Rafael Nadal has confirmed he will not be competing at the Monte Carlo Masters.
Nadal, who has won 11 times in Monte Carlo, had been hoping to make his return from a hip injury at the ATP Masters 1000 event, which starts next week.
The 36-year-old has not played since going out to Mackenzie McDonald in the second round of the Australian Open in January.
Nadal previously cast doubt on his status for Monte Carlo last month, and on Tuesday he announced he will be unable to participate.
"Hi everyone, I'm still not ready to compete at the highest level," Nadal tweeted.
"I will not be able to play in one of the most important tournaments of my career, Monte Carlo.
"I am not yet in a position to play with the maximum guarantees and I continue my preparation process, hoping to return soon."
Nadal's latest setback is another blow in his preparations for the French Open, which starts at the end of May.
The Spaniard, who dominated in Monte Carlo between 2005 and 2012, has slipped down to number 14 in the ATP world rankings.
Amir Khan has been banned from sport for two years following a positive test for a prohibited substance after his fight with Kell Brook.
Olympic medallist Khan was defeated by Brook in the sixth round at Manchester Arena last February.
Khan subsequently retired in May, at the age of 35. He became one of the youngest champions in British boxing history when he won the WBA title aged 22, five years on from claiming silver at the Athens Olympics in 2004.
However, on April 6 of last year, UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) notified Khan that the tests carried out following his loss to Brook returned an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) for ostarine, a substance that is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
In July, Khan was charged with two offences: the presence of a prohibited substance and the use of a prohibited substance.
Though Khan accepted the charges, he claimed his ingestion of ostarine had been unintentional, with his case referred to an independent panel.
That panel heard Khan's case in January and in February deemed that while the fighter had not intentionally ingested the substance, he must serve a two-year ban, as well as disqualifying his result against Brook.
Khan's ban commenced on April 6, 2022 and will expire on April 5 next year.
"This case serves as a reminder that UKAD will diligently pursue anti-doping rule violations in order to protect clean sport," said UKAD chief executive Jane Rumble.
"Strict liability means athletes are ultimately responsible for what they ingest and for the presence of any prohibited substances in a sample.
"It is important that all athletes and their support personnel, whatever level they are competing at, take their anti-doping responsibilities seriously. Not doing so risks damaging not only an Athlete's career, but also undermining public confidence in clean sport."
Jordan Spieth is looking to add a second green jacket to his collection, revealing the Masters inspired him to focus on golf.
A winner at Augusta in 2015, aged just 21, Spieth has been unable to secure a second victory at the event and is now braced for his 10th appearance there.
Having secured a triumph at that young age, a second Masters win seemed to be inevitable for Spieth, especially after he won the US Open in the same year, but he has so far fallen short.
In 2016, Spieth finished second and, since then, has had two third-place finishes, the most recent in 2021, all of which put Spieth within touching distance of the title he is desperate to get his hands on again.
It is not just the green jacket that drives Spieth, however, as he shared the personal significance the event has.
"I really fell in love with the game because of this tournament, back to Tiger [Woods'] chip-in to Phil [Mickelson's] first win," he said.
"These were kind of heroic moments when I was at an age where I was playing some other sports and loving golf, and it inspired me to really take up the game and see what kind of moments you can create, because the ball is always in your hands.
"Few things are as electric as those moments they had in sports. I wanted to create my own. From the moment I got here I was always very excited, and I wanted to learn it and fall in love with it. Just a lot of positivity.
"I didn't know what to expect and got off to a nice start my first year and tried to carry it on every year. Yeah, 10th appearance now feels crazy, and I hopefully can match some of those greats that played in how many over the years, I don't know what the record is.
"You guys probably know. It would be pretty special, but at the same time when you get opportunities at a young age and you feel good about your chances, I want to win it again.
"That's the goal. And was able to get a round in yesterday with my brother, which was really fun, and get to work today."
Cameron Smith believes it is crucial for the LIV Golf Invitational Series to have players capable of competing for the title at Augusta.
The Masters starts on Thursday, with the world's best players flocking to Georgia for the first major of the year.
That includes those still registered with the PGA Tour, and the LIV Golf rebels who joined the Saudi Arabia-backed breakaway tournament.
Smith, who won The Open in 2022, was among them. The Australian heads into the Masters in sixth in the world rankings, making him the highest-ranked LIV Golf player.
But having any LIV Golf representative battling it out for the green jacket will mark a success for the tour, according to Smith.
"I think it's just important for LIV guys to be up there because I think we need to be up there," he told reporters while acknowledging the competition in the LIV events is not always as strong as those on the PGA Tour.
"I think there's a lot of chatter about 'these guys don't play real golf; these guys don't play real golf courses'.
"For sure, I'll be the first one to say, the fields aren't as strong. I'm the first one to say that.
"But we've still got a lot of guys up there that can play some really serious golf, and we compete against each other hard week-in and week-out and we're trying to do the same things that we did six months ago.
"It's nice. It's a good feeling to have that competition. I think we just need a good, strong finish."
UConn coach Dan Hurley was thrilled to have come through on his promise of doing "something big" after his team's NCAA title triumph.
The Huskies beat San Diego State 76-59 in Houston on Monday, capping their brilliant tournament with a sixth straight double-digit win, maintaining their perfect 5-0 record in National Championship games.
Of UConn's five titles, four have been won in Texas, while the last one came in 2014.
Hurley took over UConn in 2018, and said this was the vision he had sold to the university and its players.
"Obviously a dream come true for all of us," he told reporters.
"It's part of the programme, we sold the vision – I sold the vision to the university that I could put together a special group of people, a coaching staff, and unbelievable players like this, so it feels great to come through.
"This was our vision, this was our dream, this is what we said when we recruited these guys – to get together and do something big. It's just great to come through on promises made to these players and the university. It was an honour to play against San Diego State, too.
"It was probably the most physical, toughest team we’ve played this year – certainly one of the best. I've just got so much admiration for how they play and their coach, he's one of the best coaches in the country."
Aztecs coach Brian Dutcher was gracious in defeat.
He said: "First of all I congratulate coach Danny Hurley and UConn Huskies. Very deserving. They've played at an elite level the entire tournament.
"We battled, we battled back to five in the second half but gave them too much separation. We weren't at our best. We had to be at our best to win the game. A lot of that has to do with UConn."
Dutcher, though, had few complaints with how his team performed through the championship.
"I'm proud of our guys. These guys have given me everything they've had," he added.
"These guys are what it’s all about – college athletics. Good people, good students and they're really good players.
"We can feel good about the things we did. We're disappointed in the loss, but there's a brotherhood in the locker room that will never be divided by a margin of victory or not winning at all. That brotherhood is going to last a lifetime, I told them that."
UConn secured their fifth NCAA Division title on the back of double-doubles from Adama Sanogo and Tristen Newton in a 76-59 victory over San Diego State in Texas on Monday.
The Huskies capped their brilliant NCAA tournament with a sixth straight double-digit win, maintaining their perfect 5-0 record in National Championship games. It was also the fourth time UConn has claimed the national crown in Texas.
It ends San Diego State's wonderful campaign having made the National Championship game for the first time in their history.
Newton top scored with 19 points along with 10 rebounds, four assists and two steals, while Sanogo added 17 points and 10 rebounds. Jordan Hawkins contributed 16 points. Malian big man Sanogo won the tournament's Most Outstanding Player award.
The Huskies shot 23-of-53 from the field, along with 24-of-27 from the free-throw line, opening up a 36-24 half-time lead and never looking back.
The Aztecs got within five points at 60-55 with 5:19 left in the second half, but UConn immediately responded with a Hawkins three-pointer.
Keshad Johnson top scored for the Aztecs with 14 points, while Darrion Trammell and Final Four hero Lamont Butler both added 13 points. SDSU shot six-of-23 from three-point range.
Huskies head coach Dan Hurley said: "We knew we were best team in the tournament going in and we just needed to play to our level."
UConn's triumph means they draw level with Duke and Indiana for fourth-most all-time in NCAA history, having lifted the title in 1999, 2004, 2011, 2014 and now 2023.
UConn secured their fifth NCAA Division title on the back of double-doubles from Adama Sanogo and Tristen Newton in a 76-59 victory over San Diego State in Texas on Monday.
The Huskies capped their brilliant NCAA tournament with a sixth straight double-digit win, maintaining their perfect 5-0 record in National Championship games. It was also the fourth time UConn has claimed the national crown in Texas.
It ends San Diego State's wonderful campaign having made the National Championship game for the first time in their history.
Newton top scored with 19 points along with 10 rebounds, four assists and two steals, while Sanogo added 17 points and 10 rebounds. Jordan Hawkins contributed 16 points. Malian big man Sanogo won the tournament's Most Outstanding Player award.
The Huskies shot 23-of-53 from the field, along with 24-of-27 from the free-throw line, opening up a 36-24 half-time lead and never looking back.
The Aztecs got within five points at 60-55 with 5:19 left in the second half, but UConn immediately responded with a Hawkins three-pointer.
Keshad Johnson top scored for the Aztecs with 14 points, while Darrion Trammell and Final Four hero Lamont Butler both added 13 points. SDSU shot six-of-23 from three-point range.
Huskies head coach Dan Hurley said: "We knew we were best team in the tournament going in and we just needed to play to our level."
UConn's triumph means they draw level with Duke and Indiana for fourth-most all-time in NCAA history, having lifted the title in 1999, 2004, 2011, 2014 and now 2023.
Shohei Ohtani homered for the second straight game with a go-ahead fifth-inning two-run blast in the Los Angeles Angels 7-3 in over the Seattle Mariners on Monday.
The Japanese two-way star creamed George Kirby's 1-1 pitch over right-center field for a 431-foot blast with a runner, Mike Trout, on first base to put the Angels up 4-2.
Kirby only surrendered one long ball during the final three months of last season, making Ohtani's shot more spectacular, having earlier grounded out with his first two at-bats.
Ohtani had hammered a solo shot in the fifth inning of the 6-0 win over the Oakland Athletics on Sunday, with the Angels improving to 3-1 with their third straight triumph.
Taylor Ward's eighth-inning two-run shot all but settled Monday's contest after Eugenio Suarez's RBI single in the fifth cut the margin to one run.
Suarez also managed an RBI double in the first inning to put Seattle 1-0 up. The Mariners managed five hits for the game, with Angels starting pitcher Reid Detmers tossing down seven strikeouts.
Ohtani and Ward got the accolades for their blasts, but Brandon Drury went three-of-five with one RBI, driving in Hunter Renfroe with a ninth-inning double.
Tigers win as Alvarez makes Astros history
Matt Vierling scored a tie-breaking two-run homer in the 11th inning as the Detroit Tigers edged the Houston Astros 7-6 for their first win of the new season.
The Tigers had spurned a 4-0 fifth-inning lead, with the Astros launching a four-run fifth-inning rally which was ended by Vierling's backhand catch, before the late drama as the game went to extras.
Yordan Alvarez had led the world champions' fifth-inning rally with a monster three-run blast, which was his 100th career home run.
Alvarez reached 100 homers in only 372 games which is a franchise record, beating Lance Berkman's 452.
Rays and Twins stay perfect
The Tampa Bay Rays maintained their perfect record with a 6-2 win over the Washington Nationals led by outfielder Luke Raley.
Raley blasted two home runs for the game, with a first-inning two-run shot followed by another blast at the top of the eighth over left field.
Drew Rasmussen was outstanding on the mound, with six scoreless innings with two hits and seven strikeouts as well as a brilliant piece of backhand fielding in the fifth.
The Rays are 4-0, with the Minnesota Twins (4-0) the only other remaining team with an unbeaten record after their 11-1 victory over the Miami Marlins.
Former world number three Elina Svitolina's first game back on the WTA Tour in more than 12 months ended in a near three-hour defeat to Yulia Putintseva in the Charleston Open first round on Monday.
Svitolina, 28, had been off the tour for a combination of injury and pregnancy, but was back in action for the first time since giving birth to her and male tennis player Gael Monfils' daughter Skai in October.
The Ukrainian, who reached both the Wimbledon and US Open semi-finals in 2019, won the first set after rallying back from 3-1 down in a tie-break
But the Kazakh world number 47 responded and prevailed 6-7 (3-7) 6-2 6-4 in two hours and 48 minutes, with Putintseva sapping her opponent's energy with frequent drop shots.
Former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin was on track for victory in a topsy-turvy clash with Aliaksandra Sasnovich before rain intervened, forcing it to be re-scheduled for Tuesday with the American leading 6-1 6-7 (5-7) 3-0.
World number 50 Sloane Stephens fought back after an early scare to beat qualifier Louisa Chirico 3-6 6-1 6-2, while Alize Cornet breezed past Fiona Crawley 6-0 6-2.
Jil Teichman was one of three seeds to lose in the first round, going down 6-2 3-6 6-2 to 17-year-old Linda Fruhvirtova.
Ukrainian 11th seed Anhelina Kalinina lost 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 to Anna Kalinskaya, while 10th seed Zhang Shuai was beaten 6-4 1-6 6-3 by Julia Grabher.
Eugenie Bouchard returned for the first time since the 2023 Australian Open due to injury with a win over Ylena In-Albon 6-3 6-2 at the Copa Colsanitas in Bogota.
Third seed Nuria Parrizas Diaz was knocked out by Briton Francesca Jones, who is ranked 817th in the world, 7-6 (7-3) 6-1 in a major shock.
UConn secured their fifth NCAA Division title on the back of double-doubles from Adama Sanogo and Tristen Newton in a 76-59 victory over San Diego State in Texas on Monday.
The Huskies capped their brilliant NCAA tournament with a sixth straight double-digit win, maintaining their perfect 5-0 record in National Championship games. It was also the fourth time UConn has claimed the national crown in Texas.
It ends San Diego State's wonderful campaign having made the National Championship game for the first time in their history.
Newton top scored with 19 points along with 10 rebounds, four assists and two steals, while Sanogo added 17 points and 10 rebounds. Jordan Hawkins contributed 16 points. Malian big man Sanogo won the tournament's Most Outstanding Player award.
The Huskies shot 23-of-53 from the field, along with 24-of-27 from the free-throw line, opening up a 36-24 half-time lead and never looking back.
The Aztecs got within six points with 5:19 left in the second half, but UConn immediately responded with a Hawkins three-pointer.
Keshad Johnson top scored for the Aztecs with 14 points, while Darrion Trammell and Final Four hero Lamont Butler both added 13 points. SDSU shot six-of-23 from three-point range.
Huskies head coach Dan Hurley said: "We knew we were best team in the tournament going in and we just needed to play to our level."
UConn's triumph means they draw level with Duke and Indiana for fourth-most all-time in NCAA history, having lifted the title in 1999, 2004, 2011, 2014 and now 2023.
Sixth seed Jason Kubler made light work of 39-year-old Spaniard Fernando Verdasco in the first round of the Houston Open while Americans Steve Johnson and Denis Kudla advanced on Monday.
Kubler and Verdasco endured a 71-minute first-set tussle, which the Australian edged 9-7 in a tie-break before dominating the second frame, dishing out a bagel in 29 minutes to win 7-6 (9-7) 6-0.
World number 71 Kubler progressed to the second round where he will take on Colombia's Daniel Elahi Galan who defeated China's Zhang Zhizhen 6-2 6-3.
Johnson set up a second-round clash with American compatriot and top seed Frances Tiafoe after getting the better of Facundo Bagnis 7-6 (7-5) 1-6 6-1 in one hour and 55 minutes.
USA's Kudla also progressed with a hard-fought 6-4 4-6 6-4 victory over Australia's Aleksandar Vukic in just under two hours.
Dutchman Gijs Brouwer won 6-4 6-4 over Aleksandar Kovacevic, setting up a meeting with big-serving fourth seed John Isner.
Hugo Gaston fought back from a set down to beat Jan-Lennard Struff at the Grand Prix Hassan II.
Gaston rallied after dropping serve twice in the opening set, prevailing 3-6 6-4 7-5 to become the first player to book their spot in the last-16.
Jaume Munar followed suit with a 6-4 6-4 victory over Elliot Benchetrit.
Elsewhere, at the Estoril Open, victories for Pedro Cachin and Sebastian Baez set up a potential hat-trick of wins for Argentine players.
Cachin beat Tseng Chun-hsin 6-4 6-4 and Baez overcame Radu Albot 7-5 7-6 (7-3) but seventh seed Diego Schwartzman could not follow up with a win of his own, losing 6-3 7-6 (10-8) to Marco Cecchinato.
Fabio Fognini also booked his spot in the last 16 by beating compatriot Alessandro Giannessi in straight sets.
Oleksandr Usyk has been ordered to fight mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois, the WBA confirmed.
The Ukrainian defended his trio of heavyweight belts in a rematch with Anthony Joshua in August, then entering negotiations with Tyson Fury for a unification bout.
However, Usyk was unable to secure terms with Fury for a fight that would have crowned the first unified heavyweight champion since 2000, with the expectation being that Dubois would therefore be his next opponent.
On Monday, the WBA wrote on Twitter: "The WBA Championships Committee ordered the bout between Heavyweight Super Champion Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois.
"The organisation sent the communication to the parties today with a 30-day negotiation period starting on April 4 and ending on May 2."
Usyk is the holder of the WBA, WBO and IBF titles and, with the rotational agreement between the government bodies, Dubois is the first in line for his shot.
The Brit secured his position last year against Trevor Bryan, claiming the WBA 'regular' title, and successfully defended it against Kevin Lerena.
UFC and WWE will merge under one name after the former's parent group Endeavor confirmed they would combine with the latter in a deal worth $21 billion.
The two promotion companies will form a new, publicly listed organisation which will unite them beneath one banner, with Endeavor set for a 51 per cent controlling interest and existing WWE shareholders at 49 per cent.
The news comes in the wake of WWE's latest edition of its flagship event, Wrestlemania, and will see a significant shake-up among key personnel at the top.
Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel, who will expand his position while WWE majority owner Vince McMahon becomes executive chairman, believes both organisations can grow from their unification.
"This is a rare opportunity to create a global live sports and entertainment pureplay built for where the industry is headed," he said in a statement.
"For decades, Vince and his team have demonstrated an incredible track record of innovation and shareholder value creation.
"We are confident that Endeavor can deliver significant additional value for shareholders by bringing UFC and WWE together."
McMahon, who stepped down as WWE CEO last year, echoed his colleague's sentiments, adding that he thinks the merger is "without a doubt the best outcome for our shareholders and other stakeholders".
"Together, we will be a $21-plus billion live sports and entertainment powerhouse with a collective fanbase of more than a billion people and an exciting growth opportunity," he added.
"I, along with the current WWE management team, look forward to working closely with Ari and the Endeavor and UFC teams to take the businesses to the next level."
Nick Khan will be president of the WWE brand, while Dana White will continue in his role as UFC president.
The Golden State Warriors "didn't deserve to win" against the Denver Nuggets, with coach Steve Kerr lamenting a loss of focus from his team.
Golden State lost 112-110 to Denver on Sunday, with Klay Thompson squandering two game-winning three-point opportunities in the final five seconds.
The Nuggets, who were without Nikola Jokic, had led by nine points heading into the final two minutes and ultimately held on.
Golden State led 36-26 at the end of the first quarter, but their lead had been cut to three points at half-time.
Kerr pointed to the second quarter as where it started to go wrong.
"Up until the middle of the second quarter, we had total control of the game," he said. "Then we stopped playing. We lost our focus on both ends.
"We had control of the game and just handed that back to them. We gave them life and they took advantage.
"We were mindless out there and weren't tough enough, disciplined enough and ultimately didn't deserve to win."
The Warriors sit sixth in the Western Conference with just games remaining in the regular season.
Two of those are on the road, with Golden State 9-30 outside of San Francisco this season. That is the worst record by a defending champion in the history of the NBA.
"Most of the questions when we lose are about what went wrong, and you try to point the finger, but if we obviously knew what to do about it, we would do it," said Stephen Curry, who finished with 21 points in Denver.
"There's a sense of urgency on these last three games, and not only just the wins but the vibe that you create going into a playoff series.
"That does matter. We've got to come to a realisation that if we're going to win or do anything in the playoffs, this kind of game can't happen."
The New York Knicks will not "coast" after clinching their place in the NBA playoffs, assured Tom Thibodeau and Jalen Brunson.
The Knicks ended an eight-year wait to return to the postseason in 2020-21, only to take a step back last year and miss out.
But this season's team, boosted by the signing of Brunson, have long looked on course for the playoffs and punched their ticket on Sunday.
A 118-109 win over the Washington Wizards did the job, with Brunson contributing 27 points and eight assists.
The Knicks are not quite there yet in terms of locking up the fifth seed in the East, with the Brooklyn Nets 2.5 games back, but they were not looking to ease up regardless.
"We need to keep playing," said coach Thibodeau. "We want to be at our best going in."
Brunson added: "The fact that we get further on in our season is great, but we've still got a lot of work to do.
"I think first and foremost we want to finish the season as strong as we can. Even getting in the playoffs, we don't want to coast.
"We want to continue to get better, continue to find ways to make each other better and make sure we're staying focused as we're going forward. That's what’s most important."
Knicks owner James Dolan had made public the goal of reaching the playoffs back in January, a challenge the team welcomed.
"I said it at the time: I love that the owner has great belief in the team," said Thibodeau. "That's what I want.
"Our job is to put the work in each day. But there's no trick to this, there's no magic to this, there's no shortcut to it.
"It's a great accomplishment, because it's one of the goals, one of several. It's the next step along the way.
"So, keep going, and that's where the focus is. We know how important the next game is. So, get ready for Indiana, but just keep checking the boxes as we go."
Tiger Woods should be commended by every player on the PGA Tour for his efforts in fighting the LIV Golf Invitational Series, says Rory McIlroy.
World number two McIlroy has become the PGA Tour's de facto spokesperson over the past year, leading the charge against the Saudi-backed breakaway competition, which has lured some of golf's biggest names.
Woods, too, has stood by the PGA Tour.
Both McIlroy and Woods will be competing alongside some of the LIV Golf rebels at the Masters this week, with the latter back in action where he won the most recent of his 15 major titles back in 2019.
The pair have entered into a business venture – the TGL; the competition will feature 18 players, divided into six teams, competing over 18 holes on a virtual course. It will launch in 2024.
For McIlroy, the experiences of the past 12 months have only strengthened his bond with Woods.
"I talk to him every day. That's the thing to me. I can remember the first time I met him, and how I felt," McIlroy told BBC Northern Ireland.
"To forge that relationship with him, and for him to really take an interest in what I do and take an interest in my game, my family and all that side of things.
"I'm unbelievably grateful for his friendship and his guidance but also his leadership through everything that's happened in the last 18 months as well.
"If anyone didn't need to do anything, it's Tiger Woods. But he stood up and tried to do what’s right for the game of golf and every single player on the PGA Tour needs to commend him on that."
McIlroy is confident TGL can be a hit with fans and players.
He added: "The business side of things with Tiger and I is amazing. I think TGL is a cool concept and hopefully we'll turn it into not just a cool concept but a cool entertainment project that people can get behind and really enjoy."
For now, the focus for McIlroy is on ending his nine-year wait for a fifth major title.
The 33-year-old has never won at Augusta, with his best finish coming in 2022, when he placed second behind Scottie Scheffler.
Reflecting on what he could learn from Woods' approach at the Masters, McIlroy said: "The one thing he did really well at Augusta is just discipline.
"It [the course] can really goad you into taking in shots you don't need to take on. If you look at the two most successful players at Augusta, it's Tiger and Jack [Nicklaus].
"They're the two most successful players in the history of our game, so discipline, not taking on too much risk."
Woods has won the Masters five times in his storied career.
Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving concedes his side's downward spiral since his trade has been "emotionally draining" but says there is still a glimmer of hope for their playoff aspirations.
The Mavs slumped to their third straight loss with Sunday's 132-130 overtime defeat against the Atlanta Hawks, also leaving them with one win from their past eight games.
The result means the Mavs sit 11th in the Western Conference with a 37-42 record, outside the final play-in tournament spot, occupied by the Oklahoma City Thunder (38-41).
OKC suffered a 128-118 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Sunday to keep the Mavs in contention but the clock is ticking for a franchise who had championship designs when they traded in Irving in February to play alongside MVP contender Luka Doncic.
The Mavs are a lowly 7-12 with Irving since the trade and the All-Star guard said their struggles had been "emotionally draining".
"We've just been losing tough ones, emotionally draining, but at the same time we're professionals," Irving told reporters.
"I think the fun part of it is we still have a glimmer of hope, a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel of where we can still sneak in.
“But at the same time, I’m at peace with just our effort, with spurts throughout the games. We’ve just got to be able to finish better as a team."
Mavs head coach Jason Kidd, who is under pressure to keep his job, said the team were now playing "catch-up" given their play-in predicament with three games left.
"We know the situation we're in," Kidd said. "We're playing catch-up. We've got to find a way to win and right now we're coming up short when we need to win games. Unfortunately we're not winning right now."
Irving was almost the hero against the Hawks, attempting to steal the ball off Trae Young at 130-130 in the final seconds of OT, only for the referee to call a foul.
Kidd and Irving argued the call as Young hit both of the game-winning free-throws, with the coach calling it a "wild ending".
Irving added: "I know those refs will look back on it and won't be too happy with that call. But it could’ve gone either way. I thought I was great position but that foul cost us game practically."
Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday argued Giannis Antetokounmpo should be this season's MVP and has blamed voter fatigue for why he is not the favourite.
The MVP race appears a battle of two, between Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid, but Antetokounmpo reminded everyone of his quality with his 31st 30-point double-double in Sunday's 117-104 win over the Sixers.
The win boosted the Bucks' (56-22) chances of finishing in the one seed in the Eastern Conference, pulling two games clear of the Boston Celtics (54-24) in the two spot with four games to play.
In a match-up against Embiid, Antetokounmpo finished with 33 points, 14 rebounds, six assists and three blocks and is averaging 31.1 points, 11.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists this season. Embiid had 29 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
The Greek forward is fifth overall for points per game, led by Embiid (33.0), while he is third for rebounds, behind Domantas Sabonis (12.4) and Jokic (11.9).
Holiday argued that because 2019 and 2020 NBA MVP Antetokounmpo has been elite for a long period of time, voters take his quality for granted.
"[Giannis] has been MVP too much," Holiday told reporters when asked about the MVP race. "He's been doing this too much, I feel like people get bored of it.
"It's kind of like the Bron effect. LeBron has done it so many times that people think that it's normal now. And it's not.
"He makes it look so easy. The first couple years that he got it, it's like wow, nobody can do [that] and it's still, to this day, nobody can do what he does.
"He's on the number one team, not just in the East, but in the league."
Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer echoed Holiday's sentiment, believing that Antetokounmpo is this season's rightful MVP, arguing "he does everything".
"We certainly feel like Giannis is the MVP," Budenholzer said. "Best player, best record, what he does on both ends of the court, the rebounding, the blocked shots, the defense, guarding on the perimeter.
"He does everything: play-makes, attacks, gets to the free throw line. We feel like he's in the conversation and he should be the guy."
Antetokounmpo's 31.1 points per game this season is a career best and comes at 55 per cent shooting across 62 games.
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