A couple of Wednesdays ago, with memories of Kylian Mbappe's hat trick in 39 minutes still dancing in my head, I pondered the Erling Braut Haaland question and suggested on Twitter it would be "neat" if the pair developed some sort of redux version of the Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Lionel Messi duopoly over the next 15 years.

In addition to the usual white noise nonsense that any mention of the latter pair will bring -- "It's not a real rivalry because Cristiano/Messi is so much better than Cristiano/Messi" -- plenty raised the following, very legitimate, query.

"Mbappe has nearly 200 senior appearances which is roughly three times that of Haaland. He has three full seasons in Ligue 1 under his belt, whereas Haaland has thus far played in Norway and Austria. He has 33 caps and has won a World Cup as a protagonist. Haaland has played for Norway twice. Mbappe is 20 months older so Haaland can catch up, sure, but why would you even suggest that the pair belong in the same conversation?"

Perhaps one of the reasons is that Haaland himself raised the issue.

Back in January, he was asked by Norwegian daily Verdens Gang about his development. "Maybe it has gone fast if you compare me with a Norwegian 18-year-old in the fourth tier, but not if you compare me to Mbappe ... then it's going very slow," he said.

Stop and think about it for a moment. What kind of kid that age, fresh off a move to Salzburg -- not Real Madrid, but Salzburg, who for all the fizzy drink hype of its sponsor is still a little bro in the Taurine Empire -- compares himself to Mbappe, a world champion and the second most expensive player in the history of the universe? This is the sort of stuff Zlatan Ibrahimovic might say. (It's not a coincidence that Haaland has no qualms about comparing himself to the Big Swede either: "He's a fellow Scandinavian, someone will have to take over from him one day." Or Muhammad Ali. Or Kid Rock: "They call me cocky and I say what?!? It ain't bragging if you back it up!"

Has he backed it up? And are these two the next iteration of Messi vs. Ronaldo?

Haaland made five appearances (four of them as a substitute) for Salzburg last season as he settled into an entirely new culture, scoring one goal. He scored 11 goals in five games for the Norwegian Under-20 team, although nine of them came in a single game against Honduras that his team won 12-0. (Still, that tells you something: what kind of guy runs up the score like that in a meaningless game? Either a flat-track bully or a striker who is singularly obsessed with scoring.)

Which brings us to this season. He's scored 20 goals in 13 appearances in all competitions, including six in the Champions League where he's currently the top scorer. This is where the knee-jerk gang -- "it's only Norway/Austria" -- come in. OK, sure. It was only Austria when Sadio Mane played there too, and he turned out fine.

More to the point, those six Champions League goals weigh heavily: they came against Genk, Napoli and Liverpool. (He had the flu at Anfield and only played a half). Or, from a different perspective, he has scored three goals in three halves of football against Kalidou Koulibaly and Virgil Van Dijk.

How's that for a solid case?

Where was Mbappe at his age, three months removed from his 19 birthday? Well ahead, actually. He had notched 42 goals in 92 top-flight appearances for Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain. He led France to the U19 Euros, and he'd scored six Champions League goals. That said, it's worth remembering that numbers are just part of it. At that same age, Ronaldo had scored all of six goals for Sporting and Manchester United; he'd go on to notch another 600. Lionel Messi had 12 for Barcelona by that age; he would also go on to score a whole lot more.

Mbappe is undoubtedly further along than Haaland at this stage, but they're still setting up for that kind of head-to-head comparison. Conversely, we can all come up with prolific youngsters who didn't quite sustain the same level of excellence throughout their careers: think Michael Owen or Raul, outstanding footballers who, for different reasons and in different settings, slowed down and never achieved Messi/Ronaldo levels of production well into their 30s. (While we're at it, Mbappe may not either: most of his story is yet to be written too).

The eye test matters too and it tells you that Haaland is an oversized center-forward who is strong as an ox, yet also technically sound and boasting a highly refined sense of space and movement. That last one matters on a team like Salzburg with its obsessive pressing, but it also matters because it tells you that this is a kid who has spent a long time thinking about the game. Teenage Zlatan at Ajax was undeniably a more gifted player, but he was also an individualist who indulged his freelance riffs. Teenage Haaland at Salzburg is keenly aware of his role in the band and how, if anything, playing in harmony makes his solos sound even better. Throw in his obsessive training regimen, hunger and personality and the foundations are all there.

We can only go by what we've seen so far. Haaland looks like a special talent, but so did many other young strikers before him. It's only now, with hindsight, that we trot out flaws about why they never made it. Usually it's one or more of the following: weak character, over-reliance on athleticism, personal issues off the pitch, lack of continuing technical and tactical development and, of course, injuries. That's the bad part. The unwritten part. What's coming down the road. Haaland, so to speak, was born with a silver spoon: a whole collection of them in fact. He has the tools to control his own future, but only to a point.

In that sense, he's a 19-year-old kid who wonders what the next two decades will bring. However bright the future may seem, however strong his personality and work ethic, however impressive his maker made him, he's like the arrow flying forth from the archer's bow. The aim is accurate and the arrowhead strong and straight, but there is so much that can knock him, and Mbappe, off course.

So let's just enjoy it while it lasts -- and may it last until they hang up their boots for the last time.

Big picture

After weathering several metaphorical storms and then a pollution hazard, Bangladesh are heading to Rajkot with a 1-0 lead. Still, their days aren't getting brighter in a hurry, and this time it is more literal: the threat of Cyclone Maha looms over the second T20I.

But perhaps they won't mind it as much as India, who, it can be argued, played on a surface that was patently more suited to Bangladesh's strengths than to those of their stroke-makers in Delhi. Rajkot is unlikely to produce anything like the slow burner at the Kotla, and a rain-affected T20I could further alter the dynamics as they look to pull level. One way or other, it will both test a side with a few newcomers, as well as offer opportunities for many of them.

It is far-fetched to say that the visitors come in as favourites, or even that they are the more confident side heading into this fixture. But Bangladesh have just beaten India for the first time in the format, and they have done it without Shakib Al Hasan, without Tamim Iqbal, and for the first time in their history, without even a left-arm spinner in the XI. Anything is possible.

Form guide

India LLWWW (completed matches, most recent first)

Bangladesh WWWLW

In the spotlight

There is hardly a series where Rishabh Pant isn't in the spotlight. Pant has been an international cricketer for just over two years, and in that time he's simultaneously been perceived as the most exciting prospect and the most frustrating talent. Consequently, he's over-discussed, over-advised, and for much of the last few months, it looks like he's been overthinking. Yuvraj Singh noted recently that the youngster is a top-order batsman who is being forced to turn into a middle-order batsman, and in a more indirect sense, Adam Gilchrist echoed Yuvraj, saying Pant should focus on being true to his game rather than try to be the next MS Dhoni. Perhaps those strong words from similarly swashbuckling left-handers could spark something for Pant, who hasn't made a 30-plus score in eight innings across formats for India. That, or the fact that India have two keeping options in this squad.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board's mandate that BPL teams must compulsorily field a legspinner who bowls four overs was a move to give their batsmen practice against that kind of bowling. Twenty-year-old Aminul Islam looked a good prospect not just for that, but also proved a handful for India on his debut in the first T20I. Aminul accounted for a shaky KL Rahul and was immediately under attack from Shreyas Iyer, who struck delightful sixes with the turn to put him under pressure. He endured with his flight and loop, however, and had Iyer eventually. His next challenge in international cricket will be a lot harder.

Team news

India could stick to the same team, and it would be a superior batting line-up at this particular venue. Manish Pandey is considered a middle-order option, and so could remain on the bench as both Krunal Pandya and Shivam Dube offer bowling options. Arguably, the only spot available for a batsman is in the top three, where Rahul is both an opening option and a No. 3. Top-scorer in the last match, Shikhar Dhawan is unlikely to be dropped and Sanju Samson might fancy his chances if Rahul goes out. Khaleel Ahmed was expensive at the end in the first game, and the experience of Shardul Thakur could be tempting for India.

India (possible): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Sanju Samson/KL Rahul, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 Rishabh Pant (wk) 6 Shivam Dube, 7 Krunal Pandya, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Yuzvendra Chahal, 10 Deepak Chahar, 11 Shardul Thakur/Khaleel Ahmed

Bangladesh could well go in with the same line-up too. They used eight bowling options in Delhi and one of them was Soumya Sarkar, who bowled two overs. If they do indeed consider him a seam option, they could think of bringing left-arm spinner Arafat Sunny in place of a frontline seamer. That would give them three offspin options, one orthodox left-arm spinner, one legspinner, and three seam options.

Bangladesh (possible) : 1 Liton Das 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Mohammad Naim/Mohammad Mithun, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk) 5 Mahmudullah (capt.) 6 Mosaddek Hossain, 7 Afif Hossain, 8 Aminul Islam, 9 Mustafizur Rahman, 10 Al-Amin Hossain/Arafat Sunny, 11 Shafiul Islam

Pitch and conditions

The India met department tweeted that the cyclone would weaken as it approached Saurashtra at noon on match day. It is expected to be cloudy throughout the day and there is a chance of thunderstorms in the evening, though.

Stats and trivia

• In 2017, New Zealand made 196 for 2 and, in 2013, Australia made 201 for 7 batting first in the only two international matches at this venue. India lost to New Zealand and beat Australia.

• Rohit Sharma is set to play his 100th T20I.

Sean Abbott will play for Derbyshire during the first half of the 2020 English season.

Australian quick Abbott is expected to be available for up to ten County Championship matches, as well as the Vitality Blast group stage.

Also read: County ins and outs 2019-20

Since making his first-class debut for New South Wales in 2011, Abbott has claimed 137 wickets in 50 red-ball matches at an average of 33.10. He took 37 wickets in the 2018-19 Sheffield Shield season at an average 22.29, including six in the final against eventual champions, Victoria.

In Twenty20 cricket, Abbott has taken 91 wickets in 79 matches across the Big Bash League, for Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder, and the IPL with Royal Challengers Bangalore. Abbott was the second-highest wicket-taker in the 2018-19 BBL with 22 dismissals at an average of 20.13.

For Australia, Abbott has featured in three T20 matches and one ODI, all in 2014. He was recently recalled to the national squad for the tours by Sri Lanka and Pakistan but is yet to add to his match tally.

"I'm really excited to join Derbyshire and have the chance to play some good county cricket with them," Abbott said. "It's a good mix in the squad and I want to lead from the front and hopefully help the younger lads in their development at the same time, whilst having team success along the way."

Derbyshire finished seventh in the 10-team second division of the County Championship in 2019 and reached Finals Day in the T20 Blast, where they lost their semi-final to eventual champions Essex.

Derbyshire head of cricket Dave Houghton, said Abbott would strengthen the side's bowling attack.

"He is an international bowler and has a good record across all formats, and that kind of versatility will be key for us next season," Houghton said.

Morne Morkel's return to where he began his cricket career - SuperSport Park - is more than just an opportunity to come home or be part of the second edition of the Mzansi Super League (MSL). It's also a chance to play a role in helping South Africa's young quicks raise their games ahead of a big series against England in the home summer and next year's T20 World Cup.

"Hopefully I can help the guys to develop and grow their game. We've got a big World Cup next year, so spending time with Lungi (Ngidi), (Lutho) Sipamla and (Wiaan) Mulder and helping them on the field, for me, that's a personal goal," Morkel said at the Tshwane Spartans media day in Centurion.

Morkel retired from international cricket in April 2018 and has since signed a Kolpak deal with Surrey and shifted to Australia. But he has kept a close eye on developments at home. He watched South Africa's struggles through the 2019 World Cup and their 0-3 defeat to India, and though Morkel acknowledged the situation in South African cricket is worrying, he was careful not to judge the quicks too harshly.

ALSO READ: 'South Africa will lose a lot of players to Kolpak in near future'

"India was always going to be a tough tour, no matter who was playing," he said. "Even if we had the old guys back, India was going to be tough. We are still finding our feet, working on combinations and I don't think truly you can judge the fast bowing in the subcontinent. Once we are back here with extra bounce and pace, KG (Rabada) and (Anrich) Nortje will come to the party."

Morkel stressed on the importance of mentorship, especially at this stage of several younger players' careers. "It's also about understanding that we have got a lot of inexperience - Nortje has got all the pace but it's going to take time, like all of us, for him to find his feet. It's important to get the right people with those guys to explain that to them and make them understand that that is international cricket and there's no place to hide."

That's where Morkel hopes to come in, at least for the next six weeks where he will play alongside Ngidi, Sipamla and Mulder and hopes to do for them what Shaun Pollock, Makhaya Ntini and Andre Nel did for him.

"We have a lot of quality youngsters and I think it's important for them to have a good banker around them. I had Polly, Makhaya, Andre Nel - quality seamers that helped me develop my game," he said. "Coaches play a role but senior players are important, especially on the field. Coaches can prepare you as much as possible in the nets, but when you are on the field, they can't do anything for you. There you need senior players to settle the nerves with the guys.

"The best way is not to spoon-feed them, to let them make mistakes and let them know it's ok. It's also for them to have a shoulder to cry on and talk about the game" Morkel on young South African pacers

"I had Graeme Smith and those guys, so when I was nervous, or all over the shop, they knew when to bowl me and how to work with me until I was comfortable with the situation."

So what will Morkel try to impart to the next generation? "The best way is not to spoon-feed them, to let them make mistakes and let them know it's okay. It's also for them to have a shoulder to cry on and talk about the game."

By the time Morkel leaves the MSL, South Africa will be preparing to play England in four Tests at home. He hopes the hosts will have a strong chance of success despite their recent form: South Africa have lost five Tests in succession and three of their last four series. "I've got no doubt that once we've got our confidence back and the boys find their style of play, we can compete."

He also had some insider tips on the England line-up, especially opening batsman Rory Burns. "I play with Rory Burns and before the Ashes I was nervous for him," Morkel said. "What I can say about him is that he is one guy who bats day-in and day-out, he spends hours in the nets working on his game and he worked out a plan for how to score runs but I don't think he has played on fast, bouncy, wickets.

"And then they are going to have a new guy (Dominic) Sibley or (Zak) Crawley. Sib is a typical English batsman that will bat time, Crawley, a youngster, very attacking. At No. 3 and 4, they have lots of options. Ollie Pope - I won't be surprised if they play him. He is a quality player. If (Joe) Root goes to 3, Pope can bat 4, and if I was a selector, I would give him a run."

Qais Ahmad, the 19-year-old Afghanistan legspinner, has signed a deal to become Gloucestershire's overseas player for the 2020 season.

Qais, who made his international debut in Afghanistan's Test against Bangladesh at Chattogram in September, will be available for the whole of the T20 Blast, and will also play the final six games of the club's County Championship season.

Having been selected by the Welsh Fire in the inaugural draft of the Hundred, Qais will be playing in England and Wales for the majority of the domestic season, though he may miss some games with Afghanistan due to play a T20I series in Ireland in August.

Qais has owed much of his development to T20 leagues, having first come to prominence playing for St Lucia Stars in the Caribbean Premier League in 2018. Since then, he has also played for Hobart Hurricanes, Rajshahi Kings, and Guyana Amazon Warriors, though is yet to make his international debut in the format.

"I am extremely happy to have signed for Gloucestershire for the T20 Blast and then the County Championship," Qais said."It is a great honour for me to join Gloucestershire after they had such a successful 2019.

"Having played T20 cricket around the world I have always wanted to play first-class cricket in England to develop my red-ball skills. I am looking forward to working with [head coach] Richard Dawson."

Dawson said that he was "delighted" to have signed Qais ahead of the club's first season in Division One of the Championship since 2004.

"We had a very strong season in 2019 and Qais will help take us to the next level in both the long and short formats with his game-changing skills," he said.

"He's one of the most exciting young spinners in the world and I'm looking forward to seeing him add a new dimension to our T20 and County Championship squads."

Paul Coughlin has re-signed for Durham after his two-year spell at Nottinghamshire was blighted by a series of injuries that limited his to ten appearances for the club.

Coughlin, 27, captained Durham's T20 side in 2017 and was part of the England Lions squad the following spring, but he found himself considering giving up the game altogether during his time on the sidelines, and will return to his boyhood club for the 2020 season.

ALSO READ: Wounded Lion Coughlin keen to make up for lost time

"I would like to thank Mick [Newell], Peter [Moores] and the club for their understanding," said Coughlin.

"Unfortunately, I suffered a couple of serious injuries while at Notts which meant I spent most of the last two years with the physio James Pipe and undergoing rehab with Liam Price [the club's strength and conditioning coach]. I am very grateful for all the work they did with me.

"During these periods of injury, I questioned whether I even wanted to continue playing cricket professionally.

"The support I received from Notts during this period was excellent and I am disappointed I was unable to repay them with performances on the field. However, for personal reasons I felt I needed a fresh start. I am very excited to be returning home to Durham and I hope this move will help me get my career back on track."

Coughlin's departure at the end of the 2017 season was controversial, and led Sir Ian Botham, Durham's president, to call for a football-style compensation system whereby clubs are rewarded financially for developing young players.

But after dislocating his right shoulder diving in the field during a Lions game in Antigua, Coughlin did not bowl for the first team in 2018, playing three T20s as a specialist batsmen.

He continued his rehabilitation with a spell playing in the Everest Premier League in Nepal, but broke a finger on his Championship debut in April, and then suffered a serious hamstring strain in his first 50-over game for the club in May.

He returned to fitness in time to play four late-season Championship games, but ended the campaign with a batting average of 23.85 and 11 wickets at 48.18.

"Paul's time with us was blighted by injury to an extent that nobody could have predicted," said Moores, Nottinghamshire's coach.

"It was really unfortunate, of course for him because he was desperate to get going, and also for the club because he was set to be a big signing for us, at an important time having lost a number of senior players at the back end of 2017.

"The desire he showed to get back playing and the way he approached his rehab was second to none. He became a hugely popular person within the group and someone everyone was desperate to see get the success his effort and talent deserved.

"Hopefully now, back at Durham, he can put his injury woes behind him and play some good cricket for them."

Marcus North, Durham's director of cricket said: "We are delighted that this opportunity has presented itself for Durham to bring one of its home-grown players back to the club.

"Paul is an outstanding all-round player who will add quality to the Durham squad in all formats. We are all excited to welcome him back at the club following two years away and look forward to Paul having a huge impact here at the Emirates Riverside."

Britain's Katie Boulter has been beaten by world number 646 Joanna Garland in Thailand on her return from injury.

Boulter, 23, was competing on the ITF Tour, having not played since April because of a back stress fracture.

She lost a tight first set on a tie-break but was then dominated by her Taiwanese opponent in the second, losing 7-6 (7-2) 6-1.

Boulter was injured in a Great Britain Fed Cup tie against Kazakhstan but said in October she is now pain free.

She was the British number two and ranked 85th in the world before the injury, but has now dropped to 352nd.

Nicholas Pooran has agreed a return to Headingley for next summer's Vitality Blast, after impressing during his brief spell at the club in 2019.

Pooran, one of the rising stars of West Indies cricket, will be available for the majority of Yorkshire's North-Group matches in 2020, subject to international commitments.

"I'm very happy to be returning to Headingley for next season's T20 Blast," he said. "I really enjoyed my short stint there after the World Cup and feel I have a bit of unfinished business with the weather winning in a couple of the games I was scheduled to play in 2019.

"I look forward to catching up with my team-mates in 2020."

A member of the West Indies squad at this summer's World Cup, Pooran top-scored with 63 in defeat against the eventual champions, England, at Southampton, before making a brilliant 118 in a spirited run-chase against Sri Lanka at Chester-le-Street.

He subsequently featured in three of a scheduled five Blast matches for Yorkshire, including a memorable 67 off 28 balls to defeat Leicestershire at Grace Road. His innings helped Yorkshire to 255 for 2 - the second highest total in English T20 history.

In the Caribbean Super League, Pooran helped guide the Guyana Amazon Warriors to a perfect 10 from 10 - winning all the club's group-stage matches before losing out to Barbados Tridents in the final.

"We all got a glimpse of what a special player he is [last season]," said Andrew Gale, Yorkshire's first-team coach. "He is box office. In T20 cricket, you always look down the team sheet to see who can win you a game, and Pooran is a guy that can win you a game on his own.

"We saw how well he played at Leicester. I thought that he was going to get us over the line in the Roses game as well where he played really well. He showed us what he is about.

ALSO READ: 'Didn't want to finish my career plodding along' - Malan joins Yorkshire

"We brought Nicholas in for what we could afford last year. With more funds available, we wanted to bring somebody in for a longer period of time. To get him for a major chunk of the competition is a big plus for us. He fitted into the dressing room really well.

"Nicholas brings you two places in the team as he keeps wicket as well. When he is on with the bat, he is as explosive as anyone in world cricket."

Pooran's unveiling comes in the same week that Dawid Malan completed his own move from Middlesex to Yorkshire, and Gale anticipated the two players would have a significant impact for the club.

"In both players you are getting proven players in the T20 format, and proven match winners," Gale said. "It certainly gives us lots more experience in our line-up.

"I felt that last year, we missed out on close games when the pressure was on. At the back end of games, we couldn't get over the line, and bringing in experienced players helps you with that. It brings a calmness and coolness under pressure. Getting these two guys should give us that calmness."

Martyn Moxon, Yorkshire's Director of Cricket, said: "From the end of his time with us last year, we said that we wanted to keep in touch and keep him as an option for this summer.

"We are pleased that it has worked out that way. He is a player with an incredible talent and such an explosive player. We feel that he will be a great addition to our T20 Blast squad.

"We are adding quality to our squad. We want to make a real effort to win the competition. Bringing in Dawid and Nicholas is a massive boost to the quality of the squad. We have some talented batsmen already at the club, but these two additions are really making us, on paper, a strong outfit."

NEW YORK -- A year ago, Kentucky was sent home from the Champions Classic in a daze after getting blown out by Zion Williamson and Duke.

This time around, the Wildcats are heading home with a win over the preseason No. 1 team in the country.

No. 2 Kentucky, behind a stellar performance from freshman guard Tyrese Maxey, knocked off top-ranked Michigan State on Tuesday 69-62.

Maxey came off the bench in his first career game to deliver 26 points on 7-for-12 shooting, including the game-clinching 3-pointer with just over a minute left.

"I shot that shot 1,000 times in high school. I shot it 1,000 times this summer," Maxey said. "I have confidence in myself because I put in the work."

Maxey, a five-star recruit coming out of high school, provided much-needed offensive spark for Kentucky on a night when the rest of the team shot 12-for-38 from the field and 3-for-11 from 3-point range. He knocked down three 3-pointers and grabbed five rebounds.

"I didn't start him because I told him I wanted [him] to come in firing," Calipari said. "I want you to watch what's happening, and you get in there, and you let it go."

"What I saw today is what I saw in high school," Calipari added. "I [had] not seen it to this point. I'm in practice, where's the sniper that I recruited? ... But the two days prior to this, all I talked about was you be that sniper -- play. We need you to get baskets for us."

The much-hyped point guard matchup between Michigan State's Cassius Winston and Kentucky's Ashton Hagans didn't disappoint, as Winston finished with 21 points and four assists, but Hagans had his moments (11 points, three assists) and made life difficult for Winston. Winston's floater and free throw with 1:27 remaining cut Kentucky's lead to two, but Maxey's pull-up 3 came on the next possession.

Michigan State struggled to generate consistent offense throughout the night, especially with Winston picking up four fouls and sitting on the bench for stretches in both halves. The Spartans shot only 29.6% in the first half and went 5-for-26 in the game from 3-point range.

"I love the fact that we shot 39% today and won," Calipari said. "Those are my games. Because we guarded.

"You saw we got our running game going, so I thought they were wearing down a little bit," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo told ESPN after the game. "We just couldn't sustain it. When we got rebounds and ran, we were pretty good. I thought Cassius was a little tired tonight. I was surprised because he's in really good shape. ... They have things to work on. I have more things to work on than they do."

That's a different sentiment than Kentucky felt last year, when the Wildcats were blown out by 34 at the hands of Duke. But last year, Kentucky didn't dwell on the loss -- "That's been in the past," Hagans said -- and Calipari doesn't want to overhype Tuesday's win, either.

"I told these guys, I've been on all sides of this," he said. "In all those years of what we're talking about, at the end of the year, we were one of those teams. And that's all this is. This was a learning experience for all four teams here."

Maxey, who turned 19 on Monday, called Tuesday's win an "amazing birthday celebration." However, his biggest personal highlight wasn't his 26 points or his game-clinching shot.

"Looking up at the zeroes and seeing we were ahead of the other team and won," Maxey said with a smile.

Kentucky hosts Eastern Kentucky on Friday, and Michigan State heads home to face Binghamton on Sunday.

CHICAGO -- With LeBron James catching his breath after playing nearly the entire third quarter and Anthony Davis sitting on the bench right beside him, saddled with four fouls, the Los Angeles Lakers relied on an unlikely lineup to key a fourth-quarter comeback against the Chicago Bulls.

When Kyle Kuzma, Quinn Cook, Alex Caruso, Dwight Howard and Troy Daniels stepped onto the court to begin the fourth Tuesday, L.A. trailed by 13. Three minutes and 48 seconds of game time later, the Lakers led by 3. L.A. used the 16-0 surge to guide them to a 118-112 win, their sixth victory in a row.

"That's the Kuz we know," James said of the Lakers' third-year forward who pumped in 11 of his 15 points in the final frame.

Kuzma was playing in just his third game this season after being sidelined for nearly three months with a stress reaction in his left ankle suffered during USA Basketball training camp.

He sprung to life Tuesday night by making a 3 on the Lakers' first possession of the fourth.

Up to that point, he was 1-for-13 from 3 on the season. He finished the fourth quarter by making five of his eight shots in the period.

"Just confidence," Kuzma said. "Anytime, at least for me, shots go in, I get more and more confidence, and I feel like that's kind of the gist of what happened tonight."

In Kuzma's first two games back, he totaled just 14 points on 5-for-15 shooting. The first half was going in the same direction for him, as he shot 1-for-6 from the field with three turnovers, before he finally found his footing.

"He was kind of rushing a little bit and had some turnovers and just was playing a little fast," James said. "The one thing for him, he can't try to just get it all the way back in the first couple games. I think it will slowly continue to get back. ...

"Kuz is going to be a great piece for our team. He showed that tonight, why. Offensively and defensively he was just so in tune and everybody else that was on the floor as well."

The loss dropped the Bulls to 2-6.

Bulls coach Jim Boylen, who elected not to call a timeout during the 16-0 run, took responsibility for the fourth-quarter collapse.

"I've got to do a better job of getting guys to understand winning basketball, and they're a young group, so that's what I've got to do," Boylen said.

As well as Kuzma played, Cook, Howard and Caruso were right there with him in importance during the comeback. Cook scored eight of his 17 points in the fourth, including the go-ahead 3 with 8:53 remaining to give L.A. back the edge. Howard put up six points, five rebounds and a blocked shot, and Caruso had four points and two steals.

"Anytime our bench comes in and does great things, I want to be the first one off the bench cheering those guys on right on the court, jumping up and down, because it gives them confidence as well," said Davis, who admitted that James, DeMarcus Cousins and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope kept him encouraged when his Chicago homecoming got off to such a rocky start with him shooting just 2-for-9 in the first half. "So we're one big team. No matter who is on the floor, we got to have guys come in and play, and we should be able to throw anybody in the fire, and we did that tonight. Plenty of guys stepped up."

It was such a group effort that James' brilliance was overshadowed. The 17-year veteran finished with 30 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds to tie his personal best of three straight triple-doubles, becoming the first Laker to accomplish the feat since Magic Johnson in 1987.

"Washed King," Davis said to James, teasingly after the game.

"Washed," James said. "Super washed."

Then Davis broke out a falsetto voice: "I'm LeBron James, and I can't do anything anymore except record triple-doubles."

The triple-doubles coincided with a 3-0 road trip for the Lakers, who will return to L.A. with the best record in the league.

"It comes with team success for me," James said. "Triple-double means absolutely nothing to me if it's not in a win. This is three wins for us, and I feel pretty happy about the way we performed."

It was a night where he was helped by his teammates just as much as he helped them.

"Those guys came in and gave us a huge push," James said. "And we needed every minute of it."