NBA

Key points:

• LeBron James scored the record-breaking shot in the third quarter of the match against the Oklahoma City Thunder
• Previous record holder Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was courtside to witness his record being broken
• The record had stood for over 38 years

Needing just 36 points to eclipse former Laker Abdul-Jabbar's tally of 38,387, James completed the record in the third quarter of the contest against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Warriors sharpshooter needed two triples against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday (all times AEDT) to go past Ray Allen’s record of 2,973 career three-pointers made in the regular season.

And he got it done early, burying a shot from deep in the opening minute to tie Allen’s record, before hitting another one at the 7:33 mark to surpass him.

A timeout was called immediately after as Curry received a standing ovation at Madison Square Garden in a special moment where he celebrated with his parents, fans, teammates, coaches and officials.

The potential plan would see the league hold games at a single site, the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, a sprawling athletic complex inside the Orlando resort that has three arenas, hotels and would allow the league to limit outside exposure.

"Our priority continues to be the health and safety of all involved, and we are working with public health experts and government officials on a comprehensive set of guidelines to ensure that appropriate medical protocols and protections are in place," NBA spokesman Mike Bass said in a statement outlining the plan.

New York has been hit hard by coronavirus, with more than 3,500 deaths and the number of recorded cases exceeding 113,000.

In collaboration with the Knicks, Nets and Huang, the NBA is moving to help New York's workers.

"The @NBA is contributing 1 million desperately needed surgical masks for New York's essential workers in collaboration with @nyknicks, @BrooklynNets and China's Consul General Huang Ping," governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, wrote on Twitter on Saturday.

"New York thanks you. We are beyond grateful for this gift of critically needed PPE."

Competitions including the Premier League, the NBA and Formula One were off as sport attempts to combat the spread of the virus.

There have been over 160,000 confirmed cases and more than 6,000 deaths worldwide.

Without work to keep them busy, athletes were finding other ways to entertain themselves - and often posting evidence online.

Tyson Fury would not have been in boxing action this weekend, as it is just weeks since his stunning world heavyweight title defeat of Deontay Wilder, but he was still impacted by coronavirus.

Bryant, an 18-time All-Star and five-time championship winner with the Los Angeles Lakers, is feared dead following the tragedy that saw five people killed when an aircraft went down near Calabasas, California.

Before the first game of Sunday's NBA programme, a home fixture for the Denver Nuggets against the Houston Rockets, a moment of silence was held to mark the tragedy.

Players from both sides bowed their heads as stadium lights were dimmed to remember global superstar Bryant.

Bryant sat courtside as his former team the Lakers beat the Hawks 122-101 at Staples Center, where James shared an embrace with the five-time NBA champion.

James, who posted 33 points and 12 rebounds on Sunday, acknowledged Bryant in the opening quarter as the past met the present before nailing a three-pointer in Los Angeles.

"He is one of the greatest players to have played this game," James told reporters post-game. "I'm just trying put on a show for him.

Los Angeles Lakers superstar James was critical of Morey on Monday, labelling the Rockets GM "misinformed" for his tweet about the unrest involving China and Hong Kong.

Morey issued an apology for a now-deleted tweet, that read "Fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong" amid the ongoing protests in the region.

The tweet angered Chinese officials and caused backlash in the Asian country against the Rockets and the NBA, which has financial interests in China worth billions of dollars.

Recording a triple-double for the 42nd time this year, Westbrook has now beaten Hall of Famer' Oscar Robertson's record for most triple-doubles set in 1961-2.

The 6'3 (190.5cm) point-guard from Lawndale, California is the first man in 55 years to average a triple-double.

This means he has averaged at least 10 for scoring, assists and rebounding for an entire NBA season (82 games).

The 28-year-old broke Robertson's record on the road, in a buzzer-beating win against the Denver Nuggets.

In order to give both sides enough time to review the terms of the agreement and vote to ratify, the parties have agreed to extend the mutual deadline to opt out of the existing CBA from Dec. 15, 2016, to Jan. 13, 2017.

Specific terms will be made available at a later date.

Of note, the new CBA, once ratified, will shorten the NBA's preseason in the interest of beginning the regular season one week earlier beginning 2017-18, according to reports.