Matt Fitzpatrick believes learning to be patient has been his secret to success.
The reigning U.S. Open champion went into the final round of the RBC Heritage on Sunday with the outright lead after a spectacular career-best round of 63 on Saturday, but had to survive a three-hole playoff against Jordan Spieth before securing victory.
Fitzpatrick fell two shots off the lead at one point, before recovering to force a playoff against Spieth.
"The big thing for me, that I feel like I've learnt when I play well, is just having patience. Just letting it happen and just giving myself time," Fitzpatrick said.
"I just felt as long as I was within two shots going into the back nine, I was easily in with a shout."
The Englishman moved up to a career-high number eight in the world after his win at the Harbour Town course at Hilton Head, just his second PGA Tour win after the U.S. Open.
"Before winning the U.S. Open, before last year really, I probably got overworked over majors," he said. "I was that desperate to try and win one, just changing things, trying a bit harder.
"I probably made myself tired from that, and then you come to this week and you just feel tired from the week before.
"I think sometimes it can be tough, particularly if you really had a grind, if you had a good result. I think it can be difficult to get yourself up for it."
The trainer of Hill Sixteen says protesters who held up the start of Saturday's Grand National race were responsible for the death of the horse.
The 10-year-old, ridden by Ryan Mania, fell at the first fence and after being tended to on the course, had to be put to sleep.
The incident came after animal rights campaigners had succeeded in delaying the race at Aintree as police arrested 118 people amid scenes of chaos.
The start was held up for 14 minutes after a large number of activists attempted to gain access to the course before the main event.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, trainer Sandy Thomson pointed to the fact his horse had never had a problem on the course in previous rides, and suggested the fall was due to being "buzzed up" from the protesters' actions.
"It was all caused by these so-called animal lovers who are actually ignorant and have absolutely no idea about the welfare of horses," he said.
"There were quite a lot of the horses buzzed up... When they got down to the start, nobody quite knew what was happening.
"The starter wanted to get them off as quickly as possible, then the horses were drawn forward then told to get back.
"One of the other things missing was the parade. I think that gives the horses and the jockeys that couple of minutes to gather their thoughts and that didn't help the situation either."
Activist group Animal Rising, whose supporters disrupted the race, said: "We want to offer our deepest condolences to anyone connected to Hill Sixteen or who has been impacted by their death.
"Horse deaths and injuries are an unavoidable consequence of the way we use animals for sport."
The Grand National is among the world's most famous races but also has its detractors, with concerns over the number of horses that suffer serious injuries or die from falls.
Two horses died at the Liverpool course in earlier races during the week's festival, before Hill Sixteen became the third fatality.
"If we look at the last nine years since the course has been modified there's been an average of under two fallers at the first two fences," Thomson added.
"This year everyone got very uptight about [the protests] – horses, jockeys – and there were eight fallers at those first two fences.
"We as a sport are continually moving forward, we're continually trying to make the sport safer."
Corach Rambler won the 175th running of the famous steeplechase.
Formula One is working "very hard" to bring a race back to Africa, F1 president Stefano Domenicali revealed.
The continent last held an F1 event in 1993 at South Africa's Kyalami circuit, a venue widely touted as the favourite to play host if the series returns to Africa, and there is a growing desire for that to happen.
Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton is among those to call for an African Grand Prix, while critics point out that Africa is the only continent, Antarctica excluded, not to hold a race.
F1's plan is to add Africa to the schedule, however, with Domenicali revealing there is plenty of work going on behind the scenes.
"100 per cent, Africa is still a continent that we are working very hard," he told Sky Sports. "As I always said, we need to find the right partners, the right middle-term plan.
"What I want to avoid is that we go there one year and then forget it. We are working, trying to find a solution for the best of the sport, for the best of the country."
F1's rise in popularity has increased the desire from more locations to hold a race, with big-money reportedly being offered from America and the Far East, though that is not a decisive factor in the eyes of Domenicali.
Neither is the history of venues, with the focus instead on the long-term development of F1.
"Today, the money is huge, but we need to protect the quality of the events and the sport," he added.
"When 'historical' is only connected to looking behind, that is a problem. When 'historical' is a value, if you are focused on developing the sport for the future, it's a great value.
"That's our duty - to make sure that, for example Monza, it's an incredible place but they need to make sure [they invest in] the future infrastructure, in services for the fans."
Russell Westbrook delighted in his match-winning play after a mixed Los Angeles Clippers turn during victory against the Phoenix Suns in the NBA playoffs.
The point guard shot only 3-for-19 during Sunday's 115-110 Game 1 victory in the first round, and was involved in a fan confrontation at half-time.
But eight assists and 11 rebounds, coupled with the clinching defensive block on Devin Booker, saw him still register a vital contribution to start the postseason.
Speaking afterwards, Westbrook spoke of his glee at being able to showcase his all-around skills, particularly in his efforts to close down Booker.
"My whole career, I [have] prided myself every season on doing everything," he said. "Whatever is needed of me to win the game, I'll do it.
"You [have] just got to make sure [Booker] sees you, make sure he knows that you're there. He's a hell of a shot-maker, one of the elite scorers. [You have to] try to make it difficult for him."
With Westbrook posting single-figures with ball in hand, it fell to Kawhi Leonard to lead the way for the Clippers with an excellent 38-point performance.
His turn drew plaudits from his team-mates, with Westbrook adding: "His patience [and] his awareness throughout the game was amazing.
"He's been like that for us since I've been here. We had his back on the defensive end. We'll make sure we find ways to keep making the game easy for him."
The Clippers face the Suns on the road at Footprint Center again on Tuesday, and could take a 2-0 record home to California ahead of Game 3 if they claim victory.
Jamal Murray said the adrenaline of his first NBA playoff game since 2020 affected his early performance in the Denver Nuggets' win against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Murray finished with a team-high 24 points in the 109-80 victory in Game 1 of the first-round series against the Timberwolves, though it was a slow start at Ball Arena.
Missing his first five shots, Murray attributed his early struggles to the adrenaline in what was his first playoff appearance since the NBA bubble in 2020 and first home playoff game since May 2019.
"I haven't felt that much excitement in a minute, probably since the beginning of the season," he said, per ESPN.
"You want to play so good, it's much anticipated. Sometimes that can affect you too much. Gotta slow down, get my legs back and just play basketball."
Murray's performance was recognised by his teammates, with Michael Porter Jr believing he is a better player than he was prior to his ACL injury.
"I told him the other day, I feel like he's better now than before his injury. I know he probably doesn't feel it, but just his all-around game, his awareness," he said.
"He had a year off where he just had to watch. So, I just feel like his awareness and just the right plays he's making -- the assists, being able to play a true point guard for our team and knowing the guys around him and how to get them open."
The Nuggets host the Timberwolves in Game 2 on Wednesday, then travelling to Minnesota as the series continues on Friday and Sunday.
Nikola Jokic recorded a double-double while Jamal Murray top scored as the Denver Nuggets re-discovered their form with a dominant 109-80 blowout of the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.
The Western Conference top seed Nuggets had gone 7-8 in their final 15 regular-season games, but snapped back into form in Game 1 of their first round playoffs series at Ball Arena.
Denver pulled away with a 32-14 third quarter, highlighted by five three-pointers.
Murray top scored with 24 points, making four-of-10 from three-point range, with eight rebounds and eight assists, while Michael Porter Jr also made four triples in his 18 points with 11 rebounds.
Porter Jr's game was capped by a hammer jam late in the first half as the Nuggets started to pull clear.
Jokic scored 13 points on six-of-12 shooting with 14 rebounds, including five offensive rebounds, and six assists.
Despite his modest stats, the Serbian center was influential in the first half with a no-look pass for Bruce Brown's three-pointer along with a classy spin to glide past Rudy Gobert in the lane.
The Timberwolves were no match for the top seed with Karl-Anthony Towns, who was the 2016 NBA Rookie of the Year in Jokic's rookie season, struggling for 11 points on five-of-15 shooting.
Former NBA Draft top overall pick Anthony Edwards only managed 18 points with five assists, while veteran point guard Mike Conley had eight points, four rebounds and three assists.
Clutch Kawhi leads Clippers past Suns
Kawhi Leonard came up clutch with two late three-pointers among his 38 points while Russell Westbrook made a critical block as the Los Angeles Clippers won 115-110 over the Phoenix Suns.
The Clippers put together three straight three-pointers in three plays in the final three minutes, including two from Leonard before kicking out a pass to Eric Gordon to make it 109-103 with 1:33 left.
With Suns cut it back to one point but Westbrook blocked Devin Booker with before making two free-throws to seal the win. Westbrook shot three-of-19 but never stopped, finishing with 10 rebounds including five in offense and eight assists.
Leonard went 13-of-24 from the field with three triples along with five rebounds and five assists, while Gordon added 19 with Paul George still out injured. Kevin Durant top scored for Phoenix with 27 points and 11 assists while Booker had 26 points and Chris Paul added 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
Lakers down Grizzlies, Heat shock Bucks
The Los Angeles Lakers claimed an early road win 128-112 over the Memphis Grizzlies with Ja Morant suffering a fourth-quarter hand injury to throw their first round series wide open.
Rui Hachimura scored a playoff career-best 29 points with 21 in the second half as the Lakers rallied back from a 65-59 half-time deficit, pulling clear late after Morant exited with 5:48 remaining at 105-101.
Morant was kept to 18 points with six rebounds, while Jaren Jackson Jr had 31 points with five rebounds and two blocks.
LeBron James had 21 points and 11 rebounds with two steals and three blocks, while Anthony Davis contributed 22 points, 12 rebounds and seven blocks. Lakers guard Austin Reaves added 23 points.
Eastern Conference eight seed Miami Heat pulled off an upset 130-117 road win over the Milwaukee Bucks who lost Giannis Antetokounmpo to a lower back contusion before half-time. The Heat lost Tyler Herro to a broken hand but Jimmy Butler stepped up with 35 points and 11 assists.
LeBron James spoke about the trust he has in his supporting cast after Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura starred in the Los Angeles Lakers' Game 1 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday.
The Lakers put together a 69-47 second half to run away with a 128-112 victory, and Hachimura led the team in scoring with 29 points on 11-of-14 shooting off the bench. The trade deadline acquisition hit five of his six three-point attempts, while adding six rebounds in his 30 minutes of action.
Meanwhile, breakout second-year talent Austin Reaves continued his strong form from the end of the regular season with 23 points (eight-of-13 shooting), four assists, a steal and a block, marking his fourth 20-point game from his past five outings.
Anthony Davis was an absolute game-changer on the defensive end, swatting seven shots to go with his three steals, 22 points (10-of-17) and 12 rebounds, but James made sure to credit the lesser-known Lakers for the decisive start to the series.
"It was our supporting cast that won us the game tonight," James said after putting up 21 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, three blocks and two steals of his own. "We trust [Reaves] with the ball in his hands – early in the game and late in the game.
"We got something going in the fourth quarter, and after every stop… we went back to AR and put the ball in his hands.
"He was able to hit a pull-up two, able to hit a three when he had a soft switch, and then hit another pull-up two to put us up eight and close the game for us offensively.
"[Hachimura's performance] speaks for itself, he was huge, he hit timely shots. They made runs – in the third quarter he had two threes in a row – then they made another run in the fourth quarter, and he hit another three off an AR pump-fake, drive, behind-the-back pass.
"He was just on-time, on-target all night tonight, and we needed that. Especially coming off the bench, with how strong [Memphis'] bench is, but we were able to counter that with Rui's big game."
Reaves called playing playoff basketball for the Lakers a dream come true, saying: "You dream about being on a stage like this – I got hot late and I had fun."
Meanwhile, the Grizzlies were not willing to read too much into Hachimura's heroics, with Desmond Bane sharing that the plan was to leave him open, and it may remain the plan.
"That was our game plan going in," he said. "Make him hit shots, and he did, tip your cap. It's probably the best game he's had in his career. It's a seven-game series – let's see if he can do it again Wednesday."
Hachimura understands that is the case, and said of his role: "The way they guard me, they're going to be in the paint, so I got to be ready to shoot those kind of shots."
Game 2 will remain in Memphis on Wednesday, before the series heads to Los Angeles for Game 3 and Game 4.
Giannis Antetokounmpo's X-ray on his lower back contusion came up clear but Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer said they will monitor him ahead of Game 2.
Antetokounmpo exited Sunday's 130-117 loss to the Miami Heat in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series after landing heavily on his back with 4:13 left in the first quarter.
The Greek forward was slow to get back up and attempted to play through the issue, but was hobbled and re-exited with 9:56 left in the second quarter, with the Bucks proceeding to rule him out for the game.
"He has a back contusion, there was an X-ray that was clear here," Budenholzer told reporters after the game. "So we'll monitor him and see how he wakes up. See how he feels the rest of tonight and tomorrow."
Budenholzer would not be drawn on the outlook for Antetokounmpo for the rest of the series, but was buoyed by his ability to overcome wrist and knee injuries this season.
"We have to wait and see what the doctors say, most importantly what Giannis says," he said.
"We've been blessed with him being incredibly resilient and quick to heal. You've just got to take it day by day, see how he's doing and how he feels."
Budenholzer clarified that the decision to rule Antetokounmpo out of the game, after initially trying to play on, came given his limited mobility in the second quarter.
"He just wasn't moving [well]," Budenholzer said. "Didn't look comfortable or confident, so it felt like the right thing."
Bucks guard Jrue Holiday remained bullish about the Eastern Conference top seed's prospects in the series, even if MVP candidate Antetokounmpo is unavailable for any or all games.
"We don't want him to be hurt, but it's still next man up mentality," Holiday said. "We have enough talent on this team to cover for him until he comes back, so again, I just don't want to see him hurt because I know what it feels like, especially Game 1 of the playoffs."
Jimmy Butler top scored for the Heat, who overcame the first-half loss of Tyler Herro with a broken right hand.
Butler scored 35 points on 15-of-27 shooting along with 11 assists, while center Bam Adebayo had 22 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
"He's just a brilliant competitor," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "He does it on both ends of the court. He has an innate feel for what's necessary during the course of a game.
"We needed obviously some offensive punch, some triggers, something to settle us all down, particularly when we found out Tyler was out. Jimmy was able to do it in a lot of different ways."
Heat veteran Kevin Love hailed Butler as the best closer in the league.
"It's unbelievable what he's able to do out there," Love said. "He's our leader. He sets the tone for us. I'm taking him pretty much over anybody in the league when it comes down to closing out a game."
New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole delivered another terrific start as he shut out the Minnesota Twins in a 2-0 home victory on Sunday.
Cole, who came into the contest with a 3-0 record this season after giving up just three earned runs in his 19.1 innings pitched, banked another win with nine scoreless frames against the Twins.
He allowed two hits and one walk to go with 10 strikeouts, retiring the game's last 11 batters to finish the complete game in 109 pitches (73 strikes).
With the bat, it was veteran infielder D.J. LeMahieu who was the Yankees' hero. The 34-year-old three-time All-Star came through with a two-out RBI single to give New York a 1-0 lead in the third inning, before doubling their advantage with a solo home run in the sixth inning.
Exciting rookie shortstop Anthony Volpe continued to make an impact for the Yankees, showing off his speed by reaching on an infield single in the fifth inning, and then he made his way into scoring position with his seventh stolen base of the season.
His seven steals lead all rookies and tie him for the second most in the majors, while only Volpe and Baltimore Orioles speedster Cedric Mullins (eight steals) have nabbed at least seven bases without being caught stealing.
With the win, the Yankees secured a series split with the Twins, with both teams now at 10-6.
Bellinger bombs one against his former side
Former NL MVP with the Los Angeles Dodgers Cody Bellinger got revenge on his former side as his home run was the difference in the Chicago Cubs' 3-2 win.
Bellinger, who won Rookie of the Year in 2017 and NL MVP in 2019 as a member of the Dodgers, connected on the biggest hit of the game in his first series back in Los Angeles following an offseason move to the Cubs.
The 27-year-old blasted a 422-foot solo home run in the sixth inning to extend the Cubs' lead to 3-1, after team-mate Patrick Wisdom broke the tie with his own solo homer just three pitches earlier.
The victory secured the second impressive series win in a row for the Cubs after also taking their three-game set against the Seattle Mariners 2-1, and improved Chicago's record to 8-6.
Castillo flirts with perfect game
Luis Castillo showed why he is the top arm in the Mariners' rotation, not allowing a baserunner until the seventh inning as his side defeated the Colorado Rockies 1-0.
Castillo dismissed the first 18 Rockies batters in order, allowing no hits or walks through six innings, before his bid for a perfect game was broken up by back-to-back singles in the seventh frame.
The Mariners' offense needed all the help they could get, collecting only four hits as a team, but Jarred Kelenic came through with the crucial two-out RBI single in the sixth inning to get his team over the line.
Ja Morant was left in pain and said his Game 2 availability is "in jeopardy" after suffering a hand injury in the Memphis Grizzlies' 128-112 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of their first round series.
Morant shouted in agony as he ran off the floor after his hand slammed into the court as Anthony Davis slid in front of him to draw a charge with 5:48 left in the fourth quarter. Morant's wrist appeared to bend upon landing in a nasty incident.
The All-Star guard writhed in pain on the floor initially before running past the Grizzlies' bench and straight into the locker room.
Morant underwent an X-ray on his right hand that Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins revealed were negative.
However, Morant said his status for Game 2 was "in jeopardy", adding: "I'm in a good bit of pain."
The Grizzlies were down by four points at the time and Morant did not return as they lost at FedEx Forum in Game 1 of the best-of-seven series.
Jenkins was coy on detail, but added: "He's in some pain… taking it one day at a time."
Morant returned to the Grizzlies bench with 4:10 left, but Jenkins said medical staff had informed him that the guard was only available in an "emergency situation".
"Probably the smartest thing was just to hold him out as we continue to go through evaluation," Jenkins said.
Morant came into the game with wrapping on his right hand from an injury sustained in the final week of the regular season.
The Memphis guard scored 18 points with six rebounds in 30 minutes, while Rui Hachimura had a team-high 29 points for the Lakers. LeBron James put together 21 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, and Davis contributed 22 points, 12 rebounds, three steals and seven blocks.
The Miami Heat lost starting guard Tyler Herro in the second quarter of Sunday's Game 1 against the Milwaukee Bucks after he suffered a broken hand.
The injury occurred late in the second quarter after the reigning Sixth Man of the Year had put up 12 points (five-of-nine shooting) in 19 minutes, landing awkwardly on his hand while diving for a loose ball in the final minute of the half.
Herro immediately began wincing in pain, but the ball found him open in the corner 20 seconds later in a position where he had to shoot. He air-balled the shot and signalled to the bench that he needed to be taken out.
Miami quickly announced that X-rays confirmed he had broken his hand and would take no further part in the game.
The 23-year-old is enjoying a terrific first season as a full-time starter, averaging 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists while draining a career-high 3.0 three-pointers per game, shooting 37.8 per cent from deep and leading the league with a free throw percentage of 93.4.
It came after Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo exited the contest earlier in the second quarter following a hard fall onto his back, and was also ruled out for the remainder of Game 1.
#MIAvsMIL INJURY UPDATE: Tyler Herro (broken right hand) will not return to tonight’s game vs the Bucks.
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) April 16, 2023
Matt Fitzpatrick secured a sentimental victory at the RBC Heritage on Sunday after surviving a three-hole playoff against Jordan Spieth.
Fitzpatrick, the reigning U.S. Open champion, had come into the final round with the outright lead after a spectacular career-best round of 63 on Saturday, but he found himself two strokes behind through 13 holes.
It was Spieth who had raced out to the lead with five birdies and eight pars through his 13 holes as part of the final group with Fitzpatrick, turning a two-stroke deficit into a two-stroke lead as Fitzpatrick was only one under in his round up to that point.
But Spieth would bogey the 14th, allowing Fitzpatrick to grab a share of the lead at 17 under with a birdie on 16, after both birdied the 15th.
Fitzpatrick blew a golden opportunity to take the outright lead with a poor birdie putt on 17, and then Spieth converted a tricky up-and-down on 18 to force a playoff.
It is a playoff that will live long in the memory of Spieth, as he had his potential tournament-winning birdie putt catch the lip on the first extra hole, and then again narrowly missed a birdie putt on the second playoff hole to keep Fitzpatrick alive.
Fitzpatrick eventually made the American pay, nearly holing out from the fairway on their third attempt at the 18th hole, tapping in for birdie as Spieth sailed his approach long and could not pull off a miracle.
It is Fitzpatrick's first non-major PGA Tour victory, and one that will carry some extra weight on a personal level after revealing this week that his family have made annual trips to Harbour Town Golf Links to watch this tournament since he was six years old.
Patrick Cantlay finished outright third at 16 under, with fellow top-10 ranked talent Xander Schauffele in outright fourth at 15 under.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has been ruled out of the remainder of the Milwaukee Bucks' Game 1 against the Miami Heat after suffering a lower back confusion as the result of a heavy fall.
Two-time NBA MVP Antetokounmpo sustained the injury on a drive to the bucket after Kevin Love tried to slide in and take a charge, causing an awkward twisting collision where Antetokounmpo landed flat on his back with 4:13 left in the first quarter.
Antetokounmpo was slow to get back up and attempted to play through the issue, before the Bucks confirmed he was out before half-time.
The Greek forward played for 11 minutes, scoring six points on two-of-four shooting, making two-of-four free-throws, with three rebounds and a turnover.
The Bucks, who have an 11-8 record without Antetokounmpo this season, trailed 68-55 at half-time at Fiserv Forum.
Antetokounmpo has averaged 31.1 points and 11.8 rebounds per game this season, sitting in the NBA's top five for both categories.
After an action-packed race at MotoGP's Grand Prix of the Americas it was Alex Rins emerging with a drought-breaking victory for LCR Honda.
Rins, who qualified second and finished second in Saturday's sprint race around the Circuit of the Americas, was the beneficiary after pole-winner Francesco Bagnaia crashed out for the second race in a row, this time while leading with 13 laps remaining.
Bagnaia, who could have taken over as the championship leader if he went all the way, was one of nine riders to not complete the race.
Alex Marquez, Aleix Espargaro and Jorge Martin all went down on the first lap, before Jack Miller went down with 14 laps to go while in a podium position, and he was followed with an early finish by Raul Fernandez (14 to go), Bagnaia (13), Joan Mir (12), Takaaki Nakagami (nine) and Stefan Bradl (two).
The carnage left Rins as the leader for the final 12 laps, and he held his nerve the rest of the way, coming home to deliver LCR Honda's first race victory since Argentina back in 2018. It is the Spaniard's fifth MotoGP win, and his first since switching teams after spending the past six seasons with Team Suzuki Ecstar.
It was also the first win for a Honda bike in 539 days in what has been a dominant stretch by the Ducatis, as no Honda rider finished better than Marc Marquez's 13th in the 2022 season standings.
With the result, Rins catapulted himself up to third in the standings after a 34-point week in Texas, while championship leader Marco Bezzecchi extended his gap at the top to 11 points with his safe sixth-place outcome.
Grid Classification
1. Alex Rins (Honda) 41:14.649
2. Luca Marini (Ducati) +3.498 seconds
3. Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) +4.936
4. Maverick Vinales (Aprilia) +8.318
5. Miguel Oliveira (Aprilia) +9.989
6. Marco Bezzecchi (Ducati) +12.049
7. Johann Zarco (Ducati) +12.242
8. Franco Morbidelli (Yamaha) +20.399
9. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Ducati) +27.981
10. Augusto Fernandez (KTM) +28.217
Championship Standings
1. Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46) 64
2. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) 53
3. Alex Rins (LCR Honda) 47
4. Maverick Vinales (Aprilia) 45
5. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) 44
Teams
1. Mooney VR46 102
2. Pramac Racing 73
3. Aprilia 63
4. Yamaha 63
5. Ducati 58
Paul George is unlikely to be fit to feature for the Los Angeles Clippers in their NBA playoffs first-round series against the Phoenix Suns.
The eight-time All-Star forward has been out with a sprained right knee since March 21, but it had been hoped he would be back in time for the start of the postseason.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski though, the Clippers have been preparing for the series without George.
It means they will almost certainly need to rely heavily on Kawhi Leonard in his absence against a Suns team that has gone to another level since adding Kevin Durant in February.
George averaged 23.8 points per game during the regular season, as well as 6.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 2.8 three-point shots made.
Game 1 between the Clippers and the Suns takes place in Phoenix on Sunday.
Andrey Rublev came from a set down against Holger Rune to win the Monte Carlo Masters on Sunday, his first Masters 1000 title.
Having done the same in his semi-final against Taylor Fritz, Rublev showed grit and determination to do so again in the final, eventually winning 5-7 6-2 7-5.
Rublev become only the third player in the Open Era to have comeback wins in both the semi-final and final at Monte Carlo after Ivan Lendl (1988) and Ilie Nastase (1971).
Rune started the stronger of the two and forced a break in the sixth game of the first set with two delightful drop-shot winners, only for Rublev to break straight back in the next game.
After throwing away seven of eight break point chances in the first set, it was somewhat inevitable Rublev was unable to save a crucial one on his own serve with Rune at set point, sending a return long to hand the Dane the first frame.
This was Rune's sixth ATP Tour-level final, making him the fifth teenager to pass five since 2000.
Rublev seemed determined not to make the same mistake again as he immediately broke Rune's serve in the opening game of the second set, although he did pass up two chances for a double break before Rune levelled the set at 2-2.
The heat appeared to be affecting both players' service games in a high-octane encounter, but Rublev steadied himself before breaking again and then racing to another as he comfortably secured the second set.
As Rublev had done after dropping the opener, however, Rune responded defiantly and raced out to a 3-0 lead in the decider, but after missing a chance to go 5-1 up, he was broken back as Rublev came back to 4-4.
At 5-5, a tiring Rune twice hit the net with overhead smashes and then had a double fault at break point, leading to a crucial break for the Russian, who then served out the match to clinch the title.
"I know it's tough to lose a final, but you are too freaking young, man, and already have a Masters 1000 title, so give me one time to win it," Rublev joked with a smiling Rune at the trophy presentation.
Jaylen Brown credited the adrenaline of the game after somehow managing to top-score despite having a hand injury as the Boston Celtics started their NBA playoff first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks with a win.
Brown cut his right hand last week when he smashed a glass vase at his home, but he was able to play on Saturday.
Despite having had stitches following the injury, Brown's cut split open again against the Hawks, and he had to leave the court at TD Garden after just eight minutes to have his bandage changed.
However, he returned to ultimately play 37 minutes and score 29 points as the Celtics won 112-99, with 45 points in the second quarter.
Brown insisted the laceration between his fingers was "fine now", although he is still working out the best way to manage the issue.
"I think it's going to be alright," he said. "It's a constant adjustment, making sure I have a good grip on the ball.
"There's not a lot of padding on it, so it's just a different feel shooting the ball. [The pain] is fine. Especially with the adrenaline of the game, you kind of just get going."
Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, who scored 25 points, said of his team-mate: "He came out aggressive. He looked like he looked fine and played really well."
Jhanielle Fowler had another near perfect night but her West Coast Fever had to hold off a spirited comeback from the Queensland Firebirds to snatch their fifth-straight victory 73-71 in the Suncorp Super Netball League at the Nissan Arena on Saturday night.
The towering Jamaican goal shooter scored 60 of 61 shots as the defending champions outscored their opponents 25-15 and 18-15 over the first two quarters to take a 13-goal lead into the half-time break. Sasha Glasgow who was a perfect five for five and scored three of six super shots was also key to the victory as the Firebirds provided the champions with a genuine scare.
Whereas the Fever were dominant in the first half, the Firebirds showed that they too could play that game in the second.
Donnell Wallan, who scored 48 goals from 53 attempts and sunk seven of 10 super shots in the game, helped the Firebirds storm back to outscore the Fever 21-15 in the third and 25-20 in the final stanza. She got support from Emily Moore who was perfect inside the circle and who hit one of two super shots and Mia Mayer (2/2) and scored one of two super shots to come within two goals of the champions.
However, that was as close as they would get as the Fever desperately held on for the win.
Fowler has missed only four attempts on goal in five matches this season, scoring 280 goals from 284 attempts.
Meanwhile, Romelda Aiken-George scored 43 goals from 49 attempts to lead the New South Wales Swifts to a close 64-63 win over Sunshine Coast Lightning at the UniSC Arena.
Over at the Ken Rosewall Arena, Shimona Nelson scored 36 goals from 38 attempts but her Collingwood Magies lost 59-55 to GIANTS for whom Jo Harten scored 33 from 35 and Sophie Dwyer 20 from 22.
Veteran wide receiver Robbie Anderson has agreed a contract with the Miami Dolphins.
The 29-year-old, who was released by the Arizona Cardinals last month following a mid-season trade arrival, is heading to Florida for the 2023 campaign.
Anderson – who recently changed his legal name to Chosen Robbie Anderson – posted a video to his Instagram story on Saturday to confirm his new team.
In the clip, he is seen holding up the jersey of Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who he will link up with as part of a wide receiver pool topped by Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
Originally undrafted out of Temple in 2016, Anderson signed with the New York Jets and enjoyed a four-year spell with the franchise as a near ever-present.
He moved to the Carolina Panthers in 2020 and posted a career-best season with 95 caught passes for 1,096 yards and three touchdowns.
A mid-season trade to the Cardinals last term failed to pan out however, with Anderson taking just seven passes for 76 yards during his brief stay.
The Dolphins posted a 9-8 regular season record in 2022 before a 34-31 loss in the AFC Wild Card round to the Buffalo Bills ended their campaign.
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