The Sports Report: Lakers fall below .500 again

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

From Broderick Turner: They came face-to-face Tuesday night, the two players who have been linked in trade rumors, one of them being Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell, the other being Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray.

Numerous reports have had the Lakers seeking Murray from the Hawks and that they were willing to use Russell as the player to facilitate a potential deal.

The Lakers have until the NBA deadline of Feb. 8 to make a deal.

After dropping their second straight game on a six-game trip, a 138-122 defeat to Atlanta at State Farm Arena, the Lakers (24-25) are below .500 and need a positive infusion from somewhere.

At the start of Tuesday’s game, Russell and Murray guarded each other, making for an interesting scene considering all the talk.

Before the game, Atlanta coach Quin Snyder refused to engage a reporter’s question about the trade rumor.

“I shouldn’t even have to answer that question,” Synder said. “I think I made it clear that I don’t comment on rumors and speculation. It’s not something I get involved with.”

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CHARGERS

The Chargers completed their second-most anticipated search of the offseason, hiring Joe Hortiz, the Baltimore Ravens’ director of player personnel, as their new general manager, the team announced Tuesday morning.

Hortiz landed the job after being interviewed a second time by the Chargers on Friday. He worked closely in Baltimore with coach John Harbaugh as the Ravens won two AFC North titles and went to the playoffs four times in his five-year stint as player personnel director.

Hortiz, 48, and coach Jim Harbaugh are expected to be formally introduced by the Chargers during a news conference Thursday.

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SUPER BOWL

Super Bowl LVIII: Start time, teams, betting odds and halftime show

Sunday, Feb. 11
at Las Vegas
Kansas City vs. San Francisco, 3:30 p.m. PT, CBS, Paramount+

UCLA BASKETBALL

From Ben Bolch: It seemed like an unusual search for inspiration.

Earlier this season, UCLA coach Mick Cronin told his players to Google “Kobe Bryant rookie airballs.”

The first YouTube video that showed up was footage of the Lakers guard shooting four airballs during a 1997 playoff loss to Utah.

“They were all right on line,” the late Bryant said in an interview accompanying the video, “but they were short. I gotta get stronger.”

Bryant said he shot all day after the Lakers returned to Los Angeles from their playoff loss.

Cronin’s point: Even the greats had to push through early stumbles. So stick with the process, Cronin told a team heavy on freshmen but short on confidence, focus on the fundamentals and don’t worry about the results.

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GALAXY

From Kevin Baxter: Before Will Kuntz was promoted to general manager of the Galaxy last month, he met with Phil Anschutz, the team’s fabulously wealthy owner, to ask for the company credit card.

“My basic message was, I’m not asking you to spend any more year over year than you’ve been spending,” Kuntz said. “I just think we can spend it a bit differently.”

That new philosophy’s first charge was posted Tuesday when the Galaxy finally got the signing of Brazilian winger Gabriel Pec over the line, paying a club-record transfer fee of approximately $10 million with another $1.5 million in incentives. Pec, who will occupy a young designated player slot, signed a five-year deal, matching the longest contract in club history.

And Kuntz might not be done spending. The Galaxy, who open the regular season in less than a month, are believed to be deep in negotiations with Ghanaian winger Joseph Paintsil, who has an $8.5-million release clause in his contract with Belgian club Genk. With the transfer window in Belgium closing Thursday, another deal could be announced this week.

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FIGURE SKATING

From Helene Elliott: Their golden moment is gone, never to be enjoyed as it should have been, on the ice where nine American figure skaters were robbed of a gold medal in the Beijing Olympics team competition because of the doping-fueled performance of Russian teenager Kamila Valieva.

But after nearly two years of plodding investigations and more than a few anxious moments, justice for the U.S. skaters, though delayed, has not been denied. A decision rendered Monday by the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sports confirmed Valieva had committed an anti-doping violation and as a result erased her results at the Olympics and other events from Dec. 25, 2021 onward, suspending her for four years from that date. Based on that ruling, the International Skating Union said Tuesday the U.S. team would be elevated from silver medalists to gold.

No matter where or when their medal ceremony takes place, it won’t have the same immediacy for the Americans as if they had climbed to the top step of the medal stand in Beijing in view of a global audience of millions and were able to proudly wear their medals around the athletes’ village. But it will prove a point beyond affirming the skill of their skating.

It will, ice dancer Evan Bates believes, celebrate a larger principle: that efforts to punish doping are essential to the integrity of sports, no matter the patience, persistence, and vigilance that fight requires.

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NHL

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THIS DATE IN SPORTS

1941 — Joe Louis knocks out Red Burman in the fifth round at Madison Square Garden to retain the world heavyweight title.

1950 — High school pitcher Paul Pettit signs with the Pirates for a record $100,000. To do so, Pittsburgh has to purchase his contract from a film producer who had signed Pettit to an exclusive contract as an athlete/actor.

1988 — Washington scores 35 points in the second quarter to overcome a 10-0 deficit and beat Denver 42-10 in the Super Bowl. MVP Doug Williams passes for four touchdowns and a record 340 yards. Timmy Smith rushes for a record 204 yards.

1993 — The Dallas Cowboys win the Super Bowl, beating Buffalo 52-17 and giving the Bills their third straight loss in the title game, a league record.

1998 — Martina Hingis, 17, becomes the youngest player in the Open era to defend a Grand Slam title, capturing her second Australian Open with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Conchita Martinez.

1999 — John Elway gets his second straight Super Bowl ring, weaving his magic for the final time during the Denver Broncos’ 34-19 win over the Atlanta Falcons.

2004 — Justine Henin-Hardenne wins her third Grand Slam title and extends her dominance in major finals against countrywoman Kim Clijsters with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 win in the Australian Open women’s title match.

2009 — Serena Williams routs Dinara Safina 6-0, 6-3 to win the Australian Open — her 10th Grand Slam title — and return to the No. 1 ranking.

2010 — Roger Federer beats Andy Murray 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (11) for a fourth Australian Open championship and his 16th Grand Slam title overall.

2015 — Serena Williams wins her 19th Grand Slam title and extends her decade-long domination of Maria Sharapova with a commanding 6-3, 7-6 (5) win.

2015 — Lydia Ko, 17, becomes the youngest golfer, male or female, to be ranked No. 1. She shares second place at the LPGA Tour’s season opener, where she finishes a shot behind Na Yeon Choi.

Compiled by the Associated Press