The Sports Report: Kings even series with Oilers

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

From Helene Elliott: Being thumped by a flashy opponent early in a first-round Stanley Cup playoff series, as the Kings were flattened in losing their second and third games against the Edmonton Oilers by a cumulative 14-2, wasn’t anything new for them.

The 2014 Kings faced a worse situation after they lost the first two games to San Jose by a combined 13-5 and the first three by an aggregate 17-8. After a better performance in an overtime loss in the third game, then-coach Darryl Sutter said he saw signs it wasn’t the end for his team but the beginning of an opportunity to show their staunch character.

“It’s a tough hill,” he said, “and we won’t go quietly away, that’s for sure.”

They didn’t go away until they had the Cup in their arms. They gained life and confidence while the Sharks froze in the moment, helping the Kings to become only the fourth NHL team to erase a 3-0 deficit in winning a best-of-seven postseason series. That dramatic reversal launched them on a long and sometimes perilous path to their second championship in three seasons.

The Sharks’ coach in that series was Todd McLellan. Now in his third season as the Kings’ bench boss, he gave them the tools for a series-tying comeback by making several lineup changes on Sunday that were key factors in their 4-0 victory over the Oilers at Crypto.com Arena. Goaltender Jonathan Quick made 31 saves for his 10th postseason shutout and first since 2014, sending the series back to Edmonton for Game 5 on Tuesday even at two games each and ensuring there will be a sixth game at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday. Both players McLellan brought into the lineup made significant contributions, with defenseman Troy Stecher scoring a goal and winger Carl Grundstrom scoring twice, the second time into an empty net.

Asked if he had seen hints that the Kings might stage a historic rebound in that 2014 series — and whether that experience might be of use to him now — McLellan initially pleaded forgetfulness.

“Yes and no. I have a tough time remembering what I did last week, never mind going back a decade,” he said Sunday after the team’s morning skate in El Segundo.

“There’s signs that the other team takes over. We haven’t shown those signs yet because we’ve played two games that have not been close. We haven’t shown those signs yet. It’s up to us to start to show them over the next little bit.”

NHL PLAYOFFS

Schedule and results
All times Pacific
First round
Western Conference

No. 2 Edmonton vs. No. 3 Kings
Kings 4, Edmonton 3
Edmonton 6, Kings 0
Edmonton 8, Kings 2
Kings 4, Edmonton 0
Tuesday at Edmonton, 7 p.m., ESPN2
Thursday at Kings, TBD
*Saturday at Edmonton, TBD

No. 1 Colorado vs. WC#2 Nashville
Colorado 7, Nashville 2
Colorado 2, Nashville 1 (OT)
Colorado 7, Nashville 3
Tonight at Nashville, 6:30 p.m., ESPN
*Wednesday at Colorado, 6:30 p.m., ESPN
*Friday at Nashville, TBD
*Sunday at Colorado, TBD

No. 2 Minnesota vs. No. 3 St. Louis
St. Louis 4, Minnesota 0
Minnesota 6, St. Louis 2
Minnesota 5, St. Louis 1
St. Louis 5, Minnesota 2
Tuesday at Minnesota, 6:30 p.m., ESPN
Thursday at St. Louis, TBD
*Saturday at Minnesota, TBD

No. 1 Calgary vs. WC#1 Dallas
Calgary 1, Dallas 0
Dallas 2, Calgary 0
Dallas 4, Calgary 2
Tonight at Dallas, 6:30 p.m., TBS
Wednesday at Calgary, TBD
*Friday at Dallas, TBD
*Sunday at Calgary, TBD

Eastern Conference

No. 1 Florida vs. WC#2 Washington
Washington 4, Florida 2
Florida 5, Washington 1
Washington 6, Florida 1
Today at Washington, 4 p.m., TBS
Wednesday at Florida, 4:30 p.m., ESPN2
*Friday at Washington, TBD
*Sunday at Florida, TBD

No. 2 Toronto vs. No. 3 Tampa Bay
Toronto 5, Tampa Bay 0
Tampa Bay 5, Toronto 3
Toronto 5, Tampa Bay 2
Tampa Bay 7, Toronto 3
Tuesday at Toronto, 4:30 p.m., ESPN2
Thursday at Tampa Bay, TBD
*Saturday at Toronto, TBD

No. 1 Carolina at WC#1 Boston
Carolina 5, Boston 1
Carolina 5, Boston 2
Boston 4, Carolina 2
Boston 5, Carolina 2
Tuesday at Carolina, 4 p.m., ESPN
Thursday at Boston, TBD
*Saturday at Carolina, TBD

No. 2 New York Rangers vs. No. 3 Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh 4, New York 3 (3 OT)
New York 5, Pittsburgh 2
Pittsburgh 7, New York 4
Today at Pittsburgh, 4 p.m., ESPN
Wednesday at New York, 4 p.m., ESPN
*Friday at Pittsburgh, TBD
*Sunday at New York, TBD

*-if necessary

BOXING

From Dylan Hernández: The evidence of the destruction was in the redness of Canelo Álvarez’s head.

More than Álvarez’s trademark hair was crimson. Álvarez’s face was also a shade of canelo — or cinnamon.

Don’t give any credence to Álvarez’s claim that he thought he beat Dmitry Bivol on Saturday night. Ignore the three official scorecards, on which Bivol narrowly edged Álvarez, 115-113. The fight wasn’t close.

Álvarez was blown out.

Bivol deserved to win nine or 10 of the 12 rounds that were contested at T-Mobile Arena, as Alvarez was never able to penetrate his guard, inflict any real damage or avoid any of the sharp incoming punches.

Ultimately, the 31-year-old Álvarez was betrayed by the same quality that made him the signature fighter of his generation: his self-belief.

In moving up a weight class and selecting Bivol as his opponent, Álvarez crossed that invisible line that separates confidence from delusion, courage from hubris.

This is a story as old as boxing itself, the great champion attempting to scale another mountain, only to wind up buried by an avalanche.

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The Canelo Álvarez vs. Dmitry Bivol rematch might not happen. Here’s why

DODGERS

From Jack Harris: It was baseball at its most boring, which meant the Dodgers were also at their best.

On Sunday night at Wrigley Field, there was little tension, thrill or suspense. Instead, the Dodgers completed a dominant three-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs with a stress-free 7-1 win.

The 31,424 inside the ballpark, and the national television audience watching on ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball,” weren’t treated to many highlights. The Dodgers’ runs came on two sacrifice flies, a wild pitch, an error, an infield single and a double play. There was a strong seven-inning, one-run start from a pitcher in Walker Buehler who still isn’t at his absolute best.

The most memorable moment? Cubs catcher Willson Contreras accidently hitting Max Muncy in the groin while trying to recover a wild pitch.

The closest the slumping Cubs came to posing a threat? A first-inning RBI single by Contreras, giving the hosts an early lead that soon disappeared after the Dodgers scored two runs in the fourth, two in the fifth and three more over the final three innings, sending them to their sixth straight win and first series sweep on Chicago’s north side since 2013.

————

Blake Treinen out until ‘stretch run’ for Dodgers; Victor González set for elbow scope

ANGELS

From Mike DiGiovanna: The Angels rallied for three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning for a dramatic 5-4 walk-off victory over the Washington Nationals before a Mother’s Day crowd of 32,337 in Angel Stadium on Sunday.

Trailing 4-2 and facing Nationals closer Tanner Rainey, Luis Rengifo sparked the ninth-inning rally with a one-out, pinch-hit walk. Taylor Ward singled to right, advancing Rengifo to third.

Mike Trout struck out on a 97-mph fastball for the second out, but Shohei Ohtani, hitless in three previous at-bats on the day, drove an 88-mph slider off the center-field wall for a two-run double and a 4-4 tie.

Anthony Rendon, the former Nationals third baseman who was facing the team he won a World Series with in 2019, lined a single to center field, and Ohtani beat Victor Robles’ throw home to score the winning run, the Angels pouring out of their dugout and mobbing Rendon.

NFL

From Sam Farmer: This is their Super Bowl.

The team of five people who build the NFL schedule will unveil their latest masterpiece this week, with the news trickling out in the coming days leading to Thursday’s release.

If all goes as planned, everyone will be unhappy.

“Every schedule has its warts,” said Michael North, who has been putting them together for 25 years. “Our job is to figure out which ones are truly onerous and unplayable, and which ones are, ‘Well, this isn’t ideal, but look at all the good that comes with it.’

“If any one of them jumps off the page as this guy is way too happy or way too disappointed, that’s probably not our best schedule. It’s all about making everybody equally disappointed.”

Naturally, everyone involved wants to feel good about the final product, and this collection of beautiful minds — led by Howard Katz, senior vice president of broadcasting — spends months analyzing, debating and reshuffling a Rubik’s Cube of 272 games aimed at maximizing viewership and fan interest while trying to maintain fairness for the teams.

“One of the things people don’t realize is how sophisticated our scheduling process is,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told The Times. “We’re considering more variables, more factors than we’ve ever been able to do. Part of that is the technology, and part is our ability to learn every year and get better at it. That’s why the schedule is so much better.”

ANGEL CITY

From Kevin Baxter: Six months ago Amanda Cromwell was part of the sprawling group of well-known and well-heeled investors backing Angel City, the NWSL expansion club that had brought women’s professional soccer back to Southern California.

Sunday she returned to L.A. to see the club play for the first time — only she watched from the visiting technical area, where she coached the Orlando Pride to a 1-0 win before an announced crowd of 17,510 at Banc of California Stadium.

The game’s only score came from Sydney Leroux who, like Cromwell, was celebrating a homecoming. Leroux, a Hermann Trophy semifinalist at UCLA who was playing her first club game in Los Angeles, pounced on a deflected cross in the center of the box and caromed a left-footed shot in off Angel City defender Megan Reid in the third minute.

That would prove to be Orlando’s only shot on goal, but it was the only one Cromwell, who followed Leroux to UCLA and led the Bruins to eight NCAA tournament appearances and the school’s only national championship in nine seasons, would need for her first NWSL win.

GALAXY

Mark Delgado drilled a shot just inside the left post from 35 yards out in the sixth minute and Jonathan Bond made it stand up to lead the Galaxy to a 1-0 victory over Austin FC on Sunday.

The victory vaults the Galaxy (7-3-1) over Austin (6-3-2) and into second place in the Western Conference, one point behind front-running LAFC.

Austin had a 12-9 advantage in shots, but the Galaxy had a 5-3 edge in shots on goal.

SPARKS

Liz Cambage had 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds, Brittney Sykes added 17 points and had five steals, and the Sparks beat the Indiana Fever 87-77 on Sunday.

Nneka Ogwumike had 13 points, eight rebounds and three steals for the Sparks (2-0), who won their first two games for the first time since 2018. Chennedy Carter had 12 points, five assists and two blocks, and Jordin Canada scored 10 points with five assists.

Carter made back-to-back baskets as the Sparks scored the first 10 points in a 21-7 run that made it 48-38. Lexie Brown hit a three-pointer — the Sparks’ only three of the game — with 7:39 left in the third quarter and they never again trailed.

NBA PLAYOFFS

Schedule and results
All times Pacific
Conference semifinals
Western Conference

No. 1 Phoenix Suns vs. No. 4 Dallas Mavericks
Phoenix 121, Dallas 114
Phoenix 129, Dallas 109
Dallas 103, Phoenix 94
Dallas 111, Phoenix 101
Tuesday at Phoenix, 7 p.m., TNT
Thursday, 6:30 p.m., ESPN
*Sunday, May 15, TBD

No. 2 Memphis Grizzlies vs. No. 3 Golden State Warriors
Golden State 117, Memphis 116
Memphis 106, Golden State 101
Golden State 142, Memphis 112
Tonight at Golden State, 7 p.m., TNT
Wednesday at Memphis, 6:30 p.m., TNT
*Friday at Golden State, TBD, ESPN
*Monday, May 16 at Memphis, TBD, TNT

Eastern Conference

No. 1 Miami Heat vs. No. 4 Philadelphia 76ers
Miami 106, Philadelphia 92
Miami 119, Philadelphia 103
Philadelphia 99, Miami 79
Philadelphia 116, Miami 108
Tuesday at Miami, 4:30 p.m., TNT
Thursday at Philadelphia, 4 p.m., ESPN
*Sunday at Miami, TBD

No. 2 Boston Celtics vs. No. 3 Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee 101, Boston 89
Boston 109, Milwaukee 86
Milwaukee 103, Boston 101
Today at Milwaukee, 4:30 p.m., TNT
Wednesday at Boston, 4 p.m., TNT
*Friday at Milwaukee, TBD, ESPN
*Sunday at Boston, TBD

*-if necessary

THIS DATE IN SPORTS

1930 — Gallant Fox, ridden by Earl Sande, wins the Preakness Stakes by three-quarters of a length over Crack Brigade. Gallant Fox becomes the only Triple Crown winner to win the Preakness a week before the Kentucky Derby.

1932 — Burgoo King, ridden by Eugene James, withstands a strong drive by Tick On to win the Preakness Stakes by a head.

1942 — Alsab, ridden by Basil James, wins the Preakness Stakes by one length over Requested.

1944 — Jockey Walter Warren is involved in a rare feat in thoroughbred racing history, riding two horses to dead heat first-place finishes at Sportsman’s Park. In the sixth race, Warren rides Maejames to a dead heat finish with Piplad. In the eighth, Warren rides Susan Constant in another dead heat with Three Sands.

1961 — Jim Gentile of the Baltimore Orioles hits consecutive grand slams in the first and second innings of a 13-5 rout of Minnesota.

1993 — The Phoenix Suns beat the Lakers 112-104 in overtime to become the first NBA team to lose two playoff games at home and come back to win three straight games.

1999 — Marshall McDougall hits six consecutive homers and knocks in 16 runs — both NCAA records — in Florida State’s 26-2 rout of Maryland.

2004 — Jay Bouwmeester scores the winning goal, and Canada rallies to beat Sweden for the second straight year in the gold-medal game at the world hockey championships, 5-3.

2006 — Joffrey Lupul becomes the first player in NHL playoff history to cap a four-goal game with an overtime score, netting the game-winner at 16:30 of the extra period to give the Ducks a 4-3 victory over Colorado.

2009 — LeBron James scores 47 points to lift Cleveland to a 97-82 win over Atlanta. The Cavaliers sets an NBA record with its seventh straight double-figure win to eclipse the mark set by the 2004 Indiana Pacers.

2010 — Dallas Braden pitches the 19th perfect game in major league history, a dazzling performance for the Oakland Athletics in a 4-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.

2011 — The ATP and WTA tennis rankings are released with no American man or woman in the top 10 for the first time in the 38-year history of the rankings. Mardy Fish and Andy Roddick are Nos. 11 and 12, while Serena and Venus Williams were Nos. 17 and 19, respectively.

2016 — Stephen Curry returns from a sprained right knee to score an NBA-record 17 points in overtime, finishing with 40 as the Golden State Warriors rally to take a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinals with a 132-125 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.

2018 — The Lehigh Valley Phantoms beat Charlotte Checkers 2-1 in the longest game in the 82-year history of the American Hockey League. Alex Krushelnyski’s goal at 6:48 of the fifth overtime period gives the Phantoms a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven Atlantic Division Finals series.

Compiled by the Associated Press

And finally

Joffrey Lupul scores all four goals in Ducks’ 4-3 overtime victory over Colorado. Watch and listen here.