Checking back in on that Battle for L.A. we were telling you about…. As in, “What battle?” The Lakers are still the Lakers, more or less, even if we still don’t know what they’ll wind up as, more or less. The Clips are no longer the Clippers, even if Clippers have always gone back to being the Clippers with mass desertions, heads rolling, lawsuits, etc. For the moment, the air has gone out of the Clips’ euphoric breakout—remember Lob City?–even with the team on
Quick quiz: Who are the only two referees to work the last five NBA Finals? Dick Bavetta? Sorry, he hasn’t worked a Finals since 2008. Eddie F. Rush? Nope. Since 2007, he’s only gotten the call once. Mike Callahan? You’re getting warmer. He’s worked the last three, as have both Derrick Stafford and Monty McCutchen. Scott Foster? Joey Crawford? Warmer still. Both have worked the last four. If you answered Dan Crawford and Ken Mauer, take a bow. That duo has the longest current
MIAMI – Let’s put it out there. The last two nights, the Miami Heat has played like ass. “The last two games,” coach Erik Spoelstra allowed, using more intelligent language, “it’s been a struggle for us.” Miami lost at Oklahoma City, 103-87, on Sunday, and it lost at Indiana, 105-90, on Monday. Two losses in two nights by a total of 31 points. A big reason for the struggles has been the halfcourt offense, and that reflects poorly on the point guard play.
Jim Buss made an appearance in Los Angeles last week and apparently did not see his shadow because he said he will no longer play hide and seek. Which is good because now that he has ventured into the public, he can get himself familiar with the Thunder, Spurs, defending champions and … the potential shadow cast by Larry Brown? If only the basketball gods will cooperate. But first, let’s address Buss – a man who has been a shadowy figure, unwilling to
The Clippers finally got a win Saturday, and everything is hunky-dory again in Lob City. Yeah, right. The issues in Clipperland run too deep to be fixed by a matinee mauling of Memphis, which has problems of its own. It is hard to believe that a team boasting both Chris Paul and Blake Griffin may not make the playoffs, but that remains a distinct possibility. Didn’t someone around here say that a while ago? There are plenty of problems on offense. New faces are
NEW YORK — Before signing with the New York Knicks back in July 2010, Amar’e Stoudemire did his homework. Some 48 hours before his first meeting with James Dolan and the Knicks’ brass, he’d spoken with both Carmelo Anthony and Tony Parker. According to him, both were ready to team up with him to begin the renaissance. Although the Spurs were ultimately able to retain Parker, Anthony eventually made his way to the Mecca. Now, almost two years later, if the Knicks dynamic
Donald T. Sterling Sterling World Plaza Beverly Hills, Calif. 90210 Dear Donald, Well, you said to write again when I found work! As you may have heard, I’m no longer with the large, if not as large as it was once, metropolitan paper in Los Angeles. Of course, times are even tougher in newspapers than David Stern said they are in the NBA, although in our case, we have the casualties to show it’s not just woofing. But enough about moi, look at you! After all those years
BEIJING — After his tears had dried up, Stephon Marbury was the star of Game 1 of the Chinese Basketball Association finals. Marbury scored a game-high 36 points with five assists, five rebounds and one altercation as the Beijing Ducks went 1-0 up in their best-of-seven CBA finals against the defending champions Guangdong Southern Tigers with a 108-101 victory Wednesday night. Prior to the series, when the Ducks qualified to play the defending champions (who now have Aaron Brooks in their arsenal), the 35-year-old