Rams Win NFC West Title
The Rams did not play Sunday, but they still won the NFC West.
A victory on Saturday over the Arizona Cardinals positioned the Rams to capture the division title via the NFL’s strength of victory tiebreaking metric.
The Cincinnati Bengals’ victory over the Denver Broncos on Saturday, plus the Buffalo Bills’ victory over the New York Jets, the Minnesota Vikings’ victory over the Green Bay Packers and the Washington Commanders’ victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday gave the Rams the tiebreaker over the Seattle Seahawks.
So the game between the Rams and Seahawks at 1:25 p.m. on Sunday at SoFi Stadium will enable Rams coach Sean McVay to possibly rest starters for an NFC wild-card playoff game that the Rams will host.
The Rams won the division for the fourth time in McVay’s eight seasons as coach. They also won in 2017 when they lost in the wild-card round, 2018 when they lost to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LIII and 2021 when they defeated the Bengals in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium.
For the second season in a row, the Rams made a dramatic turnaround after their open date.
Lakers Acquire Dorian Finney-Smith
The Lakers have acquired Dorian Finney-Smith, a multiple-positional defender shooting 43.5% from three-point range this season, in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets without surrendering any of L.A.’s future first-round draft picks — a deal that improves two big areas of need while keeping the door open for future moves.
The team announced Sunday afternoon that it sent D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and second-round picks in 2029, 2030 and 2031 to the Nets for Finney-Smith and reserve guard Shake Milton. The move, the Lakers hope, bolsters their improving defense while giving their offense one of the most efficient catch-and-shoot players in the league this season.
NBA Scores and Standings
Lakers forward LeBron James prepares to high-five a teammate as he’s introduced before the start of a game.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
From Dan Woike: LeBron James loves horror movies, loves them so much he has a tattoo of his “Big Three” villains on his thigh. There’s “Nightmare on Elm Street’s” Freddy Krueger. There’s “Halloween’s” Michael Myers. And there’s “Friday the 13th’s” Jason Voorhees. If anyone appreciates a good scare, it’s the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
UCLA Women’s Basketball
UCLA’s Lauren Betts, left, tries to drive on Nebraska’s Alexis Markowski and Allison Weidner, right, at Pauley Pavilion on Sunday.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
From Ben Bolch: Lauren Betts took the pass in the post midway through the third quarter, firmly grabbing the ball with both hands. She swung her arms one way, then another, until she found the positioning she wanted.
USC Women’s Basketball
USC’s Rayah Marshall (13) is congratulated by her teammates after scoring while drawing a foul during the second half of the Trojans’ 78-58 win over Michigan at Galen Center on Sunday.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
From Benjamin Royer: Except for JuJu Watkins, USC’s players were struggling to find their shot.
Chargers
Chargers…er Blake Treinen. They even extended key utilityman Tommy Edman. As a result, at this early juncture, they are the clear-cut favorites to defend their title next season.
But more moves remain to be made before the team reports to spring training in early February.
Ohio State
Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly stands on the field before a game against Indiana on Nov. 23.
(Ian Johnson / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
From Andrés Soto: As Ohio State packs its bags for the trip to Pasadena to play Oregon in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly is making sure he has enough of one particular item.
Kings
Kings forward Warren Foegele, right, celebrates with forward Tanner Jeannot after scoring during a win over the Philadelphia Flyers at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday.
(William Liang / Associated Press)
From the Associated Press: Anze Kopitar scored twice and Adrian Kempe had a goal and an assist as the Kings got their seventh straight home win by beating the Philadelphia Flyers 5-4 on Sunday night at Crypto.com Arena.
Ducks
Ducks forward Cutter Gauthier celebrates with teammates after scoring during a 5-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers at Honda Center on Sunday.
(Alex Gallardo / Associated Press)
From the Associated Press: Ryan Strome scored with 2:36 remaining as the Ducks rallied from a two-goal deficit in the second period to defeat the Edmonton Oilers 5-3 on Sunday.
This Date in Sports
1956 — The New York Giants win the NFL title with a 47-7 rout of the Chicago Bears.
1962 — The Green Bay Packers beat the New York Giants 16-7 to win the NFL title for the second straight year.
1973 — The Minnesota Vikings beat the Dallas Cowboys 27-10 to win the NFC championship.
And Finally
Seventeen Los Angeles Times staff writers and columnists selected a story they wrote in 2024 that was their favorite. You can read (or read again) some of our very best journalism of the year here.
