NFL
L.A. Rams: The usually stout Rams’ defense got hammered by the New Orleans Saints’ aerial assault led by the Saints’ seemingly ageless star quarterback Drew Brees. Embarrassingly, Los Angeles fell to the Saints 21-49 on Nov. 27 despite keeping pace with them in the first half. Unfortunately, Brees’ experience and precise passing finally got the best of the Rams’ secondary and surpassed the solid play of Rams’ young quarterback Jared Goff, even though he displayed highly accurate passing and solid footwork. Goff finished the game with three touchdown passes, but did toss an interception on his worst decision of the day by throwing into double coverage. With the loss, the Rams continue their descent down the NFC West and find themselves with little to no playoff chances with five weeks remaining in the regular season. In week 13, the 4-7 Rams will travel to Foxborough, Mass. to take on Tom Brady-led AFC juggernaut New England Patriots on Dec. 4.
Player of the week: Quarterback Jared Goff: 20/32, 214 Passing yards, 3 Passing touchdowns, 1 Interception
NHL
L.A. Kings: The Kings continue to defeat the opposition left and right thanks to an increasingly improving blue line as well as competent goaltending by Peter Budaj, who deserves consideration for the Vezina Trophy, which is awarded to the season’s best goaltender. Budaj has more than filled in for the injured Jonathan Quick, who still continues to recover. The Kings have won four straight games improving their record to 12-9-1 on the season.
Player of the week: Goaltender Peter Budaj: (Past five games) 9 Goals Against, 117 Saves, .929 Save %, 5 Straight wins
Anaheim Ducks: The Ducks have continued their up and down season but have tallied off two straight victories against stiffer competition in the San Jose Sharks and Montreal Canadiens. Like the Kings, the Ducks continue their steady ascent up the Pacific Division standings as they sit second in the division with an 11-8-4 overall record. Jakob Silfverberg has had a great recent stretch by pacing the Ducks’ offense with exceptional play on the ice.
Player of the week: Left Wing Jakob Silfverberg: (Past five games) 1 Goals, 2 Assists
NBA
L.A. Clippers: After a four-game winning streak, the Clippers dropped three in a row, beginning with a 108-97 loss against the Detroit Pistons on Nov. 25. Los Angeles followed the loss with another in humiliating fashion to the Indiana Pacers with a lopsided score of 91-90. The Clippers’ low morale translated into their Nov. 29 matchup against the lowly Brooklyn Nets. The Clippers dropped the game in a heart-breaking double overtime 122-127. The Clippers still find themselves with one of the best records in the NBA at 14-5 but second in the Pacific division, behind the high-powered Golden State Warriors.
Player of the week: Center DeAndre Jordan: (Past five games) 14.8 Points per game, 13.8 Rebounds per game, 1.8 Blocks per game
L.A. Lakers: Despite a quick start, the Lakers have found themselves in a rough patch since Nov. 18, going 2-5 in their last seven games. So far this season, Los Angeles has featured an explosive offense yet an anemic defense. Their league-worst defense has finally caught up to the Lakers to ruin their fun as their failure to defend reached new heights against the offensive expertise of the Steph Curry-led Warriors. On Nov. 23 they fell to the dynamic Warriors offense by giving up a whopping 149 points, including 31 to Curry. The Lakers now have a 9-10 record, good for third in the Pacific division.
Player of the week: Shooting guard Lou Williams: (Past five games) 16.8 Points per game, 3.2 Assists per game, 3.0 Rebounds per game
