NEW YORK -- The Knicks, who opened their season with a blowout loss in Boston, entered Saturday night viewing their rematch with the defending-champion Celtics as a measuring stick as they approach the All-Star break.

They exited Madison Square Garden with a clear answer about where they stand: far behind the Celtics, who routed the Knicks 131-104 just like they did in October.

The 27-point setback -- New York's largest of the season -- was eye-opening. The Knicks had won seven of eight before Saturday's game and were 1 games behind the second-place Celtics in the Eastern Conference.

"Unacceptable," said Knicks captain Jalen Brunson, who scored a team-high 36 points on just 18 shots. "We're not where we want to be."

One day earlier, he said he looked forward to seeing how his team measured up with Boston after showing improvements -- and cohesion with newcomers Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges -- since the start of the campaign.

But many of the Knicks' same problems from opening night showed up again Saturday. Specifically, they had no answer for Jayson Tatum, who threw down an enormous dunk on the second play of the contest en route to scoring 40 points. The All-Star seemed to get whatever he wanted in one-on-one matchups with New York's wings, and shot 13 for 26 overall and 7 for 14 from the arc.

The Knicks (34-18) were without perimeter stopper OG Anunoby, who's dealing with a foot sprain. But the Celtics were down two starters: guard Jrue Holiday and former Knick Kristaps Porzingis, who was a late scratch due to a non-COVID illness. Luke Kornet was told late in the pregame process that he'd be filling in for Porzingis. Kornet shot 7 for 7 for 14 points and added 12 boards and three blocked shots.

"Big Luke played his ass off today," Tatum said of Kornet.

Tatum was the best player on the floor, though, and said he enjoyed putting on a show with famed actor Denzel Washington sitting courtside with friend and Academy Award-winning film director Spike Lee.

Boston (37-16) dominated most of the game, but the Knicks -- powered by Brunson's trips to the free throw line -- cut their deficit to three midway through the third.

That's when Tatum and Derrick White provided all the Celtics' scoring during a 19-3 spurt that essentially sealed the win. Tatum sat the final six minutes of the game, and massive pockets of the crowd -- including Lee and Washington -- started heading for the exits several minutes early.

The Knicks -- 23-6 against sub-.500 clubs, but just 11-12 against teams with records .500 or better -- are trying to prove they belong with the league's elite. They're 0-3 against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Celtics, who sit in first and second place, respectively, in the East. And the Knicks dropped both of their contests against the Oklahoma City Thunder, who own the league's best mark.

"We've had a target on our back the whole year, and we understood that going into the season. I think every game [against us] is probably a measuring stick," White said. "It's just on us to have the right mindset."

In the other locker room, the Knicks said that as much as they might have improved during the season, they still aren't close to the Celtics' level yet.

"We've got a lot of work to do. Simple as that. There's no sugarcoating it. There's no moral wins," said Towns, who finished with a quiet nine-point, nine-rebound outing. "If we've got aspirations, which I know we do, then we've got to find ways to win games like tonight. That's a team that's in the race. Great teams, championship teams, they test your discipline. And we've got to work on keeping our discipline for all 48 [minutes]."

Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant's father was ejected late in the fourth quarter of Memphis' 125-112 home loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night for making repeated "overtly disrespectful statements about the integrity of the officiating crew," according to a pool report with referee Josh Tiven.

"The fix is in!" Tee Morant shouted from his FedExForum courtside seat immediately before he was ejected, a source who attended the game told ESPN.

Tiven, the crew chief, said he was aware that the fan was Morant's father when he requested security remove him from his courtside seat during a dead ball with 2:10 remaining.

"The fan continued to repeat overtly disrespectful statements about the integrity of the officiating crew, so as the crew chief, I approached security and asked that he be removed," Tiven told a pool reporter.

The younger Morant was asked after the game why he thought his father was ejected.

"He probably got kicked out so I didn't [get ejected]," Ja Morant said. "Probably complaining about something to the ref."

Asked if he or his players requested Ja Morant's father be removed, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said: "Not to my knowledge. No."

Ja Morant finished with 16 points, going 6-of-19 from the floor, but he had just four free throw attempts. The Grizzlies had a 39-21 advantage in free throws attempted.

"I kind of knew it because [one official] started getting mad when I asked him a question, and didn't want to talk," the younger Morant said. "But we ain't gonna go there."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

CHICAGO -- Jimmy Butler went into his Golden State Warriors debut without a practice or even the benefit of going through the morning shootaround before facing the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night.

Butler wasn't allowed to participate in his squad's morning walk-through because not all the players in the five-team, nine-player trade that landed him with Golden State on Wednesday had completed their physicals until late Saturday afternoon. So, Butler had to make his Warriors grand opening knowing a total of three plays that coach Steve Kerr gave him, along with some new terminology.

Still, Butler looked like the player the Warriors went out and traded for before immediately providing him with a new two-year, $111 million deal. He made 7 of 12 shots, got to the foul line 13 times and scored 25 points to help the Warriors overcome a 24-point deficit and rout the Bulls 132-111 at the United Center.

His 25 points were Butler's most in a debut for a new team as well as the most in a first game by a Warrior since Kevin Durant in 2016.

But it was the aura Butler brought to the Warriors that might have stood out the most, according to Kerr.

"I'm most impressed with his passing," Kerr said. "His passing changes everything. ... The skill, the strength, the ability to get to the free throw line.

"And in the end, it goes beyond that. Just his presence out there. He's a lion. He's a force."

Even four-time NBA champions Stephen Curry and Draymond Green could feel Butler's impact. For just over two quarters, Golden State (26-26) looked like it was going to sleepwalk its way to a third straight loss. The Bulls (22-31) raced out to an 83-59 lead with 8:30 remaining in the third quarter.

Then Butler got to the foul line for two of his 11 made free throws. Shortly thereafter, Curry exploded, scoring 22 points in the final 7:54 of the quarter. By the time Curry buried his fifth 3-pointer of the quarter, the Warriors led 97-93 on the strength of a 38-10 blitz.

"At no point was it ever like, ah, body language dropping," Green said. "That's kind of what you've seen this year. We get down, it's kind of like snakebitten mentality. And it was total opposite [tonight], which is why we came back. No problem."

Green said a major reason for that was Butler's presence on their side. Having the six-time All-Star gave the Warriors a different type of confidence that had been missing all season. Green was asked if he, Curry and Kerr felt a little more of the championship swagger on Saturday night because of their new teammate.

"One-million-percent," Green said. "I wouldn't necessarily say we have championship swagger. We have championship pedigree. The championship swagger is what we're trying to find again."

And that is why the Warriors took on Butler, who had a tumultuous split with the Miami Heat after six seasons and two NBA Finals appearances.

For Butler, this seems like one of the best spots to jump-start his 14th season. The Warriors need all his strengths, including his ability to get to the foul line, create his own shot inside, drive, kick and defend. All the things he does best are pretty much the "opposite" of what Curry does best, as the Warriors' franchise player noted.

While Curry made 8 of 16 3-pointers, Butler took one attempt from beyond the arc. And while Curry went to the foul line eight times, Butler made 11-of-13 from the stripe and probably could have gone to the line more had he played longer than 29 minutes in his first game since Jan. 21.

Due to multiple suspensions by the Heat, Butler played in just his sixth game since Dec. 20.

"Tired. Extremely tired," Butler said afterward. "Like somebody that had a month off. Not that I wanted a month off, but I got going a little bit. I got to do a ton more of conditioning, but I'll get it back. It's only a matter of time."

After Curry's third-quarter barrage, Butler and Green fueled the Warriors at the start of the fourth quarter to extend their lead to 17 by the time Curry checked back in with just over seven minutes remaining.

Butler made 3 of 4 shots, including a two-handed dunk, and went 4-for-4 from the foul line for 10 points in four fourth-quarter minutes to seal the game.

Kerr said he is counting on Butler to help the Warriors close out games, something they've struggled to do for much of the campaign.

"Everybody on the roster, everybody on the coaching staff [was] continually telling me to be who I am, be myself," Butler said. "And it'll work out just fine."

"I was trying to do what I thought was right," he added, "and then it was like, 'Oh well, everybody's telling me to be me, so go do it.'"

The only thing that looked different about Butler outside of his conditioning was his jersey.

Besides wearing a Warriors uniform, he is donning No. 10 for Brazilian soccer star Neymar.

And the name on the back of his jersey reads "Butler III," an ode to his late father. Butler said his father died exactly one year ago.

He said that -- along with Saturday's game being staged in Chicago, where he played his first six seasons with the Bulls and developed into a star -- made it a fitting start to his Warriors career.

"This is where I began my career," Butler said. "My father passed a year ago today. Today's [also] the birthday of one of my very, very, very good friends.

"Life comes full circle, and it works in the craziest ways."

LOS ANGELES -- The Lakers said Saturday night that their trade with the Charlotte Hornets for Mark Williams was rescinded, with sources telling ESPN's Shams Charania that the 7-foot center failed Los Angeles' physical exam.

That physical showed multiple issues, sources said. It was not failed due to his back, however.

Williams has played in only 85 out of a possible 212 games (40.1%) through his first two and a half seasons with the Hornets. Los Angeles was confident in his medicals, sources told ESPN at the time the trade was agreed upon.

Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka expressed confidence in the acquisition after the trade deadline passed Thursday while acknowledging that a physical would need to occur.

"We fully vetted his health stuff, led by Dr. Kris Jones at UCLA Health and Dr. Leroy Sims on our team, and he's had no surgeries," Pelinka said. "So these are just parts of, he's still growing into his body. We vetted the injuries he's had, and we're not concerned about those. We will have a chance to have a physical and continue to do a deep dive and make sure that what we've talked about and seen in the [electronic medical records]. ... So we'll still have that step in the process of doing a full physical before the trade becomes official."

Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht, along with Cam Reddish, a 2030 pick swap and Los Angeles' 2031 first-round pick, was the return going to Charlotte. The trade was agreed to Wednesday night and became official on a trade call to the league office Thursday after the Lakers' 120-112 win over the Golden State Warriors.

Because the deadline has passed, the trade was not allowed to be amended to account for whatever new medical information the Lakers might have discovered in their evaluation of Williams.

In a statement Saturday night, the Hornets said they are "excited" to welcome Williams back to the team.

"After the other team aggressively pursued Mark, we made the difficult decision to move him," the Hornets said. "We have always held great respect for Mark's talent, work ethic, and character. We are thrilled to see him rejoin our roster as a dynamic presence at the starting center position. His return strengthens our team, and we look forward to the impact he will make on and off the court."

Pelinka offered a different version of events, saying Thursday that Charlotte presented the deal.

"This opportunity came to us," he said then. "Maybe it's in some sense like the L.A. housing market. Not every house is listed. And sometimes you become aware of something that's available that's not on the market. And when you see the perfect house, you're willing to go get it, even if you have to be aggressive to do it. I think that's how we looked at the Mark Williams opportunity when we opened up discussions with Charlotte."

Williams was listed as questionable for the Lakers' 124-117 win over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday. Asked before the game if Williams would play, Lakers coach JJ Redick said, "The trade is still pending so no answer there."

The deal was supposed to give Los Angeles a vertical-spacing big man to play alongside Luka Doncic while also opening a roster spot for the Lakers to pursue another player on the buyout market. With the trade rescinded, the Lakers are back to 15 rostered players, meaning they would need to waive someone to open up room to sign a player. Los Angeles is $1.6 million below the second apron and cannot exceed that amount to sign another player.

The deal falling through also means the Lakers will be sticking with their current center rotation for the immediate future, with Jaxson Hayes in the starting role in the wake of the Anthony Davis-Doncic blockbuster. Behind Hayes are two-way centers Trey Jemison III and Christian Koloko.

The other big man on the roster, Christian Wood, has yet to play this season after suffering a setback in his rehab from knee surgery. There is no formal timeline for his return.

Switzerland's Belinda Bencic celebrated with baby daughter Bella in her arms after beating American Ashlyn Krueger in the Abu Dhabi Open final to claim a ninth WTA title and first since becoming a mother.

The former Olympic champion, 27, battled back from a set down to overcome 20-year-old Krueger 4-6 6-1 6-1.

Bencic's victory came just 10 months after the arrival of her first child and less than four months since her return from more than a year out on maternity leave.

"It's been a while," she said, greeting an appreciative crowd at the Zayed Sports City International Tennis Centre.

The former world number four's last WTA title came at the Abu Dhabi Open in February 2023.

"I am super happy to be back here in Abu Dhabi. I didn't imagine this. I am also getting a little bit emotional," she added, after the courtside presenter broke down in tears when presenting her award.

"I was working really hard to even play, coming back. So to also win a title in front of my family, it's really special.

"To my husband and my daughter Bella, I love you so much. It was a big dream for me to come back and play in front of her and to win a tournament."

When Bencic returned to the sport in October her world ranking had dropped to 1,213, but she reached the fourth round of the Australian Open on her Grand Slam return and her run in the Abu Dhabi Open has helped her break back into the top 100.

Victory means she will now move as high as 65th when the rankings are next updated.

World number 51 Krueger, who has moved quickly up the rankings herself in recent months, looked capable of completing an upset to claim what would have been her second title and first at WTA 500 level.

Bencic was broken four times in losing the opening set but quickly regained the form that helped her claim an upset of her own by beating top seed Elena Rybakina in the semi-finals.

A clearly disappointed Krueger was gracious in defeat, saying in her courtside interview: "It is so impressive you coming back and being a mother, it's really inspirational, so congrats and good luck."

Carlos Alcaraz will face Alex de Minaur in the Rotterdam Open final on Sunday after defeating Hubert Hurkacz in the semi-finals.

The 21-year-old top seed won 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 against Poland's Hurkacz at the ATP 500 indoor hard-court event.

World number eight De Minaur, 25, booked his place in the final with a straight-set semi-final victory over Mattia Bellucci.

The Australian third seed cruised past his Italian opponent 6-1 6-2.

Four-time Grand Slam winner Alcaraz made a slow start to his debut at the event and quickly found himself 3-0 down, before fighting back to take the first set.

"I think he had chances to make it 6-0 so I just tried to fight for every ball, every point," said the world number three.

With the second set going to a tie-break, both players squandered chances to seize the advantage. It was a double fault from Alcaraz at 5-4 up that handed Hurkacz the opportunity to draw level and the 27-year-old took the set after the Spaniard netted a simple backhand.

Alcaraz found his stride in the third set, however, and he reached the final with a forehand winner after a thrilling contest.

"I just tried to stay in there, keep fighting all the time and it paid off," added Alcaraz.

De Minaur's last-four tie was a stroll in contrast.

Bellucci had knocked out Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas on his way to the semi-finals but De Minaur was too strong for the 23-year-old qualifier.

De Minaur, who won all of his matches in Rotterdam in straight sets, was runner-up to world number one Jannik Sinner in the final last year.

"The Dutch crowd always treats me very well, and I love coming back here, so hopefully I can get a title this time," he said.

In an attempt to withstand the Scots, Easterby has reinstalled firebrand flanker Peter O'Mahony to the starting line-up for the first time since last summer.

O'Mahony has history in this fixture, and given it will be his first start since being replaced by Doris as captain, the Munster veteran will not be short of motivation.

"He loves these games, obviously he loves the Six Nations, he loves representing the nation, and he always adds something different, something a little bit special," observed Doris.

"He's got 110 caps, 111 tomorrow, so a wealth of experience there, and just a good fella to have around camp. Last week, he was great even though he wasn't involved.

"There is a bit of an added edge from him this week as well. He's always someone who I enjoy having alongside me in the back row."

O'Mahony's return adds even more know-how to an Irish side packed with experience, the 23-man matchday squad totalling 1,220 caps compared with Scotland's 864. Fly-half Sam Prendergast is the outlier. It will be the 21-year-old's first away game for Ireland and Scotland will undoubtedly set out to unsettle him.

Ireland's experience told against England, especially during a dominant second half when Jack Conan and Dan Sheehan made huge impacts off the bench.

Not short of Test experience either, Scotland are also hardened by previous pain at Irish hands. Townsend set up defensively in Dublin last year, but stirred by the home crowd, his side may go all-out to make it another frantic afternoon for Ireland.

It will not be anything Ireland have not encountered in the Scottish capital before.

Navigate the mayhem once more and they will be this weekend's big winners.

England: M Smith; Freeman, Lawrence, Slade, Sleightholme; F Smith, Mitchell; Genge, Cowan-Dickie, Stuart, Itoje (capt), Martin, T Curry, Earl, Willis

Replacements: George, Baxter, Heyes, Chessum, Cunningham-South, B Curry, Randall, Daly

France: Ramos; Penaud, Barassi, Moefana, Bielle-Biarrey; Jalibert, Dupont (capt); Gros, Mauvaka, Atonio, Roumat, Meafou, Cros, Boudehent, Alldritt.

Replacements: Marchand, Baille, Colombe, Auradou, Guillard, Jegou, Le Garrec, Gailleton.

Referee: Nika Amashukeli

TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen

Former Saints and England fly-half Paul Grayson said the ability to overcome early mistakes showed "a sign of an international player".

"I have watched him a bit and that's what he is," Grayson told the BBC's Rugby Union Weekly podcast.

"He's a good organiser, he is measured, and he will call the right decisions most of the time.

"His open field kicking needs work. He kicked some shockers today.

"But that didn't define him. He grew into the game, and he got better the longer he was on the pitch."

In the autumn, England were leading heading into the final stages against Australia and New Zealand but failed to close out both games.

Against Ireland in their opening Six Nations match, Steve Borthwick's side led 10-5 at half-time but fell away in the final quarter.

Former England scrum-half and World Cup winner Matt Dawson believes the way Fin Smith grabbed the game in final quarter makes him "more of the man" for the 10 shirt going forward.

"Watching other players go up to Fin [after the game], I saw more of the senior players pretend to bow down to him a little bit," he added.

"That means quite a lot for someone who is 22 years old.

"They obviously appreciate that they're being managed and looked after on the pitch by the 10.

"Not every fly-half has the ability to do that to the team."

Warren Gatland has vowed to carry on as Wales head coach despite their record losing run hitting a new low.

Wales are now down to 12th in the world rankings - their lowest ever position - following the 22-15 loss to Italy.

It was their 14th straight defeat, a first in Rome for 18 years and equalled their worst series of results in championship history.

But Gatland insists he is seeing enough progress and spirit in his team to remain in the firing line.

"It's not the easiest position to be in but you have to be strong," he replied, when asked whether he wanted to continue.

"There's no doubt it's challenging. You do question yourself in terms of [being able to turn things round].

"We talked [after the game] about continuing to work hard and staying tight as a group.

"Everyone is pretty frustrated, the players, staff and coaches. There's no-one more disappointed than we are.

"We will review and highlight areas where we can still get better, and for me personally."