MEXICO CITY -- Patrick Reed made it hard for anyone to question his moxie.

A week that began with Brooks Koepka saying he thought Reed cheated when he was penalized for swiping sand in the Bahamas ended with Reed delivering clutch moments down the stretch Sunday to win the Mexico Championship.

Then again, Reed always seems to be at his best when it feels as though the world is against him.

Two shots behind with four holes to play, Reed ran off three straight birdies to overtake a faltering Bryson DeChambeau, closing with a 4-under 67 for his second World Golf Championships title.

Reed made it interesting in the end with a wild tee shot into the trees on the 18th hole at Chapultepec Golf Club, forcing him to chip back to the fairway. He had to two-putt from 35 feet for the eighth victory of his PGA Tour career.

In a wild final round in which five players had a share of the lead -- and four were tied heading for the back nine -- DeChambeau appeared to seize control with five birdies in a six-hole stretch starting at No. 9.

Everyone around him faltered -- Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Erik van Rooyen -- everyone but Reed, who played bogey-free until he needed only a bogey to win.

DeChambeau failed to birdie the par-5 15th, missed the green on the 16th with a pin in a bowl that made birdies accessible, and then three-putted from long range on the 17th. He shot 65.

Reed never flinched with so much going on around him, on and off the golf course.

He has yet to shake whispers on the tour and heckling from the gallery over the Hero World Challenge in December, when video caught him twice swiping away sand behind his ball in a waste area in the Bahamas. Reed accepted the two-shot penalty and said a different camera angle would have shown his club wasn't as close to the ball as it looked.

Koepka became the strongest voice during an interview Monday with SiriusXM in the Bay Area while he was previewing his title defense at the PGA Championship in May.

Radio host Sway Calloway asked Koepka if Reed was cheating.

"Uh, yeah. I think, yeah, yeah," Koepka said, known for speaking his mind. "I mean, I don't know what he was doing, building sand castles in the sand. But you know, you know where your club is. I mean, I took three months off and I can promise you I know if I touched sand.

"If you play the game, you understand the rules," he said. "You understand the integrity that goes on. I mean, there's no room for it."

Asked about it Saturday after his round, Reed said, "At the end of the day, you can't listen to what other people are saying. All you can control is what you do."

All he did Sunday was win.

"To come back and win my second World Golf Championship, especially with how I had to finish from basically 15 onwards ... last hole was ugly but it was what I needed just to get the job done," Reed said.

He finished at 18-under 266 and moved to No. 8 in the world.

DeChambeau walked back across the bridge to the 18th green to congratulate Reed. DeChambeau can appreciate heavy criticism, his the result of his pace of play.

"There's been a lot of stuff said in past years, I guess you could say, with him, and even with me. I feel like unfortunately sometimes we get quite a bad rap," DeChambeau said. "And yeah, there's things that we've done that hasn't been right, but we haven't got really gotten the best rap. ... He's a great player, and he'll be a great player for a long time, and I have a lot of respect for his game."

Rahm had a chance to reach No. 1 in the world with a victory, depending on how McIlroy finished. It was a moot point when the Spaniard took bogey on the par-5 11th and dropped another shot on the 14th with a short iron that went just over the back of the green.

McIlroy was within one shot until going nine straight holes without a birdie.

Thomas, who lost a 54-hole lead for the second time in the Mexico Championship, lost the lead when he hit into the water on the par-3 seventh, then made another bogey on the next hole. He then had to play a left-handed shot on the 10th on his way to a double-bogey. He shot 73.

LOS ANGELES -- Moments after a thrilling finish befitting the storied history between two longtime rivals, LeBron James and Jayson Tatum met at center court and shared a long embrace. James, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar, had just drilled a go-ahead jumper with 30.4 seconds that proved to tilt the balance in his team's 114-112 win over the Celtics at Staples Center.

But Tatum, who is 14 years James' junior, had also delivered a dominant performance, tying his career-high with 41 points.

That figure made the 21-year-old Tatum the youngest player with a 40-point game in the history of the Celtics-Lakers rivalry, including the postseason. It also made Tatum the first Celtics player to score 40 or more points in the rivalry so since Paul Pierce in March of 2001.

"That kid is special," James said of Tatum. "Obviously, that's the reason he's a first-time All-Star. He's been special all year."

The Celtics fought valiantly despite being absent star point guard Kemba Walker, who remained sidelined with left knee soreness.

"We still should've won," Tatum said. "We know that. We can't make excuses when guys are out. That was definitely a game we should've won."

Tatum also downplayed his big night.

"I just wish we would've won," he said. "That's all that really matters. I know what I'm capable of. My teammates know that. We know what each and every guy can do in here."

Celtics swingman Jaylen Brown said of his teammate, "Tatum has reached a new height -- superstar level. We've all got to continue to improve and go with him. The way he's playing is unreal. We've got to continue to find ways to allow him to reach his potential.

Brown continued, "At the same time, we've got to continue to find ways to win games and be the team that we're supposed to be. He's been playing unreal. It was a joy to watch him tonight. I wish we would've got the win, but to come in here and do what he did to the Lakers, [there are] not too many people who can say they did that."

Tatum did most of his damage in the second and third quarters, scoring 36 points during that stretch while hitting 11 of his 15 shots from the field. But in the fourth quarter, the Lakers began double-teaming him on defense, and Tatum was held to just four points on 1-of-3 shooting from the field in the final period.

"Just try to make it tough on the kid," James said, "but he was special all night."

Added Brown, "They better double-team him, I'll tell you that. If he gets it smoking like he did tonight, they better double-team him, because one man can't guard him. When we get it going like that, whoever it may be, we've just got to be ready to play, and the Lakers did a great job of rotating and their defense was pretty good tonight, but JT was better."

Lakers coach Frank Vogel called Tatum "one of the best players in the world," adding "He was in the All-Star Game for a reason. He has the ability to go what would have been a potential 50, 60 point night, had we not just have brought extreme double teams for the better part of the second half."

In that final quarter, the Celtics were whistled for twice as many fouls as the Lakers, 12 to six. The Lakers also went to the line 17 times in the fourth quarter as compared to five attempts in that quarter for the Celtics. Boston coach Brad Stevens was called for a technical foul with 15.5 seconds left after arguing what he felt should've been a foul called on the Lakers.

"I thought there was one there, but they didn't call it," Stevens said. "It is what it is."

Said Brown, "It's a tough one. We felt like we could've won. We should've won."

Tatum became the first player to score 40 points in the rivalry since the late Kobe Bryant did so in January of 2011.

"That's what he does," Stevens said of Tatum. "I realize it's his career-high, but he's been at that level for us for a long time now."

"Certainly, I think he has taken it to another level," Celtics forward Gordon Hayward said of Tatum.

On Sunday, Tatum wore a wristband honoring Bryant, who will be memorialized Monday morning at Staples Center. Speaking of Bryant's presence, Tatum said, "We definitely felt it."

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Mookie Betts still has some work to do as he settles in with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

On the field, though, he's fine.

"The hardest thing is finding a house and learning everybody's name," Betts said Sunday after making his Cactus League debut. "The baseball's the same. We all have the same focus."

Betts led off and played right field for the Dodgers against the Chicago Cubs at Camelback Ranch. He received an enthusiastic welcome from the sellout crowd of 13,282 when he was introduced before the game with the rest of the Dodgers starters and again when he batted in the first inning.

He flied out to left in his first at-bat, flied deep to right in the third inning and drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to center in the fifth inning before coming out of the game.

"Just seeing him at the top of the order, in our lineup, makes everybody around him better," manager Dave Roberts said after the Dodgers beat the Cubs 4-2. "You felt the energy from the fans too."

Betts, 27, was dealt to the Dodgers from Boston after the two parties were unable to come to an agreement on a long-term contract. He is a free agent after this season.

But after playing in Boston, winning an MVP and a World Series there, he doesn't feel any extra pressure on a new team with high expectations, or entering his free-agent season.

"I try to channel it into working hard," he said. "I don't worry about it."

Roberts has been impressed with Betts' work ethic as well as his mental approach and overall attitude.

"I knew he'd be professional in every sense of the word," Roberts said. "I didn't realize he'd be as open to talking about how he's feeling at the plate or what he does defensively. A lot of guys just do things, but to kind of share of information, he's always willing to have a conversation about baseball."

Kenley Jansen also made his spring debut, working a perfect second inning for Los Angeles. Jansen, 32, struck out two Cubs.

He is coming off a season that saw him post the highest ERA (3.71) of his 10-year career, all with the Dodgers.

Jansen never really got going after a slow start last spring, but he threw as hard as 93 mph in a 14-pitch outing on Sunday.

"It just seems like he's synced up with his body, his arm's catching up," Roberts said. "If he can stay there, a lot of good things are going to happen."

Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker said Sunday that he will keep outfielder George Springer as the team's leadoff hitter this season.

"If it's not broke, don't fix it," he told reporters.

Springer has been the Astros' leadoff hitter since 2016, when he was inserted into the spot by former manager A.J. Hinch in May of that season.

Hinch was fired by Astros owner Jim Crane after Major League Baseball suspended the manager for a season as a result of the team's sign-stealing scheme. With Baker taking over this season, it wasn't a given that he would leave Springer atop his lineup until he made the news official Sunday.

Springer has excelled in the leadoff spot, winning two Silver Slugger awards and earning three consecutive All-Star selections. Last season, he set career highs in home runs (39), RBIs (96), batting average (.292) and on-base percentage (.383).

"I told Springer the other day that he reminded me of past leadoff hitters -- Bobby Bonds, Felipe Alou, Tommy Agee," Baker told reporters. "These guys were hitters and sluggers at the same time, and he can either get on base or it's 1-0 our favor. This guy, he's one of the best. You don't win Silver (Sluggers) just by taking (pitches). I love it, actually."

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- He's 42 years old, a little out of shape and clearly no spring chicken. But clearly there's no one more popular on the field for the Philadelphia Phillies than the Phanatic.

Which is why all eyes at the ballpark were on the furry mascot Sunday for the big reveal: He has gotten a makeover this year amid a legal fight between the team and his creators.

The revamp, unveiled before the Phillies played the Pittsburgh Pirates in their spring training home opener, includes flightless feathers rather than fur-colored arms, stars outlining the eyes, a larger posterior and a powder-blue tail, blue socks with red shoes, plus scales under the arms.

Don't look for any change, though, in the Phanatic's prankster approach, a point the team reiterated with a tweet Sunday afternoon.

He has evolved, but clearly hasn't matured. pic.twitter.com/Tmo5jHNQOB

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) February 23, 2020

Tom Burgoyne, the man behind the mascot, told The Philadelphia Inquirer that "he's still the same old Phanatic, just with a little more sashay in him." He noted that the mascot's fur color, jersey, hat and overall look have "changed a little bit over the years."

Early reviews were mixed. Some eagle-eyed fans liked the old version more, others said the changes weren't that big of a deal.

The team and the mascot's creators have been sparring in court ahead of the June 15 expiration of a 35-year-old copyright agreement. Designers Bonnie Erickson and Wayde Harrison -- who also created the famed Muppet Miss Piggy -- say they alone made the Phanatic's character and backstory when they were contracted to create the costume in 1978.

The Phillies argue that the baseball franchise is just as responsible for the success of the mascot as the puppet-making pair.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

ABBOTTSTOWN, Pa. – Lincoln Speedway’s 21st annual Kevin Gobrecht Memorial will pay $9,200 to win in honor of Gobrecht’s No. 92 sprint car on Saturday, June 27.

The race is part of the 30th annual Pennsylvania Sprint Speedweek and is Lincoln’s first of two races during the week-long series.

Making this race $9,200 to win would not be possible without the sponsorship of Goofy’s Eatery & Spirits of Spring Grove. Goofy’s, established in 1989 offers food and drinks, events, including a large selection of foreign, domestic and microbrews.

“We are excited to be a part of the Kevin Gobrecht Memorial and PA Speedweek. Kevin was a talented racer and honoring him with a race that pays $9,200 to win is a great tribute to his legacy. Goofy’s is proud to support sprint car racing as it is an important part of Central PA,” said Josh Runkle of Goofy’s Eatery & Spirits.

Gobrecht achieved great success behind the wheel of a sprint car earning the 1995 National Sprint Car Rookie of the Year awarded by the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Museum. His resume includes over 100 Go-Kart wins and over 100 Micro-sprint wins, a Jack Gunn Memorial victory, a Williams Grove World of Outlaws win and a Kenny Weld Memorial victory at Lincoln. In 1999 he won three races in less than 24 hours (Williams Grove, Lincoln and Port Royal). Gobrecht passed away on Sept. 24, 1999 at the age of 30 in a crash at I-80 Speedway in Nebraska.

Fred Rahmer won the inaugural Kevin Gobrecht Memorial race in 2000. Lance Dewease has won three Gobrecht Memorial races, the most of any driver. The 2019 Kevin Gobrecht Memorial winner, Brian Montieth, went on to win his eighth Lincoln Speedway track championship.

Kevin’s brother, Scott Gobrecht, is looking forward to the race this year.

“It’s exciting to watch Kevin’s Memorial Race grow over the years.  It was humbling 21 years ago when Alan, Bob and Don reached out about remembering Kevin during Speedweeks,” Scott Gobrecht said. “And now with Josh, Whitey and the Goofy’s family coming on board it’s even better.  Josh and Whitey are longtime friends of our family and they do so much for racing. It’s an honor to have them be part of this year’s event.”

The Kevin Gobrecht Memorial is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 27 with pit gates opening at 5 p.m. and grandstand gates set to open at 5:30 p.m. The Central PA Legends will join the 410 sprint cars as the second division.

MILL HALL, Pa. – The Clinton County Fair Ass’n has announced plans for the upcoming racing season at the three-eighths-mile dirt oval.

Clinton County Motor Speedway will begin its 32nd year of operations.

The Fair Ass’n has decided to be the operators of the speedway with assistance and guidance of former race promoter Jason McCahan, who promoted the speedway from 2002-2004.

“The board felt it was the right time to take control of the speedway to ensure that it opened in 2020,” said fair board president Phil Courter. “We watched the success of the Juniata County Fair Ass’n and Port Royal Speedway and would like to replicate that here. We are pleased to have Jason back with us for this new era of racing at Clinton County.”

“Clinton County is my hometown track,” said McCahan.  “I remember being here for the inaugural race when it opened in 1989. Over the years it has had its ups and downs with various promotional teams. It is my goal to help the fair build a stable weekly program that will gain strong support from the racing community and its fans.  The races are a great family entertainment venue.”

The speedway plans to open on Friday, May 1 with the Limited Late Models as the headline division. The following week on May 8, the Racesaver Sprint Cars sanctioned by the Laurel Highlands Sprint Series will be the featured division. The two divisions will share the spotlight throughout the season.

In addition to the headlining divisions, the 270 Micro Sprints, 600 Micro Sprints, Pro Stock and 4 Cylinder Stock cars will be featured weekly.

“We have had a number of Pro Stock drivers from Selinsgrove Speedway and Port Royal Speedway express an interest in racing Friday nights at Clinton County, so we have made them a weekly division,” added McCahan. “We are doing the same thing with the270 Micro Sprints and 600 Micro Sprints, we believe as a weekly division more drivers can commit to making Clinton County their weekly Friday night speedway.”

The four-cylinder division will see the most change, as the rules will return to a stock division.

“We had strong support by the four-cylinder class when it was a stock division in 2002,” said McCahan. “Many of our current late model and pro stock drivers started their racing careers in the four-cylinder class, so I feel that it is important to return this division to an economical-grass-roots racing division.”

The schedule will feature weekly racing from May through September. Special events and promotions will be announced as details are confirmed.

“We are thankful for those in the racing community who have assisted us to ensure the speedway opens in 2020,” said Courter. “It has been a busy start to 2020 with a great deal of work that has taken place behind the scenes.”

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Carolina Hurricanes have recalled goaltenders Anton Forsberg and Alex Nedeljkovic from their American Hockey League affiliate after losing two goaltenders to injury and relying on an on-call emergency netminder Saturday night in a victory at Toronto.

The Hurricanes announced the move Sunday. That came after they lost James Reimer and Petr Mrazek to injuries the night before, forcing them to use 42-year-old David Ayres in net to finish the 6-3 win.

The 27-year-old Forsberg has posted a 15-9-2 record with a 2.95 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage in 27 appearances with the Charlotte Checkers this year. The Hurricanes acquired Forsberg in a trade last June.

The 24-year-old Nedeljkovic has posted a 15-10-2 record, 2.51 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage with four shutouts in 28 appearances with the Checkers this year. The Hurricanes selected him in the second round of the 2014 draft.

Ayres will attend Carolina's home game Tuesday night against the Dallas Stars.

"See you Tuesday, Davey!" the club said on its Twitter account. "Ayres will be in the building on Tuesday and will be our (at)VectorSecurity Siren Sounder!"

"They're flying me down to Carolina for their game on Tuesday so I'll get to spend more time with the guys, which is good," Ayres said Toronto on Sunday at the Leafs' practice facility. "They're a great team, great organization."

Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin also announced Tuesday will be "David Ayres Day" in the city.

The Hurricanes started selling shirts with Ayres' name and No. 90 after the game. The team says Ayres will get royalties and a portion of the proceeds will go to a kidney foundation in honor of the goaltender, who underwent a kidney transplant in 2004.