SPORT

Welcome back to The Times’ Lakers newsletter, where we’re officially at the halfway point of the season.

The Lakers are 25-16 and barely clear of play-in territory at sixth in the West. They’ve lost five of seven games and are slogging through the midseason dog days. Licking the wounds from a three-game losing streak last week, coach JJ Redick had a simple message for the team as it prepared for a game against Atlanta.

“His statement was pretty much play team basketball, play together and have fun with it,” Jake LaRavia said.

The Lakers responded with a convincing win.

As we head into the second half of the season, let’s try to keep the fun going.

All fun and games

Lakers players huddle before a game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Crypto.com Arena on Jan. 9.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Phil Jackson once told Redick that he could tell the identity of his team by Thanksgiving every season. When Redick shared this memory on Dec. 30, the current Lakers coach was still struggling to find the identity of his team. At the midway point, Redick is only outlining a hope.

“When we’re at our best, we have high effort,” Redick said. “We have high connectivity and that’s reflected on both sides of the ball. And there’s a joy that we play with where we root for each other’s success.”

Redick’s description of his team at its best echoes what he often says about Luka Doncic. When “Luka Magic” is at his most enchanting, the 26-year-old is joyfully galloping up the court, joking with teammates and trash-talking fans. People talk about the way a coach’s personality spreads to the team. It’s evident that a superstar’s personality should do the same.

Doncic has established himself as the Lakers’ leader. Even LeBron James called him “our … franchise.” The first half of this season has been as much a test of Doncic’s leadership as it has been about his production.

“The stuff that we coach him on, whether that’s his interactions with referees, defensive engagement, all of that stuff, that’s all forms of leadership,” Redick said. “I can tell you, he’s so much improved from where he was last year.”

Lakers star Luka Doncic drives toward the basket as teammate Jarred Vanderbilt sets a screen on Charlotte guard Sion James during a Lakers loss at Crypto.com Arena on Jan. 15.

(Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)

Doncic was named an NBA All-Star for the sixth time Monday and earned the most votes from fans. He leads the league in scoring. But the best way he sets the tone for the Lakers is through his passing.

When the Lakers have 24 or more assists, they are 21-4. They are 4-12 with 23 or fewer. One of the clearest signs of how much fun the Lakers are having is how well the ball is moving.

“I know there were times in my career that whether I was playing good, whether we were winning, whether we were losing, playing poorly, it didn’t matter. When you don’t feel connected, it’s not as fun,” Redick said. “… We’ve done it throughout the season, just we got to do it more consistently.”

Consistency has been a struggle for the Lakers. They have used 19 different starting lineups. They’re eighth in offensive rating and 26th in defensive rating. Their standing in the West hinges on late-game brilliance and a 13-1 record in clutch games. But of the team’s 16 losses, only one has been by single digits and they have a negative point differential on the season.

As the trade deadline approaches on Feb. 5, the Lakers might shop for a defensive wing who could extract potential from an otherwise stagnant roster. But that archetype is something every contending team is looking for. It doesn’t grow on trees in this league.

But this time last season, the Lakers pulled off the unthinkable by adding Doncic. We never know what the basketball gods have in store.

Timme Time

Lakers forward Drew Timme warms up before facing the Portland Trail Blazers on Jan. 17.

(Amanda Loman / Associated Press)

Doncic gave his teammate a high five as they exchanged seats at the postgame news conference Sunday night. Then the star guard’s eyes glanced at Drew Timme’s T-shirt.

Timme’s yellow shirt had a drawing of a Tyrannosaurus Rex holding a minigun with the words “Sexual Tyrannosaurus” scrawled across the top.

The confused side-eye from Doncic was priceless.

Since his starring days at Gonzaga, Timme has earned bewildered double takes. He rocked a silly-looking handlebar mustache and headband. He went to the Final Four twice. He graduated as Gonzaga’s all-time leading scorer.

Yet the consensus first-team All-American still went undrafted in 2023. Scouts often looked at his age — 23 when training camp began — and thought his ceiling wasn’t very high. He wasn’t overly athletic. He wasn’t a very strong rebounder.

The Lakers forward wants to remind everyone what he can do.

“In college and since I’ve left, it’s ‘You can’t do this, you can’t do that. You’re not good enough for this and that,’” Timme said. “All these things that I can’t do. And I see it and it is fuel, and at the end of the day, I’m a good player. I believe in myself and my abilities, and I believe that I can impact the game at any level, anywhere.”

Lakers forward Drew Timme drives to the basket in front of Portland Trail Blazers center Duop Reath on Jan. 17.

(Amanda Loman / Associated Press)

Timme has worked with four G League teams, going from the Wisconsin Herd — the G League affiliate for the Milwaukee Bucks — to the Stockton Kings to the Long Island Nets before making his NBA debut last season with the Brooklyn Nets.

With the South Bay Lakers, Timme was challenged to improve his playmaking and decision making on the perimeter. The 6-foot-10 forward averaged 25.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and four assists in his first G League games this season before signing on a two-way deal with the Lakers in November.

His moments have been fleeting, but Timme was ready when the Lakers were without top two centers Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes against Portland on Saturday. He scored a career-high 21 points with four assists and two steals off the bench. He stayed in the rotation against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday and scored three points with three rebounds and two assists while helping execute an effective zone defense in the win.

Playing on a two-way contract, Timme understands it’s unlikely he’ll become a regular contributor. But his ability to step up at a moment’s notice signals the overall strength of the Lakers organization.

“Dangerous,” Ayton said. “It’s the next-man mentality. We’ve been showing glimpses of it at the start of the season when we didn’t have everybody and guys like Nick Smith having big games; Jake [LaRavia] stepped up to where he’s a starter now and it’s just been like that throughout the season where guys are working on their game and their conditioning and they’re ready to play. That’s just coach’s [Redick’s] leadership, to be honest.”

On tap

Tuesday at Nuggets (29-14), 7 p.m.

The Nuggets have been racked by injuries, none bigger than star center Nikola Jokic, who sustained a knee injury three weeks ago. They’re also been without starters Christian Braun, Aaron Gordon and Cameron Johnson at points this season, and backup center Jonas Valanciunas is still out with a calf injury. But they’re tied for second in the West and have won seven of 11 since Jokic’s injury.

Thursday at Clippers (19-23), 7 p.m.

The Lakers may have inadvertently turned the Clippers’ season around. Starting with the blowout win over their crosstown rival on Dec. 20, the Clippers have won 12 of 14 games to work back into the play-in conversation. Kawhi Leonard sustained a knee contusion Jan. 17 and is day-to-day.

Saturday at Mavericks (18-26), 5:30 p.m.

Luka Doncic’s annual homecoming to Dallas almost always will be another painful reminder to Mavericks fans of the trade that rocked the league. Anthony Davis (hand) will be sidelined (again) and former general manager Nico Harrison is out of a job while Doncic returns as the NBA’s leading scorer.

Monday at Bulls (20-22), 5 p.m.

The Bulls were one of the league’s biggest surprises at the start of the season with six wins in their first seven games, but have now slipped to ninth in the East. Josh Giddey leads the team with 19.2 points and nine assists, and will soon return from a hamstring injury he suffered in late December.

Status report

Austin Reaves: left calf strain

Four weeks after leaving the Christmas Day game early, Reaves could be reevaluated this week. If he is able to progress back to the court, he still likely will work back slowly, especially as this injury was initially thought to be “mild” when it first popped up in mid-December.

Adou Thiero: right MCL sprain

Thiero is about halfway through the four-week time table for his injury, which was announced on Dec. 31.

Favorite thing I ate this week

(Thuc Nhi Nguyen / Los Angeles Times)

It was a rare all-home week for me as my favorite colleague Brad Turner took both of the Lakers’ trips to Sacramento and Portland, which left me to fend for myself in my kitchen. I made salmon with Thai coconut curry risotto. Stirring risotto for 40 minutes is a special kind of meditation that was much-needed at this midpoint of the season. And I had a quinoa and cabbage salad with peanut dressing on the side. Don’t worry, Mom, I am getting my veggies in.

* The actual favorite thing I ate this week was the six-roll set at Kazunori in Marina del Rey, but unfortunately I didn’t take a picture of that delicious meal. I usually like the blue crab roll the most, but the yellowtail was hitting that day. So much so that I ordered an extra one as an exclamation point.

In case you missed it

Why LeBron James’ Lakers jersey has a new ‘super cool’ patch

Luka Doncic plays and scores 27 points as the Lakers rout the Hawks

Lakers’ JJ Redick defends LeBron James amid ‘unfortunate’ criticism

Lakers’ defensive issues once again prove costly in loss to Hornets

Former Chino Hills star LaMelo Ball becoming ‘emotional leader’ for Charlotte Hornets

Lakers star Luka Doncic to miss Saturday’s game at Portland

Plaschke: After Rich Paul drama, fans favor Austin Reaves over LeBron James and you can’t blame them

Injury-riddled Lakers fall to Trail Blazers for fifth loss in six games

Deandre Ayton has big night as he and Luka Doncic return and Lakers run past Raptors

‘He’s a very important guy.’ Deandre Ayton enters exclusive Lakers club during win

Lakers’ Luka Doncic named NBA All-Star Game starter, LeBron James waits for reserve call

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!

From Bill Plaschke: Now, do you believe?

Finally, do you understand?

The Rams are going to win the Super Bowl.

Period. No conditions. No debate. It’s been written here before and, after Sunday, it literally bears writing again.

The Rams are going to win the Super Bowl.

Sunday gave it life. Sunday made it real. Sunday was the test that all championship teams must pass, and the Rams did so with frozen hands and puffy faces and a will that wailed.

How they beat the Chicago Bears in a divisional playoff game at a frigid, snowy Soldier Field in front of a bundled-up crowd going bananas, heaven only knows.

How they did so while blowing a lead on a last-minute miracle pass and then nearly botching the game on an overtime drive, even heaven surely has no idea.

But they did it, somehow, some way, swear to Stafford, they did it, winning 20-17 in overtime with an outcome that could be described in one word.

Puka Nacua was bouncing and gesturing and shouting that word during the on-field postgame interview.

“Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!”

Yeah, they’re now headed for Seattle for next week’s NFC championship game against the Seahawks.

And, yeah, this is the same Seahawks team that they beat in November in Los Angeles, the same Seahawks team they led by 16 points in the fourth quarter just a couple of weeks ago in Seattle before losing in overtime.

There will be no such collapse again. The Rams are tougher now. They’re more resilient now. After Sunday, they believe that they can survive anything now.

Continue reading here

NFL playoffs schedule

All times Pacific

Conference championships

Sunday

AFC

Noon

No. 2 New England at No. 1 Denver (CBS, Paramount+)

NFC

3:30 p.m.

No. 5 Rams at No. 1 Seattle (FOX, FOX One, FOX Deportes)

Super Bowl

Sunday, Feb. 8, 3:30 p.m., NBC, Peacock

Will UCLA be forced to stay at the Rose Bowl?

Will UCLA football be playing at the Rose Bowl next season?

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

From Ben Bolch: If legal scholars were setting a betting line on Rose Bowl v. UCLA, it might be a pick’em.

It’s possible that a judge or arbitrator in the high-stakes breach-of-contract case awards monetary damages to the Rose Bowl and the City of Pasadena based on a prediction of lost revenue over the length of a lease that runs through June 2044, freeing the Bruins to abandon their longtime football home for SoFi Stadium.

In another scenario, that judge or arbitrator considers the possibility of wild success under new coach Bob Chesney leading to a packed stadium and figures there’s no way to reasonably calculate damages, given that the team’s longstanding attendance woes don’t provide a reliable blueprint for future revenue. In that instance, UCLA most likely would be forced to stay at the Rose Bowl.

“I don’t think that it’s a sure thing either way,” said Russell Korobkin, a UCLA law professor who specializes in contracts and was one of three legal experts who spoke with The Times about the case. “I wouldn’t want to be betting on the outcome.”

Continue reading here

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza dives across the goal line for a touchdown during the Hoosiers’ 27-21 win over Miami for the College Football Playoff national championship on Monday night.

(Carmen Mandato / Getty Images)

From the Associated Press: Fernando Mendoza bulldozed his way into the end zone and Indiana bullied its way into the history books Monday night, toppling Miami 27-21 to put the finishing touch on a rags-to-riches story, an undefeated season and the national title.

The Heisman Trophy winner finished with 186 yards passing, but it was his tackle-breaking, sprawled-out 12-yard touchdown run on fourth and four with 9:18 left that defined this game — and the Hoosiers’ season.

Indiana would not be denied.

“I had to go airborne,” said Mendoza, who had his lip split and his arm bloodied by a ferocious Miami defense that sacked him three times and hit him many more. “I would die for my team.”

Mendoza’s touchdown gave turnaround artist Curt Cignetti’s team a 24-14 lead — barely enough breathing room to hold off a frenzied charge by the hard-hitting Hurricanes, who came to life in the second half behind 112 yards and two scores from Mark Fletcher but never took the lead.

Continue reading here

Luka Doncic named NBA All-Star Game starter

Lakers star Luka Doncic celebrates against the Memphis Grizzlies on Jan. 2.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

From Broderick Turner: Lakers guard Luka Doncic was voted as a Western Conference starter for the NBA’s All-Star team, becoming the 15th player in NBA history to earn six All-Star selections before the age of 27.

Doncic, who received his fifth starting nod, leads the league in scoring (33.3), is fourth in assists (8.6), is making 46.4% of his shots and is hitting 33.7% of his three pointers.

He received the most votes of the All-Stars with 3,402,967.

The other West starters are Golden State’s Stephen Curry, Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Denver’s Nikola Jokic and San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama.

Continue reading here

Clippers surge past Wizards for their sixth straight win

Clippers star James Harden, center, drives to the basket in front of Washington’s Justin Champagnie, left, and Alex Sarr during the Clippers’ 110-106 win Monday.

(Nick Wass / Associated Press)

From the Associated Press: James Harden scored 36 points, and when he finally missed a couple big free throws in the final seconds, the ball came right back to him as the Clippers edged the Washington Wizards 110-106 on Monday for their sixth straight victory.

Harden made two free throws with 36.9 seconds left to give the Clippers a 108-106 lead, and after the teams traded scoreless possessions, Kyshawn George missed a three-pointer for Washington. Harden was fouled with 5.9 seconds left. At that point, he was 16 for 16 from the line, but he missed both free throws.

The Wizards couldn’t secure the rebound, and the ball bounced back to Harden, who was fouled again. This time he made both shots to seal the win.

Washington has lost seven straight.

Continue reading here

Clippers-Wizards box score

NBA scores

NBA standings

USWNT prospects will get their chance to shine

Washington Spirit midfielder Croix Bethune celebrates after scoring in a NWSL semifinal against Portland in November. Bethune is among the players who likely will see playing time Saturday in an international friendly between the U.S. and Paraguay on Saturday.

(John McDonnell / Associated Press)

From Kevin Baxter: When Emma Hayes took the reins of the women’s national soccer team in 2024, one of her first goals was to plumb the depths of the team’s talent pool. She knew what she had on the surface with veterans such as Rose Lavelle, Naomi Girma, Lindsey Heaps and Trinity Rodman. But what about the players under them? Who could step in in case of injury, absence or a lack of form?

Twenty months later, Hayes still hasn’t reached the bottom of that pool, making this month’s training camp in Carson an important one with World Cup qualifying looming in the fall.

“Some of the pool players are going to get an opportunity to shine,” she said. “Some are high-potential prospects. I think about Hal Hershfelt or Croix Bethune, players who have not had a lot of opportunity with us. I get a chance to really see where they’re at.

“My message is these players really have to take these opportunities because they will become few and far between.”

Continue reading here

Ducks extend their winning streak

Ducks forward Mason McTavish, center, celebrates with teammates Drew Helleson, right, and Ryan Strome after scoring in the first period of a 5-3 win over the New York Rangers at Honda Center on Monday night.

(Gregory Bull / Associated Press)

From the Associated Press: Alex Killorn broke a second-period tie, newcomer Jeffrey Viel scored his first goal of the season and the Ducks beat the New York Rangers 5-3 on Monday night.

Cutter Gauthier scored twice on his 22nd birthday — the second into an empty net in the final minute — to push his season total to 22. Mason McTavish also scored to help lift the Ducks to their fourth victory in a row following a nine-game losing streak.

Lukas Dostal made 19 saves, surviving a wild scramble on a late 21-second two-man advantage.

Continue reading here

Ducks-Rangers box score

NHL scores

NHL standings

This day in sports history

1891 — The International YMCA in Springfield, Mass. is the site of the first official basketball game. Peach baskets were used, but it wasn’t until 1905 that someone removed the baskets’ bottoms.

1937 — Nels Stewart of the New York Americans becomes the NHL’s all-time scorer with his 270th goal in a 4-0 victory over the Montreal Canadiens.

1952 — George Mikan scores 61 points, a career-high, to lead the Minneapolis Lakers to a 91-81 double-overtime victory over the Rochester Royals.

1966 — Ted Williams, longtime star of the Boston Red Sox, is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Williams was a two time triple crown winner, a two time MVP and the last player to hit over .400 — despite losing five prime years to service in the Marine Corps.

1968 — Elvin Hayes scores 39 points to lead Houston to a 71-69 victory and end UCLA’s 47-game winning streak. A regular-season record 52,693 fans attend the game at the Houston Astrodome.

1970 — Cincinnati’s Tom Van Arsdale and Phoenix’s Dick Van Arsdale are the first brothers to play in the same NBA All-Star game. Dick scores eight points for the West team, while Tom scores five for the East, which wins the game 142-135 at Philadelphia.

1980 — President Carter announces the U.S. Olympic team will not participate in the Summer Olympics in Moscow to protest the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan the previous month.

1980 — Terry Bradshaw passes for 309 yards and sets two passing records to help the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Los Angeles Rams 31-19 and become the first team to win four Super Bowls.

1985 — Joe Montana passes for a Super Bowl record 331 yards and three touchdowns to lead the San Francisco 49ers to a 38-16 victory over the Miami Dolphins. Roger Craig scores a record three touchdowns.

1996 — Rudy Galindo, in the biggest upset in decades, wins the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, earning two perfect marks along the way.

2001 — Alan Webb of South Lakes High School in Reston, Va., becomes the first American prep runner to break four minutes for the indoor mile, with a time of 3:59.86 at the New Balance Games in New York.

2002 — Steve Yzerman becomes the ninth player in NHL history to notch 1,000 assists, which he earns on Mathieu Dandenault’s game-winning goal when Detroit beats Ottawa 3-2 in overtime.

2007 — Utah coach Jerry Sloan passes Larry Brown for 4th on the NBA’s all-time win list (1,010) after the Jazz beat the Chicago Bulls, 95-85 at the United Center.

2008 — Despite a shaky Tom Brady, New England Patriots are too much for the banged-up San Diego Chargers in the AFC championship game, pulling out a 21-12 victory that sends them back to the Super Bowl for the fourth time in seven seasons.

2008 — Lawrence Tynes, who missed a 36-yard field goal at the end of regulation following a bad snap, nails a 47-yarder in overtime to give the New York Giants a 23-20 win over Green Bay in the NFC championship at Lambeau Field. The Giants win their 10th straight on the road in the third-coldest championship game ever.

2013 — San Francisco’s Frank Gore runs for a pair of second-half touchdowns and the 49ers rebounds from a 17-0 deficit to beat the Atlanta Falcons 28-24 in the NFC championship game.

2013 — Joe Flacco outduels Tom Brady, throwing three touchdown passes in the second half and leading the Baltimore Ravens to their first Super Bowl in 12 years with a 28-13 victory over the New England Patriots for the AFC championship.

2016 — Kathryn Smith is promoted by the Buffalo Bills to take over as special teams quality control coach, making her the first full-time female coach in the NFL.

2017 — Henrik Sedin had a goal for his 1,000th career point before Luca Sbisa scored the winner early in the third period to help Vancouver beat Florida 2-1. Sedin converted a pass from twin brother Daniel on a 2-on-1 rush for his 11th goal of the season. Henrik Sedin became the 85th player in NHL history to reach 1,000 points, and the 38th to accomplish the feat with one franchise.

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.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. I think the price of a Dodger Dog might have just gone up a little.

In case you were vacationing on Mars and missed it, last week the Dodgers and free agent outfielder Kyle Tucker agreed to a four-year, $240-million contract. The deal lets Tucker opt out if he wishes after the second or third year. It also includes a $64-million signing bonus and $30 million of the total salary is deferred, reducing the net present value to a mere $57.1 million a year.

Last season with the Cubs, Tucker, who turned 29 Saturday, hit .266/.377/.464 with 23 doubles, 22 homers and 73 RBIs. He walked 87 times and struck out 88 times in 597 plate appearances. He was hampered throughout the middle of the season by a broken pinkie, which he played through. He spent part of September on injured reserve with a strained calf and hit .259 in the postseason, with one homer in eight games.

In his career (769 games), Tucker is hitting .273/.358/.507, finished fifth in NL MVP voting in 2023 when he led the league with 112 RBIs and has an OPS+ of 142, meaning he has been 42% better than the league average.

Does this make him worth $57.1 million a year? Probably not, but the Dodgers obviously have a lot, lot, lot, lot, lot, lot, lot, lot, lot more money than everyone else. So, this is probably like me or you paying someone $50 a day to paint our house.

No matter the money, he should be a big upgrade over Michael Conforto. Tucker’s downside is his injuries the last two seasons, as he played in only 78 games in 2023 because of a broken shin. But what Dodger plays a full season anymore? Not many.

This is your current Dodgers lineup:

DH-Shohei Ohtani
SS-Mookie Betts
1B-Freddie Freeman
C-Will Smith
RF-Kyle Tucker
LF-Teoscar Hernández
3B-Max Muncy
CF-Andy Pages
2B-Tommy Edman

That’s pretty decent.

Of course, we all know what’s going to happen. The Dodgers will go into spring training favored. Someone somewhere will write that they will win 120 games this season. Injuries will hit the pitching staff. The offense will go into a week-long slump. They will win 93-100 games and everyone will say what a disappointment the team is. But, they will win the World Series.

It’s like the third part of any trilogy. You know what is going to happen, the fun part is how entertaining they make it until the curtain falls.

But what does this mean for baseball?

Not long after the Tucker-Dodgers news broke, the artist formerly known as Twitter went into meltdown with fans of 29 other teams saying the Dodgers are ruining the sport by buying all the best players. This brings to mind several thoughts.

Before I get to that though, an admission: I grew up a Dodger fan. If I grew up in Kansas City as a fan of the Royals, would I feel the same way? I don’t know, it’s impossible to say. No matter how impartial we try to be, all of us bring our biases into situations, even if it is subconsciously.

I do find it comical when Yankees fans, or Mets fans, complain about the Dodgers.

So, the thoughts:

1. Shohei Ohtani did the Dodgers a huge favor when he agreed to only receive $2 million a year from his 10-year, $700-million deal, receiving the remaining $680 million in $68-million installments from 2034 to 2043, with no interest. His salary still counts for $46 million per season under the luxury tax, but that’s a far cry from $70 million. The Dodgers also bring in millions of dollars a year in endorsements from brands that want to advertise with the team Ohtani plays for. Is this unfair? I don’t see how it is. The Angels could have been doing the same thing, but they pretty much bungled the handling of Ohtani throughout his career.

2. The Dodgers paid a record $169.4 million in luxury tax overages in 2025. It will be even higher next season, unless they shed some salary. Some of that money is distributed to small market teams. Some of those team owners basically pocket the money rather than invest it and make their team better. It’s hard to blame the Dodgers for anything here.

3. Other teams had chances to sign Tucker. Reports are that the Mets offered four years, $220 million (with a $75-million signing bonus). The Blue Jays offered 10 years, $350 million. So, the Dodgers aren’t the only team offering large contracts to players. The day after the Tucker news, the Mets agreed to terms with free agent Bo Bichette on a three-year, $126-million deal.

4. This is interesting. Guess when this was written:

“Consider it Part XIV in a continuing series.

“So now comes this: The Dodgers’ payroll increase is so enormous, it’s dragging the rest of baseball with it into uncharted fiscal territory.

“Yahoo Sports estimates that Major League Baseball’s opening day payrolls will rise 7.1% this season and that more than half of the increase will come from the Dodgers alone.”

That appeared in The Times in 2013. So this is nothing new. Before the Dodgers, it was the Yankees.

The Dodgers signed Kirk Gibson to a large deal (for the era) before the 1988 season. Do you want to give the 1988 World Series title back? The Dodgers gave Orel Hershiser a huge contract. They lavished big contracts on Darryl Strawberry, Don Stanhouse and Dave Goltz. They gave a record deal to Kevin Brown. This has been going on for years. It’s now how much money you spend, it’s if you spend it smartly.

5. Tying into the previous item, the Dodgers now have the best front office leader in baseball in Andrew Friedman. He was in charge of the small-market Tampa Bay Rays from 2004 to 2014, and in that time, this team with few resources made the postseason four times and the World Series once. People would say “What could Friedman do with money?” Now we know.

6. The Dodgers aren’t breaking any rules. They are just playing the same game everyone else is. Yes, they have financial advantages, but why shouldn’t they play fairly within the established rules? It’s up to MLB and the players’ union to decide that something needs to change. And there will probably be a lockout after the 2026 season. Will it end up with a salary cap, meaning you won’t be able to sign a player if it puts you over the cap? People are predicting a long, ugly, protracted dispute. In the meantime, the Dodgers have the core of their team set for well past whenever baseball returns after the labor dispute.

7. The Dodgers were pretty much laughingstocks to many because they couldn’t win a World Series despite the high payroll. That all changed in 2024. So suddenly it’s bad?

8. The Padres were up 2-1 in the 2024 NLDS and could have knocked out the Dodgers. The Blue Jays were up 3-2 in the 2025 World Series and were one hit away from winning it all. Would that have changed the narrative?

9. Whenever I ask people for the “golden age” of baseball, they will frequently say “When Mickey Mantle played.” Or “When Sandy Koufax played.” Guess what, when Mantle played, the Yankees were in the World Series almost every year, and won most of them. When Koufax played (in his prime), the Dodgers were in the World Series three times in four years and won two of them. Most sports become popular when there is one team to root against. Usually it’s a New York-based team, or the New England Patriots, or the Boston Celtics. Now it’s the Dodgers. Last season’s World Series was the most watched since 2017. Ratings during the season for network/streaming broadcasts were up 12%. If what the Dodgers are doing is ruining baseball, a lot of people watching haven’t caught on.

10. The Dodgers draw the highest road attendance of any other team. If the Dodgers are ruining baseball, the fans in other cities sure seem to want to watch them do it.

11. What are the Dodgers supposed to do, say, “This isn’t fair, so we are going to stop trying to improve our team?”

We’ll stop there. There are many pros and cons to the issue. So let’s ask you, Are the Dodgers ruining baseball?

Vote here and let us know.

Clayton Kershaw is back!

OK, that may have been a little misleading. Kershaw is not coming back to the Dodgers, or the MLB. He is however going to be on Team USA for the World Baseball Classic.

“I just want to be the insurance policy,” Kershaw told MLB Network. “If anybody needs a breather, or if they need me to pitch back-to-back-to-back, or if they don’t need me to pitch at all, I’m just there to be there. I just want to be a part of this group.

“I learned a long time ago, you just want to be a part of great things.”

In case you missed it

Dodgers go deep again by striking deal with Kyle Tucker, as much of the baseball world cries foul

Plaschke: Dodgers’ ruination of baseball continues with Kyle Tucker, and it’s a beautiful thing

Dodgers’ scorching offseason continues by landing star outfielder Kyle Tucker

One last roundup for Clayton Kershaw: He’ll pitch in World Baseball Classic

Why $100 million in endorsements says Shohei Ohtani is the global face of sport

And finally

Vin Scully‘s call of Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. Watch and listen here.

Until next time…

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

City face Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League group phase on Tuesday and when asked about Bobb’s injury, Guardiola replied: “He says he is not fit, so he is not fit.”

Semenyo’s signing adds competition on the right wing, where Brazilian Savinho also plays, meaning Bobb may well be allowed to leave this month either on loan or a permanent transfer.

Fulham have lost only one of their past seven games under Marco Silva, sitting 11th in the table and progressing into the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Bobb has featured six times for Norway this year, helping them qualify for this summer’s World Cup, and would unite with compatriot Sander Berge at Craven Cottage.

He missed almost the whole of last season after fracturing a bone in his leg during training in August 2024.

Experienced pair Jonny Gray and Dave Cherry return to the Scotland squad in time for this year’s Six Nations, while there are places for young Edinburgh duo Liam McConnell and Freddy Douglas.

The 40-strong squad chosen by head coach Gregor Townsend, comprises 23 forwards and 17 backs.

Adam Hastings and Fergus Burke will provide competition and cover for star fly-half Finn Russell.

Ben White and George Horne are the scrum-halves, with Jamie Dobie an option at number nine but thriving on the wing for Glasgow Warriors.

Captain Sione Tuipulotu is joined by Glasgow team-mates Huw Jones and Stafford McDowall and Northampton Saints’ Rory Hutchinson as the specialist centres.

The back three selection will come from Blair Kinghorn, Tom Jordan, Kyle Rowe and Ollie Smith, who are all options at full-back, along with Duhan van der Merwe, Darcy Graham, Kyle Steyn and Dobie.

McConnell, 21, and Douglas, 20, each have one cap and join Magnus Bradbury, Jamie Ritchie, Josh Bayliss and Glasgow trio Matt Fagerson, Rory Darge and Jack Dempsey in the scrap for back-row places.

Cherry, 35, playing in Pro D2 in France for Vannes, is chosen along with fellow hookers Ewan Ashman and George Turner.

There are three loosehead props; Pierre Schoeman, Rory Sutherland and Nathan McBeth, with Elliot Millar Mills and D’arcy Rae supporting standout tighthead Zander Fagerson.

Bordeaux’s Gray, with 81 caps, joins fellow stalwarts Grant Gilchrist and Scott Cummings as Max Williamson and Alex Craig bid to break the established order in the second row, along with Gregor Brown, who also operates at blindside flanker.

Scotland open the tournament in Rome on 7 February, then host England before a trip to Cardiff on three successive Saturdays.

France visit Murrayfield on 7 March and Scotland are in Dublin for the final round of fixtures seven days later.

Scotland finished fourth last year, with third place in 2023 and 2018 their best showings in Townsend’s eight previous attempts.

When Emma Hayes took the reins of the women’s national soccer team in 2024, one of her first goals was to plumb the depths of the team’s talent pool. She knew what she had on the surface with veterans such as Rose Lavelle, Naomi Girma, Lindsey Heaps and Trinity Rodman. But what about the players under them? Who could step in in case of injury, absence or a lack of form?

Twenty months later, Hayes still hasn’t reached the bottom of that pool, making this month’s training camp in Carson an important one with World Cup qualifying looming in the fall.

“Some of the pool players are going to get an opportunity to shine,” she said. “Some are high-potential prospects. I think about Hal Hershfelt or Croix Bethune, players who have not had a lot of opportunity with us. I get a chance to really see where they’re at.

“My message is these players really have to take these opportunities because they will become few and far between.”

Hayes has given 27 players their senior national team debuts and has used 50 different starters in her 30 matches as coach. No other U.S. manager has named more than 36 starters over a similar span. And the number of debutantes could grow since three of the 26 women called up are still looking for their first international cap — something they could earn this month since the training camp will end with friendlies against Paraguay on Saturday at Dignity Health Sports Park and Chile at UC Santa Barbara on Jan. 27.

Saturday’s matinee will include a pregame tribute to Christen Press, a two-time world champion who announced her retirement last fall.

But as valuable as the continuing auditions may be, the decision to call up a roster of young, NWSL players was made out of necessity, not design. Because the camp falls outside a FIFA window, Hayes was unable to summon European-based players such as Girma, Heaps, Alyssa Thompson, Crystal Dunn and Catarina Macario. Also unavailable were Jaedyn Shaw, Jaelin Howell, Tierna Davidson, Emily Sonnett and Lavelle, U.S. Soccer’s women’s player of the year, who will all be playing for Gotham FC in next week’s FIFA Women’s Championship Club in England.

U.S. coach Emma Hayes, center, speaks with players after an international friendly match against Italy in December.

(Rebecca Blackwell / Associated Press)

“If the European-based players and the Gotham-based players were here, this would be a completely different roster,” Hayes said. “But that’s not the case.”

It’s also nothing new. The coach hasn’t had what she considers her first-choice roster since taking over the national team.

Injury kept Macario off the team that struck gold in the Paris Olympics, Hayes’ first tournament as coach, while forwards Sophia Wilson and Mallory Swanson have been on maternity leave since the Olympics. Injuries have limited Rodman, another forward, to one game over the past 18 months.

Despite that, the U.S. has lost just three of 20 games since climbing off the medal stand in Paris. So while she would prefer to start the new year with the veteran core of her 2027 World Cup roster in uniform, that didn’t happen. Instead, the 26 invited players — among them Rodman, Angel City defender Gisele Thompson and Santa Clarita’s Olivia Moultrie — average 24.1 years of age and 6.6 caps of senior-team experience.

“What I’ve learned since the Olympics is I can never, ever pick the best roster because I’m always going to be without players,” she said.

With the World Cup a year away, the tryout period will soon be ending. Hayes said she and her staff have mapped out how they’d like to see 2026 unfold, and that plan includes narrowing the potential player pool to about 35 women ahead of the SheBelieves Cup in March.

“Once we get to SheBelieves, if everyone is available to me, it will be the group that are strong candidates to be [part of World Cup qualifying],” she said. “It will be an extremely competitive roster.”

Yet it will be one that still won’t include Wilson or Swanson, who combined for seven of the team’s 12 goals in the Olympics. Wilson gave birth to a daughter in September, two months before Swanson did the same. Hayes, who had a son in the spring of 2018, doesn’t plan to rush back either player.

“I know how long it takes to recover after having a baby. That’s why I don’t like putting time frames on it,” she said. “Hormones play a big part of it. And you don’t actually realize that until you’ve had a baby.

“For some the recovery is quicker than others. Depends on your age, depends on type of birth, sleep. Loads of things.”

In the meantime, Hayes will keep dipping into the talent pool she has.

⚽ You have read the latest installment of On Soccer with Kevin Baxter. The weekly column takes you behind the scenes and shines a spotlight on unique stories. Listen to Baxter on this week’s episode of the “Corner of the Galaxy” podcast.

The NBA is planning to launch an independent European league under the working title of NBA Europe.

Talks remain ongoing, but plans lead towards it starting as a league of 12-16 teams that could include a merit-based qualification system as well as promotion and relegation.

London, Manchester, Paris and Berlin are expected to have teams in NBA Europe.

The league is expected to consist of existing teams, new sides and football clubs that currently do not have associated basketball teams.

Talks are in preliminary stages, but there is optimism around the plans and, under the NBA’s running, they have the potential to transform European basketball’s landscape.

London is being tipped to be among the key cities for the NBA’s European hopes, despite its lack of basketball presence.

It is unlikely that London will be a franchise that is part of a football team, with the city earmarked to become a model city to be emulated at other NBA Europe locations.

This is also in part because of London’s global appeal to US audiences, and infrastructure that includes the O2 and a reported new indoor arena in the process of being built.

“We know that here in London in particular, in many ways we think this market is tastemakers for much of Europe,” said NBA commissioner Adam Silver.

“The last I looked, I think the O2 is the leading arena throughout Europe and, from a revenue standpoint, exceeds most arenas around the United States.

“Culturally, all the top acts come through there. There is this New York-London connection from a fashion and music standpoint.”

An increasing number of international players in the NBA, a growing viewership in the league across Europe, and the fact that five of the NBA’s past seven Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards have been won by Europeans point towards a prime opportunity for the NBA to capitalise.

The NBA has worked on European plans in collaboration with the International Basketball Federation (Fiba), the sport’s international governing body.

As well as Silver describing interest from potential investors and sponsors as “significant”, current and former players have been showing their support for a European NBA league.

“The NBA has been such a successful brand and they have talked about expansion for 20 years ever since I was in the league, so I’m excited that this next step is finally here,” Dirk Nowitzki, the first European to win the MVP award, told BBC Sport.

“If the NBA normally does something, they do it right. Hopefully it is going to be good for European basketball and exciting.”

“I’m not stupid. I feel like they [the crowd] weren’t all there of their own accord, shall we say, and it was quite a small venue.

“Everything needs to start somewhere, but as long as people walk away from the week and are like, ‘You know what, we really enjoyed the darts’, and it gets good coverage.”

BBC Sport has contacted the PDC for comment.

Saudi Arabia has staged many major sports events in recent years, including Formula 1 and golf, and will host the men’s football World Cup in 2034. But the regime has been criticised for its record on human rights and environmental impact.

“It was a lot better than I thought. There were a lot more people than I expected,” said Aspinall.

Darts is known for its boisterous crowds but with the Saudi event being free of alcohol, Aspinall said the atmosphere “was different” before adding, “but you know what, I enjoyed it. Whenever I looked out into the crowd, you could actually tell they were watching it”.

Boulter endured a difficult 2025 season, dropping from 24th in the world to outside the top 100, and lost her British number one ranking amid injury struggles.

Seeking a fresh start this season, the Briton ended her partnership with long-term coach Biljana Veselinovic and is now being assisted by American Michael Joyce, who helped Maria Sharapova win two Grand Slams and reach world number one.

It is also a significant year for Boulter away from the court, with her wedding to Australian tennis star Alex de Minaur planned for later in 2026.

Speaking before the tournament, Boulter said: “I’m getting married this year. It’s going to be an unbelievable year, one of the best ones in my life, no matter what happens on the tennis court. I think for me that’s already given me a positive push.

“I feel like having a new coach, having a new set-up, everything is fresh and exciting again. Whereas I feel like I was dragging my feet a little bit at the end of last year just trying to get through the whole entire year without injuries.”

Now British number four, Boulter has won only four tour-level matches since Wimbledon.

She tore an abductor in her final event of last year in Hong Kong and returned to action at the ASB Classic in Auckland earlier this month, losing in the second round.

The most enduring question surrounding Farrell’s squad has evolved in the months since Ireland last played.

What was viewed as a straight shootout between fly-halves Sam Prendergast and Jack Crowley is now a three-way tug of war for the 10 jersey with Harry Byrne firmly back in the mix.

The Leinster player, who this time last year was so far down the pecking order that he was allowed to join Bristol on loan, started two of four Champions Cup pool games ahead of Prendergast and kicked the winning penalty against La Rochelle this month.

That Prendergast was still on the pitch at the time of Byrne’s matchwinner was an interesting added wrinkle when it comes to judging the pair’s goalkicking. Farrell’s consistent namechecking of Byrne, who has not played Test rugby since 2024, during November felt significant too.

With continued questions over Prendergast’s defensive contributions, and Crowley steering an out of form Munster side, could Ireland begin a fourth consecutive Six Nations with a different player as their starting 10?

Scrum-half is considerably more straightforward. Leinster’s Jamison Gibson-Park has regained his sharpness as the season has progressed while, after an injury scare this month, Craig Casey is fit to be his back-up.

Connacht’s Caolin Blade was third-choice in November but has played just twice since and it will be interesting to see if one of the western province’s other nines, or Ulster’s Nathan Doak, comes into the mix on Wednesday.

If Madison Keys was not nervous enough about starting her Australian Open title defence, facing an unknown opponent only added to the tension.

The 30-year-old American had a fairytale run in Melbourne 12 months ago, culminating in her lifting the first Grand Slam trophy of her career.

However, she made an edgy start to her title defence on Tuesday, losing the first four games to Grand Slam debutant Oleksandra Oliynykova.

Keys said afterwards she had struggled to find footage of her opponent to help her prepare, with Oliynykova’s defensive play style not matching up well with her big-hitting game.

But the ninth seed eventually settled down to clinch a 7-6 (8-6) 6-1 victory over the Ukrainian.

“I’ve been thinking about this moment for basically a year,” said Keys.

“The moment they say, ‘Ready, play’, it all hits you in a way that I don’t think you can ever really explain.

“As nerve-racking and stressful as that can be, I’m still reminding myself of just how few people get to be in that moment.

“Being able to walk out today and have the crowd be as welcoming as they were, I’ll take the stress any day.”

Alex Killorn broke a second-period tie, newcomer Jeffrey Viel scored his first goal of the season and the Ducks beat the New York Rangers 5-3 on Monday night.

Cutter Gauthier scored twice on his 22nd birthday — the second into an empty net in the final minute — to push his season total to 22. Mason McTavish also scored to help lift the Ducks to their fourth victory in a row following a nine-game losing streak.

Lukas Dostal made 19 saves, surviving a wild scramble on a late 21-second two-man advantage.

Matthew Robertson, Artemi Panarin and Vladislav Gavrikov scored for New York, and Spencer Martin stopped 21 shots in his fourth NHL game of the season.

Seeing time with Igor Shesterkin sidelined by a lower-body injury, Martin was back in goal after stopping 25 shots Saturday in a 6-3 victory in Philadelphia that ended a five-game losing streak.

Killorn gave the Ducks a 3-2 lead with 1:58 left in the second period. He scored off a rebound of Jacob Trouba’s long shot after a prolonged scramble behind the goal.

Gauthier padded the lead at 1:01 of the third, and Gavrikov countered for New York at 7:11 with a long shot on a power play.

Viel tied it 2-2 at 8:29 of the second with his first goal for the Ducks and the first in 12 NHL games this season. Acquired from Boston on Friday for a 2026 fourth-round pick, Viel controlled Ryan Poehling’s feed from the blue line and beat Martin from close range.

Viel had no points and 30 penalty minutes in 10 games this season for Boston, and added another fighting major in his Ducks debut Saturday night in a 2-1 overtime victory over Los Angeles. In 66 career NHL games, he has four goals, two assists and 188 penalty minutes.

Up next for the Ducks: at Colorado on Wednesday night.

Heritage Christian’s group of young players are developing, and the team is suddenly making progress.

Freshman Ty Lazenby made eight threes and finished with 31 points in a 71-56 win over Crossroads at South Pasadena on Monday.

Sophomore Houston Rolle added 27 points. Shalen Sheppard had 17 points for Crossroads.

St. Francis 61, Brentwood 56: Despite missing 7-foot-4 Cherif Millogo, the Golden Knights prevailed behind Luke Paulus, who had 24 points.

St. Anthony 69, San Pedro 67: Trystan Butardo had the winning layup for St. Anthony. Bryce Jackson had 25 points and AJ Bobich scored 20 points for 17-5 San Pedro.

Oxnard 52, North Hollywood 46: Mikey Duran-Morales led Oxnard with 20 points.

Bishop Alemany 61, Mayfair 52: Tyler Vuille had 21 points for Alemany.

St. John Bosco 65, Miami Columbus 56: Christian Collins scored 24 points and had nine rebounds in the Hoophall Classic win.

California 80, Pioneer 52: Leonel Castro had 32 points for Pioneer.

Chaminade 63, Eagle Rock 47: The Eagles received 28 points from Dylan Moran.

Fairfax 63, Crenshaw 45: The Lions continued their improvement with a win over the Cougars. Chris Stokes scored 15 points.

Crespi 77, Maranatha 37: The Celts cruised to victory.

Damien 66, Palisades 55: Eli Garner led the Spartans with 19 points, seven assists and seven rebounds.

Newport Beach Pacifica Christian 62, San Gabriel Academy 60: Michael Noel had 19 points for the big league win.

Girls basketball

Sage Hill 88, Bishop Gorman 58: Kamdyn Klamberg finished with 28 points and Amalia Holguin added 27 points in a win at Rosary.

Redondo Union 79, Windward 61: Abby Zimmerman contributed 20 points for Redondo Union. Charis Rainey scored 36 points for Windward, including 11 of 12 free throws.

Etiwanda 71, Francis Parker 45: Arynn Finley scored 21 points and Chasity Rice added 18 points for Etiwanda.

Crysencio Summerville (West Ham): He gets a goal – but it is more about the magnitude of the moment, and being able to get West Ham off to a flying start against Tottenham. With Saturday’s 2-1 win, there is a little bit of hope now that they can get out of this mess that they find themselves in.

Ethan Ampadu (Leeds United): Every time Ampadu plays well, Leeds play well. Whenever they win, he is at the heart of everything. He got an assist as they beat Fulham on Saturday but the tackles and covering runs were more important. A top performance.

Enzo Le Fee (Sunderland): He is excellent. He has quality and he oozes class. He gives me the same feeling as when Carlos Tevez went to West Ham – you could see he was too good for that level. He picked up some brilliant positions against Crystal Palace, and also scored a wonderful goal in Sunderland’s 2-1 win.

Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United): He would have been a scorer in the Manchester derby if he had managed to stay onside, but he was the heart of the United performance. How many times are we going to say that? United are only as good as he drives them to be.

Patrick Dorgu (Manchester United): He seems a freer player since being moved up the pitch. There have been a lot of conversations about systems at United, but with Dorgu, one thing is clear – as a high left-sided player, he seems to have added a lot to his game. More goals helps as well.

The report will consider the Premier League’s controversial multi-million pound parachute payments that are given to relegated clubs over a three-year period.

The English Football League (EFL) believes the payments – worth tens of millions of pounds to relegated clubs – distort competition and has wanted them scrapped so it gets a greater share of the wealth generated by the top flight.

But the Premier League says the payments are essential to give club owners the confidence to invest.

The disagreement is among the reasons the two leagues have been unable to reach a new financial settlement that would see more money make its way down the football pyramid, despite years of negotiations and pressure from politicians.

The regulator will have ‘backstop powers’ to mediate a financial settlement if the Premier League and EFL continue to fail to reach an agreement, with the findings of the State of the Game report helping it to form a view on how much the Premier League should redistribute.

David Kogan, chair of the independent football regulator, said: “The game has never been examined like this before… The State of the Game report will give football the clarity it deserves, so decisions by the IFR can be made with confidence and for the long-term.”

The regulator will be able to use statutory powers to access information from clubs and competition organisers.

The State of the Game’s terms of reference will be subject to a four-week consultation, with a final report set to be published in 2027.

It will also examine Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), fan engagement and heritage, including a review of existing protections for club stadiums, crests and colours.

However, ticket prices and the video assistant referee (VAR) system are outside of its scope.

Five-star USC freshman Alijah Arenas is likely to make his long-awaited debut for the Trojans this week against Northwestern.

Arenas is considered “probable” for Wednesday’s game, a person familiar with his status but not authorized to speak publicly told The Times.

The addition of the five-star freshman, who has yet to play at USC since injuring his knee in the summer, comes at a critical time for the Trojans. USC has lost three of its last five since the start of its Big Ten slate.

Arenas is the highest-rated recruit to join USC in Eric Musselman’s two-year tenure with the Trojans. Before he injured his knee during practice, he was involved in a fiery single-car accident in his Tesla Cybertruck in the spring. He was hospitalized and put into an induced coma because of smoke inhalation.

Arenas returned to practice last month and was initially expected to debut last week. Now he joins the Trojans with 13 games left in the regular season and a critical stretch ahead.

CHICAGO — We’ve seen these movies before, or at least most of them.

With the NFL’s conference championship games set — the Rams at Seattle following New England at Denver — three of the four possible Super Bowl permutations are rematches.

Rams-Patriots? There have been two of those, at the end of the 2001 and 2018 seasons.

And Seattle has played both combinations, beating the Broncos in the 2013 season and losing to the Patriots a year later.

Of the four possibilities, the only one that hasn’t happened is Rams-Broncos.

There are strong ownership ties binding those two franchises. Among his many sports holdings, Rams owner Stan Kroenke also owns the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche. Although he built his empire with real estate and as a developer, he’s married to Ann Walton Kroenke — of the Walmart family — who is a first cousin of Rob Walton, who led the group that purchased the Broncos in 2022.

The Broncos last won the Super Bowl 10 years ago, weeks after the Rams were approved to move back to Los Angeles, and it happened at Levi’s Stadium, site of this year’s game. That was when Peyton Manning won his second ring, with his second franchise, then called it a career.

• Share via Close extra sharing options

Gary Klein breaks down what went right for the Rams in their 20-17 overtime victory against the Chicago Bears in the NFC divisional playoffs at Soldier Field.

There’s a possibility that Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford could follow that blueprint. He’s on his second team, having spent the first part of his career with Detroit, and he already has one ring. But whereas Manning was clearly in the sunset of his storied career, Stafford remains at the top of his game, and likely will be this season’s NFL Most Valuable Player.

Still, Stafford will turn 38 the day before the Super Bowl, and it wouldn’t be much of a curveball if that were his last game, especially if the Rams were to win.

Rams tight end Terrance Ferguson is from Littleton, Colo., a suburb of Denver, and Broncos general manager George Paton is from La Cañada and played football at Loyola High and UCLA.

If the Seahawks were to win the NFC — and oddsmakers have them as 2½-point favorites — they would look to repeat against Denver or atone for that painful loss to New England.

It was at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, remember, that Seattle rolled over Manning and the Broncos, 43-8, behind a smothering defense. Pete Carroll’s team looked unbeatable.

A year later in Arizona, one of the most excruciating moments in Seattle sports history.

With 20 seconds left and the Seahawks a yard away from the go-ahead touchdown, Patriots rookie Malcom Butler picked off a goal-line pass by Russell Wilson. Seattle inexplicably decided to throw instead of handing off to battering ram Marshawn Lynch, who was all but automatic in short-yardage situations.

WASHINGTON — James Harden scored 36 points, and when he finally missed a couple big free throws in the final seconds, the ball came right back to him as the Clippers edged the Washington Wizards 110-106 on Monday for their sixth straight victory.

Harden made two free throws with 36.9 seconds left to give the Clippers a 108-106 lead, and after the teams traded scoreless possessions, Kyshawn George missed a three-pointer for Washington. Harden was fouled with 5.9 seconds left. At that point, he was 16 for 16 from the line, but he missed both free throws.

The Wizards couldn’t secure the rebound, and the ball bounced back to Harden, who was fouled again. This time he made both shots to seal the win.

Washington has lost seven straight.

Although the two teams have been headed in opposite directions, the game was close the whole way. Harden’s layup put the Clippers up by three, but Khris Middleton was fouled while shooting a three with 57.6 seconds left, and he made all three free throws to tie it at 106.

The Clippers (19-23) were without the injured Kawhi Leonard for a second straight game. Trae Young (knee, quad) still hasn’t played since being traded to Washington from Atlanta.

Alex Sarr led the Wizards (10-32) with 28 points. George had 18 points, six assists and six rebounds, but he missed a trio of key shots in the last couple of minutes for Washington.

The Clippers won despite shooting five for 28 from beyond the arc. They were 33 for 38 on free throws and outscored the Wizards 60-38 in the paint.

Up next for the Clippers: at Chicago on Tuesday night.

In the tit-for-tat exchange between Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez and two of the club’s most famous recent players, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes have had their say.

On the same ‘The Good, The Bad, The Football’ podcast where they upset Martinez with their mickey-taking before the Manchester derby, the pair praised the Argentina defender for his performance in the 2-0 win against Manchester City at Old Trafford but questioned his rationale for responding to what they said.

“Fair play to him,” said Butt. “He has gone man-to-man with the best centre forward in the world. So, we come on here and say, ‘well done’. Brilliant. He has done really well.

“I just think when someone gets so upset about something on a podcast, or in the media, to come out and say, ‘they can say what they want’ and ‘come to my house’ – grow up.

“If you are going to get so emotional about someone saying something about you and react like that, you shouldn’t be at a big football club.”

Before the game, Butt and Scholes had joked with host Paddy McGuiness that Haaland would pick 5ft 7in Martinez up at Old Trafford and run with him.

In the aftermath of the victory, Martinez said: “Everyone can talk on the television, but when you see [them] here face to face, no-one says anything.”

The argument is a snapshot of a complicated relationship United have with their famed ‘Class of 92’.

Between them, Ryan Giggs, Scholes, David Beckham, Butt and the Neville brothers, Gary and Phil, made 3,448 appearances for the club. They were the foundation for the second great team Sir Alex Ferguson built that became the first in England to win the Treble in 1999.

Giggs became interim manager for four games following the dismissal of David Moyes in 2014. He had previously been a coach and then became assistant manager to Louis Van Gaal. Butt, Scholes and Phil Neville all coached under Giggs.

Butt worked as a youth coach before that and was appointed United’s head of academy in 2016 before leaving in 2021. There are few more qualified to talk about United’s DNA of bringing young players through.

It is a part of the club he cares passionately about. On 15 December, he turned out with United officials on a rainy night in Moss Side to coach a group of underprivileged children on behalf of Sir Bobby Charlton’s Foundation even though his old club were playing Bournemouth in the Premier League a couple of hours later.

Butt previously objected strongly to an observation from a United official that youth development is about more than simply winning. More recently, he claimed the club was threatening to cancel his season tickets.

Three days before Butt’s Foundation appearance, Gary Neville had been at Old Trafford as United announced they had agreed to become a campus for the UA92 University, which was founded by the Class of 92 in 2019.

It is clear the bond still exists but their opinions on United are eagerly sought, especially the negative ones.

In October, Giggs sat inside Old Trafford as a speaker at the Training Ground Guru conference and lamented Ruben Amorim’s preference for playing wider players on the opposite side of the pitch to their strongest foot.

All are regular speakers on matchdays at Hotel Football, the hotel they part-own and is located barely 50 yards from Old Trafford.

In the past, the hotel itself was the subject of tension. United tried to stop its construction, although the club do use it themselves on occasion now.

Then there is Neville, who either as a commentator or pundit on Sky’s football coverage – or the hugely successful ‘Stick to Football’ podcast – is rarely short of an opinion.

In the news conference at Elland Road that triggered his dismissal, former United head coach Ruben Amorim cited Neville as someone senior figures within the club paid too much attention to.

That is a debatable point. Yet, unlike former skipper Roy Keane, whose criticisms of new boss Michael Carrick had been pointed and personal, Neville was trusted by United to talk to his former team-mate on camera in the Old Trafford tunnel before the derby.

Launching his UA92 Old Trafford campus venture, Neville offered this to BBC Sport on the theory the Class of 92 and United do not get on.

“That’s a theory,” he said. “There’s no doubt a few years ago there were maybe some causes for concern but that’s been smoothed over.

“I don’t think there’s any issues whatsoever now,” adding that Class of 92 are “desperate for the club to succeed” and “disappointed and frustrated” when they lose.

United’s chief operating officer Collette Roche was of a similar view.

“A lot of our ex-players are in media and obviously are going to have opinions around the football team,” she said. “That’s fine.

“But the class of 92 are part of our family and therefore the relationship we’ve got with UA92 goes far deeper than the latest headline or podcast.”

Which is fine if, as Scholes and Butt suggest, the players ignore it.

The problem is, as Martinez showed, they don’t.

“We exchanged messages on Instagram quite some time ago because he wasn’t happy with something I said,” he said.

“I can’t remember what it was, but he said he had lost all respect for me.

“I sent him my phone number, but I have never heard anything from him.”

Lakers guard Luka Doncic was voted as a Western Conference starter for the NBA’s All-Star team, becoming the 15th player in NBA history to earn six All-Star selections before the age of 27.

Doncic, who received his fifth starting nod, leads the league in scoring (33.3), is fourth in assists (8.6), is making 46.4% of his shots and is hitting 33.7% of his three pointers.

He received the most votes of the All-Stars with 3,402,967.

The other West starters are Golden State’s Stephen Curry, Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Denver’s Nikola Jokic and San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama.

The Eastern Conference starters are Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, who received the most votes in the East and the second-most in the league (3,218, 390); Boston’s Jaylen Brown; New York’s Jalen Brunson; Detroit’s Cade Cummingham; and Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey.

The All-Stars were selected by fans, players and media votes with obligation to fill specific positions on each roster.

Lakers forward LeBron James was not voted as a starter, but he still has a chance to be a reserve when the NBA coaches pick the reserves later this month.

James has been named an All-Star team starter an NBA-record 21 times, eight times as a Laker.

Lakers forward Lebron James looks across the arena during a game against the Sacramento Kings on Dec. 28 at Crypto.com Arena.

(Jessie Alcheh / Associated Press)

He missed the first 14 games of the season recovering from a sciatica injury, but has been playing at a high level since his return.

James is averaging 22.6 points per game, 6.9 assists and 5.9 rebounds in his NBA-record 23rd season.

Lakers guard Austin Reaves had been playing at an All-Star level, averaging career-high in points (26.6) points, assists (6.3) and rebounds (5.2) and his shooting 50.7% from the field and 36.5% from three-point range, but he has missed the 12 games with a left calf strain.

The All-Star Game will be played at the Clippers’ home arena, Intuit Dome, on Feb. 15. It no longer will feature an East versus West matchup.

The new format will be a three-team tournament that will feature two U.S. teams and one world team from the total of 24 players selected.

The U.S. will have 16 players and the world will have eight, of which Doncic will be on because he is from Slovenia.

The teams then play a round-robin of 12-minute games, with the top two teams advancing to the final 12-minute championship game.