SPORTS
May 13, 2012 | By Mike Bresnahan
The Lakers-Oklahoma City series was already going to be rollicking, a classic case of young versus old. Then came the bonuses from the basketball lords the last two months. Derek Fisher ended up with the Thunder after being traded by the Lakers in March. James Harden took an elbow to the side of the head from Metta World Peace last month. Welcome to the newly refurbished Western Conference semifinals. The Thunder has awaited this matchup longer than the nine days since its first-round sweep of Dallas.
SPORTS
May 7, 2012 | By Kevin Baxter
The mean streets of South El Monte aren't so mean any more as they are tired and sometimes desperate. The tiny bedroom community, which sprouts from the junction of the Pomona and San Gabriel River freeways, was once plagued by crime and gang activity. Now many of its residents are more troubled by poverty and unemployment. "The last three years have been hard, you know what I mean?" sighs Joseph Diaz, an out-of-work truck driver married to a secretary who also lost her full-time job. "Things can't get any worse.
SPORTS
May 6, 2012 | By Lance Pugmire
Shaquille O'Neal's presence in the NBA playoffs remains large. The center who led the Lakers to three consecutive NBA titles (2000-02), feuded with Kobe Bryant, then paired to win a ring with Miami's Dwyane Wade in 2006 before retiring last year is now an analyst on TNT's Emmy-winning "Inside the NBA. " With TNT providing blanket playoff coverage, including the Clippers-Memphis game Monday, O'Neal, who works along with Charles Barkley, Kenny...
SPORTS
April 14, 2012 | Barry Stavro
Philadelphia 76ers Coach/psychologist Doug Collins talked about handling a team with young players. "The one thing about players today is that they're very sensitive and very fragile. They didn't grow up with tough coaches," he said. "I treat this team very much with kid gloves; I really do. And I'm still looked at as an ogre. It's terrible. I find myself during the games looking at a coach and saying, 'Was I all right during that timeout? Did I hurt anybody's feelings? Was I OK?
NATIONAL
April 10, 2012 | By Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Los Angeles Times
Two men arrested in connection with a shooting rampage that terrorized the black community in Tulsa, Okla., over the weekend have confessed, police said Monday, and officials continued to investigate whether the crimes were racially motivated. Police arrest reports obtained by The Times say Alvin Watts, 32, confessed to shooting two people and Jake England, 19, confessed to shooting three. Three victims died and two were seriously wounded. England's arrest report says he drove during the shootings early Friday and later led police to the weapon.
NATIONAL
April 8, 2012 | By Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Los Angeles Times
Two men were arrested Sunday in connection with the shootings of five black people in Tulsa, Okla., and authorities were investigating their backgrounds and Facebook pages to try to determine whether the attacks were racially motivated. Three of the shooting victims died. Police described the suspects as white, but a family friend said one was Cherokee. Jake England, 19, and Alvin Watts, 32, both of Tulsa, were arrested after an anonymous tip about 2 a.m. north of the city, near where the shootings occurred, Tulsa Police Department spokesman Jason Willingham said.