CRISTIANO Ronaldo scored twice and created another goal as Juventus got back to winning ways in Serie A with a 4-1 victory over Udinese in Turin on Sunday, moving the champions up to fifth in the standings.

It’s never in good form to draw conclusions off a small sample size, and especially from the start of the season. Yet, not a few quarter chose to write the Warriors’ eulogy following blowout setbacks in the first two outings of their 2020-21 campaign. To be fair, the unexpected loss of Klay Thompson due to a freak injury hurt their chances. And, with cornerstone Stephen Curry emerging from a long layoff, even more uncertainty beyond that engendered by the pandemic threatened to hamper their competitiveness.

ONE of the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, the local sporting community is slowly picking up the pieces and making its way back. And one of the ways it is going about it is holding a “bubble,” be it for training or tournament proper.

WITH the Green Bay Packers (13-3) and Kansas City Chiefs (14-2) earning the top seeds and first-round byes in the NFC and AFC playoffs, respectively, the other 12 teams that made the playoffs have learned where they’ll be headed for wild card weekend.

WHILE the Philippine Basketball Association is set to lift the moratorium on trading players this month, San Miguel Corp. (SMC) sports director Alfrancis Chua expects bulk of movements happening after the rookie draft.

WHILE it is still to be made official, a Manny Pacquiao-Conor McGregor super boxing fight could be one of the marquee sporting events for the year 2021.

STEPHEN Curry exploded for 21 of his career-high 62 points in the first quarter Sunday night, helping the Golden State Warriors take a lead they never relinquished in a 137-122 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers in San Francisco.

RECOGNIZING that it still has to deal with the coronavirus pandemic in 2021, the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is not rushing and is carefully assessing the direction to take for its Season 46.

AUSTIN Rivers hit a 3-pointer that gave the New York Knicks the lead for good late in the fourth quarter Saturday night and added the clinching layup with 35.3 seconds remaining as the Knicks surprised the host Indiana Pacers, 106-102.

WHILE admitting that its run under the current administration is anything but perfect, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) is nonetheless happy over what it has achieved and looking to build on the gains it has had and finish strong.

MADRID — Real Madrid beat an in-form Celta Vigo 2-0 at home on Saturday thanks to a goal and assist apiece from Spanish pair Lucas Vázquez and Marco Asensio, putting the side above city rivals Atlético Madrid at the top of La Liga.

The end of 2020 saw Major League Baseball licking its wounds and pondering how it should navigate a new year filled with just as much uncertainty. Considering the potential for continued losses, franchises are determined to cut back on expenses. And, naturally, payroll becomes the first casualty; for the first time in a long while, the offseason, traditionally host to a flurry of activity in which talent is sought by all and sundry, figures to be one of reflection and not action. Except, that is, for the Padres, who see a break while others recoil with caution.