The Eastern Conference feels like a closer contest than the west at the moment, which should be on show when the Milwaukee Bucks host the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday.
It will be Giannis Antetokounmpo versus Joel Embiid at Fiserv Forum, the players with the two best points-per-game averages in the league this season (29.4 and 29.3 respectively), which perhaps indicates how close this game could end up being.
The defending champions in Milwaukee are currently third in the East on 36-23, while the Sixers sit fifth on 34-23.
The Bucks ended a two-game losing streak with a 128-119 victory against the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday, with an ominous 50-point performance from Giannis.
It is the first time the Greek has scored 50 points this season, while Khris Middleton (19 points) and Jrue Holiday (14 points) also played their part, and they will be key again against the Sixers.
Embiid also managed 50 points last month in Philadelphia's win against Orlando Magic and has hit 40+ points in four other games since then.
Doc Rivers will be looking for a response after his team were crushed by the Boston Celtics 135-87 on Tuesday, where Embiid (19) and Tyrese Maxey (11) were the only Sixers to hit double figures.
There is still no James Harden following his blockbuster trade from the Nets, with his debut apparently coming against Minnesota on February 25, but the other arrival in that deal, Paul Millsap, made a good impression in his first game against the Celtics.
"He looked good," said Rivers. "After the game, he said he felt pretty good. I was surprised… He will add some toughness to us, there's no doubt about that, he'll be able to step out and make threes for us at the five spot. That'll be something we work on."
A victory for Philadelphia will open up the Eastern Conference even more, but with Giannis in such form, getting a win in Milwaukee will very much be easier said than done.
PIVOTAL PERFORMERS
Milwaukee Bucks – Giannis Antetokounmpo
It is a team sport, but the Greek sensation will always be vital to the Bucks, particularly in big games like this one.
Having gone 23 games in a row scoring at least 20 points, Giannis only managed 18 in last week's defeat to the Phoenix Suns, only to follow it up with his best scoring performance of the season against the Pacers.
The danger for Philadelphia is if their concentration on Giannis allows the likes of Middleton and Holiday to do damage, but coach Rivers is experienced enough to know that and plan accordingly.
Philadelphia 76ers – Joel Embiid
As predictable as it is, it's difficult to go with anyone else for the Sixers right now. If they want to win in Milwaukee, Embiid has to thrive.
While his 19 against Boston was comfortably his team's highest score, it also saw a streak of 23 straight games with at least 25 points come to an end, and he'll likely want to begin a new streak right away.
Although he's slightly behind Giannis for points-per-game, the Cameroonian does have the edge in free-throws made, leading the league on 410 ahead of Giannis in second on 389.
KEY BATTLE – Will it be three and easy for the winner?
The Bucks enjoy a shot from downtown and are currently third in the league for three-pointers made (835), behind only the Golden State Warriors (846) and the Minnesota Timberwolves (841), while only the Washington Wizards (560) have fewer threes than the Sixers (620).
Having said that, only the Wizards and the Dallas Mavericks (both 613) have conceded fewer threes than Philadelphia (641) while no team has conceded more than the Bucks (833).
HEAD-TO-HEAD
The Bucks have enjoyed an excellent recent record against the Sixers, winning the past six meetings, including a 118-109 win in Philadelphia in November. The last Sixers victory came on Christmas Day 2019 (121-109).
Jon Rahm has won the Seve Ballesteros award for the second time in three years after being voted player of the year by his fellow DP World Tour members.
Rahm won the U.S. Open by one shot at Torrey Pines in June, his first major victory, and also finished in the top 10 in the other three majors in 2021.
He tied for fifth at The Masters and eighth at the US PGA Championship, before finishing level with Louis Oosthuizen in third at The Open at Royal St George's in July.
The world number one also top scored for the defeated European team at the Ryder Cup, winning 3.5 points in his five matches including remaining undefeated alongside fellow Spaniard Sergio Garcia despite the United States winning 19.5-9.5 at Whistling Straits in September.
Rahm was pleased to win the award for a second time, especially given its famous title.
"Winning anything with Seve's name on it is a huge honour for me, as is the fact that this is voted for by the players of the DP World Tour," the 27-year-old Spaniard told the DP World Tour's website.
"It is very unique to be recognised by your peers like this. It is a true honour to be able to win this award for a second time and hopefully I can continue to make the DP World Tour proud."
DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley added: "In the first year of this being the Tour's combined Player of the Year award named in honour of one Spanish great, it is fitting the winner is another incredible Spaniard who is creating his own remarkable legacy on the global stage.
"Jon's form throughout 2021 was simply outstanding and his victory at the U.S. Open, in front of his family, was undoubtedly a highlight that will live long in the memory.
"That cemented his place among the pantheon of Europe's all-time leading players and his contribution in the colours of Europe at the Ryder Cup also demonstrated what an extraordinary competitor he is."
Milwaukee Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer hailed Giannis Antetokounmpo's "special" achievement of scoring 50 points on 17-of-21 shooting in Tuesday's win over the Indiana Pacers.
Antetokounmpo's 21 attempts were the fourth-fewest in a 50-point game in NBA history as the two-time MVP registered 50 points in the regular season for the first time since November 2019.
The 27-year-old also took 14 rebounds and provided four assists in the 128-119 victory – the Suns' sixth in a row – to become the third player in NBA history to have 50 points, 10 rebounds and shoot 80 per cent from the field.
After producing another standout display for the NBA leaders, Budenholzer lavished yet more praise on Antetokounmpo.
"The efficiency... that's Giannis," he said. "He's special. It's hard to fathom scoring 50 on 21."
Bucks forward Jordan Nwora echoed those sentiments, adding: "It's special seeing it in person.
"What's really crazy about it is that he makes it look so easy. I think I looked at him when he scored his 50th point, crowd cheering, and it's like, 'Man, he's barely sweating.'
"He's still full of energy in the locker room after he does it. It's just part of being one of the greatest ever to play."
Antetokounmpo now has 1,411 points for the season, while his average of 29.4 across 48 games is the best record of any player, followed by the Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid (29.3).
That 29.4 average is also marginally behind Antetokounmpo's career-best of 29.5 from 2019-20, putting him in strong contention to claim a third MVP award in four years.
Twenty-six of Antetokounmpo's 50 points against the Pacers arrived from inside the paint, but the Greek forward was more impressed by his return of 14-of-18 from the free-throw line.
"I get upset when I miss free throws," he said. "I work too hard. I love when I make my free throws. It gives me rhythm, it makes me feel good.
"I can miss every three, I can miss a layup, but when I make my free throws it's like my dopamine hit because I work extremely hard to make them.
"It just makes the game easier, it makes me able to drive the ball all the time. I'm excited to go to the free throw line, and I don't second-guess myself anymore."
Antetokounmpo fell two points short of setting a new career-high tally of 52, but team honours remain his top priority.
"Obviously it's a nice feeling to have 50, you always remember it, but I care about winning," he said. "I want to win games. Fifties, 40s, 30s all those things, accolades are going to come.
"But they only come with winning. If your main focus, your number one thing is winning, you do whatever it takes to finish the game. Sometimes it's, shoot more. Sometimes you've got to defend more.
"Everything else comes, but if you're thinking about let me get 50, let me get mine, it doesn't work that way. You've always got to focus on winning."
All-Star pair Devin Booker and Chris Paul led the way as the Phoenix Suns beat the Los Angeles Clippers 103-96 to make it six wins in a row.
Booker scored 26 points and Paul added 17 and 14 assists for the NBA-leading Suns, who have now won 17 of their past 18 games and are 47-10 for the season.
The Clippers had defeated the Golden State Warriors in their previous game and led the Suns 90-88 with six minutes to play at Footprint Center.
But Booker and Paul took control to give the hosts a slender lead and restricted their opponents to just one point in the final 2:53 to put another victory on the board.
Reflecting on a hard-fought win, Suns head coach Monty Williams said: "Our past experiences are helping us now, even the hurt that we felt last year is helping us now."
Giannis guides Bucks past Pacers
The Milwaukee Bucks snapped a two-game losing run with a 128-119 victory over the Indiana Pacers thanks to Giannis Antetokounmpo's latest impressive showing.
Two-time NBA MVP Antetokounmpo scored 50 points on 17-of-21 shooting, with those 21 attempts the fourth-fewest in a 50-point game in NBA history.
It is the first time the 27-year-old, returning from an ankle injury that kept him out of the loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, has hit 50 in the regular season since November 2019.
The Bucks improve to 36-23 for the season, with a winning percentage of .610, while the Pacers have now lost seven successive games.
Celtics continue strong form
The Boston Celtics eased to a 135-87 win over the Philadelphia 76ers for their ninth win in a row, with Jaylen Brown scoring 26 of his 29 points in the first half.
They are now 11-1 across their last 12 games and have outscored opponents by 253 points – only the 1970-71 Bucks (+260) have a larger point differential over a 12-game span in NBA history.
Elsewhere on Tuesday, Luka Doncic scored 21 points in the Dallas Mavericks' 107-99 win against the Miami Heat, while the Atlanta Hawks held off the Cleveland Cavaliers 124-116.
The Minnesota Timberwolves and the Memphis Grizzlies recorded 126-120 and 121-109 victories over the Charlotte Hornets and the New Orleans Pelicans respectively.
Defending champion Cristian Garin was victim of the biggest shock of Tuesday's play at the Rio Open.
Fifth seed Garin – winner of the most recent edition in 2020 – exited a second consecutive tournament at the first-round stage after he was humbled by Federico Coria.
Coria had defeated the fifth seed, Dusan Lajovic, at last week's Argentina Open, too, but was particularly impressive on Tuesday.
A stunning 6-2 6-0 win was sealed in an hour and 16 minutes.
Coria fended off two break points midway through the first set and then won the remaining nine games in succession in a dominant victory.
Garin was the only seed to lose in Brazil, however, as Lorenzo Sonego was on the right side of a 6-2 6-0 scoreline against 2019 winner Laslo Djere.
Fabio Fognini also advanced in straight sets, while Spanish pair Albert Ramos-Vinolas and Fernando Verdasco similarly eased through.
At the Delray Beach Open, 2021 runner-up Sebastian Korda defeated Thanasi Kokkinakis in his first match since winning the Australian Open doubles title with Nick Kyrgios.
Former champion Sam Querrey came up short against Denis Istomin.
James Harden is confident it "made sense" for him to leave the Brooklyn Nets for the Philadelphia 76ers in his pursuit of a first NBA championship.
Harden headed to Philly ahead of last week's trade deadline in a move that saw wantaway 76ers outcast Ben Simmons head in the opposite direction.
Ten-time All-Star Harden had been expected to contend for titles in Brooklyn, having formed a 'Big Three' with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving when he arrived from the Houston Rockets last year.
But injuries and coronavirus controversy – Irving remains unvaccinated – meant the trio played just 365 minutes together across 16 games in the regular season and playoffs.
Now, Harden is instead targeting glory alongside Joel Embiid, the MVP frontrunner who endured a frosty relationship with Simmons on the 76ers.
Embiid has scored 25 or more points in 23 consecutive games – a sequence only three players have topped this century – including a 40-point triple-double last time out.
Harden is excited by the prospect of teaming up with the center, as he said: "For me, [the trade] made sense, man.
"It's a time where I needed to be around guys that I know want to win, and know that they are willing to do whatever it takes to win, and the structure here is unbelievable.
"[Winning is] the goal, man. That's the goal. Like Daryl [Morey, president of basketball operations] said: the opportunity to win is now. Joel is playing the best he's ever played.
"So, my job is to come out there and help him and help the entire team win a championship this year and in years going forward."
Harden left the Rockets for the Nets with the same idea but is now focused on a positive future.
"I mean, it wasn't planned like this – 14 months ago, I didn't see myself with three different teams," he said. "But we are here today and I'm happy.
"The last year has been a lot of ups and downs, a lot of stress, but whatever. That's in the past. I'm excited, I'm healthy and it's the opportunity of a lifetime."
The former MVP added his injured hamstring, which will keep him out until after the All-Star break, "feels really good".
Harden was speaking alongside Morey – formerly his general manager in Houston – who expressed his delight the 76ers had managed to land their man without dealing promising point guard Tyrese Maxey.
"Tyrese absolutely has the chance to be an All-Star in this league," said Morey, adding "the sky's the limit" for both Maxey and Matisse Thybulle. "And that's a big reason why we made sure that they weren't in this trade."
Collin Morikawa has rejected the advances of the Saudi-backed Super Golf League to remain on the PGA Tour.
A number of high-profile players are said to have been targeted by organisers of the lucrative new league, including Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson.
Speaking on Tuesday, two-time major champion Morikawa revealed he was among those who had received interest.
But in a major boost to the PGA Tour, the 25-year-old will not switch circuits – and he hinted other leading stars are making the same decision.
"I'm all for the PGA Tour," Morikawa said ahead of the Genesis Invitational.
"I've been a pro for two and a half years. My entire life I've thought about the PGA Tour. I've thought about playing against Tiger [Woods], beating his records, whatever, something that might not even be breakable.
"But I've never had another thought of what's out there, right? I've never thought about anything else, it's always been the PGA Tour."
He added: "Right now, you look at the best players that I see and they're all sticking with the PGA Tour, and that's where I kind of stay and that's where I belong. I'm very happy to be here."
Andy Murray made a winning start at the Qatar Open after defeating Taro Daniel 6-2 6-2 in Doha.
The three-time grand slam winner was beaten in straight sets when he faced Daniel in the second round at the Australian Open last month.
But he avenged that defeat with a dominant display against the world number 110 that saw him prevail in one hour and 20 minutes.
Murray boasts an impressive record at the ATP 250 event, lifting the trophy in 2008 and 2009 while reaching a further two finals (2007 and 2017).
And the 34-year-old wildcard will face second seed Roberto Bautista Agut in round two.
"Taro played very well in Australia," Murray said. "He had a very good run there and was too good for me there.
"I tried to be the one dictating from the first point, and I thought I did that well. It was one of the better matches I've played in recent months.
"Obviously, the results from years ago aren't going to affect the results this week.
"But what it tells me is that the conditions here are good for my game, so if I can play to a good level, the courts are going to suit me here, and I'll make it difficult for everyone I play against."
Elsewhere, seventh seed Alexander Bublik hit 25 winners – including seven aces – in a 6-2 6-4 victory over Slovakia's Jozef Kovalik.
However, there was no joy for Lloyd Harris; the eighth seed was beaten in straight sets by Hungarian Marton Fucsovics for the second year running.
Over at Open 13 in Marseille, three-time winner Jo-Wilfried Tsonga overcame fellow wildcard Gilles Simon 6-2 6-4 in the battle of the players boasting five titles between them at the event.
But seventh seed Alexei Popyrin lost out in a deciding-set tie-break to world number 163 Roman Safiullin.
Top seed Aryna Sabalenka and defending champion Garbine Muguruza came through their first-round matches unscathed at the Dubai Tennis Championships on Tuesday.
Belarusian Sabalenka made light work of 19-year-old Marta Kostyuk, sealing a 6-4 6-1 win in one hour and 15 minutes.
Standing in her way of a third consecutive quarter-final in Dubai is Petra Kvitova, who beat Camila Giorgi on Monday.
Last year's champion and fourth seed Muguruza began her title defence with a 7-6 (7-5) 2-6 6-2 win over Czech qualifier Katerina Siniakova in two hours and 24 minutes.
Spaniard Muguruza will face Veronika Kudermetova in the second round after the Russian beat former world number one Victoria Azarenka in straight sets earlier on Tuesday.
There were also wins for eighth seed Ons Jabeur and 10th seed Elina Svitolina against Vera Zvonareva and Mayar Sherif respectively.
Elsewhere, there was a shock as qualifier Elena-Gabriela Ruse dumped out third seed Paula Badosa 6-3 5-7 6-4.
Ninth seed Danielle Collins is also out after the American retired due to dizziness in the second set against Marketa Vondrousova.
Sofia Kenin failed to put up a fight as she went down 6-1 6-2 to Jelena Ostapenko.
Ben Simmons revealed he had been dealing with "dark times" due to his mental health as he was presented as a Brooklyn Net on Tuesday, although he added his issues while with the Philadelphia 76ers were "a personal thing".
Following a long-running trade saga, Simmons joined the Nets ahead of last week's deadline, with James Harden heading in the opposite direction.
Simmons had been mooted as a piece in a potential Harden trade as long ago as January 2021 – with Harden then forcing his way out of the Houston Rockets – and his future became more uncertain still following the 76ers' playoff defeat to the Atlanta Hawks last season.
The former number one overall pick averaged 6.3 points from 4.7 field goal attempts across the final three games of a seven-game series.
He was the subject of intense criticism after appearing to pass up shooting opportunities, with team-mates and coaches among those to question his performance level.
With Simmons subsequently keen to leave the 76ers, he has not played at all this season.
But the Australian explained as he met the media that the fallout from the Hawks series had not been a prominent factor in a difficult year to date.
"For me, it was just making sure mentally I was right to get out there and play again," Simmons said. "So that's something I've been dealing with.
"And it wasn't about the fans or coaches, or comments made by anybody. It was just a personal thing for me. That was earlier than that series or even that season that I was dealing with, and [the 76ers] knew that.
"So, it is something that I continue to deal with and I'm getting there and getting to the right place to get back on the floor."
He added his mental health issues had "nothing to do with the trade" but rather "a bunch of things that I was dealing with as a person, in my personal life, that I don't really want to go into depth with".
However, getting out of Philly was important for Simmons as he aims to recover.
"A bunch of things that had been going on over the years to where I knew I wasn't myself," he said, explaining his pursuit of a trade. "And I needed to get back to being myself and being happy as a person and taking care of my well-being.
"That was the major thing for me. It wasn't about the basketball, it wasn't about the money, anything like that. I want to be who I am and get back to playing basketball and that level and being myself."
Of his critics, Simmons said: "They should be happy I'm smiling, honestly. I've had some dark times over these last six months and I'm just happy to be in this situation with this team and organisation."
The move also gives Simmons the opportunity to team up with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, with the Nets maintaining title hopes despite their slump to eighth in the East.
"I think it's going to be scary," the new signing said. "Having those guys running alongside me, multiple different weapons on the floor, and I think at the pace we want to play at, it's going to be unreal."
Simmons does not yet know when he will be available for the Nets, but he hopes to play against the 76ers on March 10.
Odell Beckham Jr. will undergo surgery on his left knee this week after again tearing his anterior cruciate ligament, NFL Network has reported.
Beckham left the first half of Sunday's Super Bowl LVI after appearing to land awkwardly on his knee.
The superstar receiver had scored the opening touchdown of the game for the Los Angeles Rams but was downgraded to out in the second half and restricted to the role of spectator as the Cincinnati Bengals were beaten 23-20.
Beckham sustained an ACL tear to the same knee in 2020 – also against the Bengals – and Monday brought widespread reports he had suffered the same injury again.
"Thank you all for the love and support," he wrote on his Twitter page. "God always got me. He's always had a plan. He made me a world champion! I'm so grateful!"
On Tuesday, NFL Network said Beckham would soon have surgery in order to recover as quickly as possible as he enters free agency.
The Rams have limited room for manoeuvre within the salary cap – set to come in at $10million over the 2022 cap as things stand.
But Beckham has suggested he would take a pay cut to return, having been a huge success after joining midseason from the Cleveland Browns.
Assuming a full recovery from his latest serious injury, the Rams could again look to pair Beckham with triple crown wide receiver and Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp.
Across the regular season and playoffs, Beckham caught seven TD passes in 12 games for the Rams – as many as in 29 games in two and a half years with the Browns.
Meanwhile, Kupp followed up his league-leading regular season performance of 145 receptions, 1,947 receiving yards and 16 receiving touchdowns by again leading all three categories in the postseason (33 catches, 478 yards and six TDs).
Beckham joined the Rams less than two weeks before Robert Woods tore his ACL, giving the new signing a more prominent role.
Woods, who comforted Beckham on Sunday, had caught four TDs and rushed for another in nine games in 2021 before his injury.
The Minnesota Vikings will belatedly confirm Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell as their new head coach this week, according to an ESPN report.
An announcement has been delayed to this point due to the O'Connell's involvement in the postseason with his current team.
But after the Rams' playoff run ended with victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI at their SoFi Stadium home on Sunday, the Vikings have been cleared to name their man.
O'Connell will be introduced on Thursday, following the Rams' team meetings and exit interviews on Tuesday and victory parade in LA on Wednesday.
He joined the Rams in 2020 from Washington and helped lead Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr. to the championship this year.
Although Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris was said to be among the interviewees who missed out on the Vikings job, O'Connell's departure means Sean McVay will have to bring in a key member of coaching staff for the second time in two years; Brandon Staley, Morris' predecessor as DC, went to the Los Angeles Chargers last year.
Rams tight ends coach and passing game coordinator Wes Phillips will also have a role on O'Connell's staff, the ESPN report said.
The next Rams OC will not immediately get the opportunity to work with Beckham, regardless of any agreement with the team as he enters free agency.
Beckham, a midseason arrival from the Cleveland Browns, sustained a knee injury in the first half of the Super Bowl, which is now said to be his second ACL tear in the same knee in two seasons.
The wide receiver, who has said he would be willing to accept a pay cut to stay with the Rams, again faces a lengthy rehabilitation process.
The make-up of the rest of the team is far from certain, too, with superstar defensive tackle Aaron Donald delaying any decision on his future after finally winning a ring.
McVay, the youngest ever Super Bowl-winning head coach, has been similarly non-committal.
Gymnastics star Simone Biles is engaged to Houston Texans safety Jonathan Owens.
The couple, who met shortly before the coronavirus pandemic, announced the news via their social media pages on Tuesday.
"Woke up a fiance," Biles tweeted. "I can't wait to spend forever and ever with you, you're everything I dreamed of and more!"
In January last year, Owens said the enforced shutdown of sport caused by COVID-19 allowed him and Biles to spend time getting to know one another.
"It was one of the few times in her life where everything was just shut off and she couldn't do anything," he told Texas Monthly. "So we used it to get to know each other - really get to know each other. It created our bond and made it stronger. Now I'm so thankful."
Biles, 24, is a four-time Olympic gold medallist and is regarded as one of the greatest gymnasts in the history of the sport.
She holds a record 25 world championship medals, 19 of which are gold, and is the only female gymnast with five world all-around titles.
At the Tokyo Olympics last year, Biles withdrew from four individual events for which she had qualified after pulling out of the women's team competition after just one rotation.
The United States star cited the need to focus on her mental health as she chose not to contest the individual all-round, vault, uneven bars and floor exercise finals.
Biles returned for the balance beam final, winning bronze, after which she described her pride in bringing greater attention to mental health concerns.
Owens, 26, was signed by the Texans after spending a year with the Arizona Cardinals. He played seven times in the NFL last season.
When Suriname Olympian Anthony Nesty was named the head coach of the USA men’s team for the 2022 Budapest World Championships, he made history in multiple ways.
The most culturally significant is that he becomes the first black swim coach to lead a U.S. team into the World Championships.
Nesty’s selection can hardly be considered as some sort of affirmative action pick: he, along with Todd DeSorbo, who is leading the women’s team to Budapest, number among the country’s most on-fire coaches at the moment, and are arguably at the top of the global food chain as well.
Nesty-coached swimmers Bobby Finke and Kieran Smith to Olympic medals, with Finke pulling off a surprise 800/1500 double in thrilling come-from-behind fashion.
Since the Olympics, the United States’ two most-decorated swimmers in Tokyo have joined Nesty’s group: Caeleb Dressel, who was training previously in the same pool but under former Florida head coach Gregg Troy; and Katie Ledecky, who made the post-Tokyo move from Stanford where she trained under Greg Meehan.
In total, those four swimmers have a combined 16 Olympic gold medals and 20 total Olympic medals. Throw in a bronze from Natalie Hinds, who was training at Georgia pre-Tokyo but has also now joined the Gators post-grad group, and the Nesty-led staff is now the epicentre of the swimming universe, at least in the Western Hemisphere.
He has broken barriers before that 1988 Olympic gold medal made him the first Black male athlete to win an individual Olympic medal in swimming. It wasn’t his only achievement.
As an athlete, representing Suriname, Nesty was not only the 1988 Olympic gold medallist and 1992 Olympic bronze medallist in the 100 butterfly but was also a 1991 World Champion in the same event.
Courtney Lawes and Manu Tuilagi could make a welcome return for England in their Six Nations showdown with Wales at Twickenham.
Lawes may have been installed as England skipper for the tournament if he had not been sidelined due to concussion.
The towering lock missed the loss to Scotland and a win over Italy, but head coach Eddie Jones is hopeful he can face defending champions Wales a week on Saturday.
Centre Tuilagi could also be unleashed on Wayne Pivac's side, having been back in action for Sale Sharks after recovering from a hamstring injury.
Lock Joe Launchbury (knee) and flanker Lewis Ludlam (ribs) could also be back in contention.
"Potentially we'll have Launchbury, Tuilagi, Lawes and Ludlam," Jones said.
Tom Curry has captained England in the absence of the injured Owen Farrell and Lawes.
But Lawes could have the honour of leading the Red Rose out once again in a battle between two sides who have won one and lost one of their matches heading into a weekend off.
The Australian added: "We'd be hopeful that by the end of next week Courtney will be training fully.
"He's making some great progress and the medical staff have done some terrific work with him. He's not far away now and we're really hopeful he'll be back in full training and able to play against Wales."
Jones said of Tuilagi: "Just having a power running centre would give us a different option.
"Everything we're doing now is about trying to create opportunities through finesse and that's through good running lines and passing.
"But to have someone who can take you forward quickly and engage two or three defenders then allows you to try and finesse extra space, which would be really useful to us.
"We've had three centres play and I think Sladey [Henry Slade] has been very good. Joe Marchant and Elliot Daly have had their moments, but we need to get more out of that and we understand that."
Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan surpassed the great Michael Jordan with a 40-point haul against the San Antonio Spurs, and took heed from another sporting legend.
DeRozan has been in sensational form for the Bulls this season and was their key player as they ran out 120-109 winners over the Spurs on Monday.
The 32-year-old finished witih 40 points, three rebounds and seven assists. He has the most points in the NBA this season, having amassed 1,509 across 54 appearances at an average of 27.9 per game (the fourth best in the NBA).
Trae Young, of the Atlanta Hawks, ranks second for points on 1,412 – 97 behind DeRozan.
The Bulls talisman has now put himself into the team record books, too, with his showing against the Spurs marking his sixth consecutive 35-point game.
That passes the previous record of five, set by Jordan, who achieved that feat four times across his illustrious career, last doing so in the 1996-97 season.
After writing his name into Bulls folklore, DeRozan revealed he channelled the advice of boxing great Floyd Mayweather Jr.
"I'm not a knockout puncher. I want to wear you down because I know I can go the length, however long I need to go," DeRozan said, recalling a conversation he had with Mayweather several years ago.
"Every shot that I take is a shot that I work on. I'm just not shooting a shot just to be shooting it. I just try to lock in every time it's time to score."
The Bulls needed DeRozan to be at his best, with Chicago trailing by six points heading into the final quarter.
DeRozan scored 13 of the Bulls' next 15 points to inspire the comeback.
"It's not only the scoring piece, which is absolutely incredible what he does, the other piece of it is just his basketball IQ, his experience, how savvy he is," Bulls coach Billy Donovan told reporters.
The Bulls (37-21) are second in the Eastern Conference with a 63.8 win percentage.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich bemoaned mistakes from his team, but conceded DeRozan was just too good.
"The combination of him being super and us not executing very well was a big contributor to losing the game," he said.
Steve Kerr claimed the Golden State Warriors defense has been "bad for six or seven games" after his team lost 119-104 to the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Warriors are 42-16 for the season with a 72.4 win percentage, but they have now lost three of their last four games, having gone on a nine-game winning streak prior to that.
Kerr questioned his team's defensive work before Monday's loss, yet that did not help the Warriors against the Clippers, who scored 54 points from in the paint.
After the defeat, Kerr did not hold back in his criticism.
"I was doing a lot of yelling," Kerr told reporters. "The main thing is that our defense has been bad. It's been bad for six or seven games now. It's hard to win in this league when you're looking like we are, defensively, with so many holes in our games.
"They went right around us. It's been something different every night.
"When you can't count on the connection defensively and the competitiveness and the fire, every night is going to be a little different depending on what talent you're going against."
Despite their recent troubles, the Warriors still have the second-best defensive record in the Western Conference when it comes to points allowed per game, with only the Dallas Mavericks (103.1) allowing fewer than Golden State (103.5).
However, Kerr believes that the statistic is skewed because of the Warriors' strong start to the season.
"I know we are number one in defense," he said, making air quote signs. "But we're not right now. Those numbers are inflated by what we did earlier in the season.
"Over the last seven games, we are probably bottom five, if not dead last in defensive rating.
"It's up to us. We're going to have to find the effort, the communication, connection, to get back to doing the things we were doing before."
Kerr has a point. The Warriors have allowed 113.3 points per game over the last seven games, while so far in February, their opponents are averaging 51.4 points in the paint.
That has seen the Warriors drop from the fourth-best team in the league to fifth defensively in the paint for the season, and over the seven-game span this month they sit in 21st place in that aspect.
Novak Djokovic has said missing grand slams including the French Open and Wimbledon will be "the price I am willing to pay" for resisting the COVID-19 vaccine.
Last month, the world number one and 20-time grand slam winner was deported from Australia on the eve of the Australian Open after his entry visa to the country was cancelled.
That stemmed from Djokovic refusing to join the overwhelming majority of fellow tennis stars in being vaccinated against coronavirus, and amid controversy over how he handled getting the virus himself in December.
In a new interview with the BBC, Djokovic said he was prioritising his right to choose what to put into his body above his sporting ambitions.
The 34-year-old Serbian declared his stance is likely to keep him sidelined for "most of the tournaments" at present.
Djokovic is set to make his return to the court at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships later this month, with vaccination not a requirement. He has been included on the entry list for next month's Indian Wells Open, but that is a tournament he may have to sit out.
He confirmed in the BBC interview that he has still yet to be vaccinated, though did not entirely rule out the prospect in the future.
"I have not," he said. "I understand and support fully the freedom to choose whether you want to get vaccinated or not."
Prior to entering Australia, where he was obliged to confirm his status, it was only widely assumed that Djokovic had not been inoculated.
Now he is keen to "speak up ... and justify certain things", adding: "So I was never against vaccination. I understand that globally everyone is trying to put a big effort into handling this virus and seeing hopefully an end soon to this virus.
"And vaccinations are probably the biggest effort that was made on behalf of the planet. I fully respect that, but I've always represented and always supported the freedom to choose what you put into your body. For me that is essential. It's really the principle of understanding what is right and what is wrong for you.
"And me, as an elite professional athlete, I've always carefully reviewed and assessed everything that comes in, from the supplements, food, the water that I drink or sports drinks. Anything really that comes into my body as a fuel.
"Based on all the information that I got, I decided not to take the vaccine as of today. I keep my mind open because we are all trying to find collectively a best possible solution to end COVID. Nobody really wants to be in this kind of situation that we've been in collectively for two years."
Djokovic is the reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion and, after Rafael Nadal's Australian Open triumph, he has been bumped down to joint second on the all-time men's grand slam list. Missing majors at this stage of his career could be a crushing blow to Djokovic's hopes of finishing top of that pile.
"I'm part of a very global sport that is played every single week in a different location, so I understand the consequences of my decision, and one of the consequences of my decision was not going to Australia, and I was prepared not to go," Djokovic said.
"I understand that not being vaccinated today I am unable to travel to most of the tournaments at the moment. That is the price I am willing to pay."
He looked to disassociate himself from the anti-vax community by saying he had "never said I am part of that movement" and declaring that was a "wrong conclusion" to draw.
At the same time, Djokovic concurred when asked if he was willing to sacrifice the chance to be seen as the greatest player of all time, and to travel to Roland Garros and the All England Club this year.
"Because the principles of decision-making on my body are more important than any title or anything else. I'm trying to be in tune with my body as much as I possibly can," Djokovic said.
"I say that everyone has a right to choose to act or say whatever they feel is appropriate for them."
Seth Curry's 23-point arrival helped the Brooklyn Nets snap their 11-game skid in a 109-85 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Monday.
Curry landed four three-pointers with seven rebounds and five assists while fellow debutant Andre Drummond added 11 points, with Ben Simmons still out despite being present for the pre-game shootaround.
The Nets led from start to finish but were propelled by a 54-37 second half with LaMarcus Aldridge scoring 19 points with eight rebounds off the bench.
Bruce Brown had season-high returns with 19 points, six assists and five steals for the new-look Nets who improved to 30-27.
De'Andre Fox had a game-high 26 points for the Kings who were limited to 34.4 per cent shooting (31-of-90) overall.
Steph stars but Warriors lose
Stephen Curry made eight three-pointers in a 33-point haul but it was not enough to get the Golden State Warriors past the Los Angeles Clippers who won 119-104. Terance Mann scored 25 points with seven rebounds and six assists for the triumphant Clippers.
Julius Randle had a triple-double with 30 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists but he was overshadowed by Rookie of the Year contender Josh Giddey as the Oklahoma City Thunder won 127-123 in overtime. Giddey also had a triple-double with 28 points including three triples along with 11 rebounds and 12 assists.
Reigning MVP Nikola Jokic starred with 26 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists as the Denver Nuggets brushed aside the Orlando Magic 121-111, while Donovan Mitchell had 30 points with six rebounds and seven assists in the Utah Jazz's 135-101 victory over the Houston Rockets.
Middleton loses radar as Bucks go down
Khris Middleton almost had a triple-double but shot poorly, going three-of-15 from the field and one-of-eight from beyond the arc as the Milwaukee Bucks went down 122-107 to the Portland Trail Blazers. Anfernee Simons scored 31 points for the Blazers, while Middleton had 16 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists as the Bucks lost in Giannis Antetokounmpo's absence due to a sore ankle.
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