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Lakers 'recalibrate' after Austin Reaves injury, three-game losing streak

INGLEWOOD, CA - DECEMBER 20, 2025: Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick.
Lakers coach JJ Redick chats with star forward LeBron James during a game against the Clippers, the first of three losses in a row. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

After the Lakers’ third straight loss Thursday, JJ Redick promised things would get “uncomfortable.” The second-year coach, frustrated after the team delivered a lump of coal in a Christmas Day blowout by the Houston Rockets, said he couldn’t stand to rewatch the same tired story. Leaning his elbow on the table at his postgame news conference, Redick called out players who don’t give enough effort on defense or play hard.

Two days later he stood in front of reporters with a different tone.

“Recalibration,” Redick said calmly of the message he delivered during Saturday’s team meeting. “Reconnection.”

Redick has cooled, but the Lakers still are under fire. Not only are they trying to snap a season-high three-game losing streak at home Sunday against the Sacramento Kings (6:30 p.m.), but also the Lakers (19-10) still are looking for their first home win in December and must navigate this defining moment without guard Austin Reaves.

Reaves was diagnosed with a grade 2 strain in his left calf Friday and will be reevaluated in four weeks. The latest setback comes less than two weeks after he was sidelined because of a “mild” strain in the same calf that kept him out for three games.

Reaves is averaging career highs in points (26.6), assists (6.3) and rebounds (5.2) and his ascent from undrafted rookie to potential first-time All-Star was one of the team’s feel-good stories of the season. Reaves scored a career-high 51 points against Sacramento in October, rescuing the Lakers in a game without LeBron James or Luka Doncic and showing Reaves’ potential in a starring role.

Read more:Lakers guard Austin Reaves out for at least a month because of calf injury

Now without their second-leading scorer, the Lakers are looking for their supporting cast to step up.

“We just need our guys to be stars in their roles,” Redick said. “Certainly from a top-end talent standpoint, it diminishes that. But it doesn't change the non-negotiables or how we're trying to play.”

After losing the last three games by an average of 20.7 points per game, the Lakers needed to get reacquainted with their non-negotiables during Saturday’s meeting. The session was uncomfortable in the way confronting truth can be uncomfortable, Redick said. It wasn’t just coaches lecturing, but also players speaking up.

The top priority was creating more clarity, Redick said. The team needed to get back to building its defensive fundamentals after so many lineup changes because of injuries. The Lakers have used 16 different starting lineups in 29 games and have to readjust their rotation again in Reaves’ absence.

“Togetherness is going to have to be emphasized to where it looks like an exaggeration,” center Deandre Ayton said, “where it becomes a habit. And that's what winners do. And it's pretty easy for this team. It's just that there's always a different group out there and we're going to get it for sure.”

Forward Rui Hachimura said coaches reminded players of the team’s three pillars that again were displayed on a screen in the practice gym Saturday — championship habits, championship communication, championship shape.

Read more:'We don’t have it right now.' Takeaways from the Lakers' third straight loss

“We just talk about everybody, players, coaches, we just gotta kind of tighten up,” Hachimura said. “We had a good stretch in the beginning and now we kind of, I don't know, we relaxed or we kind of got tired of winning, you know, but we just stopped doing what we're supposed to do.”

The Lakers are 29th in the NBA in defensive rating in the last 15 games, giving up 122.2 points per 100 possessions. It’s a significant drop from their rating of 113.7 in the first 14 games in which they went 10-4.

Since James returned from, the Lakers’ preferred starting lineup — Doncic, Reaves, James, Ayton and Hachimura — has a net rating of minus-19.9 in seven games.

Offensively the Lakers have lacked organization since James came back, Redick acknowledged. James declined to speak to reporters after practice.

“Too many random possessions,” Redick said. “That's on me.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Jeff McNeil says goodbye to Mets following trade to A’s: ‘It has been an incredible run’

Jeff McNeil’s time in the Big Apple officially came to an end earlier this week. 

McNeil joined the Mets as a 12th-round pick in the 2013 MLB Draft out of Long Beach State University. 

After grinding through the minors, he finally received his shot in the bigs during the 2018 campaign. 

He would establish himself as a regular in New York’s lineup with his versatile glove and slap-hitting ways. 

McNeil finished his Mets tenure with a .286 average, 193 doubles, 80 homers, 367 RBI, and a .779 OPS in 923 games. 

He also racked up a pair of All-Star appearances, a Silver Slugger, and a batting title. 

The 33-year-old took to social media to say goodbye to the organization on Saturday night.

“New York will always be part of my story,” McNeil wrote. “The Mets organization is all I've ever known since being drafted, and it has been an incredible run. I'm incredibly thankful for every moment, every lesson, and every memory along the way.

“I'm especially grateful for the fans who welcomed me and my family and made New York feel like home for so long. Thank you to Steve and Alex Cohen, the coaching staff, and my teammates who made this journey so meaningful," he continued. 

"With so much gratitude, it’s time to turn the page and embrace the next chapter in green and gold."

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Senators At Toronto: Battle Of Ontario Makes Season Debut Saturday Night

Even in the heart of the Christmas holidays, a Saturday matchup in the Battle of Ontario will rarely be a Silent Night.

The Ottawa Senators are in Toronto to face the Maple Leafs for the first meaningful get-together since Toronto defeated the Sens in six games during last spring’s Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The game will mark a pair of milestones for the Senators. Veteran Claude Giroux will play in his 1,300th career game, while hot on his heels, just 1,299 behind, is Xavier Bourgault, who finally suits up for his first NHL game.

Bourgault was called up from the Belleville Senators on Saturday morning. He's had a fine start to his AHL season with 27 points in 32 games, which is more than he had all of last season when he put up 26 points in 61 games.

As for Giroux, gigantic round numbers like 1,300 will always conjure up discussions about Hall of Fame candidacy. With 372 goals and 1,141 points, his numbers are already reminiscent of Daniel Alfredsson's, and given that he's on pace for over 50 points this season, G doesn't look at all like a player ready to retire.

The Senators enter the day just one point behind the Florida Panthers for the final Eastern wild card spot and just two points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning for third place in the Atlantic.

Things are a bit more dire for the Leafs. They enter play with 37 points, five out of the wild card and six out of third place in the East.

Going back two years to the day, the Sens have had the Leafs' number in the regular season, winning the last five regular-season meetings.

Toronto's veneer of confidence began to crack this week when they fired assistant coach Mark Savard and replaced him days later with another former NHL star in Steve Sullivan. Savard ran Toronto's power play, which was shockingly bad (and still is), ranking dead last in the NHL. Ottawa's power play is now fourth-best in the league.

Here's how Travis Green and Craig Berube will align their chess pieces on Saturday.

Senators projected lineup

Brady Tkachuk -- Tim Stutzle -- Fabian Zetterlund

David Perron -- Dylan Cozens -- Drake Batherson

Michael Amadio -- Ridly Greig -- Claude Giroux

Xavier Bourgault -- Stephen Halliday -- Nick Cousins

Jake Sanderson -- Artem Zub

Thomas Chabot -- Jordan Spence

Nick Jensen -- Nikolas Matinpalo

Linus Ullmark

Leevi Merilainen

Maple Leafs projected lineup

Bobby McMann -- Auston Matthews -- Max Domi

Matias Maccelli -- John Tavares -- William Nylander

Dakota Joshua -- Scott Laughton -- Steven Lorentz

Mathew Knies -- Nicolas Roy -- Nicholas Robertson

Morgan Rielly -- Philippe Myers

Jake McCabe -- Troy Stecher

Oliver Ekman-Larsson -- Chris Tanev

Joseph Woll

Dennis Hildeby

By Steve Warne

Read more Ottawa Senators news and features at The Hockey News:

Top Ottawa Senators Prospect Suits Up Again At World Juniors
Josh Norris: 'I Really Felt Like (Ottawa Fans) Had My Back, Even When I Was Injured'
NHL Player Fined For Cross-Checking Senators Star Tim Stutzle In The Face
Ottawa Senators Have A Soft Spot For Their Tough GuySenators Announce Their Latest Addition To Ring Of Honour

Steve Warne is the Ottawa Senators site editor at The Hockey News. Steve has covered the Senators since day one, first as Sports Director for Rogers Radio in Ottawa on AM 1310 and FM 105, then as the long-time host of the morning show at TSN 1200 radio, the Sens' flagship station. Steve is also the owner and host of the popular Sens Nation Podcast.

Follow Steve on Twitter/X @stevewarnemedia

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Senators Prospect To Make NHL Debut Saturday, Completing Long (And Snowy) Road To The NHL

You never forget your first.

As the Ottawa Senators take on the Leafs in Toronto on Saturday night, Sens prospect Xavier Bourgault finally gets a chance to play in his first NHL game.

Bourgault has waited four and a half years for this moment, which is a long time for a first-round NHL draft pick. The L'Islet, Quebec-born 23-year-old is one of only five first-round picks from 2021 (Tyler Boucher, Chaz Lucius, Corson Ceulemans, Chase Stillman) who haven't played in at least one NHL game.

So Saturday night will remove him from that list and become the memory of a lifetime, especially when you consider how he got here.

Performance-wise, he got here with 27 points in 32 games this season, already surpassing his total (26 points in 61 games) from all of last season in Belleville, impressing the organization enough to earn a call-up with the club on Saturday morning.

But how he literally got here, travel-wise, will be part of the memory as well.

"So I went back home (for Christmas) actually in Quebec City," Bourgault told Sens host Jackson Starr after Saturday's game-day skate. "Then I drove to Toronto because of the game last night in Toronto. I drove eight hours, I think. So, it was pretty crazy. I drove back after the game, in the storm, back to Belleville. Then I got the call (from Ottawa) and drove right back to Toronto for (Saturday's) game.

“Just grateful for the chance tonight. It wasn’t easy since going pro, so just exciting for me now. It’s been a long road for me.”

Former Belleville head coach David Bell was one man who saw this coming back at training camp. He knew that Bourgault had more to offer than we saw last season.

"I think part of it last year, which is what he struggled with, was that he was hurt," Bell said after Sens rookie camp. "He had a hip flexor that was sore. He had a wrist that was sore.

"He's very dynamic and can shift east-west when he's healthy, and he wasn't able to do that last year. And as a shooter and passer with a sore wrist, he couldn’t do that. He was handcuffed quite a bit. Now he’s healthy, and you’re seeing a little bit more of what he was in junior — a dynamic, game-breaking type of player."

Bourgault will be paired on a line on Saturday with veteran Nick Cousins and centre Stephen Halliday. He and Halliday have played a lot together in Belleville the past two seasons. So after some holiday time, Bourgault is glad to follow it up with some Halliday time.

"We've been playing together in Belleville. Halliday is a great playmaker. I'm used to his game too, so it's fun to come back on his line here in Ottawa."

With injuries up front this season, the Senators have taken serious looks at other Belleville players like Olle Lycksell, Hayden Hodgson, and Arthur Kaliyev. Now the Sens have decided to kick the tires on Bourgault to see what he looks like at the next level. 

Sens GM Steve Staios obviously liked what he saw from Bourgault during his brief time in Edmonton. When Staios came to Ottawa and moved on from winger Roby Jarventie, he dealt him to the Oilers for Bourgault and fellow forward Jake Chiasson.

After that mediocre 2024-25 season, Staios still opted to re-sign Bourgault, a player that his Hamilton Bulldogs came up against in the 2022 Memorial Cup. Bourgault had seven points in four games at that tournament.

Given the long road to get here, literally and figuratively, there's zero chance Xavier Bourgault ever forgets his first, especially when it's a Saturday night Battle of Ontario on a national TV stage in Toronto.

Read more Ottawa Senators news and features at The Hockey News:

Top Ottawa Senators Prospect Suits Up Again At World Juniors
Josh Norris: 'I Really Felt Like (Ottawa Fans) Had My Back, Even When I Was Injured'
NHL Player Fined For Cross-Checking Senators Star Tim Stutzle In The Face
Ottawa Senators Have A Soft Spot For Their Tough Guy
Senators Announce Their Latest Addition To Ring Of Honour

Steve Warne is the Ottawa Senators site editor at The Hockey News. Steve has covered the Senators since day one, first as Sports Director for Rogers Radio in Ottawa on AM 1310 and FM 105, then as the long-time host of the morning show at TSN 1200 radio, the Sens' flagship station. Steve is also the owner and host of the popular Sens Nation Podcast.

Follow Steve on Twitter/X @stevewarnemedia

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Giannis Antetokounmpo expected to return to Bucks lineup Saturday

After missing eight games with a calf strain, Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to return to the Bucks lineup Saturday night against the Chicago Bulls.

Antetokounmpo is listed as questionable. He will play if he clears pregame testing after warming up, reports Eric Nehn of The Athletic.

Milwaukee went 2-6 in the eight games Antetokounmpo missed, falling to 12-19 on the season and 11th in the Eastern Conference, outside even the play-in. That has only fueled trade rumors swirling around Antetokounmpo, although he has yet to formally request a trade, and the Bucks are telling teams they are looking to add talent around the two-time MVP and not trade him away.

Antetokounmpo's calf injury came just four games after he returned from a left adductor strain.

"Maybe it was a mistake of me coming back a little bit earlier, because once I come back, now you're overcompensating," Antetokounmpo said of coming back after that adductor injury, via the Associated Press. "The only way you can pop your soleus is by overcompensating and then having an extreme amount of load or play a lot of games in a short period of time. Again, I think all of the things that I was thinking and trying to come back led to the incident that I had with my soleus."

Antetokounmpo has played like an MVP when he has been on the court this season, averaging 28.9 points, 10.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game. Milwaukee is 9-8 in games Antetokounmpo has played in this season and is banking on his return to vault them back into the playoff picture in a wide-open East.

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Yankees sign Mexican League MVP Nick Torres to contract: report

The Yankees can now say they’ve added another veteran MVP to their roster – well, sort of.

The club has seemingly agreed to a contract with reigning Mexican League MVP and outfielder Nick Torres. While a deal hasn’t been confirmed by the club, Algodoneros Unión Laguna , Torres' Mexican League team, bid farewell to their star in a social media post on Saturday, wishing the 32-year-old luck and to “keep growing and fulfill one more dream” as a member of the Yankees.

Torres, a California native selected by the Padres in the fourth round of the 2014 draft, hasn’t played in an MiLB-affiliated game since 2018. 

The righty-swinger climbed the minor-league ranks between 2014-18, but never received a promotion to the majors. Working as a corner outfielder and first baseman in the Padres and Rangers systems, he played in 212 Double-A games and 71 Triple-A games, hitting a combined .267.

Torres joined the Mexican League in 2019, and in his most recent campaign, he slashed a robust .347/.425/.730 with 27 home runs and 79 RBI across 86 games for Unión Laguna.

Since 2021, he's hit .343 with a 1.025 OPS for the Mexican League club.