When the first half ended in Real Madrid's Champions League meeting with Club Brugge on Tuesday night, Thibaut Courtois made his way off the pitch, the whistling loud in his ears, and everyone else's, too. Real were losing 2-0, and the goalkeeper who had conceded twice headed down the tunnel, into the dressing room and straight to the toilet, where he was sick.

Dizzy, disoriented and unable to carry on, he was replaced by Alphonse Areola as Real battled back to draw 2-2. Courtois' dad drove him home, and the next day, the keeper didn't join in training. "He had ... things," coach Zinedine Zidane said after the game, unable to offer a much better explanation.

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Sources close to the player have told ESPN FC that Courtois had felt unwell with gastroenteritis since lunchtime, while Real Madrid released a statement Friday denying reports the player suffered an anxiety attack.

Yet as far as anyone knew, there had been nothing wrong with Courtois before the game; as far as the fans knew, there was nothing wrong with him when the team came back out with Areola in goal instead. Which made what they did more than a little pointed. For a moment, the substitution seemed like a declaration of discontent from Zidane, maybe even a lasting declaration of intent, and it was one that many of them welcomed with applause.

If Zidane's decision wasn't a blunt statement, the supporters' response certainly was. They had whistled Courtois before, and at the Bernabeu there is no hiding place, still less when you're playing in goal -- exposed, all too aware of what is happening. As the final minutes of the first half ticked away, whenever the ball came to him, it was accompanied by long, loud whistles from a lot of people. "In the first half we can blame Courtois," Zidane said afterward. "But it is all of us, me above all."

Courtois, 27, probably shouldn't have been blamed at all, but he was. Flailing on the floor, he had looked a bit silly on the first goal, as a daft rebound off both of Emmanuel Dennis' legs wrongfooted him and dribbled past his hand into the net sufficiently slowly that some wondered if he could have even got up again to save it. For the second, Dennis had stumbled, almost falling, but had managed to lift it over the goalkeeper and into the net anyway. Maybe Courtois had started to go down too soon, and maybe he did look a little daft again. Zidane's assessment? "Both goals were a bit of a joke."

Neither goal was truly Courtois' fault; Sergio Ramos and Luka Modric were more culpable. However, he was the one in the photo: the beaten man, the breached last line of defence unable to defend the team. Which left him in the line of fire. He felt it. How could he not? The Bernabeu can be relentless and unforgiving, judgmental and cruel, even to the best of players.

Having rotated both Courtois and Keylor Navas in the final, empty months of last season, Zidane had been clear: "One thing is for sure: Next season there will be no debate in goal, I'm clear about that." But the debate about the Belgium international is now more alive than ever.

Navas had insisted that he wanted to stay and fight for his place this season, but eventually he embraced the inevitable and made a move to PSG -- with Areola going the other way on loan as backup. By then, Courtois had commented that it was clear who the No. 1 was and, while true, that didn't sit well. It also increased the pressure to prove that he was a worthy winner. Some supporters doubted that and were reluctant to entertain the idea.

Many felt Navas, a three-time European champion, didn't deserve to be asked to depart. And to be asked to depart again -- he had been literally waiting at the airport only for the deal to sign David De Gea from Manchester United in 2015 to collapse at the last minute.

Then the club had tried to sign Kepa to replace him, before Zidane blocked the move. When they eventually signed Courtois, Navas held on for a year, too. The fans admired the way he refused to take a hint, how he fought for his place, and how he saved them on multiple occasions with his performances. When he left this summer, there was no outright rejection of Courtois, but nor was there much warmth. The Belgian was good, but good is not always good enough, and the whole thing didn't feel quite right somehow.

That feeling continued on Tuesday night when Areola came on and immediately saved the team as Dennis ran clean through again. One of those polls beloved of the sports papers -- flawed, volatile, easily manipulated, it must be admitted -- showed that of over 100,000 AS readers, more than 80% thought that Areola should have started the game. Already.

On Thursday, the same paper's front page ran the headline: "This is not Courtois." His figures, they underlined, are far worse than they have ever been anywhere else. He's conceding 1.35 goals per game, but with Atletico, Chelsea and Belgium it didn't get over 1.0.

Those stats say as much, or more, about his defence, about the entire team, as they do about him. But it was a figure to damn him with. And it just wasn't very good. Not bad, exactly, just not that good. It showed that Courtois is not a miracle-worker, not a saviour, not a hero; just a goalkeeper, who picks the ball out of his net too often. He was supposed to be better than this. At Real Madrid, everyone is supposed to be better than this.

It is not like he has made many mistakes -- in fact it is a struggle to think of any at all -- but the problem for many is that they struggle to think of any saves. The saves he did make -- it was overlooked against Brugge that he made an important stop in the first half, or his sharp dive which prevented Koke scoring in the derby, or how he stopped Levante getting a last-minute draw at the Bernabeu -- passed by almost as if they weren't there.

He was, as one radio presenter put it, "invisible." He just didn't save anything. Where were the miracles? When was he going to rescue them? He was a bit ... well ... normal. At a club where that's not enough: Madrid are supposed to have the best in the world, and he wasn't. All those doubts reached him; how could he not have doubts of his own?

Courtois suffered when held up against his competitors, too. When was he going to do what Jan Oblak did for Atletico Madrid, or what Marc-Andre ter Stegen did for Barcelona? At the weekend, Ter Stegen had even provided an assist; Oblak had stopped Madrid. A superb save, the touchline reporter said to him. "Basic," the Slovenian replied. But if that's so basic, why don't we see it from our goalkeeper, Madrid fans wondered ...

In midweek, it happened again -- in Moscow, Barcelona and in Madrid. Courtois didn't start the fire, but he didn't put it out, either, and the whistles followed. Oblak saved Atletico and Ter Stegen saved Barcelona; Courtois didn't save Madrid.

The NFL has informed Oakland Raiders linebacker Vontaze Burfict that he hit another defenseless Indianapolis Colts player in Sunday's game, agent Lamont Smith told ESPN's Josina Anderson.

Smith said Burfict was notified by letter Thursday about the unflagged hit, three days after the league suspended him for the remainder of the season for repeated violations of unnecessary roughness rules.

Burfict was ejected in the second quarter of Sunday's game for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Colts tight end Jack Doyle. The suspension, which would see him miss the final 12 games of the season, is the longest ever for an on-field incident.

Smith also told ESPN the NFL said it will include the unflagged hit among the totality of Burfict's offenses under his appeal of the suspension. His appeal will be conducted by teleconference on Tuesday at 2 p.m. ET.

The 29-year-old Burfict received 13 suspensions and fines in seven seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals before signing with the Raiders as a free agent this offseason. Two of the suspensions were for illegal hits, totaling six games. He successfully appealed a five-game suspension in 2017 down to a three-game suspension.

ATLANTA -- When Mike Foltynewicz was summering in the minor leagues, it was hard to envision an October like this.

Yet there he was Friday, coming through when Atlanta needed it most.

Foltynewicz threw seven dominating innings, Adam Duvall hit a pinch-hit homer and the Braves evened the NL Division Series with a 3-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 2.

After spending a good chunk of his summer at Triple-A Gwinnett, Foltynewicz has been a different pitcher since returning from the minors. He went 6-1 with a 2.65 ERA over his last 10 starts -- a brilliant run that carried right into the postseason.

"Pretty special," Foltynewicz said. "I really made sure to slow things down, to stay in my mechanics and make sure all my pitches were working like they were tonight. It was smooth sailing, so it was a lot of fun."

The best-of-five series now shifts to St. Louis, where Mike Soroka goes for the Braves in Game 3 on Sunday against Adam Wainwright.

Facing St. Louis ace Jack Flaherty, who had one of the great second halves in baseball history, Foltynewicz allowed three hits, struck out seven and walked none during an 83-pitch outing that kept the Cardinals from mounting any semblance of offense.

He only allowed one runner as far as second base -- and that wasn't even his fault. In the second, Yadier Molina singled and Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies extended the inning by misplaying Paul DeJong's grounder for an error.

No problem. Foltynewicz fanned Harrison Bader to end the threat.

After Kolten Wong hit into a double play to wrap up the seventh, Duvall emerged from the dugout to hit for Foltynewicz in the bottom half.

Duvall was greeted by a smattering of boos from the SunTrust Park crowd that clearly wanted Foltynewicz to go at least one more inning -- especially after the Braves bullpen imploded the night before in a Game 1 loss.

The heckles turned to cheers when Duvall drove a 3-2 pitch from Flaherty into the center-field seats for a two-run homer, giving the Braves a bit of breathing room.

"I heard 50,000 people let me know that they wanted Folty to stay in the game," Duvall quipped. "I wanted to put together a good at-bat."

Josh Donaldson drove in Atlanta's other run with a two-out single in the first.

"I don't look at what that other guy is doing," Flaherty said. "It came down to really two pitches."

An All-Star in 2018 who started two games for the Braves in last year's playoffs, Foltynewicz was demoted to the minors in late June with a record of 2-5 and 6.37 ERA. He didn't return until early August.

"It's pretty cool to see for a guy that went through what he went through this year and where he's come back from," Braves manager Brian Snitker said.

Duvall spent nearly the entire season at Triple-A, so it wouldn't be a stretch to say this was as much a victory for the Gwinnett Stripers as the Braves.

Max Fried, normally a starter and pitching on back-to-back days for the first time all season, breezed through the eighth before turning it over to Mark Melancon, who gave up four runs in the ninth inning of the series opener, sending the Braves to a 7-6 loss.

Melancon surrendered a pair of one-out singles, drawing groans from the crowd, but he struck out Molina and Wong to earn the second postseason save of his career.

Yet this one will be remembered for Foltynewicz outdueling Flaherty, who had surrendered three runs only one time in 15 second-half starts.

The 23-year-old right-hander went 7-2 with an 0.91 ERA after the All-Star break, a minuscule figure surpassed only by Jake Arrieta (0.75) for the 2015 Chicago Cubs and Greg Maddux (0.87) for the 1994 Braves.

Flaherty was the NL pitcher of the month for both August and September.

Foltynewicz has the upper hand in October.

GOOD COMPANY

Foltynewicz joins Hall of Famers Maddux (Game 2 of the 1996 World Series) and Tom Glavine (Game 7 of the 1996 NL Championship Series) as the only Braves pitchers since 1958 to go at least seven innings in a postseason game without giving up a run or a walk.

RUNNING HARD

After being criticized for hog-dogging in Game 1, there were no issues with Ronald Acuna Jr. going full speed every chance he got. The young Atlanta star sprinted down the line on a groundout in the first, and hustled for a double in the seventh on a chopper down the third-base line.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Braves: RHP Chris Martin was replaced on the 25-man roster by Julio Teheran. Martin strained his left oblique on his very first warmup pitch while preparing to pitch in Game 1. He'll miss the rest of this series, as well as the NL Championship Series should the Braves advance.

UP NEXT

The Braves haven't led in a postseason series since they were up 2-1 in the 2002 NLDS against San Francisco. Atlanta wound up losing the final two games to the Giants -- part of a streak of nine straight playoff series losses that is only one away from the Chicago Cubs' record for postseason futility.

Soroka (13-4, 2.68 ERA) has been especially tough on the road (7-1, 1.55 ERA), which is why the Braves held him back until Game 3. This battle of the ages pits the 22-year-old right-hander against the 38-year-old Wainwright (14-10, 4.29 ERA), who began his career in the Braves organization before a trade to the Cardinals in 2003.

St. Louis Cardinals reliever Ryan Helsley, a member of the Cherokee Nation, believes the Atlanta Braves' "tomahawk chop" chant is "disrespectful" and "devalues" perceptions of Native Americans, the rookie told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Friday.

Helsley on Thursday entered the opening game of the Cardinals' National League Division Series with the fans at Atlanta's SunTrust Park swinging foam tomahawks while singing the long-used song, which mimics a Native American chant.

The "chop" is used often during Braves home games and wasn't directed at Helsley in particular, but he said he still found the song's use "disappointing."

"I think it's a misrepresentation of the Cherokee people or Native Americans in general," Helsley told the newspaper Friday ahead of Game 2, which Atlanta won to even the series 1-1. "Just depicts them in this kind of caveman-type people way who aren't intellectual. They are a lot of more than that.

"It's not me being offended by the whole mascot thing. It's not. It's about the misconception of us, the Native Americans, and it devalues us and how we're perceived in that way, or used as mascots. The [NFL's Washington] Redskins and stuff like that.

"That's the disappointing part. That stuff like this still goes on. It's just disrespectful, I think."

The Braves play the chant's drumroll over the stadium's speakers and placed a tomahawk in every seat before Friday's game. The team has also used "#ChopOn" on its social media accounts all season long.

"It's everywhere," Helsley, 25, told the Post-Dispatch. "I feel like there are a lot of other things they could use as mascots. Using our heritage as a mascot -- it isn't the best thing. There have been schools who in the past 20, 30 years have changed their mascots. I don't see why professional teams are so far behind on that."

The Cleveland Indians removed their "Chief Wahoo" caricature logo before this season. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred told the Washington Post in February that the league has "taken steps to take out the tomahawk chop."

ATLANTA -- First, he met with his manager, then his teammates. Then, Atlanta Braves centerfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. ran hard on the bases in his team's 3-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 2 of the National League Division Series on Friday. It was a drastic difference to the previous day, when Acuna had to stop at first base on a ball he hit off the right-field wall.

"Yesterday was a difficult day, since I did something that is unacceptable, that was not to run, something that has happened to me twice," Acuna told ESPN's Enrique Rojas after the Braves tied the series, 1-1. "To all the children who follow me and to all who watch baseball, that is unacceptable, no matter who does it. ... It is something that cannot happen."

Acuna spoke with his teammates, hours before Game 2 after Atlanta dropped Game 1 by a single run, 7-6. His failure to make it to second base prompted a postgame rebuke from team leader Freddie Freeman and others. Friday was about making good.

"Today I talked to my colleagues. I am a gentleman. I made a meeting with them and I apologized because that cannot be done," Acuna stated. "I apologize to all the people I offended.

"I also talked to the manager. I went to the manager and apologized. I was filled with emotion. He knows that I always play with intensity and love for this game."

Acuna led off Game 2 with a ground ball to third baseman Tommy Edman and nearly beat out the throw, but his best hustle of the day came in the seventh, when he doubled down the third-base line. He made sure he got to second base, much to the delight of the Braves' faithful -- and undoubtedly his manager.

"It was a good conversation," Brian Snitker said of the pregame meeting. "It's not the first time, obviously. And my gist of it, I think, to him without expanding on anything, is I'm not going to give up on this kid. I mean, I'm going to go to the end of the earth trying to help this guy. And understand the responsibilities of where we're all at. It was a good conversation."

Snitker pulled Acuna from a game in August after he failed to make it to second in a similar situation. And there have been other instances of him stopping at first base because of a lack of hustle out of the box. But the reigning NL Rookie of the Year says it won't happen again.

"That won't happen to me again in the postseason, in the regular [season], in [spring] training, that can't happen again," he said.

MEXICO CITY -- Mexico head coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino has selected a largely inexperienced squad for upcoming CONCACAF Nations League games against Bermuda (Oct. 11) and Panama (Oct. 15), leaving out the likes of Wolverhampton Wanderers' Raul Jimenez, Sevilla's Javier Hernandez and Club America's Guillermo Ochoa.

Martino has hinted that the squad's make-up would look have the future in mind and only Nestor Araujo (Celta Vigo), Diego Lainez (Real Betis), Hector Herrera (Atletico Madrid), Hirving Lozano (Napoli) and Jesus "Tecatito" Corona are included from Mexico's Europe-based players.

Fifteen of the 25 players picked by Martino are eligible for the Olympics next summer in Tokyo, with the Argentine coach currently looking for a gradual generational change in the Mexico national team.

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Lainez returns to the squad after a period without much playing time for Betis, while Monterrey's Jonathan Gonzalez is also back.

Leon's in-form striker Jose Juan Macias, who has been attracting attention from European clubs, is included and is the only natural No. 9 in the squad.

The Mexico-based players will travel on Sunday from Mexico City to New Jersey, where they will be based before heading to Bermuda on Wednesday.

El Tri defeated a reserve Trinidad and Tobago side 2-0 last Wednesday in Toluca and has been working with the younger group of domestic-based players in midweek mini-camps.

The squad in full:

Goalkeepers: Rodolfo Cota (Leon), Raul Gudino (Chivas), Jose Hernandez (Atlas)

Defenders: Cristian Calderon (Necaxa), Jesus Angulo (Atlas), Carlos Salcedo (Tigres), Nestor Araujo (Celta Vigo), Gerardo Arteaga (Santos Laguna), Jorge Sanchez (America), Alan Mozo (Pumas), Luis Romo (Queretaro), Johan Vasquez (Monterrey)

Midfielders: Sebastian Cordova (America), Jonathan Gonzalez (Monterrey), Rodolfo Pizarro (Monterrey), Roberto Alvarado (Cruz Azul), Diego Lainez (Real Betis), Ivan Rodriguez (Leon), Erick Aguirre (Pachuca), Hector Herrera (Atletico Madrid), Carlos Rodriguez (Monterrey), Uriel Antuna (LA Galaxy), Hirving Lozano (Napoli), Jesus Corona (Porto).

Forwards: Jose Juan Macias (Leon)

Atlanta United manager Frank de Boer says it's up to striker Josef Martinez whether he returns from a right leg injury on the final day of the regular season Sunday against the New England Revolution (stream live at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday on ESPN+).

Martinez resumed training with the team Wednesday, the first time he has taken the field with his teammates since his Sept. 21 injury.

It originally was feared the injury could keep Martinez out through the MLS playoffs after he sustained both knee and ankle issues when his leg folded underneath him following a collision with a teammate.

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Atlanta United is trying to secure second place in the Eastern Conference and a home game in the playoffs heading into the key Decision Day matchup at home (follow all the Decision Day action on the ESPN+ live whiparound show starting at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday).

The defending MLS Cup champions have played the last two matches without injured leading scorer Martinez and it has showed, totaling two goals while taking one point from road matches versus New York City FC and Montreal.

"It's great to see [Martinez] out there," midfielder Emerson Hyndman said. "Obviously he's a big loss to the team with the amount of goals he's scored for us and just the impact that he brings to our team. It's great to see him back out."

Martinez has 26 goals this season, third in MLS behind LAFC's Carlos Vela (31) and the LA Galaxy's Zlatan Ibrahimovic (29). Martinez, the reigning league MVP, led MLS in goals last season when he scored a record 31, a mark since matched by Vela.

Meanwhile, New England (11-10-12) will enter the playoffs as either the No. 6 or No. 7 seed in the East, having successfully overcome a dreadful 2-8-2 start following the arrival of Bruce Arena.

The Revolution, who could face Atlanta again in the first round of the playoffs pending Sunday's results, need to win and have Toronto FC lose to Columbus to claim the sixth spot, but their current form offers optimism they do not need a specific matchup to make a postseason run.

They improved to 9-2-10 in their last 21 matches and are unbeaten in the last four (1-0-3) after defeating East-leading NYCFC 2-0 last Sunday to clinch a playoff spot. Teal Bunbury and Gustavo Bou scored second-half goals for New England while Matt Turner made six saves for his second consecutive shutout.

"I think it [was] a good way to sum things up at home," Revs defender Jalil Anibaba told the club's official website. "I think it does show the fruits of our efforts and hard work, but it's only put us in a position to do what we want to do, so we're obviously aware of what's at stake moving forward.

"That's going to be more important than anything we've done in the past so far."

New England's turnaround picked up steam when Bou was signed before the close of the summer transfer window, with the Argentine striker totaling nine goals and two assists in 13 matches. He formed a quick partnership with fellow Designated Player Carles Gil, one of just four MLS players this season to reach double figures in goals (10) and assists (14).

Atlanta has never lost to New England since entering MLS in 2017, winning three matches and drawing the other two. The Revs have been outscored 9-1 in their two losses at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and dropped the reverse encounter this season 2-0 on April 13 as Ezequiel Barco had a brace on either side of half-time.

Information from Reuters and the Associated Press was used in this story.

The junior middleweight title fight between Ivana Habazin and Claressa Shields on Saturday has been called off after James Basher Ali, the veteran trainer for Habazin, was struck by an unidentified person and knocked unconscious at a weigh-in Friday.

The assailant fled the scene, which took place at the Dort Federal Event Center in Flint, Michigan.

The fight between Habazin (20-3-0, 7 KOs) and Shields (9-0-0, 2 KOs) was supposed to take place Saturday night. It was one of three fights on the eight-fight card that were to be broadcast on Showtime (9 p.m. ET Saturday), which instead said it would televise just two.

The rest of the event will proceed as scheduled.

Video from Friday's weigh-in showed Ali earlier involved in a verbal confrontation with an unidentified person during the weigh-in. It is unknown if the person involved is the same person who later attacked Ali.

Ali was knocked unconscious for approximately 20 minutes, witnesses told ESPN, before being taken out on a stretcher and brought to McLaren Medical Center. He was bleeding from his head after hitting the concrete floor.

Habazin went to the hospital with Ali, who for years worked at the famed Kronk Gym in Detroit and was in the camp of longtime heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko.

Neither Shields nor Habazin took part in the weigh-in when it resumed Friday. Fighters on the undercard attended the delayed weigh-in, which was open to the public.

Dmitry Salita, who promotes Shields, and Mark Taffet, Shields' manager, went to the hospital to see Ali and Habazin.

The fights that will be broadcast by Showtime on Saturday night include a welterweight bout between Philadelphia's Jaron Ennis and Argentina's Demian Daniel Fernandez, and Jermaine Franklin taking on Pavel Sour in a heavyweight bout.

ESPN's Steve Kim and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green admits that after a summer full of transition and roster turnover, the first week of training camp has been "different," as the organization tries to find a new rhythm without key pieces such as Kevin Durant and veterans Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston.

"A lot different," Green said after Friday's practice at Chase Center. "But it's fun, though."

The Warriors come into the new season looking very different from the team that lost to the Toronto Raptors in last season's NBA Finals. Durant signed with the Brooklyn Nets, Iguodala was shipped off to the Memphis Grizzlies to clear cap space and Livingston retired. In their place came D'Angelo Russell and a slew of unproven young players. As camp rolls along, Green acknowledges just how much all the changes have manifested on the floor.

"Just the lack of familiarity," Green said. "You get used to a certain thing for so long, and then it's not that. The normal reads that you would make, just kind of second nature, you got to make sure they're there. It's just a lot more making sure everyone's on the same page, or getting there. Everybody's not on the same page, which is to be expected, so just getting everybody there is the difference."

With All-Star swingman Klay Thompson out until at least the All-Star break in February, Green and superstar guard Stephen Curry have had to carry even more of a leadership role than normal. Green is confident the new-look team will find its chemistry sooner than later.

"It's time," Green said. "It's reps. Just kind of getting those reps. Figuring guys out, getting to know each other. That's a huge part of basketball, too, getting to know each other. ... That will come with time. It's no tough love right now. You figure that stuff out as time goes on. But none of us really know each other, except a few. So you can't give a guy you don't know tough love, that's fake as hell. If you're going to give somebody tough love, you don't even know if you love that person or not yet. So you can't give somebody tough love at this point, you just got to teach 'em."

Green said there's been even more teaching in practice than usual -- both from the coaches and the veteran players like himself.

"A lot more teaching," Green said. "For us guys who have been here for a while, it's a little difficult some of these practices. But that's the reality of [the situation], you kind of knew that coming in. So we're kind of playing the players' role but also coaching a little bit as well, too. The coaches, they're definitely approaching this a little differently, which is to be expected.

"You can teach some things about basketball, but you can't really teach IQ. You can teach people what to do -- however, this seems to be a pretty smart team. There's not really any idiots. Some teams you've got some idiots. It's not really any idiots [here], so that's good. Everybody seems to be able to think a little bit, so that's great."

The Warriors' first test regarding those new lessons comes Saturday night in their preseason opener against the Los Angeles Lakers. The game also marks the first game held in Chase Center, the Warriors' sparkling-new billion dollar arena. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said he's looking forward to seeing how loud the new arena is compared to Oracle Arena, the organization's home for the last 47 years in Oakland.

"I think mainly the noise," Kerr said. "It's hard to judge on a preseason game, but it feels like they did a really good job keeping the seats as close to the floor as possible. Some of the new arenas feel so vacuous, and this feels pretty intimate. I think we're going to have a really loud atmosphere in here, but we'll see."

Both Kerr and Green discussed how challenging the move from Oakland to San Francisco has been for everybody in the organization. Kerr said he spent part of Thursday with his wife, Margot, looking for a new veterinarian in San Francisco for the family dog.

"Figuring out your routine," Green said of what to expect in the team's new home. "All that stuff. But at the end of the day it's a basketball gym, it's an arena. We've played in a million arenas. I'm not going to be like, 'Oh my God, a new arena.' It's all the other stuff that y'all don't see and figuring that out. As opposed to getting out here [to the floor]. That's the easy part of it. ... I feel like a rookie all over again. Just trying to figure my life out. You know, moving, where to go, or how to beat traffic. I feel like a rookie all over again. This training camp has been interesting from that perspective for me. I haven't felt like a rookie in a while. I feel like a rookie."

As far as the game itself, Kerr noted starters like Green and Curry wouldn't play regular minutes against the Lakers.

"Not much more than 20," Kerr said. "If that."

HOUSTON -- Astros ace Justin Verlander continued to move up the all-time postseason charts during a dominant seven-inning outing Friday against the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1 of their American League Division Series matchup.

Verlander blanked the Rays over seven innings, allowing just one hit and three walks while striking out eight. Houston won 6-2, grabbing the quick series lead over the underdog Rays.

For Verlander, it was just another in a long line of postseason gems and with each outing, he climbs the all-time postseason leaderboards.

"I never get complacent about what I've been able to do in the playoffs," Verlander said. "Each and every game is a new opportunity to go out and re-prove myself."

With his seventh strikeout -- a whiff of Tampa Bay's Yandy Diaz in the seventh inning, -- Verlander passed Roger Clemens for the third-most K's in postseason history. He's now at 175, eight behind Andy Pettitte and 24 behind the record-holder, John Smoltz. If the Astros enjoy a deep playoff run as expected, Verlander would likely pass Smoltz this October.

The win was Verlander's 14th in the postseason, which moves him into a third-place tie with Hall of Famer Tom Glavine. He's one behind Smoltz, while Pettitte tops the list with 19.

Even if the Astros are eliminated by the Rays, Verlander, 36, will likely get more chances to add to his historic numbers: He continues to insist that he plans on playing until age 45.

"I guess I kind of pegged this like 45 number," Verlander said in advance of his outing. "Whether that's realistic or not, I don't know. I know I'm not going to sell myself short."

Verlander walked Rays leadoff hitter Austin Meadows to start the game after uncharacteristically struggling to find command of his fastball. He went to his secondary pitches to coax two double-play grounders during a sterling effort from the Houston defense. Verlander, typically a flyball pitcher when opposing hitters manage to put the ball in play against him, seemed as proud of that as any of the records.

"I don't know if that's the first game all year I've gotten two double plays," Verlander said. "These guys always give me a hard time because I don't get them enough ground balls. I was able to get them a few in the game today."

The defensive support aside, it was an unusually sterling effort even by Verlander's standards. He became just the 13th pitcher in postseason history to hold an opponent to one or fewer hits over at least seven innings. The last pitcher to do it was Cincinnati's Bronson Arroyo in 2012.

"He's an unbelievable competitor," third baseman Alex Bregman said. "He prepares more than anybody. I love how much pride he takes in every start that he makes."

None of this was any surprise to Bregman and his, teammates who have seen Verlander dominate the majority of his outings since he joined the Astros late in the 2017 season. Still, they can't help but marvel at Verlander's continued excellence.

"When you can execute at your best in the biggest moments," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "I mean, there's nothing -- there's not a higher league. Like there's nowhere for him to go to be tested any further. So the test is really being able to do it start after start and then postseason after postseason.

"I don't know how to define it. I don't know what it's called. Whatever that 'it' factor is, he's got it."