Russia's path to sending a team to the Paris Olympics next year became clearer on Thursday amid fierce objections from Ukraine. The International Olympic Committee indicated on Wednesday it favors officially neutral teams from Russia and its ally Belarus at the 2024 Olympics despite a plea from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to exclude them entirely.<h2>“No place” there</h2>A day later, Russia and Belarus were invited to compete at the Asian Games, a key Olympic qualifier.Russia normally competes as part of Europe but has a tense relationship with many of the countries set to host qualifying events there. Russia and Belarus have been barred from almost all international competitions in Olympic sports following the invasion of Ukraine.Zelenskyy has said he told French President Emmanuel Macron, whose country is hosting the Olympics, that Russia should have “no place” there. Ukraine is seeking to rally support against the IOC-brokered plan.“IOC has been disregarding Russian war crimes, claiming that ‘No athlete should be prevented from competing just because of their passport', while Ukrainian athletes continue to be killed by Russia because of their passports. I urge all sports figures to make their stance known,” Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter on Thursday.Ukraine boycotted an Olympic qualifier in judo last year when Russians were allowed to compete as neutrals.In Russia, there was praise for the IOC's approach from Igor Levitin, an aide to President Vladimir Putin who holds influential government and sports posts.“I think it is already a success. Olympic society understands that the Olympic Games cannot be staged without Russia," said Levitin, who is the senior vice-president of the Russian Olympic Committee, in comments reported by state news agency Tass.Some Russian officials expressed unhappiness at the IOC declaring it would not allow athletes found to be “actively supporting the war in Ukraine.” ROC president Stanislav Pozdnyakov said on Wednesday he opposed “any restrictions, extra requirements or sanctions.”Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said she backs Russians competing as neutral athletes when her city hosts the Games, without the Russian flag.“I think it’s a time for athletes and that you shouldn’t deprive athletes of their competition. But I think and I plead, like a large part of the sporting movement, that there isn’t a delegation behind the Russian banner," she told France 2 television.“Of course the Games are taking place in a geopolitical time. I hope the war in Ukraine will be behind us when we welcome the Paris Games.”There was no immediate response from the French government, even as other European countries criticized the IOC. British Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan said the IOC's stance was “a world away from the reality of war being felt by the Ukrainian people." In Germany, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser called it “the wrong path.”The IOC statement on Wednesday referenced the civil war in the former Yugoslavia around the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. The country was under United Nations sanctions so Yugoslav athletes were allowed to compete individually only as “Independent Olympic Participants." They didn't take part in team sports such as soccer and basketball.That would be stricter than previous IOC measures against Russia in the years-long fallout from one of the largest doping cases in sports history. Russians competed under the name “Olympic Athlete from Russia” at the 2018 Winter Olympics and as ROC in 2021 and 2022, without their country's anthem or flag but with national colors on uniforms.The Asian Games will be in Hangzhou, China, in September and October, and function as Olympic qualifiers in several sports including archery and boxing. Some other sports host their own Asia-specific qualifying competitions.<h2>“Remains on standby”</h2>“The OCA believes in the unifying power of sport and that all athletes, regardless of their nationality or the passport they hold, should be able to compete in sports competitions,” the OCA said in a statement.The long-time director general of Kuwait-based OCA, Husain al-Musallam, is also the president of World Aquatics, which is overseeing the core Olympic sport of swimming in the IOC home city Lausanne.“The OCA has offered to give eligible Russian and Belarusian athletes the opportunity to take part in competitions in Asia, including the Asian Games,” the organization said.The OCA added it “remains on standby” until the IOC and the individual sports' governing bodies finalize the conditions for Russia and Belarus to compete.

Russia and Belarus were invited to compete at the Asian Games, a key Olympic qualifier

A Russian flag is held above the Olympic Rings at Adler Arena Skating Center during the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia on Feb. 18, 2014.

Russia's path to 2024 Olympics takes shape, Ukraine objects

Kylian Mbappé can close in further on Paris Saint-Germain's all-time scoring record when his team hosts Reims on Sunday. Mbappé's tally of 196 goals for PSG means he is only four behind Edinson Cavani's record for the club. Cavani is still idolized by fans, many of whom were angry at the club for letting him leave in 2020.Mbappé has taken longer to win PSG's supporters over, especially when relations became frosty during the on-off transfer saga with Real Madrid.<h2>The World Cup's top scorer</h2>But his exploits for France at the World Cup in Qatar increased his popularity all over the country, and since returning he's been applauded at every away ground — although that might not be the case when PSG visits bitter rival Marseille twice next month.The World Cup's top scorer is in clinical form heading into Saturday's match at Parc des Princes after netting five goals in a French Cup win on Monday, albeit against an amateur side.Mbappé's attitude in that game stood out along with his crisp finishing. He took the match very seriously and spoke of his respect for the non-league teams afterward.“It’s a reminder for us that we all come from amateur football and it’s important to keep this link,” he said. "Even if it’s only for one game.”Neymar has been largely anonymous for PSG since his World Cup heartbreak with Brazil, so PSG coach Christophe Galtier needs Mbappé to maintain his form.“Kylian is among the greatest strikers, the world class strikers. He's one of the best,” Galtier said. “He's conditioned to score. That's Kylian, a man of statistics and numbers. I don't even need to encourage for him to break records.”He is the league's top scorer with 13 goals this season, one more than Lorient's Terem Moffi and Lille's Jonathan David, and it's only a matter of time before Cavani's record tumbles.In far quicker time, too.While Cavani notched his 200 goals in 301 games, Mbappé has taken just 241 matches to reach 196.While his best season's haul of 42 goals overall is less than Cavani's best total of 49, Mbappé is already on 25 goals in 24 games so far in this campaign.With half of the league campaign still to play, he could realistically hit 50 if PSG goes far in the Champions League and the French Cup.That might be tough, however, since PSG faces Bayern Munich in the round of 16 and is away to Marseille in the cup's last 16.<h2>PSG needs a morale-boosting</h2>A hectic schedule sees PSG playing seven games next month, including a league game at third-place Marseille that promises to be intense, and eight if it reaches the cup quarterfinals.Mid-table Reims is a hard team to beat, too, and is on an 11-match unbeaten run which includes holding PSG to a 0-0 draw at home in October.PSG's away form has been a concern recently, with consecutive defeats at Lens and Rennes allowing second-place Lens to close the gap to three points after 19 rounds.So PSG needs a morale-boosting home win to get its confidence back, and help Mbappé close the gap on Cavani.

Mbappé has taken longer to win PSG's supporters over, especially when relations became frosty during the on-off transfer saga with Real Madrid

PSG's Kylian Mbappe races after the ball during the French League One soccer match between Lens and Paris Saint-Germain at the Bollaert stadium in Lens

Record-chasing Mbappé has Cavani's PSG mark in his sights

Real Sociedad, a soccer team based near the French border in northern city of San Sebastian, has been one of the revelations of the Spanish league season. A revelation that has been building for some time.During his five-year tenure, Sociedad coach Imanol Alguacil has led the club to the Copa del Rey title in 2020 and turned it into a regular Europa League participant. Now, the team is on course for a top-four finish and a Champions League berth — and perhaps even more.<h2>Norway striker Alexander Sorloth has scored 12 goals</h2>Sociedad visits the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday and can pull even on points with second-place Real Madrid to make the Spanish title race a three-team fight at the season’s midway point.Sociedad, which won the Spanish league in 1981 and 1982 and last reached the Champions League in 2013, trails defending champion Madrid by three points and is six points behind leader Barcelona. Both powerhouses also have one more game to play than third-place Sociedad.The Basque club will play in Spain's capital four days after Barcelona ended its nine-game winning streak in all competitions when it beat Sociedad 1-0 to reach the Copa del Rey semifinals. Sociedad played with 10 men from the 40th minute on Wednesday after attacking midfielder Brais Méndez was sent off with a direct red card for a dangerous tackle on Sergio Busquets. Ousmane Dembélé then scored the winner for his eighth goal of the season.“We are hurting, because we wanted to advance, but now there is no other choice than to think about Real Madrid and the Bernabeu,” Alguacil said.Sociedad was without its top playmaking midfielders at Camp Nou after David Silva joined Mikel Merino on the injured list. Silva injured a calf muscle and it is unclear if he will be ready for the match against Madrid. Merino is likely to also miss the game with a muscle injury.But Sociedad’s deep squad will still give it reason to hope it can compete with a Madrid team that completed a Spanish league-Champions League double last season and is led by Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema.Norway striker Alexander Sorloth has scored 12 goals in 24 appearances in all competitions this season. Brais, whose will serve his suspension in the Copa del Rey next season, has scored 10 times since joining from Celta Vigo in the offseason. Takefusa Kubo, a former Madrid player, is a threat on the wing, while holding midfielder Martín Zubimendi has reportedly caught the attention of both Barcelona and Premier League leader Arsenal.<h2>Catalan derby</h2>Barcelona heads north to play a Catalan derby at Girona on Saturday in what will be the final of a three-game suspension for striker Robert Lewandowski.The league’s leading scorer with his 13 goals had two more games tacked onto a one-game suspension for his disrespectful display toward a referee in a win at Osasuna in November.Barcelona won the other two games that Lewandowski missed. Dembélé scored in a 1-0 win at Atlético and Pedri scored in a 1-0 win over Getafe.Girona’s 1-0 loss at Villarreal last weekend ended a seven-match unbeaten streak in the league. The team is in 11th place.

Sociedad visits the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday and can pull even on points with second-place Real Madrid

Real Sociedad's Alexander Sorloth controls he ball during the Spanish Copa del Rey soccer match between Barcelona and Real Sociedad at the Camp Nou stadium

Sociedad out to catch Real Madrid at the Bernabeu

Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina reached her second final in the past three Grand Slam tournaments by beating Victoria Azarenka 7-6 (4), 6-3 at the Australian Open on Thursday. Rybakina added to what already was an impressive run through a string of top opponents. Azarenka, the champion at Melbourne Park in 2012 and 2013, joined a list of players eliminated by Rybakina over the past two weeks that includes No. 1 Iga Swiatek and No. 17 Jelena Ostapenko — both owners of major titles — and 2022 Australian Open runner-up Danielle Collins.<h2>Rybakina is just 23, 10 years younger than Azarenka</h2>As usual, Rybakina did it with her powerful serve, delivering it at up to 117 mph (189 kph) and accumulating nine aces Thursday to bring her total to a tournament-high 44, and stinging groundstrokes that she used to close points seemingly at will. Her performance in the semifinals was particularly noteworthy against a returner and defender as established on hard courts as Azarenka, a former No. 1 and a three-time runner-up at the U.S. Open.In Saturday’s final, Rybakina will take on either No. 5 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus or unseeded Magda Linette of Poland. Sabalenka took a 9-0 mark in 2023 into Thursday’s second semifinal, while Linette made it to that stage of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time in 30 appearances.“For sure, I got a lot of experience from Wimbledon and, to be honest, I just want to come on court and really enjoy the moment, enjoy the atmosphere,” Rybakina said, looking ahead to Saturday.Rybakina is just 23, 10 years younger than Azarenka, and the future sure looks bright at the moment.Rybakina might be seeded just 22nd in Melbourne, and ranked just 25th, but those numbers are quite misleading and not indicative at all of her talent and form. She did not get the usual bump from her title last July at Wimbledon, where zero rankings points were awarded after the All England Club banned players from Russia and Belarus because of the invasion of Ukraine.Rybakina was born in Moscow, but she has represented Kazakhstan since 2018, when that country offered to fund her tennis career.It was breezy and chilly at Rod Laver Arena from the start of Rybakina vs. Azarenka, with the temperature dipping below 70 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius).That could have played a role in the way the first set was as much of a seesaw as can be, with each player seeming to gain the upper hand — and then ceding it just as quickly.“I couldn’t play really aggressive tennis,” Rybakina said. “The ball wasn't going so much.”Rybakina’s occasional inconsistency was encapsulated by the very first game. She began, inauspiciously enough, with a double-fault, before holding with the help of three aces.Azarenka nosed ahead by breaking for a 3-2 lead on a leaping, full-extension volley winner with both women at the net. Rybakina, though, broke right back, and then once more to go up 5-3.<h2>Rybakina again faltered for a bit while trying to serve out the victory at 5-2</h2>That allowed Rybakina to serve for the set, and she was a point from owning it at 40-30. But Azarenka conjured up a terrific down-the-line forehand passing shot to erase that chance, and wound up taking the game with a big backhand winner she accented with a shout of “Let’s go!”A mistake-filled tiebreaker ended with Azarenka pushing a forehand wide to cap an 11-shot exchange, and the set now did belong to Rybakina. She broke at love for a 2-1 lead in the second, and while they would continue to play for another 25 minutes, the outcome was never really much in doubt.Sure, Rybakina again faltered for a bit while trying to serve out the victory at 5-2. No one expected Azarenka to go quietly. But one last break, aided by a double-fault from Azarenka, allowed Rybakina to take another step toward another trophy.Billie Jean King and six other members of the trailblazing “Original 9” group of Hall of Famers whose $1 contracts more than a half-century ago paved the way for the millions now offered in women’s tennis were in the stands for the semifinals.“I want to say a big ‘Thank you’ from the players, because it’s unbelievable what you’ve done for us, for the new generation,” Rybakina said. “It means a lot.”

Azarenka nosed ahead by breaking for a 3-2 lead on a leaping, full-extension volley winner with both women at the net

Elena Rybakina, left, of Kazakhstan is congratulated by Victoria Azarenka of Belarus following their semifinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne

Rybakina tops Azarenka to make Australian Open women's final

Stephen Curry threw his mouthpiece into the seats in frustration and got tossed himself for the surprising episode late in the game. And the Golden State Warriors still pulled off a wild one against the nemesis Memphis Grizzlies.Jordan Poole made the winning layup with a second remaining to cap a crazy, back-and-forth final minute, and the Warriors fought back to beat Ja Morant and Memphis 122-120 on Wednesday night.“Incredible, heady play by Jordan,” Klay Thompson said.Curry outdueled Morant and scored 34 points before being ejected with 1:14 remaining in another thrilling game between the rivals who played last year in the Western Conference semifinals won by the Warriors in six games.<h2>"He knows he can’t make that mistake"</h2>Curry hit a tying jumper with 2:18 left and made three free throws at the 1:55 mark. He wasn't around for the finish after firing the mouthpiece into the stands. Crew chief Sean Wright confirmed the reasoning to a pool reporter: “Stephen Curry takes his mouth piece and throws into the stands with force, as per rule, that is an automatic ejection.”“He knows he can’t make that mistake,” coach Steve Kerr said. “To win the game after the Steph ejection was great. I liked the execution down the stretch.”Afterward, Curry was in the hallway eager to greet Poole with a celebratory hug. Poole had launched a 30-footer with nearly a full shot clock and Curry open, and Curry didn't like it.Curry said the way the season has gone there's a “heightened sense of urgency of how every detail matters.”“The way that we responded after that shows just how much it matters to us,” Curry said.Brandon Clarke had a tying dunk with 6.3 seconds left for Memphis on a pass from Morant after Thompson’s 3-pointer with 14.6 remaining put the Warriors ahead. Thompson then missed a rushed baseline jumper with five seconds to play, but Golden State got the ball out of bounds.Morant wound up with 29 points and 12 assists after missing a game with an ankle injury. He converted a pair of free throws with 26.6 seconds left to put Memphis ahead before Thompson's big 3.Desmond Bane added 20 points for the Grizzlies in a balanced effort to help lessen the sting of losing durable big man Steven Adams for the foreseeable future with a knee injury.Morant, who missed a loss Monday night at Sacramento with soreness in his left ankle, found Clarke for an alley-oop layup and three-point play with 4:10 remaining then Curry and Poole scored consecutive layups.Thompson added 24 points and his 3 with 3:38 left in the third pulled the Warriors to 81-79. Then Curry converted a tying four-point play with 2:27 to go in the period after falling into the courtside seats.The Warriors had lost four straight home games after beginning the season 17-2 at Chase Center.Jonathan Kuminga moved into the Golden State starting lineup with Andrew Wiggins ill. Late in the first half, Kuminga drove through the lane for a highlight-reel left-handed slam then knocked down a 3-pointer a few possessions later. He wound up with 13 points.Poole finished with 21 points and seven assists as the Warriors beat the Grizzlies again following a 123-109 win on Christmas Day. The Grizzlies have lost a season-high four straight to begin this season-long five-game West Coast trip.“It’s a long season. I don’t think too many people are too flustered," Bane said.Draymond Green — who called that final out-of-bounds play for Poole's winner — was whistled for his 14th technical foul of the season, moving him within two of an automatic one-game suspension.<h2>Missing Adams</h2>Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins will mix and match lineups and substitution patterns without Adams, who is expected to miss three to five weeks with a sprained ligament in his right knee that he injured Sunday in Phoenix.“We’re definitely going to miss Stevo, he does so much for us, all the little things, to impact winning,” Jenkins said. "We're just going to need other guys to raise their level in those departments. Obviously, we’re struggling right now on both ends of the floor, we just got to find our groove, it’s next-man up mentality.”<h2>Tip-Ins</h2>Grizzlies: F Danny Green is set to make his season debut Feb. 1 at home against Portland as he returns from left knee surgery. “That’s the plan as of now,” Jenkins said. Green will get some scrimmaging and work with the G League Memphis Hustle this week. ... Jaren Jackson Jr. fouled out with 2:33 to go. ... Memphis will host the defending champions for the last two meetings: March 9 and 18.

Curry outdueled Morant and scored 34 points before being ejected with 1:14 remaining in another thrilling game between the rivals who played last year

Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole, left, celebrates with Donte DiVincenzo, right, after scoring the game-winning basket against the Memphis Grizzlies during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco

Poole beats buzzer with layup, lifts Warriors past Grizzlies

Seeking to make qualifying for the World Cup and European Championship more interesting, UEFA said Wednesday that men’s teams will no longer play in six-team groups after Euro 2024. UEFA said it expected “less predictable and more dynamic” play when qualifying for the 2026 World Cup begins in March 2025 with 12 groups of four or five teams each.In qualifying for the 2022 World Cup, England was unbeaten in a six-team group with four wins against Andorra and San Marino by a combined score of 24-0.A wider revamp of European men’s national-team soccer will see a new knockout round in the Nations League start in 2025 — which shapes as a congested year as UEFA and FIFA schedule potentially rival events.FIFA president Gianni Infantino has targeted a June 2025 launch for a 32-team Club World Cup which will lean heavily on European entries and could be played in North America. His goals detailed in Qatar last month met with pushback from European officials who said they were not consulted.UEFA’s projected calendar for the European summer in 2025 also includes a double-header of games for national teams in early June.“FIFA is planning a Club World Cup in the full knowledge of the international calendar,” UEFA director of competitions Giorgio Marchetti told reporters in an online briefing. “This (new UEFA) format does not impact the calendar at all.”Marchetti suggested an expanded Club World Cup could replace the old FIFA Confederations Cup slot that until 2017 was played in late June in the country hosting the next year’s World Cup. The 2026 World Cup will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.However, the Confederations Cup had eight teams playing over two weeks, while a 32-team Club World Cup would likely last one month.Europe will have 16 teams at the 2026 World Cup when the tournament expands to a 48-team format and the three extra slots helped prompt UEFA’s review of qualifying.The 12 qualifying group winners in 2025 will advance to North America and the four remaining entries should be decided in playoffs in March 2026.“This is not the end of the story,” Marchetti acknowledged about the revised European schedule. “We will need to discuss also with FIFA because the World Cup is their competition.”Qualifying for Euro 2028 is likely to see 12 group winners and the six best runners-up advance directly. Six more entries for the 24-team tournament should be decided in playoffs that involve some teams based on their Nations League ranking.The biennial Nations League format currently sees the four winners of top-tier groups advance to a Final Four mini-tournament the following year.In 2025, the top two from each group will advance to a new quarterfinal round that will be played in March over two legs. Also in March, middle-ranking teams will play in new promotion-relegation playoffs between the top, second and third tiers.The added competitive games for some mid-ranking nations can compensate any revenue lost from having one fewer home game in World Cup and Euros qualifying.There has been speculation Brazil and Argentina could join Nations League play as part of UEFA’s close relations with South American soccer body CONMEBOL. However, Marchetti said UEFA’s plan detailed Wednesday envisaged just the 55 European soccer federations.

UEFA said it expected “less predictable and more dynamic” play when qualifying for the 2026 World Cup begins in March 2025 with 12 groups

UEFA said it expected “less predictable and more dynamic”

UEFA to have smaller groups for World Cup, Euros qualifying

Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis will miss at least the next couple of weeks after spraining his right medial collateral ligament and right ankle in a 150-130 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Monday. The Bucks announced the severity of Portis’ injuries to his knee and ankle on Wednesday and said he would be re-evaluated in two weeks.Portis, who turns 28 on Feb. 10, is averaging 14.4 points and a career-high 10.1 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-11 forward will miss a game for the first time this season when the Bucks host the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night.Portis got hurt the same night that two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and three-time All-Star Khris Middleton returned from knee injuries. Middleton, who had been out with right knee soreness, played just his eighth game of the season on Monday. Antetokounmpo returned after missing five games with left knee soreness.

The Bucks announced the severity of Portis’ injuries to his knee and ankle on Wednesday and said he would be re-evaluated in two weeks

Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis (9) dunks against Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love and forward Evan Mobley (4) during the first half of an NBA basketball game

Bucks' Portis out at least 2 weeks with sprained MCL, ankle

Fernando Santos is going from coaching Cristiano Ronaldo to leading another soccer great, Robert Lewandowski. A month after parting company with his native Portugal, Santos was presented in Warsaw on Tuesday as the coach of Poland's national team, covering the European Championship in 2024 and the World Cup in 2026.The 68-year-old Santos became Poland’s third foreign-born coach — after Leo Beenhakker and Paulo Sousa — and arrives with experience of leading high-profile players such as Ronaldo, who Santos even benched last month during the knockout stage of the World Cup.Now Santos will be coaching a team captained by Lewandowski, the Barcelona striker who, at 34, is approaching the end of his career and might only have the European Championship in 2024 and possibly the 2026 World Cup left to play at international level.“We want to be in the group stage of the Euros and then we want to keep winning,” said Santos, who stated his belief that Poland has the potential to compete with every team in the world.“Starting today, I am a Pole, I am one of you,” Santos said in his first comments as coach, having greeting the media conference in Polish.Santos is tasked with improving Poland’s underwhelming record at recent major tournaments.Since 1986, the national team has only advanced from the group stage at one World Cup (2022) and one European Championship (2016).Santos, renowned for being a pragmatic, defensive-minded coach, has good pedigree at international level. In eight years with Portugal, he led the team to the Euro 2016 title — the country’s first international trophy — and the inaugural Nations League title in 2019. He also coached Greece at Euro 2012, where it reached the quarterfinals, and the 2014 World Cup.Cezary Kulesza, the head of Poland's soccer federation, said his criteria in choosing the new coach were experience in running a national team, past successes, charisma and experience working with stars.“We can afford to have the best coach available now,” Kulesza said.Poland’s Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, said he believes that “our national team and all the fans will go though many nice moments with the new coach.”Poland didn’t extend the contract of Santos' predecessor, Czeslaw Michniewicz, after reaching the knockout stage of a World Cup for the first time in 36 years. Michniewicz’s contract ended Dec. 31.Former Portugal and South Korea coach Paulo Bento and Liverpool great Steven Gerrard, recently fired by Aston Villa in the Premier League, were linked with the job after the Polish soccer federation said it would be hiring a foreign coach.Santos' greater experience might have made the difference. On Monday, when it became clear Santos would be hired, Polish Sports Minister Kamil Bortniczuk congratulated the soccer association on Twitter on its decision and called Santos a highly successful coach with “experience in working with great stars" such as Ronaldo.

Santos arrives with experience of leading high-profile players such as Ronaldo, who Santos even benched last month during the World Cup

Poland hires Santos as coach through 2026 World Cup

Contrary to all those high-scoring games, players still are playing defense in the NBA. Seriously, they are.It's just the task of stopping two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic or Luka Doncic or Joel Embiid or anyone else in the league has become more challenging than ever.Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle may have described the assignment of locking down a premier — or even a reserve — player the best: "It’s a wild, hot mess trying to guard in the NBA now," he said.A combination of rule changes, style-of-play alterations, the ongoing addiction to the 3-point shot and more have added up to the game being significantly tilted toward the offensive player.Someone will win “Defensive Player of the Year” this spring, even after a season where no one seems to be able to stop anyone with the ball. It’s almost certain that more players will average 20 points per game than ever before. A decade ago, there were a dozen or so players. This season, 50 isn’t out of the question (there were 27 last season and 31 in 2020-21).The NBA will analyze all the variables after the season. But since its sense is fans love scoring, and there’s nothing out there contradicting that stance, a massive swing of the rules pendulum toward helping out defenders doesn’t seem likely.“For me, a fan, the talent level is just off the charts, and that has a lot to do with what we’re seeing,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in Paris last week. “Of course, the enormous increase in 3-point shooting is going to lead to more scoring, too, especially when these guys, even the big men, shoot 3-point shots as well as they do.“I don’t think it’s necessarily a case that defense is not being focused on as it once was,” Silver added. “I’ve been around the league long enough to remember when the claim was guys played no defense at all, and so there’s a fair amount of defense played.”From zone defenses to constant rotations, teams are trying a little bit of everything to slow down offensive stars. Still, the stars shine. In January alone, Cleveland's Donovan Mitchell scored 71 points on Jan. 2; Chicago's Zach LaVine knocked down 11 3-pointers on Jan. 6; and Miami's Jimmy Butler went 23 of 23 from the free throw line on Jan. 10.Playing defense is harder these days, but not impossible.“It just requires a real connectedness defensively,” Carlisle explained.Scoring is up again this season, with teams averaging more points (114.1) than the league has seen at any time in the last half-century. Sacramento leads the way with 120 points per game, with six players averaging 12 or more points.It's hardly a surprise to longtime NBA veteran Ish Smith that 44 players are currently averaging at least 20 point a game.“I guarantee you, when I come and show my kids the game in 10 or 15 years, we’re going to be talking about how it might be 100 guys now averaging 20,” cracked Smith, the Nuggets guard who broke into the league in 2010. “It’s just a tribute to guys getting better. Everybody can dribble, shoot, pass — and it makes it difficult.”Bottom line: The standouts are simply doing what they do best — stand out. Doncic and Embiid lead in points per game (33.6), Jokic in triple-doubles (14), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in two-point field goals (398) and Buddy Hield in 3-pointers (181).“The league is in such a great place and people are so into checking out highlights and seeing high scores for entertainment,” said David Adelman, an assistant coach for the Nuggets and son of longtime NBA coach Rick Adelman. “I don’t think the NFL is any different. I mean, it’s hard to be a defensive back these days. That's probably the hardest job in sports, maybe.“So I don’t see (the NBA) changing it. My son is 9 years old and he loves watching the NBA because we’re scoring 130 points. That’s just the way it is.”Given rule enforcements designed to allow more freedom of moment in both the post and on the perimeter, it's only natural to expect free throws to be on the rise. There have been an average of 23.8 attempts at the line (through Sunday) this season, which is on pace to be the highest since 2010-11 (24.4).“Generally, when you look at some of these really, really, explosive individual performances where guys have put up huge numbers, I think you can immediately look at the free-throw line. There’s always a correlation,” Chicago coach Billy Donovan explained. “The free throw and the fouling has become a real challenge, because the minute you get your hands on people, those elite scorers know how to manipulate and draw fouls.”The league has tried to minimize that, at least when it comes to shooters looking to draw contact on flailed 3-pointers. But the NBA knows any rule change or shift always gets countered somehow by smart players, who just find another avenue to get to where they want.“I remember people were saying, ‘It’s all about dunking and guys can’t shoot.’ Now it’s, ‘They shoot too well. It should be more of an inside game,’” Silver said. “We’ll keep looking at it.”

Playing defense is harder these days, but not impossible

Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) loses his balance while dribbling against Los Angeles Clippers forward Robert Covington (23) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Dallas

Analysis: Trying to play good NBA defense 'wild, hot mess'

<h2>LOOKAHEAD TO WEDNESDAY</h2>There couldn’t be more contrasting men’s quarterfinals at the Australian Open.&nbsp;Novak Djokovic is still on track for his 10th title at Melbourne Park and now faces No. 5 seed Andrey Rublev — who is 0-6 in Grand Slam quarterfinals. The other men’s match Wednesday features a pair of unseeded 20-something Americans: Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul. Neither has ever been this far at a major tournament and the matchup between the 89th-ranked Shelton, a 20-year-old from Florida, and the 35th-ranked Paul, a 25-year-old from New Jersey, will be the first Slam quarterfinal between two men from the U.S. since 2007, when Andy Roddick beat Mardy Fish in Melbourne. Roddick’s title at the U.S. Open 20 years ago remains the last major singles championship for an American man. There is also a fresh face among the women: Magda Linette is playing in her first quarterfinal in 30 Grand Slam appearances at age 31. She faces Karolina Pliskova, a two-time runner-up at majors. The other quarterfinalists are appearing for the first time in the last eight at Melbourne Park: No. 5 Aryna Sabalenka and unseeded Donna Vekic. Sabalenka is 8-0 in 2023.<h2>TUESDAY'S KEY RESULTS</h2>Women's Quarterfinals: No. 22 Elena Rybakina beat No. 17 Jelena Ostapenko 6-2, 6-4.Men's Quarterfinals: No. 18 Karen Khachanov beat No. 29 Sebastian Korda 7-6 (5), 6-3, 3-0, retired.<h2>WEDNESDAY'S FORECAST</h2>Partly cloudy with a high of 83 degrees Fahrenheit (28 degrees Celsius).<h2>STATE OF THE DAY</h2>35 — Tournament-leading ace count for Elena Rybakina, including 11 against Jelena Ostapenko.<h2>QUOTE OF THE DAY</h2>“It’s obviously not the way you want to finish a match, and I think until a certain point, it was very competitive and a good battle." — Karen Khachanov on Sebastian Korda's mid-match retirement because of an injured right wrist.

There couldn’t be more contrasting men’s quarterfinals at the Australian Open

Tommy Paul of the U.S. reacts after defeating Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain in their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 23, 2023

Australian Open lookahead: Djokovic and 2 US first-timers

Mikaela Shiffrin holds a slim lead during the first run of a giant slalom and is in position for a record-breaking 83rd World Cup win. Shiffrin currently shares the women’s record of 82 wins with former American teammate Lindsey Vonn.Shiffrin stood 0.13 seconds ahead of world champion Lara Gut-Behrami and 0.27 ahead of home favorite Federica Brignone at the Kronplatz resort in San Vigilio on Tuesday.Petra Vlhova, Shiffrin’s usual rival, was 1.01 back, with Olympic champion Sara Hector nearly two seconds behind.Lower-ranked skiers were still coming down the course.The second run starts at 1:30 p.m.

Shiffrin currently shares the women’s record of 82 wins with former American teammate Lindsey Vonn

United States' Mikaela Shiffrin speeds down the course during an alpine ski, women's World Cup giant slalom, in Kronplatz, Italy, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023

Shiffrin leads 1st run of GS as she chases record win No. 83

Sébastien Haller has already faced his toughest challenge of this season, or indeed any season. Reviving Borussia Dortmund looks simple by comparison. A loud roar greeted Haller on his belated debut for Dortmund on Sunday, ending six months out of the game. Following two operations for testicular cancer and chemotherapy, he was back.Before the game, a dramatic 4-3 win over Augsburg, Haller reminded his teammates to keep soccer in perspective."He (Dortmund coach Edin Terzic) asked me how I feel to speak, and I said, ‘Of course, if you give me the chance, I will speak, because it’s, in my opinion, something even more than football,'” said Haller, an Ivory Coast international who was born in France.“It's always nice to try to make them realize how big the things are, and football at the end, it's in the background. So (we) just need to not forget why we play.”Haller was first diagnosed with a tumor in July, less than a month after signing for Dortmund. He had been brought in from Ajax to replace Erling Haaland after the Norwegian was sold to Manchester City, and Dortmund's plans for 2022-23 were built around him.Without Haller, Dortmund slipped to sixth in the Bundesliga. Anthony Modeste was signed as an emergency replacement, but the experienced French striker scored only twice in 20 games. Eighteen-year-old forward Youssoufa Moukoko has plenty of talent but hasn't looked quite ready to lead a team of Dortmund's stature every week.Haller came on against Augsburg with a half hour remaining to replace Moukoko — Modeste was out of the squad entirely — and while he didn't score, he created space for other substitutes to shine as bench players Jamie Bynoe-Gittens and Gio Reyna scored crucial goals.“We all know what’s happened the first part of the season, and now we have the chance to start the new year with another dynamic. Something new, something extra. Another boost,” Haller said. “Also with my return, I hope that it can give a boost. Of course, with the atmosphere today, with the fans, with the team, with the win, we need to use those things, too, to create something new.”Dortmund's perennial quest to end the dominance of Bayern Munich may be out of reach for another year, seven points behind the champions, but a battle looms for the Champions League places with Eintracht Frankfurt, Leipzig, Wolfsburg and surprise challengers Union Berlin and Freiburg.After getting through a Champions League group with Manchester City, Sevilla and Copenhagen, Dortmund has a last-16 match next month against another big team in difficulties, Chelsea.

Before the game, a dramatic 4-3 win over Augsburg, Haller reminded his teammates to keep soccer in perspective

Back on the field, Haller hopes to spark Dortmund's revival

It took about a week for Novak Djokovic to go from worrying about whether he simply could play a match at all on his injured left hamstring to thinking he can win the Australian Open. And one pain-free, nearly perfect performance in the fourth round Monday made a world of difference.“Tonight, the way I played, the way I felt, gives me reason now to believe that I can go all the way,” Djokovic said after completely overwhelming 22nd-seeded Alex de Minaur 6-2, 6-1, 6-2 to reach the quarterfinals for the 13th time at Melbourne Park and 54th time at all Grand Slam tournaments.“I mean, I always believe I can go all the way, in terms of my tennis,” continued Djokovic, whose 21 major championships include nine in Australia. “But the way my leg felt before tonight wasn’t giving me too many hopes, so to say, for the entire tournament, to go all the way through. Tonight I feel that, so I feel positive about it.”A year ago, he got kicked out of the country before the Australian Open because he was not vaccinated against COVID-19. He still hasn't gotten the shots, but the government's coronavirus rules have been relaxed.After looking out of joint occasionally in his first three matches in the tournament last week, sometimes stumbling to the ground, sometimes seeking treatment from a trainer, the 35-year-old from Serbia looked like his usual flexible, court-covering, dominant self at Rod Laver Arena against de Minaur.Djokovic won 42 of 64 points that lasted five shots or more. He accumulated a 26-9 edge in winners. He won all 12 of his service games, never facing a single break point. Generally considered the best returner in the game now — and, perhaps, ever — Djokovic earned a dozen break chances and converted half.He broke to lead 4-2 in the first set and again to end it. He broke to go up 2-0 and 4-0 in the second. He broke for advantages of 1-0 and 3-0 in the third.“It just felt like constant pressure today. Every service game I had, wasn’t getting free points. It felt like an uphill battle from the start,” de Minaur said. “Never really was able to get my teeth into the match, make it tough for him, or bring the pressure moments and situations.”Djokovic said he felt “fantastic” and “really great in terms of mobility and movement.”In addition to taking “a lot” of anti-inflammatory pills to help the hamstring, Djokovic said he has been using “different treatments and machines and stuff” to help improve his leg. He also cautioned that he does not “want to celebrate too early, ’cause I don’t know how the body’s going to respond tomorrow and for the next match.”Yes, there are still contests to come and players to contend with.His upcoming opponent is No. 5 seed Andrey Rublev, who will head into their matchup Wednesday with an 0-6 record in Grand Slam quarterfinals. That day’s other men’s match will be between two unseeded Americans in their 20s who’ve never been this far at a major tournament: Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul.The men’s quarterfinals scheduled for Tuesday: No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas against unseeded Jiri Lehecka, and No. 18 Karen Khachanov vs. No. 29 Sebastian Korda.Of the seven remaining men other than Djokovic, none has won a Grand Slam title and only Tsitsipas ever has even reached a major final, and that was just once, losing to — yep, you guessed it — Djokovic at the French Open in 2021.“I’ve been in this situation so many times before,” Djokovic said, leaning back in his chair and placing both palms on his chest. “From that point of view I think it helps me have kind of a more, let’s say, clear approach to the remaining days of the tournament and what I need to do. Of course, I’ll keep an eye on all the other matches, see how the other guys are doing. We’ll see what happens.”De Minaur, for one, knows what he thinks is going to happen.“What I experienced today was probably Novak very close to his best, I would say,” he said. “To me, if that’s the level, I think he’s definitely the guy that’s going to take the title.”

A year ago, he got kicked out of the country before the Australian Open because he was not vaccinated against COVID-19

With Djokovic's leg OK, he sees Australian title realistic

Eddie Nketiah kept Arsenal’s Premier League title challenge on track with two goals as the Gunners beat Manchester United 3-2 in a pulsating game at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. Nketiah netted the winner in injury time with a back-heeled flick-on after a shot from Martin Odegaard to secure a crucial victory that keeps Arsenal five points ahead of Manchester City with a game in hand.United is the only team to have beaten Arsenal in the league this season and looked set to deal Mikel Arteta’s team another blow when Lisandro Martinez equalized in the 59th minute.But Arsenal was finally rewarded for a period of relentless pressure over the last 10 minutes, with David De Gea having already denied Nketiah once from close range.Marcus Rashford had put United ahead with a long-range strike in the 17th minute, but Nketiah responded seven minutes later when he headed in a cross from Granit Xhaka at the far post.Bukayo Saka gave Arsenal the lead for the first time in the 53rd when he collected the ball on the left flank, drove past Christian Eriksen and then curled in a strike from 25 yards that beat De Gea at the far post.But goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale then made a rare mistake as he collided with his own defender when trying to collect a corner, spilling the ball to Martinez — who reacted quickly to head in the equalizer.

Arsenal was finally rewarded for a period of relentless pressure over the last 10 minutes

Eddie Nketiah gives Arsenal 3-2 win over Man United

Erling Haaland can break all sorts of Premier League scoring records this season and it still might not secure Manchester City another title. That's because there is just no stopping Arsenal, which overcame another big obstacle in its bid for a first league title since 2004.A few hours after Haaland scored his fourth hat trick of the season in City's 3-0 win over Wolverhampton, Arsenal responded by beating Manchester United 3-2 thanks to a 90th-minute winner by Eddie Nketiah.Arsenal stayed five points clear of second-place City and has a game in hand. The top two must still meet each other twice in the league so there is scope for a turnaround.<h2>With Halland there is hope for Man City</h2>It will need Arsenal to slow down and Haaland to keep on scoring. Currently, there's no sign of either of those things happening.Arsenal was relentless against United after going behind to Marcus Rashford's ninth goal since the World Cup. Goals by Nketiah and Bukayo Saka put the hosts ahead, Lisandro Martinez equalized after a weak punch clear by Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, only for Nketiah to flick home from close range for a goal that was reviewed for offside.Remarkably, Arsenal has still only dropped seven points from a possible 57 and has just come through a tough-looking run of games against Brighton, Newcastle, Tottenham and United by taking 10 points from 12.Still, with Haaland there is hope for City, the defending champion.The Norway striker moved to 25 goals for his debut league campaign in England by scoring all of City's goals against Wolves. That would be enough to win the Golden Boot in the Premier League in any of the previous four seasons.The record goal tally for a 38-game Premier League season is held by Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, with 32 in 2017-18. The most in a 42-game Premier League campaign was 34, by Alan Shearer and Andy Cole.If Haaland stays fit, he is on course to easily surpass those records.Arsenal and City meet for the first time in the league on Feb. 15. Before that, they play each other at City's Etihad Stadium in the FA Cup on Friday.United and third-place Newcastle are both six points behind City now.<h2>Leeds frustrated&nbsp;</h2>Leeds' winless run in the league is up to six matches.A 0-0 home draw with Brentford moved Leeds a point clear of the relegation zone but it was another frustrating game for the home fans, who saw Willy Gnonto denied by visiting goalkeeper David Raya in the best chance.

Arsenal was relentless against United after going behind to Marcus Rashford's ninth goal since the World Cup

Arsenal beats United 3-2, Haaland hat trick propels City

Swiss skier Daniel Yule won a men’s World Cup slalom Sunday after first-run leader Manuel Feller straddled a gate and failed to finish his home race. Yule ranked only seventh after the opening run, but he posted the third-fastest time in the second and then saw the top six fail to beat his leading time on the icy Ganslern course. It was his second victory in the classic race after his maiden triumph in 2020.Dave Ryding, who triumphed last year to become the first British skier to win a World Cup race, posted the fastest time in the second run and improved from 14th to second place, 0.40 behind Yule.Norway's Lucas Braathen, who was runner-up to Feller in the first run, dropped to third, 0.41 off the pace. Linus Strasser of Germany was one-hundredth further back in fourth.Henrik Kristoffersen, who won the classic slalom at Wengen last week, placed fifth after bouncing back from a disappointing opening run, where he finished in ninth, left him with no realistic chance of winning.It was Yule’s second win of the season, after triumphing in Madonna di Campiglio, Italy, last month. The Swiss skier remained the only non-Norwegian skier to win a men's World Cup slalom in the 10 races since the Beijing Olympics.Braathen overtook Kristoffersen on the top of the season slalom standings.Feller was after his third career win and first in almost two years. His best result in Kitzbuehel remained fifth place in 2018, a year after record eight-time overall champion Marcel Hirscher was the last Austrian winner.The slalom in Kitzbuehel was the first of three technical races in Austria within four days, with a night slalom on Tuesday and a GS on Wednesday scheduled for Schladming.

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Australian Open lookahead: Djokovic and 2 US first-timers

Shiffrin leads 1st run of GS as she chases record win No. 83

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With Djokovic's leg OK, he sees Australian title realistic

Eddie Nketiah gives Arsenal 3-2 win over Man United

Arsenal beats United 3-2, Haaland hat trick propels City

Swiss skier Yule beats Ryding to win slalom in Kitzbuehel

Sports

Russia's path to 2024 Olympics takes shape, Ukraine objects

Record-chasing Mbappé has Cavani's PSG mark in his sights

Sociedad out to catch Real Madrid at the Bernabeu

Rybakina tops Azarenka to make Australian Open women's final

Poole beats buzzer with layup, lifts Warriors past Grizzlies

UEFA to have smaller groups for World Cup, Euros qualifying

Bucks' Portis out at least 2 weeks with sprained MCL, ankle

Poland hires Santos as coach through 2026 World Cup

Analysis: Trying to play good NBA defense 'wild, hot mess'

Australian Open lookahead: Djokovic and 2 US first-timers

Shiffrin leads 1st run of GS as she chases record win No. 83

Back on the field, Haller hopes to spark Dortmund's revival

With Djokovic's leg OK, he sees Australian title realistic

Eddie Nketiah gives Arsenal 3-2 win over Man United

Arsenal beats United 3-2, Haaland hat trick propels City

Swiss skier Yule beats Ryding to win slalom in Kitzbuehel