Up next for the Lakers: Friday vs. Denver

Ben Bolch has been a Los Angeles Times staff writer since 1999. Twice awarded top-10 finishes in feature writing by the Associated Press Sports Editors, he began his second stint as the UCLA beat writer in 2016. His first stint, during the 2010-11 season, ended with yet another crushing loss to Florida in the NCAA tournament. Over his 25 years at The Times, Bolch has also covered the Lakers, Clippers, Dodgers, Angels, USC men’s basketball and high schools. His favorite athletes to cover were Dave Roberts, Jamal Crawford, Jose Lima, David Eckstein, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Thomas Welsh, Josh Kelley and Aday Mara. Bolch is also the author of the book “100 Things UCLA Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die.”