Victory Has a Bittersweet Ending

The Bruins weren’t about to mope Saturday after overcoming a sloppy first half and knocking off Oregon, 98-88. But the ending could have been a little sweeter for UCLA fans.

Had the Bruins scored two more points and reached 100, spectators could have redeemed their ticket stubs for a half-dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts. That’s why the crowd moaned in agony when Earl Watson’s last-second layup rimmed out.

“I’m a perfectionist--I’m mad . . .,” Watson said. “It’s a layup. I’ve been making those since second grade.”

Watson wasn’t the only UCLA player who denied the crowd a sugary treat. T.J. Cummings missed a dunk with 1:20 remaining, and moments before Watson missed his layup, Billy Knight missed a 15-foot set shot.

“I put it on those guys,” Watson said with a laugh.

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Matt Barnes scored 26 points--eight more than his previous career high--and turned heads with his offense. His teammates knew he had those skills all along.

“I’ve seen him do that against pros in the summer in pickup games,” Watson said. “I’ve seen him play better in pickup games than he’s showed yet. There’s a lot more to come from Matt Barnes. I’ve seen him just dominate pickup games against pros, especially on the perimeter.”

According to Watson, Barnes has held his own against pros such as Vlade Divac, Chris Webber and Joe Smith.