HUMBLE, Texas – Austin Cook and Talor Gooch shot 8-under-par 64s Thursday to take the lead after the first round of the Houston Open.

Cook, who tied for 11th as a Monday qualifier in 2015 when the tournament was played the week before the Masters - its calendar slot until 2018 - shot a career-best 29 on the front side. The 28-year-old golfer from Arkansas returned to the clubhouse having hit every one of the 18 greens in regulation, another career first.

"It's definitely nice to get out and have a great round in the first round," Cook said, before expressing frustration with his recent missed cuts lately because of "iffy ball-striking" on his part and far too many low scores around him. "A few of (the missed cuts) were by one shot. Last week (the cut in Las Vegas) went to 5-under. I wasn't expecting that."

The PGA Tour returned to the Houston area after an 18-month hiatus without much star power - the highest-ranked player in the field for the season's fifth fall start was Sweden's Henrik Stenson at No. 37 - but plenty of good play. There were 13 players under par by at least five shots.

Gooch matched Cook stroke for stroke and tied the low round of his career with a career-best 10 birdies, and he also saved one of his pars with a career-long putt of more than 63 feet.

"Any time you have double-digit birdies you're doing something right," Gooch said. "I drove it well, got the ball in the fairway, hit a lot of good iron shots and was able to make a few putts. It was a fun day."

Cook and Gooch hold a one-stroke lead over Sepp Straka. The 26-year-old Austrian's 65 included a run of four successive birdies after he turned the corner.

"The putter was hot today and I was able to hit some irons shots in there close," Straka said. "I'm really pleased."

Especially because, like Cook, he'd missed three cuts in a row before seeking redemption in Houston.

Russell Henley, Lanto Griffin and Tyler McCumber are lurking after 6-under 66s, and the five-man group at 67 includes 20-year-old Houstonian Cole Hammer, the second-ranked amateur in the world. The University of Texas sophomore couldn't have made his regular PGA Tour debut more memorable, becoming one of just nine amateurs to birdie at least eight holes in a round on tour since 1996. Only Ty Tryon has managed more, making nine in the 2001 B.C. Open.

A U.S. Open qualifier in 2015 when he was only 15, Hammer had insisted Wednesday he wouldn't be the least bit intimidated squaring off against the pros on the course he has played many times, going back to the age of 10. After starting on the back nine, he double-bogeyed No. 11, a gaffe he called ''unnerving.'' But Hammer rebounded with a birdie and later finished the back side with three in succession. After another birdie followed on No. 2, a bogey on the next hole would his only front-nine hiccup.

Also in at 67 was Braden Bailey, a collegian playing for Baylor as recently as last spring who like Hammer, received a sponsor's exemption and is making his PGA Tour debut. He eagled the second hole.

Zhang Xinjun of China was the only afternoon starter to shoot at least 5-under with conditions becoming breezier because of an approaching cold front that will drop temperatures dramatically for Friday's second round.

As for Stenson, a two-time runner-up here, he has eight strokes to make up and is in danger of missing the cut after his par 72. Collectively, the 13 players in at 67 or better have won only 10 PGA Tour titles, and half of those belong to Nick Watney, who last claimed one in 2012.

Gooch downplayed the lack of star power on the grounds, which hadn't been visited by the touring pros since March 2018.

"That's just a talking point (for the media)," he said. "There are still some of the best players in the world here. You can't just go and shoot a couple rounds in the 60s and think you're going to win this thing."

Cricket Australia has launched a parental leave policy, which guarantees players who become pregnant 12 months of paid leave along with three weeks for partners and other support including additional funding for tours.

CA and the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) have been working on the policy for two years and it came into action earlier this year. Alongside 12 months of parental leave, players who fall pregnant will be guaranteed a contract extension for the following year. Other points include:

• Players who have a partner who gives birth will be entitled to three weeks paid leave upon the birth or adoption of a child

• At any time after giving birth, the player can return to the game subject to medical clearance

• Travel support for players who are primary carers including flights, accommodation and other applicable travel expenses for the child and a carer will be available until the child is four years of age.

"Were a woman cricketer to become pregnant, it typically signalled the end of their career," Alistair Nicholson, the chief executive of the ACA, said. "The travesty of this is that so many great athletes have not been given the chance to reach their true potential, denying the rest of us the opportunity to enjoy and admire their talent."

A key figure in bringing the policy together was former Australia player Clea Smith who is now general manager of member programs at the ACA.

A long time in the making but well worth it to achieve world-leading outcomes for players and their families. Congratulations to @CricketAus & @ACA_Players for collaborating on this. https://t.co/v3RJHnedTw

— Rachael Haynes (@RachaelHaynes) October 11, 2019

"This policy is the combination of three years of collaboration within Australian Cricket, the ACA and the players, and we're delighted with the outcome," she said. "This is a world-leading, player-centred policy providing balance in the lives of all players. The policy is designed to keep female players in the game for longer which will have a positive impact at all levels of the game."

Sarah Elliott, who scored a Test century against England in 2013 at the time she was breastfeeding her first child, was also consulted about the policy.

"Probably the bit that jumps out is the support afterwards," she told the ABC. "It takes out that stress of who's going to pay for flights, accommodation, transport and logistics. I felt like I was always causing trouble, kind of like a squeaky wheel and that everyone was tippy-toeing around me.

"It was an uncomfortable space, whereas now that policy really lays it out clearly. The players and coaching staff know exactly what they can expect and everything is laid out."

There was controversy in 2016 when it was revealed that Cricket Australia asked female players to declare if they were pregnant when signing central contracts.

Earlier this year New Zealand captain Amy Satterthwaite announced she was pregnant and would be taking time away from the game. Under NZC's policies she will retain her central contract.

After a tortuous Ashes, David Warner marked his first innings of the Australia summer with an impressive century against Queensland at the Gabba.

Warner made just 95 runs in 10 innings against England and passed that mark with a handsome drive off Mark Steketee shortly before reaching his hundred from 179 deliveries by tucking a delivery off his hip through square leg. He removed his helmet, raised his bat to the dressing room and brought out a little leap of celebration.

Earlier this week national selector Trevor Hohns had stopped short of saying Warner's position in the Test was secure regardless of early-season form, but if there was any doubt whether he would be back at the Gabba next month for the first Test against Pakistan this innings has ended that debate.

He had done well to survive the previous evening against some demanding bowling and continued to have to fight hard on the second morning. He wasn't always secure - Gannon, who removed Smith for a duck the previous day gave him a working over from round the wicket with one edge falling just short of third slip - but Warner drove and cut strongly when the chance was offered.

When he brought up three figures he had scored almost two-thirds of New South Wales' runs in a match that had been dominated by the bowlers in the early stages.

South Australia 2 for 102 (Hunt 62*, Tremain 1-9) trail Victoria 6 for 616 dec (Maddinson 224, Pucovski 123, Harris 116) by 514 runs

Victoria's top three batsmen posted centuries as they piled up a huge first innings score to take complete command on day two against South Australia at the Junction Oval.

Nic Maddinson reached his maiden first-class double-century and Will Pucovski posted his fourth Sheffield Shield century as Victoria made the highest score by any Shield team since 2015 before declaring in the middle session. It was also just the 12th time in Shield history that the top three batsmen made centuries in the same innings after Marcus Harris posted 116 on day one.

South Australia debutant Henry Hunt and skipper Travis Head had to weather an unrelenting Victorian attack in the afternoon after Jake Weatherald and Jake Lehmann both fell cheaply. Hunt reached his maiden Shield half-century and remained unbeaten on 62 to avoid further damage before stumps.

Maddinson, who began day two on 195, had to wait until the sixth over of the day to find the fifth run needed for his maiden first-class double-century. He cruised to 224 and Victoria reached 1 for 413 before Maddinson finally fell edging an attempted cut off Kane Richardson.

Peter Handscomb came in and made a brisk 30 before skying one straight up trying to hit Tom Andrews against the spin over long-on.

Pucovski went about his business calmly and despite getting bogged in the nineties, and nearly running out Aaron Finch for a duck, he eventually sneaked to his fourth century in just 20 Shield innings.

"It was a good test early," Pucovski said after play. "Obviously, I was quite slow at the start so to sort of mentally get through that and not get frustrated and stick to my process and obviously come out with a positive outcome, in the end, was a big positive.

"Starting (on that pitch) is quite tough. It's quite slow and it's hard to score freely if you bowl in the right spots and get it reversing a bit. It's just a patience thing."

Finch then cut loose after lunch as Victoria pressed for a declaration. He smashed six fours and four sixes to reach 57 in just 44 balls before falling caught and bowled to Andrews. But he suffered back spasms during his innings and was unable to field for the remainder of the day as a precaution.

Pucovski ran himself out for 123 taking on Weatherald at mid-off. But Glenn Maxwell picked up from where Finch left off clubbing four fours and two sixes in a 30-ball 43 to allow Victoria to declare 30 minutes before tea on 6 for 616. It was the first time any Shield side had passed 600 since February 2017 and the highest score since Western Australia made 633 against South Australia in 2015.

The Redbacks' response started disastrously. After spending 150 overs in the field, Weatherald nicked the first ball of the innings from James Pattinson to Maxwell in the gully. The visitors should have been 2 for 0, but Handscomb dropped Jake Lehmann at second slip off Pattinson in the third over. The Victorian quick bowled two hostile spells down breeze either side of tea.

Lehmann battled to 8 off 40 balls before he was caught behind off the inside edge attempting to drive Chris Tremain. Hunt batted beautifully and looked unflustered against the high-quality attack. His defence was sound and his hands soft as he batted comfortably through the last two-and-a-half hours of the day.

Head was fortunate that a leading-edge ballooned safely over Scott Boland's head before he had scored. He had to curb his free-flowing instincts as Victoria stacked his preferred scoring region square on the off-side. But he reached stumps unbeaten on 27 from 80 balls.

Anil Kumble has been appointed as the head coach of Kings XI Punjab in the IPL from the upcoming season, while also being put in charge of "all cricket-related affairs" of the team for the foreseeable future, co-owner of the franchise Mohit Burman has confirmed. The appointment makes Kumble the only Indian coach in the IPL.

Burman also informed ESPNcricinfo that Kumble would make a presentation to the team management on his plans for the road ahead on October 19. On the same day, an update on R Ashwin's future with the team is also expected.

As ESPNcricinfo had reported on September 3, there were talks between the franchise and Delhi Capitals for Ashwin, Kings XI's captain for the last two IPL seasons, to be traded out. Burman said that the final call on that would be taken by Kumble, who recently lavished praise on the offspinner in an interview with Cricketnext.com, saying, "he is still the best spinner that you have."

Kings XI were coached by Mike Hesson, the former New Zealand men's coach, last season, and Kumble's appointment makes it five coaches in five seasons for the team. Sanjay Bangar was in charge between 2014 and 2016 before Virender Sehwag, who was already their mentor, became head of cricket operations in 2017, followed by Brad Hodge and Hesson taking over as head coach in 2018 and 2019, respectively.

The results, however, didn't change dramatically even as the support staff did, with the team finishing bottom of the eight-team table in 2015 and 2016, before improving somewhat to end at fifth, seventh and sixth in the last three seasons. In 2014, they were the table-toppers but lost the final to Kolkata Knight Riders, which was their only appearance in the final four after the inaugural season in 2008, when they made the semi-finals.

As for Kumble, who served as head coach of the India men's team between 2016 and 2017, Kings XI will be the third IPL team he will be involved with. He started out as a player - and later captain - with Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2008. He was then appointed as a mentor by the same team, before joining Mumbai Indians in a similar role in 2013. He left the position in 2015 and subsequently took up the job with the India team, which he stepped down from after the 2017 Champions Trophy, calling his relationship with captain Virat Kohli "untenable".

Kumble was also one of the members on the inaugural Euro T20 Slam's advisory committee, but the league was cancelled two weeks before its scheduled start in August because of financial issues.

Each of the seven Bangladesh Premier League teams for the upcoming season of the T20 tournament must have an overseas quick bowler who bowls above 140kph and a legspinner, who has to bowl four overs in each game, the Bangladesh Cricket Board director Mahbubul Anam has announced.

But he didn't provide any clarity on how much the domestic cricketers would be paid. Khaled Mahmud, another BCB director, had recently said that the board, which has taken over the running of the BPL from the franchises, would try to match what the players receive as match fees for T20Is, but there has been no official confirmation of that. It's important to remember that if a top domestic player takes part in all the BPL matches, the amount he makes will still be well short of what he would have made in the BPL previously.

"The players shouldn't be worried about money," Anam said. "We are holding this tournament by keeping them in mind. Salary isn't very important, but it will definitely be respectable."

Each team must also have an overseas coach, physiotherapist and trainer, while local coaches can only work as assistants to the head coaches. Anam also said that each team must appoint a BCB director as the team director.

ESPNcricinfo understands that the order about the 140kph quick bowler and legspinner has come from the Bangladesh team management, which, Anam said, has been concerned about the side's ability against the two kinds of bowlers when playing internationally.

"BCB wants this BPL to be about improving Bangladesh's cricketers in T20s, so we want to make sure that our batsmen and bowlers get enough opportunities [against quicks and legspinners], something that was not possible when it was a franchise-based BPL," Anam said.

The BCB has reportedly received 390-plus registrations from players to be included in the draft, and there have also been requests put in by several coaches. With the BCB stipulating a sponsor for each team, they can bring overseas players from outside the draft too. Paying foreigners high salaries, however, might not sit well with domestic players, especially as the BCB's message for the 2019-20 BPL is to be fully focused on the local talent.

As reported by ESPNcricinfo, the next edition of the BPL will not be a franchise-run affair and, instead, be owned by the BCB following a clash between the board and six of the seven existing team owners, Dhaka Dynamites the only exception.

WASHINGTON -- Elena Delle Donne felt cursed. Every time she made it to the game's biggest stage, she was hindered by injuries.

This time around, it was three herniated disks in her back. The league's MVP wouldn't let that keep her from her first WNBA championship.

Emma Meesseman scored 22 points and Delle Donne added 21 to help the Washington Mystics beat the Connecticut Sun 89-78 on Thursday night in the winner-take-all Game 5 of the Finals at Entertainment and Sports Arena.

"Every time I get [to] the Finals, something happens," Delle Donne said. "I think I pissed the basketball gods off when I decided to step away [in college]. I hope this ends the drama that I'm having in the Finals."

It was the first title in franchise history.

"It feels phenomenal, my goodness, feels so good. Hard to put it into words," said Delle Donne, who fell short in two previous Finals appearances. "To win it with such a great group of people. We wanted to win it for the person next to us. We'll remember this season. I'm kind of sad the season's about to be over. My goodness, we sure ended this on a high note."

It was a fitting conclusion to an entertaining series and WNBA season. This was the seventh Finals series in league history to go to a deciding Game 5, and the home team has won five of them.

Delle Donne scored four points during a decisive 8-0 run that gave the Mystics an 80-72 lead with under three minutes left. But it was the soft-spoken Meesseman, who unveiled a new, aggressive "Playoff Emma" persona during the title run, who was named MVP of the Finals.

Meesseman missed last season while playing with the Belgian national team.

"I don't think I'm the missing piece. I'm their teammate [and did what] I need to do to help my team win a championship. This is my family right here," she said.

Delle Donne, a seven-year veteran and two-time MVP, came to Washington three years ago in a trade from Chicago, hoping to get the Mystics their first title. She grew up about an hour from the city in Delaware and wanted to be closer to home.

Delle Donne sat out a year in college when she transferred in the summer before her freshman season from UConn to Delaware to be closer to her sister Lizzie, who is blind, deaf and has cerebral palsy.

"Lizzie has been my journey, and some people have never understood my decisions. Others have. But she's been my path, and somehow she's gotten me to this moment," Delle Donne said. "You know, it's been a crazy journey. It's been my own path. It's been different from everyone else's. I've just kind of believed in it, and you've got to follow your heart, and I've always trusted in her. Another reason I can battle through injury is, like, she's been dealt the worst cards possible with her disabilities, and every day she gets up, she smiles, she laughs, she loves. So she's always just been my inspiration."

Delle Donne has battled injuries and illnesses all season, including breaking her nose early in the year. She still wears a mask to protect it. She also wears a knee brace on her right knee after suffering a bone bruise in last year's Finals.

Coach Mike Thibault earned his first WNBA championship. The league's all-time winningest coach had reached the Finals three times in his career -- twice with Connecticut -- and last season with Washington, but he fell short each time.

The game got off to a slow start with choppy play, but it picked up during a back-and-forth second half.

The Mystics trailed by nine midway through the third quarter before rallying within two at the end of the period. The teams traded the lead in the final period until Delle Donne hit a tough fadeaway midway through the quarter. After a Connecticut miss, Kristi Toliver -- the only player on either team who had won a title before -- drove down the lane and hit a beautiful finger-roll layup to give the Mystics a 76-72 lead.

Delle Donne added another basket, and Meesseman capped the run with a jumper.

"Emma went to work inside. Elena does what she does. You have to beat them by defending them. All the players stepped up in the fourth quarter when we needed it," Thibault said.

Connecticut could only get within six points the rest of the way.

"They were just better down the stretch," Sun coach Curt Miller said. "Defensively, it wasn't anything more than they were really physical. They were the physical team down the stretch when they needed it."

Delle Donne got the final rebound and hugged her teammates at center court as the final buzzer sounded.

Jonquel Jones had 25 points for the Sun and Alyssa Thomas added 21 points and 12 rebounds.

Delle Donne said the players were aware the only thing missing from their coach's resume was a championship, and they were thrilled to help give him his first.

Thibault and Delle Donne shared a long embrace at center court as confetti rained down after the game.

"I said I was very happy that I am one of the players and this team was able to bring him something that he hasn't done yet," Delle Donne said of their postgame celebration.

Meesseman got rolling when the Mystics desperately needed her, with Connecticut leading by nine. She scored 11 points in the third period on array of post moves and outside shots to get the Mystics within 64-62 heading into the final quarter.

Meesseman said her motivation was simple.

"The trophy," she said. "It's a championship game. That's all I need. I'm just playing basketball. Today I just shot my shot."

ALL RISE

Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan was in the crowd. Thibault met her once on a flight, and the two became friendly. The Mystics visited the Supreme Court in June.

3-POINT STRUGGLES

After being the best 3-point shooting team during the season, the Mystics couldn't hit many shots from behind the arc Thursday night. They were 4-for-19.

TIP-INS

Game 5 held to form with the other four Finals contests, as the team that led after the first quarter went on to win. Washington led 23-20 after one period, and Connecticut led by one at the half. ... Mystics assistant coach Eric Thibault, Mike's son, is getting married next weekend. ... Connecticut lost in the Finals for the third time. They did it under Mike Thibault in 2004 and '05.

SAN FRANCISCO -- A day after being called out by name by President Donald Trump in the wake of the NBA's ongoing situation in China, Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr described his own situation as "surreal" while pushing back against the president's comments.

"It was really surprising," Kerr said prior to Thursday's preseason game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. "But mainly just because it was me. Then you stop and you think, this is just every day. This is just another day. I was the shiny object yesterday. There was another one today; there will be a new one tomorrow. And the circus will go on. It's just strange, but it happened."

Kerr drew Trump's ire in a Wednesday news conference after Kerr, a frequent critic of the president, initially declined to comment on the NBA's handling of the ongoing backlash surrounding Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey's tweet supporting anti-government protesters in Hong Kong. Kerr, who has been outspoken on many social issues he feels passionately about over the years, said he wanted to learn more about the situation before fully commenting. After watching the video, Trump said Kerr looked like "a scared little boy," something Kerr made reference to in his initial remarks Thursday.

"If we had been thinking earlier I was going to ride in on a tricycle," Kerr said. "With one of those beanies with the propeller -- because he called me a little boy."

Kerr found out about Trump's remarks on Wednesday just minutes after conducting his daily news conference with the media. As he tried to process the ramifications of being called out publicly by the president, Kerr said he thought back to how he felt the office of president has changed over the years.

"I was thinking about my various visits to the White House," Kerr said. "I've lived a privileged life and met, I think, the past five previous presidents prior to President Trump. The first one was in 1984, and Ronald Reagan was president. He invited my mom and me, six months after my dad [Malcolm] was killed in a terrorist attack. President Reagan and Vice President [George H.W.] Bush invited us into the Oval Office, spent about half an hour with us thanking us for my dad's service -- he was in education. Thanking us for my dad's commitment to American values in the Middle East. Trying to promote peace in the Middle East. And all I could think of last night was the contrast of what has happened in 35 years. There was no regard for whose side you were on politically. Political party, anything like that. It was just, you were an American. The office held such dignity and respect. Both from the people who were visiting and especially the people who sat inside it. It's just sad it's come crashing down. That we are now living this.

"I realize the horse was out of the barn a long time on this. But for me personally, this was my experience with, wow, has the office sunken low. My hope is that we can find a mature unifier from either party to sit in that chair and try to restore some dignity to the Oval Office again, and I think it will happen."

Kerr said the backlash the league has received in China and the criticism he has received from Trump will not stop him from continuing to speak out on issues he believes in.

"Generally, my feeling is the things that I'm going to comment on are the things that I feel comfortable speaking about, things I feel well versed about," he said. "I comment a lot about gun safety. It's a cause that's very near and dear to my heart. It's very crucial for our country for our future. We face mass shootings literally every day. So I'm involved with four or five different gun safety groups. It's my pet cause. So I'm going to comment on it. It's my right. That's why I love being an American and love my country. I'm able to channel my energy and my resources to places where I want it to go. I feel really comfortable with that. There are places where I don't feel as comfortable. This would be one of them."

Kerr said he understood why some people are upset with the fact that he and some of his players have decided not to take a particular stand on what's going on in China after taking stands on various other issues, reiterating that he doesn't feel he has enough knowledge on the subject to speak on it yet.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry scored 40 points in 25 minutes in Thursday night's 143-123 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Curry's dazzling offensive performance offered fans both a reminder of the former MVP's talent and a glimpse at just how dominant he could be on certain nights as the Warriors go through a transition season without Kevin Durant and, for most of the season, Klay Thompson, who continues rehabbing a torn left ACL.

"Hopefully it looks like that every night," Curry said after shooting 14-for-19 from the field. "But like I said coming into camp, I have the same mentality every time I set foot on the floor. It doesn't mean I'm shooting every possession, but I'm trying to make plays and do what I'm comfortable doing and that's just playing my style of basketball and being aggressive and confident. Hopefully that vibe is contagious. I don't know what it will look like every night, but I'm going to play that exact same way and just try to do what I do."

Curry noted that Warriors coach Steve Kerr hasn't told him he's going to have to do even more this season as the team retools, but Kerr knows that whatever Golden State's new identity becomes will be formed around Curry.

"He's going to have a large offensive burden all year," Kerr said. "Just the nature of the roster and what we've lost from a scoring standpoint and a playmaking standpoint. So he's not going to play like this every night, we know that, so we got to really work to develop our identity and our efficiency and keep working with these young guys. Tonight was a good step in that direction."

Curry acknowledged afterward that he became a little emotional before the game when he realized that he would no longer be able to take his popular tunnel shots at Chase Center, the way he did at Oracle Arena in Oakland.

"I did shed a tear about the tunnel shot tonight," Curry said. "Just cause I've been thinking about it, I don't think there's an option."

Curry would end his pregame routine before every game at Oracle by firing off shots from the Warriors' tunnel that led back to their locker room. Oracle security guard Curtis Jones would pass the ball to Curry as the pair teamed up for one of the most popular pregame routines in the league over the years. After moving to the Chase Center in San Francisco for the 2019-20 season, Curry knows there is no way to replicate the old tradition in the new arena.

"It's not at the same angle [as Oracle]," Curry said. "I know I've been asked about it a couple times leading up to this year. I'll just shake Curtis' hand and we'll do a little sign; shoutout to what the routine was and keep it moving."

Speaking of new routines, Kerr used the NBA's new rule to challenge a call that a ball went out of bounds off a Warriors player late in the second quarter, and successfully had it overturned. It marked the first time for the Warriors that a call was successfully overturned. Despite the new wrinkle in the rule book, Kerr said he wished he didn't have that option.

"I don't like the rule," Kerr said. "I don't like replay at all. I think replay should be limited to the buzzer-beater at the end of every quarter if you want to review them, a buzzer-beater, that's fine. I don't like the review. They send us the rules and we've watched the videotape, so it seemed like something I might as well try just to feel it [out]. But you have to call a timeout in order to challenge, so it seems like what you have to do is make sure you're not wasting a timeout on a play that's not worth challenging.

"So that's going to be a big factor -- if it's your timeout anyway coming up, if there's a mandatory coming up that's yours or if you're on the bad end of a run and you see something that's questionable, you might as well take the timeout and review it. And that way there's no harm done if you don't get the call."

As the Warriors continue to find their new routines in a new city and arena, Kerr noted that Curry would probably rest during one of the Warriors' two games next week against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center.

"I imagine he'll take a game off," Kerr said. "Maybe one down in L.A. and then -- I haven't talked to him about it, that's just a thought. But I think it would be good to get at least the last game up over 30 [minutes], maybe two games up over 30. Same with Draymond [Green] and D'Angelo [Russell]."

LOS ANGELES -- It took Kawhi Leonard less than two minutes to show why the LA Clippers went to great lengths to get the superstar forward.

Making his Clippers preseason debut, Leonard hit a 14-footer, stole a pass from Gary Harris and then buried a step-back 3-pointer in the span of 21 seconds during the first two minutes Thursday night. In an abbreviated 10-minute, 45-second appearance in the first half, Leonard scored 7 points and dished 6 assists with no turnovers during a 111-91 loss to the Denver Nuggets.

Leonard said he's still rusty as he makes his way back slowly into his NBA Finals MVP form following a long championship run with Toronto. But the Clippers -- who played without Paul George, Patrick Beverley and Rodney McGruder -- said they were impressed with their first on-court in-game experience with the All-Star forward.

"He looked like the player that he is, the best player in the world," guard Landry Shamet said. "He has a presence about him when he is on the floor, just feels a little different, how he carries himself, how he plays."

Despite saying that he feels much better entering this preseason than he did a year ago with the Raptors coming off a quadriceps injury, Leonard, 28, has taken things slowly and the Clippers are being cautious with their star acquisition. The Clippers spent all last season recruiting the forward and, to get Leonard to sign as a free agent, gave up five first-round picks, the right to two first-round pick swaps, promising point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Danilo Gallinari in a trade with Oklahoma City for George.

Leonard was actually ruled out for Thursday's game against the Nuggets on Tuesday night, but Clippers coach Doc Rivers said the forward wanted to play and felt ready for limited minutes after going through a rigorous 4-on-4 warm-up before the game.

"It felt good," Leonard said. "We prepared for this moment. Felt great to just be out there getting a rhythm."

But Leonard added that there was some rust as he shot 3-for-6 from the field, including 1-for-3 from behind the arc.

"For sure," Leonard said of getting up to speed in his first 10 days of camp. "I mean, I haven't played no type of contact basketball, no pickup at all. Normally don't do that. Really wasn't able to work out like I wanted to this summer, but it's always rest if you are not playing. It's a long season. This is what the preseason is for and also the practices in the regular season."

Judging by some of the six assists he delivered, Leonard might not need much practice to get used to his big men. He hit JaMychal Green for a 3-pointer for the game's opening basket. He hit Montrezl Harrell for a cutting dunk and connected with Ivica Zubac three times for baskets inside. He also hit Mo Harkless on a cutting layup.

Leonard has had six assists without a turnover only once in his career, back on Jan. 15, 2014, when he had six assists and no turnovers in a San Antonio victory over Utah.

"I didn't think he showed us what he got in practice," Zubac said with a laugh. "Man, tonight out there, he looked amazing."

"Tonight he showed who he is. That's Kawhi," Zubac added. "We don't have much time [together] yet but it felt kind of natural."

The Clippers host Australian squad Melbourne United on Sunday before finishing up the preseason next Thursday in Vancouver, British Columbia, against the Dallas Mavericks. Rivers said it is possible that Leonard could play in that preseason finale as a final tune-up for the regular season, which the Clippers open Oct. 22 against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Leonard said it was fun to make his preseason debut at Staples Center but added that the Clippers still have plenty of work to do.

"I feel the emotions either just getting ready for the game or when I did sign here, thinking about what could happen or what's going to happen and being able to play in the Staples Center 45 minutes away from my home where I grew up," said Leonard, who is from Moreno Valley, California. "[But] once I step on the floor, it is lock-in time for me."