The Sports Report: Lakers win, Rams win

Howdy, I’m your host, Houston Mitchell. Let’s get right to the news.

Dan Woike on the Lakers: They’re mounted to the tops of the baskets and tucked next to the scores, a dozen different clocks moving down to zero, one second at a time.

The way the Lakers have approached this year, with each tick, the team should look a little better, one of their imperfections getting a little closer to being solved.

The clocks serve as reminder — there’s always something ahead for the team, that titles can’t be won before the time on the season fully runs out.

That’s the big picture. But as the clock has run out on the Lakers’ first two games this season, the zeroes carried with them a building sense of angst and questions about whether these are just early-season hiccups or fatal conditions.

This time, the zeroes meant the Lakers could finally celebrate instead of fret.

Behind incredible game-saving blocks, steals and free throws from Anthony Davis, Carmelo Anthony’s red-hot shooting and some late-game poise, the Lakers avoided big-time problems by beating Memphis 121-118.

A loss would’ve meant three-straight home losses to open their season to follow a winless preseason, sending them off on their first road-trip with their patience and resolve under serious duress.

RAMS

Gary Klein on the Rams: For nearly eight minutes Sunday, Sean McVay answered questions seemingly without catching his breath.

The Rams coach fielded queries about his team’s tougher-than-expected 28-19 victory over the winless Detroit Lions at SoFi Stadium. Inquiries about still bumbling special teams.

And, of course, about Jared Goff.

It wasn’t until McVay exited the interview room that he finally was able to exhale.

A week of nonstop questions about his fractured relationship with Goff — and the trade that sent the former No. 1 pick to the Lions in exchange for Matthew Stafford — was finally, mercifully, over.

On Sunday, Stafford showed his abundant gifts while passing for 334 yards and three touchdowns. But Goff had the Lions on the brink of an upset until star cornerback Jalen Ramsey intercepted a pass in the final minutes. The play helped seal a victory that improved the Rams’ record to a 6-1.

Afterward, McVay sought out Goff and embraced him.

“I just said, ‘Great job, I’ll touch base with you a little bit later on,’ ” McVay said.

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Jared Goff and Lions put a scare in the Rams but can’t put win on scoreboard

Rams’ 28-19 victory over Detroit Lions by the numbers

Photos: Rams defeat Lions in Matthew Stafford vs. Jared Goff showdown

NFL Week 7: Joe Burrow leads Bengals past Ravens; Titans defeat Chiefs

DODGERS

Jorge Castillo on the Dodgers: The Dodgers’ season-ending loss in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series against the Atlanta Braves on Saturday potentially signaled the end of an era.

Five prominent contributors are scheduled to hit free agency once the World Series is over. Clayton Kershaw and Kenley Jansen have been mainstays for over a decade. Corey Seager is the reigning World Series MVP. Chris Taylor emerged as an All-Star utilityman and clutch playoff performer. Max Scherzer became the team’s ace down the stretch.

The players’ long-term futures will be decided during the offseason. The manager’s might be too.

Dave Roberts is not a free agent this winter. But he has only one year left on his contract, which, for a manager, effectively makes him one. Managers usually want to avoid becoming lame ducks. The thinking goes that the status undercuts their authority. Roberts is no different after completing his sixth season at the helm.

Roberts, 49, said he has not had discussions with the organization regarding a possible extension. He said he “fully” expects to manage the Dodgers in 2022 whether a new agreement is reached or not. But he prefers a contract extension.

“I know I got another year left and it’s just kind of expecting, hoping, that they come to me and we can work something out, I guess,” Roberts said when reached by phone Sunday. “And, if not, you just kind of do your job and play out the contract.”

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Dodgers, Kenley Jansen enter offseason with uncertainty

Dodgers’ failed World Series bid cost them money and trust. Now the bill comes due

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Alabama inched up to No. 3 in the Associated Press poll college football Sunday behind top-ranked Georgia and No. 2 Cincinnati.

The Bulldogs (63 first-place votes) are a unanimous No. 1 for the third straight week, and the Bearcats remain second.

The Crimson Tide jumped up a spot past Oklahoma after blowing out Tennessee. The now fourth-ranked Sooners were shut out in the first half against Kansas before scoring 35 in the second half and pulling away late.

No. 5 Ohio State and No. 6 Michigan both held their spots.

THIS DATE IN SPORTS

1947 — In front of a capacity crowd of 35,000 at Columbia’s Baker Field in New York, the Lions end Army’s 32-game unbeaten streak in a 21-20 upset. An interception in Army’s final drive seals the win, the first over an Army team that had not surrendered a point all season until the loss to Columbia.

1964 — Cotton Davidson of the Oakland Raiders passes for 427 yards and five touchdowns in a 40-7 rout of the Denver Broncos.

1980 — Mike Weaver knocks out Gerrie Coetzee in the 13th round to retain the WBA heavyweight title in Sun City, Bophuthatswana.

1990 — Evander Holyfield knocks out Buster Douglas in Las Vegas to become the undisputed heavyweight champion.

1998 — Jerry Rice sets an NFL record for receptions in consecutive games with his 12-yard catch from Steve Young on San Francisco’s first offensive play. Rice has caught passes in 184 straight games, breaking the mark set by Art Monk from 1980-95.

1998 — Denver’s Jason Elam kicks a 63-yard field goal, tying Tom Dempsey’s 28-year-old NFL record. Elam’s kick, which came at the end of the first half, matches the record Dempsey set for the New Orleans Saints against Detroit on Nov. 8, 1970.

2003 — Trainer Richard Mandella wins a record four races at the Breeders’ Cup, capping perhaps the greatest day in racing history when Pleasantly Perfect wins the $4 million Classic at Santa Anita. Mandella wins the $1 million Juvenile Fillies with Halfbridled, the $1.5 million Juvenile with long-shot Action This Day and the $2 million Turf with Johar, who dead-heats with High Chaparral.

2003 — Florida’s Josh Beckett throws a shutout to lead the Marlins to a 2-0 victory over the New York Yankees to win the World Series. Pitching on three days’ rest, Beckett allows five hits in Game 6 and captures MVP honors.

2006 — Joe Sakic becomes the 11th player in NHL history to reach 1,500 career points with an assist during the first period of Colorado’s 5-3 loss to Washington.

2008 — Navy doesn’t attempt a pass in a 34-7 victory over Southern Methodist in a game played in a driving rain.

2008 — Raven’s Pass wins the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic in an upset, stunning defending champion Curlin on the new synthetic surface at Santa Anita. Raven’s Pass, ridden by Frankie Dettori and sent off at 13-1 odds, posts a 1 3/4-length victory in his first race on such a surface.

2014 — Trevone Boykin throws a school-record seven touchdown passes and No. 10 TCU scored the most points in its history in an 82-27 rout of Texas Tech.

2015 — Kirk Cousins throws three second-half touchdown passes, including the go-ahead score with 24 seconds left, to lead the Washington Redskins to the largest comeback in franchise history, a 31-30 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tampa Bay was up 24-0 in the second quarter, before Cousins runs for an 8-yard TD to get Washington on the board.

Supplied by the Associated Press

And finally

Rams vs. Lions highlights. Watch and listen here.