Sports Desk

Lakers star LeBron James eased his way to the interview podium Sunday with a giant water jug in his hand and a do-rag covering his hair, the last of the NBA All-Stars to speak with the media.

James was selected as a reserve, breaking his NBA record of 21 consecutive starts but extending his record for most appearances to 22.

At 41 and playing in his record 23rd season, James was asked about his future, because his eventual retirement always seems to be a source of curiosity.

So, James was asked before he played in the “U.S. vs. “World” All-Star Game tournament at Intuit Dome whether he had any inkling about what he wants to do next season.

“I want to live,” James said. “When I know, you guys will know. I don’t know. I have no idea. I just want to live. That’s all.”

James played on Team Stripes, joining fellow veterans Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry, who didn’t play because of a right knee injury.

They are long-time combatants, friends and U.S. Olympic teammates. And they are All-Stars again, all older than 37 and still playing at a high level.

“It’s always an honor to see those guys,” James said. “We have had such an unbelievable journey throughout our individual careers and then intersecting at certain points in our careers, matchups in the regular season, Finals appearances, postseason appearances, then Olympics two summers ago. When it comes to me, Steph and KD, we’ll be interlocked for the rest of our careers, for sure. It’s been great to be able to have some moments with those guys, versus those guys, teaming up with those guys.”

The All-Star format has changed from East versus West to U.S. versus the World.

Team Stars forward Scottie Barnes, left, celebrates with Cade Cunningham after hitting a three to beat Team World in the first matchup of the All-Star Game tournament Sunday at Intuit Dome.

(Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)

There were three teams — Team Stars, Team Stripes and Team World, and they played 12-minute games in a round-robin tournament.

Game 1 was Team World vs. Team Stars, a game that went into overtime after Anthony Edwards tied the score 32-32 at the end of the first 12 minutes.

Team Stars, the first team to score five points in overtime, won 37-35 on a Scottie Barnes three-pointer,.

Victor Wembanyama led Team World with 14 points, six rebounds and three blocks.

Anthony Edwards had 13 points for Team Stars, which will play Team Stripes next.

James and Clippers star Kawhi Leonard are on the USA Stripes and Lakers superstar Luka Doncic, the leading all-star vote getter, is on Team World because he is from Slovenia.

James was asked whether he could have ever imagined a USA versus the World all-star format.

“No,” James said, laughing. “No. I mean, East-West is definitely, it’s a tradition. It’s been really good. Obviously, I like the East and West format. But they are trying something. But we’ll see what happens. I mean, it’s the US versus the World. The World is gigantic over the U.S. So, I’m just trying to figure out how that makes sense. But, I don’t want to dive too much into that. Yeah, East-West is great. We’ll see what happens with this.”

Just before the tipoff of the first game, former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama were introduced to a standing ovation.

MILAN — The U.S. will take the No. 2 seed into the quarterfinals of the men’s hockey tournament of the Milan-Cortina Olympics after beating Germany 5-1 on Sunday to finish group play unbeaten.

The Americans’ opponent in the final eight will be determined in a four-game qualification round Tuesday. Canada, also unbeaten after it thrashed France 10-2 earlier in the day, will take the top seed into the quarterfinals by virtue of its plus-17 goal differential.

The U.S. got two scores Sunday from Auston Matthews and goals from Zach Werenski, Brock Faber and Tage Thompson. Germany’s only score came from Tim Stutzle of the Ottawa Senators, his fourth of the Olympics, with less than nine minutes to play.

The Americans outshot Germany 13-3 during the first 16 minutes, but a combination of poor puck handling and sloppy play in front of the net kept them off the scoreboard until Werenski, a defenseman with the Columbus Blue Jackets, took a pass from Matthews in the center of the right circle, stepped up and drilled a wrister past goalie Maximilian Franzreb nine seconds before the first intermission.

The U.S. thought it had a goal moments earlier when Vegas Golden Knights’ forward Jack Eichel drove the puck from the top of the left circle though a crowd and into the back of the net. But the officials ruled the play had been whistled dead before the shot.

Matthews, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ captain, doubled the advantage 3:25 into the second period, poking the rebound of a Quinn Hughes’ shot by Franzreb for his second power-play goal of the Olympics.

Faber, who plays for he Minnesota Wild, made it 3-0 with less than 2:30 left in the second period, playing the puck off the boards near the blue line and flicking it on goal where Eichel got a stick up in front of Franzreb, distracting the goalie as he reached up unsuccessfully to glove the puck.

Thompson, of the Buffalo Sabres, and Matthews closed out the scoring for the U.S. with goals less than five minutes apart into the final period.

Derrick Taylor won four City Section titles coaching basketball at Taft High. He won a Southern Section 3A title coaching at St. John Bosco and a Division II state championship with the Braves. So when he decided to come out of retirement and coach at Blair this season, you knew something good might happen.

On Friday night, Blair continued its run in the Southern Section Division 4 playoffs by upsetting No. 1-seeded Bonita 79-71. Jaleel Hunter had 14 points and 20 rebounds.

Blair lost its top player, Tim Anderson, who transferred to Pasadena. The team started 0-4. Now the Vikings are 21-9 and playing in the Division 4 quarterfinals on the road against Trabuco Hills on Tuesday.

Taylor lost his job at Taft in 2023 after guiding the Toreadors to an Open Division title. He briefly was going to coach at Gardena Serra, then stepped down for health reasons.

Things quickly have turned around for Blair, but it comes as no surprise to those who’ve seen what Taylor can do.

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

The world’s best basketball players are in the Los Angeles area this weekend for NBA All-Star weekend. It is first time the annual midseason festival is being held at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, the recently-opened home of the Clippers. Festivities started Friday and included the celebrity all-star game, during which one team of celebrities was coached by NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo and the other was coached by actor Anthony Anderson. Team Giannis got the win 65-58, led by an MVP performance from “How to Get Away with Murder” star Rome Flynn. The dunk contest, three-point contest and skills challenge were showcased on Saturday. This year’s dunk contest participants included Carter Bryant of the Spurs, Jaxson Hayes of the Lakers, Keshad Johnson of the Heat and Jase Richardson of the Magic. The three-point contest featured eight players, including five All-Stars. The Trail Blazers’ Damian Lillard, who isn’t playing this season while recovering from a torn Achilles, managed to win the three-point contest.

Fans cheer are illuminated by Intuit Dome lights as they cheer during all-star festivities Saturday.

(Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)

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1. The Spurs’ Carter Bryant moves the ball between his legs in midair before dunking during the all-star dunk contest on Saturday. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 2. Dodgers star Mookie Betts is welcomed to the court during the celebrity all-star game by the Clippers cheerleaders at the Kia Forum in Inglewood on Friday. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 3. Celebrity Keegan-Michael Key laughs with teammates during the all-star celebrity game at the Kia Forum in Inglewood on Friday. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

Team Vince Carter celebrates as Philadelphia 76ers guard VJ Edgecombe wins the Rising Stars game most valuable player honors Friday at the Intuit Dome.

(Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)

Smoke fills and lights are deployed during the NBA All-Star events Saturday at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood.

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

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1. Magic guard Jase Richardson completes a reverse dunk during NBA All-Star dunk contest Saturday at the Intuit Dome. (Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times) 2. Pelicans guard Jeremiah Fears (0) rises up for a lay up while being guarded by Wizards guard Kyshawn George (18) during the final of the NBA rising stars game at Intuit Dome on Friday. (Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times) 3. Lakers forward Jaxson Hayes throws up peace signs as he introduced before the NBA all-star dunk contest Saturday at the Intuit Dome. (Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)

The Trail Blazers’ Damian Lillard competes in the NBA All-Star three point contest on Saturday at the Intuit Dome.

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

Actor Rome Flynn holds up a trophy and smiles after winning NBA All-Star celebrity game MVP honors at the Kia Forum Friday.

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

Matt Weston produced a stunning run to make more history in Cortina as he became the first Briton to win two gold medals at a Winter Olympics with a thrilling victory in the mixed team skeleton event alongside Tabitha Stoecker.

Stoecker had given Weston a tough task with her run of 1:00.77, 0.30 seconds off the pace of the Germans with the British pair, ranked top seeds, the last to run.

But Weston, who stormed to gold on Friday – Team GB’s first medal at the Games – showed why he is the best skeleton racer in the world with a sublime 58.59secs run to clinch his second triumph of the Games.

It is the first time Great Britain have won three gold medals at a single Winter Olympics after Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale won snowboard cross mixed team gold earlier on Sunday.

A second British team, Marcus Wyatt and Freya Tarbit, missed out on a medal by an agonising 0.01secs as the two German teams of Christopher Grotheer and Jacqueline Pfeifer and Axel Jungk and Susanne Kreher took silver and bronze, respectively.

Ishan Kishan’s quickfire 77 is followed by a well-rounded bowling display as India thrash woeful Pakistan by 61 runs to qualify for the Super 8s stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

MATCH REPORT: ICC Men’s T20 World Cup – India v Pakistan

Available to UK users only.

Great Britain’s Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale react to winning their history making gold medal in the mixed team snowboard cross at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

WATCH MORE: Bankes and Nightingale win snowboard cross gold for Team GB

Available to UK users only.

England fly-half Zoe Harrison nailed a late long-range penalty as Saracens snatched a 36-33 win over Bristol Bears at StoneX Stadium.

The victors raced into a 26-12 lead at half-time through tries by Millie Whizz, New Zealand’s Ruahei Demant and England prop Sarah Bern, who crossed twice.

Despite two scores by hooker May Campbell and one by Olivia Apps to retake the lead, Bristol then levelled the game after Keira Bevan converted her own try.

However, Harrison confidently smashed over a 79th-minute penalty to show why she was England’s World Cup-winning starting fly-half.

The victory meant Saracens kept up the pressure on Premiership Rugby Women’s league leaders Gloucester-Hartpury, while Bristol remain second from bottom.

Exeter Chiefs defeated Loughborough Lightning 26-5 at Sandy Park in Sunday’s other PWR fixture.

Francesca Granzotto, Amy Rule and Hope Rogers all scored first-half tries for the Chiefs, with Ireland’s Dorothy Wall grabbing the vital bonus-point try in the final play.

The result moved Exeter into third place above Harlequins, who lost to Gloucester-Hartpury on Saturday.

From his first day attending classes at Harvard-Westlake’s middle school campus, which includes seventh- and eighth-graders, Louis Lappe was being recognized as a celebrity.

“A few of the seventh graders I guess they know me kind of,” Lappe said humbly.

Not kind of.

“Every day, I hear them,” freshman teammate Nate Englander said. “‘Are you Louis Lappe, the kid who hit the walk-off home run in the Little League World Series?’ Every grade, seriously.”

It’s time for the Louis Lappe Show to hit the high school ranks. The national hero as a 12-year-old who led El Segundo to the Little League world championship in 2023 is now 15 and set to begin his first year of high school baseball. He’ll be starting at third base for the Wolverines. He’s 6 feet 2 and is joined by two other top freshmen on Harvard-Westlake’s varsity team, the 6-2 Englander, an outfielder-pitcher, and the 6-2 Mateo Mier, a pitcher.

This reminds scouts of the spring of 2021, when Bryce Rainer, Tommy Bridges and Duncan Marsten started on the Wolverines’ varsity team as freshmen. Rainer became a first-round draft pick, Marsten is a standout pitcher at Wake Forest and Bridges went to Northwestern.

Englander still hasn’t forgiven Lappe for eliminating him and Sherman Oaks Little League in the 2023 regional playoffs.

El Segundo’s Louis Lappe celebrates as he rounds second after hitting a solo walk-off home run off Curacao’s Jay-Dlynn Wiel during the sixth inning of the Little League World Series championship game in 2023.

(Gene J. Puskar / Associated Press)

“Obviously, it was difficult at the time,” Englander said. “We’re boys now. It’s amazing to reconnect. It’s going to be fun.”

During fall and winter ball, Lappe displayed occasional power, similar to what he did as a 12-year-old that allowed him to hit five home runs at the 2023 Little League World Series, including his walk-off home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to beat Venezuela.

He had a .445 batting average in winter ball, second only to Vanderbilt-bound senior James Tronstein.

It’s still going to be a transition season for Lappe.

“It’s a whole new game. A whole new chapter I have to get used to,” he said. “The main thing will be getting used to the speed of the game. It’s much faster than 14-, 15-year-old travel ball. Everyone runs faster, throws harder. When we get used to that, we’ll be just fine.”

Lappe and Mier won gold medals during the summer playing for the USA 15U national team.

Mier is going to be placed immediately on the mound as part of a three-man starting pitching rotation used by pitching coach Joe Guntz to deal with some of the best hitters in the Southland.

“I think it’s more about finding your spot on the team,” Mier said. “It’s a team game. Travel ball is very self-centered. The challenge is learning how to pitch and not be a thrower. I feel coach Guntz is the right person to teach me that.”

All three look like they could be playing basketball or football with their physical statures. That will mark them early on as no ordinary freshmen.

“We’re in the Mission League, which is one of the most difficult and prestigious leagues in the country,” Englander said. “There’s a lot more talent, whether it’s guys throwing harder, hitting the ball farther.”

The Mission League has had an influx of outstanding players from the class of 2029, including Jordan Leon at Sierra Canyon and Brody Brooks at Loyola.

“I think we’ll hold our own,” Englander said. “We look the part. Hopefully we can play the part.”

Mark down Harvard-Westlake’s games against Loyola because the Cubs have four former El Segundo players on their team, including the manager, Danny Boehle. Imagine the trash talk that might be transpiring with Lappe on second base talking to Brooks, one of his best friends who plays shortstop.

“It will be fun to mess with them and also beat them,” Lappe said.

It’s going to be a memorable four years of high school baseball for Lappe and his fellow class of 2029 players.

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Mikaela Shiffrin’s Olympic woes continued Sunday, with the American skier finishing 11th in the women’s giant slalom at the Milan-Cortina Games.

Italy’s Federica Brignone won the race for her second gold of these Olympics, posting a combined time of 2 minutes and 13.50 seconds. Sweden’s Sara Hector and Norway’s Thea Louise St. Jernesund tied for silver (+0.62). Hector and St. Jernesund, stunningly, posted identical times in both of their runs — 1:03.97 in Run 1 and 1:10.15 in Run 2.

Shiffrin’s second run started strong but she lost time in the middle part of the course to finish in 1:10.17 combined time of 2:14.42 (+0.92).

Shiffrin, the all-time leader in World Cup wins, has failed to reach the podium in her last eight Olympic events. Although Shiffrin won gold in the giant slalom in the 2018 Olympics, her subsequent performances in Beijing in 2022, and last Tuesday in Cortina, have people wondering if the Games present a brick-wall mental block for her.

After all, she came into these Olympics having won seven of eight World Cup slalom races, and finishing second in the one she didn’t win.

Yet Tuesday, in the women’s combined, she was 15th out of 18 finishers. That was a disappointing debut for a legendary racer looking to bounce back from her last Olympic showing.

Four years ago, she was a favorite in Beijing but went 0 for 6 on podiums and failed to cross the finish line three times. Her best individual result was ninth in the super-G.

Sunday was all about Giant Slalom, a discipline in which Shiffrin holds the women’s record for most World Cup wins with 22.

But she has endured a long dry spell in the discipline in recent years. She didn’t have a top-three result in giant slalom between January 2024 — when she was runner-up at the race in Slovakia — until her third-place finish in Czechia last month. She failed to reach the podium in her 11 races in between.

That said, since the end of 2025, she has been steadily improving, going from sixth to fifth to fourth to third in World Cup finishes leading into the Olympics.

That upward trajectory was not evident in her first GS run Sunday morning. On a cool but sunny start to the day, she skied the course at the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre in 1:04.25 — best of the four Americans but 1.02 seconds off Brignone. That put Shiffrin in seventh place heading into the afternoon session.

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, Norway’s king of cross-country skiing, became the Winter Olympics’ outright most successful athlete with a record ninth gold medal.

Klaebo led his nation to the top of the podium in the men’s 4×7.5km relay – alongside team-mates Emil Iversen, Martin Loewstroem Nyenget and Einar Hedegart – for his fourth title of the Milan-Cortina Games.

At 29 years old, it adds to the three golds he won in Pyeongchang in 2018 and two in Beijing four years later, while he is also a 15-time world champion.

His medal haul could yet grow further, with two further opportunities for gold in the men’s team sprint on Wednesday and 50km classic race on Saturday.

In Sunday’s relay, the Norwegian quartet won by a 22.2 second margin, with France and hosts Italy winning silver and bronze respectively.

PHOENIX — His smile is so unassuming, his stare so innocent, one has to wonder.

Does Yoshinobu Yamamoto understand he’s become a Dodgers legend?

“No,” he said Saturday, chuckling at the notion. “Nothing’s changed.”

Ah, but everything has changed, the formerly overpaid disappointment having transformed himself into arguably the most important player on baseball’s most important team.

Barely touching 5 feet 10, he looks tiny next to giant countryman Shohei Ohtani, with whom he’ll always be compared because they joined the Dodgers at the same time with equally historic contracts.

Quiet and contemplative, he seems dry next to the charming Ohtani. Employed only as a pitcher, he seems boring next to the goose-bump-inducing Ohtani.

Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto hoists the MVP trophy as the team celebrates the World Series victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Struggling at times during his first two regular seasons with the Dodgers while Ohtani was twice voted National League MVP, Yamamoto was originally overshadowed by the greatest player in history.

Until last October, when he became one of the greatest World Series pitchers in history.

Who can forget how he shut down the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 2, shut them down again in Game 6, then shut them out in relief on zero days rest to get the win in the deciding Game 7.

It was crazy. It was historic. It was two allowed runs in 17 ⅔ innings with 15 strikeouts and two walks.

Put it another way: It was more compelling than Sandy Koufax’s three-hit shutout on two days rest to win the 1965 World Series over the Minnesota Twins.

It was Yamomania. It was Bulldog 2.0. But if you believe the guy on the mound, it barely made a ripple.

At Camelback Ranch on Saturday, in his first news conference since his World Series heroics, he shrugged and acted like those games were just a walk in the park — except, of course, he barely walked anybody in the park.

Someone asked, how did the World Series change him?

Um, it didn’t.

“I was able to get into the offseason with a great feeling and I was able to go into the offseason with more calmness,” he said through interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda.

Someone else asked, did he have to alter his legendary workload in the offseason?

Er, no.

“As a matter of fact, the amount of work I did last year has not been affected in terms of preparation,” he said. “In November, I took off and then I began a gradual ramping up. It’s been like a normal offseason.”

Then someone asked, has he watched anything from that World Series?

Actually, yes!

“Of course, that moment of the last out,” he said. “But when I reflect back on that series, there’s so many great plays they made. Also there’s the small play which was very important. So many great scenes.”

One of the best scenes was the one nobody saw, after Yamamoto had thrown 96 pitches in a Game 6 victory.

He was done. He told his personal trainer he was done. Dave Roberts told the media he was done.

But then, in his words, he got “tricked.”

According to a report by then-Times columnist Dylan Hernández, trainer Osamu Yada told Yamamoto, “Let’s see if you can throw in the bullpen tomorrow.”

Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto throws live batting practice during a workout Friday during spring training at Camelback Ranch.

(Ross D. Franklin / Associated Press)

The trainer figured Yamamoto’s mere presence as a potential reliever would inspire the Dodgers and worry the Blue Jays.

Yamamoto figured he was just going to the bullpen for show.

Oh, he put on a show, all right.

After he pitched 2⅔ scoreless innings to win the game and the World Series championship for the Dodgers, the gamesmanship had been transformed into greatness, and the con man had become a hero.

“For him to have the same stuff that he had the night before is really the greatest accomplishment I’ve ever seen on a baseball field,” said Dodgers baseball boss Andrew Friedman to reporters after the game.

Yamamoto explained afterward, “I didn’t think I would pitch. But I felt good when I practiced and the next thing I knew, I was on the mound in the game.”

And before he knew it, history.

“I really couldn’t believe it,” Yamamoto said. “I was so excited I couldn’t even recall what pitch I threw at the end.”

Now, with the Dodgers chasing a third consecutive championship and Yamamoto involved in a daring race for a Cy Young Award — who will get there first, he or Ohtani? — a different sort of question must be asked.

How on earth can he pitch any better?

“That’s an internal personal question … as far as, can you repeat and continue to get better than what you’ve been,” Roberts said. “Certainly there’s a high bar, but there’s always room for improvement and I can’t find anything right now to be quite honest, but …”

Yamamoto needs to stay healthy. He made his major-league high 30 starts last year after making just 18 the previous year. He needs to do that again to support the other frail Dodgers starters.

Yamamoto also needs to take care of himself while playing for Japan in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. Ohtani is not pitching, but Yamamoto is, and he doesn’t need to wreck his arm.

Finally, he needs to continue acting like the ace that he has become, from his uncomplaining leadership to his dazzling arsenal.

“Every time he takes the ball, he expects to win and we expect to win,” Roberts said.

That is the bottom line on Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s new reality. He was once Ohtani’s sidekick. He is now Ohtani’s partner.

Like it or not, his life has changed. Witness the crowd that screamed for him Saturday at Camelback Ranch like they always scream for Ohtani.

“More calmness?”

He’ll need it.

Team GB’s men’s curlers took a step closer to securing a Winter Olympics semi-final place as they compiled an accomplished victory over Germany.

Bruce Mouat’s world champions have now won four of their opening five matches in northern Italy, with six victories almost certain to guarantee a place in the last four and a shot at the medals.

The Scottish quartet beat their German counterparts in both the European and the World Championships last year and were rarely in danger here.

Level at 2-2 after three ends, the British rink moved smoothly into a 5-2 advantage at the interval, then accelerated clear with a further steal of two in the seventh end.

Germany were floundering at that stage and, although they cut the deficit, Mouat closed out another couple in the ninth end to secure the win.

The men are back on the ice later on Sunday, against the unbeaten Switzerland (18:05 GMT).

Before then, the GB women will play their fourth match, with the fancied Sweden their opponents (13:05) as they try to revive their own semi-final hopes.

There are two varieties of fencing: A-net and B-net.

A-net is more rigid, often permanent, and used to prevent racers from flying off the course and into dangerous areas, off cliffs, into rocks and the like.

B-net is temporary and closer to webbing that’s aimed at absorbing the kinetic energy of a falling skier. Frequently, there are multiple layers of B-net with space in between that combined to act as a catcher’s mitt.

“They put nets where you have really big fall zones and high-speed sections, places where you need that extra level of protection,” Morse said.

It isn’t like tumbling into a pit of foam blocks, though.

“The A-net is much more like hitting a trampoline,” Morse said. “The B-net is designed to come out of the ground and wrap you like a blanket. … When you go into the nets, your boot buckles, your bindings, your skis, they all get tangled in the webbing.”

So what does it feel like when you’re going 70-80 mph?

“Terrible,” he said. “It’s like you’re in a washing machine getting hit with sticks.”

NBA commissioner Adam Silver believes teams are tanking more aggressively than in recent years and is considering many possible remedies to ensure real competition, from taking away draft picks to making wholesale changes to the draft and the lottery.

Silver immediately addressed the hottest topic in NBA circles Saturday in his annual address during All-Star Weekend at Intuit Dome, making it clear the NBA will do almost anything to make sure its teams earnestly compete.

Last Thursday, the league issued a $500,000 fine to the Utah Jazz and a $100,000 penalty to the Indiana Pacers for sitting healthy players, believing their apparent tanking actions compromised the league’s competitive integrity.

“Are we seeing behavior that is worse this year than we’ve seen in recent memory? Yes, is my view,” Silver said. “Which was what led to those those fines, and not just those fines, but to my statement that we’re going to be looking more closely at the totality of all the circumstances this season in terms of teams’ behavior, and very intentionally wanted teams to be on notice.”

Silver knows strong words and six-figure fines might not be nearly enough to compel struggling teams to commit to real competition instead of improving their odds in what’s expected to be one of the deepest drafts in recent history — and that’s why the NBA is looking at stronger solutions.

“The league is 80 years old, it’s time to take a fresh look at this and to see whether that’s an antiquated way of going about doing it,” Silver said of draft process. “Ultimately, we need a system to fairly distribute players. It’s in the players’ interest as well as the teams’ that you have a level of parity around the league. There’s only so many jobs and so many cities, but we’ve got to look at some fresh thinking here. I mean, what we’re doing, what we’re seeing right now, is not working.”

The NBA’s competition committee is reexamining the structure of the draft lottery for ways to minimize the upside of tanking, Silver said. The commissioner also acknowledged the fines could be followed by the revocation of draft picks from tanking teams.

“There is talk about every possible remedy now to stop this behavior,” Silver said.

Yet Silver also acknowledged the essential dilemma at the heart of this problem, one that has bedeviled the league since the 1960s: A team’s draft position is significantly tied to its chances of building a winner.

“It’s so clear that the incentives are misaligned,” Silver said. “My caveat is, and this is where teams are in a difficult place … that the worst place to be, for example, is a middle-of-the-road team. Either be great or be bad, because then [being bad] will help you with the draft. In many cases, you have fans of those teams, it’s not what they want to pay for, to see poor performance on the floor, but they’re actually rooting for their teams, in some cases, to be bad to improve their draft chances.”

But Silver intends to remind every team that tanking is a betrayal of its relationship with fans, both in their home cities and around the world.

In other topics covered by Silver on Saturday:

Expansion grows closer

The NBA still expects to make decisions on expansion this year, starting with more discussions at the Board of Governors meeting next month. The league won’t vote on expansion then, but Silver expects to know whether the league will move on to talk with potential owners.

Silver acknowledged Seattle and Las Vegas are the obvious candidates for expansion and said the league wants to make a decision soon: “I don’t want to tease cities or mislead anyone.”

Clippers investigation

Silver said he has been told the Clippers have been cooperative with the external investigation into their possible circumvention of the salary cap through a suspicious endorsement deal for Kawhi Leonard with a now-bankrupt company.

Silver firmly stated that the investigation and its findings were not purposely delayed while the Clippers host All-Star weekend. Wachtell Lipton, the Manhattan law firm conducting the investigation, has no deadline to produce its findings.

Prediction markets

The NBA is “paying an enormous amount of attention” to the rise of prediction markets, particularly after Milwaukee superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo sparked concern with his investment in Kalshi. Silver didn’t find fault with Antetokounmpo — whose shares are a “minuscule” position, according to Silver — but acknowledged the looming specter of the gambling industry without suggesting a solution.

“It concerns me in the totality of all this betting that we need a better handle, no pun intended, on all the different activity that’s happening out there,” Silver said.

Silver also acknowledged the overwhelming size of this task, given that roughly 80 countries allow betting on the NBA while billions more are wagered illegally.

Europe calling

The NBA’s desire to open a European league in partnership with FIBA remains strong, and it still would love to start in October 2027, but Silver acknowledged many hurdles remain.

The league still is working with the players union to determine whether active players will be allowed to invest in NBA Europe franchises — something that would be welcomed by many top players, including Antetokounmpo.

“If there’s an opportunity that comes across my desk to be an owner in sports, I would consider it 100%,” the Greek star said Saturday. “In the real NBA, I don’t know if I have that type of money … but I love basketball, and anywhere that I can be involved with it, I would love it.”

HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER PLAYOFFS

SATURDAY’S RESULTS

SOUTHERN SECTION

GIRLS

SECOND ROUND

OPEN DIVISION

Pool Play

#1 Santa Margarita 2, #8 Corona Santiago 1 (Santa Margarita advances on aggregate)

#4 Oaks Christian 4, #5 Palos Verdes 2 (Oaks Christian advances on aggregate)

#3 Mater Dei 5, #6 Huntington Beach 0 (Mater Dei advances on aggregate)

#2 Redondo Union 0, #7 JSerra 0 (Redondo Union advances on aggregate)

DIVISION 1

Westlake 2, El Dorado 1

Rosary Academy 2, Great Oak 0

Orange Lutheran 4, San Juan Hills 0

Newport Harbor 1, Moorpark 0

Eastvale Roosevelt 2, Edison 1

Etiwanda 2, Anaheim Canyon 1

Harvard-Westlake 1, Garden Grove Pacifica 0

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 1, Capistrano Valley 0

DIVISION 2

Ayala 4, Beckman 0

Saugus 2, Temecula Valley 0

Portola 1, Crean Lutheran 0

San Marino 3, Rancho Cucamonga 0

Millikan 1, St. Genevieve 0

Warren 1, La Habra 1 (Warren wins 4-3 in shootout)

Alta Loma 0, Riverside King 0 (Alta Loma wins 3-2 in shootout)

Bonita 2, La Serna 1 (OT)

DIVISION 3

Valencia 1, La Mirada 0

Crescenta Valley 2, Oxnard 1

La Salle 1, Fullerton 0

Paloma Valley 1, South Hills 0

Quartz Hill 3, Sage Hill 2

La Canada 2, Costa Mesa 2 (La Canada wins 4-2 in shootout)

Flintridge Prep 4, Santa Monica 1

Simi Valley 2, Citrus Valley 0

DIVISION 4

Patriot 1, Monrovia 0

San Jacinto 2, Katella 0

Granite Hills 2, Temescal Canyon 1

Arcadia 2, Shadow Hills 2 (Arcadia wins 5-4 in shootout)

Laguna Hills 1, Tahquitz 0

Immaculate Heart at Redlands East Valley

Chino 1, Yucaipa 0

Arlington 1, Apple Valley 0

DIVISION 5

Anaheim 1, Ramona 0

Artesia 1, Channel Islands 0

Grand Terrace 2, Rancho Verde 1

Coachella Valley 1, Carpinteria 0

La Palma Kennedy 1, Santa Paula 0

Sultana 2, Lakewood 1

Del Sol 1, Cerritos Valley Christian 1 (Del Sol wins 5-3 in shootout)

Alemany 3, El Rancho 2

DIVISION 6

Adelanto 2, Beverly Hills 1

Ocean View 3, Desert Hot Springs 2

St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 1, Norte Vista 0

Palmdale Aerospace Academy 3, Mark Keppel 1

Arroyo Valley 4, Hemet 0

Segerstrom 3, Riverside Prep 0

Mayfair 2, Thacher 1

Grace 1, St. Monica 0

DIVISION 7

Nuview Bridge 2, Desert Mirage 0

Savanna vs. de Toledo, 2:30 p.m. Monday at Whitsett Soccer Complex

Santa Monica Pacifica Christian 2, Animo Leadership 1

Ganesha 4, South El Monte 3

Cate 3, Desert Christian Academy 0

Santa Rosa Academy 1, Saddleback 0

San Gabriel 2, Pasadena Marshall 1

Azusa 5, Oakwood 0

DIVISION 8

CAMS vs. Shalhevet, Monday at Mar Vista Recreation Center

Mountain View 3, Hawthorne MSA 1

Milken 5, Vistamar 0

Buckley 1, Indian Springs 0

Environmental Charter 2, Rosemead 0

Big Bear 5, Bishop Conaty Loreto 0

Miller 3, Downey Calvary Chapel 1

Webb 3, Vasquez 0

Note: Quarterfinals Feb. 18; Semifinals Feb. 21; Finals Feb. 27 or 28.

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS

SATURDAY’S RESULTS

CITY SECTION

GIRLS

QUARTERFINALS

DIVISION I

#1 El Camino Real 45, #9 Garfield 28

#4 Eagle Rock 50, #5 Arleta 34

#3 San Pedro 47, #6 Grant 38

#2 Granada Hills Kennedy 53, #7 Verdugo Hills 41

DIVISION II

#1 Harbor Teacher 58, #8 Larchmont Charter 19

#5 West Adams 30, #4 Triumph Charter 27

#3 Santee 43, #11 South East 38

#2 North Hollywood 51, #7 New West Charter 49

DIVISION III

#8 Diego Rivera at #1 Washington Prep

#4 LA Marshall 47, #5 Sun Valley Poly 20

#3 San Fernando 44, #11 Animo Robinson 30

#2 Gardena 40, #7 Crenshaw 24

Note: Semifinals Feb. 21; Finals Feb. 27-28.

SECOND ROUND

DIVISION IV

#1 Maywood CES 36, #16 Huntington Park 33

#9 Smidt Tech 31, #8 Magnolia Science Academy 25

#12 Wilmington Banning 52, #5 Foshay 20

#13 Lincoln 42, #4 LA Wilson 37

#19 Franklin at #3 WISH Academy

#11 Bravo 39, #6 Marquez 35

#10 Panorama 61, #7 Contreras 31

#18 South Gate 48, #2 Sun Valley Magnet 38

DIVISION V

#1 LA Roosevelt 33, #17 Horace Mann UCLA 19

#9 Los Angeles at #8 Camino Nuevo

#12 Discovery at #5 Torres

#20 Sotomayor 39, #4 Chavez 25

#3 Vaughn 40, #14 Animo Bunche 19

#11 Monroe 57, #6 Lake Balboa College Prep 26

#10 Port of LA 54, #7 Aspire Ollin 33

#18 East College Prep at #2 Legacy

Note: Quarterfinals Feb. 19; Semifinals Feb. 21; Finals Feb. 27-28.

SOUTHERN SECTION

GIRLS

SECOND ROUND

OPEN DIVISION

Pool A

#9 Rancho Christian 73, #8 JSerra 71

Pool B

#10 Fairmont Prep 63, #7 Lakewood St. Joseph 51

Pool C

#11 Oak Park 67, #6 Corona Centennial 44

Pool D

#4 Mater Dei 52, #12 Redondo Union 45

Note: Third round pool play games Feb. 18 at higher seeds; Quarterfinals Feb. 21; Semifinals Feb. 24; Finals Feb. 28 at Toyota Arena.

DIVISION 1

#1 Ventura 50, Bishop Montgomery 40

Windward 64, #8 Flintridge Prep 49

#5 Valencia 81, Mira Costa 56

Troy 61, #4 Brentwood 48

#3 Moreno Valley 69, St. Bonaventure 39

#6 Orange Lutheran 55, Marlborough 48

#7 Villa Park 58, Santa Margarita 45

#2 La Salle 48, St. Anthony 42

DIVISION 2

Portola 44, #1 Glendora 34

#9 Saugus 57, Heritage 50

312 Summit 47, #5 Yucaipa 34

Camarillo 54, #4 Rancho Cucamonga 42

#3 Crescenta Valley 56, #14 Chino Hills 34

#11 San Clemente 72, Rolling Hills Prep 59

Dos Pueblos 52, #7 San Juan Hills 45

#2 Rosary Academy 63, Riverside King 50

DIVISION 3

Murrieta Valley 64, #1 Lynwood 61

#8 St. Monica 78, Arcadia 57

#12 Trabuco Hills 58, #5 Segerstrom 45

#4 Oxnard 37, #13 Aliso Niguel 34

#14 Mark Keppel 54, El Modena 31

#6 Leuzinger 72, #11 Shadow Hills 66

#7 St. Margaret’s 65, #10 Riverside Poly 34

Canyon Country Canyon 54, #2 Wiseburn-Da Vinci 39

DIVISION 4

#1 Long Beach Jordan 36, Lancaster 32

#9 La Canada 41, #8 Yorba Linda 27

#5 Eastside 42, Gabrielino 23

Anaheim Canyon 39, Knight 26

#3 El Dorado 64, #14 Ontario 29

#6 Long Beach Wilson 56, Westlake 49

#7 Pasadena Poly 66, Shalhevet 44

#2 Marina 54, #15 Holy Martyrs 47

DIVISION 5

#16 Sunny Hills 48, #1 Tesoro 19

#9 Bishop Diego 55, Fullerton 44

Torrance 53, #5 Fountain Valley 26

#13 Godinez 50, Heritage Christian 41

Whitney 40, #3 Santa Ana Foothill 33

Oakwood at YULA

#7 Burbank Burroughs 51, #10 Culver City 23

Carter 45, #2 Western Christian 42

DIVISION 6

#16 San Jacinto 65, #1 Carpinteria 43

Immaculate Heart 44, #9 Costa Mesa 39

Savanna 41, #5 Redlands 28

#4 Palm Desert 45, #13 Santa Monica 29

Hillcrest 52, #14 Notre Dame Academy 20

Rowland 57, #11 Liberty 41

#10 Sante Fe 48, #7 Hart 23

Warren 41, Silver Valley 39

DIVISION 7

#16 Foothill Tech 55, #1 Fillmore 35

Laguna Hills 45, Capistrano Valley Christian 40

#12 Rosemead 54, Desert Christian Academy 42

Patriot 74, Villanova Prep 40

#3 Canoga Park AGBU 45, #14 Nogales 44

Ridgecrest Burroughs 45, #6 Barstow 21

La Palma Kennedy 47, Long Beach Poly 46

Cajon 42, Garden Grove 25

DIVISION 8

Yucca Valley 61, #1 Cobalt 44

University Prep 45, #8 Norwalk 39

Orange 44, #12 Coachella Valley 40

#13 Riverside Notre Dame 51, #4 Santa Ana Valley 45

#14 Schurr 49, Mesa Grande Academy 23

#6 CAMS 49, #11 South El Monte 42

#10 Chadwick 47, #7 Victor Valley 44

#15 Santa Monica Pacifica Christian 57, #2 Riverside North 35

DIVISION 9

#16 Vista del Lago 44, #1 NOVA Academy Early College 18

#8 Santa Clarita Christian 53, #9 Victor Valley Christian 34

#5 Channel Islands 37, #12 Jurupa Hills 31

Desert Hot Springs 48, #4 Temple City 37

La Sierra 46, Faith Baptist 38

#6 Redlands Adventist 55, #11 Newport Christian 32

#10 Sierra Vista 48, #7 San Gabriel 32

Western 48, Santa Maria Valley Christian 38

(Quarterfinals Feb. 18; Semifinals Feb. 21; Finals Feb. 27 or 28)

People are witnessing the demise of Wales, a country that have enjoyed Six Nations success and Grand Slam victories over the past two decades.

The dedicated fans will try to stick by their beloved side through thick and thin but it has proved a turbulent time since the 2023 World Cup.

Wales have lost 22 of the past 24 internationals, which included an 18-match losing sequence, with the only two victories coming against Japan.

There have been 12 straight Six Nations defeats, a record now stretching back 1,072 days to when Wales beat Italy in Rome in March 2023.

And there are very few home comforts, with Wales having not won a match in Cardiff in the tournament for four years since defeating Scotland in February 2022. That was 1,464 days ago.

It has also been the manner of humbling home defeats in recent times, with heavy record losses to England (68-14), Argentina (52-28) and South Africa (73-0).

Even the loss to New Zealand in November, which has been held up as Wales showing some green shoots of recovery, was a 52-26 loss.

Despite the results, captain Dewi Lake has extolled the Principality Stadium surroundings.

“It is our ground, the best stadium in the world and we are excited to be back home,” said Lake.

“Our goal with our game on the pitch is to get the fans involved, to give them life and energy because that feeds back onto us.”

Wales need to back up those rousing words with actions.

UCLA senior Jordan Chiles remains unstoppable on the floor exercise.

A week after reviving her Prince routine to honor fans during a meet at Minnesota, Chiles seamlessly transitioned back at Pauley Pavilion to her energetic routine set to a medley of hits by icons Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder and Tina Turner. The result was a crowd-pleasing perfect 10, firing up the Valentine’s Day home crowd and helping seal No. 4 UCLA’s 197.725-196.975 win over No. 9 Michigan.

It was Chiles’ fourth straight 10 on floor and fifth perfect score this season.

The Bruins (9-2, 5-0 Big Ten) entered the meet averaging a team score of 197.404 and remained consistent, delivering modest improvement that has proven hard for Big Ten opponents to beat.

UCLA opened the competition on the vault.

Tiana Sumanasekera tied a career-best with a 9.9. Katelyn Rosen scored a 9.875, Chiles a 9.825, Ashlee Sullivan a 9.850, Riley Jenkins a 9.775 and Madisyn Anyimi a 9.750.

The Wolverines (5-3, 2-3) led 49.325 to 49.225 after the first rotation.

The Bruins pulled ahead on the bars, taking a 98.725-98.250 lead.

Nola Matthews, Chiles and Sullivan all scored 9.925 marks, while Sumanasekera posted a 9.90 and Ciena Alipio and Sydney Barros both scored 9.850.

UCLA maintained a 148.075-147.725 lead after the beam rotation.

Alipio and Barros scored a 9.9, while Chiles scored a 9.875, Rosen a 9.850, Jordis Eichman a 9.825 and Sumanasekera a 9.775.

The Bruins closed with their showstoppers on the floor exercise.

Chiles notched her 10; Alipio scored a 9.950; Barros, Rosen and Sumanasekera earned 9.900 marks; and Sullivan scored a 9.875.

UCLA competes at unranked Illinois on Feb. 22 before returning home for a Big Fours meet on Feb. 27 against Ohio State, Iowa and Maryland — all ranked in the top 25.

On a holiday celebrating love and affection, thousands of enthusiastic basketball fans showed up at Intuit Dome to cheer for their favorite NBA players in a trifecta of skills competitions on the eve of the league’s 75th annual All-Star Game.

Getting Saturday off to a scintillating start was the three-point contest — one of All-Star Weekend’s most coveted prizes since Larry Bird won the initial contest in 1986 as well as the next two.

Portland’s Damian Lillard joined Bird and Craig Hodges (1990-92) as the only three-time winners with a stunning exhibition in the final round, ending up with a score of 29 — two better than runner-up and 2018 champion Devin Booker of Phoenix. Lillard equaled the best final-round score, set by Karl-Anthony Towns in 2022.

“I came out here excited to do it,” said Lillard, a nine-time All-Star who is sitting out this season after surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon last May. “I can’t say I knew I’d win but I came in confident. This is my sixth time doing it … this felt like a game to me.”

Lillard went second in the finals and watched anxiously from the bench as it looked like Booker would overtake him before missing his last three shots from the corner.

“At the end I was at his mercy but it worked out,” said Lillard, who won with 24 points in 2023 and 26 in 2024. “I was once a fan too — as a kid I went to the All-Star Game in Oakland— and fans want to see their guys. That’s what made me want to be a part of it.”

In the first round, eight players had 70 seconds to shoot 27 balls from five designated spots on the court. Booker posted the highest score (30, one shy of the record) and also making the finals with 27 points each were Lillard and Charlotte rookie Kon Knueppel. Donovan Mitchell (24), Norman Powell (23), Jamal Murray (18), Tyrese Maxey (17) and Bobby Portis Jr. (15) were eliminated.

Next up was the shooting stars competition, which returned to All-Star Weekend after a 10-year hiatus and featured four teams, each consisting of two current NBA players and one retired “legend.”

Jalen Brunson, Towns and Allan Houston led Team Knicks to a 47-38 triumph over Team Cameron, made up of Duke alums Jalen Johnson, Knueppel and Corey Maggette, a former Clipper.

“This was cool and the game’s become more and more international,” said Brunson, who got passes from his dad, Rick, a New York assistant coach. “Basketball is a universal language. Winning’s always fun, not just beating a team from Duke.”

In the semifinals, Team Knicks beat Team Harper (Dylan Harper of San Antonio, Ron Harper Jr. of Boston and their father, five-time NBA champion Ron Harper) while Team Cameron beat Team All-Star (Scottie Barnes of Toronto, Chet Holmgren of Oklahoma City and three-time All-Star Richard Hamilton).

From left, Rick Brunson, Allan Houston, Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns hold the winners’ trophies after the shooting stars competition.

(Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)

Was it a case of the old guy carrying the young guys?

“He did his job,” Towns joked about Houston, who played for the Knicks from 1996 to 2005 and serves as general manager of their G League team.

Shooting stars was a regular feature from 2004 to 2015 and originally featured an NBA player, a WNBA player and a retired player on each team shooting from four locations. This year, each team had 70 seconds to score points by shooting from seven areas worth anywhere from two to four points.

Rounding out the Valentine’s Day festivities was the crowd-pleasing slam-dunk contest, showcasing the individuality and athleticism of its four first-time participants: Lakers center Jaxson Hayes, San Antonio forward Carter Bryant, Miami forward Keshad Johnson and Orlando rookie guard Jase Richardson.

The 6-foot-6 Johnson, who measured a 42-inch vertical leap at the 2024 draft combine, ultimately raised the gold trophy following a final round total of 97.4. He made a side-to-side move at the rim on his penultimate attempt, then sprinted the length of the court and soared for a windmill jam on his last effort.

“Everyone make some noise,” the jubilant Johnson told the roomful of reporters afterward. “It’s a dream. I beat the odds. Every year I watched the dunk contest and I learned from all the people before me.”

Slam dunk winner Keshad Johnson goes between the legs while dunking.

(Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)

Bryant settled for second with 93 despite a perfect score of 50 after he bounced the ball off the floor, under his leg for a one-handed stuff that drew thunderous applause on his first try before making a less-difficult 360-degree dunk with time running out on his second attempt.

“I really wanted him to finish that last one,” Johnson said. “Both of us are from U of A [Arizona], so we wanted to put on a show and we did.”

In the opening round all four players attempted two dunks, receiving a score between 40 and 50 per try. Bryant (94.8) and Johnson (92.8) qualified for the final dunk-off, in which both got two more attempts.

“Dunking is an art and it’s kind of hard to come up with new stuff,” said Johnson, an Oakland native who leaped over Bay Area rapper E-40 on his first dunk. “My goal is to just be myself and put my own flavor in it.”

Spurred on by the hometown crowd, Hayes was third at 91.8 while Richardson, the son of two-time winner Jason Richardson, was last at 88.8.

Judging were former champions Nate Robinson, Dominique Wilkins, Brent Barry, former Lakers center Dwight Howard and fans on the NBA app.

Lakers center Jaxson Hayes rises for a tomahawk dunk.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Julius Irving won the first dunk contest in 1976, the year before the ABA-NBA merger. Robinson (2006, 2009, 2010) and Mac McClung are the only three-time winners. McClung, the previous champion and only player to win three years in a row, announced in January he would not defend his title.

That opened the door for a new winner in Johnson.

“Being undrafted and in the G League and being the underdogs at San Diego State… I’ve learned how to dream dreams,” said Johnson, who keyed the Aztecs’ surprising run to the NCAA tournament’s Sweet 16 in 2023 before transferring to Arizona. “I’m so grateful to be here. I’m from Oakland, the West Coast is home to me and I felt like the fans were with me.”