New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson was giddy at his postgame press conference after securing a dominant 130-108 road win against the Brooklyn Nets in his first competitive outing since May 2021.
Williamson missed all of this past season with recurring foot injuries, but used the offseason to get into the best shape of his professional career, and he picked up right where he left off.
Before his injury, Williamson averaged 27 points per game at 61 per cent shooting in his second season after being drafted first overall back in 2019, and he showed no signs of rust, dropping 25 points on 11-of-22 shooting with nine rebounds, four steals and three assists.
Speaking to the media immediately after the win, Williamson could not keep the smile off his face when talking about how excited he is to be back on the court with this Pelicans group.
"The Nets are a great team, a great organisation, but today we just wanted to show how special this group is," he said during his on-court interview.
"We got the win, most importantly that's what we want to do, but if you see the bonds we have on the court, and on the bench, we really have a special group and I'm excited to show the world what we can do."
Later in his sit-down press conference, he reflected on his feelings about returning after such a long layoff, and what it is like to play with this group, since he has not played since the Pelicans' acquisition of C.J. McCollum.
"Simply playing the game I love, which I didn't get to play for a long time, was a breath of fresh air," he said.
"There were times where there was a loose ball, and it ended up in C.J. or [Brandon Ingram's] hands, and I didn't even crash [for rebounds], I'm like 'oh that's good'. Man, it's special. If you know basketball, to get a chance to play with two players like that, it's special.
"All three of us are unselfish, we all have the same goal, and that's to win. When you want to win, you put aside the personal goals and everything else. Whatever I've got to do, whatever they've got to do to win, that's what we're all going to do.
"It's one thing when you're excited for yourself, but when you see people you work hard with, and go to battle with, and they're genuinely excited for you and wishing you the best – you can't ask for much more than that."
Despite top-scoring in the game with 28 points (10-of-17 shooting), Ingram made it clear who sits atop the Pelicans' pecking order, calling Williamson "one of the best players in the league".
Pelicans head coach Willie Green also enjoyed the show, saying: "It's like he didn't miss a beat – you just throw the ball to him and watch what he does. He's fun to watch."
It was a great day for the highly ranked Americans at the Guadalajara Open on Wednesday, headlined by world number five Jessica Pegula and her 2-6 6-3 7-6 (10-8) comeback win over Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.
Pegula, who is now locked into the top-eight and therefore will qualify for the WTA Finals, struggled to win points on her serve in the opening set, but raised her 57 per cent success rate up to 69 per cent in the second set, and 66 per cent in the decider.
The American had to come from a break down in the second set to keep her tournament alive, and she will now face Canada's Bianca Andreescu in the third round.
Meanwhile, fellow United States star Coco Gauff was too good for Italy's Elisabetta Cocciaretto, winning 7-6 (7-1) 6-3 to book a third-round clash with another Italian, Martina Trevisan, who earned her way there with a 6-0 4-6 6-3 win over Katerina Siniakova.
The other two seeded Americans were also successful, with 13th seed Madison Keys coming from a set down to defeat Ajla Tomljanovic 3-6 6-4 6-3, and 14th seed Danielle Collins repelled the challenge of Magdalena Frech 6-3 6-4.
There were positive signs for former world number five Eugenie Bouchard, who ended up losing, but showed she still has her talent by taking a set off world number 23 Jelena Ostapenko in a 7-5 2-6 6-1 result.
Russian pair Anna Kalinskaya and Liudmila Samsonova both emerged in three-set outings, with Kalinskaya outlasting Elise Mertens 6-4 0-6 7-5, while Samsonova upset world number four Aryna Sabalenka 6-4 2-6 6-2.
World number 12 Veronika Kudermetova kept her WTA Finals hopes alive with a 6-4 7-5 win over Donna Vekic, and the Czech Republic's Marie Bouzkova ousted Colombia's Camila Osorio 6-3 6-1.
In the late window, Sloane Stephens eliminated Olympic gold medalist Belinda Bencic 6-4 6-4, and top overall seed Paula Badosa retired due to injury after losing the first set 6-2 against Victoria Azarenka.
The San Diego Padres produced a stunning comeback on the road to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies 8-5 in Game 2 of the NLCS on Wednesday.
San Diego were staring down the barrel of a two-game deficit when Alec Bohm, Matt Vierling, Edmundo Sosa and Kyle Schwarber drove home a run each to jump ahead 4-0 in the second inning.
The Padres would get two runs back in the bottom of the second, courtesy of solo home runs to Brandon Drury and Josh Bell, and to manager Bob Melvin's credit, he stuck with starting pitcher Blake Snell despite his rough start, and he was able to pitch three scoreless innings to set up the comeback.
Trailing 4-2 in the fifth inning, the Padres rattled off five runs, with Bell and Drury again delivering, as well as young star Juan Soto and catcher Austin Nola, who got his hit off his brother, Aaron Nola, who started on the mound for the Phillies.
Manny Machado put on the finishing touches with a 424-foot bomb in the seventh inning, before closer Josh Hader came in to put the Phillies away.
By striking out all three batters he faced – after doing the same in his last outing, and striking out his last two batters the time before that – he became the first pitcher in MLB history to strike out eight consecutive batters in the postseason.
Game 3 and Game 4 will both be played in San Diego, before heading back to Philadelphia for Game 5 in the best-of-seven series.
Verlander dices up the Yankees in Game 1
Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander showed why he is the heavy favourite to take home the American League Cy Young Award, pitching six dominant innings in his side's 4-2 win against the New York Yankees in Game 1.
Verlander struck out 11 batters while only allowing one run from three hits and a walk, with that one run coming from a Harrison Bader solo homer in the second inning to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead. Bader did not hit a home run for the Yankees in the regular season after being acquired at the deadline, but now has four in his past six playoff games.
Their lead was short-lived as Martin Maldonado tied things up with an RBI double later in the second inning, before the Astros hit three solo home runs to jump out to a commanding lead.
Lourdes Gurriel and Chas McCormick went deep in the sixth inning, before rookie Jeremy Pena hit his fourth homer of the postseason to extend the lead to 4-1 in the seventh.
Anthony Rizzo would connect on a consolation home run in the eight inning, but Astros closer Ryan Pressly was up for the task, coming in to collect a four-out save with three strikeouts.
Game 2 will remain in Houston, before the series heads to New York for Game 3 and Game 4.
The New Orleans Pelicans sent a statement to the rest of the league with a 130-108 pounding of the Brooklyn Nets in their opening game of the season on Wednesday night.
Playing away from home, the Pelicans enjoyed a red-hot start, with eight points in the first quarter from Zion Williamson helping to build a 32-14 lead at the first break.
The Nets showed some fight in the second quarter, putting up 36 points in the frame to trim the margin to 58-50 as Kevin Durant had 21 in the first half, but the Pelicans came out of halftime and dropped 40 points in the third period to put the game to bed.
In his first game since May 2021, Williamson looked in tremendous shape, scoring 25 points on 11-of-22 shooting while adding nine rebounds, three assists and four steals.
He was supported in fine fashion by Brandon Ingram, who top-scored for the Pelicans with 28 points (10-of-17 shooting), seven rebounds and five assists, and C.J. McCollum chipped in 21 points and six assists as well.
For the Nets, Durant showed he is still arguably the best scorer in the league with 32 points on 11-of-21 shooting, and he also tallied four blocks in an impressive two-way performance despite his team's shortcomings.
Box-office Banchero validates top draft selection
Paolo Banchero was not thought to be an option for the Orlando Magic with the first overall pick until the day of the NBA Draft, but he showed exactly why they took him with a spectacular debut in a 113-109 loss on the road to the Detroit Pistons.
Banchero shattered the Magic record for points by a debuting rookie – previously set at 13 – with 27 on 11-of-18 shooting, and he also grabbed nine rebounds and dished five assists in a complete performance, posting a plus/minus of plus two in his 35 minutes.
It was a great debut for rookie Jaden Ivey as well, who the Pistons selected with the fifth overall pick, as he put up 19 points on eight-of-15 shooting with four assists and three steals.
Ivey complemented last year's top pick Cade Cunningham beautifully, with Cunningham running the show on his way to 18 points (six-of-16 shooting) and 10 assists, while newly acquired Bojan Bogdanovic top-scored for Detroit with 24 points on eight-of-16 shooting after hitting six of his first seven three-point attempts.
Morant lifts the Grizzlies in overtime
Ja Morant had his potential game-winner wiped off the board due to a contentious charging foul, but his Memphis Grizzlies got the job done at home in overtime to defeat the New York Knicks 115-112.
Morant was the game's top-scorer with 34 points on 11-of-24 shooting, and his nine assists was equal with New York's Jalen Brunson for the most in the contest.
Starting in place of the injured Jaren Jackson Jr, Santi Aldama gave a good performance with 18 points (seven-of-14 shooting) and 11 rebounds, while Julius Randle was the Knicks' best player, scoring 24 points (nine-of-16 shooting) with 11 rebounds and six assists.
Mitchell shines in Cavaliers debut despite loss
The Cleveland Cavaliers were treated to a terrific debut from star offseason acquisition Donovan Mitchell, but it was not enough to overcome an early Darius Garland injury in a 108-105 road loss to the Toronto Raptors.
All-Star point guard Garland only played 13 minutes before his night ended with a rough poke to the eye in the second quarter. Taking over some of Garland's point guard responsibilities, Mitchell dished off nine assists as well as leading the game in scoring with 31 on 12-of-21 shooting.
All five Raptors starters scored at least 15 points in classic Toronto fashion, with Pascal Siakam tallying 23 on nine-of-20 shooting with 11 rebounds and four steals, while reigning Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes had 15 points (seven-of-14 shooting) with seven assists and a game-high plus/minus of plus 20 in his 32 minutes.
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marquise Brown got a second opinion on his injured left foot and will be sidelined at least one month.
Coach Kliff Kingsbury gave the injury update Wednesday, and although he admitted he didn’t know the exact nature of the injury, he said it won’t require surgery.
"It looks like it’ll be indefinite. I think at least a month, I would say," he said via video from Bo Brack of PHNX Cardinals podcast. "We’ll evaluate it and go from there."
It was originally being reported that Brown would be sidelined at least six weeks after he was injured in Sunday’s 19-9 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Brown ranks fifth in the NFL with 43 receptions and has the seventh-most receiving yards with 485, while his three receiving touchdowns account for half of Kyler Murray’s TD passes.
Murray, though, will have a pair of new weapons at his disposal for Arizona’s Thursday night game against the New Orleans Saints.
Robbie Anderson will make his Cardinals debut after being acquired from the Carolina Panthers on Monday, and DeAndre Hopkins will rejoin the team with his six-game suspension for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs now over.
Cameron Norrie fought back from a first-set loss against Aslan Karatsev to advance into the quarter-finals of the Stockholm Open, keeping hopes of qualifying for next month's ATP finals alive.
Norrie's return to action, having withdrawn from last month's Korea Open with illness, was not plain sailing as Karatsev won the first set tie-break 10-8 to put the Brit under pressure.
However, the 27-year-old responded by taking the next two sets 6-3 6-4 to seal safe passage, helped by six first-serve aces, which also maintains his hopes of a spot in November's finals and sets up a tie against 19-year-old Holger Rune.
Top seed Stefanos Tsitsipas was given a sterner test by Maxime Cressy before eventually securing a spot in the quarter-finals 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (14-12) in a two-hour contest, while Denis Shapovalov also beat Antoine Bellier in straight sets.
The number one seed is through at the European Open in Antwerp as well as Hubert Hurkacz toppled Jack Draper 7-6 (7-5) 6-7 (5-7) 6-1.
Britain's Dan Evans eased into the final eight after securing a 6-2 6-1 victory against Constant Lestienne, while there were also victories for Yoshihito Nishioka and Richard Gasquet.
Elsewhere, sixth-seed Sebastian Baez was a 7-5 7-6 (7-3) winner against Lorenzo Sonego in the Napoli Open, where Roberto Carballes Baena and Corentin Moutet were among the other victors.
The PGA Tour has announced four more "elevated" events for the new season that will see increased prize money and fields guaranteed to feature the world's best players.
The Phoenix Open, RBC Heritage, Wells Fargo Championship and Travelers Championship will now all have $20million (£17.8m) prize purses meaning there are now 17 elevated events throughout the course of the current season.
The other 13 elevated events are comprised of the four majors, the Players Championship, the three FedEx Cup Playoff events, the Genesis Invitational, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the Memorial Tournament, the WGC Match Play and the Tournament of Champions.
The idea of elevated events was initially developed in August in collaboration with numerous high-ranking golfers after several high-profile PGA tour golfers left to join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series.
The invitational series offers lucrative signing bonuses that vastly outweigh potential PGA tour prize money winnings and has secured the services of current Open champion Cameron Smith as well as two-time major champion, Dustin Johnson.
But it is hoped these elevated events, which the PGA Tour's top stars are committed to playing, will dissuade more players from leaving in the future and ensure the best players play together more frequently.
The four newly announced elevated events are only for 2023; the expectation being that other events will be given elevated status in the coming seasons.
There is also potential for events in Europe on the DP World Tour to be given elevated status as part of the "strategic alliance" with the PGA Tour.
The Scottish Open, which is co-sanctioned by both tours, could well be one event given elevated status as part of this alliance in future seasons.
Formula One world champion Max Verstappen has history in his sights at the United States Grand Prix this weekend.
Crowned champion for the second successive season at the Japanese Grand Prix two weeks ago, Verstappen has the chance to further illustrate his dominance at the Circuit of the Americas.
Should he prevail in Austin, he will equal Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher as the driver with the most wins in a single F1 season with his 13th victory,
Schumacher achieved the feat in 2004 for Ferrari, with compatriot Vettel matching him nine years later for Red Bull in the 2013 campaign.
Verstappen and Red Bull will look to make it lucky 13 amid the continued fallout over their cost cap breach last season.
Last week, the FIA announced Red Bull had been found guilty of a "minor" cost cap breach and a procedural breach.
There have been no details of any prospective penalties released by the sport's governing body, however, in a letter to the FIA, McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown said the breach "constitutes cheating".
Brown's comments are likely to be the talk of the paddock in Texas this week, but Red Bull will look for their most emphatic riposte to come on the track.
They have won the last seven races. Only once, when they won nine in a row in 2013, have they gone on a longer run. An eighth successive victory would be the seventh-longest winning streak in F1.
FERRARI ANYTHING BUT RELIABLE
After initially threatening to produce a compelling title fight in both the drivers and constructors' championship, Ferrari have wilted miserably as Red Bull's main rivals.
Along with well-documented strategy struggles, reliability has been a big contributor to Ferrari's woes.
Carlos Sainz's form has encapsulated that point. He has retired in five of his last 16 races in the Formula One, as many as in his previous 61 appearances in the competition.
MERCEDES TO MAKE 2023 FIGHTBACK?
Lewis Hamilton has won five times in Austin but the seven-time world champion appears unlikely to challenge this year, with Mercedes still waiting for their first win of a dismal season.
Yet Hamilton is confident the Silver Arrows will bounce back next season and ensure that, unlike the much-maligned W13, their W14 car can return the dominant force of the modern era to the front of the grid.
"I think for us we know what the problems are with this car," Hamilton said. "I believe that we as a team, we've not gone from being world champions to not being able to build a good car.
"I have no doubt that we'll have a better car next year. Whether or not we've rectified every issue that we have this year, we'll find out when we get there."
Trinidad & Tobago head coach Kemba Duncan gave her players all the credit after their 66-42 victory over Grenada at the Netball Americas World Cup Qualifiers at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Kingston on Tuesday.
Both teams entered the game with three wins from three games and begun the top-of-the-table clash in a competitive manner, battling throughout the first quarter which T&T eventually won 17-12. The leaders then held Grenada to just eight points in the second quarter, entering the half with a 32-20 lead. The Trinis then enjoyed a spectacular third quarter, contrary to the one they had against St. Vincent & the Grenadines on Monday. They forced the Grenadians into several turnovers and capitalized on those mistakes to enter the fourth quarter up 49-29 before eventually sealing a 66-42 win, their fourth in as many games.
Goal shooter Afeisha Noel and goal attack Joelisa Cooper dominated the Grenada defence with 45 goals from 49 attempts and 12 goals from 16 attempts, respectively.
“I think it was all about the players,” said Duncan.
“They had their goals and stayed focused. They worked together and maintained discipline to achieve the score we wanted.”
Even with a massive lead in the fourth quarter, Duncan’s team maintained a high level of intensity on both ends, something she says they’ve emphasized with big goals in mind.
“We have been training to maintain intensity. I think it’s the level of the game that is played in the higher tournaments so we want to push towards that.”
Grenadian captain Shakira Collymore blamed said injuries were a factor in their performance.
“We have a lot of injuries so we weren’t able to enjoy the entire match but I think we put up a good fight. We were able to stay with them for the first two quarters but couldn’t stick it out. We have more matches to play.”
In Tuesday’s other results, Jamaica got their highest point total of the tournament with an 81-27 win over the Cayman Islands, Barbados beat the USA 47-26 and St. Vincent & the Grenadines beat St. Lucia 49-36.
Russell Westbrook believes his hamstring injury in the Los Angeles Lakers' preseason finale could have been caused by his different role coming off the bench.
Westbrook started on the bench in Friday's preseason defeat to the Sacramento Kings but played just five minutes before coming off due to a concern with his left hamstring.
The 2017 NBA MVP recovered from his knock and returned to the starting lineup for his side's 123-109 loss to the Golden State Warriors in their NBA season opener on Tuesday.
And when asked whether his bench role against Sacramento played a role in his injury, he said: "Absolutely - I've been doing the same thing for 14 years straight.
"Honestly, I didn't even know what to do pregame. Being honest, I was trying to figure out how to stay warm and loose. That's something I just wasn't accustomed to."
Coach Darvin Ham suggested in preseason that Westbrook may be used from the bench as part of a different strategy following their hugely disappointing campaign last year.
The Lakers finished 11th in the Western Conference with a 33-49 record despite boasting stars payers such as Westbrook, LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Westbrook's start on Tuesday, the 1,005th time in 1,022 career games that he had played with the first unit, proved futile with reigning champions the Warriors winning comfortably.
Speaking on Westbrook's starting role after the game, Ham said: "You want to start the game off the right way in terms of your energy and being in attack mode, and no one better than him [Westbrook].
"I thought he was solid. A couple possessions I wish I can get back, but overall, I thought he was solid."
Westbrook finished up with 19 points, 11 rebounds and three assists in 31 minutes on court.
The Lakers face city rivals the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday as they look for their first win of the season.
Belief is a powerful emotion.
Athletes from a variety of sports over the years have spoken about the power of self-belief that allowed them to overcome the odds and prevail.
In the world of fantasy football, where the stakes are substantially lower, it is easy to lose faith after a few bad weeks given the season is so short.
Still, even as the losses mount, it's important to not get discouraged, trust in your line-up decisions and, most importantly, remember that it's just a bit of fun.
Not everything is going to go right for all your players in every game, but with Week 7 on the horizon, Stats Perform has gone through the numbers and identified four offensive players and a defense deserving of your faith for the upcoming slate of games.
Quarterback: Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys @ Detroit Lions
Prescott is finally set to return to the lineup after Cooper Rush kept the Cowboys firmly in the mix during his absence with a fractured thumb.
There may some reticence to roll with Prescott in fantasy in his first game since the season opener.
Against the Lions, there's little reason to have such concerns. Their defense is allowing 7.37 yards per pass play, the second most in the NFL, while only the Cleveland Browns have conceded more offensive touchdowns than Detroit's 18.
Game flow could work against Prescott putting up a huge fantasy performance if the Dallas defense allows the Cowboys to build a big lead, but there's no reason to expect him to struggle on his return.
Running Back: Kenneth Walker, Seattle Seahawks @ Los Angeles Chargers
Walker backed up his explosive performance against the New Orleans Saints in Week 5 with a strong showing in Week 6 as the Seahawks knocked off the Arizona Cardinals.
He racked up 97 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries versus Arizona and now gets to face a Charger run defense that has displayed no improvement despite heavy offseason investment.
Only the New York Giants (5.61) are allowing more yards per rush than the Chargers (5.56). Walker already has seven rushes of 10 yards or more this season and, if you have this exciting rookie on your roster, you can afford to believe he will deliver in a substantial way in LA.
Wide Receiver: Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Samuel was kept relatively quiet as the 49er offense endured a difficult day in Atlanta last week, failing to score in the second half of their 28-14 loss to the Falcons.
Even so, he still managed seven catches for 79 yards and his fantasy managers who may be worried about a drop-off from the San Francisco attack should stay calm.
The 49er run game sputtered in Atlanta, gaining just 50 yards, but it looked at its best on the two carries Samuel received out of the backfield.
Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan last season turned to putting Samuel in the backfield to give his offense a spark and it produced stunning results. Don't be surprised to see him do the same here.
With the Chiefs level with the Lions with 18 offensive scores allowed, a varied role for Samuel on Sunday could spell a highly productive effort on an offense that may benefit from the return of All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams.
Tight End: Robert Tonyan, Green Bay Packers @ Washington Commanders
The Green Bay offense is in dreadful shape, with some questioning whether it is broken beyond repair following a dismal defeat to the New York Jets at Lambeau Field.
Aaron Rodgers has called for the Packers to simplify their attack in the wake of that loss. Any huge schematic changes seem unlikely but what is probable is that Rodgers will focus on the few targets he trusts.
One such target is Tonyan, who was last week targeted 12 times, catching 10 passes for 90 yards.
With Randall Cobb on the sideline through injury, Allen Lazard and Tonyan will likely be Rodgers' favoured weapons in the passing game. Whether he can engineer an upturn in Green Bay's fortunes is open for debate, but Tonyan's place in the pass-catching hierarchy for the Packers gives him plenty of fantasy value against a Commanders defense that has allowed 12 passing touchdowns, the second-most in the league.
Defense/Special Teams: New Orleans Saints at Arizona Cardinals
Is your faith in the New Orleans defense shaken by the Cincinnati Bengals' comeback against the Saints? Well here come the Cardinals to make everything all better.
The Cardinals managed nine points against a Seahawks team that has allowed 163 this season. Only the Lions have given up more.
On a per-play basis, the Steelers are the sole team to put up fewer yards (4.77) than the Cardinals (4.81).
The Saints' defense is not as fearsome as in days gone by, but it has the benefit of facing an utterly anaemic offense in Week 7 and is worthy of some belief as a result.
Daniel Ricciardo's likely exit from Formula One demonstrates the ruthless nature of the sport and is a fate which could befall any driver, according to Ferrari's Carlos Sainz.
Ricciardo will leave McLaren at the end of an underwhelming 2022 campaign, to be replaced by Oscar Piastri.
With only Williams and Haas possessing vacant seats for 2023 following Alpine's move for Pierre Gasly, Ricciardo recently acknowledged he was unlikely to remain on the grid next year.
The Australian, who has also been linked with a reserve position at Mercedes, said: "I think the reality is now I won't be on the grid in 2023, I think it's now just trying to set up for 2024."
Asked about Ricciardo's situation by Motorsport.com, Sainz expressed sympathy for his rival and said all F1 drivers were only as good as their last race.
"I feel for Daniel because I know how good he is. I always rated him super highly," Sainz said. "He found himself in a car and at a team that maybe he didn't find himself comfortable at, and that's enough for your career to start going through a different path.
"He might take a year off, he might not. But if he comes back in two years and he wins a race, no one remembers the two years with McLaren.
"This is why in F1 you always need to focus on the next race, because in the next race you can change everyone's impression.
"Every driver knows this, because it happens to all of us at a lower scale at every race. You're always as good as your last race, unfortunately, in this sport.
"If that gets amplified to a season, then you're only as good as your last season, and that's why Daniel is in such a difficult situation.
"No one remembers your good days, it only counts if you are half a second off in the last qualifying or the last season, and there's nothing we can do about it.
"It's how the sport rates us, it is how the sport treats us. That is why the highs are so high. When you win, you're a hero: your best weekend and you're the best driver in the world. No one is better than you.
"But then, when you are going through a bad moment, it's a sport that is very tough."
Kevin Durant's trade request was the sort of "test" the Brooklyn Nets needed to bond and get better, according to Kyrie Irving.
The Nets will begin their 2022-23 season on Wednesday against the New Orleans Pelicans after a topsy-turvy offseason.
Both Durant and Irving are set to be in the Brooklyn line-up, despite the pair appearing to be on their way out when the 2014 MVP asked for a trade.
A deal with the Nets proved difficult to do, as Durant has four years remaining on his contract, meaning the team asked for a huge price in talks.
It was then reported Durant had returned to the Nets but promised to stay only if head coach Steve Nash and general manager Sean Marks were replaced.
Eventually, a statement from Marks said Durant had "agreed to move forward with our partnership" regardless.
That might not seem ideal preparation for the season, but Irving suggested the saga had actually brought the Nets closer.
"When Kev made that request, I feel like we got better," he told Stadium. "Afterwards, not initially. Now, where we are now, I feel like we can honestly say we got better.
"We know the principles that are needed for success, but without going through some tests in the summer time or during the season, we wouldn't be able to be as close and bonded as we are now."
Irving added: "[Durant] is one of the greatest to ever do it, and he wants his chance to win. Give him his request.
"But other than that, I think he believes not only in me but in himself."
Tom Brady is cutting the same frustrated figure he did in his final season with the New England Patriots, but Ryan Fitzpatrick is still not ruling out a Super Bowl run in case "Tom becomes Tom again in the playoffs".
Brady briefly retired in the offseason, only to soon reverse that decision and return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
But the legendary quarterback then missed time in the preseason and has struggled so far in the 2022 season, with the Bucs falling to 3-3 with Sunday's shock defeat to the lowly Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Tampa Bay offense that ranked seventh and second in Brady's first two years with the team is now down in 21st.
The 45-year-old is moving the ball only 6.7 yards per passing attempt. He has only dipped below that mark once since 2002, throwing for 6.6 yards per attempt in 2019 before leaving the Patriots.
Former Bucs QB Fitzpatrick is concerned, although he is not writing off a record-extending eighth Super Bowl success.
"I think I've seen this from him before," Fitzpatrick told The Bill Simmons Podcast on The Ringer.
"His last year in New England, it was another example of a year where there was so much visible frustration from him.
"He was exasperated all the time by his team-mates and play-calling, and you could visibly see him upset more than usual on the field and the sideline. That's what this year feels like a little bit.
"That being said, I've played for Todd Bowles in New York. First of all, his defensive scheme is great, it's tough to go against, he's very aggressive. That trickles down to the team.
"I think they won some games early because of the defense, and they haven't performed so well of late.
"I still see the Bucs as a team that is going to sleepwalk their way to 10-7, make the playoffs, and then hopefully it all comes together because maybe then Tom becomes Tom again in the playoffs. That's just what this season feels like right now, for me."
Brady is in his 23rd season in the NFL, and Fitzpatrick has been in awe of his focus up to this point.
"That's always been the amazing thing about him when I watch him," he added. "Even though it's been so long, he's so locked in all the time.
"Whether it's been an inferior opponent or a big game on Sunday, Monday night, Thursday night, he was always so locked in.
"I'm just missing that a little bit when I watch him this year."
Steve Kerr was "thrilled" with the Golden State Warriors' opening night win over the Los Angeles Lakers as the coach recognised his defending champions are "not where we need to be".
The Warriors received their championship rings and unveiled their seventh banner on Tuesday following last season's NBA Finals defeat of the Boston Celtics.
A night of celebration was then capped with a first victory of the new campaign as the Warriors defeated the Lakers 123-109.
With so much else going on outside the game, coach Kerr was wary of the potential for an upset.
But even with the Warriors still looking to improve over the course of the season, he said, they "took care of business".
"I'm thrilled with the win," said Kerr. "Ring night is never an easy game, and the first game of the season is usually filled with some nerves early on.
"We're not where we need to be, but we took care of business."
Reigning Finals MVP Stephen Curry led the Warriors in scoring 33 points and was already thinking of a title defence.
"After tonight, the journey really begins in terms of everybody's best shot," Curry said. "You've got some really talented teams that are going to be gunning for you. You have to be ready for it all.
"It's going to be a really long journey, but this is why we play. We're competitive. This is why we work as hard as we do. We can't just sit there and look at that ring."
LeBron James revealed the Los Angeles Lakers performed as he expected on opening night despite a disappointing defeat to the Golden State Warriors.
Tuesday's game was always likely to be a tough one for the Lakers, who missed the playoffs last season as the Warriors won the title.
And so it proved, with a dominant third quarter seeing the Warriors ease to a 123-109 victory.
James, entering his 20th season, led the Lakers with 31 points but acknowledged the team will need time at the start of the year working with new coach Darvin Ham.
"For us, I think we are what I expected from tonight," James said.
"Some great moments, some not so good moments, and that just comes from a team that's coming together for the first time. There's a lot of new pieces, a whole new system, coaching staff.
"But I loved the way we competed. Obviously with the turnovers, we're not going to win ball games like that, but once we start getting on the same page and know where guys are going to be, start going through in our system how we want to perform, that will get better with time.
"It was what I expected. We had some good times, and some other times were not as good as we would like."
The Lakers had 21 turnovers to the Warriors' 18, including 12 from their 'big three' of James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook, which the four-time MVP said was "not acceptable".
That was not the only area in which the Lakers struggled, however, as they were a miserable 25.0 per cent from three-point range, making just 10 of 40 attempts.
The Lakers ranked 22nd in the NBA in three-point shooting last year (34.7 per cent), and James suggested the Warriors – 35.6 per cent on Tuesday and 36.4 per cent in 2021-22 – were letting their opponents shoot.
"We're getting great looks, but it also could be teams giving us great looks," James said.
"To be completely honest, we're not a team that's constructed of great shooting. That's just the truth of the matter. It's not like we're sitting here with a lot of lasers on our team.
"That doesn't deter us from trying to get great shots, and when we get those opportunities, we take them. But we're not sitting here with a load of 40-plus career three-point shooting guys."
The Lakers have still not won on opening night since 2016.
Marcus Smart credited his own "maturity" for not escalating an altercation with Joel Embiid in which he claimed the Philadelphia 76ers center tried to break his arm.
Reigning Defensive Player of the Year Smart has had a long-standing rivalry with Embiid.
The Boston Celtics guard has been ejected eight times in his NBA career, with one of those coming against the 76ers in 2019 after he shoved Embiid to the ground when his back was turned.
Smart stayed on the court on Tuesday, although he was whistled for a technical foul – the third against the 76ers of his career – following another tussle with Embiid in a 126-117 Celtics win.
The players' arms became tangled as they battled for a rebound, before Smart angrily grabbed the ankle of Embiid, who dropped to the floor.
Embiid, who has only once been ejected from an NBA game and never against the Celtics, avoided punishment.
"I went for a rebound. Basketball play," Smart said. "I went for the steal. Basketball play. The referee blows his whistle, calls a foul.
"I stop playing, my arm's still stuck in there, and [Embiid] tries to break it. And then I'm the only one who gets a tech. Everybody saw it."
He added: "I don't have to keep talking about it. If I did that, I'm probably ejected, suspended three games, four games, fined.
"But the fact that I was the only one that got something out of that is beyond me. Especially as defending DPOY, and that's how he gets treated. It's tough.
"It's maturity. I could have cracked his head open, but I didn't. And that's the maturity we have.
"So, we move on from it. It is what it is, and we control what we can control."
The Boston Celtics left a tumultuous offseason behind them on opening night to deliver a first win for interim head coach Joe Mazzulla, as Jayson Tatum said: "We're all in this together."
Mazzulla was making his coaching bow against the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday having replaced Ime Udoka for this NBA season.
Udoka, who led the Celtics to the NBA Finals in his first year as coach in 2021-22, was suspended by the team for the entire campaign for "violations of team policies" following an "improper" consensual relationship with a female staff member.
Assistant Mazzulla has temporarily stepped up to the top job, but there was no sign of the saga impacting the Celtics' play in their 126-117 victory over the highly fancied 76ers.
Tatum had 35 points and 12 rebounds in 39 minutes, as team-mate Jaylen Brown – reportedly part of trade talks for Kevin Durant earlier this year – also scored 35 points in 39 minutes.
Tatum and Brown became the first pair of team-mates to each score at least 35 points in a season opener since Los Angeles Lakers duo Wilt Chamberlain (35) and Jerry West (39) in 1969-70 – likewise against the 76ers.
Keeping both performing at a high level will be key to Mazzulla's hopes this year.
"He wouldn't have took any of the credit for tonight," Tatum said of Mazzulla. "But the thing that I like about Joe and admire about him is that he's very honest that he doesn't know everything.
"He wants us to help him out as much as he's helping us out. It's like we're in a relationship, and we're all on the same page and trying to accomplish the same thing. We're all in this together."
Mazzulla added: "I'm grateful for the relationship we have. These guys have been through a lot together, and they're great players, so it's just a matter of working together.
"So, I appreciate their trust and buy-in, but they come up with a lot of good stuff as well, and we kind of just figure it out."
The New York Yankees are moving on to the American League Championship Series, but the 2022 season is over for outfielder Aaron Hicks.
Playing left field, Hicks collided with shortstop Oswaldo Cabrera in the third inning of the Yankees’ victory in Game 5 of the League Division Series on Tuesday.
Hicks exited the game with a left knee injury and told reporters afterward that MRI results showed a significant enough injury to end his season.
"Extremely disappointing," Hicks told reporters. "[This season] is obviously something special and I want to be a part of it. And now I'm no longer going to be able to play on the field to help this team win, help this team win a World Series and now I just gotta watch on the sidelines."
Powered by home runs from Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge, the Yankees beat the Guardians in Tuesday’s decisive Game 5 and advance to a showdown against the Houston Astros in the ALCS.
The Yankees have not said who will take Hicks’ place on the ALCS roster but hope that versatile infielder D.J. LeMahieu has recovered enough from his right foot injury to return.
Hicks was replaced in left field Tuesday by utility Marwin Gonzalez, while Matt Carpenter made a pinch-hit appearance, taking his first swings since missing the end of the regular season with a fractured foot.
Tim Locastro played 26 games in the Yankees' outfield this season but projects more as a defensive replacement and pinch runner after hitting .186 this season.
New York face a quick turnaround, with Game 1 of the ALCS scheduled for Wednesday night in Houston.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
