Doc Rivers said "nobody's going to feel sorry for us" after the depleted Philadelphia 76ers went down to the Atlanta Hawks on Monday.
The Sixers used nine players in the 112-94 defeat, two more than they had available in the 115-103 loss to the Denver Nuggets.
Ben Simmons (left knee) was again absent, while Tobias Harris, Shake Milton, Matisse Thybulle and Vincent Poirier were left out due to COVID-19 protocols. Seth Curry had also tested positive for coronavirus on Thursday.
For head coach Rivers there are no excuses and he expects plenty of teams to struggle during an unusual NBA season.
"Nobody's going to feel sorry for us. We've got to try to win these games," Rivers said.
"We're in a tough spot with COVID - not a lot we can do with it. I have a sneaking feeling that there's going to be a lot of teams with this problem.
"Right now, we're getting hit with it, which is unfortunate for us. It's unfortunate it happened when we had four games in [six] days.
"It's like the timing of this couldn't have been any worse at all."
Simmons' absence for the Denver game led to the 76ers receiving a $25,000 fine for violating the NBA's injury reporting rules.
Rivers added of Simmons: "We thought it'd be one game and now it's two."
Joel Embiid had 24 points and 11 rebounds after recovering from back tightness.
He played 23 minutes and Rivers explained why Embiid did not spend more time on the court.
"You give yourself a shot, and then as a coach, you've got to assess," he added.
"Even at half-time for me, I saw what the score was and I didn't think there was much of a chance of us winning that game.
"My assessment was get everybody out as soon as I could, and you start thinking about the next game."
The Formula One season will start a week later than originally scheduled in Bahrain after the Australian Grand Prix was put back to November due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Melbourne's Albert Park Circuit was due to stage the opening race of 2021 on March 21, but F1 revealed a revised calendar on Tuesday.
The Bahrain Grand Prix will be the first of the year on March 28, with the event in Australia now taking place on November 21 - subject to World Motor Sport Council approval.
Travel restrictions as a result of the COVID-19 crisis will prevent the Chinese Grand Prix - which was due to be the third round of the season - going ahead on April 11 and no new date has been set for that race.
Imola is back on the calendar for the second race of the campaign on April 18, while there is a spare date in the calendar of May 2 for a race to be staged and a venue for that weekend will be announced in due course.
The season is due to end with a record 23rd race of the year in Abu Dhabi on December 12 and F1 expects fans to return to the grandstands this year.
"It has been a busy start to the year at Formula 1 and we are pleased to confirm that the number of races planned for the season remains unchanged," said president and CEO of Formula 1 Stefano Domenicali.
"The global pandemic has not yet allowed life to return to normal, but we showed in 2020 that we can race safely as the first international sport to return and we have the experience and plans in place to deliver on our season.
"It is great news that we have already been able to agree a rescheduled date for the Australian Grand Prix in November and are continuing to work with our Chinese colleagues to find a solution to race there in 2021 if something changes.
"We are very excited to announce that Imola will return for the 2021 season and know our fans will be looking forward to the return of Formula 1 after the winter break and our revised season opener in Bahrain. Obviously, the virus situation remains fluid, but we have the experience from last season with all our partners and promoters to adapt accordingly and safely in 2021."
F1 2021 calendar in full:
March 28 – Bahrain (Sakhir)
April 18 - Italy (Imola*)
May 2 - TBC
May 9 – Spain (Barcelona)
May 23 – Monaco (Monaco)
June 6 – Azerbaijan (Baku)
June 13 – Canada (Montreal)
June 27 – France (Le Castellet)
July 4 – Austria (Spielberg)
July 18 – United Kingdom (Silverstone)
August 1 – Hungary (Budapest)
August 29– Belgium (Spa)
September 5 – Netherlands (Zandvoort)
September 12 – Italy (Monza)
September 26 – Russia (Sochi)
October 3 – Singapore (Singapore)
October 10 – Japan (Suzuka)
October 24 – USA (Austin)
October 31 – Mexico (Mexico City)
November 7 – Brazil (Sao Paulo)
November 21 - Australia (Melbourne*)
December 5 - Saudi Arabia (Jeddah**)
December 12 - Abu Dhabi (Yas Island)
*Revisions to calendar are subject to World Motor Sport Council approval **Subject to circuit homologation.
LaMelo Ball made more history as the Charlotte Hornets defeated the New York Knicks 109-88 in the NBA on Monday.
Ball became the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double on Saturday, and he was at it again for the Hornets – who won their fourth straight game.
The Hornets rookie became the first player aged 19 or younger in league history to lead his team in both rebounds and assists in three consecutive games.
Ball finished with eight points, a career-high 14 rebounds and seven assists as star Hornets team-mate Gordon Hayward posted 34 points, including 28 in the first half.
Two-time reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo returned to help the Milwaukee Bucks past the Orlando Magic 121-99.
Antetokounmpo was in action following a one-game absence due to a minor back injury and scored 22 points, while Bucks team-mate Khris Middleton led the way with 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Brilliant Beal helps snap skid
The Washington Wizards ended their three-game losing streak and claimed their first home win of the season thanks to Bradley Beal's 34 points and a 128-107 victory over the Phoenix Suns. Devin Booker had 33 points for the Suns.
Nikola Vucevic put up 28 points and 13 rebounds for the beaten Magic in Orlando.
The shorthanded Philadelphia 76ers lost 112-94 at the Atlanta Hawks, but Joel Embiid had 24 points and 11 rebounds. Hawks star Trae Young scored 26 points.
Pascal Siakam recorded a triple-double of 22 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists but the struggling Toronto Raptors still lost 112-111 to the Portland Trail Blazers. CJ McCollum (30) and Damian Lillard (23) combined for 53 points.
Harrison Barnes (game-high 30 points) fuelled the Sacramento Kings' 127-122 win against the Indiana Pacers. Domantas Sabonis posted 28 points and 11 rebounds for the Pacers.
Knicks struggle
It was a forgettable outing for the Knicks, who were just 39.1 per cent from the field and 24.3 per cent from three-point range. New York's Immanuel Quickley made just one of 10 field goals, while he missed all six attempts from beyond the arc for three points in 29 minutes.
Clutch CJ!
McCollum nailed the game-winning shot with 9.6 seconds remaining to lift the Trail Blazers.
Monday's results
Charlotte Hornets 109-89 New York Knicks
Memphis Grizzlies 101-91 Cleveland Cavaliers
Milwaukee Bucks 121-99 Orlando Magic
Washington Wizards 128-107 Phoenix Suns
Atlanta Hawks 112-94 Philadelphia 76ers
Portland Trail Blazers 112-111 Toronto Raptors
Sacramento Kings 127-122 Indiana Pacers
New Orleans Pelicans-Dallas Mavericks (postponed)
Lakers at Rockets
LeBron James and defending champions the Los Angeles Lakers (8-3) will face James Harden's Houston Rockets (3-5) again on Tuesday.
Miami Heat stars Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo have been ruled out of Tuesday's scheduled showdown with the Philadelphia 76ers due to the NBA's health and safety protocols amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Butler and Adebayo were added to Miami's COVID-19 protocol list on Monday, joining team-mates Goran Dragic, Kendrick Nunn, Maurice Harkless, Udonis Haslem and KZ Okpala.
Heat guard Avery Bradley had been placed on the health and safety protocols list before Sunday's matchup against the Boston Celtics was postponed.
The coronavirus situation also saw the postponement of Monday's game between the New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks, as well as the Celtics-Chicago Bulls encounter on Tuesday.
Miami are ninth in the Eastern Conference with a 4-4 record after reaching last season's NBA Finals, eventually beaten by the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Washington Wizards will be without star Russell Westbrook for at least a week due to a left quadriceps injury.
Westbrook will be re-evaluated at the end of the week after suffering repeated contact to the area since the start of the NBA season, the Wizards announced on Monday.
It is a blow for the Wizards, who have slumped to 2-8 amid high expectations following Westbrook's arrival from the Houston Rockets.
Former MVP Westbrook is averaging 19.3 points, 11.3 assists and 9.7 rebounds per game in seven appearances for the Wizards this season.
Westbrook has already made some history since swapping the Rockets for the Wizards in a blockbuster trade.
The nine-time All-Star joined Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson as the only players in NBA history to open a season with four triple-doubles in their first four games.
Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving will miss his fourth consecutive game, the NBA franchise announced on Monday.
Irving has been sidelined due to personal reasons and his absence will continue for Tuesday's clash with the Denver Nuggets.
When asked for an update on Irving's status, Nets head coach Steve Nash told reporters: "I do not have any updates, sorry".
While star team-mate Kevin Durant returned in Sunday's loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA champion and six-time All-Star Irving was missing once again.
Irving is averaging 27.1 points, 6.1 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game in Brooklyn this season.
The Nets (5-6) have lost back-to-back games to sit 10th in the Eastern Conference, behind the eighth-placed Charlotte Hornets (5-5).
Joan Laporta and Victor Font are among four candidates who look set to do battle for the Barcelona presidency later this month.
Laporta, Font, Toni Freixa and Emili Rousaud all delivered signatures from enough socios on Monday to advance to the election on January 24.
Laporta, previously president for a decorated period between 2003 and 2010, presented 10,272 signatures, significantly ahead of Font's 4,713, Frexia's 2,822 and Rousand's 2,510.
Validation of these signatures will begin on Tuesday, with confirmation of the final candidates announced on Thursday.
Jordi Farre, Xavier Vilajoana, Agusti Benedito, Luis Fernandez Ala and Pere Riera were unable to meet the threshold of 2,257 signatures.
Given the small amount by which he passed the cut-off total, Rousand might yet miss out on the final run-off.
Barca last week ratified January 24 as the date for their presidential election despite calls for it to be postponed amid rising cases of coronavirus.
The region of Catalonia has recently imposed new restrictions in an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19 infections, with certain rules tightened for 10 days as of January 7.
While that does not interfere with the previously agreed date for the election, there had been increasing clamour for it to be delayed due to fears some members would not be able to vote.
But Barca confirmed on Thursday that the date of January 24 and "all procedures" have been accepted by the local authorities.
These are uncertain times for the NBA as it continues to navigate the coronavirus pandemic.
COVID-19 protocols have left rosters lighter in number and, with contract tracing having a major impact, it is far from surprising to see games being postponed.
The absences have offered some players greater opportunities to impress in the embryonic stages of a shortened season that will require adaptability from all involved.
After an eventful week, Stats Perform assesses those performers who have stood out - for good and bad reasons - in games from January 4-10.
RUNNING HOT...
Bradley Beal
It has been a tough start for the Wizards, who are stuck in the basement of the Eastern Conference. Beal, however, has excelled amid the defeats. He is averaging 35 points per game for the season but has been particularly spectacular in recent outings, including dropping 60 against the Philadelphia 76ers. While it set a new career best for points - and tied a franchise record too - Beal made clear he is not interested in personal milestones: "I just want to win. Sometimes you might be able to score 40, 50, 60, whatever the case may be, but I just want to win".
Tyrese Maxey
The 21st pick in the 2020 draft had scored a combined tally of 52 points through his first nine NBA appearances. Then, amid injuries, positive COVID tests and coronavirus-enforced isolations, Maxey was thrust into a leading role as one of just seven players available against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday. His response to the situation was to score 39 points in just under 44 minutes of action, having taken 33 shots but no free throw attempts. In doing so, he became the first 76ers rookie with at least 35 points in a game since franchise legend Allen Iverson in 1997.
Jimmy Butler
Butler has begun to heat up after a cold start to the new campaign for Miami. The five-time All-Star had been hampered by injury issues but has looked back to somewhere near his best of late, managing 18, 26 and 26 points in his past three games. Surprisingly, though, Butler is still yet to manage a successful three-point attempt, missing on his seven shots from deep so far. It is a different story from the free-throw line, though, going 28 of 29 from the charity stripe.
LaMelo Ball
The rise and rise of the youngest Ball brother continues. The point guard became the youngest player in NBA history to score a triple-double as Charlotte Hornets beat the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday. At 19 years and 140 days old, Ball had 22 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. He had narrowly missed out on achieving the feat in his team's previous outing, against a New Orleans Pelicans team that included older sibling Lonzo. His rebounding average has gone from 4.33 a game to 9.25 across the past week.
GOING COLD...
James Harden
The NBA's scoring champion for the previous three seasons, Harden is still averaging 26 points per game despite continued doubts over his long-term future in Houston. However, it has not been a particularly productive week for the guard, who has not reached double digits in terms of field goals made in four straight outings. There were 15-point displays against both the Pacers and the Magic, then 20 points in a defeat to the Lakers. Across that stretch, Harden was six for 22 from three-point range. Astonishingly, he did not attempt a solitary free throw against Orlando.
Trae Young
To say Young has gone cold from deep recently is an understatement. The Atlanta Hawk landed five of six attempts in the season-opener against the Bulls, but since then has managed just nine successful long-range shots, including going a combined one for 14 in his most recent three appearances. Understandably, then, his average for points per game has dipped from 28.17 on January 3 to 17.67 for the past week.
Russell Westbrook
A quadriceps injury will keep Westbrook sidelined for at least a week. His early form with the Wizards has been steady, including reaching double digits for points in all of his seven games for the franchise. Where there has been a dip for the former NBA MVP is in rebounding. He was up at 11.20 per game for the season by January 3, but he has averaged 6.00 for the past week following reduced contributions in defeats to the 76ers and the Celtics.
Blake Griffin
Griffin hit with eight of 16 three-point shots for Detroit against the Cavaliers on December 26, but his output from long range since suggests that number could prove to be a post-Christmas outlier when compared to the rest of the season. In the past week, the 31-year-old has landed two from deep out of 18 tries for the struggling Pistons. His overall field goal percentage is down on his career mark too (37.6 per cent from 49.7 per cent), explaining why he is averaging 13.9 points per game.
Jamaican-born Rugby League player Abevia McDonald has signed a one year contract with English League One outfit London Skolars. He is now the second Jamaican domestic player to sign a professional contract following the footsteps of Nathan Campbell who signed for the Toronto Wolfpack in 2016.
A former student of Excelsior Community College in Kingston, McDonald had signed a first-team contract with the team in 2019 but saw no action as the League One or the Championship were cancelled because of the Covid-19 Pandemic.
He began playing while at EXED in 2013 and developed into a quality player who helped the Red Sharks to the National Club title in 2018. It would be his last game in Jamaica as he migrated to England shortly thereafter. He eventually joined the Skolars Reserve team and scored against Super League outfit Wigan Warriors.
He would go on to score more than a dozen tries for the team which led to his first-team signing in 2019.
"His journey is yet another example of inspiration for the local rugby league community. We know that some domestic players have the ability to crack semi-pro teams in the UK if afforded the opportunity,” said Jamaica’s Head Coach Romeo Monteith.
“We have and have had some quality players come through our local systems. He impressed me from the first time I saw him play, he has blistering speed and it's good to see him stick with the game and push on to where he is today."
The Philadelphia Eagles have fired head coach Doug Pederson, according to reports.
Pederson had been said to be meeting with owner Jeffrey Lurie to outline his plans for the future, with his position thought to hinge on that discussion.
It seems he failed to convince Lurie and the franchise hierarchy to keep him in the post, with NFL Media's Tom Pelissero first reporting his firing.
Pederson, who took over in 2016, led the Eagles to their first Super Bowl title in his second season at the helm.
Philadelphia's first Lombardi Trophy came at the end of a storied playoff run, in which unheralded backup Nick Foles led them to glory after then-MVP candidate Carson Wentz suffered a serious knee injury.
The Eagles overcame the New England Patriots 41-33 in Super Bowl LII but Wentz's struggles to recapture his 2017 form following his comeback from injury played a significant role in Philadelphia's failure to scale the same heights in Pederson's subsequent three seasons.
Pederson oversaw playoff campaigns in 2018 and 2019, the latter despite a roster decimated by injury.
However, he attracted increased criticism amid a dismal 2020 season that saw a sharp decline from Wentz, who was eventually benched and forced to watch the final few weeks of a 4-11-1 year from the sideline.
His replacement, rookie quarterback Jalen Hurts, was one of the few bright spots for Philadelphia. The controversial in-game benching of Hurts in favour of Nate Sudfeld for the Week 17 loss to the Washington Football Team saw Pederson placed under further scrutiny as he faced accusations of overt tanking for draft position.
Pederson had claimed he made the move to evaluate Sudfeld, but the future at quarterback in Philadelphia is now a matter for his successor and general manager Howie Roseman.
In five seasons with the Eagles, Pederson compiled a 42-37-1 record in the regular season. He went 4-2 in the playoffs.
Manchester United will host bitter rivals and Premier League champions Liverpool in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Manchester United will host bitter rivals and Premier League champions Liverpool in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
United edged past Championship side Watford in the third round as the Reds cruised past a much-changed Aston Villa, who had to field a squad made up entirely of youth players amid a coronavirus outbreak.
While Liverpool have re-established themselves as the standard-bearers in the Premier League in recent years, they are looking to end a lengthy drought in the FA Cup.
The Reds have not won the competition since 2005-06 when they beat West Ham on penalties, with their most-recent final appearance in 2012 a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea.
If they are to finally end that wait, they will have to get one over their old nemesis in United, who this season appear to be rising to the challenge set by Liverpool in the Premier League.
United last won the FA Cup in 2015-16 and were beaten by Chelsea in the showpiece two years later – only Arsenal (14) have won the competition more than the Red Devils (12).
Whoever progresses will face either non-league side Stockport County, West Ham or Doncaster Rovers in the fifth round.
Another of the favourites, Manchester City, will expect to cruise through the next couple of rounds given they go to League Two's Cheltenham Town first and then face Swansea City or Nottingham Forest if they avoid a fourth-round shock.
The lowest-ranked side in the draw, sixth-tier Chorley Town, host Wolves, while Tottenham go to Wycombe Wanderers and Chelsea welcome Luton Town to Stamford Bridge.
FA Cup fourth-round draw in full:
Cheltenham Town v Manchester City
Bournemouth v Crawley Town
Swansea City v Nottingham Forest
Manchester United v Liverpool
Southampton/Shrewsbury Town v Arsenal
Barnsley v Norwich City
Chorley Town v Wolves
Millwall v Bristol City
Brighton and Hove Albion v Blackpool
Wycombe Wanderers v Tottenham
Fulham v Burnley
Sheffield United v Plymouth Argyle
Chelsea v Luton Town
Stockport County/West Ham v Doncaster Rovers
Brentford v Leicester City
Everton v Sheffield Wednesday
Full FA Cup fifth-round draw:
Fulham/Burnley v Bournemouth/Crawley Town
Manchester United/Liverpool v Stockport County/West Ham or Doncaster
Barnsley/Norwich City v Chelsea/Luton Town
Everton/Sheffield Wednesday v Wycombe Wanderers/Tottenham
Swansea City/Nottingham Forest v Cheltenham Town/Manchester City
Brentford/Leicester City v Brighton and Hove Albion/Blackpool
FA Cup fifth-round draw in full:
Fulham/Burnley v Bournemouth/Crawley Town
Manchester United/Liverpool v Stockport County/West Ham or Doncaster
Barnsley/Norwich City v Chelsea/Luton Town
Everton/Sheffield Wednesday v Wycombe Wanderers/Tottenham
Swansea City/Nottingham Forest v Cheltenham Town/Manchester City
Brentford/Leicester City v Brighton and Hove Albion/Blackpool
Sheffield United or Plymouth Argyle v Millwall or Bristol City
Chorley or Wolves v Southampton or Shrewsbury Town or Arsenal
The NBA has postponed Monday's game between the New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks, as well as the Boston Celtics' clash with the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday, due to health and safety protocols amid the coronavirus pandemic.
It is the second straight game Boston has had postponed; Sunday's visit from the Miami Heat was called off just hours before tip-off.
The total number of games in the league that have not taken place as scheduled because of COVID-19 issues this season now stands at four.
Entering this past weekend, the only game the NBA had called off was the Oklahoma City Thunder-Houston Rockets matchup on December 23 - the second day of the season.
On Sunday, Boston had seven players out due to health and safety protocols – and nine overall – while Miami did not have the required eight players because of contact tracing after guard Avery Bradley was ruled out.
Dallas reportedly did not have enough players cleared on Monday because of contract tracing.
It remains to be seen if the Celtics or Mavericks will be able to play their next games on Wednesday. Boston is scheduled to host the Orlando Magic, while Dallas is slated to visit the Charlotte Hornets.
The same uncertainty goes for the Heat, who are scheduled to visit the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday.
The European Champions Cup and Challenge Cup have been temporarily suspended after the French authorities ruled the participation of Top 14 clubs to be too much of a public health risk.
European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) made the announcement on Monday following a meeting last week with French government officials.
Due to concern over a new variant of coronavirus, the French government has decided to prevent its clubs from participating in games both in France and in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
It means the EPCR has been forced to suspend the Champions Cup with two rounds of the pool phase remaining. The Challenge Cup is in its preliminary phase.
The development would appear to place the 2021 Six Nations, scheduled to start with a meeting between France and Italy in Rome on February 6, in jeopardy.
Last year's Six Nations tournament was only completed in October because of the pandemic-enforced delay.
An EPCR statement read: "EPCR and the Ligue Nationale de Rugby took part in a meeting by audio conference last week with representatives of the French ministries of the Interior, Health and Sport, as well as of the President's office.
"Notable updates to EPCR's COVID-19 protocols were presented to the French authorities, including the addition of PCR tests no earlier than three days before matches in the tournaments, conforming to French government guidelines and supplementing the existing, meticulous contact tracing measures put in place with a view to limiting the risk of transmission.
"Against the backdrop of the recent detection of a new strain of coronavirus, the French government has directed that French clubs postpone their participation in EPCR's tournaments for the month of January, both for matches scheduled in France and for those due to be played in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
"On the basis of this directive, EPCR had no choice but to temporarily suspend the pool stage of the Heineken Champions Cup and the preliminary stage of the Challenge Cup.
"While respecting all further directives by governments and local authorities, and prioritising the health and welfare of players and club staff, EPCR, in conjunction with its shareholder leagues and unions, remains committed to trying to find a solution which will enable it to resume and complete the tournaments as soon as practicable.
"EPCR will be making no further comment at the present time."
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