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Y E S T E R D A Y…

UCLA 88, Cal 66: It was a dead heat for a little while, but then the game clock actually started. From there?  Pretty much all UCLA. Pesky and active D put the Bears on their heels and had them coughing up the ball. After spending the first half as a tractor beam for whistles, Kevin Love dominated the second half, jumping in with Darren Collison and Josh Shipp to go batty from behind the arc. Whatever revenge Cal was seeking after Shipp’s behind the backboard prayer will have to wait until ‘09.

USC 59, ASU 55: When O.J. Mayo arrived at USC, many expected controversy to follow. Instead, the kid’s kept his nose clean, but did help fuel a very controversial win Thursday. His 23 points and six assists, along with the Trojan’s smothering D, should have been the story of the afternoon. But with seventeen seconds left and boasting a scant bucket lead, Sun Devil Jeff Pendergraph snagged an ASU miss and threw down the rock… and then got called for going over the back of an admittedly surprised Davon Jefferson. Instead of tying up the game, ASU found themselves on the wrong side of Jefferson’s made free throws. And arguably the refs as well.

Kings 4, Predators 1:The Kings ain’t got a shot in hell of making the playoffs, but they’re happy to muck up someone’s else bid at the postseason. Two goals from Alexander Frolov makes for crummy vibes over in Music City.

Astros 7, Dodgers 6: The bad? The loss considered a boatload of base running gaffes, which raised Larry Bowa’s dander to Defcon 5. The good? Third baseman Blake DeWitt, who’s trying to make a case for himself with Andy LaRoche, Tony Abreu and Nomar Garciaparra all hurtin’. Three hits (including a jack) and an unassisted double play won’t lock up a roster spot, but it didn’t get him cut.

Royals 6, Angels 5: They weren’t preserved in particularly stout fashion, but Joe Saunders’ four scoreless innings were still a highlight for the Halos.

T O D A Y…

Clippers at Hawks (4:30 pm PST, Prime Ticket): It’s exciting because one of these teams is trying to make a playoff push. It’s unexciting because that team is decidedly not the Clips.

Lakers at Hornets (5:00 pm PST, KCAL): The first of a tough four games away from the comforts of Staples. Kobe is arguably the front runner in the MVP race, but Chris Paul is a little bit more than dark horse in this race, especially if he can manage to help his team win the West. Come to think of it, that’s also Kobe’s goal.

USC vs. UCLA (6 pm PST, FSN): Everything you need to know is in the columns below.

Cardinals “at” Dodgers (10:05 am PST)

Angels “at” Cubs (1:05 pm PST)

N E W S W O R T H Y…

• K-Rod and Shields are feeling no pain these days.
• The Lakers still don’t have that whole “defending the pick and roll” thing down yet.
• Every baseball fan will remember where they were when the Dodgers touched down in China. Most likely, the answer won’t be “also in China.”

C O L U M N S…

• Like Sister Sledge, the Lakers are family (as shared by the Times’ Kurt Streeter).
• Major League Baseball is making a big push in China. And in the mind of the Times’ Mark Magnier, they’ll have to keep on pushing.
• SportsHubLA Column of the Day: Lot o’ stuff about USC-UCLA. As the Press Enterprise’s Jim Alexander points out, it’s not about trying to get into the dance. Both teams have punched tix in hand. But the last time these teams got together, O.J. Mayo turned the rock over ten times, in part because Russell Westbrook was on him tighter than a hooker’s dress. The Daily News’ Jill Painter is looking forward to the rematch. These teams may be crosstown rivals, but as Bill Plaschke of the Times notes, they’re brothers in “fortitous whistles” arms. The odds favor an entertaining game that disappoints nobody (except the losing squad, as we’re reminded by the Daily News’ Steve Dilbeck). Me? I got nothing to add. I’m just trying to jimmy-rig my Tivo to make for 6 pm PST to roll around.

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