Celtics' Gordon Hayward scores 14 in return from injury

Celtics forward Gordon Hayward started in Monday night's 110-88 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, returning to the Boston lineup ahead of schedule in his return from a broken hand.

He received a loud ovation when he was introduced and got his first basket on a fast-break layup nearly halfway into the opening quarter. He also grabbed his first rebound and had his initial assist on Jayson Tatum's 3-pointer from the left wing in the first 4 1/2 minutes of action.



The star forward ended his night with 14 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists in 26 minutes, recorded by iSports basketball API.

Monday marks four weeks since Hayward underwent surgery to repair the bone in his hand in New York on Nov. 11. At the time, the Celtics said he could miss up to six weeks, but Hayward said he's been focused on getting healthy while letting the exact day of his return sort itself out.

Hayward, 29, has been shooting without restrictions for more than a week. After being cleared to begin contact work last Monday, he has spent time working out with coaches as he gradually moved closer to a return. Doctors put a plate in his left hand with screws to stabilize the bone -- a procedure Hayward said made his left hand "probably stronger than my right hand," in addition to saying the bone has fully healed.

"Motion and strength is going to take a little while to get back; it's whether or not you can play through that and still be effective. That's kind of what we're determining, but the bone is healed."

That's music to Boston's ears, as the Celtics could really use Hayward. While the Celtics have largely continued their hot start, going 9-4 in the 13 games Hayward has missed since their 7-1 start with him in the lineup, his absence has led to a lot of minutes for unproven or inexperienced bench options who have largely struggled in their expanded role.

Hayward's return will allow those players to take on more appropriate roles and help Tatum, who has been forced to carry the minutes when Kemba Walker has been on the bench, with middling results.

Mostly, though, the Celtics will simply be thrilled to have Hayward back. The former Jazz forward looked to be returning to his All-Star form to start this season, averaging 18.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists, shooting 55.5% from the field and 43.2% from 3-point range, as per iSports API.

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Five of the best players never to win the Champions League

It is the pinnacle of European football, with every player dreaming of getting their hands on the Champions League trophy. However, not even some of the game’s greatest players manage to get their hands on Europe’s biggest prize.

Five of the best players never to win the Champions League, according to iSports football API.

Ruud van Nistelrooy

Ruud van Nistelrooy is one of the most prolific goal scorers in European history, finding the net 60 times in Europe over the course of his playing days at Manchester United and Real Madrid.

Joining United in 2001, the Dutchman’s move to Old Trafford two years after the club had famously conquered Europe in 1999, establishing himself as one of the most deadly strikers on the continent, winning the Champions League top goalscorer award in 2002, 2003 and 2005.

His move to Real Madrid meant that he missed out on a winners medal when United won the Champions League in 2008, with Real Madrid not getting their hands on the trophy again until 2013, three years after the Dutchman’s departure.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan and Manchester United. All clubs who have won the European Cup on numerous occasions. They are also all clubs that Zlatan Ibrahimovic has played for with great distinction at some point in his illustrious career.

With that in mind, it’s pretty incredible to think that the Swedish striker hasn’t managed to get his hands on the most famous trophy in European football, in spite of his 49 European goals.

Ronaldo

One of the greatest strikers to have ever graced the game. Ronaldo, the original, the Brazilian, the Phenomenon.

Like Zlatan, he has also played for plenty of clubs with European pedigree, including Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and AC Milan.

However, despite his clinical goalscoring talent, he only managed to find the net 14 times in the Champions League, with his infamous hat-trick against Manchester United one of his best nights on the continental stage, as per iSports API.

Francesco Totti

While the rest of the players on this list so far have played for clubs with plenty of European pedigree and a plethora of titles to their name, Roma icon Totti has not.

Failing to get his hands on the biggest trophy in Europe is perhaps the ultimate price of his loyalty to his hometown club, where he spent all of his 25-year career.

While he doesn’t have a Champions League winners medal to his name, it doesn’t take anything away from the career of one of the greats of European football.

Gianluigi Buffon

While Totti never even got close to being a European champion, the once most expensive goalkeeper in the world has come agonisingly close on a number of occasions, incredibly losing all three of the Champions League finals he has featured in.

The first defeat came at Old Trafford in what was one of the most boring finals in living memory against AC Milan in 2003. More recently, he has suffered defeat at the hands of Barcelona in 2015 and Real Madrid in 2017.

His brief move to PSG didn’t see his UCL fortunes improve, and has since returned to Juventus where his search for a winners medal goes on.

Again, his lack of a European winner’s medal though takes nothing away from what has been a stellar career for this absolute legend of the game, who can of course console himself with a World Cup triumph and a boatload of Serie A winners medals.

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Carmelo Anthony's contract with Blazers now fully guaranteed

The Portland Trail Blazers will amend Carmelo Anthony's contract so that it becomes fully guaranteed for the remainder of the season, accprding to league sources.

Portland had until early January to fully guarantee the deal for the season. Anthony, 35, had signed a non-guaranteed contract last month.

Anthony was named the Western Conference Player of the Week last week after averaging 22.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists to help the Blazers go 3-0，as per iSports API. It marked the first time he was named a player of the week since the 2014 season, while he was a member of the Knicks.

Head coach Terry Stotts told ESPN Radio's Spain and Company that Anthony's addition has been "a pleasure" for the team.

"Melo's been terrific for us," Stotts said. "He's enjoying the experience. He's been a breath of fresh air for us that we needed."

Stotts said he has been impressed with Anthony's conditioning after being out of action for a year.

"We put a kind of limit/restriction on the first game or two just because we didn't want to extend his minutes not knowing what shape he was in," Stotts told Spain and Company. "But now he's playing 32-35 minutes, he played 37 minutes the other night. And for him to be out of NBA basketball for a year and be able to come in and play productive minutes for 35 minutes in an NBA game, to me, was remarkable."

Anthony poured in 20 points in 36 minutes in Wednesday night's 127-116 win over the Sacramento Kings. He is averaging 16.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game this season, according to iSports basketball API.

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Warriors' D'Angelo Russell returns after thumb injury

All-Star guard D'Angelo Russell returned to the Warriors' lineup Wednesday night after missing nine games with a sprained right thumb, giving Golden State's injury-ravaged backcourt an important boost.




Russell played 25 minutes in the 106-91 loss to the Charlotte Hornets, scoring 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting, according to basketball API provider iSports API.

Russell worked out in the morning shootaround before the game against Charlotte, getting final clearance to make his return. Russell was named an All-Star for the first time in his 5-year career last season.

Warriors forward Draymond Green, who was ruled out of Monday night's game against the Thunder with a sore right heel, also returned to the starting lineup Wednesday. He had five points and six assists in 25 minutes on Wednesday.

Warriors All-Star guard Stephen Curry is out until at least February with a broken left hand that required surgery, while Klay Thompson is recovering from surgery for a torn ACL in his left knee suffered in a Game 6 NBA Finals loss to the champion Toronto Raptors.

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Ranking the six most expensive signings in La Liga history

Spanish clubs were once again Europe’s biggest spenders this summer, with La Liga’s top three of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid the three highest spending teams on the continent.

Another host of expensive recruits have headed to Spanish football in 2019, but how have the country’s all-time priciest purchases fared since their big-money moves?

We’ve looked back at Spanish football’s most expensive signings, and ranked the costliest six in La Liga history, according to iSports API data.



Eden Hazard – €100m

The Chelsea superstar finally secured his dream move to Real Madrid this summer, the Spanish giants having held a long-standing interest in the Belgian international. In seven seasons in English football Hazard had established himself as one of the Premier League‘s finest talents, winning two league titles and earning a host of individual accolades including the PFA Player’s Player and FWA Footballer of the Year awards.

Hazard headed to the Bernabeu last summer for an initial fee of around €100m, and has been tasked with replacing the creative and goalscoring void left by Cristiano Ronaldo’s 2018 departure.

His start has been underwhelming thus far, showing only glimpses of his talent with many questioning his work-rate.

Hazard himself admits he arrived at the club overweight, and having scored just once in his first 11 appearances for the club in all competitions he will need to start performing soon to avoid being labelled a flop.

Few players are under as much pressure as the marquee man in Madrid, and Hazard will hope his dream move does not turn into a nightmare.

Gareth Bale – €94m

Ignoring his recent troubles in the Spanish capital, it is hard to argue that Gareth Bale is not one of Britain’s greatest footballing exports. The Welsh international moved to Real Madrid in a then world-record deal from Tottenham in 2013, helping the club end their long wait for La Decima by scoring the winner as Madrid won their tenth European Cup.

Since then Bale has added one La Liga title and three further Champions League trophies, including an incredible match-winning display off the bench to beat Liverpool in the 2018 final of the latter tournament in Kyiv.

In 234 appearances he has scored 104 goals for the club, winning 13 honours in a trophy-laden period in Madrid. His failure to truly integrate into Spanish life and difficult relationship with manager Zinedine Zidane makes his future uncertain, though his achievements have been matched by few on this list.

Ousmane Dembele – €105m

Neymar’s world-record departure to Paris Saint-Germain saw Barcelona spend big in a bid to bolster their attacking options, making Borussia Dortmund star Ousmane Dembele the then second-most expensive player in football history in 2017.

The France international had spent just one season at the German side after joining from Rennes, though Barcelona were sufficiently impressed to bring the winger to the Nou Camp in a club-record deal.

Dembele would win a La Liga and Copa del Rey double in an injury-hit first season, making just 23 appearances in all competitions. His output improved in 2018/19, scoring 14 times in all competitions as a second successive league title was secured.

In two seasons he is yet to truly justify his significant fee, whilst questions have also been asked over his attitude. The World Cup winner certainly possesses the talent to shine at the highest level and at just 22, Barcelona will hope he can fulfil his undoubted potential.

Antoine Griezmann – €120m

Having scored 94 La Liga goals in just 180 appearances during a five year spell at Atletico Madrid, Spanish champions Barcelona decided to raid their divisional rivals to secure the signing of the World Cup winning star in 2019.

The French forward moved to the Nou Camp in a deal worth €120m, where he joined a potent attacking line-up including the likes of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.

Regarded as one of the finest forwards in Spanish football, it was hoped Griezmann would perfectly compliment the Catalan side’s existing options but it has been a difficult adaptation so far.

Despite scoring four times in 11 La Liga appearances, it has been questioned whether Griezmann’s style is suited to getting the best out of Messi – the key for any Barcelona boss – whilst his favoured position as a second striker does not exist in the club’s current set-up.

More is expected of Griezmann than what he has currently produced, but undoubtedly an elite talent, he is likely to improve as he continues to settle into life at the club.

Joao Felix – €126m

Despite being regarded as one of European football’s most promising talents, Atletico Madrid’s record-breaking capture of the Portuguese starlet shocked the continent. The talented teenager had spent just one full season in the Benfica first-team, though after watching the forward score 20 goals in all competitions, Atletico smashed their transfer-record to bring Felix to Spain.

The 19-year-old became the fourth most expensive signing in football history, moving to the Spanish capital to replace the outgoing Antoine Griezmann. Felix made his senior international debut for Portugal this past summer and has impressed in his first appearances for Atletico colours, opening his La Liga account with a goal against Eibar in September and scoring three times in 11 appearances so far.

The youngster will have to continue adapting to the incessant demands of Atletico coach Diego Simeone, who often places a huge work-load on his attacking players.

A versatile player capable of playing as a forward or a deeper role, he looks to have the potential to develop into one of Europe’s leading players.

Philippe Coutinho – €160m

The most expensive signing in La Liga history, Brazil international Coutinho described his 2018 move to Barcelona as a ‘dream come true’. The midfielder had established himself as one of the best attacking talents in the Premier League during a five-year stay at Liverpool, before opting to move to Spain after a protracted chase by the Catalan side.

Having initially adapted impressively to life in La Liga, helping the club to a league and cup double following his record-breaking January move, Coutinho’s performance dipped drastically in his first full season.

The former Inter Milan star had been a key figure at Anfield but struggled to find his role in the Barcelona side, his influence minimal and saw him often targeted for criticism after a series of below-par displays.

After just 18 months in Spain he was deemed surplus to requirements and allowed to leave the club, joining Bayern Munich on a season-long loan deal.

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Barcelona’s five highest goalscorers in Champions League history

Few teams have enjoyed more success on the European stage in modern times than Barcelona.

Crowned winners in the final edition of the European Cup, the Catalan side have since lifted the Champions League on a further four occasions since its rebranding in 1992, with only Liverpool, AC Milan and rivals Real Madrid having ever enjoyed greater success on club football’s biggest stage.

The club’s Nou Camp home has played host to some of the tournament’s most iconic figures, and we’ve decided to look back at some of the greatest goalscorers to have donned the club’s famous colours.

Here are Barcelona’s five highest goalscorers in Champions League history, according to iSports API.



Neymar – 21 goals

The Brazilian international arrived at the Nou Camp in a highly anticipated deal in 2013, and after a season of adaptation to life in Europe began to demonstrate his undoubted talents on the Champions League stage.

Forming part of a famed attacking trio alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, Neymar would help fire Barcelona to a continental treble in 2014/15, scoring in the club’s Champions League final success over Juventus and finishing as the equal highest scorer in the competition.

He would be instrumental in one of the club’s greatest ever results, the miraculous 6-1 comeback victory over Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, eventually moving to the French side later that year in a world-record deal after scoring 21 goals in 40 European appearances for Barcelona.

Patrick Kluivert – 21 goals

Kluivert would announce himself to world football following his emergence as a teenager as part of Ajax’s Golden Generation, famously scoring the winning goal as an 18-year-old as the Dutch side won the Champions League in 1995.

Like many of that side he would depart for Europe’s giants, firstly to Milan before moving to Barcelona, where he continued to score prolifically.

In six seasons in Spain Kluivert would strike up a prolific partnership with Rivaldo and score 124 goals, 21 of those coming in the Champions League, as per iSports API.

Despite his best efforts, however, the semi-final stage would be as far as the forward would go in Barcelona colours, as his bid to add a second European Cup to his haul ultimately failed to materialise.

Luis Suarez – 22 goals

The second of the famed Neymar-Messi-Suarez trio to make our list, the Uruguayan has been a formidable presence in the Barcelona forward line since moving to Spain from Liverpool in 2014.

His first season saw the club conquer Europe, forming a brilliant partnership with the aforementioned duo which saw Suarez score seven Champions League goals as Barcelona secured a treble under former boss Luis Enrique.

Unpredictable but often brilliant, Suarez’s goalscoring exploits in Europe have dipped somewhat in recent seasons, though he remains key to Barcelona’s hopes of winning a sixth title and will hope to add to his record of 22 goals in 50 appearances during the current campaign.

Rivaldo – 25 goals

One of Brazilian football’s greatest players, Barcelona probably saw the peak years of Rivaldo during a hugely successful spell at the Nou Camp between 1997 and 2002.

That five-year spell saw Rivaldo crowned as World Player of the Year in 1999, as he led the club to back-to-back La Liga titles and twice into the latter stages of the Champions League.

Creative, skilful and with a penchant for the spectacular, Rivaldo would become a huge fan’s favourite to an adoring Nou Camp crowd.

Whilst success would ultimately not come in the form of a Champions League winner’s medal at the Nou Camp, Rivaldo would make his impact on the biggest stage and scored 25 goals for the club, the second-highest amount in Barcelona history, according to iSports API.

Lionel Messi – 112 goals

Who else?

Possessing more goals than the other four players on this list combined is Lionel Messi, who continues to expand the boundaries of what we thought was possible from an elite footballing talent.

A four-times winner of the competition, Messi has hit 112 Champions League goals in just 137 appearances, second only to great rival Cristiano Ronaldo in the tournament’s history.

The Argentine superstar has finished as the competition’s top scorer on six occasions, whilst no player has ever scored more than his eight Champions League hat-tricks.

Averaging 0.82 goals per game, Messi has comfortably the best ratio since the rebranding of the old European Cup. He continues to thrive on Europe’s biggest stage, and will be the central figure in the club’s pursuit of a sixth Champions League title this season.

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Real Madrid’s five highest goalscorers in Champions League history

For many clubs the Champions League is the pinnacle, but for Real Madrid it remains an obsession.

The Spanish giants have a special relationship with Europe’s premier competition, with no side in history having been crowned champions of the continent on more occasions than Los Blancos.

The club’s Bernabeu home has played host to some of the game’s most iconic stars, with several having produced their most memorable moments on Champions League nights.

We’ve decided to look back at some of the club’s greatest, with a look at Real Madrid‘s five highest goal scorers in Champions League history, as per iSports API data.

5. Gareth Bale; Luis Figo; Guti – 16 goals

The Welsh winger may be enduring an unhappy time in the Spanish capital at present, but there can be no denying Bale’s contribution to Real’s unprecedented success in the Champions League in recent seasons.

Having arrived in a world-record deal in 2013, Bale would help the La Liga side to win the elusive La Decima title in 2014, scoring in the final victory over city rivals Atletico.

The former Tottenham Hotspur man would then play his part in a hat-trick of consecutive titles between 2016 and 2018, the latter of which he came off the bench to score twice against Liverpool – the first of which was arguably one of the greatest goals in the competition’s history, according to iSports API.

A four-time winner, Bale has scored 16 Champions League goals in 53 appearances since moving to the Bernabeu, a figure also matched by two midfield talents of the club’s first Galactico era – Luis Figo and Guti.

4. Fernando Morientes – 17 goals

Part of the Real Madrid side who won three Champions League trophies between 1998 and 2002, Morientes enjoyed a hugely successful eight-year spell at the club after joining from Real Zaragoza before being squeezed out as the Galactico era began at the Bernabeu.

A goalscorer in the competition’s first ever final between two teams from the same country in 2000, Morientes scored 17 Champions League goals for the club before departing on loan to Monaco, where he famously finished as the tournament’s top scorer and scored in both legs of their victory over parent club Real Madrid.

The Spaniard joined Liverpool the next season, but he was cup-tied for their miraculous Champions League final triumph over AC Milan in Istanbul.

3. Karim Benzema – 48 goals

An arguably underrated presence in a Real Madrid side that has dominated the Champions League in recent seasons, Karim Benzema has won the competition four times since moving to the Bernabeu from Lyon in 2009.

Having helped Carlo Ancelotti’s side to La Decima in 2014, Benzema would be part of the side that would become the first of the Champions League era to retain the trophy by winning three consecutive editions between 2016 and 2018.

A goalscorer in fortuitous circumstances in the latter final victory against Liverpool, Benzema has often scored goals at crucial moments in big European fixtures and has an impressive one in two record, scoring 48 Champions League goals in just 96 appearances for the club, as per iSports API.

2. Raul – 66 goals

An iconic figure at the Bernabeu, the former Spain striker would come through the ranks at the club before establishing himself as one of their greatest ever goalscorers, whilst he would also become the Champions League’s most prolific forward until the arrival of the Lionel Messi/Cristiano Ronaldo era.

Raul would help the Spanish giants to three Champions League titles with five years between 1998 and 2002, scoring in deciders against Valencia and Bayer Leverkusen respectively.

Named as UEFA Club Forward of the Year for three successive seasons at the turn of the millennium, the former club captain is regarded as one of the best players in Real Madrid’s long and illustrious history and scored 66 goals in the famous white shirt.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo – 105 goals

The greatest goalscorer in the history of both Real Madrid and the Champions League, the Portuguese superstar has often turned Europe’s elite tournament into his own personal playground during a glittering career at some of the continent’s leading clubs.

Having moved to the Bernabeu in a world-record move from Manchester United in 2009, Ronaldo would hit a staggering 105 Champions League goals in just 101 appearances during nine seasons in the Spanish capital, helping the club to lift the trophy on four occasions and extend their record to 13 European Cups, recorded by iSports API.

He would become the first player to win the trophy five times in the Champions League era, whilst also becoming the first player ever to score in three separate finals. His incredible list of records include the most goals in a single Champions League campaign (17), becoming the only player to score in 10 consecutive games and the most assists in the tournament’s history.

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