That leap to celebrate an international hundred is back. That feeling David Warner at times felt he would never be able to enjoy again. And it is that fear that kept Warner going through the 14 months of international exile, as a result of his role in the Newlands ball-tampering controversy. If that fear pushed him to be back to the best batsman he could be, his wife Candice's support helped him come out of the initial trauma, admitted a relieved Warner afterwards.

"Yeah, definitely," Warner said when asked if he ever feared he might never get a chance to score a century for Australia again. "There was always that going through my mind. And I think that's what drove me to keep being as fit as I can, keep scoring as many runs as I can in the Twenty20 tournaments that I was playing in."

Before he could get back to scoring those T20 runs, he struggled to get out of the bed even. That's when Candice helped him. "The thing that kept me going was my wife and my kids," Warner said. "Got great support at home, my family. And my wife is just, she's just my rock. She's unbelievable. She's determined, disciplined, selfless.

ALSO READ: Warner finds old mindset to flick switch for Australia

"And I hold a lot of credit to her. She's a strong woman. And she got me out of bed a lot in those sort of first 12 weeks, and got me back running and training hard as I could, and prepared for the other formats of the game I was playing. So it was just to maintain my level of fitness and just hard work. And she really nailed that into me."

There was no point moping around. Warner had to enjoy the process of getting back. There was no other option, but he found it genuinely enjoyable. "Really enjoyed going out there. And we used Regulation balls [Kookaburra Regulation, which has a more pronounced seam than Kookaburra Turf, which is used in the first half of the Shield season] back in Sydney [grade cricket]. And that was a challenge in itself to get used to that. The different obscure fields that were being set because the wickets are a tad slower. I really enjoyed all that. It was really, really hard work.

Watch on Hotstar (India only) - Hotstar of the match

"And I think going through those tough times and sort of regrouping with myself to put myself in the best position to come back to international cricket, I did everything I could. I really, really knuckled down and trained my backside off.

"And I'm just grateful for this opportunity. I'm just really looking forward to what's coming ahead of us here in the World Cup. Pumped to be back, and the boys are on fire here. We've got a great group harmony, a lot of smiles on the faces as you can see in a lot of the training sessions and out in the field. So, look, I'm pumped."

Warner is pumped, and finally he has had a match in England where he was not booed. He has a message: the booing might only make him and Steven Smith more determined. "The boos, we don't really hear that when we're out there," Warner said. "At the end of the day we're out there to do a job. For me, it's just trying to score runs and have a lot of energy in the field. And, look, it's water off a duck's back. You get it all the time. I've heard it my whole career. Actually it eggs us on a lot and makes us knuckle down and try to score more runs if anything."

There is a difference between Smith and Warner, though. Warner has largely been seen as the corrupting influence. Warner has not had the amount of sympathy that has come Smith's way. Nor has he done any interviews to seek any.

"I was just focused ahead," Warner said. "That was my own thing. I was just focusing on playing the next game that I was playing in, training as hard as I could. I didn't need to say anything. What was said was said back in those press conferences. And now it's about looking forward."

And to be in the here and now is to enjoy the soreness from training hard to be fit enough to be part of the current Australia set-up. "Coming back, that soreness that you normally get, it was it put a smile on my face," Warner said. "I had a little bit of a strain on my glute. I think that was just purely based on getting back into it and sort of getting back in the mojo of things. And, look, it was just great to be back and part of the team."

More smiles will be on his face when partners of the players join the team in London on Thursday. The last time Warner had Candice over when playing for Australia was probably the most desperate time of his career. He was under the pump, she was mocked disgustingly by the crowds, and it all led to a bitter climax in Newlands. Warner is in a much better place, Australia are in a much better place, and he is looking forward to being with his family and enjoying the tour. That could hardly be said in South Africa.

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A year on from joining as Bangladesh's head coach, Steve Rhodes has made quiet contributions to the team's progress. He has now overseen 15 wins in 25 ODIs, as well as a Test series win over West Indies. Now well into their World Cup campaign, Bangladesh are a team rated as one of the more dangerous sides in the tournament.

The BCB chose Rhodes after Paul Farbrace, Andy Flower, Tom Moody and a host of other coaches had said no to the Bangladesh job between November 2017 and May 2018. Rhodes had a tough mandate to not just follow up on Chandika Hathurusingha's success, but also to chaperone the side through a World Cup in his home country.

Bangladesh have made progress on the back of consistency from their top five players - Shakib Al Hasan, Mashrafe Mortaza, Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim - but in the World Cup's lead-up, the refreshing factor has been the performance of someone like Soumya Sarkar who has looked in good form.

Rhodes said that in the past 12 months, he has tried to give Bangladesh's newer crop of players like Soumya, who made his debut in 2014, more liberty, along with responsibilities so that they develop the strength of character to take decisions for themselves. He said that Soumya, Mehidy Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman and Mohammad Saifuddin had earned their places in the playing XI through not just performance, but improved consistency.

"It is my plan as a coach to try and give these guys some responsibilities on the field and in training," Rhodes told ESPNcricinfo. "So that they can make some decisions for themselves and grow and learn. It is a little bit different to the way it has been run, but I think that's the way we get the younger players performing. Everyone then says it is a better squad.

"Soumya is finding his feet. Liton [Das] is in good form, although he is not playing. Sabbir [Rahman] with that hundred in New Zealand, and [Mehidy Hasan] Miraz has been bowling in the last two or three years. Nobody mentions [Mustafizur Rahman] Fizz, and Saifuddin has come through. So I do think we are starting to get a little bit more depth."

Rhodes said that some of these players had improved enough to ensure that Bangladesh's squad has a bit more depth than before.

Their World Cup campaign so far has seen them beat South Africa, go close against New Zealand but then fizzle out against England. They would have also expected to beat Sri Lanka if not for the washout in Bristol, while they have beaten West Indies, their next opponent, quite regularly in the past 12 months. Rhodes said that Bangladesh should consider themselves as a major competitor against bigger teams.

"I think if you look at all the teams in this competition, we have a right to be on those fields competing against some of these big teams. But we are still well short of the depth and quality of some of these teams as well. But I'd say that we do have some wholehearted, trying cricketers. We also have some great ability. Shakib has been absolutely amazing. We are starting to get a little bit more depth in the players that, you might say, are less experienced."

At the time of Rhodes took over in June last year, Bangladesh were going through a bit of a confidence crisis, following heavy losses in South Africa and at home against Sri Lanka, as well as getting blanked by Afghanistan in a T20 series. The confidence, at least in ODIs, was regained when they beat West Indies 2-1 away, before getting one back at them in the Test series at home in November.

Rhodes was also expected to deal with BCB chief Nazmul Hassan regularly and quite directly, and so far those exchanges have hardly made the news - which is a good thing. There is however a lot left for Rhodes to do, when it comes to the Test side that was battered by New Zealand earlier this year, as well as a better plan for the T20 side.

Seen as a positive presence in the dressing room, Rhodes has understood how and where not to coach certain cricketers, and areas where he has to put his foot down. Albeit quietly.

Joe Burns was due to be at New Road this week, helping Lancashire against Worcestershire in Division Two of the County Championship.

Instead he is home in Brisbane, resting, after it was revealed he had been diagnosed with post viral fatigue disorder following a virus in October last year.

It is not an illness that is widely understood but it is far from uncommon. Whilst it is believed Burns' diagnosis has been detected early and Queensland and Cricket Australia medical staff are expecting him to make a swift and strong recovery, the news made former Australia Under-19 captain and Western Australia batsman Rob Baker shudder.

"I get a sick feeling in my stomach," Baker told ESPNcricinfo.

Baker was a rising star among a golden generation of WA batsmen in the 1990s. He captained Australia's U-19s on a tour of India in 1994, leading a squad featuring Michael Hussey, Brett Lee, Jason Gillespie and Andrew Symonds, against an India line-up with VVS Laxman in their middle order.

Baker broke into the strong WA Sheffield Shield side and made 83 in the 1995-96 Shield final, where South Australia held on for a thrilling draw. In 1998-99 he made a century and three half-centuries in 13 innings, averaging a tick under 50, and played in WA's last Shield-winning final, against Queensland.

But just as his career was set to take off in 1999-2000 after a solid start to the season, he was struck down with illness ahead of a tour match against Pakistan.

"I just came down with this horrible virus that was just one of those ones where you're just hot and cold, sweating, I was really disoriented, it really messed with my balance and pretty much went to bed for a week and said I can't play this game," Baker recalled. "I gradually got a bit better, got a bit stronger, never felt quite right but after two weeks or so I thought, 'I need to get out there and train, they need me for the next Shield game'.

"Halfway through that next game I starting coming down with the same thing again and was just feeling absolutely rotten and it really spiraled from there.

"The doctors were not really knowing [what was wrong] and I was getting asked by the coach and the captain to get out there and play, which obviously I wanted to do as well, and I just kept pushing and pushing and pushing until…I was never right, my form suffered."

An on-field collision and a fractured cheekbone actually ended his season but Baker was eventually properly diagnosed with post viral or chronic fatigue syndrome. It is an umbrella term that is used to define ongoing, often debilitating, fatigue symptoms that can occur in the aftermath of a broad range of viral infections. It can manifest in many different forms but ongoing physical and mental fatigue, and never-ending hangover-type symptoms are the most common experiences, although a host of other issues, as Baker experienced, can occur in conjunction with that.

"I was vomiting before playing a local club match because my body was just freaking out, all stuff that would never have even bothered me the slightest in the past"

"For some people it literally can be some rest and looking after yourself and before you know you're back to yourself, like probably Simon Katich, who had a bit of the similar stuff about the same time that I ended up with my more serious version of it," Baker said. "[Katich] was able to recover after having a few months rest and being well managed and obviously went on and did great things.

"Obviously for myself, it was very, very confusing at the time, not really understanding what was going on. The doctors not properly understanding what was going on and being very headstrong. In your own mind thinking that you can keep pushing through it and it'll go away and you're far too mentally tough for something like this to knock you down only to be taught a pretty harsh lesson I guess.

"I think it's almost once your body reaches a point where it doesn't want to be pushed like that anymore it just goes into shut down and it's a very, very long journey back from then."

Baker only managed five Shield games in the 1999-2000 season while Katich played seven. Both men averaged below 30 and neither could bat long enough to make more than 80.

But while Katich made a full recovery, scoring six centuries and 1145 runs in the 2000-01 Shield season to get himself on the 2001 Ashes tour which began an impressive international career, Baker never played another Shield game, and he only managed a handful of List A matches, state 2nd XI games and some grade cricket thereafter.

"The WACA contracted me for the next year and they were supportive of me trying to work my way back in but obviously it reached a point where I needed to be out on the field and I was just never right," Baker said. "I just kept getting worse and worse and your body just starts to break down. I ended up with all sorts of dreadful digestive issues, central nervous system issues, anxiety. I was vomiting before playing a local club match because my body was just freaking out, all stuff that would never have even bothered me the slightest in the past.

"I knew I had to go away and get well and unfortunately that turned out to be a nearly decade-long journey from about my early to mid-20s to my early to mid-30s until I really got my genuine quality of life back."

Whilst Burns' issues are understood not to be close to Baker's extreme version of post viral fatigue syndrome, there are lessons to be learned with the illness.

"There wasn't any single one thing that helped me get better, it was a lot of gradual things along the way that helped me get back together," Baker said. "I obviously don't know exactly where Joe is at, how early they've caught it and how he's travelling right now but if he knows in his own head that he isn't genuinely improving and feeling stronger each day and was putting all sorts of pressure on himself to be ready for the Ashes - then absolutely my advice would be to stop.

"Just give yourself the time, even if it means missing this Ashes. That would be my advice. Life after cricket is long - okay you might miss the Ashes - but you can probably build your way back into the cricket side. But if you push yourself and completely break yourself you might not play much more cricket and you might be pretty crook for a long time."

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The New England Patriots filed tampering charges Wednesday against the Houston Texans for the attempted general manager hire of Nick Caserio, league sources told ESPN.

The league now is expected to gather relevant information to open its investigation against Houston, sources said.

Houston fired general manager Brian Gaine the night after New England's Super Bowl ring ceremony on June 6 at Robert Kraft's house. The Texans finished in first place in the AFC South with an 11-5 record last season.

Former Patriots team chaplain and current Texans executive vice president of team development Jack Easterby attended that party, as did Caserio, New England's director of player personnel since 2008. Easterby and Caserio are represented by the same agent, Bob LaMonte.

The Texans have requested permission to interview Caserio for their GM job but have not been granted permission to date, per sources.

The NFL's anti-tampering policy states, "Any interference by a member club with the employer-employee relationship of another club or any attempt by a club to impermissibly induce a person to seek employment with that club or with the NFL" is impermissible.

BOSTON -- Jordan Binnington stayed in his crease as wave after wave of celebratory St. Louis Blues players crashed onto him Wednesday night, their Stanley Cup party starting on the Boston Bruins' home ice. When the final buzzer sounded on the Blues' 4-1 victory in Game 7, the rookie goalie was engulfed by his teammates -- a fitting image, given that he was at the center of their victory, delivering the first Cup in franchise history to St. Louis.

"I'm so proud of this group, and I'm so excited to celebrate the city of St. Louis," Binnington said.

It was the end of one of the most unlikely journeys for both a team and its goaltender. The Blues were in last place in the NHL in early January. Binnington started the season as he had in every year of his pro career: in the minor leagues, with the San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League. He had been buried on the Blues' depth chart since being drafted No. 88 overall in 2011. But his confidence in his abilities never wavered.

His message after hoisting the Stanley Cup as a 25-year-old rookie couldn't have conveyed the emotions behind that wait any more starkly.

"Man. F--- everyone. You just got to believe in yourself and work hard and just keep believing," Binnington said as the Blues celebrated with the Cup. "I work pretty hard. Obviously, the group was incredible, we meshed well, and everyone was playing hard for each other, so I'm really happy with where I'm at right now."

Where Binnington was at the end of Game 7 was in rare company. His 32 saves was the most by a rookie goalie to clinch the Stanley Cup Final since the league began tracking shots in 1955. He joins a list that includes Ken Dryden, Patrick Roy and Cam Ward as rookie goalies who led their teams to the Stanley Cup.

Those four won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. Binnington watched teammate Ryan O'Reilly collect that award. But there was no question who the most valuable player in Game 7 was.

"I think Binner really set the tone for us early," St. Louis center Tyler Bozak said. "They came out really hard. They got a lot of good scoring chances. And he shut the door. He made incredible saves and gave us that confidence that he was dialed in, like he was all year."

No save was better, or will be better remembered, than his sprawling stop on Joakim Nordstrom with 11 minutes, 8 seconds left in the third period, not long before Brayden Schenn made it 3-0.

"That save that he made, early in the third? Oh, my God. Right after that, we scored our third goal," said Larry Robinson, the Blues' senior consultant to hockey operations. "You gotta have your goalie."

The Blues also had him in Game 5, when Binnington made 38 saves to win in Boston and give them a chance to clinch in St. Louis. The Blues lost that game. But that's OK, because if there's one thing that has defined Jordan Binnington during this journey from the bottom of the depth chart to raising the Stanley Cup, it's winning after losing.

Binnington is now 14-2 after losses, including 8-2 in the Stanley Cup playoffs, with a 1.78 goals-against average and .936 save percentage in such situations.

He was everything the Blues needed to find their confidence and put away the Bruins.

"You could just see our bench getting motivated by it," St. Louis general manager Doug Armstrong said.

How did this rookie pull it off?

"His demeanor," Armstrong said. "Even now, in the celebration, it doesn't look like it's too much for him. He's just one cool customer."

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Toronto Raptors came about as close as a team can to winning an NBA title Monday night.

Up by six points with three minutes to go against the Golden State Warriors, and then having multiple chances to tie or win the game in the final minute, the Raptors came within a couple Draymond Green fingertips of a shot to win a championship at the buzzer of Game 5 of the NBA Finals at Scotiabank Arena.

But rather than being upset about the opportunity it let slip away, Toronto is instead excited to have two more cracks at winning this series -- beginning with Game 6 on Thursday night here at Oracle Arena.

"Did it hit me any harder? Not really," Raptors coach Nick Nurse said during his news conference before his team practiced Wednesday afternoon. "They all hit you hard. Listen, I'm like anybody that was there that understands the outcome of that one changes things a little bit.

"But I'll say this: I'm absolutely thrilled to be coaching in another Finals game. This is awesome, right? All these things when you look back on them, every single thing you do, if it doesn't turn out, you wish you would have called another play or had somebody else in or got somebody else a shot. ... I think if you remove that from it and you watch it, we ran a great play out of the timeout where [Marc] Gasol absolutely got clobbered for a no-call. Kyle [Lowry] had a wide-open 3 with a minute to go. We ran some nice stuff and got exactly what we wanted."

Even after letting Game 5 slip away, Toronto has a 3-2 series lead and still has to be considered the strong favorite to find a way to close these Finals out, beginning with the fact the Raptors can win either Thursday or in Game 7 back home Sunday night.

Beyond that, though, Golden State is riddled with injuries. Forward Kevin Durant underwent surgery Wednesday to repair his ruptured Achilles tendon. Center Kevon Looney is questionable after aggravating the chest injury he suffered in Game 2 in the second half of Game 5. Forward Andre Iguodala and swingman Klay Thompson are playing in the wake of leg injuries earlier in these playoffs and this series, respectively.

Still, Toronto knows it is facing the two-time defending champions, and injuries or not, the Warriors are going to need to be taken out of the series if they are going to lose. The Raptors know the title won't be handed to them.

"Just go out there and do our job," Raptors guard Lowry said. "We're a professional basketball team. We have been in the same situation. We have been the same team all year.

"We don't get too up. We don't get too down. We live in the moment. We understand that today is today and tomorrow will be another test of who our group will be on the road. We'll be against a team that will be ready to go, but we'll be ready to play too."

Oracle will undoubtedly be rocking Thursday night, as the Warriors try to keep their season -- and their chances for a three-peat -- alive with a win in what will be the final game the arena ever hosts. Next season, Golden State will be moving across the Bay and into the palace that will be the Chase Center in San Francisco.

Still, Toronto became the first team since the Seattle SuperSonics in 1995 to win three games here in a single season (regular and postseason) by sweeping Games 3 and 4, and will have a chance to go a perfect 4-0 in at Oracle this season with another victory Thursday.

All Toronto is focused on, however, is getting the final win it needs to secure the franchise's first NBA title, and the city's first championship since the Toronto Blue Jays won a second consecutive World Series 26 years ago.

"Get there when we get there," Lowry said. "Right now, we're just focusing on how we continue to get better. Tomorrow will be a tough task, and we'll be ready to go."

Boston Celtics star Kyrie Irving is changing representation and is expected to partner with Roc Nation Sports, league sources told ESPN.

Irving parted ways with longtime agent Jeff Wechsler on Wednesday, clearing the way for him to ultimately work with Jay-Z's Roc Nation prior to the start of NBA free agency on June 30, sources said.

Irving, a six-time All-Star, will become an unrestricted free agent, and league sources say he remains intensely interested in the Brooklyn Nets. The New York Knicks are expected to remain competitive for Irving, too, sources tell ESPN.

The Nets and Knicks have both hoped to sign Irving and Kevin Durant together into max salary slots. Durant's free agency has been complicated by a ruptured right Achilles tendon that will keep him out of the entire 2019-20 season. The Knicks and Nets are both still interested in signing Durant and Irving together, league sources said.

Wechsler had represented Irving since he was the No. 1 overall pick out of Duke in 2011, negotiating multiple national marketing campaigns and helping to launch his Uncle Drew soft-drink commercial and movie character. Wechsler helped Irving navigate his way out of Cleveland and into a trade to the Celtics in 2017.

Wechsler also represents Celtics star Jayson Tatum. He previously represented Alonzo Mourning and Penny Hardaway.

Roc Nation represents several top NBA players, including Nets guard Caris LeVert. One of the draws of Roc Nation to players has been its close connections to the entertainment industry.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Golden State Warriors star forward Kevin Durant suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon during Monday's victory over the Toronto Raptors in Game 5 of the NBA Finals and underwent surgery Wednesday in New York City.

"What's good everybody I wanted to update you all: I did rupture my Achilles. Surgery was today and it was a success," Durant wrote in an Instagram post, which accompanied a picture of him in a hospital.

View this post on Instagram

What's good everybody I wanted to update you all: I did rupture my Achilles. Surgery was today and it was a success, EASY MONEY My road back starts now! I got my family and my loved ones by my side and we truly appreciate all the messages and support people have sent our way. Like I said Monday, I'm hurting deeply, but I'm OK. Basketball is my biggest love and I wanted to be out there that night because that's what I do. I wanted to help my teammates on our quest for the three peat. Its just the way things go in this game and I'm proud that I gave it all I physically could, and I'm proud my brothers got the W. It's going to be a journey but I'm built for this. I'm a hooper I know my brothers can get this Game 6, and I will be cheering  with dub nation while they do it.

A post shared by 35 (@easymoneysniper) on Jun 12, 2019 at 12:54pm PDT

The Warriors said the surgery was done at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York and performed by Dr. Martin O'Malley.

Durant injured his right Achilles in the second quarter of Game 5. He had not played since injuring his right calf May 8 against the Houston Rockets in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after Wednesday's practice that Durant's Achilles tear came as a "complete shock" to the organization.

"I completely understand the world we live in," Kerr said. "As [Warriors general manager] Bob [Myers] mentioned the other night, there's going to be blame. There's going to be finger-pointing, and we understand that. And we accept that. This is kind of what you sign up for when you get into coaching, general management in the NBA. There's all kinds of coverage, judgment, criticism, and it's all part of it, so we accept that. The main thing is our concern for Kevin and these last couple of days just checking on him. Obviously, everybody feels horrible for what happened.

"As Bob mentioned the other night, this last month was a cumulative, collaborative, effort in his rehabilitation. And that collaboration included Kevin and his business partner Rich Kleiman, our medical staff, his own outside opinion, second opinion, doctor outside of our organization. Kevin checked all the boxes, and he was cleared to play by everybody involved."

Kerr made it clear that the organization did not feel it was putting Durant, 30, at risk for further injury, despite the fact he hadn't played in over a month and was still recovering from a strained calf on the same leg.

"Now, would we go back and do it over again? Damn right," Kerr said. "But that's easy to say after the results. When we gathered all the information, our feeling was the worst thing that could happen would be a reinjury of the calf. That was the advice and the information that we had. At that point, once Kevin was cleared to play, he was comfortable with that, we were comfortable with that. So the Achilles came as a complete shock.

"I don't know what else to add to that, other than had we known that this was a possibility, that this was even in the realm of possibility, there's no way we ever would have allowed Kevin to come back."

Warriors guard Stephen Curry defended Myers and the organization's decision to clear Durant for Game 5. Durant, the two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP, holds a $31.5 million player option for 2019-20.

"I trust our medical staff and know Bob Myers has our best interests," Curry said. "In terms of not just what we can do in this series, but long term in our overall health. You see how hard he took it, talking to you guys after the game. And that's really genuine and authentic. So you can waste time talking about the what-ifs and this and that. Injuries are tough and they suck. They're a part of our game, and they're going to continue to be a part of our game. But everybody putting their collective brains together to make the sound, smart decisions, you kind of just live with that, because that's what's a part of our game."

Kerr and several of his players acknowledged the shock and sadness that still exists within the organization following Durant's injury. The coach specifically mentioned Rick Celebrini, the team's director of sports medicine and performance.

"So it's devastating, mostly for Kevin, obviously," Kerr said. "But I feel horribly for Rick Celebrini, as well, who is one of the best people I've ever been around and one of the smartest, brightest minds that I've ever been around. He's devastated. Bob, the team, we all are. But we made the decision collaboratively with all the information that we had and we thought it was the right one."

Warriors swingman Klay Thompson said it was "stupid" for fans to question the fact that Durant wanted to be back on the floor before his injury.

"That's just the nature of the game these days," Thompson said Wednesday. "It happens to the greatest athletes to ever play. Every athlete at his level has gone through it, whether it's been Kevin, Muhammad Ali, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, baseball players, Wayne Gretzky. They have all been questioned, especially in this day and age with the media and the 24-hour news cycle. There's going to be talking heads talking about his game and whatnot. That just comes with the territory.

"But we know who he is. We have won championships with him. I've played in international games with him. I've seen him every day in the gym. You don't need to question someone's heart or desire to play when you see their daily work and their résumé. This man has won every accolade there is. So for these people to say that, it's really just irresponsible and stupid, because this man has been a basketball prodigy since he was 15, and his skill level is not attained unless you put the work in."

As the Warriors, trailing 3-2 in the Finals, prepare for Thursday's Game 6 -- which also marks their final game at Oracle Arena before moving to San Francisco next season -- they do so with the belief that Golden State fans will show even more support than usual in the wake of Durant's injury.

"I expect us obviously to come out and play as hard as we can," Thompson said. "We're not even thinking about the future. We're just thinking about enjoying this last show at Oracle we're about to give our fans. And I expect our fans to be the loudest they have ever been, especially in the name of Kevin and bringing his type of spirit he would bring to the fight and the competitiveness.

"I know our fans will do that because we deserve it, but more importantly, Kevin does for what he gave this team, this organization. There wouldn't be banners if it wasn't for his presence. So we expect our crowd to be loud for him."

DENVER -- Despite the bumps and bruises after four players -- two on each side -- got hit by pitches in the Chicago Cubs' 10-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday, both teams played it cool afterward.

Rockies star Nolan Arenado was the first to get nailed, as veteran Cubs starter Cole Hamels hit him in the left forearm in the bottom of the third inning.

"I kind of had a feeling it was going to happen," Arenado said after the game. "I don't have to explain what's going on. You saw the games in Chicago. You saw them here. It's baseball. I just thought it was a little high. If you were here for the series you saw what was going on."

Arenado is referring to several Cubs players being hit by pitches last week, most notably third baseman Kris Bryant. Bryant was hit by German Marquez in Chicago and was then plunked two more times Tuesday night by rookie Peter Lambert. Marquez also hit Bryant in the helmet last year at Coors Field. Hamels was asked if hitting Arenado was part of any retaliation.

"Not that I know of, no," Hamels said with a straight face. "I'm trying to get guys out. You don't want to see that and you don't want guys to get injured."

After getting hit, Arenado yelled over at the Cubs dugout about the high pitch and jawed with Hamels as well. He left in the fifth inning with a contusion.

"It's just baseball," Hamels said nonchalantly. "People yell at me all the time, good and bad."

X-rays on Arenado's forearm were negative and he's day-to-day. Hamels should also be fine after getting hit in the ankle by Bryan Shaw in the top of the seventh inning. He was walking gingerly in the Cubs clubhouse afterward.

"Those balls are hard," Hamels said. "They don't feel too good."

The back and forth wasn't over. In the eighth inning, Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo was hit by rookie Phillip Diehl, who was making his second career outing. That finally drew warnings from the umpires.

"I don't think that was on purpose," Arenado said. "We're not asking some second-appearance young kid to go throw at Rizzo."

Finally, Rockies catcher Tony Wolters was hit by struggling Cubs reliever Brad Brach in the bottom of the ninth with the game well in hand for the visitors. Colorado manager Bud Black argued that Brach should have been tossed since warnings had already been given. The umpires disagreed.

"I'm not trying to hit anyone, especially with the way I've been pitching," Brach said.

So as is the trend when these things occur, all the parties involved -- save perhaps Arenado -- denied there was anything nefarious going on. Cubs manager Joe Maddon also dismissed most of the extracurricular activity, urging those inflicted to simply make a quick decision.

"I've always had a rule among my guys," Maddon explained. "You have two options: Go to the mound or go to first base. But don't sit there and jabber. Make up your mind and do one or the other -- and either one is fine."

The two teams can only meet in the playoffs now as the season series is over after they played each other six times in eight days, with each team winning three games. Arenado was asked what he thought of more games against the Cubs.

"It would be a spicy series," he responded.