Draymond Green dismissed the necessity to rebuild trust within the Golden State Warriors following his altercation last week with team-mate Jordan Poole.
Green returned to practice on Thursday and will play in the Warriors' preseason game against the Denver Nuggets on Friday after stepping away following last Wednesday's incident where he punched Poole.
Team-mate Kevon Looney has spoken about Green needing to regain the group's trust, while head coach Steve Kerr has danced around the subject publicly, but the Warriors power forward was dismissive on Thursday.
"Everyone says, build trust as a team," Green said. "I don't really quite understand what's trust? Is it trust that you're going to make the right play?
"I always make the right play to be the best of my ability, so what is that? We do have to make sure we're together, make sure we're doing the necessary things that it takes to win a championship and have everyone's back.
"I think there's so many different things when I hear the word trust, that I'm not always certain that that is the most fitting word for what people are trying to say.
"I think it always sounds good. Everyone kind of has this idea of what that means. But yet what does that truly mean?"
Green insisted that he and Poole would be professional enough to maintain a working relationship at the Warriors this season.
"Jordan is a professional, and I'm a professional," Green said. "We have a job to do. We both have experienced a lot of winning over the course of our lives and we know what that takes, and so we want to do just that. What it takes to win. And I think that's the most important thing."
Four-time NBA champion Green was in a combative mood, adding that he did not care about how people perceived him.
And Green, 32, spoke about his desire to win another NBA title this season with the defending champions.
"I'm going to prove a lot of people wrong this year," Green said. "I've been proving people wrong my whole life, so there's some added motivation.
"Not quite proving people wrong because the same people that are talking now are the same people who have been talking forever, and they've been wrong the entire time.
"They just give new hot takes about how, 'You can't do it this time', but never acknowledge the million times that they said I couldn't do it and were wrong. I'm not quite motivated by those people.
"But there are definitely some motivations that have been sparked by some people and I'm going to use that, and I'm going to do exactly what I do when I’m motivated. In a major way."
Green was a key part of Golden State's title-winning 2021-22 side, averaging 7.3 rebounds, 1.1 blocks and 7.0 assists per game and having a big impact defensively.
The Warriors are due to open their 2022-23 NBA campaign on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Chase Center.
Five years on from its last iteration - and a year after it was originally set to take place - the 2021 Rugby League World Cup kicks off this weekend when England face Samoa at St James' Park in Newcastle.
Shaun Wane's hosts will be one of 16 sides jockeying to be crowned the best national team on the planet, alongside holders Australia, world number one New Zealand and a host of other countries.
Set to run for just over a month, through to the final at Old Trafford on November 19, there are already plenty of narratives for what is shaping up to be one of the most enthralling tournaments the sport has ever seen.
With that in mind, Stats Perform is here to run down who will be gunning for the prize, who is likely to fall by the wayside - and who just might capture hearts and minds along the way.
The usual suspects
There have only been three nations who have ever laid their hands on the Paul Barriere Trophy - and you can expect the two of them in the competition this year to be in the mix once again.
Australia have won this tournament a record 11 times, and despite a dearth of international rugby for Mal Meninga's side since they last hoisted it aloft, the Kangaroos firmly remain the side to beat.
In Michael Maguire's New Zealand, they will likely face a familiar foe before the final.
Australia and New Zealand have been drawn in Group B and C respectively, meaning there is no path for them to meet in the showpiece game, despite being the two most highly fancied teams with the bookmakers coming into the tournament.
The Kiwis soundly underperformed in 2017, knocked out in the quarter-finals; here, they'll be desperate to make amends.
Fifty years of hurt
England have never won the Rugby League World Cup - or rather, as a solo nation, having been part of the Great Britain side that last won the Paul Barriere Trophy in 1972.
Preparations have been less than ideal for the hosts too, with a host of key faces - including Super League Grand Final-winning St Helens trio Jonny Lomax, Mark Percival and Alex Walmsley, plus Wigan Warriors back-rower Liam Farrell - all struck off from consideration through injury.
But that has opened the door for a slew of surprises, with Salford duo Marc Sneyd and Andy Ackers handed maiden call-ups alongside Australian-born loose-forward Victor Radley.
Throw in NRL young guns Dom Young and Herbie Farnworth, and there's plenty to be excited for. Could they upset the odds and end a half-century wait for glory on home turf?
The upstart crowd
Last time a World Cup took place, Samoa endured a dismal tournament, with a draw against a gutsy Scotland side their only positive mark of the competition.
Now, it is a different story - Matt Parish's side are stuffed to the gills with NRL superstars, including six of Penrith Panthers' Grand Final-winning squad.
They'll hope to follow in the footsteps of Tonga, who caused a shock five years ago with a remarkable run to the final four, where they then ran England close.
Both teams have taken maximum advantage of rugby league's chop-and-change eligibility rules, and are now credible dark horse contenders.
Perennial semi-finalists, Fiji - who knocked out New Zealand last time around - look as if they will be considerably off the pace of their Pacific rivals, but the Bati's roaring spirit means they are unlikely to go down without a fight.
Throw in Papua New Guinea and the Cook Islands, and the Southern Hemisphere will have plenty to boast about.
The rest of the pack
It won't be a lock-out from below the equator if England and the other nations in the tournament have their say.
Wales - coached by the eternal John Kear - Scotland and Ireland ensure a Home Nations lockout for the United Kingdom, while France and Italy bring continental flavour from Europe.
Lebanon, meanwhile, are led by a familiar face from across the rugby code divide - ex-Wallabies supremo Michael Cheika, who will juggle this tournament with his role in charge of the Argentina union national team.
Then there is the two teams making their World Cup debut - Greece and Jamaica.
The former hail from a nation where rugby league has fought to even be recognised as a sport, while the latter stunned the USA to achieve a tournament bow.
While neither team is expected to make a long run, they are sure to earn their fans over the coming weeks.
Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker compared Yordan Alvarez to Barry Bonds following his latest game-winning heroics in their 4-2 win over the Seattle Mariners in Game 2 of the ALDS on Thursday.
Alvarez blasted a two-run go-ahead homer in the sixth inning at Minute Maid Park, coming after his walk-off blast in Tuesday's 8-7 rally to beat the Mariners.
The slugger's heroics have helped the Astros to a 2-0 lead in the ALDS, having gone four-for-eight with two homers and seven RBIs this series. Alvarez became the first player in postseason history with multiple career go-ahead homers in the sixth inning or later when his team was behind.
Baker, who coached Bonds for a decade at the San Francisco Giants, compared Alvarez to the seven-time National League MVP.
"You don’t go to the bathroom [when he is at bat]," Baker told reporters. "You wait. You hold it until after he hits. It was the same way with Barry Bonds. You don’t talk to anybody. You just pay attention. We've got the same anticipation."
The Mariners understandably opted to walk Alvarez in the eighth inning when trailing 3-2, but that allowed Jordan Pena to shuffle to second base. Alex Bregman proceeded to line to right-field, with Pena adding a fourth run on Mitch Haniger's arm.
"That was some Barry Bonds-type stuff there," Baker added. "I mean, that's the ultimate respect. I've seen that a bunch of times, but not in a long time since Barry Bonds.
"Bregman rises to the occasion, too. That's why I have Bregman hitting behind Yordan, because all you need in that situation is a base hit."
Mariners manager Scott Servais' decision to intentionally walk Alvarez came down to his form in this series.
"Obviously, he has done some damage against us in this series," Servais said. "He's hot right now. You've got to recognize that.
"I think you kind of game plan in how you want to go through their lineup and the guys you want to be careful with."
Thursday's loss marks the second time the Mariners, making their first postseason appearance in 21 years, have let a lead slip in the ALDS.
"You've got to finish it out, no question," Servais said. "It's difficult to do that on the road in the playoffs. You've got to make the pitches, you've got to make the plays. You've got to give the other team credit if they're able to come back."
The Astros have a 6-1 franchise series record when taking a 2-0 lead in the postseason, with their lone loss coming in 1981 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Houston will secure their sixth straight AL Championship Series berth with victory in Seattle in Game 3 on Saturday.
Suspended Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson had another civil lawsuit filed against him, alleging he pressured a woman into oral sex in a massage session in 2020.
The lawsuit is the 26th known filed against Watson, who is currently serving an 11-game NFL-imposed suspension for violating the league's personal conduct policy by committing sexual assault on massage therapists.
Former Houston Texans QB Watson has settled 23 of the lawsuits over the past few months, with one outstanding and one dropped.
The latest lawsuit filed on Thursday evening stated Watson "continually pressured [the plaintiff] into massaging his private area" before he "removed his towel" and "offered to let her 'get on top'." The lawsuit added that the plaintiff refused to have sex with Watson but was pressured into performing oral sex.
The plaintiff has suffered from severe depression and anxiety since the alleged incident, according to the lawsuit.
"My client's experience with Deshaun Watson follows a series of disturbingly similar encounters reported by more than 20 women who have filed suit against the NFL superstar," the woman's lawyer, Anissah Nguyen told ESPN.
"Like so many others, my client spent nearly two years struggling to cope with the shame and trauma from all that he has stolen from her and the daily pain that has become her reality.
"Knowing her story will bring on the hard conversations, criticism and even victim-blaming, the strength and bravery of these other women gave my client the courage to stand up and speak out.
"She seeks justice not only for herself and her own healing, but for the more than 20 women who refused to be shamed into silence, and the victims who have yet to come forward."
The lawsuit comes in the same week that Watson was permitted to re-enter the Browns training facility, having been banned since August 30.
World number one Iga Swiatek commenced her San Diego Open campaign with a hard-fought three-set victory over Chinese lucky loser Zheng Qinwen in rainy conditions on Thursday.
The 2022 French Open and US Open champion triumphed 6-4 4-6 6-1 in two hours and two minutes, bouncing back strongly after losing the second set.
Zheng's power and forehand top spin proved challenging for the Pole, who was solid from the baseline to secure her 11st tour quarter-finals appearance this season.
The Chinese had broken Swiatek to lead 1-0 in the third set, but the top seed responded in trademark style, improving her record in the United States this season to 21-1.
Swiatek will take on eighth seed Coco Gauff in the quarter-finals, with the match-up marking a re-match of this year's French Open final.
Gauff worked her way into the last eight with a 6-4 4-6 6-3 victory over 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu.
The 18-year-old American also had to fight back from a set down in the third set to win in a match that lasted just over two-and-a-half hours.
Third seed Aryna Sabalenka fought back from a lopsided opening set to knock out American Sloane Stephens 1-6 6-3 6-2 in two hours and one minute. The Belarussian will take on Donna Vekic in the next round.
Second seed Paula Badosa eased into the last eight, winning in 53 minutes against American qualifier Louisa Chirico 6-0 6-3. Badosa will face Danielle Collins in the quarter-finals.
Madison Keys triumphed over eighth seed Daria Kasatkina 6-4 6-3 in one hour and 27 minutes to secure a quarter-final date with fourth seed Jessica Pegula.
The Washington Commanders snapped their four-game skid in a dour 12-7 win over the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field with Brian Robinson Jr scoring the decisive touchdown two months after being shot.
Commanders running back Robinson finished with one TD from 17 carries for 60 yards in his career-first start and second game back since being shot in the knee and glute in an attempted carjacking on August 28.
The Bears almost snatched victory with their final drive when QB Justin Fields' fourth-down pass for Darnell Mooney was completed but juggled just short of the goalline. In the previous play, Dante Pettis had dropped a Fields' throw under pressure from Darrick Forrest, although no pass interference was called.
Robinson provided the highlight in a game where no touchdowns were scored in the first half, with Joey Slye's field goal late in the second quarter snapping the scoreless deadlock.
The Bears, who fell to their third straight defeat and a 2-4 record, had taken the lead in the third quarter when Fields found Pettis in the corner. Fields completed 14 of 27 attempts for 190 yards, with one TD pass and one interception, and had 88 running yards on 12 carries.
After Slye added a 28-yard chip-shot field goal, Chicago were undone when rookie Velus Jones Jr fumbled a punt, handing the Commanders position which Robinson capitalized on in two drives.
Slye missed the chance to move the lead to eight points when he missed a 48-yard field-goal attempt inside the final two minutes, but the Bears could not capitalise.
Commanders quarterback Carson Wentz came into the game carrying a bicep injury, managing only 12 of 22 passes for 99 yards with no TDs.
Yordan Alvarez was the hero again for the Houston Astros with a go-ahead two-run homer in a 4-2 win over the Seattle Mariners which opened up a 2-0 ALDS lead on Thursday.
Alvarez, who delivered a walk-off three-run homer in the Astros' 8-7 Game 1 victory, took center stage in the sixth inning with his side down 2-1 with a runner on, when he blasted Luis Castillo deep over left-field.
The Astros slugger, who hit 37 homers in the regular season, became the first player in major league postseason history to hit multiple career go-ahead homers in the sixth inning or later when his team was trailing.
The Mariners opted to walk Alvarez in the eighth inning, shuffling Jeremy Pena to second base, enabling Alex Bregman to pad the lead with an RBL single from reliever Andres Munoz. Pena beat right-fielder Mitch Haniger's arm to home plate on Bregman's shot.
Kyle Tucker had launched a second-inning roof-scraping solo homer to have the Astros up 1-0 early, but Mariners pitcher Luis Castillo gave up little, retiring after seven innings with seven strikeouts, allowing five hits and three runs.
After second baseman Jose Altuve's brilliance in the field with a leaping throw to close the third inning, Seattle claimed the lead with two runs in the fourth, with Carlos Santana driving in Eugenio Suarez who got home when pitcher Framber Valdez threw it away at home plate.
Dylan Moore's first-up line drive to right drove in Mitch Haniger to put the Mariners up 2-1, before Alvarez intervened with his two-run shot in the sixth.
The Astros issued seven walks but still won, with Ryan Pressly striking out Ty France for the save. Starting pitcher Valdez had six K's in five-and-two-third innings, allowing four hits.
The Mariners will host their first postseason game in 21 years when the series resumes on Saturday, although they will be facing elimination.
Yankees-Guardians postponed
MLB confirmed that Game 2 of the New York Yankees-Cleveland Guardians' ALDS would be postponed due to the forecast of sustained inclement weather.
The game will instead be played at Yankee Stadium on Friday, with the hosts looking to open up a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series. Game 3 remains scheduled for Saturday in Cleveland.
Andy Murray overturned a first-set deficit to defeat Pedro Cachin gripping 2-6 7-5 7-6 (7-3) and book his spot in the quarter-finals of the Gijon Open.
The three-time grand slam champion lost a 56-minute opening set but showing his trademark doggedness to defeat his Argentine opponent and earn a fourth Tour-level last-eight berth of the season.
It sets the Briton up with a last-eight encounter against Sebastian Korda after the unseeded American delivered the upset of the day to knock out third seed and home favourite Roberto Bautista Agut in a 5-7 6-4 6-4 triumph.
Elsewhere, first seed Andrey Rublev saw off a fightback from Ilya Ivashka to also book his place in the quarter-finals, with his reward a tie against Tommy Paul.
At the Firenze Open, top seed Felix Auger-Aliassime saw off a second set scare from Germany's Oscar Otte, with the Canadian ultimately triumphing 6-4 6-7 (2-7) 6-2.
He will meet eighth seed Brandon Nakashima, who ran out comfortably in straight sets against Altug Celikbilek with a 6-3 6-4 win.
Third seed Lorenzo Musetti also made smooth work on his own turf, with a 6-3 6-0 demolition job against Bernabe Zapata Miralles, to set up an encounter in the last eight with Mackenzie McDonald.
Number two seed Anhelina Kalinina cruised through to the last eight of the Transylvania Open on Thursday thanks to a straight sets victory over Ysaline Bonaventure.
The Ukrainian barely had to break sweat on her way to a 6-3 6-2 triumph to set up a quarter-final meeting with Anna Blinkova, who beat Xinyu Wang 6-4 2-6 6-1.
Fourth seed Anastasia Potapova had an equally comfortable time in her last-16 match against Viktorija Golubic in Cluj, strolling to a 6-2 6-3 win.
Xiyu Wang, seeded seventh, had a tougher time in her meeting with Elena-Gabriela Ruse, the Chinese player ultimately overcoming her Romanian opponent 6-1 6-7 (8-10) 7-6 (8-6).
In Thursday's other match, Nuria Parrizas Diaz beat Dalma Galfi 6-1 6-4.
Phil Mickelson says he has on the "winning side" with LIV Golf and believes the PGA Tour is "trending downwards."
Mickelson defected from the PGA Tour to join the Saudi-backed breakaway series on a hugely lucrative contract in June.
Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau are among the other high-profile players who turned their back on the PGA Tour to sign up for LIV Golf.
As he prepares to tee off in Jeddah on Friday, six-time major winner Mickelson is in no doubt he made the right decision.
He said: "Golf is very lucky to have the PIF [Public Investment Fund, the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia] invest in the game… being influxed with billions of dollars.
"Now the US and the UK are not favourable to this, but everywhere else in the world, LIV Golf is loved. It is very negatively viewed currently [in the US and UK], but that has been changing and evolving already and in a few years LIV will be not only accepted but appreciated, because of the involvement and the influx of capital and what it is doing."
He added: "I've spoken with people who have had dealings that have not been positive with the [PGA] Tour and have had nothing but positive experiences with LIV.
"For a long, long time, my 30 years on the PGA Tour, pretty much all the best players played on the PGA Tour. That will never be the case again.
"I think going forward you have to pick the side you think is going to be successful. And I firmly believe that I'm on the winning side of how things are going to evolve and shape in the coming years for professional golf.
"I see LIV Golf trending upwards, I see the PGA Tour trending downwards. And I love the side that I'm on."
Sergio Garcia admits it was "a hard decision" to eschew next year's Ryder Cup, stating he does not feel as if he would be "very welcome" amid the bitter PGA Tour-LIV Golf Invitational Series split.
The Spaniard, a six-time tournament winner, will not represent Team Europe next year at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Italy after failing to enter his name by last Friday's deadline.
While Team USA-eligible defectors are barred from inclusion following PGA Tour membership suspension, no call has been made on their opponents.
But even if he was to get a sponsor's invite, Garcia says he will not feature next year, acknowledging he is sad to feel ostracised amid the fallout of his defection to the Saudi-backed tour.
"It was a hard decision," he said. "But unfortunately, it doesn't feel like I'm very welcome there, so I don't want to be a bother to anyone.
"I've always said I love the Ryder Cup too much. I obviously would love to keep being a part of it. [But] when I see that so many people are against [me playing], if the team is better without me, I'd rather be out of it.
"There's obviously several guys who feel strongly that way. The [DP World] Tour is of that same thought. So I don't want to be something that might hurt the team.
"Obviously it's sad for me, how much I love the Ryder Cup and everything I've been able to do with Europe. That's the way they want it. I'm just helping out."
The Freedom Skate Park in Bull Bay, St Andrew in Kingston, Jamaica, was officially opened on Wednesday.
Minnesota Twins shortstop Carlos Correa will exercise an opt-out clause in his contract and test the free agent market for a second straight year.
Correa signed a three-year, $105 million deal with the Twins in March that included player options for both 2022 and 2023.
The 28-year-old, who spent his first seven MLB seasons with the Houston Astros, will enter a potentially stellar free-agent class after a strong first season in Minnesota in which he batted .291 with 22 home runs, 64 RBIs and a .366 on base percentage in 136 games.
"With the year that I have had, my health and my being at the best moment of my career at 28, that is the right decision," Correa told El Nuevo Dia newspaper.
Correa's decision was expected after the 2015 American League Rookie of the Year was unable to secure a longer-term contract during an uncertain 2021-22 offseason impacted by a labour dispute between MLB owners and players that lasted into March.
He agreed to join the Twins shortly after the end of the lockout after the team offered the attractive opt-out clauses.
"I have been in this business for a long time, and I know that things do not always go the way one wants them to," Correa said about his previous experience with free agency.
The two-time All-Star figures to have plenty of competition in an offseason market headlined by New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, and that is also expected to include frontline starting pitchers Jacob deGrom and Justin Verlander.
Correa will also be one of a number of high-calibre available shortstops, with the Los Angeles Dodgers' Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts of the Boston Red Sox and the Atlanta Braves' Dansby Swanson also set to hit free agency.
In addition to his relatively young age, Correa will also have the benefit of not being eligible to receive a qualifying offer from the Twins that would have required other teams to surrender draft pick compensation to sign him.
Correa said he would certainly consider returning to the Twins, who were tied for the AL Central lead on September 4 before struggling down the stretch and finishing 78-84.
"I have a good relationship with Minnesota," he said. "I am very interested in being able to return."
Carson Wentz will start for the Washington Commanders in their clash against the Chicago Bears despite not being 100 per cent fit due to a bicep injury.
The 1-4 Commanders were unsure whether Wentz would be available for Thursday's contest due to the short turnaround after Sunday's loss to the Tennessee Titans, when he sustained the injury.
However, he threw the ball well in practice, albeit in a walkthrough session, and will lead the offense from the start against the Bears, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports.
The Commanders will hope that Wentz can get through the matchup against the Bears unscathed and then heal up with extra rest before their Week 7 clash at home to the Green Bay Packers, with a 10-day gap between the games.
Wentz's availability is a boost for a Commanders team already without significant members of their offense, with receiver Jahan Dotson and tight end Logan Thomas set to miss Thursday's game.
The Commanders sit bottom of the fiercely contested NFC East, where all their division rivals currently rank 4-1 or better, with the Philadelphia Eagles leading the way as the only undefeated side left across the NFL (5-0).
Several of the teams down to participate in the Americas Netball World Cup Qualifier which begins on Sunday at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Kingston, have already arrived ready to do battle for spots in the Netball World Cup.
Brendan Steele holds a one-shot lead after finishing his first round with a flourish at the Zozo Championship.
Steele started with a six-under 64 to lead the way at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club on Thursday.
The American made a first birdie at the second hole and came alive after the turn, making another six gains as his only blemish came with a bogey at 14.
Steele holed his approach shot at the par-four 17th and another birdie at the last put in out on his own at the top of leaderboard in Chiba, Japan.
The 39-year-old has not won a PGA Tour event since retaining his Safeway Open title five years ago.
Adam Schenk is second place following a bogey-free 65, with fellow Americans Sam Ryder, Matthew NeSmith and Keegan Bradley a further stroke back.
Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele are nicely poised just three shots off the lead along with Kazuki Higa, Maverick McNealy and Mito Pereira.
It was not a good day for defending champion Hideki Matsuyama on home soil, as he is down in 41st after a one-over 71.
Bill Belichick was typically guarded when asked about Mac Jones' status as starting quarterback once he is fit to return for the New England Patriots.
Second-year quarterback Jones has missed the Pats' past two games with an ankle injury but did manage to return to practice on Wednesday.
Reports said Jones did still not have full mobility during the session, though, meaning his availability for Sunday's showdown with the Cleveland Browns remains unclear.
Bailey Zappe completed 17 of 21 passes for 188 yards, finishing with one touchdown and an interception on a steady debut outing when acting as understudy for Jones in last week's triumph over the Detroit Lions.
Head coach Belichick was asked whether Jones can return this week, to which he replied: "We'll see where he is today. I don't know."
Belichick was also non-committal about whether Zappe's performances will determine who starts under center.
"They're totally independent, it doesn't have anything to do with it," he added.
For his part, Zappe is taking things in his stride and ready to step into the breach once more should he be called upon.
''I'm preparing to do what my coaches tell me I'm supposed to be doing,'' he said. ''Right now, that's to take practice reps and do what I can do to help the team.''
The Pats are bottom of the AFC East standings through five games with a 2-3 record.
Manny Machado hailed a "huge" win for the San Diego Padres after playing a starring role in levelling up the NLDS against the top-seeded Los Angeles Dodgers.
Home advantage at Petco Park beckons for the Padres in the third and fourth games, with the series tied at 1-1 after the early proceedings in LA.
The Dodgers had taken a 5-3 win in Game 1, but Bob Melvin's Padres came back a day later and flipped that scoreline in their favour to level the series.
Machado enjoyed silencing the Dodgers fans. He had a stint with Los Angeles in 2018 before joining up with the Padres, making him a target for some in the crowd.
"Any time you come to Dodger Stadium, you know the fans are going to be on you. Any time you go to any stadium, the fans are going to be on you," Machado said.
"That's the beauty of postseason baseball. That's why you want home field advantage. Coming here, taking one from them at their place and going back home now 1-1, being able to maybe even win it at home will be fun in front of our fans that deserve it."
Machado played a key role by going two-for-five, including a first-inning solo homer along with a third-inning RBI, while Jurickson Profar got his fifth RBI this postseason to put the Padres up 4-3 in the sixth inning.
Jake Cronenworth added another with a solo blast over right-field in the eighth inning before Josh Hader closed it out.
Machado added: "[We're] going 1-1, going back home, so that's huge.
"We're going to compete. Ultimately at the end of the day we know that they're the division champs. They own the best record in baseball. They've played very well against us all year, but at the end of the day we're going to go out there and compete, and we're going to go out there and leave it on the field. We're going to try to do everything possible to help our team win every single day.
"We want to get to the World Series, we want to bring a championship to San Diego. Ultimately, the group is just getting together and just grinding this out."
With this National League Divisional Series tantalisingly poised following Wednesday's 5-3 win, manager Bob Melvin spoke of his anticipation of the next two games back in San Diego on Friday and Saturday, and what they would mean to fans of his team.
The Padres last reached a World Series in 1998, so the prospect of edging closer to that goal should ensure a feverish atmosphere. The double-header at home will be the Padres' first postseason games in front of their own fans since 2006.
"They've been waiting for this for a while, and they've supported us all year," Melvin said.
"The drama that took place during the regular season, I think we had 10, 12 walk-offs or something like that, that they were a big part of.
"They incentivise us. We feel like they're part of us. To be able to reward them, get home, and have some playoff games for them, it feels really nice."
Giannis Antetokounmpo has no concerns over the Milwaukee Bucks' poor preseason results but does want to see an improvement to the team's "habits".
The Bucks are 0-5 in exhibition games following a 107-97 defeat to the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday, a clash in which Antetokounmpo had 24 points on the back of 6-for-21 shooting and grabbed 14 rebounds.
While such results may seem at odds with the Bucks' standing as one of the favourites for the NBA title this coming campaign, Antetokounmpo acknowledged there is plenty of time to find rhythm during the regular season.
However, the Greek superstar wants to see an improvement with some basics on the floor.
"It doesn't worry me," Antetokounmpo said. "What worries me is our habits and building good habits.
"Right now, we're not vocal enough. We're not urgent enough. We're not hungry enough. But at the end of the day, it's the preseason. We have the whole regular season to find ourselves."
Having featured for Greece at Eurobasket during the close season, Antetokounmpo has had his minutes carefully managed by the Bucks, with the Nets game just his second tune-up action.
While conceding to feeling "a little bit out of rhythm", Antetokounmpo is ready to once again set the tone for the Bucks.
"It's not going to be easy. I think sometimes your mind forgets and thinks it's going to be easy. But I feel like, me personally, you've got to come out and set the tone, play hard," he added.
"Build good habits, play to improve, play for the team. And as a team, we have to be hungry, we've got to play together, we have to defend better."
Grayson Allen (illness), Pat Connaughton (calf) and Wesley Matthews (ankle) were all absent against the Nets - the latter having sat out all of the Bucks' warm-up matches.
Khris Middleton will definitely miss their season opener against the Philadelphia 76ers having only recently returned to practice following wrist surgery.
But Antetokounmpo has confidence in the depth of the roster.
"Guys are down, who knows when they're going to get back, so this is who we have right now," he said.
"We still have a great team, but we're seven or eight days from the next game and when it really counts. We've got to buckle down and start trying to build good habits."
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