The Sportsletter - Luka's LAunch & Super Bowl Aftermath

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BY JEFF YODER

FEB. 11, 2025 | SUBSCRIBE | WEB VIEW

Good Morning 👋

Phew. The NBA's must-see game went until 1:00 am ET the night after the Super Bowl... Maybe a nap during today's Champions League action will suffice?

It was back-to-back really late nights over here leading into All-Star week for the NBA and NHL (coming soon), not to mention Daytona this weekend. But first, Luka Doncic made his Lakers debut, and the celebration continues for Eagles fans before Friday’s Valentine’s Day parade. I can feel the love on Broad Street already. Another busy sports week lies ahead…

Letter Rip!

NBA

L.A. Launches 'Luka Era' in Style

Photo: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images

It Was a Shaky Debut for Luka Doncic, But Lakers Win Easy Over Jazz (132-113) & Look Special in Spurts

Monday’s marquee sports event wasn’t quite the hype of Sunday night’s football game, but it was unique. Luka Doncic made his Los Angeles debut last night to tip off the 'Luka Era' for the Lakers. The team put gold #77 jerseys on every seat to honor the beginning of a new age. Doncic has already injected himself to the L.A. community with a $500,000 donation to help recovery efforts for the recent wildfires. It hasn’t taken long for L.A. to love their newest Laker.

Luka’s Laker Debut: He had a shaky start with a poor shooting night (1-for-7, 3pt), but he hasn't played since Christmas. Doncic notched a 14-5-4 stat line in limited minutes (and even more limited photos). LeBron James (24 pts, 8 ast, 7 rebs) carried L.A. to a wire-to-wire win over the Jazz (132-113). Austin Reaves added 22 points. The Lakers were +17 with LeBron and Luka on the court together, and we’ve got takeaways.

L-A-L: LeBron, Austin & Luka

That’s the Big 3, and it has the potential to be lethal. The Lakers showed multiple stretches that looked unguardable with a small-ball look where Luka and LeBron took turns facilitating, but will it be enough to contend for a title? Depth in the post is something to worry about. It might be the sharpshooting Reaves and lob-threat Jaxson Hayes who benefit the most from having two of the best passers in the league.

“Special. The way they received me, it was amazing to see. [I was] a little nervous before… Once I stepped on the court, it was fun. Just being out there again felt amazing.” — Luka Doncic

Lakers Outlook: Last night’s win was LA's sixth straight, and they’re 10-1 in their last 11. The Thunder (43-9) still hold a huge lead in the West, but the Lakers (32-19) are currently 5th and climbing. They're just 2.5 games back of the No. 2 seed.

Watch: Lakers Win Easy, Look Special in Luka Doncic’s L.A. Debut

🏀 NBA Scores & Highlights

Warriors def. Bucks (125-111)

Curry (38 pts), Lillard (38 pts) Go Shot-for-Shot

Kings def. Mavericks (129-128, OT)

DeMar DeRozan (42 pts) Hits GW Floater

Nuggets def. Blazers (146-117)

Nikola Jokic (40-8-7) Shoots 68%

Cavaliers def. T-Wolves (128-107)

Cleveland Spoils Anthony Edwards’ 44-pt Night

Celtics def. Heat (103-85)

Jayson Tatum (33 pts), Cs Win 5th Straight

Full NBA Scoreboard

NFL

The Super Bowl Hangover

Photo: Jamie Squire / Getty Images

Philly Braces for Second Wave of Celebrations — Parade, Viewership Record, Commercials & More

Still shocked by Sunday's scoreline? Us, too. The Super Bowl LIX blowout produced a lot of highlights and takeaways for the talking heads of sports media on the Monday after, a day commonly known as “Super Bowl Hangover” day. Jalen Hurts went straight to Disney World (classic move). Other Eagles arrived back home to a wild scene at the airport. The parade is scheduled for Friday, and celebration week has only just begun.

SBLIX Aftermath 🏆

📺 FOX Sets Record With 126M Viewers

SBLIX was the most-watched Super Bowl in history after FOX announced an all-time record 126 million viewers.

🚌 Parade Scheduled for Valentine’s Day

The second Eagles Super Bowl parade will hit the streets of Philadelphia on Valentine’s Day (Friday, Feb. 14).

📺 Top Commercials From SBLIX

Given how quickly the game turned into a blowout in favor of the Eagles, some fans may have had more fun watching the ads.

💥 Scenes From Downtown Philly

The city was electric. From scaling trucks and lightpoles to an outpouring of pure joy, this is what it looked like in Philadelphia.

🏈 The Eagles Played a Perfect Game

Complete and utter dominance. Relive the Eagles’ perfect game as Philly comprehensively manhandled the Chiefs in New Orleans.

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NCAA

Poll Shift: 1 Month to Madness

Photo: Porter Binks / Getty Images

Upset Weekend Shakes Polls — Red Storm Back In Top 10 for First Time in 25 Years

We’re nearing one month to Selection Sunday, and both sets of NCAA basketball polls underwent a shift this weekend. Upsets galore in men’s hoops saw Duke drop while Florida closed the gap on Auburn. Rick Pitino’s St. John’s squad has climbed all the way back into the top-10 for the first in 25 years after a win over UConn — the defending champs.

Men’s AP Poll

1. Auburn (21-2) | —

2. Alabama (20-3) | ↑1

3. Florida (20-3) | ↑3

4. Duke (20-3) | ↓1

5. Tennessee (20-4) | ↓1

6. Houston (19-4) | ↓1

7. Purdue (19-5) | —

8. Texas A&M (18-5) | ↑2

9. St. John’s (21-3) | ↑3

10. Iowa State (18-5) | ↓2

Women: Texas Flops SC & Notre Dame Reaches Highest Ranking in 5 Years

In the women’s game, Texas upended South Carolina to flip-flop in the top five. A convincing win by Notre Dame has the Irish up to No. 2 — their highest ranking since 2019. UCLA (23-0) is still the unblemished No. 1 with only six regular-season games to play.

Women’s AP Poll

1. UCLA (23-0) | —

2. Notre Dame (21-2) | ↑1

3. Texas (24-2) | ↑1

4. South Carolina (22-2) | ↓2

5. LSU (25-1) | ↑1

6. USC (21-2) | ↑1

7. UConn (22-3) | ↓2

8. Kentucky (19-2) | ↑3

9. Ohio State (20-3) | ↓1

10. NC State (19-4) | ↑4

OTHER NEWS 📰