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Lakers Take Down Memphis

April 2, 2017

The Lakers took advantage of a short-handed Grizzlies team on Sunday at Staples Center, defeating Memphis 108-103.

D’Angelo Russell scored 28 points, and Larry Nance Jr, Julius Randle, and Thomas Robinson all put up double-doubles, as the Lakers snapped a four-game losing streak.

“Our guys are tired of losing,” Lakers coach Luke Walton said. “They’ve been playing hard. We’ve obviously been short-handed recently. We needed them on the glass tonight. Memphis is a slow-it-down, grind-it-out type of team. If you lose the rebound battle you make it really tough on yourself. The fact that all three of those guys were that active on the glass and coming in, attacking from the weak side on the defense and all that stuff, really helped us out.”

The Grizzlies played without Marc Gasol and Vince Carter. The Lakers took advantage but lost some ground in the lottery standings. Phoenix lost against Houston, so LA now has the 3rd worst record in the NBA. If the Lakers 1st round pick this year lands outside of the top 3, then that pick goes to Philadelphia, as part of the Steve Nash trade.

The Lakers were clinging to a 1 point lead at halftime, and trailed by 1 heading into the 4th quarter, despite allowing the Grizzlies to shoot 60% in the 3rd quarter.

The game was tied at 90-90 with 5:44 left, and then again at 97-97, but the Lakers came through in the 4th quarter. Randle iced the game with two free throws in the final five seconds.

The Lakers will now travel to San Antonio to take on the Spurs on Wednesday.

Clippers Win Another Season Series Over Lakers

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April 1, 2017

The Clippers continued their dominance of the Lakers on Sunday at Staples Center, defeating the Lakers 115-104.

Blake Griffin scored 36 points, Chris Paul poured in 29, while Doc Rivers earned the 800^th victory of his career.

J.J. Redick contributed 19 points for the Clips as well, who are now 1 game behind the Jazz for 4^th place in the Western Conference.

Since 2012-2013, the Clippers have won 18 of the last 20 meetings between the Staples Center co-tenants. It’s also the 5^th straight year that the Clippers have won the season series with the Lakers.

David Nwaba led the Lakers with 19 points off the bench, while Brandon Ingram scored 10 of his 18 points in the 4^th quarter. Thomas Robinson added 16.

The Clips started quickly in this one, jumping out to a 17-0 lead before the Lakers would answer. A Robinson basket broke a string of 11 consecutive misses for the Lakers. Robinson held his own against Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, and his early efforts actually brought the Lakers to within 28-22 after the 1^st quarter.

The Lakers took a brief lead in the 2^nd quarter, but the Clippers would take control again by halftime, leading 55-50. Paul had scored 11 points and dished out 7 assists at that point.

The 3^rd quarter however, saw the Clippers up by as many as 22 points, and after being outscored 38-22 in the period, the Lakers trailed 93-72 entering the 4^th quarter.

The Lakers got within 8 points in the 4^th quarter behind a strong effort from Ingram. Much of that was the result of the Clippers bench giving up that lead, which has been a common occurrence this season. However, Paul and Griffin scored the Clippers last seven points to secure the victory.

It was a rough game for D’Angelo Russell, who had just 2 points on 1-9 shooting. Jordan Clarkson didn’t fare much better with 7 points on 3-12 shooting.

The Lakers have lost 18 of their last 20 games, and will now take on the Grizzlies on Sunday afternoon at Staples Center. Meanwhile, the Clippers are off until Wednesday, when they host the Mavs at Staples.

Kings Still Clinging To Hope

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March 31, 2017

The Kings kept their slim playoff hopes alive on Friday night in Vancouver, as they defeated the Canucks 2-0.

Jarome Iginla continued his hot streak, scoring the 625^th goal of his career, while Jonathan Quick made 35 saves for LA for his 2^nd shutout of the season.

Tyler Toffoli also scored for the Kings, who are now 8 points behind Nashville for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Both teams have just five games left to play. That 2^nd wild card spot is the only playoff spot remaining in the West, as 7 other West teams have clinched berths in this year’s postseason.

The Kings would need to go 5-0, while the Predators would have to go 1-4 for LA to pass them in the standings. Any combination of Nashville wins and Kings losses that total two will put the Predators in the postseason.

It was the 10^th time this season the Canucks had been shutout, after they had been eliminated from postseason contention last week.

Iginla’s goal midway through the 2^nd period put the Kings on the board, and proved to be the game-winner. The 40-year-old redirected a shot from Alec Martinez past Canucks goalie Ryan Miller. The goal tied Iginla with Joe Sakic for 15^th on the all-time NHL list.

Tyler Toffoli would extend the lead to 2-0 four minutes later. The goal was Toffoli’s 15^th of the season, and came on a shot from the right circle, which finished off a 3-on-2 rush.

The Kings will now return to Staples Center for a four game homestand. The first will be Sunday against Arizona. Nashville on the other hand will have three of its final five games on the road, but two of those are against teams that aren’t in the playoffs.

“We’re not going to give up,” Jerome Iginla said. “We’ve got to make sure that we do our part. In one week things can happen. Teams can go cold. It happens. We’ve just got to focus on ourselves. So nobody’s quitting.”

Oilers Skate Past Ducks

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April 1, 2017

Leon Draisaitl scored on a 2-on-1 in overtime, and the Oilers defeated the Ducks 3-2 on Saturday night in Alberta. The win tied the Oilers with the Ducks atop the Pacific Division.

The Ducks had a 2-1 lead late in the 3rd period, but Milan Lucic pounced on a rebound with 1:58 left in regulation to tie it up on the power play. Draisaitl and Connor McDavid picked up the assists on the goal. McDavid had one goal and two assists for the game.

Ryan Getzlaf and Patrick Eaves scored the goals for Anaheim. John Gibson made 34 saves in the loss.

McDavid put the Oilers on the board with under a minute left in the 1st period. McDavid benefitted from the hand work from Patrick Maroon on the play. It was McDavid’s league-leading 92nd point, and extended his scoring streak to 10 consecutive games.

Getzlaf tied it up early in the 2nd period with a slap shot from the point, which got by Oilers goalie Cam Talbot.

The Ducks took the lead just under nine minutes into the 3rd when Eaves took a pass from Antoine Vermette and beat Talbot on the power play. It was Eaves 29th goal of the season.

However, the Ducks couldn’t hold the lead. The heroics of Lucic and Draisaitl gave the Oilers 97 points. Anaheim and Edmonton each have the same number of points with four games remaining. The Oilers hold the tie breaker.

The Ducks will finish off their road trip against Calgary on Sunday night. Both teams have clinched a playoff spot, but are battling for playoff seeding.

Jets Rally & Beat Ducks In OT

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March 30, 2017

Dustin Byfuglien scored the game-tying goal with 12 seconds left in regulation, and Mark Scheifele had the game-winner in overtime as the Jets rallied to beat the Ducks 4-3 on Thursday.

The Ducks took a 3-1 lead into the 3rd period, however, Winnipeg scored twice in the final 8:25 of the 3rd to tie things up. Blake Wheeler and Joel Armia also scored for the Jets.

Anaheim got two goals from Corey Perry, and one from Jakob Silfverberg, but it wasn’t enough to keep their 5-game win streak alive.

Ducks coach Randy Carlyle issued a coach’s challenge on Byfuglien’s tying goal, but referees ruled that it was a good goal after a big scramble in the crease. Jonathan Bernier still managed to turn away 37 shots for Anaheim, despite taking the loss.

Corey Perry said the Ducks just lost focus. “We didn’t play for the full 60 minutes,” Perry said. “You take your foot off the gas in this league, you’re going to get burnt. You can’t sit back and receive a hockey game, and we did that in the final frame.”

Silfverberg got the Ducks off to a nice start just over 8 minutes into the game, when he beat Michael Hutchinson with a wrist shot to the glove side.

Armia scored short-handed to tie things up at 11:54 when he beat Bernie with a quick low shot.

Perry scored with just over a minute left in the 1st period to put the Ducks back in front. He would strike again in the 2nd period with a power play goal at the 7:01 mark.

Wheeler’s 24th of the season started the Jets rally in the 3rd, which altered the momentum in the Jets favor.

The Ducks now have five games remaining on their schedule before the playoffs. They’ll now travel to Edmonton on Saturday to take on the Oilers, followed by a trip to Calgary on Sunday to take on the Flames to finish up their road trip.

Clippers Too Hot For Suns

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March 30, 2017

Blake Griffin led the way with 31 points and Chris Paul poured in 29 to go along with 10 assists, as the Clippers beat the Suns 124-118 on Thursday night in the desert.

The win was the 2nd in a row for the Clippers, who pulled within 1 game of the 4th place Utah Jazz in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, the Suns lost their 10th straight game.

Phoenix was led by Devin Booker’s 33 points and season-high 9 assists. However, the 2nd year guard fouled out with just under five minutes to play in the game.

The Clippers took a 67-59 lead into halftime after wrestling the game away from the Suns in the last 6 minutes of the 2nd quarter. They closed the half on a 13-4 run, capped by a 23-foot jumper from Luc Richard Mbah a Moute.

The Suns would fight back in the 3rd quarter, and finished the period on a 9-0 run over the last 2:25. TJ Warren’s put-back after an Alan Williams miss cut the Clippers’ lead to 93-92 heading into the 4th quarter.

Phoenix tied the score 102-102 after Booker’s layup with 7:50 left in the game. However, they could never take the lead after that. Griffin countered with a made basket and got fouled moments later, converting a 3-point play. Chris Paul made a 10-footer, followed by 2 more free throws, and suddenly the Clippers regained control with a 7-0 run. The Suns shaved the lead to 114-112 after Booker fouled out, but the Clips would hold them off again.

The Clippers will return home and continue to battle for playoff positioning. Up next will be another meeting with the Lakers, which will be Saturday afternoon at Staples, in which the Clippers will be the designated home team.

Lakers Can’t Hang With Wolves

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March 30, 2017

Ricky Rubio scored a career-high 33 points to go along with 10 assists and 5 rebounds, as the Timberwolves pulled away from the Lakers in the 2nd half and won 119-104, on Thursday night at the Target Center.

The Wolves also got 32 points from Karl-Anthony Towns, and 27 points from Andrew Wiggins. The win was the 30th of the season for Minnesota, which is one more than they had all of last season.

As for the Lakers, Jordan Clarkson led the way with 18 points, while D’Angelo Russell scored 14 and dished out 6 assists. However, Brandon Ingram sat out his 3rd consecutive game with patellar tendinitis in his right knee, and the Lakers lost for the 17th time in the last 19 games.

Neither team played a whole lot of defense in this one, with each side putting up 37 points in the 1st quarter. The Lakers had a 4 point lead at one point in the 2nd quarter, but the Wolves had a 67-60 lead at the half.

The Wolves had a big 3rd quarter, and took a 14 point lead into the 4th quarter. The Lakers tried to rally, and got within 9 points with 4 minutes left. However, Rubio would convert a drive to the basket, and then make a 21-foot jump shot to regain the momentum for Minnesota.

Rubio made 4 out of 5 three-pointers on the night. “He’s someone that you normally are living with him shooting 3s,” coach Luke Walton said. “But our defense, we weren’t communicating.”

The Lakers also got bad news when center Ivica Zubac sprained his right ankle two minutes into the game. He left the arena in a walking boot, and will be re-evaluated when the team returns to Los Angeles.

Up next for the Lakers, they’ll return home to play the Clippers on Saturday at Staples. It will be a designated home game for the Clippers.

Redick’s Return Helps Clips Top Wiz

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March 29, 2017

J.J. Redick returned from injury to score 31 points, and the Clippers outlasted the Wizards 133-124 on Wednesday at Staples Center.

Redick had missed the Clippers game on Sunday against Sacramento with an ankle sprain. On Wednesday night, he hit a season-high 7 three-pointers.

The other 3 members of the Clippers core also played well. Blake Griffin scored 26 points, had 10 rebounds, and 9 assists. DeAndre Jordan had 23 points and 18 rebounds. Chris Paul had 27 points and dished out 13 assists.

The Wizards were led by John Wall’s 41 points, 8 assists, and 7 rebounds. They also received 27 points from Bradley Beal.

The Clippers led by as many as 19 points midway through the third period. The Wizards chipped away in the fourth and pulled to within five points, 129-124, after Beal hit a three-pointer with 31 seconds left. That gave the Clippers fear of blowing another big lead for the 2nd straight game.

However, Griffin made two free throws with 18 seconds left. That put the game out of reach, as the Clippers led 131-124.

“We got some key stops down the stretch and kept playing offensively,” Coach Doc Rivers said. “We moved the ball around, got the ball in the right hands and made shots. That was the difference. We didn’t hesitate.”

The news wasn’t all good for the Clips though. Austin Rivers left the game with a strained left-hamstring. The injury is likely to keep him on the sidelines for at least a couple of games.

Utah also won on Wednesday night, which meant the Clippers didn’t pick up any ground in the race for 4th place in the Western Conference. The Clips are back in action on Thursday night in Phoenix, against the Suns.

Kings Spoil Flames Party

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March 29, 2017

The Kings prevented the Flames from clinching a playoff spot on Wednesday night in Alberta, defeating Calgary 4-1.

Jerome Iginla led the way for LA, scoring his 100th career game-winning goal, picking up an assist, and decisively winning a fight against Deryk Engelland. Trevor Lewis, Anze Kopitar, and Jeff Carter also scored for the Kings.

This game was all about revenge for the Kings. When these two teams last met on March 19, Calgary rookie Matthew Tkachuk elbowed Drew Doughty in the face and picked up a two game suspension. Even prior to the start of the game, Kyle Clifford approached Tkachuk near center ice and exchanged words with the Flames rookie, as did other members of both teams.

Tkachuk fought Kings’ defenseman Brayden McNabb in the 1st period, and Tkachuk was dropped to the ice after a good upper cut. Iginla’s fight with Engelland resulted in a cut opening up on forehead of the Flames’ defenseman.

It was Iginla’s goal with 46 seconds left in the 2nd period that would be the decisive tally. The goal came during a big scramble in front of Flames’ goalie Brian Elliott. Iginla now has 5 goals in 13 games for LA.

Doug Hamilton scored the Flames only goal. Calgary will have another chance to clinch a playoff spot on Friday night against the Sharks at home.

Ben Bishop made 29 saves for LA. Bishop is now 2-2-2 since being acquired from Tampa at the trade deadline.

The Kings will try to keep their dim playoff hopes alive on Friday night in Vancouver, against the Canucks.

Ducks Take Down Canucks & Clinch

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March 28, 2017

Corey Perry and Patrick Eaves scored early in the 1st period, and the Ducks handled the Canucks 4-1 in Vancouver on Tuesday night. The Kings loss to Edmonton earlier in the evening meant that the Ducks, Oilers, and Sharks clinched playoff spots.

Nick Ritchie and Brandon Montour also scored for Anaheim. Jonathan Bernier made 34 saves and Antoine Vermette had two assists. Bernier is 9-0-1 with a .947 save percentage in his last 10 starts.

The Ducks played without Ryan Getzlaf, who was a late scratch because of a lower-body injury. Coach Randy Carlyle confirmed that the injury came about late Monday night.

“He didn’t feel right (Tuesday) morning and couldn’t get it loosened up,” the coach explained. “We just made the decision we’re not going to sacrifice a guy who’s been our best player.”

John Gibson served as the Ducks backup after missing 7 straight games, and 13 of the last 14 games with a lower-body injury.

The Ducks dominated the Canucks, and eliminated them from postseason contention with the victory. Anaheim had built a 4-0 lead by the middle of the 2nd period.

The Ducks will continue their four game road trip on Thursday in Winnipeg, against the Jets.