Bronny James is expected to begin splitting time between the Lakers and the team’s G League affiliate, even though coach JJ Redick said those plans could change.

ESPN reported Friday that James will be going between the two teams after the Lakers complete a five-game trip Nov. 6. The South Bay Lakers begin their G League season on Nov. 9 against the Salt Lake City Stars.

“Our plans are always fluid based on real time,” Redick said. “I believe we have two guys dressing (Friday) that as of yesterday we’re not dressing out.

“The plan for Bronny to move between the Lakers and South Bay has always been the plan since day one. (GM) Rob (Pelinka) and I have talked about that. LeBron’s talked about that.”

Bronny James was the 55th overall pick in the June draft after one season in college at USC. Most second-round picks during their rookie seasons spend time in the G League and are on two-way contracts.

Bronny James — who averaged 4.2 points and 16.2 minutes of playing time in six preseason games. — dressed but did not play Friday night in the Lakers’ 123-116 victory over the Phoenix Suns at Crypto.com Arena. He played 3 minutes Tuesday night in the Lakers’ 110-103 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Lakers hosted Sacramento on Saturday before going on the trip.

Anthony Davis scored 35 points, Austin Reaves added 26 and the Lakers rallied to beat Phoenix. for their first 2-0 start since 2010-11.

LeBron James had 17 of his 21 points in the second half for the Lakers, who trailed by 22 points in the second quarter.

Kevin Durant led Phoenix (1-1) with 30 points. Devin Booker had 23.

The Lakers were down 61-52 at halftime, then outscored Phoenix 35-24 in the third quarter to take the lead as Davis and James each scored 11 in the period.

The Lakers led by 12 points in the fourth quarter.

HAWKS 125, HORNETS 120:Trae Young scored 38 points and Atlanta overcame LaMelo Ball’s 34 points and career-best nine 3-pointers to beat visiting Charlotte on Friday night.

Ball, a former Chino Hills High standout, made 9 of 14 3-pointers, beating his previous career high of eight. Ball scored 34 points in the Hornets’ 110-105 win at Houston on Wednesday to open the regular season.

WNBA

The Las Vegas Aces, whose two-time championship run ended in a semifinals loss to the New York Liberty, fired general manager Natalie Williams.

Williams was hired in 2022 as part of a new regime that included Becky Hammon as coach. The Aces won titles in 2022 and 2023 to become the first WNBA team to claim back-to-back championships since the Sparks in 2001-02.

However, the team president announced her contract will not be renewed as part of a “restructuring” of the front office.

MIXED MARTIAL ARTS

Featherweight champion Ilia Topuria vowed to become the first man to knock out Max Holloway.

He made good on his promise at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi.

Using a huge right hand to daze Holloway, Topuria (16-0) followed up moments later with a powerful left hook that dropped the 32-year-old. Topuria pounced on Holloway immediately for a ground-and-pound finish before referee Mark Goddard stopped the bout at the 1:34 mark of the third round.

Holloway fell to 26-8.

It was Topuria’s first title defense since capturing the belt with a second-round technical knockout of Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 on Feb. 17.

Volkanovski was in attendance Saturday, and Topuria said he would honor him with a rematch.

In the co-main event, No. 13 Khamzat Chimaev (14-0) stopped No. 3 Robert Whitaker (27-8) with a first-round submission just 3:34 into the fight, after taking him down and administering a wicked face crank.

Top-ranked light heavyweight Magomed Ankalaev defeated No. 5 Aleksandar Rakic by unanimous decision after three rounds.

GOLF

Nico Echavarria shot 5-under 65 and finished with a tap-in eagle on the 18th for a two-shot lead over Justin Thomas after the third round of the PGA Tour’s Zozo Championship in Inzai City, Japan.

Jeeno Thitikul shot an 8-under 64 to leave her in a three-way tie for the lead after three rounds and with a chance to win the tournament outright this year. Thitikul lost a lengthy playoff at the LPGA Tour’s Maybank Championship in 2023.

The Thai player had a three-round total of 16-under 200 on the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club course on Saturday. She was tied with Ruoning Yin (66) and Haeran Ryu (67) going into today’s final round.

TENNIS

Karen Khachanov upset second-seeded Alex de Minaur 6-2, 6-4 and will play for consecutive ATP titles in the Erste Bank Open in Vienna.

Khachanov took his seventh career title and second of the year in Almaty last weekend and won his eighth straight singles on Saturday.

He’ll face seventh-seeded Jack Draper in today’s final after the Briton beat Lorenzo Musetti of Italy 6-2, 6-4 in the other semifinal.

Ben Shelton beat his doubles partner, Arthur Fils, at the Swiss Indoors in Basel, and will face another Frenchman, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, in today’s final.

No. 6-seeded Shelton defeated No. 7 Fils 6-3, 7-6 (9), recovering from 6-3 down in the tiebreak of their semifinal.

The unseeded Mpetshi Perricard upset No. 4-seeded Holger Rune 7-6 (6), 6-4 by serving 17 aces. He’s yet to lose serve in Basel.

Former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin advanced to the final of the Pan Pacific Open with a 6-4, 6-4 win over ninth-seeded Katie Boulter.

Kenin will play No. 1 seed and Paris Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen. who beat Diana Shnaider 7-6 (5), 6-3 in the other semifinal.