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USC and Brown have mutually agreed to cancel their upcoming men’s basketball game at Galen Center on Sunday, in light of the recent mass shooting on Brown’s campus.

USC announced the cancellation on Tuesday morning while sending its support to Brown and those affected. The school said in a statement that it plans to announce a new nonconference opponent to fill the same slot on Sunday.

The matchup with Brown was slated to be USC’s nonconference finale. The Trojans have yet to lose outside of Big Ten play this season, currently standing at 9-0.

USC was set to be Brown’s first opponent since this past Sunday, when two people were killed and nine were wounded in a deadly shooting on campus.

On Sunday night, USC women’s basketball coach Lindsay Gottlieb, who is a Brown alumnus, got emotional addressing the shooting after her team’s loss to No. 1 Connecticut.

Gottlieb said that a former teammate of hers had a daughter still hiding from the gunman in the basement of a library at the time of Sunday afternoon’s game.

“It doesn’t need to be this way,” she said. “Sending thoughts and prayers to my teammates who have kids there. To the parents that have to worry about their children, I’m just going to end it with that, but just to say we’re the only country that lives this way.”

NEW YORK — Cutter Gauthier scored the go-ahead goal six minutes into the third period and got his second on an empty-netter, Lukas Dostal stopped 26 of the 27 shots he faced, and the Ducks beat the New York Rangers 4-1 on Monday night to end a two-game losing streak.

Gauthier’s first goal with one second left on a power play came off a perfectly placed pass from rookie Beckett Sennecke. Igor Shesterkin barely had a chance to react.

Defenseman Jackson LaCombe scored Anaheim’s first goal shorthanded in the second period, putting home a rebound after Jacob Trouba sprung Ryan Poehling up the ice late in the Rangers’ five-on-three power play. Dostal was brilliant at the other end of the rink, at one point making a toe save on J.T. Miller and sliding over to deny Vladislav Gavrikov immediately after.

The Ducks got a goal in the final seconds from Pavel Mintyukov and celebrated with Trouba and veteran forward Chris Kreider, who returned to play at Madison Square Garden for the first time since the Rangers sent them to Southern California in separate trades. Kreider and Trouba each waved to the crowd after tribute videos during timeouts in the first while fans applauded.

Matthew Robertson scored the only goal for the Rangers, who have lost 12 of 16 games at home. The shot from Robinson deflected off Frank Vatrano’s stick and popped into the air before going in off Dostal’s.

New York Rangers fans welcome Ducks forward Chris Kreider back to Madison Square Garden before the start of the Ducks’ 4-1 win on Monday night.

(Noah K. Murray / Associated Press)

New York was without center Mika Zibanejad, whom coach Mike Sullivan scratched for breaking a team rule by missing a meeting. Big winger Matt Rempe took Zibanejad’s spot in the lineup, back after he missed 24 games since getting injured in a fight Oct. 23.

Up next for the Ducks: Wrap up their five-game Eastern Conference trip Tuesday at Columbus.

Australia have opted against recalling batter Usman Khawaja for the vital third Ashes Test – a match Ben Stokes has called the most important game in his time as England captain.

England, 2-0 down after defeats in the first two Tests, must win in Adelaide to keep their hopes of regaining the urn alive.

Defeat would mean a fourth successive series loss in Australia, extend England’s run without winning the Ashes to at least 12 years and heap significant pressure on the tourists’ management.

The positions of Stokes, head coach Brendon McCullum and managing director Rob Key would all come under significant scrutiny.

“Throughout my career I’ve been involved in quite a few big moments. This is another one and I’m really, really looking forward to it,” Stokes told BBC Sport.

“I’ve enjoyed the build-up, I’ve enjoyed the pressure of what this game means. As it’s come closer and closer, it’s become a lot easier. That’s how I deal with big things and big moments – look at it front on, take it on and deal with all the emotions that come with it.

“What else are you supposed to do? Don’t let the moment overcome me or feel like it’s going to control me. I’ll go out, put all that stuff to one side and do what I need to do in every situation I get put in, and try my absolute best.”

Pat Cummins will return to lead Australia after missing the first two Tests as he recovered from a back problem.

Pace bowler Cummins and off-spinner Nathan Lyon are added to the Australia team that won the second Test in Brisbane, replacing Michael Neser and Brendan Doggett.

It means no return for opener Khawaja, who missed the Test at the Gabba because of back spasms. Khawaja turns 39 on Thursday and may have played the last match of an 85-Test career.

Travis Head and Jake Weatherald will continue as the opening partnership

Australia were 2-0 ahead in the last Ashes in the UK in 2023, only for England to fight back to draw 2-2.

Cummins said his team have learned a “few lessons” from that experience and was also adamant he is fit enough to bowl without restrictions in Adelaide.

The 32-year-old has not played since the tour of West Indies in July after scans detected the back issue.

Match fitness could be crucial in the high temperatures that are forecast for when the match starts on Wednesday (23:30 GMT Tuesday).

“I had 16 weeks completely off bowling, made sure the bone heals well and from there it’s ramping up,” said Cummins.

“Normally you ramp up over maybe three or four months, but that would have meant missing the Ashes.

“We set on a pretty aggressive plan to get up in six or seven weeks. I haven’t had any hiccups. I’m feeling great, probably better than I would have thought. The back has healed well, so, here we are.”

DALLAS — Mikko Rantanen, Matt Duchene and Wyatt Johnston had a goal and an assist each and Casey DeSmith tied a Dallas record with his 11th consecutive game earning points as the Stars rallied past the Kings 4-1 on Monday night.

Oskar Back scored his first NHL winning goal for the Stars, who are second in the overall standings and avoided their first three-game losing streak since mid-October.

DeSmith made 27 saves and is 8-0-3 after losing his first start of the season, matching Ed Belfour’s 8-0-3 run during the 1998-99 season.

Andrei Kuzmenko scored an unassisted five-on-three goal for the Kings, who have lost their last three games and five of seven.

Kings goalie Anton Forsberg stopped 17 shots, entering play with four minutes left in the first period after starter Darcy Kuemper was hit high by Rantanen and sustained an upper-body injury.

L.A. was also without Quinton Byfield and Phillip Danault because of illness.

Duchene’s redirection at the net tied the score 1-1 late in the second period and was his first point in five games since missing 24 games following a concussion in mid-October.

Duchene’s goal came about four minutes after Kuzmenko opened the scoring.

Rantanen skated with the puck from Dallas’ defensive zone and gave Dallas a 3-1 lead with 3:49 to play. Johnston added an empty-netter in the final minute.

Kuemper left after the hit from Rantanen, who skated into the crease with the puck while manned by Brian Dumoulin. Johnston scored seconds after the collision, but the play was ruled goalie interference. Kuemper was soon led off the ice, having made five saves.

Four of Kuzmenko’s five goals this season are power-play goals on a team whose power play ranks last in the NHL at 14.7%.

When it comes to the greatest Premier League game ever, where do you even start?

Manchester United and Bournemouth served up an eight-goal thriller on Monday, which former Liverpool and England defender Jamie Carragher described as the “best game” so far this season in the English top flight.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Carragher said: “That’s what makes the Premier League the greatest product in the world.

“For the majority of that Manchester United were absolutely fantastic. Bournemouth were not at the races at all in the first half but they were fantastic in the second half. What a game. Brilliant.

“I think we have just seen the best game of the Premier League season so far.”

The Red Devils famously played out a 5-5 draw at West Brom in Sir Alex Ferguson’s final match in charge of the club in 2013.

And United’s 4-4 draw against the Cherries was the 17th time the scoreline has occurred in the Premier League era.

But where does Monday’s match rank among some of the other remarkable contests we have seen down the years?

Following Monday afternoon’s practice at Howard Jones Field, USC coach Lincoln Riley addressed the media for the first time since the Trojans’ victory over crosstown rival UCLA on Nov. 29.

USC (9-3), ranked No. 16 in the AP poll, is preparing to play Texas Christian (9-4) on Dec. 30 in the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio. USC finished 7-2 in its second season in the Big Ten and won four of its last five games, the only setback during that stretch being a 42-27 loss to Oregon, which is the No. 5 seed in the College Football Playoff.

Riley announced that safety Kamari Ramsey, receivers Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane, tight end Lake McRee and linebacker Eric Gentry will not play in the Alamo Bowl. Lane declared for the NFL draft on Monday.

“Anthony Lucas and Bishop Fitzgerald want to play in the game but are dealing with injuries and trying to get back … we’ll see how that goes,” Riley said. “Kilian O’Connor and Elijah Paige and Jahkeem Stewart all had surgery and will be ready to roll.”

Asked about signing the No. 1 recruiting class for 2026, Riley said: “It was a great day. We tried to keep the focus on building next year’s team. The amount of guys that we signed is a big portion of it and as we start to look ahead … half of our day and maybe even more is pointing towards next year and coming years. Meanwhile, obviously getting ready for this bowl game. It was a lot of hard work to add talent and people who care about this place and starting to put next year’s team together has been exciting here these last few weeks.”

Riley has a 35-27 record in his four seasons at USC and is hoping to improve his bowl record to 3-1. He guided the Trojans to wins in the 2023 Holiday Bowl and 2024 Las Vegas Bowl.

Riley watched the CIF state Open Division bowl game between Santa Margarita (coached by former Trojans quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer) and De La Salle on Saturday and was impressed by the performance of USC commit Trent Mosley, who had 11 catches for 183 yards and two touchdowns and a rushing touchdown in the Eagles’ 47-13 win.

“He was someone we targeted very early on,” Riley said. “I thought he was super impressive and it was important. He’s one of the best receivers in the country. He’s proven that and he just played out of his mind. It’s a great family and he’s a really smart kid.”

Asked what advice he gives to players who are deciding what to do next in their careers, Riley said: “Yes, it’s an important decision. The guys that make the right decision no matter what it is get a leg up on the rest of their lives. Consequently, a wrong decision can be catastrophic. That’s the world we all live in. I just try to educate them on their options. I don’t like telling guys you should do this or you shouldn’t do that. It’s more about, here’s this option, this is what it would look like, here’s what you need to consider. Sometimes the decision’s pretty clear one way or another, other times it’s not. I try to give them as much guidance as I possibly can.”

Given that USC will be missing quite a few players who were key contributors throughout the season, Riley is not ruling out the possibility of younger players seeing action against TCU.

“There’s gonna be guys all over the place who are going to have opportunities,” Riley said. “All sides of the ball, all position groups, maybe it’s some of the guys you saw a little bit during the season and in some instances you’ll see guys get some burn in this game that haven’t played at all or very little. Bowl games are great, but days like this are the most valuable part of it because we’re just pouring reps into all of these guys, it’s super competitive and the energy level is just different. All these guys feel it’s their time.”

Riley admitted he and his staff had to make hard decisions based on the incoming freshmen, a majority of whom are spring enrollees.

“It’s huge, it’s a high, high number that are going to be here and it’s important,” he said. “We’ve had to make a bunch of roster decisions in the last couple of weeks. We have a large number of players who have already signed and some of the decisions we had to make were based on knowing what we have coming in, and when you sign as many as we did, you’re going to have tough decisions to make.”

In a high school football season full of surprises, the biggest was a Heisman Trophy winner guiding his alma mater to a state championship in California’s toughest division in his rookie season of coaching.

Who had Carson Palmer and Santa Margarita on their bingo card toppling Sierra Canyon, Orange Lutheran, Corona Centennial and Corcord De La Salle in a four-game postseason stretch that left the Eagles as Southern Section Division 1 and CIF Open Division state champions?

The final piece of the puzzle was solved with Santa Margarita’s 47-13 win over De La Salle on Saturday night at Saddleback College, the ninth consecutive season a Southern California team won California’s highest bowl game.

It’s been fruitless to think anyone was beating Santa Margarita (11-3) over the last month with a healthy Trent Mosley. Two weeks ago he dazzled Corona Centennial in the Division 1 final with 10 catches for 292 yards. On Saturday, even though De La Salle knew what he could do, Mosley still was unstoppable. In the first half, when Santa Margarita opened a 35-7 halftime lead, Mosley had eight catches for 134 yards and touchdowns from 34 and six yards and also ran seven yards for another touchdown. He finished with 11 receptions for 183 yards.

With his underrated speed, upper-body strength and skills to play multiple positions, Mosley has been the best player in California for weeks. Santa Margarita has been getting him the ball much more in the postseason, and opponents have had no answers for defending him.

“Mosley is incredible,” De La Salle coach Justin Alumbaugh said of the USC commit. “He does some special things on the football field.”

Said Mosley: “It feels great. We’ve worked hard. I wanted to come out and do my best. It’s sad to go but a what a great way to end it.”

Leki Holani of Santa Margarita was throwing down De La Salle running backs all night in the CIF state final.

(Craig Weston)

How Santa Margarita rose to the top with Palmer at the helm is an equally compelling tale. Palmer was hired with little coaching experience but his decision-making, judgment and connections from the NFL world became clear with the all-star coaching staff he put together, none more important than retaining defensive coordinator Steve Fifita, last season’s interim coach. With nine returning defensive starters and three defensive line transfers, the Eagles had no weaknesses on a defense that repeatedly neutralized the best offensive players game after game.

“It’s been an unreal year from start to finish,” Palmer said. “I could not be more proud of these guys, could not be more proud of our coaching staff and support system.”

Quarterbacks were pressured by a line that had Isaia Vandermade recording nine sacks in the postseason. The linebackers, led by Dash Fifita and Leki Holani, were able to move freely and make tackles with blockers preoccupied by the line. The secondary, led by sophomore star Ca’ron Williams, had the freedom to be aggressive knowing quarterbacks wouldn’t have much time to release the ball. Siua Holani closed the scoring with an interception return with 1:36 left in the fourth quarter.

De La Salle (12-1) thought it would have a chance to end Northern California’s losing streak. Santa Margarita had not seen the Spartans’ veer-option attack. Steve Fifita even had dreams about the veer watching so much film to prepare his players. But the Eagles were ready for quarterback option plays and power runs up the middle. And De La Salle didn’t help matters by committing four personal fouls in the first four minutes. The only touchdowns for De La Salle came on short runs by Jaden Jefferson after recovering Santa Margarita fumbles.

The reason Santa Margarita became so dominant over the last month was the improvement in the offense. Quarterback Trace Johnson became comfortable and injured players came back, including tight end Luke Gazzaniga, who had touchdown receptions from 20 and two yards Saturday. Johnson ended his brief stay at Santa Margarita after transferring from Florida by completing 17 of 20 passes for 247 yards and four touchdowns.

The Rams are going to the playoffs.

The only questions now: Can they hold onto the No. 1 seed in the NFC and have home-field advantage for the entire postseason. And will receiver Davante Adams be fit for the stretch run?

The Rams clinched a playoff spot on Sunday with a 41-34 victory over the Detroit Lions before 74,701 at SoFi Stadium in a game that featured Adams’ fourth-quarter departure because of a left hamstring injury.

Matthew Stafford outdueled Jared Goff, Puka Nacua continued his torrid receiving pace and the Rams defense shut down the Lions in the second half as the Rams improved their record to 11-3 and ensured their seventh playoff appearance under ninth-year coach Sean McVay.

It was a huge victory for a Rams team that will be tested again Thursday night when they play the Seattle Seahawks in Seattle.

The Seahawks (11-3) defeated Philip Rivers and the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday in Seattle, setting up the Thursday night showdown. The Rams currently hold the tie-breaker over the Seahawks because of their Nov. 16 victory over the Seahawks at SoFi Stadium.

Can they capture home field throughout the playoffs for the first time?

They advanced to the Super Bowl in the 2018 and the 2021 seasons without the benefit of playing every playoff game at home.

The Rams finish the regular season with games against the Seahawks, a road trip to Atlanta and a home game against the Arizona Cardinals.

As expected, the victory over the Lions (8-6) did not come easy.

The Rams overcame an early interception and 10-point deficit late in the second quarter.

Adams, who has been nursing a hamstring issue, left the field for the locker room and did not return to the game after appearing to suffer an injury early in the fourth quarter.

McVay said Adams’ injury “didn’t look good” and wasn’t sure if Adams would be able to play against the Seahawks.

Stafford came alive in the second half, leading three consecutive scoring drives in the third quarter to give the Rams a 34-24 lead.

Stafford kept alive his drive for the NFL most valuable player award by completing 24 of 38 for 368 yards and two touchdowns, with an interception.

Nacua, coming off a performance against the Arizona Cardinals that earned him NFC offensive player of the week honors, caught nine passes for 181 yards. Adams caught four passes for 71 yards.

Tight end Colby Parkinson caught two touchdown passes, Kyren Williams rushed for two touchdowns and Blake Corum also scored on the ground.

Defensive lineman Kobie Turner had a key sack for a defense that gave up three touchdown passes and several big plays in the first half, but neutralized Goff for most of the second.

Goff and receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown started fast and helped the Lions take a 24-17 lead.

Stafford had a hand in that, throwing a ball into the waiting arms of Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, who returned the interception 58 yards. On the next play, Goff found St. Brown for a touchdown.

Williams’ two short touchdown runs gave the Rams the lead midway through the second quarter. But Goff connected with St. Brown for a short touchdown and then hit Jameson Williams with a 31-yard scoring pass to put the Lions ahead, 24-14.

The Rams cut the deficit to seven points when Harrison Mevis closed the first half with a field goal.

The Rams opened the second half with another field goal to cut the Lions’ lead to four points.

The defense then forced the Lions to go three and out, forcing them to punt for the first time.

Stafford put the Rams ahead with a 26-yard touchdown pass to tight end Colby Parkinson to give the Rams a 27-24 lead.

Turner’s sack of Goff helped set up another punt, and it took Stafford only 52 seconds to engineer another touchdown. He connected with Nacua for a 39-yard gain, and Blake Corum extended the lead with an 11-yard touchdown run.

The Lions kicked a field goal midway through the fourth quarter to trim the Rams’ lead to seven points, but Stafford’s second touchdown pass to Parkinson gave the Rams a 14-point lead with just under five minutes left.

David Montgomery’s short touchdown run late in the fourth quarter cut the lead back to seven.

Goff completed 25 of 41 passes for 338 yards and three touchdowns. St. Brown caught 13 passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — What they started in balmy Brazil, the Chargers finished on a bitter cold day at Arrowhead Stadium.

They completed a season sweep of Kansas City with a 16-13 victory, solidifying their own playoff chances while driving a stake through the postseason hopes of their AFC West rival.

The Chiefs, who hadn’t missed the playoffs since 2014, officially were eliminated from playoff contention with the loss.

The come-from-behind victory gave the Chargers their 10th win with three games to go and kept alive their designs on winning a division currently led by the Denver Broncos.

Cameron Dicker kicked two of his three field goals after halftime to bring back the Chargers, who were facing a 13-3 deficit in the second quarter before scoring 13 unanswered points.

Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes sustained an apparent leg injury late in the game and had to be helped to the locker room. He was replaced by Gardner Minshew, who was intercepted by Derwin James Jr. to end the game.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes grabs his left leg after sustaining an injury in the fourth quarter.

(Reed Hoffmann / Associated Press)

With a temperature of 15 degrees at kickoff, this was the third-coldest game in Chargers history, although their defense looked at home in the frigid weather. Tuli Tuipulotu and Odafe Oweh each collected two sacks of Mahomes, and linebacker Daiyan Henley had a pivotal fourth-quarter interception of the Chiefs quarterback near the goal line.

Chargers safety Tony Jefferson was ejected in the fourth quarter after a helmet-to-helmet hit on Tyquan Thornton that knocked the Chiefs receiver out of the game. Earlier in the second half, Jefferson flattened Rashee Rice with another huge hit.

It marked just the second time in 13 years the Chargers beat the Chiefs (6-8) twice in the same season.

Morgan Frost scored in overtime and Blake Coleman had a short-handed goal in the Calgary Flames’ 2-1 victory over the Kings on Saturday night.

Dustin Wolf made 20 saves for the surging Flames, who have won eight of their last 12 games, with Wolf winning his last four starts.

Frost finished off a three-on-one break from Jonathan Huberdeau at 1:06 of overtime for his eighth goal of the season, and Calgary took advantage of its reprieve after Anze Kopitar’s apparent winner 33 seconds into the extra session was overturned for a kicking motion following a video review.

Adrian Kempe scored for the Kings, and Darcy Kuemper made 36 saves. The Kings played their 14th game decided in overtime or a shootout out of 21 total one-goal contests this season.

The Kings got off to a strong start with Kempe netting his fourth goal in seven games on a one-timer midway through the first period. He has two goals and five points during a four-game streak.

But the Flames responded with a dominant second period, posting a 17-3 advantage in shots and finally breaking through when Coleman picked off Kevin Fiala’s pass and raced the other way on a breakaway before burying a wrist shot from the slot. It was Coleman’s third shorthanded goal of the season and Calgary’s fifth.

Up Next

Kings: At Dallas on Monday night. Flames: At San José on Tuesday night.

Proving yet again that nobody combines excitement and entertainment like these guys, this week the Dodgers made baseball’s most important winter deal.

They acquired Timmy Trumpet.

In real life he’s an Australian impresario who, surprise, plays the trumpet. But in the breathtaking world of ninth-inning baseball, he’s the game’s most popular soundtrack.

It is Timmy Trumpet who plays the chillingly inspiring solo from “Narco” that accompanies closer Edwin Díaz from the bullpen to the mound. For the seven seasons Díaz played for the New York Mets, it was the coolest entrance song in the big leagues, creating the most intimidating scene in any ballpark anywhere.

And now it’s coming to Dodger Stadium, as the Dodgers and Díaz agreed this week to a three-year, $69-million contract that will include Timmy Trumpet rattling the bejeezus out of visiting teams who must be asking, do the Dodgers really have to buy everything?

Was it not enough for them to sign the best reliever in baseball? Did they also have to bring in the best ninth-inning atmosphere in baseball?

Yes, they do, and yes, they did, and if you haven’t witnessed the Edwin Díaz/Timmy Trumpet duet, Google it once and you’ll be hooked.

Upon his signing, the social media of Dodgers fans was filled with trumpet emojis. Even the venerable Dieter Ruehle posted a video of him playing the trumpet solo on the keyboard.

In the pantheon of Dodgers entrance and walk-up songs, this immediately moves to the top of a playlist that has become ingrained in the hearts of fans who have come to associate the brief clips of music with the enduring heroics of their players.

From the late great organist Nancy Bea Hefley playing “Master of the House” for Orel Hershiser … to Kenley Jansen revving up the crowd with “California Love” … there is a rich history of Dodgers being identified by their accompanying music.

This team is no different, with several songs reaching iconic status simply based on the splendid feats that spring from their chords.

One man’s nine best songs, in order of impact.

1. ”Narco” for Edwin Díaz

It is already the best Dodgers song and he hasn’t even shown up yet. Trust me.

Díaz chose it in 2018 when he played for the Seattle Mariners. When that became his 57-save breakout season, his wife advised him to keep it. After being traded to the Mets, he became so loyal to the song, he even asked it to be played in an empty Citi Field during the 2020 pandemic season.

In ensuing seasons the scene went viral, highlighted by an actual performance by Timmy Trumpet last summer. Expect the Dodgers to invite Mr. Trumpet to Chavez Ravine, maybe even for the opening series. Like so many things they have staged during these consecutive championship seasons, it will be an event.

2. ”We Are Young” for Clayton Kershaw

The pitcher is retired, but the song still warrants celebration on an emeritus basis.

Quick question: Has any Dodgers entrance hymn endured as long as this one? Dodgers fans have adult children as old as this song.

Another quick question: When you heard this song for the last time in the final months of this past season, did you surprisingly feel tears?

The perfect anthem for the perfect pitcher.

3. ”Bailalo Rocky” for Roki Sasaki

It’s not really a song, it’s a chant, bailalorocky, bailalorocky, bailalorocky with the “Rocky” sounding like, “Roki.”

It was chosen for the famously unhip Sasaki by Miguel Rojas in spring training and, by the time the kid pitcher returned from the disabled list to save playoff games, the fans were chanting it and dancing to it like few celebration songs in Chavez Ravine history.

“You can see it in Dodger Stadium … it was amazing,” Rojas told reporters before the World Series. “So electric, dancing on the bleachers in left-center field … I’m hoping everybody starts dancing to that song when Roki comes to pitch.”

4. ”Feeling Good” for Shohei Ohtani

Thank you, Michael Bublé, for singing what everybody is thinking every time Ohtani comes to the plate.

And thank you, Mamiko Tanaka, for making it happen.

“The coach of the Dodgers was nice enough to introduce me to Shohei, and I said to him, ‘Why did you choose my song?’” Bublé explained in an interview on “The Today Show.” “And very quickly he just turned to his wife … and it was his wife that chose it.”

Bublé added, “I’ll take it!”

He and about 4 million others.

5. ”Baila Conmigo” for Freddie Freeman

It played before Freeman’s game-winning grand slam in Game 1 of the 2024 World Series.

It played before Freeman’s game-winning home run in the 18th inning of Game 3 of this year’s World Series.

The horn solo at the beginning of this catchy tune has come to represent two words to Dodgers fans who now bounce to its beat.

Greatness coming.

6. “La Leche Materna” for Kiké Hernandez

Just like Hernandez’s Dodgers contributions, this tune saves its best for last.

The final 30 seconds of the song sound like, “Kiké, Kiké, Kiké” over and over again.

It’s weird, but also as powerfully effective as, say, a double play fly ball to end a World Series game.

7. A rotation of songs for Mookie Betts

Betts has walked out to a varied playlist, but his selections are included here because he can boast of one walk-up tune unmatched in baseball history.

He steps to the plate accompanied by an unreleased song written by Snoop Dogg just for him.

8. ”Amen” for Max Muncy

The chorus of this country song that accompanies Muncy to the plate appropriately begins, “Somebody say a prayer for me … ”

Considering all of his injury issues during his eight-year Dodgers career, fans have heeded that call.

Considering he holds the Dodgers record with 16 career postseason homers, those prayers have been answered.

9. ”Squabble Up” for Will Smith

His current Kendrick Lamar song is cool, but Smith is on this list in honor of a previous walk-up song that endeared him to Dodgers fans as that rare player who can laugh at himself.

This Will Smith once walked up to the theme from “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.”

SEATTLE — They tried a zone defense. They tried moving Tyler Bilodeau back to center. They double- and triple-teamed in the post. They showed one defense to start a possession, only to shift into another.

Nothing the UCLA Bruins did to combat their lack of rim protection worked for more than a couple of possessions at a time.

And so a coach known for defense had to watch his team get bludgeoned inside once again while giving up an unusually frightening number of easy baskets.

“We just couldn’t get the job done defensively,” Bruins coach Mick Cronin said.

UCLA forward Tyler Bilodeau looks to shoot under pressure from Gonzaga guard Adam Miller (23) and center Graham Ike (15) Saturday in Seattle.

(Jason Redmond / Associated Press)

There doesn’t appear to be a quick defensive fix in sight for No. 25 UCLA after it suffered an 82-72 setback against No. 8 Gonzaga on Saturday night at Climate Pledge Arena in the West Coast Hoops Showdown, the Bruins faltering late in their final bid to secure a signature nonconference triumph.

UCLA was overmatched inside, the Bulldogs frontcourt tandem of Graham Ike (25 points) and Braden Huff (21 points) finding success at the rim far too often as a result of being able to make left-handed moves that should have come as no surprise.

“Our problem,” Cronin said, “is we can’t follow the scouting report, we don’t play smart.”

It also didn’t help that UCLA’s late-game execution was once again pitiful, point guard Donovan Dent doing too little once he reached the rim thanks to a flurry of missed shots and bad passes.

“I had a couple of silly turnovers that I just can’t have happen,” said Dent, whose 12 points and 10 assists were partially offset by his four turnovers. “Two [turnovers] for layups; we said turnovers for touchdowns are going to kill us.”

UCLA (7-3) lost despite shooting 49% and making seven of 15 three-pointers because the Bulldogs (10-1) shot 50%, took 13 more free throws and grabbed seven more rebounds. Cronin said the free-throw discrepancy came as a result of his team being out of position defensively.

Bilodeau’s 24 points were nothing more than a footnote after his teammates failed to get him the ball in enough favorable positions, particularly when he was being guarded by a smaller defender. UCLA forward Eric Dailey Jr. also developed an overreliance on jump shots while finishing with a quiet six points and five rebounds in 34 minutes.

Early in the second half, one stretch portended a different ending.

UCLA guard Donovan Dent (2) dribbles in front of Gonzaga center Graham Ike, right, and guard Mario Saint-Supéry (17) Saturday in Seattle.

(Jason Redmond / Associated Press)

A faint “U-C-L-A!” chant broke out among the heavily pro-Gonzaga crowd after the Bruins went on a 9-0 run sparked by defense.

A Dent steal led to a Brandon Williams layup in transition, a Dailey steal allowed him to throw down a reverse dunk on the fast break and then a Bilodeau block resulted in a Dent layup.

The Bruins were suddenly up by a point and their defensive woes from earlier in the game were momentarily forgotten.

But soon Bilodeau picked up his third foul and departed, leading to a Gonzaga push in which the Bulldogs outscored the Bruins 10-4 to retake control. Dent said the Bulldogs’ switching into a zone for about three minutes baffled the Bruins’ offense.

Cronin also lamented that Williams — who had been playing some strong post defense off the bench — sprained his ankle and had to depart after only five minutes.

This was a game that UCLA needed to win as an NCAA tournament resume builder given a previous lack of meaningful victories and a relatively bad loss to California. The Bruins’ remaining nonconference games — against Arizona State, Cal Poly and UC Riverside — can do little to boost their prospects, meaning they will need an elite showing in Big Ten play to earn a good seeding come March.

Gonzaga center Graham Ike shoots the ball as UCLA forward Steven Jamerson II defends Saturday in Seattle.

(Jason Redmond / Associated Press)

UCLA went back to an old look in the last few possessions before halftime, putting Bilodeau at center. There seemed like little choice given starting center Xavier Booker’s inability to protect the rim and backup Steven Jamerson’s three fouls that sent him back to the bench.

Bilodeau compounded matters by committing a silly foul near midcourt with only four seconds left before halftime, sending Gonzaga’s Mario Saint-Supery to the free throw line for the points that gave the Bulldogs a 45-40 lead at the game’s midpoint.

“We showed zone, we went man, they’ve got no clue, there’s four seconds, just back up and the guy takes a desperation shot,” Cronin said of what should have transpired on the play. “What are you jumping him for? Like, it’s just basic basketball and we were struggling with it. We’ve got good kids and they’re trying, we’ve just got to play smarter.”

How does Cronin’s team go about doing that?

“Teach, watch film, keep teaching, stay relentless — we’ve got to stay relentless,” he said.

Gonzaga guard Jalen Warley, right, drives as UCLA forward Xavier Booker defends him during the first half Saturday.

(Jason Redmond / Associated Press)

Cronin said it was essential to build a culture of players knowing why they win, something that’s become far more difficult in an era of free agency with constant player movement.

“It’s hard,” Cronin said of forging that culture. “It’s a lot easier if you’ve got more money.”

The Bruins’ bad habits kept them from enjoying more success against Gonzaga after finally breaking through last year, a three-point victory at the Intuit Dome momentarily pushing aside memories of heartbreaking heaves in the NCAA tournament that were part of four consecutive victories by the Bulldogs.

Cronin said he hoped the series would get extended, though that’s probably low on his list of concerns at the moment. At the top is getting back to playing some competent defense.

Perhaps Jarred Vanderbilt and his ability to defend can help the Lakers and their reeling defense.

Perhaps Vanderbilt can return to the rotation to help the Lakers’ defensive woes while guard Austin Reaves is out for approximately a week because of a mild left calf strain.

And perhaps Vanderbilt and the Lakers can get some immediate results for shoring up their defensive shortcomings when they face the Suns in Phoenix on Sunday afternoon.

The 6-foot-8 Vanderbilt is hopeful that his opportunity will come against the Suns and he turns that into a positive for the Lakers.

“Oh, yeah, I’m pretty eager,” he said after practice Saturday. “I mean, obviously, I think a lot of the stuff we lack, I think I can help provide on that end.”

In the last 10 games, Vanderbilt had only a three-minute stint against the Philadelphia 76ers because Jake LaRavia took a shot to the face that loosened a tooth.

The return of LeBron James and Vanderbilt’s offensive deficiencies left him out of the rotation. During much of that time the Lakers were winning, which meant Vanderbilt spent time on the bench.

In 15 games, Vanderbilt is three for 10 (26.6%) from three-point range. He was asked how he has been handling things.

“Good,” Vanderbilt said. “Controlling what I can control. Keep showing up to work, doing my part, supporting the team.”

Vanderbilt was asked if coach JJ Redick or any assistants have spoken to him about his role.

“Kind of here and there, I guess,” Vanderbilt said.

Vanderbilt was seen after practice Saturday working with an assistant coach on his shooting, just like he did after practice Friday and like he has done while not playing.

Redick said Reaves, who played against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night, wasn’t sure when the calf became an issue, and “we’re obviously gonna be cautious with it.”

“It’s a mild strain, Grade 1, and he’ll be out for a week,” Redick said, adding, “I would venture to say every player is a little bit different, but players now are becoming more cautious — to use that word again — more cautious when they get those diagnosis with the calf. Everything looks clean. It’s not in the deep part.”

The Lakers have looked at the last 10 games during the film sessions as a barometer for their defensive problems. But in reality, the Lakers have not been very good on defense all season while producing a 17-7 record because of their stellar offense.

“It’s been a trending thing even when we was winning, so I think like you said, the defense still wasn’t there, but we was just outscoring everybody,” Vanderbilt said. “So, I think obviously during the loss, it’s an appropriate time to address certain things just so it won’t keep lingering and get worse.”

The Lakers are 18th in the NBA in points given up (116.8), 22nd in opponents’ field-goal percentage (48.1%) and 27th in opponents’ three-point shooting (38.2%).

They will face a Suns team that defeated them Dec. 1 at Crypto.com Arena. The Lakers were unable to stop Collin Gillesipie, who had 28 points and was eight for 14 from three-point range, and Dillon Brooks, who had 33 points.

It hasn’t gotten better in the ensuing days. The Spurs loss was the Lakers’ third in the last five games.

“Nobody likes to go watch film after you get your ass kicked,” guard Marcus Smart said. “It’s tough because the film never lies. And it exposed us a lot, which we already knew. We were just winning a lot of games. So it was mitigated that way, but it was straight to it: We have to be able to guard.

“The scouting report against us is we’re not guarding people. And if we want to be great in this league and do what we’re trying to do, you have to be able to guard, especially in the West. These guys are no joke, and they’re coming. And especially [if] you got the Lakers across your jersey. They’re definitely coming with everything they have. So you can’t be expecting any surprises. And that’s what it was. It wasn’t no sugarcoating anything. It was, ‘This is what we got to do.’ We’ve been asked. Let’s fix it.”

NEWARK, N.J. — Stefan Noesen, Paul Cotter and Cody Glass each scored to help the New Jersey Devils beat the Ducks 4-1 on Saturday and snap a five-game home losing streak.

New Jersey started the season 9-0-1 on its home ice before losing five straight at the Prudential Center. The Devils’ third line of Cotter, Juho Lammikko and Noesen combined for five points (two goals, three assists).

Troy Terry scored his 10th goal for the Ducks and third in as many games on a breakaway in the first period on an assist from Leo Carlsson for a 1-0 lead. Noesen tied it later in the period with his first goal in 22 games.

Cotter scored in his third straight game, giving New Jersey a 2-1 lead at the 5:52 mark of the second period, assisted by Lammikko and Noesen.
Glass increased the lead to 3-1 late in the period with assists from from Ondrej Palat and Colton White. Connor Brown scored on an empty net late in the game for his seventh goal.

Jake Allen stopped 30 shots for New Jersey for his first win since Nov. 28. Allen had lost three straight.

Lukas Dostal had 18 saves for the Ducks, who failed to convert on four power-play opportunities.

The Devils were without Timo Meier, their top goal-scorer who missed his second straight game because of a family health matter. “We will give him all the time he needs,” coach Sheldon Keefe said.

The Ducks were playing their third game in five nights as part of a five-game road trip.

Up next

Ducks: Visit the New York Rangers on Monday night. Devils: Host Vancouver on Sunday.

As if Simi Valley coach Jim Benkert doesn’t have enough things to do, he’s taken on the task of putting on the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame high school all-star games Dec. 20 at Simi Valley High.

At 4 p.m. there will be a flag football game featuring players from the San Gabriel Chapter against the Coastal Valley Chapter. At 7, players from Ventura County will take on Los Angeles County in an 11-man game.

Agoura’s Dustin Croick is coaching the West team that includes his outstanding quarterback, Gavin Gray. Taft’s Thomas Randolph is coaching the East team that has a strong group of quarterbacks, including Michael Wynn Jr. of St. Genevieve.

Simi Valley High will be the site for all-star football games on Dec. 20.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Tickets are $10 and will help pay for the growing costs of all-star games, from uniforms to insurance.

Benkert, one of the winningest coaches in state history with more than 300 victories, said he’s determined to make it work.

“We’re trying to keep all-star games alive,” he said. “If we don’t do it, there’s nothing.”

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

Sweeping the Las Vegas Raiders is one thing, but can the Chargers do the same against the mighty Kansas City Chiefs?

With the way Patrick Mahomes & Co. have played lately — losing four of five and in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time with Mahomes — that’s entirely possible.

The Chargers need to win at least one of their final four games to get to double digits and put themselves in position to make the playoffs, and it’s a brutal stretch — at Kansas City and Dallas, home against Houston, and a finale at Denver. They could check that box Sunday, having won five of their last six games.

How the Chargers can win: The Chargers need to ratchet up the pressure on Mahomes, particularly off the edges, and test an offensive line that has been in a steady rotation and is suspect at the tackle spots. Take advantage of the inconsistency at receiver and the propensity for drops. The secondary led the way in the win over Philadelphia. Win on early downs to get into third-and-manageable and don’t fall behind in what can be one of the loudest stadiums in the league. Keep Chris Jones and the rest off of Justin Herbert, who still is recovering from surgery on his left hand. Continue to pound the ball with Omarion Hampton and Kimani Vidal.

How the Chiefs can win: The Chiefs need to win out, and to do that they must get out of their own way. Too many times they have fallen victim to mistakes — drops, penalties, missed assignments, defensive lapses. It’s like a bizarro version of the team that went 11-0 in one-score games last season. As great as he is, Mahomes can’t get happy feet the way he has too often. Kansas City needs to do a better job of giving him a clean pocket. The Chiefs need to tighten up on defense late — that has been a problem — and limit turnovers. They’re in a loud stadium and the cold weather plays to their advantage.

Lakers star Austin Reaves has been diagnosed with a mild left calf strain and will be re-evaluated in approximately one week, the team said after practice Friday.

The guard is averaging 27.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 6.7 assists and has led the Lakers in total minutes played this season as the team weathered stretches without stars LeBron James and Luka Doncic.

Reaves responded with a career 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 at least miss Sunday’s game against the Phoenix Suns, a road game at Utah on Dec. 18 and a game at the Clippers on Dec. 20.

After another road game against the Suns on Dec. 23, the Lakers begin a stretch of five consecutive home games, starting with a marquee Christmas Day matchup against the Houston Rockets.

The LA Bowl will crown its last winner when Washington and Boise State play Saturday, according to On3.com’s Brett McMurphy.

Hollywood Park, which is owned by Stan Kroenke, operates the LA Bowl. The game’s six-year contract is scheduled to end after Saturday’s game and it will not be renewed. The game was created in 2020, matching the Mountain West champion against the fifth selection from the Pac-12. The collapse of the Pac-12 as a power conference made it increasingly difficult to complete the bowl field, but other factors have made bowl season more challenging for game organizers.

Hollywood Park officials declined to address whether the game is folding.

“We anticipate a highly exciting and competitive matchup,” a bowl spokesperson told The Times on Thursday. “Discussions regarding any future plans for the LA Bowl will be deferred until after the game.”

Celebrity host Jimmy Kimmel plays an instrument and marches with the Washington State band before the 2022 L.A. Bowl.

(Ashley Landis / Associated Press)

The importance of bowl games have been shifted since conference realignment and the collapse of the Pac-12 as a power conference, the expansion of College Football Playoff, changes to the transfer portal dates and teams declining to participate in non-playoff games.

During this year’s bowl selection, programs such as Notre Dame, Kansas State and Iowa State declined their invitations. When it was time for the Birmingham Bowl to find an opponent for Georgia Southern, a number of 5-7 teams reportedly turned down invitations before Appalachian State agreed to play.

Throughout its contract, the LA Bowl winners have been Nevada Las Vegas in 2024, UCLA in 2023, Fresno State in 2022 and Utah State in 2021. Its debut game in 2020 was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The game has had four sponsors during its brief run and featured celebrities Jimmy Kimmel and Rob Gronkowski as hosts included in the bowl’s official name.

NEW YORK — Anders Lee scored twice and had two assists, and David Rittich made 31 saves as the New York Islanders beat the Ducks 5-2 on Thursday night.

Simon Holmstrom had a goal and two assists and defensemen Travis Mitchell and Ryan Pulock each scored as the Islanders won for the fifth time in six games.

Leo Carlsson and Troy Terry scored for the Ducks, who had their three-game winning streak ended.

Islanders leading scorer Bo Horvat left about seven minutes into the second with a lower-body injury after he became tangled with Ducks defenseman Drew Helleson.

The Islanders took a 3-0 lead in the opening period, starting with Mitchell’s first NHL goal. The 26-year-old was playing his seventh game following his recall from Bridgeport of the AHL.

Lee made it 2-0, beating Ducks netminder Ville Husso on the power play. The Islanders captain scored again with the man advantage late in the first, his eighth goal. Lee has 297 career goals, fifth-most in franchise history.

Carlsson rifled a shot past Rittich in the second for his team-leading 17th goal.

Terry made it 3-2 with a shorthanded goal early in the third. The Islanders pulled away when Holmstron scored his sixth and Pulock added his first.

The Islanders are 14-6-2 in their last 22 games and continued strong play against top-tier competition since losing to Washington on Nov. 30. New York has since defeated Tampa Bay twice, plus Colorado and Vegas.

Rittich improved to 7-3-1 with a sharp performance against the improved Ducks, who have 19 wins in 31 games.

Husso made 32 saves.

Up next for the Ducks: at New Jersey on Saturday.

Jim Ward, a prolific voice actor whose work spans Nickelodeon shows “Fairly OddParents,” “Danny Phantom” and video games including “Ratchet & Clank,” has died. He was 66.

Ward died Wednesday, his former radio co-host commentator Stephanie Miller announced. “Our Good friend, Jim Ward passed away yesterday,” she tweeted Thursday. “We’re going to spend the morning remembering his brilliance.”

She first broke the news Wednesday, informing her followers on X (formerly Twitter) of “one of saddest messages I have ever received from the amazing Mrs. Jim Ward.” The voice actor co-hosted and often appeared as a guest on Miller’s eponymous syndicated talk radio program from 2004 to 2021.

Ward’s wife, Janice Ward, confirmed to TMZ that he died because of complications from advanced Alzheimer’s disease and was receiving treatment in Los Angeles before his death.

Though Ward often imitated public figures on Miller’s show, he is best known for voicing a wide variety of characters, including real estate tycoon Doug Dimmadome (the famed owner of the Dimmsdale Dimmadome) and dogged news anchor Chet Ubetcha on “The Fairly OddParents.” He also voiced various roles in series “My Life as a Teenage Robot,” “Danny Phantom,” “Ben 10,” “The Replacements” and dozens of other animated shows. In 2009, he earned a Daytime Emmy for his performance in the revival of “Biker Mice From Mars.”

Butch Hartman, the creator and animator for “Fairly OddParents” and “Danny Phantom,” mourned his longtime collaborator on social media. “To say the voice over world has lost a giant is an understatement,” Hartman said on Instagram, hours after Ward’s death.

“Rest in peace, dear friend and thank you for blessing us with your incredible talent and charm,” Hartman added. “Love you, brother.”

In the realm of video games, Ward’s voice acting credits were plentiful and ranged from the adventure classic “Escape From Monkey Island” in 2000 to the anti-Nazi shooter “Wolfenstein” in 2009 to the western-themed “Red Dead Redemption II” in 2018. Most notably, Ward voiced camera-ready space hero Captain Qwark in Insomniac Games’ “Ratchet & Clank” franchise, from the original game’s release in 2002 to its re-release in 2016, and the sequels and various shorts in between.

Ward’s video game voice credits also include the inaugural “Call of Duty,” “Resident Evil 4,” “Final Fantasy XIII,” “BioShock 2,” “Fallout: New Vegas” and numerous gaming tie-ins for TV and film projects.

The answer was entirely predictable: “Good.”

The question that elicited the response above from Austin Reaves: How was he feeling physically?

Reaves doesn’t make excuses, and he wasn’t about to start now, not in the wake of a 132-119 defeat by the San Antonio Spurs at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday night.

Except Reaves didn’t look “good” in the loss.

He finished with a modest 15 points, including only four in the first half.

The underwhelming performance followed an 11-point game against the Philadelphia 76ers three days earlier.

“Just didn’t get the ball to go in the basket,” Reaves said.

Or was it something more?

Was the offensive burden he shouldered up to this point starting to take a toll on him?

Had the former undrafted free agent really elevated his game to a new level or was he just on a six-week heater?

The answers will be revealed in the coming weeks.

The Lakers, however, already know they can’t win with Reaves playing the way he did against the Spurs, when he made only two of six shots in the opening half.

Reaves has to score for this version of the Lakers to beat a team like the Spurs. He has to score because they can’t stop anyone.

Their on-ball perimeter defense is atrocious.

Their three-point defense is dreadful.

Their transition defense is shocking.

“Very few teams don’t have something that you can expose and we consistently got exposed to the same things,” coach JJ Redick said.

Bill Parcells once said you are what your record says you are, but that might not be the case with the Lakers, who are 17-7.

In their last six games, Lakers opponents have shot 49%, including 45% on threes. Redick’s team has allowed an average of 122 points per game.

“The things that help you win on the margins, we’re just not very good at right now,” Redick said.

The defense against the Spurs was particularly awful, the visitors making 50% of their threes in the first two periods to take a 70-58 lead into halftime with their franchise player Victor Wembanyama sidelined with a calf injury.

The Spurs’ athleticism clearly troubled the Lakers, who lack footspeed on the perimeter.

“They were just going downhill, driving and [kicking],” Lakers guard Luka Doncic said. “They scored like 10 three-pointers in the first half. They got up real quickly.”

Spurs guard Stephon Castle finished the game with 30 points. He was one of seven players to score in double figures. The Lakers were behind by as many as 24 points.

“Obviously, it’s a unique team,” Lakers forward LeBron James said. “They got six or seven guys that can break you off the dribble. Super fast, super quick.”

Unlike the Lakers, who have slow-moving guards in Doncic and Reaves, a 40-year-old player in James and an inconsistent center in Deandre Ayton.

The Lakers were eliminated in the playoffs last season by a more physically gifted team in the Minnesota Timberwolves and they once again look incapable of overcoming such a disadvantage this time around.

Asked what they could do to remedy their defensive shortcomings, James replied: “I mean, obviously, you can’t do it individually by yourself. It has to be five guys on a string, communication always at an all-time high, letting you know what’s going on behind you and things of that nature.”

Redick shared a similar view, but made it sound as if the process could take time. In the meantime, he said he expected Reaves to recover from his two-game slump.

Even after the Spurs game, Reaves ranked ninth in the NBA in scoring at 27.8 points per game.

“Yeah, look, the reality is the guy carried us for six weeks and that takes a toll on you,” Redick said. “He kept fighting and I appreciate that. But he’s gonna have a lot more great nights than frustrating nights.”

He better. More frustrating nights for Reaves figure to result in more frustrating nights for the Lakers.