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Clippers hold off Suns to clinch a playoff spot

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Clippers hold off Suns to clinch a playoff spot

Behind a triple-double from Russell Westbrook, the Clippers clinched a playoff berth Tuesday, avoiding the NBA’s postseason play-in tournament by withstanding a furious Phoenix Suns’ rally for a 105-92 win that guaranteed them at least a top-five finish in the Western Conference standings.

None of that should come as a surprise: The Clippers have finished in the top five in the regular-season standings nine times in the last 12 seasons and it would have taken an epic collapse in the season’s final week not to do so again.

What they haven’t done is make a long playoff run, reaching the conference final only once in franchise history. And that makes Tuesday’s triumph just the first step on a familiar journey that will only get harder as it gets longer.

As for who and where the Clippers will play in the postseason, that could be determined as early as Wednesday’s rematch with the Suns in Los Angeles. (Spoiler alert: It will probably be Dallas, the Clippers’ first-round opponent in two of the last four seasons. The Clippers won both series.) But until the Clippers clinch the home-court advantage for their playoff opener, coach Tyronn Lue said his team’s focus won’t change.

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“We’ve got to secure a spot. We can’t relax,” he said.

“Just keep getting better, keep playing good basketball going into the playoffs. That’s where our mindset is.”

The Clippers certainly weren’t distracted at the start Tuesday, running out to a 17-point lead in the opening 4 1/2 minutes and looking back only after a rash of second-half turnovers allowed Phoenix to close the margin to seven points with under seven minutes left in the fourth quarter. Westbrook, starting because of injuries to Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, played a big part in that big lead, scoring 16 points while recording season highs with 15 assists and 15 rebounds.

It was his 199th career triple-double, extending his record for the most in NBA history.

Phoenix, playing at home for the final time in the regular season, gave its fans little to cheer about early, missing nine its first 10 shots and shooting just 10.5% from the field, missing all four three-point ties in a first period that ended with the Clippers leading 37-10.

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When the Suns’ Devin Booker hit four free throws late in the period, the crowd responded with mock cheers. Even so, the 10 points were the fewest the Clippers have given up in an opening quarter in nearly two decades.

And when Bones Hyland drilled a three-pointer less than four minutes into the second period, the Clippers’ led 51-14, the 37-point advantage marking the team’s largest on the road this season.

But the Clippers, who turned the ball over 18 times, would give most of that lead back before holding on for their fourth win in a row and seventh in eight games. And they did it without Leonard, who sat out his fifth straight game because of inflammation in his right knee, and Harden, who is dealing with inflammation in his right foot. Leonard is the team’s leading scorer while Harden entered Tuesday fourth in the league in assists at 8.6 per game.

With three games left in the regulation season and the postseason looming, Lue sais he was taking no chances with his two stars.

“We’ve got to be smart going into the playoffs,” he said. “So we’re just taking it day by day.”

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That left Lue starting a backcourt of Norman Powell and Westbrook, who had combined for just a dozen starts before Tuesday.

Paul George led the Clippers with a game-high 23 points, giving him more than 18,000 points for his career and becoming one of only seven active players with at least 18,000 points, 5,000 rebounds and 3,000 assists. Ivica Zubac (17 points), Terance Mann (17), Amir Coffey (13) and Powell (10) joined George and Westbrook in double figures.

Kevin Durant led the Suns with 21 points, two more than Bradley Beal.

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Anthony Richardson free to seek trade after injury setbacks amid Colts’ shift to Daniel Jones

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Anthony Richardson free to seek trade after injury setbacks amid Colts’ shift to Daniel Jones

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Anthony Richardson Sr.’s future in Indianapolis faces more uncertainty than ever. 

The Indianapolis Colts granted Anthony Richardson, the team that used the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on the quarterback, permission to explore a trade. His agent, Deiric Jackson, confirmed the latest development in the 23-year-old’s tumultuous career to ESPN on Thursday.

Veteran quarterback Daniel Jones beat out Richardson in a preseason competition for the starting job. Jones made the most of another opportunity as an NFL starter, helping the Colts win eight of their first 10 games of the 2025 regular season. 

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Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson heads off the field after an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

However, his season was ultimately derailed by an Achilles injury. The setback came two years after he tore an ACL with the New York Giants. The Colts appear ready to move forward with Jones, clouding Richardson’s future in Indianapolis.

Jones is set to become a free agent in March, meaning the Colts must either use the franchise tag or sign him to a new deal. Richardson has started just 15 games in three seasons with the Colts, his tenure largely shaped by injuries. 

A shoulder surgery limited Richardson to four games during his rookie campaign, while a series of setbacks cost him four games in 2024. 

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) looks for an open receiver during the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. (Troy Taormina/Imagn Images)

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Richardson suffered what was described as a “freak pregame incident” during warmups last season, landing him on injured reserve after attempting just two passes in two games in 2025. He has thrown 11 touchdowns against 13 interceptions in his NFL career. 

Colts general manager Chris Ballard said Tuesday that the vision problems stemming from Richardson’s orbital fracture last October are “trending in the right direction.” He added that Richardson has been “cleared to play.”

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) celebrates his touchdown against the New York Jets during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Brad Penner/Imagn Images)

Riley Leonard, a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, is expected to return to the Colts next season.

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When asked about Richardson’s standing with the Colts moving ahead, Ballard replied, “I still believe in Anthony.”

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Prep talk: Freshman golfer William Hudson of St. John Bosco wins Servite Invitational

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Prep talk: Freshman golfer William Hudson of St. John Bosco wins Servite Invitational

William Hudson, a 14-year-old freshman golfer, shot 71 on Monday at Western Hills Country Club in Chino Hills to win the Servite Invitational.

“It was very important to me and my school,” Hudson said.

Some think it’s the first time a St. John Bosco student won an invitational title.

Hudson is a straight-A student who picked up his first golf club when he was 3. He has a daily routine involving practicing at 6 a.m. before heading to school. He’s also enrolled in a school entrepreneur program that involves taking classes at a junior college that will qualify for college credits.

“They are long days, but I get through it,” Hudson said.

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He comes from a family that enjoys golf. His great-grandfather played until his death at 98 last year.

“I love how it can take me to interesting places and meet interesting people,” Hudson said. “I can play for the rest of my life. It’s a lifelong sport.”

It’s looking like another strong year for golfers in Southern California, with several individual champions returning, including Jaden Soong of St. Francis and Grant Leary of Crespi.

Now Hudson has thrust himself into the conversation.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

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Dashcam video shows former WWE executive Vince McMahon rear-ending vehicle on Connecticut highway

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Dashcam video shows former WWE executive Vince McMahon rear-ending vehicle on Connecticut highway

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Police have released new video showing former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon speeding before crashing his 2024 Bentley Continental GT into another luxury car on a Connecticut highway last summer.

McMahon appeared to be followed by a state trooper in Westport moments ahead of the eventual collision. McMahon’s vehicle reached speeds of more than 100 mph, state police said.

A trooper’s dashcam video showed McMahon accelerating and then braking too late to avoid rear-ending a BMW. The car McMahon was driving then swerved into a guardrail and careened back across the highway. A cloud of dirt, apparently mixed with vehicle debris, was visible in the immediate area of the crash.

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WWE owner Vince McMahon enters the arena during WrestleMania at AT&T Stadium on Apr 3, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. (Joe Camporeale/USA Today Sports)

“Why were you driving all over 100 mph?” a state trooper asked McMahon after catching up to the wrecked Bentley.

“I got my granddaughter’s birthday,” McMahon replied, explaining he was on his way to see her. The encounter was recorded on police bodycam video.

No serious injuries were reported in the July 24 crash, which happened the same day former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan died of a heart attack in Florida.

In an image taken from Connecticut State Police police bodycam video, Vince McMahon is questioned in his car after an accident on July 24, 2025, in Westport, Connecticut. (Connecticut State Police via The Associated Press)

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Aside from the damage to the rear of the BMW, another vehicle driving on the opposite side of the parkway was struck by flying debris. The driver of that third car happened to be wearing a WWE shirt, police video suggested.

McMahon was cited for reckless driving and following too closely. In October, a state judge allowed him to enter a pretrial probation program that could erase the charges if he completes it successfully.

He was also ordered to make a $1,000 charitable contribution. His attorney, Mark Sherman, called the crash simply an “accident.”

“Not every car accident is a crime,” Sherman said. “Vince’s primary concern during this case was for the other drivers and is appreciative that the court saw this more of an accident than a crime that needed to be prosecuted.”

Vince McMahon attends a press conference to announce that WWE Wrestlemania 29 will be held at MetLife Stadium in 2013 at MetLife Stadium on Feb. 16, 2012 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.  (Michael N. Todaro/Getty Images)

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State police said a trooper was trying to catch up to McMahon on the parkway and clock his speed before pulling him over. They said the incident was not a pursuit, which happens when police chase someone trying to flee officers. They also said it did not appear McMahon was trying to escape.

“I’m trying to catch up to you, and you keep taking off,” State Police Det. Maxwell Robins said in the video. 

“No, no no. I’m not trying to outrun you,” McMahon clarified.

An accident information summary provided to the media shortly after the crash did not mention that a trooper was following McMahon.

The trooper’s bodycam video also shows him asking McMahon whether he was looking at his phone when the crash happened. McMahon said he was not and added he hadn’t driven his car in a long time.

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After Robins tells McMahon that his car is fast, McMahon replies, “Yeah, too (expletive) fast.”

Fox News Digital submitted a public records request to obtain the police video, which was first acquired by The Sun.

McMahon stepped down as WWE’s CEO in 2022 amid a company investigation into sexual misconduct allegations. He also resigned as executive chairman of the board of directors of TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of WWE, in 2024, a day after a former WWE employee filed a sexual abuse lawsuit against him. McMahon has denied the allegations. The lawsuit remains pending.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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