Luka Doncic and LeBron James were listed as questionable for the Lakers’ back-to-back game Tuesday night against the Atlanta Hawks. Doncic because of left groin soreness, James because of left foot joint arthritis and right sciatica.

Also, checking the stat sheet before the game, the Lakers were listed as one of the worst three-point shooting teams and one of the worst defensive shooting percentage teams in the league.

Well, Luka played and LeBron played and the Lakers shot lights-out from three-point range and were solid across the board on defense while i rolling over the Hawks 141-116 at Crypto.com Arena.

Doncic felt soreness in his groin when the Lakers played at Sacramento on Monday night and was unsure about playing Tuesday. But he played and delivered 27 points, 12 assists and five rebounds.

James didn’t play in the second game of a back-to-back game last week at New Orleans and San Antonio and said he will be listed as TBD, to be determined, in such scenarios. But James played against the Hawks and nearly produced a triple-double with 31 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds.

Coming into the game, opponents were shooting 48.8% from the field and 37.4% from three against the Lakers, ranking them 28th and 26th, respectively, in the NBA.

The Hawks began the game ranked fourth in three-point shooting, making 37.4%, and they were ranked eighth in field-goal percentage, making 43.6%.

All of the above made for a bad recipe for the Lakers entering the game.

But when the game started, none of that mattered to the Lakers, who held the Hawks to 45% shooting and 28.3% from three-point range.

The Lakers shot 55.9% (19 for 34) from three-point range.

The Lakers’ big lead was sliced to 11 points in the fourth.

But back-to-back three-pointers by James and Marcus Smart, both off passes from Doncic, and a Doncic basket gave them a 19-point lead, and they never looked back.

The Lakers scored 81 points in the first half, a season-high for points in a half, a half in which they opened a 23-point lead and had the Hawks reeling from the beginning.

Doncic missed just one of his six three-pointers in the first half. Gabe Vincent came off the bench and missed just one of his four three-pointers in the first half.

Rui Hachimura had missed the previous seven games with a right calf strain but was back in action against the Hawks. He had seven points and two rebounds in 18 minutes.

ETC: The Lakers signed guard Kobe Bufkin to a 10-day contract Tuesday. The 6-foot-5 Bufkin played in seven games for the South Bay Lakers, the Lakers’ G League team, where he averaged 28.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists over seven games. He has appeared in 27 career NBA games over two seasons with the Hawks. “You know, during the stretch, we’ll have opportunities during this 10-day,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said…. Backup center Jaxson Hayes didn’t play against the Hawks because of left hamstring soreness. Redick said Hayes got some “imaging” Tuesday on his injury and that the Lakers will have “more information” going forward.

Mike Tomlin is stepping down as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to multiple reports.

Tomlin’s decision on Tuesday came after a blowout loss against the Houston Texans in the AFC Wild Card Round of the playoffs. It marked the Steelers’ seventh straight postseason defeat.

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

Bob Chesney and Mick Cronin have a new major ally in their bid to compete in the Big Ten.

A $17.3-million gift from late alumnus and longtime donor Lawrence “Larry” Layne will benefit the UCLA football and men’s basketball programs, giving them essential financial resources as they try to keep up with their cash-infused conference counterparts.

The football team will receive $9.6 million and the men’s basketball program $7.7 million as part of Layne’s more than $40-million pledge to various university programs. The donation to the athletic department is believed to be the biggest in more than a decade.

“I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude for Larry’s longstanding history of generosity to both campus and the athletic department, including this transformational gift,” UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond said in a statement. “I am fortunate to have spent time with Larry and get to know his deep passion for UCLA Athletics, particularly his desire to help our football and men’s basketball programs thrive in this new era of collegiate sports. His investment in our programs positions us, and future generations of Bruin athletes, for long-term success.”

A former men’s rugby player and women’s rugby coach at UCLA, Layne received his master’s of business administration from the school in 1977 and went on to found Nova Storage. He was a fan of multiple Bruins sports and a donor for six decades, his generosity extending beyond his passing in December 2024 at 75.

Layne has supported UCLA athletics since giving to the women’s rugby club in 1979 and becoming the team’s first coach. He also supported the renovation of Pauley Pavilion and the construction of the Wasserman Football Center. Over the years, he’s also given to UCLA baseball, softball, women’s tennis and men’s water polo, his gifts totaling $18.8 million, including his latest donation.

“As a former UCLA student-athlete and coach, Larry fully understood the hard work and determination that was needed to be at his best both on and off the field,” Chesney said, “and this incredibly generous gift will make a big impact on helping us build a championship football team. I am very grateful to Larry and his wife Sheelagh for their support of UCLA and our football program. We will make sure that Larry’s legacy lives on by continuing to support our student-athletes and upholding our university’s True Bruin values.”

Layne’s gift also includes $11.4 million to UCLA Health, assisting research in cardiology and hepatology; $5.7 million to the UCLA Anderson School of Management to support entrepreneurial and real estate studies; $3.8 million to men’s rugby; and $1.9 million to UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance.

Cronin, who has spoken about wanting to be the moneyed Dodgers of college basketball instead of the cash-strapped Cincinnati Reds, will now be closer to reaching that status thanks to this gift.

“I would like to thank Larry for his generosity and long-time support of our athletics department, specifically toward our men’s basketball program,” Cronin said. “This university has so many fantastic resources for its student-athletes, but we simply would not be able to thrive if not for the generosity of our many loyal donors such as Larry. His generous gift will help us in the future as we continue to build a basketball program with elite young men who all of our fans can be proud to support.”

A graduate of Sylmar High, where he was captain of the football team, Layne later raised money to install lights for the school’s football field and went on to attend Occidental College before going to UCLA for graduate school. His lifelong love of rugby took him to London to play for the Harlequins, and his Los Angeles team was known as the Flying Pumpkins.