The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:
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Minnesota’s scheduled home game Friday night against the Memphis Grizzlies has been postponed because of ongoing contact tracing within the Timberwolves.
The NBA said the Timberwolves did not have the league-required eight available players to proceed with the game.
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Six Washington Wizards players have tested positive for COVID-19, and another three are in the NBA’s health protocols.
General manager Tommy Sheppard said in a video conference with reporters that two of the players who have the illness caused by the coronavirus have displayed symptoms, while the other four are asymptomatic so far.
Sheppard said no members of the team’s staff tested positive.
He spoke after the team announced that its next two scheduled games were being postponed: at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday and Monday.
That makes four consecutive games for Washington that have been called off.
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The Dallas Stars will open their season Jan. 22 at Nashville after a teamwide outbreak forced their first four games to be postponed.
The National Hockey League rescheduled the Stars’ opening games and moved several others around to accommodate. The regular season started Wednesday, and the Stars were set to play Thursday.
But 17 players tested positive for the virus, leading the NHL to close down team facilities and Dallas to halt practice.
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The one-day cricket international between the United Arab Emirates and Ireland in Abu Dhabi on Saturday has been postponed again.
Four UAE players have tested positive for the virus and none of the Ireland squad. UAE health officials called off the match on Friday.
The second ODI was to be played last Sunday, and was postponed to Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
UAE won the first ODI last Friday.
Both boards hope to play a second ODI on Monday to finish the series, as Ireland begins a series against Afghanistan on the same ground next Thursday.
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South Carolina men’s basketball coach Frank Martin is frustrated after testing positive for COVID-19 a second time since May.
Martin will miss his team’s game at LSU on Saturday.
Martin first got the virus in the spring and recovered with only mild symptoms. He said this latest bout hit him harder, although he was not hospitalized.
The Gamecocks have played just twice since Dec. 5. Martin expects to be out of isolation and back with the team Monday.
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The sixth-ranked Baylor women’s basketball team is prepared to play its scheduled home game Saturday night against Iowa State after an extended period of restricted team activity following coach Kim Mulkey testing positive for COVID-19.
Baylor (8-1) hasn’t played since Jan. 2 at TCU, a game Mulkey missed after being exposed to the virus by a family member who tested positive. Mulkey had tested negative three times at that point, but team activities were paused Jan. 4 when she tested positive.
School officials said Mulkey’s availability to coach Saturday’s game would be determined that day. Without being specific, the school said as of Friday it met the Big 12 requirement for the number of players needed to play a game. The Big 12 requires six scholarship players.
Associate head coach Bill Brock described the team as anxious to get back on the court and play.
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The French league has postponed the match between Lorient and Dijon on Sunday because of a growing number of coronavirus cases in the Lorient squad.
The league said on Friday it expects more than 10 of Lorient’s squad to be positive for COVID-19.
No new date has been scheduled for the game.
Both sides are struggling at the foot of the table.
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The Southeastern Conference on Friday rescheduled three women’s basketball games for Jan. 21. All had been postponed because of COVID-19.
Florida’s visit to Vanderbilt initially was scheduled for Dec. 31. The Georgia game at South Carolina had been set for Jan. 7. No. 14 Kentucky’s trip to Auburn was pushed back seven days.
Al three games will be televised by SEC Network.
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