CHICAGO -- A viral video clip of Zach LaVine from Tuesday night has emerged from the Chicago Bulls' 124-122 nail-biting loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder that the star guard would like to clarify.

LaVine is spotted on camera mouthing, "I have f---ing 40 points" to someone on the sideline, before drilling a deep 3-pointer from the Bulls logo.

Based on previous encounters, many assumed that LaVine was yelling at Bulls coach Jim Boylen, but he says that wasn't the case.

"You get into the heat of the battle and between players when you guys are talking, you talk smack sometimes, right? And that's all it was," LaVine told ESPN, after finishing with 41 points.

"We were still down. Dude was talking a little mess to me and I just let him know, 'Look, I've got 40, I don't know why you're talking to me,'" he added. "I don't know why they said they thought I was talking to Jim, but it was just people being competitive in the game talking."

It was LaVine's sixth 40-point game of the season. The only Bulls player with more in a season was Michael Jordan, who posted at least seven in 11 seasons, per ESPN Stats & Information research. Despite the Bulls' 20-39 record, LaVine is averaging a career-best 25.5 points per game, which he feels has heightened his media attention.

"I've got to do a better job," LaVine said. "The cameras have been following me lately, so people are going to make their own assumptions on what's going on between me and Jim or me and the team, but our relationship is fine. I'm a competitive and fiery guy on the court, so that's pretty much what happened."

LaVine and Boylen have clashed on previous occasions, though. During Boylen's early tenure as interim coach last year, they disagreed on practices, then again this season about late-game timeouts in blowouts.

That also became evident earlier this season during a home loss to the Miami Heat. After falling behind 13-0 in the opening quarter, Boylen singled out the Bulls' best player by benching him for what he described at the time as "three egregious defensive mistakes." Behind closed doors, Boylen says he was pushing LaVine to stay engaged in games at all times.

"My goal for Zach at that time was to become a more efficient player -- a two-way player. I asked him to shoot less contested 2s, get to the free throw line and shoot more of his 3s," Boylen told ESPN. "And be a two-way player and a winning, productive player, an elite scorer and [an] All-Star."

With that history, LaVine understands how things can be taken the wrong way. However, he gets upset when inaccurate news is shared instead of his highlights or in-game plays.

"That stuff sells with what's happened before," LaVine said. "Between a player and coach, I don't think anybody should ever think it's going to be buddy-buddy or best friends. You have mutual respect and obviously, when you have two competitive people out there, they just want the best, you want to win, and we haven't been in a winning situation yet, so I think people get frustrated, but at the end of the day, me and Jim talked.

"We have player-coach meetings and we're in a good place right now. It's unfortunate that it got misconstrued, but it was just between two players out there just having fun with the game."

Former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL quarterback Tim Tebow, who is in the New York Mets minor league system, will play for the Philippines in next month's World Baseball Classic qualifiers.

Tebow's parents were missionaries in the Philippines when Tebow was born in 1987.

The Philippines are in Pool 2 of the WBC along with the Czech Republic, Great Britain, New Zealand and Panama. The top two teams will advance to next year's World Baseball Classic. The qualifying games will be held in Tucson, Arizona.

Tebow, who is also a college football analyst for the SEC Network, batted .163 with four home runs and 19 RBIs last season for Triple-A Syracuse. He struck out 98 times in 77 games.

The United States, which won the last WBC in 2017, is an automatic qualifier for the tournament.

TAMPA, Fla. -- Oft-injured New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton will likely miss Opening Day because of a strained right calf.

Manager Aaron Boone said Stanton was injured near the end of defensive drills on Tuesday. An MRI found a Grade 1 strain.

"It will probably put us against it a little bit," Boone said Wednesday. "I would say it's time for him to get back, but then getting built up and stuff. We'll see."

This was the second straight day New York announced an injury to one of its stars. Pitcher Luis Severino needs Tommy John surgery and will miss the entire season, the team said Tuesday.

The AL East champion Yankees open on March 26 at Baltimore.

Stanton played in just 18 games last season due to a number of injuries, batting .288 with three homers in 59 at-bats. He hit 38 homers in his first year with the Yankees in 2018, one year after going deep a career-high 59 times in 2017 with the Miami Marlins.

The outfielder/designated hitter signed a $325 million, 13-year contract after the 2014 season.

"It's disappointing because you want to get guys going and built up," Boone said. "But it's just a little bump in the road and we're equipped to handle it.''

IRVINE, Calif. – Led by four-time MotoAmerica Superbike champion Cameron Beaubier, the MotoAmerica Series season entries in the premier Superbike class have grown to 19 for the upcoming racing season.

“It’s great to see the entries for the MotoAmerica Superbike class grow,” said MotoAmerica President Wayne Rainey. “It’s also good to see a lot of the Stock 1000 guys are stepping up into the Superbike class. For 2020, with the help of Dunlop, we’ve created an incentive program to get the Stock 1000 riders to also participate in the Superbike events. It’s awesome to see how many have taken advantage of this opportunity. I think they will surprise themselves with how competitive they can be and it’s going to make them all better racers. We also have five manufacturers represented in the Superbike class and riders from six different countries entered. We’re ready to get this season started. It’s going to be a good one.”

Beaubier will carry the No. 1 plate on his Monster Energy Attack Performance Yamaha as he aims for his fifth title in six years, but there are plenty who hope to challenge the Californian when the 10-round series commences, April 3-5, at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, including his new teammate Jake Gagne.

Also at the top of that list is Toni Elias, the only person other than Beaubier to take a Superbike crown in the past five years. Elias, the 2017 Superbike Champion, will again run the familiar No. 24, but this year it will be on an M4 ECSTAR Suzuki. Elias will be joined on the M4 ECSTAR team by 2019 MotoAmerica Supersport champion Bobby Fong.

Elias’ former Yoshimura Suzuki teammate Josh Herrin will be on the Superbike grid again, but he’ll do so on a Scheibe Racing BMW S 1000 RR. Herrin will be on one of three BMWs in the MotoAmerica Superbike class. The other two belong to Brazil’s Danilo Lewis and Travis Wyman Racing’s Travis Wyman.

KWR’s Kyle Wyman won’t be the only Ducati Panigale V4 R in the Superbike class in 2020 as Celtic HSBK Racing will field P.J. Jacobsen, who finished second to Fong in the 2019 Supersport title chase. He will be making his MotoAmerica Superbike debut in 2020, though he has World Superbike experience.

Wyman, meanwhile, will come better prepared than he was in his debut season with the Ducati as he has had a complete offseason under his belt to work with the bike. Wyman will also be physically stronger after off-season neck surgery has him pain free for the first time in a long while.

Westby Racing is another team that returns to the series with the same tried and true package and rider in Mathew Scholtz and the team’s always-developing Yamaha YZF-R1. Scholtz finished sixth in the 2019 title chase, with five Superbike podiums.

FLY Racing will return to the MotoAmerica Superbike class in 2020 with three riders in the David Anthony owned team. Anthony, who rode a Kawasaki last year, will campaign a Suzuki GSX-R1000; Sam Verderico will be aboard his trusty R1; and Brit Bradley Ward will fly the Kawasaki colors in the FLY Racing team with his ZX-10R.

Another rider changing bikes and teams is Cameron Petersen, the South African moving to the Altus Motorsports team to campaign a Suzuki GSX-R1000. MotoAmerica Superbike regular Max Flinders, meanwhile, will be back on his signature all-yellow Trashed Bike Racing Yamaha YZF-R1.

Young Ashton Yates continues to rapidly rise through the ranks of MotoAmerica and will make his Superbike debut on a Yates Racing Honda CBR1000RR, the only Honda in the field thus far. Jeffrey Purk, meanwhile, will also make the move to the Superbike class after finishing 11th in last year’s Stock 1000 class.

Stock 1000 front runner Corey Alexander will be another making his Superbike debut in the coming season, the New Yorker racing a Kawasaki ZX-10R for the Ride HVMC Racing team.

Another set to make his MotoAmerica Superbike Series debut in 2020 will be Steven Shakespeare, the Brit set to campaign a Yamaha YZF-R1 for the Monkey Moto AGVSPORT team.

FORT WORTH, Texas – Genesys, a global leader in cloud customer experience and contact center solutions, has inked a multi-year agreement with Texas Motor Speedway.

The company will serve as the title sponsor of the NTT IndyCar Series race dubbed the Genesys 600.

Genesys announced in January a sponsorship program with Canadian IndyCar Series driver James Hinchcliffe for the month of May in Indianapolis. Genesys will also serve as Hinchcliffe’s primary sponsor at Texas Motor Speedway.

“We share a passion with IndyCar and Texas Motor Speedway for delivering great experiences, so naming this iconic event the Genesys 600 is a natural fit,” said Tony Bates, chief executive officer of Genesys. “That coupled with the fact that Texas is home to a large concentration of Genesys customers and employees, gives us a great opportunity to play host to both IndyCar fans and James. We’re honored to be part of this exciting race under the lights at Texas Motor Speedway.”

The June 6 Genesys 600 marks the 33rd race and 24th consecutive year that IndyCar has competed on the 1.5-mile tri-oval since the first race in the track’s inaugural season in 1997.

“I am pumped to see Genesys as the title sponsor of the Genesys 600 race here at the Texas Motor Speedway. This is a world-class company that is laser-focused on building their brand around myself, Andretti Autosport and IndyCar racing,” said Hinchcliffe. “Adding this to their program further solidifies their dedication to moving as fast as the race pace here at the track. It’s really exciting to see.”

Genesys helps organizations around the globe deliver the best customer and employee experiences. The company’s technology powered by the cloud and artificial intelligence connects more than 70 billion customer moments each year across voice, text, messaging apps, web chat and social media.

“We were thrilled to announce Genesys as part of the Andretti Autosport family last week, and now happy to congratulate them on the Genesys 600,” said Michael Andretti, chairman and chief executive officer of Andretti Autosport. “We are proud to have a partner that not only sees the value in the team, but in the race events and series as a whole. I can’t wait to get our six cars to Texas Motor Speedway and hopefully come home with some winners’ cowboy hats.”

“Racing is all about speed, accuracy and a relentless determination to be the best, which are all characteristics of how Genesys has approached its introduction into the world of motorsports,” said Eddie Gossage, President and General Manager of Texas Motor Speedway. “Texas Motor Speedway prides itself on aligning with industry leaders and the energy and sense of cooperation Genesys brings to this partnership is a strong indicator of great things ahead.”

In his first public comments since suffering a cardiac episode during a game earlier this month, St. Louis Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester said he still needs to evaluate his hockey future, but that he now feels "pretty normal, and that is a good thing."

St. Louis general manager Doug Armstrong said that Bouwmeester will not play in the rest of the regular season or in the playoffs for the Blues, but will be around the team. Bouwmeester, 36, becomes an unrestricted free agent after the season. Armstrong said he will continue talks with the defenseman over the summer.

"The outreach and support people have shown has been pretty overwhelming," Bouwmeester said in a press conference on Wednesday. "Where this took place and the people that were around at the time, as well as my dad being there on the trip, there were a lot of things that were absolute best case scenario."

The Blues were hosting their annual Dad's Trip in Anaheim on Feb. 11 when Bouwmeester collapsed on the bench in a game against the Ducks. The rest of the game was postponed. Doctors used a defibrillator to revive Bouwmeester at the Honda Center before he was transported to the hospital. Bouwmeester underwent an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator procedure, which helps restore the heart's normal rhythm.

"It all just came pretty suddenly," Bouwmeester said. "Everything up to that point was normal. I hadn't been sick, or had much going on. It was completely out of the blue."

Bouwmeester said he regained consciousness by the time he got to the ambulance.

"I didn't know what had happened," Bouwmeester said. "But I could talk and knew what was going on by that time."

Bouwmeester has not watched video of the incident, and said being in the hospital was nice because he was in his "own little bubble." He said doctors are still trying to "pin down" exactly what happened.

"It was a scary thing," Bouwmeester said. "But everything has been going pretty good lately."

Bouwmeester said he has some restrictions, but has been told by doctors he can "still live a pretty normal life."

The NHL has a lengthy list of emergency medical standards, including a requirement that at least two doctors must be in attendance for every game, and one must be within 50 feet of the bench. A defibrillator must also be available, as well as a triage room and ambulances on call.

In his 17th NHL season, Bouwmeester ranks second among active defensemen with 1,241 career games played -- trailing only Zdeno Chara (1,541) -- and is fourth among all active players, behind Patrick Marleau (1,709) and Joe Thornton (1,622), as well as Chara.

Bouwmeester, a first-round pick of the Florida Panthers, held one of the longest ironman streaks in NHL history with 737 consecutive regular-season games played until a lower-body injury in 2014. He missed time in 2015-16 with a concussion, and a hip injury ended his 2017-18 season. He played all but four games last season, though, and hasn't missed a game this season.

In April 2019, the Blues signed Bouwmeester to a one-year, $3.25 million deal for this season.

The reigning Stanley Cup champion Blues are in first place in the Central Division heading into the final quarter of the season.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Peter Laviolette is returning to the bench after being selected as the coach of the United States men's national team competing at the world hockey championships in May.

The move was announced by USA Hockey on Wednesday, and comes seven weeks after Laviolette was fired by the Nashville Predators.

Laviolette ranks 16th in NHL wins with 637 covering four teams over 18 seasons, including the 2006 Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes. He also coached the New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers.

From Massachusetts, the 55-year-old Laviolette also has extensive experience representing the U.S. as a coach and player on the international stage.

The tournament being held in Switzerland will mark the fourth time Laviolette has coached the U.S. at the world championships, and the first since 2014, when the Americans lost to Czech Republic in the quarterfinals in Belarus. He was also U.S. coach in 2004, when the team won a bronze medal, and '05.

Laviolette also coached the national team to an eighth-place finish at the 2006 Olympics.

As a player, Laviolette was a two-time Olympian in representing the U.S. in 1988 and 1994, when he served as team captain.

"Peter is a terrific coach and someone who has had success wherever he's been," said USA Hockey's John Vanbiesbrouck. "We're thrilled to have him back as head coach of our men's national team."

Team USA's roster will begin being stocked once the NHL's regular season concludes during the first weekend in April. The Americans have been limited to winning just six bronze medals since a silver-medal finish in 1950.

The world championships are scheduled to run from May 8-24.

The USGA released Wednesday the 25 qualifying sites for the 2020 U.S. Women's Open.

The 36-hole qualifiers will be held between April 21 and May 14. Of the 25 sites, 21 will be played in the U.S., while England, China, Japan and South Korea will also host qualifiers.

As of now, the three Asian qualifiers remain on schedule despite ongoing concerns about the coronavirus. The host courses and dates for those events are: Dream Park Country Club, Incheon, Korea (April 23); Ohtone Country Club, Ibaraki Pref., Japan (April 27); Shanghai Lake Malaren Golf Club, Shanghai, China (April 29).

“The USGA is actively monitoring the situation in China as it pertains to the coronavirus to ensure the health and safety of our competitors and officials," said Julia Pine, USGA's senior manager of Women's Championship Communications. "Any changes to the qualifying schedule will be communicated as soon as possible."

The U.S. Women's Open will take place June 4-7 at Champions Golf Club in Houston, Texas.

Here's the complete qualifying schedule:

Tuesday, April 21

Meridian Valley Country Club, Kent, Wash.

Thursday, April 23

Dream Park Country Club, Incheon, Korea

Canyon Creek Country Club, Richardson, Texas

Monday, April 27

Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon, Beaumont, Calif.

North Ridge Country Club, Fair Oaks, Calif.

Foxhills C.C. & Resort (Longcross Course), Chertsey, England

Village Links of Glen Ellyn (Ill.)

Ohtone Country Club, Ibaraki Pref., Japan

Tuesday, April 28

The Clubs at Houston Oaks, Hockley, Texas

Wednesday, April 29

Shanghai Lake Malaren Golf Club, Shanghai, China

Friday, May 1

Sugar Mill Country Club, New Smyrna Beach, Fla.

Monday, May 4

Marin Country Club, Novato, Calif.

Riverdale Dunes Golf Course, Brighton, Colo.

Bradenton (Fla.) Country Club

The Falls Club of The Palm Beaches, Lake Worth, Fla.

Dunwoody (Ga.) Country Club

Oahu Country Club, Honolulu, Hawaii

North Oaks (Minn.) Golf Club

Spring Lake (N.J.) Golf Club

Tuesday, May 5

Gaston Country Club, Gastonia, N.C.

Shannopin Country Club, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Wednesday, May 6

Soule Park Golf Club, Ojai, Calif.

Dedham (Mass.) Country & Polo Club

Tuesday, May 12

Belle Haven Country Club, Alexandria, Va.

Thursday, May 14

Briarwood Country Club, Phoenix, Ariz.

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – Viktor Hovland has enjoyed hearing a lot of congratulations since breaking through to win his first PGA Tour title at the Puerto Rico Open on Sunday, but he took particular delight hearing it from European Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington.

They crossed paths arriving at this week’s Honda Classic.

“That was great,” Hovland said. “Hopefully, I can just keep playing well and kind of make more of my mark, that maybe I have a chance to be on the team.”

Hovland, the 22-year-old rookie from Norway, is highly motivated to make the European team that will meet the Americans at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin Sept. 25-27.

“I have been looking at the Ryder Cup as something that I want to play in for a really long time,” he said.

Hovland is now 20th on Europe’s world rankings points list. The top five will make the team when qualifying ends at the conclusion of the BMW PGA Championship on Sept. 13. His victory gets him into The Players Championship in two weeks and the PGA Championship in May. He’s also in good position to qualify for the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play at the end of March. The top 64 the week before the match-play event qualify.

Those all give Hovland better chances to stack up the points he needs to make the European team.

If Hovland doesn’t end up making the team on points, the WGC-Dell Technologies gives him a great chance to impress Harrington with his match-play skills. Harrington will make three captain’s picks after five of his rosters spots are filled off the world rankings and four off the European Tour points list.

“I'm really a big fan of match play, and I would say I've played some of my best golf in matches,” said Hovland, the 2018 U.S. Amateur champ. “So, hopefully, I can get in there and do well.”