EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- The five-man team on which LeBron James and Anthony Davis played together so thoroughly dominated the second day of Los Angeles Lakers training camp Sunday that James was pulled to rest before the day's scrimmages were over.

Lakers coach Frank Vogel plans to do more of that with James this preseason.

When asked how much he figures he'll play James, entering his 17th season, during the Lakers' six-game exhibition slate, Vogel said, "not a ton."

"We want to be intelligent," he continued. "We want to get him enough reps to get him familiar with his teammates and get everybody on the same page, some cohesiveness. But certainly going to be intelligent and not overdo it in the preseason."

James, 34, registered career lows in games played (55) and minutes per game (35.2) last season in his debut with the Lakers.

Vogel said he plans to maximize James' camp by pairing him as much as possible with Davis so the two can breed familiarity in one another's games. Vogel is also toying with various complementary pieces to fill out the starting lineup next to them. Sunday, they were joined by Dwight Howard, Avery Bradley and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, which spelled trouble for L.A.'s reserves.

"We saw a mismatch in LeBron and Anthony's team really sort of had their way with the other teams," Vogel said. "We had three teams out there, and those guys really performed at a high level on both ends of the floor."

The excitement surrounding the pairing of a six-time All-Star in his prime in Davis with a four-time MVP and three-time champion in James is to be expected.

But Vogel said there has been a breakout star in camp who has stolen some of the spotlight from the Lakers' dynamic duo.

"We've got two of the best players in the world competing together and all anybody's talking about is Avery Bradley's tenaciousness," Vogel said. "That speaks volumes about what he's been able to show in the first couple of days."

Bradley, 28, signed a two-year, $9.7 million deal with the Lakers in the offseason after being waived by the Memphis Grizzlies. He averaged 16.1 points on 46.3% shooting (38.4% from 3) with 4 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1 steal in 14 games with the Grizzlies.

The 10-year veteran said he dropped 40 pounds in the offseason, shedding excess weight his body put on following groin surgery last season.

He has replaced his workout regimen with unleashing himself defensively during training camp.

"Just being in the face of whoever has the basketball," Vogel said. "It's become very clear that coaching against him, [we'd] say, 'Don't dribble the ball. If Avery's on you, pass the ball. Just give it up.' Because you're not going anywhere with a bounce with Avery Bradley on you."

And he has shown it on the other end.

"He's shooting the ball well offensively, too," Vogel said. "Talk about his tenaciousness, he's really shooting -- not just corner 3, the arc 3. Shot at a high level in Memphis last year, has really grown that throughout his career."

Add it all up, and Vogel sounds like he just wants to fast-forward through training camp and get to the real thing. L.A. plays its first preseason game in San Francisco next weekend against the Golden State Warriors in the opening game for the Chase Center and then travels to China for a pair of games against the Brooklyn Nets.

"I feel like we're ready to play right now," he said. "We put a lot of stuff in, both offensively with our full offense and the variety of things you can do out of it, as well as a lot of our defensive coverages. We've had a really productive first couple of days, and I'm not worried about us not being ready to play games against Golden State or in China."

The Minnesota Twins hit three home runs in Sunday's loss to the Kansas City Royals to push their major league record to 307, one ahead of the New York Yankees for the most in the majors this season.

C.J. Cron and Jake Cave went back-to-back in the first and Jason Castro added a solo shot in the fifth.

"I don't think anybody will ever forget the 'Bomba Squad,'" manager Rocco Baldelli said.

The Twins last week became the first team in major league history to hit 300 home runs in a season, shattering the previous record of 267 set by the Yankees last year.

This year's Yankees team vaulted past its own record as well, but fell short of the Twins by one after Aaron Judge's solo shot proved to be New York's only homer in Sunday's loss to the Texas Rangers.

Homers have been up throughout the league this season, with 13 different teams setting franchise records for home runs hit in a season.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Former Chicago Cubs catcher David Ross, who is considered a leading candidate to succeed Joe Maddon as the team's manager, was asked during Sunday's Baseball Tonight show if he'd be interested in the job if the Cubs called.

"I think it's one of the best jobs in baseball," said Ross, who currently works as an analyst for ESPN. "I've got a lot of close ties with those guys. I think the interest would be there. I think my heart is drawn to that dugout a little bit.

"The rumors are flattering. It makes you think about a lot of things. I've got a nice job here at ESPN that I enjoy and gives me a lot of free time with my three kids."

Ross, 42, played the final two seasons of his career with the Cubs, winning a World Series in 2016. He was asked if his close relationship with the players would be a hindrance or a help.

"You never know until you sit in the manager's seat how hard it really is to have those tough conversations with guys. I'm kind of an open person; when I was teammates with a lot of these guys I shot them straight.

"I loved my teammates when I played with them; every team that I played for. But I also try to tell guys the truth in love, and so I think the best managers I have had do that exact same thing -- they have great conversations, they communicate, they walk that line between authority and leadership and being a friend as well. I think that's the line you've got to kind of walk with players and you never know until you are in that seat.

"I've got a lot of thinking to do if this gets presented to me as everyone says will happen. I'm sure waiting for that phone call."

Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant said he would not be surprised if Ross gets that call.

"I've always looked at Rossy as a coach when he played here," Bryant said. "Yeah, it was goofy, it was fun, it was energetic. But when he needed to tell you something, he let you hear it. From the very get-go, I felt like this guy will be a manager some day for sure."

Cubs All-Star first baseman Anthony Rizzo was also asked about the possibility of playing for Ross, his good friend and former teammate.

"If it was Rossy, I'd obviously sit down; I've talked to him about it before," Rizzo said. "He's in a really good place now at home with his family and what he's doing and he's happy. The pros and the cons. I mean, he's the biggest mentor in this game other than [Maddon]. Can it work? Yes. But I don't know which direction we are going in."

Other candidates for the opening include Cubs bench coach Mark Loretta; Kevin Youkilis, who is a Cubs special assistant; and Mark DeRosa, who works as an analyst for MLB Network. None of them has previous big league managerial experience.

If hired by the Cubs or another organization, Ross would follow in the footsteps of Boston's Alex Cora and the Yankees' Aaron Boone as first-time managers who also spent time as ESPN analysts following their playing days.

MONT-TREMBLANT, Quebec – It was the perfect ending to a perfect season on Sunday for Roman De Angelis in Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Yokohama.

In the final race of the year at Circuit Mont-Tremblant, De Angelis started second on the grid in his No. 79 Mark Motors Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car to Parker Thompson.

Thompson, in the No. 3 SCB Racing Porsche, led for nearly all of the 45-minute contest – including over a captivating battle amongst the top five competitors, all within one second of each other with 10 minutes remaining.

However, he succumbed to De Angelis with three minutes remaining.

It was De Angelis’ 11th first-place trophy this year out of 12 races and came one day after securing his first GT3 Cup Challenge Canada Platinum Class championship.

“It definitely wasn’t unentertaining,” said 18-year-old De Angelis. “I worked pretty hard to make Parker make a mistake, but Parker did an awesome job as always. I was finally able to get him with an old Formula Ford move that we use to use here also with the draft on the back straightaway. I made the move and was able to pull a bit of a gap. It was an awesome race, pretty entertaining up to the last few laps.”

This is De Angelis’ second GT3 Cup Challenge Canada championship in three years with Mark Motors Racing, after winning the Gold Class championship in 2017.

He credited the team following the race and especially teammate Marco Cirone, who captured a sixth GT3 Cup Challenge Canada Platinum Masters championship of his own on Saturday as well.

“The last three seasons, it’s been phenomenal,” said De Angelis. “I couldn’t be happier to be a part of them, it’s a family rather than a team. I look forward to racing every weekend with them. A perfect season not only for myself, but the team with Marco winning the Platinum Masters championship. I can’t thank Marco enough for all of the advice the past three years and before that.

“A perfect year and I couldn’t ask for a better team to be around me.”

Thompson held on for a second-place finish, which coupled with a fourth-place showing on Saturday, elevated him to second behind De Angelis in the 2019 standings as well.

Finishing third on Sunday was rookie Ethan Simioni in the No. 40 Policaro Motorsport Porsche. Simoni has had an impressive run in the second half of the season, finishing on the podium in the last four consecutive races.

The podium streak moved him to fifth overall in the final championship standings.

Meanwhile, coming home in fourth place on Sunday after a difficult Saturday, was Jeff Kingsley in the No. 16 Porsche for Policaro Motorsport. Kingsley started eighth and moved up four spots to earn the final Yokohama Tire Hard Charger Award of the season.

The award is given to the driver in the field who gained the most positions over the course of the race.

“With yesterday’s struggles we had to start eighth, so the focus today was to move forward and get a podium, if not the win,” said Kingsley, who earned his first career win at this year’s season opener at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. “We finished fourth, but it was really tough. We had a five-car battle in front and unfortunately, I was the fifth car of the five and at that point you can’t turn with all the aero-wash.

“I struggled and just had to wait for mistakes. I moved forward to fourth, but they were too far gone. I think if there was another 10 minutes because I got some clean air there, it could’ve been better. But we did the best we could. The team did great providing me with the best they’ve got for me to get the job done. There’s always next year.”

Also having an infinitely better Sunday was De Angelis’ teammate and the 2019 Platinum Masters Class champion, Marco Cirone in the No. 88 Mark Motors Porsche.

Weather and strategy calls plagued the No. 88 team throughout Saturday’s race, forcing them to finish last on the charts.

But a spectacular bounce back on Sunday ended with a win, Marco’s seventh of the season. However, it didn’t come without its own set of trials.

“Today I had it set in my head I was going to go out there and give it all I can, the last race I really wanted to prove a point,” said Cirone. “But unfortunately, it didn’t start so well. I had a little incident in Turn 4. I went out, lost my splitter and I came in during a caution. The boys taped it up – I don’t know how it stayed on – and believe it or not, the car got faster and faster.

“At the end, I think I was going as fast as some of the guys up front. I’m really proud of the team, so I want to thank them for all their efforts. I’m so happy I was able to put on a show for them and reward them by finishing in first.”

Saturday’s Platinum Masters winner, Michael Levitas in the No. 37 TPC Racing Porsche, finished second in the final race and coming home in third was Cirone’s Mark Motors teammate Perry Bortolotti in the No. 84 Porsche.

Completing his rookie season in GT3 Cup Challenge Canada was Sam Fellows, driver of the No. 35 Pfaff Motorsports Porsche. Fellows – son of legendary sports car driver Ron Fellows – secured the Gold Class championship after racing six events this year.

“My dad and I, when we were talking about where is the best place to learn in Canada, for him it was the Player’s Challenge and Porsche 944 Rothmans Turbo Cup back then,” Fellows explained. “This is the best place to learn I think, and my dad and I agree. We wanted to be here.

“Pfaff had the Gold car, so we got on the grid. Yes, we didn’t get as much competition as we wanted, but we wanted to learn and that’s what we came to do. We’ve learned the hard way in some situations, but it’s all part of the process and I’m trying to embrace the process.”

LOVES PARK, Ill. — Pesky morning rain and mist, as well as a forecast for heavier rain, forced the postponement of Sunday’s 54th annual National Short Track Championships 250 presented by Crazy Times Pub & Grub late model stock car special at Rockford Speedway.

Track crews worked hard in an attempt to dry the track, with race cars even taking some practice laps. The event features the ARCA Midwest Tour as the headlining class.

The 250-lap event, plus other races, including a main event for the Mid American Stock Car Series, will now take place on Saturday, Oct. 26, at 1 p.m.

STAFFORD SPRINGS, Conn. — For the second straight year, the NAPA Fall Final at Stafford Motor Speedway produced a first-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour winner.

Craig Lutz took the lead from Doug Coby on a restart with 33 laps to go and never looked back, driving away from Coby and defending series champion Justin Bonsignore to earn his first checkered flag in his 66th series start.

Prior to Sunday, Lutz had finished inside the top five in four of his 12 Stafford starts, including the last three. He had also finished in the top five in eight of 14 races in 2019.

But for the first time, the Miller Place, N.Y., driver was able to celebrate a trophy.

“The first win is always special,” Lutz said. “Everyone kept on asking me when it was coming. To finally knock one off, it’s an amazing feeling.”

Lutz started ninth and rode inside the top 10 for the duration of the race, but shined when it mattered most. Meanwhile, Chris Pasteryak earned his first career Mayhew Tools Dominator Pole award in qualifying, and led the first six laps before Coby took control.

Bonsignore took the lead from Coby just before halfway, and paced the field until a caution just after lap 100, when leaders pitted multiple times for tires. It would be the only caution of the day that Coby, Bonsignore and Lutz entered pit road.

Pasteryak led eight more laps after cycling back to the lead, but couldn’t hold the top spot, as Coby slid by, then a restart gave Lutz his opportunity.

Lutz passed Coby and never looked back, minding the gap back to Bonsignore for the final 10 laps.

“I just didn’t look in my mirror,” Lutz said. “I have an awesome spotter, who has a lot of experience, and he kept telling me to stay smooth and hit my marks. That’s what I kept doing.”

Bonsignore finished second, while Coby settled for third. Chuck Hossfeld, who missed practice and qualifying on Saturday, charged from the rear of the field to finish fourth.

Matt Swanson was fifth, ahead of Ron Silk, Bobby Santos III, Woody Pitkat, Chase Dowling and Patrick Emerling.

Coby, in search of his sixth NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship, leads Bonsignore by 19 points with one points race remaining.

The finish:

Craig Lutz, Justin Bonsignore, Doug Coby, Chuck Hossfeld, Matt Swanson, Ron Silk, Bobby Santos III, Woody Pitkat, Chase Dowling, Patrick Emerling, Chris Pasteryak, Matt Galko, Timmy Solomito, Blake Barney, Tommy Catalano, Rob Summers, J.B. Fortin, Andrew Molleur, Mark Bakaj, Ken Heagy, Eric Goodale, Joey Cipriano III, Gary McDonald, Wade Cole, Dave Salzarulo, Joey Mucciacciaro, Anthony Nocella, Calvin Carroll, Kyle Bonsignore, Timmy Catalano, Melissa Fifield, Sam Rameau, Tyler Rypkema, Kyle Ellwood.

MANCHESTER, England -- Manchester United's next recruitment drive will focus on signing attacking players, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has confirmed.

Solskjaer sanctioned the departures of Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez to Inter Milan in the summer without bringing in replacements.

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United now face the prospect of handing 17-year-old Mason Greenwood a first Premier League start of the season against Arsenal on Monday because of injury doubts over Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial.

The club will aim to do the bulk of their transfer business next summer, but Solskjaer is open to signing a new striker in January.

"We let Alexis and Romelu go, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to see that it's a forward that next time we're going to recruit -- we're looking for some creativity and goals," Solskjaer said.

While United have struggled for goals this season, Lukaku and Sanchez have both had success in the first few weeks of their Inter careers.

Lukaku has scored three goals in six Serie A games, and Sanchez scored twice during the 3-1 win over Sampdoria on Saturday before being sent off for simulation.

Solskjaer was keen to sign a striker in the summer but said he was right to let Lukaku leave even though a replacement could not be found.

"If we had the right one, if it was there, we would have [signed someone]," Solskjaer added.

"It was time for Rom to go. He knows that. He didn't want to be here. What is the point in having players that don't want to be here?

"And it's no point getting players in that you're not 100% sure about.

"When you get players in, you need the right ones that are going to stay here for a longer period, and that's the long-term thinking we have to show.

"I cannot think, 'I need a player because this is my reputation.' No, it's the club.

"There were strikers, but they weren't the ones we wanted. We couldn't get the one we wanted."

United face Arsenal at Old Trafford on Monday having failed to score more than one goal in 17 of their past 20 games dating back to last season.

They have managed just eight goals in six league games this term -- the same number as Aston Villa in 18th -- and Solskjaer admits it is something that will have to change if they want to challenge for a place in the top four.

"We need to score more goals, definitely," Solskjaer said.

"We're working on improving relationships, the patterns, the understanding, and we've started in one end with the foundation, we've done great defensively, but we're not happy with the return going forward."

Manchester United against Arsenal was once the biggest fixture in the Premier League -- a clash between two heavyweights that defined the competition and forged the reputations of Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira and many others. But when the two clubs meet at Old Trafford on Monday, it will be encounter between two giants who have lost their way, with a game that used to decide the title now potentially a battle to avoid the dubious distinction of finishing sixth.

Between 1996 and 2004, the two clubs won nine titles between them, but United have not lifted the Premier League trophy since 2013, while Arsenal's drought stretches back to when the "Invincibles" were crowned champions in 2004 without suffering a league defeat.

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So, as they prepare to renew hostilities on Monday, what has caused the decline for each club and how long will it take United and Arsenal to get back to the top?

Why has it gone wrong?

United

Complacency, poor planning and bad decisions, stemming back to Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in May 2013, were the root cause of United's current malaise. There was a misguided belief within Old Trafford that a post-Ferguson slump would be a short-term blip, extending to little more than a year or two without a major trophy, but that complacency fed into the poor forward planning and United allowed themselves to fall behind their rivals while they waited for something to happen.

But having fallen off the pace, United threw money at the problem, making several ill-judged signings -- Angel Di Maria, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Alexis Sanchez to name just three -- and are now onto their fourth permanent manager since Ferguson, with the club marooned in the doldrums.

Arsenal

Arsene Wenger's reign as manager ran perhaps three years too long, despite the obvious need for change during the final seasons of the Frenchman's 21-year spell in charge. But the move to the Emirates Stadium from Highbury in 2006, while crucial for the club's growth, hit Arsenal hard from a financial perspective and forced the sale of top players such as Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Robin van Persie.

Wenger failed to successfully replace those stars, with Arsenal unable to compete with the likes of United, Chelsea and Manchester City in the transfer market. But if he had been replaced earlier, the drift of his latter years could have been avoided, thereby leaving the club in a stronger position.

Changes that need to be made

United

There are problems in every area of the pitch, and United must also find a way to address the recruitment failings that have led to their squad being so imbalanced and light on quality. The club have been looking to hire a technical director, charged with improving player recruitment, for almost a year, but until that key appointment is made, they will continue to miss out on the best players. In terms of what manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needs, it may take three to four transfer windows to make United's squad competitive again; a well-connected technical director could reduce the time required.

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Arsenal

Arsenal are ahead of United in terms of their recruitment structure, having reshaped that area of the club during the final years of Wenger's reign with the appointment of Raul Sanllehi as head of football. Unai Emery has yet to impose a clear tactical plan since replacing Wenger over a year ago, however, and the rebuilding work at the club is unlikely to bear fruit until he can find a way to make his team play. Right now, it is little different to the final days of Wenger: Exciting going forward, but weak at the back.

Players they should get

United

The squad lacks players in their prime -- top performers in their mid-20s, who can be relied upon to stay fit and deliver consistently -- and the lack of experience is beginning to show. A proven centre-forward, a top-class No. 10 and a commanding midfielder should be the priority signings, but Solskjaer's squad needs reinforcements in every position, either as first-choice or cover.

If United still possess the clout and ambition to sign the best, they should be targeting Christian Eriksen, Declan Rice and a proven scorer who will hit 20 league goals a season.

Arsenal

They are blessed with quality up front following the acquisitions of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Nicolas Pepe, but Arsenal need players who are equally impressive at the back. There is no commanding centre-half or a midfielder with the ability to control the tempo of a game.

James Milner and Sergio Ramos may be the wrong side of 30, but in terms of short-term signings, who would improve the mentality of the squad at the same time as toughening up defence and midfield, both could be smart signings if they became available. Like United, though, Arsenal need ready-made performers in midfield and defence.

Biggest on-pitch issue to address

United

Goals. United simply don't score enough of them, having netted just 18 in their last 20 games. Selling Romelu Lukaku and loaning Alexis Sanchez, both to Inter, has left Solskjaer desperately short of firepower, with only Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and 17-year-old Marcus Greenwood remaining. United simply have to sign a centre-forward -- maybe two -- in January.

Arsenal

Defending. Last month's 2-2 draw at home to Spurs highlighted Arsenal's attacking strength and defensive weakness, just a week after Liverpool exposed their frailties at the back. The addition of David Luiz has done nothing to improve Arsenal's defending, so they need new personnel and more work by Emery on the training ground.

Biggest off-pitch issue to address

United

Finding a technical director is a priority, but the running thread throughout United's decline over the past six years has been Ed Woodward, the executive vice-chairman. Players and managers have come and gone, but Woodward remains in charge of running the club and, quite frankly, his position should be under greater scrutiny. United's owners, the Glazer family, remain loyal but his results in the job have been as bad, if not worse, than any of the managers he has hired and fired.

Arsenal

The ownership of Stan Kroenke has coincided with Arsenal's decline as a major force in the Premier League and, although the club spent more than usual in the transfer market this summer, they continue to trail behind their trophy-winning rivals when it comes to investment. If the Gunners are to get back to the top, Kroenke must sanction an increase in spending on players, otherwise the team will continue to drift.

How long will it take to get back to the top?

United

The Glazers are committed to a three-year rebuild at Old Trafford, but from their current state, it seems highly optimistic to expect a United title challenge in time for the 2021-22 season. If everything goes to plan and if Manchester City and Liverpool hit the skids, United might be competitive within three years, but with such a poor squad, it may yet be at least five before they challenge to win the league.

Arsenal

If Emery can build a solid defence, Arsenal could challenge for honours within the next two years because they possess a potent goal threat. They not only need a full defensive rebuild, though, but also require a change of mentality at the Emirates and that will not be a quick fix, so Arsenal are looking at a three-year wait because there will inevitably be bumps along the road.

PLAYA VISTA, Calif. -- Kawhi Leonard says his health and playing time will be managed differently this season compared to how the Toronto Raptors handled the star forward with load management.

On his first Media Day with the LA Clippers, Leonard said his health is considerably better now than it was entering last season with the Raptors when he was coming off a quad injury and playing a total of nine games in San Antonio during the 2017-18 season.

"It's different this season," Leonard said after being asked how his health will be managed this season. "Last year I was going in with an injury that I was dealing with the year before, still was lingering and we knew that I had to be healthy going throughout the season and making it to the playoffs.

"This time, I'm feeling good," Leonard continued. "I'm feeling way better than I was at the start of last season. There really was no plan laid out to discuss with everyone."

Last season, Leonard played a total of 60 regular season games for the Raptors and averaged 26.6 points and 7.3 rebounds. Leonard then led the Raptors to their first NBA title, averaging 30.5 points and 9.1 rebounds in 24 postseason games and becoming the Finals MVP. Leonard said he could not have done that without the Raptors' load management plan.

But now Leonard says he is feeling much better as he enters his first season with the Clippers. The more Leonard and Paul George -- who is coming off surgeries on both his shoulders -- play, the more formidable Doc Rivers' defense will be. Rivers has two of the best two-way players in the game in Leonard and George to go with the tenacious Patrick Beverley among others.

"It's going to be scary," George said of the Clippers' defensive versatility. "With myself, [Montrezl Harrell], Kawhi, Pat, [Landry Shamet], Mo [Harkless], Rodney [McGruder], we've really got a chance to do something special on the defensive end. ... Watching Pat get out there and picking somebody up 94 feet, that's going to get me going. It's going to get Kawhi going. It's just going to become contagious on a nightly basis. I honestly think for the first time, people are going to be excited to watch the defensive end as opposed to watching the offensive [end]."

Beverley says the additions of Leonard and George will make the Clippers' scrappy underdog mentality feel like it's "on steroids."

Feeling healthier than he was at this time last year, Leonard said he is focused on one thing right now as he was asked if he will consider playing for Team USA next summer.

"I do want to play but I'm taking it one step at a time," Leonard said. "And right now it is getting the Clippers to the Finals."