The Portland Trail Blazers and Oklahoma City Thunder are both planning to travel later Wednesday afternoon for games set to be played in other cities on Wednesday night.

After meeting Tuesday night in Oklahoma City, both the Blazers and Thunder had issues leaving because of snow in the area. The Trail Blazers made an announcement that they are leaving Oklahoma City later this afternoon after their original flight Tuesday night had to be postponed. Now, the Blazers will fly to New Orleans and head straight to the Smoothie King Center for an 8 p.m. CT tip Wednesday night.

Oklahoma City will do the same, team officials told ESPN, heading directly to FedExForum to play the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night. That game also is scheduled to have an 8 p.m. local tip.

Earlier Wednesday, Memphis announced that fans would not be allowed in attendance because of the wintry weather conditions in the area. The Grizzlies had fans in attendance for their game Tuesday night against the Pelicans.

ESPN reporter Royce Young contributed to this story.

Many of the NBA's top players are expressing apprehension about accepting invitations to participate in league-sponsored public service announcements to bolster broader acceptance of the coronavirus vaccine, sources told ESPN.

The NBA's outreach to the agents of many of the league's elite players -- with hopes of getting stars to participate in PSAs to promote the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine -- has been met with a tepid response, sources said. Player apprehensions about receiving the vaccine are consistent with those that also exist in Black communities throughout the country, agents and players told ESPN.

Sources describe a number of factors contributing to many players' reluctance to participate, including uncertainty about taking the vaccine themselves, reluctance to advocate its use for others and resistance to extending favors to a league amid the largely unpopular plans for an All-Star Game.

On a call with league general managers on Tuesday, commissioner Adam Silver continued to tell top team executives that the league wouldn't "jump the line" of the general public to get vaccines, but he suggested an optimistic timeline that included the possibility of late March and early April for the start of player vaccinations, sources said. Nevertheless, that's considered a fluid timeline, largely meant to reaffirm to teams the need to be prepared for whenever the opportunity to vaccinate players comes from public health officials, sources said.

The NBA shared with teams an expectation of 70 million to 100 million vaccine doses likely distributed by mid-March.

In the hours after the call with the league's GMs, Dr. Anthony Fauci -- the nation's leading infectious disease expert -- told CNN that his original hope of April as a target for widespread vaccine availability for those outside of priority groups could be pushed back.

"That timeline will probably be prolonged into mid- to late May and early June," Fauci told CNN.

As the league works to educate players on the benefits of the vaccine, Silver told the general managers that the process could be incentivized for teams and individuals with the loosening of quarantine and testing protocols for those vaccinated, sources said. Those would be measures consistent with CDC recommendations.

The NBA has been working to educate teams and players on the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine, including mandatory team seminars with Dr. Leroy Sims, the league's senior vice president of medical affairs.

The NBA has done vaccine PSAs with Hall of Fame center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, but there's a strong belief the league's top players -- many of whom who are Black -- can impact many more in Black and Brown communities, which have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"In the African American community, there's been enormously disparate impact from COVID ... but now, somewhat perversely, there's been enormous resistance [to vaccinations] in the African American community for understandable historical reasons," Silver said recently. "If that resistance continues, it would be very much a double whammy to the Black community, because the only way out of this pandemic is to get vaccinated."

The NBA has lost 30 games to virus-related postponements this season, and concerns over the short- and long-term health impact on infected players remain. The NBA playoffs are scheduled to start on May 22, and the fear of positive tests or outbreaks derailing a postseason is part of the motivation to get as many players and staff members vaccinated as soon as possible.

Quin Snyder of the Utah Jazz will coach the Western Conference entry in next month's NBA All-Star Game, sources told ESPN.

While the league has not officially announced that the game is taking place March 7, if it holds to its typical timeline of selecting the coach of the team with the best record as of two weeks before the game -- which sources say the league intends to do -- then Snyder officially locked up the honor with Utah's win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night.

Los Angeles Lakers coach Frank Vogel is ineligible to coach this year, having done so last season, while Monday's win clinched Utah having a better record than the LA Clippers no matter what happens the rest of this week.

Snyder, 54, has piloted Utah to the NBA's best record at 23-5, including wins in 19 of its last 20 games, entering tonight's showdown with the Clippers in Los Angeles. Utah has the league's fourth-best offensive rating (116.6 points per 100 possessions), second-best defensive rating (107.4) and best net rating (plus-9.2). The Jazz are the only team that resides in the top five in both offensive and defensive rating, and the Phoenix Suns are the only other team that is in the top 10 in both categories (10th and sixth, respectively).

Snyder will be the first Jazz coach to represent the West in the All-Star Game since Frank Layden in 1984. Remarkably, despite all of his success in Utah, Hall of Fame coach Jerry Sloan never did so in his more than two decades

76ers coach Doc Rivers is in line to coach the Eastern Conference in the All-Star Game for what would be the third time in his career, having done so in both 2008 and 2011 when he was coaching the Boston Celtics.

Philadelphia, despite dropping its last three games heading into Wednesday night's home game against the Houston Rockets, remains two games up in the loss column on the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks. The Sixers will end the week with the best record in the Eastern Conference no matter what those teams do if they can win two of their three remaining games this week; they also play Friday night against the Chicago Bulls in Philadelphia, and Sunday in Tampa, Florida, against the Toronto Raptors.

The starters for next month's All-Star Game will be announced Thursday night on TNT, having been determined by a combination of fan voting (50%), media voting (25%) and player voting (25%). The seven reserve spots, which are voted on by the coaches in each conference, will be announced Tuesday on TNT.

Like in recent seasons, the NBA will again have the two top vote-getters choose teams from the remaining pool of 22 All-Stars. Meanwhile, while no decision has been made on the Elam Ending with a target score returning for a second season, it was deemed a big success for how competitive it made the ending of last year's game in Chicago, and it too could return for next month's game in Atlanta.

Two Arizona Diamondbacks players have tested positive for COVID-19 and didn't start practice with the team's pitchers and catchers Wednesday.

Manager Torey Lovullo said veteran catcher Stephen Vogt received a positive result during intake testing and would miss at least the next 10 days. Pitching prospect Luis Frias tested positive a few days earlier and also didn't practice.

This is Vogt's second season with the Diamondbacks. He hit .167 with one homer last year in 72 at-bats.

TAMPA, Fla. -- The New York Yankees' 2021 season will rest on the potential of a pitching staff full of uncertainty. But regardless of any question marks, manager Aaron Boone hailed a new-look rotation that now boasts two-time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber and the second overall pick in the 2010 draft, Jameson Taillon.

"As I look at our pitching staff, and what I believe is the potential of that staff and the depth of that staff, I feel like it's in a lot of ways as good as it's been certainly since I've been here," Boone said Tuesday afternoon during his first videoconference call of the spring.

He added: "When you look at the names, and the guys and the track records, there's a lot of talented people. I think everyone can acknowledge that. I also acknowledge some of the risks and the questions that people will have when you bring in J-Mo (Taillon) and Corey, who haven't pitched a lot in the last couple of years. We feel like they're physically in a very good place and can be championship-caliber contributors to a team. But time will tell."

The loss of veteran pitchers Masahiro Tanaka, James Paxton and J.A. Happ to free agency means that the Yankees may need to depend on the arms of two oft-injured pitchers, and on Luis Severino returning to his prior elite form after undergoing Tommy John surgery in late February 2020.

Kluber, a three-time All-Star with Cleveland, is 98-58 with a 3.16 ERA over 10 big league seasons, but has had back-to-back, injury-wrecked years. Kluber suffered a fractured forearm after being hit by a comebacker in 2019. The Rangers went on to acquire Kluber via trade from the Indians, but a shoulder muscle tear limited the 35-year-old to a single inning in 2020.

Taillon missed the majority of the past two seasons while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, the second time he had to undergo the procedure to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing arm. The right-hander also had surgery for a sports hernia in 2015, and is a testicular cancer survivor. Taillon, 29, has thrown only 466 innings in his career, last pitching in the majors on May 1, 2019.

"Jameson and Corey both are ready to go," Boone said. "Corey threw a few innings the other day to live hitters, J-Mo (Taillon) has had a number of bullpens, so they came in ready to go. Obviously, not having pitched a lot in the last couple of years, it's going to be something we're going to not only monitor here closely in spring training, but as the season unfolds. Hopefully they're contributing and pitching well and thriving, but we certainly have to be mindful and that's where the depth of our pitching staff is going to play a crucial role in hopefully allowing guys to stay healthy by protecting one another."

Kluber and Taillon will join a revamped pitching staff, anchored by $324-million dollar ace Gerrit Cole. Jordan Montgomery, who seems to be fully past his own 2018 Tommy John surgery, Domingo Germán, who is returning from an 81-game suspension for violating MLB's domestic violence policy, and unproven rookies Deivi García (21), Michael King (25) and Clarke Schmidt (24) will also have shots at a rotation spot.

If the Yankees return to their elite offense, and get close to full seasons from sluggers Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Gary Sánchez, Boone believes pitching depth should be enough to get the club past their postseason early exit woes.

During the pandemic-shortened 60-game 2020 season, the Yankees managed a remarkable degree of success given the amount of injuries, and at times underperformance, of many of their core position players. But pitching is what will define whether the Yankees can remain playoff contenders once they return to a 162-game season, particularly in the American League East.

"The amount of depth that you see on our roster now from a pitching standpoint gets me excited because I know, at their best, they're capable of being top-flight starters. And that's across the board," Boone said. "Even when you consider our young guys that have gotten their feet wet, you can kind of dream of them being really good pitchers in this league. It's certainly fair to have those question marks because we've brought in guys that (have had health issues), but we also feel like the upside of a lot of pitchers on our roster right now. Hopefully we get those performances from a number of them behind Gerrit that will put us in that conversation.

"And I believe we will."

With 1:43.63 Giles moves to second on the world indoor all-time list on an action-packed evening in Poland

Even if you hadn’t seen the clock, the look on Elliot Giles’ face told you something very special had just happened in Toruń.

Storming over the finish line in a time of 1:43.63 at the Copernicus Cup on Wednesday (February 17), the world indoor fourth-placer smashed Seb Coe’s British indoor 800m record and launched himself to second on the world indoor all-time list behind only Wilson Kipketer.

The signs had been there. Wins over 800m in Karlsruhe and Liévin were followed by another PB over 1500m in Val-de-Reuil, but it was clear even Giles himself didn’t expect to go quite so quick.

“I’m still trying to process what even just happened,” said the 26-year-old. “It really does feel like a blur.

“I can’t believe I just ran 1:43 indoors. I can’t put into words right now how it feels. I’m so overwhelmed by it all. Oh man. It feels like I’m on cloud nine.”

In a busy race, Giles surged straight to the front and followed the pacemaker through 200m in 23.99 and 400m in 50.14.

He had his compatriot Jamie Webb on his shoulder at the bell, which he reached in 1:17.28, but Giles held his place and moved away over the final lap to eventually win by almost a second before raising his arms in celebration as his time was confirmed.

Such was the winner’s speed, Webb was also inside Coe’s previous British record of 1:44.91 set in 1983 as he clocked 1:44.54 in second place to move to ninth on the world all-time list.

Sweden’s Andreas Kramer also ran an indoor PB with 1:45.09 in third, while Poland’s world indoor champion Adam Kszczot finished fourth in 1:45.22.

“I thought I would run quick, I know I am in great shape,” added Giles, who won European bronze in 2016, two years after his return to the sport following a serious motorcycle accident in 2012. “I’m rolling with it so well that I just knew that if it was clicking, I could win the race. I didn’t try and run a time, I just ran.

“Seb Coe is one of the legends, he is one of the greats of all-time. I always wanted to break his record and I didn’t think I would break it by that much. I wanted his record and now I’m second all-time so, wow.

“I just didn’t feel like I tied up at all, I didn’t feel like I hit lactic. I crossed that line and I kind of get it now – when I see people run those really quick times and think ‘how are they still running afterwards?’ But I could have continued around there. I think sometimes if you’re a bit of a freak, your body can do those things, and I have seen it in training many times but I’ve never actually been able to produce it in a race. It’s just beautiful to have been able to do that.”

British middle-distance running in is remarkable health right now and when asked how much the domestic competition has pushed him, he replied: “That’s exactly why I’m probably running the way I am. I’m not necessarily running scared but I’m running aware of everyone.

“It’s dog-eat-dog at the moment. We’re all after each other and those guys are all running well. So I want to be just as good or better than them.

“I’ve got to keep pushing now. It’s easy to let my emotion run wild now and think that this is going to be it but nothing really changes. I still have to work as hard as I did. If I’m going to go to European Indoors it’s not going to be easy, I’m going to have to feel some horrible pain to win that race but I’m willing to do that and I’m enjoying it. While I’m enjoying it I think I’m going to continue running well.”

The latest World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold event offered another packed programme and a record was also broken in the women’s 800m as Ethiopia’s Habitam Alemu ran a big PB to improve the previous meeting best with 1:58.19. Poland’s Joanna Jóźwik was second with 2:00.42, while Nadia Power had another fine run to smash her Irish indoor record with 2:00.98 in third.

The USA’s Javianne Oliver continued her winning streak this season as she stormed to 60m success, equalling Dina Asher-Smith’s world lead of 7.08 for a clear win. Switzerland’s Ajla Del Ponte was second with 7.15 and Poland’s Ewa Swoboda third, 0.01 of a second back.

Grant Holloway insists the world 60m hurdles record is not his main aim but he again came close to Colin Jackson’s 7.30. After 7.32 in Liévin and a series of other fine runs, this time he clocked 7.38 for a meeting record ahead of Wilhem Belocian with 7.57, despite the race having been restarted a number of times.

There was a world lead by the USA’s Christina Clemons in the women’s 60m hurdles as she clocked 7.81.

Femke Bol was another to continue her impressive form as she won the second of the evening’s 400m races in 50.66 for an outright Dutch record.

The women’s 3000m saw Beatrice Chepkoech back in action just a few days after her world 5km record on the roads in Monaco and while the race in Toruń also got off to a fast start, Kenya’s world steeplechase champion had to settle for second place on this occasion as Ethiopia’s Lemlem Hailu kicked to victory.

Hailu, Chepkoech and Ethiopia’s Fantu Worku had followed the pacemaker through 1000m on world record pace, clocking 2:44.60, but 200m earlier the world record-holder, Genzebe Dibaba, had dropped out of the race on her season debut.

The pace slowed to 3:01.25 for the second kilometre as Hailu led from Chepkoech and Worku with 5:45.85 on the clock. A quicker final kilometre saw Worku dropped and a last lap of around 28.8 saw 19-year-old Hailu surge to a world-leading meeting record of 8:31.24 ahead of Chepkoech’s 8:31.72 PB.

Ethiopia’s world 5000m silver medallist Selemon Barega won the 1500m in an indoor PB and meeting record of 3:32.97 from Marcin Lewandowski with a Polish indoor record of 3:35.71. In third, Neil Gourley ran 3:35.79 to move to fifth on the UK indoor all-time rankings, whereas the time also beat his outdoor PB.

Greece’s European champion Paraskevi Papachristou leapt a world-leading meeting record of 14.60m to win the triple jump, as Viyaleta Skvartsova and Tori Franklin both also went beyond 14 metres.

Maksim Nedasekau won the high jump on countback with a Belarus record and world lead of 2.34m as Ukraine’s Andriy Protsenko and Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi also cleared the same height.

The men’s pole vault was won by the USA’s two-time world champion Sam Kendricks on countback thanks to his first-time clearance at 5.80m, while Poland’s Michał Haratyk won the shot put with 21.47m from Tomáš Staněk with 21.20m.

Full results can be found here.

Rafael Nadal says the tennis season must continue and called for the sport to "find solutions" to the issues surrounding quarantining.

But Nadal said: "If we stop our sport, a lot of people are going to suffer.

"We need to think a little bit bigger and, of course, protect players."

Djokovic and Nadal are among several players to have experienced physical problems following the 14-day period of isolation before the Australian Open.

Many European countries now have significant restrictions on travel and Djokovic, who set up a separate player body to the ATP last year, called for urgent discussions.

Speaking after his five-set quarter-final defeat by Stefanos Tsitsipas, Nadal said: "He's completely right that for our sport things are difficult because governments are changing the rules constantly.

"So it's difficult to make predictions about how the things are going to happen.

"But there is a very clear thing. There are two options. Stop the tour or keep going.

"My personal feeling is it's tough for the players, of course, to have to do bubbles in every single event. A lot of players have family and they cannot have the family with them, so that makes our tour probably tougher than ever.

"But on the other hand, if we stop the tour, why and how and when will we be able to come back? And a lot of jobs are going to suffer a lot."

The 34-year-old Spaniard suggested one way to help players was to protect rankings "to not force them to keep playing".

The 20-time Grand Slam champion was playing his first tournament of the year after back tightness, following a stint in Australian quarantine, kept him out of the ATP Cup team competition.

But he did not blame the unusual build-up for his defeat by Tsitsipas.

"I'm not the guy that's going to find excuses on that or going to complain about what happened," he said.

"Just accept. I never considered myself an unlucky person at all. Doesn't matter the injuries that I had. I think I am a very lucky person."

Serena Williams will continue her quest for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam trophy against title favourite Naomi Osaka in the Australian Open semi-finals on Thursday.

She has not played Osaka at a Grand Slam since the Japanese beat her in a dramatic 2018 US Open final.

The match was overshadowed by Williams' argument with umpire Carlos Ramos.

Williams called the umpire a "thief" after he deducted a point from her, and Osaka was reduced to tears by the crowd booing during the presentation ceremony.

"I think we both have had closure, and we have reached out to each other," Williams said of the match.

"I have definitely reached out. I think she's a great competitor and she's a cool cat."

Third seed Osaka, 23, has won a further two Grand Slam titles since that meeting - including the Australian Open in 2019 - but lost the last match she played against Williams in straight sets at the Canadian Open later that year.

Williams, the 10th seed, has shown great form in Melbourne as she aims to equal Margaret Court's 24 major singles titles and reached the semi-finals by seeing off second seed Simona Halep in straight sets.

Both players have only dropped one set so far this tournament.

Their match on Rod Laver Arena will begin at 03:00 GMT on Thursday - and with the lockdown in Melbourne set to be lifted will be played in front of a restricted number of fans.

In the other semi-final, American 22nd seed Jennifer Brady takes on Czech Karolina Muchova, with both aiming to reach a Grand Slam final for the first time.

Muchova, the 25th seed, produced a shock when she knocked out world number one and home favourite Ashleigh Barty in the last round.

You can follow live text commentary of Williams v Osaka on the BBC Sport website and watch highlights on BBC Two at 15:30 GMT on Thursday.

World number one v the qualifier

Eight-time champion Novak Djokovic has won back-to-back titles in Melbourne and standing in the way of the world number one reaching a third successive Australian Open final is a qualifier the top seed knew little about before this tournament.

Russian Aslan Karatsev, the world number 114, had never reached the main draw of a Grand Slam before his remarkable run to the semi-finals this month.

The 27-year-old, who could potentially set up an all-Russian final with Daniil Medvedev, has already knocked out three seeds and played eight matches to get this far.

"I have not seen him play honestly before the Australian Open," said Djokovic, who is looking to win his 18th Grand Slam title.

"I have seen him play during the tournament here, and he impressed me, he impressed a lot of people.

"His movement, his firepower from baseline. Flat backhand, Russian school, great backhand. Looks to run around. Also hits some good forehands, dictate the play.

"It's going to be our first encounter. (I am) Hoping I can be physically fit and looking forward to it."

You can listen to Djokovic v Karatsev on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra from 08:00 GMT and follow live text updates on the BBC Sport website.

Wales international Rhys Priestland will join Cardiff Blues from Bath on a long-term contract ahead of the 2021-22 season.

The 34-year-old has won 50 caps for Wales and was part of the 2012 Grand Slam squad.

"There is a lot of potential at Cardiff to kick on and I'm really looking forward to playing my part," he said.

"I still have plenty to give on the pitch and look forward to competing for a starting jersey but I also hope to pass on my experience in the game.

"I have really enjoyed doing that at Bath and would love to help develop the young players at the Blues while hopefully learning from the likes of Jarrod [Evans], who is one of the most talented attacking 10s around."

Cardiff Blues interim director of rugby Dai Young said Priestland would bring further strength in depth to the region's outside-half options.

"He brings an abundance of experience and, having worked in the Premiership for so long, I am very aware of the qualities he will bring to Cardiff Blues," Young said.

"He is a first-class goal-kicker, with a quality tactical kicking game and is a great distributor, who can run an attacking game while also sound in defence.

"He is experienced, very professional and will relish competing for a starting spot at the Arms Park while helping young players develop their all-round games."

Carmarthen-born Priestland has scored 810 points in 109 appearances during his six seasons with Bath.

"I have loved my time at Bath. I needed a change of environment and possibly stayed at the Scarlets a year too long but moving here has been great for me," Priestland added.

"Some of the coaches and players I have had the opportunity to work and play with has been great, I have learnt a lot and enjoyed playing in the Premiership.

"However now is the right time to come back to Wales and I'm really excited about the future at Cardiff.

"They have a really exciting squad with a lot of good young players and some talented young coaches who I know well like Richie Rees, Tom Smith and Dwayne Peel, who will also be joining next season.

"Everyone speaks very highly of Dai and he has achieved some great things in the game as a coach with Cardiff Blues and Wasps, so I'm really looking forward to hopefully working for him."

New cap Willis Halaholo says he is grateful for support he has received after helping Wales defeat Scotland.

Messages of pre-game support were sent, including fans changing their Twitter handles before the game.

"It was great. That played a part in me going out, doing my best and contributing to the team," Halaholo told the Scrum V podcast.

It is fair to say the New Zealand-born centre has not always felt that level of support, having qualified to play for Wales in 2019 through residency after joining Cardiff Blues in 2016.

Halaholo told BBC Sport Wales in January 2020 he believed some tweets criticising his inclusion in Wales' rugby squad in November 2019 were racially motivated.

He was set to play for Wales against Barbarians before a serious knee injury ruled him out. He has battled back following an 11-month period on the sidelines and was awarded his first cap as a replacement in the 25-24 Six Nations victory over Scotland.

Halaholo believes he had the support of the public, having made his home in Wales with two of his four daughters born in Cardiff.

"I just wanted to show those people that have supported me over the last four or five years that I have been here, that when I put that jersey on, I am willing to give 100 per cent," said Halaholo.

"I hope I did those people proud and want to thank the people for all they have done for me.

"It was emotional, especially during the anthem. My wife asked me why I looked like that during the anthem.

"I was trying to hold back the tears because I was just thinking how hard it was to get here and how I am playing for my two daughters who were born in Wales. This is their country and anybody who knows me knows I am all about family.

"Anybody with daughters will tell you once you start thinking about your girls you just start getting emotional. So that is all I was thinking about while the anthem was on."

Halaholo was lining up for Wales just three days after officially being called into the Six Nations squad as injury cover.

After being named in the matchday squad to face Scotland, he was brought on earlier than expected after full-back Leigh Halfpenny was forced off injured.

"This was all new to me because I had not played at that level before, I was a little bit anxious and nervous," he added.

"It was quick, it was a bit more physical. I tried to adapt as quickly as I could."

The Blues centre did more than that. He excelled and played a pivotal part in Rees-Zammit's second try.

"When you have boys with those types of wheels you have got to give it to them in space," said Halaholo.

"That's what our job is on the inside, to create space for the speedsters and the rest was his."

Halaholo does not want to be a one-cap wonder, as Wayne Pivac considers his centre conundrum against England on 27 February.

Johnny Williams, Jonathan Davies and George North will come back into contention after Owen Watkin and Nick Tompkins formed the midfield against Scotland.

"I am hungry for more, that was a nice little taste," said Halaholo.

"I am hoping I have done enough to put my hand up to be involved in discussions for selection.

"I am here to provide help in winning rugby games for the team. Whatever job that may be I will put in 100%."