Nikola Jokic joked he is glad the "world doesn't put the bigs aside" after another stellar showing enhanced the Denver Nuggets star's MVP chances.
The giant centre drained 47 points in a 139-137 double-overtime thriller against the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, including a go-ahead three in the second additional period.
Jokic added 15 rebounds and eight assists in steering the Nuggets to a third straight win in the absence of Jamal Murray, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
It was Jokic's 51st double-double of an impressive campaign and only narrowly short of a 16th triple-double.
Such impressive form has Jokic well and truly in the MVP conversation and he would be the first center to win the prize since Shaquille O'Neal did so in 1999-2000.
"It's really good for big men. I'm just glad the world doesn't put the bigs aside. We're still popular," Jokic said.
"I had a really good night. I scored a lot and I had a couple of stupid turnovers I can easily fix. It was good night for me and the team."
Head coach Michael Malone feels Jokic has shown on plenty of occasions this season that he deserves individual recognition.
"Life is about a bunch of little moments and I think Nikola's got around 56 little moments this year where he's shown he's the MVP.
"Tonight was a character win."
The Nuggets are 37-20 for the season after their win and sit fourth in the Western Conference.
Stephen Curry is going "above and beyond" even his own "mind-boggling" standards after another record-breaking outing for the Golden State Warriors, says head coach Steve Kerr.
Superstar Curry drained 49 points, including 20 in the last quarter, as the Warriors defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 197-96 on Monday.
He hit 10 three-pointers and is now the first player to make 70-plus threes in a 10-game span, while he has more games with 40-plus points and 10-plus threes over the last eight days (four) than any other NBA player has had over their entire career.
On top of that, Curry is the first player in the league's history aged 33 or older to have 11 consecutive 30-plus point games, surpassing the legendary Kobe Bryant (10 straight in 2012), while his 47 and 49 points in the past two outings means he is the first player aged 33 or over with back-to-back 45-plus games since Hall of Famer Michael Jordan scored 51 and 45 in 2001.
Kerr was almost at a loss to explain Curry's exploits.
"I've seen Kobe Bryant early in his career, had a stretch where he went nuts," Kerr said.
"Obviously, Michael Jordan had some stretches where he just scored like crazy, but obviously nobody's ever shot the ball like this in the history of the game. Even by Steph's own lofty standards, this is above and beyond.
"Twenty-one career games with 10 or more. And Klay [Thompson] is second with five. And Steph's had four in the last five [games]. Mind-boggling. Mind-boggling stuff.
"I don't know what else to say. You guys ask me after every game what I think of Steph and his performance, whatever I said last game, just use that tonight.
"Because it's the same thing after every game, it's just utter amazement at this guy's skill level, heart, mind, focus, it's just amazing to watch."
After winning eight consecutive games, MLB World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers are in the midst of a different streak following their 4-3 loss to the Seattle Mariners.
The Dodgers had their winning streak snapped by National League (NL) West rivals the San Diego Padres on Sunday and the star-studded champions lost again on Monday.
In the series opener, the American League (AL) West-leading Mariners used two home runs from rookie Taylor Trammell and Jose Marmolejos to take down the Dodgers.
Corey Seager hit a homer for the Dodgers, but it was not enough as Dustin May was tagged with the loss after giving up four hits and four runs – including both homers – in five innings.
Musgrove stays hot
The San Diego Padres lost 3-1 to the Milwaukee Brewers, but Joe Musgrove impressed again. In four starts this season, Musgrove has 37 strikeouts while allowing just three walks and three runs. According to Stats Perform, he is the first pitcher in the modern era to have 35-plus strikeouts while allowing no more than three walks or three runs over his first four starts of a season. Musgrove set a career high with his 13 strikeouts against the Brewers.
Giolito accepts blame for White Sox loss
The Chicago White Sox were beaten 11-4 by the Boston Red Sox. Lucas Giolito was removed in the second inning, having allowed eight runs – seven earned – and eight hits as his ERA went from 2.55 to 5.79.
"I lost us the game in the first inning, and its not a good feeling," Giolito said. "I think that they had a good approach against me, and I pitched into it and they didn't miss."
Grand slam!
Paul DeJong hit two of the St Louis Cardinals' five home runs, including a grand slam in the fifth inning, as the team crushed the Washington Nationals 12-5.
Monday's results
Boston Red Sox 11-4 Chicago White Sox
San Francisco Giants 2-0 Philadelphia Phillies
St Louis Cardinals 12-5 Washington Nationals
Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 Kansas City Royals
Texas Rangers 6-4 Los Angeles Angels
Milwaukee Brewers 3-1 San Diego Padres
Seattle Mariners 4-3 Los Angeles Dodgers
Minnesota Twins-Oakland Athletics (postponed)
Jays at Red Sox
AL East rivals the Toronto Blue Jays (7-9) and Red Sox (11-6) will go head-to-head at Fenway Park, starting Monday. Ryu Hyun-jin gets the start for the Blue Jays, while Eduardo Rodriguez will be on the mound for leaders the Red Sox in Boston.
Stephen Curry lit up the Philadelphia 76ers with 49 points as the Golden State Warriors upstaged the Eastern Conference leaders 107-96.
Curry maintained his red-hot form in a red-breaking display in Philadelphia, where the two-time NBA MVP nailed 10 three-pointers to sink the 76ers on Monday.
The Warriors superstar became the first player to make 70-plus threes in a 10-game span on a memorable outing on the road.
Curry has more games with 40-plus points and 10-plus threes over the last eight days (four) than any other NBA player has had over their entire career, per Stats Perform.
Curry became the first player in NBA history aged 33 or older with 11 consecutive 30-plus point games, surpassing Kobe Bryant (10 straight in 2012).
After scoring 47 and 49 points, Curry is also the first player aged 33 or older with back-to-back 45-plus games since Hall of Famer Michael Jordan (51 and 45 in 2001).
Joel Embiid put up 28 points and 13 rebounds in the absence of fellow All-Star Ben Simmons, but the 76ers still had their four-game winning streak snapped.
Nuggets prevail in double OT thanks to Jokic
MVP favourite Nikola Jokic put on a show. He had 47 points – including the go-ahead three-pointer late in the second period of overtime – 15 rebounds and eight assists as the Denver Nuggets survived to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 139-137 after double OT.
Two-time reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 33 points but the Milwaukee Bucks suffered an agonising 128-127 overtime loss to the in-form Phoenix Suns. Suns starters Devin Booker (24 points), Deandre Ayton (20 points and 13 rebounds) and Mikal Bridges (21 points) all impressed.
The NBA-leading Utah Jazz defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 111-97 behind Joe Ingles' 21 points on eight-of-11 shooting, while All-Star duo Mike Conley (14 points and 10 assists) and Rudy Gobert (14 points and 10 rebounds) contributed double-doubles.
Russell Westbrook had his 26th triple-double of the season – 13 points, 17 assists and 11 rebounds – as the Washington Wizards celebrated their fifth consecutive victory by downing the Oklahoma City Thunder 119-107.
A season-high 30 points from Kendrick Nunn fuelled the Miami Heat's 113-91 win over the Houston Rockets.
Bradley struggles
Avery Bradley has found it tough since arriving in Houston as part of the deal that sent Victor Oladipo to the Heat. He missed all three of his field-goal attempts – including two from beyond the arc – as he finished scoreless after 22 minutes.
George Hill made his debut for the 76ers. Acquired in a trade last month, Hill was one-for-five shooting for two points in 18 minutes. Philadelphia team-mate Shake Milton, usually a reliable scorer, finished with just five points on one-for-seven shooting off the bench.
The Thunder extended their season-worst losing streak to 11 games after going down to the Wizards in Washington.
CP3 – the playmaker!
Chris Paul was at his brilliant best again as the high-flying Suns edged the Bucks. Paul posted 22 points and 13 assists as the Suns star passed Magic Johnson for fifth on the all-time assists list.
Monday's results
Utah Jazz 111-97 Los Angeles Lakers
Detroit Pistons 109-105 Cleveland Cavaliers
Chicago Bulls 102-96 Boston Celtics
Golden State Warriors 107-96 Philadelphia 76ers
San Antonio Spurs 109-94 Indiana Pacers
Miami Heat 113-91 Houston Rockets
Washington Wizards 119-107 Oklahoma City Thunder
Phoenix Suns 129-127 Milwaukee Bucks (OT)
Denver Nuggets 139-137 Memphis Grizzlies (Double OT)
Nets at Pelicans
The Brooklyn Nets (38-19) will be without superstar pair Kevin Durant (thigh) and James Harden (hamstring) for Tuesday's trip to the New Orleans Pelicans (25-32).
Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel said Anthony Davis is days away from making his return, while he also provided an update on injured superstar LeBron James.
Davis has been sidelined since exiting the NBA champions' game against the Denver Nuggets on February 14 as he recovers from tendinosis and a calf strain in his right leg.
While there was a slight chance of Davis returning in the series against the NBA-leading Utah Jazz, he is in line to resume his season when the Lakers face the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday.
"We got some good work in after our team meeting this morning," Vogel said on Monday as Davis missed the Jazz showdown.
"He's going to continue to build up over the next two days and see how he's feeling going into that Dallas game."
Davis, who will return on a minutes restriction, was averaging 22.5 points per game this season before the injury – his lowest since his second year in the league with the New Orleans Pelicans (20.8).
The 28-year-old's average of 8.4 rebounds in 2020-21 is the lowest since his rookie season (8.2) in 2012-13.
"The biggest thing is conditioning right now," Vogel added. "He's healthy. But having not played and not really being able to ramp up his physical on-court activity over the last two months, it's going to take some time before he gets his wind under him and obviously, that's the biggest thing.
"Because if his legs aren't under him, we don't want him to be at risk for re-aggravation of the injury or another injury. We want to keep a close eye on that."
The Lakers have been without James since he suffered a high ankle sprain in the team's loss to the Atlanta Hawks on March 20.
James has been averaging 25.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game in 2020-21.
Vogel said the 36-year-old has been doing "light work" on the court.
"Just trying to do a little bit more with his activity each day," Vogel said of James.
Kevin Durant will sit out the Brooklyn Nets' clash with the New Orleans Pelicans due to a left thigh contusion.
Durant played just four minutes before exiting in Brooklyn's buzzer-beating 109-107 loss at the Miami Heat on Sunday.
Nets superstar Durant missed 23 games because of a hamstring injury before returning on April 7.
In total, former MVP Durant has missed 24 of Brooklyn's 57 games this season and will now watch from the sidelines for Tuesday's matchup with the Pelicans.
Durant has been averaging 27.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game this season.
The star-studded Nets will also be without James Harden against Zion Williamson and the Pelicans in New Orleans.
Harden – another former MVP in Brooklyn – has not played since April 5 due to a hamstring strain, missing six successive games.
The All-Star guard, who is one of the frontrunners for MVP honours this season, has been averaging 25.2 points, 10.9 assists and 8.0 rebounds per game in 2020-21 after arriving from the Houston Rockets via January's blockbuster trade.
The Nets (38-19) are second in the Eastern Conference, behind the Philadelphia 76ers.
Charlotte Hornets rookie LaMelo Ball has been cleared to return to individual basketball activity following a wrist fracture.
Ball has been sidelined since undergoing surgery to address a fracture in his right wrist after the Hornets star was hurt against the Los Angeles Clippers on March 20.
NBA Rookie of the Year favourite at the time of the injury, there had been fears Ball – the third pick in the 2020 Draft – would miss the remainder of his first season in the league.
But on Monday, the Hornets said Ball underwent further evaluation in New York City, where the 19-year-old had his cast removed and a CT scan confirmed the wrist had healed.
The Hornets are eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 28-28 record.
Prior to suffering a wrist fracture in March, Ball ranked first in assists and steals among rookies, second in scoring and is tied for second in rebounds.
The face of an emerging and exciting franchise boasting Gordon Hayward, Terry Rozier, DeVonte Graham and Miles Bridges, Ball was the only player over the last 60 years to lead all rookies in total points, rebounds, assists and steals at the All-Star break.
In February, Ball joined Stephen Curry (2010) and Jason Kidd (1995) as the only rookies with seven-plus threes and 10-plus assists in a game and was the youngest to do so. He also became the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double in January.
Through 41 games, Ball is averaging 15.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists this season in just 28.6 minutes per game. He would be the first player in NBA history to average 15/5/5 in less than 30 minutes per game in a season (minimum 40 games played), per Stats Perform.
When you compare his first 41 games to some of the past and current greats at the same stage, Ball ranks well.
His points-per-game average is better than five-time champion and Lakers great Kobe Bryant (7.0 in 1996-97), former MVP Harden (9.8 in 2009-10), Curry (13.4 in 2009-10), Steve Nash (4.5 in 1996-97) and Jason Kidd (9.4 in 1994-95).
When it comes to his assists numbers, Hall of Famer Michael Jordan (5.1 in 1984-85) – the owner of the Hornets – Nash (2.9), Dwyane Wade (4.3), Harden (2.1), Curry (4.6) and Kyrie Irving (5.7 in 2011-12) did not fare as good as Ball.
Highlighting his versatility, Ball's rebound average is better than Irving (3.8), Curry (3.8), Harden (3.2), Wade (4.4), Bryant (2.0), Nash (1.3), Kidd (5.7) and Allen Iversen (4.2 in 1996-97).
Kei Nishikori's comeback surprised the former world number four, who survived a major scare to advance at the Barcelona Open.
Nishikori trailed 6-4 4-2 and was forced to break serve as Guido Pella attempted to close out the match in the second set, before sensationally rallying to a 4-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 win on Monday.
A two-time champion at the ATP 500 tournament on the Barcelona clay, Nishikori broke serve on three occasions in the final set en route to the second round.
"He had the match today at 6-5, serving [for the match]," said Nishikori. "He was much better in the first and second [sets] and 3-0 up in the tie-break. I don't know how I fought through. [In the] third set, I was playing much better.
"I was making so many unforced errors in the first and second [sets]. Maybe he got a little bit tired and I was playing strong in the third set. I want to take that to the next round… The way I fought today and the way I played in the third set was good."
Next up for 2014 US Open finalist Nishikori is 13th seed Cristian Garin.
Ilya Ivashka topped Tallon Griekspoor 6-3 6-1 and the qualifier's reward is a showdown with top seed and 20-time grand slam champion Rafael Nadal.
Cameron Norrie, Pablo Andujar, Jeremy Chardy, Pierre-Hugues Herbert, Jaume Munar, Federico Gaio, Egor Gerasimov and Bernabe Zapata Miralles all advanced to the last 32.
At the Serbia Open, seeds Filip Krajinovic and John Millman booked their spots in the round of 16.
With the ATP 250 tournament being staged for the first time since 2012 and headlined by world number one Novak Djokovic, Serbian fifth seed Krajinovic overcame Stefano Travaglia 7-5 5-7 6-3 in a Belgrade rollercoaster.
Millman – the Australian seventh seed – took down local wildcard Danilo Petrovic 7-5 6-4 as Marco Cecchinato and Nikola Milojevic won through.
Stephen Curry has been lighting it up in the NBA of late.
The two-time NBA MVP is seemingly trying to make up for lost time after injury wiped out the vast majority of his 2019-20 season.
However, Curry is not the only player in prime form. As the regular season hurtles towards a conclusion, Stats Perform data highlights who is on fire and who needs to find a spark around the league.
Time to dip into the numbers with the latest edition of Heat Check...
RUNNING HOT...
Stephen Curry
To say Curry is on a hot streak is an understatement. In four games between April 12-17, the guard scored 175 points for the Golden State Warriors. That astonishing scoring run saw him hit 10 or more three-point attempts in three of those outings; no other player in NBA history has had three or more such games in an entire season, let alone a week.
Luguentz Dort
Dort was averaging 12.62 points heading into the week. The second-year guard then upped that number with 42 against the Utah Jazz and while he sat out a game against the Warriors, he followed up with a combined tally of 55 when facing the Detroit Pistons and Toronto Raptors. Despite his scoring heroics, the Oklahoma City Thunder lost all three.
Landry Shamet
The Brooklyn Nets have been hampered by injuries this season, with James Harden sidelined in recent times. However, Shamet has stepped up to help fill the void, managing a career-high 30 points on Sunday against the Miami Heat, including tying a franchise record with seven successful three-point attempts having come off the bench.
GOING COLD...
Lonzo Ball
Ball's decreased production should come as no surprise, considering he is easing his way back into action following a hip injury. He played just under 20 minutes against the Washington Wizards and while his involvement was greater against the New York Knicks, 2017's second overall pick managed nine points from 19 shot attempts across both games.
Tyler Herro
A low-key week for Herro, who failed to reach double digits for points in outings against the Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves and Nets. The shooting guard - such a key figure in the Heat's run to the NBA Finals in the 2019-20 season - landed two of his 11 attempts from beyond the arc in those games. Surprisingly for someone based in Miami, Herro has gone cold.
Chris Paul
The veteran point guard has been outstanding for the Phoenix Suns, who remain in the running to finish the regular season as the top seeds in the West. However, the bigger picture means minutes must be managed, with Paul seeing a drop in his workload. While buckets have been in short supply - he averaged 8.25 points per game across last week - there were still 26 assists.
Belinda Bencic claimed her first win on clay since the 2019 French Open as she saw off teenager Nastasja Schunk at the Stuttgart Open.
The world number 12 eased to a 6-4 6-2 victory over the 17-year-old qualifier, who saved five match points in her final service game before Bencic closed things out.
"My love affair with clay is... I'm trying to improve myself on it," Bencic said after her first-round triumph.
"I think I'm getting better and I'm taking falls sometimes. I'm trying my best on this surface."
Maria Sakkari was similarly comfortable in progressing to the next round, hitting 24 winners as she dispatched Andrea Petkovic 6-2 6-2 on her debut at the tournament.
At the Istanbul Cup, four of the five scheduled matches were completed before rain stopped play with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Anastasia Potapova level at a set apiece.
Eighth seed Wang Qiang fought back from a set down to beat Anastasia Gasanova 4-6 6-1 6-2.
There were also wins for Ana Konjuh, Katerina Siniakova and Viktorija Golubic.
Bam Adebayo was backed to "hit another level" after his buzzer-beater snatched a 109-107 victory for the Miami Heat over the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.
Adebayo stepped up to inspire the Heat at the AmericanAirlines Arena to a thrilling win in the absence of Jimmy Butler, who was ruled out with a sprained ankle.
The 23-year-old centre settled a pulsating contest when he took a pass from Goran Dragic with time almost up and was on target with a baseline jumper from around 12 yards out.
Adebayo finished with 21 points, 15 rebounds, five assists and two steals in a brilliant all-round performance against a 38-19 Nets side occupying second place in the Eastern Conference.
Dragic said of Adebayo: "He has great potential. I still feel he's not done yet. He's going to hit another level."
The Heat are seventh in the Eastern Conference and Adebayo believes they can put a run together following such a dramatic win.
He said: "A season can turn around after a game. Crazier things have happened in this league."
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra says Adebayo's all-round contribution should be recognised.
He said: "It's just not about scoring. That's the hard thing in this league, that the main thing people look at is how many points people score.
"Bam has so many things that he does for us that are important for us to be successful."
The Nets also lost Kevin Durant in the opening quarter due to a left thigh contusion.
Julius Randle produced another inspiring performance as the streaking New York Knicks topped the New Orleans Pelicans 122-112 in overtime.
Knicks All-Star Randle posted 33 points and 10 assists to lead the New York franchise to their sixth successive NBA win on Sunday.
Randle recorded his fourth consecutive game with at least 30 points, becoming the first Knicks player since Carmelo Anthony in 2014 to accomplish the feat.
Reggie Bullock nailed a three-pointer for the Knicks with 2.3 seconds remaining in regulation before the home team outscored Zion Williamson's Pelicans 19-9 in OT at Madison Square Garden.
Derrick Rose scored a season-high 23 points for the Knicks, who are in the midst of their longest winning streak since 2013-14 as they eye their first playoff appearance since 2013.
Williamson's 34 points, nine rebounds, five assists and two steals were not enough for the visiting Pelicans.
Meanwhile, Kevin Durant suffered a left thigh contusion in the Brooklyn Nets' 109-107 loss away to the Miami Heat.
Durant – who only returned from a 23-game injury absence this month – left the game in the opening quarter, having gone three-for-three shooting to finish with eight points in four minutes.
Bam Adebayo (21 points and 15 rebounds) lifted the Heat with his buzzer-beating jump shot.
Hawks soar past Pacers
Clint Capela (25 points and 24 rebounds) and Trae Young (34 points and 11 assists) helped the Atlanta Hawks power to a 129-117 victory against the Indiana Pacers. Bogdan Bogdanovic and Kevin Huerter contributed 23 points each for the Hawks, who have won eight of 10 games and are 17-6 under interim head coach Nate McMillan.
Kawhi Leonard returned from a four-game absence, tallying 15 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists in the Los Angeles Clippers' 124-105 success at home to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Chris Boucher put up 31 points and 11 rebounds for the Toronto Raptors, who downed the lowly Oklahoma City Thunder 112-106 for a third consecutive win. Oklahoma City's Aleksej Pokusevski (six) became the first Thunder rookie with five-plus blocks in a game since Serge Ibaka in 2010.
The Charlotte Hornets snapped a four-game skid behind Terry Rozier as his 34 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds saw off the Portland Trail Blazers 109-101.
De'Aaron Fox's 30 points and 12 assists guided the Sacramento Kings to a 121-107 win over the Dallas Mavericks. Dallas All-Star Luka Doncic finished with a game-high 37 points.
Thunder continue to be silenced
The Thunder are now in the midst of a season-worst losing streak of 10 games after losing to the Raptors.
Josh Richardson struggled again for the Mavericks. He was just three-for-nine shooting, while making only one of his five three-point attempts for seven pints. Mavericks team-mate Tim Hardaway Jr. (eight points) finishing two-for-10 shooting.
Bridges goes bang!
Miles Bridges is becoming known for his slam dunks. The Hornets star produced another memorable dunk in the second quarter.
Sunday's results
Atlanta Hawks 129-117 Indiana Pacers
New York Knicks 122-112 New Orleans Pelicans (OT)
Miami Heat 109-107 Brooklyn Nets
Charlotte Hornets 109-101 Portland Trail Blazers
Houston Rockets 114-110 Orlando Magic
Toronto Raptors 112-106 Oklahoma City Thunder
Los Angeles Clippers 124-105 Minnesota Timberwolves
Sacramento Kings 121-107 Dallas Mavericks
Warriors at 76ers
Red-hot Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors (28-29) visit the Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia 76ers (39-17) on Monday. The 76ers have won four straight games.
Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash said the NBA title hopefuls are waiting to discover the severity of Kevin Durant's latest injury after the superstar was ruled out early in the loss to the Miami Heat.
The Nets endured a forgettable trip to Miami, suffering a buzzer-beating 109-107 defeat against the Heat, having seen Durant exit in the opening quarter due to a left thigh contusion on Sunday.
Durant missed 23 games because of a hamstring injury before returning this month and the Nets – eyeing their maiden championship – are hoping they are not without the former MVP for another sustained period.
"He's sore but we don't know how severe," first-year coach Nash told reporters post-game.
"We'll see tomorrow how he wakes up and go from there but right now nothing’s been determined."
Durant was hurt during the first quarter, appearing to tangle legs with Trevor Ariza on a drive to the basket during the first quarter.
The 11-time All-Star had played for just four minutes, going three-for-three shooting – including two successful attempts from beyond the arc – to finish with eight points.
Durant was out for nearly two months of the season due to a hamstring injury, making his return against the New Orleans Pelicans on April 7 with 17 points in just under 19 minutes.
The two-time NBA champion did not dress for the defeat to the Philadelphia 76ers (39-17) on Thursday, a result that means they hold the tie-breaker over the Nets (38-19) in the Eastern Conference, but was back in action on Saturday, scoring 25 in the victory over the Charlotte Hornets.
"The timing of everything this year has just been a tell-tale sign of what life is right now in terms of the uncertainty of a lot going on," said Nets star Kyrie Irving, who posted 20 points in the continued absence of superstar James Harden (hamstring).
"Anything could happen at any moment, so we don't want to take anything for granted. But anytime one of our team-mates goes down, anytime something like that happens, it's definitely going to take a hit for us. And he's just gotten back. We just pray that it's not too serious and he's able to recover, but it definitely has a hit on our continuity at times. But we're not making any excuses for each other.
"We're all professionals, the guys that are getting minutes right now, we need them. So it's going to turn eventually, but we've just got to find that continuity, that connectivity from the start of the game to the end."
Australian Astra Sharma scored a shock win over top seed Ons Jabeur in the final of the MUSC Health Women's Open, landing her first WTA Tour singles title.
The world number 165 made a slow start to the match but eventually overwhelmed Jabeur 2-6 7-5 6-1 in Charleston.
Having risen to 27th in the world rankings without a trophy to her name, the 26-year-old Jabeur looked to have an ideal opportunity to put that right.
Sharma recovered from the one-sided opening set to lead early in the second, and despite Jabeur getting it back on serve, the underdog surged ahead again to level the contest.
In her second WTA singles final and first for two years, Sharma went one step further than when she was runner-up in Bogota, racing through the deciding set as she swatted away Jabeur's threat.
Jabeur said the defeat was "very tough" to take, while Sharma said of her breakthrough week: "This has been an amazing event. I've really enjoyed playing here."
Lewis Hamilton believes his remarkable recovery to finish second at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on Sunday will prove "very valuable" this season.
In the second race of the year, Hamilton seemed set for a lowly finish at best.
Having lost first place to Max Verstappen at Turn One on the first lap of an epic affair, the defending champion, chasing his rival, ran off into a gravel trap midway through the grand prix.
Hamilton was briefly stuck against the wall, struggling to reverse his car back onto the track, before the W12 limped towards the pit under a shower of sparks.
But a red flag prompted by an incident involving team-mate Valtteri Bottas then brought the race to a standstill.
Hamilton had been ninth and a lap down, yet the restart allowed him to weave through the field and claim P2, behind Verstappen but still ahead of the Red Bull man in the drivers' championship.
"I think, without doubt, getting back to second and getting these points will be very valuable through the season," said the Briton.
"If I'd lost 25 points, that would have been hard to recover based on the fact that [for] Red Bull it's the first time that they've had a championship-winning car.
"Their car is incredibly fast. They were faster than us this weekend, definitely in qualifying trim but it looks like a little bit also in race trim.
"I don't know if they made a couple of mistakes – I think they did, Max did in qualifying for example otherwise he would have been on pole.
"But we've got a real close battle. We love the fact that it's a close battle and it's great to see McLaren back up there after such a long time, it's great to see Ferrari looking strong.
"So, there's going to be a lot of exciting races up ahead and challenging for all of us in so many different ways."
Although Hamilton's resurgence prevented Verstappen from taking an early lead in the standings, the Dutchman was delighted to land a blow in the title tussle, having trailed the Mercedes man in the season opener.
But he was also not getting carried away after a first win of the year.
"It's a very long season. We just have to keep on working very hard," Verstappen said. "I'm very happy with the result today, of course, but that's today.
"I'm of course going to be happy about today, but tomorrow, we start again. We have to keep on improving because there's still a lot of work to be able to keep doing this the whole season.
"It's great to be fighting against Lewis, Mercedes who, I think, as a team, have been so dominant and they're very difficult to beat.
"To be able to sit here now, now two races in a row, we were very, very competitive – that's very promising but no guarantees."
With his nose pressed against the wall and rivals crashing elsewhere on the track in torrid Imola rain, Hamilton could easily have retired following his crash.
He was not to know then that the collision between Bottas and George Russell would provide a reprieve, but he was delighted to be able to continue and learn "an amazing lesson" regardless.
"I remember just sitting there, looking at the barrier, and I refused to think that the race was over," Hamilton said. "I refused to believe that the race was done.
"I could have obviously just turned the car off and got out but I'm grateful that I didn't.
"I'm grateful that I did do a reverse and then, after that, just kind of getting out the car and trying to switch the anger and turn it into positive energy so that I could get back in and race forwards.
"It's an amazing lesson to be sent and experience."
And Hamilton, so often starting from the front of the grid, actually relished the chance to blaze past the opposition from ninth place.
"I loved it," he added. "That's how my career actually started as a kid, coming through.
"We had a really dodgy, old go-kart, so I was always starting at the back. It just took me back to my roots."
Roger Federer has confirmed he will grace the clay courts at the French Open and Geneva Open.
The 20-time grand slam champion made his comeback at the Qatar Open last month after a long absence following knee surgery.
Federer was beaten by Nikoloz Basilashvili at the quarter-final stage in Doha before opting against playing in Dubai and Miami.
The 39-year-old Swiss on Sunday announced he will feature on home soil in a Geneva Open event that gets under way on May 16.
World number seven Federer will also be in the draw for the second grand slam of the year at Roland Garros, where he reached the semi-final two years ago in his first appearance at the Paris major since 2015.
He tweeted: "Hi everyone! Happy to let you know that I will play Geneva and Paris.
"Until then, I will use the time to train. Can't wait to play in Switzerland again."
Rafael Nadal will be a strong favourite to surpass Federer's tally of grand slam titles in Paris, where he has won the French Open a record 13 times.
Lewis Hamilton apologised for his error at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix but was relieved to be able to secure an outstanding P2 on Sunday.
Defending Formula One champion Hamilton, who started from pole, looked to have blown his chances of a podium finish when he ran off into a gravel trap while chasing Max Verstappen midway through the race.
But as his Mercedes limped back to the pit lane a lap down, an incident involving Silver Arrows team-mate Valtteri Bottas and Hamilton's one-time reserve George Russell brought out the red flag.
Neither man involved in the crash could continue, although both avoided injury, but the stoppage gave Hamilton time to regroup.
That he did and the Silver Arrows superstar climbed from ninth to second, behind only Verstappen in a stunning display of resolve.
"Awesome job, guys," the Briton told his team radio. "Apologies for that mistake earlier on."
After congratulating Verstappen and third-placed Lando Norris in the post-race presentation, Hamilton said: "On my side, it was not the greatest of days.
"It was the first time I've made a mistake in a long time, but I was grateful I was able to bring the car home still."
He added: "I was really, really grateful that we got to get going again and to get some points for the team. That was really important."
Having set the fastest lap time late in the race, too, Hamilton still leads the drivers' championship, a point ahead of Verstappen.
But he said such a scenario was not on his mind as he prepared to restart.
"I wasn't thinking about it," he said. "I was just trying to get over the gutting feeling it is when you make a mistake and just moving on from it, learning from it real quick.
"You don't have time to dwell on it. So, that's what I did, get back into racing spirit.
"I didn't know if we'd be able to overtake, because off-line was really wet, but I still had some really fun battles with all the guys."
Verstappen is not concerned by his placing in those standings, however, responding: "It's a long season. We'll stay calm."
The Dutchman was one of the few drivers to enjoy himself in difficult conditions, most notably in the approach to Turn One as he pushed past Hamilton.
"I surprised myself," Verstappen said. "Last week we were struggling a little bit off the line, but we worked really hard to make that better.
"In these tricky conditions, we did a great job."
Max Verstappen claimed victory at a remarkable Emilia Romagna Grand Prix where Lewis Hamilton twice sustained damage and a crash involving Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas prompted a red flag.
An epic race encouraged optimism for a genuine title tussle in Formula One in 2021, with drama right from the outset and Hamilton fighting hard to rescue a superb second-placed finish.
The defending champion had started from pole, with Verstappen qualifying in third, behind Red Bull colleague Sergio Perez.
But Verstappen claimed the lead from Turn One in the rain at Imola, racing up alongside Hamilton and forcing his championship rival wide, where he sustained right wing damage.
While chaos ensued behind them, Hamilton held off Charles Leclerc to ensure he remained the biggest threat to Verstappen, with a tactical battle briefly allowed to develop.
Verstappen pitted first on lap 28, with Hamilton following a lap later and coming out behind the Dutchman following a slow stop.
But a manic spell then shook up the race again. First, Hamilton ran off into a gravel trap and desperately sought to reverse back onto the track.
The Briton was limping back to the pit lane a lap down under a shower of sparks, emitted by his Silver Arrow, when a further incident brought out the safety car.
Bottas collided with Mercedes prospect George Russell, driving for Williams, and both cars crashed in spectacular fashion, with the drivers emerging from the wreckage to angrily blame one another over the team radio.
The red flag soon followed, with wreckage spread across the track and a 30-minute suspension required, giving Hamilton time to regroup.
He resumed from ninth, able to unlap himself, with Verstappen forced to build a healthy lead again from Lando Norris after a slightly nervy restart.
Verstappen had retired at each of the three Italian races in 2020 but avoided a similar fate this time and the focus in the closing stages was instead on Hamilton's progress.
The Mercedes man picked off his opponents one by one, eventually streaking past Leclerc to move into position for a podium place once more.
Only Norris in the McLaren stood between Hamilton and a phenomenal P2 and he patiently chased down his compatriot to limit the damage and somehow emerge from this race a point ahead of Verstappen.
'AN UNFORTUNATE INCIDENT'
As the race got back underway following his crash, Russell posted on Twitter: "Thanks for all the messages. I'm fine, just disappointed.
"At the end of the day, it's an unfortunate incident. You're entitled to defend your position. But at 330kph, you have to respect the speed and the conditions when doing so. Gutted for the team. They deserved more today."
That was the second crash that ruled a driver out, with Nicholas Latifi earlier colliding with Nikita Mazepin to almost instantly exit the grand prix.
The subsequent safety car brought its own share of incident – Perez hit with a 10-second penalty after running wide and overtaking two cars to recover fourth.
Mick Schumacher went into a wall under the safety car, meanwhile, and lost his front wing.
TONE SET BEFORE THE START
The weather was always likely to cause havoc and the drivers took to the track to test their tyres ahead of the race. Even that did not go smoothly.
Fernando Alonso crashed into the wall, while the brakes on the Aston Martin cars caught fire.
That issue meant Sebastian Vettel had to start from the pitlane, and he was later given a 10-second stop/go penalty, too, for failing to have his wheels fitted in time.
Bottas sustained a puncture on his way to the grid and then Leclerc span on the formation lap. It was one of those days.
Stefanos Tsitsipas landed the first Masters 1000 title of his career as he scored a thumping 6-3 6-3 win over Andrey Rublev in Monte Carlo.
The Greek star had lost his previous two finals at this level, with Rafael Nadal denying him in Toronto and Novak Djokovic beating him in Madrid.
However, he had the measure of Russian Rublev on the Monte Carlo clay on Sunday, breaking his opponent's serve three times and giving away nothing on his own delivery.
Tsitsipas, who lives in Monte Carlo, said he had experienced an "unbelievable week", declaring it was the pinnacle of his career to date.
"I can't describe the feelings right now," he said on Amazon Prime. "I'm overwhelmed by so many different emotions.
"It's incredible I'm able to be in the position I am, and I think we both deserved being in the final and put on an amazing fight and an amazing show.
"Generally I would consider it the week of my life so far. I knew he was going to be a very difficult opponent to face and there were a lot of nerves coming into that match.
"I've played him in the past, he always wants to bring the best out of us when facing each other."
Rublev beat 11-time Monte Carlo champion Nadal in the quarter-finals, but the 23-year-old could not hit the heights of that performance in the title match.
Tsitsipas, 22, said: "I'm just proud of the way I managed to behave and to be out on the court today.
"The clay-court season couldn't start better and it's the best thing right now, winning my first Masters 1000, and it's even more special doing it here on home soil in Monte Carlo and doing it on clay which is my favourite surface."
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
