Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu enjoyed a winning return to the court on Thursday as she defeated Danka Kovinic 6-2 6-3 in the first round of the Indian Wells Open.
It was the 20-year-old's first match since her second-round exit in January's Australian Open, and she had to respond to some early adversity after Kovinic broke her opening service game.
But the Brit answered right back, rattling off four games in a row to take control of the first set, and the second frame was nearly a carbon copy, falling down 2-0 before putting together five unanswered games of her own.
Meanwhile, world number 31 Danielle Collins – the highest ranked player in the draw to not receive a seed – was a surprise early elimination as Hungary's Dalma Galfi got the better of her 6-4 6-4. As a reward, Galfi will meet world number five Caroline Garcia in the second round.
Nuria Parrizas-Diaz set up an all-Spanish second-round clash with Paula Badosa after beating Italy's Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-3 7-5, but fellow Spaniard Rebeka Masarova fell short 4-6 6-4 6-4 against American Peyton Stearns.
It was a great day for the Czech Republic representatives, with Katerina Siniakova earning a 7-5 6-4 over Julie Niemeier, Marketa Vondrousova dominating Rebecca Marino 6-2 6-2, and Karolina Muchova completing the hat-trick against Yulia Putintseva 6-3 4-6 6-4.
As good of a day as it was for the Czechs, it was just as poor for the Italians, with Lucia Bronzetti falling 7-5 4-6 6-3 to Bernarda Pera and Jasmine Paolini eliminated 7-5 6-1 at the hands of Tatjana Maria, joining Cocciaretto on an early flight home.
Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant has been ruled out for at least two weeks after spraining his ankle during warm-ups ahead of his highly anticipated home debut.
Fans who came to Footprint Center on Wednesday to see Durant take on his former team the Oklahoma City Thunder were left disappointed as he was withdrawn minutes before tip-off.
It was originally called ankle soreness, but after an MRI on Thursday the team confirmed he had done some damage and will require time on the sideline to recover.
The two-time NBA Finals MVP had enjoyed a terrific start to his tenure in a Suns jersey, posting averages of 26.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 69.0 per cent from the field, 53.8 per cent from deep and 88.2 per cent from the free throw line in three starts.
Phoenix currently occupies the Western Conference's fourth seed at 37-29, with a three-game buffer on the Golden State Warriors and the rest of the chasing pack.
Chad Ramey put together a memorable round on Thursday as he shot an eight-under 64 to lead The Players Championship after 18 holes.
Ramey, 30, has one PGA Tour victory to his name and is defying his recent form, having missed the cut in each of his past three starts, and he has not had a top-30 finish since October.
He finished his first trip around The Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass with four birdies on the front nine and four more on the back nine – including on the famous 'island green' 17th hole – and was one of the few players to go bogey-free.
He is one stroke clear of two-time major champion Collin Morikawa, who was the only competitor to shoot a seven-under 65, also going bogey-free with five birdies and an eagle.
While Morikawa is the only player within two strokes of the lead, rookie Justin Suh has a chance to join him when he resumes on Friday with three holes to finish off. He is tied for third at five under, although his next shot will be a putt for eagle on the 16th.
Suh is joined by Taylor Pendrith and Ben Griffin at five under, while world number two Scottie Scheffler headlines the group tied for sixth at four under.
Viktor Hovland and Jordan Spieth are still in the mix after impressive three-under 69s as part of the afternoon group, who played in the trickier conditions, and coming off four consecutive top-10 finishes Jason Day is one further back at two under.
It was a day to forget for pre-tournament fancies Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick, both at four over, while Hayden Buckley will never forget his shot of the day after acing at the famous 17th.
The New York Yankees will be without left-handed starter and prized free agent acquisition Carlos Rodon to start the season in yet another blow to the Yankees’ pitching staff before the year has even begun.
Rodon, who received a $162 million contract to join New York this off-season, is suffering from a left forearm strain and will be on the injured list when the Yankees open the 2023 campaign in three weeks.
Rodon underwent an MRI on Wednesday, which revealed an injury similar to one that the two-time All-Star dealt with last season while with the San Francisco Giants.
“The finding was something, but not significant or serious,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told reporters on Thursday. “Obviously, trying to pitch through stuff is not a good thing, especially this time of year.
“If this was in-season - pennant race, late in the game - he's still probably up and running. He had this last May with the Giants, and he didn't miss any time with it.”
While Rodon was able to play through the injury last season, he was 1-4 in his five May starts with a 5.67 ERA – easily the worst stretch of his 14-8 campaign.
Rodon reiterated to reporters on Thursday that he could play through the injury if it had occurred at a more crucial time of the season, but the Yankees would not put a timetable on the lefty making his debut in pinstripes.
Cashman said that Rodon will take at least a week recovering on a no-throw program before ramping him up.
“You just have to prevent looking at the calendar and force-feeding it and speeding the process up because you feel the outside pressure of it's a new organisation, fan base, stuff like that,” Cashman said. “[Rodon] understands that. He's a pro. But like anything else, it's the human nature of, 'I want to get out there and pitch.'”
Cashman also announced that relievers Lou Trivino and Tommy Kahnle would also begin the season on the injured list. The Yankees’ rotation is already missing last year’s mid-season acquisition, Frankie Montas, who underwent shoulder surgery in February.
Domingo German, Clarke Schmidt and Deivi Garcia are among the candidates to open the 2023 season in the Yankees’ starting rotation that will feature Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes and Luis Severino.
The Yankees open the season at home against the Giants on March 30.
Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins says there is still no timeline on Ja Morant's return to the side as he takes time to "get better personally".
Morant remains away from the Grizzlies following last week's incident where he posted an Instagram Live video that appeared to show him flashing a handgun inside a Colorado nightclub.
Glendale police confirmed on Wednesday they had decided not to lay charges on Morant for the incident, citing a lack of evidence, while the NBA's investigation is ongoing.
The Grizzlies confirmed on Wednesday that Morant, who had already missed two initial games following the incident, will be away from at least four more games.
Morant had put out a statement last week, apologising for the incident and adding he would take time away from the Grizzlies "to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being".
Prior to Thursday's game against the Golden State Warriors, Jenkins was asked about the steps Morant would need to take to return to the side.
"I can't share details," Jenkins told reporters. "There's definitely steps that are going to have to be met, both personally and professionally, as he deals with some stuff personally to get better.
"Obviously the expectations on the team, he's got some things that he's going to have to clear to know what the expectations are when he does return."
Morant's absence comes at a difficult time for the Grizzlies, who have lost their past three games, slipping to third in the Western Conference with a 38-26 record. They are also without key center Steven Adams with a knee injury.
The Grizzlies point guard will miss games against Western Conference contenders Golden State (Thursday) and the Dallas Mavericks (Saturday and Monday) followed by the Miami Heat (Wednesday).
"He's out at least the next four games," Jenkins said. "I know everyone wants to know what's this going to be, it's the hot topic for sure but he's taking time.
"His responsibility to get better personally is a big factor in all of this. Also it's his responsibility to the team, it's something we're addressing with him, he's fully on board with and he's been communicative with our group."
Jenkins added that the franchise had made attempts in the past to help Morant avoid situations like this.
"We have had conversations in the past trying to guide him and help him continue to evolve as a person and as a player," Jenkins said. "Obviously this came to a head the other day. It put this process into action.
"The hope was that this would have never happened, and everything was as good as it should be, but there have been dialogues about what he's got to do better and this just came to a head then."
Los Angeles Lakers trade deadline acquisition Mo Bamba will miss at least four weeks after the team announced Thursday he had suffered a high ankle sprain.
Bamba, 24, was the sixth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, but after four-and-a-half disappointing seasons with the Orlando Magic he was traded to the Lakers in exchange for Patrick Beverley.
In seven games for his new club, including one start, Bamba averaged 4.4 points and 5.3 rebounds in 11.6 minutes, highlighted by a 10-point, 13-rebound double-double in a win against the Golden State Warriors.
His absence will likely result in an expanded role for fellow new arrival Jarred Vanderbilt, who has impressed since coming over from the Utah Jazz in the Russell Westbrook trade.
Vanderbilt, 23, has put together a couple of game-winning efforts in a Lakers jersey already, but despite earning a spot in the starting line-up, he has only been playing an average of 24.2 minutes per game.
With Anthony Davis the only other elite defender on the roster – and already being pushed to the limit during LeBron James' absence – Vanderbilt is the prime candidate to pick up more minutes as a small-ball center, while Wenyen Gabriel will also figure back into the rotation.
The Dallas Mavericks breathed a collective sigh of relief on Thursday as Luka Doncic has avoided a serious injury following an MRI on his thigh.
Doncic exited in the third quarter of Dallas' 113-106 defeat against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday with pain in his thigh.
Currently sitting second in the race for the scoring title at 33.0 points per game, the 24-year-old is one of the few players with a genuine chance to garner MVP votes, also posting a career-best 50 per cent mark from the field.
When asked immediately after Wednesday's game about the state of his injury, he said it was "not good".
"I didn't get hit, so this is kind of weird for me," he said. "I don't really know what it is. I can feel it mostly on the jump shots because you need both legs, so pushing off has been really hard for me."
After that troubling description, it was almost a surprise when ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the "MRI on [Doncic's] thigh is clean and he's expected to return as soon as discomfort allows him".
The Mavericks have a couple of days off before travelling to take on the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday, and they will next be in action when the Grizzlies then head to Dallas for the second leg of a home-and-home on Monday.
Eddie Hearn accused Tyson Fury of "playing" fans for years amid a stall in talks regarding a unification bout against Oleksandr Usyk.
Fury and Usyk are expected to face off this year to determine the first unified heavyweight champion since 2000, but discussions are reported to have hit a stumbling block.
On Wednesday, Usyk's promoter Alex Krassyuk said Fury had rejected a 60-40 purse split in favour of the winner.
That came after Frank Warren, Fury's promoter, indicated no further talks would take place beyond the end of the week, leaving the fight at risk of collapse.
Hearn – who represents Anthony Joshua and saw negotiations for a clash between him and Fury break down last year – has now hit out at 'The Gypsy King'.
"When are you guys out there going to start understanding? [Fury says] 'It's not about the money, I'll fight him for free, as long as the tickets are free for the general public.' F*** off," Hearn told IFL TV.
"You want money, you want too much money. You're not the draw you think you are, that fight is not as big as you think it is.
"[It's] greed. If you're about legacy, if you want to be undisputed, then you take the fight. Oh, so you're going to get £50million or £60m instead of the £80m or £100m, £125m that you asked for. F*** me. You've all been played for all these years.
"If you really want the fight, you have to make concessions. Fury's got a point, he's a bigger draw, but I'll tell you something now, when Tyson Fury drew with Deontay Wilder [in 2018], we offered him 40-60 to fight Anthony Joshua as a voluntary challenger.
"He came back and said: 'I'll only fight AJ on 50-50.' At the time, AJ was a much bigger draw.
"Tyson Fury is worth more than 50-50 in this fight, but if you want to be the first undisputed heavyweight world champion since Lennox Lewis, then you take 50-50 and you get the fight done."
Goran Ivanisevic says Novak Djokovic has not given up hope of competing at the Miami Open this month.
The 22-time grand slam champion withdrew from Indian Wells on Monday as he is unable to play in the United States.
As he is not vaccinated against COVID-19, Djokovic had applied for special permission to enter the USA, but was not given the green light.
While the 35-year-old is in the draw for the Miami Open, he may have to withdraw again despite the United States Tennis Association and US Open expressing their hope he would be allowed to feature.
Djokovic wants to play in a tournament that starts on March 22, his coach Ivanisevic confirmed, and pressed for a swift decision on the issue.
"We haven't given up. He wants to play and I would love it if they allow him – it would be great both for him and for tennis," he told Tennis Majors.
"If not, it's not the end of the world, he didn’t play last year as well. The most important thing is that we find out soon, so that we can make a plan.
"Although, in terms of preparing for the European clay court season, I'm not sure playing in Miami is the best solution. It depends on Novak – in the past he has triumphed in Monte Carlo having played in Indian Wells and Miami.
"If he is mentally ready and in his fighter mode, like he was in Australia, then anything is possible."
Warren Gatland told Wales to "be brave" as he made six changes to his starting XV for Saturday's Six Nations tussle with fellow strugglers Italy.
The match in Rome, a likely Wooden Spoon decider, will see Rhys Webb make his first Test start since October 2020, stepping in at scrum-half to replace Tomos Williams.
Rio Dyer replaces wing Louis Rees-Zammit, who Gatland backed to be a useful impact replacement, with full-back Liam Williams also coming in.
Dafydd Jenkins, Jac Morgan and Wyn Jones come into the pack, with former captain Alun Wyn Jones among those missing out.
After defeats to Ireland, Scotland and England, head coach Gatland is determined Wales give a better account of themselves against the Azzurri at Stadio Olimpico.
Gatland said: "We feel that having watched Italy and how they'll tend to play from everywhere, including their own 22, getting guys on the ball is going to be pretty important.
"We've been disappointed with the results so far and for me it's hard to take as it's the first time I've lost three games in the Six Nations with Wales. We've had a lot of things going on off the field as well, but there are no excuses.
"The message to the players has been that we have to be smart in terms of the way we play, but we've also got to be brave and make sure that when the opportunities are on we shift the ball. We have to keep scanning and looking at options and if there's a chance to move the ball then be brave and do that."
Teams:
Italy: Tommaso Allan, Edoardo Padovani, Juan Ignacio Brex,Tommaso Menoncello, Pierre Bruno, Paolo Garbisi, Stephen Varney; Danilo Fischetti, Giacomo Nicotera, Simone Ferrari, Niccolo Cannon, Federico Ruzza, Sebastian Negri, Michele Lamaro (captain), Lorenzo Cannon.
Replacements: Luca Bigi, Federico Zani, Marco Riccioni, Edoardo Iachizzi, Giovanni Pettinelli, Manuel Zuliani, Alessandro Fusco, Luca Morisi.
Wales: Liam Williams, Josh Adams, Mason Grady, Joe Hawkins, Rio Dyer, Owen Williams, Rhys Webb; Wyn Jones, Ken Owens (captain), Tomas Francis, Adam Beard, Dafydd Jenkins, Jac Morgan, Justin Tipuric, Taulupe Faletau.
Replacements: Scott Baldwin, Gareth Thomas, Dillon Lewis, Rhys Davies, Tommy Reffell, Tomos Williams, George North, Louis Rees-Zammit.
England captain Owen Farrell has been dropped to the bench for Saturday's clash with France as head coach Steve Borthwick offered no guarantees about his long-term future as skipper.
Marcus Smith will step in at fly-half, while Ellis Genge will captain the side, but Borthwick said Farrell will take over the leadership once he comes on as a replacement.
Farrell's goal-kicking has been poor during this Six Nations campaign and that was one of several factors behind Borthwick's decision.
Ahead of Saturday's match at Twickenham, the decision to demote 104-cap Farrell was the standout selection issue on either side, particularly as it comes so soon in Borthwick's reign, and ahead of a Rugby World Cup later in the year. This will be just Borthwick's fourth game in charge.
Genge was captain under Borthwick during their time together at Leicester Tigers, and it remains to be seen whether the coach sees him occupying the role on a regular basis at international level. This will be his first time captaining England from the start in a Test.
Borthwick knew his selection would be a contentious move, and he said England were in "a fantastic position" to have such strong options at fly-half.
"My job is to select who the right person to start and who the right person to come off the bench is," Borthwick said.
Eddie Jones' successor stressed he made line-up decisions on a game-by-game basis and sidestepped a question about Farrell's long-term future as captain, saying he was focusing only on the France game.
Farrell has been captain since the 2019 Six Nations. Borthwick said the 31-year-old had been "brilliant" in training this week, while also hailing Genge's captaincy qualities. He described Genge as "a fantastic leader, a natural leader, and he's somebody players follow".
"To have Ellis and Owen there, it's two brilliant men that these players get behind," Borthwick added. "I can't praise Owen enough, not just for this week but every day since we've started working together in this capacity. He cares so deeply about this team."
Asked about Farrell's kicking problems in relation to the team selection, Borthwick said: "I consider every aspect as I try to do this job as thoroughly as possible.
"I think if you were to track all the teams I've selected over the last few years, there have been some pretty bold decisions. I think what I've tried to do is pick a team that is right team for that game.
"That's what I do every single week. Every game matters for England. I believe this is the right team in all the different considerations and all the different factors against a very, very good French team."
Teams:
England: Freddie Steward, Max Malins, Henry Slade, Ollie Lawrence, Anthony Watson, Marcus Smith, Jack van Poortvliet; Ellis Genge (captain), Jamie George, Kyle Sinckler, Maro Itoje, Ollie Chessum, Lewis Ludlam, Jack Willis, Alex Dombrandt.
Replacements: Jack Walker, Mako Vunipola, Dan Cole, David Ribbans, Ben Curry, Alex Mitchell, Owen Farrell, Henry Arundell.
France: Thomas Ramos, Damian Penaud, Gael Fickou, Jonathan Danty, Ethan Dumortier, Romain Ntamack, Antoine Dupont (captain); Cyril Baille, Julien Marchand, Dorian Aldegheri, Thibaud Flament, Paul Willemse, Francois Cros, Charles Ollivon, Gregory Alldritt.
Replacements: Peato Mauvaka, Reda Wardi, Sipili Falatea, Romain Taofifenua, Sekou Macalou, Maxime Lucu, Yoram Moefana, Melvyn Jaminet.
Emma Raducanu has revealed the wrist injury which ended her 2022 season has returned, though she remains hopeful of playing at the Indian Wells Open.
Raducanu saw her 2022 season cut short by a problem with her right wrist, while a bout of tonsillitis caused her to miss last week's Austin Open.
The 2021 US Open winner was seen practising with strapping on both wrists on Wednesday, ahead of Thursday's Indian Wells opener against Danka Kovinic.
Asked about her fitness, Raducanu told BBC Sport: "The same issue that I had last year has started to flare back up.
"I've definitely been managing my load. It's something that has just come back, so I'm trying to be as cautious as possible. I'm going to do everything I can to be there tomorrow."
Raducanu's recent struggles with tonsillitis represented the latest setback of a year in which she has played just four competitive matches, and the 20-year-old has been frustrated by her lack of time on court.
"It affected me badly for the short term, so I haven't prepared much. I've probably never felt so sick in my life," Raducanu reflected.
"When it rains, it pours. This [the wrist injury] and the infection… it's obviously a challenge. My preparation hasn't been ideal. I played on the weekend and then I rested it. It's how you manage things when you aren't prepared."
Players who joined LIV Golf should not be allowed to return to the PGA Tour upon the expiration of their contracts with the breakaway circuit, believes Matt Fitzpatrick.
The PGA Tour has suspended players who signed up for the controversial Saudi Arabia-backed competition since its launch last year.
Speaking ahead of The Players Championship, where holder Cameron Smith will be absent after defecting to LIV Golf, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said there was no pathway in place should a player wish to reverse such a switch.
U.S. Open champion Fitzpatrick does not believe the PGA Tour should welcome them back, telling Sky Sports News: "My personal view is that you can't have your cake and eat it.
"I would not let people come back if they had gone to LIV, I just wouldn't.
"Don't get me wrong, they could turn around and say, 'You can come and play LIV if you want', but I don't want to do that. I want to stay here and I want to play DP World Tour and PGA Tour.
"I think it is incredibly unfair for the PGA Tour to do that and I would be staggered if they did allow them [to come back].
"I think if you spoke to Tiger Woods then he would probably have the same stance, although I don't know what other guys would have.
"If you have left the Tour that you have been on for so long and done so well, then you have left for something you think is better, even if it maybe is not always greener."
Despite Fitzpatrick's strong views on the LIV circuit, he reiterated his belief that defecting players should be allowed to represent Europe at the Ryder Cup later this year.
"Obviously I have just said there about not letting them back on the PGA Tour or DP World Tour, I completely agree with that, but the Ryder Cup is a completely different case," he said.
"For me, I would want the 12 best players on the team. Hopefully I am one of those, to try and win. That is what the goal should be, to try and win, not to be nice about who should be playing, in my opinion."
Luka Doncic will undergo an MRI after being forced out of the Dallas Mavericks' loss to the New Orleans Pelicans with a thigh issue, having described his injury as "not good".
Doncic recorded 15 points and eight assists before exiting in the third quarter of Wednesday's 113-106 defeat, a result that saw the Mavs slip to eighth in the Western Conference.
The four-time NBA All-Star appeared to be in pain after going up for a 15-foot jump shot, and his condition must be assessed ahead of the first game of a double-header against the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday.
Asked about his thigh after the loss to New Orleans, Doncic said on Wednesday: "It's not good.
"I didn't get hit. So this is kind of weird for me. I don't really know what it is. I can feel it mostly on the jump shots because you need both legs, so pushing off has been really hard for me.
"Tomorrow, we're going to do an MRI. We'll see if everything is fine. Just ice and therapy and that's it. We'll see more tomorrow."
Doncic also revealed he felt discomfort in the same area before a 142-116 win over the San Antonio Spurs on February 24, with the injury lingering since then.
"I think it was the second game after the All-Star break, something like that," Doncic said, when asked when he first sustained the problem.
Coach Jason Kidd said: "I think we all can see he's not moving well. Shooting, defense – it's affecting everything. He's trying to fight through it and help his team-mates. But he had to leave there.
"Hopefully it's not something serious. We have a couple of days here before we play Memphis. Hopefully he's back soon."
Two of the NBA's biggest upstart and in-form teams do battle on Thursday when the Sacramento Kings host the New York Knicks with both pursuing high seedings in their respective conferences.
Both sides actually dropped their most recent games, but Mike Brown's Kings have won six of their past seven and nine of their past 12, with Memphis' recent wobbles – in the absence of Ja Morant after his highly publicised nightclub incident – seeing them move up to second seed in the Western Conference with a 38-26 record.
It's been a similar story with Tom Thibodeau's Knicks, who had won nine straight games until falling to a shock 112-105 loss to the 21-46 Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday. Before that defeat, the Knicks had the NBA's longest active winning streak.
Arguably, the Knicks felt the absence of Jalen Brunson, who missed his second straight game due to foot soreness against the Hornets.
Brunson had won February's Eastern Conference Player of the Month, helping ignite a winning run that has seen the Knicks surge up to fifth in the east with a 39-28 record, breathing down the necks of the fourth-placed Cleveland Cavaliers (42-26).
The Knicks guard averaged 27.5 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.8 assists during the eight games he played in his side's hot streak.
But Thibodeau downplayed the seriousness of Brunson's issue, suggesting he will likely be available to take on the Kings as both teams look to bank wins down the final stretch of the regular season ahead of the playoffs, with seedings up for grabs.
And the Knicks will not be fazed by taking on a high-ranked team from the West, having toppled the Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets – both sitting inside the east's top five – twice each during their recent run of victories.
The Kings' threat is their offense, leading the NBA in points per game (121.1), including a league-high home return (124.3), led by Domantas Sabonis, Harrison Barnes, Kevin Huerter and De'Aaron Fox. Sacramento (50.0) are behind only the Denver Nuggets (50.9) – currently atop the West – for field-goal percentage.
PIVOTAL PERFORMERS
Sacramento Kings - De'Aaron Fox
Across the past 10 games, Kings point guard Fox is second only to Portland Trail Blazers veteran Damian Lillard (39.9) in the NBA for points per game, averaging a staggering 33.5 on 57.2 per cent field-goal shooting.
Fox scored a season-high 42 points in last month's wild 176-175 double-overtime win over the Los Angeles Clippers, which was the second-highest scoring game in NBA history.
New York Knicks - Julius Randle
Brunson's recent impact has grabbed the headlines, but Julius Randle's output should not be lost in that, averaging 28.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists in their past 10 games, including a clutch game-winning three-pointer against the Miami Heat.
Randle has exceeded the form that saw him win the NBA's Most Improved Player in 2021 after dipping in offensive output in 2021-22.
KEY BATTLE - Can the Knicks control the key?
The Knicks will need to find a way to shut down the Kings' prolific offense, at least to some extent, but they will be buoyed by having the NBA's best record for fewest opposition points in the paint this season (45.3).
The paint is Kings power forward Sabonis' domain, sitting seventh in the league for points in the foul lane (8.5 per game), so his battle with Knicks center Mitchell Robinson will be important. On the flip side, the Kings are 28th for opposition points in the paint (54.6).
HEAD-TO-HEAD
These two sides have only met once this season, with the Knicks winning 112-99 in December with Randle and R.J. Barrett top scoring with 27 points each.
Sacramento's offense was kept below 100 points for the first time this season in that contest, which has only occurred twice in 2022-23. The Knicks have won three of their past four meetings.
Former world number six Gael Monfils' return to the ATP Tour ended with a straight-sets first-round defeat to Jordan Thompson at the Indian Wells Open on Wednesday.
The 37-year-old Frenchman has not played competitively since August last year due to injury but was eliminated by Thompson 6-3 6-1 in one hour and five minutes.
The Australian was ruthless, converting four of six break points generated, while he did not offer up any to Monfils.
Monfils was rusty, committing 17 unforced errors to Thompson's five, but the veteran hit 14 winners.
Thompson's victory earns him a second-round meeting with second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Brandon Nakashima won the battle of the Americans, getting past John Isner 7-6 (9-7) 6-3 in one hour and 39 minutes. Nakashima progresses to face fifth seed Daniil Medvedev.
China's Wu Yibing produced some thrilling tennis, including an astonishing volley, in his 6-7 (6-8) 6-0 7-6 (7-3) victory over Jaume Munar.
World number 38 Diego Schwartzman won 6-1 6-2 over fellow Argentinian Federico Coria, while 47th-ranked Jiri Lehecka got past Arthur Rinderknech 7-6 (7-4) 7-5.
Australia's Jason Kubler toppled Lorenzo Sonego 6-4 7-6 (7-4) in almost two hours, while 42nd-ranked Bernabe Zapata Miralles was beaten 6-2 7-6 (8-6) by Ugo Humbert.
Finland's Emil Ruusovuori triumphed with Constant Lestienne retiring down 6-4 4-1 and world number 46 Alexander Bublik was a shock casualty, going down 6-4 6-4 to Wu Ting-Lin.
Devin Booker made Phoenix Suns history with 44 points in the Phoenix Suns' 132-101 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, where Kevin Durant's anticipated home debut was delayed due to an ankle injury.
Durant had been named in the Suns' starting line-up but suffered an ankle sprain during the warm-ups and was ruled out of the game on Wednesday at the Footprint Center.
In Durant's absence, Booker put on a show, becoming the first player in franchise history with four straight 35-point games.
Booker finished with 44 points on 17-of-23 shooting from the field, making six-of-10 from beyond the arc in a masterful display from only 28 minutes on court, checking out in the fourth quarter.
The Suns guard had 30 points by half-time in the blowout win which gave fourth-placed Phoenix a cushion on the chasing pack for the Western Conference playoffs spots.
Veteran guard Chris Paul added 18 points with nine assists and four steals, while Terrence Ross scored 24 points in 23 minutes off the bench.
For the Thunder, Lindy Waters III top scored off the bench with 23 points including six three-pointers, while Josh Giddey had 10 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
Doncic injured as Mavs lose to Pels
The Dallas Mavericks lost Luka Doncic to injury as their defensive struggles continued with a 113-106 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, who are still without star center Zion Williamson.
The Mavs slipped to eighth in the west with the defeat and will be sweating on Doncic's fitness, exiting in the third quarter with a strained left thigh after 15 points and eight assists.
C.J. McCollum landed six-of-eight three-point attempts in his 32 points for the Pels, who made 13-of-27 from beyond the arc, compared to Dallas' 16-of-46.
Hawks triumph despite Porzingis career-high
Kristaps Porzingis scored a career-high 43 points, but it was not enough as the Washington Wizards lost 122-120 to the Atlanta Hawks.
De'Andre Hunter's go-ahead three-point play with 1:07 left in the fourth quarter settled the tight win, as new Hawks head coach Quin Snyder saw his side improve to 33-33.
Atlanta guard Trae Young scored 28 points with 10 assists and three steals, while Porzingis was outstanding, shooting 17-of-22 from the field including seven-of-10 from three-point range.
Last week's ATX Open champion Marta Kostyuk was bundled out in the Indian Wells Open first round by last month's Merida Open runner-up Rebecca Peterson on Wednesday.
The Swedish qualifier, who reached her first WTA final in four years in Merida having had her 2022 derailed by injury, triumphed 7-5 5-7 7-5 over the Ukrainian world number 40 in almost three hours.
Kostyuk, ranked 40th in the world, was not helped by 17 double faults across the match, with Peterson progressing to the second round where she will face 22nd seed Zhang Shuai.
Alize Cornet was also a surprise first-round loser, going down 6-2 7-5 to 427th-ranked Evgeniya Rodina in one hour and 42 minutes.
Rodina's prize for her shock victory is a second-round date with 2023 Australian champion and second seed Aryna Sabalenka.
Camila Giorgi, who beat Peterson for the aforementioned Merida Open crown last month, won through with a routine 6-3 6-3 victory over Arantxa Rus. Giorgi will next face third seed Jessica Pegula.
World number 41 Shelby Rogers was pushed for two hours and 22 minutes by Katie Volynets but triumphed 6-4 4-6 6-1. Rogers will take on seventh seed Maria Sakkari in the second round.
China's Wang Xin, making her Indian Wells debut, defeated former world number 12 Elise Mertens 6-3 6-1, while world number 33 Zhu Lin was downed by Lesia Tsurenko 6-4 6-3.
Aliaksandra Sasnovich won 6-3 7-6 (7-5) over veteran Kaia Kanepi, while 53rd-ranked Linda Fruhvirtova fought back after copping a bagel to win 0-6 6-2 6-3 over 52nd-ranked Mayar Sherif.
Jil Teichman set up a second-round clash with Swiss compatriot Belinda Bencic after a 6-1 6-4 victory over Ashlyn Krueger.
Kevin Durant will undergo an MRI after injuring his ankle prior to his anticipated home debut for the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday.
Durant was ruled out of the game after slipping awkwardly and spraining his left ankle during warmups.
The Suns won 132-101 over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Durant's absence, with Devin Booker scoring 44 points.
Suns head coach Monty Williams was hopeful that Durant had avoided a serious sprain but the All-Star is scheduled for an MRI on Thursday.
"We'll get more testing done tomorrow,” Williams told reporters. "Right now, it's just an ankle sprain and we don't have anything official to report."
Durant was traded to the Suns last month from the Brooklyn Nets and was due to play for the first time as a Phoenix player at the Footprint Center, having played three road games since overcoming a knee injury.
"I feel bad for him because he feels bad," Williams added. "I saw his face and - I've been around him so many times - I know what he's feeling and I don't want him feeling that way at all."
Booker, who continued his hot streak with his fourth straight 35-point game, said the Suns would re-schedule Durant's welcome.
"We'll re-schedule the party," Booker said. "I'm sure they'll be back, people that missed out on tonight. I tried to give them a little something to make it better."
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