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Cristiano Ronaldo scored the 700th goal of his senior career as Portugal fell to a 2-1 defeat to Ukraine in Monday's Euro 2020 qualifier in Kiev, putting him in a very exclusive club that includes some of the game's greats..

Ronaldo had the chance to pass the milestone in Friday's match against Luxembourg, but he was only able to find the net once in Lisbon, sinking a delectable chip shortly after the hour mark to take his total to 699.

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But the 34-year-old would not be denied against Ukraine, scoring a consolation goal from the penalty spot in the 72nd minute with Portugal already trailing 2-0 to the Group B leaders.

"Records come naturally, I don't look for them, records are looking for me," Ronaldo said after the match.

Some outlets reported Ronaldo reaching the 700-goal milestone on Friday after his goal in Portugal's 3-0 win over Luxembourg. The difference was a goal against Real Sociedad in 2011, which Real Madrid teammate Pepe said belonged to his fellow Portugal international to help out in a tight race for the Pichichi award (as La Liga's top scorer) against Barcelona's Lionel Messi for the league's top scorer that year.

However, most statisticians -- including ESPN's Stats & Information -- do not credit Ronaldo with that goal.

7️⃣0️⃣0️⃣‼️

Wherever @Cristiano goes, goals follow ? pic.twitter.com/ZJdoVC0wT4

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 14, 2019

The prolific Juventus star was already the highest active goal scorer in world football, and by some margin. Here's the top five goal scorers in the world when it comes to current active players.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, Juventus): 700 goals in 973 games.
2. Lionel Messi (Argentina, Barcelona): 672 goals in 828 games.
3. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden, LA Galaxy): 535 goals in 902 games.
4. Luis Suarez (Uruguay, Barcelona): 462 goals in 728 games.
5. Robert Lewandowski (Poland, Bayern Munich): 447 goals in 691 games.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner became the sixth member of a select club of players to have scored 700 or more goals, and it's a group that includes some of the greatest stars ever to have played the game as well as one less-heralded name (some records are unverified, so allow for variations in actual totals).

5. Gerd Muller

Fiendishly prolific for West Germany and Bayern Munich in his heyday, "Der Bomber" is fifth on the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF)'s all-time list having scored 735 goals in 793 games.

4. Ferenc Puskas

The legendary striker, nicknamed "The Galloping Major" scored 746 goals in 754 matches between 1943 and 1966 for Honved, Real Madrid and Hungary. Little wonder that FIFA's award for the world's greatest goal each season is named after him.

3. Romario

As per the RSSSF, the Brazilian poacher nabbed 772 goals in 993 first-class matches during his long career in which he played for clubs on five different continents between 1985 and 2007. He made a brief comeback in 2009, but did not add to his goal tally in a brief appearance for Rio de Janeiro-based club America.

2. Josef Bican

The Slavia Prague icon is the highest scoring player of all time in official games according to the RSSSF, who list the striker as amassing a remarkable 805 goals in 530 competitive games between 1928 and 1955.

1. Pele

According to his Guinness World Record, the Brazilian colossus is the highest scoring footballer of all time with a mind-boggling 1,279 career goals to his name (Edson Arantes do Nascimento on his birth certificate) between 1956 and 1977. That figure is disputed by some (with RSSSF giving him 767) but his status as the only player, male or female, to have won three World Cups is not in doubt.

SOFIA, Bulgaria -- As Greg Clarke, the chairman of the English Football Association, delivered an impromptu news conference to speak of "appalling, terrible racism" during England's 6-0 Euro 2020 qualifying victory against Bulgaria on Monday in Sofia, a local journalist interrupted to offer his own verdict.

"An exaggeration," he shouted, from the third row of the seated area in front of Clarke.

On a night when Croatian referee Ivan Bebek triggered FIFA's three-step protocol -- whereby a match is first paused, then suspended for a period before ultimately being abandoned on the third instance of racist abuse -- by halting the game not once, but twice, following racist chanting directed at England's black players, the reaction to Clarke's comments was perhaps an indicator of the challenges faced not only by football, but society itself when attempting to eradicate the stain of racism.

On both occasions when Bebek halted the game -- the first time, after England's Tyrone Mings had complained of an incident in the 22nd minute, an announcement over the stadium loudspeaker warned of the match being abandoned -- fans in the supporters' section booed and jeered the decision. This was, let us not forget, a game that was being played in a stadium with 5,000 seats closed off as a UEFA punishment following racist behaviour during the previous Euro 2020 qualifiers against Kosovo and Czech Republic.

Krasimir Balakov, the Bulgaria coach, said before this game that his country "doesn't have a big problem, like England." But Raheem Sterling, after he had also been racially abused in the Vasil Levski Stadium, tweeted, "Mmmmh, not sure about this one chief." When asked about the abuse directed at England's players, Balakov replied by saying, "If it happened, I'm sure it was a small group of people who were out of their minds."

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If it happened? Balakov may not have been aware of it, but this reporter heard racist abuse on a several occasions. It happened, and there can be no escaping that fact.

Even on a night when England's black players -- Mings, Sterling and Marcus Rashford were all targeted -- were audibly abused and when home supporters were pictured making Nazi salutes, the sense of denial within Bulgarian ranks was a further, sad element of a match that brought the issue of racism in football into sharp focus. Gareth Southgate, the England manager, spoke after the game about how a "major statement" had been made by his players and staff by triggering the three-step protocol, but he also accepted that some would have wanted his players to walk off.

It was, unquestionably, a shocking night in the Bulgarian capital.

Sadly, the events were not unexpected. England's players were subjected to racist chanting during an away victory against Montenegro in Podgorica last March and have since spoken about what they would do, collectively, if it happened again. They came to Sofia prepared for the worst. Tammy Abraham said last week that he and his teammates were prepared to walk off the pitch if they were subjected to racist abuse, with Southgate and Sterling both later adding that they would not walk off unilaterally, but instead leave the match officials to implement the three-step protocol.

Step 1, as followed in Sofia, is when the match officials halt play and an announcement warning of abandonment is made over the PA system. Step 2, following a further outbreak of racist behaviour, enables the referee to take the players off the pitch for a cooling-off period before returning to the field following a further warning to supporters. Southgate and his players were offered this option on 41 minutes -- a decision that, according to pro-equality and inclusion organisation Kick It Out, should have been determined by the match official rather than presented to players and managers -- but declined to take the offer due to the half-time interval looming. Had there been a further incident, the referee would have been able to trigger Step 3, which would have been to abandon the game.

"I explained to the players that if anything else did happen in the second half, we would be coming off," Southgate said. "We all saw the second half was calmer, and that allowed our players to do their talking with the football."

Aston Villa defender Mings, making his England debut, was the player who set the protocol in motion by making his complaint following racist chants while he was in possession.

"I am proud of how we dealt with it and took the appropriate steps," Mings said. "I could hear it as clear as day. It doesn't affect me too much. I feel more sorry for those people who feel they have to have those opinions.

"But I am very proud of everyone for the decisions we made. I went to Harry Kane first. He spoke to the manager, who then spoke to the fourth officials. Everyone was aware of it, but we ultimately let our football do the talking and didn't get distracted by anything."

Reaction on social media has highlighted the difficult decision faced by Southgate and his players, with many suggesting England should have walked off, but on this occasion, the protocol worked.

"It gave all of the players clarity," Southgate said. "That gave them comfort, because it wasn't them having to make a decision. They felt protected by the process. But I have to say that the referee and his officials were outstanding, because they were under incredible pressure."

Ivelin Popov, the Bulgaria captain, spent the first five minutes of the half-time interval appearing to plead with supporters to behave, making hand gestures urging them to calm down. Moments earlier, a large group of supporters dressed in black left the stadium.

Whether Popov's words and the departure of that group of supporters played a significant role in defusing the situation is open to debate, but the second half passed by without incident as England secured their 6-0 win. What happens next will offer a true gauge as to whether the events in Sofia will prove to be a turning point for the issue of racism in football.

FA chairman Clarke revealed that UEFA have already committed to launching a thorough investigation, but how will that manifest itself? Will the punishment, whatever it proves to be, act as a deterrent or will football once again fail to react appropriately?

From paltry fines to partial ground closures, football's authorities have too often fallen short when it comes to dealing with racism. For their fans' racist abuse last March, Montenegro was ordered to play two home games behind closed doors and pay a fine of €20,000.

On this occasion, however, England put their faith in the three-step protocol, and it worked. The big challenge now lies with UEFA and whether they can impose a sanction that is tough enough to eradicate the scourge of racism in football.

Cricket Australia will top up the team's prize money at the women's T20 World Cup to match the men's for whichever stage of the tournament they reach next year.

That announcement follows the ICC's decision to substantially increase the prize money on offer for women's events.

If Australia successfully defend their title on home soil in February and March it would see CA putting up US$600,000 (AUD$885,000) alongside the ICC prize pool.

"We want to continue our commitment to equality by ensuring that any prize money earned by the Australian Women's team in the T20 World Cup is the same as what is on offer in the men's side of the tournament. This will include matching the prize money for the final, semi-finals, or group stage." CA chief executive Kevin Roberts said.

"The quality and skill level of the women's game continues to grow and that was witnessed firsthand last week with the team breaking another world record, winning 18 consecutive ODI matches."

Roberts added that there was still much more work to do to bring parity between men's and women's pay and prize money.

"I commend the ICC's commitment and while there is no doubt we are starting to see financial progress for our talented cricketers, we still have a way to go and CA will continue to play a role in driving equality for our athletes."

Last week CA announced a new parental leave policy which provides 12 months paid maternity leave plus a guaranteed contract extension and a range of other support.

Australia's players have been able to savour every moment of Alyssa Healy's phenomenal form in recent weeks, but from Friday some of them will be hoping the runs dry up as they become the opposition in the Women's Big Bash.

Healy plundered a world record T20 score of 148 not out against Sri Lanka in Sydney before adding a 71-ball century in the final ODI of Australia's record-breaking 18th win in a row.

She will now be part of a power-packed top order for the Sydney Sixers in the first standalone WBBL alongside Australia team-mates Ellyse Perry - who scored a record-breaking 777 runs in last year's competition - and Ashleigh Gardner.

While Perry and Gardner will be happy to watch Healy continue the mayhem from the non-striker's end, for others there is a different feeling.

"It's pretty hard to [stop her], she's been pretty consistent in the last few weeks," Meg Lanning, the Australia and Perth Sorchers captain, told ESPNcricinfo. "We talked about it when she was whacking it all around the park against Sri Lanka that hopefully she's getting all her runs out now and won't have any left for the Big Bash, but I find that hard to believe. I think she'll keep dominating and make plenty of runs, just not against Perth."

Nicola Carey, who has moved from the Sydney Thunder to Hobart Hurricanes, is one of those who could be tasked at bowling to Healy when the teams meet next month.

"I've certainly been watching Alyssa smack the ball around, I haven't seen her get out too many times," Carey said. "She'll certainly be hard to bowl to, as will all the top order who have been in the runs recently. We've got our plans against them, we'll see if it comes off I guess.

"It's really funny, I go into net sessions sometimes and I know the Big Bash is around the corner and all of you don't play in my team, so you can work a few things out and it will make things very interesting against each other."

For Healy's Sydney Sixers team-mates, however, they hope it's business as usual.

"The way she is hitting the ball at the moment is a little bit scary," Gardner told ESPNcricinfo. "I have said to her a few times that hopefully she can do it in the magenta. We know how good a cricketer she is and she's just hitting the peak of her career, so the likes of her and Ellyse Perry - who hasn't had much time in the middle and is raring to go - they play a massive role starting off our innings."

The WBBL starts with a Sydney derby between the Sixers and Thunder at North Sydney Oval on Friday before six matches over the week across Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide which includes a re-run of last year's final between the Sixers and Brisbane Heat.

South Africa could empty their bench in the third Test against India in Ranchi in a final attempt to find some answers from a series that has so far asked them questions at every corner. That means opener Zubayr Hamza and fast bowler Lungi Ngidi could play their second and fifth Tests respectively while wicketkeeper batsman Heinrich Klaasen is in line for a debut. It's also not out of the question that left-arm spinner George Linde, who was flown in as an injury replacement for Keshav Maharaj, could be capped as South Africa seek consolation from what has been a tough tour.

Specifically, South Africa are looking to give their battered batsmen a break. Even though the entire top six can't be stood down, early indications are that as many of them as possible be rested, not necessarily dropped, from the last match.

"As a batter, when you are struggling, it is a difficult place to get out of," the captain Faf du Plessis said after the Pune loss. Perhaps it is a good opportunity to get some fresh heads into the team from a mental point of view. It can be a place where you're like, 'where is my next run going to come from?'. Maybe the best thing is for a player to take a breather and for someone else to come in with a fresh mind and take on the challenge in a once-off Test."

So who are the batsmen that South Africa will give a breather to?

Du Plessis put extra emphasis on the responsibility of the senior core, which includes himself, Dean Elgar and Quinton de Kock,which makes it unlikely any of them will be off the hook. That leaves opener Aiden Markram, who bagged a pair in Pune, No.3 Theunis de Bruyn, who has only gone past 10 runs once on tour, and No.4 Temba Bavuma, who is under pressure but appears on the cusp of some form after scoring 38 when he was moved down to No.5 in the second innings in Pune.

Of the three, Markram is the most likely to need to take a step back. His decision not to review an incorrect lbw decision against him in the second innings in Pune was a snapshot into his mental state. He is just not sure. Not sure which line the seamers are bowling, not sure what to do with his feet when the spinners are on, not sure how to build his innings and not even sure when he is not out. He is young, and immensely talented, and South Africa don't need him to carry any more scars. Drinks will do.

Though Bavuma has been in the spotlight for not producing runs, de Bruyn should also be under scrutiny. He has looked confident in patches but then lost focus and been dismissed. He has not managed a half-century in his last 10 innings and while, like Markram, he is talented, things are just not happening as they should for him. If both Markram and de Bruyn are benched, that will leave Bavuma with no choice but to play, which is probably an inevitable consequence of the situation he finds himself in.

"Ngidi is fine, he has been working hard on his fitness, trying to get his workloads ready for this heat. Obviously, he is a big guy so it's just making sure he comes back for his second and third spells" Faf du Plessis

South African cricket expects a lot from Bavuma. He was included in the T20 squad for this tour, appointed Test vice-captain and handed the most important job in the line-up, all with only one Test century to his name. Former captain Graeme Smith said on commentary that he thought du Plessis was "under pressure," to bat Bavuma at No.4. Smith did not say who was making that demand but it doesn't take much to make an educated guess. The administration at CSA is aggressively transforming in every department and while that does not mean Bavuma is unworthy of a place, it does mean they are placing big burdens on him.

Bavuma will have to play, and he knows he will also have to produce. Maybe it's no bad thing for him to think back to four years ago in India when South Africa had lost two Tests around a rained-out game and decided to get funky in the last match. Bavuma opened the batting in Delhi and impressed with his resolve. He is unlikely to be entrusted a job so out of place but could offer advice to Klaasen and Hamza, one of whom could open in Markram's place. The other will bat in the top-order and has a chance to stake a claim ahead of the home summer.

Then there is the bowling, where South Africa have been equally woeful. If they had two reserve quicks, it would have been prudent to give both Kagiso Rabada and Vernon Philander the game off, but they may not even have one ready replacement. Increasingly, it appears that Ngidi was included in the squad despite not being Test-match fit for Indian conditions, as du Plessis explained.

"Ngidi is fine, he has been working hard on his fitness, trying to get his workloads ready for this heat. Obviously, he is a big guy so it's just making sure he comes back for his second and third spells," du Plessis said. "His first spells have been very good. In this heat, you need a big tank so that you can bowl 18 to 24 overs a day. And as a big fast bowler that's not always easy. It's about getting his tank up and hopefully, if his tank is ready, we maybe put him in the mix in the last one."

But if its not, South Africa would be playing with fire by playing Ngidi, knowing his injury history and knowing they will need him for four Tests against England later in the year. The alternative would be to stack the side with spinners, which didn't work very well in Visakhapatnam, but choice is not a luxury South Africa have right now. Dane Piedt could come back in and Linde could debut, which may lessen the workload on whoever of Rabada or Philander is used to partner Anrich Nortje. It's far from an ideal attack, but this has been far from an ideal showing by South Africa.

After all, there's nothing to lose. Or is there?

The series is already gone, which would ordinarily present an automatic opportunity to ring in changes. But, in the new World Test Championship (WTC) era, there are 40 points up for grabs. That should prevent teams from using dead rubbers to experiment. But given the combinations available to South Africa, the conditions and the strength of the opposition, they may have to resign themselves to the likelihood that those points are gone too, and use this match to work out how they plan to put their first points on the WTC board in two months' time.

Paras Khadka, the 31-year-old Nepal allrounder, has resigned from his role as team captain. He made his decision public through a tweet one day after the ICC restored of Nepal's Full Membership.

Great to know that the suspension of Nepal cricket has been lifted and would like to wish the new committee to work for the betterment of Nepal cricket,players and its stake holders.
I have hereby decided to resign from my post as the captain of Nepal cricket team.
Jai Nepal !! pic.twitter.com/YuRBZkR7bU

— Paras Khadka (@paras77) October 15, 2019

In January 2019, Khadka led Nepal to their first-ever ODI series win, against UAE, where he became the first man from his country to score an ODI century. In September 2019, he also became the first Nepal batsman to score a T20I century, against Singapore.

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Although Nepal's readmission comes on a conditional basis, it is a move towards the right direction as they are once again eligible for ICC funding. They were suspended in 2016 for breach of ICC regulations that prohibit government interference while also requiring 'free and fair elections'. Following the election of a 17-member Central Working Committee for the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) earlier this month, the ICC readmitted the Nepalese board. A transition plan for Nepal's full reinstatement will now be developed.

On Monday, ICC Chairman Shashank Manohar had said: "Given the progress made in Nepal, a transition plan will now be developed for the Cricket Association of Nepal to support full compliance with Associate Membership criteria, which will also involve controlled funding."

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Aaron Rodgers wanted Allen Lazard on the field, and Lazard wanted Rodgers to throw him the ball.

Both moves helped save the Green Bay Packers on Monday night against the Detroit Lions.

Even with Davante Adams already out for a second straight game with turf toe and Geronimo Allison knocked out of the game with a head and chest injury, the Packers still didn't immediately turn to Lazard.

In fact, it wasn't until after rookie receiver Darrius Shepherd dropped a pass at the Lions' 1-yard line -- it actually ricocheted off his facemask and was intercepted -- that the Packers finally went to the relatively unknown 6-foot-5 receiver.

And not until Rodgers asked for him.

"I may have put in a good word there in the fourth quarter to get him some opportunities," Rodgers said.

Rodgers said he went to receivers coach Alvis Whitted and asked "if [No. 13] could come in for a little bit."

Four catches, 65 yards and a touchdown later, the Packers had a new hero. Yes, Mason Crosby officially finished off the 23-22 victory with a 23-yard last-second field goal -- with his wife, Molly, in the stands a mere six weeks after she underwent surgery to remove a cancerous spot in her lung.

But if not for Lazard, who before Monday night had never caught a pass in a regular-season game from Rodgers, the Packers might not be 5-1 and atop the NFC North.

Down 22-13, Rodgers first went to Lazard on a deep ball that fell incomplete. One play later, Rodgers went back to him, and it turned into a 35-yard touchdown.

It was Lazard's first catch of the season and just the second of his career.

Last season, the former undrafted free agent from Iowa State who originally signed the Jaguars and then was signed by the Packers off Jacksonville's practice on Dec. 18 played one snap and caught one pass for 7 yards. It came in the regular-season finale against the Lions after Rodgers left the game because of a concussion.

Before Sunday, Lazard had played just 21 snaps and his only target wasn't even an official target because pass interference was called in the Week 4 loss to the Eagles.

Yet there was Lazard after Monday night's game oozing confidence.

"I'm made for this s---," Lazard said.

Lazard's other three catches all came on the game-winning drive. Two went for first downs.

"I actually sit next to him in the team meetings, and we've struck up a pretty good friendship," Rodgers said. "The thing that got me was, which you love as a quarterback, and that's receivers coming back and telling you he wants the ball and what routes he wants to run. The big first down we had to him on the out route, that was him coming back to the huddle and telling me what play he wanted. For a young guy to do that, how can you not have confidence in that."

Rodgers said coach Matt LaFleur had two play calls in mind.

"I said go with the first one, because I'm going to throw it to Allen and we're going to move the sticks," Rodgers said. "And we did."

All this for a player the Packers cut at the end of training camp in favor of Shepherd.

"I was definitely worried he was going to get picked up, because the production was there in preseason," Rodgers said.

After no one claimed Lazard off waivers, the Packers re-signed him to their practice squad immediately and then promoted him to the active roster the day before the season opener at Chicago.

"I honestly just believed in myself," Lazard said. "I knew what my capabilities were. I know the talent that I have, I know the production that I produced before. It's a different stage, but it's the same to me."

It's unclear when Adams will return; he said last week that his toe "doesn't feel how I want it to feel at the moment." And Allison's injury could potentially be serious. But it's clear Rodgers thinks he has a new reliable weapon in Lazard.

"I think sometimes you have an injury or whatnot or for whatever reason and that's how some guys become who they are," LaFleur said. "He was given his opportunity, and to his credit, he was ready for that opportunity."

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- "Awful." It was the first word out of Detroit Lions safety Tracy Walker's mouth late Monday night when he was asked about the unnecessary roughness call against him when he collided with Packers receiver Geronimo Allison on the first play of the third quarter of a 23-22 loss to Green Bay.

Walker was flagged for 15 yards on the incomplete pass -- and later said he was just going for the ball, criticizing the officiating while explaining it.

"Awful. It was an awful call," Walker said. "I felt like I went for the ball and [it] just so happened we collided, but I was looking for the ball. It was an awful call by them. It is what it is, though."

Walker said he wasn't trying to make contact with Allison and was vying to intercept Aaron Rodgers' pass. They collided, but he said he was "attacking the ball." When asked if the defensive back has the right to go for the ball in that case, referee Clete Blakeman explained what he saw in a postgame pool report.

"That's a good question, but the reality is, it is strict liability for a defensive player," Blakeman said. "In this case, he may be going for the ball and not intending to hit the helmet, but when there's helmet contact, it is a foul in that situation."

Blakeman said even if Walker had intercepted the pass, he still would have been flagged.

Walker used the word "awful" five times to describe some of the penalty calls against the Lions on Monday night.

"Extremely pissed off right now," Walker said. "It is what it is. Disappointed. Hurt. We had that game. I'm going to say the same s---. We should have won it. It is what it is, though. Got to bounce back."

When asked who he was angry at, Walker blamed, well, everything.

"Honestly, just the whole game in itself, the end result," Walker said. "I felt like we could have had a better game and we were supposed to come out victorious with that game, you know, but Green Bay came to play.

"There were some awful, awful calls. But we got to play through them and overcome those."

When told he might get fined for his comments, Walker said, "Whatever. It don't even matter. It is what it is."

Walker wasn't the only Lions player unhappy with the officiating Monday night. Lions defensive end Romeo Okwara posted and later deleted a tweet featuring a photo that appeared to show Green Bay offensive lineman David Bakhtiari's hands in the face of a Lions defender and included illustrative arrows.

And defensive end Trey Flowers was flagged twice for illegal use of the hands on third downs in the fourth quarter that would have ended drives but instead granted the Packers 5 yards and automatic first downs. He explained multiple times what he was actually doing after the game.

"I actually changed the position of my hand, because it was to the chest initially," Flowers said. "Which is right here. I was doing it all game. I didn't know that was a flag to the chest, so I could change it to [motioning somewhere else on his chest]. They called it again."

Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders also joined the chorus of criticism.

That is sickening... the @NFL needs to look at a way to prevent that from happening. Two phantom hands to the face calls really hurts us tonight. Yes, we could have scored TDs, but @Lions played too well to have the game end this way. #DETvsGB @espn

— Barry Sanders (@BarrySanders) October 15, 2019

When asked if he thought it was a penalty, Flowers said, "Nah, I didn't think hands to the chest was a penalty. I thought hands to the face. But I had them right here on the chest. Second time I changed it to right here.

"That's part of a move that I do, and yeah, I don't think it's a penalty."

Flowers again reiterated that it's part of a move he does and that if he slipped, he would have agreed it would be a flag, but he didn't slip.

Blakeman then explained what the umpire who threw the flag, Jeff Rice, saw on the fouls.

"The umpire threw both of them. The last one was really the only one I've discussed with him," Blakeman said. "Basically, it's for illegal use of the hands, hands-to-the-face foul. To be a foul, we basically need some forceful contact that's prolonged to the head and neck area ...

"So, in his mind he had pinned him back, it was prolonged, and that's what created the foul."

LOS ANGELES -- LeBron James believes Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey "wasn't educated" before he sent the tweet in support of antigovernment protesters in Hong Kong that damaged relations between China and the NBA.

Speaking to the media for the first time since Morey's tweet on Oct. 4 set off a firestorm, James declined to comment about the politically tense situation between China and the NBA but did talk about Morey's tweet and how it has jeopardized the relationship between China and the league, owners, teams and players.

"I don't want to get into a [verbal] feud with Daryl Morey, but I believe he wasn't educated on the situation at hand, and he spoke," James said before the Los Angeles Lakers played the Golden State Warriors in a preseason game at Staples Center. "And so many people could have been harmed not only financially, physically, emotionally, spiritually. So just be careful what we tweet and say and we do, even though, yes, we do have freedom of speech, but there can be a lot of negative that comes with that, too."

When asked why he thinks Morey wasn't properly informed about the unrest in Hong Kong before he tweeted support for protesters, James said it is "just my belief."

"I believe he was either misinformed or not really educated on the situation, and if he was, then so be it," James said. "I have no idea, but that is just my belief. Because when you say things or do things, if you are doing it and you know the people that can be affected by it and the families and individuals and everyone that can be affected by it, sometimes things can be changed as well. And also social media is not always the proper way to go about things as well, but that's just my belief."

Soon after speaking with reporters, James took to social media to "clear up the confusion."

"I do not believe there was any consideration for the consequences and ramifications of the tweet. I'm not discussing the substance. Others can talk about that," James said in a tweet.

"My team and this league just went through a difficult week. I think people need to understand what a tweet or statement can do to others. And I believe nobody stopped and considered what would happen. Could have waited a week to send it," James added in a second tweet.

Hong Kong has seen months of protests and increasing violence between demonstrators and police sparked by a proposal that would have allowed extradition from the semiautonomous territory to mainland China.

The Lakers played two preseason games against the Brooklyn Nets in China, and the situation was tense. The teams did not know if the games would be played upon their arrival in Shanghai, where NBA commissioner Adam Silver held a tense meeting with players from both teams last week, sources told ESPN's Rachel Nichols.

During the meeting, sources said, several prominent players voiced frustration about their perception that they were being put in the middle of the dispute between the NBA and China, and they said they were unhappy about being asked by local Chinese reporters to address the situation before Silver was scheduled to do so.

"I think when we talk about the political side, it was a very delicate situation, a very sensitive situation," James said. "And for me personally, you guys know that when I speak about something, I speak about something I'm very knowledgeable about, something I'm very passionate about. I feel like with this particular situation, it was something not only I was not informed enough about ... I just felt like it was something that not only myself or my teammates or my organization had enough information to even talk about it at that point in time, and we still feel the same way."

After Morey's tweet created an international controversy, the Rockets general manager deleted it and attempted to clarify his intent in subsequent tweets. Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta denounced the original tweet and said that the Rockets were "not a political organization" and Morey did not speak for the team.

During the meeting with the players, sources said, Silver was asked whether anything would happen to Morey, as several players said that they believed if a player cost the NBA millions of dollars because of a tweet, there would be repercussions.

Morey will not face any league discipline for the tweet, and Silver defended NBA employees' right to freedom of speech.

James declined to comment on players' voicing their concerns to Silver during that meeting.

"I think that is another situation that should stay behind closed doors," James said. "We are to see what happens with any of our players or with an owner or with a GM at a later date. I think we all sit back and learn from the situation that happened and understand that what you could tweet or could say -- we all talk about freedom of speech. Yes, we do have freedom of speech, but at times, there are ramifications for the negative that can happen when you are not thinking about others and only thinking about yourself."

"I think Adam has always been receptive about what the players, the coaches, the owners, whoever has comments about our league," James added of Silver. "... It was a tough situation for Adam as well, having to put out such a fire that he didn't create, that he didn't start."

James said he will return to China when the opportunity presents itself.

"For me personally, I've always been welcomed with open arms," James said. "I've been to China probably over 15 to 20 times. The main reason why I always wanted to go to China was the game of basketball. The game of basketball has brought people together, in so many different facets, so many different countries, so many different people that you would never, ever expect.

"That has always been my goal, going over to China, the game that we all love and talk about every single day, to bring people together in the most positive way. That is why we were there this past trip. Myself, the Lakers, along with Brooklyn, we were there to continue to promote the game of basketball. ... That is what I will continue to do because this sport has done so much for me."

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Howie Kendrick might not be the likeliest of heroes for the Washington Nationals, but neither is the 36-year-old vet the unlikeliest. After all, he has hit .325 the past three seasons -- the highest batting average in the majors.

Kendrick went 3-for-4 with three doubles and three RBIs in the Nationals' 8-1 victory over the Cardinals in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series on Monday. The Nationals are now one win away from the first World Series appearance in franchise history.

Kendrick became just the fourth player to hit three doubles in an LCS game, matching Ben Zobrist, Albert Pujols and Fred McGriff. He also hit the grand slam to beat the Dodgers in Game 5 of the NLDS. He is hitting .314 in the postseason, with nine RBIs in nine games.

"He's the greatest ever," teammate Anthony Rendon said after the game. "I mean, you see the man. He's -- what? -- 36 years old, and he's still doing it. He's built like a frickin' cinderblock. He's huge. Man, he stays short. He's strong. So if he puts that barrel to it and stays behind the ball, you see it. He does damage. So he knows how to hit. That's what he does."

Kendrick is a lifetime .294 hitter, but he hit a career-high .344 in 334 at-bats in 2019.

"I'm just trying to get smarter," Kendrick said of his big season and being locked in at the moment. "Making adjustments, I would say, is the biggest thing. Trying to be more efficient with my body and my swing. Kevin Long is a big part of that. Kevin lives out in Phoenix, and I live in Phoenix. It's funny because the first time we met, I said to him, 'Hey, what can I do to get better?' He had a list, like, he had wrote down on a pad of paper. I wasn't expecting it. This was the first time I had ever hit with him. He had this sheet of paper. He goes, 'All right. This is what I know about you. This is what you hit with this, this and this.'"

Long became the Nationals' hitting coach in 2018. Kendrick hit .303 last season but suffered a season-ending Achilles injury on May 19. His work with Long has paid big dividends this season.

Kendrick's big hit on Monday came against Cardinals ace Jack Flaherty and capped the Nationals' four-run inning -- with all four runs coming with two outs. Kendrick lined a 2-1 fastball into the gap in right-center at 105.5 mph, capping the rally with a two-run double. It was the one hard-hit ball off Flaherty in the inning.

"I didn't execute the one to Kendrick," Flaherty said. "That's the one pitch I want back."

Kendrick first joined the Nationals in a trade with the Phillies in 2017 and then remained as a free agent.

"I love the team, and I re-signed for two years," he said. "Last year was bittersweet because I got off to a good start and ruptured my Achilles. Having the ability to come back this year and be a part of this team and to be with the guys in the locker room, that was huge. Me and Kevin and Joe Dillon, we got to continue the process that we'd already started with my hitting, and I just trusted them and stuck with it. They just helped me get better at a time when I really needed to."

Now in his 14th season in the majors, Kendrick is one win away from his first trip to the World Series.

Rendon was asked what he'll be doing at 36.

"Hopefully not playing baseball," he said. "Probably sitting on the couch hanging out with my kids. [Kendrick's] probably going to play another 20 years."