New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson is set to return to action after being placed in the league's health and safety protocols and missing the past two games.

Williamson was not listed on the Pelicans' injury report for Monday night's game against the Indiana Pacers.

New Orleans fought through Williamson's absence last week with wins against San Antonio and Oklahoma City.

In 25 games this season, Williamson is averaging 25.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game while shooting 60.3% from the field.

The depth of the Pelicans' roster has greatly improved in Williamson's fourth season. The team is now 5-2 in games Williamson has missed this season. He missed two games in October after taking a nasty fall against Utah on Oct. 23 and three in November with a right foot contusion.

While the Pelicans expect to get Williamson back, they will still be without forward Brandon Ingram, who will miss his 14th consecutive game with a right big toe contusion.

Larry Nance is listed as questionable with right Achilles soreness. He has missed the past two games.

Kathy Whitworth set a benchmark in golf no one has ever touched, whether it was Sam Snead or Tiger Woods, Mickey Wright or Annika Sorenstam. Her 88 victories are the most by any player on a single professional tour.

Whitworth, whose LPGA Tour victories spanned nearly a quarter century and who became the first woman to earn $1 million on the LPGA, died on Christmas Eve, her longtime partner said. She was 83.

Bettye Odle did not disclose a cause of death, saying only that Whitworth died suddenly Saturday night while celebrating with family and friends.

"Kathy left this worth the way she lived her life -- loving, laugh and creating memories," Odle said in a statement released by the LPGA Tour.

Whitworth won the first of her 88 titles in the Kelly Girl Open in July 1962. She won six majors during her career and broke Wright's record of 82 career wins when Whitworth captured the Lady Michelob in the summer of 1982.

Her final victory came in 1985 at the United Virginia Bank Classic.

"Winning never got old," Whitworth once said.

All that was missing from her career was the U.S. Women's Open, the biggest of the women's majors. Upon being the first woman to surpass $1 million in career earnings in 1981, she said, "I would have swapped being the first to make a million for winning the Open, but it was a consolation which took some of the sting out of not winning."

Whitworth was the AP Female Athlete of the Year in 1965 and in 1967, when she easily beat out Wimbledon singles champion Billie Jean King. Whitworth was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1982.

She was the LPGA player of the year seven times in an eight-year span (1966 through 1973). She won the Vare Trophy for the lowest scoring average seven times and was the leading money winner in eight seasons.

But she was identified by one number: 88.

Snead was credited with a record 82 wins on the PGA Tour, a total Woods has since matched. Wright won 82 times on the LPGA Tour, while Sorenstam had 72 wins when she retired after the 2006 season at age 36.

"I think Mickey had the best swing, and was probably the greatest golfer," Betsy Rawls once told Golf Digest. "But Kathy was the best player of the game that I have ever seen."

Whitworth was born in Monahans, a small West Texas town, and learned to play golf in New Mexico. She started at age 15 in Jal, New Mexico, on the nine-hole course built for the El Paso Natural Gas employees.

She soon was a two-time winner of the New Mexico State Amateur. After briefly attending Odessa (Texas) College, she turned pro at age 19 and joined the LPGA Tour in December 1958.

"I was really fortunate in that I knew what I wanted to do," Whitworth once told Golf Digest. "Golf just grabbed me by the throat. I can't tell you how much I loved it. I used to think everyone knew what they wanted to do when they were 15 years old."

Wright had the more aesthetically pleasing swing. Whitworth was all about grinding, and about winning.

Whitworth won eight times in 1963 and 1965, and she had 11 victories in 1968. In none of those years did she earn more than $50,000. All these years later, the LPGA Tour total prize fund for 2023 will top $100 million.

Whitworth continued to conduct junior clinics and stay active in the game.

"I don't think about the legacy of 88 tournaments," she once said. "I did it because I wanted to win, not to set a record or a goal that no one else could surpass. I'm not some great oddity. I was just fortunate to be so successful. What I did in being a better player does not make me a better person.

"When I'm asked how I would like to be remembered, I feel that if people remember me at all, it will be good enough."

NEW YORK -- After a Joel Embiid tip-in put the Philadelphia 76ers up by 14 with under five minutes remaining Sunday afternoon, the superstar center stretched his arms out wide above his head and soaked in the boos from the partisan crowd at Madison Square Garden.

Thanks to dominant performances from Embiid (35 points and eight rebounds) and co-star James Harden (29 points and 13 assists, while never checking out in the second half) Philadelphia celebrated a triumphant return to the NBA's Christmas Day schedule after a one-year hiatus with a 119-112 victory over the New York Knicks.

"It feels good," Embiid said. "It's a blessing to be here. There's not a lot of teams, a lot of guys, that get these opportunities."

There's also not a lot of teams that have a pair of guys like Embiid and Harden at their disposal.

Sunday's game -- the first of five played on the marquee day of the regular-season calendar -- was a reminder of the way star power is, quite often, the difference maker in the NBA. And although the Sixers' season got off to a slow start, Embiid and Harden have begun to find a groove together over the past few weeks, helping the 76ers win their eighth straight game.

Sixers coach Doc Rivers said before the game that usually one team adjusts well to the noon start time, and he hoped it would be his. But the Knicks dominated the first quarter from virtually every standpoint, led by Julius Randle, who scored 25 of his 35 points in the opening half.

"You never know how these afternoon games are going to start," Rivers said afterward. "I thought their first quarter, they had all the energy, they killed us on the glass the whole first half. I thought they were quicker to everything."

But despite that, the 76ers trailed by only three at halftime -- thanks, in part, to a half-court heave by Shake Milton that banked in off the glass.

And as Knicks icons Carmelo Anthony and Bernard King -- who remains the record-holder for the most points scored (60) on Christmas Day -- sat side-by-side on the baseline opposite Philadelphia's bench and watched the proceedings, they witnessed Embiid dragging his 76ers back into the game.

"That was the difference, I'm telling you," Rivers said. "The second half was the second half. But Joel coming out towards the end of the second quarter and being aggressive, I really thought that changed the game. Changed the tenor of the game."

Embiid scored 11 of his 35 points in the second quarter, helping Philadelphia close the gap after trailing by as many as 14 in the first half, before scoring another 15 in the third quarter to keep the Sixers within striking distance against a hot New York offense.

Then it was Harden's turn to take over in the fourth, as he and Georges Niang got into a rhythm in a two-man game in which Harden racked up six points and five assists while Niang hit four triples as the pair combined to outscore the Knicks 18-16.

"We found something," Harden said. "We found something we liked, and then we just tried to get the best available shot.

"Georges got a couple easy looks, and I told him to just take his time. He made one, he made two, and that kind of opened up the game for us."

Philadelphia's 1-4 start now feels like a lifetime ago. Since those opening five games, the 76ers have been the NBA's second-best defensive team, and they have the third-best net rating, outscoring teams by more than five points per 100 possessions. Regardless of who wins Sunday's battle between the Celtics and Bucks (the top two seeds in the East), Philadelphia will be two games in the loss column behind the East leader, and one back of second.

"We're getting there," Harden said. "But we've just got to take it one game at a time, and continue to get better. I think we're hitting strides and getting better on both ends of the ball, which as the season goes on to get where we want to go, which we're definitely heading in the right direction, we're going to be a very difficult team to beat."

Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey remained out Sunday with a foot fracture that has kept him out since mid-November, though he could be back soon. Also on the injury front, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson left the game in the second half after grabbing at his right hip.

New York declined to make Brunson available after the game and did not reveal details on the injury.

Kathy Whitworth, who won more than anyone on the LPGA or PGA tours, died Saturday. She was 83 years old.

"It is with a heart full of love that we let everyone know of the passing of the winningest golf professional ever, Kathy Whitworth," Bettye Odle, Whitworth's long-time partner, said in a release provided by the LPGA. "Kathy passed suddenly Saturday night celebrating Christmas Eve with family and friends. Kathy left this world the way she lived her life, loving, laughing and creating memories."

Whitworth won 88 times on the LPGA Tour, six more than fellow Hall of Fame member Mickey Wright. It’s also six more than Sam Snead and Tiger Woods have won on the PGA Tour, a record for the men’s circuit.

Whitworth was born Sept. 27, 1939 in Monahans, Texas and lived across the state line in Jal, New Mexico, where her father, Morris, owned Whitworth Hardware and Supply, and eventually became the town’s mayor. She was the youngest of three daughters.

Kathy Whitworth played tennis as a youth and didn’t pick up a club until she was 14, when she was invited by a friend to play at Jal Country Club. She told the Albuquerque Journal in 1989 that she “whiffed the ball” on her first swing and was so mad that she returned the next day to play again. She played by herself, paying the $1.50 green fee before her parents bought an associate membership for $25.

Whitworth began working with pro Hardy Loudermilk when she was 16 and won the 1957 and 1958 New Mexico Women’s Amateur. At age 19, Loudermilk introduced her to Harvey Penick, who was her instructor the rest of her career.

Whitworth joined the LPGA Tour in 1958 and struggled to the point where she considered quitting. Her father and a few local businessmen from Jal agreed to subsidize her career at $5,000 a year for three years. Though she didn’t win during that period, she did find her game.

That game produced its first victory in July 1962 at the Kelly Girls Open in Ellicot City, Maryland. Her final victory came in the 1985 United Virginia Bank Classic. Among her 88 LPGA titles were six majors.

“I don’t think about the legacy of 88 tournaments,” Whitworth once said. “I did it because I wanted to win, not to set a record or a goal that no one else could surpass. I’m not some great oddity. I was just fortunate to be so successful. What I did in being a better player does not make me a better person. When I'm asked how I would like to be remembered, I feel that if people remember me at all, it will be good enough.”

In addition, she was the LPGA’s leading money winner eight times, and seven times won both the Player of the Year and Vare Trophy for lowest scoring average.

The Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year in 1965 and 1967, Whitworth was inducted into the LPGA Hall of Fame in 1975 and the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1982. She was also captain of the victorious U.S. team in the inaugural Solheim Cup in 1990.

She wrote, “Kathy Whitworth’s Little Book of Golf Wisdom: A Lifetime of Lessons from Golf's Winningest Pro,” a pocket book in the tradition of Harvey Penick’s “Little Red Book,” and was regarded as a selfless defender of women’s rights and racial equality.

Editor's note: The Golf Channel Research Unit contributed to information for this story.

DALLAS -- On the night that Dirk Nowitzki's jersey was retired last season, Dallas Mavericks governor Mark Cuban promised to have the "biggest, most badass statue ever" erected in front of the American Airlines Center to honor the legend.

"It's a promise that gives me joy to deliver on, because you earned it," Cuban told Nowitzki on Christmas morning, minutes before the nearly 24-foot-high statue was unveiled steps from the street renamed a few years ago as Nowitzki Way.

The white bronze statue is a sculpture of Nowitzki's iconic one-legged fadeaway jumper, the same shot that is featured as silhouettes near the left block on both ends of the American Airlines Center court. The shot became known as "The Dirk" while Nowitzki climbed to the sixth spot on the NBA's all-time scoring list and has become part of the repertoire of several current players, including the two stars facing each other on that floor Sunday afternoon, the Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James and the Mavericks' Luka Doncic.

Doncic and several other Mavericks attended the ceremony, as did coach Jason Kidd, a former teammate of Nowitzki's.

"One more stop: the Hall of Fame," Kidd said, referring to Nowitzki's certain inclusion in the next Hall of Fame class as a first-ballot selection.

Artist Omri Amrany created the statue, one of several he's made to honor NBA legends, including Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O'Neal. The statue is rich with details, using the shoes and uniform that Nowitzki wore while leading the Mavericks to the 2010-11 NBA championship, the franchise's lone title.

At the base of the statue, it reads: "Loyalty never fades away," a tribute to Nowitzki spending his entire career in Dallas, setting an NBA record by playing 21 seasons for one franchise.

"I just kind of sat down, like, 'What do people associate you with in Dallas?'" Nowitzki said. "It was these two things. It was the fadeaway and the loyalty. We kind of combined that. It was just a fun fact that it was 21 letters for the 21 years."

The 2022 World Cup is over, but just two weeks later the transfer window opens for the majority of Europe's top clubs on Jan. 1.

This year, more than most, the focus on the star performers from Qatar will be evident as clubs look to strengthen their energy-sapped, injury-laden squads ahead of the second half of the season. And while finances are still hurting amid the ongoing global economic crisis, football will still find a way to spend big -- even if it won't be to the levels of a record-breaking summer.

So, what are the big storylines ahead of the January window?

- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)

Where will Cristiano Ronaldo end up?

It's not linked to the January transfer window but the future of Cristiano Ronaldo, who is a free agent after leaving Manchester United last month, will continue to dominate headlines until he has found a new team.

Ronaldo has been training at former side Real Madrid and, on paper, a move back to the Bernabeu to cover for Karim Benzema makes a modicum of sense given the club are light in attacking areas. However, the 37-year-old's return to United damaged his legacy and Madrid fans won't want to see the same thing happen. Also, Madrid have been very much focused on young players, so signing Ronaldo, even in the short term, could do more harm than good to the dressing-room dynamic.

- Dawson: Ronaldo's options after the World Cup

Sources have told ESPN that Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr have offered him a 3½-year contract worth more than $119 million (€112m) a year. But Ronaldo wants to be playing at the highest level for as long as possible. His pride may limit his options in this regard, as there has been no interest in his services from big clubs since the summer.

Mbappe's dream move to Real Madrid on hold?

Kylian Mbappe's hat trick in France's World Cup final defeat to Argentina won him the Golden Boot and reminded everyone watching what a generational talent he is. However, after all the drama in Qatar, it bears remembering that the 23-year-old has been pushing to leave Paris Saint-Germain since October, with sources telling ESPN that he feels at odds with the club's direction on and off the pitch.

The forward signed a new contract until 2025 over the summer, snubbing a free transfer to Real Madrid and endangering his prospects of a future move to the Bernabeu in the process. His preference is still Madrid, though they have just agreed a €60m deal to sign 16-year-old Brazilian striker Endrick in 2024, and sources said the club are not planning on reigniting their longstanding interest in him.

Of course every other top club in Europe would be keen to sign Mbappe if a deal can be reached. The issue? He is the world's highest-paid player. And he also has a transfer valuation of over €150m, which precious few clubs can afford.

Mbappe may not get a move in January, but speculation over his long-term future in Paris -- and his relationship with teammates Neymar and Lionel Messi -- will continue long into the new year.

Can Manchester United land a striker?

United terminated Ronaldo's contract by mutual consent in November but now they need a replacement, and sources told ESPN that the club are set to make a move for Benfica striker Goncalo Ramos in January. The 21-year-old replaced Ronaldo for Portugal at the World Cup in the round-of-16 tie against Switzerland and scored a hat trick; now he could be stepping into the legendary No. 7's boots at Old Trafford too.

Ramos is still young but has scored 14 in 21 games for Benfica so far this season. While his pretournament valuation of €20m has risen considerably, it's still cheaper than those of other players United have been monitoring: namely €100m-rated pair Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid) and Rafael Leao (AC Milan.)

- Karlsen: Why every club wants Rafael Leao

United could also move for PSV Eindhoven and Netherlands forward Cody Gakpo, who is not a central striker but had a fine World Cup. United were quoted a transfer fee of around €30m by PSV Eindhoven in the summer but, after three goals in Qatar, it is now closer to €50m and the club may opt for the cheaper option of Atletico's Alvaro Morata if they can't reach a deal.

PSV are likely to want to keep Gakpo until the end of the season and there's a possibility that United aren't able to bring in any of their targets given the budget constraints after €240m of summer spending.

Will Liverpool move for Bellingham?

Another player to have seen his stock rise after a fine World Cup, England midfielder Jude Bellingham is arguably the most in-demand talent in the world now. At 19, he is still far from reaching his incredible potential and Borussia Dortmund know that in their demands for at least €150m in transfer fee.

Sources have told ESPN that Liverpool are favourites to land Bellingham -- with his relationship with Reds midfielder Jordan Henderson in the spotlight in Qatar -- and Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, PSG and Real Madrid also tracking the Dortmund star. But it's unlikely that any club will pay that kind of fee next month.

Still, Liverpool have been struggling with injuries in midfield, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, James Milner and Naby Keita are all out of contract next summer, so they may move for more than one player. If so, two other midfielders to have impressed in the World Cup could be on the agenda: Morocco's Sofyan Amrabat, who Fiorentina reportedly value at €50m, and Argentina World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez, rated over €100m by Benfica.

Who will land Josko Gvardiol?

It's not often that a defender is the most expensive transfer of a window, but RB Leipzig's Josko Gvardiol could be in January after a stellar World Cup for Croatia. The left-footed centre-back is only 20 years old but already has the elite of Europe after his signature.

- Karlsen: Why clubs want to sign Gvardiol

Chelsea spent €80m to sign centre-back Wesley Fofana from Leicester in the summer, but reportedly also made a late €90m move to land Gvardiol before the deadline that was rejected. The Blues are likely to be back in for the defender as they seek to agree a future move for his teammate at Leipzig, Christopher Nkunku, but it will cost them a world-record fee for a defender.

Real Madrid, Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham have all been linked with Gvardiol, but Chelsea's reported desire to wrap up a deal next month could put them at the front of the queue.

Will clubs cover injury issues with new arrivals?

The timing of this year's World Cup means everything is different. Clubs have just a few weeks from the end of the tournament to the opening of the transfer window, as opposed to a month or so; players who didn't travel to Qatar have had a month off to rest, or work on their fitness, while the rise in fees for players who impressed are likely to be higher than ever.

Adding to the issue for some clubs is the fact that they may have to replace injured players. Sources told ESPN that Arsenal's top January target is Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhailo Mudryk, but they also need cover for the injured striker Gabriel Jesus over the next three months. Juventus' Dusan Vlahovic and Atletico Madrid's Matheus Cunha have been linked, but how much should a team spend on a short-term fix?

Chelsea will also be looking for a striker as Armando Broja was ruled out for the season through injury, leaving them with just Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Kai Havertz up front. Dortmund teenager Youssoufa Moukoko is reportedly of interest, given he has six months left on his contract. Barcelona's Memphis Depay, who could be signed for as little as €2m, may be worth a gamble too given his experience.

And if you thought it's just teams needing cover at striker, a host of names have also been linked to replace Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who broke his leg skiing after returning home early from Qatar with Germany. Argentina's Emiliano Martinez, Sevilla's Yassine Bounou (better known as Bono), Borussia Monchengladbach's Yann Sommer and Dinamo Zagreb's Dominik Livakovic have all been talked about, though landing any of them will be a tough sell for Bayern as Neuer will almost certainly regain the No. 1 spot when he returns next summer.

With the opening of the January transfer window coming closer, there's plenty of gossip swirling about who's moving where. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings, goings and, of course, done deals!

TOP STORY: Chelsea line up January deal for Monaco starlet Badiashile

Chelsea are looking to strengthen their defence in the new year, and despite longstanding interest in RB Leipzig centre-back and World Cup breakout star Josko Gvardiol, the Athletic reports that it's Benoit Badiashile of AS Monaco who's climbed to the top of the Blues' wish list.

The 21-year-old France international can play in a back four or on the left of a three-man defence, and the two clubs are said to be in talks over a deal that could be finalised in January. The Principality club command a transfer fee of €35m in order to allow Badiashile to move to west London.

Badiashile, who has been in Monaco's system since 2016, has made 135 appearances for the club in all competitions and has been a regular in the side since 2018-19. The 6-foot-4 defender has particularly impressed this season with his ability on the ball and in one-on-one situations.

Chelsea have been monitoring the player's situation since the summer, despite regularly being linked with a move for Gvardiol. Badiashile is said to be a priority at Stamford Bridge, ahead of the likes of 23-year-old Evan Ndicka of Eintracht Frankfurt and 20-year-old Piero Hincapie of Bayer Leverkusen.

PAPER GOSSIP

- Uruguay striker Luis Suarez has been offered a money-spinning 18-month deal by Saudi club Al-Khaleej, but he remains set to join Brazilian side Gremio, according to Fabrizio Romano. The 35-year-old striker was offered a $6m salary to move to the Saudi Pro League, but his move to Gremio on a two-year deal is all but sealed.

- AS Roma are preparing a bid for United States international Johnny Cardoso, according to Ekrem Konur. The Italian capital club are looking to add the 21-year-old Internacional midfielder to their squad in January, but they face stiff competition from Spanish sides Valencia and Real Betis. Cardoso has been a regular starter for the Porto Alegre side in the past three years, playing 39 games and scoring twice. He's also added two assists. Roma may have the advantage over their Spanish counterparts, however, as a result of their more superior financial situation.

- Manchester City chiefs believe the prospect of working with Pep Guardiola will see them win the race for Jude Bellingham, according to the Sun. Real Madrid consider themselves ahead of the pack when it comes to the signature for the coveted 19-year-old midfielder, but City feel Guardiola's extension as manager until 2025, and the opportunity for Bellingham to play alongside Erling Haaland again, could swing the move in their favour. Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain are all monitoring the England international.

- Manchester United are considering making a bid for Lyon right-back Malo Gusto, according to Media Foot. The 19-year-old former France youth international has emerged as one of his team's most consistent performers this season, contributing one assist from 14 league appearances. Gusto's contract runs until 2024, and United could be frontrunners to sign him if Lyon are unable to agree fresh terms, and the Red Devils are preparing a bid including a €30m transfer fee.

- Tottenham Hotspur could make some space in their squad by allowing Pape Sarr and Bryan Gil move to LaLiga in January, according to Relevo. Both players joined the north London club ahead of last season, but with Sarr still yet to make his debut, the 20-year-old Senegal international could be on the move to Sevilla. Gil, 21, has also struggled to get any meaningful game time under boss Antonio Conte following his £21m move in 2021, and Valencia are keen to make a move for the midfielder after a successful loan spell last season.