KYRIE Irving had 34 points with 12 assists, while Kevin Durant scored 33 points after a brief time away, as the Brooklyn Nets earned a 128-119 victory over the visiting Phoenix Suns on Sunday in a showdown between two of the top teams in the NBA.

BENGALURU — Rafa Nadal saved a match point before defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas (6-4, 6-7(6), 7-5) to claim a record-extending 12th Barcelona Open title on Sunday, ending his Greek opponent’s nine-game unbeaten start to the European clay court swing.

TORONTO — Roger Federer’s decision to make his long-awaited Grand Slam return on his least favorite surface at next month’s French Open is part of a grand plan to peak in time for his beloved Wimbledon, according to ESPN commentator Patrick McEnroe.

When it comes to naming the best players of all time, National Basketball Association fans won’t come close to arriving at a consensus. In fact, it’s fair to expect the opposite: given the depth of talent in the league since its inception in 1946, quite a number of factors can be used to justify personal choices. In this regard, context is crucial, even necessary. And the same holds true for the lists of those closest to the ground.

FILIPINO mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Eduard “Landslide” Folayang had to make a quick pivot in his training when his original opponent for this week’s “ONE on TNT IV” event had to pull out because of injury.

HAWAII-BASED Kalei Mau will not be in the national volleyball team tryouts in Subic this week.

THE National Basketball Association (NBA) hopes play-in tournaments will be adopted as a permanent change, according to a report from Sports Illustrated on Monday.

THE Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is set to meet government officials in Malacañang on Wednesday to discuss how to go about the league’s delayed Season 46.

ANFERNEE Simons’ 27 points on 9-of-10 shooting from three-point range led a dominant effort by the Portland Trail Blazers during a 133-112 win over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night in Indianapolis.

THE final installment of the four-part “ONE on TNT” series of ONE Championship happens on Thursday at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

BENGALURU — The Wimbledon Championships will become a 14-day tournament from 2022, with matches set to be played on Middle Sunday, traditionally a day off at the grasscourt Grand Slam, the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) said on Tuesday.

SPORTS STADIUMS are expensive and need to be booked for as many days of the year as possible to be viable, which is why the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex fell into decay, while more commercially oriented venues like the Araneta Coliseum and the Mall of Asia Arena are thriving. Which brings up some questions about the sustainability of a recent jewel in the crown of the Philippine infrastructure program — the sports facilities at New Clark City.