The Miami Dolphins still view Tua Tagovailoa as their long-term answer at quarterback, though the former first-round pick admitted that he seriously contemplated retirement after only three NFL seasons.
Speaking on Wednesday at the Dolphin's pre-draft press conference, Tagovailoa revealed the two known concussions he sustained during the 2022 season had him thinking of walking away from the game at age 25.
Tagovailoa said his love of football ultimately led to his decision to continue playing, as did his desire for the opportunity of having his young son watch him play when he gets older.
"I think I considered it for a time," he admitted. "Having sat down with my family, having sat down with my wife and having those kinds of conversations," he stated.
"I always dreamed of playing as long as I could to where my son knew exactly [what he did] and [would be] watching his dad do.
"It's my health, it's my body. I feel like this is what's best for me and my family. I love the game of football. If I didn't, I would have quit a long time ago."
Two separate head injuries caused Tagovailoa to miss five games in 2022 in addition to raising questions about his future.
The most concerning one occurred in a nationally televised game against the Cincinnati Bengals in September, when the former University of Alabama star was knocked out on a sack and removed from the field on a stretcher before being transported to a local hospital.
That scary incident took place five days after Tagovailoa temporarily exited a game against the Buffalo Bills after displaying possible concussion symptoms, though he was later cleared to return and the Dolphins announced he had a back injury.
An NFL investigation into the Dolphins’ handling of that situation resulted in the firing of the independent doctor who examined Tagovailoa, and the league later revised its concussion protocol policy following his injury against Cincinnati.
Tagovailoa suffered another concussion against Green Bay in Week 16, causing him to miss Miami’s final two regular-season games as well as its loss to the Bills in the first round of the AFC playoffs.
The quarterback has since been fully cleared, and told reporters Wednesday that he believes his enrollment in a jujitsu programme this offseason can help him stay healthy and on the field in 2023.
"I learned how to fall, some grappling techniques, and some other things that I don’t want to disclose," he said. "For the most part, learning how to fall.
"You think it's easy, 'just don't fall and hit your head,' but there's a lot more to it."
Draymond Green's one-game suspension handed to him by the NBA was in part due to being a "repeat offender".
That is according to the league's executive vice president and head of basketball operations, Joe Dumars, who explained the reasoning behind the ban for the Golden State Warriors star, meaning Green will miss Game 3 of their NBA playoffs first-round series against the Sacramento Kings.
The Kings lead the series 2-0, with the incident occurring in Game 2 on Monday when Sacramento's Domantas Sabonis appeared to grab at Green's leg after falling to the ground.
Green responded by stomping on Sabonis' ribs, and while the Lithuanian was issued a technical for his involvement, Green was ejected with a flagrant two, with Dumars confirming via an NBA statement that the four-time All-Star would be suspended for one game.
Speaking to ESPN, Dumars said: "Here's what it came down to: excessive and over-the-top actions, conduct detrimental and a repeat offender. That's what separates this where you end up with a suspension."
He added: "You know what the situation is, but you have to set that aside and look at the facts in front of you... [Being a] repeat offender weighs as heavy as anything."
On whether Sabonis got away lightly with his involvement, Dumars said: "Sabonis was penalised in the game with a technical foul, and Golden State gets the free throw.
"It wasn't like [Sabonis] didn't get off without any punishment, but we didn't think that rose to the level of excessive and over-the-top, conduct detrimental and repeat offender.
"That's why you separate those two and deal with one act on the court, and then another act."
This was Green's 17th career ejection, with the ban being his fourth suspension.
Game 3 of the series takes place at Chase Center on Thursday.
Novak Djokovic was forced to come from a set down to beat Luca Van Assche 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 6-2 in the Srpska Open second round on Wednesday.
Teenager Van Assche took a big step towards a stunning victory after going a set ahead, but the world number one rallied to seal his progression against the stubborn Frenchman.
Djokovic, who admitted his right elbow "was not in an ideal condition" earlier this week after a shock exit at the Monte Carlo Masters, was not at his brilliant self as Van Assche took the first set by finding two crucial breaks in the tie-break.
The Serbian improved, though, and he dominated the second set by holding all five of his service games and breaking twice to take the match to a decider.
With the first two games of the final set going against serve, Djokovic took over to win four of the next six and secure a comeback triumph.
Just over a month ahead of the French Open, Djokovic will be glad to have battled to victory in Banja Luka as he prepares for an attempt to win a record 23rd grand slam title at Roland Garros having already claimed the Australian Open crown earlier this year.
After five rounds of matches in the 2023 Suncorp Super Netball League, Jamaican players are dominating the elite netball league on both sides of the ball.
Many-time West Coast Fever MVP and 2022 champion Jhaniele Fowler leads all scorers with the most goals scored (280) and the most attempts (284). The towering Jamaican shooter has missed only four times since the start of the season for the unbeaten West Coast Fever.
Shimona Nelson who plays for the Collingwood Magpies is third in the standings with 217 goals and is also third in the number of attempts at 226.
Shamera Sterling of the Adelaide Thunderbirds has been just as impressive on the other side of the ball. The defender leads in the number of defensive rebounds (16) and deflections (40). She also leads in the number of Nissan Net Points (539).
Fowler lies fourth with 491.
Nissan Net Points are Suncorp Super Netball's first overarching player metric. They are a stats-based scoring system, run by Champion Data, that measures every player action on the court. Every time someone scores a goal, blocks a pass, gets a defensive rebound (and so on), they get points.
The bigger the impact, the bigger the points. If players make mistakes or cause turnovers, they lose points. At the end of the game, each player receives an individual Nissan Net Points score, which represents their contribution to the match.
Also on the defensive side, Jodi-Ann Ward of the Collingwood Magpies leads the league with 19 intercepts followed by Kadie-Ann Dehaney of Sunshine Coast Lightning with 15. Sterling is fourth with 12.
Romelda Aiken-George of New South Wales Swifts leads the league with 22 offensive rebounds while Nelson has 17 for third in the standings.
The Seattle Kraken are not settling for a first playoff win despite stunning the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday.
In their second season, the Kraken have made the postseason for the first time and began their campaign with a 3-1 Game 1 win on the road against the Avs.
That made Seattle the first team in the expansion era to beat the defending champions in their first playoff game, with the previous three debutants playing such matchups losing both Game 1 and the series.
This was especially impressive as Colorado had won the first game in each of their previous six playoff series, the longest Game 1 winning streak in the NHL.
Now, the Kraken are in a great position to advance as the 10th expansion team to win their first playoff game. Eight of the previous nine won the series.
Alex Wennberg, who had a goal and an assist, knows there is a long way to go, though, even if Seattle enjoyed shutting up their critics.
"Obviously, we played a good game, getting the first franchise win in the playoffs," Wennberg said. "But right now this is Game 1.
"Obviously, we are happy about this performance, but we've got to do it again and do it again.
"[The critics] can do whatever you want. Obviously it comes down to the belief in the group right here.
"Everyone is going to have an opinion about the way we play now, but the focus is always going to be on us. We have a belief in this group."
Previous games between the Kraken and the Avs had hinted at Tuesday's upset, with Seattle winning on both of their trips to Denver this season but losing their sole home game against Colorado.
Avalanche coach Jared Bednar added: "Our whole team just wasn't quite good enough. I thought we did some good things. They obviously did more good things."
Former NFL defensive lineman Chris Smith has died aged 31.
Smith was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars out of Arkansas in the 2014 draft and spent eight years in the league, representing teams such as the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns.
He last played in the NFL for the Houston Texans in 2021 before signing for the Seattle Sea Dragons in the XFL in March of this year.
Smith's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, confirmed his death on Twitter, saying: "Rest in Peace Chris. Condolences to all his family, friends and loved ones. We will miss you."
Smith's cause of death has not been released.
Several former teammates paid tribute, with Browns tight-end David Njoku declaring on Twitter: "Rest in paradise Chris Smith.
"Hometown hero and a brother to everyone. Such a kind soul. This is heartbreaking."
Smith also played for the Las Vegas Raiders and their former quarterback Derek Carr posted a photo of the two together and wrote: "Love you bro."
AGI (Advantage General Insurance) defeated Almost Capable 2-1 in the final of the KPMG Squash League recently at the Liguanea Club in Kingston to be crowned league champion.
AGI’s Julian Morrison defeated Almost Capable's top player Adam Lee 3-1 (10-21, 21-18, 21-20, 21-20) to give his team an early lead. Tahjia Lumley secured the title when he beat Alan Roper 3-0 (21-18, 21-15, 21-18) in their best of five match-up.
With the title already lost, Daniel Chung clawed back some pride when he beat Stephan Morrison 2 -1 (21-18, 15-21, 21-18).
"Firstly the entire KPMG League was a successful league. I think it was a very good opportunity for everybody who’s playing to be able test their skills at deficit - playing better players,” said Morrison the AGI captain afterwards.
"I love it. I think it was great. I think that everybody played well throughout the entire thing because everybody has gotten through with three-game win.”
Cereal Killers, who lost to AGI in the semi-final, was third while Big Shot was the plate winner that was decided between the top two losing teams. AGI's Dave Morrison was named the Most Valuable Player.
President of the Jamaica Squash Association, Karen Anderson was pleased with how the tournament played out.
"It was fantastic. It brings out everything, the competitiveness, the sportsmanship, the cheering for the underdog, the underdog trying to bring down the big gun,” she said.
“The uniqueness of the event (the handicap system of play) is what makes it and what captures people's enjoyment with it and so we are very excited about the tournament."
Anderson said that the league was very important for the game locally, especially for the juniors who get to play against various types of players at different skill levels as they prepare for the upcoming Caribbean Championships.
According to Rajan Trehan, country managing partner of title sponsor KPMG, "We are thrilled with how the tournament went. I think the format of the game is so interesting. This along with the junior trials and the senior trials within the time period of this tournament, has really given the juniors a lot of practice and given them a basis to step up their game. I think the timing is just perfect for this tournament."
Trae Young is confident he will return to his best after being showered with "overrated" chants by opposition supporters in the Atlanta Hawks' Game 2 defeat to the Boston Celtics.
The Hawks fell 119-106 at TD Garden on Tuesday to go 2-0 down in the series ahead of back-to-back home games.
Young averaged 26.2 points during the regular season – only nine players performed better – but he fell short of that with 16 points in Atlanta's latest loss.
The 24-year-old point guard also struggled in the postseason last year as he averaged just 15 points against the Miami Heat in a five-game first-round defeat.
Celtics fans took aim at Young as he lined up for a free throw attempt during the fourth quarter, but the two-time NBA All-Star will not let the criticism get the better of him.
"I didn't play my best today, and I know I will going forward. I'm not worried," he said.
"I could be better. I didn't shoot the ball really well. I had some turnovers where I was just driving, and [the ball] left my hands. I'm gonna be better at home.
"The last two years we've played the number one and number two seeds. Everybody knows the defenses are keyed towards me, and it's up to me to make the right decisions."
Young shot just 9-of-22 from the field and had nearly as many turnovers (five) as assists (six), as his disappointing run of postseason performances continued.
"I know Trae," Celtics head coach Quin Snyder said. "He'll be the first one watching the tape on the plane, trying to figure out ways where he can play better.
"I think we have a lot of guys that are gonna do that, and certainly I'm gonna do it, too."
Darius Garland says showing a more "aggressive" side to his game was the key to his inspirational display in the Cleveland Cavaliers' Game 2 victory against the New York Knicks.
After making a limited impact in Saturday's Game 1 loss, Garland was far more involved in Tuesday's contest at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
The 2022 NBA All-Star posted a game-high 32 points on eight-of-17 shooting, draining six-of-10 from long range, and he also chipped in seven assists in a masterful offensive showing.
Asked about the key to his improved performance in his side's 107-90 triumph to level the series, Garland said: "Everybody in the building told me to go be aggressive.
"They said to shoot the ball. So I watched the film from the first game and seeing some opportunities where I can and be aggressive, and that's what I just tried to do today.
"They showed a couple clips where I had open shots and I didn't shoot them. So it's really the entire organisation telling me to shoot the ball; it's not just one person."
Garland averaged 21.6 points during the regular season, with that tally bettered only by Donovan Mitchell (28.3) among Cavs players.
Mitchell, who added 17 and a career playoff-high 13 assists, praised the showing of young point guard Garland.
"That's the All-Star we all know, and it was great to see," Mitchell said. "I told him at the end of the day, that's what we're going to need, continue to be aggressive."
Garland became the third player in the Cavs' franchise history, after LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, to score 26 points or more in a half.
While the 23-year-old was widely praised for his performance, Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff was equally as impressed by what he saw from Mitchell.
"What he did tonight is make sure that everybody had belief, that everybody played to their strength," Bickerstaff said.
"When they had it going, he could've very easily decided it was time for him to take shots, but he didn't; he made sure those guys kept going so they could keep that confidence.
"We have to continue to hammer this home. We got our a** kicked on the boards the other night, and tonight those guys took it personal and made a huge change."
Cleveland now travel to Madison Square Garden for Games 3 and 4, which take place on Friday and Sunday respectively.
Kevin Durant said Devin Booker "can do everything at an elite level" after scoring 38 points on 64 per cent shooting in the Phoenix Suns' first round playoffs Game 2 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Booker was in scintillating form, making 14-of-22 from the field including four-of-seven from the beyond the arc, with nine assists as the Suns triumphed 123-109 to level the series after two games at Footprint Center in Arizona.
Durant contributed 25 points on 10-of-19 shooting with five assists, but was quick to praise his team-mate.
"He's an all-around player," Durant told reporters about Booker. "He can do everything at an elite level on a basketball court."
Booker's display came after a minor dip in offensive output late in the regular season where he averaged 24 points in their final six games, failing to have any 30-point games during that stretch.
Suns head coach Monty Williams insisted he was never worried about Booker's form and added to the praise.
"Book scores in a number of ways and when he's going like that, I think the team feeds off his high level play," Williams told reporters.
Booker scored or assisted 28 of the Suns' 33 third-quarter points as they pulled clear after scores were locked 59-59 at half-time.
"I was planning on taking him out the first two minutes of the fourth, then he got going, and then I said 'one more play', then 'one more play' and he kept hitting shots, so I just let him go," Williams said.
"When he's attacking like that, knocking down big shots from outside it just keeps everybody off balance."
Game 2 was Phoenix's ninth win from 10 games with Durant in the side, having been traded in from the Brooklyn Nets in February.
Williams added: "I thought the spacing was a lot better. Just having the balance of [Booker] and Kevin being able to get to their spots with a live ball helps. I thought Chris [Paul] did a really good job of putting the ball in Book's hands and saying 'you go'."
Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper made it clear this is not his side's first rodeo after an overpowering 7-3 road win against the Toronto Maple Leafs to open their first-round series on Tuesday.
The Lightning are coming off three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals appearances – including championships in 2020 and 2021 – and are trying to become the first team to reach four in a row since the New York Islanders' five from the 1979-80 season through 1983-84.
Against the Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay opening the scoring 78 seconds into the action through Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, before Anthony Cirelli and Nikita Kucherov added first-period goals to reach the intermission at 3-0.
Toronto clawed it back to 3-2 thanks to goals from Ryan O'Really and William Nylander, but that would be as close as they would get as the Lightning struck quickly with three goals of their own before the end of the second period to put the game away.
Brayden Point scored twice, Kucherov and Corey Perry collected a goal and two assists each, while Cirelli and Ross Colton also both scored and assisted in a stat-stuffing night for the Lightning.
Cooper said he knew his squad would be energised by the playoff atmosphere, even in a road environment.
"We've been there before," he said. "We've been down this road.
"To be honest, you embrace these moments, and the atmosphere at the beginning of the game, the anthems and the crowd going nuts, it's a wonderful experience. It's not something you should shy away from, and we talked to the guys about that.
"I will never question the guys in that [locker] room, and as the coach, you always want the best, but deep down inside you know there’s a whole bunch of gamers in that room… we knew they would come out to play."
Goal scorer Colton said he was hoping the Lightning would be able to "flick the switch" now that the important games have arrived.
"I think we were excited for it," he said. "I think for a while there we weren't playing the way that we wanted to play.
"We kept saying that we were going to flick the switch, and at some point we had to stop talking about it and start doing it.
"So the playoffs, against the Leafs, in this building – it was obviously electric."
Perry agreed, adding: "We had a tough March, a tough end of the season, but it's about the playoffs, and that's what we were doing. We're trying to get our game into shape to come in here and play."
Game 2 will remain in Toronto, before the series heads to Tampa Bay for Games 3 and 4.
Clayton Kershaw brought up his 200th career win with a shutout as the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Mets 5-0 on Tuesday.
The Dodgers left-hander moved to 22nd on the all-time major league strikeout list with nine K's across seven scoreless innings, allowing only three hits and no walks.
Kershaw joined Don Sutton and Don Drysdale as the only pitchers with 200 wins in a Dodgers uniform, while he becomes one of four active players to reach the mark, alongside Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer and Zack Greinke.
J.D. Martinez blasted home runs in the first and third innings, before adding an eighth-inning RBI single to finish with four RBIs.
Freddie Freeman went one-for-four, with one run and one RBI from a sacrifice fly.
The win was the Dodgers' first shutout of the season, led by Kershaw who produced a vintage performance to bring up his milestone.
The three-time Cy Young ward winner's career record improved to 200-88 in 405 games.
Ohtani laser sets up Angels win over Yankees
Shohei Ohtani blasted a two-run laser beam homer in the first inning as the Los Angeles Angels downed the New York Yankees 5-2 on the 100th anniversary of Yankee Stadium.
Ohtani's early blast sparked the Angels' triumph in a star-studded encounter featuring three AL MVPs where Aaron Judge went none-for-three, struck out twice while he drove in one with a fourth-inning sacrifice fly.
Mike Trout went two-for-four scoring in the fourth inning from Anthony Rendon's single. Rendon also drove in Ohtani in the fifth with a sacrifice fly, opening up the decisive 5-2 lead.
Verdugo delivers bizarre walk-off hit
Alex Verdugo produced a bizarre walk-off hit as the Boston Red Sox edged the Minnesota Twins 5-4 in a dramatic 10th inning thriller.
Verdugo's fly ball to right field barely stayed fair, catching outfielder Max Kepler unaware as it bounced off the wall just short of Pesky's Pole and back into play. The umpires reviewed the drive for several minutes, deeming it fair to clinch the walk-off win.
Red Sox starter Chris Sale had 11 strikeouts across six innings, while Verdugo went three-for-five with one run and the decisive RBI for Reese McGuire to score after the Twins had gone 4-2 up at the top of the 10th.
The Cleveland Cavaliers played some role reversal with their star backcourt on Tuesday as Darius Garland led the scoring charge to defeat the New York Knicks 107-90.
The Game 2 victory tied the series at 1-1 after the Knicks took the opener on the road, but following his 38-point performance in Game 1, Cavaliers All-Star Donovan Mitchell assumed point guard responsibilities.
Mitchell dished a career-high 13 assists to go with 17 points as he went six-of-11 from the field, setting up Garland to shoulder the scoring workload.
After 17 points in Game 1, Garland posted a game-high 32 on eight-of-17 shooting, draining six-of-10 from long range, and he also chipped in seven assists in a masterful offensive showing.
Evan Mobley, who was third in Defensive Player of the Year voting, blocked two shots and snatched two steals to go with his 13 points and 13 rebounds, while his interior partner Jarrett Allen racked up three steals and three blocks as they controlled the paint throughout.
For the Knicks, who found themselves down 59-39 at half-time and could not claw their way out, Jalen Brunson shot a disappointing five-of-17 from the field for his 20 points, although he added six assists and four steals.
Julius Randle was not much better, finishing with 22 points on eight-of-20 shooting with eight rebounds and six turnovers, and the Knicks shot seven-of-29 (24.1 per cent) from three-point range.
After splitting the first two games, the Knicks will head to Madison Square Garden for Games 3 and 4 with home court advantage now in their favour.
Boston's White knight delivers
Complimentary guard Derrick White gave the Boston Celtics a match-winning cameo in their 119-106 Game 2 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
White, who was one of only 10 players this season to play all 82 games in the regular season, put together a terrific game with 26 points (11-of-16 shooting), seven rebounds, three blocks and a steal after starting and playing 34 minutes.
His hot-shooting night saw him usurp Jaylen Brown for the evening in shot attempts as the Celtics' second All-Star chipped in 18 points (seven-of-14), three steals and two blocks, while First Team All-NBA candidate Jayson Tatum led the way with 29 points (12-of-22), 10 rebounds and six assists.
Dejounte Murray was strong for the Hawks with 29 points (11-of-24), six rebounds, six assists and four steals, finishing with a dead-even plus/minus in his 40 minutes, but Trae Young was minus 15 and Atlanta were torched when he was left on the floor without Murray.
While the Celtics will take a 2-0 lead to Atlanta for Games 3 and 4, the Hawks can put all the pressure back on Boston by holding serve at home.
Booker shines for the Suns
Devin Booker stepped up and helped his Phoenix Suns tie their series at 1-1 with a 123-109 triumph over the visiting Los Angeles Clippers.
Booker put up a game-high 38 points on 14-of-22 shooting, playing 45 out of a possible 48 minutes while also leading the Suns with nine assists.
Kevin Durant was excellent in support with 25 points (10-of-19), six rebounds, five assists, two blocks and a steal, while Deandre Ayton added 14 points with 13 rebounds and Chris Paul chipped in eight assists to go with his 16 points.
It was another ubiquitous performance from two-time NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard as he embarks on his quest to join LeBron James as the only Finals MVP-winner with three different teams.
He had a team-high 31 points (11-of-20), a team-high seven assists and a team-high three steals, while Russell Westbrook posted 28 points (nine-of-16), five rebounds and five assists, but they did not have enough help.
The series will head to Los Angeles for Games 3 and 4.
The NBA league office issued Golden State Warriors defensive anchor Draymond Green with a one-game suspension for his stomp on Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis.
The incident occurred in Game 2 of their first-round series, when Sabonis appeared to grab at Green's leg after falling to the ground.
Green responded by lashing out with a stomp onto Sabonis' ribs, and while Sabonis was issued a technical for his part, Green was ejected with a flagrant two.
The Athletic had reported earlier on Tuesday that sources indicated it would be unlikely Green would be suspended for Game 3, but that turned out to be false.
The NBA's statement read: "Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has been suspended one game without pay for stepping on the chest of Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis, it was announced today by Joe Dumars, executive vice president, head of basketball operations.
"The suspension was based in part on Green's history of unsportsmanlike acts.
"Green's actions were in response to Sabonis grabbing and holding Green's right ankle after falling to the floor. Green received a Flagrant Foul Two and was ejected, and Sabonis was assessed a technical foul."
Already facing a 2-0 series deficit, the Warriors will now have to claw their way back without their future Hall of Fame defensive specialist.
The Cincinnati Reds made a long-term commitment to second-year pitcher Hunter Greene on Tuesday, as the sides agreed to a six-year, $53million contract extension.
The contract begins this season and buys out two years of Greene’s free agency. The deal includes a $21m club option for a seventh season, with a $2m buyout.
The 23-year-old Greene is the hardest-throwing starter in baseball, featuring a fastball that sits around 99 mph and has topped out at 102 this season. He also throws a slider that may be his most effective pitch.
Greene struggled at times during his 2022 rookie season but also showed flashes of his potential.
He went 5-13 with a 4.44 ERA in 24 starts, striking out 164 in 125 2/3 innings with 48 walks. Greene became the only major league rookie since 1900 to have at least three appearances in which he threw six or more innings and had eight or more strikeouts.
The 6-foot-5, 240-pound right-hander has no decisions in four starts this season, compiling a 4.24 ERA with 24 strikeouts in 17 innings.
"The commitment we made to Hunter reflects his commitment to this organization and to our community," Reds CEO Bob Castellini said in a statement. "He is part of the foundation of young players who will continue to help us build a successful major league team."
Cincinnati is banking on Greene and 25-year-old pitchers Nick Lodolo and Graham Ashcraft to form the core of the team’s rotation for years to come.
Greene’s signing represents a change in philosophy for the Reds, who have one of baseball’s lowest payrolls. More than half of Cinncinnati’s $83m payroll is going to longtime star Joey Votto, who is currently on the injured list, and Mike Moustakas, who was released in January and now plays for the Colorado Rockies.
The Reds lost 100 games last season and haven’t won a playoff series since 1995.
Sacramento Kings All-Star De'Aaron Fox was named the first ever winner of the new Clutch Player of the Year award on Tuesday.
Fox, 25, enjoyed a breakout season as he led the Kings to their first playoff appearance since 2006, snapping what was the longest active postseason drought in any of the United States' top four professional sports.
The former fifth overall pick from the 2017 NBA Draft shot a career-best 51.2 per cent from the field while also making a career-high 1.6 three-pointers per game, averaging 25.0 points, 6.1 assists and 4.2 rebounds in the process.
But while he was excellent all year, Fox went up a level late in close games, leading the NBA with 192 'clutch' points – which means points scored in the last five minutes in a game where the margin is within five points.
In clutch situations, Fox led the league in usage rate, accounting for 42.8 per cent of the Kings' offensive possessions, all while putting up a strong true-shooting percentage of 61.4 per cent.
That 61.4 per cent figure is the eighth-best among all players with a clutch usage rate above 25 per cent, and when his clutch scoring rate is extrapolated out to a per-36 minutes number, his mark of 43.7 points per-36 is nearly five points ahead of second-placed Bradley Beal (38.9).
Fox earned 91 out of 100 possible first-place votes, and 460 out of a possible 500 total points to cruise to the award, which he was seen as the massive favourite to win.
He was followed in the voting by Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler (one first-place vote, 104 total points) and Chicago Bulls wing DeMar DeRozan (80 total points).
Fox is the second recipient of the NBA's annual regular season awards, after Memphis Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr was named Defensive Player of the Year on Monday.
Memphis Grizzlies All-Star guard Ja Morant will be a game-time decision for Game 2 of their first round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers due to the hand injury he suffered in Game 1.
Morant exited Sunday's 128-112 loss at FedExForum in the fourth quarter after trying to break his fall on a drive with his right hand, with his wrist bending unnaturally. He said afterwards he was "in jeopardy" for Game 2 to be played on Wednesday.
An MRI on Monday revealed a re-aggravation of soft tissue in Morant's hand, having previously picked up an issue against the Milwaukee Bucks on April 7.
"He's dealing with some pain and some soreness," Memphis head coach Taylor Jenkins told reporters on Tuesday. "Symptoms are slightly improving from the other night.
"He's going to be a game-time decision. He's going to come in, get working in the morning, test it out and see how he's feeling."
Morant joined in Grizzlies' practice on Tuesday albeit on a restricted basis with shooting and dribbling on his right hand, although notably he did not wear any wrap for protection.
"He's progressing," Jenkins said. "He's dribbling and shooting as much as he can. As I said, he's got some pain he's dealing with, so it's kind of a tolerance thing.
"He's got some stiffness in his hand that he's kind of slowly getting through. We'll see how he wakes up."
The Grizzlies have officially listed Morant as questionable for Game 2. Morant averaged 26.2 points and 8.1 assists per game during the regular season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo failed to practice on Tuesday and was listed as doubtful for Game 2 of the Milwaukee Bucks' first round playoffs series against the Miami Heat.
MVP candidate Antetokounmpo suffered a lower back contusion in Sunday's 130-117 Game 1 defeat after falling on the floor awkwardly as Miami's Kevin Love slid in front of him to take a charge in the first quarter.
Antetokounmpo initially tried to play on but was ruled out at half-time, however a subsequent X-ray and MRI scan came back clean.
Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer said on Monday he was "mostly optimistic" about Antetokounmpo's availability with Milwaukee desperate to square the ledger on their home court.
"There's an optimism," Budenholzer told reporters on Tuesday. "Time is a little bit on our side, but that equation will flip. But yeah, I would say we're optimistic."
It had been anticipated the two-time MVP would require a period of rest in the lead-up to Wednesday's game at Fiserv Forum. Antetokounmpo may still get some practice in given Game 2 is a 9pm local time tipoff.
The Greek forward averaged 31.1 points and 11.8 rebounds per game during the regular season, sitting in the NBA's top five for both categories.
Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro is set for surgery on his broken hand on Friday, which will keep him out of action for between four and six weeks.
Herro, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year winner, has averaged 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game this season in his first campaign as a full-time starter.
He suited up for a career-high 67 regular season games, but suffered a broken hand during the first half of Game 1 in Miami's first round playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Heat went on to win Game 1 without Herro, as Milwaukee's two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo also left in the first half following a hard fall onto his back, but while Antetokounmpo could return in Game 2, Herro is set for a lengthy stint on the sidelines.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Herro said he likely will not play again this postseason unless the Heat reach the NBA Finals.
"That's the hope," he said. "Get to the Finals and I can get back for that.
"I watched the video, and I still don't know, like, where I hit my hand. I still don't know.
"I probably shouldn't have dove on it, but I was trying to create some energy. We were on the road, in my hometown. Just trying to play hard.
"Being in the playoffs, you work so hard all year to be in this moment. I feel like I had some things to prove this postseason. It was a tough moment – I still can't believe it."
Game 2 will be played in Milwaukee on Wednesday, before the series heads to Miami for Games 3 and 4.
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