Reuters Sports News Summary

NBA: Bucks poised to trample Eastern Conference as season resumes Playing on a single site away from fans in a quarantine setting, teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA) face plenty of unknowns as the league restarts its season this week.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs. NBA: League adapts to COVID-19 era as season resumes

The National Basketball Association (NBA) resumes this week, more than four months after the COVID-19 outbreak forced the abrupt suspension of the season. Games will be taking place without fans inside a quarantined-safe site at Orlando, Florida's Walt Disney World. The scene will look far different from the packed arenas the players left behind in March. Real Madrid forward Diaz tests positive for COVID-19, says club

Real Madrid forward Mariano Diaz has tested positive for COVID-19, the Spanish champions said on Tuesday, casting doubt on his participation in their Champions League tie at Manchester City next week. Real said in a statement that tests were conducted on the squad on Monday and that though Diaz was in "perfect health", he would be self-isolating at home. More players opt out of season as NFL training camps open: reports

New England Patriots linebacker Dont'a Hightower, safety Patrick Chung and Chicago Bears defensive tackle Eddie Goldman have decided to skip the upcoming NFL season amid the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. media reported on Tuesday. Six players on the six-time Super Bowl-winning Patriots have now decided to opt out of the season, ESPN reported https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/29551606/source-patriots-donta-hightower-opt-2020-season, as the NFL opened training camps for all players on Tuesday. NBA: Lakers, Clippers still the teams to beat in the west

The Hollywood star power fueling the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers makes them the favorites to win the Western Conference and hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy when the novel coronavirus-hit NBA season crowns its champion in Orlando, analysts said. LeBron James' first place Lakers held a 5.5 game lead over Kawhi Leonard's Clippers when the season was brought to an abrupt halt on March 11 due to the pandemic. Indians edge White Sox in opener of doubleheader

Aaron Civale recorded a career-high nine strikeouts and Francisco Lindor belted a two-run homer to lift the host Cleveland Indians to a 4-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday in the opener of a doubleheader. Bradley Zimmer joined Lindor in going deep and driving in a pair of runs for the Indians, who lost 11 of 19 meetings to Chicago last season. MLB shuts Marlins down for a week in bid to contain virus

Major League Baseball has postponed all Miami Marlins games through Sunday in a bid to contain a COVID-19 outbreak among its players that could potentially endanger the 2020 season. Miami, who opened their season last Friday in Philadelphia, have reportedly had 17 confirmed cases - 15 players and two coaches - over the last five days. NBA: Bucks poised to trample Eastern Conference as season resumes

Playing on a single site away from fans in a quarantine setting, teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA) face plenty of unknowns as the league restarts its season this week. At least one thing, however, is not in doubt - the Milwaukee Bucks own the Eastern Conference. Major League Baseball season roiled by COVID-19 postponements

Just four days after beginning a truncated coronavirus-delayed season, Major League Baseball ran into a serious obstacle on Monday with the postponement of scheduled games due to a COVID-19 outbreak among Miami Marlins players. The postponement of the games in Philadelphia and Miami was a potentially ominous development for MLB and other major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada hoping to forge ahead during the pandemic. The National Basketball Association and National Hockey League are set to resume play this week after a hiatus of more than four months, while National Football League training camps are opening. Bio-secure bubble presents unprecedented challenges for NBA

An NBA season like no other resumes inside a bio-secure bubble in Orlando this week, following a four-and-a-half month break, in what will probably be the most uniquely challenging title run in the 74-year history of the league. Bringing home the Larry O'Brien trophy in October will require a level of mental toughness never seen before. Players have to stay away from their families for three months, play in front of empty stands and also subject themselves to regular COVID-19 tests. Marathon and race walk Olympic qualification can begin in September

Olympic qualification for the marathon and road race walk events can re-start from Sept. 1, three months earlier than previously announced, the sport's governing body World Athletics ruled on Tuesday. However, qualifying for all other track and field events at next year's Tokyo Games would remain suspended until Nov. 30 as originally planned, it said in a statement.

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