Ash Barty came from a set down for the third time this week as the world number one continued a superb 2021 with victory at the Stuttgart Open.
Barty overcame Aryna Sabalenka 3-6 6-0 6-3 to lift an 11th career title and her third of the season after successes at the Miami Open and the Yarra Valley Classic in Melbourne.
It proved to be another comeback triumph against a top-10 opponent for Barty, who saw off Karolina Pliskova and Elina Svitolina in the quarter and semi-finals respectively.
Sabalenka was ready to seize upon another sluggish Barty start and forced three break points at 3-2 in the opener.
The Australian was able to hang on that time, but Sabalenka fashioned two more and a botched Barty drop shot meant it was fifth time lucky.
The rapid progress of set two suggested Barty had merely been warming up, snaffling her third break point at 1-0 and dispatching a magnificent forehand cross-court winner to surge 4-0 ahead.
A bagel felt inevitable from that point and, after a 20-minute second set, Sabalenka was sinking without a trace when she slipped 3-0 behind in the decider.
The fifth seed broke back before being undermined by an untimely double fault at 3-2 – one of 39 unforced errors – and Barty faced down three break points in the following game.
A superb display, featuring 26 winners and five break points converted from 12 opportunities, concluded when Barty wrapped things up on her second match point.
Julius Randle is proud of the way he has followed Kobe Bryant's example with his work ethic to help lead the New York Knicks to fourth in the Eastern Conference.
The Knicks beat the Toronto Raptors 120-103 on Saturday to stretch their winning run to nine in a row.
The team have had seven straight losing seasons, missing the playoffs every year since 2012-13, but are now 34-27 and firmly back in contention to make the postseason.
As all season, Randle was the Knicks' standout performer against the Raptors, scoring 31 points to improve his average for the year to 24.0. He also has 10.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game in 2020-21.
This form earned All-Star recognition and could yet see Randle selected to an All-NBA team.
Such a turnaround could hardly have been expected for a player who had averaged 16.1 points per game for his career since he was selected seventh overall in 2014 by Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers superstar's late-career industry rubbed off on Randle, though, with the forward improving this year under Tom Thibodeau, who compared Randle to Knicks great Patrick Ewing.
"That's amazing," Randle said of Thibodeau's comments. "I've actually asked him to talk about that before. He gave me an insight because he saw it first-hand.
"I'm proud of myself for my work ethic. The greats have done it before.
"The guy that I idolised the most and looked up to - which is Kobe - his work ethic was top notch. Nobody was better at putting the time in.
"So, like I say, I'm proud of myself for my work ethic in terms of how I prepare myself to get ready for a season, how I prepare myself to get ready for games."
Thibodeau said: "It always starts with your best players. If they work like that, it sets the tone for the team.
"[Randle] is relentless. It's not an accident that he's having the type of season that he’s having.
"His commitment, I could see it from the first day I met him, just looking at the type of conditioning he had, how committed he was to turning this thing around.
"I can recall back in the '90s, when I first arrived here as an assistant, the thing that blew me away was Patrick Ewing, every morning in the offseason, he was the first guy in the building, worked like crazy, got himself ready, and the rest of the team did the same.
"I think that's leadership. It's not what you say, it's what you do. When you see an example like that, it gives you confidence and gives the team confidence."
This is now the Knicks' longest sequence of wins since 13 straight across March and April 2013, yet Randle is not content.
"We're peaking, but we can still get a lot better," he said.
"Offensively we're playing well, but defensively, for a full 48 minutes, I feel like we can be a lot better."
Anthony Davis feels he is "starting from zero" with his Los Angeles Lakers team-mates following injury, meaning the defending NBA champions must "figure it out on the fly".
Davis missed more than two months with a strained Achilles, finally returning this week for a double-header against the Dallas Mavericks.
The Lakers are still without LeBron James, though, and Davis does not yet look back to himself.
The forward averaged 26.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks last season as the Lakers won the title.
Prior to his injury this year, he had 22.5 points per game, 8.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocks, while his shooting from the field improved from 50.3 per cent in 2019-20 to 53.3.
But across two games - both starts - since returning on Thursday, Davis has just 21 points, seven rebounds and a single block in total.
Although he played less than 17 minutes in his first game back, his accuracy from the field has been most concerning, shooting 24.1 per cent having made just seven of his 29 attempts.
The Lakers lost both games to fall to 35-25 in fifth in the Western Conference, now just 1.5 games ahead of the Mavs.
The situation could have been even worse had the Portland Trail Blazers - 2.5 games back in seventh, a dreaded play-in place - not lost four straight.
"It's like you're starting over with the guys and just trying to find a connection with these guys again," Davis said after Saturday's 108-93 defeat.
"They're trying to find a connection with me. So, it's like we're starting from zero, which is tough so late in the season."
He added: "You've got to try to figure it out on the fly, which we're going to have to do."
James, who had 25.4 points, 7.9 assists and 7.9 rebounds and was in MVP contention before he went down, has been out since March 20 with a high ankle sprain.
Dennis Schroder, the team's third-best scorer with 15.6 points, said: "We're going to talk about it.
"I think when Bron comes back, we're going to have a conversation as a team. Because our chemistry off the court is great. But on the court, we've just got to turn it up some more."
Anderson Silva has posted a message of support for Chris Weidman after the American suffered a gruesome leg injury at UFC 261.
Just 17 seconds into his fight with Uriah Hall in Jacksonville, Florida, Weidman's lower right leg appeared to snap as he landed a kick to Hall's shin.
Weidman, 36, was removed from the Octagon on a stretcher and transported to a local hospital.
The injury came more than seven years after Silva suffered a nearly identical fate while fighting Weidman.
In December 2013, Silva broke his left leg landing a kick on Weidman's leg early in the second round of their UFC 168 match-up in Las Vegas.
Not long after Weidman's injury Saturday, Silva tagged the American in a message posted to Instagram: "My deepest and most sincere sentiments champ. Have faith, I wish you a speedy recovery. In this moment I wish you and your family light, love and knowledge.
"To the fans of the sport, please respect this moment of this incredible warrior and let's wish that he is 100% very recovered soon. May God bless you and your family."
Though many expected Silva's injury to end his career, the Brazilian returned to the Octagon a little over a year later, beating Nick Diaz at UFC 183 in January 2015. That victory was overturned due to doping violations, but Silva would fight six more times -- most recently a TKO loss to Hall last October.
That was Hall's last fight before Saturday, and he took no joy in the way the Weidman bout ended.
"I just want to make sure he's OK," Hall told ESPN.
"There's just no way to celebrate after this. It's unfortunate. I'm sure he put in a lot of time and dedication away from his family, and for this to happen ... I just wish him well."
The Crusaders will host the 2021 Super Rugby Aotaeroa final against the Chiefs after returning to winning ways with a 29-6 victory over the Blues on Sunday in Christchurch.
The 2020 Super Rugby Aotaeroa champions scored four tries to the Blues' none, with two from Will Jordan including a fine solo run to open the scoring in the seventh minute.
Sevu Reece and Codie Taylor also crossed for the Canterbury side who led 12-0 at the interval and never looked back.
Taylor remains the leading try scorer this season, getting his seventh of 2021 on the hour when the Crusaders maul forced their way over following a line-out.
The result also means that the Blues can no longer mathematically make for the top two thus will not feature in the decider despite having a game in hand against the Chiefs in Round 10, having collected no points on Sunday.
The Blues have lost four of their past five matches, fading from contention after a promising 2-0 start.
The Crusaders had gone down 26-25 to the Chiefs in Round Eight, putting at jeopardy their hopes of hosting the Final but Sunday's result ended any doubts.
Scott Robertson's side have been top of the table since Round Two, having started the 2021 season with five straight wins.
Fernando Tatis Jr. put on another show at Dodger Stadium, but it was the World Series champions who won out via small ball, defeating the San Diego Padres 5-4.
After slamming a pair of home runs in Los Angeles on Friday, Tatis repeated that feat Saturday -- and had some fun with Dodgers starter Trevor Bauer along the way.
In early March, Trevor Bauer spent most of the first inning of a spring training game against the Padres pitching with his right eye closed, calling it a training method he uses occasionally to challenge himself.
The Padres didn't forget about it. After Tatis homered off Bauer in the first inning Saturday, the San Diego star covered up his right eye with his hand as he rounded the bases.
Tatis also went deep off Bauer in the sixth to give San Diego a 3-2 lead, but the Padres' relievers would give the game away in the bottom of the inning.
With San Diego starter Blake Snell out of the game, Los Angeles strung together three singles and a bases-loaded walk to Mookie Betts to tie the game, then took the lead on a two-run single by Corey Seager.
Tatis had one last chance to be the hero in the ninth, coming up with the tying run on and one out, but Kenley Jansen got him to ground out, then struck out Trent Grisham to end it.
Yankees' Cole almost untouchable
Gerrit Cole was spectacular for the Yankees in New York's 2-1 win over the Cleveland Indians. The right-hander allowed just three hits and a run and did not walk a batter while striking out 11 to outpitch Shane Bieber (seven innings, four hits, two runs, nine strikeouts).
The Oakland Athletics won their 13th consecutive game after a 1-7 start, defeating the Baltimore Orioles 7-2. A three-run home run by Jed Lowrie in the fourth inning put the game out of reach for Oakland.
The Houston Astros lost starter Jake Odorizzi after five pitches and one out due to an arm injury, but Kent Emanuel pitched the rest of the game in his MLB debut, allowing a pair of solo home runs in a 16-2 Astros win over the Los Angeles Angels.
Reds hit bottom in NL Central
After spending more than two weeks with at least a share of first place in the National League Central, the Cincinnati Reds dropped to last in the division Saturday after their sixth consecutive lost, this one 2-0 to the St. Louis Cardinals. The Reds managed only three hits, all singles, off John Gant and two St. Louis relievers in their latest setback.
White Sox walk it off
Up until the final inning of the Rangers-White Sox game Saturday, the only run had come on a bases-loaded wild pitch in the sixth that gave Chicago a 1-0 lead, but things got interesting in the ninth. Willie Calhoun tied the game with a home run for Texas in the top of the inning, but the White Sox put together a rally in the bottom half and won 2-1 on Nick Madrigal's walk-off double.
Saturday's results
Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 Chicago Cubs
Oakland Athletics 7-2 Baltimore Orioles
Kansas City Royals 2-1 Detroit Tigers
New York Yankees 2-1 Cleveland Indians
Seattle Mariners 8-2 Boston Red Sox
Tampa Bay Rays 5-3 Toronto Blue Jays
Washington Nationals 7-1 New York Mets
Houston Astros 16-2 Los Angeles Angels
Pittsburgh Pirates 6-2 Minnesota Twins
Chicago White Sox 2-1 Texas Rangers
St Louis Cardinals 2-0 Cincinnati Reds
Philadelphia Phillies 7-5 Colorado Rockies
Miami Marlins 5-2 San Francisco Giants
Los Angeles Dodgers 5-4 San Diego Padres
Atlanta Braves-Arizona Diamondbacks (postponed)
Padres at Dodgers
San Diego (12-11) send Joe Musgrove to the mound for the final game of their series against the Dodgers (15-6) on Sunday. Dustin May will get the ball for Los Angeles.
Kamaru Usman knocked out Jorge Masvidal before a packed arena Saturday, retaining his welterweight title at UFC 261.
Usman (19-1-0) dropped Masvidal (35-15-0) with a right hand to the jaw one minute, two seconds into the second round.
The devastating blow landed seconds after the American had faced Usman with his hands lowered, smiling at the Nigerian.
Usman has won 14 consecutive fights, trailing only Anderson Silva's 16-fight run from 2006 to 2012 in UFC history.
"I know with my fundamentals I am the pound-for-pound best fighter on the planet right now," Usman said.
Usman's strike prompted an eruption from the crowd of 15,269 in Jacksonville, Florida, capping an evening billed as the first full-capacity indoor event since the coronavirus pandemic took off in March 2020.
The marquee fight was a rematch from UFC 251 in Abu Dhabi last July, which Usman won by unanimous decision.
Saturday marked only the second time in his long career that Masvidal has been knocked out, with the previous one occuring in 2008.
In the co-main event, Rose Namajunas (11-4-0) knocked out Zhang Weili (21-2-0) with a kick to the head at 1:18 in the first round to reclaim the strawweight title -- the first woman to do so in any weight class in UFC history.
The American originally won the belt in November 2017 but lost it to Jessica Andrade in May 2019. She defeated Andrade in the rematch at UFC 251.
Andrade (21-9-0) also was on Saturday's card, falling via TKO to Valentina Shevchenko (21-3-0) in the second round.
Earlier, veteran fighter Chris Weidman's lower right leg appeared to snap on a kick 17 seconds into his bout with Uriah Hall (17-9), ending the match in a TKO. Weidman, 36, was carried out on a stretcher.
DeMar DeRozan out-dueled Zion Williamson down the stretch to give the San Antonio Spurs a 110-108 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.
DeRozan scored nine of his 32 points in the final three minutes, bringing the visitors back from a late five-point deficit on Saturday.
The Spurs star made all 12 of his free-throw attempts as San Antonio collectively went 27 of 32 (84.4 per cent) from the line. New Orleans, meanwhile, made only 17 of 32 (53.1 per cent).
Williamson's ninth point of the 33 he would score gave him 2,000 for his career in just 79 games, which is 10th-fastest in NBA history. That marks the fewest games a player has needed to reach 2,000 points since Michael Jordan did it in his 73rd NBA game in 1985.
Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram added 24 points each for the Pelicans, but they could not overcome all of the missed free throws.
Randle, Knicks win ninth in a row
Julius Randle had 31 points as the New York Knicks rolled past the Toronto Raptors 120-103 for their ninth consecutive win -- the longest streak for New York since they won 13 in a row in 2013.
Bam Adebayo scored 20 points and added 10 assists as the Miami Heat defeated the Chicago Bulls to move within a half game of the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference.
Rookie Anthony Edwards' 23 points and nine rebounds helped the Minnesota Timberwolves hand the Utah Jazz a rare loss in Salt Lake City, 101-96. Utah are now 26-4 at home this season.
Sixers struggle to score
Playing without Joel Embiid, who missed the game with right shoulder soreness, the Philadelphia 76ers had only one starter score in double figures in a 132-94 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. Philadelphia made just 31 of 82 from the field (37.8 per cent) as Shake Milton and Tyrese Maxey led the scoring off the bench with 15 points each. Seth Curry paced the starters with 13 points.
Luka gets the roll
The Dallas Mavericks trailed the Los Angeles Lakers by as many as 17 points on Saturday but stormed back in the fourth quarter thanks in part to Luka Doncic doing what Luka Doncic does.
Saturday's results
Milwaukee Bucks 132-94 Philadelphia 76ers
New York Knicks 120-103 Toronto Raptors
Indiana Pacers 115-109 Detroit Pistons
Miami Heat 106-101 Chicago Bulls
San Antonio Spurs 110-108 New Orleans Pelicans
Dallas Mavericks 108-93 Los Angeles Lakers
Minnesota Timberwolves 101-96 Utah Jazz
Denver Nuggets 129-116 Houston Rockets
Suns at Nets
An appealing match-up of guards is on tap Sunday as Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns (42-17) visit Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets (40-20).
World number one Novak Djokovic was full of praise for his Serbia Open semi-final conqueror Aslan Karatsev but bemoaned his own "low level" performance.
Karatsev got past Djokovic in the longest match of the 2021 ATP Tour in Belgrade, triumphing 7-5 4-6 6-4 on Saturday.
The match went for three hours and 25 minutes, with the Russian securing a spot in Sunday's final against 10th ranked Matteo Berrettini.
The Serbian had beaten Karatsev in the Australian Open semi-finals two months ago, with the 27-year-old Russian, who is now ranked 28th, returning the favour.
"From my side, I played on quite a low level, in my opinion," Djokovic said.
“[I had] some flashes of good quality tennis. I was fighting. That is a positive.
"I was really trying all the way [and] the crowd was great. They carried me and tried to lift me up, all the way to the end.
"Because of them, I think I won the second set. Unfortunately in the third, he was just the better player in the decisive moments. I had my chances, but that is sport."
Djokovic was gracious in defeat, offering a thumbs up immediately after Karatsev secured victory along with complimentary words to his opponent who saved 23 of 28 break points.
"Karatsev showed a lot of courage and that is why I gave him the thumbs up," Djokovic said.
"I felt like he deserved to win… Once the final point is done, there is never bad blood. We are rivals on the court, but I don’t hate anybody. I can’t be upset with him if he beat me.
"I have to be upset with myself and question why I lost the match. Whoever beats me deserves the credit and I gave him that.
"I lost to a better player who was just more courageous. He went for his shots at the right time and it worked for him."
Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel turned in a nine-under 63 in four-ball play to take the lead after the third round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
The South African duo are 19-under for the tournament and were one of six teams to record a 63, vaulting them past second-round leaders Tony Finau and Cameron Champ by a stroke.
Australians Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith also shot nine-under and are tied for second with the American pair.
The top of the leaderboard at TPC Louisiana is crowded, with Bubba Watson and Scottie Scheffler sitting two shots back along with first-round leaders Viktor Hovland and Kris Ventura.
The tournament, which switched to a team event in 2017, features four-ball in the first and third rounds and foursomes in the second and fourth.
Three teams are at 16 under and nine more at 15 under, with the latter group including defending champions Jon Rahm and Ryan Palmer.
The shot of the day belonged to Sam Ryder, who holed a five iron from 206 yards at No. 2 for a double eagle -- the first at the tournament since Rob Oppenheim did it in 2018.
Aslan Karatsev secured a stunning career-best victory over home favourite Novak Djokovic to set up a Serbia Open final against Matteo Berrettini.
Karatsev showed astonishing defiance to beat the world number one 7-5 4-6 6-4 in the longest ATP Tour match of the year on Saturday.
The third seed from Russia saved 23 of the 28 break points he faced as his aggressive approach paid off, toppling the 18-time grand slam champion in a contest that lasted three hours and 25 minutes.
It was sweet revenge for Karatsev, who was beaten by the legendary Serbian at the semi-final stage of the Australian Open two months ago.
Djokovic had won 11 matches in a row in his homeland, but bowed out despite being 2-0 up in the first two sets as a solitary break in the decider ended his run.
Karatsev, the world number 28, said: "It was a long, tough match [against a] tough opponent.
"You have to put [in] like 200 per cent to beat this guy, it's like playing against a wall. And he also made some good shots.
"He doesn't give you any free points. He always makes you play and you have to be always there because once you miss a couple of shots, he just takes it very quickly. That’s how I lost the second set."
Berrettini secured his place in the final with a 6-1 6-7 (5-7) 6-0 victory over lucky loser Taro Daniel.
Second seed Berrettini only lost six points in the last set after Daniel came from a break down in the second before winning a tie-break to take the second semi-final the distance.
Heading into Sunday's final, Karatsev and Berrettini have never previously faced each other on the ATP Tour.
Ash Barty will meet Aryna Sabalenka in the Stuttgart Open final after Simona Halep's quest to win the tournament for the first time fell short.
World number three Halep had claimed straight-set wins over Ekaterina Alexandrova and Marketa Vondrousova en route to the semi-finals, but met her match in the form of Belarusian Sabalenka, who triumphed 6-3 6-2.
A nine-time singles champion, Sabalenka made it into a 14th career final without conceding a single break, as she managed to keep Romanian Halep at arm's length.
Standing between Sabalenka and a 10th singles title is world number one Barty who, on her 25th birthday, came from behind to defeat Elina Svitolina 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-2.
Making her tournament debut in Stuttgart, Barty had overcome Laura Siegemund and Karolina Pliskova, but found herself at 5-4 down in the second set, with Svitolina serving for the match.
The fourth seed failed to take her chance, with Barty breaking and subsequently biting back in the tie-break, before carrying the momentum into the decider to claim a third straight win over Svitolina.
Top seed Elise Mertens made it to her second Istanbul Open as she saw off her doubles partner and birthday girl Veronika Kudermetova 6-1 6-4.
It means Mertens will be playing in two finals on Sunday, as she pairs up with Kudermetova again in the doubles showdown against Nao Hibino and Makoto Ninomiya.
Mertens' win ended Charleston champion Kudermetova's nine-match winning streak, and set up a final against the unseeded Sorana Cirstea, who defeated Marta Kostyuk 6-4 6-4.
Rafael Nadal.and Stefanos Tsitsipas will do battle for the Barcelona Open title on Sunday after both cruised into the final in straight sets.
Nadal beat fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta 6-3 6-2 to stand on the brink of being crowned champion for a 12th time at the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona 1899.
The top seed won 77 per cent of points on his first serve and returned superbly in yet another sublime clay-court exhibition.
Nadal broke Carreno Busta in his compatriot's first service game and ominously charged into a 5-1 lead in imperious fashion on Pista Rafael Nadal.
Carreno Busta broke back to prolong the opening set, but the 20-time grand slam champion wrapped it up in 45 minutes before swiftly taking charge of the second.
The world number three breezed into a 4-0 advantage and did not face a solitary break point as he took just shy of an hour and a half to set up a showdown with Tsitsipas, who knocked him out of the Australian Open at the quarter-final stage in February.
Tsitsipas maintained his magnificent form with a 6-3 6-3 defeat of Jannik Sinner.
The in-form Greek won the Monte Carlo Masters last weekend and matched Andrey Rublev's ATP tour-leading total of 26 victories this season by steering past Sinner.
Second seed Tsitsipas has won all 17 sets he has played on clay this season, having saved all four break points that Sinner earned.
The Waratahs failed to avoid the ignominy of a winless Super Rugby AU campaign as they fell to a 36-25 loss to the Rebels.
A miserable 0-8 record was confirmed on Saturday as the Tahs were beaten by the Australian conference's second-bottom side, despite the Rebels having two men sent off in Sydney.
It took just 33 seconds for the hosts to get that sinking feeling as Stacey Ili touched down after collecting Matt Toomua's precise cross-field kick.
To their credit, the Tahs promptly hit back with a pair of Ben Donaldson penalties to suggest a close contest may be on the cards.
Even after Michael Wells' converted try restored some comfort for the Rebels, the dismissal of Isi Naisarani for a high tackle handed the home side fresh impetus.
Mark Nawaqanitawase and Jack Maddocks both dotted down to capitalise, with the Rebels clinging to a 21-18 half-time lead after a brace of Toomua three-pointers.
The visitors made light of their numerical disadvantage, Rob Leota diving over off the back of a maul, although Carlo Tizzano was quick to respond with a try of his own.
That proved to be the Tahs' last score, though, and the Rebels added gloss through Toomua's penalty and a late Matt Gibbon try.
There was still time for Pone Fa'amausili to see red for a driving his shoulder into the head of Max Douglas, but the 13 men saw out the remainder of the game without further incident.
Stephen Curry further strengthened his case to be the NBA MVP as he propelled the Golden State Warriors to victory over the Denver Nuggets on Friday, with coach Steve Kerr clearly in no doubt he deserves the award.
Curry is not regarded as a frontrunner to win the Maurice Podoloff Trophy for the third time in his glittering career, with Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid seen as the favourites.
However, Curry continues to make an increasingly compelling argument. Since returning on March 29 from a tailbone contusion that forced him to miss five games, Curry is averaging 37.7 points per game, comfortably the most in the league, with Embiid (30.1) a distant second.
Just once in his previous 13 games has Curry failed to reach 30 points. He has four 40-point games in that span, including a 49-point performance that inspired the Warriors to a win over Embiid's Sixers, as well as a 53-point effort in a victory against Jokic and the Nuggets on April 12.
That display versus Denver saw him rattle home 10 three-pointers. He has hit double-digit threes in four games since April 12, a tally that on its own would be third on the all-time list behind Warriors team-mate Klay Thompson (5) and himself (21).
Curry went four of nine from beyond the arc as he produced a decidedly more modest 32-point game in this latest 118-97 win over the Nuggets.
And Kerr kept it short and sweet when asked if Curry should be the league's MVP. "Yes," he replied with a smile at his post-game media conference.
Curry did not score a point in the first quarter and battled through an ankle injury to find his stroke and delight the 2,000 fans allowed into Chase Center for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic forced spectators out of arenas back in 2020.
"He just felt something in his ankle but the training staff said he was ok to continue. He looked hobbled but then he was fine. I thought he played a great game," Kerr added.
"It took him a while to get into the game, the beauty of Steph is that he's always so poised, no matter what the circumstances and he's always going to find a way to get himself going."
Curry, meanwhile, lavished praise on Draymond Green, who supplied a career-high 19 assists.
"When he gets in a groove like that where he's getting everybody involved, and having a Draymond-type night where scoring's not really the difference-maker, it's the way that he does the intangibles," Curry said.
"And then makes everybody better by getting the ball on time, can finish off plays. He's the smartest basketball player I've played with, and it shows in moments and games like tonight where he just finds a way to impact winning in his own way."
The subject of MVP chants during the game, Curry also had kind words for the supporters who relished their opportunity to watch the action in person once more.
"It was really nice for sure," Curry added. "Considering what we've all been through the last 409 days. That was awesome.
"Even pulling up, driving around the arena when I got here three hours early, you see all the ushers outside waiting to get in, understanding that they're excited to get back to work.
"Just a little bit different of a buzz inside and outside the arena. I know you got to take it slow and obviously keep everybody safe but ramp up how many people can get in the building and slowly but surely get back to a full, packed house where that energy is second to none.
"Us on the floor, we live off of that. You try to bring it when it's an empty arena. You do your best, but it makes such a difference with fans."
Jacob deGrom's stunning 15-strikeout display in the New York Mets' 6-0 shutout win over the Washington Nationals proves he is "from a different planet".
That is the view of Mets team-mate Brandon Nimmo, who witnessed DeGrom become the first MLB player to have 15-plus strikeouts and score two-plus runs in a game since Tom Seaver with the Mets in 1973, per Stats Perform.
The three-time All-Star also became the first player in the modern era with 15 strikeouts, two runs scored and no runs allowed, while he is the second pitcher in the modern era with 50-plus strikeouts and five or more base hits at the plate over any four-start span.
DeGrom's 50 strikeouts are the most by any pitcher across the first four starts of a season, surpassing the 48 of Shane Bieber (2021) and Nolan Ryan (1978).
Such feats left outfielder Nimmo questioning if DeGrom was even of this world.
"Jake is unbelievable," he said.
"He has to be from a different planet, because he does things that seem out of this world."
DeGrom himself was far more modest.
"It goes down to just one pitch at a time," he said.
"That's how I concentrate on a game. Hit my spot. If you end up missing it, so what. You've got to make the next pitch.
"But it's that focus on that pitch that you're about to throw that you can control. The previous games, those are over with.
"I knew 14 was the most I have had, so when I looked up there and saw 12, I said, 'Okay, I have to figure out a way to strike out three guys.' I was fortunate enough to be able to do it."
Mets manager Luis Rojas was also full of praise for the 32-year-old, describing his latest exploits as "unbelievable".
"It's still surprising to me," he said. "I think we're all in witnessing something special. It's unbelievable.
"Everyone in there is excited to be part of the team and witnessing what Jake is doing every time he gets the ball."
Jacob deGrom produced a masterful performance amid 'MVP' chants to lead the New York Mets to a 6-0 shut-out win over the Washington Nationals.
DeGrom was dominant with bat and ball on Friday, firing a two-hitter for his second career shutout, setting a career best with 15 strikeouts against the Nationals in MLB.
The Mets ace also went two-for-four at the plate, the two-time National League (NL) Cy Young Award winner finishing with a double, two runs scored and an RBI.
DeGrom became the first MLB player to have 15-plus strikeouts and score two-plus runs in a game since Tom Seaver with the Mets in 1973, per Stats Perform.
The three-time All-Star also became the first player in the modern era with 15 strikeouts, two runs scored and no runs allowed, while he is the second pitcher in the modern era with 50-plus strikeouts and five or more base hits at the plate over any four-start span.
DeGrom's 50 strikeouts are the most by any pitcher across the first four starts of a season, surpassing the 48 of Shane Bieber (2021) and Nolan Ryan (1978).
A's stay hot
The Oakland Athletics extended their winning streak to 12 games by beating the Baltimore Orioles 3-1. The A's are in the midst of their longest streak since tallying a franchise-record 20 wins in a row in 2002.
Giancarlo Stanton hit two home runs to lead the struggling New York Yankees to a 5-3 victory at the Cleveland Indians.
Rookie sensation Yermin Mercedes had four hits, including a double in the seventh inning, as the Chicago White Sox topped the Texas Rangers 9-7. Yoan Moncada tallied three hits and a home run.
J.A. Happ flirted with a no-hitter in the Minnesota Twins' 2-0 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Happ lost his no-hit bid in the eighth inning. The 38-year-old walked two batters and struck out three.
Glasnow costly
Tyler Glasnow's seven-game winning streak, dating back to last year, came to an end in the Tampa Bay Rays' 5-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. Glasnow became the second pitcher in MLB history to have four-plus strikeouts and allow four-plus runs in the same inning after Marcus Semien hit a three-run homer in the first inning, per Stats Perform. Rays ace Glasnow allowed five runs, five hits and struck out 10 in six innings.
Tatis takes down Kershaw's Dodgers
Fernando Tatis Jr. put on a show for the San Diego Padres, who trumped World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-1. Tatis homered twice against Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw. On April 23 in 1999, father Fernando Tatis Sr. hit two grand slams in one inning at Dodger Stadium. They are the first father-son duo to each record a multi-homer game at the same venue on the same calendar date.
Friday's results
Chicago Cubs 15-2 Milwaukee Brewers
Oakland Athletics 3-1 Baltimore Orioles
Kansas City Royals 6-2 Detroit Tigers
New York Yankees 5-3 Cleveland Indians
Boston Red Sox 6-5 Seattle Mariners
Toronto Blue Jays 5-3 Tampa Bay Rays
New York Mets 6-0 Washington Nationals
Atlanta Braves 5-4 Arizona Diamondbacks
Houston Astros 5-4 Los Angeles Angels
Minnesota Twins 2-0 Pittsburgh Pirates
Chicago White Sox 9-7 Texas Rangers
St Louis Cardinals 5-4 Cincinnati Reds
Colorado Rockies 5-4 Philadelphia Phillies
San Francisco Giants 5-3 Miami Marlins
San Diego Padres 6-1 Los Angeles Dodgers
Padres at Dodgers
The Padres (12-10) will look to claim the four-game series against the Dodgers (14-6) in game three on Saturday. Blake Snell gets the start as the Dodgers counter with Trevor Bauer in Los Angeles.
Golden State Warriors fans were on hand to witness another stellar Stephen Curry performance as the two-time NBA MVP helped take down Nikola Jokic's Denver Nuggets 118-97.
The Warriors welcomed fans back to Chase Center for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began – 1,935 supporters in attendance 409 days later.
Those fortunate to be in the building on Friday saw Curry post 32 points on 11-for-18 shooting, with four three-pointers and eight rebounds.
Warriors superstar Curry finished with his 29th 30-point game of the season, his 12th 30-point effort in the last 13 games.
Draymond Green tied his career high with 19 assists and 12 rebounds, his 12th double-double of the season as Kelly Oubre Jr. added 23 points off the bench.
The visiting Nuggets were led by Michael Porter Jr. (26 points), while MVP candidate Jokic managed just 19 points, six rebounds and six assists.
Another Westbrook triple-double, another Wizards win
Russell Westbrook put up his fourth consecutive triple-double as the streaking Washington Wizards topped the Oklahoma City Thunder 129-109. In his return to Oklahoma City, former MVP Westbrook had 37 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists to guide the Wizards to a seventh straight victory. Westbrook has nine triple-doubles in his last 10 games and 20 in his past 30. Wizards team-mate Bradley Beal contributed 33 points.
Paul George's 33 points and 14 rebounds guided the Los Angeles Clippers past the lowly Houston Rockets 109-104. John Wall posted 27 points and 13 assists for the Rockets in Houston.
Ja Morant became the third player in NBA history to score 33-plus points while shooting 60-plus per cent from the field and 13-plus assists without committing a turnover, joining Baron Davis (2008) and John Stockton (1989). Morant's 33 points and 13 assists – the first player in franchise history to reach those numbers in the same game – helped the Memphis Grizzlies edge the Portland Trail Blazers 130-128. Jusuf Nurkic's double-double of 26 points and 17 rebounds was not enough for the Trail Blazers.
Jayson Tatum tallied 38 points and 10 rebounds, but the Boston Celtics still lost 109-104 to the injury-hit Brooklyn Nets, who moved top of the Eastern Conference.
Scoreless Iguodala
A three-time NBA champion, Andre Iguodala was scoreless in the Miami Heat's 118-103 defeat at the Atlanta Hawks. In 23 minutes, he was 0-for-four shooting, while missing all three of his attempts from beyond the arc.
The Clippers won but not before a woeful third quarter – scoring a season-low 11 points. The Clippers were five of 22 from the field and 0-for-six three-point shooting in the penultimate period against the Rockets.
Mike making plays
Mike James signed a 10-day contract with the Nets, having starred in Europe. The 30-year-old, who spent some time playing for the Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Pelicans previously, impressed against the Celtics with the pass-fake and sky-hook shot.
Friday's results
Atlanta Hawks 118-103 Miami Heat
Brooklyn Nets 109-104 Boston Celtics
Charlotte Hornets 108-102 Cleveland Cavaliers
Los Angeles Clippers 109-104 Houston Rockets
Washington Wizards 129-109 Oklahoma City Thunder
Golden State Warriors 118-97 Denver Nuggets
Memphis Grizzlies 130-128 Portland Trail Blazers
76ers at Bucks
The Philadelphia 76ers (39-20) will look to arrest a three-game losing streak and reclaim top spot in the east when they face Giannis Antetokounmpo (36-22) and the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday.
Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash hailed Kyrie Irving's gritty display as the injury-hit NBA title hopefuls topped the Boston Celtics without superstar duo James Harden and Kevin Durant.
With Harden (hamstring) and Durant (thigh) sidelined, Irving helped the Nets move top of the Eastern Conference by defeating the Boston Celtics 109-104 on Friday.
Despite a poor shooting performance against his former team, Irving fell just short of a triple-double after posting 15 points on four-of-19 from the field while missing all six three-pointers, 11 assists, nine rebounds and four steals.
Nash, though, praised Irving after the Nets (40-20) replaced rivals the Philadelphia 76ers (39-20) atop the east.
"Ky had some steals, assists," said Nash. "It was not his typical scoring night, but it's few and far between when he doesn't score the ball at a prolific rate.
"But he definitely disrupted the basketball game defensively, and overall, he draws a lot of attention. I thought he was great in a lot of different ways than we're accustomed to and I thought his team-mates really picked him up as well."
"As a competitor I was just trying to go out there and do the little things, the small details, picking guys up or just being in the right position," added Irving. "When you don't have your legs on the offensive end, I felt like I was getting to where I wanted to go.
"A few angles, right, left, short, this that, just continuing to play, just continuing to have that mentality, next play, and I can have an impact with my team-mates on both ends of the floor, just making the right play. It's a simple game when you've got team-mates that are out there that are in the right spots and they're fulfilling their roles too."
Joe Harris top-scored for the Nets with 20 points, while Jeff Green (19), Bruce Brown (15) and Blake Griffin (13) made solid contributions for battling Brooklyn.
"I think that's why we're in the position we're in because we've had, I think, 33 different starting line-ups and we've had different rotations and different combinations on the floor and guys have had to buy into the way we want to play and play for one another," said Nash.
"So every night, it's got to be someone else who steps up and has opportunities but also fits in with what we want to do. I think that speaks for the spirit of the group and the willingness to try to pick each other up and not worry about themselves but to worry about the group.
"That's been fantastic, so it was a good performance. I thought [DeAndre Jordan] was great, I thought Bruce [Brown], although he was in foul trouble, did a lot of great things for us as usual. Right down the line, guys made plays for us."
Former MVP Durant missed his third consecutive game due to a thigh contusion and pre-game, Nash told reporters: "I think he's close. But I don't think he's there.
"I think we'll see tomorrow [Saturday] and Sunday if that's a possibility, but it may not [be]. So it may bleed back into this road trip. I wish I could give you more. That's kind of all I know is that it's close but it's not quite there."
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