AP Sports

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Luka Doncic scored 14 points in limited playing time during his debut with the Lakers, joining their starting lineup alongside LeBron James and immediately getting into the flow during Los Angeles’ 132-113 victory over the Utah Jazz. Doncic got multiple standing ovations from a Los Angeles crowd wearing thousands of gold T-shirts with his name and No. 77. He scored 11 points while the Lakers streaked out to a 25-point halftime lead, and he sat down for good with 3:07 left in the third quarter with the Lakers far ahead in their sixth consecutive victory.

It’s time to revalue running backs after Saquon Barkley caps best rushing year with Super Bowl win

Saquon Barkley’s fantastic first season in Philadelphia shows it’s time for teams to revalue the running back position after years of devaluing the NFL’s ground game. Barkley was held to 57 yards Sunday but he had a huge impact on the Super Bowl. His presence meant that the Kansas City Chiefs had to commit extra defenders to stopping the run. The Philadelphia Eagles capitalized with Jalen Hurts accounting for nearly 300 yards and scoring three touchdowns in the 40-22 rout of the Chiefs that denied Kansas City a third consecutive Super Bowl triumph.

The big question going into NBA All-Star weekend: Will the new format work? There is some skepticism

Red Auerbach once got ejected from an All-Star Game for arguing a call. Rick Barry and Bob Cousy each fouled out of All-Star Games twice, the only players who can say that. Dwyane Wade was whistled for the first flagrant All-Star foul after breaking Kobe Bryant’s nose. The NBA doesn’t want coaches to get kicked out, anyone to get into foul trouble or anyone getting hurt. But they’ve asked, begged and pleaded for years with players in an effort that the All-Star Game get taken more seriously. And the latest solution is a radical one: a mini-tournament.

LaMelo Ball misses second half of Hornets’ game against Brooklyn with right ankle soreness

NEW YORK (AP) — LaMelo Ball missed the second half of Charlotte’s game against the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night because of right ankle soreness. Ball, who has battled frequent ankle problems and only recently returned from a sprained left one, played 10 minutes in the first half and the Hornets announced at halftime that he would not return. The Hornets dropped all five games Ball missed from Jan. 29-Feb. 5. He came back to score 24 points in a victory over San Antonio on Friday but sat out Sunday at Detroit with what the Hornets said was left ankle soreness. Ball had five points and three assists Monday.

Mikaela Shiffrin and Breezy Johnson win gold in team combined at Alpine skiing world championships

SAALBACH-HINTERGLEMM, Austria (AP) — Mikaela Shiffrin and Breezy Johnson have won gold in the new team combined event at the Alpine skiing world championships. The Americans beat silver medalists Lara Gut-Behrami and Wendy Holdener of Switzerland by 0.39 seconds. Stephanie Venier and Katharina Truppe took bronze. The gold is Shiffrin’s 15th career medal from world championships and she matches the record set in the 1930s by German skier Christl Cranz. It’s the second gold medal for Johnson after she won the downhill three days ago.

NFL offseason priorities include health and safety, kickoff evaluation and expanding replay assist

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The NFL offseason won’t last long. By the time the Philadelphia Eagles complete their victory parade Friday, it’ll be less than two weeks until the scouting combine kicks off in Indianapolis. Free agency follows on March 10 with the two-day negotiating period. The annual league meeting starts March 30. The seven teams with new head coaches may open offseason workout programs on April 7 and the remaining 25 teams can follow two weeks later. Then, it’s time for the NFL draft on April 24 in Green Bay. Some of the league’s offseason priorities include player health and safety and conversations about potential new rules, including reviewing kickoffs following a one-year experiment with dynamic changes.

Tiger Woods withdraws from his signature event as he processes death of his mother

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Tiger Woods has withdrawn from the Genesis Invitational. He says he planned to play and tried to get ready but is still processing the death of his mother. Kultida Woods died unexpectedly last Tuesday at the age of 80. Woods says he hopes to be at Torrey Pines later in the week. He is the tournament host of this $20 million signature event that benefits his foundation. The tournament is held annually at Riviera. But it had to relocated to Torrey Pines because of the deadly LA wildfires. Woods has won eight times as a pro at Torrey Pines, including the U.S. Open.

Lindsey Vonn says ‘I didn’t help myself’ with social media posts involving Mikaela Shiffrin

SAALBACH-HINTERGLEMM, Austria (AP) — Lindsey Vonn acknowledges that “I didn’t help myself” by firing back on social media after learning that she wasn’t paired with Mikaela Shiffin for the team combined race at the skiing world championships. The 40-year-old Vonn had campaigned to race with Shiffrin in a skiing “dream team” for the new event. When Vonn saw Shiffrin announce on Instagram that she was racing with recently-crowned downhill world champion Breezy Johnson, Vonn reacted with displeasure on X. Vonn says that “maybe I didn’t help myself or the team by having my Twitter fingers out. But at the same time I’m a human being and I was disappointed in the communication.”

Champions League global rights deal set to be struck by U.S. agency Relevent with UEFA, clubs

NYON, Switzerland (AP) — UEFA and top European soccer clubs are set to drop the Swiss agency that has sold Champions League rights since 1992. UEFA says their joint venture with clubs is entering exclusive negotiations with Relevent Sports. The New York-based agency was founded by Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross. Relevent is in talks for global rights to UEFA’s men’s club competitions for six seasons from 2027-2033. UEFA says the deal could be done within weeks. Relevent’s first Champions League deal with UEFA in 2022 was to market just U.S. rights from 2024-2027. That cut into a three-decade global deal for TEAM Marketing in Switzerland.

Sweden blazes trail in women’s hockey by allowing body checking and finds health, quality benefits

ÖRNSKÖLDSVIK, Sweden (AP) — Sweden is a trailblazer in hockey because it has allowed body checking in the women’s game since 2022. Hockey’s world governing body doesn’t allow checking, but Sweden’s top league pressed ahead. Officials say they have seen fewer concussions and a better, more exciting game. Women are also feeling more empowered because they are playing essentially by the same rule book as men. The professional women’s league in North America introduced checking last year after consulting with Sweden.