Digest

BASKETBALL

NBA nearing deal for December tipoff date

The National Basketball Players Association is close to a deal that would start the 2020-21 NBA season on Dec 22 with a reduced schedule of 72 games per team, according to ESPN.

The Athletic previously reported the possibility of a 72-game season that would start just before Christmas. According to ESPN, the NBA's board of governors and the NBPA were holding separate meetings on the matter Thursday with the expectation that the start date would be approved.

The upcoming regular season, if agreed upon, would be 10 games shy of a typical NBA regular-season schedule.

The players association is expected to take a vote among team player representatives at some point Thursday, according to the ESPN report. A salary escrow in the vicinity of 18 percent was expected to be agreed upon for the next two years.

Xinjiang suffers Zhou blow in Liaoning loss

Zhou Qi's injury troubles returned on a miserable night for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers as the Liaoning Flying Leopards maintained their perfect (8-0) start to the CBA season with a 121-108 victory in Zhuji, Zhejiang province, on Wednesday.

Xinjiang dominated the opening exchanges as consecutive 3-pointers from Qi Lin helped it to a 36-19 first-quarter lead.

However, OJ Mayo's introduction off the bench changed the trajectory of the game. Xinjiang's problems deepened when star center Zhou, who struggled with injuries during his time in the NBA, sustained a suspected Achilles tendon strain.

Guo Ailun, who finished with 35 points, tormented the Xinjiang defense to help Liaoning to a 90-84 lead going into the final period.

Veteran Zeng Lingxu stepped up for Xinjiang in Zhou's absence but his hot shooting from all around the court failed to avert his team's second loss of the campaign.

SOCCER

Ole bemoans another United 'reality check'

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer described Manchester United's 2-1 Champions League defeat to Istanbul Basaksehir as a "reality check" for his struggling side.

United is floundering in the lower reaches of the Premier League but entered the game in Turkey as a firm favorite after impressive Group H wins over Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig.

But defeat in Turkey－a first-ever Champions League group-stage win for Basaksehir－has heaped more pressure on the Norwegian boss following Sunday's loss at Arsenal.

"They (the two losses) have set us back a lot," said Solskjaer, whose team travels to Everton on Saturday. "You get a reality check every time you play a game of football."

Pundits and fans roundly lambasted United's performance in the Turkish capital, with Solskjaer describing his team's defending as "unforgivable".

Maradona to remain as Gimnasia coach

Diego Maradona is in "excellent" condition and will remain head coach of Gimnasia y Esgrima following successful brain surgery, the soccer great's lawyer said on Wednesday.

"The latest medical procedure was excellent. We wish him a lot of strength so that he can move forward," Matias Morla told reporters outside the Olivos clinic in Buenos Aires on Wednesday.

He ruled out suggestions that the 60-year-old could travel to Venezuela or Cuba to complete his recovery.

"Diego loves Cuba. Yesterday I spoke with the son of Fidel Castro. Both Venezuela and Cuba are friendly countries for Diego, but his head is with Gimnasia."

Maradona underwent emergency surgery on Tuesday after he was diagnosed with a subdural haematoma, a pool of blood between a membrane and his brain.

Leopoldo Luque, Maradona's personal physician, later declared the 80-minute operation a success, saying the former Napoli and Boca Juniors forward was awake and feeling "very well".

OLYMPICS

Gymnastics meet to test Tokyo's readiness

Tokyo's ability to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic and stage next year's Olympic Games safely will undergo a major test this week with gymnasts from four nations gathering in the Japanese capital for a friendly tournament.

The meet on Nov 8－featuring 30 gymnasts from Japan, the United States, China and Russia－marks the first international event at a Tokyo Olympics venue since the Games were postponed in March due to the pandemic.

While up to 2,000 spectators will be focused on the athletes, who will be mixed into "Friendship" and "Solidarity" teams regardless of nationality or gender, the real competition will be behind the scenes as organizers go all-out to keep the novel coronavirus at bay.

Measures drawn up in consultation with the International Olympics Federation (FIG) include having athletes, quarantined for two weeks prior to arriving in Japan, move only between their hotel and the venue on special buses disinfected nightly.

Staff will take shopping requests, with security guards posted at hotel elevators.

NFL

49ers close facility after positive test

The San Francisco 49ers have shut down their facility after receiver Kendrick Bourne tested positive for the coronavirus but were still scheduled to play Green Bay on Thursday night.

The team said the positive test came back Wednesday morning and Bourne immediately went into self-quarantine after getting the diagnosis. He was later placed on the COVID-19 list.

The Niners later placed starting left tackle Trent Williams, and receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel on the COVID-19 list because of "high-risk" contacts with Bourne. Samuel was already out this week with a hamstring injury.

A person familiar with the plans said the Thursday night game was still set to be played as scheduled. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the league had not made any announcement.

Xinhua - Agencies