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The accomplished manner in which Rogers has taken to the England stage has given Tuchel a wonderful conundrum, while the searing heat at next summer’s World Cup means he is likely to deploy “starters” and “finishers”, Bellingham and Rogers can do both.
Rogers has an avid admirer in Tuchel. He has made 10 appearances under him, starting six games and playing for a total of 531 minutes. Bellingham has started four, playing 374 minutes in total.
Tuchel will not duck big decisions. He will not indulge in star systems or simply pack his team with the biggest names.
So who will start?
For all Rogers’ impressive work, Bellingham has proved he can deliver game-changing moments at the highest level, his status also confirmed when Albania’s Kristjan Asllani asked him to swap shirts at half-time rather than risk leaving it until the end.
Chelsea’s Cole Palmer also has the ability and class to force his way into the squad if he can recover from his groin injury.
In reality, however, it looks like a choice between Bellingham and Rogers.
Bellingham’s greater experience of the rarefied air of major competitions will surely just give him the edge when Tuchel names his team for England’s first World Cup game.
On the day the Rams donned black uniforms for the first and only time this season, the offense largely went dark.
Red-hot quarterback Matthew Stafford cooled. Star receivers Davante Adams and Puka Nacua struggled to consistently make the clutch plays that they often make look routine.
But safety Kamren Kinchens and the Rams’ defense managed to keep the Seattle Seahawks at bay — just barely.
Kinchens intercepted two passes, and cornerbacks Cobie Durant and Darious Williams also picked off passes as the Rams held off the Seahawks for a 21-19 victory Sunday before 75,323 at SoFi Stadium that was not secured until Seattle’s Jason Myers missed a 61-yard field goal as time expired.
Stafford tossed touchdown passes to Adams and tight end Colby Parkinson, and Kyren Williams rushed for a touchdown as the Rams improved to 8-2, extended their winning streak to five games and assumed sole possession of first place in the NFC West.
The Rams can thank Kinchens, a second-year safety who has six career interceptions, including four against the Seahawks. His interceptions set up Williams’ touchdown in the first quarter and Parkinson’s in the fourth.
The Rams went into the game having scored at least 34 points in each of their last three games. But that production was absent against a Seahawks team that fell to 7-3 and had its four-game winning streak end.
Stafford increased his league-leading total of touchdown passes to 27 and did not have a pass intercepted for the seventh consecutive game. But the 17th-year pro was not as sharp as he had been during a stretch that put him in the conversation for NFL most valuable player. Stafford completed 15 of 28 passes for 130 yards.
Stafford enjoyed a banner day compared to Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold.
The Rams’ front pressured Darnold into multiple poor decisions, and Kinchens, Durant and Williams made him pay. Darnold completed 29 of 44 passes for 279 yards with four interceptions.
Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who was on pace to set an NFL record for yards receiving in a season, caught nine passes for 105 yards. But he did not score.
Cooper Kupp, the former Rams star making his return to SoFi Stadium, did not have a catch in the first three quarters but had three during a late scoring drive that trimmed the Rams’ lead to two points.
The Rams led 14-9 at halftime on Williams’ one-yard touchdown run and Stafford’s one-yard touchdown pass to Adams.
It was a satisfying situation for the Rams, whose first drive ended at the Seahawks’ eight-yard line when Stafford’s fourth-down pass to tight end Tyler Higbee fell incomplete.
Kinchens’ 31-yard interception return, however, set up Williams’ touchdown. And after Myers kicked the first of three first-half field goals for the Seahawks, Stafford led a long drive that ended with Adams’ 1,000th career reception and his 10th touchdown catch of the season.
The Rams had an opportunity to seize control early in the third quarter when Durant returned an interception to the Seahawks’ 35-yard line. But two plays later, Nacua lost a fumble after making a catch.
Myers’ fourth field goal pulled the Seahawks to within 14-12 midway through the third. But Kinchens intercepted another pass late in the quarter, setting up Stafford’s six-yard touchdown pass to Parkinson for a 21-12 lead.
Still, the Rams struggled to put away the Seahawks. Kenneth Walker III’s one-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter pulled the Seahawks to within 21-19 with 2:23 left.
After Ethan Evans’ punt pinned them at the one-yard line, the Seahawks got the ball back with 1:40 left and drove 56 yards in nine plays.
But Myers could not match his career-best 61-yard field goal against the Rams in 2020. This time it went wide right.
The Rams play host to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-4) next Sunday at SoFi Stadium.
Unable to handle Jacksonville’s ground game or its pass rush, the Chargers offered little resistance in a 35-6 defeat under blue skies at EverBank Stadium.
It was the worst loss of Jim Harbaugh’s 1½ seasons with the Chargers, and the club’s worst loss since a 63-21 thrashing by the Raiders on Dec. 14, 2023.
The Chargers proved as mild as the balmy weather, mustering a pair of field goals and making the Jaguars look like playoff contenders, even though Jacksonville had lost three of its previous four games.
The Jaguars ran for 192 yards — the Chargers got 42 in that department — and won the time-of-possession battle by almost 16 minutes.
Justin Herbert took a beating, spending some time in the blue medical tent, as the Chargers’ offensive line woes came home to roost in a big way. He was under heavy pressure on most of his drop-backs even though Jacksonville entered the game tied for last in sacks.
Three starters missing from the Jacksonville secondary? That didn’t seem to bother the Jaguars a bit, as Herbert was limited to 81 yards passing with an interception, and was sacked three times. He oversaw a Chargers offense that gained a total of five yards in its first three second-half possessions.
Herbert mercifully was replaced in the fourth quarter by backup Trey Lance, with the game long since decided. In fact, the Chargers pulled most of their starters with 11 minutes remaining.
Jacksonville was the scene of the crime where three years ago the Chargers blew a 27-point lead in a first-round playoff loss to the Jaguars.
Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey is tackled by Jaguars safety Andrew Wingard in the first half Sunday.
(Mike Carlson / Getty Images)
The first half Sunday was a forgettable one for the Chargers, who made their way to the locker room in a 14-6 hole.
Their biggest concern was Herbert, who was slammed to the turf on a fourth-down drop-back with 29 seconds to play.
The play had been whistled dead — left tackle Trevor Penning was lined up wrong — but that didn’t stop Jaguars defensive end B.J. Green from racing around the edge and obliterating the star quarterback. The Chargers didn’t even get the benefit of the roughing-the-passer call, as the penalties were offsetting.
Herbert headed to the blue medical tent and Lance began warming up.
Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh looks down on the sideline during a 35-6 loss to the Jaguars on Sunday.
(Doug Murray / Associated Press)
Chargers running back Kimani Vidal, promoted from the practice squad earlier this season after the team’s top two backs were injured, spent much of the first half on the sideline with a leg injury. The Chargers had promoted two more practice-squad running backs to play behind him.
In shambles is the Chargers’ offensive line. Penning, acquired in a trade with New Orleans two weeks ago, made his debut as the starting left tackle. Like his team, he struggled mightily all day.
After a whirlwind first couple of years on the tour, the last thing for Littler to accomplish was the world-number-one ranking.
Humphries had topped the PDC Order of Merit since winning the 2024 World Championships but Littler had been gradually chipping away at his rival’s lead and eventually completed his ascension at the Grand Slam of Darts.
He won 10 of the last 11 legs to beat Danny Noppert in the semi-finals and secure top spot in the rankings, even before the final against Humphries.
He went on to win that 16-11, winning 10 of the final 13 legs to secure back-to-back titles.
“I am the best in the world, I can finally say. World number one, you are the best in the world. To top it off by going back-to-back here makes it even more special.
“Now I’m number one, I’m hungry to stay there. I want to be there for the next few years. There’s going to be a target on my back from Luke and all the other players. It’s made me more hungry.
“Now I’ve got the number one spot and he wants it back. We’re going to be battling even more, I think we’re going to playing well because obviously he wants it back and I don’t want to give it away. You’re going to see many more great games.
“It definitely is war because if someone takes it off you then you want it back. You don’t want to be second. It’s taken me 19 or 20 months to get to world number one so now I want to stay there for a few years.”
Dean Henderson – Two important saves from Arber Hoxha to keep Albania at bay in the second half. Will be back-up to Jordan Pickford next summer. 6
Jarell Quansah – Can be happy with this England debut in an unfamiliar position at right-back. He doesn’t have a long-term future in the position but did a good job for his team. 7
John Stones – Stepped into midfield at every opportunity. Just as adept in the middle of the park as he is in the heart of defence. Crucial for England. 6.5
Dan Burn – Saw plenty of the ball but was no more than steady with his passing. Still questions over his ability against top international attackers. 6
Nico O’Reilly – Was caught by a couple of lapses in concentration in the first half but grew into the game. Can be happy with his first two international caps. 6
Adam Wharton – Showed flashes of the ability that marks him one of England’s most promising central midfielders but nowhere near enough to dislodge Elliot Anderson from the usual starting XI. 6
Declan Rice – England’s number four was once again deployed in the number eight position. Not his most eye-catching display but remains one of England’s most important players. 6.5
Jarrod Bowen – Made a couple of meaningful marks down the right-hand side but the position belongs to Bukayo Saka and everyone knows it. 6
Jude Bellingham – Flittered in and out of the game on his return to the England team and appeared frustrated to be coming off, but he will be so important to his country’s chances of World Cup success. 6.5
Eberechi Eze – Did not pose a consistent enough threat down England’s left. More suited to a role at number 10 – where England are overloaded with options. 6
Harry Kane – England’s match-winner yet again. Where would England be without their skipper, who is in the form of his life? 8
Sierra Canyon faced a familiar foe Saturday night in the Southern California Regional Open Division girls’ volleyball semifinals in Chatsworth.
The Trailblazers needed five match points to finally put away Mission League rival Marymount, 25-18, 19-25, 25-22, 25-23, and move within two wins of a state title.
It was the fifth meeting between the teams — the most in a season between two Southern Section schools from the same league since 2006 when Bay League rivals Redondo Union and Mira Costa also faced off five times. Sierra Canyon improved to 11-2 in its last 13 best-of-five set matches against Marymount — including the last seven in a row — though none of them have been easy.
Lucky Fasavalu serves an ace in Sierra Canyon’s four-set victory over Marymount in the Southern California Regional semifinals at Chatsworth on Nov. 15, 2025.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
“It gets harder every time we play them because they know our tendencies,” said Missouri-bound setter Lucky Fasavalu, who dished out 44 assists. “It makes us better, but it makes them better too.”
Hanna McGinest had 15 kills, the last of which ended the match. McKenna McIntosh had 13 kills and 15 digs, Kendall Omoruyi had 13 kills and four blocks and Eva Jeffries added eight kills and eight digs for Sierra Canyon.
Washington commit Sammy Destler led Marymount with 20 kills, seven of them in the second set. Elle Vandeweghe had 14 kills, Katelyn Oerlemans added 13 and Olivia Penske had 41 assists for the Sailors, who pushed the Trailblazers to five sets in the section semifinals.
Top-seeded Sierra Canyon (41-3), which has already set the program single-season record for wins in a season, improved to 4-1 this fall against the fifth-seeded Sailors (38-7) and has not lost a match in California (its three losses came in out-of-state tournaments).
Having defeated Mater Dei for the first time in its history to win the Southern Section Division 1 title, Sierra Canyon will try to make it two in a row against the visiting Monarchs on Tuesday night in the regional final. Sierra Canyon’s four-set victory on Nov. 8 at Cerritos College marked its first in 10 tries against Mater Dei, which beat Torrey Pines in four sets in Saturday’s other semifinal.
“They’re both incredible teams,” Fasavalu said, referring to Marymount and Mater Dei. “Marymount is scrappy, has weapons everywhere and has two great middles. Mater Dei’s pins are explosive and they have great game I.Q. Both are full of seniors so they really want to win — but so do we!”
Asked if she is happy to be playing Mater Dei, Fasavalu admitted she was since her cousin Westley Matavao plays for the No. 2-seeded Monarchs (33-5).
“We know how good they are but we can play great volleyball,” Fasavalu said. “I’ve got great options as a setter. McKenna and Kendall demand the ball a lot and it’s my job to read the other side of the net and see where mismatches are.”
Luke Littler will become world number one for the first time after booking his place in the Grand Slam of Darts final in Wolverhampton.
The world champion’s 16-9 victory over the Netherlands’ Danny Noppert means he will overtake rival Luke Humphries to top the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) world rankings regardless of the result of Sunday evening’s final.
At just 18, Littler will become the youngest PDC world number one, surpassing Michael van Gerwen who achieved the feat aged 24 in 2014.
Littler’s earnings over the two-year period that determine the Order of Merit total £1,770,500 after making the final, a figure that will rise to £1,850,000 if he wins.
With Humphries defending the money he won from triumphing in this tournament in 2023, even if he lifts the trophy again, he will have earned £1,769,000 – just short of fellow Englishman Littler.
“It is has not even been two years that I’ve been on the tour and I’m already world number one,” Littler told Sky Sports.
“That is job done – I am world number one – but there is a bigger match tonight.
“I am the best in the world. No matter what, I’ve said it throughout the year that Luke Humphries is the best in the world.
“No matter if you go out in the first, second or third round you are the best in the world.”
Whether he knows it or not, 6-foot-5 Zane Daoud of San Marino High is going to be a role model for kids born deaf.
He was one of them, 60% deaf since birth. He rebelled against wearing hearing aids. He’d take them off constantly while growing up. By high school, he says he figured out how much they could help him and stopped worrying what people thought. He should be a top basketball player for Rio Hondo League favorite San Marino this season.
“I’ve accepted I have hearing loss,” he said. “When I was younger, I didn’t really want to come to terms with it. I didn’t want to wear my hearing aids all the time. I didn’t want to use my accommodations. I denied I had it and acted like I could go through my life without my hearing aids. As I got older, I realized I can’t hear without them..”
He’s a straight-A student and discovered his parents were right.
“My parents were always telling me, ‘You need to wear them,’” he said. “I said I didn’t need to wear them.”
In high school, he learned he could hear better talking to people and listening to his coach. Maturity and experiences have taught him how to succeed.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].
He will stay in London and not travel to Lille for the Tunisia match on Tuesday.
Gabriel has formed a key part of the Arsenal defence as they top the Premier League table, having conceded just five goals in 11 league games.
The Gunners are next in action when they face north London rivals Tottenham on 23 November, before welcoming Bayern Munich in the Champions League the following Wednesday.
Another Arsenal defender, Riccardo Calafiori, has left the Italy squad.
If you think college sports has been changed by the transfer portal, prepare for what’s happening in girls’ high school basketball. They say what happens in college trickles down to high schools, and that’s the case this season.
There are so many high-level transfers that it’s almost looking like boys’ basketball. And it comes at a time of enhanced enforcement of transfer rules by the Southern Section, so who’s available and who’s not remains to be seen.
The top schools — Etiwanda, Ontario Christian and Sierra Canyon — have added key players to their squads. Mater Dei and Fairmont Prep are next in line. And there’s a new team in the mix, Oak Park, which lost its point guard but gained more than enough from the transfer portal after the hiring of former WNBA player April Schilling, who’s the wife of Pepperdine men’s coach Ed Schilling. Corona Centennial might have more transfers than any team, including 6-foot-6 sophomore Sydney Douglas from Ontario Christian.
Etiwanda coach Stan Delus is hoping frustration days are behind.
(Jose Luis Villegas / For The Times)
“This is probably going to be one of the toughest, deepest Division 1s since 2016 with some new teams emerging and different teams picking up transfers,” said Etiwanda coach Stan Delus, whose team has won three straight Open Division state championships.
Etiwanda added 6-3 Tess Oldenburg from Chino Hills and 6-1 Jaylee Moore from Northern California power Carruthers, plus freshman Cassidy Morgan to join returnees Arynn Finley, Aliyah Phillips and Chasity Rice.
Ontario Christian still has the No. 1 player in California in junior point guard Kaleena Smith, who’s taking recruiting visits to USC and UCLA. Also back are talented sophomore Tati Griffin and junior Dani Robinson plus the addition of transfers Layia King from Inglewood St. Mary’s and Skylar Archer from Shadow Hills and freshman Chloe Jenkins.
At a Mission League media day, coaches were asked what was motivating transfers. Few spoke up.
“I think Southern California keeps getting better and better,” Sierra Canyon coach Alicia Komaki said. “This is as good as a team we’ve had and we’re not guaranteed of anything.”
Sierra Canyon returns Jerzy Robinson, who is being recruited by Connecticut, Louisiana State and South Carolina. “I’m better at everything,” she said.
Then there’s 6-5 center Emilia Krstevski, an Oregon commit who speaks Macedonian, has a Canadian passport and keeps improving. Payton Montgomery is another returnee from a 28-3 team, but the key player might be Oak Park transfer Delaney White, an All-Southern Section point guard. Transfer paperwork was submitted six weeks ago but still hasn’t been approved for her.
Jerzy Robinson of Sierra Canyon is considered the best girls’ basketball prospect from the class of 2026.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
Former Ontario Christian coach Matt Tumambing was hired at Centennial, and suddenly new players began to arrive. Douglas, a 6-7 sophomore joined the Huskies along with former Ontario Christian guard Jelise Max. There’s so many transfers that Centennial officials have been spending weeks reviewing the paperwork.
Fairmont Prep has five freshmen on its roster to support All-Southern Section player Adyra Rajan. Redondo Union picked up freshman Rudy Hopkins from Finland. Oak Park has added sophomore Maya Urteaga from Moorpark. She averaged 26 points last season. Also joining the Eagles are UC Santa Barbara commit Karisma Lewis from Buena and 6-4 Diana Sorrondo from Arroyo Grande.
The winningest coach in California girls basketball history, Kevin Kiernan, has returned to coach at Troy, which is hosting a tournament next month that could result in a championship game between Sierra Canyon and Ontario Christian.
As far as other top players, All-Southern Section guard Amalia Holguin of Sage Hill is committed to Texas; Kaeli Wynn of Mater Dei is headed to South Carolina; Kamdyn Klamberg of Sage Hill is a rising junior; sophomore Hamiley Arenas of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame is a high-scoring guard; Charis Rainey of Windward played for the U16 women’s national team.
In the City Section, Westchester, Palisades and Garfield figure to battle it out for the Open Division title, which was won last season by Hamilton. Sophomore Kayla Tanijiri of Birmingham is the returning West Valley League player of the year.
It was a year out from the 2003 Rugby World Cup and I remember being down to Australia at Twickenham.
Following a Wallabies try, Martin Johnson got us all under the posts and was not interested in charging down the kick.
We were behind and all that mattered to him was winning territory in the next five minutes.
He made it clear we had to be more aggressive in defence, stay in Australia’s 22 for as long as possible, and see if they could handle the pressure.
We produced an excellent final 20 minutes and Ben Cohen scored the try to overcome what was a 31-19 deficit.
The reason we then came back in the World Cup final against Australia was because of what had gone by in the years before.
The more difficult it is for this current England squad, the better. Coming from 12-0 down to defeat New Zealand could be the vital touchpoint they use on their journey to the next World Cup.
Maro Itoje, along with 30 other players, will remember what happens in different scenarios.
I watched Itoje walk down the tunnel with the referee at half-time, and he was having a very mature, informative conversation all the way back into the changing room.
Roll back even two or three years and Itoje is not doing that as captain – but there is something different in what he is bringing to the squad.
It is very low-key with him, it is so much easier to follow leaders like that rather than abrasive, more obvious leaders.
Sometimes those guys don’t have the ability to cover all the different characteristics. I can see how Itoje is able to adapt to his players.
When the final whistle went on Saturday, Henry Pollock was bouncing around, jumping on Ben Earl’s back.
Itoje was just shaking hands, cool as you like, and Pollock ran at him and they embraced.
It was like a clash of how you would celebrate a big win, but Itoje is able to adapt to his players.
Leadership in difficult moments does make the difference in the biggest Test matches. It is about nailing those key decisions and moments.
George Ford’s decision to take back-to-back drop-goals right before half-time is your perfect example.
I am buzzing about this England team, as I have never seen England on a charge like this before a World Cup.
I don’t believe any England team has been in this good a position in terms of strength and depth, leadership and the ability for individuals to win games.
Overall, there is now a stark contrast between where England are and where they have been over the past decade.
Steve Borthwick had to develop as a Test coach himself, and that was always going to take time.
The Lakers finished an uneven road trip on a high note with consecutive wins at New Orleans and Milwaukee, salvaging a 3-2 record on the trip after a 119-95 win over the Bucks on Saturday. The only thing that seemed to excite the players more than the victory was what waited for them after the nine-day journey.
“Let’s go homeee,” forward Jake LaRavia posted on his Instagram story.
Here are five takeaways after the five-game road trip:
Lakers recapture their magic
Laker Deandre Ayton fouls Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo on Saturday in Milwaukee.
(Morry Gash / Associated Press)
Deandre Ayton took credit for the postgame locker room’s Frank Sinatra soundtrack, but JJ Redick had Jay-Z on his mind. After wrapping up a grueling trip, one of Redick’s first thoughts was Jay-Z’s track “A Week Ago,” which begins with the lyric: “It was all good just a week ago.”
A week ago, the Lakers were 7-2. They were riding the high of a five-game winning streak heading into practice in Atlanta.
Then things turned sour.
The Lakers (10-4) were blown out against Atlanta and Oklahoma City on this trip. They played about one good half of basketball in their first three games. But during the most demanding part of the stretch, the Lakers rallied to find themselves again with critical wins against the Pelicans and Bucks.
“This is the NBA,” Redick told reporters. “And you gotta find moments to recapture what makes you a good basketball team. And I think over the last 24 hours we’ve done that.”
Redick credited Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves for continuing to lead the team through choppy waters Saturday. Despite the team arriving in Milwaukee at 3 a.m. on Saturday morning and Doncic playing 40 minutes the night before in New Orleans, the superstar guard was still diving on the floor for a loose ball in the second quarter. He pushed the ball ahead to Reaves, who found Ayton for a layup.
As Doncic becomes more comfortable with his teammates, his leadership has shown through not only his play but his sarcastic personality, which has helped develop a strong bond.
“It’s great chemistry,” Doncic told reporters. “When I came, I was probably a little more quiet, trying to get to know people. But right now, I’m just being myself, just joking around a lot, trash-talking. So I think one of the biggest things for the team to win is have a great chemistry, and I think we have that.”
Doncic’s MVP campaign rolls along
The Lakers’ Luka Doncic drives past the Bucks’ Gary Harris on Saturday in Milwaukee.
(Morry Gash / Associated Press)
With 41 points, nine rebounds and six assists against Milwaukee, Doncic collected his fourth 40-point games this season, equaling his total for such games all of last year.
He leads the league with 34.4 points per game and officially became eligible for the leaderboard after playing in his 10th game Saturday. His points and 8.9 rebounds per game are close to his production in 2023-24 when he led the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals and finished third in most valuable player voting with 33.9 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. He is doing it despite shooting a 32.7% from three-point range, his worst mark since his second season.
Reinforcements are on the way
Lakers forward Lebron James is expected to return to the lineup soon.
(Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)
LeBron James is expected to return to the practice court with the Lakers on Monday after a productive test stint with the South Bay Lakers. He could make his season debut as soon as Tuesday against the Utah Jazz at Crypto.com Arena in the Lakers’ only game this week.
James is the only standard contract player still awaiting to make his debut after the Lakers got forwards Maxi Kleber and Adou Thiero back on the court during the trip. Kleber, who was sidelined with an abdominal strain, has played in three games. He made his first shot of the season in the win over Milwaukee while playing 25 minutes with three points and three assists.
The rookie Thiero also made his debut against the Bucks, scoring four points and punctuating his first NBA appearance with an emphatic two-handed dunk in the final minute. It showed the type of athleticism and activity the Lakers were looking for when they drafted him in the second round. He also grabbed one offensive rebound during the first half that led to Kleber’s three-pointer.
Guard Gabe Vincent (ankle) is still out and is approaching three weeks since he turned his ankle against the Sacramento Kings. The original timetable for his return was two to four weeks.
Shooting slumps
Lakers guard Gabe Vincent throws a lob pass to center Deandre Ayton for an alley-oop dunk against the Kings on Oct. 26.
(Sara Nevis / Associated Press)
Vincent’s eventual return could help the Lakers with one of their most glaring offensive deficiencies: three-point shooting.
The Lakers rank 25th in three-point shooting at just 33.8%. Their 32.4 three-point attempts per game rank 26th in the league. It’s a far cry from the 40.4 threes they attempted in the games after Doncic joined the team last year.
Part of the shooting slump could be Reaves’ early struggles from three-point range. Outside of his six for 10 night that led to a career-high 51 points against Sacramento, Reaves, who missed three games with a groin injury, was shooting 26.4% from three this season.
He then caught fire in the second half against the Bucks, making five threes. While finishing with 25 points and eight assists, he made three consecutive three-pointers to open the fourth quarter that Doncic called some of the most important shots of the game.
“It was good to get something to go down,” Reaves told reporters. “… Hopefully we continue to shoot the ball well.”
Pick up the pace
The Bucks’ Bobby Portis and the Lakers’ Luka Doncic battle for a loose ball on Saturday in Milwaukee.
(Morry Gash / Associated Press)
The Lakers are second-to-last in transition possessions per game and transition possession percentage. Redick was puzzled as to why the team played so slowly when asked about its pace before the Charlotte game. He said the pace was “literally the first thing we emphasize in every film session.”
But on the second night of a back-to-back, Redick acknowledged the team, considering its personnel, was simply not going to be a fast team. However, he still identified markers of success. Before Saturday’s game, Redick told the players the team was 9-1 when it scored 12 or more transition points and 8-0 with 24 or more assists.
“I think there’s a formula here for throwing the ball ahead and sharing the basketball,” Redick said. “And they were good again with that tonight.”
The Lakers had 12 fast break points and 23 assists against the Bucks.
Japan had double the number of carries and forced Wales to make almost 100 more tackles than the visitors.
The Brave Blossoms were the more impressive team on show, although head coach Eddie Jones avoided a couple of attempts to say that afterwards.
“The only thing anybody ever remembers is the scoreboard,” said Jones. “That tells the story and is all that matters.”
Jones has suffered previous defeats in Cardiff inflicted by superior Welsh sides and has close-up knowledge of the current squad, having played them three times this year.
“Having spoken to a few people, the big thing Wales has to look at is the development system,” said Jones.
“Coaches can only coach the players they have got and Wales for a long period of time had a strong and tough team under Warren Gatland.
“It is obvious the young players have not been developed enough or as quickly as you would like, because now you have a gap in the team.”
Jones believes Wales can return to rugby’s top table.
“There are plenty of good players in Wales,” said Jones.
“Wales is one of the traditional hotbeds of rugby in the world, albeit it’s a small country.
“If they can improve the development pathway and get that right, Wales will get its place back in rugby.”
South Africa secured their first Test victory in India since 2010 as they triumphed in a low-scoring thriller inside three days in Kolkata.
The Proteas, who won the World Test Championship at Lord’s in the summer, had trailed by 30 runs on first innings – but reversed that to pull off a 30-run victory as the hosts, needing only 124 to win, were bowled out for 93 in 35 overs.
Veteran spinner Simon Harmer, 36, did the damage with four wickets in each innings for match figures of 8-51.
India were a batter short in their second innings after captain Shubman Gill suffered a neck injury on day two.
Gill remains in hospital for observation, with India having announced before play on Sunday that he would take no further part in the game.
Saturday’s event was promoted as “unfinished business”, but in the build-up it did not feel like that really rang true – there was no contention over the result of the first contest.
Maybe it was harking back to the rivalry between their fathers, who fought a controversial draw in their second and final meeting in 1993.
It was a feud that gripped the British public but felt unsettled.
The scars of that fight still haunt Benn’s father Nigel and at the post-fight news conference he was dragged right back into that mindset.
“He [Eubank Sr] just loves the limelight, he doesn’t care about his son, ” Nigel Benn said.
“I don’t think I’ll ever speak to him again. He tries to quote scripture but he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”
As Nigel was growing more and more animated, his son began to laugh and could possibly picture himself speaking about Eubank Jr in three decades.
Despite still holding a grudge, it did feel like Nigel was able to gain some closure on the feud through his son.
“I don’t know if Conor knows but this is my last training camp,” he added.
“I won’t be doing this any more. I have three lovely kids in Australia that need me. I have a lovely wife that needs me.”
The sons were never meant to fight. Eubank Jr is seven years older, and Conor Benn has operated two weight classes lower for most of his career.
But the appetite to see two icons – Eubank Sr and Nigel Benn – back in the boxing sphere alongside their offspring was insatiable.
As characters, they could not be further apart.
Eubank Sr is a performer, often pulling focus from his son with his dance moves, while the elder Benn is straight and to the point.
At the post-fight news conference, Nigel had changed out of his cream suit and donned a blue Team Benn tracksuit.
He entered the room next to his son and they were followed by a group of around 20 people made up of family, friends and coaches.
Benn made sure to pay tribute to every one of them after helping him through “dark times” when he was banned from boxing after testing positive for a banned substance.
“There were a lot of people in the changing room that were there for me in those dark times,” Benn said.
“I wasn’t strong enough to do it alone and they gave wisdom and helped carry me. The win is for them.”
