In a move that could disrupt some types of betting on the Finals, the NBA plans to cut off unauthorized sportsbooks from accessing the league's official data feed starting next week.

Sportradar, an authorized data distributor for the NBA, sent a letter Thursday notifying sportsbook operators that the league was forcing it to "cease providing to you NBA Official Data for use in the United States unless and until you are an Authorized Gaming Operator of the NBA."

According to the letter, obtained by ESPN, Sportradar will shut down access of the feed at 11:59 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Game 1 of the Finals is Thursday.

The NBA has partnered with three sportsbook operators: MGM, FanDuel and The Stars Group. As official league gaming partners, those bookmaking companies have access to the official data feed.

The NBA declined comment Friday, instead pointing to what a league official told Bloomberg earlier this month.

"The NBA's sports betting partners recognize the value of official NBA data and work with us to protect the integrity of our games," NBA head of fantasy and gaming Scott Kaufman-Ross told Bloomberg. "We provided a season-long grace period for other betting operators to have access to official NBA data while we discussed partnership terms. While that period is ending -- something distributors and operators have known since the start of the season -- we remain committed to securing additional sports betting partnerships."

Sportradar did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ESPN.

Last May, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992, the federal statute that had restricted state-sponsored sports betting to primarily Nevada. Since the ruling, legal, full-scale sportsbooks have opened in Delaware, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and West Virginia, and several more states plan to enter the bookmaking business at some point this year.

The NBA's data feed is primarily used by sportsbooks to run their live betting options, updating odds that are offered on different outcomes throughout the game. Live or in-game betting is a growing market in the U.S. but still does not represent significant betting handle for sportsbooks in Las Vegas. The vast majority of money bet on in-game wagering options is on the point spread, money-line and over/under total points, bookmakers say.

The Las Vegas sportsbook operators that have not signed deals with the NBA are mulling their options, including manually producing the live odds or simply stopping live wagering on the NBA altogether.

Denver Nuggets star center Nikola Jokic is taking his talents to the world stage.

The 24-year-old announced on Friday that he will be playing in the 2019 FIBA World Cup for his native Serbia.

"I am very pleased with everything I did in the NBA this season. I had a great year in which I performed at the All-Star Game and was selected [to the All-NBA first team]. For me, the cherry on top of this whole season would be a medal with the national team," Jokić told Serbian State News Agency. "I am fully prepared to do my best to achieve this goal."

The center had a breakout season in his fourth year, averaging 20.1 points, 10.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists. He also helped carry the Nuggets to their first Western Conference semifinals series in a decade.

Jokic already has two silver medals as a member of the Serbia national team, with his most recent one coming after a loss to the U.S. in the 2016 Olympic Games.

The 2019 FIBA World Cup begins Aug. 31 in China.

Houston Astros right fielder George Springer left Friday night's 4-3 win against the Boston Red Sox with a left hamstring injury and likely will be placed on the injured list, manager AJ Hinch said.

Springer was hurt attempting to catch a Xander Bogaerts pop foul in the top of the eighth inning. Springer sprinted in from right field and clutched at his left leg as he slid feet first for the ball, which bounced in front of him. He immediately was in pain before limping off the field and being replaced by Tony Kemp.

"We'll get him evaluated," Hinch said. "I'm not looking forward to the diagnosis, to be honest. It doesn't look very good. He never pulls himself out of a game like that; he was limping from the very beginning."

Springer, who leads the American League with 17 home runs and 43 RBIs, said he was still hoping to get some good news on the severity of the injury on Saturday.

"Yeah, it sucks, to be honest," he said. "It's hard, but I'll make it through, and just gotta support the team the best way that I can."

Friday was Springer's first game since Sunday, as he previously had been dealing with lower back tightness.

Springer went 0-for-3 on Friday night, driving in a run with a sacrifice fly.

The Orioles are giving up home runs at a historic rate, the Braves and Cardinals will be squaring off in a premium matchup between potential playoff teams, and the latest Dodger with a scoreless inning streak will put his chance to make history on the line.

Here's how we see those matchups and what else we're looking forward to:

Sunday Night Baseball (ESPN, 7 p.m. ET) features a pair of playoff contenders, with the Atlanta Braves facing the St. Louis Cardinals. Which of those teams is more likely to make the postseason?

Eddie Matz: I'm nowhere near as smart as the folks who run sites like FanGraphs, Baseball Prospectus and Baseball Reference. Averaging out the playoffs odds on all three sites, the Braves have a 63 percent chance of making the postseason. The Cards are at 48 percent. I'll side with the wise guys and take Atlanta.

Sam Miller: I will admit that I have, like most baseball fans, occasionally overrated the benefits of youth over experience. But this has been a young players' league for the past couple of years, and the Braves -- with the National League's youngest pitching staff and tied for the second-youngest lineup -- fit the moment better than the veteran Cardinals, some of the most veteran of whom are struggling under the weight of age. Anyway, somebody's got to pick up the playoff odds for the listing Nationals and Mets.

David Schoenfield: The Braves still have 13 games remaining against the Marlins. The Cardinals do not. More importantly, the Cardinals' rotation has really struggled and the team has allowed the second-most home runs in the National League. Meanwhile, the Braves have received strong performances so far from Mike Soroka and Max Fried. With the Nationals playing poorly and the Mets scuffling along, the Braves can take advantage of a mediocre NL East.

Speaking of playoff contenders, the Cleveland Indians host the Tampa Bay Rays this weekend. Will the Tribe, which haven't won more than two straight in nearly a month, get their act together and make the playoffs?

Matz: The Twins are legit, so winning the Central seems like a long shot for Cleveland. Snagging a wild card won't be easy, either, as the Indians likely would need to finish ahead of either the Yankees, Red Sox or Rays. Francisco Lindor has finally found his groove, but Jose Ramirez hasn't. So ... can the Tribe make the playoffs? Absolutely. But it sure would help if Ramirez starts producing like his top-five-finish-in-MVP-voting self.

Miller: Probably not, and the front office might figure it's not even worth fighting that hard for a wild-card spot. I'm not all the way convinced Lindor really has found his groove, either. He's so good, he could be an All-Star (if not an MVP candidate) at three-quarters speed; the problem is, according to Statcast's sprint speeds, that isn't that far off.

Schoenfield: The Twins absolutely look like the real deal and have indicated they have payroll room to add something at the trade deadline as needed. You think the Indians will make a big move? Unlikely. Yes, they'll get Mike Clevinger and Corey Kluber back at some point, but right now I'd pick the Twins to win the division and the Indians to battle for -- and fall short of -- a wild-card spot.

The season's two most highly touted rookies -- the Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the San Diego Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. -- are in Toronto this weekend. Beyond that pair, there have been numerous impact rookies this year. Who has impressed you the most?

Matz: Pete Alonso is on pace to hit 54 homers, which is pretty dang impressive for anyone, much less a rookie. But I'm reasonably certain that in MLB's current offensive climate, my fourth-grade son could hit 54 bombs. I'm infinitely more impressed by pitching prowess these days. What Mike Soroka has done -- he has surrendered just one homer and hasn't allowed more than one earned run in any of his seven starts -- is just plain crazy.

Miller: I'll take it on faith that David, who said last week he was going to rename his dogs -- rename! give them new names! -- after Chris Paddack, will take care of that response next. I've been in awe of Tampa Bay rookie Brandon Lowe's swing. He's not big, doesn't look imposing, but he hunts for early-count strikes and has a knack for pulling and elevating anything in the zone. That's not the right approach for every hitter, but it's working for Lowe.

Schoenfield: Of course, I have to mention Soroka and Paddack here, two keys to my current first-place fantasy team. What, you don't want to hear about that? Sorry. Oh, Yusei Kikuchi is on my team as well and he's been a solid rookie starter, although obviously he isn't a rookie in the traditional sense. Maybe the most surprising/impressive rookie performer has been Michael Chavis of the Red Sox. We knew he had big-time power potential, but he also had an 80-game PED suspension last season and a high strikeout rate. We also didn't expect to see much of him, as he was buried behind Rafael Devers on the depth chart at third base. He has kept his strikeouts relatively intact, but most impressively he has played a solid second base after playing mostly third base in the minors.

You guys aren't rookies, but you're certainly impressive. What's on top of your weekend must-see list?

Matz: In the past 100 years, there have been six players who have had at least 50 steals and 100 RBIs in the same season (Barry Bonds did it most recently, in 1990). Adalberto Mondesi is on pace for 56 and 132. With seven triples already, he's also on pace for 23 of The Most Exciting Play In Baseball. There has only been one guy in MLB history to ever record 20 triples, 50 steals and 100 RBIs in a single season. (Hint: his name rhymes with Schmy Schmobb.) All of which is to say, I'm going to pay a little extra attention to the Royals.

Miller: Domingo German is going for his 10th win and it's still May. Wins aren't my stat, but my inner 8-year-old still loves to see a ludicrous win-loss record now and again, so I'll be watching Sunday to see if German can improve to 10-1 and stay on pace for an extremely unlikely 30-win season. (Heck, I'd take 29.)

Schoenfield: I'm developing a disturbing fascination with all the home runs the Orioles are allowing. Entering Thursday's game against the Yankees, they've allowed 105 home runs in 49 games, a season pace of 347. That's almost incomprehensible. It would be like Bob Beamon long-jumping 29 feet, 2½ inches at the 1968 Olympics, completely destroying the previous record. And this weekend? The Orioles play in Denver. Protect the kids.

PICK 'EM TIME

Dodgers lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu brings a streak of 31 consecutive scoreless innings into Pittsburgh. Closest to the pin: How long will Ryu's streak last?

Matz: Four of the 10 longest streaks in the live ball era belong to Dodgers: Hershiser, Drysdale, Greinke, Kershaw. Ryu needs 10 more innings to break into that top 10 and become the fifth Dodger. He'll get eight against the Pirates, seven against the Mets after that, and then lose it in the first inning at Arizona. So let's call it 45⅓ innings, tying him with Carl Hubbell for fifth longest.

Miller: I've been debating with a friend about how many innings it takes for a scoreless streak to become must-watch. I say 32 -- since then he's only, theoretically, three outings away from Hershiser -- but my friend insists it's at least 35, since nobody goes nine innings anymore. Anyway, enough stalling: The Pirates have been the fourth-worst offense in baseball against lefties this year, so I'll be optimistic and say he goes six scoreless and gives me and my friend the right to get hyped.

Schoenfield: I say Josh Bell goes yard and ends the streak at 36 innings.

The Orioles are giving up home runs at a record pace (and then some). This weekend they're in the thin air at Coors Field, a potentially volatile combination. Over/under for home runs allowed by the Orioles this weekend at Coors: 6.5

Matz: (Total number of times the O's have allowed more than six homers in a road series this year) + (Total number of time the Rockies have hit more than six homers in a home series this year) = One. I'll take the under.

Miller: I reject Eddie's implied home/road distinction for the Orioles' prodigious dinger-allowing rate. I believe in their ability to allow homers in any park, and certainly in Coors. The Orioles have allowed five or more homers in a game seven times this year, and I really only need one of those to nearly guarantee the over. So I'll take the over.

Schoenfield: Over.

Who wins Sunday night -- Braves or Cardinals?

Matz: Both starters (Jack Flaherty and Julio Teheran) have been much better at home this season. In related news, this game will take place in The Lou. Dame los Cardenales, por favor.

Miller: I like Flaherty so much that I refuse to ever look at his stats. He's a star. I know it. I don't need "proof" or even "supporting evidence." I bet his ERA is, like, 1.60. I'll take the Cardinals.

Schoenfield: Flaherty is the scheduled starter for St. Louis and I keep waiting for him to roll out three or four dominant starts in a row, but he hasn't found a consistent groove yet and walked five Braves two starts ago. Teheran, meanwhile, has allowed just two runs over his past four outings. I'll go with the hot hand and pick the Braves.

TWO TRUE OUTCOMES

Each week, we ask our panelists to choose one hitter they think will hit the most home runs and one pitcher they think will record the most strikeouts in the coming weekend. Panelists can pick a player only once for the season. We'll keep a running tally -- and invite you to play along at home.

Home run hitters

Matz: Marcell Ozuna

Miller: Nolan Arenado

Schoenfield: Dang, I already used Trevor Story, and Sam beat me to Arenado. We're on the same page here. Charlie Blackmon is dinged up, so I guess that leaves me with ... Ian Desmond? (And, yes, I might pick against the Orioles the rest of the season.)

Strikeout pitchers

Matz: Caleb Smith

Miller: Chris Paddack

Schoenfield: Noah Syndergaard

‘I don’t know how I won that’ says Perry 
By SEAN REUTHE in Hull 

England No.1 Sarah-Jane Perry and Egypt’s World No.2 Mohamed ElShorbagy sent defending champions Nour El Sherbini and Miguel Rodriguez out of the 2019 Allam British Open, PSA World Tour Platinum tournament after an action-packed quarter-finals day at Hull’s Allam Sport Centre.

Perry, the 2017 British Open runner-up, has taken a while to get back to full fitness after undergoing elbow surgery in December, but the World No.6 played some of her best squash to recover from a game down, winning 8-11, 14-12, 11-7, 11-8 to reach her first Platinum semi-final since November’s Hong Kong Open.

The 29-year-old from Birmingham was at the mercy of a rampant El Sherbini in the opening game as the World No.2 played some sumptuous attacking squash to take a one-game lead.

The two-time British Open winner looked set to double her advantage as she opened up a 7-2 lead in the second game, but a dogged Perry stayed in the rallies and came back to take the game on the tie-break. From there, the Englishwoman rose to the occasion and outplayed her opponent in the next two games to complete an 8-11, 14-12, 11-7, 11-8 victory in 49 minutes.

“I don’t really know how I won that,” said Perry. “As everyone saw, I was very down in that second game, I actually told myself ‘don’t worry about this game, just play your way back in like you did in the first game’ and then every time I won a point the crowd was right behind me, and that helped.

“I just wanted to keep the home crowd happy and have some home fans cheering me on tomorrow. I’ve got a tough match tomorrow, but it’s great to see the crowd packed. We don’t get to play in England that much so it’s fantastic and thank you to everyone who has put the tournament on.”

Perry will line up against 2015 champion Camille Serme for a place in the title decider after the World No.4 defeated Belgium’s Nele Gilis 11-4, 14-12, 13-11.

World No.1 Raneem El Welily also fell on quarter-finals day as she went down in straight games to a rampant Nouran Gohar, meaning both of last year’s women’s finalists have crashed out of the tournament.

Gohar had lost her previous six matches against El Welily – including in last month’s El Gouna International final – but her trademark hard-hitting style was in full flow in Hull as she crashed the ball around the court to win 11-9, 11-7, 11-5 in the day’s opening match.

“She has beaten me in the last three tournaments,” 2016 runner-up Gohar said. “It has been so long since I have beaten Raneem, and I think the head-to-head shows that. I’ve beaten her one or two times on the PSA Tour, so it is huge for me today.

“I just tried to keep it simple and play the basic things because if you make it too complicated, then it is so hard against her, so I just tried to straighten it up and play the normal game.”

She will take on World No.3 Nour El Tayeb in the semi-finals, with El Tayeb putting in an immaculate performance to dispatch New Zealand’s World No.4 Joelle King 11-8, 11-3, 11-6 in just 28 minutes.

In the men’s draw, World No.2 ElShorbagy avenged his defeat to Colombia’s Miguel Rodriguez in last year’s final. The 28-year-old stormed to an 11-6, 11-5, 11-9 victory to move to within one win of a fourth British Open final.

ElShorbagy and Rodriguez contested one of the greatest finals in the tournament’s 90-year history 12 months ago, with the latter winning a five-game, 102-minute epic to become the first South American ever to win the iconic trophy.

ElShorbagy has won all four of their matches since that match though, and the form book was never in danger of being thrown out of the window as he powered to the win in straight games.

“Miguel is, of course, a very dangerous opponent, and when he is playing well, he is one of the toughest opponents to play on tour,” ElShorbagy said after the match.

“Every situation is different and I have been in a lot of situations in my career where I have had to perform differently to try and get the best result possible to be able to come back the next day and still be able to perform at my best.”

Former World No.1 Karim Abdel Gawad awaits ElShorbagy in the semi-finals after he defeated Germany’s World No.5 Simon Rösner 3-2 in a gripping, 89-minute encounter, which is the longest match of the tournament so far.

New Zealand’s Paul Coll also advanced to the last four as he became the first Kiwi in 30 years to reach the semi-finals of the British Open. The World No.6 twice saw a one-game lead slip through his fingers against World No.34 Hesham, but put in a composed performance in the decider to close out the win.

Coll, 27, is the first New Zealander since Ross Norman in 1989 to claim a semi-final berth, and he will now look to end a seven-match losing streak against World No.1 Ali Farag, who beat fellow Egyptian Mohamed Abouelghar to reach the semi-finals here for the first time.

“It’s coming towards the end of the season, and my body is one piece and feeling match fit, so I’m taking each day as it comes and just trying to keep it together and keep pushing, I’m looking forward to my next semi-final today,” Coll said.

“I have massive respect for Ali, he has achieved so much, on and off court he is a deserving No.1, but that doesn’t mean tomorrow that I’m not going to come out and try and smash him.” 

2019 Allam British Open, University of Hull Sports and Fitness Centre, Hull, England.

Men’s Quarter-Finals: 
[1] Ali Farag (EGY) bt [7] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) 11-8, 11-9, 11-4 (37m)
[4] Paul Coll (NZL) bt Mazen Hesham (EGY) 11-3, 5-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-6 (74m)
[5] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) bt [3] Simon Rösner (GER) 11-8, 11-6, 14-16, 10-12, 11-9 (89m)
[2] Mohamed Elshorbagy (EGY) bt [6] Miguel Rodriguez (COL) 11-6, 11-5, 11-9 (43m)
Semi-Finals:
[1] Ali Farag (EGY) v [4] Paul Coll (NZL)
[2] Mohamed Elshorbagy (EGY) v [5] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)

Women’s Quarter-Finals:
[7] Nouran Gohar (EGY) bt [1] Raneem El Welily (EGY) 11-9, 11-7, 11-5 (36m)
[3] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) bt [5] Joelle King (NZL) 11-8, 11-3, 11-6 (28m)
[4] Camille Serme (FRA) bt Nele Gilis (BEL) 11-4, 14-12, 13-11 (51m)
[6] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) bt [2] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) 8-11, 14-12, 11-7, 11-8 (49m)
Semi-Finals:
[7] Nouran Gohar (EGY) v [3] Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
[6] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) v [4] Camille Serme (FRA)

Report by SEAN REUTHE (PSA PR and Media Manager). Edited by ALAN THATCHER.

Pictures courtesy of  PSA