NFL
L.A. Rams — The Rams made the long trek to Foxborough, Mass. to face the 10-2 New England Patriots on Dec. 4. The Patriots, led by star quarterback Tom Brady, dominated the Rams for the entirety of the game, leading to their 26-10 lead. That win gave Brady the record for career wins at 201, while simultaneously giving Rams’ head coach Jeff Fisher his 164th career loss, which is one off the current NFL record. All this came after news leaked on Sunday morning that Fisher has a contract extension lined up for next season, despite the Rams losing seven of their last eight and sitting at 4-8 for the season. Next week, they face the Atlanta Falcons on Dec. 11, a team who sits at the top of the NFC South with a 7-5 record.
Player of the Week: Punter Johnny Hekker: Eight punts, 430 total yards, 53.8 average yards per punt, five punts inside the 20
NBA
L.A. Clippers — The Clippers opened their week with a solid 113-94 win over the defending-champion Cleveland Cavaliers on Dec. 1. They finished with a season-high 33 assists, with power forward Blake Griffin accounting for 11 of them, a number that matched a career-high for the big man. The Clippers turned around and faced the New Orleans Pelicans on Dec. 2, winning 114-96. Griffin led the Clippers with 27 points and point guard Kyrie Irving scored 17. They then lost their next two games to the Indiana Pacers and Golden State Warriors, as seven Pacers scored in double digits and Warriors’ shooting guard Klay Thompson could not be stopped. They drop to 16-7, still sitting in second place in the Pacific Division behind the red-hot Warriors.
Player of the Week: Power Forward Blake Griffin: 19 points per game, 10 rebounds per game
L.A. Lakers — The Lakers had a rough past week, losing all four of their games. The Toronto Raptors on Dec. 2 and Houston Rockets on Dec. 7 obliterated the Lakers, but L.A. came close on Dec. 3 against the Memphis Grizzlies and on Dec. 5 against the Utah Jazz. Shooting guard Lou Williams proved the only positive aspect of the week, as he put up a season-high 40 points against the Grizzlies then followed it up with a 38-point performance against the Jazz. The Lakers travel to face the lowly Phoenix Suns, which becomes a must-win for the sliding Lakers.
Player of the Week: Shooting guard Lou Williams: 28.8 points per game, three assists per game
NHL
Anaheim Ducks — The Ducks had a split result week, winning a pair and losing a pair. They got a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Dec. 1, then promptly lost their next two to the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames before coming back home and winning in a shootout over the Carolina Hurricanes. The Ducks have a significant Pacific Conference match coming up on Dec. 9, when they face the division-rival San Jose Sharks.
Player of the Week: Center Ryan Kesler: Four goals, 11 shots on goal, one assist
L.A. Kings — The Kings have only played two games this past week, winning one and losing the other. They grabbed a 4-3 victory over the Arizona Coyotes on Dec. 1, then came home to Staples Center and lost to the Montreal Canadiens 5-4 in shootout. The Kings’ next opponent is the Carolina Hurricanes on Dec. 8, who are looking to bounce back after a loss to Anaheim.
Player of the Week: Center Jordan Nolan: Two goals, two shots on goal, two assists
