Stephen Curry was delighted to be back in a big game for the Golden State Warriors, even if Wednesday's play-in defeat to the LeBron James-inspired Los Angeles Lakers was a painful one.
Curry led the game in scoring with 37 points, but an early Warriors advantage – 13 points by halftime – was wiped out by the opening stages of the fourth quarter.
It left Curry in a shootout with James which the reigning NBA Finals MVP won with a sublime 30-foot three-pointer over the Golden State point guard as the shot clock expired.
The Warriors could not respond, as Curry rued a third quarter in which his team had eight turnovers "that changed the dynamic of the game", as the Lakers also visited the foul line eight times – making all eight shots.
Victory takes LA through as the seventh seed in the West to a first-round series against the Phoenix Suns, while Golden State must now prepare for a one-off game against the Memphis Grizzlies for the eighth seed.
"We'll be ready," Curry said. "Right now, it sucks. We played pretty well tonight.
"We've missed this type of environment, it was a lot of fun, high intensity, high, competitive level. I'm proud of everyone who stepped on the floor tonight, how they played.
"They made a run in the third quarter, we turned the ball over and it changed the game, but we still gave ourselves a chance to win.
"That's all we've worried about for the last 48 hours. Walking in the locker room, guys were upset, angry, frustrated we didn't get the job done.
"But we'll be ready for Friday, treating it like a regular season where you have to move on very quickly to a different team that we just beat, knowing they're going to come in with the same desperation we're going to have. It's the biggest game of the year."
A play-in debut was Curry's 113th postseason appearance but his first since the 2019 NBA Finals.
"It was awesome," he said. "I don't know how many fans were here, but the prep leading into the game, the film study, the walkthroughs, our practice, the level of focus and intensity, it was amazing.
"I was telling Jordan Bell on the bench in the middle of the third quarter: 'I miss this.'
"It's been almost two years since the Finals that we were here in a game that had those type of consequences. It's what you live for, it's what you work so hard for.
"It brings out the best in you in terms of your competitiveness and energy and all that. I love it, so we have to run it back Friday and hopefully all next week."
This was the first time Curry had played the Lakers in such a game, with LA failing to make a Finals series between their title wins in 2010 and 2020 as the Warriors played in five straight.
"It'd be nice if we could make it back here round two or whatever it shapes out to be," Curry said.
James is a familiar foe, however, with his Cleveland Cavaliers the opponent for Golden State in four of those years, winning in 2016.
His brilliant make – his second of the night from three-point land – came as no surprise to Curry.
"It was a great shot, a broken play, I snuck in thinking he was out of play," he said. "They found him, he got his balance just in time and knocked the shot down.
"That was a tough one because you don't really expect it to go in. You expect us to get the rebound, come down in transition and have a possession to take the lead.
"But everything changes when it goes in. All-time great players make great shots, that's what happens. It's no different tonight, but that's a tough one."
But Curry appeared to compare the shot to a three from James' former Cavs team-mate Kyrie Irving, who sunk the decisive effort in Game 7 five years ago.
"This one I was a little further away, so I don't feel too bad about it," Curry said.
The Warriors can ill afford to mull over James' heroics any longer, though, as they face a Grizzlies team they beat as recently as Sunday to reach the seven-eight game.
That victory concluded a 15-5 run to finish the regular season, so Curry, who called for Golden State to "just have fun with it" and "come out swinging", is confident they can recover swiftly.
"We've had to do it the last 20 games, so it's no different," he said.
"It is a win or go home scenario, but we've had high confidence, had a string of wins and then had a tough loss and had to bounce back. We've been there."
Fernando Tatis Jr returned for the first time since May 9 with a bang as the San Diego Padres won 3-0 against the Colorado Rockies in MLB on Wednesday.
Tatis had been absent following a positive coronavirus test earlier in the month but picked up where he left off with four hits including a home run.
The 22-year-old hit a single down the middle with his first bat back, before showing off a little yoga after stealing second base.
At the bottom of the fourth with two outs, Tatis hit a homer from Chi Chi Gonzalez to put the Padres up 1-0.
He almost completed the cycle, needing a triple in the eighth, but he had to settle for a base hit.
San Diego also welcomed back Eric Hosmer, while Wil Myers is expected to return this weekend.
The win means the Padres have won six in a row and nine of their past 10 games.
The year of the no-hitter
Corey Kluber tossed down his career-first no-hitter as the New York Yankees eclipsed the Texas Rangers 2-0.
Kluber, who moved from the Rangers to the Yankees in the off-season, struck out nine batters across nine innings in a remarkable display.
Willie Calhoun hit a ground ball to Gleyber Torres at second who threw to first to complete Kluber's maiden no-no.
The no-hitter comes only 24 hours after Spencer Turnbull's for the Detroit Tigers, marking the first time no-hitters have occurred on consecutive days since 1969. The 35-year-old right-hander, who has battled injury over the past two years, becomes the first Yankee to toss down a no-hitter since David Cone in 1999.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said: "We're excited for him and his story and what he's been through. Tonight we celebate Corey Kluber and a masterful performance."
Kluber's feat continues a trend in the season dubbed 'The Year of the No-No' as the sixth no-hitter in MLB this year. The season record is seven no-hitters.
Shohei Ohtani was pulled as the Los Angeles Angels slipped to 18-24 with a 3-2 loss to the Cleveland Indians.
Ohtani, who was hitting and pitching in the same game for the fourth time, started well but was pulled after Jake Bauers homered in the fifth.
Randy Arozarena pulled off a spectacular outfield catch in the Tampa Bay Rays' 9-7 victory at the Baltimore Orioles, which improves their record to 25-19.
Juan Soto hit a spectacular home run with a moon shot on one knee in the Washington Nationals' 4-3 win at the Chicago Cubs.
More Twins woes
After conceding 16 runs a few days earlier to the Chicago White Sox, the Minnesota Twins hit back with a win in their series on Tuesday, before a 2-1 loss on Wednesday. The Twins tidied things up, only giving up one run, but still suffered their 11th loss from their past 14.
Acuna's walk-off home run
Ronald Acuna keeps on producing heroics with a walk-off home run, his 13th homer of the 2021 MLB season, clinching the Atlanta Braves a 5-4 win over the New York Mets.
Wednesday's results
Chicago White Sox 2-1 Minnesota Twins
San Diego Padres 3-0 Colorado Rockies
San Francisco Giants 4-0 Cincinnati Reds
Miami Marlins 3-1 Philadelphia Phillies
Tampa Bay Rays 9-7 Baltimore Orioles
Atlanta Braves 5-4 New York Mets
Boston Red Sox 7-3 Toronto Blue Jays
Washington Nationals 4-3 Chicago Cubs
St Louis Cardinals 8-5 Pittsburgh Pirates
New York Yankees 2-0 Texas Rangers
Cleveland Indians 3-2 Los Angeles Angels
Kansas City Royals 6-4 Milwaukee Brewers
Houston Astros 8-1 Oakland Athletics
Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2 Arizona Diamondbacks
Detroit Tigers 6-2 Seattle Mariners
Red Sox at Blue Jays
American League East leaders the Boston Red Sox (26-18) will continue their series away to the Toronto Blue Jays (23-18) in Dunedin.
LeBron James says he was "seeing three rims" for his clutch shot which decided the Los Angeles Lakers 103-100 win over the Golden State Warriors after a poke in the eye from Draymond Green.
James launched a long-range bomb as the shot clock counted down with just under a minute to go, spectacularly sinking it to put the Lakers up 103-100 on Wednesday in their play-in game.
The Lakers would not allow the Warriors to score again and held on for victory to book a playoffs spot against the Phoenix Suns.
James, who finished with 22 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, was heroic after copping a poke to the eye in the final quarter from Green in a moment where split opinions on whether it was a flagrant foul.
The four-time MVP landed heavily and remained on the ground for some time, before picking himself while clutching his face with a towel.
Minutes later, the ball was passed to the 36-year-old for the crucial moment and he delivered, even with with blurred vision.
"After Draymond's finger to my eye, I was literally seeing three rims out there," James told ESPN post-game. "I just shot at the middle one. With grace of the man above, I was able to knock it down."
James said there was never thought in his mind to step off the court after the Green collision.
"I've been there before. I've been poked in the eye before in a collision like that," he said.
"I just tried to keep my composure. It's going to be pretty sore tonight. We've got a few days until we go to Phoenix.
"Big time win for us, I wasn’t going to leave the floor, even if I had to put a pirate patch on."
James was full of praise for their upcoming opponents Phoenix Suns who finished second in the Western Conference.
"They've played extremely well all year. They deserve to host a home court in the first round," he said.
"CP [Chris Paul] playing a MVP caliber year all year. [Deandre] Ayton has grown all year. They've given their guys a supporting cast all year.
"We know how great CP and Book [Devin Booker] is. They've done pretty extremely well all year."
LeBron James scored a clutch three-pointer with less than a minute to go to book the Los Angeles Lakers place in the NBA playoffs with a 103-100 win over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday.
Shortly after copping a Draymond Green finger to the eye and with the shot clock elapsing, James was out of rhythm when he received a pass but drained a huge three with 58 seconds left in their play-in game.
The shot put the Lakers up 103-100 and they would not surrender that lead, as Stephen Curry lost a late inbound pass with 2.1 seconds on the clock.
The result means the Lakers claim seventh seed and will take on the second seed Phoenix Suns, while the Warriors will face the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday to earn eighth seed to face the Utah Jazz in the playoffs.
James had a triple-double, finishing with 22 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for the Lakers.
Anthony Davis was crucial defensively, closing down Curry in the final play, and ending the game with 25 points and 12 rebounds.
Curry had 37 points, seven rebounds and three assists for the Warriors, who had led by 13 points at the main break, after the point guard scored 15 in the second.
The Grizzlies withstood the San Antonio Spurs' late charge to progress to the eighth seed play-in game against Golden State with a 100-96 victory.
Memphis led by 21 points at one stage but were headed by the Spurs in the final quarter, before rallying to take the win.
The Memphis Grizzlies withstood the San Antonio Spurs' late charge to progress to the eighth seed play-in game with a 100-96 victory.
The Grizzlies led by 21 points at one stage but were headed by the Spurs in the final quarter, before rallying to take the win.
Center Jonas Valanciunas was huge for Memphis with 23 points and 23 rebounds, while Ja Morant chipped in with 20 points, six assists and six rebounds and Dillon Brooks had a game-high 24 points.
Spurs forward DeMar DeRozan had a game to forget, shooting five-from-21 from the field to finish with 20 points, while Dejounte Murray shot from-from-17 from the field, with neither making a three.
The defeat means Spurs miss the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time in franchise history.
New York Yankees pitcher Corey Kluber has thrown the sixth no-hitter of the 2021 MLB season and the second on consecutive days.
The 35-year-old right-hander tossed down nine strikeouts across nine innings in the Yankees' 2-0 win over his former franchise Texas Rangers on Wednesday.
Kluber moved from the Rangers in the off-season and becomes the first Yankee to throw a no-hitter since David Cone in 1999.
It is the two-time CY Young award winner's first career no-hitter and marked his return after two years battling injury, pitching only one inning for the Rangers last season.
"It's all kind of emotions. It's excitement but also relief because it's over," Kluber said post-game on YES Network. "We were fortunate in that they hit them right at people."
Kluber's 101-pitch feat follows on from Spencer Turnbull's no-hitter for the Detroit Tigers against the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday.
Joe Musgrove, Carlos Rodon, John Means and Wade Miley have also thrown no-nos this season.
The record for the most no-hitters in a single MLB season is seven.
Returning Brooklyn Nets star James Harden says his impact should not be measured on the stats sheet ahead of the NBA playoffs.
Harden joined the Nets from the Houston Rockets in January but missed five weeks with a hamstring injury, before returning to action last week.
The 2018 NBA MVP came off the bench to play 26 minutes and add 18 points, seven rebounds and 11 assists in his return game last week in a 128-116 win over the San Antonio Spurs.
He offered a more modest return with five points, five rebounds and seven assists from 25 minutes in Saturday's win over the Chicago Bulls, before being rested for Sunday's victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
"I thought winning was all that matters?" Harden said on Wednesday. "When I was doing the stats and putting up the numbers, it wasn't good enough.
"At some point we've got to figure out what we're talking about. But it's all about winning.
"My impact doesn't have to show up on the stat sheet for us to win. I think my job as a leader is to make sure everybody's playing well. If I'm doing that, I can focus on myself last. That's not a problem at all."
The Nets are among the favourites to win the 2020-21 NBA title but first will take on the Boston Celtics in the playoffs first round starting Saturday.
Harden was wary of Celtics star Jayson Tatum who scored 50 points in their play-in game victory over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday.
"One thing we can’t have is let a guy score 30, 40 on us comfortably," Harden said.
"He scores in bunches and scores from all over the court."
Jannik Sinner fought back to claim victory in a thrilling battle with Aslan Karatsev at the Lyon Open, where David Goffin crashed out.
Sinner lost to Karatsev in Dubai earlier this year but recovered from a dreadful start to win 0-6 6-3 6-4 in two hours and 32 minutes.
There were seven breaks of serve in a thrilling encounter between two players bidding for an ATP Finals spot as Karatsev – who has beaten Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev this year – was ultimately defeated.
"It was tough," said Sinner. "He is a great player, especially this year with some big results.
"I dug deep and I am happy to have won. It is definitely good to have the support of the crowd in order to come back from Aslan's fast start."
Lorenzo Musetti followed up his impressive opening round win over Felix Auger Aliassime by defeating Sebastian Korda on Wednesday.
But it was a bad day for fourth seed Goffin as he suffered a 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 loss to Aljaz Bedene, who will now take on Musetti.
Karen Khachanov saw off Kamil Majchrzak in straight sets and he will play the winner of Diego Schwartzman v Richard Gasquet, a match which has been rescheduled for Thursday due to rain.
At the Geneva Open, third seed Casper Ruud won 7-5 6-2 against Tennys Sandgren.
Rising star Ruud – who only gave up one break point – has now reached six consecutive quarter-finals on the ATP Tour and will face Dominik Koepfer in the last eight.
Fourth seed Grigor Dimitrov was a 6-4 6-4 winner over Ilya Ivashka, while second seed Denis Shapovalov is scheduled to play Marco Cecchinato in the last match of the day.
Seeds Petra Martic and Coco Gauff were victorious at the Emilia-Romagna Open on Wednesday, but injury cut short Sara Sorribes Tormo's run in the tournament.
Gauff recorded five breaks of serve as she overcame Italian Camila Giorgi in routine fashion, a 6-2 6-3 triumph securing the third seed a place in the quarter-finals.
The American did have a few issues on her own serve, leading to seven double faults, but ended up winning in one hour and 11 minutes.
Martic, the second seed at the event, was made to work in the first set of her match against Ludmilla Samsonova, both players saving a break point on serve as it went the distance.
There was little to split the pair in the tie-breaker too, Martic edging it 7-5 as she capitalised on her first opportunity to take the set.
The second was more straightforward for the Croatian, an early beak of serve putting her in front before she repeated the trick to wrap up victory in the ninth game.
There were wins in straight sets for fellow seeds Caroline Garcia and Wang Qiang too, as they defeated Anna-Lena Friedsam and Martina Di Giuseppe respectively.
For Garcia, the triumph means a first quarter-final appearance in the 2021 season.
Sorribes Tormo was the only seeded player to exit in the day’s action, the Spaniard forced to retire at 2-2 in the deciding set against Sara Errani due to a problem with her left thigh.
"I'm very sorry for Sara. It was a battle, I know every time we play together it is like this. I was mentally ready to fight, to suffer," Errani said in her on-court interview.
Top seed Serena Williams is already out, beaten in straight sets by Katerina Siniakova to deal the 23-time grand slam champion a further blow ahead of this year's French Open.
Major glory awaits for one man at Kiawah Island on Sunday, when the winner of the US PGA Championship will be confirmed.
With such a stacked field it is hard to pick out the most likely victor, but that has not stopped Stats Peform's team of expert writers from having a go.
Last year it was Collin Morikawa who prevailed, snapping American compatriot Brooks Koepka's run of consecutive wins.
Who will it be this time?
IT'S OFFICIAL, RORY IS BACK! – Peter Hanson
Okay, I'm officially calling it – Rory McIlroy is back! At the back end of 2019 and the start of 2020, the Northern Irishman was flying. Then the coronavirus pandemic hit. Then there were some questionable decisions to start trying to match the bombs Bryson DeChambeau can nail off the tee. Then there were some ugly results – including missed cuts at the Players Championship and the Masters. But forget all that, McIlroy – just six weeks on from starting work with renowned coach Pete Cowen – was back in the winners' circle at Quail Hollow last weekend, his first title since November 2019. A McIlroy in full swagger is a joy for any golf fan, and crucially he knows how to get it done at Kiawah Island having won the first of his two PGA Championship titles at the South Carolina course back in 2012 – doing so by eight strokes, a record for the tournament. It's time for Rory to finally get that fifth major.
SCHAUFFELE HAS GOT THIS ONE – Russell Greaves
If you have this notion that Xander Schauffele always seems to be in contention at the majors, it's because he is. His tie for third at the Masters this year represented an eighth top-10 finish at a major for Schauffele, with two of those coming at the US PGA. His record is one of remarkable consistency, with only one missed cut across 14 entries in the sport's four headline events. Schauffele is one of the most adaptable players out there, as evidenced by his PGA Tour-leading sand save percentage of 69.35. At just 27, it seems inevitable he will eventually clinch a title at one of those quartet of tournaments.
HIDEKI WILL DOUBLE UP – Ben Spratt
Hideki Matsuyama had been waiting a long time for his breakthrough triumph at Augusta last month, with seven top-10 finishes at majors without reaching the winner's circle before that Masters victory. "It was a relief, really," he said last week. But having got that monkey off his back and shown he is good enough in his approach play that a poor putting game need not be a hindrance, Matsuyama can no longer be written off so easily. The Japanese will be heading to Kiawah Island full of confidence and ready to win. A second straight success would really lay down a marker.
IT'S RAHM TIME – John Skilbeck
Sooner or later, or so goes the theory, Jon Rahm will win a major. Let's tilt towards sooner then, because Rahm is top of the PGA Tour's ball-striking chart this season, fourth in terms of finding greens in regulation and top 20 in average driving distance and scoring average. On a course set to measure over 7,800 yards, those ingredients in his game look more than useful, but Rahm will need to putt well too and that is not a given. He is down in a share of 192nd for putts per round this season, so needs to get something going with the short stick. He is developing a reputation as a Masters specialist, with four successive top-10 finishes at Augusta, and the Kiawah Island conditions will be a world away from those in Georgia. But this breakthrough at a major is going to happen sooner or later, isn't it?
RAHM'S THE ONE FOR ME – Chris Myson
Aside from a tie for fourth at the 2018 US PGA Championship, Rahm has not made a huge impact at this event. But he is rightly among the favourites for victory this week on the back of his tie for fifth place at the Masters and his continued consistency on the PGA Tour. With six top-10 finishes to his name at major championships, Rahm has proven he can get himself into contention at the biggest events. And he comes into the latest major in form. While the world number three is yet to win this year, he has missed the cut just once in 10 events. Rahm says the recent birth of his son Kepa has helped to take the pressure off his pursuit of a first major, an occasion which is surely not far away.
Lando Norris has signed a contract extension with McLaren that will keep him with the team for the 2022 Formula One season and beyond.
The British driver has been with McLaren since 2017, initially joining as a test and simulator driver before getting a seat on the grid two years ago.
Norris made his F1 debut at the 2019 Australian Grand Prix and went on to end his maiden season with 49 points.
He improved to 97 points in 2020 – aided by claiming his first podium finish in Austria - and already has 41 to his name this year after four races, including taking third place at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
"I'm really pleased to have extended my relationship with McLaren from 2022," Norris said.
"Having been with the team for almost five years, I feel very much part of the family here and I couldn’t imagine starting the next phase of my career anywhere else.
"McLaren has been a huge support since my days in junior series and I’ve really enjoyed learning and developing as a driver since."
Norris sits fourth in the championship standings having outperformed team-mate Daniel Ricciardo so far, though his ambitions stretch further than simply being the top performer for McLaren.
"My commitment to McLaren is clear: my goal is to win races and become Formula 1 world champion and I want to do that with this team," the 21-year-old added.
"Since joining in 2017 our progression has been consistent and we have clear ambitions together for the future."
McLaren CEO Zak Brown described Norris as "one of the brightest talents" in the sport, making it a major boost for the team to have him tied up on a multi-year deal.
"I'm delighted with the extension of our agreement with Lando for 2022 and beyond," Brown said.
"He's been instrumental in our return of form here at McLaren and we're proud of the growth he's shown since he first started with us back in 2017.
"Lando is one of the brightest talents on the Formula 1 grid and we look forward to seeing him continue to go from strength-to-strength both on and off track."
Five years ago, Stephen Curry made history by being named the first unanimous MVP in NBA history.
With his phenomenal shooting range and deadly accuracy from beyond the arc, Curry fuelled the greatest NBA regular season ever as the Golden State Warriors went 73-9 in the 2015-16 campaign.
Curry joined the select group of players in the 50-40-90 club and became the first person to do so while averaging over 30 points a game.
It was a year that Curry seemed unlikely to ever top and certainly not in 2020-21, a season that followed a 2019-20 campaign essentially lost to a hand injury and one in which he did not have the benefit of playing with Kevin Durant or the injured Klay Thompson, with the core of the Warriors' dynasty that dominated the league largely gone.
Instead, this was supposed to be the year in which the rest of the NBA exacted a measure of revenge on Curry for torching them so devastatingly and so often.
Yet Curry, like all the greats, takes tremendous joy in subverting expectations, and he has done that to remarkable effect, surpassing his career-high average of 30.1 points per game from 2015-16 by racking up an incredible 32 per game to win the scoring title. The only other player to do so after turning 33 is Michael Jordan.
His consistently talismanic displays have pushed a Warriors team that would otherwise be watching the postseason from home into a mouth-watering play-in game with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. Even if the Warriors lose, they will have another chance to reach the first round with victory over the Memphis Grizzlies or San Antonio Spurs.
Despite his remarkable efforts in extending the Warriors' season, Curry will almost certainly not win the MVP award for the third time, with Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic an apparent lock to claim the honour.
But, after a year in which Curry shattered record after record, there is no doubt he is deserving of receiving the Maurice Podoloff Trophy once again.
A history-making year
Curry's scoring title, which he held off Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards to claim, was the crowning achievement of a regular season that saw him write a host of new pages into an NBA record book in which he already dominates several chapters.
He set a league record with 5.3 three-pointers made per game in what was his third season averaging at least 5.0, no other player in NBA history has achieved that feat once.
Curry racked up seven games with 40 or more points and at least 10 threes in 2020-21, his status as the greatest shooter and one of the greatest scorers of all-time illustrated by the fact no other NBA player has more than three such games in their entire career.
Excluding rookies, he is the first player in NBA history to average 30 points per game having played fewer than 10 games in the previous season, with Curry breaking new ground at a time when many athletes begin to see signs of their bodies breaking down.
Indeed, Curry became the first player to have three 50-point games in a season at age 32 or older, while his points per game average was the highest in league history by a player of that age.
And, in a season where the late Kobe Bryant was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame, it was only fitting that Curry emulated The Black Mamba. His performance in the January 3 against the Portland Trail Blazers, in which he exploded for 62 points, saw Curry join Bryant in becoming only the second player to score 18-plus points on three-pointers, two-pointers and free throws, Kobe doing so in his 81-point display on January 22, 2006.
As Bryant did so often during his career, Curry continues to find ways to set new boundaries for what is possible on an NBA court and, in 2020-21, he has done so while clearly elevating the play of a supporting cast well below the standard he has gotten used to in the Bay Area.
The impact of Curry's 'gravity'
To say that Curry makes the Warriors better is taking stating the obvious to the extreme, but not since the pre-Durant era has his influence been more readily apparent than a season in which he battled a tailbone injury and missed nine games over the course of the campaign.
The Warriors averaged 112.8 points per 100 possessions with Curry on the court compared to 101.9 when he was off the floor. Their field goal percentage improved from 44.1 per cent to 48.4 with Curry in action while their three-point success jumped from 36.1 to 38.3.
Golden State's effective field goal percentage was 57.1 per cent when Curry played, up from 51.6 when he was absent, and he also improved the Warriors' ability to facilitate.
Their assists per 100 possessions jumped from 24.4 without Curry to 27.6, with the difference in point differential painting a clear picture of his overall impact.
The Warriors' point differential per 100 possessions without Curry was minus 4.5. When he did play, it was plus 4.3.
In other words, in the regular season, Curry was worth 8.8 points per 100 possessions to the Warriors, who benefited from several players raising their games with him on the court.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the player most positively affected by Curry's presence was Draymond Green. With Thompson suffering rotten injury luck, Curry and Green are the remaining pillars of the Warriors' original big three and their chemistry remains excellent.
This regular season, Green averaged 10.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, 13.2 assists and 2.5 steals per 100 possessions with Curry on the court. Without him, those numbers dipped to 5.5 points, 11.3 rebounds, 10.3 assists and 1.7 steals.
Andrew Wiggins averaged more points (30.4 to 23.6) per 100 possessions when Curry was out, a fact owing to the increased opportunities he gets when No. 30 is unavailable. However, Curry's presence made Wiggins a more efficient shooter.
Wiggins was good on 48.8 per cent of his attempts from the field with Curry compared to 45.9 without him. It was a similar tale with Kelly Oubre Jr, whom the Warriors hope to get back should they make it through the play-in tournament, as Oubre connected on 44.7 per cent of field goals when playing with Curry versus 42.4 the rest of the time.
That increased efficiency is likely a product of Curry's gravity - the extra attention he draws from defenders because of his threat from well beyond the three-point line that creates space for his team-mates.
Unfortunately, the biggest beneficiary of that gravity, center James Wiseman, won't be available in the postseason. A meniscus injury ended the second overall pick's season but the difference Curry made to his game was obvious.
Wiseman had 25.3 points per 100 possessions with Curry and 22.3 when he was missing. His field goal percentage (56.0 to 44.9) and three-point percentage (38.1 to 23.5) were also substantially better when Curry played.
The rookie experienced a similar jump in fast break points, which improved to 3.2 from 0.9 per 100, while he was significantly more effective near the rim with Curry commanding defenses' attention as Wiseman produced more points in the paint (17.9 to 13 per 100) and second-chance points (3.1 to 1.9.)
Curry has made a career out of making opposing big men look silly. Now, after seeing his evident influence on the Warriors' center curtailed, he will likely have to watch another of the game's giants take the top individual prize despite his own stupendous exploits.
Chef Curry vs. The Joker
Jokic has certainly done enough to merit being a frontrunner for MVP. The regular season saw him shoot 56.6 per cent from the field, 38.8 per cent from beyond the arc and 86.8 per cent from the free-throw line.
No player with at least 30 field goals in a season in NBA history can claim to have topped Jokic in all three of those measures.
Finishing the year with a minutes total of 2,488 that only New York Knicks duo Julius Randle and RJ Barrett topped, Jokic's points, assists and rebounds average of 45.5 per game was the joint-best mark in the NBA alongside Russell Westbrook.
Yet Curry was close behind in fifth with 43.2, with his success in making the disparity between him and Jokic relatively meagre an impressive feat given the advantage the seven-foot Serb has in terms of rebounding.
Curry played nine fewer games than Jokic and, while their minutes per game were comparable (Curry 34.2 and Jokic 34.6), there was a vast difference in points totals.
Jokic finished with 26.4 per game, well adrift of Curry's league-leading mark of 32, which was the most in a season in NBA history by a player averaging fewer than 35.0 minutes per game.
The edge in terms of all-round impact goes to Jokic, but Curry has arguably outstripped a season that ended with him taking every first-place MVP vote in a year where rust and a lack of weapons around him had led some to expect a year of comparative struggle.
This was a season in which Curry unexpectedly redefined what is possible and dragged the Warriors to the cusp of a first-round playoff berth. Jokic's role as chief architect for a Nuggets team much better placed to contend is worthy of the acclaim he has received but, after Curry's stunning show of endurance and consistency in producing the spectacular to keep the Warriors in the running, it should not be a one-horse race for MVP.
Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes have all the momentum heading into the iconic Monaco Grand Prix this week.
Despite Red Bull starting the 2021 Formula One season with the fastest car, Hamilton has produced a spectacular start and holds a 14-point lead over Max Verstappen in the drivers' standings.
The seven-time world champion has won three of the first four races and battled back to finish second at Imola in the only grand prix he did not win, making a fantastic recovery after crashing.
Verstappen has made him work hard for those successes, but more is needed from Valtteri Bottas as questions continue over his future with the team. He is yet to record a top-two finish and Hamilton already has double his points total.
Rivals to Hamilton will hope the unpredictability of Monaco will boost their hopes to challenge. Three different teams have won the last three races here, Ferrari in 2017, Red Bull in 2018 and Mercedes with Hamilton last time out in 2019.
Red Bull are expected to be strong here and the team are 18 points away from making this circuit the one where they have collected the most points in their F1 history.
Monaco is the shortest circuit (3.34km) on the calendar and therefore is the grand prix with the highest number of laps (78).
LAST TIME OUT
Hamilton continued his dominance of the Spanish Grand Prix with a record-equalling sixth victory at the Barcelona circuit as Mercedes' two-stop strategy worked a treat.
Verstappen passed Hamilton on Turn One in a dream start for Red Bull after the defending champion had been on pole for the 100th time.
But Hamilton was not to be denied a fifth consecutive win at the race, pitting first and later passing Verstappen on fresher tyres in lap 60 of 66 in another masterclass from the Briton.
Verstappen – who got the fastest lap - had been kept out at the front and was unable to hold out, having to settle for second place ahead of Bottas.
Charles Leclerc was fourth ahead of the Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull.
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR IN MONACO
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff believes Red Bull are the team to beat this week, even though Hamilton held off Verstappen in a thrilling 2019 duel in Monte Carlo.
He feels the high-downforce track plays to Red Bull's strengths and thinks data from the last sector of the race in Spain – which showed their rivals were strong – will prove an accurate indicator of Monaco pace.
Wolff also defended Bottas, insisting bad luck and slow starts were the only reason for his disappointing results.
Despite the season being four races old, he is regularly having to rebuff speculation about Mercedes moving on from the Finn.
Sergio Perez, meanwhile, is not under that level of scrutiny for Red Bull yet, but is still waiting for his first podium this season.
Charles Leclerc goes into his home race in impressive form. He has four consecutive top-six finishes and thinks Ferrari will be challenging for race wins again "very soon" after a strong start to 2021.
Lando Norris, who is fourth in the championship, goes into the race on a high after signing a new deal with McLaren.
TOP FIVE OPTA STATS
Pole pivotal – The driver starting first has led after the opening lap for each of the last 17 Monaco GPs since 2002 when McLaren driver David Coulthard passed Williams star Juan Pablo Montoya. Since 2004, 12 of the last 16 who started on pole have won the race (75 per cent).
Mercedes momentum – The Mercs are looking to equal Ferrari as the team to have recorded the most one-twos in a F1 qualifying ever (80). They are the only team ever to have won more than half of their races (118 wins in 231 GPs).
Familiar faces - Hamilton, Verstappen and Bottas have reached the podium together in 16 races, more than any other trio in F1 ever. That has also been the top three for four of the last five GPs.
Racy Red Bull – Christian Horner's outfit have taken five pole positions in Monaco, more than at any other GP for them in F1 alongside Japan. Only in Brazil and Malaysia (five at each), they have won more races than in the Principality.
Fabulous Finns - Bottas could equal Kimi Raikkonen in a tie for second among Finnish drivers with the most pole positions in F1 (18), after Mika Hakkinen (26).
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Drivers
1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) – 94
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 80
3. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) – 47
4. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 41
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 40
Constructors
1. Mercedes – 141
2. Red Bull – 112
3. McLaren – 65
4. Ferrari – 60
5. Alpine – 15
Los Angeles Clippers coach Ty Lue is paying no attention to those who have accused his team of tanking their final regular-season games to avoid facing the Los Angeles Lakers in the playoffs, adamant he is prioritising health.
The Clippers have been beaten by the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder recently having rested star players such as Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
Those losses saw the Clippers drop from third to fourth in Western Conference seeding for the playoffs, leading to critics suggesting they were purposely trying to engineer a scenario whereby they did not face defending champions the Lakers in the first round.
As it happened, the Lakers ultimately finished seventh in the West to set up a play-in game against the Golden State Warriors, while the Clippers are due to meet the Dallas Mavericks first up for the second year in succession.
But Lue was defiant in his response when questioned about his selection choices on Tuesday.
"I don't give a damn what anybody else thinks on the outside," he said. "We decided to go health over anything else.
"We finally got our team healthy, and that is what we focused on. Whatever people say on the outside, I don't care.
"I don't read Twitter, have Twitter and Insta-twit, all that. I don't care about all that. I am my own man and I do what I want to do, that's how I live my life.
"If you look at our Cleveland [Cavaliers] days, none of our starters played the last two games of the season.
"We took health, and that is the most important thing to me."
Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens has labelled their upcoming playoffs opponents, the Brooklyn Nets, as "the most-talented team that's been assembled" in his time in the NBA.
The Celtics earned seventh seed and the right to face the second-seeded Nets in the NBA playoffs from Saturday with a 118-100 win over the Washington Wizards.
The Nets have endured injuries to stars players over the past few months but have reunited their big three, Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving, at the right time for the postseason.
"To have to play tonight to get into the playoffs to earn the right to play probably the most-talented team that's been assembled since I've been in the NBA, takes a lot of effort and togetherness," Stevens said.
"We'll get ready for Brooklyn starting on Thursday when we get back together.
"Those guys are the best of the best and, going into that, if I'm a fan and just a general fan of the NBA, I have a hard time seeing them lose.
"We're going to have to play great, we're going to have to play great together, and we're going to have to be really, really sound on both ends of the floor."
He added: "It'll be a fun challenge to go up against the best."
Jayson Tatum scored 50 points for the Celtics in Tuesday's win, prompting Wizards coach Scott Brooks to label him a "future MVP".
"He's a great player. He's not [just] a great young player, he's a great player," Brooks said. "He's going to be an MVP in this league soon."
Spencer Turnbull had a game to remember after no-hitting the Seattle Mariners in the Detroit Tigers' 5-0 shutout.
Turnbull produced a no-hitter against the Mariners in MLB action on Tuesday – the eighth such performance in Tigers history and the first since Justin Verlander in 2011.
The 28-year-old pitcher struck out nine batters across nine masterful innings.
Turnbull had a career record of 9-25 (.265) entering his no-hitter. According to Stats Perform, he is the first pitcher in the modern era to throw a no-hitter after entering the game with a sub .300 career winning percentage (minimum 10 decisions).
As for the Mariners, they are second team in MLB history after the 1923 Philadelphia A's to get no-hit at home twice in a two-week span, per Stats Perform.
In Dunedin, Ryu Hyun-jin starred as the Toronto Blue Jays crushed American League (AL) East leaders and rivals the Boston Red Sox 8-0.
Blue Jays ace Ryu scattered four hits and struck out seven across seven innings in a dominant display against the Red Sox.
The Blue Jays won for the ninth time in 12 games and improved to a season-high six games over .500 in the AL East.
Sano homers three times
The Minnesota Twins upstaged the high-flying Chicago White Sox 5-4 behind a three-homer display from Miguel Sano – the first such performance of his career. Sano entered the game hitting .141 but proceeded to hit three homers. The is the lowest batting average entering a three-homer game in the modern era, per Stats Perform. The previous low – .153 by Babe Ruth in 1935.
Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Gavin Lux launched his first career grand slam as the World Series champions humbled the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-1.
The Oakland Athletics snapped the Houston Astros' six-game winning streak with a 6-5 victory. Ramon Laureano's two home runs fuelled the A's.
Harvey and Rodriguez struggle
The Tampa Bay Rays got on top of Matt Harvey in a 13-6 in over the Baltimore Orioles. Harvey gave up a pair of homers. He allowed six runs on seven hits in 1.6 innings.
Red Sox starter Eduardo Rodriguez was roughed up by the Blue Jays. He gave up five runs and 11 hits in five innings.
Ohtani homers… again
Two-way Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani hit his MLB-leading 14th homer of the season. It was his third home run in as many games but the Angels lost 6-5 to the Cleveland Indians.
Tuesday's results
San Francisco Giants 4-2 Cincinnati Reds
Philadelphia Phillies 8-3 Miami Marlins
Tampa Bay Rays 13-6 Baltimore Orioles
New York Mets 4-3 Atlanta Braves
Toronto Blue Jays 8-0 Boston Red Sox
Minnesota Twins 5-4 Chicago White Sox
Chicago Cubs 6-3 Washington Nationals
St Louis Cardinals 5-2 Pittsburgh Pirates
New York Yankees 7-4 Texas Rangers
Kansas City Royals 2-0 Milwaukee Brewers
Cleveland Indians 6-5 Los Angeles Angels
Houston Astros 6-5 Oakland Athletics
Los Angeles Dodgers 9-1 Arizona Diamondbacks
San Diego Padres 2-1 Colorado Rockies
Detroit Tigers 5-0 Seattle Mariners
Indians at Angels
Ohtani will return to the mound as the Angels (18-22) host the Indians (21-18) in the series decider on Wednesday.
Jayson Tatum posted 50 points as the Boston Celtics overcame indifferent form to secure seventh seed in the Eastern Conference and an NBA playoff berth with a 118-100 win over the Washington Wizards.
Boston's play-in tournament victory against Washington on Tuesday secured a first-round meeting with star-studded second seed the Brooklyn Nets in the playoffs.
All-Star Tatum scored 32 of his 50 points in the second half as the Celtics rallied past the in-form Wizards, who had 15 of their last 20 games prior to the matchup at TD Garden.
Tatum added eight rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal for the Celtics, who open their series against the Nets on Saturday, while Kemba Walker added 29 points.
Russell Westbrook was below his usual standards for the Wizards, finishing with 20 points and 14 rebounds before prematurely exiting the game in the last quarter.
Bradley Beal added 22 points, nine rebounds and six assists as the Wizards now prepare to face the Indiana Pacers on Thursday to earn eighth seed and a date with the top-ranked Philadelphia 76ers in the east.
The Pacers cruised past the shell-shocked Charlotte Hornets with a 144-117 triumph earlier on Tuesday.
Indiana raced out to 17-4 lead and never looked back as the Hornets and Rookie of the Year candidate LaMelo Ball – who was four-for-14 from the field while making just two of six three-pointers – had a game to forget.
Pacers All-Star Domantas Sabonis had 21 rebounds along with his 14 points and nine assists in the win.
Malcolm Brogdon returned after three weeks out with a hamstring injury to add 16 points and eight assists from 16 minutes.
Oshae Brissett top-scored with 23 points as Indiana had eight players reach double figures, with Doug McDermott (21 points) shooting four-from-six beyond the arc.
Stephen Curry is embracing underdog status ahead of the Golden State Warriors' play-in game against defending NBA champions the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Warriors finished eighth in the Western Conference and will have to work through the league's new play-in tournament to reach the NBA playoffs.
Led by two-time MVP Curry, Golden State won 18 of their final 25 games to surge into the postseason picture ahead of Wednesday's showdown against LeBron James and the seventh-seeded Lakers.
The winner between the Lakers and Warriors head into the playoffs as the seventh seed. The loser will meet the winner of the Memphis Grizzlies-San Antonio Spurs clash.
"I hope everybody hears the chatter," Curry said after Tuesday's practice. "Even at this point how we match up with LA or potentially with Phoenix or Utah if we get through this play-in tournament and all that.
"Nobody thought we were even going to be in this position. A lot of people had us way, way, way down the standings coming in after Klay [Thompson] got hurt, so there's a lot of things that we already flipped on its head to this point, so we might as well keep going."
Curry has played a crucial role in lifting the Warriors into contention down the stretch, earning his second NBA scoring title after ending the regular season averaging 32.0 points per game following his 46-point outburst against the Grizzlies on Sunday.
The three-time NBA champion became the first player 33 years or older to lead the league in scoring since Hall of Famer Michael Jordan in 1997-98 (35 years at end of season and averaged 28.7ppg).
Curry also joined Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only players with multiple scoring titles, MVPs and championships.
The Warriors guard has played 63 games this season, averaging 5.8 assists per game, a career-best 5.5 rebounds per game and 1.2 steals per game.
Earlier this season, Curry claimed top spots on the Warriors' all-time scoring and assists lists, while surpassing Reggie Miller for second position on the NBA's three-pointers made standings.
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic is the hot favourite to win this season's MVP but Curry was endorsed by upcoming opponent James for candidacy too.
"Obviously, I'm appreciative," Curry said. "He knows when he says something people pay attention so for him to speak on my MVP candidacy is definitely, I respect him for it, I appreciate it.
"We all know as competitors though, when the lights are on, I can talk about how great he is till I'm blue in the face and he can do the same, it doesn't change how we approach that competition when we're out there.
"I won't be giving him a pass because he likes the way I played this year and vice versa."
Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel declared LeBron James will be fit and available for Wednesday's NBA play-in game against the Golden State Warriors.
James played 27 minutes but exited Sunday's 110-98 win over the New Orleans Pelicans early with soreness in the right ankle which has kept him sidelined for most of the past two months.
The four-time MVP played back-to-back games on Saturday and Sunday upon his return from injury but is available for the midweek showdown with Stephen Curry's eighth-seeded Warriors.
"He had some minor soreness but he's good to go," Vogel said following practice on Tuesday.
"He was a full participant in practice today and is good to go."
Anthony Davis also confirmed his full fitness to face the Warriors after being listed as questionable with left adductor strain tightness on Sunday.
The star forward played 30 minutes against the Pelicans in the team's regular-season finale.
"I'm fine," Davis said. "The adductor feels good, the shoulder feels good."
Defending champions the Lakers – seeded seventh in the Western Conference – may finally have a full clean bill of health, having been without James, Davis or Dennis Schroder for most of the run into the postseason.
Schroder played the final two games of the regular season along with James and Davis after being subject to the league's health and safety protocols.
The German guard subsequently missed seven games in May, impacting his conditioning.
"I'm still not, conditioning-wise, all the way back," Schroder said. "I've been out 10 days. I didn't do nothing, I was at home.
"At the end of the day, I'm going to work my way into it, but it's not going to hurt my team-mates. I'm going to give everything I have, go out there and do the same things that I do during the season and truly to get a W."
Energised by the return of spectators, Rory McIlroy is confident he can end his major drought at this week's US PGA Championship.
McIlroy arrives in South Carolina buoyed by his drought-snapping victory at the Wells Fargo Championship earlier this month.
Not since November 2019 had McIlroy reigned supreme on the PGA or European Tour but the former world number one ended his wait at Quail Hollow.
McIlroy has not won a major since 2014, however the 2012 and 2014 PGA Championship winner feels good heading into Thursday's opening round.
"I'm happy with where my game is, so I guess if I go out and play my game and do what I know that I can do, then I can see myself shooting good scores on this golf course," four-time major champion McIlroy told reporters.
"So that's sort of where I'm at. Whether that means I win or not, that's partly up to me, but that's partly on how the other 155 guys in the field play, as well.
"I've just got to go out there, play my game, and if I play my game somewhat close to the best of my ability, I'm sure I'll have a good chance."
Fans returned for the Wells Fargo Championship amid the coronavirus pandemic as McIlroy thrived en route to glory and there will be fans at Kiawah Island this week.
"It's funny, ever since I was 16 years old I've had thousands of people watch me play golf pretty much every time I teed it up. Even going back to amateur golf and. So then not having that, playing in that environment for 14, 15 years and then sort of going the complete opposite, it's just different," he said.
"I said at the time it was like playing practice rounds. It's easy to lose concentration. Everyone is used to a certain environment, whether you work or whatever you do, and it's a bit. I watched the Champions League semi-finals a couple weeks ago and those guys play in that for the first time in their careers and they're playing in an empty stadium. That just must be terrible. That's not at all how you dream of being in a squad like that and playing in a massive game.
"You want to play in front of people and you want to feel that atmosphere. It's unfortunate that in these times a lot of people don't have that experience, but I am glad that we're getting back to some sort of normalcy, and when you hit good shots and hole putts there is claps and rewards and encouragement.
"I feel like that's all a part of tournament golf and competitive sports at the highest level, and just happy that I'm starting to come back."
Another former world number one, Jordan Spieth, is eyeing a milestone at the PGA Championship.
Spieth, who ended his fourth-year title drought in Texas last week, can become the sixth player in history to complete the career Grand Slam and the first to do so by winning a PGA Championship.
The three-time major winner, though, played down his career Grand Slam quest.
"I think as we get into the weekend, if I'm able to work my way into contention, I think it's something that'll obviously be asked and come up, and it's something that I certainly want," Spieth said.
"You go to a major, and for me at this point, I want to win the Masters as badly as I ever have this year. Didn't happen.
"I want to win this one as badly as I ever have. Once you move on to the U.S. Open, the same. Majors, that's what we're trying to peak for those.
"I feel like I'll have a lot of chances at this tournament, and if I just focus on trying to take advantage of this golf course, play it the best I can and kind of stay in the same form tree to green I've been in, all I can ask for is a chance."
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