Los Angeles Lakers recruit Russell Westbrook says he is sick and tired of the constant commentary on his performances for his new franchise this season.

Westbrook joined the Lakers in a major off-season move from the Washington Wizards, linking up with four-time MVP LeBron James and All-Star Anthony Davis as the 2020 NBA champions bid for another title tilt.

But the Lakers have struggled with a 16-18 record this season, including five straight defeats with Westbrook often copping the blame.

"Everybody wants me to do this but then they don't want me to do this," Westbrook said on a virtual news conference on Monday. "Honestly, I'm over the whole situation with what everyone else wants me to do and what they think I should be doing."

Westbrook has averaged 19.6 points per game this season, which is his lowest return since his second season in the NBA back in 2009-10.

The 33-year-old point guard has also averaged 7.9 rebounds and 8.1 assists per game this season, down on last season's career-best 11.5 rebounds and league-high 11.7 assists with the Wizards.

Westbrook also last season broke Oscar Robertson's record for the most triple-doubles in NBA history but has only managed six this season in 34 games.

"Honestly, I think I've been fine," Westbrook said. "The conversation has been heavily on how I'm playing and what I'm doing, but I think people are expecting me to have f---ing 25, 15 and 15, which, that is not normal.

"Everybody has to understand, like, that's not a normal thing that people do consistently."

He added: "People are saying 'let Russ be Russ,' I think nobody understands what that means. "I think people just say it - 'let Russ be Russ' - but nobody actually knows what that means but myself.

"I'm gonna lean on that and make sure I do what I'm supposed to do. And let everything else outside the locker room, whatever that may be, take care of itself."

Jimmy Garoppolo was absent as the San Francisco 49ers resumed practice on Monday fuelling doubts about his availability for Sunday's game against the Houston Texans.

The 49ers quarterback has been battling a thumb injury which was aggravated in Thursday's 20-17 loss to the Tennessee Titans.

Garoppolo's status for Sunday's game is unknown but he is considered day-to-day, meaning Trey Lance could deputise for him.

"We knew his thumb was hurting him," 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters. "We thought he jammed it sometime in the game, so he tells us right when he comes to the bench."

He added: "I think this last month of Trey has been his best consecutive four weeks at practice since we've had him.

"He's had a number of good days and he's had some bad days like most guys do, but as far as his consistency and stuff, I feel this last month has been his best."

Shanahan indicated Garoppolo suffered the injury in the second quarter against the Titans when sacked by Denico Autry, with the QB playing on but struggling with two costly interceptions.

The 49ers will re-assess Garoppolo's availability for Sunday's game on Wednesday.

Garoppolo has a completion rate of 68 percent this season for 3,494 yards with 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions across 14 games.

The NBA has changed its health and safety protocols with players who test positive for COVID-19 now able to return to play in six days.

The change shifts the customary isolation period from 10 days to six, provided those players are asymptomatic and meet other testing standards.

Clubs were sent a memo by the league on Monday, coinciding with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cutting isolation restrictions for Americans who catch the coronavirus from 10 to five days.

Coronavirus numbers within the NBA has soared in recent weeks despite 97 percent of players being vaccinated.

Approximately 120 current NBA players were in protocols on Monday, with the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, James Harden, Kevin Durant and Jayson Tatum recently forced out.

Victorian debutant Scott Boland produced the spell of a lifetime as Australia secured an Ashes series victory with an emphatic triumph over England in the third Test at the MCG on Tuesday.

England were skittled for a feeble 68 as Australia clinched an unassailable 3-0 series lead with victory by an innings and 14 runs inside two days and one session.

Player of the Match Boland was the story of the third day, claiming four wickets in 11 deliveries including England skipper Joe Root to finish with remarkable second-innings figures of 7-6 from four overs.

Root offered the only resistance with 28, after the visitors resumed at 31-4 but wilted against a hungry Australian attack.

Mitchell Starc (29-3) got the first breakthrough of Ben Stokes bowled for 11, before Boland took over as England lost their final five wickets for eight runs.

Boland first trapped Jonny Bairstow lbw for 5, despite a review, after he was dropped at gully by Cameron Green.

The debutant proceeded to claim the key wicket of Root caught by David Warner at first slip, before dismissing Mark Wood and Ollie Robinson for ducks.

Green claimed the final wicket to secure the series victory, clean bowling Jimmy Anderson to bowl England out for 68, their ninth lowest total in Ashes history.

England lasted only 15.4 overs on the third day, with the game being the shortest completed Test match hosted by Australia in 70 years, lasting 1084 balls.

Gary Neville described the attitude of Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes as "devastating" to the Manchester United cause as he attacked the "whingebags" in the Red Devils' ranks.

Former United captain Neville was smarting about the performance from Ralf Rangnick's team in the 1-1 draw at Newcastle United, where it took a second-half equaliser from Edinson Cavani to salvage a point.

Analysing the game for Sky Sports, Neville first took aim at half-time and saw little evidence of significant improvement after the break, describing the central defensive partnership of Harry Maguire and Raphael Varane as "absolutely atrocious".

"They're whingeing at each other. They're a bunch of whingebags," said Neville as he assessed United at the break. "I'm not going to go into the names, but honestly, they're whingeing at each other, their arms are up in the air, they're complaining about everything.

"They got the last manager the sack and Ralf Rangnick's not going to get the sack – he's only had two or three weeks with them – but they'll get a lot of managers the sack, that lot, if they carry on like that, because that is a really, really poor performance."

Neville stepped up his criticism after the full-time whistle. When asked if he was particularly concerned by whingeing from Ronaldo and Fernandes, Neville said: "Yeah, it's annoyed me for about two months.

"Your best players in your team, it's devastating when those players are giving that look and body language towards the other ones. They have to help them and be the father and the grandparent in the team.

"I made massive mistakes as a young player at Manchester United but had good senior players who would have a go at me, but they would also put their arm around me and help me and I don't get the feeling that's happening.

"I think there's something wrong in there. Bruno's whingeing all the time.You've got to be there when your team-mates need you in the most difficult moments."

Neville turned his focus to Ronaldo, who had a poor game at Newcastle and was witnessed dashing down the tunnel at full-time, without going over to thank travelling United supporters.

The Portuguese could easily have been sent off for a wild challenge on Ryan Fraser in the second half, as his frustration began to show.

Ronaldo and Neville are former United team-mates, and Neville said: "I love that lad, he's the best player I've ever seen in my life almost, but don't run off at the end of the game. I'm not having that."

Neville added: "They're all at each other. They're not helping each other. The spirit of a dressing room is really important. I don't think they're all with each other at this moment in time. I think there's a bit of a leadership struggle going on."

For Newcastle's seventh-minute opening goal, Varane was dispossessed by Sean Longstaff before Maguire was skilfully sidestepped by scorer Allan Saint-Maximin.

"The two centre-backs for Manchester United tonight were absolutely atrocious, from the very first minute to the last. They were nervous, they looked like they weren't sure," Neville said. "Maguire's having a nightmare season."

It was chiefly Cavani who gave Neville any encouragement, with the veteran Uruguayan striker making his presence felt in Newcastle's penalty area, unlike so many team-mates.

"I always feel better when he's in the team," said Neville. "He looks like the badge doesn't sit too heavily on him.

"I don't think he wilts in the presence of Ronaldo or Fernandes. I think he stands up to them. I think he helps the other younger players on the pitch and I think he needs to be on the pitch because they need to get rid of that whingeing attitude."

Ralf Rangnick told his Manchester United players their effort in the 1-1 draw at Newcastle United was not up to scratch.

The interim manager was rattled by a sloppy performance from the visitors to St James' Park, who fell behind to an early Allan Saint-Maximin strike and needed Edinson Cavani to come off the bench to salvage a point.

United have swiftly fallen back into their bad old ways since the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, sneaking a fortunate win in their last outing at Norwich City and being arguably fortunate to leave Tyneside with a point.

Former RB Leipzig boss Rangnick expected more from his players, and said of their performance: "I didn't like it at all.

"We were trying to get better in controlling games. Today we didn't control the game, apart from very few moments, at all."

Speaking on Sky Sports, he said: "In the end we got a point, that's the good thing, but the performance overall needs to get better."

Rangnick began his reign with a 1-0 home win over Crystal Palace that gave him cause for encouragement, but the performances against lowly Norwich and Newcastle have raised cause for concern.

"It's about physicality, it's about energy. We have to be ready and able to win those direct duels and this was not that often the case," he said.

"Even when we were in possession we had too many giveaways, including the goal that we conceded."

Pundit and United great Gary Neville questioned the communication between United's players, but Rangnick said: "Today it was not a question of body language, it was question of body physicality.

"If you want to be competitive here in this ground against Newcastle you have to play physical, and this was not the case in many parts of the game, and therefore we were struggling."

There may be attitude issues that need to be looked at, yet Rangnick said: "I don't think this was our biggest problem today. Our biggest problem was the mistakes we made, the unforced errors."

He spoke of "wrong decisions" and said it was necessary to bring on Cavani for the start of the second half as United "had to take more risks".

"We shouldn't look for excuses," said Rangnick, whose side had two games postponed recently due to a COVID-19 outbreak.

"We need to get more physical and more precise when we're in possession. Today I was not happy with our performance, no matter if we were in possession of the ball or when we had to press and counter press.

"It's about sprinting, it's about energy. The good thing today is we came back and got the equaliser."

The NHL has postponed another three games this week as cases of COVID-19 continues to hit the league.

Games between the Chicago Blackhawks and Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday and a home-and-home set between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday and Friday will not be played.

That takes the number of games the NHL has now postponed up to 67 this season; a situation that led to the decision not to take part in the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

The league had planned to pause the season in February to allow players to take part in the Games, but that period will now be used to play some of the postponed games.

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said last week: "We obviously will work very close with the (NHL) Players' Association. I do think we'll have to build in some off time during that three-week period for the players as they had anticipated previously.

"There are a lot of boxes to check there, but I expect that we'll be able to portion some portion of that break period to various clubs to get their players rested, and I hope to make full utilisation of the period so that we can make up the games that we've missed."

Newcastle United set a record no club would want when they conceded an 80th Premier League goal of the year in Monday night's clash with Manchester United.

The Magpies came into the game having leaked 79 goals in 41 games, matching the highest total shipped by a team in a calendar year during the Premier League era, which began with the 1992-93 season.

Newcastle were unlocked for a record-breaking 80th time when Edinson Cavani hit a 71st-minute equaliser for Ralf Rangnick's Red Devils at St James' Park.

Ipswich were the only previous side to concede 79 in a year, doing so in 1994. They went on to finish bottom of the 1994-95 top-flight table, famously losing 9-0 at Manchester United in March 1995, having failed to solve their defensive problems.

The last top-flight team in England to concede more over the course of a year were West Brom in 1985, with the Baggies leaking 87 goals in the old First Division.

Allan Saint-Maximin gave Newcastle a strong start to Monday's game when he drove into the visitors' penalty area and smashed a shot inside the right post to give Newcastle a seventh-minute lead.

But substitute Cavani denied relegation-threatened Newcastle three precious points, converting Diogo Dalot's cross at the second attempt.

Heading into the clash with the Red Devils, Newcastle had won just eight times this year, drawing 12 and losing 21, conceding four goals in a game on five occasions, including twice against Manchester City and once against United, losing 4-1 at Old Trafford in September.

They have been unable to make St James' Park anything close to a fortress, conceding 41 in 20 home fixtures and winning just four times before the arrival of Rangnick's team.

The goals conceded total was not the only Premier League record to be toppled when Cavani struck.

It was United's 113th Premier League goal against Newcastle, and that is the most that any team has scored against another in the competition, beating the record the Red Devils shared with Arsenal, who have scored 112 against Everton.

Barcelona defenders Dani Alves and Clement Lenglet have tested positive for COVID-19, the LaLiga giants have confirmed.

The Spanish top flight is in the midst of its winter break, yet training is continuing as normal.

Neither player will attend Barca's training ground on Tuesday, though, and will undertake a period of self-isolation at home, Barca confirmed in a statement.

Alves re-joined Barca on a free transfer last month following his departure from Sao Paulo in September over a contractual dispute.

The 38-year-old, who played 391 times for Barca in his first trophy-laden spell at Camp Nou, cannot be officially registered for the Catalan giants until the January transfer window opens.

Lenglet, meanwhile, has made 13 appearances across all competitions for the club this season.

Meanwhile, Ferran Torres' expected £55million move from Manchester City to Barca was reportedly held up by bureaucratic wrangling on Monday.

The Spain international underwent a medical on Monday ahead of his anticipated unveiling at midday on Tuesday.

The contracts between the two clubs have not been finalised, though, and the announcement of his signing is now not expected until late on Tuesday at the earliest.

Edinson Cavani rescued Manchester United as his second-half strike secured a 1-1 Premier League draw at relegation-threatened Newcastle United and spared Ralf Rangnick a first defeat.

The Red Devils were labelled "a bunch of whingebags" by Sky pundit Gary Neville at half-time, and after beginning the Rangnick era with 1-0 wins over Crystal Palace and Norwich City, this was a sharp reality check.

Saint-Maximin's seventh-minute strike was a gem and the French forward missed a sitter at the start of the second half.

Visitors United, who lost their discipline at times and could easily have had Cristiano Ronaldo sent off, were thankful they had Cavani in the right place in the 71st minute, tucking home at the second attempt to earn a point.

The lively Saint-Maximin gave Newcastle a great start, sidestepping Harry Maguire before planting a powerful shot into the right corner. The fit-again Raphael Varane had been too easily dispossessed by a hungry Sean Longstaff in the build-up.

An air-shot volley from Ronaldo was met with derisive jeers from home supporters, before Newcastle thought they had another goal when Callum Wilson tucked in after more good work from Saint-Maximin, but the striker was clearly offside. Newcastle then lost Wilson to a calf injury moments before half-time.

Fred and Mason Greenwood were replaced by Jadon Sancho and Cavani for the second half, but Newcastle should have been 2-0 ahead almost instantly, with Saint-Maximin thwarted by David de Gea from close range after Emil Krafth's cross from the right found him just four yards out.

Marcus Rashford's strike from 25 yards was pushed over by Martin Dubravka, and Cavani scuffed a shot wide, before Ronaldo was perhaps fortunate to be only booked for a rash swipe at Ryan Fraser.

Fraser and Saint-Maximin were denied by De Gea as Newcastle got a second wind, but they gave Cavani another sniff of goal and paid for it. Diogo Dalot's cross from the right found Cavani by the penalty spot, and after his first shot was blocked, the Uruguayan jabbed a second attempt into the bottom-right corner.

Saint-Maximin limped off late on, but there was almost a late moment to savour for Newcastle as Jacob Murphy smashed a fine strike against the right post from a tight angle on the left late on, before Miguel Almiron was denied by a spectacular De Gea save.

There is a "good chance" Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant will leave the NBA's coronavirus protocols this week, according to head coach Steve Nash.

The 11-time All-Star entered the health and safety protocols on December 18, but he could be out and ready to face the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday.

Kyrie Irving, who went into protocols on the same day as Durant, is further away from a return to action.

"I think there's a good chance Kevin will be [fit for Thursday]," Nash told reporters.

"With Kyrie, I'm not so sure but it's coming. He's already been in protocols since December 18; he's got to be getting close."

Brooklyn earlier stated that Irving will re-join the NBA championship-chasing franchise for road games outside of New York and Toronto.

Irving is yet to play for the Eastern Conference-leading Nets this season due to his refusal to be vaccinated against coronavirus, which has prevented him from practising or playing with the team – New York has a mandate in place that states players must have had a COVID-19 jab.

At the start of the season, the Nets announced they would not accept Irving playing on a part-time basis and thus overlooked him for selection until he is vaccinated.

But due to injuries and a COVID-19 outbreak, Brooklyn have opted to bring Irving back.