Portland’s Robert Williams III scores in front of Laker Ziaire Williams at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday.
(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
One day after being retroactively fined for flopping on a play against Utah, forward Ziaire Williams was whistled for the violation again during the fourth quarter Tuesday.
Avdija drove on Williams with 3:38 remaining in the fourth quarter and bumped his left shoulder and arm into Williams’ body. Williams stumbled backward and circled both arms backward as Avdija kicked the ball out to Lillard for a three-pointer. Lillard nailed the shot from the wing and tacked on a technical free throw when play was stopped for Williams’ flopping call.
Williams’ violation was one of three called Tuesday by the crew led by Scott Foster. Portland’s Toumani Camara and Morant were also whistled for flops, and all of the calls came in the fourth quarter of a tight game that saw 52 total personal fouls and 71 free throws.
NBA officials have placed a larger emphasis on flopping this season, along with limiting use of off-arm force against defenders, reckless closeouts and time wasting on free throws. Flops are characterized by “exaggerated and theatrical” movements in an attempt to get a call, according to the NBA. Redick said he didn’t believe Williams’ movements rose to that level against Utah, at least.
With 4:44 left in the fourth quarter against Utah and the Lakers trailing by one, Utah’s Keyonte George switched onto Williams. The Jazz guard drove on Williams and was called for a push-off foul as Williams stumbled backward. It was only until the next day that Williams was fined $2,000 for a flop.
“That’s just the way his body naturally moves,” Redick said.
Williams said Tuesday he had not received feedback about the call he thought was a good defensive play against the Jazz.
“I’ll pay my fine,” Williams said before Tuesday’s game, “and if I got to flop again to get a win, then that’s what I’ll do.”
The Lakers turned the ball over on the next possession, but pieced together a 8-1 run during the fourth quarter to pull away for a thrilling nine-point win after trailing by 18 during the second quarter.
MADISON, Wis. — Just two short weeks ago, as the Trojans’ marching band roared joyously from the bowels of Beaver Stadium and a cold Pennsylvania rain poured down on a jubilant Lincoln Riley, it seemed like USC and its embattled coach might’ve finally found a foothold, just as they were about to begin a brutal back half of the schedule. They even had a bye to be sure it stuck.
But by Saturday night, any renewed sense of hope in USC’s season had all but slipped away. Maybe for good.
Instead, the Trojans played as poorly as they have all season in a 24-7 loss to Wisconsin. Quarterback Jayden Maiava looked lost. The offensive line was overwhelmed. The rushing attack was worse than nonexistent, with minus-17 yards. And the special teams were an all-too-familiar disaster, with two critical missed kicks.
For one half, it seemed USC’s defense might be the bright spot that kept the Trojans’ hopes alive. It allowed just 78 yards — and just three yards per play — from Wisconsin.
But as the other two phases descended into disaster for USC (6-2, 3-2), its defense could only hold for so long. Wisconsin only managed to rack up 200 total yards, only 58 of which came through the air.
All the Badgers would need in the second half to outlast the Trojans was two successful scoring drives. That was too much for one of the nation’s most high-powered offenses to overcome.
USC certainly didn’t live up to that reputation. Maiava was 31 of 50 for 258 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. The Trojans’ leading rusher, freshman Shahn Alston, had 28 yards rushing, while their usual starter, King Miller, never found any room against Wisconsin (5-2, 3-1).
USC quarterback Jayden Maiava passes against Wisconsin on Oct. 24.
(Ross Harried / Associated Press)
That was after USC spent the bye week talking a big game about its renewed focus on the run game.
But nothing about the Trojans’ effort Saturday seemed at all focused.
It was USC’s defense that set the tone early, while its usually high-powered offense struggled to move the ball at all. Wisconsin tallied just eight total yards in the first quarter, as the Trojans swarmed the line of scrimmage and terrorized quarterback Colton Joseph in the pocket.
USC couldn’t do much better on that side of the ball. After an opening three and out, the Trojans were facing the prospect of another empty possession when Maiava threw it downfield on third and 10. But the pass into double coverage was tipped … directly into the arms of Wisconsin cornerback Bryce West.
West returned the interception to the red zone. But USC’s defense clamped down, and the Badgers only managed a field goal.
USC coach Lincoln Riley argues a call during the first half Saturday against Wisconsin.
(Matthew Holst / Getty Images)
Maiava gave it back on the ensuing drive. Under pressure on third down, the senior quarterback scrambled and then threw a late pass over the middle. It was picked off.
USC’s rushing attack wasn’t helping, either. The Trojans didn’t have a single yard on the ground through the first quarter and only managed 10 by halftime.
But the Trojans somehow cobbled together a touchdown drive in the second quarter, thanks to three Wisconsin penalties, all of which handed them first downs. The last of the three — a face mask on what would’ve been an incomplete pass to the end zone — gave USC new life at the one-yard line, and even still, it took the Trojans three plays to punch it in. Maiava eventually found tight end Taniela Tupou for the score.
That’s when the Trojans started to sputter on defense. After being unable to move the ball at all for most of the first half, Wisconsin drove the entire field for a score just before halftime. Then the Badgers marched down the field again and scored to open the third quarter.
Down 17-7, USC drove to Wisconsin’s 12-yard line. But under pressure on third down, Maiava threw it away and was called for intentional grounding. The Trojans tried a field goal, but it was blocked.
The missteps continued. Maiava was sacked again on USC’s next drive, once again pushing the Trojans out of field-goal range. Then, a delay of game pushed them back even farther.
Still, early in the fourth quarter, Riley sent out his kicker, Caden Chittenden, for a 58-yard field-goal attempt. A rain had started to fall over Camp Randall Stadium, eerily similar to State College two weeks earlier.
But Chittenden’s career-long attempt came up well short. And soon enough, USC would follow.
Given the problem the Dodgers have with their pitchers staying in the rotation for the whole season, and the way Shohei Ohtani was lunging for sweepers, I would say, “Don’t allow him to hit anymore.” Bill Plaschke says Ohtani led them to two championships. In 2024, the 55/55 year, he indeed did, although I would argue that Freddie Freeman did even more. But last year, many others were responsible for their ultimate victory, not Ohtani. Use him as a pitcher and a part-time hitter.
Mike Schaller Temple City
So Bill Plaschke has momentarily stopped playing psychic and has morphed into general manager, saying the Dodgers should either force Shohei Ohtani to stop pitching or trade him. Is Plaschke part of the medical staff of the Dodgers so he knows the root causes of Ohtani’s injuries this year, or what it might take this offseason to fix them?
He has written a lot of inane columns making bold statements that he usually has to eat crow on, and trading Ohtani while he is still one of the best players on the planet would fall into that category. Ohtani will eventually get to the point where his body can’t do both, but I’m sure no one is using Bill Plaschke’s medical expertise to determine when that might be.
Danny Balber Jr. Pasadena
OK, so now Plaschke is ready to give the boot to Shohei Ohtani, the baseball GOAT, as he much as he was gleefully behind basketball GOAT LeBron James’ departure based upon his controlling of the team’s condition, from trades to draft picks. This takes more chutzpah than Ohtani’s insistence to continue as a two-way player.
When will the L.A. Times decide they’ve had enough of him?
Last week, Farmer posted an 11-5 (.688) record. Through the first five weeks of the season, he is 37-27 (.578).
Using point spreads with the scores Farmer predicted, his record against the spread in Week 5 would have been 9-7 (.563). For the season, his record against the spread is 25-39 (.391).
All times are Pacific and TV reflects broadcasts in the Los Angeles area. The Bengals, Dolphins, Lions and Vikings do not play this week.
This is a bad time for the Chargers to see Denver. Their offense is still struggling, Justin Herbert took a beating at Seattle, and here comes that Broncos pass rush. With the exception of last week, Denver’s offense has scored on good defenses.
SEATTLE — In a game that looked lopsided for the better part of three quarters, the Chargers did enough Sunday to scare the defending Super Bowl champions.
Small victory, but at least it was something for the winless Chargers, who scored a touchdown and field goal in the fourth quarter before falling to the Seattle Seahawks, 30-23.
The visitors, who trailed by 19 in the third quarter, were behind by a touchdown when they took over at their 11 with 1:42 remaining. Three plays into that against-all-odds drive, the Seahawks stripped the ball from Justin Herbert, recovered the fumble and ran out the clock.
The Chargers dropped to 0-4, likely crossing the point of no return. The last time the Chargers started 0-4 was 2017, their first season back in Los Angeles.
Only one team — the 1992 San Diego Chargers — made the playoffs after losing its first four games, and that Bobby Ross-coached squad won 11 of its final 12 games.
These Chargers have 13 games left, and identifying potential wins on the remaining schedule is a nearly impossible task.
Remember the thought that new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel would unlock all the potential of Herbert? Almost sounds silly now, with the way the team has stumbled and bumbled its way through the first four games.
Previous little rhythm or continuity. Nowhere to go but up.
Sunday was the first time the Chargers finished within a touchdown of their opponent.
For much of the game, Herbert looked lost. His pass was intercepted on the first play from scrimmage and again late in the first half, when his throw landed right in the belly of linebacker Ernest Jones IV.
Chargers running back Kimani Vidal scores a touchdown during the fourth quarter of a 30-23 loss to the Seahawks on Sunday.
(Lindsey Wasson / Associated Press)
Injuries didn’t help. All-Pro safety Derwin James Jr. was deactivated by the Chargers because of a hamstring injury, and the team subsequently lost No. 1 receiver Ladd McConkey (foot) and right tackle Joe Alt (neck) for the second half. In the fourth quarter, left tackle Rashawn Slater lay for several moments on the turf and was examined by medical staff before rising to his feet and walking gingerly to the sideline with an ankle injury.
Herbert took a beating. He was sacked four times, and the Seahawks were flagged twice for roughing the passer. He had three turnovers. His toughness was not in question, though, not after some of those crushing hits.
At least last season the Chargers could point to a specific positional breakdown. Their offensive line was a disaster. This year, nothing is working well — although the defense did turn in a gem for three quarters in the Week 3 loss at Buffalo, including five takeaways.
It has been a disastrous and unfamiliar start for Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh, who before this season had never lost his first two games, either in college or the pros.
Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh reacts during the third quarter Sunday.
(Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
As unpleasant as his job might be at the moment, Harbaugh is ostensibly safe. He’s signed for two more seasons, and the Chargers would owe him more than $30 million were they to part ways with him. Cutting loose McDaniel would be expensive, too, and there’s no clear successor waiting in the wings.
There’s little respite to be found in the Chargers’ upcoming games. They play host to Denver next Sunday, then are at Kansas City, and play the Rams after a week off. Then, the Chargers have a home game against Houston — also surprisingly winless — then play at Baltimore, where the 3-1 Ravens are coached by former Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter.
The Seahawks, defending Super Bowl champions, got a collective whiff of smelling salts before Sunday’s game, having suffered an embarrassing loss at Washington a week earlier. They weren’t about to lose back-to-back games for the first time since 2024.
They were far from perfect, however. After the Seahawks picked off Herbert on the first play from scrimmage, the Chargers returned the favor on Seattle’s first play, intercepting a Sam Darnold pass. That set up a field goal drive and a fleeting 3-0 lead by the visitors.
According to Elias Sports Bureau, the Chargers-Seahawks game marked the first since 1978 — as far back as the stats go — that began with consecutive interceptions.
The advantage didn’t last long. The Seahawks pulled away as the second half wore on, scoring three unanswered touchdowns and tearing through the heart of the Chargers’ defense, sometimes scarcely touched.
The knives were already out. The boos were already ringing.
At the end of an already brutal week at USC, during which the nation was ready to dance on the graves of the Trojans and their coach, it seemed for much of Saturday that any last shreds of faith in coach Lincoln Riley might melt away in the beating Southern California sun. Not only had the aftermath of their Oregon loss gone as poorly as possible, but now the Trojans were tripping over themselves again, trailing Washington, a middling Big Ten team down to its fourth-string running back, and a chant began to rise above the fray, from the USC student section.
“FIRE LINCOLN!” they roared.
That refrain had only been heard in hushed tones until this past week. But Saturday, before the No. 18 Trojans pulled away with a 25-21 victory, it felt as if their embattled coach stood at the edge of a certain Rubicon, one he may not return from with one wrong step.
That tension still hung thick over the Coliseum until late in the third quarter, when linebacker Elijah Newby came roaring around the edge toward Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. He swatted the ball out of his right hand, and defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart scooped it up. He sprinted 48 yards on a sore foot for a go-ahead score — and joked afterward that he hit 22 mph on his scoring scamper.
Just two minutes earlier, the Trojans had been down 21-10, and it wasn’t hard to envision how their season could continue spiraling from there. One mistake, one missed opportunity, one penalty after another brought them to this point, despite the fact that the Huskies actually struggled to move the ball on USC’s defense throughout.
It looked, for most of Saturday, like that unit took a step forward after the past two weeks, when both Rutgers and Oregon marched on them. Through one half, USC held Washington to just 44 passing yards. Through three quarters, Washington was averaging fewer than six yards per play.
“The bounce back was huge for us,” freshman defensive end Luke Wafle said.
Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr., left, tries to fend off USC linebacker Elijah Newby during the second quarter Saturday at the Coliseum.
(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)
USC’s defense nearly came apart in the fourth quarter, though, at the worst possible time. Washington hadn’t converted a single third down until its final drive, when Williams converted a third-and-11 pass, then hit a fourth-and-two bomb for 43 yards. The Huskies got as close as the USC 12-yard line, before the Trojans finally shut the door.
“We had to dig deep for this one,” Riley said. “Especially as sloppy as we played.”
USC (5-1, 2-1) did try something a little different on defense, with defensive coordinator Gary Patterson calling the game from the press box instead of the sideline. Riley said the decision was akin to “trying to just move the chess pieces to get everyone in the right position.” He also added that Patterson’s former staff at Texas Christian had a lot more familiarity with Patterson’s scheme, and thus he handled things differently with that staff.
But the communication issues of past weeks appeared less of a problem on defense. The real concerns Saturday actually came on offense, where the Trojans uncharacteristically sputtered. Jayden Maiava was 21 of 34 for 245 yards, with a touchdown and an interception.
Still, judging by the box score alone, you’d be hard-pressed to understand how USC could have nearly squandered a game in which they piled up far more yards (360 to 319) and had the ball for far longer (34:58 to 25:02) and dominated on third down.
“We’re gonna fix it,” Stewart said. “No team comes out perfect. It takes time.”
After a disappointing few weeks on the defensive end, USC actually opened the game by forcing Washington (3-2, 0-2) into back-to-back three and outs.
But the Trojans managed a measly three points from those stops. Their first drive, stalled in the red zone. The next one backed up USC to the one-yard line after wideout Terrell Anderson muffed a punt.
Washington took advantage of the field position on its next drive. Faced with a fourth and seven in USC territory, Williams slipped past pressure and scampered to a first down. It was the first sign of life from the Huskies’ offense, which found its way into the end zone four plays later.
Then, USC gave the ball right back. On the run, Maiava launched a pass off his back foot under heavy pressure. It fell well short of its target and was picked off.
USC’s defense held strong, forcing a third three and out in the Huskies’ first four drives. And its offense finally held up its end of the bargain, with Waymond Jordan punching in an eight-yard touchdown.
USC quarterback Jayden Maiava scrambles during the first half against Washington at the Coliseum on Saturday.
(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)
Washington continued to struggle moving the ball, but mistakes from USC helped its cause. An illegal formation penalty wiped away a deep Trojan touchdown pass to Kayden Dixon-Wyatt. Then on the ensuing possession, Wafle grabbed Williams’ face mask as he pulled him down for a sack.
USC had more penalty yards (50) than Washington had passing yards (44) in the first half. And those penalties gave the Huskies life at the end of the half, as they drove the length of the field and scored again.
“We felt like we were outplaying them,” Riley said. “We just couldn’t get out of our own way a little bit. That’s probably going to be a defining thing for this team going forward, how much we can do that.”
With a chance to regroup, the Trojans tripped over themselves out of the half too. An unsportsmanlike penalty killed their opening drive. Then, Washington tight end Decker DeGraaf caught a pass and took off down the sideline, running through two feeble-arm tackles on the way to an inexplicable 42-yard touchdown.
After that, the Riley chants rang out from the student section. But the Trojans’ offense mounted a 13-play scoring drive in response. Tanook Hines tore the ball away from a Washington defender in the end zone.
USC coach Lincoln Riley walks back to the sideline after speaking with his players during a timeout in the first half Saturday.
(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)
Less than two minutes later, Stewart scooped up the fumble and took off. His 48-yard return completed a 12-point swing for the Trojans.
“To overcome all that and still win shows me some of the guts and toughness and culture in this room right here,” Riley said. “We could’ve folded.”
Still, USC couldn’t put Washington away. Down to their last drive, the Huskies converted a third and 11 and two fourth downs to drive deep into Trojan territory late.
But Kameryn Crawford pulled Williams down for a sack — the Trojans’ fifth of the game — and the defense held. And USC, at the end of a long, brutal week, breathed a sigh of relief.
Santa Margarita High football coach Carson Palmer said special teams is the Eagles’ best phase of play. Not the elite defense, which had seven sacks and held Mater Dei to seven points on Friday night. Not the offense led by his son Fletch, who completed 65% of his passes for 155 yards.
No, he was adamant that it is the special teams unit. Two plays from junior free safety Jake Martin proved his coach right.
Twice Mater Dei attempted a field goal and twice the kick was missed. Martin juked out blockers late in the first half to deflect the first attempt, keeping the score at 7-7. Then, he helped preserve a seven-point lead in the fourth quarter as his pressure on the outside forced a second miss.
“We’re unbreakable,” Martin said after the Eagles’ 14-7 win. “We’re trying to go back-to-back. This is the team that’s going to do it.”
The chances of a second straight CIF Open Division state championship look good so far. Winning the Trinity League opener at Saddleback College kept the Eagles undefeated at 6-0. Mater Dei dropped to 4-2.
Of course, the Eagles’ offense and defense made plenty of important plays.
The game was sealed with an interception from freshman safety Jayden Jack, as Mater Dei freshman quarterback Paytyn Guess heaved the ball to the end zone with the Monarchs out of timeouts and out of options. That, coupled with a big sack from sophomore defensive lineman Kingston Jimmerson, killed the momentum on the visitors’ final drive.
It wasn’t a bad night for the young quarterback, though, as Guess staked his claim to the starting role for the Monarchs.
Mater Dei rotated three quarterbacks in nonleague play, and coach Raul Lara kept his cards tight to his chest before the game. The starter was Guess, who took more than 90% of the snaps on a night when he finished 16 for 22 for 163 yards with one interception and no touchdowns.
“He’s dynamic, but the problem with him is that he’s a freshman who just came into the program and is getting his feet wet,” Lara said before kickoff.
The impressive Santa Margarita front exposed those growing pains. Guess held on to the ball too long and took too many hits.
His playmaking ability did give Mater Dei a chance until the final moments, as he scrambled around and found senior wide receiver Gavin Honore down the sideline. The inconsistency on offense, though, has been a source of frustration for Lara.
“It all comes down to execution. We have to execute,” he said. “When we have the opportunity to make a play, we need to make that play and take advantage of it.”
Mater Dei’s defensive line had a solid game, holding Santa Margarita star sophomore running back Adrian Petero to 41 yards on 11 carries, although he scored his team’s first touchdown.
It was Santa Margarita’s junior quarterback who had the decisive play as Palmer found junior wide receiver Grant Van Raaphorst in the back of the end zone for a six-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
Mater Dei sophomore running back Asir Nembhard had the only touchdown for his team, which gave the Monarchs their only lead of the night in the first quarter.
Before the game, Palmer said tat he tells his players to never take an opponent too lightly nor build it up too much. The former NFL quarterback played in a division with the prime Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, so he knows a thing or two about a competitive schedule like the Trinity League offers.
“We’ve got a target on our back after last year, and we know that,” Palmer said. “We know that we are highlighted on other teams’ schedules.”
He also emphasized that his team could improve in every aspect of the game. That is certainly a scary prospect for foes facing the No. 1 team in the state.
It’s never good when NFL coaches on struggling teams have to publicly reaffirm their faith in members of their staff before the calendar turns to October — and that’s what Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh did on Monday.
Speaking to reporters in the wake of a 24-16 loss to the Buffalo Bills, Harbaugh was asked if he would consider taking some control away from offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel if the offense doesn’t improve.
“No, we trust Mike. We believe in Mike,” Harbaugh said.
It would be odd for Harbaugh to publicly admit to anything else at this point, especially because he’s not in a good position to do much else to salvage the season. Harbaugh has never called plays at the NFL level and must hope McDaniel and Justin Herbert can fix the NFL’s No. 21-ranked offense (309 yards per game) if the Chargers have any chance of becoming the eighth team in NFL history to reach the postseason after an 0-3 start.
“We’re searching for every possible way to give ourselves an advantage,” Harbaugh said. “Every possible way to not beat ourselves.”
Although Harbaugh doesn’t see himself intervening on McDaniel’s turf, he does want to see improvement from Herbert. The quarterback struggled against the Bills, failing to capitalize on five takeaways from the Chargers’ defense. He passed for 226 yards with a touchdown and an interception, but four trips to the red zone — two of which were assisted by favorable field position off takeaways — resulted in only three field goals and a touchdown.
“To be better,” said Harbaugh, regarding Herbert’s decision-making. “That drives Justin, that drives me, that drives his position coach, that drives Mike [McDaniel]. … I mean, drives us all.”
Herbert isn’t the only underperformer. Dropped passes from wide receiver Quentin Johnston and tight end Oronde Gadsden II were factors in the Bills becoming the first team since the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2022 season wild-card playoffs to win despite five turnovers and a minus-four turnover differential.
The team the Jaguars beat that January? The Chargers.
