REGGIE JACKSON

Vida Blue, a hard-throwing left-hander who became one of baseball’s biggest draws in the early 1970s and helped lead the brash Oakland Athletics to three straight World Series titles before his career was derailed by drug problems, has died.

Devin Booker scored 35 points, Chris Paul became the third player in NBA history to reach 11,000 assists, and the Phoenix Suns beat the Los Angeles Clippers 112-95.

Brandon Ingram scored 30 points and the New Orleans Pelicans overcame a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the depleted Los Angeles Clippers 105-101 in a play-in and earn the West’s No. 8 seed for the playoffs.

Anthony Edwards and D’Angelo Russell combined for 59 points to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves past the Los Angeles Clippers 109-104 in a play-in game.

DeMar DeRozan scored a season-high 50 points and the Chicago Bulls rallied to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 135-130 in overtime.

Marcus Morris scored 31 points and Luke Kennard had 16 against their former team, helping the Los Angeles Clippers rally for a 106-102 victory against the Detroit Pistons.

The Los Angeles Clippers completed a four-game season sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers with a 132-111 victory.

Terance Mann had 19 points and 10 rebounds, Amir Coffey added 12 of his 14 in the fourth quarter and the Los Angeles Clippers returned from the All-Star break with a 105-102 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Luka Doncic scored 28 of his career-high 51 points in the first quarter, and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Los Angeles Clippers 112-105.

Reggie Jackson scored 25 points, including a driving layup with four seconds remaining, and the Los Angeles Clippers held off the Los Angeles Lakers 111-110.

Chris Paul had a triple-double with 14 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists to help the short-handed Phoenix Suns beat the Los Angeles Clippers 106-89 on Thursday night.

Reggie Jackson hit a step-back jumper with 2.2 seconds remaining to give the Los Angeles Clippers a 106-104 victory over the Orlando Magic on Saturday.

Brandon Boston Jr. had career highs of 27 points and five 3-pointers, sparking the Los Angeles Clippers to a 114-111 victory over the Boston Celtics.

Reggie Jackson scored 21 points and the Los Angeles Clippers got back on track with a 107-96 victory over the lowly Detroit Pistons on Friday.

Kristaps Porzingis scored 30 points, Luka Dončić had 26 in his return to the Dallas lineup, and the Mavericks defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 112-104 in overtime.

We're tracking the latest Detroit Pistons rumors as the 2021 NBA Free Agency period begins on Aug. 2.

Paul George scored 41 points, Reggie Jackson added 23 and the resilient Los Angeles Clippers staved off elimination by beating the Phoenix Suns 116-102 in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals.

Devin Booker scored 25 points before fouling out in the final minute, and the Phoenix Suns escaped with an 84-80 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers to take a decisive 3-1 lead in the Western Conference finals.

Paul George scored 27 points and the Los Angeles Clippers pulled away in a dominant third quarter, beating newly returned Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns 106-92 in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals.

It's not simply the Los Angeles Clippers vs.

Devin Booker had 40 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists for his first career triple-double and the Phoenix Suns overcame Chris Paul’s absence to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 120-114 on Sunday in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.

The Los Angeles Clippers are the kings of the NBA's playoff comeback.

Terance Mann scored a career-high 39 points and the Los Angeles Clippers advanced to a conference final for the first time in the franchise’s 51-year history, beating the Utah Jazz 131-119 on Friday night.

The NBA’s top playoff seeds, Philadelphia and Utah, are facing elimination.

Paul George scored 37 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a 119-111 victory over the Utah Jazz in Game 5 of their Western Conference semifinals series.

Kawhi Leonard had 34 points and 12 rebounds, Paul George added 31 points and the Los Angeles Clippers got back into their second-round series against the Utah Jazz with a 132-106 victory in Game 3 on Saturday night.

Donovan Mitchell scored 37 points and the Utah Jazz forced nine straight misses down the stretch to outlast the Los Angeles Clippers 117-111 and take a 2-0 lead in their Western Conference semifinal series.

Kawhi Leonard scored 28 points, Marcus Morris added 23 and the Los Angeles Clippers finally won at home, finishing off the Dallas Mavericks 126-111 on Sunday in Game 7 of the first-round playoff series.

Kawhi Leonard tied his playoff career high with 45 points and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Dallas Mavericks 104-97 on Friday night, forcing a Game 7 in the first postseason series in NBA history with the road team winning the first six games.

Luka Doncic scored 42 points, Tim Hardaway Jr. hit two free throws with eight seconds left, and the Dallas Mavericks edged the Los Angeles Clippers 105-100 to take a 3-2 lead in the first-round playoff series.

Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have combined to carry Los Angeles on the road again, and the Clippers are back in control of the first-round series with Dallas.

Kawhi Leonard scored 36 points, Paul George added 29 and the Los Angeles Clippers spoiled Luka Doncic’s home playoff debut, beating the Dallas Mavericks 118-108 to get back in the first-round playoff series.

Chris Paul scored 28 points, Devin Booker added 21 and the Phoenix Suns beat the Los Angeles Clippers 109-101 in a matchup of two of the Western Conference’s top teams.

Los Angeles Clippers guard Paul George (13) attempts a layup as Dallas Mavericks forward Maxi Kleber (42) defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, March 15, 2021, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Brandon Wade)DALLAS – Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers answered a couple of low moments in their season — and kept rolling on the second night of back-to-backs. Leonard scored 22 points, Marcus Morris Sr. added 14 in a rare start and the Clippers beat the Dallas Mavericks 109-99 on Monday. The Clippers won for the second time in six games while Dallas lost for just the second time in its past seven. Paul George scored 15 as seven Clippers finished in double figures.

Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo dunks during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the LA Clippers Sunday, Feb. 28, 2021, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)MILWAUKEE – Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks showed they can still rally in the fourth quarter to win games with their defense. Antetokounmpo scored 36 points and sparked a game-closing 9-0 run as the Bucks rallied to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 105-100 on Sunday for their fifth consecutive victory. The Bucks generally haven’t performed quite as well on defense this season but stifled the Clippers down the stretch. Bucks: Antetokounmpo has scored at least 35 points in four straight games, making him the first Bucks player to accomplish that feat since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar from Jan. 6-14, 1973.

(Brad Penner/Pool Photo via AP)NEW YORK – Kawhi Leonard scored 28 points and the Los Angeles Clippers rang up the highest point total of the season against the NBA's leading defense, beating the New York Knicks 129-115 on Sunday for their 10th win in 11 games. The Clippers shredded the NBA leaders in fewest points per game allowed to break away after leading by one after two quarters. Los Angeles came back from the locker room with seven straight points and didn't slow down the rest of the third quarter. Leonard and Jackson each scored 10 points in the period, when the Clippers made five 3-pointers and scored 35 points, taking a 101-91 lead to the fourth. Knicks: Reggie Bullock, who missed the last three games with a sore neck, returned to the starting lineup and scored eight points.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Theo Maledon (11) defends against Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)LOS ANGELES – Kawhi Leonard scored 34 points and the Los Angeles Clippers beat Oklahoma City 108-101 on Sunday for their seventh consecutive victory and second straight over the Thunder. Serge Ibaka added 17 points. At 13-4, the Clippers are tied with the Lakers for the best record in the NBA. Oklahoma City has lost three in a row and five of six.

(AP Photo/Ralph Freso)PHOENIX – Paul George scored 39 points and the Los Angeles Clippers held on to beat the Phoenix Suns 112-107 on Sunday night after nearly blowing a 31-point lead in a matchup of two of the Western Conference's top early season teams. At 5-2, the Clippers are tied with the Suns and Los Angeles Lakers for the West lead. George was 7 of 10 from 3-point range and Los Angeles was 17 of 29 overall. Chris Paul, who played six seasons for the Clippers, had 15 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Los Angeles opened the second quarter with 15 straight points to make it 50-24.

The Detroit Pistons have a very important decision to make in the upcoming NBA Draft. And they should draft point guard LeMelo Ball. (They are reportedly interested in doing so)Pistons need a point guardThe Detroit Pistons need a point guard to build their future around. The best bet for the Pistons is to swing hard in the NBA Draft. 1 and draft Ball: “The Timberwolves reportedly want to trade down, and the Pistons reportedly want to trade up with a close eye on Ball, so this makes sense.

Los Angeles began putting the ball in Leonards hands and he delivered with eight straight Clippers points before consecutive 3-pointers by Reggie Jackson pushed it to 105-89. TIP-INSClippers: Patrick Beverley had a pregame workout before sitting out for the fifth straight game with a left calf strain. Mavericks: Porzingis missed his third straight game with torn cartilage in his right knee. It was the first game Rivers attended in the bubble but hardly his first time watching his son play at Disney. I just kind of sat and watched the game, Rivers said.

Two nights after scoring 42 points in the highest-scoring debut in postseason history, Doncic played just nine minutes in the second half. They beat the Clippers for the first time in five meetings this season and earned their first playoff victory since 2016. Kawhi Leonard had 35 points and 10 rebounds, but Paul George had a mostly miserable performance for the second-seeded Clippers. Clippers: Reggie Jackson started in place of Beverley and scored 11 points. The Clippers noticed the guard wasn't moving well at their shootaround and decided to scratch him.

Doncic is out for wins, not stats, and the Dallas Mavericks weren't good enough to get one in the opener of their series against the Los Angeles Clippers. They climbed back from a dismal start caused in part by Doncic's carelessness, but ended up losing 118-110 on Monday night. Both players were hit with technical fouls and because it was Porzingis' second of the game, he was automatically ejected. Doncic bettered John Williamson's 38 points in 1979 for most in an NBA playoff debut and was the first 21-year-old to score 40 since LeBron James in 2006. "I thought as good as he played tonight, we could have limited some of the stuff.

Portland led by as much as 10 in the first quarter and was up 37-34 at the end of the quarter. They also outshot the Trail Blazers outside the arc hitting 15 of 34 (44.1%) compared to 17 of 43 (39.5%). Trail Blazers: Outscored Los Angeles 46-38 in the paint. HEY YOUThe Trail Blazers had some regional support with Blitz the Seahawk, mascot for the NFLs Seattle Seahawks, sitting in the virtual seats, for the early afternoon game. Trail Blazers: Play Philadelphia on Sunday.

Kawhi Leonard and Beverly kept the barrage going for six straight 3s before Leonard had the Clippers first miss. With the Clippers well on their way to a blowout win, it was an opportunity for the Pelicans to get Williamson out of the game. We had a rough start, Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said. The Clippers have already clinched a playoff spot in their first season with Leonard and George playing together. Clippers: L.A. led 103-63 late in the third quarter when George and Leonard were taken out.

(AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)NEW YORK Baseballs amateur draft is about to enter the next phase of its ongoing development same as all those young prospects picked every year. Even before the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 version was ticketed for a move to Omaha, Nebraska, to coincide with the College World Series there. But with the top pick in the second June amateur draft in 1966, the New York Mets swung and missed. All that hype came to full fruition a decade later, when he was the World Series MVP as the Nationals won the franchises first championship last year. Prior to Appel, the only top overall picks who failed to reach the majors were Chilcott and left-hander Brien Taylor (Yankees, 1991).

DETROIT Remember the day Steve Yzerman was hired to run the Detroit Red Wings? We dont know how Yzermans return to his old team will work out, but it sure gave a boost to a struggling Detroit sports scene. ESPNs Adrian Wojnarowski reported this week that the Detroit Pistons have started a search for a general manager, a position that has been filled by senior adviser Ed Stefanski for the last two years. The NBA season, currently suspended due to COVID-19, was, for intents and purposes, over for the Pistons, even before the suspension. There are two former Detroit Pistons who fit the job description: Chauncey Billups and Tayshaun Prince.

DETROIT Tony Snell connected from beyond the arc to open the scoring in the first few seconds of the game. Snell scored 24 points on 9-of-9 shooting, and the short-handed Detroit Pistons had little trouble with New York, beating the Knicks 122-102 on Wednesday. Im confident as well.Andre Drummond had 27 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, and Markieff Morris added 22 points for Detroit. Detroit still shot 56 percent from the field and dropped the Knicks to an NBA-worst 1-7. They hit shots, Knicks guard RJ Barrett said.

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - OCTOBER 07: Derrick Rose #25 of the Detroit Pistons shoots a free throw while playing the Orlando Magic during a pre season game at Little Caesars Arena on October 07, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by GregoryThe Detroit Pistons played basketball on Monday. The Pistons opened preseason on Monday night at Little Caesars Arena against the Orlando Magic. Here are some way-too-early observations:Christian Wood deserves a roster spotWood, a free agent pickup from the Pelicans, led the Pistons in points with 19, adding eight rebounds and a block in 19 minutes. Tony Snell is a good fitSnell started the game in the three spot and showed how badly the Pistons needed a swing shooter last year.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 02: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder dribbles the ball up court during a 107-100 win over the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on January 02, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo byThe Russell Westbrook rumor mill is churning and Detroit Pistons fans are continuing to debate if their team should make a move. Story filed to ESPN: In aftermath of Paul Georges departure, OKC star Russell Westbrook is welcoming to idea of Sam Presti engineering a trade that would bring an end to his illustrious 11-year Thunder tenure. Odds Shark released odds for teams to land Westbrook by the first game of next season. Andre Drummond is another candidate, and so is Tony Snell.

The Russell Westbrook rumor mill is churning and Detroit Pistons fans are continuing to debate if their team should make a move. The only definitive news we've heard in the last day or so is from ESPN's Woj, who reported Miami as the "favorable" target for Westbrook. Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 8, 2019Nevertheless, the Pistons are in the mix or are at least considering the move, according to reports. Odds Shark released odds for teams to land Westbrook by the first game of next season. Andre Drummond is another candidate, and so is Tony Snell.

(Photo by HarryWith one of the league's best on the trading block, Pistons fans are swarming,While the argument to trade for Oklahoma City Thunder star Russell Westbrook is split among fans, there's no debate that the Pistons are one of a few teams who could pull the trigger. Sam Amick of The Athletic reported over the weekend that Detroit and Miami are on the list of potential suitors. Summing up the debate among fans and pundits, here are the major pros and cons of a potential Russell Westbrook trade to Detroit:ProsDetroit gets another much-needed star to pair with Blake Griffin and/or Andre Drummond. ConsWestbrook has three more years left on his deal for $124 million, plus a $47 million player option for a fourth year. Pistons would have to give up young assets, draft picks for a 30-year-old star with a massive contract.

With one of the league's best on the trading block, Pistons fans are swarming,While the argument to trade for Oklahoma City Thunder star Russell Westbrook is split among fans, there's no debate that the Pistons are one of a few teams who could pull the trigger. Sam Amick of The Athletic reported over the weekend that Detroit and Miami are on the list of potential suitors. Summing up the debate among fans and pundits, here are the major pros and cons of a potential Russell Westbrook trade to Detroit:ProsDetroit gets another much-needed star to pair with Blake Griffin and/or Andre Drummond. ConsWestbrook has three more years left on his deal for $124 million, plus a $47 million player option for a fourth year. Pistons would have to give up young assets, draft picks for a 30-year-old star with a massive contract.