The Sports Report: Lakers win, but will be in play-in game; Clippers lose and are seeded fourth

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

Broderick Turner on the Lakers: LeBron James limped to the Lakers’ bench during the fourth quarter Sunday night in New Orleans after having his right ankle injured when he landed on the foot of a Pelicans defender, his body hitting the court after scoring on a 360-degree layup.

James stayed down for a few seconds while looking at his ankle, the same one that forced him to miss 26 out of 28 games since March 20.

He played in the final two games since his return, but when James went down with 6 minutes 35 seconds left, Lakers Nation was holding its collective breath.

James stood up while on the sideline, a towel over his shoulder and a smile on his face, perhaps an indication that he was OK. After the game, coach Frank Vogel said James told him that there are no issues.

He had played 27 minutes and produced a stat line of 25 points, six assists and three steals in helping the Lakers win their fifth consecutive game with a 110-98 victory over the Pelicans on the final day of the regular season.

James and Anthony Davis got a taste of action, their final dress rehearsal before the Lakers play the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night in the NBA’s play-in tournament between the seventh- and eight-seeded teams at Staples Center.

They played just enough to get their stamina and legs under them against the Pelicans, and enough for James and Davis to declare themselves fit to start down the path toward defending their NBA championship.

CLIPPERS

Andrew Greif on the Clippers: The Clippers finished fourth in the Western Conference and will face Dallas in the first round of the playoffs after their 117-112 loss at Oklahoma City on Sunday, the final day of the regular season.

That result, combined with Denver’s loss in Portland and the Lakers’ win over New Orleans, kept the Nuggets in third place in the West and locked the Clippers into a seven-game series with the fifth-seeded Mavericks. The teams also met in the first round last season in a six-game Clippers victory.

Neither the Thunder nor Clippers (47-25) appeared invested in winning Sunday. The loss increased the likelihood that the Clippers’ path to the NBA Finals would not overlap with the Lakers’ until the conference finals, if both teams advance that far.

Dallas won the season series with the Clippers, 2-1, beginning with a 51-point victory in the season’s third game. They last played in mid-March, with the Clippers winning by 10 before losing by 16. The Clippers did not have center Serge Ibaka for the final two games because of an injury suffered only days before. After missing 30 games with a pinched nerve in his back, Ibaka played the last two games of the season.

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DODGERS

Jorge Castillo on the Dodgers: The Dodgers, as they have all season at Dodger Stadium, were introduced before their 3-2 loss to the Miami Marlins on Sunday as the World champion Los Angeles Dodgers. A more accurate description would be what’s left of the World champion team, because it’s not much at the moment.

Corey Seager officially became the 13th Dodger on the injured list Sunday morning, joining Scott Alexander, Cody Bellinger, Tony Gonsolin, Brusdar Graterol, Corey Knebel, Dustin May, Zach McKinstry, AJ Pollock, David Price, Edwin Ríos, Caleb Ferguson and Tommy Kahnle.

Ferguson and Kahnle won’t pitch in 2021 after undergoing Tommy John surgery last summer. May (elbow) and Ríos (shoulder) won’t return this season. The rest of the players’ returns range from days to months away.

Seager’s timetable is somewhere in the middle. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he expects the shortstop to miss at least four weeks after he fractured the fifth metacarpal, a bone at the base of his pinky finger, when he was hit by a 90-mph pitch in the fifth inning Saturday.

“That’s why you play 162,” Roberts said. “That’s the thing that pulls your hair out. But the great thing about baseball and we’re tapping into the depth and giving guys an opportunity and you got to figure it out because no one’s going to feel sorry for the Dodgers and that’s OK. But I still love our guys.”

But the Dodgers (22-18) couldn’t even take the field without another setback impacting one of those guys. Minutes before first pitch, the team announced that Chris Taylor was scratched from the lineup with right wrist soreness. Roberts said Taylor’s wrist flared up when taking swings in the batting cage and he’ll be evaluated Monday.

“For Chris to say he can’t play minutes before the game is obviously a little concerning,” Roberts said.

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ANGELS

Jack Harris on the Angels: When he flipped Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani in the batting order Sunday afternoon, Angels manager Joe Maddon wasn’t sure if it would make a difference.

“These are little micro changes,” Maddon said, putting Ohtani behind Trout for the first time this season. “We’ll see if it does have an impact.”

Did it ever.

With two out in the ninth inning and the Angels on the verge of a fifth straight defeat, Trout hit a bloop single to right that set up Ohtani for the game-deciding blow: a go-ahead two-run home run that hooked just inside the right-field foul pole and lifted the Angels’ to a 6-5 win over the Boston Red Sox.

“It takes a bloop and a blast,” Maddon said postgame. “You say that all the time in the dugout, and that’s exactly what occurred. Loved the fight.”

It was Ohtani’s 12th home run of the season, tied for the most in the majors, and the first go-ahead blast in the ninth inning or later in his MLB career.

It was the Angels’ first go-ahead home run when down to their last out since 2013, when Hank Conger hit one at Milwaukee.

And it offered a reeling team a much-needed sigh of relief, preventing them from getting swept at Fenway Park on a day they held an early 4-0 lead.

UCLA vs. USC

Thuc Nhi Nguyen on water polo: The goals were relentless. A low ball skipped past the defense. A high corner shot found the back of the cage. A powerful drive slipped through the goalie’s fingers.

The onslaught left UCLA stunned. USC left as champions.

The No. 1 Trojans dominated rival UCLA in the NCAA championship Sunday at UCLA’s Spieker Aquatics Center in a wire-to-wire 18-9 victory to clinch the program’s sixth NCAA title. It was the largest margin of victory in an NCAA championship game, decimating the previous mark of four, and the most goals scored in a championship final.

Each of the previous five NCAA titles were decided by one goal, including USC’s last triumph in 2018. For once, the Trojans weren’t left to sweat out the final seconds. This time, they were wrapped in a group hug on the pool deck as the clock counted down. When the final horn sounded, head coach Marko Pintaric had his arms wrapped around the shoulders of two players as they all jumped into the pool.

NBA PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE

Play-in round
All times Pacific

Tuesday
No. 10 Charlotte at No. 9 Indiana, 3:30 p.m., TNT
No. 8 Washington at No. 7 Boston, 6 p.m., TNT

Wednesday
No. 10 San Antonio at No. 9 Memphis, 4:30 p.m., ESPN
No. 8 Golden State at No. 7 Lakers, 7 p.m., ESPN

Thursday
Winner of Indiana/Charlotte at loser of Boston/Washington, 5 p.m., TNT

Friday
Winner of San Antonio/Memphis at loser of Lakers/Golden State, TBD, ESPN

NHL PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE/RESULTS

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First round
All time Pacific

East Division
Pittsburgh vs. NY Islanders

New York 4, Pittsburgh 3 (OT)
Tuesday: New York at Pittsburgh, 4:30 p.m., NBCSN
Thursday: Pittsburgh at New York, 4 p.m., NBCSN
Saturday: Pittsburgh at New York, Noon, NBC
*Monday, May 24: New York at Pittsburgh, TBD
*Wed., May 26: Pittsburgh at New York TBD
*Friday, May 28: New York at Pittsburgh, TBD

Washington vs. Boston

Washington 3, Boston 2 (OT)
Today: Boston at Washington, 4:30 p.m., NBCSN
Wed.: Washington at Boston, 3:30 p.m., NBCSN
Friday: Washington at Boston, 3:30 p.m., NBCSN
*Sunday: Boston at Washington, TBD
*Tuesday, May 25: Washington at Boston, TBD
*Thursday, May 27: Boston at Washington TBD

Central Division

Carolina vs. Nashville

Today: Nashville at Carolina, 5 p.m., CNBC
Wed: Nashville at Carolina, 5 p.m., CNBC)
Friday: Carolina at Nashville, 4 p.m., USA
Sunday: Carolina at Nashville, TBD
*Tuesday, May 25: Nashville at Carolina, TBD
*Thursday, May 27: Carolina at Nashville, TBD
*Saturday, May 29: Nashville at Carolina, TBD

Florida vs. Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay 5, Florida 4
Tuesday: Tampa Bay at Florida, 5 p.m., CNBC
Thursday: Florida at Tampa Bay, 3:30 p.m., USA
Saturday: Florida at Tampa Bay, 9:30 a.m., CNBC
*Monday, May 24:Tampa Bay at Florida, TBD
*Wed., May 26: Florida at Tampa Bay, TBD
*Friday, May 28: Tampa Bay at Florida, TBD

North Division

Toronto vs. Montreal

Thursday: Montreal at Toronto, 4:30 p.m, NHL Network
Saturday: Montreal at Toronto, 4 p.m., CNBC
Monday, May 24: Toronto at Montreal, TBD
Tuesday, May 25: Toronto at Montreal, TBD
*Thursday, May 27: Montreal at Toronto, TBD
*Saturday, May 29: Toronto at Montreal, TBD
*Monday, May 31: Montreal at Toronto, TBD

Edmonton vs. Winnipeg

Wed.: Winnipeg at Edmonton, 6 p.m., NBCSN
Friday: Winnipeg at Edmonton, 6 p.m., NBCSN
Sunday: Edmonton at Winnipeg, TBD
Monday, May 24: Edmonton at Winnipeg, TBD
*Wed., May 26: Winnipeg at Edmonton, TBD
*Friday, May 28: Edmonton at Winnipeg, TBD
*Sunday, May 30: Winnipeg at Edmonton, TBD

West Division

Colorado vs. St. Louis

Tonight: St. Louis at Colorado, 7 p.m., NBCSN
Wed.: St. Louis at Colorado, 7:30 p.m., CNBC
Friday: Colorado at St. Louis, 6:30 p.m., USA
Sunday: Colorado at St. Louis, TBD
*Tuesday, May 25: St. Louis at Colorado, TBD
*Thursday, May 27: Colorado at St. Louis, TBD
*Saturday, May 29: St. Louis at Colorado, TBD

Vegas vs. Minnesota

Minnesota 1, Vegas 0 (OT)
Tuesday: Minnesota at Vegas, 7 p.m., NBCSN
Thursday: Vegas at Minnesota, 6:30 p.m., NBCSN
Saturday: Vegas at Minnesota, 5 p.m., NBC
*Monday, May 24: Minnesota at Vegas, TBD
*Wed., May 26: Vegas at Minnesota, TBD
*Friday, May 28: Minnesota at Vegas, TBD

THIS DATE IN SPORTS

1875 — Aristides wins the first Kentucky Derby by one-quarter length over Volcano. The day marks the opening of Churchill Downs with an estimated 10,000 spectators witnessing the first Derby. Aristides is ridden and trained by African Americans Oliver Lewis and Ansel Williamson, respectively.

1915 — Rhine Maiden wins the Preakness Stakes, to produce the only Kentucky Derby-Preakness wins by fillies in the same year. The 1915 Derby was won by Regret, who did not compete in the Preakness.

1925 — Tris Speaker of the Cleveland Indians collects his 3,000th career hit off Tom Zachry in a 2-1 loss to the Washington Senators.

1930 — Gallant Fox wins the Kentucky Derby by two lengths over Gallant Knight to give Earl Sande his third Derby win.

1970 — Hank Aaron gets an infield single off Cincinnati’s Wayne Simpson for his 3,000th hit.

1975 — 23-1 long shot Master Derby, ridden by Darrel McHargue, beats favored Foolish Pleasure by a length in the Preakness Stakes.

1979 — Dave Kingman of the Cubs hits three home runs and Mike Schmidt of the Phillies hits two, as Philadelphia beats Chicago 23-22 in 10 innings at Wrigley Field. The game includes 11 home runs, 50 hits and 109 at-bats.

1983 — The New York Islanders beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-2 to win their fourth consecutive Stanley Cup.

1992 — Betsy King captures her first LPGA Championship by a record 11 strokes over JoAnne Carner, Liselotte Neumann and Karen Noble. King’s margin of victory breaks the LGPA championship mark of 10 set by Patty Sheehan in 1984.

1998 — David Wells pitches the 13th perfect game in modern major league history as the New York Yankees beat the Minnesota Twins 4-0.

2000 — Australia’s Susie O’Neill breaks the oldest record in international swimming, winning the 200-meter butterfly and beating the 1981 mark by Mary T. Meagher. O’Neill is timed in 2 minutes, 5.81 seconds, topping the record by 0.15 seconds. Meagher’s time of 2:05.96 was set in Brown Deer, Wis.

2003 — Funny Cide runs away from the field on the turn for home and finishes with a near-record 9¾-length victory in the Preakness. The gelding’s victory is second to Survivor’s 10-length victory in the first Preakness, in 1873.

2008 — Big Brown, ridden by Kent Desormeaux, charges to the lead turning for home and then cruises down the stretch to win the Preakness Stakes. The colt, named for UPS, wins by 5 1/4 lengths over Macho Again.

2012 — Hall of Famer Johnny Petraglia becomes the first player in Professional Bowlers Assn. history to win a national or senior tour title in six decades, beating Ron Mohr 220-204 in the PBA Senior Dayton Classic. The 65-year-old Petraglia won the first of his 14 PBA national tour titles in 1966 in Fort Smith, Ark., at the age of 19. Dick Weber also won PBA titles in six decades, but his mark includes a PBA regional title.

2014 — The Houston Rockets advance to the Western Conference finals for the first time in 18 years after overcoming a 3-1 series deficit to eliminate the Clippers with a 113-100 victory. It’s the ninth time in NBA history that a team has overcome a 3-1 series deficit to win a playoff series.

And finally

Hank Aaron gets his 3,000th hit. Watch it here.