Go beyond the scoreboard
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From Broderick Turner: They all sought to downplay any simmering animosity from a summer of back-and-forth trash talk between the Lakers and NBA champion Denver Nuggets. They all talked about the need to turn the page on last season and look forward to a 2023-24 season that the Lakers and Nuggets were set to open Tuesday night at Ball Arena.
So, when Lakers coach Darvin Ham was asked if his comment on a podcast that “this s— ain’t over” was sending notice to Denver that L.A. is going to be ready in the opener, he went in a different direction.
When Nuggets coach Mike Malone went on a podcast over the summer and said, “Speaking of the Lakers, I just want you guys to know, this is breaking news, I’m thinking about retiring, so don’t tell anybody,” he was asked if those words — seemingly in response to LeBron James’ comments after being swept in the West finals last season — made this game any more spicy for his team.
Yes, the Nuggets swept the Lakers in the Western Conference finals, and a lot of the talk still was about the Lakers, which irritated Malone.
Both coaches were right when they said their teams would be ready, the Nuggets’ 119-107 victory over the Lakers the only thing that mattered after all the talk.
The Lakers, including the playoffs, have lost six straight to the Nuggets. Does that get old, James was asked.
“Nah, I mean, we got to be better, obviously, when we play them,” said James, who had 21 points, eight rebounds and five assists. “And we had our chances in the Western Conference finals. But that’s over and done with. Tonight is the only thing that was on our mind and we didn’t make enough plays offensively or defensively for stretches and long periods of time to be able to close the game, or to win. So, give credit where credit is due to them.”
The Nuggets let their actions do the talking when they built an 18-point lead in the second quarter.
The Lakers let their actions do the talking when they cut that lead to three in the fourth.
But even with five players scoring in double figures, the Lakers could not overcome the Nuggets because they also had five players score in double figures
Video game company saves Kobe and Gianna Bryant mural in downtown Los Angeles
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CLIPPERS
From Andrew Greif: A specific caveat has been applied to every projection for the Clippers’ upcoming season: whether they can stay healthy.
A member of their new-look starting lineup has already suffered an injury, before the regular season begins Wednesday at home against Portland. Days after he was announced as the Clippers’ fifth starter, Terance Mann will miss the season opener after spraining an ankle Monday during practice, the team said. He hurt the ankle while contesting a shot and landing on a teammate’s foot, coach Tyronn Lue said.
Lue did not express long-term concern over Mann’s availability and said the team, given its history of injuries, has increasingly designed its offense and defense to make its role players interchangeable.
The Clippers started Mann in the first preseason game. They also started Robert Covington and Nicolas Batum in exhibitions that followed but settled on starting Mann — along with Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Ivica Zubac and Russell Westbrook — because of what Lue called his defensive versatility.
RAMS
From Gary Klein: The Rams will have a new kicker when they play the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.
The Rams announced Tuesday that they had released Brett Maher, who missed two field-goal attempts and an extra-point attempt in the Rams 24-17 defeat by the Pittsburgh Steelers last Sunday.
The team signed Lucas Havrisik, who played at Norco High and Arizona, from the Cleveland Browns practice squad. Havrisik, 24, spent time on the Indianapolis Colts practice squad in 2022.
NLCS SCHEDULE
All times Pacific
All games on TBS
Arizona vs. Philadelphia
at Philadelphia 5, Arizona 3 (recap, box score)
at Philadelphia 10, Arizona 0 (recap, box score)
at Arizona 2, Philadelphia 1 (recap, box score)
at Arizona 6, Philadelphia 5 (recap, box score)
Philadelphia 6, at Arizona 1 (recap, box score)
Arizona 5, at Philadelphia 1 (recap, box score)
Arizona 4, at Philadelphia 2 (recap, box score)
ALCS SCHEDULE
All times Pacific
Texas vs. Houston
Texas 2, at Houston 0 (recap, box score)
Texas 5, at Houston 4 (recap, box score)
Houston 8, at Texas 5 (recap, box score)
Houston 10, at Texas 3 (recap, box score)
Houston 5, at Texas 4 (recap, box score)
Texas 9, at Houston 2 (recap, box score)
Texas 11, at Houston 4 (recap, box score)
WORLD SERIES
All times Pacific
All games on Fox
Arizona vs. Texas
Friday at Texas, 5 p.m.
Saturday at Texas, 5 p.m.
Monday at Arizona, 5 p.m.
Tuesday at Arizona, 5 p.m.
*Wednesday, Nov. 1 at Arizona, 5 p.m.
*Friday, Nov. 3 at Texas, 5 p.m.
*Saturday, Nov. 4 at Texas, 5 p.m.
*-if necessary
Manager Bob Melvin ditches Padres for Giants. He’s a facsimile of Bruce Bochy
From Ryan Kartje: With its season hanging in the balance after two straight losses, USC has had to forge ahead this week without its head coach.
Lincoln Riley missed a second consecutive practice on Tuesday with an undisclosed illness. A USC spokesperson said that the coach was recovering under doctor’s orders and described his status as “day-to-day.”
It’s unclear whether his absence could stretch through the weekend, with USC slated to travel to Berkeley for a critical matchup with California on Saturday.
For now, in Riley’s place, USC receivers coach Dennis Simmons is serving as acting head coach. USC was also working with its NCAA compliance office to elevate offensive analyst Kliff Kingsbury to an acting assistant role.
USC’s Jamil Muhammad dedicated his life to being a QB. Now he’s taking them down
College football contenders and pretenders: Who has a legit shot at a national title?
KINGS
From Helene Elliott: In his 43rd season as an authoritative voice on Kings’ broadcasts, Nick Nickson is back where he began: calling simulcasts.
Nickson joined the Kings in 1981 and provided analysis alongside the great Bob Miller on a schedule that included simulcasts but was tilted toward radio-only broadcasts. Wayne Gretzky’s arrival in 1988 elevated the Kings’ profile and led to a split of their radio and TV announcing teams in 1990, with Nickson taking the radio play-by-play role.
When the bankruptcy filing of Diamond Sports (parent company of Bally Sports West) left the Kings without a TV outlet before this season, they didn’t renew the contract of rising star Alex Faust, who had brought new youth and vigor to the air as Miller’s successor. They also decided to switch to simulcasts, and later forged a multi-year agreement with Bally Sports West. Nickson works with primary analyst Jim Fox and Daryl Evans on TV and the iHeartRadio app.
NHL reverses ban, will allow players to use stick tape to support social causes
————
Kevin Fiala had a goal and an assist, Anze Kopitar scored on the power play and had an assist, and the Kings defeated the Arizona Coyotes 6-3 on Tuesday night.
Trevor Lewis, Trevor Moore, Blake Lizotte and Adrian Kempe also scored for the Kings, who had been winless in their first three games on home ice. Pheonix Copley made 24 saves.
Clayton Keller had a power-play goal as he scored for the third straight game, Jack McBain and Nick Bjugstad also scored, but the Coyotes couldn’t get their third straight win. Connor Ingram was replaced midway through the first period after allowing three goals on nine shots. Karel Vejmelka replaced him and made 15 saves.
DUCKS
Frank Vatrano scored on a breakaway 2:40 into overtime and Lukas Dostal stopped 34 shots as the Ducks snapped a three-game skid with their first road win of the season, rallying to beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2.
The Ducks twice erased one-goal deficits and pulled even with goals by Ryan Strome and Brett Leason on the way to their fifth straight win over Columbus.
Adam Fantilli had a goal and an assist, his first multi-point NHL game, and Emil Bemstrom scored for the Blue Jackets, who had a two-game wins streak halted. Elvis Merzlikins stopped 24 shots.
GALAXY
From Kevin Baxter: When Greg Vanney came back to the Galaxy as its manager in 2021, he had a three-year plan to return MLS’s marquee team to prominence. Or maybe it was a five-year plan. Either way, those plans have changed.
Because in those three seasons, the most recent of which ended Saturday in a 4-1 loss to FC Dallas, Vanney’s team has lost more games than it has won and missed the postseason twice. It is regressing more than progressing, matching a franchise high with 67 goals allowed this year while its eight wins equaled the fewest in a non-COVID season and its 1.06 points per game was second-worst all-time.
The Galaxy ended the season winless in its last six and with just one victory since August; it hasn’t gone beyond the first round of the playoffs since 2014.
And that makes this winter — much like the six that have proceeded it — an important one.
Important because 17 of the 32 players on the roster — including designated players Javier “Chicharito” Hernández and Douglas Costa — are either out of contract or entering their option year. Important because the Galaxy’s payroll of more than $25 million in guaranteed compensation ranked among the three highest in MLS for a sixth straight season, yet that spending bought the team just two playoff wins in those half-dozen seasons.
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
1947 — In front of a capacity crowd of 35,000 at Columbia’s Baker Field in New York, the Lions end Army’s 32-game unbeaten streak in a 21-20 upset. An interception in Army’s final drive seals the win, the first over an Army team that had not surrendered a point all season until the loss to Columbia.
1964 — Cotton Davidson of the Oakland Raiders passes for 427 yards and five touchdowns in a 40-7 rout of the Denver Broncos.
1990 — Evander Holyfield knocks out Buster Douglas in Las Vegas to become the undisputed heavyweight champion.
1998 — Jerry Rice sets an NFL record for receptions in consecutive games with his 12-yard catch from Steve Young on San Francisco’s first offensive play. Rice has caught passes in 184 straight games, breaking the mark set by Art Monk from 1980-95.
1998 — Denver’s Jason Elam kicks a 63-yard field goal, tying Tom Dempsey’s 28-year-old NFL record. Elam’s kick, which came at the end of the first half, matches the record Dempsey set for the New Orleans Saints against Detroit on Nov. 8, 1970.
2003 — Trainer Richard Mandella wins a record four races at the Breeders’ Cup, capping perhaps the greatest day in racing history when Pleasantly Perfect wins the $4 million Classic at Santa Anita. Mandella wins the $1 million Juvenile Fillies with Halfbridled, the $1.5 million Juvenile with long-shot Action This Day and the $2 million Turf with Johar, who dead-heats with High Chaparral.
2003 — Florida’s Josh Beckett throws a shutout to lead the Marlins to a 2-0 victory over the New York Yankees to win the World Series. Pitching on three days rest, Beckett allows five hits in Game 6 and captures MVP honors.
2006 — Joe Sakic becomes the 11th player in NHL history to reach 1,500 career points with an assist during the first period of Colorado’s 5-3 loss to Washington.
2014 — Trevone Boykin throws a school-record seven touchdown passes and No. 10 TCU scored the most points in its history in an 82-27 rout of Texas Tech.
—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, and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.