The reeling Houston Rockets suffered another blow on Friday, losing guard Eric Gordon for four to six weeks with a strained groin, sources told ESPN.

Gordon suffered the injury in a loss to the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night, the franchise's 14th consecutive this season. He's averaging 17.8 points for the Rockets, who dropped to 11-24 and 14th in the Western Conference.

Gordon, 32, had been a target of several teams ahead of the March 25 trade deadline, but the injury largely assures that he will finish his fifth season in Houston.

Gordon was the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year in 2017, and has averaged 16.6 points in 13 NBA seasons with the LA Clippers, New Orleans Pelicans and Rockets.

The Rockets separated with forward P.J. Tucker on Thursday night until a trade can be found and have had guards John Wall and Victor Oladipo in and out of the lineup with injuries. Starting center Christian Wood is expected to return to the lineup in the near future.

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Arizona Diamondbacks first base coach Dave McKay suffered a broken rib and lacerated spleen in a fall in the dugout earlier this week.

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said 70-year-old McKay was wearing a new pair of shoes Tuesday, tripped on the bottom step of the dugout and fell against the bench during a game against the San Francisco Giants. He quickly recovered and stayed at the park, but he began to feel more pain Wednesday morning, and that's when the extent of the injury was discovered.

"He's fine, everything's good," Lovullo said Friday. "He's just going to need to step away."

Lovullo said McKay was "resting comfortably" and had a "little procedure to cauterize the spleen, and everything is thumbs-up right now."

Lovullo said that he expects McKay to be away from the team for about a week but that he should be able to be back by Opening Day on April 1.

McKay played in the big leagues from 1975 to 1982 with the Twins, Blue Jays and A's. He has spent more than 35 years as a coach and has been with the Diamondbacks since 2014.

D-backs shortstop Nick Ahmed says he admires McKay, who is well known around the organization for his good health.

"He's a trouper, takes care of himself super well," Ahmed said. "We know he's going to bounce back great. As someone who takes care of my health and enjoys that aspect of life, he's on a pedestal. I'm chasing Dave McKay, I want to be better than he is at 70."

SAKHIR, Bahrain – Despite a sandstorm that engulfed Bahrain Int’l Circuit for much of Friday, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen stood above the rest to lead the first day of Formula One preseason testing.

Verstappen, who turned 138 laps aboard the Red Bull RB16B, posted a best lap of 1:30.626 on Pirelli’s medium-compound tires to lead the 17 drivers turning at least one lap.

The Dutchman’s day of testing was nearly incident-free, save for a spin in the first session.

“We had a very positive day and managed a lot of laps, even though the track conditions were quite difficult,” noted Verstappen. “It was very warm with a lot of wind and we know the degradation is always high around here, so I’m very happy with how it went. We aimed for this number of laps and when you can complete a full program like this, the team can also be pleased with the information we have.

“We don’t need to talk about pace yet and it isn’t really a discussion until we get to Q3 at the first race weekend – it’s only then you see the real pace in all the cars,” he added. “The main thing is that the car felt nice to drive, so it’s a positive start.”

McLaren’s Lando Norris was second-quickest for the day, also on medium tires, with Alpine (formerly Renault) driver Esteban Ocon third overall on the soft-compound Pirelli tires.

Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll came in fourth-fastest late in the day on prototype Pirelli medium-compound tires, while Carlos Sainz closed the top five for Ferrari.

Daniel Ricciardo, who led the morning session in his first outing with McLaren, was seventh overall for the day.

Meanwhile, the first say of testing was forgettable for defending champions Mercedes AMG Petronas, who suffered a gearbox issue with Valtteri Bottas during the morning session before Lewis Hamilton completed 42 laps in the later session.

Hamilton was 10th on the timesheets, while Bottas ended up 17th.

A gearbox issue also hampered Mick Schumacher’s day with Haas F1 Team. Schumacher, the son of seven-time F-1 champion Michael Schumacher, was 16th fastest Friday.

Formula One testing at Bahrain Int’l Circuit continues Saturday.

GAFFNEY, S.C. – JD Motorsports with Gary Keller has welcomed 511 Auction back as sponsor of Landon Cassill’s No. 4 Chevrolet at Phoenix Raceway.

This season marks the second year that the online auction site was featured on a JDM entry, and the fourth year that company owner Dan Platt has been associated as the uniform provider for the crew.

511 Auction specializes in buying and selling large items, such as recreational vehicles, watercraft, farm/industrial equipment and real estate. The auction site was prominently featured on Jeffrey Earnhardt’s No. 0 Chevrolet last season at Bristol Motor Speedway, and serves as an associate partner on all four cars throughout the entirety of the season.

Cassill opened up the NASCAR Xfinity Series season with consistent finishes, with a season-best finish of 12th at the Daytona Road Course. Cassill currently sits 13th in the driver standings, while the No. 4 team sits 17th in owner’s points heading into Saturday’s Call 811 Before You Dig 200 at Phoenix Raceway.

CONCORD, N.C. – After a 579-day hiatus amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the NHRA’s 11,000-horsepower, nitro burning machines will once again roar to life at zMAX Dragway when the NGK NTK NHRA 4-Wide Nationals return May 14-16.

In accordance with state and local restrictions, seating capacity will be limited and new safety protocols will be in place to ensure the safety and well-being of fans, drivers, teams and staff in attendance.

“Hosting marquee events is what we do; it’s in our DNA and we are tremendously excited to be able to get back to that in 2021, starting with the NGK NTK NHRA 4-Wide Nationals,” said Charlotte Motor Speedway Executive Vice President and General Manager Greg Walter. “Every time the drivers step on the throttle at our four-wide events, it’s something unique, but given what fans have endured over the past 12 months, this year’s event promises to be extra special as we take another important step back toward normal.”

Race weekend fan protocols will include health screenings for fans, contactless ticketing, socially distanced grandstand seating and cashless souvenir and concession purchases. Fans and staff will also be required to wear approved face coverings at all times, except while actively eating and drinking. Limited grandstand seating will be in groups of up to six people properly socially distant from any other group. There will be no access to trackside viewing along the fence at the front of the grandstands.

zMAX Dragway’s modified race day protocols also include: social distancing in concession and bathroom lines; enhanced cleaning and sanitation in high-touch, high-traffic public areas; added hand-sanitizer stations; and limited guests in suites.

Fans will be allowed to bring food and unopened beverages in a soft-sided clear bag no larger than 14 inches on its longest side. Standard coolers will be prohibited to limit interpersonal contact at security checkpoints. To limit contact, cash will not be accepted. Credit/debit cards and Apple Pay will be the accepted forms of payment at concession and souvenir locations.

Due to COVID-19 protocols, only RV camping will be allowed during the weekend. No tent camping will be permitted. Camping arrival will begin on May 13, 2021. Additional information will be published to www.charlottemotorspeedway.com and sent directly to campers as event information is finalized.

“Through our successful efforts to bring NASCAR back to Charlotte Motor Speedway and with additional key learnings from several of our sister tracks, we feel confident, with the fans’ help, we can once again execute a safe race weekend and bring NHRA drag racing back in a big way,” Walter said.

CONCORD, N.C. – Logan Dernoshek, like numerous aspiring race car drivers, ascended the short-track racing ladder in his younger years.

After a successful start in karting, the Pennsylvania-born driver won races at dirt ovals like Pittsburgh’s PA Motor Speedway in an economy modified and finished runner-up in a regional touring series.  He then made his foray into pavement racing, achieving impressive results locally at speedways such as Motordrome and Jennerstown.

It was then at age 24 in 2003 that Dernoshek took his talents on the road. He competed in the former Hooters Pro Cup Series semi-regularly, turning in a best finish of eighth at the now-defunct Illiana Speedway.  Following a few years on that circuit and relocating to North Carolina, it was over to the ASA Late Model Series where he had some respectable runs at places like Motor Mile Speedway in Virginia and South Carolina’s Florence Motor Speedway.

So how did Dernoshek transition from racing his bright green modern Hamke stock car chassis on ovals to turning laps in an iconic vintage car on renowned road courses throughout the country?

“In 2008, with it getting pretty obvious with NASCAR development involvement and costs getting out of control, a friend of ours had a Yenko Stinger Corvair and invited me to race it,” Dernoshek explained. “It was a new challenge and a few years later we built our own car and began campaigning it in the mid-2010s.

There is a much closer connection and legacy though which dates back more than a half-century that, in a way, has come full circle within the family.

“My dad worked at Yenko in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania and was a builder and mechanic on the original cars which won some major races,” Dernoshek noted about the relation to the relatable yet unique air-cooled rear-engine machine. “The current car is a YS-057 with all of the parts based on a 1966 Chevrolet Yenko Stinger Corvair and dad builds the engines.  The car was originally a rusted away street car so we rebodied it, but we are very much purists and try to keep the thing as close to ’66 as possible with four-wheel drum brakes and four single-barrel carbs.”

The father-son pair in recent years has been enjoying their time checking off bucket list facilities, including Sebring Int’l Raceway in February of last year with the Sportscar Vintage Racing Ass’n. They placed first in Group 3, reserved for series-produced sports cars and sedans in production prior to 1972.

“When we were at Sebring, dad mentioned to me that it had been exactly 50 years since he had last been there,” Dernoshek indicated.  “We stayed at the Turn 7 hotel and he pointing out the aerial photos they had from then where he had explained how different everything looked back then.

“Dad’s 79 and he’s not going to be around forever, so he and I have a lot of fun getting to all of these places that we can and get to meet a lot of great people and see a lot of great cars.”

While his father Warren keeps the car they compete with at his place in Pennsylvania, Logan resides in Kannapolis, N.C., where he now runs his own business, Dernoshek Racing and Restoration, a speed shop specializing in vintage race cars as well as street car restoration and hotrods with additional services including chassis dyno and engine building.

“I have a degree in mechanical engineering and worked on nuclear power plants,” Dernoshek remarked. “I got tired of the corporate grind and I’ve always been a car guy so when I moved south I figured this appealed to my engineering mentality and started my own deal. There are a lot of people interested in vintage racing.  It is really gaining in popularity.”

Fast forward to present day where Dernoshek and his father are about ready to debut at a track around the corner.  The inaugural Charlotte SpeedTour takes place March 18-21 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and will feature both the SVRA and new Trans Am Series ProAm Challenge on the 17-turn 2.28-mile ROVAL layout. Despite it being a short 20-minute drive from home, he has never run a lap on the grounds since moving to the state.

“I ran at the kart track off the backstretch in the 1990s, but other than that I have never been on the big track,” Dernoshek stated. “There’s a Track Night in America taking place on Wednesday so maybe I’ll take my Camaro out there to learn some things ahead of time.

“We had engine problems at the Daytona Historics in November, so we have the backup engine and will put it on the dyno and get it tuned up.  Hopefully we can have a good worry-free weekend and we’ll be able to run up front.”

From there, they hope to continue getting to more major tracks across the country when time permits, including one close to his original home for the July’s Historics at PittRace event in Beaver County, Pa., but will continue to support the SVRA when and where they can as well.

“(SVRA President and CEO) Tony (Parella) and the crew are doing a great job bringing legitimacy to vintage racing to be considered one of the top forms of motorsport in America,” Dernoshek said. “It gives you an outlet with no pressure.  You can walk around and enjoy yourself, and they are sharing that with everybody that attends and through their streaming and app, which is phenomenal.”

Spectators are welcome and encouraged with multi and single day passes to the Charlotte SpeedTour event available, which grants everyone open access to the paddock, offering an up-close look at the variety of cars and drivers that will be on hand.

SPRING, Texas – Building on its return to the NHRACamping World Drag Racing Series with a technical partnership alongside TRD, ExxonMobil will expand its current team roster to include Toyota Funny Car driver Alexis DeJoria.

ExxonMobil has enjoyed a relationship with Kalitta Motorsports and will also continue that program this year.

Under the expanded agreement, ExxonMobil will supply DeJoria and her team with its Drag Racing motor oil, along with other lubricants, while also providing engineering support throughout the season.

In addition, ExxonMobil is continuing to develop next-generation lubricants to improve engine and gearbox performance while also continuing to support Kalitta Motorsports through its relationship with Toyota.

DeJoria is ready to begin her quest for her first NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series championship as the season gets underway this month.

“I’m excited to get going and to have Mobil 1 join forces with us and help our ROKiT Toyota Camry go faster is a big boost leading into the season opener,” said DeJoria, a five-time Funny Car national event winner. “Mobil 1 came back to NHRA and it was immediately apparent that they were here to be consistent contenders after winning the first race of the season. We’re looking forward to delivering some victories of our own.”

With a fresh look for the new season, DeJoria will get behind the wheel of her black-and-white Toyota Camry Funny Car with familiar sponsor, ROKiT, as the 70th NHRA season gets underway officially at the 52nd annual NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., this weekend.

“In 2020, working with Toyota and TRD, we were thrilled with how our first season back in NHRA in more than a decade turned out,” said Kai Decker, global motorsports and sponsorships manager at ExxonMobil. “NHRA is has proven a perfect place to showcase the performance of our advanced Mobil 1 synthetic lubricant technologies. Our relationship and partnership with Toyota and TRD is one that we’re looking forward to continue to build on in 2021 and beyond.”

“We’re proud of the relationship Toyota and TRD have built with ExxonMobil in several of our motorsports disciplines,” said David Wilson, president, TRD, U.S.A. “The significance of our on-track product in NHRA is especially impressive with the technical and engineering support that our teams are now receiving from Mobil 1.  And as we embark on our 20th season in NHRA, we’re all looking forward to more race wins together, battling for championships and continuing to bring a shared passion for engineering to his highly competitive form of motorsports.”

Mother knows best.

In Viktor Hovland’s case, mom also knows the Rules of Golf.

Hovland was walking to his car after shooting 2-under 70 on Thursday at The Players Championship when he received a phone call from his mom, Galina, who was back in Norway. During the brief conversation, Galina asked her son if he was going to be penalized for what happened on the 15^th hole.

“What do you mean?” Hovland asked his mom.

“Well, you didn’t put your mark back in the right place,” she answered.

Hovland hung up and immediately notified Tour officials of a potential penalty. Video evidence confirmed that after Hovland moved his mark a putter head to the left to clear the path for playing competitor Justin Thomas, he failed to return his mark to its original place and actually moved it another putter head left before making a 3-footer for par.

Under the old rules, Hovland would’ve been disqualified as he had already signed his card, but instead he was docked two shots under Rules Interpretation 3.3b and left with an opening 72.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Jon Rahm is like nearly every PGA Tour player in that he missed the presence of fans on-site at tournaments. This week’s Players Championship has the largest fan footprint since the restart nine months ago – attendance is capped at 20% – and Rahm is enjoying the additional energy the spectators provide.

“You can feed off the crowd – that’s a thing, right?” he said. “I’m glad they’re back. Hopefully we can keep having them.”

But the Tour is still likely several months away from full attendance, and a sizable-but-not-large crowd creates an interesting dynamic: Together, they can create a roar ... but the one-liners and jeers are easily heard, too.

“On every hole on every group, there’s the one group of five people that have missed being out here and they’ve been thinking for a whole year of something to say when we hit a shot, and that’s what they absolutely have to yell every single time,” Rahm said. “They want to be heard. And I don’t blame them. There’s always somebody like that, I think, that’s just taking advantage of the last time.”

Bryson DeChambeau said someone in the crowd always asks him how many protein shakes he’s downed that day – and he almost always replies.

“I’ve had probably four,” he said after his round. “And, you know, I’m losing weight having that many, too, by the way.”

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Even a dialed-back driver isn’t cooperating this week for Bryson DeChambeau.

Through two rounds at TPC Sawgrass DeChambeau has hit only 12 of 28 fairways (42%) and currently ranks in the middle of the field in the strokes gained: off the tee category. This season, he’s the Tour leader in that statistic, gaining nearly 1.3 strokes on the field per round, and he once again paced the field last week while winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

“I’m not passing through impact as consistently as I’d like,” he said. “It’s one of those things that it’s going to be a battle this weekend if I don’t get it figured out, and if I do, hopefully it all adds up in a good way.”

His errant driving hasn’t cost him so far at The Players, where DeChambeau has shot consecutive rounds of 69 and is among the early leaders on Day 2. He shook off a double bogey on his opening hole of the day by making five birdies the rest of the way.

“I’m happy with the fact that I’ve still been able to keep myself in it and score well,” he said. “I’ve been pretty lucky, for the most part. I don’t think that’ll happen this weekend. I’ve got to make sure that my game is good off the tee, so I don’t have those issues occurring and I don’t have to rely on luck. I have to get it in the fairway.”

And so after his media obligations were complete, DeChambeau headed – where else? – to the range to work on his swing. He said he’s swinging it only at about 80% speed this week, and yet he hasn’t needed more than a 7-iron into a par 4 or par 5 this week at claustrophobic TPC Sawgrass.