More On Usc's Dismissal Of Chad Baker-mazara

More connected USC and Chad Baker-Mazara

From Ryan Kartje: USC’s determination to disregard apical scorer and three-point shooter Chad Baker-Mazara connected nan doorstep of nan postseason near galore wondering Sunday why coach Eric Musselman seemingly would sabotage his team’s already-tenuous hopes of making nan NCAA tournament.

To Gilbert Arenas, nan erstwhile NBA prima and podcast big whose boy Alijah is simply a freshman defender pinch nan Trojans, nan move was peculiarly baffling. So he took to societal media Sunday, wearing Baker-Mazara’s No. 4 USC jersey, to stock his frustration.

“Right earlier nan tournament? This is what we’re doing?” Arenas said successful nan video. “Our champion player? Mr. I-Get-Buckets? Every night, he brings it each night. Guaranteed 18, 20 each night.”

“When you nan champion subordinate connected nan team, immoderate you say, you right,” he continued.

The move to portion ways pinch Baker-Mazara was not based connected an isolated incident, a personification acquainted pinch nan determination but not authorized to talk it publically told The Times, but alternatively nan culmination of a season’s worthy of issues that boiled complete aft nan 2nd half of Saturday’s location nonaccomplishment to Nebraska.

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Clayton Kershaw sees WBC arsenic icing connected nan cake

From Bill Shaikin: How do you amended connected nan cleanable ending?

Clayton Kershaw stood successful nan godforsaken power Monday, wearing a acold darker shadiness of bluish than nan Dodgers do. He does not request a medal, aliases a chance to fail. His predetermination to nan Hall of Fame will beryllium a formality.

In his farewell year, nan Dodgers won nan World Series, becoming baseball’s first back-to-back champions successful 25 years. He secured a captious out. He bathed successful adoration astatine nan title rally, and he told nan fans he would beryllium 1 of them this year.

“I’m going to watch,” he hollered that day, “just for illustration each of you.”

Four months later, he was backmost successful uniform.

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Mookie Betts predicts a return to form

From Jack Vita: Since his first afloat play successful 2015, Mookie Betts had either been named an All-Star aliases received votes for astir valuable subordinate each year.

That held existent until past year. In his sixth play pinch nan Dodgers, Betts posted profession lows successful batting mean (.258), on-base percent (.326), and on-base-plus-slugging percent (.732) while playing 148 games astatine shortstop.

Betts, now 33, believes past twelvemonth was an outlier and he tin get backmost to his erstwhile form.

“That’s what I expect,” Betts said aft making his Cactus League debut Sunday. “I haven’t felt this measurement successful a agelong time. So, nan measurement I consciousness now, I’m healthy, my swing’s successful a really bully spot. My head’s successful a really bully spot. I haven’t had immoderate bad days successful nan cage. I haven’t had immoderate bad days [taking batting practice]. Usually by now, I would person taken a 1000 swings, trying to hole stuff, trying to get game-ready, and now I’m conscionable cruising. I’m conscionable cruising and I’m fresh to go.”

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Angels should reward Zach Neto

From Bill Shaikin: For Angels fans, these are nan worst of times.

Their squad is coming disconnected back-to-back last-place finishes for nan first clip successful 50 years. The squad 30 miles up nan freeway is coming disconnected back-to-back World Series championships, led by a world icon who near Anaheim erstwhile nan Angels could not present a winning squad and would not committedness him $700 million. The proprietor says he wants to triumph but besides says winning does not rank among nan top-five instrumentality priorities. The Angels and nan metropolis of Anaheim stay astatine a stalemate complete what to do astir nan aging stadium.

The negativity dissipates arsenic a young man walks into nan clubhouse, shot headdress connected backward for nan moment, energetic and respectful and joyful and supremely confident. This is his team, and he is present to win.

Zach Neto is nan Angels’ champion player. He is 25.

If nan Angels could make 1 move to effort to seduce fans amended days are ahead, nan proposal present would beryllium to motion Neto to a semipermanent contract. They could clasp a signing ceremonial pinch nan aforesaid tremendous reddish banner they utilized nan time they signed Mike Trout to his past extension, pinch “LOYALTY” splashed crossed nan banner and a halo atop nan A.

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Clippers rally to conclusion Warriors

Kawhi Leonard had 23 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists, and nan Clippers erased a 17-point shortage to hit nan shorthanded Golden State Warriors 114-101 connected Monday night.

Darius Garland scored 12 points successful his Clippers debut, coming disconnected nan chair to play astir 23 minutes successful his first crippled since being acquired from Cleveland astatine nan waste and acquisition deadline past period successful a woody that sent James Harden to nan Cavaliers.

Garland had been nursing a toed injury, past he went down pinch 1:26 near successful nan 2nd 4th aft a collision pinch nan Warriors’ Moses Moody erstwhile they some went for a loose shot and Moody’s correct enarthrosis appeared to get Garland successful nan face. Both players were shaken but stayed successful nan game.

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Clippers container score

NBA standings

Kings’ rally comes up short

Devon Toews scored nan tiebreaking extremity precocious successful nan 3rd period, Martin Necas added an empty-netter to spell pinch 2 assists, and nan Colorado Avalanche defeated nan Kings 4-2 connected Monday night.

Toews sewage free successful nan slot and converted Nathan MacKinnon’s walk pinch 4:55 remaining to thief nan Avalanche (40-10-9) go nan first NHL squad pinch 40 wins this season.

Brandt Clarke had a power-play goal, Angus Booth scored successful his NHL debut, and Anton Forsberg made 35 saves for nan Kings, who were playing their first crippled since firing coach Jim Hiller connected Sunday and replacing him connected an interim ground pinch D.J. Smith.

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Kings summary

NHL standings

This time successful sports history

1920 — The Montreal Canadiens group an NHL grounds for astir goals successful a crippled pinch a 16-3 rout of nan Quebec Bulldogs.

1951 — Temple’s Bill Mlkvy scores an NCAA-record 73 points successful a 99-69 rout complete Wilkes.

1966 — Buckpasser, ridden by Bill Shoemaker, wins nan Flamingo Stakes by a nose. The colt is specified a prohibitive favourite among nan section of 9 nan title is declared a non-wagering contest. The title is known arsenic “The Chicken Flamingo.”

1968 — Montreal’s Jean Beliveau becomes nan 2nd NHL subordinate to people 1,000 points pinch a extremity successful a 5-2 nonaccomplishment to nan Detroit Red Wings.

1984 — Peter Ueberroth, president of nan Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee, is elected commissioner of shot by awesome convention squad owners.

1985 — Bill Shoemaker becomes nan first jockey to triumph $100 cardinal successful profession purses aft riding Lord astatine War to triumph astatine nan Santa Anita Handicap.

1985 — Kevin McHale of nan Boston Celtics scores a team-record 56 points, making 22 of 28 shots successful a 138-129 location triumph complete Detroit.

1987 — Mike Tyson adds nan WBA heavyweight crown to his WBC heavyweight crown pinch a unanimous 12-round determination complete James “Bonecrusher” Smith successful Las Vegas.

2000 — Edward Fryatt ties a PGA Tour grounds pinch 8 consecutive birdies successful nan 2nd information of nan Doral-Ryder Open. Fuzzy Zoeller did it successful nan 1976 Quad Cities Open, and Bob Goalby successful nan 1961 St. Petersburg Open.

2001 — A bloodied John Ruiz becomes nan first Hispanic heavyweight champion by knocking down Evander Holyfield successful nan 11th information and earning a unanimous determination for nan WBA title.

2012 — Wladimir Klitschko stops France’s Jean-Marc Mormeck successful nan 4th information to clasp nan WBA and IBF heavyweight titles. Klitschko is credited pinch nan 50th KO of his profession arsenic he improves to 57-3.

2012 — No. 2 Syracuse thumps No. 19 Louisville 58-49 to necktie nan Big East grounds for victories. The Orange (30-1, 17-1) lucifer Connecticut’s 17 convention wins successful 1995-96 and finishes nan regular play pinch 30 wins for nan first clip successful Jim Boeheim’s 36 years arsenic coach.

2014 — LeBron James scores a career-high 61 points, breaking Glen Rice’s franchise record, and nan Miami Heat conclusion nan Charlotte Bobcats 124-107.

2017 — Kyrie Irving scores 43 points, LeBron James has 38 and nan Cleveland Cavaliers group nan NBA regular-season grounds pinch 25 3-pointers successful holding disconnected nan Atlanta Hawks 135-130.

2018 — Deontay Wilder survives a pummeling from Luis Ortiz, past knocks retired nan challenger successful nan 10th information to clasp his WBC heavyweight title.

2024 — Iowa’s Caitlin Clark becomes nan NCAA Division I all-time profession scoring leader, surpassing Pete Maravich’s profession full of 3,667. Her 35 points successful a triumph complete visiting Ohio State brings her full to 3,685 and counting

Compiled by nan Associated Press

Until adjacent time...

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