The Toronto Blue Jays' prized recruit George Springer is "extremely motivated" to be ready for Opening Day after being diagnosed with an oblique strain.
Toronto lured 2017 MLB World Series champion and MVP Springer to Canada on a six-year, $150million contract via free agency – the largest deal in franchise history.
But Springer's preparations for the April 1 MLB opener against American League (AL) East rivals the New York Yankees have been interrupted by a strained oblique muscle.
Former Houston Astros star Springer, though, is not expected to miss a lot of action for the entertaining Blue Jays.
"The MRI revealed an injury that he is able to play baseball with," Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said on Tuesday.
"He is extremely motivated and driven to be ready for Opening Day."
Springer leads MLB with 136 home runs from the lead-off spot since 2015. The Blue Jays as a team have 129 homers from the lead-off spot over that time, per Stats Perform.
A two-time Silver Slugger, Springer has 39 lead-off home runs in his career – fourth most all-time behind Rickey Henderson (73), Ian Kinsler (48) and Brady Anderson (44).
Springer has recorded seven career World Series home runs – most from the lead-off spot all-time – and he is 19-for-56 (.339) in the World Series in his career. No other current Blue Jays player has a World Series hit in their career.
The three-time All-Star's 174 home runs since debuting in MLB via Houston are third most by an Astro in a player's first seven career seasons, behind only Jeff Bagwell (187) and Lance Berkman (180).
Meanwhile, Atkins said reliever Kirby Yates is expected to have season-ending surgery on his right elbow.
An All-Star in 2019, Yates only joined the Blue Jays from the San Diego Padres this offseason.
Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball underwent surgery to address a fracture in his right wrist, the NBA franchise announced on Tuesday.
The Hornets said the surgery was successful for Rookie of the Year favourite Ball, who will have his wrist immobilised before being re-evaluated in four weeks.
Ball is reportedly set to miss the remainder of his first season in the league after hurting his wrist in Saturday's 125-98 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.
The 19-year-old has taken the NBA by storm since being drafted by the Hornets with the third pick last year.
Ball has been averaging 15.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.59 steals (seventh in the NBA) per game this season.
Among rookie leaders, Ball ranks first in assists and steals, second in scoring and is tied for second in rebounds.
Ball is the only player over the last 60 years to lead all rookies in total points, rebounds, assists and steals at the All-Star Break.
Last month, Ball joined Stephen Curry (2010) and Jason Kidd (1995) as the only rookies with seven-plus threes and 10-plus assists in a game and is the youngest to do so.
Ball also became the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double in January.
Three-time champion Venus Williams was dumped out of the Miami Open on Monday in straight sets by Kazakhstan's Zarina Diyas.
Diyas, ranked 89th in the world, had lost her only previous match against seven-time major winner Williams, but saw off the American 6-2 7-6 (12-10).
"I'm very happy with the win, it was very tough," Diyas said after her victory. "Venus, I looked up to her when I was little, she's such a legend. So for me, it's a really special win."
Elsewhere, Shelby Rogers overcame fellow American Madison Brengle 6-3 6-3 to set up a second-round clash with fifth seed Elina Svitolina.
"I'm really happy to get through that one, she's a really tricky player," Rogers said. "It's actually my first win at this site. The last time I was here, I was spectating, as an injured person! So I'm very happy to be here."
There were also wins for Magda Linette, Sorana Cirstea, Barbora Krejcikova and Kaia Kanepi, while Ajla Tomljanovic beat Anastasia Potapova to seal a clash against second seed Naomi Osaka in the next round.
The British and Irish Lions' tour of South Africa is set to go ahead as planned later this year after proposals to stage matches elsewhere were rejected.
Due to continued complications surrounding the coronavirus crisis, questions were raised over whether the Lions would be able to travel to South Africa for the eight-match trip.
But rather than host matches in the UK and Ireland, or take up Australia's offer to play games Down Under, it has been decided to press ahead with the original itinerary
The Lions and SA Rugby released a joint statement on Tuesday to confirm an agreement is in place over the staging of the tour, which begins on July 3 and continues into early August.
"After reviewing information relating to the various contingency scenarios being considered, I can confirm that the board's intended position is for the Tour to go ahead as scheduled in South Africa in 2021," said Lions chairman Jason Leonard.
"We acknowledge that there is a significant amount of work still to be undertaken to deliver a robust Covid-19 countermeasure plan to ensure a successful, safe and uninterrupted Tour. SA Rugby will have our full support to help implement this plan."
However, the original plan for the Lions to play five warm-up matches against provincial teams, an invitational side and second-string South Africa A before the three-Test series with the Springboks could still change.
"We appreciate the Lions' faith and share their desire to see a safe and successful tour,” said SA Rugby president Mark Alexander in the same statement.
"We have been in regular contact with our government to make that a reality against the backdrop of the pandemic and its predicted progression over the coming months.
"There are serious financial implications for SA Rugby, should the event take place without any supporters in attendance, and we cannot ignore that in our considerations.
"But we are determined that the eventual outcome will deliver the best occasion and experience for players, supporters and our commercial partners."
Speaking earlier on Tuesday, RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney acknowledged the preferred contingency plan of staging the tour in the UK had become increasingly unviable.
"It was always the preferred option to go to South Africa," he said. "We had to develop a whole range of different scenarios given the potential outcomes and one of those was a UK series.
"It's quite controversial as it's not the spirit of the Lions, but as fall-back option, we thought it was a strong one. If they can't host it, the agreement's off and we've probably run out of time to host it in the UK, so you play in 2025."
Lions coach Warren Gatland is due to announce a squad for the tour at the start of May, with the first warm-up match to be played on home soil on Murrayfield against Japan on June 26.
Andy Murray will not feature at the Miami Open after withdrawing from the tournament because of a groin injury.
The former world number one and three-time grand slam champion has featured only twice on the ATP Tour this season, losing in the first round in Montpellier before going one better in Rotterdam, where he was beaten by Andrey Rublev.
He withdrew from this month's Dubai Tennis Championships to be with his wife as she gave birth to their fourth child.
And his return to action has been delayed again, with Murray missing out on a tournament he has won twice.
The 33-year-old beat Novak Djokovic in the 2009 final and defeated David Ferrer to lift the trophy four years later. He lost to Djokovic in the final in 2012 and 2015.
Murray holds a 28-9 record in Miami, where he had been given a wild card. His place in the draw will be filled by a qualifier or a lucky loser.
The Scot has not competed in a Masters 1000 event since 2016, the next event at that level on the calendar is next month's Monte Carlo Masters.
England will conduct a "brutally honest" internal review of their Six Nations performance but will not rush the decision on the future of Eddie Jones.
The 2019 World Cup finalists finished fifth in this year's Six Nations tournament, losing all three games against Scotland, Wales and Ireland for the first time since 1976.
A spirited victory over France had restored some credibility to the side after a shock 11-6 home defeat to Scotland and a resounding 40-24 loss in Cardiff, but their campaign concluded last weekend with a 32-18 reverse in Dublin.
England conceded 121 points in their five games, more than in any previous Five or Six Nations championship, leaving Jones' position as head coach under serious scrutiny.
Bill Sweeney, CEO of the Rugby Football Union (RFU), accepted there was huge disappointment around their performance and that tough questions must be asked as they attempt to build a squad capable of winning the World Cup in two years' time.
However, he insisted on Tuesday that any possible changes to the team will be given great consideration.
Asked to summarise England's Six Nations campaign, Sweeney replied: "How long have you got?
"It's a tough question. We're all incredibly disappointed. England don't go into a Six Nations to come fifth, which is why we'll have a thorough debrief.
"We had a debrief scheduled for May and we'll probably bring it forward to April. It needs to be a thorough, brutally honest analysis of what went wrong and why.
"Since Japan, our focus is on going and winning a World Cup in France.
"You'd expect us to do an absolute and full debrief. You have to recognise and respect Eddie's achievements since he's been here: three Six Nations championships, a grand slam, a World Cup final - that's a tremendous performance.
"But he wants to understand this as much as anybody and we want to let him talk to us about what happened in the Six Nations and are we on track to where we want to get to in 2023.
"It's really important at this stage to apply good old English calm. We have to react, we won't do nothing, but it's important not to overreact. We won't leave any stone unturned in trying to understand it.
"It's a young squad, it was the youngest ever team in a World Cup final, and yet we're in a period of transition. It's unusual. When you're in transition, you want to make sure you're heading in the right direction.
"I don't think I can honestly answer [if he will be sacked]. He's as disappointed as we are, and we'll do this debriefing session together."
Houston Rockets coach Stephen Silas was like a new man after his team finally ended a 20-match losing streak in the NBA.
Silas was left distraught after Sunday's narrow 114-112 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, but felt a huge weight lifted off his shoulders following a long-awaited victory over the Toronto Raptors the next day.
Houston were in the midst of a franchise-record drought – the Rockets' skid tied for the ninth-worst in NBA history and the longest since the Philadelphia 76ers' 28-game losing streak across the 2014-15 and 2015-16 campaigns.
But the Rockets recorded an overdue victory on Monday, celebrating their first win since February 4 behind John Wall's 19 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a 117-99 triumph over the Toronto Raptors.
"It's like indescribable for a win in March of this crazy season," Silas said.
"I'm just so proud of the guys. When you're like going through it and fighting so hard and you just see the disappointment in the players' faces after loss after loss after loss.
"Then to go into the locker room after today's game and everybody's just happy and joyous, I mean, it's super cool and great.
"I was down and out yesterday. It seems like a week ago now. We regroup, we come together, and it feels a lot better just because I know it feels great for the players.
"Like, whatever for me, but I'm just so happy for those guys that they don't have to hear about it and deal with it."
The game saw Wall's first triple-double since March 2016 as the Raptors crashed to a ninth consecutive defeat – now the league's longest active losing run.
And Wall conceded it had been a tough spell to endure, one he was glad to see come to an end.
"Losing 20 straight, we haven't been healthy, but that's not an excuse because everybody's been going through health and safety protocols and injuries," he said.
"We just went out there and competed, no matter what and what was going on."
Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry will miss Tuesday's clash against the Philadelphia 76ers as he struggles with a tailbone bruise.
Curry has been sidelined since hurting his back in the Warriors' win over the Houston Rockets in the NBA on Wednesday.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr – while optimistic Curry will return soon – said the former two-time MVP will sit out his third consecutive game.
"He's not going to play [Tuesday]," Kerr told reporters following Monday's practice. "He did not practice today.
"He's still pretty sore. And so we're going to continue to list him as day-to-day, but still sore today and went through some activities in the training room, strengthening, and movement-wise.
"And he's not ready to go ... I talked to him today, he just said 'It's still sore'."
Kerr, ahead of his team's showdown with the Eastern Conference leaders, added: "It's not something we're concerned about. But it's obviously going to take more time."
Curry is averaging 29.0 points (fifth best in the NBA), 6.2 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game for the Warriors this season.
The three-time NBA champion has made the most three-pointers in the league in 2020-21 (182), while his three-point average of 4.7 is the best in the NBA.
The Houston Rockets snapped their 20-game losing streak after John Wall posted his first triple-double since 2016 in a 117-99 win against the slumping Toronto Raptors.
Houston were in the midst of a franchise-record drought – the Rockets' skid tied for the ninth-worst in NBA history and the worst since the Philadelphia 76ers and their record-setting 28-game losing streak across the 2014-15 and 2015-16 campaigns.
But the Rockets recorded an overdue victory on Monday, celebrating their first win since February 4 behind Wall's 19 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
It was Wall's first triple-double since March 2016 as the Raptors crashed to a ninth consecutive defeat – now the league's longest active losing streak.
Giannis Antetokounmpo sat out due to a sprained left knee, but the Milwaukee Bucks still routed the Indiana Pacers 140-113 in the absence of the two-time reigning MVP.
Jrue Holiday led the way with 28 points and 14 assists to guide the Bucks to a seventh consecutive victory at home to the Pacers.
Gobert enjoys career-high game
Rudy Gobert had 21 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high nine blocks as the NBA-leading Utah Jazz eased past the Chicago Bulls 120-95. The All-Star became the first Jazz player to record nine-plus blocks in a game since Andrei Kirilenko in 2006. Gobert fell just short of becoming the first Jazz player to post a triple-double since 2008. Donovan Mitchell added 30 points for the visiting Jazz.
Luke Kennard was flawless in the Los Angeles Clippers' 119-110 win against the Atlanta Hawks. He was eight-of-eight shooting, while he also made all four of his three-point attempts for 20 points off the bench in 18 minutes. Kawhi Leonard scored 25 points and Terance Mann contributed a season-high 21 points as the Clippers rallied from a 22-point deficit in the second half, snapping Atlanta's eight-game winning streak.
The Oklahoma City Thunder topped the Minnesota Timberwolves 112-103 thanks to 31 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Oklahoma City set a season high with 21 three-pointers in just 37 attempts (56.8 per cent).
George struggles
The Clippers won but star Paul George struggled. In 33 minutes, George had eight points on just three-of-12 shooting. He was also just two-of-seven from three-point range.
Chris Boucher had a forgettable outing for the out-of-form Raptors. He was one-of-seven shooting, while missing all four of his attempts from beyond the arc in a four-point display.
From inside his own half!
Danuel House Jr. nailed a stunning half-time buzzer-beater from beyond half court against the Raptors.
Monday's results
Sacramento Kings 119-105 Cleveland Cavaliers
Oklahoma City Thunder 112-103 Minnesota Timberwolves
Charlotte Hornets 100-97 San Antonio Spurs
Utah Jazz 120-95 Chicago Bulls
Houston Rockets 117-99 Toronto Raptors
Memphis Grizzlies 132-126 Boston Celtics (OT)
Milwaukee Bucks 140-113 Indiana Pacers
Los Angeles Clippers 119-110 Atlanta Hawks
76ers at Warriors
The Eastern Conference-leading 76ers (30-13) – riding back-to-back wins – travel to the Golden State Warriors (22-21) on Tuesday. Golden State will be without star Stephen Curry (back).
Brooklyn Nets star James Harden is questionable to face the Portland Trail Blazers due to neck soreness.
Harden appeared to hurt his neck during a collision with Garrison Mathews in Sunday's 113-106 NBA win over the Washington Wizards.
Now, Harden is in doubt for Tuesday's clash with the Trail Blazers in Portland, where the star-studded Nets will be without Kyrie Irving (personal matter) and Kevin Durant (hamstring).
After posting 26 points, eight assists and five rebounds, Harden told reporters: "I got hit in the jaw. My neck kind of twitched. I'll be all right.
"It's nothing. Get some treatment on it, get some rest and be ready to go the next game."
Harden was on the court for 39 minutes, the most for any Nets player. Prior to Sunday's win, the former Houston Rockets star had featured for 40-plus minutes in four of the franchise's previous eights outings either side of the All-Star break.
This season, Harden is averaging the most minutes in the NBA with 37.9, with Julius Randle of the New York Knicks next on 37.
"I'm concerned about the minutes," Nets head coach Steve Nash said after beating the Wizards.
"I'm not sure what the answer is, though. He controls the game. He hasn't shot the ball well since the [All-Star] break, but he made three threes tonight.
"He gets to the line. He makes assists, rebounds, steals. He's great around the basket. He had another great performance even if it wasn't necessarily a typical Harden game.
"So it's hard to take him off the floor because he makes his team-mates better."
Harden is averaging 25.3 points, a league-best 11.1 assists and 8.0 rebounds per game for the Nets this season.
The former MVP tops the list for most assists in the league this season (410), while he ranks fifth for points/assists/rebounds averaged per game (44.4).
Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo missed Monday's clash with the Indiana Pacers due to a left knee sprain.
Two-time reigning NBA MVP Antetokounmpo sustained the injury during Saturday's 120-113 win over the San Antonio Spurs.
Antetokounmpo's status for Wednesday's showdown against Eastern Conference rivals the Boston Celtics remains unknown.
"We'll see how he does this next day or two," said Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer prior to the Pacers matchup.
"We'll see how the next couple days go and we'll just kind of make decisions that are best for him.
"And keeping him really healthy, but there's no decisions regarding Wednesday as of now."
Antetokounmpo has been averaging 29.0 points, 11.7 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game this season for the streaking Bucks, who had won six straight games before Monday's fixture.
Aaron Judge said he is "as fired up as ever" as the New York Yankees star sets his sights on winning the World Series.
The Yankees fell short of expectations during the coronavirus-shortened 2020 season – New York beaten by the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Division Series (ALDS), having finished seven games adrift in the AL East.
Not since 2009 have the Yankees won the World Series, but two-time All-Star and Silver Slugger Judge is continuing to set his sights on MLB glory.
"I'm as fired up as ever," Judge said on Monday. "Every year, I know I come in here and say that's our goal, to win a championship.
"But, for us, the first thing to do is we've got to win our division. That starts with Game 1. … We've got to knock off the Rays first.
"That's the team that won the division last year, got all the way to the World Series, beat us in the Division Series. That's our first goal."
The Yankees head into Opening Day against AL East rivals the Toronto Blue Jays on April 1 boasting a stellar bullpen.
Cy Young winner Corey Kluber was acquired to join ace Gerrit Cole and Aroldis Chapman in New York, while the Yankees re-signed batting star DJ LeMahieu on a six-year deal.
Three-time All-Star LeMahieu finished the season with 10 home runs and 27 RBIs, leading MLB with a batting average of .364.
LeMahieu was also first in the AL in on-base percentage (.421) and on-base percentage plus slugging percentage (1.011), while team-mate Luke Voit (22) tallied the most home runs in the league last season.
Judge added: "We're playing 162 games; it's not a sprint like it was last year. But every game still matters. We want to go out there and win our division and put ourselves a good position in the postseason.
"With this depth, with the pitching we have, with this line-up -- we can be in the right position to go out there and win a championship."
"I wouldn't say our road is any easier," Judge said. "We've still got to go through Houston; the Chicago White Sox have been doing something special the past couple of years with the people they've added.
"It's going to be tough either way, but I'm excited about it. I like our team going into it, and I like our chances."
Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving will miss the next three NBA games due to a family matter, the team announced on Monday.
The Nets will be without Irving for their upcoming three-game road trip, which consists of matchups against the Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz and Detroit Pistons.
Brooklyn – second in the Eastern Conference behind the Philadelphia 76ers – are already without former MVP Kevin Durant, who has been sidelined since February 13 due to a hamstring strain.
Irving has already missed time this season – the 2016 NBA champion was sidelined for two weeks due to a personal absence in January.
The seven-time All-Star also broke the league's COVID-19 protocols, which delayed his return to the Nets line-up, with the NBA fining Irving $50,000.
Irving had to sacrifice his salary for the games he missed while quarantining, which reportedly amounted to $816,898 in addition to the fine.
He is averaging a career-high 28.1 points, 5.7 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game for the star-studded Nets this season.
The 28-year-old's field-goal percentage this season (52.0) is also a career-high.
Irving ranks second for field goals made per game (10.8 – a career-high), only behind Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal (11.3).
Juan Martin del Potro will undergo knee surgery for the fourth time but retains hope of playing at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Del Potro, who was a career-high world number three in August 2018 and still in the top 10 fewer than two years ago, has not appeared on the ATP Tour since withdrawing from the Queen's Club Championships in 2019.
The 2009 US Open champion had his first procedure after falling at the tournament in London and another followed in January 2020.
The third operation came last August as pain persisted, but the issue still has not been eradicated.
However, Del Potro said in an Instagram post on Monday that the death of his father earlier this year had motivated him to continue pursuing a return to the court.
The 32-year-old, who won bronze for Argentina at the 2012 Olympics and silver four years later, will go under the knife again in Chicago on Tuesday.
"We've tried conservative therapy but the pain is still there," he wrote.
"[Doctor Jorge Chahla] knows I want to play tennis again and be able to play the Olympics, so we agreed that surgery should be done as soon as possible.
"Of course, these last few weeks weren't easy for me. Everything's so hard since my father's passing.
"But also, I feel the strength he sends me from above. I had this day in which I woke up and called the doctor. I knew I had to try again.
"I hope I can overcome this painful situation. I won't stop trying. Of course, your messages and best wishes are always welcomed. Thanks for the love."
After an unpredictable 2020 Formula One campaign ended in wholly predictable fashion, the world's best drivers are back for more in 2021.
The coronavirus pandemic delayed the start to last season and prompted serious surgery to the planned race calendar.
At the end of it all, though, Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes again walked away on top of the pile.
As so often in recent years, the task for the rest of the grid this coming year is simply to stop the reigning champion and his Silver Arrow.
While that is easier said than done, of course, the signs in pre-season are promising.
Will testing preparations derail Mercedes in the opening weeks? We are about to find out, as the Bahrain opener is just days away...
MORE HAMILTON AND MERCEDES DOMINANCE?
Hamilton's title in 2020 was his seventh, tying Michael Schumacher's competition record. A new benchmark is on the horizon if the Briton can repeat his success.
That is not the only landmark in Hamilton's sights, either: with 95 wins and 98 pole positions – both F1 highs – he can surely look forward to a pair of century celebrations this year.
But even if this is to be another sublime season for the 36-year-old, he surely will not find it as straightforward as last year.
Hamilton shut out the noise surrounding his future to claim 11 victories in 2020, yet the new contract he belatedly signed at the end of the campaign keeps him with Mercedes only until the end of 2021.
That spells another 12 months of uncertainty for the sport's premier driver, who also does not yet appear entirely at home in the new W12 car.
The Silver Arrows recorded only 304 test laps in pre-season – the fewest of any team – and may require Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas to learn on the job if they are to extend their record-breaking streak of seven straight constructors' championships.
WHO CAN CHALLENGE THE DEFENDING CHAMP?
Mercedes team-mate Bottas has finished second to Hamilton in the past two seasons, but it would be a tough ask to expect him to outperform the 'GOAT' in the same car – even before considering potential issues with that machine.
No, if Hamilton is to be dethroned, Red Bull look the best bet.
Max Verstappen is undoubtedly the chief threat at the Austrian outfit, having qualified ahead of his team-mates on 36 of 38 occasions since Daniel Ricciardo departed (including a 17-0 record against Alex Albon in 2020).
Indeed, Verstappen – third last year – had the fastest lap time in testing, his effort of a minute and 28.960 seconds in Bahrain putting Red Bull on top in pre-season for the first time.
The Dutchman is pessimistic, though, saying: "[Testing] doesn't say anything about pure performance.
"I know people are excited and think we are just saying this, but Mercedes are still the favourites. How can they not be when they have won seven world championships in a row?"
Ferrari can never be counted out, but they are starting a season with two drivers yet to win a world championship (Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz) for the first time since 2007, when Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen lined up for the Scuderia. Of course, that year ended with Raikkonen being crowned champion.
ELSEWHERE...
There is no shortage of intrigue away from the top teams, with two big names returning to F1 – albeit only one of the two drivers having previously raced at this level.
Former champion Fernando Alonso is back, joining the rebranded Alpine team, formerly Renault – where the Spaniard won two titles.
Alonso's most recent race win came in Ferrari colours at the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix, since when he has gone 110 events without victory.
If Alpine can be competitive and Alonso belatedly returns to the top step of the podium later in the season, he could break Raikkonen's record of 114 grands prix between triumphs (2013 to 2018).
The 39-year-old needs only three podiums to reach 100 in F1.
At the other end of the spectrum, Mick Schumacher is the familiar name but new face at Haas, forming an all-rookie line-up alongside Nikita Mazepin, his F2 title rival last year.
Schumacher, who won that championship, will debut at Bahrain eight years, four months and three days after father Michael's final race in Brazil in 2012.
Michael was also 22 when he made his F1 bow, although Mick will be seven months and 16 days younger.
Ricciardo has joined McLaren, who are 12 podiums shy of 500, and Aston Martin are back for the first time since 1960, replacing Racing Point and bringing in Sebastian Vettel.
Meanwhile, there will be increased attention paid to Williams' George Russell, who impressed when given a chance with Mercedes at Sakhir 2020, qualifying second and finishing ninth.
This has not been a fun season for the Minnesota Timberwolves, who remain at the foot of the Western Conference.
Karl-Anthony Towns and D'Angelo Russell have both missed extended periods and the team have a miserable 10-32 record, the worst in the entire NBA.
But three of those wins have come since the All-Star break, a period in which the T-Wolves are actually operating at .500.
They were 1-2 over the past week but faced a daunting schedule and appear to belatedly have some cause for optimism.
Rookie Anthony Edwards is finally cooking and leads our NBA Heat Check for March 15-21, powered by Stats Perform data.
RUNNING HOT...
Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns
If this young Minnesota team is to develop into a competitive NBA outfit, they need to have both guard Edwards and center Towns fit and firing. That was belatedly the case last week.
Edwards, the first overall pick in the 2020 draft, hinted at what was to come at the end of the previous week when he put up 34 points in a win over the Portland Trail Blazers, a career-best tally at that stage.
The benchmark was swiftly raised higher, though, as he followed up 29 points against the Los Angeles Lakers with 42 in a victory at the Phoenix Suns. That was a new T-Wolves rookie record and made Edwards the third-youngest NBA player ever to put up 40 points, after LeBron James and Kevin Durant.
The 19-year-old was not alone in passing 40 either, with Towns contributing 41 in only the second ever Minnesota game to feature two 40-point performances.
Towns' weekly average of 31.3 points - up on his prior seasonal tally of 21.8 - provided a timely reminder of his talents, while Edwards - up from 15.6 to 27.3 - will hope he has set a new standard with Rookie of the Year honours perhaps now in his sights, the race blown open by LaMelo Ball's injury.
Luka Doncic
The ROTY chase followed the same trend as the MVP hunt, with Joel Embiid and LeBron James both facing spells on the sidelines and encouraging other contenders. Doncic is not among the frontrunners quite yet, but do not bet against the Dallas Mavericks sensation.
Doncic headed into last week having missed two of the Mavs' prior four games, scoring 22 and 21 points in two wins when he did feature. By the Slovenian's lofty standards, this was a lean spell.
The 22-year-old point guard was soon back to his best, though. He averaged 35.5 points across the subsequent four games, with 42 against the Los Angeles Clippers a clear high point.
Doncic made 5.5 threes per game from 11.5 attempts for 47.8 per cent, a mark that would across the whole season rank him fourth in the league.
Joe Ingles
One of the three players with a better three-point percentage is Utah Jazz forward Ingles, who is shooting 49 per cent from beyond the arc after a week in which that figure was boosted considerably.
Having made 2.4 threes across his first 34 games of the season, Ingles converted an outstanding 5.7 over the next three.
His weekly points per game return was a hugely impressive 22.3 - up 11 on his prior average - after a career-high 34 points against the Washington Wizards, the only game the Jazz have lost this season with Ingles in the lineup.
GOING COLD...
Gordon Hayward and Malik Monk
Ball's injury brought a miserable end to a tough week for the Charlotte Hornets, in which they started with a win over the Sacramento Kings before losing three straight.
And Ball will be an even bigger miss than already feared if Hayward and Monk perform as they did over those four games.
Hayward started strongly but scored seven on back-to-back nights and averaged 14 points for the week, while Monk saw his minutes cut and contributed just six points per game - including none at the Lakers - as he made only two of nine threes.
Stephen Curry
Curry is another who might not be a million miles away from the MVP race, but he is trending in the wrong direction.
The Golden State Warriors great has had 62- and 57-point games this season, yet his average for the year is down to 29 after scoring 22.5 per game in meetings with the Lakers and the Houston Rockets last week.
Curry, who made six of 18 threes, then missed consecutive games with a tailbone injury.
While a slight decline in scoring is not a huge concern for the Warriors, they certainly need their main man healthy.
Trae Young
The Atlanta Hawks are enjoying a superb eight-game winning streak, but their leading scorer actually endured a tougher week shooting the basketball.
With 34 assists across three games, Young averaged a double-double, yet he scored only 16.7 points and made 0.5 threes per game. His 9.7 points per game decline on his seasonal tally was the second-worst of the week across the NBA.
Fortunately, Danilo Gallinari and John Collins stepped up, so the Hawks will now hope they can get all their stars firing at once.
Jamaica’s racing icon Peter Moodie is being remembered as being committed to excellence following his death after a brief illness on Saturday.
For decades, Moodie served Jamaica’s racing fraternity as perhaps it’s best ever driver, mechanic par excellence and a mentor who was revered by fellow race drivers and fans alike.
According to the Jamaica Millennium Motoring Club (JMMC), Moodie was renowned throughout Jamaica, the Caribbean, North and South America for his commitment to excellence and meticulous approach to motor racing competition that were hallmarks throughout his racing career, first as a driver himself, then later as he coached numerous up and coming young drivers, including his children.
“Spanning several decades, his racing accolades too numerous to mention, he was always the “man to beat” in any competition he entered, whether circuit racing, rallying, sprints, dexterity tests or karting,” the JMMC said in a statement.
“His stern but always fair and by-the-rules approach provided an outstanding example to his fellow competitors to always be at their best when competing against him.”
The sentiments were shared by the Jamaica Race Driver’s Club JRDC), who said in a statement Saturday: “Mr Moodie’s contribution to the JRDC and to motorsports overall in Jamaica was tremendous and impacted many in the most positive way possible. His loss will be felt by all who knew him well and he will surely not be forgotten.”
Meanwhile, Jamaica’s Minister of Sport Olivia Grange said Moodie has earned himself a place in the top drawer of motorsports in Jamaica.
“I am deeply saddened to learn of the death of former race car champion driver and mechanic, Peter Moodie Snr,” Minister Grange said.
“His superb skills as a race car driver were matched only by his phenomenal knowledge of the workings of motor vehicles. In fact, he was one of the pioneers and for the last four decades, the leading figure in circuit and go-cart racing.
“In addition, Peter was a top-notch instructor, ensuring that the knowledge was passed on to the succeeding drivers in the sport. With the passing of Peter Moodie, Snr, Jamaica has lost one who was totally dedicated to the development of his sport and his country.”
Those closest to him in the industry shared some of their memories on social media, including veteran driver Peter Rae.
“I remember racing karts at Hill Run in the early '80s and along a stretch in front of the pits I somehow flipped kart landed on me and I was a bit dazed and I clearly remember Mr Moodie shouting at me get the (expletive) out the way as Pinky was fast approaching,” Rae recalled on Facebook.
“Also remember my very first race at Dover was an amazing feat beating Pete Snr, Mark Moodie & Pinky in Watdat....fond memories. Peter Moodie Snr a true stalwart, a fierce competitor, engine/chassis builder and coach. You have made an indelible mark on the sport of motor racing. Race on my friend.”
The Los Angeles Lakers will need a little time to adjust to life without LeBron James, according to head coach Frank Vogel, though their sidelined star was present for Sunday's loss to the Phoenix Suns.
James is out indefinitely due to an ankle injury but still travelled to Phoenix to support his team, along with Anthony Davis, who is also currently out.
The duo watched on as the Lakers slipped to a 111-94 defeat on the road, despite 23 points from Montrezl Harrell on 10-of-13 shooting. Dennis Schroder, meanwhile, contributed 22 points.
Vogel explained afterwards how point guard Schroder is set to become the "head of the snake" in the absence of the team's two leading names, with the reigning NBA champions now 0-2 when playing without LeBron this season.
"I think our guys really fought tonight," Vogel said. "We didn't shoot the ball that well, but I thought we competed at a very high level.
"It is going to take a little time as we adjust, figure out where the shots are coming from and what our new identity is going to look like."
He added in his post-game news conference: "Obviously, Dennis Schroder is going to be the head of the snake with the ball in his hands the most, dictating some of the action.
"But we've got a lot of veteran guys on this team that can lead, and we encourage our guys to lead from every chair in the room."
Schroder felt the presence of James – wearing a boot to protect the high ankle sprain he suffered in Saturday's game with the Atlanta Hawks – on the bench demonstrated the four-time MVP's commitment to the cause.
"In my career, I've seen people getting hurt and don't come on the road trip; and for him, being the best - one of the best who ever played this game - that you see him on the bench being there even if he's hurt, means a lot to me and all the other [players on this team] too," Schroder said.
It still remains unclear how long James will be sidelined; the 36-year-old was having an outstanding season prior to the injury, averaging 25.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.9 assists, putting him firmly in the MVP conversation.
As for Davis, he has not played since February 14 due to a calf issue.
Steve Nash is concerned by the amount of minutes James Harden is playing for the Brooklyn Nets but says it is difficult to limit his game time due to the way he lifts his team-mates.
The Nets rebounded from a surprise defeat to the Orlando Magic with a 113-106 triumph over the Washington Wizards, Harden putting up 26 points, eight assists and five rebounds as Blake Griffin made his Brooklyn debut.
Harden was on court for 39 minutes, the most for any Nets player. Prior to Sunday's win, the former Houston Rockets star had featured for 40-plus minutes in four of the franchise's previous eights outings either side of the All-Star break.
This season, Harden is averaging the most minutes in the NBA with 37.9, with Julius Randle of the New York Knicks next on 37.
Asked about Harden's time spent on court, head coach Nash said: "I'm concerned about the minutes.
"I'm not sure what the answer is, though. He controls the game. He hasn't shot the ball well since the [All-Star] break, but he made three threes tonight.
"He gets to the line. He makes assists, rebounds, steals. He's great around the basket. He had another great performance even if it wasn't necessarily a typical Harden game.
"So it's hard to take him off the floor because he makes his team-mates better."
The Nets trailed by as many as 14 points during the first quarter and were down by five at the end of the period, yet Harden scored the opening nine points of the second as Brooklyn seized a lead they would never relinquish.
There was a scary moment towards the end of the first half where Harden appeared to hurt his neck during a collision with Garrison Mathews.
Harden insisted after the game he was fine following the incident.
"I got hit in the jaw. My neck kind of twitched. I'll be all right. It's nothing. Get some treatment on it, get some rest and be ready to go the next game," Harden said.
The Nets now hit the road for three successive games and Harden urged the team never to look beyond the next opponent.
"I think every game is a test for us. We're not allowed to take anyone lightly. We don't have the luxury of that," he added.
"We saw that last game. Every night we prepare for our opponent to the best of our ability, and the coaches do a really good job of that to prepare us, and we go out there and try to execute.
"Our next opponent is Portland, who have been playing pretty well. We've just got to take it one game at a time, and that's the most important thing.
"We can't look further down the line. I think if we have that mindset – one game at a time, one possession at a time – good things happen for us."
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
