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He came. He promised. He delivered. And now he has left. How will Sunrisers Hyderabad fill the David Warner-size hole at a time they need him the most?

It can't be easy to replace a man with 692 runs this season and maybe Sunrisers shouldn't try to. There will be a temptation to use Martin Guptill, the second highest run-getter in T20Is, but with Manish Pandey striking form, the better option might be to reshuffle the batting order to open with Kane Williamson and fill the fourth overseas slot with Billy Stanlake. With Sunrisers struggling a bit in the fast bowling department, Stanlake can slot in for Sandeep Sharma and add more firepower to the pace unit.

Thanks to their healthy net run-rate (0.709), a victory against Mumbai Indians on Thursday will help Sunrisers put one foot into the playoffs even if they lose their last game against Royal Challengers Bangalore. And as it happens, it will also put an end to Rajasthan Royals' hopes of making it to the top four.

For Mumbai, the equation is a bit simpler. A win would take them into the qualifiers and with 16 points from 13 games, they needn't even worry about net run-rate and other results. In Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock, they have a settled and in form opening combination, with the likes of Evin Lewis, Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard to follow.

Although Jasprit Bumrah and Lasith Malinga conceded 92 from their eight overs in Mumbai's last outing, against Kolkata Knight Riders, both are experienced enough to put that behind.

In the news

With Warner having left for Australia, Sunrisers have a big decision to make. "We've got a few options, haven't we?" head coach Tom Moody said on the eve the match. "We are looking at those options at the moment. Guptill is the obvious one, being a world-class opener himself, a like-for-like replacement. But you know, there's also that option to consider looking at someone like Billy Stanlake at a venue like this."

Previous meeting

When these two sides met earlier in the tournament, Sunrisers were bundled out for 96 while chasing 137 as Alzarri Joseph picked up 6 for 12, the best bowling figures ever in the IPL.

Likely XIs

Mumbai Indians: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Rohit Sharma (capt), 3 Evin Lewis, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Krunal Pandya, 8 Barinder Sran, 9 Rahul Chahar, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Jasprit Bumrah

Sunrisers Hyderabad: 1 Kane Williamson (capt), 2 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 3 Manish Pandey, 4 Vijay Shankar, 5 Yusuf Pathan, 6 Mohammad Nabi, 7 Rashid Khan, 8 Abhishek Sharma, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Khaleel Ahmed, 11 Billy Stanlake

Strategy punt

• Hardik and Pollard have been taking apart bowling attacks in the death this season, but in Rashid Khan Sunrisers have someone who boasts a great record against both. Hardik has managed just 14 off 26 balls while getting out twice to the legspinner in three T20 innings, and while Pollard has got out just once to Rashid in eight innings, he has managed only 28 off 36 balls. Therefore, Sunrisers might consider saving Rashid for Mumbai's biggest hitters.

• Despite going for plenty in their last game, Bumrah and Malinga remain Mumbai's best bet in the death. Together the two have 20 wickets with an economy of 9.2 in overs 16 to 20. The other Mumbai bowlers have 12 wickets at an economy of 11.7.

Stats that matter

• Sunrisers have played six matches in Mumbai, winning one and losing five.

• Yusuf Pathan has scored 84 runs off 62 deliveries off Malinga in T20s, without getting out even once.

• Sunrisers have the best run-rate (9.3) in the Powerplays in IPL 2019. Warner and Jonny Bairstow had a lot to do with that and both of them have left the team. On the flip side, their run-rate of 9.1 in the overs 16 to 20 is the worst among the eight teams this season.

Toss Delhi Capitals opt to bowl v Chennai Super Kings

Shreyas Iyer called correctly and Delhi Capitals elected to bowl at MA Chidambaram Stadium.

At the toss, Iyer said he was mindful of the dew, but MS Dhoni felt it wouldn't set in as much because of cloudy conditions in Chennai. Dhoni added that he would have batted had he won the toss, so both captains got what they wanted.

With both sides guaranteed a spot in the playoffs, the focus has shifted to a battle for the top two slots. For the record, Capitals will also look to post their first win in Chennai since 2010.

They will have to do so without Kagiso Rabada, who missed out because of a stiff back. This meant an opportunity for Trent Boult, who has warmed the bench for a majority of the season. Ishant Sharma's ankle niggle meant J Suchith, the Karnataka allrounder, got his first look-in. Suchith was signed mid-season as a replacement for the injured Harshal Patel.

Dhoni returning from fever meant Dhruv Shorey had to make way. Ravindra Jadeja and Faf du Plessis also came back, meaning there was no place for M Vijay and Mitchell Santner.

Chennai Super Kings: 1 Faf du Plessis, 2 Shane Watson, 3 Suresh Raina, 4 Ambati Rayudu, 5 Kedar Jadhav, 6 MS Dhoni (capt and wk), 7 Dwayne Bravo, 8 Ravindra Jadeja, 9 Deepak Chahar, 10 Harbhajan Singh, 11 Imran Tahir

Delhi Capitals: 1 Prithvi Shaw, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 4 Rishabh Pant (wk), 5 Colin Ingram, 6 Sherfane Rutherford, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Chris Morris, 9 Amit Mishra, 10 J Suchith, 11 Trent Boult

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

It is an image which seems to have taken forever to appear, probably for Jofra Archer, and most certainly for England cricket fans.

And even though the sight of the country's newest match-winning prospect in full England kit has arrived quicker than some expected, not least the man himself, images of him posing for official squad photos ahead of Friday's ODI against Ireland show a man who looks ready for business.

Barbados-born Archer, who recently became eligible to represent England after the ECB's qualification period was reduced from seven years to three, is poised to make his debut after being included in the squads for the one-off ODI against Ireland on Friday, a T20I against Pakistan on Sunday and five ODIs against Pakistan.

He was left out of England's preliminary World Cup squad but the upcoming matches present an opportunity to press his case for inclusion in the final squad, which needs to be finalised by May 23.

Archer's supporters speak of his incredible talent, most recently showcased in his exploits for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL. For his part, Archer described the speed of his elevation to the England squad as overwhelming.

"I've worked pretty much all my life for this moment and I just want to tackle it and put my best foot forward," he said upon his selection. "Hopefully I get a chance to play and do myself justice." But he also stated he did not "want to step on anyone's toes".

Archer's potential call-up for the World Cup has sparked debate among the squad's incumbent fast bowlers. Some with reservations have argued that bringing a new player into a well-established set-up could destabilise the side, or be harsh on any player who misses out, having helped England become the top one-day side in the world.

However, Alex Hales' expulsion from all England squads - including for the World Cup - in the wake of his ban for using recreational drugs has dominated the agenda in the build-up to Archer's debut, and has also led to three more players - Ben Duckett, Dawid Malan and James Vince - being included in the squads for the Ireland and Pakistan series.

While Hales' 21-day ban will have been served well before the World Cup, the ECB this week decided to withdraw him from their squads, citing a need for "creating the right environment within the team and ensuring that there are no unnecessary distractions".

Hales has not been a first-choice player in England's white-ball squad for some time, but was seen as someone who could enhance the depth of the squad, particularly amid injuries to key and fringe players alike. His omission has opened the door for another face to appear in the England line-up, meaning that Archer won't be alone in pressing his claims for a World Cup berth.

Kumar Sangakkara, the former Sri Lanka captain, has been announced as the first non-British President of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), and will take up his one-year post on October 1, 2019.

Sangakkara's nomination was announced by the current President, Anthony Wreford, at the MCC Annual General Meeting at Lord's on Wednesday.

"It is a huge honour to be named the next President of MCC and it is a role that I am thoroughly looking forward to," Sangakkara said. "For me, MCC is the greatest cricket club in the world, with its global reach and continued progress for cricket on and off the pitch. The year 2020 is going to be yet another significant one in cricket, especially at Lord's, and I am thrilled that I am going to be able to play a part in supporting its future as President of MCC."

Sangakkara is already heavily involved with the club, having delivered a powerful and memorable MCC Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture in 2011, in which he touched on the power and importance of cricket in healing the wounds of civil war in his native Sri Lanka, and recounted his experience of the Lahore terror attack in 2009.

In 2012, he was awarded Honorary Life Membership of the club, and, in the same year, he joined MCC's World Cricket committee and remains an active member.

His connections with MCC go back a long way: he played against the Club in 2002, opening the batting for the touring Sri Lankans in a first-class match at Queen's Park, Chesterfield. He also played for MCC against an International XI at Lord's in the 2005 Tsunami Relief Match. Proceeds from that match were used by the Foundation of Goodness to set up the MCC Centre of Excellence at Seenigama in Sri Lanka.

Sangakkara appears twice on the Honours Boards at Lord's, having scored 147 in the drawn Test against England in 2014, and 112 in their ODI victory on the same tour, an achievement that earned him one of the inaugural placings on the new limited-overs boards that was unveiled earlier this year.

Sangakkara's year of office will begin on October 1, 2019 and will conclude on September 30, 2020. His tenure will encompass two England Tests against West Indies and Pakistan, and the launch of The Hundred competition.

Wreford said: "As MCC looks to broaden both our horizons and international reputation, I'm delighted that Kumar has accepted the invitation, which he did in January this year, to be the next President of MCC. He is an outstanding individual both on and off the field and will make a huge contribution to the Club. In a World Cup and Ashes year he will also have a significant role to play as President Designate."

The Newly signed Oakland Raiders running back Isaiah Crowell tore his Achilles tendon during a workout Tuesday and is lost for the season, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter Wednesday.

Crowell will undergo season-ending surgery next week, the source said.

Crowell had signed a one-year deal worth up to $2.5 million, according to sources.

The injury is the latest blow to the Raiders' depth chart at running back. Last week, Marshawn Lynch indicated that he's done playing football. Doug Martin was the team's leading rusher last season, but he was a free agent.

The Raiders used the No. 24 pick in the draft on Alabama running back Josh Jacobs and also have Jalen Richard, DeAndre Washington, James Butler and Chris Warren on the roster.

Crowell became a free agent when he was released by the New York Jets on March 14, a day after the team agreed with running back Le'Veon Bell on a four-year contract.

Crowell, 26, was one-and-done with the New York Jets. After four seasons with the Cleveland Browns, he signed a three-year, $12 million contract ($4 million guaranteed at signing) and became the starting running back last season.

He rushed for 685 yards, six touchdowns and a 4.8-yard average, but it was an odd season in that one-third of his production came in one game. In a Week 5 victory over the Denver Broncos, he set the franchise record with 219 rushing yards.

The most amazing part about it was he needed only 15 carries -- a remarkable 14.6 per-carry average. It was the highest average in a game (minimum: 15 attempts) by any player in NFL history.

Crowell's season dipped sharply after his record-setting day, as he eclipsed 49 yards only once for the remainder of the year. He battled foot and ankle injuries and finished on injured reserve.

He created national headlines with an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty in Week 3 at Cleveland. After scoring against his former team, Crowell celebrated by pretending to wipe his rear end with the ball, which he threw into the ground.

Crowell received a public rebuke from then-coach Todd Bowles. He was fined $13,369 by the NFL, but he parlayed the crude gesture into an endorsement deal with a company that sells toilet wipes for men.

In 2016, Crowell sparked a controversy when he posted on his Instagram account an illustration of a police officer being stabbed in the neck by a hooded figure. It was his response to the fatal shootings of two black men by Dallas police officers. A day later, five officers were killed by sniper fire. Crowell later apologized and donated a game check to the police department.

In five seasons, Crowell has 3,803 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns.

ESPN's Paul Gutierrez, Jeff Legwold and Rich Cimini contributed to this report.

Booger McFarland will move from his field-analyst position to join play-by-play commentator Joe Tessitore in the booth for the 50th season of Monday Night Football, ESPN announced Wednesday.

The two will be joined by sideline reporter Lisa Salters, who returns for her eighth MNF season, and new officiating analyst John Parry.

"I'm so excited to continue to be part of Monday Night Football, especially with the opportunity to be in the booth for the 50th season, working with true professionals and friends like Joe and Lisa," McFarland said in a statement. "We have a great slate of games, and I look forward to starting our journey in Louisiana, where I was born and raised."

The MNF season will kick off with the Houston Texans visiting the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 9 as part of ESPN's opening-night doubleheader.

"Booger's insight, personality and passion for the game make him the right person for the job," ESPN executive vice president Stephanie Druley said in a statement. "He and Joe have been close friends since they helped ESPN launch the SEC Network five years ago. Their chemistry together in the booth -- and with Lisa -- will give us a team that fans want to spend Monday nights with this fall."

McFarland, a two-time Super Bowl champion, joined MNF in 2018 after serving as a college football analyst for four years on ESPN, ABC and the SEC Network.

He replaces Jason Witten, who unretired after one season to rejoin the Dallas Cowboys. The 11-time Pro Bowl tight end spent one season with Monday Night Football.

NEW YORK -- Federal prosecutors on Wednesday played a recording to the jury of a phone call intercepted by wiretaps, in which former Arizona assistant Emanuel "Book" Richardson told aspiring agent Christian Dawkins that Wildcats coach Sean Miller was paying star center Deandre Ayton $10,000 per month while he was enrolled there.

Prosecutors played the call, which was intercepted by wiretaps on June 20, 2017, to the jury near the end of its case.

Dawkins and Richardson we're discussing how to recruit Ayton as a client to Dawkins' fledgling sports management company.

While talking about Ayton, Richardson told Dawkins, "Sean's got to get the (expletive) out the way and let us work."

"We'll see how Sean plays it out," Dawkins said.

"You know what he bought per month?" Richardson asked.

"What he do?" Dawkins said.

"I told you --10," Richardson replied.

"He's putting up some real money for them (expletive)," Dawkins responded. "He told me he's getting killed."

"But that's his fault," Richardson said.

During the same call, Richardson and Dawkins discussed how much Richardson would be paid each month by Dawkins' new sports management agency. Dawkins told Richardson he could keep the money.

"You already know Sean is taking care of Rawle [Alkins] and them," Dawkins said. "So it no expenses to Rawle."

ESPN reported in February 2018 that FBI wiretaps intercepted a call between Dawkins and Miller, in which the Arizona coach discussed a $100,000 payment that secured Ayton's commitment to the Wildcats. At the time, Miller disputed the report and denied ever paying a recruit to sign with Arizona.

Last week, federal prosecutors played a surveillance recording of a meeting on June 6, 2017, in which Dawkins -- who is on trial for having allegedly bribed college coaches -- talks about Ayton and says Miller told him, "I'm taking care of everything myself. I wanna bring you in. I'll turn everything over to you."

Former financial adviser Marty Blazer, a cooperating witness for the government, was present at the June 2017 meeting and testified last week that the reference was about Miller "taking care" of payments for Ayton.

Ayton, a 7-foot-1 center from the Bahamas, spent one season at Arizona before the Phoenix Suns selected him No. 1 overall in the 2018 NBA draft.

Munish Sood, a business partner of Dawkins, pleaded guilty to three felony counts related to the case and testified that Richardson accepted a $5,000 bribe during an initial meeting in New York on June 20, 2017. In return, Richardson promised to steer current and future Arizona players, including Ayton, Alkins and Allonzo Trier, to Dawkins' company.

"You're going to get Rawle Alkins, he's going to be a first-rounder," Richardson told Sood and others during the meeting at a New York hotel. "Allonzo Trier, you should get him. Deandre Ayton, we're working on him."

At one point during the recording, Richardson told Sood and the undercover FBI agents that Dawkins told him, "I wish I was a pimp and you were a prostitute. You'd make millions for me." Richardson said Dawkins also ridiculed him for using his own money to pay recruits.

"You make a quarter of a million dollars a year and you're broke," Dawkins told Richardson.

In July 2017, Richardson asked for an additional $15,000 from Dawkins and Sood to give to the mother of 2018 recruit Jahvon Quinerly of Hackensack, New Jersey. Richardson said he planned to make three payments of $5,000 each and would also pay her $10,000 of his own money.

"So Mom is like, 'How's this gonna work? I wanna move to Tucson,'" Richardson told Sood and an undercover FBI agent during a July 20, 2017, meeting at Sood's office in Princeton, New Jersey. "So I said, 'Look, you don't want to move to Tucson. It's a nice vacation spot. It's hot.

"'This is what I'll do. This is what I can do for you to put you in a situation to move to Tucson. ... I don't want the NCAA [expletive] with us. You should take two or three more visits and then shut it down. And then as soon as you do that, you commit."

Quinerly, the No. 7 point guard prospect in the Class of 2018 according to ESPN Recruiting, committed to Arizona over Villanova in August 2017.

After Richardson was among 10 men arrested by the FBI in September 2017, Quinerly decommitted and played at Villanova this past season. He announced in April that he is transferring to another school.

Richardson also said during the recording that he was making $2,000 monthly payments to Rodney Labossiere, Alkins' cousin, who was living with him in Tucson.

"His cousin moved to Tucson, which I'm highly against," Richardson said. "I never want the parents or anyone to move there. I'll give you two grand a month to make sure it works. But he brought him, his wife and his child. Wrong move."

During one of the recordings, Richardson also told the undercover FBI agents that LSU coach Will Wade attempted to hire him. At the time, Arizona and LSU were involved in a recruiting war for forward Nazreon Reid of Asbury Park, New Jersey.

According to Richardson, Wade told him, "Look, there's a deal in place. I got $300,000 for him."

Richardson said he responded, "S---, give me half and I'll make sure the kid goes there."

MILWAUKEE -- Mike Budenholzer isn't a big speechmaker.

The Milwaukee Bucks went back to the locker room at halftime of Tuesday night's Game 2 against the Boston Celtics with a four-point lead. Budenholzer didn't lecture. Instead he reminded his team that this is where Game 1 of the Eastern Conference second-round series got away from them. The third quarter made all the difference on Sunday.

"He just said that's when we got punched in the mouth last game," Eric Bledsoe told ESPN. "And we don't want that to happen again. We knew what we needed to do."

The Bucks outscored the Celtics by 18 points in the third quarter on Tuesday, finishing the quarter on a 24-2 run. The Bucks went on to throttle the Celtics 123-102, evening the best-of-seven series.

In the first game, Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 22 points on 7-of-21 shooting. On Tuesday, he had 29 points on 7-of-16 shooting. Bledsoe went from scoring six points in Game 1 to 21 points in Game 2. Khris Middleton, who scored 16 points on Sunday, had 28.

"We got an ass-whooping in Game 1," Antetokounmpo said during his on-court interview with TNT after the game. "We had to come out here and play harder in Game 2."

The Bucks didn't make drastic changes between Games 1 and 2. At practice on Monday, Budenholzer said the issue wasn't their space-and-pace game plan, it was the Bucks' execution of it. After watching Game 1 tape, Antetokounmpo, Bledsoe and Middleton all agreed: Effort was the problem. Budenholzer swapped out Sterling Brown for Nikola Mirotic in the starting lineup. Brown was suffering from back spasms, and Mirotic had provided a much-needed offensive spark during the first game. Mirotic finished with nine points.

Still, the beginning of the first quarter was eerily reminiscent of Sunday's game: The Bucks came out sluggish. Antetokounmpo was walled off by Boston's defense; Bledsoe turned over the ball one too many times.

By halftime, the Bucks had begun to find a rhythm. By the end of the third quarter, even Antetokounmpo was nailing 3-pointers. Early on, the Fiserv Forum crowd cheered tentatively, as if expecting the home team to release its lead at any moment. But as the third period came to a close, the hesitation had evaporated, and the building vibrated with anticipation.

Antetokounmpo had 13 points, four rebounds and an assist during the Bucks' third-quarter run.

"We felt we put ourselves in a better position to win in the first half and coming out of the third quarter," Middleton said.

With the series tied, the Bucks will head to Boston for Game 3. During last year's playoffs, the Bucks went 0-4 at TD Garden. The Boston crowd was relentless in its heckling of Bledsoe, who engaged in trash talk with Terry Rozier throughout the series.

"I know what is ahead," Bledsoe told ESPN. "I know the crowd don't forget nothing. I have to be way more focused going into Game 3. That's the most focused I'll need to be this entire series. That'll be our toughest game."

MILWAUKEE -- For both Kyrie Irving and his Boston Celtics, Game 2 of their Eastern Conference semifinals series against the Milwaukee Bucks was one to forget.

But after Irving had arguably the worst postseason performance of his career, and his Celtics were annihilated in the second half of Milwaukee's 123-102 victory that evened this best-of-seven series at a game apiece, Irving was unshaken in his belief to lead Boston deep into these playoffs.

"There's no extra burden," Irving said after going 4-for-18 from the field and scoring only nine points. "This is what I signed up for. This is what Boston traded for me for.

"Being able to go back, get back in the trenches, get ready for another battle on Friday, that's what you live for. Basketball is fun when it comes like this and you have to respond, and this is the type of basketball you want to be playing this time of year."

There wasn't much fun about Irving's performance throughout this one -- or Boston's in the second half. This was just the second time in 58 career postseason games that Irving had finished under double figures scoring, with the first time coming four years ago with the Cleveland Cavaliers in a game he left because of an injury after 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, Irving's performance from the field -- including going 1-for-5 from 3-point range to go along with four assists and three turnovers in 31 minutes -- left him with the third-worst shooting percentage in a game in his playoff career.

Six of those misses came in the first quarter, when the Bucks -- despite declaring they didn't need to make any adjustments coming into Game 2 -- not only came out and started forward Nikola Mirotic in place of Sterling Brown but also ratcheted up the pressure defensively, and switched as much as they have all season.

The result was that Irving in particular, and the Celtics as a whole, were left scrambling to try to cope with it.

"Like I said the other night, some shots are going to go in, some shots aren't," Irving said. "I tried to get to my spots, but they were really sending three over every single place I went on the court. That's a sign of respect.

"I've just got to be more efficient in controlling the tempo of the game, pace, where I want to get to on the floor and making reads better around that midrange area. They did a great job of switching tonight, forcing me left. Getting to the paint wasn't hard. It's just getting in there and making the right decisions."

Though Irving's game never got on track, the Celtics still had their chances. At halftime, Boston trailed by four, 59-55, and very much had a chance to sweep the first two games of this series and take complete control over it.

Then, however, the third quarter happened. And after both teams traded baskets over the first few minutes of the quarter, the Bucks closed it on an absurd 24-2 run, as Boston missed 10 of its final 11 shots from the field and committed six turnovers that turned into six Bucks points.

In an instant, a three-point deficit for the Celtics turned into 25, and the final 12 minutes became nothing but garbage time.

"They made shots," Marcus Morris said. "Other guys stepped up.

"It is what it is, man. That's the best part about having a seven-game series that now we get to go play on our court, where we're very good, and see how it goes."

Not only did the Bucks ratchet up the pressure defensively, they also lit up the Celtics from the perimeter. After going 13-for-39 from 3-point range in Game 1, Milwaukee shot 20-for-47 in Game 2.

Boston, meanwhile, shot just 10-for-28 from beyond the arc.

"We weren't very good on either end, but I do think our offensive settling and some of the shots we forced probably steamrolled on us in a lot of ways," Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. "Hopefully we can be better at getting better shots, being able to set our defense so we're not scrambling the whole time, and then just doing a better job of really flying around and being into air space.

"I thought there were moments when we did it really well, and moments when we didn't."

Still, Boston does leave here with a split of the first two games -- meaning the Celtics have reclaimed home-court advantage, where they are now a combined 12-1 over the past two postseasons.

And, despite their struggles against the Bucks on Tuesday, Irving remains confident his team has what it takes to maintain control of this series as it shifts to Boston for Game 3 Friday.

"It's the playoffs," Irving said. "We're playing against a great team. They're No. 1 in the Eastern Conference for a reason. They finished the regular season strong, came out and did what they were supposed to do in the playoffs, and now it's two great teams going against one another.

"I've been in too many battles going back and forth to get too high or too low. Going back home you always feel good, but this one would have been great to get, but we didn't so now we go back home and reset our mindset going in and just have fun playing the game of basketball.

"Game 3, I'm looking forward to it."

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green acknowledged that all the chatter surrounding the officiating in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinals series with the Houston Rockets was "embarrassing" for the game, and he said he was happy that both teams were less demonstrative toward the referees in the Warriors' 115-109 victory in Game 2 on Tuesday night.

"I think both teams just realized what the hell was going on the last two days," Green said. "You can't really turn a blind eye to anything in today's day and age, with social media and all these things. So everyone was aware of all the talk about officiating and about foul calls -- come out and play the game. And I think both teams did a great job of that.

"They weren't complaining about many calls, we weren't complaining about many calls, because it's kind of embarrassing for the game of basketball, how much has been talked about, about fouls and officiating. What about beating your man? What about stopping your man? No one talked anything about schemes the last two days. It's all been about foul calls. I think both teams were locked in on coming out and playing the game to the best of their ability. You have to give credit to both clubs, both teams did that."

After arguing with referees about many calls throughout Game 1, both teams showed noticeably less emotion toward the officials at the start of Game 2. Neither team had many complaints about the officiating after Tuesday night's game.

"I didn't even notice the officiating," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "I don't think anybody did. I think that's the best compliment you can give them. They did a great job. This game was just about basketball."

For the Rockets, the lack of arguments with officials throughout much of the game took on added significance, given that referee Scott Foster was part of the crew Tuesday night. Foster had not refereed a Rockets game since Feb. 21, a game in which Harden fouled out and said afterward that Foster should no longer be part of a crew assigned to Rockets games. Harden was fined $25,000 for his comments, but after Game 2, neither he nor Paul seemed outwardly bothered about Foster's inclusion.

Asked if they agreed with Green's take that the chatter about the officiating was embarrassing for the league, both Rockets stars brushed off the question.

"I don't know," Paul said. "I was chilling."

"What ref chatter?" Harden said. A couple of moments later, he added: "There was no chatter."

Paul's actions spoke louder than his words on this topic. Late in the third quarter, Warriors star Kevin Durant was whistled for a foul on Harden for not giving the Rockets' star enough space to land on his follow-through and making contact with him on a 3-point attempt, a point of contention throughout the postmortem of Game 1. After the whistle, Paul sarcastically jumped around and cheered at the Rockets being given the call.

For his part, Warriors star guard Stephen Curry admitted that he and his teammates were just trying to keep the focus on the game, not on whatever calls they might or might not get.

"All the conversations and all the storylines and the attention on Game 1, the one thing that we could control is our focus on what matters," Curry said. "In terms of winning a basketball game, that's outplaying them. We came in with the right composure in understanding that there will be calls that won't go our way. You just deal with it, keep playing it. Next-play mentality.

"[There was a] big stretch in that third quarter where three or four calls in a row [went] in their favor, and you can see our body language in terms of smiles on our faces or looking at each other, clapping and all that type of stuff, and just staying focused on gaining what you can control, and that is playing basketball. So definitely, we were purposeful about that, and again we want to win a basketball game however we can get it done, and that's what we did."

The only real dust-up between officials and players came at the very end of the third quarter when Green and Rockets big man Nene Hilario exchanged a few words and were quickly given double technicals by official Ed Malloy.

The technical was Green's fourth of the postseason. Seven technicals in one postseason span results in an automatic one-game suspension. Kerr said the Warriors would speak to the league in hopes they would rescind the technical foul before Game 3 on Saturday.

"We'll see," Green said. "It is what it is. We'll see what happens. Tonight was a great officiated game. They let us be physical, both teams. They made the calls that they need to make. It's kind of disheartening for a game that I love, since I was a child, to see the talk over the last two days was nothing about basketball and everything about foul calls. Is that what this game is coming to? The talk is going to be about foul calls?

"I love the game of basketball. It was fun out there tonight. Like I said, they let us be physical, let us play the game of basketball, which I enjoyed. I ain't really worried about a technical foul. It is what it is."