If this is the year the Clippers and Lakers finally become legitimate rivals in the NBA’s Pacific Division -- after more than 30 years together in southern California -- the rivalry is off to a fiery start.

On Wednesday night, with the much-improved Clippers holding a slim lead over the Lakers atop the Pacific, the Lakers overcame a fourth-quarter deficit to claim a 96-91 victory that featured loads of trash talking, plenty of physical play, a few heated skirmishes, six technical fouls, one ejection and some excellent basketball to boot.

The Lakers had lost four of their last five games before Kobe Bryant took over, scoring 12 of his 24 points in the final quarter. In the final seconds, while Bryant and Clippers guard Chris Paul were engaged in trash talking, Lakers big man Pau Gasol stirred the pot a bit more for the teams’ next meeting in April. He patted Paul on the head, sparking an angry tirade.

“I don't know if Pau's got kids, but don't touch my head like I'm one of your kids,” Paul said of the incident between two players who had been dealt for each other in a post-lockout Lakers-Hornets trade that was nullified by NBA commissioner David Stern.

Wednesday's win may have been a little sweeter for Gasol, who tallied 23 points and 10 rebounds. After all, a fair share of Lakers fans probably preferred Paul over Gasol on the current roster -- perhaps a few teammates felt the same way -- so the Lakers star undoubtedly has heard enough about Paul since Stern’s move.

"Sometimes you just get tired of certain people, certain players talking too much,” Gasol told the Los Angeles Times’ Mike Bresnahan, in revealing why he messed with Paul. “That's what happened."

The aborted trade and the pat on the head now are part of the budding rivalry. Just the stuff to fuel intensity between two franchises that have passively shared the same city for nearly three decades. The Clippers haven’t given the Lakers much of a test over the years.

In the 25 seasons prior to 2011-12, the Lakers were 86-27 (.761) against the Clippers. Since the start of the 2007-08 season, the Lakers have won 14 of the last 18 meetings. The last time the Lakers have lost to the Clippers as the home team at Staples Center was nearly five years ago. Wednesday’s win was the Lakers’ ninth straight when hosting the Clippers.

On the other hand, all four Lakers losses over the last five seasons have come since January 2010, a stretch in which the Lakers have won five of nine matchups.

In the only other 2011-12 meeting between the Los Angeles clubs, the Clippers overcame 42 points by Bryant to post a 102-94 victory. Paul scored 33 points that night before suffering a hamstring injury that sidelined him for five games. He returned on Wednesday and scored just four points, but picked up a game-high 12 assists. It’s a good bet Paul will figure more prominently on the score sheet when these teams meet again on April 4.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 1:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In what is shaping up as a career year, New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist just had a very good week.

On Jan. 17, he stopped 27 shots and shut out the Predators, ending their five-game winning streak. Then he and the Rangers took to the road and stuck the defending Stanley Cup champion Bruins with a rare home loss on Saturday. Lundqvist made 32 saves and Martin Gaborik notched his 25th goal in overtime to secure a 3-2 victory.

Lundqvist made it two shutouts in a week on Tuesday, blanking Winnipeg in a 3-0 win at Madison Square Garden. There was a 4-1 loss to Pittsburgh as well last week, but Lundqvist continues to build on career-best statistics in 2011-12. His 1.87 GAA and .937 save percentage each rank third among NHL goalies, and both would be single-season bests by a long shot.

How critical has Lundqvist been to New York’s recent surge to the top of the Eastern Conference? The Rangers have scored more than three goals just once in his last 11 starts, but they are 8-3-0 with Lundqvist posting a 1.52 GAA and .947 save percentage.

Tuesday’s shutout, Lundqvist’s fifth of the season, also marked a milestone for the seven-year veteran. With 22 saves in New York’s win over the Jets, the 29-year-old Swede recorded his 40th career shutout. Lundqvist pulled into a second-place tie with pre-World War II goalie Dave Kerr for most shutouts as a Ranger. The only netminder with more in a New York uniform is Hall of Famer Ed Giacomin, with 49.

No matter where he ranks in the Rangers’ record book, Lundqvist’s 40 shutouts midway through his seventh season is a significant total. Only one goalie has posted more since Lundqvist debuted in 2005-06, and he happens to be a future Hall of Famer.

Most Shutouts, 2005-06 & Since

Martin Brodeur. . . . . . . . 41
Henrik Lundqvist. . . . . . .40
Miikka Kiprusoff. . . . . . . .36
Roberto Luongo. . . . . . . .34
Tomas Vokoun. . . . . . . . .34

Before the season is over, Lundqvist is a good bet to pass Martin Brodeur, who turns 40 in May and doesn’t have a shutout in what may be his final NHL season.

Meanwhile, Lundqvist is on his way to setting a new standard of his own for elite goaltenders. He is the only goalie in NHL history to record 30 wins in each of his first six seasons, and at 22-10-4 for arguably the best Rangers club in years, is certain to extend the streak to his first seven seasons.

Wins say as much about a team as a goaltender, but Lundqvist also ranks first in GAA and fourth in save percentage since his arrival in the league.

Goalie Leaders, 2005-06 & Since
(minimum 200 games)

GAA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .SvPct
Henrik Lundqvist. . . . . . . 2.28. . . . .Tim Thomas . . . . . . . . .923
Jonathan Quick. . . . . . . . 2.34. . . . .Tomas Vokoun. . . . . . . .921
Pekka Rinne. . . . . . . . . . .2.34. . . . .Pekka Rinne. . . . . . . . .921
Martin Brodeur. . . . . . . . .2.35. . . . .Henrik Lundqvist . . . . .920
Niklas Backstrom. . . . . . . 2.42. . . . .Roberto Luongo. . . . . . .918

New York fans dubbed Lundqvist “King Henrik” during a remarkable rookie year in which he ranked among the league’s top goalies with 30 wins, a 2.24 GAA and .922 save percentage. With the Rangers sitting atop the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference -- and their goalie enjoying a career year -- the nickname could become commonplace far beyond the Garden if he leads his team deep into the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 4:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last week, the Detroit Tigers learned they may be without one of their big bats in 2012. Victor Martinez, who hit .330 with 40 doubles and 103 RBIs last season, tore his left anterior cruciate ligament during a recent workout. The Tigers fear surgery is inevitable.

In 2011, Martinez’s performance in two-strike counts was a big part of his success. A second strike usually means a certain return trip to the bench, but not for the Detroit DH. While all major leaguers batted .180 in two-strike counts last season, Martinez hit .299, the highest mark among players who faced at least 100 two-strike situations.

Highest AVG in Two-Strike Counts, 2011
(min 100 two-strike counts)

Victor Martinez, Det. . . . . .299
Mike Napoli, Tex . . . . . . . .291
Marco Scutaro, Bos. . . . . . .277
Juan Pierre, CWS. . . . . . . .277
Jacoby Ellsbury, Bos. . . . . .275

If Martinez made life difficult for pitchers when he was down to his final strike, he was a hitting machine when the count dipped in his favor. And a .400 hitter in full counts.

Victor Martinez, 2011
(rank in parentheses)

After starting 2-0. . . . . .363 (4)*
After starting 3-1. . . . . .385 (11)^
In 3-2 counts. . . . . . . . .411 (1)^

(* min 100 PA) (^ min 60 PA)

If Martinez goes under the knife, the Tigers will be missing a middle-of-the-order run producer, which isn’t easily or cheaply replaced. The injury comes in the second year of a four-year, $50 million contract, so the Tigers may be reluctant to commit a large chunk of change for his fill-in. Among the free-agent candidates who may be good one-year options are Hideki Matsui, Johnny Damon, Raul Ibanez, Derrek Lee, Magglio Ordonez and Vladimir Guerrero.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 4:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Between 1981 and 2002, the San Francisco 49ers celebrated 23 postseason victories, the most in the NFL in this 22-year span. On Saturday, in the 49ers’ madcap win over the New Orleans Saints, the franchise posted its first postseason win in nearly a decade.

In executing the fourth and final fourth-quarter lead change to win on Saturday, 36-32, the 49ers prevailed in a shootout that was very out of character. They had allowed an NFC-low 14.3 points per game during the regular season, but gave up 32 to the Saints, the second-highest total ever allowed by the Niners in a playoff victory.

Of course, the 49ers scored 36 points against the Saints, after averaging just 23.8 a game during the regular season. QB Alex Smith threw for a season-high 299 yards in the win, after the Niners averaged just 183.1 passing yards per game this season. He capped his big day with a 14-yard TD pass to Vernon Davis with nine seconds left to secure the win.

So, when did the 49ers allow more points in a postseason victory? That was nine years ago in their last playoff win, when they overcame a 38-14 deficit with 25 unanswered points -- 17 in the fourth quarter -- to claim a 39-38 thriller at Candlestick Park. The opponent in that wacky wild-card matchup? The Giants, their Sunday opponent in the NFC title game.

The Giants, like the 49ers, haven’t exactly played their typical brand of football in advancing to the conference championship round. The Giants defense had allowed nearly 27 points per game through the first 14 regular-season contests, before holding both the Jets and Cowboys to just 14 points in the final two games -- both wins, which the Giants needed to pull out the NFC East and secure a playoff berth in the last week of the season.

The New York defense turned even stingier in the team’s two postseason victories. The Giants allowed a total of 22 points in eliminating the Atlanta Falcons and Aaron Rodgers-led Green Bay Packers. After seldom looking like a contender while splitting their first 14 regular-season games, the Giants have won convincingly the last four weeks.

At the same time, the Giants rediscovered a running game in January. After rushing for just 89.2 yards per game during the regular season, the lowest mark in the NFL, they have averaged 133.5 a game in their two playoff wins. On Sunday, the recharged running game goes up against the league’s top rush defense.

A Packers-Saints matchup for the NFC championship undoubtedly would have provided a shootout with postseason scoring records at risk. Sunday’s Giants-49ers showdown? Who knows? We could see the teams return to more traditional form, or continue to provide a few new twists and turns as they bid to play on Super Bowl Sunday.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 10:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)