The Sports Report: Clippers get Kawhi back, but lose Game 2
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From Broderick Turner: They finally are whole, the return of Kawhi Leonard from right knee inflammation that kept the Clippers’ best player out for 23 days making them complete.
But for the Clippers to defeat the Dallas Mavericks again in a Western Conference playoff series, Leonard was going to need his teammates to carry most of the weight until he gets his game and physical condition back to the high level he’s accustomed to.
They could not.
As a group, the Clippers could not shoot straight, their inability to make shots against a stingy and physical Mavericks defense leading to a 96-93 loss to Dallas on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena in Game 2.
By making only 36.8% of their shots and 26.7% of their three-pointers, the Clippers have lost the home-court advantage in the best-of-seven series that’s tied at 1-1.
“Just offensively being better, playing with more pace, getting into the paint a little bit more,” Clippers coach Ty Lue said. “We missed a lot of shots, but as far as what we did defensively, I’ll take that every day of the week. We are going to make some tough shots…But overall to hold a team to 96 points, that’s really great defense tonight. So, we just got to do a better job of scoring the basketball.”
Game 3 is Friday night in Dallas and the hope is that Leonard will be able to find his groove after scoring 15 points on 7-for-17 shooting, 0-for-5 on three-pointers.
He played 34 minutes and 55 seconds.
“I was just trying to make sure I could get into the game and play,” Leonard said. “That’s what my last week has been about, trying to get back on the floor.”
Paul George, who now is the Clippers’ franchise leader in three-pointers made in the playoffs, and James Harden led the team in scoring with 22 points apiece.
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LAKERS
The NBA endorsed the calls made by officials during the final two minutes of the Lakers’ 101-99 playoff loss to the Nuggets on Tuesday night.
LeBron James and the Lakers, who led by as many as 20 points in the third quarter, complained shortly after losing on a buzzer-beating shot by Denver’s Jamal Murray and falling behind 2-0 in the Western Conference playoff series.
In the two-minute report the league issues assessing officiating decisions made late in games, the sole error the NBA flagged was that Nikola Jokic should have been called for a defensive three-second violation with 1:53 left in the game and the Lakers leading 93-92. Jokic and the Nuggets clogged the passing lanes around Anthony Davis during the play. Austin Reaves missed a three-pointer late in the shot clock and Denver got the rebound.
Plaschke: Dagger! Lakers’ epic collapse vs. Nuggets could send them reeling into summer
Lakers takeaways: What more can LeBron James do? Was the officiating off?
NBA PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE
All times Pacific
FIRST ROUND
Western Conference
No. 1 Oklahoma City vs. No. 8 New Orleans
at Oklahoma City 94, New Orleans 92 (box score)
Wednesday at Oklahoma City, 6:30 p.m., TNT
Saturday at New Orleans, 12:30 p.m., TNT
Monday at New Orleans, TBD
*Wednesday, May 1 at Oklahoma City, TBD
*Friday, May 3 at New Orleans, TBD
*Sunday, May 5 at Oklahoma City, TBD
No. 2 Denver vs. No. 7 Lakers
at Denver 114, Lakers 103 (box score)
at Denver 101, Lakers 99 (box score)
Thursday at Lakers, 7 p.m., TNT
Saturday at Lakers, 5:30 p.m., ABC
*Monday at Denver, 7 p.m., TNT
*Thursday, May 2 at Lakers, TBD
*Saturday, May 4 at Denver, TBD
No. 3 Minnesota vs. No. 6 Phoenix
at Minnesota 120, Phoenix 95 (box score)
at Minnesota 105, Phoenix 93 (box score)
Friday at Phoenix, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Sunday at Phoenix, 6:30 p.m., TNT
*Tuesday at Minnesota, TBD
*Thursday, May 2 at Phoenix, TBD
*Saturday, May 4 at Minnesota, TBD
No. 4 Clippers vs. No. 5 Dallas
at Clippers 109, Dallas 97 (box score)
Dallas 96, at Clippers 93 (box score)
Friday at Dallas, 5 p.m., ESPN
Sunday at Dallas, 12:30 p.m., ABC
Wednesday, May 1 at Clippers, TBD
*Friday, May 3 at Dallas, TBD
*Sunday, May 5 at Clippers, TBD
Eastern Conference
No. 1 Boston vs. No. 8 Miami
at Boston 114, Miami 94 (box score)
Wednesday at Boston, 4 p.m., TNT
Saturday at Miami, 3 p.m., TNT
Monday at Miami, TBD
*Wed., May 1 at Boston, TBD
*Friday, May 3 at Miami, TBD
*Sunday, May 5 at Boston, TBD
No. 2 New York vs. No. 7 Philadelphia
at New York 111, Philadelphia 104 (box score)
at New York 104, Philadelphia 101 (box score)
Thursday at Philadelphia, 4:30 p.m., TNT
Sunday at Philadelphia, 10 a.m., ABC
*Tuesday at New York, TBD
*Thursday, May 2 at Philadelphia, TBD
*Saturday, May 4 at New York, TBD
No. 3 Milwaukee vs. No. 6 Indiana
at Milwaukee 109, Indiana 94 (box score)
Indiana 125, Milwaukee 108 (box score)
Friday at Indiana, 2:30 p.m., ESPN
Sunday at Indiana, 4 p.m., TNT
Tuesday at Milwaukee, TBD
*Thursday, May 2 at Indiana, TBD
*Saturday, May 4 at Milwaukee, TBD
No. 4 Cleveland vs. No. 5 Orlando
at Cleveland 97, Orlando 83 (box score)
at Cleveland 96, Orlando 86 (box score)
Thursday at Orlando, 4 p.m., NBA TV
Saturday at Orlando, 10 a.m., TNT
*Tuesday at Cleveland, TBD
*Friday, May 3 at Orlando, TBD
*Sunday, May 5 at Cleveland, TBD
*-if necessary
DODGERS
From Jack Harris: After weeks of worrisome late-game blunders, there finally was redemption for the Dodgers bullpen Tuesday night.
On a night their starting pitcher failed to complete five innings, and their lineup managed only one run before the final couple of frames, it was five other numbers that keyed a 4-1 Dodgers win over Washington at Nationals Park.
0. 0. 0. 0. 0.
As in, the five goose eggs the Dodgers’ once-struggling bullpen put on the scoreboard.
“The bullpen,” manager Dave Roberts said, “was really good tonight.”
Entering the night, the unit had been anything but lately, emerging as one of the biggest concerns during the Dodgers’ underwhelming 13-11 start to the season.
Walker Buehler’s long-awaited Dodgers return might require more waiting
Comic Elayne Boosler can’t talk her way out of handbag at Dodger Stadium. She was handcuffed
ANGELS
Mike Trout hit his first leadoff home run since 2012, and the Angels defeated the Baltimore Orioles 7-4 on Tuesday night at Angel Stadium to end a five-game losing streak.
Zach Neto had two hits and drove in two runs as the Angels’ six through nine hitters combined for eight of their 11 hits along with five RBIs.
“I hope what we did tonight is something that we can just grow on. It was just a matter of time,” manager Ron Washington said. “It was nice to see some offense. Everybody got involved, there was a lot of energy, so we just got to keep it going.”
Batting leadoff for the first time since 2020, Trout drove a fastball from Baltimore’s Grayson Rodriguez (3-1) off the auxiliary scoreboard above the wall in right-center field in the first inning to put the Angels on top.
It was the sixth leadoff homer of Trout’s career and first since Sept. 28, 2012. It was Trout’s eighth home run of the season.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the 11 years and 208 days is the second-longest span between leadoff homers in MLB history. The longest is 12 years, 286 days by Omar Vizquel.
UCLA FOOTBALL
From Ben Bolch: Turns out there’s no need to cross one big name off UCLA’s spring football roster.
Jay Toia returned to practice Tuesday, five days after he entered the transfer portal to assess his options.
“I’m just excited big man is back,” Bruins coach DeShaun Foster said of the 6-foot-3, 325-pound defensive lineman. “We knew with our culture here, our beliefs, the way we coach, our development — we just felt that that really, at the end of the day, overcomes anything that’s coming inside trying to take away our guys.
“We’re just excited that he gave us that opportunity to come back and be part of the program, and he’s a Bruin through and through.”
Retaining its top defensive lineman should significantly bolster a defense that already has to replace every edge rusher with experience and a large chunk of the secondary. A starter in all 12 games he played last season, Toia made 28 tackles, including four for losses and one sack.
KINGS
From Kevin Baxter: The Kings-Oilers NHL playoff series was supposed to be decided by the most elemental of showdowns: the unstoppable force versus the immovable object. In this case, Edmonton’s powerful power play versus the Kings’ effective penalty kill.
But in Game 1 on Monday, the Kings’ penalty kill produced only self-inflicted wounds, allowing the Oilers to score three times in a 7-4 Edmonton win that wasn’t nearly as close as the final score might indicate.
“It just shot us in the foot,” defenseman Drew Doughty said after the Kings stopped the Oilers only once in four power-play opportunities. “They’re just so good on the power play. So let’s just smarten up in that area.”
NHL PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE
First round
All times Pacific
Western Conference
C1 Dallas vs. WC2 Vegas
Vegas 4, at Dallas 3 (box score)
Wednesday at Dallas, 6:30 p.m., ESPN
Saturday at Vegas, 7:30 p.m., TBS, truTV
Monday at Vegas, TBD
*Wed., May 1 at Dallas, TBD
*Friday, May 3 at Vegas, TBD
*Sunday, May 5 at Dallas, TBD
C2 Winnipeg vs. C3 Colorado
at Winnipeg 7, Colorado 6 (box score)
Colorado 5, at Winnipeg 2 (box score)
Friday at Colorado, 7 p.m., TNT, truTV
Sunday at Colorado, 11:30 a.m., TNT, truTV
*Tuesday at Winnipeg, TBD
*Thursday, May 2 at Colorado, TBD
*Saturday, May 4 at Winnipeg, TBD
P1 Vancouver vs. WC1 Nashville
at Vancouver 4, Nashville 2 (box score)
Nashville 4, at Vancouver 1 (box score)
Friday at Nashville, 4:30 p.m., TBS
Sunday at Nashville, 2 p.m., TBS, truTV
Tuesday at Vancouver, TBD
*Friday, May 3 at Nashville, TBD
*Sunday, May 5 at Vancouver, TBD
P2 Edmonton vs. P3 Kings
at Edmonton 7, Kings 4 (box score)
Wednesday at Edmonton, 7 p.m., TBS
Friday at Kings, 7:30 p.m., TBS
Sunday at Kings, 7:30 p.m., TBS
*Wed., May 1 at Edmonton, TBD
*Friday, May 3 at Kings, TBD
*Sunday, May 5 at Edmonton, TBD
Eastern Conference
A1 Florida vs. WC1 Tampa Bay
at Florida 3, Tampa Bay 2 (box score)
at Florida 3, Tampa Bay 2 (OT) (box score)
Thursday at Tampa Bay. 4 p.m., TBS
Saturday at Tampa Bay, 2 p.m., TBS, truTV
*Monday at Florida, TBD
*Wed., May 1 at Tampa Bay, TBD
*Saturday, May 4 at Florida, TBD
A2 Boston vs. A3 Toronto
at Boston 5, Toronto 1 (box score)
Toronto 3, at Boston 2 (box score)
Wednesday at Toronto, 4 p.m., ESPN
Saturday at Toronto, 5 p.m., TBS, truTV
Tuesday at Boston, TBD
*Thursday, May 2 at Toronto, TBD
*Saturday, May 4 at Boston, TBD
M1 New York Rangers vs. WC2 Washington
at New York 4, Washington 1 (box score)
at New York 4, Washington 3 (box score)
Friday at Washington. 4 p.m., TNT, truTV
Sunday at Washington, 5 p.m., TBS, truTV
*Wed., May 1 at New York, TBD
*Friday, May 3 at Washington, TBD
*Sunday, May 5 at New York, TBD
M2 Carolina vs. M3 New York Islanders
at Carolina 3, New York 1 (box score)
at Carolina 5, New York 3 (box score)
Thursday, at New York, 4:30 p.m., ESPN2
Saturday at New York, 11 a.m., TBS, truTV
*Tuesday at Carolina, TBD
*Thursday, May 2 at New York, TBD
*Saturday, May 4 at Carolina, TBD
*-if necessary
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
1945 — Albert B. “Happy” Chandler, junior Senator from Kentucky, is elected baseball commissioner by a unanimous vote of the major league club owners. Chandler is elected to a seven-year term and succeeds Kenesaw Mountain Landis, who died in November 1944.
1962 — Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax’s second career 18-strikeout game in a 10-2 win over Cubs in Chicago.
1963 — Bob Cousy ends his 13-year career by scoring 18 points as the Boston Celtics win their fifth consecutive NBA championship, beating the Lakers 112-109 in Game 6.
1967 — The Philadelphia 76ers win the NBA championship in six games with 125-122 comeback victory over the San Francisco Warriors. Billy Cunningham scores 13 points in the final 12 minutes as the 76ers overcome a five-point deficit entering the fourth quarter.
1974 — Tampa, Fla. is awarded the NFL’s 27th franchise.
1978 — Angels Nolan Ryan strikes out 15 Mariners, 20th time he has 15 in game.
1988 — NFL Draft: Auburn tight end Aundray Bruce first pick by Atlanta Falcons.
1993 — George Branham III becomes the first Black bowler to win a PBA Triple Crown event when he beats Parker Bohn III 227-214 in the Tournament of Champions.
1994 — David Robinson scores 71 points to win the NBA scoring title as the San Antonio Spurs end the regular season with a 112-97 victory over the Clippers. Robinson, the fourth NBA player to score more than 70 points in a game, edges Orlando’s Shaquille O’Neal for the scoring title.
1994 — NFL Draft: Ohio State defensive tackle Dan Wilkinson first pick by Cincinnati Bengals.
1996 — Petr Nedved scores a power-play goal with 44.6 seconds left in the fourth overtime, ending the longest NHL game in 60 years and giving the Pittsburgh Penguins a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals.
2003 — Petr Sykora scores 48 seconds into the fifth overtime as the Ducks outlast Dallas 4-3 to win the opener of the Western Conference semifinal series. The game is the fourth-longest in NHL history.
2004 — NFL Draft: Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning first pick by San Diego Chargers.
Compiled by the Associated Press
Until next time...
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