But it was about 10 minutes before tipoff, when Tiger Woods curled in that birdie putt on No. 18 at Torrey Pines … forcing a playoff tomorrow in the U.S. Open. And it was sportswriters in the press room here who were making the noise. I guess you are allowed to cheer if it’s an […]

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Generally, a team down big in a “best of” series packs it in, once the Point of No Return has been reached. That usually means a 3-1 deficit or, for sure, 3-0. The Lakers are down 3-1 to the Celtics in the NBA Finals. Game 5 is at Staples. In theory, the Lakers ought to win. […]

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You’ve seen the promos, if you’ve watched the NBA playoffs. They do a split-screen of opposing players, each of them saying the same things at the same time, their voices melding. “There Can Be Only One” is, I believe, the working title of these things. The promos are a little annoying. (Kobe and Kevin Garnett […]

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You saw it, and wish you hadn’t. Game 4 of the NBA Finals. Lakers 70, Celtics 50, six minutes to play in the third quarter. Celtics 97, Lakers 91, when it ended. It was on tape on ESPN late Thursday night, and I couldn’t bring myself to watch it, even in a clinical way. It […]

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I’m lifting this out of this morning’s editions of the Los Angeles Times. From their “letters” to the sports editor feature on page 3 of the sports section. Just have to share. This is … inspired. I was thinking that if this guy can write stuff like this regularly (unless “Sal” is a woman) … […]

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If you’re in journalism, you know how this works. You’re writing, approaching deadline, almost done, even … and you realize that your emphasis, your lead, should be something that is in the body of your current text. So you look at the clock, decide if you have time to tear up what you’re doing … […]

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It was going to be a haymaker. Probably a death blow. The gut punch that turned a series and made its outcome seem almost inevitable. And it was. All of that. Just not in the way the Lakers or their fans imagined it. Not in their darkest nightmares. Up 21 after a record first quarter, […]

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Boston 97, Lakers 91. Yes. Boston wins. After trailing by 24 in the first quarter, by 18 at the half and by 20 with six minutes left in the third quarter. The Lakers dissolved like a sugar cube in a downpour. And the Celtics blew past them. The Lakers are dead. They are done done […]

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It’s halftime at Staples. Kobe Bryant is 0-for-4 from the field and as many fouls (three) as points. But the Lakers lead 58-40. Say what?

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Phil Jackson, an hour before Game 4, seemed to put the Lakers’ fate in the hands of Lamar Odom. Who has been, charitably, a bust in this series. Uncharitably, he’s been a choking dog of a bust. Jackson said part of Odom’s issues here are Kendrick Perkins “plowing him under the basket.” “He’s got to […]

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