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Usman Khawaja ruled out of second Ashes Test due to back injury

  • Australia opener will not be replaced in the squad in Brisbane

  • 38-year-old’s absence paves way for Travis Head to open at the Gabba

Usman Khawaja’s back injury has ruled the veteran opener out of the second Ashes Test and thrown his future in the Australian team further into doubt.

The 38-year-old’s place in the XI had been under intense scrutiny since back spasms forced him from the field in the victorious first Test and prevented him from opening the batting.

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LeBron preserves scoring streak but Suns shatter Lakers' seven-game winning streak

Los Angeles, CA, Monday, December 1, 2025, Lakers guard Luka Doncic shoots.
Lakers star Luka Doncic shoots over Suns center Mark Williams during the Lakers' 125-108 loss at Crypto.com Arena on Monday night. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The Lakers’ seven-game winning streak came to a crashing halt with a 125-108 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Monday at Crypto.com Arena.

While Luka Doncic continued his scoring surge with 38 points and 11 rebounds, the loss laid bare the Lakers’ biggest problems. The Lakers (15-5) turned the ball over 21 times, which led to 32 points for the Suns. The team’s middle-of-the-road defense had no answer for Phoenix’s dizzying offense that shot 57% from the field. LeBron James, who sat out Sunday to manage a left foot injury at the start of the Lakers' home back-to-back, faded into the background most of the night.

The NBA’s all-time leading scorer didn’t exert any force on the game until the fourth quarter as the possibility of his streak of 1,296 consecutive games with 10 or more points looked to be in danger. Entering the fourth quarter with just six points, James hit a step-back fadeaway jumper with 6:51 to go that pushed him to 10.

Read more:Lakers try to fight the boredom of seventh straight win

It was the only moment of consequence in a second half that the Lakers had long let get out of control.

Collin Gillespie buried the Lakers with 28 points and eight three-pointers, including four that came in the fourth quarter. Dillon Brooks had 33 to lead the Suns, who had little trouble scoring despite losing star guard Devin Booker.

Booker left the game with 2:05 remaining in the first quarter and didn’t return because of a right groin injury. The Suns still dictated the pace and built a 14-point halftime lead by finishing the second quarter on a 19-4 run. Brooks had 23 points in the first half.

Doncic scored 20 points in the first quarter for the second consecutive game, but unlike when he dominated the struggling New Orleans Pelicans, Doncic’s scoring was not enough Monday.

Lakers star LeBron James passes to forward Dalton Knecht against the Phoenix Suns on Monday night.
Lakers star LeBron James passes to forward Dalton Knecht against the Phoenix Suns on Monday night. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The Suns, the league leaders in steals, forced 12 Lakers turnovers in the first half, which led to 17 points for Phoenix. The Suns outscored the Lakers 16-0 in fast-break points.

Lakers guard Marcus Smart missed a third consecutive game, leaving the Lakers without a stalwart defender and vocal leader. He was previously sidelined because of back spasms, but the Lakers designated Monday’s absence as back injury management. Redick doesn’t believe the absence will be long-term as Smart underwent imaging that was “unremarkable,” Redick said, outside of looking “like a normal 11-year NBA veteran,” the coach added with a smile.

The Lakers could use Smart’s toughness as they proceed toward a difficult three-game East Coast trip that begins Thursday in Toronto. They play three games in four days, including in Boston on Friday and in Philadelphia on Sunday. All three teams are above .500, while the Lakers are 4-4 against such teams.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Mets’ signing of Devin Williams, like the Brandon Nimmo trade, depends on what comes next

In some ways, the Mets’ signing of Devin Williams feels a lot like the trade of Brandon Nimmo. 

That is, it all depends on what else David Stearns does next. 

In this case, it’s simple: if Stearns still re-signs Edwin Diaz, then the addition of Williams as a set-up man is a strong move, giving the Mets an elite late-inning bullpen duo that further demonstrates Stearns’ commitment to run prevention. 

However, if locking up Williams to a three-deal turns out to be a cheaper alternative to Diaz as the closer, it weakens a bullpen that failed the Mets badly in the heat of their wild-card chase last season and makes the former Milwaukee Brewer reliever’s difficult adjustment to the Bronx last year much more relevant. 

With that in mind, a source told me late Monday night the Mets are still hoping to re-sign Diaz. But at what price is now the great unknown.

Indeed, it remains to be seen if the Williams signing, three years for $45 million, was a move made at least partly to give the Mets insurance against a bidding war for Diaz, allowing them to draw a line they won’t cross if they feel the cost is prohibitive.

And certainly there’s an argument to be made about not overspending on their veteran closer if it takes a five-year deal to retain him, considering both the volatility of bullpen arms and Diaz’s age, as he turns 32 in March. 

Yet, Diaz has been more consistently dominant for the last few years than most closers, and more to the point, he’s vitally important to the Mets. 

Eventually, then, we’ll find out just where Stearns stands on all of this. Will his value-seeking instincts rule the day or will this prove to be part of his big-boy plan this winter, a Williams-Diaz combo offering proof he is all-in on building a championship pitching staff, top to bottom?

If it’s the former, and Diaz goes elsewhere, it would also raise the question of whether Stearns’ belief in Williams is influenced too heavily by their days together in Milwaukee, when the right-hander was one of the best relievers in baseball for a few years. 

Williams fought through his struggles with the Yankees, which overwhelmed him early and resurfaced at times during the season, to finish strong, delivering nine straight scoreless appearances in September and then four more in the postseason. 

Still, the right-hander also has a huge postseason failure on his resume, that being Pete Alonso’s memorable home run to stun the Brewers in the deciding game of the 2024 wild-card series. 

So there are questions about his ability to deal with pressure, to be sure. 

Aug 5, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Devin Williams (38) reacts after leaving the game during the eighth inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field.
Aug 5, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Devin Williams (38) reacts after leaving the game during the eighth inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Clearly, Williams was affected mentally by the expectations of closing for the Yankees last season, unable to command his famous “air-bender” change-up that made him mostly unhittable in Milwaukee.

And even with his strong finish, it’s fair to wonder how he’d react to the burden of taking over for Diaz, with similarly huge expectations.

“It would be a leap of faith to think some of those issues he had last year wouldn’t re-surface if he’s asked to close for the Mets,” one MLB scout told me Monday night. “You could tell by looking at him on the mound at times that he was tight, and it showed up in his pitches. 

“There were a lot of nights when he was yanking the fastball (inside on lefties, outside to right-handed hitters), and he was gripping the change-up so tight that the action wasn’t there on it. That’s what pressure does to pitchers. 

“I give him credit because he did look a lot more like himself late in the year. But if I’m the Mets, I’d feel a lot better about him in the set-up role, with Diaz as a security blanket.”

This, of course, is the nature of the baseball off-season. It moves at a glacial pace, so it could be weeks before we’ll know what that role will be for Williams. 

Meanwhile, Mets fans wait anxiously for an outcome. Many have lost their patience with Stearns after last season, convinced that he is making decisions for the Mets at least partly with the mentality of a small-market GM, as he had to with the Brewers. 

Fair or not, that hangs over him in an offseason in which big changes are needed after the Mets flamed out last year in embarrassing fashion. 

So far, his two moves, trading Nimmo for Marcus Semien and now signing Williams, have opened the door to the possibility of a home run of an offseason. 

But that would take re-signing Alonso and Diaz, then essentially replacing Nimmo with Cody Bellinger, and upgrading the starting rotation with a couple of front-of-the-rotation starters. 

Make all of those moves and Stearns will be the toast of the town. 

Until then, well, to quote the great Tom Petty, the waiting is the hardest part.

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Takeaways: Penguins Put Forth Dominant Effort In 5-1 Win Over Flyers

For the first time in weeks, it felt like a winning result for the Pittsburgh Penguins was never really in doubt throughout the game. 

And it was certainly a performance that was much-needed.

On Monday, the Penguins made their way to Philadelphia and took care of business against the Flyers with a dominant 5-1 win. The Penguins largely outplayed the Flyers and were bailed out on a few good looks from the opposition by goaltender Tristan Jarry, who put up another outstanding performance, stopping 28 of 29 shots. 

The Flyers had some chances against in the first period, but Jarry came through. And the Penguins broke through on the scoreboard first when - who else - Sidney Crosby scored his 17th goal of the season at the midway point. 

If there was a time in this game where the Penguins played with fire, it was in the early part of the second period. Leading 1-0, Erik Karlsson took a tripping penalty to give the Flyers a power play, and Connor Clifton - back in the lineup for the first time in five games - took an interference penalty 43 seconds later to give Philadelphia the five-on-three for more than a minute.

In the waning seconds of the five-on-three, Tyson Foerster - who was injured shortly after on a shot attempt and did not return - scored to tie the game at 1-1, but before the goal, Kris Letang was called for high-sticking. So the Penguins had to kill off yet another five-on-three right after the goal.

And their penalty kill unit came through. Blake Lizotte, Erik Karlsson, and Parker Wotherspoon were particularly impressive on it, and by limiting the damage on that series of penalties, they were able to seize back the momentum they had prior to the penalties. 

November Penguins' Prospects Update: ForwardsNovember Penguins' Prospects Update: ForwardsIt's a new season, and&nbsp;<a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>' prospects are off to a pretty good start this season.

From there, the Penguins completely took over the game. They got a power play shortly after the expiration of Letang's penalty, and Crosby came through with his second tally of the game on a beautiful passing play by Erik Karlsson and Bryan Rust, who found Crosby in the slot. Rust added another power play goal - and his third point of the night - near the end of the middle frame on a snipe from the left circle. 

And, from there, the Penguins' pressure never wavered. The Flyers got some chances in the final frame, but their high-danger opportunities were limited by the Penguins' defense. And, when they did get some decent looks, Jarry was there to stop them.

Tommy Novak added his third goal of the season with a little more than six minutes to go - the Penguins' third power play goal of the night - and Kevin Hayes took a perfect stretch pass from Parker Wotherspoon on a breakaway, which he was able to capitalize on to score against his former team and send the Penguins home with the 5-1 win.

After one of their worst efforts of the season Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Penguins responded with one of the best of the season Monday.

Here are a few takeaways from this one:

- It's beyond incredible how much Crosby absolutely terrorizes the Flyers. 

He has more goals (58), assists (78), and points (136) than anyone in NHL history against the Flyers. And you can always tell there's an extra jump in his step when the Penguins play their cross-state rivals, who he once admitted that he didn't like.

The crowd continues to boo him relentlessly, and he continues to score relentlessly. If Crosby played every game against the Flyers, he'd already have a few 200-point seasons under his belt. Probably.

- None of them had a point Monday, but the third line of Ben Kindel, Ville Koivunen, and Rutger McGroarty - recalled Monday from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) after recording four goals and seven points in five AHL games - was very good in this game. 

They seemed to be generating chances every time they touched the puck. Some rust was evident with McGroarty, as the puck rolled off his stick a few times. But he had some pretty instant chemistry with Kindel, Kindel already had chemistry with Koivunen, and McGroarty and Koivunen developed chemistry last season in WBS that was on display throughout the night.

In particular, I thought Koivunen had a very strong game. He came so, so close to scoring his first NHL goal yet again, and he actually had a wide-open two-on-one opportunity late in the third that he simply fanned on. 

Penguins Recall Two Players from Wilkes-Barre/ScrantonPenguins Recall Two Players from Wilkes-Barre/ScrantonThe Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled two players from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

If the "kid line" stays intact and plays the way it did Monday, they're going to be a lot of fun to watch - and they're going to put up some numbers down the road. 

And, don't worry, the goal will come for Koivunen, too. And given how snakebitten he is right now, it will probably be the flukiest goal in NHL history.

- Jarry is making a very good case right now to get the majority of the Penguins' starts. Arturs Silovs has struggled in his last two outings, both of which he needed pulled from. 

Of course, it's way too premature to write off Silovs. Prior to these last two games, he was very good for the most part. But Jarry is helping them win hockey games right now, and with a tough stretch ahead against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday, the Dallas Stars on Sunday, and the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday, he should get the net for most of the games for the time being.

The Penguins have a lot of goaltending depth, and Jarry knows it. It's nice to see him separating himself, especially after the season he had last year. 

November Penguins' Prospects Update: GoaltendersNovember Penguins' Prospects Update: GoaltendersIt's a new season, and&nbsp;<a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>' prospects are off to a pretty good start this season.

- Wotherspoon and Karlsson were phenomenal in this game. And, although their assists were gorgeous in this one, I'm speaking more so on the defensive side of things. 

Wotherspoon continues to be a steadying presence on the blue line, and his net-front defense was particularly good Monday. He uses his stick well, and he's not afraid to engage physically, either. He plays such a simple defensive game, and he has been a revelation on that first pairing.

And speaking of simplicity... what a difference a season and a new coaching staff have made for Karlsson. He's legitimately playing defense this season, and a large part of that has been about him simplifying as well. I think Wotherspoon has rubbed off on him a bit in that sense, but I also think he's also just playing within a system that makes a whole lot more sense for him.

He's also been stellar on the penalty kill, which was something almost foreign to him prior to this season. He joked with TSN Saturday that it took 17 years for a coach to figure out that he could kill penalties.

Well, Karlsson is killing penalties. And he's doing a heck of a job with it alongside his defense partner. The two of them have been outstanding for most of this season.

Penguins' Top Prospect Tied For First In NCAA In Points After Another Stellar GamePenguins' Top Prospect Tied For First In NCAA In Points After Another Stellar GamePittsburgh Penguins prospect Will Horcoff had another outstanding weekend for Michigan.

- Hayes and Novak have been markedly better in this last handful of games. And, yes, the Penguins are definitely missing Rickard Rakell and Justin Brazeau. 

But they're both doing fine as placeholders and complementary pieces until those guys get back. 

I think the Penguins having an effective third line really makes a difference for the rest of the lineup because there is not as much raw pressure on those guys to perform. Neither of them are trying do too much, and they are benefitting from the Penguins being able to roll four lines.

I think they'll be fine enough to keep in those roles until Rakell and Brazeau return. Then, the lineup can go from there.

- There was a funny little moment post-whistle when Trevor Zegras confronted Penguins' physical defensive defenseman Connor Clifton and tried to fake him out a few times. 

The veteran in Clifton didn't budge. It was cringey yet very funny to watch.

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!     

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Nets earn first home win of season, topping Hornets 116-103

NEW YORK (AP) — Michael Porter Jr. scored 35 points, Noah Clowney had 18 and the Brooklyn Nets beat the Charlotte Hornets 116-103 on Monday night.

Nic Claxton added 13 points, 11 rebounds and six assists for Brooklyn, which had lost four in a row. Reserves Danny Wolf and Drake Powell each scored 10 points.

Porter went 7 for 11 from 3-point range. The Nets went 17 for 43 from beyond the arc, compared to 12 for 32 for the Hornets.

Kon Knueppel scored 18 points for Charlotte, which had won two in a row. LaMelo Ball had 12 points and 14 assists, and Collin Sexton finished with 15 points.

The Hornets closed to 96-93 on Liam McNeeley's two foul shots with 7:06 left. But Wolf converted a layup and Porter made a pull-up jumper to increase the Nets' lead to 100-93 with 6:16 remaining.

Wolf and Clowney connected from long range to make it 112-98 with 2:36 left.

The game was tied at 59 at halftime. Porter scored 17 points in the first half, and Knueppel had 12 at the break.

Up next

Hornets: At the New York Knicks on Wednesday night.

Nets: At the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night.

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Mets signing two-time All-Star reliever Devin Williams

Devin Williams won’t have to travel far to get to his new home ballpark.

The former Yankees reliever is signing with the Mets, as first reported by Will Sammon of the Athletic.

The deal is for three years and guarantees more than $50 million, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan, who added that the deal does not include opt-outs or options.

For the Mets, signing Williams does not take them out of the market for closer Edwin Diaz, according to SNY's MLB Insider Andy Martino.

But with Diaz still being a free agent, adding the 31-year-old gives New York a versatile reliever who can be used either as a setup man if Diaz returns or as a closer, as he has 86 career saves to his name.

A seven-year major league veteran, Williams broke onto the scene with the Milwaukee Brewers, using his “airbender” changeup to lead the way to two All-Star appearances, two Trevor Hoffman NL Reliever of the Year Awards (2020 and 2023), and the 2020 National League Rookie of the Year Award. In six seasons with the Brewers, Williams pitched to a 1.83 ERA.

Williams was traded to the Yankees ahead of the 2025 season, and his lone campaign in the Bronx did not live up to expectations. Williams lost the closer's role and ended up pitching to a 4.79 ERA over 62.0 innings of work. 

But given Williams’ impressive resume, there’s plenty of reason to believe he can bounce back to the dominant, sub-2.00 ERA reliever he was with Milwaukee, where Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns was able to watch first-hand as the right-hander developed into one of the best relievers in baseball.  

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Avalanche Hit With Illness As Star Return May Shake Up Tuesday Night's Game

Tuesday night’s matchup against the Vancouver Canucks has taken on added intrigue for the Colorado Avalanche, who return to Ball Arena navigating a wave of illness within the roster and the potential return of one of their marquee players.

Sickness Strikes Colorado

Captain Gabe Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon, and Parker Kelly were all sidelined by illness on Monday and consequently absent from practice. MacKinnon, in particular, has been battling symptoms since Saturday, yet still took the ice—under clear physical duress—during Colorado’s 7–2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Remarkably, he produced a three-point performance despite feeling unwell, a feat that underscores the extraordinary caliber of his talent. In today’s NHL, where the pace and physical demands are higher than ever, registering even a single point while sick is impressive; doing so three times borders on the exceptional.

The Avalanche can only hope that MacKinnon recovers sufficiently to suit up on Tuesday, as his influence on this team is nothing short of indispensable. He currently leads the NHL in goals (20) and points (44), while his 24 assists rank second only to Connor McDavid’s 25. MacKinnon’s torrid pace has placed him firmly in contention for hockey’s rare “Triple Crown,” awarded to the player who finishes the season atop the league in goals, assists, and points. The feat has not been accomplished since 1996, when Mario Lemieux achieved it for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the year before his first retirement.

After a relatively modest start to the season, which included an unusual stretch of four disallowed goals, Landeskog has fully rediscovered his form during his first sustained period of consistent play in three years. Over his last nine games, he has recorded four goals and four assists, reaffirming his status as the emotional backbone of the Avalanche. His absence, should he be unable to play, would be felt as much on the bench as on the ice.

Parker Kelly, meanwhile, has been a welcome revelation. His energy, upbeat temperament, and unexpected aptitude for depth scoring, coupled with his well-known fondness for Taylor Swift’s Fate of Ophelia, have infused the lineup with a refreshing sense of vitality.

Yet the outlook is not wholly discouraging. There is a clear source of optimism: Valeri Nichushkin has removed his red non-contact sweater and participated fully in practice. According to head coach Jared Bednar, there is a chance he could return to the lineup on Tuesday night.

“He’s a possibility for tomorrow if he gets through today okay,” Bednar said.

Nichushkin Ready?

In a straightforward assessment, Nichushkin appeared solid in his return to full practice, although there were moments when he seemed slightly rigid. There may be some understandable hesitation about immediately restoring him to a full workload, yet it is evident that he is very close to returning to genuine game action, which is an encouraging development for the Avalanche.

The 30-year-old Nichushkin had recorded five goals and seven assists for a total of 12 points in 17 games before sustaining a lower-body injury on November 6 during the Avalanche’s 4-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. The injury occurred early in the third period after he blocked a shot, and he has since missed the last eight games.

Regarding the rest of the injury report, Logan O’Connor remains sidelined with an undisclosed issue that is unrelated to the hip procedure he underwent for the second time during the offseason. Gavin Brindley, meanwhile, skated for the first time since sustaining a lower-body injury against the New York Rangers on November 20. Known for his speed and explosive acceleration, Brindley was understandably far from his usual form during the session, indicating that he's likely a ways away from returning to action.

The NHL-leading Avalanche (18-1-6) will attempt to secure a second consecutive victory on Tuesday night when they face Quinn Hughes and the Vancouver Canucks (10-13-3), who enter the contest losers of their last two contests. Coverage begins at 7 p.m. local time.

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Flyers Lose Top Winger to Non-Contact Injury

In what should have been a great moment following a goal, the Philadelphia Flyers saw their emotions quickly fade after an injury occurred on the play.

On Monday night, early in the second period in the Flyers' game against the rival Pittsburgh Penguins, Tyson Foerster dropped a bullet of a one-timer on the power play to tie the game at 1-1.

The problem, though, is that Foerster suffered a non-contact injury while taking the shot, crumbling to the ice favoring his right arm before scurrying off the ice down the tunnel in short order.

The 23-year-old had just scored his 10th goal of the season in just 21 games, but ended up throwing his gloves off in the tunnel in frustration.

Roughly 20 minutes after Foerster left the game, the Flyers announced that the winger would not return to Monday night's game with an upper-body injury.

Ex-Flyers Goalie Carter Hart Expected to Make NHL Return This WeekEx-Flyers Goalie Carter Hart Expected to Make NHL Return This WeekAccording to a report, former <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> goalie Carter Hart will make his return to the NHL and start for the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night, marking his first dose of NHL action since January 2024.

If the key top-six forward is to miss any time, the Flyers did just make a roster spot by waiving and subsequently assigning defenseman Adam Ginning to the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Considering the earlier talk about recalling Alex Bump from the minors, it would appear the former NCAA star is first in line to jump up to the NHL level in the wake of injury.

In 21 games this season, Foerster has 10 goals, three assists, and 13 points.