ATLANTA -- Naithan George scored a go-ahead layup with 7.7 seconds remaining, and Georgia Tech beat No. 3 North Carolina 74-73 on Tuesday night to end the Tar Heels' 10-game winning streak.

RJ Davis, who scored a game-high 28 points for North Carolina (17-4, 9-1 Atlantic Coast Conference), won the race to a loose ball following a missed jumper by George and scored on a layup with 34 seconds remaining for a 73-72 lead.

Following a Georgia Tech timeout, George drove for the go-ahead layup.

Georgia Tech (10-11, 3-7) ended a three-game losing streak.

North Carolina called a timeout with 4.6 seconds remaining, but Davis missed a last-second jumper, prompting Georgia Tech fans to celebrate by rushing onto the court.

There was contact from Georgia Tech's Ebenezer Dowuona on the last shot by Davis, who pleaded to the officials -- without success -- for a foul.

North Carolina suffered its first conference loss following its best ACC start since winning its first 11 ACC games in the 2000-01 season.

Georgia Tech claimed its third home win over a Top 25 team after beating No. 21 Mississippi State 67-59 on Nov. 28 and No. 7 Duke 72-68 on Dec. 2 to open its ACC schedule.

Kyle Sturdivant led Georgia Tech with 18 points. George had 16 points and Miles Kelly added 15.

The Tar Heels led 36-25 following a 3-pointer by Cormac Ryan. The Yellow Jackets closed the first half with a 12-1 run to pull even at 37 at halftime. Kelly sank two 3-pointers and Ibrahima Sacko added another 3 from the corner during the run.

North Carolina enjoyed a similar run, scoring 12 straight points, to take an early 20-11 lead. A three-point play by Elliot Cadeau, set up by Harrison Ingram's steal, capped the run.

There was a strong showing by North Carolina fans in the sellout crowd. Georgia Tech called for a white-out, but Carolina blue commanded approximately half of the crowd.

The visit to Georgia Tech was the last of six ACC road games for the Tar Heels in January. That set a high mark for conference road games since playing seven in their last season in the Southern Conference in January 1952.

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Damian Lillard said his return to Portland for the first time since leaving the Trail Blazers after 11 seasons comes with "a lot of love" for both the team and the community.

On Wednesday night, the eight-time All-Star will play his first game in Portland since being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in the offseason.

"I loved the organization. I loved everybody I went to work with every day. And I think what made it the hardest is it wasn't a wasn't a broken relationship. So coming back, being able to be here, I'm in a great situation," Lillard said Tuesday. "The reason it all came about in the first place was for a chance to win it all. We couldn't be at that place at the same time. So I come back with love, and I'm excited to be back in the Moda Center."

Lillard averaged 32.2 points per game with the Blazers last season and averaged at least 24 in each of the previous eight seasons. He became just the seventh player in NBA history to score more than 70 points in a game when he finished with 71 against the Houston Rockets this past February.

But Portland won only four playoff series in Lillard's tenure, getting to the Western Conference finals just once. The team went 33-49 last season, the second consecutive year it finished well outside the playoff picture.

The Blazers have since struggled to adjust without their star point guard. The team currently sits at second to last in the Western Conference at 14-33.

Blazers coach Chauncey Billups admitted that having Lillard back in a different jersey is going to be a bit strange. But he's happy for his friend -- and he fully understands the decision to move on.

"In the situation that we're in, you don't want to see him in that type of spot where we're doing what we're doing and he's out there bumping and grinding and scrapping and clawing and getting 30s and 40s and we can barely win those games," Billups said. "It was just a tough situation to be in for him. But he never complained about it. He's just a soldier. He came to work and did the best he could every single time. I respect that about him."

Lillard is averaging 25.1 points and 6.8 assists with his new team, which is in flux. Milwaukee announced Friday night they had hired Doc Rivers to take over for Adrian Griffin, who was fired earlier in the week after only 43 games.

Griffin's dismissal came even though the Bucks have one of the best records in the league at 32-15. But there were concerns about the team's slipping defensive rating.

The Bucks arrived in Portland on Monday night, and on Tuesday, Lillard was honored at the North American headquarters for Adidas. Lillard has a sponsorship deal and a signature shoe with the company.

"I'm excited to be back in Moda Center, I played so many games there I recognize fans' faces from the court," he said. "So seeing their faces and being back in the building, being back home, I'm excited to play the game and I'm going to play the game free."

John Angelos has agreed to sell the Baltimore Orioles to a group led by Carlyle Group Inc. co-founder David Rubenstein, according to multiple reports Tuesday.

The transaction reportedly values the Orioles at $1.725 billion.

Rubenstein, a Baltimore native, reportedly will take over as the team's controlling owner. He's assembled an investment team that includes Ares co-founder Michael Arougheti.

Major League Baseball still must approve the sale. Owners are scheduled to meet next week in Orlando, Florida.

A sale must be approved in a vote of at least 75% by the 30 major league teams. The sales approval process typically lasts several months.

The Angelos family has been in control of the Orioles since 1993, when Peter Angelos purchased the team for $173 million. Angelos' son John has been the team's chair and managing partner since 2020, as Peter suffers from dementia.

The Orioles recently finalized a deal with the Maryland Stadium Authority to remain at Camden Yards for the next 15 years, with a path to expand the commitment to 30 years.

Rubenstein previously had shown interest in buying the Washington Nationals.

Prior to forming Carlyle in 1987, he practiced law in Washington. From 1977-81, he was a deputy assistant for domestic policy to President Jimmy Carter. After graduating from Duke in 1970, he attended University of Chicago Law School.

The Orioles are coming off a 101-win season and their first AL East title since 2014. With young stars like Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson and another top prospect on the way in Jackson Holliday, the future looks as bright as it has in a while for a team that hasn't won a World Series since 1983.

One sore spot with fans is the club's payroll, which has remained low, and it's been another quiet offseason for the team so far. If the new ownership group is able to keep Baltimore's young core together, the Orioles could have a lengthy window of contention.

When Peter Angelos first took control of the Orioles, they had recently started playing at Camden Yards, the downtown venue that revolutionized the way baseball parks were built. The Orioles spent aggressively, at least for a little while, and won the division in 1997 with future Hall of Famers Cal Ripken, Roberto Alomar, Mike Mussina and Harold Baines.

After that, Baltimore didn't make the postseason again until 2012, when the Orioles began a renaissance under manager Buck Showalter. They eventually had to rebuild again, losing at least 108 games in 2018, 2019 and 2021 -- a streak interrupted only by the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

Even as the team posted the best record in the AL last year, there were ominous signs, such as a New York Times piece in which Angelos was quoted as saying: "When people talk about giving this player $200 million, that player $150 million, we would be so financially underwater that you'd have to raise the prices massively."

Information from The Associated Press and Field Level Media was used in this report.

The stats tell a story of steady decline. He's yet to win a match in three tournaments this year. He's now gone out in the first round of six of his past seven events. In his past nine matches, Murray - one of the greatest competitors in the modern history of the game - has won just one. At what point does bravely soldiering on start to damage his legacy?

Two Wimbledons, a US Open title, eight other Grand Slam finals and two Olympic gold medals make for quite the portfolio. He was also half the team that helped Dunblane - sorry, Great Britain - win the Davis Cup. As if all of that was not enough, he then won a tournament nine months after having a hip replaced, proving he can defy science as well as belief. To return to the top level of the tour in singles with a metal hip is unprecedented. It borders on the incredible to then win a title and reach two other finals.

Since losing to Daniil Medvedev in the last of those in Doha last year, however, there has been a steady downturn. He has not won more than two matches at any tour-level event since. Murray's world ranking peaked at 36, just short of a seeding at the Slams. He's now about to drop out of the top 50 again.

He's entered three events in February: Marseille, Doha and Dubai. Given the level of his recent performances, he is surely now questioning whether all that time away from the family is really worth it.

Safeguarding his own mental health must surely come into play alongside preserving his reputation. If he never hits another ball, his status as a great of the game, and a legend of British sport, is already secure.

He has often compared the gladiatorial nature of tennis to boxing. The question is, how many more punches should Murray allow himself to take before hanging up the gloves on a glittering career?

Three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray says he "won't quit" tennis despite being in a "terrible moment".

The Briton, 36, is winless in 2024 after Monday's first-round loss to Benoit Paire at the Open Sud de France.

Murray also suffered a first-round exit at the Australian Open, while his last ATP Tour victory was in October.

On Tuesday, he responded to a BBC reporter's post on X, which asked when Murray should "call time on an extraordinary career".

The post linked to an article which said while the Scot's status as a legend was secure "at what point does bravely soldiering on start to damage his legacy?"

"Tarnishing my legacy? Do me a favour," two-time Wimbledon champion Murray wrote in reply.

"I'm in a terrible moment right now, I'll give you that.

"Most people would quit and give up in my situation right now. But I'm not most people and my mind works differently.

"I won't quit. I will keep fighting and working to produce the performances I know I'm capable of."

The article asked whether Murray's "refusal to back down from a challenge" was doing him "more harm than good".

World number 49 Murray has suffered nine defeats in 13 matches since the start of the US Open in August.

The former British and world number one defied the odds to return from hip replacement surgery in 2019.

However, since losing to Daniil Medvedev in the Qatar Open final last year, he has not won more than two matches at any tour-level event and is about to drop out of the world's top 50.

Murray said in Melbourne earlier this month that there was a "definite possibility" he had played in his last Australian Open.

Huw Jones believes beating Wales in Cardiff for the first time in 22 years is made "less of a daunting task" by Scotland's recent record of ending similar barren runs.

Jones says landmark wins away to England and France prove the Scots are capable of banishing their Cardiff curse.

"I think it makes it less of a daunting task," Jones explained.

"It's not really been a huge talking point for us. We are obviously aware of it, but it's not a primary motivation to go and break a record.

"We've done it with England, we've beaten France away, there's a few things that we've done over the last few seasons to change those records. Having done it a couple of times, it makes it less daunting."

In the 2021 Six Nations, Gregor Townsend's men ended a 38-year wait for an away win over England at Twickenham and recorded a first win over France in Paris since 1999.

The previous year they ended an 18-year wait for a win on Welsh soil, that victory coming at Llanelli's Parc-y-Scarlets. The Scots have lost their past 11 matches at the Principality, and Jones knows how much fuel the Wales team takes from their passionate home support.

"We want to silence that crowd," added the Glasgow centre.

"That's going to be about how we go about our business in the first 10-20 minutes - not giving away anything cheap, sticking to our game plan and applying pressure. It's something we've spoken about.

"We know the type of rugby they want to play, they're probably going to kick a lot, they won't mess around too much in their half. We've got to match that in a way and not get caught in our own half playing too much.

"It's about managing the game, managing the territory, but we don't want to lose our identity of fast attacking rugby, so it's trying to find a balance."

Jack Hughes will not participate in the skills competition or 3-on-3 tournament at the upcoming NHL All-Star Weekend because of injury.

New Jersey Devils teammate Jesper Bratt was added to the All-Star roster Tuesday as a last-minute replacement for Hughes. Mathew Barzal of the New York Islanders will replace Hughes as one of the 12 players doing the skills competition Friday.

The league announced the switch Tuesday, following executive Steve Mayer saying earlier in the week officials would wait until the "last possible second" to see if Hughes could play.

Hughes is still expected to be in Toronto, co-captaining one of the All-Star teams for the 3-on-3 tournament Saturday with brother Quinn of the Vancouver Canucks. Elias Pettersson, a teammate of Quinn's in Vancouver, was added to Team Hughes to even out the rosters.

This was the contingency plan the NHL had in place, since Mayer said on a call with reporters Tuesday that Hughes was still being evaluated and was very much still welcome at the festivities.

"We want to keep him as a captain," said Mayer, the league's chief content officer. "We want him to be here in Toronto. He knows that, and so we'd like to keep Team Hughes, even if he doesn't play."

Hughes has been out since leaving the Devils' game against Chicago on Jan. 5 with an upper body injury, which Blackhawks rookie Connor Bedard also left with a broken jaw that knocked him out of All-Star Weekend.

Hughes has been limited by injuries to 32 games this season, though he still ranks second on the team in points with 45.

Bratt, a 25-year-old from Sweden, is an All-Star for the first time. He's New Jersey's top scorer at the break with 50 points on 19 goals and 31 assists.

Barzal joins Edmonton's Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, Toronto's Auston Matthews and William Nylander, Boston's David Pastrnak and Vancouver's Hughes, Pettersson and J.T. Miller as the participants in the skills competition under a new format with the winner receiving $1 million. Mayer revealed the top goaltender among the eight participating in one event will also win $100,000.

As the NHL prepares to squarely step into our arena on Thursday with a draft for the All-Star Game teams, let's take a moment to recognize the all-stars from our realm of fantasy hockey.

We'll do a similar approach to how the league manages things, by forcing one selection from each of the 32 franchises to form our initial rosters. I tried to include a mix of the positions, but honestly I couldn't get a goaltender nominated for one of the divisions -- no matter how hard I tried to look the other way at some stats.

This is through a fantasy lens, so we aren't necessarily looking for the best overall player, but rather the best value. Sometimes those criteria overlap, but not always. Auston Matthews, Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid can't be fantasy all-star choices as they are returning the value we expected.

The preseason rankings referenced only go to the top 350 before they get too mushy, so a player listed as "not ranked" from the preseason just means they were lower than 350.

Metropolitan Division

No need to wait on the reveal from above about one of the divisions not getting a goaltender. Perhaps one of the defense can play the crease or they can just compete with an extra skater in our fantasy world. Honestly though, how could we select any of the goaltenders from this division for inclusion? Ilya Sorokin and Igor Shesterkin were supposed to be here, but neither is returning anything close to their draft value for the New York Islanders or New York Rangers. Pyotr Kochetkov got some consideration from the Carolina Hurricanes, but hasn't been remotely consistent enough for most fantasy teams, especially because most of his value was packed into just the month of December. Even Charlie Lindgren has been fading fast for the Washington Capitals. Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry is close to making the cut, but was also an early pick in drafts, so isn't quite passing muster when it comes to value versus investment.

Artemi Panarin, W, New York Rangers (increase from preseason rank: 63, current rank: 31): This is a no-brainer choice for the Rangers. After a down season from Panarin in 2022-23, he's bounced back as the leader of the club and is scoring at will. He's going to set a new career high in goals with just three more.

Seth Jarvis, W, Carolina Hurricanes (increase from preseason rank: 250, current rank: 100): With few players exceeding the expectations placed upon them, Jarvis' modest breakout is enough to qualify him for this nod -- even if his season has been a series of peaks and valleys.

Joel Farabee, W, Philadelphia Flyers (increase from preseason rank: 227, current rank: 96): He has some sneaky-good blocked shots totals that has him neck-and-neck with Travis Konecny for the fantasy lead among the Flyers forwards.

Boone Jenner, C, Columbus Blue Jackets (increase from preseason rank: 49, current rank: 138): He's not really the lone bright spot, as some of the play from the young guns is encouraging for the future. But he's the only Blue Jacket forward earning game-to-game fantasy relevance.

T.J. Oshie, W, Washington Capitals (increase from preseason rank: not ranked, current rank: 80): With few players to choose from for a value award here, Oshie gets the nod based on his play from just the last couple of weeks. Try to ignore the fact that he was a ghost on the ice in 2023.

Kris Letang, D, Pittsburgh Penguins (increase from preseason rank: 39, current rank: 78): Anyone have a healthy Erik Karlsson struggling to keep pace with Letang on their preseason punch card? Didn't think so. And he's done it with only two power-play points.

Simon Nemec, D, New Jersey Devils (increase from preseason rank: not ranked, current rank: 177): With more than a few Devils performing below expectations, there wasn't a lot of choice for the all-star team. It's fair to suggest that Nemec isn't quite a fantasy starter, but his fantasy points per game are one the verge and he sits third on the team in fantasy points since Dec. 1. Maybe Jack Hughes coming back -- again -- can spark Nemec to an everyday role on your team.

Noah Dobson, D, New York Islanders (increase from preseason rank: 103, current rank: 13):This is how you have a breakout season. Dobson is doing it all for fantasy hockey -- with not the least of his accomplishments being his lead for the Islanders in total fantasy points by a massive margin (141.5 to Bo Horvat's 105.5).

Atlantic Division

This fantasy all-star team might have the most pop thanks to Nikita Kucherov and Sam Reinhart making the case for inclusion from the Florida teams. As mentioned, you won't see the Matthews, McDavids or MacKinnons of the world here, but Kucherov can be mentioned in the same breath as them again this season -- and that wasn't necessarily the outcome anticipated. He finished 12th overall for fantasy points last season with 215.2 -- or 104.9 points off the lead. This season, he is currently second to MacKinnon, just 10.1 points behind.

Sam Reinhart, W, Florida Panthers (increase from preseason rank: 66, current rank: 10): Everything that comes off his stick seems to find net. His shooting percentage is up to a bonkers 27.6%. He has taken 134 shots on goal. For players with at least 100 shots in a season, he currently has the best shooting percentage in the NHL going back to 2005-06, beating Andrei Kuzmenko's 27.3 percent from last season. No player with more than 200 shots in a season has finished higher than 21.7% in that span (Brayden Point in 2022-23 and Leon Draisaitl in 2018-19).

Charlie Coyle, C, Boston Bruins (increase from preseason rank: 240, current rank: 108): His current output sits 57th among forwards, as Coyle has taken on the top center role we thought Pavel Zacha would fill for the Bruins this season.

Claude Giroux, W, Ottawa Senators (increase from preseason rank: 185, current rank: 77): With a lot of the Sens playing slightly subpar for expectations, Giroux has been a beacon of consistency.

Sean Monahan, C, Montreal Canadiens (increase from preseason rank: not ranked, current rank: 148): The power play can do a lot for a player. For Monahan, 51.4% of his points this season have come on special teams.

Nikita Kucherov, RW, Tampa Bay Lightning (increase from preseason rank: 22, current rank: 4): As discussed above, Kucherov is hanging among the elite of the elite this season, so his value is there despite his high draft capital.

Jake Walman, D, Detroit Red Wings (increase from preseason rank: 70, current rank: 48): He's been slowing down a bit of late, but Walman is much more than just a stabilizing presence for Moritz Seider, earning fantasy status in his own right.

Morgan Rielly, D, Toronto Maple Leafs (increase from preseason rank: 139, current rank: 24): Rielly earned 115.6 fantasy points across the entire 2022-23 season. He has 116.2 fantasy points so far this season. Enough said?

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, G, Buffalo Sabres (increase from preseason rank: not ranked, current rank: 209): This is not the goaltender I thought we'd be penciling in here back in September. But Luukkonen has found a groove, pushing even an improving Devon Levi to the sidelines.

Central Division

To continue the fanciful projection for these all-star teams having to compete, this Central Division squad is going to use physicality on the blue line to try to win. The Dallas Stars had another strong candidate in Thomas Harley, but Duchene has been contributing for an extended stretch this season. It was also tempting to pick Colton Parayko from the St. Louis Blues and really lean into this rough-and-tumble defense. And, believe it or not, Josh Manson is on the fringes of inclusion here. So this team could have easily have been made up of mostly defense.

Matt Duchene, C, Dallas Stars (increase from preseason rank: 141, current rank: 98): I mean, salary doesn't matter much for fantasy, but for frame of reference: He probably wasn't earning the $8 million the Predators were paying him, but he sure looks like a bargain at the $3 million the Stars are giving him. What a signing, and a great steal at fantasy drafts if you took a shot!

Robert Thomas, C, St. Louis Blues (increase from preseason rank: 81, current rank: 73): As mentioned, Parayko was worthy of consideration here, as is Brayden Schenn (thanks to recent play) and even Jordan Binnington in a subtle manner (13th at his position in fantasy), but Thomas has been a steady presence all season and offers more upside than all of them.

Gustav Nyquist, W, Nashville Predators (increase from preseason rank: not ranked, current rank: 181): He had a slow October, but patience at the top of the Predators depth chart has paid off; Since Nov. 1, Nyquist sits 117th among skaters in total fantasy points. He was hardly even a sleeper after playing only three games last season.

Jonathan Drouin, W, Colorado Avalanche (increase from preseason rank: 135, current rank: 245): It took a while, but the Halifax Mooseheads connection has resurfaced between MacKinnon and Drouin since mid-December. In fact, Drouin has 1.91 FPPG since Dec. 13 -- which is among the top 100 skaters.

Nikolaj Ehlers, W, Winnipeg Jets (increase from preseason rank: 42, current rank: 166): Beating out a cooled-off Gabriel Vilardi, Ehlers gets the nod here because he wasn't a lock to perform for fantasy after getting buried on the depth chart last season.

Brock Faber, D, Minnesota Wild (preseason rank: not ranked, current rank: 49): What a star Faber has been at the age of just 21. Understanding that he wasn't at the top of the depth chart until after new coach Jon Hynes came in, it's wild that Faber ranks 20th in fantasy points on the blue line.

Connor Murphy, D, Chicago Blackhawks (increase from preseason rank: 117, current rank: 190): Someone has to make the all-star team right? Oh, what's that? Even the NHL isn't sending a Blackhawk to the festivities? Well ... Murphy is at least startable most nights in deeper fantasy leagues. So ... that's a win.

Connor Ingram, G, Arizona Coyotes (preseason rank: not ranked, current rank: 179): With the sixth-most fantasy points among goaltenders, Ingram's five shutouts are telling to how solid he has been this season in keeping the Coyotes hopes afloat.

Pacific Division

Upstart goal-scoring might be the overall theme for this squad. Especially with Adam Henrique just nosing out Frank Vatrano for the Anaheim Ducks spot, and Blake Coleman just edging past Yegor Sharangovich for the Calgary Flames. We also could have gone with any of Stuart Skinner for the Edmonton Oilers, Thatcher Demko from the Vancouver Canucks or Jacob Markstrom from the Flames for the crease here.

Zach Hyman, W, Edmonton Oilers (increase from preseason rank: 81, current rank: 14): Hyman was going to contribute, no question. But he has been a fringe top-50 play in recent campaigns, not a dominating top-20 fantasy asset like he is this season.

Brock Boeser, W, Vancouver Canucks (increase from preseason rank: 135, current rank: 57): The rate of goals scored has been slowing down, but Boeser did enough at the start of the season that he can afford to coast a bit and still make this fantasy all-star squad with flying colors.

Adam Henrique, W, Anaheim Ducks (increase from preseason rank: not ranked, current rank: 85): His recent pace has helped him push past Vatrano to take pole position on most value from a Duck. It will be interesting to see if his pace continues this strong if Henrique is flipped to a contender.

Blake Coleman, W, Calgary Flames (increase from preseason rank: not ranked, current rank: 81): MacKenzie Weegar got a long look here, as did Sharangovich, but we'll take Coleman. He shares the team goal lead with Sharangovich at 20, but is ahead in fantasy points by a fair margin. And it's by virtue of not being in the top 350 to start the season that Coleman gets the edge on Weegar.

Trevor Moore, W, Los Angeles Kings (increase from preseason rank: not ranked, current rank: 99): Thanks in part to Kevin Fiala sliding into the spot occupied by Viktor Arvidsson last season, this trio of Moore, Fiala and Phillip Danault has become so dangerous that Moore has the team goal lead (up four on Adrian Kempe) despite minimal power-play action.

Mario Ferraro, D, San Jose Sharks (increase from preseason rank: 247, current rank: 68): He's head and shoulders above the rest of the Sharks when it comes to earning fantasy value. He's the only player on the team clearing the 2.0 FPPG threshold. Hopefully he isn't out long with his current injury.

Alec Martinez, D, Vegas Golden Knights (increase from preseason rank: not ranked, current rank: 41): Too many injuries have marred the Golden Knights campaign, as Shea Theodore or Adin Hill could have earned this nod if they'd played more games. But Martinez, despite missing plenty of games himself, is among the elite defenders of the league for FPPG.

Joey Daccord, G, Seattle Kraken (increase from preseason rank: not ranked, current rank: 117): On nobody's radar prior to the season, Daccord has been a settling presence in the Kraken crease. He sits seventh in fantasy points among goaltenders.

Pep Guardiola said he will take "many things" into consideration before he decides whether to extend his contract at Manchester City.

The Man City manager has a contract at the Etihad Stadium until 2025 and is set to decide on his future later this year.

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Guardiola, who saw rival Jurgen Klopp announce his departure from Liverpool last week citing a lack of energy to do the job, said he "feels good" but admits things could change in the next few months.

"Normally the decision is quick," Guardiola told a news conference on Tuesday. "We cannot admit eight years is a lot of time. Next year will be nine seasons, so it is a lot of time. We have to see the players, how is their behaviour, our standards, if we can keep it, and if the players follow you, if I am tired or not.

"Many things are involved in that. Extending after two years is not the same as extending after nine. It's completely different. Still I am sitting here and I am OK.

"I think we have time. Now I feel really good like always I have been but football changes a lot. I have my opinion that when you have a year and a half left on your contract it is a lot, a lot of time in world football. We have time."

City, looking for a record fourth Premier League title in a row, have had dips in form this season, but face Burnley on Wednesday on the back of a seven-match winning run.

That streak has included dramatic late winners against Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur in their last two games and they remain in with a chance of repeating last season's treble of the Premier League title, Champions League and FA Cup.

"Winning helps you to have more energy, when you are losing games you are more tired," said Guardiola. "I see the team getting better and playing difficult opponents like at Goodison Park after the [Club] World Cup or Newcastle or Spurs away and seeing how the team behaved [showed] -- wow we are still together, we are on the same path. That gives you energy. Energy, you do not switch it on or off.

"You have to bring energy every day with what you live in your personal life and many things. That is what I am living now. That is why I said one and a half years is a lot of time."