Commentary, predictions, rumors, maybe some smack on sports in Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES – The WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks tipped off their season Friday night with an 80-69 win in Seattle over the Storm.
The Sparks were led by defending league MVP Candace Parker who poured in 18 points. Alana Beard added 17 for L.A.
For a time, it looked as if the Sparks would be in Oakland or San Francisco after the previous ownership group had to let go of the franchise because the group couldn’t handle the financial burden any longer.
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ANAHEIM, CA – Last time I was at a professional football game in Anaheim on a Sunday afternoon was sometime in December of 1994. The last pro game the Rams played at the “Bigger A” was Christmas Eve of ’94 which was a Saturday.
The Rams lost to Washington, 24-21 then headed to St. Louis.
I was, rudely, welcomed back with another disappointing performance on the field by the home team.
On this Sunday – May 4th 2014 – just short of 20 years later, I’m sitting in the Honda Center hockey press box, not to watch the Anaheim Ducks, but the Arena Football League’s newest franchise – the LA KISS, owned by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of the legendary rock group, KISS – take on the Spokane Shock with 10,552 fans in the building and a National TV audience on ESPN2.
How can you not like an indoor football game with go-go dancers in cages high atop each back corner of both end zones?
I’ll tell you how. When the home team – the KISS – embarrasses itself with a 70-21 drubbing at the hands of the Spokane Shock.
The beating was so bad that during his post game press conference KISS head coach Bob McMillen asked for tapes and resumes from anyone who could play football. I was there to catch it of course so take a look at my video report at the end of this article.
Before the KISS could get anything going and thanks to two turnovers – one an interception by QB J.J. Raterink, who had three in the game, and then a muffed kickoff off the end zone crossbar A.J. Cruz couldn’t recover – they found themselves down 28-0 early in the second quarter.
Spokane QB Erik Meyer threw for two scores completing 10 of 17 passes for 89 yards and ran for two more before being sacked by L.A. LB Beau Bell on his throwing shoulder sending him to the bench for good with an unspecified collarbone injury.
The KISS threatened to make a game of it scoring twice in the last three minutes of the first half. J.J Raterink (9 of 30, 101 yards 2 TD’s, 3 INT’s, 2 sacks) found Samie Parker for a four-yard touchdown making the score 28-7.
On the Shock’s ensuing drive that stalled, kicker Taylor Rowan missed a 33-yard field goal attempt that was taken off the end zone cage by Cruz and returned 50-yards for another KISS score cutting the lead in half, 28-14. Looked as if it was going to be a party all night long, and it was………for the Shock.
Taking over the QB duties for the Shock was wide receiver – yes, I said wide receiver – Rashaad Carter who looked like he was meant to play quarterback. He completed 4 of 7 passes for 73 yards and two touchdowns both coming in the last 31 seconds of the second quarter.
The first on a 45 yard bomb to Brandon Thompkins who finished with seven catches for 89yards. Then Adron Tennell got into the act after one of the KISS turnovers – L.A. had five in the game – catching one of his three TD scores from 13 yards out.
That made the halftime score, 42-14 and all the crowd had to look forward to – aside from the go-go dancers in their cages at each far corner of both end zones – was the concert by Flashback Heart Attack appropriately covering Flock of Seagulls “I Ran (So Far Away).”
The KISS opened the second half with a 15 yard score from Raterink to Donovan Morgan making the score 42-21. The wouldn’t get any closer as turnovers inside L.A.’s own one yard line helped Spokane score the next four unanswered touchdowns.
The KISS fall to 2-5 on the season losing their third straight. They head to Cleveland on Saturday to take on the Gladiators who started L.A. on its losing streak with a 40-20 win last month at Honda Center.
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Clippers ended their regular season home schedule Tuesday night beating the Denver Nuggets, 117-105, in front of the usual sellout crowd at Staples Center running that streak to 135 straight.
The win was the club’s 57th setting a new franchise record for wins in a season with one more game Wednesday night in Portland in the season finale against the Trail Blazers.
“We were part of that last year, at least Blake and I were, and we lost in the first round.” Said guard Chris Paul who finished with a double-double pouring in 21points and dishing out 10 assists. “We’re at the point at the point now that it’s all about the post season.”
“It’s nice. I’m very happy we’re doing that stuff.” Said head coach Doc Rivers who sat out all of his starters in the 4th quarter. “That’s not what we want. To get what you want sometimes you get other stuff I guess is the best way to say it.”
The Clippers want a championship. Winning the Pacific Division and setting a new franchise record for wins are all part of the journey to a championship.
The next leg of that journey – the playoffs – begins sometime this coming weekend, either Saturday or Sunday at Staples Center. It all depends where the Clippers finish in the Western Conference.
L.A. currently sits in the third seed and a first round match-up with arch rival and sixth seed Golden State.
There’s an outside chance the Clippers could claim the second seed should they beat Portland and Oklahoma City – currently seeded second – loses to Detroit in its season finale which is a possibility should Thunder head coach Scott Brooks sit Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and the rest of his starters against the Pistons.
The Clippers really have no control over what happens in Oklahoma City Wednesday night. All they can do is play and beat Portland. Whatever happens in OKC happens.
Rivers has decided to do something similar with a couple of his starters.
He’s keeping all-star power forward Blake Griffin, who led all scorers with 24 points, and shooting guard J.J. Redick (18 points on 4-of-10 from the 3-point arc) in Los Angeles instead of heading up to Portland for the regular season finale.
Both are nursing ailing backs.
“I want Blake to stay home and get some rest. He’s so banged up. Then the only guy I know for sure will be J.J.” Said Rivers.
Griffin wants to play but might have no choice in the matter. He got his 16th technical foul of the season in the second quarter which garners an automatic suspension for the next game – in this case tomorrow night’s finale.
Trying to make a play to swipe the ball up high from Denver’s Timofy Mozgov, Griffin hit him in the head getting the tech.
“I honestly think it’ll be rescinded.” Said Griffin after the game. “It was one of those continuation plays. I make a play on the ball hitting it first and the ref gives me a tech for that. I don’t think it’ll stand.”
If the call isn’t rescinded, Griffin’s out anyway because Rivers is sitting him out for tomorrow’s game in Portland.
Center DeAndre Jordan, who will play limited minutes in Portland, finished with another double-double knocking down 13 points and grabbing 16 rebounds.
Chris Paul will play some minutes against the Blazers in the finale which tips-off tomorrow night at 7:30 from the Rose Garden.
Blake Griffin scored 22 of his game-high 37 points in the first quarter leading the Los Angeles Clippers to their eighth straight victory beating the Phoenix Suns in a hard-fought 112-105 win.
Griffin keeps setting a new franchise record every night registering his 23rd consecutive game with 20 or more points and he did it connecting on 14 of 16 field goals good for 88% from the field.
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There is no sugar-coating it if you’re a basketball fan in Los Angeles. This town is known as a Lakers town and probably always will be.
But we live in the moment and at this moment the Clippers run Los Angeles. And run it the Clippers did Thursday night at Staples Center leading by as many as 51 points on their way to a sixth straight win beating the Lakers 142-94 in front of a Lakers home crowd that was stunned by the Clippers display of superior athleticism.
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LOS ANGELES – A complete reversal of fortune when the “Hallway Rivalry” resumes tonight at Staples Center with the Los Angeles Lakers playing host to the Los Angeles Clippers.
With 20 games to go the Clippers (42-20) are in a virtual tie for third place in the Western Conference with the Houston Rockets and the Portland Trail Blazers.
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PHOENIX – Had I not known who Matt Barnes is and tuned in to Tuesday night’s Los Angeles Clippers 104-96 win over the Suns in Phoenix for the very first time, I could swear his name was “Bingo!”
Clippers’ legendary TV play-by-play voice Ralph Lawler yells “Bingo” when a Clipper nails a three point shot.
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New Los Angeles Clippers forward Danny Granger was all set to make his debut Saturday night at Staples Center against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Didn’t happen because of a technicality an hour before tip-off.
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The Los Angeles Clippers jumped out to a 14-0 lead on the visiting Houston Rockets to open the game and hung on for a playoff-intense 101-93 win in a battle between the two western conference power-houses.
“They always get off to great first quarters. We let it happen again.” Said Rockets guard James Harden who poured in 18 points. He added, “Coming out behind 17-4, trying to fight our way back, we got back into the game. But if we play solid not giving up so many easy points in transition we make the game easier for ourselves.”
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Jamal Crawford paced seven different Clippers in double figures leading Los Angeles to a 123-110 win over the Pelicans in New Orleans.
Crawford nailed seven shots from the three-point arc for a game-high 24 points. Crawford is sizzling coming off of a 36 point effort – including five threes – in Sunday’s win over the Thunder in Oklahoma City.
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On Any Given Sports Day 