Fiji international lock and back row Leone Nakarawa has signed a one-year deal with Pro14 side Ulster.

The former European Player of the Year made his senior breakthrough with Glasgow in 2013 before moving to Racing 92 in 2016.

Ulster also confirmed new two-year deals for Rob Herring and Ian Madigan.

The arrival of versatile forward Nakarawa is a boost for Ulster after the high-profile departure of South African back row Marcell Coetzee.

Nakarawa made his Glasgow debut in 2013 and became a fan favourite at Scotstoun after a Man of the Match performance in the 2015 Pro14 final victory over Munster in Belfast.

The Fijian, who won Olympic gold in 2016, joined Racing 92 at the end of the 2015-16 season and was named European Player of the Year at the end of his second campaign with the Parisian club, scoring 23 tries in 86 games over his time in France.

He returned to Glasgow in January 2020 after departing Racing after the conclusion of the Rugby World Cup but has found game time limited after sustaining a knee injury last February.

"It's an exciting time for Leone to be making the move to Ulster for the upcoming season as we look to continue to build on our ambitions as a squad," said Ulster head coach Dan McFarland.

"Given his broad skillset and experience, as well as some impressive accolades to his name, I'm confident that he'll be a valuable addition to the team, and we look forward to welcoming Leone to the province."

More contract extensions at Ulster

Herring and Madigan become the latest players to agree new deals with McFarland's side. Robert Baloucoune, Alan O'Connor, Luke Marshall and Aaron Sexton had two-year deals confirmed on Monday with John Andrew, Andrew Warwick, Kieran Treadwell and Nathan Doak following on Tuesday.

Hooker Herring arrived in Belfast in 2012 after a season with London Irish. He made his Ireland debut in 2014 under Joe Schmidt and is now a regular in the international set-up.

Herring, 29, was named Ulster captain for the 2016-17 campaign and is on the brink of 200 appearances for the province.

Fly-half Madigan joined Ulster in the summer of 2020 on an initial one-year-deal after spells with Leinster, Bordeaux Begles and Bristol Bears.

The 31-year-old has won 30 Ireland caps and won the Six Nations in 2014 and 2015 before featuring at the World Cup later that year.

Johnny Sexton says Ireland are aiming to ensure that the Six Nations title is on the line when they host England on the final day of the tournament.

Ireland were top going into the last day of the 2020 tournament, but defeat by France ended their title hopes.

"England are probably the one team we haven't thought about at all because they're our last game," said Sexton.

"It will be a good barometer when it comes to it about how much we've improved.

"For us now, it's about making sure that game against England there is something on the line, because that's where we were last year, playing against France for a championship and we didn't turn up on the day and we want to put that right."

Captain Sexton, 35, hopes to be fit for his side's opener against Wales on 7 February having sustained a hamstring injury in Pro14 action last Friday.

Should he play in every game of this campaign, he will reach his 100th Test cap on the final day.

"I don't like to throw my goals out for everyone to hear them but being captain for this campaign, I have big aspirations that the team does really well," he said.

"To try and win the championship as captain would be brilliant. It's always an honour, always a privilege to get asked to do it.

"For me, it's about taking it a campaign at a time and I am just properly focused on this one, whether I stay on for another year or for another two, I don't know.

"All my focus is on this campaign and trying to win it and trying to do a good job as captain, make sure we're better as a team off the back of it.

"I was so excited to get into camp, it was a great place to be in November and now hopefully we can keep it like that but have a couple of extra results go our way.

"To win some silverware is where we want to be at the end of this tournament."

As with most aspects of daily life, the timing of everything in this season impacted by the pandemic is just a little bit off. Traditionally we hit the Bundesliga winter break right before Christmas, allowing us to reflect and take stock at the halfway stage, but in 2020-21, there are no such luxuries. The midway point fell later than usual, after the recent midweek fixtures, with no real time to gather thoughts or to assess who has performed superbly, and who has room for improvement -- or, "luft nach oben," ("air upward") to use the German expression.

Speaking personally, the absence of travel this term has had one benefit, namely being able to watch games in their entirety that I might have missed in the past while on various trains and planes. Of course, this is one of the many wonders of ESPN+ (where you can stream every Bundesliga match live).

So the team of the "Hinrunde" -- the first half of the season -- is based on having spent more time than is normal with eyes and ears glued to the Bundesliga. It is by no means a definitive list, merely my own rankings.

Jump to: Best XI so far | Best, worst signings

Team of the "Hinrunde" (4-2-2-2)

Goalkeeper: Manuel Neuer -- Given Bayern Munich's well-documented defensive problems, you might think this would be a year not to select him. On the contrary, I would argue that without the finest keeper in the world, the "Rekordmeister" ("Record Champions") would have been even worse off. It's hardly Neuer's fault that players in front of him have all underperformed; indeed, they can be thankful Neuer has met his usual high standards. Forget his own run of 11 games without a clean sheet, between late October and mid-January, and focus instead on his key interventions at the right time.

Right-back: Stefan Lainer -- Borussia Monchengladbach's Austrian full-back is following in the footsteps of his father Leo, who also represented his country in that position. Lainer is at the peak of his powers and has just about everything a coach looks for in a modern player: tactically sharp, wholly committed and rarely has a bad game. The best right-back in the league this season.

Centre-back: Matthias Ginter -- Staying with Gladbach, Ginter is a defensive leader who's consistently been underrated throughout his career. He has a no-frills quality to him, but is the master of winning his challenges and outwitting direct opponents. Ginter is consistently a standout. I've selected him over Mats Hummels, who had a nightmare in the last game of the "Hinrunde" away to Bayer Leverkusen.

- Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)
- ESPN+ viewer's guide: Bundesliga, Serie A, MLS, FA Cup and more

Centre-back: Edmond Tapsoba -- Talking of Bayer 04, Tapsoba's rise in less than a year has been meteoric. There's almost nothing the 21-year-old does badly in a defensive sense. Assured on the ball and good in the air, Tapsoba looks as though he has been playing Bundesliga football his entire career. Better yet, the Burkina Faso international is going to get even better.

Left-back: Angelino -- To be fair, RB Leipzig's tenacious Spaniard is mostly used as a left wing-back rather than a true left-back in a back four, but he gets into my team without any hesitancy. Angelino is especially dangerous going forward, possessing a genuine goal threat as well as an ability to set up chances for his teammates.

Defensive midfield: Joshua Kimmich -- This one is easy. No one interprets or personifies the position better than the man who has emerged as one of the world's best. It was no coincidence that Bayern's defensive issues in November and December manifested themselves when Kimmich was absent due to a meniscus injury. The man who hails from the town of Rottweil, home of the famous dog, never tires of snapping at opponents' heels and looking cool and cultured while doing it.

Defensive midfield: Marcel Sabitzer -- My second Austrian selection and although competition was fierce in this sector of the pitch, I just couldn't find a way to leave out Leipzig's beating heart. Technically and tactically superb, Sabitzer keeps opponents on their toes, whether with a well-timed arcing pass or a swerving shot from long range.

Attacking midfield: Lars Stindl -- At 32, the Gladbach captain is playing arguably the best football of his career. I sometimes just spend five minutes watching only him, admiring his movement, his runs and his game sense. Few players dictate the tempo and rhythm of a game as well as Stindl. Even now, he could offer something to Germany's national team. He is the subtle component part of Gladbach's multifaceted power attack.

Attacking midfield: Thomas Muller -- Remember when Muller's best days were supposedly behind him? It seems crazy now looking back, doesn't it? The "Raumdeuter" ("Interpreter of Space") extraordinaire has cemented his place in the annals of German football as one of the best attacking all-rounders of all time, and his influence at Bayern shows no sign of waning.

Forward: Erling Haaland -- Borussia Dortmund's season has been riddled with mistakes, but that doesn't extend to the Norwegian Player of the Year. As with Kimmich at Bayern, Haaland's spell on the sidelines in December saw his team slump. At times, you feel it's a matter of just feeding him the ball inside the box and letting him find a way through with that educated left foot, almost knowing that he'll score. At 20, Haaland is already world-class. How good might he be at 25?

Forward: Robert Lewandowski -- I grew up revering the great Gerd Muller, but Lewandowski is on a pace to top Muller's record for goals in a single season: 40, set in 1971-72. I must admit I doubted it would ever be beaten, and yet Lewandowski at 32 seems to improve with age. His goals are rarely mere tap-ins, and there is a certain joy in watching his cold-blooded routine when taking penalties.

MVP: Lewandowski -- When you score a best-ever 21 "Hinrunde" goals for a team struggling defensively, on the back of being named FIFA World Footballer of the Year, you deserve this award. Nobody does it better than Lewandowski.

Just for fun, here are my transfer "tops" and "flops." Of the preseason arrivals, who has excelled and who has underwhelmed?

Tops

Ridle Baku -- There wasn't much fanfare about the 22-year-old's move from home city club Mainz to Wolfsburg two games into the new season, but Baku has impressed on a grand scale playing at right-back as opposed to midfield. In fact, I came within a whisker of naming him in my team ahead of Lainer.

Jude Bellingham -- The 17-year-old from the English midlands hasn't gone to Dortmund just to observe and learn. He's already a frontline midfield contributor, and BVB have faith in his football and his maturity for one so young.

Ritsu Doan -- There's a long-standing tradition of Japanese players finding a home and succeeding in the Bundesliga. Doan, creative and incisive as attacking midfielders go, makes me sit up and take notice whenever I watch Arminia Bielefeld. That they got him on loan from PSV Eindhoven is a feather in the cap for club sporting director Sami Arabi.

Flops

Kilian Ludewig -- Criticism should be tempered here as Ludewig is only 20, but the FC Salzburg loanee, after a spell at Barnsley, was thrust into the spotlight at Schalke and tasked with solving the right-back problem in Gelsenkirchen. Unfortunately, Ludewig's performances showed he's not yet ready for the Bundesliga.

Bouna Sarr -- Another right-back, and Bayern thought they were getting a reliable and experienced one in the former Marseille man. As it has turned out, Sarr has been limited to three uninspiring starts, even while the incumbent Benjamin Pavard has been woefully off-form.

Tahith Chong -- When Chong joined Werder Bremen on loan from Manchester United, I thought it might represent a new beginning for the undoubtedly gifted then-20-year-old, but he hasn't done enough in training to merit a regular first-team place. When he has featured under Florian Kohfeldt, the games have largely passed him by.

Barcelona are in the midst of a crisis. With reports of €1.2 billion debt (€730m owed short-term); no president, sporting director or even a board to take decisions; star player Lionel Messi's future still unresolved despite his contract running out in the summer; and sitting 10 points behind La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid, it's been a chaotic 12 months for the Catalans. Yet among the doom and gloom, there's a feeling that the tide is slowly turning on the pitch.

While the league title already seems out of reach, there is some cause for optimism. Barca sit third in La Liga despite a run of poor results and are still in the Copa del Rey and Champions League, which compares well to their supposedly crisis-free arch-rivals Real Madrid, who are only three points ahead of them in second place and who suffered an embarrassing defeat to third-tier Alcoyano in the Copa.

While the 3-0 home defeat at the hands of Juventus in the final Champions League group match didn't instill any great confidence for the forthcoming last-16 games against Paris Saint-Germain, the signs are that manager Ronald Koeman -- a rather unpopular appointment -- has begun to steady the ship.

The Dutchman deserves a lot of credit for the way he's conducted himself and emerged as the leading presence during a traumatic period for the club, especially as few believed that he would succeed. He's stood firm, justified his decisions logically and never tried to blame a defeat on the club's wider predicament. But how does he continue to take the club forward amid such financial uncertainty?

- Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)
- Barca release special Clasico kit to be worn vs. Real Madrid

Transfer troubles

While many coaches would find excuses in the lack of new signings, Koeman accepted there was no chance of a game-changing new addition in January once the presidential elections were delayed until March; instead, he set to work on making the most of what he's got.

He's managed to kickstart faltering stars such as Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele (and, to a certain extent, Frenkie de Jong, though the midfielder is still only 23), while maintaining an open demeanour in news conferences.

"My position is known: we lack people, but the economic situation of the club is an influence," he said last week. "I think we all think the same. If no one arrives, I accept it and we continue the same, but if we want more we must sign."

If money were no object, Koeman would surely be happy with reported €100m moves for Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland or Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez, but it is an object. In their current financial predicament, it's free transfers or loans only, with sources telling ESPN that Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum is high on Koeman's wishlist, while he has been continually linked with a move for Lyon winger Memphis Depay too.

The Dutch pair are available for nothing in the summer, while sources said the club also have a long-standing interest in Manchester City defender Eric Garcia, who began his career at Camp Nou and is refusing to sign a new contract before it expires in 2021. But Garcia, as a natural replacement for veteran centre-back Gerard Pique is perhaps the only one needed.

The club have faced criticism over recent years for producing fewer new talents from their famed La Masia academy, and though such a golden age as that which produced Messi, Andres Iniesta, Xavi and Sergio Busquets is hard to maintain, many feel that they've sacrificed bringing through promising youngsters in favour of buying in big names. With over €980m spent in the four years from 2016-2020 on such players as Philippe Coutinho (€145m), Griezmann (€120m), Dembele (€105m) and Malcom (€40m), Barca are turning back to youth, with encouraging results.

Youth making a mark on the first team

Since arriving in the job, Koeman has launched a fleet of exciting youngsters who are in the process of establishing themselves in the first team. Though not being La Masia products, Ronald Araujo and Pedri have stood out as two emerging stars.

Araujo arrived from Uruguayan side Boston River in 2018 and the 21-year-old's progress as a central defender -- despite still not being Pique-esque in possession -- has been encouraging. He has won an impressive 80%+ of defensive and aerial challenges since his promotion from the B team this year. Meanwhile, 18-year-old winger Pedri, who signed from Las Palmas for €5m over the summer, has seamlessly adjusted to life at Camp Nou to the point where he's now a first-team regular.

Oscar Mingueza, 21, another young centre-back (and proper La Masia product), has also enjoyed a recent run in the first team, while Ricard "Riqui" Puig -- a much-heralded 21-year-old from the academy -- scored his first senior league goal for Barcelona at the weekend. The latter, an elegant and sublimely talented central midfielder, looks of such pedigree that there have been calls for him to get even more playing time (perhaps at the expense of underperforming stars like Miralem Pjanic and Coutinho.)

The jewel in the crown is clearly Ansu Fati, undoubtedly the club's No. 1 prodigy and best bet as a long-term Messi replacement. Sadly, a meniscus injury will keep him out for another couple of months but the 18-year-old forward, already a full Spain international, has shown himself to be fully at ease in senior football, reproducing the dazzling performances that made him a star at youth level.

It hasn't all worked perfectly, as the two relatively expensive summer signings, U.S. right-back Sergino Dest (20, who signed from Ajax for €21m), and winger Francisco Trincao (21, who arrived from Braga for €31m), have yet to find the level of consistency to justify their transfer fees despite showing some promise.

In a turbulent season, Koeman is guiding Barcelona through a transition phase that might well be looked back upon in the years to come as the start of a much-needed, successful rebuild. Big names may not be arriving, but the supporters can take heart from the fact that the production line of La Masia will keep on delivering.

Who will step up next from La Masia?

Ilaix Moriba

A box-to-box midfielder who made his first-team debut in the Copa del Rey win last week; he was taken off midway through the second half after an assured performance. The Guinea-born 18-year-old is technically gifted, tactically smart and happy to mix it both on the ground and in the air. A precise passer of the ball, though his casual style sometimes can make him seem overly confident in his own ability, Moriba has the potential to become a top level No. 8 or even a holding midfielder.

Konrad de la Fuentes

Though yet to appear in a senior league game, the American forward, 19, is one of the La Masia graduates who's been given the most encouraging signals by the first-team coaching staff. Early on, Koeman watched the unpredictable, quick and tricky winger by letting him train with the first-team in preseason and giving him minutes in friendlies. A few late substitute appearances in the Champions League and a full cap for the USMNT against Wales in November is a fine return from a first half year at senior level for one of biggest clubs in the world.

Alex Collado

One of the outstanding members of Barcelona's 2018 UEFA Youth Cup winning side, the left-footed winger has seen his development hampered by recurring injuries. Apart from two late cameos for the first team, Collado has mainly featured in the B team. Able to play on either wing, though sometimes somewhat over reliant on his favoured left foot, it's hard to find a player with a silkier touch and, when in form, someone more apt at side-stepping and running in circles around opponents. Now finally injury-free and with a few impressive months in the B side behind him, the 21-year-old might make the step up.

Ilias Akhomach

The first from the promising 2004 crop who is being given playing time for the B team, the attacking midfielder or floating forward is probably still some way off appearing for the first team, but his sheer raw talent makes him stand out. Being left-footed the 16-year-old prefers to pick up the ball on the right, yet his ability to cause havoc with his change of pace, ability to leave defenders for dead and powerful shot makes him a threat from anywhere in the last third.

Bruce Oxenford, 60, has decided to retire from all formats of the game, thereby bringing an end to a 15-year international umpiring career.

The last of his 62 Tests was the recently-concluded Australia vs India match in Brisbane. He will, however, continue to officiate in domestic fixtures in Australia.

Oxenford, who was inducted into the ICC's International Panel of umpires in 2007-08, was promoted to the Elite Panel in 2012. He pioneered the use of the arm shield as protective gear for umpires in international cricket.

"I had a wonderful time as a match official and will miss the camaraderie that comes with being a part of such a professional group," he said in a statement. "I shall particularly miss seeing and interacting with the magnificent people who are part of the support structure of our game around the world."

Oxenford is one of six Australians, after Daryl Harper, Darelll Hair, Simon Taufel, Rod Tucker and Steve Davies, to stand in at least 50 Tests. Overall, only 16 umpires have officiated in 50 or more Tests. He stood in three 50-over men's World Cups and three T20 World Cups, apart from officiating in two global women's tournaments.

"I look back with pride at my international career as an umpire," he said. "It is still hard to believe that I officiated in close to 200 international matches. Such a long career was not really something that I had hoped for before commencing on this journey.

"Most importantly, I want to thank my wife Jo, son James and daughter Kristen for all their love and support over the years. It would not have been possible for me to have such a long career without their sacrifices and for this I am eternally grateful."

During his playing days, he featured in eight first-class matches for Queensland as a lower-order batsman and legspinner.

Lunch South Africa 220 and 37 for 0 (Elgar 18*, Markram 16*) trail Pakistan 378 (Alam 109, Ashraf 64, Azaher 51, Rabada 3-70, Maharaj 3-90) by 121 runs

South Africa began day three just as despondently as they had capped a dismal second day, allowing Pakistan's tail to not so much wag as hop, skip and jump all the way to a potentially decisive lead. A 55-run partnership for the tenth wicket drove a stake deeper through the heart of South Africa's chances in this Test as Pakistan wrapped up with 378, bloating the lead to 158 and ensuring South Africa would have to fight hard just to make Pakistan bat again in this Test.

Yasir Shah's innings may have looked casual what with the ever-present smile on his face and the caution he threw to the wind along the way, but this was no laughing matter for the visitors. After Pakistan began the day eight wickets down and 88 ahead, South Africa knew every run they added would tilt the odds further against them. They started off well enough when Kagiso Rabada knocking out Hasan Ali's middle stump in the second over of the day to reach to become the third-fastest to 200 Test wickets.

But there was little time to celebrate, especially as Nauman Ali and Shah decided they still fancied a bat. The former crunched Rabada for four the first ball the South African bowled. Soon after, Shah drove him through the covers before perfectly placing a square cut for another boundary in one over. Pakistan brought up 350, and the 150-run lead when Shah danced down the ground to deposit Keshav Maharaj over long-on for six.

The left-arm spinner did finally snare Nauman but not before the lead had stretched to 158, and South Africa were given an hour to negotiate before lunch. The one thing they might draw comfort from is Dean Elgar and Aiden Markram managed it better than Pakistan had dealt with the last hour on the first day, neutralising the new ball in the hands of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Hasan. Markram might have been walking off when trapped in front by Afridi, but was saved when the review found the ball had pitched outside leg. It was a small win for a visiting side who need plenty of bigger wins to claw their way back in this Test.

After scoring 40 or more points for the third time this season in yet another Washington Wizards loss, an exasperated Bradley Beal isn't hiding his misery.

Following his 47-point effort in a 124-106 defeat to the New Orleans Pelicans, Beal was asked if he's frustrated.

"Is the sky blue?" he said calmly.

Beal is doing everything he can to help Washington win, but he's not getting the results he so badly wants. Playing without eight players because of injury, health and safety protocols or rest, Washington (3-11) dropped its third straight on Wednesday and now has the worst record in the NBA.

With Russell Westbrook (rest) out, Beal made 17-of-37 shots, including six 3-pointers, and added six assists and four steals. But no matter how many points he continues to pour in, Beal's Wizards keep losing.

Beal leads the league in scoring with 35.4 points per game. But the shooting guard also owns a distinction he would rather not have: Beal has lost 10 straight games since 2019 when scoring 40 points or more. That's the most in NBA history, according to research by Elias Sports Bureau.

This is not what Beal signed up for when he extended his deal for two more years on a $72 million maximum contract in 2019.

"It's tough," Beal said. "I am not going to sit here and be naive. ... We want to win, and I want to win. This is why I stayed. I want to win. I figured this is the place I can get it done. It's tough. Last year was what it was. We had a lot of guys out. John [Wall] was out. It was just a rotten year. COVID hit."

He added: "This year it's the same thing. Like in a mini-bubble outside the bubble. No fans, no nothing, no practice time. It's been tough."

The Wizards did not play for nearly two weeks after a coronavirus outbreak on the team resulted in six postponed games. The team hopes to have several of the players sidelined by the health and safety protocols back as soon as Friday's game against Atlanta.

And Beal is doing his best to try to lead the team. But of the 95 players in NBA history with at least ten 40-point games in their careers, Beal has the worst record of that group at 6-19 when scoring 40 points.

In the waning moments of the loss to New Orleans, Beal was seen sunk into his chair on the bench, frustration showing with his body language. It was yet another image of a bitter-faced Beal trying to cope with losing after delivering a scoring gem.

"Yeah, I got to be better with that," Beal said of hiding his emotions. "I mean, media is going to blow it up. ... I'm mad about losing. If I am sitting over there laughing and smiling, what is the media going to say then? 'Oh, he doesn't take it serious.'

"I just hate losing. I hate losing. And I am going to continue to show pissed-off faces. I try to control them as much as I can, but I don't like losing."

Wizards coach Scott Brooks hopes that his team will have reinforcements back soon. Deni Avdija, Davis Bertans, Troy Brown Jr., Rui Hachimura, Ish Smith and Moritz Wagner have all been out due to health and safety protocols.

Brooks knows his star guard's patience is being tested.

"He's a serious athlete," Brooks said. "That's what I love about him. He's a serious guy. He competes. He wants to win. He's a winner. We're not winning as a team, but Brad is a winning basketball player."

Beal, 27, has scored 30 or more points in nine of his 13 games this season.

"I don't come out and say I want to score 50, I want to score 40 tonight," Beal said. "That doesn't happen. A lot of the s--- I am doing, I am in awe half the time too. That is why I credit [God] for everything.

"I feel like I will drive myself bats--- crazy if I [am] consumed in every single problem, like in every single thing that we did wrong or every single loss. I'm taking it a day at a time and constantly focusing on getting better -- how can I help my teammates get better, what more can I do personally to help us win? ... I would be lying if I said it was easy."

Asked if all the scoring he has done will at least draw attention and respect for the upcoming All-Star voting, Beal said he wasn't counting on it.

"I don't know, I was leading scorer for a point last year, too, I think up to All-Star break," said Beal, who was not an All-Star last season despite averaging 30.5 points per game. "And you see what happened then. So I'm definitely not getting my hopes up this year."

With the Los Angeles Lakers already down double digits late in the first quarter on Wednesday, LeBron James put his head down and drove to the cup, looking to salvage a smidgen of momentum heading into the quarter break.

Awaiting him at the rim was the Philadelphia 76ers' hulking Joel Embiid, who swatted away what looked to be an easy 2 for James, sparking a transition opportunity that former Lakers guard Danny Green completed with a 3 from the top of the key to put Philly up by 16.

It was the type of sequence that could make those watching talk themselves into believing the Sixers are legitimate contenders this season.

There was the 7-foot, 280-pound MVP candidate in Embiid anchoring Philadelphia's top-five defense and stuffing one of the greatest finishers in the history of the game in James -- putting up an MVP campaign of his own -- leading to a fast-break 3 from a three-time champion. All as the 76ers' new coach with championship credentials of his own, Doc Rivers, oversaw the action from the sidelines.

That is not to say the rest of the night was as dominant for the Sixers, of course. L.A. used a 13-0 run late in the fourth quarter to take the lead with 11.2 seconds left off a pretty dish from James to a cutting Anthony Davis, and it looked like the Lakers might keep their perfect 10-0 road start to the season going. Philly answered, however, with Tobias Harris connecting on a pull-up jump shot over Alex Caruso with three seconds left to win it, 107-106.

"They know what they are looking for," Lakers big man Marc Gasol told reporters on a videoconference after the game, complimenting the Sixers' direction. "I think all the players accepted their roles and want to excel in them. They know what they want to live by offensively and what they want to live by defensively."

Gasol, who came into the contest with a bit of a reputation as an Embiid stopper -- the Sixers' big man was just 3-5 in his career against Gasol before Wednesday, averaging 10.6 points on 30% shooting in those games -- couldn't disrupt "The Process" this time.

Embiid finished with 28 points, six rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Meanwhile, Gasol was rendered ineffective, giving up 15 of those points while guarding Embiid as he went 5-for-9 from the field and 4-for-5 from the foul line in possessions where the Lakers' newly acquired starting center was tasked with defending him.

"They played through him, and they played through him a lot, and they are going to keep feeding him," Gasol said. "It's not like they are going to go away and feed somebody else. They know who they are going to play through and how they are going to play, and they are comfortable with that.

"So, we'll look at it, and we'll get better."

One win in January doesn't shift the balance of power for the entire league. The Sixers will still have to prove themselves to be better than the Brooklyn Nets' new big three, the Boston Celtics' cohesive core and the Milwaukee Bucks with two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo -- just to get out of the Eastern Conference.

But a rematch of the 2001 NBA Finals between L.A. and Philadelphia is certainly a possibility 20 years later.

Wednesday's win gave the Sixers a 10-1 mark at home this season -- they're now 41-5 at the Wells Fargo Center since the start of last season -- and improved their overall record to 13-6, the best in the East. They have Embiid playing the best basketball of his career. They have Ben Simmons, a rugged defender with the size to harass James. Green and Harris and Seth Curry -- who didn't even play on Wednesday -- are consistently hitting from the outside.

A lot would still need to happen between now and then, but it's not far-fetched.

"I think it's a really good team that they've put together," James said of the 76ers. "Give a lot of credit to [general manager] Elton Brand and the things that they're doing here. Obviously, Doc has always won pretty much wherever he's been. We'll see as the season goes on; there's going to be a lot of teams in the Eastern Conference playing championship basketball down the stretch. I know they believe that they're one of those teams."

The Lakers, by virtue of being the defending champs, are already a proven contender. However, last year's team that proved it could handle Jusuf Nurkic and Nikola Jokic and Bam Adebayo en route to the title was one of the biggest teams in the league.

The Lakers changed in the offseason -- they traded JaVale McGee to the Cleveland Cavaliers and let Dwight Howard sign as Embiid's backup, replacing them with Gasol and Montrezl Harrell.

"We're different," Lakers coach Frank Vogel said of the shift at center. "And different doesn't have to mean better or worse. I would like to think that we're trying to be a better basketball team this year than even we were last year when we won the championship."

Whether these Lakers are better than the 2019-20 Lakers remains to be seen. Despite Wednesday's result, they already believe they are better than the 2020-21 Sixers.

"I think our lineup and our group that we have are very capable of beating this team in a seven-game series," Davis said.

Ashantha de Mel has resigned as Sri Lanka's chief selector following the 2-0 loss to England in the home Test series that concluded on Monday. Sri Lanka had also recently lost 2-0 in South Africa. De Mel said it had always been his plan to resign as selector at the conclusion of this series.

He had also stepped down as team manager - a post he had simultaneously held - several days prior. He had held both roles since November 2018.

"I was planning to resign from both anyway, so I was waiting for the second Test [against England] to be over," he told ESPNcricinfo. "With the manager's role, they needed the next manager to get visas ready for an upcoming tour. So I announced that earlier. I feel now it's time for me to move on. It's been two years."

Sri Lanka Cricket has confirmed that Jerome Jayaratne, who has held various roles within the team, including as interim head coach in 2015 and 2016, will take up the manager's position. There is no news yet as to who might be part of a fresh selection committee.

As chief selector and manager, de Mel had overseen the elevation of Dimuth Karunaratne to the Test and ODI captaincy, but the team has had largely poor results, particularly in Test cricket. They lost nine Tests and won just four during his tenure, suffering three 2-0 whitewashes against Australia (away), South Africa (away) and England (home). But in the first six months of his stint, Sri Lanka also won their first ever Test series in South Africa, in February and March 2019.

It is likely that the loss of their last four Tests, and particularly the two at home to England, has hastened the end of de Mel's tenure. He blamed Sri Lanka's rushed schedule and inability to prepare for those lossesm however. Sri Lanka's squad had left to South Africa two days after the Lankan Premier League had concluded, and because of complications arising from the Covid-19 pandemic, had had no practice matches there.

They had also returned to Sri Lanka just eight days before the start of the England series, and had managed only one nets session before the first Test began in Galle.

"Considering the last two tours, we were not prepared to go and play in South Africa," de Mel said. "We played the LPL and next day flew off. We had one day's practice. Who goes and plays at The Wanderers' without having at least a three- or four-day practice game to get used to the conditions? People have to acclimatise to the high altitude, and then the physical fitness - no one checked for one month." At least five Sri Lanka players broke down during the South Africa tour.

"Even the England series, they are saying our guys can't play spin. Well where did they have the time to play spin? We had one practice session. England were doing their preparation."

De Mel said that if it had been up to him, he would not sent the team on the tour to South Africa, and used that time to prepare for England instead. Cancelling that tour at the last moment is likely to have caused a major rift between boards, however.

Sri Lanka's ODI and T20I series results were not much better over the past two years. Sri Lanka won only one T20 trophy - a series against Pakistan in 2019. And although they outdid expectations at the 2019 ODI World Cup to finish sixth on the table, the only multi-match ODI series they won was against West Indies, whom they beat 3-0 at home in February last year.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

HOUSTON -- Before all of the trade talk, reports about his future and the hiring of coach David Culley, Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson was asked what he was looking for in his next head coach.

"I mean, we just need a whole culture shift," Watson said earlier in the month. "We just need new energy. We need discipline, we need structure, we need a leader so we can follow that leader as players. That's what we need. We've got to have the love of not just the game of football, because that's what we do, but the love for people and the people in this organization."

"... We need someone that stands tall and [says] this is who we're following and this is the way it goes ... and we're going to do it this way to win."

Of course, Watson might not be with the Texans to play for Culley, as ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported Sunday that the quarterback is expected to still want out of Houston regardless of whom the team hires. Watson isn't the only one who feels there needs to be a culture change.

By hiring Culley, the Texans hope they've found that person to build the foundation that Watson asked for.

But, for most Texans fans, Culley's name isn't a familiar one. So who is he and why did Texans CEO Cal McNair and general manager Nick Caserio pick him to be the franchise's next coach?

Who is David Culley?

Culley, 65, has spent the past three seasons in Baltimore as the Ravens' assistant head coach, passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach. He just finished his 27th season as an NFL coach after 16 seasons in various college coaching roles. He'll be the oldest coach in NFL history at the time of his head-coaching debut.

Culley has never been an offensive coordinator at the NFL level, but he has been an assistant head coach before his stint in Baltimore, for the Kansas City Chiefs. The Ravens were a run-first offense in 2020, as they led the NFL in rushing yards and ranked last in passing yards.

What does he bring to Houston?

The Texans were serious about fixing the culture within the organization and they believe Culley is that person.

After doing a second interview with the Texans -- this time in person -- the team was impressed by Culley's energy and believes he has the NFL experience to deliver that cultural shift within the building, even if he hasn't been a coordinator before.

"The thing I would emphasize about Coach Culley, more than anything, is what an amazing teacher and communicator he is," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said in 2019. "He's probably the best -- I would say he's the best straight-up teacher, communicator that I've seen coaching football one-on-one, not just because he coaches it so well, but because he's so relentless and he coaches the important things."

"You can be relentless, but if you're coaching things that don't matter, then that's just a lot of hot air. He's coaching the things that matter, and you see the guys getting better every day within his position group."

McNair knew he wanted his general manager to take the lead on the coaching search. That is Caserio, who said the characteristic he was looking for most in a head coach is an ability to "lead people."

"Because in the end, football is a sport but it's about people, right?" Caserio said. "You have to make an investment in people. You have to be able to lead people. ... Those are some of the things that will be important relative to whether or not they're a good playcaller on their respective side of the ball. But whoever it is will have some competency in some area."

"... I would say in our situation, relative to Deshaun, trying to put something in place that's sustainable for him that can allow him and the rest of the team and the organization to go out there and perform to their maximum capacity on a week-to-week basis. That's the goal."

What does this mean for Deshaun Watson?

This is perhaps the most important question that only Watson can answer. If Watson still wants out regardless of whom the Texans hired, as Mortensen reported, then hiring Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy wouldn't have made a difference.

Now that the Texans have hired their new coach, the question is whether Watson will be here to see the culture shift he asked for in Houston. The quarterback hasn't requested a trade, but he could decide to do so once the hire is officially announced.

While the Texans could agree to trade terms with another team before the start of the new league year on March 17, a trade cannot be executed until then. The key time frame to pay attention to is before the NFL draft in April, because if the Texans were to trade Watson, they would want to make sure they're getting 2021 draft capital, when the pick slots are locked in.

What's next in Houston?

Watson put up the best numbers of his young career in 2020, and the team won only four games. Houston's defense struggled, finishing 30th in Football Outsiders' weighted DVOA. Of course, there are still a lot of holes on a defense that struggled primarily because it lacked young difference-makers, so whomever Culley hires as defensive coordinator will have a tall task ahead.

Regardless of whether the Texans trade Watson, those holes on the roster will remain. The Texans' first pick in this draft is No. 67, so they won't be able to add impact talent at a team-friendly price, and they are currently $18 million over the projected 2021 salary cap (although that matters less than the cash they've already committed, which gives them some flexibility).

If Houston trades Watson, it will be able to plug in pieces on the defense and upgrade that side of the ball significantly, but then questions will remain at quarterback.