NBA In-Season Tournament Quarterfinals: Who will round out final four?

The NBA In-Season Tournament has been so far, so great.

Say what you will about players, fans and coaches alike not being certain of the rules for qualification, or the bright courts permanently damaging TVs and retinas with their Chicken-Roaster-from-Seinfeld-level glare, or the hit-or-miss city jersey concepts leaving some fanbases calling for Nike to hang it up, despite it all, the NBA’s in-season tournament has been a roaring success.

From Steph Curry’s controversial game-winning lay-up with 0.2 seconds left in a thriller against the Thunder, to James Harden’s redemptive four-point play to take the lead against the Rockets, snap the Clippers’ losing streak and beat the washed allegations. The In-Season Tournament has done a spectacular job of giving the regular season some higher stakes, elevating moments like these to a stage that in prior years would’ve just been another one in 82.

The Indiana Pacers are New Orleans Pelicans are into the final four after quarterfinal wins on Monday.

Here’s a quick overview of Tuesday’s quarterfinals matchups, how the teams are looking coming into the game and a player that could decide the one-and-done duels on the road to Vegas.

NBA In-Season Tournament on Sportsnet

It’s down to the quarterfinals for the NBA In-Season Tournament. Watch the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers clash for a spot in the semis live Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT on Sportsnet ONE and Sportsnet+.

Broadcast Schedule

(4) New York Knicks @ (1) Milwaukee Bucks – Tuesday, Dec. 05, 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT

Group stage results: Knicks 3-1 | Bucks 4-0
Prediction: Bucks def. Knicks

The Pulse: Thibodeau-ball is in full effect in New York as the Knicks have quietly been one of the most fearsome defensive teams in the NBA through a combination of hustle and snot-nosed play. They currently sit third in the association in defensive rating, first in opposing points per game, first in opponent second chance points, fourth in opposing points in the paint, and first in defensive rebounding percentage. Effort is a defensive stat and the Knicks have it in spades.

Mitchell Robinson has unceremoniously been one of the best defensive bigs in the NBA as he carries the load for most of the aforementioned stats and leads the team in defensive rating at 105.1 (third in the NBA) and defensive win shares (sixth in the NBA). Sixth man Immanuel Quickley has only continued to emerge defensively after a breakout year last season and on offence, he shares the league lead for most 20+ point games off the bench.

But the team runs on the efforts of star point guard Jalen Brunson and the roller coaster ride that is Julius Randle. In Brunson’s best game this year, he put up a ridiculous 45 points in a losing effort against the Bucks during their matchup in the group stage of the in-season tournament. With Milwaukee’s porous point-of-attack defence, could a similar night be in store for the breakout guard?

Despite earning the win in their prior matchup, the Milwaukee Bucks looked mortal at that point in the year. Since then though, they’ve won eight of their last 10 and have seen the touted tandem of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard score 30.9 and 27.7 points apiece during that stretch. Only the duo of Devin Booker and Kevin Durant have scored more in their last 10 games. The Bucks possess the fourth-highest offensive rating and third-highest net rating over their last 10 as well, however, their defence still leaves much to be desired, as concerns surrounding the obvious downgrade on that end from Holiday to Lillard have more than reared their head so far this season.

X-Factor: Julius Randle, New York Knicks

As previously mentioned, the Knicks run on the efforts of Brunson and Randle. The reason they lost that 45-point Brunson game was because of a 5-for-20 shooting night from Randle on a night that saw Knicks fans once again calling for him to be traded.

He started off the season disastrously, averaging 13.7 points on .271/.225/.618 splits in the team’s first six games. But following the loss to the Bucks, Randle has turned it up, averaging 23.5 a night on .470/.319/.736 splits while grabbing 10.0 rebounds and dishing out 5.7 assists. They’re also 10-3 in the 13 games since that tight loss at the hands of their upcoming in-season tournament opponent.

Brunson is the leader of this Knicks team no doubt, but Julius Randle is the force that either wins or loses them games, with all-star-level peaks and Mendoza-level valleys. In a win-or-go-home situation like this one, they’ll need his best should they wish to challenge an in-rhythm Bucks team.

Can he get in the way of even more people looking to get rings?

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Broadcast Schedule

(4) Phoenix Suns @ (1) Los Angeles Lakers – Tuesday, Dec. 05, 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT

Group stage results: Lakers 4-0 | Phoenix 3-1
Prediction: Lakers def. Suns

The Pulse: The Phoenix Suns’ big three isn’t real, it can’t hurt you.

Maybe one day the promised trio of Booker, Durant and Bradley Beal will take the court, but the In-Season Tournament knockout game against the Lakers will not be that day. But a spot in the knockout stage and eight wins in their last 10 games would tell you that hey, maybe they never needed a big three in the first place.

What Booker and Durant have done so far this season has been otherworldly, as whenever the two take the court together, the two possess a 124.9 offensive rating and score 59.6 points a game in their 22.4 shared minutes a night. Durant is currently third in the league in scoring at 31.0 points a game while putting up absurd .512/.494/.896 shooting splits. Booker has transitioned perfectly into his new role as a point guard, dishing out a career-high 8.4 assists a game while maintaining his ridiculously good form as a scorer, setting career-high marks in scoring (27.9), three-point percentage (39.7) and free throw percentage (93.3).

Meanwhile, the Lakers present another one of the most fearsome tandems in the league in LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and the two superstars have stood on business in the two prior matchups against the Suns this season, scoring a combined 51 and 50 points in the two games.

On defence, Davis has been every bit of the Defensive Player of the Year calibre player that he was expected to be as he leads the league in steals+blocks with 77 and has swatted a ridiculous 2.8 shots per game. The Lakers’ defence also hasn’t been at full power yet as the impending trio of Jarred Vanderbilt, Cam Reddish, and sophomore standout Max Christie could prove to be one of the most fearsome rotations of perimeter defenders the league has to offer.

X-Factor: LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers

James has continued to defy Father Time, averaging 24.4 points on efficiency numbers he hasn’t had since his prime in South Beach with .551/.383/.690 splits. He has the best effective field goal percentage of his career at 61.7 per cent and is hitting an absurd 82 per cent of his shots at the rim and is finishing 66.6 per cent of his drives.

His work in transition has been the highlight of this season, as his sheer power after grabbing a rebound and leading a fastbreak is terrifying, using his strength to completely overpower whoever is in his way. Despite his age, he has led the Lakers to the third-best field goal percentage in transition at 55.8 per cent while scoring 1.13 points per possession in that playtype.

He has only missed one game this year and made it clear after their first In-Season Tournament victory against the Suns that he was gunning for the inaugural NBA Cup and the $500,000. More importantly, how will it affect his legacy concerning the GOAT conversation if he wins the first iteration of the tournament?

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Flames’ Markstrom week-to-week with broken finger, Wolf recalled

Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom is week-to-week with a broken finger, the team announced Tuesday.

The Flames added no surgery is required. Markstrom suffered the injury in practice on Monday.

The team has recalled goalie Dustin Wolf from the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers.

More to come.

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Sinclair ‘pretty darn proud’ being synonymous with Canadian soccer

Christine Sinclair says she’s “pretty darn proud” to be the face of Canadian soccer, but her next thought is of her teammates who have been there along the way during her legendary journey.

“We’ve literally done this all together,” Sinclair tells Sportsnet’s Arash Madani in a sit-down interview. “I just have happened to score some goals.”

A lot of goals, in fact.

As she prepares for her final match with Team Canada, Sinclair reflects on her legacy in the sport from her humble beginnings growing up poor to becoming the most prolific scorer in international women’s play.

Sinclair also shares her plans to launch a foundation to help the next generation of young girls achieve their soccer dreams.

Watch the full interview Monday night here on sportsnet.ca.

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Jets sign Nino Niederreiter to three-year, $12M contract extension

The Winnipeg Jets have signed forward Nino Niederreiter to a three-year, $12 million extension, the club announced Monday.

Niederreiter, 31, has six goals and eight assists in 23 games with the Jets this season.

The Jets acquired the Swiss native in a trade with the Nashville Predators in February.

The six-foot-two Niederreiter has 211 goals and 212 assists for 423 career points with the New York Islanders, Minnesota Wild, Carolina Hurricanes, Predators and Jets.

The Islanders selected Niederreiter fifth overall in the 2010 NHL Draft.

Internationally, Niederreiter has represented Switzerland multiple times at the world junior championship and world championship. He also played for Europe at the 2016 World Cup.

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Michigan vs. Alabama, Washington vs. Texas in College Football Playoff, Florida St. left out

Michigan, Washington, Texas and Alabama were selected to the College Football Playoff on Sunday, making Florida State the first unbeaten Power Five conference champion to be excluded from the four-team field.

Michigan will face Alabama in the Rose Bowl and Washington will play Texas in the Sugar Bowl in the Jan. 1 CFP semifinals. The national championship will be decided Jan. 8 against Houston.

The final season of the four-team playoff before it expands to 12 next year presented the CFP selection committee with its toughest decision in the 10-year history of the postseason system.

The Seminoles (13-0) lost star quarterback Jordan Travis to a season-ending injury two weeks ago, but continued to win with a backup and then a third-string quarterback. But the committee is instructed to judge the teams for what they are heading into the playoff and decided FSU without Travis was not among the best four in the country.

That steered the committee to Alabama, which upset Georgia to win the Southeastern Conference championship, and Big 12 champion Texas, which beat the Crimson Tide on the road in September.

No matter which team was left out it would have had a good argument to get in. That created unprecedented controversy.

The SEC had never missed the playoff. Alabama, which is in for the eighth time, kept that streak alive.

Texas would have been just the second Power Five team with only one loss to be left out. Instead, the Longhorns will be making their first appearance in the CFP in their last season as a member of the Big 12. Texas moves to the SEC next year.

Big Ten champion Michigan is making its third straight appearance in the CFP, still looking for its first playoff victory.

Washington is in the CFP for the second time, breaking the Pac-12’s playoff drought after six years, and doing so the year before it leaves the conference for the Big Ten.

Florida State, which was No. 4 in the previous CFP rankings, appeared to be on the way to its second playoff appearance in mid-November when the trajectory of their season changed drastically. Travis suffered a serious injury in the first quarter against North Alabama and was lost for the year.

The Seminoles beat rival Florida last week with backup quarterback Tate Rodemaker playing. Then Rodemaker missed the ACC championship against Louisville with a concussion. Florida State stayed unbeaten with a strong defensive performance, but scored only one touchdown.

The four-team version of the College Football Playoff is going out with drama and controversy.

Championship weekend created as many questions as answers for the CFP committee and the selections Sunday will be the first in the 10-year history of the system where the field is truly hard to predict.

No. 2 Michigan (13-0) and No. 3 Washington (13-0) appear to be safely in. There are three — and maybe even four — teams in contention for the final two spots that in most years would have cruised into the CFP.

Not this year. And it won’t be a problem next year when the playoff expands to 12 teams.

No. 4 Florida State (13-0), No. 7 Texas (12-1) and No. 8 Alabama (12-1) gave the 13-member committee a lot to think about Saturday night.

The Seminoles finished a perfect regular season with an Atlantic Coast Conference championship, leaning on their defence to beat No. 15 Louisville while playing a third-string, freshman quarterback.

No unbeaten Power Five champion has ever been left out of the CFP, but with injured star quarterback Jordan Travis out for the season is Florida State really one of the four best teams?

“It’s entertaining to have the conversations, but I don’t think you need a conversation,” Florida State coach Mike Norvell told reporters. “This is a team that is deserving. This is a team that earned it.”

Here are a few other things that have never happened before that very well might Sunday.

— The No. 1 team heading into championship weekend had never missed the CFP, even with a loss. After losing to Alabama, top-ranked Georgia’s quest to become the first team to win three straight national titles is in critical condition.

“When you talk about the four best teams, watch the game,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “Go ask the NFL talent evaluators. Go ask NFL scouts. It’s about the best teams.”

The Bulldogs (12-1) had a 29-game winning streak snapped in the Southeastern Conference championship game, but they might not even be a big part of the committee’s discussion for one of the final two spots.

— No team ranked outside the top six of the second-to-last CFP rankings has ever jumped into the final four. Both Alabama and Texas, which romped over No. 19 Oklahoma State in the Big 12 championship game, have a chance to make that leap Sunday.

— The SEC champion has never been left out of the College Football Playoff. Six times the CFP champion has been from the SEC and twice the conference has had both participants in the title game.

“So we’re the best teams, and do we want the best teams?” Smart asked.

The only thing that is certain heading into college football’s selection Sunday is that a few fanbases are bound to be unhappy with the committee’s choices.

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NFL odds update: Bills’ playoff hopes dim after OT heroics by MVP favourite Hurts

The 2023 NFL regular season is officially two-thirds complete and with six weeks left until the playoffs begin — and some teams only having five games remaining — the jockeying for position in the standings is intensifying on a weekly basis.

As you’ll see below, the list of realistic Super Bowl contenders is down to single digits with a handful of others aiming to go on a miracle run once the post-season begins.

The Buffalo Bills are the most intriguing, and perhaps surprising, team on the playoff bubble considering they were among the top Super Bowl favourites before Week 1.

Buffalo has lost three of the past four games, including a heartbreaker to the Eagles on Sunday in which it was up two scores entering the fourth quarter only to lose in overtime and fall back down to .500.

The Bills stay on the road and face the Chiefs in Week 13, then head home for a Week 14 showdown with the Cowboys before their schedule eases up slightly over the final three weeks, with games at the Chargers, home against the Patriots and at the Dolphins in Week 18.

In addition to their upcoming schedule doing them no favours, the Bills have a handful of teams they need to leapfrog and several of them are playing better than Buffalo has been lately.

AFC PLAYOFF BUBBLE TEAMS

PIT to make playoffs -240 | PIT to miss playoffs +195
HOU to make playoffs -105 | HOU to miss playoffs -120
IND to make playoffs +110 | IND to miss playoffs -140
DEN to make playoffs +130 | DEN to miss playoffs -160
BUF to make playoffs +360 | BUF to miss playoffs -500
LAC to make playoffs +725 | LAC to miss playoffs -1200
(No odds listed for CLE)

With teams like the Bengals and Browns recently losing their starting QBs for the rest of the season, it has paved the way for the Steelers to finish at or above .500 for a 20th consecutive season and get back into the playoffs after missing them last year.

The Broncos looked like a disaster early in the season. Denver allowed 70 points to the Dolphins in Week 3 and started 1-5 before turning things around. The team has won five straight, with the defence allowing only 82 points against on their streak.

Houston had the second-longest Super Bowl odds (+17500) at the beginning of the season, +500 playoff odds and a low win total of 6.5. Suffice it to say they’ve already exceeded even the loftiest of expectations.

NFC PLAYOFF BUBBLE TEAMS

MIN to make playoffs -125| MIN to miss playoffs +100
ATL to make playoffs -120 | ATL to miss playoffs -105
NO to make playoffs -105 | NO to miss playoffs -120
GB to make playoffs +110 | GB to miss playoffs -140
SEA to make playoffs +120 | SEA to miss playoffs -150
LAR to make playoffs +270 | LAR to miss playoffs -360
TB to make playoffs +300 | TB to miss playoffs -390

Jordan Love and the Packers are surging at the right time and hold tiebreakers over the Saints and Rams, while the Seahawks are trending in the wrong direction as losers of three of the past four with back-to-back-to-back games against the Cowboys, 49ers and Eagles to look forward to starting this Thursday.

Josh Dobbs and the Vikings are still projected to squeak into a wild-card spot despite losing an ugly game to the Bears on Monday.

One of the Falcons, Saints or Bucs will end up winning the NFC South and hosting a playoff game, yet all three are below .500 heading into Week 13. Gross.

 

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SUPER BOWL LVIII CONTENDERS

San Francisco 49ers +425 (odds after Week 6: +425)
Philadelphia Eagles +425 (odds after Week 6: +700)
Kansas City Chiefs +475 (odds after Week 6: +500)
Baltimore Ravens +600 (odds after Week 6: +1400)
Dallas Cowboys +800 (odds after Week 6: +1000)
Miami Dolphins +1000 (odds after Week 6: +900)
Detroit Lions +1400 (odds after Week 6: +1600)
Jacksonville Jaguars +1600 (odds after Week 6: +2200)

Within this elite eight, the five teams that are the biggest threats to hoist the Lombardi Trophy are the only teams with odds shorter than 10/1.

The top two NFC clubs face each other this week when the 49ers visit the Eagles, so expect the updated odds next week to reflect the results with the winner, barring any key injuries that may occur, likely to become the chalk.

Miami, Detroit and Jacksonville would be disappointed if their seasons ended without winning at least one playoff game, but anything beyond advancing past the divisional round would be considered a successful season.

Philadelphia, San Francisco, Kansas City, Baltimore and Dallas are the true Super Bowl-or-bust squads.

The Dolphins losing Jaelan Phillips to a torn Achilles in their Week 12 win over the Jets is a significant blow to the Miami defence down the stretch and into the post-season. Meanwhile, the Jaguars and Lions can at times be confounding yet both teams have explosive offences led by No. 1 overall picks and both have multiple game-changers on the defensive side.

DO THEY HAVE A MIRACLE RUN IN THEM?

Buffalo Bills +3000 (odds after Week 6: +900)
Cleveland Browns +5000 (odds after Week 6: +2500)
Houston Texans +5000 (odds after Week 6: +10000)
Seattle Seahawks +5000 (odds after Week 6: +4000)
Pittsburgh Steelers +5500 (odds after Week 6: +6600)
Denver Broncos +6000 (odds after Week 6: +25000)
Atlanta Falcons +8000 (odds after Week 6: +8000)
New Orleans Saints +8000 (odds after Week 6: +5000)
Minnesota Vikings +8500 (odds after Week 6: +6600)
Indianapolis Colts +12500 (odds after Week 6: +15000)
Green Bay Packers +12500 (odds after Week 6: +8000)
Los Angeles Rams +12500 (odds after Week 6: +8000)

Although they face an uphill battle just to get into the playoffs, bettors and sportsbooks are still not completely writing the Bills off, with the odds indicating Buffalo could be a team capable of going far in the post-season if it can squeeze back into the AFC’s top seven spots.

The 12 teams not listed all have odds of 200/1 or longer.

MVP

Jalen Hurts +140 (odds after Week 6: +750)
Patrick Mahomes +350 (odds after Week 6: +400)
Lamar Jackson +500 (odds after Week 6: +1600)
Tua Tagovailoa +800 (odds after Week 6: +350)
Dak Prescott +800 (odds after Week 6: +2800)
Brock Purdy +1400 (odds after Week 6: +900)
C.J. Stroud +1800 (odds after Week 6: +11000)
Christian McCaffrey +2000 (odds after Week 6: +1800)
Trevor Lawrence +2500 (odds after Week 6: +2000)
Josh Allen +2800 (odds after Week 6: +700)

Jalen Hurts has generated slight separation from the rest of the pack, thanks to his five-touchdown (three passing, two rushing) outing Sunday against the Bills that was capped off by a game-winning TD run in overtime. It was the star QB’s 11th career game with multiple rushing touchdowns, which broke a record previously held by Cam Newton, who had 10 such games in his NFL career. Hurts has 15 consecutive regular-season wins over teams with a winning record and at the end of the day is a clutch performer under the bright lights.

If Mahomes or Jackson, two previous winners of the MVP, can lead either Kansas City or Baltimore to an AFC title, and Hurts continues turning the ball over and the Eagles lose a couple down the stretch, then it’s conceivable Hurts could lose momentum and end up as MVP runner-up for a second consecutive year.

Stroud’s odds were longer than 100/1 just six weeks ago, but the odds-on favourite to win offensive rookie of the year has played like a clear-cut top-10 MVP candidate and the odds reflect it.

(Betting odds via Bet365 as of Tuesday and subject to change.)

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English roundup: Liverpool rescues late victory with pair of goals

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Liverpool scored two goals in a minute late on to beat Fulham 4-3 in the Premier League on Sunday.

Trailing 3-2 at Anfield, goals from Wataru Endo and Trent Alexander-Arnold in the 87th and 88th minutes secured a comeback win.

Liverpool had twice led in the match, but looked set to lose at home for the first time since February when Bobby De Cordova-Reid put Fulham ahead in the 80th.

That was until Endo sparked the comeback and Alexander-Arnold hit the winner soon after to extend the Merseyside team’s 100 percent winning home record this season and moved it to within two points of leader Arsenal.

Liverpool had taken the lead in the 20th through an own goal from Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno after Alexander-Arnold’s long-range 25-yard free kick.

Fulham evened the score four minutes later when former Liverpool player Harry Wilson squeezed a near-post shot under keeper Caoimhin Kelleher from Antonee Robinson’s cross.

The home team retook the lead in brilliant fashion as Alexis Mac Allister drove a shot into the top corner in the 38th.

Fulham evened the score again in the third minute of first-half stoppage time through Kenny Tete who headed in after Raul Jimenez flicked the ball on from a corner.

Leno denied Salah just before the break and Darwin Nunez smashed a shot against the crossbar in the second half.

Fulham went ahead when substitute De Cordova-Reid out-jumped Kostas Tsimikas at the far post.

Endo had a header saved and Salah fired the rebound over before Liverpool went on to complete its comeback.

Chelsea 3, Brighton 2

In London, Enzo Fernandez scored twice as 10-man Chelsea held on to beat Brighton 3-2. The midfielder struck in each half as the Londoners bounced back from last week’s 4-1 loss against Newcastle.

But Mauricio Pochettino’s team, which had Conor Gallagher sent off just before halftime, had to resist a fightback from Brighton that included a late penalty being overturned by VAR.

Chelsea led 2-0 after headers from Fernandez and Levi Colwill in the 17th and 21st minutes, but Facundo Buonanotte pulled a goal back for Brighton in the 43rd and Gallagher was shown a second yellow card just before the break.

Fernandez scored a penalty in the 65th to regain the home team’s two-goal advantage, but Joao Pedro came off the bench to score from a header in the second minute of stoppage time.

In a dramatic end to the match, Chelsea survived a penalty scare for a possible handball against Colwill with virtually the game’s final action.

Fernandez scored his first Premier League goal after heading in from close range from Benoit Badiashile’s hooked cross.

Colwill scored with a header four minutes later after connecting with Nicolas Jackson’s cross.

Buonanotte halved Chelsea’s lead when lashing a shot inside the far post with his left foot and soon after, Gallagher shown a second yellow card for sliding in late on Billy Gilmour.

Mudryk won a penalty after the break when he outpaced James Milner before being shouldered to the ground. Fernandez converted the ensuing spot kick.

Ten minutes of stoppage time had been announced by the time Pedro rose to glance a header across goal and in at the far post to give Brighton hope.

Then referee Craig Pawson was called to the touchline to review a handball against Colwill. The evidence seemed to show the ball strike the defender’s face to the relief of fans inside Stamford Bridge.

Bournemouth 2, Aston Villa 2

In Bournemouth, Ollie Watkins produced a dramatic 90th-minute equalizer as Aston Villa twice came from behind to rescue a 2-2 draw at Bournemouth.

High-flying Villa looked to be heading for a shock defeat on the south coast until Watkins pounced on substitute Moussa Diaby’s cross to score his 13th goal of the season with a well-timed backward header.

The hosts, who had won three of their previous four matches, took a deserved lead in the 10th minute. Villa defender Diego Carlos was too casual playing out from the back and passed the ball straight to Ryan Christie who instinctively fed Antoine Semenyo to pick out the bottom corner from 12 yards.

Leon Bailey equalized with a superb solo goal in the 20th minute. Watkins, who had come through a late fitness test, played the ball out to Bailey on the right wing and the Jamaica international danced into space inside the penalty area before curling home left-footed beyond Neto.

The teams went in level at halftime but there was no denying Dominic Solanke seven minutes into the second half as he fired Bournemouth back in front with his seventh goal of the season. Milos Kerkez broke down the left before fizzing the pass into the feet of Solanke, who pirouetted away from Pau Torres before blasting beyond Emi Martinez.

But just as Bournemouth looked to be holding out for the win up stepped the in-form Watkins to salvage a share of the spoils. Villa stayed fourth. Bournemouth is 16th.

Crystal Palace 1, West Ham 1

In London, a second-half equalizer from Odsonne Édouard gave Crystal Palace a share of the points in a scrappy 1-1 derby against West Ham.

After a bright start by Palace, it was Mohammed Kudus who opened the scoring against the run of play to the delight of the home supporters at the London Stadium with the team’s first shot on target in the 13th minute. Kudus made no mistake after running into the box to meet Vadimír Coufall’s cut-back.

Édouard appeared set to nod in an equalizer early in the second half when a free kick was sent across the box only for James Ward-Prowse’s late intervention to deflect the ball behind allowed the Hammers to retain their lead.

It didn’t last long with Édouard making up for his earlier profligacy when an ill-judged back pass by Konstantinos Mavropanos allowed the Palace forward to intercept and score in the 53rd.

The 1-1 draw keeps West Ham manager David Moyes one defeat away from equalling Harry Redknapp’s record of 238 Premier League losses as the Hammers remain ninth in the table on 21 points. Palace stays 12th with 16, a seemingly comfortable nine points above the relegation zone.

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