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From Broderick Turner: It was just last week that the Clippers hosted the Phoenix Suns and only nine days later they were playing them again at the Intuit Dome.
Before the game, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said there weren’t a lot of advantages to playing a team like the Suns so soon again, especially a team with lethal weapons Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. At least they didn’t have to face Bradley Beal, who didn’t play Thursday because of an injured elbow.
It looked as if the Clippers had found an advantage when they jumped on the Suns early, building a 19-point lead in the first quarter that grew to 21 in the third.
The Clippers, however, were unable to hold the lead and lost 125-119 to the Suns despite having five players score in double figures.
“We got to continue to keep getting better. We got to close games better and just something to keep learning from,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “All five of our games have been close, come down to the wire. We’ve been fortunate to win two of them. But win any of those games, we could be 0-5. We could be 5-0. So, just staying the course, understanding that our margin for air is very slim.
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RAMS
From Gary Klein: A week after returning to the Rams lineup in spectacular fashion, star receiver Puka Nacua left practice Thursday because of a right knee injury, a team official said.
His status for practice Friday and Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks at Seattle is to be determined, the official said.
The setback is the latest issue related to a knee sprain that Nacua suffered in a joint practice with the Chargers during training camp.
The 2023 Pro Bowl selection sat out most preseason practices before the opener against the Detroit Lions, but he caught four passes for 35 yards before aggravating the injury in the overtime defeat.
Unexpectedly, Ernest Jones IV gets to showcase his linebacker trade against Rams
From Anthony De Leon: USC freshman edge-rushing duo Kameryn Fountain and Sam Greene have shown why they were recruited to join the Trojans’ defense: to get to the quarterback.
“It’s taken a lot of hard work, a lot of long nights and early mornings,” Greene said. “Doing extra little things just to contribute to the team. That’s all I wanted to do ever since I signed that paper to come here.”
Both players secured their first collegiate sack in a decisive win over Rutgers last Saturday.
Fountain struck early in the second half, while Greene surged past the right tackle late in the fourth quarter.
“[I was] getting off the ball, working my move, planning it in my head, and just executing,” Greene said. “Just going out and making a play for my team.”
Greene has embraced the chance to secure a spot in the defensive rotation, calling the opportunity “very fun.”
DUCKS
Sidney Crosby scored his second goal of the game 2:35 into overtime as the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Ducks 2-1 on Thursday night to end a six-game losing streak.
Crosby found himself in alone on Lukas Dostal and hit the brakes before roofing the puck over the Ducks’ goaltender for the 93rd game-winning goal of his career.
Alex Nedeljkovic made 22 saves for Pittsburgh (4-7-1), which outshot the Ducks (4-4-2) 46-23. Dostal stopped 44 shots to keep the Ducks in it, but it still wasn’t enough.
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
1913 — Notre Dame meets Army for the first time and comes away with a 35-13 win behind Gus Dorias’ 14-of-17 passing for 243 yards.
1938 — George Woolf, riding for regular jockey Red Pollard, leads Seabiscuit to a four-length victory over the heavily favored U.S. Triple Crown champion, War Admiral, in the Pimlico Special match race at Baltimore. A crowd of 40,000 spectators turn out for the winner-take-all match race with a purse of $15,000.
1946 — The first NBA game (known as the Basketball Association of America), the New York Knickerbockers beat the Toronto Huskies 68-66 at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto.
1959 — Montreal goaltender Jacques Plante revolutionizes his position — and the sport of hockey — by donning a facemask. Plante is struck in the face with a shot by New York Rangers forward Andy Bathgate at 3:06 of the first period. After receiving stitches to close a gash from the corner of his mouth all the way up through his nostril, Plante returns to the ice wearing a mask. The Canadiens win 3-1.
1964 — Cleveland’s Jim Brown rushes for 149 yards and becomes the first player to rush for more than 10,000 yards in a career as the Browns post a 30-17 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Brown with 10,135 yards had 47 games of 100-or-more yards rushing.
1966 — The NFL awards a franchise to New Orleans on All Saints Day.
1968 — Detroit pitcher Denny McLain wins the AL Cy Young award after finishing the season 31-6.
1970 — Mercury Morris of the Miami Dolphins gains 302 combined yards (89 rushing, 68 receiving and 145 on kickoff returns) in a 35-0 loss to the Baltimore Colts.
1987 — Ibrahin Hussein of Kenya and Priscilla Welch of Britain win the men’s and women’s divisions of the New York Marathon, finishing the 26.2 miles in 2:11:01 and 2:30:17, respectively.
1996 — Shaquille O’Neil makes his Hollywood debut as the Lakers beat the Phoenix Suns, 96-82 at the Forum; O’Neil scores 23 points and pulls down 14 rebounds in 35 minutes.
1997 — Tom Osborne reaches 250 wins faster than any coach in college football history as Nebraska beats Oklahoma 69-7, the worst loss in Sooners’ history.
1998 — Steve Young and Jerry Rice hook up for their 80th career touchdown in Niners’ 36-22 loss to GB Packers at Lambeau Field; eclipse previous NFL mark held by Miami Dolphins tandem Dan Marino and Mark Clayton.
2000 — Pat Riley earns his 1,000th coaching victory as Miami posts its most lopsided win in an opener with a 105-79 rout of Orlando. Riley reaches the plateau in 1,434 games — fewer than any coach or manager in any sport.
2003 — DeCori Birmingham rushes for 196 yards and two touchdowns, including the winning score in the seventh overtime, in Arkansas’ 71-63 victory over Kentucky. The seven overtimes match the longest game in NCAA history. The Razorbacks also won that game in 2001, beating Mississippi 58-56.
2008 — Michigan’s 48-42 loss at Purdue drops the Wolverines to 2-7, ending Michigan’s string of 33 straight bowl appearances. Michigan, assured of its first losing season since 1967, also sets a school record for losses.
2008 — Stephen F. Austin quarterback Jeremy Moses sets single-game NCAA records with 57 completions and 85 pass attempts in a 34-31 double-overtime loss to Sam Houston State. Moses passes for 501 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions, completing passes to 11 different receivers. The sophomore breaks the previous single-game attempts record of 83 set by Drew Brees at Purdue in 1998. The former record for completions was 56, set by Jarrod DeGeorgia at then-Division II Wayne State in 1996.
2009 — Meb Keflezighi becomes the first U.S. man in 27 years to win the New York City Marathon. Keflezighi, who moved from his native Eritrea to San Diego when he was in the sixth grade, finishes with a time of 2:09:15 for a personal best.
2015 — Simone Biles picks up gold medals number nine and 10 on balance beam and floor exercise as the 2015 World Gymnastics Championships come to a close. Biles breaks the career record for most World Championships gold medals by a female gymnast.
2023 — The Texas Rangers win first title in franchise history; beat Arizona Diamondbacks 5-0 at Chase Field, Phoenix for 4-1 series victory; MVP: Rangers SS Corey Seager; manager Bruce Bochy’s fourth World Series win.
Compiled by the Associated Press
Until next time…
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