Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant said he was happy to quiet the raucous Philadelphia crowd after downing the 76ers 129-100 on the road.
It was one of the most highly-anticipated regular season fixtures in some time after James Harden and Ben Simmons sensationally switched teams just weeks ago, with Philadelphia undefeated in five games with Harden in the lineup.
With the game taking place in Philadelphia, Brooklyn guard Kyrie Irving was allowed to play, with his inability to play in home games due to New York’s vaccine mandate reportedly a major factor in Harden’s desire to move on from the situation.
Durant said that the chants, particularly aimed at new Net Ben Simmons who had an acrimonious split with the 76ers, died down after Brooklyn took a 21-point lead into half-time.
"It was good to quiet them all down mid-way through the game," Durant told TNT. "It was very quiet towards the end – we ain’t hear no more Ben Simmons chants from the 76ers fans, there were more Nets fans here than anything."
Later on in the post-game news conference, Durant touched on the poor performance of his former teammate after Harden finished with 11 points, shooting 3-17 from the field.
"He relies a lot on the free throw line," Durant said. "Getting to the rim and getting to the free throw line gets him in rhythm, and we didn’t let him do that.
"He was three-of-17 – he was trying to get to the rim, but we were all there swarming.
"He hit a few open threes – but you know – when he’s getting to the rim, and getting downhill and to the free-throw line, that’s when they’re tough to stop, and we eliminated a lot of that stuff."
He sure is. pic.twitter.com/v4vOEI30UN
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) March 11, 2022
While he downplayed the importance of a regular season game in March, Durant said the Nets were aware of the hostility that would meet Simmons, and that he was determined to make it a night to remember for his new teammate.
"I think all of us were [trying to quiet the crowd] – we look at Ben as our brother," he said.
"We knew this would be a hostile environment, and that he didn’t have the opportunity to play, so we wanted to come out there and get [the crowd] focused on the court, more-so than [Simmons].
"They were focused on the court tonight – it’s hard to chant at Ben Simmons when you’re losing by so much."
The Chicago Bears are sending defensive end Khalil Mack to the Los Angeles Chargers, according to reports.
ESPN's Adam Schefter said the Chargers were expected to send a 2022 second-round draft pick and a 2023 sixth-round draft pick to Chicago in exchange for the six-time Pro Bowler.
Mack has been on the Bears since 2018, recording 12.5 sacks in his first season with the team for a fourth consecutive year in double figures.
Those numbers have tailed off a little since and the 31-year-old only played in seven games in 2021 due to injury.
However, across his Bears career, Mack still ranked as high as 12th league-wide for pressures. He will now line up opposite Joey Bosa, who ranked eighth over the same period.
Mack is also to be reunited with Chargers coach Brandon Staley, who was the Bears' outside linebackers coach in that strong first season in Chicago.
Staley will hope Mack can have a transformative impact for the Chargers' defense, which gave up 27.0 points and 138.9 rushing yards per game last year.
Tommy Fleetwood and Tom Hoge shared the lead at the end of Thursday at The Players Championship, but the pair had not yet seen all of their challengers in action.
Dismal weather in Florida pushed back the start to the opening round and then further delays followed, with heavy rainfall and storms in the area hampering the tournament.
Fleetwood and Hoge were the players best able to negotiate the tricky conditions, although others were yet to start at the close of play.
Big names including Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson were still early in their rounds when play was suspended due to darkness.
Fleetwood, who missed the cut last year after top-10 finishes at The Players in 2018 and 2019, started a little slowly on the back nine but found his rhythm at the turn.
Seven birdies and a bogey saw the Englishman card a six-under 66, which was matched by Hoge – who also started on the back nine – after his eagle at the par-five second.
"For sure, that was the most I could have got out of the round," Fleetwood said. "So, days like that are very, very pleasing."
It could still have been a three-way tie at the top, with Saudi International champion Harold Varner III denied at least a share of the lead by a late-round collapse.
After seven birdies through 16 holes, including five on the back nine, Varner became the first player to find the water at the 17th and signed for a triple-bogey.
That was followed by a bogey at the last that left him three adrift of Fleetwood and Hoge.
"That's what you get a lot out here," Varner said. "Either you get it done or you don't."
Major League Baseball has announced an agreement with the MLB Players Association that will end baseball's lockout in time for the 2022 regular season to start on April 7.
A full 162-game schedule is to be played this year after a new collective bargaining agreement was belatedly secured.
MLB had previously cancelled Opening Day and then games up until April 14 as part of the lockout, vowing a shortened season would be the result, with players not compensated for lost games.
Finally, though, on Thursday, the two sides came to terms on a deal that was ratified by owners in a unanimous 30-0 vote and sets the new season in motion.
And the four series that had been removed from the calendar will now be rescheduled.
Detailed the new CBA, MLB said: "The new five-year CBA includes increased minimum salaries, a new pre-arbitration bonus pool to reward the top young players in the game, a raise in competitive balance tax thresholds, the introduction of a universal designated hitter, the widest-ranging Draft lottery in pro sports, a system to prevent alleged service-time manipulation and limits on the number of times a player can be optioned in a season to address concerns regarding 'roster churn'.
"The deal also includes an expanded 12-team postseason format, bringing playoff baseball to two additional markets each year."
Commissioner Rob Manfred said of the news: "I am genuinely thrilled to say Major League Baseball is back and we're going to play 162 games.
"I want to start by apologising to our fans. I know the last few months have been difficult."
Eddie Jones has told England to attack their clash with Ireland at Twickenham as though they are playing a tournament semi-final.
The hosts' Six Nations hopes rely on them beating Ireland, and both teams head into the game with two wins and a loss from their opening three games.
Head coach Jones has included Sam Simmonds at number eight for the big game in London, with Alex Dombrandt on the bench after recovering from COVID-19.
Courtney Lawes again skippers the team, with vice-captain Tom Curry fit to feature after recovering from a head injury sustained in the win against Wales last time out.
Joe Launchbury features in an England match squad for the first time since December 2020 after being named among the replacements.
Jones said: "We've been looking at this game as a semi-final. Ireland are the most cohesive side in the world right now and it will be a good test this weekend.
"We've prepared really well for this game. We did some good team togetherness work in Bristol and had a solid week of training on the pitch here.
"We are looking forward to going after them in front of a great home crowd at Twickenham."
England can look at the game in a semi-final sense because their last match in the championship will be a tussle with France, who have a 100 per cent record so far, in Paris.
That has the potential to be a title decider, although Andy Farrell's Ireland could undo England's hopes this weekend.
Ireland have made six changes to the side that beat Italy 57-6 last time out, with veteran fly-half Johnny Sexton restored to the starting XV as captain, taking the place of Joey Carbery.
England team: Steward, Malins, Marchant, Slade, Nowell, Smith, Randall; Genge, George, Sinckler, Itoje, Ewels, Lawes (captain), Curry, Simmonds.
Replacements: Blamire, Marler, Stuart, Launchbury, Dombrandt, Youngs, Ford, Daly.
Ireland team: Keenan, Conway, Ringrose, Aki, Lowe, Sexton (captain), Gibson-Park; Healy, Sheehan, Furlong, Beirne, Ryan, O'Mahony, Van der Flier, Doris.
Replacements: Herring, Kilcoyne, Bealham, Henderson, Conan, Murray, Carbery, Henshaw.
World number three Alexander Zverev claims his expulsion from last month's Mexican Open in Acapulco represented the worst moment of his life.
The German, speaking ahead of the first Masters 1000 event of the year at Indian Wells, said his assault on the umpire's chair, for which he received a fine of $40,000 and a suspended eight-week ban from tennis, was a mistake he would not repeat.
The 24-year-old, who won the 2021 ATP Finals title last November, says he is still embarrassed by his actions in Mexico, having struck the umpire's chair with his racquet several times during a stunning outburst.
"It still is embarrassing for me now," Zverev said. "Walking around the locker room, it's not a nice feeling.
"But we all do mistakes. I'm also a human being, and I can guarantee you I will never act this way again in my life.
"It was definitely the worst moment of my life."
Zverev will begin the Indian Wells Masters as the third seed, although world number two Novak Djokovic has been forced to withdraw from the competition due to his vaccination status.
The 24-year-old, who exited at the quarter-final stage of 2021's delayed edition of the tournament, says he has been working hard to avoid a repeat of his Acapulco meltdown and knows there is no room for error given his suspended ban.
"I've been doing work, meditation-wise," he said. "I think there are stress[ful] situations in everyone's life where stuff like this happens. I'm not the first and I won't be the last for something bad to happen on the court.
"I know who I am as a person, and this doesn't reflect me. I had played until 5am the day before – the same day I went back to play doubles.
"I am somebody that gives it his all on the court. I would have never physically harmed anyone.
"If I do that again, they have every right to ban me – it's as simple as that.
"If I do that again, it means I haven't learnt. I think everybody in life deserves a second chance, but if you repeatedly do mistakes it means that you haven't learnt."
World number one Daniil Medvedev hopes that Russian and Belarusian tennis players will be allowed to continue competing but acknowledges there remains a chance of further restrictions.
The governing bodies of tennis (the International Tennis Federation, ATP, WTA, and the four Grand Slam events) recently announced that Russian and Belarusian players can no longer compete under the flags of their respective countries.
Russia launched a full-scale military assault on Ukraine last month, a move that received the backing of Belarus, leading the ITF to revoke Russian and Belarussian membership and suspend the countries' teams.
That decision followed in the footsteps of rulings relating to Russian teams or competitors in various sports, including football and athletics.
Medvedev, who recently talked of his wish to "promote peace", said he hopes to continue to play, ahead of the first Masters event of the year in Indian Wells.
"It's always tough to talk on this subject because I want to play tennis, [to] play in different countries," the 26-year-old said.
"I want to promote my sport.
"I want to promote what I'm doing in my country for sure, and right now the situation is that that is the only way I can play [without representing Russia]."
LeBron James was adamant his approach to the NBA season will not be dictated by the Los Angeles Lakers' results after they collapsed to a 139-130 loss to the Houston Rockets.
Despite James returning from a knee injury to register his fifth triple-double of the season, recording 23 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists, the Rockets stunned Los Angeles in overtime to continue the Lakers' poor campaign.
The Lakers have now fallen to six losses in their past seven outings and sit ninth in the Western Conference, despite James averaging 29.4 points per game, the joint-second best record amongst NBA players.
Despite the team's dire form, James said his approach to the final 17 games of the season will be influenced only by his fitness and not the strength of their postseason chances.
"I probably would be in uniform no matter what," James said.
"No matter if we were nine games under .500 or nine games above .500. It's just all dependent on how [the knee] feels.
"My love for the game and the way I play the game, and me suiting up, has nothing to do with records and things of that nature.
"That's just not me."
James had an opportunity to prevent overtime with the scores tied at 120-120, opting to pass to Carmelo Anthony rather than attempt a layup to win the game, but the 37-year-old did not regret his decision-making and felt he was unlucky on the night.
"I ended up behind the backboard," said the four-time NBA MVP. "I was a little bit off-balance, and I could have forced a reverse layup, but I wasn't in the position to feel like I could have got a great look. I feel like Melo's look was a lot better than mine.
"I didn't feel like I took any bad ones or any bad shots tonight. It just wasn't falling for me."
Meanwhile, team-mate Russell Westbrook, whose 30-point haul was not enough to halt the Lakers' slump, said opposition teams are routinely raising their games.
"We kind of messed around with the game and they [the Rockets] had confidence throughout the night," said the 33-year-old.
"They're going to compete, they're playing the Lakers.
"As you guys can see, when they play the Lakers, people get up for those games... It's a thing for them."
The Lakers will now travel to the Washington Wizards on Friday as they look to prevent their season from unravelling further.
Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Leonardo says now is not the time to discuss the future of head coach Mauricio Pochettino and the club do not need to "start all over again" after their Champions League collapse against Real Madrid.
PSG had looked set for a quarter-final spot when Kylian Mbappe doubled their aggregate lead at the Santiago Bernabeu with a first-half opener.
But Karim Benzema's 17-minute hat-trick saw the Ligue 1 leaders eliminated from the Champions League after a first-leg victory for the fourth time, with only Madrid themselves have gone out in such a fashion on more occasions (six times).
Whilst adamant that Benzema had fouled PSG keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma in the build-up to the first of his three goals, Leonardo conceded changes were needed but not a large-scale rebuild.
"It's a blow," Leonardo told RMC Sport after PSG's 3-2 aggregate reverse.
"We can't bury everything that has been done. It's difficult to analyse.
"The foul on Donnarumma was decisive, but we had difficulty managing this moment. We lost control, we have to look for solutions. It's a shame that a decision is decisive in this kind of moment, but we have to keep calm.
"We made mistakes, we have to change things, but we don't have to review everything.
"We must not throw everything away and put everything in the trash. We must not start all over again from scratch with each defeat.
"The objective is to win the Champions League, and until half-time of this match we were good."
The defeat is certain to lead to renewed speculation regarding the future of Pochettino, who has been strongly linked with a move to Manchester United in the close season.
But Leonardo says the former Tottenham coach remains in their plans, at least for the time being.
"We must stay together. Pochettino is still in the project for this season," he added.
"This is not the time to think about that [the coach's future]."
Sacramento Kings interim head coach Alvin Gentry admitted it is "hard to believe" Nikola Jokic will not be named NBA MVP again this season.
The comments came after the Serbian scored 38 points in a 106-100 win for the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday, helping Michael Malone's men to their fourth consecutive victory.
The reigning MVP posted 32 points against the Golden State Warriors and 46 against the New Orleans Pelicans in the Nuggets' previous two outings. He is the first NBA player to average 35 or more points, 15 or more rebounds and 10 or more assists over a three-game run since Wilt Chamberlain did so between March 16-19, 1968.
After seeing Sacramento dominated by the 27-year-old, Gentry said he deserved a second consecutive MVP prize.
"That guy is just a different beast," he said post-game.
"He doesn't get shaken, he just does what he needs to do to win the game.
"He's just playing at such a high level, 46 points, 32 points, 38 tonight, he's just a different guy.
"Watching him play, it's hard to believe he won't be the MVP.
"He's playing at such a high level and does so many things on the court, I think he's one of those guys you could take and put on any team, and that team's going to be pretty successful."
Denver have now won 12 of their past 14 games, while Jokic fell just three assists short of registering a third consecutive triple-double.
His average of 25.9 points per game, meanwhile, is the ninth-strongest record among NBA players this season.
Jokic himself was pleased after recording another dominating performance in Sacramento but was keen to look ahead, with the Nuggets facing a rematch with the Warriors next on Thursday.
"Lately, we're playing really good, we're winning games," said the 27-year-old.
"Hopefully, it's going to continue."
The 2021 Formula One title race was one for the ages.
Fortunately, the release of season four of Netflix's 'Drive to Survive' series is landing on Friday, giving fans the opportunity to relive the drama and whetting appetites for the forthcoming 2022 campaign.
Few will forget how last season ended, with Max Verstappen pipping Lewis Hamilton in scarcely believable circumstances on the final lap of the final race.
But there had been controversy throughout the year even before that point, making the latest edition of one of sport's great documentaries a must-watch.
Fans will be desperate to learn how 2021 played out behind the scenes, but what should they be looking for? Stats Perform picks out five flashpoints.
Silverstone contact sets the tone
A back-and-forth title tussle between Verstappen and Hamilton was already nine races old by the time the teams arrived at Silverstone – at which point the 'Drive to Survive' producers must have thought they had hit the jackpot.
Hamilton ended a five-race barren run for Mercedes with victory in his home race, but only after sending Verstappen into the barriers at Copse Corner on lap one – a 10-second penalty of little consolation to Red Bull, whose team principal Christian Horner slammed the 2020 champion's "dirty driving".
Seeing the reaction on the pit wall would be of interest to any fan, although this clash merely teed up the drama to come.
Mixed fortunes for furious Lewis in the wet
Two races last year descended into chaos due to the weather, with Verstappen winning in Belgium while Hamilton triumphed in Russia, benefiting from Lando Norris' spin in the rain for his 100th victory. That Sochi result cancelled out events at Spa, where Hamilton had been far from impressed.
Viewers will likely learn more about developments at the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix from 'Drive to Survive' than from live coverage at the time, as the race lasted just two laps under a safety car following Sunday rain.
That was enough to declare a result with half points, with Verstappen rewarded for pipping breakout star George Russell to pole. In public, Hamilton fumed it was "all a money scenario", and it is unlikely he was any calmer in private.
McLaren one-two after halo saves Hamilton
Between Belgium and Russia was the Italian GP at Monza, with perhaps the scariest moment of the season. Verstappen's battle with Hamilton went a little too far as he rode over the Briton's car, with the Mercedes halo required to keep the driver from serious harm.
"I am so grateful I am still here," said Hamilton after being forced to retire, with Verstappen later following him back into the garage.
The documentary cameras surely could not miss this key moment in the title race, but 'Drive to Survive' has been hugely successful in picking out narratives right down the grid – and this was a notable weekend in the midfield, as McLaren profited with a one-two courtesy of Daniel Ricciardo and Norris.
Hamilton heroics at special Sao Paulo GP
Verstappen arrived in Brazil 19 points clear of Hamilton with four races remaining, and the odds were increasingly stacked against his rival over the course of the weekend at the Sao Paulo GP.
Hamilton served a five-place grid penalty when his qualifying time – the fastest on the grid – was struck off for a DRS infringement, meaning he had to start from 10th even after recovering from 20th to fifth in the sprint race. Verstappen escaped punishment when he forced the Mercedes man wide in the main race, too.
Remarkably, Hamilton still won, with Toto Wolff claiming the various setbacks had "woke up the lion". There would have been no final-day spectacle if not for the Briton's late-season charge, which started in Brazil.
Two weeks of epic drama decide title
The final episode of the season will surely focus on the decider in Abu Dhabi, where race director Michael Masi's application of the rules infuriated Mercedes as Hamilton was denied a record-breaking eighth championship in fairly ridiculous fashion.
Footage from that race should entertain even F1 sceptics, with Wolff likely to play a prominent role having pleaded with Masi not to make the contentious call that cost Hamilton and crowned Verstappen.
But the stakes were only such because the pair had entered that race all square in the standings – only the second time this had ever happened – after a similarly eventful Saudi Arabian GP.
Verstappen could have wrapped up the title with time to spare but lost out to Hamilton after a qualifying crash, two red flags and a succession of safety cars, hinting at the level of incident that was to come the following week.
Caroline Garcia reached the second round of the Indian Wells Open after coming through a gruelling encounter with Dayana Yastremska.
Garcia had gone three matches without a win against her Ukrainian opponent, who reached the final of last week's Lyon Open.
Although she squandered two match points in the second set, Garcia eventually prevailed 6-4 6-7 (8-10) 7-5 after nearly two and a half hours to set up a second-round clash with US Open champion Emma Raducanu.
Sofia Kenin's difficult start to the year continued as she suffered a straight-sets defeat to Brazil's Beatriz Haddad Maia.
The Australian Open champion and French Open runner-up two years ago, Kenin has now lost six matches in a row since reaching the quarter-finals in Adelaide back in January.
The 23-year-old, who has dropped to 130 in the world, threw in 11 double faults in her 6-3 7-5 defeat to Haddad Maia, who next meets 29th seed Clara Tauson.
Ekaterina Alexandrova will face Simona Halep, the 2015 champion, in round two after coming through 4-6 6-2 7-6 (9-7) against 18-year-old American Elvina Kalieva.
There were also wins for Kaia Kanepi, Alison Riske and Harriet Dart, who next meets 12th seed Elina Svitolina.
World number 37 Jil Teichmann lost in straight sets to Danka Kovinic, Ann Li beat compatriot Madison Brengle in an all-American thriller, and wildcards Katie Volynets and Claire Liu also progressed.
The Phoenix Suns became the first team to secure a playoff spot with an impressive 111-90 defeat of the Miami Heat on Wednesday.
Devin Booker returned from a four-game absence to put up 23 points, nine assists and eight rebounds as the leaders of the West toppled the top side in the East.
The Suns, who are 53-13 for the season, have now beaten all other 29 teams in the same season for the first time since 2006-07.
"I told the guys it was one of the best defensive performances I've ever seen," said Suns coach Monty Williams after watching his team concede just 35 points in the second half. "I've been around for a little bit."
Duncan Robinson was top scorer for Miami with 22, who led by 11 in the early stages before falling to just their third defeat in 15 games.
"They were first to the ball a lot," said Robinson. "They were the aggressor. Unacceptable."
The Milwaukee Bucks are now two games behind the Heat at the top of the Eastern Conference after beating the Atlanta Hawks 124-115, with Giannis Antetokounmpo's double-double of 43 points and 12 rebounds firing them to a sixth-straight win.
Antetokounmpo finished 15-of-22 from the field to take his tally to 82 points in the space of 24 hours after his 39 in Tuesday's victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
"The things he does are not normal," said team-mate Bobby Portis. "It's fun to be his team-mate and fun to play alongside him."
Rockets stun Lakers in overtime
The Los Angeles Lakers lost for the ninth time in a row on the road, going down 139-130 in overtime against the Houston Rockets.
A triple-double from LeBron James and 30 points from Russell Westbrook were not enough as rookie Jalen Green hit a career-high 32 points for the Rockets.
"We have a really small margin of error this season and teams are making us pay," said James, whose run of consecutive 25-point games ended at 23. "I missed a lot of shots that I know I'm capable of making, have made throughout the course of the season and my career."
The Los Angeles Clippers snapped their two-game losing streak, beating the Washington Wizards 115-109, while the Utah Jazz improved to 41-24 with a comfortable 123-85 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Bulls back on track, Beasley sets record
The Chicago Bulls ended a run of five consecutive losses, DeMar DeRozan scoring 36 points, including 16 in the fourth quarter, in a 114-108 win over the Detroit Pistons.
It was a day to remember for Malik Beasley, who set a franchise record for three-pointers in the Minnesota Timberwolves' win at home over the Thunder.
Beasley landed 11 of his 17 attempts from beyond the arc as Minnesota, seventh in the West, made it six wins in a row.
The Boston Celtics continued their recent good form with a 115-101 win at the Charlotte Hornets, while the New York Knicks pulled off a fifth-straight road win over the Dallas Mavericks, Julius Randle scoring 26 points in a 107-77 blowout.
Gregg Popovich will have to wait for his NBA record 1,336th regular-season win as coach, the San Antonio Spurs falling 119-104 at home to the Toronto Raptors.
There were also wins for the Orlando Magic, who topped the New Orleans Pelicans 108-102, and the Denver Nuggets, who beat the Sacramento Kings 106-100 thanks to a 38-point double-double from Nikola Jokic.
The Seattle Seahawks have said farewell to another franchise great, confirming the release of linebacker Bobby Wagner on Wednesday.
Confirmation of Wagner's exit comes a day after it was reported the Seahawks had agreed to trade quarterback Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos in a blockbuster deal.
Like Wilson, Wagner was a crucial part of the Seahawks team that won the first Super Bowl title in franchise history in the 2013 season.
For many years, he was the gold standard at the linebacker position and still played at an extremely high level for a struggling Seahawks team in 2021, earning his eighth Pro Bowl selection and being named second-team All-Pro.
A six-time first-team All-Pro, Wagner was set to enter the final year of his contract in 2022, but his release saves the Seahawks $16.6million in cap space.
Wagner posted on Twitter: "Thank you Seattle for everything. It will forever be my home."
Since he entered the NFL as a second-round pick in 2012, only Lavonte David (867) has racked up more tackles than Wagner (817), who is third in pass breakups (60) and tied fifth in interceptions (11) in that span.
The MLB has cancelled games until April 14 as the league's lockout goes on, with the decision criticised as "completely unnecessary" by the players' association.
The owners and players have still to reach a resolution on a new collective bargaining agreement, with MLB enduring the ninth work stoppage in its history, which has already seen Opening Day cancelled.
In a statement on Wednesday, commissioner Rob Manfred said: "In a last-ditch effort to preserve a 162-game season, this week we have made good-faith proposals that address the specific concerns voiced by the MLBPA and would have allowed the players to return to the field immediately.
"The Clubs went to extraordinary lengths to meet the substantial demands of the MLBPA. On the key economic issues that have posed stumbling blocks, the Clubs proposed ways to bridge gaps to preserve a full schedule. Regrettably, after our second late-night bargaining session in a week, we remain without a deal.
"Because of the logistical realities of the calendar, another two series are being removed from the schedule, meaning that Opening Day is postponed until April 14th.
"We worked hard to reach an agreement and offered a fair deal with significant improvements for the players and our fans. I am saddened by this situation's continued impact on our game and all those who are a part of it, especially our loyal fans.
"We have the utmost respect for our players and hope they will ultimately choose to accept the fair agreement they have been offered."
In response, the MLBPA said: "The owners' decision to cancel additional games is completely unnecessary.
"After making a set of comprehensive proposals to the league earlier this afternoon [Wednesday], and being told substantive responses were forthcoming, players have yet to hear back.
"Players want to play, and we cannot wait to get back on the field for the best fans in the world.
"Our top priority remains the finalisation of a fair contract for all players, and we will continue negotiations toward that end."
Among the key monetary issues being discussed are the scale of a Competitive Balance Tax, minimum salaries and bonus pool money for pre-arbitration players.
Player salaries have dropped four per cent since 2015, when Manfred became commissioner.
Players stand to lose $20.5million in salary for every day of the season that is cancelled.
Novak Djokovic has confirmed he cannot compete at Indian Wells due to not being allowed to enter the United States.
The former world number one was revealed as an automatic qualifier for the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells last month, though uncertainty surrounded his possible participation.
Djokovic was deported from Australia ahead of the Australian Open in January due to not meeting the country's COVID-19 vaccination requirements, with the Serbian choosing not to be jabbed.
After testing positive for – and recovering from – coronavirus the previous month, it was at one stage thought Djokovic might have been allowed entry to Australia on the grounds of having post-virus antibodies.
But he was ultimately ordered to leave the country and it quickly became clear the 34-year-old was likely to run into similar problems down the line.
Djokovic was included in the draw for the upcoming BNP Paribas Open, setting up a second-round clash with David Goffin or Jordan Thompson, and organisers said on Wednesday that talks were ongoing as they looked to determine the superstar's eligibility.
But America's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states all non-US citizens travelling to the country "must be fully vaccinated with the primary series of an accepted COVID-19 vaccine", with "only limited exceptions" applying.
Unsurprisingly, Djokovic has not been granted entry.
Confirming his situation, Djokovic tweeted: "While I was automatically listed in BNP Paribas Open and the Miami Open draw, I knew it would be unlikely I'd be able to travel.
"The CDC has confirmed that regulations won't be changing so I won't be able to play in the US. Good luck to those playing in these great tournaments."
Djokovic has lost his place atop the ATP rankings to Daniil Medvedev and his inability to feature at the Australian Open meant Rafael Nadal set a new record for the most grand slam men's singles titles, as the Spaniard claimed his 21st success.
It is unclear whether Djokovic will be able to add to his 20 at Wimbledon or Roland Garros, while it seems he will also miss the US Open unless the CDC changes its regulations in the meantime.
Trinidadian bodybuilder Dexter Simon continues to amaze.
On Sunday, two and a half years since he last competed, he finished in the top five of the Ajman IFBB Elite Pro in Dubai while competing against men 20 years younger.
Competing in the Men’s Physique Professional category, the 53-year-old phenomenon made the top five to advance to the final where he was also fifth.
No wonder he was proud of the work that he put in preparing for the competition.
“After two years and six months off the stage, this start of the 2022 season @ifbbelitepro_official in Dubai was unforgettable,” he said following his latest accomplishment.
“The seven months of preparation with a laser-sharp focus and daily sacrifices all paid off.”
Iran’s Mazinar Kiani took the top spot while Enrique Guitierrez from Spain finished as the runner up. Balthan Haimour of Jordan was third.
Notwithstanding finishing outside the top three, Simon, who is still in Dubai, was more than satisfied with his showing.
“This is not an easy task at the age of 53 to make a top five amongst men 30-plus years younger,” he said. “My testimony is about self-care and self-love. Understanding that age is just what people say you are and not what you should allow being told you are or should be.”
He praised his twin brother Derrick, who was instrumental in helping him achieve his goal.
“A massive special thanks to my brother for his unwavering support with my daily training for the last seven months. I know you have become very familiar with Panadol, Olfen, and gels hahaha,” he said. “I could not have done this without you at all bro!!
“So many days you helped me through some taxing workouts and made me uncomfortable until I became very comfortable to suffer and grow. Your words of advice and belief in me made the journey even better and the result even sweeter. Top 5 was your request and payment for your suffering and that is what I delivered. “
And delivered he did. Derrick told Sportsmax.TV that during the seven months, he changed some elements of Dexter’s nutritional regime and his overall preparation.
So what did he think of the outcome? “Excellent,” he said. “When he asked me to support him, I told him I would only help if he did the work to finish in the top five. When he came off the stage, he called me and said ‘you asked for top five, you got it.”
Simon will next compete at the IFBB Florida Classic from June 25-25 before he does the IFBB Central American and Caribbean Championships in Barbados from July 27-August 1. He will then travel to Spain for the Arnold Classic from September 15-19.
It is a return that calls for popcorn when the Brooklyn Nets head to the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday.
A month after leaving the Nets for the Sixers, James Harden will have the opportunity to face his former team and show them what might have been.
The 32-year-old's time in Brooklyn was underwhelming to say the least, but he has taken to life in Philadelphia like a duck to water, with the Sixers winning all five games in which he has featured so far.
His partnership with Joel Embiid in particular has thrived, with the Cameroonian putting up 43 points and Harden making 14 assists in Monday's win against the Chicago Bulls.
Harden insists he is calm ahead of meeting his former teammates, saying: "I'm not nervous. It's basketball.
"I put the work in to go out there and just play my game and live with the results. Honestly, every game is a big game for us. We're fairly new. We got championship aspirations so every game is a learning process for us no matter who we’re playing."
Meanwhile, another highly anticipated return won't quite be the same as Ben Simmons remains sidelined for the Nets but will reportedly be in attendance at Wells Fargo Center.
Another less discussed story will be Seth Curry, who has made an excellent start to life in Brooklyn since being a part of the trade that saw Harden and Simmons swap cities.
In 10 outings for the Nets, Curry has maintained his average of 15 points per game that he managed in 45 appearances with the Sixers this season, though he has gone three without reaching double figures so will want to put that right against his former team.
The Nets have lost four of their six clashes since the All-Star break and sit on an even record of 33-33, while the Sixers have won five of six in that time, and all three home games.
They have met three times already this season, of which Brooklyn have won two, though Philadelphia did come out on top in late December 110-102.
It promises to be a fun night in Philly, and whether it be cheering Harden or booing Simmons, Sixers fans will likely make themselves heard.
PIVOTAL PERFORMERS
Philadelphia 76ers – James Harden
I mean… who else?
It's not just because of the overwhelming amount of narrative involved. Harden has been a success story so far in Philly and will want to put on a show on this night of all nights.
Of course, as the league leader for points per game (29.7), Embiid will likely be the main man as usual, but with an average of 24.6 points per game since joining the Sixers and a big point to prove here, expect Harden to be at the centre of things either way.
Brooklyn Nets – Kyrie Irving
It's not very often that Irving isn't the centre of attention, but with the Harden/Simmons factor here you would think he might get a night away from the spotlight.
Then again, if his form is anything to go by, maybe not.
Irving hit 50 points in Tuesday's win against the Charlotte Hornets and is averaging 26.2 points per game for the season, albeit while still missing several games due to vaccination rules.
KEY BATTLES – Nets must rely on experience
The cliche is that sport is a young person's game, but Brooklyn will be hoping that isn't true.
The Nets have the fourth-oldest average age of active roster in the league, and the second-highest percentage of points scored by players over 33 years old (40.8 per cent).
The Sixers are not exactly kids themselves but do have the 10th most points scored in the league by players under the age of 23 (15.5 per cent), mostly thanks to impressive 21-year-old Tyrese Maxey, who is averaging 17.6 points per game this season.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
As mentioned, the Nets actually lead this season's head-to-head 2-1, although since the start of the 2016-17 season, the Sixers have won 14 and lost just eight of the 22 meetings between the two.
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