Kings

From Broderick Turner: Lakers coach JJ Redick understands there’s a “human element” to players looking for more minutes so they can score more points. He knows future contracts are important and his team isn’t immune to focusing on that.

The Lakers have five players on the final seasons their contracts and three more that have player options, making it eight potential free agents for the Lakers this offseason.

Redick broached this subject of contracts after the Lakers lost 112-104 to the Clippers on Thursday night at Intuit Dome for their sixth loss in nine games.

“Guys are worried about their futures,” Redick said. “And that’s what happens when you got a team full of free agents and player-options. I think it’s just natural that you’re gonna worry about the offense … and I’ve been there. (It gets) in your head a little bit: ‘Played five minutes (and) haven’t got a shot yet.’ And that’s a human thing. It’s not anybody’s fault.”

LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, Maxi Kleber and Jaxson Hayes are all in the final year of their contracts. Austin Reaves has a player-option for next season, but he’s going to see what he can earn in free agency. The Lakers can offer him the most — up to five years and $241 million.

DeAndre Ayton and Marcus Smart also have player-options.

When a team is in a tailspin — much like the Lakers, who’ve lost 10 of their last 17 — playing time and points can become major issues for players looking for new contracts.

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Lakers-Clippers box score

NBA standings

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: LeBron James downplayed any suggestion of a rift between him and Lakers governor Jeanie Buss on Thursday following an ESPN report that detailed how the now-minority owner of the team had started to turn on the Lakers superstar.

“Quite frankly, I don’t really get involved in that, or the reports, or whatever the case may be,” James said after the Lakers lost 112-104 to the Clippers at Intuit Dome.

The report detailed how years of in-fighting between the Buss siblings led to the family selling a majority stake of the team to Dodgers owner Mark Walter last year. As the franchise struggled to recapture the magic established under Jerry Buss, Jeanie had grown distant and resentful, the report said, that James didn’t take accountability for involvement with the decision to acquire Russell Westbrook in 2021. She reportedly floated the possibility of trading James to the Clippers in 2022 and didn’t believe James was grateful when the Lakers drafted Bronny James in 2024.

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Rams have intercepted plans

From Gary Klein: Kobie Turner makes his living as a pass rusher and run defender for the Rams, not a defensive back.

But the last time the Rams played the Seattle Seahawks, the third-year defensive lineman snatched a Sam Darnold pass near the goal line for his first career interception.

“It was like time almost stopped,” Turner recalled Thursday. “It was a perfect spiral. It was beautiful.”

Turner’s turnover was one of seven the Rams forced in two games this season against the Seahawks, including six interceptions.

Of the Rams’ 16 interceptions this season, more than a third came against the Seahawks.

The Rams aim to continue their torrent of takeaways against the Seahawks on Sunday when they play in the NFC championship game at Lumen Field.

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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

Where will Kyle Tucker fit in batting order?

From Ed Guzman: The Dodgers made the signing of free-agent outfielder Kyle Tucker official Wednesday, capped off with an introductory news conference at Dodger Stadium.

Tucker’s four-year, $240-million deal included a $64-million signing bonus, and the $60-million average annual value is the second-highest in baseball history, without factoring in deferred money, behind Shohei Ohtani’s $70 million in his 10-year deal with the Dodgers.

Despite lucrative offers from the New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays, Tucker went with the two-time defending World Series champions, who made room on their 40-man roster by designating outfielder Michael Siani for assignment.

“It’s a big decision, so you still got to weigh out everything,” Tucker told reporters, “but this team and this city and the fan base kind of makes it a little bit easier to make some decisions. That is just ultimately what we wanted to do, is come here and be part of that and try to win another World Series.”

With Tucker firmly in place, here are three takeaways from Wednesday:

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USC women lose to Michigan State

Kennedy Blair scored 21 points, and the No. 13 Michigan State women held off USC’s late surge for a 74-68 victory on Thursday night.

Michigan State opened the fourth quarter on a 13-5 run to stretch its lead to 66-54 with 5:15 remaining. Jazzy Davidson scored the last five points in a 10-0 run to help pull USC to 66-64 with 4:10 left before the Spartans sealed it from the free-throw line.

Kara Dunn scored 23 points and Davidson added 21 to lead USC (11-8 overall, 3-5 in the Big Ten). Kennedy Smith scored 15 points.

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USC box score

Big Ten standings

Darcy Kuemper cleared to return

Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper, one of three netminders on Canada’s upcoming Olympic hockey roster, has been cleared to return after suffering a neck injury against the New York Rangers on Tuesday.

Kuemper said after returning to practice Thursday that he lost feeling in his arm when Rangers forward Jonny Brodzinski ran into him in the first period of the game. He said he tried to shake it off, but had to be replaced by Anton Forsberg.

“Yeah, kind of got hit on the side of my neck, and it pinched my neck and pinched the nerves, and my arm went dead,” Kuemper said. “So, yeah, wasn’t allowed to come back in until we did some further testing yesterday.”

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This day in sports history

1944 — The Detroit Red Wings defeat the New York Rangers 15-0 to set an NHL record for consecutive goals.

1959 — In the NBA All-Star game in Detroit, St. Louis’ Bob Pettit and Elgin Baylor of Minneapolis become the first co-winners of the MVP award, leading the West to a 124-108 victory.

1979 — Willie Mays is named on 409 of 432 ballots and elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

1980 — George Gervin of San Antonio scores 55 points in a 144-130 victory over the Indiana Pacers.

1987 — Hana Mandlikova upsets Martina Navratilova 7-5, 7-6 to win the Australian Open.

1988 — Steffi Graf wins the Australian Open with a 6-1, 7-6 victory over Chris Evert.

1993 — Mike Gartner of the New York Rangers sets an NHL record when he reaches 30 goals for the 14th consecutive season. Gartner, with three goals in the Rangers’ 8-3 victory over the Kings, surpasses Phil Esposito, Bobby Hull and Wayne Gretzky.

2001 — Sam Cassell scores 22 points and the Bucks hit a franchise record 14 three-pointers to beat the Knicks 105-91 and snap New York’s NBA-record 33-game streak of holding opponents to under 100 points.

2005 — Jennifer Rodriguez becomes the first American woman in nine years to win the World Sprint Speedskating Championship.

2008 — Baylor, which waited 39 years to get back into the Top 25, plays five overtimes in its first win as a ranked team. Curtis Jerrells scores a career-high 36 points, including 11 in the fifth overtime to lead No. 25 Baylor to a 116-110 win over No. 18 Texas A&M.

2010 — Lindsey Vonn makes it five wins in five downhills this season. Her 30th World Cup victory ties her with Croatia’s Janica Kostelic for eighth place on the career list and nearly halfway to Austrian leader Annemarie Moser-Proell’s 62 wins.

2011 — Francesca Schiavone wins the longest women’s match in Grand Slam history — a 6-4, 1-6, 16-14 victory over Svetlana Kuznetsova that takes 4 hours, 44 minutes at the Australian Open. Schiavone saves six match points, then converts on her third match point in the longest women’s match at a major in terms of time in the Open era.

2011 — Aaron Rodgers runs for a touchdown and makes a saving tackle, B.J. Raji returns an interception for a score and Sam Shields has two interceptions to lead the Green Bay Packers to a 21-14 win over the Chicago Bears in the NFC championship game. The Packers, with road wins in Philadelphia, Atlanta and Chicago, become the first NFC No. 6 seed to advance to the Super Bowl.

2011 — The Pittsburgh Steelers advance to their third Super Bowl in six years with a 24-19 victory over the New York Jets.

2012 — Skylar Diggins matches a season high with 27 points and No. 2 Notre Dame routs No. 7 Tennessee 72-44, holding the Lady Vols to their lowest scoring output in modern school history.

2015 — Klay Thompson sets an NBA record for the most points in a quarter, a 37-point third period that powers the Golden State Warriors to a 126-101 victory over the Sacramento Kings. Thompson makes all 13 shots and finishes with a career-high 52 points.

2022 — Buffalo wide receiver Gabriel Davis scores an NFL playoff record four TDs in the Bills’ epic 42-36 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in their divisional-round playoff at Arrowhead Stadium.

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.

Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper, one of three netminders on Canada’s upcoming Olympic hockey roster, has been cleared to return after suffering a neck injury against the New York Rangers on Tuesday.

Kuemper said after returning to practice Thursday that he lost feeling in his arm when Rangers forward Jonny Brodzinski ran into him in the first period of the game. He said he tried to shake it off, but had to be replaced by Anton Forsberg.

“Yeah, kind of got hit on the side of my neck, and it pinched my neck and pinched the nerves, and my arm went dead,” Kuemper said. “So, yeah, wasn’t allowed to come back in until we did some further testing yesterday.”

Kuemper felt better when he woke up Wednesday, and additional examinations confirmed he would be available for an upcoming road trip, which starts at the St. Louis Blues on Saturday and runs six games while the Grammy Awards are hosted at Crypto.com Arena.

Kuemper was named alongside St. Louis goalie Jordan Binnington and Washington’s Logan Thompson to the 25-man squad for Canada that will play in the Milan Cortina Olympics next month.

The 35-year-old is a first-time Olympian for Canada, which has won the past two goal medals with NHL players participating. Kuemper is expected to be the third keeper behind Binnington and Thompson.

Kuemper, a 14-year NHL veteran from Saskatchewan and Stanley Cup winner with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022, is 12-9-9 with a 2.52 goals against average and .904 save percentage in 32 games for the Kings this season. He missed six games in December because of an upper-body injury sustained Dec. 15 when Dallas Stars forward Mikko Rantanen hit him in the head.

From Bill Shaikin: This was pretty audacious, even by the Dodgers’ standard. Their $17-million left fielder flopped last year, so they threw $240 million at another corner outfielder to supplement the three most valuable players already in their lineup.

Still, as Kyle Tucker smiled for the cameras at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday, it was hard to imagine this one man could sign here and take down the 2027 season.

On Tuesday the Athletic quoted one ownership source that portrayed the Tucker signing as a tipping point that made it “a 100 percent certainty” owners would push for a salary cap when the collective bargaining agreement expires this fall. Owners have been complaining about the Dodgers’ signings of Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell and Tanner Scott, and on and on, and it sounds silly that the signing of one Kyle Daniel Tucker would turn the owners in a direction many of them already indicated they want to go.

“I agree,” said the man who signed him, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman.

If baseball comes up with new rules next year, the Dodgers will abide by them. Until then, Friedman said, their “only focus” is on delivering the best possible product to the fans who pack Dodger Stadium every night and shop the team store like crazy. In return, he said, the Dodgers can sell themselves to stars like Tucker.

“A destination spot is where players and their families feel incredibly well taken care of,” Friedman said. “If they’re playing in front of 7,000 people, they don’t feel that as much.

“Playing in front of 50,000 people, and seeing the passion and how much people live and die for the Dodgers each summer and each October, I think, adds to the experience and allure of playing here.”

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‘I want to clear my name’: Yasiel Puig fights charges of lying to federal investigators in trial

Teammates believe in Matthew Stafford

From Gary Klein: Whatever the circumstance — cold, snow, rain, wind, noise — Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is cool, calm and collected.

But the 17th-year pro is not quiet.

Especially in the huddle. Especially at decibel-delirious Lumen Field in Seattle.

“He’s screaming,” tight end Davis Allen said Wednesday, chuckling. “He’s not talking normal, that’s for sure… He does a great job making sure guys are where they need to be.”

Since joining the Rams in 2021, Stafford is 3-1 at Lumen Field, where the Rams will play the Seahawks on Sunday in the NFC championship game.

Asked how he thought he had played in Seattle, Stafford instantly ticked through all of the Rams’ performances.

A Thursday night victory in 2021. Sitting out 2022 because of injury. A walk-off touchdown pass to win in overtime in 2024, and an overtime loss this season in Week 16.

“It’s always a great environment,” Stafford said.

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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

UCLA women rout Purdue

From Steve Galluzzo: Coming off Sunday’s 30-point win over then-No. 12 Maryland — UCLA’s largest margin of victory over a top-15 team since 1992 — it would have been easy for the Bruins to take unranked Purdue lightly.

Instead, the UCLA women played with the intensity and focus characteristic of an NCAA tournament game, dominating from start to finish in a 96-48 triumph Wednesday night at Pauley Pavilion.

The third-ranked Bruins (18-1 overall, 8-0 in Big Ten) won for the 12th straight time and are more than halfway to tying the program record of 23 in a row set last year. The 48-point win marked the sixth straight by 18 points or more as the Bruins moved out of a tie with Iowa for sole possession of first place in the conference.

All five starters scored in double figures. Gabriela Jaquez led the way with 25 points on 10-for-11 shooting, Lauren Betts had 16 points and 10 rebounds, Kiki Rice and Charlisse Leger-Walker each added 15 points and Gianna Kneepkens had 14.

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UCLA box score

Big Ten standings

Alijah Arenas debuts in USC’s loss

From Ryan Kartje: As he laid in a hospital bed last April, lucky to be alive, Alijah Arenas dreamed of this moment. He thought of it in the weeks and months after his Tesla Cybertruck hit a tree and burst into flames in Reseda, leaving him hospitalized for six days. And he thought of it over a long summer and fall spent rehabbing the injured knee that failed him in his first week back to practice at USC.

Nine difficult months spent waiting for the day to finally culminated Wednesday night with Arenas roaring into the lane, with just one defender standing between him and the hoop. The five-star freshman had committed to USC with every intention of bolting for the NBA after one season, only for the setbacks of the past year to put his likely lottery status in doubt.

Now here, as he lifted toward the hoop early in his college debut, Arenas spun around that lone defender in mid-air and softly laid in a finger roll, reminding everyone in attendance of the talent they’d waited so eagerly to see.

But what unfolded from that moment on Wednesday night probably wasn’t how Arenas or any Trojan would have envisioned it, as Northwestern, a team previously winless in the Big Ten, spoiled the star freshman’s debut and left USC spiraling with a 74-68 defeat.

“Critical, critical loss tonight,” Coach Eric Musselman said. “I can’t. I mean, just brutal.”

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USC box score

Big Ten standings

Gary Patterson to the Trojans?

From Ryan Kartje: In his years-long pursuit to build a great defense at USC, Lincoln Riley first entrusted the job to a familiar face from his Oklahoma days. When that failed, Riley handed the reins of his defense — and a massive paycheck — to the crosstown rival’s rising star … who then left two years later.

Now, in his third try at finding a leader for USC’s defense, Riley is working to lure a Hall of Famer to Hollywood.

USC is closing in on a deal to hire Gary Patterson, the longtime Texas Christian coach, as its defensive coordinator, a person familiar with the decision but not authorized to speak publicly told The Times.

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Ducks win fifth in a row

Mikael Granlund and Cutter Gauthier scored in the shootout and Lukas Dostal stopped 40 shots as the Ducks defeated the NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche 2-1 for their fifth straight win Wednesday night.

Jeffrey Viel scored in his second straight game as the Ducks opened a six-game trip.

Artturi Lehkonen scored for Colorado, and Scott Wedgewood made 16 saves.

Alex Killorn played in his 1,000th game. He spent 11 years with Tampa Bay, winning the Stanley Cup twice, before signing with the Ducks as a free agent in 2023.

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Ducks summary

NHL standings

WNBA releases schedule

The WNBA is set to begin its season on May 8, assuming the league and the players’ union can come to an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement.

Teams will play 44 games over a five-month period with a 17-day break for the FIBA World Cup in early September. The league said last year that with the World Cup this season they would keep the schedule at 44 games despite adding two new teams in Portland and Toronto.

“As we prepare to tip off the WNBA’s historic 30th season, this schedule reflects both how far the league has come and the momentum that continues to drive us forward,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said.

The Sparks are scheduled to open the season with a four-game homestand at Crypto.com Arena, beginning May 10 against the defending champion Las Vegas Aces. The Sparks will also host the expansion Toronto Tempo on May 15.

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Trade unions support Santa Anita

From John Cherwa: The dispute between the state and Santa Anita Park over the use of a new betting machine was ratcheted up Wednesday when four major trade unions sent a letter to Rob Bonta, the California attorney general, urging the state to return the terminals it confiscated on Saturday. Santa Anita filed suit against the state on Tuesday seeking the same.

Collectively, the Service Employees International Union, the Teamsters, California State Pipe Trades Council and the State Assn. of Electrical Workers created a special letterhead with all their logos to show their solidarity on the issue. The two-page letter, obtained by The Times, was stinging and pointed, calling the state’s removal of Racing on Demand machines as “not only misguided but reckless.”

It went on to say: “By removing these terminals, your agency has introduced unnecessary uncertainty into an industry already confronting significant economic challenges. This decision undermines innovation, discourages investment and jeopardizes the more than $1.7 billion in annual economic impact that California horse racing generates for local communities, workers and the state as a whole.”

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This day in sports history

1920 — The New York Yankees announce they will be the first team to wear uniform numbers, according to the player’s position in batting order.

1960 — Paul Pender beats Sugar Ray Robinson in a 15-round split decision to capture the world middleweight boxing title.

1962 — Bob Feller and Jackie Robinson are elected into baseball’s Hall of Fame. Robinson is the first Black man to enter the Hall.

1968 — The NBA awards expansion franchises to Milwaukee and Phoenix.

1973 — George Foreman knocks out Joe Frazier in the second round in Kingston, Jamaica, to win the world heavyweight title.

1983 — Houston becomes the first NBA team not to score a point in overtime. The Portland Trail Blazers outscore the Rockets 17-0 for a 113-96 victory.

1988 — Mike Tyson knocks out Larry Holmes in the fourth round at Atlantic City to retain his world heavyweight title.

1989 — After winning his third Super Bowl as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, Bill Walsh retires.

1998 — New York’s Pat LaFontaine reaches 1,000 career points, scoring his 19th goal in the Rangers’ 4-3 loss to Philadelphia.

2003 — Andy Roddick wins one of the longest matches of the Open era, beating Younes El Aynaoui in a fifth set that ended 21-19 to reach the Australian Open semifinals. The American won 4-6, 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-4, 21-19 in a match lasting 4 hours, 59 minutes — the longest men’s singles match at the Australian Open since tiebreaker sets were introduced into Grand Slam events in 1971.

2005 — Jockey Russell Baze passes Bill Shoemaker to take second place on the career win list. Russell gets his 8,834th victory aboard Hollow Memoires in the seventh race at Golden Gate Fields.

2006 — The Pittsburgh Steelers are the first team since the 1985 Patriots to win three postseason road games thanks to a 34-17 dismantling of the Denver Broncos in the AFC title game.

2006 — Kobe Bryant scores a staggering 81 points — the second-highest total in NBA history — and the Lakers beat the Toronto Raptors 122-104.

2012 — The New England Patriots beat the Ravens 23-20 in the AFC championship game after Baltimore’s Billy Cundiff misses a 32-yard field goal attempt with 11 seconds remaining that would have tied the score.

2012 — New York’s Lawrence Tynes kicks a 31-yard field goal in overtime and the Giants beat the San Francisco 49ers 20-17 in the NFC championship game.

2016 — David Blatt, the second-year coach who guided Cleveland to the NBA Finals in 2015, is fired despite the Cavaliers holding a 30-11 record. Blatt is the first coach since conferences began in 1970-71 to be fired when his team had the best record in its conference.

2018 — New Orleans Pelicans’ DeMarcus Cousins has 44 points, 24 rebounds & 10 assists in 132-128 double-OT win over Chicago Bulls; 1st player since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1972) with 40+ points, 20+ rebounds & 10+ assists.

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.

Kevin Fiala had a goal and an assist and Anton Forsberg made 28 saves after taking over for the injured Darcy Kuemper in the Kings’ 4-3 victory over the slumping New York Rangers on Tuesday night.

Adrian Kempe, Taylor Ward and Andrei Kuzmenko also scored for the Kings, who ended a four-game skid with only their second regulation victory in January.

Kuemper gave up two goals on eight shots before abruptly leaving with 38 seconds left in the first period following a collision in the crease with a charging Jonny Brodzinski.

Forsberg played superbly after taking over for Kuemper, a member of Canada’s Olympic roster. Kuemper also missed 2 1/2 weeks last month after taking a hit to the head during a loss at Dallas.

J.T. Miller scored two goals for the Rangers, who are last in the Eastern Conference after losing seven of eight.

Jonathan Quick made 23 saves in his third start and fourth appearance against the Kings, who drafted him in 2005. Quick, who turns 40 years old Wednesday, won 370 games — 199 more than any other Kings goalie — while backstopping the club to two Stanley Cup championships during his 16 seasons in L.A.

Kempe scored 18 seconds after the opening faceoff.

Only 42 seconds after Will Cuylle’s goal for New York, Fiala scored his 18th goal by intercepting an unwise pass by former Kings teammate Vladislav Gavrikov.

Miller evened it again late in the first off Mika Zibanejad’s pass.

Ward put the Kings back ahead early in the second, banking in a skittering shot off the far post for his first goal of the season. After the Kings killed a five-on-three disadvantage for 96 seconds, Kuzmenko backhanded home a rebound of Fiala’s shot.

Miller scored his 13th goal in the final seconds with Quick pulled for an extra attacker.

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.

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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.”

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.”

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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 Prep Rally. I’m Eric Sondheimer. The Clippers continue to seek out stories from residents in Los Angeles County about what basketball has meant to them. They are awarding free outside basketball hoops in celebration of the NBA All-Star Game coming to Intuit Dome on Feb. 15.

The stories

People in Los Angeles are telling their stories to the Clippers about what basketball has meant to them.

“Having a basketball hoop would mean so much to me because it would help honor my dad and keep our memories alive. In 2021, when I was just 8 years old, my dad lost his battle to kidney disease while waiting for a kidney transplant. His passing changed my life forever, but basketball has helped me stay connected to him. Basketball has always been a huge part of my family, and my dad is the reason I play today. He introduced me to the game, supported me every step of the way, and was a huge Los Angeles Clippers fan.”

—

“A new hoop will make a huge difference for my family as both my 10-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter are actively participating in recreational and club basketball leagues. Our current backboard is cracked and glued back and the supporting base has multiple huge cracks, the days are numbered for my current hoop. Both my wife and I are recently laid off from our jobs, getting a new hoop is not within our budget. I also coach both my son and daughter for their respective teams, it would mean a lot if we are able to practice together with the new hoop at our home and basketball truly means family bonding time for us. Basketball is a way for me to teach my kids skills and life lessons as a parent and a coach, and I wish that they can continue to learn from me for as long as I’m able to teach them.”

—

“On January 7th, our family lost our home and all of our belongings in the Eaton Fire. It has been a long and emotional journey, but our home is finally close to being rebuilt. As we work on creating a fresh start, we are focusing on bringing joy and togetherness back into our lives. One of the things I look forward to most is spending time with my grandkids when they come to visit. Having a Clippers basketball hoop would give us a special place to play, bond, and create new memories after everything we have been through.”

—

“My name is Dominic, and I am 10 years old. When I was 2 years old, I was placed in the foster care system. I stayed in different homes until I was 7, and that was also the year I moved in with my grandparents as a foster child. It was a hard time in my life, especially because that was also the year my father passed away. When I was 7, I also discovered something that changed everything for me — basketball. I started playing to help me deal with stress and to take my mind off the things that hurt me the most. Whenever I’m on the court, I feel free. I feel strong. I feel like myself. I’ve been playing basketball from the age of 7 until now, and it has become a huge part of my life. I’m really inspired by my coaches at Obergon Park, Los Angeles County Park, where I play every season. The fee to play is low, and without that, I probably wouldn’t have had this chance. My coaches believe in me so much, and that pushes me to keep going and keep getting better. Basketball has helped me grow, stay focused, and stay positive. That’s why getting a basketball hoop would mean a lot to me. It would give me a chance to practice more, get stronger, and keep doing something that helps me every single day.”

The Clippers are hoping to give out 5,600 outside hoops and there’s plenty left, so tell your stories here.

Boys basketball

Devin Wright drives to the basket during his 23-point effort against Mira Costa on Friday.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

It’s a big week ahead in boys basketball. Harvard-Westlake (21-2) faces two challenging Mission League games, first at No. 1 Sierra Canyon on Wednesday (good luck on getting a ticket), then hosting Sherman Oaks Notre Dame on Saturday.

Redondo Union took control of the Bay League title race by routing rival Mira Costa behind Devin Wright. Here’s the report. Wright had a big weekend, also scoring 31 points in a win over JSerra.

Calabasas came away with a double overtime win over Oaks Christian on a three at the buzzer by Noah Simon. It was the first Marmonte League loss to Oaks Christian since the 2023-24 season.

NaVorro Bowman of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame goes up for shot against St. Francis.

(Craig Weston)

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame turned up the defensive pressure and blew out St. Francis 71-48 by containing 7-foot-4 center Cherif Milloga. Here’s the report.

After watching Notre Dame players push, grab and pull Milloga all night with the officials doing little to stop them, the question becomes: Why is a 7-4 center being treated differently than a 6-8 or smaller center? Fouls would have been called if Notre Dame’s aggressive defenders were using the same tactics against smaller players. Officials are going to need to study long and hard how to deal with Milloga if St. Francis makes the playoffs.

Notre Dame’s Josiah Nance, left, and St. Francis’ Cherif Millogo battle for position in the paint during a recent game.

(Craig Weston)

There’s nothing in the rulebook that says to treat 7-4 centers differently and let the defenders batter him. And the Mission League tournament will be an interesting test case to see if things change. At least Milloga learned a lesson. He was called for three offensive fouls showing his frustration with the physicality of the defense.

Crossroads has moved into position to be the Gold Coast League favorite with wins over Brentwood and Windward. The addition of Shalen Sheppard from Brentwood has been big, and now Mater Dei transfer Evan Willis is back from an injury. He had 12 points and 10 rebounds in the 56-46 win over Windward.

Rodney Westmoreland of Santa Margarita made a crazy, off-balance three at the buzzer to give Santa Margarita a three-point win over JSerra.

Cleveland continues to look like the team to beat in West Valley League basketball. Here’s the report. And watch out for Cleveland sophomore Sho Evans, who’s beginning to hit threes.

Servite failed in its attempt to end a 51-game Trinity League losing streak, falling to Orange Lutheran.

Grayson Coleman of Milken is averaging 23 points and has scored 29 and 30 points in his last two games.

Jack Levey scored 40 points, making 11 of 13 threes, in a win over Westchester.

The annual Nike Extravaganza will be held at Mater Dei on Friday and Saturday.

The late David Greenwood had his jersey retired by Verbum Dei on Friday night.

Here’s this week’s top 25 rankings by The Times.

Girls basketball

A trip back east for the Hoophall Classic didn’t go well for Ontario Christian and Sierra Canyon, both of whom were beaten respectively by East Coast powers Bishop McNamara from Maryland and Long Island Lutheran from New York. It was Ontario Christian’s first defeat after 21 consecutive wins and Sierra Canyon suffered only its second defeat. Kaleena Smith had 25 points for Ontario Christian and Jerzy Robinson scored 33 points for Sierra Canyon.

Mater Dei won its game on Friday at the Hoophall Classic.

There’s a big one-day tournament at Rosary on Monday. Here’s the report.

The big upset of the week was Santa Margarita knocking off JSerra in a Trinity League game.

Here’s the top 20 rankings in Southern California.

Soccer

In a key City Section girls’ soccer match, Cleveland and Granada Hills fought to a 1-1 tie. Cleveland remains the City title favorite. El Camino Real came through with a 1-0 win over Granada Hills on a goal by Jordyn Kogan, the daughter of ECR boys coach Ian Kogan.

No. 1-ranked Santa Margarita (13-0) will have its unbeaten record challenged by Mater Dei on Monday.

Cathedral (11-2-2) showed that it intends to win the Del Rey League this season after a 6-1 blitz of defending champion Bishop Amat.. Then the Phantoms played rival Salesian to a 0-0 tie.

Carson’s Marco Cruz scored three goals in the Colts’ 3-2 win over San Pedro.

The first CIF state soccer championships will be held March 13-14 in Sacramento. There will be five divisions for boys and five for girls. It will be held the same time as the basketball championship. A big problem is that the state cup for boys club teams begins on March 14, and that will create issues for several players.

Chris Fields III gets ready

Carson quarterback Chris Fields III, the City Section offensive player of the year, is already preparing for 2026.

(Craig Weston)

Quarterback Chris Fields III, the City Section offensive player of the year, is already preparing for the 2026 season by trying to get faster and stronger.

Here’s the report.

JV teams can be for development

Drew Anderson of Santa Margarita is a former JV player committed to Oregon State.

(Nick Koza)

There’s not many schools left that use their junior varsity basketball teams for development, but there are plenty of success stories.

Three of the stars from this season — Drew Anderson of Santa Margarita, Pierce Thompson of Harvard-Westlake and Isaiah Williamson of Los Alamitios — started out as freshmen on their JV team.

Here’s a look at how schools are using JV teams for development _ sometimes.

Notes . . . .

Long Beach Poly grad Travon Patterson has been hired as the school’s new football coach. He was hired as receivers coach three years ago. He also played for USC. . . .

St. Bernard has become the latest private school looking for a new football coach. There’s been openings at Bishop Montgomery, Bishop Alemany, JSerra, St. Paul and St. Francis. . . .

Joe Podzimek is the new softball coach at Bishop Montgomery. . . .

A high school basketball player in Arizona scored 100 points in a game. Here’s the report. . . .

New UCLA football coach Bob Chesney and several of his assistants were at Mater Dei on Thursday for the opening of off-season drills, a sign the Bruins are no longer going to allow the school’s top athletes to pick USC without competition. They also visited St. John Bosco, Bellflower and Orange Lutheran last week, among other schools . . .

Pete Smolin is the new football coach at Don Lugo. . . .

Aaryn Washington, a junior cornerback at Mater Dei committed to USC, announced he will play his senior season for IMG Academy in Florida. . . .

Jake Brande, a 6-foot-7 pitcher at Palm Desert committed to Cal Poly, has transferred to Rancho Christian after the family decided to move to Temecula following the death of his brother, Johnny, from cancer.

The high school football transfer portal continues to gain momentum.

From the archives: Coleman Shelton

Los Angeles Rams center Coleman Shelton.

(Terrance Williams / Associated Press)

Former Loyola High offensive lineman Coleman Shelton has been one of the unsung heroes for the Rams playing center and helping Matthew Stafford have an MVP-like season. He was at Washington for five years and went undrafted in 2018. He’s been in the NFL since signing as a free agent and won a Super Bowl with the Rams.

Here’s a story from 2012 when he was a 6-foot-4, 280-pound high school player.

Here’s a story from 2021 explaining Shelton’s background.

Recommendations

From the Washington Post, a story on the rising prices to participate in youth sports.

From the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, a story on former Taft coach Derrick Taylor getting Blair into the Rio Hondo League title hunt.

From KTLA, a story on how San Juan Hills football coach Robert Frith had his life saved by an off duty fire fighter.

From the San Diego Union-Tribune, a story on a star high school football player in San Diego who says “almost the whole Trinity League” tried to recruit him.

Tweets you might have missed

Until next time….

Have a question, comment or something you’d like to see in a future Prep Rally newsletter? Email me at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latsondheimer.

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ATLANTA — Against a backdrop of political division and upheaval, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s daughter said Monday’s holiday honoring her father’s legacy comes as “somewhat of a saving grace” this year.

“I say that because it inserts a sense of sanity and morality into our very troubling climate right now,” the Rev. Bernice King said in an interview with the Associated Press. “With everything going on, the one thing that I think Dr. King reminds people of is hope and the ability to challenge injustice and inhumanity.”

The holiday comes a day before President Trump will mark the first anniversary of his second term in office Tuesday. The “three evils” — poverty, racism and militarism — that the civil rights leader identified in a 1967 speech as threats to a democratic society “are very present and manifesting through a lot of what’s happening” under Trump’s leadership, Bernice King said.

King, chief executive officer of the King Center in Atlanta, cited Trump administration efforts to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives; directives to scrub key parts of history from government websites and remove “improper ideology” from Smithsonian museums; and aggressive immigration enforcement operations in multiple cities that have turned violent and resulted in the separation of families.

“Everything President Trump does is in the best interest of the American people,” White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said in an email. “That includes rolling back harmful DEI agendas, deporting dangerous criminal illegal aliens from American communities, or ensuring we are being honest about our country’s great history.”

Maya Wiley, president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, one of the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights coalitions, said that Martin Luther King’s words “ring more true today.”

“We’re at a period in our history where we literally have a regime actively working to erase the civil rights movement,” she said. “This has been an administration dismantling intentionally and with ideological fervor every advancement we have made since the Civil War.”

Wiley also recalled that King warned that “the prospect of war abroad was undermining to the beloved community globally and it was taking away from the ability for us to take care of all our people.” Trump’s administration has engaged in deadly military strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats and captured Venezuela’s president in an invasion this month. It also bombed nuclear sites in Iran last year.

Bernice King said she’s not sure what her father would make of the United States today, nearly six decades after his assassination.

“He’s not here. It’s a different world,” she said. “But what I can say is his teachings transcend time and he taught us, I think, the way to address injustice through his nonviolent philosophy and methodology.”

Nonviolence should be embraced not just by those who are protesting and fighting against what they believe are injustices, but should also be adopted by immigration agents and other law enforcement officers, she said. To that end, she added, the King Center developed a curriculum that it now plans to redevelop to help officers see that they can carry out their duties while also respecting people’s humanity.

Even amid the “troubling climate” in the country right now, Bernice King said there is no question that “we have made so much progress as a nation.” The civil rights movement that her father and mother, Coretta Scott King, helped lead brought more people into mainstream politics who have sensitivity and compassion, she said. Despite efforts to scrap DEI initiatives and the deportation of people from around the world, “the inevitability is we’re so far into our diversity you can’t put that back in a box,” she said.

To honor her father’s legacy this year, she urged people to look inward.

“I think we spend a lot of time looking at everybody else and what everybody else is not doing or doing, and we’re looking out the window at all the problems of the world and talking about how bad they are, and we don’t spend a lot of time on ourselves personally,” she said.

She endorsed participation in service projects to observe the holiday because they foster connection, sensitize people to the struggles of others and help us to understand one another better. But she said people should also look at what they can do in the year to come to further her father’s teachings.

“I think we have the opportunity to use this as a measuring point from year to year in terms of what we’re doing to move our society in a more just, humane, equitable and peaceful way,” she said.

Brumback writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Matt Brown in Washington contributed to this report.

Mikael Granlund scored at 4:02 of overtime, and the Ducks beat the Kings 2-1 on Saturday night at Honda Center to sweep a two-game weekend set in the rivalry.

Rookie Beckett Sennecke created the winning score by swooping in on a backcheck to take the puck away from the Kings’ Kevin Fiala on a breakaway. Sennecke knocked the puck straight to Granlund, who beat Anton Forsberg for his ninth goal of the season.

Mason McTavish scored the first goal and Ville Husso made 17 saves for the Ducks. They have won three straight after a nine-game skid.

Adrian Kempe scored a power-play goal and Forsberg stopped 30 shots in the backup’s strong performance for the Kings, who have lost six of seven.

Sennecke played a major role for the second straight night when the Southern California clubs completed their back-to-back set by going to overtime for the third time in their four meetings this season. Sennecke had two assists and scored in the shootout as the Ducks rallied from a two-goal deficit for a 3-2 victory over the Kings in downtown Los Angeles on Friday night.

McTavish ended the Ducks’ victory in L.A. with his fourth shootout goal of the season, and he opened the scoring in the rematch with a wrist shot for his 12th goal early in the first period.

Kempe tied it in the second period, scoring his 16th goal on a hard one-timer off a pass from Fiala. Kempe then put a gloved finger to his lips, shushing the sixth consecutive sellout crowd in Anaheim.

The Kings had six power plays before the Ducks got their first man-advantage late in the second period, yet Anaheim had a significant edge in shots after carrying play for long stretches at even strength.

After a scoreless third, the Kings played into extra time for a league-high 20th time this season.

Jeffrey Viel made his debut for the Ducks, who traded a fourth-round pick to Boston on Friday to get the veteran forward who hasn’t scored in the NHL since March 18, 2022. The 6-foot-1 Viel fought 6-foot-6 Kings forward Samuel Helenius in the first period.

Up next for the Kings: vs. the New York Rangers at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday night.

Up next for the Ducks: vs. the Rangers at Honda Center on Monday night.

Rookie Beckett Sennecke had two assists and then scored in the shootout, sending the Ducks to a 3-2 victory over the Kings on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena.

Mason McTavish ended it with a third-round shootout goal for the Ducks, who rallied from an early two-goal deficit for their second straight victory after a nine-game skid.

Tim Washe scored his first NHL goal and Ryan Strome got his first goal in a month for the Ducks when Southern California’s two NHL teams opened a back-to-back, home-and-home chapter of the rivalry by going to their second shootout of the season. Lukas Dostal made 26 saves.

Joel Armia had a goal and an assist in his return from a five-game injury absence for the Kings, who have lost five of six.

Darcy Kuemper stopped 26 shots, but the Canadian Olympian couldn’t stop the famously deliberate shootout style of McTavish, one of the NHL’s most successful shootout scorers.

Quinton Byfield put the Kings ahead on their first shot on goal 98 seconds after the opening faceoff, beating Dostal for his ninth goal off a rush set up by Armia.

Neither team mounted a consistent offensive attack for two periods, but Armia made it 2-0 for the Kings midway through the second with a one-timer off a backhand pass from Andre Lee.

Strome answered 39 seconds later, putting a shot past a screen from Sennecke for his second goal in 22 games.

Less than three minutes after that, Washe alertly located a rebound off the boards and beat Kuemper from a sharp angle for his inaugural goal in his sixth NHL game. The 24-year-old undrafted forward won an NCAA title last spring with Western Michigan.

The Ducks played without their top two scorers because of injury. Leo Carlsson had treatment earlier in the day on a thigh injury that could endanger his participation in the Olympics, while Troy Terry (upper body) went on injured reserve before missing his fourth straight game.

The Kings were without captain Anze Kopitar, Trevor Moore and Corey Perry.

From Ben Bolch: In the final minutes, Trent Perry absorbed a hard foul that sent him tumbling to the court. When he rose, a wide smile split his face as he walked toward the free throw line.

It was impossible not to feel good about everything unfolding around him.

After a steady uptick, Perry increasing his production given the chance to take an injured teammate’s spot in the starting lineup, the UCLA sophomore guard reached new heights here on a rainy, chilly night.

Playing with an elevated confidence that showed in every move he made, Perry scored 22 of his career-high 30 points in the second half Wednesday night at the Bryce Jordan Center, shaking his team out of an early malaise as the Bruins pulled away for a 71-60 victory over Penn State.

Each of Perry’s four three-pointers in the second half seemed to come at a pivotal moment, including one from the corner off an inbounds pass from Donovan Dent that increased the Bruins’ lead to five points. He later added a three-pointer at the end of the shot clock to push his team’s advantage into double digits.

“All the coaches have been just telling me, ‘Let it fly, be aggressive,’ ” said Perry, who made seven of 13 shots, four of eight three-pointers and all 12 free throws. “I mean, with Skyy [Clark] out, they’ve just been telling me, ‘You’re playing with Donny, he’s going to find you, be aggressive,’ and that’s what’s going on.”

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UCLA box score

Big Ten standings

Kiki Rice leads UCLA women

Kiki Rice had 25 points on eight-for-nine shooting and Lauren Betts posted her third straight double-double, leading No. 3 UCLA past Minnesota 76-58 on Wednesday night.

Betts staved off early foul trouble to finish with 17 points and 10 rebounds as the Bruins (16-1, 6-0) stayed unbeaten in Big Ten play and pushed their winning streak to 10 straight games. Their only loss was to No. 4 Texas in Las Vegas on Nov. 26.

Rice hit all three of her three-point attempts to make the Gophers pay for packing the paint, as the Bruins shot 60% from the field (27 for 45) against the top defensive team in the nation. UCLA had by far the highest final score in a regulation game this season against Minnesota, which was giving up an average of 51.8 points per game entering the night.

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UCLA box score

Big Ten standings

Matthew Stafford will embrace the cold

From Gary Klein: He played 12 seasons in the NFC North before he was traded to the Rams, so quarterback Matthew Stafford is no stranger to cold-weather games.

On Sunday night, when the Rams play the Chicago Bears in an NFC divisional-round at Soldier Field, game-time temperatures could include a wind-chill below zero degrees.

Stafford, citing historic NFL games that were played in tough weather, said on Wednesday that he would embrace the elements.

“There’s something to it, right, that feels right when football’s outdoors, you’re playing late in the year, it’s cold, it means a lot,” Stafford said, adding, “I know it’s going to be a great crowd there, and it’ll be a lot of fun.”

Stafford, 37, suffered a sprained right index finger Saturday against the Carolina Panthers but still passed for 304 yards and three touchdowns, with an interception, in the 34-31 wild-card victory.

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NFL playoffs schedule

All times Pacific
Divisional round
NFC
Saturday
No. 6 San Francisco at No. 1 Seattle, 5 p.m., (FOX, FOX One, FOX Deportes)

Sunday
No. 5 Rams at No. 2 Chicago, 3:30 p.m. (NBC, Peacock, Telemundo, Universo)

AFC
Saturday
No. 6 Buffalo at No. 1 Denver, 1:30 p.m., (CBS, Paramount+)

Sunday
No. 5 Houston at No. 2 New England, noon (ESPN/ABC, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes)

Conference championships
Sunday, Jan. 25
AFC
Noon, (CBS, Paramount+)

NFC
3:30 p.m. (FOX, FOX One, FOX Deportes)

Super Bowl
Sunday, Feb. 8, NBC, Time TBA

Redick defends LeBron

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: LeBron James, playing on back-to-back nights for the first time this season, had 31 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds in the Lakers’ win over Atlanta on Tuesday.

“It’s remarkable,” coach JJ Redick said of James. “His competitive stamina is off the charts.”

Redick said he didn’t expect James to play Tuesday. Then James dominated with his third 30-point game of the month and his 61st 30-point double-double as a Laker, passing Kobe Bryant for seventh most in franchise history.

“I don’t take for granted the LeBron stuff,” Redick said. “It’s unfortunate actually — not to go on a little tangent here — but it’s actually unfortunate how much this guy puts into it and how much he cares and the way certain people talk about him. It’s crazy. Come be around him every day and see how much this guy cares. It’s off the charts.”

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Clippers win again

Kawhi Leonard scored 33 points and James Harden added 22 points as the Clippers extended their winning streak to four games with a 119-105 victory over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night.

The victory moved the Clippers (17-23), who were once 6-21, only a half-game behind Memphis for a play-in spot this postseason.

Yanic Konan Niederhauser scored 16 points and Jordan Miller added 11 points with 10 rebounds as the Clippers improved to 11-2 since Dec. 20.

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Clippers box score

NBA standings

Get your 2028 Olympics tickets

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: With ticket registration for the 2028 Olympics opening at 7 a.m. PST on Wednesday, LA28 has outlined the next steps fans can take to secure their spot at the L.A. Games.

Registration began Wednesday and runs until March 18. Fans who sign up at la28.org can begin purchasing tickets as soon as April 2. The first purchasing window from April 2 to April 6 is reserved for locals living near venue cities in Southern California and Oklahoma City. The first general public drop is from April 9 to 19.

Fans in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, Ventura, San Bernardino, Oklahoma, Canadian and Cleveland counties will input their ZIP Codes during registration to be entered into the locals presale. When purchasing tickets, they must use the local ZIP Codes on their billing address.

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Kings lose to Vegas

Mark Stone scored 25 seconds into overtime, Jack Eichel had three assists and the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Kings 3-2 on Wednesday night.

Eichel found Stone in front for a shot into an open goal.

The Golden Knights recovered to win their season-best fifth straight after Brandt Clarke tied it at 2 for the Kings with 1:27 remaining in regulation.

Kevin Fiala had a goal and an assist, and Darcy Kuemper made 24 saves for the Kings, who have lost four of five.

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Kings summary

NHL standings

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

1965 — In one of the most notable trades in NBA history, the San Francisco Warriors deal Wilt Chamberlain to the Philadelphia 76ers for Connie Dierking, Lee Shaffer, Paul Neumann and cash.

1967 — The NFL’s Green Bay Packers win the first Super Bowl series by defeating the Kansas City Chiefs of the AFL, 35-10.

1978 — The Dallas Cowboys take advantage of eight Denver turnovers en route to a 27-10 victory over the Broncos in the Super Bowl. Butch Johnson’s diving catch in the end zone completes a 45-yard touchdown pass from Roger Staubach and puts the Cowboys ahead 20-3 in the third quarter.

1994 — Ricky Watters of San Francisco scores an NFL postseason-record five touchdowns as the 49ers beat the New York Giants 44-3.

1994 — Lawrence Taylor announces his retirement from the NFL.

1995 — San Diego linebacker Dennis Gibson twice knocks down passes in the end zone — the last one on fourth down — to preserve the Chargers’ biggest NFL victory, a 17-13 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC championship.

1997 — Patrick Lalime becomes the first goalie since NHL expansion in 1967 to open his career with a 15-game unbeaten streak as Pittsburgh beats Hartford 3-0.

2000 — The Jacksonville Jaguars steamroll their way into the history books and the AFC championship game. In the second-most overpowering playoff performance ever, the Jaguars rout the Miami Dolphins 62-7. The 55-point margin is the second-largest in playoff history.

2001 — Peace College beats Bennett College 98-3 in women’s college basketball as Bennett sets an NCAA Division III women’s record for fewest points scored.

2004 — Michelle Wie shoots a respectable round of two-over 72, leaving her nine strokes behind the leader after one round at the PGA Sony Open in Honolulu. Wie, 14, is believed to be the youngest player ever on the PGA Tour.

2005 — Michelle Kwan wins her ninth title at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, tying Maribel Vinson for the all-time record.

2011 — Kyle Kuric’s layup with four seconds remaining caps a furious rally by No. 18 Louisville and the Cardinals stun Marquette 71-70. Louisville trails by 18 with 5:44 to go but close the game on a 24-5 run fueled by guard Preston Knowles.

2011 — Sixth-seeded Green Bay routs the Falcons 48-21 in Atlanta as Aaron Rodgers throws for three touchdowns and runs for one. The 48 points are the most for the Packers in a postseason game.

2012 — New York’s Eli Manning throws three touchdown passes and the Giants shock the Green Bay Packers 37-20 in an NFC divisional playoff game. The Packers, 15-1 in the regular season, become the seventh consecutive Super Bowl champ not to advance to the Super Bowl the next year.

2017 — Justin Thomas wins the Sony Open with the lowest 72-hole score in PGA Tour history. Thomas caps off his wonderful week at Waialae that began with a 59 with his second straight victory. He two-putts a birdie from 60 feet on the par-five 18th and closes with a five-under 65 to set the record at 253. Tommy Armour III shot 254 at the 2003 Texas Open.

2017 — Aaron Rodgers throws a 36-yard pass to a toe-dragging Jared Cook on the sideline, and Mason Crosby kicks a 51-yard field goal on the next play as time expires, sending Green Bay to the NFC championship game with its eighth straight win while thwarting a Dallas rally in a 34-31 victory in the divisional round of the playoffs.

2023 — Lakers LeBron James surpasses 38,000 NBA career points, joining only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, in 113-112 loss to Philadelphia 76ers at Crypto.com Arena.

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.

Mark Stone scored 25 seconds into overtime, Jack Eichel had three assists and the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Kings 3-2 on Wednesday night.

Eichel found Stone in front for a shot into an open goal.

The Golden Knights recovered to win their season-best fifth straight after Brandt Clarke tied it at 2 for the Kings with 1:27 remaining in regulation.

Braeden Bowman and Mitch Marner also scored for Vegas, and Akira Schmid made 22 saves. The Golden Knights have picked up a point in six straight games.

Kevin Fiala had a goal and an assist, and Darcy Kuemper made 24 saves for the Kings, who have lost four of five.

Clarke jammed in Adrian Kempe’s centering pass at the left post with Kuemper off for an extra attacker.

Schmid got his third straight win, and his 14-4-5 record has helped the Golden Knights navigate the absence of top goaltender Adin Hill because of a lower-body injury.

Hill hasn’t played since Oct. 20 but could be available when the Golden Knights return home Thursday for the second game of a back-to-back.

From Broderick Turner: Luka Doncic scored 40 points through three quarters for the Lakers against the Sacramento Kings on Monday night, going 15 for 21 from the field. He had seven assists and six rebounds and had played more than 30 minutes.

But then Doncic got his left thigh wrapped.

He scored only two points in the fourth quarter, making one of four shots and missing both of his three-point attempts in the Lakers’ 124-112 loss to the hot-shooting Kings.

After the game, Doncic didn’t provide much clarity on what he might be dealing with, saying his ailment was “somewhere” in the inner thigh or groin area.

“Yeah, I was really uncertain. Before the game … I felt something,” said Doncic, who was unsure before the game if he would play. “But tomorrow, we’ll see how I wake up.”

Doncic finished with 42 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. He was two for nine from three-point range. He didn’t let the injury be an excuse for his fourth-quarter struggles.

Continue reading here

Lakers box score

NBA standings

James Harden passes Shaq

Kawhi Leonard scored 35 points and James Harden had 32 to move into ninth place on the NBA’s career scoring list, and the Clippers beat the Charlotte Hornets 117-109 on Monday night for their fourth win in five games.

Jordan Miller added 14 points and Ivica Zubac had nine points and 11 rebounds for the Clippers.

LaMelo Ball had 25 points and nine rebounds to lead the Hornets in their third loss in four games. Kon Knueppel scored 18 points, Moussa Diabaté had 13 points and 15 rebounds, Brandon Miller also scored 13 and Miles Bridges 11.

Harden, who began the night 14 points behind Shaquille O’Neal’s 28,596 points for ninth, had 13 in the first half and then moved ahead on a three-pointer early in the third quarter.

Continue reading here

Clippers box score

NBA standings

Matthew Stafford has a sprained finger

From Gary Klein: Matthew Stafford suffered a sprained right index finger in the Rams’ wild-card victory over the Carolina Panthers, but he will be ready for Sunday’s divisional-round game against the Bears in Chicago, coach Sean McVay said Monday.

“He’s as tough as it gets and will be good to go,” McVay said during a videoconference with reporters.

Stafford injured his finger Saturday when his hand hit the helmet of a Panthers player during the Rams’ 34-31 victory in Charlotte, N.C. He played through the injury and passed for 304 yards and three touchdowns, including a game-winner to tight end Colby Parkinson with 38 seconds left.

Continue reading here

Commentary: Why Stan Kroenke was the only NFL owner who could bring football back to L.A.

The 10 greatest moments in Rams history since their return to L.A.

Chargers discuss their loss

From Benjamin Royer: Ladd McConkey paused for a moment in front of his locker.

“I don’t know,” he said, less than 24 hours after another humbling Chargers playoff loss.

“To be honest with you, it’s like, I don’t know — but you gotta get that monkey off our back,” McConkey said.

A tormenting 16-3 defeat to the New England Patriots in the AFC wild-card round sent the Chargers’ season to an early finish Sunday for the second consecutive season. Little went right against the Patriots in coach Jim Harbaugh‘s second year in L.A., prompting questions about what needs to change to make the Chargers a Super Bowl contender.

Harbaugh, general manager Joe Hortiz and the rest of the team’s staff will have a full offseason to delve into went awry against the Patriots and a season that fell short of expectations.

Center Bradley Bozeman, often at the heart of public criticism over the Chargers’ offensive line, fought back tears when speaking about his struggles on the field. But the eighth-year veteran got choked up the most talking about Justin Herbert.

“It just sucks that we can’t get him there,” Bozeman said. “That’s what sucks. He’s one of my best friends — and it sucks, like it just sucks, because I want it bad for him. I want it bad for myself, I want it bad for everybody, but him especially.”

Continue reading here

NFL playoffs schedule

All times Pacific
Wild-card round
AFC
Monday
No. 5 Houston 30, No. 4 Pittsburgh 6 (summary)

Divisional round
NFC
Saturday
No. 6 San Francisco at No. 1 Seattle, 5 p.m., (FOX, FOX One, FOX Deportes)

Sunday
No. 5 Rams at No. 2 Chicago, 3:30 p.m. (NBC, Peacock, Telemundo, Universo)

AFC
Saturday
No. 6 Buffalo at No. 1 Denver, 1:30 p.m., (CBS, Paramount+)

Sunday
No. 5 Houston at No. 2 New England, noon (ESPN/ABC, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes)

Conference championships
Sunday, Jan. 25
AFC
Noon, (CBS, Paramount+)

NFC
3:30 p.m. (FOX, FOX One, FOX Deportes)
Noon

Super Bowl
Sunday, Feb. 8, NBC, Time TBA

Kings fall to Stars

Jason Robertson scored late in the third period, Wyatt Johnston scored his 25th goal of the season, and the Dallas Stars defeated the Kings 3-1 on Monday night.

Robertson looked to be trying a centering pass, but the wobbling puck deflected in off Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson with 3:46 remaining. Matt Duchene added an empty-net goal with 17.4 to go, and the Stars have won two of three after a season-worst six-game winless streak.

Jake Oettinger made 24 saves, and Esa Lindell and Sam Steel had two assists.

Quinton Byfield scored on the power play and Darcy Kuemper made 15 saves for the Kings, who have dropped three of four.

Continue reading here

Kings summary

NHL standings

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

1962 — Wilt Chamberlain scores an NBA regulation-game record 73 points to lead the Philadelphia Warriors to a 135-117 triumph over the Chicago Packers.

1971 — Lenny Wilkens of the Seattle Supersonics, at 33, becomes the oldest All-Star MVP as he scores 21 points to give the West a 108-107 victory over the East.

1974 — The Miami Dolphins win their second straight Super Bowl in their third straight appearance with a 24-7 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. Larry Csonka, the game’s MVP, gains 145 yards in 33 carries and scores a touchdown.

1986 — NCAA schools vote overwhelmingly in favor of adopting the controversial Proposition 48. The rule requires that incoming freshman maintain 2.0 grade point averages and score 700 or more on the Scholastic Aptitude Test or a 15 on the American College Testing program.

1987 — Lewis Lloyd and Mitchell Wiggins of the Houston Rockets become the third and fourth NBA players to be banned from the league for using cocaine.

1991 — Phil Mickelson overcomes an 8 on the 14th hole to become the second amateur since 1954 to win a PGA Tour event as he posts a one-shot victory over Bob Tway and Tom Purtzer in the Northern Telecom Open.

1995 — America3, the first all-women’s team in the 144-year history of America’s Cup, wins the first race of the America’s Cup defender trials, beating Team Dennis Conner by 1 minute, 9 seconds.

1999 — Basketball superstar Michael Jordan announces his second retirement just prior to start of lockout-shortened 1998-99 NBA season; returns in 2001 with Washington.

2003 — Jennifer Capriati becomes the first women’s Australian Open defending champion to lose in the first round in the Open era. Capriati, seeded third, loses 2-6, 7-6 (6), 6-4 to 90th-ranked Marlene Weingartner of Germany.

2006 — Larry Brown becomes the fourth coach in NBA history to win 1,000 regular-season games as New York beats Atlanta 105-94. Brown, 1,000-762 in 23 seasons in the NBA, joins Lenny Wilkens, Don Nelson and Pat Riley in the 1,000-win club.

2013 — Matt Bryant kicks a 49-yard field goal with 8 seconds left and the Atlanta Falcons bounce back after blowing a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter, defeating Seattle 30-28 in an NFC divisional playoff game. The Falcons lead 27-7 at the start of the final quarter before rookie quarterback Russell Wilson leads the Seahawks to three fourth-quarter touchdowns and a 28-27 lead with 31 seconds left.

2013 — Tom Brady becomes the winningest quarterback in postseason play, throwing for three touchdowns to beat Houston 41-28 and lift the New England Patriots into the AFC championship game. Brady gets his 17th victory, surpassing Joe Montana, by throwing for 344 yards.

2017 — Kelsey Plum scores 36 points to become the 12th player in women’s basketball history to top 3,000 career points and Washington routs Arizona 90-73.

2020 — Houston Astros manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow are fired by team owner Jim Crane for their roles in the sign-stealing scandal after MLB suspends both for one year

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.

Jason Robertson scored late in the third period, Wyatt Johnston scored his 25th goal of the season, and the Dallas Stars defeated the Kings 3-1 on Monday night.

Robertson looked to be trying a centering pass, but the wobbling puck deflected in off Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson with 3:46 remaining. Matt Duchene added an empty-net goal with 17.4 to go, and the Stars have won two of three after a season-worst six-game winless streak.

Jake Oettinger made 24 saves, and Esa Lindell and Sam Steel had two assists.

Quinton Byfield scored on the power play and Darcy Kuemper made 15 saves for the Kings, who have dropped three of four.

Johnston scored on a wrist shot from the slot 3:44 into the first period, reaching the 25-goal mark for the third straight season.

The Kings finally netted a response when Byfield tied it up at 8:42 of the third period, scoring from close range after Corey Perry set him up with a backhand pass through the paint. It was Perry’s 500th career assist, making him the first player in league history to reach the milestone at age 40.

Los Angeles has been held to one goal 12 times in 45 games.

The Stars got captain Jamie Benn back after missing three games because of a cut on his nose, which he sustained Jan. 4. Benn, a 17-year veteran, played with a visor for the first time in 1,216 career games, leaving Nashville center Ryan O’Reilly, Minnesota defenseman Zach Bogosian, and Sharks winger Ryan Reaves as the last three active players who have never worn a visor in an NHL game.

From Sam Farmer: The MVP chants for the second-year quarterback of the New England Patriots rang throughout Gillette Stadium on Sunday night.

The Chargers, meanwhile, were haunted by their own echoes.

Another playoff game. Another one-and-done exit.

The gutty season of quarterback Justin Herbert again ended with a whimper, a 16-3 loss on a night when the Chargers defense provided ample opportunities.

“We have to do better than three points,” Herbert said. “As an offense, that’s not good enough. The quarterback play wasn’t good enough, and we let the defense down today.”

Three years ago was the nuclear meltdown at Jacksonville, when the Chargers blew a 27-0 lead to lose, 31-30.

Last year, the first under coach Jim Harbaugh, Herbert was picked off four times at Houston after making it through the regular season with just three interceptions.

Now, the Chargers have all offseason to ponder the fiasco at Foxborough, when they generated one field goal, 207 yards and converted one of 10 third downs.

The cover-your-eyes postseason scorecard under Harbaugh: Two games, 15 points on three field goals, one touchdown and a failed conversion.

Asked after the New England loss if the impending offseason changes could include changing out offensive coordinator Greg Roman, Harbaugh was notably noncommittal.

“Right now I don’t have the answers,” Harbaugh said. “We’re going to look at that.”

Continue reading here

Chargers summary

Should the Rams be worried?

From Bill Plaschke: Whew.

The best nearly went bust.

The heavy favorites nearly collapsed under their own weight.

The Rams were nearly toppled by the runts, barely surviving what should have been a blowout, profusely sweating through a wild-card playoff game that should have been a breeze, and now you wonder.

If their first step toward the Super Bowl is going to be this ungainly, how much longer can they stay upright?

At first sight, the final score is all that mattered, this 34-31 wild-card playoff victory over the Carolina Panthers at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium on Saturday proving to be a soul-testing triumph that will provide powerful preparation for the challenges ahead.

Upon further inspection, it was just a freaking mess.

The Rams skipped across the country as a historic 10½-point favorite — biggest postseason spread in modern history — yet trudged home requiring a last-second touchdown pass from the unsinkable Matthew Stafford to a leaping Colby Parkinson.

It was all so dramatic. It was all so unnecessary.

Continue reading here

Rams will play Caleb Williams and the Bears in the NFC divisional playoffs

NFL playoffs schedule

All times Pacific
Wild-card round
NFC
Saturday
No. 5 Rams 34, No. 4 Carolina 31 (summary)
No. 2 Chicago 31, No. 7 Green Bay 27 (summary)

Sunday
No. 6 San Francisco 23, No. 3 Philadelphia 19 (summary)

AFC
Sunday
No. 6 Buffalo 27, No. 3 Jacksonville 24 (summary)
No. 2 New England 16, No. 7 Chargers 3 (summary)

Monday
No. 5 Houston at No. 4 Pittsburgh, 5 p.m., ESPN, ABC, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes; ManningCast-ESPN2

Divisional round
NFC
Saturday
No. 6 San Francisco at No. 1 Seattle, TBA

Sunday
No. 5 Rams at No. 2 Chicago, TBA

AFC
Saturday
No. 6 Buffalo at No. 1 Denver, TBA

Sunday
Pittsburgh/Houston at No. 2 New England, TBA

Conference championships
Sunday, Jan. 25, TBA

Super Bowl
Sunday, Feb. 8, NBC, Time TBA

Lauren Betts leads UCLA over Nebraska

Lauren Betts scored 18 points and had 10 rebounds to help No. 4 UCLA to an 83-61 win over No. 25 Nebraska on Sunday.

Betts also added four blocks and five steals for the Bruins (15-1, 5-0 Big Ten).

UCLA used an 11-2 first quarter run to take control of the game and stretched its lead to 35-20 on Gianna Kneepkens’ three-pointer with 2:21 remaining in the first half.

Nebraska (14-3, 3-3) cut the deficit to 10 on Jessie Petrie’s layup that opened the second half scoring. But the Huskers could get no closer the rest of the way.

Continue reading here

UCLA box score

Big Ten standings

Kara Dunn’s late surge can’t avert USC’s loss

Grace Grocholski scored 25 points and Minnesota made just enough free throws in the fourth quarter to hold off No. 21 USC 63-62 on Sunday, the third straight loss for the Trojans and first win over a ranked team since 2019 for the Golden Gophers.

Minnesota made six of 12 free throws in the fourth quarter, four of eight in the last 73 seconds. But USC had seven turnovers in the final period, which the Golden Gophers turned into eight points as they built a seven-point lead with 41 seconds left.

Kara Dunn scored eight points in the final 31 seconds, including a three-pointer at the buzzer for the Trojans. Dunn finished with 27 points, including all 14 USC points in the fourth quarter.

Continue reading here

USC box score

Big Ten standings

Rui Hachimura’s return nears

From Broderick Turner: It appears Rui Hachimura is poised to return for the Lakers this week after missing six games because of right calf soreness.

The Lakers removed Hachimura from their injury report Sunday, meaning he will be available to play Monday night when the Lakers play at the Sacramento Kings.

Hachimura practiced Sunday and took extra shots after the session. “He was able to do everything in practice,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said.

Continue reading here

U.S. Olympic figure skating team announced

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: Maxim Naumov glides across the ice alone, but during his chase for the 2026 Olympics, the 24-year-old figure skater rarely referred to his journey as a solo endeavor.

Wearing a new white U.S. figure skating jacket on stage at Enterprise Center, Naumov celebrated those that helped him reach his goals, even those who could not be present for the moment. He knew his parents, Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, were still watching.

“We did it,” he said as a wide smile split his face. “We absolutely did it.”

Less than a year after his parents were two of the 67 people killed in a plane crash in Washington, D.C., Naumov completed a dream he and his family hatched together two decades ago by being named to the U.S. Olympic team on Sunday.

Naumov’s emotional selection highlighted what could be the country’s strongest roster in decades. Between the 16 athletes representing the team in Milan, there are three reigning world champions. With the Olympic team event that debuted in 2014, the United States has a chance to win the most Olympic medals for the country since four in 1960. The five medals in 1956 are the U.S. figure skating record for a single Olympic Games.

U.S. figure skating Olympic team

Men’s singles: Ilia Malinin, Andrew Torgashev, Maxim Naumov

Women’s singles: Amber Glenn, Alysa Liu, Isabeau Levito

Pairs: Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea, Emily Chan and Spencer Howe

Ice dance: Madison Chock and Evan Bates, Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik, Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko

Continue reading here

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

1951 — Ezzard Charles knocks out Lee Oma in the 10th round at Madison Square Garden in New York to retain the heavyweight title.

1958 — Dolph Schayes of the Syracuse Nationals sets an NBA record for career points in a 135-109 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Schayes scores 23 points to bring his career mark to 11,770, breaking the record of 11,764 held by George Mikan.

1958 — The NCAA rules committee makes the first change in football scoring rules since 1912 by adding the two-point conversion.

1960 — Syracuse’s Dolph Schayes becomes the first player in NBA history to score 15,000 career points.

1969 — New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath “guarantees” a victory before the game against the 17-point favorite Baltimore Colts, then leads the AFL to its first Super Bowl victory, a 16-7 triumph over a Baltimore team that had lost only once in 16 games all season.

1975 — The Pittsburgh Steelers totally shut down Minnesota’s offense, handing the Vikings their third Super Bowl defeat, 16-6. Franco Harris, the game’s MVP, sets a Super Bowl rushing record with 158 yards.

1986 — Chicago’s Denis Savard ties an NHL record for the fastest goal to start a period by scoring four seconds into the third period of the Blackhawks’ 4-2 victory over the Hartford Whalers.

1991 — Princeton beats Cornell 164-71 in an unusual swimming meet. The schools agree to compete by telephone due to a blizzard making transportation a problem to Ithaca, N.Y. Both teams swim in their owns pools and the results are exchanged by FAX.

2001 — Minnesota defenseman J.J. Daigneault ties an NHL record by playing for his 10th team when he appears in a 5-0 loss to the Avalanche.

2007 — Tadd Fujikawa, just shy of his 16th birthday, steals the show at the Sony Open. Fujikawa shoots a four-under 66, making him the youngest player in 50 years to make the cut on the PGA Tour.

2008 — Tom Brady completes all but two of his 28 passes to lead New England to its second straight AFC championship game with a 31-20 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Patriots improve to 17-0, matching the 1972 Miami Dolphins, the only team to go unbeaten from the first game of the season through the Super Bowl.

2008 — The Green Bay Packers beat the Seattle Seahawks 42-20 to reach the NFC championship game. Ryan Grant recovers from two fumbles that put the Packers down 14-0 after only four minutes. Grant sets a team postseason record by running for 201 yards, and scores three times.

2012 — Dwight Howard breaks Wilt Chamberlain’s nearly 50-year-old NBA record for most free throw attempts in a game, making 21 of 39 in the Orlando Magic’s 117-109 victory over the Golden State Warriors. Chamberlain shot 34 for the Philadelphia Warriors against St. Louis on Feb. 22, 1962.

2013 — Colin Kaepernick rushes for a quarterback playoff-record 181 yards and two touchdowns and throws two scoring passes to Michael Crabtree in San Francisco’s 45-31 win over Green Bay.

2013 — Joe Flacco throws a 70-yard game-tying touchdown to Jacoby Jones with 31 seconds left in regulation, helping send it into overtime and Baltimore beats Denver in the second extra period, 38-35.

2014 — Jeremy Abbott wins his fourth U.S. figure skating title. Teenager Jason Brown finishes second and defending champion Max Aaron places third.

2015 — Ezekiel Elliott rushes for 246 yards and four touchdowns and Ohio State wins the first national title in college football’s playoff era, running over Oregon 42-20.

2017 — Justin Thomas (23) becomes the youngest player to shoot a sub-60 round of 59 in the opening round of the Sony Open at Waialae CC in Hawaii; he also goes on to win the tournament.

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.

The idea of an on-campus football stadium was floated again last week, like it has been so many times over the years at UCLA.

It hasn’t mattered if the Bruins were playing home games at the Coliseum or the Rose Bowl, the pitch has always been the same — the school needs to follow the example of almost every other team in the country and move back onto campus.

The latest proposal came from L. Carlos Simental, a lawyer and UCLA alumnus. Simental wrote an editorial in the Daily Bruin contending that the school should construct a donor-funded, 45,000-seat stadium on the site of the Drake Stadium track and field facility.

Such a move, Simental wrote, would capitalize on the excitement created by the hiring of coach Bob Chesney while also helping UCLA reclaim its athletic identity and compete in the Big Ten. Furthermore, Simental argued, the usual excuses about wealthy neighbors quashing such a move over noise and traffic concerns don’t hold sway because it’s ultimately up to the UC Regents.

This all sounded like a plausible plan, so I contacted someone with a comprehensive understanding of UCLA’s history and operations on the westside of Los Angeles to have a breakfast meeting.

What that person went on to say should probably put this idea to rest for at least the next quarter century, saving everybody from getting excited over nothing — particularly with the school apparently intent on a move to SoFi Stadium unless it’s blocked by the courts.

“It just ain’t going to happen,” said John Sandbrook, who was a UCLA assistant chancellor under Charles Young and a central figure in the school’s move from the Coliseum to the Rose Bowl before the 1982 season.

Among other things, Sandbrook said, the practical realities from an architectural standpoint make an on-campus stadium nearly impossible. Construction would necessitate losing a major portion of the underground Parking Structure 7 and at least one-third of the recreational fields, not to mention cutting into the tennis stadium and Bruin Walk to accommodate the southern part of a new, expanded football stadium.

There would have to be a new service tunnel into the stadium from Charles Young Drive north and a new entryway into Parking Structure 7. A dedicated access lane to nearby Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, the primary trauma center on the westside, would have to be created, further snarling traffic.

“You are basically blowing up things and having to rebuild it,” Sandbrook said. “You don’t say for the sake of six football games a year, ‘We’re going to do all these things.’ ”

Enhanced stadium lighting would be a potential nuisance to the campus and the surrounding neighborhood. And those neighbors that Simental dismissed as powerless could rally behind the California Environmental Quality Act, which does apply to UCLA. There’s also the matter of a proposed Metropolitan Transit Authority subway line that could run under campus, with a stop near the Luskin Center. Might that make the excavations needed to construct a football stadium impossible?

The list of potential issues doesn’t stop there. Space constraints could curtail the installation of a comfortably sized concourse, and who’s going to pay for stadium maintenance?

(For argument’s sake, Sandbrook said it was far more plausible to construct a stadium on the site of the Federal Building and Westwood Park, should that area ever go up for sale.)

Sandbrook conceded that the UC Regents could overturn a 1965 decree forbidding both a proposed football stadium on campus and any future possibility of a stadium exceeding the size of what became Drake Stadium, the school’s 11,700-seat track and field facility.

“I’ve seen other resolutions undone,” Sandbrook said, noting the removal of UCLA co-founder Edward Dickson’s name from the art building in favor of Eli Broad after the regents once ruled the building would permanently be named after Dickinson.

But there’s never been significant momentum for an on-campus stadium since the idea was revisited in the late 1970s and school administrators dismissed it as unrealistic. Given everything that’s been built around the proposed site since then, it seems all the more implausible.

Perhaps Sandbrook put it best in his initial response when I emailed him asking about the idea.

“Fantasy land,” he wrote.

Vibe check

There weren’t a lot of fans watching Tyler Bilodeau during this game earlier this season.

(Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)

Something feels off about UCLA men’s basketball.

It’s not just that the Bruins are losing more games than they should and the home crowds are small and lifeless.

There’s sort of a demoralized aura around the program these days.

Coach Mick Cronin’s repeated player misevaluations, recruiting struggles and roster construction issues have compounded into the current malaise.

His initial four seasons at UCLA were awesome. The first team was humming by season’s end, the second went to the Final Four and the next two were among the best in the nation.

But the Bruins’ fortunes have plummeted as the landscape changed. As transfers have increasingly filled his roster, Cronin hasn’t been able to land enough relentless, high-motor athletes who fit his defense-first style. He also hasn’t had the time to develop players who are only on campus for a year or two. Can Cronin win in the new climate of constant transfer portal upheaval and bloated player salaries?

Barring a midseason turnaround, these Bruins (11-5 overall, 3-2 Big Ten) are headed for either a terrible NCAA tournament seeding or will be left out of the thing altogether.

This is what can happen when your fortunes are essentially decided in a short spring window based on which transfers you bring in. Cronin can’t be blamed for betting on Donovan Dent, the top transfer point guard who has fallen far short of expectations.

What really changed the trajectory of this season was the loss of center Aday Mara, whose late move to Michigan forced Cronin to pivot to Xavier Booker and Steven Jamerson II. While Mara has starred for the Wolverines, Booker has been almost unplayable in recent weeks in terms of defense, rebounding and hustle. Jamerson is, at best, a quality backup.

There figures to be another roster overhaul this spring, which will be Cronin’s fourth in as many seasons. The coach spoke wistfully this week of Maryland counterpart Buzz Williams having a veteran team filled with seniors in his final season at Texas A&M that he had been allowed to coach over multiple years.

Does that make Cronin want to get transfers with as many years of eligibility left as possible?

“Yeah, but you’re assuming they’re going to stay,” Cronin said, alluding to the new reality of yearly free agency in college basketball. “So when you’re saying get a guy that’s got three years left, you’re assuming he’s going to stay for the next two. I think the answer might be more of, get somebody that comes in with the right habits defensively, toughness-wise, competitiveness-wise, because you can’t change them in six months.”

The problem is that Cronin hasn’t been able to bring in enough of those guys recently. He explained that roster construction isn’t as simple as picking who you want — coaches need the right players available and the financial resources necessary to land them.

“It’s not like you’re at the grocery store — we need this to fit with that,” Cronin said. “It goes to who’s available and how much money you have when it comes to roster building. Every coach, guys, would love to go back to being able to recruit high school guys and at least limit it to a one-time transfer. Every guy would like to be able to build a team, build relationships with guys.

“Times have changed, you’ve just got to keep trying to figure it out and change with the times because I think that ship has sailed.”

This is where Max Feldman comes in. UCLA’s new assistant general manager was hired to help scout and evaluate transfers and high school recruits, giving Cronin a head start on his options once the transfer portal opens.

If Feldman does his job well, he could be the most valuable player of Bruins basketball operations, helping to restore a brand fading like those championship banners hanging from the rafters of their home arena.

Opinion time

Bob Chesney has brought in a slew of transfers, including a bunch who have agreed to follow their coach across the country from James Madison. Which transfer excites you the most?

Running back Wayne Knight

Edge rusher Sahir West

Defensive lineman Maxwell Roy

Offensive lineman Riley Robell

Wide receiver Aiden Mizell

Somebody else

Click here to vote in our survey.

Poll results

We asked “Where do you think UCLA finds itself on Selection Sunday?”

After 541 votes, the results:

The Bruins just barely make it into the tournament, 56.3%

A solid Big Ten run puts it in Nos. 5-7 range, 22.5%

They’re left out of the tournament for the second time in three years, 19.4%

An elite finish leads to a protected seed, 1.8%

In case you missed it

Eric Dailey Jr. and Trent Perry lead UCLA defensive explosion during win over Maryland

Jordan Chiles shines but UCLA finishes third in competitive Collegiate Quad meet

Emails reveal UCLA and SoFi Stadium discussed the Bruins leaving the Rose Bowl in 2024

Fans aren’t flipping to see UCLA basketball based on sagging home attendance

Five fixes needed to get UCLA men’s basketball on track amid dismaying stretch

UCLA lands a top transfer in James Madison running back Wayne Knight

‘Going to bode well.’ UCLA gymnastics freshmen learn from Jordan Chiles, and competition

Have something Bruin?

Do you have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future UCLA newsletter? Email me at ben.bolch@latimes.com, and follow me on X @latbbolch. To order an autographed copy of my book, “100 Things UCLA Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die,” send me an email. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. I’m Eric Sondheimer. Let’s examine some surprise teams in high school basketball.

Exceeding expectations

There’s plenty of teams exceeding expectations in high school basketball teams.

How about Chino Hills at 21-4? Yes, the school that went unbeaten 10 years ago led by the Ball brothers is more than holding its own this season. The Huskies are 2-0 in the Baseline League and face tough games this week against Etiwanda and Damien.

Corona Santiago is 20-3 under third-year coach Carlos Castillo, who was an assistant to Josh Giles at Corona Centennial for eight years. The Sharks knocked off defending state champion Eastvale Roosevelt on Friday night 70-63. Two 5-foot-10 guards, Ethan Wadman and Evan Nayback, have been leading the success, along with sophomore guard Matt Bernal. Wadman was MVP of a division at the Tarkanian Classic.

Chaminade is 19-2 and took down Loyola on Friday, the team that beat Sherman Oaks Notre Dame. Temi Olafisoye, a 6-foot-9 senior, is averaging 17 points. He had 22 points and 20 rebounds against Loyola.

Oaks Christian is 17-3 and 2-0 in the Marmonte League. Sophomore Brady Sullivan is averaging 16.1 points.

Bishop Amat is 20-3 under coach Brandon Ertle, who won his 400th game as the Lancers’ coach. Sophomore Aiden Shaw is averaging 22.9 points.

Unbeaten Elsinore has run off 18 consecutive victories. Junior Kamrynn Nathan is averaging 24.6 points.

Triumph Charter is Sylmar is having its best season with a 15-2 record. The City Section school has been led by Antonio Garcia, averaging 19.4 points.

Boys’ basketball

Christian Collins of St. John Bosco celebrates overtime victory over Santa Margarita as Kaiden Bailey experiences defeat. Collins had the tying basket in regulation and game-clinching basket in overtime.

(Nick Koza)

St. John Bosco served notice with a 74-73 double overtime win over Santa Margarita in a Trinity League opener. The Braves now own wins over the Eagles and Harvard-Westlake, two of the top five teams in the Southland. Christian Collins came through at key moments. Here’s the report.

No. 1-ranked Sierra Canyon wasn’t dominant last week but came away with close wins over St. Francis and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame in Mission League play. Here’s the report. The Trailblazers are 15-1 and headed toward a title showdown game with Harvard-Westlake on Jan. 21 that will be a tough ticket to get at Sierra Canyon.

Damien became the Baseline League title favorite by going on the road to defeat Etiwanda. The Spartans scored the game’s first 24 points. Here’s the report.

Palisades is making progress, improving to 5-10 and remains the team to beat in the Western League and in the City Section.

Coach Harvey Kitani of Rolling Hills Prep is four wins away from win No. 1,000 in his coaching career.

Calabasas is surging with 12 wins in its last 13 games. Here’s the report.

Crossroads came up with a key win in its Gold Coast League opener beating Brentwood. Former Brentwood star Shalen Sheppard led Crossroads.

Big games this week include Mira Costa at Redondo Union on Friday and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame at St. Francis on Thursday.

Also the State Preview Classic is set for Saturday at North Torrance.

Here’s this week’s top 25 rankings by The Times.

Freshman standouts

Freshman guard Will Conroy Jr. of Village Christian.

(Craig Weston)

It’s been a good year for freshmen to contribute at the varsity level.

The best one so far has been Will Conroy Jr. of Village Christian.

Here’s a report on freshmen making an impact.

Girls basketball

Kaleena Smith drives the lane for two of her game-high 50 points.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

On Saturday, Kaleena Smith of Ontario Christian turned in a performance for the ages, scoring 50 points and rallying her unbeaten team to a double overtime victory over Archbishop Mitty at Mater Dei. Here’s the report.

Smith, a junior, has become the most sought-after girls basketball player by college recruiters since JuJu Watkins.

JSerra has risen to No. 3 in the Southern California top 20 rankings. The Lions are 16-2 after holding off Flintridge Prep 75-73. They have wins over Sierra Canyon, Oak Park and Corona Centennial. They open Trinity League play against Santa Margarita on Thursday and face Windward on Saturday.

In the City Section, Westchester is 13-3 and has Western League games on Wednesday against Fairfax and Friday against Palisades.

Soccer

Goalie Ben Buchler of Oak Park has recorded 10 shutouts this season.

(Sharon Levy)

It’s been a quite a soccer season for Oak Park goalie Ben Buchler, who has set a school record with 10 shutouts this season.

Oak Park is 14-1-1 and 2-0 in league.

Palos Verdes holds down the No. 1 spot in Southern Section rankings.

Palos Verdes came through with a 2-1 double overtime win over Mira Costa. Here’s the report.

El Camino Real made a big move to become the favorite in the West Valley League with a 3-0 win over Cleveland and a 2-1 win over Birmingham.

In girls soccer, Santa Margarita is 12-0 and ranked No. 1 in Southern California.

Lessons to learn

A long plane ride helped a sportswriter put together some standards to strive for in 2026 for high school athletes, coaches and parents.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

While flying at 35,000 feet on a vacation, I wrote some lessons to live by for the 2026 high school sports season for parents, players and coaches.

Here’s the report.

Transfer portal

This should be a big week for the announcements of high school football players transferring with the spring semester starting at lots of schools.

Here’s the link to the current list of transfers.

One person to watch is All-City receiver and standout sprinter Demare Dezeurn of Palisades. Coach Dylen Smith said he’s heard the rumors like everyone else: Dezeurn to Sierra Canyon. School resumes at Palisades this week.

Dezeurn is one of the top track and field performers in the state, so where he ends up will be important for this spring whether he’s competing in the City Section or the Southern Section.

Notes . . .

Carson quarterback Chris Fields III takes off against San Pedro. He ran for two touchdowns and passed for three.

(Craig Weston)

Quarterback Chris Fields III of Carson has been selected the City Section player of the year in football. Here’s the All-City team. . . .

Trent Mosley and Dash Fifita of Santa Margarita top the All-CIF Southern Section Division 1 football team. Here’s the link to the All-CIF team. . . .

St. John Bosco, Harvard-Westlake, Orange Lutheran and Aquinas will participate in the National High School Baseball Invitational March 25-28 in Cary, N.C. . . . .

Zack Stein from Santa Margarita has committed to Whittier College for baseball. . . .

Layli Ostovar of Mater Dei has been selected the Gatorade state player of the year in girls’ volleyball. She’s committed to USC. . . .

Junior defensive back Aaryn Washington from Mater Dei has committed to USC. . . .

Former Loyola goalie Cabral Carter (class of 2022) has signed with LAFC in the MLS. . . .

Junior linebacker Taven Epps of Tustin has committed to Oklahoma. . . .

Noah Darnell, a pitcher at Santa Margarita, went from losing a scholarship to attending Harvard. Here’s his story. . . .

The Trinity League wrestling championships will be held Wednesday at St. John Bosco. . . .

Verbum Dei will hold a ceremony at halftime its basketball game against Gardena Serra on Friday at 7 p.m. retiring the jersey of the late David Greenwood. . . .

From the archives: Colton Joseph

Newport Harbor’s Colton Joseph throws a short pass in 2022.

(Drew A. Kelley / Contributing photographer)

Former Newport Harbor quarterback Colton Joseph has gone from starting quarterback at Old Dominion to one of Wisconsin’s biggest signees from the college transfer portal. He was the Sun Belt offensive player of the year.

He passed for 2,624 yards and 21 touchdowns and rushed for 1,007 yards this season at Old Dominion. As a senior at Newport Harbor in 2022, he passed for 2,749 yards and 30 touchdowns and rushed for seven touchdowns.

Here’s a story from 2022 when he passed for five touchdowns in the first half of a game in Hawaii.

Recommendations

From SI.com, a story on a high school basketball team ending a 120-game league losing streak.

From the Sacramento Bee, a story on a 6-8 high school basketball player known as “Mad Max.”

From the Los Angeles Times, a story on Crossroads students starting a high school pickleball league.

Tweets you might have missed

Until next time….

Have a question, comment or something you’d like to see in a future Prep Rally newsletter? Email me at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latsondheimer.

Did you get this newsletter forwarded to you? To sign up and get it in your inbox, click here.

EDMONTON, Canada — Adrian Kempe scored the lone goal in a shootout and the Kings beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 on Saturday night in their first meeting since the first-round of the playoffs.

Edmonton has eliminated the Kings during the opening round of the playoffs the past four seasons.

Connor McDavid scored his 30th goal of the season to tie it 3-3 for Edmonton on a power play with 9:20 to go. He extended his points streak to a career-high 18 games.

Corey Perry, Andre Lee and Alex Laferriere scored in regulation, and Anton Forsberg made 21 saves to help the Kings rebound from a 5-1 loss in Winnipeg on Friday night. The 40-year-old Perry spent the previous two seasons with Edmonton.

Kings captain Anze Kopitar missed his third straight game with a lower-body injury.

Leon Draisaitl scored twice for Edmonton, and Connor Ingram stopped 27 shots. McDavid, Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins failed on their shootout attempts for the Oilers.

From Ryan Kartje: When Husan Longstreet arrived at USC a year ago, the expectation was the five-star freshman would be the Trojans’ future at quarterback.

But after just one season at USC, Longstreet is leaving.

The true freshman passer and former top prospect officially entered the NCAA transfer portal Thursday, throwing the Trojans’ future plans at football’s most important position into question. USC has just two quarterbacks currently on the roster, one being a true freshman in Jonas Williams.

There’s no doubt, however, who will remain USC’s quarterback next season. Returning starter Jayden Maiava, who led the Big Ten in passing yards last season (3,711) announced his intent last month to play another season at USC, as opposed to declaring for the NFL draft.

That left Longstreet with a choice: Spend another season on the sideline or search for opportunity elsewhere.

Continue reading here

Here’s what UCLA needs to fix

From Ben Bolch: When his team lost three consecutive games during what was shaping up as a rocky debut season, Mick Cronin made players and coaches go through practices without the UCLA logo on their tank tops and shorts.

There’s currently no need to strip anyone of anything.

This already looks nothing like what UCLA basketball is supposed to be.

The defense is lagging, the roster is lacking and nobody seems to know what to do about it.

A second consecutive loss has dropped the Bruins squarely into bubble territory for the NCAA tournament, somewhere a team that wears these four letters across its chest should never be. They are a middling 10-5 with no compelling victories and a .500 record early in Big Ten play.

Here are five fixes designed to get a team that entered the season ranked No. 12 playing closer to expectations:

Continue reading here

Dodgers avoid arbitration

From Benjamin Royer: The Dodgers won’t be heading to an arbitration hearing after all.

Outfielder Alex Call (one-year, $1.6 million) and relief pitchers Anthony Banda (one-year, $1.625 million) and Brock Stewart (one-year, $1.3 million) each avoided arbitration, coming to an agreement with the Dodgers before Thursday’s MLB arbitration deadline, people familiar with the situation but unauthorized to speak publicly confirmed to The Times.

Continue reading here

Ducks lose eighth in a row

Jalen Chatfield’s first goal of the season was a tiebreaker and goalie Frederik Andersen snapped a personal nine-game losing streak as the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Ducks 5-2 on Thursday night.

Chatfield, a defenseman playing in his 300th career game, scored during the Hurricanes’ three-goal second period. He also had an assist.

Ryan Poehling and Mikael Granlund scored for the Ducks (21-20-3), who have an eight-game losing streak (0-7-1). Ville Husso stopped 30 shots.

Continue reading here

Former employee sues Ducks and NHL for sexual harassment and discrimination

Ducks summary

NHL standings

Chloe Kim injured

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Chloe Kim said Thursday that she dislocated her shoulder in training and doesn’t know whether she will be able to compete at the Winter Games in Italy next month.

Kim posted footage of her fall from earlier this week on the halfpipe in Laax, Switzerland, where the world’s top snowboarders compete later this month in a key pre-Olympic tune-up. She landed a jump cleanly but lost an edge and went skittering across the pipe, face down.

Kim, who did not say which shoulder she hurt, said she is “trying to stay optimistic” about competing at the Olympics but “[doesn’t] have much clarity now.” The 25-year-old said she has an MRI scheduled for Friday that will reveal the extent of the damage.

Continue reading here

How Puka Nacua became the best pass catcher

From Gary Klein: The spectacular one-handed catch looked like the kind of play that could only be made with sudden adjustment. A reaction with no thought or practice required.

But that’s not how it went down for Rams star receiver Puka Nacua.

Nacua’s fourth-down touchdown catch against the Arizona Cardinals in the regular-season season finale had its roots in a conversation with quarterback Matthew Stafford.

“Just trusting the technique is something that actually me and Matthew talked about in the week before in a rep during practice,” Nacua said. “The angle departure that we were looking at.

“It’s crazy how some of those things come to life on Sundays.”

Stafford and Nacua were the NFL’s top connection this season.

Continue reading here

NFL playoffs schedule

NFL wild-card picks: Rams get revenge on Panthers; Packers beat Bears

All times Pacific
Wild-card round
NFC
Saturday
No. 5 Rams at No. 4 Carolina, 1:30 p.m., FOX, FOX Deportes
No. 7 Green Bay at No. 2 Chicago, 5 p.m., Prime Video

Sunday
No. 6 San Francisco at No. 3 Philadelphia, 1:30 p.m., FOX, FOX Deportes

AFC
Sunday
No. 6 Buffalo at No. 3 Jacksonville, 10 a.m., CBS, Paramount+
No. 7 Chargers at No. 2 New England, 5 p.m., NBC, Peacock, Universo

Monday
No. 5 Houston at No. 4 Pittsburgh, 5 p.m., ESPN, ABC, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes; ManningCast-ESPN2

Divisional round
Jan. 17 and 18, TBA

Conference championships
Sunday, Jan. 25, TBA

Super Bowl
Sunday, Feb. 8, NBC, Time TBA

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

1942 — Joe Louis knocks out Buddy Baer with four seconds left in the first round at Madison Square Garden in New York to retain the world heavyweight title.

1977 — Oakland wins its first NFL title nd the Minnesota Vikings drop their fourth Super Bowl as the Raiders post a 32-14 triumph.

1988 — Anthony Carter catches 10 passes for an NFL postseason-record 227 yards to lead the Minnesota Vikings to a 36-24 victory over the San Francisco 49ers and advanced to the NFC title game.

1991 — Dean Smith collects his 700th career coaching victory as North Carolina routs Maryland 105-73. Smith is the sixth Division I basketball coach to reach the 700-win plateau and does so in the shortest time.

1996 — The Toronto Raptors set an NBA record by not making a free throw in a 92-91 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. The expansion Raptors shoots 0-for-3 from the foul line.

2004 — Brian Boucher of Phoenix posts his fifth consecutive shutout in a 2-0 win over Minnesota. He stops 21 shots and passes Bill Durnan’s NHL mark of 309:21, early in the third period.

2006 — Kobe Bryant of the Lakers scores 45 points against Indiana, making him the first player since Wilt Chamberlain — in November of 1964 — to score at least that many in four straight games.

2007 — Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn are elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Mark McGwire, whose 583 home runs ranked seventh on the career list, does not make it on his first ballot.

2008 — Golf Channel suspends anchor Kelly Tilghman for two weeks for saying a week earlier that young players who wanted to challenge Tiger Woods should “lynch him in a back alley.”

2010 — Peyton Manning becomes the first player to win The Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player honors four times.

2010 — Detroit’s Ben Gordon scores 20 points, including the 10 millionth point in NBA history, in a 104-04 loss to Philadelphia.

2012 — Jeremy Shelley kicks five field goals and Trent Richardson breaks a 34-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter as No. 2 Alabama beats No. 1 LSU 21-0 — the first shutout in BCS title game history.

2013 — No one is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. For the second time in four decades, baseball writers fail to give any player the 75 percent required for induction to Cooperstown. Craig Biggio, 20th on the career list with 3,060 hits, appears on 68.2% of the 569 ballots, the highest total but 39 votes shy.

2016 — Quarterback Carson Wentz, out since mid-October with a broke wrist, returns to lead North Dakota State to an unprecedented fifth straight FCS championship with a 37-10 victory over top seed Jacksonville State.

2016 — Chris Boswell kicks a 35-yard field goal with 14 seconds remaining as the Steelers somehow pull out an 18-16 victory over Cincinnati in the AFC wild-card game. Pittsburgh moves into field goal position after a pair of 15-yard penalties on the Bengals, one on linebacker Vontaze Burfict and another on Adam Jones.

2017 — College Football National Championship, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa: No. 2 Clemson beats No. 1 Alabama, 35-31.

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.

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: Playing without LeBron James, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura, the Lakers wilted on the second night of a two-game trip, falling 107-91 to the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center.

With three starters out, Luka Doncic tried to will the Lakers to a victory with a 38-point, 10-rebound, 10 assist triple-double. He played 38 minutes and 20 seconds one night after playing 37 minutes and scoring 30 points in Tuesday’s win over the Pelicans..

James also scored 30 points in Tuesday’s win but sat out Wednesday with right sciatica and left foot arthritis. With him, Hachimura and Reaves out, the Lakers (23-12) had an average of 61 points sidelined.

Continue reading here

Lakers box score

NBA standings

Leonard can’t save Clippers from Knicks

Karl-Anthony Towns had 20 points, 11 rebounds and a season-high seven assists, Jalen Brunson scored 26 points and the New York Knicks snapped their four-game losing streak with a 123-111 victory over the Clippers on Wednesday night.

Towns bounced back from a quiet game Monday in Detroit, when he took just four shots and had only six points and six turnovers in the Knicks’ 121-90 loss that gave them their longest losing streak of the season. This time, the center had 10 points in the fourth quarter to help the Knicks break open the game.

OG Anunoby added 20 points and Deuce McBride had 16 for the Knicks, who had a 24-7 run starting late in the third quarter and extending into the fourth to turn a four-point deficit into a 105-92 advantage.

Kawhi Leonard scored 25 points for the Clippers (13-23), who lost for just the second time in nine games. James Harden had 23 points and nine assists after sitting out Monday against Golden State because of right shoulder soreness.

Continue reading here

Clippers box score

Kings get swallowed by Sharks in overtime

William Eklund scored 3:08 into overtime, Macklin Celebrini had the tying goal and two assists to extend his point streak to 12 games, and the San Jose Sharks defeated the Kings 4-3 on Wednesday night.

Celebrini evened the score at 3 with 1:07 remaining in regulation. He deked his way past Warren Foegele and sent a wrist shot through traffic that beat goalie Darcy Kuemper through the legs for his 24th goal this season. The 19-year-old center has nine goals and 15 assists during his point streak.

Celebrini is tied for the third-longest point streak by a teenager in NHL history — joining Joe Sakic in 1988-89, Jimmy Carson in 1987-88 and Wayne Gretzky in 1979-80 — and the third-longest point streak in Sharks history.

Continue reading here

Kings summary

NHL standings

UCLA scores top transfer in star running back

From Ben Bolch: UCLA has landed a transfer who could hasten Bob Chesney’s rebuilding efforts.

Wayne Knight verbally committed to following Chesney from James Madison to Westwood on Wednesday, giving the new Bruins coach a high-quality running back to pair with quarterback Nico Iamaleava.

Showing what he could do on a national stage last month, Knight ran for 110 yards in 17 carries against Oregon in the College Football Playoff. It was the fifth 100-yard rushing game of the season for Knight on the way to being selected a first team All-Sun Belt Conference player.

Combining excellent speed with the toughness needed to break tackles, the 5-foot-6, 189-pound Knight led the conference with 1,357 rushing yards. He also made 40 catches for 397 yards and averaged 22.3 yards on kickoff returns and 9.5 yards on punt returns. His 2,039 all-purpose yards were a school record, helping him become an Associated Press second team All-American all-purpose player after ranking third nationally with 145.6 all-purpose yards per game.

Continue reading here

From Ben Bolch and Ryan Kartje: A look at all the players who are transferring in and out of UCLA and USC in the NCAA transfer portal ahead of the 2026 college football season.

Recent announcements include UCLA acquiring running back Wayne Knight and wide receivers Semaj Morgan, Landon Ellis, Leland Smith and Aidan Mizell are coming to UCLA.

Continue reading here

Williams Jr., Washington at odds over his exit

From Steve Henson: The decision by Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. to enter the transfer portal shocked and angered the Huskies because only days earlier the sophomore breakout star had signed a lucrative name, image and likeness deal to remain in Seattle.

Legal action by Washington would be no surprise two weeks after similar events prompted an exchange of lawsuits involving Damon Wilson II, an edge rusher who transferred from Georgia to Missouri in January 2025, days after signing an NIL contract.

With recruiting strategy reduced to shoveling stacks of NIL dollars at players who jump through the transfer portal seemingly at will, it’s no wonder loyalty and etiquette have given way to opportunity and greed.

And it should surprise no one that the implementation of rules might be done by judges, not NCAA officials or conference commissioners.

Continue reading here

Can Herbert prove MVP in the playoffs?

From Benjamin Royer: Jim Harbaugh listed descriptions of his players as he looked back on the injury-filled route to the postseason the Chargers took to facing the New England Patriots in the AFC wild-card round on Sunday.

Harbaugh, heading into his second postseason as Chargers head coach, coined his team as gladiators, warriors and competitors — grappling the attention off the reporter’s question about what he’d learned from the regular-season strife and onto his roster.

“They’re mighty men,” Harbaugh said Wednesday afternoon.

Harbaugh continued: “It just reconfirms everything that I’ve always thought and want for our team is: ‘Competitors welcome.’ Competitors and playmakers, and we’ve got them. … That bodes really well for our team.”

There’s no doubt who the mightiest of the bunch may be for the Chargers (11-6) in 2025.

Justin Herbert’s 16-game stretch — playing the final five of which with a fractured left hand before sitting out last week — has turned heads with his 3,727 passing yards and 26 passing touchdowns despite playing behind a fractured offensive line because of injuries to starting tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt.

Continue reading here

NFL standings

The NFL teams hitting a head coach refresh

From Chuck Schilken: The NFL regular season has ended.

For some teams, the search for a new head coach has begun.

The Baltimore Ravens have become the seventh team that will be seeking a new coach heading into the 2026 season. They fired longtime coach John Harbaugh on Tuesday, less than two days after a missed field goal at the end of regulation against the Pittsburgh Steelers prevented Baltimore from clinching the AFC North and advancing to the playoffs.

The Las Vegas Raiders fired Pete Carroll on Monday morning after a 3-14 season. The Atlanta Falcons fired coach Raheem Morris, as well as general manager Terry Fontenot, on Sunday night after a second straight 8-9 finish. The Cleveland Browns fired coach Kevin Stefanski after six seasons, the team announced Monday morning following a 5-11 finish this season. The Arizona Cardinals announced Monday morning that they’ve moved on from coach Jonathan Gannon after a 3-14 season.

Continue reading here

Is Shula a shoo-in for NFL head coach spot?

From Gary Klein: His late grandfather is the all-time leader in NFL coaching victories.

His father was an NFL head coach.

So, yes, Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula aims to become a third-generation NFL head coach.

Shula, the Rams’ defensive coordinator, is expected to take another step toward achieving that goal next week when assistants coaching in wild-card playoff games this weekend can be interviewed for head coach openings.

Continue reading here

NFL playoffs schedule

All times Pacific
Wild-card round
NFC
Saturday
No. 5 Rams at No. 4 Carolina, 1:30 p.m., FOX, FOX Deportes
No. 7 Green Bay at No. 2 Chicago, 5 p.m., Prime Video

Sunday
No. 6 San Francisco at No. 3 Philadelphia, 1:30 p.m., FOX, FOX Deportes

AFC
Sunday
No. 6 Buffalo at No. 3 Jacksonville, 10 a.m., CBS, Paramount+
No. 7 Chargers at No. 2 New England, 5 p.m., NBC, Peacock, Universo

Monday
No. 5 Houston at No. 4 Pittsburgh, 5 p.m., ESPN, ABC, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes; ManningCast-ESPN2

Divisional round
Jan. 17 and 18, TBA

Conference championships
Sunday, Jan. 25, TBA

Super Bowl
Sunday, Feb. 8, NBC, Time TBA

Freshmen landing tricks for UCLA gymnastics

From Anthony Solorzano: Her jitters came and went during the first meet of her college career. Now, it’s time for UCLA freshman Nola Matthews to focus on her training and routines.

“How I practice is the standard that I want,” Matthews said, “so now, I just need to implement that into competition.”

The UCLA women’s gymnastics team sent four freshmen (Matthews, Tiana Sumanasekera, Ashlee Sullivan and Jordis Eichman) to the floor during their meet against Washington, California and Oregon State on Saturday.

After earning three wins during the competition in Washington, the Bruins swept the Big Ten Conference weekly awards, including freshman of the week award for Sumanasekera after she placed second on the balance beam and the floor exercise.

Continue reading here

Hall of Famer keeps on against Parkinson’s

From Chuck Schilken: Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre said Wednesday that anyone who says he has thrown in the towel on his battle with Parkinson’s disease is spreading fake news.

“Thank you everyone for your prayers and concerns, but contrary to reports, I have not given up hope in my battle with Parkinson’s!” the 56-year-old Super Bowl champion wrote on X. “Not sure where this came from — but just like I never gave up on the gridiron — not going to start now. I pray there will be a cure one day and I appreciate you all.”

Favre also told TMZ on Wednesday: “I have absolutely not given up and I am fighting till the end. Yes I have progressed a little faster than I would have hoped at this point but I’m extremely thankful and blessed!!!”

The former Packers/Jets/Vikings quarterback revealed his Parkinson’s diagnosis last year but hadn’t gone into much detail about it until last week’s episode of his “4th and Favre” podcast.

Continue reading here

Dodgers, Graterol avoid arbitration with deal

From Benjamin Royer: The Dodgers avoided arbitration with reliever Brusdar Graterol on Wednesday, reportedly agreeing to terms with the Venezuelan right-hander on a one-year, $2.8-million deal before Thursday’s deadline to avoid an arbitration hearing.

Graterol, 27, missed the 2025 season after undergoing surgery on the labrum in his right shoulder in November 2024. The $2.8-million figure is the same as his salary for last season.

After being acquired by the Dodgers in a 2020 trade that sent Kenta Maeda to the Minnesota Twins, he turned into a hard-throwing member of the team’s bullpen.

Continue reading here

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

1972 — The NCAA announces freshmen will be eligible to play on varsity football and basketball teams starting in the fall.

1973 — David Vaughn of Oral Roberts grabs 34 rebounds in a 123-95 win over Brandeis.

1984 — The Executive Committee of the NCAA votes to expand the championship basketball field to 64 teams starting in 1985.

1984 — Bengt Gustafsson of the Washington Capitals scores five goals in a 7-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.

1993 — Michael Jordan becomes the 18th NBA player to reach the 20,000-point plateau when he scores 35 points in the Chicago Bulls’ game against the Milwaukee Bucks. Jordan reaches 20,000-points in 620 games, faster than anyone except Wilt Chamberlain, who did it in 499 games.

1994 — Dino Ciccarelli becomes the 19th NHL player to score 500 career goals in the Detroit Red Wings’ 6-3 victory over the Los Angeles Kings.

2000 — Eddie House scores 61 points to tie Lew Alcindor’s Pac-10 record and lead the Sun Devils to 111-108 double-overtime victory over California.

2003 — Utah guard Mark Jackson becomes the third NBA player to reach 10,000 career assists in the Jazz’s 99-93 win over the Phoenix Suns. Jackson joins career assists leader and teammate John Stockton (15,425) and Magic Johnson (10,141).

2007 — Second-ranked Florida dominates Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith and No. 1 Ohio State for a 41-14 in the BCS National Championship Bowl. The Gators become the first Division I school to hold football and basketball titles at the same time.

2008 — Goose Gossage becomes the fifth relief pitcher elected to the Hall of Fame.

2009 — Tim Tebow wins the matchup of Heisman winners as No. 1 Florida beats No. 2 Oklahoma and this year’s Heisman winner Sam Bradford, 24-14, in the BCS National Championship Bowl.

2011 — The Seattle Seahawks stun the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints 41-36 to open the NFL playoffs. Seattle, the first division winner with a losing record at 7-9, advances behind four touchdown passes by Matt Hasselbeck and a brilliant 67-yard run by Marshawn Lynch.

2012 — Denver’s Tim Tebow connects with Demaryius Thomas on an electrifying 80-yard touchdown pass on the first play of overtime and the Broncos stun the Pittsburgh Steelers 29-23 in a AFC wild-card game. The play, the longest to end a playoff game in overtime, takes 11 seconds and is the quickest ending to an overtime in NFL history.

2014 — Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas are elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame, while Craig Biggio fell two votes short.

2016 — Oakland’s Khalil Mack makes history earning a selection at two positions on the 2015 Associated Press All-Pro Team, an NFL first. The second-year Raiders defensive end and outside linebacker draws enough support from a panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league to make the squad both spots.

2018 — College Football National Championship, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta: #4 Alabama beats #3 Georgia, 26-23.

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.

William Eklund scored 3:08 into overtime, Macklin Celebrini had the tying goal and two assists to extend his point streak to 12 games, and the San Jose Sharks defeated the Kings 4-3 on Wednesday night.

Celebrini evened the score at 3 with 1:07 remaining in regulation. He deked his way past Warren Foegele and sent a wrist shot through traffic that beat goalie Darcy Kuemper through the legs for his 24th goal this season. The 19-year-old center has nine goals and 15 assists during his point streak.

Celebrini is tied for the third-longest point streak by a teenager in NHL history — joining Joe Sakic in 1988-89, Jimmy Carson in 1987-88 and Wayne Gretzky in 1979-80 — and the third-longest point streak in Sharks history.

Tyler Toffoli and Adam Gaudette each had a goal, Yaroslav Askarov made 23 saves and the Sharks won for the fifth time in six games.

Alex Turcotte and Kevin Fiala each had a goal and an assist for the Kings, who still haven’t won three straight games since winning four in a row in mid-November. Alex Laferriere also scored and Kuemper made 24 saves.

Laferriere put the Kings ahead with 2:10 left in the third period, but they couldn’t prevent another sensational play by the electric Celebrini.

The Kings were without four forwards, including stalwart center and team captain Anze Kopitar, who is day-to-day after sustaining a lower-body injury in a win over Minnesota on Monday. Those absences led the Kings to play with 11 forwards and seven defensemen.

Sharks center Ty Dellandrea is week-to-week after sustaining a lower-body injury against Columbus on Tuesday.

From Chuck Schilken: The Las Vegas Raiders fired Pete Carroll on Monday morning after a 3-14 season. The Atlanta Falcons fired coach Raheem Morris, as well as general manager Terry Fontenot, on Sunday night after a second straight 8-9 finish. The Cleveland Browns fired coach Kevin Stefanski after six seasons, the team announced Monday morning following a 5-11 finish this season. The Arizona Cardinals announced Monday morning that they’ve moved on from coach Jonathan Gannon after a 3-14 season.

Two other teams parted ways with their head coaches during the season. The Tennessee Titans fired Brian Callahan in October after a 1-5 start to the season. The New York Giants fired Brian Daboll in November after a 2-8 start.

With NFL’s “Black Monday” already in full swing, other teams are likely to make similar moves. Here’s a look at everything that has happened so far. This list will continue to be updated as more changes occur.

Continue reading here

Quentin Lake could be key for Rams

From Benjamin Royer: Quentin Lake, the Rams’ defensive captain, could be the catalyst that helps mend the Rams’ tattered secondary ahead of their wild-card showdown with the Carolina Panthers on Saturday.

Through the first 11 weeks of the season, the Rams held opponents to 17.2 points per game, just behind the Houston Texans as the NFL’s second-best defense. Over the seven games Lake missed since sustaining a dislocated elbow against the Seahawks in November, the Rams gave up an average of 24.8 points per game.

The 26-year-old safety, who is expected to make his return against Carolina, has proven to be a cornerstone on the Rams’ defense with his leadership skills and personal versatility.

Lake has also endeared himself to his teammates, as evidenced by Kobie Turner‘s widened smile when Lake’s name came up with reporters following the Rams’ 37-20 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

“Captain Q,” said Turner, who played a role in helping the Rams record six sacks against the Cardinals. “There’s not really words that can explain — you turn on the tape and you see exactly what he is.”

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NFL playoffs schedule

All times Pacific
Wild-card round
NFC
Saturday
No. 5 Rams at No. 4 Carolina, 1:30 p.m., FOX, FOX Deportes
No. 7 Green Bay at No. 2 Chicago, 5 p.m., Prime Video

Sunday
No. 6 San Francisco at No. 3 Philadelphia, 1:30 p.m., FOX, FOX Deportes

AFC
Sunday
No. 6 Buffalo at No. 3 Jacksonville, 10 a.m., CBS, Paramount+
No. 7 Chargers at No. 2 New England, 5 p.m., NBC, Peacock, Universo

Monday
No. 5 Houston at No. 4 Pittsburgh, 5 p.m., ESPN, ABC, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes; ManningCast-ESPN2

Divisional round
Jan. 17 and 18, TBA

Conference championships
Sunday, Jan. 25, TBA

Super Bowl
Sunday, Feb. 8, NBC, Time TBA

Lakers takeaways

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: Call it deja vu.

For the second time in three days, the Lakers played the Memphis Grizzlies at Crypto.com Arena, took a close game into the fourth quarter and pulled away late behind the scoring punch of the same three players.

Again fueled by LeBron James (26 points, 10 assists), Luka Doncic (36 points, nine rebounds, eight assists) and Jake LaRavia (26 points), the Lakers overcame a 16-point first-half deficit to win 120-114 on Sunday against the Grizzlies.

After James and Doncic each scored 30 in Friday’s win that also featured a 20-point performance from LaRavia, the Lakers (22-11) won consecutive games for just the second time in five weeks.

Here are three takeaways from the win:

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Clippers win wild game

Kawhi Leonard had 24 points and 12 rebounds, rookie Kobe Sanders added 20 points, and the Clippers edged the Golden State Warriors 103-102 on Monday night in a wild game that included Warriors coach Steve Kerr getting ejected and Steph Curry fouling out for the first time since 2021.

Kerr was ejected with 7:57 remaining in the game after becoming irate when the Clippers’ John Collins wasn’t called for goaltending. A shouting Kerr pursued the referees along the sideline and had to be restrained by his assistants before getting tossed.

Curry scored 27 points but was just four for 15 from three-point range and nine for 23 overall before fouling out with 42 seconds remaining in the game. He fouled out for the first time since Dec. 17, 2021, at Boston.

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Clippers box score

NBA standings

USC routed by Michigan State

Coen Carr scored 18 points and Jaxon Kohler added 16 on perfect shooting to lead No. 12 Michigan State to an 80-51 blowout against USC on Monday night.

Jeremy Fears Jr. had 15 points and seven assists for the Spartans (13-2, 3-1 Big Ten), who took control with a 27-6 run early in the game and led by at least 20 for much of the second half.

Kohler made all six of his field-goal attempts, including a trio of three-pointers, and sank his only free throw. He also grabbed eight rebounds, two short of becoming the first Spartans player since at least 1996-97 to have six straight double-doubles in a season, according to Sportradar.

Ezra Ausar scored 16 points and Jerry Easter added 12 for the Trojans (12-3, 1-3), who lost consecutive games for the first time this season.

Continue reading here

USC box score

Big Ten standings

Kings win, but Kopitar is injured

Andrei Kuzmenko had a goal and an assist, and the Kings held on to beat the Minnesota Wild 4-2 on Monday night.

Warren Foegele, Kevin Fiala and Adrian Kempe also scored, and Darcy Kuemper stopped 33 shots for the Kings, who beat the Wild for the second time in three nights and got just their fourth win in 12 games (4-6-2).

Jared Spurgeon had a goal and an assist, and Ryan Hartman also scored for Minnesota, which snapped a six-game point streak (3-0-3). and Filip Gustavsson had 29 saves.

Kings center Anze Kopitar left the game after playing 4:54 in the first period. The Kings later ruled him out for the rest of the game because of a lower-body injury.

Continue reading here

Kings summary

NHL standings

Bob Pulford dies

Bob Pulford, a Hockey Hall of Fame player who went on to a lengthy career in the NHL as a coach and general manager, has died. He was 89.

A spokesperson for the NHL Alumni Assn. said Monday the organization learned of Pulford’s death from his family. No other details were provided.

A tough, dependable forward, Pulford helped the Toronto Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup four times during his 14-year stretch with them from 1956 to 1970. The Newton Robinson, Canada, native was part of the 1967 team that remains the organization’s last to win a championship.

Pulford spent his final two playing seasons with the Kings in the early 1970s before coaching them for the following five years. He then ran the Chicago Blackhawks’ front office as general manager or senior vice president of hockey operations for three decades from 1977 to 2007, going behind the bench to coach four times during that span.

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Ducks lose to Washington

Justin Sourdif scored his first NHL hat trick and added two assists and the Washington Capitals beat the Ducks 7-4 on Monday night.

Alex Ovechkin scored twice, Ryan Leonard had a goal and an assist, John Carlson also scored and Connor McMichael had four assists for the Capitals, who ended a two-game slide. Charlie Lindgren made 41 saves in the win.

Chris Kreider, Alex Killorn, Jacob Trouba and Beckett Sennecke scored for the Ducks, who have lost six straight. Petr Mrazek stopped 19 of 24 shots through two periods. He was replaced by Lukas Dostal to start the third. Dostal stopped the three shots he faced.

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Ducks summary

NHL standings

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

1951 — The Indianapolis Olympians beat the Rochester Royals 75-73 in six overtimes, the longest game in NBA history.

1976 — Ted Turner, a millionaire communications executive and internationally known yachtsman, buys the Atlanta Braves for a reported $10-to-12 million.

1980 — The Rams, behind three field goals by Frank Corral, beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-0 to win the NFC Championship. This is the first conference championship game in NFL history without a touchdown being scored.

1980 — The Pittsburgh Steelers advance to their fourth Super Bowl appearance since 1974 by eliminating the Houston Oilers for the second consecutive year with a 27-13 triumph in the AFC title game.

1981 — John Tonelli ties a New York Islanders record with five goals in a 6-3 victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Nassau Coliseum. Mike Bossy gets an assist on all six goals to set an Islanders record. Tonelli scores once in the first period, once in the second and three times in the third.

1985 — Dan Marino passes for a record 421 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Miami Dolphins to a 45-28 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC championship game.

1985 — The San Francisco 49ers holds the Chicago Bears to 186 yards and sacks quarterback Steve Fuller nine times to win the NFC Championship 23-0.

1994 — Nancy Kerrigan is attacked after practice at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Detroit. Shane Stant clubs Kerrigan on the knee and flees the scene. Later that evening, Scott Davis wins the men’s U.S. Figure Skating title.

1995 — Lenny Wilkens becomes the winningest coach in NBA history as the Atlanta Hawks post a 112-90 victory over the Washington Bullets. Wilkens, with his 939th win, surpasses Red Auerbach’s record. Wilkens reaches the record in his 22nd year as an NBA coach, including four as a player-coach.

2005 — For the first time in NBA history, a player leads his team in scoring without making a field goal. Detroit’s Richard Hamilton scores 14 points despite missing all 10 of his field goal attempts in a 101-79 loss to Memphis.

2011 — Miami of Ohio caps a historic season with a 35-21 win over Middle Tennessee in the GoDaddy.com Bowl. The RedHawks (10-4) are the first team in Football Bowl Subdivision history to win 10 games one season after losing 10. Miami finished a dismal 1-11 in 2009.

2014 — Patrick Maher of Division III Grinnell College breaks the NCAA record with 37 assists in a 164-144 victory over College of Faith.

2014 — Jameis Winston throws a 13-yard touchdown pass to Kelvin Benjamin with 13 seconds left and No. 1 Florida State beat No. 2 Auburn 34-31 to win the last BCS national championship game.

2015 — Patrik Elias has a goal and two assists to reach 1,000, NHL points, and the New Jersey Devils beat the struggling Buffalo Sabres 4-1. The goal is the 399th for Elias.

2016 — Ken Griffey Jr. is elected to the baseball Hall of Fame with the highest voting percentage ever, and Mike Piazza makes it in his fourth year on the ballot. Griffey is on 437 of 440 votes in his first appearance on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot. His 99.3 percentage tops Tom Seaver’s 98.84 in 1992.

2018 — Jon Gruden returns to the NFL as Oakland Raiders head coach after nearly a decade of broadcasting (ESPN Monday Night Football 2009-17).

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.

From Gary Klein: It was a modest goal. After being sidelined all of training camp, all Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford desired was for his sore back to heal in time for the season opener.

“Just make it to Week 1,” he joked.

Mission accomplished.

“We got there,” he said, “and then just held on for dear life.”

Stafford did more than that. Despite some “touch and go moments,” he did not miss a snap during perhaps the finest season of his 17-year career.

And on Sunday, Stafford made a final case for his first league most valuable player award.

He passed for four touchdowns in a 37-20 victory over the Arizona Cardinals that gave the Rams the No. 5 seed for the NFC playoffs and a wild-card matchup on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. PST against the No. 4 Carolina Panthers in Charlotte, N.C.

The Seattle Seahawks are seeded No. 1 and will have a first round bye. The No. 2 Chicago Bears play host to the No. 7 Green Bay Packers, and the No. 3 Philadelphia Eagles play host to the No. 6 San Francisco 49ers.

Stafford, 37, will attempt to lead the Rams to their second Super Bowl title in his five seasons with the team.

Continue reading here

Rams summary

NFL standings

Chargers fall to Broncos

From Sam Farmer: The game was the understudies versus the underwhelmings.

The second-string Chargers against the … wait a second, the top-seeded Denver Broncos only generated 240 yards and failed to score an offensive touchdown?

Such is the AFC this season, filled with teams who flash one week and fizzle the next.

Sunday’s regular-season finale — which the Broncos won, 19-3 — was far more competitive than it should have been, especially considering the lopsided incentives.

Whereas the Chargers were playing for pride and only modestly consequential postseason seeding, Denver’s stakes were two miles high: a free pass to the second round, and home-field advantage until the Super Bowl.

Continue reading here

Chargers summary

NFL standings

NFL playoffs schedule

Sam Farmer breaks down all the wild-card game for you here.

All times Pacific
Wild-card round
NFC
Saturday
No. 5 Rams at No. 4 Carolina, 1:30 p.m., FOX, FOX Deportes
No. 7 Green Bay at No. 2 Chicago, 5 p.m., Prime Video

Sunday
No. 6 San Francisco at No. 3 Philadelphia, 1:30 p.m., FOX, FOX Deportes

AFC
Sunday
No. 6 Buffalo at No. 3 Jacksonville, 10 a.m., CBS, Paramount+
No. 7 Chargers at No. 2 New England, 5 p.m., NBC, Peacock, Universo

Monday, Jan. 12
No. 5 Houston at No. 4 Pittsburgh, 5 p.m., ESPN, ABC, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes; ManningCast-ESPN2

Divisional round
Jan. 17 and 18, TBA

Conference championships
Sunday, Jan. 25, TBA

Super Bowl
Sunday, Feb. 8, NBC, Time TBA

Lakers defeat Memphis again

From Broderick Turner: They met two days prior to Sunday night’s encounter at Crypto.com Arena, a two-game set between the Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies reminiscent of a playoff series.

The Lakers won the first game Friday night here and knew the Grizzlies were going to bring more intensity and a stronger effort even with star guard Ja Morant (right calf contusion) not playing.

And that was the case, the Lakers falling behind by 16 points in the second quarter, the Grizzlies ramping it up in a big way. But with Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Jake LaRavia leading the way, the Lakers pulled out a 120-114 win and improved to 12-0 in clutch games.

Continue reading here

Lakers box score

NBA standings

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

1964 — Keith Lincoln of the San Diego Chargers rushes for 206 yards in 13 carries, catches seven passes for 123 yards, completes one pass for 20 and scores two touchdowns in a 51-10 rout of the Boston Patriots for the AFL title.

1983 — In his 42nd game, Edmonton’s Wayne Gretzky scores his 100th point of the season with an assist in the Oilers’ 8-3 triumph over the Winnipeg Jets.

1991 — Kevin Bradshaw of U.S. International scores 72 points to break Pete Maravich’s NCAA Division I single-game scoring record of 69, but Loyola Marymount sets an NCAA team scoring record in defeating the Gulls 186-140.

1993 — Reggie Jackson, who hit 563 homers and played on five championship teams in 21 seasons, is the only player elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

1996 — Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula announces his retirement as winningest NFL Head Coach of all-time.

1997 — The second-year Carolina Panthers, behind John Kasay’s four field goals, beat the Dallas Cowboys 26-17 to advance to the NFC championship game.

1999 — Nolan Ryan, George Brett and Robin Yount are voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, the biggest class of first-time candidates since Babe Ruth and four others were chosen in the original election of 1936.

2009 — Pittsburgh makes it to the top of The Associated Press’ men’s college basketball poll for the first time. The Panthers are one of a record nine Big East teams in the poll. The 16-team league had a record eight schools ranked for three weeks earlier in the season.

2013 — Aaron Rodgers connects with an NFL playoff-record 10 receivers as he throws for 274 yards in his first playoff victory at home, leading Green Bay to a 24-10 victory over Minnesota.

2013 — Arian Foster rushes for 140 yards and a touchdown in Houston’s 19-13 win over Cincinnati, and becomes the first NFL player to have 100-yard games in each of his first three playoff games.

2017 — The Columbus Blue Jackets lose 5-0 to the Washington Capitals ending their winning streak at 16 games, one shy of the NHL record. Columbus lose for the first time since Nov. 26, ending a captivating run that fell short of the 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins’ record of 17 consecutive wins.

2021 — 86th Heisman Trophy Award: DeVonta Smith, Alabama (WR).

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.