The Sports Report: Clippers lose to Mavericks in Game 4

Howdy, I’m your host, Houston Mitchell. Let’s get right to the news.

Andrew Greif on the Clippers: Fueled by Doncic’s second triple double of his first postseason, Dallas authored a stunning comeback that wasn’t over until the second-year star came off a screen, dribbled in front of Reggie Jackson and sank a 28-foot shot for a 135-133 victory in overtime to even the series at two games apiece.

Doncic was mobbed by teammates after completing a performance that included 43 points, 17 rebounds and 13 assists, all on a bum ankle.

The Clippers walked up a ramp to their concourse-level locker room with heads bowed. Nine seconds earlier, they had been celebrating a game-changing three-point shot when Kawhi Leonard drove into the lane, looked off a defender and fired a no-look pass to the corner, where Marcus Morris Sr. nailed the go-ahead three-pointer.

Leonard finished with 32 points, nine rebounds and four assists and Lou Williams needed only 20 shots to tie his playoff career high of 36 points off the bench. Williams’ explosion helped the Clippers bench score 60 points — 29 more than Dallas.

But their big games could not forestall the collapse of their team’s control over the series with Game 5 on Tuesday.

Los Angeles made only 25% of its shots during a disastrous third quarter in which it was outscored, 35-19, and forward Paul George continued his miserable series by making three of 14 shots to score nine points.

Doncic’s performance made the pregame concern about his ankle laughable, in hindsight. But all eyes turned to Doncic before tipoff because Dallas had not said whether he would play. He was healthy enough at one point to jog to midcourt, where Harrell waited. Less than 48 hours earlier, Doncic had told Harrell to “stop flopping, man,” a remark Harrell did not forget after scoring later when he jogged backward, his eyes locked on Doncic, while uttering an easily lip-read four-word response that included “white boy.”

Under pressure from the NBA and coach Doc Rivers, Harrell laid a hand on Doncic’s shoulder and apologized.

Clippers-Mavericks schedule

Game 1: Clippers 118, Dallas 110
Game 2: Dallas 127, Clippers 114
Game 3: Clippers 130, Dallas 122
Game 4: Dallas 135, Clippers 133 (OT)
Game 5, Tuesday, 6 p.m., Fox Sports PT
Game 6, Thursday, TBD, Fox Sports PT, ESPN
Game 7*, Saturday, TBD, Fox Sports PT, TNT

*-if necessary

DODGERS

Jack Harris on the Dodgers: Kiké Hernández flicked his wrist and saluted Sunday’s man of honor, imitating a Kobe Bryant jump shot as he crossed home plate.

On a day dedicated to the late Lakers legend, who was commemorated on what would have been his 42nd birthday, Hernández’s subtle nod made the celebration feel complete.

The three-run, opposite-field blast in the fourth inning was one of a season-high seven home runs for the Dodgers, who completed a three-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies with a 11-3 win and reached the halfway point of a pandemic-shortened season with the best record (22-8) in the majors.

But in the club’s first opportunity to truly honor one of the city’s all-time sports heroes, memories of the Black Mamba overshadowed all else.

Bryant was ever-present from the start, his face flashed across the scoreboard during a ceremonial pregame video narrated by Vin Scully and his voice reverberating around the venue as old clips played between innings.

Every member of the Dodgers, as well as former Dodger and current Rockies outfielder Matt Kemp, donned one of Bryant’s gold Lakers jerseys during the pregame remembrance. The numerals “24” and “2” — in recognition of Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter Gianna, one of the other eight people killed in a helicopter crash — were also sketched out across the back of the mound.

Asked before the game about Bryant’s legacy in Los Angeles, Dave Roberts paused before answering.

“Tenacity. Consistency. Winning,” said the fifth-year manager, whose tenure as a Dodgers player overlapped with Bryant’s time as a Laker, from 2002 to 2004.

“Just the compete. Doing things the right way. Really looking out and being a servant to so many people in Los Angeles and greater Los Angeles.”

ANGELS

Mike DiGiovanna on the Angels: A rare Mike Trout-autographed baseball card set a record as the highest-selling sports card of all time Saturday night when an unnamed bidder purchased it during an online auction for $3.936 million.

The 2009 Bowman Chrome Draft Prospects Superfractor rookie card, sold at Goldin Auctions, broke the previous record of $3.12 million for a 1909 Honus Wagner T-206 card, which was sold in 2016.

“Are you serious? Wow,” Angels manager Joe Maddon said, when told of the card’s sale before Sunday’s 5-4 loss to Oakland. “I’m into art. That puts him right up there with, what did the ‘Mona Lisa’ sell for? What does anything by Da Vinci sell for? That’s pretty phenomenal. It’s absolutely astounding.”

The original “Mona Lisa,” painted by Leonardo da Vinci in the 16th century, hangs on a wall at the Louvre in Paris, but a 17th century replica of the famous painting was sold in 2019 at the Sotheby’s auction house in Paris for 552,500 euros, or $611,950.

LAKERS

Broderick Turner on the Lakers: Sunday was Kobe Bryant’s birthday and he would have been 42, but he died on Jan. 26 in a helicopter crash along with daughter Gianna and seven others, leaving a giant hole in Lakers nation that the 2019-20 team has been reflecting on and carrying with them in the Western Conference playoffs.

When the Lakers take the court for Game 4 on Monday, they plan on wearing the Black Mamba uniforms against the Portland Trail Blazers as another way to recognize Bryant.

“This day and tomorrow where we’re going to wear the uniforms, it brings back a lot of the emotions of what happened,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said on a video call Sunday. “We’re all still very sad about his loss and Gigi’s loss. It’s just a tough thing for all of us to handle and to go through. I’m grateful for the support he showed in me being here.”

Though the Lakers have a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, they also sense that this season is all about Bryant’s legacy.

“That’s been with us all year,” Vogel said. “I don’t think it’s going to be that different tomorrow. We’re competing at a high level to win. It’s been important to us all season to embody what he stood for and represent it and to exhibit that Mamba Mentality. So maybe it will be exemplified some tomorrow, but it’s really been with us every step of the way.”

When the Lakers break their huddle, they finish up by saying “1-2-3, Mamba.”

Lakers-Trail Blazers schedule

Portland 100, Lakers 93
Lakers 111, Portland 88
Lakers 106, Portland 108
Game 4, Tonight, 6 p.m., Spectrum Sportsnet, TNT, 710 ESPN
Game 5, Wednesday, 6 p.m. Spectrum Sportsnet, TNT, 710 ESPN
Game 6*, Friday, TBD
Game 7*, Sunday, TBD

*-if necessary

SPARKS

Thuc Nhi Nguyen on the Sparks: On what would have been Kobe Bryant’s 42nd birthday, Sparks forward Candace Parker honored the late Lakers legend with custom sneakers and a win.

Wearing white Adidas adorned with Bryant’s two jersey numbers and his name in purple and gold accents, Parker scored 22 points with 14 rebounds and six assists in the Sparks’ 84-81 comeback against the Dallas Wings on Sunday. The Sparks (10-3) overcame a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to win their seventh straight game.

“I hope we honor him in action,” Parker said of Bryant. “It goes to basketball for sure, but I just feel like basketball is a vehicle for other things and that’s what he was doing and that’s what we have to continue to do, just in the mind-set and what you’re passing forward.”

RAMS

Gary Klein on the Rams: As the Rams prepare for their Sept. 13 opener against the Dallas Cowboys, plans for a three-man running back combination might go awry.

On Sunday, coach Sean McVay said Darrell Henderson suffered a “mild” hamstring injury during Saturday’s practice at SoFi Stadium.

“We’ll be hopeful that he’ll end up being able to get back and it won’t affect his availability for the Dallas game,” McVay said during a videoconference with reporters.

The Rams released star running back Todd Gurley in March and aimed to replace the three-time Pro Bowl player with veteran backup Malcolm Brown, Henderson, a third-round draft pick last year, and rookie Cam Akers.

AUTO RACING

Takuma Sato snatched his second Indianapolis 500 victory on Sunday as the Japanese racer held off Scott Dixon and ultimately won under caution at an Indianapolis Motor Speedway left empty becauase of the pandemic.

IndyCar officials declined to throw a red flag after a violent crash by Spencer Pigot with just a handful of laps remaining. Pigot needed medical attention on the track, the crash scene was a debris field and there was no way the race could resume without a stoppage.

Dixon, the five-time IndyCar champion who had dominated the race, asked on his radio if IndyCar was going to give the drivers a final shootout to the checkered flag, NASCAR style.

“Are they going red?” Dixon asked. “They’ve got to go red. There’s no way they can clean that up.”

IndyCar never threw the flag and Sato led Dixon across the finish line under yellow. Dixon, who led 111 of the 200 laps in pursuit of his own second Indy win, was visibly disappointed.

“Definitely a hard one to swallow for sure. We had such a great day,” Dixon said. “First time I’ve seen them let it run out like that. I thought they’d throw a red.”

Unlike NASCAR, which typically sets up two-lap shootouts to the finish when a caution interrupts the ending, IndyCar rarely follows the same procedure. The series did throw a late red in the 2014 Indy 500 and it infuriated purists.

This time, with just four laps remaining after Pigot crashed, there really wasn’t enough time to allow for a proper shootout. Dixon had figured he would ultimately run down Sato as Sato worked through lapped traffic, and he believed Sato’s team was cutting it close on fuel.

NBA PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE

First round (all games in Orlando, Fla.)
All times Pacific

WESTERN CONFERENCE

No. 3 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 6 Utah Jazz

Game 1: Denver 135, Utah 125 (OT)
Game 2: Utah 124, Denver 105
Game 3: Utah 124, Denver 87
Game 4: Utah 129, Denver 127
Game 5: Tuesday, 3:30 p.m., TNT
Game 6*: Thursday, TBD, ESPN
Game 7*: Saturday, TBD, TNT

No. 4 Houston Rockets vs. No. 5 Oklahoma City Thunder

Game 1: Houston 123, Oklahoma City 108
Game 2: Houston 111, Oklahoma City 98
Game 3: Oklahoma City 119, Houston 107
Game 4: Today, 1 p.m., TNT
Game 5: Wednesday, 3:30 p.m., TNT
Game 6*: Friday, TBD, TBD
Game 7*: Sunday, TBD, TBD

EASTERN CONFERENCE

No. 1 Milwaukee Bucks vs. No. 8 Orlando Magic

Game 1: Orlando 122, Milwaukee 110
Game 2: Milwaukee 111, Orlando 96
Game 3: Milwaukee 121, Orlando 107
Game 4: Today, 10:30 a.m., NBATV
Game 5: Wednesday, 1 p.m., NBATV
Game 6*: Friday, TBD, TBD
Game 7*: Sunday, TBD, TBD

No. 2 Toronto Raptors vs. No. 7 Brooklyn Nets

Game 1: Toronto 134, Brooklyn 110
Game 2: Toronto 104, Brooklyn 99
Game 3: Toronto 117, Brooklyn 92
Game 4: Toronto 150, Brooklyn 122

No. 3 Boston Celtics vs. No. 6 Philadelphia 76ers

Game 1: Boston 109, Philadelphia 101
Game 2: Boston 128, Philadelphia 101
Game 3: Boston 102, Philadelphia 94
Game 4: Boston 110, Philadelphia 106

No. 4 Indiana Pacers vs. No. 5 Miami Heat

Game 1: Miami 113, Indiana 101
Game 2: Miami 109, Indiana 100
Game 3: Miami 124, Indiana 115
Game 4: Today, 3:30 p.m., TNT
Game 5*: Wednesday, 10:30 a.m., NBATV
Game 6*: Friday, TBD, TBD
Game 7*: Sunday, TBD, TBD

* – If Necessary

NHL PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE

No. 1 Philadelphia Flyers vs. No. 6 New York Islanders

Game 1: Tonight, 4 p.m., NBCSN
Game 2: Wednesday, noon, NBCSN
Game 3: Thursday, 4 p.m., NBCSN
Game 4: Saturday, 9 a.m.: Flyers at Islanders | NBC, SN, TVAS
Game 5*: Monday, Aug. 31, TBD
Game 6*: Wed., Sept. 2, TBD
Game 7*: Thur., Sept. 3, TBD

No. 2 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. No. 4 Boston Bruins

Game 1: Boston 3, Tampa Bay 2
Game 2: Tuesday, 4 p.m., NBCSN
Game 3: Wednesday, 5 p.m., NBCSN
Game 4: Friday, 4:30 p.m., USA
Game 5*: Sunday, TBD
Game 6*: Tuesday, Sept. 1, TBD
Game 7*: Wed., Sept. 2, TBD

Western Conference, all games in Edmonton

No. 1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. No. 5 Vancouver Canucks

Game 1: Vegas 5, Vancouver 0
Game 2: Tuesday, 6:45 p.m., NBCSN
Game 3: Thursday, 6:45 p.m., NBCSN
Game 4: Saturday, 5 p.m., NBCSN
Game 5*: Monday, Aug. 31, TBD
Game 6*: Tuesday, Sept. 1, TBD
Game 7*: Thursday, Sept. 3, TBD

No. 2 Colorado Avalanche vs. No. 3 Dallas Stars

Game 1: Dallas 5, Colorado 3
Game 2: Tonight, 6:45 p.m., NBCSN
Game 3: Wednesday, 7:30 p.m., NBCSN
Game 4: Friday, 7 p.m., NBCSN
Game 5*: Sunday, TBD
Game 6*: Monday, Aug. 31, TBD
Game 7*: Wed., Sept. 2, TBD

*-if necessary

TODAY’S LOCAL MAJOR SPORTS SCHEDULE

All times Pacific.

Lakers vs. Portland, 6 p.m., Spectrum Sportsnet, TNT, 710 ESPN

Angels at Houston, 6 p.m., FSW, KLAA 830

THIS DATE IN SPORTS

1904 — Holcombe Ward wins the men’s singles title in the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association singles title.

1908 — Tommy Burns knocks out Bill Squires in the 13th round at Sydney, Australia to retain the world heavyweight title.

1925 — Helen Wills, 19, wins her third straight U.S. Lawn Tennis Association singles title with a 3-6, 6-0, 6-2 victory over Kathleen McKane. An hour later, Wills teams up with Mary K. Browne to win the doubles title.

1929 — Helen Wills wins her sixth U.S. Lawn Tennis Association singles title by defeating Phoebe Holcroft Watson, 6-4, 6-2.

1963 — The Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa. is covered by ABC’s Wide World of Sports for the first time.

1963 — Don Schollander becomes the first swimmer to break the two-minute barrier in the 200-meter freestyle with a time of 1:58.4 in a meet at Osaka, Japan.

1963 — John Pennel breaks the 17-foot barrier in the pole vault with a 17-0¾ vault in a meet at Miami.

1988 — Minnesota North Stars forward Dino Ciccarelli is sentenced to one day in jail and fined $1,000 for hitting another player with his stick. Ciccarelli, who was given a match penalty and 10-game suspension by the league for the Jan. 6, 1988 attack on Toronto’s Luke Richardson, is believed to be the first NHL player to receive a jail term for an on-ice attack of another player.

1996 — Hsieh Chin-hsiung sets a Little League World Series record with his seventh home run as Taiwan wins the title for the 17th time with a 13-3 victory over Cranston, R.I.

2001 — Colorado starting pitcher Jason Jennings goes 3-for-5 in his major league debut, including a homer, while pitching a 10-0 complete game shut out over the Mets. The right-hander becomes the first pitcher in modern history to throw a shutout and hit a homer in his first game.

2003 — Jockey Julie Krone becomes the first female rider to win a million-dollar race taking the Pacific Classic at Del Mar aboard Candy Ride.

2007 — The NFL indefinitely suspends Michael Vick without pay just hours after he acknowledged in court papers that he did, indeed, bankroll gambling on dogfighting and helped kill some dogs not worthy of the pit.

2008 — On the final day of the Beijing Games, Kobe Bryant hits two 3-pointers in a big fourth quarter to help the United States defeat Spain 118-107 and win the gold medal for the first time since 2000. China has one of the most dominating and diverse performances at an Olympics ever, winning a games-leading 51 golds and an even 100 overall. The United States finishes with 110 medals and trails well behind the Chinese in golds with 36, the first time since 1992 it doesn’t lead the category.

2008 — Danny Lee becomes the U.S. Amateur’s youngest champion, supplanting Tiger Woods by holding off Drew Kittleson 5 and 4. The 18-year, 1-month-old Lee is six months and 29 days younger than Woods when he won the first of his three Amateurs in 1994.

2014 — U.S. teenager Katie Ledecky slices almost six seconds off her own world mark in the women’s 1,500-meter freestyle, winning in 15 minutes, 28.36 seconds to post her second world record in as many nights at the Pan Pacific championships. It’s her fifth gold medal of the meet and the third time in 13 months she set the mark in the 1,500, and the second in three months since her 15:34.23 at Shenandoah on June 19.

And finally

The best of Kobe Bryant at the Olympics. Watch it here.