Northern Trust Open: Mickelson birdies 18th for one-shot lead

Phil Mickelson birdied his final hole Thursday, the 18th, to take a one-shot lead over Hunter Mahan, who was born in Orange,  and J.B. Holmes in the first round of the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club.

Mickelson shot a five-under-par 66. Mahan birdied  four of his last five holes to shoot a 67 and tie Holmes.

Mickelson is trying to win for the second week in a row on the PGA Tour.

He shot a final-round 64 on Sunday to take the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am while playing in the final group with Tiger Woods.

Sunday is a long way off, but Mickelson has won consecutive tournaments three times in his career.

The last player to win in consecutive weeks on the PGA Tour was Woods, who did it in 2009 at the Buick Open and Bridgestone Invitational.

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-- Diane Pucin

Photo: Phil Mickelson watches his tee shot on the second hole Thursday during the first round of the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club. Credit: Chris Carlson / Associated Press

Humana Challenge: Third round over; Phil Mickelson makes cut

The wind-delayed third round of the Humana Challenge is now complete in La Quinta with Mark Wilson holding a three-shot lead over Brandt Snedeker, Zach Johnson, Ben Crane and Robbert Garrigus.

Wilson is at 21 under par entering the final round, which began at 10:10 a.m. Garrigus shot a third-round 61 to move into contention while Snedeker birdied his last six third-round holes, including the five he played Sunday.

And while two-time champion Phil Mickelson probably can't make up 14 shots, he did birdie his final hole Sunday morning to get to seven under and make the cut, which came at six under and leaves 75 players to try to finish the final round today.

Groups are going off in threesomes from both the first and 10th tees at the PGA West Palmer Private Course.

The final group of Wilson, Johnson and Garrigus will go off the first tee at 12:10 p.m. Crane, Snedeker and Long Beach's John Mallinger are in the second-to-last group.

Golf Channel will offer extended coverage Sunday, coming on the air at noon Pacific time and running until play concludes. If the tournament doesn't finish Sunday, Golf Channel would also have coverage Monday.

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Bill Clinton charms at tournament

Wind delays third round of Humana Challenge

Dustin Johnson withdraws from Humana Challenge

-- Diane Pucin, reporting from La Quinta

Photo: Mark Wilson hits his tee shot on the ninth hole during the wind-delayed third round of the Humana Challenge on Sunday morning. Credit: Chris Carlson / Associated Press

Jerry West and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Plaschke and Simers discuss their recent issues with the Lakers

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jerry West are purple and gold lore, they are legends whose impact on the game continues to have profound reverberations today.

Abdul-Jabbar is the NBA's all-time leading scorer. The league's logo is West's silhouette. Despite their accomplishments, both men have felt like they haven't received their due respect from the Lakers organization after their playing days have ended.

Abdul-Jabbar gripes that he hasn't been immortalized with a bronze statue outside of Staples Center. West feels as though Coach Phil Jackson never truly appreciated him.

In their video series, L.A. Now, moderated by Times sports reporter Melissa Rohlin, Bill Plaschke and T.J. Simers discuss the Lakers legends and what their legacy will be. Here are some highlights.

On Jerry West:

Both columnists said they think Jerry West is a bit "strange." Plaschke recounted how the former Lakers general manager left the gym during Game 7 of the 2000 Western Conference finals against the Portland Trail Blazers to go see a movie.

"Jerry accomplished a lot in his life, but he also did it with some devils in him," Simers said.

Plaschke called him "one of the most fascinating characters ever in L.A. sports." He discussed how even though West helped build the Kobe Bryant-Shaquille O'Neal dynasty, he felt overshadowed by Jackson.

 On Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:

Simers rembembers seeing Pat Riley approach Abdul-Jabbar at an All-Star game in an attempt to introduce him to his friends. The six-time NBA MVP refused to spend any time with them.

"Kareem Abdul-Jabbar feels alienated by everybody and it's basically his own responsibility," Simers said.

Plaschke said Abdul-Jabbar has made himself an unlikable figure in the eyes of Lakers fans.

"James Worthy, Rick Fox get more cheers," Plaschke said.

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Plaschke-Simers video: Should Clayton Kershaw win the Cy Young award?

--Melissa Rohlin

Former Lakers coach Phil Jackson is into LLWS, Brent Musburger says

Brent Musburger isn't trying to hide his affection for the Billings, Mont., Little League team that will play Ocean View of Huntington Beach in Saturday's Little League World Series U.S. division championship game.

Musburger grew up in Billings and his father founded the Little League program there.

"Never in my wildest dreams did I expect this to be happening," Musburger said Friday. Musburger is on the ESPN/ABC broadcast team that will call Saturday's U.S. title game and the International division championship game between Mexico and Japan, as well as Sunday's championship.

Musburger said the entire state of Montana is buzzing about the state's first representative in the LLWS. He said his brother, Todd, even got a text message from former Lakers coach Phil Jackson, who has a home in Montana. "He texted my brother during the game when Montana beat Ocean View," Musburger said.

Musburger said his father coached the first Montana team that won a state championship. "They went to Richland, Washington, for the regionals," Musburger said, "and lost to a team from Santa Monica. That was the first of 21 times that Montana was knocked out of regional play."

When he's on television Saturday, he said, "I'm not going to hide from the fact I'm from Billings. I'm amazed at what's happening but I don't have a stake in the outcome. Whatever happens happens and now it's just frosting on the cake.

"I think California should be favored. They're going to come back with that pitcher [Nick] Pratto who dominated Montana until he left the game. The Montana team goes about its business and if you make a mistake, Montana takes advantage. I think California will press hard and try to score early because as long as you let an underdog stay close, in any sport, the better off it is for the underdog."

-- Diane Pucin

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Ocean View advances to U.S. championship game

Little League dreams can be nightmares on the pocket book

Umpires feel the pressure, too, in Little League World Series

Photo: Fans cheer for the Billings, Mont., Little League team during a 1-0 victory over Ocean View of Huntington Beach on Thursday. Credit: Tom E. Puskar / Associated Press

Question of the Day: Who will be the next coach of the Lakers? [Updated]

Writers around the Tribune Co. discuss possible replacements for Lakers Coach Phil Jackson, who has said he will retire after this season. Check back throughout the day for more responses, and feel free to weigh in with a comment of your own.

K.C. Johnson, Chicago Tribune

Assuming Phil Jackson doesn't get bored looking at Montana's big sky and pulls a reversal nobody expects is coming, Lakers assistant Brian Shaw will be the team's next coach. Bigger names are out there. But none have the endorsement of Kobe Bryant, and why would management want to alienate its best player?

It's not like Shaw is a novice either. He has interviewed for other head openings. He knows how to run the triangle, even if Ron Artest doesn't. And Bryant said he spoke for his teammates as well when he went public with his support for Shaw to Yahoo Sports in early April. Bryant said he didn't want to get in the way of management, which expertly handled Bryant's messy public trade demands during the summer of 2008.

So obviously Jerry Buss and Mitch Kupchak do well in knowing when to listen to their face of the franchise and when not to. However, this is one time when it would behoove Lakers management to do so. By most accounts, Shaw is sharp, handles players well and has sat next to the Zen Master for years. It's his time.

Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski still not interested in Lakers job

In 2004, the Lakers made a strong pitch to hire Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski, but he ultimately turned them down.

On Wednesday at the Honda Center in Anaheim, where Krzyzewski's top-seeded Blue Devils will face fifth-seeded Arizona in the NCAA West Regional semifinal Thursday night, Krzyzewski again said he's not interested in the job, which will come open if current Lakers Coach Phil Jackson retires at the end of this season.  

"I've never thought of ever leaving Duke for another school, but there were three serious times when I almost left to go to the pros," Krzyzewski said. "One was when Dave Gavitt took over the Celtics, and another was with the Trail Blazers, but one that I took to a far level was the Lakers situation, and they were great with me.

"I could not give up what I've got, what I have at Duke. It just wasn't worth it."

Krzyzewski has coached Team USA and said that made him a better coach. 

"I love the NBA, but it made me love the NBA more," he said of that experience. "I'm good with where I'm at, I'm too old to do anything else, kind of like (Boston Globe sports columnist) Bob Ryan."

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The trials and tribulations of a San Diego State fan

Who are the best and most likely choices to replace Bruce Pearl at Tennessee?

-- Baxter Holmes

Photo: Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski speaks during a news conference for a West regional semifinal game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Wednesday, March 23, 2011, in Anaheim, Calif. Credit: Mark J. Terrill / AP

Question of the day: Is Phil Jackson the best coach in NBA history or simply someone who benefited from great players? [Updated]

 
Reporters from around the Tribune Co. weigh in on the topic. Check back throughout the day for more responses and feel free to leave a comment of your own.

[Updated at 12:30 p.m.:

Baxter Holmes, Los Angeles Times

The only reason Phil Jackson’s fingers are loaded with rings: He coached some of the greatest players of all time -- Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal.

Yeah, and meanwhile back on planet Earth ...

Why, oh why, does that load-of-malarkey line get overused on Phil?

Sure, he had the goods, but lots of teams did and still didn’t win. (Here’s looking at you, John Stockton, Karl Malone and Charles Barkley -- even though it was PJ and MJ who kept you titleless.)

And sure, if you took Lew Alcindor and Bill Walton from John Wooden, UCLA probably doesn't have as many banners. Same with taking Bill Russell from Red Auerbach, Derek Jeter from Joe Torre and Tom Brady from Bill Belichick.

But if stars always won, no matter who coached them, the term "upset" wouldn’t exist, the U.S. Olympic men's basketball team would never lose, and teams such as the 2004 Lakers wouldn't get hammered by Detroit even though it put four potential Hall of Famers on the floor -- Kobe, Shaq, Malone and Gary Payton.

Great coaches can get everyone to put their egos and issues aside and put forth their best effort toward the shared goal of winning. It's tough, but Phil makes it look easy.

Poll: Will Phil Jackson coach the Lakers next season?

Pretty straightforward question: Will Phil Jackson coach the Lakers next season? Vote now, then leave a comment letting us know why you voted the way you did.

-- Houston Mitchell

Question of the Day: Will the Lakers three-peat? If not, who will stop them? [Updated]

 
Four reporters from the Tribune Co. weigh in on the topic. Check back throughout the day for more responses and feel free to leave a comment of your own.

Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel

Considering the NBA is about to undergo an extreme makeover, it is ludicrous to even try to handicap the 2010-11 championship race, let alone make any proclamations about a Lakers team that might not even have Phil Jackson leading the way.

That said, this hardly was a team of dominance this season, but rather one pushed to the ultimate limit in the ultimate game of the season. And even before the desperate scramble from a 3-2 Finals deficit, Kobe & Co. were being pushed to Game 6s against the Thunder and Suns.

No, let's first see where LeBron & Co. land.

Of course, should LeBron land with the Lakers in some sort of sign-and-trade, then there might not be a need for a debate, or 2010-11 season, at all.

[Updated at 12:20 p.m.:

K.C. Johnson, Chicago Tribune

The Lakers will repeat as long as Kobe Bryant draws a paycheck and Pau Gasol continues to supply his occasional bursts of magic.

And, no, this team isn't as dominant as those led by Magic. But with the Eastern Conference full of pretenders like the Orlando Magic and the Whatever LeBrons, that conference isn't ready. (The Celtics' Big Three made a valiant last gasp.) And the Suns' surprising advancement to this season's Western Conference finals shows how lacking the Lakers' substantive competition is.

Yes, this title was tougher. But Tim Duncan is a year older, the Oklahoma City Thunder are a year or two too young and Kobe lives for history. He should get it in the form of his second three-peat, matching his idol, good ol' MJ.]

[Updated at 1:30 p.m.:

Josh Robbins, Orlando Sentinel 

Get ready for a three-peat, Los Angeles. The Lakers should be considered the favorites to win a third consecutive NBA title next June, as long as Phil Jackson returns as head coach.

The nucleus of Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom and Ron Artest is under contract for the 2010-11 season. Bynum should be healthy. Even if Derek Fisher retires, Mitch Kupchak should be able to find a point guard to fill the void.

The big question marks revolve around Jackson and LeBron James. Jackson steadies the Lakers, and without him the star-filled Lakers could lose sight of the team concept.

James adds another variable to the equation. If he joins Dwyane Wade in Miami, the Heat immediately would join the league’s elite and could cause the Lakers (and everyone else) headaches.

In the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder are the team of the future. But for one more year at least, the Lakers should be the class of the conference.]

Photo: Big men Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum embrace in the middle of the Lakers' celebration on the Staples Center court after an 83-79 victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night. Credit: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

Ted Green: Did the Lakers gamble and lose on Andrew Bynum's knee?

 
As you are about to see, it’s more than fair to ask this simple question:

Could a decision made by the Lakers’ medical staff to hold off performing what figured to be a routine arthroscopy on Andrew Bynum’s torn right-knee cartilage, potentially as early as May 2, perhaps end up costing the Lakers what they’re working so feverishly hard to achieve, their repeat championship?

Don’t think for even a second that quietly, privately, behind the scenes, members of the Lakers’ organization aren't  asking themselves that same provocative question, too.

From someone who has undergone eight arthroscopic knee surgeries (five on the right knee and three on the left), from someone who knows how a meniscal tear feels, how it inhibits your movement and determines what you are and are not able to do, how it prevents you from running at anything approaching full speed -- yes, that someone is me -- I can tell you without hesitation or equivocation that Bynum should not be in Phoenix, frustrated, physically compromised, his knee stiff and too often painful, bravely pretending everything is OK with him when it obviously isn’t OK at all.

Bynum should be in El Segundo, at Laker headquarters, rehabbing a knee he should have had fixed, arthroscopically, more than three weeks ago.

Twenty-three days ago, to be exact.

In fact, for argument’s sake, with a nice, standard four-week recovery, it’s quite possible Bynum could be playing far more effective minutes for the Lakers than he is right now … by next week.

That’s right, friends. The docs will naturally say otherwise to justify their original decision, but it’s all too clear now: Bynum should have had his knee scoped the day after the meniscal tear was diagnosed on May 1.

Second-guess?  Hindsight is 20-20?  Not at all.  I said it on May 2, the day the Lakers announced that it was torn.

Frustrated myself, I asked everyone in my circle who fervently follows the Lakers: Why doesn’t he go in and get that thing scoped today?! He’ll be back for the finals!

Ted Green: Relief and resentment rule the day

Thank you, Edison, for inventing electricity. So there is a switch!

The Lakers threw it and lit up Staples Center, bright as neon in Game 5, just a bravura all-around performance, leaving me with some very ambivalent feelings.

As a Laker fan, watching the champs go up 3-2 and now possibly/likely winning the Okie series is a heckuva lot better than leaving the playoffs in April. That would have been ugly and could have led to other goodbyes like maybe to Phil Jackson, Derek Fisher and Jordan Farmar for sure.

However, as a journalist who is supposed to critique performance, I’m actually angry that the Lakers are this arrogant. Are the NBA’s current lords of the rings really so high and mighty as to throw that switch, to play their best and most enthusiastic basketball only when they absolutely have to, only when losing would probably mean the end of their championship reign?

By definition, it means they’re making less than their best effort on a steady basis, like, oh, 95% of the time.  So if you love championship pedigree, admire effort and laud those teams and athletes who leave it all out there, giving it their very best virtually all the time, then this Laker team does leave you wanting -- and expecting -- so much more.

If Game 5 was an indication, they’re treating these playoffs like an Austin Powers movie, losing their mojo, then going back in their time machine (2009) to try to get it back. All that’s missing is Dr. Evil sitting courtside next to Jack.