The Sports Report: Lakers use new lineup to get a victory

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

From Dan Woike: Now. This is when it gets toughest, when the Lakers’ problems are either tolerable or fatal,

With the clock ticking on their season and every game’s importance only escalating, the Lakers needed to conquer a familiar rival, one that’s dominated matchups between the two for more than two years.

Facing the Phoenix Suns, who the Lakers have defeated just once in their last nine meetings, the team was going to have to be close to its best, the mistakes meaning more as each possession took on extra weight.

You could feel that inside the building, the crowd murmuring when a turnover would lead to a layup or when a free throw would rim out. And that same crowd? It erupted when Anthony Davis played above the rim with force or when D’Angelo Russell drained a three or sliced to the basket.

And, when the horn sounded and the clock expired, the celebration felt earned, a big win at a big time, the Lakers beating the Suns 122-111.

Davis scored 27, Russell added 26 and Austin Reaves finished with 25. A day after saying he wanted his team to live in the pain, Darvin Ham’s Lakers attempted 46 free throws.

It all came on the night when the Lakers changed directions in a fairly big way.

Darvin Ham grinned as he hinted that, maybe, he had a change coming before the Lakers game Wednesday night.

“We got a little something up our sleeve tonight,” Ham said.

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CLIPPERS

From Andrew Greif: The Clippers hoped this season would end with the unprecedented.

Those dreams of winning the franchise’s first NBA title are now flickering, but not extinguished, as the team faces a challenge that is all too familiar — a star player sidelined at a critical juncture.

All-Star forward Paul George will be re-evaluated in two to three weeks after spraining his right knee, the team announced Wednesday, a day after he went down late in a 101-100 loss to Oklahoma City at Crypto.com Arena.

Within the Clippers, the update was taken with a measure of optimism. Still, the timing means the Clippers will navigate the rest of the regular season — nine games remain — without George, who leads the team in scoring, assists and steals. And there is no guarantee he will be back for the postseason — assuming the Clippers reach it.

The regular season ends April 9. The play-in tournament featuring teams the finish seventh through 10th in the Western Conference begins within days. The first round of the playoffs is expected to begin the weekend of April 15.

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NBA STANDINGS
Western Conference

Top six qualify for the playoffs. Nos. 7-10 qualify for tournament to determine final two playoff teams.

1. y-Denver Nuggets, 49-24
2. y-Memphis Grizzlies, 45-27, 3.5 GB
3. Sacramento Kings, 43-29, 5.5 GB
4. Phoenix Suns, 38-34, 10.5 GB
5. Clippers, 38-35, 11 GB
6. Golden State Warriors, 38-36, 11.5 GB
7. Minnesota Timberwolves, 37-37, 12.5 GB
8. Oklahoma City Thunder, 36-36, 12 GB
9. Dallas Mavericks, 36-37, 13 GB
10. Lakers, 36-37, 13 GB
11. Utah Jazz, 35-37, 14.5 GB
12. New Orleans Pelicans, 35-37, 13.5 GB
13. Portland Trail Blazers, 32-40, 16.5 GB
14. San Antonio Spurs, 19-54, 30 GB
15. Houston Rockets, 18-55, 31 GB

y-clinched division title; e-eliminated from playoff contention.

UCLA BASKETBALL

From Ben Bolch: A week before the season, Mick Cronin contemplated giving up nearly 90 points in a scrimmage against San Diego State and chuckled when a reporter inquired about his defense.

Not taking the cue, the reporter followed by asking if this could be one of the best defensive teams the coach had assembled at UCLA.

“Uh, no,” Cronin said. “Too many freshmen.”

The way things turned out, he’d take a few more.

Freshmen Adem Bona, Amari Bailey, Dylan Andrews and Will McClendon have fortified a veteran core in forming Cronin’s most wicked defense in four seasons at the school. The Bruins rank No. 2 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, according to the metrics of basketball analyst Ken Pomeroy, up from No. 16 last season and No. 46 the season before when they reached the Final Four.

UCLA’s defense has made it a fashionable pick to get back to college basketball’s biggest stage even with a few massive roadblocks in the way. The second-seeded Bruins (31-5) are two-point favorites over third-seeded Gonzaga (30-5) on Thursday in an NCAA tournament West Region semifinal at T-Mobile Arena, largely because they are giving up just 60.2 points per game — sixth best nationally — while holding opponents to fewer than 70 points in 31 of 36 games.

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NCAA tournament picks: J. Brady McCollough’s prediction for every remaining game

Men’s tournament results, schedule
All times Pacific
Sweet 16
Today

West Regional
No. 4 UConn vs. No. 8 Arkansas, 4:15 p.m., CBS

No. 2 UCLA vs. No. 3 Gonzaga, 6:45 p.m., CBS

East Regional
No. 3 Kansas State vs. No. 7 Michigan State, 3:30 p.m., TBS

No. 4 Tennessee vs. No. 9 Florida Atlantic, 6 p.m., TBS

Friday
South Regional
No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 5 San Diego State, 3:30 p.m., TBS

No. 6 Creighton vs. No. 15 Princeton, 6 p.m., TBS

Midwest Regional
No. 1 Houston vs. No. 5 Miami, 4:15 p.m., CBS

No. 2 Texas vs. No. 3 Xavier, 6:45 p.m., CBS

Women’s tournament

All times Pacific
Sweet 16
Friday

Greenville 2 Regional

No. 4 Villanova vs. No. 9 Miami, 11:30 a.m., ESPN

No. 2 Utah vs. No. 3 LSU, 2 p.m., ESPN

Seattle 2 Regional

No. 2 Iowa vs. No. 6 Colorado, 4:30 p.m., ESPN

No. 5 Louisville vs. No. 8 Ole Miss, 7 p.m., ESPN

Saturday

Greenville 1 Regional

No. 2 Maryland vs. No. 3 Notre Dame, 8:30 a.m., ESPN

No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 4 UCLA, 11 a.m., ESPN

Seattle 1 Regional

No. 2 Baylor vs. No. 3 Ohio State, 1 p.m., ABC

No. 1 Virginia Tech vs. No. 4 Tennessee, 3:30 p.m., ESPN2

ANGELS

From Dylan Hernández: This isn’t just about what’s best for Shohei Ohtani anymore. This is about what’s best for baseball.

Ohtani can’t sign another contract with the Angels.

When Ohtani becomes a free agent next winter, he has to move on, and he has to move on to a team that will offer him a chance to play baseball every single October.

His talent requires it. His mentality demands it.

He’s made for the big stage.

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That’s what everyone wanted to see.’ How Shohei Ohtani fanned Mike Trout to win WBC

UCLA FOOTBALL

As offensive lineman Atonio Mafi transitions from UCLA to the NFL, he is sharing his journey with Times staff writer Ben Bolch through a weekly diary leading up to the April 27 draft. This week, Mafi discusses his experience during the Bruins’ pro day.

Pro day was a blast, but there were definitely some nervous moments going into it.

Standing around before the weigh-ins at the Wasserman Center while waiting for the NFL scouts, we could all feel the tension. I looked at the teammates I had spent so much time with over the years. I felt a little pep talk might help.

“All right, boys,” I said, “our dreams are right here, it’s another stop in the road to the draft, so let’s go get paid.”

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SOCCER

From Kevin Baxter: Alex Morgan has assisted on goals in World Cup games and in World Cup qualifiers. She has had assists in the National Women’s Soccer League playoffs and in meaningless friendlies.

But on Tuesday she began setting up what figures to be one of the most important assists of her career by launching her own foundation to provide support, empowerment and an example for young girls and mothers in San Diego’s South Bay.

“Alex is a soccer phenomenon, which is known around the world. But it really is about giving back to the community, and these girls see her as a role model,” said Alejandra Inzunza, a high school principal who brought 17 female students to meet the two-time World Cup winner moments before she introduced the Alex Morgan Foundation in a ceremony at a National City middle school. “Hopefully, they in return give back, they keep community and keep advocacy in mind as they move forward.

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THIS DATE IN SPORTS

1939 — Long Island University finishes the season undefeated after a 44-32 victory over Loyola of Chicago in the NIT championship.

1944 — Maurice Richard, playing in his second Stanley Cup Playoff game, scores five goals in a 5-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup semifinals. Toe Blake has five assists.

1948 — Kentucky, behind Alex Groza and Ralph Beard, defeats Baylor 58-42 for the NCAA basketball championship.

1956 — Bill Russell leads San Francisco to an 83-71 victory over Iowa in the NCAA basketball championship.

1957 — North Carolina defeats Wilt Chamberlain and Kansas in triple-overtime to win the NCAA men’s championship. The Tar Heels win 54-53 to finish the season with a 32-0 record.

1968 — Lew Alcindor scores 34 points to carry UCLA to a 78-55 win over North Carolina in the NCAA basketball championship.

1974 — N.C. State ends UCLA’s streak of seven national championships with an 80-77 victory in double overtime of the NCAA tournament semifinals. David Thompson leads the Wolfpack with 28 points and 10 rebounds while teammate Tom Burleson scores 20 and pulls down 14 rebounds.

1991 — London beats Frankfurt 24-11 in the first World League of American Football game.

1994 — Wayne Gretzky scores his 802nd goal, passing Gordie Howe as the top goal scorer in NHL history. The Kings center scores in the second period for his 62nd NHL record.

1996 — Michelle Kwan caps a nearly perfect season by winning the women’s title at figure skating’s world championships for the United States’ first singles sweep since 1986.

2002 — Brendan Shanahan of the Red Wings scores his 500th career goal, breaking a scoreless tie at 7:48 of the third period. Detroit beats Colorado 2-0.

2002 — Iowa State’s Cael Sanderson becomes the first undefeated four-time NCAA wrestling champion at the NCAA championships. Sanderson beats Lehigh’s Jon Trenge 12-4 to win at 197 pounds and finish his career with a 159-0 record.

2007 — Kobe Bryant becomes the second NBA player to score at least 50 points in four straight games when he has 50 in the Lakers’ 111-105 win at New Orleans. Only Wilt Chamberlain has more, scoring at least 50 points in seven consecutive games during the 1961-62 season.

2010 — The NFL changes its overtime rules for playoff games to give both teams an opportunity to get the ball.

2014 — Quardell Young drives the length of the court for a go-ahead layup with 0.9 seconds left and Wisconsin-Whitewater holds off Williams to win the NCAA Division III men’s championship 75-73. The Warhawks (29-4), whose football team took the national championship in December, win the basketball championship for the second time in three years and fourth time in four trips to the final.

2016 — Guard Russ Smith of the Delaware 87ers scores an NBA D-League-record 65 points in a 140-129 loss to the Canton Charge.

2022 — After 114 consecutive weeks as the world’s No. 1 female tennis player, 25-year-old Australian Ash Barty makes an unexpected retirement announcement.

—Compiled by the Associated Press

And finally...

Wayne Gretzky scores his record 802nd goal. Watch and listen here.