Leonard, who was left off the Western Conference All-Star reserves announced earlier Sunday, had eight rebounds as well as his 27th consecutive game with 20 or more points. Ivica Zubac had 20 rebounds as the Clippers bounced back from a loss at Denver on Friday and dominated the inside, outrebounding Phoenix 63-35 and outscoring the Suns 64-18 in the paint.
Jordan Miller had 20 points, John Collins scored 16, Zubac had 14 and Kobe Sanders had 12 for the Clippers, who shot 51.8% from the field. Sanders started for Harden, who missed the game for personal reasons.
Since starting the season 6-21, the Clippers have won 17 of 21 and are just two games under .500. The Suns had won three straight before Sunday, and are still 15-7 since Dec. 21.
Grayson Allen led the Suns with 23 points and eight assists, and Dillon Brooks scored 22 points. Phoenix shot just 33.3% from the field and was held under 100 points for just the sixth time in 50 games this season. Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin each finished with 12 points.
The Suns were without Devin Booker (right ankle sprain) and Jalen Green (right hamstring, left hip). Booker was selected as a reserve for his fifth All-Star Game earlier Sunday.
The teams split the season series 2-2.
Up next for the Clippers: vs. Philadelphia at Intuit Dome on Monday night.
NEW YORK — Sunday marked the one-year anniversary of the Lakers’ acquisition of Luka Doncic.
Coach JJ Redick acknowledged he felt “stressed” knowing about the trade before the Lakers played the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden that night in 2025.
While his stress may have faded, Redick couldn’t have liked what he saw from the Lakers on the same floor one year later.
Despite a strong effort from Doncic, the Lakers struggled with their shooting and lost 112-100 to the Knicks on Sunday night.
After Landry Shamet made his second straight three-pointer to give the Knicks a 112-99 lead with 59.3 seconds left, Redick pulled his starters. The Lakers led 56-52 at halftime but were outscored 38-26 in the third quarter after New York went on a 15-5 run to take a 90-82 lead into the fourth quarter.
Doncic finished with 30 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Lakers’ 45% shooting from the field and 29% shooting from three-point range.
LeBron James, named an NBA All-Star for the 22nd time before the game, had 22 points, six assists and five rebounds, but he fell to 23-9 in regular-season games at Madison Square Garden, and the Lakers slipped to 4-3 on their season-high eight-game trip, which ends Tuesday in Brooklyn.
Deandre Ayton had 13 points and five rebounds, and Marcus Smart had seven points and three assists.
OG Anunoby had 25 points, eight rebounds and three assists to lead the Knicks (31-18) who have won six straight. Shamet scored 23 points and Josh Hart had 20 points and four rebounds. Jalen Brunson finished with 12 points and season-high 13 assists.
The USC women’s basketball team rolled to a 71-39 win over Rutgers on Sunday at Galen Center.
The Trojans (13-9, 5-6 Big Ten) got off to a slow start, ending the first quarter trailing by three points. Rutgers (9-13, 1-10) held the lead until the 5:39 mark in the second quarter when Kara Dunn hit a pair of free throws. USC picked up its defensive pressure in the second quarter, which helped ignite its offense. The Trojans held a six-point lead at halftime and extended it during a second-half surge.
Dunn led USC with 18 points and six rebounds. Jazzy Davidson contributed 16 points, nine rebounds and five assists, while Kennedy Smith added 11 points and four assists. Laura Williams anchored the glass with 11 rebounds and Malia Samuels finished with seven points and four rebounds.
Imani Lester scored 11 points and grabbed six rebounds for Rutgers. Zachara Perkins recorded 12 points and four rebounds and Faith Blackstone added six points.
USC outscored Rutgers 23-8 in the third quarter and kept the pressure up in the fourth, outscoring the Scarlet Knights 19-8. The Trojans dominated the battle on the boards, 57-32. USC made the most of Rutgers’ 20 turnovers, scoring 21 points off the miscues.
USC will look to extend its two-game win streak at Northwestern (8-14, 2-9) at 6 p.m. on Thursday. The game will air on the Big Ten Network.
Trent Perry hit a game-tying three-pointer from the top of the key with 1.1 seconds left in regulation before the UCLA men’s basketball team went on to lose to Indiana 98-97 in double overtime Saturday afternoon at Pauley Pavilion.
Freshman Trent Sisley made the first of two free throws with 0.3 seconds left to give the Hoosiers a one-point lead in the second overtime period after being fouled by Donovan Dent on an inbounds play. Sisley missed the second attempt, and the clock ran out as Eric Dailey Jr. grabbed the rebound and fired it the length of the court.
Perry finished with 25 points and seven rebounds, and Tyler Bilodeau had 18 points and 11 rebounds as the Bruins (15-7, 7-4) suffered their first loss at home.
UCLA erased a 10-point deficit in the last 1:50 of the second half but was unable to come up with a defensive rebound in the final moments of the game
“I’m proud of how we fought,” said Perry, who nailed a corner three-pointer to beat the shot clock and give his team a 93-90 lead with 1:46 left in the second overtime. “We’re on the other end of it, but we came together. Earlier in the season we would’ve held our heads low.”
Perry missed a 15-foot fallaway jumper from the right side as the horn sounded to end the first overtime with the score tied 84-84. Dailey hit a jumper in the lane to even the score in the second overtime at 97-97 with 12 seconds left. Sisley missed a layup with 1.5 seconds left, and UCLA was ruled to have touched the ball last on a rebound under the basket with 1.5 seconds left. UCLA coach Mick Cronin challenged the call, but it was upheld on review, and the subsequent foul on Dent dashed Bruins fans’ hopes for a third overtime.
UCLA guard Trent Perry celebrates one of his big shots against Indiana. He led the Bruins with 25 points.
(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
“I have no comments on the officiating,” a frustrated Cronin said. “Of course, my staff told me it was our ball. I just watched it on a small iPad and it sure looked like it was off Indiana’s elbow. I don’t know.”
Many red-and-white-clad Indiana supporters were among the 10,066 fans who witnessed the Hoosiers (15-7, 6-5) even the all-time series at 7-7. Nick Dorn scored 26 points, Lamar Wilkerson and Reed Bailey each had 24 points, and Tucker DeVries added nine points and 10 rebounds.
Dailey had 15 points for the Bruins, who were 30 for 34 at the free-throw line. There were 13 ties and 15 lead changes.
“We had some tough calls go against us at the end but we had to keep fighting,” said Dent, who logged a game-high 50 minutes before fouling out on the last play. “We rallied back late. I don’t think our defense was horrendous.”
Indiana used an 11-0 run over a 1:40 span to take a 22-16 lead before the Bruins responded with a 14-3 run during a 3½-minute stretch to take a 30-25 lead. Reed Bailey’s basket and free throw pulled the Hoosiers within 36-30 at halftime.
Reed Bailey’s uncontested two-handed dunk gave the Hoosiers a 56-52 lead with 8:04 remaining in the second half, and Cronin called a timeout. Reed Bailey’s three-point play made it 63-54, and the Bruins trailed by 10 with 1:50 left.
A three-point play by Dent pulled the Bruins within four with 51 seconds left. After free throws by Wilkerson, Dent made a layup, then Eric Dailey Jr. stole a pass and hit a jumper in the lane. Perry’s free throws cut Indiana’s lead to 75-73 with 9.9 seconds left. Reed Bailey was fouled on the inbounds play and made the second of two free throws to put his team up three with 8.7 seconds remaining, setting the stage for Perry’s heroics to force overtime.
UCLA continues its three-game homestand against Rutgers on Tuesday and Washington next Saturday, desperately needing to win both after falling to seventh in the Big Ten standings.
“Our defense was awful tonight,” Cronin said. “We deserved to lose. We couldn’t score for a long time, missing wide-open shot after wide-open shot. I always say the same thing, no matter what … just worry about defense, rebounding and effort. There’s no magic potion on shooting.”
DENVER — Nikola Jokic had 31 points and 12 rebounds in his first game in a month, Tim Hardaway Jr. added 22 points, and the Denver Nuggets knocked off the Clippers122-109 on Friday night.
Jokic, the three-time NBA MVP, missed 16 games after injuring his left knee in a Dec. 29 loss at Miami. The Nuggets went 10-6 during that stretch, which also included extended absences from fellow starters Cameron Johnson and Christian Braun.
Jokic’s 29th double-double of the season came despite being on a minutes restriction imposed by coach David Adelman. The 30-year-old Serbian was limited to 25 minutes, his second-fewest this season.
James Harden had 25 points and nine assists for the Clippers (22-25), who had won 16 of their previous 19, the best win percentage in that NBA during that period.
Jokic scored 11 points over a stretch of 3:47 in the fourth quarter that extended Denver’s lead from five to 16. The Nuggets (33-16) improved to 7-3 in the second of back-to-back games.
Jamal Murray had 22 points, and Peyton Watson added 21 for Denver. Murray, who made four of five three-pointers and had a team-high nine assists, scored at least 20 points for the 35th time this season, matching a career high.
Up next for the Clippers: at Phoenix on Sunday night.
Mike Erush is the soccer coach at Cal State Los Angeles. He’s also the coach for Harvard-Westlake, which won its third Mission League title in four years Friday by defeating Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 1-0 on an early goal from sophomore Truman Kim.
The Wolverines (16-1-3, 8-0-1) have received strong play from the Chen brothers, JT, a sophomore, and Ollie, a freshman.
“They have some good chemistry,” said goalkeeper Jackson Friedman, one of the best in the Southland.
The Chens take turns passing the ball to each other and pressuring opponents. Landon Marks leads the team in goals.
Cathedral 2, Bishop Amat 1: The Phantoms (14-2-2, 6-0-1) won the Del Rey League championship. Adrian Rivera and Christopher Guzman each scored goals.
Oak Park 2, Moorpark 1: Ryder Cash and Carson Casella (penalty kick) scored goals for the Eagles.
El Camino Real 2, Chatsworth 0: The Royals are closing in on the No. 1 seed for the City Section Open Division playoffs with a 7-0-1 mark in the West Valley League. Caleb Haynes and Josh Serrano scored goals.
Girls’ soccer
El Camino Real 1, Chatsworth 0: Jacky Alvarado had the goal for the Royals, who face defending City champion Granada Hills on Wednesday.
Boys’ basketball
Oak Park 61, Moorpark 49: It’s another Coastal Canyon League title for coach Aaron Shaw. Beau Prophete finished with 23 points. Oak Park is 7-0 in league.
St. John Bosco 73, Servite 65: The Braves (19-6) claimed the No. 1 seed for next week’s Trinity League tournament. Christian Collins scored 23 points and Gavin Dean-Moss had 13 points.
JSerra 67, Mater Dei 66: The Lions earned the No. 3 seed for the Trinity League tournament.
Santa Margarita 102, Orange Lutheran 81: Kaiden Bailey scored 31 points and Drew Anderson 30 for the Eagles, which have the No. 2 seed for the Trinity League tournament.
Oaks Christian 64, Newbury Park 28: Brady Sullivan and Andrew Logan each scored 13 points for Oaks Christian.
Thousand Oaks 62, Calabasas 50: The Lancers won the Marmonte League game.
San Pedro 54, Carson 45: Bryce Jackson had 18 points for 20-6 San Pedro.
Palisades 75, Fairfax 47: Jack Levey made eight threes to score 24 points for the Dolphins.
Birmingham 68, Chatsworth 47: X’zavion McKay had 19 points and Tekeio Phillips added 18 points for Birmingham.
Los Alamitos 74, Newport Harbor 60: Tyler Lopez led the way with 18 points.
Brentwood 56, Campball Hall 49: The Eagles (24-3) rallied in the fourth quarter to win the Gold Coast League game.
Heritage Christian 72, Valley Christian 34: Freshman Ty Lazenby had 20 points to set up a showdown Saturday in a rivalry game at Village Christian.
Redondo Union 101, Palos Verdes 67: Chace Holley had 21 points and SJ Madison and Devin Wright each had 18 points as Redondo Union moved closer to the Bay League title.
Girls’ basketball
Sierra Canyon 66, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 27: Jerzy Robinson finished with 20 points for Sierra Canyon (23-2).
Oak Park 89, Moorpark 20: The Eagles (17-6, 6-0) continued their march to a Southern Section Open Division playoff spot. Karisma Lewis scored 19 points and Diana Sorrondo had 18 points.
Windward 67, Crossroads 40: Charis Rainey had 22 points and 13 rebounds for Windward.
St. Margaret’s 53, Rosary 49: Freshman Jayden Witten had a 35-point performance for St. Margaret’s.
Oaks Christian 56, Newbury Park 48: Presley Kushner scored 32 points for Oaks Christian.
WASHINGTON — The “competitive edge” Lakers coach JJ Redick requested from his players showed itself right away in the form of dominance from Luka Doncic, more outstanding play from LeBron James and an impressive outing from center Deandre Ayton.
By the time Doncic, James and Ayton completed their night, they had combined for 85 points and 27 rebounds in helping the Lakers build a 38-point lead en route to a 142-111 victory over the Washington Wizards on Friday. The Lakers improved to 4-2 on their season-high eight-game trip.
And it centered around the brilliance of Doncic, his triple-double of 37 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds the catalyst for the Lakers winning for the fifth time in their last seven games. He was efficient too, shooting 13 for 21 from the field and six for 13 from three-point range.
Ayton was a tower of strength with 28 points on 12-for-14 shooting, 13 rebounds, three blocked shots and three assists.
James had the crowd engaged all game with his play that led to 20 points and six assists.
The left ankle soreness that had Doncic listed as questionable was not an issue for the All-Star guard, his first half showing that he was playing at another level with a triple-double of 26 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in 19 minutes against the overmatched Wizards.
LeBron James passes the ball around Wizards guard Bub Carrington during the first half.
(Nick Wass / Associated Press)
Doncic dazzled with no-look and lob passes along with three-pointers that seemed to impress even him, considering he looked over to the Lakers’ bench after several spectacular threes.
The 41-year-old James put on a show, throwing down lobs for dunks, drawing cheers and applause from the fans inside Capital One Arena.
There was the lob from Ayton that James threw down left-handed, making teammates leap off their seats and fans gasp and cheer. For added emphasis, James stared at his left hand as he made his way down the court, a knowing look on his face.
There was the lob from Marcus Smart that James threw down for a reverse dunk, again bringing fans and teammates out of their seats.
There was the moment James drove by Washington’s Alex Sarr and threw down another dunk, causing teammates to jump out of their seats again and fans to cheer even louder.
The Lakers (29-18) lost their previous game in Cleveland on Wednesday night by 30 points, an embarrassing effort that they wanted to rebound from against the Wizards.
In building a 77-48 lead at the half, the Lakers demonstrated that they were listening to Redick’s orders. It was the third time this season the Lakers scored 77 or more in a half.
“Yeah, I think playing with a competitive edge and playing together on both ends of the floor,” Redick said. “We’ve talked a lot recently just about doing your job. If you’re supposed to be the low man, be the low man. These guys all have shown they can do it and I think the theme of our season has been the ups and downs and sort of the consistency that we’re searching for on a night-to-night basis.”
Etc.
Though Austin Reaves (left calf strain) was upgraded to questionable for the game, the Lakers guard did not play. He has missed 18 straight games since suffering the injury on Christmas against the Houston Rockets.
Reaves has been working out as he progresses toward a return. The Lakers play again Sunday at the New York Knicks.
“He continues to progress. He hasn’t had any setbacks,” Redick said. “Yesterday was five weeks from the injury. He’s right on schedule, if not a little bit ahead of schedule. So it’s just him being fully confident in his body. And he continues to get great work on the court.”
On Thursday night, the Palisades High boys’ basketball team savored something it had not experienced since midway through last season: homecourt advantage.
Hosting a game inside their own gym for the first time in 388 days, the Dolphins did not let their fans or their classmates leave disappointed, beating Fairfax 75-28 to stay on track for their first outright league title in 30 years.
“It’s great to be back … it was cool,” junior center Julian Cunningham said. “We haven’t had a game here in over a year. There’s no way we were gonna lose. It was a great atmosphere and we beat ’em by 50, so that’s pretty good.”
Palisades’ boys had last taken their home floor for an official contest on Jan. 6, 2025 — one day before the Palisades fire broke out and dealt severe damage to their campus and community. First-year coach Jeff Bryant had to scramble to find someplace — anyplace — to practice for what would turn out to be 42 games.
“I never thought it would be this long,” Bryant admitted. “When the fire happened, I was thinking we’d have some access to our gym in the summer. I remember at a parent meeting saying we’ll 100% be playing our league games at home. When the new [school year] started we were told September, then October, then November, then the start of the second semester. It kept getting pushed back.”
The team held its first practice at Palisades on Monday and students returned to campus Tuesday morning after attending classes for nine months at what came to be known as “PaliHi South,” the old Sears department store building in nearby Santa Monica.
Fans were treated to a blowout win in the Palisades boys’ basketball return to the school gym for the first time in 388 days.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
“UCLA, Memorial Park, Paul Revere, St. Bernard …” Bryant said, rattling off just a few of the sites his team practiced at while waiting for the green light to return to campus. “We’ve been road warriors for over a year now and I definitely think it’s been an advantage, but now we’re looking forward to being home and we’re going to feed off that energy starting tonight.”
Pacing the Dolphins on Thursday were 6-6 junior twins OJ and EJ Popoola, who got the home crowd cheering by combining for six dunks. They were raised in Las Vegas and transferred to Palisades in June. Two of the most highly touted prospects in the 2027 class, the brothers shined in their first game at their new school, scoring 19 and 16 points, respectively.
“It was amazing — I’ve been thinking about this game for so long,” said OJ, who had 10 points in the first quarter as Palisades stormed to a 45-14 halftime lead. “Even though we weren’t here last year, we feel like it’s our community too. EJ and I have been playing with each other for so long and I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
EJ Popoola is averaging 21 points per game, OJ Popoola is averaging 18 and junior Jack Levey, the most outstanding player in the Western League last winter, is the section’s most dangerous long-range shooter, averaging 45% from beyond the arc.
Another reason Palisades is one of the favorites to win the Open Division is the all-around play of freshman guard Phillip Reed, who is averaging 17 points, six assists and six rebounds.
“It felt surreal — I was really nervous,” EJ Popoola added. “The energy was there, the fans showed up and we’re finally finding our rhythm as a team. It’s a work in progress, but me and OJ have been through it all together and I thank God I’m a twin!”
OJ Popoola soars for one of his two dunks in the Dolphins’ first home game since the Palisades fire.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
AJ Neale scored 13 points and Reed added 10 for the Dolphins, who scored 10 seconds into the contest on Levey’s alley-oop to EJ Popoola and never trailed.
Guards Kameron Augustin and Jomari Marshall scored seven apiece for the Lions (15-8, 5-2).
Palisades went 12-7 in its last 19 games of 2024-25, falling to Chatsworth in the City Section Open Division semifinals before reaching the Division III regional semifinals (hosting three games at Birmingham High in Lake Balboa). The Dolphins are off to a 13-11 start in 2025-26 while playing the toughest schedule of any team in the City. They have grown accustomed to playing in hostile environments and hope their “us against the world” mentality works in their favor once the playoffs start.
Thursday’s win kept the Dolphins alone atop the Western League standings at 8-0, 2½ games ahead of Fairfax with only four left. If Palisades seals the deal, it will mark the program’s first league crown since it finished in a three-way tie for first place with Westchester and Fairfax in 2011-12 under then coach James Paleno.
What a difference a year makes. Westchester, which beat Palisades twice on its way to winning league and capturing the City Open Division title last February, is fifth in league at 4-5 and lost its first meeting with Palisades by 38 points.
“The environment was amazing and I was a little stiff on my shots for the first 20 minutes or so, but after that I was feeling it,” said Levey, who swished two of his team’s 10 three-pointers. “This was personal. We can’t lose our first game back. Winning City is the standard, but [state] is what we really want to win.”
Palisades High’s Phil Reed makes a layup against Fairfax in the first half Thursday.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
Palisades lost 10 of its first 13 games, including six straight while several key players recovered from injuries — but Bryant never lost faith. “That losing streak strengthened us,” he said. “I could’ve lost the team. Instead, guys stuck to the plan. Now we’re trending in the right direction. We haven’t played our best game yet. Our biggest challenge is what’s next.”
Through this ordeal, Bryant has learned patience and perseverance.
“The hardest part has been communicating with the parents,” Bryant said. “You have to go with the flow. They want answers and sometimes you honestly don’t know. When games are canceled, it hurts the younger kids most because lower-level games aren’t going to be made up. So they really miss out.”
The Popoola twins are motivated to lead Palisades to its first undisputed league championship since their father, Chris, helped the Dolphins to a third consecutive Western League title in 1995-1996. One of Popoola’s teammates that year was Donzell Hayes, who piloted the program from 2016-23 and attended Thursday’s game.
Palisades is chasing its third City title and first since winning Division I in 2020. Chris Marlowe, who captained the USA volleyball team to the gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics, led the Dolphins to a 21-1 record and the City Section basketball championship in 1969, beating Reseda in the final at Pauley Pavilion under the program’s first coach, Jerry Marvin.
Jack Levey celebrates a big win in the Dolphins’ return to their home court against Western League rival Fairfax.
Chalobah has attacking threat from set pieces and he’s decent for defensive contributions too. If you want another route into the Chelsea clean sheets then consider Sanchez in goal.
Joao Pedro frustrated FPL managers earlier in the season but has performed well under Rosenior and seems to be first choice ahead of Delap.
Chelsea will have a tricky time balancing their squad with all the competitions they are in. They are still in Europe and will have fixtures in both domestic cup competitions too. Therefore, there’s a chance some of their assets rotate.
Most at risk of rotation of the four highlighted would be Pedro, with Delap likely to take some of his minutes. Slight risk with Fernandez too, but Chalobah and Sanchez will most likely be safe from rotation.
As is always the case, the Grammys this year will be dominated by pop, rap, country and rock. But the best races often lie in the less mainstream genres. Take best jazz vocal album, where Samara Joy, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Bill Charlap, Michael Mayo, Terri Lyne Carrington and Christie Dashiell and Nicole Zuraitis are competing for the honor.
The highly impressive group reflects the current state of jazz, where both young guns and veterans are combining to bring the music to a new swell of fans. To talk about the present state of jazz, The Times brought together 26-year-old Joy and 75-year-old Bridgewater. What followed is an incredible conversation on politics, race, equality and mutual fandom.
You both have had Grammy success. But is it still just as thrilling to be nominated?
Dee Dee Bridgewater: I can speak on that because I haven’t been nominated in years. And yeah, it’s a thrill when you’re nominated and you haven’t been and you’ve done something that your peers think is Grammy worthy. I don’t know about Samara, but for me, I don’t do any of my recorded projects with the intention of getting a Grammy nomination, which seems to be the goal of a lot of younger artists. So that me doing something that I just was trying to chronicle and because of this work that Bill and I have been doing off and on for the last few years, it’s like the icing on the cake. It’s wonderful.
Samara Joy: Agreed, when I say I’m just grateful to be here, like in this space, being able to talk about this in this way, I mean it. It wasn’t the intention behind making the music that I love to make with the people I love to make it with. And when kids come up to me and they say, “Because of you, now my goal is to be a Grammy winner.” I’m like, “You’ve already strayed way off course. We need to come back.” And realize that the accolades and the awards and the acknowledgment is beautiful because it’s coming from your peers and we’re celebrating each other. It’s amazing, it’s exciting, it’s wonderful. I’m grateful for it. But at the same time, the other 364 days of the year, we’re working and we’re touring and we’re performing because we love it. And it’s with the intention of seeing what else we can learn and express and finding new ways to do that. I’m grateful to be in the conversation, but also I’m using it even more as an opportunity to thank the people who support us and who listen to the music and who come to the concerts to say that that’s what I love. So, the fact that people have connected with it enough to acknowledge it on such a high level is amazing, but the love of it never goes away.
Bridgewater: Yes, I agree with that, Samara. When I do my work, because I like to call myself an artist who flies under the radar, I’m basically out there trying to bring joy to people. With the music that I do, I try to change up the projects depending on what is going on in the world or depending on what I’m thinking about and feeling about society and just trying to make a connection with people and be a conduit for the people and speak through the songs, things that I think will bring them joy or get them to think about some things that they are not wanting to say out loud. So, that’s what I’m doing right now. Then with my music, what I’m trying to do is bring more attention to women in jazz. For the last few years, aside from my occasional concerts with Bill [Charlap], I have been working with women. I have created a band. I call it We Exist! We are doing socially conscious music, some protest songs, and that is what I’m taking around the world. Generally, people come up to me and say, “Thank you so much for saying these things for us. We need to hear this.” My concern at my older age, now that I’m in my golden years, is the state of society and the world and this political crisis that we are in. So, I’m trying to speak about this in a way that people can hear it without getting on some kind of political bandstand and speaking in that way. I think that the world is in danger politically and I think our democracy is in danger. That’s my concern and that’s what I’m trying to do through my music. Also, I want people to see more women in the jazz space, and I think as an elder it’s almost an obligation of mine to lead that front and present this and present this image. I get many women that come up and say, “Thank you so much for doing this for women.” So, that’s where my head is right now.
Dee Dee Bridgewater
(Hernan Rodriguez)
How exciting is it to see that, of the jazz vocal nominees, four of the five are women?
Bridgewater: Yeah, and isn’t that wonderful? But I can say this, for vocal jazz, it usually is women. This has been the place where we have been allowed to shine as vocalists. It’s been for many, many years, the only place where we’re allowed to shine. So, when you get female instrumentalists besides Terri Lyne [Carrington] because Terri Lyne broke through in a period of when there were not a lot of jazz drummers, so that she worked with Herbie [Hancock] and she worked with Wayne [Shorter]. They gave her a platform that most women are not granted. Of course, also, one has to be extremely talented. And Terri Lyne can stand beside any man and hold her own and outdo many men. That’s not the point. The point is that she had that opportunity. They gave her that opportunity and then she’s been able to pay it forward. But to see instrumentalists like Lakecia Benjamin who has really come to the forefront as an alto saxophonist and to see her get Grammy nominations, that’s something that, for me, is huge.
Samara, talk about what you’re seeing in the scene today in terms of gender disparity and overall vibe.
Joy: I’ve had the opportunity to play with some amazing ones. I went to the Vanguard a few weeks ago and sat in with [Christian] McBride and Savannah Harris was on drums. I played with Alexandra Ridout, who is an incredible trumpet player as well. Although I understand the disparity in the current time and throughout history, I also understand that I might be living through a privileged time where I just kind of see women around me everywhere. So, I don’t understand what it’s like to be without it on the scene. I can read about the fact that maybe at a time saxophone was taking precedence over jazz vocals or with each era, there’s a new focus. But I guess on the scene now I’m proud to be able to see all of these wonderful women composers and instrumentalists stepping to the forefront.
Both of you have made music that is very uplifting as well. In these difficult times, music is something that can lift the spirits and bring people together. For each of you talk about making music that uplifts because there are so many great jazz standards that have the point of lifting up the world.
Bridgewater: I’m here in town at Birdland with Bill Charlap and we are doing songs from the American Songbook primarily and Duke Ellington. It has nothing to do with anything that’s going on today, politically speaking. Last night was our first show and the audience just loved it. So, there is that side that one can take. And I’ve been very apolitical. It’s just since the two Trump administrations and the Gaza war that happened and some other things that I’ve seen going on outside of the United States that have really incensed me that I felt the need to speak out in the way that I am, you know. But it is wonderful to go to a show and have people come to see a show and be able to completely lose themselves and be outside of what is going on for that span of time that they are with the artists. For the other side, when I do these socially conscious songs, people come and say, “Oh my God, thank you. I needed to hear that. I needed to hear someone.” Because my point at the end of my show is I say, “We the people have the power, we can’t forget that. We are the people that can motivate the change and protect our democracy because we see democracy being chipped away around the world.” I grew up in an era where there was a distinct difference between Black and white and I was not able to be served when I would go to sit at a lunch counter as a little Black girl. So, I’ve experienced both sides. My awareness is different than Samara’s and I feel the alarms. The alarm bells are just ringing for me. But when I come back and I do a show with Bill, sometimes it’s difficult for me to get into these sweet, innocent songs because they don’t have the gravitas that I’m experiencing doing a Nina Simone song like “Mississippi Goddam.” For me, artistically speaking, it’s been interesting to find a balance. Samara, you do these beautiful songs with that stunning voice of yours. Your take is totally different. And you’ve grown up in another era.
Joy: This is the first time in my life that I have not only been aware of what’s happening in the world but also feel compelled. Like, I have a responsibility to do something about it because I’ve never been so aware of what is happening around me as I am right now. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or bad thing but I just feel like, ”OK, I’m an adult and this is the world that I live in and I have a responsibility as one of the people living in this world to not only do something about it right now but do something for the next generation of people who are going to have to live in the world that results in what we do right now.” It’s scary. I don’t know how people do it, especially because it’s not as difficult right now. It’s not as difficult for me to say something that might have been for an Abbey Lincoln or Nina Simone or whoever. I’m also living in a sort of luxury in that way that I don’t have to speak out and be the only one who is doing so and then be proven right later. In that way, I’m like, “I have to because of all these women who have gone before me, who made that difference and who stood and didn’t get appreciated or thanked for it in the moment, have made it so that the world that I live in now, as crazy as it is, I’m able to have a platform in the first place and be able to lead some sort of charge — or at least spread some sort of message so that the world that we’re building for the ones who come later. It’s not just about me right now, it’s all interconnected.” It feels a little heavy, a little scary. I’m still trying to figure out where my voice fits.
Bridgewater: You know what, honey, I get that. When I was your age, I honestly was not at all concerned about politics and what was going on. I was concerned about my Blackness because I’ve experienced our people being named four different times. When I was a little girl, I was colored, then I was Negro, and when they said Black, I was incensed because your hair is black. Our skin is brown. But I understand where you’re coming from because you are coming up in a different time. And you are just beginning to navigate all of the politics, so you’re going to probably go through a similar kind of thing that I went through when I was young, and I concentrated on just writing my music and things that spoke to me. You’re fine where you are and you’re going to learn to navigate all of this in time and what I would hope for you is that you don’t feel a weight. We’re all going to feel this heaviness because of the situation that we’re in but as an artist, I want you to feel free to discover and do the things that you feel in your spirit and not feel led to do something because it’s what’s going on around you. You’ve got to continue to stay true to yourself, which you’ve been doing, which is wonderful. I’m at a different stage in my life. I’m in the last quarter of my life. I’m 75 and I’ve been through all of this stuff. I feel like I’m at a place where if I want to say something instead of not like I’ve done in the past, I’m going to speak my mind. I want to say this to Samara and I’ve said this to her before. But I am so proud of you and what you are doing. And you have a voice that the gods have blessed you with, Samara. At my age to be in the same space with you for the Grammys, I am so tickled. I love you so dearly. I truly do, and you know that. The times that we’ve been on stage together, it’s been wonderful for me. I want you to know that there are people who are your elders who, besides loving you like we do, we depend on you, Samara. You have been able to enter the space and bring jazz to the world in a way that we were not.
Joy: I love you too. I’m sitting here thinking about one of the first times I got the chance to see you perform at Blue Note. I was there with my professor at the time. I was so nervous, but I’m so honored to know you. I’m so honored to have loved you from afar and now get the chance to love you up close and honor you and appreciate you and shower you just as you have showered me.
If you were going to do one song together at the Grammys, what would you want to do?
Joy: “I Wish I Knew How it Would Feel to be Free,” [Nina Simone].
Bridgewater: That’s in my repertoire. I do that. That would be a great one, Samara. I’m on board. We would tear it up.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Lauren Betts overcame early foul trouble to score 23 points and pull down nine rebounds, leading No. 2 UCLA to an 80-67 win Wednesday night over Illinois.
Betts, the Bruins’ 6-foot-7 AP All-American center, picked up her second and third fouls — the latter on a technical foul — with 1:29 left in the first quarter.
She sat out the rest of the first quarter and the second quarter, returned to the court after halftime, and ended up playing nearly 24 minutes. She had just six points at halftime.
Angela Dugalic scored 12 points for UCLA (20-1, 10-0 Big Ten), which won its 14th straight. Gabriela Jaquez had 11, and Kiki Rice, Gianna Kneepkens and Sienna Betts — Lauren’s sister — each added 10.
Cearah Parchment had a career-high 26 points and seven rebounds for Illinois (15-6, 5-5) before fouling out with 36 seconds left. She was 10 of 13 from the field.
Destiny Jackson had 15 points and six assists, Maddie Webber scored 12 points and Berry Wallace had 11 for the Illini.
Illinois, which played without injured Gretchen Dolan, has lost five of seven after an 11-game winning streak.
UCLA led 45-31 at halftime. Illinois cut the lead to five points twice in the third quarter, but didn’t get any closer.
The Bruins won despite making just one three-pointer, going one of 10 from distance. They had 48 points in the paint to Illinois’ 24 and also doubled the Illini in bench points, 24-12.
UCLA hasn’t lost since it fell 76-65 to No. 4 Texas on Nov. 26 in Las Vegas.
In the 10 games before facing Illinois, the Bruins beat their opponents by an average of nearly 40 points and scored an average of more than 91 points a game.
The Chargers are turning to a familiar name to guide their defense.
Chris O’Leary, who worked as the Chargers’ safeties coach in 2024 under coach Jim Harbaugh before spending 2025 as the defensive coordinator at Western Michigan, was named the Chargers’ defensive coordinator on Wednesday night.
O’Leary helped guide Western Michigan to a 10-4 record and the Mid-American Conference championship. His defense ranked ninth in the Football Bowl Subdivision and was second in the MAC in scoring defense (17.4 points allowed per game).
Before his stint with the Chargers, O’Leary spent six seasons coaching in different roles at Notre Dame, eventually becoming a defensive backs and safeties coach. He worked under former Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter as a graduate assistant at Georgia State in 2014 and 2015. He played at Indiana State as a wide receiver from 2010-14.
The Chargers allowed just 17.7 points per game — the best mark in the NFL — under O’Leary and Minter in 2024. Led by safety Derwin James Jr., the Chargers had a 75.9 passer rating when targeted, third among NFL safety units in 2024.
The question is whether O’Leary can replicate the success Minter achieved en route to landing a head coaching job with the Baltimore Ravens.
After working together to win a national title at Michigan, the Minter-Harbaugh combination revived a Chargers defense that struggled under previous coach Brandon Staley. Inheriting a team that ranked 28th in yards allowed per game (363) and 24th in points allowed per game (23.4) in 2023, the Chargers moved up to 11th in yards allowed (324) and first in points allowed per game in 2024. Last season, the team was fifth in yards per game (285.2) and ninth in points allowed (20.0).
Helping O’Leary’s cause? Most of the Chargers’ top defensive players are returning.
The team has an estimated $80.5 million in salary-cap space, according to Overthecap.com, and general manager Joe Hortiz said he’s planning to use it. In their first big move of the offseason, the Chargers re-signed Teair Tart to a three-year contract Monday, keeping their anchor on the defensive line.
Re-signing outside linebacker Odafe Oweh will be among the Chargers’ priorities, especially if pending free agent Khalil Mack opts for retirement.
EUGENE, Ore. — Tyler Bilodeau had 18 points, Eric Daily Jr. had his second double-double this season, and UCLA beat shorthanded Oregon 73-57 on Wednesday night to extend the Ducks’ losing streak to seven games.
Dailey finished with 14 points and a career-high tying 11 rebounds. Donovan Dent scored 11 of his 15 in the second half for UCLA (15-6, 7-3 Big Ten) and Trent Perry, who was scoreless on 0-for-5 shooting before halftime, added 12 points.
The Bruins have won three in a row and five of their last six.
Kwame Evans Jr. led Oregon (8-13, 1-9) with 24 points, which included four three-pointers, and nine rebounds. Nate Bittle, Jackson Shelstad and Takai Simpkins — who are first (16.3 per game), second (15.6) and fourth (12.4), respectively, on the team in scoring this season — did not play for the Ducks due to injuries.
Evans made a layup to open the scoring 10 seconds into the game but UCLA scored the next eight points to take the lead for good. Bilodeau scored seven points in a 13-2 run that made it 26-13 with 7:08 left in the first half.
The Ducks, who started one-of-11 shooting, shot just 25% (eight of 32) from the field, four of 17 (24%) from three-point range, in the first half.
UCLA has won four straight in the series and is 98-42 against the Ducks.
Dailey threw down an alley-oop dunk that gave UCLA its biggest lead at 44-24 with 16:46 left in the game. Evans scored the Ducks’ first seven points in a 12-2 run that trimmed the deficit to 10 about 3 1/2 minutes later, but Oregon got no closer.
UCLA made 20 of 23 from the free-throw line, where the Ducks went six of nine.
Junior Kaleena Smith of Ontario Christian has upped her scoring average this season. She’s No. 2 in the state with an average of 32.8 points a game. Virtually any college team in the country would welcome her with open arms.
There’s others making an impact in the scoring department this season, according to stats posted on MaxPreps.com.
Aryanna Reyes of Whittier Pioneer is at 30.1 points for 14 games.
Leqi Zhen of L.A. Lincoln is averaging 28.9 points in 10 games.
Rancho Christian freshman Addison Archer is averaging 27.0 points in 22 games.
Darby Dunn of Canyon Country Canyon has had some big scoring nights and is at 26.2 points over 25 games. Tatyana Aubry of Leuzinger is averaging 24.8 points over 25 games.
Ventura’s Kailee Staniland is averaging 23.3 points. Savannah Myles of Westchester is at 22.2 points through 19 games.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
It’s time to see which Mission League basketball teams are ready for some March Madness in February.
The tournament is set to begin Thursday after Tuesday’s final results clarified seedings.
The final game of the night was Crespi pulling out a 65-61 win over Loyola when Isaiah Barnes scored while falling down with 15 seconds left for the game-clinching basket. Despite the loss, Loyola claimed fourth place in the seedings while finishing in a three-way tie for fourth with Crespi and St. Francis.
The Cubs, though, are 14-14 and will need a win Saturday against the winner of Thursday’s Bishop Alemany (No. 8) vs. St. Francis (No. 5) game to keep alive their Southern Section playoff hopes. You need a .500 or better record to be considered for an at-large berth.
The other Thursday game has No. 7 Chaminade at No. 6 Crespi. That winner will play at Harvard-Westlake on Saturday.
Crespi was led by 6-foot-9 Rodney Mukendi, who scored 17 points. Deuce Newt had 15 points for Loyola.
Harvard-Westlake 90, St. Francis 56: Joe Sterling got back his shooting touch, making seven threes and finishing with 27 points. Amir Jones added 17 points for Harvard-Westlake. St. Francis did not play center Cherif Millogo.
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 81, Bishop Alemany 48: The Knights claimed second place in the Mission League and an automatic spot for the Southern Section playoffs. Zach White had 26 points and 10 rebounds. Notre Dame played without NaVorro Bowman.
Sierra Canyon 79, Chaminade 28: Brandon McCoy had 18 points and Maxi Adams added 17 points for the Mission League regular-season champions.
Crean Lutheran 76, La Habra 67: The Saints took over first place in the Crestview League.
Mira Costa 53, Peninsula 41: Logan Dugdale has 17 points and 10 rebounds for Mira Costa (23-4).
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.
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.
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.
