The Washington Wizards say rookie Rui Hachimura will miss at least five games after suffering a groin injury in Monday's win against the Pistons in Detroit.

Hachimura will be re-evaluated when Washington returns from its four-game road swing, which concludes Dec. 26 in Detroit.

The first-year forward was hurt late in the first half Monday, when he was accidentally kicked by teammate Isaac Bonga as the two were going for a defensive rebound.

The No. 9 overall pick out of Gonzaga, Hachimura is averaging 13.9 points and 5.8 rebounds this season, while shooting 48.2% from the field.

CORONA, Calif. – During its annual visit to the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show in Indianapolis, Lucas Oil products’ FL-0 Low Viscosity Synthetic Racing Engine Oil was selected as a winning entry for the trade show’s Global Media Award.

The PRI Trade Show takes place in Indianapolis and serves as the premier platform for industry professionals from all over the world to discover new racing products and trends.

The FL-0 Low Viscosity Synthetic Racing Oil is Lucas’ new premium, super-efficient, low viscosity racing engine oil. Inspired by Lucas’ racing heritage, FL-0 was developed with the help of six-time NHRA Pro Stock world champion Warren Johnson and his son Kurt. It is formulated with an exclusive blend of PAO, organic esters, dispersants, borates organic compounds, friction modifiers and ZDDP. FL-0 is ideal for use in Pro Stock Racing or any application using low-viscosity racing engine oils.

“We’ve put many hours of R&D into developing our new FL-0 oil, and we’re really excited to see all that hard work be well received on the track and off,” said Morgan Lucas, SVP of Sales, Lucas Oil products. “Getting recognized by the PRI judges with a Global Media Award is very special to us, and as we continue to develop new products, we hope to push the racing industry in a direction that produces products with benefits for both competitive and everyday vehicles.”

The Global Media Awards Program honors products that have been selected by an esteemed panel of industry experts from around the world. Journalists from top publications serve as judges who identify what new products at the PRI trade show are most likely to succeed in their home countries.

WHEATLAND, Mo. – Officials from the Lucas Oil Midwest Late Model Racing Ass’n have tabbed MyRacePass as the series’ exclusive race management system.

This change will include MRP’s industry leading live timing and scoring system, which is already utilized by thousands of drivers and fans alike.

Considered the social network of motorsports, the Lincoln, Neb., based company will be entering their 12th season, and are excited to be expanding their late model coverage with the addition of the MLRA.

“Getting into the Late Model world is a big priority for us,” commented MRP Co-Founder and Director of Business & Marketing Josh Holt.  “The MLRA is certainly one of the top series in the country and Ernie, Missy, and their whole team has been fantastic to work with.  It’s our goal to make the sport better, and with what we have done with MRP in other areas around the country it makes it exciting to now be able to bring that to MLRA and all of the fans and drivers of the series.”

The addition of MRP and the MRP App will enhance the MLRA race day experience at the track for drivers and fans, as well as allow those unable to be there in person to keep up to date on every single lap via live timing and scoring.

“We’re trying to engage the race fans,” stated Holt. “We’ve got to get our product (the race) into people’s hands during the race, the whole time they are there. Engaging the race fan the entire time is why the App was evolved. Now, instead of seeing the race fans sitting in the stands on Facebook, Twitter, or checking their E-Mail they are engaged looking at the MyRacePass App. You look down from the scorers tower and see people checking on a Driver Bio trying to learn more about that driver, where they are from, where they are racing next, or any news articles about them.”

MLRA drivers will not only benefit from MRP’s live lap-by-lap timing, but also be able to maximize their marketing portfolio via MRP’s website package options, which start as low as $144/year. MRP Driver websites automatically populate with results and news articles via integration with the MRP Race Management program.

“Marketing is our background and that is where we are trying to help make the driver more marketable. We are trying to bring the personal side back to the fan and generate a bigger fan base for the drivers,” said Holt. “Websites are not dead, they will still set you apart from the rest.”

The MRP App is free to download from the App Store or Google Play, providing entry list, lineups, results, points, and news.

Fans can upgrade to MRP Live for only $7.99/yr. and enjoy the additional benefits of live timing and scoring along with driver lap times. MRP Live also includes fun sorting functionalities that allow fans and drivers to see which drivers are quickest lap-by-lap and even monitor the cut off line in qualifying races to see who is in the show, and who is out.

For the ultimate race fan MRP Insider is available for $34.99/yr., giving full live access plus driver Bio’s, history on past years events, detailed points breakdowns, and more.

MRP Race Management systems are currently being utilized by 550+ organizations around the globe.

“The advantage for the racetrack or series is we are trying to utilize technology to help streamline their race day and make things better, faster, and easier for not a lot of money. It’s like we are turning scorers into marketing people for the race tracks,” continued Holt. “Everything that scorer does today the whole world has access to see that, and it helps promote that event that much more.”

“With the number of organizations we have now, we learn a lot in any given weekend on how we can make our product better. We are trying to make it where we save promoters money, save time and we get the data out to the people as fast as possible. People want the information as fast as possible and MyRacePass helps achieve that.”

Over 33 years, the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals has grown from humble beginnings into the largest midget racing event in the world, annually featuring more than 300 cars.

Though it only pays $10,000 to win, the Chili Bowl is a crown jewel event. It is revered and coveted by drivers and teams alike, with racers from all walks of life chasing the iconic Golden Driller trophy awarded to the winner each January.

While the lineup of drivers who visit the River Spirit Expo Center in Tulsa, Okla., each winter to take part in the Chili Bowl is among the most diverse rosters in all of professional motorsports, the contingent of teams fielding race cars at the event is just as unique and varied.

At the top of the heap sits Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports, winner of the last five Chili Bowls, as well as Clauson-Marshall Racing and Tucker-Boat Motorsports.

These multi-car behemoths are among the “super teams” that compete at the Chili Bowl each year, fielding anywhere from five to — in owner Keith Kunz’s case this past January — 11 cars. They are always looked at as the favorites to win.

In contrast, there are teams like Dunlap Performance, Dave Mac Motorsports and other various family-owned or shoestring-budget operations that don’t have the multi-figure budgets but still go to the Chili Bowl with the same dreams and aspirations of winning.

So how does a driver secure a ride for the Chili Bowl and what do some of the various teams look like? It’s certainly different from organization to organization, but there are some parallels among the various teams.

Kunz said during the second annual BC39 at The Dirt Track at IMS in September that he didn’t know at that point exactly what his 2020 Chili Bowl roster will look like, considering he traditionally has turnover in his driver lineup from year to year.

“It usually depends on who’s staying put and who’s coming in for the new season,” Kunz noted. “We try to get our regular guys accounted for first and then see how much more we can handle after that, but for us it could probably be anywhere from eight to 12 (cars) that we field in Tulsa this year.”

In contrast, DIRTvision’s Brian Dunlap, who along with his father fields the Dunlap Performance team at the Chili Bowl on a yearly basis, will campaign two cars in Tulsa next month.

World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series director Casey Shuman and Washington state veteran Gary Taylor will be behind the wheel for Dunlap.

“We all hear about the big teams in the front of the building every year, but there are so many stories throughout the pit area and I think that’s one of the special things about the Chili Bowl, is that drivers come from all over and all walks of life and they each have their own unique story as to how they got there or why they’re there going after a Chili Bowl trophy,” Dunlap said. “For us, we consider it special that we’ve been able to do this the last couple of years with guys that I consider really good friends of ours, Casey and Gary, and guys who really just make it fun for us and that we can go and have fun with during the week that enjoy that passion for competition just as much as my dad and I do.”

While Dunlap had his seats earmarked for two specific drivers, Kunz’s Chili Bowl lineup has changed considerably over the years, with talent coming and going through his team as it has evolved and become the benchmark standard for success inside the River Spirit Expo Center.

“There are a couple different ways that we go about evaluating and choosing talent for our Chili Bowl seats,” Kunz explained. “Some of our guys, we hire strictly on account of our belief in their ability to go out and win races and then we get other guys who come to us that say, ‘Hey, I want to drive one of your cars and want to run alongside guys of the caliber of Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson,’ so we do some rental stuff there also and that all goes into making our lineup what you see at the Chili Bowl on a yearly basis.”

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SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Taylor Hall, traded from the New Jersey Devils to the Arizona Coyotes on Monday afternoon, joined his new team in San Jose on Tuesday morning and will play against the Sharks.

Hall flew to California in a private plane sent by team owner Alex Meruelo and participated in the morning skate. He will play on a line with center Christian Dvorak and winger Phil Kessel against the Sharks. He is also slated to join the first power-play unit with Dvorak and Derek Stepan.

Hall had a quick media availability after the morning skate and confirmed that there was never a contract offer from Devils general manager Ray Shero before the trade.

"Ray is a patient guy and wanted to see how the year went," Hall said. "I was in the same boat."

The Coyotes sent a conditional 2020 first-round pick, a conditional third-round pick, AHL centers Nate Schnarr and Nick Merkley, and junior defenseman Kevin Bahl to New Jersey for Hall and AHL center Blake Speers.

The Devils are retaining 50 percent of Hall's $6 million cap hit for the Coyotes to fit him in. Shero said the rush to trade Hall, who was a healthy scratch in the Devils' last two games leading up to the deal, was due to the size of the market for him now vs. at the trade deadline, when more teams might have fallen out of the playoff race.

"It was the right time. For Taylor's standpoint, it's important for clarity and important for clarity for us," Shero said. "But if the right deal wasn't there, we would have waited."

ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- The Detroit Lions are retaining general manager Bob Quinn and head coach Matt Patricia for the 2020 season, owner Martha Ford said Tuesday, giving the combination of former New England Patriots employees a third year together to try to build their program.

The Fords made it clear, though, that they expect improvement next season, which will be Quinn's fifth as general manager and Patricia's third as the team's head coach.

"We expect to be a playoff contender and those are our expectations," Ford said during a meeting with a small group of reporters Tuesday. "Which we've expressed to both Bob and to Matt."

This doesn't mean playoffs or bust next season for Patricia and Quinn, but it's clear there needs to be tangible progress for the duo to receive a fourth season together.

Conversations about the job security of Quinn and Patricia increased over the past month, while the Lions have been mired in a seven-game losing streak. Detroit started the season 2-0-1 followed by close losses to Kansas City and at Green Bay. The Lions also suffered a rash of injuries, including to quarterback Matthew Stafford, and have 14 players on injured reserve.

Patricia, on a teleconference with reporters Tuesday afternoon, said "it means the world to me" that he would be returning in 2020.

"I appreciate Mrs. Ford and her family so much and Rod [Wood] and Bob and everything that we're trying to do here and what we're trying to accomplish, where we're trying to lead this organization," Patricia said. "It's a process that we're trying to go through to get the team to a highly competitive level that can sustain and be consistent and handle the ebbs and flows of an NFL season.

"...It's something that we're trying to lay a foundation for. I think that we've seen some strides that we've made with the team this year. We obviously need to improve and build upon that going forward."

Since Patricia took over, the Lions have struggled. They went 6-10 in his first season and are 3-10-1 in his second year, on pace for a potential top-five pick in the 2020 draft. It has led to speculation about Patricia and Quinn being fired.

"That would have been the popular choice, the popular decision, and we knew that," Lions vice chairwoman Sheila Ford Hamp said. "But, as I say, we're doing what is right for the organization."

What is right for the organization could be avoiding another rebuild so soon after committing resources to a specific vision laid out by Patricia and Quinn. Since hiring Patricia in February 2018, the Lions have rebuilt much of their team -- even if Patricia has refused to call what has happened with Detroit the past two seasons a rebuild.

The Lions have brought pieces in to fit what Patricia has been looking for, including free agents Trey Flowers and Danny Amendola last offseason.

"This is a process," Patricia said Nov. 25. "I know there's a lot in play here that we're going through, and we're trying to build, and we're trying to do the best we can to improve and get better."

Patricia's process has never been given a timeline, with the Lions having deconstructed a lot of the roster from coach Jim Caldwell's final team to remake it in the Quinn and Patricia image.

When Quinn fired Caldwell, he did so saying he believed his roster was better than 9-7 and that even with an over-.500 record, "we didn't beat the really good teams."

Just 18 players remain on Detroit's roster -- including players on injured reserve -- from Caldwell's final team in 2017. Only five -- Darius Slay, Stafford, Don Muhlbach, Matt Prater and Sam Martin -- remain from when Quinn took over in January 2016, replacing Martin Mayhew.

In back-to-back years close to the trade deadline, Patricia and Quinn traded a key member from the Caldwell-Mayhew era Lions -- Golden Tate in 2018 and Quandre Diggs in October -- for future draft picks.

Patricia, 45, has often spoken about the fight his team has had throughout the season -- the club led at some point in each of the first 12 games -- and has continually believed they are close to turning things in a positive direction.

"It's always hard to judge and say, 'Definitely, this is exactly where we are and where we're going to be,'" Patricia said. "I would say I'm always encouraged by the way that the team right now fights every single week. I'm encouraged by some of the players that I see out there improving and getting better and playing more consistent. And even some of the players that have been forced into, kind of, action because of whatever circumstance may be, showing up in a positive way.

"So, I think those are all things that we look for as signs that we're moving in a good direction from that standpoint of at least trying to improve overall as a team."

Patricia will now receive a third year to try to create his vision. After a loss to Minnesota on Dec. 8, he focused on the big picture.

"I know there's been a lot of coaches that have taken over programs and really tried to start and build something and work from the bottom and try to grow on it and build it," Patricia said. "And I know what those records look like, too, when those guys have all started out."

Later that week, Patricia declined to say which coaches he looked at when focusing on program creation. Since 1980, only four coaches have won Super Bowls at the place they were coaching after finishing their first two seasons with back-to-back losing records: Pete Carroll in Seattle, Jimmy Johnson in Dallas, Dick Vermeil in St. Louis and Bill Walsh in San Francisco.

All four of those coaches took over programs that had at least two straight losing seasons when they were hired. The Lions had finished 9-7 in back-to-back seasons before Patricia was hired.

At 9-20-1, Patricia's .317 winning percentage is just above that of Darryl Rogers (.310), Rod Marinelli (.208) and Marty Mornhinweg (.156) among full-time Lions head coaches in the modern era.

PHOENIX -- Starting center Deandre Ayton is returning from his 25-game suspension at a good time for the Suns.

Phoenix has been a surprisingly competitive team in the Western Conference through the season's first seven weeks, fighting through its schedule with an 11-15 record despite a patchwork frontcourt that has included Aron Baynes, Frank Kaminsky III and Dario Saric.

But the Suns could use a boost after losing four of their past five games. Ayton's expected return Tuesday night against the LA Clippers could provide it, especially since it comes just 24 hours after a frustrating 111-110 loss to Portland.

"It'll give us a shot of energy; it's exciting," forward Cameron Johnson said. "You know his energy is going to be really high right now. It's exciting to get one of your brothers back."

Ayton played the season's opening game on Oct. 23 -- scoring 18 points and grabbing 11 rebounds -- before being suspended for violating the terms of the NBA/NBPA anti-drug program after testing positive for a diuretic. The 6-foot-11, 250-pounder averaged 16.3 points and 10.3 rebounds last year as a rookie.

"I'm hopeful that we don't rely on anybody to be the savior," Suns coach Monty Williams said. "I'm hopeful that our style of play stays the same and that he fits right in and makes it even better, if that makes sense."

Baynes, Kaminsky and Saric have all been productive in Ayton's absence, but it's Baynes' great start that might be the most surprising.

The 6-foot-10, 260-pound veteran has been a valuable role player throughout his career, including with the Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs, but the 33-year-old's production has spiked in his first season with the Suns.

He's averaging a career-high 14 points while providing his trademark bruising defensive presence in the lane. Kaminsky and Saric are both averaging about 11 points per game.

But they don't have Ayton's athleticism. There's little doubt the Suns have missed him.

"He is a rim protector, he can rebound, he can score and we certainly need that pressure on the rim on offense," Williams said. "All of that stuff along with moving the ball, I am hopeful that it translates into us playing even better than we have."

DETROIT -- The Detroit Tigers are retiring Lou Whitaker's No. 1 this coming season.

The team announced its plans Tuesday on Twitter in what can be seen as a clear show of support for Whitaker after the standout second baseman was passed over for Hall of Fame selection earlier this month.

"What a thrill it was to watch Lou Whitaker grace the diamond for nearly two decades -- a gifted talent in this glorious game," Tigers chairman and CEO Christopher Ilitch said in a statement.

Whitaker will become the ninth player with his number retired by the Tigers, not counting Jackie Robinson, whose No. 42 has been retired throughout baseball. Almost all of the numbers retired by Detroit were worn by Hall of Famers. The most recent players given this honor were Jack Morris and Alan Trammell, whose numbers were retired in 2018, the year they were also inducted into the Hall.

Whitaker, however, fell short of the votes needed when the modern baseball era committee considered his candidacy this year. That was a disappointment for Detroit fans, but the Tigers will honor him anyway.

"There aren't a whole lot of words that could describe how I'm feeling right now -- but surreal might be the closest one," Whitaker said. "It was the honor of my life to wear the Olde English `D' for all 19 years of my career, and share the diamond with so many talented ballplayers along the way."

Like Trammell and Morris, Whitaker was a key member of the 1984 Tigers, who won the city's most recent World Series title.

Aaron Sexton had a big decision to make during the summer.

The 18-year-old signed an Academy contract with Ulster Rugby in June and, the following month, almost won a medal in the 200m final at the European Under-20 Championships in Sweden.

That race marked the end of a glittering junior athletics career as the former Bangor Grammar pupil decided to leave sprinting behind and concentrate on professional rugby.

Bryn Cunningham went to the same school as Sexton and had a similar choice to make as a teenager - though with a few more options - with the now Ulster Rugby operations director having to select from one of four sports he was playing at youth international level.

Cunningham represented Ireland in tennis, cricket, squash and rugby - as well as being invited for trials with football giants Manchester United and Rangers - before going on to have a stellar career with Ulster.

"Rugby was actually the sport I was worst at when I was younger," said the 41-year-old former full-back, who played over 150 games for Ulster.

"I had older brothers who were big into rugby while my mum and dad were also into tennis, cricket and squash. As a result, I just played everything I could.

"I'm convinced that I was only able to have the career I had in rugby because of the experiences I had in developing ball skills and hand-eye co-ordination in other sports."

'I sometimes look back and wonder'

That career included being part of Ulster's victorious 1999 European Cup-winning squad before going on to become one of the province's most consistent performers over the next decade.

However, it could have been very different had he accepted an invitation to the tennis school in the US which helped develop world number ones such as Andre Agassi, Jim Courier and Monica Seles.

"With the tennis, I had to make a decision at 14 as to whether I wanted to take it really seriously and move out of the country," explained Cunningham, who was forced to retire in 2010 after persistent injury problems.

"I remember being at home and a letter arriving from the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy. I was definitely keen but I knew I was a bit of a 'home-bird' as well.

"Also, even at that age, I was aware that being the top in Ireland was fine, but when you went across to European tournaments there were kids who were playing tennis for three or four hours every day. They were already well down the road to becoming a professional.

"I was also quite small for my age back then, so struggled physically. I shot up a bit a year later and sometimes look back and wonder if I could have had more of a chance at the tennis if I had given it another year."

Sexton's a 'genetic freak'

Turning his thoughts to Sexton, it is clear their attendance at the same school is not the only reason for Cunningham's enthusiasm about the 18-year-old winger.

The former sprinter is yet to feature in any of Ulster head coach Dan McFarland's first-team squads, but the operations director is excited by his potential.

"Aaron is one of those guys we call a genetic freak," Cunningham remarked. "He is ridiculously fast and the exciting thing is that he is not just a straight-line runner.

"We have seen how he can move laterally as well. He can go side-to-side, he can side-step and he can pick his pace up when he needs to as well.

"Another important thing about Aaron is that his athletics background has given him a great understanding of a high-performance environment.

"The amount of hours you have to dedicate to becoming a high-level athlete is huge and, being used to that, means Aaron is probably further ahead of the curve than a lot of other guys coming into the academy."

'We knew there were naysayers'

Ulster are enjoying an impressive season, with Dan McFarland's men completing four wins from four European outings when they won away to Harlequins on Friday night, having beaten them in Belfast the previous weekend.

They have won five of their seven Pro14 matches this campaign and are unbeaten at home in 17 matches, a sequence stretching back 14 months.

Their recent form follows what was a positive first campaign in charge for McFarland in 2018-19, something which Cunningham acknowledged was important given the on and off-pitch challenges the squad had faced during the previous season.

"It was a big season for us because there were a lot of naysayers who felt that Ulster Rugby maybe wasn't in the best place," he said.

"There were big changes in the squad, with some of the old guard who had contributed a lot to Ulster and Ireland having gone. People wondered if there was a lack of leaders and whether that would have an impact on the squad.

"But you have to give huge credit to everyone across the whole organisation who all pulled together last season. There is a clear focus on what we want to attain and everyone is bought-in to the culture,"

'I still get the buzz but not the hits'

Five years after taking up his current post at the Kingspan Stadium, Cunningham is delighted to still be involved in rugby nine years after being forced to retire from playing.

"It's very hard to replicate the buzz you got when you were playing, but one of the reasons I've stayed in the sport is that I sometimes get that same feeling now while on the staff," he explained.

"It's still the same level of excitement, with the difference being that I don't have to take the hits and the knocks. I can walk away from the game in the evening refreshed and not having to sit in an ice bath.

"It's a great role and I'm very fortunate to be in it. I think my skills are well suited to the job and I'm glad to be able to have an impact on Ulster Rugby."

And, is that impact likely to ever be in a coaching capacity?

"In one word, 'no'," Cunningham states.

"I'm not a tracksuit coach. It's quite a volatile world where you have to up-sticks and move, but I'm quite settled with my family with the role I'm in.

"Myself and Dan [McFarland, Ulster head coach] have a great relationship and speak a lot, but I certainly don't offer advice on coaching."

The Rugby Football Union will not rush to hand England boss Eddie Jones a contract extension through to the 2023 World Cup in France.

Jones, who guided England to the World Cup final in November, has a deal until August 2021.

But RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney says any extension "has to work for both sides".

"Those conversations are ongoing," Sweeney told BBC Sport. "Both sides need to want this."

A day after England's World Cup final defeat by South Africa in Japan, Sweeney suggested lengthening Jones' deal through to France 2023 "would make sense".

But at Twickenham on Tuesday, Sweeney said any formal decision over Jones' long-term future has still yet to be reached - although he stressed the pair were in regular dialogue.

"We said in Japan we would get back and do a full debrief. We have done that and it was all very positive," he said.

"We have had a number of conversations already. He is on a Christmas break now and will get back early in the new year.

"We will continue those conversations and make a decision on that fairly soon.

"Both sides need to want this. There is no point one side wanting this and the other not. So we will take it from there."

'Great coaching team' for the Six Nations

Sweeney also believes Jones will be able to assemble imminently a high-class coaching team for the upcoming Six Nations.

With scrum coach Neal Hatley and attack guru Scott Wisemantel both leaving after the World Cup - and with the future of forwards coach Steve Borthwick in doubt - Jones has a number of coaching roles to fill.

Former Scotland international Matt Proudfoot, who masterminded South Africa's set-piece destruction of England in the final in Yokohama, is one of the names in the frame, while England Sevens coach Simon Amor has also been linked.

"We are not disclosing any names at the moment, but we will be in a position very soon to announce," Sweeney added.

"I'm very confident we will have a great coaching team in place."

While it is believed Borthwick is strongly considering leaving the RFU, Sweeney said the former captain has yet to hand in his notice, and is expecting him to resume his role for the Six Nations, with England's opener against France in Paris on 2 February.