MASON CITY, Iowa — Capturing his third USMTS victory of the year, Tanner Mullens led all 35 laps to top opening night of Mod Mania at the Mason City Motor Speedway.

The 27-year-old from Wichita, Kan., was the Sybesma Graphics Pole Award winner and remained at the front of the field the entire distance to capture another multitude of awards that await each winner. He also pocketed $2,000.

“I tried to ride around as long as I could on the bottom and was just trying to slow the pace down to save the tire there,” Mullens revealed. “I was getting tight there at the end and it (right rear tire) don’t look like we have too much left on it.”

Zack VanderBeek started from the outside of Mullens on the front row. He was second on the first lap and stayed glued to Mullens’ rear bumper until the checkered flag waved.

“I could kind of hear him,” Mullens recalled,” and I think he bumped me there once but I was just trying to slow down and save the tire. I didn’t think they were going to be able to drive around me on the outside.”

Mullens was in the mix the entire race when the Summit USMTS National Championship fueled by Casey’s visited Mason City on June 18, eventually finishing third behind Dereck Ramirez — who was unable to crack the top 10 tonight — and point leader Rodney Sanders.

Then again, he’s been in the mix since the start of the 2020 campaign. He won the first USMTS main event of his career at the Lucas Oil Speedway on June 3 and followed that up with a heart-breaking runner-up the following night at his hometown 81 Speedway before winning again two weeks later at the Cedar County Raceway.

In addition to three wins he has eight top-five finishes and he’s finished among the top ten in all 13 of his starts utilizing a family-built chassis and engine.

VanderBeek brought his VanderBuilt home second while Sanders had to settle for the third-place paycheck. Hunter Marriott was fourth and Terry Phillips found himself fifth in the end.

The finish:

Tanner Mullens, Zack VanderBeek, Rodney Sanders, Hunter Marriott, Terry Phillips, Tyler Davis, Lucas Schott, Al Hejna, Jacob Bleess, Jake Timm, Dereck Ramirez, Dustin Sorensen, Calvin Iverson, Brooks Strength, Alex Williamson, Jason Hughes, Jason Cummins, Joe Duvall, Chase Rudolf, Casey Skyberg, Adam Hensel, Adam Kates, Joe Horgdal, Jake O’Neil

DAVENPORT, Iowa — For the second time in as many races, Davenport Speedway delivered an absolute thriller with the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series.

Brandon Sheppard earned his 11^th series victory of the season in Tuesday’s 50-lapper, earning $10,000.

Six official lead changes highlighted the action-packed show which brought fans to their feet as they witnessed Sheppard swap the lead multiple times with Cade Dillard.

A side-by-side battle for the lead not good enough? Well Jimmy Owens made it a three-way war throughout the closing half as three of the nation’s best fought wheel-to-wheel and raced under a blanket for the win.

In the end, lady luck and lapped traffic played a factor in the finish as Sheppard snuck by Dillard with four laps remaining and survived one final frantic sprint to the checkered flag to score his 66th career World of Outlaws Late Model Series victory.

“It was crazy; I just don’t even know how to describe it,” said Sheppard. “Cade and Jimmy are two of the best guys in the whole country to race with. You know they’ll run you clean and they know I’m gonna race them clean. That was just a blast to be a part of. I’m gonna have to go back and watch that whole thing on DIRTVision.”

Owen

With Dillard and Chad Simpson lining the front row and Owens and Sheppard behind them, the stage was set for a clash of titans from the beginning.

After Simpson controlled the opening five circuits, Dillard worked his way to the lead on lap six as he mastered the low line around the quarter-mile. While Dillard held the point, the action boiled behind him as Owens attacked Sheppard for second, and momentarily took it, before Sheppard found a new level in the No. 1.

Acing the bottom as Dillard blasted the top, Sheppard methodically picked at the inside groove and capitalized on lap 19 by driving by Dillard down the backstretch to take command. A pair of lap 24 cautions halted the pace before a lap 28 stoppage proved to be the final restart with Sheppard in control over a stout row two of Dillard and Owens.

“The line just changes so much here,” Sheppard noted. “I thought for sure we were gonna run around the top almost all race long, but I went down to the bottom just because I was alone down there and it ended up taking us to the lead. I mean what do you do, take the lead on the bottom and move to the top? It just didn’t seem like the right thing to do. So we bided our time down there on the bottom, even though I didn’t really want to. But the last time I was here and I was leading when a caution came out Ricky Thornton Jr. drove right by me on the restart, so I decided to go up top after those cautions.”

Sheppard’s switch to the high side opened the door for Dillard to occupy his lane on the bottom, which gave fans an intense side-by-side battle for the lead.

Running neck-and-neck down the stretch, Dillard and Sheppard ensued to trade the lead it seemed almost every lap. In reality, Sheppard controlled laps 19-35, then Dillard took command off laps 36-37, Sheppard stole it back on lap 38, and then Dillard again snatched it away on lap 39.

“Cade was right there lap after lap after lap after lap after lap after lap,” Sheppard joked on the heated side-by-side affair.

Closing back in with traffic in play, Sheppard and Owens – who was right in the thick of things with both drivers all race long – caught Dillard as the five-to-go signal was given. While Dillard dealt with traffic on the bottom, Sheppard ripped around the top and was able to squeeze by both the lapper and Dillard on lap 46 to reassume control of the lead.

From there, it was a mad dash to the finish with Dillard and Owens frantically pursuing the Rocket1 Racing No. 1. In the end, neither Dillard nor Owens could muster up one final challenge for Sheppard, who banked his 11th World of Outlaws win of the year.

“I think we were on a little different tire than Cade was and we were just able to hold our momentum up top which is what really allowed us to win that race,” Sheppard noted. “I don’t know that we had the best car. We were in the right place at the right time. I think a few more laps and he probably would’ve passed me. It was getting ready to get hairy. But hey, sometimes you’ve got to have luck on your side and it was on ours this time.”

Coming home in second, Dillard only fell behind of Sheppard by .521 seconds at the checkered flag.

“I couldn’t run around the top like Brandon and Jimmy could, so I just tried to stay down in the mud and keep our softer tire going around the end of the race,” Dillard said. “I’ll say it once again, it’s really just an honor to be up here consistently with people like Brandon Sheppard and Jimmy Owens, they’re definitely the best in the business. We’ll keep working on this MB Customs ride and hopefully can outrun them eventually.”

Owens, Jimmy Mars and Chris Simpson filled the top five.

The finish:

Feature (50 laps): 1. 1-Brandon Sheppard [4][$10,000]; 2. 97-Cade Dillard [1][$5,000]; 3. 20-Jimmy Owens [3][$3,000]; 4. 28m-Jimmy Mars [12][$2,500]; 5. 32s-Chris Simpson [5][$2,000]; 6. 58-Jeremiah Hurst [23][$1,700]; 7. 32-Bobby Pierce [11][$1,400]; 8. 29v-Darrell Lanigan [7][$1,300]; 9. 28-Dennis Erb [16][$1,200]; 10. 18-Chase Junghans [8][$1,100]; 11. 7-Ricky Weiss [10][$1,050]; 12. 15k-Justin Kay [20][$1,000]; 13. 99b-Boom Briggs [19][$950]; 14. 12-Ashton Winger [6][$900]; 15. 21b-Rich Bell [9][$850]; 16. 0-Scott Bloomquist [14][$800]; 17. 58e-Dave Eckrich [13][$770]; 18. 51-Matthew Furman [17][$750]; 19. 29-Spencer Diercks [22][$730]; 20. B1-Brent Larson [21][$700]; 21. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck [24][$700]; 22. 25s-Chad Simpson [2][$700]; 23. 98-Jason Rauen [18][$700]; 24. 59-Garrett Alberson [15][$700]. Lap Leader(s): Chad Simpson 1-5; Cade Dillard 6-18; Brandon Sheppard 19-35; Dillard 36-37; Sheppard 38; Dillard 39-45; Sheppard 46-50. Hard Charger Award: 58-Jeremiah Hurst[+17]

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Left wing Sonny Milano has agreed to a two-year, $3.4 million contract extension with the Anaheim Ducks.

The Ducks announced the deal Tuesday night.

Anaheim acquired Milano from Columbus in February in a trade for Devin Shore. Milano contributed two goals and three assists in nine games with the Ducks before the coronavirus pandemic ended their season.

Milano spent parts of five seasons with the Blue Jackets, recording 20 goals and 22 assists in 116 games. He was eligible for restricted free agency this summer.

Columbus chose Milano with the 16th overall pick in the 2014 draft, and the Long Island native reached the NHL as a 19-year-old in March 2016. He scored a career-best 14 goals for the Blue Jackets during the 2017-18 season, and he has impressed the Ducks' coaches during his brief stint in Anaheim with his speed and offensive creativity.

The Ducks' remaining free agents include defensemen Michael Del Zotto and Matt Irwin. Ryan Miller, 40, also is without a contract for next season, but the veteran is expected to be re-signed by Anaheim if the winningest American goaltender in NHL history elects to continue his career.

Anaheim general manager Bob Murray has re-signed right wing Troy Terry and defensemen Brendan Guhle and Kodie Curran to multiyear contracts during the Ducks' extra-long offseason.

The Ducks haven't yet re-signed potential restricted free-agent defenseman Jacob Larsson, who had two goals and nine assists in 60 games last season.

Forward Sidney Crosby highlighted a star-laden return to the ice Tuesday, as six teams played in exhibitions in both cities of the NHL's restart bubble.

It was the first action of any kind from the league that paused its regular season in March amid the coronavirus pandemic, and with the Stanley Cup qualifier series slated to begin Saturday, these scrimmages -- additional teams will have theirs on Wednesday and Thursday -- represented players' lone chance to fine-tune their skills against true competition.

In Toronto and Edmonton, tarps, some with the NHL logo on them, were draped across the seating sections of the lower bowl, with a painted Stanley Cup 2020 logo on the center-ice circle, and the traditional advertisements attached to the boards.

In the league's first game since March 11, Crosby racked up 19:03 of playing time after missing practice and scrimmage sessions earlier this month in Pittsburgh for undisclosed reasons. His Penguins fell to the Philadelphia Flyers, 3-2, in overtime in Toronto.

"I felt good physically. I felt good, I felt strong, just anticipating and making plays and that kind of stuff," Crosby said after the game. "That's just going to come with time. But for the most part, I felt really good. It was fun to be back out there."

The Penguins will take on Montreal in one of the Eastern Conference's qualifiers, beginning Saturday night.

"I thought it was a sloppy game, especially in the first couple periods. I guess it's to be expected," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "I thought the second half of the game we improved.

"We need to be a whole lot better. We've got a ways to go before we're firing on all cylinders."

Carey Price, Montreal's star goaltender, started for the Canadiens against the Maple Leafs in the Toronto nightcap. Price, who will likely start vs. the Penguins Saturday in Game 1, made 19 saves in a 4-2 loss to the Maple Leafs.

Across Canada, two Western Conference rivals, the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames, met in the former's home rink. The Oilers' biggest star, forward Connor McDavid, opened the exhibition with a goal in the first period.

He and the Oilers will take on the Chicago Blackhawks in a qualifier, beginning Saturday, while the Flames will meet the Winnipeg Jets in their Game 1 later that night.

After months of a pandemic-induced pause, the NHL returns in earnest Saturday. Players will hit the ice again as the NHL's return-to-play plan hits Phase 4 and the postseason begins.

Unlike the traditional playoff format, the league is running a 24-team tournament, with 12 teams from each conference playing in fan-less arenas in Toronto (for the East) and Edmonton (for the West). The top four teams in each conference are in the round of 16, and seeds 5 through 12 will square off to see who will take the next step toward immortality.

We gathered our panel of NHL experts to make their picks on each qualification-round series, along with how they foresee the round-robin teams finishing.

More: Check out the full NHL postseason schedule here.

Jump to:
East round-robin | PIT-MTL
CAR-NYR | NYI-FLA | TOR-CBJ
West round-robin | EDM-CHI
NSH-ARI | VAN-MIN | CGY-WPG

Eastern Conference

Round-robin: No. 1 Boston Bruins, No. 2 Tampa Bay Lightning, No. 3 Washington Capitals, No. 4 Philadelphia Flyers

Sean Allen: Lightning, Capitals, Bruins, Flyers
Ben Arledge: Lightning, Bruins, Capitals, Flyers

Pierre Becquey: Bruins, Lightning, Capitals, Flyers
John Buccigross: Lightning, Bruins, Capitals, Flyers
Sach Chandan: Lightning, Bruins, Capitals, Flyers
Linda Cohn: Lightning, Capitals, Bruins, Flyers
Aimee Crawford: Lightning, Bruins, Capitals, Flyers
Dimitri Filipovic: Bruins, Lightning, Capitals, Flyers
Emily Kaplan: Bruins, Capitals, Lightning, Flyers
Tim Kavanagh: Lightning, Flyers, Bruins, Capitals
Don La Greca: Bruins, Capitals, Lightning, Flyers
Vince Masi: Capitals, Flyers, Bruins, Lightning
Victoria Matiash: Lightning, Bruins, Capitals, Flyers
Arda Ocal: Bruins, Lightning, Capitals, Flyers
Greg Wyshynski: Bruins, Lightning, Flyers, Capitals

No. 5 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. No. 12 Montreal Canadiens

Sean Allen: Penguins in 4
Ben Arledge: Penguins in 4
Pierre Becquey: Penguins in 4
John Buccigross: Penguins in 5
Sach Chandan: Canadiens in 5
Linda Cohn: Penguins in 4
Aimee Crawford: Penguins in 3
Dimitri Filipovic: Penguins in 4
Emily Kaplan: Penguins in 4
Tim Kavanagh: Penguins in 3
Don La Greca: Penguins in 4
Vince Masi: Penguins in 4
Victoria Matiash: Penguins in 5
Arda Ocal: Penguins in 3
Greg Wyshynski: Penguins in 3

Top pick: Penguins (14).

No. 6 Carolina Hurricanes vs. No. 11 New York Rangers

Sean Allen: Rangers in 4
Ben Arledge: Rangers in 5

Pierre Becquey: Hurricanes in 5
John Buccigross: Rangers in 5
Sach Chandan: Hurricanes in 4
Linda Cohn: Rangers in 4
Aimee Crawford: Rangers in 5
Dimitri Filipovic: Hurricanes in 5
Emily Kaplan: Rangers in 5
Tim Kavanagh: Hurricanes in 4
Don La Greca: Rangers in 5
Vince Masi: Hurricanes in 5
Victoria Matiash: Rangers in 4
Arda Ocal: Rangers in 5
Greg Wyshynski: Hurricanes in 4

Top pick: Rangers (9).

No. 7 New York Islanders vs. No. 10 Florida Panthers

Sean Allen: Panthers in 4
Ben Arledge: Islanders in 4
Pierre Becquey: Panthers in 5
John Buccigross: Islanders in 5
Sach Chandan: Panthers in 4
Linda Cohn: Islanders in 5
Aimee Crawford: Islanders in 5
Dimitri Filipovic: Islanders in 4
Emily Kaplan: Islanders in 5
Tim Kavanagh: Islanders in 3
Don La Greca: Islanders in 4
Vince Masi: Islanders in 5
Victoria Matiash: Panthers in 4
Arda Ocal: Islanders in 4
Greg Wyshynski: Islanders in 4

Top pick: Islanders (11).

No. 8 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. No. 9 Columbus Blue Jackets

Sean Allen: Maple Leafs in 3
Ben Arledge: Maple Leafs in 5
Pierre Becquey: Maple Leafs in 4
John Buccigross: Blue Jackets in 5
Sach Chandan: Maple Leafs in 3
Linda Cohn: Blue Jackets in 5
Aimee Crawford: Maple Leafs in 4
Dimitri Filipovic: Maple Leafs in 5
Emily Kaplan: Maple Leafs in 5
Tim Kavanagh: Maple Leafs in 4
Don La Greca: Maple Leafs in 4
Vince Masi: Blue Jackets in 5
Victoria Matiash: Maple Leafs in 5
Arda Ocal: Maple Leafs in 4
Greg Wyshynski: Maple Leafs in 4

Top pick: Maple Leafs (12).

Western Conference

Round-robin: No. 1 St. Louis Blues, No. 2 Colorado Avalanche, No. 3 Vegas Golden Knights, No. 4 Dallas Stars

Sean Allen: Blues, Golden Knights, Avs, Stars
Ben Arledge: Golden Knights, Blues, Avs, Stars

Pierre Becquey: Avs, Blues, Golden Knights, Stars
John Buccigross: Blues, Avs, Stars, Golden Knights
Sach Chandan: Golden Knights, Blues, Avs, Stars
Linda Cohn: Golden Knights, Avs, Blues, Stars
Aimee Crawford: Blues, Avs, Golden Knights, Stars
Dimitri Filipovic: Avs, Blues, Golden Knights, Stars
Emily Kaplan: Avs, Blues, Golden Knights, Stars
Tim Kavanagh: Avs, Blues, Stars, Golden Knights
Don La Greca: Blues, Avs, Stars, Golden Knights
Vince Masi: Golden Knights, Avs, Blues, Stars
Victoria Matiash: Avs, Golden Knights, Blues, Stars
Arda Ocal: Avs, Blues, Golden Knights, Stars
Greg Wyshynski: Avs, Blues, Stars, Golden Knights

No. 5 Edmonton Oilers vs. No. 12 Chicago Blackhawks

Sean Allen: Blackhawks in 5
Ben Arledge: Blackhawks in 5
Pierre Becquey: Oilers in 5
John Buccigross: Oilers in 4
Sach Chandan: Oilers in 3
Linda Cohn: Oilers in 4
Aimee Crawford: Oilers in 4
Dimitri Filipovic: Oilers in 4
Emily Kaplan: Oilers in 5
Tim Kavanagh: Blackhawks in 4
Don La Greca: Oilers in 5
Vince Masi: Oilers in 4
Victoria Matiash: Oilers in 4
Arda Ocal: Oilers in 5
Greg Wyshynski: Oilers in 4

Top pick: Oilers (12).

No. 6 Nashville Predators vs. No. 11 Arizona Coyotes

Sean Allen: Coyotes in 4
Ben Arledge: Predators in 4

Pierre Becquey: Predators in 4
John Buccigross: Predators in 4
Sach Chandan: Predators in 5
Linda Cohn: Predators in 5
Aimee Crawford: Predators in 3
Dimitri Filipovic: Coyotes in 5
Emily Kaplan: Predators in 5
Tim Kavanagh: Predators in 4
Don La Greca: Predators in 3
Vince Masi: Predators in 4
Victoria Matiash: Predators in 3
Arda Ocal: Coyotes in 5
Greg Wyshynski: Coyotes in 5

Top pick: Predators (11).

No. 7 Vancouver Canucks vs. No. 10 Minnesota Wild

Sean Allen: Wild in 3
Ben Arledge: Canucks in 3
Pierre Becquey: Canucks in 4
John Buccigross: Canucks in 5
Sach Chandan: Canucks in 3
Linda Cohn: Canucks in 4
Aimee Crawford: Canucks in 5
Dimitri Filipovic: Canucks in 5
Emily Kaplan: Canucks in 4
Tim Kavanagh: Wild in 5
Don La Greca: Canucks in 4
Vince Masi: Canucks in 5
Victoria Matiash: Wild in 4
Arda Ocal: Canucks in 5
Greg Wyshynski: Canucks in 5

Top pick: Canucks (12).

No. 8 Calgary Flames vs. No. 9 Winnipeg Jets

Sean Allen: Jefs in 4
Ben Arledge: Jefs in 4
Pierre Becquey: Jets in 5
John Buccigross: Flames in 5
Sach Chandan: Jets in 5
Linda Cohn: Flames in 5
Aimee Crawford: Jets in 5
Dimitri Filipovic: Jets in 4
Emily Kaplan: Jets in 4
Tim Kavanagh: Flames in 4
Don La Greca: Jets in 5
Vince Masi: Jets in 5
Victoria Matiash: Jets in 4
Arda Ocal: Flames in 4
Greg Wyshynski: Flames in 4

Top pick: Jets (10).

Way-too-early Stanley Cup Final picks

Sean Allen: Lightning over Golden Knights
Ben Arledge: Lightning over Avs
Pierre Becquey: Penguins over Avs
John Buccigross: Lightning over Blues
Sach Chandan: Lightning over Stars
Linda Cohn: Lightning over Golden Knights
Aimee Crawford: Lightning over Avs
Dimitri Filipovic: Lightning over Golden Knights
Emily Kaplan: Penguins over Avalanche
Tim Kavanagh: Blues over Capitals
Don La Greca: Lightning over Blues
Vince Masi: Golden Knights over Flyers
Victoria Matiash: Lightning over Golden Knights
Arda Ocal: Avalanche over Bruins
Greg Wyshynski: Lightning over Golden Knights

Top pick: Lightning (10).

In the NBA, where rosters can change dramatically from season to season, how much of an edge is it to have continuity heading into the league's 2020 restart?

Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone, whose team checks in near the top of our list, has high hopes.

"Continuity [will] help with trying to create a home-court advantage," Malone said earlier this month of playing at a neutral-site in Orlando, Florida. "We have guys that have been together for a while, know how to play with each other. You see, in the bubble, a lot of teams don't have their players and they are bringing in different players.

"And it takes a while to get used to playing with people, it takes a while to learn an offensive and defensive system. We feel we have an advantage."

Who else has the advantage inside the NBA's Walt Disney World Resort campus? Could familiarity overcome pure star power inside the bubble? Let's dive into the rankings:

Note: To measure roster continuity for the restart -- each team's "continuity rating" -- ESPN NBA Insider Kevin Pelton looked at the percentage of minutes played across the past two seasons (2018-19 and 2019-20) by players who will be on active rosters at Disney's ESPN World Wide of Sports Complex. In terms of 2019-20 minutes, those range from one team that has every player who saw action during the regular season, to an injury-hit team that lost players who combined for nearly half their minutes. The range is even broader in terms of remaining 2018-19 minutes, from a low of 14% to a high of 86% still active and available.

MORE: NBA Power Rankings, plus best and worst cases for 22 teams

1. Orlando Magic: 90.8% continuity rating

Longest-tenured player: Nikola Vucevic (8th season with team)
Head coach: Steve Clifford (2nd season with team; 7th overall)

• Projected starters: Markelle Fultz, Evan Fournier, James Ennis III, Aaron Gordon, Vucevic

• Projected rotation: Terrence Ross, Gary Clark, D.J. Augustin

• Depth: Khem Birch, Michael Carter-Williams, Jonathan Isaac, Wes Iwundu, Mo Bamba, Melvin Frazier Jr., Vic Law, BJ Johnson

Notables expected to miss restart: Al-Farouq Aminu

This ranking is good news for the "host" team inside the bubble. This Magic group knows one another well, and they understand the kind of style coach Steve Clifford wants to play. They figure to get a huge lift from young big man Jonathan Isaac, who returned to action Monday after being out since Jan. 1 because of a left knee injury. It's going to be interesting to see how Clifford manages Isaac's minutes as he works his way back into playing shape. The same goes for Markelle Fultz, who missed over a week of bubble training camp while being excused to tend to a personal matter. Isaac and Fultz are two of the cornerstones for a Magic group that believes it can surprise some people in the bubble. They aren't going to have chemistry problems, but their bigger issue remains the same: Who will emerge down the stretch to carry them late in games? -- Nick Friedell

2. Milwaukee Bucks: 86.6% continuity rating

Longest-tenured players: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton (7th season with team)
Head coach: Mike Budenholzer (2nd season with team; 7th overall)

• Projected starters: Eric Bledsoe, Wesley Matthews, Middleton, Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez

• Projected rotation: Donte DiVincenzo, Marvin Williams, George Hill

• Depth: Robin Lopez, Pat Connaughton, Ersan Ilyasova, Frank Mason III, Kyle Korver, Sterling Brown, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, D.J. Wilson

Notables expected to miss restart: None

The Bucks' on-court chemistry doesn't feel forced. Guys know one another's tendencies, are all business and truly want to win. Even in the Orlando bubble, players are golfing together while benefitting from the Disney expertise of Brook and Robin Lopez. And after initially testing positive for COVID-19, Bledsoe and Connaughton have joined the squad in Florida. According to ESPN's BPI, the Bucks have a 53% chance to win the title, by far the highest percentage of any team. While Giannis is a driving force behind this as the odds-on favorite to win MVP, the Bucks' defense might be the most important part of the team's success. Bledsoe made the All-Defensive First Team in 2019, while Brook Lopez patrolled the paint with a team-high 2.4 blocks per game, which tied for second in the league. The time off shouldn't affect the NBA-best Bucks in any way as long as players can stay healthy. -- Eric Woodyard

3. Denver Nuggets: 82.8% continuity rating

Longest-tenured player: Gary Harris (6th season with team)
Head coach: Michael Malone (5th season with team; 7th overall)

• Projected starters: Jamal Murray, Harris, Will Barton, Paul Millsap, Nikola Jokic

• Projected rotation: Monte Morris, Jerami Grant, Torrey Craig

• Depth: Mason Plumlee, Michael Porter Jr., Vlatko Cancar, PJ Dozier, Noah Vonleh, Troy Daniels, Keita Bates-Diop, Bol Bol, Tyler Cook

Notables expected to miss restart: None

The Nuggets won't have the Denver altitude, but head coach Michael Malone is hoping their continuity and last postseason's experience of two seven-game series will make up for any loss in home-court advantage. While they were initially without almost half of their team due to late arrivals to the bubble, the Nuggets' edge over many other teams is their familiarity, something that showed in their 13-3 start this season. Jokic and Murray are as prolific a pick-and-roll combo as there is, and the star duo has experienced two Game 7s with the core of Harris, Millsap, Barton, Morris, Craig and Plumlee surrounding them. Grant, the biggest new addition, fits in nicely. Bol created early bubble buzz, but it is Porter, who watched from the bench last year, who could make them more potent. -- Ohm Youngmisuk

4. Toronto Raptors: 78.3% continuity rating

Longest-tenured player: Kyle Lowry (8th season with team)
Head coach: Nick Nurse (2nd season)

• Projected starters: Lowry, Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam, Marc Gasol

• Projected rotation: Norman Powell, Serge Ibaka, Patrick McCaw

• Depth: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Terence Davis, Chris Boucher, Matt Thomas, Stanley Johnson, Paul Watson, Oshae Brissett, Malcolm Miller, Dewan Hernandez

Notables expected to miss restart: None

It was obviously a big blow for the Raptors to lose Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green from last year's championship-winning roster. But the fact that Toronto was still on pace for 59 wins before the season was suspended was proof that the remaining players were more than capable of holding their own against anyone. The Raptors had an added benefit of being the first team to go down to Florida, as border issues caused them to hold training camp at Florida Gulf Coast University instead of back in Toronto. They arrived at the Disney World campus believing they have a chance to defend their title -- motivations that could help prove to be a difference in what clearly are unusual circumstances. -- Tim Bontemps

5. San Antonio Spurs: 74.2% continuity rating

Longest-tenured player: Patty Mills (9th season with team)
Head coach: Gregg Popovich (24th season)

• Projected starters: Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, Lonnie Walker IV, DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl

• Projected rotation: Bryn Forbes, Rudy Gay, Mills

• Depth: Drew Eubanks,Keldon Johnson, Chimezie Metu, Marco Belinelli, Luka Samanic, Quinndary Weatherspoon, Tyler Zeller

Notables expected to miss restart: LaMarcus Aldridge, Trey Lyles

For nearly two decades, the Spurs were set with Popovich and the trio of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. The past two seasons, however, there have been two new faces of the franchises to replace that trio -- DeRozan and Aldridge. But Aldridge won't be with the team for the restart after having shoulder surgery in April, while forward Lyles will miss the restart after having an appendectomy. To get through in Orlando, the Spurs will have to rely on two things: their young guards (Walker, Murray, White and Forbes) continuing to grow and their experience. San Antonio is one of just four teams in Orlando with at least four players with 10 years of NBA experience (DeRozan, Mills, Belinelli and Gay). -- Andrew Lopez

6. Boston Celtics: 73.8% continuity rating

Longest-tenured player: Marcus Smart (6th season with team)
Head coach: Brad Stevens (7th season)

• Projected starters: Kemba Walker, Jaylen Brown, Gordon Hayward, Jayson Tatum, Daniel Theis

• Projected rotation: Smart, Enes Kanter, Brad Wanamaker

• Depth: Grant Williams, Semi Ojeleye, Robert Williams III, Romeo Langford, Javonte Green, Tremont Waters, Carsen Edwards, Vincent Poirier, Tacko Fall

Notables expected to miss restart: None

The Celtics were expected to take a step back when they lost Kyrie Irving and Al Horford in free agency last summer. But they replaced Irving with Walker, who almost single-handedly helped turn around Boston's previous chemistry issues, and Theis has been far better than anyone could have expected in replacing Horford. That, coupled with massive steps forward taken by Brown and Tatum, as well as a return to prior form by Hayward, has Boston feeling good about its chances heading into the bubble. One potential cause for concern, however, is Walker's ongoing knee issues. For the Celtics to get where they want to go, they'll need Walker to be at 100% when the playoffs arrive. -- Bontemps

7. Sacramento Kings: 73.0% continuity rating

Longest-tenured player: Buddy Hield (4th season with team)
Head coach: Luke Walton (1st season with team, 4th overall)

• Projected starters: De'Aaron Fox, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Harrison Barnes, Nemanja Bjelica, Richaun Holmes

• Projected rotation: Hield, Harry Giles III, Kent Bazemore

• Depth: DaQuan Jeffries, Cory Joseph, Alex Len, Yogi Ferrell, Jabari Parker, Justin James, Kyle Guy, Corey Brewer

Notables expected to miss restart: Marvin Bagley III

Sacramento might check in high on this list, but continuity might not mean as much if the players kept in the program aren't available to play. That's the situation the Kings found themselves in early in the NBA bubble. Four players -- Hield, Barnes, Parker and Len -- tested positive for COVID-19 and missed the start of training camp. A fifth player, Bagley, suffered a season-ending foot injury before scrimmages even began. A sixth player, Holmes, inadvertently violated the perimeter of the NBA campus and was forced to go back into quarantine for 10 days as a result. And a seventh player, Sacramento's star, Fox, suffered a sprained ankle in practice that cost him a week of prep for the seeding games while he recovered. -- Dave McMenamin

8. Oklahoma City Thunder: 70.4% continuity rating

Longest-tenured players: Steven Adams and Andre Roberson (7th season with team)
Head coach: Billy Donovan (5th season)

• Projected starters: Chris Paul, Luguentz Dort, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, Adams

• Projected rotation: Dennis Schroder, Nerlens Noel, Terrance Ferguson

• Depth: Darius Bazley, Hamidou Diallo, Mike Muscala, Roberson, Abdel Nader, Deonte Burton, Kevin Hervey, Devon Hall

Notables expected to miss restart: None

The Thunder essentially were all new this season, transitioning from the Russell Westbrook era to a repositioning and eventual rebuild. With Chris Paul's leadership and connectivity, they were one of the closest, most chemistry-driven teams in the league, even with a bunch of new faces. They play a balanced style, never tilting the scales heavily to one player to carry the burden. It's a stark contrast to the old familiar Thunder, but it's led them to become one of the most cohesive teams in the league. -- Royce Young

9. Phoenix Suns: 67.7% continuity rating

Longest-tenured player: Devin Booker (5th season with team)
Head coach: Monty Williams (1st with team, 6th overall)

• Projected starters: Ricky Rubio, Booker, Mikal Bridges, Dario Saric, Deandre Ayton

• Projected rotation: Jevon Carter, Cameron Johnson, Ty Jerome

• Depth: Aron Baynes, Cameron Payne, Frank Kaminsky, Elie Okobo, Cheick Diallo, Jalen Lecque, Kelly Oubre Jr.

Notables expected to miss restart: None

The Suns are trying to cobble together a young core that can grow, develop and evolve together. The team did get a lift over the past week, as Rubio and Baynes -- both of whom tested positive for the coronavirus -- have arrived in Orlando. The Suns have some players who have been around for a minute, but Phoenix doesn't really strike many as a stable group. Adding Rubio last summer to assume a generalship role did pay clear dividends early in the season and connected the roster far better. That's what having a pure point guard on the roster can do for a young team." -- Young

10. Los Angeles Lakers: 66.9% continuity rating

Longest-tenured players: Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Alex Caruso (3rd season with team)
Head coach: Frank Vogel (1st with team, 9th overall)

• Projected starters: Caldwell-Pope, Danny Green, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, JaVale McGee

• Projected rotation: Caruso, Kuzma, JR Smith

• Depth: Dwight Howard, Dion Waiters, Markieff Morris, Quinn Cook, Jared Dudley, Talen Horton-Tucker, Kostas Antetokounmpo, Devontae Cacok, Rajon Rondo

Notables expected to miss restart: Avery Bradley

In the course of the past two years, L.A.'s identity transformed from the Baby Lakers to the Big Two. There was a time when Lakers fans believed a young core including Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle and Josh Hart would be the future of the team. Instead, they have James and Davis making the present seem pretty promising. The restart has come with challenges for the Lakers, of course -- Avery Bradley opted out of Orlando, and Rajon Rondo broke his thumb on the second day of practice. But as long as James and Davis are healthy, they have a chance to make a run. -- McMenamin

11. Houston Rockets: 66.3% continuity rating

Longest-tenured player: James Harden (8th season with team)
Head coach: Mike D'Antoni (4th with team, 16th overall)

• Projected starters: Russell Westbrook, Harden, Eric Gordon, P.J. Tucker, Robert Covington

• Projected rotation: Danuel House Jr., Jeff Green, Austin Rivers

• Depth: DeMarre Carroll, Ben McLemore, Bruno Caboclo, Luc Mbah a Moute, Tyson Chandler, Chris Clemons, Michael Frazier

Notables expected to miss restart: Thabo Sefolosha

The Rockets have made two major trades since last season's run ended in the conference semifinals, swapping Chris Paul and picks for Westbrook to give Harden his chosen costar and going all in on small ball by giving up center Clint Capela in the four-team deal that brought versatile forward Covington to Houston. Gordon, who received a big contract extension last summer, underwent midseason knee surgery and now has to deal with an ankle injury suffered during Houston's final scrimmage. Sefolosha was a fringe rotation player at best, so his decision to opt out shouldn't make much of an impact. -- Tim MacMahon

12. Utah Jazz: 64.4% continuity rating

Longest-tenured player: Rudy Gobert (7th season with team)
Head coach: Quin Snyder (6th season)

• Projected starters: Mike Conley, Donovan Mitchell, Joe Ingles, Royce O'Neale, Gobert

• Projected rotation: Jordan Clarkson, Georges Niang, Emmanuel Mudiay

• Depth: Tony Bradley, Rayjon Tucker, Juwan Morgan, Miye Oni, Ed Davis, Nigel Williams-Goss, Jarrell Brantley, Justin Wright-Foreman

Notables expected to miss restart: Bojan Bogdanovic

What a long, strange hiatus it was for the Jazz. They are optimistic that the chemistry concerns with franchise cornerstones Gobert and Mitchell can be managed, in part due to the competitive fire they have in common. The loss of Bogdanovic to season-ending wrist surgery will probably be a much bigger immediate problem, as efficient 20-points-per-game scorers tend to be tough to replace. Maybe Conley, who has struggled more than the Jazz anticipated to adapt after spending the previous 12 seasons in Memphis, can carry more of the scoring burden, as he did for years with the Grizzlies. -- MacMahon

13. New Orleans Pelicans: 63.9% continuity rating

Longest-tenured player: Jrue Holiday (7th season with team)
Head coach: Alvin Gentry (5th season with team; 17th overall)

• Projected starters: Lonzo Ball, Holiday, Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson, Derrick Favors

• Projected rotation: JJ Redick, Nicolo Melli, Josh Hart

• Depth: Jaxson Hayes, E'Twaun Moore, Jahlil Okafor, Frank Jackson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Kenrich Williams, Sindarius Thornwell, Zylan Cheatham,

Notables expected to miss restart: None

The Pelicans of 2018-19 look nothing like this year's version. Only two players in their top nine in minutes played from this season ranked in the top nine from a season ago: Holiday and Moore. The team added Zion Williamson, Hayes and Alexander-Walker in the draft and Ingram, Hart and Ball in the Anthony Davis trade. Add in Redick and Favors, and the team looks completely new. Not having Williamson until Jan. 22 helped the team build chemistry without him, and Williamson also missed July 16-24 in the bubble due to a family emergency. But the Pelicans are still ready now that he's back in Orlando. "Zion being here and then not being here, having dealt with that during the season, maybe we're just a little bit used to that right now," Redick said on Monday. "Obviously we're looking forward to getting the big fella back and keeping this thing rolling." -- Lopez

14. Indiana Pacers: 63.0% continuity rating

Longest-tenured player: Myles Turner (5th season with team)
Head coach: Nate McMillan (4th season with team; 16th overall)

• Projected starters: Aaron Holiday, Malcolm Brogdon, Victor Oladipo, T.J. Warren, Turner

• Projected rotation: Justin Holiday, Doug McDermott, T.J. McConnell

• Depth: JaKarr Sampson, Edmond Sumner, T.J. Leaf, Alize Johnson, Goga Bitadze, Naz Mitrou-Long, Brian Bowen II,

Notables expected to miss restart: Jeremy Lamb

The question hanging over this team is what is going to happen with Oladipo. After initially saying he was not going to play in the restart, he has played in the scrimmage games and could participate once seeding games begin. Now, though, the Pacers are dealing with the potential loss of Domantas Sabonis, who left the bubble last week to get treatment on his left foot. The uncertainty around the Pacers now makes it seem as if they are destined to make a first-round exit for the fifth straight season. Either way, McMillan has done a masterful job of reshaping this squad into a mid-tier playoff team yet again after departures by Bojan Bogdanovic and Thaddeus Young in free agency -- not to mention Brogdon arriving as a free agent, Oladipo missing most of the season and Lamb being lost for the year with a torn ACL back in February. -- Bontemps

15. Philadelphia 76ers: 61.8% continuity rating

Longest-tenured player: Joel Embiid (6th season with team)
Head coach: Brett Brown (7th season)

• Projected starters: Shake Milton, Josh Richardson, Tobias Harris, Ben Simmons, Embiid

• Projected rotation: Furkan Korkmaz, Horford, Matisse Thybulle

• Depth: Mike Scott, Alec Burks, Norvel Pelle, Glenn Robinson III, Raul Neto, Kyle O'Quinn, Marial Shayok

Notables expected to miss restart: None

Like seemingly every summer in the City of Brotherly Love, the 76ers overhauled their roster, this time with Jimmy Butler and J.J. Redick being replaced by Richardson and Horford. While the team's chemistry wasn't really an issue off the court, the on-court fit between Horford and Joel Embiid has been weighing on the Sixers all season long. Now, it appears Horford is going to be coming off the bench during the restart, with Milton starting at point guard and Simmons moving to power forward. Philadelphia's numbers when either Embiid or Horford are on the court alone are terrific, and they beat virtually every good team in the league at home (and lost to them all on the road). If Philadelphia can finally put it all together, this team could make the Finals run it was expected to before the season began. It also won't be a surprise if they lose in the conference quarterfinals. -- Bontemps

16. LA Clippers: 60.9% continuity rating

Longest-tenured players: Patrick Beverley, Montrezl Harrell and Lou Williams (3rd season with team)
Head coach: Doc Rivers (7th season with team; 21st overall)

• Projected starters: Beverley, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Marcus Morris Sr., Ivica Zubac

• Projected rotation: Williams, Harrell, Reggie Jackson

• Depth: JaMychal Green, Landry Shamet, Patrick Patterson, Rodney McGruder, Joakim Noah, Terance Mann, Amir Coffey, Johnathan Motley

Notables expected to miss restart: None

Up until winning seven of eight games before the season was halted, the Clippers were rarely whole and lacked cohesiveness due to injuries, little practice time and the February additions of Morris and Jackson. With both Leonard and George not participating in camp and dealing with injuries during the season, the group that helped last year's team make the playoffs had trouble at times meshing with the new pieces. The Clippers are healthy now but again had to deal with disruptions: five of their top 10 players missed a chunk of practice and scrimmage time due to late bubble arrivals or emergency departures and the mandatory quarantines that come after. Leonard and George, though, were not among those players and have gained valuable scrimmage time playing together and with new addition Noah.-- Youngmisuk

17. Dallas Mavericks: 60.2% continuity rating

Longest-tenured player: J.J. Barea (6th straight, 11th overall season with team)
Head coach: Rick Carlisle (12th season with team; 18th overall)

• Projected starters: Luka Doncic, Seth Curry, Tim Hardaway Jr., Dorian Finney-Smith, Kristaps Porzingis

• Projected rotation: Delon Wright, Maxi Kleber, Justin Jackson

• Depth: Boban Marjanovic, Barea, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Trey Burke, Antonius Cleveland, Josh Reaves

Notables expected to miss restart: Jalen Brunson, Willie Cauley-Stein, Dwight Powell, Courtney Lee

The top priority all season has been developing chemistry between Doncic and Porzingis in the star duo's first season playing together. After a slow start, they've clicked pretty well when injuries haven't interrupted their progress. The Porzingis trade, made in the middle of the 2018-19 season, also netted Hardaway, who has proven this season to be a quality third option. Dallas' depth has taken a hit because of injuries that will sideline Powell (Achilles), Brunson (shoulder) and Lee (calf) for the remainder of the season. -- MacMahon

18. Miami Heat: 59.7% continuity rating

Longest-tenured player: Udonis Haslem (17th season with team)
Head coach: Erik Spoelstra (12th season)

• Projected starters: Kendrick Nunn, Duncan Robinson, Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Meyers Leonard

• Projected rotation: Goran Dragic, Jae Crowder, Andre Iguodala

• Depth: Kelly Olynyk, Tyler Herro, Derrick Jones Jr., Solomon Hill, Chris Silva, Haslem, Gabe Vincent, KZ Okpala, Kyle Alexander

Notables expected to miss restart: None

The numbers say the Heat rank 17th, but that's not the way they feel as far as continuity goes. They trust in their system and believe their culture gives them an advantage in the bubble. They are also confident that rookie Herro is fully healthy and ready to make some noise in the postseason. Veteran Leonard is also healthy and has playoff experience. It's going to be interesting to see how new acquisitions Iguodala, Crowder and Hill, brought in just before the season stopped, continue to fit into Spoelstra's schemes. All-Star Adebayo and young guard Nunn, both of whom were delayed in getting to the bubble after testing positive for COVID-19, are back and ready to make an impact. -- Friedell

19. Portland Trail Blazers: 58.3% continuity rating

Longest-tenured player: Damian Lillard (8th season with team)
Head coach: Terry Stotts (8th season with team; 12th overall)

• Projected starters: Lillard, CJ McCollum, Carmelo Anthony, Jusuf Nurkic, Hassan Whiteside

• Projected rotation: Gary Trent Jr., Zach Collins, Anfernee Simons

• Depth: Wenyen Gabriel, Mario Hezonja, Jaylen Hoard, Nassir Little, Jaylen Adams

Notables expected to miss restart: Trevor Ariza, Rodney Hood, Caleb Swanigan

The team that made a surprise run to the Western Conference finals last season returned intact basically only at the top, with Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. Staple rotation players Al-Farouq Aminu and Mo Harkless moved on via free agency and trade, and the Blazers re-worked the rotation. But with injuries, they had to re-work a little more. Lillard and McCollum are backcourt stalwarts for Portland, but as players return from injury, like Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins, and new roles are understood, like Carmelo Anthony sliding down to his old position, the Blazers are basically all new. -- Young

20. Memphis Grizzlies: 47.8% continuity rating

Longest-tenured player: Dillon Brooks (3rd season with team)
Head coach: Taylor Jenkins (1st season)

• Projected starters: Ja Morant, Brooks, Kyle Anderson, Jaren Jackson Jr., Jonas Valanciunas

• Projected rotation: De'Anthony Melton, Brandon Clarke, Tyus Jones

• Depth: Gorgui Dieng, Josh Jackson, Anthony Tolliver, Grayson Allen, Marko Guduric, Jontay Porter, John Konchar, Yuta Watanabe

Notables expected to miss restart: Justise Winslow

Rebuilding teams typically don't have a lot of continuity, so it's no surprise that a franchise that has a rookie starting at point guard (Morant) and another rookie thriving as a sixth man (Clarke) ranks relatively low in these ratings. The Grizzlies also made a major change before the trade deadline, packaging a pair of contributing vets (Jae Crowder and Solomon Hill) and absent Andre Iguodala for Winslow and a couple of unfavorable contracts. The Grizzlies' highly anticipated lineup addition of Winslow will wait until next season because he suffered a hip injury in an instrasquad scrimmage. -- MacMahon

21. Brooklyn Nets: 41.6% continuity rating

Longest-tenured players: Caris LeVert and Joe Harris (4th season with team)
Head coach: Jacque Vaughn (Interim)

• Projected starters: Chris Chiozza, LeVert, Harris, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Jarrett Allen

• Projected rotation: Garrett Temple, Rodions Kurucs, Tyler Johnson,

• Depth: Justin Anderson, Jeremiah Martin, Lance Thomas, Dzanan Musa, Jamal Crawford, Donta Hall

Notables expected to miss restart: Michael Beasley, Taurean Prince, Spencer Dinwiddie, DeAndre Jordan, Wilson Chandler, Nicolas Claxton, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant

The Nets' roster is undergoing the kind of turnover normally reserved for summer league. Durant (Achilles), Irving (shoulder), Dinwiddie (COVID-19) and Jordan (COVID-19) are all out. Jamal Crawford and Tyler Johnson are in. Michael Beasley was supposed to be in, but now he's out. Nobody knows how this team will handle all the roster turnover, but the host of absences gives LeVert and Harris a huge platform to shine. They should get all the shots they can handle as the Nets hope to hang on to a playoff spot. -- Friedell

22. Washington Wizards: 35.7% continuity rating

Longest-tenured player: John Wall (10th season with team)
Head coach: Scott Brooks (4th season with team; 11th overall)

• Projected starters: Shabazz Napier, Troy Brown Jr., Isaac Bonga, Rui Hachimura, Thomas Bryant

• Projected rotation: Ish Smith, Moritz Wagner, Jerome Robinson

• Depth: Anzejs Pasecniks, Admiral Schofield, Jarrod Uthoff, Jerian Grant, Johnathan Williams, Ian Mahinmi, Garrison Mathews

Notables expected to miss restart: Bradley Beal, Davis Bertans, Wall

Injuries are always a concern when it comes to the Wizards. All season long, they've been playing without All-Star guard Wall. Things will be no different in Orlando. For starters, leading scorer Beal won't play because of a right rotator cuff injury. Already 24-40 before the restart, competing without their best player in Beal, the NBA's second-leading scorer, will be no easy task. Without Beal and Bertans, who is sitting out the restart, Washington doesn't have a true offensive threat, so a lack of chemistry isn't its only concern. Someone will have to step up and prove they can compete. -- Woodyard

The Dubai and Cape Town rounds of the 2021 Rugby World Sevens - due to take place in November and December this year - will not take place because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

World Rugby has set up a working group to evaluate the rest of the season.

New Zealand were awarded men's and women's titles for 2020 having led the standings when the suspension came.

Dubai has staged a sevens event every year since the inaugural tournament in 1970.

World Rugby chief executive Brett Gosper said: "This is a prudent decision taken with the health and wellbeing of the global rugby community and wider society as our top priority and guided by the relevant government and international public health authority advice.

"We look forward to welcoming these wonderful destinations back to the series following this year's hiatus."

Last week it was announced that England men's and women's sevens players - some of whom are due to compete in next year's rescheduled Tokyo Olympics - may not have their contracts renewed because of the financial impact of coronavirus.

The Portland Timbers grabbed a quarterfinal berth in the MLS is Back Tournament by recording a 4-2 edge in penalty kicks after battling to a 1-1 draw with FC Cincinnati on Tuesday in their Round of 16 match near Orlando.

The Timbers converted all four of their penalty kicks, and goalkeeper Steve Clark atoned for a mental miscue by making a diving save on Jurgen Locadia in the third round. FC Cincinnati's Kendall Waston shot high in the next round, and Portland's Jaroslav Niezgoda converted to end the match.

Portland moves on to a Saturday matchup against New York City FC, who posted a 3-1 victory over Toronto FC in a Round of 16 clash on Sunday.

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Niezgoda scored in the 67th minute and Clark finished with four saves for the Timbers, who avenged a 3-0 setback to FC Cincinnati in the teams' only other meeting on March 17, 2019.

With Portland nursing a 1-0 lead late in the second half, Clark inexplicably attempted to play the ball with his feet before ultimately fouling Locadia in the penalty box. Locadia made Clark pay for his mental miscue by sending the penalty kick inside the left post in the 81st minute for his second goal of the season.

Locadia, however, was unable to take advantage of a golden opportunity just six minutes later, as he misfired on an open net from close range.

FC Cincinnati nearly opened the scoring in the 61st minute after Mathieu Deplagne deflected home a long cross by Haris Medunjanin. Video review, however, revealed that Deplagne was offside.

The Timbers responded in short order, with Sebastian Blanco exploiting a defensive lapse to move up along the goal line before his centering feed was converted by Niezgoda. The goal was the second in as many matches for Niezgoda, who scored his first in MLS during a 2-2 draw with LAFC on Thursday.

Did you hear the one about the Uruguayan, the Dutchman and the Spaniard? It goes like this: They'd all walk into almost any other team than the one they're at, but each of them -- at Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, respectively -- has had to fight for a starting place, a role, a specific position. They've had to fight for their right to dream of winning the Champions League this month.

They are, of course, Federico Valverde, Frenkie de Jong and Marcos Llorente.

Valverde can become only the third Uruguayan ever to start in a winning European Cup final, should Madrid make it that far. De Jong's first season at Camp Nou has been flecked with injuries, a change of coach and the whiff of decline around him. Llorente has excelled for Atleti after being forced out of the club he supports (Madrid) in part by the emergence and indeed importance of Valverde.

Can any of these three help his club lay hands on the Champions League trophy after the longest, weirdest campaign in the competition's 65-year history?

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They are all football striplings playing in sides in which the iconic players are a decade, or more, older. They are mere babes in arms, yet they are important, and each could be deeply influential if their club is to progress in the one-off Champions League phase that arrives next week.

Take Valverde. Yes, he's played in Zinedine Zidane's side 43 times this season, but he only turned 22 a matter of days ago and he's got a knowledge and experience deficit on Sergio Ramos, Luka Modric and Karim Benzema of anything from 11 to 13 years. The Uruguayan -- who has just won his first two Madrid trophies in this, his real breakthrough season -- has become such a ball winner, so intelligent in the destructive and creative side of all the things Spain's new champions do well that it's tough to digest that he's only actually started five Champions League matches so far. This is a talent still in search of his perfect position, perfect role, perfect moment to emerge and fit like jigsaw pieces.

For Julen Lopetegui last season, Valverde might just as well not have existed. He made the odd bench appearance, but didn't get one chance in La Liga. Santi Solari favoured the Uruguayan, but only generally as someone to get loose-change minutes at the end of a match. In a queue for midfield places, Llorente -- then still at the Bernabeu -- was favoured. How times change, and how quickly.

As soon the dynamic Valverde started for Solari, at Real Betis, Real Madrid won. As soon as Zidane took over, Valverde began to be a regular first pick. Now he's influential, successful, a title winner and someone whose star is on the rise.

"Modern midfielders have to be a combination of everything. We are back in an age of total football," he said. "I love the pressing side of our game, cutting out passes, robbing possession ... and of course giving goal assists or scoring remain important. But I try to make my performances a compendium of all those things."

Valverde truly earned his spurs in the Spanish Super Cup last January. There were five minutes left, in a Madrid derby no less, and for medals this time.

Alvaro Morata was sent racing through on goal by a Saul pass and Valverde 100% cynically hacked the striker down from behind. A red card was brandished, a melee ensued, no goal came from the subsequent free kick (the tackle was cleverly timed just before Morata reached the penalty box) and, within minutes, a penalty shootout was won by Los Blancos, after which Valverde was named man of the match.

So the Uruguayan's value and Zidane's respect for this iron fist and silk glove of a kid are both well established, but Valverde tired during the last few matches after restart, began to see his name listed as a substitute slightly more often and Zidane's 4-3-3 formation -- in which Modric, Casemiro and Toni Kroos often start -- began to develop touchstone status.

Against Manchester City next week, trailing 2-1 and without captain Sergio Ramos, will Valverde start? If so, in which position? Will his powerful running, ability to win the ball and do damage high up the pitch give the 2017 and 2018 winners an outside chance against Pep Guardiola's City? Perhaps particularly as an impact sub?

Don't bet against him.

De Jong is a different case. Barely a year older than Valverde the Dutchman's stats add up in stark contrast.

The veteran of a Europa League final, De Jong has starred in wins over Schalke, Benfica, Tottenham, Juventus, Real Madrid, Internazionale and Borussia Dortmund in UEFA competition already. Mobile and daring, with the capacity to drift past opponents or organise a passing game from deep, there's still legitimate excitement about what this youngster will be able to do as he matures. Of Barcelona's recent mega purchases (Ousmane Dembele, Philippe Coutinho, Antoine Griezmann), De Jong has attracted the least criticism, but if he's truly a thoroughbred footballer -- and for Ajax and the Netherlands that looks to be the case -- when will his club start to yield the fruits of their huge outlay?

What's true is that when he was taking Europe by storm, and winning at both the Bernabeu and Juventus Stadium last season, De Jong played as one of two organising midfielders in a 4-2-3-1 formation. It wouldn't really shock anyone if the belaboured and out-of-his-depth Quique Setien utilised such a setup to try to to shake off Napoli's toothy grip on Barcelona's ankles next week. The tie is balanced 1-1 but Gennaro Gattuso's side, which edged out Juve to win the Coppa Italia in a display that would have given Barcelona fans chills, will arrive with fewer problems.

Around De Jong, not for the first time, there are some chaotic scenes.

Arthur, who's about to join Juve, has effectively gone AWOL -- home in Brazil and making it clear he has no further interest in helping the club he's about to leave. Arturo Vidal? He's enjoyed a vivacious short break after Barcelona lost the league title and he's suspended from the Napoli return leg after his red card in Italy back in ... well, can anyone remember when the first leg was played? It's so long ago. Just to add to the debilitating facts facing a Barcelona side that, admittedly, hasn't lost in 35 home Champions League matches, Sergio Busquets is also suspended, meaning that barring any training ground injuries an Ivan Rakitic-De Jong partnership is a racing certainty. At the back, Barcelona are striving to get Clement Lenglet fit from a groin injury to partner the ever-solid Gerard Pique, while Sam Umtiti is definitely going to be absent with an injury and Ronald Araujo sprained his ankle quite badly last weekend.

This is a moment for De Jong, potentially restored to the organising two-man defensive barrier in front of a back four and behind a creative trident plus Luis Suarez as the lone striker, to make the key impact of his debut season. This is an opportunity to revisit the quarterfinal stage when, last season against Madrid, he made such a massive impact.

Can he? Will he? Is Setien smart enough to give De Jong a platform via which he comes to the aid of his club? We shall soon see.

And that leaves us with Llorente.

This latest product of a footballing dynasty, his father, his uncle and his great uncle (Paco Llorente, Julio Llorente and the mighty Paco Gento) won nearly 40 trophies between them -- all with Real Madrid. Paco and Julio were defenders, great uncle Paco was an utterly irresistible, bullish winger -- one of the all time greats -- but Marcos was an organising midfielder: busy, athletic, tidy, determined. He has not been dominant anywhere other than his loan season at Alaves, where he was the drum major for their march to La Liga safety and the Copa del Rey final under Mauricio Pellegrino.

Llorente had been little lost, a little so-so in Diego Simeone's setup when used as midfield pivote, but now the ex-Madrid man, who's becoming the darling of the Atleti fans, is suddenly a talisman: a goal-getting, goal-making striker, a Simeone invention that is beginning to look like a little stroke of maverick genius. An adjustment of about 25 meters' distance in pitch position has rocketed Llorente out of the world of blue-collar defensive midfielders and into the galaxy of forwards where superstars cavort like meteors.

The experiment began at Anfield in the round of 16. The reigning champions were 2-0 up, threatening to cut loose and looking deserved winners of the tie. Ten minutes after the break, Simeone withdrew his only striker, ignored Morata on the bench, put on Llorente and asked him to play as a false nine. There was nobody for Virgil van Dijk or Joe Gomez to mark as Atleti looked to arrive around the box. The goal-scoring responsibility had been given to Llorente.

When stand-in Liverpool keeper Adrian made a horrible mistake and kicked directly to Joao Felix, Atleti still looked nowhere near clawing a goal back. Llorente took the assist from his Portuguese teammate, produced a world-championship snooker shot into the far corner and the tie had changed. Irrevocably. Llorente reacted like a man of destiny. He did the same with his next opportunity, as Liverpool stood off him, then with quick mind and dextrous feet, he sent Morata clean through for the 3-2 goal.

Lockdown would soon follow, giving Simeone time to reflect, and he declared to his squad (plus the media) that he didn't believe Morata and Diego Costa could play together. Llorente then starred as a striker in a squad practice match, scoring the only goal.

From that day on Merseyside to this, he's been transformed.

Not only is his enjoyment clear to see, not only has he added goals and assists to Atletico, he's also injected dynamism to a side that, finally, seems to be shedding some of its bone-dry conservatism and playing with added verve and electricity. Llorente is only one cog in the machine, but his importance and his likelihood to influence Atleti's progress to their first Champions League semifinal since 2017 have all increased exponentially.

Perhaps Zidane and Setien may, with minor adjustments for Valverde and De Jong, achieve something similar?

Here comes the Champions League, where even tiny tactical decisions, if they click, can win you the biggest prize.

WASHINGTON -- The World Series champion Washington Nationals are 1-4 after losing three games in a row. Normally? Not a big deal. But it matters more in a 60-game, pandemic-shortened season.

Missing slugger Juan Soto, they've scored a grand total of four runs during the skid, including a 5-1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday that included two outfielders colliding on a home run by Toronto's Vladimir Guerrero Jr., two errors by second baseman Starlin Castro that led to three unearned runs and one hit for Washington after the third inning.

"In a longer season, you get time to feel these things out," said Nationals shortstop Trea Turner, who was caught stealing in the sixth, one of the gaffes manager Dave Martinez noted afterward. "Now it's definitely magnified."

There's no doubt that Soto's absence is a big deal. He has been out since Opening Day because of a positive COVID-19 test.

"We definitely miss him," Turner said, "and we need him back."

Martinez agree, but he also wanted to set aside the scoring issues because, as he put it, "The hitting's going to come and go."

More worrisome to a skipper who turned this club around after it opened 2019 with a 19-31 mark were the other problems.

"The overall play. The defense. The baserunning. We've got to clean that up. We've got to play better," he said. "We've got to play better. Can't make those mental mistakes. Those are mental mistakes to me. And we'll get it. Sometimes when you're trying to create something, make things happen, you start overthinking or overanalyzing, just trying to do something aggressively. I want these guys just to relax and play baseball. Just have some fun."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.