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Coco Gauff says ‘insane’ wave of racist abuse followed disputed point at China Open

  • American stopped rally after being distracted in match

  • Home youngster Sun Xinran distraught after defeat

Coco Gauff said she received an “insane” amount of racist comments on social media following a controversial point in her China Open match against home player Sun Xinran.

Gauff stopped a rally after electronic advertising boards lining the court flickered during a point late in the first set of her 7-5, 6-1 third-round victory over Sun, a 16-year-old who recently won the US Open junior title.

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The Hoddle of Coffee: Tottenham Hotspur News and Links for Tuesday, October 6

SAN JOSE, CA - OCTOBER 1: Macklin Celebrini #71 of the San Jose Sharks takes the ice through the Shark Head before the game against the Florida Panthers at SAP Center on October 1, 2026 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Kavin Mistry/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

good morning everyone!

October has begun and you know what that means: It’s the beginning of the NHL season!

And I can say that, after seven or so years, the San Jose Sharks might be near the end of a dark, dark tunnel.

The Sharks haven’t made the playoffs since 2019, when they gambled it all only to come up short.

Joe Thornton, Brent Burns, Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture, Erik Karlsson, Timo Meier and Logan Couture: They’re all gone.

The Sharks spent the last few years in the bottom of the league. But now we’ve got a new-look team fronted by Hart Trophy contender Macklin Celebrini, and Will Smith is another exciting player.

I think the big question for the Sharks is how Yaroslav Askarov will do in the goal. He’s a young goalie and was entrusted with the position last year.

Also, can we please take a moment to remember how great the Shark Tank is?

The San Jose Sharks have the greatest entrance in professional hockey – and much better than the Medieval Knights rip-off they feature in Las Vegas. These are ice hockey players entering the Shark Tank through a shark!

And what’s that? A bunch of sharks swimming underneath the tank? That’s one intimidating environment. This is a playoff hockey arena.

I really believe this is the year the Sharks make it back to the playoffs. I’ve waited a very long time to see them play meaningful hockey again. I can’t wait.

COYS(harks)!

Fitzie’s track of the day: BLACKOUT, by TURNSTILE

And now for your links:

Alasdair Gold: “Tottenham’s NFL boost – How much transfer cash they get and injury curse strikes again”

BBC: “England’s greatest international? Kane is now a serious contender”

Sharks Hockey Digest: “Sharks’ New On-Ice Graphics Are Making Waves”

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Darius Acuff Jr. looked comfortable in his first NBA preseason game

SACRAMENTO, CA ― Darius Acuff Jr. wasn't too worried about his offense in his first ever preseason game. The Sacramento Kings rookie looked comfortable as if he's already entering his seventh NBA season.

He scored 19 points in 27 minutes in his first NBA action, albeit in just a preseason game, despite his team coming short in a 127-103 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday, Oct. 6 at Golden 1 Center in downtown Sacramento.

"It felt good. I haven't played a game in a while, like a real game," Acuff told USA TODAY Sports. "It felt good, just get out there and play against somebody else. Not the outcome we wanted but it was good to play against somebody else."

Acuff, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, didn't have anything to say about his offensive performance. He added four assists, a block and steal to his stat line. His main gripe came on the defensive end as the Lakers shot 50% from the field, including 45% from 3-point territory on 20 made 3-point field goals.

"I don't think offense is the problem," he said. "I think, with defensively, we just wasn't racking up stops as a team, as much as we needed to. I think that's kind of what separated the game. But I think offensively, we'll be fine."

And they will. Acuff did not seem phased by a Lakers defense that picked him up full court, 94 feet throughout the duration of the game whenever he logged minutes.

The Kings rookie said it's better practice for him. He welcomes the challenge. He wants the pressure.

"It was the same," Acuff said. "It was better for me, picking me up full court. I feel like I like to play against that, so I think that's an advantage for me.

"Yeah, for sure. It prepares me for sure," he added. "I say, it takes watching film, just being smart, and, you know, not trying to dribble the air out the ball back there, just trying to get one move and go. But (it) definitely prepares me for the better defenders I'm gonna face, and, you know, I just gotta take the challenge, and, you know, go out there and be me."

Kings head coach Doug Christie echoed the same sentiment as his star rookie point guard that their defense has to be better.

"You know, helping when you're not supposed to help, like all the principles of shell defense, help defense, being in a gap, being in to be out, closing out, more middle," Christie told USA TODAY. "I'm sure the film's going to show all of that. But this is what we do. We learn, we go back to the film, we show them, we drill it, we get after it."

There's no panic in Christie, Acuff or the rest of the Kings. It's the first preseason game. But there is room for improvement and lots of it.

Kings forward-guard Daeqwon Plowden said preseason games are supposed to be evaluated differently.

"It's the first one outside of us playing each other, so we're setting the standard. The way we're evaluated is going to be much higher than what it was," Plowden told USA TODAY. "I think it's a lot that we can take away from this and build on."

Christie proclaimed the team will "be better."

"You know, they got hit in the mouth," he said. "And how do we respond?"

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Darius Acuff Jr. looked comfortable in his first NBA preseason game

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Dominant Rays, wacky White Sox and Yanks flailing at the brink: ALDS takeaways

This year’s American League Division Series have been significantly entertaining. And more than a little jarring.

The Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago White Sox are a combined 4-0, both one win away from advancing to the AL Championship Series, and both answering questions about their viability in a most voracious fashion.

And they’re doing it their way, the White Sox with an unprecedented pitching plan and the Rays suffocating the New York Yankees in every facet of the game.

As the teams charter their way to New York and Chicago, here’s five takeaways from a day that saw the Cleveland Guardians and New York Yankees pushed to the brink:

The Rays are scarier than we imagined

It’s a tradition every autumn, trying to discern which teams’ regular-season success will translate best to playoff baseball. The Rays have made two World Series runs in 18 years, the watchword in that time being their consistency.

This year, they rolled up 98 wins and the AL East title, yet every team must answer the same question once October arrives: Are they really that good?

Through two games, the answer seems to be, even better.

Tampa Bay’s combo of speed and contact, and more than a little power, made them a tough out all season. And in two games against the Yankees, it’s clear both of their offensive personalities are showing up.

Game 1: Jonathan Aranda’s solo homer provides the game’s lone run.

Game 2: The Yankees commit three first-inning errors and four overall, the last coming in a four-run fifth inning that turned a tie game into a solid Rays advantage and an eventual 5-2 victory.

You could say this was a Yankees problem, that they need to clean a lot of things up. And they do.

Yet the mere presence of Chandler Simpson, who plays faster than any human in the big leagues, was palpable in that fifth, when he hit a gentle two-hopper to Yankees shortstop George Lombard Jr., who had a generally impossible task: Throw out Junior Caminero running from third on a contact play or try to get Simpson streaking to first.

The answer: Neither. Lombard biffed the play, most likely properly ruled a fielder’s choice, and Simpson was already clapping his hands five feet before he crossed first base.

This was the Rays at their essence.

“Constant pressure, constant long at-bats, getting pitches to hit. It's our MO all season long,” manager Kevin Cash said in his postgame news conference. “We're a contact-oriented team with guys that can knock the ball out of the ballpark, as well.”

And the Rays struck out just twice against Yankees ace Cam Schlittler, equaling a career low for the presumed Cy Young Award winner. Not an accident: No team struck out fewer times than Tampa Bay in the regular season.

They’re looking like a nightmare.

The Yankees’ bats are almost out of time

Talk about an unproductive business trip: The Yankees went 5-for-58 (.086) against the Rays in Games 1 and 2. Ben Rice hit a pair of homers in Game 2.

The rest of their offense? There was none.

While there’s really no point to the rest-vs.-rust argument for teams earning a first-round bye, the Rays certainly took advantage of their time off to develop a pitching plan against the Yankees. And it is being executed to perfection.

Never mind the 4⅔ serviceable innings Freddy Peralta worked. Lefty Ian Seymour – who toggled back and forth between bullpen and rotation this season – was practically untouchable in three relief innings, retiring nine of 10 batters, striking out four and yielding only a homer to the redoubtable Rice.

Funny thing about this wild-card era: Just finish a little above .500 and you can get in. Yet the gulfs between clubs can be massive. And while the Rays and Boston Red Sox shared a division, the similarities end there. New York scored 18 runs against Boston in the wild-card series, scarcely missing Aaron Judge.

It has scored two against the Rays. And the Yankees absolutely miss the big fella – and he ain’t coming back for Game 3.

Will Venable is a maestro

The White Sox have already made history: They’re the first team in major league history to win their first four playoff games with their starting pitchers throwing four or fewer innings.

Yet in this era of openers and bulk guys and matchup-capturing, it hasn’t felt gimmicky. Nor has it been panicky. Just feels like the White Sox manager and their personnel know exactly what they’re doing.

Oh, Game 2 was plenty hairy: Lefty starter Anthony Kay got just one out, was removed for fellow lefty Sean Newcomb, who tossed a ball way wide of first and buried Chicago in a 2-0 hole as Cleveland’s Progressive Field roared in the late-day sun.

Yet Venable’s button-pushing and, essentially, his knowledge of his guys and the situation seems preternatural – and the dude’s only managed four postseason games.

Think about it: In ALDS Game 1, right-hander Grant Taylor got a four-inning save.

In ALDS Game 2, he got a four-out save.

Yeah, somehow Taylor for 42 pitches and 12 outs was the right call in a 3-0 Game 1 win.

And then, after just a day of rest, extending him for a four-out save – surviving a very hairy Jo Adell drive to the wall with a man on in the eighth – was also spot-on.

Taylor has worked in three of the White Sox’s four games, absorbing eight innings. They used five pitchers each in Games 1 and 2, though Kay and Taylor were the only repeats.

That’s not likely to stop so long as the White Sox are alive.

“I know we're pushing these guys, Grant especially,” Venable said in his postgame press conference. “It is really a lot to ask, but he's in shape for this.

“He's ready for this and he wants the ball.”

Guardians remain offensively challenged

With Steven Kwan’s second-half resurgence, rookie punch from Chase DeLauter and Travis Bazzana, and Jose Ramírez back from a hamate injury, this was supposed to be the year the Guardians were not an all-pitch, no-hit team.

Yeah, about that.

The Guardians have scored three runs in three games, mustering seven hits against that cavalcade of White Sox arms. Perhaps the multiple looks will catch up to Chicago: Both Kay and Taylor looked more vulnerable their second time in front of the Guardians’ bats.

Or maybe Cleveland is simply destined to run out of offensive juice.

They’ve made three playoff runs now under manager Stephen Vogt and have played 15 postseason games. They’ve been shut out three times and held to three or fewer runs in five other games.

Now, they’ll need to turn it around and then sustain three solid offensive games.

“Two games. Unfortunately, it is two games that are in the postseason,” says Vogt. “A little bit of try to do too much, a little bit of maybe not ready to hit your pitch at times.

“Again, we have had two games stretches like this all year and we come right back. I got a lot of faith in this offense. I have a lot of faith in this team. Like I said, this team plays its best with its back against the wall. I am looking forward to getting out on the field on Wednesday.”

Chicago is about to go crazy

Vogt might not understand what his club is getting into. White Sox fans have existed in a state somewhere between disbelief and delirium. And now, postseason papal power will find its way to the South Side.

The White Sox narrowly lost the Central title to Cleveland, forcing them on the road for four consecutive playoff games.

Now that they’ve survived it and return home undefeated, what might Rate Field sound like in Wednesday’s potential clinching Game 3?

“It’s all we are talking about. We are about to go back to a zoo,” pitcher Davis Martin told reporters in Cleveland. “It’s going to be wild. It’s going to be crazy.

“If Mune (Murakami) hits a ball 900 feet, it’s going to be loud as heck. We are all excited to hear it and be a part of it."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dominant Rays, wacky White Sox and Yanks flailing at the brink: ALDS takeaways

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Yankees' defensive miscues wipe away golden opportunity to even ALDS

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- For a moment, before all the accountability cliches started flowing for the cameras in the Yankees' clubhouse, Cam Schlittler was blunt.

“I’ll be the first one to say that I didn’t do my job,” the 25-year-old ace said. “But it didn’t seem like we really showed up today.”

Given the chance to double down later, Schlittler wouldn’t do it.

“The guys work their asses off,” he explained.

“That’s baseball,” he reiterated.

He wasn’t good enough, either, of course.

But in reality, the Yankees played such historically porous defense Monday that they rendered their most dominant playoff ace in a generation completely irrelevant with several defensive misplays including four errors.

At one point, they set the record for most errors in a single Yankee playoff game with five -- only to have the fifth error overturned by the official scorer.

“Obviously, a really rough night to say the least for us,” manager Aaron Boone said. “We've got to get over it. We've responded all year to difficult times, and we've got to do that again. We've got to get ourselves up off the mat.”

Boone said he would address the players when they were settled on the plane back to New York early Tuesday morning. At times in describing what happened, he seemed lost for words, though he always found his way back to “we got to get over it, though. As simple as that.”

What will be difficult to get over is that the Yankees’ inability cost them the game they seemed most certain to win, one in which Schlittler started and his fellow playoff savant, Ben Rice, homered twice.

Playoff games include plenty of error-filled innings and misplays that end up ending seasons. But what the Yankees did Monday was not an example of natural ebb and flow.

Game 2 was a meltdown, the kind that can only be explained by something other than pure physical error -- something like when Aaron Judge dropped a fly ball in Game 5 of the 2024 World Series, for example. Twice can be coincidence, but it sure feels like a trend.

“The guys and I, we work hard. We go out there every day. We take our ground balls and we take them very seriously,” Jazz Chisholm Jr. said. “… Especially certain guys that are defensive specialists, some of the best defenders I’ve ever played with are playing. So for me, it hurts us a little more than you’d think.”

Monday’s lineup was not the Yankees’ best defensive alignment, but it hardly lined up as their worst either.

In fact, even after nearly being no-hit two nights ago, Boone decided to start Ryan McMahon in a platoon matchup against Freddy Peralta rather than start versatile Jose Caballero at third base or test novice Anthony Volpe there on unfamiliar turf. McMahon is an elite defender, which is why he starts there more often than not.

But when Yandy Diaz led off the game with a chopper his way, McMahon simply missed the easy hop, then looked as surprised as everyone else to discover he somehow had not caught it. More topspin than he thought, he said later.

Suddenly, Schlittler was in the stretch. Inevitably, he was not in peak rhythm. He was not the only one.

After a Jonathan Aranda single, Junior Caminero hit a groundball that George Lombard Jr. chased down up the middle. He flipped the ball to Chisholm, who caught it falling over second base and decided to throw to first base in the process. It bounced away.

Two batters later, Chisholm fielded a routine groundball that could have been a double play. He threw it high to Lombard cringing when he let go as if he wished he could pull it right back. The throw cost them a double play.

In between those two Chisholm plays, Austin Wells was called for catcher’s interference on a pitch that would have been strike three. That the Rays scored just one run during what ended as a three-error first inning was a relative miracle, one due in part to Schlittler’s composure.

Schlittler has been historically unflappable in big games during his first two postseasons. He is as calm as they come, and more confident than most.

Asked before the game if he had ever seen Schlittler doubt himself, for example, center fielder Trent Grisham did not hesitate.

“No,” he said simply. “I have not.”

But the Schlittler who found himself in the middle of a teamwide defensive meltdown looked as uncomfortable as he ever has in a game this important.

His velocity was not quite where it was in his Wild Card start. He searched for his fastball command, missing so badly up and inside to Diaz at one point in the second that he walked up to Diaz to talk about it afterward.

Everyone seemed to decide it had been completely accidental. After all, Schlittler had been missing wide with his fastball, as well.

Even so, he survived the second inning, then the third, then the fourth. A Rice homer meant the game was tied when he took the mound to start the fifth inning. Then the Yankees knocked their ace out of the game.

First, Spencer Jones got a late jump on a line drive to right. Caminero doubled. A soft ground ball to Chisholm (no one’s fault) scored a run. A chopper to Lombard -- originally ruled an error, eventually ruled a fielder's choice -- scored another. Both plays would have required some heroics.

Too often, the Yankees could not do the basics.

“[Cam’s] not wrong. Obviously, wasn’t ideal from the start. We didn’t make some plays we usually make, kind of happened throughout the game,” Lombard said. “Just made it harder for ourselves.”

Lombard threw a ball wide of first later that inning, so two runs scored on Richie Palacios’ single up the middle.

When it was all said and done, the Yankees had broken an ignominious team record and spurred Boone to try Brent Headrick to stop their bleeding. Schlittler finished after allowing four runs (two earned) on six hits in 4.1 innings.

The Rays applied their trademark pressure. The Yankees could not withstand it.

“I think [Cam’s] just throwing a lot more pitches than he should have been throwing. I think it's maybe a different story there if we take care of the ball and he's at 30 pitches or 25, 30 pitches instead after the first two and gets in a rhythm and he's in a groove,” Boone said. “Kind of found himself in trouble a lot tonight, not by his own doing.”

Schlittler would be available to pitch Game 5 on Saturday if the Yankees can force it, but they will need to win two games to do that. Unfortunately for the Yankees, Monday’s game -- like any game started by Schlittler, even when he is not at his best -- was supposed to be one of the games they could pencil in as a win.

Though Schlittler did not say so, it was his defense that beat him Monday.

“I’m not disappointed in our defense. I’m not disappointed in our offense,” Schlittler said. “Really just disappointed in myself. That’s baseball and those things are going to happen. I’ve got to be able to work through those. I wasn’t able to do that today.”

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Ben Rice can't do it alone: Yankees face elimination after another offensive letdown

The Yankees’ dreadful defense in Game 2 is certainly the headlining woe. It’s the one that forced Cam Schlittler to throw stress-laden pitches in the first inning that doubtless impacted the rest of his outing. And it’s the one that helped the Rays to three unearned runs.

But in the wake of the Yankees’ 5-2 loss Monday night at Tropicana Field, there’s another culprit also pushing them toward elimination:

We need to talk about the offense.

It’s every Yankee fan’s October nightmare: the pinstriped bats have gone cold and there’s no Aaron Judge coming to save them, at least in this series. He’s out with a calf injury. After a splurge against the fading Red Sox in the Wild Card Series, the Bronx Bombers have turned that nickname into a punch line of sorts in this best-of-five AL Division Series against Tampa Bay.

“Whatever it takes, we’ve got to do it offensively and we’ve gotta be able to score some runs and do a better job of preventing (them,)” Aaron Boone said in the postgame news conference room.

It can only get better, right? In two games against the Rays, the Yankees have scored exactly twice. Both runs came in Game 2, when Ben Rice slammed two solo home runs. They have all of five hits -- Rice’s home runs, two doubles by Austin Wells and a single by Cody Bellinger. They are 5-for-58 in the series (.086) with a .145 on-base percentage, .224 slugging and .369 OPS.

It’s the fewest hits and fewest runs of any team in Division Series play. The Yankees, who drew the eighth-most walks in baseball during the regular season, aren’t even doing that -- they have two walks in each game so far.

They have just four plate appearances with runners in scoring position in the series and are 0-for-2 with two walks.

Credit where it’s due -- the Rays are pitching very well, from Drew Rasmussen in Game 1 to Freddy Peralta and the bullpen in Game 2.

And that is certainly part of the reason why, when they’ve had chances against Tampa Bay, the Yankees have missed. Wells foolishly tried to stretch an easy double into a triple in Game 1 and was easily thrown out, burying the only Yankee scoring chance against Rasmussen.

In Game 2, Bellinger, who batted .340 with runners in scoring position during the season and hit a big home run in the Boston series, came up with the bases loaded in the fifth inning and mashed a ball to center. It traveled 405 feet, but it was nothing more than a loud out, a ball with an expected batting average, per Statcast, of .760 that was caught on the warning track.

Boone noted that Bellinger’s ball, a few feet either way, could’ve been a bases-clearing, series-changing double. And it was just one of six balls the Yankees hit 100-plus mph in Game 2, two fewer than the Rays.

“I thought we started to put together some really good at-bats, especially in the fifth inning where we chased Peralta and Belli puts a good swing on it, hits it to the fence,” Boone said. “That's unfortunate there.”

Rice, though, is doing real damage. He has driven in eight of the 20 runs the Yankees have scored in the postseason and he has four home runs, which leads all playoff hitters. He’s the first Yankee to have more than one multi-homer game in the same postseason, according to Sarah Langs of MLB.com. He’s batting .467 with an 1.889 OPS.

The Yanks will need some teammates to join him to get back in this series. It’s already a daunting assignment: According to Langs, in all best-of-five postseason series, teams that go up, 2-0, win 89 percent of the time (83-of-93). In the current 2-2-1 home format, the team that wins the first two at home wins the series 92 percent of the time.

There’s a lot to clean up. The defense better be good Wednesday night in Game 3 with groundball artist Max Fried starting for the Yankees.

And Rice can’t be the only one raking, either. The Yankees haven’t shown they can score enough against the Rays.

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Yankees' Cam Schlittler takes brunt of blame for Game 2 loss: 'Really just disappointed in myself'

Despite the defense failing Yankees starter Cam Schlittler in the first inning and again in the fourth inning with the offense scratching across just two runs on four hits, he took the blame for New York’s 5-2 loss in Game 2 of the ALDS to the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night.

The right-hander didn’t exactly pitch poorly, and even did well to limit the damage to just one run in the first inning where the Yankees made three errors on the infield, but it was clear Schlittler wasn’t at his best during his 4.1 innings of work.

Perhaps it was the failure on defense to make plays all game, but it seemed like New York’s ace was under duress from the jump and was forced to throw high stress pitches every inning he was out on the mound. 

Of course, in the postseason, everything is heightened and more stressful than the regular season, especially when trailing in the series, but Schlittler was supposed to be the Yankees’ trump card against the Rays in the series and the 25-year-old was pulled in the fifth inning.

“I just didn’t have my stuff today,” he said. “Didn’t get great results, some timely hits there. Didn’t get through the fifth so it’s not good enough.”

After escaping the error-filled first inning by allowing just one run, the fifth inning was a different story for Schlittler. Once again, New York played sloppy defensively against Tampa Bay’s contact-first approach of putting the ball in play and seeing what happens.

George Lombard Jr. had two misplays in the inning, although only was officially called an error, and the Rays took full advantage by scoring four times in the inning to take a 5-1 lead.

“It was just one of those games where things kind of compiled and stacked up on top of each other,” the rookie said. “It wasn’t ideal and we put ourselves in a bad spot… They’re obviously a good team and they battle and they don’t let down, but we definitely didn’t help ourselves. Against a good team like that you can’t afford to make as many mistakes as we did.”

But if you ask Schlittler, who shut out the Boston Red Sox for 6.1 innings in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series at home last week, he should’ve been better.

“I’m not disappointed in our defense, I’m not disappointed in the offense, really just disappointed in myself,” he said. “Again, that’s baseball and those things are gonna happen, but I got to be able to work through those. I wasn’t able to do that today.”

Schlittler’s second postseason outing this year ended after 4.1 innings where he allowed four runs (two earned) on six hits and a walk while striking out just two after he struck out 10 against the Red Sox.

It wasn’t what he or the Yankees were expecting in such a crucial game, but Schlittler remains confident that New York can climb out of this hole it dug for itself starting on Wednesday night in Game 3.

“I’m confident, but we gotta get home tomorrow, get our work in and show up Wednesday," he said.

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Lakers vs. Warriors Preview: Building off a strong start

SACRAMENTO, CA - OCTOBER 5: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers warms up before the game against the Sacramento Kings during a 2026 NBA Preseason game on October 5, 2026 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

After a dominant performance in the preseason opener in Sacramento, the Lakers head to San Francisco for the second night of a back-to-back against the Warriors on Tuesday.

This will also be the second game of three in four nights.

Start time and TV schedule

Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors

When: 7:00 p.m. PT

Where: Chase Center 

Watch: Spectrum SportsNet, NBA TV

Things could hardly have gone better for LA in their first preseason game against the Kings on Monday.

A dominant stretch in the second quarter highlighted a comprehensive first-half beatdown before a much more relaxed second half. Still, it was a very encouraging game from the Lakers after a summer that created a lot of intrigue and excitement.

Two of the most intriguing takeaways were the team’s 3-point shooting and the turnovers forced.

Offensively, they hit 20 3-pointers, surpassing their high in makes (19) from last year’s regular season. Granted, they won’t shoot 45.5% with any sort of regularity during the season, but head coach JJ Redick’s penchant for spacing and shooting means the attempts will likely increase this season.

On the other side of the ball, the team forced a staggering 27 turnovers that they turned into 32 points. Again, this was certainly an outlier performance exacerbated by the Kings being a truly awful basketball team. Still, the activity level defensively was noticeable.

Both Ziaire Williams and Matise Thybulle were jumping into passing lanes and deflecting passes. And once the team gets into transition, they have a lot more athletes this season to really punish teams on the break.

The rest of the preseason will determine if either of these is merely an aberration or a new identity for the Lakers.

Lastly, let’s take an extra moment to laugh at the Kings.

Injury updates and notes

  • On top of it being a back-to-back, teams aren’t required to list injury reports in the preseason.
  • Austin Reaves, Walker Kessler, Collin Sexton and Arthur Kaluma all did not play in the team’s win over the Kings. We’ll see if any of them return on Tuesday.
  • On the flip side, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Luka sit on Tuesday after playing the first half on Monday’s game.
  • The Warriors will be without Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody and Kristpas Porzingis.
  • We have an exciting new feature in our app this season. It’s easier than ever to chat in our game threads. Each game, this post will become a live chat and will be easy to find at the top of the Lakers community page, so be sure to download the app and give it a try this preseason!

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

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Flyers' Brutal Slump Reaching Historic Lows with Loss to Lightning

After suffering yet another loss, a 4-1 decision at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday night, the Philadelphia Flyers are officially having a historically bad start to their 2026-27 season.

The Lightning out-shot the Flyers 36-14 in their dominant win, putting the Flyers in some, well, pretty bad company through their first four games of the season.

According to NBC Sports Philadelphia's broadcast team, only the 1970-71 Buffalo Sabres (-104) have had a worse shot on goal differential than the Flyers (-82) through the first four games of a season in NHL history.

The next two teams behind the Flyers were the 1991-92 Edmonton Oilers at -81, and the 2010-11 Anaheim Ducks at -80. In other words, it's been 16 years since the NHL has seen one of its teams outclassed by its opponents so badly to start a season.

Much like the games against Carolina and New Jersey, the Flyers looked like they might have had just enough juice to steal a point (or two), as a wonky deflection goal credited to Tyson Foerster pulled the Flyers within a goal, trailing 2-1 just under halfway through the second period.

That second period was the Flyers' best of the game, as they were outshot 10-3 and 15-4 in the first and third periods, respectively. Playing a few minutes of cohesive hockey isn't going to take any team, let alone the Flyers, very far.

Brayden Point opened the scoring for the Lightning on a deflection after beating Trevor Zegras on a faceoff in Zegras's defensive zone, and Pontus Holmberg gave the Lightning a 2-0 lead just 17 seconds into the second period with Cam York slipping up in the neutral zone.

The Flyers went 0-for-3 on the power play, though Travis Konecny and Trevor Zegras believed it was fine after the Carolina game because they generated "looks" and just didn't execute.

Flyers Need Big Simon Edvinsson Trade to Shake Up Slumping RosterFlyers Need Big Simon Edvinsson Trade to Shake Up Slumping RosterWith Simon Edvinsson looking for a trade, the Philadelphia Flyers have the perfect opportunity to right the ship and change the narrative.

In a game where a Nikita Kucherov-led power play also went 0-for-3, special teams could have made the difference, but the Flyers had no spark or killer instinct to make it happen.

Some of that falls on coaching, yes, but pro athletes have to be natural competitors. Very few have looked the part four games into the season, giving away cheap standings points to Eastern Conference teams looking to make the playoffs.

The Lightning ended the game with exactly three minutes left, as David Jiricek made an ill-advised pass under pressure to turn the puck over, then got overzealous trying to defend Holmberg when Cam York was behind him in support.

Ilya Mikheyev scored the eventual wraparound after an awkward scramble, even with Travis Konecny and Sean Couturier in strong position to erase Jiricek's pair of mistakes defending Vladar's crease.

No matter, though, because even if the Flyers survived and were able to pull the extra attacker to go 6-on-5 down 2-1, they probably wouldn't have scored anyway. Their power play and poise with the puck have given us no reason to believe otherwise.

Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet dropped a rather damning quote on his team in his postgame media availability, claiming, "This team is way too comfortable and they did not compete tonight."

It's the fourth game of the year, and we're questioning compete level, team mentality, and readiness to play.

If this downward spiral continues, it will be interesting to see where things go from here.

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Kings dedicate media room to longtime radio voice Gary "G-Man" Gerould

SACRAMENTO, CA ― Sacramento Kings longtime radio broadcaster Gary "G-Man" Gerould was honored with one of the most respectable gestures from a basketball organization.

The Kings announced that they renamed their media and press dining room to the "Gary 'G-Man' Gerould Media Center."

Gerould is entering his 42nd season as the radio play-by-play announcer for the Kings, a position he's held since the Kings relocated to Sacramento in 1985. There's not any particular secret to Gerould's longevity. If there was one, he couldn't pinpoint it.

"I think back to, you know, when I started out, how naive I was as a young, aspiring NBA broadcaster," Gerould told USA TODAY Sports in an interview. "I never even thought about way down the road. I had no idea how long this adventure might continue. And the fact that we're now starting the 42nd year, I guess that means I'm officially old."

Gerould, 86, walks around the Kings facility with a gravitating presence, whether on game day or practice he can't go anywhere without being recognized and stopped for a brief conversation.

Gerould remains one of the longest-tenured broadcasters in the NBA, having called more than 3,000 Kings games. He's seen everything Kings basketball, the good, the bad and ugly. Yet, he still shows up every day just as passionate to broadcast Kings basketball.

“For more than 40 years, G-Man has been the defining voice of the Sacramento Kings, bringing every moment to life on the radio with unmatched precision, passion, and storytelling,” Sacramento Kings chairman and owner Vivek Ranadivé said in a team statement. “His impact extends beyond the game, and we’re proud to honor someone who has been such a meaningful part of our franchise.”

Oct 5, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings play-by-play announcer Gary "G-Man" Gerould is recognized during a ceremony renaming the Kings media room in his honor before the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

From the early days at ARCO Arena to the modern era at Golden 1 Center, Gerould's voice has been the soundtrack every memorable moment in franchise history. He's earned deep respect from peers and fans alike.

"I have so much appreciation for (the Kings), I've been through four ownership groups for the Sacramento Kings, more than 20 different head coaches, all the assistant coaches, all the players over the years," Gerould said. "But there's a sense of family and I'm so appreciative of that, and it's fostered by Scott Perry and head coach Doug Christie in the current organization of the Kings. It's something that I don't think you find in every professional sports franchise. And that makes Year 42 special going in."

There's no doubt in all of his 42 years, the most exciting years were during the Rick Adelman era from 1999 to 2006. Gerould said that he envied other broadcasters, many of whom he befriended, simply because the teams they covered were good and Sacramento wasn't.

Then the Kings slowly put together what would become their best era in team history in the late '90s and early 2000s. The team headlined by Chris Webber, Peja Stojakovic, Vlade Divac, Doug Christie, Jason Williams, and then Mike Bibby.

"Suddenly, we became good, and I mean, very good. And we became very entertaining. And we had tremendous following around the country," Gerould said. "So that was a very magical time, and I thought for the first time in my career with the Kings, I'm legitimately seeing a team that when they take the floor, you feel like you've got a legitimate shot to win the ball game. And that's a great, great feeling.

"I think that's what we all desire. We want to see back," he added. "We took a couple of giant steps forward a couple of years ago, and then we ran into the side of the mountain the last couple of years. Last year, we missed almost 300 man games because of injury. Late in the season, I remember saying nights, we're missing 110 points on average that was not in uniform or on the bench. And yet, trying to find a way to be competitive with the young guys and so forth."

Sacramento is far removed from its glory days and Gerould knows that, but he's still optimistically hopeful.

"But now, as you start the preseason, it's the first step in trying to answer all the questions that have been generated," he said. "And trying to determine whether or not the optimism that we all feel as you start a new season is valid. And so tonight, first step in that journey."

Gerould's career isn't limited to just the Kings. He's nearly recognized as much nationally as he is locally. His career includes more than 1,800 televised events, including NFL play-by-play, Olympic coverage and 37 years in motorsports with ESPN, ABC and NBC.

Gerould began his broadcasting career in high school and went on to work in Chico and Sacramento, including 12 years at KCRA-TV (Sacramento). He remains a respected and enduring figure in Sacramento sports media while bringing Kings basketball to fans across the region.

His name should be mentioned in the same breathe of radio voices like legendary Los Angeles Lakers voice Chick Hearn and longtime Phoenix Suns voice Al McCoy.

"It's hard for me still to wrap my mind around it. I look at the legendary Chick Hearn, and I look at Al McCoy and Phoenix, there's two sterling examples of not only being great broadcasters, but great individuals," Gerould said. "And they paved the way in that sense. And the fact that, you know, I joined kind of that select group is hard for me to really, you know, wrap my arms around, but at the same time, it's pretty darn cool. And I'm terribly proud of that. I'm humbled by it, but let me tell you, I'd be the first to say, I'm blessed to be able to be starting a 42nd year as a broadcaster in this Kings organization."

Gerould has seen a lot of hoops and yet still, he is still taken away by the talent of all the athletes he watches.

"There'll be some nights when suddenly, it'll take your breath away. And the challenge of trying to find a way on radio to be able to describe that, so that whoever may be listening can appreciate the electricity of the moment, the special stamp that elicits, you know, the reaction from the Kings fans," he said. "Those are magical moments, and you, as a broadcaster, you want to be able to rise to the occasion. You want to be able to be there and consistent in the way you create or paint the picture. So, you hope that all of those good things come together."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kings dedicate media room to longtime radio voice Gary "G-Man" Gerould

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Timberwolves 116, Bucks 97: Basketball is Back, Baby!

MILWAUKEE, WI - OCTOBER 5: LaMelo Ball #1 of the Minnesota Timberwolves moves the ball against the Milwaukee Bucks during a preseason game on October 5, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Folks, you know the movie The Polar Express? The silver bells are ringing, and even though I doubted the summer would ever end, I can hear the sleigh arriving.

The good news? Basketball is back. The bad news? Tonight can barely be considered basketball. Both the Minnesota Timberwolves and Milwaukee Bucks were, at best, rusty. The teams shot a combined 70/178 from the field and 25/82 from deep. That’s 39% and 30%, respectively.

Still, there was so much to keep track of in the first game of the season.

While it may not be a game that will matter or even count toward stats, but it does count towards vibes. The team is back, the season is on, and there are so many clips worth staring at. Before we get to that, before we get to the numbers and box scores, let’s take a deep breath and really embrace this moment.

From now until the start of summer, we will have basketball. As bad as the days get, as hard as work or school or life may be, there will be time to watch a game.

Personally, I will be spending this season trying to get my partner to enjoy an introduction to the MWNBA, and I will be sharing some of those stories here.

This is a season of new beginnings, but also one of fresh air. Welcome to the ride, welcome to opportunity and optimism.

Welcome to the 2026-27 season.

The LaMelo Ball Show gets going

Fans have been champing at the bit to see what LaMelo could do ever since the Minnesota Timberwolves traded Naz Reid and a first-round pick (along with a handful of fake assets) to bring in the enigmatic point guard. They got their taste of it today.

Take a look at this pass. When was the last time the Wolves had someone do this?

Well, if tonight was any indication, the ball will be moving with this Minnesota squad. It wasn’t just drive and kicks, which was what we were told was the focus of head coach Chris Finch’s offense; it was toss aheads and returns, loops and loops of running around each other.

The main bit of film study that was highlighted in the trade was the guard to guard pick and rolls that Ball used to run with Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel. That popped off the screen in just the two quarters that Ball and Anthony Edwards played together.

Funny enough, it was Edwards who made the biggest changes. He has improved his screen setting and was willing to really make contact and then roll to the rim, even when LaMelo was already making his way to another read.

There was also clearly a prioritization of pick-and-rolls in general. Both Rudy Gobert and Joan Beringer figure to be a big part of the rotation as the current and future cornerstones of the team’s frontcourt, and the Wolves got them easy shots early.

But that brings us to our next topic.

Joan Beringer is a foal

Did someone say Joan?

The second year Wolves big man is still just as raw as he is intriguing, but there are continued signs of growth and creation to be found.

Beringer was seemingly the only player to avoid the same rust that everyone on both teams was playing with, scoring 12 points on 5/8 shooting with seven rebounds in just 15 minutes. He looked far less sea-legged than he did eight months ago, instead moving with intentionality both on offense and on defense.

He does still have a penchant for fouling a lot, but that is a problem for most young centers that they grow out of. While that still needs work, Joan’s on-ball game is already rapidly reaching some level of DEFCON for Project Giannis in Minnesota (do not take this seriously).

Beringer will ultimately be the deciding factor in whether the Wolves can transition to a full retool as Rudy Gobert ages out of being a useful player. If Joan can become the starter and can anchor the defense as a Clint Capela type, the Wolves would have four of their five starters locked in going forward, all under the age of 27.

That still leaves the ever present power forward question, but there’s something we all need to take a closer look at in regards to that.

Who wants to talk about Jonathan Kuminga?

Do you, dear reader, want to know how Jonathan Kuminga played? Are you excited to learn about the biggest question mark the Timberwolves have had since they took Derrick Williams in the draft and shrugged their shoulders at his development? How much do you like variance in seasonal outcomes as decided by one player?

Well, I’m sorry, but those are questions that need to wait for the regular season. The Wolves had fun tonight. They played fast and loose. They gave up 14 offensive rebounds and turned the ball over 11 times.

They also looked like a team that loved how they were playing. Kuminga scored just eight points tonight, but his most thunderous basket was the one that embodied the way Minnesota was playing.

It was just plain enjoyable. And for a player like Kuminga, who has had his career defined by how little he is allowed to enjoy himself, that may be worth its weight in gold.

Good night, Wolves fans. Enjoy this dunk and enjoy this moment.

Please remember that we all asked for this, and that we should enjoy this season as much as we can, no matter what happens.

It’s what Ricky would do.

Game hightlights

Up next

The Wolves take a rare trip to Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. Why? They’ll get the return of Tyrese Haliburton at his old college barn, the home of the Iowa State Cyclones. The game against the Indiana Pacers tips Wednesday 10/7 at 6:00pm CT. You can catch the game on DAZN-MIN.

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Freddy Peralta pitches 'incredibly well' in Rays' ALDS Game 2 win over Yankees

Freddy Peralta, the Rays' trade deadline acquisition from the Mets, was a challenge for the Yankees in Monday's ALDS matchup.

The right-hander allowed one run -- designated hitter Ben Rice's fourth-inning solo home run to lead off the fourth inning -- on three hits while striking out three and walking one in 4.2 innings of Tampa Bay's pivotal Game 2.

"I thought he threw the ball incredibly well," Rays manager Kevin Cash said of Peralta, who was perfect through his first three innings. "We were all super pleased with it, and it was a tough decision. I felt like the changeup started to work just off the edge enough where he wasn't able to get it in the zone. But early on, it was dominant fastball, dominant changeup. It's tough to nitpick anybody that goes through that lineup and gives up a solo homer. Very pleased with Freddy."

Peralta exited the game with runners on first and second base in the fifth inning after catcher Austin Wells' two-out double and third baseman Ryan McMahon's walk.

Left-hander Cam Booser replaced Peralta and walked Rice, loading the bases, before left fielder Cody Bellinger's deep fly ball to center field stranded the Yankees.

"I said that I wanted to finish the fifth because I was competing out there, and I always want to keep the ball," said Peralta, who exited after throwing 43 strikes on 66 pitches. "But I just wanted to give my best since the first pitch until whenever the decision with Cash comes to take me out of the game. I just was focused on giving the best of myself, 100 percent of myself, since the first pitch until the last one."

Peralta went 5-2 with a 3.25 ERA and 1.01 WHIP in 55.1 innings over 10 starts during his regular season with the Rays. He debuted for Tampa Bay Aug. 4.

"They've done it all year, just throwing strikes," said Rays left fielder Jonny DeLuca. "All of our starters are nasty. All of our pitching staff is nasty. Being able to play behind that, it's a good tempo, good rhythm. They're pounding the zone. It doesn't look fun to face them. They've been doing it all year and it's super fun to watch."

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Four errors bury Yankees as Rays carry 2-0 ALDS lead to the Bronx

ST. PETERSBURG, FL – Ryan McMahon is one of the best defensive third basemen in baseball. The first ball hit to him in Game 2 shot up and got away, and the New York Yankees spent the rest of the night chasing it.

New York made four errors Monday, three on the first four batters, and lost 5-2 to the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. The Rays lead the best-of-five AL Division Series 2-0.

The Yankees dug this hole with their own gloves and bats.  

Three of the Rays' five runs were unearned. Cam Schlittler, the presumptive AL Cy Young winner, got 13 outs, the shortest postseason start of his career, and spent most of his night pitching with runners his defense put on base.

In the quiet Yankees clubhouse after the loss, Schlittler took responsibility.

"Obviously it starts with me," Schlittler said. "I'll be the first one to say that I didn't do my job, but it didn't seem like we really showed up today."

The offense without Aaron Judge on the roster because of a strained calf isn't bailing anybody out. The Yankees have scored two runs in two games and both of them were solo home runs by Ben Rice.

McMahon's error on Yandy Díaz started the unraveling Monday night.

Jonathan Aranda singled. Junior Caminero grounded to shortstop George Lombard Jr., who backhanded a flip to second for the force, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. tried to force the double play and threw it wide of first base. Díaz scored. Then the Rays challenged a missed catcher's interference call on Austin Wells and won.

"I'd probably still throw it, honestly," Chisholm said. "The play that was trying to be made (was the right one). I feel like I could've made an even better throw."

Four batters, three errors, one run.

Aaron Boone said he didn't necessarily have a problem with Chisholm going for two.

"We've got to play catch," Boone said. "It's the big leagues."

The fifth inning broke it open when Aranda singled, Caminero doubled, and Liam Hicks drove one in with a groundout. Chandler Simpson's chopper deflected off Lombard and Caminero scored, a play ruled a fielder's choice.

"It might have been one that I should have just gone to first," Lombard said.

With two outs, Simpson stole second. Lombard threw away Jonny DeLuca's grounder. DeLuca stole second, too. Richie Palacios lined a single to center, and both runners came home.

It was the Yankees' most errors in a postseason game since Game 4 of the 2019 ALCS against Houston. In Game 5 of the 2024 World Series, defense ended their season. Two errors helped the Dodgers erase a 5-0 deficit, and a catcher's interference charged to Wells set up their go-ahead rally.

Boone wouldn't put this one on his starter.

"Cam did his job," he said. "We didn't give him a good enough chance to really do his job."

Yankees offense has one run in two ALDS games against the Rays, both solo home runs by Rice in Game 2.

The Yankees had one hit in Game 1, the fewest in 447 postseason games in franchise history. They basically gave that back with another mistake. Austin Wells doubled with two outs in the eighth, ran through third base coach Luis Rojas’ stop sign and was easily thrown out at third.

On Monday, Freddy Peralta retired the first nine before Rice tied the game with a homer leading off the fourth. The Yankees' best chance came in the fifth. Wells doubled, McMahon walked, and Kevin Cash pulled Peralta after 4⅔ innings. Left-hander Cam Booser walked Rice to load the bases. Cody Bellinger hit a fly ball to center for the third out.

"Yeah, we didn't get it done," Bellinger said. "We had opportunities."

History says the Yankees have likely dug their own grave with their mistakes.

Under the current format, teams that win the first two games at home in a best-of-five series have advanced 33 of 36 times. The Yankees have pulled it off, though. In 2017, they lost the first two games of the ALDS in Cleveland, then won three straight.

Max Fried starts Game 3 on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET in the Bronx, to try and turn this around.

"Frustration. Maybe a little bit of anger in there," McMahon said. "We're in a hole. That's on us."

Boone said this team has answered before.

"You've got to find out what you're made of," Boone said. "It's gut check time.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Four errors bury Yankees as Rays carry 2-0 ALDS lead to the Bronx

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Lakers dethrone Kings in preseason opener

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 05: Cameron Carr #43 of the Los Angeles Lakers goes in for a slam dunk against the Sacramento Kings in the first half of the preseason game at Golden 1 Center on October 05, 2026 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Lakers began their preseason with a 127-103 win over the Kings on Monday night. They led by as much as 33 points and shot 50% from the field and 45.5% from behind the arc. Los Angeles also dished 29 dimes as a team. 

Quentin Grimes got the offense going with the first four points. Luka Dončić missed his first two field-goal attempts, while Matisse Thybulle drained a triple for Los Angeles. Darius Acuff Jr. and Zach LaVine combined for eight for Sacramento. 

At the 6:50 mark, the Kings were up by one. 

Luka started heating up, draining back-to-back triples. It started a 10-2 run for Los Angeles that included a barrage of threes. The Lakers led by six with Luka now in double figures with 13 points. 

An assist from Sandro Mamukelashvili led to a wonderfully nasty dunk from Grimes, who now had eight points. The purple and gold led by eight at the end of the first. 

Jake LaRavia started the second period scoring four in a row for LA. Acuff Jr. scored on a jumper for the Kings. Los Angeles was cooking from behind the arc, shooting 61%. LaRavia and Grimes knocked down back-to-back triples, forcing Sacramento to call a timeout.

Thybulle added to the onslaught from behind the arc, his second of the half. The Lakers had three players in double figures: Luka with 13, LaRavia with 12 and Grimes with 11. Thybulle was close behind with six. 

Luka then proceeded to drain another triple. Cameron Carr scored four points, two of which came on a fast-break dunk. Los Angeles was on an insane 31-5 scoring run. 

The Kings put together a cute little 9-0 run, but it didn’t matter because the Lakers led by 26 at halftime. 

Ziaire Williams started the third period with his third 3-pointer of the game for LA. The energy dropped significantly as both teams missed many shots. Los Angeles still had all the momentum, though, leading by 24 at the 6:35 mark. 

Carr was having a solid showing, shooting 57% from the field for nine points. Jaden Hardy saw some playing time and knocked down a triple for the Lakers. Sacramento’s rookie Acuff Jr. led the team in scoring through three quarters with 19 points. 

At the end of the third, the purple and gold were up by 22. 

The final frame was cardio, with the deepest depths of the Lakers bench getting all the playing time. Jaden Hardy, Chris Mañon and Carr were the standouts of the final frame.

Key Player Stats:

Luka ended with 21 points, two rebounds, three assists and two steals. Grimes finished with 16 points, shooting 5-7 from the field. LaRavia had 12 points with three rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Rookie Cameron Carr had a stellar showing, scoring 19 points with three rebounds, two assists and two steals. Williams logged 13 points. He was a perfect 3-3 from behind the arc.

Thybulle pitched in with six points and two steals. Mamu scored eight points with five assists and two steals. Bronny James scored four points with five rebounds and two assists.

Adou Thiero ended with three points, four rebounds and four assists. Jaden Hardy had eight points off the bench.

The Lakers’ next preseason matchup will be against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday at 7:00 PM PT.

You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.

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Luka Doncic scores 21 as Lakers unveil new defense in preseason win over Kings

Lakers star Luka Doncic, right, shoots over Sacramento Kings guard Emanuel Sharp.
Lakers star Luka Doncic, right, shoots over Sacramento Kings guard Emanuel Sharp during the first half of the Lakers' preseason win Monday night. (Sara Nevis / Associated Press)

The Lakers pressed, switched and swarmed from the opening whistle. After the Sacramento Kings were caught for a shot-clock violation on the first possession of Monday’s preseason game, Luka Doncic raised his fists toward the Lakers bench with a triumphant grin to symbolize the successful start.

But Doncic’s smile toward his teammates had a hint of sarcasm; this is still just an exhibition.

The Lakers teased their new defensive identity in a 127-103 preseason win against the Sacramento Kings on Monday at Golden 1 Center, rolling out their deep group of wings to overcome a short-handed bench.

Read more:Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves ready to take charge of new-look Lakers

Playing without star center Walker Kessler, who missed the game with a finger injury, and guard Austin Reaves (ankle), Doncic led the Lakers with 21 points. He took a hard knee to the side of his quad midway through the second quarter, but stayed in the game. With the Lakers up 26 points at halftime, Doncic didn’t need to return.

“We all had fun out there,” said Doncic, who relished the chance to play in his first competitive basketball game in six months, one of the longest breaks of his career. “Especially with Matisse [Thybulle] and Ziaire [Williams], just that beginning of the game, the start, that’s contagious for everybody, and how they start the game, it was inspirational.”

The star guard actually was bringing down the team’s shooting average. While he was three-for-nine from three-point range in the first half, his teammates combined to make nine of their first 13 three-pointers. Williams led with perfect three-for-three shooting from distance with 13 points and one steal while serving as the Lakers’ top on-ball defender. Thybulle, another key defensive offseason addition, had two steals and made two threes.

At halftime, coaches showed players a clip of Williams, a 6-foot-9 forward who signed on a minimum contract, guarding the ball full court. The highlight then showed how Doncic’s energy picked up. Thybulle followed suit.

“You don’t wanna be the only guy out there that’s not being physical, not picking up full, not being a pest,” Williams said. “Coming in, I knew that I saw that the team could use that, someone who could pick up full and could guard the main ball handler and really set the tone on that end. I try to just focus on that every possession.”

Coach JJ Redick, in his third season with the Lakers, said it was the first time in his tenure that he felt the team had multiple players who were capable of handling that defensive responsibility. The Lakers call it their “line of confrontation.” Williams, Thybulle, second-year forward Adou Thiero and guard Quentin Grimes were among the players who guarded the ball full court. The Lakers forced four steals in the first quarter and 15 for the game. They averaged 8.5 per game last season.

The product Monday is far from what the Lakers hope to show in their regular-season opener Oct. 21 against the Golden State Warriors.

Kessler was wearing a splint on his left pinky finger after he jammed it on the backboard during practice last week. Redick doesn’t expect any of the injuries that kept Reaves, guard Collin Sexton (lower body) and two-way forward Arthur Kaluma (lower body) to be long-term.

Read more:Swanson: Lakers paid Austin Reaves to be a star. Now they need him to prove his durability

Reaves, who tweaked his ankle in practice, still went through his pregame warmup routine Monday.

Even without two of their three top players, the Lakers overwhelmed the Kings, who are expected to be among the worst teams in the Western Conference again. Rookie point guard Darius Acuff, the No. 7 pick in last April’s draft, had 19 points with four assists and five turnovers.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.