An estimated 99,446 Americans died of COVID-19 by June 1, according to data compiled by the COVID Tracking Project. Based on the study’s findings, approximately 39,779 lives could have been saved by that date if all employees who regularly interacted with customers in person were required to wear masks two months earlier. The study, titled “Causal Impact of Masks, Policies, Behavior on Early Covid-19 Pandemic in the U.S.,” was published on Medrxiv last month but has not yet been peer-reviewed....

There is a wide range of treatments for OA, from making lifestyle changes such as weight loss to taking pain medication to, in severe cases, surgery. There also are a handful of natural remedies for osteoarthritis. Not all are recommended. Avocado/Soybean Unsaponifiables Avocado/soybean unsaponifiables are among the most promising arthritis remedies. Several studies have suggested that avocado/soybean unsaponifiables, vegetable extracts made from avocado and soybean oils, can relieve pain and stiffness caused by knee and hip osteoarthritis and reduce the need for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)....

On Sunday, the NBA ruled that goaltending should have been called on Rockets center Dwight Howard on a potential game-tying shot in the waning minutes of his team’s 109-105 win, according to ESPN. MORE: Biggest disappointments of the NBA thus far | Video shows Lou Williams handcuffed, detained outside Las Vegas hotel Howard appeared to have touched Clippers forward Blake Griffin’s close-range attempt with 18.8 seconds remaining. A goaltending play is only reviewable when it’s called on the floor....

Team LeBron got the first pick, and he chose Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers. Giannis then selected Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers. LeBron and Giannis then chose their fellow starters. Afterward, each team selected its reserve players. The starters were chosen by the league naming five starters from each conference—Eastern and Western—by total votes. Then the reserves were announced. LeBron and Giannis were not obligated to draft players from their own conference, but both starting five players fell along conference affiliations....

Bulls (43-29 SU, 33-39 ATS) at Raptors (42-29 SU, 32-38-1 ATS) Line: Chicago -1, Total: 200.5 (current NBA spreads and totals) With Jimmy Butler sidelined, the Bulls were on a 3-6 SU run before he returned to help the team to a 98-96 win over Charlotte in its most-recent outing. One of those three wins was at home vs. Toronto, with the Bulls easily covering the 1.5-point spread. Chicago was also 9-2 to the OVER without Butler....

“I think the one thing you know not to do as a coach is to talk about another job while it is still occupied,” one veteran NBA coach told Sporting News. “You just don’t do that. This is a tough business, there are only 30 jobs and no matter what you think of a guy, every one of us puts his heart and soul into what we do every day....

Silver, speaking to “Good Morning America” co-host Robin Roberts at the TIME 100 Health Summit, claimed that Chinese leadership requested Rockets general manager Daryl Morey be fired after he tweeted his support for pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. The since-deleted social media post set off a geopolitical firestorm and immediately jeopardized the NBA’s lucrative business deals in China. “We made clear that we were being asked to fire [Morey], by the Chinese government, by the parties we dealt with, government and business,” Silver said....

Rosters are currently limited to 12 players from each conference, but in the wake of the controversies surrounding the initial snubs of Sacramento’s DeMarcus Cousins and Portland’s Damian Lillard, Silver said he’d like to create “another slot.” MORE: SN editor recreates Curry’s workout | Rondo suffers orbital fracture | MJ vs. Kobe “I rely heavily on our basketball folks in terms of where the coaches’ (voting) came out,” said Silver, now in his second year as commissioner....

Sources around the league indicate Phoenix would prefer to land Murray State’s Ja Murrant with its first selection, according to a report from The Athletic. Newly appointed Suns general manager James Jones is reportedly high on the point guard, and his team has a good chance of getting its choice of the top prospects. Phoenix is one of three teams that have a 14 percent chance of winning the lottery....

The lottery odds are set as the Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic and Detroit Pistons all share the highest odds to land the No. 1 pick at 14.0 percent. However, in years past, we’ve seen teams unexpectedly move up on lottery night. In 2019, the New Orleans Pelicans won the Zion Williamson sweepstakes with just a 6.0 percent chance. Last year, the Toronto Raptors were projected to pick seventh but moved up to No....

After a process that included numerous declarations, the draft lottery, draft combine and a series of month’s worth of workouts conducted by all 30 teams, 58 NBA hopefuls will hear their names called. This year’s draft will be intriguing from the very beginning, as Auburn’s Jabari Smith, Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren and Duke’s Paolo Banchero have each been considered worthy of the No. 1 overall pick. MORE: Watch the 2022 NBA Draft live with Sling in U....

Anthony Edwards, James Wiseman and LaMelo Ball landed in the top three as expected, and lottery picks were not impacted by trades. There were a few surprises in the first round, but most teams managed to find prospects who will help immediately or in the future. Sporting News provided instant analysis as the picks were announced. Check out our NBA Draft tracker below. NBA DRAFT: Biggest steals, worst reaches from Round 1...

Simply put, Fultz is one of the 10 best prospects to enter the NBA over the last decade. Here’s why he’s the prize of this selection process — and why the Sixers wanted him so badly. NBA DRAFT RUMORS: Latest buzz on potential first-rounders Strengths Fultz is the first college basketball player in a quarter-century to average 23 points, five rebounds and five assists per game, and the only high-major player in the last half-century to do so....

NBA FINALS: Klay Thompson’s ANTA KT2 “The Chase” pack The Warriors’ journey to their second championship in three years ended Monday night with a 129-120 win against the Cavaliers in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, but the quest to stay fresh never ends. Enter Golden State guard Klay Thompson’s ANTA KT2 “The Chase” pack, which dropped just ahead of the finals in both white (home) and black (away) colorways to commemorate the Splash Brother and his teammates’ final push to bring the Larry O’Brien trophy back to Oakland....

Cousins, who has seen his first season in Oakland dogged by injury, played a key role in Game 2 as the Warriors stole a win on the road. But with Golden State ravaged by injuries back at Oracle Arena, Cousins failed to produce a repeat performance, playing just 19 minutes in which time he scored just four points and had three rebounds and two assists. Yet Curry was keen to keep his teammate’s confidence high....

Despite being the more rested team, it was the Warriors who looked fatigued in the final quarter as the Celtics, who trailed 103-100 at one stage, closed the game on a 20-5 run to steal away homecourt advantage with a 120-108 victory. Much was made of the Marcus Smart vs. Steph Curry battle and if Jayson Tatum could elevate his game to yet another level. But it was the Celtics’ “others” who really stepped up big in the fourth quarter....

The Hornets are nearing the luxury-tax line, with a bit more than $2 million to spare. Including contracts that are not fully guaranteed, they have 14 players on their roster. They’re still looking at adding a veteran big man on a low-cost deal, however, sources told Sporting News. One player the Hornets have shown interest in, a source said, is Jordan Hill. Hill was waived by Minnesota at the end of June after appearing in only seven games for the team last season....

That’s how the GM’s thinking went, anyway. “I think when you see what some other big guys are going to get, people won’t be complaining about Dwight Howard anymore," the GM said. “His deal is going to look pretty damn reasonable in the end.” MORE: Real-time free agency news, rumors Well, that didn’t take long, now, did it? Right out of the gate in free agency, it was the big guys who attracted the most attention, with a reported deal from the Knicks for Joakim Noah worth four years and $72 million, followed by a Lakers offer to Timofey Mozgov worth $65 million over four years....

The last major domino fell when Kawhi Leonard signed with the Clippers and brought Paul George with him to Los Angeles. A Russell Westbrook trade looms large in Oklahoma City, but when it comes to the free agent market, general managers are staring at end-of-the-rotation players. NBA TRADE RUMORS:These five teams could pursue Russell Westbrook For fans unhappy with how free agency transpired this summer, we’ve got bad news: Next year’s group is light on star power and depth....

Free agent Boban Marjanovic has agreed to a two-year deal worth $7 million with the Mavericks, The Athletic reported Tuesday, citing league sources. Other outlets are reporting the signing, as well The 7-3 center likely will be playing behind Kristaps Porzingis — should he be fully recovered from his ACL tear — and Dwight Powell, meaning his time off the bench will be limited. Marjanovic, 30, first started last season with the Clippers, but was traded to the 76ers in the latter part of the season....