After trading up for the number one overall pick in the WNBA Draft, the Atlanta Dream selected Kentucky's Rhyne Howard.
Howard, 21, is a six-foot-two forward who averaged 20 points and seven rebounds in her senior season, and became a member of the Dream after they traded picks three and 14 to the Washington Mystics for pick one.
Rounding out the top-five was NaLyssa Smith and Emily Engstler to the Indiana Fever at picks two and four, while Shakira Austin went to the Mystics at pick three and Nyara Sabally was selected by the New York Liberty with pick five.
Speaking to the media after being selected first, Howard highlighted the ways she feels she can help the Dream, saying she will bring "competitive spirit" and will stay "calm, cool and collected."
"I think that’s what really helped me to become successful," she said. "I just really want to have an impact on the team.
“I’m very versatile, so whatever position I’m playing, I like to match for those positions… [and] continue to make everyone better."
With his one hit and two walks in the Cleveland Guardians' 10-7 away win against the Kansas City Royals, rookie Steven Kwan broke a record that dates back to the early days of baseball.
He became the first player since at least 1901 to reach base 15 times in his first four career games, after also setting the record for most times on-base in his first three games with 12.
While personal accomplishments are always nice, Kwan's record-breaking moment came at the biggest stage in the game as his side led 6-5 in the top of the eighth inning, with two outs and the bases loaded.
Up stepped Kwan with a chance to ice the game, and he did so, sending his hit deep into the right corner of the outfield for a bases-clearing triple to put his side up 9-5 with only six more outs needed to end the game.
It was a less impressive outing for Royals AL Rookie of the Year favorite Bobby Witt Jr, who went hitless in his four at-bats, but scored a run when he walked in the ninth inning and was brought around by an Andrew Benintendi consolation home run.
By the end of Monday's game, Kwan is yet to swing and miss at a pitch in his Major League career, after not striking out at all in Spring Training.
Mets meltdown
It was a classic New York Mets meltdown in their 5-4 loss against the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Mets played a near-flawless first seven frames, leading 4-0 going into the eighth inning after Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor, Mark Canha and Eduardo Escobar batted in runs.
But everything fell apart in the eighth inning as the Phillies collected five hits – including a home run from J.T. Realmuto – to score five runs in the inning and set the table for Brad Hand to close the show with a save.
Yankees get shutout
In a highly-anticipated matchup between World Series contenders and divisional foes, the Toronto Blue Jays shutout the New York Yankees 3-0 to win the opening game of their four-game series.
Blue Jays starting pitcher Alek Manoah was at the top of his game, pitching six innings and giving up just one hit and four walks to go with seven strikeouts.
All three runs were batted in by leadoff hitter George Springer, who hit a two-run home run in the third inning and a RBI double in the seventh.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have locked up the services of current head coach Chris Finch with a multi-year extension.
Finch was a highly-respected assistant coach with the Toronto Raptors when he was hired in February 2021, having earned his way onto NBA staffs after winning 2010 D-League Coach of the Year with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.
In his first full season in charge, Finch turned the Timberwolves into the seventh-best offense in the NBA, built largely around the talent of All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns and the top overall pick of the 2020 NBA Draft, Anthony Edwards.
Impressively, the Timberwolves also finished the regular season in the top half of the league in defensive efficiency as well, addressing concerns some had that it may be impossible to build a solid defense while Towns is playing center, which is the most important defensive position by far.
As well as Towns – Edwards and third 'star' D'Angelo Russell also have poor defensive reputations, so to counteract that, Finch made the move to start defensive specialists Patrick Beverley and Jarred Vanderbilt to balance things out.
Speaking to media after news of his extension, Finch said it was a move initiated by the franchise.
"They came to me," he said. "I think that shows the type of energy and commitment in the building.
"Everything's going in the right direction here. It's a fun time to be a part of the Timberwolves."
It was all positive from executive vice president of basketball operations Sachin Gupta, too.
"They're not always easy decisions in this business, but this one was a very easy one," he said.
"Coach has been a terrific partner for me, and the results on the floor are clear."
After finishing seventh in the Western Conference with a 46-36 record, the Timberwolves will host the Los Angeles Clippers in the Play-In Tournament, with the winner earning the seventh seed and a series against the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the Playoffs.
If Minnesota lose against the Clippers, they will get another chance to earn the eighth seed, hosting the winner of the nine-versus-10 matchup between the New Orleans Pelicans and San Antonio Spurs.
Artem Severiukhin has apologised for any offence caused after the teenage karting driver gave an apparent Nazi salute on the podium on Sunday, which led to the termination of his racing contract.
Despite labelling himself a "fool", Severiukhin has denied deliberately making the gesture, insisting "there was no support of Nazism or racism" intended by his action.
The teenager, who was representing Italy, rather than the country of his birth, due to sanctions placed on Russian athletes following Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, made the gesture and laughed as he stood on the podium in Portimao during the FIA Karting European Championship.
Widely shared footage of the incident led to the FIA launching an investigation into Severiukhin's "unacceptable conduct", before Ward Racing, the 15-year-old's team, announced on Monday that he would no longer race with them.
"My name is Artem Severiukhin, and I want to apologise to everyone for what happened yesterday," Severiukhin said in a video message.
"Standing on the podium, I made a gesture that many perceived to be a Nazi salute. It is not true, I have never supported Nazis.
"I consider it one of the worst crimes against humanity.
"I know I am a fool and I'm ready to be punished, but please believe that there was no intention in my actions.
"There was no support of Nazism or racism, there was no desire to offend spectators."
The teenager's Swedish-owned team had earlier said they were "deeply in shame" over Severiukhin's actions, which they condemned in the "strongest possible terms", also criticising Russia's invasion of Ukraine and stating that that Severiukhin's gesture did not represent the values of the team.
The Sacramento Kings are looking for a new head coach after relieving interim boss Alvin Gentry of his duties.
Gentry was appointed on a temporary basis in November after Luke Walton was dismissed following a 6-11 start to the season.
The Kings went 24-41 under the former New Orleans Pelicans coach and finished 12th in the Western Conference, missing the playoffs for a 16th straight season.
It was confirmed on Monday that Gentry would not return to the Kings for the 2022-23 campaign.
General manager Monte McNair said in a statement: "The entire Kings organisation is grateful for the leadership of Alvin Gentry, who stepped up when he got the call mid-season.
"We appreciate his leadership on and off the court."
Frank Vogel was fired after the Los Angeles Lakers endured "a disappointing season at every level", according to general manager Rob Pelinka.
The Lakers missed out on a place in the NBA playoffs after a 33-49 season saw them finish 11th in the Western Conference, costing the head coach his job on Monday.
Vogel led the Lakers to the NBA championship in his first season at the helm, but a poor campaign has seen him removed from the post just 18 months later.
Speaking after the announcement of Vogel's departure, the Lakers' vice-president of basketball operations and general manager Pelinka said the time had come for a change.
"I want to thank him for three really strong years," Pelinka said of Vogel. "We just felt like it was time for a change in our leadership voice. Frank is a great man, a great coach and will go on to do great things.
"This was a disappointing Lakers season at every level. In the face of disappointment, our fans expect more, and that's at every facet.
"I think when you have disappointment, you need to take ownership of that and vow to make the adjustments to be better. That's where the work starts today.
"We've been in this place before and we know what it takes to put in the work to fix it, and that's where our energy and time will be spent in the coming days."
In his 19th season in the league, Lakers star LeBron James averaged 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists in 37.2 minutes per game.
Pelinka acknowledged the roster assembled for this season was not good enough, but felt confident the Lakers can experience success again in the future, with James remaining their lynchpin.
"We need to do all we can to be caretakers of his legacy and to try to build the best team we can around him," he added. "We had the objective for that last year and obviously this roster did not work.
"But there's a great level of trust in our collaboration with him to make sure we get it right this summer and fix it.
"I don't know exactly how long LeBron will play but, of course, this year he played at the highest level. [It was] an incredible year for him offensively, and he feels highly motivated to return next year and have another elite level of play.
"If our team had found a way to win more, he would have been in the MVP conversation. For him to play at that level in the 19th year of his career is jaw-dropping, and his motivation to come back and do that again next year was palpable in my exit interview with him.
"Every indication we've received is that he sees the Lakers as his home."
LeBron James does not intend to play a significant role in any offseason roster moves the Los Angeles Lakers make.
The Lakers missed the NBA playoffs after finishing 11th in the Western Conference with a 33-49 record, resulting in head coach Frank Vogel being fired after a frustrating campaign.
James and Anthony Davis were reportedly particularly influential in the decision for Los Angeles to blow up their roster with a trade for Russell Westbrook last year, who endured a disappointing season.
It seems James will now take a back seat during an impending roster shake up, insisting his focus is solely on leading the team that the Lakers put on the floor.
"It's human nature to start thinking about the roster and what it could look like and how we could have a roster that brings in more wins," said James, speaking to the media prior to the announcement of Vogel's dismissal.
"I've started to think about it a little bit. It's not solely on me obviously, but we definitely want to be better coming into next year.
"It's not my decision to sit here and say, 'Well, this is what we should bring back and have on the roster.' That would be the front office's decision.
"Obviously they may ask for my input, but at the end of the day, they'll make the decision they feel best suits this franchise going forward.
"I think the front office is gonna do whatever it takes to help this ball club become better.
"It's my job to make sure I'm ready at the start of training camp, ready to lead the franchise and the team that's put on the floor. That is my focus."
James will turn 38 next season, which will be his 20th in the league, but he remains keen to help the Lakers win another championship, and insisted that only his physical condition would decide how much longer he remains in the NBA.
"I came here to win a championship and I want to win more," he added. "I accomplished what I wanted to, but I'm still hungry for more.
"I'm confident this organisation wants the same. It's what this organisation has always been about.
"How long [will] I play? It's up to my health. It's up to my spirit, my motivation ... I don't have a cap on how long I want to play, I don't want to say this or that.
"My wife doesn't wanna hear that if it's longer than a certain amount of years! But I can still produce at a high level as I showed this year, for sure."
Carlos Alcaraz is hopeful of meeting Novak Djokovic in the Monte-Carlo Masters, but his first focus is on a second-round tie with Sebastian Korda.
Alcaraz is one of the brightest prospects on the ATP Tour, with the 18-year-old Spaniard having won his first Masters title at the Miami Open and become the youngest men's champion of that tournament.
That was Alcaraz's second title of 2022 and third overall. He is now up to 11th in the ATP world rankings.
Seeded eighth, Alcaraz has been handed a bye to the second round but is in the same quarter of the draw as world number one Djokovic, who has triumphed twice in Monte Carlo.
Alcaraz, though, is making sure not to get ahead of himself and think too much about a maiden meeting with Djokovic, with American Korda – who defeated Botic van de Zandschulp in his first-round match – first up.
"I don't want to be in a rush, I just focus on the first [match]," Alcaraz told reporters ahead of what is a rematch of the Next Gen ATP Finals championship match which he won in straight sets.
"Obviously, it would be a great match against Novak.
"Playing against the number one player in the world [would be] amazing for me, but I hope to play well in the first [matches] and hope to meet him in the quarter-finals."
Alcaraz seems set to have a future at the very top of the game but is insisting everything must be taken step by step.
"Sometimes it is difficult, but I am trying to make it easy," he said.
"Doing everything for the first time, I am trying my best, trying to manage the nerves of the first time well."
Taylor Fritz, who won a Masters title at Indian Wells earlier this year, could also be standing in the way of Alcaraz and the quarter-finals, should the American defeat wildcard Lucas Catarina and Marin Cilic.
Djokovic, on the other hand, faces Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in his first match.
Stan Wawrinka's ATP Tour return at the Monte-Carlo Masters ended in defeat, while Jannik Sinner came through a tense encounter with Borna Coric.
The former world number three made his comeback after more than a year out with a left foot injury that required two surgeries but fell to a 3-6 7-5 6-2 defeat to Alexander Bublik in the first round.
Wawrinka, who entered the tournament as a wildcard having slipped to 236 in the world rankings, came from a break down to take the opening set but fatigue eventually set in and he was eliminated after two hours and seven minutes.
"I think the body's getting much better," said Wawrinka, who lost in straight sets to Elias Ymer at a Challenger tournament in Marbella two weeks ago.
"I'm still far away from where I want to be, but I think I'm [going in] the right direction. I think today was a positive match. It was a tough loss, of course, but I'm happy with the way I was playing today.
"I was playing better, feeling better on the court physically. I spent a lot of mental energy to focus, to stay there as it was tough at the end. But I'm happy with what I have done."
Ninth seed Sinner was taken the distance by Coric before completing a 6-3 2-6 6-3 victory to advance to the second round.
Sinner took a medical timeout in the second set while he dealt with some apparent abdominal pain, but he was able to battle back and take the win.
Diego Schwartzman needed over three hours to come from behind and defeat Karen Khachanov 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-3, while his fellow Argentine Federico Delbonis set up a clash with second seed Alexander Zverev by besting Jaume Munar 6-4 3-6 6-4.
Reigning champion Stefanos Tsitsipas faces a meeting with Fabio Fognini in the second round after the Italian overcame Arthur Rinderknech 7-5 4-6 6-3.
There were also wins for Hubert Hurkacz, Pablo Carreno Busta, Marin Cilic, Alex de Minaur, Albert Ramos-Vinolas and Sebastian Korda.
The Los Angeles Lakers have fired head coach Frank Vogel after they missed out on the NBA playoffs.
Vogel stated that he had not been told he would lose his job after the Lakers ended a poor season with a 146-141 win over the Denver Nuggets on Sunday.
The 48-year-old was relieved of his duties by the 17-time NBA champions on Monday, though, almost three years after he was appointed.
Vogel guided the Lakers to the NBA title in his first season in charge two years ago, but they were beaten by the Phoenix Suns in the opening round of the playoffs in 2021.
The Lakers endured a 2021-22 season to forget, finishing 11th in the Western Conference with a 33-49 record, and Vogel has paid the price.
Lakers vice-president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka said: "I have a tremendous amount of respect for Frank both on and off the court.
"Frank is a great coach and a good man. We will forever be grateful to him for his work in guiding us to the 2019-20 NBA championship.
"This is an incredibly difficult decision to make, but one we feel is necessary at this point. All of us here wish Frank and his wonderful family all the best for the future."
The Los Angeles Lakers have fired head coach Frank Vogel after they missed out on the NBA playoffs.
Vogel stated that he had not been told he would lose his job after the Lakers ended a poor season with a 146-141 win over the Denver Nuggets on Sunday.
The 48-year-old was relieved of his duties by the 17-time NBA champions on Monday, though, almost three years after he was appointed.
Vogel guided the Lakers to the NBA title in his first season in charge two years ago, but they were beaten by the Phoenix Suns in the opening round of the playoffs in 2021.
The Lakers endured a 2021-22 season to forget, finishing 11th in the Western Conference with a 33-49 record, and Vogel has paid the price.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have agreed multi-year contract extensions with head coach Chris Finch and his staff.
Finch's Timberwolves fell to a 124-120 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Sunday to conclude their regular season with a commendable 46-36 record in the Western Conference.
Minnesota finished seventh in the West to secure home-court advantage in the NBA Play-In tournament, in which they host the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday.
The Timberwolves will be boosted by the confirmation of the extension for Finch, who is in his first full season in charge after being appointed in February 2021 following the firing of Ryan Saunders.
A former assistant coach in Houston, Denver, New Orleans, and Toronto, Finch expressed his delight at having the chance to build on this impressive campaign.
"I am thankful to [majority owner] Glen [Taylor], Becky and the entire ownership group for their ongoing support and commitment," he said.
"It's been a season that all of us, including our fans can be proud of and I'm grateful that my staff will continue to lead us forward."
The Timberwolves ownership group added: "Chris has done a tremendous job creating stability and consistency for this franchise and building a winning mentality.
"We look forward to supporting him throughout the years while he continues achieving the goals he and his staff have set out for the team."
Finch has overseen 62 wins with the Timberwolves, the fourth-most in the team's history, while the 52-year-old guided Minnesota to 20 road wins in the 2021-22 campaign for the first time since the 2004-05 season.
The Timberwolves also lead the NBA this season in points-per-game (115.9) for the first time in the franchise's history, along with a league-leading 1,211 three-pointers and 1,339 turnovers forced.
A 15-year-old Russian karting driver's contract will be terminated by his team after he appeared to make a Nazi salute as he stood on the podium on Sunday.
Artem Severiukhin won his race in the first round of the FIA Karting European Championship at the Kartodromo Internacional do Algarve.
The teenager, representing Italy rather than his country of birth due to sanctions imposed on Russian athletes following the invasion of Ukraine, made the gesture and laughed as he was on the podium in Portimao.
An investigation has been launched by the FIA following what the governing body described as "unacceptable conduct."
Ward Racing, Severiukhin's team, on Monday stated that the youngster will no longer drive for them.
The Privately owned Swedish team said they were "deeply in shame" over Severiukhin's actions, which they condemned in the "strongest possible terms."
Ward Racing also condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and stated that Severiukhin's action did not represent the views and values of the team.
Lewis Hamilton remains staunch in his stance against the FIA's jewellery ban, with the seven-time world champion insisting "you should be able to be who you are".
New race director Niels Wittich, who replaced Michael Masi at the start of the season, informed Formula One drivers that the ruling on accessories would be reinforced before the Australian Grand Prix.
Wittich suggested "body piercing or metal neck chains" were forbidden, with checks to be undertaken before races, but Hamilton still competed on Sunday with piercings in both ears and a nose stud.
The 37-year-old could, in theory, be penalised both financially and in terms of points for breaking the sporting code, with F1's race director insisting the rules were to prevent injury for the driver.
However, Hamilton – who finished fourth in Melbourne, one place behind Mercedes team-mate George Russell – does not intend on removing his jewellery.
"I don't have any plans on removing them," he said. "I feel they are personal things. You should be able to be who you are. There's stuff that I can't move.
"I literally can't take these out [gesturing to piercings on his right ear]. They're literally welded on so I'd have to get them chopped off or something. So they'll be staying.
"It's been the rule forever. Since I've been here it's been the rule, so there's nothing new. I'm just going to come with more jewellery next week."
The jewellery ban has been in place since 2004, but Wittich made a special effort to stress the rule was back into strong consideration in his pre-race notes in Melbourne.
While Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff praised the work of the new race director thus far, he questioned whether Wittich needed to pick a problem with what he sees as a minute issue.
"How he has run the first few races has been respectful, solid and he hasn't put a single foot wrong," Wolff said, as reported by PA Media.
"But is that [jewellery ban] a battle he needs to have at this stage? However, if it turns out to be the biggest unfortunate misstep of a race director, I would take it a thousand times over."
Record crowds at this weekend's Australian Grand Prix might have been welcome to organisers, but drivers on the Formula One grid have expressed concern on where it currently sits on the calendar.
Before a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the Albert Park circuit traditionally hosted the first race of the season, since the Australian GP's move to Melbourne from Adelaide in 1996.
With pre-season testing in Bahrain leading into the season-opener at the Sakhir circuit for the 2021 and 2022 season, however, Melbourne's traditional status has been rendered impractical.
While the crowds underlined the appetite for F1 in the region, the drivers were cool on the Australian GP's scheduling as a standalone week, before the series continues in Italy.
"It works well at the moment because we are doing the winter testing in Bahrain, it makes sense to stay there," Red Bull's Sergio Perez said. "Just coming to Australia for a single race is quite painful for everyone.
"We all want to come here, but there are ways we can improve and in fairness to F1, Australia hasn't been on the calendar for the last [two] years. I'm sure that going forward they can have a look at it."
While Mercedes' George Russell said the previous scheduling at Albert Park was "cool", the back-to-back arrangement with Bahrain requires a rethink for Australia.
"I think Melbourne here as the season opener was really cool because everybody came up here early and there was a lot of excitement and anticipation," he said.
"But I think having Melbourne in between races, especially as a stand-alone is too tough for the teams and everybody."
Before the Australian GP moved to Melbourne, Adelaide traditionally held the final race of the Formula One calendar, circumventing these logistical issues.
If Bahrain was to retain the opening of the season, Russell believes pairing Melbourne with other Asian races is a possible solution.
"If it is geographically correct…we are happy for it to be at any point of the season," he said. "We obviously race very far east with Japan and Singapore, China obviously not this year, but it is on the calendar from next year onwards.
"I just think there is a better compromise to be had. I know there is a huge amount of limitations involved."
New Zealand centre Anton Lienert-Brown will be out for around six months after undergoing shoulder surgery.
The midfielder was injured during the Chiefs' 25-0 Super Rugby Pacific defeat to the Blues on Saturday.
Lienert-Brown will go under the knife this week and is facing a long spell on the sidelines.
The Chiefs said: "It has been confirmed that Anton will require surgery on his shoulder that was injured last Saturday. He is expected to return to rugby after approximately 6 months.
"The Chiefs Rugby Club wish Anton all the best for a speedy recovery."
Lienert-Brown posted on Instagram: "Shoulder is going to need a bit more work than I was hoping, going under the knife this week which will put me out for 6 months.
"A bump in the road, but the journey continues. I'll be back. Appreciate all the support."
Lienert-Brown damaged the same shoulder during New Zealand's defeat to Ireland in Dublin last November, ruling him out of a loss to France.
Whatever you think about the sporting merit of the introduction of the Play-In tournament to last year's NBA season, there is no doubt it made things more interesting for the neutral.
The Golden State Warriors were surprisingly eliminated after defeats to the Los Angeles Lakers and the Memphis Grizzlies, while the Indiana Pacers were denied a playoff place by the Washington Wizards in 2021.
The format has returned for this season, and again, it promises to add all sorts of further intrigue to the playoff picture.
For those unfamiliar with the concept, the mini tournament will take place from April 12-16. The teams that finished seventh and eighth play one another to determine the seventh playoff seed from their respective conference, while the loser of that game gets a chance to secure the eighth seed when they host the winner of a game between the ninth and 10th seeds.
Therefore, the teams that finish seventh or eighth only need to win one game to advance to the playoffs, while those in ninth and 10th must win two.
Whoever clinches the seventh seed in the east will face the Boston Celtics in the playoffs, while the eighth seed will take on the Miami Heat. In the west, the seventh seed will go up against the Memphis Grizzlies, and the eighth seed will be paired with the Phoenix Suns.
With the regular season over after Sunday's final games, Stats Perform takes a look at the eight teams with one last chance to secure their place in the 2022 NBA playoffs.
Eastern Conference
Tuesday, April 12 – Brooklyn Nets (7th) vs Cleveland Cavaliers (8th)
It has felt like a season of distractions in Brooklyn this season, be it James Harden's struggles, Kevin Durant's fitness or Kyrie Irving's vaccination status, and now the debut of Ben Simmons, which it seems may come in the playoffs, if they make it that is.
The Nets will be favourites, having won 12 of their last 17 and with Durant and Irving both in excellent form. KD is averaging 29.9 points per game (PPG), while Irving sits at 27.4.
The Cavaliers do not arrive in great form, losing eight of their last 11 games. Though they were victorious in their last outing against the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday, the Bucks rested their starters, and Jrue Holiday only started to earn a foul and trigger a financial clause in his contract.
Darius Garland will be key if Cleveland are to stand a chance at Barclays Center, with the 22-year-old averaging 21.7 PPG.
Brooklyn have won three of their four meetings this season, including a 118-107 win at Barclays on Friday.
The loser will host the winner of...
Wednesday, April 13 – Atlanta Hawks (9th) vs Charlotte Hornets (10th)
All eyes will be on Trae Young as the 23-year-old looks to drag the Hawks into the playoffs, though it will take two big performances, even by his high standards.
Young averages 28.4 PPG this season, the joint-fifth highest in the league along with Luka Doncic, as well as 9.7 assists per game.
Atlanta have won seven of their last nine, including a 130-114 success at the Houston Rockets on Sunday.
For Charlotte, they will look to trio Miles Bridges, LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier for inspiration, and have had a good end to the season themselves, winning 11 of their last 15.
They also beat the Hawks last month 116-106 in Charlotte, though each team has won two apiece of their four meetings through the campaign.
Western Conference:
Tuesday, April 12 – Minnesota Timberwolves (7th) vs Los Angeles Clippers (8th)
Despite the Timberwolves going into this one with home advantage, you would have to make the Clippers the favourites based on form and previous meetings.
Minnesota have lost six of their last 10, while the visitors arrive having won five of their last six.
The form of Karl-Anthony Towns, who is averaging 24.6 PPG this season, will be key for the hosts, as will that of Anthony Edwards, who scored a career-high 49 points in the recent win over the San Antonio Spurs.
Unsurprisingly, the Clippers have been a different prospect since the return of Paul George at the end of March, having lost eight of their previous 10 games before the 31-year-old came back, and winning six of seven since, albeit George only played in five of those games.
The Clippers have won three of their four meetings in the regular season, but the Timberwolves did win their last encounter in January. It should be noted that the team from Los Angeles won both games in Minnesota, though.
The loser will host the winner of...
Wednesday, April 13 – New Orleans Pelicans (9th) vs San Antonio Spurs (10th)
No team shows just how much the introduction of the Play-In tournament keeps seasons alive for a longer period than the Pelicans, who somehow have a shot at the postseason despite a disastrous start to their campaign.
Having lost 12 of their first 13 games, they are just two wins away from booking their place in the playoffs, and come into this one having won five of their last eight.
Coach Willie Green will need CJ McCollum in top form, with the 30-year-old impressing since arriving from Portland earlier in the season, averaging 24.3 PPG since becoming a Pelican.
San Antonio recently won seven of eight games, but a slight wobble from the Spurs in the last few, losing their last three, may have thrown them off course at precisely the wrong time.
Like the Clippers, the Spurs could still be favourites despite being the away side, as they have won three of the four meetings between the two teams this season, including the most recent one in late March (107-103 in New Orleans).
Luka Doncic limped off the court during the Dallas Mavericks' 130-120 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday, leaving him in doubt to start the Mavs' playoff series against the Utah Jazz.
The two-time All-Star left the court with 2:24 remaining in the third quarter, injuring his calf during an offensive possession. He quickly grabbed at his injured calf and asked for the Mavs bench to call a timeout.
The 23-year-old was originally suspended from playing Sunday's game, before the NBA rescinded his 16th technical foul of the season, which he received in Friday's win over the Portland Trailblazers.
Doncic was diagnosed with a left calf strain after leaving the court with Mavs director of athletic performance Casey Smith, and did not return to the game.
"We'll know more tomorrow," Mavs coach Jason Kidd said of Doncic post-game. "They were going to [get] their normal run the second half because it's a week [before the first game against Utah]. So we just felt we'd keep the regular rotation and they'd be done by the third quarter and go from there.
"I thought he was cramping up, but I haven't talked to Casey. Hopefully it's not too serious.
"But with that being said, injuries are a part of the game. We'll see how he feels. The good news is that we have won home court and we have a week before we play."
Before leaving the floor, Doncic had put up 26 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in just 29 minutes.
With the Golden State Warriors also defeating the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday and rendering the Mavs game inconsequential to playoff placings in the Western Conference, Jason Kidd's side still needed to hold up their end of the bargain.
On the prospect of the matchup with the Jazz, Kidd asserted it will not be an easy series, whether Doncic is on the floor or not.
"It's going to be interesting," he said. "They're well coached. They [have] got All-Stars, and they've been together for a while.
"They've been through a lot of playoff games together. This is going to be a great test for us. It should be a tough series."
Frank Vogel said he has not been informed that he will be fired by the Los Angeles Lakers after his side ended a miserable season with a victory over the Denver Nuggets.
The Lakers beat the Nuggets 146-141 at Ball Arena on Sunday to finish the campaign with a 33-49 record.
Languishing down in 11th place in the Western Conference, Los Angeles missed out on the playoffs two years after Vogel masterminded an NBA title triumph.
Vogel will reportedly be sacked on Monday, but the 48-year-old says that is news to him.
He said: "I haven't been told s*** and I'm going to enjoy tonight's game, celebrate what these young guys did in terms of scratching and clawing and getting back in this game and getting a W, and we'll deal with tomorrow, tomorrow."
Malik Monk praised the way Vogel has gone about his business after top scoring with 41 points in the win over the Nuggets.
"He kept his cool the whole time," Monk said. "Didn't talk about no problems like that. Didn't talk about anything like that.
"He came in and worked and always gave us a great game plan ... He was always about us. It was never really about him. And I praise him for that.
"I know that was pretty hard on him, but he never talked about it. He never changed his demeanour."
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