallying nine points during the spurt and LeVert recording eight.
Timberwolves overcome Fox's 60 points to top Kings in overtime
Julius Randle scored the tie-breaking basket in the final minute of overtime as the Minnesota Timberwolves recorded a 130-126 win over Sacramento despite a franchise-record 60 points from the Kings' De'Aaron Fox.
Fox finished 22 of 35 from the field and 6 of 10 from 3-point range to break the club record of 59 points set by Jack Twyman in 1960, when the franchise was then known as the Cincinnati Royals. The star point guard also rallied the Kings from a 20-point second-half deficit and forced overtime with a short jumper with 38.6 seconds left in regulation.
The Timberwolves were still able to end a three-game losing streak as Anthony Edwards put up 36 points and Randle added 26.
Sacramento also received 23 points and 12 rebounds from Domantas Sabonis while playing without two key players, DeMar DeRozan and Malik Monk, due to injuries.
Minnesota appeared on the way to an easy win after beginning the second half with a 12-0 run to stretch an eight-point half-time lead into a 74–54 advantage just over 3 1/2 minutes into the third quarter.
The Timberwolves entered the fourth up 98-82 before Fox, who amassed 20 points for the quarter, led the Kings back. He scored 14 of those points during a 19-2 run to start the period that gave Sacramento a 101-100 edge with seven minutes left in regulation.
Fox later forged a 126-126 tie with a 3-pointer with 1:15 remaining in overtime, but Randle quickly put Minnesota back ahead with a short jumper on the next possession. After Fox missed a 3-pointer on the other end, Edwards sealed the victory by knocking down a 21-foot shot with 14.3 seconds on the clock.
Thunder shut down injury-plagued Suns
The Oklahoma City Thunder got 28 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a stout defensive effort to come away with a 99-83 win over the short-handed Phoenix Suns.
Oklahoma City prevailed in this matchup of two of the Western Conference's top teams by limiting Phoenix to 29.3 per cent shooting, the Suns' lowest field goal percentage in a game since shooting 26.8 per cent in a loss to the then-New Jersey Nets on March 27, 2006.
Phoenix was without two of its main scorers, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, due to injuries. The Suns are now 1-3 since Durant was forced out of action with a strained calf after starting the season 8-1.
The Thunder, on the other hand, have won three straight since starting center Chet Holmgren fractured his pelvis in a loss to the Golden State Warriors on Sunday.
Luguentz Dort added 15 points and nine rebounds for Oklahoma City, which also received 14 points and eight boards from Jalen Williams.
Josh Okogie paced the Suns with 15 points and nine rebounds on a night where their other All-Star, Devin Booker, managed just 12 points on 2-of-10 shooting.
The Suns missed 18 of 21 shot attempts in the first quarter as the Thunder built a 29-14 lead after one period. Oklahoma City took a 48-36 advantage into half-time and maintained a double-digit margin throughout the second half, with its lead getting as large as 25 points.
Carlos Alcaraz was dumped out of the ATP Finals as Casper Ruud sank Andrey Rublev to reach the semi-finals of the Turin event on Friday.
Following his defeat to Jannik Sinner earlier on Friday, Alcaraz could only advance by virtue of percentage of games won if Ruud was beaten in straight sets.
However, Ruud dashed those hopes by taking an opening set in which he won 80% of his first-serve points (16/20) and did not give up a single break point.
While Rublev fought back to level things up in the second set, Ruud came on strong in the third set, ultimately triumphing 6-4 5-7 6-2 in one hour and 45 minutes.
Speaking after the match, Ruud said: "Tennis is interesting sometimes. I don't know what I am doing better this week than the past few weeks... the only thing is serving, I am serving really well.
"It is tough to play the best players in the world but nice because you feel you are an underdog and can play free. You know if you don't bring your A level you will likely lose.
"I knew coming into this match that a set was enough to qualify, so I was a bit nervous at the start. So when I got that first set I could breathe a little."
Data Debrief: Career-best for Ruud
Ruud's victory was his sixth over a top-10 opponent in ATP Tour-level events in 2024, surpassing his previous best in a single calendar year (five in 2022).
With Sinner his next opponent in the semi-finals on Saturday, Ruud will hope to continue his impressive form against the best the sport has to offer.
Ireland captain Caelan Doris said the team made a clear step up in Friday's thrilling victory over Argentina, but he knows further improvements are needed for future games.
Ireland edged out Argentina by a 22-19 scoreline in Dublin, bouncing back after suffering their first home defeat in more than three years versus New Zealand last week.
The hosts made a flying start with two tries in the opening five minutes, though Argentina threatened to fight back by scoring all 10 points in a second half punctuated by penalties.
The Pumas spent the closing minutes camped in Ireland's 22 but were unable to make the pressure count, and Doris' primary feeling at the full-time whistle was one of relief.
"It went right down to the wire there. We were happy with how it started. There was a good feeling through the warm-up and that carried over to the start," he told TNT Sports.
"I felt we were in a pretty good position at half-time and their quality showed in the second half.
"It was back and forth and our discipline was probably a factor again. We got the result, which was the most pleasing thing after last week."
Ireland were into double figures for penalties as early as the 54th minute and received two yellow cards, prompting Doris to demand greater discipline in their remaining Autumn internationals versus Fiji and Australia.
"We want a better performance. Discipline is one thing that needs to improve, but we are continuing to grow as a group," he said.
"I think today was a bit of a step up from last week but we feel like there is definitely more in us.
"A more complete performance is what we are asking for over the next couple of weeks, and we're going to need it."
The Jamaica Table Tennis Association (JTTA) National Junior and Senior Table Tennis trials will take place on November 16 and 17 at the National Arena in Kingston.
This weekend will see players in the Senior Male and Female and Under-15 Boys and Girls categories vying for places on the nation’s team to the 2025 Caribbean Table Tennis Championships.
Action on Saturday’s first day will see play going on from 9:00am-5:00pm with a lunch break at 1:30pm while, on Sunday, play will commence at 9:00am and end at 3:00pm with a lunch break the same time as the day before.
JTTA President Ingrid Graham spoke on what she expects during the weekend’s events.
“I’m expecting some upsets in the senior trials but, overall, I expect some great games throughout,” she said.
Trials for both Under-19 categories will take place in early December.
The 2025 Caribbean Regional Championships are scheduled for March 31-April 7 in Bridgetown, Barbados while the Caribbean Regional Youth Championships are set for April 8-13 in the same place.
Sponsors for this weekend’s trials include Insports, Sports Development Foundation, Jamaica Olympic Association, Western Sports, Mother’s and Auto Channel among others.
Iga Swiatek and Emma Raducanu were both victorious as Poland and Great Britain won their first-round ties at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals on Friday.
Poland won both of their singles matches against Spain in Malaga, while Britain did likewise versus Germany to seal their own spot in the competition's last eight.
World number two Swiatek clinched Poland's progress with a 6-3 6-7 (6-8) 6-1 victory over Paula Badosa, after Magda Linette had put them ahead by beating Sara Sorribes Tormo in a gruelling three-hour, 51-minute affair.
Speaking after her own win, Swiatek hailed the endurance of team-mate Linette, who triumphed 7-6 (8-6) 2-6 6-4.
"I wouldn't say that I pushed us to the quarter-finals, because Magda pushed us to the quarter-finals, so we did it together," the five-time grand slam champion said.
"I'm glad that we won a match as Team Poland. I felt like it was my best match since the US Open. I knew that I could come back in the third set and try to win it for Poland."
Later on Friday, Great Britain were propelled to victory by Raducanu and Katie Boulter, both of whom were straight-sets victors.
Raducanu, playing her first match in almost two months after recovering from a foot injury, beat Jule Niemeier 6-4 6-4.
The 2021 US Open champion started well and her effective serve was a key feature of the opening set, though she later required six match points to get over the line as Niemeier refused to go down without a fight.
Britain will face defending champions Canada in the last eight after Boulter raced to an impressive 6-1 6-2 victory over Laura Siegemund, ensuring there was no need for Olivia Nicholls and Heather Watson to team up for a deciding doubles match.
Carlos Sainz will team up with Williams early to drive their FW46 car in next month's post-season test in Abu Dhabi, the constructor has announced.
Sainz agreed to join Williams in July after losing his Ferrari seat to seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who stunned the Formula One world by exercising a break clause in his contract with Mercedes earlier this year.
The Spaniard is currently fifth in the drivers' championship standings, with his two race wins for the year coming in Australia and Mexico.
On Friday, Williams confirmed he will join the team for post-season testing on December 10, two days after the campaign ends with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
"This early opportunity will allow both Carlos and Williams to begin building their relationship," a team statement read.
"The test session will provide a valuable chance for Carlos to begin integrating into his new team environment, and he will drive the FW46 for the first time."
Hamilton is not expected to take part in Ferrari's post-season tests, due to his ongoing commitments with Mercedes.
South Africa captain Siya Kolisi insists the world champions will not be lacking in motivation for Saturday's clash with England at Twickenham, saying the teams' meetings are "always personal".
The Springboks are aiming to inflict a fifth straight defeat on Steve Borthwick's troubled hosts, who suffered a dramatic 42-37 defeat to Australia last week.
England's most recent meeting with South Africa – in the semi-finals of last year's World Cup – was overshadowed by Tom Curry accusing Bongi Mbonambi of directing a racist slur towards him, an allegation the Springboks hooker denied.
South Africa won that match 16-15 thanks to a late Handre Pollard penalty before beating New Zealand in the final, and Kolisi knows they now have a target on their backs.
"It's always personal. That's just how we prepare ourselves for games," Kolisi said on Friday.
"It's got to be personal. It's another man trying to run through you in-game, it doesn't get more personal than that. So every game for us is personal.
"This one, in Twickenham, is a big game and we know what England have been going through. We've been in their position before.
"We know we've got a target on our back at all times. Every single team that plays against us... we've got to make it as personal as possible because we want to stay where we are."
England have recalled full-back Freddie Steward for the match, after he lost his place to George Furbank during the Six Nations earlier this year.
The 23-year-old is delighted to be back in the fold and is determined to make the most of his opportunity.
"It was one of the hardest things I've had to deal with," Steward told BBC Radio 5 Live. "When you have something for a while and then you lose it, it puts into perspective how important that thing is to you.
"Not having that over the last couple of months has been really challenging. Emotionally, it has been tough, but I've had to use that as fuel to keep pushing and wanting to get better and win that place back.
"It can be a kick in the teeth but you have to use those experiences, and I'm sat here now as a better rugby player and a stronger person."
The Jamaica Badminton Association (JBA) is set to stage the All-Jamaica National Junior Badminton Championships, set for Saturday, November 16, and Sunday, November 17, 2024, at the Kingston YMCA.
This highly anticipated event will showcase the country’s most promising junior badminton talent, with a strong focus on the Under-19 category. The following weekend, on November 23 and 24, Jamaica’s top senior players will take to the court for the All-Jamaica National Open Championships, where they will vie for national titles in an intense knockout competition.
JBA President Vishwanauth Tolan expressed excitement about the event and shared details on ts special highlights.
“The tournament will be held at the Kingston YMCA. National champions will be crowned in each age group and category, and special prizes will be designated for some of the top performances for the year. We will also recognize our honourees Audley Astwood and Marcia Williams, for their long-term support of badminton, and particularly their leadership of the schools’ league competition for the past three decades,” Tolan said.
The JBA president also revealed that there will be a new category will be added to the championship.
“The first weekend will feature the inaugural ‘Rising Shuttler’ category, which will be open to players in the C and D divisions. We will crown the first ever Rising Shuttler Champions.”
The junior championships will feature rising stars in the Under-19 category. On the boys' side, 14-year-old Amir McBean, the reigning Under-15 and Under-17 champion, enters as the top seed. His brother, 17-year-old Jorie McBean, follows as the second seed. Both Amir and Jorie were semifinalists in last year’s Under-19 singles and are poised for a strong showing this year. Among the girls, top seed Jade Ranger, last year’s Under-17 champion and Under-19 finalist, will face Amelia Dawkins in what promises to be a thrilling matchup.
In the doubles events, Daniel Ford and Joseph Morrison are seeded number one in the boys' division, while Jade Ranger pairs with Cassandra Russell as the top seed for the girls. The mixed doubles will see the formidable team of Samuel Smith and Jade Ranger leading the bracket.
For the senior championships on November 23-24, Jamaica’s best badminton talent will compete for national titles. Leading the women’s singles, Tahlia Richardson is anticipated to dominate, while the men’s singles event is set for an exciting showdown between top-ranked Joel Angus and second-ranked Craig Allison, who recently defeated Angus in a tournament final. With a knockout format, the stakes are high as the nation’s elite players battle for top honours.
Looking Ahead to 2025 In addition to the national championships, the JBA is excited to announce plans for an active 2025 season, with the full tournament schedule to be finalized in December. Key events slated for the first quarter include the Schools League Final, Schools Knockout Final, the Tournament of Kings and Queens, and Doubles Mania. Moving into thesecond quarter, the JBA will host the Junior Classics and the Prep/Primary Championship. The summer months will see the association prepare a junior team to represent Jamaica at the CAREBACO Championships and Pan Am Junior Championships.
Alexander Zverev has booked his place in the ATP Finals semi-finals with a straight-sets win over Carlos Alcaraz, who is now facing elimination.
The German secured the year-end number two spot in the ATP rankings after triumphing 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 in just under two hours to set up a meeting with Taylor Fritz in the final four.
Zverev has now won each of his last eight matches and topped the John Newcombe Group but had to work hard for it, with Alcaraz successfully defending a set point to force a tie-break.
The Spaniard struggled to match the pace in the second set though, losing his serve in the opening game, giving Zverev the control he needed to register his sixth career win against Alcaraz.
Zverev avenged his French Open final loss to Alcaraz earlier this year, racking up his 69th win of 2024 in the process, but played down talk he is playing the best tennis of his life.
"You guys need to relax a little bit," he said. "It has been three fantastic matches. I'm happy to be 3-0 in the group for sure, but the semi-finals now are going to be very difficult - no matter who I am against.
"Taylor beat me the last few times we've played at the slams, but I'm looking forward to that match.
"Carlos has beaten me too many times this year in important matches, so I'm happy I got this one. We have a pretty good rivalry, but a great friendship as well. It's always great to share the court with him."
Alcaraz's chances of qualifying for the final four are slim, but he could progress based on the percentage of games won if Andrey Rublev beats Casper Ruud in straight sets later on Friday.
Data Debrief: Out in front
Zverev is looking to cap 2024 on a high by continuing his impressive run, and he is the first player to register 69+ wins in a single season since Andy Murray (78) in 2016.
Since he made his first semi-final at the ATP Finals in 2018, only Novak Djokovic (five) has reached the semis of this event more often than the German (four).
Antoine Rozner has the halfway lead at the DP World Tour Championship, one shot ahead of Rory McIlroy, after an impressive second round.
The Frenchman took advantage of McIlroy's mid-round slip-up and carded a round-of-the-day 65 to hold a lead of nine under on Friday.
McIlroy had surged into what looked like a comfortable lead with four birdies in the first seven holes in Dubai but bogeyed two of the next three as the chasing pack caught up with him once more.
The Northern Irishman, who needs to place 11th or higher to secure the Race to Dubai title, sits joint-second with Tyrrell Hatton, who had also shared the lead after round one.
"I got off to a great start, four under through seven. I was feeling like I was in total control of what I was doing, and then I just started to miss a few fairways around the turn," McIlroy said.
"When you start missing fairways the way the course is set up this week, you're going to start to struggle.
"So I made two bogeys in the next three holes, I steadied the ship a little bit, but felt like I let a couple of chances slip by on 14 and 15, but played the last three holes well.
"It was nice to finish with a birdie and at least shoot something in the sixties."
Joaquin Niemann sits two strokes back in fourth, while Shane Lowry and Rasmus Hojgaard are in the group tied for sixth on six under.
Meanwhile, Thriston Lawrence, who is the only player capable of snatching the season-long title from McIlroy if he wins in Dubai, is nine adrift of the leader, and currently tied-34th after carding a second-round 71 thanks to a bogey on the final hole.
Nick Kyrgios confirmed he is returning to competitive tennis at the Brisbane International at the end of December.
The Australian announced in October that he was planning to return at the World Tennis League event in Abu Dhabi.
Kyrgios has played just one ATP Tour singles match in the last two years, having suffered with wrist, knee and foot injuries that have kept him off the court.
That lone outing came in Stuttgart in June 2023, where he suffered a straight-sets defeat to Wu Yibing.
"Honestly, this is probably the best I've felt in two years," Kyrgios told Australian television channel 9News.
"I played that amazing year in 2022. Then, at the finals in Wimbledon and the US Open, that's when I started feeling some issues in my wrist. I had that wrist reconstruction, and now I'm feeling amazing.
"It was a 15% miracle chance that I was going to get back to playing at this level and here we are.
"To get back out there in front of the home fans is going to be sick."
Kyrgios previously won the Brisbane International in 2018 and will be making his fourth appearance at the tournament as he steps up his preparation for the Australian Open.
He previously said he was aiming for a grand slam title when he returns, having lost his only previous such final to Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon in 2022.
"I am feeling fit and healthy, and I am excited for my return to tennis following some time out of the sport," Kyrgios added.
Rory McIlroy says he would pay to play in the Ryder Cup in response to reports that each member of Team USA will receive $400,000 for competing in next year's edition.
The 35-year-old was one of several European golfers who believe financial reward is unnecessary to play in the competition.
The news of a $4.8m purse split between Team USA comes after Patrick Cantlay refused to wear the team cap at last year's Ryder Cup in Rome, in an apparent protest about not being paid to represent his country.
"I personally would pay for the privilege to play on the Ryder Cup," McIlroy told BBC Sport on Thursday.
"The two purest forms of competition in our game right now are the Ryder Cup and the Olympics, and it's partly because of that, the purity of no money being involved."
With record highs in prize money for professional golf now available in response to the Saudi-backed breakaway LIV tour, McIlroy does not think that the money is needed.
"I don't think any of the 24 players on either team needs that 400 grand," he said.
"Every two years, there are 104 weeks and 103 weeks you can play golf and get paid."
Cantlay was mocked for his decision not to wear his team's cap in Rome, with fans removing their headwear to mimic him.
While it led to McIlroy getting into a heated argument with Cantlay's caddie Joe LaCava at the time, he does see the other side of things.
"It was a discussion that was happening in Rome. I can see the other side of the argument because the Ryder Cup does create a lot of revenue," he added.
"It is one of the probably top five biggest sporting events in the world. So I get the argument that the talent should be or could be getting paid.
"But the Ryder Cup is so much more than that, especially to the Europeans and to this tour."
Luka Doncic says the defensive mishap that led to the Utah Jazz's winning dunk was a "misunderstanding" and shouldered the blame for the Dallas Mavericks' loss on Thursday.
The Jazz recorded their first home win of the season with their 115-113 victory, but it looked like they might have thrown it away after blowing a third-quarter lead.
However, with just 6.4 seconds remaining, Doncic left John Collins wide open to give him an easy dunk that settled the game in Utah's favour.
The Slovenian had 37 points, seven rebounds and nine assists for Dallas in an otherwise impressive showing, especially without Kyrie Irving, who missed the game with a shoulder injury.
"It was a misunderstanding," Doncic said.
"I thought I was going to go hit, and [Quentin] Grimes thought he was going to go hit. And it was a lob, so we misunderstood the bench. That's on me."
Collins scored 28 points for the Jazz in their win, also getting nine rebounds, while Jordan Clarkson added 20 points to end a five-game losing streak at home.
They rallied back after letting a 12-point lead slip, something which particularly impressed head coach Will Hardy.
"Tonight isn't about the Xs & Os piece, it was about the mental and physical toughness that the team showed," Hardy said.
"It felt really, really good to battle through a tough moment and pull out a win here at home."
Collins echoed his coach's praise: "Man, I wanted this one so bad. We knew it was going to be a battle in the second half, it's all about staying mentally strong."
Saquon Barkley ran for 146 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns, Jalen Hurts ran for the go-ahead score after being evaluated for a concussion, and the Philadelphia Eagles stretched their lead in the NFC East with a 26-18 win on Thursday night over Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders.
The Eagles (8-2) won their sixth straight since their bye, although this one came with a serious scare.
Hurts' head was spiked into the turf by linebacker Frankie Luvu in the second quarter, and the $255 million quarterback's head bounced off the ground. Hurts rolled over, face down, and grabbed his helmet. He was examined in the sideline medical tent but stayed in the game, finishing with 221 yards passing.
With the Eagles leading 12-10 in the fourth quarter, Washington was in range for a go-ahead field goal and coach Dan Quinn elected to go for it on fourth down. Daniels scrambled and was stopped for no gain, and less than three minutes later, Barkley scored on a 23-yard run.
Jake Elliott made the extra point after missing his previous try - along with two of his four field goals - to give the Eagles a two-score lead.
Daniels, who finished 22 of 32 for 191 yards and a late touchdown pass, was intercepted by safety Reed Blankenship on Washington's next play, and 12 seconds later, Barkley finished off the Commanders (7-4) with a 39-yard touchdown run.
Trinidad and Tobago’s ace swimmer Dylan Carter headlines a three-member team that will represent the Twin Island Republic at the World Aquatics World Short Course (25m) Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
The six-day event, scheduled for December 10–15, promises exciting prospects for aquatics enthusiasts as it will feature morning heats and evening semi-finals and finals.
Carter will enter the championship in rich form following his fairly successful World Aquatics Swimming World Cup outing recently, where he pocketed two gold medals and one bronze during the three-leg competition.
The decorated 28-year-old, who is a many-time World Short Course medallist and Olympian, is scheduled to swim the men’s 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, and 50m butterfly.
He will be joined by rising sensation Nikoli Blackman, who is currently in his sophomore year at the University of Tennessee. Blackman, a talented and versatile swimmer, will only contest the men’s 200m freestyle event.
Meanwhile, Zuri Ferguson, who paraded her skills at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, is the lone female member of the team. The University of Florida freshman will be targeting at least best times in the women’s 50m, 100m, and 200m backstroke events.
Another female swimmer, Ornella Walker, who recently shattered Trinidad and Tobago’s 50m and 100m backstroke records, also qualified to make the team but opted not to take up her spot on this occasion.
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