Some leagues may have started playoffs last week, but with the arrival of Week 15 in the NFL, the fantasy postseason is now firmly in full swing.
The playoffs are a time when you need your star players to deliver, but that is not always possible.
Injuries or bad matchups can put stars in disadvantageous situations, and often fantasy managers are left needing to rely on lesser lights to help them secure glory.
Ahead of the start of a week in which several NFL teams will look to punch their postseason ticket, Stats Perform has picked out four somewhat under-the-radar players, and a defense, who are in a position to help fantasy managers enjoy playoff success.
Quarterback: Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings vs. Indianapolis Colts
The Vikings aren't exactly a sleeper team at 10-3, but as they lost to the Detroit Lions last week, you may have missed that their quarterback had an exceptional statistical game.
Cousins completed 75.6 per cent of his passes (31 of 41) for 425 yards and two touchdowns.
Indianapolis possess a stout defense, but the Colts will provide opposing offenses with opportunities. The Colts' opponents have had 148 drives, tied for the fifth-most in the league. Cousins might have to work harder this week, but the chances for him to have a decisive impact in the fantasy playoffs will certainly come.
Running Back: Jordan Mason, San Francisco 49ers @ Seattle Seahawks
Yes, it's very much Christian McCaffrey's backfield in San Francisco, but on a short week having already lost Deebo Samuel for much of the stretch run due to a high-ankle sprain and an MCL sprain, the 49ers are likely to share the load a little more as they seek to clinch the NFC West title.
Mason will be the man to get the lion's share of carries that are not given to McCaffrey. He had 56 yards on 11 carries in San Francisco's dominant win over Tampa Bay in Week 14 and is averaging 5.5 yards per carry over the last three games, including five rushes of at least 10 yards.
If you are in the playoffs but in a bind at running back, Mason is an intriguing option against a Seahawks defense that has allowed 677 rushing yards over its last three games.
Wide Receiver: Zay Jones, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Dallas Cowboys
The Jaguars remain in with a shot, albeit a small one, of reaching the postseason, with quarterback Trevor Lawrence showing continued signs of developing into the quarterback many have believed he could become since high school.
Eyebrows were raised in the offseason when the Jaguars handed a lucrative contract to Jones, but he has become a favourite target of Lawrence in recent weeks.
Over his last four games, Jones has 43 targets, tied for the sixth-most in the NFL since Week 10. In that span, he has two eight-catch games and an 11-reception performance. He went for 77 yards and a touchdown in last week's win over the Tennessee Titans, two weeks on from a 145-yard effort against the Baltimore Ravens. Against a Dallas defense that struggled to contain the Houston Texans last week, Jones is an extremely strong points per reception play.
Tight End: Chigoziem Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans @ Los Angeles Chargers
Finding a reliable fantasy tight end can be difficult at any point of the year, but it is key for fantasy managers hoping to prevail in the playoffs.
Okonkwo is enjoying an increasingly prominent role in the Titans' passing attack and has 10 receptions on 11 targets for 113 yards and a touchdown over his last two games.
The Chargers kept the Miami Dolphins in check last week, but they are still very susceptible to the pass, and Okonkwo is likely to be a weapon the Titans look to as they aim to exploit that vulnerability.
Defense/Special Teams: Washington Commanders vs. New York Giants
The Commanders have flown under most people's radars this season but are in position to sneak into the playoffs in part thanks to an impressive defense.
Washington's defense ranks tied third in the NFL by success rate allowed and, in a critical matchup with their NFC East rivals in primetime, faces a New York offense that over the last three weeks has averaged just 5.6 yards per pass play (sixth-worst) and 3.8 yards per rush (ninth-worst). If you have the Commanders' defense or are in a position to acquire it, do so.
Nicola Guy prevailed in a fiercely fought battle to claim her first national full bore/target rifle shooting title at the recently concluded Jamaica Rifle Association National Championship which was contested at the Jamaica Defence Force Twickenham Park Range, in St Catherine, Jamaica.
On the opening day, Guy earned 145.10 points to finish a breath behind 2019 champion, Denis Lee at 145.11 and ahead of two-time defending champion, Captain Dwayne Ford who had 143.6.
On day two the in-form lady marksman, threw down the gauntlet by shooting 49.5 out of 50 points in the first event which was 10 shots at 500 yards.
Although Major John Nelson was able to replicate that score in the first event, Guy cemented her opener with 47.4 out of 50 at 600 yards in the second event, a score only bested by Karen Anderson who shot 48.3.
However, Guy’s consistency paid off when at 900 yards she shot 61.3 out of 75 points which kept her ahead with an overall tally of 302.22, which enabled her to claim the title.
Anderson shot 65.4 to amass 299.21 points and take second place overall.
Claude Russell shot 68.3 to win the 900-yard bank and finish with 298.18 which earned him the third spot on podium.
Ford was fourth with 298.11, Nelson placed fifth with 297.15, while Lee finished sixth with 296.22, in seventh place was Dr. Derek Mitchell – O Class Champion with 236.5 and eighth was Phillip Scott with 233.8 points to round out the top eight.
Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball could make his return against the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday.
Ball has only played three games this season after suffering an ankle sprain in pre-season, before sustaining another in November's clash with the Indiana Pacers when he stepped on the foot of a fan sitting courtside.
The 21-year-old – who was named NBA rookie of the year in June 2021 – has missed 24 games in all this campaign with the two ankle injuries, averaging 19.3 points, 7.0 assists and 3.7 rebounds across the three games he was able to participate in.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Ball has been "upgraded to questionable" for the game with the Pistons and is "hopeful" of playing, with the intention being for him to warm-up pre-game to "see if he's ready".
Ball made 75 appearances for Charlotte last season, averaging 20.1 points per game as well as 7.6 assists and 6.7 rebounds.
Largely without Ball, it has been a poor 2022-23 for the Hornets so far, sitting on 7-20, though they host the only team with a worse win percentage than them on Wednesday when the 7-22 Pistons come to Spectrum Center.
Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is "among the best in the world," according to club legend Marek Hamsik.
The Georgia international, who arrived from Dinamo Batumi in July, has played an instrumental role in Napoli's impressive start to the season, with Luciano Spalletti's side eight points clear at the Serie A summit.
No player has been directly involved in more goals this term than Kvaratskhelia (11 - scored six, assisted five), with his tally only matched by team-mate Victor Osimhen, who is the leading marksman in the Italian top flight (nine).
Unbeaten after 15 games, Napoli's surge has been all the more impressive considering three key players left in the close season, with Kalidou Koulibaly joining Chelsea and all-time top scorer Dries Mertens and Lorenzo Insigne departing on free transfers.
But Hamsik - the club's record appearance maker (520) - is delighted at how the likes of Kvaratskhelia and Osimhen have stepped up to the plate, along with defender Kim Min-jae.
"Kvara has incredible dribbling ease and he is among the best in the world," the 35-year-old told DAZN.
"It's incredible to see this Napoli team without the three most important players.
"Everyone needs symbols, someone to represent the club. For the fans, it was a shame [when those players left].
"But I must say it's good how Napoli took players who play great, getting good results like Kim, Kvara, Osi, and also reduced the wage bill."
Now plying his trade with Turkish side Trabzonspor, Hamsik spent 12 seasons at Napoli and became the club's all-time leading scorer with 121 goals, though he has since been surpassed by Mertens (148) and Insigne (122).
The former Slovakia captain revealed he declined several offers to move away from Naples, but has no regrets over those decisions.
"There were teams that wanted me," he added. "The first was Milan with [Massimiliano] Allegri in 2012, then [Walter] Mazzarri at Inter.
"There was Juve - there were a few calls with [Pavel] Nedved, but I never thought about it.
"I never needed to change. I was happy and renewed five times in 12 years, which is quite a number. The club gave me what I wanted, I was happy, my family too, and the fans loved me more and more."
Red Bull chief technical officer Adrian Newey is expecting a "tough year" in the 2023 Formula One season due to punishments issued for the team's budget cap breach.
The constructors' championship winners were handed a $7million fine by the FIA and a reduction of aerodynamic testing time in the wind tunnel, which Newey says will cost the team.
Another dominant year for Red Bull is therefore unexpected, with the punishment opening the door to Ferrari and Mercedes to dethrone two-time drivers' champion Max Verstappen.
Newey has conceded that the team are set for a difficult period in the 2023 season, particularly with regulation changes that will result in "significant aerodynamic change".
"There's no testing, it's very difficult to put an answer to say that [the punishment] will cost us so many tenths of a second per lap," he said.
"But the reduction of internal testing means we can therefore evaluate less, less different components, less different ideas.
"If we're really smart and always puts on the right things on the model, then it doesn't make much difference. But that's not how it works; there are always some parts that you hope will work and don't and vice versa.
"So, it's difficult and it's a restriction for sure that will affect us.
"I think then there's a regulation, a small regulation change over the winter, which is lifting of the floor edge by 50 millimetres, which of course, sounds tiny, but in reality, it's quite a significant aerodynamic change.
"So, like all teams were working to reduce the deficit from that in addition to the normal development that goes on from year to year, I think we've obviously had a good year, particularly in the second half of the season. We do have the best car.
"But Ferrari won't be resting, and they will be kind of sorting out where the weak areas that they had a couple of reliability problems with, and they made a couple of pit wall mistakes. So, they'll be right back.
"And then, of course, Mercedes. They were quite a long way off the pace and evolving. But then they won the last race but one, so we know they will be right there. It's going to be a tough year for sure."
The 2023 Formula One season begins in Bahrain in March, with a record-breaking 24 races scheduled across the year.
LIV Golf has added three new events to the circuit's 2023 schedule, which will take place in Arizona, Oklahoma and West Virginia.
Last month, the controversial Saudi Arabia-backed tour announced stops in Mexico, Spain, Singapore and Australia would be included on the calendar next year.
Wednesday's addition of three competitions to take place in the United States means LIV Golf has now revealed half of its 14 planned events for 2023.
A statement from the circuit said: "LIV Golf today announced three new championship venues that will host tournaments as part of the 2023 LIV Golf League schedule.
"The Gallery Golf Club in Tucson, Arizona (March 17-19), Cedar Ridge Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma (May 12-14), and The Greenbrier in the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia (August 4-6) will welcome many of the sport's biggest stars in the groundbreaking LIV Golf League teeing off in 2023."
LIV Golf chief executive and commissioner Greg Norman added: "LIV Golf's expansion to new US markets adds to the growing excitement for the league launch in 2023.
"More fans across the country and around the globe will experience the LIV Golf energy and innovative competition that has reinvigorated the sport.
"These championship courses will contribute to the transformative season ahead for players, fans and the game of golf."
LIV added that final rosters for the rebranded LIV Golf League will be announced in 2023, with 12 team franchises set to compete across 14 events for a total of $405million in prize purses.
Former world number one Jason Day will not be making an imminent defection to LIV Golf, but has not ruled out departing the PGA Tour in the future if his view changes.
The Australian, who won the 2015 PGA Championship for his only career major to date, is close friends with countryman Cameron Smith, who made the switch after winning The Open Championship earlier this year.
With several of the sport's leading stars having defected to the Saudi Arabia-backed breakaway, a bitter civil war has been sparked between the two tours.
While stating he would not follow Smith to the Greg Norman-headed competition immediately, Day refused to completely chalk off a switch down the line, while adding he remains saddened by the split.
"I definitely would say no, I wouldn't go as of now," he told the Palm Beach Post.
"[But] who knows in a year's time, you might think differently.
"I don't blame some of the guys for going because there's quite a lot of money these guys are earning. I understand it.
"For me, it just depends on how you feel about major championships. I know that's all up in the air right now if they're going to play or not, and they don't have world ranking points out there.
"It's disappointing there's a divide on both sides. All those guys out there are my friends.
"Some of the friendships fractured between some of the guys who have been more outspoken [but] I don't mind the guys leaving."
Day suggested a potential way to harmony would be to stage the PGA Tour from January through August, and then have the LIV competition follow to complete the year.
"I honestly wish the tours could join somehow," he added. "That would be great. I think that could potentially work if you want to do it. That would be fun."
Dutch cyclist Mathieu van der Poel has had his convictions for common assault overturned by a judge at Sydney's Downing Centre District Court.
The 27-year-old pleaded guilty to the common assault of two teenage girls in Sydney on the eve of the UCI Road World Championships finale in September.
Van der Poel was subsequently charged on two counts after an altercation with the pair, aged 13 and 14, whom he alleges to have been knocking on his hotel room door.
He was also fined 1,500 AUD, though he appealed both the conviction and fine, and Judge Ian Bourke SC ruled in the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider's favour in Tuesday's hearing.
The judge said Van der Poel's action had been in "response to annoying and invasive conduct" by the girls.
Van de Poel's lawyer Michael Bowe told NCA NewsWire: "He didn't need a conviction. He's a dedicated sportsman and cyclist. It's important these matters were dismissed."
Tour de France and Giro d'Italia stage winner Van der Poel had been among the favourites to win the World Championship prior to dropping out with 230 kilometres to go.
Belgium's Remco Evenepoel went on to win the competition.
"I ran the argument on the basis of loss to Mathieu – he had one opportunity in his life to win the world championships and he's lost that opportunity," Bowe added.
"He'd trained for that opportunity. He'd let his country down, he'd let his team down."
Van der Poel has two wins in three cyclo-cross races so far this season, prevailing at the UCI World Cup rounds in Hulst and Antwerp.
Leicester Tigers head coach Steve Borthwick says he would love to offer some clarity over his future amid reports he is in line to lead England.
The Rugby Football Union are attempting to secure the Premiership Rugby winner to succeed Eddie Jones following the Australian's dismissal earlier this month.
With less than a year until the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France, the search for a new head coach appears to have centred itself upon Borthwick.
But speaking ahead of his side's European Rugby Champions Cup clash with Clermont this weekend, the 43-year-old acknowledged he was unable to offer any information over his future.
"I know I'm coaching here this weekend against Clermont on Saturday," he said.
"That's what I am working towards. I'd love to give you clarity [around] everything going forward [but] unfortunately, I can't.
"For me, all I do is try to concentrate on giving the best for this team and these players that I care for very deeply.
"I will try and coach them to the best level I possibly can."
Borthwick was assistant coach under Jones with Japan, before linking up with the Australian in the England camp in 2015, with the pair reaching the 2019 Rugby World Cup final together.
He stayed there until 2020, when he departed the national set-up to take charge at Welford Road, winning the top-flight title last season with the Tigers.
Any move to take Borthwick to England would leave Leicester potentially looking for two replacements, with defence coach Kevin Sinfield having been linked to follow him to Twickenham.
Oleksandr Usyk goaded Tyson Fury by calling him "Luke" and said their face-off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was pre-planned.
The two heavyweights are expected to do battle at some point in 2023 in a huge unification bout and came face to face after Fury defeated Derek Chisora earlier this month.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Usyk called Fury by his middle name – a reference to a 2020 claim by Dillian Whyte, who said Fury had switched his first and middle names.
"When [the] cameras are off he's a different person," Usyk said.
"When cameras are on he's Tyson Fury, when they're off he's Luke Fury.
"Luke, I'm coming for you. I've been coming for him for a long time. I wish him a lot of health, happiness, love, patience and warm wind."
The unification bout is still fraught with complications, with the WBA ordering Usyk to defend his WBA Super belt against its regular champion Daniel Dubois.
But with Dubois and Fury both represented by Frank Warren that issue could still be resolved.
The anticipation of Fury-Usyk built after the former's win over Chisora when the latter came to the ring apron to get in his opponent's face.
"We negotiated it. If he agreed to fight, I would step onto the ring," Usyk said of the showdown.
"A lot of things were said since then, like he would slap me in my face. But apparently he changed his mind after having his buttocks burned."
"I look up, and we're throwing it to Penei, and I'm like, 'What the f*** are we doing?' They said, 'Coach, you said it was fine.' But it worked out great. It was unbelievable."
With back-to-back wins for just the second time this season, the Lions have overseen a dramatic turnaround in recent weeks, winning five of their last six games to bolster their playoff hopes.
They next make the trip to face the New York Jets on Sunday, before a Christmas Eve clash with the Carolina Panthers.
Draymond Green revealed a fan said "threatening stuff to my life" leading to him asking officials to have him thrown out of the Fiserv Forum during Tuesday's 128-111 Milwaukee Bucks win over the Golden State Warriors.
The Warriors power forward was involved in a heated exchange with a fan who had heckled him courtside while Giannis Antetokounmpo shot free-throws with 6:30 remaining in the third quarter of the game with the Bucks up 81-59.
The situation threatened to boil over, but Green walked away before asking the referees to get security staff to eject the fan amid boos from the home crowd.
"Some threatening stuff to my life," Green told reporters when asked what was said to set him off from the exchange, having been fined $25,000 last week after a verbal altercation with a Dallas Mavericks fan.
"I was this close to really going back and diving on him. I just went back and told the official. When I told the official, he said, 'he's gotta get out of here'. You gotta get out of here."
Green added that he feels there needs to be consequences for fans who step over the line with such comments.
"There are no real consequences," Green said. "Yeah, you can't come back to the game, or even if you get arrested, nothing really happens.
"You just hope it gets to a point where these leagues can work with legislators to implement laws, because that's the only thing that's really going to correct the issue."
Home team Milwaukee said in a statement that the fan's ejection was "under the referee's digression" and that they would investigate the situation alongside the NBA.
Jayson Tatum says he feels like "the best player" in the NBA when he steps out for games after firing the Boston Celtics to a dramatic 122-118 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
The small forward drained 44 points in a breathtaking performance as the visitors surrendered a 20-point lead before fighting back to force an overtime victory at Crypto.com Arena.
Tatum, a three-time All-Star, is hunting a first NBA championship this term, having won gold with the United States at Tokyo 2020 last year, and has seen his game push him into MVP consideration.
The 24-year-old acknowledged the noise around the accolade and suggested he feels a cut above when he hits his stride.
"I feel like I'm the best player when I step onto the court," he said. "But there are some great players in this league, and I know I've got my work cut out.
"I just try to go one game at a time.We were down 12 with three minutes left, but we found a way. We needed that [after] losing two in a row.
"We haven't been playing the best, individually or as a team, but we've found a way to get back on track. That feels good. It showed the true character of our team."
Victory for the Celtics moved them to 22-7 for the season, furthering their lead atop the Western Conference and strengthening their best-in-show record in the NBA.
They next return to Boston for a seven-game home-stand through the rest of the year, wrapping up 2022 against the Los Angeles Clippers before a new year trip to the Denver Nuggets.
The Boston Celtics survived an almighty fourth-quarter collapse to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers 122-118 in overtime on Tuesday.
Boston controlled the first half on the road, building a 65-50 advantage at the long break, but after reaching an 88-74 lead with two minutes remaining in the third quarter, everything began to fall apart for the visitors.
From that point on, the Lakers launched a 32-5 run to take a 106-93 lead with four minutes to play, but then it was the home side's turn to go into their shell, allowing the Celtics to storm back with a 17-4 run.
Anthony Davis had two free throws with 28 seconds on the clock, leading by two, but missed both. Jayson Tatum capitalised and tied the game with a contested mid-range jumper over LeBron James, before the four-time NBA MVP's potential game-winner was way off.
The Lakers had nothing to offer in overtime, scoring only four points in the first four minutes to allow the Celtics to build a game-winning lead.
It was a crucial win for the Celtics to snap a two-game losing skid, improving their league-best record to 22-7 and retaining bragging rights over their long-time rivals.
Tatum was the deciding factor, scoring a game-high 44 points on 15-of-29 shooting with nine rebounds and six assists, while running-mate Jaylen Brown chipped in 25 points (10-of-21) and 15 rebounds.
Both Lakers stars delivered, with Davis' 37 points and 12 rebounds continuing his MVP-calibre season, while James had 33 points, nine rebounds and nine assists.
Portis pulverises the Warriors
All-NBA Milwaukee Bucks duo Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton combined for 50 points, but it was Bobby Portis off the bench producing the best performance in his side's 128-111 win over the Golden State Warriors.
Portis had his best game of the season with 25 points on 11-of-15 shooting and 11 rebounds, while two-time MVP Antetokounmpo had 30 points on poor efficiency (nine-of-26 shooting), 12 rebounds and five assists.
Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 20 points (six-of-17), but it was not nearly enough to stop his side from taking their third loss from their past four outings, and dropping their road record to 2-12.
The Bucks have now won eight of their past 10 to improve their record to 20-7, and they are 13-3 at home.
Giant-killing Rockets take another scalp
After knocking off the Bucks in their last game, the Houston Rockets collected another big scalp with a 111-97 triumph over the Phoenix Suns.
The Rockets were led by second-year scoring sensation Jalen Green, who had 26 points on seven-of-17 shooting – hitting 11-of-12 free throws – to raise his team-high average to 21.8 per game.
Third overall draft pick Jabari Smith Jr continued to impress, only attempting five total shots, but finishing with 14 points and eight rebounds, hitting all three of his three-pointers. The six-foot-11 wing is hitting a respectable 36.8 per cent of his threes on a healthy 5.8 attempts per game.
Future Hall-of-Famer Chris Paul believes the Phoenix Suns will remain a contender this season if they remain positive, despite dropping their fifth straight game in Tuesday's 111-97 loss to the Houston Rockets.
The Suns dropped to a 16-12 record, having now lost six of their past seven games, with their injury troubles getting worse as Deandre Ayton (ankle) and Cameron Payne (foot) both exited and did not return after half-time.
Phoenix were without All-Star guard Devin Booker for a third straight game due to a hamstring injury, while Cameron Johnson has not played since meniscus surgery in early November.
The Suns' injury issues mean their five-game losing streak may potentially snowball, but 37-year-old Paul remained bullish that they can turn it around.
"Not really," Paul told reporters when asked if he was worried about the losing run snowballing out of control. "As long as the locker room stays positive and understands that it’s a long season.
"We went on an 18-game winning streak [last season] and lost in the second round. You know what I mean? In this league you can't get too high or too low."
The Suns' five-game losing streak is their longest since the 2019-20 season. All five losses have occurred since Chris Paul returned after a 14-game absence due to a heel injury.
In a touching moment after the game, Suns head coach Monty Williams embraced Rockets head coach Stephen Silas, who was back on the sidelines for the first time since his father, three-time NBA champion Paul Silas, passed away on the weekend.
"Everybody knows he's one of the best people in the world," Silas said about Williams. "It means a lot from him.
"He's been through so much and has so many little tidbits and so many experiences that he draws from that he has a great way of communicating.
"Tonight his way of communicating was through a hug, which I needed. I love him for that, he's a good man."
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr says his side needs to correct their defensive issues on the road after slumping to a 2-12 record away from home with Tuesday's 128-111 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.
The reigning champions, playing in the first leg of a six-game road trip, were brushed aside by the Bucks, who were led by Giannis Antetokounmpo with 30 points, 12 rebounds and five assists at the Fiserv Forum.
The defeat means the Warriors are ranked 29th in the NBA on the road this season and have an 0-8 record on the road to teams with plus-.500 records.
Golden State has also given up at least 114 points in every road game this season, which Kerr was quick to point out.
"In the road losses, our defense has been bad," Kerr told reporters. "For whatever reason, the splits are pretty dramatic. Our defense is pretty good at home and bad on the road. We've got to turn that around."
Kerr also pointed to the free-throws as an issue, with the Bucks scoring 26-of-32 from the stripe compared to Golden State's 15-of-19.
"It's basically the difference in the game when we lose," he said. "It usually feels like that's the difference.
"At half-time it's a 10-point game and they had 10 more free-throws than us, despite the fact that we weren’t shooting the ball very well, we weren’t playing very well, it was a six-point game with a minute and half left in the second quarter. We were right there but the free-throws are a killer."
Kerr along with Stephen Curry both received technical fouls in the first quarter, after a play where last season's Finals MVP appeared to be fouled by Wes Matthews as he shot a three-pointer, yet no call was forthcoming as Bobby Portis scored down the other end, leaving the pair incensed.
"There were several non-calls in the paint," Kerr said. "I felt like we were on the bad end of things to start the game. Steph Curry gets hit on the head on a three-point shot, that needs to be called. That's what he does. That's Steph Curry. You can't miss that.
"We were getting frustrated with some no-calls and it led to a pretty choppy night."
Kerr and Curry's technical fouls were two of five for the game, including Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer.
"I have no comment about my technical," Budenholzer said. "The game just had a really poor flow for a while. Lots of free-throws, delays of game, technicals, everything, the flow tonight was poor."
The San Francisco Giants have secured their franchise shortstop with the signing of former Houston Astros and Minnesota Twins star Carlos Correa to a 13-year, $350million contract in free agency.
Correa, 28, spent the first seven years of his career with the Astros, earning Rookie of the Year, two All-Star selections, a Platinum Glove and the 2017 World Series title.
He became a free agent prior to the 2022 season, signing a three-year, $105m deal with the Minnesota Twins, but exercised his right to opt out after just one year following a 78-84 campaign, missing the playoffs.
Correa was not to blame for the Twins' struggles, posting the second-best batting average of his career (.291) while playing his third-most games in a season (136), resulting in the largest shortstop contract in MLB history.
The Giants were considered the only side other than the New York Yankees with a realistic chance of landing reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge in free agency, but with his decision to return to New York, they had some money set aside to spend.
Likely joining Correa in San Francisco's opening day line-up will be former Seattle Mariners outfielder Mitch Haniger, who inked a three-year, $43.5m free agent deal earlier in the process.
The Philadelphia 76ers are beginning to figure things out on the offensive end, scoring at least 123 points for the fourth consecutive game to defeat the Sacramento Kings 123-103 on Tuesday.
Joel Embiid top-scored with 31 points on 10-of-16 shooting, while James Harden set the table with 15 assists to go with his 21 points (seven-of-13 shooting), seven rebounds and five steals.
In fact, all five 76ers starters finished better than 50 per cent from the field, combining to shoot 33-of-56 (58.9 per cent) from the field for 94 points.
For the season, the 76ers own the 13th-best offense at 112.4 points per 100 possessions, but in these past four games they have raised that to 118.6 – the fourth-best figure over that span.
The key factor in the return of their offensive firepower is the return of James Harden – who returned from a five-week absence exactly four games ago, and has averaged 11.7 assists per contest since.
Embiid pointed to Harden's ability to generate open looks for his teammates when he spoke to reporters after the game.
"We're playing pretty well offensively," Embiid said. "James is doing a great job getting everyone easy shots.
"My teammates are doing a fantastic job moving the ball and being in the right spots. That's what we've got to do.
"All we have to do is stay healthy – but we're not there yet. We have a long way to go."
Philadelphia head coach Doc Rivers agreed that the offense has found its groove.
"Really the last two games," he said. "We're in the 120s, shooting over 50 per cent, the ball’s moving, the floor is wide open – that’s exactly what we’re talking about.
"Tobias had nine assists tonight, James had 15. It just says that they’re moving the ball, they’re playing together, our spacing is correct, and it’s good to see."
Harden, who is averaging over 10 assists per game for the fourth consecutive season, expanded on exactly what constitutes an efficient offense.
"I think offensively, it’s just knowing what we’re trying to accomplish possession by possession," he said. "That’s the most important thing.
"If we’re out here and everybody’s on different pages and have their own individual agendas, and that goes for any team, the offense isn’t gonna be successful.
"It doesn’t matter how many great guys you have on the team, so I think just knowing what we’re trying to accomplish and just going out there and doing our best job to accomplish it on both ends of the ball.
“For me, individually, I just try to pick up the pace, get the ball up as fast as we can before Joel gets down there, and once he gets down there, we know what to do.
"Guys are doing a great job of just moving their bodies, finding open spots, and then I’m just trying to hit them on target."
The 76ers have now won three in a row to improve their record to 15-12, and sit fifth in the Eastern Conference.
New Orleans Pelicans All-Star Brandon Ingram suffered a setback during his recovery from a toe injury and has been ruled out for at least one more week.
The initial injury occurred on November 25 against the Memphis Grizzlies, and he has missed the eight games since.
Ingram, 25, was named the NBA's Most Improved Player for the 2019-20 season, earning his only All-Star selection in the process.
While his scoring this season is at its lowest since his last campaign with the Los Angeles Lakers (2018-19), his efficiency has reached a new career-high.
He is currently boasting a true shooting percentage – which accounts for and weights three-pointers and free throws – of 59 per cent, which has been buoyed by a scorching start to the season from beyond the arc.
Having never shot better than 39.1 per cent from three-point range, Ingram has hit 28 of his 60 attempts this season for a 46.7 per cent mark, albeit on a limited sample size.
Despite his effectiveness, the Western Conference-leading Pelicans (18-8) have actually had a worse record in games he has played this season (9-6) than in the games he has missed (9-2).
This is more an indication of the dominance of Zion Williamson when he has to assume a larger usage rate in Ingram's absence, as he is averaging exactly 30 points per game with 9.1 rebounds and 5.3 assists in seven consecutive wins since the injury.
Williamson is shooting 79/118 over those seven games for a field goal percentage of 66.9 – only Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton, averaging 11.7 points per game, has a higher field goal percentage for the season (73.3 per cent).
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