For the second time in three years, Scottie Scheffler has won the Masters.

Scheffler finished with a score of 11 under at Augusta National Golf Club, fending off competition from Ludvig Åberg and Collin Morikawa, among others. The current world No. 1 is the first player to win the Masters twice in a three-year span since Bubba Watson accomplished the feat in 2012 and 2014. Scheffler was also the No. 1-ranked player in the world at the time of his 2022 victory, placing him with Tiger Woods as the only players since the inception of the Official World Golf Ranking to win multiple major championships while world No. 1. He's also the fourth-youngest player to win multiple green jackets.

The 27-year-old captured the Players Championship last month, and his subsequent victory Sunday put him in elite company. Only five golfers have ever won the Players and a major in the same calendar year. Scheffler additionally joins Woods and Jack Nicklaus as the only players to have multiple victories at both the Players and the Masters.

Scheffler paced well ahead of his competition. Åberg finished in second with a score of 7 under, making Scheffler the fifth player in Masters history to win multiple green jackets by 3-plus shots.

It didn't take long for social media to be filled with reactions to Scheffler's victory.

pic.twitter.com/6a2QHQJuAb

The Masters (@TheMasters) April 14, 2024

For the second time in three years, Scottie Scheffler wins the Masters Tournament. #themasters pic.twitter.com/hVKptJoGyp

The Masters (@TheMasters) April 14, 2024

A dominant Sunday performance. #themasters pic.twitter.com/d3HLfXZOm7

The Masters (@TheMasters) April 14, 2024

Scottie Scheffler is the 2024 Masters champion. #themasters

The Masters (@TheMasters) April 14, 2024

GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE

Scottie Scheffler gets his second Masters victory in only his fifth start at Augusta National #TheMasters pic.twitter.com/yRAC75kl6n

ESPN (@espn) April 14, 2024

It just feels right.

Congrats, Scottie! pic.twitter.com/5sqKyICofK

THE PLAYERS (@THEPLAYERS) April 14, 2024

Congrats, Scottie! https://t.co/gVK3Ukfc4Q

Ryder Cup (@rydercup) April 14, 2024

With his second Masters title in three years and nine wins on the resume it makes you stop and realize-we have front row seats to the Scottie Scheffler era. #BeyondDriven #TeamTaylorMade pic.twitter.com/JJIT0Vcqeo

TaylorMade Golf (@TaylorMadeGolf) April 14, 2024

Being #1 is earned.#ProV1 pic.twitter.com/00JMRWOqof

Titleist (@Titleist) April 14, 2024

Two green jackets in three years!

Scottie Scheffler is a Masters champion once again. pic.twitter.com/4ClY7EWtx4

PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 14, 2024

ESPN Stats & Information contributed to this article.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Milwaukee Bucks will enter the NBA playoffs as the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference and face the Indiana Pacers in the first round.

The Bucks fell to the 3-seed after they were blown out by the Orlando Magic 113-88 in Sunday's regular-season finale, which earned them a matchup with a familiar foe. Milwaukee dropped four of its five games with Indiana this season, including a loss in the in-season tournament in November.

"Indiana has had our number all year, so perfect opponent," Bucks coach Doc Rivers said. "They've played great against us. They have great confidence against us. We'll have great focus because we're going to have to."

Although the Bucks and Pacers played five times during the regular season, their last meeting was on Jan. 3. Rivers did not take over as Bucks coach until Jan. 29, so he said he still needed to study film of those games to figure out why the Bucks struggled.

"We've just been through a lot since then," Damian Lillard said. "We've had some down moments and we've come back from those moments. Then we get a new coach and then we have a different way about us, different style of play.

"Just so many different things we've learned about ourselves from going through stuff."

The matchups between the Pacers and Bucks carried some extra intensity, especially after they faced off on Dec. 13 and argued over possession of the game ball. Giannis Antetokounmpo wanted the ball after scoring a career-high 64 points. The Pacers wanted it to give to rookie Oscar Tshiebwe, who scored his first NBA point that night.

Lillard emphasized it was important for the Bucks to control their emotions in the upcoming series and focus on their ultimate goal of winning a championship.

"It's important for us to understand what our purpose is playing in the playoffs," Lillard said. "We got to be responsible when it comes to that. We can't be overly emotional about it because in the playoffs, that can change a series. You get too emotional, you can be taken advantage of."

The Bucks have backed into the playoffs, losing their final two games with a chance to wrap up the No. 2 seed, and eight of their final 11.

"It's important for us to understand what our purpose is playing in the playoffs. We got to be responsible when it comes to that. We can't be overly emotional about it because in the playoffs, that can change a series. You get too emotional, you can be taken advantage of."

Damian Lillard

"It's a new season with the postseason," Bucks forward Khris Middleton said. "At the same time you don't want to leave it in the past. You want to look at those games and figure out what went wrong and find a way to correct it."

The Bucks will also enter the postseason unsure of the status of Antetokounmpo, who missed the final three games of the regular season with a calf strain. The two-time MVP did not make the trip to Orlando and instead remained in Milwaukee for rest and treatment.

Rivers said ahead of Sunday's game that the reports he received on Antetokounmpo were all positive.

"We just have to wait and see," Rivers said. "I don't know one way or the other, I just know he's doing all the work. We're getting great reports. Yesterday, he did everything. That was positive. That's all we can get right now."

NEW ORLEANS -- The regular season ended for the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday with Anthony Davis in the locker room receiving treatment for back spasms after being shoved while in the air late in L.A.'s 124-108 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.

Davis vowed he will be back on the court Tuesday when the postseason begins for the Lakers, who clinched the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament and a rematch with the Pelicans, with the No. 7 seed and a first-round berth against the defending champion No. 2-seeded Denver Nuggets on the line.

"No doubt that I'm going to play," Davis said after putting up 30 points on 13-for-17 shooting, 11 rebounds, three assists and two steals in 33 minutes.

The Lakers big man -- who missed most of two losses last week to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors after getting hit in the face in the Minnesota game -- was dominant up until there was 5:52 to go in the fourth quarter Sunday. That's when Pelicans forward Larry Nance Jr. pushed Davis in the back while he was attempting to grab the offensive rebound after Lakers guard Gabe Vincent missed a layup.

Davis said the contact resulted in a "hyper extension" when he landed, adding his "back just locked up."

He took umbrage with Nance's involvement in the play.

"I was in the air," Davis said. "Obviously it's a dangerous play. I know he's not a dirty player."

Davis said he would have pushed himself to continue to play if it were a close game in a must-win situation. When he checked out with 5:22 remaining, limping toward the sideline before receiving treatment from his athletic trainer, Jon Ishop, L.A. was up by 21. The Lakers went on to win by 16.

Davis said he plans to test out heating pads he could wear underneath his jersey to keep his back loose Tuesday.

As great as Davis was before the setback, Lakers star LeBron James might have been even better.

James logged his fifth triple-double of the season, finishing with 28 points, a season-high 17 assists, 11 rebounds and five steals.

James had 13 assists in the first half, the most he has ever had in a half in 1,492 career games over 21 years in the NBA.

"I just read the game and I was just finding my teammates and I just tried to put the ball on time and on target for either jump shots or guys at the rim," James said. "I just tried to be very efficient with my play."

He also was the primary defender on the Pelicans' bruising Zion Williamson, helping to limit the explosive forward to just 12 points on 4-for-13 shooting and four turnovers.

"He's a beast," James said. "I mean, it's almost impossible to stop him so I just tried to keep a body on him and just tried to keep it tough on him. He's a great player, man."

The Lakers came into the day with several postseason scenarios possible, but thanks to a Phoenix Suns win over the Timberwolves, combined with the win over the Pelicans, they locked up the No. 8 spot and another road game in New Orleans on Tuesday.

All while not needing to hop on a plane and fly to another city.

"Tuesday's game is going to be extremely hard, extremely difficult, extremely physical," James said. "I've always known that, when you play a playoff series -- and I look at this like a two-game playoff series -- if you win that first game, a team has multiple days to kind of sit on that feeling, or sit with that taste in their mouth of defeat. So they're going to be extremely ready for us and we have to come in with the same sense of urgency that we had the previous game."

The numbers back James up. Not counting the NBA bubble in 2020, when all games were played in a neutral location, only 19 of the 342 first-round series in league history have started with the road team going up 2-0, according to research by ESPN Stats & Information.

L.A. is now 3-1 on the season against New Orleans, including two high-leverage situations in the in-season tournament semifinals and Sunday's game, when the Pelicans had a chance to avoid the play-in tournament and clinch the No. 6 seed and a first-round berth against Minnesota with a win.

"Just lean into what we did well," Lakers coach Darvin Ham said of his team's approach for Tuesday. "Understanding that they may make adjustments in terms of their matchups. And just have a plan, a backup plan and an escape plan once we see what their response is to what we've done tonight.

"And so, the chess game has been ignited. And we're all for it."

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Rookie center Chet Holmgren unzipped his black hoodie sweatshirt when asked how the Oklahoma City Thunder celebrated earning the Western Conference's No. 1 seed, showing off his blue Northwest Division champions T-shirt that was handed out in the locker room.

The Thunder took a team picture to commemorate the occasion after Sunday's 135-86 win over the Dallas Mavericks -- who rested all their starters and a few key reserves -- then shifted their focus to preparing for the playoffs.

"I wouldn't say celebratory so much as just kind of recognizing the fruition of all the hard work that we've been putting in," Holmgren said. "We're not in the position we're in by accident. There was a lot of dedication and hard work that went into it.

"But we're not celebrating, because what we're trying to do, we're not there yet. So, we're still eyes on the prize, locked in."

Oklahoma City entered the final day of the regular season in a three-way tie for first place in the West with the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves, the first such occurrence in NBA history. The Thunder finished with a 57-25 record, as did the defending NBA champion Nuggets, but Oklahoma City owned the tiebreaker.

As a result, the Thunder are the youngest team to earn the No. 1 seed since seeding began in 1984, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. Oklahoma City has an average age of 23.9 years old, weighted by playing time, which is almost two years younger than that of the 2004-05 Phoenix Suns, the previous youngest 1-seed.

The Thunder made the jump from a 24-win lottery team to the West's top seed in only two years.

"It's super surreal. It's fun," said Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City's oldest starter at 25. "Obviously, you play to win. It's [more fun] like that, but I think it goes back to us chipping away at it every day and not worrying about the past or the future. Just chipping away, seeing where that gets us, and us taking that mentality has allowed us to get here.

"So, yeah, it feels good, something to be proud about. We have a lot more work to do."

Oklahoma City and Denver will await the results of the West play-in games to learn who they will face in the first round of the playoffs. The second-seeded Nuggets will play the winner of the Nos. 7-8 game between the New Orleans Pelicans and Los Angeles Lakers. The loser of that contest will play the winner of the Nos. 9-10 game between the Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors to determine the Thunder's first-round opponent.

The Timberwolves dropped to the third seed after their 125-106 home loss to the Suns on Sunday. Phoenix's win, combined with New Orleans' 124-108 loss to the Lakers, allowed the Suns to claim the sixth seed and avoid the play-in. Minnesota and Phoenix will meet in the first round.

The LA Clippers and Mavericks entered Sunday locked into the fourth and fifth seeds, respectively, and they will face each other in the first round. It will be the third time that MVP candidate Luka Doncic has matched up against Kawhi Leonard's Clippers in the first round, with LA eliminating Dallas in both of the previous series.

Denver's two-time MVP Nikola Jokic, Doncic and Gilgeous-Alexander are considered the top candidates for this year's honor.

"I don't study all the players. I do see one of them every single night." Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said, referring to Gilgeous-Alexander, who averaged 30.1 points, 6.2 assists and a league-leading 2.0 steals per game. "There is not a night where I don't feel like we have the best player on the floor. We're a top-five defense, top-five offense. He's a two-end player that contributes to both of those things.

"I think his consistency, his poise, his confidence has had an unbelievable contagious effect on one of the youngest teams in the league, one of the youngest teams in history to accomplish what this team accomplished. ... When you look at what he did this year, what seeds he's planted in previous years, there's no one I'd rather have on our team than him."

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Blake Snell had a rough return to Tropicana Field with the San Francisco Giants.

The two-time Cy Young Award winner allowed seven runs over four innings on Sunday in a 9-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, including a pair of home runs.

Amed Rosario hit a two-run homer in a three-run first and light-hitting catcher Rene Pinto connected on a three-run drive in the fourth. Pinto had two hits and nine strikeouts in his previous 13 at-bats.

Snell gave up six hits, two walks and struck out four. He threw 48 of 78 pitches for strikes.

"I got to get better. I just go to locate pitches better," Snell said. "I get mad when I don't do good. Bad location. I'll get better results, but until then nothing's going change until I start commanding."

The seven earned runs tied Snell's career high. Only one San Francisco starter, Alex Cobb on May 28 at Milwaukee, gave up seven earned runs last season.

"I think the guys had patience today," Rosario said through a translator. "I think they had the plan and I think we executed it right, and did what we wanted to do."

Snell, a 31-year-old left-hander, signed with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2011, made it to the major leagues in 2016 and was traded to San Diego after the 2020 season. He won his first Cy Young with the Rays in 2018, when he went 21-5, and made a pair of 2020 World Series starts against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"No emotions," Snell said. "I already went through that."

He became a free agent last fall and signed a $62 million, two-year contract with the Giants, a deal that allows him to opt out after this season. Snell made his Giants debut last Monday and allowed three runs over three innings in an 8-1 loss to Washington.

"He'll give up some walks and get nicked up a little bit, but it's rare that you see him get hit like that and I think that's just more kind of still feeling his way," Giants manager Bob Melvin said.

Snell faced the Rays once previously as an opponent, allowing two hits and striking out 12 over six scoreless innings last June 17.

PHILADELPHIA -- Andrew McCutchen hit the 300th home run of his career and the Pittsburgh Pirates cruised past the Philadelphia Phillies 9-2 on Sunday, earning a split of the four-game series.

Jack Suwinski added to the offensive surge, authoring a grand slam that helped lift the 11-5 Pirates to their eighth road victory, the most in the National League.

The 37-year-old McCutchen, who played for the Phillies from 2019 to 2021, drove a Ricardo Pinto slider into the left-field seats in the ninth inning for his first home run this season. He became the 13th player with 2,000 hits, 400 doubles, 45 triples, 300 homers and 200 stolen bases.

"I'm happy that's over with," McCutchen said after his first home run since last Aug. 22 against St. Louis. "I've been sitting on that one for a while."

McCutchen said Philadelphia was his second choice for hitting No. 300 behind Pittsburgh.

"It's kind of hard to be liked on both sides of the state," he said. "It's nice. I got a pretty good ovation from the fans. ... They show a lot of appreciation for the three short years I was here and I appreciate that because I was a guy making $20 million and one year I wasn't holding my end of the bargain and I felt like I should have done better."

McCutchen stole home as part of a double steal in the fourth inning when catcher J.T. Realmuto's throw sailed into center field as Realmuto tried to nab Jared Triolo at second base.

McCutchen -- in his second tenure with Pittsburgh, the club he broke into the majors with -- is the fourth player to hit No. 300 in a Pirates uniform, according to ESPN Stats & Information, joining Jeromy Burnitz (2006), Willie Stargell (1973) and Ralph Kiner (1953).

Suwinski hit his second career slam for a 5-2 lead in the sixth inning against Zack Wheeler (0-3), who allowed five runs -- four earned -- five hits and three walks in five-plus innings. Wheeler struck out 10, marking his 23rd career double-digit strikeout game.

"Grinded through some at-bats and made him work," Pirates manager Derek Shelton said of Wheeler. "When you are talking about a guy of that caliber, making him work is very important."

Joey Bart boosted the lead to 6-2 later in the inning with a homer off Seranthony Dominguez.

Pirates starter Mitch Keller (1-2) allowed two runs and eight hits in seven innings. He has pitched at least five innings in 35 straight starts, the longest active streak in the majors.

But the day belonged to McCutchen, who now has 216 career long balls with the Pirates, 24 shy of catching Roberto Clemente for the third most in franchise history, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Stargell owns the top spot on that list with 475.

Phillies star Bryce Harper was 0-for-4 and is in a 2-for-30 slide that has dropped his average to .190. Philadelphia's Trea Turner had three hits and two RBIs, including his first home run this season.

"It is frustrating," Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. "We haven't really swung the bats well here at the start, but that'll change."

Before the win, Pittsburgh placed left-hander Marco Gonzales on the 15-day injured list with a left forearm strain and recalled right-hander Ryder Ryan from Triple-A Indianapolis.

Meanwhile, Philadelphia activated right-hander Orion Kerkering from the 15-day injured list and optioned right-hander Nick Nelson to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

BOSTON -- Kenley Jansen is upset with the quality of baseballs.

"I got to get better, but also if you're playing in the cold weather, windy, and you get pearls balls out there that's not rubbed well, I don't know where the ball's going," the Boston Red Sox reliever said after Sunday's 5-4 win over the Los Angeles Angels.

The 36-year-old right-hander entered with a two-run lead, hit Logan O'Hoppe leading off, then gave up a single, walk and Anthony Rendon's sacrifice fly before striking out Luis Rengifo and Mike Trout for his fourth save in four chances.

Jansen tied John Franco for fifth place all time with his 424th save.

"I don't hit guys, I don't walk people this much. And I start to get frustrated." Jansen said. "Any balls that came, I just throw it back till when I find a good ball. And it's just brutal."

Jansen said bullpen balls were better rubbed than game balls.

"It's embarrassing. It's been a while I've been playing in this league and, from the beginning of my career until now, it's getting worse," he said.

"It's been an issue the whole year," he said. "I've been talking to a lot of my teammates, and they feel the same way. First pitch, get out of my hand, I don't know where it's going. Second pitch, the same thing. Then, I tried to throw a ball down the middle, just keep going down. It's tough trying to make an adjustment and also you have the clock ticking."

Jansen said he got lucky when he faced Trout, that he threw a few balls out "and got some that are rubbed-up balls."

Veteran left fielder Tommy Pham is closing in on a minor league deal with the Chicago White Sox, a source told ESPN on Sunday, confirming multiple reports.

The deal is not done, sources said, but it is expected to be finalized.

Pham, 36, could not secure a major league contract this offseason despite playing a prominent role on an Arizona Diamondbacks team that went all the way to the World Series last fall, both on the field and in the clubhouse.

Pham slashed .256/.328/.446 with 16 homers and 68 RBIs in 129 regular-season games with the New York Mets and D-backs last year and has produced a 114 adjusted OPS with seven different teams from 2017 to 2023, meaning he has produced 14% above league average.

Despite signing a minor league deal, Pham is expected to be called up to the major leagues relatively soon.

ESPN's Jeff Passan and Jesse Rogers contributed to this report.

Young Lithuanian throws 74.35m to beat 38-year-old mark at the Ramona Throws Festival in Oklahoma

History was made at the Ramona Throws Festival in Oklahoma as Mykolas Alekna, the 21-year-old discus throwing talent from Lithuania, took advantage of windy conditions at the venue to break Jürgen Schults long-time world record of 74.08m with 74.35m.

The East German Schults mark the oldest world record in mens track and field was set in similarly gusty conditions in Neubrandenburg on June 6, 1986. Not only was this 16 years before Alekna was born but the Lithuanians famous father, Virgilijus, was still only 14 at the time.

Virgilijus went on to win Olympic titles at Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 in addition to world titles in 2003 and 2005. If he can translate this kind of form to future major championships, Alekna Jnr could surpass his father when it comes to silverware.

With some of the worlds best throwers queuing up to take advantage of the great conditions in Oklahoma, Aleknas throw was first announced as 74.41m before being declared as 74.35m.

WORLD RECORD

The oldest mens world record in athletics has been broken

Mykolas Alekna has just thrown an astonishing 74.41m in the mens discus

He takes down Jürgen Schults mark of 74.08m from 1986 pic.twitter.com/3CejuqudpF

AW (@AthleticsWeekly) April 14, 2024

Until this weekend, Alekna Snr also stood No.2 on the world all-time rankings with a best of 73.88m from 2000 just 20cm behind Schults world record.

Amazingly Alekna Jnr did not start to take the discus seriously until he was around 16 years old. Before that he played football as a striker and did events like high jump.

But once focusing on the discus he has shown immense ability. After winning world and European under-20 titles, he won the European senior crown in 2022 aged 19.

Also in 2022 he became the youngest world discus medallist in history with silver in Eugene another amazing achievement in an event where the top athlete usually peak when they are much older.

Whats more, last year he became the youngest athlete to throw over 70 metres with 71.00m in Berkeley, California.

But now he is the world record-holder with a full series that included: 72.21m, 70.32m, 72.89m, 70.51m, 74.35m and 70.50m.

A psychology student at California State University, he will now be aiming to win Olympic gold in Paris this summer.

The NHL has fined Boston Bruins defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk $2,734.38 for unsportsmanlike conduct after he hit Pittsburgh Penguins winger Michael Bunting with his stick from the bench during Saturday's game.

Shattenkirk was not penalized for his action with 19:37 left in the first period of the Bruins' 6-4 victory. Bunting had made contact with the Bruins' Linus Ullmark, the winger's stick catching the goaltender's skates and causing him to fall over.

Bunting then skated past the Boston bench, where Shattenkirk apparently reached out with his stick and hit Bunting with it.

On Sunday, the league's Department of Player Safety announced the fine, the maximum allowed for unsportsmanlike conduct under the collective bargaining agreement, with the money going to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.

Shattenkirk scored a goal and Bunting had one goal and one assist in the game, with Ullmark (28 saves) earning the win. Shattenkirk was playing for the first time after missing the previous three as a healthy scratch.

Field Level Media contributed to this report.