Austin Reaves leads Lakers to victory

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: The Lakers’ star guard banked in a fadeaway three-pointer. He nailed a clutch step-back with 44.5 seconds left. He trash-talked with fans.

No, Austin Reaves.

Reaves embodied Doncic in almost every way Sunday, leading the Lakers to a 121-116 win over the Detroit Pistons as Doncic sat out with low back tightness. The Lakers replaced the guard averaging a league-high 40.1 points with Reaves’ season-high 43 points, four assists and five rebounds.

The Lakers (9-2) needed every bit of Reaves’ magic. Their 26-point second-quarter lead nearly evaporated under an avalanche of second-half turnovers and 55 combined points from Detroit bench guards Daniss Jenkins and Kevin Huerter.

Fresh off a max contract extension, Reaves has had a quiet yet ruthlessly efficient start to the year in Doncic’s shadow. Doncic is getting most valuable player chants each time he steps to the free throw line. Reaves, averaging 25.3 points per game on 50.8% shooting from the field and 41.3% from three, has at times looked clumsy while getting comfortable with new teammates in the minutes without Doncic.

Myles Garrett returns in style

From Gary Klein: Myles Garrett sat at his locker, “Hard Times” by Ray Charles playing loudly from his phone.

But the Rams’ star edge rusher was feeling anything but blue.

Garrett had just amassed three sacks and forced a fumble in a 20-13 victory over the Washington Commanders on Sunday at Northwest Stadium, showing the form that made him a two-time NFL defensive player of the year.

Last June, the Rams made a blockbuster trade for Garrett because they sought a closer they lacked last season and were determined to add as part of an all-in effort to win Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium.

“I am that closer,” Garrett said after standing to address a crowd of reporters.

Chargers drop to 0-8

From Sam Farmer: In the wildly unpredictable NFL, the Chargers have emerged as a rare sure bet.

They’re going to play. And they’re going to lose.

It happened again Sunday when they fell at home to Houston, 44-22, in their most lopsided loss of the season. Before a half-filled SoFi Stadium, where secondary-market ticket prices dipped below $15, the Chargers dropped to 0-8.

Dating to last season, they have lost 11 in a row, which ties a club record. They did reach the end zone for the first time in a month, however, ending a drought that lasted 37 consecutive possessions without a touchdown.

“Thirty-seven?” incredulous tight end Charlie Kolar asked, dropping his head and rubbing his eyes in frustration. “Man, I wish you hadn’t told me that.”

Clippers win!

Darius Garland had 24 points and 10 assists, Brook Lopez added 20 points and the Clippers ended a seven-game losing streak with a 139-123 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday night.

Gradey Dick and rookie Keaton Wagler each scored 15 points and Rui Hachimura added 14 as the Clippers won for the first time since getting past the Sacramento Kings in the season opener.

The Clippers went on a 15-6 run to open the fourth quarter to take control with a 117-101 lead and finished off the victory after failing to hold on to double-digit fourth-quarter leads in their previous two games.

JuJu Watkins leads USC women to a rout

JuJu Watkins had 32 points, 16 rebounds, six assists and five steals to lead No. 3 USC to a 118-40 win over Utah State on Sunday.

It was a star-studded return for one of college basketball’s most electric players.

Sunday was USC’s home opener at the Galen Center and fans showered Watkins with applause in pregame lineup introductions. Watkins had missed 20 months with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, and she got a standing ovation as she was subbed out with 2:34 left in the game.

She’s back to looking like she was pre-injury, when she was the Associated Press player of the year.

USC men outlast Wichita State

Rodney Rice had 32 points and nine assists, Alijah Arenas added 30 points and No. 21 USC beat hot-shooting Wichita State 93-86 on Sunday night in the inaugural Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic.

The Trojans (2-0) prevailed despite making just two three-pointers, relying on their stars, free-throw shooting and a decisive advantage in turnovers.

Michael Gray Jr. led Wichita State (1-1) with 18 points, while Jordan Frison and William Berg each added 17.

Wichita State led 45-43 at halftime after hitting seven of its first 12 attempts from beyond the arc. The Shockers built an 11-point lead late in the first half before USC rallied to tie it at 43.

Another hat trick for Cutter Gauthier

Cutter Gauthier continued his scoring rampage with his third hat trick in eight days, and captain Mikael Granlund had a goal and three assists in the Ducks’ fifth consecutive victory, 5-2 over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday night.

Gauthier’s empty-net goal in the final minute gave him three goals and an assist for the Ducks, who became the first team since the 1988-89 Kings to score at least five goals in eight consecutive games.

Gauthier extended his goals streak to six games and his points streak to a career best-tying eight games with his fourth multi-goal performance during this electric sequence, including three of his four career hat tricks. He has scored eight of his 13 goals in this six-game stretch on power plays.

This day in sports history

1912 — The lateral pass is used as an offensive weapon for the first time by Worcester Tech coach William F. Carney. Carney’s team beats Amherst 14-13.

1946 — Second-ranked Notre Dame fights to a 0-0 tie with No. 1 Army at Yankee Stadium to end the Cadets’ 25-game winning streak. The Irish defense holds Army’s running backs Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis to a combined 79 yards.

1953 — The U.S. Supreme Court rules 7-2 that baseball is not subject to antitrust laws, maintaining the game is a sport, not a business.

1972 — John Bucyk of the Boston Bruins scores his 1,000th point with a goal in an 8-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings.

1984 — Larry Holmes scores a 12th-round technical knockout of Bonecrusher Smith to retain the IBF heavyweight title in Las Vegas.

1989 — The Milwaukee Bucks beat the Seattle SuperSonics 155-154 in five overtimes, matching the second-longest game in NBA history. The game is the longest game since the advent of the 24-second shot clock in 1954.

1991 — Marshall Faulk of San Diego State returns after missing three games due to injury and breaks the NCAA record for touchdowns by a freshman with his 20th in a 42-32 win over Colorado State.

1991 — Houston’s Roman Anderson becomes the first player in NCAA history to surpass 400 points by kicking a 32-yard field goal in the Cougars’ 23-14 victory over Texas.

1996 — Evander Holyfield pounds Mike Tyson into submission at 37 seconds of the 11th round to win the WBA heavyweight title in Las Vegas. Holyfield, a 7-1 underdog, becomes the second man to hold a piece of the heavyweight title three times.

2001 — Detroit’s Luc Robitaille scores in the first period against the Ducks, becoming the 13th player in NHL history to reach 600 goals.

2005 — Carolina’s Erik Cole is the first player in NHL history to be awarded two penalty shots in one game. He scores on the first, helping the Hurricanes defeat Buffalo 5-3.

2011 — Joe Paterno is fired by the Penn State board of trustees despite saying he would retire as coach after the football season ended. Paterno is brought down by the growing furor over the handling of child sex abuse allegations against assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. Penn State President Graham Spanier is also ousted.

2014 — Aaron Rodgers throws six touchdown passes to tie the Green Bay game record and match the NFL record for a half in a 55-14 rout of the Chicago Bears. Rodgers ties the NFL mark for TD passes in a half set by Oakland’s Daryle Lamonica in 1969.

2014 — Landon Donovan scores three goals and sets up Robbie Keane’s goal, propelling the Galaxy into the Western Conference finals with a 5-0 victory over Real Salt Lake.

2016 — Golden State makes 17-of-33 three-pointers in a 116-95 blowout of the Dallas Mavericks, with teammates Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green all making four apiece. The Warriors are the first team to have four players hit four three-point shots.

2021 — 105 year-old Julia Hawkins sets a world record as the first woman and first American her age to run 100 meters in the Louisiana Senior Olympic Games.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time...

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