2012 NBA Playoffs: LA Clippers’ Comeback Victory Over Grizzlies Makes History
The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Memphis Grizzlies Sunday night, 99-98, in a game that featured one of the biggest comebacks in NBA playoffs history.
Despite trailing the home team by as many as 27 points on two occasions, somehow the Clippers were able to recover just in time to secure the highly improbable Game 1 victory. In fact, the Clippers fell behind, 95-71, with 9:12 remaining in the game.
At that point, many coaches would have strongly considered pulling their best starters from the game in order to rest them and prepare for Game 2. Rightly so, Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro considered this course of action, but according to Chris Paul, he begged the coach to insert he and Blake Griffin back into the game. Read more >>
Reigning MVP Derrick Rose Tears ACL, Out For Playoffs
Reigning MVP Derrick Rose will miss the remainder of the 2012 NBA Playoffs and the entire London Olympics after tearing the ACL in his left knee Saturday afternoon.
At the time of the injury, the Chicago Bulls were leading the Philadelphia 76ers by 12 points with 1:22 remaining in Game 1 of a first-round Eastern Conference series. This has led many to question why the Bulls’ star player was still in the game.
Of course, “hindsight is 20-20” as the saying goes, but the commonly asked question is a fair one: Why was Rose still on the court when the win already appeared to be secure for the home team? Read more >>
2012 NBA Playoffs: Q&A With Clippers Writer D.J. Foster
The Los Angeles Clippers clinched a playoff berth Monday for the first time in six seasons, earning them just their second playoff appearance since 1997.
When the Clippers won the 2009 NBA Draft Lottery, drafting star big man Blake Griffin out of the University of Oklahoma was a no-brainer. Unfortunately, during the final preseason game, the team’s most promising player incurred a stress fracture in his left knee forcing him to miss the entire season.
Griffin’s rookie season would have to wait until 2010-11, but the 6-foot-10 power forward quickly proved he was worth the wait. Griffin won Rookie of the Year honors, but the Clippers finished an uninspiring 32-50.
However, the reigning Rookie of the Year was rewarded with considerable help when the Clippers acquired Chris Paul after the Lakers’ trade for the five-time All-Star was vetoed four days earlier. Read more >>
Matt Kemp Powers Dodgers to Best Start in Baseball
The Los Angeles Dodgers boast Major League Baseball’s best record and have matched their best start since 1981 thanks in large part to Matt Kemp’s offensive dominance.
After finishing a close second place in last year’s NL MVP voting behind Ryan Braun, the 27-year-old outfielder is tearing up the league. He leads the league in essentially every offensive category through the Dodgers’ first 10 games of the season. It’s pretty wild. Kemp leads the MLB in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, home runs, RBIs, runs, hits and we won’t even go into the advanced statistics.
Two particular statistics illustrate Kemp’s early command at the plate: batting average and slugging percentage. Kemp’s SLG% of 1.026 easily beats Chris Young, Corey Hart and Omar Infante, who boast slugging percentages of .892, .857, and .829, respectively. In other words, the Dodgers center fielder leads the second-best player in that department by more than 130 points. Not close. Not at all. Read more >>
2012 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship
Baylor Goes Undefeated, Griner Shines
The Baylor Lady Bears won the 2012 NCAA Women’s Basketball National Championship game and became the first Division 1 basketball team in history to win 40 games in a season after defeating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 80-61 in Denver Tuesday night. 
Road to the Championship
After last season’s disappointing finish, the Lady Bears entered the 2012 NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 seed with a perfect record of 34-0. Last season, Baylor lost to the eventual champion Texas A&M Aggies in the Elite Eight. This season, anything short of a championship would surely be considered a disappointment for junior star Brittney Griner and company.
In the Round of 64, the Lady Bears more than doubled their opponents’ offensive output as they easily beat the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos, 81-40. Baylor then defeated Florida, Georgia Tech and No. 2 seed Tennessee, each by 15 points or more. It even bested the Stanford Cardinal by double digits in the Final Four although it only held a two-point lead at the half. Read more >>