Sports News Roundup: Mets' Francisco Lindor deal boosts World Series odds; Dominant 2nd quarter propels Trail Blazers past Timberwolves and more

Dominant 2nd quarter propels Trail Blazers past Timberwolves Damian Lillard scored 39 points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished seven assists, and the Portland Trail Blazers cruised to a 135-117 win over the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Mets' Francisco Lindor deal boosts World Series odds

Francisco Lindor landed with the New York Mets and oddsmakers swiftly boosted the franchise's 2021 World Series odds. Lindor, an All-Star shortstop with the Cleveland Indians, was traded to New York on Thursday.

Tennis-Top three men, women to quarantine in Adelaide ahead of Australian Open

Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal will be among top men and women players heading to Adelaide to serve their 14-day mandatory quarantine before travelling to Melbourne for next month's Australian Open, organisers have said. Hundreds of players and entourages will arrive in Australia from Jan. 15 and undergo a mandatory, 14-day quarantine as part of COVID-19 health protocols before the Feb. 8-21 Australian Open at Melbourne Park.

Dominant 2nd quarter propels Trail Blazers past Timberwolves

Damian Lillard scored 39 points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished seven assists, and the Portland Trail Blazers cruised to a 135-117 win over the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night. C.J. McCollum added 20 points for the Trail Blazers, and Jusuf Nurkic had 17 points and seven rebounds. Portland (4-4) snapped a two-game skid and posted its highest-scoring effort of the season.

Olympics-Prioritise athletes for vaccine so Tokyo Games can go ahead - IOC member

Athletes should be prioritised for the novel coronavirus vaccine so the beleaguered Tokyo Games can go ahead later this year, according to senior Olympics official Dick Pound. Canadian Pound, the longest-serving member of the International Olympics Committee (IOC), told Sky News in the UK that the Games could still go ahead with mass athlete participation, but only if they were vaccinated. NBA roundup: Last-second put-back lifts Celtics past Heat

Rookie guard Payton Pritchard scored on a put-back with two-tenths of a second left to give the Boston Celtics a 107-105 win over the host Miami Heat on Wednesday night. The 6-foot-2 Pritchard followed up on a missed drive by Marcus Smart. LaMarcus Aldridge leads Spurs past Lakers

LaMarcus Aldridge had 28 points to lead the San Antonio Spurs past the host Los Angeles Lakers 118-109 on Thursday. DeMar DeRozan, who managed just six points in San Antonio's win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday, had 19 points and eight assists, Dejounte Murray contributed 18 points and eight boards and Rudy Gay had 15 points for the Spurs, who snapped the Lakers' four-game winning streak. Patty Mills finished with 10 points. NFL-Ahead of Wild Card round, Brees says he's playing each season like it's his last

After two decades in the NFL, quarterback Drew Brees has gotten good at deflecting unwanted questions. It's a valuable skill to have, as a particularly stubborn question swirls around the 13-time Pro Bowler ahead of his New Orleans Saints' Wild Card showdown against the Chicago Bears on Sunday. Has he decided whether this season will be his last? Fifth-seed Tommy Paul rolls to opening win at Delray Beach

Fifth-seeded Tommy Paul registered five aces on Thursday while cruising to a 6-1, 6-4 victory over South Korean Ji Sung Nam in the first round of the Delray Beach Open in Florida. Paul will next face fellow American Sebastian Korda, who notched a 6-4, 6-4 victory over South Korea's Soon Woo Kwon. Sixth-seeded Sam Querrey also advanced, beating Mackenzie McDonald 6-3, 6-4 in a clash of Americans. 76ers G Seth Curry tests positive for COVID-19

Philadelphia 76ers guard Seth Curry tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, prompting the team to spend the night in New York after losing to the Brooklyn Nets, ESPN reported. Curry didn't play in the 122-109 loss due to an ankle injury. He was reportedly tested for COVID-19 on Thursday morning and the 76ers were informed of the positive result shortly before tip-off. Luka Doncic has 38 as Mavericks top Nuggets in OT

Luka Doncic had 38 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds, Josh Richardson scored five of his 14 points in overtime, and the visiting Dallas Mavericks defeated the Denver Nuggets 124-117 on Thursday night. Dorian Finney-Smith also had 14 points for Dallas, while Boban Marjanovic added 12 points and Tim Hardaway Jr. had 11 points.