Lakers Hold Off Raging Bulls

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Chicago Bulls 117-109, their 55th win of the season. The Lakers entered halftime trailing by 14 points, but outscored Chicago 69-47 to end the game with a victory. LA forced 23 turnovers, 16 of which were steals, and grabbed 14 offensive rebounds to take 14 more shots than Chicago. The Bulls had just two steals in the game while shooting .506 from the field. Kobe Bryant had 28 points and 7 assists, and Pau Gasol added 23 points and 10 rebounds. Trevor Ariza scored 18 points, Lamar Odom had 16, and Jordan Farmar added 13 off the bench. John Salmons led the Bulls with 30 points, and Derrick Rose added 25.

Dodgers News: McDonald Makes Case for Fifth, Blake Sees New View, and Broadcaster is Announced

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Cleveland Indians 6-4, their win of the spring. Doug Mientkiewicz came up a home run short of the cycle, getting a single, double, and triple with two RBI's. Russell Martin had a two-run homer, and Juan Castro had a double, run scored, and RBI. James McDonald had his first start with the Dodgers, and pitched three hitless innings, allowing only a walk and inserted his name in the contest for the fifth starting pitcher in the rotation. Shawn Estes gave up two runs in less than three innings, and Scott Elbert gave up a run in one inning of work.

McDonald made the start in place of Hiroki Kuroda. Kuroda pitched in a minor-league game instead.

Eric Collins was announced as the Dodgers' new play-by-play man for road games. Collins will call games on the road outside the NL West for TV affiliates FSN and KCAL 9.

Casey Blake played in his first game against the Cleveland Indians. Blake spent his entire major-league career with Cleveland, and went to the ALCS in 2007 with them. Blake was acquired from the Indians in the middle of last season for two prospects, and was later resigned in the off-season to shore up the infield.

Bruins Suffer Super-Nova

The UCLA Bruins fell to Villanova 89-69, and are consequently eliminated from the NCAA Tournament. UCLA was just 20-for-47 from the field, while the Wildcats were 31-for-67. The Bruins committed 18 turnovers and were out-rebounded 39-26. The loss snapped UCLA's streak of three-straight Final Four berth's. Josh Shipp had 18 points, and Darren Collison added 15. No other Bruin scored in double-figures. Six of Villanova's players scored double-digits, led by Dante Cunningham with 18 points. Corey Fisher and Reggie Redding each added 13 points for the Wildcats.

It's the Pitts for Kings

The Los Angeles Kings fell to the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-1, and are now 7 points out of playoff contention. Sydney Crosby had a goal and assist for Pittsburgh, who took just 26 shots despite getting the victory. Michal Handzus scored LA's only goal in the third period. Evgeni Malkin, Marc-Andre Fleury, and Bill Guerin each added goals for the Penguins. Jonathan Quick made just 22 saves for the Kings.

Clippers Continue to Stall

The Los Angeles Clippers fell to the Detroit Pistons 108-90, their 52nd loss of the season. The Clips lost despite shooting .493 from the field, as Detroit had a .557 shooting percentage. The Pistons had only 6 turnovers that were converted for 4 points. Eric Gordon led LA with 22 points, and Baron Davis had 19 points and 8 assists. Antonio McDyess led Detroit with 24 points and 17 rebounds, and Tayshaun Prince added 23 points and 12 assists. Will Bynum had a career-high 22 points.

Dodgers News: Surprise Surprise, Lindblom Blossoms, and Manny Might Be Back

The Los Angeles Dodgers fell to the Kansas City Royals 9-4, despite scoring three runs in the first inning. Claudio Vargas started his first game for LA, pitching three innings and only allowing one run on three hits and two walks. Eric Milton gave up 8 runs, including a six-run fifth inning, but just one of those runs was earned. James Loney, Delwyn Young, and Blake DeWitt each had an RBI in the first, and DeWitt had three hits.

Josh Lindblom had a good debut for the big-league club after being promoted. He pitched two scoreless innings, allowing only one hit and striking out three.

Manny Ramirez may be close to returning to the lineup. Manny could DH in Monday's game against the Angels. He is currently healing a tight left-hamstring which he aggravated in Sunday's game.

Trojans Move On to Round 2

The USC Trojans defeated Boston College 72-55, and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Trojans outscored the Eagles 42-21 in the second half after leaving the first half trailing by 4. USC shot .529 from the field, while B.C. went only .327, including 6-for-23 from 3-point range. The Eagles had no answer for Taj Gibson, as he went 10-for-10 with 24 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocked shots. Dwight Lewis had 20 points, and DeMar DeRozan added 18 points and 9 rebounds. Corey Raji led Boston College with 15 points and 7 rebounds.

Lakers Regain Form in Victory

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Golden State Warriors 114-106, their 54th win of the season. The Lakers seemed poised to repeat their stunning loss from Tuesday, but managed to hang on to a consistent lead after the third quarter. LA held G.S. to just .457 shooting, but committed 22 turnovers. Pau Gasol scored 21 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, and Kobe Bryant had 21 points as well. Lamar Odom continues to return to form, scoring 16 points and grabbing 12 rebounds, and Trevor Ariza added 13 points as he adjusts to the starting lineup. Sasha Vujacic scored 12 off the bench. Monta Ellis led the Warriors with 27 points, and Kelenna Azubuike added 25 points and 8 rebounds.

Bruins Hold Off VCU

The UCLA Bruins defeated Virginia Commonwealth 65-64, and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. UCLA and the Rams went back and forth, but VCU could not grab a lead in the second half despite keeping the game close. Both schools matched statistic for statistic, including shooting percentage, turnovers, and rebounds. However, Virginia Commonwealth went 18-for-25 at the free-throw line. Josh Shipp led the Bruins with 16 points and 8 rebounds, and Jrue Holiday added 13 points. Eric Maynor had 21 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds for VCU.

Kings Leave Boston in Ruins

The Los Angeles Kings defeated the Boston Bruins 3-2 in overtime, giving them a much needed boost for the playoff race. Dustin Brown scored the game-winner with just 35 seconds left in over time after LA scored two goals in the third period to tie the game. Matt Hunwick and Mark Recchi both scored to put Boston up 2-0, but Michal Handzus and Drew Doughty tied the game with individual goals.

Dodgers News: Happy Birthday, So Long Yhency, and New Promotion

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Colorado Rockies 3-2, snapping a four-game losing streak. Clayton Kershaw, who turned 21 today, pitched five scoreless innings, giving up just a walk and a double while striking out three. He also hit a solo-homer in the third inning. Russell Martin had a double, run, and RBI, and Andre Ethier had two hits. Eric Stults ran into trouble in his first game of the spring, giving up two runs in less than two innings. Jeff Weaver and Ramon Troncoso both pitched scoreless innings.

Josh Lindblom was promoted from minor-league camp to the majors. Lindblom was a second-round pick last year and made one relief appearance this spring, pitching two scoreless innings against Oakland.

The Dodgers released Yhency Brazoban today. Brazoban was an acquisition from the Yankees and became the team closer in 2005 after Eric Gagne was injured. However, he has been troubled with weight and health issues, having Tommy John surgery in 2006 and shoulder labrum surgery in 2007.

Jamie Hoffmann was sent to the minors so he can get more playing time. Hoffmann went four-for-six in Spring Training with three doubles, five RBI's, and three runs scored.

Clippers Enjoy Capital Gains

The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Washington Wizards 123-108, their 17th win of the season. The Clips scored 37 points in the third quarter en route to their victory, and shot .588 from the field. LA went 15-for-16 from three-point range, while Washington went just 2-for-10. Eric Gordon led the Clippers with 26 points, and Baron Davis had 11 points, 20 assists, and 8 rebounds. Steve Novak added 21 points, 18 coming off 3-pointers, and Al Thornton had 22. Antawn Jamison led the Wizards with 24 points.

Editor's Note: Let the Games Begin

The NCAA Tourney kicks off tomorrow, and the overflow of info truly begins. CBS has round-the-clock coverage of every game, and will no doubt cover every possible outcome, right down to the leading scorer in the semi-finals. Every bracket will be scrutinized and created, with the predictable saying UConn or North Carolina leaves victorious or the outrageous saying CSUN walks away with the trophy. No brackets will be predicted here, though I will give you a hint as to who I think will win: the school's coach became enraged when questioned over his salary. As I watch with a UCLA pennant in one hand and a USC foam-finger in the other, the mere pageantry of the tournament is enough to entertain me. The greatest sporting event in American is about to begin, and I will turn off all the sports pundits breaking down each regional. For me, it's about what happens, not what could.

Dodgers' WBC: USA is Still Number 2

VENEZUELA 10 - USA 6: Team Venezuela defeated Team USA in their pool finale to determine seeding for the semi-finals. Miguel Cabrera had three hits and two RBI's, and Max Ramirez had a home run and three RBI's for Venezuela. Mark DeRosa had three hits, one a home run, and three RBI's, and Brian Roberts had a double and two runs scored. Luis Maza went hitless in one at-bat, and Jonathan Broxton did not pitch.

All Dodgers are in black

Dodgers News: Kuroda Gets Call, Off-Day Blues, and Mr. Beimal Goes to Washington

The Los Angeles Dodgers announced today that Hiroki Kuroda will be the opening-day starter against San Diego. Kuroda will be followed in the rotation by Randy Wolf, Chad Billingsley, Clayton Kershaw, and the mystery fifth-man. Billingsley will be positioned to pitch the Dodgers' home-opener on April 13. The rotation sets up as right-left-right-left. Kuroda, a top-tier pitcher from Japan, went 9-10 last year with a 3.73 ERA and two complete game shutouts, including a one-hitter. He won two playoff games, and was the only pitcher to get a win against Philadelphia in the NLCS. He gained the respect of many teammates in the playoffs after throwing a brush-back pitch to Shane Victorino, sending a message to Philly that he would not allow their pitchers to harass the Dodgers without retaliation.

Chad Billingsley pitched 5 innings in a minor-league intrasquad game, giving up three runs, including a home run.

Joe Beimal officially signed with the Washington Nationals, effectively ending his tenure with LA. Beimal was used as a situational lefty last season, and had an ERA of 2.02, but surrendered 20 inherited runs.

Clippers Look Less Than Golden

The Los Angeles Clippers fell to the Golden State Warriors 127-120, their 51st loss of the season. The Clips shot just .412 from the field, and had 20 offensive rebounds. G.S. had a .536 shooting percentage, including 7-for-14 from beyond the arc. Baron Davis had 29 points against his former team, and Al Thornton scored 25 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. Zach Randolph had 20 points and 11 rebounds. Monta Ellis led the Warriors with 29 points, and former-Clipper Corey Maggette added 21.

Lakers get 86-ed by 76ers

The Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Philadelphia 76ers 94-93, only their 14th loss of the season. After Kobe Bryant hit a 23-foot jumper with six seconds left to put the Lakers up by two in the fourth quarter, Andre Iguodala hit a three-pointer as time expired to get the win for Philly. The Sixers outscored LA 32-20 in the deciding fourth quarter after the Lakers entered the fourth leading by 11. Despite shooting 50%, the Lakers committed 18 turnovers, allowed four 3-pointers in the last quarter, and only forced 9 Philly turnovers. Kobe had a cold game, scoring only 11 points on 5-for-15 shooting. Pau Gasol led LA with 25 points, and Trevor Ariza had 16 points and 8 rebounds. Iguodala led the Sixers with 25 points, and Louis Williams scored 18 points off the bench.

Dodgers' WBC: USA Comes From Behind, Andvances

USA 6 - PUERTO RICO 5: Team USA defeated Team Puerto Rico to advance to the semi-finals at Dodger Stadium. America was down by two runs going into the bottom of the ninth, but scored three runs, the winner being a two-run single by David Wright. Kevin Youkilis had a home run and walked with the bases loaded in the ninth to knock in the first run, and Shane Victorino had three hits, an RBI, and a run scored. Jonathan Broxton, the Dodgers' closer, gave up one run in the top of the ninth, but got the win. Alex Rios had a home run for Puerto Rico, and Carlos Delgado had two RBI's.

Dodgers' WBC: Venezuela Advances

VENEZUELA 2 - PUERTO RICO 0: Team Venezuela defeated Team Puerto Rico to advance to the semi-finals at Dodger Stadium. Ramon Hernandez had an instant-replay home run. Luis Maza did not enter the game for Venezuela. Puerto Rico will play the US today in an elimination game; the loser goes home and the winner moves on.

Dodgers News: From Wolf to Prey, So Long Abreu, and Five's for Fighting

The Los Angeles Dodgers fell to the Chicago Cubs 12-3, their 10th loss of the season. Randy Wolf gave up 7 runs on 10 hits in four innings, and James McDonald surrendered four runs in less than two innings. James Loney had a double and a run scored, and A.J. Ellis had an RBI-double.

The Dodgers optioned six players to the minor leagues, including infielder Tony Abreu. Abreu missed all of last season with a sports hernia and a torn hip labrum, and was injured during this spring. He was a long-shot to make the club in April as a utility-infielder. Also optioned were Lucas May, Travis Schlichting, Victor Garate, Brent Leach, and Jesus Castillo.

Pedro Martinez still remains a possibility for the fifth-starter spot, especially with the poor outings of the current candidates as of late. Those candidates stand to be Claudio Vargas, Eric Milton, Shawn Estes and Eric Stults, with Milton as the current favorite. Jason Schmidt is out of the running as he struggles to stay in line with a five-day schedule, and Jeff Weaver has been marked bullpen-only. James McDonald, once a possible fifth-starter candidate, is now fighting to make the opening-day roster as he experiences a poor spring.

Kings Slip into Unlucky 13

The Los Angeles Kings fell to the Nashville Predators 4-3, and are in 13th place in the Western Conference. They are six points out of playoff contention. Ryan Jones scored the go-ahead goal for Nashville with 2:18 left in the third period. Steve Sullivan had a goal in the second to put the Predators up 3-2, but Michal Handzus scored in the third to tie the game. Anze Kopitar also had a goal for LA. Erik Ersberg made 26 saves on 30 shots.

Dodgers News: Split Squad, Schmidt is Out, and Manny Will Sit

The Los Angeles Dodgers fell to the Oakland Athletics 10-8, their 8th loss of the spring. Oakland scored 9 runs in the third inning off three different pitchers. Jason Schmidt pitched two scoreless innings, giving up only a hit and two walks and striking out two. Jeff Weaver surrendered four runs, and Shawn Estes gave up two. Matt Kemp had a double and RBI, and Brad Ausmus had two hits. Juan Castro had two hits, an RBI, and a run scored.

The Dodgers lost to the Seattle Mariners 4-3 in 10 innings, and lost both split-squad games. Mitch Jones had his fourth homer of the spring, and Orlando Hudson had two hits, including a double. Blake DeWitt had three hits, and Xavier Paul had two hits and a run scored. Hiroki Kuroda had a shaky outing, giving up two runs, one earned, in three innings on seven hits. Guillermo Mota, Corey Wade, and Ramon Troncoso each had a scoreless inning of work.

Jason Schmidt is out of the running for the fifth-starter spot, according to manager Joe Torre. Schmidt is unable to be ready to pitch on a normal 5-day rotation, suffering from severe fatigue after most of his outings.

Manny Ramirez will miss the rest of the week as he tries to heal his left hamstring. He aggravated his hamstring in yesterday's game as he ran to flag a double. Ramirez believes the injury was created from his extra workouts and exercises as he tried to make up for lost time.

Don Mattingly managed the Dodgers against Seattle as Joe Torre was the manager in the contest with Oakland. Mattingly is the hitting coach, and was a potential candidate to replace Torre as manager of the New York Yankees, where he spent his entire career. However, he lost the job to Joe Girardi. Mattingly is seen as the heir-apparent to Torre after the two remaining years on his contract are finished. His son, Preston Mattingly, plays in the Dodgers organization, and is a non-roster invitee to Spring Training.

Dodgers' WBC: USA Avoids Elimination

USA 9 - NETHERLANDS 3: Team USA defeated the Dutch and avoided elimination. However, Holland was consequently sent packing. Kenley Jansen had his first hit of the WBC, and Jonathan Broxton pitched a perfect inning of relief. Jimmy Rollins and Adam Dunn both went deep, and Rollins drove in four runs.

All Dodgers are in black.

USC and UCLA Enter Tourney

Both the Trojans and the Bruins will compete in the NCAA Tournament. USC will be the 10th seed in the Midwest Regional, and will play Boston College. UCLA is the 6th seed in the East Regional, and will play Virginia Commonwealth.

Novak's Buzzer-Beater Saves Clips

The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Toronto Raptors 107-105, their 16th victory of the season. LA won after Steve Novak hit a 3-pointer as time expired with the Clips down by one. The Clippers shot 50% from the field, and committed only 12 turnovers. Toronto nearly won the game after going into the fourth quarter trailing by 6. Novak, in addition to the game-winning shot, led LA with 21 points, all coming on 7 three-pointers. Al Thornton and Baron Davis both scored 20 points, and Eric Gordon added 17. Vince Carter led the Raptors with 41 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists.

Lakers Survive Maverick Scare

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Dallas Mavericks 107-100, their 53rd win of the season. The Lakers had a 15 point lead at one point in the third quarter, but saw it disappear and transform into a 95-89 deficit with 7:13 left in the fourth. The Dallas bench outscored LA's bench 53-12. The Mavs had 34 three-point attempts, making 13 of them, and shot .398 from the field. Kobe Bryant had 28 points and 8 rebounds, and Pau Gasol added 25 points and 8 rebounds. Trevor Ariza had a career-high 26 points as he adjusts to being in the starting five. Jason Terry led the Mavericks with 29 points, including 7 three-pointers, and Dirk Nowitzki added 20 points.

Dodgers News: Tough Thrashing, Schmidt Can't Pitch, and Manny Can't Play

The Los Angeles Dodgers fell to the Colorado Rockies 9-5, their seventh loss of the season. Manny Ramirez made his debut in left-field, but left the game after injuring his hamstring. Eric Milton and Claudio Vargas both had rough outings, Milton giving up four runs in his first inning of work, and Vargas surrendering three runs in three innings. Valentino Pascucci had a two-run homer, and Hector Luna had a double, RBI, and three runs scored. Russell Martin and Casey Blake both had doubles, and Juan Castro had a hit and RBI.

Manny Ramirez was lifted in the fourth inning for a pinch-hitter after Ramirez tweaked his left hamstring. He received the injury after trying to run down a double in the top of the fourth. The hamstring tightened on Thursday, keeping him out of the lineup against Korea. Ramirez will not play in any game tomorrow, and might not play Tuesday with Wednesday an off-day.

Eric Stults, a long-shot candidate for the fifth-starter spot, pitched three shutout innings in a B-game against the Chicago White Sox yesterday.

Justin Orenduff cleared waivers and was sent to the minors. Orenduff was designated for assignment after LA signed Manny Ramirez.

Jason Schmidt complained of full-body fatigue and was given an extra day of rest. He was scheduled to pitch in today's game, but will instead start tomorrow against Oakland.

The Dodgers will play two split-squad games tomorrow, one against Oakland and the other against Seattle. While Schmidt going against the A's, Hiroki Kuroda will start against the Mariners.

Dodgers' WBC: US Feels No Mercy, Dutch Fall To Venezuela

PUERTO RICO 11 - USA 1 (7 innings): Team USA fell to Team Puerto Rico in seven innings, falling prey to the WBC's mercy rule which ended the game early. P.R. scored 6 runs in the first two innings, and 4 runs in the seventh. Jonathan Broxton did not pitch. Brian McCann had the only RBI for America, as Felipe Lopez knocked in three and Ivan Rodriguez had three hits for Puerto Rico.

VENEZUELA 3 - NETHERLANDS 1: The Dutch could not keep up with Venezuela, losing despite their strong pitching. Kenley Jansen went hitless in two at-bats for Holland, and Luis Maza did not play for Venezuela. Miguel Cabrera and Jose Lopez each had home runs.

All Dodgers are in black

Kings Can't Keep From Getting Bitten

The Los Angeles Kings fell to the San Jose Sharks 2-1 in a shootout, and are 5 points out of a playoff spot. Wayne Simmonds tied the score for LA after Milan Michalek's goal. Erik Ersberg made 38 saves but it was not enough for the Kings. Jonathan Cheechoo scored the game-winner in the shootout.

Clips Feel Mile-Low with Loss

The Los Angeles Clippers fell to the Denver Nuggets 107-94, their 50th loss of the season. The Clippers shot 39% from the field, but forced 23 turnovers. Denver had just 4 three-pointers, but out-rebounded LA 56-30. Al Thornton led the Clips with 19 points and 7 rebounds, and Eric Gordon had 17 points. Steve Novak also had 17 points, and went 5-for-7 from 3-point range. Renaldo Balkman led the Nuggets with 22 points and 11 rebounds, and Carmelo Anthony added 18 points.