The Sports Report: Kawhi-less Clippers lose to Thunder

Howdy, I’m your host, Houston Mitchell. Let’s get right to the news.

From Andrew Greif: Clippers guard Terance Mann sat in a chair, his head in his palms, in the corner of the visitor’s locker room. A few feet to his left, point guard Reggie Jackson looked ahead with a thousand-yard stare, still in his blue uniform a half hour after the final buzzer had finally ended a night where little had gone right.

The Clippers entered this season knowing it would take time to see their full-strength potential as they slowly worked Kawhi Leonard and John Wall back, after their long basketball layoffs, into what will eventually be regular rotation roles.

Even against those tempered short-term expectations, they probably never expected to look like they did at times in Tuesday’s 108-94 loss in Oklahoma City, a ragged defeat in which they trailed by as many as 26 to a previously winless opponent that could not shoot.

Afterward, the Clippers didn’t bury one another. Coach Tyronn Lue faulted his team’s executions but not its effort. Jackson, after a 2-2 start, criticized his own play as “hurting us right now,” but said that “we don’t want to peak until the end of the season, anyway.” Nicolas Batum, who has seen almost it all in a career spanning 15 NBA seasons, preached perspective.

“Fanbase, relax,” he said. “We know it’s not easy, it’s not cool to watch a game like that and we love the support, but we’ll be OK.”

Yet the defeat brought to the fore, only four games in, the central challenge they face in this season’s early months – how to build on-court chemistry while their rotations remain fluid as Leonard and Wall continue to acclimate.

That process is still ongoing after Leonard was held out after feeling tightness following the team’s morning shootaround in the right knee he underwent surgery on 16 months ago to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament. The Clippers also were without starting forward Marcus Morris Sr., who will miss a second consecutive game against the Thunder (1-3) on Thursday for personal reasons, and starting wing Paul George, who was ill. Lue was unsure whether George would be available for Thursday’s rematch.

Leonard wanted to play Tuesday, Lue said, but “we want to be cautious, make sure we’re doing the right thing by him,” and that was why Leonard will return to Los Angeles on Wednesday to continue his rehab. Lue added that Leonard “can be mad at us if he wants to but just not smart right now.”

USC-UCLA

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: They download their favorite Netflix shows, organize their homework assignments and charge their electronics. Whether on the field or in the skies, preparation is everything for Hawaii.

For college sports teams, a road trip that balances academic and athletic pressures is a precise science. The Rainbow Warriors have Ph.D.s in the discipline. Flying six hours one way to play their closest conference foes every other week, Hawaii athletic programs provide a timely case study for UCLA and USC, which will be due for an upgrade to their frequent-flyer status once they join the Big Ten Conference in 2024.

Similar to their island peers, the Trojans and Bruins will be in for approximately five-hour flights when they play at Maryland or Rutgers, the two farthest Big Ten outposts. Visiting eight of the 14 current Big Ten members will require the same three-hour time change for the West Coast schools that Hawaii teams experience when they come to California.

The secrets for conquering the skies are vast and unique. Volleyball player Mylana Byrd sleeps on the plane by bringing a small pillow for her neck and covering her eyes in case of spontaneous cabin lighting with a blanket. Kamaka Hepa, a forward on the men’s basketball team, loads up on anime series, tries to get at least three hours of sleep on each flight and is always prepared to barter with coaches to get a seat with more leg room to accommodate his 6-foot-10 frame.

When it comes to UCLA‘s and USC’s upcoming moves, Dominic Drury, the Hawaii men’s basketball director of operations, kept it simple.

USC FOOTBALL

From Ryan Kartje: Michael Jackson III had played just a single snap through USC’s first six games, waiting and waiting and waiting for his turn until two Saturdays ago, when the sophomore receiver was called upon at the most critical moment of the season.

It was third and eight, with just over six minutes remaining, and the Trojans stood on the doorstep of the red zone, deadlocked late with Utah. USC star receiver Jordan Addison, having suffered a leg injury, was relegated to crutches on the sideline. So Lincoln Riley sent Jackson to fill the void left by the 2021 Biletnikoff Award-winning wideout. He didn’t disappoint.

While Utah unleashed a blitz, Jackson exploded forward for a few steps, before retreating suddenly toward the line of scrimmage, where a screen pass awaited. Tahj Washington threw a block. A lane opened. And Jackson, who hadn’t caught a pass since last December, made a defender miss before striding into the end zone, turning his first catch into a 20-yard, go-ahead touchdown.

“We had a lot of confidence based on what we’ve seen on the practice field the last several weeks that he was going to make the play,” Riley said of Jackson after Utah mounted a comeback to beat USC, 43-42. “I think he’s got a really bright future here. We didn’t think twice about calling and doing [the play]. It was an easy decision.”

USC might have no other choice in its return from the week off but to rely on reserve receivers, like Jackson, to fill the void left by Addison, who still hasn’t been seen participating at practice since the loss at Utah.

LAKERS

From Dan Woike: Russell Westbrook is doubtful to play for the Lakers on Wednesday in Denver because of a sore hamstring as the team tries to snap a three-game losing streak to start the season.

He attended practice Tuesday in El Segundo but didn’t participate and traveled to Denver with the team.

Westbrook has been in the middle of nearly every major Lakers storyline since the end of last season, beginning with trade discussions this offseason and an eventful start to this season.

RAMS

From Gary Klein: Rams star defensive lineman Aaron Donald on Tuesday announced he had parted ways with Donda Sports, a marketing and content agency owned by Kanye West.

West has made antisemitic comments online and in television interviews in recent weeks.

“Our family has made the decision to part ways with Donda Sports,” Donald said in a statement on his Twitter feed that was signed by Donald and his wife, Erica. “The recent comments and displays of hate and antisemitism are the exact opposite of how we choose to live our lives and raise our children. We find them to be irresponsible and go against everything we believe in as a family.

KINGS

Gabe Vilardi had a goal and an assist, Phillip Danault scored for the second straight game and the Kings defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2 on Tuesday night.

Blake Lizotte and Adrian Kempe both had a goal, Jonathan Quick made 24 saves and the Kings snapped a 10-game losing streak to the Lightning.

Brandon Hagel and Nikita Kucherov scored, and Andrei Vasilevskiy allowed four goals on 33 shots in the opener of Tampa Bay’s three-game California road trip.

The Kings struck twice in the second period, reclaiming the lead on Vilardi’s power-play goal at 5:03 when he tipped Drew Doughty’s slap shot.

Lizotte made it 3-1 when he scored off Brandt Clarke’s no-look pass with 6:43 left.

BRITTNEY GRINER

A Russian court Tuesday rejected U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner’s appeal of her nine-year prison sentence for drug possession, a step that could move her closer to a possible high-stakes prisoner swap between Moscow and Washington.

Griner, an eight-time All-Star center with the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and a two-time Olympic gold medalist, was convicted Aug. 4 after police said they found vape canisters containing cannabis oil in her luggage at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport.

Griner, 32, was not at the Moscow Regional Court hearing but appeared via video from the penal colony outside Moscow where she is being held.

WORLD SERIES

From Bill Shaikin: Ten years ago, Joe Davis was the voice of the Montgomery Biscuits. Can he recall the team colors?

“Of course,” he said. “Butter and blue.”

Life was good. He was 24, and he was getting paid to call baseball games.

“I was doing games for a team with a mascot that was a biscuit with eyes,” he said, “and a slab of butter for a tongue.”

The voice of the Biscuits is now the voice of the Dodgers and, starting Friday, the voice of the World Series. For the first time in 25 years of Fox broadcasts, the World Series will be called by Joe Davis, not Joe Buck.

“The fact that it’s Joe makes me so happy,” Buck said. “He’s already taken on so much, by stepping into the role that Vin [Scully] had. I’m thrilled it’s somebody like Joe that cares and works as hard as he does, that gets the picture and understands how special doing a World Series is.”

THIS DATE IN SPORTS

1907 — Jim Thorpe makes his Carlisle (Pa.) debut dazzling a crowd of 22,800 in a 26-6 defeat of No. 4 Penn at Philadelphia’s Franklin Field. Thorpe rushes, returns kicks and does all the kicking in putting on a one-man show.

1951 — Joe Louis loses his last fight, an eighth-round TKO to Rocky Marciano at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Marciano knocks Louis down with a left hook in the eighth round. Louis gets to one knee at the count of three and takes an eight-count before getting up. Marciano ends the fight with a right that sends Louis through the ropes and onto the ring apron. Louis’ career record is 66-3 with 52 knockouts.

1968 — Brooks Dawson of Texas-El Paso completes 17 of 24 passes for 304 yards in the final 10:21 of the fourth quarter as the Miners beat Brigham Young 31-25.

1968 — Boxer George Foreman beats Ionas Chepulis of the Soviet Union for the gold medal in the heavyweight division at the Mexico Olympic Games.

1970 — Muhammad Ali returns to the ring after a 2 1/2-year layoff, due to his refusal to be drafted into the United States Army. Fighting in Atlanta, Ali opened a cut over Jerry Quarry’s left eye with a right hand in the third round, causing the fight to be stopped before the start of the fourth round.

1980 — The St. Louis Cardinals sack quarterback Baltimore quarterback Bert Jones 12 times in a 17-10 victory.

1982 — Philadelphia Phillies Steve Carlton became the first pitcher to win four Cy Young awards

1990 — Wayne Gretzky becomes the NHL first player to reach the 2,000-point plateau when he helps set up a goal by Tomas Sandstrom at 14:32 of the first period of the Kings’ game at Winnipeg.

2000 — The New York Yankees become the first team in more than a quarter-century to win three straight World Series championships, beating the New York Mets 4-2. The Yankees match the Oakland Athletics’ three in a row from 1972-74, and win their fourth title in five years.

2002 — Volponi, a 43-1 long shot, finds room along the rail and blows past the fading Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner War Emblem to take the Breeders’ Cup Classic by 6½ lengths ahead of Medaglia d’Oro.

2006 — Ryan Miller stops 29 shots as Buffalo beats the New York Islanders 3-0 to win its 10th straight game. The win matches the best start in NHL history, tying the 1993-94 Toronto Maple Leafs.

2012 — The NHL cancels all its games through the end of November because of the labor dispute between owners and players.

2013 — Octavias McKoy runs for 455 yards, setting an NCAA record for all-divisions, as Division III Western Connecticut State beats Worcester State 55-35. McKoy scores five touchdowns in the game and breaks the rushing record previously held by Dante Brown of Marietta College. Brown ran for 441 on Oct. 5, 1996 against Baldwin-Wallace.

2014 — Serena Williams wins the WTA Tour Finals for the third straight year and fifth time overall, beating Simona Halep 6-3, 6-0. Williams joins Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf as the only players to have won five titles in the season-ending championship.

2014 — Ben Roethlisberger is 40 for 49 for 522 yards and six touchdown passes in Pittsburgh’s 51-34 win over Indianapolis. Roethlisberger became the first player in NFL history with two 500-yard passing games — 503 yards vs. Green Bay on Dec. 20, 2009.

2014 — Abby Wambach scores four goals and the World Cup-bound United States beat Costa Rica 6-0 for its fifth CONCACAF Women’s Championship title.

2018 — The longest World Series game by both innings and time; the Dodgers beat the Boston Red Sox, 3-2 in the 18th inning (7 hours, 20 minutes) in Game 3 at Dodger Stadium with a Max Muncy walk-off home run.

Compiled by the Associated Press

And finally

Max Muncy homers to end the longest World Series game in history. Watch and listen here.