The Sports Report: UCLA basketball opener overshadowed by injury
Howdy, I’m your host, Iliana Limón Romero, filling in for Houston Mitchell (who is off and probably watching ‘The West Wing’ from start to finish — again). Let’s get right to the news.
Ben Bolch on the UCLA men’s basketball team: The buzz filling the long-empty arena disappeared in an agonizing instant.
Cody Riley fell to the court amid a scramble for the ball midway through the first half, the UCLA redshirt senior forward grabbing his left knee in agony. Fans inside Pauley Pavilion let out a collective groan and went silent.
A trainer helped Riley stretch his knee before the Bruins big man walked slowly off the court while fans chanted his name. Whatever happened next during second-ranked UCLA’s season opener against Cal State Bakersfield on Tuesday night seemed secondary to assessing the status of the team’s rapidly thinning frontcourt.
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Redshirt freshman forward Mac Etienne had already been lost — likely for the season — because of a suspected torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, the second ACL injury suffered by the Bruins after freshman guard Will McClendon went down in preseason workouts with the same issue.
As it commenced its most anticipated season in more than a decade, seven months after completing its run from the First Four to the Final Four, the last thing UCLA needed was another player going down with a serious knee injury. A team spokesperson announced shortly after Riley headed toward the locker room that he would not return during the team’s eventual 95-58 victory.
UCLA coach Mick Cronin said afterward that he did not know the extent of the injury or how it occurred.
“He said it all happened so fast,” Cronin said of Riley, “he doesn’t even know what happened. I asked and he said, ‘I don’t know. Somebody ran me over, and that’s all I know.’ My thoughts are just praying for him and hopefully he’s OK.”
More on men’s college basketball: Any fear USC men’s basketball coach Andy Enfield might have had that his team would take Cal State Northridge lightly disappeared 10 minutes into Tuesday night’s season opener at Galen Center.
The Trojans ran their half-court offense to perfection and used tenacious defense to create nine turnovers and build a 33-point halftime lead on the way to an 89-49 nonconference victory. The best part for the USC players was having fans in the stands — and they gave their faithful plenty to cheer about.
“It was a good opening win. We played hard, we shared the ball, and we had 1,000 students show up early, which was nice to see,” said USC coach Andy Enfield, who admittedly had little to critique as he starts his ninth season at the helm. “It’s hard to pick apart a game where you block six shots, get eight steals, score 52 points in the paint, score 20 points off turnovers and hold the other team to 49 points. We built the lead on defense, and the effort was there for 40 minutes. We have 13 scholarship players, and they all played.”
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USC Football
Ryan Kartje and I on the Trojans: The USC football team’s game at California on Saturday has been rescheduled for Dec. 4 because of COVID-19 cases among the Golden Bears after the Pac-12 granted Cal’s request to avoid a forfeit.
USC agreed to reschedule the game as its season finale after a slew of new positive cases left Cal without enough eligible players available. Under Pac-12 forfeiture rules updated ahead of the season, any game a team is unable to play would be deemed a loss — and a conference win for its opponent, pending the approval of the commissioner.
But for USC, which had a game canceled last season because of COVID, there was no consideration of accepting a win via forfeit, even though the Trojans still need two wins to earn bowl eligibility.
“For them to not get to play would just be a crime,” USC interim coach Donte Williams said of Cal. “We want to play the game, and a forfeit is not the way to go and not the way you want to qualify for a bowl game. Our whole thing is fighting on and competing.”
Saturday’s game is the first COVID-19-related postponement of the season at the Power Five level after the pandemic forced major alterations to college football schedules last season.
More on USC football: USC quarterback Kedon Slovis sits out practice because of lower leg injury
DODGERS
Mike DiGiovanna on the Dodgers: CARLSBAD — The Texas Rangers are expected to aggressively pursue Clayton Kershaw this winter and can offer the free-agent left-hander something the Dodgers can’t — a chance for the three-time Cy Young Award winner to play near his Dallas-area home and not have to uproot his family every spring.
The Dodgers, despite not extending an $18.4-million qualifying offer to the franchise icon, do not intend to go down without a fight.
“We really want Kersh to come back — not only because of what he’s meant to us looking back, but what he’ll mean for us going forward,” Andrew Friedman, the team’s president of baseball operations, said Tuesday on the first day of general manager meetings.
“That being said … he has to figure out what’s best for him and his family. There’s a personal and professional tug of war for me. Professionally, I really hope he’s back. Personally, I want him to do what makes the most sense for his family, and we’ll figure out what that means.”
More on baseball from Jack Harris: CARLSBAD — During a chat with reporters Tuesday at MLB’s general manager meetings, the main topic of conversation surrounding Angels GM Perry Minasian mirrored his club’s primary focus for this offseason.
Pitching, pitching, pitching.
For most of his 45-minute availability, Minasian fielded one question about the position after another, standing at the edge of a courtyard at the Omni Resort in Carlsbad after what he called a “productive day” of meetings with other executives around the league.
While he stopped short of naming any targets specifically — either via free agency or the trade market — Minasian did expound on the type of attributes he’s hoping the Angels pitching staff will possess in 2022, using one adjective in particular to sum up what they’re looking for.
ALSO: Be sure to check out our Angels offseason tracker for the latest free agency news.
CLIPPERS
Andrew Grief on the Clippers: So often this season, coach Tyronn Lue has described his Clippers roster as too quiet. But as Tuesday night’s second half wore on inside Staples Center, their agitation transformed to anger.
Thwacked on a shot but not awarded a foul, Clippers star Paul George was upset enough, on a night when he didn’t attempt a free throw until the third quarter and was harassed most effectively by the defense of Portland’s Norman Powell, that he didn’t jog back on defense. Bumped at the rim without a foul to show for it, Terance Mann waited until the next break in play to approach referee Tyler Ford and lean in while holding out both hands, pleading.
They aren’t alone in their frustrations. After an offseason shift in how fouls are whistled, teams are shooting two fewer free throws per game than last season, the first time the average has dipped under 20 a night in NBA history. But understanding the depth of the Clippers’ ire required watching Nicolas Batum, one of the NBA’s most mild-mannered players. He glared when a call went against Clippers center Isaiah Hartenstein late in the third quarter. Later, he forcefully tapped his right elbow after drawing contact, but not a foul, on a three-pointer.
As the complaints piled up, the Clippers’ emotional state appeared as fragile as their single-digit lead. George went to the bench with his fourth foul with five minutes to play in the third quarter. Guard Reggie Jackson, their other most dependable scorer, followed a minute later.
But this would not be the night the Clippers’ winning streak ended. Kept afloat to end the third quarter by the composure of their reserves and in front until the end by their execution, as Portland’s own faltered, the Clippers won their fifth consecutive game, 117-109.
“In timeouts just wanted to keep our poise,” Lue said. “Both ways they were letting us play physical, so if they can do it to us, we can do it to them, as well.
“I don’t think it was one-sided. We just got to play through the officiating. We can’t get mad.”
HOCKEY
Helene Elliott on the Ducks: Ducks general manager Bob Murray was placed on administrative leave on Tuesday based on a law firm’s preliminary investigation into allegations he had created a hostile workplace atmosphere by repeatedly scolding club employees, sending scathing messages to players, and berating the team’s coaches, according to sources familiar with the matter but not authorized to speak publicly.
Former Kings executive Jeff Solomon, who was hired to be the Ducks’ vice president of hockey operations and assistant general manager this season, was appointed interim general manager.
The Ducks said in a statement the investigation was “related to professional conduct.” Club owners Henry and Susan Samueli moved swiftly and silently once they became aware of the accusations, a source said.
After conducting an internal review, the Ducks hired the Century City-based law firm Sheppard Mullin to carry out an independent investigation. “Upon recommendation from their initial findings, we have decided to place Bob on administrative leave pending final results,” the statement said. “We will have no further comment until the investigation is complete.”
The 2021-22 season is Murray’s 47th in a row in the NHL as a player and executive, including 14 as executive vice president and general manager of the Ducks. Before that he was their vice president of hockey operations, the title that accompanies his name on the Cup for the team’s 2007 championship. Murray, 66, is among the five men who have played in and been general manager of a team for 1,000 NHL regular-season games.
The Ducks missed the playoffs the past three seasons while Murray slowly reconfigured their roster, but they have been competitive this season and took a four-game winning streak into their game at Vancouver on Tuesday.
In 2009 Murray was accused of assault by a TV stage manager who claimed he had thrown a chair at her after a playoff game between the Ducks and the Red Wings at Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena, causing injuries to the left side of her chest, her arm and her shoulder. The lawsuit contended her injuries led her to lose her job, car and home. A jury cleared him of the assault charge in 2012.
More on Ducks: Troy Terry scores in OT, Ducks beat Canucks for fifth straight victory.
KINGS
The Associated Press on the Kings: MONTREAL, Canada — Adrian Kempe scored on a sweeping move at 3:39 of overtime and the L.A. Kings extended their winning streak to six games with a 3-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night.
“For [Kempe] to be able to control the puck, get across the net like that and make that, it’s huge,” Kings goaltender Cal Peterson said. “He’s one of the guys that we count on in those overtime situations.
“He has plenty of handling moves like that so we count on him to do that and he comes through.”
Brendan Lemieux and Alex Iafallo also scored. Petersen made 33 saves for the Kings, whose winning streak is currently the longest one in the league.
UCLA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
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Thuc Nhi Nguyen on UCLA women’s basketball: IImar’I Thomas was having a college career at Cincinnati most could only dream of. The forward won the AAC player of the year, was a three-time all-conference first-team selection and won the league’s freshman of the year. She was one of just two 50-point scorers at the school. The other is Oscar Robertson.
So with one year of eligibility remaining, why would Thomas leave the program that helped her grow into one of the best scorers in the country?
To find a place that could better prepare her for the professional ranks, the UCLA graduate transfer said. And she wanted to chase a championship, because despite her numerous accomplishments at Cincinnati, an NCAA tournament berth wasn’t among them.
UCLA, which has gone to the last five NCAA tournaments and advanced to the regional semifinal four times, provided an ideal landing spot for Thomas, who is one of eight new players for the No. 20 Bruins this year. Despite a completely remade roster, the program’s reputation and expectation for tournament success remain the same.
Coach Cori Close, entering her 11th year at UCLA, added four Division I transfers during the offseason. But don’t get used to it. Close doesn’t favor the transfer portal as a long-term way to build a program. This year’s influx came in response to an abnormal year.
The COVID-19 pandemic’s recruiting restrictions that prevented in-person recruiting for more than a year were especially harsh for UCLA coaches. About 80% of UCLA’s recruiting targets were in the Eastern time zone, and convincing high school prospects to move across the country without a visit proved difficult. Dominque Onu, a guard from Florida, is UCLA’s only 2021 recruit. She signed last November and enrolled early to play sparingly last season because COVID-19 canceled her senior season of high school.
“As any leader, it’s my responsibility to pivot and go, OK, how do we continue to have championship progress?” Close said. “And it was very clear the transfer portal was the way to do it.”
NFL
Chuck Schilken on Aaron Rodgers: Aaron Rodgers admitted Tuesday that he had “misled people about my status” when he told reporters he was “immunized” before the start of the NFL season.
The Green Bay quarterback has not been vaccinated against COVID-19 and last week tested positive for the coronavirus. He missed the Packers’ game Sunday — a 13-7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs — and hopes to be cleared Saturday to play against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
Rodgers appeared on the “Pat McAffee Show” on Friday and said his initial statement about being immunized “wasn’t some sort of ruse or lie, it was the truth.” He went on to say he would have clarified his remark had any reporter thought to ask a follow-up question.
He walked back those statements when he returned to McAffee’s show for his weekly appearance.
“I made some comments that people might have felt were misleading,” he said. “And to anybody who felt misled by those comments, I take full responsibility for those comments.”
He was even more straightforward later in the interview. “I misled people about my status,” Rodgers said.
Later Tuesday, the NFL fined the Packers $300,000 and issued $14,650 fines to Rodgers and wide receiver Allen Lazard for violations of league and players’ union protocols. ESPN first reported the fines.
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
1940 — The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Philadelphia Eagles 7-3 in a penalty free game at Forbes Field. Philadelphia’s George Somers hits a 36-yard field goal in the first quarter. Coley McDonough of the Steelers scores on a one-yard rush in the third quarter.
1945 — Top-ranked Army shuts out No. 2 Notre Dame 48-0 at Yankee Stadium. Glenn Davis scores three touchdowns and Doc Blanchard scores two, while the Cadets roll up 441 yards to the Irish’s 184.
1963 — Don Meredith of the Dallas Cowboys passes for 460 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-24 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
1963 — Detroit’s Gordie Howe becomes the leading career goal scorer in the NHL with his 545th in a 3-0 victory over the Montreal Canadiens.
1974 — Hernri Richard and Gut Lafleur score two goals apiece to lead the Montreal Canadiens to an 11-1 over the Washington Capitals. Jack Egers gets the Capitals only goal.
1978 — Larry Holmes knocks out Alfredo Evangelista in the seventh round to retain the WBC heavyweight title in Las Vegas.
1984 — Wyoming’s Kevin Lowe rushes for 302 yards, and Rick Wegher of South Dakota State rushes for 231 to set an NCAA record for most yards gained by two opposing players. Wyoming wins 45-29.
1984 — Wild Again holds off Slew O’ Gold and Gate Dancer to capture the $3 million Breeders’ Cup Classic in the inaugural Breeders’ Cup at Hollywood Park.
1984 — Maryland completes the biggest comeback in NCAA history, overcoming a 31-0 halftime deficit to beating Miami 42-40 in the Orange Bowl. Led by back-up quarterback Frank Reich, the Terrapins score on six consecutive drives in the second half and stop Hurricane running back Melvin Bratton’s two-point conversion attempt on the goal line late in the fourth quarter.
1990 — The Phoenix Suns shatter the NBA record with 107 points in the first half of a 173-143 victory over the Denver Nuggets.
1991 — Martina Navratilova beats Monica Seles for the California Virginia Slims tournament, her 157th title, equaling Chris Evert’s record for career victories.
1996 — Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino surpasses 50,000 career yards passing in a 37-13 win over Indianapolis. Marino also reaches 4,000 completions, another NFL first, with his 10th completion of the game.
2001 — San Jose State beats Nevada 64-45, setting an NCAA single-game record for total offense with 1,640 yards. San Jose State has 849 yards to Nevada’s 791, eclipsing the previous record of 1,563 yards set by Houston and TCU on Nov. 3, 1990.
2007 — San Jose center Jeremy Roenick scores his 500th NHL goal at the expense of his former team in a 4-1 win over Phoenix.
2007 — Navy and North Texas set a major-college record by combining for 136 points in the Midshipmen’s 74-62 win. The previous record for college football’s top tier of competition was 133 points in San Jose State’s 70-63 win over Rice on Oct. 2, 2004. 2007 — Notre Dame loses for the ninth time this season, a school-record, falling 41-24 to Air Force. The last time the Irish lost to two military academies in the same season was 1944.
2012 — Ka’Deem Carey of Arizona rushes for a Pac-12 record 366 yards and ties the conference record with five TDs in the Wildcats’ 56-31 rout of Colorado.
2013 — Marc Marquez becomes the first rookie in 35 years to win the MotoGP championship after protecting his points lead in the Vale winner and defending champion Jorge Lorenzo. The last rookie to win the title was American Kenny Roberts in 1978.
2017 — John Carlson and T.J. Oshie score rare home power-play goals, and Braden Holtby becomes the second-fastest goalie in NHL history to 200 victories in Washington’s 4-1 win over Pittsburgh. Holtby stops 27 of the 28 shots he faces to pick up victory No. 200 in his 319th game, second only to Hall of Famer and six-time Stanley Cup winner Ken Dryden, who did it in 311.
And finally
Watch highlights from the No. 2 UCLA men’s basketball team’s season-opening win.
Until next time...
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