SAN ANTONIO -- Last year, LeBron James made history when he was named MVP of the inaugural in-season tournament. Friday night, as the Los Angeles Lakers opened their tournament defense, he made some personal history.

James scored the Lakers' last four points in a 120-115 group-stage win over the San Antonio Spurs and finished with 15 points, 16 rebounds and 12 assists for his fourth straight triple-double -- the most he's had in a row during his 22-season career.

And he did it on a night where he said he "played like s---" and "was not in a good rhythm" after taking a season-low 12 shot attempts and committing a season-high seven turnovers.

"The best thing about my game is I can have [no] rhythm offensively and still have an impact on the game," James said. "I was able to do that tonight."

It was the 1,504th regular-season game of James' career, tying him with John Stockton for the fifth most all time as the 39-year-old star ticked past 57,000 career regular-season minutes. James was asked if he was more surprised that he beat his personal triple-double streak at this stage of his career or that it took him this long to do it.

"Probably that I did it in season 22," he said after notching his 117th career triple-double, the fifth most all time. "To still have the energy to do that and the effort -- it takes a lot. But also, it takes great teammates along the way, too. Those assists only happen when guys are making shots, and I just try to put the ball on time, on target and then defensively, rebound and try to help on the glass with [Anthony Davis] and the rest of the guys. And sprinkle in a little points from time to time.

"But waiting 22 years to do something is wild, so, that's a good question right there."

James tied the Lakers franchise record for consecutive triple-doubles set by Russell Westbrook (Dec. 25 to Dec. 31, 2021) and Magic Johnson, who did it twice (March 28 to Nov. 3, 1981, and March 31 to April 5, 1987).

Davis led L.A. with 40 points and 12 rebounds. Austin Reaves (19 points), Dalton Knecht (14 points), D'Angelo Russell (13 points) and Max Christie (11 points) also scored in double figures.

"I think when Bron's in that mindset of dominating the game in that way, it just empowers everybody else to step up, make shots," Reaves said. "And obviously, AD is going to do what AD does. He's done it every night so far this year."

James is now averaging 9.6 assists -- the second-highest mark of his career and the third best in the NBA this season, behind only the Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic (11.7) and Atlanta Hawks' Trae Young (11.3).

James referred to his 27.2% usage rate, the lowest of his career.

"So the ball is not as much in my hands as it's been in the past," he said. "But I'm still finding ways and my guys are finding ways to give me the ball and I'm able to find them either in halfcourt or in early transition. Those guys are knocking down shots."

Lakers coach JJ Redick credited James with setting an example for the rest of the team by being physical on the boards - a goal of the coaching staff for the group. And now 12 games into the 82-game season, with the Lakers sitting with the fifth-best record in the Western Conference at 8-4, James' presence makes it easier for Redick to implement his playbook with the team.

"I think the biggest thing that we've seen as a staff is as we continue to build out the offensive system and play-calling sheet, it's very easy to then get him and AD the ball in the right spot," Redick said.

Former outfielder Al "The Bull" Ferrara died Friday, the Los Angeles Dodgers announced. He was 84.

Ferrara was part of Dodgers' world championship teams in 1963 and 1965 and also hit 27 total homers over two-plus seasons with the San Diego Padres from 1969 to 1971.

"We are saddened to hear the news of Al Ferrara's passing today," said Stan Kasten, the Dodgers president and CEO. "Not only was Al a memorable player for the Dodgers in the 1960s, but he tirelessly supported the Dodgers community efforts and was one of our most committed alumni supporters. We extend our sympathies to his family."

Ferrara was named the Dodgers' MVP in 1967 when he batted .277 with 16 homers and 50 RBIs in 122 games.

Following the 1968 season, Ferrara was chosen in the expansion draft by the Padres and was the prime left fielder for the franchise during their first two seasons. He batted .260 with 14 homers and 56 RBIs in 1969 and hit .277 with 13 homers and 51 RBIs in 1970. He played 138 games both seasons.

The Padres traded Ferrara to the Cincinnati Reds in May 1971. Ferrara retired after the season.

A native of Brooklyn, New York, Ferrara batted .259 with 51 homers and 198 RBIs in 574 games with the Dodgers (1963, 1965 to 1968), Padres (1969 to 71) and Reds.

During his playing career, Ferrara landed guest acting roles on popular series such as "Gilligan's Island" and "Batman."

Ferrara served as an alumni ambassador for the Dodgers since 2009 and was still making appearances for the organization this year.

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell said his side held their nerve and "just about got there" after they came through a chaotic Autumn Nations Series match against Argentina with a nail-biting 22-19 win.

Clearly driven after their 19-game home unbeaten run was ended by New Zealand, Ireland raced into a 12-0 lead and held a 13-point advantage at half-time.

But Ireland struggled against a resurgent Argentina in the second half and were held scoreless, with the Pumas falling just short of a historic first win on Irish soil.

"It was three or four games in one, wasn't it?" said Farrell.

"Obviously, the overriding feeling is we're delighted to get the win. There's a few things that we needed to learn from last week and some things that we didn't address on the field.

"We said last week we had a chance of winning ugly. We did that this week, so that's a plus."

The UEFA Nations League match between Romania and Kosovo was suspended in stoppage time with the score 0-0 in Bucharest on Friday.

There were scuffles between players from both teams and Kosovo players walked off the pitch.

UEFA did not explain why the game was cut short but Kosovo players were reportedly upset at hearing pro-Serbian slogans. In a note on its website, UEFA said that the game had been "abandoned" and that it would "communicate further information in due course."

After historic tensions were heightened by the 1990s Balkans conflicts, in 2008 majority ethnic Albanians in Kosovo declared independence for the former Serbian province. Serbia refuses to recognize that independence and considers Kosovo the cradle of its statehood.

Games involving Kosovo, Albania and Serbia have been a tinder box in recent years.

Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Sue Bird, Sylvia Fowles, Cappie Pondexter and Alana Beard will headline the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2025.

The four former players -- stars at the collegiate level, multiple-time WNBA All-Stars and WNBA champions -- were announced as Hall of Famers on Friday and will be inducted during a June 14 ceremony at the Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville.

Also inducted were coaches Lucille Kyvallos, who served as head coach for West Chester State College (Pa.) and Queens College (N.Y.), and Mark Campbell of Union University (Tenn.), as well as Women's Basketball Coaches Association executive director and women's basketball administrator Danielle Donehew.

"We are honored to pay tribute to seven distinguished legends of this exceptional sport," WBHOF president Dana Hart said. "They exemplify the highest standards in women's basketball and have made substantial contributions to the sport along with shaping the game's historical trajectory."

Bird won at every level, including five Olympic gold medals, four WNBA championships with Seattle and two NCAA titles while at UConn. She was named to the WNBA's best 25 players of all time in 2021, along with Fowles and Pondexter.

Fowles won WNBA titles with Minnesota in 2015 and 2017 and was MVP of the Finals both times. She was on the WNBA all-defensive team eight times.

Beard was a two-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year and won a WNBA title with the Los Angeles Sparks in 2016.

Pondexter won two WNBA titles with Phoenix in 2007 and 2009, earning Finals MVP honors in '07.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Kiyan Anthony, Carmelo Anthony's son and a top-40 recruit in the class of 2025, announced Friday that he is following in his father's footsteps and committing to Syracuse.

Anthony made the announcement on his father's "7PM in Brooklyn" show.

The Orange were chosen from a final list that also included USC and Auburn. Syracuse had been the longtime favorite, but Anthony went through a legitimate recruitment, taking official visits to Florida State as a junior and USC two months ago.

"Ultimately, it came down to my relationship with the staff," Anthony told ESPN. "From day one, when they started recruiting me, they made me feel like it was family. My dad's name on the facility is special, but I want to go in there and create my own name, and I've already done that through my dedication in the offseason, with early-morning practices, playing at camps, playing on the circuit."

While his father's connection to the school was a huge factor in his recruitment, Anthony also developed his own strong relationship with coach Adrian Autry.

"I'm going to do everything Coach Autry needs me to do," Anthony said. "We talk a lot, especially late at night, about how we can make Syracuse basketball great. Off the court, Coach is super cool. You could go out with him on a Friday night. He's still young and connects with all his players; he is very relatable."

Carmelo Anthony was a 10-time NBA All-Star, scoring more than 28,000 career points and getting named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021. During his one season at Syracuse in 2003, he led the Orange to the national championship as a freshman, earning All-American and NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors.

For better or worse, Kiyan was compared to his father from a young age.

"The struggle was real, especially in middle school and my freshman year in high school," he said. "I didn't know what I was doing then, but I started listening to my dad. I trusted his words, established a routine and began to change into my own player. The biggest difference between me and my dad is that he was a straight-up bucket, a straight-up bully. He could score on you at will. I have scoring ability and I can create for others."

A 6-foot-5 shooting guard ranked No. 36 in the ESPN 100 out of Long Island Lutheran, Anthony is one of the best pure scorers in the country. He averaged 19.6 points on the Nike EYBL circuit in the spring, scoring 25 or more points in four of 15 games. He was even more prolific at the Nike Peach Jam over the summer, averaging 21.8 points and shooting 37.3% from 3-point range in eight games -- including a 40-point outing against the Mac Irvin Fire when he shot 15-for-19 from the field and 5-for-6 from 3.

"I need to improve my efficiency, not take too many dribbles to get somewhere and be a better defender off the ball," he said. "I feel like I'm getting better as a defender because I practice against some of the best players in the country, like Kayden Mingo, Dylan Mingo and Nigel James. We play a national schedule. I'm up for the challenge of covering the other team's perimeter players."

"Kiyan has been a joy to coach," Long Island Lutheran coach John Buck said. "He is hardworking, eager to learn and has developed into a strong leader here at LuHi. His gift for scoring the ball is undeniable, yet he has shown great improvement on the defensive end of the floor as well. I'm proud of his growth and know that his best basketball is still in front of him."

Anthony's commitment could vault Syracuse into the top 10 recruiting classes nationally. Anthony joins five-star forward Sadiq White, one of the top stars in high school basketball; three-star wing Aaron Womack; and Australia native Luke Fennel in the Orange's incoming group.

"When I think of Syracuse basketball, I think of the 30,000 fans going crazy in the Dome," Anthony said. "We want to give Syracuse basketball our best. With Sadiq White and the rest of my teammates, we'll put on a show for the fans at Syracuse."

RENTON, Wash. -- Seattle Seahawks center Connor Williams has unexpectedly decided to retire at 27 years old, walking away from the team with eight games left this season.

Coach Mike Macdonald said Friday the seven-year veteran made the decision earlier this week for "personal reasons." The only other detail he provided on Williams' reasoning was that it's not because of any issues with his surgically-repaired knee. Macdonald is under the impression the decision is final, saying he doesn't think there's a chance Williams changes his mind.

"I don't believe so," Macdonald said. "We're honoring his wishes and we'll keep all those reasons and conversations private for obvious reasons and wish him the best."

Macdonald said Olu Oluwatimi will take over at center and the Seahawks probably will make a roster move Saturday.

Williams had started all nine games for Seattle (4-5) this season and played every offensive snap after signing with the team during training camp. He was at practice Monday when the Seahawks returned from their bye to begin preparations for their game Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers, but he was then was listed as a nonparticipant in practice the past three days with a not-injury-related/personal designation.

Macdonald wouldn't specify when he started to have an inkling that Williams was thinking of retiring. Asked when Williams told him of his decision, Macdonald said, "It's been a process throughout the week."

"You start getting into timetables and all that, I'd rather keep it private with ... Connor and the things that he's working through," he said. "But it was this week."

Williams' departure deals a major blow to Seattle's embattled offensive line, which ranks 27th in pass block win rate and has also struggled to create movement in the run game. Injuries have forced the Seahawks to use three different right tackles in Abraham Lucas' absence. They've also rotated at right guard, where Anthony Bradford and rookie third-round pick Christian Haynes have struggled to the point that Seattle considered the possibility of moving Williams there.

Lucas will make his 2024 debut Sunday, though he might not play every snap in his first game after knee surgery in January. Lucas was a full participant the past two days of practice.

"We're anticipating to see him right now in a pretty significant manner," Macdonald said. "We're still on a progression here, so the amount of reps that he's going to get, we'll see as the game kind of unfolds. We have a plan. We have a target rep count. We'll kind of leave that in-house right now, but excited to see him go do his thing."

Wide receiver DK Metcalf was a full participant all week and will return from the MCL sprain that sidelined him for the past two games. But the Seahawks will be without No. 1 tight end Noah Fant (groin) and backup Brady Russell (foot), in addition to Williams.

Oluwatimi, a 2023 fifth-round pick, was in line to take over the starting job this season until the Seahawks signed Williams to a one-year, $4 million deal on Aug. 11. He has played only four offensive snaps this season and was a healthy scratch four times in favor of undrafted rookie Jalen Sundell, who has been the only other backup center on Seattle's 53-man roster.

Oluwatimi made one fill-in start as a rookie.

"He's a guy that's been knocking on the door for a while," Macdonald said. "Obviously it's an unforeseen circumstance that you've kind of got to take on head-on, but the silver lining in the whole thing is we get to see Olu go do his thing. This guy has been working really hard. Basically started at center for us the whole offseason until we signed Connor. Had a really good week of practice with Connor not here, and onward we go."

Williams made it back for the team's Sept. 8 opener despite being only nine months removed from a torn ACL -- the second of his NFL career -- he sustained with the Miami Dolphins that ended his 2023 season and required surgery. Through 10 weeks, he ranks 25th among centers in pass block win rate and has recently struggled with some errant shotgun snaps, including one he sailed well over Geno Smith's head in Week 8 for a 19-yard loss.

Williams dealt with a speech impediment as a young child, writing in a 2017 article on NFL.com that he was a frequent target of bullies. He was chosen in the second round in 2018 out of Texas by the Dallas Cowboys and played left guard for his first four seasons before moving to center after he signed with Miami in 2022.

"Connor's been in my corner the whole time he's been here," Oluwatimi said. "I've been in his corner the whole time he's been here. Happy for him. He's always going to be my dawg."

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- UConn coach Geno Auriemma tied the NCAA Division I record with his 1,216th career victory Friday night as his No. 2 Huskies beat No. 14 North Carolina 69-58.

The record covers men's and women's basketball.

The 70-year-old Auriemma, in his 40th season at UConn, matched Stanford's Tara VanDerveer, who retired after last season.

Auriemma can break the record Wednesday, when UConn hosts Fairleigh Dickinson. His record with the Huskies is 1,216-162, good for an 88.2% win percentage to go with 11 NCAA championships -- most recently in 2016.

Mike Krzyzewski, who retired in 2022, holds the men's record with 1,202 victories at Army and Duke. Auriemma, VanDerveer and Krzyzewski are the only Division I coaches to reach the 1,200-win plateau.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

BALTIMORE -- The Orioles are ready to adjust their wall in left field again.

The team moved the wall at Camden Yards back and made it significantly taller before the 2022 season. General manager Mike Elias said Friday that the team "overcorrected" and will try to find a "happier medium" before the 2025 season.

The team sent out a rendering of changes showing the wall moved farther in -- particularly in left-center field near the bullpens -- and reduced in height.

Stafford McDowall is determined to make the most of his chance to lead Scotland against Portugal on Saturday, and says captaining his country is something that may never come along again.

The Glasgow centre leads a much-changed Scottish team, with Tom Jordan the only survivor in the starting side from last week's defeat by South Africa.

Over 60,000 fans are expected to attend the match at Murrayfield, and McDowall is relishing the opportunity to lead the team out.

"It's something that I didn't think I'd have the chance to do," said the 26-year-old.

"It is a dream come true to play for Scotland and start a game at Murrayfield, never mind lead the team out. So it's hopefully something I'll be able to take in and remember for the rest of my life.

"I think the closer we get to the game the more it'll probably hit me and I'll get a bit more nervous. It hit me a bit more when I had to do a bit more talking and stuff like that than the last couple of weeks.

"It's something that I might never get a chance to do again, lead a Scotland team out at Murrayfield, so I'll try and embrace and enjoy the moment."