The Sports Report: Lakers look like a title contender in win over Celtics
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From Dan Woike: A three-pointer, a dunk, a free throw, whatever, it didn’t matter. No matter who scored or how, the Lakers were down one against the Celtics.
The score that matters most whenever the Lakers play the Celtics this season, at least in terms of their rivalry, is 18-17. Boston took that lead last June when they added another championship to their history, nudging them ahead of the Lakers for the most ever and doing it with a roster far more equipped to build on that lead while the Lakers work against a loudly ticking clock.
But as the Lakers try to figure out how good they can be, they delivered a strong argument for having faith in them, delivering a signature win in a 117-96 blowout victory against the league’s defending champion.
The Lakers played their best 48 minutes of basketball this season — by far — quickly establishing that they were willing to attack the game from the three-point line like the Celtics while rediscovering their defensive toughness.
“We had a game plan and we executed it. For the majority of 48 minutes, we executed it,” LeBron James said. “We know it’s a great team, defending champions, great players and they’re gonna put you in situations that’s uncomfortable, but you have to be uncomfortable in order to compete with them.”
Boston shot only 37.8% from the field and 32.5% from three-point range, with Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla pulling the plug. The Lakers’ best players, James, Austin Reaves and Anthony Davis, all took turns dominating, the trio combining for 67 points. Dalton Knecht scored 13 and Gabe Vincent had 12 off the bench, with Vincent hitting four threes and Knecht making three.
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CLIPPERS
From Broderick Turner: The Clippers were basically back to being completely healthy Thursday night, and that allowed them to showcase their depth, with six players scoring in double figures.
The right knee injury management that sidelined Kawhi Leonard the last two games allowed him to face the hapless Washington Wizards in a dominant 110-93 Clippers victory.
Center Ivica Zubac returned after missing two games because of a left eye corneal abrasion and James Harden (groin), Norman Powell (back) and Nicolas Batum (finger) returned after sitting out Wednesday’s overtime loss to Boston.
RAMS
From Gary Klein: Rams coach Sean McVay, typically unflappable during news conferences, did not look or sound like his usual self.
Last April, on the first night of the 2024 NFL draft, news leaked that Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford wanted his contract adjusted. The public disclosure unsettled McVay and general manager Les Snead that evening as they met with reporters to discuss the selection of first-round pick Jared Verse.
“That was a fun night,” McVay recalled Thursday, with a tinge of sarcasm. “A real fun night to take away from a good night.”
Stafford’s situation was not resolved until late July, when the Rams bent to his demands a few hours after all other players reported to training camp. On Thursday, with Stafford’s and receiver Cooper Kupp’s futures uncertain, McVay indicated that addressing Stafford’s situation will be the first order of business when he and Rams executives meet next week to discuss the roster and plans for next season.
“We don’t want to have that go on again,” McVay said during a video conference with reporters. “I don’t think that’s good for anybody. I think sooner than later. Being able to get that clarity...
NFL PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE
A storm is brewing in Buffalo as Super Bowl-starved Bills fans brace for Chiefs
Eagles’ Saquon Barkley showed heart of gold by giving away his gold medal
Conference championships
All times Pacific
Sunday
NFC
No. 6 Washington at No. 2 Philadelphia, noon, Fox
AFC
No. 2 Buffalo at No. 1 Kansas City, 3:30 p.m., CBS/Paramount+
Super Bowl 59: Feb. 9 at New Orleans, 3:30 p.m., Fox
UCLA BASKETBALL
From Ben Bolch: If you have a player blessed with rare traits who can take over a game on both ends of the court, you use him as much as possible, right?
Right?
Maybe not.
Two days after UCLA’s Aday Mara put every inch of his 7-foot-3 frame to excellent use against Wisconsin — making all seven shots in scoring a career-high 22 points, playing lockdown defense, grabbing rebounds and repeatedly getting hacked by overmatched counterparts who had no choice but to foul him — his coach said the sophomore center’s usage would continue to be situational.
“It would be great if Aday would average 22 the rest of the year,” coach Mick Cronin deadpanned Thursday of Mara’s breakthrough after being used sparingly over the first half of the season, “but I also think — you know, look, that just happens.”
————
Lauren Betts had 25 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks as No. 1 UCLA beat Rutgers 84-66 on Thursday night.
The 6-foot-7 Betts now has 21 blocks over her last three games for UCLA (19-0, 7-0 Big Ten).
This was the first time Rutgers faced the No. 1 team in the country since 2014, when the Scarlet Knights played Connecticut twice in the American Athletic Conference.
The Scarlet Knights hung around for about 12 minutes before the Bruins asserted themselves behind Betts to go up 45-29 at the half. Rutgers never got closer than 14 in the second half.
UCLA has been on the East Coast for nearly a week as the Bruins beat No. 25 Baylor in the inaugural Coretta Scott King Classic on Monday.
DODGERS
From Bill Plaschke: Invincible.
The word first came to mind Wednesday afternoon when the Dodgers held a news conference to introduce a nervous kid who has never played a minute in the major leagues.
Nearly 100 reporters still showed up to gawk at their greatness.
Invincible.
The word jumped out again when I queried co-owner Peter Guber, who was beaming in the front row as he watched his team celebrate the arrival of fireballing Roki Sasaki, the centerpiece of an offseason haul the likes of which has never been matched in sports.
Shohei Ohtani’s ex-interpreter allegedly impersonated him to transfer $200,000
KINGS
From Kevin Baxter: Since a teenage Drew Doughty joined Anze Kopitar on the Kings’ roster in 2008, the team has won its only two Stanley Cups, posted the top five seasons with the most wins in franchise history and six of the top eight seasons with the most points.
So does that makes this the Kings’ golden era?
“Absolutely,” Kings president Luc Robitaille said without hesitation. “Anze Kopitar and Drew have been the key players for our franchise. What they bring in the [dressing] room, what they bring day in and day out, the way that they’re careful to play has a two-way game.
“The success we’ve had, we attribute to them.”
Age, however, is threatening to dull the shine on that golden era, and that is adding a sense of urgency to this season’s playoff push, which is just beginning.
DUCKS
Mason McTavish and Alex Killorn each scored twice and the Ducks beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-1 on Thursday night.
Frank Vatrano also scored and Troy Terry and Jacob Trouba each had a pair of assists as the Ducks snapped a four-game winless streak. John Gibson made 31 saves.
Michael Bunting scored on a power play for Pittsburgh. Rickard Rakell had an assist in his return to the lineup after missing a game due to family reasons. Alex Nedeljkovic made 29 saves.
HORSE RACING
From John Cherwa: Southern California, shut out of last year’s Eclipse Awards, stormed back with three awards at Thursday’s Eclipse Awards ceremony in Palm Beach, Fla.
None of the awards were a surprise with two of three winners winning a Breeders’ Cup race in their last outing.
Citizen Bull was the winner of the 2-Year-Old Male Eclipse after winning his last two races, the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile and American Pharoah. He did lose his second start finishing third in the Del Mar Futurity but won his maiden race at Del Mar.
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
1939 — Eddie Collins, Wee Willie Keeler and George Sisler are elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
1956 — Bob Pettit of the St. Louis Hawks wins the first of his NBA record four All-Star MVP awards. Pettit leads the West team with 20 points and 24 rebounds in a 108-94 win over the East.
1981 — Mike Bossy of the New York Islanders scores his 50th goal in the 50th game of the season in a 7-3 victory over the Quebec Nordiques.
1982 — Ray Wersching kicks a Super Bowl record-tying four field goals to help the San Francisco 49ers beat the Cincinnati Bengals 26-21.
1986 — Mike Bossy of the New York Islanders scores his 1,000th career point with an assist in a 7-5 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
1990 — Winston-Salem State basketball coach Clarence “Big House” Gaines wins his 800th career game, 79-70 over Livingstone.
1998 — The Denver Nuggets end their record-tying, single-season losing streak at 23 games, beating the Clippers 99-81.
1999 — David Duval shoots a 59 to match what is then the best round in PGA Tour history. Duval surges from seven strokes off the pace for a one-stroke victory over Steve Pate in the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.
2010 — Kelly Kulick becomes the first woman to win a PBA Tour title, beating Chris Barnes in the final of the 45th Tournament of Champions. Kulick outscores Barnes 265-195 to take home the $40,000 first prize and a two-year PBA Tour exemption.
2010 — Peyton Manning throws three touchdown passes and the Indianapolis Colts rally from an 11-point, first-half deficit to beat the New York Jets 30-17 in the AFC championship game.
2010 — The New Orleans Saints make it to their first Super Bowl after battering Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings 31-28 in overtime on Garrett Hartley’s 40-yard field goal.
2012 — Playing his 1,000th match, four-time Australian Open champion Roger Federer advances to his ninth straight semifinal at Melbourne Park with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 win over Juan Martin del Potro. Federer is the seventh man to reach the 1,000 match milestone.
2014 — Carmelo Anthony scores a career-high and franchise-record 62 points, most at the current Madison Square Garden, and the New York Knicks beat the Charlotte Bobcats 125-96.
2015 — Ashley Wagner wins her third U.S. figure skating title, easily beating defending champ Gracie Gold.
2016 — Denver cornerback Bradley Roby picks off Tom Brady’s pass on a two-point try with 12 seconds left to preserve a 20-18 victory for the Broncos over the New England Patriots in the AFC title game.
2016 — Cam Newton throws two touchdowns and runs for two others, and Carolina’s big-play defense stifles Arizona’s top-ranked offense in a 49-15 romp for the NFC championship.
Compiled by the Associated Press
Until next time...
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Go beyond the scoreboard
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