Mike Budenholzer hailed Giannis Antetokounmpo for getting the Milwaukee Bucks over the line in a dramatic overtime win over the Toronto Raptors and admitted he would have handled the game differently in hindsight.
Just a day on from a career-high 55-point showing against the Washington Wizards, Antetokounmpo had a second triple-double of the season as his 30 points, 10 assists and 21 rebounds helped secure a 104-101 victory.
"I think Giannis, on a back-to-back, he used a lot of energy both last night, tonight," Budenholzer said. "They're very physical. For him to find a way to get us over the top was huge."
It should have been a more comfortable conclusion for the Bucks, who were leading by 21 points with 3:50 left on the clock in the fourth quarter.
With 3:22 remaining, Budenholzer – mindful of the back-to-back games – opted to sub out each of his five starters.
Fred VanVleet's back-to-back threes saw Budenholzer send them back in but Toronto recovered from 11 points down with a little over 40 seconds remaining to send the game to overtime.
"[There were a] couple of turnovers trying to inbound the ball against the press," Budenholzer said. "It felt like if we got the ball in we were able to get it across halfcourt and then we had a couple turnovers in the halfcourt that you just can't have that we've got to work on and improve.
"Definitely after, in hindsight, I would do it differently – I wouldn't take the guys out but, up 20, on a back-to-back, you hope that you can finish that out.
"But a 6-0 run in a matter of 15, 20 seconds, that probably gave them the life to take it all the way down. So, it’s unfortunate and we'd like to be better, including myself."
Antetokounmpo was typically influential in overtime, driving down court and finding Grayson Allen to hit the game-winning three with a pin-point pass despite falling out of bounds.
"He was wide open," Antetokounmpo said. "I drove the ball, I saw VanVleet coming in from the corner and I was able to deliver the ball to Grayson and he caught it clean and I knew we had a chance when he caught it clean and shot the ball.
"It feels good. Obviously your body's tired and it's more mental than physical and just being able to go out there and get the job done back-to-back, it always feel good."
Aaron Rodgers remains unsure whether Sunday's game with the Detroit Lions will be his final outing at Lambeau Field as uncertainty again surrounds the legendary quarterback's Green Bay Packers future.
Four-time MVP Rodgers has struggled with injuries throughout the season and has once again flirted with the idea of calling time on his career at the end of the campaign.
The Packers head into their contest with the Lions seeking a win to secure a playoff spot, but a home game in the postseason is not possible.
That means Rodgers could run out at Lambeau Field for the final time this weekend, but the 39-year-old is not thinking too much about that scenario at this stage.
"I'm going to take some time after the season," Rodgers said on Wednesday. "I've got a lot of great memories here at Lambeau – and hopefully can add another one on Sunday.
"You don't know what the future holds. But when I think about that, it's nothing but gratitude. Not remorse or sadness, just gratitude for the time that I've been here.
"There are amazing memories that I've had on this field. There's been a lot of great moments, but I'm still undecided [about next season].
"We're all undecided about the future. I'm just going to enjoy Sunday night and hopefully have some more to play for."
Rodgers was the only member of the Packers' 53-man roster who did not take part in the jog-through style practice on Wednesday.
The one-time Super Bowl winner, who has been with the Packers since 2005, is hoping to overcome thumb and knee injuries.
"I just think that coming off a physical game and this point in the season, a lot of Wednesdays are like that anyways," head coach Matt LaFleur said.
"Above-the-neck days just allow our guys a little bit more time to recover. Then we'll get back on a more normal routine [on Thursday] and handle it the best we can."
Kevin Durant was philosophical after the Brooklyn Nets saw their 12-match winning streak ended, saying the team ran into "special players" against a hot Chicago Bulls side.
The Nets headed into Wednesday's contest as the in-form team but fell to a 121-112 defeat in Chicago, where six Bulls players finished with double figures for points.
DeMar DeRozan and Patrick Williams put up 22 apiece, while Nikola Vucevic scored 21 to go with 13 rebounds and Ayo Dosunmu and Zach Lavine finished with 17 and 13 points respectively.
Durant acknowledged the Bulls have "three elite scorers, from all angles of the floor" in reference to DeRozan, LaVine and Vucevic, and added: "Their top two guys [DeRozan and LaVine] were 12 for 31 for 35 points.
"We can live with that. But Pat Williams made some shots and easy rolls to the rim. Ayo is playing great this year and put pressure on the rim.
"I felt like a lot of times we chased them a bit, and that was just consistent throughout the whole game, us just playing from behind.
"I think we definitely put our foot on the gas in spurts but they made shots. They're talented players, special players. When you've got your whole five in double figures, it's tough to stop that."
Defeat leaves the Nets third in the Eastern Conference but with an identical 25-13 record with the Milwaukee Bucks and just a game back from the table-topping Boston Celtics, who own the best record in the NBA.
For Durant, there were still plenty of good things to take out of the defeat.
"We understand how we want to play every night," he said. "I feel like the league is always on notice with the talent we have on our team.
"I don't think anybody takes us for granted when they're preparing for us each night. I think we found some things that were good for us on both ends of the floor and want to be consistent with executing those things as we move forward."
The Bulls, who are 10th in the conference, had lost their past two games prior to halting the Nets' charge.
Curiously, their record against the top three in the East this season stands at 6-1, but against teams who are under .500 they are 4-8.
"To come out here after those two tough losses and beat one of the hottest teams in the NBA, it's good," LaVine said. "I think we came out with the right attention to detail. We withstood their run at the end, and we beat them collectively.
"Because you know if you don't come in here and you don't have your A-game you're going to get blown out.
"I think that's the difference in our record. We come out here with the same attention to detail like we've all talked about I think that will flip around a lot of things."
Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded his second triple-double of the season as the Milwaukee Bucks blew a 21-point second-half lead before rallying for a 104-101 overtime win over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday.
Antetokounmpo finished the game with 30 points on seven-of-18 shooting, making 15-of-21 from the free-throw line, along with a season-high 21 rebounds and 10 assists with one block.
The dominant display came in the second game of a back-to-back after his 55-point performance against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday. Antetokounmpo is the first player since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1972 to drop 200-plus points, 80-plus rebounds and 30-plus assists over a five-game span.
The Greek forward drove to the basket and laid off a crucial assist for Grayson Allen's go-ahead triple with 11.6 seconds remaining in OT.
Allen had earlier given up a flagrant 1 foul on a four-point play as Gary Trent Jr shot a three-pointer to make it 97-92 with 29.1 seconds remaining. Trent also nailed a 27-foot three-point jumpshot to tie the game at 97-97 sending it to OT.
The Raptors were plagued by poor OT shooting as Antetokounmpo set up Allen twice to clinch the game.
Milwaukee had led 90-69 with 3:50 remaining in the fourth quarter, before Toronto's 28-7 run was sparked by Fred VanVleet, who finished with 28 points and 12 assists along with Trent Jr with 22 points for the game. Scottie Barnes had 19 points for the game, all after three-quarter time.
Brook Lopez had 19 rebounds with nine points for the Bucks, who were missing Jrue Holiday (non-COVID illness) and Khris Middleton (knee).
The result improves the Bucks' record to 25-13 and second in the Eastern Conference, while the Raptors are 12th with a 16-22 record.
Nets winning run ended by Bulls
The Brooklyn Nets' 12-game winning streak was ended by the Chicago Bulls 121-112 despite Kevin Durant's 44 points.
Durant shot 15-of-22 from the field, including five-of-10 from three-point range, but the Bulls had a rounded team effort with all five starters reaching double digits, led by Patrick Williams and DeMar DeRozan, who both scored 22 points with seven rebounds.
Center Nikola Vucevic had 21 points with 13 rebounds, helping the Bulls go on an 8-0 fourth-quarter run when Durant was rested, with Ayo Dosunmu laying down a big dunk for 106-95 with 6:46 left.
Schroder leads short-handed Lakers to victory
Dennis Schroder led the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers past the Miami Heat 112-109 with 14 of his season-high 32 points coming in the fourth quarter.
The Lakers, without LeBron James (non-COVID illness) and Anthony Davis (foot), were also helped by Russell Westbrook with 21 points, nine assists and eight rebounds off the bench. Thomas Bryant also scored 21 points.
LA fought back from a six-point fourth-quarter deficit, despite Bam Adebayo's 30 points and 13 rebounds, along with Jimmy Butler contributing 27 points.
New Jersey Devils head coach Lindy Ruff hailed both Nico Hischier and Tomas Tatar for playing through injuries in their 5-1 road win over the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday.
Dougie Hamilton, Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier and Alexander Holtz each managed a goal and an assist with Miles Wood adding a pair of helpers in the victory which improves their record to 24-11-3.
The Devils had only won two of their past 11 games prior to the Red Wings clash where Hischier and Tatar helped gain a much-needed win.
"We knew some guys were going to try and tough it out for us," Ruff told reporters.
"Couple guys were game-time decisions and were able to play. We didn't get their bodies to 100 per cent but I thought the effort was great. The fact they wanted to play, we got through the game."
Hischier appeared troubled by his hand injury during the game and he did not take any draws in the first half.
The Swiss centre helped set up Hamilton's goal midway through the second period in his first face-off of the game.
"We knew that he wasn't going to be able to take a lot [of face-offs] but we still thought he could step in for the odd one," Ruff said.
"It was a tight game until we scored those couple of power play goals and both of them where at the hands of winning draws."
Hischier, who has totalled 60 points this season with 21 goals and 39 assists, scored for the fourth straight game despite the hand issue.
"I felt good enough to be out there but definitely tried not to take too many face-offs, stuff like that," Hischier said. "Just trying to help the team on the wing as well, I think it was my first game as a winger.
"In my mind, I just wanted to reduce the face-offs. On the power play unit I'm going to grind it out there and take those draws and it came up good.
"Lucky it was good enough to win some draws for the team there. Overall, just happy for the game and the two points tonight."
The Golden State Warriors are hopeful that reigning NBA Finals MVP Stephen Curry can return next Friday ahead of their six-game road trip.
Curry has been sidelined since suffering a left shoulder subluxation on December 14 against the Indiana Pacers.
Warriors general manager Bob Myers revealed Curry was scheduled to be re-evaluated by medical staff on Saturday, which could pave the way for a playing return soon.
"He's working out on the court, and the two-week mark to re-evaluate him this weekend," Myers told Bay Area radio station 95.7.
"There have been no setbacks, so [Friday] would be a hope. That's what we would be shooting for, something in that range when he could be back.
"He's been, not contact, but out there doing all this stuff. He looks like the same guy. He's got a sleeve on his shoulder and arm."
The reigning champions have had a disjointed 2022-23 season, sitting 20-18 and seventh in the Western Conference, ahead of Wednesday's game against the Detroit Pistons.
Curry's return ahead of their six-game road trip would be a boost for the Warriors, who have the worst road record in the NBA, at 3-16.
The Washington Commanders will start rookie Sam Howell for their regular-season finale against the Dallas Cowboys having been eliminated from postseason contention.
Commanders head coach Ron Rivera confirmed the decision on Wednesday as they re-shuffle the QB deck for one final time.
Rivera swapped Taylor Heinicke for Carson Wentz at QB for last week's 24-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns, which ended the Commanders' playoffs hopes.
Wentz, in his first start after almost two months out with a fractured finger, completed 16 of 28 passes for 143 yards with three interceptions.
"I think first, initially, is obviously, it would be his first start, and it would become a little bit of a circus, having to deal with all of the things that come with being a starter, but also, you look at the opponent, and who you're playing and what they're playing for," Rivera told reporters.
"Going with Taylor would have given us an opportunity to see what they're doing, how they're doing it and would have given Sam a chance to look at it if we had gone with Taylor.
"At the end of the day, at some point, if Sam ever gets an opportunity to be a starter, this would be the chance. Why not get it over with now and go from there?
"The most important thing is that we're really intrigued in terms of watching and seeing what Sam can do as a quarterback in this league."
Wentz, 30, has two years remaining on his Washington contract, having joined via trade last offseason from the Indianapolis Colts.
Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields will miss their season finale against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday due to a hip strain, ending his bid for the NFL single-season quarterback rushing record.
Fields sustained the hip injury in the Bears' 41-10 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday, with Nathan Peterman to start in his absence at Soldier Field.
The 2021 NFL Draft 11th overall selection will finish the regular season 64 yards short of Lamar Jackson's NFL QB rushing record of 1,206 yards.
Fields had undergone an MRI after reporting hip soreness on Monday, with the scan revealing a strain.
"He's just not able to go full speed," Bears head coach Matt Eberflus told reporters on Wednesday. "I asked him how it was today, and he said it's still real sore."
Eberflus insisted that the 3-13 Bears' draft position was not behind the decision to rule out Fields, given they could jump the Houston Texans to earn the No.1 overall pick should they lose and the Texans win their Week 18 games.
"I would just go back to our normal operating procedure," Eberflus said. "So, what is it? It's the medical staff, so he didn't clear that hurdle.
"If he'd have cleared that hurdle, then we'd have to go to the next one, which is the coaches. Is he functioning the way he can function to protect himself, right?
"Then it's the player. Does he feel good about doing that. So, he didn't clear the first one. So, that's just where it is."
Fields will finish the season with a passing completion rate of 60.4 per cent for 2242 yards with 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. The 23-year-old had 1143 rushing yards for eight touchdowns.
Joel Embiid has been ruled out by the Philadelphia 76ers for the game against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday with "foot soreness".
Embiid had landed awkwardly in the fourth quarter of the Sixers' 120-111 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday.
The 28-year-old center was assessed by the Sixers team doctors on Wednesday and was ruled out despite initially being listed as questionable.
Sixers head coach Doc Rivers said there were no long-term issues and that Embiid was day-to-day moving forward.
"He didn't talk about a lot of soreness right afterwards," Rivers told reporters prior to Wednesday's game.
"Then, later that night, he said his foot was bothering him and was sore, and then more the next day."
Embiid was the Eastern Conference player of the month for December after averaging 35.4 points on 54.5 per cent shooting from the field for the month.
Four-time NBA MVP LeBron James will miss the Los Angeles Lakers' clash with the Miami Heat on Wednesday due to a non-COVID-related illness.
James is fresh from back-to-back 40-point games for the Lakers, including scoring 47 points on his 38th birthday against the Atlanta Hawks.
The Lakers forward has stepped up during Anthony Davis' absence due to a foot injury, averaging 31.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.0 assists through December.
James is averaging 29.0 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.6 assists across the season for the Lakers, who are 16-21.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is yet to resume practice and head coach John Harbaugh will not be drawn on his postseason availability.
The 2019 NFL MVP has not played since sustaining a knee injury against the Denver Broncos on December 4, with Tyler Huntley starting in his absence.
Jackson missed a 13th straight practice on Wednesday raising concerns about his playoff availability for the Ravens, who are 10-6 and guaranteed of an AFC Wild Card ahead of their regular-season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
"I'm just probably going to leave all that stuff alone," Harbaugh told reporters.
"I'm going to focus on the game and just get ready to coach our guys and have our guys get ready to play the game."
The Ravens offense has averaged 12.3 points and scored only three touchdowns in the past four games since Jackson's injury, yet have won two of those games on the back of their defense.
Baltimore have been held to 17 or fewer points in five straight games, the first when Jackson was injured.
"They're not challenges that we're going to sit here and say we can't overcome or we can't win games with," Harbaugh said about his offense.
"We've got to try to do everything we can to make those plays in the next game. That's all you can do in this league."
Huntley is also dealing with soreness in his right throwing shoulder ahead of the Cincinnati game, which could determine who wins the AFC North, pending the decision made on the suspended Bengals-Buffalo Bills game.
The Bengals would have clinched the AFC North with victory against the Bills on Monday, but the game was suspended after Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest. If the game is resumed and the Bengals lose, the Ravens could still claim the AFC North with victory on Sunday.
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray has undergone surgery to repair the torn ACL in his right knee, a procedure that both he and head coach Kliff Kingsbury said went smoothly.
Murray made the announcement on Wednesday via social media while posting a picture of himself smiling in a hospital bed.
"ACL surgery was successful, thank you for all the love and prayers," Murray wrote. "I appreciate the support and positivity more than I can express. I'll be back."
Murray will now begin the process of rehabbing his knee in the hope of being ready for the start of the 2023 season, which is not a certainty considering the timing of the surgery. The two-time Pro Bowler was injured in Arizona's Week 14 loss to the New England Patriots on December 12.
Kingsbury told reporters on Wednesday the Cardinals are planning as if Murray will not be cleared in time for the 2023 opener, which he said went into the decision to hold out back-up quarterback Colt McCoy for Sunday's finale against NFC West champions the San Francisco 49ers.
McCoy had missed Arizona's previous two games with a concussion he sustained at the Denver Broncos on December 18.
Kingsbury said David Blough will make a second straight start at quarterback for Sunday's contest.
"It was tough," Kingsbury said about the decision to shut McCoy down. "He wanted to play, and it's just in our situation with probably not having Kyler start the year, it's the right thing to do."
Blough, signed off the Minnesota Vikings' practice squad following Murray's injury, completed 24 of 40 passes for 222 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions at Atlanta last week, a 20-19 Cardinals defeat that extended their losing streak to six games.
Arizona enter Sunday's finale with a 4-12 record one year after making the playoffs with an 11-6 mark. Murray himself had a down year, as the former Heisman Trophy winner's passer rating fell from 100.6 in 2021 to 87.2 this season, and his 6.1 yards per pass attempt is the lowest of 33 qualifying quarterbacks.
"I think it can be kind of a reset for him," Kingsbury said of Murray’s offseason rehab. "We know we had our struggles this year offensively and we feel like we can play at a much higher level, and I think he understands that he can build himself back better and attack this thing. And I think that's how he's viewing it.
"It's kind of a reset and where he takes it now, it's kind of how what’s going to define his career."
Minnesota Vikings right tackle Brian O’Neill has been diagnosed with a partial tear of his Achilles tendon and will require surgery, coach Kevin O’Connell said on Wednesday.
O’Neill, a Pro Bowl selection in 2021, was placed on injured reserve on Tuesday after the steady veteran sustained what O’Connell called a "significant" calf injury during Minnesota’s 41-17 loss at NFC North rivals the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
The fifth-year pro has never previously missed a game due to injury since joining the Vikings as a second-round pick in 2018. O'Neill has started 75 regular-season games and two postseason contests during that span.
"It's going to be a hard thing to replace, especially that consistency," O'Connell said. "What I've challenged some of the guys is understanding the standard Brian set at that position."
Oli Udoh, a 16-game starter mostly at right guard last season, took over for O'Neill last week and will start Sunday's regular-season finale at Chicago as well as the NFC North champion Vikings' upcoming playoff games.
O'Connell said O'Neill is expected to make a full recovery in time for the 2023 season.
Minnesota will also be forced to start third-string center Chris Reed against the Chicago Bears in Week 18 after Austin Schlottmann was also placed on IR after he fractured his left fibula in the Green Bay loss.
Schlottmann had started the Vikings' past four games in place of regular center Garrett Bradbury, who is still recovering from a back injury but is hopeful of returning for the playoffs.
"We felt their loss [Sunday], and we're going to have to do everything we can to have those players stepping into those roles ready to play good football for us and contribute on the offensive side," O’Connell said on Monday.
The NFL has not yet made a decision on when, how or if the Buffalo Bills' game against the Cincinnati Bengals will be completed while "everything is being considered".
Monday's game was postponed after Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed in the first quarter.
Hamlin had collided with Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins and suffered a cardiac arrest. He was resuscitated on the field, then rushed to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
The Bills player has remained in hospital in critical condition, but the NFL has started to look at potential resolutions for the suspended game.
Troy Vincent, executive vice president of football operations for the NFL, ran through various considerations in a conference call with reporters on Wednesday.
While looking at all options, Vincent said the league would be guided by Bills head coach Sean McDermott.
"My concern is making sure the men have what they need to function," Vincent added.
Sean McDermott set the tone for the response to Damar Hamlin's cardiac arrest, according to Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Taylor.
Buffalo Bills safety Hamlin collapsed during the first quarter of Monday's game against the Bengals following a collision with wide receiver Tee Higgins.
Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest and was resuscitated on the field, before being rushed to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he has remained in critical condition.
An unprecedented incident saw the NFL community rally around Hamlin, although the procedure in the immediate aftermath was understandably unclear.
That was where Bills coach McDermott came in, Taylor has revealed, with his focus on supporting Hamlin as the game was suspended.
"I always knew Sean. We've never worked together, never had a meal together, but I had respect for him," Taylor said.
"Seeing the way he led his team deepened that respect for him and verified everything I thought he was about as a man."
He added: "I don't want to disclose any of the private conversations Sean and I had except this.
"When I got over there, the first thing he said was, 'I need to be at the hospital with Damar, I shouldn't be coaching this game'. That to me provides all the clarity.
"'Unprecedented' is the word that gets thrown around a lot in this situation, because that's what it is. In that moment, he really showed who he was.
"All his focus was just on Damar and being there for him, being there for his family, at the hospital.
"At that point, everything trended in the direction it needed to trend. The right decisions were made.
"I really felt Sean McDermott led in that moment. He was there for his players, he processed the right way, which was incredibly difficult, and really helped us get to the solution we needed to get to."
The Philadelphia Eagles still do not know if Jalen Hurts will play in Week 18, although the quarterback will take part in Wednesday's walkthrough.
Hurts has missed the Eagles' past two games with a shoulder injury, having been a leading NFL MVP contender in a 13-1 start to the season.
Philly have lost twice in the QB's absence, meaning fans are eager to see him back before the playoffs, with work still to do in their final regular season game to clinch the top seed in the NFC.
The Eagles play the New York Giants, another postseason team, but have not yet decided on Hurts' involvement.
"We'll still keep that day by day," said coach Nick Sirianni. "We don't have to make a decision yet.
"We'll see how the week goes and see how [Wednesday's] walkthrough goes. [On Thursday] we'll see a little bit more because we'll be doing more than a walkthrough, we'll be practicing, so we'll get a better idea."
Damar Hamlin remains in intensive care in critical condition but with "signs of improvement" noted on Tuesday and overnight into Wednesday, the Buffalo Bills have said.
Hamlin collapsed during the first quarter of Monday's game between the Bills and the Bengals in Cincinnati following a collision with wide receiver Tee Higgins.
The safety suffered a cardiac arrest and was resuscitated on the field.
He was rushed to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he is said to have since been sedated on a ventilator.
As the NFL world has rallied around Hamlin, there have been positive updates from Hamlin's family regarding the 24-year-old's condition.
And the Bills offered more encouraging news on Wednesday in a post on their Twitter account.
It read: "Damar remains in the ICU in critical condition with signs of improvement noted yesterday [Tuesday] and overnight.
"He is expected to remain under intensive care as his health care team continues to monitor and treat him."
Michael Smith considered himself darts' equivalent of Andy Murray after beating Michael van Gerwen to land his maiden world title triumph.
The 32-year-old claimed a 7-4 victory in Tuesday's thrilling PDC World Championship final at Alexandra Palace in London, which included a perfect nine-dart leg in the second set.
Smith, who had lost eight successive major finals before his breakthrough triumph at the Grand Slam of Darts in November, is now the world number one as a result of his victory.
He is just the 11th winner of the tournament in its 30-year history, with Phil Taylor having won it 14 times prior to his retirement in 2018.
And Smith believes there are parallels to tennis star Murray's memorable 2012 US Open final win against Novak Djokovic – his first of three grand slam triumphs after four final defeats.
"I'm like the Andy Murray of darts," Smith told Sky Sports. "He has come through with these three amazing players in [Roger] Federer, [Rafael] Nadal and Djokovic.
"He managed to get Queen's and then won the US Open, Wimbledon, and Wimbledon again, and he had to work hard for that.
"I know he got to world number one and then, unluckily for him, he had his injuries, although it didn't cost him his career as he's still playing now."
Five different players have now had their name on darts' biggest trophy in the past six years, with Peter Wright the only multiple winner in that period.
"Back in the day it was Phil Taylor and someone who pushed him," Smith said. "Barney [Raymond van Barneveld] was there, Adie [Adrian Lewis] pushed him for a bit as well.
"Then Michael [Van Gerwen] came along, then you've got Gary Anderson, Peter Wright and Gez [Gerwyn Price].
"You've got really unbelievable players where anyone in the top 32 can win a TV title and it's not just Phil Taylor dominating the sport. The sport is wide open now, which is good."
Smith averaged 100.71 across the 11 sets, with that the highest in the World Championship final since Van Gerwen's 102.88 three years ago when losing to Wright (102.79).
Iga Swiatek dragged Poland into the semi-finals of the United Cup with inspired performances in her singles and doubles matches against Italy.
Poland trailed after Lorenzo Musetti and Matteo Berrettini secured wins against Daniel Michalski and Hubert Hurkacz respectively, only for Swiatek and Magda Linette to level things with respective singles victories over Martina Trevisan and Lucia Bronzetti.
That sent the Brisbane city final to a decider in the mixed doubles, which Swiatek and Hurkacz won with ease 6-1 6-2 against Musetti and Camilla Rosatello, though there was a pause in the second set to dry rainfall on the court.
Despite defeat, Italy also advanced to the final four as the city finals loser with the best record.
It was more routine in Sydney as the United States eased to a 4-1 win against Great Britain.
Madison Keys came from a set down to beat Katie Swan, while Jessica Pegula eased past Harriet Dart 6-2 6-0 after Cameron Norrie had defeated Taylor Fritz in three sets.
Despite going a set behind, Frances Tiafoe came back to beat Dan Evans 3-6 7-5 6-3 to clinch the win for his country, before Pegula and Fritz added some gloss after beating Dart and Evans in the mixed doubles.
The third city final in Perth included a thriller as Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas beat Borna Coric 6-0 6-7 (4-7) 7-5. Donna Vekic had no trouble getting Croatia on the board as she eased past Despina Papamichail 6-2 6-0.
Maria Sakkari put Greece 2-1 ahead when she beat Petra Martic 6-3 6-3, but Borna Gojo defeated Stefanos Sakellaridis in straight sets to make it 2-2.
However, Greece secured the win and their place in the last four after the pairing of Sakkari and Tsitsipas saw off Martic and Gojo 7-6 (8-6) 6-4.
Greece will take on Italy in the semi-finals, while Poland face the USA, with both taking place in Sydney on Friday.
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