MANCHESTER, England -- Ruben Amorim has inherited a mess at Manchester United. But amid the rubble at Old Trafford, the manager found Amad Diallo and at least for now, that's enough to keep him, and United, going.

For much of the game against Southampton -- enduring the worst start to a Premier League campaign -- it was the visitors who were the better team. They were a goal up at half-time and it could have been more. But just as they got within sight of a first top-flight away win since February 2023, Amad produced a 12-minute hat trick to pull his team back from the brink and win 3-1.

At the final whistle, the moans and groans that had filled Old Trafford for more than 80 minutes had turned to chants in support of the Ivory Coast winger.

It's no surprise because at the moment, he's the only one worth singing about. In the space of a month, he has scored a winner against Manchester City, an equaliser against Liverpool and dragged his team back from an unimaginable defeat to the league's bottom team. No wonder Amorim was so quick to give him a new five-year contract.

"He did a great job," Amorim said. "It's a good moment for a young kid to score a hat trick for a club like this."

Amorim's postmatch media commitments were dominated by questions about Amad, but the 22-year-old's late intervention told only half the story. Southampton arrived having not won a league game since November and without an away win all season. Yet they were by far the better team for the first hour and United were lucky to be only 1-0 down at half-time.

"We didn't do a good game, but if you look at all the opportunities I think we deserve the win," Amorim said.

"In the first half, we were too late to every ball and we tried to press too high and suffered for that."

Goalkeeper André Onana made three good saves with the score at 0-0, including a terrific double stop from Tyler Dibling and Mateus Fernandes. He's the only player who comes close to challenging Amad for United's Player of the Year award. Even though it's still only January, Amad might already have it sewn up.

It was only when Amorim brought on Joshua Zirkzee and Toby Collyer after 53 minutes to join half-time substitute Antony that United began to get a foothold in the game.

Antony inexplicably missed an open goal from two yards, but fortunately for him, Amad was preparing to save everyone's blushes. Almost single-handedly, he prevented United from losing four straight top-flight home games for the first time since 1930.

Amad made the first goal himself by running at Kyle Walker-Peters. He produced a wonderful finish to stretch and connect with Christian Eriksen's pass to score his second and then completed his first senior hat trick by robbing Taylor Harwood-Bellis and tapping into an empty net.

It's incredible to think that -- now United's most important player -- he was overlooked for so long by former manager Erik ten Hag. His goals made sure Amorim's postmatch chat with co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe went far smoother than it might have done otherwise.

"I had five minutes with him to talk about different things," Amorim said.

"The result helped the conversation. We continue doing our job. Today, it was more important that we win. I know the fans want to see so much better football, but we need to win games. We managed to win and we are going to prepare for the next game.

"The important thing is to win. Amad helped us and he is doing a very good season. I already spoke about this. You have to be careful with the young kids. Congratulations to him, enjoy tonight and he needs to appreciate these moments."

Amorim can only wish that he had more than one Amad. He needs him at No.10 and as a wing-back. He needs more players with his energy and his ability to press. Now United's top goal scorer, he needs more players with his eye for goal.

The problem is, with little scope to make changes in the January window, Amorim will have to make do with what he has.

Once the euphoria of the dramatic victory subsides, he will reflect that if beating Southampton is such a struggle, then every other game for the rest of the reason will be a huge challenge. He's facing the prospect of limping through the rest of the campaign as best he can and hope he's given the tools to perform major surgery on the squad in the summer. Until then, he needs Amad.

"He has to rest, eat good food, and on Sunday [against Brighton & Hove Albion] we need him again," Amorim said.

A University of Florida athletics department employee filed a sexual assault complaint against an assistant men's basketball coach Tuesday as the school continues to investigate head coach Todd Golden for alleged Title IX violations that became public in November.

The woman, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, reported to the school's Title IX office that in March 2024, assistant men's basketball coach Taurean Green arranged a meeting with her in the athletic facilities, where he kissed her and tried to put his hand down her pants, according to a copy of the complaint reviewed by ESPN.

She pulled his hand away and said no, and he tried again, at which point she got away, according to the complaint. Until that day, she had never been alone with Green and had only exchanged casual greetings with him on campus, she told ESPN in an interview.

Green did not respond to requests for comment.

In a statement, Florida spokesperson Steve Orlando told ESPN, "The law prohibits us from commenting on the existence or status of investigations. The University of Florida takes these matters seriously and conducts a thorough and deliberate process that ensures due process for everyone."

The woman said she did not report the alleged incident at the time in part because of Green's status. Green, who as a Florida player won NCAA championships in 2006 and 2007, joined the basketball staff in 2022 after playing in the NBA and overseas.

The woman told ESPN she decided to come forward after Title IX investigators working on the Golden case asked to interview her last fall about Golden's interactions with female athletes. She said that inquiry made her realize there could be concerns about a pattern of behavior and other women could be affected.

She told ESPN she first reported her allegations in mid-December to Florida deputy athletics director Amy Meyers Hass. When asked what action was taken after she became aware of these allegations, Hass did not comment, citing confidentiality.

The allegation against Green is the second known Title IX complaint filed against a member of the Florida men's basketball coaching staff in the past four months. The university is still investigating the Sept. 27 Title IX complaint against Golden that included allegations of sexual exploitation, sexual harassment and stalking, according to copies of correspondence provided to ESPN and sources with direct knowledge of the investigation.

ESPN and the Florida Center for Government Accountability have made requests for records pertaining to the Title IX complaint and correspondence among certain Florida athletic and university officials. Those requests have been denied or have not received a response.

The Title IX complaint against Golden includes allegations that he sent photos and videos of his genitalia, made unwanted sexual advances on Instagram and requested sexual favors.

On multiple occasions, Golden allegedly took photos of women walking or driving -- or their cars in various locations -- and then sent those photos to the subjects of the photos. He also allegedly showed up to locations where he knew the women would be, according to the Title IX complaint.

In a Nov. 9 post on X, Golden wrote that he had been participating in the inquiry and was consulting with an attorney on bringing defamation claims. No such lawsuit has been filed.

Golden's attorney, Ken Turkel, declined to comment Thursday.

Golden, who joined the Gators from the University of San Francisco in 2022, has continued to coach since the complaint was filed. Florida is 15-2 and ranked fifth in the AP Top 25.

One complainant in the Golden inquiry is a student at a college with a partnership program with Florida, according to her attorney, Karen Truszkowski. In response to an ESPN records request, university officials noted that the school could provide no record of her being a student at Florida. Another woman, who also spoke with Title IX investigators about unwanted behavior from Golden, is not a student and said she knows the basketball coach socially.

Both women have provided statements to Title IX investigators and have continued to correspond with them, according to Truszkowski.

Title IX is designed to protect students from discrimination, including sexual harassment. It is unclear how the two women's status affects the investigation. Florida's Title IX coordinator, Jackie Moran, did not respond to a question about how the law applies to complaints filed by nonstudents. Moran is an employee of Grand River Solutions, a private California firm Florida contracted last year to conduct its Title IX investigations, according to an agreement reviewed by ESPN.

"It doesn't matter if a complainant is a student, employee or otherwise. The important question is, 'Could this have an impact on the student body at large?'" Truszkowski said. "The Title IX department is looking into allegations involving current students as well."

Golden initially signed a six-year, $18 million contract and agreed to a two-year extension in March 2024 that will keep him at Florida through the 2029-30 season. His contract, a copy of which ESPN has reviewed, prohibits "romantic, amorous and/or sexual relationships between any coach or other employee of the Association and any student athlete or other person subject to the supervision, control and/or authority of such coach or other employee."

The contract also says the university can take disciplinary action if the coach acts in a manner "that has an 'adverse effect' or causes an 'adverse reflection,' on the reputation, mission and/or interests" of the athletic department or the university.

Paula Lavigne is an investigative reporter at ESPN. Reach her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Alex Ovechkin broke one NHL record and in the process moved a step closer to another Thursday night.

The Washington Capitals star broke the mark for the most goaltenders scored on, beating Leevi Merilainen in overtime to give the Capitals a 1-0 victory over the Senators in Ottawa, Ontario.

Merilainen became the 179th goalie Ovechkin has scored against, breaking a tie with Jaromir Jagr atop the career list.

Ovechkin's goal came on his third shot on net and fifth attempt. He took a pass from Rasmus Sandin on a 2-on-1 breakaway and fired it past Merilainen.

Ovechkin raised his arms and pumped his fist before he was mobbed by teammates. It was his 27th career overtime goal, extending his record. Sidney Crosby is second with 22.

"I knew I should take a shot as soon as I can because I thought he may be thinking maybe I will pass it back to Sandy," Ovechkin said.

"It was a good one, and it went in, so I'll take it."

Merilainen, a 22-year-old rookie from Finland, was appearing in his eighth game in the league.

"You have to know when he's on the ice he's going to shoot everything like he did today," Merilainen said.

Of course, Ovechkin is chasing an even bigger record -- Wayne Gretzky's career goals mark. With No. 874, he moved 21 away from passing Gretzky's mark of 894 that long seemed unapproachable.

The 39-year-old winger is on pace to get to 895 and beyond this spring.

Earlier in January, Ovechkin scored for a 28th time on Marc-Andre Fleury, tops among all the netminders he has faced since arriving in North America in 2005.

Thursday's goal marked the first time Ovechkin has scored in overtime during a 1-0 game in his career. It was also his 13th career overtime goal on the road, surpassing Jagr and John Tavares for the most in NHL history.

It was Ovechkin's 21st goal of the season in just his 29th game -- he missed 16 games because of a broken left leg. He has gotten to 20 in all 20 of his seasons in the league, including 2013 when a lockout shortened the season to 48 games and 2021 when the COVID-19 pandemic cut the schedule to 56 games.

Information from ESPN Research and The Associated Press was used in this report.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and his wife, Connie, are donating an initial $15 million in emergency funding for people affected by the deadly Los Angeles wildfires.

The Ballmer Group announced the donation Thursday on its website, saying it will go toward addressing immediate food and shelter needs in the community and supporting first responders.

"We love L.A. and are committed to supporting the communities affected by the devastating wildfires," the couple said, adding the donation would help "particularly in the historic, racially diverse community of Altadena."

The Ballmer Group also is behind FireAid, a benefit concert to be held Jan. 30 at Intuit Dome and the Kia Forum, which is also owned by Ballmer.

"We understand there will be a long road to recovery for the LA region and remain committed to supporting the community," the couple said.

Their donation covers four wildfire relief funds, two emergency shelters and emergency housing funds, two food and basic needs groups, two first responder groups, and nine groups that support basic needs for students and families.

MIAMI -- Jimmy Butler could be returning to action for the Miami Heat when they host the Denver Nuggets, as he isn't listed on the Heat's injury report for Friday's game.

If Butler does play, it would be his first game since the Heat confirmed he wants a trade and that they are trying to accommodate that request. He was suspended by the Heat for their most recent seven games, the club citing conduct that it deemed detrimental to the team. Miami went 3-4 in those contests.

When the suspension was issued, it wasn't clear whether Butler would ever play for the Heat again. But with no trade in place -- and evidently without one in the foreseeable future, either -- the Heat did not list Butler on their injury report for the game with the Nuggets.

In short, if he's not on that list, it would indicate the Heat expect Butler to play.

Butler was not with the team on its six-game road trip to Sacramento, Golden State, Utah, Portland and then Los Angeles for games against the Clippers and Lakers. The Heat did not practice Thursday and were planning a walk-through Friday afternoon before the Denver game.

Butler was expected to meet with some team officials Thursday and Friday. It's likely that he will also meet with coach Erik Spoelstra, given comments Butler made in his most recent session with reporters after a loss to Indiana on Jan. 2. He expressed frustration with his role and said he's lost his on-court "joy" in Miami.

"What do I want to see happen? I want to see me get my joy back from playing basketball, wherever that may be -- we'll find out here pretty soon," Butler said. "I want to get my joy back. I'm happy here, off the court, but I want to be back to somewhere dominant. I want to hoop and I want to help this team win. Right now, I'm not doing that."

The relationship between Butler and the Heat -- a talking point for weeks -- has degraded to the point where Butler reiterated to team president Pat Riley in a face-to-face meeting last week that he wants to be traded, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania.

The Heat lost to Indiana 128-115 on Jan. 2, with Butler scoring exactly nine points and playing exactly zero seconds in the fourth quarter for the second consecutive game. The next day, the Heat issued the suspension and reversed course from a statement Riley made in December vowing that Butler would not be traded. The team has been engaging in trade talks since.

But trading Butler is complicated, with new rules in the collective bargaining agreement putting more issues in place for teams to address when acquiring big contracts -- and he's making nearly $49 million this season, with an option to make $52 million next season.

He's 35 years old and is averaging 17.6 points this season. On the one hand, that's his lowest average since his third season in the NBA more than a decade ago. On the other, he's shooting a career-best 55% this season.

Butler was the best player on two Heat teams that went to the NBA Finals. His relationship with the Heat has been tense since last spring, when Riley announced the team would not extend Butler's contract before the 2024-25 season. Butler could have gotten an extension for as much as $113 million over two years.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The rematch between the NBA's top two heavyweights ended with an early knockout.

The final score of the Oklahoma City Thunder's 134-114 home win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night only hinted at how dominant the Thunder were in avenging a loss in the Jan. 8 thriller between the teams with the NBA's best records.

In the previous matchup, the Cavaliers pulled out a 129-122 win in a game that featured 30 lead changes and wasn't decided until the final minute. The Thunder put this game out of reach by halftime, when Oklahoma City had a 26-point lead, the largest deficit of the season for Cleveland.

The lead swelled to 42 points in the third quarter before the benches emptied.

"They imposed their will in every sense," Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson said after the Cavaliers dropped to 34-6, matching the Thunder's record. "We knew it was coming. We knew their force was coming. That's their identity. They imposed their identity. It was an avalanche, and we never responded."

Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander single-handedly outscored the Cavaliers by a 15-14 margin in the first quarter en route to finishing with 40 points in only 29 minutes. He became the first player in Thunder/SuperSonics history to score 40 in fewer than 30 minutes, according to ESPN Research, going 17-of-26 from the floor and also dishing out eight assists.

"I was just playing basketball, the game I love," Gilgeous-Alexander said, playing down the notion that the recent loss to the Cavaliers provided extra motivation. "I work hard. Try to give the game my all and see what it gives back to me."

Oklahoma City's top-ranked defense gave very little to the league's most efficient offense, only eight days after Cleveland had the highest-scoring outing of any Thunder opponent this season.

"It felt like seven pit bulls out there. Not five," Atkinson said. "They were scratching, reaching -- in a good sense. Their speed and athleticism, they kind of toppled us over. It was that simple. That's their calling card. They've done it to a lot of teams. They dominated in every aspect."

The Thunder held the Cavaliers to 49 points in the first half and forced 13 turnovers that Oklahoma City converted into 22 points, almost matching the Thunder's league-leading average of 23.2 points per game scored off turnovers by halftime.

"That's our DNA," said Thunder star forward Jalen Williams, who finished with 19 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks in 30 minutes. "We just try and play hard the whole time. When we can get our communication and just our core principles in the game -- and we didn't do a good job of that the first time we played them and were able to do that tonight -- and I think that makes it hard for teams."

Cavaliers star guard Donovan Mitchell had a poor performance while being harassed by Thunder defensive stopper Lu Dort, scoring a season-low eight points on 3-of-15 shooting. Mitchell credited the Thunder for being the "more mentally and physically tough team" and said blame for the Cavaliers' abysmal performance should begin with him.

Dort also played a major role on the offensive end, scoring a season-high 22 points and going 6-of-9 from 3-point range.

"They just set the tone," said Mitchell, who was held to 11 points on 3-of-16 shooting in the recent win over the Thunder. "We didn't come ready to play. Put this one on me. As a leader, you've got to set the tone. That's twice now against this team that I haven't been that. When your leader's not doing it, it trickles down."

The Cavaliers' big tandem of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley were nonfactors in Oklahoma City despite the Thunder missing their 7-foot duo of Isaiah Hartenstein (calf strain) and Chet Holmgren (fractured pelvis).

Allen and Mobley combined for 18 points, 10 rebounds and 1 assist, compared with their production of 46 points, 21 rebounds and 13 assists in the previous meeting between the contenders. The Cavaliers played significant stretches before garbage time without either of the big men on the floor in an attempt to match up with Oklahoma City's speed.

"The obvious is they're bigger than us, and our whole goal was to just be so good playing small that they'd try to play small and can't have both of them out there on the court at the same time," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "And I think we did a really good job of that tonight. Being grimy when the bigs brought the ball down, getting the loose balls, helping each other out, scrambling. We obviously got on a run, and they had to make some changes, and then once the game goes small it's pretty much our game, our style."