Sports News Roundup: League suspends marijuana tests for 2020-21 season, cites pandemic challenges; California order won't impact Warrors, Kings and more

California order won't impact Warrors, Kings The Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings will not be directly impacted by the new California stay-at-home order as the teams continue their preparations for the upcoming season.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Exclusive: WTA looks to start 2021 season on January 4 outside Australia

The WTA is planning to start the 2021 season in the first week of January outside Australia before the players travel to Melbourne for quarantine ahead of the Grand Slam, women's tour chief Steve Simon told Reuters. "We're looking right now at hopefully close to finalising in the next week or so the ability to stage some events in the week of Jan. 4 to start the year," he said by telephone from the United States.

League suspends marijuana tests for 2020-21 season, cites pandemic challenges

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and its NBPA players' association have agreed to suspend random testing for marijuana during the 2020-21 season, a league spokesman said on Friday. Players have already arrived in their home cities for the 72-game season, which starts on Dec. 22, two months after the NBA concluded last season inside a controlled quarantine "bubble" at Walt Disney World due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

California order won't impact Warrors, Kings

The Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings will not be directly impacted by the new California stay-at-home order as the teams continue their preparations for the upcoming season. The San Francisco Chronicle reported Friday that the Warriors can practice and play games at the new Chase Center, while the Sacramento Bee reported that the Kings also can continue preparations in their home arena.

NHL aiming for mid-January start to new season, reports say

The National Hockey League (NHL) is targeting a mid-January start to its season that would wrap up the Stanley Cup Final in July, according to multiple media reports on Friday. According to TSN, the league and NHL Players' Association have shared multiple draft schedules, including a 56-game and 52-game regular-season scenario instead of the usual 82 games.

Jordan, Obama, Kaepernick jerseys set records at sports auction

Historic jerseys from the careers of Michael Jordan, Colin Kaepernick and former U.S. President Barack Obama set sales records at an auction of sports memorabilia this week, Julien's Auctions said on Friday. The official National Basketball Association jersey given to Jordan on the day he signed with the Chicago Bulls in 1984 sold for $320,000, the highest price ever paid for a Jordan jersey.

Top 25 roundup: Marquette nips No. 4 Wisconsin at buzzer

Justin Lewis scored on a one-handed put-back of a D.J. Carton free-throw miss at the buzzer for the final two of his game-high 18 points, lifting Marquette to a 67-65 victory against No. 4 Wisconsin on Friday night in Milwaukee. Lewis added eight rebounds and two blocks for the Golden Eagles, who earned their first win against a Top 5 program since rallying from a 17-point deficit to edge No. 1 Villanova in January 2017.

Sakhir GP not a Mercedes shootout between Bottas and Russell, says Wolff

Formula One champions Mercedes are not treating this weekend's Sakhir Grand Prix as a shootout between team regular Valtteri Bottas and super-sub George Russell, team principal Toto Wolff said on Friday. Russell, a 22-year-old who is in only his second season in Formula One, has been called up to stand in for Lewis Hamilton after the seven-times world champion tested positive for COVID-19.

Trump signs anti-doping act into law

U.S. President Donald Trump signed into law on Friday a bill that lets U.S. justice officials pursue criminal penalties against those involved in doping conspiracies at international events involving American athletes, sponsors or broadcasters. The Rodchenkov Act, named after the whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov who helped expose Russia's state-sponsored doping, empowers prosecutors to seek fines of up to $1 million and jail terms of up to 10 years, as well restitution to victims.

Former 800m world champion Arzamasova gets four-year doping ban

Former 800 metres world champion Marina Arzamasova of Belarus has been banned for four years for an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV), the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said on Friday. Arzamasova, who won gold at the 2015 worlds, was tested out of competition in 2019 and a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) laboratory reported an adverse finding after discovering the presence of an anabolic agent on the Prohibited List.

Grillo storms into halfway lead in Mexico

Emiliano Grillo's birdie blitz vaulted the Argentine to a four stroke lead heading into the weekend at the Mayakoba Classic in Playa del Carmen, Mexico on Friday. The 29-year-old nailed nine birdies and one bogey for a round of 63 on a soggy day at the El Camaleon Golf Club. He is 13-under par for the tournament, where he is looking to claim his second win on the PGA Tour.

(With inputs from agencies.)