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The date was Dec. 20. It was the day everything changed for the Clippers.

Kawhi Leonard has been the leading scorer in the NBA since, averaging 31.8 points per game. James Harden has averaged 25.1 points in that stretch. The Clippers have the best scoring differential in the Western Conference over that span. They’ve been rolling.

This is where Robert Flom enters the story.

Flom is a blogger who covers the Clippers, and Dec. 20 was when he wrote the following on X: “If they go 15-3 in any stretch this season will print and eat this tweet.”

The Clippers have gone 15-3 since. True to his word, Flom printed the tweet Monday and ate it.

“Pretty crunchy,” he said.

Social media wasn’t around in 1953 or 1985, which means it’s highly unlikely anyone in Baltimore or Cleveland had to endure a crunchy moment like the one Flom put himself through on Monday night.

The 1952-53 Baltimore Bullets got into the playoffs by finishing fourth in a five-team division, in a year when eight of the NBA’s 10 teams made the postseason. The 1984-85 Cleveland Cavaliers got into the playoffs despite spending more than three months of that season holding down last place in the Eastern Conference.

Both teams started those seasons with 6-21 records. Of the 121 teams that started an NBA season with a record that bad or worse, including five this season, those Bullets (who finished 16-54) and Cavaliers (who finished 36-46) are the only two that wound up reaching the postseason.

The Clippers started 6-21 this season. The playoffs were a million miles away. Not anymore.

Going into Tuesday’s game at Utah, the Clippers are three games under .500 at 21-24. They are 10th in the West, but that would be enough to get them into the play-in tournament and give them a chance at a playoff berth.

For a team that was a half-game out of last place in the West a couple of days before Christmas, just getting back to play-in range this soon represents a minor miracle.

“We’re confident, we’re playing well, but we’ve still got to play better,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said after Sunday’s 126-89 romp over the Brooklyn Nets. “We still have to run through the tape and continue to execute the right way. … Overall, we’re playing well. We’ve got to keep it going.”

The Clippers, to their credit, were aware of Flom’s tweet. The Clippers’ social media team had a blast with it — all in good fun, like the tweet itself — and players couldn’t help but react when they got that 15th win in 18 games that ensured Flom would be chewing on paper for a half-hour or so.

“We gotta get him on camera,” Lue said.

“I don’t know how healthy that is for you,” Leonard said.

Clippers fans got into the act as well, chanting “eat the tweet” during Sunday’s game. It’s a feel-good story, such as it is. And there have been a few of those in the NBA this season.

Among them: Toronto started slowly but is vying for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs now. BetMGM Sportsbook had Phoenix’s over-under for wins this season at 30.5; the Suns have already won 27 games. The Celtics, even without Jayson Tatum, are No. 2 in the East, something few outside Boston probably expected.

The Clippers were supposed to be good, like title-contending good. Starting 6-21 was beyond unexpected. Then again, so was the turnaround. And the tweet is a neat part of why everyone seems happy in Clipperland these days, after tons of drama going back to the summer.

There was a probe of whether a business relationship between Leonard and a California company was legitimate or merely a way for the Clippers to circumvent salary cap rules, then Chris Paul being sent home in a stunning early December move, and a whole lot of losing.

Now, there’s a whole lot of winning. For the record, Flom now says the Clippers will finish 45-37. The way they’re playing, he might not have to eat those words.

CHICAGO — Luka Doncic skipped, shimmied and shot. The Lakers dunked, hollered and won.

Doncic dazzled yet again with 46 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds in the Lakers’ 129-118 win over the Chicago Bulls on Monday. The Lakers (28-17) notched their fourth win in five games. It was his third game in the last four with at least 10 assists — all wins.

The Lakers are less than two weeks removed from losing five of six games, a skid that prompted coach JJ Redick to challenge Doncic and LeBron James during a team meeting to look for their teammates more. The Lakers weren’t “trusting the pass” Redick said last week after the team’s loss to the Clippers.

Doncic has responded with 11 assists in back-to-back games since the loss to the Clippers and the Lakers have had 26 assists in each of their previous two wins. James, in addition to 24 points, had three assists Monday.

“They took it in a good way and that’s what they’ve been doing,” forward Rui Hachimura said of James’ and Doncic’s response to Redick’s message. “And then, we’re winning. And then everybody gets touches and everybody shares a ball. It’s fun. That’s how basketball should be.”

Hachimura was one of the main beneficiaries, scoring 23 points off the bench on nine-for-11 shooting with four three-pointers. Two weeks removed from a calf injury that kept him sidelined for six games, Hachimura has returned to his early season form, shooting 57.1% from the field in the last three games.

He hit consecutive threes to hold off a charge from the Bulls (23-23), who cut a 20-point Lakers lead to one with 6:42 left in the third quarter. Doncic played a role in both clutch shots, first whipping a one-handed pass behind his back across the court to Gabe Vincent, who shoveled the ball with one hand to Hachimura. Less than a minute later, Doncic drove into a crowd of three defenders in the paint, jumped and fired a two-handed pass to Hachimura on the wing. The Lakers were safely ahead by nine points again.

Lakers forward Rui Hachimura shoots over Chicago Bulls forward Dalen Terry during the first half Monday.

(Nam Y. Huh / Associated Press)

Redick praised Doncic’s and James’ ability to make “simple” plays Monday, helping the team keep its turnovers to just eight. But when the Slovenian point guard is at his best, he’s also making the spectacular plays that fire up his teammates.

“He’s an engine that’s fully on,” Redick said. “And he likes to create out there, and that’s a part of what makes him a great player. … Not to say it doesn’t test your patience at times, but you have to be willing to live with some of the stuff that he tries, because more often than not, you’re going to get a great result.”

Doncic, who only took 25 shots, scored 29 points in the second half after dishing eight of his 11 assists in the first. He made six of 11 three-point attempts after halftime, growing in confidence each time he snapped another early shot-clock heat check through the net. In the third, he mimicked shooting pistols after he laced one three-pointer. After another, late in the fourth, he skipped backward on defense away from the Bulls’ bench.

Lakers star LeBron James dunks in front of Chicago Bulls guard Coby White in the first half Monday.

(Nam Y. Huh / Associated Press)

Doncic’s energy transferred to his teammates. James threw down two one-handed tomahawk dunks in the first half. Jaxson Hayes, not to be outdone by the 41-year-old, stole the ball and drove coast-to-coast for a between-the-legs dunk with 2:55 left to put a final exclamation point on the win.

The play left Doncic holding his hands together in front of his chest and exhaling in relief. Hachimura, trailing the play to Hayes’ right, was yelling, “Go Jax! Go Jax!”

But upon further review, teammates didn’t seem particularly impressed with Hayes’ dunk. Hachimura said he’s seen Hayes perform his signature dunk much higher. Even the 7-foot center said he was scared he was going to get stuck on the rim. Sitting at his locker after the game, Doncic attested he could pull it off when he was a teenager.

Just another one of his show-stopping tricks.

WATCHING sport in the pub, like queuing and putting the kettle on, is one of Britain’s great national pastimes.

And unless you’re going to the stadium, there’s no better place to catch the big match than down your local.

While loads of locals simply put the telly on in the corner, there are those venues who go that extra yard to make the big match experience a truly memorable one.

As The Thinking Drinkers – professional pub-goers and huge sports fans – we’ve picked the best sports pubs and bars across Britain.

Ranging from sizeable city centre sports outfits to historic pubs, quirky boozers and lovely locals – here’s where to go that even if you don’t like sport, you’ll have a good time.

Let’s find out who made the starting line-up in the Thinking Drinkers Sports Pub XI.

LAST ORDERS

Famous UK pub that’s served football fans for 140 years is shutting in HOURS

PINT SIZED

English pub that is the ‘world’s smallest’ is opening but only for Christmas

The Famous Three Kings, West London

This London pub is rightly famous among fans of everything from football and rugby to ice hockey, Gridiron and even handball. 

Boasting 39 HD TV’s, access to hundreds of sports channels and an awesome audio setup with the ability to ‘zone’ sound and commentary of up to 6 games at once, it’s no surprise that it has won numerous industry awards. 

The King Street Brew House, Cambridge

This recently refurbished brewpub serves up loads of live sport alongside some decent drinks, including its own freshly brewed beers, and a cracking menu (including a curried lamb croissant).

If you’re in Cambridge, it’s certainly worth a punt.

Ye Olde King & Queen, Brighton

Situated a short stroll from the seafront, this vast grade-II listed Mock Tudor castle of sport is like being in the Traitors.

A huge protector screen dominates the main bar with TVs scattered everywhere showing all domestic and European footy action.

It even has its own bar dedicated to F1. 

The Royal Dyche, Burnley

Close to Turf Moor, home of Burnley FC, this now legendary local has become a football institution since renaming itself after ex-manager Sean Dyche who, back in 2018, secured European qualification.

It’s got stadium-seating in the garden, plenty of screens and there’s ‘claret’ everywhere (not blood or Bordeaux but Burnley FC memorabilia).

They also serve Benedictine – a French herbal liqueur loved by locals since it was famously drunk by soldiers of the East Lancashire Regiment during World War One. 

Perhaps not the best pub for Preston fans.

Brotherhood of Pursuits and Pastimes, Leeds

Like Dominic Calvert-Lewin, this illustrious Leeds city centre sports bar is a stylish looking fellow. 

Quality cocktails, fantastic food and a great 4K screen set-up and surround sound audio.

There’s not a single spot where you can’t clearly see and hear the action and, in the event of a sporting clash, they’ll dedicate areas of the bar to the different events. 

The Murderers, Norwich

One of Norwich’s oldest locals, and named after notorious murder of a former landlord’s daughter back in 1895, this makes for a great cosy pub to watch the game.

But thankfully, when there’s a big game on, that doesn’t dampen the lively match day atmosphere – enhanced by a well-kept range of real ales and numerous screens skilfully snuck into all the pub’s snugs, nooks and crannies. 

The Box, Manchester

With 35 top-of-the-range tellies this Deansgate venue doesn’t just have football but cricket, Gridiron, rugby, boxing and F1. 

Fairweather fans can occupy themselves with some shuffleboardor some ‘bandeoke’ – karaoke with a live backing band on stage.

The food’s good, there’s brewery fresh Budweiser Budvar on tap and two-pint Steins to swig.

Bloodsports, Central London

This down-to-earth dark, dimly lit dive bar and late-night hang-out has 30 screens showing a combination of live sports and horror flicks.

Open till 2am every night, it boasts Britain’s best ‘Bloody’ Mary menu, proper burgers and there’s even an Alfred Hitchcock’s Pyscho photo booth. 

Golaccio, Huddersfield

If Luciano Pavarotti belting out ‘Nessun Dorma’ brings a tear to your eye or you spent much of the 1990s watching Serie A on Channel Four, then get yourself down to this retro love letter to the golden age of Italian footy. 

Draped in old-school football shirts, scarves and posters from iconic Italian clubs, there are four large screens and a pull-down projector, banging Italian-inspired burgers and regular football quizzes. 

Ye Olde Golf Tavern, Edinburgh

This awesome Edinburgh boozer is perched on the edge of one of the oldest golf courses in the world, dating back to 1456.

So, when the final whistle blows on one of the bar’s many screens, you can hire a couple of clubs for a few quid and tackle 18-holes of pitch’n’putt.

Ludo Bar, Cardiff

This ‘tidy’ temple of televised sport only opened last October but it has already established a strong following among sports fans of all persuasions.

Grab a beer from a very respectable range of local breweries before sliding into a booth to watch your chosen match on request.

Or, alternatively, bask in the glow of the UK’s largest ultra high definition screen in the garden – complete with a retractable roof. 

There are even TVs in the toilets, which you won’t miss a moment of the game.

Ben McFarland & Tom Sandham, The Thinking Drinkers, recently rode a tandem bike from Land’s End to John O’Groats to ‘help save the British pub’. Watch the “Great British Pub Ride” on their YouTube Channel here.

EDMONTON, Canada — Mattias Ekholm scored a hat trick and the Edmonton Oilers rode a dominant second period to a 7-4 victory over the Ducks on Monday.

Zach Hyman and Connor McDavid each added a goal and an assist for the Oilers, Spencer Stastney scored his first in an Edmonton jersey and Darnell Nurse also scored.

Leon Draisaitl contributed four assists and Tristan Jarry stopped 36 of the 40 shots he faced.

Three of the Ducks’ four goals came from Mikael Granlund on the power play, starting with his 10th tally of the season 3:24 into the game.

His linemate Alex Killorn added an even-strength tally 55 seconds into the second period, Beckett Sennecke notched two assists, and Ville Husso made 25 saves in the loss.

The result broke a seven-game win streak for the Ducks, who downed the Calgary Flames 4-3 in overtime on Sunday.

The Oilers got some fresh faces into the lineup with winger Kasperi Kapanen returning after missing three games with an injury and center Josh Samanski made his NHL debut.

Cutter Gauthier helped out on Granlund’s first goal of the night and extended his point streak to five games with three goals and four assists across the stretch.

Brentwood’s Ethan Hill was so sick before Monday night’s basketball game against Crossroads that he searched for an open urgent care to give him an IV.

By the game’s end, when Brentwood came back from an 11-point deficit to defeat rival Crossroads 70-60, the 6-foot-7 Hill was using all of his final energy to dance with the delirious student section that got loud and boisterous and helped inspire the Eagles’ rally.

“I feel horrible,” Hill said as he rested on the floor of the team room afterward blowing his noise. “I’m so fatigued.”

Somehow, he played the entire fourth quarter and made five consecutive free throws to help hand Crossroads its first Gold Coast League loss.

One hero for Brentwood was junior guard AJ Okoh. He finished with 24 points. Crossroads (14-11, 5-1) could not stop him from driving in the second half.

“One of the best point guards in the country,” Brentwood coach Ryan Bailey said. “He doesn’t back down from anyone.”

Brentwood (22-3, 4-1) lost to Crossroads 72-56 on Jan. 9 in one of its worst performances of the season. This time, the Eagles, in front of their home crowd, were determined not to let their former player, Shalen Sheppard, get out of the gym with a win.

The emotions twice resulted in technical fouls against Brentwood players for taunting. At the end of the game when the buzzer sounded, officials ejected Sheppard and Brentwood’s Ryan Howard when they got into a little wrestling match. Crossroads, which starts four sophomores, received 16 points from Evan Willis and 14 from Sheppard.

Brentwood fell behind 32-23 at halftime. That caused Bailey to give a fiery halftime talk.

“I was proud how they fought,” Bailey said. “We had a little halftime speech and they responded and the home crowd was phenomenal.”

Augustus Sugarman aided the comeback with two three-pointers and two free throws in the fourth quarter. There were seven lead changes to start the fourth quarter until Brentwood pulled away.

The NHL postponed the Columbus Blue Jackets’ home game against the Kings on Monday night because of a major winter storm that created dangerous travel conditions across much of the United States.

Almost a foot of snow fell in Columbus, Ohio, and windchill factors were forecast to be around minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit on Monday night. The game is rescheduled for March 9 in Columbus.

The Chargers hired former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel as their new offensive coordinator Monday as they look to maximize quarterback Justin Herbert‘s talents in the wake of another one-and-done playoff exit.

Fired by the Dolphins on Jan. 8 after a 7-10 season, McDaniel went 35-33 over four seasons in South Beach. His hiring comes less than two weeks after Herbert fell to 0-3 in the playoffs following a 16-3 AFC wild-card loss to the New England Patriots, resulting in offensive coordinator Greg Roman’s firing.

With defensive coordinator Jesse Minter leaving to become coach of the Baltimore Ravens, Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh will have two new coordinators in 2026.

Considered one of the NFL’s leading offensive innovators when he was hired by the Dolphins after a one-year stint as offensive coordinator in San Francisco, McDaniel guided Miami to back-to-back playoff berths in 2022 and ’23. In McDaniel’s first season, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa passed for 3,548 yards and 25 touchdowns in 13 games. He then passed for a league-leading 4,624 yards with 29 touchdowns in 2023 at the front of the league’s top offense (401 net yards per game).

The Dolphins, however, were winless in the playoffs under McDaniel. And Tagovailoa’s injury-limited 2024 season, coupled with his deteriorating performances this season, factored into McDaniel’s firing.

Still, McDaniel’s reputation as an offensive guru made him a prime candidate not just for coordinator positions, but for head coaching vacancies too. He reportedly interviewed for head coaching jobs with the Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Las Vegas Raiders and Tennessee Titans before deciding to join Harbaugh’s staff. He also reportedly withdrew from consideration for the Cleveland Browns’ head coaching job and canceled an interview for the Buffalo Bills head coaching vacancy before formalizing his deal with the Chargers.

Harbaugh said last week he wanted “a head coach of the offense,” someone who “teaches, installs and puts the players in the best position to be successful.”

Much of that wish list will center on McDaniel establishing a run game to complement Herbert — something that never fully materialized under Roman and Harbaugh.

The Chargers clearly prioritized the rush last offseason when they signed Najee Harris and drafted Omarion Hampton in the first round. But season-ending injuries to Rashawn Slater, Joe Alt and Harris, coupled with Hampton being undermined by ankle injuries, thwarted meaningful year-over-year gains (122 yards per game in 2025; 111 in 2024).

With the offensive line set to return to full strength and general manager Joe Hortiz saying he’s willing to spend some of the team’s estimated $103 million in salary-cap space, the Chargers are well-positioned for another postseason run in 2026.

Whether McDaniel can help Herbert end his playoff winless streak remains to be seen.

The Rams won’t be the only no-shows at the Super Bowl. President Trump will be conspicuous in his absence from the biggest annual, single-day sporting event in the United States.

“It’s just too far away,” Trump told the New York Post. “I would go if, you know, it was a little bit shorter.”

Or perhaps not so far to his left?

Super Bowl LX will be played Feb. 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, part of the San Francisco Bay Area that Trump has so often reviled.

The teams — the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks — hail from deeply entrenched blue states. Massachusetts and Washington have voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in every election since 1988.

Trump also has expressed disgust over the musical performers at this year’s game: Bad Bunny and Green Day, both unabashed critics of the current administration. Bad Bunny will play the halftime show while Green Day will perform ahead of the kickoff.

“I’m anti-them,” Trump said. “I think it’s a terrible choice. All it does is sow hatred. Terrible.”

Ahead of a tour last fall to promote his most recent album, Bad Bunny (whose real name is Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio) announced he would skip the United States because he was afraid of ICE raids at his concerts. The Puerto Rican superstar — who has nearly 84 million monthly listeners on Spotify — explained why he made an exception for the Super Bowl.

“What I’m feeling goes beyond myself,” he said in a statement. “It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown. This is for my people, my culture and our history.”

Green Day, an American pop-punk band of almost 40 years, has since Trump’s first term swapped a line in the lyrics of the 2004 hit “American Idiot” from “I’m not part of a redneck agenda” to “I’m not part of the MAGA agenda.”

Turning Point USA, the conservative non-profit founded by the late Charlie Kirk, announced in October that it would stage its own counterprogramming to the Super Bowl and stream it on conservative outlets. The “All American Halftime Show” is billed as “Celebrating Faith, Family, & Freedom.” As of Monday, musical artists had not been announced.

Trump became the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl a year ago when he received a muted, mixed reaction of cheers and boos in New Orleans. But this year, the 5½-hour flight from Washington D.C. to the Bay Area apparently is too long for the president, who in January alone has flown to Switzerland, Detroit and Palm Beach.

Trump has long enjoyed attending high-profile sporting events. He was present at the College Football Playoff title game between Indiana and Miami a week ago and in 2025 attended the Army-Navy college football game, the U.S. Open Final and the Ryder Cup. In 2019, he attended Game 5 of the World Series in Washington D.C., where he was resoundingly booed.

The NFL has resisted pressure to replace Bad Bunny with a performer more politically palatable to Trump.

“There’s a lot of people right now who don’t like Bad Bunny being in the Super Bowl halftime show,” NFL chief marketing officer Tim Ellis said at a conference in October. “Well, not everyone has to like everything we do. Bad Bunny is f—ing awesome.”

Not everyone has to like the teams that earned Super Bowl berths and the states they call home, either. And not everyone has to approve of the venue. That includes the President, who made it clear that if he decides to watch, he’ll do so from a distance.

Japan’s roster for the World Baseball Classic features familiar names, but one question lingers.

The Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto were among those named to Team Japan by manager Hirokazu Ibata on Monday at a news conference in Tokyo. Ohtani previously announced his intention to participate in the WBC in November, and Yamamoto was expected to take part despite a heavy workload in the Dodgers’ run to a second straight World Series championship.

Dodgers right-hander Roki Sasaki, who will be returning to the starting rotation after missing most of last year’s regular season because of a shoulder injury, was not selected. Sasaki was on Team Japan in 2023, starting two games — including a dramatic semifinal win over Mexico.

In his earlier announcement, Ohtani did not indicate whether he would pitch in the WBC and on Monday Ibata told reporters that the team will get a better sense once Ohtani reports to spring training next month.

In the 2023 WBC, Ohtani won tournament MVP with a .435 batting average and 1.86 pitching ERA, helping Japan to the title. He punctuated the event with his memorable strikeout of Mike Trout for the final out in the championship game.

Eight major leaguers were named to Team Japan’s WBC roster, including the Angels left-hander Yusei Kukuchi, Padres left-hander Yuki Matsui, Blue Jays infielder Kazuma Okamoto, White Sox infielder Munetaka Murakami, Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki and right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano, currently a free agent who pitched for the Baltimore Orioles last year.

MLB players are expected to join Team Japan for exhibition games on March 2. Japan will open WBC play on March 6 against Taiwan.