Miguel Sanó homers again in Angels’ loss to Royals

• March 14, 2024

THE GAME: Miguel Sanó, who is fighting to return to the major leagues for the first time since 2022, hit his third home run of the spring, but the Angels lost to the Kansas City Royals, 3-2, on Wednesday in Surprise, Ariz.

PITCHING REPORT: Left-hander Reid Detmers gave up a homer to the first batter of the first inning, but then he did not allow another run through his four innings. Detmers walked two and struck out five. Detmers has allowed four earned runs in 8⅔ innings this spring. Manager Ron Washington said Detmers was “awesome.” … Right-hander Ben Joyce pitched a perfect inning, with one strikeout. … Right-hander Kelvin Caceres, who is in the running for the final spot in the bullpen, gave up a run on a hit and a walk. He had not allowed a run in his first five games. … Right-hander Carlos Estévez pitched a perfect inning.

HITTING REPORT: Miguel Sanó hit a homer to center field, tying him for the team lead. He also hit a line drive off the top of the right field fence, but the ball was hit so hard he was held to a single. “He’s starting to get his timing a little better,” Washington said. “The good thing is he’s using the whole field. That right fielder tried to make a move and the ball was over his head right away,” Washington said. Sanó also stole a base. He has only five stolen bases in 694 big league games. Sanó is 6 for 30 (.200) with four walks and an .814 OPS this spring. “I feel good,” Sanó said. “I’m healthy. I’ve been working every day in the cage with the hitting coaches and (guest instructor Vladimir Guerrero).” Sanó is competing with infielders Livan Soto and Ehire Adrianza for the final position player spot on the Opening Day roster. … Nolan Schanuel had two singles, improving to 10 for 35 (.286) this spring. … The Angels scored a run in the ninth and had the potential tying run at third when the game ended.

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DEFENSE REPORT: Catcher Logan O’Hoppe picked a runner off first to end the fourth inning. … Right fielder Nelson Rada made a diving catch of a line drive in front of him. “When that ball was hit I thought for sure it was a double,” Washington said. “That’s a big league play.”

UP NEXT: Angels (LHP Tyler Anderson) at White Sox (RHP Michael Soroka) at Camelback Ranch, Glendale, Ariz., Thursday, 1:05 p.m. PT, Bally Sports West, 830 AM

​ Orange County Register 

Cal State Fullerton women fall to UC Davis in Big West tourney opener

• March 13, 2024

The Cal State Fullerton women’s basketball team was hoping to close the gap even further against UC Davis in the opening round of the Big West Tournament on Wednesday afternoon.

The fifth-seeded Aggies had other plans and rolled to an 81-57 victory against eighth-seeded Fullerton in Henderson, Nevada.

UC Davis will meet fourth-seeded Cal Poly (SLO) in a quarterfinal on Thursday afternoon.

Evanne Turner, a senior guard who was the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin Player of the Year at Etiwanda High in Rancho Cucamonga in the 2018-19 season, scored a career-high 29 points for the Aggies (18-13).

She made her first seven 3-point attempts before finishing 7 for 10 from behind the arc.

Her accuracy helped UC Davis shoot 17 for 32 from deep as a team.

“They played a really good game, made a ton of shots today and made it tough for us to guard them, so they were definitely the better team today,” Fullerton coach Jeff Harada said. “Proud of our team, proud of our effort.”

Fujika Nimmo scored a season-high 22 points off the bench for the Titans (10-21), who returned seven of their top eight scorers from last season and were picked to finish fifth in the preseason coaches’ poll.

Gabi Vidmar contributed 12 points and Ashlee Lewis finished with 10 points and nine rebounds for Fullerton, which played UC Davis much closer in their two regular-season meetings.

The Titans had a three-point lead with 6½ minutes left in the fourth quarter in their first matchup on Jan. 18, but ultimately lost, 60-55.

Fullerton was within three points with 3½ minutes remaining in the second meeting on Feb. 8, but the Aggies outscored the Titans 15-5 the rest of the way to win by double digits.

That wasn’t the case in their third meeting, as UC Davis shot 10 for 16 from 3-point range in the first half to build a 46-26 lead.

The Titans made the first basket of the second half to pull within 18, but they never got any closer.

“We couldn’t make enough shots to keep up, couldn’t get enough stops, but we played hard until the end,” Harada said.

The Aggies took four 3-point shots to start the game and made three to take an early 9-2 lead

Vidmar produced a three-point play and sank a 3-pointer on the next possession to cut it to 9-8. The Titans then took their only lead of the game at 10-9 on a layup by Nimmo with 2:13 left in the opening quarter, but UC Davis responded with an 8-0 run.

The Aggies took a 17-12 lead into the second quarter and then seized control by scoring the next 15 points to stretch the lead to 32-12.

The Titans missed their first eight field-goal attempts of the second quarter before Nimmo sank a jumper with 4:22 left in the half.

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Fullerton found its range shortly after and made three straight 3-point shots, but the Aggies made two 3s in between to keep the lead at 15 points.

The Titans shot 31.3% from the floor in the opening half, including 5 for 12 from 3-point range.

Turner, meanwhile, made all five of her 3-point tries in the first half and scored 17 points.

Harada said it was an up-and-down season that got off to a slow start because of injuries to key players and the Titans never gained traction.

“We took our lumps in the nonconference season and started out conference with a win, which was great, and then we were kind of inconsistent throughout the year,” he said. “It doesn’t mean that we weren’t a competitive team. I think we competed all year long, and I think our seniors really set the tone.”

​ Orange County Register 

Want a free ticket to the 2024 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach’s 1st day? Here’s how

• March 13, 2024

The 2024 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach is just around the corner — and our readers have a chance to attend the event’s first day for free.

But there is a catch: You’ll have to read your local paper.

Long Beach’s 200-mph beach party — a three-day motorsport showcase packed to the nines with live entertainment — will return to the city’s downtown area from April 19 to 21.

The event, one of Long Beach’s most popular, usually attracts around 180,000 people over its three-day run. Last year’s Grand Prix drew a record 192,000 spectators.

Tickets for the 2024 iteration are on sale now. There are various ticket prices, ranging from $40 for Friday general admission to $120 for three-day general admission — and as much as $1,275 for the VIP packages, depending on which one you choose.

Readers, though, can get once again get their hands on a free general admission ticket for the first day of the Grand Prix of Long Beach — on Friday, April 19 — by cracking open one of the 11 daily newspapers owned by the Southern California News Group on select days.

The Free Friday promotion, which has a $40 value, will run inside SCNG’s daily newspapers every Friday and Sunday until April 19. The next opportunity to get the free ticket is Friday, March 15.

The papers in which the promotion will appear are:

The Press-Telegram.
Daily Breeze.
Los Angeles Daily News.
Pasadena Star-News.
Whittier Daily News.
San Gabriel Valley Tribune.
Orange County Register.
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin.
San Bernardino Sun.
Riverside Press-Enterprise.
Redlands Daily Facts.

You can also access the tickets via the e-edition for each publication online.

Though the event’s main event — the IndyCar Series’ Grand Prix of Long Beach — concludes the weekend on Sunday, April 21, first-day attendees can watch practice runs for all six racing series — from IndyCars to those that drift — and qualifying for some others.

General admission ticket holders can also check out the Grand Prix’s lifestyle expo, family fun zone and an exotic car paddock.

And there will be plenty of food — including tons of options at food truck row — alongside myriad vendors set up along the concourse, which envelops the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center, Rainbow Lagoon Park, The Pike and Shoreline Drive.

For ticket packages for the entire Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach or other information, go to gplb.com.

​ Orange County Register 

DeShaun Foster completes UCLA football coaching staff

• March 13, 2024

DeShaun Foster’s first coaching staff at UCLA has officially taken shape for the 2024 season after four additional hires were announced Wednesday.

Foster had previously hired former Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy as Foster’s associate head coach and offense coordinator in late February.

The duo had since worked together to add new members of the offensive staff while reshuffling some of the roles for some of the members of the previous staff that had just received promotions.

“We are building a staff of teachers,” Foster said in a statement. “These coaches have picked up a diverse skillset from working on every level of football and they are hungry to share that knowledge with the players of our program.

“Their passion for the game and coaching reflects what we are actively instilling in our players – approaching everything they do with discipline, respect and enthusiasm – and I am excited to watch them work together.”

Juan Castillo has been hired to lead the Bruins’ offensive line, replacing Tim Drevno, who had been promoted to running game coordinator after signing a new two-year deal in January before then-head coach Chip Kelly left Westwood for Ohio State. Drevno was expected to earn $1.21 million, according to the contract obtained by Bruin Blitz.

Castillo has spent most of the past 28 years working in the NFL, outside of a year as an offensive analyst for Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan Wolverines in 2019. He also worked with Bieniemy in 2023 as the Commanders’ running game coordinator.

Ted White has been hired to lead a quarterback room that features returners Ethan Garbers and Collin Schlee.

White has experience as a player and coach at the professional level. He was most recently a quarterbacks coach for the Houston Texans in 2022 but has experience working at the college level, as an offensive coordinator and position coach at Howard and Arkansas–Pine Bluff.

Garbers and Schlee are expected to compete for the starting quarterback role this season as the Bruins prepare for their inaugural season in the Big Ten Conference.

Billy Fessler, who was originally hired as the quarterbacks coach by Kelly in January, will remain with the Bruins as an offensive analyst for the upcoming season.

Jerry Neuheisel was also reassigned to tight ends coach after spending the past three seasons as the wide receivers coach.

Erik Frazier was hired to take over a receivers room that features the Bruins’ top two leading receivers, Logan Loya and J. Michael Sturdivant. Frazier spent two seasons (2021-22) with the Tennessee Titans, coaching A.J. Brown and former UCLA standout Kyle Philips. Frazier has spent six years as a coach at the FCS level and spent the 2017 season as a coach for Northwestern.

Marcus Thomas returns to Westwood to take over a running back room that Foster led for the past six seasons. Thomas was previously the Bruins’ offensive analyst (2020, 2021) and the program’s director of strategic intelligence (2019) before leaving to become the Navy’s director of player personnel in 2022. In 2023, he coached the slot backs for his alma mater.

TJ Harden will return as UCLA’s starting running back. He rushed for 857 yards and eight touchdowns last season. Harden also contributed as a receiver, with 19 catches for 142 yards and a touchdown.

Foster did not change the defensive coaching staff since he was hired as head coach.

Inside linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr. decided to join the Commanders’ coaching staff in February after spending the past two seasons at his alma mater. Defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe is expected to handle the responsibilities as the inside linebackers coach.

UCLA has not publicly announced hirings for several off-field roles that became vacant this offseason, including positions held by Darren Uscher (director of recruiting) and Ethan Young (director of player personnel).

Despite the uptick in the university’s recruiting efforts in recent months, with several scholarship offers being sent out and announced publicly by the recipients on social media, the Bruins saw prominent departures to the recruiting staff.

Uscher was a player personnel and scouting consultant for the Oregon Ducks in 2023 before arriving in Westwood. He also spent time at Auburn, Boise State and Georgetown throughout his career. Uscher has since returned to Oregon.

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Young joined the program in 2018 as director of strategic intelligence and was promoted to director of player personnel in 2019. Young was in charge of running UCLA’s recruiting department but is no longer with the staff.

2024 UCLA FOOTBALL COACHING STAFF

DeShaun Foster – Head Coach

Eric Bieniemy – Associate Head Coach, Offensive Coordinator

Ted White – Quarterbacks

Marcus Thomas – Running Backs

Juan Castillo – Offensive Line

Erik Frazier – Wide Receivers

Jerry Neuheisel – Tight Ends

Ikaika Malloe – Defensive Coordinator, Inside Linebackers

Brian Norwood – Assistant Head Coach, Passing Game Coordinator, Safeties

Tony Washington Jr. – Defensive Line, Outside Linebackers

Kodi Whitfield – Special Teams Coordinator, Cornerbacks

​ Orange County Register 

USC closes out Washington to reach Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinals

• March 13, 2024

LAS VEGAS — USC men’s basketball coach Andy Enfield pointed to the bullpen to summon his closer, and Isaiah Collier ambled to the scorer’s table, a brief minute of rest finished before one final fourth-quarter push.

He plays with confidence, now, and this program has confidence in him. In the beginnings of the year, Collier was mere brushstrokes of the player USC envisioned they were getting out of high school, the powerful top-ranked recruit bruising others and himself in a rough start. He scored, yes – but often played haywire in final minutes, out of control, and with the ball in his hands USC’s season too often slipped in the closing minutes.

But a few months later, Collier’s growth as a decision-maker has been ascendant. And with ninth-seeded USC clinging to a three-point lead late upon his re-entry for Bronny James, Collier’s steady hand and a pair of key free throws late closed out eighth-seeded Washington 80-74 in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament on Wednesday afternoon.

“I mean, earlier in the season, he made freshman mistakes – like, we expected it,” junior wing Kobe Johnson said after the game. “But throughout the course of this season, he’s really locked in, when we got the ball and with the lead. He’s learned how to win games for us.”

After snaring a rebound, Collier controlled the pace with time ticking under three minutes, eventually firing off a pass to USC captain Boogie Ellis on the wing. A red-hot Ellis caught and fired a deep 3-pointer in smooth rhythm, an early dagger before turning back to sparse early-afternoon stands in Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena and wagging his tongue.

Ellis finished with 25 points on 9-of-15 shooting, USC’s captain bringing his absolute best in what could be his final run in a Trojans jersey. And as the buzzer sounded and USC advanced to the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 Tournament, Johnson – who stuffed the stat sheet with 16 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals – held his pointer finger up aloft: One down.

“I told the guys, we only have 20 minutes guaranteed,” Ellis said, describing a halftime speech. “Just come out with urgency. In the first half, Coach told us that we were kind of lackadaisical a little bit.”

“We fixed it in the second half,” Ellis continued, “but tomorrow we can’t come out like that. Tomorrow, we’ve got to come out with a lot more energy.”

The reason: USC (15-18) will face top-seeded Arizona (24-7, 15-5 Pac-12) on Thursday afternoon, whom the Trojans beat Saturday but will prove as stiff a test as any team USC will face in Vegas. The Wildcats boast a strong duo in big Oumar Ballo and guard Caleb Love, who was named the Pac-12 Player of the Year by coaches earlier this week. USC held Love to just 1-of-10 shooting in their meeting Saturday, however, and Ellis seemed wholly unconcerned with the prospect of facing him again.

“I’m just here, just trying to get a win,” Ellis said postgame, when asked about playing Love. “I don’t really care about none of that stuff.”

Indeed, as Ellis said, USC came out lackadaisical. Washington took a quick 19-10 lead off an avalanche of 3-pointers, the Huskies’ Koren Johnson firing off one corner triple and turning to USC’s bench in a taunt before the ball had even touched net.

USC settled quickly, though, captain Kobe Johnson keying improved defensive activity with a turnover-forcing trap on Huskies top scorer Keion Brooks Jr., whom USC held to just 13 points on 4-of-16 shooting. Clean offensive sets from Enfield, generating perimeter looks on dribble handoffs, and opening interior feeds to bigs from Ellis and Collier keyed a 9-0 run in response. But Washington continued to find open gaps in any USC defensive look – zone or man – in the corners, hitting five first-half corner threes, with the Huskies’ Moses Wood catching fire with four first-half threes and a one-handed miracle buzzer-beater to put Washington up five at half.

Both offenses traded blows in the second half, Ellis coming alive, matched by shotmaking from Washington’s backcourt of Koren Johnson and Sahvir Wheeler, who combined for 37. In a tight final stretch, though, freshman Collier calmly put his finger on the pulse, euro-stepping his way to a layup to tie the game with 7:28 left and whizzing a pass to center Joshua Morgan for a dunk to put USC up the next possession.

He finished with 13 points and seven assists against three turnovers, controlling a game in which he took just six shots, a far cry from the early-season Collier that often let live balls slip through green fingers or forced layups off the rim. He’s gritted through a tumultuous season, a string of personal tragedies surfacing lingering emotions few have seen, facing a litany of external pressures from his role as USC’s engine to his future draft stock. He broke his hand in January; instead of throwing in the towel on his season, he pushed to return as quickly as possible, watching a litany of film on close-game mistakes as his IQ grew off the court.

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“It was just, getting back to being me,” Collier told the Southern California News Group in the locker room postgame.

And USC is making a push now in Vegas, behind him.

Wheeler finished with 20 points for the now-eliminated Huskies and Wood had 17. James had seven points, including three crucial late free throws, and five rebounds in a major defensive impact for USC.

​ Orange County Register 

A sneak peek at ‘Star Wars’ exhibit at Reagan Library in Simi Valley

• March 13, 2024

President Ronald Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative, which he proposed in the mid-1980s, was controversial and negatively dubbed “Star Wars” by critics who were inspired by the 1977 epic film by George Lucas — the first in a series of Star War films. Fast forward four decades and the Reagan Library is opening a flashy new exhibit on Friday and it gave the media a peek on Wednesday, March 13.

The exhibit is jammed with real props, costumes and artifacts from the blockbuster film, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, produced by Lucasfilm and distributed by Twentieth Century-Fox —  the first film released in the Star Wars film series.

Melissa Giller, chief marketing officer for the Reagan Foundation, said, “We thought it might be fun to sort of tell the story of Ronald Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative. What it really meant, juxtaposed to the pop culture phenomenon of Star Wars, but unlike the exhibitions that are currently touring, we wanted our props or costumes or artifacts related to the movies to be real and authentic to the movies.”

Among these gems, Giller said, “Princess Leia’s dress is pretty remarkable, I’d say that. Everyone who’s a Star Wars fan is going to have their own specific thing that they’re really interested in. I think having Carrie Fisher’s dress as Princess Leia from ‘A New Hope’ is pretty remarkable. The fact that we have the original 1977 New Hope script, signed by David Prowse who played Darth Vader, next to an actual Darth Vader helmet that (Prowse) wore, I think is pretty remarkable.”

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The exhibit also includes original “concept sketches that George Lucas and his artists were drawing, of what they wanted the characters in the movie, in the atmosphere, to look like.”

Giller described the hunt for the “real thing” in which they tapped private collections, auction houses, a traveling exhibit and other key sources. “Yeah, we have the actual landspeeder,” she said, “and then what you haven’t seen yet is we have a whole gallery dedicated to the merchandise and the toys of Star Wars.”

She reminded the journalists and others who attended the pre-show, “When George Lucas first came up with this idea, no one wanted to buy the script from him, and no one thought that toys or merchandise would be anything — and he sort of really pushed it through and now it’s, you know, a billion dollar business.”

​ Orange County Register 

Villa Park baseball’s pitchers making shutouts a regular thing

• March 13, 2024

Win or lose, the Villa Park baseball team is going to pitch well.

The Spartans (7-4 overall) are 6-2 over their past eight games. They have outscored their opponents 25-6 during that run.

Villa Park’s losses over the eight-game span are 2-0 to Tesoro and Tuesday’s 2-1 loss to Hart.

The Spartans, who are No. 8 in the Orange County Top 25, have a team earned-run average of 0.72.

“Every single game we’re pitching out of our minds,” said Villa Park senior right-hander Justin Tims.

Villa Park won four straight games by shutout, blanking in order Dana Hills, Fullerton, Canyon and Esperanza.

“The pitchers have performed extremely well this year,” said Villa Park coach Burt Call, in his sixth season with the Spartans after coaching at Mater Dei. “They’ve worked very hard in the bullpen, mastering the command of their pitches and that’s translated very well into our games.”

Villa Park pitchers Justin Tims, left, and Jake Nobles combined for a shutout in a 3-0 victory over Canyon on Wednesday, Feb. 28, at Villa Park High School. (Photo by Lou Ponsi)

Tims, who committed to Washington, has not allowed an earned run in his 17 innings. He is 2-0 with 20 strikeouts and two walks in 17 innings.

Spartans senior right-hander Aaron Sambath is 2-1 with a 0.34 ERA and 18 strikeouts with four walks in 20 2/3 innings.

“With Tims, it’s fastballs and changeups, and he’ll mix in a slider or two as well,” Call said. “Sambath is more of a fastball and curveball pitcher, and he will mix in a changeup.”

When they are not pitching Tims plays third base and Sambath plays shortstop.

Junior right-hander Jake Nobles is 3-0 and has not allowed an earned run while striking out 15 with two walks in his 15 innings.

Sophomore outfielder Aidan Young is batting .357 with team highs of 10 hits, eight RBIs and five doubles.

Tims said the pitchers, under the tutelage of Villa Park’s veteran pitching coach Patrick Fitzsimons, bring more to the team than what they’re throwing on the mound.

“Our philosophy as a pitching staff is that we lead the team,” Tims said. “We’re going to continue to do that.”

CIF SOUTHERN SECTION POLLS

Orange Lutheran is ranked No. 1 in CIF-SS Division 1 after beating previous-No. 1 Corona 4-2 in the championship game of the Prep Baseball California Spring Invitational tournament. Other Orange County teams in the Division 1 Top 10 are No. 4 Huntington Beach, No. 5 JSerra, No. 6 Santa Margarita and No. 10 Cypress.

Two other Orange County teams are at No. 1 in their divisions. Savanna is No. 1 in Division 6. Pacifica Christian is No. 1 in Division 8.

In Division 2, Servite is ranked No. 3 and Aliso Niguel is No. 7.

In Division 3, Los Alamitos is No. 2, behind St. John Bosco, Beckman is No. 4 and Corona del Mar is No. 9.

In Division 4, San Juan Hills is No. 2 and Estancia No. 5.

In Division 6, University is No. 3, Century No. 5 and Costa Mesa No. 6.

In Division 7, Buena Park is No. 4 and Santa Ana is No. 7.

Bolsa Grande is No. 2 in Division 8.

The CIF-SS Baseball Committee creates the polls.

NOTES

Orange Lutheran also replaced Corona as the No. 1 team in Prep Baseball Report’s California rankings. Huntington Beach is No. 4 in that state Top 25 that includes No. 15 JSerra, No. 22 Santa Margarita and No. 24 San Juan Hills. …

San Juan Hills (10-1) has outscored its opponents 47-7 this season. The Stallions beat Aliso Niguel 1-0 in a Sea View League game Tuesday as senior right-hander Austin Plisinski pitched five scoreless innings. …

Mission Viejo beat Edison 18-10 last week without hitting a home run. …

The Ryan Lemmon Spring Tournament at Great Park begins March 30. …

The National Classic, that is mostly played at El Dorado, starts April 1. …

The Boras Classic South, played at JSerra and Mater Dei, begins April 2. …

The Anaheim Lions Tournament continues with 16 games on Friday.

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​ Orange County Register 

Clippers hit the road with questions about Kawhi Leonard and James Harden

• March 13, 2024

The wheels haven’t come off, but fissures have begun to appear in the health of the two of the players driving the Clippers this season.

Kawhi Leonard and James Harden are experiencing soreness and spasms that could affect their availability over the next few games. Leonard left during the first half of Tuesday night’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves with thoracic spasms and Harden was treated by a Clippers trainer long after the game.

Coach Tyronn Lue said after the game that he wasn’t sure whether Leonard would accompany the team on its two-game trip to play the Chicago Bulls on Thursday and the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday. The spasms, according to the Clippers, made it difficult for Leonard to sit.

“I hope so,” Lue said, about whether Leonard would make the trip.

Harden said he would have to see how his shoulder felt overnight before determining whether he would make the trip.

Leonard and Harden have been counted on heavily this season and are vital to the Clippers’ playoff hopes. Leonard, who played just 52 games the previous two seasons, has already played in 58 this season.

He tried to play in his 59th on Tuesday.

But after going through the morning shootaround and pregame warm-ups, his back didn’t loosen up and he left the arena during the second quarter. He played 12 minutes, posting six points, two rebounds and two assists before heading out.

“That’s him,” fellow All-Star Paul George said. “I mean if he can go, whatever the case that the narrative people may think being around him, he’s going to try to push through what he can, and tonight was a sign of it.”

How does an extended absence by Leonard affect the Clippers (41-23) with a month left in the regular season? He currently leads the team in scoring at 23.7 points per game, is second in rebounding (6.2) third in assists (3.7) and first in steals (1.7).

His fingerprints are all over the Clippers’ rise in the Western Conference standings.

“(Without him we miss) another scorer, another playmaker, another defender, another decision-maker and just another leader on the floor, a voice,” Goerge said. “So, it’s a lot when you’re trying to fill in and make up for the absence of Kawhi. But you got to pick up the pieces where you can.”

George said he doesn’t feel any added pressure, though, to cement any cracks in their offense. The second-leading scorer, he is averaging 22.1 points, shooting 39.6% from 3-point range, and 5.3 rebounds.

“I mean, I’m always playing aggressive, I’m always playing in attack mode,” George said. “I think obviously there’s more opportunities if he’s not on the floor, but I’m always just playing aggressive.”

Harden’s contributions this season have been all over the court – in assists (8.3 a game), 3-point shooting (40.3%) and running the offense. It could be difficult to get back into the kind of rhythm the Clippers had before the All-Star break if Leonard and Harden miss any significant time.

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The Clippers were already without guard Russell Westbrook because of a fractured hand, but the games go on, with or without their stars. The Clippers, who are fourth in the Western Conference, have 18 games remaining.

“I mean, you got no other choice. Still got games to play,” Harden said.

George agreed.

“I mean that’s all we can do is get ready for the next one,” he said. “We got to pick up the pieces. Like I said, let Kawhi take whatever time he needs. We just need him to be healthy. But we’ll pick it up, keep it rolling and we’re not the only team down a man, so keep it running.”

CLIPPERS AT BULLS

When: Thursday, 5 p.m. PT

Where: United Center, Chicago

TV/radio: Bally Sports SoCal, 570 AM

​ Orange County Register