CHICAGO -- DeMar DeRozan spent only three seasons playing for the Chicago Bulls, but after receiving a standing ovation and video tribute during Sunday's 124-119 victory -- his first game back at the United Center since signing with the Sacramento Kings in the offseason -- DeRozan said the connections he made with the organization during his tenure made him feel as if he spent 10 years in Chicago.

"Stuff like that goes a long way, man," he said after the game about the video package and reception from fans. "I'm always humbled by any type of appreciation from my time anywhere."

DeRozan signed with the Bulls before the start of the 2021-22 season and instantly flourished. He averaged 25.5 points, his highest scoring total with any team, and 5.1 assists on 49.6% shooting during his three seasons in Chicago, including two All-Star appearances and a top-10 MVP finish in 2022.

He quickly became the leader of the Bulls both on the court, closing out close games down the stretch in the fourth quarter, and in the locker room, mentoring the team's young talent, inviting players such as Coby White and Patrick Williams to train with him during the offseason in Los Angeles.

"The first moment I came here I tried to give my all to this organization, to the city and I think it showed," DeRozan said. "Genuinely putting everything into representing the Bulls. When I came here, I just think it showed I invited the culture of Chicago, everything. So it showed, I think when people see that, you get the genuine reaction in return."

DeRozan, 35, is now on his fourth team after being sent to the Kings in a sign-and-trade during the offseason after he and the Bulls could not come to terms on a long-term contract. DeRozan also wanted a chance to win at this point in his career and Sacramento is starting to put things together, winning its seventh consecutive contest Sunday.

And DeRozan was a key contributor down the stretch vs. Chicago, a sight the Bulls became familiar with the past few seasons. He scored nine points in the fourth quarter to finish with 21 points and three assists in the Kings win.

"Toronto will always be No. 1, but I got to put Chicago second," DeRozan said. "To kind of have a renewed ambition coming to Chicago. I just remember the first meeting I had with [Bulls vice president Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley] and them just saying, 'Come here and just be you.'

"For that to translate to being an All-Star to doing all the incredible things I did here just shows you, you just stay with something, it'll repay you."

The Bulls signed DeRozan to pair him with Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic, both also former All-Stars, while Lonzo Ball ran the offense at point guard. Ball got injured midway through their first season and missed the next 2 seasons. The All-Star trio played together for three seasons, but produced only one playoff appearance, a first-round loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2022 playoffs in five games.

DeRozan acknowledged it was bittersweet to match up against the Bulls when his former running mates are performing at a high level individually. Ball made his first start Sunday in three years to replace an injured Coby White (neck) and knocked down five 3-pointers. LaVine finished with 36 points, his sixth straight 30-point game (joining DeRozan and Michael Jordan as the only Bulls in history to do so). Vucevic is shooting a career best in both field goal percentage and 3-point percentage.

So DeRozan said it was only natural to look at those results and wonder, "What if?"

"Without a doubt. Definitely gives you that thought because that's why we came here all together, play together to have those type of moments," DeRozan said. "But it didn't go as we expected it to go."

NEW YORK -- After the Milwaukee Bucks were routed 140-106 on Sunday by the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden -- a loss that dropped them to 0-8 in games against the top three teams in the East -- two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo said the Bucks needed to start showing more.

"We've gotta get our stuff together. It's as simple as that. We did not beat Boston. We did not beat the Cavs. We didn't beat the Knicks," Antetokounmpo said. "Those are the top three teams, and we've played horribly against them."

The comments were similar to ones Antetokounmpo made after the Bucks were blown out at the Madison Square Garden in November, prompting him to critique Milwaukee's competitive spirit.

The 30-year-old said things were a bit different Sunday. The Bucks, who dropped to 2-7 after their loss to the Knicks in November, have gotten back on track recently, sitting at 20-17 after their latest loss. But Antetokounmpo still expects more.

"I think we're a way better team [now] than the November team. We've proven it by playing good basketball for longer stretches," said Antetokounmpo, who finished with 24 points and 13 rebounds. "But at the end of the day, when we're playing the better teams, we've got to do a better job. They're not just going to give it to us -- we've got to take it. They're not just going to fold."

Milwaukee kept the score close for much of the first half, but New York used a late run to expand its lead to 13 points by halftime. The Knicks outscored the Bucks by 10 in the first two minutes of the third quarter, prompting Bucks coach Doc Rivers to call two timeouts in an attempt to stop the momentum.

Knicks guard Jalen Brunson finished with 44 points and six assists despite missing much of the third quarter after suffering a right shoulder stinger. Center Karl-Anthony Towns added 30 points and 18 rebounds.

Bucks guard Damian Lillard acknowledged that Milwaukee's record against the top teams in the East is far from ideal, but added that it requires context.

"You have to have watched the games," he said, citing the Bucks' two losses to the Cavs by a combined three points and two other defeats to the Celtics that were decided late in those games.

Lillard said the Bucks' adjustments between now and the start of the postseason will be paramount.

"One year in Portland, we got our asses whupped every [regular-season] game by OKC. Then in the playoffs, we whupped their ass," Lillard said. "So no; we haven't beaten the top teams. But we also have to key in, look at why, figure out the context and move forward."

CLEVELAND -- Andrew Nembhard scored 19 points, Pascal Siakam had 18 points and nine rebounds and the Indiana Pacers ended NBA-leading Cleveland's winning streak at 12 games, defeating the Cavaliers 108-93 on Sunday night.

The teams will complete the home-and-home set Tuesday night in Indianapolis.

Myles Turner added 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Jarace Walker had eight points and 12 rebounds off the bench to help Indiana win its sixth straight. The Pacers held the Cavaliers to a season low in points and outscored them 68-40 in the second half.

"There was nothing to lose, this is the best team in the league right now," Nembhard said of the Cavaliers during his postgame, on-court interview on the FanDuel Sports Network. "We had to play hard, play together, and put some more physicality in the game on the defensive side of the ball, and play off of that."

Cleveland lost for the first time since Dec. 8 at Miami. It is 33-5 overall and 20-2 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

"What disappointed me was our first half was phenomenal, defensively, and then the second half, we fell off," Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson said. "So, we couldn't sustain our defense. Just disappointed."

Darius Garland had 20 points and seven assists for the Cavaliers. Donovan Mitchell scored 19 points and Evan Mobley had 16 points and 12 rebounds, but it wasn't enough.

"We were connected (on defense)," Nembhard said. "We didn't fool around, even when we made mistakes, we helped out each other, and just made the next play."

The win came at a cost for the Pacers, as All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who has appeared in all 40 games and is averaging team highs of 8.9 assists and 35.0 minutes, sat out the second half after experiencing left hamstring tightness. He had two points and five assists.

With a rematch on tap in two days, Indiana coach Rick Carlisle raved about Cleveland's depth and style under Atkinson, saying, "They don't have any weaknesses. I mean, you can't find any. All of their guys can score and those guys play defense, too."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

After postponing a couple of Saturday matchups due to the ongoing wildfires in the Los Angeles area, the NBA has informed the Lakers and the Clippers that their regularly scheduled games are expected to be played Monday at Crypto.com Arena and Intuit Dome.

The Lakers are scheduled to host the San Antonio Spurs, while the Clippers will host the Miami Heat.

"It's above my pay grade," Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said when asked whether it feels right to play Monday. "I think the NBA, they have a good handle on things that's going on and what they need to do. So, they make the decision. They know we're going through a tough time right now in the state of California, and they understand that.

"Hopefully, we can bring some kind of joy with the game coming back tomorrow and some togetherness, as you may, and try to put some smiles on people's faces in tough times."

The league on Friday postponed games Saturday featuring the Spurs at the Lakers and the Charlotte Hornets at the Clippers, with those contests to be rescheduled for later dates.

The NBA also said it would donate $1 million for immediate relief to the American Red Cross, World Central Kitchen and additional organizations. The Lakers also will host a donation drive at upcoming home games starting Monday, with fans encouraged to bring unused, unopened items to support the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank's relief efforts.

Approximately 105,000 people remain under mandatory evacuation orders amid multiple wildfires in the Los Angeles area. At least 16 people have died as a result of the fires. The Palisades Fire is already the most destructive in L.A. history, with more than 5,600 structures destroyed over 24,000 acres.

"This is probably the biggest thing I've been a part of," Lue said. "Just seeing families and people lose their houses, lose their businesses, lose loved ones. It's pretty devastating, and it's tough to really fathom what they're going through right now."

Spurs guard Chris Paul, a Los Angeles resident who formerly played for the Clippers, expressed concern for the community after his team's loss Wednesday night at the Milwaukee Bucks. Paul said his wife and children evacuated their home Tuesday.

"It's definitely scary, everything that is going on," Paul said. "I'm sending so much love and prayers to some of my closest friends and family who have lost everything."

Clippers forward Nicolas Batum said his team has "been through some crazy stuff" over the past five days, including playing Wednesday's game at the Denver Nuggets as evacuations were happening in Los Angeles.

"That game in Denver was weird all day," Batum said. "I was on the phone with my family all day. I didn't sleep that night.

"I think I stopped checking my phone three minutes before game. I checked at halftime. I never do that. Just to make sure my wife and kids were OK."

The Spurs arrived in Santa Monica early Thursday after landing in Los Angeles on a flight that commenced shortly after the team's matchup at Milwaukee. The club checked into its team hotel in Santa Monica but decided hours later to relocate to a hotel in downtown Los Angeles for precautionary reasons.

The NBA had previously postponed Thursday's matchup between the Lakers and the Hornets at Crypto.com Arena, with that game still yet to be rescheduled.

Lakers coach JJ Redick said last week that he lost his home in the Palisades Fire.

Following Monday's games, the Lakers are scheduled to host the Heat on Wednesday, while the Clippers will host the Brooklyn Nets the same day.

ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Dave McMenamin contributed to this report.

Qualifier Hady Habib described his history-making Australian Open win as "the biggest achievement" of his career after he became the first player from war-damaged Lebanon to win a Grand Slam match.

The world number 219 won three qualifying matches in Melbourne to become the first man to represent his nation in a major singles tournament.

On Sunday, the Texas-born Habib beat China's Bu Yunchaokete 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 7-6 (8-6) to reach the second round, triggering jubilant scenes among his passionate support in the stands of court 13.

The 26-year-old, who moved back to Lebanon before returning to the US to focus on his tennis, held up a Lebanese flag after sealing victory in the third-set tie-break.

"This is the biggest achievement I've had in my entire career," said Habib, who represented Lebanon at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

He added: "It's such an incredible feeling to get this win, not only for myself but for Lebanon and Lebanese tennis.

"As you guys could see there, the crowd was absolutely wild. It made it even more special to win in front of them."

German second seed Alexander Zverev began his latest bid for a first Grand Slam title with a comfortable straight-set victory over French wildcard Lucas Pouille at the Australian Open.

The 27-year-old, who reached the semi-finals in Melbourne last year, cruised into the second round with a 6-4 6-4 6-4 win.

Zverev, who faced just two break points against the 103rd-ranked Pouille, will play Spaniard Pedro Martinez next.

Former world number 10 Pouille, a semi-finalist in 2019, could have provided a potential obstacle for Zverev but it felt like the world number two still had plenty more gears to go through.

In recent years it has been a case of so near yet so far for Zverev when it comes to winning a major.

Last year he fell in the last four in Melbourne - losing to Russian Daniil Medvedev despite taking a two-set lead - and finished runner-up to Spain's Carlos Alcaraz at Roland Garros, having reached the semi-finals on his previous three appearances in Paris.

But it was a clinical start from Zverev on Rod Laver Arena as he aims to win his first Grand Slam at the 36th time of asking and on his 10th appearance at the Australian Open.

Should he succeed in Melbourne, he would go joint-second alongside Stan Wawrinka of most attempts before winning a major title in the Open era.

Earlier on Sunday, Kei Nishikori, playing in Melbourne for the first time in four years, edged a five-set thriller against Brazil's Thiago Monteiro 4-6 6-7 (4-7) 7-5 6-2 6-3.

Norwegian sixth seed Casper Ruud avoided becoming the first top-10 casualty at this year's tournament by coming through in five sets against Spain's Jaume Munar.

The 26-year-old, a three-time Slam runner-up, won 6-3 1-6 7-5 2-6 6-1.

Kartal and Bouzas Maneiro were made to wait several hours to get on to court after thunderstorms held up play.

Even when they arrived at 18:15 local time, there was still a delay as the chair umpire and staff dried the court with towels.

Kartal sees herself as a "disrupter" but she was unable to unsettle Bouzas Maneiro in the early rallies.

Bouzas Maneiro managed to get on top in the baseline duels, knocking powerful winners off both flanks as she won 29 of the 44 points in a one-sided first set.

When Kartal lost serve and went 3-0 down in the second set, it looked as though she was heading towards a rapid defeat.

But Bouzas Maneiro began to look nervous, suddenly making more unforced errors as Kartal clawed back the break.

A chance for the Spaniard to clinch the match came at 5-4 30-40, but a tight forehand volley wide indicated the pressure she was feeling.

However, Kartal did not fully capitalise on her opponent's tension.

The Briton moved 4-2 ahead in the tie-break, but was pushed back on her weaker backhand as Bouzas Maneiro wiped out the mini-break and turned the match back in her favour.

Bouzas Maneiro will now go on to face Sabalenka after the top seed started her bid for a third consecutive title with a straight-set win over American Sloane Stephens.

Sabalenka entertained the Melbourne crowd with some dancing on court after the match, having built up a following on social media by posting videos of her dancing with her team on TikTok.

Fast becoming a fan favourite, she then went to take a picture of the crowd with a polaroid camera before realising it had run out of film.

The top seed will face Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, who knocked out British hopeful Sonay Kartal, in the next round.

Rain affected proceedings on the outside courts on day one of the season's first Grand Slam, but the Rod Laver Arena roof was open in time for Sabalenka's evening match after Zheng Qinwen, her opponent in last year's final, beat Romanian qualifier Anca Todoni.

Sabalenka finished 2024 as the year-end world number one for the first time and, beginning her campaign in Australia as two-time defending champion and top seed, looked in fine form as she raced to a 4-0 lead.

But Stephens, who has pedigree on the hard court as a former US Open champion, pegged Sabalenka back, breaking back twice for 4-3 as Sabalenka made a series of unforced errors.

Often animated on court, Sabalenka roared in frustration at each mistake, waving her arms around in exasperation.

What had looked likely to be a straightforward opening set of her campaign turned out to be more tricky but the three-time Grand Slam champion converted her fifth break point for 5-3 then served to take the set.

Sabalenka once again earned herself a double break in the second set and this time was able to hold on to her advantage over Stephens, who has not won a match since last year's Wimbledon.

By contrast, Sabalenka warmed up for the tournament by winning the Brisbane - and she looks in fine form for a historic 'three-peat'.

Gwalia Lightning produced a second half fightback and scored a try in the 80th minute to earn a dramatic victory over winless Glasgow Warriors in the Celtic Challenge.

The Welsh side were favourites, having won two of their first three matches, while the Warriors remain at the bottom of the table.

Wales flanker Bryonie King returned to captain Gwalia after sustaining an ankle injury in round two.

The home side quickly took the lead when Rhodd Parry scored the opening try two minutes into the match. Carys Hughes, who had already amassed 22 points in the first three rounds, added the conversion.

Glasgow responded when Briar McNamara broke through to power over under the posts, but she missed the conversion.

Gemma Bell followed the same path, breaking through Gwalia's defence in the 28th minute and McNamara added the conversion.

Glasgow's third try came a minute later, with full-back Sky Phimister taking control of a high kick.

She shrugged off a defender with a quick dummy and goosestep, then ran almost the length of the pitch for a magnificent solo try for Warriors to lead by 12 points at the break after McNamara's conversion.

Alaw Pyrs scored Gwalia's second try from a close-range line-out to bring the score to 12-19 after 54 minutes.

Warriors hit back instantly to secure a crucial bonus point through McNamara, who also converted, as the visitors led 26-12.

But that first win was not to be. Courtney Greenway showed great awareness close to the try line, scooping the ball up and diving over the ruck to score Gwalia's third try.

Two minutes later Greenway's pace in open space allowed her to glide over to bring Lightning back to 24-26 after Hughes' conversion.

Gwalia needed one last push to secure the win, and as the clock hit 80 minutes, captain King seized the moment with a pick and go from the back of a ruck to power through the weary Warriors defence.

Hughes stepped up and nailed the conversion, putting Gwalia five points ahead to complete the comeback.

Gwalia Lightning have notched up three wins from four matches, moving up to third place in the Celtic Challenge table, just behind the Irish teams Wolfhounds and Clovers.

Dragons: Cai Evans; Rio Dyer, Joe Westwood, Harri Ackerman, Jared Rosser; Angus O'Brien (capt), Che Hope; Rodrigo Martinez, Elliot Dee, Chris Coleman, Joe Davies, Barny Langton-Cryer, George Young, Taine Basham, Aaron Wainwright.

Replacements: James Benjamin, Dylan Kelleher-Griffiths, Dmitri Arhip, George Nott, Dan Lydiate, Morgan Lloyd, Lloyd Evans, Ewan Rosser

Pau: Clément Mondinat; Theo Attissogbe, Eliott Roudil (capt), Fabien Brau-Boirie, Gregoire Arfeuil; Axel Desperes, Dan Robson; Remi Seneca, Romain Ruffenach, Jon Zabala Arrieta, Hugo Auradou, Jimi Maximin, Mehdi Tlili, Reece Hewat, Thibaut Hamonou.

Sin bin: Hamonou (3)

Replacements: Dan Jooste, Daniel Bibi Biziwu, Harry Williams, Remi Picquette, Loic Credoz, Thomas Souverbie, Quentin Valentino, Jack Maddocks.

Referee: Aimee Barrett-Theron (SARU)

Assistant referees: Morne Ferreira & Griffin Colby (SARU)

TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)