CARSON — The unstoppable force known as the U.S. women’s national soccer team took care of another opponent Friday.

With two goals in each half, the U.S. handled Mexico 4-0 in a CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying semifinal in front of 11,292 at Dignity Health Sports Park.

With the win, the U.S. qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and advanced to Sunday’s CONCACAF region championship against Canada.

The win extends the current unbeaten streak to 27 consecutive matches for the U.S., which won its fourth World Cup title in France last summer.

“Coming into this game, we had the same attitude and that’s not going to change,” U.S. coach  Vlatko Andonovski said. “Every game we go into will be the most important we play and that’s how we approached this game and how we will approach Sunday.

“I’m happy we scored the goals, but I’m not happy for the missed opportunities. With the quality of players we have, we can score a few more.”

It didn’t take long for the U.S. to get on the board.

In the fifth minute, Rose Lavelle was left open atop the 18-yard box and her shot flew into the net.

Nine minutes later, it was Samantha Mewis’ turn. The play started with Megan Rapinoe’s low corner kick, Julie Ertz made a near-post run, taking a defender with her, leaving Mewis open to finish and she blasted the ball past Mexico goalkeeper Emily Alverado for a 2-0 lead.

“I hope so,” Mewis said about her statement-making goal putting the U.S. firmly in control. “There were ups and downs in the game. I thought Mexico played really well, they did a great job and they were a hard team to beat. I think every time we were able to score it helped us kind of reset ourselves.”

To Mexico’s credit, it didn’t back down despite the 2-0 deficit. In the second half, Kiana Palacios (Mission Viejo High, UC Irvine) made the U.S. defense work, using her quick feet to get a shot off that forced Alyssa Naeher to go low to save it.

Carli Lloyd had an opportunity to pad the lead in the 61st minute, but her shot went over the goal.

Later in the game, with the 2-0 lead, the U.S. made all three subs and that only brought more fire to the attack. Christen Press (Chadwick of Palos Verdes Peninsula), Lynn Williams and Lindsey Horan all entered near the 70th minute.

Williams and Press came on as a double sub in the 68th minute and instantly sparked the attack. In the 67th minute, Mewis, a UCLA product, scored her second goal, this time on a free kick from just outside the 18-yard box for a 3-0 lead.

“When they came on the field, the tempo, I didn’t think the pace dropped, but I think they lifted up the tempo,” Andonovski said of Williams and Press. “It was about the time where we were giving up a little bit of ground and started shifting the block and that’s where Press and Williams did a very good job, pushing us high again and created a lot of opportunities.

“Their speed and technicality is just something we were lacking at that point in the game. Once again they prove they’re very good players and regardless of whether they start or not, they can be very valuable for this team.”

In the 73rd minute, Press got on the board, chipping the ball over the Mexican goalkeeper for a 4-0 lead. The goal was Press’ fifth of the tournament. She has scored in six straight matches, including each of the qualifying matches.

“With the competition that they have (in the roster), their practices is probably tougher than the matches,” Mexico coach Chris Cuellar said. “When you have that, it is tough. They bring on fresh legs. … Press comes on and scores and incredible goal … it is tough to handle that.

“When they got the third goal, it makes it much more difficult to get back in the game. With 20 minutes to go, we just asked the girls to leave it all on the field.”

Canada has finished as runner up to the United States in the last three qualifying tournaments.

“Canada is always a really hard team, we obviously have a big rivalry with them and of course they’re playing well defensively – and offensively. So it’s going to be a tough game, but we’re excited for the challenge,” Mewis said.

The United States has made the field for every Olympics since soccer became an Olympic sport in 1996, and has won the gold medal four times. But the Americans were eliminated by Sweden in the quarterfinals four years ago in Brazil for the team’s earliest exit in the tournament.

Mexico made the field for the 2004 Olympics but has not been back since.

It was defender Crystal Dunn’s 100th appearance with the U.S. national team.

News services contributed to this story.

It's not Monday night but we will gladly accept this

Unbelievable strike from @roselavelle. pic.twitter.com/fDmBrhqhKj

— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) February 8, 2020

We've got @mPinoe with this impeccable corner, and @sammymewy just finding the perfect spot.

Are you not entertained? What a TEAM. pic.twitter.com/PW22LGxHP5

— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) February 8, 2020

Samantha Mewis ARE YOU KIDDING pic.twitter.com/KARSaOuJwX

— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) February 8, 2020

EVERY GOAL TODAY HAS BEEN INCREDIBLE.

CHRISTEN PRESS OUT HERE STILL ON pic.twitter.com/wwfYpNmymX

— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) February 8, 2020

STANFORD — UCLA coach Cori Close issued a challenge to her team before a showdown at Stanford and Michaela Onyenwere delivered.

Onyenwere had 29 points and 10 rebounds and the 10th-ranked Bruins pulled away from the No. 6 Cardinal late for a 79-69 victory Friday night that moved UCLA into a tie for second place in the Pac-12 with Stanford.

“Coach Cori came in with fire before the game,” Onyenwere said. “That really spoke to me and the team. She challenged our toughness and aggressiveness and we knew that in order to this game we had to be aggressive and we had to be tough.”

Onyenwere got a steal and a layup late in the third quarter to give UCLA (20-2 overall, 9-2 Pac-12) the lead for good and then added seven points early in the fourth to help the Bruins take control.

Chantel Horvat scored career-high 14 points off the bench for UCLA, Japreece Dean added 11 and the Bruins held Stanford to 36.6 percent shooting.

“We really wanted to take away their first and second option,” said Close, who earned her 100th Pac-12 victory. “We know where they want to enter the ball. We wanted them to think about our pressure the entire game so they didn’t get in a rhythm.”

Kiana Williams scored 25 points but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Cardinal (20-3, 9-2) from having its 16-game home winning streak snapped. Lacie Hull added 12 and Ashten Prechtel had 10 points and 12 rebounds.

“We weren’t able to hit shots,” Coach Tara VanDerveer said. “We weren’t moving the ball the way we needed to. It was disappointing.”

UCLA scored 10 straight points starting late in the first quarter and eventually built a nine-point lead as Stanford missed 15 of 17 shots. But Hull hit a 3-pointer just before the halftime buzzer to cut the Bruins led to 35-30.

Williams sparked the Cardinal in an impressive stretch in the third quarter with an outlet pass to Prechtel for a layup, a pull-up jumper and then a 3-pointer to put Stanford ahead 45-44.

But the Bruins then capitalized on five turnovers in the final four minutes of the quarter to take a 50-45 lead heading into the fourth when Horvat hit a layup just before the buzzer.

The big road win against a top-10 team keeps the Bruins within striking distance of No. 3 Oregon in the Pac-12 standings. UCLA hosts the Ducks next Friday night in what could be a showdown for first place in the conference.

With star freshman Haley Jones sidelined by a knee injury, Stanford didn’t have enough scoring options to hang with the Bruins. Williams did her best with three 3-pointers in the first quarter and that spurt in the third. But she went 1 for 10 with two turnovers down the stretch.

“She got really tired,” VanDerveer said. “We need some more help for her so I can rest her more so she can be fresher at the end of the game.”

UP NEXT

UCLA plays at Cal on Sunday at 2 p.m. (Pac-12 Networks)

Bruins going back to Westwood with another W on the record. @monyenwere_ and @ChantelHorvat were a power duo in No. 10 @UCLAWBB’s 79-69 win over No. 6 Stanford. pic.twitter.com/eBGlo6qYAM

— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) February 8, 2020

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Remy Martin got the shooter’s roll on a pull-up jumper with 19 seconds left, and Arizona State held on for a 66-64 win over Southern California on Saturday night.

Martin’s 22 points, 16 of those in the second half, led Arizona State (15-8 overall, 6-4 in Pac-12), which has won three straight and five of six. Alonzo Verge Jr. added 16 points as the Sun Devils rallied from a 13-point first-half deficit.

Jonah Mathews’ 22 points led USC and Daniel Utomi added 15 for USC (17-7, 6-5), which has lost three in a row.

The Trojans went ice cold for a long stretch in the second half, but came back to take the lead again late in the game. Arizona State went more than 11 minutes without a made basket, but after trailing 64-59 drew even on three Martin free throws with 2:15 to play.

Martin’s basket in the final seconds was the only field goal in the final 11:28 for the Sun Devils.

Mathews led the Trojans with 17 first-half points, although he went to the locker room briefly after he appeared to injure his right arm when he fell after a blocked layup attempt.

Rakocevic scored eight first half points, and USC took its largest lead of the half on a Utomi layup and free throw for a 33-20 lead with 5:34 until halftime.

Arizona State closed the half down 40-32, with Verge scoring 13 points in the first 20 minutes. But the Sun Devils shot just 35%.

Martin’s steal and two-handed dunk got the crowd on its feet with thunderous applause, and USC went more than 3 1/2 minutes without a point.

BIG PICTURE

USC: The Trojans have a good opportunity to turn things around with home games against two of the Pac-12’s lower-echelon teams next week, Washington and Washington State. A 72-40 drubbing at the hands of the Huskies in in Seattle last month should be at the forefront of their thoughts this week.

Arizona State: The Sun Devils head to the Bay Area next week with plenty of confidence as they surged into the top four of the Pac-12. But at only 15 total wins, a great regular season finish over the final eight games — and probably a win or two in the conference tournament — will be necessary to be considered for an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.

UP NEXT

USC returns home to host Washington on Thursday night.

Arizona State faces Stanford on the road Thursday night.

SANTA BARBARA — UC Irvine erased a 17-point deficit to take a three-point lead with 2:42 to play but could not hold off the Gauchos, ultimately falling 64-61 on Saturday night at the Thunderdome.

Collin Welp made a pair of free throws, then Evan Leonard made a long two-pointer to give the Anteaters a 58-55 lead with 2:42 left, but UCI went 1 for 4 from the field with a turnover the rest of the way and UCSB went 7 for 8 from the free-throw line to take a 62-58 lead.

Welp hit a 3-pointer with 6.1 seconds left to cut the Gauchos’ lead to 62-61, but UCSB’s Devearl Ramsey made a pair of free throws with five seconds left, and UCI’s Eyassu Worku missed a potential game-tying 3-point attempt at the buzzer.

Brad Greene had 16 points and six rebounds to pace UCI, which dropped to 15-10 overall but remains atop the Big West Conference standings with a 7-2 mark. Leonard added 12 points.

Amadou Sow had 21 points and 10 rebounds to lead UCSB (16-8, 5-4). JaQuori McLaughlin added 11 points.

UCI shot 42.8 percent (25 for 59) from the field but was just 4 for 14 (28.6 percent) from 3-point range. UCSB was just 3 for 11 from beyond the arc but had a distinct advantage at the free-throw line, going 21 for 25 while the Anteaters were just 7 for 8.

UCI, which saw its four-game win streak end, outrebounded the Gauchos 36-28 and held advantages in bench points (17-6) and points in the paint (30-26). The Gauchos scored 14 points off 12 UCI turnovers.

The Gauchos, who won their third in a row, led by 10 in the first half, held a 35-24 advantage at halftime, then scored the first six points of the second half to open a 41-24 lead with 18:32 remaining.

The Anteaters responded with a 14-5 run to cut the margin to 47-40 with 11:34 left, then a bit later Greene started a 12-2 run that brought them within 53-52 with 5:25 remaining. Greene made another layup to keep UCI within 55-54 at 4:26, then Welp’s free throws and Leonard’s jumper gave UCI its short-lived lead with 2:42 left.

UP NEXT

UCI plays at UC Riverside on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

FULLERTON — Trading 3-pointers for free throws led to the expected result for Cal State Fullerton on Saturday night.

The Titans made more free throws (26) than UC Davis attempted (22), but the Aggies made 11 3-point baskets to Fullerton’s five, which became a math problem the Titans could not solve.

Caleb Fuller scored a career-high 23 points on 9-of-12 shooting and Stefan Gonzalez (4 for 6 from 3-point range) added 14 points – both players coming off the bench – and UC Davis beat Cal State Fullerton 87-81 at Titan Gym.

Senior forward Jackson Rowe had 21 points and nine rebounds to pace the Titans (9-16 overall, 4-6 Big West Conference). Senior guard Brandon Kamga played all 40 minutes and finished with 20 points and five rebounds, but he struggled shooting, going just 5 for 17 from the field and 2 for 8 from 3-point range.

Redshirt freshman forward Vincent Lee added a career-high 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting to go with seven rebounds for Fullerton, while senior guard Austen Awosika had 10 points, four rebounds and three assists.

After holding UC Riverside to just 48 points in a victory on Wednesday, Fullerton saw UC Davis (10-15, 4-5) shoot 52.5 percent from the field (31 for 59) and nearly 70 percent from beyond the arc (11 for 16).

Rogers Printup hit a 3-pointer to give UC Davis a 10-7 lead less than five minutes into the game and the Aggies never trailed again. The Aggies extended the margin to as much as 15 before halftime, but the game was close throughout the second half.

Still, whenever the Titans were close, the Aggies made a timely basket to keep the lead. Fullerton trailed just 81-78 with 1:11 left, but Ezra Manjon hit a floater with 45 seconds left and the Aggies closed the final 71 seconds on a 6-3 run to secure the win.

The Titans went 26 for 34 from the free-throw line to the Aggies’ 14-for-22 mark.

Elijah Pepper added 13 points, Manjon had 11 and Kennedy Koehler and Printup each scored 10 for UC Davis.

UP NEXT

Cal State Fullerton hosts Cal Poly (SLO) next Saturday (Feb. 15) at 6 p.m.

Coach Taylor on tonight’s game. pic.twitter.com/iZrxWgBoxg

— Titans Men's Basketball (@FullertonMBB) February 9, 2020

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — UCLA watched Arizona State make almost everything it took from 3-point range.

Two days later, Arizona missed nearly everything it shot, with a little help from the Bruins.

The result: Arizona’s lowest shooting percentage in the McKale Center’s 47-year history.

Playing arguably its best all-around game of the season, UCLA held No. 23 Arizona to 25% shooting in a 65-52 win on Saturday night.

“For us, it’s law of averages,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin said. “We played against a team the other night that couldn’t miss. We played good defense and they missed some shots, too.”

The Bruins (13-12, 6-5 Pac-12) watched Arizona State hit 14 of 24 of its 3-pointers in an 84-66 loss on Thursday.

UCLA shut down Arizona inside the arc in the first half and all over the floor in the second to become the second team to win at McKale Center this season.

The Bruins were pretty good on offense, too.

UCLA shot 51% percent, made 9 of 17 from the arc and used a big second-half run to pull away. Chris Smith had 15 points and Tyger Campbell added 12 with five assists.

“I get on them and demand a lot from them, but when they get the job done, you’ve got to give them credit,” Cronin said. “The coaches don’t win games, the players win games. The players won the game tonight.”

Arizona (16-7, 6-4) hung in with 3-point shooting in the first half, but struggled from all over the court in the second as UCLA pulled away.

The Wildcats missed all 12 of their second-half 3-point attempts and went 6 for 29 overall to watch a close game spiral away from them over the final 10 minutes.

“Their toughness and physicality wore on all of us,” Arizona coach Sean Miller said. “It wore on our drives, our second shots. You have to know going into the game they’re playing like that and you have to be able to adjust.”

Heading into Saturday’s game, Arizona had been struggling to hold onto big leads.

The Wildcats blew a 22-point lead in a loss to rival Arizona State and, after sweeping the Washington schools, let most of a 20-point lead wither away in a win over USC on Thursday.

Saturday’s game was a 3-point shooting contest at the start.

Neither team hit a 2-pointer in the first seven minutes and nine of the first 12 made shots were 3s.

The 3-over-2 trend continued the rest of the half.

UCLA hit 6 of 10 from outside the arc, 4 of 13 inside it and led 29-28.

Arizona shot 6 of 10 on 3s, 3 of 19 on 2s and had a seven-minute span without a field goal of any kind.

“It was just one of those nights when the shots weren’t falling,” Arizona point guard Nico Mannion said.

The Bruins hit six of their first nine shots of the second half — four were 2s — to stretch their lead to nine.

Arizona answered with an 8-0 run to pull within one, but UCLA followed with a 14-1 run to go up 15 and kept the Wildcats a bay with its defense.

BIG PICTURE

UCLA got back to its winning ways with a strong all-around performance in one of college basketball’s most difficult road environments.

Arizona has been led by freshmen Mannion, Zeke Nnaji and Josh Green, but the freshman trio shot a combined 7 of 33 against the Bruins.

NNAJI’S NIGHT

Nnaji had the 12th double-double of the season, finishing with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

UCLA the 6-foot-10 freshman work for it, hounding him with double teams all night. Nnaji shot 2 of 8, but made all 10 of his free throws.

“The guy is impressive. We couldn’t get enough people on him at time,” Cronin said. “He was literally out-rebounding us one on four at times. He’s not the reason they didn’t win, I can tell you that.”

HILL RETURNS

UCLA had to play Arizona State without Jalen Hill, its leading rebounder and second-leading scorer due to a sprained knee.

Hill returned and came off the bench against Arizona, finishing with nine points and nine rebounds while giving the Bruins an added defensive presence inside.

“This is the Pac-12, you’re playing against NBA players and it’s hard when you don’t have him in there, just his size and athleticism,” Cronin said.

UP NEXT

UCLA hosts Washington State on Thursday.

Arizona is at California Thursday.

ANAHEIM >> In perhaps the biggest women’s hockey game in North America this year and the most well-attended one in U.S. history, Team USA and Team Canada did not disappoint the 13,320 on hand.

This previous record had been 10,158 for a game between these two national teams in Detroit back in 2002. It was crushed by this finale of 2019-20 Rivalry Series, which went to overtime with the U.S. winning 4-3. The U.S. won the series over all by 4 games to 1.

Defenseman Megan Bozek’s power-play goal 42 seconds into overtime provided a dramatic finish to a high-paced, momentum-swinging and hotly contested game.

“The crowd out here tonight was amazing, 13,320 is what we saw. Together, we’re breaking barriers, we’re setting records and I think it was worth the price of admission tonight,” U.S. team captain Kendall Coyne Schofield said. “It was an excellent hockey game and it’s always nice to come out on top.”

Right wings Hilary Knight and Dani Cameranesi also scored for the United States, as did left wing Monique Lamoureux-Morando. Canada got goals from right wing Jill Saulnier as well as left wings Loren Gabel and Mélodie Daoust. They were without the injured Marie-Philip Poulin-Nadeau, who is considered by many to be the top player in the sport. In net, Team USA’s Alex Cavallini made 17 of 20 saves and out-lasted Canada’s Genevié Lacasse, who stopped 26 of 30 shots.

“The Anaheim Ducks set the tone, they set the market and they proved to the rest of the NHL clubs that you can host a women’s hockey game and you can sell it,” Coyne Schofield said.

In overtime, the U.S. took full advantage of their 4-on-3 power play. They created a scramble by getting a shot through Lacasse that teetered near the goal line. It was swiped away in a narrow aversion of a U.S. goal, but defenseman Megan Keller recovered the puck and sent it over to Bozek, who ripped a shot from the top of the right faceoff circle past a not-yet recovered Lacasse.

The U.S. ended regulation on a power play and generated a solid chance before the final horn.

Precisely nine minutes into the final frame, Lamoureux-Morando scored the equalizer, sending the crowd into a frenzy. The timely tally was reminiscent of her game-tying marker in the 2018 Olympic gold medal game, which her twin sister, Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson then sealed for the U.S. with a shootout goal.

“We let that momentum shift in the second period take our energy out of us, but we bounced back in the third period and we played USA hockey,” Coyne Schofield said.

Less than three minutes into the second stanza, a turnover behind the net proved costly as it left Canada with a two-on-none situation at point-blank range, which Daoust finished easily in front. Canada would carry their 3-2 lead into the second intermission.

The U.S responded less than two minutes after Canada had taken a lead, getting a goal from Cameranesi. Her short-side wrister caught Lacasse off her angle to knot the game at two. They would also threaten to close the period, but went into the break tied.

The U.S. held an 8-3 advantage in shots on net, but Canada took a 2-1 lead late in the first frame. They pulled ahead with 3:28 left in the period off another goal off the rush. Gabel burst down the left wing and snapped a shot far side that caught a piece Cavallini on the way into the net.

Team Canada called its timeout before they evened the game with a goal off the rush by Saulnier just 24 seconds after the U.S. opened the scoring.

Team USA  got the crowd going early, sustaining pressure and striking first a mere 2:37 into the game. Knight tipped Megan Bozek’s shot home and the fans erupted.“We came out for warmups and it was rocking,” said Canadian left wing Sarah Nurse, who starred at the University of Wisconsin. “There was an incredible atmosphere tonight. In Canada, the games have been equally as awesome and I think it just speaks to people wanting to see women’s hockey”

Players from both the Canadian and U.S. national teams have been striving to establish a firm, fair professional league in North America. Despite gains in player participation and national team compensation, it has been an uphill struggle to establish their game as a stable figure in the North American pro sports landscape.

Nurse who has a cousin in the NHL, the Edmonton Oilers’ Darnell Nurse; a cousin in the WNBA, the New York Liberty’s Kia Nurse; and an uncle who played in the NFL, former Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, said support has been strong in the athletic community.

“They know what it takes to be a professional. They know all the time, the years and the blood, sweat and tears that go into it. I have friends in the NBA, the NFL and the NHL. They all want us to be successful and they can’t believe that we’re not there yet.,” Nurse said.

The triumphant team will be in attendance tomorrow in Carson, where this rivalry will shift from the ice to the pitch. The U.S. soccer team has already qualified for the Olympics, but will continue their tuneup against their neighbors from the north.

“We’ve leaned on them for a lot of advice, guidance and support and we’ve seen them fill their buildings. It was exciting for us to fill this one tonight,” Coyne Schofield said. “Collectively, we’re in this battle and this fight together in the women’s hockey community and the women’s sports community.”

HOUSTON — Jon Jones faced his most serious challenge in years and ultimately held off Victor Valley’s Dominick Reyes at UFC 247 on Saturday night, retaining his UFC light heavyweight belt following a surprisingly strong opening by Reyes.

The unanimous decision of 48-47, 48-47, 49-46 was met with scattered applause and loud boos from the crowd, as many felt the challenger had proven enough to take the title.

Jones (26-1-1) handed the fourth-ranked Reyes (12-1) his first loss, improving to 15-0 in title fights. He became the all-time leader in UFC title defenses.

Jones was fighting for the first time since last July’s win over Thiago Santos at UFC 239, his longest period between fights in more than five years.

Reyes came out on the attack in the first round, briefly knocking Jones to the ground less than two minutes into the bout. Jones bounced back in the second round, landing several strong hooks to Reyes’ head.

The lively crowd swayed back and forth in support of either fighter, chanting both names at different points.

In the third round, Reyes landed blows to Jones’ head, and he drew blood early in the fourth round. Jones finished that round strong and the once-lively crowd became quiet and tense in anticipation of the final round.

Jones ramped up his attack in the final round, but Reyes seemed to keep enough separation from the champ to put it in the judges’ hands.

In the co-main event of UFC 247, flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko defended her title against Katlyn Chookagian, stopping the challenger in the third round.

The Kyrgyzstan-native Shevchenko (19-3) won her fifth bout in a row, fending off Pennsylvania-native Chookagian (13-3), who entered as the top-ranked contender for the belt. After the fight, Shevchenko did her trademark cartwheels and dancing in the ring.

Another Houston-native, heavyweight Juan Adams, had a much more bitter homecoming, getting stopped in under two minutes by New Zealand-born Australian Justin Tafa, who earned his first UFC win.

Also on the main card, featherweight Dan Ige (13-2) won his fifth straight fight, taking a split decision over Mirsad Bektic (13-3).

Before the pay-per-view portion of the event, the UFC honored Kobe Bryant, his daughter, Gianna, and the other seven victims of the Jan. 26 helicopter crash with a video tribute and a nine-second moment of silence. Bryant was a partner of UFC sponsor Body Armor and was an investor in the UFC, President Dana White said.

Houston sports stars spotted in attendance included J.J. Watt, Deshaun Watson, Russell Westbrook, Eric Gordon, Carlos Correa and others. Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta sat near UFC fan and actress Halle Berry.

NEWARK, N.J. — Mackenzie Blackwood is starting to play his best hockey of the season and so are the New Jersey Devils.

Blackwood stopped a penalty shot and made 37 saves in posting his second straight shutout and the Devils beat the Los Angeles Kings 3-0 Saturday night to extend their points streak to a season-high six games.

“This team has been working hard, that’s the one thing I’ll say about us the whole year, we haven’t quit, we haven’t stopped working,” Blackwood said. “We’ve been working through it all. Some of the things we’ve done there are mistakes that we’ve made on our own, but I think we’re working towards being a little more consistent and playing the right way and I think it’s starting to come together for us.”

The Devils have languished in the bottom of the Eastern Conference all season. Their 3-0-3 run since returning from the All Star break tops their previous point streak of five (4-0-1).

“Obviously everyone’s bought in,” said Blake Coleman, who scored along with Nikita Gusev and Kyle Palmieri. “Everyone’s having fun and special teams got going here a little bit and it’s a good feeling right now.”

Calvin Petersen, who was recalled from Ontario of the AHL following the trade of backup goaltender Jack Campbell to Toronto, made 31 saves in his season debut for the Kings.

“A little too much vanilla from a lot of guys and obviously the lack of offense comes back to bite us,” Kings coach Todd McLellan said. “We are desperately searching for some help offensively. There have a been a lot of players who have played a lot of games for us and they haven’t hit the score sheet or even the chance sheet.”

Blackwood, who made 46 saves in a 5-0 win over the Flyers on Thursday, stopped 13 shots in the scoreless first period. He was a little lucky as Michael Amadio clanged one off the goalpost. The 23-year-old rookie goalie stopped Anze Kopitar on the penalty shot after the Kings’ captain was hooked breaking in alone on a power play with New Jersey ahead 3-0 in the second period.

Kopitar said he was trying to beat Blackwood above his pad and the goaltender gloved.

This marks the second time Blackwood, who has 17 of the Devils’ 20 wins this season, has had consecutive shutouts. He blanked Carolina and Vancouver in consecutive games in December 2018.

The Devils broke things up earlier in the second period, beating Petersen three times in a little more than five minutes.

Gusev got the first one with a one-timer from the left circle after taking a cross-ice pass from defenseman Damon Severson at 5:38.

Coleman got his 21st goal from between the circles on a power play less than two minutes later. Palmieri scored his 20th when a shot from the point pinballed off Jack Hughes and then him into the net.

“Sometimes you are on the right side of bounces and sometimes you are not,” Peterse said. “I think the third one bounced around in there. It was kind of disappointing, considering the momentum they had. I think it was a deflating goal. That’s part of hockey you live with.”

NOTES: C Nico Hischier (knee) and D Sami Vatanen (foot) each missed his third straight game. … Teams will play again in Los Angeles on Feb. 29. … Trevor Moore played for Kings for the first time since being acquired from Toronto on Wednesday.

UP NEXT

Kings finish New York City-swing at Rangers on Sunday night.

Devils host Florida on Tuesday night. It will mark Brian Boyle’s first game here since being traded to Nashville last February,

POMONA >> Of John Force’s four daughters, three followed him into the sport but now only one continues to compete. That is 32-year-old Brittany Force, who along with most of the rest of the Force clan calls Yorba Linda home.

And Brittany likely, for the foreseeable future, will continue making the Force name one of the biggest in drag racing, only with a little different spin.

John Force, who turns 71 on May 4, has done it all in the Funny Car class. Brittany is doing it in Top Fuel.

Brittany heads into today’s eliminator finals at the 60th Winternationals at the Auto Club Raceway in Pomona as the top seed in Top Fuel, after turning in the fastest time during Saturday’s second day of pro qualifying — 3.667 seconds with a top speed of 334.32 mph.

She earned a first-round bye since there are only 13 dragsters in the Top Fuel field, rather than the usual 16.

Seeded second in Top Fuel is John Force Racing teammate Austin Prock, followed by Leah Pruett, a native of Redlands, and Mira Loma’s Shawn Langdon, who was the top seed after the first two rounds of qualifying on Friday.

The pro finals today will begin at 10 a.m., an hour earlier than originally scheduled as NHRA officials hope to get out in front of the predicted rain.

In Funny Car, Matt Hagan earned the top seed in Saturday’s last pro qualifier, clocking 3.841 seconds with a speed of 328.86 seconds as the sun settled in the west. He nipped No. 2 seed “Fast Jack” Beckman of Norco, whose time was 3.856.

Robert Hight of the John Force Racing team, the defending Winternationals champion as well as the defending national champion, ended up in the No. 3 spot, while John Force moved up from the No. 11 spot after Friday to No 5. Alexis DeJoria went from No. 9 to No. 11.

In Pro Stock, five-time national champion Jeg Coughlin kicked off the day by announcing this season was his last on the NHRA circuit — then he went out and claimed the division’s No. 1 qualifying position.

Brittany Force isn’t any Jane Come Lately in drag racing. This is her eighth year on the pro circuit. She was the Top Fuel national champion in 2017, clinching that title while also winning the 2017 NHRA Finals at Pomona.

She started the 2019 season with a new crew, headed by David Grubic and Mac Savage, and finished third in the standings while setting NHRA national records for both time (3.623 seconds at Reading, Pa.), and speed (338.99 mph in Las Vegas).

And it already appears 2020 could continue to elevate her stature while also letting drag racing fans know “the Force will be with you always!”

Brittany chuckled when asked about that cliche Saturday.

“I’ve been reading and hearing that for years,” she said. “Funny thing is, I didn’t see ‘Star Wars’ until two years ago, so I never knew what people were talking about.”

About continuing the family tradition, she said, “No one will ever do what my father has done. I mean, 16 national championships, more than 150 wins. That’s impossible.”

John Force ended a 17-year drought last year by winning at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. That gave him career win No. 151.

As for Hagan, he’s been racing for 13 years. And, he says, he is still learning.

Of the run that elevated him into the No. 1 qualifying spot, he said, “I was a little mad at myself on that run. I was probably steering a bit much. You’ve got to let the car float. I could have put the car into the concrete.”

But that didn’t happen.

And now there is a possibility that Hagan could square off against John Force in the third of the four eliminator rounds. What if Force gets past Hagan and wins the Funny Car title and daughter Brittany follows form and wins in Top Fuel?

Now there would be a father-daughter story that would be hard to top.

Gallup has just released the results of its annual Mood of the Nation poll. The nation is in a great mood.

Ninety percent of Americans are “satisfied with the way things are going in their personal life” and two out of three say they’re “very satisfied.” These are the highest numbers in 40 years.

The historical low in the mood ranking was 73%. That was measured in July 1979, during the period when Americans were ticked off over an oil crisis. That’s also when then-President Jimmy Carter gave an Oval Office address blaming the country for a “malaise” that was interfering with his plans to persuade Americans to adjust to sweaters and scarcity.

A year after Gallup measured the nation’s record-low mood, Carter was defeated for re-election by the sunnier vision of Ronald Reagan.

Analyzing the latest poll, Gallup writes, “It’s likely no coincidence that Americans’ heightened satisfaction with their personal life comes as confidence in the U.S. economy and their personal finances are also at long-term or record highs.”

The pollsters report that Americans’ views on their own financial situation have been climbing since 2018 and are “at or near record highs in Gallup’s trends.” Last year, 50% of Americans said they were better off financially than they were the year before. This year, 59% of Americans said that.

The previous high in the poll for the “better off financially than the year before” question was 58% in January 1999. The all-time low was 23% in May 2009.

Another interesting figure from the poll measures optimism about future personal finances. Gallup found that 74% percent of U.S. adults think they will be better off financially a year from now, which is the highest that Gallup has measured since 1977, when it first began asking the question. The previous high was 71% in 1998.

You may remember that 1998 was the year polls showed voters didn’t want Bill Clinton removed from office. The Republican House impeachment managers didn’t come out of the experience as political winners

Then the nation’s mood was hammered by the 9/11 attacks and everything that followed, right through the housing crash and the Great Recession. The climb back has been steep and slow.

Now, a decade after the low of 2009, people are feeling better about their lives and their prospects for financial success.

This is the point where partisans will have a knock-down, drag-out fight over whether we’re experiencing the consequences of three years of Trump’s policies or the slow-motion, delayed success of Obama’s.

Trump previewed his side of the argument during the State of the Union address. “If we had not reversed the failed economic policies of the previous administration, the world would not now be witness to America’s great economic success,” he said.

Democrats may dispute that, but it won’t be easy to persuade Americans to change horses in midstream.

There’s a period of time, probably a minimum of 40 years, after which people forget the pain of a problem and become willing to blame the earlier era’s solution for current problems. One example might be the present controversy over vaccinations. Years ago, when Americans had personal experience with polio and other diseases within the previous decade or two of their lives, no one would have been able to persuade them that vaccinations were a bad thing.

Another example is the Depression-era legislation Congress passed in 1933, four years after the stock market crash, to separate investment banking (issuing and selling stocks and bonds) from commercial banking (holding deposits and making loans). The purpose of the law known as the Glass-Steagall Act was to prevent losses in the investment banking business from bleeding the commercial banks, drying up the credit markets, and strangling the economy.

A similar firewall was built in 1956 by the Bank Holding Company Act. It separated insurance underwriting from banking. The idea was to prevent losses in the insurance business from bleeding the commercial banks, drying up the credit markets and strangling the economy.

However, by 1999, Congress had completely forgotten the feeling of a sharp stick in the eye that had triggered the firewall legislation. How much more efficient it would be, they reasoned as they pocketed campaign contributions from the financial services industry, to merge investment banks, commercial banks and insurance underwriters.

Congress passed and President Clinton signed the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, repealing Glass-Steagall and all those other stuffy bureaucratic regulations that modern people are too smart to need.

It took nine years for the financial markets to go from stuffy and boring to thrilling and catastrophic.

Today, we’re barely a decade past the 2008 crash and the plunge into the Great Recession.

Everybody remembers the pain.

So when Gallup finds that Americans’ confidence in the U.S. economy is at its highest point in two decades, that is a political story of some consequence.

Gallup’s Economic Confidence Index is currently at +40, the highest measurement since it hit +44 in October 2000. The Economic Confidence Index measures Americans’ ratings of current economic conditions and their opinion on whether the economy is getting better or worse. Today 62% of Americans rate the economy as “excellent” or “good,” and 59% say it’s getting better.

This “likely reflects the U.S. unemployment rate’s continued stay at a 50-year low,” Gallup wrote.

Turns out the Iowa Caucuses got it exactly right. This year, there’s no winner in the Democratic Party.

Susan Shelley is an editorial writer and columnist for the Southern California News Group. Susan@SusanShelley.com. Twitter: @Susan_Shelley

Imagine know a doctor must feel when he’s about to tell a patient bad news. He’s not going to make any friends, but the chart says what it says. Given the events of last week, I suspect today’s column will not earn me any new friends.

I voted for Mitt Romney for president in 2012. I believed he was right on the big issues, including health care, illegal immigration and how to stimulate sustainable growth after the terrible recession, and beyond. He also correctly called Russia our enemy. President Obama glibly dismissed this, saying, “The 1980s called and wants its foreign policy back.” He got big laughs with that one. Who’s laughing now?

Mitt Romney did not win the presidency. I remain proud of my vote.

In 2016, Donald Trump insulted his way out of a pack of 17 candidates to become the front-runner for the Republican nomination. Mitt Romney believed this to be a mistake. He gave a blistering speech, warning the country Trump did not have the character or temperament to hold the nation’s highest office. “Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud,” said Romney. “His promises are as worthless as a degree from Trump University.”

Harsh words from anyone. Unprecedented from the former nominee of the party.

Donald Trump won anyway.

Shortly after the election, Republican National Committee Chairman (and Trump’s first chief-of-staff) Reince Priebus hosted President-elect Trump and private citizen Romney for a chaperoned dinner. At stake was the office of secretary of state, the most important and least political cabinet position. Party pros were desperate to see a competent, experienced person representing the United States abroad. For the good of the country, Romney agreed to meet with Trump.

The post was given instead to Rex Tillerson, who, 13 months later was fired via Twitter for calling his boss a name I can’t print in a family paper. Now, Mike Pompeo represents America abroad, the exact type of partisan yes-man we had hoped to avoid.

Last week, Trump scored another win — if you call not getting kicked out office after impeachment “winning.” Utah Sen. Mitt Romney was the lone Republican who voted that the president is guilty of abuse of power.

This makes Romney public enemy No. 1 for the president and his supporters. He will be trolled relentlessly, likely have his life threatened, not an uncommon event in the cyber-age, with Donald Trump Jr. already calling for him to be tossed out of the Republican Party.

Romney’s a big boy. He can handle it. But how is it Romney ended up as the only Republican to vote against the president?

When it was obvious Richard Nixon had to go, the GOP turned to its former nominee, Barry Goldwater, to deliver the message. In 2018, another former Republican nominee died of brain cancer. Romney entered the Senate to pick up the mantle of the late John McCain: conscience of the party. With his vote last week,  Romney has gone a long way toward fulfilling that role.

This doesn’t make Mitt Romney a hero. It makes him a man of conscience.

The Democrats, of course, claim the ethical high ground in all this, but have yet to take ownership of their own role in creating the conditions that led to President Trump. For nearly 50 years, every Republican nominee has been vilified as “mean,” “evil,” “misogynistic,” “racist.” Worse. McCain, a war hero, was bashed relentlessly by Democrats in 2008. Then we had Romney in 2012. Our current president is a different breed.

Politics has always been a blood sport, even when senators and congressmen still addressed each with  decorum. Burr didn’t tweet nasty names at Hamilton; he shot him. But you can’t demonize people and call them Hitler and then bemoan the loss of civility.

It’s true that Trump has had his share of successes, though you’d never know it watching CNN or most media outlets.

This behavior is not sustainable.

Millions who voted for Mitt Romney in 2012 now vilify him. I believe history will judge him kindly. More kindly than the Democrats who still call him a greedy “vulture-capitalist” with a dog tied to his roof. My in-box will undoubtedly fill up with “RINO!” or “Libtard!” and other silly abusive names because I have defended Romney over the president.

So be it. I have read the charts. I stand by my diagnosis. There is no shortage of second opinions available.

Doug McIntyre’s column appears Sundays. He can be reached at: Doug@DougMcIntyre.com.

Bong Joon Ho overcame the odds — and delayed his plans to start celebrating — when he won his third Oscar of the night, taking home best director for his work on “Parasite” at the 2020 Academy Awards.

“After winning best international feature, I thought I was done for the day and was ready to relax,” Bong said through his translator. “When I was young and studying cinema, there was a saying which I carved deep into my heart, which is ‘The most personal is the most creative.’”

He then asked the crowd to acknowledge Martin Scorsese, also nominated for best director for “The Irishman.”

“When I was in school I studied Martin Scorese’s films,” Bong said. “Just to be nominated was a huge honor — I never thought I would win.

“When people in the U.S. were not familiar with my films, Quentin (Tarantino, another nominee in the category) always put my films on his list,” he continued.

Then, gesturing at the top of his third Oscar statue, he said he wished he could share it with all of the nominees.

“And Todd (Phillips of “Joker”) and Sam (Mendes of “1917”), great directors that I admire, if the Academy allows I would like to get a Texas chainsaw, split the Oscar into five and share it with all of you,” Bong said.

“Thank you. I will drink until next morning. Thank you.”

Elton John and Bernie Taupin have won many awards for their work over the years but an Oscar was only a dream until Sunday when John, who sings and writes the music, and Taupin, who has always written the words, won best original song for “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from “Rocketman.”

John mouthed the words “Oh my god” when their names were called. Taupin arrived on stage to proclaim “Wow, this doesn’t suck.”

Both gave thanks to the team who made the biopic about John’s life, but especially to each other.

“Being here with this guy, I don’t have words for it,” Taupin said. “This is just justification for 53 years of just hammering out and doing what we do.”

Added Elton: “Thank you to Bernie who has been the constant thing in my life. When I was screwed up, when I was normal he’s always been there for me.”

Sunday’s Oscars brought out the youngest Grammy winner, Billie Eilish, on stage during the show’s In Memoriam segment. The singer, alongside her brother Finneas, covered The Beatles’ “Yesterday.”

• Related: Bong Joon Ho wins best director, and Elton John and Bernie Taupin share their first Oscar together

Included in the tribute to those who died this year was basketball legend, Kobe Bryant. Next to Bryant’s photo was the quote, “Life is too short to get bogged down and be discouraged. You have to keep moving. You have to keep going.” The segment also included Kirk Douglas, Peter Fonda among the list of people in the industry who lost their lives.

People took to social media to praise Eilish’s cover while some were displeased with the cover and the quick appearance of Bryant.

Here is what they are saying:

RT @TheHoopCentral: “Life is too short to get bogged down and be discouraged. You have to keep moving. You have to keep going.”

Kobe Bryant honored at the Oscars pic.twitter.com/Eth3DCs2v5

— The G.o.a.t. (@melo107) February 10, 2020

Another unpopular opinion… Billie Eilish does not impress me. At all. #Oscars

— Chip Hansen (@ReadyOneTakeTwo) February 10, 2020

Billie Eilish’s performance of Yesterday just now was sooo good

— Awkward Marina / STREAM IT'S EASY (@AwkwardMarina) February 10, 2020

Very poor job by the Oscars cutting the Kobe Bryant tribute short

— Garrett Reilly (@reillygarrett2) February 10, 2020

Billie Eilish gave an understated, heartfelt, warm performance there. Beautifully done. #Oscars

— Tom Broome-Jones (@TBroomey) February 10, 2020

This is why you get talent and not hype or in studio "performers!!" That little girl CANNOT SING!! No EXCUSES, she lacks talent, musically. #BillieEilish #BillieEllish #BillieAtTheOscars #Oscars

— Sophisticated Diva (@TSPDST) February 10, 2020

Me before the Oscars: “Billie Eilish shouldn’t do the Bond theme song”

Me 10 seconds into the ‘In Memorium’ segment: “Billie Eilish should totally sing the Bond theme song”

— Jordan Krahn (@jkrahn) February 10, 2020

That might be the best reading of "Yesterday" I've ever heard. Billie Eilish really is amazing in her approach. And, I'm overwhelmed every time I see who we've lost in the entertainment world. This year will likely be no different. #Oscars #InMemoriam

— Greg Brian (@Gregoriancant) February 10, 2020

Pleased with @TheAcademy #oscars In Memoriam opening with #KobeBryant. Peace for all of the families https://t.co/7Inp2d3sWG

— Adrienne C Barr (@AdrienneCBarr) February 10, 2020

I didn’t know I needed @billieeilish to sing Yesterday by The Beatles but I did, in fact, need it. #Oscars

— Ian Boyd-Duncan (@I_B_Hyphen_D) February 10, 2020

A 51-year-old inmate of the Theo Lacy Facility in Orange died Sunday, Feb. 9, while in custody.

The inmate was taken from the jail to a hospital due to a medical issue that morning, and was pronounced dead about 3 a.m., said Carrie Braun, director of public affairs for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

The man had been booked into the Orange County Jail on Jan. 24 to serve time for a DUI and hit-and-run conviction, Braun said.

The cause of the man’s death was not immediately available, but authorities said there did not appear to be anything suspicious about it, she said.

The death will be investigated by the Orange County District Attorney’s office and the Sheriff’s Department.

The South Korean film “Parasite” made history at the Academy Awards on Sunday, becoming the first-ever foreign-language film to win best picture, while grabbing Oscars for best screenplay, international film, and director on its way to four Academy Awards, the most of any nominated movie.

“Parasite” had been earned acclaim and honors throughout award season, but few suspected it could win best picture over films such as “Once Upon a Time … In Hollywood,” “1917,” or the other six movies up for that honor.

It could, and it did, leaving its creators, the crowd in the Dolby Theatre, and viewers at home shocked and surprised.

“We never imagined this to ever happen,” said “Parasite producer Kwak Sin Ae in accepting the award. “We are so happy. I feel like a very opportune moment in history is happening right now.”

Outside of “Parasite,” the major categories went largely as expected. Renee Zellweger won best actress for her portrayal of Judy Garland in “Judy,” and Joaquin Phoenix won best actor for “Joker.”

The best supporting actor and actress also went to frontrunners Brad Pitt for “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood,” while Laura Dern took best supporting actress for “Marriage Story.”

Phoenix, who won his first-ever Oscar for his work as the unstable Arthur Fleck on his way to becoming Joker, gave perhaps the most impassioned speech of the night, talking at length about his belief and hope that people everywhere can come together for common cause.

“I see commonality whether we’re talking about gender inequality or racism or queer rights or animal rights,” said Phoenix, who is well-known as an animal rights activist and vegan. “When we use love and compassion as our guiding principals we can create, develop and implement systems of change.

“When we help each other to grow, when we guide each other toward redemption, that is the best of humanity,” Phoenix said before ending with a touching acknowledgment of his late brother, the actor River Phoenix. “When he was 17, my brother wrote this lyric. He said, ‘Run to the rescue with love, and peace will follow.’”

By comparison, Zelllweger’s speech was more conventional, thanking her various collaborators before turning her attention to Garland, whose tragic life she portrayed in the film.

“This past year of celebrating Judy Garland across generations and across cultures has been a really cool reminder that our heroes unite us,” she said. “Miss Garland you were certainly among the heroes that united and define us, and this is certainly for you.”

With no host, the 92nd annual Academy Awards had to do something to fill the required 5 hours and 54 minutes it takes to present 24 awards. The solution was musical performances.

Some were inspired. Some were required. Some were just plain puzzling.

Here’s our ranking, from best to wait, what just happened, from the 2020 Oscars.

Cynthia Erivo

Not only was Erivo up for best actress, she slayed the nominated “Stand Up” from “Harriet” (which she co-wrote) with a goosebump-triggering performance. Backed up by a choir and the Oscar orchestra, it was easily the most powerful musical production of the night.

The Hollywood types thought so, too, as Erivo received a standing ovation.

Chrissy Metz

Metz, the star of “This Is Us” performed the Oscar-nominated “I’m Standing With You” from the film “Breakthrough.”

The understated performance, which featured the actress singing the song solo on the stage, well-done.

Idina Menzel

Menzel, the voice of Elsa in the “Frozen” series, appeared to sing the nominated “Into the Unknown.”

Singer Aurora provided background vocals that sounded like she was stuck haunting an ice castle somewhere. But before things got too weird, the singers who voiced Elsas joined in, trading lines of the song in their native languages. The performance was fine and the song’s not as annoying as “Let It Go.”

Oscar-nominated scores

Eimear Noone became the first woman to lead the Oscar’s 42-piece orchestra. However, it was just for the excerpts of the five nominated scores. (Rickey Minor, the Oscars’ musical arranger, led the orchestra the rest of the night.)

Despite the introduction from Gal Gadot, Sigourney Weaver and Brie Larson that deemed all women are superheroes, apparently they can only be trusted to conduct one performance in a night full of music.

Randy Newman

This performance made sense. “I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away” was nominated for best song and Newman wrote and recorded it for the film. It’s no “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” but Newman is a national treasure, just ask anyone who loves LA.

This performance was also thankfully short.

Elton John

“Rocketman,” the surreal semi-biopic of John’s life, was packed full of the best songs John and songwriting partner Bernie Taupin wrote. Then, there was the new track “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again,” which ended up winning the Oscar for best song.

John sat behind a piano with a full band and backup singers. If you’ve seen him live, it was just a snippet of the entertainer he is, distilled for a televised awards show.

Billie Eilish

Why, why, why did Eilish, who is fantastic in her own right, feel the need to perform “Yesterday,” one of the most perfect songs ever written that’s also one of the most difficult to sing?

After struggling in the beginning, the performance got stronger as it went on as the montage of moviemakers who died in the last year filled the screen.

Janelle Monáe

The opening number featured a smorgasbord of music from films both nominated and not. Monáe opened with “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” even buttoning a cardigan a la Mr. Rogers. But then, things got a little weird. Forget the “Solid Gold” dancers, at one point Monáe had the “Midsommar” dancers, a nod to the flower wreath wearing denizens of the horror film.

The highlight was Monáe joining up with Billy Porter, who wore a spectacular gold floor-length coat, to do a bit of Elton John’s “I’m Still Standing.”

Utkarsh Ambudkar and Questlove

Almost two hours in and you know what the Oscars need? A random rap recap of everyone who has won and what happened so far. Someone thought that was a good idea, so Utkarsh Ambudkar, from TV show “Brockmire” and the upcoming live-action version of “Mulan,” spit rhymes over a beat from Questlove, who handled DJ duties. At least it explains why Ryan Seacrest was trying to request a song from The Roots’ leader before the show. One question answered, yet so many remain.

And because the Oscars are all about keeping it hip and fresh, the most memorable lines were a plea for a Brad Pitt to do a sequel to 2013’s “World War Z” and the night’s second reference to John Travolta butchering Idina Menzel’s name at the 2014 Oscars.

“Her name is Idina Menzel, Mr. Travolta,” Ambudkar said.

Eminem

Why did Eminem show up to do “Lose Yourself” 18 years after “8 Mile” was a thing? Was this the Oscars’ attempt to be cool and hip but the person who had the idea just escaped a block of ice a la “Encino Man”? Did the Oscar producers realize how much they would have to bleep out in it?

However head-scratching the performance was, it provided a ton of entertainment and gif-able moments, thanks to audience reactions, in which the age divide was very visible. Martin Scorsese appeared to be falling asleep, or at least very bored — hey, now he knows how some people felt watching the never-ending “The Irishman” —  while actress Kelly Marie Tran mouthed along to every word.

Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig

Remember how there was no host? Well, when Rudolph and Wiig presented their second award, for costume design, they did a weird medley of songs that mentioned clothing, including Chris De Burgh’s “Lady in Red” and Sisqo’s “Thong Song.”

Honorable mention: The montage of movie songs

It wasn’t a performance, per se, but the big montage of clips of big musical moments in movies, many of which weren’t nominated for Oscars, was a strange way to lead into the equally puzzling Eminem performance. But hey, where else will you have Huey Lewis’ “Power of Love” (from “Back to the Future”) with Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power” (from “Do the Right Thing”) back to back in a montage? Plus, we got the “Wayne’s World” “Bohemian Rhapsody” headbanging crescendo and Kevin Bacon dancing in the title track from “Footloose” to boot.

The 2020 Academy Awards was hostless again, but there were still plenty of GIF-worthy moments. From a surprise musical appearance to memorable presenters, here are the GIFs that sum up Sunday’s awards.

• Related: See photos of the stars’ best and worst looks at the Oscars

1. Janelle Monae opened the show with an energetic performance and a cameo from Billy Porter that wowed social media and suggested that the singer open every Oscars from here on out.

2. It was no surprise Brad Pitt won Best Supporting Actor, but his speech surprised many when it took a more political turn, calling out the recent impeachment. He strayed away from his usual self-deprecating jokes, like when he said he would add his Golden Globe win to his Tinder bio.

3. “Parasite” made Academy Awards history on Sunday night. It won Best International Feature, Best Original Screenplay, Best Director and Best Picture. It was the first non English language film to win Best Picture and it marked South Korea’s first-ever golden statue wins. The camera got a glimpse of a wholesome moment with director Bong Joon Ho after he received the Best Original Screenplay Oscar.

Bong Joon Ho also had plans to celebrate his win.

4. The surprise performance of the night was Eminem singing “Lose Yourself,” a song that won Best Original Song 18 years ago. We rated all the musical performances of the night, from Elton John to international Elsas singing “Into the Unknown.”

5. Speaking of surprises, one thing that gave people mixed feelings wasJames Corden and Rebel Wilson presenting an award dressed up as cats from the movie “Cats.” The two actors poked fun of the box-office fail and toyed with people at the show.

6. While many were curious by Grammy award-winning singer Billie Eilish’s appearance at the Oscars, her rendition of The Beatles’ “Yesterday” during the In Memoriam segment got mixed reviews on Twitter. But her most memorable time on camera showed her reactions in the crowd.

7. No award season is complete without a fashion round-up. Here are photos of the best and worst looks of the night. Some of the big standouts were Spike Lee’s tribute to Kobe Bryant and Natalie Portman’s cape of snubbed female directors.

8. Last but definitely not least, “The Irishman” went home empty-handed, but director Martin Scorsese took home the award for “Best 3-Hour Nap.” He did wake up in time to wave when Bong Joon Ho thanked Scorsese during his speech.

The Academy Awards hit Los Angeles like a storm, or maybe that was just the rain coming outside the Dolby Theatre, as Hollywood celebrated its big films and filmmakers.

The evening was full of surprises — well, it wasn’t like there were write-in winners but some expected winners were upset — and it made an evening that was a little more uplifting than one might have expected. The show appeared aiming to address the criticisms about the Academy Awards’ lack of diversity by having a greater range of artists involved in the show. That said, Oscars still need to do so much better.

But the biggest surprise and maybe its best? The amazing and unexpected multiple wins for Bong Joon Ho’s film “Parasite,” and the heartwarming speeches that came with them.

1. The fashion tells a story: The Oscars red carpet is always a display of style, whether it’s the statement looks you’ve come to expect — or when it’s the looks that themselves make a statement, such as Natalie Portman’s cape or Spike Lee’s Kobe Bryant-inspired suit.

2. Janelle Monáe is an Oscars winner: Well, her performance was (though we’d give her all the awards because she is just so great). She kicked off the telecast with a musical number that incorporated both Mr. Rogers and Billy Porter, so, well, that’s just one more reason to love her work.

3. Brad Pitt wins Hollywood: OK, well, he won the best-supporting actor Oscar for his totally charming performance role in “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood,” but you could almost get the sense he won as much for his entire body of work (I mean, look at him with Tom Hanks there!). Similarly, Laura Dern, so deserving and so excellent in film after film, seemed like a sentimental favorite even as her work as a slick divorce lawyer in “Marriage Story” was terrific.

4. Bong Joon Ho’s outta sight “Parasite”: The director and screenwriter took home the original screenplay and international film awards, and then demonstrated he spoke the international language of celebration by declaring that he was ready to start drinking. But then he still had more Oscars to win, picking up best director and film and bring the night to a close with some sweet speeches from the “Parasite” team.

5. The musical numbers: If you thought that “no hosts at the Oscars” meant that the show wouldn’t find ways to totally pad out the show’s running time somehow, you were wrong. Some of these were stellar — like Monae, “Harriet” star and nominee Cynthia Erivo and Utkarsh Ambudkar, who provided a mid-show rap recap. Others, well, you can decide how much you loved (or didn’t) Elton John, Billie Eilish and more.

6. Cats attack! The film version of “Cats” was probably the most mocked film this year, and two of the film’s stars James Corden and Rebel Wilson donned some very shabby outfits to make light of the film’s shortcomings in a really entertaining way.

7. The speeches! What a range this year. Whether they were sweet and fun such as Taika Waititi’s shout-out to his mom and “the indigenous kids” to Joaquin Phoenix’s heartfelt and expansive plea for coming together, which included animal rights.

The top-six things to watch in the girls basketball playoffs:

1.Mater Dei’s intriguing playoff draw in the Open Division:

The Monarchs (26-2) are seeded second in their pool to Sierra Canyon (24-4), who they edged 43-42 in the finals of the West Coast Jamboree on Dec. 30. One catch is that Mater Dei plays at Sierra Canyon — the reigning state champion — on Feb. 22. The Monarchs might need to win that final, pool-play game on road game to claim a berth in their first section final since 2015.

But Mater Dei also can’t look past its opener against visiting Etiwanda (24-4) on Saturday. The Monarchs edged the Eagles 50-47 in the finals of the early-season Battle at the Beach

2. Watch out for Orangewood Academy in Division 2AA:

The Spartans (21-6) have Open Division talent as their recent 59-58 victory against Etiwanda showed. They’re the top seed in the division and could reach their first section final since their Division 5AA title in 2015.

3. Beware of San Clemente in Division 2A:

The top-seeded Tritons won the rugged South Coast League outright and look like a major threat to reach their first section final since 2007. The post duo of Jessie Blaine (17.6) and Ella Gardiner (16.5 pts) are averaging a combined 34 points per game.

5. Keep an eye on Troy in Division 1:

The Warriors are seeded second to Harvard-Westlake in the division but have the talent and preparation to claim the title.

5. Aliso Niguel-Huntington Beach looks intriguing in Division 1:

The Surf League champion Oilers play host to Aliso Niguel in one of the best first-round games Thursday. The Oilers’ solid defense will be a tested by a high-octane Wolverines’ offense that has played a more difficult schedule. The winner will reach the second round but the task will be difficult Saturday: at top-seeded-Harvard-Westlake, coming off the bye and featuring star junior Kiki Iriafen.

6. Sunny Hills-Tesoro is another exciting first-round pairing with bragging rights:

What is the toughest public school league in Orange County: Freeway or South Coast? This first-round game Thursday will help answer the question as it Freeway League runner-up Sunny Hills plays host to South Coast runner-up Tesoro. The Lancers have been known to get a loud crowd at home but the Titans have played a challenging schedule.