The Los Angeles Lakers needed LeBron James to drag them through against the Utah Jazz, but he might not be available to face the Los Angeles Clippers.
A 135-133 overtime win in Salt Lake City on Tuesday ensured the Lakers guaranteed their spot in the play-in tournament in the Western Conference.
Yet with three games remaining of the regular season, the seventh-placed Lakers could still force their way into the playoffs without having to compete in the play-in round. They face the Clippers on Wednesday, with their city rivals sitting a place above them while holding an identical 41-38 record.
James was crucial against the Jazz, scoring 37 points and playing 38 minutes – the most he has managed since returning from a foot injury that kept him out for four weeks.
However, that strain might limit James' availability for Wednesday.
"The extra five minutes definitely didn't help. It definitely didn't help but we needed to get the win," James told reporters, before explaining his process of deeming whether or not he would be able to feature against the Clippers.
"How my foot feels when I wake up and I step out of bed," he added.
"That's been the most important since I've injured it five weeks ago. The next day after either rehab or training or treatment, whatever. It's always that."
Anthony Davis was unusually slack with his shooting, managing just seven-of-16 from the field and seven-of-12 from the free throw line for 21 points, though he still contributed 14 rebounds and six assists.
Davis has not played in back-to-back games since returning from a right foot issue earlier in 2023, and like James, he was unsure on whether he would face the Clippers.
"I haven't played in a back-to-back in a long time," Davis said.
"So, I mean, we'll all get on a phone call or something tomorrow morning and go from there."
Coach Darvin Ham confirmed no decision had yet been taken.
"We have our short-term business that we need to take care of and our long-term business that we need to take care of," Ham said.
"We prioritise a player's health, first and foremost. Regardless of what the stakes are or the implications of with a win or a loss or all of that.
"We need our players to know that we care about their health, first and foremost.
"If we see that they won't have any issues, in terms of their health, and we're not putting them at risk, then we'll proceed.
"If there's any kind of question marks, we'll walk through them, talk through them, and go from there."
Joel Embiid's stellar showing against the Boston Celtics led Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers to declare the MVP race "over".
Embiid is a likely contender, alongside Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo, for the NBA's MVP award.
But with just five days of the regular season remaining, the Sixers star made an almighty push for the gong with a remarkable display against the Celtics.
Embiid scored 52 points, over half of Philadelphia's total in a 103-101 victory on Tuesday, while adding 13 rebounds and six assists.
The 29-year-old is the first player in the stop-clock era to score more than half of his team's points and shoot 80 per cent from the field.
Wilt Chamberlain, meanwhile, was the only other player to have previously shot 80 per cent from the field and record at least 50 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
For Rivers, it means job done in the MVP race.
"The man just scored half our points, in an NBA game," Rivers said.
"I'm biased, but the MVP race is over.
"We did so many things wrong, but what we did right was Joel Embiid."
Embiid's team-mate James Harden echoed Rivers' sentiment, adding: "Joel should win it.
"He's been in contention for it the last few years. He led the league in scoring last year. It looks like he's going to lead the league in scoring this year.
"We're the third seed in the East. He's been consistent all year."
When the comments of Rivers and Harden were put to him, Embiid quipped: "They're probably right, but we got bigger goals.
"We understand we got a chance, but it's not going to be easy. For me, it was kind of disappointing because we found so many ways to lose the game, and that's on all of us.
"I'm part of it. I could've been better. You know, I had a couple of dumb plays. I could've been better, and we could've been better as a team.
"Like I said, we got bigger goals in mind, but we got to be better than that."
As for how to stop Embiid, who is second in the NBA for points this season (2,162) and leads the way for points per game (33.3), Celtics guard Derrick White is non-plussed.
"I think the whole league's trying to figure that out right now," said White. "So, if you got any ideas, I think every other NBA team would like to know."
Philadelphia 76ers center and MVP hopeful Joel Embiid put together arguably his best game of the season on Tuesday to deliver a 103-101 home win against the Boston Celtics.
Embiid put up 52 points – over half of his team's total and the third-most in his career – while shooting a remarkable 20-of-25 from the field. He also grabbed 13 rebounds, dished six assists and blocked two shots in his 39 minutes.
The 29-year-old, who has finished as the runner-up in the past two MVP votes, had never scored more than 50 points in a game prior to this season, but he has done so three times this campaign, highlighted by a 59-point, 11-rebound, eight-assist, seven-block showing against the Utah Jazz in November.
Against the Celtics, Embiid was supported in style by James Harden as the 76ers' second star chipped in 20 points (seven-of-17 shooting) and 10 assists with no turnovers. It was only his second game this season without a turnover.
Meanwhile, the Celtics were left short-handed as All-Star Jaylen Brown was ruled out in the hours leading up to tip-off, and Jayson Tatum was disappointing in his highly anticipated showdown against Embiid, delivering just 19 points on seven-of-20 shooting with six rebounds, six assists and three steals.
Tatum had a plus/minus of minus 13 in his 38 minutes, meaning Boston were plus 11 in the 10 minutes he was on the bench.
LeBron lifts the Lakers in overtime
The Los Angeles Lakers have now won seven of their past eight fixtures after a 135-133 overtime victory on the road against the Utah Jazz.
It was a mediocre offensive showing from the red-hot Anthony Davis as he shot just seven-of-16 from the field and seven-of-12 from the free throw line for his 21 points, but he added 14 rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocks.
Instead it was LeBron James coming through for the Lakers, producing his best game since the All-Star break with 37 points (14-of-27 shooting), six assists and five rebounds. Austin Reaves stepped up in D'Angelo Russell's absence, contributing 28 points (eight-of-13) and six assists in an equal team-high 42 minutes.
The win improved the Lakers' record to 41-38, leaving them tied with the Los Angeles Clippers for the sixth-best record in the West – with the Lakers and Clippers to face off on Wednesday.
Warriors stay out of the play-in
The Golden State Warriors were at risk of being leapfrogged by the Lakers and falling into the play-in tournament placings, before coming from behind to defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder 136-125.
It was the Thunder leading 106-102 heading into the fourth quarter, but with Klay Thompson missing through injury, Jordan Poole stepped up as the Warriors' hero.
Poole scored 18 points in the fourth quarter while the Thunder scored 19 as a team, with the fourth-year guard finishing with 30 points (eight-of-19 shooting).
Stephen Curry was just as good, dropping a game-high 34 points (11-of-25), while Most Improved Player candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 32 points (11-of-17) and seven assists for the Thunder.
The win means the Warriors have jumped the Clippers into the fifth seed with just two games remaining, while the Thunder's loss keeps the Dallas Mavericks alive, with just a half-game separating the 10th and 11th seeds.
The Tampa Bay Rays are the only unbeaten team remaining after improving their record to 5-0 with a come-from-behind 10-6 road victory over the Washington Nationals on Tuesday.
Tampa Bay began their season with a three-game series sweep at home against the Detroit Tigers, and they have now won all five of their games by at least four runs.
But it was far from smooth sailing against the Nationals, despite the Rays jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning.
Alex Call brought home two runners for Washington in the bottom of the first with a single, and after Jose Siri put Tampa ahead 4-2 with his solo home run in the second frame, the Nationals began to take over.
Lane Thomas tied the game up in the second with a two-RBI double, and Thomas then gave the Nats their first lead with his next at-bat in the fourth inning with an RBI single in an impressive three-hit, three-RBI showing from the right-fielder.
The Rays did not score from the third inning through the seventh, but Randy Arozarena injected some life back into the visitors with his second RBI double of the contest to cut the Nationals' lead to 6-5 going into the last.
Tampa Bay first baseman Luke Raley tied the contest with a solo home run from the very first pitch of the ninth inning, and just three pitches later the Rays had the lead after Josh Lowe followed suit with his own solo homer.
A single from Taylor Walls and a double from Siri put two more runners on base, setting up Yandy Diaz for the 414-foot, three-run bomb to seal the comeback win.
Alcantara shuts out the Twins
The Minnesota Twins came into Tuesday's action unbeaten, before running into a spectacular showing from reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara in a 1-0 Miami Marlins triumph.
Alcantara, who had a shaky start in his season opener against the New York Mets, looked right back to his best against the Twins. He pitched the complete nine innings for only three hits and one walk, while striking out five in his 100 pitches.
The only run of the contest came from a solo home run in the second inning from Miami right-fielder Avisail Garcia, snapping a three-game Marlins losing streak.
Another Riley rocket lifts the Braves
Atlanta Braves slugger Austin Riley hit his second home run in as many days to help lift his side to a 4-1 road win against the St Louis Cardinals.
Despite the loss, all 10 Cardinals players to take an at-bat finished with exactly one hit each, but they could not match the power of the Braves.
Following his monstrous 473-foot blast in the opening inning of Monday's game, Riley again went deep in the first inning, this time taking Steven Matz 410 feet over the left-field wall. Orlando Arcia followed Riley's two-run shot with his own solo home run in the second inning.
In his very first start in the majors, 24-year-old Braves rookie Dylan Dodd collected the win as he made it through five innings while giving up six hits and no walks for one run, striking out three in his 73 pitches.
World number five Ons Jabeur is through to the third round of the Charleston Open after making a winning start in a 6-3 6-3 triumph over Lesia Tsurenko on Tuesday.
Jabeur, a finalist at both Wimbledon and the US Open this past season, received a bye through to the second round thanks to her status as the second seed, and she had to save three break points in the opening game of the match against Tsurenko.
After repelling the early push, Jabeur rattled off the first five games to take a commanding lead, and she secured another break to begin the second frame.
Meanwhile, with half of the field still completing their first-round matchups, 12th seed Paula Badosa proved too strong for Egypt's Mayar Sherif in a comfortable 6-3 6-1 victory.
Spain's Badosa will play Canada's Leylah Fernandez in the second round after the promising 20-year-old took just 72 minutes to dispatch Russia's Evgeniya Rodina 6-3 6-2.
Rodina was the only loss from the four Russians in action on Tuesday, with Anna Kalinskaya defeating Alize Cornet 7-6 (7-4) 4-6 6-2, 19-year-old Diana Shnaider eliminating Alycia Parks 6-4 6-3, and Varvara Gracheva prevailing 7-6 (7-3) 6-2 against Anna-Lena Friedsam.
Bernarda Pera advanced past Clare Liu 6-4 6-7 (1-7) 6-3 in one of the all-American showdowns, while ninth seed Madison Keys beat Emma Navarro 6-4 6-3 and Shelby Rogers took out Danielle Collins 6-7 (2-7) 6-4 6-1 in the others.
Sofia Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion, handled the challenge of Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-1 6-7 (5-7) 6-1, and two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka came back to defeat Sloane Stephens 3-6 6-3 6-2.
America's J.J. Wolf was the top seed in action on Tuesday at the Houston Open and he had no issue in his 6-3 6-2 first-round victory over Jordan Thompson.
Wolf, the fifth seed at the United States' only clay court event on the ATP Tour calendar, needed just 75 minutes to send the Australian home early on the back of a rock-solid serving performance.
Thompson was not able to produce a single break point opportunity in the match, and Wolf left an exclamation point on the contest by winning the final five games to run away with the win.
Meanwhile, seventh seed Marcos Giron gave the American crowd another win to cheer for in his 6-0 6-2 demolition of Ecuador's Emilio Gomez.
The chance for the double-bagel was there for Giron after winning the first 11 games to race out to a 6-0 5-0 lead, but he blew four match points as Gomez showed no quit and secured a break to at least take the match over the 60-minute mark.
Eighth seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry prevailed 6-3 6-4 in his all-Argentine clash against Juan Manuel Cerundolo, taking a 3-2 lead in their overall head-to-head meetings after rising 21-year-old Cerundolo took the past two.
German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann booked a second-round matchup against second seed Tommy Paul after a hard-fought 6-4 3-6 6-2 triumph over Japan's Yosuke Watanuki, while Chile's Cristian Garin had little resistance in his 6-3 6-0 victory in a South American showdown against Bolivia's Hugo Dellien.
In the late window, Jack Sock failed to complete the United States clean sweep for the day as he fell 6-2 6-4 to the Czech Republic's Tomas Machac.
Luka Doncic accepted responsibility for a Dallas Mavericks defense this season that their Slovenian star believes "anybody can score on".
There was plenty of positivity coming into the season after a surprise run to the Western Conference Finals in 2022, but things have failed to go according to plan.
But while the Mavericks sit 11th in the West with a 37-42 record – one game behind the 38-41 Oklahoma City Thunder in the race for the final play-in tournament spot – they still own the sixth-best offense in the league this season.
Scoring at a rate of 116.0 points per 100 possessions, the Mavericks trail only the New York Knicks (116.8), Denver Nuggets (117.1), Philadelphia 76ers (117.1), Boston Celtics (117.3) and Sacramento Kings (119.0) for the league's best offensive units.
But they also sit 23rd in defense, giving up 115.9 points per 100 possessions, although their stellar offensive play had been enough to keep their head above water prior to the All-Star break.
Since the break – and the trade for Kyrie Irving, where they sent away key rotation pieces Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie – the Mavs have gone 6-13, and while their offense has actually gotten even more efficient (117.5 points per 100 possessions), their defense has cratered even further (118.0).
Doncic called it "a very disappointing season", and pointed to the current group's lack of chemistry – particularly on the defensive end – as one of the main reasons for their late-season collapse.
"I think you don't see that chemistry we had before – I mean, especially last year," he said. "I think that chemistry was at the top, everybody. But chemistry builds not just not right away. It's a long process.
"I don't think the offense is a problem, and I always said this. It's our defensive end. I think anybody can score on us. Whoever it is, anybody can score on us."
But the former Rookie of the Year and three-time All-NBA First Team selection was not looking to point fingers. Doncic highlighted his own packed schedule over the past three years as he spent his offseasons playing for Slovenia internationally, and admitted his defense has reflected his level of fatigue.
"I've been playing basketball for three straight years," he said. "Four weeks in between it was free.
"Sometimes it's really hard for me to play really hard on both ends. But obviously, the defensive end I gotta be way better. But that's not an excuse.
"I'm still young, age-wise, but it's a lot of basketball. But I've got to be way better. I'm the leader of this team – the one to blame is me."
Dominic Thiem claimed his first win since February with victory at the Estoril Open.
The former US Open champion and two-time Roland Garros finalist had gone his previous four ATP Tour-level events without a win.
But Thiem, once ranked as high as third in the world, ended the drought with a 3-6 6-3 6-4 defeat of compatriot Sebastian Ofner.
He will next face American Ben Shelton, who defeated Constant Lestienne 7-5 7-5.
Meanwhile, there were three shocks at the Grand Prix Hassan II in Marrakesh.
Roberto Carballes Baena came from a set down to beat fifth seed Maxime Cressy, Alexandre Muller overcame sixth seed Richard Gasquet, and qualifier Andrea Vavassori defeated eighth seed Nicolas Jarry.
Justin Thomas is prepared for business as usual at The Masters with little interest in the contentious inclusion of LIV Golf International Series players in Augusta.
The world number 10 will be joined by 17 LIV Golf stars at the Augusta National Golf Course, with six of those rebel golfers automatically qualifying via a lifetime exemption after winning the tournament.
Majors are the only tournaments the two sets of golfers can feature in after the PGA Tour banned those who joined the Saudi-backed rebel series for record purses and 54-hole events.
The DP World Tour also acted to punish the breakaway stars, with £100,000 fines and potential suspensions for those playing in LIV events and opting out of the European competition.
A report from The Times on Tuesday claimed the DP World Tour will win its ongoing court case against the 13 LIV golfers appealing those sanctions, but Thomas is focused on his own matters in Georgia.
"I haven't really talked to any of them," Thomas said at a pre-tournament press conference.
"I don't know if it's just been coincidence or I've had the blinders on, but it's just been business. I'm just trying to take care of myself and I'm not worried about what they're doing."
Thomas' best Masters finish came when he battled to fourth in 2020, while the American tied for eighth in his most recent appearance last year.
Ahead of the start of the tournament on Thursday, Thomas is aiming to take a more casual approach in search of his third major title – having won the PGA Championship in 2017 and 2022.
"I can definitely want something too much," he continued. "I've wanted to win this tournament too much in the past.
"I've wanted to be world number one too badly, I've wanted to win golf tournaments too badly – it's a fine line.
"It's a learning process and I'm starting to learn a bit more. I'd love to be world number one and win tournaments, and not have to figure it out the tough way.
"But there is a lot of good that can come out of some negative experiences if you choose to look at it that way."
Thomas will play with Jon Rahm and Cameron Young in his first round, with that three-ball line-up teeing off at 10:42am local time.
Tiger Woods believes it is simply "a matter of time" before Rory McIlroy wins the Masters, backing him to complete a career grand slam in due course.
The Northern Irishman is a four-time major winner, and has claimed all three of golf's other key honours in his career.
But the nearest he has come to success at Augusta National was last year, when he finished second, three strokes off victor Scottie Scheffler.
Woods, a five-time champion in Georgia, thinks it is just a waiting game for McIlroy now, and is confident he will claim the green jacket before long.
"He will [win it]," he said. "It's a matter of time. He has the talent, he has the game, he has all the tools to be able to win here.
"It's a matter of time. A lot of things have to happen to win at this golf course, a lot has to go right. You have to know how to play the course.
"Last year he had a great run and put himself [in] there. Whether it's this year, next year or whatever, he will do it, and he will have a career grand slam."
Woods also weighed in on the anticipated revamp to several key events on the PGA Tour, with plans for no-cut tournaments in response to LIV Golf.
The 15-time major winner feels it has potential, suggesting it will not penalise players for poor performance, but stressed no firm calls had been made yet.
"There [are] still some discussions about some of the designated events and whether we're going to have cuts," he added.
"I'm certainly pushing for my event to have a cut. Maybe the player-hosted events will have cuts. There does need to be a penalty for not playing well.
"Every event shouldn't be a guaranteed 72 holes. We're trying to figure that out, to see where those designated events will be and how many there will be."
Tiger Woods plans to relish every moment when he makes his 25th start at the Masters this week, admitting he is uncertain how many more majors he will be able to play.
Having suffered serious leg injuries in a car crash in 2021, Woods made a stirring return to competitive golf at last year's edition of the Masters.
Five-time champion Woods finished 47th at Augusta National Golf Club last year, making the cut before carding back-to-back 78s across the final two rounds.
While playing his first non-major PGA Tour event since 2020 at February's Genesis Invitational, Woods confirmed he planned to appear at all four majors this year – but the 47-year-old knows that aim is dependent on his fitness.
Asked if the possibility this could be his final major had crossed his mind, Woods told reporters: "Yeah, it has. Last year, I didn't know if I was going to play again at that time.
"For some reason, everything came together, I pushed a bit and was able to make the cut, which was nice.
"I don't know how many more I have in me, so I just have to be able to appreciate the time I have here and cherish the memories.
"So much of my life has been here at Augusta National. I'm just so excited to be able to come back here and play."
Woods ended an 11-year major title drought at the 2019 Masters, and while he is not being discussed as a leading contender this time around, he has not given up hope of a repeat performance.
"Whether I'm a threat, who knows," Woods said. "People probably didn't think I was a threat in 2019 either, but that turned out okay!
"If there's any one golf course I can come back at like I did last year, it's here.
"I think my game is better than it was at this particular time last year. My endurance is better, but it aches a little more than it did last year.
"I just have to be conscious of how much I can push it. I can hit a lot of shots, but the difficulty for me is going to be walking, going forwards. That's how it is.
"It has been tough, and it will always be tough. It will never be the same, I understand that; it's one of the reasons why I can't prepare and play as many tournaments as I would like. That's my future, and I'm okay with that."
Rory McIlroy claims he is more relaxed than ever ahead of this year's Masters, after shedding "scar tissue" last time out.
The world number two returns to Augusta National a year on from a second-place finish, where he finished three strokes behind Scottie Scheffler.
McIlroy's result marked his best-ever return at the Masters, the only one of golf's four majors to elude him across his professional career.
With that performance in 2022 still in his mind, the Northern Irishman feels he can put the ghosts of past Masters to rest for good this time around.
"Not every experience is going to be a good experience," he said ahead of Thursday's first round. "I think that would lead to a pretty boring life.
"You have to learn from those challenges, and [the] scar tissue that has built up. Last year, I maybe shed some of that scar tissue and made a breakthrough.
"I feel like my game is in a pretty good place and I know [Augusta] just about as well as anyone. It's always great to be back at the Masters.
"The whole field has been building up to this point, [so it is] good to be back. I've been up here quite a bit in recent weeks.
"I've played 81 holes, so I've very familiar with the place again. I'm feeling as relaxed as I ever have coming in here."
McIlroy's performance in 2022, where he posted a sensational eight-under final round, saw him bounce back after he failed to make the cut in 2021.
Since then, the Northern Irishman reclaimed top spot on the PGA Tour rankings, though he has been displaced at the summit by Scheffler.
Carlos Alcaraz is the latest to confirm he will not be competing at the Monte Carlo Masters.
The world number two already has two titles to his name in 2023 but lost the final of the Miami Open to Jannik Sinner.
Alcaraz was set to compete in Monte Carlo when the clay court season begins next week but has joined compatriot Rafael Nadal in withdrawing due to injury.
Posting on Twitter, he said: "After two months abroad, I am happy to return home but sad because I finished my last match in Miami with physical discomfort.
"After visiting my doctor in Murcia today and being evaluated, I will not be able to go to Monte Carlo to start the clay court tour.
"I have post-traumatic arthritis in my left hand and muscular discomfort in the spine that needs rest to prepare for everything that is to come."
Alcaraz's defeat to Sinner in Miami saw him cede top-spot in the ATP world rankings to Novak Djokovic, having returned to the summit in March.
The Spaniard was previously ranked number one from September 2022 until January 30, 2023.
Amir Khan insists he is innocent after receiving a two-year sports ban for an anti-doping violation.
UK anti-doping (UKAD) announced the ban on Monday, having informed Khan in April 2022 that tests carried out following his defeat to Kell Brook returned an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) for ostarine.
Khan accepted the charges, though claimed his ingestion of ostarine was unintentional, and his case was heard by an independent panel in January and February.
While Khan's statement that digestion was not intentional was accepted by the panel, they deemed he must serve a two-year ban and his result against Brook was disqualified.
The former Olympic medal winner continues to protest his innocence, while questioning why a ban is needed considering he has already hung up his gloves.
"I've never cheated. I'm a retired fighter and, at the same time, you can see by my performance against Kell Brook, it wasn't the best, I lost the fight," he told Sky Sports.
"If I went in and knocked him out, it's different. I've never cheated in my life, I'm the one who wanted the testing on the fight, and the amount that was in my system could have been from shaking people's hands.
"I don't know what drug was in my system.
"I've never cheated in my life. I'm a retired fighter anyway, so it's quite strange and funny that they've banned me for two years, I'm already retired anyway.
"I've got no comeback plans. I've never cheated and I never will, it's not something I would do."
Khan's ban commenced on April 6, 2022 and will expire on April 5, 2024.
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."
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