SAN DIEGO – The narrative for the majority of Tiger Woods’ career has always been his relentless pursuit of Jack Nicklaus’ record 18 major championships, but that changed in 2019.

Woods’ victory at last year’s Masters moved him to within one of Sam Snead’s all-time victory mark of 82 PGA Tour wins and he tied the record last fall in Japan. Poised five strokes off the lead at the Farmers Insurance Open, Woods is now 18 holes away from breaking a record that has become career-defining.

The best evidence of what the record means came from Rory McIlroy when he was asked what was more impressive: Woods’ 15 major victories or his 82 Tour wins?

“The wins, the wins. So much the wins,” said McIlroy, who is tied for third at Torrey Pines. “It's relentless, winning that much. A really good season these days is three or four wins a year and he was doubling that year on year on year on year.”

Woods’ consistency has always been his greatest draw and reaching 82 victories puts that notion in context, particularly for a peer like McIlroy.

“You could win a few majors, take your foot off the gas a bit, life's good, but it was just foot to the floor and just keep moving forward,” said McIlroy, who has won 18 events on Tour and eight on the European Tour. “That to me is the most impressive thing.”

SAN DIEGO – Jon Rahm is no stranger to low rounds on the South Course at Torrey Pines, but his start Saturday at the Farmers Insurance Open exceeded his own lofty expectations.

It began early for the Spaniard after he missed the green at the par-4 first hole. From the rough left of the green he chipped in for birdie to move to 6 under.

“Honestly, the most straightforward chip shot I could have, I just had to get on the green and release down and that's what I did,” he explained.

Things got even better on the second hole when his approach shot from 111 yards trundled into the hole for an eagle.

“There was a bit of a gust so I hit a draw with a 56 [degree wedge], landed about 4 feet short, skipped up and landed in the hole,” he said.

Rahm, who closed with a 65 in 2017 to win the Farmers Insurance Open that included a 6 under closing nine, was bogey-free Saturday at Torrey Pines and added four more birdies for a 7-under 65 and the third-round lead at 12 under.

“Hopefully, I don't need to shoot 6 under [on Sunday]. Hopefully, I do shoot 6 under honestly and I don't have to stress down the stretch,” he laughed.

SAN DIEGO – Tyler McCumber figured he’d be nervous Saturday at the Farmers Insurance Open when he teed off with Tiger Woods in his group for the first time in his career. He didn’t count on being late.

“I think starting the day it didn't help that I was about four minutes late to the tee. Never done that, but it's a good time to start, right?” laughed McCumber, who wasn’t actually late for his tee time.

The PGA Tour rookie recovered and said after a few holes that it started feeling like a normal round only with thousands of fans lining every fairway.

“I feel like I tried to do as much preparation as I could beforehand, but there's no way to really prepare for that,” McCumber said. “I just sort of adjusted along the way, but it was a great experience. [Woods] made it really comfortable out there.”

McCumber didn’t show any signs of being nervous on his way to a 4-under 68, which was one stroke better than Woods’ 69 Saturday and moved the 28-year-old into a tie for seventh place at 8 under par.

The Melbourne Stars have been dealt another major blow on the eve of the BBL finals with legspinner Sandeep Lamichhane unavailable because of international duty while they also face a nervous wait on Haris Rauf's availability.

Lamichhane was believed to be available for the whole season, but he informed the Stars last week that he would not be around for the finals as he heads home to Nepal for a tri-nations ODI series with Oman and the USA which forms part of the qualification pathway for the 2023 50-over World Cup.

Rauf is currently playing for Pakistan in a three-match T20I series against Bangladesh in Pakistan which concludes on Monday and was expected to be back in Australia for the Stars' BBL qualifier on Friday at the MCG. He has missed the past four games of which the Stars have lost three. However, the Stars believe there is a chance Rauf could be held back in Pakistan to potentially play in the first Test which starts on February 7 in Rawalpindi although he was not named among the probables for that series.

The Stars will also be without opener Hilton Cartwright for the finals due to a broken finger. They won 10 of their first 11 matches of the tournament to guarantee a double chance at reaching the final but have lost three in a row including to the Brisbane Heat on Saturday.

The Stars were confident on Friday that Rauf would return but coach David Hussey conceded after the loss to the Heat that it is not guaranteed.

"He might get picked to play Test cricket [but it's] not confirmed as yet. We'd like him back," Hussey told reporters. "We'll see what happens there. We're still working behind the scenes.

"It's great that he started off his journey playing for the Melbourne Stars and now he's representing his country. I'm rapt for him, great person, and hopefully, we do get him back for the qualifier.

"Whatever he does, I hope he actually represents Pakistan for 100 Tests and 400 T20s and 150 one-day internationals. He's brought a different dynamic to our group, he's tried every game he's played, he fields his butt off and he's just fitted in the group perfectly."

Lamichhane's loss is an even bigger blow to the dynamic of the Stars attack. He took 1 for 16 from four overs against the Heat and the Stars have bowled more spin than any other team in the BBL. The Stars spinners have bowled 25 more overs and taken 20 more wickets than the Melbourne Renegades who are second on that list but Lamichhane's exit will force a rethink.

"I'm always a big believer that spin is going to your friend throughout the tournament," Hussey said. "It's a fantastic strategy that we have that we might have to rejig a little bit. I must admit I didn't deal with it too well when he told me he was leaving because he's a quality person, a quality player and a big part of our plans to go deep into the tournament.

"But when you get called up to international cricket, it should be celebrated. It was a couple of days of kicking cans about losing a great player but I'm pretty happy for him."

The Stars took a punt on unknown Pakistan quick Dilbar Hussain against the Heat and it backfired with the Lahore Qalandars development player conceding 56 runs from his four overs. But Hussey was prepared to stick with him and he will stay on as Lamichhane's replacement even if Rauf returns.

"It's his first time at the MCG in front of a decent crowd representing a new team, his English is not great, he's only arrived with the Stars in the last couple of days," Hussey said.

"Foreign conditions. I thought there was a lot to offer - 145kph away swingers, good slower ball, good fast bouncer, good control, good yorker. I think he's got a pretty good future in the game. I think he's going to ruffle a few feathers later on in the tournament."

ST. LOUIS -- Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak was surprised he won the NHL All-Star Game Most Valuable Player award, and the new Honda CRV that comes with it, because it came on a losing effort.

"Definitely surprised. I would expect the winner should win MVP, you know?" said Pastrnak, who had four goals and two assists in the two 3-on-3 tournament games at Saturday's All-Star event in St. Louis.

Pastrnak had a hat trick in the Atlantic's opening 9-5 victory over the Metropolitan, and then had a goal and an assist in a tightly played 5-4 championship game loss to the Pacific Division.

"The first shift of the game one against Metro, he back-checked all the way to the goal line. I was like, where was this all year?" said Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy, who coached the Atlantic All-stars. "Nah, he was good. He was chatting with the guys. He enjoyed the moment. They're all good guys."

The MVP voting was done online during that final game, with Pastrnak getting 36 percent of the votes from fans, followed by Calgary Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk (27 percent), Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (20 percent) and Ottawa Senators forward Anthony Duclair (17 percent).

When it was announced he won the MVP award, Pastrnak received some boos from the home crowd -- no doubt lingering feelings from the Blues' seven-game battle with the Bruins last postseason.

"If I was voted in by fans, I appreciate the love, you know?" said Pastrnak. "Probably wasn't any fans from the St. Louis building who voted, but for the fans that did, I appreciate the love."

The Bruins return to action on Jan. 31 at the Winnipeg Jets. Pastrnak has 70 points in 51 games this season, including a league-leading 37 goals.

SALT LAKE CITY -- Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert can count on Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle's vote for All-Star reserves.

"In my opinion, he is," Carlisle said of Gobert after the player's dominant's performance in the Jazz's 112-107 win over the Mavs on Saturday.

Gobert had 22 points on 8-of-8 shooting with 17 rebounds and five blocks, including a rejection of guard Delon Wright's driving layup attempt with 24.8 seconds remaining to essentially seal the game.

It's somewhat of a sensitive subject around the Jazz because Gobert, the two-time Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time All-NBA selection, took his snub last season so hard. He broke down in tears during a news conference the day after reserves were announced, recalling how hurt his mother was when she heard the news that Gobert was denied his first All-Star berth.

The Jazz also believe that any debate on the subject this season is ludicrous.

"To be honest, to me, it's one of those things that's just self-evident," said Jazz coach Quin Snyder, whose team has won 19 of its past 21 games to soar into second place in the Western Conference standings. "It's [about] the things that he does to help his team win."

Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell laughed when asked to make a case for Gobert.

"Man, did you watch the game?" Mitchell said. "That's him, on both ends. He's an All-Star, and I think nights like tonight show it."

Mitchell, who is averaging a team-high 24.7 points and 4.3 assists per game, is also a strong candidate to be a first-time All-Star.

"Are they All-Stars? Absolutely," Jazz forward Joe Ingles said. "Both of them are. Obviously, I'm biased, but it's clear to me. It's such an obvious thing. Our team isn't our team without those two. Our record [32-13] isn't our record without those two. They're the ones that open it up for everyone else."

Gobert is averaging 15.7 points per game while leading the league in field goal percentage (68.3%), ranking second in rebounds (14.5) and ranking sixth in blocks (2.0). He also ranks fifth in the league in raw plus-minus (plus-344), including the Jazz's outscoring opponents by 284 points with Gobert on the floor during their 19-2 run.

The Jazz outscore opponents by 11.5 points per 100 possessions with Gobert on the floor, compared with a minus-5.5 net rating when he rests.

Gobert continued his clutch dominance Saturday, when his tip-in with 1:02 remaining gave the Jazz the lead for good and his block on Wright preserved it. According to NBA.com's stats, Gobert has the league's best plus-minus (plus-73) in clutch situations, defined as the score being within five points in the final five minutes of regulation or overtime. He also leads the league in clutch field goal percentage (81.8%, minimum 10 attempts) and rebounds (41) and ranks second in clutch blocks (10).

Gobert's block on Wright's drive was an example of a key area of his game that has improved significantly, as it came in an isolation situation after the Mavs forced him to switch. The 7-foot-1 Gobert got dunked on Saturday by Kristaps Porzingis on an isolation, but he swatted Porzingis' layup on an isolation the next possession and also rejected Luka Doncic and Wright after one-on-one drives.

"He's probably going to be Defensive Player of the Year again," Carlisle said of Gobert, who won the honor the past two seasons. "He impacts the game massively at the defensive end. He doesn't just do it around the basket. He does it on the perimeter, too, on switches. He does a great job of spacing guys when they drive. We were able to score on a couple of drives on him, but the play he made on Wright's drive at the end of the game was an amazing play. Look, he's a great, great defensive player."

As Mitchell said, "Five blocks tonight against a team that has a popping big, being able to guard 1 through 5. Really ain't much else to say."

Gobert, who has a bonus clause in his contract that would award him $1 million for an All-Star selection, isn't interested in lobbying on his own behalf.

"I've decided to not even think about it like that," Gobert said. "I really decided to control what I can control. How can I help my team win every night? And how can I keep getting better? I think you [can] put too much energy in some things. People have different opinions on how different guys help a team. There's a lot of different factors that come into that. After what happened last year, when I really thought I was making it, I just try to focus on my team and try to get a championship."

PHILADELPHIA -- Years ago, it was LeBron James following Kobe Bryant by coming straight out of high school to the NBA, and Saturday, it was James passing Bryant for the No. 3 spot on the NBA's all-time scoring list.

James entered the Lakers' game against the 76ers on Saturday needing 18 points to eclipse Bryant's career total of 33,643 points. And though it was a grind, as Los Angeles struggled to create offense most of the night, James set the record with a running layup in the third quarter during the team's lone trip this season to the city in which Bryant was born, a 108-91 loss at the Wells Fargo Center.

Philadelphia was prepared for the pomp and circumstance, with a sold-out crowd in attendance -- and a national, prime-time-television audience -- to witness history as two star-laden teams from opposing conferences battled in late January. During a timeout after the layup, James was saluted with a standing ovation.

"I'm happy just to be in any conversation with Kobe Bryant," a reminiscent James said postgame. "One of the all-time greatest basketball players to ever play, one of the all-time greatest Lakers. The man got two jerseys hanging up in Staples Center. It's just crazy."

History or otherwise, the Sixers were motivated to defend not only James, but the entire Lakers arsenal. Philadelphia never relinquished the lead in the second half, as Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris combined for 57 points and 18 rebounds in the win. James and Los Angeles built up some momentum in the fourth quarter, but the Sixers eventually pulled away for good.

Continuing to move the game forward @KingJames. Much respect my brother ?? #33644

— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) January 26, 2020

James finished with 29 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds, and he gave the Philadelphia faithful one more lasting memory from the historical night with a breakaway, tomahawk slam dunk off a feed from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope at the 6:57 mark that forced a 76ers timeout. But he also had eight turnovers in the loss.

James inscribed his sneakers with "Mamba 4 Life" and "8/24 KB" in gold marker before the game, showing respect for the former Lakers great. It didn't stop there. All week, in the lead-up to the milestone, he was quick to laud Bryant.

"It's another guy that I looked up to when I was in grade school and high school," James said. "Seeing him come straight out of high school, he is someone that I used as inspiration. It was like, wow. Seeing a kid, 17 years old, come into the NBA and trying to make an impact on a franchise, I used it as motivation. He helped me before he even knew of me because of what he was able to do. So, just to be able to, at this point of my career, to share the same jersey that he wore, be with this historical franchise and just represent the purple and gold, it's very humbling, and it's dope.

.@KingJames wrote "Mamba 4 Life" on his shoes as he has a chance to pass @kobebryant for third on the all-time scoring list ? pic.twitter.com/9n6afaaXBR

— ESPN (@espn) January 26, 2020

"Kobe's a legend, that's for damn sure."

James said the feat is meaningful to him because of the elite basketball company it allows him to be mentioned among, but he doesn't take any further satisfaction being saluted specifically for his scoring.

"To be linked with the greats, that means a lot to me," James said Thursday. "Because I grew up idolizing Michael [Jordan] and idolizing Kobe, idolizing these guys, gaining inspiration from their craft, gaining inspiration from their stories, being a kid that I am from Akron, Ohio. So, that's huge. Anytime I'm linked with the greats or I'm able to do something in my career where I'm mentioned with any of the greats, it's a pretty cool thing.

"But as far as looking at the scoring, I don't know. That doesn't mean much to me. Just the overall point in my game is what means more to me. Me being an overall, all-around player. Being able to be successful on the floor and being able to contribute to the franchises that I've played for -- the three franchises that I've played for so far in my career."

James surpassed Bryant's scoring total in 104 fewer games.

James has topped Bryant in career scoring average (27.1 to 25.0), field goal percentage (50.4% to 44.7%) and 3-point percentage (34.3% to 32.9%), while Bryant edges James in free throw percentage (83.7% to 73.5%) and really separated himself in binge scoring.

James has more 30-plus-point games (459 to 431), but Bryant has more 40-plus-point games (122 to 64), 50-plus-point games (25 to 12) and 60-plus-point games (six to one, including Bryant's 81 points against the Toronto Raptors 14 years ago this week).

James was asked if he incorporated any aspects of Bryant's game into his own.

"No," he said. "I can't sit here and say that I did. Because we were just two totally different players. His willingness to do whatever it takes to win is something that you admired, and love his drive to get better and better every year, but as far as his game, we're different players. I'm more of a facilitator. He's a natural-born scorer. So, we would have worked well together, as you saw on the Olympic team."

James and Bryant teamed together for gold medals for Team USA in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012.

It's a purple-and-gold affair at the top of the scoring list. All of the top four scorers in NBA history donned a Lakers uniform at some point in their careers. The only players left with more career points than James are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387 points) at No. 1 and Karl Malone (36,928 points) at No. 2.

James has said in the past he didn't hold up his end of the bargain by lifting the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA Finals when Bryant was making his seemingly annual parade to the championship round with Pau Gasol.

While the Finals showdown never happened, the pair did face off 22 times in the regular season from 2004 to 2016, and James' teams owned the matchup, going 16-6, including wins in 10 of the final 11 times they played each other.

"When LeBron came to Los Angeles, he is now a Laker, he is part of our brotherhood, part of our fraternity, and we should embrace him that way," Bryant told the Los Angeles Times when asked about James' nearing his scoring mark. "You got to celebrate ... [and] appreciate what he is as an athlete while he is here.

"Appreciate this guy, celebrate what he's done, because it's truly remarkable."

LOS ANGELES -- A group of Los Angeles Dodgers fans is making plans to vent its frustration at the Houston Astros about baseball's sign-stealing scandal.

Houston and the Dodgers don't play each other during the upcoming regular season, so the group, known as Pantone 294, is snapping up tickets to the Los Angeles Angels' home opener against the Astros on April 3 in Anaheim, the Los Angeles Times reported. The group regularly organizes trips to support the Dodgers on the road.

"Spirits are great, man," utilityman Kike Hernandez said Saturday about the fans. "Positive vibes."

Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner joined several of his teammates in expressing frustration at the Astros for stealing signs during the 2017 season, when Houston beat them in seven games in the World Series.

"It sucks for the fans as well," Turner said during the team's annual FanFest at Dodger Stadium. "It sucks for a lot of people."

DENVER -- There was left-hander Kyle Freeland discussing his new, pause-free delivery. And there was shortstop Trevor Story hinting at agreeing to a $27.5 million, two-year deal that he really wasn't at liberty to discuss because it's not official yet.

But there was no Nolan Arenado. And there was no media availability with general manager Jeff Bridich, either, during the Colorado Rockies fan fest Saturday at Coors Field.

Manager Bud Black recently reached out to Arenado, who said this week he felt a level of "disrespect" from the front office in the wake of trade rumors and the team not being active in player acquisition this winter.

Black left a message.

Still, he fully believes that once the Rockies get to spring training, the situation will work itself out.

"Things are going to be fine," Black said. "Players, they stay united. ... It's a group of players that is pretty bonded, pretty united."

The notion that Arenado could be dealt began to bubble last month at the winter meetings in San Diego.

Black didn't pay the speculation any heed then -- or now. He said he hears those sorts of rumors "all the time."

"I've learned that if something is really close to happening, or really serious, somebody who's really in the know, sort of tells me," he said. "That never really happened."

Freeland's view of the Arenado situation is this -- focus on the mound.

"Everything that's going on with that, it's between him and Jeff," the Denver native said. "Nolan's the kind of guy that no matter what the situation is, he's going to show up on time ready to play every single day."

Freeland is looking to bounce back following a season where he went 3-11 with a 6.73 ERA and included a stint in the minor leagues to work on his mechanics. This after finishing fourth in the NL Cy Young Award voting in 2018.

He overhauled his delivery and eliminated the pause.

"Back to a more natural, old-fashioned type of delivery," Freeland explained. "It's more of one fluid motion to allow myself to repeat my mechanics easier and more often."

On hand for fan fest was All-Star outfielder David Dahl, who's hoping to rebound from another season interrupted by injuries. He missed time in '19 with an abdominal strain and then a high right ankle sprain.

"It's been freakish injuries," he said. "I'm hoping it's all behind me."

Dahl downplayed the Arenado situation and how the team is dealing with it.

"I love Nolan," he said. "I can't really speak for Nolan right now. Right now, my focus is getting ready for the season and helping the team however I can."

As for Story, he showed up to the park on the heels of a financially lucrative new deal -- one that's still waiting for the ink to dry. The All-Star shortstop had 35 home runs and 23 stolen bases last season. He also set career highs in runs (111), batting average (.294) and on-base percentage (.363).

For this upcoming season, among his goals are to steal more bases and be more of a vocal leader.

"Leading by example is more natural for me," the 27-year-old Story said. "But I think it's a total evolution of me trying to be the player I want to be."

The Rockies tumbled to 71-91 last season under weighty expectations after making the postseason in 2017 and '18.

Since the season ended, they've made no splashy free-agent pickups. They're sticking with a similar core.

Any message to the fans?

"We feel good about us and feel the fans should, too," Story said.

Asked if he was worried about the rift between Arenado and the front office spilling into spring training or even affecting the team, Story responded: "Whatever happens, we'll do a good job of handling it. ... We're just worried about our clubhouse and trying to win games. We're all pros here, and we'll continue that way."

Right-handed reliever Brandon Kintzler has agreed to a one-year, $3 million deal with the Miami Marlins, according to a source familiar with the situation.

The deal includes a $4 million option for 2021 or a $250,000 buyout, a source said.

Kintzler, 35, is coming off one of the best years of his career, compiling a 2.68 ERA and 1.018 WHIP with the Chicago Cubs. The former All-Star closer with the Minnesota Twins could regain his ninth-inning role with the Marlins, who feature a young team.

Kintzler could also thrive in the new three-batter-minimum era, since he held lefties to a .163 batting average last season. He's a former 40th-round draft pick of the New York Yankees, and he has played 10 seasons. The Marlins will be Kintzler's fifth team.

The contract increases to a $500,000 buyout if he's traded this year or a $5 million option for 2021.