A National Football League season marred by scandal culminates Sunday with Super Bowl 49 as Seattle and New England meet in a clash that has the makings of a classic.

Each team can cement a place in Super Bowl lore with a victory.

Kevin Love scored 14 points and grabbed a game-high 17 rebounds in his triumphant return to Minnesota as the Cleveland Cavaliers ripped the Timberwolves 106-90 for their 10th consecutive NBA victory.

Star forward Love had made it clear he wanted to leave Minnesota and he was traded to Cleveland last August in a three-team deal that helped give the Cavaliers the support needed to become a contender after the signing of four-time NBA Most Valuable Player LeBron James.

Australia boss Ange Postecoglou said the Socceroos were ready to "take on the world" after they won a gripping final against South Korea to lift the Asian Cup trophy on Saturday.

Postecoglou said Australia could now go on to bigger and better things after they won their first Asian Cup at the third attempt after joining the Asian confederation in 2006.

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini insists a defeat in Saturday's crunch clash against leaders Chelsea wouldn't be a fatal blow to the champions' chances of retaining the Premier League title.

Pellegrini's side already trail Chelsea by five points heading into the showdown at Stamford Bridge and a loss would leave them languishing eight points behind with 15 games to play.

All-star forward Paul Millsap scored 21 points as the Atlanta Hawks won their 18th consecutive contest with a 105-99 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday.

Millsap had plenty of help from his fellow all-stars Al Horford and Jeff Teague who finished with 17 and 13 points respectively. Teague scored six of his points in the final quarter. 

Andy Murray will bid to end a tormenting run of three losing Australian Open finals as world number one Novak Djokovic eyes a fifth triumph in Sunday's decider in Melbourne.

The year's first major has been a heartbreak Grand Slam for the Scot, but he has given himself another chance to finally break through and add to his Wimbledon and US Open crowns.

Hosts Australia named an unchanged starting eleven for the Asian Cup final against South Korea on Saturday, while the Koreans made just one alteration for the heavyweight clash in Sydney.

South Korea coach Uli Stielike brought in Jang Hyun-Soo for Han Kyo-Won in midfield, in the only tweak to the side which beat Iraq 2-0 in the semi-finals as they bid to win the competition for the first time since 1960.

Chelsea striker Diego Costa has been banned for three matches with immediate effect after being found guilty of a violent conduct charge, the Football Association announced Friday.

The Spain international was suspended after a regulatory commission ruled he had stamped on the ankle of Liverpool's Emre Can in the 12th minute of Tuesday's League Cup semi-final second leg at Stamford Bridge, which Chelsea won 1-0 to complete a 2-1 aggregate victory.

Novak Djokovic reached his fifth Australian Open final with a five-set win over defending champion Stan Wawrinka that fell flat compared with their previous encounters at Melbourne Park.

The top-ranked Djokovic finished over the top of Wawrinka in a seesawing 7-6 (1), 3-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 win on Friday night to set up a final against long-time friend and rival Andy Murray, a player he has beaten twice in the championship match in Australia.

Striker and captain Ahmed Khalil scored goals on either side of halftime and tournament scoring leader Ali Mabkhout converted a second-half penalty as the United Arab Emirates clinched third place in the Asian Cup with a 3-2 win over a 10-man Iraq.

Golden boot candidate Mabkhout scored the winner from the penalty spot in the 57th minute after he had been brought down from behind by Ahmed Ibrahim, a foul which earned the Iraqi defender a red card.