Howdy, I’m your host, Austin Knoblauch, filling in for Houston Mitchell, who’s probably busy calculating how much the Dodgers will spend on sunflower seeds with Teoscar Hernández around for three more seasons. Let’s get right to the news.
From Gary Klein: The Rams did not play Sunday, but they still won the NFC West.
A victory on Saturday over the Arizona Cardinals positioned the Rams to capture the division title via the NFL’s strength of victory tiebreaking metric.
The Cincinnati Bengals’ victory over the Denver Broncos on Saturday, plus the Buffalo Bills’ victory over the New York Jets, the Minnesota Vikings’ victory over the Green Bay Packers and the Washington Commanders’ victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday gave the Rams the tiebreaker over the Seattle Seahawks.
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So the game between the Rams and Seahawks at 1:25 p.m. on Sunday at SoFi Stadium will enable Rams coach Sean McVay to possibly rest starters for an NFC wild-card playoff game that the Rams will host.
The Rams won the division for the fourth time in McVay’s eight seasons as coach. They also won in 2017 when they lost in the wild-card round, 2018 when they lost to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LIII and 2021 when they defeated the Bengals in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium.
For the second season in a row, the Rams made a dramatic turnaround after their open date.
ALSO: Rams’ takeaways on win over Cardinals: Defensive backs keep making clutch plays
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LAKERS
Dorian Finney-Smith reacts after scoring for the Brooklyn Nets during a game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Nov. 4.
(Seth Wenig / Associated Press)
From Dan Woike: He’s not a big name, but it’s a big trade.
The Lakers have acquired Dorian Finney-Smith, a multiple-positional defender shooting 43.5% from three-point range this season, in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets without surrendering any of L.A.’s future first-round draft picks — a deal that improves two big areas of need while keeping the door open for future moves.
The team announced Sunday afternoon that it sent D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and second-round picks in 2029, 2030 and 2031 to the Nets for Finney-Smith and reserve guard Shake Milton. The move, the Lakers hope, bolsters their improving defense while giving their offense one of the most efficient catch-and-shoot players in the league this season.
Finney-Smith, 31, is averaging 10.4 points and 4.6 rebounds while attempting 5.4 threes in 20 games. He’s capable of defending guards, forwards and centers, making him one of the league’s most versatile players on that end of the court and a prototypical piece for the style of play coach JJ Redick is trying to instill with the Lakers.
Redick and Finney-Smith were briefly teammates in 2021 when Redick finished his career with the Dallas Mavericks.
NBA
Lakers forward LeBron James prepares to high-five a teammate as he’s introduced before the start of a game.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
From Dan Woike: LeBron James loves horror movies, loves them so much he has a tattoo of his “Big Three” villains on his thigh. There’s “Nightmare on Elm Street’s” Freddy Krueger. There’s “Halloween’s” Michael Myers. And there’s “Friday the 13th’s” Jason Voorhees. If anyone appreciates a good scare, it’s the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
Yet there wasn’t some killer behind a mask or a scarred-up monster with a knife that caused James to yelp Christmas night in San Francisco. The Lakers had just beaten the Golden State Warriors during a game in which James was fantastic when he was reminded of the terrifying monster waiting for him in five days.
Hiding behind the door on Monday, Dec. 30, James would be 40 years old. Reminded of it, he jokingly screamed.
“Five days,” he exclaimed, a shiver maybe running down his spine.
In 1987, legendary L.A. Times columnist Jim Murray wrote about athletes staring down the bad guy that eventually gets all of them: Father Time.
“A great heavyweight champion at 40 is pathetic to watch,” Murray wrote. “He sees the opening but can’t get the punch there in time. A great tennis champion can’t get to the net anymore. A great quarterback has to throw sidearm.”
UCLA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
UCLA’s Lauren Betts, left, tries to drive on Nebraska’s Alexis Markowski and Allison Weidner, right, at Pauley Pavilion on Sunday.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
From Ben Bolch: Lauren Betts took the pass in the post midway through the third quarter, firmly grabbing the ball with both hands. She swung her arms one way, then another, until she found the positioning she wanted.
It was then that UCLA’s center rose for another layup against an overmatched defender.
An unbeaten team got better Sunday afternoon with its top interior presence back in the lineup.
In her return from a knee injury that had sidelined her for two games, Betts and teammate Kiki Rice powered top-ranked UCLA to a 91-54 victory over Nebraska at Pauley Pavilion in the Bruins’ Big Ten Conference home opener.
Flashing her usual dominant form, Betts finished with a game-high 21 points on eight-for-15 shooting to go with eight rebounds. Rice was practically flawless on the way to 18 points — including the 1,000th of her career — while making all eight shots and logging six rebounds, four steals and two assists, her only blemish coming on three turnovers.
NCAA women’s basketball scores
USC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
USC’s Rayah Marshall (13) is congratulated by her teammates after scoring while drawing a foul during the second half of the Trojans’ 78-58 win over Michigan at Galen Center on Sunday.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
From Benjamin Royer: Except for JuJu Watkins, USC’s players were struggling to find their shot.
A 10-point USC lead turned into a deficit during the third quarter. With Kiki Iriafen stuck on the bench in foul trouble, the Trojans needed someone to spark a rally.
Enter the all-too-reliable Rayah Marshall, the longest-tenured starter on the team.
She isn’t the flashiest player and she’ll rarely be the leading scorer with Watkins on the floor, but when USC needed a bruising option to force into the paint for second-chance looks, the senior got the job done against Michigan on Sunday night.
“Welcome to Big Ten basketball,” Marshall said.
CHARGERS
Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh walks off the field at halftime against the Patriots on Saturday.
(Michael Dwyer / Associated Press)
From Sam Farmer: Jim Harbaugh loves a high-five, calls it one of mankind’s great inventions. But sometimes, even that hearty gesture is insufficient.
So when the Chargers coach spotted the team’s general manager slipping out of the visitors’ locker room Saturday — in the wake of the club’s most lopsided win in five years — he summoned him for a bear hug.
The Chargers clinched a playoff berth with their 40-7 drubbing of the New England Patriots, and Harbaugh felt the urge to wrap his arms around first-year general manager Joe Hortiz. Such is the delirium of an NFL team starting to hit its stride at the right time.
“I needed a hug from Joe,” said the coach, who lured Hortiz from the Baltimore Ravens. “He’s the same brilliant guy every single day. He takes no deep, long bows. But he should.”
ALSO: J.K. Dobbins’ return a boost to offense in rout of Patriots
DODGERS
Roki Sasaki pitches for Japan in the World Baseball Classic in March 2023.
(Eugene Hoshiko / Associated Press)
From Jack Harris: The year 2024 couldn’t have gone much better for the Dodgers.
They won their first full-season World Series since 1988, and second (including their pandemic-shortened 2020 title) in the last five seasons. They were transformed on and off the field by Shohei Ohtani, who lived up to every expectation in the first season of his 10-year, $700-million contract. And as the new year approaches, they know they will pursue dynasty status in 2025, trying to become the fifth franchise in MLB’s live ball era to win three championships in a six-year span.
Already this offseason, they’ve begun positioning themselves with several important moves. They signed two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell. They retained slugging outfielder Teoscar Hernández and top reliever Blake Treinen. They even extended key utilityman Tommy Edman. As a result, at this early juncture, they are the clear-cut favorites to defend their title next season.
But more moves remain to be made before the team reports to spring training in early February.
Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly stands on the field before a game against Indiana on Nov. 23.
(Ian Johnson / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
From Andrés Soto: As Ohio State packs its bags for the trip to Pasadena to play Oregon in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly is making sure he has enough of one particular item.
“I gotta get more sunscreen,” he said as he chuckled a bit. “We haven’t seen the sun in a little while out here in Columbus.”
Kelly will be returning to the sideline he roamed for six years as head coach of the UCLA Bruins, a job that once made him the highest-paid state employee in California, and one he stepped down from last February to take the reins of Ohio State’s offense. While the move — and the timing of it — might have burned bridges with several Angelenos, the significance of playing in the Rose Bowl isn’t lost on him.
“The game itself, and the Rose Bowl itself, it’s such an iconic place to play,” Kelly said. “To be at that 2 o’clock kickoff on the West Coast, and on Jan. 1, it’s special. I’m excited. [It’s] an opportunity to coach in another role as well, I think that’s going to be really special.”
ALSO: Dillon Gabriel’s six-season journey could have storybook ending at Oregon
KINGS
Kings forward Warren Foegele, right, celebrates with forward Tanner Jeannot after scoring during a win over the Philadelphia Flyers at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday.
(William Liang / Associated Press)
From the Associated Press: Anze Kopitar scored twice and Adrian Kempe had a goal and an assist as the Kings got their seventh straight home win by beating the Philadelphia Flyers 5-4 on Sunday night at Crypto.com Arena.
Kevin Fiala and Warren Foegele also scored for the Kings, who trailed 4-2 midway through the second period before rebounding to sweep a back-to-back after defeating recent playoff nemesis Edmonton in overtime on Saturday. David Rittich made 17 saves.
Kopitar was in the right place to redirect Quinton Byfield’s rebound in and tie it 4-4 early in the third, before following it up by chopping in Kempe’s shot during a power play at 8:55 for the 5-4 lead.
DUCKS
Ducks forward Cutter Gauthier celebrates with teammates after scoring during a 5-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers at Honda Center on Sunday.
(Alex Gallardo / Associated Press)
From the Associated Press: Ryan Strome scored with 2:36 remaining as the Ducks rallied from a two-goal deficit in the second period to defeat the Edmonton Oilers 5-3 on Sunday.
Strome’s goal, his sixth of the season, originally wasn’t called, but it was reversed after a review. Strome’s shot was entirely over the goal line before Edmonton goalie Calvin Pickard could stop it with his skate.
Mason McTavish added an empty-net goal. It is the first time since March 30, 2019, the Ducks have defeated the Oilers by more than one goal.
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
1956 — The New York Giants win the NFL title with a 47-7 rout of the Chicago Bears.
1962 — The Green Bay Packers beat the New York Giants 16-7 to win the NFL title for the second straight year.
1973 — The Minnesota Vikings beat the Dallas Cowboys 27-10 to win the NFC championship.
1973 — The Miami Dolphins, behind 266 yards rushing, beat the Oakland Raiders 27-10 for an unprecedented third straight AFC title.
1981 — In the 39th game of the season, Edmonton’s Wayne Gretzky scores five goals, including his 50th into an empty net, to lead the Oilers to a 7-5 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Gretzy betters the mark of 50 goals in 50 games held by Maurice Richard and Mike Bossy.
1990 — Orlando point guard Scott Skiles dishes out an NBA-record 30 assists in a 155-116 victory against the Denver Nuggets. Skiles breaks the record of 29 assists set by the Nets’ Kevin Porter in 1978.
2000 — Nebraska ends a disappointing season by setting a bowl record for points in a 66-17 victory over Northwestern in the Alamo Bowl.
2002 — TCU sets an NCAA record for fewest points allowed when the Lady Frogs beat Texas Southern 76-16. The 16 points allowed breaks the Division I record for fewest points. Prairie View scored 19 points against Jackson State in 1983.
2007 — Drew Brees sets an NFL record with 443 completions, passing the previous mark of 418 set by Rich Gannon in 2002. Brees completes 35 of 60 passes for 320 yards with three TD passes in New Orleans’ 33-25 loss to Chicago.
2008 — NFL head coach Mike Shanahan is fired by the Denver Broncos.
2010 — Top-ranked Connecticut’s record 90-game winning streak in women’s basketball ends when No. 9 Stanford outplays the Huskies from the start in a 71-59 victory at Maples Pavilion — where the Cardinal have their own streak going. Stanford hasn’t lost in 52 games at home. The Cardinal took an early 13-point lead, never trailed and didn’t let the mighty Huskies back in it.
2016 — Isaiah Thomas scores 29 of his career-high 52 points in the fourth quarter, setting a club record for points in a period and leading Boston to a 117-114 victory over the Miami Heat.
2017 — Alex Hornibrook throws four touchdown passes, three of them to Danny Davis, and No. 6 Wisconsin caps off the winningest season in school history by topping No. 11 Miami 34-24 in the Orange Bowl. Jonathan Taylor finishes his record-setting freshman season with 130 rushing yards on 26 carries for the Badgers (13-1). Taylor finishes the year with an FBS-freshman-record 1,977 yards.
2018 — Patrick Mahomes becomes only the 2nd quarterback in NFL history to throw for 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns during KC Chiefs’ 35-3 win over Oakland Raiders; achieves both marks with 3rd quarter 89-yard TD pass to Demarcus Robinson.
2020 — San Antonio assistant Becky Hammon becomes first female to coach an NBA team after Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich is ejected in a 121-107 loss to the LA Lakers
Compiled by the Associated Press
And finally
Seventeen Los Angeles Times staff writers and columnists selected a story they wrote in 2024 that was their favorite. You can read (or read again) some of our very best journalism of the year here.
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.