Two days after the Toronto Raptors beat the Houston Rockets with several coaches -- including head coach Nick Nurse -- and star forward Pascal Siakam sitting out due to the NBA's health and safety protocols, the Raptors had Sunday night's game against the Chicago Bulls postponed because they couldn't field the required eight players.

It is unclear whether Toronto will be able to return to the court before the All-Star break this coming weekend. The Raptors are scheduled to host the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday before taking on the Celtics in Boston on Thursday.

There is no word as to whether the Rockets' game Sunday night in Houston against the Memphis Grizzlies will need to be postponed as a result of the Raptors' issues.

After it was announced that Nurse, his coaching staff and Siakam would all be unavailable for Friday's game, Raptors general manager Bobby Webster said that the NBA -- which determines whether games will be played -- ultimately determined that its testing program was rigorous enough that it would be safe for the Raptors and Rockets to play.

"We spoke to the NBA," Webster said. "One way to think about it is, we get tested twice in the morning, and so if those tests come back negative, that kind of gives you the clearance to participate in activities that day, and then you can even do some testing later in the day if you're concerned about it. I think once the negative tests came back this afternoon, I think that gave the NBA the comfort that at least for today, we're clear."

This will be the first test of the NBA's attempt to try to get every team to 72 games played this season. The league last week released its schedule for the second half of the season, in which several teams are trying to jam a lot of games into a small number of days. The Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs, for example, are scheduled to play 40 games in 68 days.

Toronto was scheduled to play 36 games in 67 days. However, the number of games will now increase by at least one, and potentially as many as three by the end of this week. Although the NBA's goal is to have every team play its full schedule, sources have said the league is aware that all teams might not be able to. There is limited flexibility within the schedule to add games as the NBA wants to get the playoffs completed on time before the scheduled start of the Olympic Games in late July.

The league is going to hold a truncated All-Star Weekend in Atlanta, combining its traditional Saturday night events (the skills challenge, 3-point contest and slam dunk contest) with the All-Star Game on Sunday night in the face of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, the league has tightened its health and safety protocols significantly over the past several weeks to attempt to mitigate the spread of the virus. For several weeks it had seemed to keep any teamwide outbreaks from occurring, but in the past two weeks, the Spurs, Charlotte Hornets and now the Raptors have had multiple games postponed as a result of the virus.

JAMAICA, Va. – After a disappointing year due to COVID restrictions, Virginia Motor Speedway officials have released the track’s schedule and return to racing this season.

It will mark the 52nd season of action at the half-mile dirt oval.

“To say we are excited about getting back to racing would be an understatement. We are making changes to keep our competitors are fans safe on a race night, to include hand sanitization stations spread throughout the facility, and enhanced cleaning methods,” said track owner Bill Sawyer.

The schedule includes 11 nights of weekly racing action, as well as the return of 410 sprint cars with the April 15 Thursday Night Thunder featuring the All Star Circuit of Champions and Tony Stewart.

Two Ultimate Super Late Model Series-sanctioned events – the May 15, $20,000-to-win Virginia is for Racing Lovers King of the Commonwealth and the Aug. 7, $20,000-to-win 45th annual Ernie Shelton’s USA 100 – are on the slate, as is the $3000 to win Prelude to the World Championship for FASTRAK Pro Late Models on Aug. 21.

The return of FASTRAK World Championship weekend, paying $25,000 to win, and two mud bogs at the facility’s state-of-the-art mud bog pit are on tap as well.

The season will open on Saturday, April 3rd, with Dirt Series Championship weekly racing action featuring a full program that will include the Victory Lap Pro Late Model, Truckin Thunder Sportsman, Budweiser Modified, and Collision One Limited Stock divisions.

The Dirt Series Championship weekly racing season will conclude on Saturday, Sept. 4, with the crowning of the speedway’s champions in each division.

For a complete look at the 2021 schedule visit www.vamotorspeedway.com.

USWNT and Manchester City midfielder Sam Mewis marked her comeback from injury on Sunday with two goals as her side beat Birmingham City 4-0 in the Women's Super League.

Lauren Hemp and Caroline Weir also scored at St. George's Park to give Gareth Taylor's side their eighth straight league win.

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Mewis hasn't played since Jan. 23 when she came off injured during the USWNT's 6-0 win over Colombia.

Sunday's win means City keep the pressure on Chelsea at the top of the table. Both sides have now played 15 games each and City are just two points behind Emma Hayes' side with a possibly decisive game coming on April 25.

City were the stronger side throughout the game with Birmingham's Hannah Hampton pulling off several good saves in the first half to keep her side in it.

There was little she could do on 40 minutes, however, when Mewis rose above the Birmingham defence to head home a cross from Chloe Kelly.

Mewis got her second of the game and fifth of the season on 52 minutes, tapping in after the ball was cleared off the line.

In a bizarre moment 90 seconds later, Hemp appeared to try to put a low cross into the box but instead directed it into Hampton's net and injured herself in the process.

Mewis was denied the chance of a hat trick when she was subbed off for Georgia Stanway on 63 minutes.

City kept up the pressure, however, and some poor play from Hampton on 66 minutes saw Weir nab the ball off her and score.

Rose Lavelle, who was named the SheBelieves Cup Most Valuable Player, and Abby Dahlkemper both made late substitute appearances.

Expecting more of the testing conditions they faced in their hefty defeat inside two days in Ahmedabad, Ben Foakes says England will be better equipped to level the series against India in the final match, starting at the same ground on Thursday.

Foakes was among a handful of players in the touring squad who trained at the Narendra Modi Stadium in on Sunday, the day the third Test was due to finish had England not been defeated by 10 wickets three days earlier. After the training session, Foakes said the Motera surface would be less of a mystery second time round and it was up to his team to work out how to fare better in conditions he described as the toughest he'd played in.

"I was at training today and from the look of it I think it'll be pretty similar," Foakes said via Zoom. "I don't think we're concerned. We know what we're going to get and I guess they're pushing their conditions to the extremities. We know it's going to spin considerably from ball one so it's about trying to find a way to play well in those conditions and understand they're going to be challenging."

The state of the pitch was the subject of much conjecture and the skiddiness of the pink ball was deemed to be a factor in a match described by Virat Kohli, the India captain, as "bizarre" after England were routed by ten wickets. The visitors collapsed to scores of 112 and 81 in their two innings, while India scarcely fared any better in their first innings, with Joe Root claiming 5 for 8 with his part-time offbreaks as batsmen found survival tough.

But Foakes admitted - as his captain, Root, did immediately after the match - that England were "thoroughly outplayed". And, while the final match will feature a return to the red ball and daytime play, Foakes said the solution for England was relatively simple as they set out to level the series 2-2.

"Firstly not getting too down our ourselves after the last couple of innings," he said. "Trying to keep a positive, clear mindset because when you're struggling your judgement can get clouded and things can go badly. It's about trying to keep a clear mind, stick to the gameplans and be slightly more positive at times if the situation dictates, but trying to come up with a gameplan that potentially works on that surface now we've had experience of what it was like in the last game.

"We're still in a position to draw in India... we are in with a chance of a pretty awesome achievement if we win this last one. It's going to be difficult knowing the kind of surface we're going to play on but we have just got to be better than we were in the last game."

From batting and wicketkeeping perspectives, Foakes has been in the thick of England's battle since he arrived to replace the resting Jos Buttler starting with the second Test at Chennai.

There, he acquitted himself particularly well as spin also played a big part in the match, albeit on a more traditional sub-continental pitch. His unbeaten 42 was England's highest score in their first innings and he completed three stumpings, took two catches and was involved in a run out before they succumbed to a 317-run defeat. In the third Test, meanwhile, 20 of the 30 dismissals were either lbw or bowled.

"From playing on the last two pitches I've never seen turn like that," he said. "They almost feel like day-five pitches from ball one and it's understanding we are going to get out at times and it's making peace with a certain way of getting out if it means we can score runs.

"The last two games have been the hardest pitches I've kept on. They've been challenging and the last game, I think it was to do with the pink ball, the amount it was skidding on or spun, I'd probably never experienced a wicket like that before. So it was a good challenge to keep on and I guess it was one I enjoyed.

"Any time it's done as much as it has been you're always in the game. It's just about trying to do as solid a job as possible and trying to impact the game by stealing a wicket or a stumping - that's my goal."

But Foakes was also resigned to making way for Buttler once more when his rest period is over.

"The way I've mentally approached the games is it's three more opportunities to play for England and I'll try and do as well as I can," Foakes said. "I'm purely looking at how I can do well in the next game rather than the bigger picture."

Third baseman Hunter Dozier and the Kansas City Royals are in agreement on a four-year, $25 million contract extension that includes a fifth-year option for $10 million, sources told ESPN.

The deal buys out two potential free-agent years for the 29-year-old and starts this season. The contract has escalators and bonuses that could max it out at $49 million over the five years.

Dozier missed the start of the season last year after testing positive for COVID-19. He made his season debut on Aug. 9. In 44 games, Dozier posted a .228/.344/.392 slash line with six home runs and 12 RBIs.

He had a breakthrough 2019 season in which he hit 26 homers, tied for the American League lead in triples (10) and had 84 RBIs.

Dozier is a clear part of a Royals team that's looking to make noise in a suddenly ascendant AL Central. Earlier this offseason, Kansas City acquired outfielder Andrew Benintendi in a trade with the Boston Red Sox.

In the strangest of years, we have had perhaps the most surreal Six Nations championship so far - a tale of the unexpected in so many ways.

That is what has occurred with Wales defeating Ireland, Scotland and now England to top the table after the halfway stage.

With the virus outbreak in the French camp and the postponement of their game against Scotland this weekend, how this wonderfully weird tournament will end is still to be decided.

Wales fans will hope it concludes with a second Grand Slam in three tournaments. Who would have said that a month ago?

Fortune favours the brave

Questions are being raised about whether this could prove to be the luckiest Triple Crown in history.

Even the most ardent Wales fan will have to acknowledge their side have benefitted from the bounce of the ball, opposite indiscipline and stray opposition elbows and forearms.

And of course, now Wales' most favourite French referee in Pascal Gauzere.

Wales defeated Ireland and Scotland with their opponents reduced to 14 men and against England they profited from two controversial first-half tries that will be debated for weeks, months and even years to come.

Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones admitted afterwards things had fallen their way but it is too simplistic to just put three wins down to 'Lady Luck'.

Unexpected events happen in sport. It's about how you react and adapt. Wales have proved superior to their opponents in this facet.

Just look at the match facts. Ten tries in three Six Nations matches. Three wins, two bonus points and a record 40 points against England. That is not all just down to the benevolence of fate.

While Wales have not been squeaky clean, their discipline has been a cut above those opposing them.

So it is not lucky that Wales have finished games strongly. The perfect example being locked at 24-24 with England after 67 minutes before outscoring the Red Rose by 16 points in the "championship minutes", as Eddie Jones likes to call them.

It was not fortunate Wales wrestled the momentum from England just as they did two years ago in their 21-13 victory.

It is not lucky Justin Tipuric and Owen Watkin produced match-saving tackles against Ireland and Scotland respectively, or that Louis Rees-Zammit inspired victory at Murrayfield with a stunning solo try.

That is character, class and being clinical. Not just leaving everything to fortune.

Wayne's world - Pivac turning things around after tough start

Wayne Pivac deserves a special mention after a poor 2020 saw him lose seven out of 10 games in his first full year in charge.

It was always going to be testing for the New Zealander to follow compatriot Warren Gatland, whose 12 years in charge yielded three Grand Slams, four Six Nations titles and two World Cup semi-finals.

Not many gave Pivac a chance of success in the 2021 tournament. With a break clause at the end of the season in his four-year contract, questions were raised about whether he would see the side through to the 2023 World Cup in France.

Now he has won three matches and is more than halfway to a Grand Slam.

In adversity, Pivac has remained dignified answering questions about his future. In success, he has been modest in his role in helping turning around fortunes by laying the praise with his players.

More importantly, his on-the-field decisions have laid the foundations for the timely turnaround.

Choices like bringing George North into the centre from the wing and preferring Kieran Hardy to Gareth Davies to start at scrum-half against England have been vindicated.

His brave replacements policy has also paid dividends with Hardy, Callum Sheedy and Willis Halaholo helping change the game against Scotland.

Two weeks later against England, the players off the bench again provided a crucial intervention and were introduced at the right time.

Sheedy again made an indelible impression with a 13-point second-half haul as he proved his international goal-kicking credentials, while Elliot Dee and Cory Hill typified the inspirational impetus England could not handle.

Selection and substitutes were important in Gatland's success. It is still early days but Pivac is beginning to show he has similar traits.

His backroom staff have also excelled with attack coach Stephen Jones overseeing the glut of tries, Gethin Jenkins installing a dynamic defence and forwards boss Jonathan Humphreys sorting out a malfunctioning lineout.

Senior statesmen leading by example

While Pivac deserves credit, so do his senior players.

Following the dismal 2020 campaign and three years ahead of a World Cup, was a changing of the guard needed with regards to the Wales 30-something brigade?

Three months on, those experienced campaigners have played a pivotal part in the Triple Crown success.

Captain Alun Wyn Jones (35), Ken Owens (34), Dan Biggar (31), Justin Tipuric (31) and the remarkable Taulupe Faletau (30) have demonstrated there is no substitute for street-wise experience. Tipuric (55), Faletau (53) and Jones (49) are top of the Six Nations tackle statistics.

Wales fielded their most capped starting side against England with more than 900 caps between them and Pivac himself stressed the importance of the older guard.

"We talk a lot about Alun Wyn and everything that is said is very accurate," said Pivac.

"The young guys are hanging off every word. He's one of many senior players that we have in the group that are really stepping up in training sessions and team meetings.

"I'm very pleased that those guys, in particular senior players like Justin Tipuric, Taulupe Faletau, Dan Biggar, Jonathan Davies, George North - those sorts of players - want to take on that role and share those experiences with younger players. It's important going forward."

Grand plan

Wales legend Scott Quinnell stated on the Scrum V Six Nations preview show that Pivac's men would win the Grand Slam.

Not many took his prediction too seriously, putting it down to the friendly blind optimism associated with one of Wales' most infectious and positive characters.

Turns out though Mr Quinnell might be onto something. Victories in scheduled away trips to Rome and then Paris in March would provide a stunning Six Nations clean sweep.

Some of that journey will be in Wales' hands, other aspects will not. Complacency will be the main issue against an Italy side who have now lost 30 successive Six Nations games.

Lifting performance levels against France will be the challenge if Wales are to complete their tournament clean sweep in the French capital for the first time in 50 years.

Fabien Galthie's side are the only other unbeaten team in the tournament but have played a game less after this weekend's match against Scotland was postponed because of that Covid-19 outbreak in Les Bleus camp.

The final fixture against Wales was designed to bring the tournament and "Super Saturday" on March 20 to a spectacular conclusion. We await to see if that remains the case and if France stay in the tournament.

Despite what happens with rescheduled fixtures and France's future, Wales will hope they can control their own Grand Slam destiny with two more victories.

Strange and surreal but now perfectly plausible.

Valencia defender Gabriel Paulista broke down in tears during a post-match interview on Saturday when it was suggested his side were in a relegation fight after a 3-0 defeat at Getafe left them six points above La Liga's drop zone.

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Asked what it was like to go from challenging for Champions League qualification each year to looking nervously over their shoulders at the relegation places, Paulista lost composure and could barely respond.

"Hearing that is terrible, when you consider how big a club Valencia are and then to hear [about the threat of relegation] is awful," Paulista told broadcaster Movistar Plus.

"But we're going to turn this around, we have many games left and we're going to improve and return Valencia to where they deserve to be."

The interviewer wished Paulista luck before ending the segment and the player continued to shed tears before being consoled by Valencia's press officer.

Six times league winners and Champions League runners-up in 2000 and 2001, Valencia are one of Spain's biggest clubs but have endured plenty of ups and downs in the last decade.

They had a recent resurgence which saw them qualify for the Champions League in consecutive seasons and win the Copa del Rey but have been on a downward spiral since coach Marcelino was sacked in 2019 after falling out with owner Peter Lim.

They reached the Champions League quarterfinals last year but have reached a nadir this season amid a financial crisis exacerbated by the novel coronavirus pandemic.

They had to part with a number of influential players in 2020 without bringing in any new arrivals.

The transfer fiasco led to coach Javi Gracia offering his resignation in October before withdrawing it.

But results are getting worse for Valencia, who sit 14th in the standings after winning three of their last 16 league games.

"This season has been very difficult for us," Gabriel said.

"We're Valencia and we have to fight for this badge, this club deserves so much more as we're not doing anything right, we have to try and do a lot more."

The league phase for three of the Elite Groups in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2020-21 ended on Sunday, with Gujarat, Andhra and Karnataka topping Groups A, B and C.

The last round of the league phase will take place on Monday, with the teams finishing on top in Elite Groups D and E joining the other three group toppers as automatic quarterfinal entrants.

The format for this year's tournament has the top teams from each of the five Elite groups progressing to the quarterfinals. They will be joined by the two teams who finish highest on points among all the other Elite Group teams. The team that finishes third on points will play the Plate Group topper in a pre quarter-final, and the winner of that match will be the eighth quarter-finalist.

Sunday's games were marked by several teams going hard to improve their net run-rates, with a view to qualifying.

Group A

Gujarat came out triumphant in a top-of-table clash against Baroda, maintaining a clean slate to finish on top of the group, while Baroda finished second. Dhruv Raval (102 off 129) and Het Patel (82 off 84) were the fulcrum around which Gujarat put up 277 for 7, and Baroda could only muster 237 for 9 in response. Piyush Chawla (3 for 52), Chintan Gaja (2 for 40) and Arzan Nagwaswalla (2 for 47) were the main wicket-takers for Gujarat.

Gujarat finished on 20 points from five games, while Baroda had 16, with a net run-rate of 0.399.

Group B

At the Daly College Ground in Indore, Andhra ensured their net run-rate would be the highest in Group B, romping to victory against Jharkhand in 9.5 overs after bowling them out 139. Harishankar Reddy led the way with the ball, taking 4 for 30. Andhra's chase blasted off with an 82-run opening stand that came in just 5.5 overs, Ashwin Hebbar (44 off 18) and Ricky Bhui (57* off 27) ensuring a quick finish and a passage into the quarter-finals. Jharkhand would have been through to the quarter-finals if they had won.

Elswhere in Indore at the Emerald High School Ground, Tamil Nadu completed a big win over Vidarbha. Having bowled Vidarbha out for 150 in 41 overs, Tamil Nadu got to 152 for 5 in 11.2 overs. B Aparajith opened the bowling for Tamil Nadu and took 3 for 10 in six overs, while J Kousik (3 for 22) and M Mohammed (3 for 33) also had three-wicket hauls. Mohammed completed a fine all-round day with 37 not out off 14 balls, with N Jagadeesan's 18-ball 48 the other notable score.

Madhya Pradesh overcame Punjab by 105 runs in an action-packed match at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore, but it wasn't enough to secure qualification. MP put up 402 for 3, powered by Venkatesh Iyer's 198 off 146, with Aditya Shrivastava blasting 88* off 56. Punjab's chase ended at 297 all out in 42.3 overs, but they had their moments with opener Abhishek Sharma smashing a 49-ball 104, having got to his century off just 42 balls.

Four teams ended up on 12 points in Group B - Andhra, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh. None of the other three can make the quarterfinals however, due to at least three other teams among the Elite Groups ending up with higher than 12 points.

Group C

Three teams ended up on 16 points - Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Kerala. All three had a high net run-rate, having ended the league phase with comprehensive wins, but Karnataka's was the highest at 1.834. However, UP (1.559) and Kerala (1.244) have ensured that they might still be in the running for the quarterfinals.

Karnataka's openers led the team to a ten-wicket win at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium with a mammoth stand, after Railways had made 284 for 9 built around Pratham Singh's 129. Shreyas Gopal's 3 for 41 were the best figures, but the real stars of the day were R Samarth (130* off 118) and Devdutt Padikkal (145* off 125), as Karnataka completed victory in 40.3 overs.

Shivam Sharma, the 20-year-old left-arm spinner, took 6 for 22 as Uttar Pradesh bowled Odisha out for 148 in 40.1 overs. The UP batsmen then hauled in the target in 21.4 overs, losing four wickets.

At the Alur 3 cricket ground, Kerala bowled Bihar out for 148 in 40.2 overs, and then chased down the target in just 8.5 overs. Robin Uthappa continued his good form in the tournament, smashing 87 not out off 32, while Vishnu Vinod (37 off 12) and Sanju Samson (24* off 9) were equally destructive in a nine-wicket win. Uthappa reached his half-century in 22 balls, and hit four fours and 10 sixes overall. S Sreesanth took 4 for 30 while Jalaj Saxena, who opened the bowling with Sreesanth, was among the wickets too, with 3 for 30.

For the three teams in the Elite Groups already on 16 points but who haven't qualified yet - Baroda, UP and Kerala - their chances will depend on how other results go in Groups D and E. While UP have the highest net run-rate, followed by Kerala, Baroda are some way behind with 0.399.

Group D

Mumbai have an all-win record with 16 points in four games, and play Himachal Pradesh in their final game. Mumbai's net run-rate is a massive 2.268 - the highest in the league phase in the Elite Groups - so they should fancy their chances of qualifying even if they lose their last game. Delhi are on 12 points, and could reach 16 if they win their last league game, against Rajasthan. Delhi's net run-rate is 0.473 though, and they'll be looking to boost that considerably even while needing a win.

Group E

Saurashtra have won all games so far and are on 16 points. They play Services in their last league match. Their net run-rate is 1.133, lower than both UP and Kerala, so they will need a win to ensure automatic progression. Chandigarh are second, with 12 points, and play Jammu & Kashmir in their final league game. Chandigarh's net run-rate however, is -0.213 so even a massive win in their final game might not be enough to take them to the quarter-finals.

Uttarakhand and Assam are both on 16 points in the Plate Group, and will play different opponents in their last league matches (Sikkim and Mizoram), but Uttarakhand's net run-rate of 3.538 - as against Assam's 1.382 - means they should qualify for the pre-quarterfinals from the Plate Group if points are equal.

The BBC has strongly condemned the online abuse experienced by reporter Sonja McLaughlan after the live broadcast of Wales' 40-24 Six Nations win over England in Cardiff.

She said she had been inundated with abusive comments afterwards.

The BBC has issued a statement in support of McLaughlan.

"BBC Sport strongly condemns the online abuse experienced by Sonja McLaughlan after the Wales v England match," it said.

"Sonja has long been a key member of our Six Nations team and she absolutely has our full support."

After the match, McLaughlan wrote on Twitter: "Toxic, embarrassing, disgraceful, appalling. Just some of the feedback I've had.

"Thanks for using @ sign so it's all hit home … Now imagine getting inundated with abuse for doing your job. In my car crying. Hope you're happy."

In a reply to the post, England Rugby said: "Sonja, we are really sorry to hear this and hope you are OK. Abuse for doing your job is not OK and we stand with you.

"We will see you for the next one. Hold your head high and know you have our support."

A post from the official Six Nations account read: "Sonja, we join with the rest of the rugby community to say that this is not OK. Respect is a value of rugby we hold in the highest regard.

"Abuse of public figures or members of the media on social media or anywhere else is not acceptable."