Play It Forward March 20-26: Jimmie Johnson always has Auto Club Speedway on his GPS
Ranking the top ten sports events March 20-26 you won`t want to miss:
NO. 1: NASCAR: AUTO CLUB 400
Details/TV: At Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Sunday, 12:30 p.m., Ch. 11
You can`t bet against Jimmy Johnson on this track.
The El Cajon native in the Hendrick No. Forty eight Chevy embarked from the 19th position in last year`s race, overtook Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick in overtime after a restart and won it a year ago for his 77th career victory – his 10th career title on the track and sixth as it has been named Auto Club Speedway.
«He ran the fastest lap of the race on the last lap – he saved his best for last,» said Fox NASCAR analyst Michael Waltrip of Johnson`s win.
«I got a excellent run off of Turn two and I thought ‘man I`ve got a shot at this thing,` which I didn`t expect to have,» the 40-year-old Johnson said about the final restart. «Harvick has been so swift. I cleared him and kind of got away. We saved our best for last for sure. We had our best at the last there and truly strong on the brief run which wasn`t necessarily our strong suit earlier in the day. Chad (Knaus, squad chief) made some fine adjustments there to get me tuned up for that dash at the end.»
Johnson went on to win his seventh Cup title, but his spectacle this season was recently causing some to wonder: Is he having a post-title hangover? He was 34th at the Daytona five hundred after a crash, then 19th and Atlanta. He leaped to 11th in Las Vegas and was competitive at the end before coming in ninth Sunday in Phoenix. Sounds like he`s gearing up again.
Also: Pole qualifying, Friday at Four:05 p.m.; Xfinity NXS 300, Saturday at one p.m., (qualifying at 9:30 a.m.), FS1
More info on the entire weekend of events: http://www.autoclubspeedway.com
(NOTE: IF UCLA AND/OR USC ADVANCES, THIS CAN BE USED AFTER ALL INFO IS UPDATED AND TEAM THAT LOST IS DELETED)
NO. Two: COLLEGE BASKETBALL
NCAA Studs`S TOURNAMENT SWEET 16
UCLA vs. KENTUCKY
Details/TV: At Memphis, Tenn., Friday at TBA, TV TBA
USC vs. DUKE/SOUTH CAROLINA
Details/TV: At Fresh York, Friday at TBA, TV TBA:
The end of the work week won`t get here soon enough, no matter what your brackets look like at this point or whether you`re ready to join Charles Barkley with his switch roles hoodie snack holder idea.
The Bruins` 97-92 win over the previous No. One Wildcats on their home floor back on Dec. Three will be dissected all over again before they butt goes again in the South Regional semifinals.
The Trojans have somehow navigated their way from the Very first Four to the Sweet 16, which sounds kind of backward.
(NOTE: IF NEITHER UCLA AND USC ADVANCES, THIS CAN BE USED INSTEAD)
NO. Two: COLLEGE BASKETBALL
NCAA Dudes`S TOURNAMENT SWEET 16
Details/TV: Games Thursday and Friday in San Jose, Fresh York, Kansas City and Memphis on CBS, TBS and TNT.
Not looking forward to listening to Charles Barkley attempt to break down anything left at this point. Even with his switch roles hoodie chip holder. A Gonzaga-Arizona regular-season rematch in the West Region finale will be worth the wait, thought.
NO. Three: COLLEGE BASKETBALL
NCAA WOMEN`S TOURNAMENT ROUND OF 32
UCLA vs. TEXAS A&M
Details/TV: At Pauley Pavilion, Monday, seven p.m., ESPNU
C`mon, we`re all looking one step ahead here. If the Bruins win, it`s a journey to Bridgeport, Conn., to face No. One UConn, which would have extended its winning streak to one hundred nine straight if it puts away Syracuse (Monday, Three:30 p.m., ESPN2) in its next test.
NO. Four: NBA: CLIPPERS at LAKERS
Details/TV: At Staples Center, Tuesday, 7:30 p.m., Spectrum SportsNet, Prime Ticket
The Lakers unveil a precariously dangling statue of Shaquille O`Neal before their game on Friday against Minnesota (7:30 p.m., SSN). Also stringing up in the air is this third of four meetings inbetween the Teams of L.A. The Clippers have won twelve of the last 13, with the Lakers` most latest triumph on Christmas Day 111-102, which had been designated a Lakers` home game.
Also this week for the Lakers: vs. Portland, Staples Center, Sunday at 6:30 p.m., SSN.
Also this week for the Clippers: vs. Fresh York, at Staples Center, Monday at 7:30 p.m., TNT; at Dallas, Thursday at Five:30 p.m., Prime Ticket; vs. Utah, Staples Center, Saturday at 12:30 p.m., Prime Ticket.
NO. Five: NHL: KINGS vs. N.Y. RANGERS
Details/TV: At Staples Center, Sunday, 7:30 p.m., FSW
Too little, too late to make up the difference in the wild-card run? Too many squandered opportunities last week? Then there`s this matchup against the Rangers to remind everyone about how cool it was in the summer of ’14. Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist has been battling a bad hip and hasn`t played in a duo of weeks.
Also this week for the Kings: At Edmonton, Monday at six p.m., FSW; vs. Winnipeg, Staples Center, Thursday at 7:30 p.m., FSW
Also this week for the Ducks: vs. Edmonton, Honda Center, Wednesday at seven p.m., Prime Ticket; vs. Winnipeg, Honda Center, Saturday at seven p.m., Prime Ticket; vs. N.Y. Rangers, at Honda Center, Sunday at six p.m., Prime Ticket.
NO. 6: HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
CALIFORNIA STATE OPEN DIVISION BOYS FINAL
BISHOP MONTGOMERY vs. WOODCREEK
Details/TV: At Golden one Center in Sacramento, Saturday, eight p.m., Spectrum SportsNet
The Knights of Torrance (30-2), who don`t have to worry any more about facing Mater Dei, get matched up against the 32-2 Timberwolves from Roseville just twenty four miles north from the Sacramento Kings` arena. Followers of Bishop Montgomery, for what it`s worth, have to navigate their way about four hundred miles from the south.
NO. 7: WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC FINAL
Details/TV: At Dodger Stadium, Wednesday, six p.m., MLB Network
Team USA has to angle its way past Japan in Tuesday`s semifinal (6 p.m., MLB Network) to earn another meeting with Puerto Rico, given that it takes care of the Netherlands in its semifinal game (Monday, six p.m., MLB Network). Japan, the two-time tournament winner, has gone 6-0 in the very first two rounds. While Giancarlo Stanton (Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High) should evoke cheers playing with USA, the Netherlands has Angels shortstop Andrelton SImmons and added Dodgers reliever Kenley Jansen for this round. .
NO. 8: SOCCER: two thousand eighteen WORLD CUP QUALIFIER
Details/TV: At Avaya Stadium in San Jose, Friday, Four:30 p.m., FS1
When we last paid attention, the USMNT looked fairly pathetic in a 4-0 loss to Costa Rica, the last match coached by Jurgen Klinsmann. In the four-month hiatus, Bruce Arenas has become the fresh head man. The top three teams after a home-and-home round robin advance to the World Cup and the fourth-place team will face a playoff match against a team from Asia. Which route the U.S. may end up having to take depends on how they do against Honduras. The USMNT has a 15-4-4 overall record against Honduras, and 12-2-3 on U.S. soil.
NO. 9: GOLF: WGC DELL TECHNOLOGIES MATCH PLAY
Details/TV: At Austin, Tex., Wednesday-Sunday, Golf Channel and NBC
As long as we`re into bracket challenges, here`s another one-and-done format with $9.75 million at stake, won last year by Jason Day (along with a $1.6 million check). Day, who had been ranked No. One in the world until providing it up after his play at the PGA Tour stop at Riviera last month, has a No. Two ranking behind Dustin Johnson, followed by Rory McIlroy (who won this in 2015) and Hideki Matsuyama as the top four seeds. Day`s five and four win over Louis Oosteruizen in last year`s championship match, a day after outlasting McIlroy 1-up, vaulted Day to the No. One spot in the rankings.
NO. Ten: GOLF: LPGA KIA CLASSIC
Details/TV: At Aviara Golf Club in Carlsbad, Thursday-Friday, Golf Channel
This event, in its eighth year, remains the only Southern California stop of the year for the LPGA. A years ago, World No. One Lydia Ko, then a month away from her 19th bday, outlasted Inbee Park to win by four shots. Ko went on the next week to win at the ANA Inspiration in Rancho Mirage and the silver medal at the two thousand sixteen Summer Olympics. Ko, a Korean-born Fresh Zealander who has won fourteen LPGA events and nineteen professional wins, remains No. One ranked in the world.