The Sports Report: Lakers defeat Warriors to advance to first round of playoffs

Assistant Sports Editor

May 20, 2021 4:30 AM PT

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

Dan Woike on the Lakers: Steve Kerr’s face has aged over time, the stress from annual meetings with LeBron James for the NBA’s biggest prize enough to make some blond hair turn gray and wrinkle his smooth skin.

“There’s no bigger challenge in basketball than trying to beat LeBron,” Kerr said before Wednesday’s play-in game at Staples Center.

And he couldn’t have been more correct. Even a hobbled version of the Lakers superstar was hard to get rid of, his banged-up right ankle slowly loosening up as the game got tighter.

But if beating LeBron James is basketball’s biggest challenge, stopping Stephen Curry has got to be second.

In an all-time start to the NBA’s play-in tournament, James and Curry delivered on a performance that set the bar incredibly high for the NBA’s experiment in the future. For 47 minutes it was back and forth, until the NBA’s ultimate challenge won out.

With a spot in the playoffs at stake, James hit the final incredible shot of the night — a miracle three-pointer to beat the shot clock from way behind the line — giving the Lakers a 103-100 win.

After making the shot, James pointed to his left eye, poked minutes earlier by Draymond Green, to let Curry know his aim was altered.

James saw three rims; he aimed for the one in the middle.

The Lakers will now get a clear look at the Phoenx Suns on Sunday in the first round of the playoffs, the win securing the No. 7 seed for James and his team.

“We just had to bring the fight to the fight,” James said.

No. 2 Phoenix vs. No. 7 Lakers

Sunday: at Phoenix, 12:30 p.m., ABC
Tuesday: at Phoenix, 7 p.m., TNT
Thur., May 27: at Lakers, 7 p.m., TNT
Sunday, May 30: at Lakers, 12:30 p.m., ABC
*Tue., June 1: at Phoenix, TBD, TBD
*Thur., June 3: at Lakers, TBD, TBD
*Sat., June 5: at Phoenix, TBD, TBD

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CLIPPERS

Broderick Turner on the Clippers: For Kawhi Leonard, it will be mostly “between the ears” for this Clippers team and about how much this group is “willing to sacrifice” as they enter the playoffs against the Dallas Mavericks.

Essentially, Leonard seemed to be saying on a videoconference with reporters Wednesday that the Clippers must have the right mental approach this time around.

They can’t worry about last year’s playoff failure, when they blew a 3-1 lead to the Denver Nuggets, lost the second-round series and once again was unable to advance to the Western Conference finals.

This is a new team, a loaded and deep team that Leonard said he has confidence in as the Clippers prepare to host the Mavericks on Saturday afternoon at Staples Center.

“I feel good. I feel confident, like any other year,” Leonard said. “I feel like we got a good team. We got some depth on us. It’s just about between the ears now. How much are we willing to sacrifice to get a win? How much of our mind and body are we going to put into these playoffs? That’s where I’m at. Like I said, I’m confident in this unit.”

No. 4 Clippers vs. No. 5 Dallas

Saturday: at Clippers, 1:30 p.m., ESPN
Tuesday: at Clippers, 7:30 p.m., NBATV
Fri., May 28: at Dallas, 6:30 p.m., ESPN
Sun., May 30: at Dallas, 6:30 p.m., TBT
*Wed., June 2: at Clippers, TBD, TBD
*Fri., June 4: at Dallas, TBD, TBD
*Sun., June 6: at Clippers, TBD, TBD

DODGERS

Mike DiGiovanna on the Dodgers: The Dodgers won’t earn any style points for the three-run, eighth-inning rally that propelled them to a 4-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks in Chavez Ravine on Wednesday night.

It was an ugly half-inning that featured two free passes, a cheap hit and a game-turning defensive gaffe, and the Dodgers didn’t even nail the dismount — the rally ended with a double-play grounder.

But the Dodgers aren’t about to complain, not after Clayton Kershaw gave them a chance to win with a solid six-inning, two-run, two-hit, eight-strikeout effort and the Diamondbacks gifted them their seventh victory in the last eight games.

The Dodgers, fresh off the frustration of failing to score after putting runners on first and third with one out in the sixth, trailed 2-1 when Chris Taylor opened the seventh with a walk off reliever Taylor Clarke, and Gavin Lux walked off left-hander Joe Mantiply.

Pinch-hitter Albert Pujols followed with a 185-foot bloop into shallow right field that nicked off the glove of first baseman Pavin Smith, who nearly made a running, over-the-shoulder catch. The hit loaded the bases.

Austin Barnes struck out, and pinch-hitter Will Smith sent a sinking liner toward the right-field line. Arizona’s Josh Rojas got to the ball, but as he positioned himself for a possible catch and throw home, the ball went off his glove for an error that allowed two runs to score for a 3-2 Dodgers lead.

Mookie Betts followed with an RBI ground-rule double to right-center for a 4-2 lead. Max Muncy was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but reliever Stefan Crichton got Justin Turner to bounce into an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play.

ANGELS

Jack Harris on the Angels: Most of Shohei Ohtani’s tools were on display again Wednesday night.

But there was one big trait the Angels two-way star was missing throughout.

Playing both ways in the Angels’ 3-2 loss to the Cleveland Indians, Ohtani flashed his power with a hard lineout to center and showed off his speed by later bunting for a single.

On the mound, he got plenty of swings-and-misses, striking out five batters in a 4 ⅔-inning, two-run start. He had decent command too, issuing only two walks and finding the strike zone on 43 of 72 pitches.

But from the very beginning of the game, the usually hard-throwing right-hander failed to throw the ball very hard. And afterward, neither he nor manager Joe Maddon had much of an explanation why.

“It was just one of those days he didn’t have his normal stuff,” Maddon said.

Added Ohtani, through his interpreter: “My body was just feeling really heavy and sluggish.”

RAMS

Sam Farmer on the Rams: Quarterback Matthew Stafford has been pretty quiet since the Rams acquired him in a January trade with the Detroit Lions, where the former No. 1 overall draft pick spent the first 12 years of his career.

But he opened up on a range of topics Tuesday in a 45-minute interview with the Los Angeles Times, discussing the decision to ask for a trade, his future with the Rams, and what it was like having Dodgers star Clayton Kershaw snapping to him on their high school football team.

Excerpts from the interview:

After 12 years in Detroit, you asked the Lions for a trade. What brought you to that point?

It was tough. It wasn’t something that I thought about on a Friday and happened on a Saturday. It was something that I had spent some time thinking about. It started casually probably with just my wife and I. She saw everything I put into this game and that team and that city, everything I had given. She had a front-row seat for that. She would talk to me about it, we would talk to each other.

It’s one of those things in life where you’ve got to make a decision. It wasn’t something that was easy for me. It was something that frankly could have backfired in my face. I could have said, “Hey, this is what I’m thinking,” and the Lions could have said, “Well, we don’t really care. You’re our guy for two more years and you’re going to see us through this thing.” I have to give them a ton of credit for their, I don’t know what the word is, open-mindedness or respect for me? It was probably a little bit of both. They were understanding to let it kind of happen or at least get the wheels turning on it.

It was the most difficult thing I’ve ever done as far as conversations go. I have so much respect for that organization, the Ford family, the guys who had played in that uniform before me. There was a lot that went into that that I had to think about.

I told them, “I’m not going to say a word to anybody that’s going to say a word. Not until you guys are ready.” It was vice versa. In this day of social media and everybody trying to get the scoop, that’s not something that happens very often. I’m obviously excited about the new opportunity and happy it shook out the way it did. I feel like both teams got a fair shake out of this thing, and we can move on with everybody feeling good about it.

To read the rest of the interview, click here.

NBA PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE

Play-in round
All times Pacific

Tuesday’s results
No. 9 Indiana 144, No. 10 Charlotte 117
No. 7 Boston 118, No. 8 Washington 100

Wednesday’s results
No. 9 Memphis 100, No. 10 San Antonio 96
No. 7 Lakers 103, No. 8 Golden State 100

Today
Indiana at Washington, 5 p.m., TNT

Friday
Memphis at Golden State, TBD, ESPN

First round
All times Pacific

WESTERN CONFERENCE

No. 1 Utah at No. 8 Golden State/Memphis

Sunday: at Utah, 6:30 p.m., TNT
Wednesday: at Utah, 7 p.m., TBT
Sat., May 29: at GS/Memphis, TBD, ESPN
Monday, May 31: at GS/Memphis, TBD, TNT
*Wed., June 2: at Utah, TBD, TBD
*Friday, June 4: at GS/Memphis, TBD, TBD
*Sunday, June 6: at Utah, TBD, TBD

No. 2 Phoenix vs. No. 7 Lakers

No. 3 Denver vs. No. 6 Portland

Saturday: at Denver, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Monday: at Denver, 7 p.m., TNT
Thur., May 27: at Portland, 7:30 p.m., NBATV
Sat., May 29: at Portland, 1 p.m., TNT
*Tue., June 1: at Denver, TBD, TBD
*Thur., June 3: at Portland, TBD, TBD
*Sat., June 5: at Denver, TBD, TBD

No. 4 Clippers vs. No. 5 Dallas

EASTERN CONFERENCE

No. 1 Philadelphia vs. No. 8 Washington/Indiana

Sunday: at Philadelphia, 10 a.m., TNT
Wednesday: at Philadelphia, 4 p.m., NBATV
Sat., May 29: at Wash./Ind., TBD, ESPN
Mon., May 31: at Wash./Ind., TBD, TNT
*Wed., June 2: at Philadelphia, TBD, TBD
*Fri., June 4: at Wash./Ind., TBD, TBD
*Sun., June 6: at Philadelphia, TBD, TBD

No. 2 Brooklyn vs. No. 7 Boston

Saturday: at Brooklyn, 5 p.m., ABC
Tuesday: at Brooklyn, 4:30 p.m., TNT
Fri., May 28: at Boston, 5:30 p.m., ABC
Sun., May 30: at Boston, 4 p.m., TNT
*Tue., June 1: at Brooklyn, TBD, TBD
*Thur., June 3: at Boston, TBD, TBD
*Sat., June 5: at Brooklyn, TBD, TBD

No. 3 Milwaukee vs. No. 6 Miami

Saturday: at Milwaukee, 11 a.m., ESPN
Monday: at Milwaukee, 4:30 p.m., TNT
Thur., May 27: at Miami, 4:30 p.m., TNT
Sat., May 29: at Miami, 10:30 a.m., TNT
*Tue., June 1: at Milwaukee, TBD, TBD
*Thur., June 3: at Miami, TBD, TBD
*Sat. June 5: at Milwaukee, TBD, TBD

No. 4 New York vs. No. 5 Atlanta

Sunday: at New York, 4 p.m., TNT
Wednesday: at New York, 4:30 p.m., TNT
Fri., May 28: at Atlanta, 4 p.m., ESPN
Sun., May 30: at Atlanta, 10 a.m., ABC
*Wed., June 2: at New York, TBD, TBD
*Fri., June 4: at Atlanta, TBD, TBD
*Sun., June 6: at New York, TBD, TBD

*-if necessary

NHL PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE/RESULTS

First round
All times Pacific

East Division
Pittsburgh vs. NY Islanders

New York 4, Pittsburgh 3 (OT)
Pittsburgh 2, New York 1
Today: at New York, 4 p.m., NBCSN
Saturday: at New York, Noon, NBC
Monday: at Pittsburgh, TBD
*Wednesday: at New York TBD
*Friday, May 28: New York at Pittsburgh, TBD

Washington vs. Boston

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

Central Division

Carolina vs. Nashville

Carolina 5, Nashville 2
Carolina 3, Nashville 0
Friday: at Nashville, 4 p.m., USA
Sunday: at Nashville, 11:30 a.m., NBCSN
*Tuesday: at Carolina, TBD
*Thursday, May 27: at Nashville, TBD
*Saturday, May 29: at Carolina, TBD

Florida vs. Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay 5, Florida 4
Tampa Bay 3, Florida 1
Today: at Tampa Bay, 3:30 p.m., USA
Saturday: at Tampa Bay, 9:30 a.m., CNBC
*Monday: at Florida, TBD
*Wednesday: at Tampa Bay, TBD
*Friday, May 28: at Florida, TBD

North Division

Toronto vs. Montreal

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

Edmonton vs. Winnipeg

Winnipeg 4, Edmonton 1
Friday: at Edmonton, 6 p.m., NBCSN
Sunday: at Winnipeg, 4:30 p.m., NBCSN
Monday: at Winnipeg, TBD
*Wednesday: at Edmonton, TBD
*Friday, May 28: at Winnipeg, TBD
*Sunday, May 30: at Edmonton, TBD

West Division

Colorado vs. St. Louis

Colorado 4, St. Louis 1
Colorado 6, St. Louis 3
Friday: at St. Louis, 6:30 p.m., USA
Sunday: at St. Louis, 2 p.m., NBCSN
*Tuesday: at Colorado, TBD
*Thursday, May 27: at St. Louis, TBD
*Saturday, May 29: at Colorado, TBD

Vegas vs. Minnesota

Minnesota 1, Vegas 0 (OT)
Vegas 3, Minnesota 1
Tonight: at Minnesota, 6:30 p.m., NBCSN
Saturday: at Minnesota, 5 p.m., NBC
Monday: at Vegas, TBD
*Wednesday: at Minnesota, TBD
*Friday, May 28: at Vegas, TBD

*-if necessary

THIS DATE IN SPORTS

1900 — The second modern Olympic games open in Paris.

1919 — Babe Ruth of the Boston Red Sox wins a game on the mound and at the plate as he hits his first career grand slam to beat the St. Louis Browns 6-4.

1941 — Ten days after his Preakness victory, Whirlaway races against older horses for the first time and defeats four rivals in the Henry of Navarre Purse at Belmont Park in New York.

1950 — Heavily favored Hill Prince, ridden by Bill Boland, wins the Preakness Stakes by five lengths over Middleground.

1967 — Damascus, ridden by Willie Shoemaker, wins the Preakness Stakes by 2¼ lengths over In Reality.

1972 — Bee Bee Bee, a 19-1 long shot ridden by Eldon Nelson, wins the Preakness Stakes by 1½ lengths over No Le Hace.

1972 — Indiana’s Roger Brown scores 32 points to lead the Pacers to 108-105 to win over the New York Nets and the ABA championship.

1978 — Affirmed, ridden by Steve Cauthen, continues the battle with Alydar and wins the Preakness Stakes by a neck.

1990 — Monica Seles ends Steffi Graf’s 66-match winning streak and takes the German Open with a 6-4, 6-3 victory. Graf’s streak is the second longest in the modern era of tennis. Martina Navratilova won 74 straight matches in 1984.

1990 — The 18th triple dead heat in modern thoroughbred history takes place in the ninth race at Arlington International Racecourse. All Worked Up, Marshua’s Affair and Survival are timed in 1:24 4-5 over seven furlongs.

2005 — Nextel Cup rookie Kyle Busch becomes the youngest winner in Craftsman Truck Series history, holding off Terry Cook and Ted Musgrave in a three-lap closing sprint at the Quaker Steak & Lube 200.

2006 — Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro breaks down at the start of the Preakness, galloping a few hundred yards while his eight rivals pass him. Bernardini wins the $1 million race, beating Sweetnorthernsaint by 5 1-4 lengths.

2007 — Roger Federer ends Rafael Nadal’s 81-match winning streak on clay with a 2-6, 6-2, 6-0 win in the final of the Hamburg Masters. It’s Federer’s first clay-court title in two years.

2017 — Cloud Computing, ridden by Javier Castellano, runs down Classic Empire in the final strides to win the Preakness by a head. The 13-1 long shot runs 1 3/16 miles in 1:55.98 and pays $28.80 to win. Derby winner Always Dreaming and Classic Empire duel throughout most of the race before Classic Empire jumps in front midway on the far turn.

2018 — Sweden beats Switzerland 3-2 in a shootout for the gold medal at the world ice hockey championship in Copenhagen, Denmark.

2018 — The Vegas Golden Knights punch their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final beating the Winnipeg Jets 2-1 on the road to win the Western Conference finals 4-1. The Golden Knights become the second expansion team in the NHL, NBA, NFL or MLB since 1960 to reach a championship series in their first season. The other team was the 1967-68 St. Louis Blues

And finally

Affirmed holds off Alydar to win the Preakness. Watch it here.

Until next time...

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