The Sports Report: Clippers rout Dallas in Game 5

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

Andrew Greif on the Clippers: As part of its plan to restart the NBA season amid a pandemic, the league redesigned the bench areas with individual seats, multiple rows and plenty of space. As socially distant as possible.

That was the theory – one that was disregarded entirely by the Clippers on Tuesday night, as Paul George approached the sideline when his night was done, with just under eight minutes remaining in Game 5 of a 154-111 victory against Dallas.

Once past the out-of-bounds line, George was hugged by teammate Marcus Morris Sr. and dapped up by assistants Armond Hill and Sam Cassell. Teammates came to him in waves, and he slapped their outstretched hands with an unusual amount of force, like a man venting frustration after being pilloried for the last six days on social media, as his shooting worsened and his team’s postseason momentum stalled.

He responded Tuesday by producing his best offensive game of the postseason’s first round. Behind the forward’s 35 points in 25 minutes, the Clippers took a 3-2 series lead and set franchise postseason records for points, margin of victory and three-pointers in a dominant performance.

After scoring 14, 11 and nine points in his last three games, while shooting a combined 21%, George made five of his six shots in the paint in Game 5 and four of his eight three-pointers.

Promising to be more aggressive after Game 4, George attempted five shots during the team’s first 10 possessions and made four of his first six attempts.

Teammate Kawhi Leonard made his first six shots and finished with 32 points while making 12 of his 19 shots. The star duo’s hot start helped the Clippers create a 24-2 run to take a 33-18 lead in the first quarter while shooting 81%.

The Clippers would finish shooting 63% and made 22 three-pointers on 62% shooting.

Dallas star Luka Doncic could provide no game-winning heroics. He scored 22 points but made one of his six three-pointers.

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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: Clippers 154, Dallas 111
Game 6: Thursday, 6 p.m., Fox Sports PT, ESPN, KEIB 1150
Game 7*: Saturday, TBD, Fox Sports PT, TNT, KEIB 1150

*-if necessary

DODGERS

Jorge Castillo on the Dodgers: In a normal season, Tuesday’s game between the Dodgers and San Francisco Giants would’ve been just another meeting between rivals on opposite ends of the contention spectrum. The Dodgers began the night with the best record in the majors, eight games ahead of the fourth-place Giants. The Dodgers are World Series favorites. The Giants are still rebuilding. They reside in different stratospheres.

But this is 2020 and 2020 is strange. So, Tuesday’s encounter was one between two potential playoff opponents. While the Dodgers entered the night as the top seed in the National League, the Giants, despite being two games below .500, were clinging on to the National League’s eighth and final spot in this year’s expanded postseason with 30 games to go. That means the teams are on pace to play a three-game first-round series in October.

Anything can happen in a three-game series, especially one between familiar foes, and the Dodgers’ 10-8, 11-inning loss in the opener of the three-game set Tuesday at Oracle Park was evidence.

The Dodgers blew four leads, including three in each of the final three innings, to have their four-game winning streak snapped as the Giants extended theirs to seven games. They committed two errors and made another fielding decision that might’ve cost them the game. Their starting pitcher, this time Julio Urías, logged fewer than five innings for the 10^th time in 18 games.

In the end, Donovan Solano hammered Dennis Santana’s hanging slider for a walk-off two-run home run.

“It just wasn’t a well-played game for us,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “We just didn’t do a lot of things right, which kept those guys in the ballgame and they found a way to walk us off.”

ANGELS

Maria Torres on the Angels: A 6-3 loss to the Houston Astros in Game 1 of a doubleheader Tuesday exposed, again, the Angels’ biggest flaw: starting pitching.

Then veteran starter Julio Teheran reminded the Angels what he’s capable of when given run support and some time to acclimate to pitching after a lengthy layoff. He limited hard contact from a team that scored 17 runs in its previous two games against the Angels and was crucial in a 12-5 Halos victory in Game 2.

Given a 4-0 lead in the first inning, Teheran navigated one-and-a-third trips through the Astros order with ease. The only hitter to reach through four innings was Yuil Gurriel, who swatted a soft hit to left field to lead off the second. Teheran induced a double-play grounder to erase the threat.

Teheran had retired eight in a row when Gurriel pestered again, knocking a high-and-tight fastball into center to start the fifth. An RBI triple by Kyle Tucker followed. Tucker scored on a one-out sacrifice fly, cutting the Angels’ lead to 6-2. Then Abraham Toro scorched Teheran’s 0-and-1 changeup, thrown on the outer edge of the plate, to the opposite field for a homer.

LAKERS

Tania Ganguli on the Lakers: The morning after LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Kyle Kuzma spoke passionately about their reaction to police in Kenosha, Wis., shooting a Black man named Jacob Blake in the back, their coach gathered the Lakers to address the incident.

Frank Vogel thought back to a recent talk the Lakers arranged for the team with John Carlos, now 75, who considered boycotting the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City but participated with the intent to protest on the medal stand. He finished third in the 200-meter race, while fellow Black American Tommie Smith won. Each raised a fist while wearing a black glove with their heads bowed on the medal stand.

Carlos told the Lakers that he trained with the goal of winning a medal so that he could conduct this protest, Vogel said. In the wake of Blake’s shooting, Vogel connected that message to the Lakers’ goals.

“It’s disheartening and disturbing for all of us, and it’s difficult to digest and go play a game,” Vogel said. “But it’s OK to align our goals here, with regard to we’re here to compete for a championship, but the further we advance in the playoffs, the further our platform to speak up on this grows. And I think it’s important for our guys to understand that.”

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, Tonight, 6 p.m., Spectrum Sportsnet, TNT, 710 ESPN
Game 6*, Friday, TBD
Game 7*, Sunday, TBD

*-if necessary

LAFC

Kevin Baxter on the LAFC: LAFC is once again without Major League Soccer’s reigning MVP, Carlos Vela, who is sidelined indefinitely with a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee, according to the team.

Vela has a Grade 2 sprain, which is considered a significant but incomplete tear. LAFC coach Bob Bradley said there is no timetable for Vela’s return although the expected recovery time is about a month.

“It’s an injury that we see in football many times,” Bradley said. “Now we just need to evaluate him week by week. Oftentimes with an MCL the player is able to start running straight ahead pretty quickly. But the time frame is really determined as he gets into more cutting, striking the ball as to how long it will take.

“So we don’t have an answer on that.”

RAMS/CHARGERS

The Rams and Chargers announced Tuesday that games at SoFi Stadium will be held without fans until further notice because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Rams are scheduled to open the new $5-billion venue Sept. 13 against Dallas. The Chargers’ first game at SoFi is set for Sept. 20 against Kansas City.

Said Rams chairman/owner Stan Kroenke in a statement: “While we are doing everything to safely open SoFi Stadium and ultimately fulfill its promise to Rams fans, the NFL and to this region, we know our ability to welcome fans into the building will be guided by the wisdom of health care experts and the policies of local, state and federal government officials. Therefore, we won’t speculate on any timeline as to when fans will be able to join us. The health and well-being of our employees, community and the nation, remains our highest concern.”

The teams announced that they will continue to work with L.A. County Department of Public Health and the City of Inglewood on a plan to accommodate fans when circumstances permit.

UCLA FOOTBALL

Ben Bolch on UCLA football: Starting right tackle Jake Burton entered the transfer portal Tuesday with hopes of finding a new team that will compete in the coming months.

“I was looking forward to finishing my college career with my Bruins teammates,” Burton said in a tweet announcing his departure. “Due to circumstances beyond anyone’s control, that is not possible this year. After much thought, I have decided to enter the portal in hopes of gaining the opportunity to play football this Fall.”

The most likely destination for Burton is expected to be a team in the Southeastern or Atlantic Coast conferences, which are forging ahead with plans to play despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that forced the Pac-12 and Big Ten conferences to abandon their hopes of a fall season.

The departure of Burton, a redshirt senior, means the Bruins must replace three of their starting offensive linemen from last season. Center Boss Tagaloa graduated and guard Christaphany Murray entered the transfer portal earlier this year.

JURISPRUDENCE

The embattled charter company that operated a helicopter that crashed in January, killing Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others, has blamed two air traffic controllers for the accident.

In a cross-complaint filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court last week, Island Express Helicopters and Island Express Holding Corp. alleged that “a series of erroneous acts and/or omissions” by the controllers resulted in the crash.

The controllers work for the Federal Aviation Administration’s Southern California TRACON, which handles flights in the region.

“Had [the controllers] not engaged in the numerous negligent acts and/or omissions stated herein, then the Pilot [Ara Zobayan] would not have been forced to respond to multiple [air traffic control] requests and commands during the most critical phase of the flight,” the cross-complaint said.

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: Denver 117, Utah 107
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: Today, 3:30 p.m., TNT
Game 6: Friday, 3:30 p.m., TNT
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: Today, 1 p.m., NBATV
Game 6*: Friday, 1 p.m., NBATV
Game 7*: Sunday, TBD, TBD

SECOND ROUND
EASTERN CONFERENCE

No. 2 Toronto vs. No. No. 3 Boston Celtics

Game 1: Thursday, 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Game 2: Saturday, TBD
Game 3: Monday, TBD
Game 4: Wed. Sept. 2, TBD
Game 5:* Fri. Sept. 4, TBD
Game 6*: Sun. Sept. 6, TBD
Game 7*: Tue. Sept. 8, TBD

* – If necessary

NHL PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE

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

Game 1: NY Islanders 4, Philadelphia 0
Game 2: Today, noon, NBCSN
Game 3: Thursday, 4 p.m., NBCSN
Game 4: Saturday, 9 a.m., NBC
Game 5*: Monday, 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: Tampa Bay 4, Boston 3 (OT)
Game 3: Wednesday, 5 p.m., NBCSN
Game 4: Friday, 4:30 p.m., USA
Game 5: Sunday, TBD
Game 6*: Tuesday, 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: Vancouver 5, Vegas 2
Game 3: Thursday, 6:45 p.m., NBCSN
Game 4: Saturday, 5 p.m., NBCSN
Game 5: Monday, 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: Tonight, 7:30 p.m., NBCSN
Game 4: Friday, 7 p.m., NBCSN
Game 5*: Sunday, TBD
Game 6*: Monday, TBD
Game 7*: Wed., Sept. 2, TBD

*-if necessary

TODAY’S LOCAL MAJOR SPORTS SCHEDULE

All times Pacific.

Lakers vs. Portland, 6 p.m., Fox Sports PT, TNT, KEIB 1150

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

Sparks vs. Minnesota, 5 p.m., CBS Sports Network, Spectrum Sportsnet

LAFC at Real Salt Lake, 6:30 p.m., Youtube TV, 710 ESPN

Seattle at Galaxy, 8 p.m., Univision Dep.

THIS DATE IN SPORTS

1912 — Maurice McLoughlin beats Wallace F. Johnson, 3-6, 2-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 to win the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association men’s singles title.

1913 — Maurice McLoughlin beats R. Norris Williams, 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 to win the men’s title at the U.S. national tennis championships.

1933 — Helen Hull Jacobs captures the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association singles title when Helen Wills Moody defaults in the third set because of back and hip pain.

1939 — The first major league baseball game is televised. NBC-TV broadcasts a doubleheader at Brooklyn’s Ebbets Field between the Cincinnati Reds and the Dodgers.

1950 — Australia wins its third straight Davis Cup by beating the United States 4-1.

1961 — The International Hockey Hall of Fame officially opens in Toronto, Canada.

1972 — The New York Cosmos win the NASL championship by defeating the St. Louis Stars 2-1.

1989 — Chris Drury pitches a five-hitter as Trumbull, Conn., becomes the first American team since 1983 to capture the Little League World Series with a 5-2 victory over Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

1993 — Sean Burroughs, the son of former major leaguer Jeff Burroughs, pitches his second no-hitter of the Little League World Series and hits two home runs as defending champion Long Beach, Calif., routs Bedford, N.H., 11-0 in the final of the U.S. bracket.

1997 — Carl Lewis finishes his track-and-field career anchoring star-studded team to victory in the 400-meter relay to cap the ISTAF Grand Prix meet in Berlin. The team of Olympic 100-meter champion Donovan Bailey, former world record-holder Leroy Burrell and Namibian sprint champion Frankie Fredericks, win in 38.24 seconds.

1999 — Michael Johnson shatters another world record at the World Championships — this time, breaking the 400-meter mark with a time of 43.18. He cuts .11 seconds off the record of 43.29 set by Butch Reynolds in 1988 and ties Carl Lewis for the most gold medals at the championships with eight.

2011 — The Tulsa Shock snap the longest losing streak in WNBA history with a 77-75 win over the Los Angeles Sparks. The Shock (2-25) had 20 straight losses before Sheryl Swoopes hit a jumper with 2.9 seconds left.

2011 — Kyle Busch records his record-breaking 50th NASCAR Busch Series victory, edging teammate Joey Logano in the Food City 250 at the Bristol Motor Speedway. Busch breaks a tie with Mark Martin for the record in NASCAR’s second-tier series.

2012 — Lydia Ko wins the Canadian Women’s Open to become the youngest winner in LPGA Tour history and only the fifth amateur champion. The 15-year-old South Korean-born New Zealander closes with a 5-under 67 for a three-stroke victory over Inbee Park.

2016 — Dan Raudabaugh throws six touchdown passes and the Philadelphia Soul win their second ArenaBowl title, beating the Arizona Rattlers 56-42.

2017 — Ohio State star Kyle Snyder scores a late takedown of Olympic gold medalist Abdusalim Sadulaev in the deciding match, and the United States wins the world freestyle wrestling title for the first time in 22 years.

2017 — Floyd Mayweather Jr. stops UFC champion Conor McGregor on his feet in the 10th round at the T-Mobile Arena on the Las Vegas Strip. The much-hyped 154-pound fight is more competitive than many expected when an unbeaten, five-division world champion boxer takes on a mixed martial artist making his pro boxing debut.

Compiled by the Associated Press

And finally

Chris Drury pitches his team to the Little League World Series title. Watch it here.