Sports are back, and on the surface, the actual gameplay looks fairly similar to when we last saw them.

But beneath that facade of normalcy lie some interesting trends spurred on by fan-less environments, long layoffs and condensed schedules.

The race for eighth in the NBA's Western Conference is heating up, and with the playoffs just 11 days away, we're all but guaranteed to see the first-ever postseason play-in game.

How it works: A play-in game will only occur if the eighth and ninth seeds are within four games of each other when the regular season concludes.

The Nets pulled off the largest NBA upset in 27 years on Tuesday, beating the Bucks, 119-116, in a three-point shootout, despite missing their nine best players.

By the numbers: Brooklyn closed as consensus 19-point underdogs thanks to a makeshift roster that featured just one player, Garrett Temple, with more than four starts this season.

Seven players and six staff members from the St. Louis Cardinals have tested positive for the coronavirus over the past week, prompting the MLB to postpone the team's upcoming four-game series against the Detroit Tigers.

Why it matters: Seven consecutive Cardinals games have now been canceled after St. Louis became the second team to report a significant coronavirus outbreak, just two weeks into the season.

A growing number of pro athletes in the U.S. are opting out of the 2020 season, or league restarts, citing concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Why it matters: The pandemic continues to disrupt the world of sports, despite many fans hoping that a return for the major leagues would spell some semblance of normalcy for other aspects of life.

Multiple professional sports teams are considering facial recognition systems to make admitting fans to stadiums as touchless as possible during the coronavirus pandemic, Wall Street Journal report.

Why it matters: It is unlikely that fans will be able to return to live sporting events soon unless facilities adopt measures, like touchless admission systems, to prevent the spread of the virus.

Saturday's Cardinals-Brewers game in Milwaukee was postponed for a second day in a row after one St. Louis player and three team staffers tested positive for the coronavirus, the New York Times and Washington Post report.

Why it matters: So far, its Major League Baseball's 16th postponement of its 2020 season and adds to existing doubts that the season can continue amid the pandemic.

American coaches at three NBA training academies in China told the league their Chinese partners abused young players and didn't provide schooling, ESPN reports.

Why it matters: Because of its population, China is a major market for the NBA, and the league's success in the country was helped by the achievements of former Rockets center Yao Ming, who retired in 2011.

Extra innings in 2020 will begin with a man on second base — a temporary rule adopted by MLB to speed up games in this sprint of a season.

Why it matters: Some people hate the rule, but at the end of the day it leads to quicker games and more nuanced strategy.

The NHL's race to the Stanley Cup begins Saturday, with 24 teams split between two bubbles — one centered around the Toronto Maple Leafs' Scotiabank Arena, the other around the Edmonton Oilers' Rogers Place.

The state of play: Once they reach the conference finals, the two remaining East teams will travel to Edmonton, where their families will be able to join them.