THE HOT CORNER

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PRO BASKETBALL: Former NBA player Marc Gasol will play for the club he founded in the second division of Spanish basketball, he announced Thursday. Gasol said he will play until the end of the season before deciding whether to retire. Gasol, 36, is the owner and president of Girona, which he founded in 2014. Gasol played last season with the Los Angeles Lakers after spending most of his career with the Memphis Grizzlies.

SNOWBOARDING: Slovenian

2 snowboarder Marko Grilc died Tuesday in a tragic accident in the Austrian ski resort of Solden, authorities said. He was 38. According to police, the victim was part of a crew preparing to film in the area later in the week. As they were exploring the location, Grilc fell from a lift and hit his head “against a snow-covered rock.” He was not wearing a helmet.

WINTER SPORTS: China won. So 3 did Britain. So did Germany. And with that, the World Cup skeleton circuit had a race unlike any other in its history. Geng Wenqiang gave China its first World Cup skeleton win Friday — part of a historic three-way tie for the top spot. Geng, Britain’s Matt Weston and Germany’s Christopher Grotheer all finished two runs in 1 minute, 46.04 seconds.

SOCCER: European champion

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Italy and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal were drawn in the same World Cup qualifying playoffs bracket Friday, meaning at least one of them will miss next year’s tournament in Qatar. Italy failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup — losing in the playoffs to Sweden — and now will likely have to beat Ronaldo and Portugal to avoid missing the tournament for a second straight time.

SOCCER: John van’t Schip

5 resigned as Greece coach Friday after failing to qualify for next year’s World Cup in Qatar. The 58-year-old former Ajax winger stepped down five weeks before his contract was to expire.