Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George, left, looks to pass the ball as Denver Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope defends in the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Editor’s note: This is the Monday, Feb. 27, edition of the “Game Day with Kevin Modesti” newsletter. To receive the newsletter in your inbox, sign up here.
Yesterday was a reminder that the race for playoff spots in the NBA’s Western Conference is headed for a wild finish. Let’s look at where the Clippers and Lakers stand. But first, a glance at other sports news.
Wrapping up the NASCAR event in Fontana: The Pala Casino 400, the final major race on Auto Club Speedway’s two-mile oval, had a familiar winner as Kyle Busch took the checkered flag for the fifth time there. Chase Elliott finished second after starting 33rd. John Hunter Nemechek won the Xfinity Series race. Columnist Jim Alexander said a future for racing on the site is sounding more certain.
Elsewhere:
- UCLA’s men’s basketball team won a close game at Colorado to clinch its first Pac-12 regular-season crown since 2013.
- Jonathan Quick was pulled and the Kings lost as a Rangers player was ejected for spitting on Drew Doughty.
- Young Dodgers pitcher Ryan Pepiot knows he has to improve his command in his second season.
- And Angels non-roster bullpen candidate Chris Devenski is trying to make the team he grew up rooting for.
Now, about the NBA’s wild West.
The Clippers almost pulled out a crazy win in Denver when Paul George’s desperation shot from beyond halfcourt went in but was determined to have left his hand after the fourth-quarter buzzer. The game went to overtime, where the Nuggets restored order and quickly pulled away to win 134-124. That completed the Nuggets’ four-game season sweep of the Clippers, every game decided by 10 or more points.
The Lakers did pull out a crazy win in Dallas after trailing by 27 points in the first half. In the teams’ first meeting since the Mavericks traded for Kyrie Irving, the Lakers got 30 points and 15 rebounds from an animated Anthony Davis, 26 points from a sore-footed LeBron James and 17 rebounds from Jarred Vanderbilt to win 111-108. The Lakers have won three in a row and four of five since the trade deadline.
The combination of the two games kept the Clippers (33-30) fifth in the Western Conference, one-half game ahead of the Mavericks in the race for the six guaranteed playoff spots, and lifted the Lakers (29-32) to 12th, 2½ games behind Dallas for sixth and a game out of 10th and the last spot in the play-in round.
Basketball-reference.com’s playoff projections say both L.A. teams have a lot of work to do, giving the Clippers a 37% chance of finishing in the top six, the Lakers only a 5% shot at the top six and a 34.7% chance just to make the top 10.
It’s that way because most of the teams in the West still have realistic shots at making the postseason after the roster shakeups before the Feb. 9 trade deadline. The biggest East-West shift was Kevin Durant’s trade from the Brooklyn Nets to the Phoenix Suns. Durant is expected to make his Suns debut Wednesday.
The best prediction is for a lot to change between now and the end of the regular season in April.
Right now, teams in the West have three of the nine best records in the NBA (Nuggets fourth, Memphis Grizzlies fifth, Sacramento Kings seventh). But teams in the West have six of the nine lowest odds in Las Vegas to win the NBA title (Phoenix Suns second – to the Boston Celtics – Nuggets fourth, Clippers fifth, Golden State Warriors seventh, Grizzlies eighth,Mavericks ninth).
The most important upcoming development might be whatever news the Lakers get about James’ right foot, which he re-injured on a layup attempt in the third quarter yesterday.
The rest will be settled on courts from here to Memphis.
The notion that the Lakers’ trade acquisitions made them threats to beat anybody will be tested when they play the Gizzlies on the road Tuesday and the Warriors and Grizzlies at home in the week after that.
Meanwhile, the Clippers’ idea that anything is possible after the addition of Russell Westbrook could be challenged as they visit Golden State and Sacramento and host Memphis between now and Sunday.
To keep up with the L.A. teams and the Western Conference, bookmark Lakers news and Clippers news from the Southern California News Group, and follow reporters Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) and Janis Carr (@janiscarr) on Twitter.
And hang on for more days and nights like yesterday.
TODAY
READERS REACT
As Auto Club Speedway hosted the last races on its two-mile track yesterday, the newsletter asked: If you could bring back one of the Los Angeles area’s defunct sports venues, which would you choose and why?
Twitter user Greg Bettinelli chose Hollywood Park racetrack, remembering “Friday nights. Racing between Memorial Day and 4th of July. Having live racing accessible to LA’s westside. Flying over it when landing at LAX. Flamingos. Their 5-1/2-furlong races.”
NEXT QUESTION
Who should be favored to come out of the NBA’s Western Conference, where the Nuggets, Grizzlies and Kings are 1-2-3 in the standings but the Suns, Nuggets and Clippers are 1-2-3 in championship betting? Share your opinion by email (KModesti@scng.com) or on Twitter (@KevinModesti).
280 CHARACTERS
“15 walks — 11 by Cubs pitchers –- did not help Dodgers time of game today. But it still came in under 3 hours (2:54).” – Dodgers beat writer Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) tracking the impact of baseball’s pitch clock on the pace of play in Cactus League games.
1,000 WORDS
Beginning of the end: Ricky Stenhouse Jr., front right, leads the field under the green flag yesterday at the start of the NASCAR Cup Series’ Pala 400 before a sellout crowd at Auto Club Speedway, the final event on the two-mile track. Photo is by Will Lester of the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin and SCNG.
TALK BACK
Thanks for reading the newsletter. Send suggestions, comments and questions by email at KModesti@scng.com and via Twitter @KevinModesti.
Editor’s note: Thanks for reading the “Game Day with Kevin Modesti” newsletter. To receive the newsletter in your inbox, sign up here.
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