Kings Can't Get Past Slick Oilers

The Los Angeles Kings fell to the Edmonton Oilers 3-2 in a shootout, and remain 4 points behind the Oilers in the conference standings for the eighth playoff spot. Dwayne Roloson made 39 saves for Edmonton, including two key saves in the shootout. Drew Doughty scored on a power-play goal in the second period, and Dustin Brown scored to tie the game for LA with 26 seconds left. The Oilers scored both goals in the first period, one coming from Dustin Penner and the other from Shawn Horcoff. Ales Hemsky had an assist for each Oiler goal. The Kings could not put the puck in the net during the shootout, losing 2-0.

Bruins Endure Desert Sweep

The UCLA men's basketball team fell to Arizona 84-72, and were swept out of the state of Arizona for the first time since 2005. The Wildcats' victory helped them sweep Los Angeles, as two days ago they defeated USC. Arizona shot 50% from the field and scored 49 points in the first half. The Bruins could not overcome their disastrous first-half, committing 14 turnovers. UCLA took had only 7 free-throw attempts, while Arizona had 30 opportunities at the charity stripe. Darren Collison scored 26 points to lead UCLA, and Josh Shipp was the only other Bruin to score in double-figures with 18 points. Nic Wise led the Wildcats with 26 points, and Jordan Hill had 22 points and 13 rebounds. Chase Budinger followed with 17 points.

Thornton, Gordon Enjoy All-Star Festivities

Despite the Clippers' poor record, the NBA has not forgotten about Eric Gordon and Al Thornton. Gordon, a rookie from Indiana, and Thornton, a second-year player, both traveled to Phoenix to take part in the NBA's annual Rookie-Sophomore Game. The Sophomores won 122-116, and Gordon finished with 19 points for the Rookies. Thornton scored 10 points for the Sophomores, and had help from last year's rookie-of-the-year Kevin Durant. Durant broke Amare Stoudemire's game-high 36 points from 2004, scoring a record 46 points.

Pitchers and Catchers Report

The Los Angeles Dodgers' spring training is underway, as pitchers and catchers assembled at the Dodgers' new spring complex in Arizona, called Camelback Ranch. The Dodgers begin spring training under a heavy cloud of uncertainty, as Manny Ramirez still has not been signed. The pitching rotation is also under heavy scrutiny, as the core is mostly young players: Chad Billingsley, Clayton Kershaw, Japanese-rookie Hiroki Kuroda, and the sole veteran Randy Wolf. Jason Schmidt is the favorite for the fifth starter spot, which will also be competed for by Eric Milton, Shawn Estes, Claudio Vargas and reliever-turned-starter Ramon Troncoso. James McDonald and Scott Elbert have made progress and are favorites to make the bullpen, joining the young Jonathan Broxton, Cory Wade and veteran Guillermo Mota. The infield is the most solid it's been in years, with James Loney and Casey Blake at the corners, promising rookie Blake DeWitt at second and the always-potent Rafael Furcal at short. The outfield is two-thirds completed, with Matt Kemp at center and September-star Andre Ethier in right. Juan Pierre stands to be the opening-day left fielder without Manny, which is good news for Jason Repko. Repko was a promising young talent with exceptional springs, but poor regular seasons and a year-ending injury in 2007 have hurt his chances at making the opening-day roster. If Manny does not return, Repko becomes the backup outfielder, but if Manny does re-sign, Repko most likely goes back down to the minors. Delwyn Young has become an adept pinch-hitter, and Mark Loretta will serve as DeWitt's backup for rest days and left-handed pitchers. Luis Maza, Juan Castro, Chin-Lung Hu, and Tony Abreu each will compete for an open backup-infielder role, and Brad Ausmus will be Russel Martin's newest backup. Ausmus is skilled at handling pitchers, and hopes to provide more rest for Martin than he has received in the past years. As spring training progresses, the Dodgers' young talent will get more experience and an opportunity to excite the team.

Kings Go Up in Flames

The Los Angeles Kings fell to the Calgary Flames 2-0, ending their 4-game winning streak. Despite out-shooting Calgary 36-20, the Kings could not put the puck in the net. Miikka Kiprusoff had his 30th career shutout and 36 saves. Goalie Jonathan Quick could only make 18 saves for LA.

College Basketball Roundup - Arizona Pt. 3

UCLA - The Bruins fell to Arizona State 74-67, dropping UCLA out of first place in the Pac-10. The Sun Devils shot 50% from the field, and swept the Bruins in the season series. UCLA could not engineer a successful comeback after turning a 12 point first-half deficit into a 56-53 lead with 9:07 to play. The Bruins did not score in the last 2:37 of the game. Josh Shipp scored 16 points, and both Michael Roll and Darren Collison had 15 points. James Harden and Derek Glasser both led ASU with 15 points.

USC - The Trojans were defeated by Arizona 83-76, their 5th conference loss of the season. USC nearly pushed past an 18 point deficit after halftime when they had a 74-70 lead with 3:35 left in the game, but gave up an 11-2 run at the end. Dwight Lewis scored 21 points, including a career-high 6 three-pointers. DeMar DeRozan and Daniel Hackett each had 20 points. Nic Wise scored 27 points for the Wildcats, and Chase Budinger added 25.

Baylor Sues Clippers

Former GM Elgin Baylor (above) is suing his former employer, the Los Angeles Clippers, and the NBA for age and race discrimination. Baylor was the Clips' general manager for 22 seasons. He claims that owner Donald Sterling mistreated him, paying low wages and not increasing his salary after the 2004 season and the Clipper's run into the playoffs. He also says the team planned on forcing him to retire for some time, allocating several of his duties to coach Mike Dunleavy before Baylor left. Dunleavy is now both the Clippers' coach and GM. The Clippers have released statements denying all of Baylor's accusations.

Clips Pull One Out in Knick of Time

The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the New York Knicks 128-124 in overtime, their 13th win of the season. The Clips rallied from a 10 point deficit in the fourth quarter to tie the game after Zach Randolph hit a hook shot at the end of regulation. LA won the OT 18-14. The Clippers shot .515 from the field and took 37 three-point attempts, 15 of which went in. Eric Gordon led LA with 30 points, and Steve Novak had a career-high 23 points, including going 6-for-8 from three-point range. Randolph scored 22 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, and Baron Davis had 13 points with a season-high 20 assists. Al Thornton scored 20 points, and Fred Jones had 14. Nate Robinson led the Knicks with 33 points and 15 assists to go with 9 rebounds. Wilson Chandler added 27 points, David Lee had 17 points and 12 rebounds, and Al Harrington finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds.

Lakers Face Cold Snap

The Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Utah Jazz 113-109, snapping their 7-game losing streak. The Lakers could not contain Utah, allowing the Jazz to amass a .586 shooting percentage. The Lakers could only score 22 points in the third quarter, and were just 5-for-19 from three-point range. LA could not take advantage of Utah's 9-for-18 shooting at the charity stripe in the fourth quarter, as Mehmet Okur and Paul Millsap each made three-point plays with less than two minutes left to give the Jazz the lead for good. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 37 points, and Lamar Odom continues to sizzle with 19 points and 19 rebounds. Pau Gasol scored 16 points and former-Jazz Derek Fisher added 13. For Utah, Deron Williams led with 31 points and 11 assists, and Okur scored 22 points and and grabbed 8 rebounds.

Dodgers Only Have Manny

Manny Ramirez becomes the Dodgers' only option for the outfield as both Adam Dunn and Bobby Abreu have reached individual contracts. Dunn signed a two-year contract with the Washington Nationals, while Abreu has agreed to a 1-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Both Dunn and Abreu were seen as the Dodgers' back-ups in case Manny Ramirez could not be signed. Now that both sluggers are off the market, both the Dodgers and Manny appear to have no options left. There is no word regarding contract negotiations between GM Ned Colletti and agent Scott Boras after the two signings.

Kings End Trip on High Note

The Los Angeles Kings completed a 5-game road trip by defeating the New York Islanders 4-3 in a shootout. LA went 4-1 on the trip. Wayne Simmonds, Anze Kopitar, and Alexander Frolov each scored a goal for the Kings. Doug Weight, Tim Jackman, and Andy Hilbert each scored for New York. The Islanders took just 25 shots, while LA took 39. In the SO, Jack Johnson scored the only goal for both teams, giving LA the win.

Lakers Enjoy Brief Return

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 105-98, their first home game after a 6-game road-trip. Kobe Bryant became the youngest player to reach 23,000 points in a career. OKC was held to just .393 shooting, while LA had a .455 shooting percentage. The Lakers out-rebounded. Kobe scored 34 points and grabbed 7 rebounds, and Pau Gasol had a double-double with 22 points and 14 rebounds. Lamar Odom continues to light up the opposition, adding 12 points and 18 rebounds. Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 31 points to go with 10 rebounds, and former UCLA standout Russel Westbrook had 17 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists.

Dodgers Sign Milton

The Los Angeles Dodgers signed former All-Star LHP Eric Milton to a minor-league contract. Milton missed the last season-and-a-half while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He will compete for the fifth starter role during spring training. Milton has a 87-84 career record, and went 15-7 in 2001 with Minnesota which made him an All-Star that season. However, he could not enjoy the same kind of success after signing with Cincinnati, going 16-27 with the Reds over 3 seasons. Milton has also pitched for Philadelphia, and in 1999 pitched a no-hitter against the Anaheim Angels. Milton joins Claudio Vargas, Shawn Estes, and Jeff Weaver as starters past their prime who hope to have a rebirth, much like Chan Ho Park did last season.

Clips Fall to Charlotte

The Los Angeles Clippers fell to the Charlotte Bobcats 94-73, finishing their road trip with a 2-5 record. The Clips only managed a shooting percentage of 39%, while the 'Cats shot 59%. LA also went 3-for-16 from three-point range. Emeka Okafor led Charlotte with 19 points and 16 rebounds, and D.J. Augustin scored 17. Vladimir Radmanovic enjoyed his first game with the Bobcats after being traded by the Lakers, scoring 13 points off the bench. Zach Randolph had a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds, and Eric Gordon added 17 points. Steve Novak was the only other Clipper to score in double-figures with 13 points.

Weaver Returns to Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers signed RHP Jeff Weaver to a minor-league contract. Weaver previously pitched with the Dodgers in 2004 and 2005, coming as part of the deal with the Yankees for Kevin Brown. With LA he won 27 games over two seasons. In 2006, Weaver signed a deal with the Angels, but a 3-10 record got him traded to St. Louis, where he pitched the World Series clincher for the Cardinals. He then signed with Seattle, but was hampered by a shoulder problem and finished with a 7-13 record. Weaver spent last season in the minors with Cleveland and Milwaukee, and looks to join the Dodgers' bullpen this season.

A-Rod Admitts Steroid Use

Major League Baseball's most prolific star has just admitted to using performance-enhancing substances. Alex Rodriguez, the New York Yankees' third baseman, came clean after an online article from Sports Illustrated said Rodriguez tested positive in an anonymous drug test in 2003. The test was performed in order to see if rules should be put in place to restrict the use of steroids, HGH, and other performance enhancers. Rodriguez explains he took the substances from 2001-03 due to pressure after signing with the Texas Rangers. In 2003 he won the AL MVP award after hitting .298 with 47 home runs and 118 RBI's. He has collected 553 total homers in his career with Seattle, Texas, and New York. In 2003 there were no official rules against the use of performance enhancers, and so Rodriguez will not be punished.

NFC Prevails Over AFC

The National Football Conference defeated the American Football Conference in the 2009 NFL Pro Bowl 30-21. WR Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals was named MVP of the game. Fitzgerald caught for 81 yards and two touchdowns. QBs Drew Brees of New Orleans and Eli Manning of New York each threw a touchdown for the NFC, and RB Adrian Peterson of Minnesota ran for 48 yards and a TD. Peyton Manning of Indianapolis threw for 151 yards and a TD for the AFC, and Kerry Collins of Tennessee had 108 yards and a TD as well.

Lakers Ruin Cavs' Home-Cooking

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 101-91, dealing Cleveland their first home loss of the season. The Lakers improved to 41-9 and took a game-and-a-half lead over the Cavs for the best record in the league. LA held Cleveland to just 30 points in the second half while scoring 50 points in the half, not long after the Cavaliers had a 10 point lead at halftime. Cleveland shot .391 from the field, but 11-for-23 from three-point range. The Lakers shot .489 but 3-for-20 from behind the arc. Kobe Bryant fought the flu to score 19 points, but Lamar Odom stole the show. Odom scored a season-high 28 points and grabbed 17 rebounds, including 15 points in the third quarter to help give LA a permanent lead. Pau Gasol had 18 points and 12 rebounds, and Derek Fisher finished with 13 points. LeBron James was shut down for the entire game, scoring just 16 points on 5-for-20 shooting. Zydrunas Ilgauskus had 22 points and 9 rebounds, and Mo Williams added 19 points. With the victory, the Lakers went 6-0 on their road-trip, despite the absence of Andrew Bynum in four of those games.

Clippers Keep Train Rolling

The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Atlanta Hawks 121-79, their second win in a row. The Clips erupted to shoot 57% from the field, including 11-for-22 from three-point range. LA committed only 6 turnovers and allowed just 5 offensive rebounds for Atlanta. All 5 starters scored in double-figures, led by Al Thornton with 31 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Zach Randolph finished with 25 points and 9 rebounds, and Marcus Camby scored 16 points to go with 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Baron Davis had 13 points and 8 assists, and Eric Gordon scored 11. Ricky Davis came off the bench to score 12 points, all coming from 3-pointers. Josh Smith couldn't help the Hawks with 16 points and 15 rebounds.

Bruins Defeat Cowering Irish

The UCLA men's basketball team defeated Notre Dame 89-63, their 4th straight win and 19th of the season. The Bruins committed just 6 turnovers and held the Irish to just .397 shooting, while UCLA shot .567 from the field. UCLA forced 11 Notre Dame turnovers, totaling 74 turnovers forced in this 4-game win streak. Alfred Aboya scored 19 points and grabbed 7 rebounds, and Darren Collison had 17 points. Tory Jackson led the Irish with 17 points on 7-for-12 shooting, and Kyle McAlarney scored 16 points.