Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo scored 83 points Tuesday night, the second most in an NBA game in history, surpassing Kobe Bryant’s iconic 81 points two decades ago.
Congrats to Adebayo, I guess.
The way it went down was highly questionable. Nothing romantic or real about it. We thought flopping and foul-baiting made for unethical hoops, but those are but basketball misdemeanors; Adebayo’s big night was felonious.
Tuesday’s game featured intentional clock-stopping, game-extending fouls by the Heat. And it was ripe with free-throw-abetting fouls by the Washington Wizards, an actively tanking team that got itself blown out, 150-129.
So, no. Bryant’s necessary, organic 81 this was not. The Lakers trailed that game against the Toronto Raptors on Jan. 22, 2006 at halftime and actually needed Kobe’s 55 second-half points to pull away for the win.
The Heat were up by as many as 28 points in the fourth quarter with Adebayo continuing to play pop-a-shot in the historic farce — which also moved him past LeBron James, whose 61 points in 2014 stood as Miami’s previous franchise record.
“Honestly, it hurts,” said Los Angeles’ Erik Ortiz, who was 6 years old when Bryant had his 81-point night. “And it’s kind of messed up. All those free throws? No disrespect, but it didn’t feel earned.”
“A disrespect to the game,” said Robert Horry, who played with Bryant in L.A. for seven seasons. “To me, don’t cheat the game. If you’re gonna play like that, that’s cheating the game.”
“But,” Horry added, diplomatically, “scoring 83 points is still hard regardless if you cheat the game or not.”
Lakers star Kobe Bryant scores in front of Toronto’s Matt Bonner on his way to scoring 81 points during the Lakers’ 122-104 victory on Jan. 22, 2006.
(Matt A. Brown / Associated Press)
JJ Redick offered his most diplomatic two cents: “It’s incredible what he was able to do.”
The Lakers’ coach described walking in and seeing the Heat leading with three minutes left, on the verge of winning their sixth consecutive game and Adebayo on the free-throw line (naturally).
“I said to my coaching staff, ‘Ah, the Heat are rolling.’ And they kind of looked at each other and they were like, ‘Are you kidding right now? No, Bam has 77!’ I watched the last three minutes and … that was a different type of basketball.”
Adebayo scored 31 points in the first quarter, 12 in the second and 19 in the third — a legitimately impressive career-high 62 points, and in just three quarters. Precisely the same number of points that Kobe had after three quarters when coach Phil Jackson pulled him from a blowout win against Dallas a few weeks before he dropped 81.
But on Tuesday, Adebayo kept going, for no reason but to pad his points tally in pursuit of Kobe.
If only Adebayo, well respected by peers and fans alike, could’ve taken the baton from his basketball hero while playing regular old basketball. Lakers fans know ball; they wouldn’t have held it against him, they would have saluted.
Heat players celebrate with center Bam Adebayo after he scored 83 points, the second-highest single game total in NBA history, against the Wizards on Tuesday in Miami.
(Rebecca Blackwell / Associated Press)
But Adebayo shot 3 for 8 from the field in the final period, including 1 for 6 from three-point range. And he went 14 for 16 at the line in the final frame, bringing his free-throw shooting total to a historic 36 for 43 from the charity stripe, so aptly named this game.
There’s magic, and then there are magic tricks, manufactured illusions, sleight-of-hand acts of pseudo-sorcery. That’s how we should remember Adebayo’s 83. That’s how we should explain that game to our children and grandchildren.
It isn’t as though Kobe’s 81-point output wasn’t going to be eclipsed. It was only a matter of time, especially considering the offensive emphasis in today’s NBA.
In 2024, then-Maverick Luka Doncic scored 73 points in a 148-143 win against the Atlanta Hawks. But Doncic went just 15 of 16 from the free-throw line that night, and 25 for 33 from the field, including 8 of 13 from behind the arc.
Or imagine, going forward, what 7-foot-4 center Victor Wembanyama could be capable of if the San Antonio Spurs force-feed him offensively for a full game.
But records are made to be broken, not stolen. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters he was “caught up in the moment like everyone else, and I didn’t want to get in the way.”
Star NBA players like LeBron James take to social media to praise the Miami player’s incredible scoring achievement.
Published On 11 Mar 202611 Mar 2026
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Miami Heat centre Bam Adebayo’s 83-point performance against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday – the second-highest scoring game in NBA history – was a historic statistical line no one saw coming.
The Heat star shot 20-43 from the floor and was 7-22 from beyond the three-point line. Thirty-six of his 83 points came from the free-throw line (36 of 43).
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Entering the game, Adebayo was averaging just 18.9 points per night this season, placing him outside the top 40 scorers in the league.
Now, the 28-year-old only trails the legendary Wilt Chamberlain for most points scored in a single NBA game after he passed the late Kobe Bryant’s 81-point masterpiece against the Toronto Raptors, set in 2006.
Post-game, Adebayo spoke of the significance of passing Bryant, who he idolised growing up.
“To be 83 and passing [Bryant], in my mind, it’s like, what would he say to me? Because I’ve always wanted to have a conversation with him,” Adebayo said. “He’ll probably say, ‘Go do it again.’
“Just a surreal moment being in the company with somebody that you idolised growing up.”
Here is some reaction to the Miami big man’s incredible scoring feat from some of the biggest names in the NBA:
“BAM BAM BAM ,” wrote LeBron James, the NBA’s all-time career leading scorer, on X.
Former Miami Heat legend Dwayne Wade wrote: “83 for Cap”
Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant, who was asked about Adebayo’s achievement in a post-match news conference on Tuesday, said:
“I couldn’t believe it when I was hearing about it in real time. He got 30 in the first quarter … Congratulations to Bam. I know how much work he puts in.
“I looked at the statsheet, and it’s pretty crazy, 40 shots, 40 free throws, 20 threes, that takes a lot of stamina man, that takes a lot of energy to not only go out there to put those shots up, but also make them to set the record to surpass Kobe [Bryant] as the second-highest scorer in the history of the game,” Durant added.
WNBA player A’ja Wilson, left, and Adebayo embrace after he scored a career-high 83 points [Megan Briggs/Getty Images via AFP]
INDIANAPOLIS — As it turns out, the UCLA women’s basketball team was more than ready for the moment.
After competitive games in their first two Big Ten tournament contests, the Bruins dismantled No. 2 seed Iowa from start to finish during a 96-45 victory from Gainbridge Fieldhouse to seal an NCAA tournament berth and win the Big Ten.
The 51-point win was the largest margin of victory in Big Ten championship history, eclipsing the 33-point mark Iowa set in its 2023 win over Ohio State. UCLA’s 34 team assists were also a Big Ten championship record, and a season-high for the Bruins.
In front of a Iowa-heavy crowd, the Bruins put up one of their best shooting games of the season, firing 63% from the field. Gianna Kneepkens tallied 19 points and all five starters reached double digits.
It was UCLA’s 25th consecutive win dating back to November.
Kiki Rice finished with 15 points and eight assists, earning Big Ten tournament most outstanding player honors.
After Iowa (26-6, 15-3) held down Michigan in the semifinal, the Bruins (30-1, 18-0) returned the favor. The Hawkeyes tallied just five first-quarter points, their season-low in any period.
Iowa missed nine consecutive shots and committed four turnovers during a five-minute run during which UCLA mounted an 11-0 run. By the second quarter, the Bruins built a 25-point lead.
UCLA scored netted back-to-back three-pointers in 25 seconds early in the third quarter to take a 32-point advantage — 55-23.
As the Bruins did Saturday against Ohio State, UCLA relied on its defense to extend its lead. The Bruins forced 19 Iowa turnovers that led to 22 points in transition. They also held Iowa to 28% from the field.
The Hawkeyes likely earned themselves a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament with their conference performance.
UCLA will learn its seeding and bracket placement during Selection Sunday next week before hosting first and second round contests.
If any photo reveals the intensity of two All-Americans, it’s this one from late in the game, where Jerzy Robinson (left) of Sierra Canyon and Kaleena Smith of Ontario Christian battled in the Open Division final.
INDIANAPOLIS — The UCLA women’s basketball team’s tear through the Big Ten continued on Friday, as the Bruins defeated Washington 78-60 to advance to the conference tournament semifinals.
Behind 26 points from center Lauren Betts, the No. 1 seed Bruins took down No. 8 seed Huskies with an explosive second half to stay undefeated in conference play.
Washington (21-10, 11-9), which defeated No. 9 seed USC on Thursday to advance to the quarterfinal, struggled to respond to UCLA’s second-half surge and trailed by 19 in the fourth quarter.
UCLA (22-1, 19-0), the second ranked team in the nation in the Associated Press top 25 poll, started slow, missing five consecutive shots in a five-plus minute scoring drought in the first quarter. The Bruins’ six first-quarter points were a season low.
The Huskies extended a 10-point lead into the second quarter. Betts, though, kept the Bruins’ deficit from growing with 10 points in the first half, sparking a 15-2 run during the final 6:10. UCLA, which boasts the best three-point percentage in the Big Ten, didn’t make any treys in the first half and didn’t hit one until Kiki Rice’s with 5:27 left in the third quarter.
It tied for the worst three-point shooting performance from the Bruins this season (one for 10).
UCLA led 27-24 at halftime.
Washington went up briefly in the third quarter, powered by 18 points from guard Avery Howell, but the Bruins scoring finally found their rhythm shortly after. UCLA shot 54% overall from the field.
It was UCLA’s 10th consecutive win against the Huskies. It was the Bruins’ 23rd straight win overall after last losing on Nov. 26.
UCLA will face the winner of No. 4 seed Minnesota and No. 5 seed Ohio State in a Big Ten tournament semifinal on Saturday, with a berth in the Big Ten championship game on the line.
#1 Sierra Canyon, bye #5 Santa Margarita 75, #4 Redondo Union 71 #3 Santa Maria St. Joseph 66, #6 Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 60 #2 Harvard-Westlake, bye
GIRLS
Open Division
#1 Sierra Canyon, bye #4 Sage Hill, bye #3 Etiwanda, bye #2 Ontario Christian, bye
Note: Quarterfinals in Division I-V are Thursday, March 5 at higher seeds; Semifinals in all divisions are Saturday, March 7 at higher seeds; Finals are Tuesday March 10 at higher seeds. State championships are March 13-14 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.
The Lakers were looking to stack wins and are not in position to judge an opponent by its win-loss record.
So, when the Lakers encountered a Pelicans team that arrived at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday night with a 19-43 record, they knew they couldn’t afford to overlook New Orleans. Especially since the Pelicans had won four of their past five and because they have a talented core of young talent that includes Zion Williamson, Herbert Jones, Trey Murphy III and Dejounte Murray.
It took all five starters scoring in double figures and it took a strong defensive effort in the fourth quarter for the Lakers (37-24) to pull out a 110-101 win over a stubborn Pelicans team.
“Well, we knew we weren’t playing against their record tonight,” said LeBron James, who was one of the starters to score in double figures with 21 points to go along with seven rebounds, seven assists and two blocks. But he also had five turnovers.
“It’s the first time they’ve been whole in quite a while,” James, who was eight-for-12 from the field, continued. “And we know when they’ve been whole what kind of team they’ve been. So, we came in with that mindset, understanding what kind of team we were playing and they won their last four out of five before tonight, or something like that.
“But we didn’t come in with the notion that we were playing against their record. We came in with the notion that we were playing a very athletic team that’s been playing exceptional basketball of late.”
The Lakers have been a better team as of late as well, winning their third straight game after losing three straight.
They won this one over the Pelicans with just enough offense and some timely defense.
Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 27 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. But he was just 10-for-22 from the field and three-for-10 from three-point range and he had seven turnovers.
“I think we responded in a good way,”: Doncic said. “Sometimes you got to win playing bad. That’s what good teams do. I think that’s what it is today. Obviously it wasn’t our best game, but we managed to get a win.”
Austin Reaves had 15 points on four-for-15 shooting and two for seven on three-pointers, eight rebounds and five turnovers.
Reaves injured his arm late in the fourth quarter after stripping the basketball away from Williamson. But after a quick time out, Reeves returned to the game.
“I just hit my funny bone,” Reaves said. “Whole hand went numb, called a time out, kind of went away and was able to play.”
Deandre Ayton had 13 points and eight rebounds.
There also was the defense and energy Marcus Smart and Jaxson Hayes provided the Lakers.
Smart had 10 points, four steals and three blocks. He also was big on offense, drilling a three-pointer with 1:34 left for a 105-98 Lakers lead.
Hayes had eight points, six rebounds and two blocks.
“Jaxson was guarding Zion, which is not easy,” Doncic said. “So, I think he had some big, big plays for us. And obviously Smart has been the key to our wins (this season).”
The Lakers had 20 turnovers through three quarters, which didn’t help their cause.
They had just one in the fourth quarter and that came on a late-game 24-second violation when they were running out the clock.
The Lakers didn’t help themselves by losing their composure.
Doncic was given a technical foul in the second quarter. Luke Kennard received a technical foul in the third quarter and Ayton got a technical foul in the fourth quarter after being called for a foul blocking a shot by Williamson.
Austin Reaves celebrates after making a three-pointer in the second half.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
The Lakers had 12 blocks for the game and seven in the decisive fourth quarter.
They held the Pelicans to 35% shooting in the fourth and just 23 points.
“I think we’ve made some strides defensively,” James said. “I think we didn’t play much at all zone tonight. We started the game with it, we kind of went away from it. So, I thought our man-to-man defense was pretty good. I thought Jaxson and Marcus were great on that end and then everyone else kind of trickled in as well.”
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL PLAYOFFS TUESDAY’S RESULTS
BOYS Division I #16 Mater Dei 86 #1 La Mirada 79 #9 JSerra 60, #8 Francis Parker 59 #5 Victory Christian Academy 71, #12 Rancho Christian 65 #4 St. John Bosco 65, #13 San Marcos 55 #3 Crespi 83, #14 Bishop Amat 66 #6 Damien 84, #11 Inglewood 65 #7 Crean Lutheran 68, #10 Santa Fe Christian 56 #2 Corona Centennial 42, #15 Hesperia 38
Division II #1 Eastvale Roosevelt 106, #16 Bakersfield Centennial 68 #8 Palisades 80, #9 Mira Mesa 67 #5 La Costa Canyon 72, #12 Aliso Niguel 68 #13 Torrey Pines 54, #4 Olympian 53 #3 Bakersfield Christian 51, #14 San Pedro 44 #11 El Cajon Christian 51, #6 Cathedral Catholic 46 #7 Murrieta Mesa 66, #10 Cleveland 63 #15 Carlsbad 61, #2 Mission Bay 53
Division III #1 Gahr 67, #16 Narbonne 51 #8 Shalhevet 56, #9 Rancho Bernardo 42 #5 Colony 90, #12 Norte Vista 69 #13 Atascadero 69, #4 Warren 62 #3 Birmingham 79, #14 Gardena Serra 67 #6 Trabuco Hills 55, #11 El Camino Real 47 #7 Poway 63, #10 Washington Prep 56 #2 Fairfax 65, #15 Pilibos 49
Division IV #1 Tulare Union 60, #16 Salesian 51 #8 Placentia Valencia 67, #8 Ramona 62 #12 Vasquez 93, #5 Laguna Hills 79 #13 Moreno Valley 41, #4 Central Valley Christian 39 #3 San Juan Hills 64, #14 Pacific Ridge 57 #11 Venice 61, #6 Ramona 50 #7 Army-Navy 57, #10 Chatsworth 48 #2 Granada Hills Charter 55, #15 Rialto 52
Division V #1 Coalinga, bye #9 Verdugo Hills 52, #8 Colton 47 #5 Orosi 59, #12 Redlands Adventist Academy 35 #4 Rowland 78, #13 Pacific 48 #3 Canyon Country Canyon 83, #14 Franklin 66 #6 Victor Valley 72, #11 Edgewood 55 #7 Preuss UCSD 53, #10 South El Monte 48 #2 Sylmar 104, #15 Canoga Park 65
GIRLS
Division I #1 Mater Dei 66, #16 Windward 46 #8 La Salle 50, #9 Westview 37 #5 Corona Centennial 67, #12 Valencia 40 #13 Moreno Valley 75, #4 Fairmont Prep 69 #3 Francis Parker 65, #14 Westchester 41 #6 Oak Park 72, #11 La Jolla Country Day 57 #7 JSerra 54, #10 Mission Hills 51 #2 Rancho Christian 102, #15 Bakersfield Christian 48
Division II #1 Birmingham 68, #16 Misson Oak 60 #9 San Diego Cathedral 48, #8 Camarillo 47 #5 Grossmont 73, #12 LA Hamilton 57 #4 Saugus 46, #13 San Diego Lincoln 39 #3 Crescenta Valley 65, #14 La Costa Canyon 63 #6 Rosary Academy 58, #11 Victor Christian Academy 47 #10 St. Margaret’s 50, #7 Chula Vista Mater Dei 36 #2 Santa Maria St. Joseph 71, #15 Venice 62
Division IV #1 Marina 57, #16 Escondido 55 #8 Savanna 53, #9 El Camino Real 39 #5 Palisades 61, #12 La Palma Kennedy 59 #13 Hillcrest 46, #4 Cleveland 42 #3 Tulare Union 47, #14 San Pedro 44 #6 Granada Hills Kennedy 64, #11 San Jacinto 47 #7 Oakwood 50, #10 Warren 19 #2 Godinez 57, #15 Ridgecrest Burroughs 38
Division V #1 Rosamond 59, #16 University Prep 25 #8 Patriot 36, #9 Chadwick 31 #5 Bakersfield Foothill 55, #12 Sierra Vista 45 #4 Laguna Hills 48, #13 Wilmington Banning 24 #3 North Hollywood 53, #14 San Pasqual 36 #6 Schurr 52, #11 Santana 30 #10 Orange 51, #7 Washington Prep 47 #2 Vista 63, #15 Desert Hot Springs 46
WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE
BOYS Open Division #1 Sierra Canyon, bye #5 Santa Margarita at #4 Redondo Union #6 Sherman Oaks Notre Dame at #3 Santa Maria St. Joseph #2 Harvard-Westlake, bye
GIRLS Open Division #1 Sierra Canyon, bye #4 Sage Hill, bye #3 Etiwanda, bye #2 Ontario Christian, bye
Note: Quarterfinals in Division I-V are Thursday, March 5 at higher seeds; Semifinals in all divisions are Saturday, March 7 at higher seeds; Finals are Tuesday March 10 at higher seeds. State championships are March 13-14 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.
The ending was not what Jason Crowe Jr. wanted, but he got a hug from his mother and praise from his coach/father after Inglewood’s 84-65 loss to Damien on Tuesday night in the Southern California Division I regional playoff game.
He finished with 34 points, ending his high school career with a state-record 4,718 points in 124 games, according to CalHiSports.com. He’s more than 1,000 points ahead of the next closest player. His scoring average was 38.0 points.
Jason Crowe Jr. ends his fabulous high school career with 34 points in Inglewood 84-65 loss to Damien. He finishes with 4,718 points in 124 games, the most points in California history. pic.twitter.com/O1Lqcaqwzl
“I think he’s had an amazing high school career,” said his father, Jason Sr., who will join his son at Missouri next season serving as an assistant coach. “He had to go against the best defenses every night. I’m proud of him. He brought this program to the Division I level. He was on honor roll every year.”
Damien (28-7) had too much firepower for Inglewood (28-7). Eli Garner scored 25 points and Zaire Rasshan had 24 points. Garner had a five-point play and Rasshan added a four-point play. Damien will play at No. 3-seeded Crespi on Thursday. Crespi defeated Bishop Amat 83-66. Isaiah Barnes scored 20 points. Sophomore Aiden Shaw had 25 points for Bishop Amat.
Jason Crowe Jr. of Inglewood launches three against Damien. He finished with 34 points in loss.
(Nick Koza)
“Incredible career,” Damien coach Mike LeDuc said of Crowe Jr.
Damien fans get excited in state playoff game.
(Nick Koza)
Mater Dei 86, La Mirada 79: The Monarchs came back from a 12-point halftime deficit to eliminate No. 1-seeded La Mirada on the road in Division I.
St. John Bosco 65, San Marcos 55: Christian Collins scored 30 points and Max Ellis 19 for the Braves.
Venice 61, Riverside Ramona 50: Canaan Rodriguez scored 18 points for Venice in Division IV.
Girls basketball
Oak Park 72, La Jolla Country Day 57: Karisma Flores scored 27 points, including seven of seven from the three-point line, to lead Oak Park.
Her posts the last four days have been decidedly different. Sirens blare in the background as she anxiously tries to locate a bomb shelter. Then bombs can be heard, although Littleton can’t bring herself to say the word, instead spelling it out: “I definitely hear three or four B-O-M-B noises,” she says in video. “You didn’t hear that?”
Littleton is one of many United States citizens attempting to leave the Middle East per guidance from the U.S. State Department. The department posted on social media site X, instructing U.S. citizens to leave more than a dozen countries because of safety risks and to shelter in place until they are able to do so.
The war that began when U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Saturday, killing its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has grown into a regional conflict. Iran and its allies have retaliated against Israel and neighboring Gulf states.
Littleton played at USC in 2022-2023 as a graduate student, transferring after winning a national championship at South Carolina a year earlier. As a San Diego Bishop high school senior in 2016-2017, she led the nation in scoring and became the first high school player in state history to score more than 4,000 points in a career.
Littleton moved to Israel in November to play for Hapoel Jerusalem, one of the top pro teams in the country. Like anyone in Israel, her life has been upended the last several days.
She has chronicled the ordeal with a handful of Instagram posts. In one, she filmed bright flashes in the sky while saying, “There’s no siren going on right now and yet there are these things in the sky blowing up. Pretty sure they’re either missiles or drones.”
On Monday she relocated to the home of a teammate because she said the bomb shelter she had been using was tiny.
“I’m going to go pack my stuff up and go to my teammate’s house until all this is over,” she said while walking hurriedly outside. “They have a shelter there. It’s way more comfortable than that B-O-M-B shelter I was just in. It could fit five people and that was it. I was, ‘no, no, no, I don’t want to be in here.’”
Bombs could still be heard in the distance on her videos Monday and Tuesday. Littleton, like many foreigners, is trying to leave Israel as soon as possible.
“To those asking why haven’t I left, the air space is closed so nobody can go in or out,” she said. “Until that gets lifted, I will be here and remain safe with my teammates.”
South Carolina coach Dawn Staley wrote on X that three of her former players — Littleton, Mikiah Herbert-Harrigan and Tiffany Mitchell — are “in a war zone” in Israel but she said Sunday that “there’s nothing you can do” because of the canceled flights.
Littleton thanked her followers in one of her latest dispatches:
“It is 11:47 p.m. on night three and I first just want to say thank you to all the strangers, all of my friends and my family who have sent countless prayers and love my way,” she said. “I’m so grateful and thankful. It means the world to me and it has got me through these three days….
“Back to the update. We have had a really quiet day today…. For a moment it felt like we are not in a war. I’ve just got to thank God and give prayers for the peace we’ve had today. My mind is at ease, just a little bit. I’m thankful for the small wins and pray as we look for a way out, try to get to a safe space, back home to America is the goal.
“I know that with everyone helping and everyone by my side, I will get there, we will get there, my teammates and everyone in the league will get there. Again, thank you. I love you guys.”
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. I’m Eric Sondheimer. The state basketball playoff pairings are out, but let’s look back on quite a weekend of championship basketball.
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Sierra Canyon’s Jerzy Robinson drives against Ontario Christian’s Kaleena Smith in the first half of the Southern Section Open Division championship game.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
For the first time in the history of the Southern Section Open Division, one school swept the boys and girls titles: Sierra Canyon.
The girls final drew the largest individual game crowd at Toyota Arena, with Sierra Canyon and All-American Jerzy Robinson upsetting Ontario Christian and All-American Kaleena Smith 69-62. Robinson scored 32 points. Smith scored 30 points.
“What a battle,” Sierra Canyon coach Alicia Komaki said. “There were a lot of top players on that court.”
The duel between Robinson and Smith, however, was one to remember. The 5-foot-4 Smith was purposely being guarded by the 6-1 Robinson.
“Jerzy is an elite defender and can guard anybody,” Komaki said. “She was going to do whatever she could to win.”
Maxi Adams of Sierra Canyon rises to deliver a dunk against Harvard-Westlake in Open Division championship game.
(Steve Galluzzo)
In the boys final, heavily favored Sierra Canyon saw its lead drop to three points with 19.3 seconds left before prevailing over a stubborn Harvard-Westlake team 59-53. Here’s the report.
In Southern Section Division 1, Crean Lutheran held off JSerra. In Division 2, Bishop Amat routed Hesperia. Here’s the report.
Palisades’ OJ Popoola, right, grabs an offensive rebound during Palisades’ 75-56 win over Cleveland in the City Section Open Division championship game on Feb. 27, 2026.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
Palisades won the City Section Open Division boys title, the first upper division title for the Dolphins since 1969. Here’s the report.
State playoffs
The state basketball playoffs begin this week with regional action. The finals are March 13-14 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. Here’s the link to pairings.
Sierra Canyon received the No. 1 seed for boys and girls in the Open Division. The teams will host a doubleheader Saturday night, with the boys hosting the winner of Santa Margarita-Redondo Union and girls playing Sage Hills. Redondo Union was once considered to be the strongest challenger to Sierra Canyon but was upset in the Open Division playoffs. That matchup of two pressing teams would be quite interesting if Redondo Union can get past Santa Margarita.
Harvard-Westiake boys will host the winner of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame at Santa Maria St. Joseph on Saturday. The top girls game will take place Saturday matching Etiwanda at Ontario Christian.
Division 1 boys looks like a strong 16-team field with La Mirada seeded No. 1 and hosting Mater Dei on Tuesday.
Baseball
Star center fielder Anthony Murphy of Corona has added closing duties this season. The Panthers are 4-0.
(Nick Koza)
Last season, Corona had as its closer shortstop Billy Carlson, who became a first-round draft pick. This season, center fielder Anthony Murphy has taken over as a closer, throwing 92 mph fastball for the 4-0 Panthers.
Oaks Christian won the Easton tournament championship and is 5-0. The Sheffer brothers, Carson and Ryan, have been performing well.
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame is 4-0 and getting strong hitting from catcher Jacob Madrid, who had two home runs in a win over El Dorado. James Tronstein of Harvard-Westlake has seven hits in 10 at-bats.
El Segundo has several players off the 2023 El Segundo Little League championshp team making major contributions during its 4-0 start. Logan Brooks, the older brother of Loyola freshman Brody Brooks, has 10 RBIs.
No. 1-ranked Norco is 4-0 behind its two college-bound pitchers, Coral Williams and Parker May.
Oaks Christian has started 6-0 and picked up wins over Huntington Beach and Mater Dei last week.
1 am proud to announce that in my junior year l was able to beat my freshman year record by getting 19 strikeouts! This means so much to me because this game was mentally and physically tough, despite the situation I knew my team mates me needed so I continued to work hard! pic.twitter.com/eo7ykL27e7
Granada Hills, one of the top teams in the City Section, will be tested this week with games against Sierra Canyon and Oaks Christian.
Track and field
Servite’s 4 x 100 relay team ran the second-fast time in state history at 40.05 in a stunning display of speed for this early in the track season at the Mustang Roundup at Trabuco Hills. The team was made up of Jorden Wells, Benjamin Harris, Kamil Pelovello and Jace Wells.
Maximo Zavaleta of King ran the 3,200 in 9:07.81 and the 1,600 in 4:09.86. Harris won the 100 in 10.46. Pelovello ran the 200 in 21.19.
Rosary’s girls 4 x 100 relay team won in 45.96 seconds. Maliyah Collins, a sophomore at Rosary, won the 100 in 11.77 and the 200 in 24.13
Best individual mark of the day in California so far is Oak Hills junior Quran Clayton Jr. rocketing to a wind-legal 10.29 for 100 meters at the Saddle Up Invitational! That’s equal #9 in state history and the fastest ever in February!! OHHHH MYYYY!!!
El Camino Real’s boys soccer team celebrates winning the City Section Open Division title for a second consecutive season.
(Eliza Lotterstein)
Rivals El Camino Real and Birmingham had another dramatic City Section Open Division boys final, with El Camino Real winning on penalty kicks. Here’s the report. Cleveland won the girls Open Division championship over Granada Hills.
Mater Dei boys and Santa Margarita girls won Southern Section championships in the Open Division.
The regional playoffs begin Tuesday with the first state championships taking place March 13-14 in Sacramento.
To say the City Section soccer playoffs were a mess would be an understatement.
Six teams were removed from the playoffs via forfeits for having ineligible players who broke CIF rule 600 by playing in an outside competition during their season. The Southern Section had one school forfeit in its playoffs, Calabasas, in Division 3, allowing Los Alamitos to be named champion.
From 2011, longtime Crenshaw football coach Robert Garrett talks to De’Anthony Thomas, one of his best former players.
(Robert S. Helfman)
The mysterious absence of Crenshaw football coach Robert Garrett continues. The winningest coach in City Section history with 300 victories was put on administrative leave last August on the eve of the team’s season opener. March marks the eighth month of no action on his case. He sits at home, checks in on his computer, receives full pay and waits.
At the state wrestling championships, among the winners was Birmingham’s Slava Shahbazyan at 165 and two St. John Bosco wrestlers, Jesse Grajeda at144 pounds and Michael Romero at 150 pounds. Here’s the link to complete results. . . .
Chris Williams is the new football coach at Covina. He was head coach at Diamond Ranch. . . .
Ed Hematsiraki, 21, is the new boys basketball coach at Glendale High. . . .
Jeff Bailey is the new Head Football Coach & District’s Asst Director of Strength and Conditioning Coach at Beverly Hills High School. He was board approved and introduced tonight at their board meeting. This video was shown. pic.twitter.com/6nVex23JDe
Jeff Bailey has left Yorba Linda after 16 years as football coach and two Southern Section titles to become head coach at Beverly Hills, which was 0-9 last season. He’ll be making $205,000 a year. Here’s the report. . . . .
Scott Dodge is the new boys basketball coach at Godinez. . . .
Troy has opening for boys basketball coach. . . .
Will Burr is out at Harvard-Westlake after just one season as girls basketball coach. . . .
Anthony Jackson, who had a successful nine-year run as head football coach at Los Angeles High, is the new head coach at South East. . . .
Greg Fontenette has resigned as boys basketball coach at Valencia. . . .
VIDEO: Tara Davis-Woodhall, the amazing young woman and Olympic gold medalist with the multi-million-dollar smile put her money where that smile is, making a tremendous $100K donation to the @AHS_Chargers Agoura HS track and field program at today’s Tara Davis Invitational!… pic.twitter.com/fSMFesh9jb
Tara Davis-Woodhall, an Olympic track and field champion from Agoura who sponsored the school’s invitational Saturday, announced she was making a $100,000 donation to the track and field program. . . .
Freshman golfer William Hudson of St. John Bosco won the Servite Invitational. Here’s the report.
From the archives: Marques Johnson
One of the greatest former City Section high school basketball players, Marques Johnson, celebrated his 70th birthday with his annual dunk. The former Crenshaw High and UCLA player is a beloved basketball legend from Los Angeles. He has a daughter playing basketball for Windward.
His call on radio when UCLA’s Tyus Edney scored on a layup in 1995 during the Bruins’ title run and he yelled, “Yeah baby!” remains something UCLA fans never forget.
Recommendations
From ESPN, a story about the growing concern about street agents in the high school NIL business.
From SI.com, a story on a high school basketball team in Arizona being removed from the playoffs for racial taunts by its fans.
From the Daily Pilot, a story on Sage Hill girls basketball.
Tweets you might have missed
Former Loyola and Stanford kicker Conrad Ukropina is supposed to be on the next Bachelorette. Let’s see if he brings a tee somewhere.
Amalia Holgun, the last high school player from Kobe and Gigi’s Mambas basketball team, was honored with a concrete Kobe mural from the opposing Ontario Christian girls team.
Amalia has committed to the University of Texas where she will wear number 2. 🖤🤍 pic.twitter.com/BRQl7DxVWq
— Kobe Bryant Stories & Motivation (@kobehighlight) February 26, 2026
It’s true the ability to attend high schools with online classes no matter where you live is changing high school sports in California. Palisades basketball is on the verge of winning City title with several key players online outside of their main attendance area.
People in high school baseball still don’t get it. They celebrate a pitcher throwing 90 mph and giving up runs vs. a pitcher throwing 84 mph and giving up no runs. I’ll take the no runs guy every time.
Villeda was the Gatorade & CIF Player of the Year his senior season at Servite after leading the Friars to a Trinity League, CIF and Regional State Championship. He went on play 4 years at UCSB before turning pro. #credo#ForeverAFriarpic.twitter.com/bJaijEpSzL
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Sixth-year senior guard Chad Baker-Mazara, who spent most of this season as the Trojans top scorer, is no longer with USC’s men’s basketball program, the school announced Sunday.
A person familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly said that it wasn’t any one incident, but an accumulation of issues that led to Baker-Mazara’s departure.
Baker-Mazara left Saturday’s loss to Nebraska a few minutes into the second half after he chased down a lay-in and fell hard on the court. USC coach Eric Musselman said after the game that Baker-Mazara told coaches he was unable to return to the game.
After lead guard Rodney Rice was lost for the season in November, Baker-Mazara stepped into the void as the Trojans’ top scorer, averaging 26 points per game over the remaining seven games of USC’s non-conference slate.
Baker-Mazara became less reliable through Big Ten play. Five times during USC’s conference schedule, he has played fewer than 20 minutes in a game, for one reason or another. At times, his health was what held Baker-Mazara back. Other times, it was less clear.
His exit on the doorstep of March is just another ominous sign for the Trojans, who have lost five in a row. USC has two games still remaining in its regular season slate, with a trip to Washington on tap Wednesday and a home tilt with UCLA next weekend.
Not too many “experts” believed Sierra Canyon could win Saturday night’s Southern Section Open Division girls’ basketball final against defending champion and top-seeded Ontario Christian.
However, Jerzy Robinson and her teammates sure did. Led by their South Carolina-bound senior, the Trailblazers won the upper division title for the second time in four seasons with a gritty 69-62 victory at Toyota Arena in Ontario.
Robinson epitomized Sierra Canyon’s “refuse to lose” mindset. She played all 32 minutes, finishing with a game-high 32 points and 12 rebounds. Afterward, she stood on the team bench, waved her arms and shouted to the Trailblazer faithful they were “No. 1.”
And they are — for now. The teams could wind up facing each other again in the regional playoffs, but this night was Robinson’s to savor.
“This is for the championship and we wanted it more tonight,” said Robinson, who sealed the win on a layup off an inbounds play with less than 20 seconds left. “This is what we work so hard every day for.”
On the same court and exactly one year after claiming its first Southern Section Open Division crown, Ontario Christian found out just how hard it is to repeat. The Knights were outscored 18-6 in the fourth quarter.
Kaleena Smith, touted as one of the best juniors in the country, came into the contest averaging 32.5 points per game. She scored 30 in her head-to-head matchup with Robinson. Each had 17 points in the first half, Robinson banking in a three-pointer from half court at the buzzer to pull the Trailblazers to within six.
Sierra Canyon’s Jerzy Robinson drives against Ontario Christian’s Kaleena Smith in the first half of the Southern Section Open Division championship game.
(Steve Galluzzo / Steve Galluzzo)
Ontario Christian star Kaleena Smith floats down the lane as she attempts a layup against Sierra Canyon on Saturday night.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
UC Irvine commit Delaney White, a senior transfer from Oak Park, and senior center Emilia Krstevski each added 10 points for third-seeded Sierra Canyon (30-2), which last won the Open title in 2022-23 behind Gatorade National Player of the Year Juju Watkins, now at USC.
It was the second straight upset for the Trailblazers, who had stunned No. 2 Etiwanda on its home court four days earlier.
“When we were behind it just made us play harder.” added Robinson, who is the consensus No. 1 recruit in the 2026 class. “We were telling each other, ‘go out there and get it!’ We’ve been working on our ball screen defense all year and we relied on it tonight.”
Sierra Canyon’s Emilia Krstevski drives for a layup against Ontario Christian in the Open Division final.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
Dani Robinson scored 16 points for the Knights (32-2), who were the No. 1-ranked team in California and No. 2 nationally, having lost only once by two points to Bishop McNamara of Forestville, Md.
Since Smith arrived on campus in 2023, Ontario Christian has won 89 of 98 games. Sierra Canyon, which was undefeated in Mission League play, has won 12 in a row since a 70-60 loss to Long Island (N.Y.) Lutheran.
“My composure comes from my teammates,” Robinson said. “I have so much faith in them.”
The win came two hours after the boys’ team beat Harvard-Westlake, giving the Chatsworth school a sweep of the Open Division titles. Many of the boys stayed to watch the girls’ triumph.
There are All-Star teams. Then there’s Sierra Canyon’s boys’ basketball team, made up of two McDonald’s All-Americans, a former Trinity League MVP, a star guard from North Carolina and several other newcomers that complete a nine-man rotation that no one in Southern California has been able to beat.
Coach Andre Chevalier pushes the buttons and has so much depth that it gives him the kind of options any coach would welcome. About the only question regarding the Trailblazers has been with so many top players, would they be unselfish enough to share the ball with teammates?
The answer is a resounding yes. The Trailblazers (27-1) won their first Southern Section Open Division title since the pandemic season of 2020 on Saturday night, defeating Mission League rival Harvard-Westlake 59-53 at Toyota Arena in Ontario.
Maxi Adams of Sierra Canyon celebrates the Open Division championship.
(Steve Galluzzo)
Harvard-Westlake kept battling despite trailing by 11 points at halftime. They trailed 56-53 with 19 seconds left after a three by Joe Sterling. The Trailblazers were able to clinch victory thanks to one free throw from JJ Sati-Grier and two from Brannon Martinsen. Martinsen finished with 18 points, Brandon McCoy had 13 points and Maxi Adams had 12 points.
“This group has been amazing,” Chevalier said. “It’s been one of the best seasons, maybe ever.”
Said Harvard-Westlake coach David Rebibo: “I thought they made some big shots in big moments, but I’m incredibly proud of our fight.”
No opponent had finished within 13 points of Sierra Canyon over the last month, and Chevalier gave credit to Rebibo and the Wolverines for taking them to the brink.
“David Rebibo is a heck of a coach,” he said. “No matter what roster we have, he always manages to have an elite team every year.”
Sterling finished with 18 points and Pierce Thompson scored 15 points.
Sierra Canyon has reached peak form. One curiosity was seeing how well the Trailblazers would fare leaving their comfortable home court in Chatsworth to play in an arena setting. But there was little difference.
More important is Sierra Canyon’s depth, which was put on display with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter after McDonald’s All-American McCoy picked up his fourth foul and went to the bench with a 45-39 lead. Over the next 2½ minutes, Sierra Canyon’s lead expanded to 12 points, aided by threes from Sati-Grier, a sophomore guard from North Carolina, and Martinsen, who was the Trinity League MVP two years ago at Mater Dei. That’s the challenge in trying to topple the Trailblazers — there’s always someone ready to step forward to deliver.
Now the Trailblazers can get ready to be the No. 1 seed in the Southern California Open Division regional playoffs, with an opportunity to advance to the state championship game in Sacramento in two weeks. The team looks focused, and even if one or two top players are off their games, the magic of being nine deep is knowing there’s always someone ready to come to the rescue.
Chevalier, though, wondered, “Can we stay hungry?”
McCoy answered that he’s “starving” for a state championship in the postgame news conference, which made his coach smile.
It’s been pretty clear for more than a month that Sierra Canyon has separated itself, and it will take a major upset to halt the Trailblazers’ clear path to Sacramento.
There’s a new team with plenty of quality young players to get excited about in high school basketball.
Bishop Amat (28-5), led by sophomore Aiden Shaw and freshman Omar Cox-Labomme, put together a near-perfect performance on Saturday at Toyota Arena in a 71-48 victory over Hesperia to win the Southern Section Division 2 championship for coach Brandon Ertle, the team’s first title since 2002.
Shaw made nine of 11 shots, had four assists, three blocks and five steals while finishing with 20 points. Cox-Labomme made three three-pointers and had 16 points. For players 16 and 15 years old, respectively, to deliver with poise and confidence on such a big stage speaks to a bright future.
“They didn’t seem like they are a freshman and sophomore since the first game of the season,” Ertle said. “Not nervous or afraid of the moment. I think these are pretty good players.”
The Lancers also did a good job containing Hesperia’s 6-foot-7 Nolan Newman-Gomez, who finished with 17 points.
Murrieta Mesa 65, Aliso Niguel 58: Jagger Saul scored 18 points to help Murrieta Mesa win the Southern Section Division 3 title. Jayden Mysin had 18 points for Aliso Niguel.
Verdugo Hills 62, RFK 40: The Dons won the City Section Division III championship. Alex Kasumyan scored 13 points and Jordan Vargas added 12 points.
Rialto 59, Salesian 31: Lionel Madrid scored 16 points and Wayne Johnson had 14 points for Rialto in the Division 7 final.
Colton 55, San Bernardino Pacific 42: Andres Elenes scored 23 points for Colton in the Division 9 final.
Girls’ basketball
Sierra Vista 52, Desert Hot Springs 42: Cailei Buna finished with 19 points, making nine of 10 free throws, in the Southern Section Division 9 final.
Bishop Diego 42, Burbank Burroughs 41: Eden Synne finished with 16 points for Bishop Diego in the Division 5 final. Burroughs had a chance to tie in the final second but a free throw was missed.
When the horn sounded to end Friday night’s City Section Open Division boys’ basketball final, the first person OJ and EJ Popoola wanted to hug was their father, Chris.
Thirty years ago, he transferred from Westchester to Palisades to help the Dolphins reach the 4A semifinals. In June, his twin sons transferred to his alma mater from a Detroit prep school with hopes of making their papa proud and lifting the town’s spirit.
Mission accomplished.
OJ scored 19 and EJ added 17 as the Dolphins used tenacious defense, a three-point barrage and a relentless transition attack to overwhelm Cleveland, 75-56, at L.A. Southwest College.
Jack Levey made five three-pointers, raising his season total to 108, and Phil Reed had 13 points.
“This means everything,” OJ Popoola said. “Since the first day we came here this is what we wanted to do, bring joy back to the community.”
“We’re coming back next year to defend the title,” EJ Popoola added. “My dad’s team came up short but we finished the job.”
Playing the final at a neutral site was nothing new for a squad that did not play in its own gym for 42 straight games — a span of 388 days — in the aftermath of the Palisades fire last year.
“We accomplished two goals, winning league and City,” second-year coach Jeff Bryant said. “Now state is the third goal.”
Palisades (20-11) was in command from the start. OJ Popoola swished a three-pointer from the corner, Reed got a steal and scored on a layup, and Levey passed to OJ Popoola for a dunk, making it 7-0 after only 55 seconds. The Dolphins stretched the lead to 25-8 by the end of the first quarter and the margin was 19 by halftime.
Both teams lost in the Open Division semifinals last winter and were the preseason favorites to play for the title. They were awarded the top seeds in the eight-team bracket after each finished first in its league.
The Dolphins staked their claim as the best team in the City for the first time since 1969, when Palisades routed Reseda 85-57 in the final at Pauley Pavilion under the program’s first coach, Jerry Marvin, to finish the season 21-1 when there was only one playoff division. Leading that team was forward Chris Marlowe, who was named MVP after netting 29 points in the title game. He went on to captain the U.S. Olympic volleyball team that won the gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Since it opened in 1961, Palisades has been the crown jewel of the City Section, claiming more than 260 titles across all sports (more than twice as many as the next-closest school), but this is only the third in boys’ basketball.
Palisades captured the Division I crown six years ago under former coach Donzell Hayes, who was a teammate of Chris Popoola on the Dolphins’ 1995-96 team that fell in overtime to Crenshaw (coached by the legendary Willie West) in the 4A semifinals.
“My team was one game away but these kids completed the circle,” Chris Popoola said, then referenced a famous Dolphins alum. “I hope Steve Kerr was watching.”
Sophomore guard Charlie Adams, who scored 24 points in the Cavaliers’ 68-64 overtime win against Fairfax in the semifinals, was limited to 13 — part of Bryant’s pregame plan.
Sergine Deme scored 19 points and had five dunks, and TJ Wansa added 11 points for No. 2 Cleveland (20-10), which was seeking its first championship since back-to-back 3A titles under Greg Herrick in 1981 and 1982.
No City opponent came closer than 15 points against Palisades, which now waits to see what division it will play in for the state playoffs.
As his USC team slid further off the NCAA tournament bubble, falling flat against its fiercest rival, frustrated coach Eric Musselman couldn’t help but lament what might have been.
If the Trojans had Rodney Rice, maybe things would have gone differently in his second season.
“I haven’t really talked about it in a long time,” Musselman said. “But we’ve got three games left, so I’m gonna bring it up now. To run our offense and stuff without a guy like him is problematic for sure.”
Of course, after losing 81-62 to crosstown rival UCLA,, there wasn’t much else for USC to find solace in Tuesday night. Maybe Rice, who has been out since late November, would have elevated the Trojans’ ailing offense. Maybe freshman Alijah Arenas, who didn’t debut until late January, could have found his stride faster with a full offseason.
No amount of what-ifs, however, will fix what ails USC during its final three games. The loss to UCLA was its fourth straight. As of Tuesday night, the Trojans were firmly out of the tournament field, a fact that Musselman was well aware of.
That’s not set in stone yet. But the question now is whether the Trojans even have the capacity to climb back into the March mix.
That path back for USC would certainly be smoother with a more potent offense. Sixth-year senior Chad Baker-Mazara led the team with 25 points against UCLA in spite of playing through a sore knee.
But the rest of the Trojans offense shot under 30% — another issue that Musselman traced back to Rice’s absence.
“The lack of shooting is really hurting us,” Musselman said. “I haven’t really talked about it in a long time. But not having Rodney Rice’s shooting is killing us. It kills our spacing. It kills our help to the ball.”
The arrival of Arenas, the Trojans highly touted freshman, was supposed to solve that. Instead, 10 games into his college career, Arenas is struggling mightily with his offensive efficiency.
USC coach Eric Musselman reacts to the Trojans’ loss to UCLA at Pauley Pavilion on Tuesday.
(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)
Arenas had four first-half turnovers in nine minutes and didn’t hit a shot from the field until midway through the second half. The freshman has shot just 8 of 29 over his last three games. He finished Tuesday with 10 points, four rebounds and five turnovers.
“It’s a learning curve for him,” Musselman said. “He’s an incredible talent who has an awesome ceiling, and he’s got an incredible future. But in a game like tonight — he’s learning. You can see it out there. He’s learning on the fly.”
There’s not much time left to learn. The Trojans will face No. 12 Nebraska on Saturday, before traveling to Washington, which beat them earlier in the season, a few days later. A rematch with UCLA awaits at Galen Center the following Saturday.
USC won’t stand much of a chance against that slate if it can’t find some consistency on either end, but the Trojans had their moments Tuesday. They fired out to an early lead thanks to Baker-Mazara, who followed up a 13-point outburst Saturday by knocking down three consecutive 3’s in a three-minute stretch.
Later, near the midway mark of the second half, Baker-Mazara hit another 3 to cut the UCLA lead to just five points. And for a brief moment, it seemed USC might find a way.
But then, in the waning seconds of the shot clock, UCLA star guard Donovan Dent let a deep three pointer fly with 10 minutes remaining. It swished. A sold-out crowd at Pauley Pavilion roared.
Dent finished with 30 points, while the Trojans never recovered. Musselman, meanwhile, was left thinking of something his wife, Danyelle, had said to him.
“Take a 20-pointer scorer off of any team and see what they do,” Musselman recalled his wife saying. “Take Dent off of them and let’s see what they do. That’s a fact.”
But the facts, for USC, are pretty grim at this point. And with just three games remaining, time is running out for the Trojans to change that.
