Clips Can't Capitalize Returns

The Los Angeles Clippers fell to the Washington Wizards 106-94, their 18th loss in 20 games and fifth straight. An 11-for-26 night from behind the arc did not help the Clips, who gave up 24 turnovers and were out-rebounded 49-38. Eric Gordon pushes his rookie season further and further, scoring 25 points to lead LA. Baron Davis had his best game after returning from an injury with 17 points and 6 assists coming off the bench. Steve Novak also scored 17 points, most of which came courtesy of a 5-for-10 night from 3-point range. Brian Skinner was the only other Clipper to score in double-figures with 14 points in addition to 10 rebounds. Antawn Jamison led the Wizards with 25 points to go with 12 rebounds, and former Laker Caron Butler had a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds, as well as 7 assists. Nick Young came off the bench to score 22 points.

Lakers' Win Has Grizzly Consequences

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 115-98, but the victory was tempered by Andrew Bynum's knee injury in the first quarter. As Kobe Bryant drove to the basket to take his shot, he fell back and landed on Bynum's knee. X-rays were negative, and Bynum will undergo an MRI when the team arrives in New York to play the Knicks. The Lakers had to get through the game without their star center, but for the first half it seemed like they could not focus. LA allowed 61 points in the first half, at one point trailing by 13 before the Lakers could cut the deficit down to 6 by halftime. However, LA came out of shock, and outscored Memphis 60-37 in the second half. The Lakers had a .537 shooting percentage, forced 22 Memphis turnovers, and scored 66 points in the paint. Kobe Bryant led all players with 25 points and 7 assists, and Pau Gasol returned to his former home to score 24 points and grab a game-high 8 rebounds against his brother, Marc Gasol. Derek Fisher had 14 points, and Lamar Odom used extra playing time off the bench to add 14 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Trevor Ariza scored 11 points and snagged 5 rebounds. For the Grizzlies, Rudy Gay led with 23 points, and former-USC star O.J. Mayo had 21 points and 5 rebounds. Memphis's three other starters all scored double-figures, including Marc Gasol with 13 points.

Editor's Note: Torre Might Add Excitement

Joe Torre, the Dodgers manager, has co-written a book about his years with the Yankees, aptly titled The Yankee Years. In it, Torre allegedly "bashes" several players, including Kevin Brown, David Wells, Alex Rodriguez and former-owner George Steinbrenner. Torre appeared on "Larry King Live" to discuss the contents of his book, whether reports of his comments were true, and what affect his book could have on his current club. While it seems that the book itself has no real impact on the Dodgers, it certainly could in the future. After all, what would happen now if LA plays the Yankees in the World Series? While the effects of the book on the Yankees is clear, it is uncertain what it will do to LA. Will players be hesitent to divulge secrets or even sign with the Dodgers for fear of appearing in Torre's next book? Will extra attention be placed on the Dodgers during next season? Will the animosity between the Dodgers and Yankees increase even more, just in time for the 2010 season in which LA will play against the A.L. East during the interleague matchups? As more and more stories are published about the book's comments, it sure puts LA's skipper in the spotlight. Hopefully, that extra limelight doesn't interfere with the clubhouse. And who knows, maybe Manny Ramirez wants to be in his next book.

Clips Can't Handle the King

The Los Angeles Clippers were defeated by the Cleveland Cavaliers 112-95, the Clips' 18th loss in 20 games. Cleveland is undefeated at home, with a 22-0 record. The Cavs had a .494 shooting percentage, and went 14-for-26 from 3-point range. LA was out-rebounded 45-35, and had a .402 shooting percentage. The King - LeBron James - had 25 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists and Mo Williams backed him up with 23 points. Zydrunas Ilgauskas added 20 points for Cleveland. Eric Gordon continues to shine, leading the Clippers with 27 points and 7 rebounds. Steve Novak came off the bench to score 19 points, including five 3-pointers. Al Thornton scored 14 points, and Ricky Davis came off the bench with 11.

For Lakers, Offense Is Best Defense

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 132-119, the most points LA has scored this season. The Lakers had a .505 shooting percentage, and held the T-Wolves to just 4-for 15 from 3-point range. Trevor Ariza was able to play despite having suffered a concussion in Tuesday's loss to Charlotte. Andrew Bynum continues to bulldoze his way through other teams with his fifth-straight double-double, snagging 27 points, 15 rebounds and 2 blocked shots. Kobe Bryant led with 30 points and 5 assists to go with 8 rebounds. Pau Gasol added 21 points and 9 rebounds, and 4 other Lakers scored in double-figures, including all 5 starters (Derek Fisher=10 points, Luke Walton=11, Jordan Farmar=10, Lamar Odom=10). Al Jefferson had 34 points and 13 rebounds for Minnesota, and Randy Foye added 27 points. Former UCLA star Kevin Love came off the bench for the Wolves, scoring 14 points and grabbing 9 boards.

Kings Hand Chicago a Black-Eye

The Los Angeles Kings defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 5-2, going back to .500 with a 20-20-7 record. 5 different Kings scored a goal for LA, and goalie Jonathan Quick made 31 saves, as well as getting an assist on Patrick O'Sullivan's goal in the second period. Dustin Brown extended his goal-streak to 4 games, and Alexander Frolov scored his team-high 21st goal. Dave Bolland and Patrick Sharp each scored a goal in the third period for the Blackhawks.

College Basketball Roundup - No. California

UCLA - The Bruins rebounded from a tough loss to the Huskies by beating the Cal Golden Bears, 81-66. For UCLA, they returned to their dominating offense after playing their last two games very listlessly. The Bruins forced 21 turnovers, and held the Bears to 45% shooting. Darren Collison led UCLA with 18 points and 5 assists. Jrue Holiday scored 13 points, and Josh Shipp added 11. Theo Robertson led Cal with 19 points, and Jerome Randle scored 11.

USC - The Trojans held off a late rally to defeat Stanford 70-69. The Cardinal had a chance to win the game at the last second, but Lawrence Hill's jumper went in and out. Taj Gibson played through pneumonia and Daniel Hackett battled the flu, but both played close to 40 minutes. USC is now within a game of first in the Pac-10. Gibson had 20 points on 9-for-12 shooting and Hackett grabbed 12 points, 4 assists and 2 steals. Hill led Stanford with 19 points and Landry Fields added 18 points and 6 rebounds.

Gasol Headed for Phoenix

Pau Gasol was named one of the Western Conference's back-ups in the 2009 NBA All-Star Game, joining fellow Lakers Kobe Bryant and coach Phil Jackson. Gasol came to LA last season in a blockbuster trade between the Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies. He substituted for Andrew Bynum at the center position, but moved to forward upon Bynum's return this season. Gasol occasionally plays center when Bynum is put on the bench.

Dodgers' List is Dwindling

The Los Angeles Dodgers' list of potential pitchers to sign from free-agency has shrunk, as Jon Garland signed a one-year deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks. As it stands, the Dodgers are focusing on Randy Wolf, whose stints with the San Diego Padres and Houston Astros last season led to a 14-14 record. He was especially impressive with Houston, going 6-2 with a 3.57 ERA. Braden Looper serves as a backup if another team, like the New York Mets, snatches up Wolf before the Dodgers can. Looper went 12-14 with St. Louis last season.

Clippers' Reunion Hits Snag

The Los Angeles Clippers fell to the Chicago Bulls 95-75, despite the return of Marcus Camby and Baron Davis. The two came off the bench and had a combined 9 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. The Bulls snapped a 5-game losing streak by holding LA to just 36% shooting, including 9 points in the entire third quarter. Eric Gordon led the Clips with 19 points and 7 assists, and Al Thornton and Fred Jones were the only other players to score in double-figures, Thornton with 10 and Jones with 11. Luol Deng scored 23 points and had 9 rebounds for Chicago, and rookie Derrick Rose had 21 points and 6 assists.

Editor's Note: LA Must Be More Than Pricey Poker Chip

As the San Diego Chargers struggles to discover its identity after going 8-8, snatching a playoff berth from the hands of Denver, and defeating the Colts in the wild-card round, LA's position in this debacle is becoming less and less clear. The Bolts have made a deal with the Wasserman Media Group to market Phillip Rivers, LaDainian Tomlinson, and all the other Chargers to Los Angeles and Orange County. CBS chose to broadcast every Chargers game it carried in LA, instead of using the "Game of the Week" airing program. Now, as Ed Roski has passed the first hurdle to build new stadium in the City of Industry as the city's council voted to back the stadium's construction. All signs point to an eventual move for the Chargers. But is that where this is going? LA could merely be a bargaining chip, and the timing couldn't be better. The Bolts are having serious problems with the city of San Diego, with the status of Qualcomm Stadium under heavy scrutiny. The Chargers want the city to fix the problems with a new stadium, but if it can't, they can conveniently move down the 5 freeway to build a home in LA. If Los Angeles wants to be more than just a vague threat, this new stadium needs to be built. That way, there will be no more questions, doubts, or what if's. Any bluffs will lose considerable strength, as with no waiting for a stadium, teams can come whenever they feel like it. Teams will either move, or they won't. But at least the people of LA will know for sure where to go if any team does come.

Bobcats Have Lakers' Number

The Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Charlotte Bobcats 117-110 in double-overtime. It was LA's third straight loss to Charlotte at home. In the first OT, Kobe Bryant fouled out of the game, and Trevor Ariza suffered a concussion in the second quarter and never returned. Derek Fisher hit a 3-pointer with 14 seconds left in the 4th quarter to send the game into overtime, but Boris Diaw hit his own game-tying 3-pointer at the end of the first OT, shortly after Kobe left the game. The Lakers were held to a .434 shooting percentage, and were out-rebounded 53-42 and out-assisted 31-19. Bryant led the team with 38 points, and Andrew Bynum had 24 points and 14 rebounds. Fisher had 14 points with 6 assists. Diaw led the Bobcats with 23 points to go with 9 rebounds and 9 assists. Raymond Felton scored 21 points.

Clippers Can't Get Past Tough 4th

The Los Angeles Clippers fell to the Portland Trail Blazers 113-88, their 34th loss of the season. The Blazers could not be contained, shooting 58% from field goal range, as well as going 8-for-18 from behind the arc. The Clips were outscored 36-15 in the fourth quarter after going in trailing by 4 points. Brandon Roy continues his dominating performance, scoring 33 points for the Blazers on 11-for-15 shooting. Travis Outlaw followed, adding 20 points to Portland's cause. Al Thornton led LA with 23 points, and Steve Novak scored 21 points, going 5-for-8 from 3-point range. Fred Jones had 19 points and 7 assists.

Brown Helps Ailing West

The Eastern Conference defeated the West in the NHL's annual All-Star Game, 12-11 in a shootout. It was held in Montreal, the birthplace of the National Hockey League. The game was hazardous for goalies, who went a combined 80-for-102 on save opportunities. The Kings' Dustin Brown had an assist on Shane Doan's goal in the third period. Alex Kovalev was the game's MVP with two goals and an assist, as well as a shootout goal that won the game for the East. The shootout ended with a 2-0 score.

Clippers Face Harsh Reality for 33rd Time

The Los Angeles Clippers were defeated by the Golden State Warriors 107-92, their 33rd loss of the season. Only 8 players suited up for the Clips, who have been without 4 of their starters for weeks now. A .379 shooting percentage did not help matters for LA, whose 18 rebounds led to 19 Golden State points. Eric Gordon continues to play good basketball, scoring 21 points. Al Thornton followed with 17 points and 7 rebounds, and Ricky Davis had 15 points and 7 assists. DeAndre Jordan had a season-high 20 rebounds for the Clips. Ex-Clipper Corey Maggette led the Warriors with 20 points, and Anthony Morrow followed with 17.

Lakers Enjoy Sweet Revenge

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the San Antonio Spurs 99-85, avenging their last-second loss from 11 days ago at the hands of the Spurs. It was the Lakers' 4th straight win, as well as their 35th win overall. LA held San Antonio to a mere .375 shooting percentage, and blocked 8 of the Spurs' shots. The Lakers were 7-for-17 from behind the arc. Kobe Bryant came out storming, scoring 22 points on 8-for-17 shooting. Andrew Bynum had a double-double with 15 points, 11 assists and 4 blocked shots. Pau Gasol added 16 points, and Trevor Ariza came off the bench with 17 points. Jordan Farmar made his return ahead of schedule, scoring 14 points. Tony Parker led the Spurs with 19 points and 6 assists, and Tim Duncan had 15 points and 8 rebounds.

College Basketball Roundup - Washington Pt. 2

UCLA - The Bruins fell to the Washington Huskies 86-75, their second loss in 3 games. Washington used a 12-0 run to push past UCLA in the second half, as the Bruins could not score for 5 minutes. Josh Shipp scored 25 points, and Darren Collison had 12. Isaiah Thomas led the Huskies with 24 points, and Jon Brockman had 18 points and 8 rebounds.

USC - The Trojans hung on the defeat Washington State 46-44, improving to 4-3 in conference play. USC trailed 19-18 at halftime, but went on an offensive streak to get the win, as Daniel Hackett knocked down 4 free throws in the final minute that put the Trojans up by 6. Hackett scored 14 points, and Taj Gibson had a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds.