Category: Uncategorized

What we know about today’s NBA:
== The third Lakers-Clippers regular-season meeting set for Tuesday at Staples Center, a TNT game for 7 p.m., has now been postponed.

How the rest of the week unfolds for the Lakers (36-10, still No. 2 in the Week 15 ESPN NBA Power Rankings)
= Vs. Portland, Staples Center, Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Spectrum SportsNet, ESPN
= At Sacramento, Saturday at 7 p.m., Spectrum SportsNet
How the rest of the week unfolds for the Clippers (33-14, down from No. 3 to No. 4 in the ESPN NBA Power Rankings)
= Vs. Sacramento, Staples Center, Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Prime Ticket
= Vs. Minnesota, Staples Center, Saturday at 12:30 p.m., Prime Ticket

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What we surmise will be noteworthy about the 54^th Super Bowl between San Francisco and Kansas City that lands in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Sunday – 3:15 p.m., Channel 11:
== It’s been 10 years since an NFL title game was in this part of town, but the city has the game for the 11^th time, the most of any place in the country, as it returns not to the old Orange Bowl but the revamped Hard Rock Stadium.

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The latest we seem to know about the college basketball season:
== The top seven teams in the AP Top 25 poll remained the same — Baylor (17-1), Gonzaga (21-1), Kansas (16-3), San Diego State (21-0), Florida State (17-2), Louisville (17-3) and Dayton (18-2). The Pac-12 has Oregon (17-4) up one spot to No. 11 after an overtime win over USC and easy triumph over UCLA. Colorado (16-4) is up three spots to No. 20. That’s it.

How the week plays out for USC (16-4, 5-2 in the Pac-12, a half-game behind Oregon for the lead)
= Vs. Utah, Galen Center, Thursday at 6:30 p.m., FS1
= Vs. Colorado, Galen Center, Saturday at 7:30 p.m., FS1
How the week plays out for UCLA (10-10, 3-4 in the Pac-12)
= Vs. Colorado, Pauley Pavilion, Thursday at 8 p.m., ESPN2
= Vs. Utah, Pauley Pavilion, Sunday at noon, FS1

How the week plays out for Cal State Northridge (8-14, 3-3 Big West)
= Vs. UC Santa Barbara, the Matadome, Thursday at 8 p.m., ESPNU
= At Hawaii, Saturday at 10 p.m.
How the week plays out for Long Beach State (7-14, 2-3 Big West)
= At UC Riverside, Thursday at 7 p.m., ESPN3
= Vs. UC Santa Barbara, Walter Pyramid, Saturday at 4 p.m., ESPN3

How the week plays out for Loyola Marymount (8-13, 2-5 in the WCC)
= At Pacific, Thursday at 7 p.m.
= Vs. Pepperdine, Gersten Pavilion, Saturday at 3 p.m., Spectrum SportsNet
How the week plays out for Pepperdine (11-10, 4-3 in the WCC)
= At BYU, Thursday at 5:30 p.m., CBSSN
= At Loyola Marymount, Saturday at 3 p.m., Spectrum SportsNet

Games of national interest this week include:
Monday
North Carolina at North Carolina State, 4 p.m., ESPN
Kansas at Oklahoma State, 6 p.m., ESPN
Tuesday
Villanova at St. John’s, 3:30 p.m., FS1
Florida State at Virginia, 4 p.m., ESPN
Pittsburgh at Duke, 6 p.m., ESPN
Butler at Georgetown, 6 p.m., CBSSN
Wednesday
DePaul at Seton Hall, 3:30 p.m., FS1
Vanderbilt at Kentucky, 3:30 p.m., SEC Network
Dayton at Duquesne, 4 p.m., CBSSN
West Virginia at Texas Tech, 5 p.m., ESPN+
Baylor at Iowa State, 6 p.m., ESPNU
San Diego State at New Mexico, 6 p.m., CBSSN
Louisville at Boston College, 6 p.m., ACC Net
Arizona State at Washington State, 8 p.m., ESPNU
Thursday
Iowa at Maryland, 5:30 p.m., Big Ten Net
Oregon at Cal, 6 p.m., Pac-12 Net
Arizona at Washington, 6 p.m., ESPN2
Gonzaga at Santa Clara, 7:30 p.m., CBSSN
Oregon State at Stanford, 8 p.m., Pac-12 Net
Saturday
Xavier at Seton Hall, 8 a.m., Channel 11
Creighton at Villanova, 9 a.m., FS1
UConn at Memphis, 10 a.m., Channel 2
Michigan State at Wisconsin, 10 a.m., Channel 11
Louisville at North Carolina State, 11 a.m.
Providence at Butler, 11 a.m., FS1
TCU at Baylor, 1 p.m., ESPN2
Texas Tech at Kansas, 1 p.m., ESPN
Oregon State at Cal, 1 p.m. Pac-12 Net
Oregon at Stanford, 3 p.m. Pac-12 Net
Kentucky at Auburn, 3 p.m., ESPN
Duke at Syracuse, 5 p.m., ESPN
Arizona at Washington State, 5 p.m., Pac-12 Net
Utah State at San Diego State, 7 p.m., CBSSN
Arizona State at Washington, 7:30 p.m., Pac-12 Net
Sunday
Illinois at Iowa, 10 a.m. FS1
Georgetown at St. John’s, 10 a.m., Channel 2

Bill Walton’s schedule this week:
= Arizona at Washington, Thursday at 6 p.m., ESPN
= Arizona State at Washington, Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Pac-12 Network

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What we know about the NHL beyond the All-Star Game weekend:
== The third annual “Hockey Day SoCal” happens Saturday – an event sponsored by Fox Sports West, Prime Ticket and Fox Sports San Diego. Capped off by the Kings-Ducks game from Staples Center (7:30 p.m., FSW, Prime Ticket), it also includes the team’s American Hockey League affiliates facing off at 4 p.m. – Ontario at San Diego – on all three channels. The studio show emanates from the Great Park Ice rink in Irvine at 2 p.m.

Also this week for the Kings (18-27-5, last in the Western Conference with 41 points)
= Vs. Tampa Bay, Staples Center, Wednesday at 7 p.m., NBCSN
= At Arizona, Thursday at 6:30 p.m., FSW
Also this week for the Ducks (19-24-5, next to last in the Western Conference with 43 points)
= At San Jose, Monday at 7:30 p.m., Prime Ticket
= Vs. Arizona, Honda Center, Wednesday at 7 p.m., Prime Ticket
= Vs. Tampa Bay, Friday at 7 p.m., Prime Ticket

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The conclusion of the Australian Open sees the men’s side with defending champ Novak Djokovic “cruising through with little fuss and almost no hype” as he has Milos Raonic in the quarterfinals next. Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer remain alive. Dojkovic and Federer are lined up for the semifinals. Women’s top seed Ashley Barty is into the quarterfinals with 10 of the next 13 seeds already gone, including Serena Williams.
The TV schedule:
Women’s championship: Saturday at 5 a.m., ESPN2
Men’s championship: Sunday at 5 a.m., ESPN2
Men’s semifinals: Thursday at 12:30 a.m., ESPN and Friday at 12:30 a.m., ESPN
Women’s semifinals: Wednesday at 7 p.m., ESPN2

What we know about today’s NBA on MLK Day and beyond:
== If things fall as they seem they might, LeBron James will pass Kobe Bryant on the NBA’s all-time scoring list by the end of this week.
As the L.A. Times’ Bill Plaschke wrote Monday:
A man wearing a Lakers jersey will pass Kobe Bryant on the all-time scoring list. James will officially plant his purple and gold flag by scoring his 33,644th point, moving him past Bryant and into third place on the scoring list.
At which point, all Laker hell will break loose.
Said Bryant, who is 81 points ahead of James at the moment:
“When LeBron came to Los Angeles, he is now a Laker, he is part of our brotherhood, part of our fraternity, and we should embrace him that way,” he said.
Kind of seems like the appro response for an MLK Day story?

== The annual MLK Day slate involves 28 of the 30 teams, including the Lakers. The only two not asked to play on the holiday (including the Clippers) go Tuesday instead. The TNT schedule Monday includes New Orleans at Memphis (2 p.m.) and Golden State at Portland (7 p.m.)
== Sunday’s Grammy Awards at Staples Center keeps the Lakers and Clipper on the road.
== Anthony Davis is supposed to be ready to come back.
== Kawhi Leonard is the Western Conference Player of the Week (Jan. 13-19) after the Clippers went 3-0 last week and he averaged 38 points, 5 assists and 4.7 rebounds.
== The anticipation of Zion Williamson’s first NBA game Wednesday has caused ESPN to alter its schedule.
== The NBA plants its first regular-season game in Paris: Charlotte vs. Milwaukee, Friday at noon, NBA TV.

How the week unfolds for the Lakers (34-8, still No. 2 behind Milwaukee in the ESPN NBA Power Rankings)
= At Boston, Monday at 4:30 p.m., TNT, Spectrum SportsNet
= At New York, Wednesday at 4:30 p.m., Spectrum SportsNet
= At Brooklyn, Thursday at 5 p.m., TNT, Spectrum SportsNet
= At Philadelphia, Saturday at 5:30 p.m., Channel 7

How the week unfolds for the Clippers (30-13, up from No. 5 to No. 3 in the NBA Power Rankings with Paul George close to returning)
= At Dallas, Tuesday at 5:30 p.m., Prime Ticket
= At Atlanta, Wednesday at 4:30 p.m., Prime Ticket
= At Miami, Friday at 5 p.m., ESPN, Prime Ticket
= At Orlando, Sunday at 3 p.m., Prime Ticket

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The latest we seem to know about the college basketball season:
== Baylor (15-1) remains atop the ESPN College Basketball Power Rankings, which came out before the AP Top 25 poll also raised the Bears into the No. 1 spot, for the first time. That means seven teams have been at the top position this season.
The last undefeated major team, San Diego State (19-0), is No. 3 in the power rankings and No. 4 in the AP Top 25. Gonzaga (20-1) fell to No. 2 in the AP Top 25 through no fault of its own.
Oregon (15-4) dropped from No. 8 to No. 13 in the power rankings and to No. 12 in the Top 25 after losing a head-scratcher at Washington State. The Ducks host USC and UCLA this week. The only other Pac 12 schools in the Top 25 are Arizona (13-5, at No. 22, up four spots) and Colorado (14-4, at No. 23, down three spots). USC received four total votes, behind Stanford’s 28 votes.

How the week plays out for USC (15-3, 4-1 and tied with Stanford for the lead in the Pac-12, the team it just defeated in OT)
= At Oregon, Thursday at 8 p.m., ESPNU
= At Oregon State, Saturday at 2 p.m., Pac 12 Network
How the week plays out for UCLA (9-9, 2-3 and just 1-2 on the road)
= At Oregon State, Thursday at 8 p.m., FS1
= At Oregon, Sunday at 2 p.m., Channel 11

How the week plays out for Cal State Northridge (7-13, 2-2 and 5-3 at home as the Matadors are only 2 1/2 games out of first in the Big West)
= At UC Santa Barbara, Wednesday at 7 p.m.
= At Cal State Fullerton, Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
How the week plays out for Long Beach State (6-14, 1-3 and 1-8 on the road, sitting last in the Big West)
= Vs. UC Irvine, Walter Pyramid, Wednesday at 7 p.m., ESPN3

How the week plays out for Loyola Marymount (7-12, 1-4 in the West Coast Conference)
= Vs. Portland, Gersten Pavilion, Thursday at 7 p.m.
= Vs. Saint Mary’s, Gersten Pavilion, Saturday at 6 p.m.
How the week plays out for Pepperdine (9-10, 2-3 in the WCC)
= At Santa Clara, Thursday at 7 p.m.
= Vs. Portland, Firestone Fieldhouse, Saturday at 5 p.m.

Games of national interest this week include:
Monday
Oklahoma at Baylor, 6 p.m., ESPN
Tuesday
Butler at Villanova, 4 p.m., CBSSN
Wyoming at San Diego State, 8 p.m., CBSSN
Thursday
Washington at Utah, 5 p.m., Pac-12 Network
Washington State at Colorado, 7 p.m., Pac-12 Network
Michigan State at Indiana, 5 p.m., FS1
Friday
Marquette at Butler, 6 p.m., FS1
Saturday
Illinois at Michigan, 9 a.m., FS1
Villanova at Providence, 10 a.m., Channel 2
Kentucky at Texas Tech, 3 p.m., ESPN
Washington at Colorado, 6 p.m.
Arizona at Arizona State, 6:30 p.m., Pac-12 Network
Pacific at Gonzaga, 7 p.m.
Sunday
Maryland at Indiana, 10 a.m., Channel 2
Michigan State at Minnesota, noon, Channel 11
San Diego State at UNLV, 1 p.m., CBSSN
Stanford at Cal, 3 p.m., ESPNU

Bill Walton’s schedule this week:
= Washington at Utah, Thursday at 5 p.m., Pac-12 Network
= Arizona at Arizona State, Saturday at 6:30 p.m., Pac-12 Network

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What we know about the PGA Tour at this point, having seen it leave the Palm Spring Desert and head south
== The Farmers Insurance Open from Torrey Pines north of San Diego is the place where CBS starts its 2020 season, with a bunch of new folks in place. It’s also where Tiger Woods begins his 2020 campaign, just a few months removed as the playing captain of the Presidents’ Cup win in Australia and capturing his PGA Tour-tying 82^nd career win in China last October. Continue reading “01.20.20: Five things for the week ahead and, in the words of MLK: We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” →

What we know about the next phase of the “Jeopardy! Greatest of All Time” Tournament:
== As any network exec will tell you, especially in the sports realm, all they root for it as many shows/games as possible. Ken Jennings has put himself just one hour-long show away from taking the $1 million prize. If Jennings can just coast a little, Brad Rutter can get some things breaking his way on all-in “Daily Double” answers and James Holzhauer keeps the heat on, this could push its way to a seventh-match crescendo on Friday that would rival any major sporting event from viewership numbers – and the event has already been pre-taped.
Game shows aren’t rigged, right? They can’t just figure out the best way to please everyone, tank a little, fix Rutter’s ship and get this whole thing to replay somewhere on ESPN opposite the NFL divisional championships on Sunday.
What is … Mission Not Impossible?
The schedule:
= Tuesday at 8 p.m., Channel 7
= If necessary: Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m., Channel 7

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What we have come to realize about the conclusion of the college football season that started in one decade and went into another — just 16 days, but it seems an eternity:
== This honored match up of 14-0/No. 1 LSU and 14-0/No. 3 Clemson (Monday, ESPN, 5 p.m., with 14 other options on the MegaCast) leans toward a victory by the Tigers.
Of course, both schools have that same nickname. And both lay some claim to play their games in Death Valley, which is no where near the actual Death Valley that gamblers must traverse through on their way from L.A. to Las Vegas.
Also:
= NFLPA Collegiate Bowl at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Saturday at 4 p.m., NFL Network. In the 2019 game, Slippery Rock running back Wes Hills ended up as the MVP. More info: collegiate.nflpa.com
= East-West Shrine Bowl at St. Petersburg, Fla., Saturday at 12:30 p.m.,  NFL Network

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Where we stand on the Lakers and Clippers Happy Meal status:
== The Lakers have promoted Rob Pelinka as their Mr. Everything in the absence of Magic Johnson. And he still hasn’t traded away Kyle Kuzma. Probably for the better.
== Before the Lakers and Clippers start their Get Out of Staples Center Tour to allow those setting up the Jan. 26 Grammy Awards to have an ample runway, Cleveland and Orlando come in for a shared two-for-one trip. And maybe Kevin Love gets some love. Maybe Cleveland fires its coach.
== ABC is ready to pick up their first two roadies on Saturday – the Clippers in New Orleans, followed by the Lakers in Houston. The extended trips for both teams will end when the Lakers and Clippers meet up at Staples Center on Tuesday, Jan. 28, for a TNT showdown. Continue reading “01.13.20: Five things for the week ahead based on unscientific evidence of guaranteed importance” →

What we know about today’s NBA heading into the next decade, and what LeBron James might bring to it:
== He was named Associated Press Male Athlete of the Decade late last week. This was not his decision, but The Decision came into play. Almost all those years in the 2010s were not in L.A., but L.A. has a strong pull on him with his outside interests.
== He has reached 9,000 career assists, the ninth in NBA history to achieve that milestone, accomplished in Sunday night’s win over Dallas. He should pass Isiah Thomas for No. 8 on the all-time list by the All-Star break. By which point, he could also be passing Kobe Bryant for No. 3 on the all-time scoring list, and could be passing Allen Iverson for No. 13 in the all-time steals list.

== He’s still dealing with a right groin issue and is day-to-day. As we all are.
== He’s old. He turned 35 on Dec. 30. That means nearly half his life has been in the NBA. Wikipedia confirms this. He has confirmed there’s no party:

== His son continues to grab headlines. Bronny’s Sierra Canyon High team faces Rancho Christian in the title game of the Damien Classic – Monday, 8:30 p.m., FoxSportsWest Prep Zone streaming (following the third-place game between Etiwanda and St. John Bosco). Christian Miles and Kris Johnson will call both games with Rahshaun Haylock on the sidelines. More info: www.foxsports.com/west/prep-zone-stream

How the rest of the week unfolds for the Lakers (26-7, falling to No. 4 from No. 2 in the ESPN NBA Power Rankings after righting a four-game losing streak with two wins in the last three days)
= Vs. Phoenix, Staples Center, New Year’s Day Wednesday, 7:30 p.m., Spectrum SportsNet
= Vs. New Orleans, Staples Center, Friday at 7:30 p.m., Spectrum SportsNet, ESPN
= Vs. Detroit, Staples Center, Sunday at 7 p.m., Spectrum SportsNet

How the rest of the week unfolds for the Clippers (23-11, still No. 3 in the ESPN NBA Power Rankings despite trailing the Lakers by 3 1/2 games in the Pacific Division)
= At Sacramento, New Year’s Eve Tuesday, 2 p.m., Prime Ticket
= Vs. Detroit, Staples Center, Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Prime Ticket
= Vs. Memphis, Staples Center, Saturday at 12:30 p.m., Prime Ticket
= Vs. New York, Staples Center, Sunday at 12:30 p.m., Prime Ticket

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The matchup of Pac-12 champion and sixth-ranked Oregon (11-2) and Big Ten runner-up and eighth-ranked Wisconsin (10-3) the 106th edition of the Pasadena’s finest Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day, sure, it ain’t what it used to be.
But it’s what we can cling to like an antique vase during an earthquake, and make sure our insurance premiums are paid up, as the actual college football bowl season has to wait more than two week before getting to the Jan. 13 national championship game in New Orleans between Clemson and LSU.
Until then, we dance with these dates during other various exhibitions: Continue reading “12.30.19: Five things for the week (and decade) ahead based on unscientific evidence of guaranteed importance” →