Sports
Anthony Davis plays and Lakers overcome shaky start in blowout win over Hawks
Anthony Davis didn’t need 20/20 vision to see the Atlanta Hawks were trying to grab the Lakers’ attention.
“You don’t want my view!” Austin Reaves would later say.
After the Lakers turned the ball over on the first play of the game, Hawks forward Jaylen Johnson turned the ensuing fast break into a highlight, jumping almost completely over Reaves — the rare occasion where the story begins with an exclamation point before anything is written.
The dunk, which for Reaves’ sake was overshadowed by Anthony Edwards during a different game in Utah, triggered an 11-2 start for Atlanta for a sudden wake-up call.
“I think that might be the first time I’ve ever been really dunked on. So I made it a really long time without being very athletic, picking my spots to get out of the way. Tried to take a charge,” Reaves said grinning. “I don’t know, super athletic kid and, you know, he got one. The longer I play the game, I’m sure it’s gonna happen again. So ain’t too worried about it.
“It was just kind of the whole sequence of that being the start and then them kind of having that run. I’m sitting there like, s—, that’s what started it all.”
But with Davis back in the lineup after sustaining a scratched cornea Saturday, the Lakers (37-32) quickly found their rhythm, making sure Johnson’s highlight was an outlier in a game that was otherwise all Lakers.
All five starters finished with at least 12 points, all had big moments and all were able to spend most of the fourth quarter on the bench during a 136-105 win over Atlanta on Monday night at Crypto.com Arena to end a two-game skid.
Lakers star LeBron James reacts after scoring on a fast-break layup against the Atlanta Hawks in the first half Monday.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
“I’m happy for our guys,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “There was a lot of carryover on the defensive end. We talked about limiting offensive rebounds and doing a better job on the defensive glass. For the majority of the game, I thought we did a good job doing that. And then the ball movement. To end up with 39 assists is huge. If we continue that way, playing the right way, guys gonna make, gonna miss shots, but as long as we give them the opportunity to do so, and we make quick decisions, you’ll have nights like this when you have six guys that end up being in double figures. So I thought it was a great night. A great, beneficial night on both sides of the ball.”
The Hawks (30-38), who beat the Clippers the night before, got 25 points from Johnson but never really challenged once the Lakers found their footing.
D’Angelo Russell scored 27 points and dished out 10 assists. His sixth three-pointer tied him with Nick Van Exel for the Lakers’ single-season record of 183 threes.
LeBron James and Davis both shot 10 for 14 from the field for 25 and 22 points, respectively. Rui Hachimura had 17 and Reaves found a highlight of his own, stealing an inbounds pass and finding James for a dunk with a no-look, behind-the-back pass.
Lakers guard Austin Reaves makes a midair pass in front of Atlanta Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter in the first half.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Max Christie led the Lakers off the bench with 11 points.
For Davis, the game came after a scare on Saturday when he suffered a scratched cornea after being hit in the face by Golden State’s Trayce Jackson-Davis.
“I just couldn’t see. The corneal abrasion was actually right in the middle of my eye,” Davis said. “It wasn’t like off to the side. So anytime I looked it was blurry. My eye was swollen. I thought my eye was like, open. But it wasn’t. It kept watering. It just felt like sand was in my eye.
“So it was just better closed and I couldn’t really see. So, I’ve just been icing it, like Saturday after the third quarter and it got better later that night. The swelling went down. I just kind of stayed in darkness. And then went to go see the doctor on Sunday morning and some more things that we ended up finding out. But it was really tough for me to see.”
He didn’t have to squint to see what his team looked like against the Hawks.
Lakers star Anthony Davis dunks off an offensive rebound in front of Atlanta Hawks guard Vit Krejci on Monday.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
“I went to the eye doctor and I think it’s good. I’m still 20/15, so I feel good about that,” he said.
Davis’ return came as the Lakers got bad news regarding their frontcourt depth.
Reserve big man Christian Wood, who has not played the last 13 games, is set to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery and will be out multiple weeks, according to a person with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly.
Wood has been out because of knee swelling since the All-Star break. The team is expected to give an official update on him soon. At shootaround on Monday, injured forward Jarred Vanderbilt did some spot shooting drills on the court while Ham and general manager Rob Pelinka watched.
“He’s coming along according to plan,” Ham said before the game. “Gabe’s (Vincent) coming along according to plan. We should be getting Cam (Reddish) back pretty soon here. So as we start to get those guys back and what they bring to our basketball team, just the intangibles.
“People talk about making shots and, obviously, you have to get stops, but those guys’ ability to get us extra possessions — whether it’s steals, deflections that turn into turnovers — their ability to get offensive rebounds and secure defensive rebounds is much needed. That’ll be a welcomed addition to get those guys back healthy.”
The Lakers don’t play again until Friday, when they host the Philadelphia 76ers.
“We’ll get a chance to tighten up some things offensively. Tighten up some things defensively,” Ham said. “There’s a couple of new wrinkles we want to do on both sides of the ball and we’ll get a chance to look at. And then, watch a little film and see how we can be the best version of ourselves. But just take it one day at a time, starting with the day off. Everyone getting off their feet. Hopefully spending time with their families and getting away from it for a little bit. But then, once we strike back up on Wednesday, knowing that we have to be better.
“No matter what’s happening around the league, or around the positioning with our team, if we don’t, again, try to be the best version of ourselves and take care of our own business, nothing else will matter.”
Sports
Shohei Ohtani is the first Dodger to be named 2026 All-Star
Shohei Ohtani was the first Dodger to be named a 2026 All-Star, after leading the majors in Phase 1 voting for the All-Star game on July 14 in Philadelphia. Six other Dodgers were finalists through the fan ballot, giving them a chance to claim starting spots in Phase 2 of voting.
Ohtani locked down the starting DH spot for the National League squad, with 3,341,257 votes. The top vote-getters in each league bypass Phase 2. Second baseman Ernie Clement of the Toronto Blue Jays was the top vote-getter in the American League, with 3,232,932 votes.
Ohtani was the expected choice, despite a slow offensive start. His red-hot June boosted him up the leaderboards. He entered Thursday with the second-highest OPS in the National League (.963), barely trailing Mets outfielder Juan Soto (.965).
Pitchers aren’t chosen through the fan vote — hurlers and reserves have to wait for the player ballot (which includes votes from players, coaches and managers) and commissioners picks. But Ohtani has been just as impressive on the mound this year.
He has a 1.58 ERA, the fourth-best mark among NL pitchers who have thrown at least 50 innings this season.
Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (2,666,008 votes), third baseman Max Muncy (2,890,181) and outfielder Andy Pages (2,158,664) also led their respective NL position groups in voting. Other Dodgers finalists, who advance to voting Phase 2, include catcher Will Smith (1,871,805), shortstop Mookie Betts (1,762,343 ) and outfielder Teoscar Hernandez (1,569,932).
The vote totals reset for Phase 2, which runs from next Monday through Thursday. The remainder of the All-Star starters are set to be announced on July 4 on Fox Sports.
Sports
How to watch USA vs Turkey: Live stream the 2026 FIFA World Cup
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The United States men’s national team opened its 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a commanding 4-1 rout of Paraguay behind two goals from Folarin Balogun, and after taking care of Australia, the team has one match left in the group stage against Turkey on Thursday night.
The Americans took care of Australia last week 2-0 to keep their strong start rolling. The victory clinched a knockout-round berth for Team USA. The USMNT will look to carry its momentum into their match against Turkey as the Stars and Stripes return to Los Angeles Stadium.
Players of the United States celebrate their first goal, an own goal by Cameron Burgess of Australia, during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match at Seattle Stadium in Seattle, Washington, on June 19, 2026. (Fran Santiago/Getty Images)
WATCH USA VS TURKEY ON FOX ONE
Australia began its World Cup run with a win over Turkey before suffering a setback against the U.S. The Australians will meet Paraguay on Thursday in a match featuring two teams already beaten by the Americans during the group stage.
Late last month, the Americans defeated Senegal, 3-2, in a World Cup tuneup match.
Under head coach Mauricio Pochettino, the USMNT entered the tournament as the No. 17 team in the FIFA World Rankings. FIFA determines its world rankings using the Elo rating system, which rewards teams for wins and penalizes them for losses while also factoring in the strength of the competition.
Alex Freeman of the United States celebrates with teammates after scoring his team’s second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between the U.S. and Australia at Seattle Stadium on June 19, 2026. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
FOX ONE’S NEW WORLD CUP VIEWING EXPERIENCE
This year’s World Cup features an expanded field of 48 teams.
Here’s how to watch the game, including start time, TV information and streaming options.
The FIFA World Cup Trophy is displayed on stage at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw on Dec. 3, 2025. (Michael Regan – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
How to Watch United States vs Turkey
When: Thursday, June 25, 2026, at 10 p.m. ET
Where: Los Angeles Stadium, Inglewood, California.
TV: FOX
Stream: Watch on FOX One and FOX Sports.
Sports
Drug charges against U.S. skiing great Bode Miller to be dropped, his attorney says
Two misdemeanor drug charges against U.S. alpine skiing great Bode Miller are set to be dropped, according to his attorney.
“No drugs were found on Bode’s person,” attorney Jeromy Stafford said in a statement emailed to The Times on Thursday morning. “After speaking with the Prosecuting Attorney for Fremont County Idaho, Lindsey Blake, she has agreed to dismiss all charges against Bode Miller.”
Blake has not announced the move and did not immediately respond to a message from The Times.
Miller was arrested June 6 in Fremont County. According to a probable cause statement by Sheriff’s Deputy Jacob Hurt, the six-time Olympic medalist was in possession of a white dispensary bag containing 4.1 grams of psilocybin mushrooms.
Hurt said in his statement that Miller “knew that the Psilocybin mushrooms were illegal.” The 48-year-old former athlete was taken into custody and released the same day after posting a $5,000 bond. On June 11, Miller pleaded not guilty to possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
In a statement posted to Instagram on Tuesday, Miller gave a different account of what led to his arrest.
“I was pulled over for accelerating while passing another vehicle on a highway in Idaho,” Miller said. “My friend, who was traveling with me, had a small amount of cannabis and a cannabis pipe in his possession which I was unaware of. We fully cooperated with the officer. I am hopeful the misdemeanor charges will be dropped once the facts are reviewed.”
Online court records show the status of Miller’s case as “Active – Pending.” A pretrial hearing remains scheduled for July 29.
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