SAN FRANCISCO >> Scott Kazmir pitched against the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants in his first two starts this week as a member of the Dodgers. He had never pitched for a National League team in his life, let alone a National League West team. As introductions to the most disparate divisio...

When the Angels gu ed down Elvis Andrus at home plate during the fourth i ing of a 4-1 loss to the Rangers on Saturday, it showed a glimpse of why the team acquired shortstop Andrelton Simmons. Texas’ Ryan Rua hit a liner in the gap to left-center field and Andrus tried to score from first base. Ang...

LOS ANGELES >> Clippers coach Doc Rivers had the luxury of resting his starters on Sunday against the Dallas Mavericks but elected not to. And with the exception of J.J. Redick, the starters struggled in the first half. None more than Blake Griffin, who went 1-for-6 from the field to open the game. ...

On Wednesday, April 13, Kobe Bryant will step on to an NBA court for the final time as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. The game against the Utah Jazz at Staples Center will mark the end of a 20-year-career that saw “The Black Mamba” achieve five NBA titles, two NBA Finals MVPs, one NBA MVP troph...

Key play: Mark Scheifele scored the only goal in a shootout and the Wi ipeg Jets rallied for a 4-3 victory Saturday over the Kings at Staples Center. Scheifele fired a shot past Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick in the second round. Pivotal performer: Left wing Milan Lucic set up Kings teammate Ta er ...

NEW ORLEANS >> Former New Orleans Saints player Will Smith was shot and killed Saturday in what appeared to be a road rage incident that has shocked fans of the much-loved athlete. Coroner Jeffrey C. Rouse said in an emailed statement that Smith died of “multiple gunshot wounds” after a traffic acci...

NEW ORLEANS >> Former New Orleans Saints player Will Smith was shot and killed Saturday after a traffic accident. An emailed statement from New Orleans city coroner Jeffrey C. Rouse said that Smith died “of multiple gunshot wounds” after a traffic accident in the city’s Lower Garden District. The fo...

On Wednesday, April 13, Kobe Bryant will step on to an NBA court for the final time as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. The game against the Utah Jazz at Staples Center will mark the end of a 20-year-career that saw “The Black Mamba” achieve five NBA titles, two NBA Finals MVPs, one NBA MVP troph...

Key play: Mark Scheifele scored the only goal in a shootout and the Wi ipeg Jets rallied for a 4-3 victory Saturday over the Kings at Staples Center. Scheifele fired a shot past Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick in the second round. Pivotal performer: Left wing Milan Lucic set up Kings teammate Ta er ...

Maybe you can’t stand the thought of Kobe Bryant retiring. Well, it’s in the process of happening, but if you want to keep him around (metaphorically, of course), you can make one of your very own. Rookie Kobe or current Kobe? That’s your call. We have both. Click here to find out how. Advertisement...

SAN FRANCISCO >> Left field is a mess right now for the Dodgers. Six games into the season, they’ve already used the first six players on their preseason depth chart at the position. In the three weeks since Andre Ethier fractured his right tibia, the Dodgers have gotten i ings from Carl Crawford, S...

Are you the biggest Kobe Bryant fan? Can you prove it? Email us at social@langnews.com a photo that shows just how big of a fan you are and we will include it in our photo gallery. Do you have the largest collection of Kobe Bryant jerseys? What about Nike Kobe shoes? Shows us. Photos of you and the ...

LAS VEGAS - Ma y Pacquiao proclaimed at the outset of the promotion for his third bout with Timothy Bradley that it would be the final fight of his fine career. By the time the fight arrived, he indicated he wasn’t so sure. What he didn’t want to do was retire, then come back, like so many fighters ...

HOUSTON >> The drills looked so simple and repetitive as one Hall of Famer eagerly taught a future candidate endless post moves. Former Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon hosted Kobe Bryant for an offseason workout in 2009 that featured what the Lakers’ star described as “the smallest details of things....

IRVINE >> The MPSF conference is always a fight to the finish in men’s volleyball, with most of the top teams in the nation all competing for the championship and jockeying for tou ament seeding down to the wire. This year was no different, as the Long Beach State men’s volleyball team entered Satur...

Mark.Whicker@langnews.com AUGUSTA, Ga. — Of all the indignities Augusta Natonal has dealt the Masters field this week,, the worst one splattered Billy Horschel on Saturday at 15. His ball slid off the green and into the water with no help from Horschel at all. He was looking at a 13-foot putt for bi...

Long Beach State’s softball team was haunted by three errors Saturday afte oon in a 4-1 series-opening loss at UC Davis. Starting pitchers Christina Clermont and Andrea Reynolds each had shutouts going through four i ings, until the Aggies (14-7, 3-1 Big West Conference) got to Clermont in the fifth...

ANAHEIM >> The Angels bullpen pitched 16 i ings in the first four games of the season, less than only four other teams in baseball that have played four games or less. The unsustainable workload has already caused some shuffling of the roster. In need of a fresh arm in the bullpen, the Angels recall...

LONG BEACH >> Unpredictable winds and stormy weather have made for very exciting match racing and unexpected results this week at the 52nd A ual Congressional Cup, hosted by the Long Beach Yacht Club. The top 12 skippers in the world are in Long Beach for this prestigious event as part of the World ...

PORTLAND AT GALAXY Kickoff: 6:30 p.m. TV/Radio: FS1, FSD/LAGalaxy.com, 1330 AM Update: The Galaxy (2-1-1) host Portland (1-2-1) for the first time since the Timbers got a 5-2 win over L.A. last October in Carson that propelled them to their first MLS Cup in franchise history. On Oct. 18, the Timbers...