UCLA Is 10-0 and Tied for the School Record as the Clippers Stun the Thunder and the Kings Host Calgary Without Panarin
The Bruins survived a Ty Dieffenbach injury scare to beat Illinois 22-14, the Clippers scored the final seven points to edge Oklahoma City 113-112, Austin Reaves sat out practice before Sunday in Phoenix, and USC was tied with Indiana at halftime.
LOS ANGELES — Friday night went the right way for two Los Angeles teams in very different places. UCLA beat Illinois to stay perfect and tie a school record, the Clippers scored the last seven points to stun Oklahoma City, and the weekend's not done yet: USC is playing at Indiana this afternoon, the Kings close a rough homestand tonight, and the Lakers are waiting on Austin Reaves' heel.
UCLA Is 10-0 for the First Time Since 1998
The fourth-ranked Bruins beat Illinois 22-14 on a wet night in Pasadena to improve to 10-0 and 7-0 in the Big Ten, UCLA Athletics reported. It's their first 10-0 start since 1998, and the 10 regular-season wins tie the school record set in 1946 and 1988. The seven-win jump from last season's 3-9 is the biggest one-year improvement in UCLA history, and Bob Chesney is the first Bruins coach to start his tenure 10-0.
It wasn't easy. Quarterback Ty Dieffenbach limped off with an upper-body injury in the final minute of the first half and needed help leaving the field, theScore reported. Dieffenbach returned with 1:08 left in the third quarter and threw a 26-yard touchdown to Semaj Morgan on his first drive back, which put UCLA up 19-7. He finished 13 of 20 for 232 yards and two touchdowns.
Aidan Mizell had career highs of six catches and 176 yards, including a 54-yard touchdown in the first quarter. The defense held Illinois to 240 yards, got a safety when Aiden Gobaira sacked Katin Houser in the end zone, and intercepted three passes. Scooter Jackson had two of them, and his second stopped Illinois' last drive after the Illini had cut the lead to 19-14. Mateen Bhaghani then made a 37-yard field goal to finish the scoring.
"It wasn't pretty," Chesney said, according to UCLA Athletics. "They just believe that they have a shot to win every game and that they're going to find a way." The Bruins play at Michigan next Saturday, Nov. 21, their first trip to Ann Arbor since 1996, and close the regular season against USC at the Rose Bowl on Nov. 28, according to the team's postgame notes. Kickoff times haven't been set.
Clippers Close on a 7-0 Run to Beat the Thunder
The Clippers trailed 112-106 with 2:43 left at Intuit Dome and didn't give up another point. Brook Lopez scored 26 and made two baskets down the stretch, and Darius Garland, who had 24, put them ahead for good with a three-point play with 50.4 seconds left in a 113-112 NBA Cup win, the Associated Press reported. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 40 for Oklahoma City but missed a 21-foot jumper at the buzzer.
Derrick Jones Jr. and rookie Keaton Wagler scored 14 points each, and Gradey Dick added 13. The official box score lists Bradley Beal and Brandon Ingram as inactive. The Clippers (3-8) have won two of their last three after a 1-7 start. The Thunder (8-5) played without Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace and Ajay Mitchell and have lost three straight.
Reaves Sits Out Practice Before Sunday in Phoenix
The Lakers (11-2) go for an eighth straight win Sunday at 1 p.m. Pacific against the Suns (5-6), but they may have to do it without Reaves. He didn't practice Saturday because of the bruised left heel he suffered in Wednesday's win at Milwaukee. "He was off, he's in flip-flops. He'll be on the injury report. We'll see about tomorrow," coach JJ Redick said, according to Sports Illustrated. Redick said Luka Dončić is fine and won't be on the injury report. Collin Sexton, who needed stitches above his right eye after a collision in Milwaukee, was a full participant and plans to wear protective goggles, Basketnews reported.
Kings Try to Salvage the Homestand Without Panarin
The Kings (5-10-2) host the Calgary Flames (8-10-1) at 7 p.m. at Crypto.com Arena to end a seven-game homestand in which they've won twice. Artemi Panarin will miss the game for family reasons, coach Peter Laviolette said, and Alex Turcotte will take his spot on a line with Adrian Kempe and Alex Laferriere, the Kings said. Anton Forsberg is expected to start in goal. He has a .907 save percentage but an 0-5-1 record, because the Kings have scored only 10 goals in his seven appearances.
The power play is a bright spot, with eight goals in six games on the homestand. Quinton Byfield has three of them. Kevin Fiala's assist on Byfield's goal in Thursday's loss to the Islanders was the 300th of his career, the first for a Swiss forward. Defenseman Erik Gustafsson is expected to miss a third straight game, LA Kings Insider reported.
USC at Indiana
No. 15 USC (7-2, 4-2 Big Ten) and No. 6 Indiana were tied 10-10 at halftime in Bloomington, according to CBS Sports' game tracker. Jayden Maiava tied it with a 7-yard touchdown pass with 21 seconds left in the half. The game is on CBS and ESPN LA 710, according to USC Athletics. The Hoosiers are the defending national champions and have never beaten USC.
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