GAFFNEY, S.C. – Chris Madden bested a stacked field to win the 29th annual Blue Gray 100 at Cherokee Speedway Sunday, which served as the inaugural Drydene Xtreme DIRTcar Series event.

Madden, again driving for Scott Bloomquist Racing, collected his sixth victory in the Blue Gray 100, which was co-sanctioned by the Carolina Clash Super Late Model Series.

“It’s pretty awesome to come here in front of our home crowd,” said Madden, who was a regular at Cherokee Speedway for years. “I have a huge fanbase here, and a lot of people don’t get to travel the road and watch us race, so it means a lot to be able to pick up a win whenever we do get to come here and race.”

From his seventh-place starting spot, Madden began his charge to the front in the early stages. Polesitter Zack Mitchell led through the first eight laps before Owens, piloting the Tommy Pope-owned No. 22 Longhorn Chassis, began working the high side of the speedway and drove around Mitchell on lap nine.

Madden kicked it into high gear, passing Mitchell for second on lap 20, and began his chase for Owens’ rear bumper. It didn’t take long for the Team Zero pilot to track Owens down, passing him on the high side less than 10 circuits later. Madden said there was no time to waste once he found his groove and caught sight of the leaders.

“I knew I needed to get to the front as quick as I could with the racetrack widening-out, just in case it one-laned,” Madden said. “I used up a little bit of tire there, but I knew I needed to get to the lead and get the [clean] air on my car to set my own pace.”

From that point on, it was lights out for the rest of the field. Madden set it on cruise control and went virtually unchallenged for the lead through lapped traffic and several caution flags to score his ninth Super Late Model win of the year in the Sweet-Bloomquist No. 0M, capping off a terrific season since changing teams more than five months ago.

Throughout his storied career, Madden has graced Cherokee Speedway victory lane numerous times in various special events. He’s raced on several different track conditions at Cherokee, and said Sunday’s racing surface was just right for a race of this caliber. That, and his great experience level gave him all the advantage he needed to get the job done.

“It had a top and it had a bottom that stayed there for quite a while,” Madden said. “I was able to roll through the middle of the racetrack pretty good.”

Contained within that Cherokee Speedway mental notebook Madden has developed over the years is a section on how to overcome its biggest obstacles. Especially in these 100-lap races, with no caution laps being counted, Madden said a great skill to have in the cockpit is how to save some of the racecar for the end.

“Tire management is always a big thing here,” Madden said. “That was another factor that’s not been a factor here with some of the other series, with them counting caution [laps] and all that. So that put some of those other guys back in play, but when we run 100 true green flag laps around this place, you’ve got to have some tire management, some throttle control and a well-balanced racecar, and we had it all tonight.”

Just a few days removed from his spot behind the wheel of the Barry Wright Race Cars house car, Ross Bailes came to Gaffney with a fire of determination burning inside as he drove fellow South Carolinian Johnny Pursley’s No. 9 to a solid runner-up finish.

Bailes said he had to play the waiting game for a bit once he reached the head of the field. Passing Mitchell for third just before halfway, Bailes was consistent in the low groove and held his position over the next 40 laps, setting himself up on Owens’ bumper for the final restart.

“I feel like if you start up front, the objective is to get to get out front quick. But if you start sixth like I did tonight, you’ve got to ride and wait for them to use their stuff up and then try to go after it,” Bailes said.

Into turn one he dove, swiping the runner-up spot away from Owens down low. With tire wear on his mind in the late stages, Bailes said he took caution, but not before pulling the biggest move of his race on the 2007 Blue Gray winner.

“That last restart with 10-to-go, I was just riding,” Bailes said. “I wanted to make sure that I got into one in front of Jimmy, and after that I just stayed on the bottom and just tried to make it to the end.”

Owens finished third to complete the podium. He led laps early but faded just a few spots as the race wore on, citing setup inaccuracies for his difficulty in the late stages.

“It was just way too tight,” Owens said. “The longer the race went, the tighter we got. Couldn’t turn.”

The finish:

1. OM-Chris Madden [6][$10,000]; 2. 9-Ross Bailes [1][$5,000]; 3. 22P-Jimmy Owens [4][$3,000]; 4. 24D-Michael Brown [5][$2,000]; 5. 76-Brandon Overton [2][$1,500]; 6. 88-Trent Ivey [10][$1,300]; 7. 2-Dennis Franklin [15][$1,200]; 8. 91-Derrick Ramey [11][$1,100]; 9. 17-Logan Roberson [13][$850]; 10. 79-Kyle Hardy [20][$800]; 11. 57M-Zack Mitchell [7][$750]; 12. O3-David Yandle [23][$700]; 13. 51M-Joey Moriarty [22][$650]; 14. 4-Matthew Nance [19][$600]; 15. 5-Corey Gordon [12][$550]; 16. 18-Brett Hamm [16][$500]; 17. 70-Jeff Smith [18][$500]; 18. 8-Kyle Strickler [21][$500]; 19. 77-Brian Connor [9][$500]; 20. 22-Chris Ferguson [3][$500]; 21. 42K-Cla Knight [8][$500]; 22. 2X-John Henderson [14][$500]; 23. 43A-Tyler Bare [17][$500]; 24. 421-Anthony Sanders [24][$500]

Tyler Duncan won his first PGA Tour event in a playoff at the RSM Classic. Here's a look inside his bag:

DRIVER: Titleist TS2 (9.5 degrees), with Fujikura ATMOS Blue Tour Spec 6X shaft

FAIRWAY WOOD: Titleist TS3 (13.5 degrees), with Aldila Tour Green 75 TX shaft

IRONS: Titleist U500 (2), with Graphite Design Tour AD-DI Hybrid 95X shaft, 718 AP2 (4-PW), with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts

WEDGES: Titleist Vokey Design SM7 (50 degrees), SM8 (54, 58 degrees), with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts

PUTTER: Scotty Cameron 009M prototype

BALL: Titleist Pro V1

Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has said he is "in love" with Kylian Mbappe as his team prepare to host Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Madrid were beaten 3-0 by PSG in September in a disastrous opening Group A game that Mbappe missed through injury.

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"I've known him for a long time" Zidane told a news conference ahead of the game at the Bernabeu. "I've been in love with him for a long time, but as a person first.

"He came here for a trial a long time ago. Tomorrow he comes here as an opponent."

He added: "What's important to me is what we are going to do. We know the player he is and his importance to his team. We have to be ready."

Madrid have got their Champions League campaign back on track since that Paris defeat with back-to-back wins against Galatasaray, including a 6-0 thrashing at the Bernabeu.

"It is the most important game of the season because it's the next game and against a very good opponent" Zidane said. "We need heart, head and above all football.

"If we're good with the ball, that's the important thing."

Tuesday's game will see more scrutiny for Gareth Bale, who was loudly whistled by the Bernabeu crowd on Saturday in his first appearance since the infamous "Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order" flag celebration.

"We want him to help us win" goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said on Monday. "It was the euphoria of the moment and it's been made bigger than it is.

"I know Gareth, he's a great professional. You saw how he played the other day. He wouldn't have played like that if he wasn't committed."

PSG are top of Group A on 12 points guaranteed qualification to the Champions League knockout phase. Madrid are second on seven points -- five ahead of Club Brugge -- with two matches left to play.

Zidane's side visit the Belgians, who led 2-0 at the Bernabeu in October in a game that ended 2-2, in their final group game.

If any under-pressure manager could have brushed off the sacking of Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham as posing no threat to his own position, Arsenal's Unai Emery was probably the one feeling least concerned by the prospect of the Argentine taking his job.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Zinedine Zidane and Thomas Tuchel will all have to accept the reality of Pochettino's name being mentioned in relation to their own jobs at Manchester United, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain respectively every time their team suffers a setback, but it is virtually impossible to imagine Pochettino being lined up by Arsenal to replace the struggling Emery.

Terry Neill left Spurs to take charge of Arsenal in 1976, while George Graham managed Tottenham for two-and-a-half years at the end of the 1990s having guided Arsenal to league titles in 1989 and 1991 but, such is the antipathy between the two North London rivals, Pochettino to Arsenal belongs in the realms of fantasy.

But right now, Arsenal don't appear to be a club blessed with the audacity, vision or self-confidence to turn the football world upside down by taking advantage of Pochettino's availability. Some clubs and owners think big and bold, but Emery's appointment as Arsene Wenger's successor in 2018 tells you everything you need to know about the safe and conservative approach adopted by the Gunners under the ownership of Stan Kroenke.

Emery was lucky to land one of the biggest jobs in the game when he took charge of Arsenal last year. His success in winning three Europa Leagues with Sevilla was rewarded with the Paris Saint-Germain job in 2016 but, having failed to deliver any kind of upward momentum at the Parc des Princes, his exit at the end of the 2017-18 season was as a coach who left little or no mark on the club where he had spent two years in charge.

The same is happening at Arsenal where, if you had just come back from an 18-month holiday without access to news or social media, you would see virtually no difference from the club he inherited from Wenger. Arsenal continue to be breathtaking to watch going forward when it all clicks, but they still can't defend, are a soft touch away from home and the midfield remains as devoid of top quality as it has been for almost a decade.

Emery has also been unimpressive in his dealings with Mesut Ozil and Granit Xhaka. With Ozil, he reluctantly handed the German midfielder a first-team reprieve at the end of October having overlooked him for all but two games in the opening 10 weeks of the season. And having allowed the players to decide between themselves that Xhaka should become captain in the summer, rather than make the decision himself, Emery then appeared to dance to the tune of the club's supporters by dropping the midfielder and stripping him of the captaincy following his reaction to being booed by the fans during the 2-2 draw at home to Crystal Palace last month. Xhaka has not played since and Arsenal's winless run in the Premier League now stretches back to Oct. 6.

Wherever you look, there are only negatives where Emery is concerned, which is perhaps why the Arsenal board took the unusual step earlier this month of issuing their public backing, alongside a demand for improved results, due to the growing tension around the Emirates. Yet while Emery may be immune from Pochettino's sacking to a large extent, how Arsenal react to events at Spurs will give a clear indication as to where they see themselves heading as a club.

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In many ways, Tottenham's decision to sack the manager who took them to the Champions League final last season has upped the ante on Arsenal. Until recently, Arsenal were the big, ambitious powerhouse in North London, but they have been overtaken on and off the pitch by Spurs.

To take such a ruthless decision as sacking Pochettino tells you that Spurs will not settle for their current state of affairs. Appointing Jose Mourinho as Pochettino's successor underlines the determination to win big at Tottenham. Arsenal, on the other hand, seem to be drifting along with no obvious sense of where they want to be.

Yet if the Arsenal hierarchy want to be the major force in London again, perhaps they have to take a leaf out of Tottenham's book by refusing to settle for stagnation. They currently sit one point, and two places, above Spurs in the Premier League table, but few would argue that Arsenal look to be a better long-term bet than their local rivals. And if Emery was being judged by the same standards as Pochettino was at Tottenham, he would probably no longer be in a job.

With a trip to Norwich, a home game against Brighton and a London derby at West Ham next up for Emery's team, anything less than six points will only increase the pressure on the Arsenal board to be as demanding as Tottenham's.

LaMelo Ball became the youngest player in NBL history to record a triple-double and emphasized his claims to be the No. 1 overall NBA draft pick in 2020.

Ball's game-high 32 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists helped Illawarra beat Cairns 114-106 in overtime Monday night at the WIN Entertainment Centre in Wollongong, Australia.

The 18-year-old's game-tying three-pointer with six seconds remaining sent the contest to overtime with the score 99-99.

He then played his part in overtime to get the Hawks home.

"Pretty much I just believe in myself and my confidence levels is just really high, so every shot I take I feel like it's going in." Ball said. "I try to improve every day, pretty much, and just work my hardest."

Ball is on a two-year deal with Illawarra as part of the NBL's Next Stars program, which was launched in March 2018.

Under the program, the NBL contracts young overseas players -- such as Ball and New Zealand's RJ Hampton -- and fast-tracks their development to give them the best chance of being drafted into the NBA, which does not allow players straight out of high school.

Ball originally intended to play for UCLA, but concerns about NCAA eligibility rules prompted his Australian move, though an NBA clause in his contract is expected to see him depart after one season.

Illawarra coach Matt Flinn heaped further praise on Ball after a record night for the rookie.

"I think everyone saw tonight what he's capable of," Flinn said.

"We see it pretty regularly in practice when the doors are closed, but it was really nice for him to get into a flow.

"He just impacts the game in so many different ways. It's exciting to be a part of and it's also the way he brings his teammates into the game as well.

"There's so many good players in this league, but the really great ones make everyone around them better, and I think we saw tonight he can bring other people into the game."

Tim Coenraad (27 points), Sunday Dech (15), AJ Ogilvy (11) and Todd Blanchfield (10) all reached double figures for the Hawks as they recorded just their third win of the season.

DJ Newbill contributed 27 points, three rebounds, five assists and three steals for the Taipans.

Fellow U.S. import Scott Machado scored 22 for the Taipans, while Majok Deng chipped in with 19 points and six rebounds.

The 2019-20 season is just over a month old, and we've already witnessed the abrupt fall of a dynasty, the rebirth of the Lake Show, Luka Doncic becoming appointment television and, of course, the return of Carmelo Anthony to the NBA.

Which teams are rising and falling in the final Power Rankings before the calendar flips to December?

Throughout the regular season, our panel (ESPN's Tim MacMahon, Andre' Snellings, Royce Young and Bobby Marks, and The Undefeated's Marc J. Spears) is ranking all 30 teams from top to bottom, taking stock of which teams are playing the best basketball now and which teams are looking most like title contenders.

Previous rankings: Week 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | Camp | Free agency | Post-Finals

1. Los Angeles Lakers
Record: 14-2
Week 5 ranking: 1

The Lakers are rolling, but they've also had a relatively easy schedule in November (they've faced only four teams all month that are currently .500 or better). But it will get much tougher in December, with two contests each against Dallas, Denver and Portland, and matchups with Utah, Minnesota, Miami, Indiana, Milwaukee and then the LA Clippers on Christmas Day. -- Spears

This week: @SA, @NO, WSH, DAL

2. Milwaukee Bucks
Record: 13-3
Week 5 ranking: 4

The Bucks have won seven straight games despite the injury absence of Khris Middleton, and they've done it by outscoring their opponents by 9.6 points per game. Milwaukee is currently on pace to lead the NBA in scoring differential for the second season in a row. After a tough Monday matchup with the Jazz, the Bucks face five straight teams under .500. -- Snellings

This week: UTAH, ATL, @CLE, CHA

3. LA Clippers
Record: 12-5
Week 5 ranking: 5

So, this is what it looks like. And the early results are in: It looks pretty darn impressive. The Paul George-Kawhi Leonard-Lou Williams trio has played only 27 minutes together so far, and didn't have a training camp or preseason to hone chemistry, but there already is an obvious connection. The sample size is small, yes, but their net rating is plus-27.5. And in closing situations, such as the late-game comeback against the Rockets, that group is sheer horror to try to stop. -- Young

This week: @DAL, @MEM, @SA, WSH

4. Denver Nuggets
Record: 12-3
Week 5 ranking: 7

The Nuggets just keep on keepin' on -- nothing flashy, nothing overly dominant. They just win and do it with variety. Last season there was some wonder of randomness with their success in close games, but they're doing it again: 7-2 in two-possession games. Their victory Sunday over the Suns though showed a different kind of closing prowess: a close game went to double-digits down the stretch with two-way dominance. -- Young

This week: WSH, @SAC

5. Boston Celtics
Record: 11-4
Week 5 ranking: 2

Could a 2-3 road trip, including a loss to Denver that saw Kemba Walker stretchered off the court, be called a success? The answer is yes. Despite falling out of the top spot in the Eastern Conference, we learned more about this Boston team not in the win over Phoenix but in the two losses -- by a combined seven points -- to the Clippers and Nuggets. The undermanned Celtics continue to show their resilience and toughness as evidenced by the near comeback win (down 20 late in the third quarter) against Denver. -- Marks

This week: SAC, BKN, @BKN, @NY

6. Houston Rockets
Record: 11-6
Week 5 ranking: 3

The Rockets have regressed to their early-season defensive form during their three-game losing streak, giving up 115.6 points per 100 possessions. Asked what they could have done different defensively after giving up 137 points in Sunday's loss to the Mavericks, James Harden said: "Everything. Everything. We allowed them to do whatever they wanted to do from the beginning of the game." -- MacMahon

This week: MIA, ATL

7. Utah Jazz
Record: 11-5
Week 5 ranking: 6

Mike Conley's slow start and inconsistency with his new franchise are a major reason the Jazz rank 21st in offensive efficiency (105.6 points per 100 possessions, a drop of 4.7 points from last season). So have Joe Ingles' struggles adjusting to his sixth-man role: Ingles is shooting only 33% from the field and 29% from 3-point range, and also misses the pick-and-roll chemistry he had with the departed Derrick Favors. Ingles' assists (3.5 per game) are down almost a couple of dimes per game from last season. -- MacMahon

This week: @MIL, @IND, @MEM, @TOR

8. Philadelphia 76ers
Record: 11-5
Week 5 ranking: 10

If there was ever a statement win in the first month of the season, the 76ers' 27-point blowout of Jimmy Butler and Miami would qualify. The win proved that when engaged, Philadelphia has the most formidable starting five in the NBA. It should also be noted that while the return of Butler was the headline entering the game, it was Philly's Josh Richardson, a former Heat second-round pick, who stole the show. After missing the New York game because of a hip injury, Richardson would go on to score 32 points on only 15 shots, including six 3-pointers. -- Marks

This week: @TOR, SAC, @NY, IND

9. Dallas Mavericks
Record: 11-5
Week 5 ranking: 12

Luka Doncic is historically productive, especially for a 20-year-old. He had a 41-point, 6-rebound, 10-assist performance in Sunday's road rout of the Rockets, and it was maybe his third-most impressive performance during Dallas' five-game winning streak. And Kristaps Porzingis, who struggled as he chipped off rust early in the season, is looking more and more like a legitimate co-star. He has four double-doubles during the winning streak and has been dominant defensively. -- MacMahon

This week: LAC, @PHX, @LAL

10. Miami Heat
Record: 11-4
Week 5 ranking: 8

A solid five-game win streak was snapped, and in quite embarrassing fashion. The 76ers stomped all over Jimmy Butler and the Heat, and it had the feel of a putting-you-in-your-place game. The Heat have two really good wins on the season (Bucks on Oct. 26 and the Rockets on Nov. 3), and outside of that have mostly just beat everyone they're supposed to. Against the top tier, they've looked much more average than their record suggests. -- Young

This week: CHA, @HOU, GS, @BKN

11. Toronto Raptors
Record: 11-4
Week 5 ranking: 9

The Raptors have been consistently strong all season, with all four of their losses competitive road affairs against teams a combined 28 games over .500. They continue to have contributors step up around Pascal Siakam, who is in the midst of an MVP-level campaign. During the past four games, Norman Powell has chipped in 19.5 points per game on 54.4% shooting from the field to provide a stable scoring option on the wing and help keep the offense humming even with Kyle Lowry's (thumb) continued injury absence. -- Snellings

This week: PHI, NY, @ORL, UTAH

12. Indiana Pacers
Record: 9-6
Week 5 ranking: 14

The Pacers have quietly reestablished themselves among the six teams to separate from the field in the Eastern Conference. The Pacers are doing it with defense, holding their past five opponents to an average of 96.2 points per game, even with two of those games coming against the high-powered offenses of the Rockets and Bucks. -- Snellings

This week: MEM, UTAH, ATL, @PHI

13. Phoenix Suns
Record: 8-8
Week 5 ranking: 11

The Suns have fallen of late, losing four of their past five games and six of the past nine after a strong start. Phoenix can blame the injury bug: Starting point guard Ricky Rubio has missed four of the past five games because of back spasms and starting center Aron Baynes has missed four straight games because of a hip flexor strain (Deandre Ayton remains out as he serves a 25-game suspension that will sideline him until mid-December). -- Spears

This week: WSH, DAL

14. Minnesota Timberwolves
Record: 8-8
Week 5 ranking: 13

The Timberwolves got Andrew Wiggins back this week after an illness had sidelined him for three games, but in his first two games he has reverted to his old scoring inefficiencies with averages of 21.5 points on 22.5 attempts per game (Wiggins had averaged 31.6 points on 23.8 attempts per game during the five games leading into his illness). The Timberwolves will need him to rediscover his form quickly, as they have lost four of their past five games to fall to .500 on the season. -- Snellings

This week: @ATL, @SA, MEM

15. Brooklyn Nets
Record: 8-8
Week 5 ranking: 16

There are finally signs that Brooklyn can compete on the defensive end. In their three wins during the week (Charlotte, Sacramento and New York), the Nets held their opponent to an average of 96.3 points -- this after giving up an average of 114.5 over the previous 13 games. Besides the effort on the defensive end, the highlight of the week goes to the play of Jarrett Allen. The former first-round pick averaged 17 points and 12 rebounds in the three wins. Though the Nets have downplayed the injury to Kyrie Irving, the guard has not played since Nov. 14 and will miss the road trip this week, including Wednesday's return to Boston. -- Marks

This week: @CLE, @BOS, BOS, MIA

16. Sacramento Kings
Record: 7-8
Week 5 ranking: 22

The Kings have quietly won seven of their past 10 games. What's stunning about this run is they are without arguably their two best players because of injury in De'Aaron Fox (ankle) and Marvin Bagley III (ankle). Keep an eye on guard Bogdan Bogdanovic, who has scored 52 points over his past two games. -- Spears

This week: @BOS, @PHI, DEN

17. Orlando Magic
Record: 6-9
Week 5 ranking: 18

The Magic had won four of five games before back-to-back road losses to the Raptors and Pacers. With both Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon lost to injury for the near future, the Magic have leaned more heavily on their young, athletic big men. Jonathan Isaac continues to be the most productive of that crew, averaging 15.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and a whopping 4.4 combined blocks and steals during his past seven games. -- Snellings

This week: @DET, @CLE, TOR, GS

18. New Orleans Pelicans
Record: 6-11
Week 5 ranking: 25

No. 8 overall pick Jaxson Hayes, a lean 19-year-old with significant long-term upside, has responded well to recent starting duty with Derrick Favors dealing with injuries. Hayes has averaged 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks during his five-game stint as a starter. Those numbers might not jump off the page, but the rookie center has a team-best net rating of plus-14.2 points per 100 possessions during that span. -- MacMahon

This week: LAL, @OKC, OKC

19. San Antonio Spurs
Record: 6-11
Week 5 ranking: 15

The Spurs managed to snap an eight-game losing streak, the longest of the Gregg Popovich era, with a win Saturday over the Knicks. That victory certainly doesn't alleviate concerns about San Antonio's defense, which ranks 27th in the league with 113.1 points allowed per 100 possessions. That number rises to 115.3 in November, when the Spurs are 3-13. -- MacMahon

This week: LAL, MIN, LAC, @DET

20. Oklahoma City Thunder
Record: 5-10
Week 5 ranking: 17

The Thunder are five games under .500 but have a net margin of only minus-0.7. They are 1-7 in two-possession games, featuring a three-game losing streak last week against the Los Angeles teams, all by fewer than five points. One culprit that needs addressing: coming out flat after halftime. The Thunder are a minus-18.4 per 100 possessions in the third quarter. -- Young

This week: @GS, @POR, NO, @NO

21. Portland Trail Blazers
Record: 5-12
Week 5 ranking: 19

The Blazers' current losing streak is far less about Carmelo Anthony, and far, far more about the injury to Damian Lillard. The Blazers haven't been themselves for basically the entire season, and while adding Melo was desperate and necessary all at the same time, there's nothing they can do to absorb Lillard missing games. -- Young

This week: @CHI, OKC, CHI

22. Charlotte Hornets
Record: 6-11
Week 5 ranking: 20

We will learn a lot about the Hornets this week. In the midst of a four-game losing streak (2-8 in past 10), Charlotte plays at Miami on Monday and ends the week at Milwaukee on Saturday, sandwiched around two games against Detroit. However, before we look ahead, we cannot dismiss what happened to Charlotte last week. What started as a 36-point loss at Toronto ended with a complete collapse against Chicago. The loss to the Bulls, who were playing on the second night of a back-to-back, saw Charlotte blow a five-point lead with 15 seconds after consecutive 3s by Tomas Satoransky and Zach LaVine. -- Marks

This week: @MIA, DET, @DET, @MIL

23. Washington Wizards
Record: 5-9
Week 5 ranking: 28

Before Sunday, the Wizards had won three of four, and despite the continued atrocious defense, were flat outscoring opponents. That slowed against the Kings in a somewhat more defensive battle -- 113-106 -- but the Wizards continue to compete. No doors are slammed on the back end of the East, and while the chances are extremely slim the Wizards actually get into the playoff mix, they might have the motivation to think they can for much of the season. -- Young

This week: @DEN, @PHX, @LAL, @LAC

24. Memphis Grizzlies
Record: 5-10
Week 5 ranking: 23

Memphis followed up a season-best three-game winning streak with an 0-3 week. Such is life with a young, rebuilding franchise. The Grizzlies' rookie duo provided a silver lining for the losing streak: No. 2 overall pick Ja Morant averaged 19.7 points and 6.0 assists in the three games, and No. 21 overall pick Brandon Clarke contributed 14.7 points and 7.0 assists while shooting 62.1% off the bench. -- MacMahon

This week: @IND, LAC, UTAH, @MIN

25. Chicago Bulls
Record: 6-11
Week 5 ranking: 27

Zach LaVine gave the struggling Bulls a temporary reason to forget their woes. LaVine scored 49 points -- with 13 3-pointers -- and hit a winning 3 in a 116-115 win at Charlotte on Saturday. LaVine joined Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson as the only NBA players to make 13 of more 3-pointers in a game. This big performance was on the heels of LaVine saying he sensed a lack of trust from coach Jim Boylen. -- Spears

This week: POR, @GS, @POR

26. Detroit Pistons
Record: 5-11
Week 5 ranking: 24

The Pistons sandwiched a blowout win over the struggling Hawks with two blowout losses of their own to the Bucks and Bulls this week. They continue to free fall, now having lost seven of their past nine games, but they have the chance to turn things around with their next five games coming against teams a combined 24 games under .500. The key to that stretch will be a home-and-home with the Hornets, whom they lost to in mid-November in their first matchup. -- Snellings

This week: ORL, @CHA, CHA, SA

27. Atlanta Hawks
Record: 4-12
Week 5 ranking: 21

About the only thing soaring with the Hawks is Trae Young. The second-year guard recently became the sixth-fastest player in NBA history and the 10th youngest in league history to make 200 career 3-pointers. Meanwhile, Atlanta has lost nine of their past 10 games, six straight overall, and only Golden State has fewer than their four wins. -- Spears

This week: MIN, @MIL, @IND, @HOU

28. Cleveland Cavaliers
Record: 5-11
Week 5 ranking: 26

Here is what you need to know about the state of the Cavaliers before their win at home Saturday night against Portland. Cleveland was in the midst of six-game losing streak (2-9 in its past 11), including four straight losses of 19, 18, 24 and 42 points. The Cavs were also about to play a desperate Trail Blazers team without Kevin Love, who was out because of back tightness. What transpired was a 25-point, nine-rebound night from Tristan Thompson, and Jordan Clarkson having one of his most efficient games in his career: 28 points on only nine shots, including six 3-pointers. -- Marks

This week: BKN, ORL, MIL

29. New York Knicks
Record: 4-13
Week 5 ranking: 29

We thought that the Knicks had somewhat turned a corner based on the stretch of the previous four games -- two wins and two losses by a combined six points, including a defeat against Philadelphia that saw New York lead by five entering the fourth quarter. That changed Saturday night against a San Antonio team that limped into New York on an eight-game losing streak and was on the second night of a back-to-back. New York had a much better showing at the Garden on Sunday, albeit in a 103-101 loss against the Nets. -- Marks

This week: @TOR, PHI, BOS

30. Golden State Warriors
Record: 3-14
Week 5 ranking: 30

It's more of the same for the injury-plagued Warriors. Golden State listed forward Draymond Green (right heel) as questionable for Monday's game against Oklahoma City after he did not practice Saturday. Injured forward Kevon Looney continues to deal with a nerve condition and will not play against Oklahoma City or Chicago this week. There is expected to be an update this week on rookie forward Alen Smailagic, who has yet to make his NBA debut because of a sprained right ankle. -- Spears

This week: OKC, CHI, @MIA, @ORL

In many ways, it was a decade of success for the New York Yankees: They had the most wins in the majors with 921, they hit the most home runs and scored the second-most runs, they never had a losing season and they played in more postseason games than any other American League team.

The only fact that matters for Yankees fans, however: no World Series appearances. The 2010s were the first decade since the 1910s that the Yankees didn't make a trip to the World Series -- that was the decade before a certain Sultan of Swat was acquired from the Boston Red Sox.

Hey, on the bright side, at least the Yankees finished in first place for the first time since 2012. They had gone six consecutive seasons without a division title. Still, 103 wins and an American League Championship Series loss to the Houston Astros for the second time in three seasons only created a final sense of frustration. That is not good enough for a franchise and its fans, who treat World Series appearances like a birthright.

It's especially frustrating in light of what happened last offseason. After acquiring James Paxton, DJ LeMahieu, Zack Britton and Troy Tulowitzki, the back cover of the New York Daily News termed them the "Snore 4." In spring training, asked why the Yankees hadn't signed Manny Machado or Bryce Harper, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said, "I get hammered every year about something. If you don't win the World Series, that's perfectly justifiable."

The ironic thing is Gio Urshela had a better season than Machado. LeMahieu was better than Harper. Nice work, but that doesn't take the pressure of Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman to figure out a way to get the Yankees back into a World Series. The truth is longtime Yankees fans still want their shiny new toys. That whole birthright thing, going back to Catfish Hunter and Reggie Jackson. Steinbrenner can claim, "We did everything we wanted to do to really improve," as he did last spring, but until that first World Series trophy since 2009 is lifted, the belief will be the Yankees didn't do everything.

The New York media loves to push this narrative as well. Gerrit Cole, Stephen Strasburg, Madison Bumgarner, Francisco Lindor, Luis Castillo, Zack Wheeler, Jonathan Villar, Anthony Rendon and Josh Donaldson are all potential Yankees, based on your favorite report.

Three of those toys would make Yankees fans particularly happy. But it has been a long time since the Yankees actually operated this way. Since signing Masahiro Tanaka, Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCann, Carlos Beltran and Hiroki Kuroda in the 2013-14 offseason -- part of a $471 million haul in one winter -- the Yankees have not signed a $100 million free agent. There's the old Yankee way of doing thing and the new Yankee way.

Let's examine those three toys and what might happen.

Old way: Sign Gerrit Cole
New way: Give Michael King and Deivi Garcia an opportunity

During their run of 17 postseason appearances in 18 years from 1995 to 2012 -- including 13 division titles -- the Yankees never let money get in the way of signing a big free-agent pitcher. Among the starters they signed in those years were David Cone (re-signing him after initially acquiring him in a trade), David Wells, Mike Mussina, Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens (bringing both back to New York), A.J. Burnett and CC Sabathia.

After spending that $471 million in free agency resulted in an 84-78 record in 2014, the Yankees haven't played in that market. Sixteen players have signed for $100 million-plus, none of them landing with the Yankees. The $100 million pitchers the Yankees didn't sign: Max Scherzer, Jon Lester, David Price, Zack Greinke, Johnny Cueto, Jordan Zimmermann, Yu Darvish and Patrick Corbin. Certainly a mixed bag there, but with Scherzer in pinstripes, maybe the Yankees win it all in 2017 and 2019. The largest contract the Yankees have given out in the past five offseasons was the $86 million they gave Aroldis Chapman. The second-largest was $52 million to Chase Headley.

Of course, Cole is probably more Scherzer than Zimmermann. Maybe he's the pitcher that will get Hal to act like his dad. Plus, after getting under the luxury tax in 2018 to reset their tax rate, the Yankees were back over it in 2019. Their 2020 payroll currently sits at an estimated $196 million, including the $21.1 million they owe Ellsbury that they are shamefully trying to avoid paying.

That gives them about $35 million to spend to match last year's payroll. But they also have a lot of money coming off the books after 2020, including Ellsbury, Tanaka, Paxton, LeMahieu and possibly J.A. Happ (who has a vesting option). In other words, they could sign Cole, assume a one-year hike in payroll (which they can easily afford) and then revert to 2019 levels.

Now, Cole might not want to pitch in New York, and Strasburg will probably go back to the Nationals. The Yankees might also think they have enough starting pitching depth with a healthy Luis Severino, Paxton, Tanaka, Happ, Domingo German and Jordan Montgomery, plus Garcia (who struck out 165 in 111⅓ innings in the minors) and King (who battled injuries in 2019 but dominated the minors in 2018). New pitching coach Matt Blake comes over from Cleveland, where had just been promoted to director of pitching development. The Yankees might want to see if he can work with the pitchers they already have, similar to developing the likes Aaron Civale and Zach Plesac for the majors.

What happens: It still feels as if the Yankees will get a pitcher, although more likely one of the second-tier starters like Bumgarner, Wheeler, Michael Pineda or Dallas Keuchel. Bumgarner would be the shiny toy Yankees will like, but Paxton is a better pitcher right now than Bumgarner.

Old way: Trade for Francisco Lindor, play Gleyber Torres at second and LeMahieu at first
New way: Play Torres at shortstop, LeMahieu at second and Luke Voit/Mike Ford at first

Acquiring a big star via trade has long been a Yankee tradition. Since 1995, those trades have included Cone, Chuck Knoblauch, Clemens, Alex Rodriguez, Randy Johnson, Bobby Abreu, Chapman and, most recently, Giancarlo Stanton.

Lindor is a different case than Stanton, however. That deal basically hinged on the Marlins begging somebody to take Stanton's contract and the Yankees didn't have to sacrifice any premium talent to get the slugger. Lindor will cost real pain in the form of prospects and major league ready talent. Miguel Andujar is prime trade bait, but he isn't a good fit for the Indians since they have Jose Ramirez at third base and Carlos Santana for first base. Garcia is an interesting pitching prospect, but Cleveland is deep in starting pitchers. Clint Frazier doesn't move the needle. Realistically, a team with a better farm system is a more likely trade partner.

Plus, it's not as if the Yankees need to make a deal here. Torres can handle shortstop and LeMahieu is a former Gold Glove second baseman. Sure, LeMahieu was valuable in his utility role in 2019 and Torres might lack the plus range you want for a shortstop, but a Torres/LeMahieu double-play combination would be one of the best in the majors if LeMahieu repeats his outstanding 2019.

There is one crazy scenario here: What about Lindor for Torres? Before you laugh, consider what the Yankees gain:

1. The better player. Lindor was worth 4.7 WAR last season (and he missed 19 games) and 7.9 in 2018. Torres was worth 3.9 WAR in 2019.
2. The better defensive shortstop.
3. A switch-hitter, which better balances out the Yankees' lineup that leaned too right-handed (and which the all-right-handed Houston staff shut down).

Look, are you going to trade five years of Torres for two years of Lindor? No. But maybe the Indians send somebody else back in the deal, like one of their young pitchers, or maybe they agree to take on Happ's contract. An extremely unlikely scenario -- you never see challenge trades like this anymore -- but it is at least a fun one to consider.

What happens: They go with Torres and LeMahieu up the middle, with Thairo Estrada serving as a more than capable backup.

Old way: Sign Anthony Rendon
New way: Play Gio Urshela

If they can't get Cole, why not put money into Rendon? That would also follow a long Yankees tradition that began with Reggie back in 1977. Since 1995, their big-name free-agent position players have included Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield, Hideki Matsui, Johnny Damon, Mark Teixeira and Ellsbury (oops). Do they need Rendon? No, not if Urshela hits .314/.355/.534 again. You also have Andujar coming back off shoulder surgery, so this would just create an unnecessary logjam at third base while spending a lot of money to do it.

Sure, but keep it in mind that it wasn't pitching that cost the Yankees the ALCS. They hit just .179 with 21 runs in six games against Houston. The pitching staff held the Astros to just 22 runs. In the division series loss to the Red Sox in 2018, the Yankees hit just .214 and scored 14 runs in four games. In the 2017 ALCS loss to the Astros, they hit .205 and scored 22 runs in seven games.

It has been the offense that has killed the Yankees in the postseason. Rendon bats right-handed, but he's otherwise a perfect fit. As we saw in October, he hits good pitching. He puts the ball in play (unlike some of the do-or-die Yankees sluggers). Put him in the No. 3 spot and he takes a lot of pressure off of everyone else. You can still keep Urshela as a super-utility guy (he could play second with LeMahieu sliding over to first) and trade Andujar for pitching or play Andujar at first base/DH.

What happens: If not Rendon, Josh Donaldson or even Mike Moustakas (as a lefty bat) could fill a similar role at a lesser, more new Yankee way of doing things.

Former international distance runner will no longer take up the chief executive position on December 1

Zara Hyde Peters will now no longer take up her position as chief executive of UK Athletics (UKA), the national governing body has announced.

The news follows recent media reports which include allegations about her husband, with questions raised as to whether or not he continued to coach young athletes after receiving a permanent ban from teaching following “an inappropriate relationship” with a 15-year-old.

Multiple reports by The Times newspaper allege that Mike Peters managed and coached a team with Coventry Godiva Harriers, which included athletes under the age of 18, following the incident and that he did so without the relevant disclosure checks.

However, Hyde Peters, who was a coaching co-ordinator and vice chair at the midlands club, insists her husband only coached senior athletes.

On Monday, UKA chair Chris Clark released a statement to confirm that Hyde Peters will not be taking up the CEO position on December 1.

“Following recent press reports and significant media attention focused on Zara Hyde Peters the UKA Board convened a meeting this past Sunday 24th November and discussed the situation fully,” said Clark.

“Following the meeting I had time with Zara to review the situation and we have agreed together that she will now not be taking up her position as CEO on 1st December.”

This latest statement follows a comment from Clark released on Friday in which he said he fully supported the new CEO’s appointment.

Hyde Peters had been announced as the new CEO on August 22 as the former British Triathlon chief executive looked set to fill the position left vacant by Niels de Vos last year.

With Rafael Nadal falling flat on his back on the baseline, his triumphant team-mates running on court to pile on top of him and a partisan home stadium rocking with pride, it was a familiar scene as Spain lifted the Davis Cup.

Yet, while the celebrations were similar to many we have seen in previous years, the host nation's first success since 2011 came at the end of a very different week in Madrid.

Unlike in the past, Spain's victory over Canada was not the only Davis Cup tie to take place in November as the tournament culminated. Instead it was the end of an 18-nation finals self-styled as the 'World Cup of Tennis'.

The football-style knockout tournament, a bold concept conceived and financially backed by Barcelona defender Gerard Pique and his Kosmos investment group, faced a barrage of criticism before it had even started.

And, as with any new event, especially one of such size and stature, there were teething problems in the Spanish capital.

But there were also many memorable moments in what proved to be a high-quality tournament on the court.

Here, BBC Sport analyses what worked in the new-look finals, what perhaps didn't and the lessons that must be learned before next year's event.

The star names sprinkle stardust on the new finals

For years, the common consensus had been the 119-year competition needed to change.

Top players, worried about burn out on the punishing ATP Tour, were regularly not turning out to play in a 16-team world group that saw home and away ties spread over four weekends throughout the year.

Pique, a tennis fan said to have been a promising junior player, was the catalyst for change.

But his intervention, and the changing of a tradition which had existed in the previous format since 1981, was not welcomed by tennis die-hards, including the most recognisable player on the planet.

Swiss great Roger Federer resisted the change and urged that the competition should not become the "Pique Cup".

While the 20-time Grand Slam champion was not present in Madrid after Switzerland failed to qualify three of the other 'Big Four' did play.

Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray were the star names present as 11 of the world's top 20 singles players also appeared at the event. Russian world number four Daniil Medvedev and German world number seven Alexander Zverev were the only members of the world's top 10 who pulled out in spite of their nations qualifying.

The presence of so many key players was seen as an encouraging sign by Pique and ITF chief David Haggerty.

"When we started a few years ago with the project of the new format, what we wanted basically was that the top players participate in the competition. I think that was a fact," Pique said.

"You saw here the top players playing and representing their countries."

Whether that will continue to be the case largely depends if a merger with January's 24-nation ATP Cup - created by the men's tour and attracting all the top-ranked players except Federer - can ever be agreed to avoid a situation where two men's team events take place within close proximity of each other.

Different format, same emotions stirred

Try telling those competing in Madrid - and their compatriots who had spent time and money travelling there - that the new format had devalued the competition as some suggested.

World number one Nadal tore around the Caja Magica as he won all eight of his singles and double rubbers to inspire the Spanish.

Novak Djokovic along with the entire Serbia team were left close to tears following a dramatic quarter-final loss to Russia. In an emotional news conference post match, Djokovic's doubles partner Viktor Troicki - who played a woeful third-set tie-break - said he felt "the worst ever" after been given the chance to "be the hero, only for God to take it away".

Former world number one Andy Murray was contorted with nervous emotion as he watched his older brother Jamie and Neal Skupski try to put their nation into the final by beating Nadal and Feliciano Lopez in a decisive doubles rubber.

And try telling Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut, who was left in tears after winning his singles rubber against Canada three days after the death of his father, that representing his country was still not of significant pride and honour.

Fears the emotion could be sucked out of the competition proved wide of the mark, although it remains to be seen what a finals weekend without the host nation competing would look like.

Empty seats for most matches - give them to the kids?

Patriotism was not in short supply in the stands either.

Clearly that peaked during the Spanish ties where the Caja Magica stands were a sea of red-and-yellow flags as the partisan home crowd, encouraged to make noise by a jaunty brass band and a man barking out instructions through a football terrace-style megaphone, willed their team towards a first Davis Cup triumph since 2011.

That understandably gave those matches a flavour of the 'old' Davis Cup - and an advantage to Spain.

While some other teams were well backed - notably Great Britain, Canada and Kazakhstan, thanks to the help of their national federation - other matches were played out in half-full arenas.

Even Saturday's first semi-final between Canada and Russia saw huge swathes of empty red seats.

The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) offered 875 free tickets to British fans for the semi-final against Spain - at a cost of about £60,000 - and British captain Leon Smith thinks there should be an arrangement between organisers and the governing bodies of all 18 finalists to subside support in the future.

"The most important thing about Davis Cup is obviously trying to maintain the atmosphere," he said.

"Why doesn't that become the norm that there's X amount of investment given to each federation to get a core group of fans?"

Spain's two group games and Sunday's final were the only ties to officially sell out the 12,500 capacity Manolo Santana court, according to the tournament's online ticket portal.

"I do think the organisers missed an opportunity there by not giving the unsold tickets to schoolchildren and getting them in to watch the matches," British player Jamie Murray said in his BBC Sport column.

"That would have been a good idea and would have exposed young kids - the future of the sport as potential players and fans - to tennis."

A second venue in Madrid would prevent 4am finishes

While Spanish custom dictates the nation generally stays awake until the early hours, a major problem which arose was ridiculously late finishes in some matches with ties outlasting all but the most nocturnal of fans.

The group tie between the United States and Italy was the most startling, eye-rubbing example, finally ending at 04:04 local time to become the second latest finish in top-level tennis history behind Lleyton Hewitt's win over Marcos Baghdatis at the 2008 Australian Open which ended at 4:33am.

"We expect that some games will be finished late, but obviously 4am was too late," Pique said.

"That day all the games, they were very long.

"But we will have to be more creative in the future. I think this is not a big issue. It's something we have to think how we do it."

Britain's Jamie Murray has suggested the finals should be split across two venues in Madrid next year, enabling one court to host one tie every day rather than two sessions.

When asked if the Spanish capital's WiZink Center could be used next year, or where a fourth court could be built at the Caja Mágica, Pique said both options "are right now are on the table".

Too focused on TV fans and not those there?

Between 800 and 1,000 British fans roared their team on in each of their four matches, with some staying for the whole week in the hope of seeing the 2015 champions end victorious again.

The majority of supporters appeared to savour the sense of occasion that mixing with fans from all over the world brought, although a large portion still bemoaned the loss of the previous home-and-away format.

"It is a fantastic atmosphere, we've talked to people from loads of different countries," said Pam Flatman, who flew over from Norfolk with husband Wayne and their friend Mac Boreham. "It brings people together and from that perspective it's a good thing."

One common gripe among fans of all nationalities was they felt the tournament was more geared towards the needs of armchair fans than those actually in Madrid.

"There are no screens dotted around, so there is no information from the other matches," said Mac. "At Wimbledon you know what's happening but here you know nothing."

Pam added: "Scoreboards and TVs outside in the concourses are necessary - and more outside heaters because the Madrid winter can be very chilly. It's been freezing standing out here."

The tournament also ended with a tinge of disappointment for fans at the venue. Spain lifted the trophy with many supporters having already left the arena, unwilling to sit through an unnecessarily elaborate and time-consuming setting up of the presentation stage.

Those trying keeping up-to-date with the action from afar reported a series of issues.

Technological glitches surfaced on the official Davis Cup finals information channels - including website, mobile app and stadium televisions - which ranged from comical errors to more serious issues of fan engagement.

While British number one Dan Evans' profile featuring a faceless image instead of a photograph like everyone else was not the end of the world, nor was Germany's team page describing Zverev - absent and a harsh vocal critic - as the 'star of the their team', the fundamental ability to update scores and competing players correctly was a failure.

Often, the scores of matches were wrong and slow to update, while Britain were apparently represented by Argentine Guido Pella in their quarter-final against Germany.

Selling television rights proved to be a problem in some major markets, with the tournament not shown on a major American broadcaster and only being available to British television audience at a late stage when Eurosport stepped in to secure the rights.

Another peculiarity was the decision to set up new Twitter and Instagram accounts under the 'Davis Cup finals' banner rather than use the existing Davis Cup accounts which have a combined 500,000 followers.

Although the behind-the-scenes content was excellent - fun, interactive and engaging - and retweeted by the main Davis Cup accounts in a bid to build the brand, the new accounts only had a combined 60,000 followers which leads a suspicion that reach was not as wide as it could have been.

"Our vision is to make sure this is seen in as many places by as many people and followed around the world. That's something that, again, is something we can improve," Pique added.

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has issued fines totalling over €2.5 million to the first team squad following the internal mutiny, sources have told ESPN FC.

A disappointing sequence of results across all competitions led to De Laurentiis ordering the players to go into a week-long retreat.

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However, manager Carlo Ancelotti said he was against the idea and the players subsequently refused, which led Napoli to issue a statement, explaining they would discipline the players.

Sources have told ESPN FC that De Laurentiis has begun legal proceedings on Monday to fine every member of the first team squad, apart from Kevin Malcuit who has been recovering from a serious knee injury, 25% of their monthly salary -- the maximum penalty allowed.

The club have imposed a media blackout on the squad and North Macedonia midfielder Elijf Elmas was reprimanded by the club for breaking ranks and talking to local media during the international break.

Under UEFA rules, Ancelotti is obliged to give a news conference in Liverpool the day before Wednesday's Champions League match but there was no indication on Monday that the club were prepared to lift the embargo.

Napoli were expected to mount a serious title challenge this season, but sit seventh -- four points off the Champions League places -- following a run of five matches without a win.

A draw at home to FC Salzburg in their previous Champions League match means defeat at Liverpool could leave them sweating over qualification to the knockout phase going into the final group game against Genk.

Information from Reuters was used in this report