MIAMI -- Dion Waiters is back with the Miami Heat, although it remains unclear when he will make his on-court season debut.

Waiters is on the inactive list for Tuesday's home game against the Atlanta Hawks, Miami's fourth contest of the season -- and the fourth that the shooting guard has missed.

"He will work out, he will not be active and then we'll take it from there," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Tuesday.

Waiters was suspended Oct. 19 for conduct detrimental to the team, one day after he expressed displeasure with playing time during Miami's preseason finale. Heat President Pat Riley said that was "unprofessional" and noted it was one of multiple incidents that led to the suspension.

His suspension officially ended Thursday. The Heat announced that because he had been away from the team for nearly a week at that point he would not travel for the team's two-game weekend trip to Milwaukee and Minnesota.

It was not the start to the season Waiters envisioned. He spent the offseason rehabbing and shedding weight and body fat -- two top priorities of the Heat culture. He arrived at camp wanting to be one of Miami's starting wings opposite Jimmy Butler, but the emergence of rookies Kendrick Nunn and Tyler Herro appeared to leave Waiters in a fight for a rotation spot.

"Enough's been said about it," Spoelstra said. "We'll take it day by day."

Since the suspension was for one game, Waiters has lost $83,448 of his $12.1 million salary. But he stands to miss out on much more at this rate, since his contract carries a bonus of just over $1 million for appearing in 70 games this season. After not playing Tuesday, the most Waiters could play in this year is 78.

Given his recent history, that seems unlikely. Waiters is in his fourth season with the Heat and has never made more than 46 appearances in a year since coming to Miami. Tuesday's game will be the 250th Heat contest since he joined the club, and the 130th he has missed -- largely because of ankle injuries and surgery on his ankle and foot.

Waiters has averaged 13.2 points per game over his career and has averaged 14 points per game while with the Heat. The 27-year-old is in the third year of a four-year contract with about $47 million in guaranteed money.

The Toronto Raptors have locked down the lord of load management.

The team announced Tuesday that it signed Alex McKechnie to a contract extension and promoted to him to vice president, player health and performance. McKechnie is regarded as one of the top athletic trainers and rehab and conditioning specialists in the NBA.

Last season he was the organization's point person on managing Kawhi Leonard, who was recovering from a quad tendon injury that led to his departure from San Antonio.

Part of this process was coining the phrase "load management" as an explanation for why Leonard rested for 20 games during the 2018-19 regular season. It quickly became a trend across the sports landscape.

Though he dealt with knee tendinitis during the playoffs, Leonard's strong postseason play led the Raptors to the championship.

McKechnie, a native of Glasgow, Scotland, first gained attention in the NBA when he helped Shaquille O'Neal through an abdominal injury in 1997 using advanced techniques. He was later hired by the Los Angeles Lakers and worked with Kobe Bryant through his knee injuries.

He won five rings with the Lakers but in 2011, when the lockout gripped the NBA, the Lakers let his contract expire. The Raptors hired him as director of sports science and he won his sixth ring with the franchise in June.

HOUSTON -- A Houston Rockets fan is charged with punching a New Orleans Pelicans coach at the end of a game between the teams.

Prosecutors charged Manuel Garcia with misdemeanor assault for allegedly punching Pelicans assistant coach Joe Boylan in the face Saturday. His girlfriend was also arrested for allegedly preventing police from getting to Garcia.

Harris County District Attorney's Office prosecutor Nathan Beedle says he won't speculate on a motive but "we will get to the bottom of this and hold them both accountable for their actions."

Court records didn't list attorneys for Garcia or his girlfriend.

The incident comes after an Astros fan was arrested after allegedly slapping a Yankees fan during the American League Championship Series this month in Houston.

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – Watkins Glen Int’l and Go Bowling have announced a multi-year extension keeping the brand as the entitlement sponsor for the NASCAR Cup Series race at The Glen.

The Go Bowling at The Glen race will headline Watkins Glen’s NASCAR tripleheader weekend, Aug. 13-16 in 2020.

“We are thrilled to continue our relationship with Go Bowling here at WGI,” track president Michael Printup said. “To have their brand associated with the most exciting race weekend on the NASCAR calendar has been amazing. We look forward to this extended partnership, working together to unite the community of bowling and motorsports fans.”

Go Bowling is the consumer-facing brand of the bowling industry. Its website, GoBowling.com, is the go-to site for consumers to learn more about the sport of bowling, including information about 1,700 bowling centers around the country.

“A large percentage of NASCAR fans are bowlers and we feel that bowling and NASCAR go hand-in-hand. We couldn’t be more excited to extend this partnership,” said Strike Ten Entertainment President John Harbuck. “Watkins Glen International has the best fans and best atmosphere in the country. We can’t wait to show these fans what we have in store for them going forward both on and off the track.”

MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series rookie Matt Tifft confirmed Tuesday morning that he will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a seizure over the weekend at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.

Tifft revealed the news in a video posted to social media, which also detailed the events leading up to the medical episode that sent him to an area hospital Saturday morning.

“I arrived on Saturday morning, went into the hauler and I was getting ready for the rookie meeting and making my morning coffee when I felt my tongue cramp up … and the next thing I knew, I blacked out,” Tifft recounted. “My crew guys helped me down, and the next thing I knew I woke up.

“I was actually out of the race this weekend because I suffered a seizure, but luckily my test results with the CT scan and MRI on Monday showed that there’s nothing there as far as my brain tumor is concerned,” he added. “We’re trying to find out some answers as to what’s going on … but unfortunately I will be missing the rest of the 2019 season.

“I want to wish Front Row Motorsports the best of luck the rest of this year, and I hate that I have to miss out on the rest of my rookie season, but the most important things right now are my health and getting to the bottom of what’s going on.”

Wanted to share an update with you all. Thank you for the support. pic.twitter.com/kOyQXTTwQn

— Matt Tifft (@matt_tifft) October 29, 2019

Front Row Motorsports confirmed in a team press release that John Hunter Nemechek will fill in for Tifft during the final three races of the Cup Series campaign.

Nemechek will make his Cup Series debut on Sunday during the AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

“This isn’t the way any driver wants to make their Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series debut,” said Nemechek. “I am hoping that Matt feels better and can get back in his car as soon as possible. That is what is important. Hopefully I can learn a lot and make Matt, the Front Row Motorsports team and its partners proud.”

Tifft, 23, ranked 30th in Cup Series points prior to missing Sunday’s First Data 500 at Martinsville, with a top-10 finish (ninth) at Daytona Int’l Speedway in July to his credit.

“We want to thank John Hunter for filling in Matt’s seat as he continues to recover,” said FRM general manager Jerry Freeze. “Our thoughts are still with Matt and his family. We feel that John Hunter can step up and do a great job for us as Matt heals.”

PERRIS, Calif. – Jason McDougal has teamed up with Dwight Cheney to compete in the Nov. 7-9 Budweiser Oval Nationals presented by All Coast Construction at Perris Auto Speedway.

McDougal will drive Cheney’s No. 42x alongside teammate and current USAC Sands Chevrolet Southwest Sprint Car Series point leader Brody Roa.

McDougal is one of six drivers this season to win a feature in both the USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car and NOS Energy Drink National Midget divisions. McDougal won his second career USAC National Sprint Car feature in June during Eastern Storm at New Jersey’s Bridgeport Speedway.

McDougal has also won his first two career USAC National Midget feature events in 2019, capturing July’s Mid-America Midget Week round at Jefferson County Speedway in Fairbury, Neb., then putting on a spectacular show in his drive to victory two weeks ago at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Ind.

McDougal has made two appearances in Cheney’s sprint car this season in USAC/CRA and Southwest Sprint competition. He was sixth at Arizona’s Canyon Speedway Park on March 8, then charged from 13th to fifth the following night at Canyon.

In USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car competition this year, multiple drivers have been in the seat of Cheney’s No. 42, namely Dave Darland and Scotty Weir.

Danny Faria Jr. and Jake Swanson have also wheeled Cheney’s ride on the west coast this year, with Swanson driving the car to fast time during qualifying and a third-place finish at Bakersfield (Calif.) Speedway in May.

Cheney’s No. 42 currently resides fourth in USAC/CRA owner points. Cheney owns two USAC/CRA victories as a car owner, with Darland in 2005 and with Max Adams in 2017.

If you miss seeing Hinako “The Smiling Cinderella” Shibuno take on the world’s best on the LPGA tour, this is your week.

Actually, so is next week.

Shibuno is playing this week’s Taiwan Swinging Skirts on a sponsor’s exemption, and she is also scheduled to play in next week’s Toto Japan Classic as part of the Japanese LPGA entries in the field.

Golf Channel is televising both events.

If she wanted, right now the 20-year-old could be playing the LPGA full time as a member, after winning the Women’s British Open back in August, but she declined to immediately take up the two-year exemption offered and continued to focus on playing the JLPGA. She has until Nov. 18 to notify the LPGA whether she intends to take up membership next season.

“I would like to play the U.S. tour in the future, but definitely not next year,” Shibuno said when she announced earlier this month that she had accepted the Swinging Skirts sponsor’s exemption. She hasn’t revealed this week whether she might still change her mind.

Shibuno won the hearts and minds of so many with her charm and 10,000-watt smile in England. She claimed the AIG Women’s British Open in her first start in an LPGA major and in her first tournament appearance outside Japan. She has won three JLPA titles as a rookie this year. 

That performance in England elevated Shibuno to superstar status in Japan, where she has a huge media following whenever she plays.

“After winning the major championship, people will recognize me on the street and the media will follow me around,” Shibuno said Tuesday in Taiwan. “So, I’m kind of leading sort of a nervous life.”

Retired Japanese golf icon Ai Miyazato said she cried after Shibuno rolled in a clutch 18-foot birdie putt at the 72^nd hole to win in England. Shibuno made her country proud joining Chako Higuchi as the only Japanese players to win major championships. Higuchi won the LPGA Championship in 1977.

Rolex world No. 1 Jin Young Ko has little left to prove this year after clinching Rolex Player of the Years honors, but she has a lot more hardware to try to win.

Ko will join defending champion Nelly Korda among the stars teeing it up this week at the Swinging Skirts Taiwan Championship.

Ko, 24, wrapped up the Rolex Player of the Year award with her tie for ninth at the BMW Ladies Championship in South Korea last weekend. Nobody can catch her with three LPGA events left in the points-based awards race.

“This was one of the best years of my career and to earn this award is one of the best honors I could ever receive,” said Ko, whose four LPGA titles this season include two major championships. “Some of my golf heroes have won this award, and I can’t believe that my name is now on the same list.”

Ko also has already won the Rolex Annika Major Award and is on track for an awards sweep as the frontrunner to win the Vare Trophy for low scoring average and the tour’s money-winning title. 

Ko’s 68.933 scoring average gives her a chance to join Annika Sorenstam as the only players in LPGA history to average better than 69 strokes for an entire season. Sorenstam did it twice. She holds the all-time mark at 68.696, setting it in 2004, though she came up just short of having enough starts to be eligible to win the Vare Trophy that year. She also averaged 69.697 in 2002, winning one of her six Vare trophies.

Korda returns this week to the site of her first LPGA title. She pulled away from Taiwan’s Wei-Ling Hsu in the final round last year and then four months later added a second LPGA title winning the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open.

“My expectations this week is just to have fun,” Korda said. “It's a different golf course this year. I'm just going to take it day by day and see how it goes.”

Here's a look at what's happening in professional golf this week, and how you can watch it:

PGA Tour

WGC-HSBC Championship 

Thursday-Sunday, Sheshan International Golf Club, Shanghai China

Course specs: Par 72, 7,264 yards

Purse: $10.25 million

Defending champion: Xander Schauffele

Notables in the field: Xander Schauffele, Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson, Jordan Spieth, Patrick Reed, Justin Rose, Tony Finau, Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry, Francesco Molinari, Kevin Na

Tee times: TBD

TV schedule: Wednesday-Thursday, 10 p.m. - 2 a.m. ET (Golf Channel); Friday-Saturday, 10:30 p.m. - 2:30 a.m. ET (Golf Channel)

Wednesday-Thursday, 10 p.m. – 4 a.m. (Golf Channel); Friday-Saturday final round 10:30 p.m. – 3 a.m. (Golf Channel)

PGA Tour

Bermuda Championship

Thursday-Sunday, Port Royal Golf Course, Southampton, Bermuda

Course specs: Par 71, 6,828 yards

Purse: $3 million

Defending champion: None (inaugural event)

Notables in the field: Lanto Griffin, Maverick McNealy, Peter Uihlein, Fred Funk, Davis Love III, Scottie Scheffler, Doug Ghim

Tee times: TBD

TV schedule: Thursday-Friday 12:30 – 4:30 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday 1:30 – 4:30 p.m. (Golf Channel); Sunday 12:30 – 3:30 p.m. (Golf Channel)

LPGA

Taiwain Swinging Skirts

Thursday-Sunday, Miramar Golf Country Club, New Taipei City, Taiwain

Course specs: Par 72, 6,437 yards

Purse: $2.2 million

Defending champion: Nelly Korda

Notables in the field: Nelly Korda, Jin Young Ko, Hinako Shibuno, Hannah Green, Brooke Henderson, Ariya Jutanugarn, Lydia Ko, Jennifer Kupcho, Jeongeun Lee6, Inbee Park

Tee times: TBD

TV schedule: Thursday 5 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. (Golf Channel); Friday-Saturday 8 p.m. – 10 p.m. (Golf Channel); Sunday 8 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. (Golf Channel)

College Golf 

East Lake Cup 

Monday-Wednesday, East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta, Georgia

Course specs: Par 72, Mens, 7,413 yards, Women's, 6,240 yards

Women’s Teams: Arizona, Auburn, Duke, Wake Forest  

Men’s Teams: Oklahoma State, Texas, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest 

Tee times: Click here

TV schedule: Monday Stroke Play 3 p.m. - 6 p.m. (Golf Channel); Tuesday Semifinal Matches 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. (Golf Channel); Wednesday Final and Consolation Matches 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. (Golf Channel)

Bulgaria have been fined €75,000 and ordered to play two matches behind closed doors, with one suspended, following the racist abuse that marred their Euro 2020 qualifier against England.

The match on Oct. 14, which England won 6-0, was stopped on multiple occasions due incidents of racist abuse from the crowd in Sofia.

- Ogden: England's faith in three-step protocol was rewarded in Bulgaria

Match referee Ivan Bebek instructed the stadium PA announcer to broadcast a message -- the first step in FIFA's three-step protocol when dealing with such incidents -- after England defender Tyrone Mings complained of being the subject of racist chanting in the 22nd minute.

Bulgaria supporters in the crowd were seen directing monkey chants at England players, doing Nazi salutes and holding up shirts with the UEFA logo and the text "No Respect" -- a reference to the European governing body's "Respect" campaign aimed at curbing racism in the sport.

"Nobody should have to experience what our players did," England manager Gareth Southgate told the BBC after the match. "We followed the protocol.

"We gave two messages -- one that our football did the talking and two, we stopped the game twice.

The second match in the punishment handed down is suspended for a probationary period of two years. Bulgaria will also have to display a "No to Racism" banner with the UEFA logo on it.

In addition, the Bulgarian Football Union was fined a further €10,000 for crowd disturbances during the national anthems, with the English Football Association fined €5,000 for the same offence.

The BFU president Borislav Mihaylov resigned following the match, after Prime Minister Boyko Borissov had called for him to step down.

Bulgaria's next home match is against Czech Republic on Nov. 17.