Pace

With the presidential election and Superstorm Sandy behind them, car shoppers headed for dealer lots last month in the biggest numbers since early 2008. Multiple brands, including Honda, Nissan, Hyundai and BMW, had their best Novembers ever last month. The import nameplates generally reported stronger gains than the domestic brands, helped by new products such as the new-generation Honda Accord and a new Nissan Pathfinder sport utility vehicle. Automakers sold more than 1.1 million vehicles last month, a 15% gain over November 2011.

NASHVILLE - The Dodgers are making efforts to reestablish their international presence but are becoming uncertain about their chances of signing their top targets from Asia. Talks with South Korean left-hander Ryu Hyun-jin are moving very slowly, according to General Manager Ned Colletti. And the Dodgers now think high school flamethrower Shohei Otani could remain in his native Japan instead of signing with a U.S. ballclub. The Dodgers bid $25.7 million to win a league-wide auction for the exclusive right to negotiate with Ryu, a seven-time South Korean league all-star.

Two elite high school football teams that run no-huddle, fast-paced offenses and are mirror images of each other have been selected to play in the inaugural CIF state regional Open Division championship bowl game. It will be City Section Division I champion Harbor City Narbonne (14-0) taking on Inland Division champion Corona Centennial (13-1) on Saturday night at Cerritos College. The winner will play the Northern California representative, Concord De La Salle or Folsom, in the CIF state championship Open Division bowl game Dec. 15 at the Home Depot Center.

The U.S. economy expanded at a "measured pace" in recent weeks as gains in consumer demand and housing were tempered by a slowdown in manufacturing and the impact of Superstorm Sandy, the Federal Reserve said in its "beige book" survey. "Consumer spending grew at a moderate pace in most districts, while manufacturing weakened," the central bank said in the survey that comes out eight times a year and is based on reports from the Fed's 12 district banks. "Contacts in a number of districts expressed concern and uncertainty about the federal budget, especially the fiscal cliff.

The average price of a gallon of regular gasoline in the U.S. this year never reached the highs seen in 2008, when the all-time record of $4.114 was reached. The 2012 average never even climbed as high as it was last year, when it hit $3.965, according to the Energy Department. But fuel prices have been so consistently high in 2012 that American motorists are on pace to spend more on gasoline this year -- $483 billion, or $1.32 billion a day -- than they ever have before, according to the Oil Price Information Service in New Jersey.

Point guard Chris Duhon played for Coach Mike D'Antoni in New York with the Knicks.  He has firsthand experience in D'Antoni's system, which he says is far more complex than what the Lakers were able to run against the Phoenix Suns on Friday night. "What you've seen out there is nothing close to what eventually will happen," said Duhon. "It takes time. It's a timing thing. It's an offense where once everyone understands it, there's no play calls. " It's easy to think back to the Steve Nash-led Suns squad of athletes, pouring in shots from all over the floor in high volume.

The Pac-12 Conference South Division and a berth in the Pac-12 title game are on the line in the 82nd football meeting between rivals USC and UCLA. Staff writer Gary Klein examines the game's matchups and story lines: Marquee matchup For the first time in years, USC and UCLA both have star quarterbacks. USC's Matt Barkley has a history of success against the Bruins: He has passed for 827 yards and eight touchdowns in three victories. However, Barkley is coming off a three-interception game against Arizona State.

One of the goals for the Lakers, in hiring Mike D'Antoni as their new head coach, was to quicken the team's pace. Former Coach Mike Brown's style was somewhat plodding, especially as the players tried to execute his hybrid-Princeton offense. Patience now would have paid off later, but ownership decided it wasn't worth the time to find out. "We have a vision of how we thought this team would play, bringing in a player like Steve Nash," said General Manager Mitch Kupchak. "We thought we could get the ball in his hands a lot, play up-tempo.

The simple question for Lakers fans is this: Can newly hired Lakers Coach Mike D'Antoni and his fast-paced offense help L.A. win a 17th NBA championship? "I don't know if he can," said an NBA scout for a Western Conference team, who was not authorized to speak publicly. "But I do think he can win enough games to keep Laker Nation happy — for now. " D'Antoni has never won an NBA championship during stops as head coach with the Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks.