LeBron James is deserving of MVP consideration but the Los Angeles Lakers' 31-42 record will work against him according to head coach Frank Vogel.
The four-time MVP has had an outstanding season for the Lakers, averaging a career-high 30.0 points per game, which is also the best in the NBA this season ahead of Joel Embiid (29.8) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (29.7).
James has played 54 of the Lakers' 73 games, shooting at 52 per cent from the field while averaging 8.2 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks.
The 37-year-old, however, has single-handedly carried the Lakers, who are 10th in the Western Conference and scrapping to make the Play-In Tournament.
"He is as deserving for MVP consideration as anybody in the league," Vogel told reporters on Friday.
"I know how the voting goes - the team with the best record or top couple of records usually gets most of those considerations, so the win-loss record definitely would probably hurt him.
"But you can't tell me that anybody has played a better season than LeBron James has this year."
Embiid, whose Philadelphia 76ers are 45-27, and Nikola Jokic, whose Denver Nuggets are 43-31, are the current favourites for the MVP, with James believed to be behind the likes of Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, Ja Morant, DeMar DeRozan and Devin Booker.
The 76ers center is averaging 29.8 points with 48 per cent shooting from the field along with 11.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists this season.
Reigning MVP Jokic is averaging 26.2 points at 57 per cent shooting with 13.5 rebounds and 7.9 assists and has had a league-high 18 triple-doubles.
Fifth seed Andrey Rublev has been eliminated from the Miami Open in the second round in straight sets by wild card world number 102 Nick Kyrgios on Friday.
The enigmatic Australian triumphed 6-3 6-0 in 52 minutes to clinch a third round clash with Italian Fabio Fognini, who won in three sets against Japanese Taro Daniel.
The victory marks Kyrgios' third win over a top 10 opponent in the past two tournaments, having topped both Casper Ruud and Jannik Sinner at Indian Wells earlier this month.
Rublev had won titles in Marseille and Dubai earlier this season but was not allowed to settle by Kyrgios who sent down 10-5 aces and had a first serve percentage of 80 per cent.
"I know that he's a player who relies on a bit of rhythm, so I just tried to keep the points short and sharp, just play aggressive," Kyrgios said after the match.
"I'm just happy with my performance, whether it's 7-6 in the third or something like this, I'm just happy to get through."
Second seed Alexander Zverev was made to work for victory against Croatian Borna Coric, winning 6-4 3-6 6-3 in two hours and one minute.
The win marks the 2018 Miami Open runner-up's first triumph at the event since that run to the final.
Sixth seed Ruud eased past Henri Laaksonen 6-1 6-2, while ninth seed Sinner defeated Emil Ruusuvuori 6-4 3-6 7-6 (10-8) in two hours and 40 minutes.
Several seeds were beaten included 13th seed Diego Schwartzman who went down 4-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-4 to Thanasi Kokkinakis. Seeds Lorenzo Sonego, Grigor Dimitrov, Reilly Opelka and John Isner also exited.
Gael Monfils defeated Oscar Otte 7-6 (11-9) 6-1, Pablo Carreno Busta won 6-3 6-2 over David Goffin and 10th seed Cameron Norrie won 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 over Jack Draper.
Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka will face off in the last-16 at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, after they secured progression from the group stage on Friday.
Top-seed Rahm was defeated 3 and 2 by Patrick Reed, who was already eliminated, while Koepka needed a birdie on the last hole to beat Shane Lowry and go 3-0 in group play.
Scottie Scheffler and Billy Horschel set up a replay of last year's Match Play final, after they won their respective groups.
Following a loss to Ian Poulter in the second round of play, Scheffler recovered strongly to defeat Matt Fitzpatrick 5 and 4, before then taking the playoff out with both at 2-1. Horschel tied with Thomas Pieters after 18 holes to guarantee his place.
Dustin Johnson went 3-0 in the group, after he was able to see off a closing two birdies from Max Homa and win 1-up.
He will face 49-year-old Richard Bland, who went 2 and 1 over countryman Lee Westwood to finish Group 9 with two wins and a tie.
Seamus Power lost his final game to Keith Mitchell in Group 4, but still managed to top the group and secure a last-16 tie against Tyrell Hatton. In the process, the 35-year-old Irishman has also secured his first Masters appearance.
Collin Morikawa secured passage to the knockout phase, defeating Jason Kokrak 1-up, while Adam Scott, Abraham Ancer, Kevin Kisner also managed to make the last-16.
Meanwhile at the Corales Puntacana Championship, Ben Martin leads Alex Smalley by two strokes after 36 holes, shooting another six-under 66 for the day.
Former French Open champion Iga Swiatek has risen to world number one in the wake of Ashleigh Barty's retirement with a 6-2 6-0 win over Viktorija Golubic at the WTA Miami Open on Friday, sealing her ascent.
Swiatek, who won recent WTA 1000 events this year at Indian Wells and Doha, cruised to victory in one hour and 14 minutes over the Swiss.
The 20-year-old Pole, who won the French Open in 2020 and reached this year's Australian Open semi-finals, will officially become the top-ranked player when the rankings are updated on Monday April 4.
Barty's name will be removed from the rankings at her request having announced her shock retirement earlier this week at the age of 25, despite winning this year's Australian Open and last year's Wimbledon titles.
Swiatek is the 28th woman to reach the summit in the WTA rankings, becoming the youngest player at the top since Caroline Wozniacki in 2010. She will become Poland's first-ever number one in tennis history.
The Pole extended her winning streak to 12 matches against Golubic, taking her to a tour-high 21 wins this year, in a match where she saved eight of nine break points and took six of the nine she generated.
Swiatek's main immediate competition for the top rank was fifth seed Paula Badosa who got past Marie Bouzkova 7-5 7-5 in two hours and three minutes.
Badosa, who got the edge by grinding out games under pressure, will face Yulia Putintseva in the third round after she won 6-3 4-6 7-5 over Lesia Tsurenko.
Fourth seed Maria Sakkari was bundled out of contention following a shock 4-6 6-1 6-2 loss to Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia.
Two-time major winner Petra Kvitova needed three sets to get past Clara Burel, winning 6-1 3-6 6-3 in one hour and 45 minutes.
Jessica Pegula beat Sloane Stephens 6-1 6-4, Cori Gauff got past Qiang Wang 7-5 6-4 and 20th seed Elise Mertens went down 7-5 2-6 6-1 to Linda Fruhvirtova.
Scott Fitterer says Sam Darnold is "in the lead" to be the Carolina Panthers starting quarterback for the 2022 NFL season but the "door's still open" for Cam Newton to land the role.
Panthers general manager Fitterer on Friday revealed Darnold is the frontrunner to start under center when the new campaign gets under way.
Carolina missed out on Deshaun Watson, who was traded to the Cleveland Browns last week.
That leaves Darnold and P.J. Walker as the only quarterbacks on the roster, with the 24-year-old set to get the nod.
"Sam's on the roster as I sit here right now," Fitterer said. "He's in the lead for that job. We want him to take it and run with it.
"But we're gonna add a lot of competition to that room. The whole emphasis is to stabilise the quarterback position to play winning football."
That competition could come in the form of Newton, who rejoined the Panthers last November after Darnold sustained a shoulder injury.
A former number one overall pick, Newton's return did not go to plan as Carolina lost all five games he started.
The 32-year-old threw for 684 yards and had five interceptions, but Fitterer says he is being considered by the Panthers.
"The thing with Cam, it's got to be a fit for us and it’s got to be a fit for him just as well," Fitterer said.
"He’s looking for a certain opportunity. The door's still open for us. We're very open to Cam. We'll see where it goes. He knows where we stand."
Dave Roberts has signed a three-year extension with the Los Angeles Dodgers, keeping him under contract through the 2025 MLB season.
Roberts had been about to enter the final year of his existing agreement as the Dodgers' manager.
But the team have struck a deal with their World Series-winning manager two weeks before their 2022 opener against the Colorado Rockies.
"I'm very happy to have the opportunity to continue leading this great team into the future," Roberts said in a statement.
"To be able to wear the Dodgers uniform, and represent this world-class organisation on and off the field, is truly an honour.
"From the players to the front office staff, every single person affiliated with the club has played a vital role in the team's success throughout my tenure.
"I look forward to continuing our quest to be the best in baseball each and every year."
Roberts was named Dodgers manager in 2016 after only a single game in charge of the San Diego Padres as interim manager the previous season.
He was the National League Manager of the Year in his first season in LA, then led the Dodgers to the World Series in each of the next two years, losing to the Houston Astros and the Boston Red Sox.
Roberts had been a member of the Red Sox team that ended the Curse of the Bambino by winning the World Series in 2004.
And he finally delivered success for the Dodgers in 2020, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 4-2 for their first World Series title since 1988.
Roberts is targeting further glory this year, telling The Dan Patrick Show this week: "We are winning the World Series. That's our focus. That's our goal."
The 49-year-old has a 542-330 record as manager in the major leagues, his .622 winning percentage the best of anyone in National League or American League history and fifth all-time behind four Negro Leagues managers.
James Wiseman will not see the court in his second season in the NBA after the Golden State Warriors made the decision to shut him down for the year.
Wiseman's rookie season was cut short by a meniscal tear in his right knee, for which he underwent surgery last April.
The center – the second overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft – had averaged 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds across his first 39 professional games.
But Wiseman has not added to those numbers in 2021-22, spending the entire season rehabilitating his knee.
Now, with only nine games of the regular season remaining, the Warriors have confirmed the 20-year-old will not return – even with a playoff campaign to come.
Warriors general manager Bob Myers explained the decision in a statement released by the team on Friday.
"We've maintained throughout his entire rehabilitation process that we're going to be patient and look out for James' best interests in what we anticipate to be a long and successful career," Myers said. "As a 20-year-old, his entire career is ahead of him.
"For us, as an organisation, our focus is on James' long-term health, and we're confident – and our doctors are confident – that this long-term approach will help James become the player we believe he will evolve into when he returns to the court."
Coach Steve Kerr added his input when meeting with the media as the Warriors prepared for their game against the Atlanta Hawks.
"Ultimately, it's very simple: we're just protecting James' future," Kerr said. "It makes the most sense to go this route.
"I feel terrible for James – he's been through so much already in just two seasons – but his long-term health looks good, the knee looks sound.
"It's just a decision that we feel makes the most sense for his own best interest and our best interest as well."
Kerr explained it was a call made "in the name of being cautious" as Wiseman's knee is "structurally sound, but he has swelling".
"It didn't make sense to play him over the next couple of weeks, that's where the knee is," the coach added.
And Kerr is confident the Warriors will not be left short at center in their postseason run.
"I still feel really good about our roster and the situation at center with Draymond [Green] and Loon [Kevon Looney] and Bjeli [Nemanda Bjelica], JK [Jonathan Kuminga] can play small-ball five, Otto [Porter Jr.] as well," he said. "I feel fine about our depth there."
Kevin Durant says it is an "exciting time" for Brooklyn Nets fans as Kyrie Irving prepares to make a long-awaited appearance at Barclays Center on Sunday.
Irving has not been able to play at home this season after he opted against taking a coronavirus vaccine.
The seven-time NBA All-Star will be back in action at Barclays Center against the Charlotte Hornets this weekend, though, after New York City Mayor Eric Adams lifted the mandate for unvaccinated athletes and performers.
Durant welcomed that decision and says having Irving available for all games has given Brooklyn a major lift.
The forward said on Friday: "It's a long time coming. It's an exciting time for Brooklyn Nets fans and New York fans to see one of our own back on the floor at home.
"It means a lot to our team, happy to have him back, and look forward to finishing the season strong. I'm glad this is all behind us."
The Nets (38-35) are eighth in the Eastern Conference in a season that has not gone to plan.
But Durant has no interest in dwelling on the past as they look to build momentum with Irving set for a happy homecoming.
"There's no crying over spilled milk. It is what it is," Durant said. "But I'm not naive to the fact that the Mets and the Yankees, they have a lot of power in our city.
"I'm sure once they all helped and had conversations with whoever they needed to talk to, it was able to push it over the top.
"So, sports is a huge factor in a lot of these major cities, and I'm glad we can get things done for everybody to move forward. I know New York City fans are excited about it."
Marquez Valdes-Scantling is eagerly anticipating the opportunity to link up with Patrick Mahomes on the Kansas City Chiefs, even if he had to think long and hard about leaving Aaron Rodgers' Green Bay Packers.
Valdes-Scantling became a free agent after the 2021 NFL season and followed fellow Packers receiver Davante Adams out of Green Bay.
Like Adams, Valdes-Scantling ended up in the AFC West, tasked with helping to fill the void left by Tyreek Hill after he departed the Chiefs for the Miami Dolphins.
Rather than be daunted by the prospect of filling in for a six-time Pro Bowler, though, Valdes-Scantling revealed he only considered the Chiefs when Hill was traded.
The 27-year-old had spent his entire time with the Packers playing second fiddle to Adams, averaging 4.2 targets per game across his NFL career while his team-mate enjoyed 10.8 targets per game over that period.
Valdes-Scantling was used in recent years almost solely as a deep-ball threat, leading all NFL receivers with 50 or more targets in consecutive seasons in terms of depth of target – 17.6 yards downfield on average in 2021, slightly down on 18.3 yards in 2020.
Hill's departure means Mahomes will have to look elsewhere for a downfield option, but Valdes-Scantling might see an opportunity to have a more prominent role in Kansas City.
"Kansas City really wasn't on my radar [at first]," he told reporters on Friday. "My agent called me and said, 'Tyreek may be traded out of there. Would you be interested in hearing what they have to say?' And I said, 'Yeah, 100 per cent.'
"I'd been talking to a bunch of teams for a week, just kind of weeding everything out, trying to make the best decision, doing a lot of praying about it.
"The opportunity came and I said, 'Of course I'd be interested, I'd love to play with Pat.'"
Each of the 13 touchdown passes Valdes-Scantling has caught to date have been thrown by four-time MVP Rodgers, but Mahomes is one of the few rival quarterbacks capable of operating at the same level.
"Obviously, me and Aaron have a great relationship," the receiver said. "It was really tough to even walk away.
"I still had that opportunity on the table to go in and play with him for the rest of his career – whether that would be one year, two, three or however long he decides to go in and play.
"I walked away from that opportunity and walked into one with a very similar quarterback. Obviously, talent-wise, they've both been MVPs, both won Super Bowls, so obviously both are [excellent] football players.
"I just think that having this opportunity to build something long-term with Pat is going to be life-changing."
The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is to go ahead as planned despite an attack on an oil facility close to the Jeddah circuit.
Smoke was seen billowing into the sky for miles around during Friday's practice session, with Yemen's Houthi rebels claiming responsibility for the explosion.
The incident occurred at an Aramco refinery roughly 12 miles from the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, which staged the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in December last year.
Friday's second practice session was delayed briefly as drivers and team principals were summoned by Formula One CEO Stefano Domenicali, but it was later confirmed the event has not been cancelled.
An F1 statement read: "F1 has been in close contact with the relevant authorities following the situation that took place today.
"The authorities have confirmed the event can continue as planned and we will remain in close contact with them and all the teams and closely monitor the situation."
Saudi Arabia has been fighting the Houthi forces since March 2015 in response to the latter ousting Yemen's previous president.
Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani will get an early opportunity to display his two-way talents again in MLB in 2022, starting at both pitcher and designated hitter on Opening Day.
Ohtani was the clear American League MVP in 2021 after starring on the mound as well as at the plate.
The Japanese sensation finished the season with a 3.18 ERA and 9-2 record while hitting 46 home runs – third behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Salvador Perez (both 48).
A new rule this season, which allows Ohtani to continue to hit in the lineup after he exits as a pitcher, should work to the Angels' benefit.
It was no surprise then that manager Joe Maddon confirmed on Friday the 27-year-old would be the team's starter at home to the Houston Astros on April 7.
"It just tastes right, feels right, is right," Maddon said, before detailing the conversation he had with Ohtani.
"It was, 'Well, if I have to.' Something like that. He's self-deprecating. He's got that kind of sense of humour. He's a good man."
The Angels will be hoping for a much-improved season in 2022, having finished last year fourth in the AL West with a 77-85 record, missing the playoffs for a seventh straight year.
Those underwhelming results led Ohtani, who is out of contract after the 2023 season, to express his frustration about playing on a losing team, prompting suggestions he wanted to leave LA.
Deshaun Watson's presentation as the Cleveland Browns' new quarterback was dominated by questions around allegations of sexual assault and misconduct.
Watson faces 22 civil lawsuits, although two grand juries have now concluded there was not enough evidence for criminal proceedings.
The allegations, which emerged last year, overshadowed the player's attempts to secure a trade away from the Houston Texans, instead sitting on the sideline for the entire 2021 NFL season.
Watson eventually got his move after a first grand jury did not indict him, landing on the Browns.
The 26-year-old, appearing alongside Browns general manager Andrew Berry and coach Kevin Stefanski on Friday, described the opportunity as "a fresh start".
However, he also recognises "there's going to be a stain that's probably going to stick with me for a while".
Indeed, despite Watson discussing a belief he could win Super Bowls in Cleveland, most news conference queries centred on matters away from the field.
Watson said he did not intend to settle the civil lawsuits, explaining: "That's not my intent. My intent is to clear my name as much as possible."
And the QB continues to strenuously deny the allegations made against him.
"I don't have any regrets," Watson said. "The things that are off the field right now that came up caught me by surprise, because I never did anything that these people are alleging.
"And I know a lot of people say that I took the year off and I used that to be able to clear my name, like the previous two weeks, and I just continue to fight that.
"I just continue to work and become a better person, a better player and just a better son, like my mom has always taught me."
Meanwhile, Berry would not speculate on whether he thought there was any wrongdoing by Watson, responding to such a question: "We feel very confident in Deshaun the person.
"We have a lot of faith in him and we believe that as he gets into the community and our organisation, he's going to make a positive impact."
James Harden has backed his Philadelphia 76ers teammate Joel Embiid to be named as the NBA's MVP.
Embiid has been one of the top performers in the league this season, and his points per game average of 29.8 is second only to LeBron James (30.0), also averaging 11.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists.
Harden – who moved to the Sixers in a blockbuster trade with the Brooklyn Nets in February – has been impressed with Embiid since arriving in Philadelphia.
When asked about the Cameroonian's MVP prospects, Harden told ESPN: "He deserves it, man. I've only been here for a few weeks, but I already see his mindset. He wants to win.
"Some guys just want numbers, but he has both. He has the mentality of winning, and he scores the ball at a high level. I think he's prepared himself, especially coming off last year, for this year to be one of his best years.
"Most of the games he's played this year, we've been fighting for the number one seed.
"And he's not only top two, top three in scoring, but he's impactful to our team winning."
Harden is averaging 22.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 10.2 assists across the season, and has won nine of his 12 appearances for the Sixers so far.
Embiid and Harden recorded 54 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists between them in Wednesday's 126-121 win at the Los Angeles Lakers.
Oleksandr Usyk has confirmed he is preparing for his rematch with Anthony Joshua despite having returned to Ukraine to defend his country.
Usyk outclassed Joshua to claim the WBA Super, WBO and IBF titles in a unanimous points decision at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last September.
Joshua activated his rematch clause, but the contest was initially thrown into doubt when it appeared a step-aside deal that would have allowed Usyk to face Tyson Fury instead was in place, but that reportedly fell through when money could not be agreed with Joshua's camp.
There were further complications added when the Ukrainian fighter returned home following Russia's invasion.
However, Usyk took to Instagram on Friday to confirm the rematch will take place and that he is preparing, posting a video accompanied by the words: "I decided to start preparing for a rematch with Anthony Joshua, a large number of my friends support me, all the rest of the good and peace, Thank God for everything."
Promoter Eddie Hearn recently said Joshua could take an interim fight if he is made to wait for another bout with Usyk, but was confident the two would face each other at the end of June.
"I do think Usyk will take that fight next, we're looking at the end of June for that fight and that’s when the fight has got to take place by," Hearn said on the DAZN Boxing Show.
"If he's not ready, we'll push for an interim fight, but my gut feeling right now, and this could change is that you will be seeing Anthony Joshua v Oleksandr Usyk for the unified world heavyweight championship next."
Lewis Hamilton is eager to get his teeth stuck into another Formula One title challenge as soon as possible, but his Mercedes continues to struggle in 2022.
New regulations in F1 this season, introduced to encourage "closer racing", have already shaken up the grid – to Hamilton's detriment.
Charles Leclerc led a Ferrari one-two at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, while Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez would both have finished ahead of Hamilton, too, had Red Bull not suffered a dramatic double retirement.
The seven-time champion has been honest enough to acknowledge his W13 car lacks the pace of its rivals, but that does not mean he is happy to take a back seat.
"I don't currently feel too stressed, but I want to get in the fight as soon as possible," Hamilton said ahead of FP1 at the Saudi Arabian GP on Friday.
"The last race was an amazing feeling for us, given where we thought we were going to be, to come out with the result that we did.
"But we can't rely every weekend on that to happen, so we need to move fast, and move forward as fast as we can."
Hamilton would likely have been frustrated then by his performance in the first practice session later in the day, running in an alarming ninth as Leclerc and Ferrari again set the pace.
While Red Bull are confident they have mastered the issues that prompted their Bahrain DNFs, there is little evidence so far of Mercedes getting to grips with the porpoising that has caused Hamilton such problems.
Mercedes team-mate George Russell was down in 15th on Friday, but he at least appears a little more patient in his first year with the team.
"In Formula One, things change incredibly quickly," Russell said. "We are very fortunate that the calendar is not very dense at the start of this season, and even if it's a couple of months, we're only six or seven races down out of a 23-race season.
"If you come out of the blocks incredibly fast after the summer break, even as Mercedes and Lewis did last year, you're still in with a shot.
"So, we need to be in almost damage limitation mode at the moment, pick up the pieces where there's an opportunity, and don't throw away unnecessary points."
Mercedes have not failed to take either a pole position or race win through two grands prix of a season since 2013.
Meanwhile, Russell could become the second Silver Arrows driver – after Michael Schumacher in 2010 – to complete three races without reaching the podium, having deputised for Hamilton once while with Williams.
Red Bull say they have located and fixed the problem that forced the team into a double DNF at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix last weekend.
Reigning world champion Max Verstappen and team-mate Sergio Perez saw their respective challenges falter in the final laps after both suffered mechanical malfunctions.
Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, along with Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton, instead made up the podium as their rivals were left empty-handed.
But ahead of this weekend's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Red Bull revealed they have identified the issue as a lack of fuel pressure late on, and have now rectified the problem.
"The correct amount of fuel was in both cars, but a vacuum prevented the pumps from drawing fuel and delivering it to the engine," said a team spokesperson.
"We've taken the necessary steps to correct this issue and we expect no problems this weekend."
Red Bull will look to get their first points of the season on the board in Jeddah, where Verstappen took a second-place finish behind Hamilton last year.
The race will proceed without Sebastian Vettel, as the Aston Martin driver and four-time world champion continues to recover from COVID-19.
Max Stassi has committed to the Los Angeles by signed a three-year extension, the team confirmed on Thursday.
The 31-year-old catcher has signed a new deal worth $17.5 million, which includes a "$7.5m club option with a $500,000 buyout for the 2025 season", according to an official announcement on the team's website.
Stassi had previously agreed to a $3m contract for the 2022 season to avoid arbitration, though this new deal enabled the Angels to buy out two free agency years, with the possibility of three should they pick up the club option.
Since joining the Angels from the Houston Astros in 2019, Stassi has proven himself to be one of the better catchers in Major League Baseball, particularly impressing in his offense.
During the shortened 2020 season he batted .278/.352/.533, with nine extra-base hits in 105 appearances at the plate, before hitting .241/.326/.426 with 13 homers and 35 RBIs in 87 games in 2021.
The Angels beat the Chicago Cubs, 5-4, on Thursday at Tempe Diablo Stadium in a Cactus League Spring training game.
Devin Booker demanded respect and the recognition he considers overdue as the Phoenix Suns clinched top spot in the Western Conference.
With a 60-14 record so far, the Suns will finish the regular season with the NBA's best win-loss record, and now they can start to think about chasing the franchise's first championship.
Defeat to the Milwaukee Bucks in last season's NBA Finals has only served to galvanise Monty Williams' Phoenix team this time around, and Booker made his appeal after scoring a season-high 49 points in a 140-130 win over the Denver Nuggets.
Booker was annoyed when at the pre-game arena team announcement on Thursday, his face was not shown on screen. Booker said that, instead, the screen showed Clippers guard Amir Coffey.
"That was disrespectful. I was laughing. I know that was purposefully done," he said.
"It's all fun and games, but we got the last laugh and every other laugh for the last few games against them. It's a good team they've got over there to put that up there because it got me going for sure."
The Arizona Republic newspaper said a Nuggets official had denied that error was deliberate.
Booker said the Suns would continue to talk themselves up, even if they consider there is insufficient attention on their achievements from elsewhere.
The Suns have secured the NBA's best record for the third time in franchise history, following on from 1992-93 and 2004-05.
"The vibes are there, man," he said. "Everybody's proud of each other.
"We're not the type of team to act like we haven't done nothing. We always talk about celebrating everything, and 60 wins is something I never even thought of."
Booker spoke of "day-to-day grind" and the hunger to keep improving and progressing.
"It's turned into something really nice," he said. "Now we have the one seed locked up, been winning basketball games for two years straight now.
"This team needs some flowers. Coach Monty should have been coach of the year last year. There's so much that I feel doesn't get talked about in this team.
"We've done a good job of not worrying about what people say about us, but it needs some recognition."
Sebastian Vettel will miss this weekend's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as he continues his COVID-19 recovery.
The Aston Martin team announced on Friday that Vettel would be replaced for a second successive race by Nico Hulkenberg.
He missed the team's deadline to show he was race fit, after it was disclosed on Thursday that Vettel had yet to test negative for the coronavirus.
Four-time world champion Vettel had been hoping for a significant upturn in his recent fortunes this season, but it has begun in disappointing fashion for the German.
He had to sit out last weekend's opener in Bahrain after testing positive, and now he will have to watch from afar again as racing goes ahead in Jeddah.
Reserve driver Hulkenberg finished 17th in Bahrain, with Lance Stroll 12th, as the Aston Martin team failed to finish in the points.
Aston Martin said in a Twitter statement on Friday: "@HulkHulkenberg will practice, qualify and race alongside @lance_stroll. Despite lack of mileage in the #AMR22, Nico coped well in Bahrain and we are sure he will do likewise in Jeddah. We expect Sebastian Vettel to be fit for the #AustralianGP."
Vettel, 34, won his world titles consecutively from 2010 to 2013, and he joined Aston Martin ahead of the 2021 season.
The Australian Grand Prix weekend runs from April 8-10 in Melbourne.
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