Reuters Sports News Summary

It was also one goal short of the Florida record against any team. Soccer-Brentford sign keeper Lossl on loan from Midtjylland Brentford have signed goalkeeper Jonas Lossl from Danish club Midtjylland on loan until the end of the season with an option to make the deal permanent, the Premier League team said on Friday.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Sport-Surge in COVID-19 cases hammer North American sport

The National Basketball Association and National Hockey League were both forced to postpone games on Thursday, as the COVID-19 surge continued to wreak havoc on sport schedules. The Golden State Warriors' contest at Denver on Thursday was postponed after the Nuggets, who have been hit by a COVID-19 outbreak in the locker room, could not field the required minimum eight players, said the NBA.

Tennis-Zverev sets sights on best season after strong finish in 2021

German Alexander Zverev said he has matured enough to be able to build on his success and the world number three hopes to use the momentum from his strong finish in 2021 as a springboard for the best season of his career. Zverev won six titles this year, including the Olympic gold in Tokyo and two Masters titles in Madrid and Cincinnati, capping a memorable season by clinching his second ATP Finals trophy last month in Turin.

Reports: Aces to hire Becky Hammon to record-setting coaching deal

Becky Hammon, a six-time WNBA All-Star, reportedly will become the league's highest-paid coach. Hammon will leave her job as an assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs to take over as the Las Vegas Aces' head coach, The Athletic and ESPN reported Thursday night. Per both media outlets, her salary would be the highest in the WNBA.

Soccer-Three Liverpool players COVID-19 positive before Chelsea trip - Klopp

Three Liverpool players and more staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the trip to Chelsea but it is too soon to ask the Premier League to postpone the game, manager Juergen Klopp said on Friday. The league has postponed 18 games so far due to a mixture of COVID-19 outbreaks and injuries at several clubs, leaving them without enough players to fulfil fixtures.

Tennis-'Here I am' - Nadal reaches Melbourne ahead of Australian Open

Rafa Nadal confirmed his bid for a record 21st Grand Slam title on Friday by posting a picture of himself at Melbourne Park on social media and allaying fears that he could miss next month's Australian Open. Nadal caught the novel coronavirus while playing in an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi this month and said he would make a decision nL1N2T50ML on his future tournaments depending on his "evolution" over the weeks ahead.

NBA roundup: Joel Embiid's 34 points help 76ers rally past Nets

Joel Embiid scored 34 points and converted the tiebreaking three-point play with 3:14 remaining as the Philadelphia 76ers made all the plays down the stretch in a 110-102 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday in New York. Embiid shot 11 of 23 from the floor and notched at least 30 points for a seventh straight road game. His hoop and subsequent free throw started Philadelphia's game-ending 13-5 run.

Soccer-Lukaku's comments on being unhappy at Chelsea unhelpful -Tuchel

Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku's comments about being dissatisfied with life at the club are unhelpful, manager Thomas Tuchel said on Friday, adding that they would discuss matters with the striker behind closed doors. Lukaku, who joined Chelsea from Italian champions Inter Milan in August, told Sky Italy https://sport.sky.it/calciomercato/2021/12/30/lukaku-sky-intervista-speciale that he was unhappy with Tuchel's system while also admitting he would like to return to Italy at some point in his career.

Soccer-More COVID-19 cases hit Africa Cup of Nations teams

Four Cameroon players have tested positive for COVID-19, with the Africa Cup of Nations hosts set to kick off the tournament against Burkina Faso in just over a week's time, the country's football federation said on Friday. Other teams preparing for the finals, which start on Jan. 9, also reported positive cases, with seven more in the Cape Verde Island squad and one for Morocco.

NHL roundup: Panthers pound Lightning 9-3

Jonathan Huberdeau scored a goal and contributed four assists as the Florida Panthers crushed the short-handed Tampa Bay Lightning 9-3 on Thursday night in Sunrise, Fla. Taking advantage of a Lightning team that was without its top two goalies due to COVID-19 protocol, the Panthers produced their highest-ever goal total against the Lightning. The previous high came in an 8-2 win on Feb. 28, 2006. It was also one goal short of the Florida record against any team.

Soccer-Brentford sign keeper Lossl on loan from Midtjylland

Brentford have signed goalkeeper Jonas Lossl from Danish club Midtjylland on loan until the end of the season with an option to make the deal permanent, the Premier League team said on Friday. Lossl kept six clean sheets in 18 games this season at Midtjylland, where Brentford owner Matthew Benham has the majority shareholding.

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