LeBron James acknowledged the Los Angeles Lakers lost a "must-win" game at home to the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday but insisted their season is not over yet.
The Lakers, who are 11th in the West, went down 114-111 to the ninth-placed Pelicans. With the San Antonio Spurs also winning in 10th, LA fell a full game outside the play-in tournament.
It was a fifth defeat in a row for the Lakers and came despite the team hurrying James and Anthony Davis back from injuries.
James scored 38 points in a mammoth 40-minute shift, yet an air ball from three-point range at the buzzer sealed the loss.
Afterwards, the four-time MVP – still in pole position for the scoring title with 30.3 points per game – was understandably disheartened.
"The big picture is that it pretty much was a must-win for us," James said, "and we didn't get the job done.
"We had great opportunities throughout the night, and we didn't make enough plays down the stretch. So that's the big picture.
"It just feels like you can't catch a break. No matter what's going on on the floor, it just feels like the ball bounces the other way, the ball doesn't always bounce in our favour, or a call doesn't go in our favour.
"It's just like when it rains, it pours for our year. It's just the way it's been going."
However, he added: "Until it says we're eliminated, it doesn't. Until that moment, we'll know what our destiny is, but right now, we don't. So we keep pushing forward."
If the season ended today, the Los Angeles Lakers would not even make the play-in tournament after a painful 114-111 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.
The loss moves the Lakers' record to 31-46, and 4-16 in their past 20 games.
The Lakers built this game up as a must-win, re-inserting Anthony Davis to the line-up from a lengthy absence and LeBron James from an ankle sprain, but ultimately could not get stops down the stretch.
James was terrific, scoring 38 points on 13-23 shooting, while Davis was also strong, scoring 23 points (eight-of-17 shooting) to go with 12 rebounds and six assists. During Davis' 37 minutes on the floor, the Lakers were plus four.
But the Pelicans' duo of C.J. McCollum and Brandon Ingram would not be denied, as McCollum led the way with 32 points (12-of-23 shooting), while Ingram chipped in with an efficient 29 on 10-of-17 shooting to go with eight rebounds and seven assists.
The Lakers' five remaining games are at home against the Denver Nuggets, away at the Phoenix Suns, away at the Golden State Warriors, at home against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and away against the Nuggets.
The San Antonio Spurs currently lead the race for the 10 seed by one game.
Fill-in Grizzlies fill it up
Another game without Ja Morant, and another win for the Memphis Grizzlies as they got the better of the full-strength Phoenix Suns 122-114.
As well as Morant, Memphis was without center Steven Adams, Defensive Player of the Year candidate Jaren Jackson Jr and emerging shooting guard Desmond Bane, but in front of their home fans the replacement Grizzlies were up to the task.
Dillon Brooks top-scored for the Grizzlies with 30 points (11-of-28 shooting) and seven assists, while Devin Booker had 41 points on 17-of-28 shooting for the Suns.
Memphis are now 20-2 in games Morant has missed.
Celtics win a shootout, Covington goes bananas
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown both surpassed 30 points in the Boston Celtics' 128-123 win against the Indiana Pacers.
Tatum finished with 31 on 10-of-24 shooting, while Brown had 32 on 12-of-18, but the Celtics had to withstand a sharpshooting display from Tyrese Haliburton, who had 30 points on 10-of-11 shooting, including six-of-six from long range.
Meanwhile, Robert Covington played the game of his life as his Los Angeles Clippers beat an undermanned Milwaukee Bucks side 153-119.
Covington finished with 43 points, going 11-of-18 from three-point range, setting a new franchise record for threes made in a game, beating J.J. Redick and Caron Butler's previous joint-record of nine.
Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel felt his team's struggles in their defeat to the New Orleans Pelicans reflected a "disjointed" season after they lost 114-111 in a "playoff game".
The Lakers were beaten despite strong performances from their two biggest stars, as LeBron James racked up 38 points and eight rebounds while Anthony Davis returned from injury with 23 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in 37 minutes.
C.J. McCollum and Brandon Ingram combined for 61 points for the Pelicans, who are now almost assured of their place in the play-in tournament.
The Lakers' play-in tournament chances took a massive hit with the loss – which moved their record to 4-16 in their past 20 games – sitting one game behind the San Antonio Spurs in the race for the 10 seed, with a difficult remaining schedule.
Speaking with post-game media, Vogel said he had no choice but to play James and Davis for extended minutes and cut down the rotation.
"I think potentially [they were affected by fatigue down the stretch], but this was a playoff-mindset type of game, so those guys want to be in there," he said.
"We're communicating constantly throughout the game. I think both of them would say [they did not play too many minutes] – it's a playoff game, you got to be in there, you've got to compete.
"This was a playoff game for us, so you use the roster however you see fit, given that matchup.
"C.J. McCollum and Brandon Ingram as a tandem, and with [Jonas] Valanciunas, those three guys are as good as just about any three you can put together in the league. That's why they're one of the hottest teams in the league.
"It's why we liked what Avery [Bradley] could bring to the table, and using Dwight [Howard] on Jonas as much as possible, but the guys who fell out of the rotation [including Talen Horton-Tucker and Austin Reaves] was just due to matchup."
Vogel felt the Lakers' issues scoring down the stretch were a microcosm of their campaign.
"I think it's the nature of the disjointed season that we've had – these guys haven't been on the floor in six weeks together," he said.
"We played last night – it was a tough travel situation getting in late and having to play an important game today, we just fell short. Those are the little things that are the difference between winning and losing.
"I won't look at [10th seed] San Antonio at all – obviously we'll find out what their scores look like, but our focus has to be on what we can control, and that's winning the next game."
Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet heaped praise on the professionalism and locked-in nature of his squad, while Scottie Barnes looked forward to Kyle Lowry's return to Toronto this weekend after a 102-89 win against the Orlando Magic.
With the win, the Raptors moved to 11-2 from their past 13 fixtures, including wins over championship contenders such as the Phoenix Suns, Denver Nuggets, Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics.
All five Raptors starters finished with at least 14 points, as VanVleet and rookie Scottie Barnes led the way with 19 points each.
VanVleet also added five steals and two blocks to his stat-line, while Barnes collected eight rebounds and dished out seven assists, with no turnovers.
Speaking to post-game media, VanVleet highlighted the value of chemistry as the core of himself, Pascal Siakam and O.G. Anunoby remain from the Raptors' 2019 championship.
"The biggest thing chemistry does is extend your winning streaks, and helps you get out of funks," he said.
"When you have problems and you can address them, and you can communicate better, there's less BS going on, less hidden agendas.
"Everybody has hidden agendas – everybody has personal goals – but when you have good chemistry you can kind of all be on the same page.
"It's not easy all the time, everyone wants to be great in their own right, but I think we've all agreed on putting winning as the biggest picture and the number-one goal, and everything else falls under that."
A main factor of the Raptors' recent hot run has been their professionalism, with VanVleet highlighting how important it is to have a group of guys all locked in on their assignments.
"Over the last couple weeks we've been really locked into the game plans, and our attention to detail has been great," he said.
"That's one thing you look for, especially with a young team, how you can convert from walkthroughs and shoot-arounds and practices to the game.
"No plan is perfect – sometimes they're good, sometimes they're bad, but as long as we're all on the same page we give ourselves a chance, and we stick together. That's something that can go a long way."
Speaking on the court immediately after the win, star rookie Scottie Barnes looked forward to Kyle Lowry's return to Toronto on Sunday night.
"I already know it's going to be a packed house, for sure," he said.
"It's his first game back, and he did so much for the organization. He might be the best Toronto Raptor ever.
"It's going to be a memorable night for him, so we have to come ready to play."
When asked about his own personal hot-streak, which has seen Barnes become the bookmakers' second-favorite for Rookie of the Year behind Evan Mobley, he was optimistic about the best being yet to come.
"I'm just getting started really – our team is doing really good, we're ready to go to the playoffs," he said.
"I'm a winner – I've always been a winner."
If the season ended today, the Los Angeles Lakers would not even make the play-in tournament after a painful 114-111 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.
The loss moves the Lakers' record to 31-46, and 4-16 in their past 20 games.
The Lakers built this game up as a must-win, re-inserting Anthony Davis to the line-up from a lengthy absence and LeBron James from an ankle sprain, but ultimately could not get stops down the stretch.
James was terrific, scoring 38 points on 13-23 shooting, while Davis was also strong, scoring 23 points (eight-of-17 shooting) to go with 12 rebounds and six assists. During Davis' 37 minutes on the floor, the Lakers were plus four.
But the Pelicans duo of C.J. McCollum and Brandon Ingram would not be denied, as McCollum led the way with 32 points (12-of-23 shooting), while Ingram chipped in with an efficient 29 on 10-of-17 shooting to go with eight rebounds and seven assists.
The Lakers' five remaining games are at home against the Denver Nuggets, away at the Phoenix Suns, away at the Golden State Warriors, at home against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and away against the Nuggets.
The San Antonio Spurs currently lead the race for the 10 seed by one game.
Fill-in Grizzlies fill it up
Another game without Ja Morant, and another win for the Memphis Grizzlies as they got the better of the full-strength Phoenix Suns 122-114.
As well as Morant, Memphis was without center Steven Adams, Defensive Player of the Year candidate Jaren Jackson Jr and emerging shooting guard Desmond Bane, but in front of their home fans the replacement Grizzlies were up to the task.
Dillon Brooks top-scored for the Grizzlies with 30 points (11-of-28 shooting) and seven assists, while Devin Booker had 41 points on 17-of-28 shooting for the Suns.
Memphis are now 20-2 in games Morant has missed.
Celtics win a shoot-out, Covington goes bananas
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown both surpassed 30 points in the Boston Celtics' 128-123 win against the Indiana Pacers.
Tatum finished with 31 on 10-of-24 shooting, while Brown had 32 on 12-of-18, but the Celtics had to withstand a sharpshooting display from Tyrese Haliburton, who had 30 points on 10-of-11 shooting, including six-of-six from long range.
Meanwhile, Robert Covington played the game of his life as his Los Angeles Clippers beat an undermanned Milwaukee Bucks side 153-119.
Covington finished with 43 points, going 11-of-18 from three-point range, setting a new franchise record for threes made in a game, beating J.J. Redick and Caron Butler's previous joint-record of nine.
Ryan Palmer holds a two-stroke lead over the field after the second round of the Valero Texas Open.
Palmer, who shot four under in round one, finished with a six-under 66 to move to 10 under.
The American finished the round bogey-free, and three times carded back-to-back birdies on the second and third, eighth and ninth, and 14th and 15th.
Speaking to the media after his round, Palmer said the key to his success is to limit the severity of his mistakes.
"It's a golf course – if you get it off-line, you're going to struggle," he said.
"I was able to keep the ball in front of me. When I've missed fairways, I've gotten fortunate breaks, I think.
"[This] weekend, it's a matter of just avoiding those big misses."
Kevin Chappell worked his way into a three-way tie for second after he shot 65 for the best round of the day, and he is joined at eight under by South Africa's Dylan Frittelli and American Matt Kuchar.
Chappell – who is ranked as the world number 547 – played the course beautifully, nabbing an eagle on the par five second hole before going bogey-free and birdieing the eighth, ninth, 12th, 15th and 17th.
The leader after round one, Russell Knox, had a poor day, bogeying four of his first six holes on the way to shooting 76, dropping down to three under and a tie for 27th.
With the cut-line at even par, Jordan Spieth followed up his even par first round with a 70 on Friday to sneak into the frame.
Plenty of notable names who will hope to contest the US Masters crown next week failed to make the cut, including Jason Day, Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler and Bryson DeChambeau.
Former France international Christian Karembeu has declared Les Bleus the favourite for this year's World Cup after the draw was announced.
France is trying to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to successfully defend their crown, but will have history working against them as the last three teams to try have all fallen in the group stage.
After drawing Group D, France will have fixtures against Denmark, Tunisia and the eventual playoff winner out of Australia, UAE and Peru.
Karembeu said he thinks France has earned the title of favourite this time around.
"[France] are the [World Cup] favourites, which is a topic I have spoken about a lot," he told reporters in Qatar.
"We have a young team with a lot of quality, not to mention the head coach [Didier Deschamps] – I have to say that, otherwise he will yell at me.
"We have a Federation that works, allowing us to be focused on that objective of winning the World Cup."
Fellow former French international Youri Djorkaeff was less emphatic about his prediction, but instead pointed towards the interesting timing of the event.
"A draw in itself doesn't mean anything," he said.
"Yes, the World Cup is starting so you prepare, and you know when you are going to play, but there is no good or bad draw. Especially at this time of the year when all the teams are going to be competitive.
"That's where [this] World Cup will be different from the others.
"All the great players and all the teams are going to get to a point in the season where they are going to be competitive.
"It's not the end of the season, where it's long and there are a lot of big games. It's almost the beginning of the season.
"It's going to be very interesting."
There are just days remaining in the 2021-22 NBA regular season, but plenty is still on the line.
While the red-hot Phoenix Suns have long since secured the top seed in the Western Conference, four teams retain realistic hopes of leading the East.
Which of their superstar players are in the best shape heading into April, though?
Stats Perform's NBA Heat Check highlights the standout performers of the past month...
RUNNING HOT...
Jayson Tatum
Only the Suns (.867) had a better winning percentage in March than the Boston Celtics (.786, tied with the Memphis Grizzlies and Milwaukee Bucks) – and much of that was due to an outstanding month from three-time All-Star Tatum.
His 32.8 points per game in March ranked third behind LeBron James (34.3) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (33.3) but significantly appeared to represent a major leap, having averaged 25.7 to that point. It was the fourth-largest increase in scoring across the NBA last month.
It figures that Tatum's three-point shooting should also be up, as he made 4.2 threes per game in March, compared to 2.8 previously.
Tatum actually saw the fourth-largest decrease in rebounding, from 8.3 per game to 6.6, but the Celtics were down in this regard across the board and it did not seem to hamper them.
Jordan Poole
As the Celtics climbed in the East, the Golden State Warriors fell in the West – but Poole did more than most to keep them competitive.
Stephen Curry's absence for the second half of the month was the chief factor in the Warriors' fading form, yet Poole is increasingly proving he can be the man to fill the void when the team's superstar guard is out.
Poole was the sole player to see a greater increase in threes made than Tatum in March (2.3 per game to 4.2), while his scoring improved from 16.1 points per game to 25.4 – second only to Drew Eubanks in this regard (4.8 to 15.0).
Those are stunning statistics but remain in line with how Poole has played all season long when Curry has been out. He has started all 12 games he has played without Curry, averaging 35.7 minutes (up from 28.6), 10.7 three-point attempts (up from 6.8), 4.3 three-point makes (up from 2.4), 5.2 assists (up from 3.5) and, admittedly, 3.3 turnovers (up from 2.2).
While taking more shots, Poole's field-goal percentage decreases slightly without Curry, yet his three-point shooting and free-throw percentage are both up, perhaps showing Golden State a future beyond the two-time MVP.
Cade Cunningham
The Detroit Pistons are nowhere near the playoff picture, but March did wonders for Cunningham's Rookie of the Year hopes.
While Evan Mobley suffered an ankle sprain that makes another appearance before the end of the regular season far from certain, Cunningham averaged 22.9 points, up on 16.0. The number one overall pick is up to 17.6 for the year, leading all rookies.
GOING COLD...
D'Angelo Russell
Russell is merely the third man on the Minnesota Timberwolves, but that looked to be evidence of the team's depth of scoring options at the start of March.
Although the T-Wolves remain one of only five teams to have had three different players average 18 or more points while playing in at least 60 games, Russell's scoring has dipped significantly from 19.4 at the end of February to 18.0 now.
Having scored just 13.1 points per game in March, Russell saw the largest decrease in the league, while his fall in three-point shots made (3.0 to 1.7) was also the greatest.
The former Warrior has too often struggled for consistency this season, but his four-point performance in the face of intense Celtics defense last weekend was especially alarming.
Hideki Matsuyama's defence of his Masters title has been left in doubt after a neck injury forced the 30-year-old to withdraw from the Valero Texas Open.
Matsuyama became the first male Japanese golfer to win a major championship with last year's success at Augusta National, edging out American trio Will Zalatoris, Xander Schauffele, and Jordan Spieth in the final round for a one-stroke victory.
However, with less than a week remaining until the 2022 edition of the Masters begins on April 7, Matsuyama withdrew nine holes into his second round in San Antonio, citing a neck injury.
Reports have suggested that the 30-year-old has suffered a recurrence of the same injury which kept him out of The Players Championship last month, eventually won by Australia's Cameron Smith.
Matsuyama's most recent result saw him tie for 20th position at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and he has won two PGA titles since last year's Augusta triumph, winning the Zozo Championship on home soil last October before lifting Hawaii's Sony Open in a play-off in January.
Matsuyama sits 12th in the world rankings, and has made the top 10 in four of the 10 PGA events at which he has featured in the 2022 season.
Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant vented his frustration over perceived dirty play by the Milwaukee Bucks in Thursday's defeat but begrudgingly acknowledged they did an effective job on him.
Durant missed a three-point shot on the buzzer that would have given his Nets the win, but they ultimately went down 120-119 in overtime.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 44 points (14-of-21 shooting) for the Bucks to go with 14 rebounds and six assists, while Jrue Holiday finished with a game-high six steals.
The hotly contested matchup between two teams that played out a seven-game series in last year's playoffs featured a contentious moment late in overtime as Durant was fouled on a three-point attempt by Wesley Matthews, which was reviewed as a potential flagrant.
Speaking to post-game media, Durant made a point of it being the second time in as many games that he feels he was targeted with a dangerous foul.
"We all thought that was reckless, right?" Durant asked the media in attendance.
"I think technically, I have to be in the air and come down on his foot, and that's the flagrant… but as soon as I hit the floor, here he comes running at my leg.
"It wasn't a [basketball play] – I thought it was supposed to be a flagrant. But I didn't make the correct play to get a flagrant, I was supposed to still be in the air while he's underneath me.
"I'm hurting. That's two games in a row where players have walked up underneath me while I'm trying to make a basketball play, so my ankle hurts."
After discussion moved to the game itself, Durant got frustrated when a reporter asked if the reason the Nets lost this game had anything to do with chemistry, a subject often brought up in reference to Durant's close friend Kyrie Irving.
"It was just basketball mistakes – we're not going to play a perfect basketball game," he said.
"It always sucks when you lose, and you tend to think back on the mistakes that you made, but we try to play mistake-free basketball – everyone in this league does.
"Giannis [Antetokounmpo] had eight turnovers, Jrue [Holiday] had six. They had 14 turnovers between their two best players – I'm sure they don't want that either, but that's just the game.
"They hit one more shot than we did. I don't think it's because of a lack of chemistry, or we didn't play hard. It's just one of those games that didn't fall our way at the end."
Durant then paid some respect to the reigning champions and gave some details about the way the Bucks defended against him.
"They did a good job – they know [who I am], they know what it is," he said.
"If I get the ball out top, I'm seeing the whole team looking at me. Kyrie got the same treatment.
"Brook Lopez, he's played against me in the playoffs before. This team knows how to prepare for me.
"If I get a drive, if I get a lane, I'm hearing guys coming over to help, and they're calling for more help. It's only going to make me better as a player to see those looks.
"We shot the ball pretty well [as a team] – I think that's because we were making the right plays."
When asked if his sore ankle could force him to miss any games, Durant said no chance.
"No, I'm good," he said. "It's a little sore, you know how it goes."
Giannis Antetokounmpo saved some veiled censure for James Harden, as he surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the Milwaukee Bucks' all-time leading scorer on Thursday.
With 44 points, 14 rebounds and six assists, Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to a big 120-119 overtime win against Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets.
Drilling a step-back three to tie the game at the end of regulation, the 27-year-old broke the Bucks franchise record in the process.
Responding to prior criticism from James Harden that he only "runs and dunks" as a consequence of his height and mobility, the Greek forward was evidently pleased to have broken the record with elite skill on the step-back triple.
"I did not know about it, but it's good," he said post-game. "It's good because I'm changing the narrative. You know, I don't want to be the guy that only dunks and runs. I can make a three," Antetokounmpo said.
For the two-time MVP, his priorities remain based in team success.
"It doesn't really matter, because at the end of the day, if you don't have a successful season and if you don't try to keep getting better, and staying humble, and staying hungry to play all the way until May and June, nobody is going to remember this," Antetokounmpo added.
"So I just want to stay humble, I want us to stay humble. I feel like the more humble I get, and the more hungry I stay, the more things I can accomplish, the more art I can create... I just gotta keep staying humble, make my teammates great, win games, and good things like tonight are going to happen."
Naomi Osaka is through to her first tournament final since her 2021 Australian Open win, getting past Belinda Bencic 6-4 3-6 6-4 at the Miami Open on Thursday.
The reigning Olympic champion looked strong early, breaking twice to go up 4-1 as she took advantage of Osaka's second serve, winning nine of the 11 second serves she saw in the opening set.
As Osaka's success on second serve cleaned up in the second set, Bencic's avenue to victory vanished, unable to save either of the two break points she faced in the second set.
Osaka's first serve percentage shot up to 70 in the deciding set, winning 87 per cent of points on first serve (20-23) to shut the door. Despite Bencic breaking back once after going down a double-break, she was unable to stop her Japanese opponent from serving it out.
Speaking on court after her win, the Florida native was emotional, shedding some tears as she thanked the fans in attendance.
"I just wanted to say thank you everyone, the atmosphere was really good," she said.
"Damn, I'm always crying. I just wanted to say thank you, this tournament really means a lot to me and it's my first time in the finals here."
World number-one-in-waiting Iga Swiatek twice came back from a break down in the second set to overcome the challenge of American Jessica Pegula 6-2 7-5.
The straight sets win for the 20-year-old Polish star means she has now not dropped a set in eight straight matches dating back to the fourth round at the Indian Wells Open where she beat Angelique Kerber two sets to one.
Against Pegula, Swiatek was simply too strong in the opening set, breaking twice in four tries when Pegula's second serve was vulnerable, with the American only winning 27 per cent of her second serve points (4-15) in the opening frame.
The second set was far more competitive, but Swiatek remained just slightly better both on serve and in the return game in a set where four consecutive games resulted in breaks in a seesawing contest.
Pegula refused to let the top seed serve it out comfortably, saving two match points to extend the second set at 5-5. It was just delaying the inevitable as Swiatek broke back instantly and held her nerve, and serve, to avoid a tie-break.
After a hard-fought seven-game series in last year's NBA playoffs, the Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets added another chapter to their recent rivalry with an overtime thriller.
The Bucks ended up coming out on top 120-119 thanks to a mammoth performance from two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, finishing with 44 points on 14-of-21 shooting to go with 14 rebounds and six assists.
It was not just the raw numbers for Antetokounmpo, but the situations where he delivered, hitting a crucial step-back three to tie the game at 110-110 with less than 20 seconds remaining in regulation.
Down 118-119 with three seconds left in overtime, Antetokounmpo was fouled, and connected on both free throws to give the Bucks the lead and the win.
Jrue Holiday was crucial for the reigning champions, claiming six steals to go with his 19 points (six-of-18 shooting), eight rebounds and four assists.
Kevin Durant was terrific for the Nets, scoring 26 points on 10-of-21 from the field (three-of-six from long range) and also dishing out 11 assists, while Kyrie Irving chipped in with 25 points (nine-of-22 from the field) with five assists.
DeRozan's 50-piece leads comeback
The Chicago Bulls came back from an 11-point deficit with 4:58 remaining in regulation to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 135-130 in overtime.
After DeMar DeRozan hit three free throws in the final five seconds to tie the game and force overtime, the Clippers were forced to contest the extra period without star Paul George, who had hit his minutes restriction as he returns from a long-term elbow injury.
DeRozan went on to score 50 points on 17-of-26 shooting, while highly-regarded second-year forward Patrick Williams caught the eye coming off the bench, scoring 10 points without missing a shot while adding 12 rebounds and two blocks.
Cunningham shows class
Number one pick from this year's rookie class, Cade Cunningham, showed why he is viewed as a future star in this league as he led his Detroit Pistons to a 102-94 upset against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Cunningham was Detroit's best player, finishing with 27 points (12-of-20 shooting) to go with six assists and four steals and the Pistons out-scored the 76ers 29-15 in the final frame.
Joel Embiid was not to blame for the 76ers struggles, scoring 37 points on 11-of-19 shooting with 15 rebounds.
Daniil Medvedev believes he is in a good spot despite letting slip his chance to claim the world number one ranking at the Miami Masters, losing 6-7 (5-7) 3-6 to Hubert Hurkacz on Thursday.
Medvedev had to deal with dizziness and fatigue during the match, taking a medical timeout against the defending champion in Miami, and was disappointed he was not able to produce his best tennis.
The defeat means the 25-year-old will stay behind Novak Djokovic, who has not played on the ATP Tour since losing to Jiri Vesely back in the quarter-finals in Dubai.
Heading into the clay season, the Russian world number two is buoyant after a 4-2 record across Acapulco and Indian Wells.
"I'm kind of happy about the tournament in Miami in a way of tennis… I managed in Miami to find just a little spark to make it work," Medvedev said post-match.
"Today was not enough, but I'm happy that I saw that I'm able to do it. I'm in the right direction, so it's good."
Hurkacz will face Carlos Alcaraz, who made his second ATP 1000 semi-final after a thrilling 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 7-6 (7-5) victory against Miomir Kecmanovic.
Both Alcaraz and Kecmanovic exhibited extraordinary court coverage in a match-up between two of the more adept returners of serve on the tour, but the 18-year-old Spaniard could simply find a higher gear as points progressed.
Alcaraz played some inspired tennis to break back in the seventh game in the opening set, shifting Kecmanovic around the court to set up a stunning cross-court backhand pass for break point, before stepping in on the second serve to restore parity.
Despite Kecmanovic holding to love in his next two service games, it did not put consequent pressure on his teenage opponent, who forced a tie-break. However, Kecmaovic clawed back from a mini-break to take a riveting opening set.
Hitting 52 winners for the match, the world number 16 pulled out his best tennis of the match in Kecmanovic's opening service game of the second set, coming up with a magnificent lob on the run to set up the break.
Saving break point while serving for the set, he held out to force a deciding third. Coming back from a mini-break in the third set tie-break, Alcaraz ended the match on fitting note, scrambling to the net to slice past Kecmanovic at the end of a frenetic rally.
Russell Knox's bogey-free 65 earned him top spot on the Valero Texas Open leaderboard after the first round of action at TPC San Antonio.
The Scotsman was excellent all day, highlighted by his four consecutive birdies starting on the 12th hole to finish seven under.
He is one stroke ahead of Denmark's Rasmus Hojgaard, who eagled the par-five 18th to finish at six under and make up for his double-bogey on nine.
Speaking to the media after his round, Knox spoke about getting control of his driver, and the potential to play in next week's US Masters.
"I would love to win and get to play next week," he said.
"I know my game is good, so I've got to keep playing well and see if I can have a great finish.
"I've been a little more consistent tee to green. I'm back to kind of feeling like the way I should be playing, which has been nice.
"Off the tee's been kind of important for me. Over the last couple years I just kind of got off track slightly, hitting a few wayward tee shots.
"I've worked hard with my coach, Mark McCann, and we've really gone back to fundamentals, got my set-up correct and it just gives me the freedom to kind of swing away.
"I know it's never going to be perfect, but the last couple months it's really been a strength of mine again."
Matt Kuchar and Englishman Aaron Rai are in a four-player tie for third at five under, with India's Anirban Lahiri and Australian Matthew Jones part of the large contingent at four under.
In-form Canadian Corey Conners finished tied with Richard Bland and Tony Finau with a big group at two under, with Ian Poulter and Keegan Bradley one shot further back.
It was an up-and-down round for Rickie Fowler, with his bogey on 18 forcing him to accept even-par for the day, which he shared with stars Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth.
Bryson DeChambeau and Lee Westwood highlighted the group at plus one, while Jason Day and Hideki Matsuyama will be fighting to make the cut after carding plus two.
Manu Ginobili will become a first-ballot inductee to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, according to The Athletic.
Ginobili, who retired following the 2017-18 season, spent his entire 16-season NBA career with the San Antonio Spurs, winning championships in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014.
While he was a regular starter through his first few seasons with the Spurs – starting all 74 of his appearances during their 2005 championship season – Ginobili thrived in the 'sixth man' role after his third title.
In the highest scoring season of his career, Ginobili won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award and was named to the All-NBA Third Team in 2008, averaging 19.5 points per game while primarily coming off the bench.
He was also twice named an All-Star, in 2005, and in 2011, when he returned to the starting line-up for one season.
After 2011, Ginobili started just 10 of the 424 games he would play over the next seven seasons, but remained an all-important piece of the historic Spurs team to conquer LeBron James' Miami Heat in 2014.
As well as his NBA achievements, the Argentinian also collected a EuroLeague championship and EuroLeague Finals MVP in 2001 playing for Italian side Virtus Bologna, before eventually heading to the States.
He was also the best player on Argentina's 2004 Olympic team, which is the only team other than the United States to win Olympic gold since 1988.
Ginobili's jersey number has been retired by both the Spurs and the Argentine national team.
Daniil Medvedev missed the chance to return to the top of the rankings as he was beaten by Hubert Hurkacz in the quarter-finals of the Miami Open on Thursday.
Medvedev would have become world number one once again if he had defeated Hurkacz, but the defending champion won 7-6 (9-7) 6-3 on Hard Rock Stadium.
Novak Djokovic will remain the top-ranked male player on the planet thanks to Pole Hurkacz, who levelled his head-to-head record with the Russian at 2-2.
Carlos Alcaraz or Miomir Kecmanovic will do battle with eighth seed Hurkacz, who won 74 per cent of points on his first serve and broke Medvedev's serve three times, for a place in the final.
Hurkacz's win over the top seed was his second against a top-two player, with the first also coming against Medvedev at Wimbledon last year.
"I think the return was crucial. I was able to make a lot of returns and get some free points on my serve, because having rallies with Daniil is fun, but they get long,” Hurkacz said on his on-court interview.
"It is good I was able to get some free points. I have spent a lot of time in Florida, so I am used to the humidity. I think the conditions were in my favour today, so I tried to use them."
The Los Angeles Rams have signed former Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner on a five-year deal.
Wagner was released by the Seahawks earlier in March, fresh on the back of Russell Wilson's trade to the Denver Broncos, despite having a year to run on his contract.
The 31-year-old visited both the Baltimore Ravens and the Rams over the past week, and he has opted to stay in the NFC West with the reigning champions.
The Rams confirmed the news on their official website on Thursday, with reports suggesting the deal is worth an initial $50million, with a further $15m in incentives.
Wagner spent 10 seasons in NFL with the Seahawks and won the Super Bowl in 2013.
He played at an extremely high level for a struggling Seattle team in 2021, earning his eighth Pro Bowl selection and being named second-team All-Pro.
Since entering the NFL in 2012, only Lavonte David (867) has racked up more tackles than Wagner (817), who is third in pass breakups (60) and joint-fifth in interceptions (11).
A six-time first-team All-Pro, Wagner has recorded at least 104 total tackles in each of his 10 seasons so far.
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