The Sports Report: Chargers defeat Broncos in overtime

Howdy, I’m your host, Houston Mitchell. Let’s get right to the news.

From Jeff Miller: At the end, they lifted him up, the guy who could barely stand on his own.

The Chargers hoisted kicker Dustin Hopkins into the air after he ignored the pain and lifted his team to a 19-16 overtime victory over Denver at SoFi Stadium.

Playing with a hamstring he said he felt “pop” on a second-quarter extra point, Hopkins booted four field goals, including a 39-yarder nearly eight minutes into the extra session.

“Before every kick, you knew it was going to feel like someone was stabbing you with a knife,” Hopkins said. “It was like, ‘All right. Let’s do this.’ I was praying too. I was, ‘Lord, just be with me.’ The other part was, ‘Pain’s temporary.’ I was just committed to swinging and dealing with pain after.”

Hopkins’ other successful kicks came from 37, 31 and 35 yards as he provided much of the Chargers’ offense against a stout Broncos defense.

Justin Herbert failed to throw a touchdown pass while amassing 238 yards on 57 attempts (37 completions).

Hopkins’ winning kick was set up when rookie Ja’Sir Taylor caused a muffed punt that was recovered by fellow rookie Deane Leonard.

After Montrell Washington called for a fair catch, Taylor shoved blocker P.J. Locke into the return man, causing the ball to hit the turf. Leonard’s recovery gave the Chargers the ball at the Denver 28-yard line.

“Instead of just letting him catch it, I decided to make a play,” Taylor said. “It’s something we practice every day.”

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LAKERS

From Dan Woike: Darvin Ham walked over to the media on Sunday without any shoes on, his socks gripping just enough to the court. He was all business Monday, sneakers laced and tied. The season was just a day away.

This wasn’t the time to slip.

Between the last time they played an actual game and Monday, the Lakers have done a lot to ensure that they’d be able to fully turn the page on a miserable 11th-place finish in the Western Conference last season.

The team fired championship coach Frank Vogel and hired a championship player and championship assistant in Ham. They watched as each of their free agents entered the open market and didn’t bring a single one back. They dealt Talen Horton-Tucker for Patrick Beverley, but otherwise, they U-turned from last offseason by prioritizing youth and athleticism over experience and accomplishments.

Yet for all those changes, the Lakers will have to briefly look backward Tuesday when they open the season. The Warriors are the defending champions and will receive their rings. Whether or not the Lakers will think about it, Golden State’s accomplishment can also be seen as one last reminder of the Lakers’ 2021-22 failures.

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RAMS

From Gary Klein: The Rams are seeking to trade running back Cam Akers, coach Sean McVay said Monday, and they also will be searching for ways to augment the offensive line in the wake of a season-ending Achilles injury suffered by left tackle Joe Noteboom.

McVay declined to provide specifics about Akers’ situation other than to again say that it was an “internal” issue.

But there clearly is a disconnect between the estranged third-year running back and the Rams, who have an open date this week after improving to 3-3 with a 24-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.

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SOCCER

From Kevin Baxter: LAFC spent approximately $10 million to sign five players this summer, lifting the overall team payroll above $19 million for the first time, according to figures released Monday by the MLS players association. And those investments paid off when the team won its second Supporters’ Shield in four years, finishing with the league’s best regular-season record.

The Galaxy, meanwhile, spent about $3.4 million for Riqui Puig, Gastón Brugman and Martín Cáceres, who combined to spark a late-summer surge that got the team into the playoffs for just the second time in six years. The Galaxy also saw the guaranteed compensation for captain Javier “Chicharito” Hernández and midfielder Douglas Costa jump a combined $4.24 million because of contract clauses, increasing the payroll to a franchise-record $27.3 million, second highest in the league.

Hernández, whose guaranteed compensation is now $7,443,750 million, is the third-best-paid player in MLS while Costa ($5.8 million) ranks fifth. LAFC’s best-paid player is captain Carlos Vela, who signed an 18-month contract in June that guarantees him $2.738 million a year.

The Galaxy and LAFC will meet Thursday in the MLS Western Conference playoff semifinals at Banc of California Stadium.

KINGS

Phillip Danault scored 1:12 into overtime for his second goal of the game, and the Kings handed the Detroit Red Wings their first loss with a 5-4 victory on Monday night.

Danault’s winning shot in front hit a defender’s skate and bounced into the net.

Anze Kopitar had a goal and an assist, giving him 47 points in 42 games against Detroit. That’s the second-most among active players, trailing only Chicago star Patrick Kane at 56 points.

DUCKS

Mika Zibanejad had two goals and two assists, Artemi Panarin had a goal and three assists, and the New York Rangers beat the Ducks 6-4 Monday night.

Vincent Trochek had a goal and an assist, Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere also scored, and Adam Fox had three assists to help the Rangers win for the third time in four games this season. Igor Shesterkin had 18 saves to improve to 3-0-0.

Frank Vatrano, Trevor Zegras, Max Comtois and Derek Grant scored for the Ducks. Troy Terry and Pavol Regenda each had two assists. John Gibson gave up five goals on 34 shots through two periods before Anthony Stolarz came on to start the third and stopped eight of the nine shots he faced.

THIS DATE IN SPORTS

1924 — Harold “Red” Grange accounts for six touchdowns in Illinois’ 39-14 win over Michigan. Grange returns the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. He follows with touchdown runs of 66, 55 and 40 yards in the first 12 minutes of the game. Grange later passes for another touchdown and returns another kick for a touchdown.

1953 — Woodley Lewis of the Los Angeles Rams has 120 yards in punt returns, including a 78-yard touchdown return, and 174 yards in kickoff returns in a 31-19 victory over the Detroit Lions.

1968 — Bob Beamon of the United States shatters the world record in the long jump at the Summer Olympics in Mexico City. Beamon’s leap of 29 feet and 2 1-2 inches betters the mark by one foot, 9 3-4 inches. The previous record, 27-4 3-4, was held by Soviet jumper Igor Ter-Ovanesyan and Ralph Boston.

1969 — Mike Adamle rushes for 316 yards as Northwestern beats Wisconsin 27-7.

1974 — Chicago center Nate Thurmond, in his first game with the Bulls, records the NBA’s first quadruple-double. Thurmond has 22 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists and 12 blocks in the Bulls’ 120-115 overtime win over the Atlanta Hawks at Chicago Stadium.

1977 — Reggie Jackson hits three consecutive home runs, all on the first pitch, to lead the New York Yankees to the World Series championship over the Dodgers in six games.

1978 — Dave Gall becomes the first jockey to win eight races during a single program. He rides in 10 consecutive races for the day at Cahokia Downs in Alorton, Ill., finishing second and fifth in his two losing efforts.

1981 — Joe Danelo of the New York Giants kicks six field goals in a 32-0 victory over the Seattle Seahawks.

1992 — Miami and Washington are tied for No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 football poll. It’s the first tie at the top in 51 years and the third since the poll started in 1936.

1997 — Willamette’s Liz Heaston, a junior, becomes the first woman to play in a college football game when she kicks two extra points in a 27-0 win over Linfield College in the NAIA.

2002 — New Zealand’s Michael Campbell wins the longest match (43 holes) in World Match Play history in the morning, then defeats Ian Woosnam later in the day to reach the semifinals. Campbell’s 10-foot birdie putt at the seventh sudden-death hole beats Nick Faldo, the longest match in the event’s 39-year history by three holes.

2005 — Boston’s Brian Leetch becomes the seventh defenseman — and 69th player — in NHL history to reach 1,000 career points with a goal and an assist in the Bruins’ 4-3 loss to Montreal.

2009 — Tom Brady, Patriots, throws six touchdown passes — five in one quarter, an NFL mark, in a 59-0 win in the snow against Tennessee.

2013 — Grambling cancels its football game against Jackson State after Grambling’s disgruntled players refuse to travel to Jackson for the game on Oct. 19.

2015 — The Green Bay Packers stop San Diego on fourth-and-goal from the 3 with 15 seconds left and overcome a career day by Philip Rivers to hold off the Chargers 27-20. Rivers sets career highs with 43 completions, 65 attempts and 503 yards passing with two touchdowns.

2016 — Chicago Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa became the 44th NHL player to reach 500 career goals. The 37-year-old Hossa slid a power-play backhander through the legs of Philadelphia goaltender Michal Neuvirth at 5:04 of the second period, giving the Blackhawks a 4-0 lead. Chicago won 7-4.

Compiled by the Associated Press

And finally

Reggie Jackson hits three consecutive homers in the World Series. Watch and listen here.