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This is what the Lakers imagined when they nearly broke the NBA with the trade that brought Luka Doncic to L.A.

Doncic and LeBron James both scored 30 or more points in a game for just the third time as teammates Friday to help the Lakers hold off the Memphis Grizzlies 128-121 at Crypto.com Arena. Doncic led the way with 34 points, using 17-for-20 shooting from the free-throw line to maintain his NBA-leading scoring average, while James had 31 points on 12-for-18 shooting with nine rebounds and six assists.

The Lakers (21-11) needed 41-year-old James to be at his best. They squandered 13- and 15-point leads in the first and second quarters, respectively, but pieced together a timely 12-2 run in the fourth to improve their record in clutch games to 11-0.

“It felt like nearly every time we needed a bucket, he just kind of willed [it],” coach JJ Redick said of James, “whether it was driving the basketball, getting to the paint, getting to 2 feet, and he was just phenomenal tonight.”

Here are three takeaways from the win:

Jake LaRavia stars in his role

Laker Jake LaRavia celebrates making a three-pointer against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday at Crypto.com Arena.

(Katelyn Mulcahy / Getty Images)

James and Doncic led the way, but another player set the strongest tone for the night.

“Obviously it started with Jake,” James said.

Jake LaRavia, in the starting lineup for the injured Rui Hachimura (calf), delivered the necessary spark of energy on defense while also getting his shot going early to add a scoring punch. LaRavia scored 21 points, hitting three of six three-point attempts, with nine rebounds, two steals and a block.

“When I just talk about roles and the amount of hats that I can wear with this team, some nights, this is what happens,” LaRavia said. “Other nights I’m that defender, connector, crasher, like all that kind of stuff. So just continuing to play confidently throughout but also understanding what my role is going to be each game.”

The Lakers coveted the 6-foot-7, 24-year-old forward during the offseason for his versatility on defense and three-point shooting. He hit his first three-point shot Friday then nailed a midrange jumper 28 seconds later. He had 11 points in the first quarter and 18 in the first half.

LaRavia knew almost instantly it finally could be his night again.

LaRavia hadn’t scored 20 points in a game since Nov. 2 as his playing time has fluctuated with the Lakers’ ever-changing injury report. He also is shooting a career-low 30.9% from three after shooting 42.3% from long distance last season.

But LaRavia asked teammates to maintain their confidence in him as he worked with assistant coach Beau Levesque to fine-tune his shot.

“He says, ‘Control the input and the output is going to show for itself,’” LaRavia said of the coach. “So that’s kind of what I’m doing right now. I’m just working on my shot, starting with the basics again, and just kind of going from there. And, you know, hopefully I can find my rhythm again. And tonight was just the start.”

Friday was LaRavia’s first game with three three-pointers since Oct. 29 when he made five of six against the Minnesota Timberwolves, prompting the viral moment of fans shouting “Who is No. 12?”

Jaxson Hayes gets the closing nod

Lakers center Jaxson Hayes yells as he dunks in front of Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. and center Jock Landale during the fourth quarter at Crypto.com Arena on Friday.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Last year Jaxson Hayes watched the Lakers’ season end from the bench after he fell out of the playoff rotation in the first round against Minnesota. The 7-foot center started the first four playoff games but never played more than 10 minutes in each as his role dwindled to not playing at all in the decisive Game 5.

After the benching, Hayes said, he had something to prove this season. He made a loud statement Friday, earning the closing minutes over starter Deandre Ayton. Hayes played 11 minutes 9 seconds of the tight fourth quarter and finished with 12 points on five-for-six shooting.

Ayton had six rebounds and four points, and the Lakers were outscored by one during his almost 25 minutes compared with a plus-eight scoring margin during Hayes’ 23 minutes.

“He was playing better,” Redick said of the decision to play Hayes at the end.

Hayes has 25 points on 10-for-11 shooting in two games since returning from an ankle injury. Defensively, Hayes added two steals, two rebounds and a block Friday. He’s shooting a career-best 78% but does not qualify for the league’s official leaderboard with 64 makes on just 82 attempts.

Doncic praised Hayes for his improvement in the pick and roll, noting how the center is finding “the right pocket” while Doncic is handling the ball.

“His ability to control the paint for us has been huge,” said guard Marcus Smart, who flirted with a triple-double with 13 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. “… Just his ability to go get the ball at the highest point when we throw it and then defensively to alter shots, whether he’s blocking them or just changing shots for us, allows our defense to pick it up from our guards even more. To have that urgency that he brings, that’s huge.”

Dalton Knecht to get more playing time

Lakers forward Dalton Knecht extends to shoot the ball while being guarded by Detroit Pistons forward Ronald Holland II on Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena.

(Caroline Brehman / Associated Press)

Diminished defense headlined the Lakers’ December struggles, but the offense also was out of sync during the Lakers’ 5-7 month. They were 18th in offensive rating and shot 33.9% from three-point range, which ranked 25th.

With several of the team’s top shooters injured, Redick is opening the door for second-year forward Dalton Knecht to work back into the rotation. Knecht will get “consistent” playing time the next few weeks, Redick said, and won’t be judged solely on his shooting percentage while he tries to stick in the lineup.

“Play hard,” Redick said before the game of what Knecht needs to do to stay in the lineup. “That’s been the biggest playing emphasis for him all season. He’s not going to be judged on whether he makes or misses shots. That helps. When you go through a stretch and you feel like your team isn’t playing hard, you got to play the guys that are consistently playing hard.”

Knecht was scoreless in almost 11 minutes against the Grizzlies, missing both three-point attempts and turning the ball over once.

Knecht is shooting 37.3% from three in his short NBA career but has struggled to stick in the lineup because of defensive lapses. He grabbed veteran Maxi Kleber’s minutes at the end of the rotation after not playing in the first half of a game since Dec. 23 against Phoenix, a blowout loss.

Kleber is shooting a team-worst 31% and 20% on threes.

The Lakers are digging into their bench while injuries pile up. Austin Reaves remains out at least three more weeks because of a calf strain. Forward Adou Thiero was diagnosed with a sprain of his right medial collateral ligament on New Year’s Eve and will be reevaluated in four weeks.

Guard Gabe Vincent is closing in on a return from a back injury that’s cost him seven games. He had a modified practice with some three-on-three work Saturday, and the Lakers hope he can be available for at least one of their upcoming road games against New Orleans on Tuesday and San Antonio on Wednesday.

LONDON City Airport will introduce drop-off fees for the very first time.

In just a matter of days, the airport will charge those dropping off passengers at its airport.

London City Airport will introduce a drop-off charge of £8 from January 6, 2026.

On its website, the airport said: “The charge will be £8.00 for 0-5 minutes, then £1 per minute for any additional minutes, with a maximum stay of 10 minutes.”

Blue Badge holders are exempt, as are licensed black cab drivers.

London City is the last of the London airports to allow free drop-offs.

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The airport explained: “The charge will help London City meet its wider sustainability goals by reducing the number of vehicles travelling to and from the airport, supporting efforts to lower congestion, reduce emissions and improve air quality in the surrounding area.”

The hope is that the fee will encourage travellers to use public transport rather than arrive by car.

Currently, around 10 per cent of passengers arrive by car, with another 14 per cent using taxis.

Planes from London City Airport fly to over 30 destinations across Europe including Amsterdam, Spain and Greece.

London City is the most recent airport to announce its new drop-off charges, but other major airports are doing the same in 2026.

As of January 1, 2026, London Heathrow has increased its drop-off fee from £6 to £7.

The last drop off increase at London Heathrow was in December 2024, from £5 to £6.

It is also introducing a strict 10-minute drop-off time, with drivers charged £80 if they go over the allocated time slot.

In just a matter of days, London Gatwick is also upping its drop-off fee.

From January 6, 2026, London Gatwick Airport will charge passengers being dropped off the new fee of £10.

Currently charging £7, the £3 increase (a 40 per cent jump) will apply to all drivers using the drop-off zone, excluding Blue Badge holders.

Major UK airport’s plans for millions more passengers ahead of £1.1bn expansion – with new flights to Europe this year.

My local airport was named the best in the UK – it beats London Heathrow and City by miles.

Welcome back to this week’s Lakers newsletter, where we’re making our interview lists and checking them twice. I have something to share: I never celebrated Christmas growing up. We didn’t do presents, trees, decorating or any of that.

What we did was basketball.

From spending Christmas Day eating my mom’s home-cooked meals and watching the NBA, I will now be at Crypto.com Arena covering the game my parents will inevitably ask about later. Talk about a special holiday gift.

LeBron James rounds into form

At this stage of LeBron James’ career, it’s not enough to just evaluate the Lakers superstar’s performance in a vacuum. So when coach JJ Redick was asked in Utah before James played his 10th game of the season whether the 21-time All-NBA honoree was “looking more like himself,” Redick didn’t have a straightforward answer.

“Well, I think you have to contextualize it,” Redick told reporters. “[He’s] ‘looking like himself’ as a 41-year-old coming off [a knee injury] and sciatica.”

Redick is premature in calling James a 41-year-old — his birthday is not until next week — but James is at least back to a version of himself. About a month since his season debut, James is starting to round into form, moving past the informal training camp and preseason period after sciatica kept him out all offseason.

James is averaging 27.6 points, 6.2 assists and 7.2 rebounds in the last five games during which the Lakers (19-8) went 3-2. His shooting percentage improved to 53.8% compared to 41.3% in his first six games.

But James is in a new era of his play. His usage rate is the lowest it’s ever been. Redick commended the superstar’s willingness to play off the ball more with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves emerging as the team’s primary ballhandling options.

There are moments when James’ age is showing. A second jump that isn’t as quick as it once was. A dunk that looks more deliberate than explosive. Then he turns back the clock by bulldozing Luke Kornet on a vicious one-handed dunk. James, always one of the league’s best in transition, still leads the Lakers with 6.4 transition points per game.

Lakers star LeBron James dunks over San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet at Crypto.com Arena on Dec. 10.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

“The thing about LeBron — it’s why he’s so great — is he can play with anybody,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “So it doesn’t matter who’s on the floor, but he’s always going to be effective.”

James showed he can still carry the team for stretches when Doncic suffered a left leg bruise during the first half against the Clippers, and the shorthanded Lakers, who entered the game without three starters, still chopped the Clippers’ 22-point lead to seven in the fourth quarter.

Doncic (leg) will remain out for Tuesday’s game against Phoenix, along with Rui Hachimura (groin) and Gabe Vincent (back). Reaves (calf) is questionable as his absence has surpassed one week.

The Lakers have been short at least one player for almost every game this season, Deandre Ayton pointed out Monday after practice as he prepared to return from a two-game absence because of an elbow injury. The injuries, highlighted by James’ 14-game absence, has made Redick feel like this team’s primary identity at the quarter mark of the season is “chaos.”

Yet leadership from players such as James has helped the Lakers find calm amid the confusion.

“This is not a quiet team,” Ayton said. “… We communicate. That’s what brings closure, where you know the guy might not be out there, or superstars might not be out there, but they with us in spirit.”

James was a vocal leader even while injured. When he returned to the court, his energy was infectious in practice, Reaves said, who often marvels at how James, despite playing in a record 23rd NBA season, still feels like one of the biggest kids in the gym.

So a month after his return, when asked in Utah about how James looked in the context of his age and recent injury history, Redick didn’t hesitate to follow up.

“Pretty damn good,” Redick said.

Holiday spirit

Lakers star LeBron James stands on the court during player introductions before a game against the Utah Jazz at Crypto.com Arena on Nov. 18.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

While the NFL tried to use Beyoncé to take over Christmas last year, the games were all laughers. The NBA, meanwhile, planted its flag with a thrilling slate that had four of five games decided by six or fewer points.

“I love the NFL,” James said into the ABC camera last year after the Lakers won a 115-113 nail-biter over the Golden State Warriors. “But Christmas is our day.”

The Lakers are playing on Christmas for the 27th season in a row. James is slated for his 20th Christmas Day game, but even he’s grown tired of his personal tradition.

“I’d much rather be at home with my family,” James said. “But it’s the game. It’s the game I love. It’s the game I watched when I was a kid on Christmas Day, watching a lot of the greatest to play the game on Christmas. It’s always been an honor to play it. Obviously, I’m going to be completely honest, I would like to be home on the couch with my family all throughout the day. But my number is called, our numbers are called, so we have to go out and perform. And I look forward to it.”

The Lakers are 25-26 on Christmas Day. This year’s lineup is delicious. The Lakers at home against Houston — the only team in the league besides Oklahoma City ranked in the top five in offensive and defensive rating — is the prime-time entree. The 11:30 a.m. PST appetizer between San Antonio and Oklahoma City could be the star of the night.

Outside of James’ slightly Grinchy mood about playing, the Lakers were getting into the holiday spirit last week. Doncic gifted e-bikes to everyone in the organization, 103 in total. Jarred Vanderbilt and Jaxson Hayes held charity events. Vanderbilt and his foundation held a holiday giveback at the Boys & Girls Club last Friday while Hayes had giveaways in Compton and his native Cincinnati.

“Stuff like that just fills my heart up and makes me feel better,” Hayes said. “… Stuff like that, I just feel like it’s why God put us here, we’re here to help others.”

On tap

Records and stats current entering Monday’s games

Dec. 23 at Suns (15-13), 6 p.m. PST

Nine days after the Lakers barely survived a dramatic fourth-quarter Phoenix comeback attempt, the Lakers and Suns run it back. In the midst of a challenging portion of their schedule that featured games against Western Conference front-runners Oklahoma City, Denver and Houston, the Suns have lost seven of their last nine games, including three of their last four.

Dec. 25 vs. Rockets (17-9), 5 p.m.

Entering Monday’s game against the Clippers, the Rockets lost three of their last four games. All the losses — to Denver, New Orleans and Sacramento — came in overtime. Kevin Durant is averaging 25.3 points while center Alperen Sengun is putting together a career year with 23.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists.

Dec. 28 vs. Kings (7-22), 6:30 p.m.

The Kings scored an improbable victory over the Rockets to break a six-game losing streak but remain in the Western Conference cellar. The Lakers needed a career-high 51 points from Austin Reaves to survive against the Kings on Oct. 26 without Doncic or James.

Status report

Lakers star Luka Doncic controls the ball during a loss to the Clippers on Dec. 20. Doncic sustained a left leg contusion in the game.

(Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)

Luka Doncic: left leg contusion

Doncic suffered the injury when he was kneed in the leg by the Clippers’ Bogdan Bogdanovic. He sat out of the second half and was seen on the practice court Monday with a wrap around his left calf. He is out for Phoenix, but is day to day.

Austin Reaves: left calf strain

Reaves was a partial participant in practice Monday and remained day to day. He passed the initial estimated one-week mark since being diagnosed with a mild left calf strain on Dec. 12.

Deandre Ayton: right elbow soreness

The center appeared to suffer the injury when he got tangled up with Phoenix’s Mark Williams on Dec. 14 and missed two games but will return against the Suns on Tuesday.

Rui Hachimura: right groin soreness

Redick said Hachimura started feeling pain in his hip after the game at Utah on Dec. 18. The coach expects Hachimura to be sidelined for three to five days, which leaves a Christmas Day return possible.

Gabe Vincent: low back soreness

Vincent will not be reevaluated until at least Christmas after a back issue first popped up before the game at Utah.

Favorite thing I ate this week

A meal worth savoring at Santa Monica’s Elephante: (clockwise from top) the pizza bianco, vodka sauce pasta and squash agnolotti.

(Thuc Nhi Nguyen / Los Angeles Times)

I finally crossed an essential L.A. dining experience off of my list this week. I visited Elephante in Santa Monica and very much understand the appeal.

Everyone talks about the whipped eggplant, which we got, but the vodka sauce pasta was my favorite because the pasta was perfectly cooked and the sauce had a slight smoky kick from the Calabrian chile. We also ordered the pizzo bianco, which is finished with a drizzle of hot honey and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. An order of the squash agnolotti pasta that features sage, brown butter and walnut pesto completed the spread.

In case you missed it

Lakers want Luka Doncic, LeBron James to engage more on defense

Luka Doncic gifts more than 100 e-bikes to Lakers players, staff

Lakers eventually respond to JJ Redick’s call for change, rally to beat Jazz

Natalia Bryant gets new restraining order against alleged stalker with added protection for family

Blake Griffin, Candace Parker among Basketball Hall of Fame nominees

Lakers’ Marcus Smart fined $35,000 for making obscene gesture at official

Lakers lose Luka Doncic to injury, then fall to Clippers despite LeBron James’ 36 points

Lakers ask officials for consistency as technical fouls pile up in loss to Clippers

Lakers’ Deandre Ayton expected back Tuesday, Austin Reaves injury status upgraded

Until next time…

As always, pass along your thoughts to me at thucnhi.nguyen@latimes.com, and please consider subscribing if you like our work!

A MAJOR UK city, home to the third oldest subway system in the world, is set to get driverless trains next year.

Glasgow will be getting driverless subway trains in the second half of 2026, according to The Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT).

The new driverless trains will be introduced in Glasgow slowly, with officials noting in a report that “whilst our new system will be capable of Unattended Train Operation, there may be a requirement for some staff presence within the system beyond this point”.

The move to driverless trains in Glasgow will be the first of its kind in the UK.

The only other similar train system is the DLR in London – while not having train drivers, they do still have ‘Train Captain’s onboard.

In addition to the driverless trains, Glasgow’s public transport more widely has undergone a number of other projects.

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These include implementing more glass screens at a number of stations for safety.

And most stations on the circular line have had refurbishments.

There are also a few projects that still need to be carried out including introducing new signalling.

A report from June revealed that the subway modernisation in Glasgow is the “most significant investment and improvement programme to be undertaken in the Subway within the last 45 years”.

The report also listed a number of other areas that will undergo improvements, including the introduction of a new ticketing system.

Glasgow is planning on becoming the first city in Scotland to trial a free public transport scheme as well.

The scheme will start in early 2026 and involve around 1,000 people, who will get free public transport for six weeks.

This means travellers will get unlimited travel on trains, buses and the subway network.

The aim of the scheme is to see whether more people take up public transport, rather than opting to drive.

Currently, fares to travel on Glasgow’s transport network range from around £3.60 to £5.90.

This week, rail operator Lumo also announced that it is extending its London Euston to Edinburgh route to Glasgow.

Passengers will be able to use two northbound services each weekday and one southbound service.

There will then be one service in each direction at the weekend.

And tickets for the route with the low-cost operator will cost from £33.10 between London and Glasgow.

In other rail news, here’s the first look at the new Great British Railways trains being rolled out across the UK.

Plus, popular UK seaside town scraps trains to London.