Frank Vogel said he has not been informed that he will be fired by the Los Angeles Lakers after his side ended a miserable season with a victory over the Denver Nuggets.

The Lakers beat the Nuggets 146-141 at Ball Arena on Sunday to finish the campaign with a 33-49 record.

Languishing down in 11th place in the Western Conference, Los Angeles missed out on the playoffs two years after Vogel masterminded an NBA title triumph.

Vogel will reportedly be sacked on Monday, but the 48-year-old says that is news to him.

He said: "I haven't been told s*** and I'm going to enjoy tonight's game, celebrate what these young guys did in terms of scratching and clawing and getting back in this game and getting a W, and we'll deal with tomorrow, tomorrow."

Malik Monk praised the way Vogel has gone about his business after top scoring with 41 points in the win over the Nuggets.

"He kept his cool the whole time," Monk said. "Didn't talk about no problems like that. Didn't talk about anything like that.

"He came in and worked and always gave us a great game plan ... He was always about us. It was never really about him. And I praise him for that.

"I know that was pretty hard on him, but he never talked about it. He never changed his demeanour."

A Bobby Dalbec solo home run propelled the Boston Red Sox to a 4-3 win over the New York Yankees on Sunday, avoiding a season-opening sweep against their fierce rivals.

Boston blew multi-run leads in the opening two games of the series and did so again on Sunday. This time, the Red Sox rallied back, with Dalbec homering off Yankees reliever Clarke Schmidt for his first of the season.

New York's Anthony Rizzo tied the game at three with a two-run single, scoring Yankees newcomers Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Jose Trevino.

Rizzo and Giancarlo Stanton continued good starts to the season overall, with the former hitting and walking twice, while the latter getting three hits.

The Red Sox ended an eight-game regular-season losing streak against the Yankees, not including their win in last season's American League wild card game. The two do not face each other again until July.

Ramos starts off strong for the Giants

Heliot Ramos had two hits and scored a run in his major league debut as the San Francisco Giants defeated the Miami Marlins 3-2.

Ramos, the 19th pick in the 2017 draft, was called up from Triple-A ball before the game and was greeted with a standing ovation as he walked up to the plate.

He promptly singled and scored on a Mauricio Dubon RBI double, who scored the decisive run in the third inning after a throwing error by Miami pitcher Trevor Rogers.

Bregman and Urquidy lift Astros over the Angels

The Houston Astros continued their strong start to the MLB season, securing a 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.

Alex Bregman and Jose Urquidy led the way for the Astros, with Bregman putting them ahead via a two-run single in the fifth, while Urquidy notched up four hits over five innings.

Reigning American League MVP Shohei Ohtani broke his one-for-14 start to the season, smashing a double that sent Tyler Wade to third base.

Sunday's results

Philadelphia Phillies 1-4 Oakland Athletics
Tampa Bay Rays 8-0 Baltimore Orioles
Detroit Tigers 1-10 Chicago White Sox
Atlanta Braves 3-6 Cincinnati Reds
Washington Nationals 4-2 New York Mets
Toronto Blue Jays 6-12 Texas Rangers
Kansas City Royals 3-17 Cleveland Guardians
Minnesota Twins 10-4 Seattle Mariners
Saint Louis Cardinals 4-9 Pittsburgh Pirates
Chicago Cubs 4-5 Milwaukee Brewers
Colorado Rockies 9-4 Los Angeles Dodgers
San Francisco Giants 3-2 Miami Marlins
Los Angeles Angels 1-4 Houston Astros
Arizona Diamondbacks 5-10 San Diego Padres
New York Yankees 3-4 Boston Red Sox

Guardians at Royals

The Cleveland Guardians will be looking to gain momentum after their rout of Kansas City on Sunday, where rookie Steven Kwan managed five hits.

The Boston Celtics secured the second seed in the Eastern Conference following their 139-110 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday night, the regular-season finale for both teams.

With the second seed in the Western Conference already secured, Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins rested a number of starters including Ja Morant, Steven Adams, Dillon Brooks and Jaren Jackson Jr. Desmond Bane and Brandon Clarke were listed as questionable and while not ruled out, finished with DNPs.

Although the Celtics had a full complement in a game they needed to win, the weakened opposition did not cause tunnel vision, as they shared the ball to come up with 34 assists as a team.

Jayson Tatum came up with three of his own, along with 31 points on 11-of-14 shooting and nine rebounds to lead the way for the Celtics.

In an odd statistical quirk given the situation, the Grizz's John Konchar claimed the first triple-double of his career, finishing with 17 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists.

Dubs find their groove to clinch third seed

The Golden State Warriors clinched the third seed in the Western Conference with their 128-107 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.

Klay Thompson made seven three-pointers and scored 41 points for the Warriors, who have impressively managed to close out the season without Stephen Curry on a five-game winning streak.

While Jordan Poole's 22 points off seven-of-16 shooting lightened the load, Jonathan Kuminga again scored a critical 18 points off the bench and gave the team important balance.

Doncic strains calf in Mavs win

Luka Doncic strained his left calf in the Dallas Mavericks' 130-120 win over the San Antonio Spurs, putting the Slovenian star's status in question for the playoffs.

The two-time All-Star would not have been eligible for what was ultimately a meaningless game – following the Warriors win - if the NBA did not rescind his 16th technical foul of the season, which he earned in the previous game against the Portland Trailblazers.

Doncic led Dallas with 26 points, nine assists and eight rebounds but sat the second half, with his ability to play against the Utah Jazz in the playoffs now in doubt.

Matisse Thybulle is ineligible for the third and fourth games of the Philadelphia 76ers upcoming playoff series with the Toronto Raptors, due to his vaccination status.

Following the Sixers' 118-106 win over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday, Thybulle confirmed he has only received one dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

Canada has a Covid-19 vaccine mandate to enter the country and because of Thybulle's vaccination status, he is unable to enter the country and play any playoff games in Toronto.

"I'm not fully vaccinated," Thybulle said post-match. "I made this decision a while ago where this situation I'm facing right now was not a factor.

"It wasn't part of any of the decision making because at the time I would be available for my team and I would be available to play and not restricted in any way to do my job.

"Having had this stance I've had for almost a year now, I just felt like it couldn't be something I could be forced to do because of rules or regulation changes. And it just seemed like the right thing for me just to see it through. And unfortunately, the repercussions of that are going to mean missing games and not being there for my teammates."

The 25-year-old Australian was a member of the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2021 and is third for the 76ers this season in net rating, only behind Joel Embiid and James Harden.

Cameron Smith believes he will inevitably win The Masters, after his charge for the green jacket unravelled on Sunday.

The Australian went into the final round three strokes behind eventual winner Scottie Scheffler, and he was still in contention with seven holes remaining, before misfortune struck on the 12th hole.

Smith's weekend came undone from there, finishing the round with a one-over 73 and tied for third with Shane Lowry at five-under-par for the tournament.

After winning the Player's Championship in March, the world number six does not view the weekend and eventual faltering of his chances at Augusta National as a learning experience, holding the belief he will eventually put on golf's most coveted prize.

"I don't know really," Smith said. "I feel like I've played some of my best golf around here, it just hasn't quite been my time yet. A couple of lucky breaks here and there, and I'll be putting the green jacket on, I'm sure, one day.

"I feel really comfortable around this place. I feel like it's a place that really suits my game, and I look forward to coming back every year and playing good golf."

After birdieing the 11th hole, the world number six tried to capitalise on momentum and went straight for the pin on the notorious par-three 12th, a hole that leaves little margin of error for the aggressive.

Instead of heading for the safety of the middle of the green, Smith aimed for the narrow strip of green closer to the pin, only for Augusta's Amen Corner to claim another victim.

While his scuffed tee shot and triple bogey on the 12th might take all the headlines, consecutive bogeys after birdieing the opening two holes proved just as consequential, according to Smith.

"Just too many mistakes," he said. "I feel like maybe my two bogeys on the front nine weren't quite deserved – it kind of, I guess, halted my momentum a little bit. I got off to a really good start, birdieing the first two, and then two bogeys to follow that really slowed me down. A poor shot on 12, and there's the tournament.

"It was all fine, it was just a perfect nine iron, it was just a really bad swing. Probably one of the worst swings of the week, and at the worst time of the week. Just unfortunate, but I'll grow from this and be stronger for it."

After winning the Masters, Scottie Scheffler revealed he was in tears on the morning of his final round.

The 25-year-old American had not won a PGA Tour event two months ago, but in the past 57 days he has won four of the six events he has entered, and capped it off with a green jacket on Sunday.

Scheffler shot 71 for the round after four-putting the 18th, trimming his winning margin from five strokes down to three with the double-bogey, to finish 10 under for the tournament.

He looked cool, calm and collected throughout as he fought off the challenge of Cameron Smith, but speaking after his win he revealed he was anything but composed on Sunday morning.

"I cried like a baby this morning," he said. "I was so stressed out – I didn’t know what to do.

"I was sitting there telling [wife] Meredith ‘I don’t think I’m ready for this. I’m not ready, I don’t feel like I’m ready for this kind of stuff', and I just felt overwhelmed.

"She told me ‘who are you to say that you are not ready?' and 'who am I to say that I know what’s best for my life?’

"So what we talked about is that God is in control, and that the Lord is leading me; and if today is my time, it’s my time. 

"Gosh, it was a long morning. It was long. My stomach has been hurting for two days straight."

The gravity of the situation was what weighed on Scheffler, knowing the opportunity he had.

"I think I had a five-shot lead on Friday, and then a three-shot lead going into [Sunday] – I don’t know if you get better opportunities than that," he said.

"You don’t want to waste them. The human condition is to make things bigger than they really are, and years from now I would say people may not remember me as a champion, and that’s fine. 

"But in the moment, you think it’s a lot bigger deal than it really is."

While Tiger Woods was the talk of the weekend after returning to golf and making the cut, Scheffler took inspiration from some of his earlier appearances at Augusta.

"[Woods'] YouTube clips are such an inspiration for me," he said. 

"I remember watching the highlights of him winning in '97, kind of running away with it – he never really broke his concentration."

Scottie Scheffler had always dreamed about competing in the Masters, so winning the famous tournament at Augusta National left him full of emotion.

On Sunday, Scheffler secured a fourth PGA Tour win from his most recent six starts, with all four of his career wins having come about in a 57-day hot streak.

Scheffler entered the final round with a three-stroke lead over the chasing field, but after playing partner Cameron Smith found the water on the 12th hole, the 25-year-old American found himself leading by five down the final stretch.

After putting jitters meant he carded a double bogey on 18, Scheffler signed for a 71 to finish 10 under overall, three shots clear of runner-up Rory McIlroy.

He looked largely stoic as he navigated the nerves of a final-round lead, but prior to being presented with his green jacket by last year's champion Hideki Matsuyama in the cabin, Scheffler said he was putting on a brave face.

"I may have looked calm on the outside, but as Hideki [Matsuyama] knows, it's a long day, it's a tough day, so I just tried to keep my head down and execute shots," Scheffler said.

"Probably the first time [winning] popped into my mind was Friday in the afternoon after we got done.

"I never really make it this far – I always dream of just being here and competing. I can't put into words what it means that I'll be able to come back here for a lifetime, hopefully, and I can't speak highly enough of this place.

"I can't thank my family enough. My parents and my sisters have made so many sacrifices for me over the years.

"We've all dreamed about just making this tournament – it's emotional just making the field – so to have the honour of winning the golf tournament is so special."

Later on, he added: "I've dreamed of having a chance to play in this tournament – I teared up the first time I got my invitation in the mail. If you're going to choose a golf tournament to win, this would be the tournament I would want to win."

Scheffler has become the first man to win four times in a PGA Tour campaign by the end of the Masters since David Duval went on an early-season charge in 1999, but that end-of-the-century run did not include a green jacket.

Touching on the on-course action, Scheffler reflected on his crucial chip-in on the third hole after Smith started his day with two consecutive birdies while the eventual winner could not hit a green.

"Very excited [to see it go in] – a bit surprised too," Scheffler said. "It was definitely not a shot I expected to see go in.

"I wouldn't say it changed the complexion of the day, but it definitely got things rolling for me and I played some very solid golf after that.

"I was fortunate to put myself in a position where I was in control of the tournament today, so I didn't have to worry about what anybody else was doing out there.

"If I took care of my stuff, and played good solid golf, I felt like I could get the job done. That was the goal going into today, just keep my head down."

Tiger Woods had Jon Rahm for company in the final round of the Masters, and his Spanish playing partner senses the American golfing great is bang on track to be a major contender again.

The playing partners had contrasting fortunes on Sunday, with Rahm signing off with a classy 69 and Woods labouring to a weary 78.

But it was to be expected that Woods would flag this weekend, having amazed the golfing world by making the cut in his first PGA Tour event since November 2020. An opening 71 had been a staggering achievement.

After back surgery, and the shocking car crash in February 2021 which Woods has admitted he was lucky to survive, it was a wonder that he played Augusta at all this year.

He was bedridden for a good while after the crash in California in which he sustained major leg and foot injuries, and the undulating course that stages the Masters, a tournament that Woods has won five times, was hardly tailor-made to allow the 46-year-old a soft landing back in the professional game.

World number two Rahm had a view at close quarters of the returning Woods, and said: "It's really cool. It was great because nobody cared about me, so I was just watching him play. I was able to enjoy today as a fan and as a player.

"You can just tell that his leg is just not quite up there yet. I've seen him in the truck. He is limping in the truck. He is limping on the course. Obviously, he is trying very hard to play, but it's not easy to walk up and down those hills. At the end you can just tell that his leg and his body are just not used to walking this much, right?

"I believe if at home he can walk and get strength up and stamina in that sense, he will be able to be competitive again.

"This is the hardest walk all year. He will be able to go somewhere where it's a little easier to walk. It won't be as long, and I believe he'll be able to contend."

Rahm said "the Tiger effect" can be seen on the PGA Tour, where he faces competition from a generation that grew up watching and admiring Woods; he namechecked the likes of Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, new Masters champion Scottie Scheffler and Cameron Smith.

Rahm also said Patrick Cantlay and Bryson DeChambeau were among the same peer group that has taken the game by the scruff of the neck, and he believes the intense competition may mean there is no one standout player who wins a great glut of majors.

Woods has 15 to his name, but such a staggering haul seems out of range for the players who have followed in his wake.

"All of us are close in age, and we all – Dustin being a little bit older – we're all within five years, and we all grew up watching Tiger. We all grew up wanting to be him, and we all grew up with the dream of being major champions," Rahm said.

"With the advancement in golf, in all of us thinking of ourselves as athletes, you can see the difference. Everybody can reach a new level.

"It's really hard to stay up there for a long time. Some players have been able to do it, but it's just the next guy comes up, gets hot, and there you go. It's a beautiful part of the golden age of golf we're living in right now.

"Hopefully it's me, but you might not get the one guy that's going to dominate for a long time, but you're going to get five, six, maybe 10 players that can do their part. Anybody gets hot for three, four months, and you can see what happens."

Woods said he felt "thankful" that he was able to last the distance.

"Just to be able to play, and not only just to play, but I put up a good first round," Woods said. "I got myself there. I don't quite have the endurance that I would like to have had, but as of a few weeks ago, didn't even know if I was going to play in this event.

"To go from that to here, we're excited about the prospects of the future, about training, about getting into that gym and doing some other stuff to get my leg stronger, which we haven't been able to do because it needed more time to heal. I think it needs a couple more days to heal after this, but we'll get back after it, and we'll get into it."

Tiger Woods has confirmed he will participate in The Open following his successful return to action at The Masters, but he does not expect to ever play a full schedule again.

The 15-time major winner defied the odds to compete at Augusta National this week, 14 months on from sustaining serious leg and foot injuries in a car accident.

Competing in his first PGA Tour event since November 2020, Woods not only made the cut for a 22nd successive time at the Masters, he also played all 72 holes.

After a strong start to the week, Woods faded from contention and carded back-to-back rounds of six-over 78 on Saturday and Sunday – both career-worst scores.

While that score may seem underwhelming for the 46-year-old, who won this event for a fifth time in 2019, Woods received a huge ovation when completing his round.

And after showing glimpses of his old self this week, as well proving his ability to complete a tournament, Woods intends to continue appearing at majors and other select events.

"I won't be playing a full schedule ever again," he told Sky Sports. "It will just be the big events. I don't know if I will play Southern Hills [next month's PGA Championship] or not. 

"But I am looking forward to St Andrews. It's something near and dear to my heart. I've won two Opens there and it's the home of golf, my favourite golf course in the world. 

"So I will be there for that one. Yes."

Woods was limping throughout the final round, which consisted of five bogeys and a double-bogey after a birdie on the second hole, but he was blown away by the support.

"It's crazy, it's just crazy," he said of his reception. "This golf course and this tournament has meant so much to me and my family.

"From the year I was born, it was the first year that a Black man played in the Masters, Lee Elder. He got a chance to be an honorary starter last year, before he passed. 

"He was there when I ended up winning in 1997, my dad was there.

"My mum was there the entire time, and is out there today. She's stubborn. 

"She shouldn't have been out there, she shouldn't have been walking, she has no business going up and down those hills. Where do I get it from, right?"

Rory McIlroy narrowly missed out on a maiden Masters triumph but said a record-equalling final round at Augusta made him "as happy as I have ever been on a golf course".

The 32-year-old, who was aiming to complete a career grand slam of the majors, entered Sunday at one over yet gave himself hope of a remarkable victory with an eight-under 64.

That tied the lowest final-round score in the competition's history and is the second-lowest 18-hole score McIlroy has managed in a major, behind his 63 at The Open in 2010.

Magnificent McIlroy's blemish-free round consisted of six birdies, including a dramatic bunker shot at 18, and an awe-inspiring eagle on the par-five 13th.

The Northern Irishman ultimately left himself with too much to do, however, as Scottie Scheffler held his nerve to win by three strokes.

But after rolling back the years with an Augusta showing for the ages, runner-up McIlroy could not hide his delight.

"It's what you dream about, you dream about getting yourself into position," he said. "To play as well as I did today and then to finish like this, it's just absolutely incredible.

"This tournament never ceases to amaze. That's as happy as I've ever been on a golf course, right there. I've never heard roars like that on the 18th green, it was really cool."

McIlroy, who has four major victories to his name but none since 2014, told CBS: "I gave it a great go and I can't ask any more of myself.

"I went out there today, shot my best ever score at Augusta. It's going to be my best finish ever, probably not quite good enough, but I'll come back next year and keep trying."

Scottie Scheffler is now the proud owner of a green jacket after winning the Masters with a terrific performance in the last round – even if he wobbled on the 18th green.

Scheffler, 25, finished 10 under overall and shot 71 on Sunday after a double bogey at the last, winning his fourth career PGA Tour title after landing his first just 57 days ago.

A terrific chip-in on the third hole helped him find his footing after a couple of wayward drives early on, but his ability to recover from less-than-ideal situations was on full display on the first nine.

He would birdie the seventh hole on the way to a bogey-free front half, before his first slip-up came with a bogey on the 10th as he missed a makeable par putt. He lost his putting poise on the final green, but had enough shots in hand that it hardly mattered a jot.

The final day shaped up as a two-horse race between Scheffler and Cameron Smith, but any chance Smith had at mounting a comeback went up in smoke as his tee shot on the par-three 12th found the water.

Smith went on to triple-bogey the hole, and fell apart from that point, pulling drives into the trees as his fight turned from a chance to win to a battle to hang on in the top five.

The surge of the day came from Rory McIlroy, who shot one off the course record with an eight-under 64 to finish outright second at seven under.

McIlroy went bogey-free, with birdies on one, three, seven, eight, 10 and 18, and an eagle on 13.

He capped off his round with a remarkable chip-in from the bunker on 18 – only for his playing partner, Colin Morikawa, to do likewise to put the finishing touches on a 67 to earn outright fifth place at four under.

Also finishing inside the top five was Shane Lowry, who finished with a three-under 69 to tie with Smith for third on a five-under aggregate, despite a triple bogey on the par-three fourth.

Enea Bastianini toasted his Grand Prix of the Americas victory by treating himself to some burgers and said he is hungry to keep hold of top spot in the championship.

The Gresini rider passed Ducati's Jack Miller with five laps remaining at the Circuit of the Americas in Texas to record his second win in four races this season.

Bastianini finished 2.058 seconds ahead of closest challenger Alex Rins, who also overtook third-placed Miller, as the Italian added to his maiden MotoGP triumph in Qatar.

"It's a fantastic day," Bastianini said. "Miller had fantastic pace in the first part of the race, then I felt like I had to push, I accelerated like crazy and I won.

"Winning here in America is fantastic. Now we eat some burgers!"

Bastianini leads the riders' standings with four of the 21 races completed, sitting five points better off than Suzuki Ecstar rider Rins and 11 clear of Aleix Espargaro of Aprilia.

And the 24-year-old is beginning to believe that an unpredictable 2022, in which 10 riders have finished on the podium over the first four races, could be a memorable one.

"It's possible," Bastianini said when asked if he can retain top spot. "This is better than the Qatar win because we know we are consistent and every race we are on the front.

"We will see if we can repeat this result in the future. In European races I think the gap will be closer again."

Bastianini is just the third winner in the nine-year history of the race, with Marc Marquez having prevailed on seven previous occasions and Rins once, in 2019.

Marquez recovered from a poor start on Sunday to climb from 17th to sixth, while Joan Mir and Francesco Bagnaia rounded out the top five.

While Marquez climbed the standings late on, Miller fell from first to third in a race that he led for 15 of the 20 laps.

Rather than feeling too downbeat, though, the Australian simply congratulated Bastianini and Rins for finishing stronger.

"I have mixed feelings," he said. "I had a fantastic race. Enea passed me but I didn't make any mistakes.

"This championship is so long, anything can happen. It's wide open."

Garrett Whitlock has landed a "surreal" long-term contract with the Boston Red Sox after making a spectacular impact.

The Red Sox took a chance on the right-hander that paid off after they selected him in the 2020 Rule 5 draft.

On Sunday, Boston announced Whitlock has been rewarded with a four-year, $18.75million deal through 2026 that includes club options for 2027 and 2028.

Whitlock was drafted by the New York Yankees in 2017 and was left unprotected in the December 2020 Rule 5 draft after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2019, allowing the Red Sox to snatch him away from their biggest rivals.

Whitlock went on to post a 1.96 ERA in 46 appearances as a rookie last season, striking out 81 and walking 17 in 73 1/3 innings. He then pitched to a 2.16 ERA in 8 1/3 innings over five playoff appearances.

"This is a great day," Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said. "You all know the talent that Garrett has that's been on display from day one in [spring training] last year, all the way up through October."

Whitlock was mostly a starter in the minor leagues, a role he could someday return to with Boston.

"We believe, we hope, we're just scratching the surface of what he can accomplish," Bloom said.

Between club options and incentives, Whitlock's deal could be worth $44.5million over six years.

"I mean, it's still so surreal. It's crazy. It really hasn't felt like it has hit yet," Whitlock said. "It was just like two years ago, I was working two jobs, trying to survive the COVID season and everything like that.

"And so, now, just to be sitting here doing this, it's all very surreal."