Getty LeBron James congratulates Anthony Davis.
Welcome to the roundup of must-see sports news from Saturday, highlighted by the Los Angeles Lakers getting a thrilling first look at their newest superstar Anthony Davis in a preseason win against the Golden State Warriors.
We’ll also take a look at a college football battle, with Florida besting Auburn in a battle of top 10 squads, as well as the Astros and Yankees taking 2-0 leads in their respective ALDS series.
All this and more as we get you up to speed with the sports world on this Sunday!
BROW WOWS: Anthony Davis Dominates in Lakers Debut Against Golden State
Lakers star Anthony Davis
The Lakers gave up an epic haul to pry Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans, which included Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart along with the No. 4 overall pick in the draft and at least two future first-round picks.
Turns out, he might be worth every penny.
In just 18 minutes of work, Davis had 22 points and 10 rebounds as the Lakers spoiled the Warriors first game in their new Chase Center with a 123-101 win.
“He’s a monster. It’s going to be very difficult to slow him down with what we have around him and I’m excited about what he’s going to do and Lakers fans should be too,” Lakers head coach Frank Vogel said.
Davis’ superstar partner LeBron James was also happy with what he saw out of the big man.
“AD’s AD,” James said. “I thought he was great from the beginning of the game, just his offset on the offensive end just to be able to get us extra possessions with rebounding. Knocking down shots. I think he had like five dunks in the first half. And communication on the defensive end. He’s a very cerebral player. It was a good start for him.
“Just his basketball intelligence — he’s very intelligent out on the floor,” James added. “He knows exactly where he wants to get on the floor. His ability to rebound and block shots as well. He’s a very efficient player.”
The debut was so good, it even prompted a tweet from Magic Johnson, the Lakers’ former president of basketball operations that he stepped down from in April of last year. 3
Laker Nation, I just watched Lebron and Anthony Davis put on a show in the 1st quarter of the Lakers vs. Warriors exhibition game. Watch out rest of the NBA!
James had 15 points on 5-for-10 shooting, 8 assists, 3 rebounds and found solid synergy while working on the floor with Davis.
“We’re just trying to help each other out,” Davis said. “The more we can do that, the easier the game is going to be for us and our teammates. Anytime we have an opportunity to learn, it’s good for us.”
SUCCESS IN THE SWAMP: Gators Shut Down Auburn 24-13 in Top 10 Tilt
GettyFlorida quarterback Kyle Trask.
The Swamp was not kind to Auburn and freshman quarterback Bo Nix. The Tigers managed just 269 yards of total offense and were shutout in the second half as No. 10 Florida reeled off a 24-13 victory over the seventh-ranked Tigers.
Florida skipper Dan Mullen gave a shoutout to the raucous home crowd of nearly 91,000 that supported them every snap of the way.
“I love the crowd,” Mullen said. “That excites me. When you open those doors and walk out of the tunnel and hear that deafening noise in The Swamp, that gets you juiced. That gets you excited. … It’s an unbelievable adrenaline rush.”
The Tigers were also on the wrong end of some revenge from Lamical Perine, who was reportedly told he was too slow by Auburn during the recruiting process.
Perrine delivered a haymaker in the fourth quarter as he ripped off an 88-yard run, putting the Gators on top for good.
“It almost brought tears to my eyes,” Perrine said. “Big-time atmosphere, big-time crowd … big-time crowd. I’m glad I was able to make that big-time play.”
His run was the longest for a touchdown at Florida since Emmitt Smith ran 96 yards for a score in 1988.
Auburn’s freshman quarterback Nix struggled, making key mistakes down the stretch. He tossed 3 interceptions and managed just 145 yards.
The gauntlet for the Gators isn’t over yet though. Next up is No. 5 LSU at Tiger Stadium and two weeks later Florida hosts No. 3 Georgia.
Auburn will look to bounce back next week against Arkansas.
LATE-NIGHT STUNNER: Stanford Upsets Washington 23-13
Behind a career day from Cameron Scarlett, Stanford reeled off its biggest win of the season, knocking off Washington 23-13 causing some ruckus in the Pac-12 standings.
Scarlett rushed for a career-high 157 yards, including key first downs late to help the Cardinal clinch the upset win.
But after the big win, all head coach David Shaw wanted to talk about were the little things Scarlett did well to help Stanford seal the victory, including his pass blocking.
“That was the biggest challenge we gave Cam this year, was that he needs to be a great pass protector,” Shaw said. “We’re faking on the left side and the safety blitz came on the right and Cam came all the way down and made a great block and allowed us to get that ball off. I can’t say enough about where Cam Scarlett is right now. Just playing such great football.”
Stanford has won six straight home games against Washington, dating back to 2007.
“It’s very satisfying but by no means are we satisfied,” Scarlett said. “It felt good to get the win. We had so many guys go down and get hurt. But it feels good. We needed that and we’re going to build on it.”
TOP 25 ROUNDUP: How They Fared This Week
- No. 1 Alabama (5-0) did not play
- No. 2 Clemson (5-0) did not play
- No. 3 Georgia (5-0) beat Tennessee 43-14
- No. 4 Ohio State (6-0) beat No. 25 Michigan State 34-10
- No. 5 LSU (5-0) beat Utah State 42-6
- No. 6 Oklahoma (5-0) beat Kansas 45-20.
- No. 7 Auburn (5-1) lost to No. 10 Florida 24-13
- No. 8 Wisconsin (5-0) beat Kent State 48-0
- No. 9 Notre Dame (4-1) beat Bowling Green 52-0
- No. 10 Florida (6-0) beat No. 7 Auburn 24-13
- No. 11 Texas (4-1) beat West Virginia 42-31
- No. 12 Penn State (5-0) beat Purdue 35-7.
- No. 13 Oregon (4-1) beat California 17-7
- No. 14 Iowa (4-1) lost to No. 19 Michigan 10-3
- No. 15 Washington (4-2) lost to Stanford 23-13
- No. 16 Boise State (5-0) beat UNLV 38-13
- No. 17 Utah (4-1) did not play
- No. 18 UCF (4-2) lost to Cincinnati 27-24, Friday
- No. 19 Michigan (4-1) beat No. 14 Iowa 10-3
- No. 20 Arizona State (4-1) did not play
- No. 21 Oklahoma State (4-2) lost to Texas Tech 45-35
- No. 22 Wake Forest (5-0) did not play
- No. 23 Virginia (4-1) did not play
- No. 24 SMU (6-0) beat Tulsa 43-37, 3OT
- No. 25 Michigan State (4-2) lost to No. 4 Ohio State 34-10
- No. 25 Texas A&M (3-2) did not play
TAKING CONTROL: Yankees, Astros One Win Away From Next Round
Yuli Gurriel, Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman of the Houston Astros celebrate after the final out of Game 2 of the ALDS.
The Yankees and Astros appear to be on a collision course to meet in the ALCS.
New York blasted the Minnesota Twins for a second day in a row, utilizing a Didi Gregorius grand slam to roll to a 8-2 victory on Saturday and a 2-0 lead in the series.
“I expect this from Didi,” Boone said. “Just when you think you’ve got him down, he’s got a big swing in him.”
Yankees right-hander Masahiro Tanaka pitched one-run ball for five innings for the win.
“I actually don’t get too caught up on being good in the postseason and all that,” Tanaka told the Associated Press through a translator. “Come to think about it, I think it’s still a small sample. My thing is just go out there and be the best that you can be, compete.”
The Astros didn’t need too much run support in a 3-1 win over the Rays with Gerrit Cole dealing on the mound. Cole notched 15 strikeouts in 7 2/3 scoreless innings. It was the highest total since Roger Clemens had 15 in the 2000 AL Championship Series.
“We’ve got a lot more work to take care of,” Cole said. “There’s a few months this winter that maybe we can sit back and have a drink about it. Right now, it’s on to the next one.”
Both teams will have a chance to close out their series on Monday.
DON’T MISS THESE STORIES: Rounding Up the Top Headlines
- Israel Adesanya dethrones Robert Whittaker for middleweight title at UFC 243
- Massive crowd turns out for Zion Williamson’s first scrimmage
- Kevin Na birdies his way into solo lead at Shriners Hospitals for Children Open
- Gennadiy Golovkin barely outpoints Sergiy Derevyanchenko
WHAT’S ON TAP IN THE SPORTS WORLD ON SUNDAY
NL DIVISION SERIES GAME 2: Atlanta Braves vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Mike Soroka gets the start for Atlanta, boasting a 1.55 road ERA this season. Veteran Adam Wainwright is set to pitch for the Cardinals. It’s his 25th postseason game and he will look to better his sterling 1.72 ERA at Busch Stadium in the playoffs.
WHEN: Tonight, 4:10 p.m. ET
TV: TBS
SERIES: Series tied 1-1
NL DIVISION SERIES GAME 2: Los Angeles Dodgers at Washington Nationals
After splitting the first two games, the NLDS shifts to Nationals Park. Hyun-Jin Ryu is expected to get the ball for the Dodgers, while Washington has been more secretive about their starter. The Nats threw Max Scherzer an inning of relief in Game 2, but he could get the start for the game.
WHEN: Tonight, 7:45 p.m. ET
TV: TBS
SERIES: Series tied 1-1
SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL: Indianapolis Colts vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Defending NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs host the Colts and Jacoby Brissett in primetime. Kansas City ended Indianapolis’ season last year in the AFC Divisional Round 31-13 last season.
WHEN: Tonight, 4:35 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
Missed Yesterday’s Roundup? Click here for it.