Sports News, Sports Scores: San Bernardino Sun https://www.sbsun.com Wed, 10 Apr 2024 07:39:47 +0000 en-US hourly 30 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.2 https://www.sbsun.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/sbsun_new-510.png?w=32 Sports News, Sports Scores: San Bernardino Sun https://www.sbsun.com 32 32 134393472 Alexander: In 48 minutes, Lakers’ chances take a direct hit https://www.sbsun.com/2024/04/09/alexander-in-48-minutes-lakers-chances-take-a-direct-hit/ Wed, 10 Apr 2024 06:59:47 +0000 https://www.sbsun.com/?p=4252633&preview=true&preview_id=4252633 LOS ANGELES — As Tuesday night’s exercise in downtown L.A. began, the Lakers had a legitimate shot at rising to sixth place in the Western Conference and avoiding the NBA’s play-in rounds altogether.

When it ended, after a 134-120 Golden State victory in which the Warriors shot an unconscious 26 for 41 from 3-point range – including lots of treys from guys you wouldn’t expect them from – the Lakers were in serious jeopardy of finishing 10th and having to win two elimination games on the road just to get into the actual playoffs and a first-round series against the top seed.

Ain’t this system wonderful?

For fans who don’t have a horse in this race, or who relish chaos, it’s fantastic theater. For those who do have a rooting interest among the Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Pelicans, the days leading up to Sunday’s end of the regular season could be excruciating.

Which is the point, and the reason that the play-in round – an inspired idea that came out of the 2020 COVID bubble in Orlando – is such a rousing success. You might squirm, but you’ll watch.

“I think the play-in has been great for the league,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said before Tuesday’s game. “I think it’s kept more teams engaged. It’s made for some really exciting single-elimination games for the fans to watch.

“And,” he added puckishly, “if it weren’t for the plan this year we would be just about out of things. So I liked it before when it didn’t benefit us, but I really like it now.”

Laker fans will be agonizing through their team’s final scheduled games: Friday night at Memphis (a draft lottery-bound team against which L.A. has won two of its previous three) and Sunday at New Orleans (which moved ahead of Phoenix into the No. 6 spot on Tuesday night, but has also lost two of three to the Lakers).

The distance between the ecstasy of avoiding the play-in zone and the agony of being the 10th seed and having no margin for error? Let’s call it 23 feet, 9 inches, the distance from the 3-point arc to the basket.

It is not uncommon for Steph Curry and Klay Thompson to shred opponents from behind the arc. But when guys who seldom take 3-point shots are basically gifted that shot and keep splashing it, this spells trouble. Draymond Green (46 for 122 on the season) kept getting wide open 3-point looks on Tuesday night, made his first five and wound up 5 for 7. Gary Payton II has attempted only 52 treys all season, and he went 2 for 3.

“It was our game plan tonight, for those guys that made threes to let them shoot,” forward Rui Hachimura said afterward. “It was our game plan and they did it, so you just can’t do anything about it.”

Well, they could have put a hand in Draymond’s face once in a while. Seriously, the last time he had five 3-pointers in a game was May 4, 2017, in a playoff game against Utah.

Tuesday night also was another example of how heavily the Lakers depend on their stars. LeBron James was back from the bout with, apparently, stomach flu that kept him out of Sunday’s loss to Minnesota, and he provided 33 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds and two steals in 35:32 of playing time.

But Anthony Davis, who took a shot to the face against the Timberwolves and came out of that game before halftime, was unavailable Tuesday. The official injury report listed “left eye soreness,” but Coach Darvin Ham said Davis “couldn’t quite overcome the headache and nausea” in his pregame remarks, adding that Davis was “currently not in concussion protocol.”

But the reference was suitably vague that when asked again after the game whether that headache was from illness or related to the blow he took Sunday night, Ham said, “You have to ask our doctors for sure. … That’s (illness) what it feels like to me, but again, I’m not a medical professional.”

Without Davis, the Lakers’ defense was nauseating and did cause headaches, in a manner of speaking. His rim protection might have enabled the defenders further out on the floor to defend those gimme 3-point shots more aggressively, and who knows how that might have turned out?

“They put a lot of pressure on your defense, not having A.D. back there as our conductor, communicating and moving around,” Ham said. “But, you know, we came into the game, we feel comfortable with our game plan. … All NBA players are capable, don’t get me wrong. But the guys you want shooting the ball shot the ball. And when they’re able to hold the water or maintain with those guys making shots, you know eventually Steph and Klay are going to make their shots.”

Curry was 6 for 6 from distance, Thompson shot 5 for 10.

As much as the Lakers depend on their stars, consider that they are 21-10 since Feb. 1 – the night in Boston when they were without both Davis and James and the remainders roughed up the Celtics,114-105. Going into that game they were a game under .500 and that In-Season Tournament “championship” seemed more like a mirage every day.

But there is this about the Western Conference: The Lakers are 45-35. The Warriors are 44-35 and have gone 25-11 since Jan. 30, two days after they dropped a nationally televised double-overtime thriller to the Lakers in San Francisco. Yet neither can make up ground in a conference with four 50-win teams and a fifth, Dallas, that had 49 wins all told and 15 in its last 17 going into its game Wednesday night game at Miami.

Do players and coaches scoreboard watch at this point of the season? Kerr said he’ll pick up his phone immediately following a game to double-check how everyone else did. And Austin Reaves said he’ll be keeping track of other results this week, but with this caveat:

“Good things don’t happen if we don’t win, regardless.”

At this stage, their own margin for error slim and the opportunities dwindling, the Lakers’ job is simply to win their last two. As for worrying about the other games that might affect where they finish?

It’s enough to give them a headache.

jalexander@scng.com

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4252633 2024-04-09T23:59:47+00:00 2024-04-10T00:39:47+00:00
Short-handed Clippers stun Suns early, hold on to clinch top-5 finish https://www.sbsun.com/2024/04/09/short-handed-clippers-stun-suns-early-hold-on-to-clinch-top-5-finish/ Wed, 10 Apr 2024 05:31:13 +0000 https://www.sbsun.com/?p=4252551&preview=true&preview_id=4252551 By DAVID BRANDT AP Sports Writer

PHOENIX — Russell Westbrook had a triple-double, and the Clippers clinched a playoff berth on Tuesday night, officially avoiding the play-in tournament by withstanding the Phoenix Suns’ late rally for a 105-92 win that guaranteed them at least a top-five finish in the Western Conference standings.

Westbrook had 16 points, 15 rebounds and 15 assists for his first triple-double of the season and the 199th of his career, as the Clippers built a 31-point lead in the first quarter before holding on late.

It was an embarrassing early showing for the Suns, who are fighting to stay out of the play-in tournament. They eventually rallied to cut the margin to 91-84 with 6:45 left on Bradley Beal’s free throw, but couldn’t get closer.

The Clippers – who were playing without All-Stars James Harden and Kawhi Leonard – have won four straight and seven of eight. They host the Suns on Wednesday night in the second game of the home-and-home series.

“Our will to win was great,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “We came out with a defensive mindset, we were really physical, offensively we were clicking. This is a hell of a win against a really good team.”

Paul George led the Clippers with 23 points while Ivica Zubac added 17 points and 13 rebounds. All five starters scored in double figures, with Terance Mann adding 17, Amir Coffey contributing 13 and Powell adding 10.

Westbrook had a standout game in his first start since November.

“No surprise on my end because I know I prepare very well,” Westbrook said. “I take a lot of time to prepare for games, no matter how much time on the floor. I’m grateful for my teammates, believing in me.”

Phoenix shot just 2 for 19 from the field in the opening quarter as boos became progressively louder from the home crowd. The Clippers built a 35-4 lead in less than 10 minutes, when Phoenix went nearly six minutes without scoring.

Fans sarcastically cheered when Devin Booker hit two free throws to stop the drought.

Kevin Durant led the Suns with 21 points while Beal had 19. Booker finished with 12, shooting just 1 for 11 from the field.

The Clippers continued to build their lead in the second. Bones Hyland hit a 3-pointer that made it 51-14 – which was the largest lead of the night – and they took a 66-33 lead into the halftime break.

Booker, Durant and Beal combined to shoot 4 for 25 from the field before the break. The Suns have dropped two straight.

“We got some good looks early, we missed them,” Booker said. “They were hot and that’s a bad combination for us.”

Phoenix showed some life in the third quarter, cutting the margin to 84-68 heading into the fourth. Coach Frank Vogel elected for a five-guard lineup for most of the second half, hoping the Suns could shoot their way back into the game.

It actually worked for a while, but they couldn’t overcome 8-for-35 shooting (23%) from 3-point range.

Both teams were short-handed, though the Clippers, who turned the ball over 18 times, were in worse shape. Leading scorer Leonard sat out his fifth straight game because of inflammation in his right knee, and Harden (8.6 assists per game) was dealing with inflammation in his right foot.

Phoenix was playing without starting center Jusuf Nurkic, who has a sprained right ankle.

It was the final home game of the season for the Suns, who close the regular season with three road games against the Clippers, Sacramento Kings and Minnesota Timberwolves.

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4252551 2024-04-09T22:31:13+00:00 2024-04-09T22:47:31+00:00
A.D.-less Lakers clinging to 9th place in West after key loss to Warriors https://www.sbsun.com/2024/04/09/a-d-less-lakers-clinging-to-9th-place-in-west-after-key-loss-to-warriors/ Wed, 10 Apr 2024 04:55:35 +0000 https://www.sbsun.com/?p=4252528&preview=true&preview_id=4252528 LOS ANGELES — The stakes for the Lakers in Tuesday night’s marquee matchup against the Golden State Warriors were clear.

Win and they’d control their fate to secure at least the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference, with the possibility of moving up the standings with a strong close to the season. Lose and they’d be dependent on external help to avoid finishing the regular season in 10th place.

The latter are the circumstances the Lakers (45-35) now face after their 134-120 loss to the Warriors (44-35), their final home game of the regular season.

“We don’t have time to feel sorry for ourselves,” Coach Darvin Ham said. “We gotta get our bootstraps together and get back on the drawing board, look at the film and try to make the best of these last two games.”

The Warriors, who made 26 of their 41 3-point shots – including an astonishing 16 of 23 from Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green – moved within one-half game of the Lakers in the standings. Golden State now holds the head-to-head tiebreaker despite the regular-season series ending tied at 2-all because the Warriors have a better in-division win-loss record. That gives them the inside track to home-court advantage if the teams meet in a potential 9-10 play-in game next week.

LeBron James, who has been dealing with flu-like symptoms for the last few days and missed Sunday’s home loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, tried to will the Lakers to a victory despite being under the weather, recording 33 points (14-for-22 shooting), 11 assists and seven rebounds in 35 minutes.

“Bron was phenomenal going through what he’s been through the last 48 hours,” Ham said. “He came out and gave his all. We had some good looks that didn’t go down. Shots we normally make, it’s a make-or-miss league. He did everything in his power to try to will the team back to a win. And it just didn’t work out, we fell short.”

Austin Reaves had 22 points, seven rebounds and six assists, while Rui Hachimura added 20 points (7-for-21 shooting), 11 rebounds and two blocked shots. D’Angelo Russell struggled to 14 points on 3-of-11 shooting.

James arrived at the arena a little an hour before tipoff and didn’t go through an on-court warmup on the team’s home court.

“Just tried to get as much rest as I could,” James said. “Stay hydrated as much as I could. I came in Sunday for my normal prep day for the Minnesota game and it started to get worse as the minutes went down. So I just went home. And pretty much [Tuesday] was like one of the first days I was able to get out of the room, get out of the bed and feel a little bit of energy. And I guess well enough to be able to come here and try to help the team.”

But the challenge of beating the Warriors, who have won eight of their last nine games, without Anthony Davis was too difficult for the Lakers to overcome. Davis sat out due to the aftereffects (headache, nausea) of being hit in the head by Minnesota’s Kyle Anderson in the Lakers’ loss to the Timberwolves on Sunday.

“We know we’re as good as any team in the league when we’re whole – and when we’re not, we’re not,” James said. “It’s hard for us to make up, especially having a guy like A.D. not playing. It’s almost pretty much impossible to make up for what he provides for our ballclub, both offensively and defensively.”

The Lakers missed a chance to move into eighth place past struggling Sacramento (45-34), which blew a big second-half lead and lost to Oklahoma City. And now the Lakers need outside help to ensure they don’t fall further down the standings.

If the Warriors win their final three regular-season games, then they’ll jump ahead of the Lakers in the standings even if the Lakers win their final two games on the road against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday and the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday.

The Warriors, led by Thompson’s 27 points (10-for-16 shooting) and Curry’s 23 points (7-for-9 shooting), eight assists and seven rebounds, controlled the game from the outset.

Their 63.4% shooting from behind the arc is an NBA record for any team with at least 40 attempts, and the Warriors’ 26 3-point baskets are the most any Lakers team has ever allowed in a single game.

“They had guys step up and make shots,” Ham said. “It’s a make-or-miss league, and it is what it is. It’s a tough loss for sure. They put a lot of pressure on your defense, not having A.D. back there as just our conductor, just communicating and moving around, obviously very tough.”

The Warriors made 12 of their first 17 3-point attempts, and they shot 20 for 32 from behind the arc in the first three quarters overall.

Green (15 points, 10 assists, six rebounds) made five first-half 3-pointers to help the Warriors lead by double-digits for most of the first half. Andrew Wiggins had 17 points.

“Tip your cap to them,” James said. “You go out with a game plan and they exploit the gameplan, you tip your cap. And [Green] definitely messed with our game plan with him shooting the ball the way he did in the first half. But a team makes 26 3s, it’s gonna be hard to beat them.”

The Warriors scored 10 consecutive points in the final 1:23 of the third quarter to open a 17-point lead. The Lakers cut the deficit to single digits multiple times during the game, but 106-98 was the closest they got in the fourth.

Even after a decade as the coach of a scoring machine, Warriors coach Steve Kerr can still be impressed by his Big Three.

“I didn’t feel like we played that well, but we made a million 3s,” Kerr said. “The ball was going in, but I didn’t think we were sharp. A lot of possessions where we weren’t just quite locked in and we were a little bit disjointed, but the ball kept going in. … To shoot 63% from 3, that’s crazy.”

Davis isn’t in the concussion protocol, Ham said, but the All-Star big man missed a key game after largely avoiding serious injuries all season for the first time in a half-decade.

The Lakers fell to 2-4 without Davis this season, not counting two losses in which he played only the first quarter due to head blows.

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4252528 2024-04-09T21:55:35+00:00 2024-04-10T00:17:32+00:00
Ducks deny Kings a chance to clinch playoff spot https://www.sbsun.com/2024/04/09/ducks-deny-kings-a-chance-to-clinch-playoff-spot/ Wed, 10 Apr 2024 04:52:29 +0000 https://www.sbsun.com/?p=4252569&preview=true&preview_id=4252569 ANAHEIM — The Kings strolled into Honda Center on Tuesday night with the opportunity to clinch a playoff berth, but the Ducks had other ideas as they upended their cross-region rivals, 3-1, to capture this season’s penultimate Freeway Faceoff.

The Kings, who had taken their previous eight meetings with the Ducks, including two this season, saw their three-game winning streak come to an end. The Ducks got the ball rolling on a modest two-game points streak.

The Nashville Predators clinched a playoff berth with an overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets, leaving the Kings and Vegas Golden Knights still in search of a firm position in the postseason. The Kings’ chance to avenge two straight first-round playoff losses to second-place Edmonton is at risk, since Vegas is one point behind them for third place in the Pacific Division with a game in hand.

Frank Vatrano, Alex Killorn and Trevor Zegras each broke out goal-scoring celebrations for the Ducks. Ryan Strome contributed two assists, with he and Vatrano being on the ice for all three Ducks goals. Lukáš Dostál made his fifth consecutive start, moving to 2-2-1 in those games on the strength of 36 saves.

Akil Thomas scored the Kings’ lone goal and Cam Talbot made 24 saves.

For the most part, the Ducks said they were unaware of their role as spoiler, though rookie Leo Carlsson continued to show awareness beyond that of even his more seasoned peers.

“I heard about it, yeah. It’s nice to destroy their hopes a little bit,” Carlsson said.

The Kings earned the game’s first lead and played their style early on, but halfway through the first period their game flattened a bit, with costly turnovers and untimely penalties fettering their efforts.

“We wanted an easy game, that was clear, and we got an easy game, except the other team beat us,” Kings interim coach Jim Hiller said.

The Ducks pulled away with 14:10 to play when Zegras stripped Jordan Spence at the red line and strode ahead for an unassisted goal, his fifth of an injury-plagued season. Zegras nearly scored again with 7:23 remaining when his spectacular skyward deflection dinged the crossbar, with the Kings drawing no nearer.

After going scoreless in his first three games back after recovering from ankle surgery, Zegras has accumulated five points in his past five games, including his first goal in that stretch Tuesday.

“It’s tough to jump back in and play the game that you know that you can play. For him, the more games he gets, the better he’s getting,” Killorn said. “Tonight, he had that huge goal and he made a ton of good plays out there.”

A mere 82 seconds into the final frame, the Ducks appeared to take their first lead on their first power play of the night, but Killorn’s redirection goal was disallowed after a coach’s challenge determined that he had entered the zone offside.

In something of a “puck don’t lie” moment, Killorn scored 29 seconds later. He gave the puck up for Cam Fowler at the left point, received it back and curled into the high slot for a wrist shot under the bar and his 18th goal of the campaign.

“I think I’m the one who put myself offside, so it’s frustrating. It’s hard to score goals in this league, so whenever they get taken away it’s pretty tough,” Killorn said. “I was happy that I was able to get it back quickly.”

The second period yielded no goals and only one high-danger chance. Perhaps the strongest late-period play was Matt Roy’s blast on net followed by his screen and tip of Adrian Kempe’s subsequent shot attempt.

Through 40 minutes, the two sides were knotted at one, just as they had been after 20.

The Ducks found an equalizer with 2:14 left in the opening stanza. Viktor Arvidsson’s clearing attempt got gobbled at the blue line by Strome, leaving Arvidsson, among others, out of position as the puck moved to Radko Gudas and then a wide-open Vatrano at the net front. Vatrano smacked the puck into Talbot’s pad and then into the gaping left side of the net for his team-topping 33rd goal of the season.

That came on the heels off a pair of near misses after Olen Zellweger hit the post and a golden opportunity off a two-on-one was thwarted by Drew Doughty. Troy Terry waited out Talbot near the right post before sliding the puck across to Killorn for a one-timer with Talbot scrambling to recover as Doughty slid to the ice to block the shot and foil a near-certain score.

“Our first 10, 12 minutes were great, playing Kings hockey, and we kind of drifted away from that,” Kings center Blake Lizotte said. “A few guys were on their own page more than we’d like. And you have to give them credit too. They have some skilled players and took advantage of our mistakes.”

There was no doubt about the second career goal for Thomas, who has played sparingly but impressively since joining the Kings four games ago. Just 5:50 into the contest, Trevor Lewis chipped the puck into the Ducks’ zone and crashed the net, leaving a stuff-in attempt inside the blue paint for Thomas to push home amid four defenders.

“He’s been a great addition to our line and a really easy player to play with,” Lewis said of Thomas.

Lewis, a veteran of many Freeway Faceoffs in his 16 NHL seasons, said a loss to a less competitive club in which his team allowed two goals off turnovers and a de facto power-play marker to Killorn just as Trevor Moore’s penalty expired served as a reminder to stay sharp.

“These are tough games. They’re not in the playoffs but they have a lot of skill and they’re playing freely,” Lewis said. “So, you’ve got to make sure you’re on top of your game and not taking them lightly.”

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4252569 2024-04-09T21:52:29+00:00 2024-04-09T23:47:37+00:00
Angels lose to Rays on sloppy night for Patrick Sandoval https://www.sbsun.com/2024/04/09/angels-lose-to-rays-on-sloppy-night-for-patrick-sandoval/ Wed, 10 Apr 2024 04:35:08 +0000 https://www.sbsun.com/?p=4252508&preview=true&preview_id=4252508 ANAHEIM — Patrick Sandoval had another off night, with the only solace being that he made it through five innings with the Angels still having a chance to win the game.

They didn’t.

Sandoval, the Angels’ Opening Day starter, has lost two of his three starts this season, including allowing four runs in the Angels’ 6-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night.

“It was a big struggle,” Manager Ron Washington said of Sandoval’s performance. “A lot of 3-2 counts. Just couldn’t command the fastball. Didn’t have any consistency with the offspeed, but he stayed in there.”

It was a disappointing night for the Angels after an encouraging start, with Mike Trout putting them on top with a two-run homer in the first inning.

The three-time American League MVP is the first player in Angels history to hit six homers in the first 11 games of the season. Trout’s homer was a two-run shot, the first of his homers that wasn’t a solo homer.

Otherwise, though, the Angels didn’t do much at the plate. They scored on an error in the fourth, and then didn’t even get another runner into scoring position until they were down to their last out and down by three in the ninth.

The Angels (6-5) couldn’t take Sandoval off the hook for the loss, even though it was a one-run game when he threw his final pitch. Sandoval didn’t make it out of the second inning in his Opening Day loss, but then he pitched well in a victory. This time he gave up four runs in five innings, lifting his ERA to 6.57.

“It’s still early,” Washington said. “He’s healthy. There’s nothing wrong with him. He’s just got to start commanding the baseball, especially the fastball, more frequently. I think once he starts commanding the fastball the rest of his stuff will play.”

Sandoval issued three walks, but one of them was questionable.

Sandoval appeared to get squeezed at times by plate umpire Bill Miller, including on a pitch that could have been the third strike on Curtis Mead to lead off the second. Mead ended up walking, sparking a two-run inning. The first of those runs came on a play that was initially ruled an out at the plate, but overturned on review.

Sandoval was also called for a balk when he had José Siri picked off in the fourth. And he was a victim of a misplay when right fielder Mickey Moniak failed to catch a fly ball after a long run just inside the foul line, leading to another run.

Despite all of that going against him, Sandoval still managed to get through five innings with the Angels in the game. They trailed 4-3 when he threw his 101st and final pitch in the fifth inning.

The hitters, though, couldn’t do anything else, and the bullpen allowed the lead to grow.

José Cisnero gave up a homer to Isaac Paredes in the seventh. His fly ball was barely inside the left field pole. Cisnero has allowed seven runs in 4⅓ innings so far this season.

In the eighth, Hunter Strickland gave up a run when José Caballero singled, stole second and scored on a two-out blooper into right.

Luis Rengifo drove in a run in the bottom of the ninth, and the Angels had the potential winning run at the plate. Pinch hitter Miguel Sanó took the final two pitches, both sliders that were called strikes.

“From my vantage, point (closer Pete Fairbanks) left two balls up,” Washington said. “I wish (Sanó) would have went for them. Take his chances. Go for them. I think those two balls up, if he took his chances, as strong as he is, something big may have happened. But I’m not in that batters’ box.”

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4252508 2024-04-09T21:35:08+00:00 2024-04-09T22:21:59+00:00
Tara VanDerveer retires as Stanford women’s basketball coach https://www.sbsun.com/2024/04/09/tara-vanderveer-retires-as-stanford-womens-basketball-coach/ Wed, 10 Apr 2024 04:02:08 +0000 https://www.sbsun.com/?p=4252481&preview=true&preview_id=4252481 By JANIE McCAULEY AP Sports Writer

STANFORD — Tara VanDerveer, the winningest basketball coach in NCAA history, announced her retirement Tuesday night after 38 seasons leading the Stanford women’s team and 45 years overall.

The 70-year-old VanDerveer surpassed Duke icon Mike Krzyzewski for the wins record in January. The Hall of Famer departs with 1,216 victories at Idaho, Ohio State and Stanford.

“Basketball is the greatest group project there is and I am so incredibly thankful for every person who has supported me and our teams throughout my coaching career,” VanDerveer said in a statement. “I’ve been spoiled to coach the best and brightest at one of the world’s foremost institutions for nearly four decades.”

And as has been the plan for years, top Cardinal assistant Kate Paye is set to take over the program, and Stanford said in a statement that negotiations with Paye are underway. Paye played for VanDerveer from 1991-95 and has coached on her staff for 17 years.

Former Stanford player and retired Arizona State coach Charli Turner Thorne reached out to VanDerveer immediately Tuesday.

“She has done it all so just really happy for her to enjoy life after coaching!” Turner Thorne said in a text message to The Associated Press. “When you know you know.”

VanDerveer’s legacy will be long lasting. She always took time to mentor other coaches, swapping game film with some or going to the visiting locker room to offer encouraging words and insight.

“Tara’s influence is both deep and wide. I went to her very first camp at Stanford as a camper,” UCLA coach Cori Close said in a text to the AP. “I competed against her and worked her camps as a player. And I have now been competing against her and learning from her for many years as a coach. My coaching has been affected on so many levels by Tara’s example and direct mentorship at many crossroads. Congrats on an amazing career Tara. Our game, the Pac-12 Conference, and my coaching is better because of you. Enjoy retirement. You sure have earned it.”

VanDerveer’s last day is scheduled for May 8 – the 39th anniversary of her hiring. And she plans to continue working for the school and athletic department in an advisory role.

Her Stanford teams won NCAA titles in 1990, ’92 and 2021 and reached the Final Four 14 times.

VanDerveer took a year away from Stanford to guide the undefeated U.S. women’s Olympic team to a gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

“Coupled with my time at Ohio State and Idaho, and as head coach of the United States National Team, it has been an unforgettable ride,” she said. “The joy for me was in the journey of each season, seeing a group of young women work hard for each other and form an unbreakable bond. Winning was a byproduct. I’ve loved the game of basketball since I was a little girl, and it has given me so much throughout my life. I hope I’ve been able to give at least a little bit back.”

For many in women’s basketball, the answer is a resounding yes.

“She’s a legend,” Cal coach and former Stanford player and assistant Charmin Smith texted the AP. “The game will miss her.”

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4252481 2024-04-09T21:02:08+00:00 2024-04-09T21:12:56+00:00
USWNT outlasts Canada to win SheBelieves Cup https://www.sbsun.com/2024/04/09/uswnt-outlasts-canada-to-win-shebelieves-cup/ Wed, 10 Apr 2024 02:22:17 +0000 https://www.sbsun.com/?p=4252385&preview=true&preview_id=4252385 COLUMBUS, Ohio — Alyssa Naeher made three saves in a penalty kick shootout and converted her own attempt to lead the U.S. women’s soccer team past Canada on Tuesday night in the final of the SheBelieves Cup, the Americans’ fifth consecutive title in the event.

The U.S. won the shootout 5-4 after the rivals played to a 2-2 draw in regulation. Emily Fox scored the decisive goal in the seventh round of the shootout after Naeher stopped Evelyne Viens.

Sophia Smith scored both U.S. goals. Her first tied the score at 1-all in the 50th minute. Her second put the Americans ahead 2-1 in the 68th off a cross from Trinity Rodman, who was subbed in only minutes before.

Adriana Leon scored twice for Canada. She made it 1-0 in the 40th minute, and tied the score at 2-all when she converted a penalty in the 86th.

It was the 66th meeting between between the teams, with the U.S. leading the series 54-4-8. The last meeting was last month in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, with the Americans advancing to the final on penalty shots after a rain-soaked 2-2 draw. Naeher also made three saves and converted a penalty in that match.

“It’s just incredible to watch and be here live, and know how prepared she is,” interim U.S. coach Twila Kilgore said. “I mean, she is prepared for every PK she could possibly face.”

The SheBelieves Cup matches were the last for the team under Kilgore. Emma Hayes, currently ending her coaching duties with England’s Chelsea, is set to take over for the next two games on the schedule, exhibitions against South Korea in June. Kilgore, who had an 11-1-2 record during her time in charge, will remain on Hayes’ staff.

Kilgore led the team to a 10-1-3 record after taking over for Vlatko Andonovski, who departed after the U.S. was eliminated in the Round of 16 at the Women’s World Cup last summer.

“I just think this team needed to regroup a little bit and focus on the things we felt would get us ready (for the Olympics) and get back to who we really are, get back to our DNA and also make sure that we’re evolving,” Kilgore said. “This team really wanted to evolve. Everything you see on the pitch is all credit to the players.”

Canada’s opening SheBelieves Cup match against Brazil also ended with a penalty shootout.

“In penalties we have a thorough process,” Canada coach Bev Priestman said. “At the end of the day, when you’ve got a full stadium cheering for the goalkeeper you’re going up against, nerves can be affected no matter what the staff say and what they do in training.”

Mallory Swanson, who started in the Americans’ 2-1 victory over Japan in the SheBelieves opener on Saturday, came on as a substitute to start the second half. Swanson was sidelined for a year after injuring her patellar tendon during an exhibition against Ireland last year. The injury kept her out of last summer’s Women’s World Cup.

Naomi Girma did not play after she was subbed off in the first half of the opener with an apparent thigh injury.

Korbin Albert made her second straight appearance as a substitute following a controversy over past social media posts. The 20-year-old, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain, had reposted anti-LGBTQ+ content on her TikTok account.

Albert apologized, saying “liking and sharing posts that are offensive, insensitive and hurtful was immature and disrespectful which was never my intent.”

Alex Morgan addressed the issue last week, noting the team was handling it internally. The U.S. Women’s National Team Players Association issued a statement earlier Tuesday.

“The women’s soccer community is one of joy, excitement, kindness and love. We have worked to ensure our community is safe, inclusive and welcoming to everyone. As allies and members of the LGBTQIA+ community, those efforts will not stop,” the statement said.

Brazil took third place, beating Japan, 3-0, in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw in the earlier match at Lower.com Field. Goalkeeper Lorena saved all three penalty attempts by Japan.

All four teams that played in the SheBelieves Cup have qualified for the Paris Olympics this summer.

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4252385 2024-04-09T19:22:17+00:00 2024-04-09T21:28:00+00:00
Dominant Tyler Glasnow strikes out 14 as Dodgers beat Twins https://www.sbsun.com/2024/04/09/dominant-tyler-glasnow-strikes-out-14-as-dodgers-beat-twins/ Wed, 10 Apr 2024 02:12:42 +0000 https://www.sbsun.com/?p=4252362&preview=true&preview_id=4252362 MINNEAPOLIS — Before the game on Tuesday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts talked about some of the uneven spots in Tyler Glasnow’s first three starts this season.

“He’s obviously a really talented pitcher, really competing well,” Roberts said in the visitors’ dugout at Target Field. “I think that what we haven’t seen is, from start to finish, that he’s been synced up with his delivery.

“He’s a big guy (6-foot-8). There’s a lot of things going everywhere. So to kind of keep that under control is not easy, certainly. So I’m looking forward to, from pitch one to pitch 101, to have it synced up and it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

The Minnesota Twins had that syncing feeling Tuesday.

Glasnow overwhelmed a young Twins lineup, allowing just three hits while striking out 14 in seven scoreless innings as the Dodgers won, 6-3.

“That’s exactly what we were looking for,” Roberts said after the dominant performance. “We’ve seen Tyler over the years from the other side, and this is one of those things from pitch one to pitch 90 or 87, whatever it was tonight, he had complete control of the game.

“You look at the big leagues, he’s an ace for any team. He demonstrated that tonight, I thought.”

Glasnow struck out 10 of the first 15 batters he faced including six in a row at one point. The only hitter in the Twins’ lineup Glasnow did not strike out Tuesday was their No. 9 hitter, rookie outfielder Austin Martin. Martin doubled off the glove of a diving James Outman in right-center field in the third inning for his first major-league hit – and the Twins’ only hit in the first five innings – then pulled a hard ground ball down the third-base line for another double in the sixth.

“I felt just a lot more balanced today,” Glasnow said of syncing up his mechanics. “I think just everything like my direction going towards home was more consistent than normal and I think everything was able to tunnel off of it. I think even the couple misfires were misfires in the zone, so (I was) just being able to throw more strikes and get ahead of guys.”

The 14 strikeouts tied Glasnow’s career-high – and he knew it.

“I always do. I’d lie if I said I didn’t. I had them tallied up, for sure,” he said of keeping a mental count of his Ks, something he has done since he was a kid.

“Yeah, it’s like subconscious at this point. I think you’re unaware of it. Sometimes I’ll be off a bit but for the most part I kinda know, yeah.”

Glasnow became the first Dodgers starter of the season to pitch into the seventh inning and he did it with ease, completing seven innings on just 88 pitches (65 for strikes). According to OptaStats, Glasnow is the first pitcher to strike out 14 or more batters while throwing fewer than 90 pitches since pitch counts started to be officially kept in 1988.

The Twins couldn’t touch Glasnow’s four-seam fastball. He threw 45 of them (averaging 96.2 mph). The Twins swung at 25 of them, missed 12, fouled off seven and put just six in play. They took another 12 for called strikes.

They didn’t fare much better against his slider, missing six of the 12 they swung at, or the curveball, missing three times for a whopping 21 swings-and-misses in all.

“I thought he was really good,” Dodgers catcher Will Smith said. “He was attacking the zone, getting ahead and putting guys away.

“You’re just making sure you’re mixing speeds, mixing locations, making sure you don’t let guys keyhole and get on him. So, yeah, I thought he did a really good job tonight. It was fun to catch.”

The Dodgers backed Glasnow with three-run home runs in back-to-back innings.

James Outman was 2 for 25 with 14 strikeouts in that stretch before hitting the go-ahead home run in the seventh inning of Monday’s win. He joked about doing the same cricket bat hitting drills as Shohei Ohtani, hoping to get the same results as the hot-hitting Ohtani.

It might be working. Outman singled in his first at-bat Tuesday then launched a three-run home run 422 feet to straightaway center field in the fourth inning for the Dodgers’ first runs of the game.

Mookie Betts’ hot start has given way to Ohtani’s current 12-for-27 tear over his past six games, both obscuring the fact that Smith is hitting as well as either of them.

Smith has hits in 10 of his first 12 games, multiple hits in five of those. His 2-for-5 night against the Twins left his batting average at an even .400.

His second hit of the night Tuesday was the Dodgers’ second three-run home run, an opposite-field drive that doubled their lead in the fifth inning.

“I think he likes it that way, as far as being under the radar,” Roberts said. “He’s hitting fourth in a pretty dang good lineup so he’s not going unnoticed here. I think he’s an All-Star. A star player. He’s very consistent.

“I think the ‘Big 3’ certainly gets a lot of media attention. But that four hitter is pretty dang good too. He’s very consistent. He’s exactly what we need behind those three guys.”

The Twins were so relieved to see Glasnow leave the game after seven innings that they hit three home runs in the last two – one off of Alex Vesia in the eighth and back-to-back shots off Connor Brogdon in his Dodgers debut in the ninth.

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4252362 2024-04-09T19:12:42+00:00 2024-04-09T20:25:43+00:00
Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani says throwing program is ‘going according to plan’ https://www.sbsun.com/2024/04/09/dodgers-shohei-ohtani-says-throwing-program-is-going-according-to-plan/ Wed, 10 Apr 2024 00:45:13 +0000 https://www.sbsun.com/?p=4252309&preview=true&preview_id=4252309 MINNEAPOLIS — Shohei Ohtani has been through this before so he knows there is little excitement in the early stages of a throwing program.

“It’s been going according to plan,” Ohtani said through his interpreter on Monday.

Six-and-a-half months out from his second elbow-reconstruction surgery, Ohtani is two weeks into the start of his throwing program. At this point, that means playing catch from 60 feet or closer for a limited number of throws.

“Just stretching out a little bit, increasing the intensity a little bit,” Ohtani said. “It’s been going pretty well.”

Unlike his time as a two-way player, Ohtani’s throwing program has virtually no impact on the time he’s able to devote to preparing for games as a hitter at this point. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts doesn’t see that changing any time soon.

“As far as him progressing, the main thing is for us to feel he’s ready to pitch in ’25,” Roberts said. “Nothing that we do should impact that going forward.”

Without the drain of pitching, Roberts expects to write Ohtani’s name in at DH every game with no plans for off days unless things change. The Dodgers have four off days in the first three weeks of April and won’t play more than seven consecutive days until a road trip to Washington, Toronto and Arizona at the end of this month.

“I think that, where we’re at, the two games that we had in Korea, lends itself to more off days once we started here stateside,” he said. “If I start to see or hear or talk to Shohei and he says he might need a day off, we’ll have that conversation. Right now, with the off days I don’t see it coming in awhile.”

It figures to be a long while before the Dodgers have any conversations with Ohtani about playing in the field. During spring training, Roberts raised that as a possibility when Ohtani has progressed far enough in his throwing program. But Roberts was dismissive of the idea this week.

“This year, I just don’t see how he’s not going to be a DH,” he said. “He’s building up with his throwing program. If there’s a conversation in September to run him out there to spell somebody else, a day of defense, we can have that conversation. But we’re not even close to that.

“Status quo is fine. If it changes in September, then we’ll have a discussion.”

SECOND HALF

The Dodgers’ early start in South Korea skews the numbers. But the sixth through ninth spots in their batting order combined to strike out 65 times in their first 13 games. The individual totals in the sixth and eighth spots rank first in MLB. Their seventh-spot hitters are second.

Individually, Teoscar Hernandez (who typically bats sixth) and Max Muncy rank first and second in MLB in strikeouts. James Outman (15 strikeouts in his first 37 at-bats) and Chris Taylor (10 in his first 22) have added to the strikeout-heavy bottom half of the Dodgers’ lineup.

For most of those hitters, this is not surprising. Taylor led the National League in strikeouts in 2018 (with 178) and has struck out at least 160 times in two of the previous three seasons. Hernandez was second in the American League with 211 strikeouts last season. Outman was fourth in the National League with 181 strikeouts as a rookie last year.

But Roberts said he doesn’t want to view past performance as inevitably predictive of future results.

“I don’t feel good about conceding the fact that they’re just going to go up there and swing and miss, certain guys,” he said. “I do think that there’s a role that everyone has in the order and (you should) work to get better at it. Yeah, CT’s got swing-and-miss in his swing but I still think he can get better and I think the same thing with James.

“Hitting is hard. I do just want to see good at-bats.”

ALSO

Right-hander Dinelson Lamet has cleared waivers and rejoined Triple-A Oklahoma City. Lamet was designated for assignment by the Dodgers over the weekend.

UP NEXT

Dodgers (RHP Bobby Miller, 1-1, 5.87 ERA) at Twins (RHP Chris Paddack, 0-0, 4.50 ERA), Wednesday, 10:10 a.m. PT, SportsNet LA, MLB Network, 570 AM

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4252309 2024-04-09T17:45:13+00:00 2024-04-09T17:54:53+00:00
Angels’ Anthony Rendon warms up after cold start https://www.sbsun.com/2024/04/09/angels-anthony-rendon-warms-up-after-cold-start/ Wed, 10 Apr 2024 00:33:25 +0000 https://www.sbsun.com/?p=4252276&preview=true&preview_id=4252276 ANAHEIM — A day after Anthony Rendon doubled his season hit total in one game, he said there was no adjustment that flipped a switch from cold to hot.

“I don’t really know,” the Angels’ third baseman said on Tuesday. “Nothing’s really changed. Just trying to stay adamant about my work. Continue talking with the hitting coaches and just keep working every day. They’re finally just falling.”

Rendon began the season in an 0-for-21 slump. Since then, he has six hits in 16 at-bats, including three hits on Monday night.

Manager Ron Washington said Rendon was showing signs even when he was hitless that he was on the right track.

“Rendon is a hands hitter,” Washington said. “A hands hitter has to be able to stay behind the ball, and if you notice earlier he was behind the ball but late. Now, the more at-bats you get and more comfortable that he’d become with his hands, then you start getting them out there.”

Rendon’s first hit was a chopper to third base last Friday night.

“That opened up the floodgates and now he’s centering the ball the way he’s capable of centering the ball,” Washington said.

While Rendon’s performance has been uneven, he has at least remained on the field. He was in the lineup for the 10th time in 11 games on Tuesday. He said he’s feeling “pretty good.”

“Just trying to continue to stay on top of my body and do some maintenance stuff,” Rendon said. “Just trying to be happy being out there every day, especially how it’s been the last few years.”

Rendon’s injuries, which have cost him much of the past three years, are one of the reasons that he was booed loudly by a segment of fans throughout the first homestand. It also didn’t help that there’s a perception that he’s not sufficiently committed to baseball, which existed even before he proclaimed in spring training that his family is a higher priority than baseball.

Amid all that, another segment of fans has cheered Rendon loudly this week, in an effort to encourage him to move past his struggles.

Asked about both extremes, Rendon said: “It’s all good. It’s just unfortunate that sometimes my words and my interviews get taken out of context. It’s nothing that I’ve been in control of.”

NOTES

The Angels still have not released any information on pitcher Chase Silseth’s MRI exam. Silseth (elbow inflammation) said he felt something on a few breaking balls during Sunday’s start, and it was enough to place him on the injured list. …

Right-hander Robert Stephenson (shoulder inflammation) came through his live batting practice session well on Tuesday, Washington said. “I think we’re about to get him out of here and on a rehab,” Washington said. Stephenson is expected to need at least a couple weeks worth of outings because he didn’t pitch in any games in spring training. …

Zach Neto was not in the lineup on Tuesday. Neto was hitting .200 with 10 strikeouts in 35 at-bats. “Just pressing,” Washington said. “I think he’s chasing hits instead of chasing the baseball and letting the hits happen. Just chasing it, so I wanted to give him a mental break today.”

UP NEXT

Rays (RHP Zack Littell, 1-0, 0.82 ERA) at Angels (RHP José Soriano, 0-1, 4.50), Wednesday, 1:07 p.m., Bally Sports West, 830 AM

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4252276 2024-04-09T17:33:25+00:00 2024-04-09T17:34:21+00:00