Lakers

Lakers star LeBron James will miss Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans as he manages a right foot injury, the team announced.

The Lakers (14-4) are playing the first of two games in as many nights at home. They host the Phoenix Suns on Monday, which will be the team’s third game in four days after a win over the Dallas Mavericks on Friday.

Playing in just his fourth game of the season, James played 34 minutes in the 129-119 win, scoring 13 points with seven assists. He missed the beginning of the season for the first time in his 23-year NBA career because of right sciatica that sidelined him for 14 games.

Despite James’ limited time, the Lakers have still thrived behind Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. Doncic leads the NBA in scoring with 35.1 points per game. The dynamic duo combined for 72 points in Friday’s win, led by 38 points on 12-for-15 shooting from Reaves. The Lakers guard scored 31 points in the team’s first matchup against the Pelicans, a 118-104 win on Nov. 15 in New Orleans.

The Pelicans (3-17) have the worst record in the Western Conference. The Lakers need James for the tougher matchup against the Suns (12-9) on Monday before playing in Toronto on Thursday, the first game of a three-game East Coast road trip.

The Lakers will also be without guard Marcus Smart (back spasms) for the second consecutive game.

The Lakers’ new big man went to the free throw line. The team’s former big man was on the mind of fans.

“I miss you, AD!” a Lakers fan shouted into the silence as Deandre Ayton prepared to shoot a free throw in the first quarter Friday.

Former Lakers star Anthony Davis played his first game in L.A. since being traded to the Mavericks last season, finishing with 12 points, five assists, five rebounds and three blocks in the Lakers’ 129-119 win at Crypto.com Arena.

The Lakers (14-4) won their sixth consecutive game and clinched West Group B in the NBA Cup, securing homecourt advantage for the tournament quarterfinals. The Lakers will host the San Antonio Spurs, who won West Group C, on Dec. 10 at 7 p.m.

The Mavericks (5-15) lost their third straight as the blockbuster trade that sent Luka Doncic to L.A. has only become more lopsided in the 10 months since it shocked the NBA.

Doncic had 35 points and 11 assists for the Lakers. Former Laker guard Max Christie, who was also involved in the trade, had 13 points and has become a regular starter for the Mavericks.

After two emotional matchups against his former team last year, Doncic said some of the feelings have subsided, but games against Dallas will always have special meaning for him.

Friday’s game was a well-timed return for Davis, who played in his first game after missing a month with a calf strain. The injury stretched for weeks as the Mavericks fell into the basement of the Western Conference.

LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 28, 2025: Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) scores two of his 38 points against Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (31) in the second half at Crypto.con Arena on November 28, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

Meanwhile, the Lakers have the second-best record in the West. Doncic leads the league in scoring with 35.1 points per game.

Doncic’s continued ascent to superstardom and Davis’ growing injury list has only made the trade more bitter for Mavericks fans. They got their form of revenge when former general manager Nico Harrison was fired on Nov. 11, but the change only signaled a new low for the franchise that went to the NBA Finals two short seasons ago.

Now the player who was supposed to help fill the void left by Doncic has been included in trade rumors. The Mavericks went 3-11 without Davis.

To ensure Davis stayed in a positive mental state during the time of turmoil for the franchise, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd encouraged him to simply stay focused on getting healthy.

“The train keeps moving,” Kidd said. “No matter of a trade or a dismissal, you got to keep moving. And so for AD, [it] was to focus on his body, come back healthy. … Can’t get everything solved in 24 minutes tonight, but as we go forward, we feel like we have a chance to win when he’s in uniform.”

Davis was on a 24- to 27-minute limit Friday. To adhere to the restriction, he had to leave the game with 6:56 left in the fourth quarter with the Mavericks down by just three points.

Leaving the court hurt, Davis said. He had gotten two blocks, an assist and a basket during the first five minutes of the fourth quarter, then the Lakers went on a 9-1 run after Davis went to the bench.

To Kidd, Davis is still one of the best in the world when he is healthy. The coach pointed to Davis’ impressive play in the Paris Olympics when he averaged 8.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks while shooting 62.5% from the field.

The Lakers didn’t need to be reminded of Davis’ talent. Coach JJ Redick said Davis would get the respect that all star players deserve because of his versatile skillset. But more than the shots he blocked or baskets he scored with the Lakers, Redick valued Davis for his support during Redick’s first year as a head coach.

“Very grateful that I had buy-in from him coming in Day 1 never had coached before,” Redick said. “So, it’s one of those things like you’re rooting for certain guys. … There are certain teammates you had, there’s always going to be guys that I coached [who] I either root for them after they are not your teammate and they are not one of your players. Just not when they play against us. Not tonight.”

The Lakers played a tribute video last year when Davis was sidelined with an abdominal injury for his first game back after the trade. Fans were showered him with cheers when he was introduced in the starting lineup Friday. LeBron James playfully bumped Davis at the center of the court before the game then they did the same intricate handshake they performed before games as teammates.

Lakers guard Luka Doncic puts up a jumper between Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington and guard Max Christie on Friday at Crypto.com Arena.

(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

After the game, Lakers players lined up to hug Davis. Austin Reaves, who dominated with 38 points on 12 for 15 shooting with eight rebounds and three assists, gave him a two-armed bear hug. Davis grabbed the strap of his jersey and pointed toward Reaves.

“I always liked his game, what he was able to do,” Davis said. “Just now he’s doing it on a more consistent basis, putting up elite numbers. … He’s a player who I always knew could play to this level.”

Reaves left the Lakers locker room with Davis’ blue No. 3 jersey signed by his former teammate.

“He’s one of the best players to ever touch a basketball. I don’t know why he wanted my jersey,” Reaves said. “But for me to get his, it’s pretty fun. … From Day 1, he was telling me to be myself, don’t be anybody else. Continue to work and really be myself on the court. So I owe him a lot.”

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: During parts of Sunday’s game in Utah, LeBron James desperately motioned toward the Lakers bench for a sub. When asked after the game about a particularly labored stretch during the second quarter, James quipped that it wasn’t just that moment.

“First, second, third and fourth,” James joked Sunday in Utah. “Come get me.”

Two days later, James looked almost back to normal as he had season-high 25 points, showing he had no trouble pushing the pace in transition while the team was plus-18 with him on the court.

“It will get better every game,” James said Tuesday of his conditioning. “Today was another … testament to that. So great win for us, but I’m starting to feel better and better.”

Coach JJ Redick said the Lakers will be tracking James’ three-point shooting, play-making and transition points as indicators of how he is progressing in his return from sciatica that sidelined him for 14 games.

Here are more takeaways from Tuesday’s win over the Clippers.

UCLA BASKETBALL

Rori Harmon scored 26 points and No. 4 Texas held on to beat No. 3 UCLA 76-65 on Wednesday in the Players Era Championship.

After building a 23-point lead late in the third quarter, the Longhorns staved off UCLA’s late surge to advance to Thursday’s championship game.

Texas (6-0) will face South Carolina in Thursday’s title game, while the Bruins (6-1) will play Duke for third place.

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UCLA box score

USC BASKETBALL

Chad Baker-Mazara scored 23 points, Jaden Brownell added 16 points, and USC claimed the Maui Invitational championship with an 88-75 victory over Arizona State on Wednesday.

Baker-Mazara won the tournament championship for the second consecutive year after scoring 14 points in Auburn’s 90-76 victory over Memphis last season. Baker-Mazara made nine of 16 shots from the field against Arizona State with four three-pointers.

USC took the first double-digit lead of the game at 77-66 with 5:14 remaining on a basket by Ezra Ausar. The Trojans drew an offensive foul under the ASU basket and Jordan Marsh sank a jumper from the free-throw line to make it 81-69.

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USC box score

RAMS

From Gary Klein: The Rams, the team with the best record in the NFC, are getting stronger.

On Wednesday, the Rams designated receiver Tutu Atwell and cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon to return from injured reserve. Both could play Sunday against the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte, N.C., coach Sean McVay said.

The Rams also placed cornerback Roger McCreary on injured reserve, claimed cornerback Derion Kendrick off waivers from the Seattle Seahawks and signed veteran tight end Nick Vannett to the roster.

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DUCKS

Max Sasson and Drew O’Connor scored in a late 2:10 span, Nikita Tolopilo made 37 saves in his first NHL appearance of the season and the Vancouver Canucks beat the Ducks 5-4 on Wednesday night.

Sasson gave Vancouver the lead with 4:02 remaining on a tip, and O’Connor followed with 1:52 to go on a wrist shot. Cutter Gauthier got one back for the Ducks with seven seconds left, his 14th of the season.

Jackson LaCombe, Leo Carlsson and Mason McTavish added goals for the Ducks, who have three victories in the first five games of a six-game homestand.

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Ducks summary

NHL standings

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

1913 — Notre Dame and Texas meet for the first time in a Thanksgiving showdown. Both carry perfect records into the game, with Notre Dame not losing a game in three years and the Longhorns on a 12-game winning streak. The Fighting Irish build on a 10-7 halftime lead, scoring 20 unanswered points for a 30-7 win at Austin, Texas. The win gives Notre Dame a 7-0 season for rookie coach Jesse Harper.

1947 — Howie Dallmar of the Philadelphia Warriors sets an NBA record for the most field-goal attempts with none made (15) in an 81-59 loss to the New York Knicks.

1949 — Steve Van Buren of the Philadelphia Eagles becomes the second NFL player, the first in 16 years, to rush over 200 yards. He runs for 205 yards in a 34-17 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

1960 — Trailing 38-7, the Denver Broncos score 31 points to salvage a 38-38 tie with the Buffalo Bills.

1960 — Detroit’s Gordie Howe scores his 1,000th point with an assist, and the Red Wings beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-0. It’s Howe’s 938th NHL game.

1961 — Detroit’s Gordie Howe becomes the first to play 1,000 NHL games.

1965 — Gordie Howe becomes the first NHL player to score 600 goals. The milestone comes in Detroit’s 3-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens.

1966 — The Washington Redskins set an NFL regular-season record for most points in a 72-41 victory over the New York Giants. Both teams also set records with 16 TDs and 113 total points.

1980 — Dave Williams returns Eddie Murray’s opening kickoff in overtime 95 yards to give the Chicago Bears a 23-17 victory over the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day. The Bears tied the score with no time remaining in regulation.

1994 — Joe Montana of the Kansas City Chiefs becomes the fifth quarterback to surpass 40,000 passing yards in a 10-9 loss at Seattle.

1998 — Texas’ Ricky Williams becomes the leading rusher in Division I-A history, breaking Tony Dorsett’s record set 22 years earlier.

2009 — Graham Gano kicks a 33-yard field goal in overtime to give the Las Vegas Locomotives a 20-17 victory over the Florida Tuskers in the inaugural UFL championship game.

2011 — The Connecticut women’s basketball team wins its 89th straight at home to set an NCAA record, beating Dayton 78-38 behind freshman Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis’ 23 points.

2015 — James Harden scores 50 points to lead Houston past Philadelphia 116-114 for the 76ers’ 27th straight loss dating to last season, the longest losing streak in major U.S. pro sports. The previous record was set by the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1976-77 and matched by the 76ers in 2013-14.

2016 — Justin Tucker makes all four of his field-goal attempts, including ones from 52, 54 and 57 yards, in Baltimore’s 19-14 victory over Cincinnati. Tucker has made 34 field goals in a row, including 27 this season, and has connected on all 15 conversion. It is Tucker’s 11th game with at least four field goals since entering the NFL in 2012.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

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

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Lakers box score

NBA standings

UCLA BASKETBALL

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

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

His harshest verbal jab? Cronin saved that for himself.

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

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UCLA box score

USC BASKETBALL

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

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

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

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

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USC box score

————

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

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

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

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

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USC box score

RAMS

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

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

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

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

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

Continue reading here

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

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

LAFC

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

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

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

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

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THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Etc.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Welcome back to the Lakers newsletter, where we got plenty of rest while the team played pickleball.

A rare four-day stretch without a game may have done wonders for the Lakers’ small nagging injuries, but it interrupted the team’s rhythm going into Sunday’s game against the Utah Jazz. It showed in the clunky win in which the Lakers missed 28 three-point tries and let an 11-point fourth-quarter lead dwindle to one.

Despite being quite literally one of the worst shooting teams in the league, the Lakers are still 12-4. Players credited the team’s resiliency and chemistry as reasons the Lakers are still winning, but how long can this team survive on pure vibes?

Don’t stop believing

Luka Doncic’s shot trickled over the front of the rim, bounced high above the basket and swished through the net. When the three-pointer finally fell, Doncic raised both arms in equal parts disbelief and relief.

He’s the NBA’s leading scorer, but Doncic is shooting a career-worst 31.1% from three on a career-high 11 three-point attempts per game. Austin Reaves, also enjoying a career season offensively, is shooting the same poor percentage from three-point range.

Almost every Lakers rotation player is shooting below his career average from three-point range through 16 games this season. Shooting 33.3% from three, the Lakers are 26th out of 30 teams. Their 10.9 makes a game are the fewest in the league.

“We’ve got to shoot the ball better,” coach JJ Redick said after the Lakers survived a comeback attempt against the Jazz on Sunday. “But it’s got to be a belief in each other and a belief in ourselves to knock down shots.”

Nearing the 20-game mark of the season, the Lakers are not fretting about their frigid outside shooting. Redick recalled how the Lakers shot 34.8% from three in the first two months of last season. Then after shooting 46.7% in a two-point loss to the Detroit Pistons on Dec. 23, the Lakers made 37.7% of their threes for the rest of the regular season.

Part of the shift came after the trade that brought Doncic. He shot 37.9% from three while with the Lakers last season, and the team’s overall three-point attempts increased from 33.8 per game to 40.4 in the final two months of the season.

The Lakers are taking 32.4 three-pointers per game this season. Redick anticipated that the number would rise, but with the current shooting struggles, he wanted to focus more on simply maximizing what his players do well.

“We’re going to do the things that put our guys in a position to create advantages and generate good offense,” Redick said before Sunday’s game. “However that looks as it morphs and evolves throughout the year, that’s just going to be what it is, the philosophy behind it. And if it ends up being we shoot 40 threes a game, great.”

Redick celebrated the team’s otherwise effective offense that is second in true shooting percentage (61.5%) and first in points per shot (1.42). The other glaring issue is turnover percentage, where the Lakers rank 28th.

“If we were out there not creating great looks or we were not playing [the right way] and we were playing selfish basketball [it would be different],” said LeBron James, who has made two of seven shots from three in his two games since returning from sciatica. “That’s not our M.O. So you look at over half of the threes that we missed tonight, a lot of them were wide open, but a lot of them were just finding the right player. The ball has so much energy in it that we’re not worried about that.”

Of their 38 three-point attempts against the Jazz, 25 came with the closest defender six or more feet away. The Lakers made just six of those open shots, with Doncic, Reaves and Marcus Smart going four for 17.

“We’re definitely gonna shoot better,” Smart said. “We work too hard not to.”

What’s up with the NBA Cup?

Even Deandre Ayton didn’t know what was going on with the NBA Cup. The Lakers center absorbed a turnover late in a blowout against the New Orleans Pelicans on Nov. 14 instead of taking an easy shot. When he heard his teammates screaming at him to shoot, he admitted later he didn’t realize the potential importance of those two points.

Ayton instead intertwined his middle and ring fingers and held his right hand up toward the bench. The ‘W’ is all that mattered.

Entering the final week of NBA Cup group play, the Lakers need just one more W to clinch their spot in the quarterfinals. The winner of Tuesday’s game between the Lakers and Clippers at Crypto.com Arena officially claims West Group B.

The Lakers and Clippers are 2-0 in group play with two games remaining. The group also includes the Memphis Grizzlies, the Dallas Mavericks and the already eliminated New Orleans Pelicans. The Lakers finish group play with the Dallas Mavericks on Friday in a game that, even if the Lakers clinch the top spot Tuesday, could still matter.

The three group winners advance to the quarterfinals, and the top second-place team from each conference earns a wild card. The two teams with the best group play record in each conference will host the quarterfinal games. The No. 1 seed goes to the team with the best overall record, and if the records are even, then point differential will be the first tiebreaker for seeding.

Oklahoma City is also 2-0 halfway through group play and has a league-best plus-63 point differential, putting the Thunder in position to earn the No. 1 seed in the West quarterfinals.

The Lakers have a plus-19 point differential in group games and are in position to be the second-seeded team in the West, possibly playing against the West Group C winner.

The third group in the West is one of the most competitive in the league as Portland and Denver entered this week tied with 2-1 records. Portland has the first-priority head-to-head tiebreaker against the Nuggets, but Denver has a plus-26 point differential that positions it well as a potential wild-card team.

Top-seeded teams will host the quarterfinal games on Dec. 9 and 10. The losing teams in each conference’s quarterfinals will play each other in a regular season game on one of four dates: Dec. 11, 12, 14 or 15. The semifinals are in Las Vegas on Dec. 13, and the final will be on Dec. 16.

On tap

Records and stats updated entering Monday’s games

Nov. 25 vs. Clippers (5-12), 8 p.m., NBA Cup group play

Kawhi Leonard returned to the lineup on Sunday against the Cleveland Cavaliers, scoring 20 points, but he couldn’t rescue the Clippers, who have just two wins in November,

Nov. 28 vs. Mavericks (5-13), 7 p.m., NBA Cup group play

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Anthony Davis is injured. After missing his return to L.A. last year because of an abdominal strain, the former Lakers’ star has been sidelined for almost a month with a calf injury, potentially delaying his much-anticipated first game in L.A. since the infamous trade.

Nov. 30 vs. Pelicans (2-15), 6:30 p.m.

The Pelicans took a big swing to draft Derik Queen in the first round last April and the former Maryland star is starting to show some signs of promise. Queen averaged 23.3 points and 8.3 rebounds in three games against Atlanta, Dallas and Denver. He added 11 assists in a 118-115 loss to the Mavericks that eliminated New Orleans from NBA Cup contention.

Dec. 1 vs. Suns (11-6), 7 p.m.

Losing Kevin Durant to free agency made it seem like Devin Booker and Phoenix would be in rebuild mode, but they’re in the thick of the West. Booker leads the team with 26.9 points and 7.1 assists per game.

Best thing I ate this week

Thit nuong

(Thuc Nhi Nguyen / Los Angeles Times)

While the Lakers played pickleball, I was soaking up my extended home time with loved ones. One of my easy crowd pleasers is thit nuong, which is Vietnamese grilled pork. Slices of pork shoulder are marinated with garlic, shallots, lemongrass, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar and oyster sauce, threaded onto skewers and grilled. (I, however, don’t have a grill so I bake mine on a rack in the oven.) They’re a great finger food eaten off the skewer or as a meal with rice or, in this case, rice noodles. And it’s not Vietnamese if there aren’t pickled carrots and daikon.

My dad once told me my thit nuong was better than my mom’s. It is my greatest culinary accomplishment.

In case you missed it

‘Legend’: Claire Rothman, Forum president during Lakers’ ‘Showtime’ dynasty, dies at 97

Luka Doncic helps Lakers hold off Jazz for fourth win in a row

LeBron James’ return has Marcus Smart becoming Lakers’ ‘Swiss Army knife’

Dodgers boss Andrew Friedman part of team to advise Lakers in ownership transition

Lakers fire executives Joey and Jesse Buss and members of scouting staff

Hernández: LeBron James’ ‘very unselfish’ play shows he can fit in. Will it continue?

‘The dude’s a machine’: Three takeaways from LeBron James’ return to the Lakers

Until next time…

As always, pass along your thoughts to me at [email protected], and please consider subscribing if you like our work!

Dear Chancellor Frenk,

It’s time we talked.

Your predecessor, Gene Block, never granted me that courtesy, and look where UCLA athletics are now.

A football team adrift, an athletic director less popular than student fees locked up on a long-term contract and more questions facing your athletic department than the 466 yards the Bruins gave up to Washington on Saturday in what might have been their last game at the Rose Bowl.

(As a side note, if you’re contemplating not keeping your word with regards to the Rose Bowl lease, do you have to fulfill the terms of Martin Jarmond’s contract?)

I’ve heard from so many people who care so much about UCLA sports, and I’m wondering if you’re listening to any of them. They’re saddened and angered and want some answers — and deservedly so given the lack of transparency around here.

So let me start with some questions in the event your many public relations advisors and crisis management experts tell you to go the Gene Blockade route and remain mum or offer another statement that doesn’t say much of anything.

How did that Jarmond contract extension come about? It was signed by Block in the spring of 2024 and curiously announced the following November — in the wake of a three-game winning streak by the football team that took considerable heat off Jarmond for his questionable hiring of coach DeShaun Foster.

Why was there a rush to grant an athletic department boss with a shaky track record an extension before you took over and how do you feel about it? And what was the role of interim chancellor Darnell Hunt, if any, in pushing this thing through? Unless you make a bold move to part ways with Jarmond or he leaves for another job, you’re stuck with him through 2029.

Moving on from Jarmond would come with its own cost thanks to the absurd terms of his contract. (A yearly $300,000 retention bonus for an athletic director nobody else wanted? Really?) Unless you can find a way to terminate him for cause or negotiate a settlement, you’ll have to pay every dollar he’s owed through the end of his contract even if you bid him farewell. I can’t imagine you’re happy about that, but maybe there’s something I’m missing.

Let’s move on to your vagrant football team. Who’s driving the proposed move to SoFi Stadium and what do the numbers look like? There’s been lots of chatter about chief financial officer Steven Agostini trying to clean up the financial mess you both inherited within the athletic department. I’m assuming there have been extensive calculations about a Rose Bowl payout and how much more money you’d make playing at SoFi Stadium.

But how much of that is SoFi spin and aren’t you worried that a judge could make you pay so much in damages that the whole thing would be a net negative? Yes, you’d presumably get suite revenue at SoFi Stadium, but would anyone want to buy one given what we’ve seen from this football team over the last decade? Shouldn’t you just go back to the Rose Bowl, football helmet in hand, and ask for a lease renegotiation that satisfies both sides?

Are you sure a big enough chunk of the fan base is on board with a move to Inglewood to justify such a jarring and abrupt abandonment of the school’s longtime home? If you indeed left the Rose Bowl, how would you compensate donors who contributed major gifts to the stadium for capital improvements on the premise that the Bruins would be a tenant through the 2043 season? And why would any business entity ever feel comfortable signing a long-term lease with the school again?

Speaking of contracts, you’re going to be signing another one soon for the next football coach. Since the school has paid out so much money on so many bad deals over the years, here’s a free piece of advice: Do everything — and I mean everything — within your power to hire Bob Chesney.

The guy is a winner. He won big at Salve Regina and Assumption, and I’m wondering if you even knew those were football teams before this very moment. He went on to do the same at Holy Cross and now James Madison, the new cradle of coaches, lest you haven’t seen what’s happening over at Indiana under Curt Cignetti. Chesney has a proven system for success, not to mention the personality to win over recruits, donors and a fan base sadder than Bob Toledo’s final season.

Some of the Plan B options might work out, of course, but can you really take that risk? Chesney has won everywhere he’s been and there’s no reason to think he wouldn’t do the same in resuscitating UCLA football after bringing a decent chunk of his James Madison roster with him.

So if Jimmy Sexton, the superagent reportedly representing Chesney, does his thing and leverages you into a few more million dollars than expected to finalize a deal with his client, pay the man. Chesney will be more than worth it. This hire must go right not only for the football team but also the health of an athletic department that’s facing possibly the most pivotal moment in its history.

But don’t worry, I’m here for you and we can talk more about this soon. Right?

Best,

Ben

And another thing . . .

Any presumption that UCLA attendance will soar at SoFi Stadium might need further consideration.

Just look at what happened when the then-No. 15 men’s basketball team played Arizona at the nearby Intuit Dome earlier this month. Even with a crowd bolstered by a large contingent of Wildcats fans, attendance was a mere 7,554 — less than half of the arena’s 18,000-seat capacity. There were probably fewer than 5,000 UCLA fans in the building for a showdown between nationally ranked rivals.

Here’s wondering how many donors and season ticket holders would really prefer Inglewood for football games and how the actual time it takes to drive southbound on the 405 from Westwood on a Friday night, Saturday afternoon or Saturday night compares to the alternative commute to Pasadena.

It has been a rough season for UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

Losing by 34 points in what might have been UCLA’s last game ever at the Rose Bowl generated the sort of grades you want to hide from your parents.

Quarterbacks: B-. Nico Iamaleava has nothing left to gain this season and should protect his health by sitting out the cross-town rivalry game. Meanwhile, Luke Duncan’s work as a backup continues to impress, putting him in line for a possible John Barnes breakthrough against USC.

Running backs: D. Jaivian Thomas didn’t play and those who did probably wish they didn’t considering UCLA rushed for a total of 57 yards.

Wide receivers/tight ends: C-. Mikey Matthews caught a touchdown pass, but all anyone is going to remember is Titus Mokiao-Atimalala’s drop that could have changed the trajectory of the game.

Offensive line: C-. Watching Garrett DiGiorgio walk off the field one last time after another tough day on the job was heartbreaking.

Defensive line: C-. Giving up 212 yards rushing means that there wasn’t enough resistance at the line of scrimmage, but the late sack by freshman Cole Cogshell was encouraging.

Linebackers: B-. Jalen Woods continued to emerge as a playmaker with two tackles for loss.

Defensive backs: B. Held up pretty well considering Rodrick Pleasant was out with an injury. Cole Martin’s interception was among the highlights on an otherwise bleak night.

Special teams: D. Cash Peterman certainly generated some viral social media content with his over-the-shoulder flip gone awry on the fake field goal leading to a Washington touchdown.

Coaching: C-. The initial infusion of energy from this staff seems to have gone missing in recent weeks.

Olympic sport the week: Men’s water polo

Chase Dodd

(Elijah Carr / UCLA)

With the exception of the men’s and women’s basketball teams winning every game as expected, it was a frustrating week for UCLA sports.

The men’s and women’s soccer teams saw their seasons end in the NCAA tournament. The women’s volleyball team lost to Washington in straight sets. The football team got stomped by Washington.

The final indignity came Sunday.

UCLA’s top-ranked men’s water polo team fell behind big early and couldn’t catch up during a 14-11 loss to second-ranked USC in the championship of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament at Stanford’s Avery Aquatic Center.

After trailing 10-4 late in the second quarter, the Bruins closed to within 11-8 late in the third quarter but could come no closer. Ryder Dodd finished with three goals and one assist for UCLA (24-2), which has suffered both of its defeats this season against the Trojans.

UCLA will open play in the NCAA tournament Dec. 5 at Stanford’s Avery Aquatic Center.

Opinion time

In a rivalry oddity, the home team has not won since 2019 when UCLA has faced USC in football. Will that trend continue Saturday when the teams meet at the Coliseum?

Yes, UCLA will pull the upset

No, USC will snap the streak

Click here to vote in our survey.

Poll results

We asked, “Which possible football coaching candidate excites you most?”

After 701 votes, the results:

James Madison’s Bob Chesney, 76.8%
Washington’s Jedd Fisch, 11.3%
San Diego State’s Sean Lewis, 4.8%
Tulane’s Jon Sumrall, 4.6%
South Florida’s Alex Golesh, 2.5%

In case you missed it

UCLA loses in blowout to Washington in possible Rose Bowl swan song for Bruins

UCLA fans tailgating at Rose Bowl apprehensive about possible move to SoFi Stadium

No. 19 UCLA surpasses Mick Cronin’s challenge in blowout win over Presbyterian

Should they stay or should they go? UCLA greats weigh in on the Rose Bowl debate

Former head of UCLA’s football NIL collective denies wrongdoing alleged in report

Plaschke: Shame on UCLA for trying to ditch the iconic Rose Bowl for cash grab at SoFi Stadium

Have something Bruin?

Do you have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future UCLA newsletter? Email me at [email protected], 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. My name is Eric Sondheimer. It’s championship week in high school football. It’s also the 10-year anniversary of one of best and most entertaining high school basketball teams in history — the unbeaten 2015-16 Chino Hills Huskies, led by the Ball brothers

Looking back at greatness

LiAngelo Ball, center, is flanked by his brothers Lonzo, second from left, and LaMelo in 2016.

(Los Angeles Times)

High school basketball fans, sportswriters and coaches had the time of their lives watching the creation of Chino Hills’ 35-0 team from 2015, with brothers Lonzo, LiAngelo and LaMelo Ball in starring roles. They helped entertain and draw so many Oohs and Aahs that they became nationally recognized, along with their always talkative father, LaVar.

The tales of showing up with a lawn chair two hours before a game to make sure you got a seat before the gym sold out are legendary. The talent and chemistry of the Balls, along with Onyeka Okongwu and Eli Scott, was something to behold all the way to Chino Hills winning the state championship in March of 2016 in Sacramento.

Here’s a look back from a sportswriter’s perspective and that of the head coach, Steve Baik.

Keawe Browne (2) celebrates after a blocked Mater Dei field-goal attempt gives Corona Centennial 28-27 win.

(Craig Weston)

Who had Santa Margarita facing Corona Centennial in Friday’s Southern Section Division 1 final at the Rose Bowl? Both teams earned the spot, the first time St. John Bosco or Mater Dei have failed to participate in the championship game since 2012.

Here’s how Centennial beat Mater Dei 28-27 in the semifinals with a blocked field goal at the end of the game.

Santa Margarita took care of business in the other semifinal to defeat Orange Lutheran. The Eagles are surging because of their terrific defense and the threat Trent Mosley offers any time he touches the ball. Here’s the report.

Here’s a look at how Santa Margarita and Centennial cracked the code to create a new championship game.

In Division 2, two league rivals, Los Alamitos and San Clemente, will play for a second time this season on Saturday night at San Clemente.

Here’s this weekend’s championship schedule.

Here’s a look at the top individual performances from last week.

Crenshaw pulled off the win that few expected when the City Section season began last August. The Cougars handed Birmingham its first defeat after 55 consecutive wins over City opponents 12-7 in the City Open Division semifinals. What a coaching job by interim coach Terrence Whitehead. His team will face Carson for the City title on Saturday at L.A. Southwest College. Here’s a look at Crenshaw’s journey this season.

Carson first-year coach William Lowe has his team trying for a 12th City title.

(Nick Koza)

Carson is playing like a No. 1 seed after dominating Garfield in the semifinals. With quarterback Chris Fields’ ability to run or pass, the Colts will have an advantage against a Crenshaw team that hasn’t faced many teams with balanced offenses.

South Gate quarterback Michael Gonzalez tries to console William Smith of Dorsey in an act of sportsmanship after South Gate win.

(Nick Koza)

In Division I, South Gate will take on Marquez on Saturday. South Gate defeated Dorsey in its semifinal and Marquez toppled top-seeded Venice. Here’s a look at South Gate players showing sportsmanship after their game. Dorsey had to play on Monday after playoff game against Eagle Rock had a power blackout. Here’s a look at the Dons’ win.

In Division II, Cleveland rallied for a win over Fairfax and will face San Fernando. Here’s a report. In Division III, Hawkins will play Santee.

Basketball

Brandon McCoy of Sierra Canyon had nine dunks and 25 points in win over JSerra.

(Craig Weston)

The Trinity-Mission League Challenge at Pauley Pavilion produced lots of dunks and competitive games. The best game ended up being the last, with St. John Bosco beating Harvard-Westlake 57-55. Santa Margarita rallied for a 77-73 win over Sherman Oaks Notre Dame behind 28 points from Brayden Kyman. Brandon McCoy had nine dunks in his Sierra Canyon debut, a win over JSerra.

Here’s a look at the games and top performances.

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

In girls basketball, defending Southern Section Open Division champion Ontarior Christian started with two wins and Kaleena Smith scoring 45 and 35 points.

Redondo Union is hosting a tournament beginning Monday that includes Etiwanda.

Harvard-Westlake unveiled freshman Lucia Khamenia, the sister of Nikolas. Here’s a report.

Legacy of the Kymans

Brayden Kyman of Santa Margarita.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

The Kymans have been a sports family for years. Bernie Kyman was a coach and athletic direct. Son Coley starred in football and volleyball at Reseda and Cal State Northridge. His son Jake won a CIF title at Santa Margarita before playing for UCLA basketball.

Now Brayden is a senior basketball player at Santa Margarita. The family is moving to Montana after this season. A look at the impact and legacy of the Kymans.

Girls tennis

The Calabasas High girls tennis team won the Southern Section Division 2 championship.

(Courtesy Calabasas High)

Corona del Mar completed an unbeaten Southern Section girls tennis season with a victory over Portola in the Division 1 championship match. Here’s a report.

Calabasas defeated Harvard-Westlake for the Division 2 title. Here’s a report.

Alexa Guerrero holds the championship plaque as she and her Marshall teammates celebrate their City Section Open Division flag football championship win over Eagle Rock.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Marshall has climbed to the top in City Section flag football with a 20-0 win over Eagle Rock in the Open Division final.

Here’s a look at the newest City champions.

Cross country

Irvine senior Summer Wilson won the Southern Section Division 2 cross-country title.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

On the rain course at Mount San Antonio College, Summer Wilson ran away with the Division 2 championship at the Southern Section cross-country championships. Here’s the report.

The City championships were held at Elysian Park, and Palisades won boys and girls titles. Here’s the report.

The state championships will be held Saturday at Woodward Park in Fresno.

Girls volleyball

Mater Dei, Harvard-Westlake and Cypress won state championships in girls volleyball.

Here’s the report.

Notes . . .

Justin Utupo is out after one season as football coach at Long Beach Poly. The Jackrabbits (5-5) lost six players to ineligibility by the Southern Section and the school administration refused to allow the team to participate in the playoffs. The program has won 20 Southern Section football championships but last won a Division 1 title in 2012 under Raul Lara. Here’s the report. . . .

Aaron Huerta has resigned after one season as football coach at Bishop Alemany. . ..

The CIF state championship football games will be played Dec. 11-12 at Buena Park High, Fullerton High and Saddleback College. . . .

Bo Beatty, the co-head football coach at Bonita, has resigned to return to Azusa Pacific where he was a long-time assistant coach. Steve Bogan is the co-head coach. . . .

Defensive lineman James Moffat of Crespi has committed to UCLA. . . .

Santa Margarita won its third state title in girls golf at Poppy Hills Golf Course. . . .

It was the year of Newport Harbor in boys water polo. The team lost one match all season and avenged its only defeat with a win over Cathedral Catholic in the regional final. . . .

Kacey Norwood has been named interim girls’ lacrosse coach at St. Margaret’s. . . .

JD Hill, a defensive lineman at Mission Viejo, has committed to Washington. . . .

Cooper Javorsky, a lineman from San Juan Hills who decommitted as a UCLA recruit after the firing of DeShaun Foster, has recommitted to the Bruins. . . .

Here’s a report and update on former San Juan Hills linebacker Weston Port and his Mormon mission in Spain. . . .

From the archives: Carson Schwesinger

Former Oaks Christian and UCLA linebacker Carson Schwesinger.

(Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press)

Former Oaks Christian and UCLA linebacker Carson Schwesinger is having a successful rookie season for the Cleveland Browns. After being selected No. 33 overall in the NFL draft, he’s been starting and earning rave reviews.

He went to UCLA as a walk-on and became a star.

Here’s a story from 2021 on Schwesinger walking on at UCLA.

Recommendations

From the Washington Post, a story on a high school football lineman who didn’t know how to put on pads three years ago and became an Oregon recruit.

From the San Diego Union-Tribune, a look at the top high school basketball teams in San Diego.

From NFHS.org, a story of sportsmanship across the country in high school sports.

From the Las Vegas Review Journal, a story on changes in Nevada’s football playoff system that will allow Bishop Gorman only one nonleague game starting in 2026.

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 [email protected], and follow me on Twitter at @latsondheimer.

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Claire Rothman, a trailblazing sports and entertainment industry executive indelibly tied to the Los Angeles Lakers during their 1980s heyday, has died.

Family members confirmed her death, on Saturday, was due to complications from a fall. She was 97.

As the president and general manager of the “Fabulous Forum,” Rothman was pivotal in bringing big-name musicians to the Inglewood venue and had deep ties to the Lakers when it was the team’s home during the “Showtime” era, when the Lakers won five championships in a decade.

Jeanie Buss, the daughter of former Lakers owner Jerry Buss — who after the recent sale of the team acts as its governor in NBA meetings — lamented the loss of Rothman, a woman she said shaped her career.

“Claire paved the way for women working in live entertainment. She was tenacious, creative and indomitable. My father always described her as the MVP who championed the Fabulous Forum as the West Coast concert rival to the legendary Madison Square Garden,” Buss said Sunday evening.

“For me personally, she was a mentor and a guide, helping me learn and navigate an industry that had never been very open to women in leadership,” Buss said. “I learned an incredible amount from her as an executive and consider her one of the major influences in my life.”

Rothman, hired in 1975 by Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke, became the vivacious president and general manager of the Forum during a pivotal moment in the Lakers’ history. She was frequently seen around town wearing the many championship rings that the team won during her tenure. Rothman was a prominent character in the HBO series “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty,” played by actor Gaby Hoffmann.

“Claire Rothman is a f— legend,” Rebecca Bertuch, a writer for the show, told The Times in 2022. “I mean, she broke barriers that people didn’t think would ever be broken and she kicked ass and was notorious and well-known in her line of work for being that girl.”

Rothman has been recognized for her role in professional sports at a time when women were not commonplace or were treated poorly.

“I’m not exactly quiet,” Rothman is quoted as saying during a speech in a 1985 profile in The Times. “I am the only woman in the United States who runs a major sports arena. I have a variety of duties. I book the building. I schedule the sports. The box office answers to me, all the staffing answers to me, and at night I get to play hostess.”

She brought big-name acts such as Prince to the Forum and developed relationships with entertainers including Linda Ronstadt, Neil Diamond and Lionel Richie.

“Many building managers will not meet artists in their entire lives,” Larry Vallon, then-vice president of the Universal Amphitheatre, told The Times in 1985. “In Claire’s case, artists go out of their way to meet her. She has an incredible reputation in the industry.”

It was a remarkable position for a woman whose family had humble beginnings in this country.

Rothman’s family fled Romanian pogroms against Jewish people at the turn of the 20th century, immigrating to Philadelphia, according to Magda Peck, a cousin of Rothman’s mother.

“What I remember about Claire was how important family was to her and how close she was with my mother and the other cousins,” Peck said. “There was something about modeling how women support each other, how cousins are there for each other across generations.”

Peck, a public health expert, last saw Rothman a couple of weeks ago.

“She said, ‘Promise me that you’ll stay close to the cousins,’” Peck said. “Before she’s famous, before she’s the mother of the Lakers family, [she prioritized] the value of extended family.”

Rothman died in Las Vegas, where she had moved after leaving Southern California. She is survived by a son and a daughter, and multiple grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

SALT LAKE CITY — The Lakers won their fourth consecutive game Sunday, holding off the Utah Jazz 108-106 in Delta Center behind 33 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists from Luka Doncic.

The Lakers (12-4) nearly squandered a 10-point lead in the final six minutes and 36 seconds, allowing the Jazz to cut the lead to one with 41.3 seconds remaining on a three-pointer from Lauri Markkanen. The Utah Jazz crowd that had been cheering loudly for the Lakers finally erupted for the home team when the Finnish forward knocked down the shot.

Markkanen could have given the Jazz (5-11) the lead with a 17-foot shot in the key, but the midrange jumper rattled out with 11.4 seconds to go. After Doncic split a pair of free throws, the Lakers forced Jazz guard Keyonte George into a contested three at the buzzer to seal the win.

LeBron James, playing in his second game of the year, had 17 points with eight assists. Austin Reaves had 22 points with 10 rebounds and four assists.

Starting center Deandre Ayton missed the second half because of a right leg contusion. He had just two points on one for two shooting in the first half while Doncic still powered the Lakers to a seven-point lead.

The guard continued to struggle with his three-point shot, missing seven of his first eight shots from beyond the arc Sunday, but dazzled with his playmaking again. He intercepted a pass, bounced the ball between Kevin Love’s legs while running the fastbreak and scooped up a lob pass to Jaxson Hayes. The roar from the pro-Lakers road crowd was just as loud as anything the Jazz did.

When Doncic attracted a triple team in the paint, he fired a two-handed, no-look pass backwards over his head to Marcus Smart who knocked down a three that put the Lakers up 55-49.

The Lakers entered the game shooting 33.8% from three, ranked 24th in the league. Doncic and Austin Reaves, the team’s highest volume shooters, have struggled the most. Reaves was one for eight from three on Sunday. Doncic was three for 12, including shots so off course that they barely grazed the rim.

When he finally got a shot to trickle over the rim in the third, Doncic held both arms out in disbelief and relief as the ball bounced up high and then through the net in the third quarter.

In the starting lineup, coming off the bench or even on the pickleball court, Marcus Smart knows he can deliver what the Lakers need. So LeBron James’ return and the question of how it could affect his role isn’t slowing down Smart.

“I like to [think of] myself as a Swiss Army knife,” Smart said Saturday as the Lakers prepared for a game at Utah on Sunday. “It’s not one thing I do great, but I do everything very well. … People come back, people get hurt. People have great games, have bad games. You have to adjust to whatever the game is calling for at that moment.”

With four days to regroup after James made his long-awaited season debut, the Lakers (11-4) want to continue their strong start. Smart had started nine times in a row before James’ return. Smart then played a season-low 17 minutes in Tuesday’s 140-126 win against the Jazz at home, scoring five points with three rebounds. He made just two shots, but coach JJ Redick commended Smart’s play off the bench along with the performances of Jake LaRavia, Jaxson Hayes and Gabe Vincent.

Vincent returned from a sprained ankle that cost him 11 games to score six points on two-for-three shooting from three-point range. LaRavia led the bench group with 16 points and four rebounds. He was six for 10 from the field, including two three-pointers.

Signing as a free agent this offseason, LaRavia knew getting to play with James was part of the deal. He had to wait through training camp, the preseason and 14 games to get his wish, but it was worth it. The 24-year-old LaRavia, who was five days shy of his second birthday when James made his NBA debut, knocked down a first-quarter shot off a James assist.

“It was dope to finally get on the court with him,” LaRavia said. “He brings something to this team that I don’t think we really had. It’s another level of passing ability that he’s able to do, and just the force he is on offense in transition and just when he has the ball in his hands.”

The Lakers are tied for the second-fewest transition possessions per game but they’ve been picking up the pace. Through the first nine games the team was scoring 9.5% of its points in transition. That mark ticked up to 13.4% in the last five games.

Utah (5-10) is one of the fastest teams, averaging 102.6 possessions per game. With pace increasing over the years, the heavier workloads have made minor soft-tissue injuries unfortunate realities in the NBA. They also make extended breaks between games, like the four-day reprieve the Lakers had last week, a major luxury.

In between much-needed rest and efficient practice sessions for a team that has been fully healthy for only a week, the Lakers also used the time for team bonding in the form of a trash-talk-filled pickleball tournament.

Smart and Redick and a third teammate, head video coordinator Michael Wexler — whom Redick anonymously accused of eating during the entire tournament — went to the semifinals. They lost to Luka Doncic and player development coach Ty Abbott. LaRavia and assistant coach Beau Levesque won the championship. Redick raised questions about the fairness of the team pairings.

As with everything involving ultracompetitive athletes, even the innocent pickleball games got heated. Smart was trying to be mindful to not push his limits too much.

“The last thing I need to get out and do is roll my ankle trying to play pickleball,” said Smart, who said he would rather play tennis.

It was still a welcome break from the monotony of the season, Redick said. He graded the experience an A.

“We got through this week without wanting to kill each other,” Redick said with a smirk.

Etc.

Center Deandre Ayton missed practice Saturday because of an illness. He was expected to join the team on the trip to Utah.

From Broderick Turner and Thuc Nhi Nguyen: The Lakers confirmed that Joey and Jesse Buss, who both had been executives with the team, are no longer with the franchise.

The announcement was made Thursday in a move many figured would come later with changes to the Lakers’ basketball operations department after Mark Walter became the majority owner. The sale was at a $10-billion valuation and was approved by the NBA board of governors in October.

According to a person not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, everything with the Lakers is being evaluated and that included firing scouts on Thursday.

It was felt that starting the process now was the best course of action to take rather than wait, according to one person aware of the situation but not authorized to speak publicly.

Joey Buss was an alternate governor and vice president of research and development with the Lakers while Jesse was the team’s assistant general manager.

Continue reading here

CLIPPERS

Jalen Suggs scored a season-high 23 points and had seven assists, and the Orlando Magic rolled to a 129-101 win over the Clippers on Thursday night.

James Harden had 31 points and eight assists for the Clippers. Ivica Zubac, the only other Clipper in double figures, had 14 points and 19 rebounds.

The injury-riddled Clippers, playing the fourth game of a seven-game trip, lost for the ninth time in 10 games.

Continue reading here

Clippers box score

NBA standings

DODGER STADIUM GONDOLA

From Bill Shaikin: The Los Angeles City Council challenged Mayor Karen Bass last week, overwhelmingly passing a resolution urging Metro to kill the proposed Dodger Stadium gondola and urging Bass to lend her support.

A Metro committee considered the gondola project Thursday, and Bass just happened to be one of the five voting members of the committee. In front of the hundreds of community members that turned out for the hearing, Bass would have a public opportunity to make her case for whatever position she might choose to take.

Bass whiffed.

Continue reading here

BASEBALL IN LONG BEACH

From Bill Shaikin: When spring training rolls around, it will be one dozen years since the Angels last appeared in a postseason game and two dozen years since they won their first and only World Series championship. If baseball were scripted, two of the Angels’ World Series heroes would take charge of the team and make it a winner again.

As it turns out, two of those champions are taking charge of a team next year. Not the Angels, though.

Troy Percival has been hired to manage the new Long Beach team in the independent Pioneer League. Percival, the closer who recorded the final out in the 2002 World Series, said his hitting coach would be Troy Glaus, the 2002 World Series most valuable player.

“I made sure that he could hit fungoes,” Percival said, “because I can’t.”

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From Bill Plaschke: On the drive up to the Rose Bowl’s front door, underneath the legendary glowing sign, toward the picturesque purple mountains, there stands the most impactful symbol of the school that plays there.

It is a statue of Jackie Robinson in a UCLA football uniform.

He is cradling the ball in his left hand and warding off impending tacklers with his right, a striking bronze symbol of a university’s resilience and strength. The most formidable figure in American sports history is standing where he grew up, where his team lives and where he forever will embody the epitome of the gutty Bruin.

Nobody represents the mission of UCLA more than Jackie Robinson.

Nothing is more disgusting than the thought of UCLA leaving him in the dust.

The Bruins are trying to flee the Rose Bowl, did you hear? They’re trying to break a long-term lease and leave Pasadena on the next thing smokin’. Oh yeah, they’re all but gone, it’s all there in lawsuits and court filings and mounds of legal stuff that mask the real message.

UCLA values a quick buck over enduring integrity, fast cash over deep tradition and dollars over die-hards.

Continue reading here

Former head of UCLA’s football NIL collective denies wrongdoing alleged in report

LA OLYMPICS

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: LA28 hopes to sell more tickets for the 2028 Games than any other Olympic organizing committee in history, and the private group launched a fundraising campaign Thursday to help keep those tickets accessible to local fans.

The fundraising effort invites local sports teams, philanthropists and partners to fund ticket donations that will go to local organizations that will distribute tickets within their communities. The Rams are the inaugural partners, donating $5 million to the campaign.

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U.S. WOMEN’S SOCCER TEAM

From Kevin Baxter: The women’s national soccer team will return to Carson in 2026 for the first time in nearly two years for its annual January training camp, U.S. Soccer will announce Thursday.

The 11-day camp will run from Jan. 17-27 and will conclude with two international matches. The first, on Jan. 24 against Paraguay, will be played at Dignity Health Sports Park and will include a tribute to two-time World Cup champion Christen Press, who announced her retirement this fall.

The venue and opponent for the second match on Jan. 27 has not been finalized.

Continue reading here

USC BASKETBALL

Chad Baker-Mazara scored scored a career-high 34 points and Jordan Marsh hit a contested three-pointer at the buzzer to lift USC to a 107-106 win over Troy on Thursday night.

Troy, coming off a 108-107 double-overtime win at San Diego State on Tuesday, led throughout the third overtime but threw the ball away into the front court after rebounding Baker-Mazara’s missed drive with about 10 seconds to go. Rodney Rice got the loose ball and fired it ahead to Marsh, who took a couple of dribbles and hit from almost straightaway.

Rice had 26 points and nine assists for USC (4-0) and Ezra Ausar 22 points, which was outrebounded 63-39, including 25-7 on the offensive end.

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USC box score

KINGS

Phillip Kusharev scored in regulation and the only goal of a shootout, and the San Jose Sharks held on for a 4-3 win over the Kings on Thursday night.

San Jose’s first player in the shootout, Kusharev skated toward his left then shifted direction toward the net before flipping the puck over the left shoulder of Kings goalie Anton Forsberg. Kusharev also had a goal in the second period.

Ty Dellandrea had a goal and an assist for San Jose. Adam Gaudette scored a goal, while Collin Graf had two assists. Yaroslav Askarov made 31 saves, two during the shootout.

Joel Armia, Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe had goals for the Kings.

Continue reading here

Kings summary

NHL standings

DUCKS

Drake Batherson scored the tiebreaking goal with 1:58 to play, and the Ottawa Senators held off a furious rally after the Ducks pulled their goalie in the final minutes for a 3-2 victory Thursday night at Honda Center.

Batherson was camped in front of the net when he deflected a blue-line shot from Jake Sanderson past goalie Petr Mrazek to end the Ducks’ six-game home win streak.

Beckett Sennecke and Mason McTavish scored in the second period for the Pacific Division-leading Ducks. Mrazek, the backup who made his fifth start of the season in place of Lukas Dostal, had 22 saves.

Continue reading here

Ducks summary

NHL standings

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

1953 — Notre Dame ties Iowa 14-14 by faking injuries in both halves. With two seconds to go in the first half, a Notre Dame player stops the clock by faking an injury and the Fightin’ Irish score on the next play. With six seconds left in the game and Notre Dame out of timeouts, two players fake injuries and the Irish score on the last play to tie the game.

1965 — The Cotton Bowl is packed with 76,251 fans, giving the Dallas Cowboys their first home sellout. The Cleveland Browns spoil the day with a 24-17 win.

1971 — The New York Rangers score eight goals in the third period of a 12-1 rout over the California Seals.

1981 — Brigham Young’s Jim McMahon passes for 552 yards in a 56-28 victory over Utah. Gordon Hudson sets the NCAA record for yards gained by a tight end with 259.

1982 — The NFL resumes play after seven weeks of the season were canceled when the NFL Players Association went on strike Sept. 23.

1987 — The Columbia Lions extend their Division I-record losing streak to 41 games with a 19-16 loss to Brown. Columbia gives up a touchdown with 47 seconds left in the game.

1987 — Southwestern Louisiana quarterback Brian Mitchell rushes for 271 yards and four touchdowns and passes for 205 yards in a 35-28 victory over Colorado State.

1998 — Villanova’s Brian Westbrook becomes the first player to record 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season and catches two touchdowns to lead the Wildcats to a 27-15 victory over Rhode Island.

2004 — Roger Federer wins a record 13th straight final, beating Lleyton Hewitt 6-3, 6-2 in the title match of the ATP Masters Cup. Federer breaks the record of 12 straight finals victories shared by Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe.

2008 — Michigan’s 42-7 drubbing by Ohio State put a merciful end to the worst season in Michigan’s 129 years of intercollegiate football. The Wolverines (3-9) lose the most games in school history.

2010 — Jimmie Johnson becomes the first driver in the seven-year history of the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship to overcome a point deficit in the season finale, finishing second to Ford 400 winner Carl Edwards while winning his record fifth consecutive title.

2015 — Brent Burns scores twice and Patrick Marleau gets his 1,000th career point — an assist on Burns’ first goal — to lift the San Jose Sharks over the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-1.

2015 — Wes Washpun scores 21 points as Northern Iowa stuns top-ranked North Carolina 71-67 for its first win over the nation’s No. 1 team. The Panthers use a 29-8 run in the second half to turn a 50-34 deficit into a 63-58 lead. The Tar Heels scheduled the trip to Cedar Falls so senior Marcus Paige could play in his home state. Paige doesn’t play because of a broken bone in his right hand.

2016 — Mackenzie Hughes holes an 18-foot par putt from off the green to win the RSM Classic and become the first rookie in 20 years to go wire-to-wire for his first PGA Tour victory. Four players return for the third extra playoff hole at the par-3 17th. Hughes makes his putt and watches Blayne Barber, Henrik Norlander and Camilo Villegas all miss par putts from 10 feet or closer.

2021 — Alexander Zverev of Germany captures his second ATP Finals men’s tennis title defeating world #2 Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 6-4 in Turin.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

The Lakers confirmed that Joey and Jesse Buss, who both had been executives with the team, are no longer with the franchise.

The announcement was made Thursday in a move many figured would come later with changes to the Lakers’ basketball operations department after Mark Walter became the majority owner. The sale was at a $10-billion valuation and was approved by the NBA board of governors in October.

According to a person not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, everything with the Lakers is being evaluated and that included firing scouts on Thursday.

It was felt that starting the process now was the best course of action to take, according to one person who spoke on condition of anonymity, rather than wait.

Joey Buss was an alternate governor and vice president of research and development with the Lakers while Jesse was the team’s assistant general manager.

“We are extremely honored to have been part of this organization for the last 20 seasons,’ Joey and Jesse Buss said in a statement to ESPN, which first broke the story. “Thank you Laker Nation for embracing our family every step of the way. We wish things could be different with the way our time ended with the team. At times like this, we wish we could ask our Dad what he would think of it all.”

Their dad was Dr. Jerry Buss, who transformed the Lakers into a global franchise after buying the team, along with the Kings and the Forum, in 1979 for $67.5 million. Both Joey and Jesse worked alongside their sister, Jeanie Buss, who will continue to be the Lakers’ primary team governor for the foreseeable future.

Joey was team president and CEO of the Lakers’ G League team, the South Bay Lakers, and Jesse was the Lakers’ director of scouting. Each, along with their siblings, are still minority owners of the franchise.

The two were given a lot of credit for helping the Lakers find and develop Austin Reaves, Kyle Kuzma, Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr. and Max Christie.

The Lakers didn’t have a comment about the Buss brothers no longer being with the team.

“Yeah, I found out this morning that it was going to happen,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said after practice. “But I don’t have any comment on personnel decisions as it relates to the organization.”

The Lakers signed general manager Rob Pelinka to a contract extension in April and extended Redick‘s contract in September.

The sale of the Lakers was finalized on Oct. 30.

Fresh off winning a World Series with the Dodgers, Walter, who had been a minority owner of the Lakers since he bought 27% of the franchise with Todd Boehly in 2021, promptly sat courtside for the next Lakers home game on Nov. 2. He looked on when the Lakers honored the world champion Dodgers at a home game on Nov. 5.

Walter was part of the group that purchased the Dodgers for $2 billion in 2012. Since then, the team has won three World Series titles in five appearances with 13 consecutive playoff berths.

The swift reorganization process with the Lakers differs from Walter’s history with L.A.’s other pro sports headliner. After Walter bought the Dodgers, general manager Ned Colletti stayed with the organization through the 2014 season.

In addition to becoming the highest-spending team in baseball under the new ownership group, the Dodgers also bolstered their analytics department, improved nutrition programs for major and minor league players, and expanded clubhouses with the latest physical therapy technologies.

From Dylan Hernández: While the game didn’t provide any definitive answers about what LeBron James will do in his record-breaking 23rd season, it offered promising signs about what he won’t do.

He won’t disrupt what the Lakers are doing.

The point was made most emphatically by how he played in the 140-126 victory over the Utah Jazz at Crypto.com Arena.

In the 30 minutes he played, James shot the ball only seven times, less than any other Lakers starter.

He didn’t have problems with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves remaining the team’s primary options.

He didn’t mind picking his spots.

He didn’t mind spending most of the game as a peripheral figure on the court.

“Just thought he played with the right spirit,” coach JJ Redick said. “Very unselfish all night. Willing passer. Didn’t force it. Took his drive and his shots when they were there.”

Continue reading here

‘The dude’s a machine’: Three takeaways from LeBron James’ return to the Lakers

RAMS

From Gary Klein: The Rams, Super Bowl contenders riding a five-game winning streak, will navigate at least the next four games of the season without three veteran starters.

The Rams on Wednesday placed safety Quentin Lake, tight end Tyler Higbee and right tackle Rob Havenstein on injured reserve.

Lake, who had surgery Tuesday for a dislocated left elbow, Higbee (ankle) and Havenstein (knee/ankle) must sit out at least four games before they are eligible to return. The earliest return would be a Dec. 18 game against the Seahawks in Seattle.

Continue reading here

From Ryan Kartje: Last month, in the span of a single half, USC’s top two running backs were lost to serious injuries. For Eli Sanders, the knee injury he suffered against Michigan prematurely ended his season. For Waymond Jordan, ankle surgery meant missing most of the Trojans’ critical stretch run.

For USC, it made for a particularly cruel one-two punch. Through the first six games, the Trojans duo had been a top-10 rushing attack in the nation, trending toward the best rushing season USC had seen in two decades. Then, in less than an hour’s time, a promising start had been derailed by injury.

“That could almost be a death sentence,” coach Lincoln Riley said Wednesday.

But with just two games left in the season, the Trojans rushing attack still is very much alive. And USC still is clinging to College Football Playoff hopes because of it.

Continue reading here

Hot coaching commodity Lane Kiffin has a tough decision 12 years after USC fired him

College Football Playoff rankings

DUCKS

Ian Moore scored the tiebreaking goal with 3:35 to play, and Lukas Dostal made 36 saves in the Ducks’ 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins on Wednesday night.

Jansen Harkins. Radko Gudas and Ryan Strome also scored for the first-place Ducks, who have won nine of 12 after sweeping their season series with the Bruins.

The Bruins dominated long stretches of play and tied it with 12:21 left with Morgan Geekie’s second goal on a power play just seven seconds after Harkins took an awful cross-checking penalty.

Continue reading here

Ducks summary

NHL standings

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

1934 — Busher Jackson scores four third-period goals to power the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 5-2 victory over the St. Louis Eagles.

1960 — Jerry Norton of St. Louis intercepts four passes to send past the Washington Redskins 26-14.

1969 — Brazilian soccer legend Pelé scores his 1,000th goal.

1977 — Walter Payton rushes for an NFL record 275 yards, and the Chicago Bears edge the Minnesota Vikings 10-7.

1979 — Red Holzman of the New York Knicks wins his 500th game, a 130-125 overtime victory over Houston at Madison Square Garden. Holzman is the second coach, after Red Auerbach, to reach that mark.

1983 — Seattle’s Dave Krieg passes for 418 yards and three touchdowns, lifting the Seahawks to a 27-19 victory over the Denver Broncos.

1983 — Steve Bartkowski throws a 42-yard desperation pass that is deflected to Billy Johnson at the 5-yard line, and he then fights his way into the end zone to give the Atlanta Falcons a 28-24 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

1994 — Tisha Venturini scores twice and Angela Kelly, Sarah Dacey and Robin Confer add goals for North Carolina, which beats Notre Dame 5-0 for its ninth consecutive NCAA women’s soccer championship.

1997 — A.C. Green breaks the NBA record for consecutive games — his 907th straight appearance in the Dallas Mavericks’ 101-97 loss to the Golden State Warriors. Green surpasses Randy Smith’s mark of 906 set from 1972-83.

1999 — TCU’s LaDainian Tomlinson rushes for an NCAA Division I record 406 yards on 43 carries with six touchdowns in a 52-24 victory over UTEP.

2001 — Ball State beats No. 3 UCLA 91-73 in the semifinals of the Maui Invitational, one day after knocking off No. 4 Kansas in the opening round.

2010 — Mikel Leshoure of Illinois rushes for a school-record 330 yards and scores two touchdowns in the Fighting Illini’s 48-27 win over Northwestern at Chicago’s Wrigley Field. All offensive plays are run toward the same end zone because a brick wall, although heavily padded, is too close behind the other one.

2011 — Brittney Griner has 32 points and 14 rebounds while Baylor establishes itself as the clear No. 1 team with a 94-81 victory over No. 2 Notre Dame in the preseason WNIT championship game.

2011 — Landon Donovan scores in the 72nd minute on passes from Robbie Keane and David Beckham, and the Galaxy’s three superstars win their first MLS Cup together with a 1-0 victory over the Houston Dynamo.

2012 — Jack Taylor scores 138 points to shatter the NCAA scoring record in Division III Grinnell’s 179-104 victory over Faith Baptist Bible in Grinnell, Iowa.

2016 — Jimmie Johnson ties Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt with a record seven NASCAR championships when he defeats Carl Edwards, Joey Logano and defending champion Kyle Busch at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

While the game didn’t provide any definitive answers about what LeBron James will do in his record-breaking 23rd season, it offered promising signs about what he won’t do.

He won’t disrupt what the Lakers are doing.

James indirectly said that leading up to his season debut on Tuesday and he indirectly said that again after.

The point was made most emphatically by how he played in the 140-126 victory over the Utah Jazz at Crypto.com Arena.

In the 30 minutes he played, James shot the ball only seven times, less than any other Lakers starter.

He didn’t have problems with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves remaining the team’s primary options.

He didn’t mind picking his spots.

He didn’t mind spending most of the game as a peripheral figure on the court.

“Just thought he played with the right spirit,” coach JJ Redick said. “Very unselfish all night. Willing passer. Didn’t force it. Took his drive and his shots when they were there.”

The 40-year-old James acknowledged that his conditioning remained a problem — “Wind was low,” he said — but he played so much within himself that he never looked visibly fatigued.

This is what the Lakers needed from James on Tuesday, as it allowed them to build on the 10-4 record they compiled in the games he missed because of sciatica. And this could be the kind of mindset the Lakers will need James to adopt for the remainder of the season, especially if Doncic and Reaves continue to score at their current rates.

“I don’t have to worry about [chemistry],” James said.

James sounded offended by questions implying he could have trouble fitting in with the team.

“I don’t even understand why that was a question,” he said.

Concerns over his ability to meld with his particular team were never based on his basketball IQ or skillset but instead how open he would be to accepting a reduced role.

This is a player who was the centerpiece of every team on which he’d ever played. This is also a player who craves attention and is notoriously passive aggressive.

In retrospect, suggesting that James couldn’t adapt to a new role might have sold him short. Whatever he’s said off the court, he’s usually made the right decisions on them.

“There’s not one team, not one club, in the world that I cannot fit in and play for,” James said the day before his return. “I can do everything on the floor. So whatever this team needs me to do, I can do it when I’m back to myself.”

Or even before that.

James scored only 11 points against the Jazz, but he still had his moments.

Starting in the final second of the third quarter, James assisted on seven of the next eight Lakers baskets, a four-minute-30-second stretch over which the team extended its lead from eight to 17.

From the left wing, James found Gabe Vincent in the opposite corner for an open three.

Double-teamed at the top of the key, James dropped a bounce pass to Jaxson Hayes, who soared for an open dunk.

James flipped a couple of no-look passes to Deandre Ayton and delivered a backdoor assist from the post to Jake LaRavia.

James finished with a game-high 12 assists.

“Good player,” Reaves said.

Describing his frustration over not playing the previous 14 games, James said he was grateful to just be playing.

“A lot of joy,” he said. “You probably saw me smiling and talking a lot on the court today.”

But he also sounded as if he wanted to prove something.

“I said it, was it yesterday’s practice, post practice?” James said. “I can fit in with anybody.”

Carefully watching his teammates in the games that he missed, James said he pictured where he could position himself and how he could contribute.

James will average more than 11 points this season. He’s still too good to not. But the Lakers almost certainly won’t need him to average 24 points as he did last season. How open he is to that could determine if they are just a playoff team or a legitimate contender.

The start was optimistic.

The Lakers (11-4) accomplished plenty without James during their first 14 games. Luka Doncic jump-started his most valuable player campaign and rose to the top of the NBA scoring leaderboard. Austin Reaves is averaging career highs nearly across the board. Some wondered how much the team would really benefit from James’ return when it started 10-4 already.

Then the Lakers scored a season-high 140 points, shot a season-best 59.5% from the field and locked down on defense to allow just 32 points in the first 21 minutes of the second half before the benches cleared.

“I can fit in with anybody,” James said. “I don’t even understand why that was a question.”

Doncic continued his scoring spree with 37 points and 10 assists, but with eight turnovers. Reaves had 26 points.

The Lakers lauded their early season chemistry, and coach JJ Redick praised his players for leading themselves through difficult times. He purposely restructured timeouts to give players time to discuss alone before the coaches would join them, hoping that the opportunities for player-to-player communication would prompt stronger team connection. Adding James’ voice to the conversation was an easy transition.

“Us as a young team, I’m glad we got hold of accountability before LeBron got out there,” Ayton said. “I’m glad we went through some tough games and a little of hardships and ups and downs and adversity. And it made us prepare for times like this where he says one thing and we get it done right away.”

The Jazz (5-9) knocked the Lakers back with guard Keyonte George making five threes in the first half and 23 points on nine for 15 shooting. Utah jumped out to a 11-point lead in the first half, but the Lakers tied it with 18.8 seconds left in the second quarter and went into halftime down by four, prepared to make a push.

“I think the word we were using as a coaching staff was our poise as a group,” Redick said. “Not overreacting, not pulling apart, problem solving, all that stuff, in real time. Just continuing to play. That, at times, was missing last year, and for us to get that on the first night [fully healthy] was really good.”

James began his 23rd NBA season in Lakers’ home win as Curry’s Warriors lost to Orlando Magic despite his 34 points.

LeBron James has broken the record for most NBA seasons after appearing for the Los Angeles Lakers in his 23rd after missing almost the first full month of the campaign due to sciatica.

The 40-year-old superstar, a four-time NBA champion and four-time NBA Most Valuable Player, missed the Lakers first 14 games before taking the court at home against Utah Jazz on Tuesday.

The Lakers rallied for a 140-126 victory over the visiting Jazz.

James, the NBA’s all-time scoring leader, practiced with the Lakers on Monday and had no pain or soreness after his first game-style workout with the club since last season’s playoffs.

That set the stage for him to start against the Jazz, breaking a tie with Vince Carter for the most career seasons in NBA history.

The home crowd cheered as James was introduced and moments later James made history when the game tipped off.

👑 SEASON 23 FOR THE KING 👑 pic.twitter.com/SF09U3pZxe

— NBA (@NBA) November 19, 2025

Meanwhile, the Detroit Pistons stretched their longest winning streak since 2008 to 11 games with a 120-112 victory in Atlanta, snapping the Hawks’ five-game win streak.

The Pistons, who lead the Eastern Conference at 13-2, got 25 points and 10 assists from Cade Cunningham and 24 points with eight rebounds from Jalen Duren.

Jalen Johnson sparked Atlanta (9-6) with 25 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.

At Brooklyn, Jaylen Brown scored 29 points and Payton Pritchard added 22 and 10 rebounds to spark the Boston Celtics in a 113-99 victory over the Nets.

Desmond Bane scored 23 points and reserve Anthony Black added 21 to lead the Orlando Magic over the visiting Golden State Warriors 121-113.

Stephen Curry led the Warriors (9-7) with 34 points while Jimmy Butler added 33 in a losing cause.

At San Antonio, De’Aaron Fox scored 20 of his 26 points in the second half and Harrison Barnes added 23 to spark the host Spurs over Memphis 111-101.

The Spurs (10-4) were without star big man Victor Wembanyama due to a left calf strain and guard Stephon Castle with a left hip flexor strain while Memphis star guard Ja Morant was sidelined by a right calf strain.

“We are trying to do this as a collective. There’s no replacing Vic,” Barnes said. “Were just trying to find ways to win, share the ball, move the ball, that’s how we’ll do that.”

Barnes scored the first seven points in an 11-0 game-closing run to secure the victory.

“Harrison Barnes carried us through this. That’s just what a vet does,” Fox said. “It felt great winning the game with all the guys we have out.

“We have a team and we know that when one guy goes down we have a number of guys that can step up. No one guy will take up the slack for one being out.”

LeBron James will make his season debut Tuesday when the Lakers host the Utah Jazz, according to a person with knowledge of the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity, after sciatica kept James sidelined for the Lakers’ first 14 games.

James is “trending in the right direction,” coach JJ Redick said before Tuesday’s game, which will mark the beginning of James’ NBA-record 23rd season. The 40-year-old missed the beginning of a season for the first time in his NBA career after starting to feel discomfort in his right side this summer.

James missed all of training camp and the preseason. The Lakers put together a 10-4 record despite playing without their biggest star. In his place, Luka Doncic has emerged as the NBA’s leading scorer and guard Austin Reaves is off to a career season.

The star trio played together for several months last year after Doncic joined the Lakers in a blockbuster trade, helping the team grab the third seed in the Western Conference. Redick expects the experience to help James integrate smoothly this year.

“He’s smart enough and [there’s] enough carry over from last year, both with personnel and with our schemes, that I think it’ll be easy for him to be integrated right away,” Redick said.

James said after practice Monday he was not yet pain-free, but he has been able to manage the nerve injury enough to progress through practices with the G League team, the full NBA squad and then Tuesday’s shootaround. James said dealing with sciatica came with unexpected challenges. He often could only hope he wouldn’t feel pain when he woke up in the morning or when he went to sleep.

Redick said the team and James are approaching “uncharted territory” when it comes to managing the superstar’s health. Conversations have been consistent and will be ongoing as the season progresses.

“We’ll figure out ways to get him rest when he needs rest,” Redick said.

Staff writer Broderick Turner contributed to this report.