DeMarcus Cousins believes he is probably in the best shape of his career as he aims to make the most of his opportunity with the Los Angeles Clippers.
After signing a 10-day contract with the franchise, Cousins made his Clippers debut on Tuesday in a 133-116 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
The center made an impact too, despite playing for just eight minutes. He contributed seven points, four rebounds and two assists, giving a glimpse of how he can make an impact for the team at both ends of the floor.
After being waived by the Houston Rockets in February – and having missed the entire 2019-20 season through injury – Cousins is determined to show he still belongs at the highest level.
"I put an incredible amount of work to get to this place," the four-time NBA All-Star told the media after his cameo against the Trail Blazers.
"I feel great, my body feels great. I think I'm probably in the best shape I've been in in my entire career.
"At this point, it's about going out there and putting everything together and just trying to continue to show that I'm healthy and I'm ready to play this game at a high level. I understand the situation I'm in.
"Whatever opportunity is given to me I plan on going out and taking full advantage of it. Just controlling what I can control."
Cousins averaged 9.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists in his 25-game stint with the Rockets.
His short-term deal with the Clippers sees him team up with some former team-mates in Rajon Rondo and Patrick Patterson, helping the acclimatisation process as he looks to earn an extended stay.
"I mean, it's no different than starting at a new school, you always want to gravitate towards the people that you're a little more comfortable with," he said.
"You know, they definitely played a big role making all of this become possible. Having those past relationships definitely helps."
Paul George scored 36 points as the Clippers capitalised on a fast start – they set a franchise record with 47 points in the first quarter - to down Portland.
Kawhi Leonard had 29 points and Reggie Jackson contributed 23 off the bench for Los Angeles, who have an 8-2 record in their last 10 games.
Stephen Curry produced a "phenomenal" performance to help the Golden State Warriors topple the Milwaukee Bucks for a much-needed win, according to Steve Kerr.
Point guard Curry has been bothered by a tailbone injury in recent weeks, meaning he had only played in two of his team's previous eight games heading into the clash with the Bucks.
However, the 33-year-old barely looked like he had barely missed a minute on Tuesday, contributing 41 points as the Warriors prevailed 122-121 against Milwaukee, who were without Giannis Antetokounmpo.
"I thought he was just phenomenal," Kerr said of Curry, per quotes on ESPN.
"I mean, Jrue Holiday's one of the best defensive guards in the league, and I thought Jrue did a great job on Steph all night just pressing him, using his strength and physicality. And Steph still goes out there and gets 41.
"Pretty impressive game. Amazing."
Curry went 14-for-21 from the floor and hit five three-pointers, including one with just over a minute to play during a dramatic conclusion to the see-saw contest.
Kelly Oubre Jr. converted a pair of free throws with 7.7 seconds remaining to put Golden State ahead, with a strong defensive stand on the final play securing a first win in four games.
Curry was playing on a minutes restriction but revealed how a conversation with Kerr led to him staying in the game for a little longer than planned in the fourth quarter.
"I was feeling good, in terms of the injury and all that. With two days off after tonight, I think we took all that into account," Curry said over his playing time.
"I feel good pretty much every game and want to play more, but obviously - considering where we are right now and the way the game was shaping out – it was winning time. Thankfully, it worked out."
There was concern when Curry – who is closing in on the all-time franchise points record, currently held by Wilt Chamberlain (17,783) – fell to the court following contact on a drive to the basket.
"It only hurts if I fall on it now. I'm kind of turning the corner where for the majority of the game, I didn't pay attention to it at all – until I landed on it," he told the media after the game.
"If I can stay off it, I'm in good shape to not have it in the back of my mind."
Oubre finished with 19 points for Golden State, while Kent Bazemore contributed 18 from the bench.
Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw returned to form as the World Series champions crushed the helpless Oakland Athletics 5-1 in MLB action on Tuesday.
Kershaw – a three-time Cy Young Award winner – struggled on Opening Day following a difficult Spring Training campaign for the Dodgers.
But Kershaw bounced back against the winless Athletics, striking out eight batters across seven solid innings in Oakland.
Kershaw allowed one run and four hits and did not walk a batter as the star pitcher retired 20 of 22 opponents for the Dodgers, who won their fifth consecutive game.
Dodgers team-mate Mookie Betts homered for the first time this season, while team-mates Max Muncy and Edwin Rios also went long for the visitors.
In New York, three-time All-Star Gerrit Cole impressed with a 13-strikeout gem – his most in a regular-season game since joining the franchise in 2020 – as the Yankees made light work of the Baltimore Orioles 7-2.
Yankees ace Cole allowed four hits without a walk over seven scoreless innings, while slugger Aaron Judge and Jay Bruce homered at Yankee Stadium.
Per Stats Perform, Cole already has 21 punchouts this season – tying Al Downing (1964) for the most by any Yankees pitcher in his first two starts of a season.
Reds flying after slow start
The Cincinnati Reds humbled the Pittsburgh Pirates 14-1. Cincinnati allowed 11 runs on Opening Day but have proceeded to score 40 runs over their next four games. According to Stats Perform, they are the first National League (NL) team to allow 10-plus runs in their first game and then tally 40-plus runs over the next four since the 1877 Louisville Grays (47 runs).
Juan Soto was the hero for the Washington Nationals, hitting a walk-off home run in the ninth inning in a 6-5 victory against the Atlanta Braves.
American League (AL) MVP Jose Abreu crushed his second grand slam of the season to lead the Chicago White Sox to a 10-4 success against the Seattle Mariners.
Roark rocked in Texas
Tanner Roark's first start of the season for the Toronto Blue Jays was a dismal one. The veteran pitcher gave up three homers – five runs – in three innings as the Blue Jays lost 7-4 to the Texas Rangers. He finished with a 15.00 ERA for the night.
The Baddoo legend grows
Akil Baddoo continued his amazing start to his MLB career. After homering on his very first pitch in the big leagues on Sunday, Baddoo hit a grand slam on Monday. Not satisfied with that, he hit a walk-off homer to lift the Detroit Tigers past the Minnesota Twins 4-3 – in just his third appearance.
Tuesday's results
Detroit Tigers 4-3 Minnesota Twins
Washington Nationals 6-5 Atlanta Braves
Houston Astros 4-2 Los Angeles Angels
New York Yankees 7-2 Baltimore Orioles
Cincinnati Reds 14-1 Pittsburgh Pirates
St Louis Cardinals 4-2 Miami Marlins
New York Mets 8-4 Philadelphia Phillies
Boston Red Sox 6-5 Tampa Bay Rays
Milwaukee Brewers 4-0 Chicago Cubs
Texas Rangers 7-4 Toronto Blue Jays
Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 Oakland Athletics
San Diego Padres 3-1 San Francisco Giants
Chicago White Sox 10-4 Seattle Mariners
Arizona Diamondbacks 10-8 Colorado Rockies
Braves at Nationals
After finally opening their season, the coronavirus-hit Nationals (1-0) will look to stay undefeated in a doubleheader against the winless Braves (0-4) on Wednesday. Erick Fedde will start game one for the Nationals against Atlanta's Max Fried, while ace Stephen Strasbourg takes to the mound in the second clash as the Braves counter with Huascar Ynoa.
Joel Embiid accomplished a 30-year first for the Philadelphia 76ers, who made light work of Eastern Conference rivals the Boston Celtics 106-96.
Embiid – in his second game back after sitting out 10 matchups due to bone bruising to his knee – posted 35 points as the 76ers eased past the Celtics in Boston on Tuesday.
76ers All-Star and NBA MVP hopeful Embiid became the first Philadelphia player with at least three games of 35-plus points against the Celtics in a season since Hall of Famer Charles Barkley in 1990-91.
Embiid had his team-leading 16th 30-point game this season, tied with Nikola Jokic for the seventh-most 30-point games in the league.
Danny Green was six-of-seven from the field – making five of his six three-pointers – for 17 points as the 76ers returned to the top of the Eastern Conference alongside the Brooklyn Nets.
The 76ers, meanwhile, swept a season series from the Celtics (3-0) for the first time since 2000-01.
In San Francisco, the Golden State Warriors edged the Giannis Antetokounmpo-less Milwaukee Bucks 122-121 thanks to Stephen Curry.
Curry had a game-high 41 points, six rebounds and four assists to fuel the Warriors on home court in the absence of two-time reigning MVP Antetokounmpo, who was sidelined due to knee soreness.
Warriors star Curry had his fourth 40-point game of the season (42nd of his career), while the former MVP hit his 200th three-pointer of the campaign – giving him an NBA-record eighth season with at least 200 threes.
Zion matches Shaq as Hawks set NBA record
Zion Williamson's 25 consecutive games with 20-plus points on 50 per cent shooting or better equalled Shaquille O'Neal for the longest streak in the shot-clock era (since 1954-55). The former number one pick posted a game-high 34 points on 12-of-18 shooting in the New Orleans Pelicans' 123-107 defeat the Atlanta Hawks.
The Hawks set an NBA record for three made in a quarter without a miss, going 11 for 11 in the third period. Atlanta finished 20-of-31 from beyond the arc against the Pelicans, boasting a 64.5 percentage. Trae Young (30 points and 12 assists) made six of seven three-point attempts, while Bojan Bogdanovic (21 points) was five-of-eight from three-point range.
Paul George (season-high 36 points) and Kawhi Leonard (29 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists) combined as the Los Angeles Clippers routed the Portland Trail Blazers 133-116.
Chicago Bulls recruit and All-Star Nikola Vucevic had 32 points and 17 rebounds in the team's 113-97 victory at the Indiana Pacers.
Jonas Valanciunas posted 20 points and 10 rebounds to tie Zach Randolph's franchise record with his 18th consecutive double-double as the Memphis Grizzlies topped the Miami Heat 124-112.
The Denver Nuggets saw off the Detroit Pistons 134-119 behind Jokic's 27 points and 11 assists in 27 minutes. It was his 83rd career double-double, two more than Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain. Denver won their sixth straight game.
Bucks pair struggle
Donte DiVincenzo was just two-for-eight shooting, making two of his six three-point attempts for six points in 30 minutes. Fellow Bucks starter Brook Lopez (nine points) was only three of nine from the field, missing all four shots from beyond the arc.
Injury-hit defending champions the Los Angeles Lakers trumped the Toronto Raptors 110-101, but it was a forgettable outing for Kyle Kuzma (eight points). In 35 minutes, Kuzma finished three-of-13 shooting from the field, making two of 11 three-point attempts.
The Jokic-Gordon combo
Denver left Detroit in a spin as Jokic and new team-mate Aaron Gordon combined for a dizzying bucket.
Tuesday's results
Los Angeles Clippers 133-116 Portland Trail Blazers
Chicago Bulls 113-97 Indiana Pacers
Atlanta Hawks 123-107 New Orleans Pelicans
Philadelphia 76ers 106-96 Boston Celtics
Los Angeles Lakers 110-101 Toronto Raptors
Memphis Grizzlies 124-112 Miami Heat
Golden State Warriors 122-121 Milwaukee Bucks
Pelicans at Nets
The high-flying Nets (35-16) are set to welcome back former MVP Kevin Durant for Wednesday's clash with the Pelicans (22-28). Durant has been sidelined since February 13.
NBA champions the Los Angeles Lakers signed veteran shooting guard and free agent Ben McLemore on Tuesday.
The injured-hit Lakers – playing without superstar duo LeBron James and Anthony Davis – turned to McLemore after he was released by the Houston Rockets over the weekend.
McLemore will provide three-point shooting – he boasts a career average of 36.3 per cent, better than new team-mates James (34.5), Davis (31.7), Dennis Schroder (33.6), Kyle Kuzma (33.6), Marc Gasol (35.5) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (35.2).
The 28-year-old McLemore, who was the seventh pick in the 2013 NBA Draft – appeared in 32 games (four starts) for the lowly Rockets this season, averaging 7.4 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 0.9 assists.
Having also played for the Sacramento Kings and Memphis Grizzlies since entering the league in 2013, McLemore has made 471 appearances, averaging 8.9 points (a field goal percentage of 41.7), 2.4 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 23.1 minutes per game.
Garbine Muguruza continued her superb start to 2021 as the former world number one won a WTA Tour-leading 21st match of the season to progress at the Volvo Car Open.
Muguruza – the sixth seed in Charleston – dispatched qualifier Magdalena Frech 6-1 6-3 in her first match of the clay court season on Tuesday.
Two-time grand slam champion Muguruza has already reached three finals this year, winning once in Dubai, and took just 70 minutes to overcome Fech on her return to Charleston following an eight-year absence.
"I'm happy that I got this win, that I fought hard, that I kept my fighting spirit through the whole match, also in the second set which was tighter than the first set," Muguruza told reporters, in quotes reported on the WTA's official website.
Joining Muguruza in the round of 16 is third seed and fellow former grand slam champion Petra Kvitova, who saw off Storm Sanders 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 in her first-ever match at the WTA Premier tournament.
Meanwhile, two former Charleston champions will go head-to-head after Sloane Stephens – a winner in 2016 – beat lucky loser Xinyu Wang 6-2 6-4 to tee up a second-round tie with 2019 victor Madison Keys.
Shelby Rogers took advantage of being in familiar surroundings by seeing off Kristina Mladenovic, while Monterrey Open champion Leylah Fernandez also progressed at the expense of 16th seed Shuai Zhang.
As for American sensation Coco Gauff, the 14th seed beat Tsvetana Pironkova 6-3 6-0 en route to the last 32.
There was a first-round surprise at the Colsanitas Cup in Bogota, where second seed Sara Sorribes Tormo was upstaged by 2012 French Open runner-up Sara Errani 7-5 7-5.
Colombian youngster Maria Camila Osorio got the better of American Sachia Vickery 6-3 6-2, with a potential top-100 scalp of Tereza Martincova next in her sights.
The World Series-chasing New York Yankees acquired Rougned Odor from the Texas Rangers on Tuesday.
Odor was designated for assignment by the Rangers on Thursday and the infielder has now landed in New York.
The Yankees dealt for Odor in exchange for minor league outfielders Antonio Cabello and Josh Stowers, and cash considerations.
"Hopefully we can help him get that talent out that we've seen flashed over the years," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.
Odor – who had spent his entire MLB career with the Rangers, where he debuted in 2014 – hit .167 with 10 home runs and 30 RBIs in 38 games for Texas last season.
The 27-year-old owns a career slash line of .237/.289/.439 (88 OPS+) in 858 MLB games, while he has hit 30 or more homers in a season three times.
"He has the ability to really impact the ball from the left side at Yankee Stadium," Boone said. "We feel like that could play up.
"Hopefully just getting in our environment and our culture will unlock some things for him."
Not since 2009 have the Yankees won the World Series, the storied franchise fell to the Tampa Bay Rays in last season's American League Division Series (ALDS).
Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss Tuesday's game against the Golden State Warriors due to knee soreness.
Antetokounmpo was initially listed as probable for the Warriors showdown after being ruled out of Saturday's one-point win over the Sacramento Kings.
But two-time reigning NBA MVP Antetokounmpo will sit out back-to-back games, the Bucks announced prior to tip-off.
Antetokounmpo has been averaging 28.8 points, 11.4 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game this season.
The Bucks (32-17) – eyeing their first championship since 1971 – have won three consecutive games to sit third in the Eastern Conference.
San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. will not require surgery after injuring his shoulder, general manager A.J. Preller said.
Tatis hurt his left shoulder during Monday's 3-2 MLB loss to the San Francisco Giants – the powerful shortstop falling to the dirt in pain following a vicious swing at the plate.
Preller on Tuesday confirmed that Tatis has "slight" tearing in his labrum but there is no damage to his rotator cuff as he heads to the 10-day injured list with shoulder inflammation.
"It's just being safe and giving the left shoulder inflammation and some of the instability a chance to calm down," Preller told reporters.
"Overall, the exam today was pretty uneventful."
"This is not something we feel like long-term we're putting him at risk if he continues playing this season," Preller said.
"There is always the chance he could have another incident. At that point in time, we'll evaluate from there."
Padres manager Jayce Tingler added: "You're not going to replace him. Now, can a group of eight, nine, 10 or 11 guys step their game up a small percentage?
"We do that, we think that will be the best way. You're not going to replace him. But we believe in our guys."
Tatis signed an eye-popping 14-year, $340million contract extension with the Padres before the start of the season.
The 22-year-old won a Silver Slugger award last season, having hit .277 with 17 home runs and 45 RBIs in the coronavirus-shortened 2020 campaign.
Tatis is the first player in MLB history to have at least 35 home runs and 25 stolen bases within the first 150 games of his career.
He packs a punch with the bat – Tatis led the majors in average exit velocity (95.9 mph), hard hit percentage (62.2), and balls hit 95-plus MPH (102) in 2020.
The Colorado Rockies will host the 2021 All-Star Game after it was moved from Atlanta, MLB announced on Tuesday.
MLB stripped Atlanta of this year's All-Star event on Friday, in response to Georgia legislation passed in March that restricts voting rights.
The Midsummer Classic had been scheduled for July 13 at Truist Park – home of the Atlanta Braves, which also lost the draft, the Futures Game and Home Run Derby.
Now, the Rockies' Coors Field will stage the All-Star Game – the second ever in Denver following the 1998 edition.
"Major League Baseball is grateful to the Rockies, the City of Denver and the State of Colorado for their support of this summer’s All-Star Game," commissioner Robert Manfred.
"We appreciate their flexibility and enthusiasm to deliver a first-class event for our game and the region. We look forward to celebrating our sport’s best players and entertaining fans around the world."
"We are excited to host this year's All-Star festivities at Coors Field," said Rockies chief operating officer Greg Feasel.
"We are confident that our organization along with the city, state, VISIT DENVER and the Denver Sports Commission are capable of putting on this premier event in a relatively quick time frame because of the preparations that had already been done.
"Summer in Colorado is something everyone in the country should experience, and we embrace this opportunity to show off our beautiful ballpark and everything our city, state and region have to offer."
James Harden will miss over a week due to a hamstring strain, but superstar Brooklyn Nets team-mate Kevin Durant is likely to make his long-awaited NBA return against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Harden was forced out of Monday's 114-112 win over the New York Knicks after just four minutes, with an MRI revealing a strained right hamstring, the Nets announced on Tuesday.
MVP hopeful Harden – who has been averaging 25.2 points, 10.9 assists and 8.0 rebounds per game this season – will be re-evaluated by the star-studded Nets in approximately 10 days.
While Harden is set for a stint on the sidelines, fellow former MVP Durant is poised to make a comeback.
Durant has not played since February 13 but is listed as probable for Wednesday's clash with the Pelicans.
A hamstring strain has plagued Durant, who was also forced to sit out last month's All-Star Game in Atlanta.
Durant is averaging 29.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game for the Nets in 2020-21.
Steve Nash's Nets (35-16) top the Eastern Conference, ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers (34-16).
Rory McIlroy said golf's biggest stars must rally around Tiger Woods by making regular trips to his Florida mansion and he would love to be part of the sport's Grand Slam club by his next visit.
After winning an Open Championship, a U.S. Open and two US PGA Championships early in his career, McIlroy returns to Augusta for another shot at Masters glory this week.
Woods, who suffered serious leg injuries in a February car crash, would love to be involved but is recovering at home after that brush with disaster and hopes to play competitive golf again.
The American superstar became the first player since the 1960s to win all four of the sport's majors in his career when he landed the Open title in 2000 at St Andrews.
With 15 career majors, Woods is unmistakably an all-time great, and McIlroy would become just the sixth player to achieve the modern Grand Slam should he land green jacket glory. Jack Nicklaus, Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan and Gary Player are the players who achieved the feat before Woods came on the scene.
Speaking about the absent Woods ahead of Thursday's opening round, former world number one McIlroy said: "Hopefully, if his recovery goes well, who knows, he could be back in 12 months' time.
"He's always missed when he doesn't play in these big events, and that doesn't change this week, whether it's to do with his back or his leg or whatever it is.
"I know he's at home and he's fully focused on the recovery process, and I feel like he's mentally strong enough to get through that. And once he does, broken bones heel, and he's just got to take it step by step.
"I'm sure he's going to put everything he has into trying to be ready to play here next year. I went over and saw him, spent a couple hours with him, which was nice. It was good to see him. It was good to see him in decent spirits.
"When you hear of these things and you look at the car and you see the crash, you think he's going to be in a hospital bed for six months. But he was actually doing better than that. A few of us that live down in South Florida went to see him. I'm sure he appreciates that.
"I think myself, JT [Justin Thomas], Rickie [Fowler], DJ [Dustin Johnson], Brooks [Koepka], all those guys down there, we all have a responsibility to try to keep his spirits up and keep him going and try to get him back out here."
Nothing would give McIlroy more pleasure than being able to visit Woods as a Masters champion, with that Grand Slam monkey off his back. He has six top-10 finishes at the event in the last seven years, which shows what he has to offer.
The Masters is the mountain he has been unable to quite climb, meaning the 'Rory Slam' has yet to be completed.
"If I were able to do it, I'd join a very small list of golfers in history that have been able to do it. So I know where it would put me in the game and how cool it would be, and I would love to do it one day," McIlroy said.
"But for me to do that, I just have to go out and try to play four good rounds of golf on this golf course. I've played a bunch of really good rounds on this golf course before, but just not four in a row."
McIlroy revealed his visit to Woods' home in late March was an eye-opener, in terms of learning how his friend and rival has approached competing over the years.
"In his family room he's got his trophy cabinet and it's his 15 major trophies. I said, 'That's really cool. Where are all the others?'," McIlroy said.
"He said, 'I don't know'. I go, 'What?'. He said, 'Yeah, my mom has some, and a few are in the office and a few are wherever'."
It struck McIlroy, as he was driving home from that visit, that the majors were the be-all and end-all for Woods.
"I'm just thinking to myself, how easy must that have felt for him if all he cared about were four weeks a year. The other stuff must have been like practice. So that's like a really cool perspective to have, right," McIlroy said.
"That's all I could think about on the way home. And I was glad he was OK, too."
McIlroy has been working with coach Pete Cowen on simplifying his technique, saying he is "just at the start of a journey here that I know will get me back to where I want to be".
Three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson is also taking part this week, the 50-year-old being a U.S. Open short of a Grand Slam himself.
His prospects of completing the full set look to be slim given he is not the force he once was, but Mickelson has the capacity to surprise and would love another Augusta challenge.
Many consider McIlroy's game to be well suited to The Masters, and Mickelson always knew his own skillset was perfect for the course.
"I never really doubted that I would end up winning this tournament," Mickelson said on Tuesday. "This is a course that is very well suited for the way I grew up playing, but that joy of winning it for the first time, finally breaking through, it's beyond belief."
Tiger Woods is "bummed" to be missing The Masters after his car crash in February, friend and practice partner Justin Thomas has revealed.
Five-time Augusta champion Woods will be watching from home this week rather than taking to the course he knows so well.
The golf great was involved in a single-vehicle incident six weeks ago that saw his car roll "several hundred feet".
Woods required surgery on serious leg injuries, while an officer from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said in the aftermath the 45-year-old was "very fortunate" to survive.
It was just the latest setback in a superstar career and means Woods is absent from The Masters for the fourth time in eight years, although he did win the tournament in 2019.
There had been appearances from Woods at each of the prior 19 editions of The Masters, while he was the last man to retain the green jacket with back-to-back triumphs in 2001 and 2002 and is one of only five to have celebrated a career Grand Slam, this week marking 20 years since his 'Tiger Slam'.
Woods posted on Twitter on Tuesday: "I'll miss running up @DJohnsonPGA's bill at the Champions Dinner tonight. It's still one of my favorite nights of the year."
Thomas, who regularly practises with Woods and Fred Couples ahead of the Augusta major, said at a news conference: "I went over and saw him a couple times last week and try to go over a couple times during the week whenever I'm home and see him.
"We texted Friday morning, and he said it's kind of starting to set in. He's bummed he's not here playing practice rounds with us, and we hate it, too.
"I'm very, very lucky that I somehow got thrown into that practice-round group with Tiger and Freddie the last four years or whatever it is, especially around this place.
"I just follow them around like puppy dogs. Wherever they go, that's where I go after it. If they hit chips from somewhere, I go hit chips from there.
"It's no coincidence they have been so successful here, but they are also just great guys to be around. I definitely miss that part."
Thomas added: "[Couples] didn't feel like getting up in the early cold weather this morning, so I made sure to give him some grief.
"I don't know if he would have bailed on me if Tiger was with me, but he did on me."
Couples posted on his own Twitter page: "Thinking of my guy @tigerwoods during this week @themasters. I'll miss you tonight at dinner. Not the same without you."
Thomas, who has improved his Masters finish every year since his 2016 debut and came fourth last year, has been grouped with Tony Finau and Louis Oosthuizen for a 13:48 EDT start on Thursday.
Couples will play with Francesco Molinari and amateur Charles Osborne, teeing off at 12:24 EDT.
Two teenagers lit up the ATP Tour on Tuesday as Lorenzo Musetti raced through at the Sardegna Open and Carlos Alcaraz advanced in Marbella.
Musetti, 19, produced arguably the standout result of the day as he dismantled Dennis Novak, wrapping up a 6-1 6-0 win in just 53 minutes.
"It was an incredible match," said Musetti, who has been in impressive form of late and moved to 6-2 for the year.
The Italian reached the last four in Acapulco, where ninth-ranked Diego Schwartzmann fell at his racket.
He added on Tuesday: "From the beginning, I felt so comfortable on the court and hitting the ball. I had really good feelings."
Musetti will face top seed Dan Evans next in Cagliari, where Jan-Lennard Struff had to save five match points before finally seeing off Joao Sousa.
None of the seeds followed Monday losers Guido Pella and Tommy Paul out of the tournament, as John Millman also triumphed. Gilles Simon shook off Stefano Travaglia.
At the Andalucia Open, 17-year-old Alcaraz insisted he still saw room for improvement despite setting up an exciting meeting with veteran compatriot Feliciano Lopez.
Sixth seed Lopez, who turns 40 in September and made his professional bow six years before Alcaraz was born, will be wary of the threat of the self-critical prospect, a 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 winner against Nikola Milojevic.
"I have played a great match and above all I have been with a very high intensity from the beginning to the end," wildcard Alcaraz said, quoted on the ATP website.
"If I had to give myself a grade, it would be a nine [out of 10], because you can always play better."
Lopez defeated Taro Daniel, while number five seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina came from behind to beat Damir Dzumhur 6-7 (1-7) 6-2 6-2.
Rory McIlroy can snatch his next big chance to win The Masters and will "undoubtedly" one day triumph at Augusta, according to British golf great Laura Davies.
This week gives McIlroy another chance to land a first green jacket, and it marks 10 years since the Northern Irishman squandered a golden opportunity on the final day.
In the 2011 Masters, McIlroy led by four shots going into the closing 18 holes but then produced an 80 to slump into a tie for 15th place.
McIlroy has since won four majors, but his wait for a fifth has lasted since 2014, despite being a regular presence high up the leaderboard.
The Masters is the one major that McIlroy has yet to win, although six top-10 finishes in the past seven years points to his liking for the course.
"I always thought that Greg Norman would win The Masters and he never did. But I would say undoubtedly McIlroy will win The Masters," Davies, a four-time women's major champion, told Stats Perform News.
"His game's too good and he'll have a chance and maybe next time he'll take it for sure because you can't keep players like that down."
McIlroy has endured a rocky start to this year, however, missing the cut in two of his past four strokeplay events, including The Players Championship.
"Rory's game has gone downhill quite rapidly from the heights he had just more than a year ago, but he can turn it on a sixpence, he can turn it around," said Davies.
"I wouldn't have a bet on Rory McIlroy this week for The Masters, but you wouldn't want to bet against him. He can turn up and turn it on at any time. He loves Augusta, he's not won but it's a course that I think suits his game. I wouldn't fancy him this week, but he’s such an exceptional talent and something could click at any time."
If McIlroy does put himself into contention on the final day, Davies feels it would be a major test of character to ignore those memories of blowing up on the back nine 10 years ago.
"He'd be very strong mentally if it didn't come into play. I can really only speak for myself and I would definitely have been thinking about it," Davies said. "But that's where the great ones come through and win because they can put that aside and still produce the goods."
Speaking on Tuesday, U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau said it felt "pretty cool" and also surprising that McIlroy had made a recent attempt to follow his long-hitting game.
McIlroy has said he perhaps needs to "rein it back" to regain a more comfortable swing, rather than looking to match DeChambeau's distance off the tee, but he sees the American's power as a major asset.
"I knew there was going to be people trying it. I didn't know who was going to try it. But it's not an easy task," DeChambeau said.
"You have to have four or five things go right in order for you to accomplish hitting it farther and hitting it straighter and implementing it on the golf course in a tournament round. And I appreciate Rory's words.
"From my perspective, I wasn't trying to change anybody else's game. I was just trying to play the best golf I could.
"I knew there would be people there to be influenced. I didn't think it would be Rory. I think he's a pretty smart, talented individual that knows how to play the game potentially better than me. It's honouring and humbling hearing him say it's a difficult task.
"Not everybody can do it all the time, and from my perspective, I don't know what else to say other than it's pretty cool."
Reigning Masters champion Dustin Johnson has been grouped with two-time runner-up Lee Westwood to begin his title defence on Thursday.
Johnson returns to Augusta just five months on from a dominant triumph, his second major triumph after the 2016 U.S. Open.
The world number one, who has finished in the top 10 in his past five Masters appearances, set a scoring record with his sensational 20-under 268 for the week back in November.
As Johnson aims to become the first man since Tiger Woods in 2001 and 2002 to win consecutive green jackets, he will start alongside Englishman Westwood and, as is tradition, U.S. Amateur Championship winner Tyler Strafaci.
The groupings and tee times were confirmed on Tuesday, with Johnson's trio going out at 10:30 EDT.
Jordan Spieth, who ended a 1,351-day wait for a PGA Tour victory at the Texas Open last week, will be in the final group to tee off at 14:00 EDT, along with US PGA Championship victor Collin Morikawa and Cameron Smith.
Rory McIlroy's latest bid to become the sixth golfer to claim a career Grand Slam sees him start straight after Johnson at 10:42 EDT.
McIlroy has finished in the top 10 at Augusta in six of his past seven appearances but is famously still waiting for a first victory, while his major drought stands at 22 events.
An intriguing group has the Northern Irishman playing alongside Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele.
Brooks Koepka will play with Bubba Watson and Viktor Hovland, while Bryson DeChambeau joins Adam Scott and Max Homa.
Justin Thomas has Tony Finau and Louis Oosthuizen for company, Sergio Garcia starts alongside Webb Simpson and Christiaan Bezuidenhout, and Patrick Reed will measure himself against Paul Casey and Daniel Berger.
Phil Mickelson, the man with the most major titles (five) in the field as Woods is absent, will appear alongside Tommy Fleetwood and Scottie Scheffler.
Honorary starters Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Lee Elder will get the tournament under way, with twosome Michael Thompson and Hudson Swafford the first competitors involved.
DeMarcus Cousins wasted little time in getting to work with the Los Angeles Clippers after signing a 10-day contract with the team.
Cousins was a free agent after being waived by the Houston Rockets in February, the center having averaged 9.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists this season.
Now the 30-year-old has the chance to impress the Clippers, who sit third in the Western Conference with a 33-18 record and may want to add depth to their roster ahead of the postseason.
The franchise released pictures on social media of their latest acquisition already hard at work in the gym, potentially ahead of a debut against the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday.
The four-time NBA All-Star is back in Los Angeles, having signed for the Lakers prior to the start of the 2019-20 season. However, he missed the entirety of their title-winning campaign due to a serious knee injury.
Selected by the Sacramento Kings with the fifth overall pick in the 2010 draft, Cousins has played in 590 games in his NBA career.
Twice selected on the All-NBA Second Team during his time with the Kings, he was eventually traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in February 2017.
There has also been a stint with the Golden State Warriors that was hampered by a torn quadriceps muscle. He had signed a one-year deal with the Rockets in 2020, yet played just 25 games for them.
For his career, Cousins averages 20.8 points, 10.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists.
Mike Trout delivered his first home run of the 2021 season as the Los Angeles Angels defeated the Houston Astros 7-6 in MLB on Monday.
The 29-year-old three-time American League Most Valuable Player clubbed a towering shot from Luis Garcia to left field to earn the Angels their first run in the fourth inning when they were trailing 4-0.
However once again the Angels did most of their work late, with four runs in the eighth inning, meaning they have scored in either the eighth or ninth inning in all five of their games this season.
The win improves the Angels to 4-1 while the Astros, who were once again booed, suffer their first loss to move to 4-1.
The Los Angeles Dodgers triumphed 10-3 over the winless Oakland Athletics but they lost star man Cody Bellinger to injury.
The two-time All Star was removed with a reported foot injury during a close play at first base where he was stepped on.
Rangers crowd silenced, Stanton slam leads Yankees
Full crowds were back in Dallas but the Texas Rangers did not give them much to cheer as the Toronto Blue Jays won 6-2.
Marcus Semien hit his second home run of the new season early, before Cavan Biggio went back-to-back in the second inning too, opening up a 4-0 lead.
The return of bumper crowds was a different dynamic as noted by Rangers shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa who said it "nerve wracking" and that it felt "like my debut all over again".
The New York Yankees cruised to a 7-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles with Giancarlo Stanton hitting a monster 471-foot home run in the fifth with bases loaded.
The Philadelphia Phillies maintained their perfect record with a 5-3 win over the New York Mets, although they left it late, with five runs at the bottom of the eighth.
Tatis injures shoulder in strike-out
The San Diego Padres lost talented 22-year-old shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr to a shoulder subluxation as he swung at an Anthony DeSclafani curveball in their 3-2 loss to the San Francisco Giants. Tatis looked in considerable pain and was escorted off the field.
Debutant Dustin on fire
Rookie pitcher Dustin May produced a sizzling display for the Dodgers in their win over the As, with eight strike-outs and six scoreless innings.
Monday's results
Minnesota Twins 15-6 Detroit Tigers
Toronto Blue Jays 6-2 Texas Rangers
Kansas City Royals 3-0 Cleveland Indians
New York Yankees 7-0 Baltimore Orioles
St Louis Cardinals 4-1 Miami Marlins
Cincinnati Reds 5-3 Pittsburgh Pirates
Philadelphia Phillies 5-3 New York Mets
Boston Red Sox 11-2 Tampa Bay Rays
Chicago Cubs 5-3 Milwaukee Brewers
Los Angeles Angels 7-6 Houston Astros
Los Angeles Dodgers 10-3 Oakland Athletics
San Francisco Giants 3-2 San Diego Padres
Chicago White Sox 6-0 Seattle Mariners
Astros at Angels
The Los Angeles Angels (4-1) take on the Houston Astros (4-1) once again.
Luka Doncic says the Dallas Mavericks just have to "keep rolling" after scoring an impressive win over the Utah Jazz on Monday.
The Jazz, who hold the best record in the NBA this season, saw a nine-game winning streak halted as the Mavericks ran out 111-103 victors behind 31 points, nine rebounds and eight assists from Doncic.
Dorian Finney-Smith had 23 points to go alongside six rebounds and four assists, while Jalen Brunson (20 points), Josh Richardson (17 points) and Tim Hardaway Jr (16 points) all contributed in the absence of Kristaps Porzingis, who was missing with a wrist sprain.
The Mavericks, seventh in the Western Conference, are now on a five-game winning run and are 7-3 over the past 10, with Doncic admitted their latest result helps build confidence as the season moves into a critical stage.
"I mean win every win is a confidence win, every NBA team can beat you," he said.
"Every win is a confidence win here, obviously this one they're first in the West or second, so obviously it's a big win. We just have to keep rolling, I guess."
The Mavericks impressed in the long-range game, going 23 for 49 from three-point range. Prior to the game, Utah led the NBA in three-point attempts (17.1) and second for success rate (39.8 per cent), but they were 12 from 44 (27.3 per cent).
"To hold these guys to 103 is a hell of a job," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said.
"The difference was we just came out and we were much more physical than we were last time we played them. That was a long time ago; that was light years ago."
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