OKLAHOMA CITY -- After the Memphis Grizzlies were on the wrong side of the most lopsided NBA playoff loss in a decade, Ja Morant kept his message to his teammates short but certainly not sweet.

"We will never play that bad again," Morant said after the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder opened their Western Conference playoff series with a 131-80 rout over the Grizzlies on Sunday.

The 51-point margin is the fifth highest in a playoff game in NBA history, according to ESPN Research. It's the most lopsided playoff game in the league since the Chicago Bulls defeated the Milwaukee Bucks by 54 in a 2015 first-round game.

Oklahoma City, which didn't play any of its starters in the fourth quarter, led by as many as 56 points. The record for largest margin of victory in a playoff game is 58, set by the Minneapolis Lakers over the St. Louis Hawks in 1956 and matched by the Denver Nuggets over the New Orleans Hornets in 2009.

"Luckily for us, there's only one way from this, and that's up," said Grizzlies interim coach Tuomas Iisalo, who took the reins when Taylor Jenkins was fired the day after a 125-104 loss to the Thunder on March 27. "We will analyze it, we'll learn from it, and then we will fix those things that hurt us. But there were a lot of things."

A blowout win for the Thunder comes as no surprise, especially considering the circumstances. Oklahoma City broke the NBA record for point differential during the regular season (plus-12.9 per game) while going a league-best 68-14.

The Thunder swept the season series against the Grizzlies, winning each of the four games by double figures. The average margin of Oklahoma City's regular-season wins over Memphis was 18.75 points.

The Grizzlies were also dealing with a difficult schedule against the rested Thunder. Memphis earned the Western Conference's eighth seed by beating the Dallas Mavericks in the final play-in game, which was a 9:30 p.m. ET start on Friday. Game 1 tipped off at noon Sunday at the Paycom Center.

"We kind of have to take this win, like, they're going to be way better in Game 2," said Thunder forward Jalen Williams, who had 20 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals in 26 minutes. "We're trying to not give them a lot of life in regards to that. That's a really good team over there, so Game 2 is going to be completely different. We're kind of competing with ourselves in a way to make sure we're sharp for Game 2."

Oklahoma City's top-ranked defense smothered Memphis, forcing 24 turnovers, including 14 in the first half. The Grizzlies shot only 34.4% from the floor, including 6-of-34 from 3-point range, although Iisalo noted that Memphis' expected field goal percentage -- a statistic based on the quality of shot attempts -- was significantly higher.

"You got to turn the page fast," said Grizzlies shooting guard Desmond Bane, who was held to nine points on 3-of-12 shooting and had a plus-minus of minus-51 in 27 minutes. "Definitely take the rest of this afternoon and kind of see what we could have done better, but at the end of the day, it's one game. If we lose by 50 or lose on a buzzer-beater, the series is still 1-0. Not the result that we wanted for sure, but still got a good opportunity to get along the road here in two days."

Morant, who finished with 17 points on 6-of-17 shooting, downplayed any effect his sprained right ankle had during the Game 1 rout. He suffered the injury during Tuesday's play-in loss to the Golden State Warriors and needed pain-killing injections to play Friday against the Mavericks.

"It felt good," Morant said, declining to say whether he needed another pain-killing injection before the playoff opener. "I was available."

Oklahoma City coasted to the win despite an off shooting night for MVP front-runner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He was 4-of-13 from the floor while scoring only 15 points, three fewer than his lowest total from the regular season, when Gilgeous-Alexander won his first scoring title with 32.7 points per game.

"I have a great group of guys around me," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "I know that, and I've known that for a long time. Tonight is no surprise. They obviously played amazing. A bunch of me's out there tonight might not have won this. That's what you have a team for."

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Thunder beat the Memphis Grizzlies 131-80 in Game 1 of their Western Conference playoff series Sunday, the fifth-biggest margin of victory in NBA postseason history.

The 51-point margin was seven points shy of the record and was the largest Game 1 win in NBA playoff history.

Jalen Williams scored 20 points and Chet Holmgren had 19 points and 10 rebounds. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the league's scoring champion with nearly 33 points per game, scored just 15. The Thunder still shot 50.5% from the field.

"We played to our identity," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "Nothing more, nothing less than that. We were who we were all year ... and it's going to be the key to our success, just staying true to who we are."

Gilgeous-Alexander had said several times since Oklahoma City's loss to Dallas in last season's Western Conference semifinals that he would be intentional about getting his teammates better prepared for this postseason.

So far, so good.

"I have a great group of guys around me, and I know that," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "And I've known that for a long time. ... They obviously played amazing."

There have been two 58-point playoff margins in NBA history: Denver beating New Orleans 121-63 on April 27, 2009, and the Minneapolis Lakers beating the St. Louis Hawks 133-75 on March 19, 1956.

The Los Angeles Lakers beat Golden State by 56 (126-70) on April 21, 1973, and the Chicago Bulls beat the Milwaukee Bucks by 54 (120-66) on April 30, 2015.

And now, a 51-point game -- where the Thunder had it well in hand by early in the second quarter. It was the sixth playoff victory of at least 50 points.

Sunday's blowout comes just four years after the Grizzlies handed the Thunder a historic beatdown of their own. They beat Oklahoma City by 73 points in a regular-season game on Dec. 2, 2021, setting the record for the largest margin of victory in NBA history.

Game 2 is Tuesday.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow left Sunday's start against the Texas Rangers in the fifth inning of a scoreless game with lower leg cramps.

Glasnow was visited by manager Dave Roberts and head athletic trainer Thomas Albert after striking out Dustin Harris for the second out of the fourth inning.

Glasgow remained in the game and fanned Josh Jung for his sixth strikeout. He started the fifth with a four-seam fastball for a called strike to Jake Burger, and Roberts and Albert returned to the mound. Glasnow was replaced by Luis Garcia.

Glasnow threw 52 pitches, allowing three singles and walking one.

He didn't pitch after Aug. 11 last year because of right elbow tendinitis.

Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell hasn't pitched since April 2 because of left shoulder inflammation.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

MILWAUKEE -- The Milwaukee Brewers broke a 33-year-old franchise record for stolen bases in a game Sunday, and they needed only four innings.

Milwaukee stole all nine bases through the first four innings against the Athletics in Sunday's 14-1 win. The Brewers had stolen eight bases in a 7-2 victory over the Toronto on Aug. 29, 1992.

Six of Sunday's steals occurred in the first inning. The Elias Sports Bureau said those were the most stolen bases by a team in an inning since the expansion era started in 1961.

A team has stolen five bases in an inning 13 times since 1961, most recently Cincinnati against Colorado on April 19, 2016.

Sportradar said the Brewers were the first team to steal six bases in an inning since Aug. 26, 1919, when the New York Giants had six in the third inning of the first game of a doubleheader against Pittsburgh.

The Brewers broke their franchise game record in the fourth inning when Caleb Durbin got his first career stolen base, two days after his major league debut.

Durbin was initially called out at second, but a video review determined he was safe. Durbin scored to extend Milwaukee's lead to 8-0.

No Brewer got caught stealing until the fifth, when Shea Langeliers threw Sal Frelick out at second.

Brice Turang stole three bases through the first four innings. Frelick had two steals. Christian Yelich, William Contreras, Rhys Hoskins and Durbin stole one base each.

Milwaukee's six first-inning steals included a pair of double steals. The Brewers scored four runs in that first inning by capitalizing on 2 hits, the 6 steals, a balk from Jeffrey Springs and 2 throwing errors by Langeliers to score four runs.

On the first double steal, Langeliers' throw to third went into left field, enabling Turang to score and Yelich to reach third. Contreras and Hoskins executed the second double steal of the inning. Frelick walked later in the first inning and took off for second as Langeliers' throw went into center. That error allowed Hoskins to score from third, though Frelick tried advancing to third on the play and got thrown out by center fielder JJ Bleday.

In the second inning, Turang drew a two-out walk and swiped second for his third steal of the day. Turang took off for third again, but Jackson Chourio swung on the pitch and hit an RBI double to right.

Frelick stole second in the third inning.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

ATLANTA -- Ronald Acuna Jr. watched with interest when Jarred Kelenic was thrown out at second base after failing to hustle out of the batter's box on a long drive in the Atlanta Braves' 4-3 win over the Minnesota Twins on Saturday night.

Acuna went to social media to criticize the way manager Brian Snitker handled the situation.

Acuna, recovering from surgery after tearing his left ACL last May, replied to a post on X by MLB.com reporter Mark Bowman on Sunday when Bowman was asked whether Snitker had commented on Kelenic. Bowman posted that Snitker "protected Kelenic by replying: 'Was I supposed to' when asked if he had said anything to Kelenic."

Acuna replied to Bowman's post, "If it were me, they would take me out of the game." The response by Acuna was removed about one hour later.

Asked about Acuna's tweet, Snitker said Sunday he hadn't seen it, nor has he talked with the All-Star outfielder. He also admitted he didn't see the Kelenic play until Sunday morning.

"I don't do social media, No. 1 and I heard about it as I was walking to the dugout," Snitker said after the Braves' 6-2 victory over the Twins on Sunday. "I heard something was up and then I came in and they said it was down. I haven't talked with him, so I don't know."

Acuna was removed from a game by Snitker six years ago under similar circumstances. When asked what the difference was between the Kelenic and Acuna situations, Snitker said, "it's just timing."

"... there's no blanket thing doing that. Quite honestly, you want to know the truth? I wasn't watching that [Kelenic] play. I know he got thrown out at second and I didn't see it until this morning, and I talked to him about it," Snitker said.

Kelenic was in the Braves' lineup Sunday and went 1-for-3 with a run scored.

Kelenic's drive on Saturday night bounced off the wall in right field and he was thrown out at second base by Trevor Larnach.

Acuna was removed from the Braves' 5-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Aug. 19, 2019. Then only 21 but already an All-Star, Acuna was slow to leave the batter's box on a long drive that bounced off the right-field wall for a long single.

Snitker waited one inning and then took out Acuna.

"He didn't run. You've got to run," Snitker said of Acuna after the 2019 game. "It's not going to be acceptable here. As a teammate, you're responsible for 24 other guys. That name on the front is a lot more important than the name on the back of that jersey. You can't do that. We're trying to accomplish something and do something special here, and personal things have got to be put on the back burner. You just can't let your team down like that."

Acuna had his knee evaluated last week, and he has been cleared to begin cutting as he continues his rehabilitation. He could return to the Braves' lineup next month.

Acuna was hurt after 49 games last season and hit only .250 with four home runs, one year after winning the National League MVP with 41 home runs, 73 steals and a .337 batting average.

Kelenic, hitting only .180, could lose his starting job when Acuna returns. The Braves entered Sunday's game with back-to-back wins for the first time this season as new leadoff hitter and left fielder Alex Verdugo got off to a quick start. Verdugo had four hits and drove in the go-ahead run on Saturday night.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

TAMPA, Fla. -- New York Yankees left-hander Max Fried lost a no-hit bid in Sunday's 4-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays just as the bottom of the eighth inning was about to start when the official scorer changed a sixth-inning call to a hit after originally calling it an error.

Rookie Chandler Simpson hit a grounder into the hole between first and second with one out in the sixth and reached when the ball bounced off the glove of first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. Official scorer Bill Mathews at first called the play an error.

Fried was hitless through seven innings and was about to throw his first pitch of the eighth when Mathews announced he changed the decision to an error. Mathews said he looked at several video replays and determined Simpson would have beaten any throw to first.

Jake Mangum then led off the eighth with a clean single to center on Fried's fifth pitch of the inning. Fried allowed two hits over 7 innings, throwing 102 pitches.

New York had made three defensive gems to keep Tampa Bay hitless and led 3-0. In the third, Fried hustled to first base to beat the speedy Simpson by half a step on a grounder to Goldschmidt.

Then to end the fifth, Trent Grisham robbed Mangum with a diving catch in deep right-center before throwing out Danny Jansen attempting to tag up and go to second.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. sprinted 74 feet from his position at second base to make a falling, backhanded catch on Christopher Morel's popup to shallow left-center.

Fried, 4-0 with a 1.42 ERA, signed a $218 million, eight-year contract with the Yankees during the offseason.

Tampa Bay's Triple-A Durham Bulls no-hit the Yankees' Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders on Saturday.

Grisham lined Ryan Pepiot's third pitch of the game into the right-center bleachers for his fifth career leadoff homer. Grisham, who also homered Saturday off Shane Baz, hit leadoff Sunday for the first time since June 4, 2023.

Cody Bellinger also homered off Pepiot to lead off the sixth inning and Austin Wells homered against Garrett Cleavinger in the ninth. In the third, Bellinger hit into a run-scoring forceout.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone was ejected in the eighth inning for the 40th time in his managerial career and first time this season.

Aaron Judge hit a drive to deep left that was ruled foul, a decision upheld in a video review, then took a called third strike. Judge started to have words with plate umpire Adam Beck, and Boone came out of the dugout and immediately was tossed.

"The audacity of the call standing is remarkable," Boone said. "It's a home run."

Fried pitched seven hitless innings for Atlanta at the New York Mets' Citi Field and was removed after 109 pitches in a 4-1 win on May 11, 2024. Joe Jimenez worked around a pair of walks in the eighth before Raisel Iglesias retired the first two batters of the ninth. J.D. Martinez homered just over the wall in right field on the next pitch off Iglesias.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Despite the well-documented struggles of Welsh rugby recently, Cardiff have worked their way into a strong position to make the play-offs but have a tricky final three fixtures at home to Munster followed by a South African double-header with the Bulls and Stormers.

Cardiff are one place below 2021 Pro14 champions Benetton, who finish up with trips to the Stormers and Munster either side of a home match with Glasgow.

While it is tight between the sides, the three-point buffer Benetton and Cardiff hold to the cut line could be crucial.

As previously mentioned, Edinburgh are in a unique position as they have two routes to Champions Cup rugby available for next season.

If they cannot qualify by winning the Challenge Cup, then they can book their place by sneaking into the top eight.

Games away to Zebre and Connacht are certainly winnable and, as we've mentioned, that final game at home to Ulster could be crucial.

It may come down to the number of match wins, which is the first tie-breaker before points difference. At the moment, Benetton have eight wins, Cardiff, Munster, Stormers, Scarlets and Ulster all have seven, Edinburgh have six while Connacht have five.

The Stormers are in a strong position heading into the final three fixtures as they round out the season with three home fixtures against Benetton, bottom side Dragons and Cardiff.

With so much still to be decided, the final few weeks of the regular season promise much drama, joy and heartache.

Mohamed Salah may have signed a new contract at Liverpool, but he still "fits the identity" of what the Saudi Pro League is looking for, Saudi Arabia's sports minister said.

Salah, 32, finally ended months of speculation when he committed his future to Liverpool earlier this month, signing a two-year contract despite reports of lavish interest from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF).

The country's minister of sport, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, suggested interest in the Egypt forward has not dampened, though made it clear that signing younger players has been a clear ambition for the league.

"I mean, he's a superstar," Al-Faisal told reporters ahead of F1's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. "He's an iconic Arab Muslim. He fits the identity of playing in the Saudi league. It was his decision to renew with, but linking Saudi to him and everything ... I think from Day 1 they link Saudi to him. There wasn't any discussions. But it's good to have that.

"Now you can see that any player wants to renew their contract or sign their, they [the media] are saying that they're coming to Saudi and most 90% of it is not true. But I think we have a strategy that we're working on and everyone is saying that we're just signing any players."

Salah has been in career-defining form this season, scoring 32 goals and recording 23 assists in 46 games in all competitions as Liverpool storm towards to the Premier League title.

The Saudi Pro League looked at one time to be the obvious destination for Salah, with efforts to attract the game's star names leading to the arrivals of ageing stars Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Neymar.

However, this league's transfer activity this season has skewed much younger, such as 21-year-old Jhon Durán joining Al Nassr, or 25-year-old Moussa Diaby joining Al Ittihad.

"If you see the last number of players that we signed or the club signed are mostly young players wanting to develop the league," Al-Faisal added.

"To have the league very competitive. I'm not sure if you're following the league this year, but the competition is unbelievable in the top four clubs."

Al Ittihad top the table with 65 points after 28 games, four ahead of Al Hilal.

Saudi Arabia's minister of sport, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, insisted workers' safety was being taken "seriously" and that an investigation had been launched over the death of a migrant worker during construction of a stadium for the 2034 World Cup.

Besix Group, a construction company overseeing the site of Aramco Stadium in Al Khobar, told media outlets last month that "a worker sadly lost their life" at the construction site on March 12.

The Guardian reported that Muhammad Arshad, from Pakistan, had fallen to his death from an upper level.

"Every incident we take seriously, we file an investigation, we look at what went wrong," Al-Faisal told reporters ahead of Sunday's Saudi Arabian Formula 1 Grand Prix. "Unfortunately in construction, these things happen. We don't want them to happen. But you can take, for instance, Diriyah; they have around 35,000 workers, and I think it was 20 months or something like that without any issues happening to any of their labor.

"But we take that seriously. As soon as it was highlighted, we filed an investigation, we checked what is happening, we make sure that they put the right system in and make sure that it doesn't happen again at Aramco Stadium. And we supervise it with the contractors and so on to make sure that they deliver on these things to make sure that we deliver on our commitment, as well, to the world."

Saudi Arabia was officially confirmed as host of the 2034 World Cup in December after a mostly opaque 15-month bid process that FIFA president Gianni Infantino helped steer toward Saudi Arabia without a rival candidate and without taking questions. Human rights groups warned that the decision will put the lives of migrant workers at risk.

FIFA and Saudi officials have said hosting the 2034 tournament can accelerate change, including more freedoms and rights for women, with Infantino calling the World Cup a "unique catalyst for positive social change and unity."

"I fully trust our hosts to address all open points in this process and deliver a World Cup that meets the world's expectations," the FIFA president said.

An international collective of rights groups said at the time that FIFA made a "reckless decision" to approve Saudi Arabia without getting public assurances, and the Football Supporters Europe group said it was "the day football truly lost its mind."

Similar criticism over the treatment of migrant workers cast a shadow over more than a decade of preparations for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

"We've learned from that," Al-Faisal said. "We met with the Qataris, what they've been through, what they've gone through. We have ongoing communication with them, with FIFA, as well, on what needs to be done, how do we make sure that workers' safety is a highest priority.

"And it's a mandate on us, and it's one of the most important things on us because we saw the impact that it had on Qatar."

Information from ESPN's Laurence Edmondson and The Associated Press was used in this report.