Lakers star Anthony Davis has left in the third quarter of Tuesday night's game against the Knicks with an apparent lower back injury.

Davis went up to contest a Julius Randle shot. The two got tangled in midair, with Davis landing back first onto the court at Staples Center.

Davis remained face down on the court for several minutes. He needed help getting back on his feet before gingerly walking off the court and to the locker room, stopping several times before he got there.

There was no immediate word on his condition.

Free-agent catcher Robinson Chirinos and the Texas Rangers have agreed on a one-year, $6.75 million deal, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.

The deal includes a $5.75 million salary for 2020, with a club option for 2021 that is worth $6.5 million with a $1 million buyout.

Chirinos spent six seasons with the Rangers before departing last offseason for Houston after Texas opted for defensive-minded Jeff Mathis.

But Mathis hit just .158 in 86 games last season, with two home runs and 12 RBIs, compared with Chirinos' .238-17-58 line for the Astros.

The previous season in Texas was Chirinos' most productive, with 18 home runs and 65 RBIs.

Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry and defenseman Kris Letang have been named injury replacements for the NHL All-Star Game.

Jarry will fill in for the Columbus Blue Jackets' Joonas Korpisalo, who is out four to six weeks due to a torn meniscus suffered in the team's much-publicized shootout loss to the Chicago Blackhawks last month.

Entering Tuesday, the 24-year-old Jarry was 13-6-1 with a 1.99 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage this season -- both rank first in the league. This will mark his first All-Star appearance.

Letang, 32, will replace Penguins teammate Jake Guentzel, who will miss four to six months after shoulder surgery. Letang has 10-16-26 totals entering Tuesday and will be making his sixth All-Star Game appearance.

This season's event will take place on Jan. 25 in St. Louis.

Australia coach head Justin Langer has promised he won't call his senior assistant Andrew McDonald as he hands over the reins for Australia's three-match ODI tour of India next week.

Langer will remain in Perth to take a well-earned break following a triumphant home summer thus far where his side went undefeated across six T20Is and five Test matches.

McDonald will take the lead coaching role with Australia for the first time after being convinced to join Langer's coaching staff late last year. Langer, who had a similar chance to take the job in a stand-in capacity when Darren Lehmann missed a series in West Indies in 2016, wants to allow McDonald to take control of this tour.

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"I said to him this morning, we aren't inventing the wheel," Langer said. "He's got a really good opportunity, I'm so confident in our coaching staff with the cricket side of things.

"He's an excellent coach and we have other excellent coaches to back him up. I said to him I won't ring him, I'll let him go, but he said 'I might ring you'. He'll do a really good job. I'm sure for three one-dayers it will go really well."

McDonald was so highly regarded by Langer that in a bid to lure him into the national set-up he was allowed to maintain his coaching roles in the IPL with the Rajasthan Royals and in the Hundred with the Birmingham Phoenix. McDonald is the clear front-runner to take the Australia job in the future, should he want it, and taking charge of this tour is part of his development."Of course," Langer said when asked about the potential of McDonald stepping up permanently one day. "He's the senior assistant coach of the Australian team."

"Looking back, it was a big part of my apprenticeship, no doubt about that. There's different things that happen along the way and one of those was getting the opportunity to coach in the West Indies from Boof [Darren Lehmann]. It's all part of the apprenticeship. He's got great credentials and he'll keep growing."

Australia have made a number of changes to the ODI squad from the one that lost the World Cup semi-final to England. The all-round duo of Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis have been omitted after being automatic selections over the previous 18 months while Usman Khawaja and Shaun Marsh have also made way in the top order.

Marnus Labuschagne has been given his opportunity after a stunning Test summer and strong domestic form, where he was named joint player of the tournament in the Marsh Cup, Australia's 50-over domestic competition, which Langer said gave the selectors the opportunity to bring him in.

"[I'm] really excited about that," Langer said. "If you look at his domestic one-day record, it's excellent. The fact that he's done so well, he's given us some ammunition to select him but he also fits one of those roles we're looking for - the middle-order batsman, runs hard between the wickets, plays spin very well, very fit, gun fielder, bowls a few leggies. It's a great package for one-day cricket so we're very excited to see how he goes. And he deserves that opportunity. Not just on his Test form but on his domestic one-day form as well."Australia do not play Test cricket again until June in Bangladesh, with ODI and T20 assignments in India, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand taking place before then. But Langer was already casting his mind forward to a tour where Australia have had trouble in the past. He was part of a team that almost lost the first Test to Bangladesh in 2006 when they arrived horribly underdone after a three-Test tour to South Africa.

Australia then lost a Test there in 2017, eventually drawing the two-Test series 1-1. They played with three spinners in one of the matches but the success of Australia's frontline quicks on some slower pitches in England as well as in Australia may see a rethink of their strategy, as they did in India in 2004.

"Maybe," Langer said. "We'll look at the conditions. I remember when Australia won after many, many years in India - in 2004 - it was on the back of some very, very disciplined fast bowling. Adam Gilchrist was the captain. We had very clear plans and we talked about during the Ashes series, we had very clear plans on that.

"So it could happen, it'd be so hard to leave out one of those three or four bowlers. So we'll look at that when it comes to Bangladesh, but there's a good combination at the moment."

Mitchell Swepson, who was called into the squad for the Sydney Test, is the frontrunner for one of the extra spin-bowling slots alongside Nathan Lyon. The other key question will be whether they take a seam-bowling allrounder but, as Langer noted, the candidates - he name-checked Mitchell Marsh, Cameron Green, Marcus Stoinis and Moises Henriques - are currently either not bowling or doing very little.

Marsh, who broke his hand early in the season, should be able to increase his bowling loads when the Sheffield Shield resumes in February but it remains to be seen whether 20-year-old Green, who is tipped for higher honours, will have the ball back after suffering a stress fracture of his back.

Tom Latham has been sidelined for a month after sustaining a fractured finger during the third Test against Australia at the SCG.

The injury to his right little finger occurred when Latham, who was standing in as captain for Kane Williamson, took the catch to remove Marnus Labuschagne in Australia's second innings which brought the declaration. He opened in New Zealand's second innings making 1 before falling lbw to Mitchell Starc.

Latham will target a return for the one-day series against India which begins in Hamilton on February 5.

ALSO READ: New Zealand 'hurting a lot' after worst result in Australia

He was the fourth New Zealand player to be injured during the Australia tour. Lockie Ferguson went down with a calf strain on the opening day in Perth, Trent Boult broke his hand facing Starc at the MCG and Matt Henry suffered a broken finger when struck by a Joe Burns drive on the opening day in Sydney.

"Lockie Ferguson has returned to running and performing bowling drills. He'll continue to progress over the next couple of weeks with the potential to return to domestic cricket early next month," New Zealand coach Gary Stead said. "Trent has been resting his broken right hand and will return to bowling later this week. He'll be touch-and-go to be available for the India T20 series later this month and we'll continue to monitor him closely over the next few weeks.

"Matt Henry has had his broken left-thumb splinted and will require around a month for it to fully heal. In this time he will still be able to practise bowling and will look at a return to play early next month.

"Kane, Henry [Nicholls] and Mitch [Santner] are regaining their health after being struck down with Influenza A and will continue be monitored as they slowly rebuild their strength and fitness."

New Zealand will name their squad for the T20I series against India late next week.

The decision by Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin to skip back-to-back All-Star weekends has the NHL concerned it could start a trend among players, according to deputy commissioner Bill Daly.

"In terms of player participation, is that a concern? Yes, I think it is a concern," Daly told the ESPN On Ice podcast this week.

"I was the first to defend Alex Ovechkin's decision last year to take a year off, because he's been fabulous in terms of helping the league in promoting the sport, including the All-Star event every year. Last year, I was much more willing to look the other way on something like this. But two years in a row is probably something we do need to address with the Players' Association, so it doesn't become a trend."

Ovechkin opted out of the 2019 All-Star Game in San Jose to rest, following the Capitals' long run to the Stanley Cup championship in the previous season. He's skipping the 2020 All-Star Game in St. Louis to rest up for the second half of the season.

"Thanks, first of all, fans, for voting me," said Ovechkin, 34, whom fans voted in as Metropolitan Division captain in both seasons. "It's a hard decision, but I have to listen to my body. I have to get ready for the second half of the year. I have to be healthy and focus on different things."

Daly said those who are selected for the NHL All-Star Game and opt out are neglecting to fulfill their obligations as players.

"I do believe that there has to be a little more urgency among the players to make this a priority, because I think it should be a priority. It is, in fact, one of the job responsibilities when it comes to being a professional ice hockey player. When you're honored to be selected in an all-star event, it's in every player's contract that he has an obligation to perform in that all-star event," he said.

There are repercussions for not meeting that obligation. Per NHL rules, a player who is named to the All-Star Game but does not participate is suspended for one regular-season game, either immediately preceding or following the All-Star break. Hence, Ovechkin will miss either the Capitals' Jan. 18 game at the New York Islanders or Jan. 27 at the Montreal Canadiens.

Ovechkin won't be the only player suspended this year for skipping the All-Star Game, as Vegas Golden Knights goalie Marc-Andre Fleury has also opted out. In the past, players like Jonathan Quick of the Kings, Jonathan Toews of the Blackhawks and former Red Wings greats Nicklas Lidstrom and Pavel Datsyuk have all been suspended for missing the All-Star weekend after being selected, some because of injury or illness.

Daly said the current punishment hasn't proved sufficient in discouraging players from skipping the event, but said that the league may not seek to increase the penalties through collective bargaining with the players.

"While we've instituted some consequences for refusing to participate, in some cases those haven't proven effective," he said.

"I don't think the answer to every problem is to look to discipline people. That's never been Gary [Bettman's] style, it's never been the league's style. That's not what we're looking to do. What we want to do is make sure everybody understands that it is an important event, not something that should be bypassed lightly. We'll seek the help with the [NHLPA] in instilling that sentiment with the players."

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled playmaking defenseman Lawrence Pilut from the minors.

Pilut, who was called up Tuesday, has scored four goals and has 12 assists in his past 21 games and was selected to represent Rochester in the AHL All-Star game.

He ranks 12th among AHL defensemen with 21 points. He has five goals and 16 assists in 29 games.

Pilut was previously called up by Buffalo in November, but he didn't play a game during Buffalo's two-game series against Tampa Bay in his native Sweden.

The 23-year-old had a goal and five assists in 33 games with the Sabres as an NHL rookie last season.

The Sabres have won two straight and are in the midst of a four-day break before playing at St. Louis on Thursday.

Morgan Pressel started the new year continuing her fight to end the disease that took her mother’s life.

The 13th annual Morgan & Friends Fight Cancer event at St. Andrews Country Club in Boca Raton, Florida, on Monday raised $1,000,622. It marked the fifth consecutive year the effort topped $1 million, raising total funding to $9.5 million over the years.

Pressel’s mother, Kathryn Krickstein Pressel, died in 2003 of breast cancer.

“When we first started this, the thought was if we can save one person, one life, one family, everything that goes with breast cancer and all the heartbreak that goes with that, it will be worth it,” Pressel told LPGA.com.

The effort’s impact has reached far beyond that, with the monies raised supporting patient care and research at the Boca Raton Regional Hospital, funding the Kathryn Krickstein Mammovan and also helping efforts at the Sylvester Cancer Center at the University of Miami.

Juli Inkster, Paul Creamer, Lexi Thompson, Brooke Henderson, Brittany Lincicome, So Yeon Ryu, Jessica Korda, Gerina Piller, Billy Horschel and Martin Hall joined Pressel in the effort.

Pressel grew up at St. Andrews and still lives there today with her husband, Andy Bush. She credits the tight-knit community for continuing to inspire her with its level of support in honor of her mother’s memory.

“I’m so thankful for all the people who have been here from the beginning,” Pressel said.

Abraham Ancer says he learned a lot about the media and how quotes can get twisted after last month's Presidents Cup, but he's trying to do the educating when it comes to other things.

After talking about his highly publicized singles loss to Woods on Tuesday at the Sony Open, Ancer turned his attention to a much more fun topic of conversation - tequila.

Ancer, 28, is hoping to make 2020 a big year. Not only is he looking to build on a season that saw him make it all the way to the Tour Championship, but he is launching a brand of tequila, Flecha Azul, with partner Aron Marquez.

"We're both Mexican. Both love tequila. We just said, You know what? Let's give it a whirl. It's been in the works for over a year, and we're really excited. We've been nonstop working on it, so really happy with all the profiles of our tequila and everything."

While Ancer may be excited about the prospect of launching his own brand of tequila, he also thinks the world at large is uneducated when it comes to the adult beverage. He took the time Tuesday to give a short lecture, since he doesn't really drink "anything else."

"It's just remove the stigma of people like have tequila when they're in college and they're already kind of drunk, and then they have tequila shots that are pretty bad and then you mix it and end up throwing up. (Laughter.) You wake up with the worst hangover," Ancer said. "What you remember is like, Wow that tequila got me.

"Yeah, we're trying to get the culture to really understand how tequila works and good it can be. If you just had have on the rocks and don't mix it with anything - I mean, I can throw down - for my size, I can throw down some tequila and the next day 7:00 in the morning I'm hitting balls and I'm completely fine, which is amazing."

Ladies and gentlemen, Abraham Ancer ... officially the best alcohol salesman since Cosmo Kramer.

Former United States national team manager Jurgen Klinsmann said the state of the current American team was "very sad" and lacked leadership.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with ESPN, Klinsmann added that he would have gotten the U.S. into the 2018 World Cup and believes he could have taken his version of the team as far as the last four of the competition.

The U.S. missed out on the tournament in Russia after losing to Trinidad and Tobago on the last day of qualification, with Gregg Berhalter replacing Bruce Arena, who had returned to take over for Klinsmann after the German was fired early on in the Hex.

Klinsmann said: "So what happened now the last two or three years is very sad. It's really sad because the team belonged [in] Russia. They belonged in the World Cup. The qualification was pretty much done and then it happened, the big disaster in Trinidad which no one could ever have imagined.

"So this threw back the whole national team program for many years because now there is a lack of belief, there is a lack of enthusiasm, there is a lack of leadership. So it's a very difficult job now that Gregg Berhalter has on his hands to rebuild an entire program when we were actually in a good place.

"As I said, I'd take that team in Russia to the final eight, maybe even the final four because there was a building block there and there was a plan for it and the plan got interrupted and it got even more interrupted when the U.S. didn't qualify for Russia.

"So hopefully they get it back on track and I keep my fingers crossed for Gregg that he gets all the support he needs to get it on the right track."

Klinsmann, who now manages Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin, once again stood by his record as U.S. coach and said he was proud of what the team had achieved during his five-plus year tenure and grateful for the opportunity afforded him by U.S. Soccer.

"I mean we got through the group of death in Brazil, which nobody ever expected," Klinsmann said. "We went into a final four of the Copa America in 2016. I helped, I don't know, how many players to move over to Europe to prove themselves. Some made it, some came back in MLS, which is no shame."

One of the players who did find success in Germany was Christian Pulisic, who went on to move from Borussia Dortmund to Chelsea in 2019 and has enjoyed spells of intermittent success in his first season in the Premier League.

"I think he's doing very well right now, I think he is growing as a person," Klinsmann said. "You have to think about the fact that at a very young age.he moved to Dortmund. Yes the family was with him, but you are in a different country, with a different language and a different climate.

"He established himself into the senior team at a speed that was mind blowing and you're dizzy. He broke into the U.S. men's national team when I was coaching it and now came the next big move."

Klinsmann urged patience with Pulisic on the back of his move to Chelsea, reminding people that he is still just 22 years old.

He said: "There are not many people in the world making a move like this and now it is going to take some time to establish yourself, get to know your teammates, get to know the coaching staff, get to know the city and all that stuff."