Anthony Davis labelled his own performance "terrible" as he blamed himself for the Los Angeles Lakers' 112-108 loss to the New York Knicks on Sunday.

The Lakers missed the chance to get back .500, with the narrow defeat leaving them 33-35 in the battle for playoffs spot in the West.

In LeBron James' absence, Davis was critical of his own ability to lead the side, managing 17 points and 16 rebounds but shooting one-of-five from the free-throw line.

Davis also had four assists, two steals and a block, but his eight-of-18 field shooting left a lot to be desired, with the power forward stating "my play" was the reason for the loss.

"I played terrible," Davis told reporters. "Couldn't find my shot: free throws, layups, everything. The guys did their job. I didn't do my job."

Davis had little impact down the stretch with the game up for grabs, shooting one-of-four from the field.

"I just missed a lot of shots," he said. "I don't think they did anything special. A lot of times one-on-one, they doubled a couple of times."

The Lakers' three-game winning streak may have been halted, but there was some good news with James, who was out of a walking boot and rejoined the team.

The four-time MVP has not played since February 26 and will be re-evaluated next week, potentially offering the Lakers a major boost in their push for the playoffs if they can stay in contention in the meantime.

"It's also good for him to unplug a little bit," Lakers head coach Darvin Ham said about James' break. "Not be detached necessarily, but just mentally get a little bit of a calming to everything that's transpired over the year.

"It's not just about him getting healthy, it's about him being in a good place mentally and spiritually, so we get the best version of him when he returns."

The Lakers (33-35) are 11th in the Western Conference, which is tightly contested from the fourth-placed Phoenix Suns (37-30) down to the 12th-placed New Orleans Pelicans (33-35).

Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone says his side have been in "cruise control" after Sunday's 122-120 loss to the Brooklyn Nets marked three straight defeats.

The Nuggets remain clear atop the West with a 46-22 record, with the second-placed Sacramento Kings back at 40-26, inviting a level of complacency.

Denver were unable to win despite reigning back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic managing a 35-point triple-double with 20 rebounds and 11 assists.

"We've been on cruise control for a really long time, making it look easy," Malone told reporters. "We've spoilt a lot of people, like we're going to win our last 15 games, we're great. It doesn’t work like that.

"What do you think [2022 NBA champions] Golden State's record was after the All-Star break last year. It was 11-12. It happens.

"Is it ideal? Hell, no. We don’t want to lose three in a row and now we're going one a very demanding and difficult five-game road trip. 

"I think the most important for me as head coach is the delicate balance of coaching, holding guys accountable, teaching but also not panicking.

"Losing sucks, we all realise that, but let's stay together, stay poised and find a way to put 48 minutes together."

Denver have blown double-digit leads in all of their past three defeats, with Malone lamenting their inability to play a full four quarters.

The Nets took control of Sunday's game on the back of a 37-18 third quarter, with Malone pointing to similar periods in their previous two games.

"Everybody in that third quarter played poorly," Malone said. "Looking at the last game and looking at tonight, one quarter has cost us the game.

"San Antonio, it was the second quarter, we gave up 42 points. Tonight it was the third quarter, 37-18. In this league, against a team that's fifth in the East, you can't play three quarters and expect to win."

The Nuggets were not helped by Jamal Murray's poor shooting night, finishing five-of-19 from the field for his 16 points. Murray sat out the fourth quarter with left knee soreness.

"I haven’t had a chance to speak with Jamal or our trainers yet," Malone said. "We'll see how it is."

Third seed Jessica Pegula rallied back from a set down for the second straight match to advance into the final 16 with a 3-6 6-4 7-5 victory over 26th seed Anastasia Potapova.

Potapova won the first set in 39 minutes, claiming the only break of the frame in the sixth game, but Pegula responded by breaking immediately in the second.

Despite squaring the match up, the American trailed 3-1 in the third set, only to fight back again and triumph in two hours and 17 minutes.

Pegula will face 15th seed Petra Kvitova after she won a seesawing three-set contest over 24th seed Jelena Ostapenko, 0-6 6-0 6-4.

Ostapenko won the first six games, before Kvitova won the next 10, only for the Latvian to hit back and claim the next four, squaring up the deciding set at 4-4. But two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova held her nerve and won the final two games for victory.

World number two Aryna Sabalenka progressed to the final 16 via walkover after her third-round opponent Lesia Tsurenko withdrew.

The 2023 Australian Open champion will take on 2021 French Open winner Barbora Krejcikova after she toppled Wang Xin 6-2 6-7 (1-7) 6-2.

Seventh seed Maria Sakkari secured victory in a two-and-a-half-hour third-round clash with Anhelina Kalinina, winning 3-6 6-2 6-4.

Two-time major runner-up Karolina Pliskova won 6-1 7-5 over Veronika Kudermetova, progressing into the last eight to face Sakkari.

Sixth seed Coco Gauff, who turns 19 on Monday, eased past 54th-ranked fellow teenager Linda Noskova 6-4 6-3 in one hour and 19 minutes.

Sweden's Rebecca Peterson continued her resurgent form with a 3-6 6-3 6-1 win over Jil Teichman, setting up a clash with Gauff.

Two of the Indian Wells Masters' top-three seeds have failed to reach the final 16 after Casper Ruud fell 6-4 7-6 (7-2) at the hands of Cristian Garin on Sunday.

Ruud, the third seed, joined second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas with an early exit after a timid display, with just 17 winners to go with 17 unforced errors against Chile's Garin.

Meanwhile, Garin took his opportunity against the world number four with both hands, rattling off 39 winners with 24 unforced errors as he made the decision to take the match on and not die wondering.

Garin, who already defeated 29th seed Yoshihito Nishioka in the second round, will meet his third seeded opponent in a row in the quarter-final when he takes on Spain's 23rd seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

Davidovich Fokina eliminated 13th seed Karen Khachanov 6-3 1-6 6-4, but it was still a strong day for the Russians as top hopefuls Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev advanced.

Medvedev, the fifth seed, was tested in his 6-2 3-6 6-1 victory over Belarus' Ilya Ivashka, while sixth seed Rublev saw off France's Ugo Humbert 7-5 6-3 without much issue.

Waiting for Rublev in the quarter-final is Briton Cameron Norrie after his 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 6-2 battle against Taro Daniel, while Alexander Zverev beat Emil Ruusuvuori 7-5 1-6 7-5 to book a tantalising clash with Medvedev.

In a poor day for the Australians, Jason Kubler went down 6-3 6-2 against 14th seed Frances Tiafoe, and Jordan Thompson could not follow up his incredible upset against Tsitsipas, falling 6-3 7-6 (8-6) to Chile's Alejandro Tabilo.

Mikal Bridges' incredible start to his career as a Brooklyn Net continued on Sunday as he led his team to a 122-120 road upset against the Western Conference-leading Denver Nuggets despite Nikola Jokic's massive triple-double.

Bridges, 26, arrived from Phoenix as the central piece heading to Brooklyn in the Kevin Durant trade, and he has lived up to even the most lofty expectations about what he could produce as the focal point of an offense.

Playing in a supporting role during his time with the Suns, Bridges was averaging a career-high 17.2 points per game this season. It is the fifth season in a row he has improved his points per game, all with career shooting splits of 49.9 per cent from the field, 37.6 per cent from deep and 85.2 per cent from the free throw line.

In his 12 games since joining the Nets, Bridges has shown he is indeed capable of filling a featured role, averaging 25.8 points while maintaining elite efficiency at 51.4 per cent from the field, 49.2 per cent from deep and 90 per cent at the line.

Against the Nuggets, Bridges again led his team in scoring with 25 points on seven-of-16 shooting, while fellow trade deadline acquisition Spencer Dinwiddie posted a career-high 16 assists to go with his 15 points (five-of-15) and six rebounds.

After starting the season a perfect 25-0 in games when reigning back-to-back MVP Jokic has tallied a triple-double, Denver have now dropped two in a row, with his 35 points (14-of-23), 20 rebounds and 11 assists proving not enough to make up for Jamal Murray's ice-cold five-of-19 shooting night.

The Nets have now won five of their past six to improve to 39-29, sitting 3.5 games clear of the play-in tournament placings, while the 46-22 Nuggets are still five games clear atop the West.

Murphy's big night carries the Pelicans

Second-year wing Trey Murphy III dropped a career-high 41 points as the New Orleans Pelicans defended their home court 127-110 against the visiting Portland Trail Blazers.

With Damian Lillard out of action for Portland, they did not have a single player exceed 17 points, while Murphy caught fire.

The 22-year-old hit 13-of-20 shots and nine-of-14 three-pointers, eclipsing his previous high score by nine points as he reached the 30-point mark for the third time. 

Much like Bridges, Murphy has excelled when given an expanded opportunity, providing a silver lining to the absences of Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson.

Embiid too big, too strong for the Wizards

Philadelphia 76ers MVP candidate Joel Embiid was once again the most dominant player on the floor during Sunday's 112-93 manhandling of the Washington Wizards.

Embiid, who leads the race for the scoring title at 33.4 points per game, raised his average ever so slightly with 34 points on 12-of-21 shooting, adding eight rebounds, four assists, four blocks and a steal.

James Harden, who is leading the league in assists at 10.8 per game, made his center's life easier with another 14 dimes to go with 18 points (six-of-11).

The win is the 76ers' fifth in a row, and they are now only 1.5 games behind the Boston Celtics (47-21) as they both try to chase down the conference-leading Milwaukee Bucks (48-19).

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says Arsenal's long Premier League title wait is helping them score late goals and insists the Gunners are still favourites for the domestic crown.

Arsenal's 3-0 win at Fulham on Sunday meant they restored their five-point lead over second-placed City with 11 games to play.

The Gunners' latest win was more routine in comparison to the recent 3-2 triumph over Bournemouth where Reiss Nelson netted a 97th-minute winner, or last month's thrilling come-from-behind 4-2 victory at Aston Villa.

Guardiola argued Arsenal's long drought for a Premier League title, having not claimed the honour since 2003-04, was fuelling their belief late in games.

On the contrary, the Catalan sensed City lacked that desire having lifted four of the past five league titles.

"They have many years without winning the Premier League and that gives you a little bit extra to win games in 93, 96, 98," Guardiola told reporters.

"That is something they have that we don’t have because we have won back-to-back, two times.

"That's why when people say about your opinion on the team and the season it's after two times back-to-back and 50 points for our opponents in the first half still we are there.

"Normally in this country when you win something a lot and you don’t start well or someone is a bit better, you drop it. You are not consistent. Still we are there. This is the best trophy and compliment that we can have.

"I don’t know what's going to happen at the end of the season but still they know that we want to be there and we will fight to be there and this is great."

The contrasting recent states of the clubs, given Arsenal's league title drought and City's recent dominance, has ensured Premier League favouritism has remained reserved despite the Gunners' lead.

But Guardiola pushed the narrative that Arsenal were the favourites, even after City beat them 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium amid the Gunners' three-game winless run in February.

"Still Arsenal are the favourites because they are in front," Guardiola said. "They made an incredible first leg, they dropped a little bit but now they’re coming back."

Six of Arsenal's remaining 11 league fixtures at home, but they will travel to face City on April 26. The Gunners also have difficult trips to Liverpool and Newcastle United to come and host Chelsea too.

City also have six home games in their final 11, including hosting Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea.

Chelsea forward Kai Havertz is enjoying some strong form once again, but he revealed the mental toll this season has taken on himself and those around him.

The Germany international has made 22 starts from Chelsea's 26 Premier League fixtures this campaign, having only scored 27 goals as a team.

It has resulted in a pressure-packed season as boss Graham Potter fights for his job, and while Havertz's own production has not taken too much of a hit, the weight of a disappointing season has taken its toll.

After eight goals and four assists in 29 league appearances last season, Havertz has tallied six goals and one assist this time around, but had only one goal in his past 10 prior to finding the back of the net against Leicester City in Saturday's 3-1 win.

"Football is our life," Havertz told reporters. "If you lose a game, of course you don’t have an easy life as well. 

"I think everyone at home, especially my girlfriend, has had some tough weeks as well in the last weeks and months. I think she is happy now again and so am I.

"For you [journalists], it is the same – if you have a bad day at work… you… I won’t say the word now but you don’t feel good. Football is a game where we have a lot of pressure on our shoulders.

"We want to make the fans happy and if you don’t make them happy then you don’t have a good time."

But things have begun to swing back the other way, with Havertz coming off a goal in consecutive games as he put one past Borussia Dortmund to help Chelsea advance in the Champions League, before another strong performance against Leiceister.

"Winning is always the best, we won again so we can enjoy some days," he said. "We knew it was going to take some time to adapt for everyone. So maybe, you could see that we are still not finished. 

"It will always take time to develop. We can develop a lot but we showed another good performance [at Leicester] and we can be happy.

"Of course, to win three games in a row is important for us because we had a tough time before that. We knew we would bounce back. 

"We still have a game to play [at home to Everton] before the [international break for the] national team. We have to keep our focus high and win the next game as well."

Scottie Scheffler says it is "very special" to join golf greats Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus as the only players to hold the Masters and Players Championship titles at the same time.

Scheffler won the Players' Championship at Sawgrass on Sunday by five strokes, re-claiming the world number one ranking in the process.

The 26-year-old American's dominant victory comes after winning last month's Phoenix Open, along with last season's PGA Player of the Year after collecting his first four tour titles.

Scheffler has won six of his past 27 events, but joining Woods and Nicklaus in a rare group meant a lot to him.

"It's quite a special group of people," Scheffler told reporters, before joking: "We could add all our majors and Players together and I have two now and they have a lot more than that.

"But any time you can get mentioned in the same breath as Tiger and Jack it's very special. I'm very grateful for that."

Scheffler's career-best form comes with his Masters' defence a month away, and he described how his game has matured over the past 18 months.

"I'm just comfortable with where my game is," Scheffler said. "I feel like I'm improving. I'm definitely learning more and the more you can get into contention and be in the moments. I would say that's probably the most valuable thing is knowing what you feel like and being able to prepare for it.

"I am a bit more comfortable knowing what I need to do. I think before Phoenix [in 2022] I had this idea that I had to play perfect on Sundays and hit nothing but good shots and that's not necessarily how golf is played. Very rarely do I hit it exactly how I want to and maybe only a couple times a tournament. Most of it is just managing your way around a golf course.

"Going into the Masters, it's going to be a fun week… but by the time we tee it up Thursday everybody starts at even par so it probably doesn't have much of an effect."

The American went on a run of five birdies around the turn at Sawgrass, picking up shots at each hole from eight to 12, on the way to a 69 that took him to 17 under, finishing five shots clear of Tyrrell Hatton. Scheffler broke 70 in all four of his rounds.

"I played really well the whole week, really solid," Scheffler said. "I had some times throughout week where I didn't feel like I was swinging my best or playing at a 100 per cent, and then I would just kind of wait and pick my moments, and fortunately, I got kind of hot in spurts in each of my rounds, whether it was the back nine on the first round or eight-through-12 this afternoon.

"I just found a way to choose my moments and get hot here and there and had four just really solid rounds."

Scheffler's dominance at the notoriously challenging Sawgrass was an ominous sign for the Masters at Augusta National.

"I get excited for a good hard test," he said. "I feel like that I can find a way to make pars and hang in there.

"This week I think I had five bogeys for the whole week. Around this place that's really, really hard to do and that's probably what I'm most proud of is just playing so solid. I think I just like the challenge of kind of harder golf courses."

England captain Jos Buttler soaked up the disappointment of a T20I series defeat to Bangladesh and insisted it had been worth trialling a team light on frontline batters.

With Tom Abell and Will Jacks unavailable due to injury, England might have sent for batting reinforcements but instead elected to persevere with their weakened unit.

It meant Moeen Ali batted at three on Sunday, with Sam Curran at six, both bumped up higher than they would usually be expected to figure in the order.

Moeen made 15 and Curran added 12 in a feeble 117 all out, with Buttler dropping down from playing as an opener to bat at number four, where he scored only four.

Bangladesh won by four wickets, with Najmul Hossain Shanto hitting 46no, leaving Buttler to face questions about England's performance, and their selections.

"It's a different balance and it's a different feel to the team," he said. "I think we're wanting to give exposure to guys especially who, in these conditions, will also probably play a part in the 50-over World Cup.

"It felt like a great chance to expose the all-rounders' batting, maybe one spot higher than in our normal team.

"The way cricket is at the moment, there's a few players who've opted not to be here anyway for various reasons. So instead of calling up someone else, we tried to use the guys who would be exposed to these conditions in the 50-over World Cup as well."

Regarding his own move in the line-up, perhaps intended to beef up the middle order, Buttler said: "I'm very comfortable batting anywhere in the order.

"I've spent a hell of a lot of my career as a middle order player, and I think we've got some good options. I just felt like it would be an opportunity to try something different."

England will hope for a better outcome in Tuesday's final match, but Bangladesh's wins in Chattogram and Mirpur mean the tourists are playing for mere consolation.

Xavi declared Barcelona's slender 1-0 win over Athletic Bilbao as a "golden victory" after they survived a late onslaught to restore their nine-point lead ahead of next weekend's Clasico.

Raphinha's first-half goal at San Mames ultimately proved decisive, but that was just the tip of the iceberg as Barca were forced to withstand intense late pressure.

Earlier, Raul Garcia had hit the post for the hosts, and Athletic's late barrage began with Alex Berenguer striking the woodwork.

Athletic thought they salvaged a dramatic draw when Inaki Williams surged clear and smashed home, but the goal was then disallowed after a VAR check, with Iker Muniain deemed to have handled in the build-up.

Nico Williams then somehow failed to properly connect with the ball when seemingly destined to convert a tap-in; the follow-up by Yuri Berchiche was cleared off the line; and Gorka Guruzeta's volley from that rebound was crucially blocked in front of goal by Andreas Christensen.

It was a valuable win with Barca set to face second-placed Real Madrid at Camp Nou on Sunday.

"The same thing has happened to us again," Xavi told reporters. "We have been at a good level for 75 minutes, although we have to attack better.

"It was a difficult game. In San Mames you end up suffering, and that's what happened. It's a golden victory for us and we take three very important points.

"We maintained the nine-point lead, and we go into the Clasico with confidence.

"But we have to get better offensively. We had two or three clear chances in the second half: from Ansu [Fati]; from [Alejandro] Balde, who didn't choose well; from [Robert] Lewandowski with a header.

"We have to improve in that aspect, be calmer and more patient and play more in the attacking half. Defensive solidity must also be valued, but it's true that we have to improve in the attack."

Barca were greeted with a particularly vociferous reception at San Mames in light of the Negreira scandal.

Last month, broadcaster SER Catalunya alleged Barca had paid €1.6million to the company of Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira – the former vice-president of Spain's Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) – between 2016 and 2018.

Newspaper El Pais claimed Negreira's company – DASNIL 95 SL – produced written reports and DVD assessments of referees prior to games.

On Friday, however, Barca – who have denied any wrongdoing – were charged with corruption over alleged payments to Negreira, who is also facing charges along with the club's former presidents Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell.

It also emerged on Friday that prosecutors allege Barca paid €7.3m to companies owned by Negreira between 2001 and 2018.

Athletic fans jeered Barca and chanted for them to be demoted to the Segunda, and the reception left Xavi taken aback.

"I am surprised by the hostile atmosphere of San Mames and it saddens me," he said. "Judging prematurely [before a trial] is not good for society.

"Everyone is free. I respect opinions. But we are being judged prematurely, and it saddens me.

"I have nothing more to add. We haven't talked about it in the locker room.

"Those things are for the club [to deal with]. We focus on playing football, we're professionals."

Massimiliano Allegri encouraged the struggling Dusan Vlahovic to "remain serene" despite his missed penalty in Juventus' 4-2 victory over Sampdoria.

The striker hit the post from 12 yards at the Allianz Stadium and despite a game-high eight shots on goal, he has now gone five successive Serie A matches without scoring for the first time in his career.

Vlahovic also saw four attempts blocked, and his frustration was evident as his efforts in front of goal reaped no rewards.

Meanwhile, Adrien Rabiot struck twice and Bremer and Matias Soule were also on target for the Bianconeri who, despite surrendering a 2-0 lead, closed the gap on fourth-place Milan to nine points.

But while Vlahovic continues to draw blanks, Allegri offered words of encouragement to his number nine.

"Dusan played a very good game," he told DAZN. "He must remain serene. Tonight, he played better technically. He has to stay calm.

"Let's not forget that he has been at Juventus for a year, he has done well, he is doing well. He has all the qualities to improve.

"When he manages to regulate his management of the game, he will be less hasty when the ball arrives."

Rabiot, meanwhile, continued his most prolific season in front of goal, taking his tally to nine with his brace on Sunday.

But the midfielder has urged his team-mates to improve their concentration levels ahead of Thursday's Europa League last-16 second leg against Freiburg, in which the Bianconeri hold a narrow 1-0 lead.

"In some moments, I have to take responsibility, if there is a need to do it alone," he said. "Tonight, I scored an important goal to bring the victory.

"I'm happy – a little less for the first half where we started well, but conceded two goals that we must not concede.

"We have to work and be more focused during the game. Don't be careless because we scored two goals. We had to win to prepare well for the game against Freiburg."

The France international's future is uncertain with his Juve contract set to expire at the end of the season, but he admits he is content in Turin.

"At the moment, I don't think about anything," he added. "I'm happy with the help to the team and then we'll see. Here, I'm fine; I'm scoring a lot of goals, and I think I'll score more."

Scottie Scheffler earned a huge confidence bump ahead of his Masters title defence by triumphing at The Players Championship on Sunday.

The American went on a run of five birdies around the turn at Sawgrass, picking up shots at each hole from eight to 12, on the way to a 69 that took him to 17 under, enough for a five-shot victory.

Scheffler, 26, hops up one spot and returns to number one in the world rankings thanks to this big win. He has won all six of his PGA Tour titles since the beginning of last year, with a hot streak leading up to Augusta last year followed in 2023 by a Phoenix Open victory and now this commanding success.

He was two clear of nearest rival Min Woo Lee coming into the final round, but as the Australian's challenge fell away, Scheffler pulled further clear of the field. He broke 70 in all four of his rounds.

Tyrrell Hatton matched the back-nine course record on his way to second place outright, with the Englishman coming home in 29 for a seven-under-par 65 to finish at 12 under.

Hatton made birdies at 10, 12 and then at every hole from the 14th onwards, producing what he described as a "pretty mad" final flourish to scorch to 12 under.

Viktor Hovland had a closing 68 to finish in a tie for third with Tom Hoge, whose 70 on Sunday was the final act in a dramatic week that began for him with a 78. Hoge narrowly made the cut after a 68 in round two, before shooting a course-record 62 on Saturday.

He cancelled flights home on Friday, when bad weather caused a delay to the second round, and again on Saturday, after making it through on the cut line, with Hoge reaping the rewards of his persistence.

American Alex Smalley had a hole-in-one at the 17th, the famous par-three island hole, early on Sunday, but windy conditions later on made it treacherous and a host of players sent balls into the water. Scheffler reached that penultimate hole with a five-shot lead and an excellent tee shot meant he had cleared the last real obstacle in his path.

Hideki Matsuyama was in with a shout at one stage after reaching 12 under with five holes to play, but the 2021 Masters champion played those holes in three over par, signing for a 68 and sliding to fifth place.

Scheffler's playing partner Lee was one of seven players tied for sixth after having two sevens on his card. Lee finished with a miserable 76 that a brilliant birdie at 17 could not salvage, albeit he revelled in the moment after hitting his tee shot to just five feet from the pin. A bogey at the last summed up his rotten day.

Taylor Montgomery went from 10 under after 14 holes to three under three holes later, twice finding water at the 17th, going 5-7-7 in that stretch to tumble off the leaderboard and into the ranks of the also-rans. He parred the last for a 76 and a tie for 44th place, having been firmly in contention for top three just an hour earlier.

Scheffler avoid any such chaos, and after an emotional celebration with family he told the Golf Channel: "It's a lot of fun. A long day, a tough day. I knew the conditions were going to get really hard late, and I did a really good job of staying patient and not trying to force things. I got hot in the middle of the round and tried to put things away as quickly as I could."

His game is in great shape ahead of his Augusta title defence next month, and Scheffler said: "I'm just hoping to improve. I'm just trying to get a little bit better, not over-think things. I'm so fortunate to be able to see some results and enjoy some wins and I'm very thankful."