Sports News Roundup: Knicks cruise in rout of Celtics; Davis Cup Finals to take place over 11 days and more

NBA roundup: Knicks cruise in rout of Celtics Julius Randle and RJ Barrett each posted double-doubles Sunday afternoon as the visiting New York Knicks snapped a five-game losing streak with their most lopsided win in almost five years, a 105-75 rout of the Boston Celtics.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Vanderbilt's Fuller invited to attend Biden inauguration

Vanderbilt Commodores' Sarah Fuller, who in November became the first woman to play in a Power 5 conference American football game, said she has been invited to attend U.S. President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration on Wednesday. Fuller, who is a goalkeeper for Vanderbilt University women's soccer team, said it was an honour to be invited to one of "America's greatest traditions".

Tennis: Davis Cup Finals to take place over 11 days, three cities

The 2021 Davis Cup Finals will be held over 11 days rather than seven and will almost certainly be staged across three cities, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) confirmed on Monday. The changes proposed by the ITF's event partner Kosmos Tennis, the Spanish-based investment firm who are pumping in $3 billion over 25 years, were agreed by the ITF Board.

Problems mount for Australian Open as four more participants infected

More players were forced into hard quarantine ahead of the Australian Open with officials confirming on Monday that four additional participants, including an athlete, tested positive for COVID-19 among those arriving in Melbourne. Health authorities in Victoria state have now reported nine infections among passengers who arrived on charter flights for the Feb. 8-21 Australian Open and officials said more cases may come to light as testing continues.

Japan PM vows to press ahead with Olympics despite virus surge

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga vowed on Monday to forge ahead with preparations to hold the Tokyo Olympics this summer, in the face of growing public opposition as Japan battles a surge in coronavirus infections. Suga faces heightened scrutiny after Taro Kono, his administrative and reform minister, told Reuters last week the Games may not go ahead as planned, becoming the first cabinet member to voice doubt over their staging.

NBA roundup: Knicks cruise in rout of Celtics

Julius Randle and RJ Barrett each posted double-doubles Sunday afternoon as the visiting New York Knicks snapped a five-game losing streak with their most lopsided win in almost five years, a 105-75 rout of the Boston Celtics. The Knicks never trailed in producing their biggest margin of victory since March 9, 2016, when they defeated the Phoenix Suns, 128-97. It was also New York's most lopsided victory over the Celtics since a 102-70 win on Nov. 4, 1997.

Tennis: German Zverev splits with Federer's management firm

German Alexander Zverev has parted ways with Roger Federer's sports management company Team8, the world number seven said. Zverev, who recently split with coach David Ferrer, reached his maiden Grand Slam final at the U.S. Open, picked up two ATP titles in Cologne and made the final of the ATP Masters 1000 event in Paris in 2020.

NBA postpones Sunday's Thunder vs. 76ers game

Just hours before tipoff Sunday, the NBA postponed a second game on the day's schedule -- the Philadelphia 76ers at the Oklahoma City Thunder -- expanding the number of games the league has postponed to 15 in the first month of the season. "Because of ongoing contact tracing within the Sixers, the team does not have the league-required eight available players to proceed with the scheduled game against the Thunder," the league announced.

Golf: Spirited finish allows Kevin Na to win Sony Open

Kevin Na overcame a three-stroke deficit with six holes to play with three straight birdies and another on the 18th hole to win the Sony Open in Honolulu on Sunday. Na carded a 5-under-par 65 on Sunday to finish at 21-under 259 at Waialae Country Club.

Belarus stripped of ice hockey world championship after crackdown on protesters

Belarus has been stripped of the right to co-host this year's ice hockey world championship due to safety concerns over political unrest and the COVID-19 pandemic there, the sport's governing body said on Monday, in a blow to President Alexander Lukashenko. The move deprives Lukashenko, an avid hockey fan, of a stage to host the biggest international event planned in the country since he claimed victory last August in a vote the opposition said was rigged and marred with violations.

Chiefs survive loss of QB Mahomes, reach AFC Championship

The reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs beat the Cleveland Browns on Sunday to reach the AFC Championship, but it may have come at a cost as Patrick Mahomes was knocked out of the game during the third quarter due to a concussion. With the winner of next week's game between the Chiefs and visiting Buffalo Bills moving onto the Feb. 7 Super Bowl, all eyes will turn to Kansas City to see if quarterback Mahomes will be healthy enough to compete.