MIAMI -- After drawing an and-1 opportunity on the last play of the game, Brittney Sykes knocked down the winning free throw and Rose beat Vinyl 62-54 to secure Unrivaled's inaugural championship, capping off the first season of the women's 3-on-3 basketball league.

Sykes said that before Monday's game she was working with Rose coach Nolda Henry on drawing the exact kind of foul that ultimately sent her to the line for the winning point.

In the moment, Sykes was light-headed. "I had been cheering on Chelsea [Gray] too hard," she said.

Gray was awarded the playoff MVP award after her 18-point, eight-assist performance. She said she entered Unrivaled with a chip on her shoulder. Coming off a disappointing season in the WNBA, she had something to prove.

"Hell yeah, there was motivation," Gray said. "Last year was hard. It was rough. Even when I came back I wasn't 100 percent. A lot of people thought I was. I put the work in, I do my job and then I talk after. ... I want to compete and make others better. That's always been my goal. So yeah, I had a little chip on my shoulder and also that 50K on the line."

Each player on the championship-winning club is awarded $50,000 in prize money, in addition to what Unrivaled claims to be the highest average salary in women's team sports, plus equity in the league.

Coming off of a league-high 39 points in the semifinals the night before, Gray's 7-of-22 shooting performance Monday could be considered a slower night.

But she had her fingerprints all over the game, namely through her facilitating.

Early in the second quarter, as Vinyl double-teamed Gray, cutting off her access to the basket and any clear looks to her teammates, she flashed Azura Stevens a look directing her to cut toward the hoop. Gray threw a no-look, over-the-shoulder pass to Stevens for wide-open layup.

"Point Gawd right there," Stevens yelled out during the postgame news conference. Stevens was the primary beneficiary of Gray's court vision and passing abilities Monday, finishing with 19 points and 18 rebounds.

Without Angel Reese, who sat out her second straight game because of a left hand injury, Stevens was tasked with picking up the slack left by Unrivaled's Defensive Player of the Year.

"I knew they were going to put two on the ball, so I said, Z, if you roll, I'm going to hit you every time," Gray said of Stevens. "Z was so efficient tonight. She was huge. Getting inside the paint, rolling and playing defense. I am really proud of her. She was sprinting into screens, making herself available and she knew I would pass her the basketball if she was open."

"Without Angel, we knew we had to step it up," Stevens said. "As the other big, I had to step up."

Rose have been shorthanded for much of the season, missing Kahleah Copper for the final five weeks because a right leg injury.

"We are a team of relentless dogs that refused to be denied," Rose coach Nola Henry said at center court during the trophy presentation. "From day one they counted us out. Kah went down, they counted us out. Azura was out and they counted us out. Angel down, they counted us out. What they going to say now?"

Unrivaled's format features three seven-minute quarters and a fourth quarter played toward a "winning score," which is calculated by adding 11 points to the leading team's score entering the final period.

Monday's target score was 62. Gray hit a midrange jumper just above the free throw line to get Rose to 57 points. On the next play, Stevens got a piece of the ball to make Vinyl's Jordin Canada miss and then secured the rebound. She passed the ball back to Gray, who took another jumper, this time just inside the 3-point line, bringing Rose to 59. That set up Sykes' winning 3-point play.

Rose started the season 1-4. Copper sent Henry a negative post she saw about Rose on social media, and they decided to print it out and post it on the wall of their locker room as motivation.

"Everyone in the locker room, we know what we are capable of," Copper said. "We know what we could do. And you know what we did? What did we do? No. 1. In the inaugural season. Shoutout to Unrivaled!"

NEW YORK -- With his two NBA titles and two additional trips to the Finals during the Miami Heat's Big Three Era, and his selection as one of the league's 15 greatest coaches in 2022, Erik Spoelstra's reputation is nearly spotless.

But lately, things have been incredibly rough for Spoelstra and the Heat. On Monday, Miami lost 116-95 to the New York Knicks for their eighth consecutive defeat -- the Heat's longest during Spoelstra's 17-year coaching career.

"We're all getting tested, including myself," Spoelstra said. "No one's absolved from this. I've not come up with enough answers for this team. I have to do a better job. Our group has to do a better job.

"We have to put our feet into the dirt and hold our ground at this point. You always have a choice. It doesn't mean you're going to win, necessarily. ... But [you at least have] to make some strides. And you could see that in some of the losses over the last three weeks, where it felt like we were making strides. The last two games haven't felt like that."

It has been a frustrating season for the club, which has a history of playing with effort. The franchise endured a high-profile standoff with former star player Jimmy Butler, who was suspended multiple times after demanding a trade. Team president Pat Riley traded Butler to the Golden State Warriors before the deadline.

The Heat, who have gone 4-15 since the move, have been held under 100 points for three consecutive games for the first time since 2018. Miami, which is in the 10th and final spot for the play-in tournament in the East, is 10 games below .500 for the first time since 2017.

"We're going through the dark days right now," forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. said after the loss. "As a team, right now we've got to come together and find a way to fight. It's something we've been talking about. We just need to find something to rally around."

Miami (29-39) jumped out to a 12-0 advantage over the first four minutes Monday. But things turned quickly in the second quarter, when Knicks All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns reeled off 15 consecutive points in just over three minutes to give New York a 33-31 lead, its first of the game.

The Knicks continued to pour it on in the third quarter, outscoring Miami 41-15. The game was delayed about 10 minutes after actor and comedian Tracy Morgan, who was sitting courtside, required medical attention. He was taken off the court in a wheelchair.

"We hope Tracy feels better soon and look forward to seeing him back courtside," a Madison Square Garden spokesperson said in a statement.

The Heat head back to Miami for a five-game homestand as they attempt to snap their skid. Spoelstra said it will be a test for his players to mentally push forward.

"This has been one of the biggest challenges that I've ever come up against in a regular season. But we just have to stay the course," Spoelstra said. "We'll have another game Wednesday night, and we have to collectively get our mind right. All these losses don't have to necessarily impact the next game. That's the mental discipline [we need], and it's a tough human condition to fight because it's human nature to stack up some of these memories and let them affect us for the next game."

ESPN Senior NBA Writer Tim Bontemps contributed to this report.

Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George has been ruled out for at least the rest of the regular season after receiving injections in his left adductor muscle and left knee Monday, the team announced.

George spent the past week consulting with doctors on the best treatment options for his groin and knee injuries. The 34-year-old has played through groin, finger and knee ailments this season, dealing with multiple injuries over the past month. Sources said George took painkiller injections for five consecutive games before the NBA All-Star break in February.

The 76ers said George will be unable to play for at least six weeks, which keeps him out for the remainder of the regular season. The 76ers are five games out of the last play-in spot in the Eastern Conference.

George, who signed a four-year, $212 million max deal with the 76ers in July after five seasons with the LA Clippers, averaged 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 41 games. During the preseason, George hyperextended his left knee, forcing him to sit out the first five games of the regular season. He hyperextended the same knee in November, which cost him three games. In January, he injured his left pinkie, and he most recently has been sidelined because of a left groin soreness that has forced him to sit out Philadelphia's past four games.

George finishes the season having played his fewest games since 2021-22; it's the fifth time in six years he's played fewer than 60 games. He announced late last month that he was stepping away from his podcast, "Podcast P with Paul George," to focus on his health and turning around the 76ers' season.

"I haven't been the healthiest, so it's just been putting a ton of work towards getting my body as healthy as possible, and to keep focus of obviously being here and trying to turn things around here and the full focus is trying to get this team together," George said of the decision to pause his podcast.

The team ruled out 2022-23 MVP Joel Embiid for the rest of the season on Feb. 28 and now George has gone the same route. The Sixers are currently under investigation by the NBA for their handling of Embiid's availability early in the season.

George's year ending puts a bow on a disappointing season for the 76ers, who entered 2024-25 among the title favorites but are now playing for their lottery draft pick.

The 76ers' fall could have a positive effect in one area since their first-round pick in this year's NBA draft is top-six protected and would otherwise go to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The 76ers (23-45) have hovered around having the sixth-worst record in the league in recent weeks.

PHOENIX -- Playing without injured guard Bradley Beal again, the Phoenix Suns saw seven players score in double figures during a 129-89 rout of the Toronto Raptors on Monday night.

All told, 13 players scored for Phoenix, and the final margin of 40 was the biggest lead of the night. Devin Booker scored 27 points to lead a second-quarter surge the Raptors could not overcome.

Suns coach Mike Budenholzer said before the game that Beal will miss at least a week because of a left hamstring injury sustained in Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Beal, who including Monday has missed 21 of the Suns' 69 games, had an MRI earlier in the day and will be evaluated in seven days. Collin Gillespie made his first career start in place of Beal.

"We'll evaluate him in one week," Budenholzer said of Beal. "He had an MRI today, and we'll be hopeful that this next week goes well, and reevaluate him then."

The Suns trailed 29-24 at the end of the first quarter but outscored Toronto 39-11 to take a 23-point halftime lead. Most of it came with reserves Royce O'Neale, Tyus Jones, Cody Martin and Oso Ighodaro joining Booker on the court.

Ryan Dunn scored 17 points, Jones had 15 points including four 3-pointers, Kevin Durant had 14, Monte Morris 12 and Nick Richards 10. O'Neale had 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Scottie Barnes had 16 points and Immanuel Quickley had 15 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists for the Raptors, playing without starters RJ Barrett (illness) and Gradey Dick (right knee bruise) plus center Jakob Poeltl (rest).

With the win, the Suns moved one game behind the Dallas Mavericks for the last play-in spot in the West with 13 games remaining.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Obi Toppin's fourth 3-pointer of overtime came with 3.5 seconds left to lift the short-handed Indiana Pacers over Minnesota 132-130 on Monday night, ending the Timberwolves' eight-game winning streak.

Toppin had a season-high 34 points on 7-for-10 shooting from 3-point range to help the Pacers win without their top six scorers down the stretch. The last one was a wild, fading shot at the right corner -- reminiscent of Tyrese Haliburton's game-winning four-point play vs. the Milwaukee Bucks last week.

"Obi Toppin had one of the most spectacular runs at the end of the game I've ever seen," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said after the game.

Four starters were out for Indiana. Andrew Nembhard was ejected in the third quarter and Bennedict Mathurin fouled out in the fourth.

Anthony Edwards scored 29 of his 38 points after halftime for the Timberwolves, who led by five with a minute left in overtime until Thomas Bryant hit a 3. Edwards missed from deep, Toppin hit his clutch shot and Julius Randle's fadeaway fell short at the buzzer.

T.J. McConnell had 11 points and 13 assists for the Pacers, plus the tying layup with 4.6 seconds left in regulation.

The Pacers' subs played fast and loose while regulars Pascal Siakam (personal), Haliburton (back), Aaron Nesmith (ankle) and Myles Turner (hip) rested ahead of a five-game homestand. Indiana is one game behind Milwaukee for fourth place in the East.

This loss might haunt the Timberwolves, however, who are in the midst of a crowded Western Conference playoff race.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III will sit out the rest of the season after being diagnosed with a torn labrum and partial tear of the rotator cuff in his right shoulder, the team announced Monday night.

The Pelicans said the injury occurred when Murphy dislocated his right shoulder during the first quarter of Monday's 127-81 loss to the Detroit Pistons.

Murphy exited the game after diving for a loose ball. He played only one minute. The Pelicans lost for the seventh time in eight games.

Murphy was having, by far, the best season of his four-year career. He averaged 21.2 points, 6.4 points more per game than he averaged last season. He was also averaging career bests in rebounds (5.1) and assists (3.5), and posted his third season with 150-plus made 3s.

The Pelicans said they would update Murphy's status when appropriate.

Last October, Murphy agreed to a four-year, $112 million rookie contract extension with New Orleans.

The 6-foot-8 Murphy established himself as an outstanding 3-and-D wing after averaging 14.8 points and 4.9 rebounds primarily in a reserve role last season.

The Pelicans have long been out of playoff contention, in part because of injuries, and are 18-51 going into the season's final 13 games.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Chicago White Sox infielder Josh Rojas has a hairline fracture in his right big toe, putting his availability for opening day in question.

Rojas is batting .313 (10-for-32) in his first spring training with the White Sox. He left Saturday's split-squad game against Colorado with toe soreness.

"We're just kind of going to give him treatment and see where it goes," first-year manager Will Venable told reporters Monday. "I think we just kind of get him doing his treatment and his rehab and kind of take it day by day and see where he's at. Hopefully, he's back here with us soon."

The 30-year-old Rojas batted .225 with 8 homers and 31 RBIs in 143 games with Seattle last year. He became a free agent in November when Seattle declined to offer him a contract.

Rojas finalized a one-year, $3.5 million contract with Chicago in January. The White Sox host the Los Angeles Angels for their season opener March 27.

Also on Monday, Chicago optioned outfielder Dominic Fletcher to Triple-A Charlotte. Catching prospects Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero were among 10 players reassigned to minor league camp.

The Detroit Tigers optioned Jace Jung to Triple-A Toledo on Monday, ending his chances of taking over the vacant starting third base spot for Opening Day.

The Tigers also optioned left-hander Sean Guenther to Toledo, leaving the club with 39 players in major league camp at Lakeland, Florida.

Jung, 24, had been in line to take over at third base for the Tigers, with that hope only increasing once free agent Alex Bregman signed with the Boston Red Sox instead of the Tigers. But Jung went 4-for-33 (.121) in Grapefruit League play, with a home run and two doubles.

Jung made his major league debut this past season and batted .241 with a .665 OPS in 34 games for the Tigers, including five doubles and three RBIs.

Without Jung on the major league roster, Zach McKinstry and Andy Ibanez remain as the club's third-base options.

Guenther, 29, went 3-0 with a 0.86 ERA in 17 relief appearances for the Tigers this past season. His only other major league experience was in 2021 with the Miami Marlins, and he is 3-1 in 31 career games with a 5.01 ERA.

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis will miss Opening Day with a moderate left hamstring strain, the team announced Monday.

The Twins did not provide a timetable for his return, but a stint on the injured list seems probable due to the typical recovery period.

Lewis, 25, sustained the injury during Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Boston Red Sox. He felt it as he was running up the line after he bounced to third leading off the second inning. He is batting .346 (9-for-26) this spring with three RBIs and a stolen base.

Lewis batted .233 with 16 home runs and 47 RBIs in 82 games last season, when he missed more than two months with a quadriceps injury sustained on Opening Day.

The No. 1 overall pick of the 2017 MLB draft is a career .268 hitter with 33 homers and 104 RBIs in 152 games.

His development has been slowed by a variety of injuries, including ACL surgery on his right knee in both 2021 and 2022. Lewis missed the entire 2021 season after slipping on ice during a winter storm at his Texas home, forcing a surgery. He had ACL surgery on the same knee the following year.

He opened the 2023 season on the 60-day injured list while he recovered from his June knee surgery. He also had IL stints that year with a strained left oblique and a left hamstring strain.

Information from Field Level Media and the Associated Press was used in this report.

NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Spencer Strider returned to the mound Monday for the first time in almost a calendar year and threw 2 perfect innings for the Atlanta Braves in their spring training game against the Boston Red Sox, striking out six of the eight batters he faced.

"That was good," Strider said. "It was like a little reward sprinkled on the pathway, a good test for the work you've been doing."

It was better than good; he was exceptional. Strider had two three-pitch strikeouts in the first inning, finishing former teammate Vaughn Grissom with a slider and then whipping a 98 mph fastball past the motionless Roman Anthony for strike three. He struck out the side in the second inning, deploying three different pitches to close out the three Boston hitters.

Strider had elbow surgery last April, after he was diagnosed with damage to his ulnar collateral ligament, an injury that was the first in a wave that hit the Braves last season. Spencer went into spring training of 2024 among the favorites to win the NL Cy Young Award, and now he is working his way back toward rejoining the Braves' rotation -- perhaps sometime in mid- or late April.

With his outing against the Red Sox, Strider started his game progression toward a regular season return to what is already a good Atlanta starting rotation. In a sense, Strider is just starting his exhibition season, and if all goes smoothly in his next starts, he'll slowly build his pitch counts.

Chris Sale won the NL Cy Young Award last year, and on Monday morning, Sale was formally announced as the Braves' starter on Opening Day. But Sale spoke of how dynamic Strider is as a pitcher, with his high-riding, high-velocity fastball; in 2023, Strider led the majors with 281 strikeouts.

"Let's not forget, he's still the best pitcher on this team," Sale said.

Strider responded, "He's delusional ... I am certainly appreciative of that statement. I don't agree with it."

Reynaldo Lopez and Spencer Schwellenbach are also part of the Atlanta rotation. Ian Anderson, Grant Holmes and AJ Smith-Shawver are competing for the fifth spot. Strider, who has grown a full beard around the moustache for which he is known, has the ability to augment the Braves in what is likely to be a highly competitive NL East.

Strider was welcomed warmly by the fans here when he took the mound, and the reaction from the stands grew with each subsequent strikeout. Hitters and pitchers don't game-plan in spring training the way they will in the regular season, but Strider's sequence of pitches and his stuff -- a mix of mid-90s fastballs, sliders, changeups and curves -- overwhelmed the Red Sox hitters.

Strider threw a 96 mph fastball past Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer to get to 1-2 count and then spun a curveball that was 17 mph slower, with Mayer flailing over the top.

Strider knew as he went out to start the third inning that he probably would face only a couple of batters. After he struck out his final hitter of the day, punctuating the delivery with his pronounced follow-through, he took a couple of steps toward the Braves' dugout. In the moment, he did not realize that there were just two outs.

"I have not pitched in a while, so I forget how many outs there are in an inning," he said, smiling. "I was not a math major in college, either, so counting to three is a big chore for me.

"I think I got a little ahead of myself and forgot that they had to come get me, and I can't just walk off. I have to have adult supervision."

He'll figure that part out in the weeks ahead. He appears to have a lot of the pitching part down already.