From Ben Bolch: About an hour before his NBA homecoming, Jaime Jaquez Jr. sat at his locker next to a big-screen television showing plays the Miami Heat’s opponent liked to run.
The Clippers’ tendencies would be of no use to Jimmy Butler. Unable to play because of a sore foot, the six-time all-star was up for a different sort of challenge Monday evening inside Crypto.com Arena.
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As he sat on a shoe bag munching on buffalo wings in the middle of the locker room, Butler asked which teammate — Jaquez or Kevin Love — was a better player at UCLA.
Each was a Pac-12 player of the year. Each led the Bruins to a Final Four. Each was drafted in the first round.
The biggest difference?
Love stayed for just one year while Jaquez lingered for four.
“He had me watching all four years,” Love said, walking over to Jaquez’s locker to slap his hand.
Remaining gracious, Jaquez said he wasn’t answering Butler’s question, signifying a possible first for the rookie forward. It might have been the only time he’s backed down during his first three months in the NBA.
As part of a high-flying start for someone picked outside the draft lottery, Jaquez ripped the ball out of Lakers star LeBron James’ hands to trigger a fast break, threw down a vicious dunk over Toronto’s Scottie Barnes and was a holiday hellraiser with his 31-point, 10-rebound eruption against Philadelphia on Christmas.
“Just enjoying this dream that I’ve been living,” Jaquez told The Times earlier Monday as he sat inside the men’s gym at UCLA as part of a return to campus for the Heat’s shootaround.
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Alabama head coach Nick Saban, right, and his players run onto the field before the College Football Playoff semifinal played at the Rose Bowl Monday.
(Kyusung Gong / Associated Press)
From Tyler Tynes: Yes, make no mistake, it did happen. I saw it with my own eyes. Just when things looked dour late, Nick Saban had no choice. The sun had already set behind the San Gabriel Mountains. Damn, Saban. Don’t do it, not like this. Not in front of the Rose queen, the royal court and all of the maize and blue Teslas in Arroyo Seco. Not in front of Audra McDonald, for God’s sake. But in the late moments of the Rose Bowl, Saban had to have cracked open his sacred talisman and offered another wish to the genie he’s imprisoned in his golf khakis since Obama was still in office.
January in the playoff meant there had to be a certain crimson magic brewing under the leaves in Pasadena. Do you think all of these Bammers flew ’cross the nation, in L.A.N.K. paraphernalia to watch the Tide roll over? The entire pathos of Alabama football in the last two decades was predicated on Letting Any Naysayer Know. In fact, Bama fans told me at halftime they were confident they’d win the ballgame even if their team started slow, wasn’t leading in yardage and forgot how to convert on third down. What else did Bama do besides win during the winter’s coldest moments despite the collective groans coming from everywhere except the Southeast.
In a battle for entitlement between Michigan and Alabama, the press was painting Michigan the mighty underdog leading into the game, even if the oddsmakers in Vegas tagged the Wolverines as slight favorites. Some of us are still too young and beautiful to remember, or even give a damn, frankly, about the Big Blue from yesteryear. Most of the vexatious Michiganders we’ve grown to hate for morphing into a modern Notre Dame migrated from the Midwest to Santa Monica to live year ’round. So, excuse me if I can’t be bothered to remember that Bo Schembechler lost five times in the ’70s in the Rose Bowl, or take the “Michigan vs. Everybody” mantras seriously. For large runs of the playoff semifinal, Wolverines fans didn’t look like they believed the sacred vows sewn onto their shirts. It was settling into their faces as the game was rumbling toward its conclusion. The thump of impending heartbreak was part of their football pedigree.
MORE COLLEGE FOOTBALL:
Pac-12 flourishes in its bowl season swan song before 10 teams take flight
NFL
Rams receiver Puka Nacua (17) is pushed out of bounds by Giants safety Dane Belton (24) Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J.
(Adam Hunger / Associated Press)
From Gary Klein, Dylan Hernandez and Sam Farmer: The Rams held on to defeat the New York Giants on the road when Mason Crosby, who was a member of the Rams for a week, missed a potential game-winning 54-yard field goal in the waning seconds. The Rams clinched a playoff spot when Seattle lost to Pittsburgh later in the day. Los Angeles Times Rams beat writer Gary Klein, NFL columnist Sam Farmer and columnist Dylan Hernández discuss what happened and upcoming prospects:
Matthew Stafford aside, who do you think has made the biggest difference on the improving Rams’ offense this season — running back Kyren Williams or receiver Puka Nacua?
Farmer: Puka Nacua has been spectacular. What a find. But Kyren Williams changes the whole complexion of the offense. Williams has made the biggest impact, not just in running the ball but in protecting Stafford.
Klein: Sorry, they both made huge impacts. The Rams would not be going to the playoffs without either one of them. Nacua has made multiple big plays as a receiver and also has contributed as a runner and blocker in the rushing attack. Williams has made the rushing attack go, and that has helped the passing attack.
Hernandez: Williams opens up the field for Nacua and vice versa, no? That said, if you put a gun to my head and make me pick one, I’d go with Williams. He gives the Rams a running game they haven’t had since Todd Gurley was healthy.
KINGS
Toronto Maple Leafs center Calle Jarnkrok, right, scores on Kings goaltender Cam Talbot during the second period Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena.
(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
From Associated Press: Martin Jones made 31 saves for his 30th career shutout, William Nylander scored two goals and the Toronto Maple Leafs snapped their three-game losing streak with a 3-0 victory over the Kings on Tuesday night.
Calle Jarnkrok also scored and Tyler Bertuzzi had two assists for the Maple Leafs, who began their three-game California road trip with a strong defensive effort in front of Jones, their unlikely first-choice goalie. Nylander got Toronto’s opening goal in the second period and wrapped up the win with an empty-net goal, his 19th of the season.
Cam Talbot stopped 26 shots for the Kings, who have lost three straight for the first time this season. The Kings also have lost four of five at home after getting shut out for the first time this season.
HIGH SCHOOLS
Gardena coach Ernie Carr looks up toward 6-foot-11 center Promise Madubugwu.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
From Eric Sondheimer: Ernie Carr has been coaching for so many years that people forget he was once the head coach at Dominguez High in the 1980s and served as an assistant to Walt Hazzard at UCLA. Since 1971, he’s also coached at UC Irvine, Saddleback College, Compton College, Rio Hondo College and West L.A. College. He’s been coaching at Gardena High since 2013.
It’s fortuitous that he can use his many years of coaching experience to help the tallest player in the City Section, 6-foot-11 Promise Madubugwu, who is learning how to use his size for the Panthers (11-5). Madubugwu scored 12 points, blocked five shots and had double figures in rebounds during a 49-34 win over University on Tuesday during an opening game of the Ed Baker San Fernando Valley Invitational at Grant.
MORE HIGH SCHOOLS:
Marquez defeats Fremont in a shootout during finals of South East Winter Classic
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
1920 — Boston Red Sox owner Harry Frazee sells pitcher-outfielder Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees for $125,000 plus a $350,000 loan.
1931 — Nels Stewart of the Montreal Maroons scores two goals four seconds apart in the third period of a 5-3 victory over the Boston Bruins.
1946 — George Woolf falls off head first from his mount, Please Me, as he rounds the clubhouse turn in the fourth race at Santa Anita Park. Suffering from a concussion, the 35-year-old jockey, is taken to the hospital where he dies the following day. Woolf, known as “The Iceman” for his coolness in the saddle, has 3,784 mounts, 721 wins, 589 seconds and 468 thirds, with earnings of $2,856,125 in his 18-year career.
1973 — A 12-member group headed by George Steinbrenner buys the New York Yankees from the Columbia Broadcasting System for $10 million.
1991 — Wayne Gretzky scores three goals, including his 700th, as the Los Angeles Kings beat the New York Islanders 6-3.
1993 — The Buffalo Bills stage pro football’s biggest comeback to beat the Houston Oilers 41-38 in overtime in the first round of the NFL playoffs. The Oilers held a 35-3 lead 1:41 into the third quarter. Frank Reich throws four touchdown passes to give Buffalo its first lead of the game 38-35. Al Del Grecco’s 26-yard field goal ties the game. Steve Christie kicks the game-winning 32-yard field goal in overtime.
1995 — Nebraska, the fourth team to finish 13-0 in Division I-A football history, wins its first national football title since 1971 as the Cornhuskers are the overwhelming choice in The Associated Press poll.
1998 — Michigan wins its first national championship since 1948 as the Wolverines are officially declared No. 1 in the final Associated Press poll. The coaches poll jumps Nebraska to the No. 1 spot, creating a split national championship for the third time in the 1990s.
1999 — Brian Bellows of the Washington Capitals, has a goal and an assist, including the 1,000th point of his NHL career, to lead Washington past Toronto 5-2.
2003 — Ohio State completes an unlikely, unbeaten run to their first national title in 34 years with a 31-24 double-overtime win over Miami at the Fiesta Bowl.
2007 — High profile Miami Dolphins NFL head coach Nick Saban resigns after agreeing to return to college football and take head coaching job at Alabama.
2010 — Chris Johnson rushes for 134 yards and two touchdowns in Tennessee’s 17-13 win over Seattle and finishes the year with 2,006 yards.
2011 — Connecticut’s nearly three-year hold on the top ranking ends when they were overtaken by Baylor and drop to No. 2 in The Associated Press women’s basketball poll. Connecticut, which had it’s 90-game win streak snapped by Stanford on Dec. 30, had been the top team for a record 51 straight weeks, beginning Feb. 18, 2008.
2015 — A month shy of 43, Jaromir Jagr scores three times to pass Gordie Howe and becomes the oldest NHL player to record a hat trick, leading New Jersey to a 5-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.
2016 – Jimmy Butler breaks Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls record for points in an NBA half, scoring 40 of his 42 points in the second half to lead the Bulls in a 115-113 victory over the Toronto Raptors.
2023 — Cristiano Ronaldo joins Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr for the “biggest salary ever in football”, leaving Manchester United after criticizing it publicly.
Compiled by the Associated Press
And finally
The Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees 104 years ago today. Check out this PBS look back at the Curse of the Bambino.
Until next time…
That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.