Draymond Green and Dillon Brooks continued their feud following a well-timed matchup between the Golden State Warriors and the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday.

The days before the game had been dominated by the two players trading barbs, most notably on Green's podcast as he responded to criticism from Brooks.

Green's rant concluded: "Next time you speak up on me, I hope you're in a better situation than you're in now, where the guys you play with actually enjoy playing with you, because they actually think you're contributing to winning.

"Because it ain't happening right now, champ. Ah – you're not a champ. You're a clown. It ain't happening for you."

Brooks was able to respond on the court on Thursday as he led a Grizzlies team still missing Ja Morant to a 131-110 victory over the Warriors.

But Green again had a riposte, saying: "Anybody can win in March. Anybody can win in March. What does that mean? I have a hard time getting out of my bed in March. What's a game in March mean?"

There was a flash point late in the second quarter when the pair bumped chests, yet Green said he would not be "baited" by Brooks.

In the eyes of the Warriors man, this is still not a game that means more than any other.

"One team has to win [a championship] and then another team has to win," Green said. "That's what creates a rivalry.

"Not because one team gets up for you and talks like they can beat you and then not. That doesn't create a rivalry.

"Rivalries are created by you win, I win. Clearly, we've won four times, and I think their organisation has zero championships, so I can't consider that a rivalry."

Still, Brooks disagreed, adding: "They don't ever forget. When they won the championship, they were talking about us.

"They don't ever forget who the Memphis Grizzlies are. They get up and they can't wait to play us."

Domantas Sabonis recorded a second straight triple-double as the Sacramento Kings held off the New York Knicks 122-117 to move another step closer to ending their 16-year playoffs wait.

The Knicks erased a 21-point deficit to tie the game at 96-96 in the fourth quarter but the Kings held their nerve, claiming the win at Golden 1 Center on Thursday to restore second seed in the Western Conference.

Sabonis scored a team-high 24 points with 13 rebounds and 10 assists, while De'Aaron Fox came alive in the fourth quarter to finish with 23 points and seven assists.

Fox scored 15 of his 23 points in the fourth. The Kings guard has scored 10 or more points in the fourth quarter 23 times this season, which is tied for the most in the NBA with Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Knicks were not helped by losing Jalen Brunson in the third quarter to injury, with a repeat of the foot injury that had kept him out of the previous two games.

Brunson scored 19 points with three-of-five three-point shooting from 19 minutes with the Knicks missing him down the stretch, giving up three turnovers in the final two-and-a-half minutes.

Julius Randle was guilty of one of those turnovers, mishandling the ball at 119-115 with 13.1 seconds to go. Randle finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds, while R.J. Barrett had 25 points.

The defeat means the Knicks have lost two in a row after going on a nine-game winning streak, leaving them fifth in the East at 39-29.

Ja-less Grizzlies down Warriors

The Golden State Warriors' road woes worsened as the Memphis Grizzlies downed the reigning champions 131-110 in the continued absence of Ja Morant.

Grizzlies point guard Tyus Jones scored a team-high 22 points with 11 assists, while Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr both added 21 points.

Stephen Curry finished with a game-high 29 points on 10-of-19 shooting from the field, but the Warriors shot 15-of-45 from beyond the arc as a team.

Memphis put up a massive 48 points in the first quarter, but held only a six-point three-quarter time lead before racing away with a comprehensive victory, improving to 39-26.

Lopez sets blocks record in Bucks win

Brook Lopez recorded an NBA season-high nine blocks as the league-best Milwaukee Bucks got past the short-handed Brooklyn Nets 118-113.

Lopez scored 24 points with 10 rebounds and a career-high nine blocks for the Bucks, who were without Giannis Antetokounmpo due to a sore right hand. Bobby Portis scored a game-high 28 points with 13 rebounds.

The Nets were without a host of players due to injuries, including Nic Claxton, Royce O'Neale, Spencer Dinwiddie and Ben Simmons, with Patty Mills top scoring off the bench with 23 points, making five-of-nine triples.

The Colorado Avalanche failed another test against an NHL playoff contender, losing 5-2 to the Los Angeles Kings to leave head coach Jared Bednar frustrated.

The Kings recorded their fifth straight win, improving their record to 38-20-8 to sit second in the Pacific Division.

But the Avs are third in the Central Division with a 35-21-6 record, having lost four of their past five games, all against sides in the playoffs contention.

"There's another level of determination and passion that we can play with, if we want to win against the good teams," Bednar told reporters.

"It's deflating, because you feel like you're right there and you know they're a difficult team to score against."

Adrian Kempe opened the scoring in the first period and Gabriel Vilardi doubled their advantage at 17:10.

Evan Rodrigues halved the deficit, deflecting in Samuel Girard's point shot at 14:59 of the second period. But Kempe restored the Kings' two-goal lead early in the third.

Nathan MacKinnon made it 3-2 with a snap shot at 4:24 on the power play, only for Phillip Danault to score twice to seal victory for the Kings, the latter into an empty net.

Avs defenseman Cale Makar reiterated Bednar's sentiment, with Colorado's postseason hopes getting tight.

"We should have approached this like a playoff game tonight," Makar said. "Felt like we knew the type of team they are.

"We know that they're so systematically sound that it tends to frustrate teams when they sit back and don't allow you to get in their zone."

Andy Murray pulled out another narrow win on Thursday as he collected an opening round 6-7 (5-7) 6-1 6-4 comeback against Tomas Martin Etcheverry at the Indian Wells Masters.

It is the latest in a string of hard-fought wins for Murray, who has played the maximum number of sets in each of his past 10 victories dating back to the Gijon Open in October, including a pair of five-setters at the Australian Open.

Etcheverry started strong, fresh off his first ever ATP final at the Chile Open, but committed more unforced errors (21) than winners (17) in the second and third sets combined.

Fellow Great Britain representative Jack Draper was far more comfortable in his 6-1 6-1 demolition of Switzerland's Leandro Riedi, booking an all-English clash against Daniel Evans in the second round.

Former world number three Stan Wawrinka prevailed 6-4 1-6 6-1 against Aleksandar Vukic, but Vukic's Australian compatriot Thanasi Kokkanakis flew the flag with a 6-4 6-1 triumph over hometown talent Brandon Holt.

In a better result for the Americans, Mackenzie McDonald breezed past Filip Krajinovic 6-3 6-0 in just 63 minutes, and rising 20-year-old Ben Shelton had no problems in his 6-4 6-1 win over Fabio Fognini in 72 minutes.

Argentina's Guido Pella ground out 3-6 7-5 6-2 comeback in his South American clash against Brazil's Thiago Monteiro, and Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff did the same in his European showdown against France's Quentin Halys, taking it 1-6 6-3 6-3.

Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu enjoyed a winning return to the court on Thursday as she defeated Danka Kovinic 6-2 6-3 in the first round of the Indian Wells Open.

It was the 20-year-old's first match since her second-round exit in January's Australian Open, and she had to respond to some early adversity after Kovinic broke her opening service game.

But the Brit answered right back, rattling off four games in a row to take control of the first set, and the second frame was nearly a carbon copy, falling down 2-0 before putting together five unanswered games of her own.

Meanwhile, world number 31 Danielle Collins – the highest ranked player in the draw to not receive a seed – was a surprise early elimination as Hungary's Dalma Galfi got the better of her 6-4 6-4. As a reward, Galfi will meet world number five Caroline Garcia in the second round.

Nuria Parrizas-Diaz set up an all-Spanish second-round clash with Paula Badosa after beating Italy's Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-3 7-5, but fellow Spaniard Rebeka Masarova fell short 4-6 6-4 6-4 against American Peyton Stearns.

It was a great day for the Czech Republic representatives, with Katerina Siniakova earning a 7-5 6-4 over Julie Niemeier, Marketa Vondrousova dominating Rebecca Marino 6-2 6-2, and Karolina Muchova completing the hat-trick against Yulia Putintseva 6-3 4-6 6-4.

As good of a day as it was for the Czechs, it was just as poor for the Italians, with Lucia Bronzetti falling 7-5 4-6 6-3 to Bernarda Pera and Jasmine Paolini eliminated 7-5 6-1 at the hands of Tatjana Maria, joining Cocciaretto on an early flight home.

Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant has been ruled out for at least two weeks after spraining his ankle during warm-ups ahead of his highly anticipated home debut.

Fans who came to Footprint Center on Wednesday to see Durant take on his former team the Oklahoma City Thunder were left disappointed as he was withdrawn minutes before tip-off.

It was originally called ankle soreness, but after an MRI on Thursday the team confirmed he had done some damage and will require time on the sideline to recover.

The two-time NBA Finals MVP had enjoyed a terrific start to his tenure in a Suns jersey, posting averages of 26.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 69.0 per cent from the field, 53.8 per cent from deep and 88.2 per cent from the free throw line in three starts.

Phoenix currently occupies the Western Conference's fourth seed at 37-29, with a three-game buffer on the Golden State Warriors and the rest of the chasing pack.

Chad Ramey put together a memorable round on Thursday as he shot an eight-under 64 to lead The Players Championship after 18 holes.

Ramey, 30, has one PGA Tour victory to his name and is defying his recent form, having missed the cut in each of his past three starts, and he has not had a top-30 finish since October.

He finished his first trip around The Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass with four birdies on the front nine and four more on the back nine – including on the famous 'island green' 17th hole – and was one of the few players to go bogey-free.

He is one stroke clear of two-time major champion Collin Morikawa, who was the only competitor to shoot a seven-under 65, also going bogey-free with five birdies and an eagle.

While Morikawa is the only player within two strokes of the lead, rookie Justin Suh has a chance to join him when he resumes on Friday with three holes to finish off. He is tied for third at five under, although his next shot will be a putt for eagle on the 16th.

Suh is joined by Taylor Pendrith and Ben Griffin at five under, while world number two Scottie Scheffler headlines the group tied for sixth at four under.

Viktor Hovland and Jordan Spieth are still in the mix after impressive three-under 69s as part of the afternoon group, who played in the trickier conditions, and coming off four consecutive top-10 finishes Jason Day is one further back at two under.

It was a day to forget for pre-tournament fancies Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick, both at four over, while Hayden Buckley will never forget his shot of the day after acing at the famous 17th.

The New York Yankees will be without left-handed starter and prized free agent acquisition Carlos Rodon to start the season in yet another blow to the Yankees’ pitching staff before the year has even begun.

Rodon, who received a $162 million contract to join New York this off-season, is suffering from a left forearm strain and will be on the injured list when the Yankees open the 2023 campaign in three weeks.

Rodon underwent an MRI on Wednesday, which revealed an injury similar to one that the two-time All-Star dealt with last season while with the San Francisco Giants.

“The finding was something, but not significant or serious,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told reporters on Thursday. “Obviously, trying to pitch through stuff is not a good thing, especially this time of year.

“If this was in-season - pennant race, late in the game - he's still probably up and running. He had this last May with the Giants, and he didn't miss any time with it.”

While Rodon was able to play through the injury last season, he was 1-4 in his five May starts with a 5.67 ERA – easily the worst stretch of his 14-8 campaign.

Rodon reiterated to reporters on Thursday that he could play through the injury if it had occurred at a more crucial time of the season, but the Yankees would not put a timetable on the lefty making his debut in pinstripes.

Cashman said that Rodon will take at least a week recovering on a no-throw program before ramping him up.  

“You just have to prevent looking at the calendar and force-feeding it and speeding the process up because you feel the outside pressure of it's a new organisation, fan base, stuff like that,” Cashman said. “[Rodon] understands that. He's a pro. But like anything else, it's the human nature of, 'I want to get out there and pitch.'”

Cashman also announced that relievers Lou Trivino and Tommy Kahnle would also begin the season on the injured list. The Yankees’ rotation is already missing last year’s mid-season acquisition, Frankie Montas, who underwent shoulder surgery in February.

Domingo German, Clarke Schmidt and Deivi Garcia are among the candidates to open the 2023 season in the Yankees’ starting rotation that will feature Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes and Luis Severino.

The Yankees open the season at home against the Giants on March 30.

Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins says there is still no timeline on Ja Morant's return to the side as he takes time to "get better personally".

Morant remains away from the Grizzlies following last week's incident where he posted an Instagram Live video that appeared to show him flashing a handgun inside a Colorado nightclub.

Glendale police confirmed on Wednesday they had decided not to lay charges on Morant for the incident, citing a lack of evidence, while the NBA's investigation is ongoing.

The Grizzlies confirmed on Wednesday that Morant, who had already missed two initial games following the incident, will be away from at least four more games.

Morant had put out a statement last week, apologising for the incident and adding he would take time away from the Grizzlies "to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being".

Prior to Thursday's game against the Golden State Warriors, Jenkins was asked about the steps Morant would need to take to return to the side.

"I can't share details," Jenkins told reporters. "There's definitely steps that are going to have to be met, both personally and professionally, as he deals with some stuff personally to get better.

"Obviously the expectations on the team, he's got some things that he's going to have to clear to know what the expectations are when he does return."

Morant's absence comes at a difficult time for the Grizzlies, who have lost their past three games, slipping to third in the Western Conference with a 38-26 record. They are also without key center Steven Adams with a knee injury.

The Grizzlies point guard will miss games against Western Conference contenders Golden State (Thursday) and the Dallas Mavericks (Saturday and Monday) followed by the Miami Heat (Wednesday).

"He's out at least the next four games," Jenkins said. "I know everyone wants to know what's this going to be, it's the hot topic for sure but he's taking time.

"His responsibility to get better personally is a big factor in all of this. Also it's his responsibility to the team, it's something we're addressing with him, he's fully on board with and he's been communicative with our group."

Jenkins added that the franchise had made attempts in the past to help Morant avoid situations like this.

"We have had conversations in the past trying to guide him and help him continue to evolve as a person and as a player," Jenkins said. "Obviously this came to a head the other day. It put this process into action.

"The hope was that this would have never happened, and everything was as good as it should be, but there have been dialogues about what he's got to do better and this just came to a head then."

Los Angeles Lakers trade deadline acquisition Mo Bamba will miss at least four weeks after the team announced Thursday he had suffered a high ankle sprain.

Bamba, 24, was the sixth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, but after four-and-a-half disappointing seasons with the Orlando Magic he was traded to the Lakers in exchange for Patrick Beverley.

In seven games for his new club, including one start, Bamba averaged 4.4 points and 5.3 rebounds in 11.6 minutes, highlighted by a 10-point, 13-rebound double-double in a win against the Golden State Warriors.

His absence will likely result in an expanded role for fellow new arrival Jarred Vanderbilt, who has impressed since coming over from the Utah Jazz in the Russell Westbrook trade.

Vanderbilt, 23, has put together a couple of game-winning efforts in a Lakers jersey already, but despite earning a spot in the starting line-up, he has only been playing an average of 24.2 minutes per game.

With Anthony Davis the only other elite defender on the roster – and already being pushed to the limit during LeBron James' absence – Vanderbilt is the prime candidate to pick up more minutes as a small-ball center, while Wenyen Gabriel will also figure back into the rotation.

The Dallas Mavericks breathed a collective sigh of relief on Thursday as Luka Doncic has avoided a serious injury following an MRI on his thigh.

Doncic exited in the third quarter of Dallas' 113-106 defeat against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday with pain in his thigh.

Currently sitting second in the race for the scoring title at 33.0 points per game, the 24-year-old is one of the few players with a genuine chance to garner MVP votes, also posting a career-best 50 per cent mark from the field.

When asked immediately after Wednesday's game about the state of his injury, he said it was "not good".

"I didn't get hit, so this is kind of weird for me," he said. "I don't really know what it is. I can feel it mostly on the jump shots because you need both legs, so pushing off has been really hard for me."

After that troubling description, it was almost a surprise when ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the "MRI on [Doncic's] thigh is clean and he's expected to return as soon as discomfort allows him".

The Mavericks have a couple of days off before travelling to take on the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday, and they will next be in action when the Grizzlies then head to Dallas for the second leg of a home-and-home on Monday.

Erik ten Hag has given his Manchester United players the chance to make amends for Sunday's annihilation at Liverpool by naming an unchanged XI for the visit of Real Betis.

United suffered the joint-worst competitive defeat in their history at Anfield, losing 7-0 as they found themselves on the end of a second-half blitz.

Ten Hag's men had arguably been the more threatening side in the first half, but after going into the interval a goal down, they capitulated in spectacular fashion and Liverpool ran riot.

Thursday's Europa League last-16 first leg provides United with the opportunity respond to that embarrassment, and Ten Hag surprisingly resisted the urge the drop any of those involved in Sunday's debacle.

David de Gea, Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro and Luke Shaw were the targets of particularly stinging criticism for their performances against the Reds, though they all kept their places.

Wout Weghorst also attracted the wrath of supporters after it emerged he touched the 'This Is Anfield' sign in the tunnel before kick-off, a gesture generally associated with Liverpool players rather than their opponents.

The Dutchman claimed he was trying to wind up international colleague Virgil van Dijk by preventing him from touching the sign. Weghorst also retained his place.

Betis – coached by former Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini – will be hoping to pile the misery on for United.

The Andalusians have had injury problems of late, however, with the talismanic figures of Nabil Fekir and Sergio Canales both absent.

Ex-City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo was named between the posts, while Ayoze Perez – on loan from Leicester City – was selected in attack alongside Betis' 41-year-old captain Joaquin.

Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper has dismissed links with Tottenham amid growing pressure on Antonio Conte.

Spurs' Champions League exit at the hands of AC Milan, along with poor Premier League form and bowing out of the FA Cup against Sheffield United, has led to speculation over Conte's future.

On Thursday, the Athletic reported chairman Daniel Levy has tasked director of football Fabio Paratici to produce a list of suitable replacements for the Italian.

Cooper has been linked with a potential vacancy, reportedly having admirers within the Spurs hierarchy, but he outlined his focus on Forest ahead of Saturday's trip to north London.

"The only thing that it is, is irrelevant. I said what I said last week, I don't want or need to say it again," he said at a press conference.

"The most important thing for me is the game, the guys I am working with every single day and I am trying to be at my best and do a good day's work and try and get them to do the same.

"Then we give ourselves a chance of trying to be a better team. We are embracing that challenge, we have had a lot of hurdles we have had to overcome this season, I am loving this journey with the players.

"It is a challenging one but one I am enjoying. But anything outside that bubble is irrelevant.

"The moment I am not thinking about Nottingham Forest or the players or the staff or how I can be at my best is the moment I am not getting it right, that's not what I want to be, I want to be all-in, that's what I am and I am not looking further than going to Tottenham on Saturday."

Cooper was not the only Premier League boss to dismiss questions about a move to Tottenham, with Brentford head coach Thomas Frank outlining his happiness with the Bees.

"First, they have a manager which is a manager I have studied for years and I admire massively. I think he has achieved some fantastic results so I hope he will do well and I hope Spurs do well," he said ahead of the game against Everton.

"Secondly, I am very, very happy here at Brentford."