Published On 7 Nov 20267 Nov 2026
Luka Doncic poured in 53 points to propel the Los Angeles Lakers to a 124-118 NBA Cup group-stage victory over Portland on Friday as LeBron James’s latest return to Cleveland ended in defeat.
Doncic’s latest big game helped the Lakers shake off a sluggish start that saw them trailing by as many as 16 points in the second quarter.
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Doncic closed the first half with an astonishing shot from well beyond the half-court line, pulling the Lakers within seven points and setting the tone for their second-half surge.
The Trail Blazers had pulled within four points in the final minute when he hit a floater, and the Lakers held on for their fourth straight win.
Doncic has scored at least 40 points in six of his last seven games and joined Elgin Baylor, Kobe Bryant and George Mikan as the only Lakers players to score 40 or more in four straight regular-season contests.
“I’m having a lot of fun,” said Doncic, who added five rebounds and five assists.
“Obviously playing basketball, it’s a lot of fun for me. It’s more [fun] when you play like this and when you win games.”
The 11th 50-point game of Doncic’s career was his fourth with the Lakers – passing LeBron James and tying Mikan for the fourth most for the franchise.
James, who left the Lakers for the Philadelphia 76ers in June, made his first trip as a Sixer to Cleveland, where the Cavs spoiled his latest homecoming with a 119-95 victory that snapped Philadelphia’s five-game winning streak.
James, expected by many to opt for a third stint in Cleveland before he chose Philadelphia, was greeted by warm cheers – and scattered boos – when he was introduced.
The four-time NBA champion, playing his 24th NBA season at the age of 41, was cheered again when he exited the game late in the fourth quarter.
In between, it was a rough night for James and his teammates.
The league’s all-time leading scorer finished with eight points on three-of-12 shooting with seven rebounds, three assists, two steals and six turnovers.
Star centre Joel Embiid missed all nine of his shots from the floor, making six free throws for six points.
Jaylen Brown, like James an off-season import, led the Sixers with 20 points, but the Cavaliers seized control early and repelled every Philadelphia surge.
Donovan Mitchell scored 10 of his 23 points in the first quarter. Evan Mobley added 22 points, and Cleveland out-rebounded Philadelphia 56-42 despite the injury absence of centre Jarrett Allen.
“I did not feel in a good rhythm offensively,” James said.
“We didn’t look like much offensively. We had a couple of spurts. We were able to cut [the deficit] to three in the third quarter. But too many turnovers on my behalf.”
Friday’s games were part of NBA Cup group-stage action, which will continue throughout November.
Quarterfinals of the in-season tournament will be played December 4-5 and semifinals December 8-9 before the final on December 11.
The Boston Celtics drained a whopping 24 three-pointers on 44 attempts in a 119-80 blowout of the Hornets in Charlotte.
Jayson Tatum drilled five three-pointers on the way to a game-high 34 points for Boston, who led by as many as 46 in the wire-to-wire win.
San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama, coming off a stunning 52-point, 24-rebound performance in a win over Dallas, scored 30 points and pulled down 14 rebounds to lead the Spurs to a 124-109 victory over the Kings in Sacramento.
The Oklahoma City Thunder continued their dominance of the Grizzlies with a 128-97 win in Memphis.
Ajay Mitchell scored a career-high 35 points, and two-time defending NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 28 for the Thunder, who notched a 13th straight regular-season win over the Grizzlies despite missing injured starters Jaylen Williams, Cason Wallace and Chet Holmgren.
The absences were irrelevant as the Thunder jumped to a 71-49 halftime lead.
Adonis Ratliff scored 25 points in his collegiate debut, Alijah Arenas had 21 points and a career-high eight rebounds, and No. 21 USC beat Milwaukee 95-63 to open the season Monday night.
Darius Ratliff, Adonis’ twin brother, added 14 points and five blocks in his debut for the Trojans. Rodney Rice had 15 points and nine assists in his first game since a season-ending shoulder injury last year, and KJ Lewis added 10 points.
USC (1-0) shot 56.9% from the field, including 12 of 22 from three-point range, and never trailed en route to its third straight season-opening win under coach Eric Musselman.
Amare Hereford scored 14 points and Tre Norman had 13 for the Panthers (0-1).
The Ratliff brothers, the twin sons of 16-year NBA veteran Theo Ratliff, are part of a decorated freshman class for the Trojans that includes touted recruit Christian Collins, who did not play.
Adonis Ratliff shot seven of 10 from the field, including five of seven from three-point range, and added six rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals. Darius Ratliff was five of 10 and made his only three-point attempt.
USC led 46-29 at halftime on the strength of red-hot shooting and lockdown defense. The Trojans shot 53.6% in the first half and forced the Panthers into nine turnovers, including six in a span of 5:10.
USC pulled away with a 15-0 run midway through the half, holding Milwaukee scoreless for more than seven minutes, and led by double figures the rest of the way.
Milwaukee guard John Lovelace Jr. injured his left leg when he landed awkwardly following a layup in the second half. He walked off the floor with an athletic trainer and did not return.
Up next for USC: vs. Wichita State at Galen Center on Sunday.
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NEW YORK — Artemi Panarin had two goals, Brandt Clarke scored in overtime and the Kings won their second consecutive game, 3-2, at the New York Islanders on Thursday night.
The Kings have back-to-back victories after losing their first six games. They were the final NHL team without a win before defeating Washington on Tuesday night.
The Kings were outplayed for much of the game and were outshot 43 to 26. Panarin beat rusty backup Semyon Varlamov glove side twice, and Darcy Kuemper kept making stops even as his rebound control was lacking, finishing with 41 saves.
Kuemper cracked for the first time with just under six minutes left in the second period when rookie Victor Eklund’s shot squeezed through on a power play. Matthew Schaefer wired a wrist shot past Kuemper 7:06 into the third.
Clarke scored the winner with 2:18 left in overtime after he and his teammates possessed the puck for several shifts in a row.
Varlamov, the 38-year-old making his first home start since Nov. 25, 2024, after double partial knee replacements, denied Adrian Kempe on a penalty shot and made some big-time saves after giving up the soft goals to Panarin on the Kings’ first five shots.
Panarin has four points in two games after four combined over the first six.
Kings forward Quinton Byfield was out after getting hurt against the Capitals. Byfield did not take part in the morning skate and is considered day to day with an upper-body injury.
Up next for the Kings: at the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.
Stephen Warnock, Nedum Onuoha and Lars Sivertsen look at whether England captain and Bayern Munich forward Harry Kane should lift the Ballon d’Or following a “phenomenal” season.
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USC coach Lincoln Riley kept his offense on the field on fourth and four at the USC 13.
The decision was so confounding, Penn State coach Matt Campbell burned the Nittany Lions’ final timeout with 4:15 remaining. Riley grinned with his team protecting a 31-23 lead in front of a rowdy crowd of more than 106,000 fans decked in all white at Beaver Stadium Saturday night.
USC punted after the timeout and Riley watched his maligned defense recover Penn State receiver Brett Eskildsen’s fumble on the Nittany Lions’ first snap of the ensuing drive.
With no timeouts remaining, Penn State had no room for error while trying to stop USC. The Trojans burned as much clock as they could and were again prepared to snap the ball on fourth down when the Penn State defense jumped offside, effectively sealing the Trojans’ win.
Riley has long been scrutinized for clock management and late-game decision making, but in one of the most hostile environments in the country, he helped the No. 19 Trojans work their way to a 31-23 win.
USC (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten) had the better record and national ranking, but Penn State (3-3, 0-3) was favored to win by 1½ points in a sign of the plunging confidence in Riley and his Trojans.
“We came in here against the odds,” Riley said during his postgame on-field interview with NBC. “Everybody in the country counted us out and said we weren’t going to win a tough road game.
“Trojans came [to] play. Great environment here. Tonight the white-out game went cardinal and gold.”
Quarterback Jayden Maiava, who had struggled at times the past few weeks, completed 21 of 33 passes for 301 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He was sacked once.
Trent Mosley, who returned after missing the past two games with an injury, and Tanook Hines delivered a series of highlight catches to support Maiava. Mosley hauled in nine passes for 111 yards and a touchdown, while Hines added four catches for 82 yards and another touchdown.
King Miller ran for 102 yards in 19 carries and scored off a Maiava option pitch.
USC wide receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt catches a touchdown pass ahead of Penn State linebacker Tony Rojas during the second half of the Trojans’ 31-23 win Saturday.
(Barry Reeger / Associated Press)
The teams traded touchdowns and field goals early, entering halftime tied 17-17.
Riley made the curious decision to open the third quarter with an onside kick, but his defense limited Penn State to a field goal.
Miller ran for a 13-yard touchdown on USC’s next drive.
Penn State mounted a long drive that the Trojans’ defense again limited to a field goal, giving USC a 24-23 lead with 14:52 left in the fourth quarter.
Maiava then led a 10-play, 71-yard scoring drive. On the final snap of the drive, Maiava had time to sit in the pocket, scan the field and connect with Kayden Dixon-Wyatt for a 10-yard touchdown. USC hit the extra point and led 31-23 with 11:11 left in the fourth quarter.
USC’s defense forced a Penn State punt and Riley worked the clock to protect the win.
Desman Stephens II returned from his one-game suspension for his hit on Oregon quarterback Dante Moore and led the Trojans with nine tackles.
Freshman Luke Wafle delivered five tackles and one massively important sack of Penn State quarterback Rocco Becht for a loss of 10 yards with six minutes left in regulation.
It was raining in State College late in the fourth quarter. The Trojans’ defense danced on the sideline as the song “Umbrella” played in the stadium and the Trojans lingered on the field to soak up a big road victory.
