The 2016-17 NBA season hasn’t started and commissioner Adam Silver already has good news about next season: It appears there’s no chance it will be affected by a work stoppage. Silver said Friday the league and players have made ‘‘tremendous progress’’ toward an extension of the collective bargaining agreement. Silver said the sides seem eager to make a deal long before Dec. 15, when either side can notify the other of its intention to opt out of the 10-year pact, which expires in June 2021 . . . Officials in the NBA’s Replay Center in Secaucus, N.J., will make the ruling this season on all reviews except player altercations and flagrant fouls, which will fall to the referees on the court. The expanded role for the Replay Center includes replays involving plays such as clear-path fouls and shot-clock violations.
WNBA refs erred in clincher
The WNBA said officials missed a shot-clock violation in the Finals’ deciding Game 5 on Thursday night in which the Sparks beat the defending champion Lynx, 77-76, in Minneapolis. Renee Brown, WNBA chief of basketball operations and player relations, said a basket by Los Angeles’s Nneka Ogwumike’s with 1:14 remaining should not have counted due to a shot-clock violation, and that the referees improperly failed to review the play under the instant-replay rules. Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said the league needed to do more than just apologize and ‘‘send a memo’’ . . . Philadelphia 76ers forward Nerlens Noel will need surgery on his left knee, though the team hasn’t announced a timetable for the Everett native’s return.
The Sacramento Kings exercised their third-year option on center Willie Cauley-Stein . . . North Carolina junior swingman Theo Pinson is out indefinitely with a broken bone in his right foot . . . Florida freshman forward Dontay Bassett will miss the season because of a stress fracture in his right foot.
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GOLF
Thomas still hot at PGA event
Justin Thomas had a 6-under-par 66 to take a two-stroke lead halfway through the PGA Tour’s CIMB Classic in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, staying within striking distance of the tournament record he set in winning the title here last year. Thomas started the second round in a three-way share of the lead after opening with a 64, and followed with a bogey-free round containing six birdies to move to 14-under 130, two shots clear of Asian Tour leader Anirban Lahiri (66). Thomas won his first PGA title last year in a tournament-record 26-under 262 . . . Minjee Lee navigated Jian Lake’s undulating greens again to stretch her lead to six strokes in the Blue Bay LPGA in Hainan, China. Lee followed her opening 7-under 65 with a bogey-free 67. Caroline Masson was second at 6 under after her second straight 69 . . . Andy Sullivan had 10 birdies in a 10-under round of 61 to take a share of the lead after two rounds of the Portugal Masters in Vilamoura. The Englishman, who won last year’s event by a record nine shots, pulled level with overnight leader Marc Warren (65) at 14-under 128.
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WINTER SPORTS
Hirscher is world’s skier of year
Overall World Cup champion Marcel Hirscher was voted world skier of the year for a third time. The Austrian also won the award in 2012 and 2015. Hirscher will start his quest for an unprecedented sixth straight overall title in Sunday’s season opener on home snow in Soelden . . . Innsbruck would have ‘‘an excellent chance’’ of hosting the 2026 Winter Olympics if the Austrian city decides to bid for the Games, a top IOC official said Friday. International Olympic Committee executive board member Gian Franco Kasper told the Associated Press that Innsbruck would need to join with other cities — probably Salzburg and venues in Italy or Germany — to be able to stage all events. The IOC will accept bids for the 2026 Olympics next year, with the host to be chosen in 2019. Innsbruck has hosted the Winter Games twice, in 1964 and 1976.
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NHL
Winnik loses part of his ear
Capitals forward Daniel Winnik lost a part of his right ear when he was struck in the head Thursday while blocking a shot in Washington’s 4-2 victory at Florida. Winnik, the only Capitals skater who doesn’t wear a protective visor, was hit when he slid to block Reilly Smith’s shot in the third period. Winnik, formerly of the University of New Hampshire, returned to finish the game . . . Flyers forward Dale Weise was suspended for three games without pay by the NHL for an illegal check to Ducks defenseman Korbinian Holzer’s head. The hit came in the second period of the Flyers’ 3-2 home loss Thursday night. Weise wasn’t called for a penalty. The suspension will cost Weise $39,167.
Wayne Gretzky will make a rare return to the ice Saturday to play alongside other former Edmonton Oilers greats against Winnipeg Jets alumni as part of the Heritage Classic weekend in Manitoba. The outdoor alumni game is the second for Gretzky. He laced up for a similar Heritage Classic matchup in 2003 between former Oilers and Montreal Canadiens.
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TENNIS
Kuznetsova stays on course
Top-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova beat fourth-seeded Elina Svitolina, 6-1, 6-7 (2-7), 6-4, in the Kremlin Cup semifinals in Moscow to remain on course to claim the last spot in the WTA Finals. Kuznetsova will qualify for the finals in Singapore on Sunday only if she wins the tournament. Otherwise, the place will go to Johanna Konta. Kuznetsova will face Daria Gavrilova in the final. Gavriolva defeated Julia Goerges, 7-5, 6-1. In the men’s event, Fabio Fognini upset second-seeded Albert Ramos-Vinolas, 6-2, 6-2, to face in the semis third-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber, who beat Thomaz Bellucci, 6-4, 6-2 . . . Grigor Dimitrov advanced to the semifinals of the Stockholm Open by beating Kevin Anderson, 7-6 (7-3), 5-7, 6-2. In the semifinals, Dimitrov will face Olympic silver medalist Juan Martin del Potro, who withstood 12 aces to beat Ivo Karlovic, 6-3, 6-4. Fourth-seeded Alexander Zverev beat Tobias Kamke, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5), to set up a semifinal against sixth-seeded American Jack Sock. Sock won, 6-4, 6-4, against Gastao Elias . . . Top-seeded David Goffin had more trouble than expected against Romanian qualifier Marius Copil, rallying to win, 5-7, 6-1, 6-3, to reach the semifinals of the European Open in Antwerp, Belgium. The No. 12-ranked Goffin next plays Diego Schwartzman, who downed fourth-seeded Pablo Cuevas, 7-6 (10-8), 6-3. Third-seeded Richard Gasquet of France advanced to the last four by beating Jan-Lennard Struff, 6-2, 6-4. Kyle Edmund beat Andreas Seppi, 6-3, 6-4.
SOCCER
Barcelona finalizes extension with Neymar
Barcelona forward Neymar signed a three-year contract extension that ties him to the Spanish champion through June 2021. The new contract includes a buyout clause that increases from 200 million euros ($217 million) in its first year, to 220 million euros in the second year, to 250 million euros in the third year . . . Having fully recovered from a groin injury, Barcelona star Lionel Messi was named to Argentina’s squad to face Brazil and Colombia in the next round of World Cup qualifiers.
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MISCELLANY
Bunning recovering from stroke
Baseball Hall of Famer and former US Senator Jim Bunning suffered a stroke this week but is out of intensive care. Bunning turns 85 on Sunday . . . American Ashley Wagner won the Progressive Skate America short program in Hoffman Estates, Ill., with a score of 69.50, building on her second-place finish in the world championships. Japan’s Mai Mihara, making her Grand Prix Series debut at 17, was second at 65.75, and US champion Gracie Gold third at 64.87. The free skate will determine the champion Saturday . . . Formula One leader Nico Rosberg posted the fastest lap in practice sessions (1 minute 37.358 seconds) at the US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas.