Thomas Müller makes Bundesliga history in first half of season

In a turbulent opening half of the season for Bayern Munich, Thomas Müller has been a big positive.

Despite the German champions having to change coach, the 30-year-old has been a key and constant presence.

So much so that he has set a Bundesliga record for the opening half of a season.

No player before had ever managed to register 11 assists in the first 17 games until Müller this year, as per iSports API football data.

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His latest assist came on Saturday in the 2-0 win over Wolfsburg as he provided for Joshua Zirkzee to open the scoring.

In addition to his double-digit assists, the forward has also scored twice in the Bundesliga.

He is followed closely in the league assist charts by Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho, who has 10.

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Getafe president confirms Carles Aleñá talks with Barcelona

Getafe barely missed out on Champions League qualification last season, falling two points short of the task and qualifying for the Europa League for just the third time in the club’s history, as per iSports API.

The azulones have proved last season’s campaign was no fluke and are currently in fourth place domestically, with a mouthwatering Europa League round-of-32 tie against Ajax on the horizon.

Currently just 6 points behind Barcelona and Real Madrid, Getafe president wants to make a splash in January and has confirmed he will speak with Barça to discuss the future of midfielder Carles Aleñá.

Aleñá has made 38 appearances for Barcelona, scoring three goals, currently values the player at €30m, according to iSports API football data.

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Aleñá nearly joined Getafe 2 years ago when Rafinha fell victim to injury just before the January window opened up.

With Barcelona’s congested midfield, it may be time for the club to let the 21-year-old embark on his own journey.

“I’ll speak with them this afternoon, or tomorrow, to see whether or not the kid will stay there. I like Carles Aleñá and wanted him two years ago.

“He could cover the place if somebody else left. If no one leaves, no one will come in.

“But Markel is tired of suffering and if he retires, we’ll have a spot open. He wants to retire and we’ll need to replace him.

“The market is open and there are players who want to join us. We’re in the Europa League and any deal which could improve us now, or for the future, is something we’ll value.”

Earlier this month, AS reported that the two sides had agreed to a six-month loan deal for the player.

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Knicks hire ex-Cavaliers coach David Blatt as consultant

The New York Knicks announced that they hired David Blatt as a basketball operations consultant.

"I look forward to the next step in my career as I officially retire from coaching," Blatt said, in part, in a statement released by the Knicks. "I've long been intrigued by working in a front office."

Blatt was personal friends with Knicks president Steve Mills when the two were in college at Princeton. Blatt is also close with Craig Robinson, who is also working in the Knicks' front office. Blatt, Robinson and Mills all played on the basketball team at Princeton together, as per iSports basketball API.

"David Blatt is a great basketball mind and we look forward to adding him to the organization," Mills said in a statement.

Blatt was hired as the Cleveland Cavaliers coach in 2014 after an extensive search before the franchise knew that LeBron James would be leaving the Miami Heat to return to Cleveland.

After coaching the team to an NBA Finals berth in 2015, the Cavs were in first place in the Eastern Conference (30-11) the following season when Blatt was fired in January 2016. Tyronn Lue replaced Blatt as coach of the Cavaliers and that group went on to win the NBA championship, according to iSports API basketball API.

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After leaving the NBA, Blatt went to Europe and coached in the Turkish Super League and then coached in the Greek Basket League. Blatt left his post as coach of Olympiakos in October, two months after announcing he had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

Blatt announced in August he had been diagnosed with MS, which attacks the central nervous system, a few months earlier.

Blatt was in attendance at Knicks practice on Wednesday.

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Anthony Davis sits in Lakers' loss to Pacers with ankle sprain

Anthony Davis did not play in the Lakers' 105-102 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night due to a mild ankle sprain.

It was the second game Davis has missed this season. He is leading the team in points (27.4), rebounds (9.3) and blocks (2.6) per game, as per iSports basketball API.



In Davis' absence, Jared Dudley made his first start of the season for the Lakers (24-4), who are now tied with the Milwaukee Bucks for the NBA's best record.

Davis tweaked the ankle during Sunday's win against the Atlanta Hawks. He grabbed at his right ankle when fouled on a layup in the closing minutes, but he was able to finish the game.

He had been listed as questionable on the injury report leading into Tuesday's game.

Davis previously has dealt with rib and shoulder soreness this season. Kyle Kuzma (ankle) was also out for Los Angeles, as previously announced.

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Kings have 29 turnovers, still deal Warriors 'embarrassing' loss

The Sacramento Kings set an NBA season high with 29 turnovers but still managed to overwhelm the Golden State Warriors 100-79 on Sunday night. The two teams combined for 50 turnovers and countless mental errors leaving both players and coaches on both sides searching for answers.

After losing to the lowly New York Knicks at home Friday night, Kings coach Luke Walton was just happy to walk out of Chase Center with a victory.

The amount of turnovers gave the first-year coach some pause. The Kings' 29 turnovers were the most by any NBA team in a win since 2004, according to ESPN Stats and Information research. They were the most turnovers by the Kings in any game since 1996 -- and the most turnovers they've had in a win since 1984 when the team was still based in Kansas City, as per iSports basketball API.

Kings big man Marvin Bagley had to chuckle when asked if he had ever seen a game in which a team turned the ball over that many times and still won by more than 20.

Kings swingman Buddy Hield didn't seem concerned with all the lapses, pointing out that his team actually shot very well from the floor. The Kings finished the game shooting 60.3 percent from the field and had 27 assists, according to iSports API NBA data.

The Warriors performance was so bad that it left the group's emotional leader, Draymond Green, trying to find the right words to explain how poorly his group played.

When told the Kings had 29 turnovers, Green couldn't really believe it.

The Warriors' 79 points were the least scored in a home game during the Kerr era, as per reliable sports data provider iSports API. The team, which has been riddled with injuries all season, continues to play without Stephen Curry (broken hand), Klay Thompson (left ACL rehab) and rookie forward Eric Paschall, who missed his second straight game because of left hip soreness. But those absences don't give Green much solace. The proud veteran leader appeared as outwardly frustrated as he's been all year.

As the Warriors continue looking for answers, the Kings remain hopeful that their best basketball is ahead. The organization is hoping to get injured guard De'Aaron Fox back at some point this week, possibly as early as Tuesday when they travel to Charlotte to face the Hornets. Fox has been out since suffering a grade three left ankle sprain in a Nov. 11th practice.

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Ronaldo sets new goals record as Juventus beat Udinese

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice to set yet another goal-scoring landmark and help Juventus to a 3-1 home win over Udinese that sent them back to the top of Serie A.

In-form Ronaldo, who has five goals in his last four games, took his tally for the season to 11 in 19 appearances, becoming the only player in Europe's top five leagues to hit double figures in all competitions in each of the last 15 seasons, as per iSports API football data.

He struck twice in the first half before Leonardo Bonucci headed in Juve's third on the brink of half-time.

"The most important thing was to win," Ronaldo told journalist.

"This is how we should play, with confidence. Individual performances aren't what matters, but the collective effort."

Juventus suffered their first defeat of the season at Lazio last weekend to surrender the lead to Inter Milan, but the champions put pressure back on Antonio Conte's side.

Gianluigi Buffon started in goal for Juventus to match Alessandro Del Piero's club record of 478 Serie A appearances, while Ronaldo was given the rare opportunity to start in an attacking trident alongside Paulo Dybala and Gonzalo Higuain.

Ronaldo came close to a hat trick in the second half when his powerful shot was palmed onto the post by Udinese goalkeeper Juan Musso.

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Fikayo Tomori signs new five-year Chelsea deal

Fikayo Tomori has been one of the Premier League’s breakout stars this season and he has been handsomely rewarded for his efforts.

On Thursday, Chelsea announced that the centre-back, who turns 22 next week, has signed a new deal that will keep him at the club until 2024.

After starring under Frank Lampard on loan and making 55 appearances last season at Derby County, Tomori has inserted himself immediately into the Chelsea starting XI and made 16 appearances in all competitions, contributing a goal and an assist, as per iSports API.

Gareth Southgate has taken notice of the young star, calling Tomori up on two occasions and giving him his first cap last month in Euro 2020 qualifying against Kosovo.

“It’s obviously a very proud moment for myself and my family,” Tomori told the Chelsea website. “I’ve been at the club since I was seven years old so I don’t really know much else other than Chelsea.

‘The club has been so good to me, looking after and developing me during that time into the player and the person I am today.

“It’s a dream come true to sign a new five-year contract. I’m really happy the club have shown this faith in me and I’m just excited to carry on.”

Tomori’s previous deal was set to expire at the end of the 2021 season.

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