Andy Murray expects Russian and Belarusian players to feature at Wimbledon in 2023, though he understands if the ban is upheld.

Last year, players from both nations were prevented from participating following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the ban resulting in Wimbledon being stripped of ranking points.

Additionally, the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) was fined £1.4million by the ATP and WTA due to players being excluded.

It is yet to be announced whether the ban will remain in place for this year's competition, though Murray expects there to be no such limitations.

"It's a really difficult one and I do feel for the players who weren't able to play last year – but I also understand the situation and why it's really hard for Wimbledon to make a call on it as well," he told BBC Sport.

"My understanding is that they are going to be allowed to play and I'm not going to be going nuts if that is the case.

"But if Wimbledon went down another route, I would be understanding of that."

Murray's comments came at Indian Wells, where he faces Tomas Etcheverry on Thursday, with the potential of an all-British affair against Dan Evans or Jack Draper in the third round.

Evans and Draper will face off in the second round if the latter beats Leandro Riedi, while Murray would have to defeat Etcheverry and Pablo Carreno Busta to set up a tussle with either of his compatriots.

But Murray insists he is not looking that far ahead.

"To be honest, I don't really care that much. Obviously, I can see why it's interesting, and if Evo [Evans] plays against Jack I'll be interested in the match," he added.

"But I'm not particularly bothered by it and for me it's not going to impact me until the third round. I need to get there and this is not always a tournament where I have played amazingly."

Emre Can launched into a scathing attack on the performance of the referee after Borussia Dortmund were knocked out of the Champions League following a 2-0 defeat against Chelsea. 

Graham Potter's side faced a tough task after losing the first leg 1-0 in Germany, but Raheem Sterling's first-half goal and a Kai Havertz penalty secured a 2-1 aggregate win for the Blues.  

Havertz's penalty was the subject of much controversy after the forward was allowed to retake the spot-kick following encroachment from Salih Ozcan during his first missed attempt, a decision that left Can furious.

"The referee was to blame," the Dortmund midfielder told Prime Video.  

"I don't understand the second penalty. How can you give it? I don't give a damn who ran into the penalty area before. He hits the post, finished."

Speaking further on the performance of Danny Makkelie, he said: "The referee was arrogant throughout the game. I wanted to talk to him normally at half-time, that's where it starts. 

"We're playing here at Stamford Bridge. Maybe the referee is afraid of the fans. UEFA should send another referee. That's just not possible." 

Dortmund had won 10 consecutive games prior to this second-leg encounter, with defeat on Tuesday their first of 2023 and seeing them fail to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League in back-to-back seasons.  

Despite the narrow loss, Can was pleased with his side's performance, suggesting Dortmund were not to blame for the defeat.

He said: "We played a decent game. I am proud to be part of this team. We need not be ashamed. We didn't embarrass ourselves. In the end, we lost undeservedly, also because of the officials."

The Floridian fairways and greens of Sawgrass are in a splendid state ahead of the Players Championship, but the same can hardly be said for professional golf as a whole.

Riven by conflict and division, the turbulence of the last year is reflected by who is absent this week. The defending champion, Cameron Smith, for starters.

A defector to LIV Golf, drawn in by a staggering signing-on fee of reportedly $100million, Smith traded his parking spot and right to practise at Sawgrass, his local course, for the Saudi bounty.

It would be difficult for anybody to turn down such riches, so rather than sit in judgement of the 29-year-old Australian it is a timely moment to look at where the sport finds itself, with the PGA Tour battling to retain talent.

Notorious LIV? Mo money, mo problems

Is the LIV tour really the black-hearted enemy to golf that some would portray it as? It obviously would say not, and its tour chiefs, headed by CEO Greg Norman, have mounted passionate defences of the splinter series that has put up huge sums to draw in many of the world's elite.

Golf can be a short-lived career for stars at the highest level, so young players may see an opportunity to make quick money and instantly set themselves up for life.

Those at the opposite end, who have made phenomenal money already but are perhaps seeing diminishing returns, have been handed opportunities to cash in on their big profiles for a late-career pay day. Look to the likes of Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood in this regard.

Would those in the middle be quite so tempted? The PGA Tour would hope they might show loyalty after being well served, so it will have particularly hurt to see the likes of Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed and Bryson DeChambeau make the leap across.

Norman has argued LIV is "unlocking potential", claiming in a News Nation interview in January that golf "has been stuck in a box for 53 years". 

Australian Norman also took criticism for declaring that "we've all made mistakes", when he defended the Saudi regime last year, responding to the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The fact LIV is bankrolled by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) has sparked suggestions golf is being manipulated for sportswashing purposes, and those claims are not going away.

How has the PGA Tour responded?

When the weapon in a fight is money, you have to find more of it to keep the troops happy.

The PGA Tour has hiked up prize funds at eight key events this season. Among these is The Players, where it has leapt from $20m last year to a $25m purse this week.

That announcement came last June. As recently as last week, though, the PGA Tour confirmed it would introduce designated events with limited fields and no cuts from 2024, in what it hopes is a compelling move to fend off more LIV defections.

Tour commissioner Jay Monahan described the eight 'no-cut' events for 2024 as "can't-miss tournaments", with players able to earn places through the regular tour season.

LIV Golf reacted to the announcement by stating on Twitter: "Imitation is the greatest form of flattery. Congratulations PGA Tour. Welcome to the future."

The PGA Tour insists there are striking differences, with the opportunity for players to earn spots through year-round competition, rather than being guaranteed a place week-in, week-out.

Tiger Woods has spoken of this being a "very turbulent" period for golf, but he remains committed to the PGA Tour, with the 47-year-old American said to have turned down an offer of around $700m to $800m.

Rory McIlroy is firmly opposed to LIV taking over, too, and the PGA Tour has kept a host of household names – the likes of Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay – while others have slipped away.

Looking at the no-cut events, McIlroy has said major sponsors "want a guarantee that the stars are there", and blue-chip investment will be essential if the PGA Tour is to keep raising prize pots.

"If that's what needs to happen, then that's what happens," the Northern Irishman added.

What next? Will others jump ship?

The LIV tour has expanded to become a 14-event season, running from last month's opening tournament in Mayakoba, Mexico, through to the November finale in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Eight of those events will take place in the United States, including the March 17-20 Tucson tournament.

It has a US TV deal now, with CW Network. The major sport networks have not picked it up yet, but this marks a significant stepping stone.

By next year, it may even be awarding ranking points, although that is far from certain to come to pass.

There will be LIV players allowed to compete at the Masters next month, and they are set to be able to compete at all four majors, while remaining exiled from the PGA Tour and Europe's DP World Tour, and quite possibly the Ryder Cup.

Chile's Mito Pereira and Colombian Sebastian Munoz have moved across from the PGA Tour this year, and the question is whether any more notable names will also be tempted.

Cantlay, who was rumoured to be considering a switch to LIV last season, said the no-cut PGA Tour step would "make the Tour stronger and put an emphasis on those weeks".

What about this week? It's a mess, isn't it?

Smith's absence is a tough one for the Players Championship to swallow. Organisers have been unable to herald the champion's return, and Smith would sooner be involved than on the outside, but he made his choice and this is the consequence.

In fact, last year's top three are all LIV-ing it up these days, with Anirban Lahiri and Paul Casey consequently not involved this week either.

Smith lives just down the road, and he told Golf.com he would "definitely be watching on TV", hinting he could even turn up to watch.

"I grew up my whole childhood watching the event and yeah I'd love to get out there," Smith said.

"I don't know how it would kind of be received, but getting out there and watching, walking around in the crowd, might be pretty funny."

In a serious, big-bucks business, there would be a sense of pantomime to that happening, and it seems unlikely Smith will roll up. But then this all seemed unlikely two years ago, and here we are.

Joel Embiid was the dominant force in the Philadelphia 76ers' 117-94 road win in Minnesota on Tuesday, declaring afterwards "I feel like I'm unguardable".

The seven-foot Cameroonian behemoth was at the peak of his powers against Rudy Gobert, racking up 39 points on 13-of-22 shooting in just 28 minutes. He also added 14 rebounds, four assists and four steals.

Making the feat even more impressive was the fact that it came on the second night of a back-to-back, just 24 hours after piling 42 points (11-of-16 shooting) on defensive ace Myles Turner and the Indiana Pacers.

Following consecutive seasons where he finished runner-up in MVP voting to Nikola Jokic, the 28-year-old has taken his game up another level this time around, sporting career-highs in points (33.2), field goal percentage (53.5) and steals (1.1).

He trails only Luka Doncic (33.4 points per game) in the race for the scoring title, while also leading the league in made free throws per game (10.2).

Speaking to ESPN immediately after improving the 76ers' record to 43-22, Embiid said he feels it will be the same outcome no matter who is guarding him, even three-time Defensive Player of the Year Gobert.

"I take pride every single time I step on the floor, no matter who's guarding, I feel like I'm unguardable," he said. "I want to show them that it’s not that easy to guard me.

"[The Gobert matchup] doesn't necessarily motivate me, but it's the same thing with every big in the league, it doesn't matter who I'm playing, it just feels like I'm going to do my thing regardless. I'm going to dominate. 

"It's no disrespect to any of them, but MVPs, Defensive Player of the Year, that doesn't mean anything to me. I'm still going to be the best player on the floor."

While he said he has bigger things to worry about, Embiid admitted it would be special to receive what he feels is the pinnacle of individual awards when asked who he feels is the MVP favourite.

"I don't know, that's not for me to answer," he said. "I feel like, you know, obviously being in the running the last few years has been 'whatever', and this year I've taken a different approach.

"I'm just trying to focus on the right things, win games, dominate – which I've been doing – and whatever happens, happens.

"Obviously it would mean a lot to win one, that's the best award anyone can get, but like I said I'm just focused on making sure I, first of all stay healthy, win games, and dominate.

"But I'm excited about the playoffs, that's where I feel like – I feel good. I feel good about myself and my team, so I just want to make sure that all of us get there healthy, and we do what we gotta do."

After putting together a 31-10 record since December 9, the 76ers are now just 1.5 games behind the Boston Celtics (45-21) in the race for the Eastern Conference's two seed, with the Milwaukee Bucks (47-18) pulling away out in front.

Champions League football returns this week with delicately poised ties in the quest to reach the quarter-finals.

Eyes will firmly be fixed upon Bayern Munich's hosting of Paris Saint-Germain, where the Bundesliga giants hold a narrow 1-0 lead from the first leg in the French capital and are aiming to inflict further continental disappointment upon their visitors.

Meanwhile, Tottenham welcome Milan to north London on the back of a disappointing defeat to Wolves in the Premier League and a surprise exit from the FA Cup at Sheffield United, now needing to come back from a 1-0 first-leg defeat in Italy to retain any hope of avoiding another season without a trophy.

Using Opta data, we've taken a close look at some of the key facts and stats for both fixtures.

Bayern Munich v Paris Saint-Germain

Holding a 1-0 lead from the first leg, Bayern will take confidence in the fact they have been eliminated just twice in the 22 previous occasions where they have won the first leg in a knockout European tie – against Real Madrid in the quarter-finals in 2001-02 and Inter in the round of 16 in 2010-11.

Bayern have won three of their last four home meetings with PSG, though did lose their last such encounter in the 2020-21 quarter-final, with their last three wins against the French side coming by a 1-0 scoreline, Kingsley Coman scoring the winner in two of those.

The hosts will be confident of scoring in Wednesday's clash, with PSG the only side remaining in the Champions League not to have kept a single clean sheet in the competition this season.

PSG's search of a response sees them needing to buck a trend, having progressed just once on the six occasions they have lost the first-leg – against Borussia Dortmund in 2019-20 – and the Ligue 1 side have won just one of their last seven against Bayern, having won four of their first five.

Kylian Mbappe has a strong record at the Allianz Arena, though, scoring three goals in his two previous games there, with no player ever scoring in three consecutive visits to the venue in the competition.

Tottenham v Milan

Tottenham's 1-0 loss at San Siro in the first leg was their first defeat in five meetings against Milan, with their two previous home fixtures against the Italians finishing in a 2-1 victory in April 1972 and a goalless draw in March 2011.

While Spurs have progressed from two of the last three European ties where they trailed from the first leg, they have lost four of their last six home matches in the knockout stages of the Champions League.

Antonio Conte's record of five wins in his last six home matches against Milan is encouraging for the hosts, but Harry Kane will need to return to form after scoring just once in seven European games this season. However, he has scored six goals in his six Champions League appearances at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Milan travel to north London with a woeful record on English soil, only ever winning one of 21 such away games (D7 L13) and losing their last three visits to London by an aggregate scoreline of 9-1.

However, the Serie A side have been eliminated in just three of 21 European Cup/Champions League knockout ties when winning the first leg and are enjoying a three-match winning streak in the competition – their best since a run of five in 2005.

Milan will be confident of scoring the first goal, with Spurs having conceded first in five of seven Champions League matches this term.

For Paris Saint-Germain, every new season brings a "this is it" feeling with regards to their Champions League hopes.

It's been the club's obsession ever since the Qatari state poured in their petrodollars back in 2011, and after a few years of building up a head of steam domestically, European success has been the chief aim.

Each pre-season sees the arrivals of new superstars, most years bring a new coach who has the ownership group's vain ambitions thrust upon their shoulders. The faces change, the goal doesn't – and neither, until now, has the ultimate destination.

Here we are in March 2023 and PSG still haven't won Europe's top prize. They find themselves 1-0 down after the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie with Bayern Munich, meaning they need to win at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday.

It feels quite early in the season for such a talented group of players to find themselves in a "do or die" position, but that's the harsh reality.

This kind of situation is arguably the whole point of their vast spending, though: having the world-beaters who can almost single-handedly get you out of such a predicament. After all, a 1-0 deficit is hardly insurmountable.

Obviously, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi will be looked to as the keys to survival and progression. PSG's Qatari overlords might even go as far as saying they were brought to Paris to win the Champions League: that's their job.

Of course, their time together at the club has been blighted by speculation of a fractured relationship, partly due – apparently – to Messi being so close to Neymar, who Mbappe is also said to have become distanced from.

But we're not here to indulge those interested in the kind of juvenile nonsense pedalled by clickbait merchants who're obsessed with the pantomime vilification of anyone/anything.

In fact, there is plenty of evidence that Mbappe and Messi genuinely "get" each other on the pitch. Their 21 goal combinations since the start of last season is nine more than any other pairing across the top five leagues.

PSG's excellent 3-0 win over Marseille in Le Classique at the end of February was a prime example of them clearly having rapport. Both of Mbappe's goals were set up by Messi; Messi's goal was set up by Mbappe.

For the first, Messi spotted the devastating run of Mbappe, who applied a clinical finish. They then switched roles for 2-0, the World Cup winner left with a tap-in from his partner's brilliant low cross.

They finished Marseille off in style. Messi's scooped pass released Mbappe, and he emphatically volleyed home from a tight angle.

Granted, it takes more than one match to show a telepathic on-pitch relationship has formed. But them switching it on as a duo shouldn't be sniffed at, particularly in the Classique.

Some might argue the absence of Neymar helped, and will continue to be a positive for the rest of the season.

Neymar will not play again this term due to an ankle injury, in what has seemingly become par for the course for the Brazilian in Paris. By the end of the 2022-23 campaign, he'll have played just 48 per cent of his possible minutes in Ligue 1 since joining, and the highest proportion of league minutes he'll have racked up in a single season will be 54.4 per cent.

But does it matter?

Some will fairly point out Neymar's 34 goal involvements across all competitions this season is bettered only by Mbappe (37) and Erling Haaland (38), and level with Messi. This is true, but does he really carry the same importance as the other two? And, as a trio, are they really as lethal as you might expect them to be?

Since Messi joined, PSG actually have a better win percentage when one of their star trio isn't starting (69.4 per cent, compared to 64.7 per cent). Admittedly that's not a significant difference, but over the same period their win rate when Neymar isn't in the starting XI is 75.9 per cent and 63 per cent when he is.

By comparison, when one of Mbappe or Messi drop out of the line-up, PSG's win percentage falls from 72.9 to 60.

For all his talents, many don't think Neymar will be missed. Former France international Christophe Dugarry is among them.

"I'm happy for PSG that Neymar is injured. I think this is an incredible opportunity for [Christophe] Galtier. The team is much more balanced with five defenders and Mbappe and Messi up front," Dugarry told RMC Sport. 

"I can't watch [Neymar] anymore, I can't stand him anymore. I can't stand his dribbling and that attitude. I don't want to see him on the field anymore, I'm tired."

Proving Neymar's absence makes PSG better is arguably impossible, but Dugarry's comments do strike a chord when he speaks of balance – even Galtier accepts they will be more balanced without the Brazilian.

Galtier does not think it makes them a better team, but that balance is potentially more important at the moment, especially in Europe.

PSG are the only side left in the Champions League who haven't kept a clean sheet in the competition this season, and in all competitions they have only managed two shutouts since the World Cup.

Of course, the situation is slightly more nuanced than being a case of "getting rid of Neymar equals a good defence", but Julian Nagelsmann pinpointed PSG's strength.

"What we need is to prevent them from using their pace," he said. "In Ligue 1, they often defend deep and play on the counter-attack. If you give their attackers too much space and they can unleash their footballing qualities, it's incredibly difficult to defend."

When it comes to pace and speed on the attack, is Neymar really essential for that?

Maybe he was the missing piece all these years. Perhaps, had Neymar not been injured so often in the second half of the season, they'd have won the Champions League by now.

But given how much of the past six years Neymar's missed (52 per cent if you're counting…), it would almost be fitting if PSG went on to win the Champions League without him.

Australia's stand-in captain Steve Smith remains in the dark over which pitch will be used in Ahmedabad in the fourth Test against India starting on Thursday.

Ahmedabad's massive Narendra Modi Stadium will host the finale of the Border Gavaskar Trophy, but two pitches were being prepared and under covers when Smith and the Australian team trained at the venue on Tuesday.

Smith conceded he left the venue less than 48 hours out from the first ball of the Test uncertain which pitch they would be playing on, having been given no clarity by the curator.

"The short answer is no," Smith replied when asked he knew which pitch was going to be used in the fourth Test. "There's two prepared."

Smith added that situation, given the short turnaround prior to the game, was something he had never encountered before in his career.

"[There] might have been a couple of [pitches] prepared maybe a bit longer out than two days but I can't remember two days," he said.

It is the latest in a series full of controversies surrounding pitches used, with all three Tests completed within three days so far. The series is on track to finish with the fewest balls bowled in a four-match series in Test history.

India coach Rahul Dravid had more clarity on which pitch was going to be used, although he said both being under covers was unusual.

"I don't know why two strips are covered," Dravid said. "I never asked him why he covered the other one. But I don't know what that was. We're playing on this one, I have no idea about the other one."

Australia can secure a series draw with victory in Ahmedabad after an impressive nine-wicket win in Indore in the third Test.

The tourists have come in for constant criticism after falling 2-0 down in the series, with Smith responding that some of that had been "mind-boggling" particularly around their bowling selections.

Australia have deployed three spinners in their past two Tests in the series where fast bowlers have played a minor role and been far less fruitful. The five leading wicket-takers in the series are all spinners, with 78 of the 93 wickets taken by bowlers coming via spin.

"It's been weird with a bit of the commentary back home, people talking about us playing three quicks and one spinner," Smith said.

"It's kind of mind-boggling to me when we look at these surfaces and we see what we've had, 11 innings in six days or something like that, and spinners have taken the bulk of the wickets and you see how difficult it is to play the spin.

"It's kind of odd to hear that kind of commentary, but we've had faith in what we're trying to do and it's good that we are able to show that we can play with three spinners and win. We weren't too far away in Delhi either, outside of that hour of madness.

"Nice to know our plans and everything we are trying to do can work."

Anthony Davis says he will be fine after shaking off a bloodied nose to record 30 points with a season-high 22 rebounds to lead the Los Angeles Lakers past the Memphis Grizzlies 112-103 on Tuesday.

In the absence of the injured LeBron James, Davis was crucial for the Lakers who moved up to ninth – among the Play-In Tournament spots - in the Western Conference with the win, improving their record to 32-34.

Davis was floored and left clutching his bloodied nose with 6:43 remaining in the second quarter after copping an errant hand from David Roddy when securing a rebound.

The All-Star power forward was patched up and returned with a dominant performance, shooting 11-of-17 from the field with seven-of-nine from the free-throw line, with 22 rebounds including four offensive boards.

"It's still bleeding but we've got to win basketball games," Davis told ESPN during his on-court post-game interview.

"I do all I can to come out and compete every night and help this team get victories. The nose will be alright. We've got two days to recuperate and make sure it's still in place. I'll be alright."

Davis hailed the Lakers' defense for the win, coming two days after knocking off another Western Conference rival, the Golden State Warriors, 113-105 on Sunday.

The race for playoffs spots in the Western Conference is tight, with the Lakers only a few games behind the fifth-placed Dallas Mavericks and Warriors (both 34-32).

"It's a must-win," Davis said. "Every game we play from now is a must-win for us. Nothing changed tonight.

"Our ball club did a great job competing on both ends of the floor, little carryover from the game before against Golden State.

"We feel we owe this team one, we let one slip away in Memphis. Ja [Morant] was a big part of that. We wanted to come out and compete. All our guys stepped up tonight."

Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer feels it was the right time to increase Khris Middleton's playing time as he scored a joint season-high 24 points in their 134-123 win over the Orlando Magic on Tuesday.

Middleton retuned to the starting line-up for the first time since December 15, having 11 assists to go with his 24 points on five-of-nine shooting from the field with 13-of-14 from the free-throw line.

The Bucks wing played a joint season-high 31 minutes, marking the first time he has exceeded 30 minutes on court since December, having had an injury-interrupted season.

Middleton missed the first 20 games of the season with a wrist injury, before being sidelined with a knee problem in December and January. His increase in minutes came after putting together a run of games and coincided with Jrue Holiday (sore neck) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (non-COVID-19 illness) being out.

"It felt like it was the right time for [Middleton] to get up to the 30-minute plateau, with Jrue and Giannis not playing," Budenholzer told reporters.

"Just a lot of things. Eleven assists, being a playmaker and doing a little bit of everything, he set a good tone for us early.

"We were fortunate to have him come off the bench for us for a good long stretch, and he’s going to continue to do those things where he's always been, in our starting lineup."

Middleton is averaging 21.8 minutes per game this season, with 13.2 points well down on his 20.4 average in the Bucks' title-winning 2020-21 season where he also averaged 6.0 rebounds and 5.4 assists.

The Bucks showcased their depth of offensive options despite missing their All-Star duo, as Brook Lopez top-scored with 26 points, while Jevon Carter added 24 and Jae Crowder contributed 15 off the bench.

Crowder only joined the Bucks last month from the Phoenix Suns, having agreed to sit out the 2022-23 season until a trade was found. Tuesday's game was his seventh game for Milwaukee, recording his best yet points return.

"It was good for him," Budenholzer said. "That's a silver lining to a couple of guys not playing, he got to play a lot of minutes, he got a good rhythm, he made some shots, he got to the free-throw line.

"Defensively he's locked in. He's doing everything we ask. He's got an edge on the defensive end."

The Bucks lead the NBA with a 47-18 record, having won 18 of their past 19 games.

Josh Giddey's career-high 17 assists proved too much for the Golden State Warriors to overcome in Tuesday's 137-128 home win for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The visitors received a vintage performance from reigning NBA Finals MVP Stephen Curry, dropping 40 points on 14-of-23 shooting, including 10-of-16 from deep, while adding seven assists and six rebounds.

It was the most points Curry had scored since Golden State's January 16 victory over the Washington Wizards, where he had 41, and marks a return to his best in his second game back following a month on the sidelines.

Curry has now made at least 10 three-pointers on 23 occasions, while no other player has ever had more than team-mate Klay Thompson's nine.

But the Thunder were too strong as Giddey raced past his previous career-high of 14 assists, while also adding 17 points (six-of-11) and 11 rebounds for his third triple-double of the season, after four in his rookie campaign.

Giddey was supported in style by the league's fifth-leading scorer Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who came into the game averaging 31.1 points per game and gave that figure a small bump with 33 points on 14-of-24 shooting.

With the win – the Thunder's third in a row – they improved their record to 31-34 to join the logjam of teams tied for the Western Conference's ninth and 10th seeds. 

They are only 2.5 games behind the Warriors (34-32), who are narrowly clear of the Play-In Tournament placings, a half-game clear in sixth.

Embiid gets the better of Gobert

In a clash between arguably the most dominant offensive and defensive centers of their generation, Joel Embiid's Philadelphia 76ers overwhelmed Rudy Gobert's Minnesota Timberwolves in a 117-94 blowout.

Embiid was unstoppable, finishing with 39 points in 28 minutes after shooting 13-of-22 from the field, adding seven rebounds, four assists, three blocks and a steal.

With James Harden out following his 20-assist showing in Monday's first leg of their back-to-back, Tyrese Maxey enjoyed a larger role with 27 points (nine-of-16 shooting), five assists and four rebounds, pulling the 76ers (43-22) to within 1.5 games of the second-seeded Boston Celtics (45-21).

Gobert ended up with six points (two-of-six), nine rebounds, two steals and a block.

Kyrie and Luka get back in the winner's list

The mesmerising offensive duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving combined for 62 points in the Dallas Mavericks' close 120-116 home win against the Utah Jazz.

Irving was the more efficient of the two on the offensive end, scoring a team-high 33 points on 10-of-18 shooting (10-of-10 free throws) with eight assists and six rebounds. Doncic was not far behind with 29 points (10-of-23 shooting), 10 rebounds, six assists, two steals and a block.

All-Star Lauri Markkanen kept his terrific season going with 33 points (12-of-20 shooting), but after looking like a potential playoff team early in the campaign, the 31-35 Jazz now sit outside the Play-In Tournament spots.

The Los Angeles Lakers are set to honour two-time champion and six-time All-Star Pau Gasol by retiring his number 16 jersey during half-time of Tuesday's home game against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Gasol, who retired from the NBA following the 2018-19 campaign, spent seven of his 18 seasons with the Lakers after being acquired from the Memphis Grizzlies in a trade at the 2008 deadline.

Having been named the 2002 Rookie of the Year, the seven-foot Spaniard made his first All-Star team in 2006 after averaging 20.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game, but he would not make another until arriving in LA.

After Gasol's arrival, the Lakers went from a first-round exit in 2007 all the way to the NBA Finals, falling short against historic rivals the Boston Celtics in six games.

With a training camp under their belt and in his first full season alongside Kobe Bryant, Gasol helped the Lakers win their 15th championship, and Bryant's fourth. He averaged 40.5 minutes and shot 58 per cent from the field for his 18.3 points and 10.8 rebounds in 23 playoff games.

The Lakers then went back-to-back in the 2009-10 season, when Gasol was the most valuable player on the floor during their Game 7 victory against the Celtics, finishing with 19 points, 18 rebounds and two blocks in a game where Bryant had 23 points and 15 rebounds, but shot six-of-24 from the field.

He was named an All-Star in both championship seasons, and again in 2010-11, and then spent three more years with the Lakers until heading to the Chicago Bulls, where he would make two more All-Star Games.

Prior to the ceremony, Gasol spoke to the media about the honour of having his number go up in the rafters alongside Bryant.

"I think I’ve done as good as I could to really embrace it and savour it, but tonight really exceeds any dream or expectation that I’ve had," he said. "Obviously with Kobe up there, it just adds something meaningful, and powerful, and sad, and happy, and painful, and joyful. It’s a lot of things.

"The excitement, the anticipation, the honour received, it’s just so big that it's been hard to really take it in.

"I have to keep reminding myself that it’s a celebration. It's great. It's lovely. It's just great that you can experience this in your life."

Gasol was also an incredibly decorated international competitor, finishing as the highest scoring player at the 2004 Olympics, before guiding Spain to their first ever FIBA World Championship in 2006, where he was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.

He is also the all-time leading scorer in EuroBasket competition, overtaking Dirk Nowitzki and Tony Parker with 1,183 points scored in 58 games at an average of 20.4.

Kevin Durant is glad he got the opportunity to get his "feet wet" on the road with the Phoenix Suns ahead of his home debut Wednesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Suns went 3-0 with Durant in the line-up during their recent road trip, defeating the Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls and Dallas Mavericks by a combined margin of 37 points.

Their newly acquired two-time NBA Finals MVP averaged 26.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists during those games, shooting 69 per cent from the field, 53 per cent from deep and 88 per cent from the free throw line.

Speaking to the media after Tuesday's practice, Durant spoke about how comfortable he is fitting into new situations, highlighting the fact that "everyone runs the same stuff".

"I'm at this point in my career where I've played with some of the best players to ever play," he said. "I've been in Olympic teams, I've been on some of the best All-Star teams, and I've figured out the best way to kind of fit in with a group of guys.

"Once you start to understand the terminology it makes it a bit easier, and you realise everyone runs the same stuff, it's just different players you put in those spots.

"Having communication with your team-mates every day is the most important piece of it all."

Durant, who is coming off his 10th All-NBA selection, touched on what has impressed him with Devin Booker, who emerged as an All-NBA First Team member last season after never previously making the second or third teams.

"'Book' understands exactly what he needs to do every time out on the floor, and once you prepare the right way and know your role, the game can be easy," he said. "The game is easy for Book, and he makes the game easy for all his team-mates as well.

"We've got such an unselfish team, and we want to move the ball a lot and get everybody involved, but he's such a gifted, talented offensive scorer that he can make plays for others, but he can also make plays for himself.

"I felt like a couple of times last game he had a one-on-one opportunity with not a lot of help and he was going downhill, getting whatever he wanted. So we want to exploit that as much as possible, but he's going to play the right way regardless.

"There's going to be more times in the future where I'm probably going to have to tell him to shoot, but that's always a good thing when your best players are willing to give up the ball."

Having only played three games since being traded from the Nets a month ago, Durant said he is looking forward to getting "back to normal".

"I'm glad I was able to get a couple on the road to get my feet wet because I know it's going to be loud in [Footprint Center]," he said. "I'm looking forward to our fans. I know they can't wait to see us out on the floor.

"I'm just trying to get back to normal as soon as possible. I'm glad I'm playing again, and things will get back to normal."