The Sports Report: Anthony Davis’ buzzer-beater wins Game 2 for Lakers

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

Tania Ganguli on the Lakers: Anthony Davis wanted the ball. He wanted the pressure, he wanted the moment and he wanted to show that he could take it.

So he looked at Rajon Rondo on the inbounds play with 2.1 seconds left in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals.

With Nikola Jokic jumping toward him, Davis launched a three-pointer, sank it and won the game.

Despite a comeback effort by the Nuggets, the Lakers took Game 2 of the Western Conference finals, 105-103, to take a 2-0 series lead.

The Lakers capitalized on turnovers and missed free throws by the Nuggets, and delivered timely scoring and pesky defense.

It took seven and a half minutes into the game before a player besides James scored for the Lakers. Not long after blocking Paul Millsap at the rim, Danny Green raced to the other end of the court for a transition layup.

An 18-3 Lakers run gave the Lakers a 10-point lead in a first quarter. Denver only scored 21 points in the first quarter, after a 38-point first quarter in Game 1.

During the second quarter, the Lakers took a 16-point lead, but took a 10 point lead into halftime. James had scored 20 first-half points.

The Nuggets made up some ground in the third quarter, shooting 52% from the field, and with 9:58 left in the fourth quarter, the Nuggets tied the score at 82. It was the first time the Lakers didn’t have a lead since the score was 12-12 in the first quarter.

Denver took an 87-86 lead, that the Lakers immediately answered with a pair of threes to take back a five-point lead.

WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
All times Pacific
No. 1 Lakers vs. No. 3 Denver

Game 1: Lakers 126, Denver 114
Game 2: Lakers 105, Denver 103
Game 3: Tuesday, 6 p.m., TNT
Game 4: Thursday, 6 p.m., TNT
Game 5*: Saturday, 6 p.m., TNT
Game 6*: Monday, Sept. 28, TBD, TNT
Game 7*: Wed., Sept. 30, TBD, TNT

RAMS

Gary Klein on the Rams: Quarterback Jared Goff and tight end Tyler Higbee connected for three touchdowns and receiver Robert Woods and running back Darrell Henderson rushed for others as the Rams defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, 37-19, Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.

Linebacker Micah Kiser forced a fumble and cornerbacks Darious Williams and Troy Hill intercepted passes to help the Rams (2-0) keep the momentum they gained from a season-opening victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

The Rams started fast and then did enough to hold off the Eagles in the first of two consecutive trips to the East Coast. The Rams play the Buffalo Bills next Sunday.

The Rams showed Sunday they could adjust to quick turnarounds. Trips to the East typically would begin on Fridays, giving players a chance to acclimate to the time change. But because of COVID-19 concerns, the Rams are traveling on Saturdays and then facing 1 p.m. kickoffs.

Goff and Higbee combined on scoring plays of four, three and 28 yards, the last one giving the Rams a 31-19 lead early in the fourth quarter. Higbee finished with five catches for 54 yards.

Goff, the No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft, outdueled Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz, the No. 2 pick.

Goff completed his first 13 passes and finished 20 of 27 for 267 yards. Wentz completed 26 of 43 passes for 242 yards, with two interceptions.

Rams rookie running back Cam Akers suffered a first-quarter rib injury and offensive lineman Joe Noteboom suffered a third-quarter calf injury. Neither returned.

CHARGERS

Jeff Miller on the Chargers: The Chargers played the franchise’s first game at SoFi Stadium on Sunday — and it wasn’t even their most notable debut of the day.

Rookie Justin Herbert was a late replacement at quarterback and produced several highlights, a pair of touchdowns and more than 300 yards passing against Kansas City.

But the Chargers couldn’t hold on to an eight-point fourth-quarter lead, eventually falling to the reigning Super Bowl champions and their own young star quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, 23-20, in overtime.

The deciding points didn’t come easily. Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker had to hit his second 58-yard field goal of the game to seal it.

Herbert replaced Tyrod Taylor, who was late coming out of the locker room before the game. The Chargers then announced that Taylor was questionable because of a chest injury. He later was ruled out.

Herbert, the No. 6 overall pick in the draft, completed 22 of 33 passes for 311 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for a score.
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NFL Week 2 roundup: Greg Zuerlein delivers for Cowboys in comeback over Falcons

Sunday’s NFL scores

Rams 37, at Philadelphia 19
Kansas City 23, at Chargers 20
at Arizona 30, Washington 15
Baltimore 33, at Houston 16
at Chicago 17, NY Giants 13
at Dallas 40, Atlanta 39
at Green Bay 42, Detroit 21
at Tennessee 33, Jacksonville 30
at Indianapolis 28, Minnesota 11
Buffalo 31, at Miami 28
San Francisco 31, at NY Jets 13
at Pittsburgh 26, Denver 21
at Tampa Bay 31, Carolina 17
New England at Seattle

DODGERS

Jorge Castillo on the Dodgers: The Dodgers will have to wait until at least Tuesday to clinch their eighth consecutive National League West title.

Needing a win and a loss by the San Diego Padres to extend their reign in the division and clinch the National League’s No. 1 seed in the postseason Sunday, the Dodgers fell to the Colorado Rockies, 6-3, in an atypical game at Coors Field in which neither team homered in the hitter’s haven.

The Dodgers stopped short of a four-game series sweep and had a five-game winning streak snapped in their final road game of the regular season. They finished the trip 5-2 and the abbreviated campaign 22-8 away from Dodger Stadium.

The Rockies (23-29) recorded their 12th win in 38 games to keep their slim playoff hopes alive without an extra-base hit — all 10 of their hits were singles.

“It’s kind of the way it went,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

ANGELS

Kyle Cody earned his first major league win as the Texas Rangers hit a season-high five home runs to power past the Angels 7-2 on Sunday.

Joey Gallo, Anderson Tejada, Sam Huff, Rougned Odor and Derek Dietrich homered for the Rangers.

Cody (1-1) allowed just three hits and one run in a career-high five innings, striking out five without a walk. He retired 11 straight before Chris Woodward went to the bullpen.

The 26-year-old rookie exited with a 1.53 ERA in seven big league games, including four starts.

Cody gave up a double to Justin Upton in the second and Taylor Ward had an RBI single to get the Angels within 3-1, but otherwise he kept the Angels off-balance.

U.S. OPEN

Ben Bolch on the U.S. Open: With a dominant final round, Bryson DeChambeau stormed past Matthew Wolff to win the U.S. Open on Sunday at Winged Foot Golf Club.

DeChambeau started the day two strokes back but won without much drama after logging a three-under 67 to finish the tournament at six under, the only golfer to break par.

He thrust his arms into the air in triumph after getting his final putt to roll into the hole, triggering a smattering of applause from the credentialed observers who lined a course devoid of fans.

DeChambeau joined Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus as only golfers to win the NCAA Division I championship, the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open.

Wolff, a 21-year-old from Simi Valley who was attempting to become the first golfer to win the U.S. Open in his debut appearance, faded with a five-over 75 that left him at even par and for the tournament six strokes behind DeChambeau.

Wolff sealed his fate with a double bogey on the 16th hole, shoving a club into his bag in frustration after a chip shot out of the rough rolled within a few feet of the hole.

Wolff bogeyed five other holes, more than offsetting his eagle on the ninth hole after a 10-foot putt. DeChambeau even upstaged him on that hole by sinking a 37-foot eagle putt.

TOUR DE FRANCE

In a stunning performance for the ages, Tour de France rookie Tadej Pogacar won cycling’s showpiece race Sunday on the eve of his 22nd birthday, becoming the second-youngest winner of the 117-year-old event that this year braved — and overcame — France’s worsening coronavirus epidemic.

Turning him from promising prodigy into cycling superstar, Pogacar became the youngest winner since World War II and the first from Slovenia.

His victory was remarkable, too, for the way in which he sealed it: at the last possible moment, on the penultimate stage before Sunday’s finish on Paris’ Champs-Elysees. During the three-week cycling marathon over all five of France’s mountain ranges and 3,482 punishing kilometers (2,164 miles), Pogacar held the race lead and its iconic yellow jersey for just one stage — the last and most important one into Paris, with a yellow bike to match.

Pogacar KO’d the race and Slovenian countryman Primoz Roglic by snatching away the yellow jersey that he’d worn for 11 days, in a high-drama time trial Saturday.

Their 1-2 is the first for one country since British riders Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome also took the top spots at the 2012 Tour. Australian Richie Porte rounded out this year’s podium, at age 35, after his brilliant time trial that hoisted him from fourth to third overall.

NBA PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE

CONFERENCE FINALS
EASTERN CONFERENCE

No. 3 Boston Celtics vs. No. 5 Miami Heat

Game 1: Miami 117, Boston 114 (OT)
Game 2: Miami 106, Boston 101
Game 3: Boston 117, Miami 106
Game 4: Wednesday, 5:30 p.m., ESPN
Game 5: Friday, 4:30 p.m., ESPN
Game 6*: Sunday, 4:30 p.m., ESPN
Game 7*: TBD

*-if necessary

NHL PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE

STANLEY CUP FINAL

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Dallas Stars

Game 1: Dallas 4, Tampa Bay 1
Game 2: Today, 5 p.m., NBCSN
Game 3: Wednesday, 5 p.m., NBCSN
Game 4: Friday, 5 p.m., NBC
Game 5*: Saturday, 5 p.m., NBC
Game 6*: Monday, Sept. 27, 5 p.m., NBC
Game 7*: Wed., Sept. 29, 5 p.m., NBC

*-if necessary

WNBA PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE

No. 1 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 7 Connecticut Sun

Game 1: Connecticut 87, Las Vegas 62
Game 2: Tuesday, 6 p.m., ESPN2
Game 3: Thursday, 4:30 p.m., ESPN2
Game 4*: Sunday, TBD
Game 5*: Tuesday, Sept. 29, TBD

No. 2 Seattle Storm vs. No. 4 Minnesota Lynx

Game 1: Postponed due to inconclusive coronavirus tests
Game 2: TBD
Game 3: TBD
Game 4*: TBD
Game 5*: TBD

*-if necessary

TODAY’S LOCAL MAJOR SPORTS SCHEDULE

All times Pacific.

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

THIS DATE IN SPORTS

1940 — For the first time in the history of photo finishes a triple dead heat for first place is recorded, at Willow’s Park, Victoria, British Columbia.

1955 — Rocky Marciano knocks out Archie Moore in the ninth round at Yankee Stadium in New York to retain the world heavyweight title.

1980 — Richard Todd of the New York Jets completes an NFL record 42 passes and throws for 447 yards and three touchdowns in a 37-27 loss to San Francisco.

1985 — Michael Spinks wins a 15-round unanimous decision over Larry Holmes in Las Vegas to win the world heavyweight title.

1985 — Montana State’s David Pandt catches 21 passes for 169 yards against Eastern Washington to set an NCAA record.

1986 — Ken O’Brien’s 43-yard touchdown pass to Wesley Walker at 2:35 in overtime ends one of the highest scoring games in NFL history as the New York Jets defeat the Miami Dolphins 51-45. O’Brien passes for 479 yards and four touchdowns, all to Walker. Miami’s Dan Marino passes for 448 yards and three touchdowns as both quarterbacks set a record with 884 combined yards passing.

1994 — The North Carolina women’s soccer team wins its 89th straight game, setting the unofficial record for the longest winning streak in college sports. The 5-1 victory over rival N.C. State broke the mark of 88 in a row set by the UCLA men’s basketball team during the early 1970s.

1997 — The Buffalo Bills stage the third-biggest comeback in NFL history, overcoming a 26-0 deficit to beat the Indianapolis Colts 37-35. The Bills made the greatest comeback in the 1992 AFC playoffs, wiping out a 35-3 deficit to beat the Houston Oilers 41-38 in overtime.

2003 — Sam Hornish Jr. wins the fastest open-wheel race in history at California Speedway. Hornish’s Chevrolet-powered Dallara averages 207.151 mph in the Toyota Indy 400 — breaking the previous closed course race record of 197.995, set here last year by Jimmy Vasser in a CART Champ Car event.

2008 — The United States take back the Ryder Cup with a 16 1/2-11 1/2 victory over Europe. It’s the largest margin of victory for the Americans since 1981.

2008 — Baseball says farewell to Yankee Stadium, the home of baseball’s most famous team.

2008 — Miami wins for just the second time in 22 games, ending New England’s NFL record 21 straight regular-season wins with a 38-13 win over the Patriots. Ronnie Brown scores a Miami-record four rushing touchdowns and passes for another. The 25-point loss is New England’s biggest in seven seasons at Gillette Stadium.

2014 — Tom Brady passes for 234 yards and a touchdown in the Patriots’ 16-9 win over Oakland. The win is Brady’s 150th career victory as a starting quarterback, joining Brett Favre (186) and Peyton Manning (169) as the only quarterbacks to accomplish the feat.

2018 — English golfer Oliver Fisher shoots the first round of 59 in the 46-year history of the European Tour. Fisher makes an eagle and 10 birdies on a par-71 course in the second round of the Portugal Masters held at the Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Club in Vilamoura.

And finally

Michael Spinks defeats Larry Holmes to win the heavyweight title. Watch it here.