Ryan Young

The odds of winning the California SuperLotto jackpot are 1 in 41,416,353. The odds of the Clippers winning tonight's NBA draft lottery are not quite as infinitesimal at 1 in 200, but still seem highly unlikely. The prize? It's not quite a gazillion dollars, but in basketball terms, it is close: the chance to choose either 35-year old Ohio St. center Greg Oden and Texas swingman Kevin Durant, two of the most hyped players...

Out here in Tinseltown, movies are part of our livelihood. They are meant to be an event, an experience, a true artform to be appreciated. It is ironic then, that the one of the great moviegoing traditions of yesteryear, the drive-in theater, has been nearly wiped out from the Southern California landscape. But this past weekend marked a comeback of sorts with the grand opening of the Star-Vu Drive-In in Costa Mesa. Located at the...

LAist has been giving a lot of love recently to the many fine eating establishments that exist all over the basin. No matter what type of cuisine you like, there's a long list of restaurants that can meet the grade. However, there's also been a noticeable lack of Orange County representation in these reviews. True, 95% of the non-five-star restaurants in OC are chains not worthy of being reviewed, unless you want to debate...

It's been a FleetBank tradition since 1998, as mentioned by our sister site Bostonist, but Bank of America has brought its annual "Museums on Us" promotion to Cali for the first time. Throughout the month of May, you'll be able to get into many Southland museums for free by showing your B of A ATM, check, or credit card, or MBNA credit card. So for once, the card that typically drains your bank account...

Saturday is going to be huge. I'm not even talking about Cinco de Mayo. Granted, Cinco de Mayo will be a huge day of cultural celebration for the many Mexican-Americans in LA, as well as the many boozers who will be, um, celebrating in their own way by double fisting Coronas. What I'm talking about is a boxing match. Wait, a boxing match? Seriously? Yes, I know, boxing is full of corruption and politics, more...

Today marks the fifteen year anniversary of one of the darkest chapters in Los Angeles history: the 1992 LA Riots. On April 29, 1992, four police officers charged in the controversial 1991 beating of motorist Rodney King were acquitted, sending shockwaves through a community already in unrest. Anger had been rising over perceived racism by LAPD, poor economic conditions, and friction between minority groups in South Central. Nevertheless, no one could have anticipated the...

It all comes down to this. One night. A grueling, six-month season, all decided in 48 minutes on the court. Unfortunately for the Clippers, the court in question will be the Rose Garden in Portland, where the Golden St. Warriors play the Blazers. A win for the Warriors and they advance to the playoffs for the first time in 13 years. A loss opens the door for the Clips to potentially sneak in if they...

So a guy goes to a bar with a bunch of his buddies. Let's call him Elton. He hasn't historically had a lot of success with the ladies, but the last time he visited this bar, things worked out really well for him. He and his buddies have been making the rounds, working the room and evaluating the talent. Some of his buddies, like Tim, Steve, and Tracy, are getting play almost immediately. Meanwhile, Elton...

This isn't normally how the script goes. For the first 30 minutes, all signs were pointing to the Lakers reasserting themselves as the team in LA, clinching their playoff spot, with the Clippers laying an egg in their most important game of the season. Kobe was scoring from all over the court, getting to the line, and creating easy shots for his teammates. When Kobe drained a three-pointer from the wing for his 38th point...

The difference between great teams and pretty-good teams, or pretty-good teams and mediocre teams is small. It's a demonstrated ability to make plays at critical junctures of games. Great teams do it often, pretty-good teams do it sometimes, mediocre teams only occasionally. Memphis Grizzlies, never. The Clippers' deflating three-point overtime loss to the NO/OKC Hornets last night once again reflected the teams' inability to make the plays in the clutch, an ability that has by...