Francesco Bagnaia converted pole position at the Grand Prix of Spain for his first victory of 2022 ahead of MotoGP defending champion and season leader Fabio Quartararo.
After finishing the previous campaign with four wins in six races – his first victories in the top category – Bagnaia had endured a slow start this year, failing to even reach the podium prior to this weekend.
But a record lap in qualifying put the Ducati man on pole in Jerez, and he led from start to finish to kickstart his season.
Quartararo, starting in second, was Bagnaia's closest challenger, making a strong start and applying intense pressure for the first half of the race.
But Bagnaia was then able to open up a gap and enjoy a slightly more comfortable ride for his first win at this event, and fifth podium in his past seven entries across all categories.
Quartararo could at least be comforted by his now seven-point lead in the championship on a tough day for Alex Rins, who had been level at the summit but had to settle for 19th.
With Aleix Espargaro – now Quartararo's nearest challenger – completing the podium, the top three ended as they began, although the battle for third was a thriller.
Both Jack Miller and Marc Marquez, chasing his 100th MotoGP podium, got the jump on Espargaro early on, seemingly setting up a direct battle between the pair.
Marquez eventually got past Miller with five laps remaining following a stunning move at Turn 5, which he made stick despite the pace of the Ducati.
But that manoeuvre opened the door for Espargaro, running in fifth, to come back at them, and he profited when Marquez went wide at Turn 13 and required an incredible save to stay on his bike, catching himself with his left elbow.
Espargaro was able to build a bigger gap, although Marquez at least passed Miller again for fourth, delivering the drama that was missing at the front of the race.
If you can make it in New York, the theory goes that you can make it anywhere, so the path from Broadway to Sheffield's Crucible Theatre should hold no fear for Ahmed Aly Elsayed.
Aly is a new face to many on snooker’s expanding veterans' circuit, as the sport builds on the prosperity of its golden age by rolling out stars of yesteryear on its most famous stage.
As well as undisputed legends Jimmy White, Stephen Hendry and Ken Doherty, regional title winners from all corners of the globe are rocking up in Sheffield for the World Seniors Championship, an annual jamboree that begins on Wednesday. Aly will become the first American to compete at the Crucible.
Life will replicate art when Egypt-born Brooklynite Aly competes, after he acted out two snooker player parts in the 2018 Broadway production The Nap, one of which was that of a finalist at the World Championship.
Aly's day job is that of billiard room manager at the New York Athletic Club, a renowned 24-story pile at 180 Central Park South.
"He's a very good player," Cliff Thorburn, the 1980 world champion, tells Stats Perform. "One of his functions at the New York Athletic Club is looking after the billiard room. They've got possibly the nicest snooker room in the world. It overlooks Central Park and I would highly recommend having a Sunday brunch there in the fall, as the leaves are changing.
"The park's right there and you look down on it. With your breakfast you get a Bloody Mary for starters, and it's just a fabulous place."
Thorburn, a Canadian with a 'Magnum PI' moustache, remembers Aly looking "rough around the edges" when he first set eyes on his cue action.
"But when I saw him in Toronto he had gained a polish to his game," said Thorburn. "He wears a suit very well, like Ronnie O'Sullivan or Judd Trump.
"Ahmed polished his game, and he's taken it to a new level, but you're only as good as the players around you unless you've got that special thing about you. He does, he's very sharp, and I expect something good from him, but this is the deep end. That's pressure, isn’t it!”
Performing shots to order on a table in front of Broadway audiences is one thing, but facing gritty rivals at the theatre venue in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, that has hosted the main tour's World Championship since 1977, will be a whole new test of Aly's stage presence.
"He had to play certain shots on Broadway, and of course the stage is live," said Thorburn. "He looks like a prince, he's got that air about him: well groomed, a good guy, a gentleman, competitive, and he loves his snooker. I hope he gives himself a fair shot at it."
Aly, the 2021 Pan American senior champion, who picked up that title at the Corner Bank venue in Toronto, will play Bradford's Wayne Cooper for the right to tackle 1997 world champion Doherty at the last-16 stage.
Snooker's emergence as a viable senior spectacle has reflected a growth market in sports where it is feasible to remain competitive long after a sportsperson's usual shelf life.
Golf's PGA Champions Tour is sport's ultimate veterans' circuit, with over $62million in prize money due to be paid out this year. Germany's Bernhard Langer has earned over $30million on that tour, mind-boggling considering this is not sport at its highest level.
Snooker is not aiming to compete at that level, but its equivalent tour is soaring in popularity, with the World Seniors Championship being broadcast by the BBC and staged at snooker's most established venue. Crowds will flock, just as they have to the elite World Championship over the past fortnight.
"They're at the Crucible and rightfully so," said Thorburn. "I think it's the right place to have it, and there's a lot of memories that have come from these players that are going to be playing now."
Thorburn's great chum Bob Chaperon is returning to the Crucible stage, some 32 years since he became the last Canadian winner of an individual ranking title, beating Alex Higgins in the 1990 British Open final. Three weeks after that, Chaperon teamed up with Thorburn, who was recovering from a burst appendix, and Alain Robidoux to win snooker's World Cup for Canada.
Naturally, Thorburn is pulling for Chaperon, who faces Welshman Philip Williams first up.
"Bob was supposed to be here two years ago, but COVID stopped him," Thorburn says. "He’s playing Philip, who beat me here once before. So let me think, who do I want to win? Bob, yes Bob. I'm so glad I'm going to be here. Bob's got the chance to cause some damage."
Rafael Nadal remains confident that he will be fully fit in time for this month's French Open, despite still suffering from a "very disabling" rib injury.
The 35-year-old has been sidelined since sustaining a cracked rib during the Indian Wells Masters in March.
However, Nadal confirmed last week he intends to make his return to action on home soil at the Madrid Open next week.
And the Spaniard, who won a record 21st grand slam at the Australian Open in January, expects to be ready for Roland-Garros later this month.
"I have three weeks," he said on Saturday. "I trust that the daily training will help me to get ready.
"Here the demand [in high altitude in Madrid] is maximum, but what can be done is going to be done.
"The most important thing is to be healthy, but I think that going to Paris I'm on time. Three weeks is enough time to get competitive."
He added: "I have trained very little, because the rib is very disabling and also very painful. I had two very bad weeks and afterwards it has been very, very disabling.
"I haven't been able to do practically anything, but it's here, at home, in Madrid."
Thirteen-time French Open winner Nadal will face either Alexander Bublik or Miomir Kecmanovic in the second round of the Madrid Open.
The third seed is on a collision course with highly rated compatriot Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals at the Caja Magica.
Liam 'Beefy' Smith said he will "fight anyone" after beating Jessie Vargas at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.
The light-middleweight from Liverpool was in top form in New York, largely dominating Vargas before the fight was eventually stopped in the 10th round.
The crowd were mainly in the corner of Smith, with the fight part of the undercard for Katie Taylor's victory against Amanda Serrano.
Speaking to Matchroom Boxing after the win, Smith was grateful for the support he received, though admitted he was not entirely satisfied with his performance.
"Obviously it feels good," he said. "The whole occasion, the whole set-up, the reception I got in Madison Square Garden is one I'll never forget.
"It was not the greatest of performances to be brutally honest with you… but I said I'd break him and even though as I said, I wasn't up to scratch early on, I knew I'd get to Jessie and size would play a big part in it.
"He was slower than I thought. I thought he'd be very sharp early on and he was slower, but I was just waiting too long and when I got there to throw, he was just naughty with his head, he just come straight in.
"I'm surprised I was only cut twice as there was some bad clashes of heads in that fight. I just couldn't really get off early doors until he slowed."
The 33-year-old was asked if his cuts may have given Vargas some extra motivation as he fought back later in the contest.
"Yeah it did," Smith said. "Obviously anyone sees a bit of blood and you get a second wind, but I hit him with a body shot in seven or eight that he felt that. I think towards the end of nine he was on the verge of going, to be fair to him he aimed at a body shot, it was just a weird one that hurt me, so I just had to regroup a little bit.
"Then the bell went, and then round 10 I just put it right back on him, and I heard the referee saying to him 'show me something Jessie'."
When asked about what could be next for him, Smith refused to focus on one name, but put out more of an open challenge, saying: "I've always been open to any fight. I've chased names for years so it's pointless me mentioning [Kell] Brook, mentioning [Chris] Eubank.
"My phone's always on so anyone wants to fight, I've got my gumshield in my bag, I'll fight anywhere."
Elsewhere, Shakur Stevenson took Oscar Valdez's WBC junior lightweight title by unanimous decision at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas.
The win was the 18th of Stevenson's undefeated career, and despite an even first few rounds, rarely looked in trouble after countering an overhand left to drop his opponent in the sixth.
Taking advantage of the moment, Stevenson chose his post-fight interview to propose to his girlfriend, rapper Young Lyric, who said yes.
Katie Taylor has targeted another battle with Amanda Serrano after creating history with a split-decision victory in front of 19,187 fans at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.
The 35-year-old retained her status as undisputed lightweight champion after edging a thrilling bout with nine-time world champion Serrano in New York.
Two of the three judges scored the action-packed fight in Taylor's favour in what was the first women's contest to headline the famous arena.
After achieving another first in her career, the Irishwoman is open to fighting Serrano once again on home soil in Dublin later this year.
"We have to do this again," Taylor said. "It was an absolute war for 10 rounds. I'm grateful to be in this position and sell out Madison Square Garden. Look what we've just done.
"I said before that when you think Madison Square Garden, you think Muhammad Ali v Joe Frazier, but now everyone will be thinking of Katie Taylor v Amanda Serrano.
"I knew I was going to have to dig deep and go to the trenches. I have the heart as well as the skill. I knew I was going to be able to pull through.
"She's a phenomenal fighter. A great, great person. It was a privilege to fight her again."
She added: "A rematch would be absolutely phenomenal, and if it was in Dublin we could sell-out Croke Park I'd say, 90,000 people. That would be unbelievable.
"We've seen something special here tonight. Imagine fighting in front of 80,000 or 90,000 people in Croke Park."
Defeat for Serrano, who has won titles in seven weight divisions, was her first since 2012 and just the second of a 45-fight career.
"Katie is a great champion," Serrano said. "She's undefeated and undisputed. I'm truly honoured to share the ring.
"Women can sell, women can fight and women can put on a hell of a show."
Gerrit Cole was once again in impressive form for the New York Yankees, as they beat the Kansas City Royals 3-0 on Saturday.
The 2021 Cy Young runner-up claimed his second win in as many starts this season, giving up five hits and two walks while striking out six in 91 pitches over a dominant six innings.
Cole's performance on the mound was particularly important, given his team did not hit any home runs this time around.
The Yankees (29) only trail the Toronto Blue Jays (30) for home runs this season, and the top of the order in DJ LeMahieu, Josh Donaldson and Anthony Rizzo claimed one hit out of a combined 11 at-bats.
Aroldis Chapman worked a hitless ninth for his fifth save of the season, moving the Yankees to 15-6 and the top of the American League East.
Undermanned Giants still make light work of Washington
The San Francisco Giants are keeping pace with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West despite a number of Covid-19 enforced absences, claiming a 9-3 win over the Washington Nationals.
Not scoring a home run before this series against the Nats, Jason Vosler went deep for the second consecutive day – hitting the famous Bay at Oracle Park - while Darin Ruf had three hits from five at-bats.
The hitting performance came at an ideal time, with Giants starter Logan Webb giving up a career-high 11 hits and striking out three in 95 pitches over six innings.
Orioles break losing streak in extra innings
The Baltimore Orioles claimed a shock win in extra innings, defeating the Boston Red Sox 2-1 at home to end a five-game losing streak.
Jorge Mateo scored the winning run for the Orioles, after a Robinson Chirinos bunt with runners on first and second forced an error from Red Sox pitcher Hirokazu Sawamura, launching the ball past third baseman Rafael Devers.
Orioles reliever Jorge Lopez came up big, pitching two hitless innings before retiring Alex Verdugo in the extra inning with two outs and runners on first and third.
World number two Jon Rahm maintained his two-stroke lead at the Mexican Open coming into the final round, shooting a three-under 68 in Vallarta on Saturday.
After opening the back nine with a bogey on the par-four 10th hole for the second consecutive round, Rahm recovered with two birdies on the final two par fives, to finish on 15-under after 54 holes.
The 27-year-old has steadied after opening at the Vidanta course with a bogey-free round of seven-under, and has played some measured golf over the opening three rounds, despite not capitalising on opportunities.
He had two eagle chances on the par-five sixth and par-four seventh and settled for birdies and after driving into the water on the 10th, missed a short birdie chance on the par-five 12th.
A precise up-and-down on the 14th gave the Spaniard some momentum, before closing with another birdie on the 18th.
With his last win on the PGA Tour coming at the US Open at Torrey Pines in 2021, final rounds have provided some trouble for Rahm, converting only once out of the seven times he has at least held a share of the lead coming into the final day.
Kurt Kitayama will be hoping to take advantage after shooting a five-under 66 on Saturday, to put him two strokes back in second along with Cameron Champ.
Kitayama scorched the front nine with three birdies and an eagle on the seventh, but also bogeyed on the 10th hole after an errant tee shot.
He bounced right back with a birdie on the par-three 11th to eventually finish on 13-under after 54 holes.
There is a three-way tie for third a further stroke back, with Nate Lashley, Patrick Rodgers and Davis Riley locked on 12-under.
Former national player Karen Anderson has been elected as president of the Jamaica Squash Association (JSA) at the Annual General Meeting on Thursday.
Anderson a 13-time national champion and former coach has prioritized strengthening the JSA’s governance structure, ensuring financial stability, and accelerating the growth of squash island-wide.
“My involvement in squash is multifaceted from playing to coaching to refereeing, managing teams, and marketing the game and I have the depth of experience and passion to expand the reach of squash within Jamaica while making our players more competitive in regional and international arenas,” Anderson said.
Other areas of focus will include developing a grassroots program that will encompass educational institutions and community-based outreach. Development programs for coaches and referees will also be an area of emphasis.
The new administration also includes veteran player and IT specialist, Joey Levy as Vice President while financial expert, Deanne Pryce and seasoned administrator, Gill Binnie retained their positions as Treasurer and Secretary, respectively.
The supporting Executive Committee includes an infusion of current national team players such as Bruce Burrowes, Julian Morrison, and Tahjia Lumley as well as Nathlee Boreland, Stephen Dear, businessman, and squash aficionado, Douglas Beckford.
The Miami Heat's Jimmy Butler expects to be fit for the start of the Eastern Conference semi-finals against Philadelphia 76ers on Monday after recovering from a knee injury.
Butler sat out the Heat's Game 5 win over the Atlanta Hawks as the team secured their first semi-finals appearance since 2019-20, when they went on to lose the NBA finals to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The six-time NBA all-star impressed in the first four games of the first-round series, becoming just the third player in franchise history – after LeBron James and Dwyane Wade – to post 45 points, five rebounds and five assists in a playoff match in Game 2, but missed out on the series-clinching win.
However, the 32-year-old is confident he will return for the top-seeded Heat's opening clash with the 76ers.
"It's all right," Butler said of his knee after Saturday's practice. "We got another day in between. Get out there, rip and ride.
"I know it will be ready to hold up come Monday, but the time off has been great for myself and so many other guys that are nicked up. Everybody's ready to compete."
Guard Kyle Lowry, who also missed out on the Heat's last outing, was also able to do "a little bit more" on Saturday, coach Erik Spoelstra revealed.
Butler said he would be disappointed to see former team-mate Joel Embiid miss out for the 76ers after he suffered a mild concussion and orbital fracture against the Toronto Raptors on Thursday.
"I feel bad for my guy," Butler added. "Obviously, one of my former team-mates, arguably the MVP of this league, and I think I speak for everybody that's a part of this team, we want Jo to play.
"We want to go up against them at full strength and prove that we can hang with anybody and we can beat anybody.
"It's a mishap. I hope he recovers well and gets back very, very soon."
Butler, who spent part of the 2018-19 season with the Sixers, said Embiid would get his vote for MVP after the 28-year-old averaged 30.6 points per game across the regular season – the highest figure in the NBA.
"I'm not an analytics guy, obviously," he added. "But I was told that they're a much better team defensively whenever he's on the floor, as they should be. I would guess offensively as well.
"And he makes the right plays as well - but he's been doing this a long time in this league, [I'm] damn sure has been this year.
"He would get my vote for MVP. It's going to be a challenge, but they beat us once without him."
Simona Halep blew Paula Badosa away with a Madrid Open masterclass to reach the round of 16 on Saturday.
Second seed Badosa had no answer to the brilliance of Halep in her homeland as the relentless Romanian won 6-3 6-1 at the Caja Magica.
Unseeded two-time grand slam champion Halep took just an hour and 17 minutes to eliminate Badosa, breaking three times in the first set and twice in the second.
Halep, in a new era with Patrick Mouratoglou in her corner, won 84 per cent of points when she landed her first serve in, staying in the hunt to win this tournament for a third time with the French Open on the horizon.
The former world number one will face Coco Gauff for a place in the quarter-finals following the American's 6-1 2-6 6-4 late-night defeat of Yulia Putintseva.
Gauff, the 14th seed, racked up 10 double faults and was pushed all the way by Putintseva, but served out the match after securing a third break in a tight final set.
Ons Jabeur earlier advanced into the third round at the expense of Varvara Gracheva, recovering from a second-set bagel to win 7-5 0-6 6-4.
Jabeur faces a meeting with Belinda Bencic after the Swiss dispatched Karolina Muchova 6-3 4-6 7-5.
Victoria Azarenka came from a set down to beat Tamara Zidansek 3-6 6-1 6-3 to set up a meeting with Amanda Anisimova, who also had to come from behind to dispatch Petra Martic 3-6 6-3 6-2.
Ekaterina Alexandrova and Marie Bouzkova also progressed in the Spanish capital.
Frances Tiafoe downed fellow American Sebastian Korda in a hard-fought encounter to reach the final of the Estoril Open, while Holger Rune reached a first title match at the BMW Open.
Korda had eliminated top seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarter-finals in Portugal to set up an all-American last-four clash, and looked on course to reach the final after winning the first set against Tiafoe.
However, the fifth seed roared back to seal a 4-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 victory and set up a final encounter with Argentina's Sebastian Baez, who beat Albert Ramos-Vinolas to reach his second tour-level final.
Baez also needed three sets in his semi-final clash after losing a competitive second-set tie-break, but he then produced a scintillating performance to win the decider without dropping a game, winning 6-3 6-7 (7-9) 6-0.
Elsewhere, Danish 19-year-old Rune sealed his first ATP tour final appearance by beating home favourite Oscar Otte 6-4 6-4 at the BMW Open in Munich.
Rune, who has enjoyed a dream week in Bavaria after sensationally downing Alexander Zverev in the last-16 and failing to drop a single set in the tournament, revealed his ambitions to become world number one in the future after the victory.
"It's a pretty unreal feeling," he said of his semi-final win. "I didn't expect this at all coming into this tournament, and I just took it match by match. Obviously, I had a tough draw, playing Zverev in the second round, but I knew it was going to be tough, so I was ready from the beginning, and I'm super happy to be in the final.
"It's getting better and better, I'm improving every day, and this is what matters. I have some goals to be number one in the world, and you have to start somewhere."
Rune will face eighth seed Botic van de Zandschulp in the final after the Dutchman rallied to beat Miomir Kecmanovic 2-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 in his own final-four encounter.
The Buffalo Bills made one of the most highly anticipated selections of day three of the 2022 NFL Draft, picking up punter Matt Araiza.
Known affectionately as the 'Punt God', Araiza became an internet sensation during his college career at San Diego State as he continually used his booming left leg to flip the field position battle.
He had 18 punts of 60-plus yards last season, as well as a pair of 80-plus punts. In college football in the 21st century, there have been just 10 punts of 80 yards or more.
However, Araiza saw two punters, Penn State's Jordan Stout and Georgia's Jake Camarda, picked ahead of him as they each went in the fourth round.
And, after being selected 180th overall, he will now play for a team that is not used to punting.
The Bills punted only 53 times last season, the sixth-lowest total in the NFL.
Given Araiza's track record, the Bills may be happier to do so in 2022.
Sam Howell's wait is over after the Washington Commanders selected him in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Once seen as a potential number one pick, Howell was instead the sixth quarterback taken in a draft in which just one signal-caller went in the first round.
Howell was taken with the 144th pick by the Commanders, and gets to reunite with his former North Carolina team-mate, wide receiver Dyami Brown.
In 2020, Howell completed 68.1 per cent of his passes and was second among quarterbacks from college football's Power 5 conferences with an average of 10.3 yards per attempt.
However, his completion percentage dipped to 62.5 and his yards per attempt average fell to 8.81 in 2021 after Brown and running backs Michael Carter and Javonte Williams all went pro, Howell throwing 24 touchdowns a year after tossing 30.
Blessed with one of the strongest arms in the draft class, Howell struggled to throw the ball accurately in his final college season. He delivered an accurate, well-thrown ball on 75.6 per cent of pass attempts last year, his ratio well below that of 20th overall pick Kenny Pickett (82.7). His well-thrown percentage dipped to just 50 on throws of 20 yards or more.
Howell will now get the chance to back up Carson Wentz in Washington, with the Commanders surely hoping he can put pressure on their recently acquired veteran and have a chance to become their quarterback of the future.
Francesco Bagnaia expressed his delight after claiming pole position for the Spanish Grand Prix with an all-time record lap at Jerez on Saturday.
Bagnaia set the new mark on the Circuito de Jerez with his 1:36.170 lap in Q2 to secure a first pole of the 2022 MotoGP season ahead of reigning champion Fabio Quartararo.
Quartararo was denied a fifth straight pole in as many premier-class appearances at the venue by the brilliance of Bagnaia, who returned in style following a crash at the Portuguese Grand Prix last week.
Speaking after the race, a thrilled Bagnaia said: "I'm really happy. We did a great job.
"I was missing this feeling to be really fast and competitive. Thanks to all the guys in my team."
World champion Quartararo, who won in Portugal to take the lead in the overall standings, finished almost half a second behind Bagnaia and could only applaud the efforts of the Ducati rider.
"In qualifying, he was incredible: he was half a second faster than everyone else, so I think he managed to put in a really good lap," he said of Bagnaia after the race to reporters.
However, Quartararo remains confident heading into the race on Sunday after securing what he claims to be a vital second position on the grid.
"I think it will be super important for Sunday. It's a great position to start from," he explained.
"For us, the pace in FP4 was great. I think we can have a good race and the most important thing is tomorrow. I feel very confident."
Aprilia's Aleix Espargaro moved ahead of Bagnaia's team-mate Jack Miller to take third, while six-time MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez settled for fifth.
Narratives are being readied all over the place to make this season's NBA playoffs potentially one of the most exciting of recent times.
The first round may not have provided quite as much drama as hoped, with none of the eight clashes going to a Game 7, but looking at the contests in prospect in the Conference semi-finals, we should not be far away from some.
The top four seeds in both Conferences ultimately made it through, though that's not to say some were not given a bit of a fright, and the semis were set after the Memphis Grizzlies eventually put away the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday in Game 6.
There are stories to be written when it comes to the star players in the league, though, with some excelling as they look lead their team to glory, while others are struggling to stay on the court and off the injured list.
This leads us into some potentially fascinating encounters in the final eight, and Stats Perform has taken a look at what we can expect over the next two weeks.
Eastern Conference
Boston Celtics v Milwaukee Bucks
Frankly, these two should be perfectly fresh heading into this one.
The Celtics whitewashed the Brooklyn Nets in the first round, barely breaking a sweat in the process, while the Bucks dropped just one game in overcoming a depleted Chicago Bulls.
Jayson Tatum has unsurprisingly been the star so far for Boston in the postseason, averaging 29.5 points per game, including 39 in Game 3, as well as averaging 7.3 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game.
Equally unsurprisingly, Giannis Antetokounmpo has been leading the way for the defending NBA champions, averaging 28.6 points per game from five postseason outings so far for the Bucks, as well as 6.2 assists and 13.4 rebounds.
The continued absence of Khris Middleton will be a blow for Mike Budenholzer, with the swingman still recovering from a knee injury suffered in the first round, and reports suggesting he will miss the entirety of this round as well.
These two beat each other twice during the regular season, with the Bucks getting the final win just over three weeks ago at Fiserv Forum, so it promises to be a much tighter affair than either experienced in round one.
Miami Heat v Philadelphia 76ers
The number one seeds in the East were barely inconvenienced by the Atlanta Hawks in the first round, with the Heat winning 4-1.
Jimmy Butler is bringing it in the playoffs so far, averaging 30.5 points, with an additional 5.3 assists and 7.8 rebounds per game. He missed Game 5 against the Hawks with a knee inflammation, but it is hoped he will return for Game 1 against his former team.
Kyle Lowry's participation is more of a question mark, with the 36-year-old missing since suffering a hamstring injury in Game 3.
There is an arguably worse injury situation in Philadelphia, though, with Joel Embiid out "indefinitely" with a right orbital fracture and mild concussion. The Cameroonian was averaging 26.2 points across the 4-2 first round win over the Toronto Raptors.
Despite playing with an injured thumb, Embiid was dominant as the Sixers took out Game 6, putting up 33 points on 12-of-18 shooting from the floor and nine-of-10 from the free-throw line, as well as adding 10 rebounds and three blocks, but it is unclear when he will play a part in this round.
Tyrese Maxey, along with James Harden, will need to step up even more in the absence of Embiid if the Sixers are to dump out the top seeds.
Like the Celtics and the Bucks, these two traded two wins apiece in the regular-season meetings, with the Sixers winning 113-106 at Wells Fargo Center in March without Embiid, with Maxey top-scoring with 28 points.
Western Conference
Golden State Warriors v Memphis Grizzlies
Despite the best efforts of Nikola Jokic, the Warriors strolled past the Denver Nuggets 4-1 in the first round, but can expect a sterner test here from the Grizzlies.
Stephen Curry is on his game, averaging 28 points across those five outings, although only 3.8 three-pointers per game so far, being outshone in that metric by team-mate Klay Thompson, who has averaged 4.4.
Curry and Thompson combined to great effect in Game 5 against the Nuggets, scoring 33 and 32 points respectively.
Memphis probably struggled more than they thought they would against the Timberwolves, securing a 4-2 win in the end but being made to work for it.
Ja Morant recorded 30 points, 13 rebounds, nine assists and three steals in Game 5. Only five players in the last 35 seasons have recorded such a stat line in a playoff game, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Morant himself.
Morant has continued his great form, but Desmond Bane is also shining in the postseason, with the top average point score for the Grizzlies of 23.5, and 4.5 three-pointers made per game.
The Grizzlies could have a psychological edge in this contest, having won all of their last three meetings in the regular season, with the 28-point difference in the 123-95 win at FedExForum in late March the largest defeat of the Warriors' season.
Phoenix Suns v Dallas Mavericks
Although ultimately through with a game to spare, it was surprising to see the Suns struggle as much as they did against the eighth-seed New Orleans Pelicans.
The outstanding Suns, who won 64 regular-season games, eventually prevailed 4-2 against the Pelicans, who by comparison won just 36 in the regular season, but that is what the playoffs bring, the threat of upsets.
Monty Williams and his team will have hardly been panicking, though, even when they were tied at 2-2 after Game 4, with a Chris Paul-inspired win in New Orleans in Game 6 sealing their passage through.
Having Devin Booker back is a big boost for West's number one seeds, with the 25-year-old returning from a hamstring injury for Game 6 that ruled him out of Games 3-5, having registered a combined 56 points in Games 1 and 2.
The Mavericks made it through the first round for the first time since they won the championship in 2011, seeing off the Utah Jazz 4-2, in a series that was also previously tied at 2-2.
It was made all the more impressive considering Luka Doncic could only play in three games, though still averaging 29.0 points in those he did, as well as 5.7 assists and 10.7 rebounds.
That meant someone else stepping up, and that someone else was Jalen Brunson, who scored 41 in Game 2 and a further 31 in Game 3, averaging 27.8 across the six games.
Dallas will need to do something about their record against Phoenix, though, having lost their last nine meetings with them, including three this season. The Mavs have not recorded a win against the Suns since November 2019.
Carlos Alcaraz has learned never to give up after facing Rafael Nadal, with the pair on a collision course to meet again in next week's Madrid Open quarter-finals.
Alcaraz has enjoyed a hugely impressive season to date, having last week added the Barcelona Open to the titles won in Rio de Janeiro and Miami already in 2022.
Following on from that triumph in Catalonia, Alcaraz – who turns 19 next week – became the youngest male player to break into the top 10 since Nadal 17 years ago.
He boasts a record of 23-3 this year, one of those defeats coming at the hands of Spanish great Nadal in the semi-finals of Indian Wells in March.
That encounter lasted over three hours, with Nadal digging deep in California to prevail 6-4 4-6 6-3, only to lose in the final to Taylor Fritz.
Nadal was clearly troubled by injury during his defeat to Fritz and has subsequently taken a break to recover from a rib problem.
The pair are set to collide once again in Madrid next week should they both come through their second and third-round matches.
Speaking ahead of the draw being made on Friday, Alcaraz revealed he has taken inspiration from facing Nadal, who won a record 21st Grand Slam at the 2022 Australian open.
"I learned about the fighting spirit, of never giving up," the teenager told Spanish talk show El Hormiguero.
"Many people will have also seen the Australian Open match, he was losing and came back almost miraculously.
"From that match against him [at Indian Wells] I get the fighting spirit, never give up and fight until the last ball."
Top seed Novak Djokovic is also in Alcaraz and Nadal's side of the Madrid Open draw, while Andy Murray and Dominic Thiem will meet in the pick of the first-round clashes.
The Memphis Grizzlies are "always confident no matter what the score is", Ja Morant explained after another comeback sent them through in the NBA playoffs.
All-Star Morant won his first playoff series as he helped the Grizzlies overturn the Minnesota Timberwolves' fourth-quarter lead in Game 6 on Friday and win 114-106.
That victory sends the Grizzlies into the Western Conference semi-finals – the first time they have reached that stage since 2015 – and sets up a series against the Golden State Warriors, which will start on Sunday in Tennessee.
It was the third time in their series against the Timberwolves that the Grizzlies had to overcome a double-digit deficit in the final quarter.
"The series was a battle," said Morant, who had a double-double of 17 points and 11 assists, complemented by eight rebounds.
"We knew that every game would be a dogfight. Coming in we knew, with this team, we wouldn't win this series in one game.
"We knew that every game would be a dogfight, that we had to come in locked in and bring our energy from the start. Obviously, the wins were pretty ugly outside of Game 2, but we got it done.
"I feel like we're always confident no matter what the score is. We treat it pretty much as zero-zero.
"We've been down double-digits plenty of times and came back and won. We know the game is not over until there are zeros on the scoreboard at the end of the fourth quarter."
While Morant is confident in Memphis' comeback abilities, team-mate Dillon Brooks insisted it is not by design.
"I wish we had better starts," said Brooks, who along with Morant danced on the Timberwolves' logo after sealing Memphis' progression.
"We don't want to put ourselves in that predicament, but we always find a way to fight.
"Like coach [Taylor Jenkins] said in the locker room, 'There's not one way to win in the NBA playoffs'. There are a lot of ways to win and we just figured out one way."
Morant has had a brilliant campaign though was kept relatively quiet across the series as a whole in his first postseason appearance. However, support came from Desmond Bane.
"If you ask me, the MVP of this series is this guy right here," Morant said while sitting with Bane at a news conference.
"Time and time again, he came up big-time. He hit some big-time shots for us, even kept us in the game, and gave us a lead."
Joel Embiid will be out of action for an indefinite period of time after a stray Pascal Siakam elbow fractured the Philadelphia 76ers center's orbital bone.
As well as the fracture, Embiid also suffered a mild concussion, meaning he will miss a minimum of five days as he works his way through the NBA's concussion protocol.
Embiid suffered a similar injury in 2018, which was diagnosed as a facial fracture. In that instance, the team opted to get him into surgery straight away, leading to a three-week absence.
It is reportedly undecided whether the MVP candidate will get surgery, with specialists trying to determine the severity of the injury and the different courses of action that can be taken.
Embiid has also been playing through a torn ligament in his right thumb, which he plans to have surgery on once the 76ers' season finishes.
A source of frustration for 76ers fans is the fact that the injury was sustained with less than four minutes to go, as they led by 29 points, with pundits such as Jalen Rose calling it a coaching failure by Doc Rivers to still have his stars in that game.
Philadelphia's Eastern Conference semi-final series against the Miami Heat begins on Monday night in South Beach, with Embiid almost guaranteed to be unavailable for Game 1.
Five New York Mets pitchers combined on Friday to throw the franchise's second ever no-hitter, beating the Philadelphia Phillies 3-0.
Tyler Megill got things started for the Mets, pitching five innings for three walks and five strikeouts before being withdrawn after 88 pitches.
Megill was replaced by Drew Smith, who struck out four of the five batters he faced, issuing one walk before he was then replaced by Joely Rodriguez for the seventh frame.
Seth Lugo came in to finish off the eighth inning, setting the table for closer Edwin Diaz to finish the job. The Mets' second no-hitter comes nearly 10 years after their first, when Johan Santana did it by himself in June 2012.
Diaz struck out all three batters in the ninth inning, becoming the first player to ever strike out every batter he faced to close out a no-hitter. It was also the first time since 1990 that the first no-hitter of the season was a combined effort.
It was a scoreless game on both sides until the fifth inning when Jeff McNeil's base hit brought home Eduardo Escobar and Mark Canha, with Pete Alonso's solo home run an inning later giving the Mets their winning margin.
Aaron Nola was no slouch on the mound for the Phillies, with nine strikeouts through six complete innings to go with three earned runs from seven hits and no walks.
The win moves the Mets' record to 15-6 – the best in the MLB.
Showtime for Shohei in Chicago
Just one game back in the standings from the Mets, the Los Angeles Angels claimed another stylish win as they defeated the Chicago White Sox 5-1.
It was a terrific pitching performance from the Angels staff as starter Jimmy Herget was pulled after just three innings, with six relievers combining to hold the White Sox scoreless the rest of the way.
With the bat, Shohei Ohtani made sure fans did not have to wait long to get their money's worth, sending a high fastball on a 3-1 count back over the pitcher's head and over the center-field wall. It was the Angels' second homer of the opening frame after Taylor Ward hit a lead-off bomb to start the game.
Guardians win back-and-forth thriller
In a game with five lead changes, the Cleveland Guardians prevailed 9-8 against the Oakland Athletics.
A Jose Ramirez solo home run gave the Guardians a 1-0 lead in the first inning, but it was short-lived as the Athletics responded with four runs in the bottom of the frame, with three coming home on a 407-foot Sean Murphy home run.
The momentum shifted again in the third inning as an Andres Gimenez grand slam pushed the Guardians back ahead 5-4, but once again the Athletics answered straight back, scoring the next four runs to lead 8-5.
Cleveland had the last laugh in the seventh inning, as a Ramirez double brought two runs home to trim the deficit to one, before a two-run Josh Naylor homer made it 9-8, allowing Emmanuel Clase to close things out with the save.
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