Tiger Woods indicated in an interview with CBS' Jim Nantz on Sunday that he has not practiced much in the wake of a fifth back surgery in December and that he would not guarantee being a part of the final round of the Masters in seven weeks.

"I've got to get there first," said Woods, 45, who was at Riviera Country Club as host of the Genesis Invitational.

"I have looked at my putter," he quipped, giving no timetable for his return in the coming weeks.

"I don't know what the plan is," he said. "The plan right now is to get through tomorrow and start progressing."

Woods had a microdiscectomy on Dec. 23, a procedure to alleviate nerve pain in his lower back. He had that same procedure three previous times, once in 2014 and twice in 2015. He then had a far more serious spinal fusion in April 2017, from which he returned less than a year later.

Woods has won three times since to run his PGA Tour victory total to 82, tying Sam Snead. He also won his 15th major title when he captured the 2019 Masters.

But Woods never got anything going last year, posting just a single top-10 finish, a tie for ninth at the Farmers Insurance Open in January 2020.

He missed the cut at the U.S. Open and tied for 38th at the Masters, his last official event.

He had his latest procedure three days after competing with his son, Charlie, at the PNC Championship in December.

"I'm feeling fine, a little stiff," Woods said. "I've got one more MRI scheduled, and then I can start doing more activities. I'm still in the gym doing rehab activities before gravitating towards more."

Woods would not commit to playing a tournament before the Masters, and when asked specifically about the year's first major championship, he said, "God, I hope so. But I've got to get there first. I don't have much wiggle room left. I've got only one back."

The recovery from the procedure, which was believed to be one level up on the spine from where his previous ones occurred, was expected to take two and a half to three months. He was said to be hitting balls a few weeks later, but Woods' words indicated he has not done the heavy practicing necessary for a return.

Among potential places for him to come back would be the Arnold Palmer Invitational in two weeks followed by the Players Championship and the Honda Classic. Following the Honda is the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, a tournament for which he will be eligible if he remains ranked among the top 64 in the world. He dropped to 50th on Sunday.

The match-play event is two weeks before the Masters.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- In a virtually empty Value City Arena, the matchup between No. 3 Michigan and No. 4 Ohio State in February looked more like an intense NCAA tournament game in March: good shooting, timely 3-pointers, fierce play under the rim, few mistakes and some late drama.

After six ties in the second half, Michigan pulled away in the final minutes and then held off Ohio State 92-87 Sunday in a meeting that showcased two teams aiming for No. 1 seeds next month.

"It was like a boxing match," Michigan coach Juwan Howard said. "One team delivered a blow. The other team delivered another blow. It went back and forth. Our guys showed their mental toughness through some of those ups and downs."

The win also highlighted the importance of Michigan's 7-foot-1 freshman center Hunter Dickinson, who had several inches and considerable reach on Ohio State's big men. He led the Wolverines with 22 points and nine rebounds, hitting all six of his foul shots.

"I thought his length and size bothered us," Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann acknowledged.

Michigan (16-1, 11-1 Big Ten) had pulled away and led by nine with 23 seconds left. But a pair of 3-pointers from Duane Washington Jr. around a layup by CJ Walker got the Buckeyes within three points with 3 seconds to go.

Ohio State was forced to foul, and Eli Brooks hit both of his free throws to seal Michigan's fifth straight win, a run that came around a three-week break due to COVID-19 issues.

Brooks had 17 points, Chaundee Brown Jr. came off the bench to score 15 and Isaiah Livers added 12 for Michigan, which snapped Ohio State's seven-game win streak.

Washington had a career-high 30 points and went 5-for-10 on 3s for the Buckeyes (18-5, 12-5). E.J. Liddell had 23 to go along with 10 rebounds.

"It was a great game, man," Washington said. "Two top-5 teams, and I thought we competed at a really high level. We were in a good position to bring it home. Basketball is a game of runs, and they had theirs toward the end there, and we just got to be a little better in the closing stretch."

Both teams shot 53% from the floor.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders said after his Jackson State coaching debut on Sunday that his personal items were stolen from the coaches' office during the Tigers' 53-0 victory over NAIA program Edward Waters, leading him to have "mixed emotions" about the day.

"For one, the kids played really well," a visibly upset Sanders said during his postgame news conference, before continuing, "But while the game was going on, someone came in and stole every darn thing I have in the coaches' office. Credit cards, wallet, watches. Thank god I had on my necklaces."

Following Sanders' news conference, the school told ESPN that his items were "misplaced and found."

But Sanders disputed that the items were misplaced in a series of tweets later Sunday, saying that his assistant walked in on a man in the process of committing the theft.

Naw it was stolen but they got it back. It was stolen out my personal bag in my office and My assistant caught the gentleman in the process of stealing it but she was alone. No Miscommunication my man at all https://t.co/foXTKwqsQC

— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) February 22, 2021

Whomever putting out the lie that my belongings wasn't stolen is LYING. My belongings were taken out of a zipped bag in my office and more items were taken as well from my office. We have retrieved them since being reported. My Staff member witnessed the crime. #Truth

— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) February 22, 2021

Sanders went on to say that the items were retrieved since being reported missing.

Later Sunday evening, after Sanders tweeted, Jackson State athletic director Ashley Robinson issued a statement that read, "Immediately following our win today, several items belonging to Coach Prime were taken from the locker room. Those items were quickly recovered and returned. While we consider this an isolated incident, we are thoroughly reviewing security protocols to ensure this does not happen again. However, we refuse to let this dampen the victory for our JSU Tigers, who have worked hard for this moment."

Sanders, who also played Major League Baseball on top of being a two-time Super Bowl champion, is a first-time head football coach at the collegiate level. Previously, he was the offensive coordinator at Trinity Christian School in Cedar Hill, Texas, for three seasons.

Sanders announced on his podcast "21st and Prime" in September that he would be the next head coach at Jackson State. The Tigers' game on Sunday was the first in a seven-game spring schedule that runs through April. It was also Jackson State's first shutout since Sept. 6, 2014.

Jackson State next hosts Mississippi Valley State on Saturday, kicking off the Southwest Athletic Conference season.

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr admitted that forward Draymond Green "crossed the line" Saturday night when he was ejected in the final seconds of a 102-100 loss at the Charlotte Hornets.

The wild sequence that led to Green's ejection started with 9.3 seconds left in regulation and the Warriors leading 100-98, when Warriors guard Brad Wanamaker was tied up for a jump ball by Hornets guard LaMelo Ball. After Hornets swingman Gordon Hayward corralled the ball off the tap and fell to the floor, Green appeared to quickly tie up Hayward for a jump ball. However, the Hornets were awarded a timeout.

Green began arguing with officials and was quickly assessed two technical fouls and ejected, giving the Hornets two free throws and the ball. Charlotte guard Terry Rozier went to the line and sank both free throws to tie the score at 100.

Seconds later, Rozier drained a shot from the corner at the buzzer to give the Hornets the win.

"He crossed the line," Kerr said of Green. "That's the main thing. We love his passion and his energy. We would not be the team we are without him, but that doesn't give him license to cross that line, and he knows that."

Via a pool reporter, crew chief Marc Davis explained Green's ejection.

"His first technical was assessed when he directed profanity at his opponent," Davis said. "He was assessed his first technical foul for verbally taunting an opponent. He then proceeded to direct screaming profanity at a game official and received his [second] technical foul and was ejected as per rule."

Kerr said he "didn't have time to ask" for an explanation in the heat of the moment, given that the Warriors were rushing to check Juan Toscano-Anderson into the game to replace Green.

But what irked Kerr and the Warriors' staff occurred in the sequence before the jump ball. Kerr said he was calling for a timeout before Ball tied up Wanamaker to create the jump ball in the first place.

"There's a lot to unwind," Kerr said of the final few seconds. "But if you just want to cut to the chase, it's a very difficult call on a loose ball that becomes a jump ball that they get a timeout on. Especially because in the exact same situation, I was trying to call a timeout when Brad had the ball at the top of the key when they forced the jump ball just prior to that.

"So given that the exact same thing happened back to back, only we actually had possession of the ball when I tried to call timeout. And then watching the replay after the game, it's a loose ball, the ball's actually bouncing on the floor, Draymond dives after it; in my estimation, it should be another jump ball."

Davis explained that in the officials' judgment, the tie-up occurred before Kerr requested a timeout. For his part, Wanamaker admitted he didn't hear Kerr calling for a timeout, but he wasn't sure exactly how the sequence played out.

"LaMelo ties Brad up prior to Kerr requesting the timeout," Davis said. "The postgame video confirmed this decision as correctly judged."

It was a ruling that the Warriors did not agree with, but it was a moment for which Green took responsibility. Warriors forward Eric Paschall said when the team got back to the locker room after the game, Green took the blame for picking up the two late technical fouls.

"He said it was his fault," Paschall said. "And he took ownership as he always does as a leader. We're still rocking with Dray no matter what. A great dude, competitor, so it's all good. S--- happens in the NBA. We're just going to learn from it and try to come back, try to win the next one. Great leader and competitor."

As much as Warriors teammates and coaches respect Green, Kerr was clearly frustrated with Green's inability to control his emotions late in the game. For years, Green has been a league leader in technical fouls as he loudly voices his objection to various calls from officials or words from opponents. But Kerr has said repeatedly through the years that he felt Green knows when not to cross a line.

It was a line that Green stepped over on Saturday, leading to a loss that would have been arguably the Warriors' most impressive win of the season, given that star guard Stephen Curry (illness) was a late scratch and centers James Wiseman (wrist) and Kevon Looney (ankle) remain out.

"Draymond can't do that," Kerr said. "He knows that. He made a terrible mistake getting T'd up and giving them a chance to shoot two free throws and tie the game. ... As his coach, it's my job to communicate with him and with the team. That's what we've done, and that's what we'll continue to do."

Davis stated that the Hornets were awarded a timeout before Green's ejection, and before Green tied up Hayward, because the group felt the Hornets made the timeout call in time.

"P.J. Washington requested its timeout and Gordon Hayward had clear and sole possession of the ball," Davis said. "As per rule, Charlotte was granted the timeout. Postgame video review confirms this decision."

Despite Kerr's frustration with Green's actions, Green's teammates repeated a similar message about their leader after the game.

"He's been in this league long enough," Warriors guard Damion Lee said. "He knows what's right and what's wrong. And it doesn't matter; day in, day out, I'm always going to ride with Day Day. Throughout the good, throughout the bad, I'm always going to ride with Draymond. ... It doesn't matter if I'm a Warrior or not a Warrior. That's my guy. That's one of my vets. And I'm always going to ride with Day Day."

Aside from Green's technical fouls, Kerr spoke with a tinge of sadness that his short-handed team couldn't close the door after fighting so hard all night without Curry.

"It's a tough loss, obviously," Kerr said. "They don't get any tougher than this one. That's two straight, back to back, really difficult losses. That's my job to get the team organized and emotionally ready to play New York. We'll keep moving forward. That's what you do. The NBA season is filled with a lot of ups and downs, and obviously, this is a really tough one. But you got to get ready for the next game."

Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart is likely to continue rehabilitating his left calf strain through the March 5-10 All-Star break with hopes of returning to the lineup for the start of the season's second half, sources told ESPN.

Smart, working to fully recover from the injury, which occurred on Jan. 30, resumed traveling with the Celtics on Sunday in New Orleans and participated in light on-court activities, coach Brad Stevens said before his team's 120-115 overtime loss to the Pelicans, in which Boston lost a 24-point second-half lead.

The Celtics are 5-7 without Smart in the lineup since his injury, and he would presumably miss six more games through the end of the first half of the season on March 4.

Smart was having his best NBA season, including career highs in points (13.1), assists (6.1) and steals (1.8). He also is leading the Celtics in defensive categories that include deflections and loose ball recoveries.

NEW ORLEANS -- Coming off the heels of a historic collapse on Friday night, things once again looked like they were trending in the wrong direction for the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday afternoon.

The Pelicans watched as the Boston Celtics stretched their lead out to 24 points midway through the third quarter, and it seemed as if the Pelicans were on their way to another disappointing defeat.

But instead of folding and wilting away like they've done several times this season, New Orleans responded.

And it did so using something that's been porous for much of the season -- its defense.

From the 6:29 mark of the third quarter through the end of overtime, New Orleans held Boston to just 36 points on 32% shooting as the Pelicans stormed back to complete the largest comeback in franchise history in a 120-115 win.

"It was a big win for us. We stayed true to who we were," Pelicans forward Zion Williamson said. "We rallied back. Everybody, the coaches, the players, the ball boys, everybody was just engaged. We needed all that energy, and we pulled through."

That energy level was -- maybe -- at a season low on Friday. The Pelicans carried an 11-point lead into the fourth quarter against the Phoenix Suns and lost by 18 points. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it was the largest loss in the shot-clock era for a team that entered the fourth quarter up double digits.

While their defense failed them then, it's something the Pelicans were able to lean on extensively against Boston, led by guards Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart.

"Me and J-Hart, we're looked upon to guard the stars of the other team pretty much night in and night out," Ball said. "We just did our best to slow those guys down the best we could. It's not just two guys guarding the ball, though. We all came together on that side of the ball."

And while the charge was led by defense, the Pelicans also had to look to their two star players to finish things out on the offensive end. With the Celtics up 106-105 with 10.5 seconds to play, the Pelicans had to draw up a play to take the lead. Two games after Pelicans coach Stan Van Gundy opted to let Brandon Ingram get the ball on the final possession in a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, he went to Williamson this time around. Williamson caught the ball off a screen from Ingram and faked a handoff to Ball. He took it straight at Tristan Thompson, drawing the foul as the layup went in.

"That means a lot to me," Williamson said of getting the ball in that moment. "That's what every player puts in hard work, to be in those moments. ... [Assistant coach Teresa Weatherspoon] especially. When she saw I was frustrated in the first half and came to me and gave me a lot of words about confidence. It means a lot.

"They are all looking at me in that moment like, 'We with you. Whatever decision you make, we're with you.' To have people behind me like that, it means a lot."

Williamson said Ingram was the last person who said something to him coming out the huddle before the play, but Ingram tried his best to downplay his role.

"I don't think he needed any extra encouragement," Ingram said. "He made a basketball play that we believe in, and he made the shot."

Extra encouragement or not, it worked. But the job wasn't done for New Orleans, as Celtics forward Jayson Tatum made a bucket to send the game into overtime.

In the extra frame, this time it was Ingram's time to shine.

With the game tied at 112 with 50.1 to play, Pelicans forward Nicolo Melli and Celtics center Daniel Theis were called for a double lane violation on an Ingram free throw attempt. That meant a jump ball at the center circle between Williamson and Celtics forward Robert Williams.

Williamson won the tip and eventually got the ball back at the top of the key. As he drove, the defense collapsed and Williamson kicked the ball out to Ingram, who knocked down a 3-pointer with 34.4 seconds left.

"Whenever I'm in the pick-and-roll as the ball handler, I try to make the best read," Williamson said. "I think in that situation, after me getting to the basket a couple times, I read that they were going to collapse. As soon as they collapsed, Brandon is a knockdown shooter. He was there, so I made the pass. As y'all saw, he's built for those moments."

The win came at a much-needed time for New Orleans, which had lost five of six games.

Ingram said the comeback itself was what he was most encouraged about, and it feels like something the Pelicans could use to get their season back on track.

"I think we can take away that we're really, really good when we stay together," Ingram said. "Guys were talking tonight. Everybody on the bench was talking. Coaches were communicating with the players, and we had a good response."

LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Lakers have hit the first true challenge of their title defense, with Saturday's 96-94 loss to the Miami Heat marking the third defeat in their past four games since Anthony Davis aggravated his Achilles tendinosis and suffered a calf strain in his right leg.

A question for these Lakers has emerged: Does LeBron James need to do more to help his teammates or do his teammates need to do more to help James?

"I feel like the last couple games that's been happening, putting a lot on Bron," Lakers guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope said after the game. "We already know what we're going to get out of him. So all the rest of us, we've got to continue to just play hard and just play basketball and not worry about anything else."

James scored 19 points on 7-for-21 shooting against the Heat (including just 1-for-8 from 3-point range), accounting for his worst shooting percentage of the season. He also coughed up a team-high five turnovers.

James, after stealing an inbounds pass intended for Jimmy Butler with 5.4 seconds left in the contest and setting up Alex Caruso for a potential game-tying shot that missed, insisted his teammates don't need to pick up any more slack while Davis and starting point guard Dennis Schroder are sidelined.

"They are doing their part," James said. "They're doing their part and more."

No, James said it's on him to lead L.A. out of the rough patch it's in, as he has done for the majority of his 18-year career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Heat and now the Lakers. Saturday's loss dropped the defending champions to No. 3 in the Western Conference standings.

"I think that's what it all boils down to, and right now is another challenge for me, to be able to adjust," James said. "Not having AD for a long period of time is something that we haven't had over the last year and a half, and now it's time for me to adjust again and see ways I can be even more effective to help this team win ballgames. Because that is the sport that we're in.

"We're in the winning business, and I've always been a winner. So, it's time to click into that."

James wasn't the only one to struggle shooting the ball against Miami. The Lakers went 1-for-13 from 3-point range in the fourth quarter and didn't fare all that much better for the game, hitting 13-of-45 attempts (28.9%) from the outside.

"We try to help him out as much as possible, and we want to do it as perfect as possible, as we can," said Caldwell-Pope, one of only three Lakers to make more shots than he missed against the Heat. "We try to help him out, we try not to make too much mistakes when we're on the floor with him or even running a play with him, just to give him some help. We do ask Bron for a lot; he gives us a lot each and every game.

"It's up to us as far as like role players and 'next man up' mentality, we've got to be ready and locked in."

Caruso, who is 10 years younger than James, said being mindful of not burning out James in February with a championship run planned for the spring and early summer is a "conscious thing" for his teammates.

"I mean, LeBron is the best player on our team, and night in and night out you can see attention he gets because he is," Caruso said. "With the guys that we got out, teams are going to load up against him. He has a great basketball mind, and he's going to do his part to get guys open to make great plays."

For James, who rallied in support of his team by saying, "Every time we're on the floor, we're all trying to protect each other and bring each other up out on the floor every single night," there was one minor critique of a teammate he did share, however.

Down by two points with 1.4 seconds left in the game, he said he wished Caruso would have taken a couple of steps back to launch a 3 and go for the win.

"I think the only bad thing about it is that he shot a long 2," James said of Caruso's 22-foot shot that hit the front rim at the buzzer. "I wish he would have shot a 3 and, make or miss, I'll live with that."

The Minnesota Timberwolves have dismissed coach Ryan Saunders, sources told ESPN.

The Timberwolves didn't immediately name an interim coach on Sunday night.

Minnesota has dropped 24 of 31 games to start the season, leaving them with the worst record in the NBA. They've lost eight of their last nine games, including a 103-99 loss to the New York Knicks on Sunday night.

Saunders was 43-95 as coach of the Timberwolves in two-plus seasons.

Minnesota travels to play Milwaukee on Tuesday night.

LOS ANGELES -- Stan Williams, the fearsome All-Star pitcher who helped the Los Angeles Dodgers win the 1959 World Series, has died. He was 84.

Williams died Saturday at his home in Laughlin, Nevada. He was hospitalized on Feb. 11 and had been in hospice care due to the effects of cardio-pulmonary illness, the Dodgers said Sunday and son Stan Jr. confirmed.

Williams also won a World Series title in 1990 as pitching coach with the Cincinnati Reds.

The two-time All-Star right-hander was part of a powerhouse Los Angeles rotation that included Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale and Johnny Podres from 1960 to '62.

Williams, known as the "Big Hurt" because of his penchant for pitching inside, had a record of 109-94 and a 3.48 ERA during his 14-year career in the majors.

"They always talked about my dad being a mean headhunter. He put the uniform on and he changed immediately," Stan Jr. said by phone. "Henry Aaron always said my dad was the toughest guy he faced."

The younger Williams, who traveled with his father every summer from age 5 to 14, recalled his father facing the future Hall of Fame slugger in one game.

"He was 3-1 on Aaron and just drilled him," Williams Jr. said. "Aaron is on first base and he tried to pick him off and drilled him again."

Williams was signed as a free agent by the Dodgers and made the big-league club when the team moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 1958. He was with them until 1962.

He pitched three scoreless innings in the second game of the National League tiebreaker series against the Milwaukee Braves to send the Dodgers into the 1959 World Series. Williams was the winning pitcher in the 6-5 victory in 12 innings. The Dodgers and Braves tied for the National League championship at the end of the regular season.

Williams was traded to the New York Yankees for Bill Skowron on Nov. 26, 1962. He played for the Yankees until 1964 and then for Cleveland (1965-69), Minnesota (1970-71), St. Louis (1971) and Boston (1972).

After retiring as a player, Williams continued in baseball as a pitching coach, scout and adviser to several teams. As pitching coach, he helped the Red Sox, Yankees and Reds win division, league and World Series titles.

For years, he lived in the Los Angeles suburb of Lakewood before moving to Nevada in December.

He was predeceased by his wife, Elaine. Besides his son, he is survived by his daughter Shawn, brother Jim Williams and three grandchildren.

Clayton Kershaw quelled some of the questions about his future with the Los Angeles Dodgers, saying Sunday he would "absolutely" consider the possibility of re-signing with the team after his contract ends this season.

The future Hall of Fame pitcher will turn 33 less than two weeks before Opening Day, and with that long-elusive championship in his back pocket, there's a perception that this could be his final year in baseball, let alone with the Dodgers.

That perception was strengthened by a Los Angeles Times profile published earlier this month in which Kershaw said he hadn't discussed an extension with the Dodgers and wasn't sure if he wanted one.

"I'm on a year-to-year basis," Kershaw said during his first media availability of the season. "I wanna reevaluate at the end of every year and see how we're doing -- as a family, myself personally, where we are as a team -- and then just make a decision from there. I have no intentions of hanging them up. I'm only 32. I feel like I have more years left in the tank.

"If you ask me right now, I really still love playing, I feel healthy right now, I feel like the ball's coming out good. I'm excited for this year, and that's really all I meant [by his answer in the L.A. Times profile]. I'm focused on this year and trying to win a World Series, and then after this year, we'll figure things out."

Kershaw is a three-time Cy Young Award winner who has already cemented his place as a first-ballot Hall of Famer. But he experienced something of a career renaissance during the shortened 2020 season, tapping back into some lost velocity to finish the regular season with a 2.16 ERA, 62 strikeouts and only eight walks in 58 1/3 innings.

Kershaw signed a three-year, $93 million extension shortly after the 2018 season and will earn $31 million, part of it as a signing bonus, in the final year of his deal.

The Dodgers will exceed the luxury-tax threshold this year and have accepted the strong possibility that they'll do so again in 2022. They also have the impending free agencies of Corey Seager (after the 2021 season), Cody Bellinger (after 2023) and Walker Buehler (after 2024) to consider.

But those decisions aren't expected to impact their ability to retain Kershaw, a source familiar with the team's thinking told ESPN. If Kershaw ultimately wants to remain in L.A. beyond 2021, the Dodgers would be motivated to figure out a way to make it happen.

"I love being here," Kershaw said. "I love the Dodgers, I love everything about this organization. I just feel really fortunate that I've gotten to have as many opportunities as I've had to win a World Series, and now that we finally won one, you just don't take that for granted. I really have enjoyed my time here and continue to do so."