PHOENIX (AP) — Will Smith’s been a really good relief pitcher in the big leagues for 12 years.

He’s also got a knack for being in the right place at the right time.

The left-handed reliever became the first player in MLB history to win three World Series in a row with three different teams after the Texas Rangers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-0 on Wednesday night to clinch the franchise’s first title.

“As a kid, in your front yard playing catch, when you’re first falling in love with baseball, it’s always 3-2, bottom of the ninth, Game 7 of the World Series,” Smith said after Game 4. “You always dream of being in these situations. So to be lucky enough to do it three years in a row, it’s something I don’t take for granted.”

Smith — a 2019 All-Star selection who grew up in Georgia — was a key piece of Atlanta’s bullpen in 2021 when the Braves won the title, throwing four scoreless innings during the World Series. He was also on the Houston Astros’ roster for last year’s Fall Classic win, though he didn’t appear in a game.

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The 34-year-old then spent this season with the Rangers and had two appearances in this year’s World Series.

“I only imagined maybe winning one,” Smith said. “But I’m not going to complain.”

INDIANAPOLIS – The world is a strange place today, a sadder place, a little emptier. Bob Knight didn’t go easily, as you knew he wouldn’t. He has been in hospice care among family for days, weeks, longer, death reaching for his hand and Knight smacking it away because nobody touches Bob Knight. Not until he’s ready to go.

He was ready Wednesday. Knight died, according to a post on bobknight.com, a website that represents Knight and his foundation. Indiana later announced his death before a women’s exhibition game at Assembly Hall. He was 83. It leaves the rest of us to grapple with a legacy of greatness punctuated by perfection but punctured by controversy.

PHOENIX – Marcus Semien’s journey was long, but his path to exultation short – just a few feet, the distance that separates shortstop and second base on a diamond.

Josh Sborz had just dropped a curveball that caught Ketel Marte looking for the final out of the World Series, securing the first championship in Texas Rangers history, and Semien knew where he had to go: Airborne and into the arms of Corey Seager.

It’s been almost two years since the two All-Stars took a leap of faith, aided by $500 million in salary from Rangers owner Ray Davis, and decided they could win here, wanted to win here. And every day since, the middle infielders were everything:

The quiet observers who saw how a losing culture could be mended. The grinders who insisted they be in the lineup every day they were able. And the superstars who might attract other top-shelf talent like themselves.

Ultimately, they excelled when it mattered most, their rare shows of emotions in this era of flamboyance signaling something special was afoot.

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Wednesday night at Chase Field, it was Semien who finally let his guard down, destroying a Paul Sewald fastball to provide the final blow, a two-run ninth-inning home run, in the Rangers’ clinching 5-0 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

As the ball cleared the left field wall, Semien turned and exhorted his teammates in the dugout. Let out a roar as he approached second base. And uttered an unmentionable exultation after crossing home plate.

Minutes later, after Sborz posted his 11th scoreless inning this postseason to finish off the win, Semien broke down.

“I ran right to Corey,” says Semien amid the Rangers’ clubhouse celebration, “had some emotion, shed some tears. This is my first one. This isn’t his first one, so I probably had more tears than him.

“But this is why we play the game.”

Seager was the no-doubt winner of a second World Series MVP, with a ninth-inning game-tying home run in a Game 1 win, three homers overall and crucial contributions such as the opposite-field dribbler that broke up Zac Gallen’s no-hit bid in the seventh inning and led to the game’s first run.

He also won Series MVP honors in 2020, when the Los Angeles Dodgers won it all during the COVID-19 bubble that would become Seager’s future home – Globe Life Field in Arlington.

Semien, meanwhile, grinded away for six years in Oakland, not far from his East Bay home, before finding lackluster free agent offers for the 2021 season. A bridge year in Toronto produced 46 home runs and a far more lucrative trip to free agency.

Seager was also on the market. The Rangers needed a reboot after $1.2 billion Globe Life opened and wretched teams followed, including 102 losses in 2021.

Cue the light bulb above the head.

“We were just excited to be in a new place,” says Semien. “He’d obviously won a lot more than I did. I did OK. But we knew it was something new. We were both in our primes.

“Why not get the W, and get the ring?”

Seager signed on for $325 million over 10 years, Semien for $175 million over seven. Pitcher Jon Gray joined them, for four years and $56 million, and the team lost 94 more games.

But the beachhead was established.

“Corey and Marcus – they believed in us at a time they didn’t have to,” says general manager Chris Young. “I’m so happy they’ve been rewarded.

“It was just the start. We couldn’t stop. We were sick of losing. Our players were sick of losing.”

They didn’t stop spending – two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom was guaranteed $185 million before this year – and did stop the losing. Lost in the megabucks haze was the $34 million signing of Nathan Eovaldi, always underappreciated but a force in October: He grinded through six scoreless innings of Game 5 to earn the win, the first pitcher to start and win five postseason games ever.

Eovaldi knew the foundation was there – with $500 million pledged to a stellar middle infield.

“Ownership committed for those guys to be here long term,” Eovaldi said Thursday of Seager and Semien. “When you have two top-caliber guys like those two, leaders – you build championship organizations around them.”

Added catcher Jonah Heim: “They’re the backbone that makes us go. When they go, we go and we knew that all year. You see what Corey did in the playoffs, he was the MVP all year.

“And Semien turned it up the last couple days and it was special to watch.”

Seager will learn later this month whether he’ll add the first MVP award to his postseason hardware, after a 33-homer, 42-double, 1.013 OPS season despite two stints on the injured list. Semien hit 29 home runs and drove in 100 out of the leadoff spot – every single day.

Semien’s preparation is legend, his commitment to conserve energy and be available almost as valuable as his baseball skills. For the third time in the last four full seasons, he played in all 162 games – and played in 161 in the other one.

With the Rangers’ 90-win season relegating them to the wild card series, he added 17 more playoff games, a 179-game grind that sent him into the record books.

His five plate appearances in Game 5 gave him 835 in a single year, regular and postseason, breaking Lenny Dykstra’s record set in 1993.

Perhaps the wear showed at times. Semien had two extra-base hits and no home runs in his 66 playoff at-bats, batting .197 in 15 games.

But he finished with a flourish.

Semien drove in five runs with a triple and home run in Game 4 and singled and homered in Game 5.

Tired?

“Baseball. We’re not playing football or basketball. We’re playing baseball,” he says. “You can go out there and do something special every day.”

Nothing more special than Game 179, and seeing a dream crystallize with your partner in crime.

“It was a lot of trust,” says Seager. “A lot of trust from them to me and me to them, and a lot of trust for Marcus to come – all these guys that came here and had the same vision.

“It’s pretty cool to see it through.”

Says Semien: “Everybody in the room – we all played for this. We didn’t play for any other accolades.

“We played for this.”

Arizona Diamondbacks CEO Derrick Hall said during this year’s National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers that there wouldn’t be a protocol stopping teams from jumping in the pool.

But Wednesday night’s World Series win for the Texas Rangers showed a different story.

Following the Rangers’ 5-0 win to clinch the World Series, there was a significant amount of security on the field in front of the pool and around the pool.

The D-backs did not have a statement on the matter.

Hall said during the NLDS that the Dodgers could potentially celebrate in the pool if they were to win at Chase Field.

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‘They have the right to celebrate however they want, wherever they want,’ Hall said. ‘They’ve certainly earned that opportunity.’

Since the Dodgers infamously jumped into the pool in 2013 after clinching the NL West at Chase Field, there was some uproar. In 2017, the D-backs had police mounted on horseback outside of the pool following the Dodgers’ NLDS sweep.

Throughout the playoffs, players on the Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies have mentioned the pool. Former D-backs player David Peralta said playing at Chase Field with the Dodgers is ‘all blue.’ Phillies backup catcher Garrett Stubbs said when the Phillies were two wins away from clinching the NLCS that they would be ‘bee-lining’ it for the water.

Now that a team did win series at Chase Field, the pool celebration was off limits.

PHOENIX − This wasn’t the drama of 2016 when the Chicago Cubs broke their 108-year curse on a rainy night in Cleveland. 

This wasn’t the Curse of the Bambino that haunted Boston for 86 years until the Red Sox won their first title since 1918. 

But, oh, after 63 years of failure, and those horrific memories of the 2011 World Series, it all vanished into the desert Wednesday evening. 

The Texas Rangers, with a 5-0 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks, are finally World Series champions for the first time in franchise history. 

The Rangers, who lost 102 games just two years ago, no longer have to hear about all of their past heartbreaks. 

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They are champions, winning the World Series 4 games to 1, with a parade scheduled Friday in Arlington, Texas, while reminding the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex that it is much more than just a Cowboys’ town. 

“We’ve got a long ways to go,’’ Rangers owner Ray Davis said, “to beat the Cowboys. This isn’t our last.’’ 

But, oh, there’s nothing like the first, a championship that will forever be remembered. A franchise that was born in Washington, D.C. in 1961 as the Senators, moved to Texas and changed names, and played in three different ballparks in Arlington, now will be cherished in Rangers’ folklore. 

“It was definitely a drawing point for me,’’ said Rangers shortstop Corey Seager, who won his second World Series MVP, hitting three home runs with six RBI. “I won in LA. The [the Dodgers] hadn’t won in 30 years and I saw what it did to a fanbase. When I found out they had never won here that was something that intrigued me. 

“To be able to start at the bottom and try and build something and compete and to be able to do it, it’s really satisfying.’’

No matter how many World Series titles the Rangers win, it will never be enough to steal the thunder from the Cowboys, but now the Rangers will never again have to hear about the heartbreak of 2011, twice being one strike away from a championship, only to lose to the St. Louis Cardinals and never get back. 

To this day, Rangers legends Michael Young, Adrian Beltre and Ian Kinsler have never watched a replay of that Game 6. Too painful, they say. 

Scott Littlefield, the Rangers’ special assistant for the past 15 years, plans to be the first to break the ice before their parade, he told them, unafraid of those haunting memories. 

“It’s the only game I’ve never watched,’’ Littlefield said. “I was there that night in St. Louis, and I just got sick to my stomach. So, I never watched a replay. 

“Now, I can.’’ 

Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux, who was golfing in Scotland and considering retirement when Bruce Bochy returned to the dugout, was there that evening too. He’s the lone remaining person from that 2011 team who’s still in a Rangers’ uniform. 

He vividly remembers Game 6. How can he ever forget? 

“You know, sometimes when you get knocked down,’’ Maddux said, “it makes it better when you win it. And this is a great feeling.’ 

But as far as the rest of the Rangers’ players, sorry, most were too young to have any understanding of that excruciating pain. 

“Shoot, they were in high school, they were in grade school,’’ Maddux said. “They didn’t know. ’11 means nothing to them. ’23 means everything to them.’’ 

The Rangers’ legends were almost too nervous to watch this game, too. Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen was throwing a no-hitter until Seager’s leadoff single in the seventh, but inning after inning, Rangers veteran pitcher Nathan Eovaldi kept escaping trouble, keeping the game scoreless. Mitch Garver’s single finally gave the Rangers their first run in the seventh, and they blew the game open with a four-run ninth. 

“To be able to bring that first World Series championship to [Arlington], it’s an incredible moment and incredible feeling,’’ said Eovaldi, who became the first pitcher to win five starts in a postseason (5-0 with a 2.98 ERA), pitching six shutout innings. “It’s the only team out there that says Texas. You’re playing for the state. You’re not playing for the city. For us to be able to represent the state of Texas, it’s an incredible feeling.’’ 

This Rangers team was a model of tenacity and perseverance, refusing to let all of their injuries − the second-most in baseball − along with their epic bullpen collapses, deter them from the ultimate prize. 

This is a team that had more ups and downs than the stock market. They were given up for the dead in early September when they lost 16 of 20 games, falling to third place in the AL West. Rangers GM Chris Young came in and spoke briefly to the team, telling them no one has lost belief. 

“I believe in this group,’’ Young told them, “and I believe this group’s going to win a world championship.’’ 

“My God,’’ Maddux said, “he was right. CY has got a little Kreskin in him.’’ 

The Rangers took the division lead, had a 2 ½-game lead entering the final weekend, but lost three of four games, and had to settle for a wild-card berth. They were given a 4% chance to win the World Series entering the postseason. They went to Tampa and swept the Rays. They went to Baltimore and swept the Orioles. 

They didn’t win a single game at home during the ALCS against Houston, but managed to win all four road games. They split the first two games of the World Series at home, came to Phoenix and lost two of their biggest stars, Adolis Garcia and Max Scherzer in Game 3. They still swept all three games at Chase Field to go a record 11-0 on their magical postseason road tour. 

Here they were, soaked from head to toe from champagne and beer in the visiting clubhouse, trying to explain how they could possibly overcome the kind of adversity that would bring most teams to their knees. 

It starts, the Rangers will tell you, with Bochy, who won his fourth World Series title. He won his first 13 years to the day with the San Francisco Giants, beating the Rangers. 

“It’s just his demeanor,’’ said veteran reliever Will Smith, winning a third consecutive World Series championship on his third different team. “He’s just so cool, calm and collected. He never freaks out. He never presses the panic button. He just kind of lets his players do his thing. 

“He stays out of the clubhouse, lets the players run things for the most part, and the guys love that. There’s a reason why he’s won four rings.’’ 

Bochy, who had not managed in three years, and wondered if he even wanted to manage again, was home in Nashville, Tennessee, when Young called. Bochy told him he’d be willing to at least listen. Young flew to his home, spent seven hours with Bochy and his wife, Kim, and pleaded with him to come out of retirement. 

“I was in my recliner a year ago at this time,’’ Bochy said. “Can you believe it? Now I’m standing here holding a World Series trophy.’’ 

Bochy, who surely would have been inducted into the Hall of Fame next July if he hadn’t decided to return, is only the third manager to win World Series titles in each league. Casey Stengel, Joe McCarthy and Connie Mack are the only managers to win more championships. 

“Everyone knew Boch is arguably the greatest manager of all time,’’ Austin Hedges said, “and now he’s going to put a fourth ring on his finger. He’s as good as it gets.’’ 

Bochy came to a team that went 68-94 last season, finishing 38 games out of first place. They hadn’t had a winning season since 2016. They hadn’t won a postseason series since 2011. When Bochy had his introductory press conference last November, he was asked whether he actually expected the Rangers to win any time soon. 

“I remember Boch pounding the table and saying, ‘Don’t tell me that we can’t be competitive, that we can’t win,’’’ Young said. “I saw our players’ faces standing off to the side of the podium. I remember their expressions and I could see some head nods. 

“I knew he was going to be a difference maker, and expectations were going to change, and that this team was going to come into spring training with the mentality of we expect to compete. 

“I can’t say that I knew we would be here in the World Series, but our expectation was that we would have a chance to compete for a playoff spot and play meaningful games in September.’’ 

The Rangers did that, and a whole lot more, refusing to let this season end without hoisting the trophy for all of Texas to see. 

It helps having $500 million worth of middle infielders on the team with Seager and Marcus Semien, who hit a ninth-inning homer to put the game away. They added Eovaldi and Jon Gray, the hero in Game 3, too.  

“That’s a credit to Chris Young and the ownership, Ray Davis,’’ Bochy said. “They were determined to get winning baseball back to the Texas Rangers. They have a vision. They were going to bring winning baseball back. 

“They did everything they said they were going to do.’’ 

 They went out and got starting pitching, improved the club. It’s incredible how fast it went down.’’ 

The Rangers opened the season with a top-10 payroll of $196 million, but that included Jacob deGrom, who made just six starts before he underwent Tommy John surgery in the first year of his five-year, $185 million contract. 

If it was just about money, the New York Mets, San Diego Padres and New York Yankees would have been playing in October, and not sitting home. You have to sign the right guys too. You have to believe in them, and make sure they believe in you. 

“It was a lot of trust,’’ said Seager, who joins Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson and Reggie Jackson as the only two-time MVP winners. “A lot of trust from them to me and me to them, and a lot of trust for Marcus to come. A lot of trust for Jon. All these guys that came here and had the same vision. It’s pretty cool to see it through.’’ 

They all listened to the pledge from Davis and Young, letting them know that if they signed with the Rangers, they would do everything possible to win. They weren’t signed for marketing or simply to sell tickets. They were here to win. 

“I can’t say enough what CY, Ray, the ownership group did for this group, bringing it together,’’ deGrom said. “It’s awesome to be part of. We felt in spring training we had something special here, and it proved to happen.’’ 

Now, here they are, part of history. 

Just like David Ortiz and Pedro Martinez were part of that historic ’04 Red Sox team, like Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber were on that ’16 Cubs’ team, everyone in that Rangers’ clubhouse will forever be cemented in this Rangers’ legacy. 

“You can’t take away that we’re the first champions of this organization,’’ Ian Kennedy said. “Of all the great teams that played here, we’ll forever be part of that team that brought the first championship to Arlington.’’ 

Scherzer, who was on the 2019 Washington Nationals team that won their first World Series, says there’s nothing like being on a team that finally breaks the barrier, going where their predecessors have never gone before. 

You will always be remembered. 

“I just know that the wait is over,’’ Young said. “Our history has changed. These were a hungry group of guys who were so sick and tired of losing, and now it’s over. 

“Our fans have waited an awful long time. 

“Now, they can finally celebrate a great baseball team, a championship baseball team.’’ 

The 40th annual Breeders’ Cup World Championships will feature some of the world’s top thoroughbreds this weekend at Santa Anita Park.

Fourteen races are on the Breeders’ Cup slate, with five scheduled for Friday (all for 2-year-olds) and nine more Saturday. The $6 million Classic is set for 6:40 p.m. Saturday.

Here’s a look at 10 of the top horses entered in this weekend’s races, listed alphabetically. All times are Eastern.

Arabian Knight

Race: Classic (6:40 p.m. Saturday)

Trainer/jockey: Bob Baffert/Flavien Prat

Age/breeding: 3/Uncle Mo-Borealis Night, by Astrology

What to know: The $2.3 million colt has won 3 of 4 career races and is the 3-1 morning-line favorite in the Classic. After winning the Grade 3 Southwest at Oaklawn Park in January, Arabian Knight was taken off the Triple Crown trail. He returned in July, finishing third in the Grade 1 Haskell and enters off a victory in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar.

Cody’s Wish

Race: Dirt Mile (2:30 p.m. Saturday)

Trainer/jockey: Bill Mott/Junior Alvarado

Age/breeding: 5/Curlin-Dance Card, by Tapit

What to know: The defending champion is the 9-5 favorite in the Dirt Mile. Cody’s Wish is 3 for 4 this year and enters off a victory in the Grade 2 Vosburgh on Oct. 1 at Aqueduct. He’s become one of America’s favorite horses because of the story surrounding his name. Cody’s Wish is named after Cody Dorman, who was born with a rare genetic disorder and developed a relationship with the horse through the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Elite Power

Race: Sprint (8 p.m. Saturday)

Trainer/jockey: Bill Mott/Irad Ortiz Jr.

Age/breeding: 5/Curlin-Broadway’s Alibi, by Vindication

What to know: The defending champion is the 9-5 favorite in the Sprint after winning 3 of 4 races this season. He enters off a second-place finish to Gunite in the Grade 1 Forego on Aug. 26 at Saratoga. Elite Power is set to retire to Juddmonte Farm after the Breeders’ Cup.

Goodnight Olive

Race: Filly & Mare Sprint (3:50 p.m. Saturday)

Trainer/jockey: Chad Brown/Irad Ortiz Jr.

Age/breeding: 5/Ghostzapper-Salty Strike, by Smart Strike

What to know: The defending champion is the 6-5 favorite in the Filly & Mare Sprint after going 2-1-1 in four races this year. She enters off a runner-up finish to Echo Zulu in the Grade 1 Ballerina on Aug. 26 at Saratoga. The Filly & Mare Sprint’s 7-furlong distance is Goodnight Olive’s favorite, as she’s 6-1-1 in eight career starts.

Idiomatic

Race: Distaff (5:10 p.m. Saturday)

Trainer/jockey: Brad Cox/Florent Geroux

Age/breeding: 4/Curlin-Lockdown, by First Defence

What to know: The 5-2 Distaff favorite has won 7 of 8 starts this year, most recently taking the Grade 1 Spinster on Oct. 8 at Keeneland. She’s won four straight races at four different tracks: Churchill Downs, Delaware Park, Saratoga and Keeneland. “She’s as good as she’s ever been right now,” Cox said.

Locked

Race: Juvenile (7 p.m. Friday)

Trainer/jockey: Todd Pletcher/Jose Ortiz  

Age/breeding: 2/Gun Runner-Luna Rosa, by Malibu Moon

What to know: He’s the 7-2 favorite for the Juvenile and currently is the No. 1 choice in future wagering for the 2024 Kentucky Derby. Purchased for $425,000 at last year’s Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Locked broke his maiden at Saratoga on Sept. 1 and then won the Grade 1 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity on Oct. 7 at Keeneland. “We’ve been blessed with some very good 2-year-olds, and I think he’s right there with them,” Pletcher said.

Tamara

Race: Juvenile Fillies (5:40 p.m. Friday)

Trainer/jockey: Richard Mandella/Mike Smith

Age/breeding: 2/Bolt d’Oro/Beholder, by Henny Hughes

What to know: She’s the 4-5 favorite for the Juvenile Fillies and could be on a path toward the Kentucky Oaks in May at Churchill Downs. The Spendthrift Farm homebred is 2 for 2 in her young career at Del Mar, most recently winning the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante by 6 ¾ lengths. Mandella also trained Beholder, who is Tamara’s dam. “Tamara is very different from Beholder, and it’s difficult to really compare,” Mandella said. “However, I’d probably say at this stage in their careers, Tamara is probably a little ahead in her development. But the one thing they have in common is that they both liked to run.” 

Timberlake

Race: Juvenile (7 p.m. Friday)

Trainer/jockey: Brad Cox/Florent Geroux

Age/breeding: 2/Into Mischief/Pin Up, by Lookin At Lucky

What to know: He’s the 4-1 co-second choice in the Juvenile and currently is the No. 2 pick behind Locked in future wagering for the 2024 Kentucky Derby. Timberlake broke his maiden at Ellis Park on July 21 and then finished strong in a pair of Grade 1 races — taking second place in the Hopeful at Saratoga on Sept. 4 and winning the Champagne at Aqueduct on Oct. 7.

Ushba Tesoro

Race: Classic (6:40 p.m. Saturday)

Trainer/jockey: Noboru Takagi/Yuga Kawada

Age/breeding: 6/Orfevre/Millefeui Attach, by King Kamehameha

What to know: He’s the 4-1 co-second choice in the Classic and is considered the best dirt horse in Japan. He’s won 10 of 30 career starts and enters with a six-race winning streak. Included was a victory in the $12 million Dubai World Cup in March at Meydan. “Moving (from turf) to dirt helped him,” Takagi said through a translator. “The timing worked well, and he grew up both physically and mentally from it. He was a difficult horse to control, but with dirt racing everything matched him, I believe.”  

White Abarrio

Race: Classic (6:40 p.m. Saturday)

Trainer/jockey: Rick Dutrow Jr./Irad Ortiz Jr.

Age/breeding: 4/Race Day-Catching Diamonds, by Into Mischief

What to know: You might remember White Abarrio as the 16th-place finisher in the 2022 Kentucky Derby, but he’s now the co-second choice at 4-1 in the Classic. White Abarrio was moved from trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. to Dutrow in May and finished third in the Grade 1 Met Mile before winning the Grade 1 Whitney on Aug. 5 at Saratoga.

Reach Jason Frakes at jfrakes@courier-journal.com and follow him on X @KentuckyDerbyCJ.

LOS ANGELES — It was a moment to savor.

With about 2 ½ minutes left in overtime Wednesday night, as the Los Angeles Lakers clawed their way to a 130-125 victory against the Los Angeles Clippers, Lakers forward Austin Reaves swiped the ball from Clippers star Kawhi Leonard.

‘At no point I got that ball did I think I was going to shoot it,’ Reaves said later.

Because as he dribbled down the court, Reaves spotted LeBron James trailing behind him. Reaves lofted an over-the-shoulder lob.

James slammed it through the hoop, punctuating a masterful performance – 35 points on 13-for-19 shooting, 12 rebounds, seven assists – that prompted a fretful question.

Will James, who turns 39 in December, have enough energy to lead the Lakers in a quest for the franchise’s 17th NBA championship?

In the season opener, he played only 29 minutes – six and a half minutes fewer than his average last season. The team signaled it was part of a plan to keep James fresh for the playoffs.

But over the following four games, he has averaged 37.3 minutes a game compared to his average of 35.5 minutes last season.

‘But we’ll do a good job as the season goes along to make sure we’re in the wheelhouse where we want to be,’ James said.

Why is LeBron James playing so many minutes?

Simply put, the Lakers have needed James on the floor to get off to a solid 3-2 start.

In those three victories, won by a combined 13 points, James has logged 36.7 minutes per game. He also logged 39 minutes in a winnable game against the Sacramento Kings in which the Lakers lost in overtime.

Lakers coach Darvin Ham said his competitive nature, along James’ same drive in close games, has led to the King playing more than originally planned. That’s in part a function of the Lakers still developing continuity.

Then came Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena, with four of the Lakers’ top eight players out with an assortment of ailments.

The game demonstrated the Lakers depth, with reserves Cam Reddish, Max Christie, Jaxson Hayes and Christian Wood all making significant contributions. Nonetheless, once again it was James leading the Lakers down the stretch. And relishing the monster dunk rather than settle for an energy-conserving layup.

‘These fans always love the fast break here, so to finish it with an alley-oop at that point in time to have us go up five, to have (the Clippers) call a timeout, with the crowd keep going and things of that nature, big time momentum play for us,’ James said.

LeBron James in crunchtime

Anthony Davis has the ability to carry the Lakers. But through five games, it’s once again evident who relishes that role most.

‘If we keep the game close, I feel like when we’re in the fourth quarter, that’s when I’m at my best,’ James said. ‘And if the game is close, I feel like I can make plays to help us win the ballgame.’

The stats back that up.

In the fourth quarter against the Clippers, James was 5-for-6 shooting from the floor and had four assists, three rebounds and a steal.

In overtime, he had three rebounds, made one of his two shots from the floor and steadied the team as an unofficial coach amid the frenzy.

‘I mean, he took over,’ Ham said.

If you think this is a particularly busy weekend in college football, it’s not just your imagination. Every Top 25 team in the US LBM Coaches Poll is in action, including three contests pitting ranked teams and a couple more that probably should be.

Key division showdowns in the SEC head the marquee as top-ranked Georgia hosts No. 14 Missouri in the East, and No. 8 Alabama looks to lock up the West at home against No. 13 LSU.

In the Pac-12, No. 5 Washington visits No. 22 Southern California in what could be a high-scoring affair. There is also significant upset potential in the Big 12 as No. 6 Texas hosts red-hot Kansas State and No. 11 Oklahoma visits Oklahoma State for what could be the last Bedlam game for a time.

That’s a lot for our expert prognosticators to ponder. Here’s how our staffers think the weekend will unfold.