Luka Dončić returned to the Los Angeles Lakers’ starting lineup Saturday after missing the second game of a back-to-back Thursday.

He proceeded to have his best performance yet wearing the purple and gold.

Dončić stuffed the stat sheet Saturday night, putting up a team-high 32 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and four steals as the Lakers snapped the Denver Nuggets’ nine-game winning streak with a 123-100 road victory.

LeBron James had 25 points, Austin Reaves had 23 and Rui Hachimura chipped in 21.

Dončić was initially listed as probable on Friday (left calf injury management) but was upgraded to available in the hours leading up to the game. Saturday’s contest marked his second road game since he was traded to Los Angeles, and fourth overall.

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Coach JJ Redick mentioned Wednesday that Dončić was no longer on a minutes restriction after being given time to get acclaimed.

‘Playing this game, this is what I love,’ Dončić told ESPN. ‘Just finally being myself a little bit, that’s why I was smiling the whole game.’

Lakers fans are surely smiling right now, too.

Here’s how Dončić performed Saturday night vs. the Nuggets:

Luka Dončić stats Saturday vs. Nuggets

Points: 32
FG: 10-for-22
3PT: 4-for-9
FT: 8-for-8
Rebounds: 10
Assists: 7
Steals: 4
Blocks: 1
Turnovers: 1
Fouls: 0
Minutes played: 31

Luka Dončić highlights: Lakers vs. Nuggets

Lakers’ next game

The Lakers will host the Mavericks on Tuesday. The game is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET (TNT).

It will be the first time Dončić has played against the Mavericks since they traded him to Los Angeles for Anthony Davis.

The Los Angeles Rams are already set to move on from one of their key offensive players during the 2025 NFL offseason. They told wide receiver Cooper Kupp they planned to trade him after eight years with the team.

Could Matthew Stafford follow him out the door? The 37-year-old’s future is uncertain as he and the Rams explore a potential new contract ahead of the 2025 season.

Stafford is coming off a strong season. He led the Rams to a 10-6 record and an NFL divisional-round appearance after completing 65.8% of his passes for 3,762 yards, 20 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. His 93.7 passer rating was his second-highest in four years with the Rams, and he didn’t show many signs of slowing down despite some nagging injuries.

Still, the Rams are assessing their organization’s future as Stafford enters the penultimate year of a four-year, $160 million extension. Los Angeles has a decision to make about his future worth and value to the team.

Here are the latest rumors about a potential Stafford trade and why the Rams might be willing to part with Stafford despite their desire to keep him.

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Matthew Stafford trade rumors

Rams give Stafford’s agent permission to speak with other teams about value

Date: Feb. 22
Source: NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Ian Rapoport

Pelissero and Rapoport are both reporting that the team has given Stafford’s agent permission to speak with other teams to determine his market value. This would let other teams inform Stafford’s agent how much they would pay the 37-year-old quarterback if he is acquired via trade. Both Pelissero and Rapoport note this is not a trade request as the Rams would ultimately prefer Stafford returns to the team in 2025.

Rams asking for a first-round pick in potential deals

Date: Feb. 19
Source: Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz

Schultz noted this in his weekly NFL confidential column based on what he’s hearing league-wide. Schultz said several teams have called the Rams about a potential trade for Stafford and ‘the belief is a first-round pick would probably be the asking price.’

All 32 teams have a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft at time of publishing. The Rams currently hold the No. 26 overall pick in the first round but do not have a second-round selection.

Rams could target Aaron Rodgers if they trade Matthew Stafford

Date: Feb. 18
Source: ESPN’s Adam Schefter

‘They’ve been trying to see if they can work out a new contract,’ Schefter explained. ‘If they can, Matthew Stafford will remain in Los Angeles and he’ll remain a Ram.’

Schefter also believes Stafford is interested in returning to the Rams. However, doing so will be contingent upon the two parties agreeing to a new contract, as Stafford is owed $35 million in 2025 – a low figure for a quarterback in the modern NFL – none of which is guaranteed.

If those negotiations stall, Schefter believes the Rams could explore trading Stafford for draft capital while chasing Aaron Rodgers as a free-agent stopgap.

‘If the Rams couldn’t get a deal done with Stafford, if they decide to trade him – a lot of ‘ifs’ involved – then Aaron Rodgers, in my mind, would be thrilled with the idea of going to Los Angeles. And the Rams could probably get him at lower cost than it would be for Matthew Stafford.’

Rams don’t want to make ‘significant financial commitment’ to veteran QB

Date: Feb. 17
Source: Jourdan Rodrigue, The Athletic

Rodrigue reports the Rams met with Stafford ahead of Super Bowl 59 but ‘not much progressed’ in their discussions. That is contributing to a ‘fluid’ situation for Stafford as he and the Rams try to properly assess his worth.

‘If there is a difference between Stafford and the Rams, it would likely be this: The Rams don’t want to make a significant financial commitment to a veteran quarterback whose long-term future or durability they can’t be certain about, and a youthful roster built through the draft is now their core identity,’ Rodrigue wrote.

Rodrigue noted the Rams expressed an interest in Aaron Rodgers before trading for Stafford in 2021 and could do so again with him set to be released by the New York Jets. The team could view backup quarterback and pending free agent Jimmy Garoppolo as a stopgap option at the position, per Rodrigue.

Giants wouldn’t give up No. 3 overall pick in potential Matthew Stafford trade

Date: Feb. 13
Source: ESPN’s Adam Schefter

Schefter was asked whether the Giants would and should consider trading for Stafford if he becomes available. The ESPN analyst opined he believed the team would pursue him as an upgrade, but not at the cost of the No. 3 pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

‘There is no way in hell that the Giants are giving up the third overall pick for Matthew Stafford,’ Schefter told Pat Leonard.

Rams, Stafford ‘committed to trying to work something out’

Date: Feb. 13
Source: ESPN’s Adam Schefter

Schefter appeared on ‘Talkin’ Ball with Pat Leonard’ shortly after Super Bowl 59 to discuss Stafford’s future with the Rams. The ESPN analyst didn’t guarantee Stafford would return to Los Angeles.

‘I think they’re committed to trying to work something out, but it doesn’t mean that they actually will work something out,’ Schefter said.

Schefter indicated that there was positivity on the Rams side that the two parties could work something out. He also acknowledged that an answer about the matter would likely come ahead of free agency.

‘I’d think we’d have an answer to that sooner rather than later because the Rams have to get clarity,’ Schefter said.

Kelly Stafford discusses husband’s future, Cooper Kupp trade on her podcast

Date: Feb. 6
Source: Kelly Stafford, ‘The Morning After’ podcast

The rumors surrounding Stafford began to swirl in earnest when Kelly Stafford spoke about her husband’s future with the Rams on a Feb. 6 episode of ‘The Morning After’ podcast.

‘I honestly wasn’t planning on discussing this, but hell, why not,’ she said. ‘My husband, like, wants to win. He’s not trying to put a team in a bad situation. If you’re catching my drift, you’re catching my drift.’

The podcast aired just a few days after Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp announced the team had informed him he would be traded during the 2025 NFL offseason. Stafford admitted she was ‘confused’ by the Rams’ strategy with that move.

‘I will say, the trading away of Cooper? … I’m confused because we were one play away from going to the NFC Championship,’ Stafford explained. ‘And if we go, I think we win.’

Stafford also clarified she wasn’t speaking directly for her husband. She was simply trying to protect him and achieve his ultimate goal of competing for another championship.

‘I have to be the dog in this situation,’ Stafford said. ‘I want the respect for him that he deserves. I love the city of L.A. With that being said, I love an adventure.’

Fans of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Chicago Blackhawks got a touching surprise with their game tickets Saturday night at Nationwide Arena.

During a stoppage midway through the first period, fans were told about Johnny Gaudreau Jr. celebrating his first birthday. The arena’s video board then cut to a shot of him and his mom, Meredith, watching the game in the building along with other family members.

Fans were asked to sing happy birthday to Johnny Jr., and the entire arena happily obliged for the youngest of Johnny Gaudreau’s two children. It has been almost six months since Johnny Gaudreau was killed along with his brother, Matthew, while riding bicycles near their home in Salem County, New Jersey.

The stoppage began with an acknowledgment of Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski’s performance as the tournament scoring leader with six points on six assists for the United States at the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, which concluded Thursday with Canada topping the USA in overtime in the championship game at Boston’s TD Garden.

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Gaudreau’s No. 13 jersey was displayed inside the U.S. locker room for the entire tournament, was awarded to the team’s player of the game after wins and was worn by honorary captain Mike Eruzione before the championship game. A ‘Johnny Hockey!’ chant also rang throughout the arena during the championship game, courtesy of U.S. fans looking to give the hosts a boost.

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Fresno State men’s basketball and the NCAA are investigating the Bulldogs’ program for potential ties to sports gambling, according to a report by the Fresno Bee on Saturday. ESPN confirmed the report.

Three players are potentially involved in the investigation. Fresno State guards Jalen Weaver and Zaon Collins were announced as out for the Bulldogs game on Saturday due to ‘eligibility reasons,’ according to the report, and could be allegedly tied to the internal investigation.

According to the report, guard Mykell Robinson is also involved in the investigation. Robinson last played on Jan. 11 and has since been removed from the Bulldogs’ roster. The Fresno Bee cited anonymous university sources with knowledge of the investigation..

The university declined to comment on the matter, however, released a statement to the Fresno Bee stating Weaver and Collins won’t play while an ‘eligibility matter’ is reviewed.

“Fresno State men’s basketball student-athletes Jalen Weaver and Zaon Collins are being withheld from competition as the university reviews an eligibility matter,’ the statement to the Fresno Bee read.

Weaver and Collins are two of Fresno State’s top scorers this season, averaging 12.2 and 12 points per game, respectively. Robinson was averaging 10.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game before playing his last game with the program.

Sports betting in any form violates NCAA rules, which states players may not gamble on college, amateur or professional sports. Student athletes must also refrain from providing information to those involved with sports betting. Violating NCAA rules regarding sports betting results in becoming ineligible for competition.

The Fresno Bee added that, according to the Fresno State student-athlete handbook, gambling on teams other than Fresno State results in a one-year ban from competition. Betting on Fresno State games results in permanent ineligibility.

Fresno State is amid a historically bad season, as the Bulldogs entered Saturday with a 5-22 record and a 1-15 mark in Mountain West play.

The Daytona 500 may be in the rearview mirror, but the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season has just begun, and the excitement is sure to continue this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Last year’s Ambetter Health 400 produced one of the most dramatic finishes in NASCAR history when Daniel Suarez, Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch raced three-wide to the checkered flag in a photo finish. Suarez ended up prevailing by 0.003 seconds in what is now the fourth-closest finish in NASCAR history.

Sunday’s race seems likely to deliver another thrilling competition on the fast-paced, 1.5-mile oval that races much like a superspeedway.

Who will take the checkered flag at Atlanta this time? Here’s all the information you need to get ready for the Ambetter Health 400:

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What time does the NASCAR Cup race at Atlanta start?

The Ambetter Health 400 starts at 3 p.m. ET at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia.

What TV channel is the NASCAR Cup race at Atlanta on?

Fox is broadcasting the Ambetter Health 400 and has a pre-race show beginning at 2 p.m. ET.

Will there be a live stream of the NASCAR Cup race at Atlanta?

The Ambetter Health 400 can be live streamed on the FoxSports website, the FoxSports app and Max. Viewers can also stream the race on Fubo, which is offfering a free trial to new subscribers.

Watch the Ambetter Health 400 on Fubo (free trial)

How many laps is the NASCAR Cup race at Atlanta?

The Ambetter Health 400 is 260 laps around the 1.54-mile track for a total of 400.4 miles. The race will feature three segments (laps per stage) — Stage 1: 60 laps; Stage 2: 100 laps; Stage 3: 100 laps.

Who won the most recent NASCAR Cup races at Atlanta?

Joey Logano won last year’s playoff opener in overtime under caution on Sept. 8, 2024, outdueling Daniel Suarez, who was seeking an Atlanta sweep. Logano would go on to win his third championship two months later.

And one year ago, Suarez led nine laps before edging Ryan Blaney by 0.003 seconds on Feb. 25, 2024, in what is now the fourth-closest finish in NASCAR history.

What is the lineup for the Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta?

(Car number in parentheses)

(12) Ryan Blaney, Ford
(2) Austin Cindric, Ford
(21) Josh Berry, Ford
(22) Joey Logano, Ford
(34) Todd Gilliland, Ford
(8) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet
(38) Zane Smith, Ford
(17) Chris Buescher, Ford
(6) Brad Keselowski, Ford
(4) Noah Gragson, Ford
(60) Ryan Preece, Ford
(16) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet
(48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet
(23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota
(3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet
(24) William Byron, Chevrolet
(5) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet
(45) Tyler Reddick, Toyota
(9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet
(10) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet
(7) Justin Haley, Chevrolet
(42) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota
(41) Cole Custer, Ford
(71) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet
(19) Chase Briscoe, Toyota
(77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet
(35) Riley Herbst, Toyota
(43) Erik Jones, Toyota
(99) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet
(88) Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet
(51) Cody Ware, Ford
(20) Christopher Bell, Toyota
(1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet
(47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet
(01) Corey LaJoie, Ford
(54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota
(11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota
(78) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet
(44) JJ Yeley, Chevrolet

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The bankruptcy case of Colorado football safety Shilo Sanders is now mired in a fight over Sanders’ efforts to keep some of his financial information private even as he tries to free himself from more than $11 million in debt in a public bankruptcy court.

Sanders, son of Colorado coach Deion Sanders, owes virtually all of that debt to one man: John Darjean, a former security guard at his school in Dallas. On Thursday, Darjean’s attorneys blasted a recent request from Shilo’s attorney for a protective order – a proposal that would prevent certain discovery evidence in the case from being publicly disseminated or included in public court filings. Darjean’s attorneys said it was overbroad and would turn the case into an “unworkable tangled ball of chaos.”

But Sanders’ attorney is trying to protect his privacy interests and cited his bank statements as an example.

“If a party were to disseminate this information to media outlets or on social media, this would result in every member of the general public having access to where the Debtor (Sanders) makes mundane purchases, preventing the Debtor from having even a shred of privacy in his day-to-day transactions,” said the motion from Sanders’ attorney, Keri Riley.

In response, Darjean’s attorneys called Shilo’s proposed protective order “oppressive and one-sided.” They want the judge to at least narrow it.

“The assertion in the Motion that someone might discover the places that the Debtor frequents by disclosures in this case is absurd, especially when the Debtor is a very public person with an extensive social media presence continually maintained by himself and his family, in which presence the Debtor never ceases to flaunt his wealth and whereabouts,” said the filing this week from Darjean’s attorneys. “For example, on January 7, 2025, Shilo posted on his Instagram page his presence at the Wynn Casino Las Vegas, flaunting his high-end shopping spree.”

Shilo, 25, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in October 2023. He is seeking a discharge of his debt so he can get a ‘fresh start.’

What is Shilo Sanders’ position on this issue?

His attorney wrote he could lose the trust of business partners and be harmed if certain information of his became public, such as private details of his name, image and likeness (NIL) deals. They want such sensitive information restricted only to a small number of authorized people in the case with no public sharing of it, including in court proceedings. But the judge in the case, Michael E. Romero, reminded Shilo’s attorney last month that Shilo’s case is a “public record.”

It’s part of the bargain when filing for bankruptcy: If you’re going to a public taxpayer-funded bankruptcy court to try to erase your debt, that process generally will be public and transparent to ensure fairness and confidence in the system. Certain exceptions can be made for some sensitive information. In this case, the judge soon will have to decide how much of it will be shielded by a protective order.

The issue is critical before it goes into a deeper dive by the bankruptcy trustee, who is in charge of rounding up non-exempt assets from Shilo to sell and divide among his creditors. The attorney for the trustee also filed an objection to Sanders’ proposed protective order Wednesday, saying it “goes too far.”

“The Debtor’s Protective Order also would improperly impose burdens on the Trustee and creditor John Darjean when making (public) court filings that include information (designated) as confidential by the Debtor,” said the objection from the trustee’s attorney.

‘Unworkable tangled ball of chaos’

Darjean wants to collect on the full amount he’s owed and is fighting the case on multiple fronts. His attorneys are pushing for a full and accurate round-up of Shilo’s assets to collect for the debt and also have filed two complaints that seek to prevent the debt from being discharged at all. The debt stems from a default judgment that was entered against Sanders in a Texas court in 2022 after Darjean sued Sanders and accused him of severely injuring him at his school in 2015, when Shilo was 15. Sanders claimed he acted in self-defense but didn’t show up for the trial, leading to the default judgement against him of $11.89 million.

Sanders’ attorney has proposed a protective order in which discovery evidence, including deposition or other testimony, may be designated as confidential if the designating attorney has a ‘good faith belief that it contains non-public, confidential information.’

Darjean’s attorneys said Sanders hasn’t shown good cause for his proposed protective order and noted he ‘voluntarily chose bankruptcy, a public forum and public process.’

“Rubber-stamping the Debtor’s proposed protective order will leave the discovery process and use of materials in future hearings and trial in an unworkable tangled ball of chaos requiring large amounts of this limited judicial resources to attempt to untangle,” said the filing submitted Thursday by Darjean’s attorney, Ori Raphael.

Sanders finished his final college season at Colorado in December and is seeking a career in the NFL. If the court determines his debt should not be discharged, his future earnings could be subject to debt collection by Darjean. If his debt is discharged, Darjean would collect a much smaller amount from the non-exempt assets gathered by the trustee.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

(This story was updated to include video.)

Former United States Men’s National Team and MLS goalkeeper Tony Meola is recovering after suffering a heart attack on Thursday.

The incident happened one day prior to Meola’s 56th birthday. Meola underwent an unspecified procedure following the heart attack.

He told Front Row Soccer that he ran four miles last Saturday and had the heart attack five days later.

‘If I get one of you to go to the doctor and get a checkup, this was all worth it for me,’ Meola said, according to Front Row Soccer. ‘I’m going to be fine in a week, but I should have been smarter.’

Meola was the USMNT’s starting goalie in the 1990 and 1994 World Cups and was a backup in 2002. He made 101 appearances for the national team and had 35 shutouts.

Meola was a four-time All-Star in 11 MLS seasons with the New York/New Jersey MetroStars (1996-98), Kansas City Wizards (1999-2004) and New York Red Bulls (2005-06).

Meola was the regular season MVP and MLS Cup MVP in 2000 when Kansas City won the title. He had 16 regular-season shutouts and added five more in the postseason.

Overall, he had 62 clean sheets in 250 MLS starts. In 23 playoff matches, he had eight shutouts.