The Tampa Bay Rays claimed a franchise record and moved a step closer to an MLB record with Wednesday's 9-7 win over the Boston Red Sox that extended their season-opening streak to 12 wins.
The Rays improved to 12-0 with the win that included only one home run this time, coming from Randy Arozarena's first-inning opposite field three-run blast.
Taj Bradley fanned eight batters across five innings on his majors debut, allowing five hits, one walk and three runs, before Rafael Devers tightened up the scoreline with a three-run homer in the seventh inning.
But Arozarena's eighth-inning sacrifice fly meant Tampa Bay had done enough to extend their winning streak, meaning they are one short of matching the 13-0 starts by the Milwaukee Brewers (1987) and the Atlanta Braves (1982) which are the longest ever in MLB history.
The Rays matched a franchise record for a winning streak, previously 12 in a row from June 2004.
Tampa Bay have outscored their opponents 92-27 through the first dozen games, blasting 30 homers, which is only bettered by the 2019 Seattle Mariners (32) and the 2000 St Louis Cardinals (31).
Arozarena was struck out twice had four RBIs while Wander Franco went three-for-five with two RBIs and two runs.
Franco's fourth-inning two-run double opened up a 6-1 lead but the Red Sox did well to rally after reliever Zack Kelly left in the fifth with right elbow pain, while Devers snapped a run of 10 hitless at-bats.
The Rays can match the MLB record 13-0 season-opening start when they face the Red Sox again on Thursday.
Yankees win after Boone tossed & ump hospitalised
Aaron Boone was ejected early and Franchy Cordero homered for the fourth time this season as the New York Yankees rallied from a three-run deficit to beat the Cleveland Guardians 4-3.
Yankees manager Boone was tossed in the first inning following a confusing play, while second base umpire Larry Vanover was taken to hospital during the fifth after being struck in the face by a relay throw.
Vanover was struck in a bizarre sequence from Kyle Higashiakoa's RBI single, with the incident allowing Isiah Kiner-Falefa to score after Oswaldo Cabrera had plated.
Cordero tied the game with a 439-feet seventh-inning blast, before Cabrera's ninth-inning go-ahead single. Closer Clay Holmes was nervy, loading the bases on a hit batter, but finished the job.
Bregman finds form as Astros triumph
Alex Bregman homered for the second straight game as the inconsistent Houston Astros thrashed the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-0.
Bregman's three-run blast in the seventh inning opened up a 5-0 lead, after rookie outfielder Corey Julks crushed his maiden homer into left field in the fourth inning.
The Astros rode the pitching of Jose Urquidy who allowed only two hits – both singles - and three walks across six scoreless innings, striking out two.
Russell Westbrook has rubbished the narrative that there is animosity between him and former team-mate Kevin Durant as they prepare to face off in the NBA playoffs first round.
Westbrook and Durant, who played together at Oklahoma City Thunder, will be reunited when the former's Los Angeles Clippers will take on the latter's Phoenix Suns in a clash between the Western Conference's four and five seeds.
The pair were OKC team-mates for eight seasons, forming a strong partnership and competing in the 2012 NBA Finals, before Durant left for the Golden State Warriors in July 2016.
"It will be normal for me," Westbrook told reporters about facing Durant, having faced of 11 times since their split, with Westbrook teams up 6-5.
"I think people still think like there's some beef or something. There's no beef of any [kind], so I think that's the good narrative for media, for people to talk about.
"But there's no beef. I got nothing but respect for him and things he's done with his career and having to see him back from injury.
"There's no beef at all. But he knows I'm going to compete and I know he's going to compete and that's all it is."
Westbrook, who left the Los Angeles Lakers for the Clippers in midseason, was full of praise for Durant, who also made a midseason move from the Brooklyn Nets to the Suns.
"Just his ability - he's always been very efficient," Westbrook said. "But I think his ability to be more efficient and still score the ball at a high rate.
"He's probably one of the best scorers I've seen, just can score at ease and look so effortlessly.
"I think over the years, he's figured out ways to score the basketball at a very, very high rate, and that's kind of what I've seen over the years."
Jake Paul has lined up former UFC man Nate Diaz as his next opponent following his split-decision loss to Tommy Fury.
The former social media personality will face the MMA veteran in an eight-round cruiserweight bout at the American Airlines Center in Dallas on August 5.
Paul, who lost his previously unbeaten status against Fury in Saudi Arabia earlier this year, stands at a 6-1 record with four knockouts.
Diaz, who famously inflicted Conor McGregor to a first loss during his UFC days, is a 21-time winner in MMA but will make his professional boxing debut in Texas.
The pair's fight comes amid an escalating war of words between the two over recent months, and will see Paul sidestep a potential bout with fellow media personality-turned-boxer KSI.
The Briton previously defeated the American's brother Logan in his only professional fight in 2019, but Paul says he desires to test himself further after defeat to Fury.
"My last fight didn't end the way I wanted, but the result was the best thing that could have happened to my professional boxing aspirations," Paul said in a statement.
"Now, the world thinks I am vulnerable, when all I am is more focused than ever. My team wanted me to take an easy fight like KSI next, but that's not how I am built.
"Nate Diaz is considered one of the most bad-ass fighters of all time, but he and his team have been running their mouths for too long."
Diaz likewise threw down the gauntlet, adding: "I'm the king of combat sports. I f***** up Conor for acting out and now here I am again, like a superhero."
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur believes the penalty issued to Red Bull for their cost cap breach was "too light".
The championship leaders were fined $7million and lost 10 per cent of their wind tunnel time after being deemed to have breached the cost cap in 2021, Formula One's inaugural season with the new regulations.
Already having the least time in the wind tunnel due to being crowned champions in 2022, Red Bull's aerodynamic development over the course of the season could be hindered – potentially opening the door for their rivals.
However, Vasseur does not see it that way and believes Red Bull already have a significant enough advantage, rendering the punishment as "marginal" in his eyes.
"The penalty for me was very low," Vasseur said in a recent media call, per ESPN.
"If you consider that basically we will improve a bit less than a second over the season in terms of aero, you get a penalty of 10 percent of this it's one-tenth and as it's not a linear progression it's probably less.
"You are allowed to spend this money somewhere else, so it means for me the penalty is marginal.
"If you consider that you have an advantage at the beginning of the season because you spend more the year before, then the compensation...
"I don't want to say that they didn't do a good job because I think honestly that they did a very good job on the car. I'm not trying to find an excuse at all. It's not this. But if you ask me if the penalty is too light, I say yes."
Christian Horner has responded to George Russell saying Red Bull are "embarrassed to show their full potential" and enjoy a bigger pace gap than has so far appeared to be the case.
Reigning champions Red Bull have dominated the 2023 Formula One season after claiming both pole and the race win in each of the opening three races, including one-twos in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
Red Bull have almost double the points of Aston Martin in second in the constructors' championship.
However, at the Australian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen dropped from first to third on lap one, allowing Russell to briefly lead before the Dutchman went on to win the race, while his team-mate Sergio Perez rose to fifth following a pit-lane start.
It prompted Mercedes driver Russell to tell the BBC's Chequered Flag podcast: "For sure, they're holding back.
"I think they almost are embarrassed to show their full potential. I think realistically they probably have seven-tenths [of a second] advantage over the rest of the field.
"I don’t know what the pace difference looks like at the moment, but Max has got no reason to be pushing it, nor [have] Red Bull.
"They've done a really great job, to be fair to them. We can't take that away, and we clearly have to up our game."
When Horner was told about the remarks, he made reference to Mercedes' past dominance of winning eight consecutive constructors' titles before Red Bull ended that run in 2022.
"Okay, that's very generous of him," Horner replied. "His team of all people would know too well about those kind of advantages."
Asked if Russell's comments were true, Horner explained both of his drivers were managing their pace in Melbourne given the intended one-stop strategy before the safety car and red flag dramas.
"There's always an element of managing what goes on in any race," he said. "Because it was a one-stop race and a very early one-stop race, of course there was an element of tyre management which was going on, which was what they were doing.
"[But] Checo wasn't hanging about; he wasn’t cruising around, holding back seven-tenths per lap because he didn't want to show it – the grid was certainly a little bit closer at this venue."
Back-to-back world champion Verstappen leads the drivers' standings by 15 points ahead of Perez, with the season's fourth round on April 30 in Azerbaijan.
Daniil Medvedev marched past Lorenzo Sonego at the Monte Carlo Masters to secure a tour-leading 30th win of the 2023 season.
The third seed overcame the Italian 6-3 6-2 to clinch a spot in the round of 16 alongside compatriots Andrey Rublev and Karen Khachanov – marking just the third time in the Open Era that three Russians have reached that stage at Monte Carlo.
Medvedev will face Alexander Zverev, who clinched his spot with a 6-4 6-4 victory over Roberto Bautista Agut earlier in the day, in the next round.
"We've had some tough matches. We played for the first time maybe seven years ago on the ATP Tour, and in juniors maybe 12 years ago," Medvedev said of Zverev.
"I remember I beat him once in a final on clay in juniors, but it’s going to be a different story.
"I saw him in the first two matches, he seemed to be in good shape. I'm just going to have to be at my best."
Elsewhere, Jannik Sinner claimed a 6-0 3-1 victory over Diego Schwartzman, who retired in the second set, to take his total of wins in 2023 to 22, with only Medvedev having more.
There was also a win for Taylor Fritz, who overcame Stan Wawrinka 7-6 (12-10) 6-2, while qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff registered an upset with a 6-3 6-2 victory over Alex de Minaur.
The Boston Bruins have "much bigger goals" in the Stanley Cup playoffs than a record-breaking NHL regular season.
Boston set a new high for single-season wins with their 63rd against the Philadelphia Flyers over the weekend, and they made yet more history with win 64 on Tuesday.
A 5-2 defeat of the Washington Capitals took the Bruins to 133 points for the season, clear of the Montreal Canadiens' 1976-77 benchmark of 132.
But postseason success is the primary goal for the Bruins. Since winning their sixth Stanley Cup in 2011, this is their third Presidents' Trophy.
That Canadiens team, widely considered the greatest of all time, followed up their regular season by winning the title.
Winger Brad Marchand said: "We have a very special group. It's incredible how we've come together this year.
"We've done a phenomenal job all year of staying in the moment.
"We're proud of the group, but this is a regular-season record. That's not what we're playing for. We have our sights set on much bigger goals.
"I think it [the record] is something we'll look at down the road when we're daydreaming about what we got to do and what we've accomplished."
Boston coach Jim Montgomery was a little more open to discussing the team's latest achievement, recalling the quality of the 1977 Canadiens.
"I think of all the Hall of Famers on those teams and then Scotty Bowman behind the bench and going to the old Montreal Forum," he said.
"Think about how great those teams were and how we've surpassed that total. It's significant because those were dominant, dominant hockey teams."
Former England back and the Premiership's record try scorer Chris Ashton has announced he will retire at the end of the season.
The 36-year-old scored 20 tries in 44 games for England in rugby union, while he also represented his country in rugby league.
Ashton played for Wigan Warriors before switching codes in 2007, going on to feature for Northampton Saints, Saracens, Toulon, Harlequins and Sale Sharks, before moving to Leicester Tigers in 2022.
He became the record try scorer in the Premiership in April last year when his hat-trick against Bristol gave him a total of 95 tries, taking him past previous holder Tom Varndell. He now has a total of 98, with a further 41 in the Champions Cup.
Ashton has three Premierships to his name, as well as two Champions Cups and one European Challenge Cup.
"I have just felt, this season, that my body is not able to do what I want it do anymore," he told the Tigers' website on Wednesday.
"I am still enjoying the game, enjoying being in and around the team and the game every day, but if I am not able to keep the standards that I expect of myself, then it is the right time for me to retire.
"I am content with the decision and, honestly, I definitely wouldn't have been had I not been able to come to Leicester Tigers, get back into the game and finish my career on my terms.
"It is the right time for me, I know that, and I am happy in making this decision at this time... I still can't believe all that I have been able to do and all that rugby union has given me."
He added: "I know I wouldn't be where I am today or achieved all that I have without the support from the very beginning from my family, in my mum, dad, brother and sisters, as well as all that my wife, Melissa, and children, Ava and Isaac, have given to me.
"I have been fortunate to have shared in so many special moments with all of my family throughout the years and especially, in these later years, the chance to share in even more with my kids."
LeBron James was quick to point out how the Los Angeles Lakers were written off earlier in the season after clinching their playoff spot with Tuesday's 108-102 overtime win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
James scored 30 points with 10 rebounds and six assists as the Lakers rallied from a 15-point deficit to beat the short-handed Timberwolves in the NBA play-in tournament to secure a first-round series with the second seed Memphis Grizzlies.
The Lakers have endured a tumultuous campaign, having started slowly, but rallied to become the first team in nearly two decades to start 2-10 and finish with a winning record (43-39), before now clinching their playoff spot.
They revived their season with a series of trade deadlines moves, including flipping Russell Westbrook out and bringing in Rui Hachimura, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt and D'Angelo Russell. Since Westbrook exited, the Lakers have gone 19-9.
"When we were 2-10, the analytics said we had a 0.3 chance of making the postseason," four-time NBA champion James told reporters after Tuesday's win. "All you ask for is a chance.
"For us to turn around our season and give ourselves an opportunity to compete for the Larry O'Brien Trophy is all you can ask for.
"Even through ups and downs we've been very resilient. We've been able to stick with the game and find the way to gut out a win, even with slow starts or not finishing the game how we'd like to... Tonight was another instance of that versus a very, very good team."
No team has progressed past the playoffs first round after qualifying from the play-in tournament since it was introduced in 2021, but James remained hopeful of a Lakers' run.
"That's the only reason I play still, to try and put myself in a position to make championship runs," he said. "And give team-mates that have never been on a championship run something they haven’t experienced before.
"It hasn’t changed for me since about 2006 or 2007. That's been my mindset every year, how can I make a championship run? I've been successful in four of those. I've been on a lot and I want to continue those."
The Lakers should have clinched victory in regulation time after James drove to the bucket, drawing defenders before kicking out an assist to Denis Schroder for a go-ahead three-pointer with 1.4 seconds left.
But Anthony Davis gifted the Wolves three free-throws after a foul on Mike Conley, before the Lakers triumphed in OT.
"It's unfortunate that AD had a brain fart and messed his game-winner up," James told NBA on TNT with a laugh alongside Schroder.
"This is what our sport is all about, getting to April and having an opportunity to play in the postseason. We've been battle-tested all year, especially since the break, we've played some really good basketball."
Jimmy Butler admitted the Miami Heat will have to improve markedly when they face either the Toronto Raptors or the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference eighth-seed game on Friday in the NBA play-in tournament.
The Heat were beaten 116-105 by the Atlanta Hawks in the seventh seed clash on Tuesday at Kaseya Center.
A slow start from Miami saw them trail by 15 points at half-time, and they were unable to make up that deficit in the second as Atlanta eased to victory to book their place in the playoffs.
Butler scored 21 points with nine assists, but just four rebounds, and he lamented his and his teammates' inability to retrieve the ball all game, with the Hawks making 63 overall to the Heat's 39.
"We have to stay confident," Butler said. "We have to know we are capable of winning, if we start out the right way and if we rebound, obviously.
"But it's just, I don't know, shots don't go in, we foul, that's never the recipe for success with us. So come Friday, we've got to play legit the exact opposite that we played tonight.
"Rebounding was just horrendous. We didn't put body on body and they got all the rebounds, all the second-chance points. And that was the game."
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra concurred, adding: "There's probably been a little bit more than a half-dozen times, maybe eight to 10 times, where we have not rebounded where it has just been absolutely crippling, in terms of how it's hurt us.
"We definitely have to get to the film and go back to all the fundamentals. We knew coming into this game, this game would be decided [by] ball in the air, ball on the floor, and it certainly was."
Hawks center Clint Capela made an impressive 21 rebounds in the game, and Heat guard Tyler Herro – who scored 26 points – thought bad luck came into play, but admitted that could not be used as an excuse.
"The ball was bouncing their way, literally, the whole game," Herro said. "But that's not any type of excuse to why we couldn't rebound the ball.
"They beat the hell out of us on the glass, so it wasn't even close. So we can point fingers, do whatever, at the end of the day they beat the hell out of us on the boards and that's what it is."
Trae Young starred for the Hawks, scoring 25 points with seven assists and eight rebounds, and he anticipates a tough encounter with the second seed Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs.
"Obviously, Boston is a really good team," Young said. "But I haven't really looked too far ahead. I mean, obviously I watched them all year. They've been playing really well. But I was really focused on tonight and making sure we won."
Young also referenced Butler's comments from earlier in the week when he said he thought the Heat would get the win, adding: "I know Jimmy guaranteed a dub, so I was really focused on making sure that didn't happen."
Butler praised Young after the game, saying: "He's a hell of a player. He makes all the right reads. Obviously, he's a big time shot-maker, and he even got eight rebounds, so I don't think we took too much away [from] them tonight."
LeBron James led the way as the Los Angeles Lakers rallied from a 15-point deficit to clinch their playoffs spot with a 108-102 overtime win over the short-handed Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday.
James finished with 30 points on 12-of-21 shooting with 10 rebounds, six assists and two blocks, including sinking a crucial three-pointer to tie the game up 95-95 with 2:03 left in regulation time.
The four-time MVP drove to the basket and kicked out a pass to Denis Schroder to drain a potential game-winning three-pointer to put the Lakers up by three with 1.4 seconds left, only for Anthony Davis to foul Mike Conley on an ambitious three-point attempt.
The Timberwolves veteran guard showed composure to hit all three free-throws, sending the game to overtime but Minnesota were undone by four OT turnovers, totalling for 24 for the game. The Wolves also scored only 16 points after leading 86-79 at three-quarter time.
The Lakers, who were 25-30 at the trade deadline before shuffling their roster and storming into the play-in tournament, secure the seven seed and will face the Memphis Grizzlies in the playoffs first round.
Minnesota, who were missing the suspended Rudy Gobert and injured Jaden McDaniels, will take on the winner of the New Orleans Pelicans-Oklahoma City Thunder play-in game for the right to take the eight seed.
Veteran LA guard Schroder was excellent off the bench with 21 points from 32 minutes including shooting three-of-four from beyond the arc. Davis added 24 points with 15 rebounds and three blocks.
Conley was exceptional for the Timberwolves with 23 points, making six-of-eight from three-point range with four rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Karl-Anthony Towns scored 24 points with 11 rebounds and three blocks in Gobert's absence after the French center swung a punch at teammate Kyle Anderson during at timeout in their final regular season game, leading to a team-imposed suspension.
Anthony Edwards had a game to forget, shooting three-of-17 from the field and none-of-nine from three-point range for nine points with eight rebounds.
Hawks upset Heat to clinch seven seed
Quin Snyder's Atlanta Hawks clinched the Eastern Conference's seven seed and will face the Boston Celtics in the playoffs first round after overcoming the Miami Heat 116-105.
Hawks center Clint Capela was outstanding in the paint with 21 rebounds, including eight offensive rebounds, along with two blocks.
Trae Young scored a team-high 25 points on eight-of-18 shooting from the field, despite making only one-of-eight from three-point range, while Dejounte Murray added 18 points with three triples.
Atlanta opened up a 24-point second-quarter lead which was trimmed to 65-50 by half-time, but never relented despite the Heat closing within five in the third.
Kyle Lowry top scored for the Heat with 33 points with six-of-nine from beyond the arc along with four rebounds and five assists.
Tyler Herro added 26 points, while Jimmy Butler scored 21 points with four rebounds, nine assists, two steals and a block.
Atlanta got the edge in the key with 63-39 rebounds, including 22-6 on the offensive glass with 26-6 second-chance points led by Capela.
The Heat will take on the winner of Wednesday's Toronto Raptors-Chicago Bulls' play-in tournament game for the right to the East's eight seed.
The Tampa Bay Rays extended their season-opening winning streak to 11 games with Brandon Lowe homering for the fourth straight game in a 7-2 triumph over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday.
The relentless Rays moved closer to history with the win where starter Shane McClanahan put in a strong display fanning nine batters across five innings allowing two hits and one run.
Tampa Bay are within reach of matching the best-ever MLB start since 1900, which is 13 wins held by the 1987 Milwaukee Brewers and the 1982 Atlanta Braves.
The Rays continued their dominant ways, after Monday's 1-0 win over the Red Sox, with an 83-20 run differential across those 11 games.
Brandon Lowe, Yandy Diaz, Isaac Paredes and Josh Lowe all homered for the Rays, who were 5-0 up after five innings.
Diaz and Brandon Lowe hit back-to-back solo homers with two out in the fifth inning to open up the 5-0 lead.
Tampa Bay have 29 homers across 11 games, which is a joint majors record through 11 games alongside the 2000 St Louis Cardinals.
Mountcastle rips franchise record in O's rally
Ryan Mountcastle hit a grand slam and a three-run homer to tie a franchise record nine RBIs to fire the Baltimore Orioles to a 12-8 win over the Oakland Athletics.
The A's led 7-3 in the fifth inning before Mountcastle led the rally with a three-run blast at the bottom of the same inning to bring it back to a one-run game.
Mountcastle produced his grand slam in the seventh with a 456-foot homer to left field, after Austin Hays, who had four hits, singled to drive in Gunnar Henderson.
The O's first baseman went three-for-four with two runs and nine RBIs, while Grayson Rodriguez sent down six strikeouts but allowed six hits, four walks and five runs in his home debut.
Cordero and Cole star in Yankees triumph
Franchy Cordero blasted a three-run homer and Gerrit Cole rallied after the Cleveland Guardians' fast start as the New York Yankees prevailed 11-2 to improve their record to 7-4.
Cole gave up two runs and three hits in the first inning but responded with six scoreless innings, finishing with three strikeouts, allowing only five hits.
Cordero's 368-feet blast opened up a 6-2 lead as the Yankees piled on five runs in the third inning, with Anthony Rizzo going two-for-three for two RBIs while Aaron Judge went two-for-five with one run.
Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison is confident about re-signing Kyrie Irving despite the side's disappointing late-season slide that saw them miss the playoffs.
The Mavs endured a 7-18 run to end the season, missing the play-in tournament altogether with an 11th-place finish in the Western Conference.
That came after they traded in Irving in February to become a championship contender. The All-Star guard quickly asserted he would not discuss a contract extension publicly following the trade.
Irving is eligible to sign for as much as $272 million over five years at the Mavs, or around $202m for years at another franchise, leading to questions about his future.
Harrison met with Irving on Monday for his exit interview after the Mavs' season ended on Sunday.
"I think the things that he said along the way about how he feels here, how he feels appreciated, how he feels accepted and allowed to be himself - those are the things that he said kind of consistently," Harrison said.
"That's what gives me the optimism that he wants to be here."
The Mavs struggled for synergy in their backcourt with Irving alongside Luka Doncic following the trade, leading to talk that the star-studded pairing is not worth persisting with.
"I think the two work together," Harrison said. "I think Luka and Kai work together.
"I think when we have that talented of a player - that talented of two players - I think they work together.
"I really think it's the players around them… kind of knowing their role with having those two guys out on the floor at the same time. I think that's the thing that we need to work on."
Harrison was also bullish about Doncic's long-term future, with the Slovenian offering assurance after Sunday's game saying he is happy in Dallas.
"Well, I take his words for it," Harrison said. "He says he wants to be here.
"He's under contract, so I don't go to sleep at night worried about, 'is Luka going to be a Maverick?' Because he is a Maverick, and he's under contract.
"Obviously, if that changes, then we'll have to reevaluate it. But I think our job really to keep Luka happy, if you will, is surrounding him by the right players to help him win. And I think Luka's a talent that deserves that."
New York Yankees offseason acquisition Carlos Rodon is dealing with back tightness along with a left forearm injury further delaying his return.
The 30-year-old left-hander joined the Yankees from the San Francisco Giants in December on a six-year, $162 million contract.
But Rodon is yet to debut for the Yankees due to a forearm injury which he suffered in spring training, remaining on the injured list.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone revealed on Tuesday prior to their 11-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians that Rodon also had another issue holding him back.
"Rodon has back tightness. It's kind of delayed his next live [session] which was supposed to be yesterday/today," Boone told Talkin' Yanks.
"So it's probably going to be a few days. ... Elbow-wise, he's doing great. We'll see how the next couple days are there. But we're getting there."
Rodon was an All-Star in 2021 with the Chicago White Sox and in 2022 with the Giants, coming sixth in NL Cy Young Award voting last season.
Zion Williamson is waiting to "feel like Zion" before he returns for the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Pelicans have qualified for the play-in tournament despite being without superstar Williamson since January 2.
A hamstring injury has kept the former first overall pick on the sideline, with setbacks frustrating both the player and his team.
His return date is still unknown on the eve of Wednesday's nine-10 game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, with the Pelicans still two wins from the playoffs.
But Williamson was at least back at practice and appearing before reporters on Tuesday to say: "Physically, I'm fine.
"Now, it's just a matter of when I feel like Zion. I know the atmosphere I'd be entering based off the playoff experience. So, now, it's just a matter of when I feel like Zion."
Williamson, who described the past three months as "very frustrating", said "things have got a lot better".
Yet he still could not outline exactly what was required to "feel like Zion" and get back on the court for a team who at one stage before his injury threatened to contend.
"I don't feel like there are any specific benchmarks for being Zion," Williamson said.
"It's just a matter of when I feel like myself – just feeling like myself and knowing that I can go out there and have a big impact for my team."
"It's a little bit of a mental battle, because you know when I re-aggravated back in February, it was tough.
"So, when I go to make certain moves, there is that hesitation. Sometimes there's not and sometimes there is.
"And I understand the magnitude of these games coming up, and I don't want to be out there hesitating or doing something that may affect my team in a bad way."
Novak Djokovic returned to action with an "ugly" win over Ivan Gakhov in the second round of the Monte Carlo Masters on Tuesday.
The world number one was competing for the first time in five weeks after missing the Indian Wells Open and Miami Open due to being unable to enter the United States.
Djokovic, who has since been cleared to compete in the US Open later this year, faced a spirited challenge from world number 198 Ivan Gakhov but advanced 7-6 (7-5) 6-2.
Gakhov broke his somewhat rusty opponent in the seventh game, but Djokovic hit back instantly as the opening set went to a tie-break.
The Serbian appeared rattled at various points, but an unforced error from Gakhov paved the way for Djokovic to open up some day light and take the opener.
The second set went the way of serve until the fifth game, when a double fault from Gakhov gave his opponent the chance to capitalise and see out the win.
"It was probably, if you can call it this way, an ugly tennis win for me today," Djokovic said in his on-court interview. "I haven't played my best, particularly in the first set.
"And I kind of expected that that was going to happen in a way with swirly conditions, a lot of wind today, changing directions.
"It's different practising and then playing an official match on clay, where I guess no two bounces are the same. It's always quite unpredictable what's going to happen.
"But all in all, I'm just pleased with the way I held my nerves I think in the important moments and I managed to clinch the two-set win."
Defending champion Stefanos Tsitsipas also advanced to the last 16 with a walkover win over Benjamin Bonzi, who retired with a wrist injury when 4-1 down in the opening set.
Fifth seed Andrey Rublev had a tougher time of things against Jaume Munar as he recovered from a set down to progress 4-6 6-2 6-2
Hubert Hurkacz was the other seeded player in action on Tuesday and defeated Jack Draper 6-3 6-7 (7-3) 7-5.
Marc Marquez will miss this weekend's Grand Prix of the Americas as the Repsol Honda rider continues his recovery from a hand injury.
The six-time MotoGP champion suffered a fracture to the first metacarpal bone in his right hand in last month's Portuguese Grand Prix.
He underwent surgery and subsequently sat out the Argentine Grand Prix.
Marquez had been expected to return at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin this week, but he announced on social media on Tuesday that his injury has not yet fully healed.
"I have just had a CAT scan and it was confirmed that the bone is still in the process of healing," he said.
"After talking with the medical team led by Dr. Ignacio Roger de Ona, we have decided not to take any risks and therefore I won't be able to ride in Austin.
"I will continue working and rehabilitating as I have been doing so far to be able to get back on the bike as soon as possible."
Marquez suffered the injury after a crash with Miguel Oliveira early on in Portimao, with the Spaniard found guilty of irresponsible riding for his part in the collision.
The 30-year-old was handed a double long-lap penalty and the FIM confirmed Marquez will serve the sanction when he next features, though Honda lodged an appeal.
The Spanish Grand Prix on April 30 has now been earmarked for Marquez's possible return.
The Detroit Lions are moving on from cornerback Jeff Okudah, sending the former first-round draft pick to the Atlanta Falcons for a fifth-round selection in this year's draft.
The trade was reported by multiple sources on Tuesday.
The Lions selected Okudah with the third overall pick of the 2020 draft, but he has had a hard time staying healthy.
In three seasons with Detroit, Okudah has appeared in 25 games while missing 25 games due to injuries.
Heading into the fourth season of his rookie contract, Okudah will make $5.1million and the Falcons have until May 1 to decide on picking up his fifth-year option.
Atlanta will hope a change of scenery will give Okudah a fresh start and help shore up a pass defense that ranked among the worst in the NFL in 2022.
Only five teams had fewer interceptions than the Falcons' 10 last season, while opposing quartebacks posted a 95.7 passer rating – fourth highest in the league.
In 15 games last season, Okudah had one interception, seven pass breakups, 73 tackles – including two for loss – and one forced fumble.
Brandon Lowe urged the Tampa Bay Rays to "keep it rolling" after they continued their dream start to the season by beating the Boston Red Sox 1-0 on Monday.
Lowe's home run in the eighth inning was enough for the Rams to become the first team since the Milwaukee Brewers in 1987 to begin their MLB campaign with 10 consecutive victories.
It was a third home run in as many games for Lowe, who has nine RBIs in his past three appearances.
He said: "It's great to come out on top. Let's keep it rolling."
Rays manager Kevin Cash was impressed with the manner in which Lowe bided his time before making a decisive impact.
He said: "Brandon had a really good at-bat. Hung in there on some pitches, and then he got a fastball that he could get the barrel to.
"And we know that he can knock it out of the ballpark when he connects."
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