Basketball's World Cup finally gets underway on Friday.

NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)TAMPA, Fla. – Wayne Ellington scored 25 points and the Detroit Pistons beat the virus-depleted Toronto Raptors 129-105 on Wednesday night to snap a three-game losing streak. The Raptors played without Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby, three of their top four scorers, and reserves Malachi Flynn and Patrick McCaw because of the NBA's health and safety protocols. Toronto's scheduled Sunday night game against Chicago Bulls also was postponed. Raptors: F Yuta Watanabe got his first NBA start, but did not score.

(AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)The Toronto Raptors’ issues with the coronavirus have worsened, prompting the NBA to call off their game scheduled for Sunday night against the Chicago Bulls. Toronto played Friday without head coach Nick Nurse, several other assistants and staffers and starting forward Pascal Siakam because of virus-related issues. The Raptors-Bulls game is the 30th to be postponed so far this season because of COVID-19 testing or contact tracing. All NBA players and coaches are tested daily. During the season's second half, which runs from March 10 through May 16, the Raptors and Bulls share 19 days without a game on their schedules.

Tom Moore, the 100-year-old World War II veteran who captivated the British public in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic with his fundraising efforts died, Tuesday Feb. 2, 2021. Commercial applicants will be required to provide evidence that the coronavirus pandemic caused them to lose at least 35% of revenue in 2020. ___RAMALLAH, West Bank — The Palestinian government announced a 12-day lockdown in the Israeli-occupied West Bank after a surge in coronavirus cases, including new variants. The death toll stands at 3,685, with more than a dozen deaths reported Friday. ___WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — The Navajo Nation has continued on a downward trend in the number of daily coronavirus cases.

(AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)TAMPA, Fla. – Norman Powell scored 30 points, Kyle Lowry had a triple-double and the depleted Toronto Raptors beat the Houston Rockets 122-111 on Friday night. AdLowry had 20 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists to help the Raptors hand the Rockets their 10th straight loss. Victor Oladipo led the Rockets with 27 points, and John Wall had 21 points and 12 assists. TIP-INSRockets: The last time the Rockets lost 10 straight games was Nov. 23-Dec. 20, 2001 during a 15-game losing streak. Raptors: The Raptors have not been involved in any of the NBA's 29 coronavirus postponements so far this season.

Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse talks to players during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Friday, Feb. 19, 2021, in Minneapolis. Assistant coach Sergio Scariolo was promoted to coach the team's game in Tampa, Florida, against the Rockets. Scariolo had been away from the Raptors while coaching Spain in FIBA's EuroBasket 2022 qualifiers and just cleared quarantine Friday. Ad“I don't know how many hundreds or thousands of games he's been a head coach," Raptors general manager Bobby Webster said about Scariolo. Webster said the team isn't certain if Siakam's issue is related to the issue with the coaching staff.

Ricky Rubio of Spain celebrates with Head Coach Sergio Scariolo during the finals between Argentina and Spain of 2019 FIBA World Cup at the Cadillac Arena on September 15, 2019 in Beijing, China. BEIJING (CNN) - Spain captured its second FIBA basketball World Cup title after defeating Argentina 95-75 in the gold medal game at the Wukesong Arena in Beijing on Sunday. He won the NBA championship with the Toronto Raptors and becomes the second player to win an NBA title and the FIBA World Cup title in the same year. He was among five players named to the FIBA World Cup 2019 All-Star Five. The Spaniards won their first basketball World Cup title in 2006 in Japan.