From Ben Bolch: The crowd couldn’t believe what it had just witnessed.
Donovan Dent’s crossover move left a helpless defender watching from behind as he accelerated toward the basket, fans unleashing audible admiration even before the UCLA point guard completed the play with a driving layup.
Poor Noah Meeusen and everyone else who tried to stop Dent.
They were overmatched by the finishing ability and fearlessness of a player who had not shown much of either over the season’s first month, hardly resembling the star the Bruins thought they were getting.
On a revelation of a Wednesday night inside Pauley Pavilion, Dent finally looked like someone who could carry a team.
He did exactly that, the transfer from New Mexico helping the Bruins fend off Arizona State during a 90-77 victory that had his handprints all over it.
USC WINS AT HOME BUT LOSES RICE
From Ryan Kartje: Through a near-perfect nonconference slate, no matter what was thrown USC’s way, whether injuries or other unforeseen circumstances, the Trojans had never lacked for life on the court. It was that endless energy that had helped power them to a 10-1 start.
But for a while Wednesday, that vigor was conspicuously absent against Texas San Antonio, a team that lost four of its last five. Maybe it was the setting, in a mostly empty and eerily quiet Galen Center. Maybe it was the bad news from earlier in the day, as USC announced that point guard Rodney Rice would undergo shoulder surgery and miss the rest of the season.
Whatever it was, USC was eventually able to shake it off Wednesday night, turning a deficit late in the first half to a convincing, 97-70 victory over San Antonio in the second.
UCLA-USC TRANSFER TRACKER
From Ben Bolch and Ryan Kartje: A look at all the players who are transferring in and out of UCLA and USC in the NCAA transfer portal ahead of the 2026 college football season.
Wednesday’s updates:
Leaving UCLA: Salem Abdul-Wahab | Long Snapper
Leaving USC: Devan Thompkins | Defensive tackle
LAKERS DEFENSE NEEDS STAR POWER
From Broderick Turner: They saw how “contagious” it was when playing defense at a high level against the Suns and how Jarred Vanderbilt lit the fuse to ignite things for the Lakers in their last victory over Phoenix.
And for the Lakers to maintain that defensive mindset, stars Luka Doncic and LeBron James also have to be committed to that end of the court.
That was the message from Lakers coach JJ Redick to Doncic and James.
“Yeah, it was good,” Doncic said. “We talked about a lot, not just that, but he was right. You got to get a little big more, especially from the star players. So that’s on us. That’s on me. And we just got to give more, especially at the start of the game. We got to start the game better. But I think in Phoenix, we did a pretty good job. The plan was focused on ourselves and [our] defensive mentality, so I think we did a pretty good job.”
The Lakers will be tested again on defense by the Utah Jazz Thursday night in Salt Lake City.
A CHRISTMAS GIFT FROM DONCIC
From Broderick Turner: Luka Doncic was back at it again, this time surprising the Lakers and staff members with more than 100 e-bikes for Christmas gifts.
Doncic, who took his teammates to a Porsche Driving Experience in October as a way to bond, gave the gifts away Tuesday after practice.
NACUA CALLS FOUL ON REFS
From Chuck Schilken: Puka Nacua thinks NFL referees are “the worst.”
He feels they fabricate calls just so their friends can see them on TV.
But, to be honest, the Rams star receiver doesn’t seem too upset about the situation.
During a livestream Tuesday with YouTubers N3on and Adin Ross, Nacua was asked if he thought referees might bend the truth at times when making their calls.
“Oh, a hundred percent,” Nacua answered matter-of-factly. “Yes, the refs are the worst.”
The third-year player continued in the same casual manner, saying that NFL officials are generally part-time employees who probably get a thrill when they appear on screen during national broadcasts — even if it’s while making a call.
MCVAY, RAMS FACE A CHALLENGE IN SEATTLE
From Gary Klein: Sean McVay might truly qualify as sleepless in Seattle.
After the Rams’ victory over the Detroit Lions on Sunday, the Rams coach left SoFi Stadium for the hospital and the birth of his second son, who arrived Monday morning. Then McVay game-planned for Thursday night’s showdown with the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field.
Asked this week if he had slept much in the aftermath of the newborn’s arrival, the notoriously early-rising McVay chuckled.
“Not really,” he said. “Even for me. … This is a good challenge.”
McVay and the Rams, who hold the top seed in the NFC and have clinched a playoff spot, will face their biggest and most important test of the season against the Seahawks.
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT RAMS VS. SEAHAWKS
From Gary Klein: Kamren Kinchens loves to play against the Seattle Seahawks.
The Rams’ second-year safety has six career interceptions — four against the Seahawks.
On Thursday night, the Rams (11-3) will play the Seahawks (11-3) at Lumen Field with first-place in the NFC West and the top seed in the NFC on the line.
The Rams defense is aiming to repeat their Nov. 16 performance against the Seahawks, when they intercepted four passes by Sam Darnold in a 21-19 victory at SoFi Stadium.
Kinchens had two interceptions, cornerbacks Cobie Durant and Darious Williams one each.
“I did good so are they going to not go at me at this time?” Kinchens said, adding that he welcomes the opportunity to “get more picks. Hopefully, that’s the case.”
HALFTIME WITH SNOOP DOGG
From Chuck Schilken: Snoop Dogg knows what you want for Christmas.
More Snoop Dogg.
The rapper and pop culture icon will perform during the halftime show at the Detroit Lions-Minnesota Vikings game in Minneapolis on Dec. 25 as part of Netflix’s NFL Christmas Gameday streaming event.
Dubbed “Snoop’s Holiday Halftime Party,” the show will feature hit songs, special guests and holiday cheer, Netflix said in a news release.
“NFL, Netflix and your uncle Snoop on Christmas Day? We’re servin’ up music, love and good vibes for the whole world to enjoy,” Snoop Dogg said in the news release. “That’s the kind of holiday magic Santa can’t fit in a bag.”
On Tuesday, Netflix dropped an announcement video for the halftime show. In what may or may not be a hint at the identity of one of the special guests, funk legend George Clinton narrates the clip. At one point, the Parliament-Funkadelic leader utters, “bow wow wow, yippie yo yippie yay” — a line from his 1982 solo hit “Atomic Dog” that Snoop has used in multiple songs.
CRAWFORD IS LEAVING THE RING
From Jad El Reda: Terence Crawford shook the boxing world on Tuesday by announcing his retirement, an unexpected decision that brings an end to one of the most dominant careers of the modern era.
At 38, the Omaha native decided to hang up his gloves at the top, undefeated and with a legacy that places him among the all-time greats.
Crawford bids farewell with a perfect record of 42 wins, 31 of them by knockout, after more than 17 years as a professional. With his unexpected retirement, Crawford leaves behind four titles in the 168-pound weight class.
“I’m retiring from competition, not because I’ve stopped fighting, but because I’ve won another kind of battle,” Crawford said in a YouTube video. “The battle where you retire on your own terms.”
KINGS GO WINLESS FOR FOUR
Sam Bennett scored 10 seconds into the third period, Brad Marchand had two assists and the Florida Panthers beat the Kings 3-2 on Wednesday night to sweep the two-game season series.
Anton Lundell and Carter Verhaeghe also scored for Florida, which has won six of its last seven games. Daniil Tarasov made 27 saves for the Panthers, including a breakaway stop against the Kings’ Trevor Moore with just under five minutes left to preserve a one-goal lead.
Joel Armia and Kevin Fiala had the goals for the Kings, who fell to 0-2-2 in their last four contests. The four-game winless streak matches a season-long slide for the Kings, who were 0-2-2 from Oct. 11 through Oct. 18 as well.
THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
1930 — Adolph Rupp coaches his first game at Kentucky, a 67-19 win over Georgetown College in Kentucky. Rupp retires in 1972 after winning 879 games and four national titles.
1949 — The Philadelphia Eagles win the NFL championship with a 14-0 victory over the Los Angeles Rams.
1954 — Montreal’s Maurice Richard becomes the first player in NHL history to score 400 goals during the Canadiens’ 4-2 road victory against the Chicago Black Hawks.
1961 — Olympic track star Wilma Rudolph wins The Associated Press’ female athlete of year award for the second consecutive year.
1962 — Wilt Chamberlain of the San Francisco Warriors scores 61 points in a 130-110 over the St. Louis Hawks.
1964 — Oscar Robertson of the Cincinnati Royals scores 56 points, including 18 in the final quarter, in a 111-107 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
1976 — Oakland quarterback Kenny Stabler scores with 14 seconds left to give the Raiders a 24-21 comeback victory over the New England Patriots in the in the AFC divisional playoffs.
1983 — Edmonton’s Wayne Gretzky scores his 100th point of the season the Edmonton Oilers’ 34th game, a 7-5 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Gretzky scores two goals and has two assists to get to 100 points faster than any player in NHL history. He finishes the season with 205 points.
1995 — Jerry Rice of the San Francisco 49ers records the fifth-highest yardage total by a receiver in NFL history with 289 yards, and catches three touchdown passes in a 37-30 win over the Minnesota Vikings.
1997 — Germany’s Katja Seizinger wins her sixth straight race to tie former French star Jean-Claude Killy’s World Cup record for consecutive victories.
2005 — Indianapolis, which won its first 13 games, the fourth team in NFL history to do so, loses 26-17 at home to San Diego.
2006 — Tenth-ranked Arizona State beats Texas Tech 61-45 when the second outdoor game in women’s college basketball history is called on account of rain with 4:18 to play at Chase Field, home of baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks.
2007 — Edmonton sets an NHL record by competing in its fourth straight shootout, but loses to Dallas 2-1. The Oilers, who had won the first three, lose for the second time in their 12 shootout appearances.
2008 — Steve Asmussen is the first North American trainer to win 600 Thoroughbred races in a single year as Storm Trust captures the fifth race at Delta Downs.
2011 — The Green Bay Packers’ 19-game winning streak, second-longest in NFL history, is snapped with a 19-14 loss at Kansas City.
2011 — Brittney Griner scores 12 of her 25 points in the closing run that pushes the top-ranked Baylor Lady Bears past No. 2 UConn 66-61.
2016 — New England defeats Denver 16-3 to clinch the AFC East and earn a first-round bye. It marks the eighth consecutive division title for the Patriots, the longest streak in NFL history, breaking a tie with the 1973-79 Los Angeles Rams (seven). New England is the only team in NFL history to win 13 division titles in a 14-year span.
Compiled by the Associated Press
Until next time…
That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.