The Arizona Cardinals are reportedly being bombarded with trade interest in their third overall pick for this month's NFL Draft.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, at least six teams have contacted the Cardinals to gauge their asking price.
Arizona are believed to be open to trading the pick due to the fact that they content with Kyler Murray as their franchise quarterback going forward, and with the top two picks almost assuredly going to be used on quarterback prospects, pick three is viewed as the only chance to trade up and get one of the class' best arms.
The Carolina Panthers recently traded up from pick nine to the Chicago Bears' top overall selection with the clear goal to select their quarterback of the future, and in addition to pick nine they sent away pick 61, a 2024 first-rounder, a 2025 second-rounder, and their top wide receiver D.J. Moore.
It has the potential to be a franchise-altering haul for the Bears, and while the package for what is essentially the third-best quarterback prospect in the class will be significantly less than the price to have your pick of the bunch, a bidding war could be just what the Cardinals need.
If they were to stay put at three and make a selection, the Cardinals would likely take the best non-quarterback on the board, and the consensus there is Alabama edge-rusher Will Anderson.
Anderson would immediately become one of the Cardinals' most valuable players, but a roster with so many holes needs more than one defensive player to get things back on track.
Arizona also hold three more top-100 picks – at 34, 66 and 96 – and four more in the later rounds, so a strong return for their top selection could set the franchise up for a quick turnaround.
Star Miami Heat wing Jimmy Butler has no interest in embracing the role of underdogs this year as he prepares for a third deep playoff run from his past four seasons.
Butler, 33, led the Heat to a shock NBA Finals appearance back in the 2020 'bubble' playoffs, and after a first-round exit in 2021, the Heat showed they still have plenty in the tank with another Eastern Conference Finals run this past year.
Although few picked them to win multiple rounds last season, the Heat still finished as the top seed in the East with a 53-29 record, which is in stark contrast to their 44-38 campaign this time around that has them seventh.
By finishing seventh, it means the Heat will participate in their first play-in tournament, hosting the Atlanta Hawks for a chance to claim the seventh seed, and if they lose they will play the winner of the nine-ten matchup between the Toronto Raptors and Chicago Bulls for the eighth seed.
When asked on Monday if their position in the play-in meant Butler would embrace the underdog tag heading into this postseason, he was clear that is not the case.
"Nope," he said. "It's all the same. Didn't nobody pick us to win last year, either. So who cares. Y'all not going to pick us this year, still don't give a damn. In 10 years, y'all still not going to pick us – still don't give a damn."
Butler carried the Heat all the way to Game 7 against the Boston Celtics last season, narrowly missing out on another trip to the NBA Finals, but he said he does not feel external pressure to perform at the same level.
"I'm going to do whatever it takes for my team to win, night in and night out, and honestly, I could care less what anybody writes, if I was a good basketball player or a bad basketball player," he said.
"Coach Pat [Riley] and coach [Erik Spoelstra] didn't bring me here because of what y'all write, in the most respectful way possible.
"As I take on [Tuesday's] matchup and we get that dub, we'll worry about what goes on down the line, but I think I'm going to be a decent basketball player at the end of the day."
Head coach Erik Spoelstra was far less agitated, speaking about how excited he is for the new experience.
"First, I think this is going to be fun," he said. "I think you have to embrace this new experience.
"To the old heads in our locker room, each of us have experienced long NBA careers and none have had this opportunity. I think it's been great for the league.
"How harrowing this has been the last six, eight weeks for 16 teams in the West and the East, has just been great for competition."
The Atlanta Braves won a 5-4 extra-innings thriller against the Cincinnati Reds on Monday thanks to a walk-off home run from catcher Sean Murphy.
Despite the teams eventually combining for nine runs, the contest was scoreless through five innings.
The tie was eventually broken in the sixth as Murphy connected on an RBI double to put the Braves up 1-0, and Orlando Arcia made it 2-0 in the seventh frame when he came home on a wild pitch.
Jake Fraley brought the Reds back into it with an RBI single to cut the lead to one run in the eighth inning, but Arcia's RBI single later in the frame put Atlanta up 3-1 and meant Cincinnati would need to produce something special in the last.
After Wil Myers started the top of the ninth with a lead-off single, pinch-hitter Stuart Fairchild flipped the game on its head with an RBI triple, leaving the tying run on third base with no outs.
When Spencer Steer followed that at-bat with an RBI single, the Reds would have felt they were in position to run over the top and steal the win, but Braves closer A.J. Minter was able to get a crucial double-play to send things to extra innings despite registering his first blown save of the season.
A Jonathan India RBI single in the top of the 10th meant the Braves would have to come from behind to get the victory, but home fans would not have to wait long, as Murphy connected with the walk-off home run on relief pitcher Derek Law's very first pitch.
The win snaps the Braves' (7-4) three-game losing streak at the hands of the San Diego Padres, while the Reds will be content with their 4-5 start.
Rays become first team since 1987 to start 10-0
The Tampa Bay Rays are the first team since the 1987 Milwaukee Brewers to start a season with 10 consecutive wins after a hard-fought 1-0 home triumph against the Boston Red Sox.
In a game with only two total extra-base hits, the Rays finally made the breakthrough in the eighth inning as Brandon Lowe sent a Chris Martin fastball 404 feet over the left-field wall.
It was the third game in a row that Lowe has hit a home run, and with it he kept the Rays' chances alive of tying or beating the all-time best start of 13-0, held by the 1987 Brewers and the 1982 Braves.
Tampa Bay fell one game short of becoming the first team since the 1939 New York Yankees to win 10 games in a row by at least four runs each.
Phillies beat up Alcantara
Reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara had a miserable day on the mound as his Miami Marlins were hammered 15-3 by the Philadelphia Phillies.
Alcantara, who gave up just 58 earned runs in 32 starts in 2022, allowed the Phillies to rack up 10 hits and a walk, resulting in nine earned runs through four innings.
Alec Bohm led the way for Philadelphia with six RBIs as he went three-for-five with a home run, while Brandon Marsh and Jake Cave also went deep.
Charlotte Hornets head coach Steve Clifford made it clear on Monday that he understands the franchise must begin winning soon or risk losing young star LaMelo Ball.
Ball, 21, was the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, and he was named the 2021 Rookie of the Year after averaging 15.7 points, 6.1 assists and 5.9 rebounds per game.
He went up a level in his sophomore season, raising his averages to 20.1 points, 7.6 assists and 6.7 rebounds, and despite the Hornets struggling to the fourth-worst record in the league this time around, Ball again showed significant improvement.
In year three, Ball became one of the league's most aggressive three-point shooters, with his 4.0 made threes per game trailing only Damian Lillard (4.2), Klay Thompson (4.4) and Stephen Curry (4.9), while shooting a very respectable 37.1 per cent on 10.6 attempts per contest.
He also finished this season sixth in assists per game (8.4), and top-30 in both points per game (23.3) and steals per game (1.3), although his 36 games played was by far the lowest total of his career.
Ball is unquestionably the brightest prospect in the Hornets' organisation, and Clifford told reporters it is crucial that the team holds up their end of the bargain to convince him to stick around long-term.
"He badly wants to win," Clifford said. "When you're at his level, there are certain expectations. You're going to be compared to the other point guards his age that have had – not incredible playoff success – but have had some.
"It's important to his career."
When asked Monday about his long-term future in Charlotte, Ball said he "plays it by the day."
"I love it here," Ball said. "I can't really tell the future. We'll just see how it goes and go from there."
As for Clifford's comments about it being critical for the Hornets to start winning to keep him here, Ball replied: "For sure. The main thing is winning. Life is better when you win."
The Hornets will be encouraged by comments from starting wing P.J. Washington, who was a lottery pick in 2019, and enjoyed a career-best season at age 24.
Washington showed he is perhaps more capable than the supporting role he has been cast in, highlighted by a stunning 43-point, six-rebound, five-assist performance in a win against the Oklahoma City Thunder in late March.
"This is really where I want to be, and I haven't thought about being anywhere else," Washington said. "Everybody is here. My family is here, my kids are here. This is home for me now."
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced Monday that shortstop Oneil Cruz underwent successful surgery to repair a fractured left ankle and is expected to miss around four months.
Cruz, who hit 17 home runs in just 87 games during a highly promising rookie season in 2022, was injured sliding into home plate during the Pirates’ 1-0 win over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday.
The 24-year-old was later taken to Pittsburgh’s Allegheny Hospital for a procedure that stabilized his fibula and addressed an injury to the syndesmosis, a fibrous joint located near the ankle.
The six-foot-seven Cruz, who has had his throws across the diamond clocked at around 100mp/h, has served as the Pirates' leadoff hitter this season and had posted a .375 on-base percentage with seven runs scored during the team’s surprising 6-3 start.
"My solace is in the fact he's OK," Pirates manager Derek Shelton told reporters Monday. "We’re talking about a 24-year-old kid here. My concern is more about the kid than worrying about a timetable or what’s going on."
Shelton said Rodolfo Castro will see the majority of time at shortstop until Cruz comes back, likely sometime in August. Castro, a switch-hitter, had been splitting time with the left-handed hitting Bae Ji-hwan at second base, but made 17 starts at shortstop in 2022.
"Obviously, losing Oneil is a blow because he’s a big part of what we do on both sides of the ball," Shelton said after Sunday’s game. "The flip side of that, because of the depth we’ve created over the last couple of years, we're probably in a better spot to handle it than we have been previously."
Cruz added 54 RBIs and 10 stolen bases while batting .233 last season, and hit .250 with one home run, four RBIs and three steals through the first nine games of 2023
Rudy Gobert has been suspended by the Minnesota Timberwolves for Tuesday's play-in game against the Los Angeles Lakers for throwing a punch at team-mate Kyle Anderson during an argument in a team huddle during a timeout.
The Timberwolves announced the one-game suspension of the 10-year veteran on Monday.
The incident occurred in the second quarter of Sunday's game against the New Orleans Pelicans, when Gobert got into a heated exchange with Anderson and hit him in the upper chest.
Gobert was escorted off the court and sent home by the team at half-time.
Trailing by 12 points at the time of the altercation, Minnesota ended up rallying for a 113-108 win to secure eighth place in the Western Conference.
As the No. 8 seed, the Timberwolves will have two opportunities to win a play-in game and earn a playoff berth.
If Minnesota win at Los Angeles, they will clinch the No. 7 seed and face the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round.
If they lose, however, the Timberwolves will return home Friday to host the winner of the Pelicans-Oklahoma City Thunder game for a chance at the No. 8 seed and a first-round matchup against the top-seeded Denver Nuggets.
In addition to facing the Lakers without their top rim protector in Gobert, Minnesota will also be without Jaden McDaniels after he sustained a broken wrist from punching a wall in the tunnel that leads to the locker room on Sunday.
Acquired from the Utah Jazz in blockbuster trade last summer, the 30-year-old Gobert averaged 13.4 points, a team-leading 11.6 rebounds and 1.36 blocks (the 12th-most in the NBA) in 70 games in his first season with the Timberwolves.
Rory McIlroy has pulled out of the RBC Heritage later this week on the back of his disappointing Masters showing.
McIlroy endured a torrid time at Augusta National last week, missing the cut after carding a five-over second round.
The world number three will not have the opportunity to get over that with a solid display at the RBC Heritage, which gets under way in South Carolina on Thursday.
No explanation was given for his decision to pull out of the tournament, which only players ranked in the top 20 of the PGA Tour's Player Impact Program are eligible to take part in.
This is McIlroy's second withdrawal of the season, with only one allowed for personal or professional reasons, meaning he may now miss out on his bonus money from the Player Impact Program.
Jon Rahm is expected to participate in the tournament after winning his first Masters title with a superb final-round display.
Stan Wawrinka mounted an impressive comeback victory on his return to action at the Monte Carlo Masters, but Andy Murray went out in straight sets.
The pair, both three-time grand slam winners, enjoyed contrasting fortunes in their first-round matches against Tallon Griekspoor and Alex de Minaur.
Wawrinka, who has not played since Indian Wells last month, saw off the Dutchman in a 5-7 6-3 6-4 triumph, but Murray was routed by the Australian in a 6-1 6-3 loss.
"It was really important to stay calm with myself," Wawrinka said. "In the first round you need to find your game. I am happy to get through. It was important to fight until the end."
Roberto Bautista Agut saved a match point in the second-set tie-break as he fought back to overcome Filip Krajinovic to prevail 5-7 7-6 (12-10) 6-1.
Dominic Thiem is also through following a 6-1 6-4 win over Richard Gasquet but 11th seed Cameron Norrie is out after suffering a 6-3 6-4 loss to Francisco Cerundolo.
Social media star Logan Paul has re-signed with WWE on a multi-year contract.
The 28-year-old made his in-ring debut with the promotion at WrestleMania 38 last year, and was on the card for this year's event earlier this month.
Paul's contract had expired following the conclusion of the company's flagship event, but he has now penned a fresh deal that will ensure future appearances.
"I feel incredibly blessed to have found something that I'm good at, at 28 years old," he told ESPN.
"The fact that the organisation believes I'm good enough to continue hopefully building this WWE legacy is mind-blowing. As long as I can keep putting on good shows, I'm going to keep doing this sport."
Paul came to sporting prominence with a professional boxing bout against fellow online personality KSI and previously fought Floyd Mayweather Jr in an exhibition match in 2021.
In a match-up of Jamaican shooters in the Suncorp Super Netball League on Sunday, Jhanielle Fowler’s West Coast Fever rallied to defeat Romelda Aiken-George’s New South Wales Swifts 78-67 and maintain their unbeaten record so far this season.
In the match played at the Ken Rosewall Arena, the defending champions found themselves trailing early to an aggressive Swifts unit lead by Aiken-George’s 33 goals from 37 attempts. Helen Housby supported with 17 goals from 18.
Swifts led 18-15 at the end of the first quarter.
Fowler, meanwhile, who has been near perfect this season, led the comeback as the Fever outscored their opponents 20-17 in the second quarter as the teams went into the half-time break tied at 35-35.
Goal attack Sasha Glasgow scored seven from eight as the champions dominated the third quarter 24-16 before closing out the game 19-16 to take their fourth win from four games this season.
Fowler, the MVP for the last four seasons, has so far scored 220 goals this season, 39 more from fellow Jamaican Shimona Nelson who has scored 181 goals for the Colllingwood Magpies that beat Queensland Firebirds 69-61 on Saturday.
Nelson scored 61 from 66 attempts in the victory over the winless Firebirds.
Meanwhile, despite a league leading 417.5 Nissan Net Points from Shamera Sterling, the Adelaide Thunderbirds suffered their first loss of the season, going down 54-59 to GIANTS.
The NBA regular season has come to a close, which means the postseason is on the horizon to excite fans with its unpredictability and drama.
First, though, the play-in format returns for its third season and promises to once again add all sorts of further intrigue to the playoff picture.
The mini tournament takes place over April 11-14, with the teams that finished seventh and eighth playing one another to determine the seventh playoff seed from their respective conference, while the loser of that game gets a chance to secure the eighth seed when they host the winner of a game between the ninth and 10th seeds.
Therefore, the teams that finish seventh or eighth only need to win one game to advance to the playoffs, while those in ninth and 10th must win two.
Whoever clinches the seventh seed in the East will face the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs, while the eighth seed will take on the Milwaukee Bucks. In the West, the seventh seed will go up against the Memphis Grizzlies, and the eighth seed will be paired with the Denver Nuggets.
Stats Perform previews the eight teams looking to secure their place in the 2023 NBA playoffs.
Eastern Conference
Tuesday, April 11 – Miami Heat (7th) vs Atlanta Hawks (8th)
One of these teams has made the Eastern Conference Finals in each of the last three seasons, although that trend appears unlikely to continue this year.
After starting the season 2-5, the Heat soon recovered some sort of form without threatening to repeat the performances that saw them clinch the top seed in the East the previous year. They at least strung together a solid run over December and January, going 19-11, to boost their playoff hopes.
The Heat will be favourites in this matchup, having gone 4-1 in April and 3-1 against the Hawks this season, including winning back-to-back games in Miami in early March.
The trio of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro will be key, with all three scoring over 20 points per game in the regular season.
Opponents Atlanta went 7-3 to start the season, but their form dipped towards the end of 2022, before picking up again in January.
Trae Young, the star of their 2021 run, will be hoping to lead his team back to the playoffs, having averaged 26.2 points and 10.2 assists in the regular season, and the Heat's ability to stop him could be the key in this one.
The loser will host the winner of...
Wednesday, April 12 – Toronto Raptors (9th) vs Chicago Bulls (10th)
The Raptors have done well to reach this stage after a poor first half to the campaign, starting 16-23, but an improvement in 2023 saw them end level with the Hawks with an even .500 record.
Pascal Siakam averaged 24.2 points from his 71 games in the regular season, while Fred VanVleet (19.3) will also be required to lend a hand.
Chicago, who ended with a 40-42 record, will look to the pairing of Zach LaVine (24.8) and DeMar DeRozan (24.5) for inspiration after a promising end to the regular season on an 11-6 run.
The Raptors were 2-1 against the Bulls this season, including winning their most recent meeting in Toronto in late February on the back of a fourth-quarter fightback.
This promises to be another intriguing encounter.
Western Conference:
Tuesday, April 11 – Los Angeles Lakers (7th) vs Minnesota Timberwolves (8th)
This has been a fascinating season for the Lakers, who looked down and out but recovered to such an extent they ended up disappointed they had to settle for a play-in spot.
LeBron James and co. started 0-5 and then 2-10 as the word "crisis" was tossed about by all and sundry.
However, a subsequent run of 8-2 propelled them into a season few could have imagined in early November, while they also finished the year strongly on a 9-2 run.
James (28.9 points) and Anthony Davis (25.9) have each had injury issues, playing just 55 and 56 games respectively, but they have crucially found form and fitness at this crucial stage in the season.
The Timberwolves also have talent but come into this with a bit of a cloud over them after the fracas between big-trade flop Rudy Gobert and Kyle Anderson in their final game against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Minnesota started 2-0 against the Lakers this season, but Davis had 38 points and 17 rebounds in a big win when the teams met less than two weeks ago.
The loser will host the winner of...
Wednesday, April 12 – New Orleans Pelicans (9th) vs Oklahoma City Thunder (10th)
The biggest story around this one centres on who will not be there, as Zion Williamson continues to sit on the sideline with a hamstring injury.
The Pelicans' star man averaged 26.0 points this season but played only 29 games and none since January 2.
Updates from New Orleans have remained vague, although Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin has spoken of a "best possible outcome" that would "maybe" see Williamson in practice around the first round. Again, "if everything lined up perfectly".
That means Brandon Ingram will be required to carry the scoring burden for now, a task he warmed up for in fine style with a 42-point return against the Timberwolves on Sunday.
The Thunder will look to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to lead them into the postseason, with the 24-year-old averaging 31.4 points this year, the fourth-most in the league.
New Orleans were 3-1 against OKC this season, but the Thunder won their last game in March with Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 35 – albeit the Pelicans were without Ingram as well as Williamson.
The Boston Bruins saw no better preparation for the Stanley Cup playoffs than chasing NHL regular-season records under pressure.
That was the message from Bruins coach Jim Montgomery after Boston set a single-season NHL record with their 63rd win following a 5-3 triumph over the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Bruins moved past the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings and 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning (both 62 wins) and have two games to lay down another benchmark.
Boston are just one point behind the all-time single-season record of 132 held by the Montreal Canadiens (in 1976-77), who they visit on Thursday after hosting the Washington Capitals two days prior.
Montgomery had previously said his group are "aware" and "grasp" their record-breaking exploits, and acknowledged his team are using the regular season to prepare for the playoffs, which start on April 17.
"Being able to stay focused and learn how to win when chasing records is the closest thing you can do when you're having a season like us to prepare for the playoffs," Montgomery said.
David Pastrnak scored a hat-trick against the Flyers to take his tally for the season to 60, only Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid has more with 64.
Bruins forward Pastrnak echoed Montgomery's sentiment as Boston aim to etch their name further in history.
"It's been a lot of fun, I'm not going to lie," Pastrnak said of the season. "It's been enjoyable, especially the group we have here.
"We obviously knew the stakes, and it's definitely special to hit it in a game like this. Made history today in the biggest league in hockey."
The Bruins set NHL records for the fastest team to 50 wins (64 games) and 100 points (61 games), while they have already secured home advantage in the playoffs after clinching the Presidents' Trophy.
Their latest record may come with some slight contention, given the Red Wings' 62 wins came without shoot-outs replacing tied games, whereas Boston have won four games via that deciding method this term.
Nevertheless, Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman says the 62-win mark stood for so long for a reason and revelled in breaking it.
"It's hard to win in this league and there's a reason why this record is at 62 because not many teams can get there, so it's a special honour," Swayman said.
"These guys in this room are more than deserving."
Montgomery added: "Anytime you're talking about putting your team's name in the history books of the most wins ever in a regular season, it's special."
Rudy Gobert apologised to Kyle Anderson, his other Minnesota Timberwolves team-mates and supporters after punching Anderson during a chaotic win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Timberwolves triumphed 113-108 on Sunday but the victory was marred by an inexplicable confrontation between Gobert and Anderson.
After an animated discussion on the sidelines in the second quarter, Gobert aimed a jab at the chest of Anderson and was removed from the team for the remainder of the game.
Gobert was taken to the locker room and the Timberwolves were quick to inform their center had been sent home for his "unacceptable" actions, which Minnesota said will be handled "internally".
The 30-year-old took to Twitter after the game to smooth things over with Anderson and express his apologies to those involved with the Timberwolves.
"Emotions got the best of me today. I should not have reacted the way I did regardless of what was said," Gobert wrote.
"I want to apologise to the fans, the organisation and particularly to Kyle, who is someone that I truly love and respect as a team-mate."
The Minnesota embarrassment was compounded as Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels reportedly also suffered a broken right hand after punching a wall at half-time.
The Timberwolves will travel to face the Los Angeles Lakers in the first game of the Western Conference play-in tournament.
If they lose, Minnesota will have another chance to qualify for the playoffs by beating the winner of the nine versus 10 matchup between the Pelicans and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Brooks Koepka said it will take a while to get over missing out on winning the Masters after seeing Jon Rahm take the green jacket after Sunday's final round.
Koepka had led for the first three rounds at Augusta, only to finish tied for second with Phil Mickelson, four shots behind eventual winner Rahm.
Speaking after his final three-over round of 75, the 32-year-old did not believe he played well enough, but also failed to get "good breaks".
"Obviously it's super disappointing," he said. "I didn't play good enough to win. Hit some shots where I also feel like I didn't get some good breaks, the ball on nine; on four and six, I hit some good shots and just ended up in some terrible spots where it was quite difficult.
"Then 12, it was just kind of interesting, Jon hit nine and I hit a wedge over the green. Then 14, I felt like I just had to make a run for it. Didn't feel like I did too much wrong, but that's how golf goes sometimes."
Koepka also claimed that the pair in front of him and Rahm – Patrick Cantlay and Viktor Hovland – were slowing them down, saying: "Yeah, the group in front of us was brutally slow. Jon went to the bathroom like seven times during the round, and we were still waiting."
With two LIV Golf players in Koepka and Mickelson in the top three, the former said it proved they can compete just as well as their PGA Tour counterparts.
"I mean, we're still the same people," he said. "I know if I'm healthy, I know I can compete. I don't think any of the guys that played this event thought otherwise, either. When Phil plays good, we know he's going to compete. [Patrick] Reed, the same thing.
"I think that's just manufactured by the media that we can't compete anymore; that we are washed up."
He added: "The way Jon played today was pretty impressive. I don't know, the game, it's so good right now, everybody, it's amazing to see all these guys compete. When they are at their best, they are all tough to beat."
Having also finished tied for second at the 2019 Masters, Koepka said he will not initially see the positives in such a high finish at a major, but will eventually do so.
"Probably not. Not today. Probably not for the next few days. But eventually it will be a positive," he said. "I'd say probably give it a week, and I'll start to see some positives out of it and carry this over to the PGA, the US Open and The Open.
"But right now, it's kind of tough to see, if I'm honest, probably for the next few hours and the next few days."
LeBron James implored the Los Angeles Lakers to "stay on edge" for their play-in tournament game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday.
The Lakers fell short of their goal of making the playoffs after a poor start to the season, despite Sunday's 128-117 win over the Utah Jazz.
James' side had rallied back from their early-season troubles to finish seventh in the West with a 43-39 record, but are in the box seat to make the playoffs via the play-in with home court advantage.
"For us, it's just good that we don't need to travel. We've travelled a lot lately," James told reporters.
"It's good that we get to stay here, but we shouldn't be comfortable. We have to stay on edge and get ready for the game."
The Lakers, who were NBA champions in 2020, missed the playoffs altogether in 2022 after being eliminated in the first round in 2021. The NBA playoffs proper commence on Saturday.
"Obviously it's different because usually in the postseason you have multiple days of prep for a team, but you literally have one day to prep," James said. "You're kind of locked in on everything that needs to be done."
The short turnaround may not suit the Lakers, who have seen veterans James and Anthony Davis miss plenty of games this season with injury.
"Be efficient with how we spend our non-game days," Lakers head coach Darvin Ham said. "Make sure they're getting the proper treatment between now and Tuesday.
"But they're aware, man. These stakes are high and a lot of times, I don't want to call it pressure, but the challenges of guys knowing what's at stake can weigh on them a little bit. But here we are, we know what's in front of us."
The Lakers' play-in opponents, Minnesota, have their own issues after Rudy Gobert attempted to punch teammate Kyle Anderson during a second-quarter timeout in their 113-109 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
Gobert was dismissed by the team for the rest of the game and could have a suspension imposed on him by the Wolves.
The Wolves center apologised on Twitter, when he wrote: "Emotions got the best of me today. I should not have reacted the way i did regardless of what was said. I wanna apologize to the fans, the organisation and particularly to Kyle, who is someone that i truly love and respect as a teammate."
Jaden McDaniels also hurt his hand punching a wall in frustration during the game, with sources claiming an X-ray has revealed a season-ending fracture.
Jon Rahm was stunned to find out he is the first European to ever win both the US Open and the Masters after securing a four-stroke victory at Augusta National Golf Club on Sunday.
Rahm, 28, finished with a three-under 69 to record a winning score of 12 under, but he needed some help from Brooks Koepka as the American came into Sunday's play at 13 under.
Koepka only needed to shoot even par to push Rahm all the way, but he had eight bogeys and three birdies during his 28 holes after poor weather on Saturday forced players into a marathon session to finish.
It was Rahm's 20th professional win, and his second major, joining his victory at the 2021 US Open played at Torrey Pines South.
The Spaniard had been discussing how special it feels to achieve this accomplishment on the birthday of his golfing hero Seve Ballesteros, and in the 40-year anniversary of his second Masters triumph in 1983.
But even Ballesteros never won the US Open, and when asked how it feels to be the first European to pull off the feat, Rahm was taken aback.
"I find it hard to believe, the first one," he said. "You know, if there's anything better than accomplishing something like this, it's making history.
"The fact that you tell me that, to be the first European ever to do that, hard to explain. Out of all the accomplishments and the many great players that have come before me, to be the first to do something like that, it's a very humbling feeling.
"I still can't believe I'm the first. I don't know what to tell you – it is a pretty good duo of majors.
"The US Open is about as hard a test as you're ever going to find, and, you know, I was starting to think I was never going to win a major again unless it was at Torrey Pines.
"I kept seeing the stats, the lowest score to par out of two starts [at the Masters], and how great I've done here in the past, but never gave myself a chance to win. All I asked for was a chance, and I got it.
"To get that done is – I can't help but feel anything but thankful."
While he appeared stoic and unflappable as he defended his lead down the stretch, Rahm said that just means he has a great poker face.
"What is going on on the outside is not always a reflection of the inside," he said.
"I was calm, I never got frustrated, I never really felt like anything was out of control. But obviously you're nervous, right. There's tension out there.
"That bogey on nine timing-wise was bad because Jordan [Spieth] and Phil [Mickelson] came in making birdies, right. So what looked like a two – or possibly more – shot lead, narrowed down very, very quickly with the chance of them making a birdie on 18.
"So it made those 10, 11, 12 holes harder. Again, I might have looked calm, but I was definitely, definitely nervous out there. I'm glad that's the way it looked. That's what you strive for, right? You don't want to panic, and I never panicked.
"I felt comfortable with my game, and I had a plan to execute, and that's all I can do."
Dallas Mavericks' All-Star guard Luka Doncic moved to dispel speculation about his long-term future with the franchise, insisting he is happy where he is.
Reports emerged suggesting Doncic could evaluate his future with the Mavericks after they missed the 2022-23 playoffs with their first losing season (38-44) since the Slovenian's rookie year with Dallas.
That came despite the March trade for Kyrie Irving in an effort to make them championship contenders, yet they struggled with a miserable 7-18 run end to the season.
Doncic previously acknowledged publicly that he has been frustrated by their slide, but claimed that was natural given their poor results.
The guard signed a $207million contract extension in August 2021 keeping him tied with the Mavs until 2027, but players have opted out of long-term deals in the past.
Dallas owner Mark Cuban said this week that the Mavs had to "earn" Doncic's loyalty for him to spend his entire career with them.
The Slovenian cooled the concerns after the Mavs' season ended with a 138-117 loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
"I'm happy here, so there's nothing to worry [about]," Doncic told reporters.
"I saw the report. I don’t know who, somebody said I was going to request a trade. It was funny as I didn’t know it was true. I didn’t say it."
Doncic said he hoped for offseason personnel changes to bolster the Mavs line-up, although he declined to comment on any specific player targets. He also endorsed Irving as his backcourt partner despite their struggles since his arrival.
"Something's got to change, for sure," Doncic said. "I mean, last year we went to Western Conference finals. We were having fun. I always talk about the chemistry we had. It was great. But something's got to change for sure."
On Irving, Doncic added: "I think it's a great fit. Obviously people are going to say no [and] look at the results we are having, but like I said, chemistry and relationships takes time. I wish he can still be here."
The Mavs are under NBA investigation after resting a series of key players for their penultimate game against the Chicago Bulls which they lost 115-112, ending their hopes of making the play-in tournament.
Finishing 11th in the West and missing the play-in meant the Mavs finished with the 10th-best lottery odds, which is important as Dallas owe the New York Knicks a top-10-protected pick, prompting the investigation.
"I didn't like that decision," Doncic said. "That's it."
Phil Mickelson was not surprised by Jon Rahm's success at the Masters, and believes his own strong performance on Sunday was an indicator of how close he remains to the top echelon.
Mickelson shot rounds of 71, 69 and 75 before closing with a stunning seven-under 65 to catapult up to a tie for second at eight-under overall.
He finished his tournament with five birdies from his last seven holes, capping off the best round of the day in what was Mickelson's best outing since winning the 2021 PGA Championship.
The 52-year-old felt a performance like this was not out of reach due to the way he had been hitting the ball this year.
When asked if Sunday was the beginning of a return to top form, he said: "I'm hopeful that's the case.
"I feel like it was evident to me that I was hitting a lot of good shots, that I was playing well, but I wasn't getting the score out of it.
"Today was a great day for me to stay present and just keep hitting good shots. Even after I might have had a mess-up here or there, I was able to stay present, keep hitting good shots.
"I'm hopeful that this kind of catapults me into playing the rest of the year the way I believe I'm playing. I really worked hard in the off-season to get ready.
"I've been shooting some really low scores at home, and today I kind of let it happen rather than trying to force it, and I had a really good day and made some noise.
"Unfortunately it wasn't enough, but it was really a lot of fun for me to play at this level again, and it's encouraging for me going forward the rest of the year."
The six-time major champion said: "It's been a while since I've been able to focus the way I want to" due to off-course distractions, but highlighted how privileged he feels to still be able to perform on such a big stage with perfect health.
"I think it's not so much what I learned [about myself], but I certainly have a lot of gratitude to be able to be here, be part of this tournament, play well, play good golf and take advantage of a unique opportunity that I have.
"Which is to play golf at a very high level at a later stage in life, given that I have not had any physical injuries and I'm able to swing the club the way I want to and, with a little bit of work and dedication, to compete against some of the best players in the world on some of the biggest stages. That's really what's driving me, and today was a very encouraging day."
Turning his attention to the winner, Mickelson spoke about his long-standing relationship with Rahm, and recalled the now 28-year-old beating him on the course as a college student.
"My brother, Tim, was his college coach for four years at Arizona State," he said. "First time I played with him we played Whisper Rock, and he shot 62. I thought I played pretty good, and he gave me a pretty good beat-down.
"So I am not surprised at his success. I mean, it was obvious to me at a very young age that he was one of the best players in the world even while he was in college. To see him on this stage is not surprising for anybody.
"It's hard not to pull for Jon, too. He's such a good guy. He has such a great heart and treats people so well. I think the world of him as a person, and as a player, that's obvious how good he is."
The Tampa Bay Rays' remarkable start to the 2023 season continued as they extended their winning run to nine games with an 11-0 rout of the Oakland Athletics on Sunday.
The Rays improved to 9-0, becoming the first team since the Kansas City Royals in 2003 to win their first nine games. The longest opening run of wins in MLB history is 13, held by the Atlanta Braves (1982) and the Milwaukee Brewers (1987).
Tampa Bay have won all nine by four or more runs, outscoring their opponents 75-18, which is the most runs scored and least runs allowed in the majors this season.
The record streak for winning games by at least four runs is more than a century old, held by the St Louis Maroons from 1884, when they won 13 in a row.
The Rays swept their third series of the year in the process, blasting three homers on Sunday for an MLB-best 24 this season.
All that came amid pitcher Drew Rasmussen's combined one-hitter with Brandon Lowe's blasting a fourth-inning grand slam. Rasmussen had eight strikeouts and walked none.
Wander Franco homered in the first inning to put the Rays into the lead, before Lowe sent his shot 386 feet over left feld. Harold Ramirez added a two-run blast in the fifth as well.
Judge launches two blasts in Yankees win
Aaron Judge crushed two home runs as the New York Yankees downed the Baltimore Orioles 5-3 to claim the series win.
Judge hit solo blasts in the third and eighth innings, bringing up his 28th multi-homer career game and first of the 2023 season. The outfielder also scored in the first from a Giancarlo Stanton single.
Franchy Cordero hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning to open up a 4-0 lead, before the O's offered some resistance led by Adley Rutschman who went four-for-four with a homer and two runs.
Kiermaier gets Blue Jays home in slugfest
Kevin Kiermaier came to the Toronto Blue Jays' rescue after Matt Chapman's grand slam as they rallied back from 6-0 down to win 12-11 over the Los Angeles Angels in 10 innings.
Kiermaier, who went three-for-five with five RBIs, blasted a two-run triple after Chapman's grand slam as part of a six-run sixth-inning rally. Kiermaier's two-run single made it 10-6 in the next inning, before his ground rule double drove in Cavan Biggio, before scoring himself in the 10th inning.
Jays pitcher Tim Mayza retired Shohei Ohtani with bases loaded for the final out, after the Japanese had launched a two-run blast in the third inning. Ohtani's homer was one of four for the Angels.
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