Rajasthan Royals won the toss and chose to bowl against Kings XI Punjab in Mohali.

Royals won their most recent match, against, Mumbai Indians, and are desperately trying to bring their season to life, having lost five of their first six games. Kings XI, meanwhile, are looking to move up into the top four, with their four wins from eight matches currently placing them fifth on the table.

Royals made three changes to the side that beat Mumbai, however, dropping overseas batsmen Steven Smith and Liam Livingstone as well as local offspinner K Gowtham, in favour of allrounder Stuart Binny, legspinner Ish Sodhi and batsman Ashton Turner, who is making his IPL debut.

Kings XI have also made three changes, leaving out Sam Curran, Sarfaraz Khan, and Andrew Tye, replacing them with David Miller, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Arshdeep Singh. Originally, though, Australia allrounder Moises Henriques was meant to play but minutes after he received his cap, he suffered a possible ankle injury and needed the assistance of two of his team-mates to even walk off the field.

Kings XI had lost their most recent match - to Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Rajasthan Royals: 1 Ajinkya Rahane (capt), 2 Jos Buttler, 3 Sanju Samson, 4 Rahul Tripathi, 5 Ashton Turner, 6 Stuart Binny, 7 Jofra Archer, 8 Shreyas Gopal, 9 Jaydev Unadkat, 10 Dhawal Kulkarni, 11 Ish Sodhi

Kings XI Punjab: 1 KL Rahul, 2 Chris Gayle, 3 Mayank Agarwal, 4 David Miller, 5 Nicholas Pooran, 6 Mandeep Singh, 7 R Ashwin (capt), 8 Mohammed Shami, 9 M Ashwin, 10 Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 11 Arshdeep Singh

Despite mounting speculation about Imad Wasim's fitness over the last two days, the allrounder appears set to go to the World Cup with Pakistan. A chronic knee injury means he hasn't yet passed the fitness test that 22 probables underwent on Monday, but he will undergo one ahead of the World Cup, and PCB officials are convinced he will clear it.

The PCB didn't disclose the results of the fitness tests held at the Gaddafi Stadium on Monday, but it was clear not all 22 players passed. The case of Imad received the most intense scrutiny, especially since he had been nursing a flare-up of the knee injury that has hampered him for a while now. Since the end of the series against Australia, Imad had been at the National Cricket Academy, working on his rehabilitation. A video circulated on social media today showed him gingerly jogging up the steps of the Gaddafi stadium stands with his teammates, lending credence to the fitness concerns that had been raised over the past few days.

ESPNcricinfo understands scans reveal Imad's knee problem does not inhibit his ability with either bat or ball, and medical staff believe the problem will clear by the time the World Cup begins at the end of May. The coaching staff have been impressed by his work ethic in the past three weeks, and that - in addition to his reduced running ability - has earned him some time with regards to passing his fitness test. There was initially talk he would undergo a test before April 18 - when chief selector Inzamam ul Haq announces the World Cup squad - but the current status of his injury means the prospect of passing such a test is remote.

The coaching staff are also pleased at the advancing fitness of several core players in the Pakistan squad, with as many as half-a-dozen having surpassed their previous times. The younger players and those who had not previously been part of the Pakistan set-up are understood to have fallen short of the mark that has been set as a non-negotiable, but are believed to be making speedy progress, with particular praise directed at 18-year old Mohammad Hasnain.

Abid Ali and Hasnain did not make the grade in the test on Monday, but since they are new to the set-up, ESPNcricinfo understands they will be given more time to reach the requisite benchmark. Officials confirmed that passing the test before the World Cup was still a non-negotiable and were confident that all players selected on Thursday would pass the test in time for Pakistan's World Cup campaign.

Despite some players still needing to pass, there is a notable positivity to the atmosphere following the fitness tests, and a sense that the 22 players exceeded expectations. A source told ESPNcricinfo this was "the fittest, strongest squad ever" from Pakistan. Inzamam and head coach Mickey Arthur are believed to have finalised the 15 names to go to the World Cup, and the additional two that will form part of the 17-man squad for the ODI series against England prior.

These developments would appear to indicate Imad remains a firm part of the PCB's plans ahead of the World Cup, but the chronic nature of his knee injury means complete certainty of his fitness is hard to guarantee. A chronic knee issue has also hindered the career of another contender for the squad in Haris Sohail, who missed the tour of South Africa with that problem, before returning to score two hundreds in the series against Australia.

The squad will be announced on Thursday evening by Inzamam, with the team set to depart for England on Monday April 22.

On the eve of England's World Cup squad announcement, the name Jofra Archer seems to be on everybody's lips, and not always in the most welcoming way. The Barbados-born Archer, who recently qualified to represent England, has plenty of supporters, but number of his prospective team-mates have expressed reservations. Here's what they had to say - on both sides of the argument.

Eoin Morgan (England captain)

"Jofra is a very impressive player. He's a guy who, if he was England qualified, we'd have looked at … at the end of last year. He'd have gone on some Lions [tours] and from there we'd have seen what happened.

"Is it too late if he did qualify at the start of next year? Yes, I think it is. Providing everybody is fit, I think it is." Speaking to media in June 2018

Status: Anti ...

Morgan again ...

"We have to be open-minded in adjustments that need to be made, particularly in the fast-bowling department.

"Jofra's quite close to qualifying. He's in demand around the world and I think that's justified because of the talent that he is, he's done some brilliant things … We'll make a decision once he's actually available." Speaking to media in January 2019

Status: Non-committal (but pro really ...)

Chris Woakes (fast bowler/allrounder)

"Fair probably is not the right word.

"It probably wouldn't be fair morally, but at the same time it's the nature of international sport." Speaking to BBC in April 2019 when asked if it was fair that Archer could replace someone who has been part of the squad for three years

Status: Non-committal

David Willey (fast bowler)

"It's a group of players that have been together for three or four years now that have got us to No.1 and there's a reason for that. Whether someone should just walk in at the drop of a hat because they're available, whether that's the right thing I don't know.

"I imagine every bowler sat in that dressing room will be trying to do that, to make sure it's not them that gets left out, should that happen." Speaking to media in March 2019

Status: Anti

Mark Wood (fast bowler)

"I was speaking about this with the lads at Durham and it was the old Kevin Keegan thing, bringing in Tino Asprilla [at Newcastle Utd] because you want to keep the team at the top.

"You still want to keep moving forward but does that change the dynamic? Does it mix it up? All of a sudden, you can lose the momentum and drop down.

"He would obviously be a great asset but would that affect the dynamic of the team? Would I want to see someone like Liam Plunkett, who has been our best bowler for three years, left out? No.

"Would I want to see myself left out? Obviously not. Would I want to see David Willey, who I am close friends with and who gives you a left-arm option, left out? No.

"Would I want to see Chris Woakes, who I am really good friends with and has taken loads of wickets, left out? No. Or Tom Curran, who has bowled well?

"It is hard to see. Does anyone deserve to be left out? I don't know." Speaking to media in April 2019

Status: Anti

Chris Jordan (fast bowler)

"Anyone of Jofra's calibre, anyone of his quality, you should be talking about him because his talent alone speaks for itself. He can bat, he can bowl, he can field and he can do all of them to a very, very high level ... if he does get the call he'll be a massive, massive asset to England." Speaking to ESPNcricinfo in April 2019

Status: Pro

Ben Stokes (fast bowler/allrounder)

"Jofra makes any team better. He is the most naturally gifted bowler I've seen and I don't think he realises how good he is.

"To have somebody at the pace he bowls and the skills he has … the selectors are going to be scratching their heads and it's a great time to be an England fan and an England player." Speaking to The Doosra podcast in April 2019

Status: Pro

Liam Plunkett (fast bowler)

"I feel like I should be in that 15. I feel like I've played well and been one of England's best seamers in the last two or three years. I'm hoping they'll back me.

"He's obviously a massive talent, but he's not played that much one-day cricket himself. Reading the press, he might get a game against Pakistan [in May], but whatever happens, happens. The other bowlers can't do anything about it. You just go back and try to perform for your county." Speaking to ESPNcricinfo in April 2019

Status: Non-committal

Trevor Bayliss (England head coach)

"It's great to see those guys raise the bar and put in the performances they did. With that chat about Jofra, the guys we've got here have really stood up and bowled extremely well.

"What I will say is with the chat that has been around about him in the last month or two it's been good to see the response we've had from the bowlers. Some of the performances on this trip have been fantastic, sometimes the best pressure is from within and there hasn't been a lot of pressure on the group from a bowling point of view for a while." Speaking to media in March 2019

Status: Pro

Ed Smith (national selector)

"To be honest with you, I wouldn't rule anything out. I don't really believe in ruling things out. When a decision comes up, just attend to it with as much focus and clarity as you can. Try and get the decisions right one by one." Speaking to media in December 2018

Status: Non-committal (but pro really…)

The Seattle Seahawks and Russell Wilson have reached agreement on a four-year, $140 million extension that includes a $65 million signing bonus and makes the quarterback the highest-paid player in the NFL, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Tuesday morning.

With the four years added to his contract, Wilson, 30, is contractually tied to the Seahawks through the 2023 season, the source said.

In addition to topping Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers' contract as the richest ever with a new-money annual average of $35 million per season, Wilson's signing bonus also sets a record. Rodgers was first in both categories at $33.5 million and $57.5 million, respectively, on the extension he signed last summer.

The deal includes a no-trade clause, a source said.

Wilson, without specifying terms, said he had reached a deal in a video he posted to Twitter about 45 minutes after the passing of the midnight deadline that his side had set for an extension.

"Hey Seattle, we got a deal," a sleepy-sounding Wilson says while lying in bed next to his wife, Ciara. "Go Hawks. But I'ma see y'all in the morning. Time for y'all to go to bed."

SEATTLE. Let's get it. @Seahawks #GoHawks pic.twitter.com/xeWnEnUzmR

— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) April 16, 2019

The deal was apparently finished after four days of negotiations between the Seahawks and Wilson's agent, Mark Rodgers, who arrived at the team's headquarters Friday.

It keeps Wilson, a five-time Pro Bowler and the quarterback of the only Super Bowl-winning team in Seahawks history, under contract through his age-35 season. And it avoids the messy route of Wilson going year-to-year on the franchise tag, which would have paved the way for an eventual divorce.

"At the end of the day, my guy wants to live, work, thrive in Seattle," Rodgers said Tuesday. "Loves this town and its fans. He compromised to stay here. I respect that."

Wilson was set to make $17 million in 2019, the final season of the four-year, $87.6 million extension he signed in the summer of 2015. His side had given the Seahawks a deadline of midnight Monday for a new contract and, according to Schefter, did not intend to revisit negotiations this year if there wasn't a deal by that point.

Wilson had said at the end of last season that he would be comfortable going into the final year of his current deal if needed.

"Oh yeah, if that's what I've got to do," Wilson said. "It's business and everything. I know essentially after the season, I could potentially be a free agent, that kind of thing. I don't think that way. I see myself being in Seattle. I love Seattle, and it's a special place for me."

Coach Pete Carroll, also speaking at the end of the season, said an extension for Wilson was "very much in our plans." More recently, he said at the NFL's annual meetings last month that the two sides were "on it" in terms of a potential Wilson extension without elaborating. But when the deadline was first reported in early April and especially as midnight Monday drew nearer, there was no indication of whether they would come to an agreement.

Despite the uncertainty over his contract negotiations, Wilson was present for the start of the team's voluntary offseason program on Monday as his agent and the Seahawks continued to meet.

Wilson's 2015 extension averaged $21.9 million, which at the time made him the second-highest-paid quarterback in terms of annual average below Rodgers at $22 million. Wilson had fallen all the way to 12th on that list before his latest extension put him at the top.

With Wilson taken care of, the Seahawks can now focus their attention after the draft to potential extensions for All-Pro middle linebacker Bobby Wagner and Frank Clark, the team's top pass-rusher. However, it will be no easy task to extend both of their contracts given how much money the Seahawks are now paying Wilson and the fact that Wagner's and Clark's extensions would be near or at the top of the market for their positions. Clark has been the subject of trade rumors and has yet to sign his $17.128 million franchise tag.

Wilson is coming off arguably the best season of his seven-year career. He edged his previous career bests with 35 touchdown passes and a 110.9 passer rating while tying his career low of seven interceptions. Wilson did that on 427 attempts, his fewest since 2013, as the Seahawks operated one of the league's most run-heavy offenses. Only Drew Brees and Patrick Mahomes finished with a better rating than Wilson's 110.9.

Carolina Hurricanes forward Andrei Svechnikov, 19, is in the concussion protocol after being knocked out by Alex Ovechkin in a fight during Monday night's game.

Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour made the announcement, saying he assumed that Svechnikov would miss Thursday's Game 4.

Svechnikov is the youngest player in the NHL playoffs. A native of Barnaul, Russia, Svechnikov has said he grew up idolizing Ovechkin, his countryman who is 14 years his senior. Svechnikov appeared to provoke Ovechkin in the first period, and the two exchanged words before dropping the gloves. Svechnikov got a few jabs in before Ovechkin dropped Svechnikov with three hard rights.

Svechnikov's head hit the ice on the way down. Svechnikov stayed down on the ice for several minutes, then was helped off by Carolina trainers. He did not return to the game.

It was Ovechkin's first fight since Dec. 12, 2010. He received a five-minute major penalty.

"First of all, I hope he's OK," Ovechkin said. "Yeah, I'm not a big fighter, and he's the same. He asked me to fight and said, 'Let's go.' I hope he's OK. You don't want to see a guy get hurt or something. And you just go a different way.

"We got maybe a little bit frustrated and too confident. We just have to forget about it and move forward."

When asked if fighting is still necessary in hockey, Brind'Amour said: "I don't know if it's ever been necessary. It's been part of the game forever. No, I don't think it's necessary. I don't think you're ever going to get it away from the game. It's tough to see, though. That's the worst part of it that you see when guys get hurt. That's always tough to see."

Some have said that Svechikov asked for the fight, but Brind'Amour said Tuesday: "There's two version going around. I'll just leave it at that."

The Hurricanes won their first home playoff game in a decade, routing the Capitals 5-0. Washington has a 2-1 series lead.

Brind'Amour said Monday that Svechnikov had left the building before the game was over.

"Svech means a lot to us. Young kid. Just turned 19. He has a special bond with our group, with me too," Brind'Amour said. "When you see that, it makes you sick. I'm still sick to my stomach about it. ... It's a little bit tough, because I just heard Ovi talk about it; he said our guy challenged him. So, if that's the case, it's a little different. If you watch the video, he slashes him twice -- Ovi, whack, whack -- then Svech gets him back. I don't know if there's words exchanged, but one guy's gloves come off way first. And that's Ovi, not our guy.

"So, it's a little but frustrating, because he got hurt. It's his first fight. He's played 90 games. He's never fought in his life, and I'm pretty sure Ovi knew that. So, that stuff bothers me."

Svechnikov scored two goals and tallied one assist in the Hurricanes' first two games in this series.

Ovechkin won his record eighth Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy this season as the league's top goal scorer. He had one goal and two assists in the Capitals' first two games in these playoffs.

"I just hated seeing that. I just hated the whole part of it. Just something you never want to see," Hurricanes defenseman Dougie Hamilton said. "I just feel so bad for [Svechnikov], and hopefully he gets better soon. The game doesn't really matter when something like that happens; you just can't get it out of your head. I just hope he's OK."

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- An impromptu celebration broke out Sunday afternoon on the Augusta National putting green, with Tiger Woods taking a Masters victory lap after being presented the green jacket by 2018 champion Patrick Reed.

As the masses cheered on Woods, then migrated with him as he left the green, Reed found himself caught up in the frenzy, trying to make his way toward the clubhouse when dozens upon hundreds of fans were streaming the other way.

Wearing his own green jacket and a yellow tie, Reed got swallowed up in the hysteria, all but run over -- a shared feeling of others in the aftermath of Woods' historic victory.

It was his 81st PGA Tour title, 15th major and fifth Masters. So naturally, it is fair to wonder what is next.

"I felt the hardest part for him was going to be the next one, to get to that 15 [major] mark,'' Reed said. "Because [his last major victory] was a long time ago. First, it was 'Can he get to the winner's circle?' Well, he checked that off at East Lake [where he won the 2018 Tour Championship.]

"Then it's, 'OK, he just needs to get that one [major] to get that taste again.' For him to get another one like he did, having everyone bunched on the leaderboard like that, I'd be shocked if he wasn't knocking on that door for 19.''

That might be getting a bit ahead of ourselves, but it is interesting that such a notion is even in the conversation, that Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 major titles is even in play.

Because for so long it was not. Not after multiple injuries, swing issues, confidence woes and an 11-year period without a major championship.

"The way he played this week especially the way he played [Sunday] . . . it was brutal out there,'' Reed said. "The wind was thumping. You had to be able to control your golf ball. Not just distance wise. You had to be able to flight it, you had to hit every shot, whether it was a draw with the wind or a draw to hold the wind. High, low. To play the way he did and be able to bogey the last hole to win it just shows how great of a golfer he still is.''

Who would have dreamed it possible? Not Woods two years ago, when he was about to undergo spinal fusion surgery that would change his life and career. Certainly not a growing horde of naysayers, who figured his major-winning days were behind him even before back problems surfaced as Woods struggled despite being No. 1 in the world for the better part of 2013.

Woods had finally failed to convert a 54-hole lead in a major into victory at the 2009 PGA Championship. He had six top-six finishes over the next 14 majors that he played, his best a tie for third at the 2012 Open. Just two shots behind a year later at Muirfield, Woods tied for sixth -- the sixth time in his career he was within two shots of the lead entering the final round of a major without winning.

The first back surgery in 2014 knocked Woods out of the Masters and U.S. Open, but he wasn't a factor in any of the next six majors he played, missing four cuts.

Fellow players certainly had their doubts, watching Woods endure a case of the chipping yips in 2015, missing three cuts in majors that year, and then an aborted comeback in late 2016 and 2017.

And then there was the wait after surgery, the unknown, Woods saying, "I don't know what my future holds.''

But Rob McNamara never doubted. A vice president with Woods' TGR Ventures, McNamara has worked for Woods since 2000 and has become a trusted confidant as the golfer plays without a coach.

"I've always been an eternal optimist,'' McNamara said outside the Augusta clubhouse Sunday. "Even before the surgery, I thought if he's standing on two legs, he's still Tiger Woods. He was the best guy with a different swing and a different body at [age] 5 , at 10, at 15, at 20. So why not 43 with a bad back? In my mind, I was always optimistic. I know the reality of getting it done is pretty surreal.''

McNamara played with Woods at Augusta National on April 3, the Wednesday prior to tournament week and a few days after his quarterfinal loss at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. Woods shot a 65 that day -- with a three-putt bogey on the first hole.

Then they returned to Augusta on April 7, late in the afternoon after most had left the course. Woods, McNamara and Joe LaCava, Woods' caddie, headed to the first tee, where Woods took with him just a wedge and a putter.

"Ballstriking-wise, he was way ahead of where he was last year coming into these last couple of months,'' McNamara said. "All year he's driven the ball and really struck the ball extremely well. It was just scoring. Short game and putting. I started to see a change once he started pitching it really close and tight. That was some of that work on Sunday night. Just taking a wedge around. He knew it was about pitches and chips and controlling your distance and your speed and your spin. He started getting dialed in and had a nice feel. I think that carried him through.''

Woods ranked just 47th in driving accuracy for the weekend, but he led the field in greens in regulation -- he has been first or second in all five of his victories -- hitting 58 of 72 greens. Woods made nine bogeys, two three-putting and seven times failing to get up and down for par.

But hitting all those greens was key, as Woods made 22 birdies, including six in the final round.

"I just felt so prepared coming into this event,'' Woods said. "This year, my finishes don't really reflect it [nothing better than a tie for 10th in four stroke play events], but I was starting to shape the ball the way that I know I can, which I needed for this week.

"Prep for the Masters started six months ago, so just trying to make sure I get ready to peak for this one week and I did, and everything came together, which is great.''

Can he peak again this year at the remaining majors? The process for Woods to get ready to play each day and each tournament is daunting. There are some early wake-up calls, with a stretching and cardio routine that sometimes involves therapy to get prepared. On off weeks, Woods can't pound hundreds of balls per day. He needs the proper mix of practice and tournament preparation to get it all right.

Now sixth in the world and 13th in the FedEx Cup standings, Woods has made worrying about qualifying for the season-ending FedEx Cup playoff events less of an issue. He reiterated he will play less than he did last year -- a total of 20 times worldwide, 18 on the PGA Tour.

An educated guess has him playing at the Wells Fargo Championship later this month, followed by every-other-week events at the PGA Championship, Memorial Tournament and U.S. Open. It is possible Woods does not play again after that until The Open at Royal Portrush, followed by a hectic run to the end of the season that includes the WGC-FedEx St. Jude following The Open and then three playoff events in August.

For now, the next push will be for an 82nd PGA Tour victory and matching Sam Snead's record. The PGA Tour plans a marketing campaign surrounding that pursuit.

But in the back of the mind will be the major chase of Nicklaus' record, revived again even if still a daunting task.

"You can't get to 18 unless you get to 15,'' LaCava said. "Now we're thinking about 16. That's the good news. That's the next one.''

The Golden State Warriors are fearful that All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins has suffered a torn left quad but won't be certain until an MRI on Tuesday, league sources told ESPN.

The best-case scenario could be a strained quad, but there was evidence that Cousins' noncontact injury, which occurred while he was pursuing a loose ball in Monday's 135-131 Game 2 loss to the LA Clippers, was serious and season-ending, league sources said.

"There's a pretty significant quad injury," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after the game. "We'll get an MRI [on Tuesday], but he's going to be out for -- I'll just say a while because I think it's unclear right now how long he'll be out. It's significant."

Cousins missed almost a full year of play with a torn left Achilles suffered last season in New Orleans. He signed a one-year deal with the Warriors, expecting that a healthy return to play would catapult him back into the free-agent market this summer.

Cousins had shown steady progress and glimpses of his All-NBA self before Monday's injury, but now he could be facing several more months of rehab on the quad. The injury occurred with 8 minutes, 30 seconds left in the first quarter after Cousins knocked away a pass from Clippers forward Danilo Gallinari. As he tried to chase down the ball, he fell to the floor before he could control the ball.

He tried to get up and keep going, but once he rose to his feet, he immediately called to be taken out of the game. He then gingerly made his way back to the Warriors' locker room with team medical personnel.

Cousins' injury left the Warriors' locker room stunned. After all the hard work the former All-Star put into getting back on the floor, his teammates couldn't believe he faced the possibility of being done for the postseason.

"It's tough, for sure," Warriors guard Stephen Curry said. "You feel for him considering what he's been through this last year. This is a big stage, the playoffs. He's been looking forward to this. I don't know the extent of the injury at this point. Hope he gets back sooner than later. Just man-to-man in terms of him, what he's been through, it's tough for sure. There's no sugarcoating it at all. You hate seeing that opportunity again on this big stage taken away from him like that."

With Cousins potentially lost for the season, it will be up to veteran Andrew Bogut and Kevon Looney to pick up even more slack for the rest of the Warriors' playoff run.

"Obviously there will be more minutes," Bogut said. "It'll still be matchup-dependent, but I anticipate probably starting games, playing the first three or four minutes and then coming out. Hopefully it's not too serious. It didn't look good. Not going to make any guesses because we're not doctors. Hopefully we'll get a good result [Tuesday] once he gets to the machine."

With the win, the Clippers evened the first-round playoff series at one game apiece. Game 3 is Thursday night in Los Angeles.

The No. 7 seeds in each conference enter Tuesday's Game 2s having stolen home-court advantage -- for now.

Here are the key adjustments and matchups to watch in Raptors-Magic and Nuggets-Spurs.

Raptors-Magic

Traditions must be honored. And so it is that sphincters will be a-tightening for Game 2 of a first-round series in Toronto.

A Raptors optimist -- just kidding, there is no such thing -- would chalk up Toronto's annual opening Saturday gag as a "make-or-miss-league" loss, and the Magic are indeed unlikely to hit 14-of-29 from deep again. But 48 percent from 3-point range is an expected outlier, if there is such a thing, not an insane one; Orlando hit at least 45 percent of its 3s in nine of 82 regular-season games. It happens. So does a decent shooting team -- Toronto -- hitting 33 percent of its 3s.

Orlando also shot 36 percent on 2-pointers, its worst figure in any game this season. Transfer a couple of made 3s from the Magic to the Drakes, and, sure, Toronto wins Game 1, but likely not in the convincing fashion we might expect from a No. 2 seed.

Orlando is 3-2 against Toronto this season. The Magic finished Game 1 with the poise of a postseason regular -- running their stuff, gauging the response of Toronto's defense, and guiding the ball to open shooters.

The Raptors are the better team, but they are going to have to play like it. How?

• Start by targeting D.J. Augustin when Orlando has him guarding Kyle Lowry -- as the Magic did for much of Game 1. Any screening action involving Lowry and Kawhi Leonard -- on or off the ball -- produced good results. Switch, and Leonard beasts:

Leonard destroys Evan Fournier, and that is instructive; Orlando's counter to any Augustin-hunting is to hide Augustin on Danny Green, leaving Fournier on Lowry, but that doesn't make switching any more palatable if Leonard can overwhelm Fournier. He can do the same to Wes Iwundu, who took the Leonard assignment when Aaron Gordon rested, and Michael Carter-Williams.

• Shift Augustin onto Green, and the Raptors can just use Green as a screener. Bonus: We might glimpse Green's slow-motion post-up game, which has been oddly effective against smaller point guards this season. If he hits a loping lefty hook off the glass, we all chug Molsons.

• Lowry and Leonard teamed in only three pick-and-rolls, per Second Spectrum, and that number should be higher in Game 2; the Magic don't want to switch that action, and Toronto pries open good stuff as the Magic help and recover:

• Lowry ran only eight pick-and-rolls combined, his sixth-lowest figure in any game this season, per Second Spectrum. That isn't enough. Toronto can generate open pick-and-pop 3s for Marc Gasol anytime by running Lowry/Gasol and Leonard/Gasol two-man actions. If a third defender lunges over to challenge Gasol's shot, he can shift into passing mode.

Lowry has never found the right balance in his offense when sharing the floor with Leonard. Perhaps they didn't play together enough. But he has erred on the side of passivity all season -- strangely so at times. Maybe his ankle and back are sore now, but Lowry going into hot-potato mode is not a new thing. (Lowry in hot-potato mode is still effective, by the way, because smart touch passes are generally good things, and he is a sharp cutter once he gets rid of the ball. But to go as far as they want, the Raptors need peak Lowry, and this ain't it.)

• If Toronto picks more at Orlando's weak spots, the Magic can respond by sending more help away from Pascal Siakam. Orlando did not pay him much attention off the ball in Game 1:

Toronto countered by putting the ball in Siakam's hands; Siakam ran eight pick-and-rolls, his second-highest total in any game all season, per Second Spectrum. Toronto got good shots when either Lowry, Leonard or Gasol screened for him. The Raps should keep plumbing that.

• The Raptors can also reverse the ball to Siakam, and have him run an immediate handoff with one of their good shooters as Siakam's defender rushes to recover. Think of Draymond Green when defenses ignore him.

• Those plays take verve, and Toronto was lethargic getting into its half-court offense at times in Game 1. They cut at half-speed. They whiffed on too many picks. Credit the Magic for some of that. They make teams uncomfortable and take away the easy stuff.

Going earlier would inject some needed side-to-side action. Orlando is not going to give a lot of offensive rebounds, free throws or fast-break points. Toronto needs to execute with more zip.

• Jonathan Isaac is long and fast enough to stray from Siakam without leaving him open too long, or flailing out of balance. He looms as an interesting bellwether. Isaac played 40 minutes in Game 1, most of any Orlando player. That is stunning, considering Orlando's best lineup -- its frequent closing group -- does not include him: Augustin, Fournier, Terrence Ross, Gordon and Nikola Vucevic. That group logged only two minutes in Game 1. (Orlando won those minutes 9-0.)

Isaac scored enough to pay it off. If the Magic veer toward that smaller group in Game 2, they might unlock Siakam's post game. They want Gordon guarding Leonard; if Isaac is on the bench, that leaves a smaller player on Siakam.

• Nick Nurse needs to be careful sitting Lowry, Leonard and Gasol at the same time. They rested together for five minutes in Game 1.

• I still get uneasy when Steve Clifford runs out bench-heavy units in which Ross and Gordon are the only offensive fulcrums. He has recently gone a step further, and leaned on a lineup of Carter-Williams, Ross, Iwundu, Isaac and Khem Birch. That group went minus-5 over three minutes in Game 1. (The version with Gordon in Isaac's place logged only one minute.) Those are "buying time" lineups. They are "close your eyes and hope some random jumpers go in" lineups.

Clifford already cut those groups to four total minutes in Game 1, and he went back to Fournier much sooner in the second half. That is playoff coaching.

• The Raptors are going to switch on defense with everyone but their centers. Watch Leonard, Green and Siakam trade assignments in rapid fire:

Toronto will fight to avoid switching its centers. That makes Vucevic an even more important hub for Orlando. Gasol can neutralize Vucevic in the post, but Vucevic is a problem in open space. He can pop for easy 3s, and make the correct pass when Toronto rotates an extra defender toward him.

Toronto did a decent job containing the Fournier-Vucevic two-man game on the left side of the floor, but when that action forces a switch, the Magic have to go into Vucevic on the block. They forfeited a couple of chances in Game 1.

• Toronto may toy with blitzing Augustin in Game 2. They trapped Ross on a few Ross/Birch pick-and-rolls, wagering correctly that Birch would not hurt them making plays far from the hoop. Vucevic can, which is why the Raptors should be wary overcorrecting for Augustin's scorching Game 1. If they blitz, Vucevic can slip to the rim, take a pocket pass, and do damage:

Vucevic mixing in some hard rolls is healthy regardless of Toronto's strategy. He has a nice floater, and when he watches film of Game 1, he'll see a few open kickout passes waiting to be made.

• Nurse going with Green on Augustin in the second half -- and Lowry on Fournier -- seemed to work.

• Toronto may have overreacted having its big men fly out to swarm Ross off pindown screens. Ibaka doubled him a few times when the screen didn't really hit; that set off a bad chain of reactions:

Let the help come from Carter-Williams' defender up top instead.

Nuggets-Spurs

• Two-thirds of San Antonio's attempts came from the midrange in Game 1, the highest such share for any game, by any team, this season, Ben Falk of Cleaning The Glass told me.

It should be impossible to win an NBA game in 2019 with that shot distribution, though as Falk pointed out Friday, the Spurs have specialized in winning extreme midrange games. It's not as if San Antonio feasted on easy catch-and-shoot 2s against Denver, either. They got some, but their guards -- mostly Derrick White and Bryn Forbes, with a couple of DeMar DeRozan toughies late -- canned a bunch of contested runners and pull-ups.

San Antonio finished with an effective field-goal percentage almost seven percentage points fatter than we would expect based on the location of each shot and the nearest defender, per Second Spectrum -- by far the highest Game 1 differential. The Spurs are a great shot-making team, but Denver should be fine with the shots San Antonio made.

• That includes shots Denver yielded when doubling DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge in the post. But should Denver bother doubling at all? They played stout one-on-one defense on both.

The Nuggets were more aggressive doubling Aldridge when Jakob Poeltl was also on the floor. Such lineups feature fewer spot-up shooters than smaller outfits with Rudy Gay in Poeltl's place, meaning Denver defenders have less distance to cover.

Denver was more judicious doubling when the Spurs stationed four shooters around Aldridge. That's smart. The Spurs scored just 0.7 points per possession on trips featuring an Aldridge post-up, and even fewer when those post-ups led directly to a shot, per Second Spectrum. Their defense on him (and DeRozan) worked.

Still: They might be able to dial back the double-teaming even more in Game 2.

• Something to monitor: San Antonio went minus-4 in 10 minutes with Poeltl and Aldridge together. That's a tiny one-game sample, and it's safe to start big against the Paul Millsap-Nikola Jokic duo. All things equal, Gregg Popovich always chooses big over small. But the Spurs have struggled all season with Poeltl and Aldridge together.

• The Spurs outscored opponents by four points per 100 possessions in the regular season when both Aldridge and DeRozan hit the bench. That was better than their margin when both were on the floor, or when either played without the other. Their bench won them a lot of games. But reserves don't get to beat up on bad bench units in the playoffs. Popovich preemptively adjusted by keeping one of DeRozan and Aldridge on the floor the whole of Game 1.

• As an aside, the degree to which DeRozan has stopped shooting 3s is astonishing. He is 0-of-5 from deep since Jan. 1. Total. From 2013-14 through 2016-17, DeRozan shot between 38 and 44 percent on corner 3s every season. Now he's not even standing behind the line when teams leave him open there:

San Antonio cobbled a really good offense with an old-school shot profile. Even so, there are possessions when an open DeRozan corner 3 is better than attacking as the shot clock ticks.

• The Nuggets kept Jokic closer to the paint than usual in defending the pick-and-roll. That makes sense. San Antonio's ball-handlers aren't going to start pulling up like Stephen Curry. Keep everyone in front of you, stay home on shooters, and make the Spurs work for tough 2s.

About that "stay home on shooters" part: Jamal Murray was awful tracking both the ball and his man on the perimeter, and the Spurs appeared to prey on him.

They put Murray in help position on the weak side. They had his man -- often White -- tiptoe along the arc when Murray peeked inside, and sprint into passes before Murray could find his bearings.

Ninety seconds into the game, Murray turned to watch the ball, spaced out, and lost Forbes for an easy 3-pointer. (Denver's defense out of timeouts was bad; they yielded several easy jumpers, including two more Forbes jumpers.)

• Murray's job gets even harder, and the Spurs more ruthless, when Mason Plumlee replaces Jokic at center. Plumlee ventures further out against the pick-and-roll, forcing Denver's perimeter defenders into longer and more urgent help rotations:

The Spurs could bait those rotations when Plumlee is in the game, and pass their way to some open 3s.

• Plumlee looked good switching onto DeRozan. That was interesting.

• Instead of posting up so often, the Spurs might look to use Aldridge in more pick-and-pops. If Jokic is going to hang near the rim, Aldridge can amble into wide-open looks from his happy place:

Note Millsap creeping off of Gay to wave at Aldridge, and Davis Bertans open behind Gay. Aldridge will see that, and be ready.

Denver could of course counter by nudging Jokic higher on the floor -- that has been their scheme all season -- but the Spurs might able to pass around him, and into some open 3s.

• The Spurs are abandoning both Will Barton and Gary Harris to help on even run-of-the-mill drives. Those guys are going to have to make shots.

• Oh, yeah, that: Denver went 6-of-28 from 3-point range, including 5-of-26 on looks that were either "open" or "wide open," per NBA.com. The Spurs know they can't stop Jokic in the post, so they are doubling him on almost every touch -- turning him into a passer. That is a strategy borne out of weakness, but it's still a strategy -- and it worked.

Denver should stay the course. Keep posting Jokic. More of those 3s are going to drop. They might vary their methods of springing Jokic into post position -- more duck-ins, more pick-and-rolls that morph into post-ups -- but the basic machinery is sound. Denver will get good looks running the offense through Jokic in the post, and from the elbows, with cutters whirring around him.

• They ran zero Jokic-Murray pick-and-rolls in Game 1. Zippo. That was the most effective pick-and-roll combination in the league during the regular season, per Second Spectrum. Use it! (We did see some Jokic-Gary Harris plays, but Harris is not as dynamic with the ball.)

• Murray setting pindowns for Jokic is always good:

That can work to free Jokic for a quick-hitting post-up.

• DeRozan loves bringing the ball up the sideline, and taking a screen from one of San Antonio's other perimeter players -- a method of getting a smaller defender switched onto him. That is when DeRozan can eat. Denver conceded a lot of those switches. When they didn't -- when they blitzed him instead -- DeRozan made the right play.

• Rudy Gay's recovery in San Antonio after tearing his Achilles has been one of the league's best under-the-radar stories. In the right role, in the right place, he is a really good player.

• Thing that makes me nervous: Barton as the only Denver starter on the floor.

Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts was his own harshest critic Monday, taking his share of the blame for Boston's 6-11 start after last year's World Series championship.

"Basically, what I'm doing is unacceptable," Betts told reporters after Boston's 8-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. "I have to figure out a way to get something done and help the team."

Betts, the reigning American League MVP, went 0-for-3 on Monday. His batting average has fallen to .222, markedly down from his career-high .346 average in 2018.

He said he was taking "full ownership" for his struggles.

"I'm not really doing anything well right now. It sucks," Betts said. "Nothing really else to say, but it sucks and I have to figure out a way to make something happen."

But Betts is just one part of Boston's slow start in 2019. The loss to the Orioles completed a 3-3 homestand for the Red Sox, who have yet to win one of their five series this season.

"It doesn't concern me. It's just a bad start," manager Alex Cora said.

The Red Sox open a two-game series against the Yankees on Tuesday night in New York, where ace Chris Sale (0-3) will look for his first win.

Betts believes things will turn around in Boston.

"Obviously, the outside looking in, it looks pretty far," Betts said. "In the inside, it just seems like we're a hit or two away from scoring some runs. Maybe a bounce here or there. But for sure I have to do something, especially from the top of the lineup."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

MIAMI -- Major League Baseball is investigating racist Instagram messages sent to Chicago Cubs pitcher Carl Edwards Jr., a league spokesperson confirmed Tuesday.

The team also reacted to the messages, which came after Edwards struggled in his first few appearances of the season before he was demoted to Triple-A Iowa.

"We were shocked by the racist, profanity-laced social media message sent to Carl Edwards Jr. earlier this month," team president Theo Epstein said in a statement. "We vehemently condemn the content of the message and are supporting Major League Baseball's investigation to identify the person responsible.

"In a sport that celebrates diversity and unites people from all backgrounds, we are appalled anyone claiming to be a fan would send divisive and bigoted insults to a player. Whether spoken, posted or published, this type of reprehensible language and views cannot be tolerated in our game or society."

Edwards, 27, was demoted after compiling a 32.40 ERA in four appearances this season.

"While he has mentioned being upset at social media attacks in the past, the recent incidents are completely beyond normal fan frustration," Edwards' agent, Lee Long, said. "No player should be expected to bear such personal attacks especially based on the color of their skin. CJ has made a point to mention how appreciative he is of the Cubs fans for their support. Furthermore, we are very appreciative of the efforts of the Cubs, MLB and the union in addressing this matter."

Edwards is just the latest to receive vile rhetoric. African-American athletes have been subjected to it for years, in Chicago and elsewhere. Former Cubs manager Dusty Baker and outfielder Jacque Jones had to deal with similar attacks even before the social media age.