From Broderick Turner: Luka Doncic scored 40 points through three quarters for the Lakers against the Sacramento Kings on Monday night, going 15 for 21 from the field. He had seven assists and six rebounds and had played more than 30 minutes.
But then Doncic got his left thigh wrapped.
He scored only two points in the fourth quarter, making one of four shots and missing both of his three-point attempts in the Lakers’ 124-112 loss to the hot-shooting Kings.
After the game, Doncic didn’t provide much clarity on what he might be dealing with, saying his ailment was “somewhere” in the inner thigh or groin area.
“Yeah, I was really uncertain. Before the game … I felt something,” said Doncic, who was unsure before the game if he would play. “But tomorrow, we’ll see how I wake up.”
Doncic finished with 42 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. He was two for nine from three-point range. He didn’t let the injury be an excuse for his fourth-quarter struggles.
James Harden passes Shaq
Kawhi Leonard scored 35 points and James Harden had 32 to move into ninth place on the NBA’s career scoring list, and the Clippers beat the Charlotte Hornets 117-109 on Monday night for their fourth win in five games.
Jordan Miller added 14 points and Ivica Zubac had nine points and 11 rebounds for the Clippers.
LaMelo Ball had 25 points and nine rebounds to lead the Hornets in their third loss in four games. Kon Knueppel scored 18 points, Moussa Diabaté had 13 points and 15 rebounds, Brandon Miller also scored 13 and Miles Bridges 11.
Harden, who began the night 14 points behind Shaquille O’Neal’s 28,596 points for ninth, had 13 in the first half and then moved ahead on a three-pointer early in the third quarter.
Matthew Stafford has a sprained finger
From Gary Klein: Matthew Stafford suffered a sprained right index finger in the Rams’ wild-card victory over the Carolina Panthers, but he will be ready for Sunday’s divisional-round game against the Bears in Chicago, coach Sean McVay said Monday.
“He’s as tough as it gets and will be good to go,” McVay said during a videoconference with reporters.
Stafford injured his finger Saturday when his hand hit the helmet of a Panthers player during the Rams’ 34-31 victory in Charlotte, N.C. He played through the injury and passed for 304 yards and three touchdowns, including a game-winner to tight end Colby Parkinson with 38 seconds left.
Commentary: Why Stan Kroenke was the only NFL owner who could bring football back to L.A.
The 10 greatest moments in Rams history since their return to L.A.
Chargers discuss their loss
From Benjamin Royer: Ladd McConkey paused for a moment in front of his locker.
“I don’t know,” he said, less than 24 hours after another humbling Chargers playoff loss.
“To be honest with you, it’s like, I don’t know — but you gotta get that monkey off our back,” McConkey said.
A tormenting 16-3 defeat to the New England Patriots in the AFC wild-card round sent the Chargers’ season to an early finish Sunday for the second consecutive season. Little went right against the Patriots in coach Jim Harbaugh‘s second year in L.A., prompting questions about what needs to change to make the Chargers a Super Bowl contender.
Harbaugh, general manager Joe Hortiz and the rest of the team’s staff will have a full offseason to delve into went awry against the Patriots and a season that fell short of expectations.
Center Bradley Bozeman, often at the heart of public criticism over the Chargers’ offensive line, fought back tears when speaking about his struggles on the field. But the eighth-year veteran got choked up the most talking about Justin Herbert.
“It just sucks that we can’t get him there,” Bozeman said. “That’s what sucks. He’s one of my best friends — and it sucks, like it just sucks, because I want it bad for him. I want it bad for myself, I want it bad for everybody, but him especially.”
NFL playoffs schedule
All times Pacific
Wild-card round
AFC
Monday
No. 5 Houston 30, No. 4 Pittsburgh 6 (summary)
Divisional round
NFC
Saturday
No. 6 San Francisco at No. 1 Seattle, 5 p.m., (FOX, FOX One, FOX Deportes)
Sunday
No. 5 Rams at No. 2 Chicago, 3:30 p.m. (NBC, Peacock, Telemundo, Universo)
AFC
Saturday
No. 6 Buffalo at No. 1 Denver, 1:30 p.m., (CBS, Paramount+)
Sunday
No. 5 Houston at No. 2 New England, noon (ESPN/ABC, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes)
Conference championships
Sunday, Jan. 25
AFC
Noon, (CBS, Paramount+)
NFC
3:30 p.m. (FOX, FOX One, FOX Deportes)
Noon
Super Bowl
Sunday, Feb. 8, NBC, Time TBA
Kings fall to Stars
Jason Robertson scored late in the third period, Wyatt Johnston scored his 25th goal of the season, and the Dallas Stars defeated the Kings 3-1 on Monday night.
Robertson looked to be trying a centering pass, but the wobbling puck deflected in off Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson with 3:46 remaining. Matt Duchene added an empty-net goal with 17.4 to go, and the Stars have won two of three after a season-worst six-game winless streak.
Jake Oettinger made 24 saves, and Esa Lindell and Sam Steel had two assists.
Quinton Byfield scored on the power play and Darcy Kuemper made 15 saves for the Kings, who have dropped three of four.
THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
1962 — Wilt Chamberlain scores an NBA regulation-game record 73 points to lead the Philadelphia Warriors to a 135-117 triumph over the Chicago Packers.
1971 — Lenny Wilkens of the Seattle Supersonics, at 33, becomes the oldest All-Star MVP as he scores 21 points to give the West a 108-107 victory over the East.
1974 — The Miami Dolphins win their second straight Super Bowl in their third straight appearance with a 24-7 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. Larry Csonka, the game’s MVP, gains 145 yards in 33 carries and scores a touchdown.
1986 — NCAA schools vote overwhelmingly in favor of adopting the controversial Proposition 48. The rule requires that incoming freshman maintain 2.0 grade point averages and score 700 or more on the Scholastic Aptitude Test or a 15 on the American College Testing program.
1987 — Lewis Lloyd and Mitchell Wiggins of the Houston Rockets become the third and fourth NBA players to be banned from the league for using cocaine.
1991 — Phil Mickelson overcomes an 8 on the 14th hole to become the second amateur since 1954 to win a PGA Tour event as he posts a one-shot victory over Bob Tway and Tom Purtzer in the Northern Telecom Open.
1995 — America3, the first all-women’s team in the 144-year history of America’s Cup, wins the first race of the America’s Cup defender trials, beating Team Dennis Conner by 1 minute, 9 seconds.
1999 — Basketball superstar Michael Jordan announces his second retirement just prior to start of lockout-shortened 1998-99 NBA season; returns in 2001 with Washington.
2003 — Jennifer Capriati becomes the first women’s Australian Open defending champion to lose in the first round in the Open era. Capriati, seeded third, loses 2-6, 7-6 (6), 6-4 to 90th-ranked Marlene Weingartner of Germany.
2006 — Larry Brown becomes the fourth coach in NBA history to win 1,000 regular-season games as New York beats Atlanta 105-94. Brown, 1,000-762 in 23 seasons in the NBA, joins Lenny Wilkens, Don Nelson and Pat Riley in the 1,000-win club.
2013 — Matt Bryant kicks a 49-yard field goal with 8 seconds left and the Atlanta Falcons bounce back after blowing a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter, defeating Seattle 30-28 in an NFC divisional playoff game. The Falcons lead 27-7 at the start of the final quarter before rookie quarterback Russell Wilson leads the Seahawks to three fourth-quarter touchdowns and a 28-27 lead with 31 seconds left.
2013 — Tom Brady becomes the winningest quarterback in postseason play, throwing for three touchdowns to beat Houston 41-28 and lift the New England Patriots into the AFC championship game. Brady gets his 17th victory, surpassing Joe Montana, by throwing for 344 yards.
2017 — Kelsey Plum scores 36 points to become the 12th player in women’s basketball history to top 3,000 career points and Washington routs Arizona 90-73.
2020 — Houston Astros manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow are fired by team owner Jim Crane for their roles in the sign-stealing scandal after MLB suspends both for one year
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.