Tears streamed down Bangladesh medium-pacer Ritu Moni's face at the Junction Oval's press conference room as she took her mind back to where her journey began - Bogra - and to Muslim Uddin, the man who helped her live her dream.

It is in Bogra, a northwestern city in Bangladesh, that the dreams of many of the team's current women's cricketers started taking shape under local coach Muslim. As Moni, one of Muslim's students, reflected on the career-best 4 for 18 - also the best so far at the ongoing T20 World Cup - she picked up against New Zealand on Saturday, memories of a personal loss - Muslim's death on February 10 - left her sobbing inconsolably.

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"I started training under him and I am here today because of him," Moni said after Bangladesh's 17-run loss. "He passed away soon after we arrived in Australia for the World Cup. It is a big loss for all of us, considering how he helped so many of us to realise our dream of playing for Bangladesh. He was a great person, and has played a big part in my life.

"We were to play a practice match a few days after his death, and it was quite difficult for me to get over the shock. But I told myself, 'Muslim sir showed a lot of confidence in me. I must try to do my best in the tournament because it would be the best I can do for him.' If he were alive today, he would have been able to see this day in my life.

In an international career spanning nearly eight years, Moni, now 27, has made 45 international appearances, scoring 292 runs and taking 17 wickets across the white-ball formats. The defining moment of her career, though, arrived on Sunday, her maiden four-for orchestrating New Zealand's biggest collapse in T20Is - 8 for 25 - from the fall of the third wicket.

"Sometimes simple and uncomplicated bowling can get you wickets, break partnerships, so that has been one instruction from our coaches I have tried to respect." Ritu Moni

By the innings break, Moni's exploits, complemented brilliantly by captain Salma Khatun's 3 for 7, had begun inspiring hopes of an unlikely upset in Group A as New Zealand set Bangladesh a modest target of 92.

New Zealand's slide began with the dismissal of Suzie Bates, their leading run-scorer in the format. Hurled at a gentle pace hovering just above 90kph, Moni's inswinger on off had enough benignity to lure Bates to aim towards midwicket, only for her to lose her middle stump. Bates' wicket in the 13th over was followed by Katey Matin's in the next as she holed out to point, in a bid to force some pace on a slow, sun-baked Junction Oval track. It wasn't long before Moni's control and slowness through the air earned her two wickets in her fourth - and the innings' 19th - over, with Fargana Hoque taking a stunning catch diving forward and Fahima Khatun gobbling up Amelia Kerr's square drive with ease.

"I didn't do much, to be honest; just maintained my line and length," Moni said, praising the role played by head coach Anju Jain and assistant coach Devika Palshikar, both former India players, in her growth as a medium-pacer. "Devika ma'am has been of incredible help. She makes sure that at the nets I am focused on my line and length. She asks me to bowl in, say, one area over after over.

"And Anju ma'am says the same thing about bowling in my block, you know, to not try anything fancy. Sometimes simple and uncomplicated bowling can get you wickets, break partnerships, so that has been one instruction from our coaches I have tried to respect.

"And Javed Omar [the former Bangladesh men's Test cricketer, who was appointed manager of the women's team last year] has also encouraged me to believe in myself. I hope that the confidence I have got from today's performance takes me ahead in the future."

India 116 for 3 (Verma 47, Prabodhani 1-13) beat Sri Lanka 113 for 9 (Atapattu 33, Dilhari 25*, Radha 4-23, Gayakwad 2-18) by 7 wickets

India's spin bowlers strangled Sri Lanka, leaving an obligingly small target for Shafali Verma and her team-mates to run down and so take Harmanpreet Kaur's team into the T20 World Cup semi-finals with an all-win record after the second of two matches at Junction Oval on Saturday.

Radha Yadav's career-best 4 for 23 was well supported by Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav and Deepti Sharma on a slow surface that afforded variation in pace off the pitch if no extremes of turn, enough to prevent Sri Lanka from developing any momentum after the loss of their top-order talisman Chamari Atapattu.

Verma's aggression quickly made the chase a matter of pageantry for the India-dominant crowd that had assembled at the ground, leaving Australia to play off against New Zealand on Monday for the right to join India in the final four from the group.

Before Atapattu…

New Zealand's successful defence of a meagre total in the early game had given an indication that the surface was not the easiest for batting and would get harder as the afternoon wore on. Sri Lanka duly batted first upon winning the toss, in the hope that Atapattu could guide them to a total sufficient to challenge India's supremacy in the tournament thus far, with a bevy of spin bowlers waiting for their chance to impose the sort of pressure they had done on Australia in Perth.

For a time, it was all going according to plan. While not quite exploding out of the blocks, the Sri Lankans were decently placed at 42 for 1 after seven overs, and Atapattu found enough timing to reach the boundary five times while also clearing it once. Continued acceleration from that point might have brought a tally in the region of 140, more than enough to defend in the prevailing conditions.

… and after Atapattu

However, Kaur's side bowled with the confidence of a team undefeated in the tournament, not panicking when the early exchanges did not go their way. Harshitha Madavi's dismissal, bowled between her pads by Gayakwad, was swiftly followed by a disastrous miscalculation from Atapattu, who swivelled to pull a short ball from Radha and could only pick out deep backward square-leg with unerring accuracy.

From there, the innings slid ever more steadily into the mire, as Radha collected her first four-wicket haul in T20Is, Gayakwad completed an exemplary spell, and Poonam Yadav twirled down another tantalising quartet of overs. In all, India's spin bowlers returned figures of 16-1-77-8 between them, as it was only Shikha Pandey's medium pace that was taken regularly for runs at a rate to Sri Lanka's liking.

Verma trending up

Given her penchant for punchy and match-defining innings, a chase for 114 to win was ideally suited to Verma, and she did not disappoint in maintaining an utterly fearless approach with the bat. Sri Lanka, as has been their problem throughout, were generous in spurning chances - one each from Verma and Smriti Mandhana - while a couple of other shots sailed a matter of centimetres beyond outstretched hands.

Verma capitalised by going on to her highest tally of the tournament, with her trend of 29, 39, 46 and now 47 before being run-out a highly promising one for India's prospects at the pointy end. Kaur promoted herself to No. 3 and connected with a few blows that will help her regain some confidence after a run of outs - even if she only got as far as 15. In the end, the target was reached with 32 balls to spare.

NEW ORLEANS -- As he sat at his locker Friday night at the Smoothie King Center following a 116-104 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson heard a stat from teammate Jahlil Okafor that he couldn't believe.

Okafor told him how, after their game against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday, Williamson became the first player since Michael Jordan to have four consecutive games of at least 25 points while shooting at least 57% from the field as a rookie.

"Mike?!" an incredulous Williamson said.

When a reporter later mentioned the stat to him at the postgame news conference, Williamson turned to Pelicans security officer Chico Robinson for confirmation.

"Chico, my name's next to Michael Jordan?" Williamson, a Jordan Brand athlete, asked with a big smile.

After the stat was explained, Williamson said, "Wow, Jahlil was for real."

Even though the feat happened a couple of games before Friday's win, Williamson still understood what it meant.

"I mean, it's dope. I can't even lie," Williamson said. "One of my favorite players growing up. I said in some interview, my mom told me to study film of him so to be in that category, it means a lot."

Williamson's 25-point streak came to an end Friday night, when he finished with 24 against the Cavs, but he extended another one in the process, posting his 10th straight game with at least 20 points. Not only did Williamson, 19, become the first teenager in NBA history to pull off that feat, he broke a tie with another scoring great in Carmelo Anthony, who scored 20 points or more in nine consecutive games as a 19-year-old.

Williamson talked about watching clips of Jordan and Anthony growing up and said it was exciting to see his name next to theirs. But after he was asked about passing Anthony, he looked more toward the team's success.

"I think the world and the media, I think, is more happy for me than myself," Williamson said with another laugh. "Honestly, I don't even think much of it if I'm being honest. I just want to get the win. You know, my stepdad taught me growing up, you know, if the team has success then the individual things will follow. So I guess it's just one of those things."

The team success has come for the Pelicans lately. They were 5½ games out of the Western Conference's eighth playoff seed after the All-Star break, but Friday night's win coupled with Memphis' loss to Sacramento has the Pelicans sitting just two games behind the Grizzlies and in sole possession of ninth place in the West.

New Orleans has won six of eight games, and during that span the Pelicans have had at least 34 assists in five of those contests -- after only three games of 34 assists or more prior to that.

Pelicans point guard Lonzo Ball led the way with 12 assists on Friday, including a couple of full-court passes that Williamson converted at the rim.

"That's the great part about Lonzo," Williamson said. "He shows his IQ for the game. For him to come in every game with the threats and depth we have, and to facilitate the offense the way he does, you have to respect that. Hats off to him. He does a great job at it."

After getting off to rocky starts in the previous two games, Ball said it was an emphasis to start fast against Cleveland.

"The last couple of games we've come out pretty slow, so we wanted to change that tonight and I felt like that carried us throughout the game," Ball said.

To go along with the assists, Ball added 5 points, 6 rebounds, 4 steals and 2 blocks in what was one of his better all-around games of the season -- something Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry saw as well.

"I thought he did exactly what we would like to see him do as a point guard," Gentry said. "I thought he controlled the game. ... The pace of the game ... he dictated the whole thing. I thought he got out and did a great job with that, and as you said, I thought he did a great job of finding players. I thought we all did tonight."

Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, who played with Ball in Los Angeles the past two seasons before the trade that brought them and Josh Hart to New Orleans, said he thought Ball's efforts on the defensive end also helped.

"Well, it goes unnoticed sometimes because he does it night in and night out and he's always anticipating the pass, he's always in the right spot, and his on-ball defense is really, really good," Ingram said. "So that's something that he's done every night and we kind of expect it out of him every night."

MILWAUKEE -- On the heels of James Harden's interview with ESPN's Rachel Nichols -- in which the Houston Rockets star appeared to take aim at Giannis Antetokounmpo's skillset -- the reigning league MVP responded with a statement performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night.

The Milwaukee Bucks' 47-point win was their largest of the season, 133-86, with Antetokounmpo going off for 32 points, 13 rebounds and six assists in just over 27 minutes.

He pushed his total to nine games of posting 30 or more points in under 30 minutes in a single season, the most in the shot clock era since 1954-55.

"My game is not just power for sure," Antetokounmpo said following the victory. "I came in when I was 18, I was 180 pounds, so to power through big guys was kind of tough.

"But obviously, it's going to be times where you've got to power through guys. Like one of the best players LeBron, Michael Jordan, Kobe and all those guys... Shaq, all those guys, they were extremely physical with their play. They made their presence felt in the paint, but obviously I try to work on my game, midrange shots, 3s, being able to screen and roll faster and make the right pass.

"It's hard to drive full speed and try to make the right pass to the corner. I try to get my passes more accurate and it's a lot of things I'm still adding, and hopefully when I add all those things in my game, I'm a more complete player and I'm better and can help my team win and the game is easier."

In response to Nichols mentioning Antetokounmpo's joke about taking Boston Celtics guard Kemba Walker over Harden during the NBA All-Star draft process because he wanted "somebody who's gonna pass the ball," the former MVP didn't see the humor behind it.

"I wish I could be 7-feet, run and just dunk. That takes no skill at all," Harden told Nichols during the interview, which aired Friday. "I gotta actually learn how to play basketball and how to have skill. I'll take that any day."

Ahead of the Thunder-Bucks tip-off, though, Antetokounmpo cleared the air to ESPN that "there's not back-and-forth" with Harden and insisted that he "never tried to take shots at somebody."

Antetokounmpo says he understood that it may have come out that way, but would rather put his energy into basketball and his family. The Bucks were able to win without All-Star Khris Middleton (neck soreness) to improve to a league-best 51-8 on the season.

Milwaukee also extended its win streak to five straight, while making 21 3-pointers in front of Bucks legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, which tied their second most in a game in franchise history.

Antetokounmpo became the second player in NBA history to average 25 points and 15 boards for a month without losing a single game he played, joining Abdul-Jabbar in March 1973.

Antetokounmpo's plus-minus of +44 was also not only a career best, but also the highest by any player to log fewer than 30 minutes and take 20 shot attempts in a game over the past 15 seasons, per ESPN Stats & Information research.

Nobody can convince those around him that skill isn't a part of his repertoire.

"I don't know who is criticizing him. He's a winner," said Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer. "The kid brings it in every way, shape and form. He brings it in practice and in the locker room. He's a great leader. He's a great player. He does everything. I don't know how to describe his game."

MILWAUKEE -- The Milwaukee Bucks staged another in a series of artful basketball exhibitions on Friday night at Fiserv Forum. Giannis Antetokounmpo padded his MVP résumé with skillful efficiency and gaudy athleticism (32 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists in 27 minutes, before taking yet another fourth quarter off in a blowout). Of those 32 points, 28 came in the half court, and his plus-44 was the best mark of his career. Nobody makes the game look more effortless right now.

The Bucks whipped the ball around the floor with precision -- gorgeous interior passes in the half court, pinpoint pass-aheads on the break, weak side reversals to open shooters. They rebounded a mystifying 91.2% of rebounding opportunities on the defensive glass while also draining a season-high 21 3-pointers.

This is not far off the norm for Milwaukee in recent months. The Bucks scored 70 points before intermission on Friday night -- the 16th time this season they've crossed that threshold in a half -- the most in the NBA. They led by 51 points early in the fourth quarter. When it was mercifully over, the Bucks -- minus their second-most productive player, Khris Middleton -- walloped the Oklahoma City Thunder 133-86.

Yet to those who handicap title prospects for the league's top contender, none of this matters.

The Bucks are a regular-season tiger, say the skeptics.

This is a team whose success between October and April is the result of an air-tight system on both ends propelled by a dynamic superstar with an athleticism that can slice through less-motivated defenses during the dog days of winter.

Need a head coach to win you a No. 1 seed? Then Mike Budenholzer, with his knack for structure and his emphasis on good habit-building, is your guy, but home court has yet to yield him a Finals appearance.

Khris Middleton? Fine for an 82-game romp, but iffy in the glare of the postseason.

What is the origin of this Bucks-kepticism?

Milwaukee is burdened by an albatross of pro sports -- the dreaded, blown 2-0 series lead. A double-overtime loss to the Raptors in Game 3 of last year's Eastern Conference finals sent the Bucks reeling. They wouldn't win another game against a seasoned opponent that featured the kind of grizzled veterans (Kawhi Leonard, Kyle Lowry, Marc Gasol, Danny Green) who can beat you with poise.

The NBA's regular-season has never carried less import (load management, playoff fields almost entirely set by January, the relative meaninglessness of 1-of-82), which has only brightened the spotlight on the playoffs. So even in a week when the Bucks returned to Canada and soundly beat the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night and went ballistic against a steady playoff team in Oklahoma City, little gets priced into the appraisal.

The historic proportions of Milwaukee's dominance this season might be discounted, but they can't be overstated.

• Their 12.8 point differential per 100 possessions ranks them as the most lethal team in NBA history.

• Only three teams have ever posted better records through 59 games than the Bucks, now 51-8 after Friday's win.

• Milwaukee's league-leading defense -- 101.3 points surrendered per 100 possessions -- is more than three points better than second-ranked Toronto. To put this in perspective, that's more daylight than there is between the No. 2 Raptors and the No. 7 Pacers.

In an odd expression of NBA irony, the better the Bucks get in the regular season, the more they prove their critics' point: The Bucks are a great regular-season team, not a great regular-season team.

"It's to be expected," Budenholzer tells ESPN. "In our league -- to some degree, in our world -- until you've done something, people kind of doubt you."

Optics drive perception, and this doubt stems from some popular NBA notions. Middleton doesn't scream "second star", even if he posted true shooting percentages of 71.9 and 56.7 respectively each of the past two postseasons. If the commentariat didn't doubt the yet-to-achieve Warriors in 2015, it's largely because their top performer was a shooter, a title Antetokounmpo can't yet claim. Ballet has a way of devolving into a tractor pull in the playoffs, and conventional wisdom states that stars need to be able to shoot off the dribble.

NBA teams can seem to be frozen in stasis between June and April, as if they don't smooth their rough edges from the prior campaign during the next regular season. In their second season under Budenholzer, the roster has amassed more corporate knowledge. It's a team that has now suffered together, which means trust flows more freely.

Take Middleton, a player who traditionally preferred to know how and where his shots materialize in the half-court. Initially slow to acclimate to the staff's more improvisational read-oriented system, Middleton often got lost in the offense. This season, he and Budenholzer have met halfway: Middleton now plays with more intuition, while his coach has grown more flexible and willing to work in some Middleton-friendly sets -- a middle pick-and-roll here, an iso from the mid-post there. For those who haven't paid attention, Middleton has nearly doubled his win shares per 48 minutes this season.

"We've got more," says Antetokounmpo to ESPN about this season's team. "People don't realize that. We are hungry. We have a great team, guys who can knock down shots and make plays. And their leader is not going to try anymore to jump over five guys in the paint, and all that s---.

"Last year, I was stubborn. This year, I want to win a championship. If there are five people in front of me who want to hold me back from that goal, there are four guys on the court who will make plays. That's what makes us dangerous."

Of course, declarations of confidence and pronouncements of hunger will persuade nobody, least of all a league that's steadfast in its belief of ... prove it. The Bucks can beat the '96 Bulls by 40, and until it occurs on a court with a decal of the Larry O'Brien trophy, they've achieved nothing -- a condition that makes them even more dangerous. As the Bucks approach the postseason -- they clinched a berth nearly a week ago -- they have all the talent of a No. 1 seed, coupled with the defiance of a scrappy, but disrespected six seed.

"I like it," says Antetokounmpo. "We just come out here and do our jobs. We know the game plan. We know each other better. We know the spots on the floor. We know how to attack. If people come out and say, 'They're going to win the championship,' maybe we feel more pressure.

"But nobody thinks we can do it."

New Zealand 91 (Moni 4-18) beat Bangladesh 74 (Jensen 3-11) by 17 runs

Tournaments are all about surviving and advancing.

New Zealand survived an almighty scare against Bangladesh at the Junction Oval, setting a new Women's World T20 record for the lowest total defended, but will need to play much better to beat Australia on Monday advance to the semi-finals.

They were bowled out for just 91 having won the toss. It was their sixth-lowest score in T20 internationals and second-lowest total at T20 World Cups, with Ritu Moni taking a career-best 4 for 18 in her first game of the tournament while the skipper Salma Khatun bagged 3 for 7 including the prized scalp of Sophie Devine.

But Bangladesh imploded in the chase under the weight of history and an experienced and disciplined New Zealand attack. They failed to find the boundary or rotate the strike. Two calamitous run-outs triggered a collapse before Hayley Jensen strangled the tail with some wonderful stump-to-stump bowling to take 3 for 11 from her four overs and claim Player of the Match honours. Nigar Sultana fought bravely making 21 in an innings where she was forced to retire hurt for a period after a blow to the face but they came up short.

The result sets up a virtual quarter-final against Australia at the Junction Oval on Monday, with the winner to progress to the semi-final alongside India from Group A.

Priest dries up Devine

Having started the tournament with an unbeaten 75 to register a world record sixth consecutive T20I score of 50 or more, Devine's run of form has come to a grinding halt, but her opening partner Rachel Priest was partly responsible. Bangladesh's bowlers kept Devine from the strike in the powerplay just as India did in the previous game. She faced just 15 balls in the first 6.5 overs as Priest chewed up deliveries at the other end without doing any damage to the scoreboard. Panna Ghosh, who was strangely omitted from the game against Australia, Fahima Khatun and Salma Khatun bowled superbly to their fields on a surface that had plenty of grass. Priest and Devine could not find any timing against the slow pace and spin. Priest faced 15 dot balls while Devine was at the crease and the skipper eventually succumbed slicing a catch to point. Priest then fell lbw to Salma Khatun attempting a sweep, and burnt New Zealand's only review as well, having made 25 from 32 with 18 dots.

Moni causes mayhem

Moni had not played in Bangladesh's opening two matches and had not played an international since taking 3 for 1 against Maldives in December last year. But she immediately made an impact castling the world's number one T20 batter in Suzie Bates with outstanding delivery that nipped back through the gate. New Zealand's collapse then featured all the stereotypical panicked dismissals. Maddy Green was stumped trying a wild slog having not found the boundary in 15 balls, Hayley Jensen was run out in ridiculous circumstances next ball and Katey Martin offered a return catch to Rumana Ahmed which was dropped, but it bounced off her hands onto the non-striker's stumps with Jensen unable to get back to safe ground. Moni then forced mistake after mistake through disciplined lines and lengths and her fielders backed her up with Fahima Khatun taking two more sharp chances at point while Fargana Hoque took a phenomenal diving catch running in from deep midwicket to dismiss Anna Peterson. New Zealand folded to be bowled out with 10 balls left in the innings.

Dots build pressure

Bangladesh's required run-rate was just 4.55 for an historic victory. They started the chase well thanks to two classy strikes down the ground from Murshida Khatun, a dropped catch at slip from Amelia Kerr and a wayward over from Lea Tahuhu that featured four wides. At 0 for 17 from 2.5 overs, Murshida fell to a top edge trying to sweep Leigh Kasperek. Devine and New Zealand then squeezed Bangladesh over the next six overs. Devine took all the pace off turning to Hayley Jensen and her spinners. Ayasha Rahman holed out trying to clear the infield off Jensen. Devine attacked with her field, posting a catching cover, a short leg and a slip at different stages. Bangladesh faced 41 dots in the first nine overs and did not find the boundary in the first three overs after the powerplay. The rate slowed so dramatically that equation reached more than a run-a-ball in the 10th over.

Salt in the wounds

Sultana held the key as Bangladesh's leading run-scorer in the tournament, but she was forced to retire hurt in the 10th over after being hit in the face attempting to sweep Peterson. She got a top edge that ricocheted into her jaw, just underneath the grill of the helmet and she was driven off the ground on a cart. Bangladesh then did their own damage with two horrible run-outs. Hoque attempted to drop and run to cover but Moni called no and Devine swooped to leave Hoque stranded. She gave Moni a verbal spray on her way off for not responding, which was ringing in Moni's ears two overs later when she over-committed anticipating a tight drop and run from Rumana Ahmed. The call to run never came despite Moni running halfway down and she was left stranded and staring at a dumbfounded Rumana. Devine turned the screws. Jensen pinned Rumana plumb in front and Sobhana Mostary holed out as the rate got out of hand. Kerr then produced a stunning wrong 'un to clean bowl Jahanara Alum for a first-ball duck. Sultana returned to bat with Bangladesh eight wickets down and 35 runs needed from just 20 balls. She found the boundary twice but picked out Devine in the last over with all hopes dashed.

Tony Romo is staying in the CBS broadcast booth, with the sides agreeing to a long-term deal, a network spokesperson confirmed to multiple outlets Friday night.

According to the New York Post, Romo will receive $17 million per year in a deal that's "significantly" longer than five years. That would make the former quarterback the highest-paid NFL analyst in television history.

Romo retired after a 14-season run with the Dallas Cowboys in April 2017, then joined CBS as its lead NFL analyst for the following season. He quickly wowed audiences with his analysis, knack for predicting offensive plays pre-snap and on-air partnership with lead CBS play-by-play man Jim Nantz.

That made Romo the hottest commodity in sports media this NFL offseason. But before he officially became a free agent next month, he struck the deal to remain at CBS.

According to Spotrac.com, Romo made $127.4 million in total during his NFL career. In just three of his 14 seasons, he made more than $17 million -- $17.5 million in 2007, $25.5 million in '13 and $17 million in '15.

For baseball players taking advantage of a new drug policy in which marijuana use is permissible, the commissioner has a warning: Just don't show up to the ballpark high.

Even after Major League Baseball removed marijuana from its banned-substance list during the offseason, the league last week told teams that players remain subject to potential discipline for using or possessing the drug, according a memo obtained by ESPN.

In the memo, deputy commissioner Dan Halem wrote that the league maintains the right to punish players who break existing marijuana laws, such as possession and distribution, as well as for driving under the influence.

Players and team personnel who "appear under the influence of marijuana or any other cannabinoid during any of the Club's games, practices, workouts, meetings or otherwise during the course and within the scope of their employment" will undergo a "mandatory evaluation" for a potential treatment program, according to the memo.

While the penalty for a major league player testing positive for marijuana in the past was a fine, the biggest change addresses minor league players, for whom marijuana was a banned substance with a harsh suspension for testing positive. Minor league players rejoiced at the new drug agreement, during which MLB abandoned its marijuana policy for stricter testing on opioids.

Recreational marijuana is legal in cities inhabited by 11 major league teams: the A's, Angels, Blue Jays, Cubs, Dodgers, Giants, Mariners, Padres, Red Sox, Rockies and White Sox. Medicinal marijuana is legal in 26 of 30 major league locations, with Georgia, Texas and Wisconsin the exceptions.

The minor leagues are far more restrictive in terms of location. More than 60 minor league cities are in states where both recreational and medicinal marijuana are illegal.

Despite the relative open-mindedness by MLB -- it has a particularly liberal policy, especially when compared to the NFL, which only now is considering abolishing suspensions for players who test positive for marijuana -- it's still not exactly advocating marijuana use.

"Club medical personal are prohibited from prescribing, dispensing or recommending the use of marijuana or any other cannabinoid" to players or officials, nor are they allowed to store it at the team facilities, the memo said.

The use of cannabidiol, or CBD, remains potentially risky for players because the products are not NSF-certified and could be tainted with drugs that are on the banned list -- and subject to half-season-long suspensions.

MLB and the MLB Players Association "are working closely with NSF International to develop an independent testing and certification process for" hemp-based CBD products, according to the memo.

With the legal-marijuana business worth billions of dollars, players have considered entering the space as entrepreneurs, according to sources. The memo said MLB plans to address the rules regarding ownership in the industry in the future, though "until such guidance is issued, any such investments or commercial arrangements are still considered to be prohibited in accordance with current practices."

NANUET, N.Y. – Chris Larsen, from Halmar International, has announced the creation of the $50,000 Halmar Bounty for NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series regulars.

The $50,000 Halmar Bounty is meant to complement the $100,000 bounty put up by Kevin Harvick and Marcus Lemonis for any NASCAR Cup Series regular that can successfully defeat Kyle Busch in one of his four remaining Truck Series races this season.

In this case, Larsen will pay out $50,000 if a Truck Series regular successfully tops Busch – who has won his last seven Truck Series starts dating back to 2018 – at either Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway on March 14, Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway on March 20, Texas Motor Speedway on March 27 or Kansas Speedway on May 30.

Larsen is the co-owner of the No. 52 Toyota Tundra driven by Canadian Stewart Friesen in the Truck Series.

“We love Kyle. He is a true warrior. But we have so many talented regular Truck Series teams, and we know firsthand the the level of work they put in,” said Larsen. “We want to give the drivers and teams who are the bedrock of the series a bounty to shoot for.

“We are also looking forward to seeing how Stewart Friesen performs behind the wheel of the Halmar International No. 52 Toyota Tundra during these upcoming races as well,” Larsen added. “We are confident in our Halmar team.”