The Sports Report: Lakers rout Portland on Kobe Bryant Day

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

Tania Ganguli on the Lakers: A day after Kobe Bryant’s birthday, a date that includes both of the numbers he wore, the Lakers honored him by wearing a jersey he helped design and by ruthlessly crushing the spirit of their opponent.

The Portland Trail Blazers never had a chance in this one.

The Lakers won, 135-115, taking a 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.

LeBron James scored 30 points on 10-for-12 shooting with 10 assists and six rebounds, making four of five three-pointers. Anthony Davis finished with 18 points with five assists and five rebounds. Battling a stifling defensive effort, Portland guards Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum combined to attempt only five three-pointers, making three.

With 4:58 left in the first quarter, the Lakers led 24-8. Their largest lead of the quarter was by 24 points. Anthony Davis, who Bryant used to often tell he had the capability to be unstoppable, nearly was during that period, scoring 16 points with three assists, three rebounds, two blocks and a steal. He and James combined for 24 points in that quarter.

As the second quarter neared its close, it became apparent that an 81-point first half was within reach. James hit a three-pointer and two layups in the half’s final 1:05 to send the Lakers into halftime up 80-51. He thought he was fouled on his way to the basket for the last one, and a free throw would have allowed the Lakers to reach the point total Bryant scored one night in Los Angeles back in 2006.

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L.A. City Council member Herb Wesson announced Monday that a stretch of Figueroa Street will be named in Bryant’s honor. “Figueroa St. will soon be Kobe Bryant Blvd. between Olympic & MLK,” Wesson said in a tweet. No date was announced for the naming.

Lakers-Trail Blazers schedule

Game 1: Portland 100, Lakers 93
Game 2: Lakers 111, Portland 88
Game 3: Lakers 116, Portland 108
Game 4: Lakers 135, Portland 115
Game 5, Wednesday, 6 p.m. Spectrum Sportsnet, TNT, 710 ESPN
Game 6*, Friday, TBD
Game 7*, Sunday, TBD

*-if necessary

ANGELS

Maria Torres on the Angels: Social media helped Mike Trout emerge from a rut he didn’t even know he was in.

The Angels star was scrolling through Twitter late last week when he saw mention of his outfield performance. The early verdict was that Trout had lost some speed on his jumps. According to MLB’s Statcast technology, he ranked among the worst in baseball in the category.

Trout, who has made significant defensive strides in recent years while seeking his first Gold Glove award, was caught off guard.

“I literally just found out,” Trout said in a videoconference before the Angels’ road game against the Houston Astros on Monday. “… Little stuff like that you really don’t realize it till you see the numbers.”

Trout ruled out potential issues, such as speed (which didn’t suffer in the wake of last year’s season-ending foot surgery) and the lack of crowd noise.

It was his pre-pitch setup that needed tweaking. He began addressing it in Oakland by “being in a ready position when the ball is in the zone.” There was an immediate payoff Saturday, when Trout robbed Athletics batter Matt Olson of a hit. Trout had been shading Olson, who hits left-handed, toward right-center. He raced toward left-center and dived to catch the ball, helping the Angels retain a lead in their eventual 4-3 win.

CLIPPERS

Andrew Greif on the Clippers: The version of Paul George that has been mired in a slump for much of the Clippers’ first-round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks has looked nothing like the nearly unstoppable shooter of one month ago, when the NBA’s restart began at Disney World‘s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando, Fla.

George shot 52% on three-pointers during three scrimmages and began the seeding round by making 14 of his first 22 three-point attempts. He said his shoulders were healthy and, on an isolated campus with basketball as the only focus, his mindset was clear.

Yet since scoring 27 points in the opening game against the Mavericks, George has shot 21% overall from the field and 16% on three-pointers to become the first player since the Boston Celtics’ Bob Cousy in 1960 to shoot less than 25%, on a minimum of 10 shots, in three consecutive playoff games, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

“We just keep trying to tell [George] to get out of his head, try to block out the social media, the fans and just get back to playing ball,” forward JaMychal Green said Monday, a day after the Mavericks evened the series at two games apiece. “We need him. We need him to get back to the high-level basketball he’s capable of playing, and I feel like he’s just in his head.”

Coach Doc Rivers is not planning on injured guard Patrick Beverley being available to play Tuesday in Game 5 of the team’s first-round series with Dallas, but he didn’t rule out the possibility of a return.

“I haven’t heard one thing that he may play,” Rivers said. “That doesn’t mean he might not. Right now I’m not planning on it, and so because of that, we have to make tough choices at the end of every game. That’s just the way it is.”

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, Tonight, 6 p.m., Fox Sports PT, TNT, KEIB 1150
Game 6, Thursday, TBD, Fox Sports PT, ESPN, KEIB 1150
Game 7*, Saturday, TBD, Fox Sports PT, TNT, KEIB 1150

*-if necessary

CHARGERS

Jeff Miller on the Chargers: The status of Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams for the start of the season is in doubt because of a shoulder injury suffered Sunday.

Williams went down trying to make a diving catch in a period after the players had removed their shoulder pads in an attempt to scale back the intensity.

He attended practice Monday in street clothes and wasn’t wearing a sling.

Coach Anthony Lynn’s next scheduled session with the media is Tuesday. The team has made no announcement regarding Williams, the NFL Network reporting that he suffered a sprain.

SPARKS

Thuc Nhi Nguyen on the Sparks: Forward Candace Parker has been selected WNBA Western Conference player of the week after she averaged 18.3 points, 11.7 rebounds and five assists per game while helping the Sparks to three wins last week, the league announced Monday.

The Sparks (10-3) have won seven consecutive games overall and are tied with the Las Vegas Aces for second place in the league after Seattle (11-3).

Parker had 16 points and 12 rebounds in an 83-74 win over the Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday, scored the game-tying basket to force overtime in the 93-85 win over the Atlanta Dream on Friday and starred against the Dallas Wings on Sunday with 22 points, 14 rebounds and six assists as the Sparks came back from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to win 84-81.

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: Today, 3:30 p.m., TNT
Game 6*: Thursday, 1 p.m., 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: Oklahoma City 117, Houston 114
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: Milwaukee 121, Orlando 106
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: Miami 99, Indiana 87

* – If Necessary

NHL PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE

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

Game 1: NY Islanders 4, Philadelphia 0
Game 2: Wednesday, noon, NBCSN
Game 3: Thursday, 4 p.m., NBCSN
Game 4: Saturday, 9 a.m., NBC
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: Today, 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: Tonight, 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: Dallas 5, Colorado 2
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.

Clippers vs. Dallas, 6 p.m., Fox Sports PT, TNT, KEIB 1150

Dodgers at San Francisco, 6:45 p.m., FS1, Sportsnet LA, AM 570

Angels at Houston, 1 p.m., FSW, KLAA 830

Angels at Houston, 30 minutes after conclusion of first game, FSW, KLAA 830

THIS DATE IN SPORTS

1804 — Alice Meynell becomes the first woman jockey as she rides in a four-mile race in York, England.

1888 — Henry Slocum becomes the first man to win the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association singles title besides Richard Sears.

1904 — Jim Jeffries knocks out Jack Munroe in the second round in San Francisco to retain the world heavyweight title.

1908 — The first $50,000 trotting race in the United States, the American Trotting Derby, is won by Allen Winter with Lon McDonald driving.

1922 — In one of the wildest games ever played, the Cubs beat the Phillies 26-23. The Cubs led 25-6 in the fourth inning, but held on as the game ended with the Phillies leaving the bases loaded.

1946 — Ben Hogan wins the PGA championship with a 6 and 4 win over Ed Oliver.

1950 — Sugar Ray Robinson knocks out Jose Basora at 52 seconds of the first round to retain world middleweight boxing title.

1973 — The NASL championship is won by the Philadelphia Atoms with a 2-0 victory over the Dallas Tornadoes.

1974 — The Los Angeles Aztecs edge the Miami Toros 4-3 to win the NASL Championship.

1984 — France’s Lutin D’Isigny wins the $250,000 International Trot by seven lengths, the largest margin of victory in this race. Jean-Paul Andre drives Lutin D’Isigny to a world record trot for the 1¼-mile in 2:30, smashing the record of 2:31.2 shared by Speedy Scot and Noble Victory.

1991 — Carl Lewis reclaims his title of world’s fastest human by setting a world record of 9.86 seconds in the 100-meter final in the world championships in Tokyo. Lewis clips four-hundredths of a second off the previous mark of 9.90 set by Leroy Burrell in the U.S. Championships two months earlier.

1996 — Tiger Woods wins an unprecedented third U.S. Amateur Championship, beating Steve Scott on the 38th hole after coming back from 5-down with 16 to play and 2-down with three to go.

1997 — Jockey Pat Day gains his 7,000th career victory aboard Bay Harbor in the second race at Saratoga Racecourse. Day is the fifth rider to reach the 7,000-win plateau.

2006 — Japan’s Yusaku Miyazato becomes the first golfer to make two holes-in-one in the same round of a PGA Tour tournament when he aces a pair of par 3s at the Reno-Tahoe Open.

2012 — Alpha and longshot Golden Ticket finish in a historic dead heat in the $1 million Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. Golden Ticket leads the field of 11 3-year-olds in the stretch, but 2-1 favorite Alpha closes strongly and the two hit the finish line in tandem. It’s the first dead heat in the 143 runnings of the Travers, and a rare finish for any Grade 1 race. Alpha pays $4.10 and 33-1 shot Golden Ticket returns $26.80 to win.

2013 — Teen star Lydia Ko runs away with the Canadian Women’s Open with a five-stroke victory over Karine Icher. The 16-year-old New Zealand amateur successfully defends her title, closing with a 6-under 64 for her fourth win in 14 professional events.

2018 — Josef Martinez breaks the MLS season goal record with his 28th score, giving Atlanta United the lead in the 74th minute in a 2-1 victory over Orlando City. Martinez broke a tie for the record with Roy Lassiter, Chris Wondolowski and Bradley Wright-Phillips.

Compiled by the Associated Press

And finally

Carl Lewis sets a world record in the 100-meter dash in 1991. Watch it here.