Sports
Lakers start Vincent for LeBron in opener preview
LOS ANGELES — Using Friday’s preseason finale as a “dress rehearsal” for next week’s regular-season opener, Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick put Gabe Vincent in the starting lineup to fill in for the injured LeBron James.
Vincent capped a strong individual training camp with 14 points on 5-for-6 shooting (4-for-5 from 3), but the Lakers lost 117-116 to the Sacramento Kings to finish the preseason 1-5.
The regular season starts Tuesday night when the Lakers host the Golden State Warriors. Though the Vincent decision was made, there is plenty more for the Lakers to figure out in the next few days.
“We have two more practices, so we need to clean up some things,” said Luka Doncic, who scored a game-high 31 points to go with nine assists in 33 minutes.
Vincent said the coaching staff informed him about the lineup change Friday morning. If the staff was uncertain about the choice, Vincent helped his cause in the Lakers’ preseason game against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday when he scored 18 points in the first four minutes, going 5-for-5 from 3.
“I think I just bring what I’ve been doing since I’ve been here,” Vincent said when asked about his fit with the starters. “Just defending, try to defend at a high level. Playmake when I have opportunities, space the floor while Luka and [Austin Reaves] are creating themselves.”
James is not expected to return to the lineup until mid-November, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania, as he continues to recover from sciatica affecting the right side of his body.
Though Vincent will join Doncic, Reaves, Deandre Ayton and Rui Hachimura on the court to tip off the 2025-26 season, Redick made it clear that the current starters are not permanent.
“I don’t know anything about who I’m going to be starting the rest of the season because, again, there’s injuries and there’s things that happen throughout a year,” Redick said. “I have a pretty good idea who’s going to start Game 1. After that, I don’t know. But I do think in that lineup there’s lot of shooting around Luka and DA, and Gabe is another ball handler, another tough defender.
“I think he fits in well, but you have to take a look at every matchup we play against and have to make a decision there.”
Redick has downplayed the magnitude of his starting lineup decision repeatedly during training camp, pointing out that he used 25 starting lineups last season.
He and his team sounded far more concerned about their defense after allowing 59 second-half points to a Kings team that shot 54.7% overall and 44.8% from 3.
“I think in practice we were more physical,” Doncic said. “We need to work on our physicality.”
The Lakers were without one of their more physical defenders in center Jaxson Hayes for the second half Friday. He left the game because of a right wrist contusion after finishing a lob dunk in the first quarter. Redick said X-rays on Hayes’ wrist were negative, and the Lakers will have a further update on Hayes when they practice Sunday.
Former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart, who had 14 points and four steals off the bench against Sacramento, vowed to help with the physicality in the meantime.
“Just follow my lead,” Smart said. “That’s really it. I’m going to try to set the tone each and every night. And just kind of piggyback off me.”
BYU men’s basketball star Kennard Davis returned from a two-game suspension Thursday after a DUI arrest earlier this month, scoring 18 points and adding five rebounds in the Cougars’ 72-62 win over Miami.
The forward played 32 minutes as BYU improved to 5-1 after winning in the Terry’s Chocolate ESPN Events invitational in Florida. Davis, who is averaging 9.0 points and connecting on 50% of his 3-point attempts, hadn’t played since Nov. 8.
Miami fell to 5-2.
He was arrested earlier this month after an accident that preceded his arrest on suspicion of DUI and possession of marijuana. He was treated for minor injuries. In his first court appearance, Davis pleaded not guilty.
The arrest threatened to complicate his career at BYU because the school’s honor code bans the abuse of alcohol and narcotics. A violation of that honor code can result in expulsion.
But Davis, whom BYU coach Kevin Young has called one of the top defenders he has ever coached, was back on the court for a Cougars team that has national title aspirations.
A former England international soccer player was arrested at Stansted Airport on Sunday on suspicion of attempted rape of a former partner.
ESPN has confirmed the identity of the individual, who cannot be named for legal reasons.
Essex Police confirmed to ESPN that the man has been bailed until “late February 2026” pending further inquiries.
A police spokesperson said in a statement: “A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted rape and has been bailed to a date in late February 2026 while we continue our enquiries.”
The man was stopped at a passport control point at Stansted, as first reported by The Sun Newspaper. The complaint is believed to have been made by a former partner several weeks ago.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) expects strong participation from potential franchise owners at the Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) London Roadshow, set to take place at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground as the league prepares to expand with two new teams.
The exclusive showcase at Lord’s — described as one of world sport’s most prestigious venues — will bring together global investors, commercial partners and cricket enthusiasts for an evening highlighting the PSL’s league’s remarkable growth, commercial strength and future direction, stated a statement from the cricket board.
According to the PCB, the HBL PSL has quickly evolved into one of the world’s most dynamic and commercially robust T20 leagues. As preparations advance for expansion, the board said the league has already received “significant interest from potential ownership groups across the United Kingdom,” reflecting its rising global profile and deepening relationship with UK-based cricket stakeholders.
“The London Roadshow aims to build on this momentum by offering investors and fans an immersive introduction to the league’s commercial ecosystem and the vision driving its next phase of growth,” the PCB added.
The PCB, in the statement, said it expects the event to attract a diverse audience of business leaders, potential franchise owners and cricket supporters keen to engage with one of the sport’s fastest-growing leagues.
The initiative, the board said, underscores the PSL’s commitment to global expansion, strategic partnerships and delivering world-class entertainment and cricketing excellence.
In a statement, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said hosting the roadshow at Lord’s underscores the league’s ambition to elevate Pakistan cricket internationally.
“The PSL stands as a symbol of excellence and ambition, and taking this Roadshow to Lord’s — the heart of cricketing heritage — reflects our commitment to elevating Pakistan cricket on the global stage.”
He added that the UK market had shown “tremendous interest” in acquiring the newly proposed teams.
“This reinforces PSL’s international appeal. This event is an important opportunity to deepen global partnerships and share our long-term vision for expansion and innovation. We look forward to welcoming investors and cricket enthusiasts in London.”
Meanwhile, PSL CEO Salman Naseer said the roadshow will help bring investors closer to the league’s future roadmap.
“The PSL has established itself as a world-class cricket league with a powerful global following and strong commercial value. Hosting our Roadshow at Lord’s allows us to bring investors closer to the league’s future roadmap, including exciting opportunities arising from the introduction of two new teams,” he said.
He added foreign investor interest has been “extremely encouraging,” adding that the PSL is focused on building “a bigger, stronger and more internationally connected” league in the coming years.
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