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With injuries sidelining reigning NBA MVPShai Gilgeous-Alexanderand 2025-26 NBA scoring leaderLuka Dončić, Crypto.com Arena featured a physical contest that included a combined 52 free throws.

A scrappy Thunder bunch, which leads the league in defensive rating for the second straight season,outlasted the Lakers 119-110, pulling away in the final minute.

Although Oklahoma City (41-13) had dropped its previous two games in the absence of Gilgeous-Alexander, who will be out through at least the All-Star break, and has looked increasingly vulnerable this season, the Thunder are still the defending NBA champions and the Western Conference's top team.

Plus, they're 2-0 against the Lakers (32-20), currently the fifth-place team in the West. More than just eight games separate the Thunder and the Lakers in the conference standings, according to LeBron James.

"That's a championship team right there,"James told reporters postgame. "We're not."

The 41-year-old James was then asked what's keeping the Lakers from joining the Thunder in that echelon.

"We can't sustain energy and effort for 48 minutes, and they can," he said bluntly. "That's why they won a championship."

James scored 14 of his 22 points in the second half of the loss. He also logged 10 assists and six rebounds. Austin Reaves, in his fourth game backfrom a calf injury, pitched in 16 points off the bench. Marcus Smart finished with 19 points and went 4 of 7 from deep.

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But James, Reaves and Smart each missed a 3-point attempt in the final 40-some seconds, as the Thunder held on to win, bolstered by a clutch-time, midrange jumper by Jalen Williams that made it a 115-110 game with 51.9 seconds remaining. Williams had a game-high 23 points, most notably 10 in the final five minutes.

In James' eyes, shotmaking and 50-50 balls made the difference.

While the Lakers' defense has been criticized during the JJ Redick era, including by Redick himself, and they rank 22nd in the NBA in defensive rating this season, James maintained that defense wasn't the problem on Monday against the Thunder.

James conceded that the Lakers let Isaiah Joe get way too many 3-point looks in the first half and weren't executing their switches to a high enough level. Joe hit four 3s and scored 19 points.

"But I mean, listen, for the majority of the second half, I thought we was really good defensively," James said. "We didn't have that many lapses."

Redick was even pleased with his group's effort overall.

"I think when you play the best teams — and Oklahoma City is clearly — you know, you have to have a really high level of effort and you have to have a really high level of execution," Redick said,per ESPN.

"It's got to be both, and I thought for the most part our effort was fantastic. In key stretches of the game, our execution wasn't great."

Regardless if it's execution, effort or energy, these Lakers are too often missing a key ingredient for championship-level success. James called them out after a setback against the defending champs.

After leaving thePatriots' locker room after the Super Bowl without talking to members of the media, Campbell spoke to reporters a couple of days later. According toMark Danielsof MassLive, the first-yearoffensive linemansaid he tore a ligament in his knee during the season.

Campbell said he played at less than 100% during thePatriots' Super Bowl runbut also said it was not an excuse for his struggles down the stretch.

Campbell missed all of December after landing on injured reserve with a knee injury he sustained in a Week 12 game against theCincinnati Bengals. Campbell had to be carted to the locker room after the injury, and he landed on injured reserve the following week. After missing the minimum four games on IR, Campbell returned for Week 18 and the playoffs.

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Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.

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Best images of the 2025 NFL season

Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18)makes a catch for a touchdownagainst the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.

The No. 4 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft allowed 14 pressures against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl 60, according to Next Gen Stats. That was the most allowed by a single player in any game during the 2025 season, including the playoffs.

Next Gen Stats also attributed 29 total pressures allowed to Campbell over the course of the Patriots' playoff run, which is the most of any player since 2016, the beginning of the Next Gen Stats era.

In the days after the Super Bowl, more than a handful of current and former offensive linemen took to social media to analyze Campbell's struggles. Several pointed to a lack of solid base/foundation in his stance, which could be chalked up to the knee injury he was still recovering from.

Patriots head coachMike Vrabel saidon Feb. 10 that he and the team have no plans to move Campbell to the interior after his rough outing.

"Will's 22 years old. He's our left tackle," Vrabel said. "He'll get better and get stronger. (There were) moments where he played well, moments where he blocked a guy. There's plays he'd like to have back; we're not moving him to guard or center or tight end or anywhere else."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:What happened to Will Campbell? Patriots LT says he tore knee ligament

Heim was with the team for the first workout with pitchers and catchers.

The Braves announced the signing of Heim and placed right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach on the 60-day injured list. Schwellenbach, whose 2025 season was cut short by abroken right elbow, has inflammation in the elbow.

Braves first-year manager Walt Weiss told reporters Schwellenbach has "bone spur type stuff" in addition to the inflammation. "It's going to be significant time he's going to miss," Weiss said.

"I always say before a season even starts your pitching depth is going to get tested. It's inevitable. You'd rather it not be right away in February."

Heim, 30, was an All-Star and Gold Glove winner in 2023, when he hit .258 with 18 homers and 95 RBIs with Texas. He hit .220 in 2024 and .213 last season.

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Murphy hadseason-ending surgeryin September to repair a labral tear in his right hip. He began running on Tuesday and said he had no timetable on when he expects to be ready to play.

The Braves are expected to rely on 2025 NL Rookie of the YearDrake Baldwinto handle most starts at catcher to open the season. Heim will serve as depth, possibly allowing Baldwin to remain in the lineup as the designated hitter when he's not catching.

Murphy told reporters: "I feel good. I think we're making good progress on the hip and now we're checking boxes as we go. So far no setbacks and everything is going well."

Infielder Nacho Alvarez also worked with the catchers during the first workout.

Brian Snitker, whoretired after last seasonas manager to assume an advisory role, sat in a golf cart as he chatted with new manager Walt Weiss for the first day of workouts. Snitker will be inducted into the team's hall of fame this year after 49 years in the organization. He led the Braves to the 2021 World Series championship.

AP MLB:https://apnews.com/MLB