The Sports Report: Lakers continue to struggle post-tournament

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

From Broderick Turner: The banner from the NBA’s in-season tournament the Lakers won in Las Vegas was lowered to some applause from the fans inside Crypto.com Arena and mostly indifference from the players who won it.

They stood and looked at the NBA Cup that was placed at center court during a pregame ceremony Monday night, their eyes moving in every direction, their minds focused on facing the New York Knicks in a regular-season matchup.

It’s obvious that the Lakers are about winning NBA championships, about adding to the 17 they already have, about that being their primary motivation.

But the Lakers did defeated the Indiana Pacers to win the inaugural NBA in-season tournament.

“I think it’s great for the organization,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “Obviously, it’s something that’s going to be around. It’s only going to get bigger and better. I think it’s really, really cool that we’re doing that.”

But it’s also a hard truth that the Lakers haven’t been able to replicate the passion, energy and intensity they had during the tournament.

They were stymied by the New York Knicks, dropping a 114-109 game that left the Lakers 1-3 since winning in Las Vegas on Dec. 9.

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Lakers box score

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CLIPPERS

James Harden scored 21 of his season-best 35 points in the fourth quarter and had nine assists as the Clippers extended the league’s longest active winning streak to eight games, routing the Indiana Pacers 151-127 on Monday night.

Kawhi Leonard added 28 points for Los Angeles and Paul George added 27 against his former team. Facing the league’s second-worst defense, the Clippers matched their season-high point total for a half with 77 in the first on the way to their highest-scoring game of the season.

Bennedict Mathurin had a season-high 34 points to lead Indiana. Isaiah Jackson scored 15 points while starting in place of injured two-time NBA blocks champion Myles Turner.

All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton had an off night after missing Saturday’s game with a bruised knee. He had eight points, 11 assists and four turnovers.

Leonard and George seemed to enjoy tormenting George’s former fans, who have routinely booed him each time he’s returned since forcing a trade in the summer of 2017.

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Clippers box score

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RAMS

From Gary Klein: As the Rams prepare for their game Thursday night against the New Orleans Saints, players are busy recalibrating their bodies during the quick turnaround.

Coach Sean McVay said right tackle Rob Havenstein and receiver Tutu Atwell, who were sidelined against the Washington Commanders because of injuries, would be ready to play against the Saints.

McVay also is cramming to game plan as his team attempts to maintain its hold on the No. 7 seed in the NFC playoffs.

McVay acknowledged Monday that he must improve his play-calling inside the 10-yard line.

In a 28-20 victory over the Commanders on Sunday, the Rams’ first possession once again featured an impressive drive that set them up for a first-and-goal situation.

And, as was the case in the previous week’s defeat at Baltimore, McVay called three pass plays before the Rams were forced to settle for a field goal.

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Elliott: Rams’ faith in Kyren Williams shows they could fumble playoff hopes without him

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NFL standings

CHARGERS

From Jeff Miller: John Spanos on Monday pushed back against a suggestion that the Chargers’ financial situation could limit their searches for a new general manager and head coach.

Saying, “I want to know where narratives come from,” the team’s president of football operations said he and his father — chairman Dean Spanos — are as committed to winning as they’ve ever been.

“I can tell you there have been no discussions internally about there being a max [salary for the new hires],” Spanos said. “I mean, we’re always going to do what’s in the best interest of the team.”

The Chargers generally are considered to be one of the NFL’s less wealthy franchises but Spanos pointed to the team’s recent investments in players and construction of a training facility in El Segundo as examples of willingness to spend.

“I can tell you,” Spanos said, “I’ve never felt any or seen any limitations because of cash or any other reason.”

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NFL standings

DODGERS

From Mike DiGiovanna: Tyler Glasnow could have positioned himself for an even bigger payday in free agency next winter, but when the Dodgers asked him to agree to a four-year, $111.5-million extension as a condition of last week’s trade from Tampa Bay, there was no need for greed.

The former Newhall Hart High star grew up a huge Dodgers fan, idolizing former slugger Shawn Green and a young left-hander named Clayton Kershaw, and he always envisioned pitching in Chavez Ravine, so his approach to negotiations with his hometown club was to channel that old Fram oil filter commercial from the early 1970s:

You can pay me now, or pay me later.

“This is somewhere I’ve wanted to be my entire life,” the 30-year-old right-hander said on a video call Monday. “They were very bullish on trying to get me, and I appreciate the fact they thought so highly of me. I get to go home. It’s like the best possible scenario. …

“There could be a potential downside for not signing something [now] and a potential upside [to go to free agency], but I was never super interested in trying to get as much money as I possibly could. It’s a lot more about being somewhere I want to be.”

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USC FOOTBALL

From Ryan Kartje: Almost two years to the day, his signing had been celebrated as USC’s first major recruiting victory of the Lincoln Riley era. Domani Jackson was, after all, the top prospect in California, a cornerback coveted across college football. His commitment, just three weeks after Riley’s arrival at USC, was seen then as an early referendum — a sign of what the coach could soon accomplish once he found his foothold on the recruiting trail.

But by Monday, two full recruiting cycles later, the spoils of several early recruiting wins for Riley had lost much of their luster. In the two weeks since the transfer portal opened, USC has already lost its one-time heir apparent at quarterback, former five-star Malachi Nelson, as well as a five-star running back in Raleek Brown, both of whom signed with USC as top-two prospects in the state.

Jackson became the latest touted domino to fall this week, as the former Santa Ana Mater Dei star is expected to enter the NCAA transfer portal, according to a person familiar with the decision not authorized to speak on the matter. His departure means the Trojans have lost three of their five highest-rated prospects from Riley’s first two recruiting cycles at USC.

Their departures not only raise questions about USC’s plans but also the process of team-building in the transfer portal era, in general.

“Look, we’re at a really unique place right now,” Riley said Monday. “We’re having obviously not just one small change on the defensive staff, but a pretty large change, and then we’re kind of caught in this period where transfer portal and NIL have even gone up a level in terms of the craziness and the impact on it more than ever before.

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UCLA and USC football transfer portal tracker: Who’s in and who’s out?

TEN GREATEST KINGS?

Hockey Hall of Famer Helene Elliott will be unveiling her choices for the 10 greatest Kings of all time later this week. So will Jim Fox and Nick Nickson. We’d like to hear from readers. Who do you consider the 10 greatest Kings of all time? Wayne Gretzky? Marcel Dionne? Anze Kopitar? Gary Shuchuk? Rank them in order from 1-10, or your ballot won’t count. Email them to me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. Points will be awarded based on where you rank each player (12 points for first, nine for second, eight for third, etc.) Results will be announced Friday.

UCLA BASKETBALL

Charisma Osborne scored 19 points and Lauren Betts had 17 points, 11 rebounds and five blocked shots to help No. 2 UCLA beat No. 13 Ohio State 77-71 on Monday night.

UCLA (10-0) overcame a sluggish first half and dominated the boards on the way to its 10th straight win of the season.

Ohio State (9-2) began the game leading 7-0, forcing two turnovers.

But the Bruins battled back. The two teams were tied at 17-17 after a first quarter that saw the Buckeyes go cold late, shooting two for 11 to close the period.

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UCLA box score

USC BASKETBALL

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: This isn’t just the JuJu Watkins show.

With its star freshman laboring, No. 6 USC proved its depth in a comprehensive 93-44 win over Cal State Fullerton on Monday at Galen Center. The Trojans (9-0) had a season-best five double-digit scorers, led by season-highs from Taylor Bigby (15 points) and McKenzie Forbes (17 points), who combined for eight three-pointers.

USC, which faces Long Beach State on Thursday in its nonconference finale before an epic Pac-12 showdown against No. 2 UCLA in Pauley Pavilion on Dec. 30, had its best three-point shooting night of the season with 16 makes on 30 attempts.

Only Watkins, who entered the game as USC’s leading three-point shooter by percentage at 47.6%, struggled from deep, missing four of her first five shots from beyond the arc. But her quiet night was relative. The five-time Pac-12 freshman of the week still had a team-high 23 points on seven-of-18 shooting with six rebounds, six assists and three blocks.

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USC box score

OLYMPICS IN L.A.

From David Wharton: With the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics just over four years away, local organizers announced Monday they would be seeking new leadership.

Kathy Carter, who had been LA28’s chief executive since the fall of 2021, will be switching to a new role as senior adviser.

The move was framed as a planned transition, with organizers shifting gears after the Paris Olympics this summer.

“As anticipated, because LA28 is moving from a commercial and planning phase to an operational and delivery phase, now is the right time for me to pass the torch,” Carter said in a statement.

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DUCKS

Adam Henrique scored his fourth goal in two games and the Ducks held off the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 on Monday night.

Henrique was coming off his first career hat trick Sunday against New Jersey.

Radko Gudas, Pavel Mintyukov and Troy Terry also scored for the Ducks, who have won two straight after a five-game losing streak. Lukas Dostal made 30 saves.

Alex DeBrincat surpassed 400 career points with two power-play goals in the third period for Detroit. Jeff Petry scored his first goal this season and Patrick Kane added two assists. The slumping Red Wings have lost six of seven.

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Ducks box score

NHL scores

NHL standings

BOWL SCHEDULE

All times Pacific

Monday’s result
Famous Toastery Bowl
Western Kentucky 38, Old Dominion 35 (OT)

Tonight
Frisco Bowl
6 p.m., ESPN
Marshall vs. UTSA

Thursday
Boca Raton Bowl
5 p.m., ESPN
South Florida vs. Syracuse

Friday
Gasparilla Bowl
3:30 p.m., ESPN
UCF vs. Duke

Saturday
Birmingham Bowl
9 a.m., ABC
Georgia Tech vs. Troy

Camellia Bowl
9 a.m., ESPN
Arkansas State vs. Northern Illinois

Armed Forces Bowl
12:30 p.m., ABC
James Madison vs. Air Force

Potato Bowl
12:30 p.m., ESPN
Utah State vs. Georgia State

68 Ventures Bowl
4 p.m., ESPN
South Alabama vs. Eastern Michigan

Las Vegas Bowl
4:30 p.m., ABC
Northwestern vs. Utah

Hawaii Bowl
7:30 p.m., ESPN
San Jose State vs. Coastal Carolina

Tuesday, Dec. 26
Quick Lane Bowl
11 a.m., ESPN
Bowling Green vs. Minnesota

First Responder Bowl
2:30 p.m., ESPN
Texas State vs. Rice

Guaranteed Rate Bowl
3 p.m., ESPN
Kansas vs. UNLV

Wednesday, Dec. 27
Military Bowl
11 a.m., ESPN
Tulane vs. Virginia Tech

Duke’s Mayo Bowl
2:30 p.m., ESPN
North Carolina vs. West Virginia

Holiday Bowl
5 p.m., Fox
No. 15 Louisville vs. USC

Texas Bowl
6 p.m., Fox
No. 20 Oklahoma State vs. Texas A&M

Thursday, Dec. 28
Fenway Bowl
8 a.m., ESPN
No. 24 SMU vs. Boston College

Pinstripe Bowl
11:15 a.m., ESPN
Miami vs. Rutgers

Pop-Tarts Bowl
2:45 p.m., ESPN
NC State vs. Kansas State

Alamo Bowl
6:15 p.m., ESPN
No. 12 Oklahoma vs. No. 14 Arizona

Friday, Dec. 29
Gator Bowl
9 a.m., ESPN
No. 22 Clemson vs. Kentucky

Sun Bowl
11 a.m., CBS
No. 19 Oregon State vs. No. 16 Notre Dame

Liberty Bowl
12:30 p.m., ESPN
Iowa State vs. Memphis

Cotton Bowl
5 p.m., ESPN
No. 7 Ohio State vs. No. 9 Missouri

Saturday, Dec. 30
Peach Bowl
9 a.m., ESPN
No. 10 Penn State vs. No. 11 Ole Miss

Music City Bowl
11 a.m., ABC
Auburn vs. Maryland

Orange Bowl
1 p.m., ESPN
No. 5 Florida State vs. No. 6 Georgia

Arizona Bowl
1:30 p.m., The CW
Toledo vs. Wyoming

Monday, Jan. 1
ReliaQuest Bowl
9 a.m., ESPN2
No. 13 LSU vs. Wisconsin

Citrus Bowl
9 a.m., ABC
No. 17 Iowa vs. No. 21 Tennessee

Fiesta Bowl
9 a.m., ESPN
No. 8 Oregon vs. No. 23 Liberty

Rose Bowl
2 p.m., ESPN
No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 4 Alabama

Sugar Bowl
5:45 p.m., ESPN
No. 2 Washington vs. No. 3 Texas

Monday, Jan. 8
1:30 p.m., ESPN
National Championship Game

THIS DATE IN SPORTS

1913 — Heavyweight champion Jack Johnson fights to a 10-round draw with Battling Jim Johnson in Paris.

1917 — The NHL begins play. Joe Malone of the Montreal Canadiens scores five goals in a 9-4 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Harry Hyland of the Montreal Wanderers scores five goals in a 10-9 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

1943 — Harry Lumley, at 17 years and 38 days old, becomes the youngest goaltender in NHL history when he plays for the Detroit Red Wings in a 6-2 loss to the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.

1948 — The Cleveland Browns complete an undefeated season beating the Buffalo Bills 49-7 in AAFC championship game.

1948 — The Philadelphia Eagles beat the Chicago Cardinals 7-0 in a major snowstorm for the NFL title. Philadelphia’s Bucko Kilroy recovers a fumble on the 17-yard line in the fourth period, and Steve Van Buren later scores from the 5.

1976 — The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Baltimore Colts 40-14 in an AFC playoff game. Ten minutes after the game, Donald Kroner, a former charter pilot, crashes a rented, low-wing, Piper Cherokee into the upper deck of Memorial Stadium. No one is seriously hurt as most of the capacity crowd of 60,020 left the one-sided contest early or were heading down the exit ramps.

1987 — Boston and St. Louis combine for the fastest two goals in NHL history. Ken Linseman puts the Bruins ahead 6-5 with 10 seconds left in the third period. Doug Gilmour of Boston wins the faceoff and shoots the puck into an empty net two seconds later to wrap up a 7-5 win over the Blues at Boston Garden.

1990 — Los Angeles Raiders running back Bo Jackson is named to the AFC team, as a reserve, becoming the first athlete chosen for All-Star games in two sports.

2001 — Marshall, led by Byron Leftwich, comes back from a 38-8 halftime deficit to beat East Carolina 64-61 in double-overtime in the GMAC Bowl for the highest scoring bowl game in history.

2017 — North Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell becomes the third women’s Division I coach to register her 1,000th career victory after the Tar Heels beat Grambling State 79-63.

2017 — Geno Auriemma wins his 1,000th game as top-ranked UConn beat Oklahoma 88-64 in the Hall of Fame women’s Holiday Showcase. Auriemma becomes the fourth women’s coach to reach the 1,000-win mark, joining Pat Summitt, Tara VanDerveer and Sylvia Hatchell, who earned her milestone victory earlier in the day.

Compiled by the Associated Press