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Welcome back to The Times’ Lakers newsletter and welcome back to real NBA games.

The regular season begins Tuesday with a triple-header. It’s the first time in eight years that the Lakers are watching the opening day action at home. That could be a small sign of where the Lakers stand in the NBA pecking order now.

Not many people know what to make of this team. There are nine new players. Another ownership change is pending. The Western Conference has two juggernauts at the top.

But within this summer of change, the Lakers managed to maintain one key partnership.

Two-headed monster

With more than half of their roster wearing the purple and gold for the first time, some Lakers might still be getting on the same page after less than three weeks of practices. Meanwhile, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are already playing a completely different game.

“They’re always, like, playing chess out there,” guard Collin Sexton said.

After an offseason of change, it’s still the Lakers’ two most established stars who will control the season’s fate. Doncic and Reaves were 30-11 in games played together last season. In 1,092 minutes, lineups with Doncic and Reaves together outscored opponents by 8.9 points per 100 possessions, the third-best net rating on the team for any pair of regular rotation players. Their established chemistry gives the Lakers a strong foundation for the season.

“Austin and Luka, they kind of see things before it happens,” Sexton said. “And I feel like that allows them to be so good offensively and be able to score, but also to put us in the right situation to be successful as well.”

The duo that could be one of the most offensively potent pairings in the league proved that they could have success last season, helping the Lakers surge up the Western Conference standings during a magical March. Doncic scored 600 points during the month, despite missing one game because of a technical foul accumulation suspension. Reaves averaged 5.8 assists, his highest average for a month with more than six appearances last season. With LeBron James serving as the most heralded third option in the history of basketball, the Lakers went 15-2.

It was painful but a little poetic that Doncic and Reaves — whose wholesome friendship became the envy of NBA Twitter — suffered injuries during the same game to end the hot streak.

Doncic told Sports Illustrated this summer that he “regret[ted]” coming back into the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder after he felt a twinge in his hamstring during the first half. The severity of the injury kept him out for the rest of the season.

“I thought we had a team that could compete for a championship,” Doncic said during training camp. “So I was kind of disappointed, kind of let the team down, so it’s definitely motivating for this season.”

Reaves returned during the postseason after an oblique injury, but couldn’t regain his consistency. He played in a career-low 51 games last season and missed out on what could have been his first All-Star selection.

Determined to fortify his body for another long season, Reaves hired former Lakers head strength and conditioning coach Ed Streit to work with him. He hoped that having a dedicated strength coach, which stars including James and Doncic already have, would help him take “the next step,” Reaves said.

After waiting and learning behind veterans such as James and Anthony Davis, Reaves is now an undisputed top-two player on the Lakers. He signed the richest contract ever for an undrafted player this offseason. Doncic was among his most vocal supporters.

“We talked about it even middle of last year, towards the end of last year, continuing this partnership for as long as we can,” Reaves said. “I enjoy being around him so much that coming back and being a Laker was the main thing when the season ended.”

Initially Reaves didn’t know if he would establish a close bond with Doncic after the former Dallas superstar was shockingly traded. Doncic was quiet when he first arrived in L.A. Now Reaves, who loves to hate his newest best friend, is sad to admit that they’re so similar.

They share a creative style of basketball. They’re ruthless competitors. They love golf.

The most important thing is another shared obsession.

“At the end of the day, we care about winning,” Reaves said, “and that’s all that matters.”

Survey says…

In a survey of league general managers, NBA.com found that expectations for the Lakers are tepid at best.

General managers voted on the top four teams in each conference, with four points awarded for each first-place vote, three points for second place, two for third and one for fourth, and the Lakers received 10% of fourth-place votes and 1% of total available points, which placed sixth in the total score.

The San Antonio Spurs, who were also the general managers’ choice to win the NBA title, had 53% of first-place points in the Western Conference. The Oklahoma City Thunder were effectively tied in the survey, with both teams getting 34% of the available points. With two young, deep teams at the top of the conference, all roads seem to lead to an encore of last year’s Western Conference final.

But this league celebrates its parity. Eight champions in eight years? Almost nothing compared to more than the 40 years since a repeat Western Conference finals matchup. The West hasn’t had a conference finals sequel since the Lakers and Spurs in 1982 and 1983.

The season could turn unexpectedly for one of the top teams, opening the door for another team to crash the party. NBA general managers don’t think the Lakers would be first inside the velvet ropes, but executives believe the team could be an enigma. In response to a NBA.com survey question on which team’s success is the toughest to predict this season, the Lakers received the third-most votes.

The league can’t tell the type of team the Lakers will be. They at least have their goals clear.

“Realistically, I would say championship,” Doncic said at the Spectrum broadcast desk on media day. “If that’s not your goal, I don’t know what you’re doing here.”

Poll question

Where do you think the Lakers will finish in the Western Conference?

Top-two seed (1-2)

First-round home court (3-4)

Safely in the playoff (5-6)

Play-in (7-10)

Cancun by mid-April

Click here to vote in our survey

On tap

Wednesday vs. Warriors, 7 p.m. PDT

It’s here! The opener! The Lakers should be familiar with the Warriors after playing two preseason games against their in-state rivals. Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg emerged as an immediate impact player, averaging 15.6 points and 7.4 rebounds on 56.9% shooting during the preseason.

Friday vs. Clippers, 7 p.m. PDT

Old friend Rui Hachimura returns with the Clippers, who have moved on from the Kawhi Leonard Era but begin the season without Brandon Ingram (Achilles) and Max Strus (foot). Rookie guard Keaton Wagler could be one of the few bright spots for the struggling franchise this season.

Sunday at Jazz, 2 p.m. PDT

The Lakers’ first road game is a homecoming for Walker Kessler, returning to the franchise that drafted him, and a reunion with another former Laker Jaxson Hayes. Hayes, who signed a two-year, $12-million contract with the Jazz, is in line to get significant minutes for Utah after an early injury to Jusuf Nurkic (foot).

Favorite thing I ate this week

Poke from Redondo Beach’s Jus’ Poke.

(Thuc Nhi Nguyen / Los Angeles Times)

The Lakers did not bless us with a tropical training camp (looking at you, Clippers and Warriors) so a trip to Redondo Beach’s Jus’ Poke will have to be the closest I get to Hawaii for now. The poke selections are always fresh and stand out for their simplicity and execution. No superfluous toppings and sauces. Just, as the name suggests, really good poke.

In case you missed it

Lakers waive former first-round pick Dalton Knecht before season opener

Luka Doncic, JJ Redick believe revamped Lakers can contend for an NBA title

Plaschke: The new-look Lakers have much to prove and no chance of winning it all

What we learned from the Lakers’ preseason games and training camp

JJ Redick still mulling over Quentin Grimes’ role for the Lakers

Buss family asks judge to dismiss Jeanie Buss’ petition to block Lakers share sale

Ziaire Williams looks to continue providing energy boost to Lakers

Until next time…

As always, pass along your thoughts to me at thucnhi.nguyen@latimes.com, and please consider subscribing if you like our work!

The same cannot be said of Duran, who is thriving in a Celtic shirt and has 14 goal contributions – nine goals and five assists – in 15 games, many of which have come while playing in a wide role.

However, O’Neill has said that the Colombia international prefers to play centrally, and Halliday believes he can offer Celtic much more in that position – but what does that mean for Hogh?

“You look at Duran as a number nine on Sunday, the part he plays in the third goal, the fourth goal,” Halliday said.

“When Jamie McCart takes a loose touch, Hogh wouldn’t be close enough or quick enough to get on to that loose ball and spring Celtic into attack. Duran isn’t just a goalscorer, he’s so much more than that – and you saw that on Sunday.

“O’Neill still reckons Hogh will score 20 goals this season. It’s hard to suggest he wouldn’t, given his previous record at Bodo/Glimt, but at this moment in time, he isn’t doing enough to be in Celtic’s attack.

“O’Neill’s searching for his best team and best front three, and the three you saw on Sunday are that.”

The Times’ top 10 high school football rankings from the City Section:

1. CARSON (7-1). It’s Marine League title decision night on Friday vs. San Pedro.

2. CLEVELAND (8-0). Cavaliers produced two 100-yard rushers last week in win over Taft.

3. SAN PEDRO (6-1). QB Seth Solorio needs time to throw in showdown with Carson.

4. KING/DREW (5-3). Golden Eagles on verge of first Coliseum League title.

5. BIRMINGHAM (3-5). Patriots’ offense is starting to improve.

6. CRENSHAW (5-3). Cougars struggled in second half of loss to King/Drew.

7. KENNEDY (8-0). Matthew Quintanilla having big season rushing.

8. GARFIELD (7-1). Ceasar Reyes has passed the 2,000 yards rushing mark.

9. MARSHALL (8-0). Barristers are headed to showdown with Eagle Rock next week.

10. PALISADES (4-3). Dolphins in position to win Western League title.

Their face is gone, LeBron James getting kicked to a Philly curb.

Their voice is gone, longtime public address announcer Lawrence Tanter dying last month at age 76 after more than four decades of dulcet downtown tones.

A big piece of their heart is also gone, Jeanie Buss mired in an ugly court fight to maintain her last remaining sliver of influence in the wake of this summer’s sale to Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner.

Meet the 2026-27 Lakers, a team that will look different, sound different, feel different, play different and behave different from their recent predecessors in every way but one.

They’re still not winning a championship.

They’re still not getting to the conference finals.

Lakers guard Luka Doncic enters this season as the face of the franchise after LeBron James’ departure.

(Luke Hales / Getty Images)

They’re still destined to a sixth seed and a first-round knockout in the impossible West, a mediocre finish that is sure to convince new ownership to make massive changes — look out Rob Pelinka and JJ Redick! — and start all over again next season.

So call this a gap year.

They’ve graduated from LeBron, but they’re still not quite sure what they want to do with the rest of their life.

They’re planning on majoring in Luka Doncic, minoring in Austin Reaves and specializing in Walker Kessler, but there are flaws in all three, and the rest of the proposed curriculum is an unknown collection of ideas that have yet to be put together in a cogent package.

For now, the league’s biggest roster overhaul includes names that are just names, the likes of Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton, Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Kevon Looney. Who knows where they will fit? Who knows what they can do?

Noticeably missing are the names Rui Hachimura, Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart, all decent contributors last season, and that’s too bad.

Then there’s the name Bronny James, whose future here took a nosedive when his pops moved to Philadelphia and he had a lousy training camp. Who knows how long Bronny will stick around, but at least the Lakers are out of the LeBron family drama business, which is good, because this team will create enough drama on its own.

First, there’s Doncic, and the risk in building around him, considering he’s missed an average of 20 games a season the last three years. He’s appeared in a total of five playoff games since leading the Dallas Mavericks to the Finals three years ago. He’s 27, but sometimes he trudges around the court like he’s 50.

Lakers guard Bronny James dribbles during a preseason game against the Kings at Crypto.com Arena on Oct. 8.

(Luke Hales / Getty Images)

Now that this is Doncic’s team, will he act like it?

Every centerpiece player in Laker history — from Mikan to West to Kareem to Magic to Kobe to Shaq to Pau to LeBron — has carried their group to a championship. They’ve not been considered a true Laker until they have done so. In the case of LeBron, one was not even enough.

Is Doncic prepared to shoulder this burden? He says yes. He says he’s done this before, although he’s never won an NBA title, so, um …

“It feels great,” he told reporters at media day last month. “Obviously, it’s a new challenge. I was in this position in my career a lot of times, so it’s not new to me. But I feel great. I feel excited, and like I said, I’m ready to go. It’s been a long time since I played basketball, so I’m ready.”

He got off to a good start this summer when he flew the team to his native Slovenia to spend a few days bonding. He is already acting like a captain. Now he needs to play every day like one.

“I see myself in this role, nothing new, but it’s very important,” Doncic said. “Everybody on the whole team, you know, look up to me, I have to look up to them. And it’s just, there should be many leaders, you know. You should be able to hold each other accountable.”

Lakers guard Austin Reaves dribbles past the Kings’ Nique Clifford during a preseason game at Crypto.com Arena on Oct. 8.

(Luke Hales / Getty Images)

Many leaders? Probably only two, Doncic and his newly minted $180-million running mate Reaves.

The Lakers were 30-11 when the two gunners were on the court last season, and no NBA duo averaged more points, but, again, this year is different.

Last year they both had LeBron as a safety net. This year, it’s all on them.

Just like Doncic, Reaves said he is ready to help guide his new teammates on this arduous journey.

“The expectation here of being a Laker is higher than it is anywhere in the world,” Reaves said. “The media presence, you know, every day something is going to come out about us, and just being able to know how to navigate that and help others navigate that is the main thing. One second we’re going to be the best team in the world. And the next you lose two in a row, you’re the worst team, you can’t figure it out. So, helping these guys understand that none of that really matters, it’s all about what goes on within these walls, is the main thing.”

Actually, for Reaves, the main thing is the postseason, where he has mightily struggled, even taking into account the slight guard usually enters each spring with all sorts of bumps and bruises. He’s been a lousy playoff shooter. He’s been a clumsy playoff playmaker.

But one of the greatest undrafted free agents in recent league history appreciates and embraces every chance to change the narrative, and he’ll have no greater chance than this season.

“You’re going to have failures within this long season,” he said. “But every single night you’re going to have an opportunity when you take the floor, especially for this organization, for this fan base to show the world what you’re capable of. So, you’re going to have every single opportunity to do good with the opportunities that you’re given.”

No Laker, it seems, will have a greater nightly opportunity to write his legacy than Kessler, who was acquired this summer from the Utah Jazz for the princely sum of two first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps.

He is being projected as a perfect lob and pick-and-roll partner for Doncic and a long-awaited rim protector, but let’s be real.

He played in five games last year and never started a full season in his four years in Utah and even for a perpetually tanking team, that’s not a big resume. What sort of NBA center he will be is anybody’s guess.

The Lakers are guessing huge, and at least he sounds like he’s ready for it.

Laker Walker Kessler fouls the Warriors’ Yaxel Lendeborg during a preseason game on Oct. 13 in Las Vegas, Nev.

(Ethan Miller / Getty Images)

“And as far as the belief that they’ve shown in me, I mean, it makes me excited for this year,” he said. “It makes me feel like I can run through the wall for this organization, this team, my teammates, so yeah, I’m just so excited.”

Good thing about that wall, because with this unsettled bunch, there will be plenty of them.

But, hey, at least one looming question has been answered. During media day, new power forward Mamukelashvili gracefully explained how to pronounce his last name.

“So, a lot of people think it’s hard, but I don’t think so,” he said. “It is Mamu-kela-shvili. So if you take like, I feel like, two letters at a time, and “shvili” at the end, it’s not that hard.”

If only the rest of this season would go so smooth.

The Clippers will have their hands full when the season opens trying to contend in the always tough Western Conference after being slapped with the harshest penalties in league history for violating salary cap circumvention rules.

With Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and Ivica Zubac gone from last season’s team, they’ll focus on developing a new core of stars, including rookie Keaton Wagler, when they open play Wednesday by hosing the Sacramento Kings at Intuit Dome.

Another positive for the team: Tyronn Lue is a proven asset as coach and he’ll be tasked with developing and blending in the younger players. Wagler spent the summer building up his body and has potential to be a strong defender.

The league’s year-long investigation is over and the Clippers have a clear path, albeit rocky, to move on and again become competitive in the West. They finished ninth in the conference last season and were eliminated by the Warriors in a play-in game.

Now fully recovered from a foot injury, two-time All-Star guard Darius Garland will be counted on to provide floor leadership. Also returning are former All-Star guard Bradley Beal, guard Kris Dunn, forward Derrick Jones Jr. and center Brook Lopez.

“I think we can surprise a lot of people,” Garland said.

Garland is fully recovered from toe and foot ligament injuries. In 19 games last season, he averaged 19.9 points with 6.4 assists. With a full offseason and training camp, Garland is expected to be one of the team’s top players.

Other young players to watch are guard Kobe Sanders, who had a productive rookie season when averaging 7.3 points and nearly 20 minutes a game as part of the rotation, and center Yanic Konan Niederhauser, who had his rookie season end early because of a foot injury but he showed promise over 41 games.

Forward Brandon Ingram, driving against Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr. last season, is now a teammate after the Kawhi Leonard trade was completed following the salary cap circumvention investigation.

(Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)

Additions include All-Star forward Brandon Ingram and guard Gradey Dick, who were part of the Leonard trade to Toronto, wing Max Strus, guard Jalen Pickett, forward Baba Miller, forward Isaiah Jackson and forward Nick Martinelli.

“I know [there are] little to no expectations for us this year,” said Ingram, who will miss the start of the season while recovering from May surgery for a partially torn Achilles. “We have enough in the building to compete. This is what we love to do. So, we’ll go out and compete every single night, learn, go on to the next game and get better and better.”

Strus also will be out for a while after injuring his right foot during training camp.

Departed from the team are forward John Collins, guard Bogdan Bogdanovic, forward Nicolas Batum and wing Bennedict Mathurin.

Also noteworthy: owner Steve Ballmer won’t be sitting courtside after being banned by the NBA for a year as part of the team’s steep punishment for circumventing salary-cap rules. Top basketball executive Lawrence Frank has been banned for six months. The penalties included the loss of five first-round draft picks.

“I give our players a lot of credit … the leadership is great [and] the morale is great, even in these tough situations,” Lue said at the start of training camp. “That’s good to see, when you have your players coming in every day, giving everything they have; a lot of teams don’t have that.”

Staff reports contributed to this story.

Rams lose stunner to Arizona

From Gary Klein: Other than the missing 23 carats of diamonds, the replica Super Bowl LVI rings fans received on Sunday at SoFi Stadium looked like the real thing.

That’s more than the Rams can claim.

The team that opened the season as the overwhelming favorite to win Super Bowl LXI continued to look like a cheap imitation.

They did not flash. They did not sparkle.

They looked dull. Lifeless.

And when Chad Ryland of the Arizona Cardinals kicked his sixth field goal as time expired, the Rams lost 18-16 in front of 72,573.

“There’s nothing positive that I can say,” Rams coach Sean McVay lamented.

First-year Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur, the Rams’ former offensive coordinator, outcoached and outmaneuvered McVay, his friend and mentor.

With just more than a third of the season complete, the Rams are 2-4.

“We are what our record is,” quarterback Matthew Stafford said.

Continue reading here

Rams summary

NFL standings

Chargers fall to 0-6

From Kathleen Gier: The Chargers hit the road to face the undefeated, AFC West-leading Kansas City Chiefs, still looking for their first victory of the season.

They were unsuccessful, falling 22-6 on Sunday evening at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chargers are 0-6 to start the season for the first time since 2000, when they finished 1-16. They’ve also lost nine straight games since last season, tying a franchise mark for most consecutive losses.

“I truly believe and was confident that we would win this game,” Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh told reporters. “We have to address everything, guys, and especially offensively.

“We’re not scoring enough points. That’s the bottom line.”

The Chargers’ offense, already weakened by a series of injuries to its offensive line and receiving corps, struggled mightily, recording their second-lowest output of the season at 259 total yards. They also lost wide receiver Ladd McConkey, who was ruled out midway through the second quarter with a concussion. He had just one catch in his return from a foot injury that kept him out last week against Denver.

Continue reading here

Chargers summary

NFL standings

UCLA moves up to No. 9 in rankings, USC to No. 16

Miami is No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 for the first time since 2002, No. 2 BYU has its highest ranking since its 1984 national championship season and Notre Dame and Georgia stayed in the top five Sunday after both lost close games.

The UCLA Bruins, who are 6-0 after defeating Wisconsin, moved into the top 10 at No. 9, while idle USC moved up three spots to No. 16.

The Hurricanes took over the top spot from Georgia, which lasted one week at No. 1 after losing to Auburn at home. The Bulldogs were the second No. 1 team in two weeks — Texas was the other — to lose to an unranked opponent.

The Hurricanes received 40 of the 70 first-place votes from the media voting panel and were just 22 points ahead of BYU, which won a thriller at home over Notre Dame. The Cougars got 20 first-place votes and were 26 points ahead of Ohio State. The Buckeyes got nine first-place votes and were well ahead of No. 4 Notre Dame and No. 5 Georgia.

Miami is the first No. 1 team from the Atlantic Coast Conference team since Clemson in 2020. Other than Clemson, there had not been another ACC team ranked No. 1 since Florida State in 2014.

MLB postseason schedule

All times Pacific

NLCS

No. 1 Milwaukee vs. No. 2 Dodgers
at Milwaukee 2, Dodgers 1 (box score)
at Milwaukee 7, Dodgers 4 (box score)
Milwaukee 6, at Dodgers 2 (box score)
Milwaukee 6, at Dodgers 4 (box score)

ALCS

No. 1 Tampa Bay vs. No. 2 Cleveland
Cleveland 7, at Tampa Bay 3 (box score)
at Tampa Bay 3, Cleveland 1 (box score)
at Cleveland 3, Tampa Bay 2 (box score)
Tampa Bay 7, at Cleveland 3 (box score)
Tampa Bay 3, at Cleveland 1 (box score)
Monday at Tampa Bay, 5 p.m., TBS/truTV/UniMas/HBO Max
*Tuesday at Tampa Bay, 5 p.m., TBS/truTV/UniMas/HBO Max

World Series
All games at 5 p.m. PT
All game on FOX/FOX Deportes/FOX One

No. 1 Milwaukee vs. TB/Cleveland
Friday at Milwaukee, TBD, FOX/FOX Deportes/FOX One
Saturday at Milwaukee, TBD, FOX/FOX Deportes/FOX One
Monday, Oct. 26 at TB/Cle., TBD, FOX/FOX Deportes/FOX One
Tuesday, Oct. 27 at TB/Cle., TBD, FOX/FOX Deportes/FOX One
*Wed., Oct. 28 at TB/Cle., TBD, FOX/FOX Deportes/FOX One
*Friday, Oct. 30 at Milwaukee, TBD, FOX/FOX Deportes/FOX One
*Sat., Oct. 31 at Milwaukee, TBD, FOX/FOX Deportes/FOX One

* if necessary

This day in sports history

1940 — Alabama snaps Tennessee’s defensive scoreless streak of 71 quarters but still loses 27-12. Tennessee hadn’t allowed a point since Oct. 29, 1938, when it beat LSU 14-6.

1957 — Maurice Richard of the Montreal Canadiens scores his 500th goal in a 3-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks.

1960 — After 13 years in Minneapolis, the Lakers opened their inaugural season in Los Angeles with a 140-123 loss at Cincinnati.

1966 — Bobby Orr makes his NHL regular season debut for the Boston Bruins.

1985 — Robbie Bosco of Brigham Young passes for 585 yards in a 45-23 victory over New Mexico.

1985 — Dale Klein of Nebraska ties an NCAA record with seven field goals in a 28-20 victory over Missouri.

1986 — Lloyd Burruss of Kansas City intercepts three passes and returns two for touchdowns to lead the Chiefs to a 42-21 victory over the San Diego Chargers.

1994 — Duke beats North Carolina 3-2 in women’s soccer to end the Tar Heels’ unbeaten streak of 101 games.

1997 — Pittsburgh goaltender Tom Barrasso makes 22 saves to earn his 300th victory with a 4-1 win over Florida. Barrasso becomes the first American-born goaltender and 13th overall with 300 wins.

1997 — Sandy Alomar of the Cleveland Indians hits the 700th World Series home run.

2002 — Avon Cobourne becomes the fifth Division I-A rusher with four 1,000-yard seasons as West Virginia beats Syracuse 34-7. Cobourne has 108 yards in the game for 1,002 yards this season.

2012 — The National Hockey League announces the cancellation of the 2012-13 regular-season schedule through November 1. A total of 135 regular-season games are now lost from Oct. 11 through Nov. 1.

2014 — Peyton Manning breaks Brett Favre’s NFL record of 508 career touchdown passes and he throws four TD passes in Denver’s 42-17 victory over the San Francisco 49ers. The record-breaker was an 8-yarder to Demaryius Thomas with 3:09 left in the first half. Manning reaches the milestone in his 246th regular-season game. Favre needed 302.

2014 — DeMarco Murray becomes the first running back in NFL history to start a season with seven straight 100-yard games in a 31-21 win over the New York Giants. Murray, with 128 yards and a touchdown, breaks Hall of Famer Jim Brown’s 56-year-old record.

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.

He is unwavering in his belief that the newly constructed Lakers can compete for an NBA championship this season and that is the conviction coach JJ Redick has instilled into his group.

It is why the Lakers play the game, Redick mused, and it is the standard this organization has set.

The Lakers have won 17 NBA championships — the second most in the league — with the last coming in 2020.

So, as the Lakers prepared to open the regular season Wednesday night against the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena, Redick explained why he believes these Lakers are championship contenders.

“Well, I think that every season,” he said. “Unless somebody blatantly tells me that we’re not trying to win, I think that every year. That’s why I say I’m confident. I said the same thing last year and for all of January and February that we were going to figure it out at some point and we did. And then we had some injuries. So, being a championship-level team or being a — I don’t like the word ‘contender’ — but being a team that can make a run and can play in the playoffs and can play different ways in the playoffs, those things take time and it doesn’t mean you’re going to be in the NBA Finals.

“It’s just not the way this works, particularly with the way the playoffs work in terms of just matchups and what you can exploit and what you can’t exploit versus certain teams. But I think because of our talent, because of our fit, because of our depth, I really like our team.”

Luka Doncic said his first glimpse of what the Lakers could become was when he invited his teammates to his home country of Slovenia for a bonding experience.

As the unquestioned leader of the Lakers now that LeBron James has departed to Philadelphia, Doncic organized the trip. It was basketball, golfing and rowing. It was dinners and get-to-know-you conversations.

It was over these four or five days in August that Doncic also saw a Lakers team with championship potential.

“Since the first day. That simple,” Doncic said. “Since the first day everybody came together in Slovenia, I believed that we can win a championship.”

Yet this is a team with nine new players and Redick is trying to incorporate them on a Lakers team that is playing in the uber-tough Western Conference that most experts believe the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder are the creme de la creme of the NBA.

The Lakers acquired Walker Kessler, a 7-foot-2 center they received from Utah in a sign-and-trade deal in which he was paid $130 million over four years and in which L.A. sent two unprotected first-round picks and two first-round swaps to the Jazz.

Lakers center Walker Kessler tries to block a shot by Warriors center Yaxel Lendeborg during a preseason game last week.

(Ethan Miller / Getty Images)

The Lakers added depth in Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton, Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Kevon Looney.

They join Doncic, Austin Reaves, Jake LaRavia, Adou Thiero and others to form the 2026-27 Lakers.

“I think in terms of integrating all the new guys that have been available, which I think is everybody except for Collin in live play, it’s been pretty seamless,” Redick said. “It’s a smart group. … We’ve been able to probably install more, particularly on the defensive end, than we have in the last couple years.

“Last year we had six total practices in the preseason because of the amount of games and the back-to-backs and the travel and all that. And we played opening night, so that’s another day that we didn’t get to practice. So I think we end up with 12 [practices] this year. We get double the amount of practice time, so I think that’s a blessing when you have new guys.”

The starting five is still unclear.

Doncic, Reaves and Kessler are the sure things, but the other two spots are not certain. Those three started alongside Williams and Thybulle in the final preseason game against the Denver Nuggets on Friday night. Grimes started the first four preseason games.

Lakers guard Luka Doncic, left, bring the ball upcourt under pressure from Nuggets guard Christian Braun their final preseason game on Friday.

(Ben Liebenberg / Associated Press)

“I think we have a lot of guys that could start,” Reaves said. “Unfortunately there’s five guys that are gonna start. Like JJ said a while back, he’s pretty sure of three of them. The other two, regardless of who we roll out there, we have high confidence in.”

Reaves is the longest-tenured Laker entering his sixth season and he knows the high expectations that come with playing for the iconic franchise.

Last season, he had James to lean on, Marcus Smart was steady and Rui Hachimura was part of the fabric.

But they are all gone and now Reaves, who signed a four-year, $180-million contract extension, is one of the leaders.

“Yeah, I don’t know anything else,” Reaves said. “This is what I came to, but obviously it’s the Lakers, and it’s one of the most covered sports organizations in the world. So they’re gonna praise you when you’re doing good and not when you’re not.

“So you just gotta [know] whatever that goes on outside these walls doesn’t really matter. It’s just what goes on inside these walls. And if anybody has any questions, I’ll give them the best knowledge I have. But like I said, they’re high character guys that care about the right things. So, I think that’ll take care of itself.”

Lakers guard Austin Reaves gets past the Warriors defense for a left-handed layup during a preseason game last week.

(David Becker / Associated Press)

The Lakers were 53-29 last season, finishing fourth in the West and getting knocked out in the second round by the Thunder.

They have two more days of practice before the journey begins.

“I think you’re always trying to get better,” Redick said. “And even later in the season, you tweak plays, you tweak the offense and you tweak coverages. It’s just constantly evolving. There’s no like, ‘Oh, we’re done. Now we’re going to go play.’

“But we’re ready to go.”

Welcome back to the Times of Troy newsletter, where I am thrilled to be writing to you today after a harrowing couple of weeks at the Kartje household. But after a bout with stomach ulcers — don’t recommend it! — and a brief hospital stay, I’m now back and ready for the home stretch of USC’s football season, which has gotten a lot more intriguing since we last spoke.

Not only did Lincoln Riley secure a critical road win at Penn State, but the rest of college football’s top tier also collapsed in the week since. The teams ranked Nos. 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7 all lost on Saturday. At 3-1 in the Big Ten, USC is now tied for second place, while the three other teams at the top of the conference — UCLA, Indiana and Ohio State — are all still on the Trojans’ schedule. Two of those teams will face USC with a backup quarterback.

The Playoff picture certainly looks brighter for USC than it did before that trip to State College. But it’s still up to Riley to prove his team can actually deliver on that promise for more than one night.

That starts Saturday, in Madison, Wis., for my money, one of the best college towns in America. But since we’re roughly at the midway point of the football season, let’s look back at the first half for USC, with an eye on where the team could be headed in the second.

Quarterbacks: B

Jayden Maiava is coming off one of his better games as USC’s starting quarterback, having guided the Trojans to victory in State College. And maybe that performance was what Maiava needed to snap out of whatever funk he seemed to be in. Because for a few weeks, his timing and mechanics were a bit out of whack.

He’s still been putting up numbers — seventh in passing yards per game, in spite of my nitpicking. But if he is back to slinging it like he was against Penn State for the rest of the season, USC can keep up with anyone, including Indiana and Ohio State. But through the first half, I would say Maiava was good, not great.

Running backs: B-

King Miller has been a workhorse for USC this season.

(Adam Hunger / Associated Press)

I had high hopes for Waymond Jordan this season, but since his ankle surgeries, he simply hasn’t been the same player through the first half that he was a year ago. Fortunately for USC, that hasn’t been a huge problem. King Miller’s added muscle has given him some added durability, and in turn, USC has used him like a workhorse, with more carries per game so far than basically any other back in the Riley era. But he hasn’t been quite as explosive as he was last season, and that absence of explosion has been noticeable in USC’s offense. The Trojans have just five runs of 20-plus yards in seven games.

Wide receivers/tight ends: A

It’s pretty rare that a team entrusts its entire passing attack to a fleet of freshmen right from the jump. And it’s even more extraordinary to see that trust pay immediate dividends. But that’s been the case for USC so far this season. Trent Mosley has been the most dynamic freshman pass-catcher in the country when healthy. Kayden Dixon-Wyatt leads all Power Four freshmen wideouts in receiving yards (400). And Mark Bowman’s absence has been felt since he’s been out of the lineup. I’ve been blown away by what we’ve seen out of this group, given all it had lost. The last two weeks, we’ve also seen Tanook Hines return to the level on which he left off last year.

Offensive line: A

It’s a credit to what offensive line coach Zach Hanson has been able to accomplish with his group’s development that true freshman Vlad Dyakonov could step in to start at left tackle in the most brutal of circumstances at Penn State and more than hold his own. USC has been able to navigate injuries up front with ease so far this season, after actually losing its starting center before the season even started. The unit has only given up seven sacks in seven games, and their run blocking has been mostly strong as well.

Defensive line: B

USC’s defense looks entirely different when it can effectively pressure opposing quarterbacks. Over the last two weeks, it has managed to rack up seven sacks, one fewer than USC had over its previous five games. That’s a major step forward, and it starts with Luke Wafle and Kameryn Crawford getting more pressure off the edges. If Jide Abasiri and Jahkeem Stewart can use the bye week to get healthier, then suddenly this group looks very dangerous ahead of the second half.

Linebackers: C

I like what I saw out of Ta’Mere Robinson and Elijah Newby in recent weeks, and it’s certainly possible that the linebacker room looks decidedly different coming out of the bye week, with either stepping into a bigger role. It feels like a fork-in-the-road moment for Desman Stephens, given what happened with Oregon and how he’s played outside of that one bad decision. It’s Year 3, and he’s not always in the right place. There’s a lot to work out here still.

Secondary: D+

Through seven games, USC ranks 128th in the nation in pass yards allowed per attempt. Which means I’m probably being kind giving this group the benefit of the doubt inherent to a D-plus. In some sense, this group is what it is. The personnel at safety has not appeared to fit whatever Gary Patterson wants at the position. But the healthy return of Alex Graham at slot corner has helped matters, and Jontez Williams has been solid, albeit unspectacular. Otherwise, well … yeesh. Best-case scenario is Patterson figures out something in the bye week to get the best out of this group.

Injuries shape start of men’s basketball season

We already knew that 7-footer Eric Reibe will miss at least all of USC’s non-conference slate after foot surgery. But according to a person familiar with USC’s roster situation but not authorized to speak publicly told The Times that the Trojans may also be without five-star freshman Christian Collins when they open the season on Nov. 2 against Milwaukee. Collins has been out for several weeks of the preseason with an undisclosed injury, but he’s expected to return sometime in early November. Assuming he continues to progress, he won’t miss much more time.

The earliest Reibe could return, I’m told, is the first week of January, when USC opens conference play. But even that would be an optimistic outlook, considering when Reibe had his surgery. He’d sat out for almost two months, hoping to let the foot heal on its own, before opting for the operation.

A note on House of Troy, Chapter 5

Given my recent health situation, we’ll be taking a one-week break from “House of Troy.” But we’ll be back the following Tuesday, Oct. 27, when Chapter 5 will ready for you wherever you get your podcasts!

Notable quotable

“We have one loss. We just had a terrific win on the road at Penn State. And we’re gonna continue to get things done for the rest of the season. Then, we’ll see what happens.”

—USC president Beong-Soo Kim, when asked about the potential of moving on from Lincoln Riley

Olympic sports spotlight

It’s been a tough season for USC women’s soccer. Entering the weekend, the Trojans had just one win in 14 matches this season … and that lone win came in late August.

But that changed at Northwestern, as USC scored in the first minute of the game and never looked back, delivering a 3-0 win over the Wildcats.

The win won’t change what’s frankly been an unacceptable campaign for a program that was 18-1-4 just two seasons ago. USC is now 2-8-5, with three matches remaining. The time to save this subpar season is already past.

What I’m watching this week

Samantha Sloyan and Summer H. Howell in “Carrie.”

(Liane Hentscher / Prime)

While I was doubled over on the couch for the better part of two weeks, I did happen to stumble onto one of my favorite shows of the year to date. I have a deep respect and love for Stephen King, so I was wary of Amazon’s new adaptation of “Carrie.” But it honestly shattered my expectations.

Adapted by writer and director Mike Flanagan, this modernized version of the classic King story is born out of social media and an Instagram account, “CarrieRed,” which starts terrorizing other students and teachers alike. Meanwhile, Carrie White, the titular character, is thrust into this brutal world of modern high school having spent her life to that point shut in with her strict mother and father. It could’ve been a caricature of high school today, but I thought it was really well done. And it kept me guessing throughout.

In case you missed it

Listen now: Podcast ‘House of Troy’ features inside look at highs, lows of USC Athletics

USC and UCLA could benefit as College Football Playoff nears 24-team expansion

New USC president Beong-Soo Kim faces high stakes: Trust, Trump and Trojan football

After getting breakout star Trent Mosley back, USC hopes bye week helps others return

Mark Sanchez reaches settlement in civil lawsuit filed by truck driver he allegedly assaulted

Until next time …

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email Ryan at ryan.kartje@latimes.com, and follow me on X at @Ryan_Kartje. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

New Zealander Stephen Fleming, England’s new Test coach, has suggested the national team should be led by someone from England.

Fleming, who will take charge of his first series in South Africa in December, is the latest overseas coach to lead the England men’s team.

Since 1999, only two Englishmen – Peter Moores (twice) and Chris Silverwood – have been in charge of the Test side, while Ashley Giles had a spell as white-ball coach.

In the same time period England have been led by two Zimbabweans, in Duncan Fletcher and Andy Flower, and Australian Trevor Bayliss – while Fleming has succeeded his fellow Kiwi Brendon McCullum, who remains white-ball coach. Another Australian, Matthew Mott, also had time in charge of the white-ball team.

Fleming’s backroom team, announced last week, is heavily weighted towards homegrown coaches.

Former England opener Marcus Trescothick, who was in interim charge of the Test team earlier this year, is joined by ex-England wicketkeeper James Foster and former spinner Richard Dawson.

Jonathan Trott, an Ashes winner with England, is about to begin a spell in charge of England Lions. Both Trott and Dawson were in the running for the Test job before Fleming was appointed.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former New Zealand captain Fleming said it will be a “priority” of his tenure to help develop English coaches.

“I do believe that primarily the national team should be coached by a national representative,” said Fleming.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity, but there will be some development in terms of the coaching, and you can see by our staff.”

As well as Fleming and McCullum filling the head coach roles for the men’s national teams, England’s selector, Marcus North, is Australian.

In September it was announced that another Australian, Leah Poulton, will become the managing director of England women. Between 2020 and 2023 England women’s head coach was Lisa Keightley, the former Australia international.

In addition to developing the coaches on his own staff, Fleming said he will also occasionally invite county coaches and former England players into the set-up.

“There are some really key people who have come back into the system and I’m really pleased about that,” he said.

“I look forward to working with them, but it is a real focus and it’s an ambition as well that you will also get county coaches who will be introduced at certain times and you will get past players that will be asked to come back as well.

“It’s really inclusive and a comfortable nature of using what’s around, but also driving what should be driven within the county game and the English game.”

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Freddy Peralta threw 5⅓ gritty innings, Junior Caminero and Yandy Díaz each hit a two-run homer and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 7-3 in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series on Monday night to advance to the World Series for the third time in the franchise’s 29 seasons.

The Rays will face the Milwaukee Brewers in the first matchup in which both teams are seeking their first World Series title since 1980, when the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Kansas City Royals.

Game 1 is Friday night in Milwaukee.

The loss thwarted Cleveland’s chance at a World Series championship, extending its drought to 78 years.

On the 18-year anniversary of their first AL pennant in 2008, the Rays jumped ahead 2-0 in the second inning on Richie Palacios’ two-run double and clinched it with closer Bryan Baker on the mound.

The Guardians wouldn’t give up and had the go-ahead run at first base in the eighth when Kevin Kelly struck out Brayan Rocchio to leave the bases loaded after two runs scored.

Peralta allowed one run and five hits to earn his second win in the ALCS in his third appearance. He threw six scoreless innings to win Game 2 and got two outs in relief in Game 4.

A sellout crowd of 40,230 fans waved yellow-and-blue rally towels, rang cowbells and chanted “Let’s go Rays!” throughout the night at Tropicana Field, which needed major renovations after Hurricane Milton shredded the roof two years ago and caused extensive damage throughout the stadium.

The Rays played their 2025 home games across the bay in Tampa at the New York Yankees’ spring training complex, got new ownership before this season and secured a new stadium deal to be ready in 2029 near the NFL’s Buccaneers. They returned to the Trop to win 55 games in the regular season. Only Milwaukee had that many home wins this year.

After sweeping the Yankees in the AL Division Series, the Rays fell behind the Guardians 0-1 and 1-2 in this series before taking three straight games.

Caminero gave Tampa Bay a cushion with his first career postseason homer in the seventh inning. The two-time All-Star sent a drive off the left-field foul pole to give the Rays a 5-1 lead, becoming the first player to go deep on a splitter by All-Star closer Cade Smith.

Caminero turned around before reaching first base, looked toward his dugout and pounded his chest with both arms, cupped his ear rounding second to hear more cheers, stopped before reaching the plate, pointed into the stands and crossed his arms before reaching home.

Caminero hit 42 homers in the regular season but needed 33 at-bats to get his first in October.

The Guardians answered against Tyler Wells and Ian Seymour by loading the bases on two singles and a walk with two outs. Seymour walked Patrick Bailey to force in one run and hit Angel Martínez with a pitch to force in another. Kelly entered and fanned Rocchio on three changeups.

Díaz, who guaranteed a Game 6 victory when speaking through an interpreter on Sunday, gave the Rays a four-run lead with a two-run shot off Hunter Gaddis in the bottom of the eighth.

Caminero led off Tampa Bay’s second with single off opener Shawn Armstrong, who took the loss in his second start in three games. Left-hander Tim Herrin replaced Armstrong. Chandler Simpson reached on a fielder’s choice and stole second before Victor Mesa Jr. walked. Simpson advanced to third on Jonny DeLuca’s flyout to center. After Mesa stole second, Palacios looped a double to right-center for a 2-0 lead.

Armstrong, who was the opener in Game 4, faced the first four batters, becoming the first pitcher in postseason history to start a game after pitching both of the previous two days.

DeLuca’s sacrifice fly off Joey Cantillo made it 3-0 in the third but the Rays missed an opportunity to break it open with more runs after they loaded the bases with no outs.

Nathaniel Lowe’s RBI single in the sixth drove in Cleveland’s first run.

SAN FRANCISCO — Angel Reese had 30 points and 16 rebounds, Allisha Gray added 18 points and the Atlanta Dream stymied Golden State on both ends in the second half, beating the Valkyries 79-65 on Monday night to even the best-of-seven WNBA Finals at one game apiece.

Rhyne Howard set a Finals record with six steals, while Jordin Canada contributed 13 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds as the Dream earned the franchise’s first Finals victory after going winless in three previous trips — 0-10 overall. They now head home having salvaged a split in front of the boisterous “Ballhalla” crowd at Chase Center.

“This environment is tough to play in. Shoutout to the fans. Shout out my team, though,” Reese said. “We came and fought. I mean, that Game 1 was tough for us. But we moved on.”

Reese became the third player with at least 30 points and 15 rebounds in a Finals game, joining Jonquel Jones for Connecticut in 2019 and Breanna Stewart for Seattle in 2020.

“She was definitely way more aggressive, she had a great game,” Valkyries center Kiah Stokes said. “We let everyone kind of have their way.”

Game 3 is Wednesday in Atlanta, where the next two matchups were moved to the NBA Hawks’ State Farm Arena so more fans could attend. It holds more than 17,000, as opposed to the Dream’s regular home, Gateway Center Arena, which accommodates only 3,500.

Chase Center holds 18,064 and has sold out every game since the Valkyries began playing last year.

Gabby Williams finished with 14 points on three-for-15 shooting after she was the only Golden State player to score in double figures with 26 points in Saturday’s 68-64 Game 1 win. The Valkyries shot 34.4% and went seven for 24 from three-point range.

“We shot terribly,” point guard Veronica Burton said. “We missed shots that we make all the time.”

Foul trouble almost did in the Dream this time — but Reese simply wouldn’t have it. She went scoreless in the second half of the opener but delivered the big baskets and key defensive stops two days later, finishing 10 for 16 from the floor while dishing out three assists and blocking two shots.

“We watched film and saw the things that we messed up on. When I said that they didn’t do anything to mess us up, it was literally just us,” Reese said. “And we can see that tonight. And we’re gonna carry that over in Atlanta. Atlanta, y’all better pull up and pop out, I’m looking forward to it.”

Atlanta scored 24 points off Golden State’s 19 turnovers to hand the Valkyries their first loss in regulation since a 73-70 defeat at Chicago on Aug. 21. The Dream had just eight points off turnovers in Game 1 but returned to the defensive formula that advanced Atlanta this far.

NEW YORK — Sean Durzi scored 78 seconds in, Dylan Garand made 29 saves and the New York Rangers defeated the travel-weary Ducks 5-2 on Monday night to improve to 6-0-0 at home this fall.

The Rangers (7-3-1) did not pick up their sixth victory at Madison Square Garden last season until Jan. 26, their 23rd game there. They lost 27 of 41 at home on the way to missing the playoffs and finishing last in the Eastern Conference.

There is hope of a turnaround given this start, even missing franchise goaltender Igor Shesterkin for the rest of the season. Garand was making a fifth consecutive start since Shesterkin went down, and he has allowed two or fewer goals in nine of 10 NHL appearances dating to his debut last spring.

He got support early and often, with Durzi’s goal making it three home games in a row where the Rangers have scored in the first two minutes. That has only happened once before for New York, in March 1989.

The Ducks scored twice in the final 69 seconds, on goals by Nick Jensen and A.J. Greer, their first goals with Anaheim, to ruin the shutout bid.

Oliver Bjorkstrand scored twice, captain J.T. Miller and Gabe Perreault each had a goal and Alexis Lafreniere recorded two assists. Pavel Dorofeyev, the team’s most notable trade acquisition over the summer, came close on several occasions but remained stuck on two goals for the season.

Putting goalie Ville Husso in a tough spot with sloppy play, the Ducks (4-4-0) looked every bit like a group that endured a 15-hour, delay-filled travel ordeal to the East Coast from Southern California. They did not arrive at their hotel until 2:30 a.m., were on the ice for their morning skate less than nine hours later and were getting shut out until scoring twice in the final 70 seconds.

A decorated Air Force service member of 15 years died after a rappelling accident that took place during a salute to the military Saturday before the Navy-University of Texas at San Antonio game at the Alamodome.

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Ian Patterson was a Tactical Air Control Party instructor assigned to the 6th Combat Training Squadron, Detachment 2, Joint Base San Antonio, according to a news release by Nellis Air Force Base Public Affairs.

“This tragedy is felt deeply across the 57th Wing,” U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Scott C. Mills, 57th Wing commander, said in the release.

“Tech. Sgt. Patterson and his service mattered immensely to our wing, and to the family, friends, and teammates who had the privilege of knowing and serving alongside him. Our team is now focused on standing beside Ian’s family, loved ones, and fellow Airmen as we navigate this profound loss together.”

Patterson received several medals for his service and achievements, according to the Nellis Air Force Base Public Affairs, including the Air and Space Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters. In 2022, he was named the Air Force Special Warfare Enlisted Instructor of the Year at the Headquarters Air Force level.

Details surrounding the accident are under investigation, according to the news release.

Video on social media appears to show Patterson rappelling from the arena’s rafters on a rope, and plummeting fast to the ground. He was treated on the field for several minutes and then taken away on a gurney.

Patterson later died at a local hospital, according to Nellis Air Force Base Public Affairs.

The football game between the two American Conference teams proceeded after a brief delay. The decision to play was made after a meeting that included conference commissioner Tim Pernetti, representatives from Navy and UTSA, Alamodome management and local authorities, according to a statement released by the American Conference.

“At the time of those discussions, Nellis Air Force Base Public Affairs had not publicly confirmed the service member’s condition,” the statement reads. “… In accordance with conference bylaws and with the support of both participating member institutions, the conference made the decision to continue the game. Respect for the family’s privacy and adherence to the military’s notification process guided the decision to mitigate speculation about the service member’s medical status and avoid additional distress for his family.”

The conference added that it extends “our deepest condolences to his family, friends, teammates and members of the 57th Wing who had the privilege of serving with him. We honor his service and join the military community in mourning his loss.”

UTSA president Taylor Eighmy also released a statement expressing “profound sadness.”

“In moments like these, words can offer only so much comfort,” Eighmy wrote. “But I hope the service member’s family, his fellow airmen and all those grieving know that they are in our thoughts and prayers. We stand together in sadness, united by our compassion for one another and our heartfelt support for all those whose lives have been touched by this tragedy.”

The UTSA vice president for intercollegiate athletics, Lisa Campos, said in a statement: “Moments like these remind us that we are all part of something much greater than a game. They remind us of the importance of standing together, supporting one another and finding strength in the bonds that unite us, especially in times of profound sadness. Today, our hearts are with this service member’s family, his fellow airmen and everyone impacted by this heartbreaking tragedy.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Lakers waived former first-round pick Dalton Knecht on Monday to reach the NBA’s maximum roster requirements before the season begins this week.

The 17th overall pick in the 2024 draft had fallen out of the rotation in the last two seasons but had a chance to prove himself during training camp and the preseason, when the Lakers had 16 players on guaranteed contracts. Knecht, who averaged 4.2 points per game and 10.2 minutes per game last season, played just 14 combined minutes in the last two preseason games.

Knecht’s role had greatly diminished since he flashed his scoring potential as a rookie. After scoring 37 points in a win over the Utah Jazz in November 2024 and tying the single-game rookie record with nine made three-pointers, Knecht looked as if he could have been the steal of the draft. But after a trade to Charlotte for center Mark Williams was rescinded, Knecht never settled back into the rotation.

The Lakers brought in nine new players during an offseason roster overhaul, further burying Knecht on the forward depth chart.

“The team changed,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said of Knecht ahead of the Lakers’ preseason finale last Friday. “The needs changed, the fit changed. I think he got better as a player over the last two years.”

The Lakers looked into acquiring center Jericho Sims from the Milwaukee Bucks during the preseason in exchange for Knecht, sources close to the situation but not authorized to speak publicly told The Times. But talks broke down when the Lakers were unwilling to part with multiple second-round draft picks.

The Lakers, who wanted to solidify their backup center position behind Walker Kessler, have only three second-round draft picks (2031, 2032 and 2033) available to trade. They already don’t control their first-round pick until 2032 after sending two first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps to Utah to acquire Kessler this summer.

Knecht was given an “excused absence” from practice Monday, Redick said. The deadline for teams to reach the maximum of 15 standard contract players was 2 p.m. PDT Monday before regular-season games begin Tuesday. The Lakers open their season Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena against the Golden State Warriors.

Redick also said guard Bronny James was excused from practice, noting there were players who were “under the weather.” The third-year guard who was picked 55th overall in the same draft as Knecht remained on the Lakers’ updated roster.

James worked his way into the postseason rotation last season while the Lakers were struggling with injuries to their backcourt. He averaged 2.9 points and 1.2 assists during the regular season while shooting 38.6% from three.

Injury update

Lakers guard Collin Sexton speaks during the team’s media day in El Segundo on Sept. 28.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

For the first time since training camp started, Collin Sexton was a full participant in practice with the Lakers on Monday. Still, Sexton wasn’t ready to fully commit to playing in the Lakers’ season-opener Wednesday.

Sexton missed all five preseason games and a lot of practices with a lower right leg injury.

Sexton, who said he felt good at practice, was asked about playing against the Warriors.

“We’ll be taking it day by day,” he said. “At the end of the day, I had a really good practice today, felt good. Super excited to be back out there with the guys, so I look forward to it.”

Sexton said he had some “tightness and stuff” in his lower leg, “but I feel pretty good.”

He was asked what caused the injury.

“Nothing particular,” Sexton said. “I think we figured it out and now we’re just moving forward and just continue to get these reps in, continue to play five on five, and get out there as soon as possible.”

Sexton is a 6-1 point guard the Lakers signed to back up Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves in the backcourt. The Lakers signed him to a two-year, $19.2-million deal.

“He’s another guy that can bring the ball up and can create his own [mismatch],” Doncic said. “So we’re excited to have him back.”

Second-year forward Adou Thiero and rookie guard Cameron Carr both missed practice Monday.

But having Sexton back was a good sign for the Lakers.

“It felt good, super excited to be back out there, honestly, just getting out there and getting up and down, legs felt a little heavy, but it was great,” Sexton said. “It was definitely a great day, great practice for the team as well, and the guys were really competing.”

The Rams lost much more than a game to the Arizona Cardinals.

They lost four key players because of injuries.

Receiver Davante Adams suffered a ruptured hamstring and will be sidelined six to 10 weeks, defensive lineman Kobie Turner sustained a groin strain and will be out several weeks and defensive lineman Poona Ford suffered a season-ending triceps injury, coach Sean McVay said Monday.

Kicker Blake Grupe was placed on injured reserve after leaving Sunday’s 18-16 defeat because of a knee injury.

“These are adverse moments and we’ve got to be able to push through and do hard things,” McVay said during a videoconference with reporters, “and that’s exactly what this situation entails.”

The Rams are 2-4 heading into Sunday’s game against the Raiders in Las Vegas.

A team that began the season as the Super Bowl favorite now must engineer turnarounds similar to those they pulled off in 2023 and 2024 to qualify for the playoffs.

“There’s no sense of panic,” safety Quentin Lake said during a videoconference, “but I think for us now there has to be a sense of urgency.”

On Sunday, the Rams will once again be without edge rusher Myles Garrett, who has been on injured reserve following left knee surgery after the season opener. McVay said the Rams would not open Garrett’s 21-day window to return this week.

Rams defensive end Myles Garrett stands on the field before Sunday’s loss to the Cardinals at SoFi Stadium.

(Gregory Bull / Associated Press)

All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie, who sat out against the Cardinals because of a groin injury, is “progressing” and his status for the game against the Raiders will be determined late in the week, McVay said.

Adams, 33, is in his 13th NFL season. The three-time All-Pro, who led the NFL with 14 touchdown catches last season, has 30 receptions for 480 yards and four touchdowns.

Adams’ absence leaves the Rams with receivers Puka Nacua, Jordan Whittington, Konata Mumpfield, Tutu Atwell and rookie CJ Daniels.

McVay said the Rams would explore possibly adding a receiver.

Turner has made 22 tackles and has broken up two passes. Ford has 15 tackles, one for a loss.

Aaron Donald and Braden Fiske are the remaining starters, and Tyler Davis, Larrell Murchison and Ty Hamilton will assume larger roles.

Grupe, signed last week to replace Harrison Mevis, made a 44-yard field goal in the first quarter against the Cardinals. But he was injured during the ensuing kickoff when he knocked the returner out of bounds.

McVay said the Rams were making inquiries about available kickers.

“We’ve taken some shots this year,” McVay said of the rash of injuries. “We’ve got to be able to get up and keep swingin’.

“This is a good test.”

Liverpool and Manchester United are interested in Felix Nmecha, Emiliano Buendia is close to agreeing a new Aston Villa deal and Trent Alexander-Arnold is considering his Real Madrid future.

Liverpool and Manchester United are among several Premier League clubs interested in Borussia Dortmund’s Germany midfielder Felix Nmecha, with Liverpool viewing the £84m-rated 26-year-old as an alternative to Bournemouth‘s England international Alex Scott, 23. (Teamtalk), external

Argentina midfielder Emiliano Buendia, 29, is close to agreeing a new contract with Aston Villa after positive progress in talks. (Mail) , external

England right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold is considering his future at Real Madrid after growing frustrated with his lack of playing time, with former club Liverpool among a host of teams monitoring the 28-year-old’s situation. (Teamtalk) , external

JJ Gabriel’s exit from Manchester United is imminent. Real Madrid have made a significant offer for the 16-year-old English forward, while Barcelona and Bayern Munich are also interested. (Sport – in Spanish), external

United are monitoring Roma’s 23-year-old Brazil full-back Wesley before a potential January transfer. (Football Insider), external

Rio Ngumoha has distanced himself from a possible move to Arsenal and the 18-year-old England winger says talks over a contract extension at Liverpool are “going well”. (Metro), external

Former Real Madrid and Spain centre-back Sergio Ramos is exploring the possibility of a return to Europe and La Liga with Getafe keen to sign the 40-year-old. (Four Four Two) , external

Manchester United might have to battle against Juventus to appoint 57-year-old Italian Antonio Conte should they sack head coach Michael Carrick. (Talksport) , external

Brighton are said to be “relaxed” about the long-term future of manager Fabian Hurzeler after an impressive start to the season, with the 33-year-old German linked to a possible move to Manchester United in recent weeks. (Football Insider) , external

Ben Simmons’ comeback attempt with the Sacramento Kings generated more than one blip on the basketball radar during the preseason before it came to an abrupt end Sunday when he suffered a torn Achilles tendon during practice.

Injuries had restricted the former No. 1 overall draft pick to appearing in only 107 games the last five seasons, but his return on a one-year $3.5 million, non-guaranteed contract had gone well enough that he was set to start in the regular-season opener Wednesday against the Clippers.

Simmons, considered the greatest player to come out of Australia, made news in August by taking part in the national team’s player-driven minicamp in Melbourne, a precursor to the 2027 FIBA World Cup and 2028 Olympics. Simmons, 30, has never played in a major tournament for his home country.

He also became an unwitting part of an embarrassing episode three weeks ago at Kings media day when open microphones captured an off-air conversation between female reporters discussing the physical appearance and personalities of Simmons and teammates.

A woman’s voice said, “That’s what comes with being Ben Simmons. He is cringe, cringe,” and another woman added that he is “lucky he’s so fine.” The first media member agrees, saying, “He’s a good-looking dude. His skin is, like, so smooth, I was like, damn, no tattoos?” The media members have yet to be identified.

He refrained from commenting on the exchange except to back teammate Zach LaVine, whose personality also was criticized by the reporters. But Simmons will be in street clothes from now on. The Kings said he will undergo surgery to repair the tear, which normally requires a recovery period of six to 12 months.

“I’ve faced challenges before that tested me mentally, physically, and emotionally, and I’ve found a way through every single one of them,” Simmons said in a statement posted to his Instagram Stories.

Being sidelined is nothing new for Simmons. He missed his entire first NBA season with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2016-2017 with a foot injury, missed the entire 2021-2022 season with a back injury and the entire 2025-2026 season to focus on his physical recovery from back and leg issues as well as his mental well-being. He last played for the Clippers in the spring of 2025, averaging 16.4 minutes and 2.9 points over 18 games.

That production was a far cry from the promise he displayed coming out of LSU, where in his one season was a consensus All-American after averaging 19.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists a game. A 6-foot-10 point guard, Simmons was NBA Rookie of the Year in 2017-2018, joining Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson as the only rookies to reach 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists. And Simmons was an All-Star the next three seasons before injuries began mounting.

His return this preseason was intentionally low key, sliding onto the roster of the lowly Kings (22-60 last season) without much fanfare. Simmons was quietly repairing a reputation marred by his succession of injuries and the performance anxiety and emotional burnout he has openly discussed.

He also seemed keen on representing Australia for the first time. Simmons was forced to miss the 2024 Paris Olympics with a back injury after passing on the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2021 Games even when relatively healthy. Now any sort of return is again in jeopardy.

WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Monday questioned the Trump administration’s claims surrounding its efforts to redevelop a historic Washington golf course, challenging its contention that a recent tree-cutting spree did not indicate work was moving forward on the project, which is temporarily blocked by a court order.

“There is no universe in which all of this coincidentally happened all at the same time,” U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes said during a hearing over the fate of a project that has emerged as the latest legal flashpoint in President Trump’s campaign to leave his personal imprint on the nation’s capital.

Reyes last week ordered a halt to the golf course’s redevelopment plans until at least Oct. 26 after scolding the government for starting a large-scale tree removal at the course over a holiday weekend while providing little notice to the court or the plaintiffs trying to stop the makeover.

Then, on Sunday, Trump announced plans on social media to close the golf course for 15 months, starting on Nov. 15, and redevelop the 106-year-old park and course despite a court challenge by the D.C. Preservation League and two golfers. In a post on Monday, Trump said the work would start immediately.

Plaintiffs’ attorneys challenging the golf course renovation work have asked Reyes to extend her order that temporarily paused the work. They say the work is inflicting irreversible damage and that the redevelopment would violate the congressional act that created the park where the course is located.

The hearings on the century-old golf course have grown increasingly tense and on the eve of Monday’s hearing, Reyes rejected the administration’s request for her to recuse herself from the case. The government questioned her impartiality and accused her of engaging in “egregious” behavior from the bench during last week’s emergency hearing for the case.

Trump, a Republican, referred to Reyes as a “crazed lunatic” in his social media post on Monday.

“The United States Department of Interior wants to take a terrible and very unsafe golf course, and make it into a great, safe, and prestigious golf course. They have an absolute right to do so. It’s as simple as that!” Trump wrote.

Reyes, who was nominated by Democratic President Biden, said the government has failed “by any objective measure” to demonstrate the need for her recusal from the case.

“It is easy to weaponize selective quotations to bring a baseless recusal motion. But it is much harder to meet the demanding legal standard against a full record,” she wrote.

Trump has pledged to turn the course into a world-class golf venue — part of his grand vision for Washington, D.C., where he has torn down storied structures, remade or renamed others and deployed the National Guard for more than a year.

While it has been open to Washingtonians of all income levels, opponents of Trump’s plans for the golf course have argued it will alter the character of the space and make it less affordable to people.

Monday’s hearing started with a tense confrontation between Reyes and Justice Department official Stanley Woodward, when the judge asked if other any government attorneys in the room “as officers of the court” were willing to certify that everything within a Sunday filing was truthful and legally sound under federal rules of civil procedures.

In that filing Woodward argued that there were no final plans for the park.

“First, the plan is not final because the Park Service has not completed its review and the details of the proposal are subject to change during the review process,” the filing said.

Much of the hearing revolved around Trump’s social media posts over the weekend and his appearance last June at the golf course, accompanied by golf course architects and members of the administration and why there was such a sense of urgency for the cutting of the trees.

The witnesses at the hearing, Greg Wischer, deputy chief of staff at the Interior Department, and acting National Park Service director Jessica Bowron both acknowledged that they had only learned of the National Park Service Cultural Landscape Report in September that led to the tree cutting. That NPS report was from 2019.

Fields writes for the Associated Press.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been given a 30-day suspension by the Portuguese Football Federation after leaving his country’s international camp last month.

The 41-year-old captain walked out of Portugal’s Nations League squad in September after being an unused substitute against Norway and then finding out he would not start against Denmark.

Ronaldo said in a lengthy statement he had left because Portugal coach Jorge Jesus twice “broke his word”, accusing him of an “absolute breach of trust”.

The Al-Nassr forward was provisionally suspended on 9 October.

On Monday, the federation’s disciplinary council said it had upheld the charge against Ronaldo in full and imposed a fine of 255 euros (£189).

More to follow.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has blood clots in his lungs and will not be able to participate in football activities while he is being treated, according to a statement released Monday by the team and Hurts’ agent, Nicole Lynn.

Hurts has been diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis and a bilateral pulmonary emboli, the statement said, meaning a blood clot has traveled from his legs to his lungs. While no timeline was given for Hurts’ return to football, multiple media outlets report that the Super Bowl LIX MVP is out for the season.

“He is clinically stable and has no significant functional limitations,” the Eagles and Lynn said in their statement. “His treatment should only involve anticoagulation [i.e. “blood thinners”]. During this time, he will not be allowed to participate in any contact activities, including football.

“Jalen’s prognosis is very good, and we expect a full recovery. We anticipate that he will have the opportunity to resume contact football activities when off the blood thinners. In the meantime, he will remain active around the team and continue to condition. More importantly, we anticipate that he will have no long-term effects.”

Hurts injured his calf during an Oct. 4 loss to the Rams, according to a statement by the Eagles on Thursday, but did not inform his team of the injury until four days later. An ultrasound revealed a superficial blood clot, but Hurts was cleared to play Oct. 11 in London against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

A follow-up ultrasound “revealed movement in the small blood clot,” the team said Thursday, and Hurts was held from the following day’s game against the Carolina Panthers “as we determine the appropriate course of treatment.” Two days later, the Eagles announced that Hurts had been placed on injured reserve, meaning he would miss at least four games.

Tanner McKee started at quarterback for the Eagles on Sunday and completed 26 of 45 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown in the 25-14 loss.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Uefa has posed a great number of questions about FFE.

“When was the idea of FFE first explored, by whom and with what objective?” Uefa asked. “Who within Fifa authorised the development of the project, and which members of the Fifa administration were involved?

“What concrete measures will Fifa put in place to ensure that the shortcomings identified in the FFE process cannot occur again in the future?”

Uefa requested information on whether Infantino would have held or expected to hold any position, role or function in FFE, either during or following his tenure as Fifa president.

The relationship with Joshua Kushner’s Thrive Capital was covered in detail, asking why an agreement granting exclusivity to the company was signed without prior consultation of the Fifa Council.

“Why was Thrive Capital selected as lead investor, without any competitive tendering process and under conditions of strict confidentiality, despite its links to the family of the recipient of the Fifa Peace Prize?” Uefa asked.

Kushner is the brother of Donald Trump’s son-in-law, while the US president was awarded the Peace Prize.

Uefa also requested answer about the award of the Peace Prize, specifically who decided to establish it, for what purpose, and who decided that Trump should receive it.

When the FFE plan was revealed in the days following the World Cup final, Infantino told the 211 member associations (MAs) they would receive $40m (£30m) if they backed it. He then set a deadline of 19 September for federations to accept his plans if they wanted to access an initial $20m (£15m).

However, once the scheme was abandoned, Uefa and Concacaf called on Fifa to pay at least $10m (£7.5m) from its cash reserves to each of the MAs and, last week, Infantino agreed, proposing to increase the amount of money handed out for football development across the world by $3.4bn (£2.6bn).

The releasing of cash from its reserves will result in double the level of planned distribution funding for MAs from 2027 to 2030, with $25m (£19m) available per member association.

“Why was substantially increased funding for MAs presented in connection with FFE and external investment, rather than being financed directly from Fifa’s own resources?” Uefa has asked.

“Given Fifa’s strong financial position, why was it considered necessary to seek investment from private investors? What financial or strategic advantages would such an arrangement have offered compared with funding football development directly from Fifa’s own resources, particularly in light of Fifa’s subsequent proposal to do precisely that on a substantially increased scale?”

UCLA football fans are accustomed to watching the Bruins struggle, so it took some time to believe new coach Bob Chesney really could back up his inspirational messages.

After a big road win against longtime nemesis Oregon, video posted online showed Chesney delivering a fiery speech to his team in the tunnel before facing the Ducks. He relayed the story of Hernán Cortes telling his crew to burn boats behind them so that there was no way out but forward. The Bruins, he said, had to burn the boats and fight through the Ducks.

“His speech before the Oregon game — where he talked about burning boats — that just fires you up. It makes me want to run through a wall,” said Brian Jacobsen, a 1987 UCLA graduate.

Jacobsen, 62, brought his family to Eugene to watch UCLA defeat Oregon for the first time since 2004 because he felt this team was special.

A fan with a UCLA themed Star Wars storm trooper mask dances during the Bruins’ win over Wisconsin at Rose Bowl on Saturday.

(Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)

UCLA fan Luis Flores, 54, grew up watching the Bruins and said he can’t recall feeling this excited about the team.

“It’s the culture and the way the coaches have these kids going the right direction. Where they are disciplined, they believe in [Bob] and they believe in the Bruins,” Flores said.

Jacobsen and Flores were among the 36,045 fans at the Rose Bowl Saturday during UCLA’s 17-7 win over Wisconsin. The Chesney train is picking up steam, but the Rose Bowl was still far from sold out Saturday.

Joel Fierberg, music director of the UCLA Alumni Band, has seen the football program’s highs and lows during his 30 years leading the band.

“There have been some up-and-down years, but I am excited for what’s been happening,” Fierberg said.

Fierberg values fans who have stayed with the Bruins through thick and thin, especially now that the program has given them wins to celebrate.

“There are a lot of fans, including a lot of my band [members], who are here every week regardless,” Fierberg said. “It’s always exciting for them, having lived through the difficult times, to have something to be excited about.”

UCLA fans haven’t seen this kind of dominance since the Bruins opened the 2022 season 6-0.

Jeremiah Calvillo, 15, said he remembers the Chip Kelly era, but he couldn’t be more excited about what this UCLA team has done for him.

“[Chesney] is a very good coach who is leading this program to better things,” Calvillo said.

UCLA running back Anthony Woods and quarterback Ty Dieffenbach celebrate after scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter against Wisconsin at the Rose Bowl on Saturday.

(Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)

UCLA alum Garry Sakson enjoys seeing all the praise the Bruins have received on social media after beating Oregon in Eugene. Sakson attended as many games as possible during the Kelly era at UCLA.

“The mindset this team has is different,” Sakson said. “With Chesney, it’s the way he acts and carries himself.”

Fans are cautious about discussing UCLA’s chances of making the College Football Playoff, despite the Bruins becoming the last undefeated team in the Big Ten and SEC. That superstitious approach shows how quickly Chesney has raised expectations.

“I’m very optimistic about Chesney in his first year, but talking about the playoffs already is wild. Still, it’s amazing that we’re even in this position,” said 2009 UCLA alum Tim Dawson.

Dawson was a freshman when the Bruins started the 2005 season 8-0 and finished 10-2, during coach Karl Dorrell’s third year.

That season, the Bruins were known for their high-scoring offense and their ability to pull wins out, until they fell to Arizona in Week 9.

This season, the Bruins have a potent rushing game, a dynamic new starting quarterback and defense that has delivered explosive plays. Dawson said this feels different than the 2005 team because the defense is strong.

The players are proud of how quickly they shifted from going 3-9 last season to a 6-0 start.

Fans watch UCLA face Wisconsin at the Rose Bowl on Saturday.

(Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)

“Think the progress that we made from January, when we all arrived, till now is just out of this world,“ UCLA wide receiver Landon Ellis said. “It’ll be hard to look back into history and find teams that have turned it around this fast. So if you’re not all the way in, I don’t know what you are doing,”

Chesney said a bruising win over Wisconsin that shows UCLA can hold its own against brawny Big Ten terms should win over more fans unaccustomed to success.

“I think this win changes things a little bit,” Chesney said. “We won games in different ways, whether it be the offense or defense, but I think [Saturday] was a tough, physical game of football that you got to have a lot of pride in. And I think this should be the one that gives them a lot of confidence to understand just exactly what we are doing.”