Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker hailed his side for never panicking as they edged an 18-inning epic after Jeremy Pena's homer to sweep the ALCS with a 1-0 win over the Seattle Mariners.
The game was only the fourth 18-inning game in MLB postseason history, and the first in postseason history to go scoreless through 17 innings. It officially lasted six hours and 22 minutes.
The Astros made their own history with the series-sweeping victory, becoming the first team in the MLB to win a playoff series in six straight seasons. Houston also reached the ALCS for a record sixth consecutive time.
That would not have been possible if not for 25-year-old shortstop Pena's 18th-inning solo shot over deep left-center field off a Penn Murfee 3-2 fastball, before Luis Garcia closed it out earning praise from Baker.
"This is some team," Baker told reporters. "These guys they grind and grind and grind. And sooner or later we broke through.
"These guys, they know not to panic. They don't get too excited. They don't get too down. It means a lot."
The Astros have endured plenty over the past few years in light of the sign stealing scandal, before a period of success under Baker since taking over in January 2020.
Houston lost to the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALCS in 2020, before losing the World Series to the Atlanta Braves in 2021. Baker said their sustained success was all about "excellence".
"Once you've been through it and go through it again and again and again, you expect excellence," he said. "That's what this team expects out of itself."
"We didn’t know who the hero was going to be tonight. We were hoping we'd have somebody and we had somebody in Pena. This whole series it's been different guys. Our pitching staff and our bullpen did a heck of a job during this whole series."
The defeat ended a wild ride for the Mariners, who reached the postseason for the first time in 21 years, and were cheered by their fans at T-Mobile Park after the game despite the defeat.
"We were right there," Mariners manager Scott Servais said. "You look at the whole series it really comes down to three swings of the bat.
"I thought our pitching was just off the chart, starting with George Kirby. To fire him out in a must-win game and get seven shutout innings from a rookie, you can't ask for anymore. Great experience.
"The number of young players that played huge roles for us in this series is going to benefit us immensely going forward."
Francesco Bagnaia moved into the MotoGP championship lead after another Fabio Quartararo horror as Alex Rins triumphed in a thrilling Australian Grand Prix on Sunday.
World title leader Quartararo crashed out on the 11th lap after an early mistake saw him fall back in the pack. Quartararo's non-finish makes it three races out of four with no points, with his title grasp slipping away, after the front went from underneath him on Turn 2.
Bagnaia claimed third place which moved him to 233 points, 14 ahead of the Frenchman, although it could have been more after the Ducati driver surrendered his lead on the final lap.
Rins and Marc Marquez swooped on the final lap to pass Bagnaia, with the top seven all finishing within eight-tenths of a second at the Phillip Island Circuit.
If Bagnaia had held on for the win, he could have claimed the title with victory in the penultimate race in Malaysia. Instead, reigning champion Quartararo remains in contention.
Rins' triumph is the third of his career and his first of the season. It is also his third podium this year but first in 14 races.
Marquez's second-place finish brings up his 100th podium in the premier class, ending a long wait after surgery on his humerus in June.
Ducati's Marco Bezzecchi came in fourth to clinch the 2022 Rookie of the Year, with Enea Bastianini, Luca Marini and Jorge Martin rounding out the tightly contested top seven.
Jack Miller had been in contention early on his home track but was taken out to end his world title hopes by Alex Marquez with 19 laps to go.
Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker says his side simply ran into a hot team after bowing out of the MLB postseason following a 8-3 loss in Game 4 of the NLDS against the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday.
The Phillies completed a 3-1 NLDS win with another dominant display over the 2021 world champions at Citizens Bank Park, backing up Friday's emphatic 9-1 win.
Brandon Marsh delivered a three-run blast in the second inning, before J.T. Realmuto stirred up the home fans with a remarkable inside-the-park homer in the third. Bryce Harper's eighth-inning opposite-field home run put the gloss on the win.
For the Braves, it ended their title defence, having finished top of the NL East with a 101-61 after sensationally overhauling the New York Mets late in the regular season.
The Phillies won Games 3 and 4 scoring 17-4, while they piled on 24 runs across the four-game series despite being kept scoreless in Game 2 after a fine Kyle Wright shift.
Excluding Wright, the Braves starting pitchers struggled throughout the NLDS, with Charlie Morton pulled after two innings on Saturday, following on from Max Fried and Spencer Strider in Games 1 and 3 respectively.
"We ran into a really hot team, pretty much," Snitker told reporters. “They were hitting on all cylinders. They were playing great baseball. They got big hits.
"They shut us down offensively, and I think all the credit goes to the Phillies. They came in here, they got hot at the right time and played a heck of a series."
Snitker was not too downbeat about the Braves campaign, where rookies Michael Harris II and Strider emerged while Wright broke out, offering a solid foundation moving forward.
"They should be very proud of what they did this year," Snitker said. “Like I said earlier, you just never know where the postseason is going to take you and what’s going to happen.
"But we had a really strong year. The goal was to get into the postseason. We did and it didn't happen."
The Phillies, who finished 14 games behind the Braves in the NL East, progressed to the NLCS for the first time since 2010, after a midseason change of manager with Joe Girardi replaced by Rob Thomson.
Philadelphia will face either the Los Angeles Dodgers or San Diego Padres in the NLCS and will have plenty of belief after dominating the final two games against the Braves.
"The last 24 hours shows what we're made of," Marsh said. "There's a lot of good going with this ball club.
"We've just got to keep it going, keep our heads down and grind and just stay focused on the task at hand. The last 24 hours have been pretty fun."
The Golden State Warriors have continued the mission to keep their championship core in place, with forward Andrew Wiggins agreeing a four-year, $109million contract extension.
Wiggins was entering the final year of his previous deal and will now be owed a total of $143million over the next five seasons.
The news, reported initially by ESPN, comes just hours after Golden State and Jordan Poole were revealed to have agreed to a four-year, $140million extension.
Wiggins was a crucial contributor to the Warriors title run in June, with the 27-year-old averaging 18.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists in the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics.
The number one overall pick in 2014, Wiggins had several productive seasons on losing teams with the Minnesota Timberwolves but had his best moments as a pro in the 2022 playoffs as a two-way force for the Warriors.
Wiggins has averaged 19.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 598 career games.
With Wiggins, Poole and star Stephen Curry signed at least through the 2025-26 season, attention now turns to veterans Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, who are under contract this season and have player options in 2023-24.
The Warriors were well over the NBA's luxury tax threshold last season, paying over $300million for their roster, an NBA record.
This year's bill will be even more expensive for team owner Joe Lacob.
Despite Lacob's track record of paying exorbitant taxes to maximise the Warriors' chances at more championships, some have wondered if there will be enough money to go around in two years to keep Green and Thompson in the Bay Area.
Andrey Rublev set up a final meeting with Sebastian Korda at the Gijon Open, overcoming Dominic Thiem in straight sets in the last four.
The world number nine battled through an up-and-down opener before remaining patient to seal the second set and the match on Thiem's serve, taking a 6-4 6-4 victory.
Russian Rublev has now won eight successive sets of tennis against the 2020 US Open champion, and he is one win away from his fourth title of 2022 after triumphs in Belgrade, Dubai and Marseille.
Speaking on court after the win, Rublev said: "I was lucky I played a really good game and Dominic helped me out a little bit.
"Then I felt more confident and I was able to win in two sets, which was the most important thing. This week I have been playing really well, and I'll try to show my best tennis of the week tomorrow."
Korda will be Rublev's opponent on Sunday after the American saw off France's Arthur Rinderknech for a 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 win.
Meanwhile, at the Firenze Open, top seed Felix Auger-Aliassime saw off home favourite Lorenzo Musetti 6-2 6-3, moving one step closer to a second ATP Tour title.
The Canadian will face JJ Wolf in the final in Florence, after the American clinched a 6-4 6-4 win over Sweden's Mikael Ymer.
Australia started the defence of their Rugby League World Cup title with a convincing 42-8 win over Fiji at Headingley on Saturday.
Mal Meninga's side, playing their first match since 2019, were shocked early on in Leeds when Semi Valemei ran onto Sitiveni Moceidreke's kick to dot down after just four minutes.
Normal service was resumed after 16 minutes when Jeremiah Nanai raced through Fiji's defences to go over, before Josh Addo-Carr ran almost the length of the pitch to score a stunning solo try soon after.
Angus Crichton went over in the 35th minute, with Valentine Holmes adding a third successful conversion of the half to put the Kangaroos 18-4 up at the interval.
There was no letting up from Australia at the start of the second period, as converted tries from Latrell Mitchell and Harry Grant handed them a 30-4 lead by the hour mark.
James Tedesco rode the challenges of two Fijians soon after to dot down, while Addo-Carr went over for a second time in the 68th minute for a try which Holmes duly converted to maintain his 100 per cent success rate.
Fiji had the final score of the night, as Sunia Turuva went over with four minutes remaining to marginally reduce the deficit.
Anna Blinkova advanced to her first WTA Tour singles final in one of two marathon last-four upsets at the Transylvania Open on Saturday.
Blinkova, the world number 138, had to come through qualifying in Cluj-Napoca but has built her momentum over the course of the week.
The Russian eliminated second seed Anhelina Kalinina in the quarter-finals on Friday, and continued her excellent form by downing compatriot Anastasia Potapova in the semis.
Number four seed Potapova took the opener against Blinkova, but the 24-year-old rallied to a 5-7 6-4 6-4 win to break new ground on the Tour.
Now, however, Blinkova faces an opponent who has beaten her twice in a row, dropping only seven games in the process.
Jasmine Paolini is herself playing only her second singles final on Sunday, having toppled seventh seed Wang Xiyu after two and a half hours on Saturday.
The Italian also required three sets, recovering her composure after being pegged back in the second to progress 7-5 4-6 6-3.
Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo is undergoing treatment for a brain tumour, the NBA has announced.
An eight-time NBA All-Star, Mutombo is regarded as one of the best defensive players in history and sits second in the league's all-time charts for blocks, behind only Hakeem Olajuwon.
Mutombo also won the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award on four occasions. He retired from playing in 2009 and has turned his focus to humanitarian work.
On Saturday, a statement issued by the league on behalf of Mutombo and his family confirmed the 56-year-old's condition, adding that the former Atlanta Hawks and Denver Nuggets center was in "great spirits".
"NBA global ambassador and Basketball Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo is currently undergoing treatment for a brain tumour," the statement read.
"He is receiving the best care possible from a collaborative team of specialists in Atlanta and is in great spirits as he begins treatment.
"Dikembe and his family ask for privacy during this time so they can focus on his care. They are grateful for your prayers and good wishes."
Mutombo also played for the Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks and Houston Rockets in his celebrated career.
Jordan Poole is finalising a four-year, $140million extension with the Golden State Warriors.
ESPN reported the 23-year-old's agents had told of the imminent deal on Saturday, with an official announcement expected to follow.
The deadline for rookie extensions for members of the 2019 NBA Draft class is Monday, with Poole's future a priority for defending champions Golden State.
The Warriors guard played in all 22 playoff games last season en route to the title, although he only started in the first five of those, losing his place in the lineup after Stephen Curry returned to full fitness.
Poole averaged 17.0 points in 27.5 minutes in the postseason, having contributed 18.5 points per game in the regular season, making him the team's third scorer behind Curry (25.5) and Klay Thompson (20.4). His free-throw percentage of 92.5 led the league.
The 2021-22 season was Poole's third in the NBA but his first as a key man in a title-contending team, as only Andrew Wiggins (2,330) played more minutes for Golden State in the regular season (2,283).
Poole was the 28th pick when drafted by the Warriors three years ago, but he led players in his class in combined regular season and postseason minutes (2,889) by a wide margin last season (Tyler Herro second, 2,532).
As the Warriors look to defend their title while transitioning to a younger generation, with James Wiseman set for a big year, Poole will again have a prominent role this season.
His and the team's preparations for the new campaign were marred by a practice court incident involving Draymond Green, however.
Reports told of a confrontation between the pair, before footage emerged on social media showing Green punching Poole.
Green was fined by the Warriors but not suspended, with coach Steve Kerr describing the episode as his "biggest crisis" in eight hugely successful years with the team.
England made a winning start to the Rugby League World Cup as they claimed an emphatic 60-6 victory over a dangerous Samoa side.
Many expected Samoa to stun the hosts in the tournament curtain-raiser, but a team featuring several players who featured in the NRL Grand Final two weeks ago failed to deliver.
An early penalty from Tommy Makinson put England ahead before Jack Welsby went over for the tournament's first try.
Dom Young crossed for a stunning double to give England a measure of command they never relinquished despite Izack Tago's interception score.
Stephen Crichton saw a try ruled out by the video referee before half-time but Samoa never threatened thereafter.
Marker set.
England get their RLWC2021 campaign off to the best possible start with a comprehensive win over Samoa.#RLWC2021 | @England_RL pic.twitter.com/jAM90RSNSD
Kallum Watkins scored England's fourth try and they ran riot after Samoa's Anthony Milford was sin-binned.
Herbie Farnworth crossed, Elliott Whitehead added a quickfire double and Makinson brought up the half-century when he converted his own try on the left sideline.
George Williams and Tom Burgess had the final say form Shaun Wane's side, who are in the box seat to win Group A, with games against France and tournament debutants Greece to follow.
Washington Commanders quarterback Carson Wentz is facing a spell out of action after fracturing his finger, according to reports.
The Commanders beat the Chicago Bears 12-7 on Thursday to move 2-4 for the season, with Wentz playing the whole game. He was sacked three times and did not make a touchdown pass, throwing for just 99 yards.
However, on Saturday NFL media reported the 29-year-old – who was traded from the Indianapolis Colts ahead of the 2022 season – had suffered a fracture to the ring finger on his right hand.
Wentz, who had been suffering with a bicep issue before the game, played on with the fracture, despite being in clear pain, and will now see a specialist in Los Angeles to determine the next step in his treatment.
The injury comes after Commanders coach Ron Rivera hit back at suggestions he was not enthusiastic about the signing of Wentz.
Rivera said during his post-game news conference after the win over the Bears: "Everybody keeps wanting to say, I didn’t want anything to do with Carson.
"Well bull****. I'm the f****** guy that pulled out the sheets of paper, that looked at the analytics, that watched the tape when we were in Indianapolis.
"That's what p***** me off, because the young man doesn't deserve to have that all the time. I'm sorry, I'm done."
Rivera's outburst came after he had claimed a reason behind his team's poor start compared to the rest of the NFC East was at "quarterback", though he subsequently apologised and insisted he had not meant to disparage Wentz, who has thrown for 10 touchdowns this season.
Peter Uihlein seized a one-stroke lead to carry into the final round of LIV Golf Jeddah after a seven-under-par 63 in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.
The American leapfrogged compatriot Brooks Koepka at the top of the leaderboard after an eagle and birdie on his final two holes took him to 12 under.
The only blot on his copybook at the Royal Greens Golf Club was a double bogey at the par-four 13th.
Koepka, who led after the first day of competition on Friday, carded a three-under round of 67 to stay in touch.
Two shots further back are South Africa's Charl Schwartzel and Sergio Garcia, with the Spaniard posting a bogey-free 64.
The inaugural individual LIV Golf champion Dustin Johnson stood five shots off the lead after a round of 65.
It was a disappointing day for Henrik Stenson, meanwhile, with the Swede sitting in last place after going round in 75, five over and for the tournament.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has cleared the NFL's concussion protocol.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Saturday that Tagovailoa had been cleared after sustaining a concussion in the Dolphins' Week 4 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Tagovailoa will not play in Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings, in which third-string quarterback Skylar Thompson is expected to start. Thompson previously filled in for backup Teddy Bridgewater, who suffered a concussion on the first play of last Sunday's loss to the New York Jets.
However, Tagovailoa looks set to return for the Week 7 meeting with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Tagovailoa saga has led to a change in the NFL's concussion protocols, with the league and the NFLPA agreeing his return to play against the Buffalo Bills in Week 3 after an apparent head injury was "not what was intended when the protocols were drafted".
Tagovailoa was visibly unsteady on his feet after having his head slammed to the turf; however, he surprisingly returned for the second half.
He was flung to the turf in similar fashion by Bengals defensive lineman Josh Tupou and exhibited the fencing response, leading to him being taken from the field on a stretcher and transported to hospital.
Tagovailoa's response in the Bills game, known as ataxia, has now been added to the NFL's list of no-go symptoms. Bridgewater was ruled out against the Jets under this change.
A post on Twitter from Schefter read: "Since suffering a concussion in Week 4, Tua Tagovailoa, the Dolphins and his team of independent doctors followed a thorough process that far exceeded the NFL's concussion protocol, per sources.
"He received four outside opinions, in addition to team doctors, who unanimously cleared him from protocol and all agreed that his scans showed no signs of long-term impact on the brain."
Schefter also reported that Bridgewater has been cleared from the protocol and will serve as Thompson's backup against the Vikings.
Fabio Quartararo has "more to lose, but a lot to gain" after qualifying fifth for the Australian Grand Prix as he bids to preserve his slender advantage over Francesco Bagnaia.
Quartararo arrived at Phillip Island with a two-point lead over Bagnaia in the MotoGP world championship, which he is seeking to defend after prevailing in 2021.
The Frenchman has just one podium finish in the last seven races. Bagnaia, by contrast, has six, including four wins.
And the Monster Energy Yamaha rider will be behind his title rival on the grid after qualifying fifth for Sunday's race, with Bagnaia on the front row in third for Ducati.
Pramac Racing's Jorge Martin took pole by breaking Jorge Lorenzo's lap record, which had stood since 2013, with a time of one minute and 27.767 seconds.
Marc Marquez pipped Bagnaia to second, while Aleix Esparagaro, not out of the title fight himself as he trails Quartararo by 20 points with three races left, was fourth. Johann Zarco rounded off the second row in sixth.
"I'm satisfied about my qualifying but frustrated about the position,” Quartararo said. "I felt I made a really great lap, but it is never enough. I feel like for the pace, we are not too bad, so just frustrated a little bit about qualifying.
"It's not a disaster because I feel quite okay and for me the front two rows is the main thing. Here will be a strange race because I think everyone has a lot of tyre consumption.
"I think it's one of the worst tracks for it during all the year. With the soft, you can go much faster. But after a few laps you drop so much and are much slower. So it's going to be interesting. Not the best for us, because we need to make corner speed on the exit. But it's going to be a great challenge.
"Pecco [Bagnaia] is really fast. But I think we are fast. Many riders have a good pace. So, I think it can be a usual Phillip Island race – apart from last time [2019] where really Marc and Maverick went away – so I think it will be a quite interesting race.
"Of course there is more to gain and more to lose [now]. But what should you do if you have only two points? You have to go and give your best. At the end, you have more to lose, but a lot to gain, so you need to push yourself to the maximum."
Bagnaia is not anticipating a challenge from Aprilia's Espargaro but believes the opening laps will be tricky for him to navigate.
"In the first laps it will be very tough to be competitive and to not lose performance," said the Italian. "Many riders, also from the rear [of the field], will push, and the rear tyre will drop a lot.
"It will be important to be intelligent in the first few laps. I think that Marc, Jorge, Fabio can be very competitive. I think, in this moment, Aleix is not as competitive as the riders I said."
PROVISIONAL CLASSIFICATION
1. Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) 1:27.767
2. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) +0.013s
3. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) +0.186s
4. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) +0.190s
5. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) +0.206s
6. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) +0.240s
7. Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing) +0.262s
8. Jack Miller (Ducati) +0.349s
9. Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing) +0.418s
10. Alex Rins (Suzuki Ecstar) +0.774s
11. Alex Marquez (LCR Honda) +0.966s
12. Maverick Vinales (Aprilia) +0.998s
With the Washington Commanders beating the Chicago Bears on Thursday, the NFC East improved to a league-leading 15-6 on the year.
The 2-4 Commanders are joined by three of the NFL's six teams with four wins or more, including the 5-0 Philadelphia Eagles – the only remaining unbeaten outfit.
Pre-season excitement centred on the AFC West and its potential to dominate the NFL, but the NFC East has instead surprisingly come to the fore, tallying five more wins through five weeks.
Of the six defeats for its four teams, three have been against division rivals.
There is therefore great anticipation for the fourth such matchup of the season on Sunday, when the Eagles play the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field.
With the Kansas City Chiefs also facing the Buffalo Bills, there is a compelling case to be made for fans this week getting to watch games between the best two teams in the NFC and the best two teams in the AFC.
Of course, the neutral may prefer to focus on the AFC tussle, where two of the leading quarterbacks in the sport will renew a rivalry last seen in their playoff epic.
But the supporting casts of the Eagles and the Cowboys might make them equally credible candidates as the league's best team come Monday.
It is certainly difficult to argue against the Eagles' start.
Their 5-0 record is their best since kicking off 7-0 in 2004; in fact, that was the last time any NFC East team won more than five games straight at the start of the year. The Eagles have already matched the 2009 New York Giants – the previous most recent example of a 5-0 start.
Outside the NFC East, such streaks have been far more commonplace. There has been at least one 5-0 team in every season since 2015, when there were six, including Super Bowl 50 champions the Denver Broncos.
That the 2015 Broncos were the last team to start 5-0 and then win the title suggests these stretches do not always mean a great deal in the long term, however.
Perhaps then the Eagles would be better served getting the first defeat out the way now, although that would mean losing control of this suddenly fiercely competitive division.
Either way, the Cowboys represent a far more serious threat than their opponents through Week 5.
The Eagles so far rank second in total offense – their 419.8 net yards per game topping the 2021 Cowboys' league-leading 407.0 – but have played defenses ranking 31st, 24th, 19th, ninth and 18th. The Dallas defense ranks seventh, and they have held each of their first five opponents to under 20 points for the first time since 1972.
As Stats Perform's efficiency versus expected model (EVE) ranks the Eagles' offense fourth and the Cowboys' defense fourth, it is clear where this game will be won and lost.
Previously, the Cowboys have had the tools to outgun their NFC East rivals. They have won their last three games against the Eagles by 20, 20 and 25 points – only once before (also versus the Eagles in the 1960s) winning four in a row by 20-plus points against any one team.
This time, with quarterback Dak Prescott still out, the Cowboys will instead focus on capitalising on the Eagles' own injury issues on their offensive line, where there are concerns around center Jason Kelce, tackle Jordan Mailata and guards Landon Dickerson and Isaac Seumalo.
Another big game from six-sack, second-year sensation Micah Parsons could be pivotal.
If the Eagles can negotiate that threat, though, a two-game lead even in this division might be enough to start planning for the playoffs now, given their schedule.
After the Cowboys, the Eagles have a bye week before playing teams ranking 32nd, 30th, 27th, 11th, 16th, 31st, 19th and 24th by overall EVE ahead of facing Dallas again in Week 16.
The NFC East's record winning start belongs to the 1991 Washington team, and the Eagles for now remain a way off the 11-0 sequence that preceded a Super Bowl triumph in a period of domination for this division.
But victory against the Cowboys would at least mean clearing the most significant hurdle in this young team's path.
Elina Svitolina gave birth to her and husband Gael Monfils' first child on Saturday.
The couple, who married in July 2021, have announced the arrival of daughter Skai Monfils.
Former world number three Svitolina and two-time grand slam semi-finalist Monfils announced last May they were expecting a baby girl.
Svitolina posted on Instagram on Saturday: "Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to Skai Monfils.
"Can't thank enough my husband to live [through] this unforgettable moment with me."
Monfils wrote on social media: "I had the most amazing night of my life, which ended with the most beautiful gift around 6.00am.
"Elina was strong and brave. I can't [thank] enough my wife and God for this special moment. Welcome to the world my little princess Skai."
It feels like a golden era for great players spread across the NBA.
So much talent, so many game winners, and an almost endless amount of possibilities as the stars prepare to get the new season under way.
Despite this, the MVP award has been sealed off by Nikola Jokic for the past two seasons, so the rest will have to step up and take it from the Serbian this time around.
We all have our favourites, and anything can happen in the NBA, but ahead of the new campaign, three members of the Stats Perform team have made their picks for who they think can challenge Jokic in 2022-23.
Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers - Liam Phillips
After finishing second in MVP voting two years in a row, Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid is in prime position to get over the hump this time around.
Embiid, 28, has been denied the past two awards due to historic seasons frotem Denver Nuggets talisman Jokic, where he established himself as arguably the greatest playmaking center in the history of the league.
Winning the MVP in back-to-back years is not as uncommon as one would think, with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, LeBron James (twice), Steve Nash and Tim Duncan all achieving the feat this century.
However, Larry Bird is the only man to three in a row, from 1984 to 1986, since Wilt Chamberlain's three-peat between 1966-68.
Take into account that Jokic now has his two top team-mates returning to the line-up after Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr were sidelined for the entire season, and his numbers will almost have to take a dip to accommodate them.
With Jokic facing a big ask to land the gong again this upcoming season for those reasons, Embiid should be the favourite, as he just needs to emulate his performance from the past two seasons and voters will be clamouring to reward the seven-foot-two superstar.
His biggest opposition will likely come from the Mavericks' Luka Doncic, who finished sixth in 2021 and fifth in 2022, and is still only 23 years old.
A slightly better Mavericks team this season, combined with a small step forward in Doncic's shooting percentages, will have him right near the top of the voting by default.
But the difference is the 76ers could finish as the top team in the Eastern Conference, and the Mavericks have almost no chance of claiming the Western Conference one seed – and voters are suckers for a great record.
Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks - Ben Spratt
If voters rewarded Jokic for carrying the Nuggets, would they not do the same for Doncic? Already clearly the main man in Dallas, Jalen Brunson's departure will only give the Slovenian further opportunity to impress.
Doncic (28.4 points per game) was the Mavericks' leading scorer last season. With Brunson (16.3) following Kristaps Porzingis (19.2 before a trade to the Washington Wizards) through the exit door, they have lost numbers two and three on that list.
Rather than source a like-for-like replacement for Brunson, the Mavs will presumably just ask Doncic to do more. His usage rate was already the highest in the NBA.
Doncic is one of the few players in the league with the ability to beat teams on his own – Jokic obviously being one of the others.
In the absence of his injured team-mates, Jokic improved on an MVP season in terms of points and rebounds, even allowing for a small dip in assists without Murray to give the ball to, and was not punished by voters for a decrease in win percentage.
If Doncic takes the same path, he is looking at averaging a 30-point double-double for the season. That will be very difficult to ignore.
Not that Doncic is readily ignored. He heads into the season as the MVP favourite yet again, having seen previous campaigns derailed by early-season struggles.
After playing in the Olympics last year, Doncic acknowledged he "relaxed a little bit", "maybe too much", and needed "to do better", drawing criticism from Reggie Miller for "plodding up and down the court".
Now, though, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd says Doncic is "taking his body serious", returning in top physical condition for – surely – a genuine MVP charge.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks - David Segar
The man who was denied the chance to win three on the bounce by Jokic in 2020-21 has a big job on his talented hands to lead the Bucks this year.
The 2021 champions are among the favourites to mount a strong challenge for the title, but have had a fruitless preseason, losing all five warm-up games in the past few weeks.
However, in Antetokounmpo, they have a man who is capable of dragging any team to success, and despite no longer being considered the league's leading player as he was in 2018-19 and 2019-20, the Greek's output has not really subsided.
In the first season he was awarded MVP, Antetokounmpo averaged 27.7 points per game in the regular season, with 12.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists, before recording 29.5 points per game, 13.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists the following year.
Despite ultimately winning a championship, he was behind Jokic in the voting in 2020-21, though averaged 28.1 points per game, 11.0 rebounds and 5.9 assists.
Last season was the best of his career for average points from the 27-year-old, with his 29.9 per game only bettered by Embiid (30.6) and James (30.3), while he also averaged 11.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists.
It would be easy to argue that Antetokounmpo is a better player now than he was when he won his previous two MVPs, and like on those occasions, maybe he does not need to go all the way with the Bucks to reclaim his crown.
Though Greece were eliminated from EuroBasket by Germany at the quarter-final stage, Antetokounmpo still made the team of the tournament, and looks to be in good form heading into the season, even if his team-mates might need a little longer to get going.
It is a long campaign, though, which will give Antetokounmpo ample time to show that he has what it takes to become just the ninth player in history to win three MVP awards.
Rickie Fowler heads into the final round of the Zozo Championship with a one-stroke lead as he seeks to end his long wait for a 10th professional title.
Fowler has not tasted victory since his win at the Waste Management Open in Phoenix in 2019.
But he is tantalisingly close to experiencing the winning feeling once more after carding a four-under 66 in Chiba.
That took him to 14 under, with Keegan Bradley his closest challenger at 13 under and Andrew Putnam one stroke further back.
Viktor Hovland carded a 64 to move to 11 under, his six-under effort matched by Maverick McNealy, Cameron Champ and Hayden Buckley, who are all 10 under.
Sahith Theegala enjoyed the best round of the day, producing a 63 to move into contention at nine under.
"It’s been a while since I’ve been in this situation,” said Fowler.
"There hasn’t been much the last few years. Obviously remember being in the situations before. It’ll be tough tomorrow but also fun, I’m looking forward to the challenge. I’m going to have to play well and continue doing what I’ve been doing the last three days.
"There’s plenty of guys within a few shots, I’m out front, in control, but that can change if I don’t execute like I have been."
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts knows their remarkable regular season counts for nothing as they face elimination in the National League Division Series with the San Diego Padres.
The Padres took a 2-1 lead in the five-game series on Friday with a 2-1 win at Petco Park.
San Diego can clinch a place in the National League Championship Series with victory at the same venue on Saturday.
While the Padres had to come through a Wild Card series with the New York Mets, the Dodgers won the NL West and led the majors with 111 wins.
Asked about the contrast from dominating in the regular season to facing elimination, Roberts said: "It's where we're at. It was a very good regular season, but as we said before, none of that matters.
"We're in a five-game series against a very good ballclub that we're familiar with, and the team that plays the best baseball is going to win the series. And up to this point, they've played better than we have.
"I don't think the mentality changes [on Saturday]. It's certainly a game we have to win, win or go home. We're going to do everything we can to try to win a baseball game.
"So all hands on deck. And the core of this group has been in this position before, and we're going to approach it like it's the way it is.
"It's win or go home. We've got to play better baseball. When we do have opportunities to cash in, we've got to take advantage of them."
Padres manager Bob Melvin, meanwhile, is understandably desperate for his team to finish the job on Saturday and avoid having to play a series decider in Los Angeles.
"Pretty badly," Melvin said when asked how much he wanted to end the series in four games.
"I mean, you saw it out there. It was a pretty good atmosphere to play in. They had a big say in what went on today, too. It felt like the last couple innings there was so much momentum in the place that it was hard not to get it done.
"Obviously pitching was unbelievable tonight, but pretty much inspired the whole game. A lot of fun tonight. Be pretty similar probably tomorrow night, as well."
Trent Grisham's home run at the bottom of the fourth inning proved the decisive blow, the outfielder hitting his third homer of the postseason.
"I feel like hitting him in fourth, but he's doing well where he is, bottom of our order, is having a lot of production. We want to try to keep some consistency throughout. But he has the ability to do these things," Melvin said of Grisham.
"I think the thing that really is incredible is where he's gone to at the end of the season to where he is right now in the postseason.
"This is kind of who he is as a player, but it was a tough road getting there."
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