DALLAS -- Ja Morant turned toward the Memphis Grizzlies' bench, balled up his fists, flexed and let out a primal shout after hitting a clutch floater Friday night. He released another shout and danced down the floor, pantomiming playing a guitar, after swishing a 3-pointer that sealed the 122-111 win over the injury-ravaged Dallas Mavericks.

It was a familiar feeling that Morant had been missing.

"A little bit of Ja, the old Ja," Morant said after scoring 11 of his 31 points in the final 6:15 to help the Grizzlies snap a four-game losing streak, their longest of the season. "Yeah, so it was nice to see some baskets go down. Obviously, it's kind what I'm used to."

Asked how often he felt like himself this season, Morant replied, "Not at all."

It has been a frustrating season for the two-time All-Star guard despite the Grizzlies' 39-24 record. Morant has averaged 20.9 points but has struggled with efficiency, shooting career lows from the floor (43.1%) and 3-point range (28.4%) while dealing with injuries throughout the season.

Morant missed eight games in November after he suffered a right hip subluxation and associated pelvic strains when he was bumped midair while attempting to catch an alley-oop. In late December, he suffered an AC joint sprain in his right shoulder -- which was surgically repaired last year, causing him to miss the final three months of the season -- after he was on the receiving end of a hard screen.

"Fouls, getting hurt, that plays a lot," Morant said. "Makes you move different, makes you think different. But I'm out there, so just try to find a way."

Fouls weren't called in either instance that Morant was injured this season, and he acknowledged Friday that he's attempting to temper his frustration with officials.

"Obviously, as a competitor, if you kind of feel like something ain't going your way, you get frustrated," Morant said. "Obviously, I've been frustrated, been receiving techs, so just trying to go a different way about it. Obviously, I don't feel like [referees are] on my side, but just trying to stick with it. Don't let 'em continue to take me out my game and then I'll be bad for my teammates.

"So I've been working on that. Still trying to work on it, but hopefully at some point it turns over. If I ever did anything bad to a ref or something, I'm sorry."

Morant has dealt with shoulder soreness over the last three-plus months. He sat out two of the losses during Memphis' recent skid. After returning for Wednesday's home loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, when Morant finished with 24 points on 8-of-22 shooting, he told reporters that he should have sat out that game as well.

Morant has been in an especially nasty shooting slump since the All-Star break. He has made only 7 of 46 3-point attempts (15.2%) in that span. Morant was 1 of 5 from long range Friday night. His lone 3 occurred with 29 seconds remaining in the game, which Morant pointed to as proof that his confidence isn't wavering.

"All-time high. I'm not worried," said Morant, who was 13-of-29 from the floor in the win, including 10-of-16 in the second half. "If I miss a shot, I missed plenty of shots in my basketball career. I'm not the first one to miss shots. So you see what happened, how I ended the game. I hit a 3. That honestly should show the confidence right there, right? To seal the game, I shot a 3. That should show my confidence right there."

His Grizzlies teammates have consistently implored Morant to keep shooting. Their confidence in him also hasn't been dented.

"He's the one," Grizzlies shooting guard Desmond Bane said. "He knows that. I've been telling him that ever since I've been here. Whenever the game gets tight or we're in a stretch where we need a bucket or need some momentum, there ain't no question who I want to have a ball."

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The country song "All My Ex's Live in Texas" by George Strait blared throughout the Golden 1 Center during the San Antonio Spurs' player introductions, and every time De'Aaron Fox touched the ball, the crowd greeted him with raucous boos.

When the Kings played a Fox tribute video during a first-quarter timeout Friday, the sellout crowd of 18,332 booed initially, before rising for a standing ovation.

Fox's performance in his first game back in Sacramento since the Kings traded him in early February mirrored the unevenness of the fans' reaction to him in San Antonio's 127-109 loss.

"I haven't made a shot in two weeks, man," Fox said. "When you change teams, at some point you're going to play the [former] team. I think it was good. I wouldn't really say I got emotional. But [the tribute] was great. I was here for so long, almost a decade. So, I really do appreciate it."

Fox poured in a team-high 16 points, shooting 6-of-17 from field, including 0-for-6 from 3-point range. It was the fourth time this season that Fox didn't make a 3 and missed at least six attempts from deep.

"I thought he handled it with class," Spurs acting coach Mitch Johnson said of Fox's return. "I thought he handled it like a professional, which is what we expected him to do. I thought he got into the flow as the game went on. He missed a lot of shots he usually makes. But he got to that normal kind of bounce and pep in his step. We saw him create advantages everywhere on the floor. As the game just became basketball at some point, it was just nice to see him out there playing and trusting his instincts."

Sacramento's 18-point victory tied for its sixth-largest home win against the Spurs in franchise history, and its largest since 2022. The Kings cruised to their fifth win in their past six games on the strength of a 36-point night from Zach LaVine, who shot 7-of-11 from 3-point range.

For LaVine, who came to Sacramento as part of the three-team trade that sent Fox to San Antonio, it was his 20th career game with at least seven 3-pointers, something only 14 other players in NBA history have accomplished.

"Everybody in the league knows what Zach can do," Fox said.

Fox drilled the first bucket of the game just 34 seconds into the action, a 16-foot fadeaway off an assist from veteran point guard Chris Paul. The 27-year-old would miss his next four attempts in the first quarter, but San Antonio still led 26-20 going into the second frame.

Fox would make just two more baskets in the opening half, going 3-of-10 from the field for six points as Sacramento secured a 14-point lead headed into intermission.

"Foxy is incredible, man," said Kings interim coach Doug Christie. "He's a special, special talent. You've just got to buckle up and do everything you can to make it as difficult as you can on him. I've seen everything thrown at him, and I've seen him respond to everything."

Friday's clash wasn't one of those occasions. Fox inflicted most of his damage in the second half, going 3-of-7 for 10 points. He finished the night with 8 assists, 4 rebounds and a steal.

Although the Spurs led by eight points in the first half, Sacramento built a 27-point advantage in the second half and ended up with a 51-36 edge in rebounds.

"I couldn't imagine how many emotions were running through his head playing in this game," San Antonio rookie guard Stephon Castle said. "I feel like he handled it well. I know he had this game circled on his calendar since the trade. Just as a team, I feel like we all wanted that win for him."

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Donovan Mitchell scored 24 points and the NBA-leading Cleveland Cavaliers rallied from down nine in the final six minutes for their 13th straight victory, 118-117 over the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night.

Cleveland led 87-83 after three quarters, but Charlotte rallied with a 21-8 run for a 104-95 lead with 5:41 to play.

The Cavaliers responded by outscoring the Hornets 25-15 to end the game.

"Thirteen in a row, yes, we're in a good groove," Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said. "We had to scratch and claw these last couple of games which is great for playoff prep. When our energy is high it's really tough to beat us."

Darius Garland added 20 points to help the Cavaliers improve to 53-10. Evan Mobley scored 19 points, De'Andre Hunter had 15, Jarrett Allen contributed 14 and Sam Merrill chipped in 12.

Miles Bridges scored 46 points for Charlotte. His shot from half court at the buzzer was off the mark. The Hornets have lost nine straight to fall to 14-48.

The Cavaliers have 13 straight wins and have scored 110-plus points in each game. That is tied for the second-longest streak in NBA history, trailing only the 1986 Celtics, who had 14 straight, according to ESPN Research.

Cleveland has three winning streaks of 12 or more games this season, the first time that has happened since the 2006-07 Dallas Mavericks.

Cleveland was 43 of 51 on free throws, its most attempts in a game since 2007. And Mitchell, who accounted for six of the eight misses, converted nine straight before missing his last two (with 4.8 seconds left) to finish 12 of 18 overall.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

DENVER -- Nikola Jokic had 31 points, 21 rebounds and a career-high 22 assists and the Denver Nuggets outlasted the Phoenix Suns 149-141 in overtime Friday night after losing a 21-point lead.

Jokic became the first NBA player with a triple-double of at least 30 points, 20 rebounds and 20 assists. He tied his team record with his 29th triple-double of the season, stretching his career total to 149. It was also the seventh time this season that Jokic had at least 15 points, 15 rebounds and 15 assists in a game, tied with Oscar Robertson (1961-62) for the most in a season in NBA history.

Jokic's 22 assists were also an NBA record for a center.

"Nikola Jokic is one of one," Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. "I mean, the first player to ever have a 30, 20, and 20 game. I can't describe him, so don't ask me to. The guy is just an incredible player, and when you are one of one in this league and the tremendous history of this league, that says a lot. And there's a lot of good players in this league, but Nikola, in my opinion, is just in a class well by himself."

Aaron Gordon made a career-high seven 3-pointers and had 27 points for Denver. Kevin Durant scored 29 points for Phoenix, hitting a 3-pointer at the regulation buzzer to send it into overtime.

Jokic opened the extra period with a floater in the lane to spark a 7-0 run. The Nuggets led by 11 after Christian Braun's dunk and layup with 51 seconds left.

Three nights after overcoming a 23-point deficit to beat the LA Clippers 119-117 at home, the Suns trailed 85-64 in the third and cut it to 102-91 heading into the fourth. They went ahead 122-120 in the final minute, but Denver answered and took a 125-122 lead on Braun's 3-pointer with 1.4 seconds left.

Devin Booker scored 16 of his 34 points for the Suns in the fourth quarter, but was scoreless in overtime. Mason Plumlee had 18 points and 11 rebounds.

ESPN Research and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

LAS VEGAS -- The Athletics will play in Northern California for at least the next three seasons, but will also represent their future home in Las Vegas and brought four of their star players to drive home that point.

The team announced a three-year agreement Friday with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority as its official travel partner. Players will wear a patch with Las Vegas' official logo on their left sleeves beginning in the regular season.

"Every time one of our players gets up to bat now, you're going to see right in that camera shot 'Las Vegas,'" A's owner John Fisher said. "For us, that's our future. Everybody, I think, is going to look at that and say, 'We can't wait."

It's all in the details. pic.twitter.com/0woWE4kMDz

Athletics (@Athletics) March 8, 2025

After leaving Oakland at the end of the 2024 season, the A's will play at least three seasons at a Triple-A ballpark in West Sacramento, California. They hope their Las Vegas stadium will open for the 2028 season.

Fisher said the agreement with the LVCVA will be more than just a sponsorship agreement. He said there will be other events before the move that will "remind everybody on a continual basis that Las Vegas is our home and we will be here shortly."

The A's, who will play the Arizona Diamondbacks in spring training games Saturday and Sunday at the home of their Triple-A affiliate at Las Vegas Ballpark, brought a quartet of players to the announcement to show off the new patches.

That included outfielder Lawrence Butler, who the day before agreed to a seven-year, $65.5 million contract. Also present was designated hitter Brent Rooker, who in January came to terms on a five-year, $60 million deal.

"I think for the first time we were able to sign some of our younger stars to longer-term contracts with the idea we want them to be on our team when we move to this incredible home," Fisher said.

Two other key players also attended - catcher Shea Langeliers and right-hander Mason Miller. Langeliers hit 29 home runs and drove in 80 runs last season and Miller recorded 28 saves with a 2.49 ERA.

Players also attended Friday night's NHL game between the Vegas Golden Knights and Pittsburgh Penguins.

This came a day after the A's revealed updated renderings of the new stadium, which is scheduled to undergo a groundbreaking this spring provided the remaining legal agreements are finalized.

"As athletes, our focus is always on the present and putting together as good of a team as we can for the 2025 season," Rooker said. "But at the same time, seeing all those renderings and all of this come together, knowing what our future looks like both on the field and where it's going to take place is super cool."

New York Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole is scheduled to undergo tests on his right elbow, a source confirmed to ESPN on Friday, nearly a year after he was shut down because of an elbow injury before missing the first 75 games of the 2024 season.

Cole, 34, has pitched six innings in two starts this spring. In his last outing, on Thursday, he surrendered six runs on five hits, including two home runs, across 2 innings against the Minnesota Twins.

A year ago, the ace reported to spring training fresh off winning his first Cy Young Award. By mid-March, the six-time All-Star was shut down because of elbow discomfort. He was later diagnosed with nerve irritation and edema. He avoided surgery and made his season debut June 19.

Cole pitched his way into form, absorbing some bumpy outings, and remained healthy through the World Series. He finished the regular season with a 3.41 ERA in 95 innings over 17 starts before tallying a 2.17 ERA across five postseason outings.

Three days after the World Series ended, Cole decided to opt out of his contract, which pushed the Yankees to make a choice: let him reach free agency or void the opt-out by adding another year at $36 million to the four years and $144 million left on his deal. The club chose not to extend the contract, but Cole did not become a free agent. Instead, two days after opting out, Cole decided to remain with the Yankees on his original contract.

With that behind him, Cole modified his offseason throwing program, choosing to start his regimen earlier than in the past after sustaining his first arm injury in nearly eight years.

"I'm in a really good spot [compared] to years past and probably slightly ahead of where we were last year," Cole said at the start of spring training last month.

But the scheduled tests indicate there is some concern regarding Cole's elbow, adding to a growing list of notable setbacks in Yankees camp. The team is already expected to be without designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (elbows), reigning American League Rookie of the Year Luis Gil (lat), third baseman DJ LeMahieu (calf), and right-handers Clayton Beeter (shoulder) and JT Brubaker (ribs) for the start of the season.

The Yankees' rotation depth has already taken a hit with Gil's injury, which is expected to sideline him for at least three months. The setback moved Marcus Stroman into the Yankees' projected rotation. Beyond Stroman, rotation options in camp include Will Warren and Carlos Carrasco, who is with the club as a non-roster invitee.

MLB Network was first to report that Cole would undergo the tests.

British number two Cameron Norrie upset 23rd seed Jiri Lehecka to reach the third round at Indian Wells.

Norrie lost the first set in California but the world number 77 recovered to beat the Czech 3-6 6-4 7-5.

The 29-year-old will now face American Tommy Paul after the 10th seed beat compatriot Tristan Boyer 6-3 6-1.

Norrie, who beat Luca Nardi in the first round, claimed his biggest career title at Indian Wells in 2021 and has reached at least the quarter-finals of the hard-court tournament in three of the past four years.

Meanwhile, second seed Alexander Zverev was knocked out on Friday, despite winning the first set against Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands.

The world number 43 fought back to beat the German 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-4) and is up against the 29th seed in the third round, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard of France.

Zverev has now failed to get past the quarter-finals in all four tournaments since losing to world number one Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open final.

Asked if the chance of replacing Sinner - who is currently serving a three-month ban - as world number one has been on his mind, Zverev said: "It was in the beginning. Now it's less, because I'm just playing terrible.

"I have to find my game before thinking about that because to become world number one you have to win tournaments, and I'm not getting past the first or second round at the moment."

Ireland were handed their third defeat of the Under-20 Six Nations as a dominant first-half display helped France earn a 22-12 win in Cork.

Tries from Jon Echegaray and Tom Leveque put the visitors in control and despite losing flanker Noa Traversier to one of their three first-half yellow cards, a Lyam Akrab try extended France's lead.

The second yellow card of the game was pulled just before half time. This time it was lock Bartholome Sanson who was sent off for slapping the ball from the tail of an Irish maul.

On the stroke of half-time, Ireland were gifted a foothold in the game with a penalty try after a TMO review found Echegaray to have deliberately knocked on five metres from the French line as he became the third visiting player to be yellow carded.

While finding themselves down to 12 men at the start of the second half, it was their performance in the opening 40 minutes that set up France's victory.

Echegaray opened the scoring for the French with a sharp step and finish from close range before a textbook French backline move sent winger Leveque over for their second.

Blindside flanker Traversier was the first of the French to see yellow after an illegal clearout at the breakdown.

Despite the numerical disadvantage, France powered over for their third try through Montpellier hooker Akrab as he finished off a dominant five-metre maul.

However, the yellow carding of Sanson and Echegaray enabled Ireland to hit back with their penalty try.

France initially appeared to have notched a fourth try at the other end as Echegaray released scrum-half Baptiste Tilloles under the posts, but after a TMO review, the score was chalked off.

Moments later, Echegaray was shown a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on as Ireland were awarded their touchdown.

Restored to their full complement in the second half, France secured their bonus point with another thundering maul, Akrab grabbing his second try of the night.

A consolation score for the Irish came late on from winger Ciaran Mangan as he dotted down in the corner.

Neil Doak's Ireland side will look to end their tournament on a high as they face Italy away, while France take on Scotland at the Stade Jean Bouin.

Ireland Under-20s: Daniel Green; Charlie Molony, Gene O'Leary Kareem, Eoghan Smyth, Ciarán Mangan, Tom Wood, Will Wootton, Billy Bohan, Mikey Yarr, Alex Mullan, Mahon Ronan, Billy Corrigan, Michael Foy, Bobby Power, Éanna McCarthy (capt).

Replacements: Henry Walker, Paddy Moore, Tom McAllister, Conor Kennelly, David Walsh, Clark Logan, Sam Wisniewski, Connor Fahy.

France Under-20s: Jon Echegaray, Tom Leveque, Simeli Daunivucu, Fabien Brau-Boirie, Nolann Donguy, Luka Keletaona, Baptiste Tilloes, Samuel Jean-Christophe, Lyam Akrab, Mohamed Megherbi, Bartholome Sanson, Corentin Mezou, Antoine Deliance, Noa Traversier, Baptiste Britz,

Replacements: Quentin Algay, Edouard-Junior Jabea Njocke, Jean-Yves Liufau, Jacques Nguimbous, Sialevailea Tolofua, Simon Daroque, Jean Cotarmanac'h, Oliver Cowie.

Newcastle: Obatoyinbo, Hearle, Doherty, Arnold, Stevenson, Connon, Stuart; Brocklebank, Blamire, McCallum, van der Walt, McDonald, Lockwood, Nield, Chick (capt).

Replacements: Fletcher, Rewcastle, Palframan, de Chaves, Leatherbarrow, James Elliott, Wilkinson, Spencer.

Bath: Emens, Cokanasiga, Ojomoh, Butt, McConnachie, Donoghue, Carr-Smith; Caldwell, Dunn, Verden, Richards (capt), Molony, Green, Staddon, Barbeary

Replacements: Spandler, van Wyk, Griffin, Cuckson, Reid, Le Roux, Hennessey, Coetzee.

Referee: George Selwood.