Injuries in supply, not at all in demand: Lakers’ Nance out 4-6 weeks, Rams’ Davis placed on IR LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Lakers power forward Larry Nance Jr. was undergoing surgery on his fractured left hand Friday and will miss approximately four-to-six weeks, according to multiple reports. Nance suffered the injury in Thursday’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers. The Lakers said he fractured the second metacarpal bone in the hand. Nance was averaging 10.6 points and 7.5 rebounds in his first season as a starter. He was a reserve his first two NBA seasons. Either Julius Randle or Kyle Kuzma is expected to move into the starting lineup for Friday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets. Randle started 133 games the previous two seasons, while Kuzma, a rookie, scored a season-best 22 points in the loss to the Trail Blazers and is averaging team-high 15 points. The Los Angeles Rams placed safety Cody Davis on injured reserve Friday due to a lingering thigh injury. Davis, 28, has not practiced since he suffered the injury during the Week 6 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Oct. 15. The 6-foot-1, 203-pound Davis has one interception, three passes defended and 19 tackles in six games this season. In his fifth season with the Rams, he has 56 tackles and two interceptions over 64 games. The Rams (5-2) travel to face the New York Giants (1-6) on Sunday.
Could AJ Styles hinder Jinder Mahal and win the WWE Championship? MANCHESTER, England — Commissioner Shane McMahon announced on Twitter Thursday that WWE Champion Jinder Mahal will be defending his title against AJ Styles Tuesday on Smackdown Live. “Due to @JinderMahal vicious attack on @AJStylesOrg, he will defend the #WWEChampionship against AJ this Tues. in Manchester, UK on #SDLive,” the Smackdown boss wrote while also mentioning how WWE will be overseas for a European tour. The winner between Mahal and Styles will determine who will face Raw’s Universal Champion Brock Lesnar in a Champion vs. Champion match at Survivor Series on Nov. 19. Mahal was the first to challenge The Beast to a match at Survivor Series which will feature Raw and Smackdown Superstars battling each other for brand supremacy. Mahal discussed his match with Styles on WWE’s Instagram page Thursday where he noted how McMahon should want him to represent Smackdown as their champion at Survivor Series. “I will use AJ Styles as a stepping stone and then I will march into Survivor Series and conquer The Beast for I am the beast master!” Mahal said.
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