SPORT

Luka Doncic was back at it again, this time surprising the Lakers and staff members with more than 100 e-bikes for Christmas gifts.

Doncic, who took his teammates to a Porsche Driving Experience in October as a way to bond, gave the gifts away Tuesday after practice.

“I just wanted to give everybody something,” he said. “Everybody works hard, even the people you don’t see in the back, so I want to do something for them too.”

Said teammate Jake LaRavia: “Shout-out to Luka, man. What a guy.”

Johnson was Tottenham‘s leading Premier League goalscorer last season with 11, and etched his name in Spurs folklore by scoring the winner in their Europa League final triumph over Manchester United in Bilbao, ending the club’s 17-year wait for a trophy.

But the departure of Ange Postecoglou and arrival of Thomas Frank as new head coach has meant Johnson has played more of a peripheral role this season.

Johnson, 24, has made only six top-flight starts under Frank this season.

As a result, a number of clubs have been alerted to his potential availability before the January transfer window.

Given his lack of action and the prospect of a World Cup on the horizon with Wales, a move away from Tottenham may suit Johnson next month.

Johnson joined Tottenham from Nottingham Forest in a deal worth £47.5m in the summer of 2023 and has scored 27 goals for the club.

From Ben Bolch: The crowd couldn’t believe what it had just witnessed.

Donovan Dent’s crossover move left a helpless defender watching from behind as he accelerated toward the basket, fans unleashing audible admiration even before the UCLA point guard completed the play with a driving layup.

Poor Noah Meeusen and everyone else who tried to stop Dent.

They were overmatched by the finishing ability and fearlessness of a player who had not shown much of either over the season’s first month, hardly resembling the star the Bruins thought they were getting.

On a revelation of a Wednesday night inside Pauley Pavilion, Dent finally looked like someone who could carry a team.

He did exactly that, the transfer from New Mexico helping the Bruins fend off Arizona State during a 90-77 victory that had his handprints all over it.

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UCLA box score

Big Ten standings

USC WINS AT HOME BUT LOSES RICE

From Ryan Kartje: Through a near-perfect nonconference slate, no matter what was thrown USC’s way, whether injuries or other unforeseen circumstances, the Trojans had never lacked for life on the court. It was that endless energy that had helped power them to a 10-1 start.

But for a while Wednesday, that vigor was conspicuously absent against Texas San Antonio, a team that lost four of its last five. Maybe it was the setting, in a mostly empty and eerily quiet Galen Center. Maybe it was the bad news from earlier in the day, as USC announced that point guard Rodney Rice would undergo shoulder surgery and miss the rest of the season.

Whatever it was, USC was eventually able to shake it off Wednesday night, turning a deficit late in the first half to a convincing, 97-70 victory over San Antonio in the second.

Continue reading here

USC box score

Big Ten standings

UCLA-USC TRANSFER TRACKER

From Ben Bolch and Ryan Kartje: A look at all the players who are transferring in and out of UCLA and USC in the NCAA transfer portal ahead of the 2026 college football season.

Wednesday’s updates:

Leaving UCLA: Salem Abdul-Wahab | Long Snapper

Leaving USC: Devan Thompkins | Defensive tackle

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LAKERS DEFENSE NEEDS STAR POWER

From Broderick Turner: They saw how “contagious” it was when playing defense at a high level against the Suns and how Jarred Vanderbilt lit the fuse to ignite things for the Lakers in their last victory over Phoenix.

And for the Lakers to maintain that defensive mindset, stars Luka Doncic and LeBron James also have to be committed to that end of the court.

That was the message from Lakers coach JJ Redick to Doncic and James.

“Yeah, it was good,” Doncic said. “We talked about a lot, not just that, but he was right. You got to get a little big more, especially from the star players. So that’s on us. That’s on me. And we just got to give more, especially at the start of the game. We got to start the game better. But I think in Phoenix, we did a pretty good job. The plan was focused on ourselves and [our] defensive mentality, so I think we did a pretty good job.”

The Lakers will be tested again on defense by the Utah Jazz Thursday night in Salt Lake City.

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NBA standings

A CHRISTMAS GIFT FROM DONCIC

From Broderick Turner: Luka Doncic was back at it again, this time surprising the Lakers and staff members with more than 100 e-bikes for Christmas gifts.

Doncic, who took his teammates to a Porsche Driving Experience in October as a way to bond, gave the gifts away Tuesday after practice.

Continue reading here

NACUA CALLS FOUL ON REFS

From Chuck Schilken: Puka Nacua thinks NFL referees are “the worst.”

He feels they fabricate calls just so their friends can see them on TV.

But, to be honest, the Rams star receiver doesn’t seem too upset about the situation.

During a livestream Tuesday with YouTubers N3on and Adin Ross, Nacua was asked if he thought referees might bend the truth at times when making their calls.

“Oh, a hundred percent,” Nacua answered matter-of-factly. “Yes, the refs are the worst.”

The third-year player continued in the same casual manner, saying that NFL officials are generally part-time employees who probably get a thrill when they appear on screen during national broadcasts — even if it’s while making a call.

Continue reading here

MCVAY, RAMS FACE A CHALLENGE IN SEATTLE

From Gary Klein: Sean McVay might truly qualify as sleepless in Seattle.

After the Rams’ victory over the Detroit Lions on Sunday, the Rams coach left SoFi Stadium for the hospital and the birth of his second son, who arrived Monday morning. Then McVay game-planned for Thursday night’s showdown with the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field.

Asked this week if he had slept much in the aftermath of the newborn’s arrival, the notoriously early-rising McVay chuckled.

“Not really,” he said. “Even for me. … This is a good challenge.”

McVay and the Rams, who hold the top seed in the NFC and have clinched a playoff spot, will face their biggest and most important test of the season against the Seahawks.

Continue reading here

NFL standings

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT RAMS VS. SEAHAWKS

From Gary Klein: Kamren Kinchens loves to play against the Seattle Seahawks.

The Rams’ second-year safety has six career interceptions — four against the Seahawks.

On Thursday night, the Rams (11-3) will play the Seahawks (11-3) at Lumen Field with first-place in the NFC West and the top seed in the NFC on the line.

The Rams defense is aiming to repeat their Nov. 16 performance against the Seahawks, when they intercepted four passes by Sam Darnold in a 21-19 victory at SoFi Stadium.

Kinchens had two interceptions, cornerbacks Cobie Durant and Darious Williams one each.

“I did good so are they going to not go at me at this time?” Kinchens said, adding that he welcomes the opportunity to “get more picks. Hopefully, that’s the case.”

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HALFTIME WITH SNOOP DOGG

From Chuck Schilken: Snoop Dogg knows what you want for Christmas.

More Snoop Dogg.

The rapper and pop culture icon will perform during the halftime show at the Detroit Lions-Minnesota Vikings game in Minneapolis on Dec. 25 as part of Netflix’s NFL Christmas Gameday streaming event.

Dubbed “Snoop’s Holiday Halftime Party,” the show will feature hit songs, special guests and holiday cheer, Netflix said in a news release.

“NFL, Netflix and your uncle Snoop on Christmas Day? We’re servin’ up music, love and good vibes for the whole world to enjoy,” Snoop Dogg said in the news release. “That’s the kind of holiday magic Santa can’t fit in a bag.”

On Tuesday, Netflix dropped an announcement video for the halftime show. In what may or may not be a hint at the identity of one of the special guests, funk legend George Clinton narrates the clip. At one point, the Parliament-Funkadelic leader utters, “bow wow wow, yippie yo yippie yay” — a line from his 1982 solo hit “Atomic Dog” that Snoop has used in multiple songs.

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CRAWFORD IS LEAVING THE RING

From Jad El Reda: Terence Crawford shook the boxing world on Tuesday by announcing his retirement, an unexpected decision that brings an end to one of the most dominant careers of the modern era.

At 38, the Omaha native decided to hang up his gloves at the top, undefeated and with a legacy that places him among the all-time greats.

Crawford bids farewell with a perfect record of 42 wins, 31 of them by knockout, after more than 17 years as a professional. With his unexpected retirement, Crawford leaves behind four titles in the 168-pound weight class.

“I’m retiring from competition, not because I’ve stopped fighting, but because I’ve won another kind of battle,” Crawford said in a YouTube video. “The battle where you retire on your own terms.”

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KINGS GO WINLESS FOR FOUR

Sam Bennett scored 10 seconds into the third period, Brad Marchand had two assists and the Florida Panthers beat the Kings 3-2 on Wednesday night to sweep the two-game season series.

Anton Lundell and Carter Verhaeghe also scored for Florida, which has won six of its last seven games. Daniil Tarasov made 27 saves for the Panthers, including a breakaway stop against the Kings’ Trevor Moore with just under five minutes left to preserve a one-goal lead.

Joel Armia and Kevin Fiala had the goals for the Kings, who fell to 0-2-2 in their last four contests. The four-game winless streak matches a season-long slide for the Kings, who were 0-2-2 from Oct. 11 through Oct. 18 as well.

Continue reading here

Kings summary

NHL standings

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

1930 — Adolph Rupp coaches his first game at Kentucky, a 67-19 win over Georgetown College in Kentucky. Rupp retires in 1972 after winning 879 games and four national titles.

1949 — The Philadelphia Eagles win the NFL championship with a 14-0 victory over the Los Angeles Rams.

1954 — Montreal’s Maurice Richard becomes the first player in NHL history to score 400 goals during the Canadiens’ 4-2 road victory against the Chicago Black Hawks.

1961 — Olympic track star Wilma Rudolph wins The Associated Press’ female athlete of year award for the second consecutive year.

1962 — Wilt Chamberlain of the San Francisco Warriors scores 61 points in a 130-110 over the St. Louis Hawks.

1964 — Oscar Robertson of the Cincinnati Royals scores 56 points, including 18 in the final quarter, in a 111-107 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

1976 — Oakland quarterback Kenny Stabler scores with 14 seconds left to give the Raiders a 24-21 comeback victory over the New England Patriots in the in the AFC divisional playoffs.

1983 — Edmonton’s Wayne Gretzky scores his 100th point of the season the Edmonton Oilers’ 34th game, a 7-5 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Gretzky scores two goals and has two assists to get to 100 points faster than any player in NHL history. He finishes the season with 205 points.

1995 — Jerry Rice of the San Francisco 49ers records the fifth-highest yardage total by a receiver in NFL history with 289 yards, and catches three touchdown passes in a 37-30 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

1997 — Germany’s Katja Seizinger wins her sixth straight race to tie former French star Jean-Claude Killy’s World Cup record for consecutive victories.

2005 — Indianapolis, which won its first 13 games, the fourth team in NFL history to do so, loses 26-17 at home to San Diego.

2006 — Tenth-ranked Arizona State beats Texas Tech 61-45 when the second outdoor game in women’s college basketball history is called on account of rain with 4:18 to play at Chase Field, home of baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks.

2007 — Edmonton sets an NHL record by competing in its fourth straight shootout, but loses to Dallas 2-1. The Oilers, who had won the first three, lose for the second time in their 12 shootout appearances.

2008 — Steve Asmussen is the first North American trainer to win 600 Thoroughbred races in a single year as Storm Trust captures the fifth race at Delta Downs.

2011 — The Green Bay Packers’ 19-game winning streak, second-longest in NFL history, is snapped with a 19-14 loss at Kansas City.

2011 — Brittney Griner scores 12 of her 25 points in the closing run that pushes the top-ranked Baylor Lady Bears past No. 2 UConn 66-61.

2016 — New England defeats Denver 16-3 to clinch the AFC East and earn a first-round bye. It marks the eighth consecutive division title for the Patriots, the longest streak in NFL history, breaking a tie with the 1973-79 Los Angeles Rams (seven). New England is the only team in NFL history to win 13 division titles in a 14-year span.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Australia prop Angus Bell will make his first Ulster start in Friday’s United Rugby Championship game against Leinster at Aviva Stadium (19:45 GMT).

Short-term signing Bell, who came off the bench in the Challenge Cup fixtures against Racing 92 and Cardiff, starts at loose-head with Ireland internationals Tom O’Toole and Tom Stewart completing the front row.

Centre Stuart McCloskey returns from the groin injury he sustained on Ireland duty last month. He is joined in midfield by Jude Postlethwaite, who missed last weekend’s defeat by Cardiff because of concussion.

Ulster head coach Richie Murphy has recalled several players after rotating his squad for the Cardiff game, with Nick Timoney and Juarno Augustus returning to the back row.

Jacob Stockdale is restored at full-back, while Rob Baloucoune – who has scored five tries this season – returns to the right wing. The first-choice half-back pairing of Nathan Doak and Jack Murphy are also recalled.

Ethan McIlroy is set for his first appearance since January from the bench after recovering from a knee injury.

Ireland forward James Ryan will earn his 100th Leinster cap in Friday’s interprovincial derby.

URC holders Leinster will be captained by Jack Conan, who came through graduated return to play protocols, with Caelan Doris not named in the squad.

Leinster head coach Leo Cullen has changed his front row after last weekend’s Investec Champions Cup win at Leicester, with Jack Boyle, Rabah Slimani and Gus McCarthy named to start.

New Zealand international Rieko Ioane will play his first URC game after a couple of Champions Cup appearances, while Sam Prendergast is restored at fly-half after Harry Byrne was preferred for the Leicester game.

Ulster have won four out of five URC games this season while Leinster have three wins and three defeats from six. Leinster won both meetings last season, including a comprehensive 41-17 win at Aviva Stadium in April.

Leinster: Frawley; Kenny, Ioane, Tector, Lowe; Prendergast, McGrath; Boyle, G McCarthy, Slimani, Deeny, Ryan, Soroka, Penny, Conan (capt).

Replacements: Sheehan, P McCarthy, Furlong, J McCarthy, Deegan, Gunne, Byrne, Moloney.

Ulster: Stockdale; Baloucoune, Postlethwaite, McCloskey, Kok; Murphy, Doak; Bell, Stewart, O’Toole, Sheridan, Irvine, McCann, Timoney (capt), Augustus.

Replacements: Andrew, Crean, Wilson, Hopes, B Ward, McKee, Flannery, McIlroy.

Sunday, 10 a.m. TV: CBS, Paramount+.

Line: Bills by 10½. O/U: 41½.

After an amazing comeback against a really strong New England team last Sunday, the Bills are emboldened and Josh Allen is on an MVP pace. Cleveland relies on its stout defense, but that unit didn’t show up in Week 15 against Chicago, surrendering 31 points. Buffalo, which is 7-2 outside the division, wins this going away.

Pick: Bills 27, Browns 16

Welsh rugby’s governing body has said it proposes to grant three licences for men’s professional clubs.

There will be one in Cardiff, one in the east and one in the west, which is expected to result in a straight survival fight between Swansea-based Ospreys and Scarlets in Llanelli.

Buchanan does not agree with the reduction in the number of sides after he pointed to the initial previous change in 2003 from clubs to regions.

“We came from our clubs to our regions and those were big steps,” said Buchanan.

“We had success on the field with Triple Crown, Grand Slams and Six Nations Championships in that era.

“The Scarlets, Cardiff, Ospreys, were all successful stories. So what brings me to this is what’s happened and how have we arrived here?”

The 70-year-old went on:

“What are we going to do to bring ourselves back into being a top tier one country?

“The next step made will be crucial. And I cannot support that next step in taking one of our top regions out.”

Buchanan believes losing Ospreys or Scarlets will be detrimental to the Welsh game.

“Whichever one goes, it’s going to be devastating,” he said.

“The Ospreys stretch from Bridgend, or Cardiff, down to Swansea and the Scarlets are down to the west with a new stadium and everything.

“I don’t see the decision being a step forward. It could be we could lose a lot of support on and off the field.”

The former Wales forward said he had also been against the WRU’s previous plan of two professional sides that was shelved following a public consultation.

“I was horrified with that thought,” he added.

“We are tribal in Wales. We like our local derbies and we like rugby in our areas. Those are important things to me.”

Buchanan also raised the prospect of the professional sides losing some control of the playing side of the organisation to the WRU.

“We have people that have been supportive of Welsh rugby, benefactors that have given their money,” said Buchanan.

“I can’t go into the detail of what is being offered to them, but it isn’t something they’re keen on signing.

“So we’re at loggerheads. It’s crucial we mend those fences and understand it’s a partnership. That’s what is missing at the moment, an agreement with a partnership.

“People have put their hands in their own pockets to put into the professional game and we need to respect that.”

Through a near-perfect nonconference slate, no matter what was thrown USC’s way, whether injuries or other unforeseen circumstances, the Trojans had never lacked for life on the court. It was that endless energy that had helped power them to a 10-1 start.

But for a while Wednesday, that vigor was conspicuously absent against Texas San Antonio, a team that lost four of its last five. Maybe it was the setting, in a mostly empty and eerily quiet Galen Center. Maybe it was the “devastating” news from earlier in the day, as USC announced that point guard Rodney Rice would undergo shoulder surgery and miss the rest of the season.

Whatever it was, USC was eventually able to shake it off Wednesday night, turning a deficit late in the first half to a convincing, 97-70 victory over San Antonio in the second.

The blip, however brief, would beg questions of how a short-handed roster might handle the brutal Big Ten slate that awaits USC in two weeks’ time. The Trojans start that stretch with an especially savage span that includes three top-10 teams in No. 2 Michigan, No. 9 Michigan State and No. 6 Purdue. Whether they can weather that stretch without three players coaches expected to be top contributors should say a lot about where the Trojans are headed this season.

Chad Baker-Mazara reacts after scoring on an offensive rebound in the first half.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

“Without them, we’re going to have to grind and play so hard to win games,” coach Eric Musselman said. “We have a lot to clean up, and we have to exceed the opposition from a playing-hard standpoint. We’re undermanned. We don’t have Alijah Arenas. We don’t have Rodney Rice. And we don’t have Amarion Dickerson. That’s a lot.”

That grind was the focus of Musselman’s message to his team at halftime Wednesday, after USC had come out looking unusually lifeless. Through the game’s first 15 minutes, the Trojans were outhustled and outworked on the glass as the Roadrunners drew fouls, forced turnovers and racked up seven early offensive rebounds.

With 3:38 remaining in the first half, they were still trailing the 4-6 Roadrunners, who in their last two had lost to Alabama by 42 and Colorado by 24.

But when the Trojans finally turned it on, in the final minutes of the first half, there was no stopping the onslaught. Ryan Cornish hit a jumper. Ezra Ausar took a steal to the hoop. Chad Baker-Mazara dunked home a missed three. USC finished the first half on a 13-0 run and took control from there.

It did so in the same fashion it had in pretty much every game since Rice went down, by leaning on Baker-Mazara and Ausar, who are averaging a combined 38 points per game.

Both emerged like a shot of adrenaline after halftime. Mazara poured in 17 second-half points to give him 20 total for the game, while Ausar, the nation’s leader in free-throw attempts, continued bullying defenders in the paint.

Ausar finished with a game-high 22 points and added 10 rebounds, giving him his first double-double of the season.

“My energy is contagious, and humbly, once I’m going, everybody is going,” Ausar said. “If my energy ain’t right, my team’s energy ain’t right.”

He’ll be especially critical next month, with a series of bruising Big Ten frontcourts awaiting the Trojans.

“Ezra is going to keep getting better,” Musselman said. “His basketball future is so bright. He hasn’t even tipped what he’s going to be. … We’re gonna rely on Ezra to keep this group together and be a leader, and he’s done that.”

Arenas returns to practice in the coming days and will hopefully be ready to go by mid-January. Others will have to make the mark, until then, if USC hopes to survive that stretch short-handed.

Against San Antonio, it was Cornish who answered the call. The Dartmouth transfer had played more than 15 minutes in a game just once this season before Wednesday. But in his first start at point guard, Cornish came alive with 18 points, including four three-pointers.

“He was at the bottom of the roster almost, and he’s earned what he’s getting,” Musselman said. “We need people to step up, and we need to develop our roster the best that we possibly can, and Ryan’s a great example of someone stepping up.”

The partnership, which spanned 86.4 overs, is the joint 12th highest opening stand in men’s Test cricket and only the eighth stand of 300 for any wicket for New Zealand.

New Zealand’s record partnership was set by Martin Crowe and Andrew Jones, who added 467 for the third wicket against Sri Lanka in Wellington in 1991.

Conway faced 279 balls and hit 25 fours, compiling his sixth Test century in the process.

Latham, who earlier won the toss, was dropped by wicketkeeper Tevin Imlach on 104 before being caught by a diving Roston Chase at first slip off Kemar Roach.

Latham faced 246 balls, struck 15 fours and a six and now has 15 Test hundreds.

“It’s the best I’ve been part of. It was a good time out there,” said Conway.

“We had a discussion this morning around trying to bat big, bat well and give the bowlers an opportunity to bowl in the fourth innings.

“It was a challenging morning session, particularly for me. I was fighting with myself during the first hour. They bowled really well.

“After lunch, the ball got a little bit softer and the wicket sped up, so it offered up some good scoring opportunities for myself and Tom.”

Conway will resume alongside nightwatchman Jacob Duffy when play resumes on Friday (22:00 GMT, Thursday).

The crowd couldn’t believe what it had just witnessed.

Donovan Dent’s crossover move left a helpless defender watching from behind as he accelerated toward the basket, fans unleashing audible admiration even before the UCLA point guard completed the play with a driving layup.

Poor Noah Meeusen and everyone else who tried to stop Dent.

They were overmatched by the finishing ability and fearlessness of a player who had not shown much of either over the season’s first month, hardly resembling the star the Bruins thought they were getting.

On a revelation of a Wednesday night inside Pauley Pavilion, Dent finally looked like someone who could carry a team.

He did exactly that, the transfer from New Mexico helping the Bruins fend off Arizona State during a 90-77 victory that had his handprints all over it.

There were blow-by layups, floaters, a rare three-pointer and an old-fashioned three-point play on a jumper he threw up while getting fouled and falling down along the baseline. Dent unveiled a full array of moves on the way to scoring 20 points while making nine of 17 shots.

Dent’s understudy also came up huge. After the Sun Devils made things uncomfortably close midway through the second half, pulling to within five points, UCLA reserve guard Trent Perry made sure they would get no closer.

Perry rose for a three-pointer and then after teammate Brandon Williams made an energizing block at the rim, triggering a fast break, Perry found Skyy Clark for a three-pointer that extended the Bruins’ advantage to double digits.

Clark finished with 18 points on the strength of six three-pointers and Tyler Bilodeau added 18 points to help UCLA (8-3) bounce back from its loss to Gonzaga by holding off an old Pac-12 rival. Guard Anthony Johnson led Arizona State (9-3) with 20 points.

Dent’s final highlight came on a pass in transition to an open Clark, who rose for a three-pointer that gave UCLA a 12-point lead. In perhaps the only blemish on his night, Dent logged just four assists to go with his four turnovers.

It was an ensemble performance for the Bruins. UCLA coach Mick Cronin inserted backup center Steven Jamerson into his lineup to start the second half and Jamerson quickly rewarded him by chasing down an offensive rebound in the corner and adding two putback dunks.

But the big story was one of redemption.

It picked up momentum late in the first half when Dent rose without hesitation for a three-pointer. It was only Dent’s second made three-pointer of the season and his first since the season opener after a string of 12 consecutive misses dropped his accuracy from beyond the arc to 7.7%.

It was a stunning dropoff for someone who had made 40.9% of his three-pointers last season at New Mexico. His second make of the season from long distance increased his accuracy to 14.3%, still unsightly but at least no longer in single digits.

What was perhaps most pleasing about Dent’s performance in the first half was his heightened confidence level. He repeatedly beat his defender for driving layups, his aggressiveness an equal asset to his speed in rolling up 13 points on six-for-eight shooting by the game’s midpoint.

Facing the biggest challenge of his life, Sir Chris Hoy opens up about his journey with terminal cancer and how the mental strength he honed as a six-time Olympic cycling gold medallist is now helping him to inspire others.

Watch Sir Chris Hoy: Cancer, Courage & Me on Thursday, 18 December at 21:00 GMT on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website & app.

SUNRISE, Fla. — Sam Bennett scored 10 seconds into the third period, Brad Marchand had two assists and the Florida Panthers beat the Kings 3-2 on Wednesday night to sweep the two-game season series.

Anton Lundell and Carter Verhaeghe also scored for Florida, which has won six of its last seven games. Daniil Tarasov made 27 saves for the Panthers, including a breakaway stop against the Kings’ Trevor Moore with just under five minutes left to preserve a one-goal lead.

Joel Armia and Kevin Fiala had the goals for the Kings, who fell to 0-2-2 in their last four contests. The four-game winless streak matches a season-long slide for the Kings, who were 0-2-2 from Oct. 11 through Oct. 18 as well.

Anton Forsberg stopped 25 shots for the Kings. Armia had the only goal in the first period, and Fiala made it 3-2 when a clearing attempt by Florida deflected off his shin and went past Tarasov with 15:12 left.

The Kings had a chance in the final minutes to tie the game, after Florida’s Anton Lundell was called for high-sticking with 3:05 left. The Kings managed only one shot on the ensuing power play — about half of which was with a two-man advantage after Forsberg was pulled for an extra attacker — and the Panthers held on from there.

Bennett’s goal that gave Florida a 3-1 lead tied for the third-fastest to start any period this season.

Kirill Marchenko scored for Columbus seven seconds into a second period against Minnesota on Oct. 11; Jackson LaCombe scored for the Ducks nine seconds into a second period against Vancouver on Nov. 26; and Connor McDavid scored for Edmonton 10 seconds into a third period against Buffalo on Dec. 9.

Up next

Kings: Visit Tampa Bay on Thursday night. Panthers: Host Carolina on Friday night.

Pat Cummins takes his second wicket of the innings as Joe Root is caught behind for 19 as England fall to 71-4 in their first innings, 300 runs behind Australia’s 371, as the home side take control on day two of the third Ashes Test in Adelaide.

FOLLOW LIVE: The Ashes third Test – day two

Available to UK users only.

Puka Nacua thinks NFL referees are “the worst.”

He feels they fabricate calls just so their friends can see them on TV.

But, to be honest, the Rams star receiver doesn’t seem too upset about the situation.

During a livestream Tuesday with YouTubers N3on and Adin Ross, Nacua was asked if he thought referees might bend the truth at times when making their calls.

“Oh, a hundred percent,” Nacua answered matter-of-factly. “Yes, the refs are the worst.”

The third-year player continued in the same casual manner, saying that NFL officials are generally part-time employees who probably get a thrill when they appear on screen during national broadcasts — even if it’s while making a call.

“These guys are lawyers, and like really they want to be on TV, too, bro,” Nacua said. “You don’t think he’s texting his friends in the group chat like, ‘Yo, you guys just saw me on “Sunday Night Football.” Like, that wasn’t [pass interference], but I called it.’”

He added: “I mean, these guys are normal human beings, too.”

The NFL’s competition committee states on the league’s football operations website that “criticism of officiating has always been considered conduct detrimental to the League.” Such conduct is often met with a fine. Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Chiefs coach Andy Reid have all been fined for public criticism of officiating in recent years.

The NFL did not immediately respond to questions from The Times on a possible fine for Nacua.

During another portion of the livestream, Nacua agrees to do a celebration dance of Ross and N3on’s choice after his next touchdown. With Nacua out of earshot, the two YouTubers discuss whether the 2023 Pro Bowl player would get in trouble if they have him perform a move that references an offensive stereotype about Jewish people. Ross is Jewish, but he often performs the move and teaches others how to do it in his livestreams.

He ends up teaching the move to Nacua, who practices it with Ross and promises to do it during a game. Ross does not explain the meaning of the move to Nacua, and the star receiver gives no indication he knows its background.

The Times reached out to the Rams and Nacua’s agent and did not receive an immediate response.

Joe Root avoids being given out for one after review shows an edge behind drops just short of Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey, with England 42-3, still 329 runs behind Australia’s first innings score of 371 on day two of the third Ashes Test in Adelaide.

FOLLOW LIVE: The Ashes third Test – day two

Available to UK users only.

Hardy Nickerson, a Verbum Dei grad who played linebacker at Cal, made the Pro Bowl five times, coached in college and the NFL and did two stints as head coach at Bishop O’Dowd in San Jose, has been named head football coach at JSerra.

Nickerson, 60, becomes the first Black head football coach in the Trinity League since it was formed in 2008.

JSerra is hoping to strike gold like Santa Margarita did in hiring Heisman Trophy winner and 15-year NFL quarterback Carson Palmer, who delivered a Southern Section Division 1 championship and CIF state championship Open Division bowl win this year in his rookie season as head coach. Palmer used his NFL connections to put together a top-notch group of assistant coaches.

Nickerson also has lots of NFL connections and far more coaching experience than Palmer. He once was defensive coordinator at Illinois, served as an NFL assistant with the 49ers, Bears and Buccaneers and and has been head coach at Bishop O’Dowd from 2010-13 and from 2022 through this season, when his team won a state Division 5-AA championship.

He takes over a program that went 3-7 last season and cut ties with former Azusa Pacific head coach Victor Santa Cruz. Nickerson will soon learn that coaching in the Trinity League is similar to college and the NFL, where teams expect to win or there is little assurance of keeping a job for long.

England will hold discussions with cricket’s governing body with the aim of improving decision-making technology following a controversial error on the opening day of the third Ashes Test.

Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey survived a review for caught behind at the Adelaide Oval, only to later admit he edged the delivery bowled by England’s Josh Tongue.

Carey was given not out because the Snicko technology showed a discrepancy between the sound and pictures of the edge.

BBG, the company that provides Snicko, has admitted responsibility for the error.

At the close of play on day one, England head coach Brendon McCullum and team manager Wayne Bentley met with match referee Jeff Crowe.

Crowe confirmed the matter would be reviewed and England had a review reinstated for Australia’s first innings.

The England and Wales Cricket Board will also hold talks with the International Cricket Council (ICC) in an attempt to review and raise standards of the decision review system (DRS).

It is an ICC requirement for DRS to be in operation in all fixtures in the World Test Championship.

However, the ICC does not specify which technology providers should be used. In this instance, the Snicko system used in Australia is different from the Ultraedge employed for Tests in the UK.

Terence Crawford shook the boxing world on Tuesday by announcing his retirement, an unexpected decision that brings an end to one of the most dominant careers of the modern era.

At 38, the Omaha native decided to hang up his gloves at the top, undefeated and with a legacy that places him among the all-time greats.

Crawford bids farewell with a perfect record of 42 wins, 31 of them by knockout, after more than 17 years as a professional. With his unexpected retirement, Crawford leaves behind four titles in the 168-pound weight class.

“I’m retiring from competition, not because I’ve stopped fighting, but because I’ve won another kind of battle,” Crawford said in a YouTube video. “The battle where you retire on your own terms.”

Among the most decisive moments of his career was his victory over Errol Spence Jr., which established him as the undisputed welterweight champion, and the triumph that ultimately defined his legacy: his super middleweight victory over Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez.

In September, Crawford moved up a weight class to face the Mexican and defeated him by unanimous decision in Las Vegas. That fight against Álvarez not only confirmed his sporting greatness, but also led him to win the undisputed super welterweight championship, an achievement that few considered possible.

“Every boxer knows this moment will come, we just never know when,” Crawford said.

After that historic fight, speculation began about new challenges and a possible rematch, but Crawford chose a different path. In his farewell message, he made it clear that his decision was not due to a lack of physical or competitive ability, but rather to the conviction that he had pushed himself to the limit and had nothing left to prove in the ring.

“I’ve spent my whole life chasing something,” Crawford said. “Not belts, not money, not headlines. But that feeling, the feeling you get when the world doubts you, but you keep going and prove everyone wrong.”

Since his debut in 2008, he has built a career marked by versatility, tactical intelligence and an uncommon ability to adapt to any opponent and circumstance in the ring. Left-handed or right-handed as the fight demanded, his technical mastery was a constant throughout his career.

“I fought for my family. I fought for my city. I fought for the kid I used to be, the one who had nothing but a dream and a pair of gloves. And I did it my way. I gave this sport every last breath I had,” he said.

Over the years, Crawford won world titles in multiple divisions and established himself as one of the pound-for-pound greats of contemporary boxing.

His name went down in history when he became the undisputed champion in three different categories during the era of four belts, a feat that set him apart even among elite champions. With each weight class move, he faced skepticism and responded with compelling performances.

“I’m leaving like a great,” Crawford said.

This article first appeared in Spanish via Times en Español.

Englishman James Wade began his PDC World Darts Championship campaign with a 3-0 triumph over Ryusei Azemoto, while Raymond van Barneveld suffered a shock first-round exit.

Five-time world champion Van Barneveld looked out of sorts as he went down in straight sets to Stefan Bellmont, the first Swiss winner at Alexandra Palace.

Seventh seed Wade only let one leg slip in a dominant victory against Japan’s Azemoto.

“Tonight showed the practice I’ve been doing. It wasn’t spectacular but when I really needed to hit something, it happened,” said four-time semi-finalist Wade.

He finished with an average of 94.75, compared to Azemoto’s 84.42, and the 42-year-old will take on Ricky Evans in the second round on Monday.

Van Barneveld looked a shadow of the player who won four BDO world titles before lifting the PDC crown in 2007.

The 58-year-old Dutchman took the opening leg but then lost eight in succession.

Despite a higher average than his opponent, he checked out just 25% of his doubles while Bellmont hit 39%.

American debutant Adam Sevada came out on top in the the first game on Wednesday, seeing off Canadian Matt Campbell 3-1.

It was tight for much of their encounter but Sevada’s marginally better performance on doubles made the difference as he won 11 legs to Campbell’s six.

It’s timmmme!

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Join Los Angeles Times Dodgers beat reporter Jack Harris and columnists Dylan Hernández and Bill Plaschke for our very special 2025 Dodgers Debate Christmas Special.

The trio will discuss the signing of Miguel Rojas and Edwin Díaz, who else might be on the 2026 roster, the World Baseball Classic, whether the Dodgers can three-peat and more.

Video replay will be available at latimes.com/dodgers and our YouTube channel to bring joy all holiday season.

Maccabi Tel Aviv have been given a suspended one-match away fan ban from Uefa for “racist and/or discriminatory behaviour” by it supporters during last week’s Europa League game at German side Stuttgart.

The Israeli club, whose supporters were barred from attending an away match at Aston Villa in November because of safety concerns, were also fined 20,000 euros (£17,550) for their fans’ conduct during the fixture on 11 December.

Uefa’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) said Maccabi’s ban from selling tickets to their fans for their next away match in a Uefa competition will be “suspended for a probationary period of two years.”

Stuttgart won the match 4-1, leaving Maccabi with only one point from six matches in the league phase of the Europa League.

Maccabi lost 2-0 to Premier League club Villa in the competition last month when travelling fans were not permitted at the match in Birmingham after a decision by the city’s Safety Advisory Group.

The move was widely criticised with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer calling the decision “wrong” and adding “we will not tolerate antisemitism on our streets”.

West Midlands Police chiefs were called to give evidence to the Home Affairs Committee of MPs on 1 December.

Committee chair Karen Bradley has requested further information from the police and Birmingham City Council about the decision-making which led to the ban of Maccabi supporters.

The film tells the truth. The Lakers are not a good defensive team, evidenced by the sight of the NBA’s top guards blowing past Lakers defenders into the paint during a 10-game defensive swoon that ranks among the league’s worst.

Yet when coach JJ Redick shows his team the tape and then backs it up with the numbers, there’s still cautious optimism that the Lakers can improve.

“I don’t think there’s anybody in that meeting room that thinks we’re a good defensive team right now,” Redick said, “but I also don’t think there’s anybody in that meeting room who thinks we can’t be a good defensive team. We’ve got to get better.”

In the 10 games since LeBron James returned to the lineup, the Lakers have scored 121.8 points per 100 possessions, a significant increase in their offensive rating of 115.4 during the first 14 games of the season. While their offensive rating ranks fifth in the league during the last 10 games, their 120.9 defensive rating ranks 27th. It’s a dramatic increase from their previous 113.7-point defensive rating.

The most glaring issues are the team’s defense in transition and early in the opponent’s offense, Redick said. The Lakers give up 1.19 points per possession in transition, fifth-worst in the league.

Sunday’s game in Phoenix against the Suns, who scored 28 fast-break points against the Lakers on Dec. 1, will be a significant test as the Lakers (17-7) try to avoid their first losing streak this season.

Led by Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves — who is out for at least a week because of a left calf strain, the team announced Friday — and the 40-year-old James, the Lakers are not destined to be a fast team on either side of the court. They were outmatched against San Antonio’s dynamic backcourt led by the speedy De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle, who combined for 50 points Wednesday as the Spurs scored 27 fast-break points and knocked the Lakers out of NBA Cup contention.

Losses like that exposed the Lakers’ lack of speed on the perimeter, but the team also has shown flashes of excellence against the best guards. The Lakers held 76ers star Tyrese Maxey to five points on two-for-six shooting in the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ four-point win at Philadelphia on Dec. 7.

“It’s less of scheme stuff. A little more of urgency,” guard Gabe Vincent said. “A little more of doing all the little things. If you don’t do them, like I said, there are some great players in this league that will expose you.”

One of the team’s top defensive options is on the bench. Forward Jarred Vanderbilt has played only three minutes in the last 10 games. He entered the game against Philadelphia only after Jake LaRavia took a shot to the face that loosened a tooth.

Vanderbilt, an athletic forward, has been a consistent force on defense during his career but struggles to contribute on offense. While he impressed coaches with how hard he worked in the offseason to improve his shooting and ballhandling, Vanderbilt made only four of 14 three-point shots in the first 14 games. He averaged 5.6 rebounds per game before James returned to the lineup Nov. 18, pushing Vanderbilt to the bench.

Before the Lakers’ last game against the Suns, Redick said part of it was a numbers game with James’ return and felt the team would settle on a nine-man rotation. Vanderbilt had tasks he “needed to be able to do consistently to play” even before James returned, Redick said.

Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox, scoring against Lakers guard Luka Doncic, and teammates continually drove past their defenders during an NBA Cup game Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

But making changes at that time was difficult, the coach acknowledged. The Lakers were in the midst of a seven-game winning streak. But they’re 2-3 in the last five games, which have laid their defensive struggles bare, and coaches are “looking at everything.”

“If this continues,” Redick said Friday, “he’ll definitely get his opportunities.”

After practice Friday, Vanderbilt stayed on the court shooting extra three-pointers with staff members.

Meanwhile, Reaves will be reevaluated in approximately one week, the Lakers said after practice.

The guard averaging 27.8 points, 6.7 assists and 5.6 rebounds has led the Lakers in total minutes played as the team weathered stretches without James and Doncic. Reaves responded with a career-best start. He is ninth in the NBA in scoring and could be on track to earn his first All-Star nod as he enters a critical contract decision this offseason.

Reaves will miss at least Sunday’s game at Phoenix, Thursday’s game at Utah and a Dec. 20 game at the Clippers. After another game at Phoenix on Dec. 23, the Lakers begin a stretch of five consecutive home games, starting with a marquee Christmas Day matchup against the Houston Rockets.

Etc.

The Lakers assigned guard Bronny James to the G League on Friday.

Snoop Dogg knows what you want for Christmas.

More Snoop Dogg.

The rapper and pop culture icon will perform during the halftime show at the Detroit Lions-Minnesota Vikings game in Minneapolis on Dec. 25 as part of Netflix’s NFL Christmas Gameday streaming event.

Dubbed “Snoop’s Holiday Halftime Party,” the show will feature hit songs, special guests and holiday cheer, Netflix said in a news release.

“NFL, Netflix and your uncle Snoop on Christmas Day? We’re servin’ up music, love and good vibes for the whole world to enjoy,” Snoop Dogg said in the news release. “That’s the kind of holiday magic Santa can’t fit in a bag.”

On Tuesday, Netflix dropped an announcement video for the halftime show. In what may or may not be a hint at the identity of one of the special guests, funk legend George Clinton narrates the clip. At one point, the Parliament-Funkadelic leader utters, “bow wow wow, yippie yo yippie yay” — a line from his 1982 solo hit “Atomic Dog” that Snoop has used in multiple songs.

The once-polarizing gangsta rapper born as Calvin Broadus has become a beloved and ubiquitous mainstream personality. In the last few days alone, he could be seen on prime time TV as a judge on “The Voice” and rapping during the “Monday Night Football” intro.

Last week, the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee announced that Snoop has been named Team USA’s first-ever honorary coach for the Milano Cortina Games in February. Snoop will also serve as a special correspondent during NBC’s coverage of the Winter Olympics, a role he also had during the 2024 Paris Games.

In April, Snoop was named as one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2025.

Snoop has had a number of holiday-themed endeavors, including the 1996 song “Santa Claus Goes Straight to the Ghetto,” the 2008 compilation album “Christmas in the Dogghouse,” and the 2020 single “Doggy Dogg Christmas.” He also performed a “Winter Wonderland”/”Here Comes Santa Claus” mashup with Anna Kendrick in 2015’s “Pitch Perfect 2.”

Netflix will stream two NFL games on Christmas day. The Dallas Cowboys will play the Washington Commanders at 10 a.m. PST, with Kelly Clarkson performing before the game. The Lions-Vikings game starts at 1:30 p.m. PST.