Essex 309 (Westley 77, Bess 3-45) drew with Yorkshire 390 and 107 for 1 (Lyth 56*, Ballance 51*)

Gary Ballance's chances of a century in six successive Yorkshire matches came to grief just before tea on the final day at Emerald Headingley with an unexpected cloudburst that prematurely ended a stalemate that had long since lost all other significance.

That at least consigned one of Yorkshire's more confusing statistics to history. Ballance is the first Yorkshire batsman to have scored hundreds in five successive Yorkshire matches, although Len Hutton did it on seven successive occasions in Yorkshire matches in which he played in 1947 and 1948.

Such distinctions will not remotely concern Ballance, who was 51 not out when the deluge brought an early tea. His only ambition will be to extend a prolific Championship season, which has brought 668 runs at 83.5, to force his way into consideration for the Ashes series. If happenstance means James Vince gets an opportunity with England in the World Cup, and he makes runs, Ballance's chances of adding to his 23 Tests, the last of them against South Africa in Nottingham, will further recede.

One senses in any case that Ballance is out of vogue, to be ranked alongside avocado bathroom suites, lava lamps and hipster beards. He will have to play doubly well to get noticed.

(Incidentally, the suggestion that hipster beards are out of fashion was a cruel misrepresentation and if any hipsters happened to have been drawn to a piece about an ultimately pointless county cricket match, one can assume they have already left in search of reassurance).

From the moment on the third evening that Peter Siddle rose, half asleep, from a bench in the Essex dressing room, where he had been vaguely watching India's World Cup match against South Africa, and roused himself to save the follow-on, this contest needed enterprise from both captains to salvage a worthwhile finish.

But Siddle and Sam Cook blithely extended their last-wicket stand for a further 70 minutes, and those who had hoped for better began to stare staunchly into mid-distance. Championship spectators no longer religiously turn to the newspaper crossword to help them through the game's longeurs (a shame because it was always an interesting clue to their political affiliations) and many remain allergic to mobile phones, especially during hours of play.

In all, Siddle and Cook put on 86 in 25 overs, every run making the slim chance of a positive declaration increasingly starved of possibility. Siddle finished with 60 off 119 balls, his best score in his second season as Essex's overseas player, at which point he fell leg-before to Steve Patterson, while Cook's career-best unbeaten 37 off 74 included a pulled six off Ben Coad.

When Yorkshire started their second innings, they led by 81 with 76 overs remaining in the day. Many sides have contrived finishes from such positions, but not often on such a sound surface, and not often Yorkshire.

Andrew Gale, the coach, said with justification that the pitch had flattened out. Yorkshire remain unbeaten, and stable, but have yet to pull off the sort of thrilling result that identifies them as definite title contenders. Now 25 points behind leaders Somerset, they face Surrey at Guildford on Monday; the defending champions are yet to win in five matches.

Yorkshire lost their debutant opener, Will Fraine, for a duck, but were on 107 for 1 from 42.5 overs when the rain tumbled from the sky. Essex's main concern will surround the fitness of their seam bowler Jamie Porter, who is the catalyst for so many of their better moments, and who limped off during his 10th over.

Nottinghamshire 97 (Patel 6-16) and 354 for 8 (Duckett 140, Nash 85, Patel 4-72) drew with Warwickshire 391 for 9 dec (Hose 111, Sibley 87)

Warwickshire bade a temporary farewell to their Headquarters after play, with the ICC ready to move in and begin its rebranding of Edgbaston as a World Cup venue. Higher profile games await, contested by more familiar names with greater hype and richer reward. But don't assume that any of the internationals will be as tense or passionately-contested as stages of this Championship fixture.

Hands were shaken at five to six when Warwickshire accepted that time had run out on their push for success. By that stage, Nottinghamshire had opened a lead of 60 runs with two wickets in hand and only five overs remaining. Enough batsmen played with a resolution altogether missing in their first innings. While Jeetan Patel continued to wheel away and wickets fell in clusters, Wednesday's wholesale collapse was not to be repeated.

Nor was the worst of the behaviour. Steven Mullaney, the Nottinghamshire captain, confirmed that his side had received a Level One warning for their conduct and it would be surprising if individual sanctions did not follow against at least one player. "I think the game was played hard, very hard and there were a couple of incidents that would have been borderline," he admitted.

Both Mullaney and Jim Troughton, the Warwickshire first team coach, could not suppress wry smiles when asked whether proceedings had been more feisty than usual. "It was an enjoyable game," Troughton said. "There were some emotions, some frustrations flying around. Bowlers are grumpy old things and I don't think that should be taken away."

A heavy morning shower lopped five overs off the quota to make the task slightly easier for Nottinghamshire. Their second-wicket pair of Ben Duckett and Chris Nash eased back into the groove with cheap early runs and it was not until the 75th over, by which time they had added 199, that Warwickshire broke through. Four wickets then fell for 16 runs, but Mullaney and Tom Moores rebuilt before themselves falling in successive overs. New batsmen tended to fall through early-innings footwork; once set they could hold firm.

Duckett proved a great example. His travails as an England player against R Ashwin seemed a distant memory as he thwarted Patel, getting behind the ball rather than pushing without a second line of defence. Across his career he has tended to clear up mess rather than avoid it altogether and his 140 from 237 balls in just shy of five hours did most to undo the damage first time around.

England still have him on the radar; he made his T20 international debut only last month. Here, the man sometimes known as the Pocket Rocket was just as much the Pocket Block-It, mixing the trademark cuts that come relatively easily to players of his short build with patience and discretion. At the other end, Nash (85) was steadiness personified and gave an object lesson in playing pace late and with light hands.

It took a brilliant, left-handed catch at short leg by Sam Hain to remove Duckett, giving Patel his second wicket of the innings. Number three soon followed, Will Rhodes reacting quickly at slip to account for Joe Clarke. Hain then took his fifth catch of the match with the second new ball in play to complete a miserable comeback for Samit Patel, whose place in the Nottinghamshire side must again be up for discussion.

Much rested now on Nash, but he inexplicably missed one from Henry Brookes to become a clear leg-before victim. Although Patel returned to the attack with the ball only eight overs old, the surface did not offer the bounce or pace of turn that he wanted. Even so, the wicket of Mullaney represented his 22nd in the past two games. Figures of 10 for 88 usually belong to a winner. Not this time.

Both sides ultimately left with reason for hope. "It was an incredible effort from us, from one through to eleven," Troughton said. "They showed the brand of cricket they should pride themselves on for the rest of the season." Ryan Sidebottom is due to return to second team action next week and Olly Stone should be fit by the end of the month. But Ian Bell is making a slower recovery than expected from foot surgery and is due to see a specialist on Friday.

Mullaney bristled at a suggestion that Nottinghamshire had lacked bravery in the first innings. Instead, he thought, the loss of early wickets to bad strokes had simply opened a door for the home side. "We have not batted well enough since the first game of the season against Yorkshire, we know that, but hopefully [our second innings] will turn things around," he said. It needs to; they remain bottom of the table.

The crowd was small but constant through the day, determined to savour every minute in the knowledge that their side will not return until July 21 and then under the T20 moniker of Birmingham Bears. Three solitary figures sat as far apart as seemed possible in the Eric Hollies stand, as though part of a geometric exercise to construct the biggest triangle in the vast expanse of seating. Yesterday it was a place of quiet contemplation. Three weeks on Sunday, England and India will meet here. It will be cacophonous.

Sri Lanka fans, look away now. What's that? You already were, even after the rousing dogfight of a win over Afghanistan… Okay, well, these are tough times, so that's understandable. But up next is an opponent that Sri Lanka have never beaten in World Cup competition. Yes, that's right. Against Pakistan on the biggest one-day stage, your team's record reads: played seven, lost seven.

It is not much better in Champions Trophy encounters either (one win in four). Only a couple of years ago, just a few miles along the M4 in Cardiff, Sri Lanka were sucker-punched by Sarfaraz Ahmed's team in a match that was effectively a quarter-final. Pakistan went on to win the tournament; Sri Lanka started handing around the captaincy like a prize at a raffle.

Dimuth Karunaratne is the sixth different man to lead the team in ODIs since Angelo Mathews in that tournament. But while he might be on what is politely known as a hiding to nothing over the next few weeks, there are tentative signs that Sri Lanka have more competitive spirit than was generally ascribed to them after a supine 10-wicket thrashing at the hands of New Zealand in their opening game. Lasith Malinga kicked some teacups around before the Afghanistan match and Sri Lanka's bowlers got stuck in amid the damp conditions in Cardiff.

The British weather has often been cause for a little shiver (or an extended one, accompanied by a call for another layer) among touring Sri Lanka teams. The hands are cold, the senses dulled. When Kumar Sangakkara decided to warm up - figuratively speaking - for Sri Lanka's 2014 tour, he chose to go to Durham, the country's most northerly outpost, for a spell in county cricket. Suitably braced, he got himself straight on the honours board at Lord's.

Durham's head coach during Sangakkara's spell there, Jon Lewis, is now the man in charge of Sri Lanka's batting. Lewis has been in the job for just six months and in that time has worked with more than a dozen top-order batsmen, which is hardly ideal preparation for a World Cup campaign. After putting up scores of 136 and 201 in the tournament so far, there is clearly room for improvement but Lewis is phlegmatic about what can be done at this stage.

"I've seen a lot of cricketers in six months, which has been good in some respects, because it has been nice to see some young - and some senior - Sri Lankan cricketers," he told ESPNcricinfo. "That's given me a really good feel for the country and the players they have. Maybe a little bit more continuity, seeing the same people for a bit longer, we'd have maybe had more of a chance to make some progress. But we are happy with the players we've got and we've got to try and do our best to get a little bit more out of this batting group."

Of immediate concern is the form of Mathews, former leader and the likeliest batting champion in this Sri Lanka side. Having been dropped in circumstances both unceremonious and acrimonious late last year, his return has so far seen him record one run and face 21 balls across three ODI innings - but faith in his enduring qualities remains, amid talk in the camp that he could move up to No. 4 against Pakistan.

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"Angie's probably our most experienced player, and so far we've got very little out of Angie and Angie knows that," Lewis said. "It's fine, but it would be unrealistic to think we're going to have a really strong World Cup and Angie was not going to feature too much. He's going to have to give us a couple of strong performances. I've no doubt he's got them in him and he's working very hard to make sure they come out at the right time, and hopefully it's going to be here at Bristol.

A collapse of dizzying proportions against Afghanistan, from 144 for 1 to 159 for 6, undermined Sri Lanka's hopes of posting a daunting total, with Kusal Mendis and Mathews among those foxed by Mohammad Nabi's non-turning offbreaks. Lewis suggested that the team had mentally switched off after a good start, while Karunaratne, who has attempted to set the tone with a couple of nuggety innings at the top of the order, was confident both players would come good.

"Our middle order comprises players who have experienced this type of situation before," Karunaratne said. "Kusal Mendis scored well in the practice games and also in the South Africa series and failing in two matches I don't think it has anything to do with his talent, he only needs a start to get going. Mathews is a player with a lot of experience and this sort of thing happen to players, however good you are. But with their experience, once they get going, you cannot stop them from scoring runs. I have plenty of faith in them and I think they will perform well against Pakistan."

Sri Lanka may not arrive "ship shape and Bristol fashion", as they used to say of the trading vessels that regularly departed from this port city, but neither have they been holed below the waterline. There was laughter and pats on the back at training on Thursday, while the team also sat in a huddle on the boundary's edge afterwards, listening intently to the coach and captain even as the rain began to fall.

The British weather might end up doing them a favour on this occasion, too. If beating a Pakistan side buoyed by victory over England is beyond them, Sri Lanka could yet avoid adding to that aforementioned record of World Cup defeats thanks to the dodgiest of weather forecasts. Whatever the case, there is at least hope for better performances to come.

"Nobody feels too bad after a win," Lewis said. "We know we could have played better [against Afghanistan], and in a way there's a comfort in knowing we haven't played our best cricket. We've had four innings in this tournament in two games and we've probably got one of them right. With that in mind, we've got a win from those sorts of performances, and if we start to put two innings in a single game together there's no reason we can't win a few more."

Durham 293 and 242 (Lees 107*, Eckersley 52) beat Derbyshire 268 (Critchley 79*) and 238 (Critchley 71) by 29 runs

Durham produced a thrilling performance late in the day to secure their first Specsavers County Championship Division Two win of the season, beating Derbyshire by 29 runs at Emirates Riverside.

Alex Lees set up a match-winning position with his first century for the club, displaying patience at the crease. His partnership with Ned Eckersley allowed the home side to set Derbyshire a total of 268 to chase. Momentum swung one way then the other on the final day as Durham initially held the advantage before the visitors struck back.

Matt Critchley appeared to have put his team on course for victory with an innings of 71. However, his dismissal late in the day produced a staggering collapse as the visitors lost their final four wickets in eight deliveries when Chris Rushworth and Ben Raine pounced. The result ended Durham's worst start to the campaign, although they remain bottom of the table.

Durham began the day with a 185-run lead and were able to build on their advantage as Lees and Eckersley reached their century stand from 22 overs, continuing their impressive work from Wednesday evening. Eckersley reached his first half-century for Durham from 91 deliveries, playing a vital knock alongside the opener. Their partnership was broken on 123 by Critchley when Eckersley picked out Logan van Deep on the leg-side boundary.

His dismissal sparked a collapse in the lower order as Raine, Brydon Carse and Matty Potts all fell cheaply. Lees was in a scramble to reach three figures, but he reached the milestone from 240 balls, getting over the line with a six off Critchley. The innings ended when Rushworth was run out, leaving the visitors a target of 268 after the hosts were bowled out for 242.

Derbyshire were solid in their response at the top of the innings as Luis Reece and Billy Godleman saw off the threat from the new ball. They were able to reach lunch unscathed, and the two players recorded their second fifty partnership of the game. However, Reece played a loose drive at a delivery from Potts and was caught behind by Eckersley. Wayne Madsen's poor game continued when he collected a pair after falling to Raine for the second time in the match.

Rushworth was denied the scalp of Godleman when he overstepped after the opener edged to Cameron Bancroft at second slip. However, he was not to be denied, pinning the Derbyshire skipper lbw for 42 with a fine delivery. Tom Lace continued the procession for the visitors when he was bowled by Raine for 24 on the stroke of tea.

After the interval, Critchley led the Derbyshire counterattack putting the pressure back on the Durham bowlers with a flurry of boundaries. Bancroft had the opportunity to remove Critchley on 22, but it went begging off Potts. The Derbyshire man made him pay and put on fifty for the fifth wicket with Alex Hughes in 12.1 overs, whittling down the target for the visitors.

Critchley's approach unsettled the home side, forcing Bancroft into numerous bowling changes. Carse was able to break the stand at 85 when he bowled Hughes for 40, although Critchley carried on to reach his second fifty of the game from 61 deliveries. Raine returned to halt the Derbyshire charge, removing Leus du Plooy who knicked behind to Eckersley.

The game hinged on Critchley and he seemingly had the chase in control before attempting to go for a big strike off Rushworth. He was caught on the boundary by Trevaskis, which saw his team crumble under the pressure. Derbyshire lost three wickets in four balls as Harvey Hosein was run out before Logan van Beek was bowled by Rushworth. Raine ended the innings to secure the victory for the hosts by bowling Palladino for a duck, prompting huge celebrations from the home side.

"Everyone thinks that T20 is the exciting format of the game, but as it showed today you cannot beat a bit of four-day drama," said Lees. "I've been desperate to get my first century. I think I've been underwhelming in the last four games so I've been trying to put a valuable contribution together. If I'm honest when we were nine down and Chris Rushworth came in I thought I might get stranded in the nineties. He blocked a few and he gave me the opportunity to get my hundred, which was very pleasing."

Australia 288 (Coulter Nile 92, Smith 73, Brathwaite 3-67) beat West Indies 273 for 9 (Hope 68, Holder 51, Starc 5-46) by 15 runs
As it happened

Nottingham is where, for most of recent history, Australian teams have come to die. They fell narrowly short in a 2013 Test match, before being destroyed by the swinging ball on a crazed morning in 2015, then beaten to a pulp by England's batsmen in an ODI last year. Against West Indies they seemed destined for a similar fate, losing four early wickets as the ball pranced, swung and reared at helmets and throats.

Somehow, though, Aaron Finch's men scrounged their way to a 10th consecutive ODI victory, something achieved through a combination of efforts that will please the coach Justin Langer no end. For all their top order woes, the Australians were resourceful in adversity. They found restorative partnerships guided expertly by Steven Smith, extracted from Nathan Coulter-Nile the innings of his life, and, unlike West Indies, did not miss a chance in the field.

Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, fast, hostile and accurate, produced a pair of superb analyses, used expertly by Finch to constrain, pressurise and ultimately crush the West Indies chase. There were numerous moments across the day when Jason Holder's team looked to be in control. Each time, however, the Australians wriggled clear, in a manner that will be familiar to those who witnessed their previous World Cup victory in England, 20 years ago.

It would be churlish not to credit West Indies for providing so much that was enriching about the contest: Oshane Thomas, Sheldon Cottrell, Andre Russell, Shai Hope and Holder all had their moments. But they could not break Smith, Alex Carey and Coulter-Nile with the bat, and were always only a single bad decision from losing their wicket in the chase. Australia, facing India next, will take some stopping.

Trent Bridge had dawned fine and warm, the pitch dry and grey, but there was just enough moisture in the air to encourage Holder to send the Australians, their minds not entirely free of past horrors here, in to bat first.

Thomas' unbridled pace and uncontrolled swing were summed up by five wides first ball and then a scorching, swinging full ball that Warner barely jammed down on, only to find that the umpire had signalled no-ball. If expensive, he had shown that the ball would swerve and bounce, and in the third over he found the ideal line and length to find the edge of Aaron Finch, who next to some of his recent dismissals by a new ball had to be regarded as blameless.

David Warner, squeezed between discretion and valour, then chose the wrong Cottrell delivery to slash at, slicing a catch to gully, signalling a short-pitched assault on Usman Khawaja. Hit on the helmet and forced to retire hurt in the two teams' warm-up game in Hampshire, he was struck on the gloves and grille by one from Thomas that sent the team doctor Richard Saw jogging onto the ground, then made to wear another by Russell.

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Khawaja's response, if psychologically logical, was unbecoming of a No. 3 batsman, taking a step to square leg and trying to drive the next full and wide ball. An edge and a sublime diving catch by Hope had Australia opened up, and the breach grew wider still when Glenn Maxwell, no master of the short ball himself, chose to try to hook Cottrell's bounce and angle across him, skying a far simpler catch for Hope. At 39 for 4, West Indies were exultant, Australia facing flashbacks to 60 all out.

Marcus Stoinis at least accompanied Smith while that milestone was crossed, but after he short-armed a pull shot to midwicket when cramped by Holder, Carey joined his former captain and immediately dialled down the urgency, as both batsmen tried simply to survive for a while. Seven runs accrued in their first six overs together, the sort of rate seen when Steve Waugh and Michael Bevan tried to manipulate the net run-rate in a match between these two sides at Manchester in the 1999 World Cup, before Carey began to stretch out.

His free swings of the bat over point and gully started to begin the innings' regeneration, while Smith at the other end showed the patience and determination of a man for whom international batting is still a luxury he has only recently been able to enjoy again. Fifty-seven from the next seven overs signalled Australia's re-entry to the ring, and though drinks broke Carey's concentration and reaped a fiddly edge behind off Russell, Coulter-Nile was to unveil a power game hitherto limited largely to Perth club cricket and the odd BBL cameo.

The early balls were mainly short, and Coulter-Nile played them with a good deal of awkwardness. But that storm passed, some full balls brought boundaries, and Smith rotated what little strike he could find to feed the West Australian's power game. His previous best for Australia, 34, was obliterated. Next was 64, his best in all forms of senior cricket, it came and went. Smith, having been so assured, so measured, was disposed of by a wondrous take from Cottrell at deep backward square leg, running to clasp the catch in one hand then tossing and collecting to beat the encroaching threat of the rope.

Watch on Hotstar (India only) - Sheldon Cottrell's wonder catch

In the end, Coulter-Nile made it as far as 92, and Australia to 288. Less than they had expected but, from 39 for 4, far more than they might earlier have hoped for. The early wicket of Evin Lewis, edging as Cummins slid the new ball across him, added to the difficulty of the chase, but the curious case of Chris Gayle and Chris Gaffaney was highly watchable at the other end. First, Gayle swung at Starc, the sound of wood was apparently heard, and the umpire's finger went up. A review showed that the ball had brushed not bat but stump. Next, Starc fired full but down the leg side. Appealing when the ball struck Gayle's pads, Gaffaney raised his finger again, Gayle immediately reviewed, and the ball was missing leg comfortably.

Fifteen came from Cummins' next over, most of them flailed away dismissively by Gayle, before Starc was again full, fast and in the vicinity of the stumps. This time he hit Gayle's back pad in front of leg stump, and despite a third review of an lbw appeal, ball-tracker showed the some of leg stump to be hit, meaning Gayle was gone, but not the West Indians' sole review. Only adding to the murk was a subsequent replay showing Gaffaney had missed a big no-ball the delivery before the wicket.

Hope then formed three stands of import with Nicholas Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer and Holder, but all were ended just when full control was assumed. Pooran, so fluid in attack, was done by Zampa's drift and Finch's outstretched hand at point. Hetmyer was run out by Cummins' mobility and Hope's yes/no call. And Hope mistimed the excellent Cummins, on whom Finch leaned heavily inside the first 35 overs. But Holder was fluent, though something of a spectator for Russell's brief and briefly impactful stay.

It was spectacular, but all too short for West Indies. Russell hammered Zampa into submission, then next over against Starc could see only the boundary. A play and miss, an abortive hook, a middled drive flashing past mid off, then a top-edge that swirled before being very well held by Maxwell. The Australians celebrated wildly, then worked on cornering Holder and Carlos Brathwaite. At 53 needed from 38 balls, they were close to pressuring a wicket, only for Brathwaite to rouse himself.

A mighty six, pulled well and truly into the crowd at midwicket, was to be followed by patience to see off the dangerous Cummins. Finch had left himself with five overs to be shared between Starc, Coulter-Nile, Stoinis and Maxwell, and 38 runs to defend. Going for wickets to settle the matter, Finch called up Starc and was rewarded when Brathwaite and then Holder both failed to find timing when trying to find the boundary. Scrounging, fighting and scraping, Australia went to two wins from as many games, and some way to rewriting their story at Trent Bridge.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady expressed regret for applying to trademark the term "Tom Terrific," explaining Thursday that his intention was to ensure people didn't refer to him by that nickname.

Brady's request had drawn the ire of New York Mets fans, as Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver had long been referred to as "Tom Terrific." Seaver, now 74, won a World Series with the Mets in 1969 and was named the National League Cy Young Award winner three times over his 20-year career.

"It's unfortunate. I was actually trying to do something because I didn't like the nickname and I wanted to make sure no one used it, because some people wanted to use it," Brady said. "I was trying to keep people from using it, and then it got spun around to something different than what it is. Good lesson learned, and I'll try to do things a little different in the future."

Asked a follow-up question on the topic, Brady said, "I didn't want people associating me with that. ... I don't like the nickname. I don't like when people give me many nice compliments -- certainly that. It wasn't something I was trying to do out of any disrespect or ill manner or anything like that."

Brady did not address whether he had withdrawn the application.

Brady answered questions after Thursday's mandatory minicamp practice -- the first time he'd done so this offseason with Patriots reporters.

For the second year in a row, the 41-year-old Brady had stayed away from voluntary workouts.

"I have a family at home, and they get some of my time and energy," Brady said. "My wife is a very ambitious woman, and she travels a lot, so I'm just trying to divide some responsibility at home. She supports me a lot. My family supports me a lot. My kids aren't getting any younger. So just trying to spend the time with them when I can and still get the other things done that I need to get done, and be ready to go when it's time to go."

Brady, who once again repeated his hope to play until he's 45, also addressed preparing for a season without tight end Rob Gronkowski, who announced his retirement in March.

"It's the first time in a long time. He was such a great player for our team," he said. "Like any season, things are different, and we're going to have to adjust differently. Teams are going to play us differently without him. We've seen that when he's been on the team [but injured].

"Matt [LaCosse] has done a good job. Ben [Watson] has done a good job. Stephen Anderson has done a good job. That has to be a position of strength, even if it's not one player but multiple players doing different roles. There were times in my career before that where we had similar approaches.

"No one is going to make any excuses for our offense. We're going to do everything we can to be the best we can be, score every time we touch the ball. The tight end position is a big part of our offense, and those guys are going to have to do a great job for us."

Brady enters the final year of his contract, which is rare for him, and said, "I don't think about it too much. ... I think those things work themselves out. I've never really talked about my contract, and I don't really want to start doing that now."

The Patriots receive their Super Bowl rings Thursday night in a private ceremony.

"It's pretty special to be in this position and to accept a ring, and to have that the rest of your life, something you pass down to your kids," Brady said. "It means a lot, and it's a great night to celebrate. You have these pictures the rest of your life."

HE POSITIONS HIMSELF behind the 3-point line at the top of the key, alone, as the ball is relayed to him. It's Game 1 of the NBA Finals, early in the first quarter, and as Marc Gasol gathers for the shot -- one he hit at a 44.2 percent clip for the Toronto Raptors in the regular season -- he aims and initiates his release but then, inexplicably, hesitates.

"Shoot it!" Lionel Hollins implores the image on his television screen, his former Memphis Grizzlies center, who led that team to the Western Conference finals in 2013.

Raptors coach Nick Nurse, pacing the sideline, does not holler at his gifted big man, but his heart rate elevates as he waits. He knows that when Gasol scores more than 10 points in the playoffs, Toronto is tough to beat. (The Raptors are 6-1 when Gasol scores in double figures this postseason.)

There's another former Gasol coach watching, too. New York Knicks coach David Fizdale can relate to the frustration about Gasol's reluctance to let it fly. When Gasol and Fizdale were together in Memphis, it was a point of contention. After watching Game 1, Fizdale notes, "You can almost feel Marc saying, 'Should I?' But he has to take those shots."

Fizdale is right. After nearly three seconds tick off -- an eternity in today's fast-paced NBA world -- Gasol fires off the trey. It swishes through, one of the six baskets he will convert on a 20-point night that plays a key role in a Raptors win.

Gasol doesn't fare as well in Game 2. DeMarcus Cousins badgers him with two hard fouls to start the game, and he scores just six points on 2-of-7 shooting with no 3s.

That is a problem for his team.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, Gasol has been one of the league's most effective 3-point shooters this postseason. Of the 32 players who have taken at least 50 3s in the playoffs, he ranks 12th with a shooting percentage of 38.8. When Gasol drains the long ball, it pays off for the Raptors, opening up the floor for the likes of Kawhi Leonard and Pascal Siakam.

Even the threat of Gasol from beyond the arc is an asset. The two-month Raptor knocked down only one of four shots from beyond the arc but pitched in 17 points, seven rebounds and four assists in 26 minutes in Game 3. Those minutes offered valued space on the floor, and Toronto secured a 2-1 advantage behind its best offensive showing of the Finals.

"We'd like him to shoot them, especially when it's a rhythm shot," Nurse says, "but Marc is one of the great big-men passers. It's always harder to convince guys to shoot more than to convince guys to shoot less. That's the battle we're in a little bit with Marc."

Left unsaid is this: Toronto needs more from its thoughtful big man, who, like so many centers, has had to contend with a shift away from a traditional low-post attack. Fizdale spent a tumultuous year and a half in Memphis insisting that Gasol be a more aggressive scorer, a stretch-5 who could shoot the 3 and excel in a pace-and-space system.

"You know," Fizdale says, chuckling, "what he's doing now.

"I tried to tell him, 'It's adapt or die.'"

Gasol decided to adapt. But he reserves the right to challenge the coaches who press him to evolve.

MARC GASOL ISN'T a selfish player. His nature is to pass first, shoot later. He has embraced Toronto's young core and offered his institutional knowledge to them.

"I had never met Marc before," Raptors guard Fred VanVleet says, "but after five minutes, I felt like I had known him five years."

Gasol doesn't clash with coaches because he seeks more shots or more glory. Rather, he expects to be used in proper fashion. He believes that everyone should be treated equally and demands transparency, or you will hear from him.

"I will let you know how I feel," Gasol says. "But that comes from a point of trust. I'm not going behind anybody. I'm going straight to you and ask, 'What is this?'"

Nurse knew all that before Toronto acquired Gasol.

"I heard a little bit, especially with the Fiz thing, because there was friction there," Nurse says, "but we have not had one single problem since Marc got here. He's been amazing."

Gasol, 34, has thrived in his new basketball home, playing for a coach, he says, who gives his players freedom to experiment.

"Marc could be a little snippy. You never knew what he was thinking. If something was bothering him, he wouldn't say anything. I had to pry it out of him." Lionel Hollins on a young Marc Gasol

Most NBA veterans who had been dutifully performing in a small-market city with mixed results for more than a decade might contemplate whether their time to compete for meaningful results -- championship results -- had passed. Most would enthusiastically embrace the possibility of joining a team positioned for a legitimate opportunity in the NBA Finals.

But Gasol isn't like most NBA players. He planned to begin and end his career in Memphis because there was a job left undone.

"I wanted to stay," Gasol says with a shrug. "I wanted to fix it. My thought was, 'Let's get this turned around.'"

Once Memphis decided to rebuild, it shipped Gasol to Toronto in February for Jonas Valanciunas, Delon Wright, CJ Miles and a 2024 second-round pick. Gasol departed Memphis as the franchise leader in points, rebounds, blocks and made field goals.

In addition to coveting his range, the Raptors thought Gasol could be a valuable defensive asset. In the opening round of the playoffs, Gasol held Orlando big man Nikola Vucevic to 28 percent shooting. In the next round, he held All-Star Joel Embiid to 37 percent shooting (23-of-62).

Nick Nurse is Gasol's seventh coach in 11 seasons. In his rookie season, Gasol played for three coaches: Marc Iavaroni (41 games), Johnny Davis (two games) and Lionel Hollins (39 games). Such instability could be viewed as a detriment -- unless you are Gasol, who sees it as an opportunity.

"Different coaches have different schemes, so for me, it's about learning and being able to adjust and adapt to these coaches," he says. "It fills your toolbox."

When Hollins took over the Grizzlies in 2009, he was entrusted with laying the foundation for the culture of the franchise -- and Gasol was a viable choice as a centerpiece. He was a crafty defensive player and an adroit passer, and he exhibited a knack for identifying what was happening a split second before most everyone else on the court. Hollins marveled at how easy new defensive schemes were for him; Gasol was named Defensive Player of the Year in 2013. He was passionate about the game and generous with his teammates. Yet there were certain quirks about his personality.

"Marc could be a little snippy," Hollins says. "You never knew what he was thinking. If something was bothering him, he wouldn't say anything. I had to pry it out of him."

The young version of Gasol was also stubborn. In his early years, he relied on a quick turnaround jump shot that Hollins abhorred. One night, after sinking one of those very shots, he stared at his coach all the way down the floor.

Hollins recalls calling out one of Gasol's teammates for blowing an assignment. The player became embarrassed and agitated. Hollins reviewed the tape after the game and reaffirmed that he was correct in his assessment, but he apologized to the player anyway, informing him, "I saw the play wrong."

Within minutes, Gasol was in his office. "He said to me, 'Coach, why did you lie?'" Hollins says. "'You were right. He was wrong.' I explained I was just trying to make peace. But Marc felt accountability was important. You want guys like that."

In Gasol's second year, Memphis brought in Zach Randolph, and the center settled in as a willing secondary option. He directed his new teammate where to go on the court and got Randolph the ball exactly where he desired it.

"We played through Marc a lot," Hollins says. "High post, low post, sort of like how Golden State uses Draymond Green. Marc wasn't trying to score. He was trying to make a play for the other guys."

In later years, as the league began trending toward small ball, Hollins moved Randolph to the 5 late in games, which left Gasol on the bench.

"Zach is scoring and rebounding and keeping us ahead with his offense, but Marc is wondering, 'Why can't I go back in?'" Hollins says. "At times he didn't play in the fourth quarter, and it bothered him. I told him the truth: 'This is the way it is.' He didn't like it, didn't accept it, but he lived with it, and we won because of it."

Hollins was pushed out of the head job in 2013 and replaced by longtime Grizzlies assistant Dave Joerger. Joerger led Memphis to three playoff appearances in three years but was let go after the third year because of, according to reports, differences with the front office regarding stability and salary. After he departed, new details emerged. Ron Tillery of the Commercial Appeal reported that during a turbulent stretch of the 2015-16 season, Joerger approached a team beat writer and declared, "I think Marc's trying to get me fired."

The report stunned Gasol, who says he never made any such suggestions to the front office or ownership.

"Dave called me right after the article appeared, and he was very upset," Gasol says. "He made it clear to me it wasn't the case. I told him not to worry. We both knew how it was."

Joerger, who is traveling overseas, offered his thoughts on Gasol via text: "Marc was great. One of my best friends and teammates I've ever coached. The talented ones will push you to be your best because their talent demands it ... I'm so happy he's in the position he's in now."

THE MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES had high hopes on May 29, 2016, when they introduced David Fizdale, the wildly popular assistant with the Miami Heat during their championship run with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, as the new head coach.

Gasol intended to approach the latest hire with an open mind, but when Fizdale didn't retain Randolph and Tony Allen, it became clear that the Grit 'n' Grind era in Memphis was over. Gasol wanted to know why. The coach explained that the style of play was outdated, and the window of opportunity had closed. It was a rocky way to start a relationship that never really improved.

"I don't want gray areas," Gasol says. "I want us to have one vision, the same unified approach to things, so if something isn't right, I like to be straightforward."

"I came in with guns blazing, trying to get them to play faster, shoot more 3s, space the floor," Fizdale says. "Marc was a big part of that. Most of his career, he played bruising post-up style with Zach.

"Getting him to shoot four more 3s a game at the time sounded a little outrageous. But once he realized the shot wasn't different, and it added another dimension to our team, he began to embrace it."

Before 2016-17, Gasol had never taken more than 17 3s in a season. Suddenly, he was taking 263. The next season, he took 320.

"I tried to tell him, 'It's adapt or die.'" David Fizdale on encouraging Marc Gasol to shoot

While the coach and the player were not in sync, they agreed to handle their differences professionally. The schism reached a breaking point following a loss to the Nets in November 2017. The Grizzlies, down big, had mounted a fourth-quarter comeback. Gasol prepared to check back in at his customary eight-minute mark, but Fizdale never called his number. A wounded Gasol told reporters, "If I'm not on the floor, I'm not valued. I'm sure the [coaches] knew that would hurt me the most." Fizdale said his decision was not personal. "I'm trying to win a game. I'm desperate. I took a risk. Sometimes when you take a risk, you might hurt a player or two."

The next morning, Fizdale was fired.

"If you want to call it a conflict or whatever, whenever we ran into rough spots, it was me pushing him out of his comfort zone," Fizdale says now. "And while I'm doing that, I'm trying to build trust in a short amount of time. To my fault, I probably pushed way too hard -- which I'm good at."

Gasol claims he never gave an ultimatum to ownership regarding Fizdale. No matter. The verdict in the court of public opinion had been handed down. Gasol was branded a coach killer, which bothered him enough for him to seek the counsel of LeBron James on the topic.

"You look back," Gasol admits, "and you think about how you could have handled it differently."

Six months later, Fizdale was snapped up by the Knicks. His phone was flooded with congratulatory texts, most of which he answered some days later, but there was one that required an immediate response.

"It was Marc," Fizdale says. "He said, 'I'm happy for you. I'm sorry for my part [in your firing]. I understand now what you were trying to get me to do.'"

Gasol confirms the text exchange. He says he and Fizdale have both moved on, and their relationship is "great." Same with Joerger. Each experience, Gasol says, has been an education, a building block.

Marc Gasol shot 273 3-pointers this season. It is a necessary tool in his box now, one that, if properly executed, often tips the scales for the Raptors.

"With years, you change," Gasol says. "You're not as hardheaded or stubborn. You are more malleable."

The big man hesitates for a moment, just as he did when he contemplated that Game 1 3-pointer.

"You grow," he says. "And you learn."

OAKLAND, Calif. -- After undergoing further evaluation of the non-displaced first costal cartilage fracture he suffered in Game 2, Golden State Warriors forward Kevon Looney could potentially return during the NBA Finals, league sources told ESPN.

More testing will determine Looney's next steps and whether he does, in fact, make a return to the league's championship round.

It was initially believed that Looney's injury, which came when he absorbed contact from Toronto Raptors star Kawhi Leonard on a drive in the first half of Game 2, would knock him out for the remainder of the series. In fact, Warriors coach Steve Kerr said as much at his news conference after Golden State's practice Tuesday.

"It's not anything that's going to be a problem long term," Kerr said of Looney's status Tuesday afternoon. "But it's going to keep him out for the rest of the series, which is obviously a big blow for us and for him.

"He's had such a great season, such a great postseason run. Fortunately it won't affect his future, but it's a big loss for us."

The door, though, has been opened to a possible return -- something the injury-riddled Warriors could desperately use as they try to drag themselves to a third straight title, and a fourth in five years. In addition to Looney, the Warriors were without both Klay Thompson -- who sat with a hamstring strain -- and Kevin Durant -- who has been out since Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Houston Rockets -- for Golden State's 123-109 loss to Toronto in Game 3 Wednesday night.

Thompson is expected to return for Game 4, and Durant could potentially make his debut in the series as well.

Looney, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, has battled back from hip injuries that derailed the first two years of his pro career to become one of Kerr's most trusted players, as well as a valuable part of Golden State's run to a title last year and to the brink of one this year. The Warriors missed his presence in Game 3 -- particularly on the defensive end, where DeMarcus Cousins struggled after playing his best game in a Golden State uniform in Game 2.

Looney averaged 6.3 points on 62.5% shooting to go with 5.2 rebounds per game in 80 games -- a career high -- during the regular season. He has averaged 7.2 points on 73% shooting while playing 20 minutes per game in 18 games during this year's playoffs.

The NBA will not permit Golden State Warriors investor Mark Stevens to attend any games after the team executive shoved Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry during Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena, the league announced Thursday.

"A team representative must be held to the highest possible standard, and the conduct of Golden State Warriors investor Mark Stevens last night was beyond unacceptable and has no place in our league," the league said in a statement. "As the review of this matter continues, Mr. Stevens will not be permitted to attend NBA games."

Stevens, who was seated courtside Wednesday night, was ejected early in the fourth quarter for shoving Lowry after the guard crashed into a row of seats while trying to save a ball from going out of bounds.

Prior to the NBA's decision, the Warriors issued a statement Thursday condemning Stevens' actions and said he would not be in attendance for the rest of the NBA Finals. The team later clarified that Stevens would be indefinitely suspended from all team-related activities.

"Mr. Stevens' behavior last night did not reflect the high standards that we hope to exemplify as an organization," the Warriors said in the statement. "We're extremely disappointed in his actions and, along with Mr. Stevens, offer our sincere apology to Kyle Lowry and the Toronto Raptors organization for this unfortunate misconduct. There is no place for such interaction between fans -- or anyone -- and players at an NBA game."

Stevens, who is listed as a member of the Warriors' executive board in the team's media guide, will not attend any of the remaining NBA Finals games. The Warriors and the NBA said a review of the incident is ongoing, and Stevens could face sanctions from both because he is a team executive.

Toronto leads the best-of-seven series 2-1 after the Raptors' 123-109 victory on Wednesday. The Warriors host Game 4 on Friday (9 p.m. ET, ABC).

The incident, which happened not far from where Warriors owner Joe Lacob was sitting, occurred when Lowry, who was chasing a loose ball, knocked the ball into a referee and landed in the lap of one male fan, who appeared to grab Lowry's jersey with two hands. A woman who was standing nearby patted Lowry on his back. At the same time, Stevens, who was sitting down, extended his left arm and gave Lowry a hard shove to his left shoulder.

Lowry got up and complained to officials, who ejected Stevens from the game. Lowry told The Associated Press that Stevens repeatedly cursed at him, and Lowry said he had spoken to the NBA about the incident before exiting Oracle Arena.

"There's no place for that,'' Lowry told ESPN's Scott Van Pelt after the game. "He had no reason to touch me. He had no reason to reach over two seats and then say some vulgar language to me. There's no place for people like that in our league. Hopefully, he never comes back to an NBA game."

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, who watched the game on television, said Thursday on Instagram that he "couldn't and wouldn't be quiet about this" and that Stevens "knew the rules more than just the average person sitting watching the game courtside."

View this post on Instagram

?There's absolutely no place in our BEAUTIFUL game for that AT ALL. There's so many issues here. When you sit courtside you absolutely know what comes with being on the floor and if you don't know it's on the back on the ticket itself that states the guidelines. But he himself being a fan but more importantly PART-OWNER of the Warriors knew exactly what he was doing which was so uncalled for. He knew the rules more than just the average person sitting watching the game courtside so for that Something needs to be done ASAP! A swift action for his actions. Just think to yourself, what if @kyle_lowry7 would have reacted and put his hands back on him. You guys would be going CRAZY!! Calling for him to damn near be put in jail let alone being suspended for the rest of the Finals all because he was protected himself. I've been quite throughout the whole NBA playoffs watching every game (haven't missed one) but after I saw what I saw last night, took time to let it manifest into my thinking ? I couldn't and wouldn't be quiet on this! #ProtectThePlayers #PrivilegeAintWelcomeHere

A post shared by LeBron James (@kingjames) on Jun 6, 2019 at 9:42am PDT

The NBPA issued a statement Thursday saying they are monitoring investigations by both the league and the Warriors and "anxiously await" a resolution.

"The NBPA has previously expressed its support of a 'zero-tolerance policy' with respect to verbal and/or physical assaults perpetrated against players," executive director Michele Roberts said in the statement. "Stevens' status as a member of the ownership group does not alter that view."

Stevens was a partner with Lacob as a venture capitalist at Sequoia Capital, which helped finance companies such as Google and PayPal. It's unclear how large his ownership stake in the Warriors is.

After the game, before Stevens was identified as the man who pushed him, Lowry said he should be banned "forever" from NBA games.

"The fans have a place; we love our fans," Lowry said. "But fans like that shouldn't be allowed to be in there, because it's not right. I can't do nothing to protect myself. But the league does a good job, and hopefully they ban him from all NBA games forever."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The early-arriving fans at Oracle Arena crowd the railing above the tunnel, waiting for it. Media members, staffers and VIPs line the walls at floor level, simultaneously doing their jobs and playing the role of interested onlooker. Everyone cranes their smartphone cameras, contorting above and around the masses, hoping to get the best angle before security guard Norm Davis bellows out the three words that will drive them into a frenzy.

"Warrior coming out."

Deep inside the tunnel, outside of the view of the fans, Stephen Curry says the words softly to himself. It's the cue for him to take the floor for the NBA's most-viewed warm-up routine. Curry has been greeted the same way for each home game during one of the most successful runs in NBA history.

Now, no matter where Curry finds himself on the NBA circuit, he repeats the mantra to himself as he makes his way to the floor.

Davis' voice and cadence have become as recognizable to Golden State Warriors players and coaches inside Oracle as Curry's shooting routine. When a Warriors player walks out of the locker room and down the tunnel onto the floor, Davis, who spent three of his years in the military serving as a drill sergeant, hollers out his familiar call -- "Warrior coming out!" as the player jogs out to the court.

"That's Norm," Curry said.

"I try to beat him to it now," Warriors center Andrew Bogut said. "I try to say it before he says it."

The call is as pragmatic as it is familiar. Davis is simply trying to clear a path in the tunnel so no one -- be it a Warriors player or an attendee lingering in the wrong spot -- gets hurt.

But the reason that call has become so synonymous inside Oracle is because Curry grew to like it so much.

"I started it [in 2014-15]," Davis said. "[Before then], we would say, 'Hold them up!' It was me, David Lee and Steph. I would yell it out, and then they would repeat what I said, and then they would just blast through the tunnel. And then they won the first championship, and then I started saying, 'Warriors coming out.' Steph picked it up, and Steph would yell it out, jump in the air, and then take off again."

Said Curry: "That's the most consistent thing that happens at Oracle."

That's why Curry has implemented it into his own routine wherever he goes. No matter what building the Warriors find themselves in on the road, Curry repeats Davis' line to himself as he makes his way onto the floor, jumps up in the air, and then dashes out to entertain the masses.

Curry's warm-up routine has grown from something only a handful of staffers at Oracle witnessed to something that, at times, has drawn its own dedicated television coverage. As the crowds have grown, Curry has grown to appreciate Davis' consistency.

A creature of habit in his own right, Curry decided to implement Davis' words when he noticed Davis wasn't at Oracle for a small stretch during the 2014-15 season because of an illness.

"Anytime a Warrior's coming down that hallway, he yells it, and he's a drill sergeant, so his voice carries," Curry said. "I think he got sick one time, he wasn't at a couple games, so I started yelling it, and carried that over to honor him on the road. But it's just something I do now."

When told that Curry has maintained the tradition on the road this season, a big smile crosses Davis' face.

"Is that right?" he says with a laugh. "That's good! He says it energizes him. So, yeah, I just keep it going. It was cool. ... It elevates him.

"I'm glad to see him do that because I remember when he came in as a rookie; we got here at the same time," he continues. "So to see him come in as a rookie all energetic, and now to see him slow walk his way into the locker room, it's all different, but it's good."

Davis has had a front-row seat, literally, to Curry's evolution from rail-thin rookie on a moribund franchise to the two-time MVP for an NBA dynasty. Just like so many others inside the organization, Davis beams about the transformation Curry has made during his decade in the Bay Area.

"The guy's been working hard since he's been here," Davis said. "He's just a joy. He's born and raised in North Carolina. I'm born and raised in South Carolina so I kind of like to take him on as a little brother. To see the guys do well -- it's all good."

Warriors assistant coach Bruce Fraser, who has become another integral part of Curry's daily shooting routine over the Warriors' run of dominance, says that Davis' call is one of several things Curry has picked up over the years at Oracle.

"He's got other sayings where he'll just imitate people," Fraser said of Curry. "That's one of them where he's like dead-on the voice at times. That's part of Steph's brilliance, is that humor he has to take stuff that some may think is serious or routine, and he'll spin it into -- not making fun of the person, but into humor where he uses it on the road. Steph's funny. He's actually a very funny guy."

Bogut arrived in Oakland after that transformation was well underway, joining the Warriors as part of an offseason trade before the 2012-13 season. His arrival coincided with the Warriors' rise in the Western Conference, and he was a key piece for both the 2015 title team and the team that won 73 games in 2015-16. However, he was traded away that summer and played most of this season in Australia before returning to the NBA and rejoining the Warriors late in the season.

Having been away from Oakland for a few years, Bogut was happy to see Davis in his familiar position upon his return.

"There are people that have been around when this place was a basket case," Bogut said. "A 30-win season was a celebration 10 years ago. So they deserve everything they get, they've been a part of. They're all good people that work very, very hard. ... It was just cool to see the same people there every year."

Fraser says he knows that it means something to Curry to be able to take little pieces about his Oracle experience on the road with him wherever he goes.

"He loves it," Fraser said. "There's a lot of things about the arena, the people here. Our whole existence, and his in particular in Oakland, are special. So he'll pull those out, sometimes in a serious place, but more often he uses it as humor. But it keeps him grounded."

The question remains, though, as to whether that will continue when the Warriors move across the Bay and open the Chase Center in San Francisco next season. After almost a decade and a half inside Oracle, Davis, like many of his colleagues, says he isn't sure what the future holds for his position in the new building, as the Warriors prepare to play what could be the final game at Oracle on Friday night (9 p.m. ET on ABC/WatchESPN).

"It'd be nice," Davis said of maintaining the same role. "They're telling us it's going to be a job fair, so it's like, whatever they give you once you get over there. I'll just take whatever they give me -- if I go. I don't know if I'm going to go or not."

One of the reasons Curry and his teammates have been so outspoken about wanting to win one more championship in Oakland is because they know that there are many fans and workers, like Davis, who might not be able to keep enjoying the ride once they move across the Bay Bridge. It's why Curry is trying to enjoy the last moments -- and calls -- inside Oracle as the games come to a close.

"We're kind of bridging the gap between the history of the organization, the rawness of Oakland and how die-hard our fans are," Curry said. "So I'll miss everything, to be honest."