Elena Rybakina and Tamara Zidansek were both surprise second-round losers at The Rosmalen Grass Court Championships as numerous top seeds fell on Thursday.
Third favourite Rybakina struggled to find her rhythm and fell to a 6-2 6-4 loss against world number 42 Shelby Rogers.
The American will face Kirsten Flipkens in the quarter-finals in the Netherlands after she eased past Ann Li in straight sets.
Aryna Sabalenka, the favourite at the tournament, had little difficulty in negotiating past Arianne Hartono 6-2 6-3 and she will meet Alison van Uytvanck in the next round.
The Belgian picked up the scalp of compatriot Elise Mertens, the eighth seed, with a 6-2 6-3 win over the world number 29.
Fourth seed Zidansek was another to fall as she suffered a 6-1 6-1 loss to Catherine McNally, while Veronika Kudermetova profited from Anna Blinkova retiring with the match heading for one set each.
Belinda Bencic, the second favourite, will next challenge Kudermetova after she bucked the trend of the day with a battling 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 win over Anna Kalinskaya.
Seventh seed Ekaterina Alexandrova had no trouble in advancing, meanwhile, as she saw off Anhelina Kalinina 6-4 6-2.
Maria Sakkari found herself 1-0 down against world number 109 Rebecca Marino before rain stopped play at the Nottingham Open, but the top seed responded to claim a 1-6 6-3 6-3 win.
Third seed Camila Giorgi had no such luck against Hannah Dart as she was eliminated 5-7 6-4 7-6 (7-3), while Alison Riske and Ajla Tomljanovic beat Caroline Garcia and Katie Boulter respectively in straight sets.
Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry left no doubt about his status for Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Friday.
"I'm going to play," Curry told reporters on Thursday, a day after injuring his left foot while diving for a loose ball late in a Game 3 loss to the Boston Celtics.
"I don’t feel like I'll miss a game," Curry added.
The Athletic reported on Thursday that Curry will not need an MRI before Game 4.
During a scrum to recover possession in the fourth quarter, Boston big man Al Horford leapt into the fray and landed on Curry's left foot, leaving the two-time MVP hobbled.
Curry remained in the game initially but was removed with 2:19 remaining and Golden State down 14 points.
With the Warriors trailing the series 2-1 and a 48-hour turnaround before Game 4, Curry's status quickly became the focal point.
"I'll be alright," Curry said after Game 3. "I got caught underneath Al. Obviously there'll be some pain, but I'll be alright.
"Figure out how it feels tomorrow and get ready for Friday. [It was] the same thing I did against Boston during the regular season, but not as bad."
Curry is shooting 48.6 percent from three-point range in these Finals and is averaging over 31 points per game, almost double the Warriors' second-leading scorer in the series: Klay Thompson at 17 points per game.
"Curry will be needed if the Warriors are to claim a fourth NBA title in eight years.
"We need him if we want to win this thing," Thompson said of his Splash Brother and team-mate.
Detroit Lions rookie wide receiver Jameson Williams likely will not be cleared to practice when the team begins training camp in July, head coach Dan Campbell told reporters on Thursday.
Williams, the number 12 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, is still recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee the former Alabama All-American suffered in the College Football Playoff national championship game in January.
"I don't see him being ready for training camp, I don't see that," Campbell said following the Lions' mini-camp practice.
"We're going to do this thing the right way, and when he's ready, he'll be ready. But no, I don't feel like you're going to see him out there day one."
The Lions remain optimistic that Williams will be ready for the team's season opener on September 11, although offensive coordinator Ben Johnson recently acknowledged the possibility of scaling back the young speedster's role early on as he gets acclimated.
Johnson told the Detroit Free Press last week Williams' situation differs from that of fellow wide receiver Josh Reynolds, who joined the Lions midway through last season and immediately was installed into the team's receiver rotation.
Reynolds was a veteran player who had a familiarity with quarterback Jared Goff, as the two were team-mates with the Los Angeles Rams for four seasons.
"It's going to be a challenge because you can't really compare it to the Josh Reynolds situation from last year," Johnson said. "We didn't really know him and what he necessarily did best, but at least there was a comfort level between him and the quarterback, and we don't have that [with Williams].
"That's a real struggle for us. [The aim] is to get him back, to get him healthy, and then as many reps as possible with the quarterbacks so that we know exactly where he's going to be, we can anticipate the throw."
ACL injuries typically require eight-to-nine months to completely recover from, which would have Williams at full strength right around the start of the season.
The Lions were not deterred by the injury, as they traded up 20 spots with NFC North rival the Minnesota Vikings to choose Williams with the number 12 pick. The 21-year-old was one of six wide receivers taken in the first 18 selections.
Williams established himself as an elite prospect during his lone season at Alabama, becoming one of college football's most explosive receivers after transferring from Ohio State. His 15 touchdown receptions in 2021 tied for third in the FBS and he led the Crimson Tide with 1,572 receiving yards on 79 catches.
Nine of Williams' 15 touchdown catches were from 40 or more yards, leading the FBS last season, while his 11 receptions of 40 or more yards tied for second among major college players.
"He's a special talent," Goff said. "I know they're going to make sure he's as healthy as possible, but selfishly, I want him back as soon as possible."
LeBron James intends to own a potential NBA expansion team in Las Vegas, he says.
Expansion in the coming seasons from 30 teams to 32 has been rumoured, with a return to Seattle and move to Vegas seemingly most likely.
And four-time MVP James hopes to have a role in any Vegas outfit.
"I want to own a team," he told The Shop in an episode set to air on Friday. "I want to buy a team, for sure.
"I would much rather own a team before I talk. I want a team in Vegas."
The Los Angeles Lakers superstar shared the clip with the caption: "Speaking it into existence!"
James would be following in the footsteps of fellow great Michael Jordan, who runs the Charlotte Hornets.
Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas have supported the PGA Tour's decision to suspend all players competing in the LIV Golf Invitational Series.
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan sent a memo to all members on Thursday confirming the news, shortly after LIV Golf's first event had launched at Centurion Club near London.
All 17 Tour members competing in the first Saudi-backed tournament of the breakaway series, including six-time major winner Phil Mickelson, were informed they are no longer eligible to play in events on the circuit.
The memo warned that any player featuring in future LIV events will face a similar punishment.
McIlroy said on Wednesday he understands why some have made the switch due to the huge sums of money on offer, but the Northern Irishman is pleased with the decision to block players from competing on both circuits.
"I think at this point, Jay [Monahan] has been pretty transparent in terms of he's just going to act within the tournament regulations and the rules that are set for a PGA Tour member," McIlroy said.
"All he's doing is basically going by the book. I think that the majority of the membership that are here this week and that haven't gone and played elsewhere really appreciate that.
"So, I think he's done the right thing because these guys have broken rules and done things outside of the tournament regulations, and because of that, there are going to be consequences, I guess."
McIlroy was speaking after carding an opening-round 66 at the RBC Canadian Open on Thursday, with Thomas three shots further back.
While the four-time major winner is against the idea of the breakaway series, he will be tuning in out of curiosity.
"I think like everyone else, I'm intrigued and I'm a fan of golf," McIlroy said. "I've got quite a few guys over there that I call friends that are playing.
"Yeah, of course I'll see it and watch it and see what all the fuss is about."
Mickelson is the highest-profile casualty of Thursday's announcement, with Dustin Johnson and Sergio Garcia having already notified the Tour that they have resigned their membership.
Louis Oosthuizen, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter are among the other notable names featuring at the three-day LIV Golf Invitational London event that will have 12 teams and 48 players.
Echoing the comments made by McIlroy, Thomas said: "I'm pleased. I think anybody that's shocked clearly hasn't been listening to the message that Jay and everybody's been putting out. They took that risk going into it, whether they thought it was a risk or not.
"Like I've said the whole time, I have great belief and great confidence in the PGA Tour and where we're going and continuing to grow to, and those guys just aren't going to be a part of it.
"[LIV Golf] are obviously throwing so much money at people that it's very hard to turn down. I don't care what you say in terms of that people play for different reasons. It doesn't matter who you are or what it is, everything has a number.
"They're reaching that number for some people, and I hope that they don't get others. But I think a very strong core group of us is very stable and firm in our position, and I hope that it stays that way."
Less than three weeks after Tom Brady announced he was unretiring and returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in mid-March, coach Bruce Arians decided to retire.
Despite the timing of Arians' decision to step away, Brady denies having any problems with his former boss.
"Zero whatsoever," Brady said of Arians on Thursday. "He and I have a great relationship. Part of the reason I chose here was because of Bruce.
"I have great respect for him. He knows how I feel about him – that's the most important thing. And I know how he feels about me."
Brady and Arians won the Super Bowl in their first season together with Tampa Bay in 2020.
Shortly after the 69-year-old coach announced his decision to retire on March 30, future Hall of Fame quarterback Brady took to Instagram to say Arians was a major reason he decided to join the Bucs and that he'll be "forever grateful".
Todd Bowles is taking over from Arians as Brady is returning for his third season with Tampa Bay and 23rd in pro football after leading the league with a career-high 5,316 passing yards in 2021, while also ranking first in passing touchdowns with 43.
The soon-to-be 45-year-old led the Buccaneers to a 13-4 regular-season record and NFC South crown last year, but their season ended with a 27-20 loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Brady's long-time companion, Rob Gronkowski, was targeted 11 times in the loss to the Rams, but it's uncertain if he'll be suiting up again this season.
Though many expected Gronkowski to announce he would return after Brady unretired, the 33-year-old tight end has not revealed any decision, and Brady, who has already lured Gronkowski out of retirement once, said he is unaware of his plans.
"I think it's just obviously totally up to him," Brady said. "We'd all love to play with him, but he's got to make the best decision for himself, and he knows that.
"Anyone who cares about him knows that he's doing what's right for him, which is trying to figure it out. We don't have training camp for about six weeks, so whatever he's got to do to figure it out.
"We'll be hopeful if he does, and if he doesn't, then we still gotta go out there and figure out what to do."
The oft-injured Gronkowski is a free agent so does not have to return to the Bucs, though he has implied that if he does play, it will be with Brady.
Brady was reportedly courted by the Miami Dolphins in the last few months while still under contract with Tampa Bay, and he did not refute the rumours that they wanted him as their quarterback or in a front office role.
"I had a lot of conversations with a lot of people," Brady said. "I've had for the last three or four years of my career about different opportunities when I'm done playing football so, I kind of made a decision of what I'd like to do, and I'll get to be in the game of football.
"I think for me, the most important thing is where I'm at now and what I hope to do for this team. That's been my commitment to this team and this organisation.
"It's been so much fun for me to come here two years ago. It's been almost two and a half now and it's been an incredible part of my football journey. And it's not over."
Phil Mickelson made a solid return to golf at the controversial LIV Golf Invitational London, shooting a one-under first round to sit four back.
Mickelson was playing alongside Dustin Johnson – the breakaway league's other superstar – at the Centurion Club.
Both men were included on a list of players suspended by the PGA Tour shortly after teeing off, with the two captains – Mickelson for Hy Flyers and Johnson for 4 Aces – starting at the first.
"I'm excited, fresh, ready," said Mickelson, who had been absent from the golfing scene since his comments about Saudi Arabia were publicised and widely criticised.
Martin Kaymer carded the first LIV Golf birdie following the shotgun start, while Mickelson showed some good form off the tee but was a little rusty with the putter.
Both he and Johnson, who made a slow start, recovered to move within four of the individual lead, although Stinger were dominating the team event.
Team-mates Charl Schwartzel (five under) and Hennie Du Plessis (four under) were first and second, with Branden Grace (two under) in a tie for fifth.
Daniil Medvedev started his grass-court season with victory over Gilles Simon in the Rosmalen Grass Court Championships, while Hubert Hurkacz and Denis Shapovalov suffered shock defeats in Stuttgart.
Medvedev will replace Novak Djokovic at the top of the rankings next Monday and the Russian could celebrate by claiming a first title of the year in ‘s-Hertogenbosch.
The top seed, who will not compete at Wimbledon due to a ban on Russian and Belarusian players, beat Frenchman Simon 7-5 6-4 on Thursday after saving three set points and storming back from 5-2 down in the opener, setting up a quarter-final against lya Ivashka.
Felix Auger-Aliassime, the second seed, defeated Tallon Griekspoor 7-6 (7-2) 7-6 (7-5), but third seed Taylor Fritz was beaten by wildcard Tim van Rijthoven in straight sets.
Alex de Minaur and Jenson Brooksby also made early exits, losing to French duo Adrian Mannarino and Hugo Gaston respectively.
Marton Fucsovics claimed the scalp of third seed Hurkacz to reach the last 16 at the Stuttgart Open, winning 7-5 6-7 (7-) 6-3
Shapovalov also lost his opening of the grass-court season, Oscar Otte getting the better of the fourth seed 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (7-4)
There was no such trouble for top seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, who beat Dominic Stricker 6-3 6-4, and Andy Murray accounted for seventh seed Alexander Bublik in straight sets.
The Pittsburgh Steelers may have found their long-term answer at quarterback in this year's draft, but the future may not be now just yet for rookie Kenny Pickett.
Mitch Trubisky has taken the majority of reps with the first-team offense during the Steelers' offseason training activities and the mandatory mini-camp that began Tuesday, and the five-year veteran told reporters he is operating with the mindset he will be the starting quarterback when Pittsburgh open the season at the defending AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals on September 11.
"I'm preparing to be the starter," Trubisky said. "I feel like no matter what position you're in, you should prepare [that way].
"I wouldn't read too much into [the first-team snaps], but I'm getting a lot of good reps and I'm feeling really comfortable in the offense.
"I like where we're at right now and I feel very confident."
With 50 career starts under his belt, Trubisky is the most experienced of the three quarterbacks vying to be the successor to the now retired Ben Roethlisberger, a group that includes Pickett – the former University of Pittsburgh standout taken with the 20th overall pick – and holdover Mason Rudolph.
And with the Steelers having no immediate plans to rebuild following a second consecutive playoff appearance in 2021, the 27-year-old seems to have the inside track at opening the post-Roethlisberger era under center.
The opportunity to start again played a large role in Trubisky's decision to join the Steelers on a two-year, $14million contract in March.
He went 29-21 over four seasons with the Chicago Bears from 2017 to 2020 and helped the team to two playoff appearances during that period, but he did not have his fifth-year option picked up and spent last season as a backup to Josh Allen with the Buffalo Bills.
Trubisky said the transition to a new offense and new team-mates has so far gone smoothly.
"I thought we've gotten better every day," he said. "I feel like I'm throwing the ball really well. We've put a lot in and I think the guys have handled it well. We're executing at a pretty high level right now."
While Trubisky saw Pittsburgh as a spot to potentially reestablish himself as a viable NFL starter, the Steelers are hoping the 2017 number two overall pick's arm strength is a good fit for an offense that often struggled generating big passing plays with the ageing Roethlisberger.
Pittsburgh's 6.05 yards per pass attempt in 2021 ranked 30th in the league, trailing only the also-ran Carolina Panthers and the New York Giants.
"He's been one of the quarterbacks to release it, for sure," rookie wide receiver George Pickens said. "Yeah, he's been launching it."
Bryson DeChambeau will be the next superstar to sign up to the LIV Golf Invitational Series, his agent has confirmed.
Brett Falkoff confirmed DeChambeau's involvement on a rollercoaster first day for LIV Golf, which launched with the first round of its first event in London on Thursday.
Reports had revealed DeChambeau and Patrick Reed would be joining the controversial breakaway league.
There was still no announcement from LIV Golf, but Falkoff said in a statement reported by GolfChannel.com: "Bryson has always been an innovator.
"Having the opportunity to get in on the ground floor of something unique has always been intriguing to him. Professional golf as we know it is changing and it's happening quickly."
DeChambeau does not intend to resign from the PGA Tour, the same website reported, although he may have no choice in the matter.
The Tour suspended all players involved in the LIV Golf Invitational London, including the returning Phil Mickelson.
During Thursday's first round, LIV Golf responded in a statement, saying: "Today's announcement by the PGA Tour is vindictive and it deeps the divide between the Tour and its members.
"It's troubling that the Tour, an organisation dedicated to creating opportunities for golfers to play the game, is the entity blocking golfers from playing.
"This certainly is not the last word on this topic.
"The era of free agency is beginning as we are proud to have a full field of players joining us in London, and beyond."
Sebastian Vettel has questioned how much Lewis Hamilton is enjoying racing amid his struggles in the 2022 Formula One season.
Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, and Mercedes have battled issues with the new design of their car during the early throes of the campaign.
The 37-year-old has just 50 points to his name in the drivers' standings, and sits 75 behind leader and defending champion Max Verstappen heading into the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Hamilton has just one podium finish this campaign, a third-place finish at the Bahrain Grand Prix opener, from seven races as Mercedes have failed to keep the pace with Red Bull and Ferrari.
Aston Martin driver Vettel pondered whether Hamilton is still getting the same joy he previously did.
"He had a package where he was able to win," four-time world champion Vettel said. "Obviously, it's been a little different for myself the last few years, but that's how it goes sometimes.
"You still try to make the most of it, but for sure, in terms of how much you enjoy it, when you get used to winning there is no feeling that can replace that.
"But having said that you have to work together as a team to try and get back up."
Mercedes have repeatedly struggled with 'porpoising' – bouncing at high speed – and not racing at the optimum height with their W13 car.
That has left them in the wake of a dominant season so far for Red Bull and Ferrari, and Vettel acknowledged the difficulties as he suggested Aston Martin are having problems of their own.
"I don't think Mercedes pulled back voluntarily; I think they are obviously having difficulties extracting the most from their car just like many other people have," he added.
"But others that have got it together more so the balance has shifted a little bit. But for us that’s not what is most important, the most important is about looking at ourselves where we are.
"And as I said at the moment, we are not happy with where we are, we would like to be further up but there’s a lot of work going into the project and hopefully we will see some better results soon."
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The PGA Tour has suspended the 17 members who are playing in the first event of the controversial LIV Golf Invitational Series.
The news was confirmed in a memo signed by Tour commissioner Jay Monahan on Thursday.
Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Sergio Garcia are among the players to have been suspended, though the latter two are among those who have notified the Tour of that they have resigned their membership.
Louis Oosthuizen, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter are also among the other notable names featuring at the three-day event that will have 12 teams and 48 players
Graeme McDowell, Kevin Na, Charl Schwartzel, Hudson Swafford, Talor Gooch, Branden Grace, Matt Jones, Andy Ogletree, Peter Uihlein and Turk Pettit are the others included in the memo.
Monahan confirmed the decision to prohibit those players from playing on all features of the PGA Tour, including the Korn Ferry Tour, PGA Tour Champions, PGA Tour Canada and PGA Tour Latinoamerica.
The breakaway golfers will also be removed from the FedEx Cup rankings following this week's RBC Canadian Open and will not be eligible for the FedEx Cup or Presidents Cup.
"These players have made their choice for their own financial-based reasons. But they can't demand the same PGA Tour membership benefits, considerations, opportunities and platforms as you," the memo read.
"That expectation disrespects you, our fans and our partners."
Garcia, Westwood and Johnson were among 10 players to resign from the Tour to pursue their LIV Golf interests, but Monahan added they will not be granted sponsor exemptions to play in tournaments as non-members.
Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed have been widely reported to have signed up to the lucrative series, though neither are playing this weekend.
Monahan said any players who do take part in future LIV events will face the same consequences.
The decision comes amid the widespread backlash against the controversial, Saudi Arabia-backed breakaway, with many accusing the event of sportswashing.
Greg Norman, a two-time Open champion and LIV Golf's CEO, suggested Saudi Arabia is "making a cultural change".
Mickelson found himself at the centre of the controversy last year when admitting to being aware of Saudi Arabia's human-rights record but signed up to LIV Golf anyway because "this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape how the PGA Tour operates".
On the eve of the first tournament, Mickelson received a grilling from the media, and he told reporters: "I don't condone human rights violations, I don't know how I can be any more clear.
"I understand your question but again I love this game of golf, I've seen the good it's done and I see the opportunity for LIV Golf to do a lot of good for the game over the world and I'm excited to be a part of this opportunity."
World number 17 Johnson is the highest-ranked player on the current LIV Golf list and acknowledged he did not initially know the repercussions of his decision, but said he had chosen "what's best for me and my family".
The PGA Tour has suspended the 17 members who are playing in the first event of the controversial LIV Golf Invitational Series.
The news was confirmed in a memo signed by Tour commissioner Jay Monahan on Thursday.
Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Sergio Garcia are among the players to have been suspended, though the latter two are among those who have notified the Tour of that they have resigned their membership.
Stephen Curry is confident he will not miss any of the remainder of the NBA Finals despite hurting his foot in the Golden State Warriors' Game 3 defeat to the Boston Celtics.
The Warriors went down 116-100 at TD Gardens to slip to a 2-1 deficit, with Curry scoring a game-high 31 points despite the losing effort.
What was of even bigger concern to the Warriors was the sight of Curry's leg getting caught under the huge frame of Al Horford when jostling for a loose ball deep into the fourth quarter.
Curry was down for a considerable amount of time and when he did manage to get back to his feet he was noticeably limping and did not return for the remaining minutes.
Speaking about the injury after the game, Curry told reporters: "I'll be all right. I got caught. Obviously I'm in some pain, but I'll be all right. I'll see how it feels tomorrow and get ready for Friday.
"That's [a foot strain] what it felt like, and we'll see how it responds. Not much else to say. I don't feel like I'll miss a game. I'll take advantage of these next 48 hours to get ready."
Curry likened the injury to the one he sustained against the Celtics back in March during a similar scenario coming up against Marcus Smart.
The Warriors' talisman, however, does not believe it is as severe as the issue that caused him to miss the final month of the regular season.
"[Horford is] a big body, obviously," Curry added. "I haven't seen the play, so I don't know if it could have been avoided or not.
"I was in that situation with Marcus back in the Bay, and you just want to get your foot out of there. That's all I was trying to do at that point, knowing the position I was in.
"Like I said, for what I feel like, it's not as bad. So hopefully it responds well over the next two days."
Head coach Steve Kerr said of Curry: "I didn't say that [there was no concern].
"The injury didn't force him out of the game, but I took him out down 14 with two minutes left because we weren't going to catch up.
"We will know more tomorrow."
It was a night to forget for Draymond Green, who contributed just two points and struggled defensively leading him to admit afterwards: "I was s***."
Kerr was somewhat more diplomatic, adding: "He had a tough game, but I trust Draymond as much as I trust anybody.
"You know, he always bounces back from losses and from tough nights individually. He'll be back on Friday."
A hostile home crowd jeered Green with chants of "f*** you Draymond", with Kerr adding sarcastically: "Classy. Very classy."
Green was asked if his struggles could have anything to do with the post-game recaps he has been supplying on his podcast.
He replied tersely, saying: "No. I don't see much difference on the podcast than I say to you right here, so nah. What's the X's and O's that I said on the podcast?
"If that's X's and O's, you're reaching for something. It's all good, though, keep going.
"The only thing, you find that they are taking X's and O's away from your podcast? Well, the only thing you said is [Derrick] White, Smart and Horford. Hmm.
"You went for it. Appreciate the podcast promo you just gave me, though. The Draymond Green Show. Next time just mention it that way."
Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart highlighted how the bumpy journey to this point is what makes his team so unified, after they produced a near-perfect defensive fourth quarter to defeat the Golden State Warriors 116-110 in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
The win gives the Celtics a 2-1 series lead, with a chance to go up 3-1 by holding serve at home in Game 4.
In the process, the Celtics core of Smart, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown became the first trio since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and Michael Cooper in 1984 to all have at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists in a Finals game.
The Celtics needed to get up off the canvas after a trademark Golden State Warriors third-quarter run saw them claw back from a 12-point half-time deficit to take an 83-82 lead with just under four minutes remaining in the third.
In response, the Celtics held the Warriors to just 11 points in the fourth quarter, completely shutting down one of the most dynamic offenses in league history to lock up the win at home.
Smart, who has been criticised for trying to be too involved in the Celtics offense while neglecting his point guard duties, credited his star team-mates for helping him believe in his own scoring ability.
"The 'Jays' – Jayson and Jaylen – have done a really good job of encouraging me to be aggressive on the offensive end," he said. "And really understanding that for me, in this team, I have to be aggressive to help us win."
Smart's relationship with the 'Jays' goes deeper than basketball, and he said it took some growing up, as well as some tough conversations for the trio to become who they are today.
"First off, this is a family here," he said. "I grew up with the Jays.
"I've been playing five years with Jaylen, four years with Jayson. When my mom passed… they all came down to the funeral, so we've already had that bond.
"Early on in the season for us, it's just like it is with your siblings.
"You get into it, you squabble, you're mad at each other – and then the next day you're laughing, talking, hugging… giving each other their roses, and that's what this team is.
"It started off shaky for us, but that right there is what helped us get to where we are now. We had to go through the storm to see the rainbow at the end of it.
"For me, I had to look myself in the mirror. Along with my team-mates, we had to have a heart-to-heart, we had to sit down and have that hard talk, and understand that what we're saying is to help each other.
"It's nothing bad, it's nothing personal, it's to help us get to where we want to be. It's crazy, we're here, and nobody thought we would be here… but we stayed with it, and that's why I'm proud of this team, and it's what makes us who we are."
The Celtics have done plenty of soul-searching this season, and it was the case again after a demoralising Game 2 loss, but Smart said he was determined to not let the Warriors "bully" his side.
"We pride ourselves on being a physical team, and for us, [Game 2] left a bad taste in your mouth," he said.
"Coming out of Game 2, hearing and knowing that we got beat up. It's just like anybody else, if you're in a fight with a bully or anything, you've got to keep going, you've got to stand up."
When asked if he feels like the Celtics are in a fight with a bully, Smart replied: "We definitely are, we got the Golden State Warriors, who have done this before, multiple times, and they understand what it's like to be here.
"We're that little guy that is new to the school, and they want to see exactly what you've got. They came out and punched us in our mouth in Game 2, and we responded.
"We watched the film – and that was a nasty film session for us. It was ugly, we had to sit there and watch the whole film.
"You have to look yourself in the mirror and get it together. Coming out today it was not a matter of 'are we going to be physical' – it was 'how physical are we going to be'."
The Philadelphia Phillies put on a show against the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday, dominating with bat and ball to run away with a 10-0 win.
Philadelphia's stars were shining bright, with ace pitcher Aaron Nola on the mound, and MVP candidate Bryce Harper got in on the fun late.
Nola never gave the Brewers a chance to get into the game, pitching eight shutout innings, conceding just four hits and no walks to go with six strikeouts.
On the other side, Milwaukee's Adrian Houser had a tougher outing, with a pair of two-run homers in the third inning to Bryson Stott and Rhys Hoskins blowing the game open.
A solo home run to Odubel Herrera made it 5-0 in the fifth inning, before Kyle Schwarber collected two RBI doubles – one in the seventh frame and one in the ninth – to extend the lead to 7-0.
With the game well in hand, Harper stepped up to the plate with two outs in the final inning and put a bow on the contest, blasting the biggest hit of the game with his 413-foot, three-run home run.
Marlins ace Alcantara amazes
Miami Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara was the star in his side's 2-1 extra innings win at home against the Washington Nationals, pitching nine scoreless frames.
It was not just Alcantara pitching at the top of his game, as neither team was able to score a single run in the nine innings of regulation play, with Nationals starter Josiah Gray striking out six in his five innings of shutout work.
While the Nationals used four pitchers to make it through the nine innings, the Marlins needed only Alcantara, who gave up six hits and no walks before finishing his ninth inning in 105 pitches.
Washington finally broke the deadlock with an RBI single to Keibert Ruiz, but Willians Astudillo and Jesus Aguilar strung hits together in the bottom of the 10th to drive in the winning run.
Angels fall to record-breaking low
The Los Angeles Angels lost their franchise-record 14th consecutive game as they failed to score a single run in a 1-0 loss at home against the Boston Red Sox.
Red Sox starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi was terrific, giving up six hits and no walks in his five scoreless innings, and the bullpen was just as impressive, combining to hold the Angels to just one hit and no walks in the final four frames.
Reid Detmers was strong on the mound for the Angels, giving up no runs in his four-and-a-third innings, but a Bobby Dalbec RBI double in the sixth frame would prove to be enough to deliver a Boston win.
The Boston Celtics have taken a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals after defeating the Golden State Warriors 116-100 in Game 3.
In front of their raucous home fans, the Celtics started red-hot on the offensive end, highlighted by Jaylen Brown's 17 points in the first quarter to carry his side to a 33-22 lead at the quarter-time.
Boston's offense did not slow down in the second quarter, either, putting up another 35 points, but the Warriors were able to put up 34 themselves to stay within touching distance, down 68-56 at half-time.
Brown led the way with 22 points, seven rebounds and three assists in the first half – nearly matching his regular season averages of 23.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists.
For the Warriors, Klay Thompson had 15 points, Stephen Curry had 14, and Andrew Wiggins had 13, while the rest of the team combined for 12.
As has been a theme with the Warriors, they exploded once again in the third quarter, winning the frame 33-25 as Curry scored another 15 points in an eight-minute stretch.
The Warriors took the lead 83-82 with Curry's 15th point of the quarter, before the Celtics settled and fought back to take a 93-89 margin into the final break.
This Celtics team will be remembered as one of the finest defensive units of the modern era, and they relied on that end of the floor to pull out the win, holding the Warriors to just 11 points in the fourth quarter, while Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with eight down the stretch.
After setting a career-high of 13 assists in Game 1 of the Finals, Tatum showed it was no fluke, dishing another nine assists to go with his 26 points (nine-of-23 shooting).
Brown cooled off late to finish on 27 points (nine-of-16 shooting) with nine rebounds and five assists, while Marcus Smart put up similar numbers, scoring 24 points (eight-of-17 shooting) with seven rebounds and five assists.
The game-changer for the Celtics, however, was Robert Williams III. The injury-plagued center showed exactly why he received Defensive Player of the Year votes and NBA All-Defensive Second Team honours, finishing with four blocks and three steals to go with his eight points and 10 rebounds. Williams also finished with a game-high plus/minus of plus 21.
For the Warriors, Curry was terrific, scoring an efficient 31 points on 12-of-22 shooting, hitting six-of-11 from long range, while Thompson had his best game of the Finals with 25 points on seven-of-17 shooting.
Public enemy number one in Boston was Draymond Green, and the crowd gave him a fitting send-off when he fouled out in the fourth quarter with just two points, four rebounds and three assists in his 35 minutes.
England manager Gareth Southgate highlighted the pressures that come with such a high-profile role, and implied there will be some changes to the starting-11 in the next couple of Nations League games.
The Three Lions are coming off a 1-1 draw away against Germany, and will now prepare for fixtures against Italy on Saturday, and Hungary on Tuesday.
Harry Kane netted his 50th international goal in that last fixture, and while he is clearly the first-choice striker, the rest of the team is relatively unsettled.
England is currently sitting last in the Nations League's League A Group 3, and Southgate insisted there will be some experimentation as they try to find their optimal starting group ahead of the World Cup.
"You have seen right across Europe – France changed 10, Spain changed eight, Portugal changed seven," he said.
"This is quite a unique set of games where teams are thinking about player welfare to a degree, freshness, but also they are preparing for a World Cup, because they know what’s coming and what they haven’t got in terms of friendlies ahead of the tournament.
“Harry [Kane] is… a phenomenal professional, the way he looks after himself. I’m not saying he’s going to get his desire to start all four games, by the way, because there’s also Tammy [Abraham] that we want to see perform as well."
Southgate went on to discuss how demanding of a role he has, and that it feels like "you have got to win every match".
"I know what I wanted from these games," he said. "I also accept that with England, you’re going to be judged, and you have got to win every match.
"But I’ve got to think a little bit differently to that and accept that if there is criticism, fine.
"I have got to make the right decisions for the players, for the team, to try to improve the team and if that means criticism, then so be it.
"If my decision-making is affected by that, then it’s something I am not going to be successful with."
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