SPORT

It’s championship week in the high school football playoffs.

Here’s a look at top matchups on Friday and Saturday:

Southern Section

FRIDAY

DIVISION 1

Santa Margarita (9-3) vs. Corona Centennial (11-1) at the Rose Bowl, 7 p.m.

The last team standing will be the one able to execute on offense in a showcase of two aggressive, physically tough defenses. Santa Margarita has an advantage with versatile linebacker Dash Fifita and a defensive line second to none. Coach Carson Palmer twice played in the Rose Bowl as a player for USC. Centennial must find a way to run the ball or quarterback Dominick Catalano will have a long night. The pick: Santa Margarita.

DIVISION 3

Oxnard Pacifica (13-0) at Palos Verdes (10-3), 7 p.m.

Pacifica’s speed will cause Palos Verdes problems, especially if quarterback Taylor Lee can get the ball to his playmakers. Any team with quarterback Ryan Rakowski will not go down easily, but Rakowski suffered a broken thumb last week. Backup Giorgio Di Mascio has shown he can fill in when needed. The pick: Pacifica.

SATURDAY

DIVISION 2

Los Alamitos (11-2) at San Clemente (9-4), 7 p.m.

No team has turned around its season quicker than San Clemente, which has gone from unranked to playing in the championship game with a five-game winning streak. And the teams they’ve beaten were good — Los Alamitos, Edison, Beaumont, Vista Murrieta and Leuzinger. Defense has been key. Patrick Norman leads the team with 109 tackles. The Tritons will have to make sure Los Alamitos running backs Lenny Ibarra and Kamden Tillis are held in check. The pick: San Clemente.

DIVISION 5

Rio Hondo Prep (13-0) at Redondo Union (9-4), 7 p.m.

With a student population of just 150, Rio Hondo Prep faces its toughest challenge yet going for a 17th championship. Coach Mark Carson has schemes and strategies taught to players once they arrive in seventh grade. Running back Noah Penunuri (1,203 yards, 22 touchdowns) is recovering from an ankle injury. Redondo Union, with a student body of nearly 3,000, is in its first title game since 1944. Quarterback Cole Leinart is the son of Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart. The pick: Rio Hondo Prep.

City Section

FRIDAY

DIVISION III

Hawkins (10-2) vs. Santee (9-4) at Birmingham, 2 p.m.

It’s been a long road back for Hawkins after the program hit rock bottom in 2016 with forfeits, the firing of the coaching staff and an exodus of players during a season that ended up 0-13. Coach Ronald Coltress has stayed the course. Senior Jamarieah Wallace is closing in on 900 yards rushing. Santee’s Darnell Miller gets the chance to put on a show. He has rushed for more than 3,000 yards and 31 touchdowns. The pick: Santee.

DIVISION II

San Fernando (10-3) vs. Cleveland (5-8) at Birmingham, 6 p.m.

Everything changed when Cleveland quarterback Domenik Fuentes came back from an injury in Week 1 to lead the Cavaliers in the playoffs. San Fernando’s Julian Sarzo has passed for 1,500 yards. The pick: Cleveland.

SATURDAY

DIVISION I

Marquez (11-2) vs. South Gate (10-3), at L.A. Southwest College, 2 p.m.

It will be the passing of South Gate quarterback Michael Gonzalez vs. the all-around game of junior Elyjah Staples, perhaps the top college prospect in the City Section. He gets sacks, catches passes and makes plays. The pick: Marquez.

OPEN DIVISION

Crenshaw (10-1) vs. Carson (8-3) at L.A. Southwest College, 6 p.m.

These two defenses have given up a combined 14 points in the playoffs. As impressive as Crenshaw has been, Carson has reached another level behind quarterback Chris Fields III. Crenshaw’s speed on defense and resiliency should make for a defensive battle. The pick: Carson.

A British athlete crowned the world’s strongest woman says she was “robbed” of her winning moment after it emerged the original champion was a transgender woman who was ineligible to compete.

Andrea Thompson was awarded the title retrospectively after American athlete Jammie Booker was disqualified.

Thompson told BBC Sport the competition, held in Arlington, Texas, was “overshadowed by somebody who shouldn’t have been there”.

“I was very frustrated and angry with what she’s done,” she said. “She lied and was very dishonest, and took away a lot of things from a lot of women.

“The lady that came 11th didn’t get the chance to do the third day… to have the top 10 status in the world.”

Organisers, Official Strongman, said “competitors could only compete in the category for their biological sex recorded at birth”, and that they had disqualified the athlete in question “who is biologically male”.

Rio Hondo Prep in Arcadia is like “The Little Engine That Could.” The Kares are 13-0 and set to play for a 17th Southern Section football title on Saturday night despite having a student body of only 150, of which 82 are boys. Their opponent in the Division 5 final is host Redondo Union, which has a student body of nearly 3,000.

Coach Mark Carson said he embraces the challenge of his team moving up, from winning Division 9 two years ago to winning Division 7 last season after years of competing in Division XIII under old playoff systems based on size, geography and past performance. Now a computer algorithm decides divisional placement. The school has grades seven through 12, so Carson starts training players in middle school with the same offense through high school.

“The key is we have a great middle school tackle football program,” he said.

Every boy in the school knows they’re going to play football or work in the program as a manager. Many are multiple-sport athletes. The chemistry and knowledge they build together is apparent on the football field.

“We don’t really pay attention to numbers on the other team,” Carson said.

Quarterback Yanick Diaz said he has been with some of his teammates since kindergarten. They trust each other.

“I’ve known some of these guys for 15, 16 years,” Diaz said. “It’s still 11 versus 11. I’ll take my 11 over yours.”

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].

Cowell has been moved from his current leadership role, as BBC Sport revealed on Saturday, following disagreements between the two over the running of the team and design of the 2026 car, according to insiders.

The statement added that Newey, who joined Aston Martin as managing technical partner in March, would be guiding the technical team, including the trackside operations of the car.

The move has come about through the realisation that Newey’s expertise and long experience – having won 12 drivers’ and 13 constructors’ championships with Williams, McLaren and Red Bull – make him the de facto authority in the team.

In that case, making him team principal is a logical step and Newey will be Aston Martin’s fourth team principal in four years, following Otmar Szafnauer, Mike Krack and Cowell.

Team owner Lawrence Stroll said in a statement: “Andy Cowell has been a great leader this year. He’s focused on building a world-class team and getting them to work well together, as well as fostering a culture that puts the race car back at the heart of what we do.

“This leadership change is a mutual decision we have reached in the interest of the team. We all look forward to continuing working with him in his new capacity.”

Stroll added that Newey’s new position would “enable him to make full use of his creative and technical expertise”.

Newey said: “Over the last nine months, I have seen great individual talent within our team.

“I’m looking forward to taking on this additional role as we put ourselves in the best possible position to compete in 2026, where we will face an entirely new position with Aston Martin now a works team, combined with the considerable challenge faced by the new regulations.

“Andy’s new role, focusing on the integration of the new power-unit with our three key partners, will be pivotal in this journey.”

Stroll had been considering a change of leadership for some time, and had approached a number of senior F1 figures, including former McLaren and Sauber boss Andreas Seidl, current head of the Audi F1 project Mattia Binotto and his former CEO Martin Whitmarsh.

Former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has also been pushing for a role at Aston Martin, and wants a shareholding.

Sources at the team say Horner, who is free to work for another team from next summer after being sacked by Red Bull in July, will not be given a role at Aston Martin.

However, Newey is said to have given his former Red Bull colleague a tour of the Aston Martin factory under cover of darkness on Tuesday night.

The statement said Cowell, a former Mercedes F1 engine boss, had “implemented the much-needed structural changes to support the transition to a full works team in readiness for the new regulations in 2026”.

Cowell said in the statement that “having set the foundations” for Newey, it was “an appropriate time for me to take a different role”.

Lakers guard Austin Reaves drives to the hoop as Clippers center Ivica Zubac defends in the second half at Crypto.com Arena.

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

The Lakers locked up their spot in the NBA Cup quarterfinals, but there are still meaningful Cup games to be played.

With a 3-0 record in West Group B, the Lakers can clinch home-court advantage in the quarterfinals with a win Friday against the Dallas Mavericks in the group stage finale. A win would be the simplest way to avoid resorting to the point differential tiebreaker that could still be in play to decide the No. 1 seed in the West. Outscoring opponents by 36 points, the Lakers’ point differential is 27 points behind West Group A leaders Oklahoma City (2-0 in group play) for the potential No. 1 seed. The top-seeded team will host the wild-card team, which earns its spot in the quarterfinal by virtue of being the best second-place team in group play. Portland and Denver are tied atop West Group C with 2-1 records.

The three-year-old NBA Cup, inspired by similar in-season tournaments in European leagues, has sparked confusion about the colorful courts and ever-changing group stage scenarios. The potential extra road trip and extra championship game could end up putting more wear on teams that have larger playoff ambitions, but the prize makes it worth the trouble: $500,000 for each player.

“Obviously I’ll accept money,” Doncic said with a sarcastic smile. “That’s easy. … I played it in Spain, something like this, so I like it. Just the courts, please.”

Doncic said the Lakers’ NBA Cup court — bright yellow with the gold and black trophy painted into the key — caused problems for a few players as they slipped on the new hardwood. An area near the free-throw line in front of the Clippers bench appeared to be especially slippery. Doncic said he could tell immediately during warm-ups that the surface could be a problem.

“I slipped a lot of times and you could see a lot of players slipped,” Doncic said. “And that’s dangerous, man.”

Redick said he noticed players slipping, but also that they were falling prior to that. He said the team will look into the court.

He added: “The Chancellor has listened to our concerns and rightly recognised that racing is a unique national asset – culturally, socially and economically – and we welcome this support.

“We recognise that the increase in general taxation on the betting industry may have trickle-down effects on racing. We will work with our partners in the betting industry to understand the implications of this.”

Details of the government’s plans were mistakenly released early by the Office for Budget Responsibility before Reeves’ statement in the House of Commons.

The measures are expected to generate £1.1bn from the gambling industry by 2031 and shares in major companies fell immediately after the announcement, although some recovered later.

Before the Budget, bookmakers warned of betting shop closures if Reeves hiked taxes on gambling firms.

Each shop provides thousands of pounds in funding to racing through the levy and media rights payments.

Racing’s bosses say if bookmakers needed to cut costs, this could impact the sport through reduced sponsorship and promotion, worse odds and reduced bonuses for customers, and potentially turn people towards the black market.

An additional £26m of funding will be provided by the government to the Gambling Commission over the next three years to tackle the illicit market.

From Broderick Turner: Luka Doncic drilled a three-pointer right in front of the Clippers’ bench late in the first quarter and then glared at them, shaking his head as he ran back down court to play defense for the Lakers, just one of the many piercing stares he sent their way after delivering one of his three-point bombs.

It seems as if Doncic has his own personal rivalry against the Clippers and it just simply folded into the inter-city rivalry.

And once again, Doncic overwhelmed the Clippers in directing the Lakers to a 135-118 win Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena.

He came up one rebound shy of a triple-double, with 43 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds. He was 14 for 28 from the field, seven for 12 from three-point range and eight for 11 from the free-throw line.

In leading the Lakers to their fifth straight win, Doncic now has recorded 39 double-double games of at least 40 points, which moved him past Anthony Davis for the fourth most among active players and tying Magic Johnson for the sixth most 40-point double-doubles as a Laker.

Continue reading here

Lakers box score

NBA standings

UCLA BASKETBALL

From Ben Bolch: It was the sort of showing that left Mick Cronin with plenty to criticize, and he didn’t hold back.

In a somewhat subdued monologue after a loss that will probably knock his team out of the national rankings, the UCLA basketball coach lamented his team’s attitude, lack of toughness, inability to make free throws and shortage of savvy despite being filled with veterans.

His harshest verbal jab? Cronin saved that for himself.

“Look, I’m not happy with our performance,” Cronin said after the No. 18 Bruins’ 80-72 setback against California on Tuesday night at the Chase Center, “but I’ll take the blame. You guys can read the stat sheet, you saw the game, you make your own assessments, [but] when it comes to the game, how we play is my responsibility.”

Continue reading here

UCLA box score

USC BASKETBALL

From Ryan Kartje: When Lindsay Gottlieb put together a nonconference schedule she believed to be the hardest in the country, USC’s coach knew it would be an uphill climb. But that was the point. She wanted her team to be tested nightly, to play on “the biggest stages.”

“It’s not a schedule designed to win every nonconference game by an average of 40 points,” Gottlieb said earlier this month.

But after losing twice through a five-game gauntlet to start the season, a blowout nonconference win was precisely what the doctor ordered for USC.

Any pent-up frustration still lingering from USC’s last-second loss to Notre Dame was promptly taken out on Tennessee Tech on Tuesday in an 85-44 win for the Trojans.

Continue reading here

USC box score

————

Ezra Ausar and Chad Baker-Mazara combined for 31 of USC’s second-half points to rally the Trojans to an 83-81 victory over Seton Hall on Tuesday after losing leading scorer Rodney Rice to an injury in a Maui Invitational semifinal.

Ausur finished with a season-high 25 points, hitting 15 of 19 free throws, and Baker-Mazara scored 18 for the Trojans (6-0).

Adam Clark scored 18 points, AJ Staton-McCray 17, Mike Williams III 13 and Elijah Fisher 10 for the Pirates (6-1).

Rice brought the Trojans back from a 13-point deficit to get them within four at halftime, scoring 13 points, but left early in the second half with an apparent upper arm/shoulder injury and trailing 46-44. Baker-Mazara stepped up, scoring 12 points over the next five minutes with his 3 finishing a 10-0 run and putting the Trojans ahead 63-57 with 12 minutes to go.

Continue reading here

USC box score

RAMS

From Sam Farmer: Rams defensive end Kobie Turner, a 294-pound man strong enough to carry a piano on his back, can also tap out a tune.

The country saw that Sunday night when, on two occasions, NBC aired video footage of Turner expertly playing a complex version of the “Sunday Night Football” theme song. He learned it by ear, then set up his phone to capture the clip.

The song was written by legendary composer John Williams and originally was called “Wide Receiver,” although NBC never adopted that name.

“He listened to it a couple of times and was able to play it and add his own flair,” NBC coordinating producer Rob Hyland said of Turner, who majored in music theory and composition at University of Richmond.

“I was completely blown away. Kobie has so much talent on the football field and just as much with musical instruments. His nickname, `The Conductor,’ is very fitting.”

Continue reading here

Da Bears and ‘Super Bowl Shuffle’: HBO doc revisits ‘perfect storm’ that became a phenomenon

Drew Brees, Philip Rivers, Larry Fitzgerald lead Pro Football Hall of Fame modern era semifinalists

LAFC

From Kevin Baxter: Steve Cherundolo’s first season at LAFC ended in a penalty-kick shootout that decided one of the most compelling playoff games in MLS history. His final season ended in the same way last Saturday.

Cherundolo and LAFC won that first classic match, beating the Philadelphia Union in the 2022 MLS Cup final. They lost the second one, falling to the shorthanded Vancouver Whitecaps in a Western Conference semifinal that had more plot twists than an Agatha Christie mystery.

In between, Cherundolo proved to be one of the best coaches in league history, winning an MLS Cup, a U.S. Open Cup and more than 100 games in all competition in his short four-year stay. He took LAFC to a CONCACAF Champions League final and to the first round of the FIFA Club World Cup, compiling a resume no coach in MLS history can match.

And while his departure will clearly hurt, the club he leaves is in good shape with the core of its roster signed for next season. Of the 16 players Cherundolo used Saturday, just five — goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, defenders Nkosi Tafari and Ryan Raposo and midfielders Andrew Moran and Frankie Amaya — are out of contract.

Continue reading here

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

1917 — The NHL is formed with five charter members: Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Maroons, Toronto Arenas, Ottawa Senators, Quebec Bulldogs. Frank Calder is elected president.

1949 — Boston College beats Holy Cross 76-0, with Al Cannava rushing for 229 yards.

1956 — In the Melbourne Olympics, Vyacheslav Ivanov of the Soviet Union wins the single sculls. After receiving the gold medal, he jumps up and down and accidentally drops it through the slats in the float and it sinks to the bottom of the lake.

1961 — Jerry Norton of St. Louis becomes the only NFL player to have four interceptions in a game twice. He picks off four, two for touchdowns, in the Cardinals’ 30-27 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

1988 — For the first time in their long rivalry, Notre Dame and USC enter the game undefeated and ranked Nos. 1-2. The top-ranked Fighting Irish win 27-10.

1989 — Willie “Flipper” Anderson of the Rams sets an NFL game record with 336 yards receiving. Anderson has 15 catches, one for a touchdown, in the Rams’ 20-17 overtime victory over the New Orleans Saints.

1994 — The Cleveland Cavaliers sets an NBA record by attempting just two free throws, during a 101-87 home victory over Golden State. John Williams and Tony Campbell go 1-for-1 from the line.

1995 — Dolphins QB Dan Marino sets NFL record with 343rd touchdown pass.

1997 — Charles Jones scores a school-record 53 points and Long Island University beats Division III Medgar Evers 179-62, breaking the NCAA record for margin of victory. The 117-point difference eclipses the mark of 97 set by Southern in a 154-57 victory over Patten in 1993.

1999 — Detroit’s Steve Yzerman scores his 600th career goal in the Red Wings’ 4-2 win against the Edmonton Oilers at Joe Louis Arena. He’s the 11th player in NHL history to reach 600 goals.

2005 — Defenseman Marek Malik ends the NHL’s longest shootout in the 15th round, fooling goalie Olie Kolzig with a trick shot to give the New York a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals. Malik wins it by taking a shot with his stick between his skates.

2005 — Florida International ties an NCAA record by returning four interceptions for touchdowns in a 52-6 rout of rival Florida Atlantic.

2010 — UConn defeats Howard 86-25 to win its 82nd straight game, setting an NCAA women’s basketball record for consecutive victories.

2010 — Cam Newton passes for three touchdowns and runs for another, rallying No. 2 Auburn from a 24-point for a 28-27 victory over No. 9 Alabama that kept the Tigers on course for a shot at the national championship.

2011 — Illinois finishes the season with its sixth straight loss, 27-7 at Minnesota. The Illini become the first FBS team to open the regular-season with six straight wins and close it with six losses in a row.

2013 — Jordan Lynch breaks his single-game rushing record for quarterbacks with 321 yards, and No. 18 Northern Illinois completes its first unbeaten regular season in 50 years with a 33-14 victory over Western Michigan.

2016 — Nate Peterman throws for 251 yards and four TDs and runs for another score to lead Pittsburgh past Syracuse 76-61 — the most combined points for a regulation FBS game.

2016 — Will Worth accounts for four touchdowns while becoming the first Navy quarterback with more than 100 yards rushing and 100 yards passing in three consecutive games when the Midshipmen rout SMU 75-31. The Midshipmen, who beat East Carolina 66-31 the previous week, have consecutive 60-point games for the first time since 1917.

2017 — Julio Jones finishes with 12 receptions for 253 yards and two touchdowns in Atlanta’s 34-20 victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It’s Jones’ third career game with at least 250 yards receiving; no other player has more than one.

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 [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

The official head coach for Crenshaw High’s football team remains Robert Garrett even though he’s been barred from attending games on Los Angeles Unified School District property since Aug. 21, when he was placed on administrative leave.

His long-time assistant and Crenshaw grad, Terrence Whitehead, took over as interim coach the week before the opening game. He and assistants trained by Garrett since they were adolescents have the Cougars at 10-1 and playing for the City Section Open Division title against top-seeded Carson at 6 p.m. Saturday at L.A. Southwest College.

“I think he’s doing an outstanding job from where he’s been put,” Garrett said.

Garrett said it’s no surprise what Crenshaw has accomplished with 14 of 18 players returning from a team last season that lost by a single point in the opening round of the Division I playoffs to No. 1-seeded Eagle Rock. Add standout linebacker De’Andre Kirkpatrick to that group along with others and you have Crenshaw seeking its seventh City title.

“My thoughts are you win ballgames from January through July when you meet daily and go over fundamentals, skills and get bigger, stronger and faster. You win it in the weight room,” Garrett said.

Garrett said he has spoken to Whitehead weekly and seen games that were streamed. But he has no intention of attending Saturday’s game.

Crenshaw coach Robert Garrett has been on administrative leave since August.

(Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times)

“I’ll be sitting in front of a TV watching USC versus UCLA,” he said.

Garrett praised Kirkpatrick, a transfer from eight-man power Animo Robinson who he met last spring and summer.

“He’s by far a Division I player,” he said of the 6-foot-3, 225-pound junior. “You can’t coach size. He has good attitude. Doesn’t cuss, doesn’t fuss and doesn’t hang out. It doesn’t come from me or anyone coaching him. All we can do is motivate him and encourage him to do better.”

To say Garrett is fed up with LAUSD is an understatement. There has been no celebration of the greatest achievement by a football coach in City Section history. Crenshaw’s 10 wins give him 300 career victories since 1988, which puts him in Hall of Fame territory.

“I’m going to coach somewhere, somehow,” he said. “I was born to coach. I’m a helluva coach. Nobody gave me that and nobody can take it away.”

Garrett said he has never been told what is being investigated the last four months.

“I’m going to coach again. I’m going to get out of the house real soon because I’m an American citizen,” he said.

He continues to receive full pay while staying home and waiting to be cleared. Once LAUSD starts an investigation, it can last more than a year. Former Huntington Park basketball coach Joe Reed returned this year after 14 months on administrative leave after a parental complaint.

“I haven’t been told anything,” Garrett said. “All I’ve been told is we’re investigating. It doesn’t matter what happens because whatever they tell me what they are investigating, they will find no wrongdoing whatsoever.”

Garrett is writing a book. He said he was the first from his Jefferson High graduating class of 1977 to earn a college degree. His mother was one of 18 siblings and each one had six or more kids. He graduated from Nebraska’s Concordia University in 1981 with a focus on teaching and has a Lutheran teaching certificate. He could be a pastor if he wanted to.

“I’m not a coach, I’m an educator,” he said. “I’m the first in my family to get a college degree. You don’t know what I’ve been through and what I’ve seen.”

He offered words of wisdom for Thanksgiving: “Always do thy duty, which is best, leave unto the Lord the rest.”

You’ve heard the line, “Win one for the Gipper.” Now it’s, “Win one for The G Man.”

James Ryan has been handed a three-week suspension after the red card he was shown during Ireland’s 24-13 defeat by South Africa at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday was upheld by an independent disciplinary committee.

Second row Ryan’s yellow card for a high hit on Malcolm Marx in the early stages of the loss to the Springboks was subsequently upgraded to a 20-minute red card.

The independent committee determined that by applying World Rugby’s sanctioning provisions, a mid-range entry point of six weeks was appropriate.

That has been reduced to three weeks, however, in light of Ryan accepting the red card, his clean record and other mitigating factors.

The sanction could be further reduced to two weeks should Ryan complete World Rugby’s Coaching Intervention Programme as a substitute for the final week of his suspension.

That option is aimed at modifying specific techniques and technical issues which contributed to the incidence of foul play.

As it stands, Ryan is ruled out of Leinster’s United Rugby Championship game against Dragons this weekend and the Investec Champions Cup matches at home to Harlequins on 6 December and away to Leicester Tigers on 12 December.

Luka Doncic drilled a three-pointer right in front of the Clippers’ bench late in the first quarter and then glared at them, shaking his head as he ran back down court to play defense for the Lakers, just one of the many piercing stares he sent their way after delivering one of his three-point bombs.

It seems as if Doncic has his own personal rivalry against the Clippers and it just simply folded into the inter-city rivalry.

And once again, Doncic overwhelmed the Clippers in directing the Lakers to a 135-118 win Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena.

He came up one rebound shy of a triple-double, dropping 43 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds. He was 14 for 28 from the field, seven for 12 from three-point range and eight for 11 from the free-throw line.

In leading the Lakers to their fifth straight win, Doncic now has recorded 39 double-double games of at least 40 points, which moved him past Anthony Davis for the fourth most among active players and tying Magic Johnson for the sixth most 40-point double-doubles as a Laker.

Doncic also tied Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal for the most 40-point double-doubles as a Laker before the age of 27 since the NBA/ABA merger (five).

“I think we played a great game,” Doncic said. “I think they were getting a lot of shots, especially in the first half.”

Late in the fourth quarter, the game turned physical, and Doncic was in the middle of it.

Kris Dunn pushed Doncic in the back, and Doncic confronted Dunn, who then put the basketball in Doncic’s chest. Jaxson Hayes then stepped in and pushed Dunn.

In the end, Dunn was assessed two technical fouls and ejected from the game and Hayes was assessed a technical foul. Doncic shot a technical foul free throw with 3:33 left in the game.

“Of course, I appreciate it,” Doncic said about Hayes stepping in to help him. “I told him right away, ‘Thanks for having my back.’ And that says a lot about him. That says a lot about this team. Everybody has got each other’s back.”

Kawhi Leonard of the Clippers was called for a foul after knocking down Austin Reaves on this play.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Doncic scored 24 points against the Clippers in the first quarter alone, making his first five three-pointers before finishing the quarter five for eight from three, nine for 14 from the field, many of the baskets punctuated by a stare down at the Clippers’ bench.

By the half, Doncic had posted 32 points on 11-for-17 shooting and six for 10 on three-pointers and six assists.

Over the course of his career with the Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks, Doncic, who is averaging 12.5 free-throw attempts per game, has torn the Clippers apart.

Entering Tuesday night’s game, he had averaged 32.2 points per game over 20 games, his highest against any Western Conference foe. He had produced 7.9 rebounds, 7.4 assists and shot 48% from the field, 36% from the three-point line.

When asked why he has performed so well against the Clippers, Doncic shrugged.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I think we just met a lot of times in the playoffs. They beat me the first two times, so I don’t know what it is. I guess I like it.”

With Deandre Ayton (right knee contusion) out and Hayes starting in his place, Austin Reaves (31 points) and LeBron James (25), did their part to help the Lakers clinch Group B of the NBA cup with a 3-0 record.

The Lakers finish group play against the Dallas Mavericks here Friday night and the Clippers complete their group play against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night at Intuit Dome.

Etc.

Lakers coach JJ Redick said that Ayton got an MRI exam on his knee that “was clean other than just some swelling, a little bit of a bruise.” Ayton was injured in the first half against the Jazz Sunday. “Don’t think it’s going to be a long-term thing,” Redick said. “Hopefully it’s a game-to-game thing and he’s back at some point by the end of the week.”…The Lakers announced that they signed forward Drew Timme to a two-way contract and waived two-way center Christian Koloko. Timme has played for the Lakers’ G League team, the South Bay Lakers, and posted averages of 25.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 25.5 minutes over six games. The 6-foot-10 Timme played his college basketball at Gonzaga.

There was a time in the middle of the previous decade when Australian pitches offered next to no encouragement for bowlers.

On England’s Ashes tour of 2017-18, the fourth Test in Melbourne yielded more than 1,000 runs for only 24 wickets. The Melbourne Cricket Ground was given a warning by the International Cricket Council for what the governing body deemed a ‘poor’ surface.

Since England last visited Australia in 2021-22, pitches have given much more to the bowlers.

For the past four years, pitches in this country have been rated as faster, bouncier and more inconsistent than anywhere else in the world. Pace, bounce and inconsistency is the perfect recipe for tough batting.

At this point, it is worth stating there is a subjectivity to what constitutes a ‘good’ pitch.

Quite often, a pitch can be described as ‘good’ when it is friendly for batting, yet that does not always produce the most thrilling spectacle.

Perhaps it is better to describe a ‘good’ pitch as one that produces an even contest between bat and ball.

Pitches also change over the course of a Test, offering different challenges to batters and bowlers as a match progresses.

Take the first Ashes Test as an example. In the first three innings, the highest total was 172 and batting looked devilishly difficult.

In the final innings, Australia’s run chase, Travis Head made a target of 205 look minuscule. The run chase could have been much more difficult on the fifth day of a Test, when a pitch would be at its oldest and most worn.

Because of the rapid nature of the first Test, Head was batting on the second evening, when the pitch may have been at its best for run-scoring.

“The pitch was brilliant,” said former Australia opener Simon Katich on BBC Radio 5 Live.

“For Australia to chase 200 for the loss of two wickets summed it up. In Australia if you can wear the new ball down you will score quickly from 40 to 50 overs. England weren’t able to do that and paid the price.”

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

TUESDAY’S RESULTS
BOYS
SOUTHERN SECTION
Beckman 44, Dana Hills 35
Big Bear 79, Rim of the World 61
Bolsa Grande 51, EF Academy 19
California 76, Huntington Beach 56
Camarillo 51, Vasquez 49
Canyon Country Canyon 78, Buckley 74
Cathedral 57, La Serna 52
Chadwick 56, Highland 31
Chaminade 54, Valencia 40
Corona 73, Jurupa Hills 70
Corona Santiago 69, Hillcrest 54
Crespi 84, Golden Valley 68
Crossroads 92, St. Paul 30
Crossroads Christian 60, Downey Calvary Chapel 36
de Toledo 53, St. Monica Academy 50
Diamond Ranch 58, La Palma Kennedy 52
Dos Pueblos 88, Lompoc 41
Eastside 70, Rosamond 28
Esperanza 71, Northwood 62
El Toro 68, Westminster La Quinta 56
Etiwanda 65, Norte Vista 55
Fontana 49, Arlington 39
Foothill Tech 72, Del Sol 44
Fullerton 70, Orange 21
Garden Grove 74, Workman 18
Garden Grove Pacifica 76, Loara 45
Grace 56, Santa Clarita Christian 42
Harvard-Westlake 82, Millikan 73
Indian Springs 46, Norco 42
Laguna Hills 70, Yorba Linda 59
La Habra 71, Cerritos 47
La Mirada 78, Eastvale Roosevelt 76
Legacy Christian 69, Milken 50
Los Amigos 83, Whitney 44
Los Alamitos 67, San Clemente 60
Norwalk 60, South El Monte 49
Orcutt Academy 50, Carpinteria 31
Palm Desert 62, Upland 49
Paloma Valley 69, Garey 16
Perris 59, San Jacinto Valley Academy 39
Rancho Cucamonga 75, Oak Hills 70
Redlands East Valley 66, Chaffey 49
San Dimas 74, Laguna Beach 50
San Luis Obispo 72, Nordhoff 22
San Marcos 47, Oak Park 46
San Marino 55, South Hills 38
Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 65, Rancho Alamitos 29
Santa Fe Christian 77, Rancho Christian 72
Santa Margarita 71, Bakersfield Christian 39
Santa Paula 83, Saddleback 65
Saugus 52, West Covina 32
Silverado 58, Riverside North 25
South Torrance 61, Keppel 55
St. Monica 72, Culver City 50
Temecula Prep 77, Cornerstone Christian 19
Temecula Valley 71, Arrowhead Christian 52
Tustin 50, Segerstrom 38
University Prep 51, HMSA 44
Verbum Dei 64, Wiseburn-Da Vinci 55
Villa Park 68, Peninsula 49
West Torrance 49, Palos Verdes 43
Windward 67, Simi Valley 37
Woodcrest Christian 76, California Lutheran 57

INTERSECTIONAL
Capistrano Valley 69, LACES 48
Carlsbad 58, Fairmont Prep 55
Downey 70, Gardena 53
Franklin 58, Gabrielino 48
Mira Mesa 67, Linfield Christian 50
Newport Beach Pacifica Christian 80, Carson 45
Palmdale Aerospace Academy 61, Bakersfield Highland 51
Pasadena Poly 87, New West Charter 22
Pioneer 73, Maywood Academy 41
Rolling Hills Prep 68, San Pedro 48
Woodbridge 74, Mt. Carmel 54

GIRLS
SOUTHERN SECTION
Barstow 46, Duarte 29
Beckman 55, Eastvale Roosevelt 35
Buena Park 51, Santa Monica 30
Cantwell-Sacred Heart 44, Rosemead 21
Canyon Springs 47, Elsinore 33
Chaparral 62, Silverado 30
Chino Hills 52, Corona Santiago 33
Colony 56, Montclair 12
Covina 31, San Gabriel Academy 18
Crean Lutheran 58, Wiseburn-Da Vinci 20
Etiwanda 87, Lynwood 41
Fillmore 47, Simi Valley 31
Garden Grove 44, Westminster La Quinta 25
Hacienda Heights Wilson 62, Schurr 50
Heritage 76, Liberty 17
Hesperia Christian 43, Western Christian 38
Indian Springs 44, Colton 35
Lakewood St. Joseph 62, West Covina 18
Lancaster 40, Hart 39
Lawndale 52, Ramona Convent 18
Loara 62, Westminster 33
Long Beach Wilson 66, Mayfair 22
Los Alamitos 58, Cerritos 48
Maranatha 56, Pasadena Marshall 24
Marina 51, Anaheim Canyon 35
Mater Dei 72, Bishop Montgomery 33
Mission Viejo 34, Northwood 32
Newbury Park 52, Santa Clara 2
North Torrance 59, Bakersfield Liberty 31
Oak Park 69, Canyon Country Canyon 47
Oaks Christian 49, Rio Mesa 31
Orange Lutheran 39, Newport Beach Pacifica Christian 32
Palmdale 32, Long Beach Cabrillo 9
Palm Springs 53, Desert Hot Springs 28
Pasadena Poly 55, Immaculate Heart 34
Redondo Union 76, Santa Maria St. Joseph 55
Rialto 64, Rancho Cucamonga 55
Riverside King 63, Upland 33
San Clemente 56, Chaminade 19
San Marino 59, Pasadena Marshall 10
Santa Fe 45, Pilibos 38
Savanna 51, Placentia Valencia 33
Segerstrom 93, Norwalk 32
St. Anthony 62, Claremont 40
Sunny Hills 68, Sierra Vista 43
Temecula Valley 44, Temecula Prep 6
Valencia 76, Moorpark 23
West Ranch 59, Mary Star of the Sea 28
Whittier 41, La Habra 39
Xavier Prep 49, Desert Christian Academy 32

INTERSECTIONAL
Birmingham 57, Walnut 44
Burbank 85, Rise Kohyang 3
Carondelet 46, Harvard-Westlake 34
El Dorado 57, Bakersfield Frontier 52
Granada Hills 66, Louisville 32
King/Drew 57. Lakewood 40
La Jolla Country Day 61, Brentwood 46
Los Amigos 32, Narbonne 23
North County San Marcos 72, Irvine 36
Ontario 49, Garfield 35
Portola Valley Priory 60, Windward 58
Rosary Academy 58, Red Mountain (AZ) 15
Sacred Heart of Jesus 60, Bravo 10
Westchester 61, Culver City 37

Coleraine manager Ruaidhri Higgins says “the honeymoon period is over” after his side’s 2-1 loss against Larne at the Coleraine Showgrounds.

Leroy Millar and Sean Graham scored late in the first half to give the away side the lead with Conor McKendry coming close to netting Larne’s third before the half-time whistle.

Despite Matthew Shevlin’s late goal, Coleraine couldn’t create a dramatic late comeback with Higgins labelling the performance from his side as “unacceptable”

This result means that, for the first time this season, Ruaidhri Higgins’ side suffered back-to-back defeats after losing against Cliftonville on Saturday.

“That is what I said in there, the honeymoon period is over,” Higgins told BBC Sport NI.

“We have to step up, all of us, and we will see in the coming days what we are made of really and it is important that we respond in the right manner to a bad four days.

“I demand that we respond in the right manner, get back on the horse and start winning football matches.”

After Higgins was appointed late last season, Coleraine made a bright start to this campaign and were top of the table coming into the match against the Inver Reds.

However, now it is Gary Haveron’s side are top of the table, two points clear of the Bannsiders with a game in hand.

“You can take getting beaten, but the manner of the defeat was unacceptable really,” Higgins added.

“There is collective responsibility there. We are all responsible, I think.

“I think they did a number on us. They came, sat in and countered on us.

“We were weak in certain parts of the game which is extremely disappointing, and it is an unacceptable performance really.”

SAN FRANCISCO — Maybe it’s time to worry.

Some uneven play from UCLA over the season’s first few weeks could be shrugged off as a team filled with new players finding its footing.

But there was no reasonable explanation for what happened Tuesday night.

Playing a former Pac-12 rival in a matchup that should have stirred some intensity, the Bruins instead looked like they had little interest in being here.

Passion wasn’t a problem for California. The Golden Bears were the tougher and more determined team in handing the No. 18 Bruins an 80-72 loss in the Empire Classic at Chase Center.

Things bottomed out with about two minutes to go when UCLA point guard Donovan Dent went down with an apparent lower leg injury and limped off the court.

The Bruins’ comeback hopes formally ended when Cal’s Dai Dai Ames unleashed a crossover move that he followed with a three-pointer to give the Golden Bears an eight-point lead with 1:24 remaining.

Most concerning for UCLA were the continued struggles of Dent. The transfer from New Mexico who arrived with great fanfare has hardly looked like a top-level player through the season’s first month.

His showing Tuesday represented a new low. He never looked comfortable on the court while making just one of eight shots on the way to three points and committing nearly as many turnovers (six) as assists (seven). His season-long shooting woes are particularly acute at the three-point line (10%) and free-throw line (56.7%).

UCLA’s Trent Perry scored 19 points and Eric Dailey Jr. had 17, but it wasn’t nearly enough as the Bruins (5-2) allowed the Golden Bears (6-1) to make 11 of 22 three-pointers (50%).

Big trouble loomed for the Bruins when Chris Bell (22 points) rose for a corner three-pointer that gave Cal a 65-53 lead with 9:29 left, prompting UCLA coach Mick Cronin to go to his only reliable tool, a timeout.

His team rallied, pulling within 71-67 with a little less than five minutes to play on a corner three-pointer from Jamar Brown. UCLA center Xavier Booker then got the large contingent of Bruins fans roaring with a ferocious block. That was as good as it got for the Bruins.

UCLA forward Tyler Bilodeau, the team’s leading scorer, missed his second consecutive game with a knee sprain that could keep him out another week or so. But he appeared to be moving well while getting in some pregame dribbling work with assistant coach David Singleton.

An entertaining, if not crisply played, first half ended with UCLA holding a 41-36 lead. With Dent’s funk deepening with a one-point effort in which he missed all three shots, Perry stepped up with 12 points off the bench to lead the Bruins.

Aggressively attacking the basket, Perry rewarded fans who had unleashed a loud “U-C-L-A!” chant with an old-fashioned three-point play on a driving layup in which he was fouled. The Bruins went with a four-guard lineup for a stretch late in the first half that seemed to stabilize things after Dailey struggled with his shot selection and forward Brandon Williams picked up two fouls.

Dent, the guard that UCLA needs most, still has not showed up this season in the fashion expected. Now there’s an injury to add to the list of worries.

A problem with luggage in Germany meant the plane carrying the Leverkusen team had to return to the departure gate on Monday afternoon, delaying their arrival in Manchester.

A day later, City’s glut of alterations on matchday left one senior member of Bayer Leverkusen’s staff – in his own words – “shocked”, telling BBC Sport they had made due preparations for the contest but were not expecting that particular line-up.

Another staff member pointed to key players such as defender Edmond Tapsoba, former Real Madrid man Lucas Vazquez and Argentine duo Exequiel Palacios and Equi Fernandez being unavailable as a sign that they may struggle in the game, with six players from the under-19 side named on the bench.

Star man and goal machine Erling Haaland, Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki were all substitutes for City in the opening period and when later called upon they were ultimately unable to perform a rescue act in the second half.

Omar Marmoush failed to take his chance up front and attempted to rouse a home crowd that were often as flat as the team, while Savinho and Oscar Bobb were both on the periphery of the game.

City were slow, ponderous and the changes left them disjointed and this could end up being a damaging defeat in the competition – the loss means they head to European giants Real Madrid on 10 December under pressure to get some sort of result.

“They tried to do it [perform] but when you are in a big team you have to show off,” said Guardiola. “Everyone – [including] the guys who came from the bench – were the same. Every shot was blocked, they slipped 10 times.

“Maybe with the players who played regularly lately, maybe we would have had confidence. I always like to be too nice and involve everyone because I have the feeling after the international break there are games every three or four days hopefully and there is no human being can sustain that.”

Guardiola became just the third manager to take charge of 100 or more Champions League games for an English team after Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, but the landmark occasion was one to forget.

“The message from a lot of people will be, why didn’t you play a stronger team?” asked former City midfielder Michael Brown on BBC Radio 5 Live. “Win the game and then make the changes, that is what people will say.

“There was almost an expectation that it was just going to be routine but what it did do with those changes was give that away side a massive lift. If you’re walking on to the pitch looking across you’d be thinking we’ve got a great chance with all those players sat on the bench. That gave them the belief.

“That said, you still feel like the performance could have been a lot better from City with the players they had.”

The Lakers made two announcements Tuesday, saying that center Deandre Ayton was out for the game against the Clippers at Cyrpto.com Arena because of a bruised right knee and that they had signed forward Drew Timme to a two-way contract.

The team also announced that it had waived two-way center Christian Koloko.

Timme had played for the Lakers’ G League team, the South Bay Lakers, and posted averages of 25.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 25.5 minutes during six games.

The 6-10 Timme played his college basketball at Gonzaga.

“I talked to [Lakers president of basketball operations] Rob [Pelinka] and everyone yesterday, last night and they told me,” Timme said after the Lakers’ shootaround Tuesday. “I was just super excited. It’s super cool.”

Jaxson Hayes will start at center in place of Ayton in the NBA Cup game.

Yet it could have been so different after Newcastle initially handled a white-hot atmosphere so well by gaining the upper hand.

The noise levels were certainly deafening before kick-off – even referee Maurizio Mariani and the officials were loudly whistled when they emerged for the warm-up.

Flares were let off, ticker tape flickered in the air and a stunning tifo rose from the terraces with an accompanying banner reading “For my town, for my club”.

But Newcastle were ready for it.

They had travelled early, trained at the Velodrome on Monday evening and looked to prepare slightly differently on game day, “to keep the players mentally engaged and ready for this game” in Howe’s own words.

That preparation looked to have paid off against a side second in Ligue 1.

Rather than being cowed by the crowd, Newcastle made an aggressive start.

They got their reward when Harvey Barnes – fresh from his match-winning double against Manchester City on Sunday – fired his side in front in the sixth minute.

But, crucially, Newcastle failed to press home their advantage and Marseille rallied.

The visitors had enough warnings after Aubameyang spurned a series of opportunities in the first half.

However, the much-travelled Marseille forward was not so forgiving after the break, as Newcastle paid a heavy price for a sloppy kick-off.

Defender Fabian Schar punted the ball forward and his side failed to get it back under control after losing a series of duels deep in the opposition half.

It was far too easy for Timothy Weah to take a number of players out of the game with a pass to Darryl Bakola and the 17-year-old played a through-ball into the right-hand channel behind Newcastle’s defence.

A Marseille equaliser was not exactly a foregone conclusion given how far away Aubameyang was from goal.

But keeper Nick Pope rushed off his line in an attempt to get there ahead of Aubameyang, only to be caught in no man’s land as the forward nipped in and finished superbly from a tight angle out on the right wing.

Howe was keen to stress he “backed” Pope after the game, despite the poor decision, pointing to how the goalkeeper made “some really good saves against Manchester City just three days ago”.

But this was a night where his side’s vulnerabilities at the back, and on the road, reared their head again.

LAHAINA, Hawaii — Ezra Ausar and Chad Baker-Mazara combined for 31 of USC’s second-half points to rally the Trojans to an 83-81 victory over Seton Hall on Tuesday after losing leading scorer Rodney Rice to an injury in a Maui Invitational semifinal.

Ausur finished with a season-high 25 points, hitting 15 of 19 free throws, and Baker-Mazara scored 18 for the Trojans (6-0).

Adam Clark scored 18 points, AJ Staton-McCray 17, Mike Williams III 13 and Elijah Fisher 10 for the Pirates (6-1).

Rice brought the Trojans back from a 13-point deficit to get them within four at halftime, scoring 13 points, but left early in the second half with an apparent upper arm/shoulder injury and trailing 46-44. Baker-Mazara stepped up, scoring 12 points over the next five minutes with his 3 finishing a 10-0 run and putting the Trojans ahead 63-57 with 12 minutes to go.

Staton-McCray tied the game on a three-pointer with a minute to go but Baker-Mazara put the Trojans up for good with two free throws with 27.4 seconds left. The teams traded three free throws with Jordan Marsh’s pair sealing it with 1.4 remaining.

Seton Hall turned 10 turnovers, including eight steals, to build a first-half lead. Rice scored 13 straight points, including a trio of threes, to kick off a 17-8 run with Jerry Easter II finishing it with a floater at the buzzer to trail 42-38.

It was billed as the battle of the two teenage wonderkids – and for once it was Lamine Yamal who found himself overshadowed, cast aside from the spotlight.

This was Estevao Willian’s night.

With Chelsea already 1-0 up and Barcelona down to 10 men, the 18-year-old produced a truly memorable moment to light up an already raucous Stamford Bridge.

Collecting a pass from Reece James, Estevao cut inside, turned Alejandro Balde inside out and then sent a rasping drive into the roof of the net past goalkeeper Joan Garcia.

As former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin put it: “Start believing the hype.”

“The goal’s the bit everyone will see, and it was wonderful in a number of ways,” Nevin said on BBC Radio 5 Live after the 3-0 victory. “It was just so tight, the footwork, and it’s a brilliant, brilliant finish.

“But all the other parts of his game, the intelligence, the movement, the picking up of position… he’s a natural. Because usually footballers are called natural and they’re not – but it just looks so effortless for him. Some players just move differently to other players, a grace and elegance. It’s beautiful to see.”

Speaking on Amazon Prime, ex-Chelsea forward Daniel Sturridge added: “The anticipation and expectation was that it was going to be Yamal’s night and it would be all about him. But you see Estavao tonight and it was absolutely brilliant.”

Yamal’s evening came to an end in the 80th minute, substituted to jeers with the match already lost.

Just two minutes and 40 seconds later, Estevao departed to a standing ovation.