Cleveland Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff was not happy with the decision to allow Joel Embiid to stay on the court as the man widely tipped to win this season's NBA MVP award led the Philadelphia 76ers to their sixth-straight victory.
Embiid ended the night with 36 points and 18 rebounds as the Sixers won 118-109, but the controversy arrived in the fourth-quarter when he appeared to have committed his sixth foul of the game.
With just over four minutes remaining, Embiid was called for charging Evan Mobley, but Sixers coach Doc Rivers challenged the call, seeing it successfully overturned on review.
"It's clear as day that's a charge," Bickerstaff said after the game. "There's no doubt about it. The call was made on the floor.
"He stands between him and the basket. Evan laid it all out on the line. Guys ought to be rewarded for that. If you stick your nose in there and sacrifice your body, you should be rewarded for the correct play."
He added: "They said there wasn't enough contact to be a charge. I mean, there's a 300-pound man who bowls through your chest, it's a charge. It's that simple."
Rivers still believed the overturn was the right call after his team secured the win, saying he thought Mobley had gone down too easily.
"I thought he flopped," Rivers said of Mobley. "I called that one right away. I didn't even look at my [replay] guy. I thought there was a good chance they would overturn it. I didn't think they would foul Joel out on that."
Embiid agreed, saying: "I thought it was a good call [to overturn]. I never extended my arm. Right before the hit, you could see he was already starting to flop.
"I watch basketball every day and I was pretty confident they would call it the other way."
The Sixers (46-22) remain third in the Eastern Conference, one spot ahead of the Cavs (44-28).
Steve Kerr praised Stephen Curry's ability to "put on a great show every night" as he recorded 50 points despite the Golden State Warriors losing on the road again at the Los Angeles Clippers.
Kawhi Leonard top-scored for the hosts with 30, but had far more help from his teammates as they ran out 134-126 victors at the Crypto.com Arena.
Curry did his best as he sank 20 of 28 field-goal attempts and eight of 14 three-point shots, but no other Golden State player was able to score more than the 19 managed by Jordan Poole.
While disappointed with yet another road defeat, coach Kerr was left in awe at Curry's performance.
"It's like when a guy's throwing a no-hitter, just leave him alone," Kerr said after the loss. "Let him sit in the dugout in between innings and don't say anything to him.
"It was stunning watching that show. Watching some of the shot-making, the playmaking. We're so lucky on so many levels to coach Steph, to play with Steph.
"Our fans, being able to watch Steph, he puts on a great show every night. But this ranks right up there with some of the greatest individual performances that I've ever seen from him."
It meant that Curry became the first player in NBA history to score 50+ points, make eight or more threes and shoot 70 per cent from the field while being on the losing team in regulation.
Draymond Green, who scored eight points with eight rebounds and five assists, was left frustrated that he and his teammates could not provide Curry with more assistance.
The Warriors suffered their 27th defeat on the road out of 34 games for the season, the most by a defending champion in the league's history.
"It sucks," Green said. "You just sit and think about what more could I have done to help him?
"When you get a guy going off like that, you need to find a way to capitalise on it. We didn't do that.
"There is always frustration after a loss. Yeah, I think we did play better, but at the end of the day, you've got to come out with a win. You've got to figure out a way to win."
Golden State (36-34) are sixth in the Western Conference, one place behind the Clippers (37-33), who have won four games in a row.
Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham was not happy with the application of his team in their 114-110 defeat at the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.
Going up against the team bottom of the Western Conference and on a run of four wins from their previous five, the Lakers had been hoping to give their playoff hunt another boost in Houston.
However, with a depleted side, they were unable to do so, allowing seven Rockets players to end the game with double figures at Toyota Center.
"We've talked about it and I've said it before games, after games, non-game days: energy, effort and urgency," Ham said after the loss. "And I thought coming out of the gates that kind of was non-existent.
"It's a product of us not being good on the ball. That individual pride it takes to keep the ball in front and guys behind you knowing that the paint is the priority. This team lives in the paint. The Houston Rockets live in the paint... And we preached that to them before the game."
The Lakers were without LeBron James (foot), Anthony Davis (foot) and Mo Bamba (ankle), with recent recruit from the Washington Wizards Rui Hachimura starting.
Ham was mostly critical of his defense, saying: "When you struggle defensively and you're playing against a set defense, the offense is going to struggle. You're not going to be able to be in a good rhythm."
He added: "I mean, it's the NBA. If you're not cut out for this, you're in the wrong business. I love it, personally. Would I rather have a sound and secure spot in the postseason? Yeah. Who wouldn't? But our circumstances are what they are."
The Lakers sit 10th in the Western Conference, just inside the play-in places on 34-36.
D'Angelo Russell, who scored 18 points with seven assists, pointed to the lack of star power available to them, recalling the days of Kobe Bryant.
"I mean, I'm not going to go against [the] coach. He obviously sees that as well. I agree," Russell said. "But when LeBron is playing, we're a different offensive team. When [Davis] is playing, we're a different offensive team. I compare it to with Kobe [Bryant].
"He was on his way out and he didn't practice a lot and we had a practice group in there at practice and ran the plays and did all that. But when Kobe would play, everything we practiced on kind of went down the drain. We kind of had to adjust. So, it's similar to that."
Orlando Brown has provided protection for Patrick Mahomes for the last two seasons, but will now do the same job for Joe Burrow as he has been acquired by the Cincinnati Bengals.
After three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, Brown moved to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021, winning Super Bowl LVII last month.
According to reports, the four-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle has agreed a four-year deal worth $64million with the Bengals, including $43.5m guaranteed.
Brown's agent, Michael Portner, also confirmed to reporters that the deal includes a signing bonus of over $31m, the highest ever for an offensive lineman.
Cincinnati will be hoping Brown can provide some more efficient protection for Burrow, who was sacked 41 times in the 2022 regular season, while Mahomes was sacked just 26 times by comparison.
The 26-year-old switched from right tackle to left tackle when he moved from his hometown of Baltimore to Kansas City, so is likely to take the place of former first-round pick Jonah Williams.
Brown took to Twitter to re-post a clip from ESPN prior to him being drafted to the NFL in 2018 in which he was criticised, writing: "Put this on repeat, let it sink in. Been below the line. No stripes earned in this business from pretending. I'd bet the house on me and my work ethic. Can't wait to get to work!! @Bengals"
Ja Morant says he made a "bad mistake" but now realises what he has to lose following a series of poor off-court decisions leading to his eight-game NBA suspension.
The NBA announced the suspension without pay for Morant on Wednesday for carrying a gun in a Denver nightclub in an incident that the Memphis Grizzlies guard posted in an Instagram Live video earlier this month.
Morant, who has been away from the Grizzlies since the March 4 incident and underwent counselling during his absence, will receive credit for the five games he has already missed and will be eligible to return for Memphis' March 20 home game against the Dallas Mavericks.
The latest incident is the latest in a pattern of behaviour from Morant, who met with NBA commissioner Adam Silver on Wednesday after the league's damning condemnation of his "irresponsible, reckless and potentially very dangerous" conduct.
"I realise what I have to lose, and for us as a group, what we have to lose," Morant during an interview with ESPN's Jalen Rose. "It's pretty much just that being more responsible, more smarter and staying away from all the bad decisions.
"I feel like in the past we didn't know what was at stake. And now finally me having that time to realise everything, have that time alone, I realise that now."
Morant showed remorse for his actions at the nightclub, clarifying that he did not own the gun in the video, while adding that the behaviour did not represent him truly.
"It's not who I am," Morant said." I don't condone it or any type of violence, but I take full responsibility for my actions. I made a bad mistake.
"I can see the image that I painted over myself with my recent mistakes. But in the future, I'm going to show everybody who Ja really is, what I'm about and change this narrative that everybody got."
Morant has spent time away from the Grizzlies since the incident reflecting on his behaviour, including undertaking a counselling program in Florida.
"I feel mentally good that I haven't been in many years," Morant said. "I'm in a space where I'm very comfortable.
"I was constantly talking to therapists. I've been doing Reiki treatment. I've been doing anxiety breathing, different stuff to help me manage that and release all that stuff from my body.
"I made a terrible mistake being inside a club and went Live. I put myself in a bad position."
The Grizzlies have gone 3-3 in Morant's absence, sitting third in the Western Conference with a 41-27 record.
Arizona State piled on 53 first-half points on their way to a 98-73 rout of Nevada to secure their passage into the stacked West Regional of the NCAA tournament.
Sun Devils guard D.J. Horne top scored with 20 points, shooting four-of-five from three-point range, while Desmond Cambridge Jr added 17 points with six assists on Wednesday.
Arizona shot at 63.6 per cent from the field in an outstanding offensive display, winning their No.1 First Four round game to set up a first-round clash with No.6 seed NCU on Friday.
The Sun Devils finished with the highest points total in a First Four game, with head coach Bobby Hurley calling it a "complete performance".
"You want to be playing this way at this time of year," Hurley said. "That’s what it’s all about.
"I truly believe that our schedule and the games we’ve been in, especially late in the season, prepares you for these types of games and it was across the board, just everyone contributed. Our defense was outstanding in the first half."
Fairleigh Dickinson triumphed 84-61 over Texas Southern in their First Four round game, with the No.16 progressing to face East Regional No.1 seed Purdue.
Forward Ansley Almonor scored a game-high 23 points on five-of-eight three-point shooting with eight rebounds for the Knights.
John Walker III was impressive for the Tigers with 22 points on nine-of-17 shooting from the field, with four rebounds.
Stephen Curry's 50 points were not enough for the Golden State Warriors to avoid a ninth straight road loss going down 134-126 to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday.
The Warriors' dreadful road record worsened to 7-27 across the season, with Kawhi Leonard top scoring for the Clippers with 30 points at Crypto.com Arena.
Curry piled on 21 points in the third quarter, shooting 20-of-28 from the field and eight-of-14 from three-point range, matching his season-high 50 points from the November 16 loss to the Phoenix Suns.
The reigning Finals MVP is the only player in the NBA to score 50-plus points in a loss multiple times this season. All other players are 18-2 in 50-point games this season.
Curry, who turned 35 earlier this week, also tied Wilt Chamberlain on seven for the most 50-point games after turning 30-years-old, moving past Michael Jordan (six).
Golden State's latest defeat comes in the first game of a five-game road trip which may define their playoffs aspirations, with the Warriors in sixth in the Western Conference at 36-34, while the Clippers are fifth on 37-33.
The Clippers claimed their fourth straight win after an 0-5 start after the All-Star break.
Leonard led the way on 10-of-19 field shooting, while Paul George added 24 points including four triples and seven assists.
Jordan Poole provided the Warriors' next best output with 19 points off the bench, while Draymond Green received his 16th technical foul of the season, meaning he will cop a one-game suspension.
Sixers clinch sixth win in a row
Joel Embiid scored 36 points with 18 rebounds as the Philadelphia 76ers continued their momentum with their sixth straight win in a 118-109 triumph over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Embiid had a charging call against him overturned with 4:12 remaining, which would have been his sixth foul, allowing him to play out the game and guide the 76ers home after the Cavs had led 96-95 in the last quarter.
James Harden added 28 points with 12 assists for Philadelphia, while Donovan Mitchell was kept to 21 points on nine-of-19 shooting, making only one-of-seven from beyond the arc.
In the Eastern Conference standings, the third-placed 76ers move to 46-22, just behind the second-placed Boston Celtics (48-22) who edged the Minnesota Timberwolves 104-102. The Cavs are fourth at 44-28.
Clutch Fox sinks Bulls on buzzer
De'Aaron Fox landed a go-ahead pull-up three-pointer with 0.7 seconds left to earn the Sacramento Kings' 117-114 victory over the Chicago Bulls.
Fox finished with 32 points on 12-of-17 shooting, making four-of-six three pointers including the game-winner under pressure from Ayo Dosunmu, after DeMar DeRozan tied the game at 114-all with a four-point play.
Domantas Sabonis managed a triple-double with 14 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists for the Kings, who improved to 41-27 with the win in the race for second seed in the West.
Australian champion Aryna Sabalenka made light work of sixth seed Coco Gauff in a dominant straight-sets win to clinch her spot in the Indian Wells Open semi-finals on Wednesday.
Sabalenka improved her 2023 season record to 16-1 with a 6-4 6-0 win over the 19-year-old American in only 65 minutes.
The Belarusian will face seventh seed Maria Sakkari in the semi-finals after the Greek edged out 15th seed Petra Kvitova in three sets in the evening quarter-final.
Sabalenka will be tough to beat, however, maintaining her strong season form against Gauff who had little answers despite boasting a 3-1 head-to-head record coming into the clash.
The second seed crushed 18 winners compared to Gauff's 12, while she committed 14 fewer unforced errors across the match.
Sabalenka opened up a 2-0 lead in the first set and maintained that buffer to take the opening frame, before a 25-minute second-set bagel underlined her dominance.
"I feel a little bit different on the court this year," Sabalenka said after the match. "I feel like I'm a little bit different player. I wasn't really focusing on the last matches against her. I was focused on myself."
Sakkari came from behind to defeat two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova 4-6 7-5 6-1 in two hours and 17 minutes.
The Greek, who finished as last year's Indian Wells Open runner-up, was broken twice in the first set and dropped serve again in the opening game of the second frame, before finding a way to flip the match on its head.
Sakkari broke back for 3-3 in the second set, winning 12 of the final 15 games for victory in an impressive turnaround. All four of Sakkari's matches in Indian Wells this fortnight have gone to three sets.
Fifth seed Daniil Medvedev brushed off an ankle concern and booked his spot in the Indian Wells Open semi-finals after a straight-sets win over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on Wednesday.
The 2021 US Open champion triumphed 6-3 7-5 over the Spaniard in one hour and 44 minutes, securing his 18th straight victory.
Medvedev will face Frances Tiafoe in the semi-finals after the American beat Briton Cameron Norrie 6-4 6-4 in the other quarter-final in that half of the draw.
The Russian had suffered an ankle injury during Tuesday's last-16 win over Alexander Zverev but played on to clinch a hard-fought three-set win.
But Medvedev alleviated any injury concerns, although he required treatment on a bloody right thumb in the second set while escaping from 0-40 at 3-4.
"I'm actually happy the ankle didn't hurt much because when I warmed up, it was hurting pretty bad," Medvedev said post-match.
"I knew I was going to play, I knew I was going to try. But I couldn't move well on the warm-up. I tried to warm it up as long as possible, took one painkiller so that probably helped. I was actually feeling better and better during the match."
Medvedev raced to a 3-0 lead in the first set and never looked back, although Davidovich Fokina fought hard in the second frame but missed his big chance in the eighth game.
The pair both hit 24 winners for the match, but the Spaniard's 24 unforced errors compared to Medvedev's 12 was a key difference.
Tiafoe, who made last year's US Open last four, awaits after needing only one hour and 25 minutes to eliminate 2021 Indian Wells champion Norrie and reach his maiden ATP Masters 1000 semi-final.
Norrie had been on an eight-match winning run but the American hit 22 winners and only gave up nine unforced errors.
Fletcher Cox will remain with the Philadelphia Eagles for at least one more season.
The veteran defensive tackle has agreed a one-year, $10million deal with the team that drafted him in the first round in 2012, according to multiple reports.
Cox was reportedly the subject of interest from the New York Jets but took less money to allow the Eagles to retain a key player at the heart of their defense.
Philadelphia have already lost one of their starting defensive tackles from their run to Super Bowl LVII, where they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, with Javon Hargrave signing a four-year, $84m deal with the team the Eagles beat to reach the Super Bowl, the San Francisco 49ers.
But Cox's decision to stay ensures the Eagles will still have a dependable veteran presence in the middle of their defensive line as they attempt to make another run.
His 65 career sacks are tied for the third-most in the NFL since he entered the league.
While his pass-rushing threat has somewhat diminished in recent times, Cox's aggregate win rate across pass rushing and run defense snaps of 40.12 per cent was second only to Brandon Graham, whom Philadelphia also retained, among Eagles defenders.
The Carolina Panthers have agreed terms to bring in former Philadelphia Eagles running back Miles Sanders as they continue to reshape their offense in the offseason.
Sanders was a second-round pick for the Eagles in 2019, and he will head to Carolina after enjoying the best season of his career as Philadelphia were beaten by the Kansas City Chiefs at Super Bowl LVII.
The 25-year-old ran for 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns in his final year with Philadelphia, while he had 3,708 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns in the last four seasons.
Reports from ESPN said Sanders' deal with the Panthers will run for four years, with the team looking to end a stretch of five consecutive campaigns without making the postseason.
Sanders' arrival continues a busy few days for Carolina, who agreed to send DJ Moore to the Chicago Bears as part of a blockbuster trade last week, receiving the number one overall pick in April's draft in exchange.
That trade has put the Panthers in position to take a leading quarterback after Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold and P.J. Walker all failed to impress as the team's starter last year.
Carolina have also agreed three-year contract with center Bradley Bozeman, along with deals for tight end Hayden Hurst and backup quarterback Andy Dalton.
The Washington Commanders have brought in some veteran competition at the quarterback spot by reportedly agreeing to a one-year contract with Jacoby Brissett.
ESPN reports that Brissett, who started the Cleveland Browns' first 11 games of last season while Deshaun Watson was serving a suspension for violating the NFL’s conduct policy, will be guaranteed $8million and can earn up to $10m.
The seven-year pro is expected to compete with 2022 draft pick Sam Howell to be Washington’s starter after the Commanders recently parted ways with their two main quarterbacks from last season, Carson Wentz and Taylor Heinicke.
Wentz was released on February 27 and Heinicke reportedly agreed to a two-year, $20m contract with the Atlanta Falcons on Tuesday.
Brissett comes in with a vast experience edge on Howell, whose lone NFL start came in Washington’s 2022 season finale. The former North Carolina standout helped the Commanders to a 26-6 win over the Dallas Cowboys that day, though coach Ron Rivera indicated this offseason that Howell would have to earn the number one job and the team would likely add a veteran to the mix.
The 30-year-old Brissett has started 48 games, including 15 for the Indianapolis Colts in both 2017 and 2019, and is coming off a solid lone season with the Browns in which he completed a career-best 64 per cent of his attempts while throwing for 2,608 yards with 12 touchdowns and six interceptions.
Brissett owns a career passer rating of 84.4 over 76 games while amassing 10,350 passing yards with a 48-to-23 touchdown-to-interception ratio, though his career record as a starter is just 18-30.
A third-round pick of the New England Patriots in 2016, Brissett will be playing for his fourth team in four years. After spending four seasons with the Colts, he started five games for the Miami Dolphins in 2021 before signing a one-year contract with the Browns last March.
JuJu Smith-Schuster will join the New England Patriots after winning the Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs last season.
The wide receiver has agreed a three-year contract worth $33million to sign for the Patriots despite the Chiefs attempting to retain him, according to NFL Network.
"Excited for my next chapter in New England!" Smith-Schuster wrote on Twitter after the news broke on Wednesday.
"I will give this organisation everything I have, thank you for believing in me!"
Smith-Schuster had 78 receptions for 933 yards and three touchdowns with Kansas City in 2022.
He then grabbed seven catches for 53 yards as a thrilling Chiefs comeback saw them win Super Bowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles in Arizona, also drawing a crucial late holding penalty from James Bradberry.
Smith-Schuster spent the first five seasons of his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers after being picked in the second round of the 2017 draft.
He made the Pro Bowl in 2018 after an impressive year that saw him record 111 receptions for 1,426 yards.
A shoulder injury impacted his last year in Pittsburgh but a productive season catching passes from Patrick Mahomes helped the 26-year-old to get his NFL career back on track.
Possession receiver Smith-Schuster was rated as one of the top pass-catchers available on the open market this offseason along with Odell Beckham Jr. and Jakobi Meyers.
He now joins a Patriots team that was in need of receiving talent, particularly after losing Meyers - their leading receiver for three straight seasons - to the Las Vegas Raiders.
As well as expressing his excitement over his free agency deal, Smith-Schuster showed gratitude to the Chiefs.
He added: "Thank you to Kansas City for the giving me the opportunity to come in and contribute to a Super Bowl, the most unforgettable experience of my life.
"I will always love my team-mates, the coaching staff, and the fans for being so great to me."
Memphis Grizzlies All-Star Ja Morant has been suspended a total of eight games without pay for carrying a gun into a Denver nightclub earlier this month, the NBA announced on Wednesday.
Morant, who has been away from the Grizzlies since the March 4 incident and underwent counselling during his absence, will receive credit for the five games he has already missed and will be eligible to return for Memphis' March 20 home game against the Dallas Mavericks.
The decision was announced after Morant met with NBA commissioner Adam Silver in New York on Wednesday.
Although Morant was not charged by Colorado authorities with any crime and the NBA said its investigation could not determine whether the gun belonged to him or was brought by him into the club, Silver concluded that the 2019-20 NBA Rookie of the Year's conduct was detrimental to the league when announcing the extended penalty.
"Ja's conduct was irresponsible, reckless and potentially very dangerous," Silver said in a statement.
"It also has serious consequences given his enormous following and influence, particularly among young fans who look up to him. He has expressed sincere contrition and remorse for his behaviour.
"Ja has also made it clear to me that he has learned from this incident and that he understands his obligations and responsibility to the Memphis Grizzlies and the broader NBA community extend well beyond his play on the court."
Morant was seen holding the gun as he conducted an Instagram Live session from the nightclub hours after the Grizzlies' 113-97 loss to the Denver Nuggets on March 3.
The Grizzlies announced the next day that the two-time All-Star would be away from the team indefinitely as the NBA undertook an investigation of the incident.
The 2019 number two overall pick issued a written apology for his actions shortly afterwards and entered a counselling programme in Florida last week for what he said was to "take some time away to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being".
Morant, who ranks fifth in the NBA in assists per game and ninth in scoring, was previously involved in another off-court incident following a game against Indiana on January 29 that resulted in several of the star guard's acquaintances being banned by the NBA from attending Grizzlies home games.
In that event, members of Morant's group reportedly confronted representatives of the Pacers' travelling party after the game, and a red laser was pointed from an SUV believed to be carrying Morant towards Indiana players and coaches as they made their way to the team bus.
Morant is averaging 27.1 points and 8.2 assists in 53 games this season for a Memphis team who hold the second-best record in the Western Conference.
Memphis lost their first two games during Morant's current hiatus but have since won three straight, following up a 131-110 victory over defending NBA champions the Golden State Warriors on March 9 with a home-and-home sweep of Dallas.
Ezekiel Elliott has been released by the Dallas Cowboys after seven seasons with the team who drafted him in 2016.
Running back Elliott was a two-time rushing champion in Dallas, including in his rookie year when he tallied 1,631 yards over the ground.
But that remains a career high, and recent seasons have not been so successful, leading to Wednesday's decision.
NFL Network reported Elliott's release as the Cowboys look to create cap space.
Elliott had 12 rushing touchdowns in 2022, beaten by only four players, but he averaged just 3.8 yards per carry.
Only four players with 100 or more rushes averaged fewer yards per carry.
Elliott's 23 rushes across two playoff games last year yielded a miserly 35 yards.
A three-time Pro Bowler, he will still no doubt garner plenty of attention as he enters free agency.
Rafael Nadal is eyeing up his comeback from a hip injury at next month's Monte Carlo Masters, with tournament director David Massey hopeful the Spaniard will feature.
The 22-time grand slam champion has been struggling with a left hip issue that contributed to his second round exit at the Australian Open in January.
Nadal pulled out of hard-court contests at the Indian Wells Open and Miami Open as he continued to recover from the problem.
He could return on clay, his favoured surface, with Massey optimistic the 36-year-old will be fit in time to feature at the event, which begins on April 8.
"Rafa was the first [player] to be registered," he said in statement. "He really wants to play at the Monte Carlo Masters.
"He is giving himself every chance to take part in the tournament he's so fond of."
Nadal is the event's all-time record title holder, having triumphed on 11 occasions, with an Open Era record streak of eight consecutive successes between 2005 and 2012.
He last succeeded in 2018, with a straight-sets victory over Kei Nishikori, though various disrupted campaigns have prevented him from mounting another successful bid since.
As a key stop in preparations for the French Open, it has helped form the bedrock of his clay court success over the years.
With this year's event at Roland Garros set to start on May 28, Nadal will be out to add to his 14 singles titles there too, having claimed victory once again in 2022 with a triumph against Casper Ruud in the final.
The Formula One season is only one race old and the question is already being asked if anybody can catch Red Bull. Charles Leclerc may already have abandoned that hope for this weekend's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Red Bull coasted to a one-two at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, world champion Max Verstappen prevailing ahead of Sergio Perez to put their history of slow starts to bed in emphatic fashion.
Their superiority was hammered home by familiar troubles for Leclerc, who failed to finish the race due to engine trouble.
Ferrari replaced his control electronics ahead of the race, only to discover the new electronics were to blame for his retirement, meaning they would again need to be replaced ahead of Sunday's race in Jeddah.
Only two sets of control electronics are permitted to be used in a season, and Ferrari being forced to put in a third set will see Leclerc take on a 10-place grid penalty.
Leclerc faces a huge challenge to get on the podium, but Ferrari are set to take updates to Saudi Arabia, with team principal Frederic Vasseur confident they can greatly improve on their efforts in Bahrain, where Carlos Sainz was a distant fourth
"We struggled a bit with the balance over the weekend, it means that we have mega room for improvements on this path with our package," Vasseur said.
"With what we had in Bahrain, I think we had a lot of room for improvement in terms of driveability. For sure we can't be satisfied with the situation, and I want to do a step forward.
"The characteristics of Jeddah are completely different compared to the previous one to Bahrain in terms of grip, in terms of rugosity and layout of the track, so it's completely different story.
"Already it will suit a little bit more to what we have today. And then we'll also bring some updates to Jeddah and I hope that we'll do a step forward."
Red Bull eye F1 first
Verstappen won from pole in Bahrain and, if Red Bull top the timesheets in Saudi Arabia and go on to win with either driver, they will make Formula One history.
No team has ever taken pole and won the race in each of the first two grands prix, but Red Bull appear perfectly equipped to change that with their seemingly sizeable race pace advantage over the field.
And they have recent history of triumphing on Saturday and Sunday at Jeddah. Perez qualified on pole last year before Verstappen prevailed in the race.
Alonso on brink of century
Aside from Red Bull, Aston Martin were the team on the receiving end of most praise in Bahrain as Fernando Alonso scored a podium on his debut with the team.
It was the two-time world champion's 99th in F1. Should he make it 100 in Saudi Arabia, he will join Lewis Hamilton (191), Michael Schumacher (155), Sebastian Vettel (122), Alain Prost (106) and Kimi Raikkonen (103) as the sixth man to achieve the feat.
Alonso is hopeful the car will continue to get better, saying: "Sure, we need to wait for Jeddah, Australia. They are very different tracks, so I'm curious to see if we can keep this form in different circuits.
"But, on the other hand, I think the car that we have now is just a very basic car that we launched and we start the season with this completely new concept.
"I think there is a lot more to come in terms of development with this project, so I'm optimistic for that."
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Drivers
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 25
2. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) 18
3. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) 15
4. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) 12
5. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 10
Constructors
1. Red Bull 43
2. Aston Martin 23
3. Mercedes 16
4. Ferrari 12
5. Alfa Romeo 4
Justin Thomas has labelled the prospect of shorter balls being used in elite tournaments "so bad" and slammed the "pretty selfish decisions" of golf's governing bodies.
The R&A and USGA have proposed a Model Local Rule that would allow organisers and tournaments the option to use a modified golf ball that reduces hitting distance by approximately 15 yards.
Martin Slumbers and Mike Whan, the heads of the respective organisations, confirmed the rule would not be implemented until 2026 but would then be introduced for their elite events – the Open Championship and the U.S. Open.
The plans were first mooted in 2020 to tackle concerns around the ever-increasing distance professionals hit the ball, but Tuesday's announcement has been met with criticism from numerous players.
"My reaction was disappointed and also not surprised, to be honest," two-time major champion Thomas said ahead of the Valspar Championship in Florida.
"I think the USGA over the years has in my eyes – it's harsh – made some pretty selfish decisions.
"I don't understand how this is growing the game.
"For them to say in the same sentence that 'golf is in the best place it's ever been, everything is great, but...' I'm like, well, there shouldn't be a 'but' – you're trying to create a solution for a problem that doesn't exist.
"To me, it's just so bad for the game of golf.
"Some of the great things to me is the fact that you can play the exact same golf ball that I play. I mean, that's cool. For an everyday amateur golfer, it's very unique that we are able to play the exact same equipment.
"I understand that I may have a different grind on a wedge, whatever you want to call it, but you can go to the pro shop and buy the same golf ball that I play or Scottie Scheffler plays or whatever."
Thomas, who is sponsored by ball-manufacturer Titleist, ridiculed the idea that professionals would end up using different balls at different tournaments and even suggested some of the game's stars may ignore the proposals if they were implemented.
"The amount of time and money that these manufacturers have spent trying to create the best product possible, and now you're going to tell them and us that we have to start over," he said.
"If the PGA Tour, PGA of America don't adopt this local rule... two of the four biggest events of the year, we're going to have to use a different ball?
"Why are this group of call it five to 15-handicapped amateurs determining the rules of golf for professional golfers? Or why are they saying that we have to do something?
"So, is it something where down the road, if you want to change something based off of your data that we feel like is pretty biased and incorrect and self-centred to what you believe in, then maybe we'll just create our own, or we'll do our own thing.”
Aaron Rodgers has confirmed his intention for the 2023 season is to play for the New York Jets.
Speculation over the four-time MVP's future has once again dominated the NFL offseason, with the Green Bay Packers star offering no clarity on whether he intended to continue his career.
The Jets are reported to have been involved in ongoing discussions with the Packers over a trade, with Rodgers said to have given New York a "wish list" of players he would like to see them sign in free agency.
And on a Wednesday appearance on 'The Pat McAfee Show' he finally provided that clarity, indicating he is ready to make the move to New York.
"My intention is to play and to play for the New York Jets. I haven't been holding anything up at this point. It's the Packers and the compensation they're trying to get for me," Rodgers said, before accusing the Packers of "digging their heels in".
"The Packers want to move on and so do I. It's just a matter of getting this thing done."
Rodgers rubbished the talk of him providing the Jets with a wish list, which was said to include former teammates Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb as well as Odell Beckham Jr.
"That's not the reality," said Rodgers. "Did they ask me about certain guys, of course. Did I talk glowingly about teammates that I loved? Of course."
He added: "Who wouldn't want Odell on their team?
"I don't have demands, my only demand is for transparency."
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