Michael Malone described Damian Lillard's staggering record-breaking performance as "superhuman" in the Portland Trail Blazers' dramatic playoffs defeat to the Denver Nuggets.
The Nuggets took a 3-2 series lead at Ball Arena on Tuesday after edging a double-overtime thriller 147-140.
That was despite an incredible display from Lillard, who scored 55 points – including a playoffs-record 12 three-pointers – from only 24 shots.
Lillard's points haul was his best in the post-season and the third-highest in a defeat in playoff history behind Michael Jordan's 63 against the Boston Celtics in 1986 and Donovan Mitchell's 57 versus the Nuggets last year.
The point guard also provided 10 assists and Nuggets coach Malone saluted his exploits.
Malone said: "Damian Lillard was superhuman tonight."
Nikola Jokic led the way for the Nuggets with 38 points as they got their noses in front in the series.
The center was full of admiration for Lillard and warned the Nuggets must try and find a way to stop the six-time NBA All-Star from making such an impact.
Jokic said: "He was incredible. He made some top shots, he put his team on his back and he was just carrying in.
"We tried, but we need to be better just to take the ball off his hands, especially later in the game, but it was kind of a pleasure to be on the court to witness that."
The Phoenix Suns are hopeful but unsure about Chris Paul's availability for Game 6 after he injured his shoulder again in Tuesday's 115-85 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Suns took a 3-2 series lead over the Lakers with a victory that was soured by Paul's injury, which leaves his availability for Game 6 on Thursday in doubt.
The 36-year-old went down in pain, clutching his right shoulder halfway through the third quarter after a minor collision with Laker Wesley Matthews.
Paul left the court and did not return to action, although he sat on the bench in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, with coach Monty Williams revealing he said he still had strength in the shoulder which has troubled him all series.
Williams preferred not to offer any official update, instead stating the Suns medical staff will assess Paul on Wednesday.
"He went in the back and got some treatment," Williams said. "When I talked with him when he came back out, he said he still had his strength.
"He seems to be okay but we want to wait until tomorrow after he wakes up and our medical team can make an assessment."
Paul, who played almost 23 minutes and scored nine points to go with six assists, said that the injury felt "very uncomfortable", leaving him "helpless".
"It scared me," Paul said during his post-match video conference. "It was just a very uncomfortable feeling. I felt helpless. When it happened, I was looking up and didn’t know what happened with Wes.
"But after I'd seen it I came back out on the court and I told Wes it was a clean play and it was unfortunate my neck and arm snapped again like it did."
The Lakers were missing their own star, with forward Anthony Davis absent due to a left groin strain.
Four-time NBA MVP LeBron James said he was preparing for Game 6 without Davis being available.
"My mindset is as if AD won't be in the game in Game 6, if something changes we go from there," James said post-match. "I'm preparing as if he's not."
Clint Frazier had a dream game as the New York Yankees ended their four-game losing run and halted the Tampa Bay Rays' five-game winning streak with a 5-3 walk off victory on Tuesday.
Austin Meadows homered early for the Rays, while Miguel Andujar sent Tyler Glasnow into the bleachers at the bottom of the fourth inning to make it 3-3.
At 3-3, outfielder Frazier made his first major impact on the game with a sensational diving catch from Joey Wendle.
The game went to extras and in the 11th inning with two outs and a runner on third, Frazier hit a home run for his second career walk off.
Orioles end losing run, sluggers slug
The Baltimore Orioles ended their 14-game losing streak with a 7-4 triumph over the Minnesota Twins.
Center fielder Cedric Mullins pulled off a spectacular catch on the wall, before touching down on home base in the third inning from Trey Mancini's home run.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr and Ronald Acuna Jr remain top of the home run charts with both scoring homers on Tuesday.
Guerrero's Toronto Blue Jays swept aside the Miami Marlins 5-1, taking his season home run tally to 17.
Acuna's 17th home run came in a losing battle, with the Atlanta Braves going down 11-6 to the Washington Nationals who hauled pitcher Stephen Strasburg with a suspected shoulder injury after velocity issues.
Venezuela-born Acuna had four runs, three hits and two runs batted in across his four innings, but it was in vain.
Padres sweating on Tatis
The San Diego Padres were beaten 4-3 at the Chicago Cubs but to add injury to insult, the also lost Fernando Tatis Jr due to tightness around the mid-section after over-stretching in the field. Padres manager Jayce Tingler set the exit of Tatis, who has hit 16 home runs this season, was "precautionary".
Rendon flies for Angels
Anthony Rendon came up with the goods with three hits and 5 runs batted in as the Los Angeles Angels won 8-1 at the San Francisco Giants. With bases loaded, Rendon hit a home run at the top of the four inning to give the Angels an 8-0 lead they would never surrender.
Tuesday's results
Cleveland Indians 6-5 Chicago White Sox
New York Yankees 5-3 Tampa Bay Rays
Baltimore Orioles 7-4 Minnesota Twins
Toronto Blue Jays 5-1 Miami Marlins
Philadelphia Phillies 17-3 Cincinnati Reds
Atlanta Braves 11-6 Washington Nationals
Detroit Tigers 10-7 Milwaukee Brewers
Chicago Cubs 4-3 San Diego Padres
Kansas City Royals 10-5 Pittsburgh Pirates
Houston Astros 5-1 Boston Red Sox
Colorado Rockies 3-2 Texas Rangers
Los Angeles Angels 8-1 San Francisco Giants
Arizona Diamondbacks 6-5 New York Mets
Oakland Athletics 12-6 Seattle Mariners
St Louis Cardinals 3-2 Los Angeles Dodgers
Rays at Yankees
The Tampa Bay Rays (35-21) continue their series away to the New York Yankees (30-25) in their American League East match-up.
The Phoenix Suns moved 3-2 ahead in their NBA first round playoffs series against the Los Angeles Lakers with a 115-85 victory but star guard Chris Paul went down after re-injuring his shoulder.
Devin Booker top scored for the Suns with 30 points, seven rebounds and five assists as the Suns move within one win of knocking out the reigning champions.
The Suns, however, will be sweating on Paul's fitness ahead of Game 6 after going down clutching his sore right shoulder, having played 23 minutes, with nine points and six assists.
Phoenix blew the game open with a remarkable 32-10 second quarter, opening up a 32-point half-time lead which the Lakers, who were without Anthony Davis, never threatened in the second half.
LeBron James top scored with 24 points including six three-pointers along with five rebounds and seven assists, while Andre Drummond had seven points and 13 rebounds.
The series returns to Los Angeles for Game 6, before the final match in Arizona if required.
Nugs win in double over-time, Nets progress
Nikola Jokic and Damian Lillard traded blows as the Denver Nuggets edged the Portland Trail Blazers 147-140 in a double over-time thriller.
Jokic finished with 38 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists, while Michael Porter Jr had 26 points, including a clutch late three-pointer along with 12 rebounds and three assists.
Lillard remarkably scored 55 points for the defeated Blazers, along with six rebounds and 10 assists, although he may regret passing to CJ McCollum with nine seconds left at 143-140 down. McCollum mis-controlled and stepped out of play, forcing the decisive turnover.
In a back-and-forth encounter, McCollum had earlier drained a three-pointer to send the game into over-time.
The Brooklyn Nets finished the job in their first round series against the Boston Celtics with James Harden starring in a 123-109 win which completed a 4-1 victory.
Harden produced a triple-double, scoring 34 points with 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the Nets.
Kyrie Irving added 25 points, while Kevin Durant contributed 24, including four three-pointers shooting at 66 per cent from beyond the arc.
The Nets will next face the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Wayward Tatum's radar off
Jayson Tatum was a lone hand for the Celtics, managing 32 points, although he shot poorly, albeit regularly under intense heat, at 12-from-27 from the field and 36.4 per cent from beyond the arc.
History-making haul in losing cause
Lillard's 55 points came in a losing cause, making history as the third most in a defeat in NBA playoffs history behind Michael Jordan's 63 against the Celtics in 1986 and Donovan Mitchell's 57 against the Nuggets in 2020. He also had a record 12 threes.
Tuesday's results
Brooklyn Nets 123-109 Boston Celtics
Denver Nuggets 147-140 (OT) Portland Trail Blazers
Phoenix Suns 115-85 Los Angeles Lakers
Hawks at Knicks
The New York Knicks will look to stay alive as their first round playoffs series returns to Madison Square Garden against the Atlanta Hawks trailing 3-1.
James Harden says the Brooklyn Nets are a "very, very special group" after securing a 4-1 NBA first round playoffs series win over the Boston Celtics with a 123-109 win on Tuesday.
The Nets progress to the Eastern Conference semi-finals where they will face Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks who swept the Miami Heat 4-0.
Harden had a 34-point triple-double as the Nets' 'big three' got more game-time together, with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving having 24 and 25 points respectively.
"We're a special group especially when we lock in defensively," Harden told ESPN post-game.
"When we can get three-four stops in a row, we're a very, very special group. Offensively we can get it going, we've got that much firepower."
Harden was also delighted to get more minutes alongside Durant and Irving, having missed 18 games late in the season with a hamstring injury.
"We've had so much adversity, injuries, COVID protocol, whatever it may be, we've dealt with a lot of adversity throughout the regular season so it felt good to get some meaningful games in," Harden said about the Boston series.
"Obviously in playoffs you don’t want to lose. It helped us out in the sense that it's time to lock in now.
"Tonight was a really good job. They're a really good ball team. They were down a few players but they kept fighting."
Men's top seed Novak Djokovic says he empathizes with Naomi Osaka having been on the wrong side of the media in the past following her withdrawal from the 2021 French Open.
Four-time grand slam winner Osaka pulled out of Roland Garros on Monday, a day after tournament organisers said her continued refusal to attend compulsory news conferences could result in her being expelled from the Open.
Osaka had come out publicly prior to the French Open and announced she would not attend the news conferences after matches at Roland Garros, citing mental health reasons.
After winning in the first round, Osaka opted out and explained her decision in a social media statement where she said has had bouts of depression since winning the US Open in 2018 and never intended for her stance to become a distraction.
Djokovic, who came under fire last year for his role in the Adria Tour and his US Open default, was asked about Osaka's situation at his post-match news conferences after his straight sets win over Tennys Sandgren on Tuesday.
"Naomi is very young… I can understand her very well. I can empathise because I was on the wrong edge of the sword in my career many times with media," Djokovic said.
"I know how it feels. I support her. I think she was very brave to do that.
"I'm really sorry that she's going through painful times and suffering mentally. I wish her all the best.
"She's a very important player, brand and person for our sport. We need to have her back.
"This was a very bold decision from her side but she knows how she feels best. If she needs to take time and reflect and recharge, that's what she needed to do. I respect it fully. I hope she'll come back stronger."
Djokovic, who was 18 major titles to his name, added that he understood the stance of the French Open and other Grand Slams who have insisted on news conferences being mandatory after every match.
"The grand slams are protecting themselves and their own business," he said. "Of course, they're going to follow the rules and make sure you are complying otherwise you'll be paying fines and getting sanctioning.
"It's not surprising to me that that was their reaction. We're used to this environment and the principles of us doing interviews after every match and getting to answer questions that are majorly quite similar.
"But it's part of our sport and what we do. The media is important without a doubt. It's allowing us to have the platform to communicate with our fans but in a more traditional way.
"It used to be the only way how we could reach out to our fans. In the last five to 10 years it's not the case anymore. We have our own platforms and social media accounts."
Djokovic won 6-2 6-4 6-2 over Sandgren, compiling 33 winners to extend his outstanding French Open first round record to 17-0.
"I thought I played really well, moved very well," he said. "From the later stages of the Rome tournament until now, I'm finding my groove on the court, striking the ball well."
The Dominican Republic rebounded from yesterday’s close defeat to Belgium to beat Korea in fine style at the Volleyball Nation’s League, in Italy, on Tuesday.
Overall, the Dom Rep gave a commanding performance to win in straight sets 25-23, 28-26, 25-18. Although they got off to a shaky start, the team’s aggressive approach to the match was clear.
The Caribbean team dropped points early in the first set but worked their way back with strong backcourt defence and impressive attacking to eventually come out on top.
After claiming the first, Dom Rep took a commanding lead in the second set but lost concentration at one point and Korea was able to capitalise and tie the set at 23-all. Thanks to good blocking at the net and a couple of mistakes from the Koreans, however, they were able to close out the set and take a 2-0 lead.
Dom Rep was closely trailed by their opponents in the final set, but with the score at 16-15 in their favour, they started to pull away and surged to victory for the second time this tournament.
Outside hitter Brayelin Elizabeth Martinez and right-side hitter Isabel Pena were the top scorers for the Dominican Republic with 16 points each. Martinez had 14 kills, a block, and an ace, and Pena finished with 15 kills and a block.
This victory means that the Dominican Republic now sit ninth on the table with seven points from five matches. The team will be hoping to carry the winning momentum into their next game tomorrow against Poland.
Boston Celtics pair Kemba Walker and Rob Williams have both been ruled out of Game 5 on Tuesday against the Brooklyn Nets with their NBA first round playoffs series on the line.
The Nets lead 3-1, having won 141-126 on Sunday in Game 4 over the Celtics who were without Walker (knee) and Williams (ankle).
Point guard Walker had played in Friday's 125-119 Game 3 win but is battling bone bruising in his left knee and coach Brad Stevens confirmed he would not take his place on Tuesday.
Bigman Williams only managed six minutes in Game 3 due to a sprained left ankle.
Boston are already without forward Jaylen Brown for the rest of the season due to a wrist injury, leaving a heavy burden on star Jayson Tatum.
Brooklyn can wrap up the series on Tuesday with victory and were aided by their 'big three' firing in Game 4.
Kevin Durant scored 42 points had four rebounds and five assists, while Kyrie Irving added 39 points and 11 rebounds and James Harden had 23 points and 18 assists in the win.
The leaders of tennis' four grand slam events have commended Naomi Osaka for opening up about her mental health problems and have vowed to put players' wellbeing first.
Osaka pulled out of the French Open on Monday, a day after organisers fined the four-time grand slam winner and threatened her with more severe sanctions for refusing to attend mandatory media conferences.
The world number two said in a statement posted on social media that she has had "long bouts of depression" since winning the US Open in 2018 and never intended for her stance to become a distraction.
Osaka also indicated that she was willing to work closely with tour officials "to discuss ways we can make things better for the players, press and fans."
Amid criticism for the way in which they have handled the matter, those in charge of the French Open, Wimbledon, US Open and Australian Open have now softened their stance.
A joint statement on Tuesday from French tennis federation president Gilles Moretton, All England Club chairman Ian Hewitt, U.S. Tennis Association president Mike McNulty and Tennis Australia president Jayne Hrdlicka read: "On behalf of the Grand Slams, we wish to offer Naomi Osaka our support and assistance in any way possible as she takes time away from the court.
"She is an exceptional athlete and we look forward to her return as soon as she deems appropriate. Mental health is a very challenging issue, which deserves our utmost attention.
"It is both complex and personal, as what affects one individual does not necessarily affect another.
"We commend Naomi for sharing in her own words the pressures and anxieties she is feeling and we empathise with the unique pressures tennis players may face.
"While players' wellbeing has always been a priority to the Grand Slams, our intention, together with the WTA, the ATP and the ITF, is to advance mental health and wellbeing through further actions.
"Together as a community we will continue to improve the player experience at our tournaments, including as it relates to media.
"Change should come through the lens of maintaining a fair playing field, regardless of ranking or status. Sport requires rules and regulations to ensure that no player has an unfair advantage over another.
"We intend to work alongside the players, the tours, the media and the broader tennis community to create meaningful improvements. As Grand Slams, we aim to create the stage for the players to achieve the highest accolades in our sport."
Osaka's shock withdrawal generated an outpouring of support across the tennis world and beyond, with the likes of Serena Williams, Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova backing the 23-year-old's stance.
Gael Monfils also chipped in on Tuesday, the top-ranked French men's player pointing out that it is difficult to judge Osaka's situation from the outside.
"We need Naomi. We need her definitely to be 100 per cent," he said following his win over Albert Ramos-Vinolas.
"We need her back on the court, back on the press conference, and back happy. You know, that's what we need.
"What she's dealing with is tough for me to even judge, because I think she has massive pressure from many things.
"I think she's quite young. She's handling it quite well. Sometimes we want maybe too much from her, and then how she says maybe she can't manage it that well, so sometimes for sure she's going to make some mistakes.
"But I give her always the chance because she's a champion, she's quite young, she has a huge influence. I think she needs to take some time for herself to work on herself, feel better."
Novak Djokovic eased into the second round of the French Open thanks to a straight-sets win over Tennys Sandgren in the final match at Roland Garros on Tuesday.
The top seed – beaten by Rafael Nadal, who is in the same half of the draw, in the Paris final last year – had won his previous 16 first-round contests at the French Open, and there never appeared to be any danger of him failing to extend that record on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Indeed, this meeting lasted under two hours, with the world number one cruising through 6-2 6-4 6-2 without conceding serve and while hitting 33 winners in the process.
It also brought up his fourth career win over Sandgren, maintaining a 100 per cent record over the world number 66. Pablo Cuevas awaits in round two.
Sandgren was a break down in a hurry as Djokovic breezed through the first set in just 31 minutes.
The 34-year-old – a five-time Roland Garros finalist who claimed his solitary title at the event in 2016 – grew frustrated in the second set as he made nine unforced errors and offered up six break points, yet he saved them all.
It evidently demoralised Sandgren, who had put everything into trying to draw level, and the American swiftly found himself 4-1 and two breaks down in the final set, with Djokovic moving through the gears.
A sloppy shot into the net cost Djokovic his first match-point opportunity at 5-2 up, yet he made no mistake as he served out for the win – Sandgren's overhit cross-court forehand rounding off a one-sided contest.
Data Slam: Super Djokovic serves up a treat
Eighteen-time grand slam champion Djokovic may not have needed to live up to his own lofty standards, but his service game was typically excellent in the evening session. He landed 49 of 73 first serves, helping him to win 86 per cent of his first-serve points (42/49).
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Djokovic – 33/21
Sandgren – 25/27
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Djokovic – 4/2
Sandgren – 5/1
BREAK POINTS WON
Djokovic – 5/11
Sandgren – 0/6
Ashleigh Barty acknowledged it will be a "tough" week for her at the French Open as she plans to play through the pain at Roland Garros.
Barty – champion in Paris back in 2019 – had to take a medical time out during her first-round tie with Bernarda Pera on Tuesday.
The Australian world number one struggled with a hip issue, yet still progressed with a 6-4 3-6 6-2 win.
"It's going to be a little bit tough this week. I think over the weekend we had a bit of a flare-up through my left hip, which obviously just needed a bit of help today, needed some assistance to try and release it off as best I could," the 25-year-old said in her post-match news conference.
"I'm not going to hide behind the fact I'm not quite 100 per cent but I can guarantee that I will go out there with the right attitude every day and be really accepting of that and give it a crack no matter what.
"We're confident in that we can get my body to a point where I'm able to compete. We're here, we're fighting, we're in with a chance, and that's all we can do."
Magda Linette is next up for Barty on Thursday, the Polish player defeating Chloe Paquet in straight sets.
COCO CARRIES ON HER FORM AS SEEDS REACH ROUND TWO
Fresh from her triumph in both the singles and doubles in Parma, and a run to the Internazionali BNL d'Italia semi-finals, Coco Gauff started her campaign with a tough win over qualifier Aleksandra Krunic.
Gauff, the 24th seed, certainly had to do it the hard way, with the 17-year-old clawing back four set points in the opener, but some brilliant first serves – she landed 71 per cent of them – got her through in straight sets.
It brought up Gauff's first win at a grand slam as a seed. She is ranked at 25th in the world, making her the youngest American woman to make it into the top 25 since Serena Williams in 1998.
Wang Qiang will face Gauff in round two in what is a repeat of the Parma final.
Meanwhile, three other big names also made it through. Former world number one and 2017 French Open semi-finalist Karolina Pliskova overcame her close friend Donna Vekic 7-5 6-4, while fellow Czech Karolina Muchova came from behind to beat Andrea Petkovic 1-6 6-3 6-4.
With Petkovic's exit, there are no female players from Germany in the second round at Roland Garros for the first time since 1958.
Fifth seed Elina Svitolina is also through to round two after coming back from a break down in the second set to beat teenager Oceane Babel 6-2 7-5.
"It's a first time for her to play here in the main draw of the grand slam and to face the sixth player in the world it's extremely tough," Svitolina said of her young opponent.
"I think she dealt very well with it and she went for her shots in the second set and made life very difficult for me."
SUAREZ NAVARRO MAKES COMEBACK
Carla Suarez Navarro overcame Hodgkin lymphoma earlier this year, after revealing last September that she had been diagnosed with the rare cancer.
Suarez Navarro won that battle and is now cancer free, but in what she said will be her last appearance at Roland Garros, she slipped to a defeat to 2018 finalist Sloane Stephens.
The Spaniard took the first set 6-3 and forced a tiebreaker in the second, but it was Stephens who edged it before taking that momentum into the decider to claim a 3-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 win.
Rafael Nadal has tipped Alexei Popyrin for greatness after being tested by the youngster in the opening match of his latest French Open title defence.
World number three Nadal saved two set points in the third set on his way to a well-earned 6-3 6-2 7-6 (7-3) victory in Tuesday's contest at Roland Garros.
It means that only three players have taken a set from the Spaniard at the grand slam event since 2016 – Diego Schwartzman, David Goffin and Dominic Thiem.
Nadal's victory over Popyrin was his 31st in a row in Paris since 2015 and keeps him on course for a record-extending 14th triumph in the French capital.
The third seed was impressed by what he saw from his 21-year-old opponent, who showed admirable resistance by saving four break points to force a tie-break in the third set.
"With this serve, with these kinds of shots from the baseline, he has everything to become a top player," Nadal said. "If he wants to do it, of course he is going to have his chances, because he has a lot of very difficult things in his game.
"He has everything to become a great, or at least a fantastic player. Let's see. Let's see what is going on in the next couple of months and years."
Asked about his impressive record of rarely dropping a set, Nadal said: "We are playing best-of-five. The other player needs to win two more sets to beat you.
"I know I'm going to be there fighting for every single point. Of course I don't want to lose the set at all, but that's part of the game.
"I'm happy to win that third set. I don't know how I won it, but I did, and I'm glad."
RUBLEV BEATEN BY BIG-SERVING STRUFF
Nadal's path to another French Open title is a little clearer following seventh seed Andrey Rublev's surprise first-round exit to world number 42 Jan-Lennard Struff.
Rublev had reached the quarter-final stage at his previous three majors and was much fancied to go far in Paris, but he fell 6-3 7-6 (8-6) 4-6 3-6 6-4 to the big-serving Struff.
The German hit 25 aces on his way to beating a top-10 opponent at a grand slam for the first time, setting up a second-round meeting with Facundo Bagnis.
"I was feeling fine," Rublev said after the defeat. "I practiced well. I don't know why I lost. I think we played a good level today. I played a solid two sets, third and fourth, and then the fifth set.
"I think I should have won the second set, but this is tennis. I was serving for the set and I didn't make it, then in the tie-break I was a bit unlucky and he played well."
MONFILS ENDS SLAM DROUGHT
Fan favourite Gael Monfils battled back from a set down to beat Albert Ramos-Vinolas 1-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 6-4 and earn his first grand slam win since the 2020 Australian Open.
Monfils has struggled since tennis resumed last year after the coronavirus-enforced break, with Tuesday's win on home soil just his second this season.
Elsewhere on Tuesday, Australian Open semi-finalist Aslan Karatsev kicked off his French Open campaign with victory over Jenson Brooksby in three sets.
Tenth seed Schwartzman, who reached the last four in Paris last year, saw off Lu Yen-hsun 6-2 6-2 6-3 in his opening match.
Matteo Berrettini was made to work a little harder for his victory against Taro Daniel, the ninth seed advancing through 6-0 6-4 4-6 6-4.
There was an upset later in the day, though, as number 20 seed Felix Auger Aliassime was beaten in four sets by world number 98 Andreas Seppi.
Rafael Nadal started his quest for a 14th French Open title with a straight-sets defeat of Alexei Popyrin on Tuesday.
The defending champion will face Richard Gasquet in the second round after a 6-3 6-2 7-6 (7-3) victory over powerful Australian Popyrin on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Nadal, eyeing a record 21st grand slam title, saved two set points in the third set as Popyrin gave a demonstration of his promise, but the world number three finished off the job in in two hours and 23 minutes on a glorious day in Paris.
Popyrin held to love in his first service game and matched Nadal in the first set before he ballooned a forehand long and wide to go 5-3 down.
Nadal served out the set in typically composed fashion and maintained his momentum in the second, charging into a 4-0 lead.
The third seed lost only three points behind his first serve in the second set, saving the only break point he faced as Popyrin was unable to live with his power and precision.
Popyrin would not go down without a fight, though, and although Nadal levelled at 2-2 after fending off a break point, he was unable to deny the world number 63 a first break for a 4-2 lead.
The 21-year-old failed to win two set points when he tried to serve it out at 5-4 up as Nadal got himself out of trouble and went on to dominate the tie-break, ending the match with a rasping forehand that his opponent returned well wide.
Data Slam: King of Clay Nadal up to 101-2
Nadal's latest victory in Paris took his record at his favourite grand slam to a staggering 101 victories and two defeats.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Nadal – 28/23
Popyrin – 34/43
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Nadal– 7/5
Popyrin – 8/5
BREAK POINTS WON
Nadal – 4/11
Popyrin – 1/4
Petra Kvitova has withdrawn from the French Open after damaging her ankle in a fall during a press conference on Sunday.
Kvitova was due to face Elena Vesnina in the second round at Roland Garros, having already beaten qualifier Greet Minnen in straight sets.
The 11th seed's participation in the second grand slam of the year is over, though, due to a freak injury suffered as she was carrying out media duties after her opening match.
Kvitova - a two-time Wimbledon champion - is hoping to recover in time for the grass-court season following such an unfortunate setback.
"It is with great disappointment that I announce my withdrawal from Roland Garros," she tweeted on Tuesday.
"During my post-match press conference on Sunday I fell and hurt my ankle. Unfortunately, after an MRI and much discussion with my team, I have made the tough decision that it would be unwise to play on it.
"It's incredibly bad luck, but I will stay strong and do my best to recover for the grass court season."
World number one Ash Barty battled through injury and a stubborn opponent in Bernarda Pera on Tuesday to advance to round two of the French open in three sets.
Barty, who missed out on the chance of defending her title at Roland Garros last year due to coronavirus restrictions, struggled with a back issue but still prevailed 6-4 3-6 6-2.
The top seed had 18 winners to 25 unforced errors as she made it eight wins in Paris, where either Magda Linette or Chloe Paquet await in the next round.
She had little trouble in seeing out the first set, hitting 80 per cent of her first serves, but she became passive from that point on and her opponent took advantage in the second set.
World number 70 Pera earned the only break in the second game and took her second set point to level up the contest.
Barty then had a scare as she called a medical time out at the beginning of the deciding set, but she looked a lot more focused from that point on.
The Australian saved the two break points she faced and broke Pera in the sixth and eighth games to pick up the victory in exactly two hours.
"This court is very close to my heart," Barty said in her on-court interview. "It's so nice to play here in front of fans, you make it enjoyable for players.
"Thank you very much. I just keep fighting. I was able to build more pressure in the third set which was important but Bernarda played an incredible match."
Boris Becker fears Naomi Osaka's career could be "in danger" after she withdrew from the French Open to prioritise improving her mental health.
Osaka had hit the headlines by revealing she would not face the media at Roland Garros because "people have no regard for athletes' mental health" during news conferences.
The four-time grand slam champion was fined for not fulfilling her media duties after beating Maria Tig and warned she could face more severe sanctions.
Osaka on Monday revealed she had pulled out of the second major of the year to take time away from the court, having struggled with "long bouts of depression" since winning the US Open in 2018.
The 23-year-old also spoke of her struggles with social anxiety and Becker is concerned for her tennis future.
Becker, a winner of six grand slam titles in his illustrious career, told Eurosport: "I heard her first response a couple of days ago about this media boycott and that is something to be always taken seriously, especially from such a young woman.
"She couldn't cope with the pressures of facing the media after she loses a match, but that happens frequently and you have to deal with it.
"I always believed the media was part of the job. Without the media, there is no prize money, no contracts, you don't get half the cake. I hated the media and I didn't like talking to journalists, but you had to do it.
"Now she is pulling out of the tournament altogether because she can't cope with it and that raises much bigger questions for me.
"If she can't cope with the media in Paris, she can't cope with the media in Wimbledon or the US Open. So I almost feel like her career is in danger due to mental health issues."
Egan Bernal hopes to complete a Grand Tour clean sweep at the Vuelta a Espana after winning the Giro d'Italia.
The INEOS Grenadiers rider sealed a first Giro title in Milan on Sunday, winning by a margin of a minute and 29 seconds.
Bernal will not go in search of a second Tour de France crown this year, but is eyeing a maiden Vuelta success in a race that will start on August 14.
The Colombian told Semana TV: "Yes, the Vuelta. Right now, I don't want to think about one month training and being away from home, but I like to race, and I like to prepare, to do things well, so I know I will have the motivation to go to the Vuelta and do it well.
"We're looking at the Vuelta. I can't just sit at home and do nothing."
Bernal said he has matured since winning the Tour two years ago.
"I've lived a lot of things, not just in sport but at the personal level as well," he added.
"Things are changing, and I am more mature. I won the Tour at 22, and that's not easy. I obviously had a lot to learn, and I still do. I've changed a lot since I was 22, and the Egan at 22 is very different than the Egan of today.
"I don't think I could have won this Giro if I had faced the same situation at 22. I'm only 24 now, so I am not that old, but a lot of things have happened since then, and it helped me to win this Giro. I was surrounded by good people with a lot of experience."
Memphis Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins insisted only the finest of margins separate his team from the NBA's best after a 120-113 loss to the Utah Jazz in Game 4 of their playoff series.
Donovan Mitchell had 30 points and eight assists to lead the top-seeded Jazz to the brink of the conference semi-finals.
The Jazz survived another spirited effort by the eighth seeds to take a 3-1 series lead and can advance with a win in Game 5 on Wednesday.
But Jenkins believes the Grizzlies are still in with a shot.
"We are right there," Jenkins said. "We are literally going toe-to-toe with the best team in the NBA.
"We are doing a lot of things great. We gotta find ways to do more.
"This season isn't over."
Ja Morant scored 23 points and had 12 assists but made just one of seven three-pointers for Memphis, who were 10 of 35 from distance as a team.
Jenkins acknowledged that, while the Grizzlies fell short in some areas, they were close to perfection.
"You are never going to play a perfect game," he said. "We have to play a perfect game against this team, and we are so close.
"Two games in a row it comes down to the last couple of minutes. I would not say I am frustrated. I am so encouraged.
"All we gotta do is go and win one game on the road. We have won there before.
"Our mentality all season long is to continue to fight, be the most competitive team, the most together team.
"I have the utmost faith in this group that when we go out and get on a plane tomorrow, we will be ready for Game 5."
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
