Monday Morning Coffee

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February 20th, 2017

The NBA All-Star game went down last night.  That game was basically a 2.5 hour and 1 mix tape.  The West beat the East 192-182.  Yes that was actually the final score of the game.  Since both teams were on pace for 200 points each by halftime, they really made an effort to lock down on defense in the second half.  I’d also say Steph Curry’s defense was about as good as it was in the NBA Finals last year. Besides, 192 points are what the Knicks would call an average game for their opponents.  Hopefully Anthony Davis will be awarded a free eyebrow wax from the NBA since he took home the All-Star game MVP last night.  The league could easily make this more competitive by giving a $10-$15 million prize for the winning team.  I suspect Adam Silver will fix this problem.

Last night DeMarcus Cousins was traded to the Pelicans.   It was just hours earlier that the Lakers were in talks to acquire him, but the price was too high as far as they were concerned.  We know the Kings asked for Brandon Ingram, a future 1st rounder, and probably more.  The Lakers didn’t want to include Ingram.  You might think the Lakers were stupid to not give the Kings what they wanted for Cousins, even if it meant giving up Ingram.  However, LA made the right decision hanging on to him.  As great as DeMarcus Cousins is, we’ve seen what a team looks like with him as the best player, and it’s not even a playoff team.  As a Laker, Cousins would become the best player on the team immediately, and LA still wouldn’t be a playoff team.  Don’t be fooled into thinking LA won’t give up their young talent for a star player.  That star isn’t DeMarcus Cousins though.

As for All-Star Saturday night, this had to have been one of the more disappointing ones I can remember in the last several years. The NBA is all about star power, and unfortunately, we just didn’t see much of it in any of the three contests.  Kristaps Porzingas winning the skills contest is the most exciting thing to happen to the Knicks since Allen Houston came off their payroll.  They might as well have called the three-point shooting contest the “Klay Thompson Invitational” and the slam dunk contest the “Aaron Gordon Invitational” since they were such heavy favorites, yet somehow, they both managed to lose those events.  Eric Gordon shot well, but how can you have a three-point shooting contest without Steph Curry and Kyle Korver? Otto Porter leads the league in 3 point shooting this year, and he wasn’t even in the contest. As for the slam dunk contest, not having Zach Lavine go up against Aaron Gordon was a big let down after Lavine’s injury.  Aaron Gordon himself looked like he was laboring with his foot injury, and that probably allowed a guy like Glen Robinson III to win.  In addition to the dunks just not being creative enough, the names just weren’t there either.  I think we have all come to grips with the fact Lebron isn’t going to compete now that he’s well into his 30’s.  However, where is the top young athleticism in the NBA like Andrew Wiggins, Giannis Antetokounmpo, or even an athletic freak like Larry Nance Jr? It’s feeling more and more like a “whoever we can get to show up” contest.  DeAndre Jordan had a nice dunk, but we all know the odds are always stacked against you when you are a big man.  In DeAndre’s case, the odds are also stacked against him playing basketball when Chris Paul isn’t on the floor to throw him some ally-oops.  Hopefully Adam Silver comes up with some ways to keep the dunk contest alive.

Even though the NBA All-Star game did not have any Lakers playing in it, they did have some representation, most notably in the Rising Stars Challenge on Friday. Both D’Angelo Russell and Brandon Ingram participated. I don’t like to read too much into an exhibition game without a lot of defense being played, but after seeing D’Angelo contribute 12 points and 4 assists, and giving the fans some highlight reel isolation plays, it couldn’t help but reinforce what I already thought about him. Russell has star talent, but whether he fulfills it will come down to all the intangibles: work ethic, mental toughness, and maturity. As for Brandon Ingram, the skill is there, but until the kid puts on some weight, it’s hard to know exactly what the Lakers have in him.

Did anybody stop and think for just one minute that Kyrie Irving was actually trolling the media when he suggested the world is flat? It just goes to show you how desperate the media can be for a story in a slow news weekend.  Kevin Love has been the subject of some trade rumors in Cleveland, as he has been the last couple of years.  He was actually replaced on the All-Star team by Carmelo Anthony.  He and Lebron had a nice little exchange of text messages a few days ago….

New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis turned himself in to authorities on Friday, after being charged with four felonies and a misdemeanor stemming from an altercation in Pittsburgh last week. Revis is scheduled for a hearing in a few days.  Looks like Revis Island is about to turn into Alcatraz Island if he has to face jail time.  If the judge we’re going to give him a maximum sentence though, he would just sentence him to playing for the Cleveland Browns for the next five years.

Going into Saturday, it felt like UCLA was never going to beat USC again in basketball.  Then Lonzo Ball reminded us how great he was once again, as the Bruins blew out the Trojans at Pauley Pavilion.  Not only did UCLA play great defense, but we didn’t have to hear Steve Alford bitch about how high of a standard we hold him to when they don’t play defense.  If Alford wants to complain about it, he should go coach at Southwest Missouri State and take his kid with him.  To his credit though, Alford has gotten the Bruins to play some much better defense in the last couple of games.  I still think that Lavar Ball needs to settle down with all the talk about Lonzo being better than Steph Curry and better than Jason Kidd.  It’s great to have confidence in your kid and support him, but no need to put the added pressure on him, or even put a target on him that other players want a shot at.  Lavar Ball has become the world’s worst soccer mom.

Let’s go to the ice where last night the LA Kings played one of their biggest games of the season, yet somehow laid their biggest egg.  In typical Kings fashion, they couldn’t score, losing 1-0 to the Ducks at Honda Center.  The Kings must be under the impression that their bye week was for two weeks instead of one, because they haven’t showed up in their last three games.  I get it, Anze Kopitar is a nice defensive forward who does more than score.  However, the Kings sure as hell need him to score, and for $10 million per year, it better be more than six goals a season.  I also love how the Kings called up their most skilled prospect in Adrian Kempe, yet stick him on the 4th line instead of the top line when they are desperate for offense.  The Kings may not be out of the playoff race, but it sure feels like they’re letting the playoffs slip further and further away from them.

To baseball where spring training has opened up in Arizona for the Angels and Dodgers.  However, the big news for the Halos is that according to Arte Moreno, they will be playing at Anaheim Stadium until 2029.  The Angels also spent $1.5 million to install some LED lights in the stadium during the off-season, to go along with other improvements to the stadium over the years.  Moreno has clearly experienced the same troubles that Clippers owner Steve Ballmer has recently, with regards to trying to build a new stadium in Southern California.  Even if Moreno had the money to do it himself, which he doesn’t, trying to build something in Orange County is not amenable to most residents, while in LA there are just too many stadiums.  Even if there was an opportunity to move, Anaheim has been home to the Halos for decades, and should continue to be that home.

Another coalition building episode of The Walking Dead last night on AMC.  Spoiler alert for those of you who have yet to see it, so read no further if that is the case, and you want to watch it later.  I like how Rick was saved by Michonne in this episode, and she wasn’t even fighting with him.  I was shocked that Jadis didn’t ask for a hair stylist instead of all those guns for her group.  She must have thought the Jim Carey “Dumber & Dumber” haircut was in.  I was really bummed that Darryl didn’t tell  Carol that Glenn and Abraham were beaten to death.  However, my gut feeling is that she will eventually find out, and when she does, she will get her revenge.

Lastly, we’re down to the final four on The Bachelor, and I’m sure many of you can’t wait for tonight’s episode.  I’m fairly amazed how Nick has found a way to send all the girls home that would actually be good wives.  That dude is crazier than the women on the show.   He wants a deeper relationship, the women say they love him, then he sends them home.  Can they just send Nick home already? Let’s be honest, Nick probably sent Christina home because he thought he had to travel all the way to Russia for the hometown date with her.  Looks like ABC forgot to issue the spoiler alert when they announced that Rachel Lindsay will be the next Bachelorette.  This was never a problem with previous Bachelorette’s, so I’m not sure why ABC made this scheduling goof.  I’m not sure what was up with Corrine suddenly talking in the third person during last week’s show.  Who does she think she is, Elmo?  Nevertheless, she has a real shot to win, and my prediction is that you’re going to see her in the final.  If not though, I hope we at least get to meet her crazy family and Raquel.  After all, nothing says bringing a girl home to your family like a “platinum vageen”.  I’m not sure what was funnier: seeing Corrine walk out of that hotel while walking past the sliding doors, or seeing her walk like Bambi in those Louboutin’s.

Ducks Shut Down Kings

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February 19th, 2017

The Kings continued their struggle to score, and the Ducks got 2 big points against their cross-town rival with a 1-0 win against LA on Sunday night in Anaheim.

Josh Manson scored his second goal of the season and Jonathan Gibson made 24 saves for his 10th career shutout.  Anaheim has now won two of the three games this season against LA, and moved back into a tie for 2nd place in the Pacific Division.

In seasons past, the Kings have been known to win these tight checking close games.  LA played a very physical game, however, Anaheim countered with a persistent forecheck which ultimately set up the only goal of the game.  The Ducks know they need to play that style to win in the postseason, something that has eluded them for a while.

“We just showed how we can play,” Gibson said. “This time of the season, that’s the way it is going to be. Going into the playoffs, towards the end of the year, every game is going to be tight. There’s not much room for error, so (you’ve) got to be pretty good.”

The Kings still had their chances.  Trevor Lewis looked like he was going to tie the game for Los Angeles in the final 30 seconds of the second period. The puck careened off the boards and behind Gibson, who was out at the top of his crease, but Lewis somehow put it wide of the open net.

Then Adrian Kempe then hit the outside of the post off a rebound late in the third period, and the Kings did nothing on a subsequent power play for too many men on the ice.

The Kings remain two points out of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.  Drew Doughty doesn’t seem worried, but knows time is running out.  “We’re still fully confident we can turn it on now and get back into that playoff spot we want to be in,” Doughty said. “The longer we wait, the harder it’s going to be.”

LA will try to get back in the win column on Tuesday at Colorado.  As for the Ducks, they’ll take on the Coyotes tomorrow night in Phoenix.

Bruins Snap Skid Against Trojans

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February 19th, 2017

For the first time in about two years, the Bruins looked like a basketball school against their cross-town rivals. #6 UCLA routed the Trojans 102-70 on Saturday Night at Pauley Pavilion.

The win snapped a four game losing streak against the Trojans on the hardwood, including an 84-76 loss at USC last month. The Bruins improved to 14-1 at home, and are now 5-0 in the month of February.

Bryce Alford led the way for the Bruins with 26 points, including 10 straight in the second half, along with 5 three-pointers. All five starters were in double figures for UCLA, including Lonzo Ball, who had 15 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists, as well as TJ Leaf, who scored 19 points to go along with 8 rebounds.   Thomas Welsh contributed a career-high 16 rebounds too.

Not much went right for USC, who was led by Bennie Boatwright’s 20 points and 10 rebounds.   Boatwright, who didn’t play in the first meeting between the Bruins and Trojans, didn’t get much help from his teammates. USC shot only 34% from the field, and got crushed on the boards by a margin of 50-33.

“We beat them the first time by making it tough for them on offense; we challenge shots,” USC Coach Andy Enfield said. “And tonight they did make some tough ones, but our defense was not as exceptional as it was the first time we played them.”

With 8 minutes left in the first half, UCLA went on a 17-3 run. That run was capped by a deep Lonzo Ball three-pointer, which gave the Bruins a 46-34 lead at halftime. That’s the fourth time this season that Ball has hit a deep three-pointer in the final seconds before halftime. The Bruins have won all four of those games.

UCLA appears to be locked into 3rd place in the Pac 12, but is gaining more momentum heading into March. “Coach always says February sets up March,” said Lonzo Ball. “So that’s what we’re trying to do.”

Everyone will look at the 100 points and believe the Bruins won this game with their #1 ranked offense in the nation. However, it was really the effort on the defensive end, and on the glass that was the biggest difference in UCLA’s win, as well as in the last three weeks. Those are things the Bruins will need to continue if they expect to compete for a National Championship.

Panthers Complete SoCal Sweep With 3-2 Win Over Kings

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February 19th, 2017

The Kings are running out of time to get their act together, and let another opportunity slip by them Saturday night at Staples Center. The Florida Panthers started fast, then held on for a 3-2 win against the Kings.

 

Aleksander Barkov scored the game-winning goal 15 seconds into the third period, and Roberto Luongo made 33 saves, as the Panthers won their 4th straight game. It was also Florida’s 2nd win in a row in SoCal after beating the Ducks one night earlier.

 

The Panthers jumped out to a 1-0 lead when Jonathan Huberdeau beat Peter Budaj with a wrist shot, while the Panthers had a 6 on 5 advantage, as a delayed penalty was going to be called against the Kings’ Marian Gaborik for tripping. Jussi Jokinen made it 2-0 in the second period, taking advantage of a Kings defense breakdown, and beating Budaj from the top of the slot.

 

The Kings responded with two goals over the next six minutes, starting with Dwight King knocking the puck into the net during a scramble in front of Florida goaltender Roberto Luongo. The Panthers challenge the goal, claiming that Kings forward Nick Shore interfered with Luongo, but officials let the goal stand after a review.

 

Tanner Pearson tied the game with 8 minutes left in the second period, scoring his fourth goal in the last three games. However, Barkov put the Panthers ahead for good in the third period, as he redirected the puck into the net while stumbling near the goal line.

 

“We chased the lead again,” Kings Coach Darryl Sutter said. “You don’t want to be doing that all the time. It doesn’t work very well in this league. It’s nice to come back and tie the game. But then it’s not a great goal to start the third period.”

 

The Kings have now lost two in a row, four of their last five games. LA has just 25 games left, and remains two points behind the Calgary Flames for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

 

They’ll have a big game against the Ducks on Sunday night in Anaheim, where they hope to try and turn things around.

Panthers Take Down Ducks

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February 18th, 2017

The Ducks ran into a red hot Florida Panthers team on Friday in Anaheim, and it was the Panthers big 2nd period that propelled them to a 4-1 win.

After a scoreless 1st period, Andrew Cogliano got the Ducks on the board with his third short-handed goal of the season, and the Ducks looked like they might be on their way to a victory.

However, the Panthers blitzed the Ducks for three straight goals after that, and never looked back from there.  45 year old Jaromir Jagr scored a brilliant goal during that stretch to give Florida a 2-1 lead, after stealing the puck from Josh Manson behind the net.  Jagr made a few dekes before putting the puck past Gibson.

Jagr’s goal, followed by Colton Sceviour, and Aaron Ekbald, came within a stretch of 6 minutes.  The Ducks put some pressure on James Reimer in the 3rd period, but the Panthers Goaltender game up with some big saves.  Derek MacKenzie added an empty net short-handed goal in the final two minutes to secure the win for Florida.

Turnovers were a big issue for Anaheim.  “We fed their offense with our inability to execute with the puck,” Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. “They turned the game in their favor with us gifting the puck to them.”

The Ducks played their first game without center Antoine Vermette, who’s serving a 10-game suspension for slashing an official pending an appeal.  However, Anaheim still dominated in the face-off circle.  The Ducks won 12 of 17 faceoffs in the first period and 71 percent for the game.

Jonathan Gibson made 27 saves for Anaheim, but wasn’t necessarily as sharp as he usually is.  Carlyle indicated that he considered giving Gibson the night off to rest, but backup Jonathan Bernier was ill.

The Ducks will try to get back in the win column on Sunday when they take on the Kings at the Honda Center.

Coyote Ugly: Kings lose to Arizona

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February 16th, 2017

The Kings resumed play on Thursday, after their bye week, but you never would have been able to tell that they showed up in their 5-3 loss vs Arizona.

LA fell behind early, and just when you thought they were going to get it going, their goaltending let them down repeatedly.  When it wasn’t that, it was the officiating letting them down as well.  When it was over, the Kings were 1 point out of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

The Kings fell behind 2-0 in the first five minutes on goals by Brendan Perlini and Tobias Reider.  Tanner Pearson tried to rally the Kings with two third period goals, along with one from Dustin Brown, but Perlini added another, while Jordan Martinook scored a pair of his own to give the Coyotes the win.

After Brown pulled the Kings to within a goal at 3-2, Martinook scored from just outside the right circle on a wrist shot that beat Peter Budaj on the short side.  It was definitely a goal that Budaj wishes he would have had back, as were several other ones on the night.

Adrian Kempe made his NHL debut for LA after being called up from the minor leagues, but it looked as though it was the rest of the team that was sent back to the AHL with the way they played.

The officiating didn’t help LA either.  It appeared as though Tyler Toffoli had brought the Kings back to within a goal at 4-3, but officials ruled that they had lost sight of the puck and blown the whistle just before Toffoli poked the puck past Coyotes Goaltender, Mike Smith.

The Kings outshot the Coyotes 44-22, but Smith was spectacular, making 41 saves.  Two of those saves included robbing Anze Kopitar right in front of the net.  It was a struggle for Budaj on the other hand, who made 17 saves, but couldn’t seem to make the important stops.

Kings Coach Darryl Sutter wasn’t all that thrilled with the goaltending either.  “When we lose you’re going to ask how our goalie played.  Peter would like to have 3 of the 4 goals back.”

One of the few bright spots for LA was Jeff Carter.  His assist on Tanner Pearsons’s goal early in the third period was the 300th of his NHL career.  Carter is receiving Hart Trophy consideration for his play this season.

The Kings will continue their brief home stand on Saturday against the Florida Panthers, before heading up to Anaheim on Sunday to take on the Ducks.

Clippers Roll Into All-Star Break With Win Over Hawks

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February 15th, 2017

The Clippers extended their win streak to 4 in a row, as they took down the Hawks at Staples Center on Wednesday night, 99-84.  Blake Griffin scored 17 points, 9 assists and 5 rebounds to lead the way for LA.

JJ Redick scored 15 points and Austin Rivers added 13, as the Clippers beat the Hawks at Staples for the first time since March 8th, 2014.

The Clippers started to pull away from Atlanta in the 2nd quarter, sparked by a 29-12 run, which included a stretch of 5 3-pointers.  That gave LA as 54-40 lead at the half.

Atlanta was led by Dennis Schroder with 15 points, along with Dwight Howard, who had 11.  However, they trailed by as many as 22 in the 3rd quarter.

Both teams rested their starters in the 4th quarter, but the Clippers defense had another great night.  They held Paul Milsap to just 8 points, and Kent Bazemore to 2.

Its a nice run for the Clippers but things won’t be easy after the All-Star break.  They’ll have to play the 1st place Golden State Warriors in Oakland on February 23rd.  They can worry about that another day, and enjoy their streak for now.

Suns Blowout The Lakers Before The Break

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February 15th, 2017

Well that went badly.  The Lakers skidded into the All-Star break, losing to the Suns 137-101 on Wednesday night in Phoenix.  Eric Bledsoe led the way for the Suns with his third career triple double, and Devin Booker added 23 points of his own.

Bledsoe finished with 25 points, 13 assists, and 10 rebounds, as the Suns set season highs in points and in field goal percentage, shooting 55% from the floor.  Bledsoe hit a half court shot at the buzzer at the end of the 1st half.  It was also the Suns 11th straight victory at home against LA.

The Lakers got 21 points each from D’Angelo Russell and Lou Williams, but nothing else went right for them.  They lacked energy from start to finish, they shot 37% from the field, and they were crushed on the glass by a margin of 59-36.

LA heads into the All-Star break losing 3 of it’s last 4.  The only good news is that they moved closer to the Suns in the standings, with the Lakers only a half game in front of the Suns in the Western Conference.  Phoenix has the second worst record in the NBA, and the Lakers 1st round pick in 2017 is top 3 protected, so finishing in the bottom 3 wouldn’t hurt.

The Lakers next game isn’t until February 24th, one day after the NBA’s trade deadline.  The leads to the question of whether or not Lou Williams and/or Nick Young have played their last game with LA.  Both veteran guards are generating interest around the league, and one General Manager even confirmed to Basketball Insiders’ Alex Kennedy that the Lakers have been discussing Williams in trade talks.

Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak also confirmed that there has been a lot more activity lately.  “We are active, yes.  We’re active every year. … Quite frankly compared to the last three or four years, we have a lot of talent on this roster that I think a lot of people have interest in — varying levels of interest. I would think there’s more meaningful discussions this year than there have been the last two or three years,” Kupchak said.

Whether that activity leads to any trades remains to be seen.  However, the Lakers would benefit a great deal from moving veteran players from their roster, especially if it means adding future 1st round picks, and opening up more playing time for their young players to develop.

Kings Trade Gilbert & Call Up Kempe

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February 15th, 2017

The Kings are in the midst of a bye week, but have been busy on the transaction front.  They traded defenseman Tom Gilbert to Washington in exchange for a conditional 5th round draft choice in the 2017 NHL Draft.

Gilbert is 34 years old, and was signed during the offseason to add defensive depth and experience for the Kings.  However, the emergence of young players like Derek Forbort, Brayden McNabb, and Kevin Gravel made him expendable.  Gilbert has played just 13 minutes since December 22nd.

The Kings also recalled forward Adrian Kempe from their Ontario AHL affiliate.  Kempe, 20, is considered one of the more skilled prospects in the Kings system.  He has scored 11 goals and 19 points in 43 games this season with the Reign.

Kempe will take the roster spot of forward Devin Setoguchi, who was reassigned to Ontario.  Setoguchi has scored 4 goals and 12 points in 45 games for LA this season.

The Kings are currently holding the final playoff spot in the Western Conference heading into tomorrow night’s matchup against the Arizona Coyotes.  However, LA is just 24th in the league in goals scored.

Cousins And The Kings Hang On Against The Lakers

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February 15th, 2017

Lou Williams led a fierce fourth quarter rally, but the Lakers came up short against the Kings at Staples Center on Tuesday night, losing 97-96.

 

Williams scored 19 of his 29 points in the 4th, including two game-tying baskets in the final two minutes. However, DeMarcus Cousins had 40 points and 12 rebounds, including the Kings final 10 points.

 

Cousins made 1 of 2 free throws with 9 seconds left in the game, after being fouled by Larry Nance Jr. That put the Kings up by 1 point. Williams attempted a potential game-winning three, which sailed wide right of the basket at the buzzer.

 

The Lakers outscored the Kings 18-10 in the paint and 12-0 on fast-break points in the 4th quarter. LA was trailing 70-64 after three quarters. They got as close as two at one point in the 3rd, but Sacramento went on a 9-0 run to extend the lead to 11 points.

 

Other than Williams, Julius Randle and Nick Young were the only Lakers in double figures. Young scored 10 points and Randle had 11. However, Randle and D’Angelo Russell didn’t play in the 4th quarter.

 

“They earn that chance”, said Lakers coach Luke Walton. Walton also felt like he had to ride the hot hand with Williams. “When Lou is having the type of game he was having, we weren’t gonna take him out,” he explained.

 

The Lakers have lost 4 of their last 6 games, and have just 1 game left tonight before the All-Star break. The Lakers will be visiting the Phoenix Suns, in a game that is critical for both teams potential draft lottery positioning.