Los Alamitos’ win over Newport Harbor brings share of Surf League boys basketball title

• January 27, 2024

LOS ALAMITOS — The depth on the Los Alamitos boys basketball team came through Friday, as it often has this season, as the Griffins defeated Newport Harbor 77-64 in a Surf League game at Los Alamitos High.

With five players scoring in double figures, the Griffins clinched at least a share of a second consecutive Surf League championship. They shared the title last season with Edison.

Los Alamitos, the highest-ranked public-school team in the Orange County Top 25 at No. 4, is 21-4 overall and 4-0 in league with two league games remaining. No. 9 Newport Harbor is 21-5 overall and 1-3 in league.

Trent Minter, a 6-6 junior who was All-Orange County second team last season, did not start Friday because of an ankle sprain. He played sparingly, scoring four points. Minter has scored 20 or more points in five games this season.

Tyler Lopez, a 6-5 sophomore, led Los Alamitos with 16 points and had six rebounds. Senior guard Dilayehu Wempe scored 14 points. Juniors Samori Guyness and Wes Trevino scored 12 points each.

Liam Gray, a junior who also was All-County second team last season, scored 11 points.

Los Alamitos juniors Wes Trevino, left, and Liam Gray talk about the Griffins’ 77-64 win over Newport Harbor (Trevino scored 12 points, Gray 11 points) …. ⁦@ocvarsity⁩ ⁦@ocvarsityguy⁩ ⁦@mikehuntley63⁩ pic.twitter.com/uojpr955hp

— Steve Fryer (@SteveFryer) January 27, 2024

Newport Harbor 6-3 sophomore Cole Leinart scored 23 points with six rebounds. Jack Berry, Dash Bastedo and Riggs Guy scored 12 points apiece for the Sailors.

The win was Nathan Berger’s 100th as the Los Alamitos coach. He was particularly pleased with how the Griffins battled for rebounds against a tall and tenacious Newport Harbor team.

“We competed hard,” Berger said. “Newport Harbor’s a really good team. We were a little out-matched inside with some of our injuries. They (the Sailors) win almost every game on the glass and we gave a pretty effort on that.

“What I loved most about tonight was that our non-superstars played great. I hope that’s from our scheduling, from them playing in big games and not being afraid. We had big contributions all over the place.”

Los Alamitos led 38-30 at halftime. The Sailors made a third-quarter run led by Leinart’s nine points in the period to reduce the Griffins’ lead to 43-42. Gray scored seven points in the quarter, Lopez made a late 3-pointer and Los Alamitos took a 56-48 lead into the fourth quarter.

Trevino opened the final quarter with a 3-pointer and the Los Alamitos lead never got fewer than eight points from there.

Newport Harbor, No. 4 in the CIF Southern Section Division 2A poll, concludes the regular season next week with two league home games, against Edison on Tuesday and against Fountain Valley on Thursday.

Los Alamitos, No. 16 in the CIF-SS Division 1 poll, plays county No. 1 Mater Dei on Saturday in the Nike Extravaganza at Mater Dei at 7:30 p.m. The Griffins finish their regular season next week with league games at Fountain Valley on Tuesday and home against Edison on Thursday.

The CIF-SS boys basketball playoffs begin Feb. 6. Playoff brackets will be released Feb. 4.

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​ Orange County Register 

St. Margaret’s boys basketball continues hot streak with win over Estancia

• January 27, 2024

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO — Russell Frye filled the stat sheet for St. Margaret’s boys basketball team in a 74-69 win over Estancia in an Orange Coast League game Friday at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School.

The senior forward scored 25 points, grabbed nine rebounds and had five steals for the Tartans (14-8, 7-3).

“He was really big tonight obviously and down the stretch we put him on their best player to make him miserable,” St. Margaret’s coach Chris Nordstrom said of Frye. “After we got back from Christmas break, Russ kind of decided that we are not going to lose anymore. It’s nice having an athlete like that.”

“It was a team effort,” Frye said. “We had a slow start to the season so winning a few recently has been good for us.”

St. Margaret’s has won five consecutive games and is now 5-0 all-time against Estancia.

Costa Mesa is first in the Orange Coast League standings, and St. Margaret’s is tied for second with Calvary Chapel. The Tartans beat Calvary Chapel 78-69 Wednesday to split the season series between the two teams.

Estancia (19-8, 7-4) is the league’s fourth-place team, comfortably ahead of fifth-place Santa Ana. Four teams from the Orange Coast League will be automatic qualifiers for the CIF-SS playoffs.

Both Estancia and St. Margaret’s will finish in the top four in the league standings regardless of what happens the rest of league play.

“We have a lot of kids that do other sports on our campus so what’s happened is we are able to practice now and build some camaraderie,” Nordstrom said. “We are finally playing at the level that I think we are capable of. Hopefully we can keep it going.”

The first half was a back-and-forth one between the two teams and St. Margaret’s led 38-34 at halftime.

The Tartans shot 56 percent from 3-point range in the first half and Estancia kept pace by making four of its first five 3-pointers.

St. Margaret’s went on a 10-0 run in the third quarter and led by as many as 12 points. The Tartans forced five turnovers in the frame and Mark Cyr grabbed five rebounds.

“I think we guarded the 3-point line better in the second half and were able to grind some possessions,” Nordstrom said.

Estancia began to full court press St. Margaret’s in the fourth quarter and double-team the ball handler. The strategy worked for a bit and the Eagles cut the lead to three points with just under two minutes remaining in the game.

St. Margaret’s was able to stop the Estancia run when Cyr passed to Cameron Danz and he made a 3-pointer to extend the lead back to six.

Frye had a late steal which resulted in a layup and made two free throws at the end to seal the win.

Jaedon Hose-Shea had 23 points for Estancia, including 10 points in the fourth quarter. Peter Sanchez had 17 points for the Eagles and grabbed eight rebounds.

Danz had 17 points for St. Margaret’s and had four steals on defense. Cyr had 11 points with eight rebounds.

The Tartans will play Aliso Niguel Saturday in the Nike Extravaganza at Mater Dei High.

Estancia will close the regular season with a road game against Santa Ana on Wednesday.

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​ Orange County Register 

Brandon McCoy Jr. leads St. John Bosco basketball past Santa Margarita in Trinity League

• January 27, 2024

BELLFLOWER — St. John Bosco basketball recovered from a slow start and pulled away in the second half to defeat Santa Margarita 64-55 in a Trinity League showdown on Friday night.

The Braves (22-4 overall) improved to 7-1 in league and are tied with Mater Dei (7-1 in league) for first place with two league games left. The two teams will meet Tuesday night at Mater Dei in a game that will likely decide the league title.

The Braves were led by sophomore guard Brandon McCoy Jr. who was a steady presence all game long, scoring a game-high 28 points and adding five rebounds and an assist, including three 3-pointers.

St. John Bosco coach Matt Dunn talks about the win over Santa Margarita, the slow start and the great performances of Brandon McCoy Jr. and Elzie Harrington @BoscoBasketball @BeachVarsity @presstelegram pic.twitter.com/eoMUzWHPvV

— Chris Camello (@Chris_Camello) January 27, 2024

Bosco coach Matt Dunn spoke very highly of McCoy and said it’s his competitiveness that makes him stand out.

“He’s a special player,” Dunn said. “Obviously, he’s an elite talent, but he’s an elite competitor. When you talk about the elite guys and their peers, he’s a tremendous competitor and that shows in a lot of ways.”

McCoy said it’s all about letting the game come to him.

“Just playing hard,” McCoy said on what was working for him offensively. “Just be who I am, just letting the game come to me.”

The Braves also got a great performance from junior guard Elzie Harrington who had a solid all-around game with 18 points (14 in the second half) to go along with eight assists, four rebounds and two steals.

Sophomore guard Brandon McCoy Jr. had a game-high 28 pts for St. John Bosco and discusses the win and what was working for him @BoscoBasketball @g0beezy @BeachVarsity @presstelegram pic.twitter.com/IU4xNVAZjl

— Chris Camello (@Chris_Camello) January 27, 2024

St. John Bosco junior guard Elzie Harrington talks about reaching the 1,000 point milestone in HS career, how Braves took over in second half, and the great performance of McCoy Jr @BoscoBasketball @ElzieHarringto1 @presstelegram @BeachVarsity pic.twitter.com/4HojVreAdZ

— Chris Camello (@Chris_Camello) January 27, 2024

Harrington acknowledged he had a rough first half, but said his coaches encouraged him to remain aggressive for 32 minutes.

“Obviously, I had a rough first half,” Harrington said with a smile. “My coaches, they trust me always. That’s important to me, so my assistant coaches, my head coach, they told me to keep going and stuff will start working, and that’s what happened in the third quarter.”

It was an odd start to the game as Bosco started quickly with a 10-point lead, but the Eagles found their groove and finished the quarter on a 10-4 run to cut into the early deficit and kept the game close in the first half, even tying the game at 21 late in the second quarter.

However, the Braves scored the final five points of the half and led 26-21 going into halftime.

Dunn said the lack of urgency was the reason for the slow start in the first half.

“I thought we were inconsistent with our effort and our urgency,” Dunn said. “(Santa Margarita) is really good if you don’t do things the right way, so you have to give them credit, they’re hard to play. Our guys did enough to win, but I didn’t think we were very consistent tonight.”

St. John Bosco found its groove in the second half as McCoy stayed hot and Harrington got going offensively. The Braves led by as many as 15 in the fourth quarter. However, Santa Margarita made a late run to cut the deficit down to five with less than two minutes left before forward Dominic Perfetti hit a clutch corner 3-pointer to seal the deal for the Braves.

The Eagles (17-8, 4-4) got a great performance from junior forward Dallas Washington who scored a team-high 20 points. Sophomore forward Brayden Kyman added 10 points and six rebounds off the bench, and guard Demarco Johnson had six points, six assists, and four rebounds.

Harrington was honored before the game along with teammates Jack Turner and Kade Bonam for reaching the 1,000-point milestone in their high school careers.

The 1,000 point club for @BoscoBasketball !!

Before their showdown vs Santa Margarita, St. John Bosco acknowledges (from left to right): Elzie Harrington, Kade Bonam, and Jack Turner for reaching the 1,000 point milestone

@BeachVarsity @presstelegram @johnwdavis pic.twitter.com/QCq7GUScSB

— Chris Camello (@Chris_Camello) January 27, 2024

“It’s a good accomplishment,” Harrington said. “I’m more interested in winning than scoring points. I’m happy to do it with my guys Jack and Kade. It’s cool for all of us to do it at the same time. It’s a good accomplishment.”

“To have three guys do it in the same time frame is really hard,” Dunn added. “Obviously, it shows all three have sacrificed an incredible amount.”

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​ Orange County Register 

JuJu Watkins, McKenzie Forbes lead USC past Washington State

• January 27, 2024

LOS ANGELES — The formula was exceedingly simple, and executed to perfection, because good things happen around USC anytime JuJu Watkins has the basketball and open court in front of her.

After a couple of games in recent weeks, Watkins – her own toughest critic, because there aren’t a lot of critics for a freshman averaging 26 points per game – has shaken her head when walking into postgame press conferences. Scoffed at herself. Her shooting numbers have been ugly during Pac-12 play as conference opponents have thrown the kitchen sink at her. And USC’s offense has sputtered with its engine weary, dropping back-to-back games on the road after a momentous win over UCLA.

Here’s the thing, though: it’s hard to set up and contain the slinky, 6-foot-2 Watkins when you’re backpedaling. And 11th-ranked USC re-ignited its early-season offensive spark on Friday night against Washington State, blitzing the Cougars from the opening tip in an eventual 70-62 win, by simply not permitting the visitors to play defense.

It sounds strange. But it’s easier done than said, actually. Step one: trap any Cougar who dares venture into the paint or handle the ball on the perimeter, flash a hand anytime a ball is in your airspace, and nab a steal – USC (13-3 overall, 3-3 Pac-12) forced nine turnovers in the first half. Step two: let Watkins pick up the loose ball or find her in transition.

Step three: profit.

“I mean, it’s high-powered offense, right?” coach Lindsay Gottlieb said postgame. “Like, we get a lot of easy baskets in that first half – that, when I say easy, they’re not easy for anyone except JuJu, or (McKenzie Forbes).”

Time and time again, Watkins put her head down and simply bull-rushed to the rim in transition, virtually unstoppable with the ball in her hands. On a night around the NBA in which it seemed as if your local plumber could step onto the court and score 20, she put on her own display at the Galen Center, scoring 29 points on 10-of-27 shooting. She froze Washington State defenders with a staple left-to-right hesitation crossover – quickly becoming one of the more dominant moves in college basketball – hitting a fall-away baseline jumper at the first-quarter buzzer and celebrating with a Cristiano Ronaldo “SUIII” celebration, popularized around USC by Zachariah Branch.

And in the fourth quarter, with minutes waning, Watkins stuck the knife – spinning out on the perimeter, then yanking a dribble between her legs so violently it ripped the footing out from Washington State’s Jessica Clarke, draining a suddenly wide-open 3-pointer as her teammates collapsed in elation on the bench.

“I saw it coming,” Forbes smiled postgame. “The moment she went back that way and the girl kinda chested up and stopped her, I said, yeah, she’s going … she’s going down.”

Watkins was helped throughout the night by senior co-star Forbes, who is slowly inheriting a larger secondary creator role as the season wears on. Coach Lindsay Gottlieb has taken to staggering the minutes for Watkins and Forbes to give USC some on-ball juice when Watkins is on the bench, and Forbes was as assertive as she has been all season against Washington State (14-5, 3-3): draining jumpers off screens when Cougar defenders went underneath, hitting a momentum-securing 3-pointer as the visitors tried to chip into USC’s lead with Watkins on the bench in the third quarter.

And Watkins’ shot faltered in the second half, make no mistake, despite that yo-yo cross. She’s shot 37% since the Pac-12 began, again visibly upset with her box score while trudging into the postgame presser. And yet after a couple of questions on Watkins’ efficiency postgame, Gottlieb stepped in — adamantly advocating confidence in her star freshman.

“‘Oh, the efficiency’ — we are playing Pac-12 teams who are some of the best defensive teams in the league,” Gottlieb said postgame. “This isn’t a league where everyone’s in the (1990s), and every single gameplan’s about, ‘How do we stop this kid.’”

So, yes, perhaps Watkins wants to see a few more jumpers go down in the half-court. Perhaps teams will continue finding ways, and bodies, to slow her in transition. Won’t matter, to Gottlieb, in how USC climbs on the shoulders of their freshman phenom.

“There’s not one ounce of me,” Gottlieb said, “that wants to change or stifle anything that she’s capable of doing.”

​ Orange County Register 

Yorba Linda girls basketball upsets Canyon in North Hills League to boost playoff bid

• January 27, 2024

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YORBA LINDA — Yorba Linda’s girls basketball team took the court Friday with a few special supporters in the stands for a game critical to its playoff chances.

The Mustangs rose to the challenge and rallied for a 52-45 victory against No. 23 Canyon in a North Hills League showdown at Yorba Linda High.

Yorba Linda (13-10, 3-2) assured itself of a winning record for the regular season with the triumph, which will allow Coach Teiko Ikemoto’s team to potentially apply for an at-large bid for the CIF-SS Division 3AA playoffs.

If the Mustangs had lost, they would have had to sweep No. 6 Esperanza and surging Villa Park next week to finish .500, the requirement for an at-large bid.

“We needed that one,” Ikemoto said of the victory. “Now, we beat Villa Park and it’s a three-way tie for first … (but) we’ll be one over .500 (no matter what). That’s the main thing.”

Ikemoto’s daughter Kelsey scored the eventual winning basket with a driving layup in heavy traffic to give Yorba Linda a 47-43 lead with about 45 seconds left. The play punctuated the family theme for the night.

The parents of Ikemoto’s late husband Klete attended the game and watched the Mustangs recover from a 14-point deficit in the middle of the second quarter. Klete, a strong supporter of his wife and daughters’ basketball aspirations, died from COVID-19 in April 2020.

“They haven’t been coming out much but they said ‘We’ll come out today’ so it was good’,” Ikemoto said of her in-laws Ken and Dorothy. “It was really nice. I’m glad they were able to make it.”

Canyon (15-10, 3-2), ranked second in Division 4AA, led 27-20 at halftime as it looked to sweep Yorba Linda in league. But the Mustangs — who don’t feature a senior — surged in the third quarter. They cut down on turnovers and attacked in the key to knot the score 35-35 heading into the fourth.

Freshman Sanaya Patel sparked Yorba Linda by scoring seven of her 11 points in the third, including a hustling putback to beat the buzzer at the end of the period.

Earlier in the third, juniors Giana Mejia and Madison Chou sank consecutive 3-pointers to signal the Mustangs’ intentions.

In the fourth, Yorba Linda answered Mariah Streeter’s fourth 3-pointer with a 5-0 run to take the lead for good. Mejia scored under the basket on a short pass from Chloe Chang while Serina Patel added a three-point play on a left-handed putback to give the Mustangs a 45-40 lead with about 1:20 left.

Serina Patel, a junior, finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds while Kelsey Ikemoto, s sophomore, added six points, eight rebounds and five assists.

“They played their hearts out,” Ikemoto said of her team, which was also supported in the stands by her daughters Katie and Kristi.

Streeter and Jasmine Prajitno each finished with 12 points for Canyon while Justine Prajitno added eight points and five steals. “The girls are learning to win,” Comanches first-year coach Sara Brown said before the game.

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​ Orange County Register 

Mavericks’ Luka Doncic scores 73, tied for 4th in NBA history

• January 27, 2024

By CHARLES ODUM AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA — Luka Doncic scored a franchise-record 73 points, tied for the fourth-most in NBA history and surpassed only by Wilt Chamberlain and Kobe Bryant, to power the Mavericks to a 148-143 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.

Doncic blew past his personal best and team record 60 points after scoring a team-record 41 points in the first half.

His record night came only four days after Philadelphia center Joel Embiid scored a franchise-record 70 points, then the most in the NBA this season, in the 76ers’ 133-123 victory over San Antonio on Monday night. Devin Booker scored 62 for the Phoenix Suns on Friday in the second-highest scoring game of his career to add to a week of offensive explosions the likes of which the league has never seen.

Friday marked only the fifth time in NBA history – and amazingly, the second time this week – when two players scored at least 60 points on the same day, after Karl-Anthony Towns had 62 for Minnesota on Monday, the same night Embiid had 70.

A three-point play with 2:58 remaining gave Doncic 70 points. With Dallas leading 140-136, Doncic added another three-point play to cap his night.

Against the team that drafted him in 2018, Doncic joined Chamberlain and David Thompson among players who scored 73 points. Chamberlain, who owns the NBA record with 100 points, also had a 78-point game, while Bryant finished with 81 points on Jan. 22, 2006.

“Those names are special,” Doncic said. “It’s unbelievable.”

Dallas coach Jason Kidd said he had no worries about Doncic’s scoring spree disturbing the Mavericks’ game plan.

“He is the game plan,” Kidd said.

The Mavericks rode Doncic’s big game to end their three-game losing streak while handing the Hawks their fourth straight loss. Doncic made 25 of 33 shots from the field, going 8 for 13 from 3-point range and 15 for 16 from the free-throw line. The field goals made set another personal record.

Trae Young led Atlanta with 30 points, including a 3-pointer with five seconds remaining that trimmed the Dallas lead to 146-143. Jalen Johnson added 25 points and Bogdan Bogdanovic had 24.

Doncic scored 23 points in the second quarter after opening with 18 points in the first.

Doncic, who averages 33.6 points, nailed a 3-pointer with 4:48 remaining in the third quarter, giving him a season-high 51 points. He then took aim at his career high of 60 points, also the Dallas record, set against the New York Knicks on Dec. 27, 2022.

The Hawks had no answer for Doncic. Jalen Johnson opened as Atlanta’s primary defender on the 6-foot-7 guard. Saddiq Bey, Dejounte Murray and others tried without success to slow Doncic’s high-scoring pace.

“He was hot. He was going,” Young said. “We were trying everything. We were trying to trap him.”

Josh Green scored 21 points for Dallas, but Doncic carried the offense.

“I’ve never seen anything like that,” Green said.

Through it all, Doncic kept looking for his teammates and contributing more than points. He grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds and led the Mavericks with seven assists.

“The three assists are what he’s probably thinking about in the locker room to have a triple-double,” Kidd said.

Doncic insisted the win was the biggest reason to celebrate after he overcame constant extra attention from Atlanta’s defense.

“You’ve got to continue to play and have trust in your teammates,” Doncic said.

Doncic’s milestone game came in his original NBA home, at least for a few minutes.

Doncic was selected by the Hawks with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft before having his draft rights traded to Dallas for Young with the No. 5 pick and a 2019 first-round pick used to select Cam Reddish.

Doncic scored 41 points in the first half to set a franchise record for points in any half. He made 17 of 22 shots from the field, going 6 for 9 from 3-point range, in the half.

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The Mavericks’ previous high mark for points in a half was 34 by Dirk Nowitzki in the second half against Utah on Nov. 3, 2009.

Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving missed his second consecutive game with a sprained right thumb. He suffered the injury against Boston on Monday.

Dallas forward Derrick Jones Jr. suffered a sprained left wrist with 30 seconds remaining in the first half and did not return.

Young cleared the concussion protocol after missing two games.

The rematch between the teams, originally scheduled for April 5 in Dallas, has been moved to April 4, the league announced Friday.

HISTORIC 73-POINT NIGHT FROM LUKA DONCIC

73 PTS
25/33 FGM (75.8%)
15/16 FTM
8 3PM

He becomes the 4th player in NBA history to score 73+ points and the first ever to score 70+ on 75% or higher from the field. pic.twitter.com/Afm9cyJung

— NBA (@NBA) January 27, 2024

​ Orange County Register 

Clippers crush Raptors ahead of showdown with Celtics

• January 27, 2024

By IAN HARRISON The Associated Press

TORONTO — The Clippers successfully avoided the trap game.

With a much-anticipated showdown with the league-leading Boston Celtics looming, James Harden had 22 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds for his 75th career triple-double, Paul George added 21 points and the Clippers thumped the Toronto Raptors, 127-107, on Friday night for their fourth consecutive win.

Harden’s triple-double was his first with the Clippers since joining them in a Nov. 1 trade with Philadelphia. He has the eighth-most triple-doubles in NBA history.

“James has been great,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “He keeps everybody happy. It takes a lot of grind off of PG and Kawhi, acquiring James. It’s huge for us.”

Harden has had at least 20 points and 10 assists in each of his past three games.

Russell Westbrook scored 20 points and Kawhi Leonard had 16 against his former team for the Clippers, who have won 12 of their past 14 games.

“We still want to get better,” Leonard said. “We’re not where we want to be.”

Leonard had his second career triple-double in Tuesday’s victory over the Lakers. He had seven rebounds and three assists on Friday.

Leonard has gone 8-0 against Toronto since leaving the Raptors following their 2019 NBA championship. He was welcomed with a warm ovation when the starters were introduced.

“Everybody knows what I did here and how special that year was,” Leonard said. “They’re very thankful for it. Every time I come I get good praise.”

Leonard didn’t play in the fourth quarter, with Lue giving the oft-injured star some rest ahead of Saturday’s clash with Eastern Conference-leading Boston.

“He’s good,” Lue said of Leonard. “We’ve got a back-to-back (Saturday) so the more I can lessen him, the better it is for us.”

Former Raptors guard Norman Powell scored 17 points as the Clippers opened a season-long seven-game trip by evening their road record at 10-10.

Mason Plumlee added 12 points and 12 rebounds as the Clippers won their fourth straight north of the border.

“They are big, and they are forceful,” Toronto coach Darko Rajakovic said of the Clippers. “They were able to attack the paint and get there.”

The Clippers finished with a season-best 70 points in the paint.

Scottie Barnes scored 14 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter for the Raptors, who lost their fourth straight and ninth of 11.

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RJ Barrett added 22 points for the Raptors. Gary Trent Jr. and Dennis Schröder each scored 13 while Thad Young had 12.

The Clippers led 66-52 at the half and were up 95-81 through three quarters.

Bruce Brown made his first start for Toronto, taking the place of injured guard Immanuel Quickley (sore right quadriceps). Brown finished with nine points and nine rebounds.

Raptors center Jakob Poeltl missed his ninth straight game because of a sprained left ankle. Toronto’s frontcourt options were further thinned when forward Jontay Porter left after four minutes of action because of irritation in his eye. Porter left Monday’s loss to Memphis after being poked in the eye.

UP NEXT

The Clippers play at Boston on Saturday at 4 p.m. PT

​ Orange County Register 

Swanson: Unheralded field grinds it out at Farmers Insurance Open – can you dig it?

• January 27, 2024

LA JOLLA — The third-round leaderboard of the Farmers Insurance Open was a real who’s who of professional golf.

As in, spectators watching the lead group Friday were asking one another: “Who is who?” And: “Which one’s the leader?”

That would be the bearded fellow in olive pants and the light purple-and-teal striped shirt.

Stephan Jaeger, a 34-year-old German who shot a 1-over-par 73 to maintain a one-stroke advantage, sits atop a leaderboard that looked a lot like a World Cup soccer draw: France, Denmark, Belgium, Argentina, England, South Korea and, yes, us too, the United States, all were also represented among the top nine players at the start of Friday.

The real who’s who list: Who isn’t here.

That’s due, in part, to the fact that five of the eight players who came in ranked in the top 20 of the world golf rankings missed the 36-hole cut, including Collin Morikawa and Jason Day.

Also, LIV golf. Saudi Arabia’s controversial alternative tour has siphoned off significant star power from the PGA Tour, the winners of the past five majors, John Rahm, Brooks Koepka and Cam Smith among that group.

That doesn’t mean the PGA Tour isn’t still teeming with notable talent – just maybe not every week?

The tour’s most recognizable names don’t play every event, and many of them didn’t play this one. There’s no Rory McIlroy or Scottie Scheffler. No Viktor Hovland or Rickie Fowler. No Justin Thomas or Wyndham Clark.

And no Nick Dunlap – the 20-year-old who skipped the tournament to catch his breath after becoming the first amateur winner on the PGA Tour in 33 years last week, when he triumphed at the American Express tournament in La Quinta.

That left a host of relative unknowns – and Tony Finau – jockeying for position Friday on the South Course, which played nearly 7,800 yards, the longest of any regular tour stop, and which felt even longer because it was softened and slowed by three inches of rain that also fed its sticky, stubborn, ankle-deep rough.

The course didn’t care about the names on the golf bags. It proved as obstinate as ever, as scary. Basically, it told the best golfers … playing this week … in La Jolla: “Put your hands up, nobody move!”

And nobody did, much.

On a glorious day along the Pacific Coast, the average score was a shade over 73. No one shot better than 68, a score that was good for only a share of a nine-player, 10th-place logjam. So much for moving day.

That meant Finau – the name you heard while walking with the lead groups Friday, “To-ny! To-ny!” chanted, on occasion, by his supportive gallery – could shoot 74 and remain in the top 10, within four strokes of the lead.

The local contenders – San Diego’s Xander Schauffele (72), Torrey Pines High graduate Michael Kim (77), and Rancho Santa Fe’s Charley Hoffman (79) – ended the day tied for 10th, 38th and 65th.

Defending champion Max Homa, a Valencia High product, is tied for 27th after shooting 71.

And the gentlemen at the top of the pile, whose names you likely wouldn’t have recognized before this week?

What about those extras from across the pond? Those players who got promoted to headliner duty this week – including Belgium’s Thomas Detry, the victim of a most unfortunate spin-off? He watched his ball trickle the length of the 18th green and disappear into the pond below, setting up a double-bogey 7 that cost him the lead and landed him in fourth.

Still, in the end, he – and Jaeger and France’s Matthieu Pavon and Denmark’s Nicolai Højgaard, who are tied for second – survived their day at the beach. And now they’ll have a slight inside track in the final round on the $1.62 million winner’s share of the $9 million purse.

And probably a few more fans will be able to pick a few of them out of a lineup Saturday than would have at the start of the week.

Probably you who love golf so much you’ll tune in for regular events even if your favorites aren’t in the field; you, who are open-minded enough to appreciate anyone’s valiant effort in such patience-testing conditions, whether or not you’re familiar with their games.

You, who can get behind a leader like Jaeger on a course that will reward mental fortitude as much as shot-making, because he has worked so hard the past few months to dedicate himself to meditating, reading, journaling. The mental game that might tell you that it’s all how you look at a thing, an unheralded PGA Tour field included.

“Today,” Jaeger said, “was a blast. I loved it.”

​ Orange County Register