GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Clemson co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott felt like he was in a time machine Saturday night while listening to sophomore quarterback Trevor Lawrence in the huddle just prior to the kind of game-winning drive that has become a staple in Tiger Town.

"It brought back memories of Deshaun [Watson] talking to those guys down in Tampa two years ago. It was pretty awesome," Scott said of Watson's message to his teammates prior to Clemson's game-winning drive to beat Alabama for the 2016 national championship.

That message has become the cornerstone of Clemson's football program, as 29 straight wins and another shot at a national championship will surely attest.

The debate will forever rage about which was the better team, the more deserving team or even the more talented team on Saturday at StateFarm Stadium. But over the past two years, no team has mastered the art of winning better than Clemson, which rallied from a 16-0 deficit to beat Ohio State 29-23 in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl.

"It's just the DNA. That's just our program," said Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, whose Tigers entered the game having won eight straight games by at least 31 points. "It's not just this season. It's how we're built."

The Tigers will next try to become college football's first repeat national champion since Alabama in 2011 and 2012 when they take on LSU on Jan. 13 in New Orleans in the College Football Playoff National Championship Presented by AT&T (8 p.m. ET, ESPN and the ESPN App).

"People have been saying we haven't played anybody all season," Clemson receiver Tee Higgins said. "This just shows that we have that dog in us. We have that fight, and we can pull it off playing any team out there."

Although there was constant scrutiny surrounding the Tigers' cushy schedule this season, one that featured just one win over a team in the College Football Playoff selection committee's final ranking, nobody's scrutinizing Clemson's penchant for delivering on the biggest of stages.

That's why Scott never flinched when he saw Lawrence lean into that huddle, look his teammates in their eyes and tell them to lock in. Ohio State had just gone ahead 23-21, but Clemson answered with a four-play, 94-yard drive capped by a 34-yard touchdown pass from Lawrence to running back Travis Etienne with 1:49 to play.

"Even though it was an amazing drive, being around here this long, it was not surprising," said Scott, who will move on to be South Florida's head coach following the national title game. "It would have been more surprising if we had not gone down and scored, and I think that says more about these guys than anything."

All week, Swinney's message to the team had a familiar ring to it.

"This is where we belong. This is normal for us," Scott said, recounting what Swinney told the players. "We felt like the experience we've had on this stage -- because this is different -- but we felt our experience would be a factor against them, and I think it was, especially us getting down and not panicking and understanding it's a four-quarter game."

The mere fact that Clemson was in position to win the game in the second half was borderline miraculous. Ohio State charged out to a 16-0 lead, but it probably should have been more like 28-0.

The Buckeyes twice were inside the Tigers' 10-yard line with first-and-goal situations, but they were held to field goals. Then there was the targeting penalty on Ohio State safety Shaun Wade in the first half that completely changed the game and kept a Clemson scoring drive alive.

"I was mad as hell, pissed off that the ref didn't call it originally," Clemson offensive guard John Simpson said. "It was clear, obvious, but I was mad, but everybody is going to be mad when their quarterback gets hurt."

Lawrence passed for two touchdowns in the game, but it was his 67-yard touchdown run on which he ran away from Ohio State defenders that put a charge into his Clemson teammates and pulled the Tigers to 16-14 just before halftime.

"Trevor is just a great player, competitor and whatever it takes, running it and throwing it," Scott said.

Simpson joked, "I didn't think he was slow, but I didn't know he had that kind of speed."

Crippling mistakes plagued Ohio State, as did a couple of calls by officials that will sting for a long time in Columbus. The Buckeyes thought they had a touchdown in the third quarter after returning a fumble forced by Jeff Okudah. Clemson's Justyn Ross appeared to take a few steps before losing the football, but a review of the play overturned the touchdown.

"When you get an opening, you gotta take it," Clemson's Amari Rodgers said. "That's the way this game goes, and we took it. We never doubted that we were going to win this game."

Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins was more succinct.

"There were a lot of calls that were not good, but we should have never let it get to where we had to depend on those calls," he said.

Even after the touchdown drive to take the lead, Brent Venables' defense had to hold one more time, as safety Nolan Turner intercepted Justin Fields in the end zone.

"Everybody thought, 'Well, they haven't played anybody, and now they're going to get tested,'" Venables said of the narrative surrounding Clemson coming into the game. "But we do. Ask our offensive guys. Ask our defensive guys. When we go on that practice field, the mindset is we're going to win -- win every inside drill, every team pass, everything.

"We don't make all the plays on defense. We get our butts kicked plenty. But you're not going to show up on game day and see better. Now, you might see one individual who's a better player or a better lineman or a receiver here or there, but collectively, you're not going to see better.

"There's a lot at stake every week, but these guys are unbelievable. They're uncommon. They really are."

PORTLAND, Ore. -- It was just more than a week ago when Kyle Kuzma sat out in Milwaukee and could only watch as the Los Angeles Lakers mustered a season-low four bench points without him in a loss to the Bucks.

That was the fifth straight game he had missed as he rested a lingering left ankle injury.

Following Saturday's 128-120 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, it is safe to say Kuzma is officially back. In his third game after returning to the lineup, he tallied a team-high 24 points on 9-for-17 shooting. The Lakers racked up a season-high 72 bench points, with their star sixth man leading the way.

"I'm just healthy now," Kuzma said after his 20 first-half points helped the Lakers jump on the Blazers. "I'm confident in my body. I took a little bit of time off, sitting out for five games and really just self-collected what I needed to do and got it done."

For Kuzma, whose points (down from 18.7 per game to 11.9), shooting rate (45.6% to 43.8%), rebounds (5.5 to 3.5), assists (2.5 to 0.8) and minutes (33.1 to 23.2) have all taken a dip since last season, it was a continuation of an upward trend since he decided it was time to play again.

First, it was 16 points on 7-for-15 shooting against the Denver Nuggets last Sunday, followed by 25 points on 8-for-17 shooting on Christmas Day against the LA Clippers and then Saturday's effort.

"I'm just being in attack mode at all times," Kuzma said when asked what has changed. "Being the third option, you don't have the luxury of taking it easy sometimes, so just being in attack mode."

It was a group attack off the bench for the Lakers in Portland. Dwight Howard pumped in 11 points, eight rebounds and four blocks. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored all 13 of his points -- including a 3 for 3 mark from the 3 line -- in the second half. Alex Caruso chipped in nine points, three assists and two steals. And Rajon Rondo scored 15 points on 6-for-8 shooting in 18 minutes.

"These are the type of games where the bench needed to come in and give a lift," Rondo said.

The Lakers' bench outscored the Blazers' bench by 33.

"The bench gets the game ball if you do that sort of thing," said Lakers coach Frank Vogel. "Those guys played really well, very aggressively. The defense in particular with that group was really strong. Kuz has just given us a huge lift the last two games off the bench and sort of elevates that group."

As Anthony Davis added, "Kuz's been playing out of his mind since he's been back, and we're looking for him."

It capped a compelling 48 hours for Kuzma after his trainer, Clint Parks, called out LeBron James on social media for being outplayed by Kawhi Leonard in the Lakers' loss to the Clippers.

When asked if the social media speculation helped him lock in for the Portland performance, Kuzma rejected the premise.

"Nope," he said. "Not at all. I'm locked in because I'm trying to be good."

James, who tied a season high with 16 assists against just one turnover to go with his 21 points on Saturday, credited Kuzma's effort against the Blazers and detailed how there is even more room for Kuzma to help the Lakers.

"Kuz is keeping up his streak of scoring the ball and the punch we've been wanting all year, obviously. He's been trying to get back his groove," James said. "We want him to be that third scorer for us, someone that can consistently get the 18 to 20 points a night. But more importantly, you know it's just the efficiency right now that I love. He's just been very efficient mixing it up with his 3s, with his paint touches. You saw it tonight on the break, as well, just mixing it up."

Kuzma sounded comfortable with those expectations.

"Just thought about that Milwaukee game; we had about four bench points," he said. "And that's what the team needs me to do: score. That's what I'm best at, and that's what I'm going to do all season."

He is intent on putting pressure on the defense moving forward now that he doesn't feel the strain of getting his ankle right.

"It's not about the points," Kuzma said. "It's just the way I played. When I'm aggressive, all eyes are on me, and it opens it up for other players. Regardless if I'm playmaking or passing to guys, it just opens it up because people are looking at me."

LOS ANGELES -- Clippers point guard Patrick Beverley injured his right wrist in Saturday night's 120-107 loss to the Utah Jazz, and although X-rays revealed there was no break, head coach Doc Rivers remained concerned about his status.

Beverley immediately took himself out of the game after taking a spill on his right arm while attempting a driving layup against Rudy Gobert with 10:15 left in the third quarter.

While Beverley returned and started the fourth quarter after undergoing X-rays on his wrist, he checked out with 8:06 left and did not return.

Beverley would not discuss his injury with reporters afterward.

"We knew there was no break, but that doesn't mean he is going to be out or not," Rivers said. "It could be a bruise, it could be anything. He clearly felt like he could not even grab the ball, so that is not a good sign."

Rivers added: "I'm concerned a little bit about what the injury is, if it's an injury, if it's just a one-game thing -- hopefully it's that."

Beverley's wrist wasn't the only health issue for the Clippers on Saturday night.

Rivers said the flu is spreading through the locker room. Montrezl Harrell left the game about an hour before tipoff feeling ill. Rivers said Kawhi Leonard wasn't feeling well, and the coach assumed Leonard played because Harrell wasn't available. Leonard missed 18 of 24 shots, including 6 of 7 3-point attempts, and he finished with 19 points and six assists.

During the game, Paul George felt ill and turned to his teammates at one point and asked if everyone else was feeling what he was experiencing.

"I feel s---ty," George said afterward. "Tonight was a rough one."

"I felt fine coming here," added George, who shot 6-for-20 and had 20 points and 10 rebounds. "Honestly, it just came out of nowhere, just a weird feeling. Body was cramping, tightening up. I was trying to leave everything out there, but honestly there was nothing in there for me to leave."

The Clippers play next on Dec. 31 during a day game at Sacramento.

We highlight the UK courses holding an extra event on January 1

Looking to start your year with a parkrun? Many additional UK events are being held over the festive period and here we list those taking place on New Year’s Day.

Our article on the fastest and toughest parkruns in the UK (available here) was among the most read on our website in 2019 and of the events included, Worthing (ranked as the third-fastest parkrun course in the UK earlier this year), Pegwell Bay (fourth-fastest) and Eden Project (fifth-fastest) are welcoming New Year’s Day parkrunners this year.

Check out the full list of UK parkruns taking place on January 1 below and see parkrun’s full ‘Christmas & New Year Compendium’ at parkrun.org.uk/special-events

List correct at time of publication. Click here for parkrun’s full ‘Christmas & New Year Compendium’.

December 29: Melbourne Renegades v Adelaide Strikers in Melbourne

Our XI: Jake Weatherald, Alex Carey, Shaun Marsh, Aaron Finch, Matthew Short, Beau Webster, Dan Christian, Harry Conway, Rashid Khan, Kane Richardson, Billy Stanlake

NOTE: We might not always be able to tip you off about a late injury (or other relevant) updates

Captain: Jake Weatherald

The Renegades bowlers have been off-colour so far and Weatherald's explosive 83 in the last game makes him the hottest prospect for captain. He can't be ignored anyway, and if you are picking him, might as well go all in.

Vice-captain: Shaun Marsh

With a top order short on confidence, the Renegades will bank on their top-scorer so far yet again. With scores of 37, 55 and 42, he is dependable and is a safe pick for vice-captaincy.

Hot picks

Alex Carey

We'd push for Carey to be a captaincy option had it not been for his batting position - No. 4. His fifty against the Perth Scorchers was a quick one, and you can bank on his reliability for points.

Aaron Finch

The only batsman apart from Marsh who is reliable enough as far as the Renegades are concerned. Finch's team has lost three in three, but Finch looked good so far, especially in scoring 50 in the last game.

Rashid Khan

A no-brainer. Your first bowler on the list. Rashid has 40 wickets in his last two seasons plus the two games this season. He loves it in the BBL, and you might want to consider him for captaincy too, especially after the three-for in the last game.

Value picks

Beau Webster: He showed his class in Perth with a 37-ball 67 and we haven't seen anybody from the Renegades striking the ball so good this BBL.

Harry Conway: A five-for in his last Sheffield Shield game, and then 2 for 32 in the Strikers' win over the Perth Scorchers - Conway is in good wicket-taking form.

Point to note

The Strikers batsmen are hot prospects against a bowling side that is looking out of sorts at the moment. The average first-innings score at this ground is 141, so middle-order batsmen and batting allrounders could do well.

Peter Siddle announced his retirement from international cricket during the Boxing Day Test. He is one of just 17 Australians to take 200 Test wickets, finishing with 221 scalps from 67 Tests. A lion-hearted performer, he was a captain's dream after starting his career as a firebrand in 2008 before reinventing himself as a steady, skilful swing and seam bowler later in his career where he played a key role in the retention of the Ashes in England in 2019. Here are five highlights of his Test career.

Snaring Sachin on debut

His first ball in Test cricket in Mohali 2008 rattled Gautam Gambhir's helmet, but his first Test wicket was the prized scalp of Sachin Tendulkar. Having toiled all day on a slow pitch, he beat Tendulkar for pace with the second new ball, drawing him into a drive and producing a thick edge that flew low to slip where Matthew Hayden took an excellent catch. He bowled more overs than any of his team-mates in his debut Test in an attack that included Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson.

First five-wicket haul

Siddle's second Test was in Perth where South Africa famously chased down 414. He took just one wicket for the match and Australia subsequently lost the series in Melbourne. In the dead rubber in Sydney, Australia got some revenge and Siddle was Man of the Match taking 8 for 113 including his maiden five-wicket haul in the first innings. The most important wicket in that match came in the second innings, as South Africa were trying to save the game when he forced the in-form AB de Villiers to chop on for 56 just before tea on the final day to set up victory. Australia would then travel to South Africa and beat them away from home. Siddle took 12 wickets in that 2-1 series victory, providing the suffocating lengths and lines that became his trademark at one end, while Johnson terrorised at the other. He took 11 of his 12 wickets in the first two Tests which Australia won.

Hat-trick on his birthday

"He's given him! He's given him! Peter Siddle has got a hat-trick on his birthday!" That was the iconic commentary from Mark Taylor when Siddle took a hat-trick against England in the first Test of the 2010-11 Ashes series at the Gabba. Late on day one, he found the outside edge of Alastair Cook, who would go on to have the best series of his career. He then blasted through the defence of Matt Prior first ball, before pinning Stuart Broad on the toe with a yorker to celebrate a famous hat-trick. The moment was dulled a touch by Broad's subsequent review but it meant Siddle could celebrate twice. He told Channel Seven on the day of his retirement that he relives that hat-trick every year on his birthday and has watched the clip many times.

Pushing beyond exhaustion

The other iconic moment of Siddle's career came in Adelaide 2012 when he pushed himself to his physical limit and beyond for his country. On a flat pitch, after Australia lost James Pattinson to injury in the first innings, Siddle bowled 63.5 overs for the match to all but swing the game Australia's way, defied only by a stunning unbeaten century from Faf du Plessis. Siddle bowled 22 overs on the final day and took three wickets including breaking the key partnership of du Plessis and de Villiers to give Australia a sniff of victory. But after claiming two of the last four scalps required he slumped to his haunches, completely exhausted, falling two wickets shy in the final over of the day.

'The best none-for I've ever seen'

Siddle became an England specialist by the end of his career. He had some outstanding days in the UK including taking 5 for 21 against England in Leeds in 2009, and a Man of the Match display at The Oval in 2015 after bizarrely not playing the previous four Tests. He went two years without playing Test cricket between 2016 and 2018 before a recall from Justin Langer following a prolific county stint with Essex. Langer set him for the 2019 Ashes and questions were raised when he was selected ahead of Mitchell Starc for the first Test at Edgbaston. He bowled beautifully without luck, having catches dropped behind the wicket. His returns of 2 for 52 and 0 for 28 look innocuous but his work in combination with Nathan Lyon in the fourth innings, who took six wickets to win the game, prompted Langer to label Siddle's spell the "the best none-for I've ever seen." Siddle also made a critical 44 with the bat in the first innings. Australia were 8 for 122 when he entered and he combined with Steven Smith in an 88-run stand that swung the momentum on the opening day.

Clemson is back in a familiar spot -- underdogs to an SEC foe in the College Football Playoff championship game.

Caesars Sportsbook installed LSU as a 3-point favorite over Clemson late Saturday night, but the line grew quickly and eventually settled at LSU -5 at most sportsbooks.

It will be the fourth championship game appearance in the past five seasons for Clemson. Coach Dabo Swinney's Tigers were underdogs each time but managed to upset favored Alabama twice, including last season.

Clemson has won 29 games in a row and five straight against SEC opponents but now must try to cool off LSU and Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Joe Burrow.

LSU advanced to the championship game in impressive fashion, routing Oklahoma 63-28 in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. Burrow accounted for eight touchdowns against the overmatched Sooners, including seven through the air.

Before Saturday's semifinal games, some sportsbooks offered early lines on the potential finals matchups. LSU was a 1-point favorite over Clemson at bookmaker William Hill before the semifinals.

Coach Ed Orgeron's SEC champions, however, were so impressive against Oklahoma that, before the Fiesta Bowl, Las Vegas sportsbook Circa Sports made LSU a 3-point favorite over Ohio State or Clemson and started taking bets.

Clemson rallied past Ohio State in a thrilling, back-and-forth Fiesta Bowl to earn a shot at LSU.

The teams will have two weeks to prepare, before meeting Jan. 13, in New Orleans, where LSU is expected to enjoy some home-field advantage. Oddsmakers estimated playing in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome is worth at least a point to the line for the Tigers.

The favored teams in CFP title games are only 2-3 straight up.

The Clemson-LSU over/under total opened at 69.5 at Caesars Sportsbook.

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Ohio State coach Ryan Day did not blame several controversial replay calls that went against his team in a 29-23 loss to Clemson on Saturday in the College Football Playoff semifinals at the Playstation Fiesta Bowl.

But he was not happy about those decisions, either.

Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith was clearly upset, but he declined to comment on specific calls when asked by ESPN.

Two notable calls stood out: a targeting call on cornerback Shaun Wade that was made in the replay booth in the first half, and an Ohio State scoop-and-score fumble that was overturned in the booth in the third quarter.

"We played hard, we played bold, but certainly were a lot of plays in that game that didn't go our way and very hard to swallow right now," Day said. "Gonna have to really take a look at the film and figure out what really happened on some of those plays. Because in a game like this, where the margin of error is so tiny, one play can alter the game and didn't seem like we got any of those plays."

On the targeting play, Wade appeared to lower his helmet and hit Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the crown of the helmet in the second quarter. The officials didn't call targeting on the field, but the replay booth decided to review the play and determined targeting had occurred. Wade was ejected from the game.

Referee Kevin Williamson stood behind the call, telling a pool reporter, "This was a crown-of-the-helmet targeting foul. Initial contact was with the crown of the helmet. Then he wrapped up for the tackle. So at that point, targeting was properly called."

But the play happened on third down, when Clemson would have been forced to punt. Instead, Ohio State was penalized 15 yards and Clemson got a first down. Two plays later, Lawrence threw deep for Justyn Ross and Ohio State cornerback Amir Riep was flagged for a pass interference. Clemson scored three plays later to close the gap to 16-7.

Wade was not made available for comment after the game.

"It's tough," Ohio State safety Jordan Fuller said. "Especially because it was on third down and we were about to get off the field, and they get a first down off that and they get a PI right after. Just completely shifted momentum at that point."

Clemson went on to score 21 straight points after the targeting call to take its first lead of the game. Then in the third quarter down 21-16, momentum appeared to shift back to Ohio State. Lawrence threw for Ross, and Jeff Okudah appeared to force a fumble. Fuller scooped it up and scored a touchdown. But replay officials overturned the call, taking the touchdown off the board.

An SEC officiating crew worked the game.

Williams also stood behind the overturned fumble, saying, "After the video, instant replay in the stadium as well as back at the video center, they both looked at it slow and fast and they determined when he moved, the ball was becoming loose in his hands and he did not complete the process of the catch."

That was little consolation to Day.

"I'm probably too emotional to really talk about those, but we'll have to look at the film and see what that was," Day said. "I know there were some plays that were called on the field and were overturned, and when they overturn it, there has to be indisputable evidence if that's what they deemed it was. It's going to be something we're gonna have to take a look at.

"The thing about those plays are, certainly the catch that was returned for a touchdown was such a huge play in the game. ... Not crying about it, but at the same time those were big plays that didn't go our way, and [there are] a range of emotions about that."

Fuller said he looked up at the video board during the replay review and thought Ross fumbled.

"I'm not paid to be a ref, but it looked like he caught it to me, but I'm not paid to do that, I'm not even paid to play yet," Fuller said.

Asked whether he was surprised the play got overturned, Fuller said no.

"I wasn't really stunned. Just the way the game was going, it felt like momentum," Fuller said.

Despite what Ohio State perceived to be questionable calls, the Buckeyes had one final chance to win, driving to the Clemson 23 with 43 seconds remaining. Justin Fields threw into the end zone, but a miscommunication with receiver Chris Olave led to Nolan Turner's game-sealing interception.

"It was my fault," Olave said. "I was supposed to run a post, but I thought he was scrambling, so I tried to work the second part of the route, but it ended up he wasn't scrambling. He trusted me to run that post, and I didn't, so it's a mistake on me.

"It's the worst feeling in the world. Being the target on the last play and having it being a pick is tough. I feel like I let the seniors down and my team down."

There were plenty of other missed opportunities, too. In three trips to the red zone in the first half, Ohio State settled for three field goals. J.K. Dobbins dropped a pass that would almost certainly have led to a touchdown. Ohio State was called for roughing the kicker on a punt, leading to another Clemson score. On one of the red-zone trips that ended with a field goal, Ohio State had a Dobbins touchdown catch called on the field overturned by replay, which showed he trapped the ball on the ground.

"I just know when two great teams get together, it comes down to a few plays," Day said. "It did again tonight. This was a very strange game. I thought our guys played really well. They have a really good team and they're the defending national champs. But, I'm very, very disappointed we weren't able to win this game."

SAN FRANCISCO -- Anything seems possible on a nightly basis for the Dallas Mavericks when guard Luka Doncic is on the floor.

The latest star turn for the 20-year-old came in Saturday night's 141-121 win over the Golden State Warriors as the Mavericks phenom racked up his ninth triple-double of the season on a night he and his teammates set a franchise record with 24 3-pointers.

"Doncic was amazing tonight, absolutely amazing," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. "[He had] a 30-point triple-double in three quarters. And really made it look easy. That's a phenomenal performance, and he set the table for everybody that was out there."

After both teams roared out to a 41-41 tie after the first quarter, it was Doncic and the Mavericks' high-powered offense that set the tone all night and closed things down, finishing with 31 points, 15 assists and 12 rebounds. Doncic now has more triple-doubles (nine) than he had all of last season (eight). He tied Jason Kidd's franchise record for most triple-double in a season after just 26 games this season.

Doncic's performance came on a night when the intensity between both teams was ramped up from the beginning. The Warriors came into the game on a season-high four-game winning streak and had plenty of momentum early as guard D'Angelo Russell scored 12 points in the first 1:57 of the game. Carlisle opened his postgame news conference praising Russell, who finished the game 35 points.

"I've never seen a guy score 12 points in two minutes," Carlisle said of Russell.

Russell, who was 13-for-21 from the field, provided the scariest moment of the night midway through the third quarter when he went to pick up a loose ball on the floor and ended up running face first into Doncic's hip. Russell laid face down on the floor for a few minutes as the Warriors medical staff checked on him. A stretcher was rolled out to the floor, but Russell got up under his own power and walked slowly into the locker room. Russell returned to the game in the fourth quarter, but acknowledged being scared for a few moments after the fall.

"I'm good," Russell said. "I'm good. It's part of the game, obviously injuries are part of the game. Thank God it wasn't nothing too serious, just a little shoulder contusion. The contact, hard contact -- kind of knocked the wind out of me, but I'm good now."

After the rapid scoring at the start, both teams exchanged some heated words as tempers flared throughout the game. Warriors forward Draymond Green and Mavericks big man Kristaps Porzingis exchanged words throughout the first half, ultimately resulting in both players receiving a technical foul in the second quarter.

"He likes talking," Porzingis said of Green. "He likes to get the crowd into it and they did a good job of that, and I should have been a little bit smarter -- even when Klay [Thompson] talking to me and stuff -- they really got the crowd into it in that moment so I realized 'OK, I got to shut up now,' but it was a fun game and I'm glad that we got the win."

Green, who said after Friday's win that he had an epiphany last week that the Warriors would win five in a row, said he loved seeing injured swingman Thompson get so pumped up on the bench after the exchange with Porzingis.

"I don't think I enjoy many things more in life than when Klay gets into it with somebody," Green said. "That's always a treat. So that was fun to see."

As for the epiphany, Green started his own news conference by admitting it didn't come to fruition.

"All right, so my epiphany was off just a little bit," he said.

In the third quarter, Warriors big man Marquese Chriss got a technical foul for shoving Doncic to the ground. As officials reviewed the play, Chriss received high-fives from Green and other teammates on the bench.

"Just physical plays," Doncic said of the exchange. "That happens in basketball a lot so just move on."

Porzingis was impressed by Doncic's ability not to fight back with Chriss.

"I think Luka's pretty cool in that sense. ... When he needs to be cool, he's cool," Porzingis said. "In that moment, he didn't react to it. [Doncic] got the tech for them. That was great on his part, 20 years old, he didn't really react to it, so maybe I can learn from him a little bit."

For his part, Carlisle was just happy to see his team continue to claw its way to another victory against a feisty Warriors group that came in playing their best basketball of the season.

"This is a place where the building is wild," Carlisle said. "People that didn't think that the downtown crowd was going to be as wild as the Oakland crowd, I don't see a difference. They're into it. And it got to be a snippy game, really both ways. I'm not pointing fingers at them. It got to be that way straight across the board. And we're a young team trying to do exceptional things, we needed an experience like this tonight. We've gone through a lot in the last week, a lot of different polarizing situations. This is every bit as polarizing as anything we've seen, in the first half. But at halftime, the guys did a great job. We talked through some situations defensively and came out with some real resolve and that's the key to the whole thing."

One of the reasons the atmosphere has been so wild in the Bay Area over the past decade, whether it was in Oracle Arena or the new Chase Center, is because of the play of Warriors guard Stephen Curry. The former MVP was in the new building Saturday as he continues to rehab from a broken hand, but Doncic demurreded when the topic of a potential comparison between himself and Curry came up.

"He's shooting way better than me," Doncic said. "He's a better player. He's been in the league a long time, he's somebody that everybody looks up [to], everybody wants to play like him. I remember last year after the draft, I practiced once with him and it was crazy, he couldn't miss. He can't miss. And that was like something I'll always remember, practice with him."

Had it been solely up to him, Peter Siddle would have quite happily retired at the end of this year's Ashes series in England. It epitomises why he was so highly regarded in Australian cricket that he did not.

After several years on the fringes of the Australian Test team, Siddle had set himself the goal of going to England with the Ashes squad and contributing to the retention of the urn on English soil for the first time since 2001, having previously been on the losing end in 2009, 2013 and 2015. With some vital spells, particularly during the tone-setting first Test at Edgbaston, Siddle did so, and was delighted to get a final chance to bowl opposite his state team-mate and longtime friend James Pattinson.

With the closing Test at the Oval came the chance for Siddle to go out on his terms, but it was the result of "back and forth" conversations with the coach Justin Langer and Test captain Tim Paine that he did not. The team's leaders wanted their seasoned warhorse to hang around for a few more matches, as potential cover for the likes of Jhye Richardson. So Siddle tugged the Australian team training ear and polo back on for one more summer, until it became clear that, as he had suspected, there was no longer any need.

"JL, Painey and I, we chatted about it early on in the Ashes series, there was a possibility [of finishing in England]," Siddle said after informing team-mates what he had told Langer on Boxing Day: this was it.

"But there was a bit of back-and-forth about the chances of maybe being able to do it back home if things fall into place. I was pretty content to do it over there, but that small, little hope that maybe I might get a chance back in Australia in front of family and friends, I was happy to take the gamble and see if it happened.

"Obviously it didn't, but very content with the career I've had. As a young kid, I never thought I'd play one, let alone play 67, so very happy. I've played 180 first-class games, so the longevity to be able to play long-form cricket over that short time, it's all about keeping the body right, maintaining a healthy body and doing everything you can to adjust throughout those years. When you start, you're young and fresh, you can charge in and bowl fast, but as you grow older and as you play more games, the body starts to wear down and you have to change.

"I know there's been plenty of criticism over the years about being slower and these types of things, but I've been able to adjust and find a way. I've loved my time, still got plenty of cricket left, still love playing for Victoria, the Strikers and over in England. While I'm still enjoying it I will continue to play, but international cricket, I've had my time - time to watch these boys continue to play he way they're playing at the moment, and enjoy cheering them on."

Team-focused, lionhearted and fiercely determined, Siddle performed the sorts of roles once taken up by another Victorian, Merv Hughes. But like Hughes, there was more to Siddle than the bluff and bluster, as he evolved into a highly skillful and adaptable seam and swing bowler, who by the end of his career was as much of a mentor to the rest of the attack as the coaching staff themselves.

At the same time, he provided proof of the benefits of healthy living, turning around a "larrikin" and "unprofessional" persona, as described by his former Teat team-mate Michael Hussey, into that of a teetotal, plant-based athlete. This meant that he not only developed greater longevity than many might have expected when he made his debut as a coral necklace-clad enforcer in Mohali, but has also ensured his body will be in fine fettle long after he has bowled his final ball. Given the many injuries and misadventures of fast men, this in itself is no mean feat.

"There's many different reasons that helped me have a bit more longevity," Siddle said. "Definitely my lifestyle changes have helped, they've played a big part, and who knows. But I definitely count them as a big part of why I'm still playing now. It's not about how long you can play your career, but after that I'm going to have a long life retired and not play cricket. So I want to make sure I'm healthy then, want to live my life and live it to the fullest.

"As well as it's helped me during my career to date, hopefully it can continue to help me once I am done. It's definitely worked for me, it's not going to work for everyone, there's multiple reasons why I did make the change to a plat-based diet. I've definitely seen the benefits for it. I say to people do the research and have a look at what I did - there wasn't as much research out there when I made the change and look how things have evolved. Definitely worth looking into."

Still eager to play for Victoria, the Adelaide Strikers in the BBL and for Essex in England next year, Siddle wants to maintain a balance between red ball matches and Twenty20, while also continuing to serve as a mentor. He is unsure whether this will evolve into coaching just yet, but there is plenty of reason to think, watching Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Pattinson utilise a number of the lessons he has imparted over the years, that Siddle may one day go that way.

"Part of the reason I do still want to play is that I love playing with young guys, seeing them evolve, seeing them develop as cricketers," he said. "If I can play a role even a little bit in helping out the next generation then I want to be able to. I've been able to do it with Victoria, I've done it a lot with Essex over the last couple of years and I've enjoyed it. I won't put it out of the equation that I won't coach or anything, but at this stage I still want to play cricket. I still enjoy first-class cricket, still love BBL, it's only four overs, which is a lot nicer on the body.

"It's been pretty special to play with someone [Pattinson] who's like my younger brother, to be able to share those moments. We bowled together in England during that first Test, we got to play together once more before I got to finish up, so plenty of special memories, but great to see a Victorian out there on Boxing Day."

As for the 2010 birthday hat-trick against England, Siddle never tires of hearing about it or even of being sent the famous footage, and all that it represents about his Test match career for Australia.

"Especially around the birthday time I tend to get a lot of messages especially the clip is always getting sent to me," Siddle said. "So I have to admit I have watched it a fair few times, and it's always a good thing. It's a memory I'm going to have that's going to be there forever. Different things don't get remembered as much, but that's something I will remember for a long time, it's always on my birthday, it's never going to change. Ashes hat-trick, it's quite special.

"All I wanted to do was try hard for the team and do what I could to help the team win. Hard work is a good thing about the way I went about it, my passion to represent Australia. I know individually I wasn't the most talented cricketer going around. I didn't have a lot of skills and a lot of natural talent, but hard work, persistence and wanting to succeed. I had the goal of playing for Australia, once I got that, it was about playing for Australia for as long as I can. I've given it my all, I've given it enough, and I'm very happy."