MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Sacramento Kings leading scorer Zach LaVine injured his left ankle midway through the second quarter on Sunday against Minnesota and was ruled out for the rest of the game, a 117-103 victory for the Timberwolves.
LaVine landed awkwardly on his left foot during a drive into the lane, when he got his flip shot to fall, drew a foul and converted the three-point play. The 12th-year veteran guard, who is averaging 20.6 points per game, remained on the floor for about three more minutes while moving around gingerly before he was removed and went to the locker room for evaluation.
The Kings have been without three-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis for nearly a month because of a partially torn meniscus in his left knee, and center Drew Eubanks suffered a broken left thumb in Sacramento's previous game at Denver on Thursday.
Veteran point guard Dennis Schroder returned to the Kings on Sunday after a seven-game absence because of a hip injury. LaVine had just returned from a thumb injury that kept him out of the previous game at Denver.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
Sacramento Kings guard Zach Lavine, front left, works around Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte Divincenzo, back left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)
SALLA, Finland (AP) — Traditional reindeer racing that's been delighting spectators for decades in Finland brought hundreds of fans to the Salla Reindeer Cup in the town of Salla this past weekend.
Around 1,000 people attended the competition, despite frigid subfreezing temperatures and the remote location near the Russian border, roughly 264 kilometers (164 miles) northeast of the city of Oulu.
They watched and cheered as the reindeer galloped across the snow-covered track, pulling their handlers behind them on skis. Whoever is fastest wins the race.
Spectators came not only from Finland but also Italy, Norway, Germany and France, among other countries.
Reindeer husbandry has been an important part of Scandinavian culture for many decades, especially for the Sami Indigenous people in the far north of the country.
“Salla has a long history in reindeer racing — it’s been going on here since the 1950s,” said Lasse Aatsinki, the head of Salla Reindeer Cup. “Back then, men spent winters in the forest, there were no snowmobiles. In late winter, the reindeer were in great shape, so they started racing them.”
These days, reindeer racing is an organized and regulated competition with trained male reindeer.
The premiere event was the so-called hot series, in which reindeer qualify if they race the kilometer-long (just over a half-mile) track in 1 minute, 19 seconds, or less. Only the fastest reindeer get to compete in this race.
“It’s a science. A lot depends on the reindeer’s character — it has to tolerate a lot: the audience, other reindeer, noise, movement,” Aatsinki said. “Everyone has their tricks — and they’re usually kept under the fur hat. Every owner has their own way.”
During the race, crowds cheered their favorites on with calls of “hyvä, hyvä” and “mene, mene” — which is Finnish for “good, good” and “go, go” — as the reindeer sprinted down the final stretch.
In between races, people kept warm with reindeer soup and kampanisu, a traditional local pastry specialty from Salla.
The competition culminated Sunday with the final rounds and it was reindeer named Pompom which won the final race.
“Pompom is exceptionally fast and smart, and you rarely find one like that,” said Hannu Krupula, the winning animal's owner.
“If there’s any weakness, it’s that it’s not very good-looking — which can be misleading,” he added.
“When you look at that reindeer, you might quickly think it’s poorly fed or something. But it eats well. It’s a rare individual.”
And thus after the race, Pompom and all the other reindeer got their own reward — lichen, a symbiotic, colorful organism that grows on trees or rocks, and is the animals' favorite treat.
A reindeer breaks away from the pack during the Salla Porocup reindeer sprint racing event on the frozen Lake Keselmajarvi in Salla, Finland, March 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Aino Vaananen)
A reindeer handler guides an eager reindeer to the starting area during the Salla Porocup reindeer sprint racing event in Salla, Finland, March 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Aino Vaananen)
A reindeer breaks away from the pack during the Salla Porocup reindeer sprint racing event on the frozen Lake Keselmajarvi in Salla, Finland, March 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Aino Vaananen)
Reindeer rest in their holding area beneath Sallatunturi fell before the start of reindeer racing at the Salla Porocup sprint racing event in Salla, Finland, March 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Aino Vaananen)
A junior competitor bursts out of the starting gate during the Salla Porocup sprint racing event in Salla, Finland, March 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Aino Vaananen)
Reindeer compete during the Salla Porocup reindeer sprint racing event on the frozen Lake Keselmajarvi in Salla, Finland, March 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Aino Vaananen)
